A few friends of mine said I will have to start a blog for my trip to Ireland. I'll probably do sporadic posts about preparing for the trip up until I go, then write more frequently once I'm there. By the sounds of things I'll have to find a different blogging website, because I'm not going to be able to afford to splurge for a paid format blogging site in the next three to four years --traveling is going to be expensive!

I've asked my cousin to design a banner for said new website; I can only hope she'll have the time and capabilities to do it. I don't have any photoshopping programs that will allow me to put something together myself, not that I'm any good at doing it either. I used to have access to them back when I was in college, but if you've seen my book blog banner you know I kinda suck. 

So here is the thing: What should I name this new blog? I have some ideas, but nothing really sounds perfect for my new site. Some suggestions are downright abysmal, but I'll post some options here for you to check out. If y'all have any better monikers, please do share! 

A Daisy in Dublin
A Daisy in Donegal
A Canadian in Cork
A Canadian in County Clare 
A Belle in Belfast
Sumr's Swap
Jaike's Journey
The Journeys of JaiKaies
JK's Journey
JaimeKristal: A Dream Come True
JaimeKristal: [something about Ireland]
Wanderings and Ponderings

So if you like any, let me know!

SUMR

One of my best friends is @Karoline1982. We didn't know each other IRL, but became friends through xanga. When she was driving past my hometown a few years ago she stopped by, and we had a great visit. Then I moved to the GTA for school and we hung out all the time! Now she is moving all the way across the country from me --okay, so it isn't even an entire province away-- and that is sad cuz I'll miss her *sniffle*  I'm also dying to meet @Persiankitty and @Garistotle cuz they're so fantabulous! *Ooops* And @Brae, I can't forget her! 

Not only did this girl talk me into exercising more--which I already hate and she loves--but she had also talked me into trying online dating a couple years ago. Neither of us were too impressed with the guys, and I ended up hiding my profile shortly before moving back home. Karo, on the other hand, has recently found an amazing guy (see her page for details) I'm dying to meet because he sounds so perfect for her! And what do you know, but that she found him on an online dating site... 

So now I'm willing to give it another go and reopened my profile on Thursday. I haven't met any attractive single guys my age who are interested in a relationship in the entire year I've been back home, which I thought was because I didn't go out bar-hopping (but I don't really want to date a partier anyways). Nope! It is that there really aren't that many interesting guys in this town  There weren't too many local boys on the site, but considering the city has less people than my old university had on a daily basis I wasn't overly surprised by the smaller number. The problem is the options themselves...

If you don't want to deal with me whine and whinge and go into a very mean rant, you may want to skip this next paragraph: 
Most of the guys had no more education than high school, and maybe it's a bit snobby of me, but I want someone who has some sort of diploma or degree. I'd also like someone who can tell the difference between their/there/they're and two/to/too, things everyone should have learned by the time they were seven, but capitalization and punctuation are beyond these guys--never mind using the correct words! Most of the males also have children, and I'm not ready to be a mum... did I mention that my town has a high pregnancy rate for high school and college students? Yeah, basically these guys just couldn't keep it in their pants. Many had pictures with drinks in hand, as in every single picture had alcoholic beverages firmly grasped; I really wanted to leave messages suggesting they attend an AA meeting. The few that didn't sound like drunken drop-outs with no understanding of safe sex were prematurely balding, appeared to have bad hygiene, or their profiles sounded like they really should be locked up in padded rooms. 

During break at work Friday, a coworker and I were looking through the locals --and we're talking within an hour driving distance, I was that desperate-- and she had a look of horror on her face the entire time. She then turned to me and said, "Maybe you should check out the guys in Ireland since you're going there next year". So we did that until we had to get back to work, and she found one she thought perfect for me: he's a redheaded English teacher from Dublin. He was cute, so I guess I'll have to think of something to write! 

I looked at more guys from Ireland after work and emailed a couple with profiles that allowed me to easily come up with something to say. (Yes, I'm one of those people who actually read the profiles to use as a conversation starter.) It is really hard to do a search as I'm not actually sure where I'd be living, plus most want someone to meet in person and I won't be there for a year. I have also discovered that I have a thing for redheads --two of my bffs have red hair and I think ginger boys are adorable 

Ten guys had emailed me within the first 24 hours. While I will reply to them, as they worked up the nerve to actually write something, there really isn't a one in the bunch I want to meet in person. I cannot even see myself become friends with some let alone go on a date with any. What is with this place that there are no single guys who are my type? I find myself despairing of ever falling in love *cries* I guess all I can really do is keep praying I'll eventually find the person meant for me. I keep getting told one of two things: It's time I got married and had kids, or God has another plan for me and it's okay to be single. Both suck.

Also, I'd really rather not meet the love of my life online as, hopeless romantic that I am, I want my "meet-cute". I guess I still have a bit of that preconceived notion men looking for love online must have something horribly wrong with them that they can't get a date in real life. Yeah, I know, I am online looking to meet people. Shut up. Maybe I should just hang out at the library all day from now on... *sigh*

SUMR

My friends say do it; my family says don't do it. Weird isn't it? I always thought it was your family who was supposed to support you and love you unconditionally, but it's really friends who fill that role. They chose to be with you while your relatives are merely stuck with you. My besties helped me through all the drama that is high school, swooning and crying over boys, helping me apply for uni and again later for college, giving encouragement to get through one more day at the evilness of numerous menial jobs, and now they are the ones who are rooting for my plans... the achievement of reaching my biggest dream. 

Yeah, you've probably guessed it by now: Ireland. When I saved the funds to take a two week holiday in Ireland my friends all cheered, while my parents said "Oh" then went back to what they were doing and my brother said "whatever". Now I have decided I want to take that one step further, do something even better than a mere two weeks on a magical island... I want to live there. 

Okay, so technically it would be a work exchange and can only last up to two years, but it's a start! Two weeks is not nearly enough time to see all the things I want to see and do all the things I want to do... Two weeks is not long enough to fall desperately in love with some hawtie local with a swoon-worthy lilting accent. (I CAN DREAM CAN'T I?) I've been looking into a couple programs that do an exchange, and I'm not sure which one is better. I'm going to give y'all the deets, and I'd really like your input. 

GO INTERNATIONAL

It's for the UK, which  is anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland... but I'm not sure if you get a choice of location. Helps you apply for a visa. Welcome pack of information and assistance from partnered organization if any problems.  Guarantees a job and accommodation (usually the same place), you don't get options and it is usually somewhere rural. If you don't like the job they find you, then you have to find your own work and housing. 

SWAP

It's for southern Ireland. Helps you apply for a visa. Gives you a pre-departure kit with information of what you need to do before and after you get to your destination. Have an arrival orientation to meet other exchange people. Has a  hosting centre to help you get started with arranging for working in a foreign country (ie. banking, taxes, etc) and finding a place to live, as well unlimited access to internet and assistance for any problems. Does not provide you with work or accommodation. 

SUMR

As in, mine's NOT anywhere close to being ab-tastic. I am so short I struggle with my weight... well, that and my love of carbs and chocolate. I have managed to nix much of my junk food consummation over the past few months, but pasta and muffins and such have been my go-to lunches for work. 

I had asked my doctor a couple of times what my idea weight should be for my height, but he said not to worry. Excuse me, but I am worrying. I don't like the way I look and my genetics tend to various health issues. I wanted to know what I should weigh so I could stay healthy! Then again, my doctor doesn't seem to care that my dad is a hundred pounds overweight and a heart attack weighting to happen, either. The most advice my dad got was to stop going back for third helpings and eat more salad.

I have done a bit of research, but that was a bit hard given that most online calculators only go from 5-feet tall and up. Hello? There are short people in the world, too! I can't help the fact my spine didn't grow straight and am stuck being miniscule! Regardless of this obstacle, I have decided that based on what I've figured out online plus my past-weight knowledge, I should to try to loose ten to twenty pounds. 

Now that my work schedule has changed to just four hours every afternoon, I am making a few changes to my life that should make me healthier and thus happier.

First, less frikken microwave dinners! I'm pretty sure they are the main reason I've gained over ten pounds in the last year. Okay, my lack of exercise may have been a problem, too. I walk to work every day, but that is only 15 to 20 minutes total. I also try to take the stairs as much as possible, so that rather than using the phone to talk to someone I walk to a person's desk no matter what floor they are on. But it just isn't enough to keep my weight down, so I'm going to try to continue improving my eating habits. I'm not eating salad though, I'm not a rabbit or a goat and thus lettuce and celery and other disgusting grass-flavoured things are not even going to be considered.

Second, I'm going to start doing more exercise. @Karoline1982 has a couple challenges on a previous post that I thought were a good idea. Below are the three that I'm going to do every day for the month of June. Or I'll try to anyways. The plan is to do them each morning after waking up, but that might be difficult on the days I get called in to work extra hours. I suppose I could do them after work, but it wouldn't be the only think I'm doing... I shall just have to do it anyways, right? I am also thinking of doing two mornings of extra cardio for a half-hour to start. Both my parents go to work early on Tuesdays and Thursday, so I should be able to jump on my mum's elliptical trainer on those days without worrying about waking someone up. 

Third, I intend to do editing every day rather than just when a due date is coming up. This way I won't be doing six-hour stints, but rather a couple hours from Monday to Friday before I go into work. I figure this will help me continue waking up at a decent hour every morning --no more sleeping in until noon or later-- which will mean I get to bed at a decent hour too. This will help for whenever I'm called in early to work, give me a set time period to work within, and thus be more like a real job. 

So that is my plan. I'm not sure what I should do after the month is up so that I con continue on my daily exercise plan. Can I just do the same challenges over again each month or will I need something different? I understand that when it all gets too easy I should change things up, but how long does that take? Will I be okay doing the three challenges for the summer (three months) or will I need something more difficult before then? Any helpful hints would be appreciated! 

SUMR

Okay, I finally have more time in which to start posting again only to find out that Xanga may be gone in little over a month? That just isn't right! I've been on this site for over ten years: it got me through university, a sucky job at a call centre, going back to school, living in the Big City by myself and the disappointing return home... It's the story of my life from the moment I left home. Sure, I didn't act like I was a grown up and still don't, but that is beside the point

Some of you I have on facebook, others became friends in my real life, and there are still more I hope to meet. If xanga's sad demise is to be we'll have to keep in touch another way, so message me if you want to!

*sniffle*

SUMR

Hey lovelies, 

I am finally taking the time to update all that's been going on in my life since in the past couple months... Okay, so I'm totally procrastinating work I should be doing that is deadly dull. So I believe it was in March that I finally applied for my passport, and what a to-do that was! Thankfully my dad had a lot of vacation time so he could drive me to the nearest passport office. Dad's work kept saying they couldn't spare him to take all of his holidays, so he ended up with a good five weeks off. 

Dad and I left way early in the morning--okay, so it was around 9am-- and got to the passport office by 11:30am. It wasn't too busy, maybe 10-20 people in line before me and a good seven people working the desks. I'd say we were in and out of there in about an hour, then headed to a store my dad likes in the next town over. While there I realized that I forgot to ask the passport people a question regarding getting certified copies (which I need for my editing job) and called them on my cell phone. I was told I'd have to come back to the passport office to fill out a request form, so back we went. Once I got to the office and told them what I needed, I was informed that I couldn't fill out the form until I actually had my passport. Why the heck did they tell me to come back then?!? 

I got my passport a little over a week later. Pretty sweet, huh? Then dad and I went back to that same passport office to deal with my certified copy request. It's free, so I asked for three: one each for the two forms I have to send out and one for myself to keep on file (which we're advised to have). It is about the same timeline as for passports to get the copies certified, and I think I got my copies within a couple weeks at most. It's those dang forms I have to fill out for my editing work that take forever! I sent out my certified copy with the first form shortly after getting them, and it wasn't until late May that I got the information back to fill out the second form *shakes head*

I did post in April, but I honestly can't remember much of what happened in that month. I nearly forgot about my dad's birthday... well, not his birthday exactly, as I know when it is, I merely had my weeks mixed up and thought I still had a week before having to get his present. My mum's birthday is a month later and I had the same problem. I knew when her birthday was, but all my days were mixed up. 

But the weekend before my mum's birthday was the church fundraiser. I was going to volunteer for it, but then I thought it was on my mum's birthday, then I found out I was wrong and it was the weekend prior... but I thought it was on the same day as the Gallery's new exhibit opening reception, then found out it was the day prior. I managed to go to the fundraiser, which was a 50s-themed dinner with a local comedian and an auction. It was a lot of fun! 

It was around that time that I had a horrible realization: sometimes I get so frikken bored when editing. I love the first round of edits when the manuscript is new and exciting, and it's kind of like you're just reading a book but you get to make notes and changes to make it even better. The second round, though, is like reading the same book twice in a row: you already know what happens and now you're just looking for anything that sucks you had missed the first time. Then comes the copyediting and formatting, which is beyond tedious and I hate doing it. I cannot for the life of my figure out why authors can send out their manuscripts without checking the "show characters" function. You can always tell when an author got stuck and paused for a moment to think, because that is when you see the space bar hit a few times. Well, that or the eejit doesn't know how to hit the right buttons, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I went through five years of school, spent seventy-five thousand dollars (which I thankfully only had to pay three-quarters of, as the government gave me grants and such). Nevertheless, I could have bought a frikken house and car with that kind of money only to discover that I really like being a receptionist... at least for the studio. I'd been an evening receptionist at a dance school and wasn't overly fond of it due to the daytime receptionist never keeping me in the loop. Here I'm the "head honcho", and my counterpart Gallery Administrator keeps me up-to-date as I do her.

I think part of my problem with my editing work is that it isn't in an office. While I love working in my jammies, I get so distracted when I'm at home. I can watch a movie or read a book, and my parents... well, let's just say I tracked how many times my mum comes in my room. The answer is, on average, my mum bugs me six times per hour. *ARG!*

So a week or two after I make this realization, my boss asks me to have a meeting with him. I was a bit worried as I knew the pub company and the gallery were struggling, and the branding company was being bought by the owner's daughter, BUT it was also nearing my one year marker as it was only a month away. Yeah, that's when I was told I was getting laid off. I was told that if I was interested he would hire me on on a per project basis as a freelancer, and I said I would until I found another job. 

At first I was horrified, because it took me six months just to get that part-time job in our sucky economy AND I like my job (usually). Then I realized this was a sign that was I was to to Ireland for a year doing a work-exchange, and I started looking into that. I was getting pretty excited about it, but realized I was short some of the money I'd need for living expenses as I wanted to have a portion of that so I wouldn't have to worry too much about finding a job right away. I was trying to figure out where I could get a decent job (aka no fast food), especially at the same time that college students are looking for work as well, when the owner's daughter told me that she's hiring me back on part-time. 

There won't be a raise and it's actually less hours, but I'll be able to save the money I need in about 4-10 months (depending how much of a cushion I want). I'll be working four hours in the afternoon Monday through Friday, and if the other company needs me to do some work for them I'd do so in the mornings. Also, the boss-man is having me and the Gallery Administrator looking into "coworking". I'd never heard of it before, but apparently some companies will rent out desk space per day or per month, and he's having me looking into that for half the current gallery. The other half of the gallery he is having the GA look into artists renting the space to hold their own shows. 

I haven't decided what to do about my tentative plans to go to Ireland now that I know I get to keep my job. If I do go for a year, I was thinking about early January to mid-december. I'm not to keen on the idea of not being home for Christmas, but I may decide it was time to do my own thing for the first time ever and stay... especially if I don't end up going until summer-time. The only thing is that I doubt the company will give me a year off without losing my position, and I am not sure if I want to quit a job I rather like. But then, for all I know, I may hate it after another year as the last couple receptionists quit before finishing a year there. I could still do a two week holiday later this year or sometime next year because I was already told by my new boss that she thinks everyone should get the opportunity to travel. What say y'all? Should I just do a vacation or do the year? 

SUMR

I fully intended to spend much of my Thursday finishing up some editing on a manuscript that is due next week. I thought I might fit some time in this morning before my dentist appointment, but seeing as I forgot the latest draft at work I was not able to. I tried asking the gallery administrator --who takes my place on thursday through saturday-- via email, facebook, and text messaging but she seemed to never get around to sending it to me. So after my little trip to the dentist, where upon SEVEN cavities were discovered and one of which may actually require a root canal, I stopped by the office to send myself the dang manuscript. 

I ended up chatting with GA for a couple hours, some of it about work related things and some not, before heading home. Once I arrived at the house and hid myself away in my room, I decided to relax with the novel I was nearly finished before gearing up for some hardcore editing. I did finish my book, but I kept my mind kept wandering to the dream I had before waking. It was a strange dream, one where a group of us were trying to mimic an ancient water burial (kind of a la Anne of Green Gables doing the Lady of Shallot scene) and one guy --a playboy type recently back from a tryst-- volunteered to be dead. It was agreed that he could be the floater, but another person had to go with him to witness what happens on the journey. 

I was the one who was sent, following on my dolphin, even though my father had strict rules about what parts of the water I was allowed to swim in. In one place my dream father didn't want me in a certain area and directed me to a lagoon-type location with glowing water and had land with a white picket fence guarding fruit trees and berry bushes. My dog --which I presume had moments ago had been my dolphin-- went into the floating orchard and picked fruits to bring back to me so I could eat too.

Nearby was a hut out on the water, and that is where the "dead" boy had gone to rest for the night. I went over to the hut to join him, as did my dog, but mean kids kept throwing things over the roof that you'd get hit by whenever you tried to leave. We managed to escape because my dog-dolphin distracted the mean ones somehow, and we quietly walk/swam to the lagoon area in which others were not permitted to inhabit. He also ate or else he would truly be dead, then slept on his raft while I slept on another. I had a crush on him though I knew he tended to use girls and then move on, but after going on this excursion with him I was seeing a more softer/vulnerable side to his personality. 

I woke up around then, but the part that stayed with me all day was my pet dog/dolphin. I thought it would be interesting for an animal to shape-shift like that, could shift into a creatures that could take to land, water, or air. Then I tried to figure out what would cause an animal to be able to do that, why would it want to, and what kind of world would it be living in? Thus started the germination of a story. 

At first I was just jotting down a couple point-form notes so I wouldn't forget, but started looking up some information to verify that my ideas were doable. Then I decided if I was going to jot down so many notes I may as well organize them on my computer and save them as a doc, but instead I ended up just writing the backstory, the prologue as it were. I spent EIGHT hours writing and researching, there are nearly three thousand words depicting this strange world and how it came to be... but I haven't the slightest idea of the actual plot. 

Oh, and I didn't get around to doing any editing either *wince*

*   *   *   *   *

Update: I just spent all of today doing further research and writing up the basic background information for how the world in this story works. This background can be used to write any book set there as it has information like laws, education, languages, etc. 

I now have ONE LINE for a plot idea and still no editing got done. I'm going to finish my editing now, I swear!!!

SUMR

It's been longer than I thought since I last wrote! I've been crazy busy and I have a blog post or two in mind, but not enough time right now to write them. So I'll just leave you with my fantabulous news:

  ☻/ღ˚ •。* ♥ ˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 。 ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★ *˚ .ღ 。* ♥
/▌*˛˚ღ •˚ I've finally saved enough for my dream trip to Ireland!!! 
/ ˚. ★ *˛ ˚♥* ✰。˚ ˚ღ。* ˛˚ ♥ 。✰˚* ˚ ★*˚ .ღ*˛ ✰。

*happy dance -- snoopy dance -- freaking right out at the awesomeness dance*

SUMR

I'm up at 3am, so I may as well do something, right? Survey thefted from @randaness

1. Who is your most favorite author? ("I don't read" is not an acceptable answer)

I have two favourite authors that tend to stay the same even as other authors become a "flavour of the month" shall we say. I adore Katie MacAlister's paranormal Aisling Grey series--I do like her other books, but don't find them quite as awesome as Aisling. I also adore Jennifer L Armentrout's young adult novels: I have all of her "Covenant" series (well, the ones available at present) and love them, I also recently bought the first three books of the "Lux" series that I can hardly wait to start! 

2. Theist, deist, agnostic, atheist, or apatheist?

Theist; I'm a non-denominational Christian.

3. Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Palm, or dumbphone?

Android... well, providing it survives the slushy bath it unfortunately received recently.

4. What language would you most like to learn?

I would like to relearn French, as I used to be fairly fluent but lost most of it. I have to say learning Gaelic or Latin would be fun as well. 

5. Your favorite song right now?

Well, the song stuck in my head today... er, yesterday... would be Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song"

6. Your favorite song of all time?

I always love "White Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby.

7. What's the #1 most important quality you look for in the opposite sex (or the same sex, if applicable?)

Being a Christian... followed closely by a sense of humour and a love of books.

8. What otherwise common thing have you never experienced?

I've never fallen in love.

9. Favorite place on the internet besides Xanga?

I usually have Facebook, Xanga, and Twitter open in tabs whenever my computer is on, but I also have a wordpress blog for writing book reviews and other literary-type stuff.

10. What question would you most like to be asked? 

I'd like to eventually hear "Will you marry me?"

SUMR

I kind of wish the result of that promised kiss was already over and done with, because the waiting is killing me. Not because I cannot wait to kiss him, but because I keep rethinking my decision. As I told him, I was feeling daring at the time; I was thinking that I did not want to regret having never kissed him when I have this opportunity to just do it. But when I told a friend of mine that I wasn't sure I should actually kiss him after all, she said I should stop overanalyzing it, to not allow fear and uncertainly keep me from doing something. 

One of the reasons for my previous agreement is because when I was in university there was this one guy I was friends with all four years we were in school and had an on-again-off-again crush on. We'd flirt and hang out, and I always figured that by the time we graduated we would end up dating or at least share a kiss. Turns out he thought the same thing but never said so until after graduation and I'd already moved back home. I regret never having that; I wonder what would have happened had we just kissed. I don't want to allow fear to hold me back and have that exact same regret. The exact same wondering of "what if...?"

But the thing is, I don't just go around kissing people --it means something special to me. I can count the number of guys I have kissed on one hand, because I only ever do so with someone I have a connection with. Were all of them boyfriends? No, but the ones that were not my significant other were friends and still are my friends. It never felt like any of those instances were just taking advantage of an opportunity, but something they wanted because it mattered to them. Because I mattered to them, meant something to them --if only as a dear friend. 

In comparison, he has told me that he'd have no qualms about having sex with people and yet feel nothing for them. I cannot comprehend this as I feel sharing such intimacies should only be done in love. While I don't agree with some of the things he does, I cannot judge him for it. It isn't my right to do so. But where does that leave me? We've known each other for about six years so you would think we'd know each other really well, yet I honestly don't know who or what I am to him. 

I try to show all my friends in word and deed how much they mean to me; I tell them I love them or hug them or even blow them kisses. I try to be there for them when they need a listening ear, a supporting hand, or creative ideas on where to bury a body... Okay, the last was not literal, but you get the idea. The only clue I have from him is the ring he bought me as a graduation present as it meant he was thinking of me, proud of my accomplishments, cared about me. But I have since noticed that the only time he makes an effort to spend time with me is when he claims to be bored, it is always me who suggests various outings or is the first to send a text, etc. 

I guess what I really want to know is why. Why does he want a kiss from me? I should have asked him that before when we were discussing this kiss, but at the time I felt like it was a bit of a game. I'm not even sure he really does want to kiss me so much as wants to see if I would do so, and quite frankly that really isn't enough reason to give him one. Because of this, all this thinking, I'm sitting on the edge of a decision: will I regret it more if I kiss him or don't kiss him? It all hinges on that why. 

I'm going to have to ask him, aren't I? 

SUMR