Saturday, December 24, 2011

all I want.

‎"Maybe Christmas, she thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more"

Merry Christmas. I hope you're all spending time with those you love most.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

i need another story

December will be a busy month.

Christmas - gift hunting, wrapping and giving, get-togethers, dinners, stuffing my face, etc.

Car hunting - my trusty Plymouth Breeze blew a gasket, causing it to leak oil like a --. For now, I am continuously pouring oil down its throat until I can find a replacement/the engine seizes.

House hunting - Taylor and I's lease is up February 1st, and he is moving back in with his parents to go to school full-time. I'll be moving in with Celeste, the girl who took his room for three months while he was gone in Peru. I will miss Chaircat, but not her endless amount of loose fur. My couch will also not miss Chaircat.

and around all of that - Packing! As I will be leaving for Portugal Jan 1st and not returning until the 27th (yes, yes I am doing it - I am going on my adventure!), I must pack up my life this month so when I return to this side of the world I can move on out to my new digs.

I believe I can do this. Fortunately for me I work in a coffee shop. Caffeine will be ever-present in my body the next few weeks.

Wish me luck and above all, productivity.

only in dreams

Notes to self:

- The only person that can decide you're having a bad day is you

- You must live your life the way you want to - or it is not truly yours

- Treat others the way you wish to be treated

- Don't dwell on things you don't have any control over

- Don't waste your day waiting for something to come to you - seek it out

- You are young now, but also responsible for who you are when you're older

- Drink more water

- Sleep when you're old

Monday, September 26, 2011

'cause I want more

I've fully embraced Pumpkin Spice.

It's a beautiful, windy, rainy day. It's Fall.

Today is my day off. I am more than content to sit here and listen to the rain fall while I'm reading a book. I am also wrapped in four blankets. There is a cat somewhere in here.

I'm making plans. Big plans. My best friend is studying in Portugal for a semester this year. In January, I am going to visit her.

I can't believe this is going to happen. I need to make it happen! It will happen.

Please see : all of the lights http://headlights-highway.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-of-lights.html

I need to make myself believe it is/will be a reality - mainly so I STOP SPENDING MONEY. RRRR I WANT NEW SHOES AND PURPLE LIPSTICK.

Must. Be. Responsible. Maybe I'll freeze my credit cards.

....just one little lipstick? I'LL USE IT EVERY DAY

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

say it aloud.

I'm not ready for Pumpkin Spice this year.

On my way to the back room at work, I noticed a cluster of bottles coloured a very distinct orange. I'll admit I stopped dead in my tracks.

I love Pumpkin Spice syrup, do not get me wrong - but I feel as if it is too early this year. (Starbucks won't be serving it until September 6th, sorry die-hards.) Mostly I feel it is too early because summer just started to rear its pretty head in this part of the world. Oh, well, perhaps we will have a beautiful Indian Summer.

Now I'm picturing myself sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte on a beautiful September Day, blogging about how much I love doing so. Okay, I like.

Pumpkin Spice also tastes like Back-to-School. I miss school. Well, the Autumn Style/New pens and hi-lighters part. Maybe a little learning, too.

PS, yes, I am doing laundry.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

taking a mental picture of you now.

My neighbors are having a rave again. Maybe I'll send Taylor on the patio again to tell them I'm pregnant and cranky. It worked last time. Although - I have to commit to that lie if I wish to use it to my advantage in the future. I really don't forsee myself donning a fake baby bump to go to and from my car every day. But we will see.

Today I caught a whiff of a customer's perfume and was instantly reminded of Mexico. She was wearing Cartier, the same scent my mother wore when my family went on vacation in 2004. It always takes me aback how much smell is linked to memory. (On a side-note:I need to find myself a signature scent, but I'm finding it difficult as I am notoriously picky about perfume. Not only did it take me 4 years of testers and sample-sprays to commit to buying 'Glow by JLo', I'm unable to wear perfume at work so I find it hard to get into the habit on my days off. I used to enjoy wearing a certain body spray made by Secret..Tropical...something. I wore it almost every day in the early years of highschool until every cheerleader in a National Competition was given a bottle in a gift bag. That smell will forever be linked to thousands of whiney, overly-tanned, sparkly little girls. Worst.)

I'm also a sucker for relating music to past/current events. There are some songs that no matter how hard I try, I'll be reminded of something/someone. Since it looks like I won't be sleeping much tonight before my 5 am shift tomorrow, I figure I'll play a little game and share it with all y'all. Imma put my iPod on shuffle and put a memory/person to the song. Should prove to be interesting.

Note: don't you dare judge my musical taste! These are all (with the exception of one) random. I have many very chill, obscure artists you have probably never heard of on my iPod.

1 - Santa Monica - Theory of a Deadman
Well, there's a good one off the bat. This song will always take me back to a highschool trip to San Diego, particularly the plane ride there and back. (Another cheerleading memory, hurray. If you're wondering, I was no superstar. I was definitely the one they hid in the back.) YES I REALIZE THEY ARE BOTH VERY DIFFERENT CITIES IN CALIFORNIA.

2 - Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
This one reminds me of a Young Adults group I used to attend a few years ago. I think they were trying to make the lyrics relevant to Jesus instead of a love interest. They played it a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

3 - Think I'm in Love - Beck
I remember my little brother had a small obsession with Beck after he heard our older Brother was a fan. My mother was concerned with both this song and 'Loser' - the lyrics include 'I'm a loser, baby - so why don't you kill me?.' She was worried he was taking the lyrics to heart. No, don't worry mom. He is 8. The most trying moments in his life currently include whether or not he will be getting all 18 of his requested LEGO sets for Christmas. Although he did have a concerning crush on his Kindergarten teacher..

4 - Dynamite - Tao Cruz
My old roommate and I Alyse went on a roadtrip to Kelowna last year. I'm sure we played this song over 50 times on the way up, as well as Teenage Dream and some now irrelevant Fergie song. That was a good roadtrip. There is a night-club called 'Flashbacks' in which we literally stopped dancing for a maximum of 4 songs all night, only to rest our feet and to grab a drink of water. Best.

5 - Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
We played this song in Senior Jazz Band when I was in Grade Ten. It was my favourite, I'll admit. It also, obviously, reminds me of Shrek 2.

6 - Down (Candlelight Remix) - Jay Sean
My friend Ami and I howled our way through Jay Sean's entire album on the way back from Guilford Mall one day. During this, she shared with me his real name is apparently Kamaljit. From that day forward, Ami's nickname was forever Kamaljit.

7 - You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins
My current roommate Taylor and I had the discussion that during the slideshow at his (very future)funeral this song must be played. On repeat. I've personally decided there will be intermittent slides of Disney's Tarzan screencaps. Everyone will cry and then laugh and then feel really bad about laughing because they won't know if they are supposed to.

Rave update: another neighbour has currently been yelling at the people next-door to TURNITOFF for the last ten minutes. I don't even want to step on my patio now. Its going to be a brawl, I live in an interesting building full of interesting characters. I'll write a post about them when I don't live here anymore.

Three more songs, then I am going to suck it up and try to sleep.

8 - I Love Myself Today - Bif Naked

This song is not on my iPod, but I couldn't help but cheat and post it when a friend posted it on my wall today. My mother and I made an alternate version to this song when it came out. Lyrics: I brushed my teeth today, just like yesterday. I brushed, I flossed, I scrubbed that plaque away, uh-huh.

9 - Dirty Bit - The Black Eyed Peas
Without thinking at all, this dedication is to my roommate, Taylor. Not only is this song his ringtone, favourite catch-phrase and most-played on iTunes - he plays it on repeat while taking a shower. I know Taylor is almost clean when it starts up a third time. It's helpful, really.

10 - OMG - Usher
Forever, forever, forever, this song reminds me of my past roommate Alyse. This song came out when we were on vacation in Cancun, Mexico last year. It must have played 3 times a night down there, but we couldn't get enough. It was also one of our top choices for our road-trip playlist. Finally, it reminds me of Alyse for the following best/worst reason. One night we were out at a friend's birthday, and the song started to play. Alyse and I decided we needed to jump up in the 'dancing cage' - hey, it was a classy establishment - to show off our slick moves. Well, Alyse is about six feet tall, and the door to said cage is only about 5 and a half feet. Combine that with the flying leap she made to reach the platform - boom. Blood. Everywhere. I have also created alternate lyrics to this song, dedicated to Alyse at the time of this incident. Sample : I was like Oh my God, I hit my schnoz, its blee-ding pro-fusely! I was like Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh-oh -oh-oh-oh=oh Oh my schnoz!

That's it. That's all. If you're still reading this you are probably either my mother, roommate or are putting off sleep like me.

On a related note, I think my next-door neighbours must have either succumbed to the SHUTUP request by our mutual neighbor, or passed out. Whichever it is, cool.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

you gotta take it in.

It seems as if the only time I ever blog is when I am doing laundry at my parents'. I assume the constant factor is that I have access to a real computer (blogging on my phone is a sniz). So there is consistency in my blogging! (RE:previous post...or a few posts down there. I really don't want to open a new tab to look. Must be a lazy-I-am-used-to-my-phone-with-sticky-home-button-must-stay-on-one-browser-window-thing.)

Today I noticed Facebook updated the lay-outs for messages. All messages, chats and emails through Facebook are consolidated in one thread for your viewing convienience. Kinda cool right? A little scary too. It was interesting to see how much I have mentally changed over the years. I've kept some of the same writing habits, but from the little reading I have done in the past hour that my jeans have been drying I've noticed a direct change in my sense of self, morality and confidence. A bit of a deeper analysis I was expecting for a brief browse through some old ties, but I'll suffice to say it was more apparent than I had counted on.

I'll be honest, I pushed too far back at points - into crevices of my Facebook account that shouldn't have been aroused (hehe, aroused). Though, in doing that, I was able to gather an un-biased opinion of myself and my respective messagers (it almost seems as if I am not the same person this girl is../was) and subjectively analyse things I was entirely unable to do in their present time.

In the end, I deleted these messages. They were nothing but ghosts that didn't take up any room, mind you, but were lurking, nonetheless.

Silly, really.

I feel like in the next 5 years I'll look back and do the same thing. But it won't be nearly as trying. I'm pretty stellar now...right?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

bound by the surprise

I won't show you a picture, but I smushed my finger yesterday. I smushed it real good. It was all my fault and it really hurts. Luckily I only 'pick' type and use 6/10 digits regularly. I'll make this work. Showering and doing dishes, however, has proven to be interesting. I am very lucky that my current roommate is a nurse. She bandaged up my poor little finger in a nice chef-looking hat. Very chic, very practical. Except when I am trying to shower/do dishes.

It is with great irony I have damaged one of my hands, as I was just dreaming of starting a family band. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE THE CHILL GIRL BASSIST WHEN I DO NOT CURRENTLY RETAIN USE OF MY LEFT MIDDLE FINGER? Dreams crushed. Harsh. Maybe I will be the 'rhythm egg-shaker/poor back-up vocalist.' I could probably wear cuter outfits and not have to worry about them being hidden/clashing with my bass. Optimism. Yeah.

While I was being 'treated' by the 'doctor' at the 'walk-in clinic', he asked me if I thought I had broken it. I DON'T KNOW, BUDDY, YOU TELL ME. I felt very safe in his hands as he burnt through my nail with a heated up paper-clip in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. (He burnt through my nail alright - all the way down to my finger. Good. Very good.)
I have come to terms with the fact I am very likely to lose my nail. Most unfortunate, as my left hand is was my pretty hand. Now it is my zombie hand. Swollen, bloody, pus-filled, black and yellow zombie hand. Not pretty. Zombies are in now, right? Totally. Optimism. Yeah.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

step out in the sunshine

Back in December, while I was on my first trip to Las Vegas, I was planning my second..and third..and fourth..
Part two was scheduled to be early July with some girls from Starbucks. We figured we would jet off as soon as the last girl turned 21. Yesterday we discussed how 'down' we both still were to go.
Last night I receive a text message from one of the girls I had gone with on my original trip, asking if I would be 'down' to go late June for an unreasonably cheap fare.

I wavered for a few minutes. Two weeks in a row? I'm crazy. I can't afford it. Not practical.

Then I took a step back and thought about it clearly.

I'm down.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

you too.

I just ate a spoonful butterknife scoop?ful of raspberry jam in order to try to stifle a craving for sweets. Who needs to go grocery shopping and do a load of dishes?

moderate astigmatism.

When I was about thirteen, I noticed I couldn't see as well as I used to. 

I first noticed while I was writing an exam in the gym. Whenever I looked up from my paper, I had a serious problem focusing on anything more than ten feet away from me. 

I thought it must have been a combination of the florescent lighting, stress of my Social Studies exam I hadn't studied for very thoroughly, and the inordinate amount of 'Jolt' Cola I had consumed during 'Health Snack Break' (or whatever the School District had decided to eversocleverly re-name Recess as to subliminally coerce us into choosing more 'nutritionally conscious' snacks from the vending machines. They also later made the rational decision to cover the offending vending machines in black construction paper until Lunch Time; when our developing bodies would be much more able to process and properly digest refined sugar and saturated fat. My only qualm with this message - besides becoming unable to purchase my beloved Caramilk bars - was that a new, fresh piece of paper was used EVERY DAY to obstruct the demon junk food from our piggy eyes. So, really what SD34 was telling us underhandedly is that delayed gratification>environment and fiscal responsibility.)

I seemed to have been pleased with my self diagnostic abilities and stopped questioning my need for glasses.  Later that day I failed to recognize the "Men's" symbol on the upstairs restroom and walked in on my Woodworking Teacher using the facilities. Why was he in the student bathroom? Why did my grade suddenly jump 20% in his class?* These unanswered questions still haunt me sometimes while I lay awake in bed. That and the sordid amount of caffeine I consume on a daily basis. 

I began to accept that my eyesight was totally normal. As I began to drive, I noticed a distinct difference between my response time at recognizing signs and pedestrians and my mother's, but figured it was because I needed practice as a 'learning driver' and that she was overly paranoid. I had passed the 'eye test' given at the time of my L test at any rate. Did it help I could see the answer sheet? Maybe. 
 
As Highschool came and went; many exams in brightly lit, overly caffeinated environments came with it. Same thing. Focus too hard on paper, become unable to properly distinguish faces or depth beyond ten feet. Normal. 

It was only when I started to work at Starbucks after I turned 18 that I came to terms with the fact that I, indeed, probably needed glasses. My fellow baristas kindly let me know it is a problem when you are unable to distinguish between cuteCaramelFrappuccinoguy and oldcreepyGrandeAmericano man from ten feet away. Hawkward. 

Okay, okay. I need glasses. I agreed. 

But I should sign up for Starbucks benefits first. Why should I pay full price? Silly. 

Three years and countless incidences of failure to recognize family members or curves in the road later, I booked an eye test this last October. 

As I stood just outside the examination room in Costco,** massive eye-testing contraption perched on my face - I could see. I could see the glimmer of bulk Heinz three aisles down. I could easily spot my mother perusing the selection of Garth Glasses - fifteen feet away! 

I walked out the proper set of doors that afternoon with a newfound sense of self congratulatory pride. Look at me, mom! Look! MOUNTAINSARENTTHEYBEAUTIFUL! 

Glasses off. Blurry blue lumps in the distance. 

Glasses on. MOUNTAINSMOOMMOM.

 Glasses off. Mom? Mom? Where did you

Glasses on. Oh hi mom. 

Glassesonglassesoffglassesonglassessoff

I wore my glasses for about a week. 





*just kidding, mom. Please don't call the School Board. 

**it turns out that my 'moderate astigmatism could have been fixed at an earlier age if I had been diagnosed and wore corrective lenses throughout my early Highschool years. Oops. 

Saturday, May 7, 2011

don't mess around.

I never learn.

Today marks another tally on the countless amounts of times I have fallen for my own tricks.

Take four AM shift.

Agree to go out the night prior.

Come home in the wee hours of the morning.

Sleep. Nap.

Wake up. Cry a little.

Go to work.

Ingest inordinate amounts of caffeine.

Make a fool of myself (but be miraculously efficient making drinks)

Become a Starbucks Zombie in the home stretch of the shift.

Return to bed.

Nap. Sleep forever.

Friday, April 29, 2011

yeah, and all of their peers.

I can't sleep.

I've been blogging alot lately. Looking back at my posting there seems to be no pattern. Except the pattern that I post many blogs in a short period of time every once in a while. Does that count? Is that a 'trend' in my blogging? I don't know. It's one thirty. I should be sleeping. I already said 'goodnight' to everyone I had been talking to over the Internet, and here I am again on my phone stirring up more trouble.

I wonder why I can't sleep. Is it because my brain is going a million miles a minute? It was a crazy day at work today. Alarms going off all day, 3 coffee travellers (boxes of coffee to-go) ordered in the midst of a line up to the door, a thug fight outside of the cafe, and not to mention my favourite scammer also made a guest appearance. Boy do I hate him. I was literally shaking with anger when he left. I think it double upsets me that he upsets me so much. Its an upset-circle. Most unfortunate. (Basically this guy abuses our very lenient 'Just Say Yes' policy all over the District - and now I hear, Langley) to get free product. I won't get into specifics because I value my job. That is also why I served him. Because I value my job.

But enough about him. More about me. Why am I awake!?

....oh. Nevermind.

I worked today. At Starbucks.

Let's play a game.

What did I do at work that would be keeping me awake now?

Gee.

Dangit. Dangit. Dangit.

Goodnight. I hope.

all of the lights.

I know, I know.

I have been blogging about it since the beginning of time my blog.

I need to travel.

I have been to Mexico, Hawaii, Texas, California and Las Vegas (and a few places in Canada); but I want need to go somewhere far away.

Perhaps I'm realy feeling it because so many young folk around me have left/are soon departing on their own grand adventures. My roommate is leaving for Peru in three days for three months, and another very good friend of mine will be flying off to Europe for two months in a week's time. (Luckily for me, both my boyfriend and bestfriend have returned
-albeit temporarily- from their respective far-away residences, or else I would most probably be spending much of my time locked in my room with the cat)

I'm pretty tired of waiting for 'my turn'. I realize I don't have to wait, I just have to do, but finding the right time with the right people and places is proving harder than I thought.

Then there is the financial issue. Oh yeah, money. That. As I work at Starbucks and live on my own, it's been understandably difficult to save money. (Visiting IKEA every two weeks really doesn't help either. Yes, mom.) In order to save money, I must make more - therefore I must promote to the next level (which I am currently working on.) Another catch, though, is that I can't just take off as soon as I've got the job. Doesn't work like that.

I guess my real problem is time! Oh time. Time is running out! Not really, but my youth is. (When I'm thirty I'll look back on this blog post and laugh and laugh.)

So. Time. Money. More time. Plan. Travel. Revel in freedom and youth in a foreign country.

Or I could just put it all on my credit card and 'live life young and fast'/'live hard young fast life'/'live fast don't die til later' or whatever it is.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

could be worse.

Well, I've gone and done it again.

I almost, almost almost made the title of this post a Britney Spears lyric, by the way. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Anyway. What have I done? On my way home from work today I stopped by my local MCC (please see post entitled 'a special spot in hell' - I haven't figure out how to link on my phone, calm down) to see if I could locate a particular movie title. Boy did I. Plus many many more. But, at fifty cents a pop it's really an investment in entertainment. Instead of spending $20+ on recently released movie titles (on Blu-ray or DVD or lazer-disk, whichever the newest money suck is), I'm spending an absolute fraction on..well, classics. Yea. Classics.

This trip my treasures included: Titanic (which I'm sure my boyfriend will be thrilled about, as I've been threatening him for months with the idea), Men in Black, Lord of the Rings - both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, both The Mummy and the Mummy Returns (even if 3 would have been available I would have left it on the shelf. Really? Replacing Rachel Weiz? How about 'hey Alex, remember when your mom died somewhere between now and the last sequel?' problem solved. Sorry. Anyways..), and Armageddon. Nice.

The only problem is, as my Facebook status so eloquently states, I 'must officially purchase an additional storage unit for [my] recently aqquired collection of VHS.' Oh well. Guess that means I have to go to IKEA again.

so sally can wait

A year ago I was working at Mt Lehman, lived in Bradner with Alyse Amber and Haley, was getting ready to go to Mexico, and had red hair.

Today I work at Seven Oaks, live in Abbotsford with Taylor (soon to be Celeste), really want to go to Mexico and have blonde hair.

Much has changed. I like it like it.

Next year by this time, I'd like to work in Vancouver, live in Vancouver, be saving for New Zealand, and have a femullet. Just kidding. Maybe. About the mullet.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

a heart like mine.

Lent ended today. Forty days and forty nights. I am proud to say I made it out not only alive, but stronger in many senses. The ending of Lent brings Easter. (Thanks, tips.) Every 'Easter Saturday' my dad's sister hosts an Easter party up in the hills of Mission. Every year, without fail, for the past 12 years; it rains. Not only does it rain, it pours. Somehow, this doesn't stop the throngs of (now late) elementary schooled children from ravaging the forest for any sign of plastic that could possibly hold a chocolate or two. Nor does it stop my 81-year-old Grandmother from rising at the crack of dawn to plant 3,000 eggs around the property. (Mind you, this is the same woman that shot and skinned her own moose last winter while hunting in the back bush of Quesnel.)
This year, however, was different. As I woke up yesterday I remember thinking, Why is it so bright...its the day of the Easter Party...or is it? AM I LATE FOR WORK IS IT MONDAY? Nope. Just...sunny?
Most years, a scraggle of relatives make their way from the outskirts of the Fraser Valley, mostly a fairly consistent crew. This year, I'd like to think both the Grace of Easter and the beautiful weather brought my long-lost cousins over from the island. For the first time in almost seven years myself, my two brothers, and my cousins Mark, Bea and Anne were together in one place with our parents. The last time we were all together was for my Grandma's 75th birthday; I was 15 and four of my younger cousins hadn't even been born yet. (It was actually kind of funny to see us all together, we're very much alike considering how far away we've grown up from eachother. Same sunglasses? Same pants? Mannerisms? Shoes? Facial expressions? Check.)
I would love to have a family reunion. The two older 'island cousins' haven't even met my three young cousins from Quesnel yet - and the oldest is 6. Very strange to me.
Turns out the family is moving to Vancouver at the end of August. (Actually, turns out half of them have lived here for quite a while - shows how much we really talk, sad.) I'm looking forward to being able to spend time with them. I've always been jealous of my friends that have cousins they are close to in the same age range. Fun fact: my mother and my aunt were friends before they married my dad and uncle. Apparently they were quite the pair. I'll be interested to see what kind of trouble my cousin Anne and I can cook up when she makes the big old move to the mainland. Part 2. Awh yeah.



This is one of the cousin shots we grabbed at the end of the afternoon:
(I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures with our parents and Granma)
clockwise from top left: Bea, Patrick, Truman, Mark, Anne and me














Also, these are my three 'baby' cousins from Quesnel:
left to right: Nicole, Brooke and Amber
















While I'm at it, this is my dog and my cat. Nomnomnomnom


















I love them. So much. I realized this weekend that time can't change family. I had a beautiful time. Whomp whomp.

Friday, March 18, 2011

stray cat strut

Today I found out why my hair straightner has been performing at a sub par level. It just didn't make sense; why did my hair look like crap? I wasn't doing anything differently, using any different product, or have any negative changes in my diet. It was only until I went to adjust the temperature to smooth my bangs that I realized it had been on a low setting all along.
I know it wasn't the cat straightening her whiskers. But now I know why your hair's been looking so good lately, Taylor James.


Post Script: the above post was originally a (paraphrased) Facebook status. For about three seconds until Taylor made me take it down. Funny how he's embarrassed about grooming his hair, while my status about his overwhelming log got the approval. I guess pooping is more masculine.

Monday, March 14, 2011

a little side note:




Grammatical errors/incorrect forms of speech that make me crazy:

The misuse of

-your/you're (ie 'Your ridiculous!') ...My what?
-their/there/they're
-too/two/to

'I could care less.' Could you? I couldn't care less.

'Could of', 'would of', 'should of'. Could HAVE, would HAVE, should HAVE.

'Mine as well.' What? You might as well return to Grade Three.

'Try and' Try to follow me with this one.

'A idiot.' You're an idiot.

Excessive commas in place of periods, semi-colons, etc.

I would of made my list a little bigger, but these are my top piss offs, your probably thinking I'm a anal cow anyway, and I'll try and not correct you in real life, although I'll do my best to pretend I could care less.







*DISCLAIMER: In no way am I insinuating that I have perfect grammar/formal English. The above are some very common mistakes that particularly grind my gears. I am aware that this blog post is most likely laden with errors.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

a special spot in hell.

Three days ago my roommate and I visited the MCC Furniture and More store in the hopes of finding a tacky phone to hook up to our buzzer. Not only did we find a phone (alas not tacky but cute) we..or should I say I..invested in an obscene number of VHS. For only a dollar each, I purchased the original Star Wars trilogy, Braveheart, Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Waynes World, and a few other gems I'm too embarrassed to post. We did, however, have a copy of Jurassic Park thrown in for free, for a reason I will forever feel guilt for in the bottom of my soul.
MCC stands for Mennonite Central Committee, where 'every purchase is a gift to the world. ' (http://thrift.mcc.org/) Run -to my knowledge- mostly by volunteers, MCC provides a great selection of quality used (donated) goods with proceeds to various charities.
Now, as soon as Taylor and I walk into this particular warehouse, we are greeted by (and subsequently 'helped' by) an onslaught of lovely old men working the salesfloor. Most of these men took great delight in the (mild) verbal abuse I issued to Taylor, as well as his unencumbered responses to my er, direction. Basically 'good boys do what they are told',
'don't touch that','no - you can't have that', and 'how many times do I have to tell you to stop picking your nose in public.' etc.
Naturally, these nice old folk assumed Taylor and I must be married. (Why else would a man put up with that kind of garbage?)While the cashier was ringing through my 27 videos, we were chatting about our aquired treasures, and the man said something along the lines of 'well, you said 'I do' once, and now...' to Taylor, and then proceeded to throw in that copy of Jurrassic Park on the house. After thanking the cashier and gathering our things ('are you going to carry my bags, SWEETHEART?') Taylor and I carefully left the store without making eye contact.
I doubt if we would have corrected him he would have charged us fully for the video, no, that is not my concern. Why didn't we correct him? Judgement? Aversion to awkward situations? I don't know, but I feel as if I duped God's children out of 90 cents. I felt like a heathen thief. Like a souless con artist. I will never be able to look at dinosaurs the same way again.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

and they don't even know.

I wish there were more hours in the day, I truly do. Or, perhaps that I had a time-turner like Hermione. I wouldn't use it to save the lives of convicted murderers or Hippogriffs, but to do laundry and go grocery shopping. Maybe what I really need is to ingest more caffeine. That's it. I don't need more hours in the day, per se - just more hours I am awake during the day. Good thinking. Good thing I work at Starbucks. Coffee at my fingertips (and all over my body by the time I'm done a shift). Oo, all over my body. Its not as sexy as it sounds. Unless you like the taste of stale dairy. That would be troubling on a number of levels.
Speaking of Starbucks/caffeine; I have most recently become one that I hate. Three weeks ago, I finally came to the conclusion that I am lactose-intolerant, and probably have been for the entire three years I have been employed at Starbucks. Brilliant. So, I began to drink soy - and my regular drink order started to become more complicated.
See, I don't mind making 'complicated' beverages. It's my job. Using a different syrup, steaming the milk a little hotter, scooping off the foam. Big whoop. It's what we're here for. I'm just embarrassed to order my drink in front of other people. Specifically, non-partners.
Once upon a time, the most 'specific' beverage I was known to order was a double tall mocha. That's a tall mocha with an extra shot of espresso. NBD, really. Now,somehow since I started drinking soy, it would appear to the general public I am some kind of high-maintenance, pretentious princess.
Are you ready? My new favourite drink of choice is a: double tall, three-pump, soy, extra caramel, extra foam caramel macciato. To the barista creating the drink, its nothing, really. Like I said, just an extra shot, extra pump of syrup, etc. But to the register partner punching it in (especally with our new systems) and the customers behind me - boy do I sound like a monster. I'm not, I promise.
But I will be if you give me regular milk :)
Haha, just kidding.
But really.
I will have a stomach-ache.
And I will find you.
Sirius Black.

Monday, February 14, 2011

I have ever heard

The home button of my iPhone is sticky. It's driving me mental. Most people I have shown can't tell the difference. I surely can. I press it around a thousand times a day. I sure as heck realize how much I use it now that it doesn't work properly. Researching it online I found that apparently it's a somewhat common issue that has been previously raised by owners of earlier models. You'd think that Apple would look into such a thing, especially considering it's such an instrumental component in the userface. REALLY. 
Maybe I'm just pissy because I can't find any chocolate in this goodness-forsaken abode. Not even any emergency chocolate. I can't buy emergency chocolate (chocolate purchased in advance in anticipation for emergency cravings of said chocolate) because I eat it right away. Usually on the way home. 
Alas, I also refuse to go get some, on the grounds that under no circumstances will I be seen buying a hot fudge sunday alone on Valentine's Day. Not gonna happen. Maybe if I inhale this cocoa scented candle deeply enough I can fool myself. That's not considered huffing, is it?

Friday, February 4, 2011

I could have been anybody else.

I wish my neighbors weren't having a rave right now. I'd probably feel differently if I were one of the loud drunk girls. Much differently.

Edit





One of the drunk girls is alternating between yelling and rapping now. Someone save me. I would rather listen to coyotes.

what did you say?

Today I rewarded my good eating and spending habits. By purchasing onion rings. With my VISA How does that even make sense? I don't know. But I wanted them. I drank a lot of green tea today, does that cancel it out? Just say yes.
Tomorrow I will eat healthier. Wait. Tomorrow I am going to IKEA (for the sixth time in 2 months). IKEA has delicious $1 breakfasts. I cannot afford to pass that up. Sunday. Let's start Sunday. Sunday I begin a balanced, nutritious life. Or I balance the onion rings with copious amounts of green tea. I think I like that one better.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

from one day to the next I can change.

I should really start upacking my clothes, although it is becoming increasingly more tempting to keep them in their recycling bag homes until I need each piece. At that rate I'll be unpacked by summer. Oo summer. Summer can't come fast enough. My friends and I are starting to plan our fourth annual camping trip. I can't wait to be able to kick back in the dirt for a weekend in the sun. Unfortunately last year I was mislead to believe I was much more tanned than I actually was. When I came home and showered I watched it go down the drain. Goodbye dirt tan.
Speaking of tanning; I made a promise to myself not too long ago to never fake tan again. As much as I would like to be consistently sun-kissed, I'd rather not deal with the long term consequences; ie melanoma and leather-hide-syndrome. Besides, fair is in. Right? Right? It's...classic. Funny how a couple hundred years ago you would be considered poor looking if you were thin and tanned. Nowadays it's the opposite.
I will wear my sunblock this summer.
...maybe.

Monday, January 31, 2011

we get by just fine here on minimum wage.

 Tonight is the last time I will sleep in this room. 
I have lived in this house for one year, six months and three days. 
I have lived in Bradner for 16 years. 
It's not a big move by any means, 20 minutes away. I'll be closer to town,  to work, to school (if I ever go there again) and I'll be saving money in the long run. 
I've had some great memories in this house. 
Toga party, tight and bright party, St Patricks Day party, Halloween Party, the Masquerade. Wow. Lots of parties. But I swear I'm not a party girl. 
Ive been through a few roommates too. Only one consistent (it helps that her parents are the landlords) but four others in the time span I've been here. 
Don't get me wrong, I'll miss this place, but it's my time to go. It has been for a long time. I dont feel like I can move forward with my life if I'm still here. Partially because I can't save up money with $300 hydro bills sneaking in the door. Huh. 
I'll also be feeling a lot safer. I'd never felt unsafe in Bradner before - and then I got robbed. It creeps me out to know some stranger was rifling through my things. Luckily, they only managed to get things I can (in the long run) replace. One of the benefits of having a messy room. (On that note, the police officers who responded to my distress call may or may not have asked if my room had been ransacked. Heh. )
So tomorrow I move my life (and all the crap i have somehow accumulated over the past year and a half) across town and into an itty bitty apartment. 
I'll have a new big girl bed in my new big girl place. Am I a big girl now? 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

bring it all back

I think 2010 me would be proud of 2011 me.
RE:
Within the past two months, I think I've really started to make life happen.
New job, new place, new relationships and new socks.
I'm super looking forward to being able to start saving properly and start doing more things. Oh, it will all snowball from there. Speaking of snow - is this winter? Where is my wonderland? This is rain. Rain main drain plane. Let's go on vacation!