Nano Nothing

You never know how much your life revolves around the computer.... Until you don't have one. Kids that can function a computer are getting younger and younger... Depending on your definition of Elderly, more older people are technologically inclined as well. Seems like everywhere you turn, everything from the most basic to the most complex are computerized. This is nothing new though, the technological revolution has been happening for a while now..... And maybe we don't realize it as much, until we're forced too. This is recently my unfortunate case...

As I've come up the computerized ranks, I've also watched kids younger than I come up through the same ranks. It's amazed me that these kids were able to run a computer and other gadgets from a young age... It blew me away - while my generation were busy ruining VCR's with PB & J sandwiches, these days kids are running computers, cell phones, DVD players, PVRs, PSP's, MP3's and stuff I'm sure I haven't even heard of... And these kids are 3 and 4 years old while doing it. I know I sound like an old granny, but I assure you I'm not...

Speaking of Granny's though, I've also seen a rise in older people using today's technology. (At least in my own family I've watched this happen.) At first I didn't jump on the Facebook band wagon, but when I did about 3 years ago, my perception changed. I have two 80 something year old Aunts on my Facebook, and a few in their 70's as well. I also watched my Mum, who was afraid to turn on a computer at the beginning, use a computer to cyber stalk me on Facebook. She uses email, on-line banking, and Skype too. My Dad has a greater knowledge of the Computer mechanics than I do. (My Grandma though, still stuck in the stone ages... She has had a digital camera for years and still doesn't know how to use it. Forget getting her on a computer, much less Facebook.)

What would've happened if Y2K had really happened and the computerized world crashed into the Great Abyss? Kids today, and people in general I think, would freak right out. No more text messaging, Facebook, Internet for research for homework etc. I remember the days when technology such as a computer was a luxury and the Internet was taboo. Where would be all be without these tools today? Everything is computerized... Would we be lost or what?

Well, about a week ago, my computer decided to become infected. I had security programs in place but thanks to Trojans, viruses and worm holes, the computer is completely mental. So, I've had to rely on Facebook updates through my cell phone, as my work computer has Facebook blocked. I've had to depend on my work computer to Blog and whatever else I've needed. I also can go to the Public Library and use a computer there for an hour a day if I feel the need. These options aren't as convenient as being able to log on at 3 in the morning on those insomniac nights. It's a bummer, a real drag...

100 years ago, motorized vehicles were the high technology. People back then some how managed with the necessities, and the lucky with a car. Have we become too dependant on a computer? Is that really a bad thing? Try to go a week without a computer, and you'll have your answer.

It's not always about me, and my computer has shown me this.

Who Knew Blogs Could Be So Complicated!!!

Well, after blogging for about a month.... I was excited to have people actually reading what I had to say! I kept track of the Stats and would get excited as the numbers, slowly but surely, went up! I was bummed though, that no one was leaving any comments... I'm not picky... They could've been anything from the good- "Hey good writing! Totally agree with you!"... To the bad - "Hey!!!! You're so wrong! Who do you think you are?"........ To the plain old whatever - "Hey! Glad to know I'm not the only one thinking that!" A couple of friends said they tried to post a comment and it wouldn't let them... Huh, go figure... At any rate, it's a challenge to find new things to write about as well... Stuff that won't offend, or that is at least thought provoking or interesting at least... If ever you have an idea that you'd like to see ranted about... Let me know!

Well, I found out today that no comments could've been because of the settings in place here on blogspot.com. I've now adjusted these settings in hopes that someone will comment... Not looking for attention, but any and all - good, bad or ugly - feedback is appreciate.

I also realized today that some of those stats, I crept up... Not because I was self involved, but because I wanted to get a shot of what the public could see... And it was easier for me to proof this way... So while I am still excited to see the number of reads go up, the early stats have been tainted =0( Dang. Oh well, c'est la view I guess. (I know it's c'est la vie, just thought it'd be funny...)

So feel free, keep reading and comment away. If you notice that your comment didn't take... Please do email me at princesslotay@gmail.com , in the subject line "Blog Comment" so I don't think it's some random spam action. I'm also open to suggestions about future posts you may want to read. Please do feel free to email any suggestions, of any sort, to me =0)

Thanks for reading, I hope you come back often =0) It's not always about me!!!!

Hellberta Under Fire

Well, if Alberta doesn't get your attention one way, we'll get it another. Alberta has been under fire for a while now for at least a couple news worthy issues...(Not for our shitty sports teams either.) We've gained media attention, and attention of a few celebrity spokes people as well.

The Price is Definatelly Wrong!

If you listen to Bob Barker, he'll tell you that "The Price is Wrong, Bitch!" (If you've seen Happy Gilmore, you need no further explanation.) Mr Price is Right is an animal activist. Nothing wrong with that, I admire that really... "Don't forget to have your pets spayed or neutered." Bob Barker has the perfect name for an animal activist too. Bob Bark-er... OK, I'm the only one that found that mildly amusing... My bad. At any rate, I love animals, I've volunteered at the SPCA more than once and I can get behind being an activist... I get choked up when I see those ads on TV asking you for money to save the abused and abandoned animals. It honestly does break my heart, and I wish I could afford to adopt them all... Instant Scary Cat Lady style... But I can't.

However, maybe Bob needs to shut it and talk what he knows. Edmonton's City Valley Zoo has come under fire a while back about Lucy the Elephant. Seems as though Bob is Lucy's biggest advocate, as he's written letters, called the Mayor, done interviews with the press and so on. The controversy surrounding Lucy the Elephant is regarding a move to a different zoo/sanctuary down in the States, where it's a little warmer and has more elephants to keep Lucy company.... I think Mr Bark has forgotten how old Lucy is. The stress of the move alone is enough that it may cause her death. While I don't like the idea of caged animals, and haven't visited a zoo in 20 years or so, the thought of a stressed animal's preventable death saddens me. Why put the poor girl through that? Why not let her live out the rest of her days where she knows and where she is known? Sorry Bob, I share your compassion for animals... But I think your wrong on this one...

Ed Stelmach

While Alberta may be too cold for Bob Barker, it certainly isn't for a Canadian boy like James Cameron. You all know Cameron, he directed Terminator, Titanic and Avatar. (If I seriously need to list any other movie because you don't know who he is, crawl back under your rock.) This Hollywood Activist is here regarding the Alberta's Tar/Oil Sands. I saw him on the news last night, in a helicopter taking a tour of Athabasca's Oil sands. Today's copy of Edmonton's Metro, there's a picture of Mr Cameron at Syncrude in Fort McMurray. In light of the BP oil spill this summer, constant pollution of cars, the rape and pillage of our Earth's fossil fuels, I agree there is a need new Enviro-friendly solutions. It just seems a little hypo-critical of Mr Cameron to be wheeling around in big old jet airliners and choppers that are fuelled by the very thing that he's here to bring to light. Premier Stelmach, Hellberta's leader, has made it a point to meet with Cameron regarding Athabasca. (Suspicious, what are you really doing Ed? Making sure James doesn't make Alberta look bad in a possible documentary? James really more important than the people of the province that voted you into power? One non-vote for Ed Stelmach please... You can't listen to me or the average Joe out there? You don't need my vote. Sayonara sucker.)

I do believe we need to talk better care of the Environment. I do believe that we need to respect animals. It's not always about me though.

Candy Coated Fatty Reality

I've always joked that I didn't have a sweet tooth... I had 6. I still stand by that claim today. I've morphed from having 6 sweet "toothes" to a full fledged Junk Food Junkie. My weight has steadily fluctuated over the years, from skinny in high school, to pudgy (right now) to down right huge (just after college til about a year after moving to Edmonton.) An irritating realm of my reality is the fact that I have skinny potential... If I stopped eating so much junk! (When I graduated from high school, I was 123 pounds... I don't think I've hit that mark since. I'm trying though! I hate the spare tire around my middle and feeling like the Michelin Man when I look in the mirror! I'm not as huge as I used to be, but I'm a few pounds off my graduating weight goal!)

Fast food - I'm not as bad as I used to be. My main fixation is Wendy's. I prefer their burgers to most of the Fast Food Nation. (McDonald's, hands down has the best fries - just my opinion.) Frosties - who doesn't like a malt??? (They used to have a malt shop in one of the malls where I grew up. So sad when they shut the doors.) I don't know why, but when I lived in the Kootney region of BC, there wasn't a single Wendy's to be found. How sad was I at the time??? Great for my waistline though =0) I've decided to try to get more healthy, so I've scaled back the consumption of Wendy's. I also love a good gravy... Thankfully, Wendy's doesn't carry gravy. I've worked at not one, but two, A&W locations... One was located in Creston, BC just on the side of the highway. If you ever venture in, check to see if they still have the plaque with my name displayed on it. There was a "mystery shopper" that came through while I was on shift, I didn't take the order but the girl who did got a perfect score. (It was almost 10 years ago I worked there, I wouldn't be suprised if it's been taken down.) The second was in Vernon, BC, also by the side of the highway. It was one of the busier locations in Canada I was told, due to the Funastic Slow Pitch Tourney every year. We'd have line ups out the door and drive thru was lined up around the block. After witnessing a large fry coming down the chute.... On fire, it helped in cutting down the drive-thru urge.... (And damn it! A&Chuckle U has gravy!!)

When I was about 15, I worked in a bakery... As a sugar addict, not such an ingenious place to work. I loved the donuts. I'm quite particular about cake icing, certain ones believe it or not... I do not like and I can't tell you why. The icing they used in the bakery was the disliked kind. (A Duncan Hines chocolate cake with Duncan Hines chocolate icing on the other hand? I'll save ya a sliver... If you're lucky.) I didn't last long at the bakery... I gained at least 20 pounds while I worked there... Luckily I worked there a day a week or that could've turned more tragic!

Chip and Pop Parties... I wasn't a big bad ass in high school, and quite frankly, I hung out with the "goodie goodies". (Looking back on it, my friends were more along the lines of the smart kids rather than the straight edges they sometimes could be.) They didn't drink, or do drugs, or party like it was 1999 while their parents went away. We had "chip & pop" parties... A huge part of my massive weight gain about 8 or 9 years ago was pop/soda. While in college, I would easily put away 2 - 3 litres of Coke a day... Sugar buzz, sugar buzz... And it went straight to my ass. Dill pickle chips and Doritos Sweet Chili Heat, my two faves..... (And I could easily put away a big bag like no body's business.) When I moved to Edmonton, Coke was a luxury I couldn't afford often. Now, I can't handle much more than a can(355ml) of Coke, and a small bag of Dilly chips is good enough for me. (Easily lost 15 pounds straight off the hop, simply by reducing my Coke intake.)

"The Ice Cream Man is Coming! The Ice Cream Man is Coming!" I know this is my Mum's biggest down fall... Don't get me wrong, I like ice cream but it's not usually the first thing I reach for. I like me an ice cream sandwich... DQ Ice Cream cake or Blizzard, twist my rubber arm..... Mmmmmmm...

I used to curse certain times of the year... You know the main ones with the "good" candy... Like Easter and Hallowe'en... Now a days, the Easter lines have blurred though...(Luckily Hallowe'en hasn't followed suit.... Yet.) You can find Cadbury Mini Eggs when it isn't Easter or Christmas. (They're the same, just different colours - don't let them lie to you!) A new one that I've just found - about a month ago - is Cadbury's "Twisted" bar... Basically, it's a Creme Egg in bar form... Not as good as the egg though, but if you need the sugar shock value, it's there. I still look forward to Hallowe'en, not for the mini sized chocolate bars that you can get year round though... I love Hallowe'en for the molasses candies. (You know the ones - the ones that look like poop candy, I believe they're called "Kisses".) I miss being young enough to go Trick or Treating though... You got to dress up, act silly, and burn off a calorie or two before gorging on the sugary sweetness. (Regular, year round candy.... Also a big fan...) There are only 2 candies I can think of that I've got an aversion to... Candy Canes/Mint flavoured candy... And black licorice, probably for the reason you think too.... (Yep, a lil overindulgent with the Sambuca.)

My weight has always fluctuated.... Most times I was pudgy and I've come to terms with the fact that I have the ability to change things... The only way to do this is to eat less junk. Around my 10th birthday, I got a card with a cheque and a note from my Grandpa. The note said something along the lines of "Don't spend it all on Candy!" See, even Grandpa knew about the 6 sweet teeth settled in my face. (And I can thank him for the fondness of the Easter Creme Egg....)

It's not always about me, maybe it's time to put down the fork and get off my ass before I don't have much of a choice... (And I weigh enough for there to be two of me!)

Things That Make You Go Ewww!

Just my luck, I've been coming across a few things that've made me gag. Just your luck, I've decided to try and gross you out by sharing a few of these things with you. Hope your stomach can handle this! (If you find something particularly offensive, please do feel free to let me know and I will remove it from here.)

I was just remembering a few instances growing up. The one thing that sprung to mind wasn't even gross to me. My cousins and I would torture my Mum and Aunt every chance we could by simply flipping our eyelids inside out. It was quick and easy to do, and you just had to blink to get them right side out again. Just to hear them say "That is disgusting! Stop it! Blink your eyes!!!" was good enough for us.

Weird food isn't just for pregnant ladies anymore. Heard of a PB & P sandwich? I'm sure you have =0) It's a Peanut Butter and Pickle sandwich. I admit, when I first heard of them, I was disgusted... Until I tried one... As gross as it sounds, a PB & P sandwich, not half bad! On the weekend though, I found a grossy while flipping through the channels.. I had it on the food network, not sure why, and then they started talking about Pork Ice Cream. Ya, you heard me right... Pork Ice Cream... Made my stomach churn just thinking about it... I don't care how good you tell me it is, that is one gross concept I won't be trying... Eeewwwwww!

The little football I had to endure this weekend, I watched a player dislocate their shoulder... It looked gross. To actually watch it pop in slow motion and then see the finished product... Gross. (I've seen them pop a shoulder back in on one of those TLC ER shows. Grosser yet.) I've dislocated my knee cap on more than one occasion... That was gross too and really had me panicked the one time I couldn't relocate it back in by myself. Luckily that time, I was in my parents' pool and my Dad was there to help me out... So here I am hopping on one foot to get to the edge where my Dad's bookin' 'er to get to me, meanwhile, my Mum is walking along side me on the deck saying "Oh my God! That's the grossest thing I have ever seen! That is so gross! Hurry up! Fix it!!!" Eeewww!

On Facebook, I watched my cousin's fascination with stuffing a 3 inch screw up his nose.... Seriously, must've been reaaally bored one day as he finished the feat and managed to get the screw up there without screwing up his brain.... I know it was possible, a couple weeks earlier I watched my Dad launch his whole pinky finger up his nose... As unnatural as it was, I wish I'd taken a picture... Not many people believed it happened without hitting grey matter, but take my word on it... The whole finger fit up there, right down to the knuckle on his hand. My jaw dropped in disbelief, and he giggled his ass off. So, when I saw my cousin's post about the 3 inch screw, I told him to go pay his Uncle a visit because of what he could do. The cousin's response was along the lines of "I know, I saw! It was AWESOME!" I guess the grossness inspired other grossness. Eeewwwww!

It's not always about me, and when it comes to grossing y'all out... I hope I don't have to do it too often! (And I promise, I'll never stuff my finger - or anything else for that matter - that far up my nose! Eeewww!)

Totally '80's Sunday

For once on a Sunday evening, I had the TV under my control. (Usually I'm tortured by some sort of NFL Football game.) I was pleasantly surprised when I found that one of the channels was playing a "Back to School" themed Movie Marathon. I was even more pleasantly surprised to see the movies were un-cut by commercials and uncensored. (They kept the few swears in them! OMG! {LOL}) I was stoked to find myself watching a couple of "Brat Pack" classics, and who doesn't love '80's hair and fashion??

Even though these movies focused on Teens/Early Adulthood, I still love 'em! St Elmo's Fire - with it's Oh so cheesy anthem - I think everyone can relate to, even today. I mean it doesn't have to be strictly College Graduates letting go and moving on. It demonstrates a close of one chapter and the open of another. Then The Breakfast Club came on. Score! Double dose of cheesy '80's theme songs, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Alley Sheedy. You could identify with at least one of the characters in The Breakfast Club. Maybe that's why it was so popular?

I may be cheesy myself, but I dig some of those retro movies... When was the last time you saw The Goonies? Just hearing it makes you wanna go watch it hey? "Hey You Guys!" What about Ferris Buller's Day Off? Or The Heathers? Even the Pretty in Pink or 16 Candles?

The '80's were a cheesy time that made slap bracelets, crimped hair, slouch socks and neon colours cool. It also made a few celebs cool too, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Grey, Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson just to name a few. (Don't forget Jon Cryer! You know him, he's on Two and a Half Men now.) Some will try to dis '80's movies, and let them. They're still classic in my eyes, even if they are on the silly side.

It's not always about me, but sometimes it is about the '80's movie!

Blood Donor Clinic - "A Vampire's Wet Dream"

Well, I made my trip to the Edmonton Blood Donor Clinic Saturday morning. I try to go every 56 days, but some times it just doesn't work out that way. I started going to the Donor Clinic when I was first legally allowed to donate, age 17, when I was in BC. In Vernon, they don't have the facilities like they do here in Edmonton. They have what is called a "mobile unit" that comes and sets up in a local church for donors, this way they don't have to travel the hour to Kelowna. (It makes it harder to donate in small cities, when I lived in Trail and Creston - both tiny BC towns - I don't think they even had the mobile unit option... And who in their right mind wants to drive the 3 to 6 hours to donate blood?)

The process, start to finish, takes about an hour. When you first walk in, at least at the Edmonton Clinic, the nurses at the check in station will ask you if you want to book for next time. (For once you'll find that they aren't pushy about it like other places in need of assistance from the general public.) Then you will be sent over to another set of nurses. This time they'll verify your address and details, and this is where they make sure your iron level is up enough to donate. After all that good stuff, you get to go answer a few basic questions, like are you feeling OK today? Have you had any dental work done in the past 3 days? Basic... Then a third nice nurse will take your temperature and blood pressure and ask you a few other questions. After this, it's go time... You're sent to the donation area if you've past the temperature/blood pressure test. Depending on your size of your veins and a few other factors, time is all dependant on the donor. You get to lie back and watch the blood flow, or not if it makes you queasy. To speed up the actual needle part, drink a lot of water and go for a brisk walk prior to your donation... (A lesson I learned the hard way.) Maybe avoid caffeine until after your donation, it slows down the blood flow believe it or not. When I first started to donate blood, I would take 20 minutes to fill the 450 ml baggy. {I think that's about 1 to 2 pounds of blood, but please, please, please don't quote me on that... I believe that's what I heard at the Clinic a while ago.} And now that I've been let in on the little water/exercise trick, it takes between 5 and 8 usually to fill the same size baggy. The last station is usually every one's favorite... The Cookie and Juice Station. (Yeah, they bribe you with candy.)

At any rate, today was my 18th donation, and it was quite an interesting time to say the least. I made the mistake of grabbing a Timmy's before my appointment. Well, that set me back 15 minutes because the coffee put my temperature too high. (By seriously 0.1 degree.) So to prove that I didn't have a fever and wasn't fighting anything, I had to wait the 15 minutes, let my coffee get cold, and re-test. After my 15 were up, I retested and my temp had gone down a whole degree, and I was good to donate.  I was heading to the donating bed when one of the nurses was paged to the "refreshment" station. I guess a girl was light headed after her donation and passed out at one of the tables. They laid her down and cool clothed her forehead - they must've taken good care of her, she was up and out the door before I was even punctured! I didn't drink that much water prior to my donation, and I didn't go for a heart pumping jog or walk either. I also have what are called rolling veins - you won't have to worry about me becoming an intravenous drug user, wouldn't be able to find a vein! (Rolling veins just means that sometimes technicians have issues finding and sticking a vein.) It took the nurses testing each arm twice and about 5 minutes to find a suitable vein. Once they did though, we were clipping along...As I sat there safely bleeding, a first time donor made it all the way to the donation beds just to be turned away... Her veins were too small to handle the needle. After a bowl of soup, a few cookies and juices, I was a free girl.

Donating blood isn't for everyone. There are age and health factors to be dealt with. Some people just can't handle the sight of blood. I guess my Grandpa was one of them. (He had driven my Grandma to donate blood. As my Gran stood in line, she heard someone say, "Hey look at that guy!" and there stood my Grandpa, as white as a ghost and he had to lay on a recovery table til he got his colour back. Yikes!) There are religious groups who don't believe in it. It's not for everyone, so no pressure.

It's not always about me, but I like to donate. It was a good way to find out my blood type, O+. I've also heard that one of the perks, other than helping someone out, is the re-production of red blood cells... Bonus =0) (Please call 1-888-2DONATE or visit http://www.blood.ca/ to learn more or book an appointment to donate.)

Autumn Equinox

Happy Autumn Equinox everybody! I know here in Edmonton, and a few places across Canada, have felt like they skipped this season all together and headed straight for Winter... I'm glad to hear that the weather voodooists are forecasting Autumn like weather! Yesterday it was 13ish degrees Celsius, today it's supposed to get to 16... By the weekend, 20 degrees =0)

Until the age of about 13-14, I thought I was an Autumn Baby. After looking at a calendar, then asking what the Autumn Equinox was - I figured out that technically, I was a summer baby... Granted it was always literally the last day or two of summer, but I still had a summer birthday. (Even though I still had to go to school when I was at that age, unlike real summer birthdays!)

I wasn't sure why Summer and Winter had a Solstice where as Spring and Fall had an Equinox... What was the difference? According to http://www.athropolis.com/sunrise/def-sol2.htm, the difference is that in Spring and Fall, day and night are roughly the same length. In the Northern Hemisphere, Summer has more day light than dark night and in Winter, the opposite, there is more dark than daylight.... No kidding, right? So I checked Dictionary.com for their definition. Solstice came back as "Either of the two times a year when the sun is at it's greatest distance from the celestial equator." And Equinox is defined, also by Dictionary.com, as "the time when the sun crosses the plane of the Earth's equator, making night and day of approximatelly equal length all over the world." (In Latin, Equinox literally means "equal light.") So basically, the only difference is the amount of light and dark during the day...

I also wondered if there were any celebrations relating to the Autumn Equinox. I googled it of course and came back with Mabon. On, or around September 21st (My birthday!), Pagans & Wiccans take time to honor the changing season and celebrate the second harvest and give thanks for their crops and other blessings. (Sounds like Thanksgiving to me.) Some Pagan/Wiccans are also drawn to Stonehenge for this festival. It's a place to meditate/reflect, perform an energy cleanse, and to celebrate the equal light and dark prior to the winter when darkness looms.

I really couldn't find anything else out about the Autumn Equinox. To sum things up, this time of year is when the harvesting takes place and day and night are becoming more equal, it's a time to reflect and to give thanks.

Happy Autumn Equinox to all! It's not always about me, and when it comes to Seasonal change - it definatelly not revolving around me!

Instant Punch in the Face, No Questions Asked - Things That Aggrevate

There are people out there that just plain need a punch in the face... I may be one of them in your opinion... Some of these complaints are trivial, and I don't judge people based on the way they look. I've got big and small friends, short and tall ones too. I've got friends that dress "gangsta" and others that dress trendy etc. But, we're not going to waste time on obvious people that require a face punch... You know the type, the cold blooded murderers (Wouldn't want to tango with them though), the rapists, the child abusers, the spousal abusers, the drunk drivers, rude, snotty and/or ignorant people, (Insert obnoxious Celebrity of choice here) and the list goes on... These are more of a day to day mind blowing phenomena that at least some will agree, might deserve a punch in the face...

People who literally drag or shuffle their feet... I'm glad I don't have to buy the shoes you wear out every six weeks because you're too lazy to PICK UP YOUR DAMN FEET! It's just down right annoying... *Maybe just a shove'll do.*

Sidewalk blockers... I like Edmonton for all it's festivals... But I hate the crowds that it brings... Especially on already busy Whyte or Jasper Ave... I'd love it if the world revolved around me... It doesn't... It also doesn't revolve around you... There are people, other than just you, who would like to use the sidewalks... So before you get all ignorant and walk 5 abroad with your friends, maybe be considerate and walk staggered or something... A few summers ago my Mum was up for a visit and I made the mistake of taking her down Whyte on a busy afternoon. We wanted to make the bank before it closed and got caught behind such Sidewalk Blockers. There was a group of 4 stretched across the sidewalk and there were crowds on one side and traffic on the other. Finally, we navigated around these pretentious people, I can't remember exactly what happened but I think I made a comment loud enough for them to hear or something.... At any rate they were appalled at the Gaul I had to say anything.... It's alright if they were, I was equally appalled at their ignorant arrogance. *Punch*

People who cut you off because they think they know what your going to say... Then they get mad at you based on their assumption... (Or people who ask you for your opinion and then get mad when you give an honest one... Fine, next time I'll tell you what you want to hear... Then you can get mad at me for lying to you.) *Smack*

I'm all for being comfortable with one's self... But some people just shouldn't wear certain things... If you're 60, please don't try to dress like you're 20. You might have a great body, and for that you can be proud.... But if you're a grandma, please don't dress like Britney Spears... Same goes for fat people. I understand that there are honestly people out there that are heavy and it's not their fault... If you're on medications lets say, like steroids that make you gain weight... Or if you have a gland/thyroid problem.. I understand... But if you're 250 pounds, please don't dress like you're 125... The only person you're fooling is yourself. I know, I know - I'm not one to talk. I'm a heavy girl and I wore a bikini this past summer... Guess what, I was in my parents' wood fenced back yard... If you caught an eye full of me, and now require therapy, that's your own fault for being nosey and looking where you shouldn't be looking! (I've looked at old pictures of myself and have been guilty of this. Trust me, I stopped looking at pictures after the second time I KO'ed myself.) *Showing people a Mirror*

Fat kids. It's not so much the fat kid, and the same excuses as above apply here... Medications or Thyroid/Gland issues, it sucks but it's understandable... What aggravates me here are the parents..... Manage what your kids eat, and if you are taking them to McDonald's 3 times a week and then let them dress like Miley Cyrus... It should be considered child abuse... *Whack*

Public Transit. It's never on time.... Ever... I understand the traffic, the road construction and weather factors... If I had another choice, I'd use it... One year I waited 45 minutes for a bus that was supposed to run every 15.... Aggravation... Another aspect of riding transit are others that also ride transit... Two mornings this week, a guy used transit to move two large garbage bags of cans and bottles. (You gotta do what you gotta do, I can dig that.) It's the fact that he took up 4 seats in "rush hour" transit and then got rude, pushy and belligerent when people on the crammed bus weren't moving out of his way fast enough so he could get off. Rule of thumb - 1 ass = 1 seat. On the way home Monday, a skinny girl took up 3 seats because she refused to move the two bags she was carrying so others can sit down. Able bodied people who don't show enough respect for the elderly. If you don't have a physical ailment, move your ass out of the very front seats of the bus for the 80 year old that could fall and break a hip... Common sense... Move out of the way for the lady coming on with a stroller... They'll appreciate it, you might even get a thank-you! *Punch*

No one can do anything about traffic... It's a part of daily life... It's when 4 cars get through a green light that at least 10 cars should have been able to get through.. Why? Because people aren't paying attention.. Or maybe they are paying attention........ To their cell phones!!!! (Get off the phone when you're driving people!!! I've been cut off more than once by you ignoramuses!!!) Loud cars and bikes that drive by that deafen everyone in their path... I understand the need for loud bikes, because they get noticed more... Either way, it hurts and it's annoying... Sorry Bicyclists, I know you are doing a good thing for the environment and yourselves... But when you dart in and out of traffic... It doesn't surprise me when you get hit. *Just shakes head*

People with no manners... Anyone now a days heard of the word Please? How bout Thank-you? Pardon or Excuse Me? You're Welcome? Anyone? I may not be Martha Stewart, I may forget occasionally myself... But, for the most part, 98% of the time, I've got manners... Because my parents beat them into me... (OK, so not actually physically beat, You know what I'm getting at though!) It may make some one's day, or at least make them a little more willing to do something for you if they hear Please... Followed by a Thank-you. Honestly, it takes a second... Don't be a neanderthal! *Double Punch* (Here's where you say, Thank-you!)

Last but not least Barbie Bitches... The quickest and easiest way I can describe this... The movie "Mean Girls". Just people who use and abuse people... The back stabbers, the people who are nice to your face but as soon as you leave the room... The people that think they're better than you... Has nothing to do with being skinny or blond. *Punch, Punch, Punch*

It's not always about me so, sorry if any of this has offended anyone who reads it... If it did, you feel my pain... You probably wanna give me a punch in the face...

29 and Holding? Gimme a Break!

Well, today's my 29th birthday.... Ya, I can admit it, it's my last year as a 20-something. And no, I won't be "holding" at 29, 30's never scared me.... I remember being young and thinking that 60 seemed kind've "up there"... As I'm pushing half that on the next birthday, even that doesn't seem that bad...

Age, just a number... Get over it people, the day you don't add another year onto your age on your date of birth.... You've got bigger problems. I'll tell you what did throw me for a loop though... A couple months back, I found my first grey hairs.... I was standing in front of the mirror, when I was unemployed, wishing I had money for a couple boxes of hair dye... (I'm naturally a light auburn/browny colour but can pull off a dark auburn colour, and that's what I usually do.) I had some pretty fat roots and wouldn't mind getting rid of that... Then I noticed them.... About 4 grey hair in that fat root patch... And I admit, I was kinda sad about that. Usually I'm not hyper sensitive vain like that, I mean I dye my hair anyways right? I've been dying my hair red since grade twelve, so honestly, shouldn't be a big deal... It's not like I was plummeted into months of depression about it, I didn't freak out and pluck them or cut them out... I just kinda sulked for the rest of the day... (I guess it's pay back time for Dad.... I remember when I was like 10 and Mum was harrassing him about having a few greys... He asked me what colour they were... I told him white... Paybacks a bitch? I hope not! SORRY DAD!!!)

I've had knee problems since I was about 11 or 12, so since I was young... The weather shifting into fall/autumn then winter has always kind've sucked... Now though, I hobble... I look like I could use a cane or walker for the first three quarters of an hour a day..... I don't know if it's the climate here in Edmonton, or if it is because I'm getting older... I don't remember it being this bad in BC. By the time I actually am 60... I'll probably have a power scooter/wheel chair deally... Look out people, Granny with an attitude! (And without grand kids... Maybe I'll be the scary cat lady that tries to run you over? Ya never know.)

I remember growing up there were two "big" days. Your birthday and Christmas. I remember being all excited, it's my birthday tomorrow! Well, after I turned 21 and was legal everywhere on the planet... Birthdays just meant another year on the age... It's just another day in my book. While birthdays don't have the same effect as they used to, it's still nice to be remembered on your birthday.

It's not always about me, but today's my birthday and it sure as hell is about me!

A Rare Breed - 30 Years of Marriage Later

On this day, in 1980, my Mum married my Dad... And here it is 30 years later, they're still together and married. Judging by conversations and the way they act around each other, they actually still "kinda like" each other.

I'm the oldest of their two kids, and I was born a year and a day after they got married - Yep, tomorrow's my 29th birthday. So, it wasn't a shot gun wedding by any means. We aren't the Rockefeller's or the Kennedy's, or a relative of Bill Gates. We aren't of Royal or Noble blood, we aren't high society... So they got married because they wanted to and because they loved each other. They still do to this day and guaranteed they haven't forgotten each other's birthdays or Christmas or their anniversary. (Granted in the line of work Dad's soon retiring from, he was out of town working and incidentally, has been out've town for many of his anniversaries and my birthday. What are ya gonna do though right? Let your mortgage lapse so you can be there for an anniversary?)

I won't even begin to philosophize as to why they're still together, as long as they're happy, they can stay that way. All I know is, that in high school and even now, a lot of my friends' parents are divorced and on their second or third marriage. When I tell them my parents have each been married once, and that was to each other... And that they've been married as long as they have, they give me an arched eyebrow look of skepticism.

In today's society, they say that 50% of marriages will fail... (And no, you don't have to be rich and famous to blow through spouses like they're candy.) The why and the how of my parents still being together 30 years, I'm not 100% sure... They didn't stay together for the kids though, they loved each other. Maybe it's because Dad did work a lot on the road, they trusted each other not to do anything they weren't supposed to... And that gave them the space to themselves. We always knew Dad was coming back, when the line "You just wait until your father gets home!" was used, half the time we'd hope Mum would forget being that Dad may not be home for another couple weeks. Maybe they had good examples, both Mum and Dad's parents were married almost 50 years. All I do know, and I guess all I need to know, is that they are a rare breed and can continue on that road.

It's not always about me, but I'm glad it's where I came from... Stability perhaps?

Shut Yo Mouth & Mine Yo Bidness!!!

We've all had run ins with the "Nosey Neighbour" or the "Meddling Mother-In-Law".... I've come to realize there's a fine line between being nosey and being a hero.... And some times that line is blurred, every shade of grey rather than black and white..... And where do we draw that proverbial line? Maybe the following will help define that line... or further blur it.

When it comes to people cheating on their spouse for example... Should you just shut your mouth or should you say something? Who do you say something to? The person who is doing the cheating? Or the person getting cheated on? Maybe the third party in the whole thing? It's a personal call, I mean it could depend on how you work into the equation... Are you the cheater's sister? Are you the cheatee's Best friend? Are you the third party's husband? Who is "obligated" to say anything other than the person doing the cheating, or the third party that they are cheating with? If I found out my best friend's husband was cheating on her, not with me of course... I really don't know what I'd do... It's a double edged sword really. Would I want to be the one she gets pissed at for telling her? Would I wind up being the asshole if I knew and didn't tell her? The little tidbit of information is going to cause a lot of heartache, change, confusion... A complete Pandora's box of emotion. If you're not able to keep it, whatever your "it" is, in your pants.... Maybe you should consider divorcing/breaking up with your significant other... Don't be greedy now... Do the right thing.

Child abuse.... Again, who's call is it to bring things to the authorities? I know that there are certain people bound by law to report suspected child abuse of any kind. (Such as doctors, nurses, teachers, obviously the Police etc.) What about the neighbor though? Or an aunt? Or the kid's best friend's mum? What if that bruise on little Tommy's leg wasn't from him getting abused at all... What if Tommy is, honest to God, just clumsy... Kids'll break bones, split lips, skin knees, bloody noses etc without ever having been abused. If you didn't have at least one scrape, scratch or bump, I think that's another form of abuse. But at the same time, there are kids that are honestly getting abused... How do you know when or how to make the distinction? I mean if the kid is in the ER every week, on first name basis with the nurses, doctors and other staff, I sincerely hope the proper authorities have been notified. Kids don't always get pushed around though. Sometimes it's an alcoholic parent that likes to call their kid "Stupid" "Ugly" or worse... And abuse isn't limited to just verbal lashings or physical beatings either. When is it your business to report it?

I've seen all you rubber neckers and celeb-followers. We've all seen an accident and strained to look at it... Honestly, mind your business. If it's a big enough accident, go home and watch it on the news... Pay attention to what your doing before you cause the next accident. Celeb followers, as I've said before, go ahead... Waste your money on magazines, waste your time watching TMZ and Entertainment Tonight... Until Paris Hilton calls me on the phone... I don't care... and even then, I doubt I'd care much.

I've also seen all you Facebookers.... That's where my line is a little bit more solid.... Not everyone needs to be putting their two cents in... I'm more of the opinion though... You don't want your personal stuff known, don't put it out there... (Sometimes it's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth to confirm it...) About two months ago, I did get into it with someone, not on my Facebook list, but on Facebook none the less. She was dating a guy I used to babysit. I had him on my Facebook friends list, I've since removed him from there because of this incident. Well, the two were barely out of high school and it showed. They'd break up, he'd get all depressed, he'd change his status to reflect it..... Then she'd make 8 comments about what an idiot he was, he treated her so bad, all he wanted was sex, how could you do this? we were supposed to be together forever blah blah blah... Then a week later, they'd get back together... Then a month later, the cycle would start all over... Break up, status change, 12 comments by her about what a low life douche bag he was, what did I ever see in you blah blah blah. So finally, about the 3rd time they broke up, I tossed a comment on his status before she had a chance. I think I put something along the lines of "Don't be sad, she sounded psycho anyways." Well, you should've read the lengthy Facebook email she sent me... She raged so long and hardcore, she had to write me two emails to tell me to shut my mouth and mind my business... That's my point here people, you don't want random comments from people you don't know... Remember where you're posting it. (If it's not a public issue, maybe send a private message instead of letting the world read. Quite frankly, none of the shit she told me was my business, the kid I used to babysit I hadn't seen in 10 years so honestly... I was being a cow and proving a point... I think she got the point, after that, I watched them cycle out twice more before deleting him off the friends list... The last two times they broke up... Not a single comment on his page from that girl... Maybe she took my advice and sent him hateful private messages instead.)

You people using your cell phone on public transit.... SHUT UP! Not only is this a pet peeve of mine, but it's your business and I do not need to hear about how great your bowel movement was this morning, or about what kinda skeeze bag your boss is, or how bitchy your Mum's been lately - and I definatelly don't need to hear about how you think it's because she needs to get "serviced". Get bent! Get off the bus, we don't need to hear your shit... And P.S., it's hard not to listen when you're yelling across the bus... How is the person you're talking to not deaf?! Grab a clue, I'd say at least half the population of North America has a cell now... It doesn't make you "cool" anymore... Shut up and get off!

To be honest, I believe that if it's not your business... You'll be told as much. I try to keep my comments to myself, with the exception of Facebook. You're on my friends list, you toss something out there, I may comment if I feel so inclined... Otherwise, I don't make any one's business mine unless they're my immediate family, or unless some one's health is at stake. By all means, stand up for those being bullied, or kids or the elderly, who can't necessarily speak up for themselves...

It's not always about me... Until it is always about me, I'll Shut Ma Mouth & Mine Ma Bidness!

It's Only A Word/Phrase: Don't Get All "Politically Correct"!

I realize that one of the best things about this Country is our freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to say whatever they want, whenever they want... Sticks and stones, right? These days, it seems as though we are too "Politically Correct" and for the most part, I agree. Why do we have to categorize everyone, can't we just say - "That guy over there." instead of "That old guy over there" or "That white/black/Asian etc guy over there"? And then be thought of as ignorant because you didn't say "That elderly guy" or "The Caucasian/African Canadian guy"?

While this may have nothing to do with being Politically Correct, there are a few words or phrases that do aggravate me. Firstly, are you on crack?/This things on crack etc. Most people wouldn't know what a person on crack looks like. Yeah, they might have an idea because they've watched A&E's "Intervention", or similar shows, but even then, it's a minor idea of the reality. Most think nothing of it while the words fly from their mouths. It's "just an expression". Most think the crack head is worthless and it's their own fault they're in the position they're in... If the cracker doesn't like it, maybe they shouldn't have started in the first place and they should "just quit". The reality is, the crack head's story is one of the saddest. They start off relatively normal, for whatever reason they pick up the crack pipe, if they're gripped by the disgusting drug, it becomes their life. They'll wind up losing jobs, relationships with family, friends and significant others, they lose their possessions and place to live. They start losing weight and looking sickly because the drug will stifle their hunger for food and when on the drug, their worry lies with the next fix rather than food anyway. After that, it becomes even scarier. If they are lucky, they'll wind up in rehab or jail... If not, they may wind up having the crap beat out've them or worse. I won't divulge how I know this, I'm not a crack head, just know I know what I'm speaking of.

Another one, that I was guilty of myself, but have since weeded out of my vocab, is the word Retarded. Same thing as the crack comment - Are you retarded? Well, that's retarded... ETC. People who are slow, mentally or physically, or are disabled hear it all the time as a cut down. Not cool, a lot of these people are born the way they are. They had no choice in the matter, that's the hand they were dealt. Just because they are a little slower than the average bear, doesn't mean that they aren't capable of being a productive member of society. In fact, they have to work a little harder, but they're still willing to try just the same.

There are a few more words that bother me, but they are more filthy than the two previous examples... For this reason, I won't put them out there... I'm sure you can guess what they are, because at least one of them 99% of people I know, haaaaaaaaaaaate the word.

Political Correctness drives me nuts... But sometimes it can come in handy. A word is just a word and maybe I should just "lighten up." Remember that the next time you hear a word or phrase that makes you cringe. Keep in mind, there have been words in the past that were "just Politcally Correct words" and now, those words will get you beat.

It's not always about me. You still have your freedom of speech... Use it for good, not evil!

Minus 2 Before My Birthday.... Welcome to Hellberta... I Say Good-Day!

My birthday's coming up pretty quick here... Next Tuesday, I'll have "terrorized" the planet for 29 years... As mentioned in a previous post, Autumn is the time of year I enjoy most. It's not sick, sticky hot like summer... It's usually not deep freeze cold like the hell of winter here.... And it's pretty outside! This morning, as pretty and golden as it was at 7 AM, trudging to get the wagon to work... It was frosty and cold... It's officially dropped below zero degrees.... Not Cool. (While I guess it is literally cool.)

I've lived here in Deadmonton, Hellberta long enough to know that it's never safe to put the scarves, mitts, snow pants, coats and toques etc away... Why? Because it's known to snow at the most in-opportune times. I moved here mid to late May 2003... It snowed a week before I arrived here. A couple friends have time/date stamped video footage from July of the year prior, when it snowed... This year, we had a mini-blizzard in April.... So in all honesty, I shouldn't even complain... When it snows on or before next Tuesday... Y'all can blame me...

My rancid cold is still kickin'. Ya, I said it...... Just over 2 weeks later and I still have that wonderfully attractive phlegmy cough... My nose is playing the crusty one day, clear the next game... I'm feeling a l'il tired and run down still... I think I'll have a sleep marathon this weekend... I hope that'll kick this grossness to the curb... It doesn't help that the I infected the roommate and we seem to re-contaminate each other whenever we're near enough to each other to do so. (It's also true what they say, men turn into big whiny babies when they're sick. Keep in mind I had the same cold and I was the one that infected him (the roommate.)... But now it seems to be a competition. He "has it so much worse than I did". He "feels like he's dying". And of course, "It's all my fault". He had it so bad that he had to take 3 days of work, again my bad.)

So, whether it's all about me or not, and whether I like it or not, Mother Nature has a wicked (bad) sense of humour and will continue to operate as she sees fit... You can bitch about the weather all ya like, but it's put up or shut up time... As a few have told me already, you CHOSE to be here, you don't like it, LEAVE! (Thank you for the advice, and I just might take it!!!!)

Babies Having Babies: A Teenage Wasteland?

Don't get me wrong, just because I don't necessarily want kids doesn't mean I have any sort of right to tell other people when and if they can.... I am however, entitled to have a thought process or opinion on such matters....

Early this week, on the ride home from work, I watched not one, not two, not even three teen aged mothers crawl on the bus... I saw 5 teen aged mothers cram their kids and strollers onto the front of the bus... And to answer your question, yes - they were all on the bus at the same time... It was interesting to watch them maneuver and wedge themselves all into the front quarter of the bus, but they all got on - no one was left behind for the next wagon.... The mothers, and the kids, seemed to vary in age. (I over heard one Mum ask another how old she was, and the reply was 19. Her baby, if I had to guess - was about 18 months - 2 years old.) The babies seemed to range in ages from infant (easily less than 6 months) to about 3 years old. Most of the Mums' ages ranged from maybe 16-17 to about 19. (Obviously.)

I'll give at least 4 of the Teenagers credit, they all crawled on the bus after school, I heard them talking amongst themselves about what projects they had completed and their grades etc. So I "assume" they all were getting their Grade 12 or their GED's at least. Not any of my business, but it made me feel better that they were keepin' on keepin' on and not just opting for Welfare cheques. So I think they understand now how hard it's going to be for them.

Who am I to judge? I'm sure their parents, family and friends gave them the gears. I'm sure at least one other person on the bus thought the same thing I did... "Man, I'm glad it isn't me!" To be honest, if it weren't for teenage mothers/parents, I wouldn't even be here... Mind you, that was an entirely different time with an entirely different set of rules... (Two of my grandparents, one on each side, were teenagers when their first kids arrived on the earth... In fact, one had 4 kids before turning 20. Again though, this was the early 1950's, different set of rules.) A cousin had a baby at 17/18 years old. (I think she had her kid 2 days before turning 18 or something.) A second cousin had her two boys before she was 20, making her Mum a grandparent in her mid 30's because she herself had her kids quite young.

Teenage pregnancy and parents is nothing new, it's probably been happening since the beginning of time.... It's probably going to continue until the end of time... All we can do is continue to educate the young in hopes of preventing at least one unprepared baby from having a baby of their own. Not my place to tell them what's right or wrong, I just know what's cool for me.

Some people honestly shouldn't have kids... We have rights, which include reproduction and I'm glad we don't live where there are government imposed limits as to the number of kids you are allowed to have... However, in some cases, it's unfortunate that certain people who probably shouldn't have kids, do.... I think everyone would agree that Adolph Hitler, for example, should never have kids. (Thank God he didn't!) The people who will never gonna support their kids - even after the kids are proven to be that person's kid - AKA the dead beat parent.... Probably shouldn't procreate... Ted Bundy, or people like him... Probably good idea if they don't have kids.... But these are all obvious examples, or at least to me they are, of people who shouldn't have kids... What about the person who has 5 kids by 5 different people. (Whether they be the Daddy that has 5 different Baby mama's or vice versa.) Maybe they are nice people and good parents and all, but where's the stability? What about the guy (or lady for that matter) that ditched out on the family they had and started a second one... (No I'm not talking people who got divorced and then started a new. I'm talking about the people that drop off the face of the planet, flat out refuse to help with their own kids from the first marriage - when they did stay at home with the kids they considered it "babysitting" their own kids - and now are having another kid. For example (and sorry, I don't mean to pick on men, women do this stuff too) : Woman marries man. Couple have 2 kids.... Her hubby turns out to be a douche bag... The couple divorce. Douche bag never pays child support, never comes around to help out, nothing... In other words, a dead beat Dad. Now he's got baby #3 on the way with his new "fiance". Would be castrated if I ruled the world...

It's not always about me, its none of my business so who am I to say? Just one of those social phenomena that boggles my mind....

The Coffee Debate - Royal Rumble of the Big Guns for Your Business

Let's get ready to vibrate! (Mind out of the gutter you few twisted sickos!) A ritual for a lot of people is the morning cup (or pot) of coffee to start their day. I can't deny that first cup of coffee is a large part of my day. Back in my freight working days, a supervisor would walk into the office, take one look at me and ask if the cup of wake up juice I was drinking was my first. If it was, he'd maintain eye contact, slowly back out of the office, and tell me to call him when I was on my second... I had him well trained I'd say. (Imagine the worst crab of your life and multiply it by 5, that's how crotchety I am prior to the consumption of my first cup of java of the day.) This post isn't a competition or debate of who can out crab who... It's about where you get your cuppa Joe from.

Every one's got their favorite, whether it be 7-Eleven, Tim Horton's (Timmy Ho Ho's), Second Cup or Starbucks. (Could be McDonald's, your own home brew or any other place I haven't mentioned.) I'm not much on Second Cup coffee, their "coffee flavoured coffee" is terrible in my opinion. Starbucks, similar fate, their coffee is terrible and it's highly over priced. When I head for McDonald's, I guarantee it's not for their coffee - its for a laxative grease ball burger. I can make a mean pot've coffee at home... Guaranteed it's cheaper, but truth be told - I'm lazy and I'm a Timmy's junkie. My coffee preference has hinged on what's most convenient in proximity to where I work. (As I've mentioned in posts past, I'm a loser cruiser rider... It's not like I can stop where ever I want on the way to work.) So my coffee preference lies with either Tim Horton's or 7-Eleven as they are the two places that have coffee that hit the palate right.

There's a Starbucks on every corner, not so much true in the "City of Champs" but there are a fair number. I remember Lewis Black doing a joke or two regarding Starbucks being across from another Starbucks and the geniuses that built it that way. While I was in Whistler, and that place is village sized, they had a grand total of 3 separate Starbucks locations. Tim Horton's had just sold their Whistler location to Starbucks for their third store roughly 6 months prior to the Winter Olympic games... (sacrilege in my opinion! Tim Horton's is very Canadian, and the closest Tim's location without driving all the way down to Vancouver was a little town called Squamish... Squamish, while having a beautiful backdrop, reminded me of an overgrown trailer park and brought to mind all the stereo types that go along with a trailer park... No offence Squamish Citizens.)

7-Eleven coffee... I don't mind to toss up the coffee routine every so often. Dennis Leary does a joke or two about 7-Eleven coffee flavored coffee and employees. Love it. Any how, there is a 7-Eleven within walking distance to my dwelling, and if I feel so inclined, I can run there prior to crawling my half asleep ass on the bus before heading to work. I was having a serious case of the Mondays on Monday of this week.... I missed my bus by seriously less than a minute and would have to catch the next one 15 minutes later... This meant I could get to work on time still, unless I decided to get coffee from Tim's that day.... After a moment's thought, I waddled across the street to 7-Eleven instead. After doctoring up my coffee in the travel mug I'd brought, I waited in line to pay for my morning caffeine potion. The coffee cost me seriously $0.02 less than if I had gone to Tim Horton's... And I had to make it myself... What kind of bunk is that?!?! Anyhow, it was nice to have a change and to get to work on time.

The fascination with Tim Horton's never ceases to amaze me... Mind you, as I've admitted, I'm a Timmy Ho Ho's junkie... If there was ever a support group... You'd probably see me there... And the lady I dragged in kicking and screaming with me (and made the best time doing a 100-yard dash towards the door proclaiming that she didn't have a problem) would be my Mum. (Sorry Mum, your not so secret, secret's out - world wide.) I am bad, but not as bad as my Mum. I won't stand in line for 10 minutes (unless I'm with her) for a dang cup of coffee.... No dice dude, not that hardcore. There's rumours that Tim's has put Cocaine in their coffee.... If you knew my Mum, you'd probably believe it... No it's not pick on my Mummy day... If you also saw the line-ups, both inside and at the Drive-Thru, you'd definitely believe it.

The little Tim Horton's near my work is in a ridiculous structure. It's in a corner of a lot near a major intersection here in E-Town... I have seen the Drive-thru line backed up to and onto the street and a car or two holding up a lane of traffic because they're too lazy to go park instead of waiting in the drive-thru line up. (This isn't the only location I've seen this happen....) I've also seen the line that can comfortably accommodate about 5 - 7 people inside, curl around to the door and outside. People are willing to jam like sardine's inside to the point the customers are tripping over each other and quite frankly so are the staff that are trying to work so fast to keep the line ups moving. The lucky, or unlucky ones depending on how you look at it, who don't make it inside and are forced to wait outside in the elements. I've seen the line so long that about 6 people have been waiting outside. (So far we've been lucky and it hasn't gotten too cold or snowed yet... It's coming soon though and guaranteed 7-Eleven will see a lot more of my sullen face in the AM.)

Christmas Eve last year, my Mum begged, pleaded and whined to my Dad enough that he stopped at Timmy's on our way to Salmon Arm, BC from Vernon, BC. (Yep, the poor, poor buggers at Tim's that day!) I waited in the car with Dad as Mum ventured inside. After about 5 minutes Dad started snorting a bit and shaking his head... About 10 minutes into the wait for Mum to emerge, I thought his head was about ready to explode... Just as I was going to head in to see if she got lost or held hostage or something, Mum came out toting the cups of caffeine juice. It's a good thing she come out when she did, I think Dad was about to put the car in gear and peel outta there, leaving Mum to walk to Salmon Arm. (Dad hates Tim Horton's coffee and'll drink it if there's no other option... He prefers the home brew or 7-Eleven elixer.)

While I was a student at Grant Mac, here in Edmonton, Tim Horton's had two stores on campus. (I'm talking the downtown "main" campus, I can't speak for any other Grant Mac Location.) Well, my comsumption went from a cup or two of coffee a day to seriously three or four. Another fact, whether it's true or not I'm not sure, is that an extra large triple triple from Tim's has the equivalent fat/calorie content to a Big Mac from Mickey D's.... Do the math... Gross... At any rate, I was a student, I was eating less and drinking more coffee to cram for tests and writing papers... and I gained weight rather than losing it... Maybe there is a l'il truth there.

Point of the matter is, no matter where you get it from, Coffee seems to make the world go round. It's not always about me, but when it comes to a speedier coffee line.... Maybe it should be!

A few "normal" ones?

While I don't condone celeBRATy worship, there are a few I do quite enjoy. Granted not every celebrity is a celebutard, some actually do good deeds for their community, country and the world. Celebs do charity work and are spokespeople for great causes, so I'll give "props" where due... I also enjoy the Celebs that seem to have a brain in their head and are actually pretty clever and use it in hilarity. (*Crime show narrator voice*) The following are just such examples.

A local Edmonton radio talk show personality, Yukon Jack I find enlightening in a funny sort of way. Yukon is on the Paul Brown Show located at 100.3 on the radio dial. (100.3 The Bear for all those who don't live in Edmonton.) While I find Paul Brown himself vile and disgusting, Yukon Jack has a little rant called "My Big Yap" where he does a two minute blip about something funny going on. Usually I agree what he has to say and 99% of the time, I get a laugh out've what he's got to say. (I started this blog with him in mind, but I'm no where near as quick and witty as he seems to be... In fact, most people would (read my blog or) listen to me once, decide I was too negative, and never read/listen to me again! Yukon Jack seems to have a following, like him or hate him, people listen.)

Dennis Leary is another guy I find to be BRILLIANT in a funny way... "You know shit about shit! AND PULL UP YOUR PANTS!!!!!!" (Sadly, my generation wore their boxers on the outside... Something I also don't understand! When it looks like you're wearing your little brother's pants, because they only come up just below your arse, what's the point of wearing pants? and how the hell is that comfortable???) "Coffee flavored coffee" anyone? (A staple in my morning ritual.) While some think Mr Leary is controversial, I still enjoy his realm of reality.

Russell Peters is another fave. Brings the "ethnic truths" to light. I still enjoyed his skits about his childhood and family. I think most people can relate to his humour as it rings true.... Maybe that's why it's so funny?

Johnny Depp, a lot of people, especially women, like this guy. I enjoy him, not because he's "hot" (to be honest, not my cup of tea, he's not ugly but it's not like I'd pass out because of his resonating beauty.) While he may not be HILARIOUS, I do think he's an honest to God good actor. (He was pretty funny in the Pirates of Caribbean movies though, I'll give him that.) I also like the fact that he seems to stay out of the limelight, lead a normal life and stay out of the tabloids. (I know in the past that wasn't always so.)

I can't think of a single person, with exception of the British Royal (pain in the asses) Family, who didn't like Princess Diana. She is the beacon, in my opinion, of a Celebrity using their power of the media for good instead of evil. She did an enormous amount of charity work and was loved world wide. Even though I do admire her very much, she too was "only human". (One of the best by far.) It was the public's fascination with her and her celebrity that cost her her life 13 years ago as the paparazzi chased her car into that tunnel in France. A real tragedy. Most people can tell you where they were when man kind landed on the moon, where they were when Kennedy was shot and where they were when they found out the sad new about Princess Diana.

It's not always about me, so you can follow and obsess over whomever you'd like. These are just a few celebs I do enjoy, there are a few more but not many. Celebs are just human beings allowed to live and make mistakes just as we are... And for this reason, I would never worship any. Nothing saying you can't enjoy them though!

Autumn & Reset Clocks

The wind is picking up and has lost it's warmth. Trees begin to dance and sway as they change colour from green to red, orange, and yellow. Garden ornaments are taken in for the season and replaced with rakes to pile high the multi-coloured leaves of Autumn. This is honestly my favorite time of year.

Back at home in the Okanagan, it's apple season. You can walk orchard side and smell the aroma of ripened apples waiting for it to be time for the pickers to make their way through. These apples will soon be apple pies and tarts and other delicious treats, even if it stays in it's original form of "just an apple".

School is back in session and most are back to their routines. Call me NuTs, but I miss school. Maybe not elementary and definitely not high school, but I do miss formal "book learnin'" and college. This time, twelve years ago(1998), I was grade 12 student at Kalamalka Secondary School partaking in the making of Grad Apple pies. The high school is situated across the street from an orchard - not to imply that we stole the apples, they were legitimately donated or bought - and the making of the pies were for a fund raiser to go towards our grad fees which included the rental of grad gowns and hall, dinner, and everything else that a grad ceremony entails.

Back in high school, a group of girlfriends and I would go watch the high school football team play their games. We weren't hardcore enough, or close enough friends with any of the players, to go to practices or the occasional out of town games. We were just bored enough to enjoy the local games, including the games played at other Vernon high schools. (I have a cousin who is the same age going to a "rival" school, so it was cool to hook up and watch the occasional game, even if it was from opposing side lines.) To be honest, even though we seemed to finish last, these were the only football games I've enjoyed. I've lived in Edmonton for about 7, almost 7 and a half, years now and have gone to one Eskimos game in that whole time.......... And that was within the first 6 months of living here and because I won a couple've free tickets from work, otherwise that record would have a goose egg instead've a 1. (With the Eskimo's train wreck of a record this year - what is it? 3 and 7 or something? - and constantly getting SPANKED score wise who could blame me? {Embarrassing numbers like 55 - 3. Sick, if you're gonna play like that, why even bother showing up??}) But I've gotta be honest, even if the Eskimos won the Grey Cup every season since I moved here, I wouldn't give any more of a crap then I do now. (I'd say my Give-A-Crap-O-Meter is at about -4. I just don't care, sorry to all you fans.) Much to the chagrin of my roommate who LOVES him some NFL (more specifically Eli Manning and the NY Giants.) I won't watch football on the TV either. Luckily this season we have two TVs hooked up to the cable.... I am no longer tortured by Sunday and Monday Night Football.

Anyhow, I digress. Football aside, I love this time of year. I don't know if it's because my year is winding down and a new one is about to start or what the story is. Your year is ending you say? You got it, my clock is about to reset. I was born September 21st, some calendars have that date as the last day of Summer and others have it as the Autumn Solstice, or the first day of Autumn. Either way you cut it, every year around this time I get all reflective and think about the year that has come and gone. I also think about the things that I haven't accomplished the year past and what I would like to accomplish the following year. I'll be entering into my last year as a 20-something... {After next Tuesday Dad, it'll be OK for you to tell me I'm pushing 30! Not a second before that though!!! =0-) }

So as the summer winds down into Fall, it's not always about me at all! Get outside while you can. No winter boots or scarves etc are required just yet, though Mother Nature is leaning towards it. As she does, she's putting on quite the show for you. Enjoy it! =0)

Gossip Queen, and the winner is!...... Joe Trucker? What the?

Girls have been known to be catty, backstabby, gossipy and bitchy.... While maybe not being as catty, backstabbish or bitchy, wanna know who takes the worst aspect of GOSSIP to the next level? You got it, men. More specifically truckers that I've seen.

I work in a mail room. There's me, my supervisor, who happens to be a male, and the production person, also a male. In the month I've been here (August 4th start date), I've walked down the hall towards the office and have been able to hear them talking, not what about but could tell they were talking. As soon as I got into the office - dead silence mid sentence with a couple second pause, then start up with a line of "like I was saying yesterday" and the subject would be changed. I'm not paranoid by any means. I don't think every one's life revolves around me and therefore, always gossiping about me. When it happens at least once a week, it makes a girl suspicious.... Am I going to get fired???? Do I do something consistently wrong making you believe I'm dumb? Or is there just something going on in your life you don't want the FNG (F#$*ing new girl) to know about?

This isn't a new theory for me though. I spent three and a half, almost four years at a freight/trucking company and have worked in a few similar geared places since.... I tell you what, I never found so much interesting stuff about my self out before! These places are rumour mills! I could seriously walk in the office, say my favourite colour is green and by the end of the day it'll come back as me being pregnant with some green eyed one night stand that moved back to his green house in Greenland. How the hell......? Majority of the time though, I didn't have to start the drama rumours, they were started before I even got to work that day. Oh, she was talking to Freddy. Freddy's married with three kids! OMG, don't tell his wife, he can't afford alimony and child support because he was cheating! What? I had a conversation with the guy about the freight he's delivering, I won't be seeing him for a week after this, and now I'm sleeping with him? What? Fill me in on how you came to that conclusion!

Yeah, women can be vicious, but guys, you're not as innocent as you'd have me believe when it comes to this argument.

Even though I'm "one of the boys", it ain't always about me! =0)

Thanks but...I think I'd rather get stabbed in the face.....

Don't get me wrong, I thank my parents for having me...... But if they're expecting grand kids from me, they'll be waiting forever I think.... If I had kids now-adays.... I think I'd wind up in jail....

Here's my story. I was born first of two kids, just me and my two and a half year younger brother. I was second of ten grand kids on one side of the family and seventh of fourteen on the other. I had a lotta experience with kids growing up. (It's not like I was an only child sent to Swiss boarding school at the age of seven or anything.) I babysat on a fairly regular basis from about the age of 13 on. Kids in my care were a variety of ages from about six months old to about ten years or so. So, between cousins, other family members and babysitting, I've witnessed quite the scope of age, intelligence, behavior and attitude of kids.

Back then, I had the patience. Babies were cute, toddlers were hilarious, newly school aged kids were awesome to watch when they learned something or told you stories of school etc, and even the older kids were cool to watch as their personalities developed. These thoughts still ring true for me today..... As long as they aren't my kids.... Small doses I guess, and it's always better (for me anyhow) when you can hand the kids back to the parents to deal with.

I have three nephews (Non-biological - kids of my two closest friends), a couple younger cousins (Under the ages of five and ten) and a couple of my cousins have now had their own kids as well. Whenever I need to be reminded why I don't want kids, I just call up a friend or cousin and have a chat with them. One of my nephews is playing his divorced parents against each other... Well, he was trying to until they caught on to his little game. He'd tell mum one story, and then he'd tell dad an opposite version of the story. (For example, dad's friend Rick is teaching me piano. But when he talks to dad, it's Rick, a guy mummy works with, is teaching me piano.) This brings me to my next point.........

Kids these days are smarter than I remember being back in the day. I'm sure it has something to do with different teaching styles and the accessibility of information on the Internet/TV etc. Whatever the reason is, its been dually noted. I've had conversations with my almost ten year old cousin over the past couple years, and I remember thinking, my GOD, was a stupid when I was your age? I like that. Smart kids are awesome! That's friggin' rad as heck! I don't know if this makes me "old" but kids now a days, HUGEEEEEEEEEE attitude problem. Yesterday, I was outside a bar having a conversation with a friend. She was having a cigarette, I've quit. Shortly after my friend lighted her smoke, two attitude ridden 15-16ish year old little girls walked by and asked me for a cigarette. I looked at them and asked if they saw a cigarette in my hand, to which they replied no. (So why would they ask me and not my friend who WAS smoking? Duh girls, duh!) They turned around and gave me attitude saying it was a yes or no answer question and they thought I was very rude and ignorant.... Again, every bit of restraint... Especially being that their clothes were "designer" and probably more expensive then mine. Two questions, where are the parents on that incident, and why the hell are you begging for? Go home and do homework ya l'il bitches!

IF I were to have kids, I'd have a three strike system, just like the prison I'd be sent too. You do something once, I'll sit ya down and tell you why it was wrong. Do it a second time, I'm probably gonna yell at ya, remember? I already talked to you about this stuff once before? Third time your ass is grass, and I'm the lawn mower.... You're gonna get a good old fashioned whack across your ass...(By some people's standards, smacking your OWN kid on the bum is abuse. Imagine if a parent LOST it and smacked them 5 or 6 times... That'd probably constitute as a beating.) If I have to chat with you too many times after you've been "whacked", you might as well get the police on the line, because I'm about to beat your ass and gonna enjoy my "vacation" in jail. If you think the good old "I'M CALLING THE KID'S HELP LINE!!!!!" is a good course of action, doubt it, buckle your seat belt kiddo, I'll take you directly to them, have fun in Foster care, I give you a week tops before you beg to come home.

Bottom line, I just don't have the energy, financial stability or the patience any more to raise a child.... And I haven't found any man that would change my mind. This brings me to another point, I give full credit to ANY single parent, whether it's the mother or the father with the face time with the kids. I don't think I could do it with the support of a mate, anyone who can - a hero you are in my books.

Big old IF I had kids, and they survived their childhood, they better not blame me for anything, because I'm having none of that crap... "I'm the way I am because my parents beat me" or "It's my parents fault, they didn't love me enough" or "It's not my fault, I didn't ask to be brought into the world! Therefore it's your fault I'm a screw up!" Give me a frigging break! I am so sick and tired of hearing, "Where are the parents?" or "It's my parents' fault, go talk to them!" If I got into trouble, say for this blog, I wouldn't blame my parents! Why? BECAUSE I'M (almost) 29 YEARS FREAKING OLD! THAT'S WHY! People now a days need to take responsibility for their action(s). I didn't write this particular rant because my parents beat or neglected me, or denied me anything. I did it because I have a brain in my head and can think for myself, that's why!

As mentioned earlier, I've got a younger brother. We are polar opposites. He was always popular and athletic. I was shyer and not as athletic. (He could eat like a refugee at Christmas, walk around the house and not gain an ounce, me on the other hand... I smell that shit and gain five pounds in 3.2 seconds. He could sell you swamp land in Florida, I couldn't sell you a rain jacket in a hurricane.) We were raised in the exact same house hold, with the same parents, same rules etc etc etc. Ask either one of us who had it better growing up, we'd each say the other did. Here it is 26 and almost 29 years later, we're still polar opposites. Neither one of us are angels, but he's a little more bad ass than I dare to be. When people ask "Hey, how's your broski?" and when they hear the latest, it takes every fibre of my being not to smash the person's teeth down their throat when they say anything along the lines of "Well, I guess your parents' dropped the ball there hey?" or "What's wrong with your parents'? Where were they during this?" Sorry people, my brother is 26 now. When should he be held responsible for his own actions? I thought he was considered responsible of that by 18? I could be mistaken, if you really need to ask me that when he's 26. Maybe by 30, 40 or maybe even 50 you'll consider him an adult and not blame my parents for his screw ups.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying don't blame the parents for anything, just saying don't blame them for everything. Get the Addicts that neglect their kids because their own chemical dependence is more important than rent, food or clothing. The ones that honest to God beat their kids or do worse to them. Go see the parents that couldn't be bothered to give a crap about their kids, where when the kids don't show up at home, it's an honest relief that they don't. Go rage out at the parents that have four kids and every single one of them is obese because the parents couldn't be bothered to cook a meal, but are on a first name basis with the kid working the McDonald's drive thru. (Once in a while's OK, but come on now!) We can't have it both ways. It's the parents' fault if the kid (at any age) is a reject. ("Little Ricky's in juvy again." "Well, what do you expect? His mum's a floozy and his dad's a drunk!") The kid is a success story "in spite" of the parents. (Shania Twain for instance, her parents died and she had to play mum, she got famous and successful "in spite" of her parents deaths. Or someone becomes a highly sought surgeon "in spite" of his crack head parents. So and so is now a famous actress "in spite" of her father bouncing out've her life before she was even born and her mother being a hopeless drunk.) Oprah had a hard up bringing... Isn't she a trillion bazillionaire? Don't you have to be living under a rock not to know who she is??? I'd say it depends on the individual's perspective... Oprah could've become a drug abusing hooker because she was abused as a child... She didn't... She took the high road and bettered herself. Love or hate the woman, she earned where she's at.

So, if you don't see by this conflicted little rant, I am not so much cut from the parental cloth. I love kids, and heaven forbid you hurt a kid.... But as for being a parent... It's just not on this girl's agenda.

It's not always about me, but you caught a rarity where it is....

Boredom at Your Door



Cologne in Germany



I used to get really jealous of people, especially when Facebook first took off... Most of my friends seemed to have wonderfully exciting lives judging by their status changes. They all seemed to work during the week, afford to take care of the kids, afford to play ball or another sport, afford gym memberships, afford shopping sprees, afford a trip to the salon for a trim or to have their nail chips filled in, afford dinner (or another meal) a few times a week, afford a new car/house/toy of some sort. Then every few months they seemed to be going on vacation, whether it be down to the good Ole US of A or some exotic location, Mexico or the Dominican Republic. The REALLY lucky bastards left for Australia or Europe.

Seemed to me that boredom was only knocking at MY door. That really chapped my ass! I was lucky if I could afford to take care of myself let alone kids or a pet. I'm still a renter and *gulp* still take the loser cruiser. I'm not a girlie girl, so I don't have fake/gel nails or a hair appointment problem (I dye my hair at home. I go in every few months to have a trim done as I'm trying to grow my hair as long as I can. And I've never been able to keep my OWN nails clean when they grew out, so there was no point in spending cash on fake ones.) I'm lucky if I can eat at a greasy fast food joint once or twice between pay days.... I do get to buy new clothes and a few odds and ends every so often, don't get me wrong. Being that I loser cruiser it up, forget a gym pass. I wouldn't have the energy/time to get there on work days, and why pay for something I'd use maybe 8 days out of a possible 30/31??? My exercise comes from walking to and from the bus stops. Any time I feel a lil too fat, I go for a long walk or if I'm in an ambitious mood, I go get groceries - now there's weight training for you! Don't believe me? Pack a 4 liter jug of milk 12 blocks (because you figure your close enough to home and don't want to look like an idiot riding the bus approx 4 blocks to make it easier) and tell me otherwise. (I've never been much of a physical activity kinda gal, but I'd love to lose about 40 pounds and would love a gym pass to do as much!) I moved to Edmonton in May of 2003, I'm originally from Vernon, BC. I've been a few places, no where further East than Edmonton. No where further South than Idaho and Washington state. So in other words, I've been to the USA and of course, Canadian places. I usually get back to Vernon for Christmas... That's it... LAME!!!!!! I know...

Most of my cash goes to good old fashioned bills. You know, the pieces of paper in your mail box once a month. (Or even more conveniently, in your email inbox every month.) I don't drink or party, you can usually find me drunk about twice a year. I don't use drugs, well, at least not the expensive ones. And I've recently quit smoking. (Yay for two days! No one's dead and I've got at least an extra $20 in my pocket.) Every month I seem to be broke though.... Here's why, rent paid? Check. Utilities paid? (Heat for me as arranged with the roomie who pays the electricity & Shaw Bill, which includes his land line and the cable aspect.) Check. Loser cruiser pass, or how would I get to work? Check. My student loans (both federal & provincial) for the education I'm not currently using at my job, Check. Credit cards get paid (Both the Visa & MasterCard because one or the other may not be accepted somewhere I'm shopping) check. Groceries, check (though some times that load is pretty sparse.) Cell phone, check. Prescriptions & surprise bills, check. (surprise bills usually occur for me when I get a few bucks, substantial bucks, in the savings account=0( And I started my current job a month ago = no benefits for at least another two months.)

I had screwed my credit back in the day, and it only took the 7 years here in Edmonton to get my credit rating back. The first time college, it was my first time away from home COMPLETELY by myself. I was immature and I did drink too much. I didn't have a student loan and my parents would only give me so much cash during the month. So, I was "responsible" and used the cash on groceries.... But, I applied for credit cards, got them, then proceeded to rack them up drinking and smoking cigarettes. (So now that I have my credit back, I've got two credit cards with low, low, low balances.)

Thanks to the Student Loans people, from my latest crack at the Higher Education attempt, I have a laptop computer. And one that I actually bought - not one that was passed down by my Dad. I have Internet at home, but it's pretty shotty when it comes to reception. Luckily, three months out of the 7 years in Edmonton, I did have a car. (Again, this was thanks to my Dad, I was making the payments but he set it up for me.)

So what do I do then, right? I make it sound like I can't afford to breathe! Well, I do read a lot. I've been known to write a poem or two, when I feel like being profound. I've mastered the lost art of letter writing... I mean who doesn't like getting a letter in the mail? Beats the crap out've BILLS!!!! I watch entirely too much TV, serious brain rot.... But I will not watch reality TV other than the news or UFC on occasion. When it's not suck ass cold/snowy here in Edmonton, there are a lot've places that I like to walk, and take pictures as a tacky tourist of sorts in my own city.

So, I'm no longer jealous.... Working on being less hateful. I'm not sure if people get to do all the things I'm not because of outside circumstances.... Whether those circumstances are FAT FAT FAT credit card bills, Mummy and Daddy are paying bills, an accident settlement or some large pay out (including the lottery) or they've got a spouse with a large pay day. (IE/ Doctors/Dentists/"Rig Pigs" etc) I'm also not sure if they've got high paying jobs themselves. Most of the people I'm referring to are paper pushers just like I am, and those kinda jobs are mediocre at best pay and benefit wise. They smoke and party like it's 1999.

Point is, got over the jealousy, working on being less hateful. Working on getting myself up to the standards that I want. And as long as YOUR bills continue NOT showing up at my door step....... I know I'm not the only one going through this... How do I know? I've watched the Debt Diet on Oprah and I've seen people on Dr. Full-of-it (Dr Phil) with the same complaints and/or huge amounts of debts..... It's not always about me, now is it?