....well...now I feel like ass....but one with a night to herself

Ever have one of those days where you just can't seem to get it together? Well that's been me for the past couple weeks. No one particular day has been brutal, but none of them have been awesome...for all of them in some way shape or form I have been totally out of the loop. Todays story is probably the worst yet, in fact I am hoping that it will be the climax of my craziness, the peak of my problems and the finale to my fumbles. Read my story of how I made an ass of myself at my company Christmas party, without even showing up.

So recently I switched jobs (this is how this whole mess started). I was working as a telemarketer for a company I hated. HATED. Being a telemarketer sucks enough, but working for these guys made it even worse. They were pushy, and in my opinion total useless jerks. The project I was on a call team for was a government funded project that we were trying to get people to take classes through, and long story short it required that we make people take meetings with our sales reps. However, big projects like these often require strong leadership and awesome sales reps, which the particular company I worked with at the time did not. In fact, this company made me sign a form saying that I would not blog about them by name, or mention the names of any employees on the internet....probably a pretty good sign that someone had complained in public about them before. I also had to sign a waiver saying that I wouldn't date anyone that worked with the company, to which I shook my head and went ,"yea....let me just go right out and date the tools that are sinking this company...awesome". I digress with my bitterness.

So a few weeks ago, I walked into work and found out that the government funding was out, and that as a result I was out of job. I unlike any of my call team, was thrilled. I hated working there for a creep boss who never got anything done, and a manager with no backbone. I hated having to fight for my commissions every week because the reps never followed through, and I especially hated how rude people can be to others on the phone. To be honest I mostly hated being spied on while at work. The project head would listen to us without telling us to 'critique us', and they would post our call numbers/commission numbers up for everyone to see, supposedly to help us improve but really I think it was a scare tactic. Ugh, there I go again digressing on my bitterness.

Skip ahead to today, the date I had marked down for the party. All day, I grumbled about going. I hate my superiors (the other callers were pretty awesome), I had no desire to take a snack, or buy a bottle of wine, I didn't even want to dress up. All I really felt like doing all day was coming home and watching TV. Sad? Yes. But I just finished exams this week, and started a new job last week (take that stupid company I used to work for, don't need your crappy employment thanks, I got scooped up less than a week later by my current employer!!!! And they don't scare me by telling everyone at work how much I suck!!!!!) so I have been super busy. Hence why its been so hard to keep my head on straight. All day I complained and bitched and moaned. I even waited a whole hour to go past the time I said I would be there to make sure the trip would be as short as humanly possible. I haul my ass all the way downtown, and it turns out? The party was last night.......

Well....don't I feel like an ass....an ass that gets to go eat an entire tray of brownies :)

....at least someones getting lucky?

I have a problem. This issue has been going on for quite some time, and every time about this time of year it happens again and it lasts a few months before it goes away, but alas it travels back to haunt me. I have an infestation of epic proportions. They come back every year, and they mate like crazy breeding leaving more to return each fall. I have owls.

Not just any owls, two owls that hang out in the trees around my room window and "Who-whhooo' at each other all freaking night!! They also decide to occasionally .... get frisky? I'm guessing that these two 'old birds' have been either getting it on regularly each year, or they are new owls that live in the old nests or something because EVERY FREAKING YEAR.....I hear owls hoot after each other for like a month, followed by like three nights of what I can only imagine is chirpy owl love makin, followed by like another month of at least one month of at least one owl 'who-whooo'ing. After the first month of the incessant birds, I was starting to feel like any sleep I wanted to peacefully receive would require bigger measures. I called the handy municiple conservation officer.

BIG MISTAKE. Supposedly most owls common to this area are protected and doing anything to remove them from their habitat is illegal, or against city by-laws. Some hippy who gets their rocks off to bird calls came up with this I swear. So of course the minute I tell the conservation officer I have these little buggers having a hooting good time he of course takes down the name etc and COMES BY TO INSPECT THEM....now they are listed, tagged and being monitored becasue apparently the female is reproductively active.....shoot. Well then....that's no good. So I must be left to my own devices to entertain myself because there apparently is no getting rid of them now. And this is what I have thus far come up with: 

Late at night when these owls are....going about their business, I image what their lives must be like. Lady owl waits around a tree for the man owl to swoop by and impress her. They flirt, he calls, she calls back, they mingle, perhaps go out for a fly around town. He finally 'woos' her and rattles her feathers. She gets knocked up and lays her eggs. Man realizes "Whooowww wow woah woah woah I didn't sign up for this!!!" jumps nest and leaves when he sees three eggs in the nest. Lady owl is left to tend to the eggs and cry at night wondering how her life turned out like that......

I then wake up in the morning after finally blocking out the bloody owls with all their squawking and my my biologist side kicks in and start to question "how much common DNA to Owls and the average human male share?"

Thing I have learnt while home sick.

October for me has been the month of being sick. In fact, I cannot ever remember another time when I have been so consistently sick. I tend to be one of those people that never gets sick, or when I do, I still don't time off work or miss school. But this month? October? Has been a MESS of being sick. Ear infection followed by a sinus infection, then a nasty cold, and now? Either the stomach flu or food posioning. I can't imagine what gave me food posioning as everything I ate up until Sunday was all pretty normal, and whatever I ate at least 20 people at the same thing (officialled at a skating competition..all food is catered) and as far as I know no one else got sick. I'm hesitant to say stomach flu because a true flu has you out for weeks, and after only two days I am feeling much better.

SO while yes I have been disgustingly ill, and have had some amazing gastro-technics going on I have learned a few things. When sick on back and unable to do anything because any sudden movements induces vomitting, you start to notice the small things. So here for your reading pleasure, are a few of the things I have learned while sick.

1. There is nothing on TV during the day that is worth staying home for that cannot be watched during evening hours or through iTunes. Seriously? Soap operas? Over rated and a waste of time. They move so slow! When weekly show is on, things move quick and things happen. Soap operas? Its been 3 weeks off and on of me watching bits and pieces and as far as I'm concerned, its still the same day, and nothing new has happened. Also? Maury? Dude its time to retire, because seriously...enough is enough with the paternity tests, I fear it is you that is causing these girls to go out and have sex with multiple men and have to question the paternity just so they can get on TV, and magically hope to get a TV deal or a modelling gig out of the deal.

2. Lady GaGa? Not a good looking woman. I enjoy her music, I have her CD's. For the first time I actaully got a good look at her....She looks like a dude, and her music videos look like Madonna rip offs. While I apprecaite her music, I fear that her doing things like wearing meat dresses and machine gun boobs will inspire a whole new breed of freaky coming up the ranks. Madonna I hope you're happy you inspired this.

3. Blue Gatorade is disgusting. I have managed to lose 5 pounds in a week. Why? Well because for the last week I've barely been able to eat anythign without getting a stressed out stomach. All weekend I ran around an ice rink in the cold, and all this week I've been puking up everything I try to ingest but apple juice and gatorade. Today I mastered soda crackers. I have tried every colour of gatorade, as I have found it is gentlest on my tummy, blue has got to be the worst. As far as I'm concerned if its blue it should not taste like citrus, obvious food colour addatives? I think so. Red fruit punch? Yes! Orange orange flavoured? Win! Yellow that tastes like I imagine pee would? At least its believable! Blue citrusy fake berry thing? I think not.

4. Sex and the city was an amazing TV show. The series was amazing. For thirty minute intervals you can get lost in this magical world of a girl and her best accessories, her friends. Always up for a gab session or a cocktail, and always looking fashionable, while understanding that clothes cost money and that men can be pigs. Worst thing to happen to Sex and the City the TV show were the Sex and the City Movies. Will not deny that I have seen both of them in theatres, but after having seen a big chunk of all the episodes again on TV, I remember what sparkle they had. I also realized how retarded the movies were, and how far away from the point we have gone. While the first movie was...not bad, the second one? Terrible when compared to the series. Carrie Bradshaw and gang? Hang your fabulously quaffed heads in shame.

5. People really do stock my facebook. I post I'm back from a skating competition and everyone asks how it went, I post I'm sick and people tell me to feel better. If I wasn't at home I never would have posted these things and never would have realized that there are people out there that do pay attention to our lives. So all you poor souls getting bullied? Post it on a social network of some sort because as shocking as it may sound, people out there are keeping an eye on you, and you might find support in unlikely places. Read: Hurting yourself is not the answer, going online to express yourself might be a better outlet. As someone who hated school growing up as I never seemed to fit in, the best advice I can give anyone? Never give up, keep searching for a place where you feel comfortable (for me it was an ice rink) and know that no matter how bad things are, it gets better, because not everyone in this world is part of team douche bag.

6. Gene Simmons would go to the opening of an envelope if you paid him to. Gene Simmons family rules is on all day. I swear I have managed to see a huge whack of all the shows and the only things I have managed to conclude are that the show is staged and son Nick is too cute for his own good. I mean you would think the kids of Rocker Gene Simmons of KISS would be hellions, or typical Hollywood monsters but no they are pretty much normal. But regardless of who amazed at how normal the kids are there is no doubt in my mind that the show is staged. Gene getting locked onto the roof with no cell phone? Please. Him setting up with would be sister in law Tracy with Carot Top? Thats not the real world, thats the world of TV fantasy.

7. Ellen has still got it. I watched the same show three times today and got something different out of it each time. Shes enjoyable to watch and she loves everyone. We could all take a page out of her book. But for the record I cannot stand that Greyson Chance person. Sorry but the world does not need another Justin Beiber, we already have one, and hes Canadian so suck it US.

8. No matter how sick you are and how crappy you feel, there will always be something bigger than your issues going on, mine just happens to be a bathroom reno. Thats right all day I got to learn how loud it is to rip out a shower and dry wall from the bathroom right beside my bedroom. Oh well.


So there we are. Just a few things I have learned in the past week. Hope they help make you're lives more successful regardless I feel better for having shared them! Be kind to each other folks and stay healthy! Now bring me my soda crackers!!!

Let's make a deal.

Wow what a crazy couple of days! Lately I've been so busy that I hardly remember which day is which and where I need to be and where.....etc etc. With my new school rules in place, a bit tattered but rules none the less I find myself a little out of the loop at work.

How so you might ask? I have been ignoring the massive time sucker box.....the boob tube......the idiot box....also known as my best friend...thats right I'm talking about the TV and the many glorious shows that are provided that all start to premiere in September. Whats with that? September is probably the busiest time of year and yet they start it off by putting the TV shows we've been dying to follow up on from last season right when life gets going again?

Parents with kids, students back at school, companies getting back in buisness after summer vacations and time off. September is a hub of activity and the boob tube is there to get their cut! With so much going on in September, it makes sense for shows to start again, as people are generally looking for a way to stay in and relax, but when will they learn that the world should revolve around me damn it!!! Why not make it so that the shows premiere later but there are no breaks in showings! No stupid three weeks on new shows in Feb! Imagine a world where shows played straight through expect for xmas? What a wonderful world THAT would be. In my perfect world no TV show would be allowed to leave monster cliff hangers during the middle of final exams in April, that all come back into play when trying to get Septembers early readings accomplished.

I, in determination to keep on track with school, am devoted to ignoring as much boob tube time as possible this semester. The TV shows will still be there waiting for me after school is over. Online downloading, Itunes, and many other outlets have made this possible, so for me to waste time on TV when I could be studying (to ensure less time stressing out). What shows will I be missing most this semesters? Well just all my favourites from last season.

Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, Vampire Diaries, and Big Bang Theory are just a few. I also watch Project runway religiously but since it started before school started I figure watching it is fair game because the season is almost over.

So heres the deal! I don't whine about missing TV and no one else will whine to me about crazy breaks in regular scheduled programing, and bad plot lines and mixed reactions. I sit and play stupid at work when everyone is discussing what happened last night on Gossip girl, 90210, Greys, or survivor, and you don't ask me to get in on a pool, what predictions I have for the season, or if I have purchased last seasons DVD box set. I won't get jealous of your free time, if you don't judge me for being a shameless book geek till December. Deal? Deal.

Ode To my Procrastination...

I promised this year would be different. That this year I would try harder, and I would not get bogged down with all the crap that plauged me last year. A new degree, a new direction, a new beginning. No longer the ex-student, but now the "Ex Ex-Student". Student 2.0. Super-Student if you will. I made a few new rules to myself.

1. No more extra curricular activities (ie no more volunteering positions) that do not in some way benefit me or make me happy.

2. No leaving assignments till the last minute

3. Work my ass off because I finally have a goal. This includes no getting attached to TV shows, seeing too many movies or reading non school material books.

I have now been in school two weeks and have broken all three of my new rules. Shattered them to bits. Have broken them down into pieces, and used them to build a mosaic for which my school and work schedule have been built around. Sigh. I tried.

I have managed to take on more skating things than I should have that just stress me out and and have annoyed me, I have an assignment due that I cannot complete because I didn't get into the class till last minute and have not yet purchased the manual from the professor personally and I am totally slacking.

Currently I sit, not attempting to get my hands on a course manual, but watching "You've Got Mail" because I saw a portion of it on TV today and am dying to see the whole thing again. Not because I particularly enjoyed the film but because it is more enjoyable than writing an essay on Keats's "Ode On a Grecian Urn".

Keats has been described as one of the most romantic poets of his time, a revolutionary, who was born last and died first of tuberculosis, leaving his family and fiancée behind. He went through great suffering, died young and yet when I read his works, all I want to do is poke myself in the eye. I do not care if he looked at some urn and reveled in his own death and how he had to leave this woman he loved for his own good. All I can say to this is "Shit happens!". Get over it! Lots of people have to make tough decisions, and deal with deal and desire. Why should we care that Keats went through it? I'd rather watch Moulin Rouge. Ewan McGregor? He can sing, dance AND looks hot in a cumberbund. That? So worth breaking my rules over any day.

Spin Class Contradictions!

I don't know about you, but I am pretty freaking lazy sometimes. It tends to come and go in cycles. I'll get super gung-ho about being in shape and active, and then of course I get super over loaded with crap to do so I don't have the extra time to lace up the runners and go for a run or whatever the activity of choice may be.

My exercise buddy (the same as my running buddy, however we just rarely run anymore) and I have been slacking particularly hard these days. Shes been out with a bummed knee, and I've been having some hip/lower back issues that we're trying to sort out. Add my crazy ass school/work schedule her mommy schedule into the works and you have a recipe for chaos. So till today we hadn't gone for a run or a spin class in a couple of months I'm guessing.

We finally decided that it was time to get our asses in gear, and well I can't speak for her but generally when we go for a run, we are garunteed at least an hour of bitching time. SO I certainly have been missing the run n rag sessions. We decided pretty easily that while running might not work out we should for sure hit up a spin class.

Now we had only done one other spin class before tonight, and the instructor of that class was a real tyrant. I barely walked out of that class alive. At this point I had finished a 10K run, was running three times a week and in pretty good shape might I add, and I wanted to die. I hurt for days after (broken sit parts? I think so, I honest to god had bruised lady parts from the damn seat) and I spent the entire hour thinking "alright blond bitch I'm going to cut you if you say "this is sooo easy!!!" one more time!!! We also spent the entire first class in the back heckling, which I'm thinking did not make us too popular with the rest of the spinners. The instructor would say "Add tension!" we'd say "you're f*in insane lady!!!!!"....and so on and so on....bad students we were....

So once we decided to "get back on the bike" this time round I was praying that hitlers great granddaughter would not be teaching again. We get to class and sign in and wait. To our great surprise the blonde tyrant has been replaced by a sweet looking brunette with a cherry disposition, and while EB (exercise buddy) and I are not fooled, we are pleased with the change.

The class starts and we're off! We started with a really nice and easy warm up, complete with light stretching and a bit of spin sprinting. If you've never taken a spin class you really have no idea what you're missing! You don't really need to be able to ride a bike as all the bikes are stationary and you get a great work out! The instructor tonight was fantastic and gave a us a great go, but the whole time the class was riddled with contradictions!

I don't know about you but I don't want to hear the instructor continuously tell me to "push myself" but to not "hurt myself" and to "listen to your body"....well ok....generally to push ones self they must, ignore their screaming limbs and burning lungs and carry on. Hmmm seems fishy to me folks!

Regardless of the few "push" and "stay safe" comments the class was a success...which to celebrate EB and I promptly stopped for subway and their lard laced cookies. Yet another contradiction however I feel a necessary one. I always end up sweating out of pores I never knew I had at spin classes so the least I can do is rehydrate with a cola and pad my butt with a cookie. See the way I see it is I need to be heavier for spin because maybe the damn skinny seat won't cause my butt to hurt! Another contradiction? I think so!!

Regardless here I sit after having watched America's Got Talent (How dare America not vote for Poppycock!!!!!) And cringing at the idea of homework and dishes...sigh! I also need to do laundry, clean the cat box and make some sort of lunch to take to work tomorrow (Thursdays I get to remember what it was like to be an ex-student as I do not have class). Till next time blog-o-sphere...I'm off to hobble down the stairs....and have a date with a couple of my best buddies Advil and cold water!

The Gaslight Anthem ...Or why Price Line Can Kiss My Ass

I'm bbaaaaccccckkkkkkk! Miss me? The last half of my summer was such a whirl wind couple of months that I can't believe what I did and how I made it out alive. But alas here I am back at it and into fill swing!

So I guess the name of my blog is a little hypocritcal as I am now back at school. I'm still on waitlists and trying to figure out my crazy schedule so I'm not sure if I'm back full time or not but I'm for sure taking two classes and hopefully two more...so full time...and working 22 hours a week, and volunteering at skating competitions, my skating club, and the hospital....sooo in short I have no life. Oh well...bring that on its not like I'm not used to it! Besides if I don't keep busy what will I blog about?

My most current complaint? That Priceline are assholes. William Shatner should me ashamed of himself as he is full of himself...SHAT that is.

One of my best friends (who I love but we do not really have the same tastes) asked me a few weeks ago if I was interested in going to see some band that she thinks are "totally awesome" and that she was dying to go. In other words she needed my credit card to buy the tickets and to book a hotel. How someone could be 22 (we're not the same age) and not have ever had a credit card is beyond me. So I agreed thinking "this will be fun!"....the annoying part? I'm super cheap. This last minute 'go back to school' decision was not a cheap choice. So the idea of having to take a ferry (75 bucks one way for a car and two people), 40 bucks for a ticket, and 50ish bucks for a hotel for the night only for a couple hours was really daunting. My friend offered to pay hotel (mostly because I had no problem staying at the ferry in the car and it scares her) and I conceeded that I would go to the concert for the Gaslight Anthem (a band I had never heard of nor ever tried to listen to before).

So we bought the tickets and then when it came to booking a hotel we checked out priceline.com. Now I felt bad my friend was paying, so I didn't want to go super ritzy, and seeing as I was willing to sleep in the car I would basically sleep anywhere. So we punched in $95 into priceline and 2 stars, and figured "why not lets just try it?".

We picked a hotel that was cheap but looked clean, good reviews, claimed it had a double bed, free parking and wi-fi and breakfast included with the price. We figured that we would be out late because of the concert and that why spend a lot when we weren't really going to need it? This place was only two blocks away from the Commodore Ballroom (concert venue) So we figured why not?

Well we get to the mainland and get to the hotel and we are more than shocked to find what our 96.53 leaves little to be desired. No free parking, double bed about two inches bigger than a single, pubic hair in our sheets and that the bathroom was shared. Now granted, I went back and looked at priceline again about the shared bathroom thing and it does say it flat out. But having to park two blocks away and pay 24$ over night, after thinking that there was free parking? NOT GOOD. That brought the total cost to 120 which we could have spent on a better hotel and got free parking.

So that sucked. Granted, it was good for a laugh and it made my friend think twice about sleeping in the car at ferry terminal and now I have this wicked story to blog and whine about. But I'm still rather irked that this happened. We even told the clerk about priceline and they flat out said something along the lines of "yes we've been trying to get them to stop booking people in to our hotel because they are falsely advertising us" so there isn't a whole lot to be done.

So how was the concert? It was ok. Now don't get me wrong. I love myself a good concert. I like the noise, the lights the whole atmosphere of all these people coming together with at least one thing in common, they want to see the band. The Commodore Ballroom to date is one of my favorite venues. It's small (It has under 1000 people capacity), has 4 different wet bars to get drinks from, tons of little tables, a balcony at the back to over look if you don't want to be in the crowd, and an awesome stage. The whole place has tons of windows that all get closed when the band takes the stage, and a seriously cozy feeling to it. You don't feel like you're "watching a band play" you feel as if you are part of the show because its super easy to get within a couple metres of the stage and see the sweat on the bands face.

The main act last night happened to be Gaslight Anthem. They were ok. I had never heard of them till I got asked to go to the concert, and while I had great intentions of listening to some of their tunes before the show, life got in the way. So this whole review will be a little bias. I didn't know any of their music, didn't even recognize a single one of their own songs (they did a couple covers I liked), so this made it super hard to stay invested in the show. However, the music was pretty good. The band certinalyl looked like they loved being on stage. It didn't look like a job but more of a passion to them. Their encore lasted almost as long as their original set. It looked as if they just didn't want to leave. They did an amazing cover of "American Girl" and they looked like they just didn't want to stop singing. They ended up playing a full two hours, which these days is pretty unheard of. That having been said, I didn't love it. I mean, the crowd was great and the music was ok, but listening to something you don't know for 2 hours was too much for me. I was really tired to begin with but after two hours of 'head nodding' to beats I'd never heard really sucked the fun out of it for me.

So my bits of advice for the day? Be very careful when booking hotels online. Stick to chain brands that can be trusted and don't cheap out because you might end up with another persons pubic hair in your bed and that? NOT COOL. Second bit of advice? If you are going to go see a band, do your auditory research and save yourself some suffering and know who the band is before you go, that way the concert won't seem like the same song on repeat. Thirdly if you like The Gaslight Anthem (or you know have at least heard a couple of their songs) , then you should go check them out! The whole crowd seemed to be really loving the show and had a fantastic energy. They played a two hour gig and kept up a great pace the whole time!

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

So, I clicked onto my blog today, thinking, 'oh I'll just make sure that everything is lookin good' (code for I want to see if any one left any comments etc). And to my shock and amazement it has been five days since I posted! Bah! When I first started my blog I got super excited and wanted to make posts like three times a day, and now, life has gotten in the way. Sigh.

So why have I been so busy? Well that would be because I took a part time job. Yup Monday morning I started my new part time career in sales. Phone sales....yup....you are now reading the blog of "Ex-student now Telemarketer".....yea I'm one of those people everyone hates. Great.

Job offers have yet to start flowing since I finished my degree. The economy is in the hole, and there are no local jobs for anyone in my field. (ugh why do I feel the need to tell everyone my reasoning on taking a job?). So, I started to cave and started applying for everything. Anything I was even some what qualified for I sent in a resume. And presto, I got a call. Just one. For a telemarketing position. They made me read a script over the phone, and presto I was hired to come in for a test run. Oh and might I add, that they will let me take other temp gigs still and they will give me a 1-5 shift mon-fri when I start school again. Um....wow huh? A company that wants to hire students.

The catch? I'm the person everyone hates. No one wants to talk to me, wants me to keep calling or wants to hear anything about anything I could possibly want to say. Everyone thinks that I'm trying to sell something that has a huge catch. When really? Well I think I may have lucked out because why yes we do want to sell you classes, we don't actually want you to pay for them. Currently the BC gov't has 15ish million dollars they want to hand out as grants to help small businesses train current employees. So say you own a trucking company. You have between 1-49 employees and you are a registured business operation for at least one year. You are eligible for a non-repayable grant for up to 5000 bucks. The catch? Um...well you do have to apply for the grant with a course already in mind, but thats where the company thats hired me comes in to save the day and say that we have a whack that are funded by the money (yea go figure).

But as luck would have it? No one gives a rat. Some guy even thought that it was all a ploy to get even more tax payers money away from the tax payers....and I mean I get it! Telemarketers suck! Well you know what sucks more? BEING ONE. No one wants to even try and listen with an open mind. And I'm not even trying to sell you something. I just want to try and get you meet with our training specialist to tell you how to apply for funding and maybe some info about the courses we offer.

I dunno, the flexibility is appealing but for whatever reason I cannot stand to waste peoples time, or piss them off. Ugh I suck at sales! I can't seem to sell myself which I think is pretty obvious as this is the only job I could get, with no sales experience, and I cannot get a job as I cannot sell myself in a resume/cover letter. So I don't know how well this is going to go at all. How my pay works is that I get paid 10 bucks an hour plus for every appointment with a sales specialist I make I get an additional 10$. I have worked 12 hours and booked only one appointment. Therefore I have made 120 dollars in wage and 10 in appointments. That means my total hourly rate has been 10.83. I could make more shoveling manure (I know this because I have).

So! Here I sit. Contemplating just how the heck I'm going to make enough money to pay my tuition by the end of September and finance my European vacation come April. Will I make it? Stay tuned.

To all my fellow British Columbians I want to wish you a very happy BC day!!! I'm heading out of town to have a pirate themed weekend family reunion, as well as am taking my computer in to be fixed in mere moments so I won't be around to wish you all a happy day off! Take care folks and I'll see you after the long weekend!

Sitting, Wishing, Waiting....call me back you assholes!!

So....as previously mentioned, I am unemployed, well I'm a temp, who hasn't gotten much work. I apply to every job (the good, the ok, the bad and of course the seedy) and I rarely hear back from these hundreds of crappy jobs I've applied to. I get it. The economy sucks. So forgive me for having high expectations when someone is interested in me. I feel like, if a company is serious about having you work for them, they should you know BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU.

When applying for all these jobs, its hard to read through all the bullshit in the job postings. Its hard to apply for jobs and not have any idea what company you're applying for, what the pay be, or how degrading the job will actually be. And then to get a reply is shocking because there are so many different applicants that its really a "buyer's market". So to actually be asked to come in for an interview is rare. I get it. I know this. I'm not a total idiot. But you know what really burns me? When you finally cut all the crap, things look up, and then you get jerked around!!!

Why would a company start off this way? Why would after an interview would you say "we'll call you either way by this date" and then not? Or why would a company say "we will contact you either way by this time" and totally ignore you? Really? Are you kidding me?

I've been jerked around like this for the past two weeks. Waiting, hoping, begging for just any job. Is it too much to ask that even if I'm not what you're looking for that you know, just let me know? Is it too hard to pick up the phone after an interview and say "thanks but no thanks?" ESPECIALLY if you say "We'll call and let you know"....do they think that us sitting here waiting is so much better than having to say no to us?

Currently, I am sitting here waiting for one of those call backs. I've been doing this off and on for the last couple days. My temp agency has been jerking me around for the last week or so. It seems that they don't have stable employees, and as a result the newest person in charge of the placements didn't even know I was an employee, so god knows how many different placements I've missed out on in the last couple weeks.

I'm also waiting for a call back from the seedy place I applied to to be a telemarketer...yup I'm that desperate. I am willing to be one of those people, that people love to hang up on, ignore or be rude to. But for they are willing to be super flexible with my super tricky August schedule.

Ugh. Its a rough job world out there...but gotta do what it takes to get the money!! But common? How does being rude to potential employees do anything good for your company? Making us wait to hear if we are good enough to work for you does nothing good for you guys. Most people apply to stores they really like, and if they are rude to us then why would we want to go back? Applying to a company that wants you to be a telemarketer, but that can't call you on time? WARNING...

Sigh....so here I sit..waiting to find out if I'm good enough, most likely to find that I am not. And it really makes me wonder, will I ever be employed? I feel like a sad dateless girl.....call me! love me!! EMPLOY ME!!!

A loner, but a happy one

So, recently I read an article in my local newspaper about people who blog. I can't really remember who the article was based on but it was a couple of girls that blog and they listed a bunch of reasons why they blog and yadda yadda yadda. What peaked my interest most about it was that they gave this whole list of ways to make your blog more successful. Well...ok I'll bite. I read the article and why I disagreed with a few things they suggested, something that made great sense to me was the following. They said that should someone be interested in have a more social blog (ie people that actually read it) you need to be more social on other peoples blogs. Made great sense to me. This is just like the job front. If you want a job you have to be willing to get out there and network a little. Want to make friends you have to do the same.

So I decide to give it a go. For the past week or so, every time I come online to post or check in on my own little I browse the blogs, looking for someone who has some sort of common/shared interest with me. Turns out, just like high school, I might be a blogspot loner. There were definately a few trends I noticed on my cyber cruise, but the trend of 'recent grads who don't have a clue' or 'single woman who yes wants a relationship, is not so keen on having kids' doesn't seem to be around, or at least not that I have observed. What have I observed? Well let me tell you.

A lot of people use blogspot to keep the world updated on their family. There are a lot of stories about the things kids say, and what families do on vacation out there. Now don't get me wrong I think this is awesome. What a great way to record a family history, but I don't exactly have anything in common with someone who has kids and a family etc. In fact I don't even aspire to have what they have. I'm part of a big family. I have two sisters who both have kids, and then the other half of my family is huge, I have four Aunts and three of them all have kids so family gatherings are big and loud. I look forward to the quiet lol.

Religious blogs. Ok....soooo....here comes the ever so awkward religion aspect. Well awkward for me because I personally am agnostic. I don't really 'believe' in anything but evolution, which my background in biology and molecular genetics demands. I've seen first hand the changes in genomes from animal to animal and the similarities, so personally that's how I think it all works out. NOW before I get a whole shit storm of comments this doesn't mean I have a problem with other people's beliefs. Just the opposite. I think the things other think are just as cool. I mean isn't that the best part of being human? We all get to be different? I digress. So given that I appreciate others beliefs, it does not mean I want to go socializing with a group's blog soley dedicated to their chosen faith. I'm sorry, but I can't imagine there would be a lot of common interest there...And yes I know you're thinking "well just because you don't have the same faith doesn't mean you can't be friends". I agree....but isn't it kind of self centered to come storming into a blog about faith and be like "I appreciate your faith, but don't believe in it! Wanna hang?"....kind of misses the point of their blog, which obviously is important to them because...well duh they started a blog about it.

Gardening....yea no. I'm sorry. Plants are pretty, in fact I took whole courses at school dedicated to how they work, but um. Yea, that's where it ended. The only gardening I have ever done is pea plants in school and that was mandatory. Maybe one day I'll have time and interest (because it is pretty cool to plant seeds have them grow and then take care of them) but...I see it a little like parenting still. Just plants can't talk back.

Cooking. I cook, and I actually really like cooking. But I see eating as "that thing you do to make your stomach stop growling, so that you can get back outside or get back to studying/working". I know that food is great, it tastes good, good life skills involved in making it, but me? Expensive food is lost on me as I would rather just grab a sandwich and get my butt back to the rink/outside etc. Sorry...no common interest here either.

Baking, ok potential winner here! Baking I like! Woot! But.....I never have time to do it. So, um. What would I say? Wow that looks yummy?....hmmm

Photography. I love looking at pictures, I like taking pictures, but I don't like to comment on other peoples work. I don't tend to find deep meaning in pictures, and I'm not out to offend. Besides, wedding pictures and stuff? Well they are just that. Family portraits and wedding pictures being the most common, what does one say to that? My what a good looking family that was?

So.....still no people in my shoes. But then again? Would I really want to me like the masses? I've never followed the crowd before, and that's why I am where I am now, and I can't say I'm sad about it. So blogspot, I shall keep on treking looking for anyone to follow and "find common interests with"...and should I not, I shall at least keep posting about me the blogspot loner.

Game Changers.....making the ok the 'amazing'

Have you ever been listening to an album that you have skipped through a few times before but never really liked only to find this one amazing track that makes you rediscover the album?Or have you ever put in an album that you have listened to in full many times before, but because of whatever stage you might be in, in your life it suddenly speaks louder to you? These things happen to me all the time. As I have had more time this summer (ie unemployed and not temping) I'm getting the chance to rediscover albums that I had only previously listened to in parts because I never had the chance to listen to it in full before.

When you find that random track that speaks to you unlike ever before, I call it a game changer. A song that perhaps was previously overlooked, skipped or simply ignored but upon closer inspection (or listening to it all) you find that its amazing, and it makes the whole album that much more relevant. So here are some of my game changers. These tracks made the cd's better, or helped me better understand the album, or hell just really made me like the band, or just redeemed the fact that I bought the album and sometimes even made me respect an artist that previously I had written off. (Title, Band, Album). So here are 9 game changers off the top of my head:

1. Gets it Faster- Jimmy Eat World (Bleed American) - This song, I discovered while sitting on a dock, on a lake, with my discman attached to cheap speakers. My best friend asked me what the creepy stalker song was, and I had honestly never listened to it before. I had owned the cd for months, but had always skipped it. This song soon became the shocker song of the summer, and the album became the go to album in my stereo. I also own all their albums and have seen them live. Would that have happened without the song? Who knows, but I like to think it was a game changer moment.

2. Everything - Lifehouse (No Name Face) - Yet another song that I often skipped. This particular album I purchased because of the success of 'hanging by a moment', and was a little annoyed to find the album a bit of a snooze fest. Slow and melodic, was not what I wanted as a teen, I wanted loud and angry. So needless to say I never gave this one a chance. It's also the last track on the album so it was easy to flip back to the much happier tunes. Its one of those songs that starts of slow and then goes into a bit of a power ballad, surprising the listener and rewarding the patient.

3. Lost Control - Armchair Cynics (Killing the Romance) - I love it when you go to a store, buy an album that you have no idea if you're going to like (as was the case with this album....home town bands, or anything local are my weakness) and then the first song knocks you flat on your ass because its THAT good. This song starts of with the lead singer asking you to come clean in this almost haunting voice and then goes straight into this powerful guitar heavy rift of a song. It made me open to the album and totally changed the band for me. I've seen them live twice, and love that I often see them kicking around town.

4. What She Came For - Franz Ferdinand (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand) - I think I may have sung the praises of this band before so I won't preach too much again, but this song live was what changed this whole album for me. I've always liked the songs that they put on the radio. I never owned their first CD, but had heard it through the internet before, and when the 'no you girls' came out and I liked it I figure why not give the album a go? Well before the concert I hadn't really given this particular album a chance. Heard this live, came home listened to the whole album on loud and in full. Game Changer.

5. Fingerprints - Katy Perry (One of the Boys) - So I have varied taste in music. I will listen to just about anything, and love it when someone can get me interested in a new genre. So I find it a personal feat when I can branch out on my own, get over the 'label' of an artist and give an album a shot. I heard I the infamous 'I Kissed a Girl' and well, didn't really like it but got it stuck in my head one day so I bought the album. Bopping around to the quirky pop tunes I manage to at some point get to the last song ( funny how it turns out most of my game changer are either first or last). I think I mostly like this song because it's about how she wants to live her life, instead of just letting it just pass her by. I also like the concept of how shes going to make her mark by leaving her fingerprints because me as a geeky science nerd thinks that its just so cool.

6. Giant - Matthew Good Band (Beautiful Midnight) - Yet another first track of the album that made me plotz. Heard it. Loved it. Listened to the whole album. Saw the band live. That was the song they played first, setting the mood for the entire concert. Album changer, concert changer. This particular track starts off with cheerleaders telling you to kick ass, and then have the band come in with this really heavy drum rift and when the guitar kicks in you just know that no matter what happens you are in for a great rock album.

7. One and Only - Timbaland feat Fall Out Boy (Shock Value) - So, this was a song that was on someone else's ipod in the car and I had a jaw dropping moment when someone said it was all Timbaland's doing. So this made me purchase the album because I figured anyone who could make Fall Out Boy sound so damn cool, deserved my full attention. Another great and shockingly cool track of this album? Time - Timbaland feat She Wants Revenge.

8. Different People - No Doubt (Tragic Kingdom) - I first listened to this CD while stuck in the back of a rental car touring around PEI. Still in middle school, and annoyed at my parents for thinking that PEI a la rental was a better vacation than Disneyland, stuck with my not so nice sister, I was looking for anything that would distract me from the real world. This song, made me a lot better than life. Its a song about how everyone is different, and we call do things differently, see things differently, and honestly its kind of this amazing song of understanding packed with an awesome reggae back beat. Other songs on the album were mostly about bad relationships ending, or getting over someone, or well ok...not so nice topics. So to have a song about how its great to stick out? Fit right in, made me love the CD and PRESTO fan for life.

9. Fix You Up - Tegan and Sara (So Jealous) - This is just a really lovely song about a one sided break up. You might be thinking what the hell? A lovely relationship song changed your view on this album? Well sort of. A relationship is coming to an end, but mostly because one person is giving up. The woman is saying that shes willing to do whatever it takes to get them into a better place, and that love is all she has to give. She also admits to not knowing her partner as well as she thought, but saying with time she knows she can sort it out. So what I take from this is that the girl is all in...and the partner is giving up. How is this a game changer? Well I'm not really sure what made me love this song. I mean I could have written this song myself. Any girl could have because I happen to believe that these things happen to us all. And a song that can help you express the frustration, and the annoyance that goes on when you realize that you've come to that exact point is ok in my books. Made the album go full circle for me. The album starts off talking about meeting someone and how if they knew the real you they wouldn't like you (as all couples start) and then you fall for them and would go anywhere with them (also pretty standard) the strain every relationship goes to, the fights of a self destructing relationship and then to have someone keep fighting and not want to give up? Full circle and a lovely album to use to help you get through it. (btw thats them up there signing this song live last Christmas)

So there they are. 9 songs that changed albums, and bands and life for me. And maybe, just maybe they will interest you, you random blog readers who stumble on my little slice of the internet. If anything I hope they will teach you to open your ears to music because you never know when four minutes will change years, or will open new musical doors that lead to life doors.

Me in a fight? I take myself out

Well, it is way past Sunday and to no ones surprise, my scanning project is far from finished and I have piles of laundry to do, and cds that need to be sorted, and jobs that need to be found and well same old same old. I as always have a million and one things to do yet here I sit, watching re-runs online of bad tv (ahem One Tree Hill is not nearly as good as I remember) and half ass-ing my job hunt (in all fairness there is nothing new for me to apply to...my massive job search and apply to everything yesterday took care of whatever was out there).

This morning I did have to take my glasses into the optometrist to get new lenses, so for the remainder of the day, till four anyways, and so the rest of my day I'm planning on spending lounging around the house doing laundry and taking care of finally getting all my good will clothes together to donate, as well as figure out how the hell to most efficiently (read quickly) finish my scanning project so that I can get my scanner/printer and that big box of pictures out of my room. This box of stuff is starting to scare me as I fear it will become a permanent fixture, and that is scarier than finding out you have a midterm worth 60% an hour before you have to write it (not that that's ever happened to me...no not me at all....).

So regardless of the looming scanning project, I did manage to actually accomplish a task! Yesterday I spent my whole morning applying to any job I could find, and a few that I'm sure to never hear from, but also! I finally knocked a big thing off my to do list! I finally washed my car! Finally no more bird crap all over my car! Finally restored back to all of its shinny goodness and more importantly another thing crossed off my list of things to go that I never get around to. Now if only it hadn't come at such a high price.

I really don't know how these things happen to me. I get myself into the strangest positions and the most embarrassing situations. While on my big push to finally get things accomplished, to feel as if I had achieved something, I managed to have it whack me in the face...literally. To wash a car important staples needed include a hose and some soapy water. Soapy water intact I started to pull out the hose, only to do so I needed to string it down past the planter and into the car port in my yard. Easy right? Well not exactly....instead of easily threading it down the side of the house it got stuck beside the planter. In front of the planter? A hanging basket and a cast iron deck chair. A hanging basket and a cast iron chair that just so happened to block the way of the planter in which the hose needed to be threaded past. I thread the hose through by crawling behind the chair and as I stand up I whack my head on the hanging basket, as I recoil, I forget about the placement of the chair and whack my face on it. Red mark induced...and I look like someone gave me a wicked right hook.

Oh well my car is finally clean. That I believe gives me a pass on the scanning project for at least one more day right?

Meredith Grey? I am not, just call me the Temp

After I finished my last temp gig I left a big long message for wonder woman, letting her know what I got up to, and how I finished a couple of things off for her, or explaining any lose ends etc. With that letter I left my e-mail in case something came up that needed clarification. Come Monday, when I had started temp gig number two I got an email from wonder woman thanking me for the detailed list, as well as inquiring about some more time off she wanted to take, wondering if I was free. During this email I got to wondering how things were going.

Did the labels that I had to deal with ever get there? Did I send that stuff to Italy correctly? Did someone finally figure out how the clean up after themselves? Did the carpets get cleaned? Did the right milk order come in? All the stuff that I had to take care of, I never got to see play out.

This got me thinking. Me being a temp is kind of like an Episode of Grey's Anatomy. In GA, a big problem comes up. A case comes in, someone is hurt, and needs surgery and all the doctors rush in to help them. Of course the case is never simple, or easy. It requires some research and some background knowledge and prior training. The Surgeon then goes in, does their job, patches the person up (which too is never simple either) and then they leave. The patient goes home or they die and we never find out what happened to them. The case is never followed up. And yes we still get to see the main characters life, but never the cases.

That's kind of how I feel about the temp gig. A gig comes up (a case if you will) and then I go in for some training. I take a ton of notes (background research and training if you will) and then I go in to do my job (like a surgeon coming in to patch things up) and then I leave, and I never really get to find out how things panned out. Did I make a mess? Was there internal bleeding and the patient fell over and died? Or did I tie off all lose stitches nicely and the patient went on to live another 100 years?

So I guess, as with every day of every temp gig I learned something new. While yesterday it was how to work a debit machine, and the day before that it was how to NOT piss off the business finance manager. Today it was this, I don't like unfinished endings. I feel like that this temping gig is like watching a bad GA episode. I start things, come in, patch em up and leave. I never get to find out how it all ends up, I just get them on their way there. Another day, another whack of jobs to cross off the list of things I don't want to do for a living. Receptionist at a car dealership (I get all the complaints all day when people don't get what they want) and surgeon (not putting myself elbows deep in someone and not at least making sure their ok after).

All in all? Successful day! I mean....I worked and I learned! Who needs school to figure out what you want to do when you have real life temping experiences to tell you!

I'll do it later....or why Hogwarts is better than University

I am full of many an undesirable qualities. I'm human and therefore I am not perfect so this is just all classified under the 'shit that happens' category of life. One of my more unappealing qualities? I'm probably one of the biggest procrastinators you'll ever me. Now I say this with the meaning that I believe there to be many forms of procrastination, and that I am Queen of any of the procrastination sub-categories (see, can't you seem I'm the worlds best student, I break things down into categories and sub categories and define them!).

Lazy Procrastination: the kind where you are constantly saying "I'll do it later when I have more time". Oh yea this is a bad one for me. I leave things in the car for months because I am too lazy to move it into the house because I know if it comes into the house it will sit on the kitchen table or my bedroom vanity window for months because I find the time to figure out what to do with it (unless its clothes, those I don't tend to leave in the car). Shoes, water bottles, books, binders, light up head sets from Canada day, at least two different umbrellas, sunscreen from last summer, and about 5 different pairs of sunglasses (which I can't even wear while driving because none of them are prescription) are all in my car right now. And I'm guessing they will probably stay there till...well at least later when I have more time.

The reality here is, if I wasn't so damned lazy these things could all be in my house and put away. But since I don't use them all that often they stay there and I totally forget about them till I open my car and go "huh guess I should clean this crap up"....followed by "crap I'm in a rush to get to (enter one of my million commitments here) I'll have to do it later".....its a vicious cycle really.

Tired Procrastination: I use this excuse all the time. 'I will do this in an hour, after I get a nap in" or "I'll just sit and watch some tv to rest then I'll do laundry". Needless to say, at least triple the time later I'm either still too exhausted (read: lazy) to get anything done or I'm out like a light still, and am still sitting without anything accomplished (then again? getting rid of the bags 2 straight semesters of school gave me? That IS an accomplishment). I am completely useless when I haven't had enough sleep or am tired. As a student I learned how to study through it with copious amounts of caffeine, sugar and loud music in noise canceling headphones till all hours of the night, but it doesn't mean I was the most efficient person in the world. My weakness was Harry Potter. If a new Harry Potter book came out and I was in the studying, school ceased to exist and I would drift off to Hogwarts where I could fight he-who-must-not-be-named with Harry and his gang, instead of trying to figure out where halogen groups would bench themselves on a benzene ring (thank you over priced degree, again you help me sound like a total geek, which I love!). And common, the new books came out so rarely that waiting till midnight to get your copy and then going home to pound through the book was a must! At Hogwarts, while yes the students there had to study, at least they got to change mice into water goblets and make drafts of living death, in University the coolest thing I did in a lab was enlarge cheek cell DNA, and that? Not nearly as cool.

Time test, age approved, good ole Procrastination: where you basically just don't do something till absolutely the last minute, not because you run out of time, or because the task is too difficult, but where you have something you need to do and you just keep putting if off for no reason. I don't (to my knowledge) do this one a whole lot. In fact I usually have some sort excuse (regardless of how lame or legit it may be) to avoid a task. In fact as I sit here typing I cannot really think of anything I have done lately that I just put off for no other reason that "I don't want to"....Score one for me here then!

So why all the talk of procrastination? Well it turns out there really aren't enough hours in a day and I am desperately behind on my scanning/archiving project I promised for my skating club. My computer is old, and the screen turns it self off from time to time so I have to be careful where I set up to start this project (would really REALLY suck to start scanning in another batch of pictures only to have my screen die and need to reboot, but not really being able to save my batch). Also I didn't think I would be working this week so I figured "great! I'll do laundry, scan pictures, clean up, clean out the car, wash the car etc etc"...and then PRESTO got another temp gig (which lets face it: YAY MONEY!). I once had a friend tell me that the reason I got so good at all forms of procrastination is that I never plan any time for myself, and that any minute I have any sort of down time, its no wonder I don't want to pull myself out of bed, I'm too excited to actually be in it for a nap that the task of getting out just seems daunting, which ok I think held some truth when I was in school. But now? That bucket really doesn't hold much water (or that water goblet still has mouse ears if you will).

I have just decided that by the end of the week I WILL have this scanning project done. I will get this big box out of my room, and will be able to move my printer back to its home as opposed to on a chair in my room. So here I sit on a jam packed Sunday afternoon, in bed, too lazy to get up and switch over the laundry that literally just buzzed, looming self proclaimed scanning project deadline a mere 7 days away.... thinking...I can fit a nap in right? Ugh....I really will never learn!

So here's my message to all! It's Sunday! Sit back! Relax (just like my polar bear buddy up top did all Christmas day last year in NYC's Central Park Zoo, took the picture myself hoping my pathetic flash would wake him up...of course no dice), but make sure to switch over the laundry so that tomorrow you won't have to go to work in the buff! Will I figure out this project? I'm no sure but we will certainly know by next week!

Just when I think I'm out they pull me back in

SO today marked my last day at my first temp gig, and man alive am I glad to be out of there. The people were great, the company was fantastic, the work they do is amazing. The idea of cleaning up after them every day? No thank you.

So today I put my very last temp company number one dish in the dish washer, and wiped down my very last temp job number one table, and headed home. Upon leaving temp gig number one (a software company gig) I landed temp company number 2 (car dealership).....erm ok?

I got home from work totally beat and in need of getting my stuff together to get to running (yea I go running 3ish times a week but right now things are not going so swift....another time perhaps) and got a call from a woman offering me an MOA job, based only on my resume and without an interview. Full Time. There in lies the problem. What about school? If there is anything I have learned from temp gig number one, its that I dont want to be cleaning up after everyone else my whole life. I don't want to answer phones for my career, or sitting at a desk. I have worked in a medical office before, and I really didn't mind it. But I want to do things! I want to travel! I want to go get my ruddy pre-recs done and go back to school full time to get another degree so I can go on into health care! And a full time job I suppose just doesn't really fit into that category right now. I can't take a job and then want a leave of absence....its just not fair!

Sigh.....I this whole thing has me stressed out, scared and conflicted. If I give up one opportunity, will the next one really be that good? Will I never find better? Well! Too late now! I already respectfully declined the full time position and will continue with temping and part time anything I can find. Here's hoping!

Customer Service Phonelines BYO-B?

The letter B stands for many things. Baby, break, bottle, bling and birthday. Today however my B stands for the following: bastards, bitching, brute and brains. As in, those bastards at Avery really need to get some better customer service support unless they want to continue to hear my bitching because the brutes that I dealt with are bots with no brains. Phew that feels better. Curious about my day? Well it all started with me being asked by the lady I'm temping for (who I shall refer to as Wonder Woman), to order labels.

The company I'm subbing for is a widely know and distributed company in it's field (they do all kinds of computer software for scientific research, nifty huh?) and currently they are trying to a promotional package together, and to do so they have decided that clear 1" Avery labels (item number 5248) are the ONLY thing that is going to work. Ok sure I understand no sweat! Fully loaded with the corporate credit card, a phone book and google, I believe this to be an easy task.

Perhaps the fact that wonder woman had yet to locate them as a clue (as far as I'm concerned this woman who I'm temping for is a Saint for all the crap she puts up with in a day if I'm only seeing even 1/10th of what she does in a day) that this task may be a little more in depth than previously thought.

I started off the job by calling a bunch of the office supply places in town that wonder woman had not yet tried. No dice. Fine, problem solved lets just call Avery. Surely they will be able to tell me where I can order them or at the very least be able to send them to me directly. That's what they do right? Supply labels and seals to offices who need them? Seemed legit enough. Apparently not.

The Avery customer service line has got to be the most poorly designed call in service in the world. Upon calling you are given two options. Service in English press 1, service in french option 2. Easy enough, one thanks. I press one, and another two options are given. For service in Canada press 1, for service in United States press 2. Sweet ok, 1 thanks. The phone rings and somehow magically you are dialed through to Computer Software Services.....WOOOOAH hold the phone? Why do I want to talk to these people??? HELLLLO where what THAT option? FINE. After trying to get a word in edge wise with the fellow who barely spoke English, I managed to get out that I believed to be at the wrong number and to please put me through to someone I could talk to about labels, as I clearly did not have software issues (ok well not with Avery so SHHH). The fellow on the other line seemed rather annoyed and put out, but patched me through none the less (Ie because it was his job and the call was recorded for quality control reasons....wow finally those warnings have come in handy!).

SO after 15 minutes on the phone with Avery software support, I am FINALLY through to customer service. I tell them my problem, and again I am given a huge ramble about Avery and cannot get a word in edge wise to clarify my problem, and might I add, am attempting to dechiper more broken english clearly being read ver bat-um off a script. Finally the lady pauses to take a breath and I jump in with the product code and the lady on the other end confirms that I want the clear mailing seals. Yes, I want them, where the EFF do I get them? She then tells me to call back staples (one of the places already called) because they can special order them for me as they carry 80% of all Avery products and they are my best bet for a Canadian Supplier as you cannot just order them off the website. Call Staples. Hmm...I'm pessimistic about this because if they were already called and wonder woman couldn't figure that out, then I figure somethings up. But this lady is INSISTENT and I figure, fine give it a go. At this point I'm starting to get concerned that I cannot order a companies product directly from a company, yet could purchase them from a drugstore.....but I digress

I call Staples preferred customers line and got the NICEST customer service rep I have EVER met (GO ROSE GO), who not only tried to order these labels, but when she couldn't went a million more steps to find me the numbers of where I could get them. She even tried company contacts, and googled and tried the Avery website to order them. While Rose also had no luck because as luck would have it THEY AREN'T AVAILABLE IN CANADA(I find this out later....but I suspected something was up when Amazing Rose couldn't special order them), I really greatly appreciated her help. So much in fact that I fully plan on emailing her supervisor tomorrow and singing her praises.

SO after Staples comes up empty I call Avery again. I get the SAME issue, where I am put through to software help and NOT customer, regardless of how many times I try to press 2 without getting service in the US or service in French (je ne parle pas le francis bien). The SAME fellow answers the phone and before he can even TRY to give me the whole shpeel on how the call will be recorded etc, I cut him off and tell him to patch me through to customer service and yes I know I'm at the wrong number. He doesn't say much (probably because he was ready to get a little stabby on me) and patches me through.

I get BACK to the same woman at customer service. BAH, she tries to tell me to call staples again. I cut her off at the punch to say that Staples doesn't have them, that we are a preferred customer, and that they cannot, as hard as they have tried (which I wanted to add was 5 million times harder than the actual Avery company) get them to me. I then told her "We need these labels, I want these labels, find me somewhere that will sell me your avery brand labels", and FINALLY she went "the labels you want are not available in Canada, this company is one of two that will sell them across the boarder"...

HOLD THE PHONE.....I called an hour before and you said to call Staples because they carried 80% of your products, and you KNEW which LABELS I wanted when I called because I told you the number and you confirmed clear labels....you just figured out I COULDN'T GET THEM......well.....GEE THANKS....seriously, because of you and your total lack of will to get the job done right I had to go on this wild goose chase. Really wish Customer Service had brought their brains and common sense to work today.

SO I finally get off the phone with them and call a company in California called Ellsworth (big shout out guys! You rock!) and following conversation took place:

Ex Student : My name is Ex Student and I'm calling from BC Canada, I need 2 pkgs of Avery Labels 5248 and I need them sent across the boarder as soon as possible, can you do this? (no hello, no pleasantries)

Ellsworth Company: You've been talking with the Avery so called customer service line haven't you?

Ex Student: How did you know?

Ellsworth: We get the majority of their annoyed Canadian clients, and yes we can get them to you, and yes they will go out on our next mail truck you'll have them tomorrow.

Ex Student: Ellsworth California? YOU ROCK.

So, that was day two at the tech company. Along with the great label chase of 2010, I also worked on an expense sheet (totally never done that before and man did it make me stir crazy), and ordered a 8ft cork board to put on an entire wall. I also get to spend my morning tomorrow calling England to set up a phone interview with a prospective employee! Oh and of course the maid duties of cleaning up after fully grown adults who leave tea bags in the sink over night. Sigh, I applied for another whack of jobs today, man do I hope something pans out so the temp work can end! But, another day another dollar, and tomorrow, I work another 8 hours so I can afford to go back to school, and clean up after myself :)

Some peoples children

Today, I joined the prestigious ranks of many before me and started my first day as a temp. Glamorous it was NOT.

This temp job was something I just sort of stumbled into, but needing the money, and a challenge I took it. This gig is subbing in for an HR support women, who when I met her for training looked pretty hagared. She looked tired, and had a hard time trying to explain things to me as she was exhausted. And today? I am starting to understand why.

Her job as an HR person, was watered down severely for me to be able to take over for the week, so I can only imagine that what I did today was perhaps about a tenth of what she would have done. The surprising part? I would have gotten a lot more if the majority of my day wasn't spent running around the office, printing stuff off for others, getting mail, picking up deliveries, answering phones and the door and my personal favorite? Cleaning up the kitchen after the other employees. How this woman gets up every day to go into work and play mother to the staff is totally beyond me.

Upon arrival this morning it was my job to check the email, the voicemail and empty the dishwasher. Then I put away the grocery order, then I answered some more phones, and called all the people on the list to get things fixed or cleaned in the office. How this woman also assists the accountant and the talent and culture person is beyond me, because this office seems to have the same disease that plagues my own house, the dishwasher avoidance disease.

Nothing is more annoying than people that rinse the dish in the sink and leave it there, when the dishwasher is only 3 inches away from the sink. So instead the water pools in the dirty dishes, and cutlery piles up, making me the poor innocent temp, or the actual employee, roll up their sleeve and empty the slimy water and retrieve grimy cutlery to get it into the dishwasher after they've been soaking all day. Awesome huh? While I really don't have a problem with this task, I can't imagine someone who has a million other things to do actually does it. How degrading? To be a professional working in a professional office and yet be forced to clean up after kids? These people are all perfectly responsible adults, all with post secondary (I'm working at a tech company), and yet? They cannot clean up after themselves. I went to one of my "business" friends. And basically once I relayed the office behavior to him, and he basically told me that this is pretty common. That professionals are billed out higher, so they get in trouble when they clean up after themselves....because apparently their time is more valuable. WELL THEN. Last time I checked it took a heart to be human, and that nothing on earth made you worth more than any other, sooo I'm wrong? Sad state of reality has started to set in.

Positive thing out of all of this? I know I do not want to work at a desk all day. I cannot imagine sitting at a desk in front of a screen crunching numbers. My neck is stiff, my back hurts and worst of all my eyes are blurry! Who wants this for their life? I'm starting to see how people can work a 9-5 and just punch in and punch out. I guess what I really want after all is not a "job" but a career or lifestyle. So! Ex Student Project? Still going strong, as am out in the work force navigating the real world. The preliminary outcome? If the real world means that I will have to work a shit job where I clean up for lazy 'holier than thou' coworkers? SIGN ME BACK UP FOR SCHOOL ASAP!!!!!

Not Musically Inclined? Let me help you!

So, I've been around the block, musically that is. I've seen many a band live and I've bought way too many a cd. Live music is the best, and nothing can beat it but should you not be able to see the band live, a cd is always a good option. Now I'm not saying I don't dl music because I do, but rest assured itunes and I are tight, and if I like something I generally buy the cd. I'm old school, I like having the actual album, along with the art. I like to proudly display my cds on a very snazzy ikea brand shelf unit, and anything that doesn't fit (ie the stuff I'm not interested in right now....yes I rotate my cds) goes into a pile in my closet. So here are my CD recommendations of the day. In alphabetical order by band (as they appear on my shelf):

Armchair Cynics (Killing the Romance): This band is a local rock/alternative band, that you might know by their song "coal mine" or "ablaze". They have 3 cds out, including an acoustic coffee shop album that are also good. Killing the romance is a good mix of rock with a varied mix of fast and slow tunes. I find the album full of power music. The songs that demand to be played loudly and that make you want to shut your eyes sit back and belt out the lyrics because they sit so close to home. Coal Mine, and Bang were the title tracks off the album but I think the best songs are "Smile" and "Lost Control". Like em? Try: The Art of Dying, Finger 11(as seen in the picture).

Barenaked Ladies (Gordon): While I do own most of their ablums, I believe this one to be the best. Not only did it have "If I had a million dollars" and "Hello City", it also had Enid and "King of bedside manner". If you've never ventured into "naked" territory than you are really missing out. Those that never got the chance to see the Ladies as the original group are really unfortunate as these guys demand to be seen live to really enjoy them. Their Gordan CD is a definite second. Like em? Try: Jack Johnson, Counting Crows, Cake.

Cobra Starship (While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets): This is another band that not a lot of people know about. They are a mostly pop with some funk, rock and rap infusions, and their music is seriously awesome to dance to. This album contains the song now dubbed my theme song, making "Church of Hot Addiction" a great club song. They sing it like it is, and they certainly have a good time. If you like them? Try : Faber Drive, Fall Out Boy.

Franz Ferdinand (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand): Another band with more than one album out, but this one is my favorite. You'll probably know them by the song "Take me out" from their first album or "no you girls" as it was on the Ipod Commerical. This cd is a funky jazzy rock album. Want a real treat? See them live and be prepared to be totally amazed. This album keeps things fresh and mixes them up, while going along with a rock medley, but mixed with some jazz to switch things up. An album that can be listened from start to finish with out the need of the stereo remote. Like em? Try: The Killers, Jet, The White Stripes.

Horrorpops! (Hell Yeah!): This funky band, is more of a ska band than anything. The lead instrument is a stand up bass played by a vivacious blond. They don't take shit, and they don't follow the rules, which makes the album 'Hell Yeah!' and amazing album with multiple sounds, that you would expect to clash but instead they fuse together to make you feel invincible at the end. So turn it up loud, bop your head along, and enjoy! Best songs? 'Where they wander' and 'psychobitches out of hell'. Like em? Try: Nexcromantix, and Vampire Weekend.

Inward Eye (Throwing Bricks Instead of Kisses): Another home grown Canadian Band. They did play a live stint during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics during the closing ceremonies, but their album is better represenation of what they do. Rock meets alternative, they were also featured on a free itunes dl from starbucks. Try 'Day after Day', its sure to get you to stand up and make a mini mosh right in your house. Like em? Try: Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Marianas Trench (Fix Me): This is a great rock meets punk album by home grown Canadian boys. I swear I don't listen to only Canadian rock bands!!. This is their first album and I enjoyed it so much because its kind of gritty, not so finished. Should you have only heard their second album and written them off, take another look. Their style may have changed for the second album, but the talent was always there and they totally deserve another investigation. Alibis and Say Anything are my favs off the album but I say give it a listen yourself and find your own. Like em? Try: All American Rejects.

Well I hope this keeps your ears a going for a little bit! Now I am off to do some laundry for my first day on my temp job tomorrow, and to get some sleep. If you have any like em? try: suggestions I'm always interested! Want me to review a cd? Let me know!

Cheers!

Yes, no, yes, no, yes - my rant about my life

Ever feel totally and utterly without a clue? Like you know what you want, but you haven't a clue how to get there, or what that 'want' is? Well that seems to be my problem lately.

Upon entry into the workforce, I started to notice this really baffling trend. With every 12 applications/resumes I put out, only MAYBE one response was coming back. I have a list of places I have applied to for jobs (that do not necessarily use my degree) and rarely do I get an interview. Now I know it sounds obnoxious, but given that every summer I've always been able to line up great summer jobs, I figured after graduating, that SOMETHING would come up, if not the perfect job fine (I was willing to take whatever) but something to make me some cash. Well, turns out? The job search front sucks. Apparently due to the tanking of the economy seen not only in the USA, but also in Canada the majority of companies are looking to downsize, not hire. Anyone that was laid off in the cut backs are now applying along with the recent grads, except they have the one thing we lack. This golden thing called experience.

Now here's the kicker, for me mostly. Even when searching for jobs, and blasting through job postings, there is nothing I really want. With the exception of a couple (which of course I have not heard back from) I haven't applied for anything I want to do. None of the applications I have put out have been for jobs that I would kill to do, but simply wouldn't mind doing for a little while. I know I want to travel next spring, but I also know to do that I need to make some money. So what to do? When I sit and think about what I want to do, what is it that would make me happy? Why isn't my degree helping me get anywhere? Why don't I want to work in a lab (which is basically all my BSc has made me good for, not that I'm certified or anything...even that is more schooling).

So after careful consideration I decided to start talking to career councilors at various schools, starting with my most current university. We talked and came to a decision that I should yes be in healthcare, and that yes that's what I want but that rehabilitation is probably what's best for me, and that most likely physiotherapy training (getting a masters of physiotherapy) would most likely be along the lines of me doing what I enjoy most. Well ok great. A plan! Woot! This I can handle! How do I do that?

Apparently to do that I must have a BSc (CHECK! WOOT!) but I also have to have this huge whack of pre-recs. Ok...well...that sucks but thats fine. Get pre-recs for physio and up my GPA at the same time. Seems smart to me. Can't find a job anyways, might as well go retail or service industry and go back to school. Well...as always it turns out that the pre recs add up to almost an entire other degree. WTF was the point of the first one then? DAMN IT! Fine, ok, more careful consideration, and talks with my mom, sure suck it up do it if it makes me happy. Ugh. School. Awesome. Turns out the school I graded from has this awesome Kinesiology program that would give me the best chance at physio. Fine I conceed, back to school I go to re-apply. Brilliant.

After reapplying to school I find out that not only do I not have the GPA to get into the kinesiology program, but that I also am missing two pre-recs for that class, and at that point I may as well go back and do a whole other damn semester. OK SERIOUSLY. Where it gets even more annoying is that my school and a few of the others I have looked at and spoken to all say the same thing. There are X# of spots available, we line the GPA's up and at X# we draw a line. Above the line gets in, below thanks for coming out but sorry you're out.

So here I sit. Totally conflicted. Do I go back or not? If I go back it means finding the cash for a full school semester, and having to work a job while in school to do it. Thats the shits. It also means the possibility that I might not find anything part time that is flexible around school. And to top it off there is a good chance I won't even get in to the program. And then there is the extremely unpleasent thought that I would have to go back and boost my GPA which means working my ass off, and what happens if I don't get the right grades? Then what? Do I want to waste another semester? Would it really be wasting? Should I apply to both Kinesiology at my current university, but should I also take the time to apply to Physio schools all over the place and just see what happens? Why should GPA determine all of this? I get it, you want the best of the best, but what does GPA have to do with it? I know they want someone that makes an effort but why not look at things like extra cirriculars, and what kind of person you are? Why does being able to kiss a proff's butt matter when you could be out there making a difference too? Shouldn't that matter?

Ugh this is totally fustrating. My mom says to go back if I don't find a job that I love, because the job front is so poor anyways, and I think that's what I will end up doing, but I have to get into school first.

All through out University, I just had this feeling like everything would work out as it should. And thats mostly what happened. Summer jobs were always there, and classes always worked out as they needed to, and now? Well I don't know. Temping popped up when I started to feel crunched for money. So maybe I should just wait it out and see where life leads me?

So here I sit, totally confused, feeling unemployable, uneducated and over whelmed. To anyone out there feeling any of the above, I feel for you and know that you are not alone. Not in any way shape or form. We can do this! We can make it! We can get back at this terribly economy. I know I plan to tomorrow while spending some much needed time in the mall amping up my wardrobe (and before you all judge me know that that I currently only have one office appropriate outfit and I'm temping all next week so I need at least another pair of pants to swap every other day :P)

Back to reality

So, the last couple days I've been pretty much MIA. Where have I been? Well fear not I did NOT die under the stack of stuff I've spent the majority of my time archiving etc. Although, there was one Monty incident that I certainly questioned if I would ever survive this project. Well last night I made my way out of town to visit my Aunts. My Aunts and I get along famously, and a good time is always had by all, esp when tequila is involved.

In short: margaritta's + good food + great conversation + Scrabble = EPIC night of fun.

I always have such a good time when I go to visit them. My Aunt C is this super awesome artist masquerading as a carpenter/trades person, and her and her life partner live in this great open floored place where essentially the whole place is like an open studio/gallery for her work. I'm super stoaked to hear that she is contemplating being a full time artist instead of being a carpenter to pay the bills and an artist on the side. My other Aunt M is getting ready to leave town to do some schooling (hence the journey to get in some drinking time before she leaves). I always leave feeling super inspired, refreshed and, well, slightly hung over when I leave their place. So with that night away, I come back home to reality. In desperate need of getting back to my scanning project, doing laundry and figuring out the whole work thing. HOWEVER! In the mean time, I might not be the 'ex student' much longer, back to school September to get a couple pre-recs for a new program? I applied today, whilst wearing last nights party clothes and slightly hung over. Ready to be a proper student? I'll keep everyone (should there be anyone that follows this blog) posted!

....Yea I really need a meeting.

where am I? I am under stacks of pictures, documents, programs and all sorts of newspaper clippings dated as far back as the 1950's. Every single piece needs to be scanned in individually, labelled, then filed into a file pertaining to the date (should something have no date it will go into its own dateless file). My guess...there's something close to a thousand articles here to be scanned and documented. The problem? The scanning software I downloaded to do all of this is only a free trial. I have 29 more days to get this project finished! Wish me luck!

Cool stuff that I've found in this box of tricks? Pictures of my skating coach when she was a student. Pictures of when the original arena I first skated in had its opening day events. Pictures of old fashioned costumes and skates all in black and white. These pictures are telling the history of figure skating to me, and more specifically the history of my skating club, which btw is the second oldest skating club in Canada! All of these pictures are part of the fabric that today weaves the club I am so proud to be a member of. Also! Perk it's giving me some great ideas for club publicity for the fall, but it might be a little too soon to tell.

So here I am. Under a mountain of scanning work to do and not too long to do it (considering the amount) and the fact that the sooner its scanned and sorted, the sooner it can be saved on CD/DVD and the sooner I can make sure that these pictures and memories are never lost! Oh and it doesn't help that once I'm done we can use the pictures to start promoting the club to get membership up. What good is yesterday if no one is around to see it tomorrow?

More details on my new discoveries to follow! Of course I'm not alone in this venture! Monty is right here helping me out....

Hmmm perhaps I need a meeting?

They say the strong and the brave admit when they have a problem, and as a result they are the ones that recover with the most success. So today I am taking a page out of all those brave and strong out there and admitting I have a problem. My name is Ex-Student and I am a volunteer-a-holic.

I have all the symptoms. Whenever someone needs a volunteer, I speak up. All that needs to be asked is "do we have any volunteers?", and somehow my arm with out my knowledge, raises itself and the next thing I know is I'm writing down a new project and wondering how the heck I'm going to reconfigure my schedule to fit it all in. When you really need someone? I'm the one that steps in.I attend weekly/monthly meetings and talk with others in the same boat as me, all caring about the same cause. See? I'm a woman obsessed!

This is how I managed to get up to my ears in skating in high school, along with grad council, and a full course load. My first year of community college I took on another skating team, my own solo skating, a full course load and a part time job. My first year of University I took on secretary of the University skating club because someone else couldn't commit to it any longer, and course my own personal skating and a part time job. I took on President because there was no one else brave enough to do it, and I took on my personal skating clubs executive because they were in need of people. I started volunteering at the hospital because I needed volunteer hours for a program I was contemplating taking, but now I volunteer for fun, as well as train others to volunteer.

My latest volunteer stint? Course Marshaling for a Triathlon. About a week ago my old boss (who I adore and still call my boss) posted a facebook message (damn you fb!!!) stating they desperately needed volunteers for a triathlon being held this weekend. I figured that with Father's Day (love my Dad!!) and the fact that this is the last month of school for most peoples kids that no one was free. So I signed up. I moved a few things around (my hospital volunteering gig actually) and signed myself up. It was only after I said I would help that I was told the catch. 'Be at the park for 5:45am'. FIVE FORTY FIVE AM? ON A SUNDAY? AFTER MY GRAD PARTY ON SATURDAY? ARE YOU INSANE? WELL obviously I stayed out late on the Saturday, and got up super early for Sunday. 5:45 came and I was up dressed, at the park ready to volunteer with a smile on my face (I didn't realize how light out it was at 5:45). I spent the day meeting new people and discussing everything under the sun, while cheering on all the crazy (read AMAZING) people doing the Half Iron Man. Come 12 pm? DEAD FREAKING TIRED. Spend the rest of my day in bed trying to warm up and catch up on some sleep. (BTW WAY TO GO TRIATHLON CONTESTANTS! YOU ROCK!!). I was willing to freeze my butt off, put myself in the middle of traffic, and miss out on a decent nights all to help out others. Did I love it? YES

I once heard somewhere that one in three Canadians volunteers on average, so I assume that this number is so high because of people like me skewing the curve. Now I'm not necessarily saying I need to STOP volunteering,because honestly if I didn't love it I wouldn't do it. Perhaps I just need to better pick my battles. Helping out organizations I believe in? Check! Doing things and getting them done because others are too lazy? FAIL. My latest "I can do it!" hand up moment? Just signed myself up for a new Skating club project! Scanning pictures to add to facebook for our group, and making posters for publicity. Hmmm are there meetings I can volunteer to go to for this problem? How will this end up? Who knows but I look forward to the challenge!

Four legged family trumps two legged any day.

My cat is a jerk. In my house we've always had animals. My dad's the biggest animal lover in the world and therefore the biggest pushover whenever it came to pets (my mom? not so much but dad always managed to win her over). We've always had a dog and at least two cats. I was raised to believe that our pets were really just furrier siblings, except they were the ones you never picked on. Should a cat be sleeping in the only available chair in the living room, you sit on the floor. Should the cat be soaking wet, you get them a towel and towel them off till they are dry, regardless of how many times they go in and out. Our dog had monthly appointments scheduled with the groomer, and was brushed at least 4 times a week. People that come into the farm used to look for the dog and bring her cookies, needless to say she was seriously over weight.

Now somehow our cats tend to be very eccentric, we do not raise typical run of the mill house cats, oh no these? These cats are spoiled rotten and all have eccentric personalities.

Examples? Bart who weighed 25 pounds thought he was a dog (ate dog food, liked to be brushed), and liked to eat your toothbrush, and had a thing for eating popcorn. Stella: the cat who liked to climb curtains, rip open cat treat bags, and would let only my dad pet her (she would hiss at the rest of us) Her tail was also permanently kinked but we got her like that. Bear: loved to sleep on your textbooks, newspaper, trashy chick lit book, paperwork or laptop just to be in your face, she would also enjoy rubbing her butt against your face (ensuring a mouthful of cat fur). Lucy: enjoyed peeing on EVERYTHING (both before and after we got her fixed) and liked to pick on all other cats (we HAD to give her to a family with no other pets and apparently she's stopped peeing like crazy). Ceaser: Liked to try and cross the road and as a result got hit by a car and broke his back and had to be caged for 6 weeks to let it heal, he now gets scared by loud noises and runs away from the vacuum. Elmo: the least friendly yet most demanding cat you will ever meet, he will get in your face and demand you pet him, should you not he will claw you and yes he has caused the need for stitches when he doesn't get his way.

All of the above? They do not compare to the crazy antics and annoying ways of my current cat Monty. We recently lost a cat and once that happened my dad in total despare (we lost our 14 year old black lab only a month before) sent my sister to our local SPCA (we only rescue cats, no specialty cats for us) and that is how we got Monty. My sister B (I have two sisters K and B) claimed that she picked Monty because he was "cuddly and friendly" which we later discovered actually meant he was an "independent con-artist". This cat? He does not like to cuddle, he does not like to be pet. He does like to be around people (which I suspect is a result of being alone all the time in the SPCA)but only on his own terms.

So fine, he likes to be around, the cat loves attention in the form of being fed and sleeping on the chair you want to sit on, but what makes him a Jerk? Oh how about the fact that he will jump on the counter top and eat whatever you're trying to prepare for dinner if you don't watch him carefully? He shreds textbooks, newspapers, napkins, paper towels, kleenex, toilet paper, and any other possible paper product that we forget to put away. He drinks out of the toilet and leaves the seat wet (yes we leave out a dish of clean water for him but apparently the toilet is where its at), he brings in dead rabbits and HIDES them behind the TV or bookshelves. Today's asshole cat adventure? Clean laundry gone black.

With things like grad and the one job interview I had, along with the idea that I'm looking into sports therapy programs for a years time, I have let things like laundry go to the way side. So today? I finally get up early and decide to do laundry. I wash it, I fold it and then I had to run out and get a bunch of my grad pictures printed to give out to family tonight. I come home and where is Monty? Filthy dirty having been out in the garden with my mom rolling in COMPOST, sleeping on top of my freshly washed, newly folded and some ironed, WHITE laundry. So I pout with absolute frustration, and wander upstairs where I tell my dad what happened. His comment? "Don't disturb him, he's had a very stressful day. Playing in the garden is hard work". I'm going to repeat this back to him next time he complains about the cat sleeping in his chair leaving him with nowhere to sit.