Wow, Tae Kwon Do is hard!

I just got back from my first Tae Kwon Do class. It was a lot more difficult than I expected! I think I need to practice quite a bit before my next class. I especially need to work on kicking with my left leg, not so good at hitting the target with my left leg. I hope I will improve. I am hoping to be able to get my yellow belt at some point. That would be a nice accomplishment.

Dinner with the Russians turned out to be dinner with the Russian. Only one of the two guys could come. He was a very interesting guy with a good sense of humour as well. And his accent was awesome! It was so nice just to listen to him. I was surprised at how good his english was as well. I think my brother wants to be his new best friend because he has two BMW's. Why is it that foreign students always drive the nicest cars? How can they afford it? Especially since they have to pay triple the tuition? I guess most of them come from well-off familites. The Russian's dad works for the Russian government in the space organization. I'm sure he is quite wealthy. Anyways, dinner with the Russian was fun, I think we're going to try to have him over again sometime when his friend can come too. He was very appreciative of a home-cooked meal because he never cooks for himself. He says he's too busy saving the world to cook. He started a global organization to save the world from global catastrope through science. He's quite passionate about it actually. Interesting...

Tae Kwon Do and dinner with Russians.

As my title would suggest, I have decided that I will take that Tae Kwon Do class I was talking about a little while ago. I have registered for it and the first class is on Monday. I am taking it with two girls at work. I think it will be a good opportunity for me to do something I've always wanted to do (martial arts) and I will be able to make some friends as well. And it never hurts to know a little self defense, especially in this violent world.

Also, my family is having dinner with two Russian gentlemen tomorrow night. However, I have never met or spoken to either one of them. They are two of my mom's former students (she teaches at Trent University). I guess they really enjoyed her course and have been keeping in touch with her since it ended. So, she invited them over for dinner tomorrow. Apparently one of them is really into global issues like global warming, etc. and has started a student organization about it. It should be an interesting evening anyway. And, I think listening to guys with accents is always good. Especially if they are cute! I am looking forward to it! Break out the vodka!!! Oh, well, better not get too carried away because after all, my parents will be there too. And this other girl who is going on a mission trip to Russia in a few weeks. She wanted to learn a little about Russia from people who are from there. I hope it goes well! I am really looking forward to meeting them.

I just got back from a screamo/death metal concert!

Yes, that's right, I attended a screamo/death metal concert this evening. The main band playing was Forty Day Frenzy and the first opening band was Moments Fail and the second opening band was The Kidney Stones. It was realllllly good. But, of course I'm biased since I am related to one of the band members and two of the members of the second opening band. My brother, Thomas, is the bass player for Forty Day Frenzy and he also played bass for The Kidney Stones (their main bass player couldn't make it tonight). My other brother, Alex, is the lead singer/guitarist for The Kidney Stones. It was one of those concerts where you can't understand what they're screaming, but it was really well done. I was afraid that they may not get a good turnout (because the weather wasn't the greatest), but there were probably about a hundred people there. Not bad for their debut concert! I bought my ticket at least a month ago. I even bought a poster at he concert and the band members signed it. It may be worth big bucks someday!

Anyways, I had an awesome time. Who knew my brothers were so talented?!?! Why did they get all the music talent genes? Why didn't I get any of those?

Mortgage Talk...

I just got back from the bank. I wanted to meet with the mortgage specialist to see how much of a mortgage I would qualify for. It all started with me thinking about what I am going to do with Zeke (my car) when his lease is up in May. Since I would like to buy a house in about a year or so, I wanted to find out how much of a mortgage I would qualify for with 2 different scenarios: buying Zeke in may or getting a new car. Well, as I imagined, I qualify for a higher morgage if I buy Zeke and have him completely paid for when I buy a house. So, that makes my decision a whole lot easier. I will buy Zeke in May and have him completely paid off (I'm hoping it will only take me a year to pay him off), then I will buy a house. Exciting stuff! Of course it would be a lot easier if I were married and had two incomes to go towards a mortgage, but I think I should be able to get something quite nice on my own.

The plan is to buy a starter home that is either a duplex or can be made into one (because my Dad is a carpenter, he can do that for me). Then, I can rent out half my house, and have the rental income pay the mortgage! That's my plan anyways!

I got a raise, baby!

Woohoo! As of midnight tonight, my raise willbe official (that's when my paycheck is deposited into my account). I'm not sure how much it will be for, but I will find out tomorrow. I have a number in my head that I am hoping for, so I would be totally psyched if my raise pushes me to that level. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Two girls at work that are around my age (one is 22 and the other is 26) have asked me if I would be interested in taking a TaeKwonDo class with them. I am seriously considering it. I think it would be fun. I have always wanted to try a martial art and I think it would be even more fun if I had two people that I know in the class. And it would give me the opportunity to get to know them better. Since I don't really have many friends in town, it's about time I made some!

Today, it was on of my co-worker's birthday. One of the girls at work came in early and covered every square inch of his desk, computer, wall, shelf, etc. with post-it notes! It was funny! Then, he took most of them down and when he was out for lunch, she put them all back again. The only problem is that her birthday is next month, so I can't wait to see what kind of revenge he will get with her office.

Other than that, not too much new here. Just working hard, still loving my job. I can't believe I've been there for 8 months already. It's gone by so fast! I really enjoy it there. But, I could talk about how much I love my job all day. I'm sure that would just bore you though, so I won't.

I'm off to Newfoundland! Woohoo!

My mom is going to a conference for one week at the end of May in St. John's, Newfoundland. My dad and I are going to go with her since we will have a free hotel room (her employer is paying for that). All I have to pay for is my flight, meals, and sightseeing/souveniers. And, JetsGo has a seat sale on, so I was able to get my return trip flight for a total cost of $280. Not too shabby! I'm quite pleased! I thought it might be hard to get the time off, but my boss was in a super great mood today. I was able to get the time off with no problem. Sweet! I am totally excited now! I just booked my plane tickets, so it's official now. I'm off to St. John's at the end of May. I had no idea just how far it actually is; Halifax is only two thirds of the way there! I have been to the east coast before (New Brunswick), but that was 9 years ago. So, it's about time I go again! And, I've never been to Newfoundland.

As soon as we get there, mom has two days free (this is because the cheap flights were only on certain days). So, we are going to head up to Terra Nova National Park for the first 2 days. Then, it's back to St. John's because that's where my mom's conference is. So, for the next three days, mom will be off doing her conference stuff and Dad and I will be in some pub drinking or off on some boat doing some whale watching or whatever. I think I will have to try lobster as well. I've never had it. Anyways, I'm sure I will have a great time. I'm excited :)

In other news, I got my Oakleys back. They have new frames and look very nice. I wish I had sent them in earlier to be fixed. Whole new frames for $29 and I got them back less than a week after I sent them. I am impressed! Finally, a company that is competent! Yay!

Off to visit lj!

woohoo! I'm excited about going to lj's place for a visit. I think that the exaggerator and mm are coming too, so it should be awesome!

Hey, I have some good news. About a year ago, the frames for my Oakley sunglasses broke. After a year of the broken glasses sitting in my desk, I dug them out, dusted them off and phoned Oakley to see if they could repair them. Turns out I can get new frames for only $29! Score! I am going to send them off tomorrow and hopefully soon I will get them back - in one piece instead of two!

Other than that, nothing new to report at this time.

Still just hanging out.

I am on my holidays still. I had to work between Christmas and New Years, so I took a few vacation days now so that I would get a bit of a break. I go back to work on Thursday. I haven't really been doing too much. Just cleaning up, excercising etc.

My mom started The South Beach Diet and I decided to start as well. I figured I needed to try something else because I have been keeping track of my weight watchers points for about 6 months and haven't lost a ounce. So, it was time to try something new. I have only been on the South Beach Diet for 4 days and I have lost 2.5 pounds. Only 12.5 more to go! I am one of the most skeptical people in the world when it comes to diets, so I really did my research before I started this one. It is really healthy and it's working so far. It works in three phases. I am in Phase 1 right now and it is the hardest one, thank goodness it only lasts 2 weeks! You basically cut out all carbs and sugars for the first two weeks and then slowly introduce them back into your diet (but only the good, healthy carbs). The trick with the first phase is it gets rid of your hunger and cravings. It is amazing! I usually have a massive appetite, but I have been eating a lot less by just eating the right things. The whole basis for the SB Diet is to eat foods that have a low Glycemic Index, thereby keeping your blood sugar level low and reducing cravings. Anyways, that's enough about that. I will have to keep you posted on whether it works or not because, who knows, it may not work out. But, so far so good. And the best part is: you don't have to keep track of what you eat! That's one of the things I didn't like about Weight Watchers. Who has time for that? And the SB Diet is completey free, which is another big bonus!

As for my New Year's resolutions, I have been pretty good at keeping my resolutions the last few years, so I hope I will do alright keeping up with mine this year.

1) Lose 15 pounds (hence the South Beach Diet)
2) Keep up with exercising (I have been going to the gym on average 3-4 times a week, so I just need to keep that up).
3) Keep up with my daily devotions. (In 2004, I read the entire Bible, it was hard, but I did it! So, this year, to keep it a bit lighter, I borrowed a daily devotional book from my mom so I could get deeper into the Word and try to learn more. That is one part of my life I have kind of let slide in the last few years. I want to get back into it because at the end of the day, it's all that matters.)

Well, I'm off to get a haircut and high-lites. I hope it looks good! I'm sure it will, I totally trust my hairdresser.

Time for a Future Shop Rant!

Well, those of you who know me well, will know that I have this never-ending hatred for Future Shop. It started when I bought a computer there about 2 years ago and since then, I have received some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Future Shop really opened my eyes at how many incompetent people there are living and working among us. I can't tell you how many times my blood has boiled, I've cried uncontrollably, and wanted to cause serious damage or bodily harm to an employee, all because of Future Shop. I'm not going to get into the details (it would take me all night to type), but needless to say, my hatred for Future Shop is certainly warranted.

So, after 2 full years of screaming, crying, and plotting murdur, I decided that I would cancel my Future Shop credit card. I only got it to purchase my computer 2 years ago and haven't used it since. So, I went into the store today after work. I figured I would need to go to the customer service counter to cancel my account, but I saw the incredibly long line and decided I'd better make sure before I line up. So, I found a sales representative and asked if I could cancel my account at the customer service desk, to which he replied "yes". So, I got in line behind what seemed like an endless line of people. There was an extra long line because everyone was returning Christmas gifts. After what seemed like ages, it was my turn. I walked up there are said "I would like to cancel my Future Shop credit card". To which she replied "You can't do that in-store, you have to call the customer service phone number". I said "You mean I waited in line for nothing?!?!" Idiots! Incomptence I scream! If the sales representative that I asked told me that I couldn't do that over the phone, I never would have wasted all my time in line!

So, I called the phone number and told the customer service representative "I would like to cancel my account". And she asked why. Here was my opportunity! I said "Due to the incredibly poor customer service I have encountered in the last 2 years, I will not be making any more purchases at Future Shop, so there is no reason for me to have a credit card!" All she could say was "I'm sorry to hear that, if you ever want to reinstate your account, just phone us back, there is no need to re-apply". Ya right, as if I'm going to reinstate my account! If she only knew the crap I have put up with! There have been several occasions where I have considered writing a letter to the CEO of the company or picketing on the headquarters' lawn. But, I haven't had time to do that yet. But, I think it will only take one more incident and I will lose it. I seriously want my money back for my computer.

So, moral of the story is: DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM FUTURE SHOP (that requires service)!!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope you all have a great Christmas! I'm glad we have a lot of snow, Christmas just isn't the same without it.

Mamma Mia was awesome! I highly recommend that show! My mom said it was the best show she had ever seen, and she has seen a lot of them (including Phantom of the Opera in London, England). So, you should go if you can! You won't be disappointed!

I had a staff potluck/party yesterday afternoon and afterwards bunch of the "younger crowd" was going out to a local bar. So, I came home, had supper, watched a movie, and then headed downtown for a night on the town with a bunch of my co-workers. It was so much fun! I had an absolute blast. I'm really glad I went because I got to hang out with a bunch of people from work that are in my age range. One of the girls that is technically in my department, but she works in the main office, was totally coming onto my boss. There were 5 of us that ended up at this one guy's house (because we got kicked out of a bar and nowhere else would let us in), and when I left to go home, it was just my boss and this girl left (the host had gone to bed). My boss was staying over since he lives about an hour and a half away. So, I am really curious to find out whether this girl stayed over with my boss or went home. I will have to ask my boss at work on Tuesday. Interesting stuff.

Mamma Mia!

Tomorrow I am going to see Mamma Mia with who else? My mamma. Fitting, I think. I was able to score 40% off tickets, so I thought it would be a nice Christmas present for my mom. She loves Abba and I have heard nothing but the best from people who have seen it. We have awesome seats: first row of the first balcony. Should be awesome!

Well, I just got back from Christmas shopping. It wasn't as crazy busy as I had anticipated. I am all done my shopping now. I have even wrapped all the presents as well. It feels good to be all done....and a week before Christmas. Pat on the back for that one.

Tonight my brothers homeschooling group (yes, my brothers were home schooled, I was not) is putting on a production of Macbeth. They have been studying it since September and it's finally time to see what they have learned. That should be good. I am looking forward to it.

Only 3.5 days of work left before Christmas! My last day before Christmas is Thursday, and we're having a potluck lunch and gift exchange all afternoon. So, I will get paid to eat and drink and get a present. Sweet!

What a weekend!

My weekend was very busy as I'm sure a lot of your's were too. That's just the time of year that it is...busy. I went to see the SpongeBob movie on Saturday. It was pretty good! I was impressed. I wasn't laughing by butt off, but it did make me giggle a bit. And I've been singing one of the songs non-stop since Saturday.

The work Christmas party on Saturday was pretty good. I got a ride by a girl at work and since it was snowing, I waited at the bottom of my driveway so she wouldn't have to try to come up my driveway (an almost impossible task without 4-wheel drive). Anyways, while I was waiting at the street, I was holding my tray of food for the potluck and my bottle of booze and about 3 or 4 people hinked at me on their way by! I'm not sure if it was because they knew me, thought I was stupid for standing by the road because I could have gotten hit by sliding cars, wanted my food and/or booze, or if they thought I was hot. I'll go with the last one :)

At the party, I did drink quite a bit, but all turned out well. First I drank a bottle of wine, but I wasn't feeling a thing. Then somebody broke out the shots and it just went downhill from there. A bunch of people left the party and that's when it started to get really fun. Just the serious party animals left. Lots of funny stories and LOTS of drinking. My boss was completely hammered and totally doing funny things, so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal if I kept drinking since he was more drunk than I was. And I made sure it stayed that way. As long as I was less drunk than him, I figured all would be okay. At about midnight, someone suggested going into town and heading up a local bar (we were about a half hour outside of town). That suited me just fine since my ride home had already left the party and the bar we were going to was just a few blocks from my house. So, I decided to go along too. It was my boss (I'll call him T), his "friend" (they are apparently not dating, but still hang out and whatnot, I'm thinking she's a friend with benefits type of deal), and another guy at work (I'll call him J) and his girlfriend. At first I thought it might be awkward with 2 pairs and me, but it was a lot of fun. As soon as we got there, T asked me what I wanted to drink and I said he didn't have to buy me anything. He insisted so I ordered a drink and between him and J that I work with, they kept the drinks coming! I think I had 5 drinks in about an hour and a half! That's on top of the bottle of wine and shots and 2 other drinks I had at the party earlier. So, I was drunk. But, the good news is I didn't make a fool of myself (not any more than anyone else anyways). I did say some funny and crazy things, but so did everyone else, so it's all good.

J was trying to set me up with every guy in the bar. There was slim pickings! He said that he could be my wingman. I said I didn't need a wingman, I do just fine with the men by myself! We did some dancing and just had an awesome time. T's "friend", who was a DD, offered to drive me home so I wouldn't have to walk. We were behind a cop car and I said "woohoo! Guys in uniform! Got your handcuffs, Mr. Policeman?" T thought that was pretty funny. I have a feeling he doesn't think I'm the "shy girl" anymore. That's okay. So, in conclusion, to "sum up", I did get drunk, but I did not make a fool of myself. I always kept in the back of my mind that I would be seeing these people again and I didn't want work to be awkward. So, at least I kept my judgement.

Yesterday, I went to Costco and I am almost finished my Christmas shopping! Yay! I just have a few more little things to get and I'll be all done.

Time to party!

Yes, that's right, it's time to party. Tomorrow evening, I am going to the Christmas party for my department. It should be a good time; I really love the people I work with, so that makes it way better. I really hope I don't get totally smashed and make a fool of myself in front of my collegues. Been there, done that! I remember 2 years ago, when I had a co-op placement in the fall, we had a Christmas party and I got totally hammered and came onto any guy that showed even the slightest bit of interest (and probably some that didn't show any at all). It was one of those nights where I woke up the next morning still at the party wondering where on earth I was and still feeling drunk. So, I'm sure everyone thought I was a crazy drunken nutcase. But the good news was that my co-op term was over and I never saw most of them ever again. So, it was okay. For tomorrow's party, I better not do that because I know I have to see these people again and this is a job I intend to keep for awhile. So, I have to have a happy medium. I definately want to drink (I am hitching a ride with someone else, so I don't have to drive). I want to have a nice buz going so I can relax and make conversation without feeling all awkward, but I don't want to do or say anything that I will regret on Monday. It's a very fine line. Hmm, "when in doubt, drink more" may not work here. But, at least all the guys there will either be people I work with or spouses of people I work with so at least there won't be anybody there for me to flirt with. Let's hope I don't flirt with anyone there. Hence, the "don't drink too much" will hopefully stay in my mind. But, after a few drinks, that seems to go out the window, so what's the point.

Also tomorrow I am going to see the SpongeBob SquarePants movie with my 6-year old cousin! Yay! I am soooo excited! WOOHOO!

Another Monday

I had an okay weekend. I was feeling better on Saturday, so I decided to brave the crowds and head into the stores to do some shopping. I ended up buying mostly items for myself! But, it was warrented because my Oma said she would buy me winter boots for my birthday (since I don't have any) and so I went in search of boots as well as some gifts for others. I ended up scoring on an awesome deal at The Next Step. It was buy one pair of shoes, get a second for half price. So, I got a pair of shoes for work and a pair on winter boots! I also bought myself a pair of pants at Ricki's since they sent me a $10 gift certificate for my birthday. How nice of them. I did but some presents for other people as well, but I wasn't able to find a few of the things I was looking for. Oh well, there's still some time, no need to go into panic mode yet.

I have a feeling that maybe I pushed it too much with the shopping marathon on Saturday because when I woke up yesterday, my sore throat was back. It was not as intense as before, but I spent the day in bed. I couldn't go to church which really sucks because my friend Leigh was being baptized...in a lake! In december! Is he crazy? Yes! When I was baptized, it was May and I still was baptized in the baptizmal tank like a normal human being.

In other news, I found out that I won't be getting the time between Christmas and New Year's off. Boohoo. I guess since our clients are municipalities and they will be open, we need to have some people in our group at work in case something comes up and our clients need to get ahold of us. Which makes sense. I was just hoping that I could be one of the ones that doesn't have to be at work. But, no dice. I half expected that I would need to work then because pretty much everyone wanted the time off and I am one of the new kids on the block, so I didn't get my vacation preference. But, on a good note, I will be taking January 3rd to 5th off instead. So, I have to work until the 23rd, then I get the 24th to the 27th off, I have to work from the 28th to the 30th, and then I have from the 31st until January 5th off, inclusive. So, it's not so bad. At least those three days I have to work between Christmas and New Year's will be pretty quiet and I *should* be able to get a lot of work done.

Wow, I'm not the only one!

I just read the exaggerator's and lj's blogs, and it seems that I am not the only one who has been sick in the last couple of days. On monday, I woke up with a killer sore throat. I still went to work, but was only about half as productive as I normally am. I called in sick yesterday and today in hopes that I could fight it off quickly. I think I am on the mend and will be able to make it to work tomorrow. At least I better because I feel really badly calling in sick, especially since my boss just gave us a pep-talk on friday about how we need to have a killer december in order to meet our targets for the year. Oh well, I can't help it when I'm sick. And this was my first time missing work for sickness since I started 6.5 months ago.

Nothing too much happening here since I've pretty much spent the last 2 days in bed. At least I am well-rested!

And, now that it is december, it is officially the Christmas season!!! Up until December 1st, I find it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Probably because my birthday is at the end of november. And a lot of people seem to celebrate Christmas for a few months! I find it hard to keep up the excitment if the celebration is that long. I mean, I have nothing against Christmas. I love the holiday in fact. I love the celebration of the birth of our Saviour. I just think it loses some of the specialness if it is celebrated for more than a month. But, that's just me. I also think a lot of the true meaning of Christmas gets lost in all the hustle and bustle. I bet a lot of people are so caught up in the "commercializing" of the season, and the true meaning of the holiday slips away. Which is really sad to me. So please, if you're reading this, take a moment to remember why we celebrate Christmas and what it truly means. It's not about the presents, Santa, or the family gatherings (although that stuff is a nice bonus!). It's the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus who came to save the world from punishment for sin. So, think about that. Thanks! Just by doing that, you've made Christmas a little better. Okay, enough of my Christian rant ;)

It's my birthday!

I am another year older today. I guess it doesn't really feel that different since I am only really another day older than yesterday. My birthday celebration is stretched out over 4 days, which is awesome. On friday, I celebrated my birthday and lj's birthday with the exaggerator and mm. It was a really fun time! Then, yesterday, my entire family went out to Red Lobster. I can't even remember the last time my whole family went out for a meal at a restaurant together. I think it has been years! So, that was nice. Then today, I am having a turkey dinner here at home for lunch. Yummmm. Then tonight after church, I am going to see if maybe my borther and I can convice this guy at our church to go out for drinks. He is a common friend of both Al and I and he just recently got dumped by his girlfriend, so I thought maybe he could use a couuple of friends. So, I guess that outing would have 2 purposes: to cheer up Jer and celebrate my birthday. And then tomorrow, I will be celebrating at work. So, all in all, there a whole lot of celebrating going on!

Snow!!

Yes, we also had snow here in the 'borough. It has since rained like mad, so all the nice snow is gone. Boohoo.

My week has gone well so far. I asked for the days between Christmas and New Years off, but I haven't heard back yet if that is approved. I hope so!

I'm taking my mom to see Mamma Mia for Christmas. Shoppers Drug Mart had this coupon in the free magazine they send me to get 40% off ticket sales if you go to see Mamma Mia before Christmas. So, mom and I are going on the 19th. The tickets were regularly $94 each, I got them for $57!!! And we have killer seats! Sweeeeeet.

I'm taking my cousin Kenny (he's almost 6) to see the SpongeBob movie for his birthday in a couple of weeks! Yay! I thought I would feel like a friutcake going to see it by myself, so I thought who better to take than my cousin? I'm also going to Burger King tomorrow to get one of the SpongeBob watches because when I went on Sunday to get one, they were all sold out.

Well, that's about it for now, my week has been pretty boring, but it will be very fun on Friday when I head on up to see lj and the exaggerator. I'm excited ;)

Attack of the (killer) Marching Band!

I had a great time in Toronto. I ended up leaving work a little early on friday because the server was down, so my boss came around and sent everyone home at 4:30. I said "sweet" and I was out of there as fast as I could shut my computer down. I sailed all the way to the hotel in Toronto, with a little traffic when I juts got onto the DVP, but I still made it to the hotel by shortly after 6. Mom and I went for dinner and then spent the night in the hotel.

On saturday, my mom went off to her conference and I headed down to the Eaton's Centre. There was this marching band there playing Christmas carols and there was a bunch of mascots following them. Since I don't like mascots and I wanted to get away from all the Christmas music (I am only all bah-humbug until December 1st, I don't really know why, it's just the way I am), I walked very quickly to the nearest escalator to try my best to get away. But the Marching Band followed me!!! I ended up seeing them about 4 times throughout my travels through the mall. So, despite my bets efforts, I could not get away. So, after about the 4th time, I decided to just stand and watch and let them go by and then I went in the opposite direction. I even managed a little "Hello" to Santa, aren't you all proud of me?

Anyways, I spent about 4 hours in the Eaton's Centre. I think I walked the whole place about 3 times. I did go into the H&M store (thanks Kbum). There was a lot of nice stuff in there!!! It was a zoo, so I didn't try anything on, but I did buy a scarf there. I also bought a few things at Old Navy. I managed to get lost in the Bay, but found my way out...eventually.

I met my mom at the hotel at 3 and then we went for a walk through the ritzy Bloor-Yorkville area. I had to go into the Tiffany's jewelry store because I didn't even know they existed in Canada. You know the stuff is pricey when there are no price tags on anything. I was surprised at how small it was, not much selection. We went into many of the expensive designer shops, the Gucci store was another one with no pricetags on anything. Needless to say, we didn't buy anything. We went for dinner at a little Italian restaurant where the tinniest appetizer salad (we're talking like 3 leaves) was $8. The food was really good though. All in all, it was a nice little get away. I didn't get any Christmas shopping done, but I really won't start that for another 2 weeks or so. I mean, it is still like 34 days until Christmas.....tonnes of time.

Off to the T-dot tomorrow...

Yesterday, one of my coworkers sent out an email asking if anybody wanted to be in the amazing race pool. I was one of the people who decided to partake in this and the way they did it made me a little mad. First of all, we picked the teams about two hours after the initial email. Nowhere in the initial email did it say anything about a response deadline. So, there were only 4 of us in the pool. I think they should have waited and got 10 people in. Then the pot would have been $50, instead of $20. Anyways, the way we picked the teams was we each picked a number out of a hat and I got 3 of 4. Then we each picked our first pick in the order of the numbers. So, by the time it was my turn to pick, the two teams that I really liked were gone. After the first round, we each picked again and then the last 2 teams each had 2 people on them so we would split the pot if they won. So, my three picks are: 1) Freddy and Kendra, 2) Jonathan and Victoria, and 3) Gus and Hera. That sucks!!! Oh well, what can you do...

On a better note, I am going to the T-dot to spend some serious cash tomorrow. My mom is at a conference until Saturday and I'm going to go up tomorrow after work and then shop on Saturday while she's at the conference. The hotel is right near the St. George subway station. Does anyone have any suggestions on good places to shop that are either close to there or close to a subway stop? I guess the Eatons Centre would always be a good choice, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any cool places. I'm not really shopping for anything in particular, just looking around. I'm excited ;)

Another day, another ten cents...

Well, just another day in the office. My workload has increased greatly since the return of my boss. I like being busy because it makes the day go by more quickly. Tomorrow I have 2 meetings. One is my final PDA meeting (Performace Development Appraisal, not Public Display of Affection). I think it will go well. In the initial PDA meeting, I asked for a raise and my boss said that he thought it was great that I did that because a lot of people don't have the guts to ask. I just don't get that, I mean, you won't get a raise if you don't ask! Anyways, they do the wage adjustments in December, so I should find out soon how much of a raise I will be getting (if any). Judging from the way my boss was talking, it sounds like a raise will be coming my way. Sweet! I sure can use it cuz I think they don't pay me nearly enough. One of the downfalls of working in Peterborough.

My second meeting is regarding my pension plan. I will start paying into my pension at the end of this month. The company seems to have a kickass pension plan. They automatically contribute 6% of your earnings. If you contribute 2% which is deducted from your pay (and is totally voluntary), then the company will contribute an additional 2%, for a total of 10% (only 2% of which I pay for). That's awesome! I feel old thinking about a pension already though. But, I guess the earlier you start, the better. The magic of compounding...

Yay! Amazing Race starts again! I think that if I had my pick of reality shows to be on myself, that would be the one. I think I would be good at it too, because I pay attention to details and I am good with directions. Plus, I'd get to travel all over the world! I guess they dont' really have time for sight-seeing though. I think it would still be a lot of fun.