Gingerbread Latte: The E! True Hollywood Story

It's Almost The End of Summer

2010-08-16T08:56:00.002-06:00

...but the Fresh Air Fund could still use a little help. As you know, there's no season for giving, and there will always be a need for your support.

As the summer wraps up, they are still in need of host families in the following areas to host THIS summer: Red Hook, Columbia County, Saugerties, Delmar, Guilderland & Altamont, Latham and Rensselaer, NY. If you or someone you know is able to host, please sign up now.

I'm sure you're aware by now that the Fresh Air Fund relies on donations to provide these valuable summer experiences to kids from some of New York's toughest areas. Last summer's Fresh Air Fund's Volunteer Host Family program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes up to two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.

How it's done

You can give a child the experience of a
lifetime with your gift to The Fresh Air Fund!

Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities.

Whether it's a two-week trip to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities.

We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.

Donate online now.

[Fresh Air Fund]

Honourable Mentions

2009-12-29T00:46:00.003-07:00

I suppose the only thing more gratifying than being recognized for a job well done within the company (something I'm pleased to have been on the receiving end of for the better part of the bottom half of the year) is having someone from your industry, but outside of your peer group, praise your work.

...And attempt to recruit you.

I'm very happy where I am right now, but it never hurts to have the coolest boy in school pay you a compliment - even if you are head over heels in love with someone else, you know?

Tis The Season To Give Back to the Community

2009-12-21T09:21:00.003-07:00

As always, The Fresh Air Fund continues to do good work for for inner city children. We're in the midst of the holiday season, with Hanukkah having just wrapped up, Kwanzaa well on its way, and Christmas just around the corner, surely you're struggling to get your gifts in order.

Donating in someone else's name is a great gift for that person whose got everything, and I think we've all got at least one of those on our lists.

No amount is too small, here are a few things your donation can accomplish:

Just $10 will send one child on a bus ride to his or her Friendly Town host family.

$24 provides a child with a week of swimming lessons.

$42 provides a day of Career Awareness classes.

A gift of $50 can fund a camp counselor for a day.

If you can give as much as $91, you provide a child at camp with meals for a week.

Every donation counts.

If you're looking to get involved in another way, maybe fundraising is your strong suit, or you just love a good marathon, Fresh Air Fund is a charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, and over the past three years over 200 Fund-Racers have raised more than $300,000!

Participate in this year's NYC Half-Marathon on March 21, 2010! If you'd like to get involved with the race in any way, please email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org. And if you'd like to run in it, there's limited availability for this amazing race; please register here.

Thank you!

The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for your support

2009-06-25T10:21:00.002-06:00

...and it couldn't be easier, or more beneficial.

Right now any gift you make to The Fresh Air Fund will be matched dollar for dollar by a group of generous donors! If you can give $25 that means $50 for inner-city children. $50 becomes $100!

The only catch is that you have to make your donation by June 30th to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!

Donate now!

Do You Live in a Friendly Town? The Fresh Air Fund is looking for host families in your area

2009-04-27T10:34:00.004-06:00

Earlier, I posted about the Fresh Air Fund, and all the good work they do that essentially allows kids to be just that, even if it is only for a couple weeks in the summer. If that post piqued your interest, you're probably also wondering how you can help out, even if it's in a small way. The Fresh Air Fund is a not-for-profit organization based in New York that provides such experiences to nearly 10, 000 New York City children that hail from low-income communities. They also host kids on a 2,300 acre site in Fishkill, New York at Fresh Air Camp.

The Fresh Air Fund is in need of host families. Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and home to a child from the city to give them a fresh air experience.

Some quick facts:

In 2008, The Fresh Air Fund's Volunteer Host Family Program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes for two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.

The Fresh Air Fund needs hosts for the Summer of 2009

The Fresh Air Fund relies on donations to raise the funds needed to give these children the experiences they deserve.

As always, even if you can't be a host family there are still other way to get involved: donating and volunteering are both just as important and an excellent way to show you support to the cause.

Just think about how good you'll feel doing something for someone else, especially if that someone isn't expecting a thing from you.

If you live in one of the 13 Northeastern states on the map below, or in Southern Ontario, I urge you to consider hosting a child this summer.

Click on the map to inquire about hosting

Personally, I'm going to see if my parents can donate some time to the cause, we've got a cottage that barely gets any use now that my four stepsisters and I are all grown up. You should do the same. Talk to friends, and relatives and see what kind of initiative you guys can put together.

Do Something Good: The Fresh Air Fund

2009-02-18T10:14:00.001-07:00

The Fresh Air Fund is now accepting applications for counselors for this coming summer of '09. We hire staff members with a wide range in some pretty amazing fields. We are looking for college-aged men and women who love to work with children. I put together this social media news release which explains it all:

http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

Do you remember your favourite summer vacations, I certainly do.

Summer has always been my favourite season. I love skiing, and snowboarding, but even they can be accomplished in the summer with a quick trip to the Southern Hemisphere. I love how the sun doesn't set until well after 9 pm and it starts getting light out at 4 am. I love that I could spend hours outdoors, even with my allergies at their worst.

I think I love the summer so much because I got two-three months off as a kid and that every spare second was filled with so many different varieties of camp - horseback riding, sailing, French, day and basketball camps were a yearly ritual that I looked forward to with a surprising amount of fervour for the better part of 8 years.

The weekends were spent at the cottage either our or a friend's, and weeknights were frequently reserved for soccer practices and games.

I definitely didn't realize how fortunate I was at the time, I just assumed that was how everyone spent their summers; the majority of my friends attended day and basketball camps with me.

I experienced so many firsts at camp:

I scored my first 3-point shot in a basketball game in the summer of Grade 7
I secured my first volunteer position at the camp in the summer of Grade 9
I went fishing for the first and only time at day camp. Never mind that the experience traumatized me so much that I couldn't eat fish for the better part of ten years unless it came from a can and there wasn't any evidence of scales in sight
I learned how to maintain a sailboat and properly hoist sails as well as proficiently paddle a canoe
I made some of the best friends of my life

I'm one of those people that honestly believes that the youth today has it just as tough as we once had it, maybe we've forgotten how difficult it was to be a kid or a teen but they go through the exact same stresses that we do as adults.

There are two things that I believe: that everyone who wants to go to pursue higher education should be able to, and that the lack of funds should never be reason for someone to miss out on anything that has the potential to make them a better person.

If you've got the time (and I assure you, you do), check out the The Fresh Air Fund website and figure out how to donate, volunteer, and host a child for the summer.

This is your call to action - don't be left out.

History

2008-11-04T23:43:00.001-07:00

On that note...

2008-10-31T20:42:00.003-06:00

I think the time has come for me to call it quits (at least on this blog front). It has definitely been a good run, 2-3 years with various ups and downs, but nary a dull day.

I've kind of seen this coming for a while but it's gotten to the point where I dread having to come up with insipid blog posts on a daily basis. I may continue to post here or there but there will definitely not be any daily blogging from this day on.

If you really feel the need to contact me, my contact info can be found on my blogger profile page.

I do have another blog project in the works but it's nothing terribly exciting, mostly my thoughts on music, fashion and art - totally random but it's what I feel like focusing on right now, so yeah.

It's been a trip.

A Few Things

2008-10-29T08:27:00.002-06:00

must remember that the front door to my condo is broken, before I'm running late and slam face-first into it, for the third time this week
down at least two cups of coffee to be functional
watch the newest episode of 90210, it's only eh so far
allergy pills + vitamins, or else I'll be a wreck today
I need to go to the gym, like whoa, tonight. Must.
I have a major backlog of reading material waiting for me. I should start that sooner than later.

Oh breakfast sausage, it has been too long.

2008-10-28T09:52:00.000-06:00

Monday

2008-10-27T23:09:00.001-06:00

I listened to the Lady GaGa cd on repeat today. We must have listened to it at least 6 times in the last three hourse of work alone - it's that good. I'm seriously considering breaking my 'no getting drunk mid-week'-rule for her set at Empire on the 18th. I don't care if I have to go alone (though I doubt I'll have trouble finding people who want to go with me) but I'm going.

Sad news, just got my credit card bill in the mail and it was (drumroll please): $4700!

Gah.

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Dunzo

2008-10-24T07:47:00.001-06:00

So I'm pretty sure my iPod has seen it's last days - it lead a purposeful and adventurous life. It's almost two years old and I have no idea what brought this on but it won't even turn on anymore. I got that white corruption screen at work yesterday and it hasn't turned on since.

It keeps trying to turn on/charge, but I just hear clicking from the HD and a darkened screen. Just sucks though because I hate the new iPods (I don't like how sticky the scroll wheel is), but I like the minis. I don't need a mini though since I have my 8GB Zune and a 16GB iPhone. I want something big enough to hold my entire collection for work.

I don't even know if it's worth taking it into the Genius Bar at WEM.

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I tried posting this yesterday, but my phone wasn't having any of it.

2008-10-23T07:46:00.001-06:00

My bus driver on the number 4 bus Capilano last night was, get this, texting while he drove the bus.

Uh, what? Is that even allowed?! It's one thing to text while you're driving, something I really don't think it's terribly prudent to do, even though I know most of you probably do it anyways because you're gangstas like that, but a busdriver?

Not cool man.

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Maybe it's because it's early, or maybe it's because I'm retarded

2008-10-21T07:45:00.001-06:00

But I always get teh Safari and Quicktime logos confused and usually end up clicking on the wrong one when trying to launch the other.

It's probably more of a testament to how infrequently I use Safari (Flock is my default browser) but my alternate email address is always logged in under Safari and every once and a while I need to retrieve a message from the inbox and opposed to searching for it on my phone (which is far more effort than I'm willing to put in this early in the AM).

Safari and Quicktime are right next to each other on my dock, FYI and I have a customized Safari icon if that makes it any better.

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Famous Last Words

2008-10-19T12:40:00.001-06:00

Uttered Last Night:

"I can't even remember the last time I puked [from drinking]"

A mere 7 hours later and my body was wrapped around the toilet bowl in my bathroom (this is one of those times that I'm excited that my roommate and I do not share a bathroom).

I can drink beer forever (well, at least 2 pitchers and 5+ cans), but throw in a half-bottle of red wine (guzzled straight from the bottle since I couldn't find a wine glass) and I'm toast.

But I never learn and I'm always all about the red when I'm drinking because I seem to forget how it always ends.

I had to leave the bar early because I felt positively ill. I handed the cabbie my credit card, but I accidentally gave him my VISA instead of my MasterCard and it got declined because I had just paid it off that morning. I had cash and other options in my outstreched hands. I went to pay him and he waved me off.

I think I forgot to thank him, but I probably would have thrown up in the cab if I'd opened my mouth so the slight was probably for the best.

I've never been someone who has ever been able to sleep in unless I'm dying or I went to bed at 8 am but I managed to sleep until well past noon almost uninterrupted.

Now I want Wendy's, which requires putting on pants and a bra.

One step at a time.

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So I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection

2008-10-16T21:30:00.001-06:00

or a tumour in my sinus cavity either way the left side of my face is swollen and hurts but I don't think it's that obvious unless you look closely (it just looks like I have really fat cheeks or I'm storing food in them). Unattractive to say the least.

I'm on another no smoking kick, we'll see how long this one lasts. I'm at less than 24 hours.

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It's OK to ask for help, especially if screwing up is on someone else's dime

2008-10-16T08:03:00.003-06:00

Uh yeah, so they forgot to bring me my paycheck yesterday, kind of inconvenient, but it's not like I'm going to get a chance to go to the bank for a while, so it's no big deal in the long run. I've learned to do this little thing called not spending all my money before I get paid again - it's working pretty well, so I'm not totally fucked for money, which is good because I spent $50 on cabs last night to and from dinner (since my drived had no idea where he was going).

The Conversation:

TG: Can you take me to [redacted]
Driver: Do you know where that is?
TG: No, I can find out the exact address if you want
Driver: No it's the one downtown right?
TG: No, it's still kind of in the west end
Driver: Ok

15 minutes later

TG: Did you just drive by it?
Driver: No it's up ahead
TG: I'm pretty sure you just passed it

Two exits later

Driver: Don't worry about the meter
TG: How generous of you.

I'm not a YouTube junkie but this video was both hilarious and enthralling.

2008-10-14T00:33:00.001-06:00

Keeping your fridge stocked will help you get girls.

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My mocassins bring all the boys to the yard

2008-10-13T23:52:00.003-06:00

J.Crew Lizzie Tumbled Leather Flats. I got them in Wild Peony because it was the best of the available colours. I got them on sale, but they were further discounted about a week after I bought them.

Whatever.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.

and I leave you with this thought over the long weekend.

2008-10-10T08:15:00.002-06:00

(via Twitter / Tim Siedell)

Delivery

2008-10-09T12:40:00.001-06:00

Just as I was about to leave my apartment for work this morning the
doorbell rang - it was the ups guy with my shoes and long underwear
from J. Crew. I'm seriously loving the loafers even if I'll only be
able to wear them for a few weeks before the weather prevents me from
doing so ((I hate carrying a spare pair of shoes in my bag)

Sent from my iPhone

I've got that new shoe numbness/burning thing going on. Ask for me later and you shall find me a grave woman.

2008-10-07T12:47:00.000-06:00

That's your husband. Last Word.

2008-10-06T22:59:00.002-06:00

(via Jezebel)

You know what's weird?

2008-10-02T07:56:00.001-06:00

When someone you don't know links to a rather innocuous, and not that funny, post on your blog. I mean, I got 20 hits from it alone in the wee hours of the morning.

Uh, thank you for thinking my anthropology rant was amusing, I guess.

Hope you found what you were looking for.

In other news, my newfound resolve to go to the gym and do yoga, as opposed to sitting on my behind and eating is in full swing. I did one or the other 5 times last week, and I'm on track for the same this week. I'd like to get up to 7, or 6 on the odd week, but I don't have that kind of time right now.

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Running Errands

2008-10-01T11:00:00.001-06:00

Naturally the day I chose to just pop into my bank without showering, washing off my makeup from the night before, or generally making myself presentable I run into people I know. Who are more than likely going to report back to the troops about how haggard I looked.

Awesome.

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September: A Month in Review

2008-09-30T08:08:00.002-06:00

1. Ugh. So. Incredibly. Busy. Kill me now

2. Yeah, I definitely feel more productive but my (budding) social/romantic life and my whole sleep cycle-thing is definitely bearing the brunt of all this stress - not to mention my skin

3. and my skin - what is this? I've never had bad skin before

4. I'm thinking that I've perhaps outgrown [redacted] and that it's time to move on.

5. We'll see how October goes

6. I've never been happier and I can't quite put my finger on why

7. Shopping-wise, September has been a good/bad month for my collection/wallet

8. But I really needed a new bag, snowboard, shoes, etc.

9. October is the month of extreme budget cuts.

10. ...amd a new diet, my stomach is in knots

11. I am continually surprised by how calm and collected I've become - is this the end of my rage blackouts?

12. All this talk of how organized I've been lately implies that I've got every base covered, which is mostly true, but not entirely. I'm working to fix that.

13. Probably the best part of this month was the day that a Bath & Body Works opened by my work - hands down.

I bought a new watch. No special occasion required.

2008-09-27T00:23:00.000-06:00

New blender - it glows

2008-09-25T11:16:00.001-06:00

Recycled Air

2008-09-24T08:17:00.001-06:00

I like the new one almost as much has I like the old one. I think when people trash the new incarnation as being vapid and such, they forget that the first one was just that (and a bit more shocking because it was a totally new concept at the time).

They reuse a lot of old plot lines, and similar story arcs so it's almost like coming home again.

I'm sick of both Entourage and Weeds, their respective seasons a leaving me unsatiated, so this is a breath of fresh (recycled) air.

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I think I'm going to be sick

2008-09-23T23:56:00.001-06:00

and it's not just because I just ate an entire litre of sherbert (though that isn't helping). But my credit limit was just increased by $3000.

How does shit like this even happen, I thought we were in the middle of a credit crunch?

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Listening to Cut Copy at deafening levels

2008-09-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

I could probably go the rest of my life with only these two CDs as
sustenance.

Sent from my iPhone

Long Day?

2008-09-19T20:40:00.001-06:00

You could say that - it would be an understatement, but you could definitely say that.

I am disappointed in new ways every.single.day.

</rant>

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Today

2008-09-18T23:30:00.001-06:00

I stood in the elevator of my building for a good five minutes before figuring out that I should probably press a button if I wanted to go anywhere.

Face/palm.

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Watching HBO's True Blood instead of going to be at a reasonable hour. Any questions?

2008-09-17T01:27:00.001-06:00

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Turns out I still have a little party left in me

2008-09-15T08:03:00.002-06:00

I actually had a really good time last night at the work party last night. I wasn't really planning on drinking, but I got there and we had bottle service, which meant that I was drinking Grey Goose by the carafe (when in Rome...).

It was pretty mellow, I expected there to be a lot of people there from work, because in the past this trade show wrap up was kind of a big deal and was basically mandatory but I guess that wasn't the case this year so I just ended up hanging with my boss, his brother (who's also technically my boss), his borther's new lady (very nice, very much the kind of woman that he gravitates toward), some of her friends and some of the guys from Vancouver.

I lost track of how many drinks I drank, which tends to happen when you don't have to pull out your wallet to get your glass refilled, and also started guzzling champagne like it was going out of style.

I left to go on many walks as I'm wont to do when I'm drinking, and came back in around last call - the guys at the door almost wouldn't let me in again after the last time I left but I dropped a couple of names and glided right back in.

The bar was almost empty, and my boss' brother was dancing up a storm (picture Elaine Benes) - once he was done his thing we all left to get food (seriously the best Mexican food I've had in forever) and went back in to start in on another bottle of Goose. I pocketed a couple of can of Sugar Free Red Bull as my boss and I caught a cab home (he lives a couple of blocks away from me) as he talked my ear about this girl (who was ok, but he could have done better).

When I woke up this morning I ate a slice of banana cream pie that was in the fridge (strange food shows up when my roommate's mother is in town - but I'm not complaining) with my fingers while I waited for the coffee to brew.

Oh, and PS

2008-09-10T23:34:00.001-06:00

Even though I've been really busy with work, boys, and other boring stuff, I've still managed to power my way through a couple of the 'It Girl' books on my commute. High brow or lowest of the low all the way!

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Like Whoa

2008-09-10T22:56:00.001-06:00

Ugh, I'm actually really busy with work (!!! - that means 'like whoa'), and my social life in general (which has picked up as of late, just as I wanted to recede into the background) and I haven't had time to do much writing. I really enjoy writing because it is therapeutic, but when I'm this busy it becomes an obligation and a chore and it suffers. So I'll probably jsut start posting random snippets when the moods strikes instead of focusing on cohesive posts.

Just deal.

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Gah, I don't quite know how to get through to you

2008-09-08T08:40:00.002-06:00

...but I guess you didn't really get my last post, or think that it was directed at you - it was. You can't have it both ways, you can't be completely disinterested in my life, but spend half your waking hours lurking my blog, that's just not how friendship works.

You can't have your cake and eat it too, at least not with me.

This box came in today, I had to laugh at the description.

2008-09-05T10:46:00.000-06:00

I know that you know, I just wish you wouldn't do it

2008-09-04T00:43:00.004-06:00

Your browser kind of gives you away, and I only know of one person that reads/knows of both.

I don't really know how you found my other blog, but I use Google Analytics on both, and I can see that you're lurking on each page, but moreso on the blog that I've hinted at but never told you the addressfor.

You asked me point blank for the address one day and I explained that I didn't feel comfortable giving you the address - partly because I value my privacy (as much someone who puts their life online can) and I know what a big mouth you have, and partly because I actually wanted place that I could vent without constant prying questions from those that I'm closest to about what a certain post meant, and if it was about them.

I'm kind of frustrated that you went behind my back and searched for it (it's not hidden, it's more of an open secret). But, when someone specifically asks you not to do something and you go ahead and do it anyways because you feel like it - it's disrespectful.

This is another tick in the 'why we're not really friends anymore' column for those of you keeping score.

Any Takers?

2008-09-03T10:24:00.001-06:00

I had planned on going to the gym.

It's this new thing I'm doing to balance out my crap lifestyle choices of eating utter garbage, smoking, and generally not caring about all of that, but I slept in like whoa, and woke up around 9am, went back to bed and got up around 10.

I could not sleep yesterday, and though I'm certain I was hallucinating all this, I don't think I actually went to be before 4 am. In fact, I distinctly recall walking into the kitchen and glancing at the stove, only to make out a rather fuzzy 4:20 on the stove's display.

I'm still having trouble sleeping (like that Perishers song) but I've discovered a loophole in my insomnia: I have no problems falling asleep in cars, and other moving vehicles.

So now I just need to find someone to drive me around at night before bed, and then gingerly carry me up the stairs (if you're feeling chivalrous) or just onto the elevator if you're not, or you're out of shape.

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August: A Month in Review

2008-08-31T11:29:00.005-06:00

1. New iPhone, yay! Love, love, love this.

2. My mom is surprised that I managed to email her twice in one day. This is the new me apparently, on top of my game.

3. I can't believe it's (the end of) August already. This is blowing my mind.

4. Quiz: 100 Most common words in the English language - not nearly as easy as it looks. I peaked at 31.

5. I can already tell that my cell phone bill will be an angry looking fat envelope. Save me from myself.

6. Sleepless night are back, who's up for late-night movie marathons? Side note: this is probably the only time you'll catch me actively watching movies, out of sheer boredom, and as a tool for somnolence.

7. I bought a domain - now I just have to see how technologically retarded I am.

8. Setting up a domain is surprisingly simple. Since I'm a huge fan of learning from my mistakes/not asking for help unless I'm drowning - I got it worked out with only a few missteps.

9. I finally got around to seeing Iron Man (meh), The Dark Knight (loved), Skins - a BBC show (loved it as well) and I'm starting in on Mad Men Season 1 this week.

10.Another bonus, the whole sleepless thing lets me power through full seasons of TV on DVD like whoa.

11. The Hills is back and it's boring but I can't just stop watching it. I'm a glutton for punishment.

12. I'm running again, and smoking (don't ask).

13. and I finally bought new shoes. I jsut wanted something simple that I could wear everyday (once I break them in of course, because right now they're killing my feet).

14. Re: #5 my bill was $809.73, but that included the cost of my new hardware (iPhone), and the fact that I went over my data plan for the last billing cycle by a lot. I had already paid for the overages before the physical bill got to my house, so all told I only had to pay ~$400 in new charges, but still.

15. I still need new running shoes, I'm leaning toward Nike Free's or Adidas ZX series shoes (which I already own, and love, but they're getting a little worn)

16. The Difference Between White and Black People: I watched this for about five minutes thinking that it was going to go somewhere - it doesn't, but it's still hilarious.

It's 5 AM

2008-08-31T05:00:00.001-06:00

I chose Red Bull over coke. Either way, I won't be getting a good night's sleep out of this. I feel like I made the wrong choice.

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The nice thing about not being able to sleep is that it frees up a lot of time to do other things

2008-08-27T10:40:00.001-06:00

On one such sleepless occasion, I took it upon myself to buy a domain and set it up for use with my Mobile Me account. I've always had a .Mac account, but I mostly used it for storage, but I figured if I have all that space why not use it to do something creative. It's currently lying dormant right now, but I just bought RapidWeaver 4 (as an alternative to my pre-installed iWeb, which is nice, but a little too basic, and I could tell that I would quickly tire of it) and I'm looking forward to playing around with that.

There's a free demo available on-site for people who are a bit squeamish about parting with $80 without having tested out the usability of the software.

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Up is down, and I'm back on my meds

2008-08-26T00:36:00.003-06:00

My allergies are, that is, and not my blogging. That, my friends, is going to remain sporadic for the foreseeable future. I haven't been sleeping well again lately, and it's gotten really bad - as in, worse than normal. Before, I used to be able to get around 4-5 hours if I tried but now it's down to 2-3. I know my allergy medicine is to blame, I briefly went off it because I couldn't handle not sleeping but that meant that I would get crazy headaches, and not be able to breathe.

It's one or the other, and for now, breathing wins out, so I'm prone to just zone right out, and fall asleep on the bus, almost missing my stop for work, or fall asleep watching a movie on my laptop at 8PM, yet be unable to sleep at night when it really counts.

It's as if night is day, and up is down. It's confusing and it's hard to keep track.

In a Nutshell

2008-08-25T07:51:00.002-06:00

(via DesignFeedr)

A bit of light reading for the weekend...

2008-08-23T00:07:00.000-06:00

Nap Time: Redux

2008-08-21T05:05:00.001-06:00

I have no problem falling asleep at inopportune moments, say, right after eating pizza - for a couple of hours at best. Then I was up feeling refreshed but it's still 5 am and there's nothing for me to do. The gym doesn't open for another 2 hours and I don't really feel like watching Iron Man, Mean Girls or anything else in my movie/TV on DVD queue. What to do, what to do?

I guess I'll catch up on my reading.

See you on the flipside.

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JPG Magazine Submission

2008-08-20T01:08:00.002-06:00

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Watching The Hills

2008-08-19T23:26:00.001-06:00

I have so much tv to catch up on it's not even funny - Weeds, Skins (seasons 1 and 2). I passed out after work so I didn't make it to the gym as planned.

Posted with LifeCast

Coming late to the party: Summer Blockbuster Edition

2008-08-18T11:05:00.002-06:00

So I finally got around to seeing both The Dark Knight (it's this little art house film, very underground, perhaps you've heard of it?) and Iron Man this weekend. I'm not a movie person by any means, but I've always been a big Batman fan from watching Adam West before soccer practice when I was a kid, to the comics when I was a kid with a discretionary spending account.

I loved The Dark Knight, I thought it was really well done though I could see how some people might not like it. One thing: I hated Two Face - he looked like the love child of C3PO and beef jerky.

Wasn't really feeling Iron Man. Could have been because I was crazy tired, but I was bored about 5 minutes in, and I really had to push myself to watch it.

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Hello new bus shelter

2008-08-17T10:30:00.000-06:00

Are You Kidding Me?

2008-08-15T17:03:00.001-06:00

Now is not the time to be grabbing juice. Get back to work! This is going to be a good weekend, I can feel it. Whether that translates into me getting blind drunk, only time will tell.

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Weird

2008-08-14T19:22:00.002-06:00

Blogger changed its Dashboard layout, when did this happen?

Watching Dodgeball

2008-08-14T14:36:00.001-06:00

There's no such thing as too little too late. It is hilarious. Perhaps tomorrow I'll watch Star Wars? Not likely.

Posted with LifeCast

In which I spend the days lounging in my sweatpant capris - unless something better comes up

2008-08-14T11:42:00.001-06:00

and watch Dodgeball and Snatch. I'll probably go to the gym later and charge my phone. Shit, my roster is full.

This is going to be the most unproductive day ever, and I don't even care. Perhaps someone will take pity on me and take me out to lunch (but if you're planning on doing this you should probably ruin the surprise by calling me first so that I can shower).

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Scratches

2008-08-12T11:38:00.001-06:00

I'm not really one for cases, except for my camera, but that's more of a practical thing. I don't really care what happens to my phone as long as the screen stays intact (fingers crossed), and I have yet to drop it myself, well not on the ground at least. During its unboxing it slipped out of my hands like a fish, and fell into my bag, but that's another story entirely.

He wanted to see my phone, and I was feeling generous, so I let him have it. I'm not super anal about people rifling through my phone because there really isn't anything incriminating on it (not yet at least). Less than 20 seconds later it slipped out of his hands, he caught it, with his skateboard ,and now there are two rather prominent scuffs on the back, that have since been dyed blue from my jeans.

Boo.

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Exciting news - my bus stop, the only on on my street without shelter, is finally getting one. No more sweating in the sun for me.

2008-08-11T12:31:00.000-06:00

A Zune Article

2008-08-10T09:23:00.002-06:00

Rob Walker explores the Zune in NY Times' Consumed.

First The Tudors

2008-08-08T22:58:00.002-06:00

...and now it's Dexter.

I'm obsessed and I can't quite fathom the olden days when you waited to find out the conclusion of the previous episode's cliffhanger. TV on DVD has spoiled me.

Free OB mighty small tampons - because you really shouldn't have to pay for tampons

2008-08-07T23:06:00.006-06:00

free trial case of o.b.® mighty.small.^TM/MC tampons*. Click the link (offer only available to my Canadian readers, sorry)

Wordle

2008-08-07T01:20:00.002-06:00

Wordle - Create your own

Updated

2008-08-06T09:12:00.001-06:00

I finally got around to syncing my old Hotmail account with my new phone. I only keep that email address around for the benefit of my mother, who is too lazy or too technologically inept to be trusted to change an email address bookmark.

She had previously sent me two emails that I failed to reply to in a timely manner. Which prompted a third. I don't like replying to my mom's emails because they are always:

a) stupid, she emails me about the most inane things all the time. ex. The sky is blue in Ottawa today, how about in Edmonton? xoxo MOM (she capitalises the 'Mom' part in case I wonder who this strange woman is that keeps emailing me with the same last name)

b) she emails me at really weird times. 5:18 AM today, yeah that's 7:18 AM EST, but still. When the email goes right to my phone, it's a tad inconvenient.

c) she is entirely incapable of writing an email that doesn't include some sort of depressing factoid about someone having had a heart attack, being stricken with cancer, how stupid something is, or how out of touch she is with my life.

I dread the emails, and I put off replying until I sense that she'll either fly out here to confront me about my lack of reply ("you know, I thought you were dead. This is a really busy time of year for me at work, so it's good that you're not, but maybe you could reply to my emails?")

I scanned today's email and quickly fired off a two sentence reply that corrected something that I'd previously told her at least 100 times, and ignored all the negative bullshit. I'll get back to it when I want to induce suicidal ideation.

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I didn't post this morning because I was:

2008-08-05T21:52:00.001-06:00

a) too busy sleeping in and missing the bus

b) kinda concerned with the whole localised swelling going on in my eye region (I'm fine, btw, thanks for asking)

c) watching Dexter, even though I was running late, I still managed to watch an entire episode before leaving for work

d) having a lazy breakfast of cake (no joke, made me want to puke - lessons learned) and coffee while not getting ready

Noticing a pattern. It's only Tuesday too.

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Long Weekend/Holiday Monday

2008-08-04T08:42:00.002-06:00

...as in, I totally forgot it was.

Such is the life. Catching up on Dexter, and actually attempting to get to the gym 3 or 4 times this week. That' the game plan so far. I have yet to make a running playlist for my Zune, so I'll just run with the tracks that are loaded on it now.

Anyone have any good music suggestions? I want something dancier. Lately, I've been running to Girl Talk and that Curtis Vodka ElleGirl Mix.

July: A Month in Review

2008-07-31T10:47:00.000-06:00

1. I miss Canada Day at home. I've tried to enjoy the Edmonton experience, but I think next year, I'm just going to fly home to ensure that I actually have a good time

2. BBQ time - summer's here. Yay for grilled hot dogs.

3. Yet another year, yet another late birthday present. My mom should be used to it by now. I'd like to pretend it's because I'm so busy that I just forger these things but it's really that I don't care.

4. I'm kind of sick of people feeling sorry for me when I tell them I'm estranged from my mother - don't be, I'm not.

5. Read this, and please don't ever tell me to smile again.

6. iPhone day, aieeee!

7. I am taking a break from working out/eating healthfully/doing yoga and picking up smoking again.

8. ...and drinking

9. ...and sleeping

10. This no sleeping thing is really starting to cut into my quality of life - it may be time to see a specialist again.

11. The Zune and the iPhone. This is a good month for tech in my life.

12. Probably the thing I hate the most about getting a new phone is the dreaded syncing of contacts thing. I'm lazy and I have a lot of phone numbers. Luckily Nokia made it super easy. I'm going to miss my E62, but I will not miss not having a camera.

13. Ever go through a phase where you feel like you're lacking inspiration? Yeah, that's me right now. I think it might be time for grad school or Destiny's Child.

14. I am obsessed with Jaguar Love.

15. ...but I'm still on the search for good new music. Feel free to fill my comment box with suggestions.

16. I need to stop being such an avid fan of avoiding uncomfortable situations, and just deal with it already. It's probably only going to get worse.

17. Auto-censor where are you, I could have used you last night.

18. That being said, my reaction really can't have come as that big of a shock to you.

19. I might edit this later.

2008-07-31T01:26:00.001-06:00

I may have been remiss about posting yesterday. As you can see, I
finally got my new phone. Currently trying to sleep which is next to
impossible when enraged.

Sent from my iPhone

On Interracial Dating

2008-07-29T10:24:00.002-06:00

Kia wrote a post about the black man/white woman phenomenon in interracial dating and how her initial reaction upon seeing that pairing is usually 'extreme annoyance'. I should probably preface this by stating that I judge everyone, it's just how I am, I need to be able to categorize every single person I meet.

That being said, I cringe when it appears that one part of the couple is just in it for the status side of it. I'm well aware that this is not how every interracial relationship works, I have many friends that are in normal and healthy interracial couplings, and I certainly don't want to 'take one for the team' and start dating black men, so I'm in no position to judge - I'm just saying.

I love summer, I just wish it loved me back

2008-07-28T01:27:00.002-06:00

On withdrawal/being a glutton for punishment.

I'm getting sick of the crazy mood swings, constant narcolepsy/simultaneous jitters brought on by my allergy meds, so I'm on a self-imposed week-long detox but it's already off to a rocky strat.

The dull ache started in my jaw, and it's moving its way up to my temples. I'm not nauseous yet, but it's only a matter of time.

In other news, I'm still tooling around with the Zune. Beyond my first and second impressions, I've decided that I really like the player, but I'm still not used to the interface.

I've owned an iPod for ~7 years, so it's pretty ingrained that the button on top of the wheel takes me back to the menu, not the case with the Zune, instead it ups the volume - not cool.

+ the video quality is amazing. I've watched a total of one video on my 5th gen iPod, it's just not really practical for how I use my iPod. I've watched the preloaded clips on my Zune at least once a day, they're that striking. Right now, I'm actually ripping a couple of skate dvds to watch tomorrow on my commute to a staff meeting on the south side.

- no clock. Yeah, I've got a cell phone, and a watch, and my iPod is usually in my bag too, but I'd like to be able to see what time it is with a cursory glance at the screen. Not cool Microsoft.

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A Zune Update

2008-07-26T05:34:00.005-06:00

It's Day 2 of actually using my Zune and I'm just getting around to uploading more music on it. I initially set it up to be used with my work computer, just as a test to see how quickly the installer would run, and I was impressed that it took less than 10 minutes.

- I wish the software was just included in the box, yeah it makes they packaging a bit bigger but it's kind of a downer. I guess if it's trying to compete with the iPod, that's not really necessary since Apple stopped including iTunes on a disc years ago, but it would be nice.

- Pretty ~~snappy~~ slow syncing/painfully slow Zune software, I transferred about 3 gigs of music from the Mac partition on my hard drive (I'm using Parallels to update my zune since I'm a Mac user) and it was pretty seamless. Don't let the fact that you own a Mac keep you from checking out the Zune; it's doable with a little bit of legwork.

- The earbuds (that come standard with the Zune) are huge and might not fit in your ears very well. It felt like I was attempting to shove a giant tampon in my ear - uncomfortable to say the least.

+ Mac compatible, sort of. You need ot run a third-party app like Parallels or Boot Camp to run it but it's not that hard to set up.

+ Tells you how far along the syncing is on the screen of the device (right now I'm sitting at around 35%)

+ I'm still amazed at how small this thing is, but the video is really clear and crisp

+ Price, compared to Apple's 8GB iPod Nano ($209), the Zune is ~$30 cheaper (at least it is on Amazon.ca)

I made a smart playlist on iTunes of my top rated tracks since my music library is too large for this 8GB Zune.

I'm updating my Zune at 5 am because I have insomnia that's compounded by really bad heartburn.

If you have any additional questions about the Zune, feel free to contact me (my email address is located on my profile page).

The way this program works is that they (Matchstick, et. al) need feedback on exactly how the word of mouth is being spread. If you could do me a favour and fill out a quick survey on Chat Threads, the aggregator that handles all the back end statistical stuff, it would be greatly appreciated.

Log in to ChatThreads and enter your conversation ID: 102 986 0299

Tell them about the conversation and you can either choose to have them donate $5 on your behalf to charity or enter to win a $500 in gift certificates from Amazon.ca.

If you find yourself talking to someone else about the Zune, tell them about this blog post and have them fill out the survey as well, as the goal is to track how the conversation spreads.

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What's in my bag? OB Kit

2008-07-25T08:43:00.003-06:00

What's in my bag? OB Kit
Originally uploaded by aloha nico.

My ob kit, courtesy of Matchstick.

Really stoked on the hot water bottle, as they're impossible to find these days. I've been a pretty big fan of OB tampons for a while now. I got over the initial 'Ew, that's gross!' part after about 10 seconds.

The first time I used ob, I didn't really have a choice, I wasn't prepared and had to grab tampons from someone I worked with. I had been a fan of one of the many applicator brands but when I went through my environmentalist/vegetarian years I quickly realised that ob was the logical choice.

No applicator means ~~55%~~ 58% less waste than applicator-based tampons (applicators can also take years to biodegrade, if they do at all, particularly plastic ones).

I know ob isn't for everyone, like I said, I was kind of squeamish at first, but it's really not nearly as creepy as it sounds.

There's a little survey that can be filled out after you read the post. If you live in Canada, I can set you up with some samples of ob tampons, just send me an email or leave a comment.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=t6s0VBP5ykLflceIV_2bbwgQ_3d_3d

Zune Kit

2008-07-25T08:11:00.002-06:00

Zune Kit
Originally uploaded by aloha nico.

I got a Zune kit in the mail after much anticipation and some ridiculous runaround courtesy of FedEx Ground, I have a matte little toy to play around with.

Cool.

I got this little Zune Kit courtest of Matchstick. Included in the kit:

1 8GB Zune
1 Zune User Guide (which I'll probably never crack open, that's just how I roll)
1 set of premium Zune headphones (the Zune itself came with basic one, the premium ones are in-ear)
1 AC Adapter (I'm assuming regular Zunes are like iPods in that they only come with a USB cord for charging and syncing. The included USB cord in the 8GB Zune package plugs into the AC adaptor)

So far so good. I'm gonig to sync it when I get to work because I haven't gotten around to installing parallels on my new MacBook.

Initial impressions:

It's a lot smaller than I expected it to be. My friend G has a Zune, and his is huge, and kinda ugly. The one I got is tiny, it's about the same size as that Samsung phone that Beyonce advertises.

Good hand feel, it's pretty light and the back of it is matte but kinda grainy feeling. I'll probably use this a lot at the gym because it's a really good size for running.

It's the first mp3 player that I've had where the headphone jack is on the bottom of the device (as opposed to the top) - don't know how I feel about that just yet.

Cool feature - the online community and that the device comes preloaded with a variety of media content (a couple of videos, and music tracks, radio streams, etc.) that doesn't suck.

Only downer, my Zune was dead when I unboxed it, so I had to charge it for a couple of hours before I could even turn it on, and you have to set it up online before you can listen to the preloaded tracks.

Currently Fighting with Paypal

2008-07-24T09:41:00.006-06:00

Long story short, I'm having trouble with my paypal account. Last time I had issue with them, it took them quite a while to resolve them, but I ended up happy. This time, I can barely even find their contact info on their labyrinth of a site.

How hard is it for you to post a phone number where I can contact you? Seriously.

Then, to post an email address and tell me to send my inquiries there, only to have a form letter automatically sent back telling me that 'this email address isn't monitored'.

Really? Then why would you repeatedly tell me to send and email there, listing it as my only option since I can't for the life of me actually find a phone number.

Today is going to be a long day, I can feel it already.

Update: Turns out FedEx already came by this morning (at 8:02 am, awesome). Foolish me, I was trying to sleep in on my day off (until 9 am - this is true luxury people). They called my house phone, which I didn't hear because it's in the kitchen/I'm a heavy sleeper. Hmm.

Update #2: Paypal jsut sent me a customer satisfaction survey, the gall. Uh, I'm not satisfied because I can't use my fucking account. Does that make sense to you? Instead of spending time purking people blogs to guage consumer (dis)satifaction, how about actually trying to fix the problems at hand?

Not to be ungrateful

2008-07-23T08:32:00.002-06:00

But I didn't write that article that I'm getting credit for (on Boinkology). I appreciate the traffic, I really do, but I'm sure the person that actually went to the trouble of transcribing that quote is a wee bit miffed right now - I know I would be.

In other news, I'm up at 7 am, and I'm on my way to work. I was supposed to go to Fed Ex today and pick up my Zune but that will have to wait till tomorrow since I'm going into work early.

It's too bad too, because I was really looking forward to sleeping in.

I'm been trying to drink light roast coffee for the past week and I chaeated yesterday, with my espresso. I'm back on it this morning. I just prefer a good dark roast.

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My laziness just results in me having to do more work

2008-07-22T07:57:00.003-06:00

I am so tired, and I managed to screw up my coffee this morning. I've been trying to drink light roast in an effort to learn to appreciate things that I absolutely despise, but I just couldn't do it today.

I had been in a rush when I left for work yesterday, and left both my Bodum coffee maker and the regular coffee decanter sitting in the sink as I left. I forgot to wash them when I go home and added dishes from my lasagna to the pile.

Come this morning, I said 'screw it' and decided to brew espresso, except I got lazy and wanted to see if I could do it in the bodum.

Even though it's the same brand/blend of espresso I always buy, this one was a really fine grind which means that I formed a solid mass when I went to go strain it.

Not good. Normal people would have broken up the clump with their hands, not I. I just reasoned that pushing harder on the bodum would result in coffee (as in all over the counter, floor, side of the stove, and mat).

Just great. I ended up having to strain my failed bodum experiment into a regular drip brewer to catch all the errant grinds that were floating in the water.

So much unnecessary work.

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Bizarre Coincidences

2008-07-21T07:30:00.003-06:00

Last week was bad, for a variety of reason, both professional and personal. It left me drained, and beyond tired - and that's the sort of thing that takes a couple of days to get over (if you're actually sleeping properly), and more if you're not.

I'm in the 'not' camp.

I skipped out on a work BBQ last night because I could barely keep my eyes open, and instead opted to go to the grocery store and pick up the coffee filters I've been forgetting every time I've been to the store in the past week.

I ended up running into my friend Kritin, a girl that I had gone to high school with in Ontario - turns out the she and her husband (boyfriend perhaps, didn't ask) just moved here in April and live something ridiculous like ten blocks away from me now.

She's six months pregnant with twins so she's got a lot of free time on her hands and we made tentative plans to hang out.

Such a strange run in because in my four years of running living here, I have yet to run into someone that I went to high school with. I've met people who have shared mutual friends, but no one that I knew directly.

Small world.

The Famines

2008-07-18T07:39:00.002-06:00

I went out last night to G's show, and even though I'm totally beat now as a result, and sitting in front of a glowing computer screen right uploading drunken snaps instead of guzzling coffee like I should be - I feel ok, considering how little sleep I got last night.

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Much Finer

2008-07-15T12:45:00.001-06:00

I feel so much better today, and I finally got around to putting ABBA on my iPod.

My cousin Tannis and I have been going back and forth on facebook all morning with band recommendations.

Out of all my family members, I miss her the most because she's one of the few people that's been dealt roughly the same hand as I have with respect to being ex-communicated from the fam (we're both back on relatively good terms with everyone now, but thoroughly jaded by the experience nonetheless).

By the end of the week I should have both my new Zune and my new iPhone - yessss!

30 minutes

2008-07-14T22:57:00.002-06:00

I woke up to discover that my phone was frozen (again!) and that as a result, my alarm didn't go off so I had less than 30 minutes to make myself presentable for work/eat/not make coffee.

Great.

Then somewhere over the course of the day I got a migraine that was so bad that I wasted my break sitting in a bathroom stall alternating between puking and hnging my head between my knees.

I want to die.

If you're in the mood to waste 30+ minutes of your life doing something awesome, then this website is amazing for that.

Growth of Walmart across the United States 1962 to present

2008-07-11T00:55:00.001-06:00

(From FlowingData, via Kottke)

This takes me back

2008-07-10T15:42:00.003-06:00

I spent the entire morning in bed, since I had a massive headache from not taking my allergy pills, and I was still feeling pretty queasy from the ride home last night (damn motion sickness!). I've been listening to music that I was super into in my formative years (Sleater-Kinney, The Killjoy, Treble Charger, old school Madonna, Motley Crue, Ladytron, the Gossip, Kittie, et. al) a lot lately because I've been cleaning up my iTunes library and trying to get it back into shape.

Back in the day, it was meticulously organized, but somewhere over the course of the last few weeks, it has become a disgrace.

So other than doing my nails, grocery shopping, gymming or doing yoga, that's pretty high on my priority list today. I should really get around to watching Snatch, since I borrowed it from a friend over a month ago but I'm feeling lazy. might just rip it to my computer using handbrake and chill it for later.

Strangely, my musical tastes haven't really evolved since the 9th grade - I don't know if that just means that I was incredibly precocious or I'm jsut stuck in a rut.

Not cool

2008-07-09T08:12:00.002-06:00

Someone that I'd previously held to a rather high esteem has just revealed themselves to be a wee bit of a bigot - not cool. Damn, now this is going to bother me for the rest of my day.

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Apple Store - Edmonton

2008-07-08T07:11:00.001-06:00

I went to the [new] Apple store in WEM yesterday because I was in search of a firewire cable. The store looked kind of unfinished and while everything was in the right place, it still looked a little bit off. Everyone that was working there still seemed a little hesitant and overwhelmed and I wasn't the only one that had to aggressively hunt down an employee in a bright blue shirt.

The dude at the end of the genius bar looked like he was going to throttle someone, and I didn't even want to pose a question but I was pressed for time and I had to. He was surprisingly helpful, but not terirbly friendly.

I know the store is busy, and filled with time-wasting gawkers, but you work Apple, and people expect a certain level of exuberance and customer service. It's only a week or so in, and if you're not feeling it, you should find another job. I'll probably still buy most of my Apple products from the online store.

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Today

2008-07-07T23:05:00.001-06:00

...is my mother's birthday - well, the occasion has already passed in her time zone but I'll send her birthday wishes regardless. Better late than never, I always say. This may make me a bit of an ungrateful child, but I've played the part so well for the past 24 years...

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Cramps

2008-07-04T07:49:00.001-06:00

I've been eating too much ice cream before bed and now I have to deal with crippling cramps. Save me from myself.

Oops

2008-07-03T23:37:00.003-06:00

I keep forgetting to hit publish on my posts and then I wonder why nothing shows up. I came home from work tonight only to discover my (in-browser blog publisher) was stalled and still said 'publishing to site'. Hmmm, I wonder what's up with that?

Today turned out to be a really good day and I managed to get everything done (and with time to spare as a lovely little bonus). I'm still getting used to my new computer and I'm cleaning up the mess that senuti left behind.

My current iPod is loaded up with tracks that I had long since deleter from my old computer, leaving me unable to update it without losing all my previous tracks. At the beginning of my insomnia spell, I busied myself with transferring all the old track off my iPod onto my shiny new MacBook but I kept getting all these error messages and I eventually discovered multiple versions of the exact same tracks all over my music folder.

I've been deleting files all morning and I've still only at the beginning of the 'H' folders.

Sleeping is for the poors

2008-07-01T00:46:00.001-06:00

I don't really sleep anymore, and my circadian rhythms are completely whacked. It's almost one am and I just took my (home-made) lasagna out of the oven. I've been on a bit of a cooking spell as of late since I have all the time in the world to peruse Epicurious and Martha Stewart.

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June: A Month in Review

2008-06-30T09:09:00.001-06:00

1. I feel like I should take a time out from my social life

2. For the first time in years, my allergy medication seems to have lost its efficacy, what's a girl to do?

3. It's been a really long time since I haven't felt disappointed by you

4. I don't know quite what brought this on, but I'm suddenly obsessed with traveling to Switzerland

5. I keep finding shoes that I love but I've got to practice some form of restraint, I can't keep buying shoes at this rate...

6. Summer is finally here but I'm too wiped to really enjoy it

7. ...but I have found a lot of time to skate.

8. Huzzah, I have a new computer, and it is wonderful!

9. I still haven't gotten around to transferring half the stuff off my old one though because I'm lazy

10. My friend Matt's band was featured on a pretty prominent music blog.

11. I'm really sick of having to pretend to care

12. I'm getting back into the habit of hitting the gym 4-5 times per week, yoga comes next.

13. Ah, The Tudors, I'm obsessed with you - but Anne drives me nuts. She is so plain and faintly unattractive. Unattractive leads really bother me.

14. The year is half over, ponder that one.

15. ...and I'm two weeks away from getting a new cell phone.

16. I finally managed to crack my tank of a Nokia by dropping it carelessly on the way to Claud's fundraiser thing

17. Finally, what is with this weather. It's torrential downpour tiem here in Edmonton, and it seems like another rollin thundershower is around the corner at all times.

Quotables

I only quit smoking during the week, Saturday night makes up for that fact.

I'm going to call you a chocolate racist if that's ok.

I can just see the headlines 'Girl dies in home-made gas chamber'

Singing leads to dancing, which we all know leads to premarital sex and that's a sin.

Did I read that? You know full well that I cannot read.

She doesn't have a belly button you know? (sidenote: I have a belly button)

The Tudors

2008-06-27T00:33:00.001-06:00

I'm dealing with this bout of insomnia so I'm catching up on The Tudors whilst I'm awake.

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Books vs. Magazines

2008-06-26T15:01:00.003-06:00

Lately, the books have been winning and I have a huge stack of purchased/subscribed magazines waiting for me. I blame it on the slew of ridiculously good books that have come out recently. I just finished reading Rob Walker's Buying In - it was pretty good, I just wish it were a bit more in-depth; It read more like an extension of his [New York Times] column than as a standalone piece. Overall, it's a good addition to anyone that's interested in consumer marketing as well as brand loyalty's book shelf

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Cleaning (House and Up My Routine)

2008-06-26T10:52:00.002-06:00

I'm cleaning today, not because I want to, but because I have to. My room has gotten to be a sty, with laundry - both clean and worn - scattered willy-nilly.

I don't know why I let it get this bad, but I'm calling an end to it.

Today's To Do List:

1. Clean the entire condo
2. Go to the gym
3. Write
4. Vacuum my room
5. Go to the gym/do yoga (either or both would be fine)
6. Watch Melrose Place and The Tudors
7. Go Grocery Shopping

I've slacked pretty badly with repsect to actually going to the gym, and I'm slowly getting back into the habit and my yoga mat sits idly in the corner behind a lamp taunting me as I struggle with some admittedly, rather basic, yoga poses.

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Diatribe

2008-06-25T08:12:00.002-06:00

I just spent the last half hour trying to explain to a dude why women don't say hello to him on the street which just made me want to throw my hands up in the air in exasperated defeat.

Moving on.

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Time Crunch

2008-06-24T19:01:00.002-06:00

I don't know why I'm so pressed for time lately as I feel like I've got oodles of it on my hands, what with the whole not sleeping thing and all - but such is the case. I've started seeking out new music again and I'm exploring every nook and cranny of my new computer with all my free time.

Sorry, I'll try to be a better blogger.

xo

tg

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Wide Awake, Not Necessarily Bored

2008-06-23T00:48:00.002-06:00

I'm right in the middle of mid-summer insomnia spell. I'm tired all the time, but actually putting my head to the pillow and expecting something to happen - no dice.

So, I've taken it upon myself to organize my iTunes library once and for all. It used to be a thing of beauty, with little (cleverly-titled) playlists for every occasion - and then one night I accidentally deleted it all in a sleep-deprived fit of insanity.

I bought a new computer this week, and I've been busy porting all my preferences as well as around six years of accumulated mental debris to my virginal MacBook.

I just transferred all my Sleater-Kinney albums to my new computer, and so many of the songs evoke such vivid memories. I'm suddenly transported back to a time of imminent IB exams, fooling around in the Carleton University library with my hs boyfriend Alex, and taking the longest possible way back to school afterwards.

"My body lingers, like your hand on my heart" - Oh! by Sleater-Kinney

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Typical

2008-06-21T09:15:00.001-06:00

So, my wireless router is doing that thing where it just doesn't work for a little bit - ugh!

Feed the Animals

2008-06-19T09:13:00.002-06:00

As I wait patiently for Fed Ex to drop off my new computer, I'm downloading the new Girl Talk album - Feed The Animals.

It's a pay what you will-type scheme but it's really good, so don't stiff them. I over-payed, because that's just how I roll - and it makes up for the fact that half the people downloading it won't pay at all.

Wednesday

2008-06-18T19:08:00.001-06:00

An abbreviated day of work can be a good thing. I'm actually pretty happy to have been able to leave work at 1sh today. You probably don't care but, my new computer should be here tomorrow morning.

Yay!

2008-06-17T07:19:00.003-06:00

I finally bit the bullet and bought a new laptop. Apple says it should be here by the 2nd (of July) but they always seem to over-estimate the delivery date, so it'll probably be here sooner.

Basically, I just needed to a buy a new laptop before I buy the 3G iPhone because my current notebook is not compatible with anything.

Technolust

2008-06-16T23:48:00.002-06:00

Images of the new Nokia E71 and E66. I dunno iPhone, the E71 is looking pretty good right now...

Procrastinating

2008-06-16T20:42:00.001-06:00

...by shopping for a new computer instead of going to the gym. I'm so lazy, but I actually need a new computer. I really should be at the gym.