Monday 29 April 2013

Toronto Wildlife Are Fearless

On my walk to work everyday I see wildlife. Well, I use that term loosely because when I think of wildlife (from my time spent on farms, in the country and even in the ravine of my hometown) I think of coyotes, deer etc.. This wildlife consists of pigeons and squirrels mostly.


But I have started to realize, these animals are fearless! Just like all the other residents walking the streets, they don't move over for anyone! I think I played an unknowing game of chicken with a pigeon the other day. He totally won. Because I was afraid of what he could do to me if I didn't move. Have you seen those beaks? Those talons?! My side satchel and ballerina flats are no match to him.

The pigeons shuffle about the sidewalk and the squirrels rise up on their hind legs watching intently as people pass by.  Come to think of it, maybe they're just lazy?

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Modern Day Issues

Nowadays we have new struggles and they can be even more dire than B.T. (before technology). The biggest, and quite possibly the scariest, yet easiest mistake to make, is the accidental email or text. 

Let me explain. 


You're super pissed off with your friend and you heed your mother's advice and decide to write her a note. Except previously our parent's would have actually written the note. You know, with a pen and paper.
If you're young enough you'll know these items as ones you see in the movies, when they do a flashback. Or perhaps you've used a pen when signing a cheque.... nah you probably don't do that either.

Anyhow, instead of writing this note of frustration, you type it. Hitting each key with such force and conviction hoping your emotion is seeping through the screen. Except just like when our parens did such things, you never actually plan to send it. You're just writing it to make yourself feel better. You finish up, and just as you begin to feel better about the situaion, it happens. You hit the send button. All it took was one slight miss with a keystroke and it was done. Letter sent. A letter you never intended that friend to see, where you talk about her ugly dog and stupid neighbourhood, maybe her disfunctional family. Saying all the things you've ever thought, but would never dare say to her, or even out loud for that matter.

This particular situation hasn't happened to me, but I have sent some emails and texts too soon, or to the wrong person. One of my worst offences was when an old boss of mine called in sick...for the kagillionith (that's a number, right?) time. Fed up with the lack of leadership and sense of responsibility, I decided to text Jeff (my co-manager) about the surprise I felt inside when I received her phone call. However, you see, Jeff's name was directly above Jen's... aka my boss. And so as I typed out my message, "Surprise! she's sick again!" and then sent it, I was feeling grand about my snide remark that was likely to give Jeff a bit of a chuckle. So imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from Jen shortly following the sending of the message. 

"Oh hey Jen- what's going on?
Is that some kid of joke, Shannon?
I'm confused- joke? huh?
Shannon, the text message you sent me."

OH SHIT! 

I quickly check my phone and YUP, I sure did send that bitchy text to Jen instead of Jeff. Trying to come up with any sort of excuse was a failed attempt, because I wasn't prepared. Not that I would pride myself on lying, but really how do you manage your way out of that one? The answer is, you don't. You try to save face as much as possible and realize that your boss may have some trust issues with you in the future, and it's probably for the best if you move onto another job in the near future. Yes, that's exactly what I did. Not just because of that situation, but I wouldnt lie to you and tell you it didn't have some bearing on the decision. 

So, while we think we can all hide behind our computer and phone screens, just make sure you can back up any comments you may want to make. And as a smart individual always warned me, never print, type or write anything you don't want to see in tomorrow's newspaper headlines. Because you never know who could see it and decide to pass it along. Oh and youngins', a newspaper is this large printed thin paper that you read the news off of. You know, prior to the computer screen. 

Friday 12 April 2013

And now I'm back- from outer space

Sup everyone?



Where have you been? I've missed you! Sorry for the extended absence, between planning the wedding, moving and getting our lives settled I've been crazy busy. Excuses aside, I was inspired and requested by someone to continue on with this blog. 

So what have you been up to? 

We've got our wedding all planned and ready to go for June. So you know, that's fun. And since this post where we had thought we made a decision to move to Fort Erie, well plans changed. Kinda drastically. We realized at this point we aren't financially prepared to be taking on a mortgage. Nor did we want to be that far away from our friends and family. And when we really sat down to discuss it, we wanted to be in Toronto. But downtown, none of this uptown business. Right in the thick of it. So we found a place in a great area where we are close to all shops and restaurants and most importantly, the subway is mere moments away. I's wonderfully convenient. So we're selling the car and doing the transit shuffle. I'm loving it! (sung to the tune of McDonald's similarly plagiarized jingle)

I've been here, with Hudson (whatup Hudson!), for about a month now and thriving. Working at a new store location, and currently working on getting my business up and running I'm thoroughly enjoying my new place. Not just the surroundings, but I'm really happy with the unit. Technically its a basement apartment, but it really doesnt feel much like a basement at all. 

Brandon is currently waiting for his work to transfer him to a store nearby, so he goes back and forth between our place in Toronto and his parrents'. It sucks and the nights can be lonely sometimes, but I know its only short term. It better only be short term. 'Cause I didn't sign up to be living alone. Get your butt down here, Brandon! 

Other than that, not much is new in our usual rockstar-inspired lives. We have a family vacation planned for the beginning of May- headed to Florida for some fun and sun. So we're looking forward to that and then it's basically just a month until the wedding. Things are flying by fast, but we have our seatbelts securely fastened and we're ready!

I'm hoping I can get back into the swing of writing posts on here, because I missed it- I missed y'all. (all 15 of you that read this, anyway) So stay tuned for some fun stories, Toronto living hijinxs and some rants about all these people downtown. You know I'm bound to run into some crazy people! :)