GAG....i hate the snow.....

It has been a truely hectic HECTIC time for me the past couple of weeks....I have started working my job full time days - and not to mention that I got a 17% pay increase after only being here for 5 weeks. PLUS I got back pay, or pay equity.....which is 2 nice big checks for me thank you very much.

My laptop battery is beyond dead....so I have only had access to a computer at work, which, when im supposed to be working, its hard to fuck around on Facebook....but Ive managed, and am managing without a computer. I didnt think i'd be able to do it, so im quite impressed with myself.

I painted furniture this week, and have watched movies instead of being online. I finished my Christmas shopping, which for me is extremely late, since its usually done, and wrapped, by my bday in November.

I got my first parking ticket living in the city on December 9.....30 dollars!!! AND my permit was stuck in my window. Ive parked on the street every day before December 9, and every day after December 9....and havent gotten another ticket. I think it snowed that night, and the fucker was too lazy to wipe the snow out of the window....so now I have to go through this huge process about getting my ticket processed....

I ALSO received my VERY FIRST speeding ticket....I was going a whopping 45 km in a 40! thats right people...27 dollar speeding ticket!!! Talk about filling your quota for year end.

Happy holidays peeps!

NO ONE IS READING...

HAHAHA....

Enough said.

Updates

1. I quit my job at WS and did NOT take advantage of the discount. I walked in there and said that my schedule had changed again and that I would be unable to accomodate them in working a day shift once a week. I said that I wanted to quit before the paperwork went through for the discount and all that stuff. They thanked me for being an hoenst and rspectable person and said that they hope they could still consider me a loyal customer. I said they could.

2. My OTHER new job is FANTASTIC!!! I love it, and despite the clients questionable pasts, I find that they are quite delightful.

3. There was someone in my life whos company I enjoyed. He called me about an hour ago to tell me that he slept with someone else, and that he does cocaine "recreationally", but felt that I deserved to know, because he wanted to be able to sleep with a clear conscience.....Ugh. Boys!

4. Im devastated about missing black Friday. The computer that I want is 280 dollars cheaper in the states...Im working the overnight that day, and dont get off until 8:30am. Id never get over the border if I decided to drive home after the shift, AND chances are, it would be gone by the time i got there anyway.

5. Ive decided I need a vacation. And not just a 4 day jam packed fun filled Vegas vacation. I need to go lay on a beach somewhere for a week. I get 5 weeks of vacation a year to start at my new job...i should probably use it.

Thats all for now. Sorry for the delay with the new post.

31 and 11 days

So my bday was a hit. We went to SottoSotto, which has the best Italian food I've had since my Nonna died 9 years ago. Dirty Dancing was fun....I'd give it a solid 8 out of 10. Sound of music was way better.

I had a party here just last Saturday...and then we went to a bar where I proceeded to get drunk, and elbow some chick in the kidneys as hard as I could. Im POSITIVE she pissed blood that night....but thats what happens when you make inapporpriate comments about my friends. But I digress....

So im 31 now. I've got a WONDERFUL new job.....even though I actually have THREE wonderful new jobs. One of them isnt so wonderful.

In addition to working in a half way house for women out of prison, and working at another agency for children who have autism, I decided to pick up a fun gift wrapping position at Williams Sonoma for a couple of reasons.

1. 40% discount.
2. I LOVE that store, and half of my Christmas gifts come from that store...So again 40% discount.
3. I love to wrap gifts. I do all of mine, and my moms, and my dads, and my aunts...i find that Im actually quite good at it, and its nice to sit on the floor with a glass of wine and make presents look beautiful.
4...did I mention a 40% discount?

So I thought it would be fun...and stress free...and Im taking a huge pay cut to fit it into my schedule. But I didnt care, I figured that the 140 dollars I made a week, would pay for my christmas gifts this year.

So they said that I had to give them minimum 15 hours a week. No problem. I went in just tuesday to submit my availability, and then called them the next day to confirm it. They said that my schedule is "Unacceptable".. and the conversation proceeds from here.

Boss: Your schedule is unacceptable
Me: Whys that?
Boss: Because we need you to work the same 15 hours per week, consistently
Me: Uhh....I work shifts, that impossible
Boss: Well, I know that we made it clear to you that you had to work the same hours consistently
Me: No you didnt, I told you I worked shifts when I first talked to you about this
Boss: Well, I know someone told you that you had to work a set schedule
Me: Umm No. I work a different schedule all the time, thats what shift means.
Boss: Well its unacceptable
Me: Sooo...Im sorry that this job isnt my number 1 priority. Im work shifts, you knew that, if you thought it would be a problem, WHY did you hire me?
Boss: I have 100 employees, I cant have them submitting a different schedule every 2 weeks, thats not efficient.
Me: Well, if 99 people are submitting consistent schedules, whats wrong with 1 person submitting a schedule that isnt consistent?
Boss: Well, you're going to have to find out if your schedule is conducive to the Williams Sonoma expectations.
Me: It is, you just have to make acceptions. And by the way, you scheduled me on a day that i told you that I had a wedding, Im not coming in, you'll have to cover that shift. Goodbye.

***********

NOW, for a job thats supposed to be fun and stress free....WHO would keep this job??? I know how much WS says that they're all about customer service, and helping people, etc etc...I dont think that they know what their own mandate is. If I quit, I'm the customer again, and knowing what I know now, I could have a lot of fun with these people, and cause them a lot of stress. But if I stay, I get 40% off...

Im torn. Do I let some bitch who makes 10 dollars an hour talk down to me, when I have 2 other job, BUT i get 40% off...or do i walk in there, and say "Fuck you guys. Thanks for nothing!"

I talked to a friend of mine, and I said that I wanted to get my employee card this friday, and then go shopping on Saturday, buy up all the things I wanted to buy and then say "BTW, im quitting".

He thought that would be funny. Ideas?

My bday...Yawn.

My 31st birthday may be coming up, but I am WAY more excited about the election tomorrow!!! Such a pivotal point in US history...and may I say North American history in general.

I am starting to, as time gets closer to the election, to become more excited about the prospect of a democrat in office again! I am sick of republicans....im sick of their "Pro-war" bullshit, and im SUPER Sick, of the one who's currently in office.

I think Dubyah might be the stupidest man alive...after 8 years of countless idiotic quotes to back him up, I for one am not going to miss....well thats not true. I will miss making fun of him on a daily basis, and the Bushisms that come up in the calendar every year...

But as a general whole, I will not miss the idocy of GWB. And with this, I am recommending the show "Lil Bush" which plays on the comedy channel, but you can catch a glimpse of this here.

Also, happy birthday on the 4th to one of my closest friends Tim...and happy Guy Fawkes day on the 5th!

*Bday plans include SottoSotto for dinner on Wednesday, and then off to see Dirty Dancing! Plus the usual boozy shenanigans with the gang.

A question.....

So I was out at Chapters last night, looking around, and I found myself, as I so usually do, in the self-help section.

Not because I buy self help books, but because I buy books about abuse, addiction, mental health, and self injurious behaviors for work. *These are the books I consider "Light reading" and take on my vacations. LOL!!!*

Im flipping through an interesting book about teens who cut themselves, and ways to help them, deciding whether or not to buy it, and there's a loud crash to my left. I look over but since its another tall book shelf, I cant see anything....except all of the Post Secret books which are almost directly in my line of vision.

I put down the book that Im reading about cutting, and pick up a post secret book. I have so often read about people leaving secrets in the books that for one second, I consider the possibility of there being a secret in the book i'm holding, or any of the books on the shelves.

I flip through my book, and in between the pages, there's a secret written in blue pencil crayon. Thing is, they also attached their email address....and I recognized it. I know the person who has left their secret in the book. And infact, she is a friend of mine on facebook.

And I cant help but feel that its almost an invasion of privacy, to know the person who left a secret for a stranger to find....but it presents me an opportunity to discuss an event that is coming up in her life, that we all know about.

I put that book down, and picked up another. And then another and then another, until I had gone through all of the books there. I found three secrets in total. Email addresses attached, phone numbers attached....

So I ask you...do you ever look through the post secret books to see whats been left behind...solely for the person who finds it?

So Long Sucky Dead End Niagara, Hello Land of Opportunity Toronto!!!

I got both jobs that I interviewed for.

I dont even want to stay on as relief in my place that I am now. Its not worth it. All the bullshit and trouble that they caused me. They can fuck themselves for all I care. Seriously.

Time to move on completely and start a new chapter in my life. And I couldnt be more excited.

Waiting with baited breath....

I HATE applying for jobs.

Well...I dont HATE it, but I hate the aftermath, and waiting around for them to call you back.

I had a second interview at a pretty good agency downtown toronto the 10th of October, and after my first interview they loved me so much they called me 10 minutes after I left the office and said "we know we have other interviews, but we're already asking you to come back."

So I went...they said I would hear by the 17th. I didnt.

I said "If I dont hear by the end of monday i'll call tuesday after work and ask them if they've made a decision about the job as of yet."

I was working today 6:30am-3pm....I was literally driving home to call them, and on google to look up their number, and I decided to check my voicemail first. There was a message from HR "This is so and so calling from such and such. Could you please call me back?"

IS THIS GOOD??? I mean, I called back, and left my number...but that was a half hour ago. Im desperate to hear something...

I mean, is it protocol for agencies if you get the job, to leave it on your answering machine? Or even if you get the job, do they ask you to call?

Im paralleling it to the doctors office. When they ask you to call them back, its never good.....BAH. NOW I have to wait, maybe until tomorrow!!! I just want to know. I really want this job, and would do really well at this job. I just HATE this waiting bit of it. BOOOOOOOO.

...i mean it. Im back...for real.

Ive been posting again for approximately 10 days....and its gotten me nowhere. unfortunately, people probably dont read my blog anymore.

I "Next blogged" myself through an hour of the day today, and found that only 3 of all of the blogs that I saw, were in English.

Im not racist, and have no opposition to people from other cultures having blogs...but if i'm trying to build up a new fan base, instead of just reclaiming my regular readers, I would like to be able to READ their blog as well. And unfortunately, besides, some Italian, and some basic french...im pretty much screwed when it comes to reading other languages.

...although..there was that whole esperanto ordeal...but lets not get into that.

So, i'll continue to post and revisit my own list of blogs that I used to read in the hopes that they recognize that my commitment is official.

Im here people..for real. In my own little corner of the universe tyring to reestablish myself on blogger

(Note - instead of blogger, I wrote globber - a typo, but hilariously funnier than the official name of blogger)

...reconsidering life....

As a social worker, I respect the confines of confidentiality immensely, but in this instance, i find myself torn.

An old student of mine, has committed murder. A student that I worked with very closely for a year. He was diagnosed with Autism, and was living at the Kolburne School, in MA while I worked there.

A totally quiet 18 year old....and by quiet, i mean not a word above Whisper. When I spoke to him, I had to hold my breath for his answer because if I breathed to sharply, i'd miss it. Ive received this article from my old boss, and friend Jen, who sent it out to me to keep my posted. I remember Ben fondly....I remember sitting at the night shift desk, watching him sway around his room to Michelle Branch. He was never in a restraint, never a problem. He was always happy to do anything that you asked, and never EVER lead me to think that he was capable of such things.

He aged out of the mental health facility that I worked at, and was taking part in another. Im sure if you're curious enough to find the articles online, ive given you enough information to do so. He stabbed a stranger to death, and then called the police on himself saying how angry he was.....

He was diagnosed with autism....Ive just been offered a job working again with autistic children...And with this knowledge, I'm starting to think "whats the fucking point". Im not personalizing this at all, and I know that I did my best with this client, and that his behavior has NOTHING to do with me, or any of the staff that I worked with...but seriously. Wheres the point in my job, when this is what I have to look forward to after working with a client.

I know I know, this isnt the case for everyone...and I cant help but think "is there always a margin of error for these types of things? Is this something that is unavoidable, no matter how much you work with the client? Is there always a 5% margin of error."

I never saw any signs that would ever give way to this..and I payed the closest attention to my 10 boys in that house. Its what they paid me for really. I just cant wrap my head around it. How did the system fail him? What programming DIDNT he get? Was his medication to blame? How did this happen?.....

Questions im sure will keep me up the next few nights. Ive got emails out to everyone I worked with at Kolburne...wondering how the mood is there, and how they're coping with it....im hoping that they can come up with some answers, becuase I cant.

And in reading this article, all I can do is think back to the faint whispered answers of this 18 year old boy....and then I think about his voice when he called the police on himself...whispering what he'd done. He'll be on trial....whispering the details....the whole courtroom will have to wait with baited breath as he recounts the details of that day.

....Im hoping that wont happen. Im hoping that he's found his voice since the last time i'd seen him...but after finding this out today...and seeing the picture of him *the picture was the worst part of it*....i dont know what to think anymore.

PP is gonna make it afterall!!! *Insert Laverne and Shirley theme song here*

OMG!!! Its been SEVEN MONTHS since I posted!!!

I was out for lunch with Miss Ash, who threatened to delete me from her blog roll, and since that is more unspeakable than being deleted off facebook, I decided to take some action and get my ass in gear! So...here I am.

The past 7 months for me have been all work and ZERO play. Literally. I mean like working 8-10 days in a row. I never went anywhere, I never did anything exciting...I had the dullest existence in the past 7 months that you should all be thanking me for not having posted. I spared you the boredom of having to read "I worked 7 days in a row again...nothing to report".

BUT NOW....now my dears, I have taken the most significant step *besides doing my masters, and degrees and shit like that*.....to date. In my 30 years of life.

I moved to Toronto.

Im hoping that this will be the beginning of a wonderful list of new adventures for me.

I took posession of my place on the 13th, and have been back and forth a few times, But seeing as I worked almost everyday since the 13th, I OFFICIALLY moved here on the 1st.

On the month before moving to Toronto, I applied for 100 jobs. literally. Maybe more. I stopped counting. I got a few call backs. Had an interview yesterday, and one today *that Miss Ash helped me prepare for over sushi! MMMMMMMM*

I went to my interview yesterday, and then to a very exciting mall which was across the street. the interview was 3 hours, DREADFUL! But after I left, they called my references right on the spot, and called me within 2 hours to offer me the job. They dont fuck around here...not like in Niagara where you wait a month to hear anything.

So ive accepted the new position, which is working with Autisic kids. But in the mean time, im shopping at the fancy mall, and happen to stop into Williams Sonoma. The manager comes to me and says

WS"Oh, are you dominique?" *I am not her. Not currently anyway. LOL*
Me: No
WS: Oh you look like you're here for an interview.
Me: Actually, I just had one
WS: Are you looking for a job?
Me: I just moved here yesterday
WS: We're hiring....

And then proceeds to offer me a job. *Part time during the holidays....and its not like I need the cash, but ive NEVER had a job that I didnt have to think about. I've only EVER had a job in social services. I never worked a regular job as a kid...my mom owned her company.

So im thinking about it...and anyone who's ever been there, knows how expensive it is. The discount will come in HUGE this year if I decide to take it. But I have my most exciting interview at 1 today. Im leaving in about 45 minutes and should be getting ready, in terms of preparation. Which I feel ready...but reviewing never hurts.

So this is it. My triumphant Return to blogging...which I promise. Will be better than Britneys return to singing.

***UPDATE: My interview went great, and they called me 20 minutes after I left to book my second interview! This city is GREAT for social work...i should have moved here years ago

how many more days until summer.

we're supposed to get 2 feet of snow in the next 24 hours.

Im sick of this weather...I want summer.

Happy 30th bday to Miss Ash tomorrow...

That is all.

ponderables...

I think that when we look back, over the course of our lives, we are able to reflect and think about the choices we made, reasons for making them, and whether or not they were the right decisions, we were able to project any type of consequences that may come about from said decisions. *hence my wish to be able to do everything without ever having to sacrifice anything*.

However....sometimes, looking from the outside in, at other peoples decisions, is somewhat mind boggling. I mean...ive often wondered about the mental state of some people *and I dont want to lump them into groups because where im going with this, it wouldnt be apropriate to point out specific examples..but I digress*

...and I think that professionally, I can SORT of see where certain issues might stem from...but i cant understand the thought processes in their minds, where they wake up one day and think that these things are fantastic ideas.

There are many examples we can use here.....
- murder
- the case of the man who posted an add in that german newspaper that stated his fetish was to torture and murder a woman, and then eat her and over 400 women replied to his add
- the case of a man who pretended to be severely special needs, move into a group home and wear diapers just so he could fondle the nurses with no repercussion

....and then of course this..the case of Michael Score (who IRONICALLY has the exact same birthday as me). The singer of a little band called Flock of Seagulls.


What do you think the thought process was behind that haircut?

YAY new post!

Well people, it has been indeed months since I have written something new, and rightly so I might add. It was Christmas, it was New Year, It was Vegas for my 30th birthday....it was working a lot over the holidays, and it was too much family crammed into a few days (which may have provided to be useful in writing new posts - ie: venting about family)

But here I am. 30...Vegased out for the next 12 months, and thinking of my next vacation already....which I think will be to Mrytle Beach. Im interested, and just started thinking about it today actually...ive decided that I am DEFINITELY in need of a beach sometime soon....and not the crappy beach here that had EColi last summer...i mean a real beach, with salt water, (the kind that makes my hair look super fantastic, and impossible to replicate), and sharks.

I need 4 days of nothing. No going anywhere, no driving, no getting up early to go places, and walk 30 miles a day to get to see all the stuff you wanted to....I need 4 days, of listening to the ocean, paying the extra 140 dollars to have the ocean view room, getting up to the sound of crashing waves, and the smell of salty sea air. I want the smell of coconut suntan lotion...and the only thing i want to worry about is what kind of chips im going to eat for lunch that day.

Ive been on vacation a few times in the past year and a half, but one was Vegas for a wedding, one was Vancouver which was go go go the entire time (But LOVELY!!!) and the other was Vegas, which was go go go x's 50.

I want HOT weather, and to be exhaused from the sun at the end of the day...not from walking half way across the state. I know Myrtle Beach, ive been there about 12 times....i LOVE Myrtle Beach. Im thinking that a beach, this year, sounds incredible.

On a side note...i have 3 couple friends who are having babies today. (not just due date today, but legitimately in labor and having babies...) So i'd like to take this opportunity to wish Congrats to Miss Ash, who is now (or will be in the next few hours) an auntie!! And to my other friends, who have perfect little bundles.

Heres hoping that my next post wont be 3 months from now....