I thought it was just me.

I hate magicians. Anytime I see one on TV, I change the channel. If I walk into a room and a magician is on the TV, I leave the room. I will never pay money to see one live - I just can't stand them. I am not sure when I came to this realization, but lately I have noticed I have feel very strongly about this topic.

As far as I am concerned magicians are a bunch of liars and make money by fooling the people who watch them. I thought I was alone in my belief until I was watching Entourage season 5 last weekend. I1n one episode the agent, Ari Gold says out of the blew that he can't stand magicians. I was like Damn right - they suck the big one!

I realize that Ari Gold is not a real person, but I would like to think that one the writers on the show hates magicians too (why else would they right that dialogue?), and that's enough for me.

Scared Straight

I got my second ever speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago.  I was caught in a speed trap in an area that is known for cops, I was just in la la land while I was driving that day (you know, when you are on automatic pilot) and I forgot to put my foot on the breaks as I was going down the hill.  Yep you read it right, I was caught speeding going down a hill.  It is impossible to say on speed on this particular hill because it is so steep, simple physics dictate that I would be over the limit.  The cop was very understanding as he gave me a ticket for 21 over the limit (which equals 3 demerit points).  I was just pissed off and tried not to show it.  He basically told me that if I take the ticket to court he won't show up, but really is he going to remember to not show up in the 6 months to a year it will take for me to get my court date (never mind when the court date will actually be).  I would've preferred that he kept his "helpful" advice and just clock me at 10 over, no demerits and I pay the fine. 

 

I went to the traffic ticket office which is conveniently not to far from my house and work.  As I waited in line, I witnessed an aspect of life I had never been apart of before.  There was a man who was around my mother's age who approached the window where you get your ticket (you know, the "now serving #478" ticket).  Anyways, the man behind the glass says, "hello my friend - it's bad when I recognize people, you come here too often."  The man says that apparently he missed a court date yesterday because when he was pulled over by the police for speeding (apparently this is a regular occurrence for him) they informed him that his court date for another ticket was that very day.  I thought to myself, who forgets a court date - but I soon learned this happens all too frequently in traffic court.  So eventually I get my ticket and I take a seat, after filling out the appropriate form and I wait.  I was kind of excited because I realized there was only 2 people in front of me and there were 4 windows open - I thought I would be out of here in 5, 10 minutes flat - oh how naive I was.  After the traffic violators at the window finished arguing with the people behind the bullet proof glass, the city clerks decided to go on break.  So the 6 windows which had originally been open, were now down to 2.  There was this one chick who was directly in front of me with her son (who was around 13 months or so) and she was trying to figure out how to get her license unsuspended.  Apparently she had so many "silly" outstanding tickets that they law decided that she shouldn't be driving anymore until she paid them.  As the clerk explained to her the fine amount for each ticket, she provided and excuse as to why she got the ticket.  Her tickets included: failure to provide proof of insurance (she was driving a friends car, and wasn't sure where it was), failure to provide proof of ownership (this happened twice, friends car), failure to provide license (she left her bag at home), speeding (she had a lot of these), driving with a suspended and/or un-renewed license (she didn't realize it was suspended/not renewed).  The only reason why this person even came in today was because she had just bought a new car and her insurance wouldn't cover her because her license was suspended. So she paid the fine for her suspended license and left.  There were more explanations and excuses from this person, but they are too numerous and convoluted to remember accurately (she could barely repeat them accurately, so how can you expect me to do it?).  As this was all occurring I realized that I never want to be here again - it was absolutely ridiculous, a total waste of my time and really annoying - I have been scared straight.  I plan on not speeding (well, no more than 10 over, 20 if I'm passing someone) every again!.

A new thing I'm trying

Running.

I joined a running room clinic, learn to run actually. It's not much fun, but who said everything you do has to be fun? I do enjoy some aspects of running though. I enjoy telling people that I am going for a run and I like the feeling I get once I am nearly finished my run (the - THANK GOD, it's nearly over feeling). But in general I find running to be extremely uncomfortable, very embarrassing and occasionally painful. Let me explain.

Uncomfortable - Chatting with people you have nothing in common with (except taking the clinic) and trying to be interested in their stuff, like their hopes, aspirations and their names. Oh yeah, and doing this while RUNNING! They are generally nice people, but I don't like to run and talk, I just want to focus on the run nearly being over.

Embarrassing - The fact that I am running in a large group in the town I grew up in and the thought of having people I actually know see me is not a pleasant thought. This is embarrassing because I am a really slow runner and I have a tendency to stick out in the group (tall black girl with dreads and glasses - need I say more??) - plus I am usually towards the back of the group (I said I was a slow runner).

Painful (occasionally) - Two words for you: shin splints. I get them in BOTH shins - usually I just try to ignore it, but it can be painful at times. I have been assured that I need to "condition" my shins and I am trying, but it's been 3 weeks of running and they still hurt.

Anyways, I felt compelled to write this post because I was suppose to run with the group tonight through a wooded area, (pretty scenery but horrible for my allergies - I suffered for 2 days after). I decided to do my practice run in the gym rather then risking the great outdoors again. I was lying on my bed feeling very proud of myself because I was finished my "run" by 5pm (new job - wicked hours). It is now 6:30 pm (the time I was suppose to start running) and it is pouring like crazy outside, torrential downpour, flash flooding, type of rain. Poor running group, there is no lightning, so they are running outside in this weather. Sucks to be them.

You know it's bad when. . .

I saw this on a recent job ad for a HR position for a large insurance company. This point really spoke to me. . .

. Ability to think intuitively as well as pragmatically (comfort in dealing with shades of gray)

At least they are honest about the essential duties of the job!

Something Different

I bought two Audiobooks for my iPod – ok really it’s for me to listen to on my iPod. This is a new thing for me, as I am an avid reader, but I prefer holding and reading books and I have never listened to a book on tape before. I figure listening to an audiobook is similar to being read to but different, because you don’t know the narrator. I haven’t had someone read to me since I was able to read myself (not counting teachers who taught by reading from the text word for word, oh the joy). Why the change you ask? Well I could say it’s because I am planning for the future, what if (heaven forbid) I lose my sight? I would want to be able to still enjoy books! But really it’s because I was browsing a website of a favourite author of mine and discovered that she was offering a free audiobook of something I had never read before. And since I am totally down with free books, I signed up with Audible and “purchased” my first even audiobook.After that “buy” I got the shopping bug (I must have realized internally that I had received my tax refund – which I did!) So I started browsing iTunes and I decided to buy Oprah’s latest book club selection as an audiobook – because I really have a hard time reading self-help, I just find them repetitive after the first. You know the one I’m talking about,“A New Earth…Finding your life’s true purpose” or something like that. I Have a feeling it will be difficult to listen to, but I am determined to become self actualized before I become 30! I’ll let you know how it goes and I’m serious this time, not like past promises – I am starting with the free short novel first before I begin my journey toward self-actualization.The novel is good so far – the narrator is alright, but sometimes I find the voices she uses annoying and her inflection is different from how I would do it (in my own head if I were reading the book) which puts emphasis on things that I don’t necessarily agree with. It will be interesting to hear how someone else describes the naughty bits! I wonder how someone becomes a book narrator? I think I would like that job – you would always have the newest books out first and you would be paid to read them, sounds like a sweet gig to me :)

See ya later Shoppers, we’ve had a great run

Rexall has moved into place as my new favourite place to pick up snacks (i.e. things I don’t need, and add un needed inches to my core area). I have had a long time obsession will gummy candies, but my all time favourite is the Jolly Rancher Gummies. I don’t know what it is about it, but putting jolly rancher flavours in the gummy format was a stroke of genius, rivalled only to Reeses peanut butter cups and the invention of the home computer. I stumbled upon this candy snack a couple of years ago (the reason why I am now struggling to lose the last 20 pounds, but I digress). I purchase my fix from Shoppers Drug Mart, but then a couple of years ago they stopped selling them. I was convinced that the Jolly Rancher company has stopped making them, and had half a mind to write a strongly worded letter telling them the error of their ways. Thankfully I never put my thought into action, because today I visited the Rexall Drug Mart and low and behold, not only did they have Jolly Rancher Gummies, but they were also selling 100 calorie Reeses Peanut Butter Wafer Chocolate Bars – Booyah! It was a Ah Ha moment for me, and now Rexall is my new Drug Mart of choice :)

It’s sad when that “Ah Ha” moment was the highlight of my month so far, so sad, but very true.

What NOT to do when bored

I was watching “The View” the other day – not something I normally do, butI was home during the day and I didn’t have anything else to watch.Anyways, it was a repeat from November I think and Whoopi, Joy, Sherri andBarbara were on the panel doing hot topics. They were talking about howBarack Obama revealed in one of his earlier books that he had experimentedwith drugs and Barbara was arguing that he should’ve kept quiet because it“sets a bad example for the children.” When I heard her say that I waslike, what planet is she from?? Puh-leeze, this is a man who is running forPresident of the United States! If he hadn’t revealed that information hewould be defending himself like President Clinton, coming up with somesorry excuse that he, “didn’t inhale” and we all know that is a bunch ofmalarkey. Barack had to disclose that information in his way to negate hisopposition from using it against him during his campaign and twisting it tomake him seem like some druggie or something. Anyways, I quickly gotannoyed with The View and turned off the TV - b/c no TV at all is betterthan wasting my time watching “The View”.

News Clips

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you had a great holiday season. Mine went surprisingly well; though I never got around to re-organizing my room (I know this is an ongoing project/problem for me). I was hugely resentful that I had to return to work on Wednesday (I had been off from December 24 to 31 inclusive); because it was FREEZING on Wednesday and Thursday and why did I have to go back to work??? I eventually “sucked it up” and started the countdown until the weekend – and let me tell you it has been the LONGEST 3 working days of my entire life!!!! But enough of my complaining, I saw these news stories and I had to share. The first one is sad but funny, and the second is just plain funny – it’s my Christmas gift to you – so you can’t return it!

Malingering, Japanese-style

TOKYO – A Japanese police officer, exhausted by working long hours and weekends, stabbed himself in the stomach with a knife to get some time off, local police have disclosed.

The 44-year-old officer knifed himself at his home, but told police he had been attacked, prompting an attempted murder investigation. However, investigators became suspicious of his story after they could not find evidence of anyone who matched the description of the supposed attacker.

The officer, whose name was not released by police, had been in charge of a disaster relief detail that worked for two months following an earthquake. "He became very busy, he felt like he couldn't handle the work he had to do, and that the work was weighing him down," said a police spokesman.

Japanese workers often face long overtime hours and weekends with little or no compensation and frequently must make long commutes to work. Death from overwork, known as "karoshi," has steadily increased since the Health Ministry first recognized the phenomenon in 1987.

Firefighters get high on the job

EDINBURG, Texas – When a warehouse containing more than 900 kilograms of marijuana went up in smoke, firefighters spent half an hour battling the blaze. It took more than 35 firefighters, and almost 4,000 litres of water, to douse the flames.

No one was injured, but there were unexpected complications. Almost three dozen firefighters were exposed to so much marijuana smoke, Fire Chief Shawn Snider reported, that they would not have been able to pass a drug test, despite wearing air packs to prevent them from inhaling toxic or hazardous fumes.

U.S. Immigration and Customs agents are investigating the origin of the drugs.

30 more minutes

I am about to begin my longest break from work since I started here (November 2006 was my start date) and I am sooo excited. I am not coming back to work again until January 2 – WOOHOO!!! I really don’t have any plans, I’m just hanging out at home, sleeping in late, possibly going to the gym and generally vegging – Hallelujah. Is it bad that I am this excited?