I've lived in apartment buildings for about four and a half years. Some were good, some were bad, and some are horrible.
I am a bit scandalous, and have kept my three lovely felines under the radar with each apartment. Really? What are they honestly going to do? I know my ladies, and they aren't going to ruin anything that a bit of paint cannot fix. And to be honest, I am not dishing out a deposit of $250 per animal. No thank you.
I enjoy apartment dwelling for several reasons: 1. I am never scared to be alone at home, because I know there are literally people all around me. 2. Whenever something goes wrong, I do not have to pay anyone to fix it because the landlord comes and deals with it. anddd 3. I do not have a full on yard to maintain. ie. mowing the lawn.
Now for the cons. I can take the constant stampede of elephants that takes place every day above me. That's one of the sacrifices I am forced to just deal with. However, I cannot take the idiots that decided to rent two apartments, one on top of the other. Unfortunately for us, our bedroom is right beside one of two stair wells.. and what do these two-apartment renters do? Run back and forth from one apartment to the other at ALL hours off the night, while slamming doors and mosh pitting down the stairs. Not to mention their kids that are still awake at 12:30am?!, that run up and down the hallway screaming. Have some freakin' common courtesy!
I cannot tell you how many times I have violently opened my door and told them to calm the hell down, and to also remind them that there are several other people who live in this apartment complex.. you know, just in case they have forgotten.
It has come to the point now where I almost beg the hubby if we could just buy a house. Of course this is out of the question with my pending tuition of $210,000, and even just deciding to buy a town house in this city could end up costing us upwards of $400,000. Yikes.
Bottom line, I just cannot take it anymore.
But lets be honest? What can we seriously do? We could call the landlord, but really, all the landlord would do is talk to the noisy buggers and tell them to keep it down.. which I know would just go in one ear and out the other. Another option? When they are all snug in their beds, I could get up at 5am and run a marathon up and down the stairs too. Perhaps that would teach them.
So for now, I guess all I can do is just deal with it. Even though I am losing countless hours of sleep per night and waking up at 2am wondering, "what the bloddy H just woke me up?"
Until next time..
Friday, July 15, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Broken
Although I would say that I turned out successful and full of determination, and that my situation.. well our situation.. was probably for the best, divorce in a family is probably one of the worst things that has ever happened to me. It will always affect me. My Dad always tells me to not dwell in the past, and I do believe I get my optimistic outlook on life from him. However, when dealing with a situation like divorce, it's hard to ultimately "get over it".
Now, I should start off saying that my parents were never actually married. There was an engagement, but that is as far as it went. My parents are two very different people with two very different outlooks on life. They both had different goals and different dreams. It was inevitable that things would never work out. But I tend to still call it a "divorce," because really, it still was a splitting of a couple once in love.
At a young age, I knew way too much about custody battles than any child should have ever known about.. really, no child should ever even know about it. I knew that mom had one house, and dad had another, and that mom had us on week days and dad had us on weekends.
In grade one, we used to sit around the chalk board with big fluffy pillows and share events with our fellow class mates. I remember that I used to always lie and say that my parents were finally going to get back together and get married. It breaks my heart to remember this deliberate lie.. or more so a dream. Here was a young girl, who's only wish in the world was to have a "normal" family.
Even today, at 22, I am still affected by this splitting. My mother is married to her husband, and my father is engaged and set to get married next year. My aching thought is always, "why couldn't they have been married." It always will be.
I have always promised myself that I will never do this to my own future children. Divorce really does have an impact on children and it forces them to grow up too fast at too young of an age. A child should not have to know that, "this is mom's house and this is dad's house." Children should not see their parents feuding over vacations and holidays, and have, in the end, them be divided between two families. Too much thought goes into what is best for the parents, instead of what should be the most important thought: what is best for the child.
This is a very hard topic for me to talk about. There is so much that I want to say, but I don't want to say too much. My parents are both wonderful people. They have both taught me lessons on their own that they couldn't have done together: My father has taught me how to stand up for myself, how to be giving without expecting anything in return, and how to properly deal with certain situations; my mother has taught me how to be a strong, independent woman, how to do things without being told, and how to be kind and loving.
I am fortunate to still have fond memories of when they still were happy and together. I remember several of our family camping trips, as well as frequent road trips. I can remember laughter and smiles and compromise. My youngest sister, however, is less fortunate in these memories, and I know that it truly saddens her. Something that I will always be grateful for, is that my Dad always had his video recorder attached to his hip. He would record everything. From time to time, I like to relive those memories and watch hours of footage. It makes me sad, and happy all at the same time.
My Dad once told me that a divorce or break up is almost like a death: we will always mourn the previous union. This statement has always been true to me, because honestly, divorce is like a death; divorce is a death of a bond between two people that, in most cases, will never reconnect.
My wish by telling this story, is that people will take this to heart. I hope that anyone facing a divorce or separation with children involved will remember what is most important: the children. Remember that we are the symbol of your love for one another, even if that love has vanished.
Until next time..
Now, I should start off saying that my parents were never actually married. There was an engagement, but that is as far as it went. My parents are two very different people with two very different outlooks on life. They both had different goals and different dreams. It was inevitable that things would never work out. But I tend to still call it a "divorce," because really, it still was a splitting of a couple once in love.
At a young age, I knew way too much about custody battles than any child should have ever known about.. really, no child should ever even know about it. I knew that mom had one house, and dad had another, and that mom had us on week days and dad had us on weekends.
In grade one, we used to sit around the chalk board with big fluffy pillows and share events with our fellow class mates. I remember that I used to always lie and say that my parents were finally going to get back together and get married. It breaks my heart to remember this deliberate lie.. or more so a dream. Here was a young girl, who's only wish in the world was to have a "normal" family.
Even today, at 22, I am still affected by this splitting. My mother is married to her husband, and my father is engaged and set to get married next year. My aching thought is always, "why couldn't they have been married." It always will be.
I have always promised myself that I will never do this to my own future children. Divorce really does have an impact on children and it forces them to grow up too fast at too young of an age. A child should not have to know that, "this is mom's house and this is dad's house." Children should not see their parents feuding over vacations and holidays, and have, in the end, them be divided between two families. Too much thought goes into what is best for the parents, instead of what should be the most important thought: what is best for the child.
This is a very hard topic for me to talk about. There is so much that I want to say, but I don't want to say too much. My parents are both wonderful people. They have both taught me lessons on their own that they couldn't have done together: My father has taught me how to stand up for myself, how to be giving without expecting anything in return, and how to properly deal with certain situations; my mother has taught me how to be a strong, independent woman, how to do things without being told, and how to be kind and loving.
I am fortunate to still have fond memories of when they still were happy and together. I remember several of our family camping trips, as well as frequent road trips. I can remember laughter and smiles and compromise. My youngest sister, however, is less fortunate in these memories, and I know that it truly saddens her. Something that I will always be grateful for, is that my Dad always had his video recorder attached to his hip. He would record everything. From time to time, I like to relive those memories and watch hours of footage. It makes me sad, and happy all at the same time.
My Dad once told me that a divorce or break up is almost like a death: we will always mourn the previous union. This statement has always been true to me, because honestly, divorce is like a death; divorce is a death of a bond between two people that, in most cases, will never reconnect.
My wish by telling this story, is that people will take this to heart. I hope that anyone facing a divorce or separation with children involved will remember what is most important: the children. Remember that we are the symbol of your love for one another, even if that love has vanished.
Until next time..
Sunday, May 15, 2011
For you, Mom
This post is a tad late; however, it's better than never.
My mom is one of the most strongest women I have ever known. In a house with three daughters, my mom did it all by herself. She was provider, comforter, teacher, and encourager - just to name a few. Life wasn't always roses and butterflies, but she made it work, and in the end I would say that she raised us all in the direct reflection of herself, and that makes for three wonderful women.
I admire my mom for several reasons. She worked shift work at the local mill, which consisted of her operating heavy machinery - a crane to be exact. She would wear her steel toed boots and green hard hat everyday. Something that always amazed me was that she would never sleep in on her days off, or even in between shifts.. there was just too much to do - pay bills, chop firewood, shovel the driveway, maintain a garden, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, clean the house, and run daily errands which would consist of checking the mail and grocery shopping. And even after all of this, she would still manage to make all the meals. Ohhh the meals! Mom never skimmed out on the yummness factor. She would make good old southern classic meals: fried chicken, shorthorns, soups, beans and cornbread, lasagna, hamburger casserole, the list goes on!
My mom is a man and a woman in one.. in a good way. She is strong when she needs to be, yet soft, caring and kind when we needed her. Our house was not always clean, but it was comfortable - it was a home. Mom is an avid antique collector.. and boy, do I mean AVID. Her house is creatively decorated from floor to ceiling with not an inch to spare. Everything could tell a story. Although the majority of the antiques came from yard sales, a lot were handed down to her from my great grandma - a diploma that hangs in the hallway, and my most favorite and treasured piece, a pink light fixture that lights my mom's room via dimmer switch.
Mom's style always makes me smile; she really is a romantic at heart. Her bathroom was designed to a T in lovely shades of pinks and greens - her two favorite colors. She accented it with porcelain angels and soft laces. And the focal point is her claw footed tub.. in no other color than pink! I should also mention that her house, built many, many years ago is also painted pink and surrounded by a white picket fence.
Even when mom would have to work the night shift at the mill, she would still take the time to do her hair and put on her makeup. She always looked beautiful, even if she was only rocking blue jeans and a red plaid coat with holes.. and she would always wear earrings, no matter what, whether it be simple studs or daring hoops - she always dressed for a purpose.
Growing up I did not notice what all this wonderful woman had done for us. This was our normal. I never knew what it was like to grow up in a two parent home with both parties contributing equally. And you know what? I would not have had it any other way. This wonderful woman taught me so many valuable lessons that I could not have learned if our situation would have been different. Thanks to her, I cannot only chop wood like a super woman, but I can think independently, cook up a storm, change a tire and love with all my heart. She gave so much for her three girls, and for that, I am forever grateful. My mom is hands down the best woman on this earth!
My mom is one of the most strongest women I have ever known. In a house with three daughters, my mom did it all by herself. She was provider, comforter, teacher, and encourager - just to name a few. Life wasn't always roses and butterflies, but she made it work, and in the end I would say that she raised us all in the direct reflection of herself, and that makes for three wonderful women.
I admire my mom for several reasons. She worked shift work at the local mill, which consisted of her operating heavy machinery - a crane to be exact. She would wear her steel toed boots and green hard hat everyday. Something that always amazed me was that she would never sleep in on her days off, or even in between shifts.. there was just too much to do - pay bills, chop firewood, shovel the driveway, maintain a garden, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, clean the house, and run daily errands which would consist of checking the mail and grocery shopping. And even after all of this, she would still manage to make all the meals. Ohhh the meals! Mom never skimmed out on the yummness factor. She would make good old southern classic meals: fried chicken, shorthorns, soups, beans and cornbread, lasagna, hamburger casserole, the list goes on!
My mom is a man and a woman in one.. in a good way. She is strong when she needs to be, yet soft, caring and kind when we needed her. Our house was not always clean, but it was comfortable - it was a home. Mom is an avid antique collector.. and boy, do I mean AVID. Her house is creatively decorated from floor to ceiling with not an inch to spare. Everything could tell a story. Although the majority of the antiques came from yard sales, a lot were handed down to her from my great grandma - a diploma that hangs in the hallway, and my most favorite and treasured piece, a pink light fixture that lights my mom's room via dimmer switch.
Mom's style always makes me smile; she really is a romantic at heart. Her bathroom was designed to a T in lovely shades of pinks and greens - her two favorite colors. She accented it with porcelain angels and soft laces. And the focal point is her claw footed tub.. in no other color than pink! I should also mention that her house, built many, many years ago is also painted pink and surrounded by a white picket fence.
Even when mom would have to work the night shift at the mill, she would still take the time to do her hair and put on her makeup. She always looked beautiful, even if she was only rocking blue jeans and a red plaid coat with holes.. and she would always wear earrings, no matter what, whether it be simple studs or daring hoops - she always dressed for a purpose.
Growing up I did not notice what all this wonderful woman had done for us. This was our normal. I never knew what it was like to grow up in a two parent home with both parties contributing equally. And you know what? I would not have had it any other way. This wonderful woman taught me so many valuable lessons that I could not have learned if our situation would have been different. Thanks to her, I cannot only chop wood like a super woman, but I can think independently, cook up a storm, change a tire and love with all my heart. She gave so much for her three girls, and for that, I am forever grateful. My mom is hands down the best woman on this earth!
Love you! xx
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Fabulous
Did you hear the news?
THE CANUCKS ARE HEADED TO ROUND TWO!
..Just thought I would share that little tid bit of information :)
THE CANUCKS ARE HEADED TO ROUND TWO!
..Just thought I would share that little tid bit of information :)
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| Image via Google |
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
On the Right Path
Over, exactly, the past 15 months, I have been a full time, hard core student.
I am now DONE.
Let the choir sing "hallelujah".
I have been done for one week, and the weird part? I already miss it. Such an odd realization considering I despised high school and every little detail that went along with it.
I have become such a school addict now. I cannot seem to get enough of it. I love learning, and man, have I learned a lot the last year and a bit. One thing I did realize though, was that I do not like.. and I repeat, do NOT like Psychology. Okay, okay.. I know that you all are saying "but Psychology is sooo interesting". When was the last time you have taken it? Sure, some aspects of it are interesting, but the history behind it is so mind numbingly b-o-r-i-n-g. But, with that bit aside, I had an overall good term.
I am more than ready to start my program. I have been searching and searching for schools to apply to, and have decided that I want to stick to schools in BC. There are a total of about six schools - three in the lower mainland, two on the island and one in the Cariboo. I plan on applying to every one of them with the hopes that one of them will decide that they love me.. minus one in the lower mainland, which just so happens to be a private school, and wants $50,000 to complete the program, whereas it is normally $25,000 in a "regular" school. Bunch of scam artists.
Ideally, I would like to get accepted into the college that I am currently attending, but I have to keep my options open. I have attended the dental hygiene seminar that my college offers twice, annually, and I am seriously like a child in a candy store. I swoon over the x-ray equipment and all of the instruments. I cannot wait. Such a fascinating field I am headed into. I am so glad that my career choice will be something that I love doing. I couldn't imagine doing what so many people do - working jobs that they hate.. and that's exactly what they become - jobs.
Life is just too short to settle for something less than perfect, and I have come to realize this more and more with each passing year. It really is amazing how short life is. It's funny to think back to when I was a kid, when I thought that I would never grow up and that my parents were crazy and had no idea what they were talking about. How naive I was.
I hope to live out every single one of my dreams, and I am on the right path. Life truly is a gift.. that is why they call in the present.
Until next time..
I am now DONE.
Let the choir sing "hallelujah".
I have been done for one week, and the weird part? I already miss it. Such an odd realization considering I despised high school and every little detail that went along with it.
I have become such a school addict now. I cannot seem to get enough of it. I love learning, and man, have I learned a lot the last year and a bit. One thing I did realize though, was that I do not like.. and I repeat, do NOT like Psychology. Okay, okay.. I know that you all are saying "but Psychology is sooo interesting". When was the last time you have taken it? Sure, some aspects of it are interesting, but the history behind it is so mind numbingly b-o-r-i-n-g. But, with that bit aside, I had an overall good term.
I am more than ready to start my program. I have been searching and searching for schools to apply to, and have decided that I want to stick to schools in BC. There are a total of about six schools - three in the lower mainland, two on the island and one in the Cariboo. I plan on applying to every one of them with the hopes that one of them will decide that they love me.. minus one in the lower mainland, which just so happens to be a private school, and wants $50,000 to complete the program, whereas it is normally $25,000 in a "regular" school. Bunch of scam artists.
Ideally, I would like to get accepted into the college that I am currently attending, but I have to keep my options open. I have attended the dental hygiene seminar that my college offers twice, annually, and I am seriously like a child in a candy store. I swoon over the x-ray equipment and all of the instruments. I cannot wait. Such a fascinating field I am headed into. I am so glad that my career choice will be something that I love doing. I couldn't imagine doing what so many people do - working jobs that they hate.. and that's exactly what they become - jobs.
Life is just too short to settle for something less than perfect, and I have come to realize this more and more with each passing year. It really is amazing how short life is. It's funny to think back to when I was a kid, when I thought that I would never grow up and that my parents were crazy and had no idea what they were talking about. How naive I was.
I hope to live out every single one of my dreams, and I am on the right path. Life truly is a gift.. that is why they call in the present.
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| Image via Google |
Until next time..
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Outraged
Today while on my way to class, I get off the bus and make my way to the sky train station.
There are the usual "paper boys" there handing out newspapers.
I don't normally get a paper, because frankly I think that it is just promoting litter to be strewn all over the streets in this city, but today I decided to grab one.
I turn to the first page in the paper only to find an article titled, "Dead dog found inside ice block". I am immediately outraged and ready to take a bus to this northern BC town to "take care" of whoever is responsible for this absolute horrific doing.
You can read the article here. I warn you to take caution though, because this article contains graphic content, and it isn't for the faint at heart.
I am so sick of hearing about stories like this. What makes me even more sick is when people claim, "It's just a dog" ... Well according to me, then "you" are just a human. Really. What makes people think that they are better than any other animal on this planet?
Officials need to do a better job to track down the people that commit these crimes. And once they are caught, they need to be given a much more harsher sentence. Why are these disgraces of people only getting a slap on the wrist? If it were up to me (which it should be) I would sentence them to the same treatment that they bestowed upon these animals. These crimes should be treated as homicides.. as murders. There is no reason that they shouldn't be treated this way. How is this any different than killing another human?
Call me insensitive to my own species, but I hate all of them.. okay, perhaps that is a bit harsh. Not all people obviously, but ones who are so messed up in the head that they commit these sorts of crimes. I hope their mothers are proud of themselves for raising such "wonderful" people.
Until next time..
There are the usual "paper boys" there handing out newspapers.
I don't normally get a paper, because frankly I think that it is just promoting litter to be strewn all over the streets in this city, but today I decided to grab one.
I turn to the first page in the paper only to find an article titled, "Dead dog found inside ice block". I am immediately outraged and ready to take a bus to this northern BC town to "take care" of whoever is responsible for this absolute horrific doing.
You can read the article here. I warn you to take caution though, because this article contains graphic content, and it isn't for the faint at heart.
I am so sick of hearing about stories like this. What makes me even more sick is when people claim, "It's just a dog" ... Well according to me, then "you" are just a human. Really. What makes people think that they are better than any other animal on this planet?
Officials need to do a better job to track down the people that commit these crimes. And once they are caught, they need to be given a much more harsher sentence. Why are these disgraces of people only getting a slap on the wrist? If it were up to me (which it should be) I would sentence them to the same treatment that they bestowed upon these animals. These crimes should be treated as homicides.. as murders. There is no reason that they shouldn't be treated this way. How is this any different than killing another human?
Call me insensitive to my own species, but I hate all of them.. okay, perhaps that is a bit harsh. Not all people obviously, but ones who are so messed up in the head that they commit these sorts of crimes. I hope their mothers are proud of themselves for raising such "wonderful" people.
Until next time..
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Be extra, extra, extra cautious!
Being a student doesn't allow for too many work hours during the week, so you can imagine that my funds are limited when it comes to buying gifts.. especially during the Christmas season.
I wanted to get my hubby something extra special this past season because of everything he had done for me in the 2010 year.
I decided on an ipod because his mp3 player.. well mine that he was using.. was starting to die, and the storage capacity just wasn't cutting it.
Sooo, after much shopping, both online and off, I chose one that was being sold on eBay. Bad idea.
I received the ipod in the mail within 2 weeks of my purchase. I was so proud of myself for coming up with this genius gift idea that hubby had absolutely NO clue about. So, you can imagine my disappointment.. okay more like imgoingtofreakinkillthosemofos when I open up the package only to find a friggen FAKE ipod. Grrr. Seriously, if the purchase is too good to be true, then it most likely is.
You can watch my video of this fony baloney music device below:
As the video states, I was able to get my money back. However, I had to go through a lengthy 51 days of running around getting evidence that it was indeed a fake. This involved going to an actual Apple store and getting them to provide me with documentation stating that it wasn't a legitimate product. Thank goodness I live in a city where there are Apple stores on every corner of every street. I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I finally got my money back this morning. The final thing I had to do was destroy and dispose of the "ipod". Since I didn't want this thing to cause anymore damage than it already had, I took it to it's final resting place at the recycling depot.. after smashing it's ugly fake face in of course!
I just wanted to throw a "heads up" out there. You really can't trust anyone out there anymore. This is such a shame, because these scam artists take advantage of honest people like you and me. And they are seriously everywhere.
For example:
I was recently informed that an UGG website I was looking at to get.. well what else would I be getting from there? ..was a fraud website that sells cheap knock offs, and if caught up in this scam, there is no way to get your money back.
I just shake my head in disbelief.
So take extra, extra, extra caution while shopping online, and if you do get caught up in a scam, do everything in your power to expose and destroy them. Let's not let these losers get the best of us and our hard earned, honest money.
PS. I was still able to get hubby a REAL ipod for Christmas! Only the second time around, I went directly to the Apple store. Lesson learned.
Until next time..
I wanted to get my hubby something extra special this past season because of everything he had done for me in the 2010 year.
I decided on an ipod because his mp3 player.. well mine that he was using.. was starting to die, and the storage capacity just wasn't cutting it.
Sooo, after much shopping, both online and off, I chose one that was being sold on eBay. Bad idea.
I received the ipod in the mail within 2 weeks of my purchase. I was so proud of myself for coming up with this genius gift idea that hubby had absolutely NO clue about. So, you can imagine my disappointment.. okay more like imgoingtofreakinkillthosemofos when I open up the package only to find a friggen FAKE ipod. Grrr. Seriously, if the purchase is too good to be true, then it most likely is.
You can watch my video of this fony baloney music device below:
As the video states, I was able to get my money back. However, I had to go through a lengthy 51 days of running around getting evidence that it was indeed a fake. This involved going to an actual Apple store and getting them to provide me with documentation stating that it wasn't a legitimate product. Thank goodness I live in a city where there are Apple stores on every corner of every street. I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I finally got my money back this morning. The final thing I had to do was destroy and dispose of the "ipod". Since I didn't want this thing to cause anymore damage than it already had, I took it to it's final resting place at the recycling depot.. after smashing it's ugly fake face in of course!
I just wanted to throw a "heads up" out there. You really can't trust anyone out there anymore. This is such a shame, because these scam artists take advantage of honest people like you and me. And they are seriously everywhere.
For example:
I was recently informed that an UGG website I was looking at to get.. well what else would I be getting from there? ..was a fraud website that sells cheap knock offs, and if caught up in this scam, there is no way to get your money back.
I just shake my head in disbelief.
So take extra, extra, extra caution while shopping online, and if you do get caught up in a scam, do everything in your power to expose and destroy them. Let's not let these losers get the best of us and our hard earned, honest money.
PS. I was still able to get hubby a REAL ipod for Christmas! Only the second time around, I went directly to the Apple store. Lesson learned.
Until next time..
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