I need a break from life.

Oh my word, it has been a long time. I'm so sorry. If I had some sort of device that lets me transcribe what I think into my computer, that would be great. As it is, whatever I want to talk about normally comes to me when I'm trying to get some sleep..


Anyway, let's talk about why my day has sucked. =D

I've been battling a cold for the past week. I had it during Christmas, and because it's been non-stop activities, I have not had much of a chance to recover. Either I was celebrating Christmas on the weekend, or I've been working. Yesterday I finally had a day to rest, so I spent it with my boyfriend, sitting on his couch playing video games, and later up at a friend's house playing Magic. Nothing too strenuous. But I woke up this morning, and I actually felt worse.

Not because my cold had gotten worse. It was pretty much the same, maybe slightly better because my nose wasn't dripping like a faucet. What made it worse was that my left eye was almost glued closed because of gunk that had formed on it over night. And why was it so gunky? Because my eye was very red. I'm pretty sure I have pink eye, but I can't call in sick to work, because the next few days are very important for my training as manager. So I spent the day wanting to claw my eye out, but not being able to touch it. My hands are dry from the amount of hand sanitizer I've been using, and I found out that apparently the two weeks between Christmas and the first week of January are a holiday, because all the walk in clinics are closed 'for the holidays'. If that's the case, I expect to be paid holiday hours for every day I've worked. I don't know what goes through the minds of the people that make those choices. Do they expect that people won't get hurt just because it's Christmas?Do they think that they're not an essential service? Just about every other place is open regular hours, and most of them are not even important. The only clinic that I even had a chance of getting to was the one inside of Wal-Mart, which said that they were open until 6. Well normally they are, but when I got there, their 'holiday' hours were 9-4. I work 9:45 to 4 today and tomorrow. So good try guys, but you're still useless.

And to top it all off, when I finally got home from work, I tried opening the front door with the only finger I had available after carrying all my bags and holding my keys. But my thumb slipped, and instead I rammed my nail into the door handle and ripped it into the skin. It doesn't even look that bad, but dang, the thumb hold a lot of blood, and a lot of nerves, because that hurt, and now it's throbbing, and I keep finding blood on my hands, even though I have a bandage on my thumb.

Can this whole year just be over yet? I need to start fresh.

Who Goes Shopping on Thanksgiving

Hey, long time no see! Sorry for the long absence. I haven't been feeling like writing about myself lately, and now that school has started, I've been focusing a lot on writing for class.

Anyway, the reason why I'm back is because I have to rant. This weekend is Thanksgiving up in Canada. I accidentally took the wrong weekend off (I could have sworn that my dad said the 22nd...), so I had to scramble to get enough time off to join my family on the Island with the rest of my extended family. We decided this year that we would get together for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas, so going to this get together was pretty important for me. My coworkers were great, and I was able to get off of work at 1:30 on Saturday to try and catch a 3:00 ferry. So I rushed out of work as soon as I got off, and everything was going pretty smooth. My boyfriend and I were about ten minutes away from the park and ride for the ferries, with half an hour to spare, so I was pretty confident that we would make it.

But of course, we got stuck up in traffic. I kind of expected some, because we reached a section of the freeway that had a light on it. However, we were stuck in traffic for the whole half hour. All because of a mall that recently opened up.

Normally a mall wouldn't be too much of an issue. But three incredibly stupid decisions on the mall's part caused me to miss the ferry. First off, they put the building right next to a busy freeway that leads to a ferry terminal. Second, they opened it up on the week of the long weekend. And third, they only had one entrance/exit open. I keep hearing about how bad the parking lot was, and how aggravated the shoppers were, and I just want to smack them all in the head. Because the shoppers made a choice to go to the mall, and to stay in the lineup, and to try and get a spot. But I didn't have a choice to wait in traffic. I couldn't just wait for the next ferry, because, to top it all off, Saturday was the only day that did not have a 4:00 ferry.

It wasn't even just the stupidity of the mall, but the stupidity of the drivers and shoppers. I was in a lane that was next to the line up for people getting into the parking lot. And several people just stopped because they had got to the front of the line, and now wanted to budge in. And because the people in line didn't want to let anyone in, the people in my lane just sat there. I would have tried to get into the lane on my other side, but by then there were non stop cars that wouldn't let me in. At the time, I thought there was a 4:00 ferry, so once we got through all the traffic I went to the park and ride, which was full, so we went to the ferry terminal parking, bought a 24 hour parking pass, went and bought our ferry tickets. Then realized that it said 5:00, not 4:00... So we got a refund on the ferry tickets, and went home.

I had a very good Pho dinner for Thanksgiving, then snuggled up with my boyfriend and played some video games. I guess it wasn't the worst Thanksgiving, because at least I had my boyfriend, but it would have been nice to be with my family.

And I still blame the mall for 90% of the problem... and myself for booking the wrong weekend off.

I Caved...

So I finally got my new phone after my old one was stolen. Which means I'm back to using a device that can support Pokemon Go. You can probably guess what one of the first things I did was...

First off, I know that there are a bunch of bugs, and even more cheaters. So far I really haven't encountered any of that, except for a few times that the app just stopped working. It's never been an inconvenience, so I'm still happy. I have also never used it while driving, unless I'm in the passenger seat, and while walking, I've tried to stay aware of my surroundings. Just a few quick guidelines for anyone thinking of using it. The app gives you a little notification to remind you of these things, but who pays attention to those?

Alright, so I started playing it yesterday (Wednesday), and I'm already at level 6, halfway to level 7. Unfortunately, my neighbourhood seems to be a dead zone, but the Costco near my house has plenty of pokemon. And I'mm be travelling to school by bus a lot in the fall, so hopefully I'll catch some there. Not to mention that the library at school seems to always have a lure placed. I guess I've found my new hang out spot before class.

So my view on Pokemon Go: It's been a lot of fun. I can see why people get distracted while playing it, especially if they have some sort of lure up. It's better when playing with friends, of course, but also fun to play just while eating lunch, or sitting on the bus. I also love how the Pokestops are small landmarks, ones that would normally get passed by. It's nice that people visiting my city can find these little out-of-the-way art pieces while they wander around.

Rules of the Road (For Idiots)

Alright, let's start this little lesson off with a nice anecdote about how I had a heart attack while driving!

This late afternoon, I was driving to go pick up my boyfriend. To get out of my neighbourhood, I have to drive through a forest area. At one point, there's a path that ends on one side of the road, and continues on the other side. So the city put a crosswalk here. They were even smart enough to put in a stop sign for the crosswalk, so that anyone trying to cross the road has to stop for cars, not the other way around. This is important, because while drivers going North can easily see pedestrians from far away, the drivers going south are blocked by a curve in the road, and do not have as much reaction time. Thus, pedestrians stop for cars.

So I'm driving south, maybe doing 55kpm in a 50kpm zone. I had to slow down because of the curve in the road, but still doing around 50kpm. I get around the corner, and I see a bicyclist on the road. This is normal, I have enough room to get past them. But just as I'm maybe five metres away from the crosswalk, this cyclist suddenly turns to cross the crosswalk. They didn't look behind them, they didn't check for cars, they didn't get off their bike, they didn't see the stop sign for them. I have to slam on the breaks, and luckily the person had seen me and stopped their bike, or else I probably would have hit them. Not hard, I managed to stop barely in the crosswalk, but I definitely would have bumped them over. So they guy gives me a weird look, and I slowly continue to drive. He continued across the crosswalk, still riding his bike (that means he's technically a vehicle).

At this point, I'm angry, but I can continue on this my life. At least I didn't hit him, and the world is all good. I stop at the stop sign at the next intersection, then continue.

And then I hear a siren. I freak out and see a ghost car behind me, so I pull over, thinking that I was going to get in trouble for not letting the cyclist cross before I continued on again.

The police car drives right past me, and zips down the street. I just sat there for a few seconds, until it clicked that I was not being pulled over. Once I was able to breathe again, and my heart started working, I continued on my way.


Moral of the story for everyone:

Drivers: Expect everyone to suddenly pull out in front of you. If there is a cyclist near a crosswalk, at least slow down. They might have no idea what they're doing.

Pedestrians: Please be aware of all cars around you. It is possible for you to have to stop for cars, not the other way around. Even if you normally have the right away, don't think that you're invincible. Make sure that a car will be able to stop for you before you step out onto the street.

Bicyclists: GET OFF YOUR GOD-DAMNED BIKE BEFORE USING A CROSSWALK! If you stay on your bike, you are considered a vehicle, and other vehicles do not need to give you the right away, unless it is deserved, like at a light or a stop sign. Learn to use hand signals, so that other vehicles know that you're planning on turning. Same rules as when you're in a car, but you have to use your hands, not a blinking light (though too few people use that now a days either...) And look before crossing a street. My car is far from being quiet. It is impossible for me to sneak up on anyone. It would be like a toddler in squeaky shoes running up to a shelf of stuffed animals. So there is no reason for you to believe that there could not possibly be any cars on the road.


You know, come to think of it, I don't even know if that cyclist was wearing a helmet.

Adulting is Hard

So last week my wallet was stolen. This week I found out that my dental insurance through school is worse than my dad's. My dad's insurance coverage is famous in my dental office for being the worst that they've seen. And mine is worse than that. For example, my insurance covers one cavity every two years. I normally get at least one cavity every visit, which is (supposed to) be every six months. Okay, I admit, part of that is my fault. I love sugar. I can blame part of it on the dentist though. Twice now they've charged me for a filling that they had to replace because the last one they put in was either 'falling out' or wasn't done properly the first time. And by 'falling out', I mean they had to drill it out of my mouth. Then they charged me the full amount.

So I'm going to have to start declining fillings, because I just cannot pay for them. Not to mention I can't continue to pay for the dentist's mistakes. I also suspect that they messed up the last two fillings that they did, because right after they were done, my teeth were super sensitive. They never felt like that before the fillings, and I've never felt that after any other fillings. So I'm seeing another couple replacement fillings in the future, that I will also have to cover.

Thanks dentist.

Cats are less of an asshole than some people

Never trust anyone! Seriously, lock up everything you own and guard it like a dragon guards a treasure.

I was working today, four hours by myself, as usual. My shift ends and I close up the store. When I'm getting my stuff, I notice that my phone isn't in my bag. No big deal, I probably left it at my boyfriend's house. I would just pop by before heading home. Once I get there, neither of us can find it, so he gives it a call. It's turned off. Which means that it's been stolen. My phone was basically fully charged before I left for work, and I never turn my phone off. But it went straight to voice mail, which means that it's off.

My naive brain thinks 'Dang, I must have left it on the shelf in the backroom, or maybe it fell out of my purse and I didn't notice. I guess I'll have to get it tomorrow.' My boyfriend asked if I still had my wallet. And of course that's gone too. I didn't even notice when I was doing my bag check after work.

Luckily the thief didn't gain more than five dollars, because I had spent all the bills I had until now. I managed to cancel all my cards, and lock my phone, so that asshole won't get more than an old five dollar bill folded into an oragami heart. I hope that makes your pathetic life just a little better.

So yeah... That's what's been up with me lately. My regional manager says that he's doing everything he can to figure out what happened, but I know that there isn't much that can be done. The cameras in the store will tell us about any customers that went near the back room, but it won't show who actually went back there. Tomorrow I'll go to the police and file a report, then work on getting cards, phones and ID's back in order.

Being unlucky is hard work.

Adult Drama

I'm back! Sorry for the break... Again. I have a bit of a rant today.

When I was a kid, my dad would always make sure that I was inclusive. I could never say no to a friend while saying yes to another. This was a bit of a problem, as none of my friends got along with each either. This was mostly because their parents didn't get along, or because they were sister. However, they had to bear it, because for some reason, I was the popular kid in my neighbourhood. If they wanted to play with me, they also had to play with my other friends. And it worked out. They might have fought a bit, but otherwise they acted civil. If something got on the nerves of one of them, they would just leave for a bit, then come back when they calmed down. This was back when I was ten years old.

So you can imagine my annoyance that now, when I'm twenty two, my friends cannot even pretend to get along. Rather than  bearing one person they don't like to be able to hang out with several people that they do like, it's more like 'Oh, that person is invited? I guess I'm not coming then.' This is what I expected in high school. Maybe that's why I didn't have many friends back then. I skipped the drama then, and I'm facing it now.

To be fair, it's only a couple friends. Most of the time, everyone gets along. It's when I introduce some old or newer friends, ones that are not part of the core group, that I seem to have trouble. While I want to make my core group of friends happy, the younger me that was taught to never exclude people screams at me.

Sometimes it's hard being nice.

Inventory

It has been a very busy week. I had to miss two classes this week because of work. On Tuesday we had inventory. I thought we were way over staffed and putting way too much time into inventory. I was wrong. I was definitely wrong. When I did inventory at Starbucks, I did all the counting, and when I became manager, I did the counting of all our ingredients, then the scanning of all our merchandise, then all the computer stuff. And I did this over a couple days, using in total no more than eight hours. At my new job, we were counting stuff over weeks. Just on Tuesday, when we did the main count of everything, it took me nearly half my shift to count two sections, then the rest of my shift to re-count other sections for mistakes. And this was with ten people also counting. There is a lot of stuff... So much stuff.

Anyway, Tuesday was fun. It was a break in routine, and I didn't have to go to class. I was also scheduled for another shift on Thursday, when I normally also have class. Luckily, that class is basically useless, so I was more than happy to work. Apparently in class, everyone had to colour what their writing voice looked like... I didn't miss much.

But the most interesting thing this week was my dream last night. All I can really remember is that I had a kitten, but didn't have a name for it. So my friend in my dream suggested the name soy sauce. It's now official. If I ever have a black cat, it's name is going to be soy sauce.

+1 to Nerd Level

It's my reading break this coming week, and I only have one thing to work on. So I'm relaxing a bit, and that included a two day game-a-thon. It started later on Friday after I got off work, with some Magic. Stayed up a bit too late, and slept in on Saturday. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, got ready and collected my friends, we played a game of Dungeons and Dragons. For the first time.

We suck.

So first off it took us forever to figure out the rules. When we started to play, we deviated from the proper story and forced the brand new Dungeon Master to make stuff up. In this time, he nearly created goblins with over 70 health. We figured out that he was doing it wrong, and beat those things up. Eventually we got back to the proper story line, the one that's in the beginner's guide.

And proceeded to be ambushed and brutally killed by four goblins. Now this could be because there were only three of us playing, and I had to go to the bathroom right before this was happening, so my character was chilling in the caravan. I mean, 'hiding'. I was playing the rogue and was planning on jumping out to surprise these goblins. I surprised one, then proceeded to completely miss... Then get murdered by another goblin...

So that was our first time playing. We probably should have recruited a Dungeon Master who had actually Mastered before... Well, next time. At least I had fun, and would be willing to try again.

Whoops

And I've already broken my New Year Resolution... My bad. I can't even blame it on school. My boyfriend got me into Diablo 3, and it's all I ever want to play now. I mean, school has been giving me a lot of work, but it's been manageable. And it's been a long weekend, but all I've done is play games with my boyfriend and friends... I have horrible time management skills. At least I've learned to work under pressure. Even now I'm procrastinating on doing homework by writing a blog post. At least I'm doing something... Right?

Magic Luck

School is already calming down. For some reason, one of my teachers, which I have for two classes, just decided to pile on the homework in the first class. The second week was pretty relaxed though. My third class hasn't given any real homework yet. The books we need to read for that class can't be found anywhere, so I'm not the only one not doing the readings.

On another subject, I went to a Magic: The Gathering prerelease on Saturday. I pulled a card worth $80. Then another two that combined are at least $20. I only payed about $25 for the prerelease. I'm pretty amazing. But I probably used up all my luck for the rest of the year on those three cards.

I'm Falling Apart

I think I broke my back while sleeping. I woke up Monday barely able to move. I was hunched over like an old granny, and could barely make it up or down the stairs. Thank got for hot water bottles. I'm only twenty two, I swear... But my body may think otherwise. I also have a bad knee.

Anyway, update on school. Holy shit. So much homework. And I'm not in a school mode yet. The first few weeks are always the hardest... But at least I'm not being drowned in hours at work, so I have time to finish my homework... Or procrastinate. That's more like it.

Freedom!

Big News! That I probably should have posted earlier... I got my N! Even bigger news, I got a car!

I lost count of how many times I had to do the N test. It was seven or eight or something stupid like that. I got so used to being failed, that when the person passed me, I was shocked. I don't normally show a lot of appreciation toward strangers, but damn. I wanted to hug that tester so much. The funny thing is, there was one tester who failed me at least twice, maybe more. She came out to call a name, and my stomach dropped. Then she called some guy, and I felt bad for him, but I also felt so happy. And if I had that tester, I probably would have failed, because she would have marked a lot of smaller things down.

As for the car, my sister bought a new one in December, so I got her hand me down. Which was a hand me down from my dad to her. So it's a fairly old car, but it still runs pretty well. In fact, I kind of like it better than my dad's car, because it's so much smaller. I have no idea how he used to drive it though. I struggle getting in an out. But the acceleration is much better, and I feel like I'm more in control. It's completely manual. No power steering, no power windows, no power locks. But when I press the gas or the break, it actually feels like I'm pressing something. In the car I was driving for the past few years, the gas and the break were so touchy, that it felt like it drove itself, which made it feel like I had less control. My current car might take a bit more work to drive, but at least it feels like I'm actually driving it.

Now I just need to wait for my sister to move out, so I can get her spot in the driveway...

Resolutions

It's a Tuesday, so I'm going to try and get back on track with posting. And with it comes with a list of new year resolutions. I don't normally make them, because I know I won't keep them. But this year I'm going to try again!

1) Start reading more. I'm ashamed to say that ever since I got my new phone, one with a touch screen and data, I've been slacking on my reading. I used to read before bed every night, and on the bus when I had a chance. Now I play games. So my first resolution is to pick up the books that I've been ignoring. I know this resolution will be put on hold once in a while because of school, but it's probably the easiest one to keep.

2) Get something published. And to do this, I need to start sending stuff to magazines. And to do that, I need to start editing my work. And to do that, I need to start writing more. The writing will be easy. I need to do it for school anyway. I need to focus on my editing, which I always slack off on. Then I need to send stuff to magazines. I've already started for the year. I sent off a few poems, and last year I even sent off a non-fiction piece to a contest. So maybe this resolution will be finished early.

3) Get back into a regular posting schedule for this blog. Even if it means just posting once a week, as long as it's regular. I stopped posting because of school and the Christmas holiday last year, and school may make it difficult again this year, but I will try!

And I think that's enough for now. I think three is a decent amount of resolutions to keep... right?

Happy New Year!

It's a new year! And I'm sorry for the lack of posts. I lost my laptop for about a week, mostly because of my lack of energy to figure out where my mom put it after cleaning up for Christmas. Work was insane, but a lot of fun. I know some people will think I'm crazy, but I would much rather work in a busy environment, constantly doing something for eight hours, than to be wandering around a nearly empty store for four hours, waiting for something to happen.

Anyway, as I've made it a tradition, here is my year in a list: (Please excuse the outdated terms. I should have had this done earlier this week.)

2015 IS ALMOST OVER, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
Stayed single almost the whole year? Stayed not-single for over a year!
Were involved in something you'll never forget? I became manager for the summer, that was pretty unforgettable. And then got a new job.
Tripped over a coffee table? Yup. The coffee table at my boyfriend's house is very close to the sofa...
Came close to losing your life? Nope, but school starts soon, so we'll see.
Saw one of your favorite bands/artists live? Unfortunately not, but later this year I will hopefully be seeing the Zelda Symphony. That counts, right?
Did something you regret? A few small things, but nothing I can't get over or forget.
2015: Friends and Enemies
Did you meet any new friends this year? Some school people, some work people. Don't know if I would call them friends.
Did you hate anyone? Nah, I'm pretty chill with people. Unless you're a rude customer...
Did you lose any friends? I think I've done pretty well with keeping in touch with people this year.
2015: Your BIRTHDAY!
Did you have a cake? I had a pie. Pie is much better than cake.
Did you get any presents? Of course, and they were all very nice. Lots of socks.
Did you get what you wished for last year? And more. My wishlist was very vague and small...
2015: All about YOU
Did you change at all this year? I got a new job, so I think that allowed me to change. I remembered what it was like to be new, and even though I was very easy on new people at Starbucks, I now understand them even better.
Did you change your style? I pretty much stopped wearing make up and jewelry. I think I'll try to get back into it now, since I'm allowed to wear jewelry at my new job.
Were you in school? Yup. I got an A+ in my fiction class!
Did you get good grades? Whoops, answered that question early. I did really well this past semester, got a few A's, and a B...
Did you drive? I'm still trying to get my L. ICBC must have a 'do not drive' list somewhere in their records, because they really hate me...
Did you own a car? My sister got a new car, so I got her old one. It's not a double hand-me-down. I still can't drive it though.
Did anyone close to you give birth? My friend did! Her baby is very quiet. I will accept it.
Did you go on any vacations? Yup, I was able to travel to Victoria for a few days. It was very relaxing.
Would you change anything about yourself now? I need to get better that not letting customers bully me. But I'm afraid of retaliation from the higher ups if I get too mean... Not that I could...
Did you dye your hair? Yes! The moment I got off from my last shift at Safeway, I went to a friend's house, and she dyed part of my hair bright pink. I need to redo the dye now, but it still looks awesome. 
2015: Wrap UP:
Was 2015 a good year? Definitely. I feel like I'm getting somewhere. I can see the end of school, and work is coming along.
Do you think 2016 will top 2015? It could. Once I get more comfortable at work, I'm sure it'll be great.
Best thing that happened in 2015? I got a new job!
IN THE YEAR 2015 I CONFESS THAT I…
Kissed in the snow? The closest we've come to having snow has been a very thick layer of frost, and I've been sick the whole time that that's been around, so my boyfriend is avoiding my lips...
in the parking lot? at the beach ? in secret ? Parking lot, probably. Beach, Ha! Secret, probably not.
Had your heart broken? Nope, it's been a good year.
Painted a picture? I've done a few painted shirts.
Wrote a poem? So. Much. Poetry. And more to look forward to.
Ran a mile? More like a few metres. I'm so out of shape.
Visited a foreign country? Never even left Canada this year.
Cut in a line of waiting people? I hope not.
Told someone you were busy when you weren't? I was tempted to a few times, but I don't think I did.
Cooked a disastrous meal? Of course!
Lied about how old you were? Nope, never needed to.
Cried yourself to sleep? Only if I'm in pain. 
IN 2015 I….
Broke a promise? Not that I can think of
Lied? Maybe a few white lies...
Disappointed someone close? Probably everyone at Safeway when I quit...
Hid a secret? This is where the not breaking a promise thing comes in. I kept a promise to keep a secret.
Pretended to be happy? Earlier in the year before quitting Starbucks. 
Slept under the stars? Like... camping? Nope
Met someone who changed your life? Not this year
Changed your outlook on life? Most of my 'life-changing' happens for about a day, then I go back to normal.
Sat home all day doing nothing? Yup...
Lost something expensive? I don't have too many expensive things, and I keep them all under a close eye.
Learned something new about yourself? I am good at the manager position that was offered to me. But I was also very bored of it, and needed a change.
Tried something you normally wouldn't try and liked it? A new job...
Made a change in your life? ... A new job...
Found out who your true friends were? I've always known.
Met great people? Of course! I like to think my group of friends has grown. I can count them on two hands now!
Stayed up til sunrise? Just once, maybe... Or it would have been sunrise if it wasn't the middle of winter.
Cried over the silliest thing? Last thing I could remember was a headache like a chisel being pounded into the base of my skull. I don't think that's silly.
Had friends who were drifting away from you? It's sad to say, but yes.
Spent most of your money on food? Actually, it was probably school. Food is a very close second.
Gotten sick? I was sick going into the new year. From a cold, not from alcohol. 
Liked more than 5 people at the same time? Like as a crush or like as a friend? Nay to the former and Yay to the latter.
Became closer with a lot of people? Probably. I have a lot more friends than I did, even last year.