Thursday, February 09, 2012

Pointless

Greetings all,

I have decided to leave my apartment and travel for about 6 weeks. I had originally planned to go to school part-time in May but am changing it to full time since I got laid off from my job.

I told my mom my plans to travel and this upsets her. I spend, what I think is a ridiculous amount on rent. Heck, anything over $600 is ridiculous to me because I'm basically giving away money to someone for nothing, just the chance to borrow their space which they get to profit from.

I want to do service work and researched this online. Many companies offer you a volunteer placement but there is some cost involved. Some seem more expensive then others. Cost includes living expenses and food. The companies do make some money from it. I decided I'd rather find my own volunteer placement since I don't want to pay to volunteer.

For me, since I have been out of work and laid off 3 times in the past 4 years I have given up on finding a job. I never could find work this time of year so why waste it being miserable searching? I've learned this from EXPERIENCE. My parents think I should keep trying but it's fruitless. I really truly believe in my heart and mind that I will not find a job this time of year. Maybe when I return in April, I will have better luck in finding something part-time. For me I just feel it would be pointless. My parents have no clue what it's like.

I really think I'll be lucky if I can buy a house at 40 at the way things are going for me. I know I am probably more negative because of my Seasonal Affective Disorder but I just don't know anyone who has been laid off as I have in such a short span. I would be lying if I said this was the last straw. I was only at my job for 5 months and they let people go. This has been too much to bear for me. I have been POOR for 4 years and only able to afford basic living expenses like food and rent.

My mother wants me to see a counsellor but they cost money. My doctor is in Hamilton and I have yet to find a new one because we have a doctor shortage in our country. And if I want to see a counsellor outside my doctor's office I probably will have to pay for it. Our medical system is a joke. I don't support our pharmaceutical approach to medical and yet I have no choice and if I want to use alternative medicine like the orthomolecular or a naturalpathic doctor, I have to pay for one out of my own pocket.

Our country is a joke. The way people organize our country is a joke. The way corporations can screw around its employees is a joke. Life is a joke but the joke is on people like me.

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Men!

Greetings all,

Yesterday someone subscribed to one of my You Tube pages. I was surprised to see that it was the guy from England whom I corresponded with a long time ago, whom I nicknamed The English Muffin.

I currently have a boyfriend (Old Man Winter) of over 5 months. Part of me still missed him and wished that he would send me an email and we could reconcile. Another part of me was trying so hard to forgot about him and wanted to move on.

I was so upset to see him subscribe because to me it meant he wants something from me. He either wants friendship or the pseudo relationship we had.

And I was pissed.

My current boyfriend treats me well. He cooks for me on occasion. He is good in bed. He picks me up at my place because I don't have a car. He walks me to my door. We talk pretty much every day.

The English Muffin. What has he done? He'd make up excuses he was too busy to always talk to me. Yes there was a 5 hour time difference and I could live with the fact that we'd not always get to talk but by the end we were just talking once or twice a week. What's the point of that? I was getting crumbs from him. He wanted me to visit him. Again. I had already went to see him and it was his time. He'd come up with a lame excuse but then I learned later on he went to Vancouver to visit his friend and a year ago started to work in Afghanistan.

Right, like I want that in my life.

I figured because a part of me pined for him, I'd be happy he was reaching out to me but all I feel is anger. He broke my heart and I just won't tolerate it. I don't trust him. He's going to have to do a heck lot more if he even gets the chance to be my friend.

I'm not here for his convenience. I'm not some toy that he can talk to when he's bored and needs a good laugh. We met on eharmony and I was looking for a meaningful, long term relationship. I don't know what he was looking for but I'm just not going to get involved.

I can't believe the nerve of someone, trying to reconcile after 2 years. Get lost I say! Too little, too late. I tried to work things out but all he could do was ignore me. Every time there was conflict, he'd ignore me for months. This was not healthy behaviour.

Relationships are 2 way streets and if you just don't want to do your part, then what's the point? I just won't be involved with someone who just doesn't reciprocate.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

An Update on my Seasonal Affective Disorder

Greetings all,

I've done a bit of experimenting with pills and what not. I have tried Valkee earlier in the season and didn't find it helped. I joined an email group and an online forum for SAD sufferers so that has been helpful.

I got a lux meter to measure the strength of my light box as someone recommended this. I bought one on ebay and there was a delay in the shipping but I received last week and tested out my light box. I never liked my light box and it actually was not testing up to what it was supposed to be. For a light box to be effective, you have to have it emit 10,000 lux. Mine was emitting this, at 5 inches. I sit 20" from it and this was as close as I could comfortably sit from it. I would use it at breakfast so if I had it any closer, it would not be comfortable. At 20" it only emits 4000 lux which means I would have to sit in front of it for an hour to be effective, which clearly is not good. I have stopped using it since I returned from my trip.

Someone else recommended an infrared ceramic heater and just sitting it front of it daily for 20 minutes. They recommended trying an infrared sauna to see if that boosts your mood. I tried infrared saunas years ago and was not sure if it helped my SAD but I did like how saunas help you detox. Years ago I did want a sauna for myself but all I found were wooden ones. I ended up looking at ebay and noticed they had portable saunas so I decided to buy one. I wanted to use it for detox purpose but we'll see if it helps with my SAD. Apparently the infrared produces tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) which is used to make serotonin. I may need to use it daily or every other day but we'll see how it goes. If it doesn't help with the SAD I'll still enjoy it for the detox purpose.

I was using fish oil which I said made me feel good but that only seemed to last for a few days and then I went back to feeling sleepy and tired. I do think I will continue to take fish oil because I don't eat fish and I probably don't get all of my daily omega 3. I bought flax oil but then found out that while it is high in omega 3, not the DHA and EPA of fish oil but of the ALA type. ALA can convert to the other 2 types of omega 3 but it is not efficient about it. I still want to try some flax and see how I like it. I might switch to fish oil pills in the future.

I also take vitamin d but never noticed much. I've considered modifying my diet but I am set in my ways. My dad has diabetes so I think by the time I hit my 40s, I should cut back on sugar but I love chocolate!

I have been experimenting with the supplement 5htp, which is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin. I started to take it when I came back from my vacation and I bought pills that were 100mg. I took it just before bed and I had a hard time waking up at a normal time and would sleep until noon. For me this was not normal since normally I get up by 8.

I thought maybe I need to start at 50mg. After a week, I stopped taking them and then I noticed my sleepiness would return and I would begin to yawn during the day time hours. Many would say that this is common but not for me. And it was numerous yawning and feeling tired. In the spring and summer time, I would be fine in the day and not feel tired. I might feel a bit tired but with SAD, it's more tired and sleep doesn't remedy the situation. I think many people don't get how serious and difficult this is to have. It's chronic tiredness and less energy then the rest of the year. We've all felt tired but usually a good night's sleep does the trick. With SAD it is ongoing.

So I did noticed once I stopped 5htp that it was having an effect on me, but just with some negative side effects i.e. sleeping in. I decided to cut back to 50mg and I still had trouble getting out of bed but not as bad. I decided to take it earlier in the day so that was better for me.

I am glad that 5htp has had a positive effect on my system. Nothing more frustrating then feeling tired for half the year. I will be seeing my doctor next week and tell her what I am doing. I also read that you can slowly increase your dosage. Not sure if I really need to but I guess I can take the full 100mg since my system seems to have adjusted to it.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Hello 2012!

Greetings all,

I think for me the highlight of 2011 was getting rid of my gumball machine business in the fall. It wasn't that I got a job (that ended up terminating at the end of the year) or that I went to Mexico and got my Open Water SCUBA certificate and saw some Mayan Ruins or that I have been dating a man for the past 4 months. I've had this part time business since 2003 and hated the business right away but I stuck it out for years and for probably the past 5 years I've been wanting to sell them and get rid of them.

Getting rid of them and closing this business was the highlight because it was such a burden to be in charge of this business. It wasn't hard to do. It was just a burden mentally because I didn't get out of it what I thought I would and it was hard to get out of it. I couldn't just quit owning these machines because I had them in location and it took effort to find locations and just get started.

I think my dad likes to think I never should have done this but I feel that I learned something from this. I think it helped give me some sense that starting a business requires.

I definitely think I am one of these people that just likes to get things done. I don't want to spend too much time analyzing. I think I learned that the people selling me the machines, obviously want to paint their product in the best light. I didn't make as much money as they said the machines would make but maybe I needed to spend more money in finding the best locations. (I used a locator to find them for me).

I don't think I'd do something like this again but I did think I learned from it so to me it wasn't a wasted venture.

I feel lighter and it's less unwanted baggage. I think once I finish my income tax for last year and finish up with my bookkeeping for the gumballs, that will be the final nail on the coffin.

Down Sized

Greetings all,

Some of us - 3 to be exact - at work were notified back in December that we were being let go and unfortunately I was one of them. This is the 3rd time in 4 years I have been let go from a job because of being downsized. I wasn't happy at first and probably am still not but I've learned to not react and move on. My birthday is this Friday and so this will be my 3rd birthday in 4 years where I have no job. I just don't know anyone that has been laid off as much as me. I seem to have the worst job karma out there it seems!

I actually had booked a vacation to Mexico and they notified us the week before I was going so I didn't appreciate that. I really needed to go on a real vacation so I am glad I went and booked things.

I started updating my Resume so tomorrow I will job hunt. I had planned to go to school part time and I think I will stay with that. I might go full time in the fall.
I was planning to take economics and some math courses but I need to retake calculus so I will have to take some night classes for adults.

I hope 2012 things get better for me. Financially things have been bad for me these past 4 years but I make the best of things.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Tax Refund Spam

Greetings all,

I regularly get spam like everyone else. I have a gmail account so pretty much all spam goes into its own folder which I don't have to deal with. I do review them when deleting them to make sure some legitimate emails do not get put in the wrong folder.

Today I got an email from someone who claimed they were from the Canada Revenue Agency, the taxman for Canadians. It claimed I had a form to fill out so I could get my refund of fifty some odd dollars. I knew it was a scam but filled out the form for fun. Please see below for my response.




To learn more about these scams visit the following links:
http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/canadians-duped-by-tax-refund-scam/108709
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/canadian-tax-refund-scam-emails.shtml

It's pretty sad that there are people out there that try to screw over people and do so with intent.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Direction Whisperer

Greetings all,

I have decided to name myself The Direction Whisperer among my other names such as Meandering Falls, Dances with Ikea Furniture and my favourite Your Royal Awesomeness.

Now there is a reason for why I have chosen to name myself as such.

I have encountered many times in Toronto where people ask me for directions. For whatever reason, people like to approach me and ask for directions. I happen to be good at it since I am geographically inclined and I always keep a compass on me so I always know where magnetic North is. I, by the way, am not a native Torontonian as I am a long time Hamiltonian.

Back in October of this year I had noticed more and more people were coming up to me asking for directions when I would go outside for my breaks at work. I tend to walk around my area as I need to get away from my computer and get somewhat fresher air and exercise. I work in the University and Dundas area.

I would have someone asking me where the Embassy was. I didn't know but I asked for the address and said it was across the street and he found the place.

One week I had up to 4 people asking me for directions. I was walking down to my office and was part of a large crowd of people who just got off the subway and one woman comes from behind me and asks if she was going the right way and I asked for the address and told her where. Another time that week I was just browsing through a store, eating an apple. The clerk didn't want me to dirty clothes so she offered me a tissue. I declined and ended up leaving because I could tell she was paranoid that I'd ruin the clothes, even though I was very careful. I walked around the block and some woman came from a building and asked me which way was Dundas and I pointed to the street and kept on enjoying my apple. If I didn't leave that store at the moment that I did, I never would have been able to give directions to that woman. I am just in tune with those who are lost and directionally challenged and in need of direction.

Even when I didn't know where the place the person was looking for, I happened to be with someone who knew. I was with a co-worker and one day we were going the Market that occurs at City Hall. This person needed to see some doctor on a street I never heard of but my co-worker knew. I was just the conduit that day.

I just decided to simply name myself The Direction Whisperer. I guide the lost and directionally challenged in Toronto and ensure they get to their destination. I humbly embrace my new calling.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Stop Online Spying

Please sign the epetition to stop Online Spying.

The government is trying to push through an anti-Internet set of electronic surveillance laws that will invade your privacy and cost you money. These bills will force every big Internet provider to monitor, record and surrender our personal information to "authorities" without a warrant.

If these bills pass a range of "authorities" will have the ability to invade the private lives of law-abiding Canadians and our families using wired Internet and mobile devices, and the cost of those millions of dollars of spying technology will be passed down to YOU.

This bizarre legislation will create Internet surveillance that is:

Warrantless: A range of "authorities" will have the ability to invade the private lives of law-abiding Canadians and our families using wired Internet and mobile devices, without justification.
Invasive: The laws leave our personal and financial information less secure and more susceptible to cybercrime.
Costly: Internet services providers may be forced to install millions of dollars worth of spying technology and the cost will be passed down to YOU.

If enough of us speak out now the government will have no choice but to stop this mandatory online spying scheme.

If enough of us speak out now the Government will have no choice but to stop this mandatory online spying scheme. Sign the Stop Online Spying petition now.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Goodbye Gumballs!

Greetings all,

I have written a few times about a gumball machine business I owned and that last year I had begun the steps to close it down.

Well this week I officially have put this beast to rest and all I have to do is just put together my final book keeping for income tax purposes for next year.

Last year in August I managed to take out all the machines in Hamilton. I had a few in Burlington and for some reason I thought it was best to find a job and then I can finish with getting the machines out in Burlington.

I got them out a few weekends ago and I thought I should have done this when I had more free time, when I was out of work. It took 2 weekends to sort out everything because I began disassembling the gumball machines the first weekend. I had my parents and brother empty out the sand in the stands as I put sand in them to give it weight. I initially emptied one stand but found it difficult. The sand was damp so my dad thought it would be best to let it air dry so I think it made it easier for my family to empty them.

The following weekend I got the other machines in Burlington out. Altogether I had 17 machines, which means I had 8 missing over the years that I didn't replace since I was no longer interested in the business. I found out that one of the machines I placed in a mechanic shop in Burlington wasn't there so that was annoying. I just don't know why people don't notify you of these things.

I had my mother take the metal portions of the gumball machines to a metal scrap company and I got $47 out of it. I was hoping to scrap my plastic parts and get some money out of it. The globe was made of polycarbonate and the stand was made of polyethelene. I had my mom contact a few places in Hamilton but only one was in business and they don't give money. I called a couple of places in my area and one place said that they only accept plastic at the minimum of 10,000 lbs. My stands weighed 9.3 lbs so the weight in total would be well under 200lb and not accepted.

We decided the best option was to go with the company in Hamilton to dump the scrap. Unfortunately my parent's useless Cadillac would have to make 3 trips to get all the globes and stands out so they got them to pick up the plastic for $15.

I was upset about this because I wanted some money out of the plastic. Maybe I could have called a few more plastic companies but I figure they are all the same.

I was sad about how things turned out. I had a dream that night that a woman was going to start her own gumball machine business and I was giving her advice. I told her it's important to have passion for what you do. I told her that some locations do better then others so if you have one in a poor location, to relocate it and you do better if you were the type of person who didn't mind making cold calls. I had someone find me locations but that cost money. If I were more extroverted, I probably would have made calls but I had alot of fear and lack of skill in this area.

* * *

I also had to put an end to another business endeavor which didn't end favourably for me which I wrote about years ago. In that post I briefly discussed how I purchased those point-of-sale machines back in 2003. The company became public and the monthly money I was getting got converted into shares. I had noticed some time ago that their stock was no longer viewable on the TSX and so I eventually found out that their company was private and that I was forced to cash in my shares. I have to look into this because I didn't know that a public company can become private. I went yesterday to fill out the forms to claim my shares. I won't get much money back. I did all the right things and this was a business that went well until they became public. It's hard to not get upset about the loss. My attempts to improve my life financially didn't seem to go in my favour.

I decided that I'll put whatever money that comes to me from that company into my RSP so that I can use it for a down payment for a house as I have learned that first time home owners can take out money and pay it back in 15 years with no interest.

* * *

I don't know if I'm over these failed business endeavors. I do know that I need to move on and learn from these experiences and hopefully prosper and make better decisions.

Time to Say Good Bye!

Greetings all,

I have been mulling this over in my mind for a while now. I have not been doing stand up comedy very often these past few months, mainly because this year I was stressed about not having work and focusing on that. Once I found a job, I wasn't really doing much shows.

I decided officially it's time to say goodbye to stand up and to improv. I have met many interesting and funny people but I just don't think I have what it takes to become professional, which was something I was hoping for.

A few years ago I kept seeing myself on stage, alone and it took me months before I found the courage to try stand up again. I did stand up at my high school talent show and had a hard time with it, even though I did well. I began doing improv and loved it and it helped me to gain confidence as a performer.

For whatever reason, I just feel like I just don't have what it takes. I realize it takes dedication to become at the level I had envisioned myself at and frankly I just don't think I have that dedication. I don't know if I ever will. I thought comedy was a lover I was devoted to but my experience has made me think otherwise. I am very dedicated to my kundalini yoga and meditation practice so I know I have a capacity for commitment and discipline but right now I cannot devote that attention to it as it was quite hard for me. Some days it's hard and I just think it's time to move on. Maybe in a few years time I'll want to try it again but I have lost all motivation to perform and I'm okay with that.

I have always felt conflicted as a stand up person mainly because improv is my background. I liked being spontaneous in improv but liked that in stand up I could express my own ideas and opinions. Stand up obviously requires good writing skills and an ability to stick to some routine, which for me was hard. I could not reconcile within myself these two components of my personality that I have - the spontaneous performer versus the writing stand up performer. Improv gaves me a certain satisfaction that stand up doesn't provide and vice versa, mainly because they are different forms.

I do believe that if something were meant to happen it will and right now my motivation is not there and I'm okay with that. I have other things that I want to focus my attention on. Comedy, whether through improv, humour columns or stand up has always been a part of my life. It will be sad to not have this in my life but that's how it goes.

Stand up seems very individual driven and I do like that to some degree as that's why I wanted to go back to it after many years of improv experience. It also seems like a hostile environment for women, although there has been a movement towards having more women involved as I took a few workshops just for female performers.

I think I as well had challenges connecting with my audience and rejection is difficult to accept on a regular basis. I don't think I was unfunny but at times I felt like people just didn't get it. I guess this is what doing open mics can do to you because the occasional shows that I did that had a more positive audience and not filled with other comics I felt good about.

Maybe I am an open mic burnout or just had enough of stand up? Who knows but I am done with it in my mind and we'll see if I ever feel drawn to perform again. I do tend to follow my intuition so maybe this is a blessing for me and to take a step back and refocus my priorities.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Winter Time

Greetings all,

I decided to email Old Man Winter last week because I was missing him and seriously wondering if I was being too premature in dumping him. We talked on the phone for a while on Thursday and then went out for dinner on Friday. It looks like we are back together. He does have some traits that I don't particularly care for but at this point it is tolerable. I am not sure where this will go but I will give him a chance and see what happens. I normally don't like to take someone back because people who are on again/off again are annoying.

I've asked myself if I'm just missing him because I miss sex but I don't think so. We spent a significant time not having sex and so I think I actually enjoy his presence and company.

I know I've expressed doubts about this and perhaps it won't work out but I think I have to give this a try and see where it goes.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Greetings all,

After reading about Seasonal Affective Disorder on Wikipedia and talking to a friend who has tried fish oil that contains omega 3, I decided that I would try Fish oil that contains omega 3. The reason being is that I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and according to Wiki:

Winter depression is a common slump in the mood of some inhabitants of most of the Nordic countries. It was first described by the 6th century Goth scholar Jordanes in his Getica wherein he described the inhabitants of Scandza (Scandinavia). Iceland, however, seems to be an exception. A study of more than 2000 people there found the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and seasonal changes in anxiety and depression to be unexpectedly low in both sexes. The study's authors suggested that propensity for SAD may differ due to some genetic factor within the Icelandic population. A study of Canadians of wholly Icelandic descent also showed low levels of SAD. It has more recently been suggested that this may be attributed to the large amount of fish traditionally eaten by Icelandic people, in 2007 about 90 kilograms per person per year as opposed to about 24 kg in the US and Canada, rather than to genetic predisposition; a similar anomaly is noted in Japan, where annual fish consumption in recent years averages about 60 kg per capita. Fish are high in vitamin D. Fish also contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which has been shown to help with a variety of neurological dysfunctions

I've tried various things with little luck. I've taken Vitamin D, I've exercised and I've used a light box. I would still feel tired and my energy low. I didn't have my liveliness either. Considering that I don't eat fish at all as I am a fussy eater. The only fish I eat is a tuna and anchovy spread my mom makes that you use on crackers. And that I eat sporadically. I thought I'd try some fish oil to see if there is any positive effect on my system.

I went to briefly see a Naturopath last week who said that a Homeopathic remedy would be used. I looked into that and found one online which I ordered. If it doesn't help me I will probably see the Naturopath to get one that is more taylored for me rather then a general formula.

I have been on the Fish oil since Thursday so in the 5 days I do feel better and I think this has improved my symptoms a lot.

I also have been using a product that I had shipped to where my parents were staying when they were in Italy as they don't ship to Canada. The product is called Valkee. It basically is like a light box but you put into your ears as it's been on the theory that your brain can receive light not just through the eyes (as that's how the light box delivers it) but also through the ears. I've been using it for about a month now. It helps a bit but is still not enough. It helps me yawn less but it didn't help with my energy levels. It's certainly better to use then a light box as I hated having to sit in front of the light box for 30 minutes in the morning. I use it for 6 minutes twice a day.

The fish oil I have contains 800mg of EPA and 500mg of DHA so I am taking a very potent amount. I have Vitamin D that has some EPA and DHA, 42 and 50 respectively but that is not enough. We'll see how I feel by the end of the week and I'll see how my energy levels are. I may stop using my Valkee maybe next week to see if the fish oil alone is enough. By next week I should get that homeopathic remedy.

I felt really bad last year by December 21. Having SAD has and is a horrible experience. My energy levels were so low and there is a feeling of heaviness and mild depression. I would motivate myself to do things but they just seemed so much more difficult because of this problem and that in and of itself just made me feel bad because it would drag me down more. Two years ago my symptoms appeared by mid October and last until March. Last year and this year it started in mid September. It lasted until April I think and it seems like it has gotten worse.

I've had this problem for 6 years now. I had went to see my doctor 2 years ago about this problem initially and then again last year. She had me take a sleep study test and I had spoken to a counsellor who said I had mild depression. The doctor also tested my thyroid and vitamin D levels and for the most part I was normal. I knew I had SAD but they had to rule out this things.

I didn't want to be on anti depression meds because I was thinking there has to be a better way. So I'll see how the rest of the week pans out for me with the use of the fish oil. The fish oil I think has helped a lot.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Occupy Toronto!

Greetings all,

I decided to participate in the Occupy Toronto movement that is part of the Occupy Wall St. This was my first protest and it was interesting. My friend has been following this so that's how I learned about it. She actually went to New York to observe and film what was going on there.

A couple of us were there and when we started to march to the location from King and Bay, I ended up getting disoriented and lost my sense of direction. There was so many people and it was easy to lose track of where we were in the city. I didn't make a sign but I wanted to be there.

It was interesting to read what some newspapers have been saying about this movement. Many criticisms going on and I think it goes to show that they just don't get it.

I probably won't camp out since I have a job and really don't want to take time off work. I may camp on a weekend but it's a bit too cold and I think I can just visit. Camping is not really my thing.

I've always wanted to see some sort of movement and protesting going on in this country. Canadians seem so docile. We should be more like the French who protest all the time. For me it was interesting to be a part of something bigger where we all understand that something is wrong with the way things are in the world and we are at least expressing our dissatisfaction.

I don't know what this will lead to but it's interesting that it has spread across other countries. America has quite the influence but at the same time, something like this spreads because there is some sort of unsatisfaction and frustrated with the external world.

Many people came together for many different reasons. It appears Adbusters is the one who initiated this so it does make me a little suspicious of their motives. My friend seems to think the issue is really the banks. I think it's a bunch of things like the banks, the government and corporations. There was some anti rich sentiment but I don't think it necessarily means they are against people with money.

It will be interesting to see how things unfold. I'm on their Facebook group and you can see how hostile people can be towards each other. It's just a microcosm of the macrocosm as there will be people not agreeing and having different opinions.

I should hope some change comes to the world. I have done my inner work and I do wonder if people use this as a distraction from working on themself. It might feel better to make corporate greed a scapegoat. But then you can still be happy and just are genuinely opposed to their behaviour.

I can still hear reverberating in my body the words of the crowd "we are the 99%" and "we want justice".

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Greetings all,

The other thing with Old Man Winter is that I didn't feel comfortable calling him my boyfriend. I would think after 2 months of dating, I should feel comfortable but for some reason, I just couldn't do it so it didn't make sense to keep dating.

Since we are in the same social circle, I saw him yesterday as our group went for a hike and we chatted about why I ended things. He seemed upset about it, which I'm not really used to seeing in a man. I told him the reasons and it just seemed like this week, he pissed me off with these minor annoyances.

Since I'm looking for something long term, I just don't see it going anywhere so why keep dating? I think he might have taken it a bit personally but for me I just think it was time to move on and yes I'll miss the good sex but I think I'm just looking for something long term.

I want to be with a man that I feel proud to declare he's my boyfriend and for whatever reason I just couldn't do it with him. I think that he and I both deserve better and it's really just a case of being mismatched and always best to not take it personally.

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Ciao Old Man

Greetings all,

I ended up ending things with Old Man Winter. We have been dating for 2 months. I had been wanting to go away to Vermont for Thanksgiving weekend, which is this weekend. He didn't tell me until Monday that he had his son for this weekend (He had him last weekend and normally gets him every other weekend) I was upset about this because I really wanted to get out of this country because I haven't been travelling with much, considering I was out of work again. I couldn't shake off the anger and disappointment I felt over this. Normallly I can move on with things but the fact that I couldn't get over it means it was probably time to move on.

There have been a couple of things going on that have bothered me and although I didn't plan to end things with him last night - I did.

I say 'I guess' a lot in conversation. Some of my friends don't like it but that's how I am. I'm not going to change for anyone. I try to accept people for who they are and don't try to change them so I especially don't like how he'd bring it up a lot. It was like he couldn't tell if I meant no or yes. Usually it means yes. The other night he was bugging me about in conversation and I snapped and said that if you want a cheerleader, go out and date one as that's not how I roll.

I'm part choleric and part melancholic. So I'm not always going to be upbeat about things all the time. I'm not always going to be filled with enthusiasm. If you can't accept me for how I am, I just don't care anymore.

The other thing I was thinking was that he should be well ahead of time of when he gets his son and he seems like he's on the fly with it sometimes. I would think that you should have your schedule worked out a few months in advance and if it's been agreed that holidays are treated differently, you should know well ahead of time when you get him. I like to plan things and I'm already thinking about early retirement so I can't be with someone who's a little flakey when it comes to being organized.

I did wonder if I made a mistake and was being too quick but sometimes these things just get worse instead of getting better and sometimes you just need to nip things in the bud.

I sometimes feel like I am destined for spinsterhood. I hope not. I want to start my own family soon.

I knew this going in but I was skeptical about dating a man with a child. I thought I'd give him a chance since I felt attracted to him for so long. I guess it's okay if things don't work out but I do hope to find someone. I am just not sure if I want to try dating again. I just get so frustrated with the process and it takes so much out of me, the rejection and disappointment. Why bother with love and its search? I can take care of myself.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Death and Meditation

Greetings all,

Lately during meditation, I have observed that I am feeling this fear of death. I almost feel panicky. I'm not sure if it's an ego death that I am feeling or more so the fear of the death of the physical body. Various thoughts come up about death and dying and it obviously freaks me out. Lately I've been experiencing more of these feelings but then they pass.

I'm not really at the point where I am fearless towards death because I don't know at this point if death is really the end. I know we all talk about how the spirit never dies but I think this is sort of what I am experiencing at times - the fear that this is it.

Obviously I need to keep at my practice and see where this takes me and work with confronting the fears about death that come up but I do wonder if others have experienced this same fear about death. I almost feel alone in this but I'm sure on some level, we all think about death and ignore our fears about it.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Pubes

Greetings all,

I purchased last month a product for maintaining your pubic hair. I was thinking that there has to be some product that trims this area. My current method of womanscaping involved using scissors. Now I didn't cut myself, it was just a way to trim them and I thought it was an okay method.

I decided to do some online research and came across the following review of a trimmer. I ended up purchasing this product so now I'll be leaving my opinion on it.

I like the Ladyfair trimmer. I thought it trimmed the area fairly closely and did it quickly. It was a bit shocking for me to see all that hair gone. It was like being pre-pubes and it was a little awkward. I didn't care for the Body Bare buffer, which supposedly is to smooth out your area after you've used the trimmer. You cannot use it unless you've trimmed the area. I didn't really notice that it made that area smoother so I don't recommend that.

My current man does not like the all shaved look so I let grow out. It's obviously better then using the scissors so I can go longer without womanscaping.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Old Man Winter

Greetings all,

I have mentioned I am dating a guy in my meetup group. I found out he is not 10 years older then me but is actually 10.5 years older then me. That half a year makes a difference!

I've nicknamed him Old Man Winter because he has pre-mature grey. The one thing that bothers me when we are out in public is when we engage in PDA. I generally feel a bit uncomfortable holding his hand or kissing him mainly because he looks older then his age. He is 43 and I think he looks like he is in his early 50s or late 40s. I am 32 and tend to look younger. People think I am in my mid 20s. So obviously this looks awkward in my public. Normally I don't care what people think but being publicly affectionate with him makes me uncomfortable. I don't want people to think that he's some dirty old man macking on a some hot, innocent, young and impressionable lady.

I also found out his birthday is close to the birth date of the English Muffin. The English Muffin was born on July 6 and Old Man Winter was July 5.

I must say I enjoy having sex with him. He's got some girth on him and after having sex ,my vagina usually feels worked in for at least 24 hours. He is also pretty good at oral and I think he has set the bar. I had one guy I was with who has set the bar on what constitutes amazing oral. What I liked about him and what made him good was his passion. I could tell when he went down on me that he really enjoyed licking the female anatomy. While OMW may not have the same passion and enthusiasm, he certainly knocked my socks off. I think his passion is more subtle. But men that is the key to performing good oral - being passionate.

We've been dating for just over a month. I haven't labelled him my boyfriend and at this point I just don't feel comfortable doing so. He is one of those guys that is relationship oriented which is probably the first time I ever encountered this so he seems like he wants to call me his girlfriend. We went out last week for my first time to a golf driving range and he showed me how to golf. Afterwards we went to his place and had wonderful afternoon sex and then hung out for the rest of the day. He remembered it was his dad's birthday and he called him and they talked for a bit. He left the room we were in and then came back and he said he was seeing a girl in the meetup group. I haven't told my parent yet and usually I don't feel comfortable telling my mom I am dating someone. She knew about the English Muffin but it took me a while to tell her because I didn't think she'd get it.

My friend thinks it's weird that I haven't called him my boyfriend. She thinks that means we can still date other people. Yes that is true we probably can date others. I'm not dating anyone else at this point and I feel quite turned off from the online dating thing. I told her I didn't care for a label at this point and that even if he was my boyfriend, that is not going to stop him from dating other people. People have affairs all the time. The label in and of itself doesn't determine the person's faithfulness. A label isn't bad anyways. It just isn't the be all and end all.

Car

Greetings,

My parents went to Italy for 3 weeks so I thought I'd ask them if they'd let me borrow their car for the time they are away. They let let me so I was happy to have a car. Their car is a Cadillac. I ended up filling it up the day before I returned it and it cost me $60 to fill it and I didn't fill it all the way. It probably would have cost $65 to fill 'er up. I didn't think such a car was such a gas sucker.

The Cadillac accelerates nicely but it was a bulky car and I've driven it with them before and I never cared for the mirrors. I preferred the mirrors on my Malibu. I found the rear mirror too small and it made the objects appear smaller and I am a firm believer in having good mirrors.

So having access to a car for 3 weeks has solidified my decision to get a car. I had initially said I'd go 6 months without one to see how I like it. It's been about 3 months and I really don't like it. I'm a driver. I don't mind taking the streetcar to work because I work downtown so it's just easier but to go to my book group and my yoga on Sunday and visit my family in Hamilton, it just makes more sense. I hate having to wait all the time for the streetcar. I like just being able to hop in a car and go.

I have a few friends who have used cars so I think I will go with that as they are probably more affordable. I am not in a rush to buy a car so that's a good thing for me. I'm still going to wait and save up my money because I can do without one for now.

My parents bought me my car, although they didn't initially buy it for me. It was a car that my mom and I used and then they decided to let me be the owner. My dad is very opposed to the idea of buying a used car because he thinks it might be in poor condition. I probably would make sure I get a good one and also I think you can get the history of the car.

I'm more interested in getting a fuel efficient car like the Hyundai Accent or Ford Fiesta or a Yaris. I am looking for a car that can last a while and my friend has a Nissan which she recommends getting a Japanese make.

I think I'd like one of those lime green cars. I've been seeing a few in Toronto and think they are really cool as a colour and look bright and fun. I like the colour red but I think as a car I wouldn't go for it because I think they are more prone to get tickts. That' my theory but I am not sure how accurate it is.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Fatalism

Greetings all,

Lately I just feel like no matter how much effort I put into self improvement, I can never really improve my life. I feel like my life is probably already predetermined and there is really only so much I can do to make my life better. I might as well give up trying to have a better life. I want to have a better job, have some sort of power and authority but I just think that I'm only going to go so far with my life so why bother if I think life is already mapped out.

I know it seems pessimistic but maybe this is the reality of life. I believe in karma and reincarnation so for me, maybe I've experienced alot of good times in the past and this life I have different things to learn.

I'm not even interested in comedy right now. I'm not really interested in anything. I guess I'm just in a lull right now. Not worried that I'm in it or anything.