I fucking hate fucking real estate.
It's so stressful and I don't know what I'm doing and I want Sheri to come back from vacation ASAP.
*sigh*
That said, I have a few seconds' respite here before I must dive again pell-mell into real estate matters of importance.
This weekend was pretty fun.
I took the Pie out on a date on Saturday. We headed to Proulx Berry Farm around noon to get us some raspberries. I got bitten (twice) by a very cute but otherwise far too energetic German Shepherd cross puppy that wanted to steal my basket. The bite still hurts quite a bit.
Then we headed out to Navan to play a round at The Game Professional Miniature Golf Course. It's very nice. I totally kicked Andy's ass. I think I beat him by something ridiculous like 8 strokes. It was seriously my best game ever.
Now, because it was like 85 degrees outside, we were dehydrated by this point, so we plopped down in the shade of a tree in a park nearby for cranberry juice, chicken salad sandwiches, plums, and oatmeal raisin cookies for lunch.
We then headed back to Pie's place with the intention of going swimming, but in reality we simply fell asleep for an hour and a half due to the heat. Once we woke up we took a shower and dressed for dinner, and headed downtown to The Courtyard Restaurant for a late dinner. It was a lot fancier than we had anticipated, but oh so good. Pie had this beef tenderloin that I swear melted on the tongue. I had some lobster that gave me the worst indigestion but was soooooooo worth it. Lobster is almost better than sex.
After a leisurely dinner (2 1/2 hours later), we booked it out of there and (with a little bit of driving in circles to find parking) made it to the World Exchange just in time to see A Scanner Darkly, which was more than a little weird, but very neat to look at.
We headed home to Pie's place and crashed on the couch with the literal fruits of our morning labours and a nice cold Reisling before heading to bed. It was very nice.
Sunday involved me sleeping until noon and then getting booted from Pie's place because he had to work. Chel picked me up and we went shopping at Bayshore. She blames me for making her spend money, but it's not my fault if nearly everything she tried on looked fabulous. At least I prevented her from buying leather jackets and books.
After dinner with the folks, Greg and Chel picked me up and we headed over to the Pie's for a movie, Break a Leg, which was a little weird.
Chel and I were wearing our new clothes, so we HAD to go somewhere to show them off. I was even wearing new earrings. Which I am paying for today in pain and itchiness (I'm allergic to metal). But they were so pretty, I couldn't not buy them. In fact, I've decided to say, "fuck it," to my allergy. I really like big delicate silver and gold earrings, and I shouldn't have to resist buying them. So when I see a pretty pair, even if I can't wear them, I'm going to buy them anyway. That goes for necklaces, too.
So if you want to get me jewelry for a present sometime, but you resisted because of the allergy, don't resist any longer! I am accepting jewelry from all bringers . . .
I do have a confession to make. Sometimes, when I KNOW I look super good, I can stand in front of my bathroom mirror when I get home for up to ten minutes, just posing. I don't want to go to bed, no matter how late it is, because I know when I wake up in the morning I won't look as good. So I stand there and admire myself, and hope that, on these rare occasions when I see myself looking good, that someone else sees it too. It would make up for the other 364 days of the year where I look like a bum!
Back to REAL ESTATE! SHERI COME BACK SOON I MISS YOU!
This makes me very happy these days.
A special prize to whomever can make it into a screen saver for me.
. . . before my boss left to go to the hospital today (to visit a client of ours who tried to kill herself), and before he left instructions with me to see if I could get another client of ours out of jail in order to go to Court in Cornwall next week . . .
He whipped out a gold shopping bag and when on a short diatribe about the pleasures of scented soap. He then modeled the soap for me and told me how much he enjoyed things that were perfumed.
Is my homophobic boss a closet metrosexual?
No, but still.
Holy crap I'm in love with a silicone cup!
I'm serious. It's only been three days but I've got the system down pat with no mishaps. I love that I can go 12 hours or more without having to worry about anything. I love that I can flip myself upside down, go running, swimming - whatever - with no issues or forethought preparation. I love the utter cleanliness of the whole thing, and the fact that I can walk out the door and not carry a damned thing with me - especially if I have no pockets. I love that the cramps and the bloating are even less with this nifty device, if you can believe it.
I am seriously tempted to buy these for all the girls I know for Christmas. They are literally THAT good. Chel - you have NO idea until you try it. I will convert you.
I have named mine Dixie (Get it? Dixie Cup?) and it is my new tiny best friend. We go everywhere together, although most of the time I forget that it's there.
I also saw Clerks 2 last night. Definitely the best movie I've seen recently. In fact, I may like it better than Clerks (although Chasing Amy will always be my favourite Kevin Smith flick).
Anyway, it was super-dooper good and if you've seen it then you will understand my particular line of thought and how it relates to my post today. If not, I won't spoil it for you.
Wayner has rushed off to the Courthouse to file something, so I'm abandoned at the office.
Yippee!
I had a pretty good weekend. There was some cleaning and organizing, and that went well, and some drinking and dressing like a classy hooker, and some drinking and playing balderdash, and some sleeping, and then we went to the baseball game and spent lots of money on a Reed Montreal Royals jersey.
I also ran into my grade eleven math teacher and OAC homeroom teacher from LCI. She came up to me, which is funny, because I didn't like her much, and made her life difficult in OAC. But we talked for a while, because she and her husband were also involved in bidding for a jersey, and she took a picture for me of Pie and me with the jersey on the Lynx field, so that was nice of her.
It's just weird when people remember you. Especially if you didn't really develop a personality until OAC, whereupon you started a national controversy that had you universally vilified and praised for a whole three months.
Hm.
I always thought that the seventh inning stretch just meant that, nearing the end of the game, the players got tired and the game seemed to lag a little.
Little did I know there was an actual STRETCH involved.
Which begs the question: why not do it halfway through the game, like after the 4th or 5th, not halfway through the 7th? What's the tradition behind that one? Anyone?
Anyway, speaking of things stretching far into the future, it's going to be a looooong two weeks in Allyland. My lovely and inimitable coworker, Sheri, has taken her family on vacation until the Civic Holiday long weekend. Unlike last year, when she left me with one real estate deal to do, this year, she left me with two sales, two purchases, and three mortgages.
*Ally's head explodes here and spatters goobers over all y'all*
Not to mention I'm being left alone with Wayner just shortly after I have told him I'm leaving - I'm prepared for some bitter recrimination in the long afternoons to come.
In addition, Sheri won't be back until after the long weekend. I leave for camping at Samuel de Champlain on the 4th and won't be back until the 15th. So I actually won't see her at all for almost a MONTH, and when I come back, it'll be only two weeks until I leave for good. Interestingly enough, Wayner's first day of vacation in Ireland is my last day on the job. I wonder what me and my replacement will get up to that day?
So Sheri and I plan to do a whole lot of goofing off and partying during my last two weeks in indenture. And then I plan to have some form of party on the 1st (it's a Friday, it's a long weekend, there's no getting out of it, folks) to celebrate my newfound poverty (BYOB, considering the circumstances).
Bloog. I'm definitely rambling here. But I have no co-worker upon whom to dispose of my verbal diarrhea, and my employer is off killing cats (bagpipe lesson), so I'm flying solo this morning. And you, my pets, benefit!
Or something.
Peaches.
. . . but now I have a cut and paste function!
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
". . . mother if I ever showed such disrespect. To her, it was essential . . . "
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can...what do you touch first?
My Nalgene bottle.
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
REAL TV? I think it was part of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." But it was only for a few minutes.
4. WITHOUT LOOKING, what time is it?
10:24 PM
5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
10:23 PM BOO YAH!
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear:
The highway in the distance.
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?:
Came in from the Lynx game about 20 minutes ago.
8. Before you came to this website, what were you looking at?
Webcomics.
9. What are you wearing?
White khaki shorts, a black tank top, pink shoes, and a Cleveland Indians cap.
10. What did you dream last night?
I remembered this morning . . .
11. When did you last laugh?
Probably an hour ago.
12. What's on the walls of the room you're in?:
Art, fairy lights, more art, hockey paraphernalia, and green paint.
13. Seen anything weird lately?:
Yes. And I remember it was really strange and we remarked upon it. But now I can't remember what it was.
14. What do you think of this survey?
Meh.
15. What's the last film you saw?
Crazy Moon/Carrie 2: The Rage (I flipped back and forth)
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
The house next door - I'd knock it down and build my parents a pool.
17. Tell me something about you that I don't know.
Carrots also give me the hiccups, but when I get them they last for DAYS.
18. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you change?
I would like men and women to switch places (bodies) for a year. I think the new perspective would give people a new . . . perspective.
19. Do you like to dance?
When drunk.
20. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
I'll know her when I see her.
21. Boy?
Same same.
22. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Depends on where. War torn or underdeveloped would be out of my area of interest. And they HAVE to play hockey there.
Thank freaking God it's not as hot today as it was yesterday!
But still just as humid, of course.
Went to see Pirates of the Caribbean last night with Matt, Greg, and the Pie. It was all right. Definitely a middle movie, but also so ridiculous it was funny, and who doesn't like Johnny Depp? We missed a fantastic thunderstorm, however, while we were in there. Pie called me before he came to pick me up to tell me that the entire sky was black around him, save for one spot where it was a brilliant red. In my neck of the woods, the sky was a deep purply-brown fading through yellow to orange, with sheet lightning flickering through everything. Very pretty, and very ominous.
The only reason I know it was a fantastic storm is that the power went out in the theatre for a few seconds - twice. So it must've been something. When we came out it was all over.
And that's my story. I'm basically writing today to complain that every Tuesday feels like Friday (and yes, I know I've said that before).
But I'm going to the Lynx game tonight, so hopefully I'll have some fun pictures for you soon.
Peace.
Holy Kerist!
So the Pie and I decided it was high time for me to learn how to bat. We started around 230 on Saturday. We had a brief break to go purchase more wiffle balls and then continued until around 400. Then we went to the park and played catch for an hour or so. Then the other boys showed up and we began to play 500-Up with Pie's dad until around 900. Then we showered and played balderdash until midnight.
I think I took about a thousand swings. The boys tell me, however, that I'm hitting almost 50% of the balls, and most of them are going a good distance. I apparently have a nice, even swing. So it's relieving to know that I don't suck. You have no idea how relieving it is, actually.
I'd always thought I sucked at sports, so I just didn't participate in them. But they were mostly aerobic sports, ones that involve a consistent output of energy. I don't have the stamina for that kind of thing. Anaerobic sports, on the other hand, which involve short bursts of energy, I can handle. And I'm enjoying learning all these new games. Sure, I'm about twenty years behind on my skill development, but it's coming along nicely.
Boy am I sore, though! I took a line drive in the face and so have a bruise on my jaw and a scrape. You can't see the bruise but it feels like I got my wisdom teeth taken out all over again. I have a bruise on the palm of my hand from the knob of the bat (good thing I was wearing batting gloves, else I'd have blisters as well!). My forearms are sore from the vibration of the bat (before I discovered the sweet spot, that is), and my upper arms are sore from throwing as hard as I could. My ribs and abs are sore from twisting to swing, and I appear to have twisted my left ankle, as well, because it alternates between feeling like it's going to fall off because it hurts so much and just hurting a lot. And then my right knee is protesting the humidity by falling out of its socket at regular intervals.
But it was so much fun!
Let's do it again!
So today (less than an hour ago, actually), I told my boss that I was leaving my job.
I said that I had to focus on the thesis portion of my degree and so in September I wouldn't have time to work for him anymore, as my schedule would be too erratic.
He didn't really miss a beat, though (I think he suspected something was up when I bought him a date square this morning - Jen bought him a brownie when she gave her notice). He told me he would be sorry to see me go and that he would "miss [me] in more ways than one." Whatever THAT means.
I lied and said, "Thank you. It's been fun." He agreed.
So, 1 September 2006 is precisely seven weeks from now.
Start the countdown . . .
Just bought one of these from the intarweb.
It was Cara who clued me in.
I will let you know how it goes.
Dynasties are dead in the NHL.
With this new CBA, money is the prime directive, and players are shopped around and traded like the playing cards on which their shiny images are plastered.
I only mention this because of the ridiculousness of the free agency spree this summer. Pronger gone from Edmonton after so short a time? Stanley Cup-winning Martin Gerber coming off a fantastic season and heading straight for Ottawa?
Chara, Havlat, Smolinski, Pothier, all missing from Ottawa's all-star line-up?
This is not to say that the team won't be able to win without them. Every other team in the league is facing the same momentum shift this July. Whole offensive and defensive lines have been rearranged and there are new faces on every shift.
I'd like to see how well this plays out in the upcoming season. How will the CBA affect a team's winning streak? With this new parity, will teams like St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Washington, hell, even CHICAGO, break their curses and, for once, win?
We shall see.
Dude, the PhotoBooth camera on a Mac is SUPERIOR to everything. Not to mention that the Flickr Uploadr for Macs gives you WAYYYYY more options before uploading.
Annnyhooo . . . I was fiddling around with my pretty toy and I came up with these. Enjoy. Laugh. Whatever.
Have I mentioned how much I hate being selected as the computer guru for my office?
My protestations that I know nothing of computers are met with scorn.
Then, when I can't fix something (OBVIOUSLY, becuase it usually involves some kind of code nonsense and fooling around in the registry), my protestations that I don't know how to fix it are met with scorn, as is my supposedly half-assed attempt to fix whatever it is.
Such is my life. At least I'm going home in ten minutes.
Went to my dressmaker today. Sounds funny to say that. But she does all the vintage costumes for the Stratford Festival and Upper Canada Village and all that. She ain't cheap (it'll cost $650 or thereabouts to make my dress and jacket) but it'll be done the best of all the bloody bridesmaids. Nice to know that at least. And she's supernice. So that helps.
But I had to miss lunch for the appointment, and all I had were cherries. My stomach is imploding . . .
The last thirty minutes of my work day, those between 4:00 and 4:30 in the afternoon, always go by so damned slowly. Especially when it's really nice outside. *sigh*
I'm back. It rained a helluva lot. But it was fun, and I somehow ended up with a decent tan.
I've been thinking often of relationships recently. During camping we had many stories about a previous girlfriend of a friend and we were glad she was gone. It is amazing that once people break up, you never see the other half again.
Another set of people I know broke up this weekend (not at camping), and in this case I actually liked the boyfriend of my friend. But, because she is more my friend than he is, I will likely never see him again. It's just strange how someone else's actions can affect who you see in a day. I guess it is a good thing, then, that said boyfriend never really opened up far enough to us to really miss him. I wish he would have, though. He looked like a lot of fun.