Pet Peeve of the Day: Drivers

When it says 'stay in right lane except to pass,' that's what it means. There's no interpretation. There's no humming and hawing. It says what it means and means what it says.

When there's 4 lanes or more of highway, and everyone in every lane is going at the same speed, I am going to turn petty. I am going to find a way past your inconsiderate and illiterate carbutt, get in front of you, and slow down until you change lanes.

Rant of the Day: Poor Customer Service

I get an email on December 20th, 2013, inviting me to a ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for January 29th, 2014.

On December 21st, I reply to this email with a few questions. Standard stuff.

No response for weeks.

So I send another email on January 6th, 2014. You know, I gave it around 2 weeks.

Tonight, January 28th, I get an email with a response. Less than 24 hours before the ceremony.
I wish I could say this is the first time I've had a delayed response from this particular person who works at a major University, but it isn't.

This is one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had, and I worked in customer service for over 3 years. I never took NEARLY SIX WEEKS to reply to someone.

Not that this is a time sensitive subject or anything... it's just about a ceremony... no biggie, right?

Thought of the Day: Women Stray but Don't Cheat

I have a problem. Sometimes, I am not emotionally faithful.

We turn our wedding bands around in dark bars.
We take off our promise rings in crowded rooms.

We flirt with the possibility that maybe, yes, maybe this could happen.
And why should we worry, with such a big safety net?

Girls tempt guys. Some girls. No matter how perfect the relationship, no matter how satisfied and happy and blahblahblah a girl is, some just like to wander.

It isn't unfaithfulness, but it's something close.

So we don't mention we're taken. We leave that off the table. We accept drinks. We flip our hair. We put on extra mascara. Spray perfume in extra special places. Wear the good underwear. Impress guys the way we haven't impressed our own in so long.

And it isn't all girls. But it's some. Their nature is to stray. It's to meander along those blurred lines. Those lines become fences and you can't straddle everything, you know?

So when those propositions happen, as they inevitably do, we don't stop them in their tracks. We could. It's easy. We know it's easy. But we allow them to happen because we will always think 'what if?'

Is that in my blood? More than anything it's an affliction of my mind.

I daydream, and night dream, and fantasize, and wonder, and make up ambitious scenarios involving late night laughter in poor lighting and warm parts under cold bridges. It could be with anyone, really.

So does this mean I'm not actually happy? That I'm looking for someone else? I don't think that's it. In fact, I think I'm wired that way... to always wonder. To be drawn to mystery and the potential of bad things that ruin relationships.

I'm mostly happy. To be honest, I'm happier than most people. But I'm easily bored. And what's really interesting... what's truly the opposite of bored, is the feeling I get when I fantasize that something could happen. Even if it never would.

So I look over past emails, saved MSN chats, Facebook messages, old captured pictures from the webcam days, and reminisce. I fondly remember.

And more than anything, it is just all too flattering that people still want me. It reminds me that in a lengthy relationship, my appeal hasn't just disappeared. Feeling desirable is dangerous. Many women fall prey to this and they find themselves unleashing a barrel of monkeys.

So I feel flattered. I remember these moments in my past and I think, I could have this again if I wanted to. And just that feeling, just that, is enough. I don't need to explore. I don't need to break hearts and actually stray and cause my own unhappiness. My brain is explorative enough.

What if one day it isn't? Would I call it a mistake? What if I don't know the true meaning of a mistake because I've never made a big enough mistake? If I think too long on it I may just reconsider everything I've ever done, and that's too deep for this time of night.

Thought of the Day: Dramatic TV Shows

I used to love drama. I used to constantly watch anything remotely dramatic on TV.

Somehow over the last few years, I've done a 180 spin and landed myself in a position where I can't watch more than one episode of a dramatic TV show.

I used to be able to watch The Walking Dead with fervour.
First few episodes of Breaking Bad? That was excellent stuff.
I'd watch Parenthood with my parents, discussing the different misfortunes that befell the characters.
The Sopranos? Couldn't get enough.

Now, I can't stand it. And I know precisely why. I can't watch dramas because they make me sad. I feel terrible after an episode airs. I feel emotional wrecked. I've gone through the wringer, and my soul is the victim.

Now, in my old age, I seem to gravitate towards shows that make me feel happy after they're over. The Office. Parks and Recreation. Community. Shows that make me laugh and giggle and enjoy the hot chocolate in my hands. Not stare at the screen in surprise and horror regarding whatever main character did to a supporting cast member.

My frail heart can't handle the drama. I have enough drama in my real life, I don't need to see it depicted on screen as well.

This goes for film as well. I used to be able to enjoy a good dramatic film. Now, I would choose a brainless action movie or even comedy (though I think watching comedies in theatres are a waste of money) over a drama.

I think now with my fragile ever-changing emotions, I just need to know what I'm watching will make me feel good about myself, and make me feel like filmmakers and TV producers feel the same way: they also want to make people feel good.

Thought of the Day

I am more and more becoming a crazy cat lady.

I have a song that I sing when I'm feeding Luna. It goes: "Yummy yummy yummy in my tummy tummy tummy." This crazy tune continues until she finishes eating and gives me a head-tilt. She knows the score. She isn't the one that's nuts.

I often misplace things (that comes with owning a cat too, right?) and end up asking her, directly, if she's seen said things. I get another adorable head-tile and sometimes a low hrrm-hrrroo.

It's when I am sleeping that I realize I have truly lost it. I sleep in a twin bed next to a wall. Whenever she crawls under the covers with me, I will literally bend over backwards so my 'little baby' is comfortable. She pulls some cirque-du-soliel shit beside me whilst I'm clinging to the edge hoping I won't fall out.

Finally succumbing to the wiles of my adorable kitty, I settle for the corner of my bed. Any child would be scolded. Any normal animal would be chastised then promptly pushed to the floor. Somehow, in my mind, I have concocted stories of how she will resent me should I punish her.

She's only a year old. Sigh.

Thought of the Day

When it's raining and windy out, no umbrella is going to protect you from sideways-rain. Put that shit down so you don't poke out more eyeballs.

Question of the Day

Where do I see myself in 5 years?

Honestly? I hope in 5 years I'll be on vacation on some tropical island. Sandy beaches. Fruity drinks with ridiculous trinkets hanging off the lip. Flip flops every day. The works. But to be even more honest, I know that I could only be on this perfect vacation because I've worked hard. I've worked 50 weeks a year to earn those 2 weeks of peace and quiet on this quaint little island.

I know nothing comes from nothing, and we live in a meritocracy. I hold onto the belief that we live in a meritocracy, at least. I know I'll have to work diligently, consistently, with perseverance. I'll lose patience sometimes, I'll hate it most times, but that doesn't change my motivation. 

I will toil, sow, struggle, and reap the rewards of that tropical vacation. 

Not a perfect answer. I know that. I should say I want to be a VP of some major company. But since we're still being honest, I'm not that type of person. I'm not a type-A personality, I don't feel comfortable in a position of too much power. I don't want to rule the world or become queen or be a pioneer in any major way. I want to be the person behind the scenes, making a difference in small ways that add up to a big finale. The one in the background that gets a little recognition, but never the flashing lights and fame. 

I'm quiet, I'm easy-going. I don't have the overwhelming ambition or drive to become a CEO. But I have ambition enough to work hard, advance myself slowly with good consistent works and a positive attitude. 

Well. Most days. No one can be happy and go-lucky every single day of their lives. But I can do my best. 

Getting back into the hang of things

Getting back into blogging is strange. Once you get into a habit of things, they become just that. Routine. Comfortable. Honestly I didn't want to blog because I felt like I had to churn something out every day. It got the point where I was blogging every day and it became contrived.

So I stopped. For months. It felt wonderful.

I always intended to go back to blogging, and perhaps I intended to return shortly after a break. But you know how it is... the longer a break continues, it just feels harder to STOP being on a break. And every time I glanced over at Blogger sitting there, staring at me with its odd uneven orange eyes... it got harder and harder to return.

I didn't have much to say for a while, and there were personal things going on. I had other 'priorities,' and I convinced myself that these were 'real-life priorities,' not 'play-time' things. This, I still hold onto. I believe that blogging is a cathartic process, in no one integral to my life or necessary for my survival.

However, I missed it. I miss putting words to a page and seeing them appear. I missed my consciousness splattered in letters.

Then, the other week, several nice things happened all at once that kind of gave me a push. I found a lost sweater that had been missing for months. To be precise, it went missing right after Christmas. It's August. So yes, it has been a long time. My OCD dictates that I cannot let these little things go... I never lose things. Never. I was convinced my kitten took it and pulled it into a secret nest. My mother told me to let it go. My boyfriend tried buying me a replacement sweater. One night, Luna was trying to sneak into my dresser again. Then it occurred to me... what if it was pulled behind, AND UNDER my drawer? Lo and behold, it was there. Luna, in all her sneakiness, was trying to play with it again. Cats are weird... play with a toy non stop for days, then forget it about it for months to rediscover it.

My mom got a new job. Her old job had been weighing her down for the last two years, and she decided it was time. Pretty much after her old partner (they had worked together for nearly 12 years or something like that?) retired, they had been putting her with replacements that didn't really meld with her personality. She works at a preschool, so having a compatible workmate is crucial. So she finally retired from that school, and got a new job. The major perk is that it is fewer hours, and about a 2 minute drive from home.

I finished my last course in my program. It's been 3 years. It was supposed to take 1.5 years. I am over the moon happy, and it is a huge weight off my shoulders. It has been stressful and testing and trying, but I am done!

So all these things kind of motivated me to get back into blogging. About anything I bloody want. I go online job-searching and people want to see blogs about finances and self-improvement and discovery, but honestly... I want to write what I want to write about. I don't blog to get a job. I blog to get things off my mind. Half the time it isn't coherent or well-written, but it's 100% mine and 100% honest.

So here we go again!

Pet Peeve of the Day

When I complain that Vancouver is too cold and rainy to dress summery, but when it starts to warm up I don't dress like it's warm.

Guess I can always find SOMETHING to complain about.

See, I have a lot of summer clothes. A ton. Too many. I know I have too many. I buy lots when it is summertime because I love them. So I like wearing them. I can't wear them 9 months of the year because usually it is too darn cold.

Vancouver is a place where it is actually practical to use the hood on your hoodie. Not for style. Substance.

But for whatever reason when it finally gets warm enough to change into sandals and shorts, I don't. I wear black outfits for the first 2 weeks that it's nice.
I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like I'm not convinced that it'll stay nice... almost as if the weather is fooling me.

Sometimes it does fool me and it rains the very next day. But I guess so I don't look like I'm off to a funeral, I'll start wearing some of my hoard of summery clothes.

Pet Peeve of the Day

I find most juice too sweet.

I dilute almost every beverage with water. I don't know if I'm the only one that does this, but I know I'm more the exception than the rule.

Most orange juice out of the carton makes me cringe with how sugary it tastes to me. I leave 3 inches from the top of the glass and fill 2 of those inches with water.

Apple juice, same thing.
Cranberry? Get that water in there.

Are my taste buds broken? Am I hypersensitive to tastes? I feel the same way with chips: that they are too salty. I want to rinse chips off because they have too much salt!

I guess it's better for me that I consume more water and fewer saltier things. That's my rationale for how weird I am.

Pet Peeve of the Day

People's houses that smell funny.

Not funny, I guess. But when they smell like food. My family is Chinese. This means a lot of strong cooking with stinky ingredients. My house hasn't ever really smelled Chinese.

There isn't a secret. There isn't some conspiracy. It involves opening windows and turning on the exhaust fan above our stove.

We rent out our basement, have for years. A few of our past tenants are strange. They don't open the window even a crack when they cook. They don't turn on any fans. Then they complain that their clothes smell like pasta, burgers, meat, whatever.

HMM. SUCH A MYSTERY.

Review: Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo

I don't usually go mental over shampoos. I usually buy 3-4 bottles once there's a sale. I like stocking up on things when they're a bargain.

Now, my old bottle of Tresemmé has been around for years. I am not exaggerating. It was one of those massive 1.17L bottles with the pump. It was a gargantuan bottle of product, and I used it all up.

I actually really liked that bottle. In the years that I was using that product, Tresemmé has completely revamped and repackaged their shampoos. They don't look quite the same anymore!

Since I finished my old bottle that I really liked, I figured I would try another bottle of Tresemmé. But this time I wouldn't commit to a huge bottle because I didn't want to use the same shampoo for years. I wanted some more variety.

...Granted, I usually have 3-4 bottles of shampoo and 1-2 bottles of conditioner in my shower at all times, just to keep myself on my toes.

So I saw that Tresemmé was on sale at the store, and decided to try their relatively new Keratin Smooth Shampoo. I hadn't read any reviews, I had no idea if it'd be incredible or just okay.

It turns out that I noticed a very nice and semi-noticeable difference to my hair. When I say semi-noticeable, I mean that when I asked my friends if they noticed anything different about me, some of them said no, and a few of them said my hair looked less frizzy.

That's good enough for me!

Plus, I love the scent and it washes out very clean. One other thing I've always liked about Tresemmé is that it's one of the few brands that doesn't give me dandruff if I don't use conditioner. I know that's kind of bizarre, but I find with some brands if I forgo the conditioner, my scalp gets flaky and very dry. But I'm lazy! I don't want to always use conditioner! So I like finding a shampoo that's moisturizing enough as it is.

Yay! New shampoo!

Pet Peeve of the Day

Whatever happened to mother's teaching their kids to say PLEASE and THANK YOU?

My parents always emphasized to express my appreciation to everyone. I was invited to your birthday party? Thanks for inviting me. I hosted a birthday party? Thank you for coming.

A snooty person gives me terrible service? Thank you, have a nice day!

Some of my thankless friends ask me why I thank anyone when they've been rude to me. Well, for several reasons.

1. I think it's better to fight rudeness with kindness.
2. I set a good example to those around me.
3. Someone's bad attitude isn't going to affect me, or how I want to present myself.

Someone bumps me in the street? Maybe it's just my Canadian side but I'll say Sorry. I hold doors open for people. I was raised to do that. I line up at bus stops and everywhere else.

I'm sad to see this is becoming a rarity. I'm hoping that my generation grows so indignant at where things are headed that we all scold our children into behaving like good citizens.

Thank you. 

Rant of the Day

I think technology has become a substitution for real human interaction. Maybe for some people that's a good thing, for others it feels like the end is coming.

All I know is that I feel sad when I walk down the street and most people have earphones in, fingers texting away on a screen, and eyes not on their surroundings but on their friends' latest updates...

Rant of the Day

There's a glitch on iPhones.

It's a known glitch. That hasn't yet been fixed. It's infuriating.

Basically, users try to text message. Your iPhone freezes and jumps back to your home screen. You try to go back into messages to try again, but it freezes and hops back to the home screen. You can keep trying forever but you'll be popped back to the home screen.
So you do the obvious thing. You restart your phone. Turn it off, wait a bit... turn it back on.

Yes, the text messages work again... but your contacts are gone. So good luck texting someone if you don't know who is associated with all these seemingly random numbers now on your screen.

Now, I back my shit up. Not because I am paranoid, but because once (long ago) iTunes asked me if I wanted to backup my information to the computer and I must have clicked yes. Apparently there are plenty of users who haven't backed up their iPhones ever. This includes my mom, and many of my friends.

Thankfully I had a backup. But the backup was from February. It means I'll get my information back, but my phone will magically go back in time to February.

I lost a lot of patience and a few new contacts between then and now, and a few pictures... I'm very happy that I was able to retrieve my information.

I just wish I didn't have to go through all that trouble to get something back that I should never have lost.

Thought of the Day

Haircuts are a ripoff. Completely.

I haven't had someone else cut my hair for about 5-6 years. This isn't because I'm cheap (I am though), but mainly because I don't think I should pay someone else to do something I can do myself.

I'm not saying I can do a fantastic job that's comparable to a 'stylist,' but I can do well enough that my hair looks good (if not great) and I've saved myself $100.

That's what bugs me. How ridiculously expensive and overpriced haircuts are. I've been to a few expensive salons to check out their prices and most of them quote about $75-100 for my long hair.

They're cutting it off, not giving me new hair... I don't understand what costs so much.

I don't mean to undermine the effort and time these stylists go through... plus the years of school and training. But honestly some stylists are awful. They never listen, they make mistakes, and they overcharge.

Once time I asked my friend (who also works at a salon) to cut my hair. She charged me about $20. That I am absolutely a fan of. Way to go for that deal. I would never actually go into her salon when she's working and pay 300% or more for the same haircut.

So why is it that people still convince themselves they have to spend that much on something that just grows out anyway? What's the worst that can happen if I cut my own hair? I mess up and it'll grow back.

Everyone buy a pair of great haircutting scissors. They're affordable and will last you forever. My pair were made in Italy and have lasted my mother and me over 30 years. And know what? My hair is still here. Still going strong.

I will say if you're too lazy to cut your own hair and enjoy the experience of having someone else wash and massage your head, then power to you too!

Rant of the Day

Periods.

PMS.

Headaches.

Cramps.

Moodiness.

An unholy sacrifice on my bedsheets every month that makes me wonder how I can still be alive and functioning after shedding that much blood.

Spending thousands of dollars in my lifetime on feminine products.

Needing to use feminine products.

Having the strangest cravings and telling my conscience and diet that it's only one week out of 4, and I have to have that chocolate bar and I deserve it and it's because I'm in pain and chocolate is the only thing that can dull my pain.

Thought of the Day

I am the exception that I still keep in touch with all my old friends.

From the group that I hung out with in Elementary School, I still see about 4-5 of them regularly. Regularly as in about once a month.

From the group that I hung out with in High School, I still see about 5-6 of them regularly. As in about once a month.

From my University friends, I see them a little less (they've all gone onto Law School, Med School, etcetera).

The point I am trying to make is that what they said in High School WAS WRONG. They told me that the friends you made in High School would fade away, like the friends in Elementary School. They'd move on, forget about you, and move onto bigger and better things.

That wasn't the case for me, and I am so proud of myself. But not in the silly prideful way. As in I'm glad and grateful that I still have friends who live near me who want to see and hang out with me.

Yes, friends move away. Yes, they start having families and boyfriends and they seem to fade from the face of the earth for a bit. But there will always be those close few who never disappear, they promise to stay in touch, and they keep these promises.

I still remember in Elementary School... being way too young to understand what it actually meant, my friends and I made a pact. We've kept it. We promised to always be best friends. We promised to always keep in touch. We promised to always believe in God, we promised to not do drugs, and not to have sex before marriage. It was silly and naive, but we've stuck as close to the original pact as we could. The point I'm trying to make is that with EFFORT and COMMITMENT, anyone can retain friendships.

It is a two way street. I can't expect my friends to want to hang out with me if I never call them and set up a hangout. The world doesn't work on assumptions. We need words and actions to solidify our intentions.

This isn't to say I haven't lost friends along the way. But know that they were lost after many hours of searching. Some people just don't want to be found, and that's okay. But I'll never forget a single friend I've had... that's the way a sentimental heart works. And speaking of my sentimental heart, I thank God every day that I have such great friends that know the worth of promises, and effort.

App Review: Open Table

So there's another new App that's getting all this attention because it's AWESOME.

It's called Opentable.

This App has been around for a while, but I've only recently started using it. Usually for these newer 'fad' Apps I like to give it a few weeks (or even months) for them to work out the kinks.

Basically this App lists off restaurants in your area and you can make reservations through the App. By honouring these reservations (showing up, eating, then paying), you get 100 points per meal. These points add up until you redeem them for cheques (I think the lowest denomination is $25) that you can use at any participating Opentable restaurant.

So naturally I thought this was amazing. I hate calling places to make reservations. I get snooty people, haughty people, busy people, noisy people. I'd much rather have an automated system.

Opentable is also great because it allows you to choose from selected dining times. The most popular are obviously 6, 6:30, and 7... and I've never had a problem booking a table during one of those times. Another thing is, you can go to the Opentable website, OR use the App. Both have very user-friendly interfaces.

At first I was worried that Opentable would only have a very select number of restaurants. Or they'd only have the most 'expensive' restaurants. That isn't the case. Yes, most of the restaurants on Opentable are of the more posh and upscale variety, but you'd make reservations to eat at those places anyway, right? So you might as well earn points whilst doing so.
Opentable also includes some 'less fancy' restaurants, and some chain restaurants are included.

I really dig this App and intend to use it each time I plan on dining out!