Whoops

Someone please tell me why I thought it would be a good idea to rip out a plant from my garden (with my bare hands) infested/ridden with red ants!?

What the f@#k was I thinking??

Holy burning sensation.

Not one of my most brilliant moments. Yup, Mark Cullen would not be proud.

Moving on up!

Things seem to be really progressing the last week. It's funny how monotonous and dreary life seemed the past....well... two years...and how quickly things are moving now.

So we decided it's time to move!!! Yippeeeee! And the funny thing is I don't really have any mixed feelings about it. You know - the obvious mixed feelings one should get when moving from their first real home (as a married couple that is.) So many memories here: bringing home our kitty and watching him climb the stairs (well he's kinda like our child), getting ready on our wedding day in a newly constructed messy home, all the renovations, parties, dinners, Christmas mornings, etc.

The real estate agent just left and says this house will show like a model home (I'm hoping that's a good thing.) Really excited and happy about the compliments we received, not to mention the numbers she kept throwing. All the hard work and marital disagreements seemed to have been worth it! Let's just hope someone out there will like our casa.

Stay tuned...I'm assuming (and hoping) things will transpire at lightning speed.

And the clouds finally part

I’m beyond excited!

Like I’ve mentioned for the past year (oh gawd) I’ve been applying like crazy for jobs in the downtown core, as well as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

I hadn’t have much luck in my chosen field (publishing/communications) at all. Either they asked for overeducated/overqualified people, or the jobs went to those internally after the excruciating interview, or second interview at that!

I had received some rejections (steadily) the past two months as well. The positions were either filled or I lacked the necessary qualifications (usually techie skills) they were looking for and wanted to prioritize the ones that had. (Understandable, obviously. Argh.)

And there it was. Yesterday afternoon around 3 p.m. The harmonious message that told me that the company in question would love to have me as an employee and I would start August 7th should I accept.

Of course I accepted. I’m not that stupid. I'll be working for one of the largest insurance companies in this country. What I like about it - there is tonnes of growth. I won't be in the same position mummifying for years. Bonus!

I was very happy and excited to hear that I will be getting a paycheque again, (Read: can now MOVE) will be working for a big name, and a large company in a corporate environment (two things I have never done before)!

A huge thank-you goes out to all those who believed in me....didn't judge me for my choice to leave the workforce to find something else.... Or more importantly, questioned my happiness! (Let me be the judge of that!!!) Even though this position is not one I would have pictured myself in five years ago, I'm still looking at it as a new opportunity or a new, fresh, exciting experience! Life is funny that way! Who knows - perhaps one day (I'm hoping) I'll be working in their communications/marketing department.

Well my foot's in the door. One step at a time.

Arghhhhhhh

Every well-rounded person should have a hobby.....no?

So I've come to the conclusion that I need a hobby! Something not too geeky, yet interesting in conversation. The things I enjoy doing are either solitary things (reading, shopping, cooking, baking, gardening) or too girly. I want to find something that will force me to meet and interact with people. On the brink of turning 29, ALL of my friends are married and have kids, and while they are great friends, they are busy with their families. I just need SOMETHING TO DO people!!! Something new....exciting...different....

Any thoughts!? More Serotonin Please: be good!!! LOL ;)

Throw.me.a.bone.

At long last

The general idea of a vacation is to be at ease, comfort and in some kind of mode of relaxation. You hope your plans will run smoothly and that everything will fall into place effortlessly. Well for once I was taught that nothing is effortless and that it takes one slip-up for things to fall apart. Quite drastically. And it sucks.

About two weeks prior to departing to JA I booked online using expedia to stay two nights at a hotel in Ocho Rios with my mother. My uncle and family were staying with his in-laws in a private villa in the hills of Ochi so we thought it would be nice to be close by (we were invited to stay with them but it was way TOO packed to be a burden. Read: Not nice to sleep on an air matress.) I'm a paranoid person so I always double-check my bookings so I thought it would a good idea to call the hotel a few days to confirm our spot. It didn't cross my mind that since it was Easter weekend total mayhem would persue once stepping foot into this place. The reservations were set... so we left the Montego Bay area and drove about an hour to our destination.

Once arriving in pouring rain we signed in and everything looked kosher until the hotel manager and her assistant walked up to us to say that there was a glitch in the computer system and they seemed to have overbooked us!! We were then asked to stay at their "sister-inn" about 10 minutes from the hotel and we would have to be shuttled into the main hotel in order to get the "all-inclusive" benefits. Sooooo....this inn would basically be a room in the hills without food, water, or other facilities and we would have to wait to be taken to the hotel in order to get the true value of our money.

At this point, we were wet, tired, hungry, and hot so we opted to take a look at the "sister-inn" to refreshen ourselves and relax.

The view was breathtaking situated above Shaw Park Gardens, which I've never seen before (that alone was probably worth the trip.) The inn, however, was less to be desired. It was a simple room with a tired bathroom and a phone that didn't work. The security wasn't too great (a few men in the back playing dominoes) so my mother basically called the hotel to tell them we would be leaving and would like a full refund since this was not what we requested. She was actually quite calm - which for my mother is very rare! ;)

I guess you live and learn. I will never book this place again and make sure I book while on the island and not abroad. I was quite disappointed but these things happen I guess. Went back to the Mobay area that night and had an amazing Easter with the family and the rest of the stay was as per usual...fantastic! Miss Jamaica wholeheartedly and can't wait to go back. Now back to reality.

**The above pic is of our view below the inn overlooking Ocho Rios.

Finally home from Jamrock

Can't believe I'm home already! These past 11 days in the northern coast of Jamaica have breezed by. Had an interesting and relaxing time with family, and as per usual am quite sad that I had to come home and have landed in snow (in the month of April for gawd's sake!). But alas, all vacations must come to an end and the husband was in desperate need of restocking supplies in the kitchen and would raise hell (one backside) if I didn't return. ;)

Will post more of my going-ons in the days to come as the laundry load is quite high and have many things to tend to and just realized that my second Culinary course starts this Saturday at George Brown (and am in need of some baking supplies!)

Unfortunately was not in the mood this time around to take much pics (slap on the wrist). Don't know why but couldn't channel my inner Leibovitz.

More to come.

Spring has definitely sprung

Today was brilliantly gorgeous outside and I decided for once not to leave the house with a jacket. There is something about spring that definitely lifts my spirits. The snow has finally melted, the tulip bulbs are poking out, and it smells like....dirt. And that's a good thing I guess.

Of course you get the "crazies" out there who think it's mid-July and you can see them carousing the streets in their tanks, shorts and flip-flops thinking they live in Miami Beach or something. Not appropriate....yet. And to me you look cold and foolish.

But the thing that really piques my interest is the FASHION. Lord, how I love the clothes, makeup and knick knacks that the stores are brimming with come March/April.

Seems as though metallics are HOT this season (I'm into the golds & coppers since I'm a warm gyal myself), being "bejeweled" (gotta love bling), yellow (buttercup) is big, ballet-type slippers are everywhere, bangle bracelets galore (love accessories) and clutch-style purses (even though I'm into the big bags to haul the myriad of products I can't seem to leave the house without. Sad, I know.)

Overall I'm quite satisfied with what I see.

God, I can eat this stuff up with a spoon. Yum!