Opinions Wanted!

I would like people's opinions on the following matter. Thank you in advance!

Back in the fall this girl I know lost her apartment, and therefore was homeless and asked if she could crash on our couch for a few weeks. Of course, being the nice people we are, we said yes.

During this time she kept "loosing" apartments because they just randomly wouldn't call her back.. EVERY time. It seemed really weird to me. But then, she broke up with her boyfriend and announced she was dating my roommate. Umm, ok... to me it seems like she didn't get those apartments because she didn't want to move in with her boyfriend, and she wanted to date my roommate instead. I think what she did was pretty shitty to her now ex boyfriend, and I hate it when people are not upfront with me - but I let it slide. I had no proof, but I'm wondering if anyone else thinks that maybe, just maybe she never planned on finding the new place.

When she started dating my asshole roommate, he sent me a facebook message asking if it would be ok. I said sure, if it was ok with everyone else. He did not ask everyone else, he TOLD everyone else. Soon she moved a bunch of her things in, her cat in, and her and her new boyfriend took over the main floor. The kitchen became unbearable, the place was always terribly dirty, and she placed her kitty litter next to the kitchen so that the whole house smelled like cat shit.

December 1st rolled around, and assuming that we were continuing to share rent with everyone in the house, myself, my sister, and our good roommate gave what we believed to be our share of the rent money to the asshole and his new girlfriend. He then proceeded to flip out saying we were not allowed to charge her rent, that he was going to take our money and leave, that he would start charging us rent for being in the living room, charge us money for using his xbox, which he previously told everyone to use whenever they wanted, and that he could have 18 people live in his room and there was nothing we could do about it.. and more, but you know, that sums it up. Needless to say, I was outvoted and was forced to let his girlfriend live for FREE in MY place.

I'm not going to lie, this has caused DEEP resentment with me, and with the other roommates. None of us want to associate with asshole and his girl, and they prance around like they fucking own the place. Little things I let slide before, I don't let slide anymore. I mean sure, with a friend I might be willing to overlook these things, but not anymore.

Recently I posted a note saying they had to move the kitty litter out of the main room. They did. Thankfully.

I've also posted notes about leaving the lights on, and leaving the front door wide open - as I've come downstairs many times at all hours of the day including around 6am in the morning and the door is wide open. TC and I don't leave our rooms mostly, Chris works nights and doesn't come home until around 8:30am ish, and I ALWAYS make sure the door is closed, but yet so many times the door is wide open, which is unacceptable since once already this year our house was broken into.

Today I posted another note, the girlfriend always hangs out on the main floor, it's basically her room, which she gets for FREE, but don't get me started on that again. Anyways, she often plays music and sings along, really loud. Today it was the end of the line for me. The music woke me up from my nap, and as I previously mentioned Chris, the good roommate, he works nights so he was sleeping. How rude can you be to blast music in the middle of the day when you know someone is sleeping because he works really long hours? Fuck, it made me so mad.

This is all just the tip if the iceberg with them. They believe they fucking own everything. The kitchen is always overflowing with their dishes, they use my oil, my maragarine, they drank my cranberry gingerale. They ate Chris' steaks, and then they asked him to pay for some of their food when they shared it with him. They destroyed TC's kettle, they destroyed my sugar bin, and part of the stove. They have late night D&D sessions EVERY Sunday, which keeps me up, and afterwards there is always pop and snacks, including chocolate laying around the living room, which can kill my dog. They're slobs and assholes in my opinion.

What is your opinion?

Lucky Day!

After yesterday's depressing and bitter blog, I thought it would be a good idea to post a happier one.

Today has been a good day so far.

The first thing that has happened was that we received a pay cheque. I started off the morning by emailing the CEO and I told him I wasn't coming in today if there wasn't a cheque, I told him the issues I had with what was going on and informed him he needed to keep us updated. He responded informing me that he had found some money for everyone to get one cheque (some people are owed a lot more) and so to come in. So I did.

We were informed there is a good chance that we should be getting our next pay cheque on time, so that was a relief. It's not a promise, but then again, they've broken promises before. The only concern I have is that the money I deposited today will not be off of hold by Tuesday, but, if they pay us on Tuesday, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. I can also probably cash the cheque at CashMoney (I'm so done with Moneymart) which would cost me about $50 or so, but at least I'd have the money available right away. I think I will sell the couch still, and post up for my bed to be sold for Tuesday, just in case but the good news is the computer is staying put, for now.

If that didn't cheer me up a bit, Alec brought me some leftover pizza for lunch. I swear, it was the best pizza I've ever had! Not only that, I splurged for a $2 bottle of orange juice, and it was magnificent. Oh sweet nutrients, I missed you so.

Then, I got an email. From the company I interviewed with a few weeks ago. They said I had been chosen as a finalist and that they wanted me in for a final interview. That date is set for October 6th. I was giddy! This a small company, located near Cherry Beach. When I walked in a loved the atmosphere and the people I met. I was told it would be a busy job, something I want. Perfect! Did I mention that next door to this office they had go-karts? *laughs* I swear I'd be go-karting on my lunch hour.

If that wasn't enough to make me jump out of my seat, I then almost immediately received an email from another company asking me to give them a call. I spent about 15 minutes on the phone with a very nice lady named Norine, and I seemed to pass the phone interview, as she asked me to come in next week to meet her in person. OMFG! YES! Not only that, it's about a 15 minute walk from my house. I looked up the company and they seem A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I'm actually really really excited about this interview.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something will work out, and I can get out of this terrible rut and onto bigger and better things!

The Pangs of Life

Recently, life has been less than easy to deal with. Ok, ok, I know I basically consider the last 10 years to be "not easy to deal with" but recently has been another trying matter.

Since June, the company I work for has been having some funding issues. By issues I mean there is no money. It started with a few bounced cheques here and there and has escalated into them not paying us AT ALL. I'm one of the "lucky" ones who is only owed one pay cheque right now, but soon, that will be two. There are others who are owed more.

Having this company not being financially able to pay us has caused some serious damages in my opinion. Not only is the moral really low, but I feel no one trusts this company any longer. Constantly is the thought of whether or not tomorrow they will file for bankruptcy, leaving their employees stranded.

In addition to this my personal life and credit has been ruined. Ok, true - I don't really have friend's anymore, but the few I do have, I can't afford to see, or go out with. I've had to cancel, or rather postpone a trip to build-a-bear with Julie, a birthday and thank-you dinner with Nimisha, and my birthday weekend to the Michigan Rennfest. I've turned down many days of fun, or wanting to do the little things like go out for dinner, take the bus out to MI, or maybe just see a movie. These little things add up.

In August I called my bank, PC Financial, and attempted to have my cash back withdrawal increased. They had said previously that in August I'd be up for review as long as my account was in good standing. I was excited. All my pay cheques get put on hold, so it can be very difficult to get the daily things done while I wait for the cheque to clear. When I called I found out that due to cheques bouncing and the fact that I have no been depositing regularly has not made me eligible for higher cash back. A little thing, yes, but it will be another 6 months before I can inquire into this problem again, and who knows if I'm going to be approved due to all the shenanigans with my pay.

Other problems I am running into is my credit with companies. Rogers has turned off my phone because I was unable to pay my bill. I've received calls from Toronto Hydro, and I'm sure Enbridge will follow. For someone with zero-to-bad credit, I've worked hard to get where I am with these companies, and it hurts me to think that because of something out of control, it has been ruined. While we're on the topic of credit, I've been waiting for a pay cheque so that I could pay Capital One to help build my credit. Sadly, this is put on hold due to the lack of pay.

In the meantime, I'm struggling day to day. My body is protesting the lack of nutrients. I've been living off a diet of toast and pasta/rice with the occasional hamburger. Now I'm done to pasta, or rice. Plain. I'm also down to sitting all day at work listening to my stomach rumble and feeling the pangs of hunger. I finish dinner only to realize that my next meal will be 24 hours from now. It sucks. I hate feeling this way. I just feel sluggish and tired all the time. I feel dehydrated, and I'm catching a cold. - But it will only get worse. -

Realizing the other day that I need to make money, and fast, I have to sell all my objects of any sort of value. That means my couch, my bed, and my computer. Maybe my books, DVD's, CD's and toys if I can get any sort of decent price for them. I've slept on the floor before, it's not fun. I already have back problems as it is, and I know that sleeping on the floor will only make it worse. However the thing I will pine the most for is my computer. Yes it's old, and yes we have a love-hate relationship, but it's my computer. I have so many things stored on there. Pictures, Music, Videos, TV shows, poems, everything. Knowing this, I also realize that it will be a long, long time before I can replace these objects. This is mostly depressing to me because I had plans to go to school in January. I don't see how, reasonably, I can go to school if I don't have access to a computer to work with. But I guess that is something to worry about later.

Through all this, I have a few major concerns. First, my pets. I'd starve before I let them starve. However I took on the responsibility of a foster kitten. Cute little thing has a fractured leg and was separated from her mother at a very early age. I'm supposed to have her until 7-8 weeks of age until she can be adopted, but there is a very real possibility I won't be able to keep her that long, unless we get paid. I feel terrible because she is thriving in an atmosphere away from the humane society and seems quite happy most of the time, despite her loud mews. My second major concern is paying my rent and bills, but I have a plan.

My plan first and foremost is to sell the things I have to make money for rent, bills and pet food this month. Then, if my employer has not paid me by the second week in October, I will go to my CEO and demand that he lay me off due to lack of funds in the company. At this point, I really don't care what he has to due, but hopefully I will get my paid wages (2 pay chques missed + almost all of another pay cheque of the first two weeks in Oct) in addition my contract states that should I be laid off/fired that I'm entitled to two weeks. I also at this point would be eligible to apply for EI (Employment Insurance) which would help until I find a more suitable job - and yes, before you ask, I already have been looking for awhile now. If I find I'm still short on money, then I can easily get an under the table job while on EI to help with bills.

I want to know what your opinions are of this plan. Is there anything you can think of that would be better?

It was recently suggested to me that I should quit my job TODAY, and go apply for a job at Starbucks. I disagree with this only because it means I a)would not qualify for EI because I quit AND I would be working a job and b)I can't possibly live off of minimum wage.

What do you think? Do you think it is wrong of me not to listen to that advice?

I'm constantly worried, I'm hungry and exhausted. I really hope things pick up soon, and thanks to Ocean Lake for making my birthday sitting on the floor of my room staring at a blank wall eating a meager portion of plain rice. Maybe if I'm lucky I can find a candle to put in the rice. But seriously, I know I hate my birthday anyways but this fucking sucks.

Today's Special: War, the Conservative Government and YOU!

Only 4 days into the election campaign and already promises are flying out left, right and centre. During this time it can be very overwhelming, and very confusing to figure out who is saying what, who is promising what, and who is basically just talking out of their ass. It's no secret that many promises on the campaign trail will be reneged, or pushed under the rug where they hope the majority of Canadians will forget about it. This is always the case. It doesn't matter WHO you vote for, this will happen. So it's important, in my opinion, to try to distinguish between the realistic promises and they ones loaded with an order of Bull Shit.

The War in Afghanistan:

Earlier this year Harper extended the mission from 2009 to 2011. If you read one of the blogs I previously posted, I touched upon that subject there. Throughout that entire process he continuously mention how we should stay in Afghanistan UNTIL THE MISSION IS COMPLETED. That we shouldn't CUT AND RUN. Doesn't this sound like a certain US President? Not to name names... *coughGeorgeWBushcough* Harper has always been pro-war. He voted FOR sending Canadian troops to Iraq after the US invaded in 2001. He openly criticized and complained that we did not send our soldiers there to die. Ont his topic, and many more you will find similarities to his war-happy brethren in the US of A.

As we're quickly approaching the 100 death milestone for Canada, the heat is picking up in Ottawa, and now especially on the campaign trail. I'm find it hard to believe that Harper's views changed over night. He has stated that ALL troops could be out of Afghanistan by the 2011 deadline. I see this just as a political move to gain additional votes from all the people who are actively against our presence in Afghanistan. If Harper was serious on this matter, he would have informed NATO or our allies, but he has not. He is just mulling, and if he wins majority, this statement could easily be reversed.

Run for the Polls: The Canadian Election 2008

I'm truly, very concerned about this upcoming election.

After two years of having Harper bully his way through the House of Commons and different bills. Having him threaten the other three parties, he decided to finally call an election.

Of course, in doing so he broke one of the laws that he previously bullied his way into being passed. An election would not be called until 2009 -- but here we are in 2008 and we'll soon be at the polls.

So why would he do this? Two reasons. 1)Most importantly, because the Conservatives believe they can win a majority government and 2)Because Harper's bulling antics finally triggered the election. Dion boycotted a meeting with him, which Harper saw as a lack of communication and trust and therefore had the Governor dissolve Parliament.

Oh-vey. I feel like we're in high school all over again.

There are some very important issues coming into this election. The environment (and the conservatives boycott of the Kyoto Protocol to name one) the war in Afghanistan and the economy, and the increasing loss of jobs in the country.

I'll touch on those topics another day. In the meantime, do your reading, share your opinions. Let's debate!

Ch-Ch-Changes

My title is taken from an episode of CSI where everything seems to be turned upside down. My life isn't quite that drastic, but there are still a lot of changes happening.

The first major change in my life was accepting that people who I thought were my friends were not. I had some time away from home in August. The first part I went to Michigan - and boy, did I realize how much I missed everyone. Being in Toronto had been so painful for so long, that being there, surrounded by friends who actually care about me, who actually WANT to spend time with me was a nice change. I missed them so much, and I plan on going back as often as I can. Which, this month, may be two weekends in a row. (My birthday and then Danni/Travis' wedding)

The second part of that time away was not so nice. I spent the entire time crying and wondering what I had done wrong. Being so close to people I cared SO much about and having them blatantly ignore me hurt - but it was much needed. Needed to move on. When I returned home I wrote an email to two friends and asked them why it happened. One got really defensive, which just made me upset. The other wrote me a harsh email, that I plan on responding to today. It was harsh, but it was the first honest thing I've heard in a year, and I really appreciated it. Well, after I had a day or so to reflect. The first few days were hard, especially because this was someone who I truly do care about. Who I truly do love. It was hard because in some ways I thought he would always be there. But things ch-ch-change.

What this has brought about is a change in perspective. I've chosen to surround myself with people who like me. Who want to be around me. It's nice. We had this fantastic weekend at the CNE and Ontario Place. We play games. We laugh. We have McDonald parties. It makes me smile. Then of course, I have my boy. He always makes me smile, he's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love him more than anything. Then there are my online friends. People scoff at them, but I enjoy talking to them. We have interesting conversations, we laugh, we exchange stories. I have my friends at the THS. We feed kittens, catch up, talk, gossip. Wednesdays are a highlight of my week for sure. Lastly, I have my dog walking friends. The people I meet every morning at 6:30am. Then the others that I see every evening. I enjoy my time in the park - and look forward to it. I see the same dogs everyday. I get to play with my dog, and I get to meet new people in the park. It puts me in a happy place.

The second major change in my life will occur in January. I am hesitating to declare 2009 to be "the year" as I've said that for many many years now, and it's always a disappointment. In January, I'm taking some night courses. I'm going to start small with the journalism certificate. 2 classes in January-April. 3 classes from April - July. It's not a degree, or anything fancy, but it's some sort of post secondary education. It's also something I'm interested in (Travel Writing) and something that will hopefully better who I am, and what I can do with my life. I plan on also taking the photography certificate courses, but that would start in September 2009. There are 9 courses there, so if I take 3 per semester, providing I can handle that, and work full time, then I should be finished that certificate by July 2010. That's not too shabby. What can I do with that in my life? Not sure, but either way it will be doing something I enjoy. After I finish that, I plan on taking a Small Business course starting in Sept 2010. When that is completed I'm going to try to take French. Being bilingual is something I want to do. It's something I wanted to do for a long time. With the Small Business courses I will be more knowledgeable to start my own business. I still want to open up the bar/restaurant, even if my original partner is no longer in the picture. Maybe that won't be something that can happen in the immediate future, but it is something that I want to happen in my life.

One of the most important things I want to do in my life is travel. I want to see the world. I've told many people I have a dream to travel the world, writing a book and taking pictures of my experiences, and what I've seen. I want to share this with all those who haven't been able to see the world, or those who just don't know what is out there. With the journalism/photography certificate behind my belt, I'm hoping that this will help me move forward to do what I want to do, and get those goals completed. I hope that there will come a time in my life where I can take a year off, or even 6 months and just travel. Ideally, it would be nice to be paid WHILE traveling, but I'm not holding my breath for that.

A Plea to All Cat Owners

Please.. please keep your city cats indoors. There are so many reasons to do so. Most importantly, they won't get hit by cars.

This morning, on my way to work I found the neighbours cat, dead, on the road. Poor guy had just been hit.. and the bastard who did it, didn't even stop. He was dead, but he was still very warm. There was so much blood, and you just know he suffered.

If only I had left my house on time today.. maybe I could have stopped this.

Luckily, I knew where he lived. I ran to their house, and woke them up. It's never easy to tell someone their pet is dead. It's even worse to see the look of horror on their face when they see their bloodied animal laying on the ground. Watch as he picks him up, letting the blood goop from the open wound on his head, falling onto the ground, dripping... watching as the man cradles his dead cat, blood all of him, all over the cat. Not knowing what to do, where to take him. Finding out he is going through rough times and can't afford to have him cremated.

If I had the money, I would have paid for it. Sadly, I'm having my own money issues.

Don't let this happen. Keep your cats indoors. Drivers... slow down. Watch where you're going. If you hit an animal, stop, help it, please. Imagine if this was your cat, your dog, your child. Would you just leave them to suffer in the streets?