Is this what they call a Freudian Slip?

It's just one of those days I guess....

Late for work, a huge head cold and basically grumpy. That was how I started my day. And it just seemed to be one mishap after another. You know, the type of day when you didn't realise something was due and then suddenly somebody wants it RIGHT NOW, or the type of day when your boss wants to have a serious chat with you about your career aspirations and all you're thinking about is how to make it to the end of the day without killing someone - certainly not the appropriate frame of mind for a career discussion...

Then the straw happens. You know, the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back?

I was standing near my boss' boss' desk (does that make sense?) talking to someone when the boss' boss stops me to ask me a question. Fair enough, I'm usually good at off the cuff conversations, but not today... The question involved discussion around the various areas of the bank and how they inter-relate - and as one is wont to do in the banking environment - everything gets referred to by their acronym.

Acronyms are plentiful in a bank - which is tough at first - but once you learn them it becomes like a second language. The tough part is if you've worked in another bank previously, because then (as I've done often) you mix up the acronyms. So at Bank 1 XYZ may mean one thing but at Bank 2 XYZ stands for something completely different.

I took that one step further today. In talking to this senior guy, I meant to refer to our area of the bank by its acronym 'PBS' but instead used another.... and not even one from another bank.... By accident I substituted the B for M.

So there I was in the middle of the office, surrounded by tons of occupied cubicles, talking to the most senior guy on my floor about PMS.

I hate to believe its true, but I think this may be a stellar example of a Freudian slip...

Ooops.

Stood Up

So I alluded in my last post to potential romance that started up in Airlie Beach. I waited to write about partly because I thought by tonight I might have something more substantial to write about. Well I was right, but not in the way I thought.....

So the story begins on my last night in Airlie. Having ordered my drink, I was standing at the bar waiting for it to be made when this guy asked if he could buy it for me. Surprised, my instincts were to say no, but my friend's voice kept ringing in my head saying I need to be nicer to men, so I thought hey - why not just say yes. (Funny how being nice to men involves letting them spend money on you... but that's just my warped mind twisting things....).

Nice enough guy. Chatted a little and then made my way back to my table where my friend from home was waiting for me. Didn't think it was nice to leave her sitting by herself and I wasn't sure if she was annoyed or not. Got back to the table and discovered she couldn't have cared less and suggested that we invite the guy over (note - he had some friends with him so the offer may not have been as selfless as it seems at first take...but hey, a win-win for both of us....)

Anyway, spent most of the evening talking to them. The guys in general were pretty funny - the guy who bought me the drink was much more serious, but seemed pretty nice. Definitely keen. Almost too keen - but my friend threatened to smack me around if I didn't give him a chance - seems I have a problem with nice guys or guys who actually like me....

But I digress... During our conversation the guy talking to me (I'll call him 'drink guy') asked for my phone number and we tentatively made plans to meet up when he came through Sydney (he's just here on a visit). Now, I've had men take my number before but never call, so I wasn't expecting a lot, but he seemed so keen that I figured odds were he'd call.

Sure enough, Saturday he called. Didn't quite get to the phone in time, but he left a message saying he was still looking forward to seeing me, that he was sorry he missed me and that he call back.

Next day - sure enough - he called back. We chatted for a bit and then he asked if we could meet up when he was in Sydney. Said I couldn't on Tuesday and Wednesday (he's leaving on the Friday) and he jumped right in and asked if I would keep Monday and Thursday free for him. I was to choose a restaurant of my choice and he'd call me tomorrow (meaning today) to organise where.

Since he called me so early Sunday morning, I thought he might call in the morning Monday, but by lunchtime it was obvious that was a mistake. By 4:30 I was wondering if it was a mistake in general thinking he'd call - and by 6:00 I knew it was.

Stood up. By an American no less.....

I can't figure guys out. Why go to all that effort to not bother in the end?

My Bikini Vacation - The Synopsis

Okay, I'm finally back and in the land of the living. Although the land of living has a sore throat and a stuffy nose, but I can at least keep my eyes open for more than 10 minutes now......

So, I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but a friend from back home came out to visit/have a whirlwind vacation in Australia and I tagged along up to Airlie Beach (one of my favourite holiday spots in Oz) for FIVE full days. Count em: FIVE! And funnily enough, they all seemed to inspire me to sing various songs (okay - except for Day 1....

Day 1 - aka Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Perhaps I should add ferries to that list seeing as that was the first mode of transportation I missed....

It was all about timing last Saturday. I needed to check in at the domestic terminal before catching the shuttle over to the international terminal to meet my friend, then shuttle back to the domestic terminal to get her checked in - all within a very short time frame.

The night before I had it all planned out - catch the 9:15 jetcat, catch the 9:35 train - be at the airport and checked in by 10 am - half an hour before my friend's plan even landed! So much time.

Well, it would have been had I read the ferry schedule right. Apparently 9:15 was the time the jetcat was to arrive at Circular Quay - not leave for it. Sigh. So had to catch the 9:30 ferry, which meant I didn't get to the trains until 10, then the train was delayed - so didn't get to the domestic terminal until 11am, an hour later than scheduled....

So, I was stressing - not a good start to the vacation. I should never try to schedule.... it doesn't make me anymore on time and only makes me anxious. When I finally got to the international terminal - she was all ready there (and laughing because she knew I'd be late), but thankfully I built in cushion time.

But it was all worth, because by the end of the day we had worn shorts, we had caught some rays and we had topped it all off with a drink in the pub.

Great start.

Day 2 - On the Road Again

Okay - the responsibility for finding a place to stay was mine. Hmmmm, maybe it shouldn't have been. Not to worry though - it all worked out for the best - we moved to a new place (swankier and closer to the heart of Airlie) AND we got it at the standby rate - meaning that we paid about half of what we would have, had we booked before we went.

All good.

Spent the rest of the day doing touristy type stuff: browsing through shops, lounging by the pool and having a few drinks at the pub. We even managed to catch up with someone I used to work with who is now an Airlie local.

Nice caz day. Perfect.

Day 3 - A 3 Hour Tour

One of the best things about Airlie Beach is that there's wonderful sailing among the Whitsunday Islands, there's Whitehaven Beach - one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and there's plenty of snorkeling and/or diving off the Great Barrier Reef. So although neither my friend or I dive, I was all up for visiting beautiful Whitehaven and also doing a little snorkelling, so we booked ourselves into a one-day sail trip.

I haven't chosen the Gilligan's Island theme song for no reason.....

The boat was called the Camira - and I gotta tell you - the picture of Camira 'blowing like the wind' on the main sail looked more like he was 'blowing chunks'... Perhaps the first omen that all was not going to go right that day?

And perhaps the second omen was that the boat was purple. Yes I said purple. An unbelievably ugly purple.

But it was a beautiful day - a little chilly to start off with , but not a cloud in the sky. The crew were nice, brekkie was good and the wind was setting up to be a great day for sailing.

The main sail was put up and things were going swimmingly. A second sail was put up (I'd tell you what it was called, but seeing as I've no sailing experience, I have NO idea what the second sail is called...) and we really started to fly. The boat was a catamaran that had nets up front that you could sit on, so as we were going through the waves, some people sat on the nets for the rollercoaster ride. I sat up front but stayed off the nets. Good choice seeing as the people on the nets got drenched... all in good fun until this sound:

Crack.

And from where I was sitting, I could see a huge purple board fly away under the nets. Then this sound:

Crack.

Finally the crew cracked on (sorry - couldn't help myself) and they dropped the sails as quick as they could.

It was done. And while they were trying to make it seaworthy enough to get us back into shore, they punctured the $95,000 dinghy life boat.

Can anyone say 'ooops'?

Oh, and did I happen to mention that the huge ugly purple boat was worth $4million and had only been launched 4 months ago?

Good one.

Well - in the end - we spent the day out on a boat in beautiful weather, but alas, no snorkelling and no beach so we got our money back. So we tried again...

Day 4 - It's Raining Again

You remember the Supertramp song don't you?

We made Whitehaven beach this time. Just this time we had to go through a major storm to get there...

But sailing the Whitsundays is wonderful even in the rain! Our crew were super friendly - telling bad jokes - so it made the day.

Day 4 - Part 2 - This Must Be Love

Okay - I'm really reaching back for these songs - I must have been regressing while I was away... Anyway, think Phil Collins.....

Although we went to the pub every night - it wasn't until our last night there that we met anyone of interest. (Or should I say, anyone over 22.... same thing really....)

And just so there's no confusion - the love is not coming from me... but having said that - I do have a date tomorrow night. Me! A date! First time for everything....

Day 5 - Eight Days a Week

Really should be 25 hours in a day but I couldn't get Eight Days a Week out of my head, so I went with it...

In at 3:30, up at 6:30, breakfast, beach, and flight home. Got in at midnight. Where did the day go??????


So that's my bikini vacation in a nutshell (pretty big nutshell - sorry about that....). And I didn't even ruin it with all the cookies and chocolate I ate the week beforehand as I mentioned here earlier

Tag I'm It

Well, I was trying to sleep, but Jen tagged me and, well, it's bad manners to quit a game just as you're made 'it'. Mind you, I didn't know I was playing....

The ground rules: choose five of the options below and answer. Then tag three other bloggers to do the same. They did not specify that the answers could not be smart-ass ones.

The statements are:

If I could be a scientist
If I could be a farmer
If I could be a psychologist
If I could be a librarian
If I could be an inn-keeper
If I could be a professor
If I could be a writer
If I could be a llama-rider
If I could be a bonnie pirate
If I could be an astronaut
If I could be a world famous blogger
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world
If I could be married to any current famous political figure

1. If I could be a professor, I'd break with tradition and wear nice shoes.
2. If I could be a justice on any one court in the world it would be the US Supreme Court so that I could ensure that Roe vs. Wade was not overturned...
3. If I could be a writer, I'd be nicer to my mother. I swear!!!
4. If I could be a llama rider, maybe I'd get over my fear of horses.
5. If I could If I could be a world famous blogger... you mean I'm not??? Damn.

Now for the second part of my task..... hmmmmmm, I have to pick 3? Not sure I know that many - and I don't want to be a party pooper (or a game ender) but I'm going to have to think on it....maybe do some random picking.....I'll get back to you on it.

I'm back

Did you miss me?

or maybe I should ask - Did you know I was gone?

Just back from the bikini vacation I preparing for last week (with the chocolate and cookie diet....) and I'm exhausted. I want to write. Have lots of stories going on in my head, but I'm exhausted. I need a decent night's sleep. Something I certainly didn't get my last few nights on vacation.... but it was worth it... I had lots of fun.

Just didn't want you to think I dropped off the face of the earth or died or something. Just dead tired....

Dolphins! Dolphins! Dolphins!

in the surf yesterday - only a block from my house!



Apparently there were so many there was no room for the surfers!!

How cool is that?

Hmmmmmm.... Chocolate

A good friend from home sent me this

• Good news for chocolate lovers — a study published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating dark chocolate can decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of developing diabetes in healthy individuals.
• Chocolate is one of a number of foods containing antioxidant-rich compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids, which have been shown to help improve heart health, are present in a variety of fruits (citrus fruits, grapes, and blueberries) and vegetables (onions and broccoli), as well as red wine and green and black tea.
• The study looked at the effects of adding dark and white chocolate to the daily diets of healthy individuals. Researchers found that eating dark chocolate reduced insulin resistance while significantly lowering blood pressure. No such result was observed for white chocolate — not too surprising since white chocolate is made without cocoa and therefore does not contain flavonoids.
• Doctors don't know exactly how much dark chocolate you need to reap these health benefits, but for the purposes of The South Beach Diet™,it's best not to overdo it. Starting in Phase 2, try dipping four to five strawberries in dark chocolate, or limit yourself to one to two dark chocolate wedges as an occasional treat. Keep in mind that milk chocolate, made by diluting cocoa with milk, does not contain as many flavonoids as dark chocolate.

She's a good friend, isn't she???

I am so addicted

to American Idol that I am sitting watching the results show at 10:30 pm instead of packing for my trip - the trip that requires me to be at the airport early tomorrow morning...

I need help....

Not that I have an attitude...

or have a need to go against the flow....

But

Ever since I read that stupid book The Corner Office I have done the following:

1. I almost always sit on my foot when at work
2. I refuse to book an appointment for a haircut, despite the fact I really need one...
3. I regularly twist my hair/put it in clips et cetera while at my desk.

Don't think that corner office is going to have my name on it anytime soon..... >

Australian Commercials

Usually they're pretty good, but there's this one.....

It starts off with this sappy music, a prim woman sitting a living room chair and she says "Love. Commitment. Marriage." And the words scroll across the screen in frilly girly font (it's the only way I can describe it..)

The next thing the woman says is "Well, now that we've gotten the men of the room, let's talk about thrush."

Ugggh. Do I really have to watch this?????

Firstly - how condescending/sexist is it that men run screaming from the room because of the words: love, commitment or marriage?? In my experience, I've seen more women run at those words than men.... I know it's meant to be funny, but really, its not. How is that funny when mixed with the subject of thrush?

(For those non-Australians out there - thrush is a vaginal yeast infection)

Personally? I want to run from the room when that commercial is on. Why? Well, first off - if I'm watching a show about crime scene investigation - or say American Idol - I'm not really in the mood to listen to someone's thoughts on thrush... But also because the woman is so annoying with how she 'conspiratorially' chuckles over how the men are all gone. And what's with the girly font? Never mind the effect the words love, commitment and marriage seem to have on me...

Mostly Australian ads are pretty funny, but man - this one should be put to death early....

How to prepare for a bikini vacation

1. Eat cookies for dinner
2. Indulge in chocolate covered almonds
3. Gorge on fresh licorice
4. Have more than three meals a day
5. Do absolutely NO exercise.

No?

Is that not how you prepare?

Damn.

I've got three days to reverse the effects of the past month's behaviour. Think I can do it?

Aw fuck it. There's still cookies left in the kitchen.....

Good Advice

You know, you can find mentor's in the strangest of places.....

Had lunch Friday with someone from my old office. Actually the assistant to my former Group Executive. She's a lovely lady - and a foreigner like me - although a French foreigner - but I don't hold it against her....

It was good to catch up - and she had some good news of her own: after 4 years with the company, she had decided she needed a change and would be leaving our old company. She had thought about what she wanted to do and had a definite plan. Actually it was quite inspirational to listen to her. Made me almost want to become an Executive Assistant.... okay that feeling was brief, but her sureness over what she wanted to do was something I'd been looking for for years!

But aside from that, it was good to catch up on the gossip. Who had left, who might be leaving, who had misbehaved. You know, the usual. But then conversation turned to my current job. She was curious as to how it was going. Never anything less than honest (I'll never win any political battles at work...) I told her that I was glad I had made the decision to leave my old company, but didn't think I had found the exact job for me yet.

(Just as an aside, I don't think the job for me should cause me stomach troubles when I go to meetings with seriously aggressive males on my team....)

I don't really think I belong in a corporate environment - or maybe it's just the stuffy banking/financial services environment I don't belong in. Either way, I'm far too thin skinned - which incidentally was what I was telling my friend.

But without looking for it, I ended up being given some really good advice. She told me I didn't need to be thin-skinned forever and she gave me some very tangible steps towards fixing what I see as my greatest weakness: asking for feedback. She had been part of a training session that told them they should ask themselves the following questions each and every day:

1. What did I learn today?
2. How did I stay in touch with people today?
3. What feedback did I get/give today?

The last point being the key. The key to being successful at work is how you're perceived by others. I mean, if you know you're competent but no one else perceives you that way - does it really matter what you think? She also said that getting feedback on a regular basis helps to insulate yourself from some of the harsher comments and just take the gist of the message, instead of getting offended by the delivery. She also noted that many people are extremely bad at giving feedback and can be too harsh, but that when asked for their feedback/input they tend to be a little milder. (She actually pointed out that this may be an effective strategy for dealing with the office bully - you know the one giving me stomach aches? - Haven't yet tested that theory)

So I put all this into play when I got back to the office. (I figured if I procrastinated I'd never do it..) Ended up talking to my boss later that day and setting up a system whereby I'll ask for feedback every fortnight as a way for personal development and continual improvement. He gave me some feedback (most of it good) but gave me a few tidbits that I wasn't aware of that should be easy to work on.

So I've taken the first step.... maybe one day I'll be a little less thin-skinned. Well, whatever way it turns out, I think it was good advice. Even if it doesn't bring any long term benefits, its helped me find a solution to dealing with some short term obstacles.

Free advice. Maybe sometimes you can get more than you pay for...

Mr. Cab Driver

I worked late the other night so ended up taking a cab home. Lucky me - I ended up with a very chatty cab driver.

The first few comments were harmless enough, like "Where you from?", "Why you here?" blah blah blah, but then - all on his own initiative - the cab driver turned the chit chatty conversation into a political lecture.

At first I tried to be polite yet not encourage the conversation, but to no avail. The rant continued. So then I said nothing and just stared out the window. My lack of response had absolutely zero effect - he just kept going - and you know, after a while (it's a long trip to Manly from the city) it started to get slightly uncomfortable. Some of the topics covered were:

• why no one should be able to hold dual citizenship if one of those citizenships' is Australian (think that was directed at anyone??)
• how Australians have no culture
• how the Free Trade Agreement with the US is bad
• how the Americans are taking advantage of the Australians
• how fast food is carcinogenic
• how chocolate contains deadly poisons.

Okay it was bad enough listening to the whole US/Australian rant (actually I felt like I was back in Canada listening to that - only 15 years ago..... just another piece of proof that Australia is about 15-20 years behind the rest of the Western world) but to try and tell me that chocolate is poisoning me?? That's just going too far!!

I must say though - the one thing that really stood out as I was uncomfortably listening to the rant (I tried not to listen, but I really was an unwilling captive audience in the back of the cab...) - is just how isolated Australia is from the rest of the world. It's vaguely reminiscent of the American insularness from post World War II. The idea or belief that foreigners are bad and that external influences will harm anything and everything Australian is so short sighted. The geography of this country is one of the things that makes it beautiful, but its this geography - specifically being an island - has enabled itself to remain isolated and unexposed to the globalization that is spreading across the rest of the world. Is this bad? Well I'm sure there are arguments both ways - but I really believe that there is such potential here and that exposure to international influences can have a positive effect both on Australian culture and their economy - if they just open their hearts and minds to it.

Well, 40 minutes into the drive (it's a long drive from the city to Manly) I was beginning to seriously resent being subjected to the lecture (not only because I disagree on so many levels, but also because after a 14 hour day I just wanted a little less seriousness in my day...) and even started to get a little claustrophobic in the back of the cab, I pondered how I could get a little revenge. Seeing as tipping, or the lack thereof, is not an integral part of Australian culture - giving the guy no money wasn't going to work, so I was a little flummoxed. That is, until we turned down Sydney Road (about 5 minutes from Manly) and the conversation turned back to the evils of fast food. Then I knew I had it.

I asked to be dropped off at McDonalds.

You know you really suck at a game when...

the person you're playing asks if you're trying to lose.

It also shows how little they know me. Ryans play to win - and even though the person I was playing is 25 years younger than me - I'm no different.

The Ryan philosophy? You're never too young to learn that you won't win at everything.....

Things One Can Learn From a Dog

1. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind on your face to be pure ecstasy.
2. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
3. When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
4. Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
5. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
6. Take naps often and stretch before rising.
7. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
8. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
9. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
10. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Not sure where I got this one - but had to share....

Sleepless in Sydney

Seems my annual bout of insomnia has returned.....

Now did it start with the fever?
Did it start because I was stressed?
Or did it start because I've finally slept so much that my body is screaming 'NO MORE'?

You know, I think I could give Dr. Seuss a run for his money....

"Did she not sleep because of option a?
Or option b?
Or perhaps it was option c?

I do not think she did not sleep because of option a.
Or option b.
Or possibly even option c."

Okay - it's not as easy as it looks.....

How mental must you be to write like that? And he shapes the minds of our future generations? Scary.

Fever

Me. Fever. For last three days. Plus other symptoms, but I'll spare you the details. Suffice to say, I've had the flu.

You know I joked on my birthday that it wasn't just another year older - but also another year closer to death.

Death warmed over I guess.....

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear me
Happy birthday to me.

In case you haven't guessed, it's my birthday!

Time to Move?

Earlier I wrote that I had been thinking about moving, but was procrastinating... And after my spectacular purchase that day, my flat seemed homier and I kind of got over the idea of moving. I had kind of resolved that even though I think I pay too much in rent, my place has grown on me and that the good outweighed the bad.

At the same time, a friend I know out here is looking to move out from her current flat and has suggested maybe we find a place together. I'm not against the idea but I have a few reservations: my last flat sharing experience was a disaster and I'm a little worried that I've just gotten too used to living on my own. On the upside though I've generally quite enjoyed living with others and maybe sharing a flat will reduce some of the loneliness I've been feeling lately. A quandry really...

Until today that is....

I was on the way to the pool today (for a workout - too cold here now for leisure swimming...) and had just left my flat when a policeman walked by me down the hall. Unusual - and when I looked around I saw my neighbour in the hallway. Apparently, they had just arrested someone who had tried to burgle her flat. Scary part is that her son came home, saw the door was open, found a guy searching the flat and wrestled him to the ground and called the police.

This all happened on a Sunday morning at 11 am.

Hmmmm, looks like its time to move...

The Latest Weather Forecast

"On Tuesday, showers arrive and settle in for the rest of the week"

Not a good start to the week......

My First Novel

I heard about this writing course that a well-known author runs once a year. It's a weekend retreat and he invites publishers to come and read what you've written and give feedback. Some people have even gotten publishing contracts from this weekend seminar.

Now in order for publishers to read what you've written, you have to submit some of your works prior to the course. In fact, as a part of the application process, you have to submit a novel you've written.

Now that's a problem. I haven't written one yet....

Good thing is though - I still have plenty of time - the course doesn't start until October and application deadlines are September sometime.

You know - when I first found out about this course, I was really excited and very gung ho. So much so that I quickly wrote out an outline of a story that I wanted to do (a revision of something I had attempted earlier that kind of went off the rails...) but that's where it ends.

Since then? Nothing. In fact, since I've been thinking about doing this course, I've been finding it extremely tough to even come up with things to blog about. Never mind trying to get some words on the page for my first novel.

What should I do?

I know I lack in self-discipline (it's true, I'm not being mean or unnecessarily self-critical, but I truly have honed procrastinating into an Olympic sport...) so I need to find a way to get myself writing - and soon!

Any suggestions?

Surfing

No, not the ocean surfing kind of thing - though that is on my list of things I still want to do - the internet surfing kind of thing...

I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite haunts:

1. www.talkentertainment.com for pure voyeuristic, entertainment gossip.. The top stories of the day all in one spot....
2. www.idolonfox.com My favourite show - the site where the recaps are sarcastic and the place where I can find out who's been kicked off the show before seeing performances....
3. www.tomama.com the place for commentary on the good and bad of mothering in Toronto - and the place where I can catch up on how my friend is doing
4. www.canadianexpatriates.blogspot.com to keep up to date on Canadian issues and find out about other Canadians expats around the world
5. www.thecanadianbeaver.com a fellow Canadian in Finland - who was kind enough to mention me in one of his blogs and I visit every now and then just to see how he's doing.
6. www.canada.com where I can find out what new thing Paul Martin's done wrong
7. www.cnn.com one of the best places for world news

So those are mine - but I"m always looking for new sites, so let me know if you some other good ones...

It's not true

Remember that book I told you about ? You know the one that tells women how they have to be masculine in order to be successful? (Okay - maybe I'm paraphrasing a little..)

Well, one of the little jewels in that book says that one of the 'bad things' that women do (which keep them from advancing) is fixing themselves in public. Sort of like hygiene maintenance: fixing their hair, putting on lipstick etc. Just the sort of thing men never do. At least according to the book.

I'm here today to tell you that's absolutely not true!!

In the last few days, I have seen men preen and fix like I've never seen women do. I've seen men get on the elevator and check themselves out in the mirror, fix their hair - one guy even picked his teeth! All while someone else (namely me - and sometimes others) were in the elevator with them.

I have to tell you - I have NEVER seen a woman pick her teeth in public before. Yet fiddling with your hair is apparently a career limiting crime.....

2 degrees

Just noticed that its 2 degrees Celcius in Toronto.

WHAT'S GOING ON?????

It's the 3rd of May? I can remember having birthday parties (FYI - my birthdays in 6 days for those of you who have forgotten and/or lost count...) and sweltering in the heat as a little kid. What's up with the weather?

Imagine what you could achieve

if you knew you could not fail.

That's the quote that someone left on my desk the other night. Walked into work and this little post-it sized note was sitting on my keyboard. Not sure if it was meant as a joke, a criticism or as inspiration - but it's taken hold.

Actually, at first I just kind of picked it up and put it to one side - it was a busy day and I was running late for a meeting - and didn't think anything more of it. But somehow I've never quite managed to ditch it. Continually, I have picked it up and moved it out of my way - yet never thrown it out.

So today as I was cleaning up my area (getting a new computer) and I moved it again. But this time I noticed it - re-read it essentially - and I've decided I'm going to keep it. I tried to tuck it into the corner of my computer screen but that didn't really work - so I'm either going to tape it there (it's a little distracting, so probably not) or stick it on the backboard of the desk. Either way I've decided it needs an area of prominence.

The thing is - without even realising it - its having an effect on me. Being relatively new still at work, I sometimes hesitate about what I should do in a given situation, but I've found over the last few days, I've consciously or sub-consciously read this little square of paper and its changing my behaviour. I'm worrying less about what others think or how they'll perceive my actions and instead, am doing what I think is right (basically how I'd behave if I'd been at a company long and/or felt comfortable in my job).

Not bad for a little scrap of paper huh?

Me thinks so too, so I'm keeping it for now.

I think Canadians live upstairs

They had a big party on Saturday night. Thought nothing of it the first time I heard 'Isn't It Ironic' played. But after the third rendition and an all female sing-a-long to 'You Learn', I figured they had to be Canadians...

So much for the theory that Canadians are polite and quiet....

(You have heard the joke right? "How do you get a bunch of drunk and rowdy Canadians out of a pool? Politely ask them to leave." Not my favourite joke - but my brother loves it...)

Stop Thinking

That's the latest advice I've been given. Unsolicited I may add.... But that's what friends are for, I guess.

I think birthdays make you do that (did I mention its my birthday next week?) - they make you think. They make you think about your life, where you're at, what you've accomplished or what you haven't accomplished. Or maybe its just people who don't have enough to do that think like that around birthday time....

So, what's so wrong with thinking anyway? Well, apparently it's getting me into trouble. It's making me morose and boring and the biggest crime? it's scaring away men. Any and all men.

Note - this is not what I believe - but what I've been told by a dear friend of mine.

I think it's her form of shock therapy. Go to such an extreme that it makes me laugh and shakes off the fog..... and makes me go out and prove her wrong.

I'm not so dumb.

But I'm also not so smart as to not rise to the bait!

Fine. I'll stop thinking - but if that doesn't impress my boss - hope my friend has enough money to cover any lost wages.....

A week tomorrow

is my birthday.

Not that I'm counting or anything...