Monthly Archives: November 2007

New Look*

Well, I think I’m done playing around and have settled into my new holiday look for my blog. Do you like it? I’m quite satisfied–I learned how to use a new graphics program to make my new banner/logo thing, and I absolutely LOVE it. I also changed some font colours, and decided to change my picture. That photo is the very first picture the Hubs and I ever had taken together. It was right before we went to FERP (which is why we’re all dressed up) and I just love it. I’m having a hard time believing that that was almost 3 years ago… I really don’t know where the time has gone.

Lastly, I reset my page counter. I used to have my blog on a website that attracted more visitors to my blog, but I assume most of them were just random people who probably didn’t even read what I had written. So, I took it off and reset my counter to see how many people are reading my blog now, as I likely will know 75% of them. Which is fun. I reset it late last night and already 15 people have logged on to visit me. Isn’t that exciting? :) Thank you for reading… it means a lot. xo

Shop Girl*

Socks*

I think it’s been a while since I’ve blogged about anything to do with shoes, so I thought I’d give you all a little treat this morning. I really don’t think people realize how important socks are to the whole shoe experience. So…. let me enlighten you.

1) I love sandals. I pretty much think that they are the best type of shoe ever. I try and get as much wear out of them as possible… I generally start wearing them in May and try and push through until October until I am forced to start wearing socks again. I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to share my love for sandals and like to wear them as long as possible as the seasons start to change. I’ve also noticed that to extend sandal season some people like to wear their sandals… with socks. *shudder* I know. So wrong. We get it a lot here in Senior’s City* as we have quite a large …hippie… population– you know, the burlap sweater things, the knitted caps with strings, long johns under shorts, dreadlocks and… socks ‘n’ Birkenstocks, or my short form, socks ‘n’ ‘stocks. This is absolutely not ok. I am of the understanding that if it is cold enough to warrant wearing those massive grey woolen socks with the red toes then it is certainly cold enough to put your feet into shoes. Yes? Yes. It does happen on other occasions as well– people who don’t like showing their feet often just wear socks in their sandals. But there are clever new closed two sandaly inventions that can help you get over this and take of the socks!! Sandals are for bare feet. Not socks.

2) Black pants. Black shoes. White socks. Can you tell me which of those don’t belong? haha!! I like to match. I am a matcher. I believe that pants should blend into your feet. For example, when wearing black pants and nice black shoes (or any black shoes for that matter), black socks are most appropriate. In an absolute pinch black sport socks will do, but nice pants + nice shoes should include equally nice socks. Brown pants can be a little more tricky as there are hundreds of shades of brown, and it’s completely ok to wear tan pants with a dark brown shoe. But which do you match? This one can go either way! WOO! Some people prefer to match their socks to their pants in this case (tan socks, dark shoes) and this can be okay. Matching the socks to the shoes is also ok. But again, blllllllllllllend the colours. No white socks. White socks are for running shoes or white shoes.

3) Running shoes. Here lies another large dilemma. What socks do I wear?????? Running shoes can come in a variety of colours, so which socks should you wear? Personally, unless the shoes are completely black, ALWAYS go with white ankle socks. No thigh-highs, knee-highs, or calve-highs. Ankle socks are where it’s at, baby. At no time ever ever ever should one think that it is ok to wear tall black socks with white running shoes (commonly seen on cute old men… haha).

So you see, there is SO much more to socks than people generally think about it. As a shoe-noticer/enthusiast (haha) a perfectly wonderful pair of shoes can be ruined by poor sock choice. Good pants + good shoes + good socks = someone you know takes care of themselves and cares about their appearance. Watch for it. Next time you see someone, check out their shoes + socks. haha

Shop Girl*

November*

I am a bad blogger. :(

I’m sorry. But I have been busy, and in this post I shall explain why. If you are a regular reader, you will likely have noticed that my number of posts per month have dropped off drastically. I think this is #4 for November, and I used to try and write every day. So let me fill you all in. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, a blanket, and let me tell you my story.

Yesterday, I put my teacher’s college applications in the mail. I’m not even sure if I’ve blogged about the fact that I was applying, but that was mostly because they have consumed my life for the past 2 months. Also, because there is a good change that I won’t get in anywhere and I didn’t want to embarrass myself. haha You see, last year I went through a “I’m not sure if I really want to be in university studying what I’m studying” phase and my marks went down the toilet. I’m basically sitting at a 70% average right now which is the bare minimum to get into teacher’s college. Yeah. I know. So I needed to have AMAZING statements of experiences which is what I worked my butt off for. But now they are in the mail and there’s nothing more that I can do until they tell me on April 15th.

This has also been a major source of stress for me because if I am not accepted at the college here in town, the Hubs and I will have to live apart for a year. He is a year behind me in school and unless I took a year off to work, we’ll be seeing each other on weekends only. I really don’t want to take a year off though, as I am really at a point in my life where I need to be done with school… and I don’t think I’d have the willpower to make myself go back once I had a taste of freedom. I have been in school non-stop since I was 4 years old, and the prospect of freedom within my reach is almost irresistible. So, as much as I don’t want to be parted from my Hubster, it might be a reality. But in the words of Scarlett O’Hara, “I don’t want to think about that today. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

So, that has been one reason I haven’t been blogging. The other, is work. I’m still working with the Peer Mentoring Program at the school, and that eats up a lot of my free time. There has been a lot of actual work to be done while I was in the office, so I didn’t have a ton of free blogging time there anymore either. As well, I’ve just taken on a second job (I know, I’m insane). The Catholic Board called me and wants me to come back and teach again this year. I couldn’t turn it down… as trying as the experience was at times, it was still amazing and the pay is incredible for the amount of work I do. Besides, I loved the school, the kids, and the staff (the principal actually wrote one of my reference letters for teacher’s college) and it’s good practice for me.

So, teacher’s college and 2 jobs. I know there’s something else… ohhh right… SCHOOL. haha the other huge thing in my life that eats up all my time. I’m still enjoying most of my classes–the English and one of my 4th year history classes are a little trying, but I’m muddling through. Knowing that there is really only 3 months left of school (I only have a week of class in December so I don’t count it) is keeping me going. I am SO excited to graduate and just be DONE. I’ve been trying to stay on top of my readings this year so I just feel like I’m doing something all the time.

With school comes my lovely volunteer position with Frontier College. I sometimes feel like it’s taking over my life. haha Throughout October and early November I was responsible for making all the reference calls for the students who volunteer with our organization. We work with children and senior citizens, so our background checks are pretty intensive. There is an interview process, police checks, and reference checks. I did the reference checks. For all our volunteers. To sum up, it was a lot of phoning. I now hate the phone. haha

And then… there is my wonderful husband who I sometimes think isn’t quite sure if I still live at the apartment or have moved into my offices on campus. Our schedules are pretty opposite right now so it’s not always easy to catch each other at home. Today, for example, I left before he was even out of bed (he always comes to the door with me, but he wasn’t quite coherent yet… haha) and I won’t be home for another couple of hours. We’ve booked “date time” for tonight so he’s making me dinner and we’re going to watch a movie as we both actually have a few hours off together! This is really the root of why I hate being so busy… after spending so much time together in the summer, all of a sudden it’s hard to catch a minute because we’re both exhausted when we finally do get home. We’re both really looking forward to Christmas when I’m going to force him to hang out with me all the time. haha :)

So, those are my excuses for being a bad blogger. But don’t you worry. I have lots of essays coming up so I’ll need lots of reasons to procrastinate. And I promise to make blogging my number 1. :)

Now I know this post is already a novel, but there is simply one more thing that I need to blog about. Last night I met Daniel Ellsburg. I was absolutely SHOCKED when even Doodle, my internationally minded Lawyer brother, didn’t know who he is, and why he is someone I was so impressed to meet. But I think it’s because we’re Canadian, and his actions in the U.S. had no real impact on Canada. But anyway, he came to speak at Trent last night–his first time ever speaking in Canada–and I have never been so impressed with another person before. I left his lecture SO inspired. If you click on the link I’ve placed on his name (which I HIGHLY recommend you do) you’ll read that he is the man responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers and exposed the actions of the American government in Vietnam. He spoke briefly about that experience last night, but his real focus was on comparing Vietnam to the U.S.’s current involvement in Iraq, and his predictions of their entrance into Iran. It was SO interesting.

After his lecture, I was invited to attend a reception for him. I thought that was pretty cool–my prof was only allowed to invite 8 students and she asked me! It was a little intimidating, it was in the Alumni house and it was crawling with professors and all these intellectual people and then there was… me. haha! Thankfully my friend Phil was there so he helped me break the ice and then it was awesome. I met some really interesting people, and even had the opportunity to meet and speak with Ellsburg. I have to admit, I was a little star struck. haha!!

So, that was my big experience of this month… and now you’re all caught up in the world of Shop Girl. Did I mention how excited I am for Christmas? Because I am SO excited. WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Shop Girl*

I’ve decided to become a filmmaker.

And this is why.

I give you, Mom, Dad, Choppy and Teep.

The Home Evening Ho-Down

Shop Girl*

If you live in B.C., you will die.

This is the conclusion that I have arrived at.

If you’ve been reading CBC.ca at all in the past week or 2, I think you’d agree. Almost every time I load the news, there is a new headline about someone who has been shot (or died in some other way) somewhere in B.C. For example, today there is a story about a suspicious death in the Lower Mainlands, or the gang-style murder in Surrey that police have been investigating over recent weeks. So really, what other conclusion could I possibly come to? …exactly. None.

I wonder what it is that makes people so crazy out there… there must be something in the water. Because really, it makes our little Ontario seem so much safer than crazy B.C. I can’t even remember if I’ve read a headline or article about violence in Ontario in recent weeks… the fact that I can’t is proof enough. Which makes me postulate another theory… MAYBE CBC doesn’t like Western Canada and wants to make it look bad. So they are ignoring Ontario violence and making it look lovely and safe. OR SECRET. Maybe CBC is in on it and is hiding all the Ontario violence… oooo… that’s kind of creepy.

In any case, if you live in B.C. here is my advice: move. Bad things happen there. And CBC reports it.

Shop Girl*

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