New year's eve

It's new year's eve. It feels odd. I also feel some sense of relief.

I can't wait to get rid of 2020. I am hopeful that 2021 will be better. It's the optimist in me.

I may venture out later today. For now, I'm off to bed.

Free frapp

Yesterday, I ran my errands a day earlier than I typically do. It was such a sunny day that I needed to get some vitamin D. Later on today, we are expecting a mix of snow and rain. I want to simply stay at home and avoid driving in it.

I dropped by my local Starbucks. I am a regular customer. I approached the drive-thru and the barista knew who I was just looking at my car.

When I got to the window to pick up my beverage, she said that she had made an extra drink by accident and wanted to give it to me. She knew that I'd likely want it. She was right. It was a double chocolatey chip creme frappuccino. I thanked her for the free drink.

I have never had one before. I must admit that it was pretty good. It was nice that she thought of me.

Getting hardened fluid from a stress ball off my dresser

Monday was a productive day. I decided to reorganize what's on my dresser. I thought that it would take me an hour. Nope.

I found out that my blue M&M's stress ball had exploded. The clear fluid in the squishy stress ball must have oozed out days ago. It was solid on my dresser, between items.

I learned that the fluid is corn syrup. It's a question of submerging items in warm to hot water to melt the residue away, such as on my hand lotion. Naturally, I can't submerge my entire dresser in water. Instead, I poured some hot-warmish water on the surface and started to chip away at the mess.

Later on today, I'll finish the work. I ran out of elbow grease!

Cooking and week 2 of vacation

I spent Sunday cooking. I like taking leftovers from Christmas and making other yummy meals out of them.

I made turkey stew for lunch and salted caramel French toast for breakfast. I am pleased with how they turned out.

My first week of vacation is over. I have one more week to go. It goes by quickly, but I am enjoying the downtime.

Christmas

My Christmas was quiet, but nice. I spent three hours cooking. I spent the rest of the day relaxing.

I roasted a turkey. I love my convection oven. It does a great job crisping the skin and keeping the turkey juicy.

I made mashed potatoes with ghee. It was a first and it turned out nicely.

Stuffing is a must. I no longer stuff the turkey with it. Instead, I make it on the stovetop and it's so much easier. I live for stuffing.

I did something different and made salted caramel quick bread at the same time that the turkey was roasting. It turned out well for my first try. It was nice to have dessert.

I also roasted sweet potatoes. The key is to poke a ton of holes with a fork before they go into the oven, so the sweet potatoes don't explode.

I fed my parents. They seemed to enjoy the food. They took a nap afterwards.

Oddly, I couldn't nap. I slept well last night, though. I'm happy that they had a great meal.

The ex and his boring e-card

The ex decided to send me an e-card on Christmas Day. It was roughly around when I posted yesterday.

I took half a day to finally click the link. It was what I had expected. He wished me a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Boring. It could technically be a form letter.

Months ago, I told him to do me a favour and not contact me. Apparently, e-cards are exempt in his eyes.

The only positive thing is that he was on time sending such a greeting. He's still a jerk.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! For those celebrating, I hope that you have a safe and joyous one with family and friends in your bubble.

Happy holidays! It's snowing, so it feels like Christmas.

Groceries and a white Christmas

On Wednesday, I went out to fetch groceries. I needed to get my Christmas dinner ingredients in order.

I actually visited two grocery stores. The first one tends to sell main staples, such as celery, onions, and bananas, at cheap prices. The quality is excellent. The other place had the whole turkey that I needed.

I feel accomplished. I really didn't want to hit the grocery store on Christmas Eve. It'll be crazy and we are also expecting snow. It will be a white Christmas here.

My friend checking into a hospice

My dear friend wrote to me in the wee hours yesterday morning. She was to be air-ambulanced from Houston to a hospice later on that day. She should be there by now.

It is painful that she started her year being able to walk, went for cancer treatment during the summer, and ended up paralyzed a few months later thanks to an aggressive form of Leukemia.

I'm on vacation, but have been reading up on this horrible disease. The thought of losing her is scary and normal. I am trying to be as supportive as I can be.

Profile and business write-ups

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire for an upcoming profile feature that I'll be a part of on Instagram. It's related to the review recognition that I wrote about in my previous post.

The other part of this exercise is to feature five businesses that I love, and write a brief blurb about them, along with including a photo for each of them. I finally got it all done yesterday. It's nice that I can focus on such activities on my vacation.

I don't have anything adventurous to do on my vacation. I'm just taking it a day at a time. It's nice so far.

Recognition for being a reviewer

On Friday, on a review platform, I got recognized for making the top 50 prolific reviewers in North America. There were only two Canadians on the list. I was the highest ranked Canadian on the list.

It was a nice honour. It was weird how I heard about it, though. It was from a fellow reviewer that I didn't know.

I sometimes wonder how some folks find out about such details well before I do. I have a local manager who didn't say a word all weekend. Odd.

Anyway, I'm delighted with the recognition. It was a nice way to kick off my weekend and vacation.

Bittersweet week

My vacation has started. It has been a bittersweet week.

I will write more about a positive recognition that I got on Friday. I'm simply exhausted right now.

My friend's cancer turn for the worst

I got some discouraging news from my friend who has been battling leukemia for several months. I've been bummed about this news since learning about it just after 4 pm on Thursday.

She let me know that her treatment in Houston has failed. The cancer has now spread to her spine and she is paralyzed from the waist down. Radiation hasn't helped shrink her tumour, either.

She will be air-ambulanced back to the Mayo Clinic in my former home of Rochester, MN either today or shortly thereafter. 

It's encouraging news that she will be with family before Christmas. However, this news wasn't what we all wanted or expected.

Her message to me had an ominous tone to it. It's understandable, but I may be reading into it more. She ended it with the following:

"I really enjoyed our friendship. I love you and wished we could have travelled more together!"

I let her know that I treasure our friendship and said that I love her back. She is a dear friend and the thought of losing her is devastating. I continue to pray for her.

I hope that my seeing her in March wasn't my final time. Not being able to see her during a pandemic and with a closed Canada-US border is frustrating.

With a nice honour come drama

On Thursday, I got acknowledged on a platform that I am one of the top reviewers in my area. I am honoured and shared that news, which a friend had tagged me on, on Instagram.

I have another friend that I have known since we were in grade 8. She basically made a stupid, insensitive, unfounded remark in this chat exchange:

"You eat out a lot," she stated.

"Not really. I do takeout twice a week. Reviews aren't all food."

I proceeded to show the last five reviews that I had completed. Only one was a food review. I didn't have to. I did it to prove a point to her.

I was annoyed at her comment. Why can't she simply say congrats? Why make such a ridiculous, random, unfounded statement? I actually told her that it was a momentous occasion for me and to let me enjoy it.

Her statement can also be construed as targeting my weight. I feel that it's some sort of internal issue that she has. She sees a happy moment that I am soaking up and she can't stand it. She needs to ruin my day by lashing out with a false statement about me.

I do have a number of supportive friends who got me through this drama that I was not expecting. I'm so fortunate.

Others putting themselves in my old shoes

I am not as stressed out at work, mainly because I don't lead our software release work these days. It's a nice change.

However, I am the one who troubleshoots and makes decisions on my team that either no one has thought about or can't come to a conclusion. It's one many reason why I did everything seamlessly.

I also find that my colleagues whine and complain about minor things that I never did. Perhaps I need to join in and see how that feels.

I still feel that they took what I did for granted. Now that they are enduring what I used to do, I feel like there's a quieter respect that they have for me.

Le Creuset fry pans are awesome!

I am going into my last week of work before my two-week vacation. I do need a break.

I recently bought a couple of Le Creuset fry pans. They were on sale. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought them.

The fry pans are great. I made breakfast in the smaller pan and it's amazing how evenly things cook in it compared to my T-Fal.

They are an investment. I'm so happy with them.

Hot water and a lockdown are back!

The good news is that I have a new hot water heater. It was installed on Friday and I am so pleased to have hot water again!

I enjoyed taking a warm shower on Friday night that I didn't bother writing a post yesterday.

On Monday, York region goes into lockdown. I frankly won't notice much of a difference, other than getting my hair cut on Saturday before said lockdown. I had already scheduled it before the lockdown announcement was made on Friday. Great timing!

I mainly go out to fetch groceries, hit the drug store, and order takeout. These stores will all be available during lockdown.

Broken hot water tank

On Wednesday night, I went downstairs to the basement to do some laundry. There was warm water on the floor. Luckily, I had caught it early. My hot water tank had a leak.

A nice water tank expert came over on Thursday to inspect the tank. I need a new one. He's returning later today to swap my old tank with a new one.

For the last couple of days, I have been using cold water to shower. I was oddly fine washing my hair and showering the first night. A few hours ago, it felt too cold. I did take breaks.

I will say that I like cold showers. I feel so relaxed afterwards, which I wasn't expecting!

Last early meeting of 2020

Yesterday, I had my final 7 am work meeting for the year. It's the four-hour marathon that I attend every five weeks.

It was an interesting, good meeting. I don't enjoy such an early start, though.

The good thing about such an early start is that I got to end my day at 3:30 pm. I ended up taking a nap and organizing a few items with some storage container that I had recently purchased.

It's good to feel accomplished.

Vacation changes and old phone

Monday went well. A meeting got cancelled. I got two documentation libraries out the door for a release. I felt accomplished.

It's crazy to think that in less than two weeks, I will be on vacation for a couple of weeks. I had thought about doing three weeks of vacation. However, staying at home for such a long run is too long for my liking. Instead, I'll take a week off in January.

My old Google Pixel 2 XL no longer gets Android updates. It's sad, but I still love and use that phone at home daily. It's a nice phablet.

Reviews and talk

I like writing reviews about local businesses. I find it relaxing. I also feel that it helps folks with researching whether a business is worth their wild.

Last week, I received a message from a community manager, inviting me to a forum to discuss how I write reviews. It's pretty cool and it's a nice honour.

This casual talk happens in January. I am looking forward to it.

A compliment over purple corduroy leggings

A compliment goes a long way, especially when it is unexpected.

On Saturday, I had to stop by a store. Due to the pandemic, only three customers are allowed inside the store. I was waiting outside with roughly five other people.

I managed to get inside the store at long last. I was waiting for my order to be fetched. The man behind me started a conversation with a compliment.

"I love your purple pants," he said.

I had purple corduroy leggings on. I thanked him and said that they screamed my name when I saw them. He said that he wouldn't mind wearing a pair because they are purple and he loves corduroy. He saw them on me and thought that they were cool. I loved his fashion sense. He even said that he would wear them with white sneakers. Yes, a pop of colour goes a long way.

What is cool about these leggings is that they have full front pockets. You don't normally get that with leggings. You often don't get pockets. Sometimes, if they are jeggings, you get a small front pocket and two back pockets. 

He brightened my day. I'm glad that I was able to brighten his with my purple corduroy leggings.

Waving

On Wednesday night, I visited my local post office to pick up some parcels. I was waiting in line. There was a mother-daughter duo ahead of me.

The daughter turned around and looked at me. I looked at her. It's tough to gauge others with masks on.

My hands were a bit full. I still managed to shift whatever I was holding in my left hand over to my right. I waved at her. She waved right back.

Humans are cool, especially young ones.

Being taken for granted and dealing with insensitivity

This post is a rant. Frankly, I am tired of dealing with dealing with people who take me for granted and come across as being insensitive.

At work, I have an incompetent colleague. She decided to join a holiday committee to determine what our entire organization should do this year for our holiday company bash. This committee of four people didn't really come up with ideas, other than to have each department in this organization arrange something.

When it came down to my manager asking her was she would recommend, she caved. Instead, she threw the question at me. I told her that it was a horrible action on her part. In the past, I arranged a number of lunches and outings. Heaven forbid, what happens if I get hit by a bus? Who will be your go-to person for organizing such events? I flat out said in front of my team that I should not be the go-to person. I did offer a suggestion, though. I am not lifting a finger because this team can't arrange a thing.

Idiot. The folks in my department can't think for themselves. We also have an incompetent older guy who, every year, says that he's fine with whatever our team comes up with. He can never make a decision on his own. Ugh.

Then, there's my blog. I write what's on my mind. I'm entitled to. It's my blog.

Don't ask me when I am going to self-spank. My mood dictates when. Not you. I don't customize my blog to suit your needs.

Oh, and if you're reading along and you spot a typo, don't point it out to me. It's rude. I don't point out your grammatical or mechanical issues. Why? Because it's rude. I write blog posts before I go to bed. I find it relaxing and therapeutic. I am not perfect. Let the typos slide and cut me some slack.

I am not at work. My blog is my down time. I didn't ask for you to proofread my blog.

So, you found a typo. Does that make you feel good when you tell me to go find it and time how long it takes me to fix it? Who the hell do you think you are? That post was a perfectly joyous one for me and you decided to rain on my parade. Does that make you feel good, too?

This incident feels just like my manager telling me to report an issue to human resources about a field that only he relied on and no one else. He simply had forgotten to wish me a happy ten-year work anniversary and his actions put a damper on that special milestone. 

How about putting away your negativity so that I can enjoy being happy about something? We are in a pandemic. We need something cheerful. One step further: How about thinking about how insensitive you come across when you have to bring up a minor imperfection? It's not the first time that you have pointed it out, either. Let it slide.

And, don't tell me to go find my typo. I'm not playing your hunt-the-typo game. Good for you for finding it. I hope that your achievement makes you feel accomplished and you can sleep well tonight.

I'm done. Frankly, I shouldn't have to write such a post. However, not everyone gets it, or what the effect of their actions or comments is on others.

Thanks for reading along. I have more cheerful content to write about.

Packaging and waste

Last week, I placed an order for five items. I received four packages with lots of packaging. It's such a waste of materials, among other things.

It makes me shake my head when it comes to how over-packaged things are. I then ordered a cell phone case from Pela. I got one for free and the packaging was minimal. It was quite the contrast.

Panties have arrived!

My bi-monthly shipment of panties has arrived in the mail! My panties subscription brings me so much joy.

This shipment is a bit different. Let's start with the usual. I got this pair of blue panties with white lace trim as part of my subscription:

I love how buttery soft the blue fabric is. The lacy is pretty and the cute bow puts a feminine touch on them. 

Both the front and the back have a cross-cross pattern, which is all elastic: 

I also got the special Christmas edition set. A while back, my post described the naughty and nice set. I ordered it along with my regular subscription.

Here's the cheerful red thong that is the naughty part of the set:

The material is soft and stretchy. I haven't worn a thong in a while. I will give this one a try, as the back fabric feels more comfortable than floss:

I am currently wearing the nice panties. They are so comfortable and I can't remember when I wore a cheerful green pair of panties:

The back has lettering, which I love:

These panties are so much fun. I am aroused thinking about spanking myself in that thong.

Dealing with an ill-informed lab technician

Yesterday, I got my bloodwork done. As expected, it didn't go as smoothly as it should have.

I pulled into the parking lot and called the place from my phone. It's confusing, as you don't enter through the main doors. You go through the side door to the lab. However, the sign says to wait until someone opens the door. I got none of that until seven minutes later.

I finally sat in the lab chair. The technician drawing my blood looked at my Ontario health card and insisted that I get it renewed. Um, no. According to ServiceOntario, expired cards (mine expired in July, which is my birth month) are still valid. ServiceOntario wants to limit the number of folks visiting each location during the pandemic. She continued to tell me to call the Ministry of Health. What?

She went on to explain that her daughter went to a ServiceOntario location to get her card renewed. That action doesn't mean that I need to do the same, to "avoid being charged if labs don't go through on [my] expired card." It's not my problem. It's between the province and the lab. I'm a patient who is informed. What is frustrating is that bloodwork woman should be informed, but isn't.

She wanted to draw blood from my right arm. Again, no. I always have it done on my left, non-dominant arm, which apparently required moving the chair over for her. Getting up caused my hoodie to fall on the floor, which I was not impressed about. I have since laundered it.

It wasn't the nicest start to my morning. To ease my mind, I did call ServiceOntario while driving home from grabbing breakfast out, and spoke to both the health and transportation sectors. My health card, driver's licence, and licence plate stickers are all expired. Both representatives said that I was good using my expired cards and stickers, as they are valid during this pandemic until further notice.

Take that, ill-informed bloodwork woman.

Bloodwork later today

I'm getting some bloodwork done in a few hours. I am fasting for it.

During this pandemic, bloodwork is fine. Urine samples are not. It's one less thing to worry about.

We'll see how things go. Last time, I sat in my car and didn't get a call from the lab to come in, which was apparently the procedure. Instead, I called the lab and then got in. I will repeat for this visit.

Sleep on weekends

I slept well last night. Here's hoping that I can repeat.

I slept better on weekends. It's likely because I am not thinking about work. I don't have to start at a specific time. It's casual. It's good.

Productive Friday heading into the weekend

The weekend is finally here. Yay!

My manager took Friday off. It was nice. I noticed that I didn't get a ton of messages in my inbox. I loved it. I could focus on completing a few tasks with few interruptions.

I got a gift card thanks to a rewards program at work. It went towards a Black Friday sale. I don't normally shop during Black Friday, but there were a few items that I have been meaning to get for months and finally got around to it.

Enjoy your weekend!

Verdict: I am not working with my ex

This saga with the ex-guy throwing me into a potential work nightmare is over. Both my manager and his manager told off the persistent project manager that I do not have time to work on this user guide.

The guide is in horrible shape. It is over a hundred pages and was written by a software developer who has no concept of writing a customer-facing document. As an example, his first paragraph has five instances of etc. This guide is both long and ugly.

Yesterday, my manager pinged me on our new messaging app at work. I don't like instant messaging when it comes to work. He had a discussion with his manager. He then asked me whether I have worked with this project manager and my ex before on deliverables that are separate from what I typically do. I have not.

I said that pretty much everyone reaches out to me because they know who I am and like the work that I do. My manager said something nice. He said that I have a good reputation and that I should be proud of it.

It's good to be helpful and nice. I am thankful that I do not have to work with my ex. 

I feel that he recommended my name to this project manager because he wanted to burden me with this work. Rather, he needs someone who can fix up an ugly document and put some sense into it. It was my ex-guy's way of saying that I'm a decent writer.

I do appreciate that he has respected my wish for him to not contact me. I hope that he continues to honour it.

Cell phone cases and software updates

On Tuesday, I went out briefly to pick up a parcel at the post office. I also got some takeout for dinner.

I got two cell phone cases in the mail. One is purple that glows in the dark. The other is a clear case. I love them both. It's nice to have a protective case on my new phone.

I am currently upgrading a few software applications on my Mac mini. I'm ready for bed. I'm exhausted!

The jerk is back

I truly dislike my ex-guy.

We work for the same company. Apparently, he let his project manager know about me. This PM sent me an e-mail to let me know that he is in dire need of a writer to put together a user guide.

My ex is a jerk. He knows that I am swamped with work all the time. The last thing I want to do is work on a project that he is a part of and do even more work.

Part of me was angry at first. I thought about it more and it's his odd way to reach out to me -- to go through a loophole. He's actually saying that he misses me in his odd way. I told him to never contact me. Well, he hasn't. Instead, he has done it indirectly, which I don't appreciate.

My manager is now involved, as it's all about time allocation. He knows that our department is swamped with a major software release ahead and my work that I need to get into it. I frankly do not want to work with the ex and I don't exactly want to disclose that fact to my manager should he say yes to this extra work.

Update on my friend and Christmas panties

My friend, who has lymphoma, is going through her third round of chemo this week. She has lost a ton of weight, but is in good spirits.

On a great note, she has found a bone marrow donor who matches with her 100%. I am so happy for her. Here's hoping that she is in remission soon so she can undergo the transplant.

She has a GoFundMe page. I donated again. I am sure that her medical expenses are piling up.

I am finally able to upload the Christmas panties that will arrive in the mail soon as an add-on to my regular panties subscription:

I am looking forward to trying them out.

New phone

I got my new phone on Friday. I love it! I have been busy configuring and using it.

On Saturday, I got a screen protector for it. I love it, too. I'm waiting for my case to arrive.

I'll write more later. All is well!

Update on my phone and panties

Things are busy at work. We are less than a month away from a major software release, so it's expected.

My new phone is expected to arrive on Monday now. Although the wait seems like an eternity, I am okay with it. I bought a purple cell phone case online, so I hope that it arrives roughly at the same time as my phone. I still need to get a screen protector. I'm making progress.

I'm exhausted, which was one reason why I decided to skip posting yesterday. However, I wanted to say that my cute panties are so comfortable that I am considering getting a pair each month.

My new phone has shipped!

Great news! My Google Pixel 4a 5G phone shipped yesterday. I hope to get it either today or tomorrow.

I get paid later on today. I haven't got around to getting a screen protector. I don't have a case, either! Luckily, I live near a number of cell phone accessory places, so I am bound to find these items.

I'm so excited!

Battery percentage and a surprise parcel

On Sunday, I upgraded my MacBook Air to Big Sur, which is the latest and greatest MacOS. The upgrade went well and I like it so far.

The only thing that bothered me was that the battery percentage was gone. You have to select the option in System Preferences. I understand keeping things simple, but having this percentag hidden by default is odd to me.

Switching gears a bit, I got a small parcel from a local vendor in Toronto. I have been a fan of this vendor's products that I had asked the owner about a small little plushie that I've seen on his social media feed. I asked whether it was for sale. It wasn't, but he was happy to send me one for free for being so supportive. It was such a kind gesture.

Well, guess what? I didn't get one. I got two small plushies. So generous. These small gifts made my day.

My new phone's delivery date is nearly here!

Back in late October, I pre-ordered my Google Pixel 4a 5G phone online. I woke up on Sunday and received an e-mail that my payment is currently being processed. I am thrilled that it will ship soon.

It's shipping around November 23, which would be a week from now. The wait feels like an eternity, as my two-year term phone term had ended in late September.

I just ordered a new phone case for it. I still need a screen protector. I always like the excitement of getting a new phone.

My current phone is great. It will serve as my phablet at home. My iPad is probably ten years old by now. It doesn't get any iOS updates anymore and I don't feel like investing in another tablet.

Verdict on using a tissue to eliminate eyeglasses from fogging up

I decided to skip a day posting here. Friday was pretty busy that I ended up taking a nap at around 22:30, woke up, brushed my teeth, and went to bed for another 7 hours!

My appointment with my ophthalmologist went well. He says that my eyes are healthy such that I don't need to see him for another six months. It's good that I don't need an eye injection. Here's hoping that this trend continues.

As for my eyeglasses fogging up, I tried the tissue technique where I had it folded as a strip at the top of my mask. At first, it did fog up, but not as badly as if I didn't have the tissue. Within a minute, there was no fogging at all. It was nice to do the eye test and not apologize for not being able to read the chart due to fog.

Another tip that I got was to wash your lenses with baby shampoo. You then let your eyeglasses air-dry. I haven't tried it, but I'm curious.

Foggy glasses when wearing a mask

I have an appointment with my ophthalmologist today. Last time I was there, I had to read the eye chart with my glasses and mask on. My glasses fogged up, so this task was difficult to achieve.

I just learned to use a tissue inside your mask, at the top, to prevent fogging. I'm going to try it and see how things go.

Years ago, I had anti-fogging spray that I used on my lenses. Perhaps I should get something similar again.

Relaxed thanks to a day off from work

I had a good day off. It was much needed.

My car has snow tires. This morning, it was 17C. The temperature dropped throughout the day. It's now 6C. My timing is spot as far as getting them installed.

Two more workdays are left before the weekend. I can't wait.

Safe dental appointment and a day off today

My dental appointment went well. I felt extremely safe. There were tons of safety precautions in place. I ended up sanitizing my hands four times!

The insurance procedure was better explained to me. The dental office asks that you pay for services upfront. It files a claim on your behalf instead of filing a claim yourself. Nice!

I am fortunate that my dental appointments are uneventful. I thought that not having been to the dentist for a year would require a ton of plaque being scraped off my teeth. Nope, my hygienist said that I've been doing a pretty good job in that department.

Today, I have a day off. I'm taking my car in to get my winter tires installed. I then have to run an errand. Other than those plans, I have the rest of the day to casually figure out what else I'd like to do.

Dental appointment

It has been a year since I visited my dentist. I finally go in for my appointment in a few hours.

Things will be different. In the past, the dental office filed my claims on my behalf. With the pandemic, I have to pay upfront and file it myself.

The downside is that paying upfront isn't cheap. However, my insurance does have a quick payment turnaround. Funds from any claim that I file directly goes into my chequing account.

I have to call the office from the parking lot. I also have to wear shoe covers that the dental office will provide.

It's definitely a change going to the dentist's office.

Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy! and other Canadian game shows before it, has passed away. 

Cancer sucks. He was 80 years of age.

I grew up watching him on TV. I loved watching him host High Rollers and Pitfall. I then watched Jeopardy! religiously, to the point where I got my parents to watch the show with me. To this day, they both enjoy watching the show.

He always made sure that there was a Canadian question on each Jeopardy! show. I loved that he always had Canada on his mind. 

Such a huge loss. May he rest in peace.

Making progress

On Friday, I was in a knowledge session meeting for work. Towards the end of it, I looked at the list of participants and noticed that my ex was there.

I didn't feel anything. I wasn't annoyed or hurt. I wasn't happy to see him online. I was indifferent. I have made progress.

In the past, he has told me that he always goes through the participant list in his meetings. I wouldn't be surprised that he did so in this one.

I told him to stop contacting me. He has respected my wish so far since we texted in early July. Perhaps he has made a bit of progress, too.

I do pity him. He ruined a good thing and only has himself to blame.

The United States has a President-elect and a Vice-President-elect now. I feel hopeful that this change will be a positive one.

Holiday panties and thong set for being nice and naughty

I have panty subscription service. I get a cute pair of panties every couple of months.

I just looked at the festive holiday versions that you can get on top of your regular subscription. I love them!

Unfortunately, Blogger is not letting me upload any photos right now. I'm getting a server error. I'll simply have to describe what they look like.

The panties version has NICE written on the backside in yellow letters. The panties are a festive green.

There is also a cheery red thong with NAUGHTY written on the back waistband. The thong looks comfortable, which has always been my main concern when it comes to wearing one.

Yep, I will get them and hope that I can upload photos of them when they do arrive. I am both naughty and nice, after all!

Long week telling people to clear their browser cache

Long week. One more workday. Yay!

I find that working with software testers to be tedious. I'm often defending my work -- that my changes are correct and proving them wrong because they can't do something simple.

The other day, I had one tester tell me to remove a sentence. I told him that I had no idea what he was talking about. He presented his screenshot, which was a snapshot of our documentation from the night before. I showed him what I was looking at, which did not have that sentence. I even went once step further by saying that a particular setting was shown in his screenshot, but it's invalid and removed from mine.

Case closed. Sadly, it's a part of my job to tell people to clear their browser cache.

Flu shot and interviews

Yesterday, I got a phone call to get my flu shot. The call came in while I was conducting an interview with my manager. I actually had to tell the guy from the drugstore that I needed to call him back and that it was a bad time for me to talk to him.

Yesterday was a crazy day. I have a bunch of documentation updates to make on top of having three interviews with candidates for one intern position. It means that I am likely conducting training in early January.

My arm that got the flu shot is sore right now. Other than that, it went smoothly.

US election and the need for process improvement

The US election. I like watching election results because I'm a numbers person.

After all these years, I don't fully comprehend the electoral system. I find that the entire voting process drags on and could be scaled down to be more efficient.

That's just me, though. I look at inefficiencies with whatever I see and do. I do that at work, and make suggestions and proposals to make things better.

Luckily, I'm not tasked with making the US voting process simpler and easier. I applaud the record turnout. However, it seems ridiculous to spend eight hours lining up at a polling station to cast your important vote.

Anyway, I am still watching the election programming. I like that I can watch Global TV on Amazon Prime. It's cool and convenient.

Early morning meeting and a generous plushie gift

I should be off to bed now. I have a meeting that starts at 7 am for four hours. Oh, joy!

On a nice note, a local business has a small monkey as a mascot. It has a small plushie version of this mascot. I asked whether it was available for purchase. I got a response from the business immediately. It doesn't sell plushies, but the owner wanted to send me one for free for being a supporter for a few years now.

This generous gesture has made my week!

A different Halloween

Halloween was different this year. Our government (local and provincial) recommended not having kids trick or treat this year. It was eerie not seeing any kids out and about.

I bought Halloween candy, as I do every year. Since I didn't give any out, I have the arduous task of eating it.

It's now November 1st. It's also Daylight Saving Time. Oh, joy!

Flu shot, dentist, and Somebody Feed Phil

On Saturday, I'm getting my flu shot at my local drugstore. During this pandemic, you must book an appointment online for your flu shot. In the past, you could just walk in.

In a couple of weeks, I have a dental appointment. I haven't been there for a year. I was supposed to have my appointment in June, but it was rescheduled, as it needed to prepare its safety protocols. We'll see what happens.

It's the weekend. I am currently watching new episodes of Somebody Feed Phil. I enjoy it.

Team name with a spanking reference

At work, we have a health program where there are exercise challenges every quarter. I like that someone created this name for a team:

I wish that I had made that suggestion. Next time!

Getting HR involved to tell my manager that he's using the wrong field for my start date

It has been 1.5 months since my manager ruined a perfectly fine discussion on our team with my hitting a milestone. It was my ten-year work anniversary.

In our human resources application, there are two dates. One is my start date. The other is my contract signing date. To normal human beings, the former is the one that you go with to calculate how long you have been with the company. My manager went with the latter.

Naturally, I am an anomaly. Because I was involved in a company acquisition, my contract date is roughly two year after my start date. To me and HR, this discrepancy wasn't an issue. To my manager, it was. He insisted that I get it fixed.

He is a jerk.

So, after 1.5 months dealing with HR who said that it was fine and wouldn't make these fields the same, it took an HR generalist to contact my manager to let him know that there's nothing to change. The start date is correct. I actually had to reinforce it by saying that going forward, he should be using the start date.

It is ridiculous that I had to basically tell him that everyone on the team got an e-mail to sign my virtual work anniversary card. He simply ignored it and ultimately looked like an insensitive idiot.

My hitting such a service milestone happens once. I expect a manager to get on board and acknowledge it instead of telling me to get HR to fix an issue that really isn't one.

Starting a conversation with a condescending tone doesn't get far with me

It's interesting dealing with various departments and people to get things done. Well, sort of done.

Let's start with getting my retirement savings accounts (RRSPs) transferred from one bank to another. I need to open two new accounts with my primary bank. One is a regular RRSP account. The other one is a locked-in RRSP account where the money can't be touched until I retire.

I had to deal with another financial representative who called me after I was done work. The conversation did not start off well.

"Do you know that you have a locked-in retirement (LIRA) account?" he asked.

"Yes. I don't appreciate your condescending tone," I replied.

The day before, I had sent two completed forms back to my bank. One was for my regular RRSP account. The other for the LIRA. I knew exactly what I was doing. He had all forms in his position. He was just too lazy to look at them. 

I did a questionnaire a couple of days ago to determine what type of LIRA account would suit my needs. He did the same thing again, but did a cross reference between my answers over the phone and a previous one from a week ago for my regular RRSP account. I didn't get it. Wouldn't you want the get the results for the LIRA questionnaire that I did recently, as they are for this new LIRA account? It didn't make a whole lot of sense.

I was civil. I did say that we should get things over with by doing this questionnaire and thanked him at the end. He did apologize for being condescending. I think he let up when he asked me how much was in my LIRA and I told him right down to the cents.

I have more to unleash about my manager and our human resources department. I'll save that for tomorrow.

My friend's status

My friend, who is going through a trial in Houston for her cancer, was hoping that she'd be in remission. Sadly, it's not the case and she's continuing to do treatments.

She was diagnosed with Leukemia in June. I last saw her in March. If it weren't for a pandemic, I'd fly out to see her.

One of her friends has set up a GoFundMe page to help her out with expenses. I have contributed.

I am so pleased with my financial situation. If you had asked me to contribute last year in October, I wouldn't have been able to. I'm glad that I can help out a bit.

I am hopeful that she will be in remission soon.

Spiralized butternut squash is yummy!

I cooked up a storm on Sunday. I don't normally enjoy eating squash. However, I bought some spiralized butternut squash and made a stir fry with it. It turned out great and I liked it!

I'm not big on eating zucchini. I find the spiralized version tolerable, but it's not my favourite. I'd rather have spiralized cucumbers or carrots. I can now add butternut squash to the list. I am wondering whether I'd feel the same away about butternut squash soup.

Weekends are far too short. It's back to the grind.

The ex in my dream and an inferior 2.0 version of him

I dreamt about the ex last night. I only remember seeing his name and saying something to him. I don't recall exactly what I had said.

Weird.

I think about our last exchange of texts. I am proud that I told him off.

I do miss when he was thoughtful and loving when we were together. Version 2.0 of him is missing those qualities and more. I don't want a newer version that is inferior to what I used to have.

Nice Friday to call it a day early and fetch dinner

I worked extra hours on Thursday to get a deliverable out the door. I am cutting my workday short on Monday and did on Friday.

It was a gorgeous day on Friday. I decided to go out for a nice drive and fetch dinner. It felt like summer. I had a t-shirt and shorts on. I haven't been out on a Friday for what feels like years, but it's probably more like half a year.

Enjoy your weekend!

A surprise connection dealing with my retirement savings accounts

On Thursday, I decided to call my bank to make an update to my retirement savings account. I got a nice man on the phone who took the time to explain everything to me.

I am doing a couple of moves. I'm updating my savings portfolio within my retirement savings account. I am also transferring two other RRSPs (Registered Retirement Savings Plans) from a bank that I despise over to my current bank.

At the end of our call, which was the first phase, he noticed my place of employment and said that his son had finished a year of his internship at the same company. I asked what the his son's first name was. When he said it, I was delighted. I worked with him closely over the past year. We were on the same software development team.

He let me know that his son has a job lined up after he graduates from university next April. I was thrilled, as he was concerned about getting a job and asked me for help. His dad was appreciate.

Small world, huh?

My financial situation is looking better

I am pleased with my financial situation these days. I have a single loan that I'm paying down faster by making additional payments when I can.

It's exciting seeing my progress. It takes a lot of hard work to stick to a budget and plan accordingly.

I have also been contributing more to my RRSP. I borrowed quite a bit out of this retirement fund and am trying to get it back to its original fund level. It will take some time, but I'm determined.

A break from the boss

I am pleased that my manager is taking a vacation day today. We all could use a break from him.

Our team has a daily chat at 4:45 pm. I start my day at 8:15 am, so I technically am done for the workday by then and say whatever is on my mind before I sign off.

Yesterday, I joined in three minutes later than the start time. I'm always punctual. I wanted to break that cycle.

All I heard was our manager talk about work. When I decided to chime in, he changed his tune.

"I don't want to talk about work. I want cheerful stuff," he said.

"You've been doing that this entire chat," I pointed out.

Such a hypocrite.

Luckily, he had to go to a meeting, which was a nice way to end my day at 5 pm. 

My friend and a product manager

My friend, who has leukemia, has provided an update and it's promising. She went through a trial and she may be in remission. She'll know for sure on Wednesday. I like good news!

At work, it's busy, as we are gearing towards a major software release. I have been restructuring a section of our documentation that is long overdue, but it also conforms to changes that we have done recently. 

The review with the product manager and software architect was smooth. I'm pleased.

With the product manager, he seems to like me more than I recall. In the past, he grumbled about an issue in our documentation to my manager. The latter defended me by saying that I delegate the work to students, so the fault wasn't exactly solely mine.

I have worked with this product manager more closely over the past year or so. When we used to be in the office and once had a major meeting where it was standing room only, he actually pushed me in front of him, as he's probably 6'4" and I'm half a foot shorter. It was a nice gesture to allow me to see what was happening.

He does have a girlfriend, so we won't go into any romantic what-if scenarios. However, he does do smileys in his e-mails, more to me than most. Maybe he's just a flirt.

Cookbook and charging adapter from Amazon Prime Days

I participated in my first Amazon Prime Days event. I typically don't have a thing to buy. However, there were a few things that I wanted this year.

One was a vegan recipe book. I'm not vegan. The fact that the recipes are dairy-free suit me, as I'm borderline lactose-intolerant.

I got a charging adapter that has more electrical outlets, including three USB ports. I installed it in the basement. 

This charging adapter is perfect. It has a screw that stays put when plugged into the wall outlet. I needed it and solves my issue with any plug that wouldn't stay plugged in. Yay!

Saturday, Sunday, and self-spanking Saturdays?

I had a nice Saturday. I slept in a bit. I visited a couple of new businesses during the day. It was relaxing and enjoyable.

My area has re-entered stage 2. It means that dining in at restaurants is shut down again. Movie theatres and gyms are closed again. However, takeout and patio dining are still okay. It's important to support local businesses, especially during this pandemic.

Although I didn't get around to my self-spanking yesterday, I am thinking that I should dub Saturdays as self-spanking Saturdays and see if that motivates me more. I don't that it'll happen weekly, but you never know.

Later on today, I'm cooking up a storm. I love Sunday cooking.

The weekend and a cell phone plan change

The weekend is here. I am relieved and happy!

A few days ago, I decided to change my cell phone plan. I am essentially getting an extra 3 GB of data each month for a lower price. Before taxes and a corporate discount, I am saving $40 a month. 

I also don't get charged for going over 10 GB a month. I have yet to hit my former 7 GB limit each month.

As far as phones go, I'd like to get the Google Pixel 4a 5G. It comes out next month. Instead of getting it financed with my cell phone provider, I am opting to buy it from Google directly. Apparently, it's cheaper if you go this route. I am excited!

Enjoy your weekend!

Self-spanking thought while driving home

I was driving home from hanging out with two friends yesterday. I do missing being a bad girl and getting a good spanking.

It was different having this thought while driving home during rush hour. Self-spankings have been helpful, as I don't have a partner these days. However, getting into the mood has been difficult. I don't want to make it a scheduled event. It should happen whenever I feel like it.

This weekend will be a good time to self-spank. It is long overdue.

Cookies, Oomomo, and a day off

Yesterday, I went to pick up two boxes of gourmet cookies for two friends. It was nice that I ended my day at 15:00. I headed out and it was a gorgeous afternoon.

After that errand, I ended up at Oomomo, a Japanese dollar store that is huge. It has been around for well over a year. It does take me a while to hop on any bandwagon. I was in heaven.

Today's my day off. I am enjoying taking a day off here and there.

Weird workweek ahead

I blink. The long weekend is over. Crazy!

I have a six-hour workday today. I have to pick up some goodies for a couple of friends after work. I then have Wednesday off.

Considering that I haven't done any travel since March, I have a backlog of vacation days that I"m considering taking a day here and there.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

It's officially Thanksgiving Day. I'm exhausted from making a feast yesterday. I get to recuperate today.

To my fellow Canadians, enjoy today. To everyone, I am thankful for you. Your support here means a lot, especially dealing with heartache and enduring a pandemic, among other things.

Turkey dinner preparations

Several hours from now, I'll be roasting a turkey and making a few side dishes for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is on Monday, but I tend to do the dinner a day earlier. It's a bit of work, so I'd rather have the actual day to relax.

On Saturday, I got the turkey. It's a 16-pound turkey. It's huge to me. It was the smallest one that I could find at the grocery store! I got it unstuffed, so it shouldn't take as long to roast it.

After grocery shopping, I realized that I had forgotten to buy mushrooms. I went back to get a box. Yay!

Long Thanksgiving weekend has arrived!

This crazy workweek is over. I have a three-day long Thanksgiving weekend!

Next week, I am taking a couple of hours off from work on Tuesday because I worked extra hours. I am then taking a day off on Wednesday to meet up with a couple of friends. I am so exhausted that I need more rest.

Thank goodness for the weekend. Hope you have a relaxing one!

New panties for self-spanking

My new pair of panties arrived in the mail yesterday. My subscription is a pair of panties every two months.

Part of me wants to get a pair a month. Then again, I don't really need that many panties. They are so cute, though.

 Front view:

Backside: 

I love the contrast between the pink lace, and black and white stripes. They feel soft and have a decent amount of stretchiness for comfort.

I may need to have them on and slip them off when I go into a self-spanking session. It is the long Thanksgiving weekend coming up.

Deliverables and research on a new phone

I have two deliverables to complete this week. One of them happens to be that same document that I worked overtime on two weeks ago, but with more updates. Here's hoping that scope creep doesn't happen again.

I'm thinking about my next cell phone. It will be another Google Pixel phone. I'm happy with it. The question is whether to go with the Google Pixel 4a with 5G, or the 5 model with 5G.

I am leaning towards the former. The screen is slightly larger, which is 6.2". It's also cheaper than the 5.

The 5 is the same size as my current phone, which is 6.0". It has wireless charging and some minor enhancements. To me, they aren't huge features that make me want to spend an extra $150.

Thanksgiving plans

Thanksgiving long weekend is coming up. Normally, it's the perfect time to plan a small road trip. With the pandemic happening, I still don't feel comfortable doing one.

Instead, I'll be roasting a turkey, complete with all the fixings. I am a planner at heart. I like looking forward to a good meal with lots of leftovers left over.

I'm now drooling.

Update from my friend with cancer

On Saturday, I received an update from my friend who is battling leukemia. She has finished her treatments at a clinic in Houston. It's a clinical trial.

She is now staying at an Airbnb. She is a high risk to travel during this pandemic, as she has had a liver transplant. As a result, she's not flying home and will likely continue her stay in Houston for a bit.

I hope that her treatments are effective. She has to do a biopsy next to find out. I hope that there is good news.

Taking it easy and cooking this weekend

It has been a relaxing weekend. I went out to fetch groceries and run errands yesterday, which I enjoyed. Today, I have been lounging around. I made breakfast and lunch, which I like doing on an easy Sunday.

I made banana bread french toast this morning. It turned out nicely. It was my first time making it.

I overdid buying dessert yesterday. I have Japanese-style cheesecake and cheese tarts, and banana bread. I'm glad that I thought about making banana bread french toast. It would be more difficult doing it with cheesecake!

Moments of sadness and reflection

I have been sad here and there as of late. I can't help but to think about the ex right about now. We started dating in mid-September. It was exciting and wonderful going into October.

That feeling is long gone. 

I loved the fun, loving guy that he was. He ended up sucking the fun out of our relationship by making up terms. I had had enough when he wanted to be friends only -- no relationship and no sex. He then changed his mind a year later. He wanted the sex and friendship. No relationship.

I had had it. I wanted no sex, no relationship, and no friendship.

Even though I am at peace with my decision, I still have moments of sadness. When we were together and he didn't impose these ridiculous terms, it was magical. When he added terms that appeased him, it made me upset. When he ended our relationship, he hurt me. I felt abandoned and unloved.

For over a year, I have had to rediscover who I am. The person that I was before this relationship. The person that I am after having my heart torn apart, picking the pieces up, and telling him to shove it.

It's okay that I have moments of sadness and vulnerability. I was in it for nearly eight years. I'm entitled.

Maybe someday, I'll be with someone who loves me unconditionally. I'm still not there. I'm okay with it. 

Loans update

Yes, loans is plural. 

For the last two years, I have been paying off a secured loan. The idea is to pay money towards this loan and build equity. The regular payments, in turn, contribute to building your credit history and score.

I realized that I truly didn't need this loan. I was doing fine steadily paying my my debt of regularly. I wanted to simply pay off this loan. It was a huge lesson learned.

Well, I had the opportunity to get out of this loan by taking out a regular loan. I don't get why I needed the second loan, but I did it.

I have officially closed the first loan. I got my equity back, which I immediately put in my RRSP  (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) account. 

I paid off the new loan immediately. Yesterday, I called the loan folks and got confirmation that it is both paid off in full and closed.

As for paying off my debt, it's still going well. I look forward to seeing the amount that I owe go down. It's satisfying to see my progress. It's like night and day between my financial situation a year ago versus what it currently is.

Tea steeper - work anniversary has arrived!

Roughly two weeks ago, I picked out a tea steeper as my ten-year work anniversary gift. I was given a delivery date of late October. Well, I got it on Monday.

Early is great. I'm not complaining one bit!

The tea steeper is fancy. I love it how it looks. I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm looking forward to. I love small appliances. I'm also a fan when it's free!

Good day with a crumbling memory

Monday was great. I vacuumed and washed my car. I also filled it up with gas.

I managed to pick up food from the two places that I had in mind in downtown Toronto I also visited my old neighbourhood.

I feel like my past is crumbling as the years go by. As I passed by the apartment building where I spent my first nineteen years of life, two men were destroying the concrete front steps. I am sure that they've been there for decades, well before I was alive.

I felt completely relaxed being a tourist in my hometown. I should do this excursion more often when I have a day off.

A different kind of Monday

I am taking Monday off from work in lieu of working the hours late last week. I have a relaxed, yet somewhat adventurous plan.

I do need to vacuum my car. Here's hoping that I can do it safely. I suspect that it won't be all that busy.

Last week, I was hoping to venture into the city. I never made it. Instead, that's my goal for today. I'm now picking up two food orders. I also hope to take in the new Toronto sign that was recently installed.

After that, I may visit either a cafe that is offering a free beverage or visit my old neighbourhood where I grew up to reminisce.

Toilet roll dream

A few nights ago, I dreamt of a toilet paper roll. It was odd.

I looked at what it may symbolize. There are many interpretations.

One interpretation is that it's a warming. Someone is apparently wanting to invade my personal territory or get confidential information.

A second interpretation is the following from dream-meaning.net:

To dream about toilet paper rolls, represents aftermath and cleanup of emotional release. You are ready to heal and recover from your emotional outburst. It should be noted that you will still leave a mark somewhere, but those marks will soon be forgotten.

My guess is that telling my ex that I hate him and that he's an asshole fits this interpretation. Although I don't like saying cross words to anyone, it was time to tell him off. I'm at peace with my outburst. He needed to hear it, as opposed to his thinking that we could continue being friends, even though he hurt me deeply.

Working overtime

Yesterday, I put in a fourteen-hour workday. It's all thanks to three software developers who could not get the software deployment steps right until noon.

I have a deadline to get a draft out today. They added an extra eleven pages of content and revamped two major sections of this document.

Yeah, I'm not pleased with the extra hours that I have put in. On a good note, I hope that I can take Monday off with the extra hours that I have clocked.

My tarot reading post will need to wait. I need to rest my eyeballs.

Tarot card reading

Last week, I took a virtual introductory course in tarot card reading. I enjoyed the hour-long course, but felt that I needed to learn more about it on my own.

I ordered a deck of tarot cards after the class. I received the cards yesterday. I did my first reading just now. My reading of my past, present, and future is pretty accurate as far as how I interpreted the three cards that I chose.

I'll write more about it in my next post. I'm absorbing everything in. I do love my deck of tarot cards. They have a nice weight when you hold them. Thank goodness for an instructional booklet for this novice!

Downtown today or Saturday?

I'm debating whether to drive down to downtown Toronto to check out a takeout deal and the new Toronto sign after work today. I have a feeling that it won't be that busy and that I can take advantage of taking photos of this sign. 

On the other hand, I could do this trip on the weekend. Both the food deal and the sign will be there. The downside is that there will be more people.

At least I have options! I tend to go out on Wednesdays to get groceries. I'd be going to a different grocery store, which is cool.

Vacuum for pores on your face

I have oily skin. The good news is that I don't have a ton of wrinkles on my face. The bad news is that my pores are often clogged.

I bought this device that acts as a vacuum for your face. It sucks up the impurities in your pores. It's relaxing and fun. It does a decent job.

The aftermath of seeing what is in my pores isn't wonderful, but it's simultaneously satisfying.

Trimming pubic hair

An hour ago, I trimmed my pubic hair. It's oddly relaxing. I do it once a month.

Years ago, I never did it. When the ex-guy broke up with me for the second time, I decided to trim it. I don't believe in shaving it off with a trimmer. It just screams ingrown hairs and I don't want to deal with that issue.

Trimming is good. I use a small pair of eyebrow scissors. It doesn't take too long and I find them easier to use than a regular pair of scissors.

It's all a matter of preference. I can't see myself going hairless in this area. A good trim makes me feel good.

Google Pixel upgrade coming soon

The contract on my cell phone is up at the end of this month.  I own a Google Pixel 2XL phone. I love it.

On Saturday, I went to Best Buy to take a look at the Google Pixel 4a phone. It is roughly the same size as my first Google Pixel phone. It's smaller in size than my current phone, but the screen real estate is the same.

Rumour has it that the Google Pixel 4a supporting 5G networks will be the same size as my current phone, which is 6". I feel like holding off upgrading till that phone is on the market. I like the larger size. I need to figure out how much that phone will be when it's out and determine what I want to do. Options are always good.

I am excited to do a cell phone upgrade. I do love my current phone. I will still use it, as I don't have a decent tablet and I like having a backup phone.

Weekend, Blogger, and food

The weekend is finally here!

With the revamped Blogger, when you first write something in a brand new post, the editor moves the cursor over by one character. It's weird. I need to backspace to get the cursor left-aligned. I'd like to know who thought that was a decent feature to implement. Every other paragraph is left-aligned, as expected, as the default.

I am on a food journey this weekend. I have a $40 dinner to redeem. I have been going back and forth as to whether I should redeem it this weekend or next. It's cooler outside these days (at night, the temperature has dipped into single-digit territory on the Celsius scale), so I'm thinking some mac and cheese is in order. This eatery offers three types of mac and cheese, so you know that screams comfort food.

This restaurant's first location has been in my city for at least a decade. It recently opened a second location in Whitby, which is roughly half an hour away from where I live. That's where I'm going to pick up this food perk. I'm excited. I hope that all goes well.

Have a safe and happy weekend, everyone!

Enjoying a break

I have good and bad days, as do many folks. 

Although it has been over a year since my relationship ended, part of me misses the affection and playfulness of being with a partner. The other part of me knows that I'm not ready to be in a relationship at this stage. I'm okay with a break.

Having friends to talk to, keeping busy with my hobbies, and putting my thoughts down in this blog have been more than helpful. However, there are some days where I want to be by myself, lay in bed, and do nothing. I want to take a break from doing hobbies and blogging. I simply enjoy doing nothing.

And, it's okay. I work hard. Downtime is okay.

So, I have missed a blog post here and there. I know that there is no need to justify why. I'm good. I just need some downtime for myself now and again.

Visa debit and loan update

Yesterday, I paid off my loan in full. It is the first time that I have done it within two days of opening the loan account up. It feels weird, but I'm glad that I am not paying it off in 48 months.

My bank is setting up its bank cards with Visa debit. I have requested a new bank card. I was invited to make the request. I'm not sure if everyone who has a bank card gets invited and it's just a formality, or the bank is rolling this update out to customers in waves. It's be great, as I can use my debit card as a credit card should I making online transactions.

I'm waiting for the equity from my secured loan to get deposited into my account. It takes up to five business days. This loan is officially closed. I'm pleased.

Loans and my debt

Here's an update on my financial situation. It'll be a medium post in length.

A couple of years ago, to repair my credit rating, I decided to take out a secured loan. Looking back, I shouldn't have done it. This loan company alleges that when you make regular payments to a secured loan, it helps your credit rating. Although somewhat true, repairing your credit rating takes time and dedication. It's not a quick fix like this company had implied. I didn't need to take this loan out.

Luckily, its term is only three years. I was closing in on two years of my loan. On Monday, I received a text message from the loan place saying that I could take out a cash loan thanks to my positive payments on my secured loan.

Now, I didn't want a cash loan. However, it allows the equity for the secured loan to get deposited back into my account and close that loan account. He said that I could pay off the new loan immediately. I decided to do it, as I just want out of both this secured loan and this cash loan that I never wanted.

The guy that I was dealing with was a pain as the process unravelled. I wanted the smallest loan amount possible, which is $2500. His confirmation text said $7500. Huh?

I also didn't want insurance protection, as I was going to pay the loan off immediately. At least he got that detail correct.

I have to call a special department to have my loan completely paid off. Fun! I wanted a specific day to have automatic payments come out of my chequing account to coincide with my payday. Nope, that didn't happen. It's the same special department that I need to get that changed. Even though I am not making regular payments, I'd rather be safe than have money taken out of my account that I have not budgeted for.

He asked for my bank statement overs the last three months. Since we were texting, I sent them that way. He then asked for them sent to his e-mail account. Why not say that to begin with? I actually had to download the statements from my laptop and transfer them over to my phone. I could have avoided the extra work.

During this process, I felt like this guy wasn't clear and upfront. He wanted a pre-authorized form filled out with my banking information. I put the company name in. When he got it, he wanted it blank. Well, why not tell me that upfront? I'm sending you a document with my banking information through the Internet. How safe is that it have any person take that information and authorize taking money out of it when the company name is blank?

Yeah, I had it. I told him off that I didn't appreciate these missing details, including the loan term. He frankly wasn't understanding my point of view. I told him so and said that we need to move on. I was tired of texting him who had the listening skills of a brick wall. I'm sure that I hit 100 text messages just to this guy by the end of this loan setup.

In the end, the loan money has been deposited to my bank account. My secured loan has been closed. I am waiting for the equity to get deposited. I'll call this special department to pay off this loan and close this account later on today.

What I am not thrilled with is the fact that having this loan company do a credit check on me will temporarily make my credit rating go down. It's sad that I simply couldn't pay off the secured loan without opening another loan. Then again, the secured loan was at a higher rate of interest and it's really not worth going through the loan for another thirteen months.

Other than this weird loan situation, I am thrilled that I can make more payments towards paying off my debt and improving my financial situation.

My manager can ruin a perfectly nice day

I have an interesting working relationship with my manager. Sometimes, I dig what he does. Other times, I shake my head.

Our team has these brief chats at the end of the workday. Last week, he suggested that each person lead a chat with a topic. I was the first person to say that I liked how casual and natural it flows. We think of topics to discuss as if we were in the office, chatting in the lunch room. It should not be a structured meeting. It's a chat.

Yesterday, a colleague congratulated me on my ten-year work anniversary. Naturally, my manager ruined it by saying that in our human resources system, my start date working for the company is September 24 and that I should contact HR to have it fixed.

Why? I told him that I know what my start date is. Obviously, my three colleagues in this chat knew what my start date was, because they signed my virtual card. He dropped the ball by failing to sign it. He got the e-mail. He chose to not act on it.

Anyway, I contacted HR and spoke to a nice guy. I know that my manager won't and wouldn't do it. As noted, in the system, my start date is correct. However, my signed contract date is September 24, 2012. It's practically two years after I started working for the company, which obviously makes no sense! Anyway, he has a separate department who will fix this issue.

It's always nice when my manager ruins such a lovely occasion. It's not every day that one hits a milestone like what I just did. He could have been more attentive. That's just my take on it.

Anyway, my colleagues left me nice messages in my virtual card. They made Monday far more cheerful.

I got to select a gift to commemorate this occasion. I got a fancy tea steeper. I drink lots of tea, so it will come in handy. It will take a month to ship, which is the downside. Luckily, I am patient.

Ten-year work anniversary on a Sunday

Yesterday marked my ten-year work anniversary. It was quite the unexpected milestone.

I used to be the person who held a job for two to three years. At this company, there have been many ups and downs that I have experienced and that I continue to endure. I am still kicking around.

I feel that I have stayed on for this long because my role seems to change every year or two. I also have established myself as a competent, reliable employee that I'm comfortable and my manager feels the same way about me. I also continue to pick up new skills and my job is still interesting to me.

Reaching this mark makes me look forward to a week more of vacation.

Saturday outing

On Saturday, I had a good outing. I went to a part of the city that I frequented fairly often as an undergraduate student, but haven't returned for years.

I ended up getting vegan soft-serve ice cream made of bananas. This store was in a food court. I also went to the stall next door to get oxtail, with peas and rice, and a side of coleslaw for lunch. 

Oh, and I get a dozen beef patties. They should last me the entire week, at least.

Eye update

It's my third try posting this entry. Blogger is so frustrating right now!

I'm actually posting from my cell phone instead of my Mac mini. So far, so good. 

I visited my opthalmologist on Friday. The good news is that I don't need to get injections. Instead, I'm in monitoring mode.

There is a chance that my blood vessel in my eye will burst again. I have been able to keep my blood pressure and stress levels down for the past three years. 

I go back in two months. I'm a bit sad that I'm going back more frequently, but like how cautious my ophthalmologist is.

I am fortunate that I have made a decent recovery and that my eyesight is practically what it used to be. I'm so thankful.

Sleep, work, and ignore Instagram

Short workweek. As predicted, it has been super busy for me.

Extra, unanticipated work came my way on Wednesday. I was so exhausted that I slept until I heard my alarm go off yesterday morning. I have rarely done that since I've been working from home.

I took a break from Instagram yesterday. It helped that I was busy. 

I've mentioned this detail in a past post. I get tired of men liking posts of me. I don't have too many, thankfully. It's sad that they can't type their alleged real name correctly in their handle. That's my first turnoff. Second, saying one word to me does make me want to write back. I like when someone writes something meaningful, creative, fun, thoughtful, funny, ... you get the drift. I get none of that. Third, I don't like when they demand (not ask) me to reply. It makes me completely ignore them.

Ever since I changed my profile photo on Instagram, I have had this surge of men saying hi. It's weird. Perhaps I should make my account private.

Shorter workweek

It's a shorter workweek. It throws me off. 

Tuesday is really Monday. A shorter workweek seems to mean less work. At my workplace, it tends to be busy because everyone wants to cram five days of productivity into four.

To top it off, I have an appointment with my ophthalmologist this Friday. If you looked at my work calendar, I barely have time for lunch!

Happy week ahead, everyone!

Foot pain and magnesium

My foot pain returned last night. I still can't pinpoint what triggers it. However, eating a banana does the trick in getting rid of the pain.

Last Friday, I had a phone call appointment with my doctor. I asked what would be an better alternative to eating a banana for this foot pain. She recommended anything green and leafy. She thinks it's the magnesium that is helping me out.

Interesting. It makes sense why I have supplemented potassium and my foot pain occurred regularly. Eating a banana a day has helped reduce the occurrence to once every 1.5 to 2 months.

I do drink a green smoothie daily, except that it's mainly avocado, celery, protein powder, and cucumbers. Last week, I had spinach in it. Perhaps I should keep that up.

I will need to look at magnesium and see if that helps. I love eating bananas, but they get sugary when they get ripe. She says that eating a banana a day is okay and that maybe breaking it up so that I eat half in the morning and half in the afternoon will help.

Happy Labour Day!

 It's Labour Day. If you have the day off, I hope that you enjoy it!

I'm taking it easy. All is well. Just focused on relaxing and things that I enjoy doing.

Friends

I spent Saturday afternoon with a friend, who is also a colleague. In our department, I used to be the farthest from the office. However, she moved further west this summer and now she is. 

We met at a central location and ordered Thai takeout. We then went down to the beach to eat and chat. It was a great outing and it was wonderful seeing her again.

We both talked about having friends who are battling cancer. I talked about my friend and how I don't want to bug her during her chemo, but have let her know that I'm thinking about her. Tonight, I got an e-mail from her. Her first round of chemo was promising. The second round set her back to square one. It was almost as if she had heard my conversation.

She is currently going through a trial in Houston that targets the chromosome that is causing her cancer. I hope that the trial is effective and that she continues to fight.

The ex who isn't swift

The guy that I dated briefly for two months earlier this year decided to write a brief e-mail to me the other day. I have since deleted it.

He said that he can't stop thinking about me and that I should come visit him.

Um, no.

First, he doesn't get that I want nothing to do with him. He proved that he doesn't and didn't respect me as a person. Second, the border between Canada and the United States is closed. If I were able to travel to the States, I wouldn't be visiting this guy.

He has reinforced why things didn't work out between us. He's not the sharpest tool in anyone's shed.

Nested boxes for a scooter

Yesterday, I picked up my scooter with the kickstand. I love it. I will enjoy scooting around on it this long weekend.

The scooter came in its own cardboard box. Amazon decided to put it in a box roughly three times its size. Why?! It's such a waste of cardboard.

I get protecting an item, but in an oversized box without any padding is ridiculous!

Anyway, I need a helmet next... haha!

Scooter with a kickstand is mine for free!

At work, we have a fitness program. When you hit a certain number of points based on your exercise and wellness progress, you get $75 each quarter to spend on whatever. I tend to get a gift card from Amazon.

We also have a recognition program. The more points you receive from others who recognize you and your accomplishments at work, you can also redeem points towards goods.

I have saved enough through these programs to get a kickstand scooter. I have wanted one for years. When the Razor scooter was popular, I tried it out stateside at Sam's Club. I rode it up and down an aisle and loved it.

Perhaps down the road, I will consider an electric version. For now, I'm pleased with the manual version. I figure that I can get more exercise out of it and it weighs less.

I get to pick it up later today. I am so excited!

Change and missing it

Monday wasn't my finer workdays. I found out that a feature that I had written about before I went on vacation was checked in properly. However, the powers that be moved the feature to a different release version while I was away.

Someone had apparently mentioned this tidbit of information in a mass e-mail. I missed it.

Part of me felt bad. I generally don't miss that sort of thing. Part of me doesn't. Communication isn't stellar at work. I get tons of e-mails. Folks can't make a decision.

Luckily, things have been fixed before this software release. I'd feel bad if the software release went out and someone noticed this issue after the fact!

I may take a longer long weekend. I haven't taken a longer Labour Day weekend in ages. I am typically training a new intern in September. It won't be the case this year.

This weekend and the upcoming long weekend

This weekend has been good. I feel relaxed and content.

This Saturday, I have made plans to see a friend. I haven't seen her since early March. I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

It's a long weekend coming up. Yay!

My intern's farewell lunch

My intern's original work term was for eight months. Luckily, it got extended and we had him for an additional four months.

My role changed just after his extension had been set. He ended up with another team lead. However, our work still crossed paths and we still managed to communicate with each other regularly.

Back in April, when we thought that it was the end of his work term, I said that we'd have a proper farewell lunch for him when it was safe to do it. We were 1.5 months into the pandemic.

Well, his final day was Friday. I wanted a farewell lunch for him. So did our manager. I talked with our boss. He was good having just the three of us have lunch together. It would be safer with a small number of people there.

I had suggested a restaurant and my intern was game. He was delighted to get a free lunch, paid by our manager, to honour his efforts and accomplishments during his stay with us.

On Friday, I picked up my intern at his home and drove us over to the restaurant. It felt like old times, except that he was in the backseat of my car as I drove. Our manager met us there, as he had to pick up the gift that the company had for my intern.

At his home, I gave my intern a box of gourmet cookies. We love them. The store happens to be in my neighbourhood. He was thrilled.

We sat out in the patio for nearly 2.5 hours. The food was yummy and amazing. We had a lot of laughs while we chatted about a ton of topics.

Afterwards, we walked over to Baskin Robbins to get some ice cream. I was too full from my lunch to have some, but the other two got some.

When we were all done, my intern and I decided to get bubble tea. I treated him to whatever drink he wanted. We sat for a bit to chat before I took him home.

It was a lovely day. I know that I'll see him again, as we have plenty of eateries to discover. I let him know that whenever he was free, to let me know. He confirmed that he would take me up on my offer. He has one last year of undergraduate studies, which start in just over a week.

Sharing my thoughts about my intern

Today was my intern's last workday. I'll write about today tomorrow.

Yesterday, our team was asked to say a few words about him in our virtual meeting. I liked what I said to him. It was heartfelt and he appreciated it.

I said that it was a pleasure training and working with him. I told him that from his first two weeks to the growth that I have seen in him to become the writer that he currently is has made me so proud of him. 

I thanked him for being my wingman when going out to grab a bite to eat. I also liked that we bonded over the university that we chose to do our undergraduate degree. I looked forward to his joining me as an alum soon.

Over the course of his twelve-month term, I have been good in letting him know how he was doing. I'm glad that I did. I will miss working with him.

Receiving money by accident

Yesterday, I got an Interac e-transfer. Someone had sent me $175. I believe it was in error. I don't know the person at all.

At first, I thought it was a phishing scam. Nah, it was legitimate. The woman simply sent her money to the wrong e-mail address.

Wouldn't it be great to get money like that all the time? A girl can dream.

Interns and coincidence

For the past year, I have trained and worked with my intern. He has three days left before his work term is over.

During this same period, we have also worked with another intern. This one is a software developer.

Yesterday, I had a call over our lovely chat tool to talk about what could be his final contribution in his work term. Like my intern, this one is equally as bright and hard-working.

I took the time to say that I have enjoyed working with him. He appreciated it. He said that my intern has always spoken highly of me. It was nice of him to say.

I liked his story about how he was driving his girlfriend home one evening. He found out that his girlfriend and my intern live on the same street. Small world!

Sleep and rain

I took a bit of a break. I didn't sleep well on Saturday night, so I decided to take half a sick day on Monday. I did sleep like a rock on Sunday. I needed the rest.

It's raining right now. I love how it sounds. It's so calming. It has been so hot outside that it's nice that there's a bit of relief.

Reducing sugar in my diet

I'm back to reducing the amount of sugar in my diet. I find that I'm more sluggish when I have sugar in my system. 

Don't worry. I'm still eating bananas. Natural sugar is fine. 

I have found Lily's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. They are yummy! It uses stevia as the sweetener. I'm a fan!

Kyle Lowry delivers quite the post-game slap

The Toronto Raptors are in round one of the playoffs. The team is doing well so far.

After game 2, Kyle Lowry was so pumped that, while heading to the change room, he gave quite the butt slap to a lucky staff member.

Ah, how I'd love to be on that receiving end!

Poor sleep, but a nap in the day helped!

Last night, I didn't sleep well. It was a combination of staying up late, waking up to a bit of foot pain, and hearing loud noises in the neighbourhood.

Luckily, I had completed the bulk of my work and only had to do some minor updates on Thursday. One of the benefits of working from home is napping when sleepy. It's exactly what I did.

Here's hoping that it'll be quieter and smoother tonight.

I finally got a call from my doctor

The doctor drama continues. I called the clinic at around 10:30 am and spoke to the receptionist on why I didn't get a call on Tuesday. She apologized and said that things were busy. She said that the doctor would  call me back on Wednesday.

Guess what time I got that phone call? At nearly 17:00. I was in a work call. I had it running on mute while I talked with my doctor.

She didn't apologize. She said that she was busy. I said that it was understandable. However, for a patient who is waiting to have a call at a specific time, it wasn't acceptable.

Anyway, I have an appointment for bloodwork. Fun!

I am considering doing the virtual doctor thing over video. My company health plan covers it. It may avoid this phone call nonsense.

No doctor call, but I had a nice chat with a colleague about his English skills

As expected, I didn't get a call from my doctor. I left a voice message, letting folks there know that they missed the boat and to call me back later on today. I'll be calling them, too. I don't trust their reliability, which is sad.

I will ask for my appointment to be over the phone. I don't see the need to come into the clinic.

On a happier note, I worked with a software developer on a new feature. After we were done, he confided that he likes writing documentation. He said that if I have any feedback on his written work (he's from Brazil), he'd be happy to get some from me. 

It was nice to hear. I wish that more developers would work on improving their English, if English is their second language. Heck, there are some folks whose first language is English and aren't great at it!

I let him know that I'd be happy to provide feedback. I do it anyway within my team, so it's a natural extension.