I seem to have made it. Last week I was "randomly" called by a well known opinon poll company. I never mind spending 15 mins answering seemingly unrelated questions for well known and trusted firms such as this one because I want my opinion to count and have some influence.
Well they must have really liked my opinion (or the fact that I didn't just slam the phone down) because I was contacted tonight by another equally respected company. I did take the 15 mins to answer their questions and because I did so well they are sending me a longer survey by mail that they would be ever so gratefull to get back (postage paid of course). They have even gone so far that they are willing to pay me $5 for 15 mins of my time.
So I'm thinking if I could get 240 companys a day willing to pay me $5/15 mins just for my opinion I could work from home and be quite well off.
Exploring my options,
ju

That I was going to be the lazy bum I have been told I am well qualified for
Wrong!
I couldn't sit still for more than 10 mins at a time. As a result I have a super clean house (except for the basement but then again no one is allowed to open THAT door)
Today we had record breaking heat (a high of 33c) and the leaves just seem to be shrivelling up and falling off faster and faster each day. I am starting to think I am to blame for the lack of fall due to the car wash syndrome. I have been making flannel jammie pants for us all to stay cozy in during the cool then cold days of the seasons to come, so of course we had record breaking heat
I have however been thinking that maybe a part time retail job might not be such a bad idea after all. It would give me the opportunity to work fairly flexible hrs. It would give me the structure I have been lacking for the last 15 years enabling me to get back into "work" mode. It would give me health benefits that are unavailable to me now. Perhaps most importantly it would give me a chance to "wow" the powers that be and convince them that I should have the position I would have been seeking by cold calling.
The wheels are turning so it's time to polish off the old resume find something half way decent to wear and hit the mall!
Making lemonade out of lemons,
ju

I have Rhinorrhea.

You just have to love bureaucracy. I had expressed a desire to get back to work to my social worker several months ago but told her for obvious reasons I had to wait till the fall. I have always been exempt from seeking employment due to my son's disability. Last week when I was in to see her and after having explained the whole situation once again, she suggested I see their employment counselor and unknown to me removed my deferal.
This morning I went to see the employment counselor who within the first five minutes told me that not one single program they offer would be suited to me and that there was nothing he could do for me. Over the next hour he went on to explain to me in great detail what all of these wonderful programs were about. I guess he finally got tired of hearing himself speak because he wrapped it up by saying that he was going to reinstate my deferal and that probably the best I could hope for was a part time job at the mall.
The one thing you have to keep in mind is that the ONLY thing stopping me from attending any of these workshops is half an hour to an hour first thing in the morning that I have to be present for to get my son ready for school and out the door.
Ontario Works my ASS!
Looking for viable alternatives,
ju

Although it is inevitable, this tree has started the trend towards fall colours in my neighbourhood.



I am actually suprised to see such brilliant colour. Due to the lack of rain all summer, many of the leaves are just turning bown and falling off. However this is only the first full day of autumn and I heard the colours in my area are only at 5%.
Seeing a lot of walks with my cam in the near future,
ju

you just have to love it!! This afternoon around 3 my friend came home from work and heard the sound of crashing bricks. For the first time this year I decided I wasn't going to go wait for M's bus, I was just going to sit on the steps and enjoy a beer in the last of the summer sun and watch for him getting off the bus.
I got out to the steps and waved to my friend who of course had to come down and tell me the "crashing bricks" story.
I live in a row of townhouses, and apparently a kid from the building adjacent to us managed to floor it in reverse into the other end unit in a brand new car.
To say there is no ass end left on the car is putting it mildly. The building of course has NO wall at all left. The hydro meter main feed was dammaged.
Of course like the good neighbours we are we had to go out and gawk for several hours, watching the property manager, the super, the hydro crew and each other.
Nothing brings a community closer than the chance to gossip!
The little kids were clueless but happy to have a few hrs of freedom.
Wondering if I will see so many neighbours again before spring,
ju

to go shopping with a picture of my kitchen in my hand. Today I went and did a major stock up shopping. The problem with that is, now the freezer has to be bungie corded shut and have a watch for falling objects sign on it. The fridge is so full I'm currently storing apples in the garage. The cupboards are so full I'm storing stuff on the counter and the floor. Never mind the cases of kleenex, paper towels etc that are still sitting in the hallway.
Wondering why my kitchen seems so much bigger in the grocery store than it does when I am standing it it,
ju

But only for the one that is afflicted...

ju

I love it!! I am no longer watching my life slip away from me!!

Your NN membership:
Membership Type: LIFE Member
Expiry Date: Some time far far away

AND when I log in there isn't that annoying number, it just says welcome back life member.
Giggling at sometime far away,
ju

through the halls of pic posting sites (no not nudes, just pics)
And I have to say that in many cases I don't know whether to be impressed with the photographer or the photoshop skills.
Yes, you do have to have more than a half decent photograph to start with or the best photoshopper in the world wont be able to make it a good pic. All of the "minor" adjustments done in photoshop make me wonder where photography is going.
No longer is a photograph the capture of a moment in time. It is now a carefully orchestrated ideal of what the photographer wants that particular moment to be.
Thoughtful,
ju