Goodbye 2008

This day is giving me a headache.

Whoever it is that said money doesn't buy happiness is wrong. Money buys security, and money often reduces stress. So to whoever that person was...screw off. It probably was a person who had enough money that they didn't need to worry about it at all.

It is frustrating to feel like I work all the freaking time, and when I'm not working, I'm looking for work, so it feels like one and the same, and yet somehow, I'm still fairly poor.

Part of me can't help but think back to ohhh six months ago when I had to make the big job decision. I felt like at the time I was taking the right one, but now, looking back on it...I just don't know. Part of me can't help but berate myself and just be like "what were you thinking???". And I have no answer for that. All I know is that at the time, I felt like I was making the proper choice, and now I feel that I've in some ways trapped myself. Very frustrating and confusing stuff. I dunno. Maybe I'm just getting myself all stressed out, and doubting my decisions for no reason. It's not like it matters anyway, I can't go back. No use belabouring the issue even more. But still....arg. That is generally how I feel about the situation.

I don't have a need to be rich or have excess amounts of anything. I just need to know that I won't one day end up living in a box under a bridge somewhere.

Spa day this friday is greatly, greatly needed.

Goodbye 2008, I sure won't miss ya.

Christmas

This time of year is so often just craziness. There are things to do, people to visit, stuff to buy. People are everywhere, the malls are packed, and it is generally an insane time of year. It is so easy to lose the reason for the season. When it comes down to it, we are celebrating the birth of a very extraordinary man, who changed the world entirely. As much as religion gets twisted and turned to fit people's agendas, Jesus was a man that was all about love and peace.

And I always try to remember that when I'm stuck in traffic at Christmas time, and people around me are honking, swerving around each other, flipping people off, etc. It's not about gifts, not the giving or the receiving, it's not about baked goods and chocolate and Santa and such. It's about love, and it's about making a contribution to the world that is worthwhile. It's about trying to be a better person. Being together with your family, and realizing that what you have right now, is wonderful.

Anyways, it's a sentimental time of year, and one can't help but think about these things. I mean, I"m not overly religious or anything, but you can't come upon the Christmas season without at least contemplating Jesus and what his birth meant to this world.

I was listening to Silent Night on the way to work this morning, and a sense of calm kind of washed over me. Whoa, that sounded dorky! But, I really love that song. Especially the Zack Gill version. It is sung just how it was meant to be...just with a guitar.

The history of Silent Night is interesting. It was originally sung in 1818 in Austria, written by a young priest named Joseph Mohr. It was written as a poem initially. For whatever reason, on December 24th, 1818, the organ at Joseph Mohr's church didn't work. So Silent Night was sung by a choir, two priests, backed up by a guitar with the music written by a man named Frank Gruber, who was a friend of Mr. Mohr's.

It would have been pretty great to have been there on that night. I do adore that song. It's so simple, and tells the story of Christmas wonderfully. Brings it all back to where it belongs.

Arg.

My internet has been down for a while now, and I'm finding it very frustrating. I can use my mother's computer, except it takes me twice as long to do anything because her keyboard is messed up.

why won't the router just work? cripes. i have stuff to do, and it's hard to do it on this computer. it was working fine for months, and now all of a sudden, it decided to crap out. nobody knows why.

i'm not feeling very christmasy this week. maybe i need to watch some christmas movies or something. all i know is..i'm not feeling it! i cannot even wait to be on vacation from job # 1. a whole week and a half off...it's going to be divine.

it is one of those days where everything I encountered was just irritating. the parking lot that i pay to park in...not plowed. that irritated me right off the bat. things just went downhill from there. i'm glad i'm home now. i'm going to curl up with some old school reading favourites, maybe watch some Prancer, and try and feel more christmasy.

i was going to write a big rant about marineland here, but i'll save that for another day. i sent a letter to the local paper, but apparently there were some issues with it, issues like "if we print this, you and the paper might get sued". oops! the idea of potentially being sued because you are writing the truth is disheartening. marineland to me, abuses their animals. anybody who has EVER been there and has eyes, must agree with me, at least to some extent. these are not animals that are living in an ideal environment. the dolphins are friggin blind due to the chlorine levels in the water. the whales live 30 to a tank. that is not normal!! and those deer. i think if a pack of deer would pick an ideal spot to make their home, it would not be on a slab of concrete. it doesn't surprise me though that the owner of marineland would sue. this is a man who ran over a protesters foot with his car. he's an ass. marineland does not deserve my objectivity.

anyway, apparently I am going to rant about marineland! i will post the letter that could have gotten me sued later. when I can GET ON MY COMPUTER. perhaps i'll try other niagara area publications. we shall see, we shall see.

Wow...

Holy crap, remember when an entire month almost passed and I didn't write anything. Where does the time go?

I honestly...I have been super busy. I thought I was busy before, but the last month has brought a whole new meaning to the word busy. Add to it the fact that it is the holidays, annnnnnd it's crazy!!

I got a freelance writing job for a little magazine, which is very exciting! I get paid and everything. And I get to attend editorial meetings. This excites me.

One day I will write something substantial. Hopefully one day soon. I'm sure any readers that I did have, have slowly left. Oops!

I recently discovered a hilarious new author Jen Lancaster. This girl cracks my shit up. Never, since reading Skinnybones, have I hysterically laughed several time while reading a book. I just read her book Such a Pretty Fat, and it is great. Read her books!

That's really all I've got at the moment. I can't wait for Christmas holidays...it's going to be great to have a whole week off. What will I do with myself?