Friday, May 27, 2005

Parking Lot Rage

Okay...so it's happened to me....parking lot rage. No I wasn't on the receiving end...I dished it out.

This morning, after a frustrating 45 minute drive to work, I get to the parking lot near where I work. Blocking the entrance is this van, with the door ajar (that means open okay!!).

Anyhow, this woman comes back to her van and starts pressing all around the box looking for the button that will give her ticket and let her into the parking lot. She even presses the sides of the box until she finally presses the right button (THE FLASHING BUTTON) and goes in. My eyes roll and I'm thinking "what a twit!!!". As I drive up the ramp, low and behold the twit is backing up the van. "Now what??? She can't find the parking spot too????"...


So I decided to go around the twit...then she turns to her left (without signaling) and of course I beep and yell "Make up your mind where you're going!!" She yells back, "That's my spot!" (thinking I was trying to take her spot, which I wasn't). So I yell back, "I don't want the spot...I just want you to make up your mind!" She says, "Calm down... It's my first time in the city". At this point I'm ready to ram her van...so I yell at her, "You're stupid!!!! Stay out of the city!!!"

Yes I did say that and then I drove quickly around her.

So for all of you who think that I'm such a nice calm person...YOU ARE SOOOOOOOO WRONG!!!!

Have a nice day!

Whatever!!

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

What do you do for a living?

It's interesting to me when people ask personal questions such as "What do you do for a living?"

I realize that it is a way of 'getting to know' someone...but does the fact that what a person does for a living really say much about them? Hmmm...I'm a medical secretary in a psychiatry clinic...what does that say about me, I wonder? I have relatives who are employed as a nurse, publicist, legal secretary, mechanic, homemaker, accountant, trucker, landscaper, ttc conductor, teacher, etc. etc. etc....

It is human nature to want to know about others, especially those closest to us. I stop and think about the job descriptions...some sound very glamourous and exciting...some sound boring...and yet they are all wonderful and necessary in their own way.

Regardless of the employment titles attached to us, there are so many other titles that are attached...mother, sister, father, brother, cousin, aunt, uncle, etc. Sometimes the titles are not so flattering...but we won't go there. Whatever/whoever we are...isn't it wonderful to see the variety of people in our family. Can't call us boring!!!

Whatever!

Friday, May 13, 2005

Friday the 13th...bad luck? I think not!!!

Today is Friday, May 13th.

As I drove in this morning to work, I couldn't help but notice that there were considerably less traffic. I wondered...could people actually be taking the day off because they are afraid it is "Friday the 13th"??

So I did a bit of research...Okay I didn't have to look to far. An article in the Yahoo News quoted in part here: "Fears about Friday the 13th stem from early Christianity...Friday was the day on which Christ was crucified. ... Judas was considered the 13th person at the table (of the Last Supper) and he of course, is the betrayer. Taylor said 13 was linked with evil by Christians in the Middle Ages in the belief that witches met in covens of 13, and the 13th member was the devil. She adds the superstition is only a western phenomenon. "Within western culture Friday the 13th is perceived as being unlucky .... (In other cultures) it's meaningless."

So it seems that only the Western world (and we think that we are SOOOO much more advanced that every other part of this earth...yeah right) is afraid when the 13th day of any month falls on a Friday.

I admit I do not understand this particular fear. I parked in the number 13 spot when I went for my driver's test. I passed. I have never had anything bad happen to me on the 13th of any day...it happens on any other day. Most of all, today is my mother's 66th (real) birthday. (Her father only registered her as having been born on the 18th of May...due to the fact he waited too long to register her and would have had to pay a fine..it's a long story...back in Madeira...give the guy a break..his wife had 14 kids...never mind give my poor grandmother the break!!)

So you see, today, Friday, May 13th, 2005 is the day that my beautiful and loving mother has been on this earth for 66 years. Bad luck? Oh no. I'm the fortunate one. I could not have asked for someone who has been (next to God) my best friend. Someone who has loved me, understood me (including giving me a kick in the butt when I needed it) and showed tremendous patience with me all my life. Someone who rubbed my tummy when I had stomach pains (okay she doesn't do that any more...it's a big tummy now). She used to tickle my forehead and I would fall asleep knowing that I was loved and so safe in her arms. I watch her do that with my nieces now....and know that they are so very fortunate too.

So Friday the 13th....what a wonderful day this is. Enjoy it. I know I will!

Ben

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Radio Station Politics

I'm feeling a bit discombobulated today. I am a radio station channel surfer. (I also surf t.v., and internet...Basically because I'm an inpatient person). One of my favorite radio stations used to be CHFI FM. I loved to listen to Erin Davis and Bob Magee (I even have a CHFI mug, in addition to my EZ Rock mug and a 92.5 country channel mug that no longer exists).

I would occasionally also listen to CHUM FM and Marilyn, Roger and Rick (They always put Marilyn's name last...silly people!). A few years ago, I discovered EZ Rock. Oh finally, I have found what I loved, the music and the morning people, Christine Cardosa (Portuguese) and Mike Cooper. They were a match made in heaven...or so I thought. It became a competition between CHFI and EZ Rock. I flipped more times than a fish caught in the net. The music was similar and they were both good. In the end, nationality won and I stuck with EZ Rock because Christine was Portuguese and I could relate to her comments.

Then the first wave of the radio war began: unexpectedly after many many years at CHFI, Erin Davis was fired. I was livid. I even wrote to the owners, Rogers, telling them that I would no longer listen to CHFI...and I've mostly kept my word. Wrote to Erin and told her how disgusted I was with what happened. (I was one of many many people). Last fall, Erin was invited to join Mike Cooper at EZ Rock while Christine went on maternity leave. I was in heaven. What would have made it the best would have been Mike, Christine and Erin in the morning...(hey it's working for Chum fm) but it was not to be. It seems CHFI finally snagged a brain and wooed Erin back. They also, how I do not know, managed to woo Mike over too. In the meantime, after giving his radio station his required notice, they discovered that Mike and Erin would be at CHFI. So Erin was 'let go' prior to her contract ending. The radio ratings came out yesterday. Apparently, and no surprise to me, Mike and Erin had a huge impact and have managed to raise the ratings considerably for EZ Rock. I have no doubt they will do the same when they are reunited again in the fall at CHFI. What was sad to read was that Mike was shunned at a celebratory event last night. I have never met this man, and I can't say I 'know' him, but he sounds like a decent guy. He has been with his wife, who he apparently adores for many many years, has raised children and certainly did not deserve to be treated this way.

I'm still not sure who I will listen to when the radio war is over...but people should not be treated like lepers (lepers shouldn't be treated badly either) just because they make a career move.

Whatever!



Tuesday, May 10, 2005

I've met Joe Pesci

Okay it's NOT the REAL Joe Pesci but I swear he looks and talks like him.

I started my next course last night. This short, dark haired, Italian looking, a lawyer is our new instructor (professor). I was mesmirized by the fluff on his hair...you know the kind that blows in the air and lands on someone's head. I had to keep telling myself to let the fluff go and concentrate on what was being taught...but something kept nagging me...he looks familiar...the guy from Welcome Back Carter...no not quite....who the heck does this guy remind me off...short legs...yak yak yak...and then BAM...just before break it hits me in the head...OH MY GOODNESS...It's cousin Vinny...no I mean Joe Pesci...he even sounds like him. This is going to be a very very difficult course...concentrate on the material Ben...and stop laughing!!!

Thursday, May 05, 2005

When your fear comes true...

Everyone has fears...fear of falling (how many times have I dreamed of that), fear of smacking the car, fear of losing a loved one, fear of dropping your keys down the elevator shaft...oh yeah...that happened last night.

I came home last night...up the elevator as I've done many times before, with my keys in my hand. As I exited the elevator, it happened...my fear come true...it slipped out of my hand and right down the elevator shaft. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING TO ME!!! The hysterics begins. I start freaking out. My cat hasn't been fed. Where am I going to sleep. I only have on key for my car. What am I going to do!!!!

Well after some hysterics and waterworks in front of the superintendent, who fortunately has seen me in more lucid moments, she calmly explained that she would give me the extra set of keys for my apartment, and that the elevator man would come tomorrow and retrieve my keys.

"I take it I'm not the first person to do something so stupid??". "No dear, you are not". (Okay so she WAS calling me stupid...but then it was a stupid thing to do).

I'm happy to say that me and my keys have been reunited. It was a fear, it happened and I lived through it.

Now if I can make through one of my greatest fears yet to come....



Sunday, May 01, 2005

International Blogging

I was reading my cousin's latest blog entry and decided to go to the next blog..and then next and eventually I stumbled on a blog entry from someone in Portugal in portuguese...hey...when did they get modern and blog...and I'll found out about blogging a couple of months ago.

We always think that our home countries (okay so I was born here...but eight months after my parents got here...if you know what I mean)...(so I consider myself Canadian-Portuguese) (always wanted to get a tatoo with porky pig holding a Canadian flag in one hand and a piece of cheese in the other...get it....whatever!).

Back to the home countries...we always think that WE Canadians are the modern ones...and those poor people back home are well backwards...so it was a bit surprising to find out that I'm totally wrong (AGAIN!!). I also was watching a program today on CBC about Iraq and this woman who had fled to Jordan and her 'blog' entries....they blog there too????

I admit that I truly enjoy reading the entries. Hopefully people will feel the same about mine. Hopefully. Whatever!

Ben