Gadgets

I left my BB's web browser on last night. And it's happened before. I'm just glad I have an unlimited data plan or I'd be bankrupt right about now.

I also have been meaning to buy a new MS Zune, because the last one I bought (from Walmart, so maybe that explains it) was a piece of crap from the start, and like a woman who marries a bad man, I didn't give it back because I hoped it would change. I'm hoping if I go to Best Buy or Futureshop instead, theirs might be in better shape.

I want to do this soon, because I desperately want to go back to the gym, and since I go alone, I really need an mp3 player for entertainment. The treadmills with the TVs on them are only good if there's quality programming, and there's a dearth of that lately.

Just when we thought we were safe!

It looks like Maple Leaf Foods is in trouble again. They make deli meats, hot-dogs and the like.

In August last year (wow, didn't seem like that long ago!) they had a massive recall of 191 of their products because there was listeria bacteria contamination on the machines in their production plant. 47 people caught listeriosis, and 20 of them died from it.

The CEO did the right thing about it too. He accepted full responsibility, and put out commercials and full-page ads in papers apologizing for it. There was a grudging respect for him. They cleaned up the plant and were putting out food again, and all seemed well.

Wouldn't you know, I took a gander at my favourite news website and I saw that Maple Leaf is recalling their hot-dogs again! For the same reason!

Okay, it is voluntary. Apparently there are 6 types of listeria, and only 1 is dangerous to people. They didn't find that type, but they did find one, so they're recalling to be safe.

All I'm saying is that since it was so soon after the last one, they may not be able to get out of this so easy this time. I know I'm not buying their hot-dogs now. Not that I buy them much anyway.

I'm going to keep an eye on their stock.

The story is here:
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_32368.aspx

The crows came back.

Remember a while back I posted about a couple of crows hanging around the window? They came back and I managed to get a longer video of them. Here it is, and I hope it works. If not, I'll fix it when I am at home.

Such a cheap slob!

I have a candy dish on my desk, and everyone is free to partake.

However, one of our agents that comes in once in a while makes a meal out of them. The worst part is that he always leaves the wrappers all over the place, like it's his right. I know my desk is a mess, but it's work, not garbage. I've called him on it before too, but nothing sinks in with this man. It's like that with his work too. Big promises, no results, and no matter how many meetings you can have with him, he never changes.

He's also pretty cheap. You're supposed to order supplies through our warehouse, but he comes in and raids the small stock of stuff we keep in our area for our use. Then, when we need it, it's gone.

I don't care what kind of gross crap you do at your house, but my desk, and our office floors are NOT your rubbish depositories. And do your work properly. GOD!

ARGHH I'm so mad.


10, 9, 8, .....

"I know a guy"

I love how guys always seem to "know a guy" that can do something or get something for them. Absolutely nothing is wrong with it. It's good to be so connected and have so many friends. I just find it amusing. I can't even say why. Maybe I just wonder if this person who is so dependent on his guys is ever "a guy" that someone else knows. I'm sure he is, he just never talks about it.

Why is it....

...that when you have some time off work, it's like you haven't worked in ages, but when you get back, it's like you've never left?

Amusing Packaging

My uncle came back from Italy on Wednesday, and of course brought back the customary suitcase full of souvenirs. One of them was a "cotton swab holder" for my grandmother, but this was what the box looked like:

I'm pretty sure that's a soap dispenser.

I no believe!

The do0dz working on our broken elevator are done! I think they're still cleaning up the temporary shack they built around the elevator so no one touches their stuff so the elevator itself still isn't running, but they're done and it should be okay to use when we get back next week.

Just in time for the other one to break down from excessive use.

R.O.M.

I've been wanting to go to the museum in Toronto (Royal Ontario Musem) for a while now. I've been quite a few times, but I really love it. I think my favourite trip there was when the Victoria & Albert Museum had an Art Deco exhibit a few years ago which was really awesome.

They recently opened up a new extension (the glass thing on the side) that I haven't been to see yet:

It just sucks that every time I go, some exhibit or another is closed. Lately it has been the gem and jewelry section, and it's one of my favourite sections (I'm such a girl) after the Ancient Egypt section. Also, I don't really want to go alone. Usually the people you see alone at a museum are those artsy people with a sketchpad, and I can't draw to save my life. Most of the people I would want to go with work on weekends so it's hard to coordinate an outing with them.

This is a long weekend, so maybe some people will be free and will be up to going. And if you're from out of town and are in Toronto for any reason, and are the type that digs museums, go see this one. It's fantastic.

WOO HOO............?

I just got an email from Human Resources that they're closing the office a bit early tomorrow. Plus it seems like they're letting us have an impromptu Casual Friday. Many offices have one every Friday, be we have ours on the last Friday of every month.

They're doing it because it's Monday is Family Day in Ontario and Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, and they want to give us a break. Good idea. We're all pretty stressed and down-and-out.

Call me a cynic, but I think there are alterior motives involved. From what I heard there is another wave of people getting laid off very soon, and maybe they're trying to make the rest of us feel better. Frankly, I'm getting sick of this sneaky bullturds, and I wish they'd be out with it. People have futures they need to think about.

Hah...watch them lay off some people, let the rest of them go home early for the weekend, and then lock them out on Tuesday morning.

Damn, I WAS feeling good about this 10 minutes ago.


UPDATE: Okay, apparently I'm a paranoid freak. It turns out that it is the policy of the company that bought us out that we can leave early the Friday before a Monday long weekend. I suppose we can expect this more often from now on. No complaints.

Shopping

She parks her silver minivan in the "Reserved for Shoppers with Children" spot. "What?" she says. "I have kids! I can park here!" She goes inside and breathes the air in deeply. She's wearing yoga pants and her best cross-trainers. This is like a work-out for her, and she's going to be at it all day.

She needs a new pair of slacks. The mall had better be ready for her.

She leaves no shelf unturned, no hanger unhung. She might as well put up some paintings and put down some carpeting in the change room, she's been in there so long. Nothing is right. Nothing is perfect.

She is getting tired and cranky, and is starting to sweat. Someone get her some coffee and a cookie!

This process is repeated in every single store that sells clothing until finally, joy of joys, she finds her holy grail. The pants that seemed to have been made just for her. They look great, feel great, and she can afford them. She loves them.

She buys the perfect pants and leaves the store. But strangely, the search is not over. She visits every store again, in case she missed something, in case she made a mistake.

Having grudgingly satisfied her curiosity, she climbs back into her silver minivan and drives off, avoiding collisions with those coveting her spot, those who will fill her void in the changerooms when she is gone.

She has to see how the pants look again. She tries them on with every top in her wardrobe. A sigh emanates from her boudoir. "I don't know", she mutters. She hates her new pants.

_____________________________

My mother shops like this. I do not. This is why I hate shopping with her. I go to the mall with a male mentality. Get what I need and get the heck out, hopefully as quickly as possible. I don't even scope the scenery. I don't make eye contact with anyone except the people helping me. And when I buy something, it's because I like it. I will still like it when I take it home. And once I've made a purchase, I'm pretty sure I've made the right one, and won't keep shopping for it. I even get antsy if I've been at the mall more than 3 hours. This is why my mother hates shopping with me.

And again.

They let another lady go today. She worked in the Records Management area, but I dont' know what she did.

It's looking like a Tuesday pattern.

Look-Alike

Just now I got on the (only working) elevator with a delivery guy that looked like Vin Diesel, albeit a less-buff one. I haven't seen any work from him lately, so maybe it's not impossible that he is now a courrier in Markham, Ontario.

I would have asked for an autograph, but I am not a fan of the real Vin Diesel.

Maybe later...

I was supposed to learn how to do a new task this morning, reporting agents' results for the past week, so I can back-up the lady that already does it.

Well, it's not exactly new, because I've done it for at least three years, but we have two divisions in our sales force, and I only know how to report for one, so my boss was supposed to come in to train me on the other way. Well, wouldn't you know it, he's sick this morning, so the poor woman has to do the work after all.

I'm not complaining, because it looks a lot more complicated reporting for this division, and I still have some reporting to do in the old way, but on the other hand, I wish I DID have this training.

What I really want to say is that if an opportunity comes up where you get to learn something new, take it. It never ever hurts to gain knowledge. Okay, maybe it might hurt in that the more you know, the more work they'll make you do, but you never know where the knowledge will take you.

For instance, my boss told me to get a life insurance license. Not a stretch when you work for an insurance company, but I'm not an agent. I don't work in the field, so I don't need it. Still, learning what I needed to in order to get it, and passing the exam was such a thrill, and if they decide one day to promote someone, they may choose someone with a license over one without.

Next week my boss will probably feel better and we can get started on this training, but apparently it takes a while to learn, and the lady who normally does the work will be on vacation week after next, so someone has to do it properly by then. Hope I can do it!

YAY pt 2

So I was right! I was asked to be a bridesmaid after all! Thanks, Clauds, I won't let you down!

Busted Elevator

After a couple weeks of waiting for a custom part, the guys hired to fix our elevator at work have finally come back. We have hydraulic elevators, so it's a little harder to fix them, and this one has to have its piston replaced. Never a good thing. Plus people are complaining that having only one elevator out of two working is a pain in the butt. I don't care, because I take the stairs as much as possible, but I'm relieved that they're back. I was hoping they didn't skip town with whatever money the building owner paid them.

YAY!

One of my cousins is getting married early next year. This same cousin asked me out for coffee out of the blue, so unless my speculation is unfounded, and all she really wants is a coffee, she's going to ask me to be a bridesmaid! I'm not clairvoyant by any means, but sometimes my gut feelings are bang on. I'll update you after Saturday.

Nevermore....

We're pretty desperate for entertainment here in my department. Ever since we went from 13 to 4 people in the downsizing blitz of 4th Quarter 2008, it's been pretty quiet around here.

That's why we took time out of our day to stand at the window and stare at two ravens (or crows. I don't pretend to know the difference) sitting there.

I wanted to take a video, but as soon as I came back with my BB, they flew off. I did catch them doing that, though, but I can't seem to upload the video right now. It's only 3 seconds long anyway, so it's not really worth it.

I think they say that if you're visited by a blackbird it is bad luck. Well, we got 2! That's a pretty bad indication of things to come for this company, if you belive in phooey, hogwash superstitions.

Personally, I don't need a raven to tell me this place is headed south.

Ch-ch-ch-chaaaaaaaaanges....

So like I said a few posts back, we lost a few people last week, and we'll probably lose more. Now, we've got people from the company that bought us out back in April "kicking the tires" again, so to speak. A bunch of them came from their Philadelphia, PA office to our humble Markham, ON headquarters to size up the real estate. The gossip of the day is they're either going to move their Toronto people to our Markham building, or move whoever is left of us to their Toronto building.

Now, I'm torn about this.

The Yay argument:

I am a city girl at heart. I grew up in the 'burbs, and have always worked in the 'burbs, but I loooooove the city proper, and nothing would thrill me more than being part of the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto. I'd love being able to hop on the subway and get where I have to go in no time instead of sitting in a car getting no where. Plus, I'd probably never go home after work, I'd be shopping so much. And I don't normally like shopping!

The Nay argument:

I don't live in an area that has access to the Toronto Transit system. I'd have to either drive to the closest subway station (which takes over half an hour with no traffic and nice weather), or take a GO Train (which is part of a company which luckily provides transportation to a wider geographical area) to Toronto's Union Station, then catch a subway to where I have to go. This will cause me to most likely have to get up earlier than I already do, which will make me quite the crank. Also, it's not just myself I have to worry about. As previously mentioned, I work with my mother. She worked with this same company since 1973, and they were in Toronto at that time. She's had her fill of hopping trains to get to work. If I think she complains of a little traffic now, just wait until the train is delayed!

I could be contemplating our future location pre-emptively. Maybe the "parent company" will continue their cheap streak and put their Toronto people with us so that they're paying less rent. It's too early to know, but something is in the works. I just hope it works.

Amusing Sign

Last night was a ladies night. We went to a Mongolian Grill restaurant. If you've never been to one of these, you should go. It's a line of raw meat, noodles, veggies, and sauces that you choose yourself, give to a man standing in front of a huge metal ring with fire under it, and he fries it right up for you. It's very tasty, and healthy, since you know what's going it in it.

Anyway, this post isn't really about the restaurant. Now, I've been there quite a few times, and this is the first time I noticed this sign on the door:

I've never seen anything like this before. I guess it's to keep out the riff-raff looking for a burger.