Thank you all for the emails! Im sorry for now posting this sooner but my email was not working. Anyway, Congrats to the Winter Itunes $25 Goes To “Sammie Manri” . Sammie, the email has just been sent from the itunes store. But thats not all, i had a really hard time chooseing these emails so im giveing out $15 Napster card to 3 other winners!

1) Kim Penowki
2) Ashley Pancho
3) Alex Gollar

PS. for the winners of the Napster cards, since i have all 3 of you followed on twitter i will privatly send you the code on there. Napster cards CAN be used with Zune, Ipod, Any Media Player, & iTunes.

The website, Openlist.ca is a fast growing classifieds website which offers 100% free local classifieds to Canadians.  Its users can buy,sell, trade, barter and much more.  The site looks like Craigslist, but has several feature which Craigslist lacks.  These include:

• the ability to post in multiple cities,
• ability to search based on Canadian Postal Codes
• posting expiration notification,
• ability to renew postings,
• back-end interface to upload postings via their Application Programming Interface (API),
• ability to leave comments about postings,
• back-end ad syndication system to popular microblogging sites such as Twitter and
• back-end ad syndication system to popular social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook, etc.

The sites design is simple.  More features are coming soon in Q1 of 2010.

Ella needed to get away from her family. They wouldn’t understand her desires if they knew. She knew her mother worried but it was best this way. What mother would want someone like Ella? The recent tragedy of losing Stefan made her see herself for what she was: a monster. Ever since he had died, she had become obsessed with one thing: bringing him back to life, no matter what. In her youth, she had met a witch who said she could do such things. She wondered if it was possible…

But to her neighbors, Ella was simply a strange recluse. Even her landlord didn’t hide his distain for her. But Ella didn’t really care so much. She wasn’t here to make friends. She just needed a roof over her head and a place to do her work.

The witch Ella had met didn’t seem to want to share her secrets at first. But Ella had that Flynn charm and eventually wore her down. “Alright, alright…” The old woman said, “You want to defy nature? Very well.” The witch spoke some strange words and Ella felt an electric surge all over her body. Soon, she could feel every pore scream as the gift circulated throughout her body. Stefan would be back in the living world soon enough…

Greta and Jihoon came to visit Ella late at night. Ella was happy to see her mother of course. But she was also happy to see her stepfather. He was the perfect guinea pig to test out her new abilities on.

It was certainly different, being out on one’s own. Andre missed hearing his mom and grandpa argue but it was time for him to be his own person. He purchased a small house near Emilia Flynn, one of his coworkers. It was a nice size home. It wasn’t too big but wasn’t too small. It also had enough space to expand. He had taken all this into consideration when he was house hunting. He wanted to find the perfect place for not only himself, but also his future family.

After sprucing the place up a bit, Andre was ready to let Meadow see it. She was very pleased with the house and happily moved in. A few weeks after she moved in, Andre popped the question and the two became engaged. They weren’t in a rush to get married, though. The actual ceremony could wait. They were more than happy just being together. They didn’t need a certificate to tell them that they were in love.

While Andre worked during the day, Meadow took on the maintenance of the house. She had been working as a nurse but decided to quit her job. Taking care of the house was a full time job. She always wanted it to be perfect for when Andre came home.

The day of the wedding finally came. Andre invited his mother, as well as a few childhood friends. He had invited the Flynn family but for some reason or another, they didn’t show up. But he didn’t mind. He figured they must’ve had a good reason. The ceremony went off without a hitch either way and Meadow Thayer soon became Meadow Mosley.

Andre had noticed at the ceremony that his mother was a bit plump, but he didn’t say anything. It was rude to address a woman’s weight, right? But when she came by to visit sometime later, she couldn’t resist asking. Josie didn’t scold him, though. She smiled and told him that he would soon be an older brother. Andre was both thrilled and concerned. He loved the idea of having a baby brother or sister but he knew his mother was alone now. Could she really handle raising a child?

It took some time but Andre’s hard work allowed him to follow one of his dreams. He had always wanted to own a cafe, ever since he was young. Now that he had enough money, he was able to. The first incarnation of his cafe was on a community lot but it was so hard to keep track of things. Andre soon moved his business to his own home, setting up a small area on the side of his house for his customers.

The married life was simply lovely. Meadow and Andre weren’t in a hurry to have kids, though. They wanted to enjoy spending time together for a bit longer.

Life was just so stressful for Twila. She rarely had time to just be a teenager anymore. She went to school and when she came home, she had only an hour to relax before her ride for work came. By the time she got home at night, she was often so exhausted that she neglected to do her homework. Lucky for her, the teachers were leniant enough to let her make it all up during the weekends but it was still all a bit too much.

Emilia didn’t understand why her daughter was so stressed out. Life was good! Sure, they went without a meal or two. Sure, they didn’t have the best clothes. But they had love, didn’t they? Well, Emilia did, at any rate. That was all she cared about.

Emilia was quite the social butterfly and it paid off most times. She would make friends with someone and before long, they’d hook her up with someone they knew. It was perhaps one of the easiest ways to meet men. It required little to no effort on her part. She just had to let her own personal charm do the work.

Her charm was often too irresistable to resist. Every other night, she had a date and said dates often left her love letters and gifts.

Twila tried to see the world through her mother’s very optimistic eyes. It was a bit difficult, of course but she eventually got there. She would start by thinking about something she liked: cooking. Then before long, she was in a pool full of pudding.

Elias didn’t understand! He thought Alyce liked him. She would come home with him three times a week to study. She’d flirt with him, calling him adorable and sweet. She even threw those sort of glances that simply screamed, “take me, you fool!” So when Elias tried to move the relationship to the next level, he was surprised when she laughed and called him a loser. Why did girls have to be so weird?!

She really was an enigma. Not even a day later, Alyce came by and acted as if nothing had happened. Elias was hesitant to let her back into his heart but before he could make a decision, Alyce kissed him. It was a magical moment. The spark Elias felt for Alyce seemed to burn even brighter. He only hoped she didn’t change her mind…again.

Stefan wasn’t like most teens. He didn’t mind doing errands for his parents. It got him out of the house, right? It didn’t hurt that he got alot of attention whenever he was out. The older ladies seemed to just love him. He just had that sort of charm.

While out, Stefan decided to try something new. He had seen the breakdancer on the roof of the department store before. He was a weird fellow but his moves were pretty awesome. Since he had time, Stefan decided to try and get the guy to teach him some moves. The dancer agreed and before long, Elias learned that breakdancing wasn’t as easy as it looked. It took him well over five hours practicing. Needless to say, the milk wound up spoiling and Fern was not pleased.

But Fern couldn’t stay mad for long. Amelia had finally arrived. Finally, the Bauer family was complete. Fern had been hoping and praying for a baby girl and her prayers had been answered. Amelia seemed to resemble Fern in alot of ways but the little girl’s eyes were all Philip. With a loving husband, three sons and a daughter, Fern had never felt happier.

Stefan soon entered adulthood and took life by the horns. He enjoyed going out and partying. He often worked as a DJ, bringing home a nice sum of money. He had thought about moving out on his own but he knew his parents needed his help. They were often struggling financially. It was the least he could do to stay and help them out.

But staying proved to be his downfall. No one is quite sure what happened that day. The computer had broken and Stefan volunteered to fix it. He had done it before with no problems. Just as Fern was about to lay down for a nap, she heard screaming in her son’s room. She ran to investigate but it was too late to save him. He was too far in Death’s grip and nothing Fern did could bring him back. She had lost her eldest son.

Hai had been through it all, it seemed. She lost both her parents and her grandmother. She had to juggle school and work. She had to take care of all the bills. And all this long before she became an adult. So when the time did come for her to enter adulthood, Hai knew she was well prepared. She had a feeling, as well, that things would begin to go more smoothly for her. It just had to, right? Karma and all…

Hai never ever thought of going out with anyone who wasn’t Stephan. But after being invited out by an old friend, she decided it couldn’t hurt. It was just a little get-together at the park, after all. He was a perfect gentleman, taking her bounderies into consideration. They talked about everything from art to literature to the rising gas prices. It was a nice way to spend the day. It sure beat cleaning the house.

But the good times never seemed to last for Hai. She had lost track of time and before long, rent was due. Unfortunately, she had the day off most of the week and hadn’t made enough money. She tried to reason with the landlord but he refused to listen. The man only cared about his money, regardless of what he’d like the public to know. Hai knew better.

But there were some people who understood, thankfully. Greta Flynn was a very kind, sweet woman and Hai was greatful for her companionship. It was like having a mother again.

May stepped up to the plate when her mother entered the last months of her pregnancy. She took on most of the chores, handled the meals and carried out every whim Greta had. She considered it good practice. May was beginning to have thoughts about her own future. She hoped to have a family someday. She wanted to make sure she was ready when that day came. Taking care of her new baby sibling would help prepare her for the best and worst motherhood had to offer.

But stress was something that couldn’t be avoided for Greta, no matter how she tried. She had been sitting in the kitchen, helping Alyce learn how to make spaghetti when the stove caught on fire. May ran to the phone and called the fire department, who arrived shortly after. Thankfully, no one was injured but it was one incident that Greta didn’t wish to repeat.

The excitement seemed to help push Greta into labor early. She wasn’t expecting it and neither was Jihoon. Unable to make it to the hospital, they chose to give birth at home. There, in the bedroom, Greta was in for a surprise. She gave birth to twin girls. Twins! The girls were not entirely identical, however. The eldest girl, Sybella, inherited her father’s blonde hair while Druisilla got the Flynn red hair.

With the arrival of the twins came the departure of Ella. The house was just getting too busy for her tastes and she wanted out. She rented out an apartment on the other side of Camellia Valley. Something in her changed, as she seemed to withdraw from her family and friends and throw herself into her magic studies. Greta just hoped she’d at least call once in a while.

May loved her new baby sisters. They were just so adorable! Without a second thought, she was tending to both of them. If one wanted to find her, they simply needed to look in the nursery. It seemed as if taking care of her sisters was her new purpose in life.

As Andre got older, his painting skills grew as well. He was constantly outdoing himself, painting beautiful masterpieces. He sold most of them, though. His mother didn’t like to see his paintings. She claimed they were too dreary and dark. He didn’t mind so much. Meadow appreciated his work. She often begged him to paint more things for her bedroom. He had a feeling she wouldn’t be satisfied until every inch of her wall was covered. He was more than happy to do it, though.

Andre’s birthday was on the horizon and both Ivan and Josie were thinking of what to get him. They went to the local department store to do some browsing. Andre figured a practical gift, such as clothing, was the best thing to get. So he picked up some nice pieces, with more than enough money to spare.

Josie, on the other hand, got sidetracked. She had intended to buy Andre something nice but she only had so much money and she really wanted the new Sims game. He’d understand, right?

The birthday party was a gala event. All of Andre’s friends came, and Greta Flynn accompanied her daughters. Andre seemed to glow as he blew out his candles, surrounded by family and friends. He didn’t care so much about the presents or lack-there-of. He was just happy his mom stayed to attend.

Ivan had intended to let Andre inherit the house, both as a gift and as a way to keep an eye on Josie. But Andre had other plans. He talked of moving out on his own, eventually marrying his sweetheart Meadow and starting a business. Both Josie and Ivan tried to persuade him to change his mind but he was adamant. He packed up most of his belongings and left, leaving behind only one of his paintings.

In his disappointment, Ivan completely neglected himself. It soon took a toll on his old body, as Death came for him one night. He wondered, as he passed on, how Josie would get on without him and Andre.

To most people’s shock, Josie was heartbroken when her father passed. She seemed to often ignore her father and take him for granted. But she truly did love him and did need him. She didn’t know what to do with herself. For so long, she had him around to nag at her and to make her meals. The house seemed so empty.

But she remembered something her father once said. “When one door closes, another opens.”

Merry Christmas, eve! and a hAppY New Year. The countdown has begun. Wow, 2009 passed so quickly! It was a fantastic year with new music, movies and everything else . Now were finally welcoming a new year into our lives – 2010! Horraayy . Its going to be akward writing 2010 because we useally all used to say like – “oh eight” “oh nine” but now, its just “10″. /:] ill be graduating in 2010 so thats a pretty cool year to remember . Anyway i hope all of you have a great Christmas Eve, and we should all enjoy our families instead of bringing our phones and immidiatly start texting .. like me .

PS. Hopefully santa wont get stuck your chimney this year .

/:O its officially Christmas Eve. Aha, that was funny. I just looked at my phone and it said 12:00!! i quickly rushed and went onto the wordpress app , logged in and wrote – its. /:) I wanted to write exactly on 12:00 so i saved only the “its” so it saves at 12:00. I don’t know if it works now because i’m editing it but woohoo! its Christmas Eve!

PS. A lot of you asked if i put up the winners name at a certain time so there prompted for the results, yes i will post the winner at exactly 7:50-7:53 ish.. because i write a lot. Also when you send me am email, please put your LAST name too! Ive had 16 different Sam’s /:] and they all wrote perfeclty good.

PS. Keep writting!

<!– Beginning of Freelancer.com Affiliates Widget –>

<script type=”text/javascript”><!–
GAF_text_color = “black”;
GAF_link_color = “green”;
GAF_title_color = “blue”;
//–></script>
<script src=”http://www.getafreelancer.com/widgets/projects/hs3.js”></script>
<div id=”GAF_projects_hs3_box” style=”width: 728px; height: 75px; padding: 0px; font-family:sans-serif; font-size: 11px;”>
<div style=”padding: 0px; overflow: hidden”>
<div style=”padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px solid #5D5E91″>
<a href=”http://www.getafreelancer.com/” target=”_blank”></div>
<div id=”GAF_projects_hs3″ style=”padding:0px; cellpadding:0px;”></div>
<div style=”padding: 0px;” align=”right”></a><span style=”font-size:11px; padding: 0px;”>Find more </span><a style=”font-size:11px;” href=”http://www.getafreelancer.com/sellers/” target=”_blank”><font color=”blue”>freelance jobs</font></a> <span style=”font-size:11px;”>on <a style=”font-size:11px;” href=”http://www.getafreelancer.com”><font color=”blue”>Freelancer.com</font></a></span></div>
</div></div>
<script src=”http://api.getafreelancer.com/Project/Search.json?aff=1329845&callback=GAF_update_projects_hs3_callback&order=rand&count=3&iads=true&nonpublic=0&charset=UTF-8″></script>
<!– End of Freelancer.com Affiliates Widget –>

So, what’s up with the ‘quiet’, I’m reading’ business in the library, where everyone is whispering, or quietly giggling about something?

It cracks me up! How many times have you put a headset on, listening to your tunes, and ‘read’ or done your ‘work’ at the same time? It is common practice in many of the offices I have worked in!

What about all the people that read at coffee shops – both in and outdoor? There is so much noise, especially the street traffic, and the people walking by, when you’re sitting outside! I know that from my journalling days at the coffee shop I use to frequent. Sometimes it was difficult, but once into it, and focused, it’s another world.

I haven’t been to the library for years because, since it has moved, it is just too far away when I can go down the street and purchase what I want at a very good price at Book Warehouse. Anything I can’t find, I can read on the Internet, and no one’s telling me to ‘be quiet’.

The other thing about books, which as a writer I obviously love, why do we have to have the ‘title of the book on each and every page’ as a header? Is this something to do with ADD? I mean, do you normally ‘forget’ what book you’re reading? LOL!

Don’t get me wrong here please. I am not in any way trying to make fun of, or insult, those that suffer from ADD. I realize that the ‘header’ is a ‘marketing ploy’, but puh leeze! We are not dummies, or we wouldn’t be reading your book in the first place!

When I publish my book, or I should say, if and when I publish my book, I promise not to put the title at the top or bottom of every single page! All you will see is the page numbers, or, if I absolutely have to have something as a header, it will be my name or something you won’t forget! LOL!

So, being that all books are designed this way, how is it then that we can forget the title – just an annoying part of the name, that’s on the tip of our tongues?

Surely, having read all 250 or so pages, we have been brainwashed enough to recall that! LOL! My God, every single page tells us, again and again, and again……..LOL! It’s too funny, but forgetting part of the title happens to all of us.

Okay, I’ll stop writing now, I know you are ‘trying to read’. Sorry, Cheers!

Some of you will be aware of some or all of these scams below. However, for the sake of those that may not be aware, or may even be considering becoming involved in one of these scenarios, I am hopeful that I can help before it is too late.

At the top of the list of the Top 10 Internet Scams were health-care scams, like bogus cancer and diabetes cures, as well as pills for weight loss, which is always a big one for many women, as well as men.

1. The Internet was flooded with hundreds of websites offering vaccine and Tamiflu within hours of the World Health Organization first announcing the H1N1 flu. People are panicking about getting H1N1 and are buying stuff online.” Do not go there!
2. Signing up for so-called “free” online trials for items like acne cream and teeth whitener can end up with the victim being billed automatically and repeatedly.
3. Identification theft can result from information phishing in the form of “scareware” pop-ups that say your computer is infected with a virus or legitimate-looking emails that ask you to update your information.
4. Home-repair rip-offs, like phoney reports your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide and needs to be replaced immediately.
5. Loan offers for people with bad credit to keep afloat through lean economic times could result in huge financial losses and even ID theft.
6. Free grants from the Canadian government that are advertised online could be a mass-marketing scheme that costs you money to participate.
7. Investment opportunities requiring you to recruit others that are actually pyramid schemes.
8. Cash-back fraud when selling things such as automobiles. The buyer will send you a larger cheque by “mistake” and then ask for the balance in a money transfer. The cheque will bounce a few days later.
9. Unexplained charges on your cell phone could be due to premium text messages that people unknowingly sign up for when they play online games or take online IQ tests.
10. Mystery shopping jobs requiring you to shop via wire-transfer service. Be wary of mystery shopper ads that require you to pay money up front.

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/local/article/397636–ten-top-scams-to-watch-out-for

It is that time of year again already! Assuming you were with your firm this time last year and perhaps for years prior, you have likely developed a comfortable working relationship with your boss and co-workers.

However, the proper office ‘etiquette’ varies with each firm and industry. Each having their own practices and preferences when it comes to Christmas gift exchange policies.

I know some firms prefer to have a nice Christmas Luncheon or Dinner, with no gift exchange, while others enjoy ‘gag’ gift giving. Still others prefer only Christmas cards, or put a cap on the amount to be spent on gifts, if at all. Still others grant personal preference, so it is left up to the individual.

Where gifts are concerned, it can be difficult to know exactly what to get for a co-worker, and most especially, for your boss. In my own experience, I have always felt it was appropriate to give my boss, or bosses, and each of my team members a Christmas card.

I think it is also appropriate and important to remember those in other areas of internal firm services, which serve all staff on a daily basis such as, Reception, Mailroom, Printing, Graphics, Accounting, and Office Services Coordinators.

In my humble attempt to be of assistance to those that may be in a quandary as to what would be an appropriate gift for the boss and their team members, I offer the suggestions listed below.

I believe that these suggestions are appropriate and within budget, particularly if a ‘group’ gift, and would not be perceived as ‘overly personal.’

Biscotti;

Book – if you know the individual’s tastes well enough;

Box Store Gift Certificate – Canadian Tire, FutureShop, Home Depot, Home Sense, IKEA;

Ceramic Christmas ‘Table’ Decorations – perhaps with lighting, such as a centrepiece, candle holders;

Christmas ‘Tree’ Ornaments;

Coffee Carafe including favourite coffee beans – Starbucks, Blenz, Tim’s;

Coffee Gift Card – Starbucks, Blenz, Tim’s;

Costco Membership;

Dinner ‘for 2’ Gift Certificate – Morton’s, Keg Caesar’s, Joe Fortes, Bridges, Boathouse;

‘High Quality’ Personal Wall Calendars – art, architecture, scenic;

Movie or Theatre Tickets;

Music CD – possibly Christmas CD, if you know the individual’s tastes well enough; and

Parking or Transit Pass.

I hope the ideas above have helped you with your gift selections. Perhaps you can pass along this post to someone you know who needs a little help coming up with some ideas for their own workplace.

Seasons Greetings!

Logistics and Supply Chain Management position for the Winter and Spring 2010.

Work on special projects to support the Supply Chain area.  Such projects could include the following:
a. Supplier Guide
i. Entail working with cross-functional team members affected by the entire supply chain to get points into the supplier guide that pertain to each group
ii. Draft Supplier Guide
iii. Publish Supplier Guide
iv. Help with implementation of Supplier Guide
b. Product Development Process
i. Help to establish a formal product development process
ii. Document Process
iii. Draft Process Flow Document

If you are interested in this position, please forward your resume to careers@anchor.com.

Twila couldn’t help but wonder what would become of her without her aunt to take care of her anymore. Emilia had never been much of a mom. Had it not been for Greta, Twila would’ve probably either wound up dead or in foster care. Still, her mom promised changes. She only hoped they were good changes.

And they were. Twila soon became a teenager, able to take care of herself. She immediately got a job, hoping to help out her mom. Most of the money they had went into buying the house. They barely had anything left for food or furniture.

Emilia made sure to go to work each day, despite complaining about how much of a drag it was. There were worse things to do, she supposed. She could be pumping gas at some dingy place on the side of the road, constantly getting harassed by truckers. In hindsight, she had it pretty good.

It also helped that she was a hit with her co-workers. Even though some of them weren’t as attractive as she would want, they all were treckable territory that would lead to success. The fact she got many promotions despite very little skill was proof of that.

Sometimes, being a good-looking guy had its cons. For instance, Stefan didn’t appreciate having random girls follow him home from school. It was a real hassle having to explain to his dad why there were a handful of girls on the front lawn. He also feared for Hai. It was only a matter of time before the girls would try and get her out of the picture.

Elias didn’t mind when certain girls followed him home. He was a bit younger than Alyce Flynn but the two had always been close friends. Now that he was older, they were able to spend more time together. Sometimes they’d do homework together and sometimes they’d go out to eat together. Either way, it was clear there was more to their relationship than just friendship now.

Just as all young relationships seemed to blossom, a thorn appeared. There had been a recent spree of burglaries in the neighborhood. All of their neighbors had been targeted and now, it was the Bauer’s turn. Only one thing was stolen but it was something of value to Stefan. Hai, with the little money she had, bought him a stereo that he had his eye on for a while.

But, the family managed to recover in time for Lukas’ birthday. The boy was almost a splitting image of his elder brother, Stefan but Elias was the closer one to him. That was partly due to the two boys sharing a room, he supposed. He loved helping his little brother with homework and getting him up for school, where as Stefan wanted little to do with Lukas.

Fern and Philip were often cited as one of the most romantic couples in Camellia Valley. Whenever they were together, they always seemed to be all over each other. Whether it was holding hands in the park or sucking face on a bench, the two seemed deeply in love. That was why even Philip was shocked when his beloved seemed to grow somewhat distant.

But her reasons soon became clear: She was yet again pregnant.

Now that Hai was able to finally pay the rent, the landlord seemed much nicer. For a moment, she thought he would have a heart and comfort her in her time of need. But it seemed very few people gave her a break. He was no different. He only seemed to care when she had the money to pay him. Figured. Money was more important than people’s lives.

There was little comfort in her life now. The few moments of peace she had were used to escape. Hai loved painting. It always made her feel relaxed. Nothing could go wrong in painting. It simply morphed to fit whatever situation was present. She wish it was that easy for her. Adjusting to her situation was difficult. But she had to do it, if she hoped to keep her mind.

It was times like this when friends mattered most. Hai had very little time to spend hanging out with friends, so many bonds fell apart. But there were a few who held on, understanding her problems and helping her through them. For those friends, she was thankful. She couldn’t imagine doing everything completely alone.

Finally ready to let go of the past, Hai finally decided to have her grandmother buried. She knew it was time. She had to think about the future now. Somehow, though, she knew her grandmother felt it too. She carried the urn to the cemetery and gently put them in the ground. She felt a sense of relief as the urn left her hands. The house was now hers. Her life was now hers. It was all hers to mold now.

Greta had always thought her cooking was pretty good. After all, no one had keeled over yet and Alyce was quite the heavy girl. So, at the suggestion of Ivan Mosley, Greta tried her hand at cooking contests. She prepared a delicious turkey, thinking something that extravegant would sure to get some points. However, next to her was a professional chef and his lobster. Greta couldn’t afford lobster. It’d take her 7 years salary to even get a cube of lobster. Needless to say, she went home empty handed.

Ella seemed to choose all the wrong choices lately. While she and Alyce went out, she decided to have a snack. But she had no intention of paying. After finishing her meal, she carefully eluded the host. She was almost home free, when he finally cornered her and lectured her. Her mother was quite angry with her and even went so far as to punish her for a week, by making her babysit.

Alyce tended to behave better. She rarely left the house, except for school. But it was through school that she met someone special. Alyce wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was she a lesbian? She had always had crushes on the hot boybands members. Yet, her heart went a flutter for girls too. Whatever it was, she knew one thing: she had yet to taste sweeter lips.

The day of the wedding soon came. The entire family dressed up in their best to see Greta and Jihoon marry. Greta had initially invited Ivan Mosely and Philip Bauer to come witness the glorious event. However, neither showed up. That didn’t bother her too much. Nothing could rain on her parade today.

Emilia was happy for her sister. Greta deserved to live happily ever after. Emilia already knew what to give the newlyweds as a gift. She would annouce that she and Twila would be moving out. The house was big but Emilia knew they were simply third wheels. Besides, surely Greta and Jihoon would begin thinking about babies and would need the extra space.

The Flynn family table seemed complete now, as Greta looked around. She had a loving husband and three beautiful children. It would seem fortune was shining on her and rewarding her for all her hard work. Still, she wondered. Would Twila be taken good care of with only Emilia?

Ivan was usually good at cooking. He knew how long to cook things for and what to add to give it that extra zest. However, he was still an old man and lacked a good bladder. As such, he often had to use the bathroom while his meals were cooking. For the most part, it didn’t seem to be a problem. However, one particular day, while he was relieving himself, something went wrong. When he returned, half the kitchen was on fire. Lucky for him, Josie actually did something responsible and called the fire station.

Of course, immediately after the fire was out, Josie split. She couldn’t stand being in the house for too long, especially when it reeked of smoke and charred food. Besides, she had a date which she had scheduled days in advance. Just because she nearly lost her house and father didn’t mean she was going to call it off. Josie was a classy woman, after all. If she said she would meet you somewhere, she meant it.

The person she met with was her son’s headmaster. The Mosely family didn’t have much money to keep Andre in school. They were not exactly broke but not really rich either. So she had to use other ways of making sure her son was getting a good education. She found that regularly sleeping with the headmaster worked quite well.

Of course, not everyone thought so. What was it about old people and their prudishness? After kissing her date goodbye, Josie found herself being yelled at from across the street by some old woman. Josie tried to ignore her but the old hag wouldn’t leave her be! Whoever she was, Josie was sure she’d get along with Ivan.

Things didn’t seem to get any better for Josie once she got home. Her father had broken the computer yet again and Andre was in bed, unable to fix it. So Josie took it upon herself to give it a go. Unfortunately, she had just washed her hands before touching the electrical device. Luckily though, she only suffered some burns. Next time, they’d call a repairman.

Fern couldn’t help but sigh in happiness each time she held Lukas in her arms. The little boy seemed to complete the family. He was perfection, bundled in a small package. Everything she did in life was for him, Elias and Stefan. Her children were her reason to live and live she would, for their sake. She felt so lucky to have them. Looking around Camellia Valley, she realized just how well she and her family had it.

She and Philip still loved each other with their entire being. The flame of their marriage had never onced wavered. They still acted like the precocious teenagers. Every morning, Philip would wait while Fern distracted herself with dishes before pulling her in for a romantic kiss. She would return the favor later in the day, surprising him with a quick grope. It was enough to make Stefan gag.

As Stefan was getting older, he was growing apart from his little brother. Elias was just so immature! He would wake Stefan up and torment him, pull pranks on him and just act annoying. Stefan knew it was because Elias was still so young but really, you’d think he’d learn after a while. Kids were so stubborn.

And Elias was very stubborn. He had a fondess for collecting insects. He loved to go out onto the front lawn and try to catch beetles in jars. His mother would tell him time and time again to be careful, as there was a beehive near the area he loved to roam in. But Elias was determined to get a bee for his collection. So he climbed the tree and tried to nudge the hive with a stick. No on was surprised of the results.

The local gypsy matchmaker snuck into the house late at night and left a present for the family. The letter she left said that it was a reward for pursuing the finer things in life. Upon further examination, the contents of the beautiful lamp were soon revealed. Amazed, Philip was the first to make a wish. He wished for a long life, so that he could take care of his family for many years to come. Stefan took the next wish, wishing to be more attractive to Hai. The last wish went to Fern, who simply wished for happiness.

Her happiness came with Lukas’ birthday. The small boy was almost a splitting image of his mother. He was a quick learner, mastering walking and the potty in no time. Watching his son grow, Philip couldn’t help but long for the baby days. “Fern,” He said one night, “What do you think…of having another baby?”

I don’t know about you, but I am really having a hard time trying to ‘get into’ the ‘Christmas’ spirit this year!

I suppose there are many people who feel the same as I do, given our struggles with the economy, relationship breakups, divorces, layoffs, etc.

I read somewhere that 18% of Canadians are not celebrating Christmas this year at all. I believe I may be included in that number, although I am still trying hard to ‘get there’.

Christmas is truly a religious time of year, but of course that was lost years ago, as it has become more and more commercialized. I still firmly believe that it is a ‘magical time for children’, and that is wonderful!

I feel sorry for parents that may be stuggling financially, and have two or more children to take care of and buy for. If the kids happen to be with you when shopping, there are so many retail ploys to fight against. “Goodies” are placed everywhere, and yes, of course, at the ‘cash register’, where their little eyes light up at something else that also appeals to them.

Unfortunately, most of my family is gone, and I am not currently in a relationship that I can get all romantically excited about to help me enjoy the ’season’. I know, there are too many of us in the same boat. It’s not about feeling sorry for myself at all. It’s just a ‘what is’.

Losing a great job doesn’t exactly brighten up the year either! Trying to get my consulting business off the ground is a huge challenge as well, as much as I love to share my expertise and support those in the ‘corporate’ world.

Hopefully, by the time “Santa” comes to town, I will have warped into control mode, and put myself into the celebrations, whatever that might look like this year. Like I say, Ho, Ho, Ho, Hum….

Perhaps when we get some snow, and I force myself to put up some Christmas decorations I will ‘flip’ into the child within that usually comes to the surface at this time of year. For the sake of my Bro, I sure hope so! We are very close and I do not want to ruin his Christmas for him.

The stores are slashing prices like never before, so it is definitely a time to catch some really good deals, if you’re into it. With this economy, they are really doing everything in their power to get the customers in the door. Just keep in mind that, even at 70% off, they are still raking in the money due to the ridiculous mark-up! LOL!

Oh well, we all have to make a living! Not trying to bum anyone out here, just ‘being real.’

I am going to go downtown tomorrow in an effort to ‘get into the mood’ by picking up the ‘energy’ from what should be a decent amount of people milling around window shopping for ideas at least! LOL! Christmas music should be everywhere and may just have me humming along by the time I check everything out.

Speaking of ideas, I came up with a list of ideas for those at ‘work’ to consider for their gift giving this year, especially for the boss. You can check it out here on one of my other sites I write for.

This year more than ever, shelters and food banks really need our help! I plan on taking some food and a ‘few goodies’ for the kids to help out. It doesn’t have to look like spending alot of money, it can be as little as $15 or $20 for both the groceries and a child’s gift.

The SuperValu on Davie Street is offering a bag of groceries for $10, although admittedly, I do not know exactly what that consists of, but whatever it is, I am sure it would be most appreciated!

In November, Canada saw an increase of just over 79,000 jobs, although 40,400 were part-time, while we gained 38,600 full-time jobs.

The regions witnessing the most gains were Ontario, Quebec and Alberta according to Statistics Canada. Unfortunately, British Columbia was not in that mix. However, this puts our unemployment rate down to 8.5%, while our US counterparts moved down from 10.2% to 10%.

So we are on the move into a much better outlook for 2010 according to our economists and the Bank of Canada, which is fantastic news as far as I am concerned.

According to a Victoria Statistics Canada analyst, the labour force members aged 55 and over also jumped by 11% year-over-year. Last year the numbers were 32,400, whereas November 2009 reflected a jump to 36,000.

Okay, so the numbers may not be that impressive, but the point is, we are moving forward. That is the ‘good’ news I wanted to be sure to get out to you.

I am sure the stats will have changed since I read the Stats Can report from last week. The evening news also presents us with different information as far as ‘numbers’ go.

However, the fact remains, some of the most respected Canadian economists are feeling positive about our future, and that is good enough for me.