Rawr.
Lots of work going on at the moment. I don't have much of a social life to speak of at the moment.
Everything is fine at home, we are both healthy (for the most part) and focusing really hard on work at the moment. I'm averaging about 13 hours a day here at the studio, and am very proud of the fact that I am at the gym five nights a week, without fail. I'm murdering about 350 calories a night, and trying to get in as much resistance training as I can. I want my body back so badly it's ridiculous. I'm totally comitted and driven. I wasn't feeling this into it, but I did my BMI, and am officially in the "overweight" zone. Not for long bitches!
I remember asking my doctor - how did my mom have cancer for long and no one ever knew? It's because she was so heavy, and she tried to make her lifestyle changes far too late in her life. I won't go down like that - I won't go down because of something I can change. I can fix it now, it'll be harder when I'm 30. It has to be now.
I've been rowing and running like mad, and I'm of course changing my diet too. Our favourite make-up artist told me about a different way to percieve it - she called it "shopping the perimeter" - staying on the outer walls of the grocery store. Eating only fresh unfrozen vegetables and fruits, eggs, dairy, real meat. Besides dry pasta and the odd canned vegetable, I'm trying to "avoid the aisles" - stopping buying and eating novelty and prepared foods. They're so bad for you.
I got pulled over by a cop yesterday. I couldn't afford to renew my plate sticker around my birthday, and just totally forgot. I never got a notice in the mail, because my car ownership has the old address on it (I had changed my Driver's License address, thought it was enough?). And my glovebox is a mess, and I couldn't put my hand on my pink-slip.
Failure to present proof of insurance: $110
Failure to display current registration sticker: $110
Failure to notify change of address: 85$
Oh YEAH that feels good. No, no... give me some more, I like it like that. FUCK.
The cop was awesome though, he was terribly funny. "Happy Belated Birthday, but did you forget something?" I did a total headsmack on it, and everything just went downhill from there. He kind of sighed and said "I have to write you these tickets. I'm so sorry. But this is what you're going to do."
And he flipped the tickets over, and showed me the three options:
"One, you can just pay them. I really don't reccomend this." he said (I totally balked). "Two, you can go to the DMV and get this done, like NOW. I mean, like YESTERDAY. Like go there NOW. When you do that, take all the paperwork to Edward St. You can talk to the Crown directly, and they'll probably dismiss them for you, or most of them. Three, you can book a court date. It'll be in eight months, but I'll be there, and we'll get them thrown out for you. Or, I will be busy or bored or won't care and I WON'T show up, and they'll get thrown out. OR you won't get a court date for over a year, and that's an automatic dismissal."
I looked at him, running over in my head how I would ever pay these in any timely manner. "So it's going to be O.K, right?"
"Oh yeah, kiddo," he looked like he had eight children. "You'll be fine. What are you doin' down here anyways?"
"I work right there." I said, pointing accross the road. He pulled me over as I was about to turn into the parking lot.
"Oh jeez, you ALMOST made it. Sorry - but you can get rid of this,"
TOTALLY opposite to my first traffic pull-over, in which I recieved no tickets, but both cops came to my car at once and screamed at me, and I sat there crying for like ten minutes after they pulled off.
Regardless. I still felt like I had swallowed a basket-ball. I get this feeling so often, anxiety. When a cheque bounces. When I get a parking ticket. When I get a note from the Board of Directors at the condo "can you get this out of your parking spot". When I waited so long to get the mailbox fixed, and they finally sent me a very official looking angry letter. Total shame, anxiety, embarrasment - complete emotional chaos until I fix it. This shit keeps me up at night, it's so ridiculous.
It was so bad, my initial instinct was to just pay the tickets, find a way - beg borrow and steal - and just MAKE THEM GO AWAY and PRETEND THEY NEVER EVER HAPPENED. I got some good advice though "No, you're not nuts for thinking that. Doing something about it will help, get all your papers ready, make your photocopies, book the court date. That way you've done all you can."
The Big's greeted me this morning with a "You turn your stupid ass around right now and go straight to the DMV. Go. If you can't pay, put it on The Card." (company expense visa.) So I did. 75$ later I feel much better. I came in with a thick sheaf of documents, which Mrs. Big helped me go through and copy and highlight. We put all the stuff that needs to be in the car in a small envelope. She sent me out with a roll of tape and said "Tape that in the glovebox. Don't touch it. Ever." While I was gone, she stuck all the copies into an 8x10 envelope and tacked it to my office bulliten board. In huge pink hi-lighter letters, it reads:
"KATE'S PENANCE: aka Traffic Tickets and Court Stuff"
They're so great to me like that, they take good care of me. When I got the nasty letter from Canada Post, they were similar. I was so upset, I called the locksmith the morning after I got the note - 140$ flat to fix it, double for the weekends and evenings - and Canada Post was going to start charging me to hold my mail if it wasn't fixed the next day. This was the best quote I got. I said I'd get back to them, and went to work. My car instantly started making terribly ill noises. I was practically in tears when I got in - Mr. Big of course, "Hey Kate, how you doing?"
"SHITTY."
"What's wrong?"
"I have three problems and I don't know what to do."
"Well, tell me what they are, and we'll fix them." It sounds SO Mr. Rogers, but this is actually what the man said. I told him about the locksmith and the mailbox, the car, and the fact that I was totally broke. "Call the locksmith back. Book it for this afternoon. Take the time you need, get it done. Put it on The Card if you have to. Pay us back when you can. Give me the keys to your car, while you're calling the locksmith, I'll drive it around the block and let you know what I think. And if you can't pay for it, put it on The Card. Pay us back when you can."
I booked the appointment for mid-afternoon, and told Mrs. Big I'd be back around 4 o'clock to finish the day. She laughed. "Enjoy the afternoon. Go home. Have a glass of wine. You need it."
Best bosses ever.
Cousin Eric's birthday is this weekend-ish. Going to a party at his and Brooke's place, then out to the bars. I've missed that boy! Pictures to come for you family reading.
Everything is fine at home, we are both healthy (for the most part) and focusing really hard on work at the moment. I'm averaging about 13 hours a day here at the studio, and am very proud of the fact that I am at the gym five nights a week, without fail. I'm murdering about 350 calories a night, and trying to get in as much resistance training as I can. I want my body back so badly it's ridiculous. I'm totally comitted and driven. I wasn't feeling this into it, but I did my BMI, and am officially in the "overweight" zone. Not for long bitches!
I remember asking my doctor - how did my mom have cancer for long and no one ever knew? It's because she was so heavy, and she tried to make her lifestyle changes far too late in her life. I won't go down like that - I won't go down because of something I can change. I can fix it now, it'll be harder when I'm 30. It has to be now.
I've been rowing and running like mad, and I'm of course changing my diet too. Our favourite make-up artist told me about a different way to percieve it - she called it "shopping the perimeter" - staying on the outer walls of the grocery store. Eating only fresh unfrozen vegetables and fruits, eggs, dairy, real meat. Besides dry pasta and the odd canned vegetable, I'm trying to "avoid the aisles" - stopping buying and eating novelty and prepared foods. They're so bad for you.
I got pulled over by a cop yesterday. I couldn't afford to renew my plate sticker around my birthday, and just totally forgot. I never got a notice in the mail, because my car ownership has the old address on it (I had changed my Driver's License address, thought it was enough?). And my glovebox is a mess, and I couldn't put my hand on my pink-slip.
Failure to present proof of insurance: $110
Failure to display current registration sticker: $110
Failure to notify change of address: 85$
Oh YEAH that feels good. No, no... give me some more, I like it like that. FUCK.
The cop was awesome though, he was terribly funny. "Happy Belated Birthday, but did you forget something?" I did a total headsmack on it, and everything just went downhill from there. He kind of sighed and said "I have to write you these tickets. I'm so sorry. But this is what you're going to do."
And he flipped the tickets over, and showed me the three options:
"One, you can just pay them. I really don't reccomend this." he said (I totally balked). "Two, you can go to the DMV and get this done, like NOW. I mean, like YESTERDAY. Like go there NOW. When you do that, take all the paperwork to Edward St. You can talk to the Crown directly, and they'll probably dismiss them for you, or most of them. Three, you can book a court date. It'll be in eight months, but I'll be there, and we'll get them thrown out for you. Or, I will be busy or bored or won't care and I WON'T show up, and they'll get thrown out. OR you won't get a court date for over a year, and that's an automatic dismissal."
I looked at him, running over in my head how I would ever pay these in any timely manner. "So it's going to be O.K, right?"
"Oh yeah, kiddo," he looked like he had eight children. "You'll be fine. What are you doin' down here anyways?"
"I work right there." I said, pointing accross the road. He pulled me over as I was about to turn into the parking lot.
"Oh jeez, you ALMOST made it. Sorry - but you can get rid of this,"
TOTALLY opposite to my first traffic pull-over, in which I recieved no tickets, but both cops came to my car at once and screamed at me, and I sat there crying for like ten minutes after they pulled off.
Regardless. I still felt like I had swallowed a basket-ball. I get this feeling so often, anxiety. When a cheque bounces. When I get a parking ticket. When I get a note from the Board of Directors at the condo "can you get this out of your parking spot". When I waited so long to get the mailbox fixed, and they finally sent me a very official looking angry letter. Total shame, anxiety, embarrasment - complete emotional chaos until I fix it. This shit keeps me up at night, it's so ridiculous.
It was so bad, my initial instinct was to just pay the tickets, find a way - beg borrow and steal - and just MAKE THEM GO AWAY and PRETEND THEY NEVER EVER HAPPENED. I got some good advice though "No, you're not nuts for thinking that. Doing something about it will help, get all your papers ready, make your photocopies, book the court date. That way you've done all you can."
The Big's greeted me this morning with a "You turn your stupid ass around right now and go straight to the DMV. Go. If you can't pay, put it on The Card." (company expense visa.) So I did. 75$ later I feel much better. I came in with a thick sheaf of documents, which Mrs. Big helped me go through and copy and highlight. We put all the stuff that needs to be in the car in a small envelope. She sent me out with a roll of tape and said "Tape that in the glovebox. Don't touch it. Ever." While I was gone, she stuck all the copies into an 8x10 envelope and tacked it to my office bulliten board. In huge pink hi-lighter letters, it reads:
"KATE'S PENANCE: aka Traffic Tickets and Court Stuff"
They're so great to me like that, they take good care of me. When I got the nasty letter from Canada Post, they were similar. I was so upset, I called the locksmith the morning after I got the note - 140$ flat to fix it, double for the weekends and evenings - and Canada Post was going to start charging me to hold my mail if it wasn't fixed the next day. This was the best quote I got. I said I'd get back to them, and went to work. My car instantly started making terribly ill noises. I was practically in tears when I got in - Mr. Big of course, "Hey Kate, how you doing?"
"SHITTY."
"What's wrong?"
"I have three problems and I don't know what to do."
"Well, tell me what they are, and we'll fix them." It sounds SO Mr. Rogers, but this is actually what the man said. I told him about the locksmith and the mailbox, the car, and the fact that I was totally broke. "Call the locksmith back. Book it for this afternoon. Take the time you need, get it done. Put it on The Card if you have to. Pay us back when you can. Give me the keys to your car, while you're calling the locksmith, I'll drive it around the block and let you know what I think. And if you can't pay for it, put it on The Card. Pay us back when you can."
I booked the appointment for mid-afternoon, and told Mrs. Big I'd be back around 4 o'clock to finish the day. She laughed. "Enjoy the afternoon. Go home. Have a glass of wine. You need it."
Best bosses ever.
Cousin Eric's birthday is this weekend-ish. Going to a party at his and Brooke's place, then out to the bars. I've missed that boy! Pictures to come for you family reading.