And so it begins....

Well, it's that time of year again. School's back in, Institute starts, the weather starts getting colder and the pressures start to loom.

As a year has officially passed since I first moved here to Lethbridge, I figure it is time for a little recap/goal session. When I first moved here, I was living in the top floor of a small (and I mean teeny, tiny) house. It was one of those cookie cutter houses... you know. Beige walls... beige carpet, beige laminate in the kitchen and bathroom and pine cupboards. Interior design at its best. Ahh...the creative minds. Along with myself, there were 4 other permanent residents and one girl that stayed thursdays-saturdays (her boyfriend(then)/husband(now), lived in town.. and she did not). So three bedrooms. Two singles, and the master was shared. In the master bedroom. There was, and can I get a drumroll please; Nikole-Double bed (against the wall), Janae-Twin bed (Against Nikoles bed) and Myself-Sleeping bag (on the floor, in the 4 foot space that was vacant from the edge of Janae's bed and the other wall). Not only was I against the wall, I was also behind the door...you see, the door was built on an angle. So the one corner of the bedroom was chopped off. It was cozy. Oh, and the girl that lived there on the weekends? Well, she slept in the bed with Nikole. So there were 4 of us. It was magnificent.

Alright, so those were my living conditions. Other than that, I started working at La Senza in the mall...once November hit I was transferring to the North Side Location of La Senza on the basis that I was promised a promotion and a raise. December came, parents moved here and I upgraded from the floor, to my very own bed... and room! Although the first night, I couldn't sleep in my new house. So, reverting to what I knew best from the previous 4 months, I slid off my bed, onto the floor, buried myself in my blankets and promptly fell asleep. Huh.

Unfortunately, it has been one year since moving here, and other than the two paragraphs above, I cant recall anything majorly exciting! Remember that promotion/raise I mentioned above? Never happened. With many prompts to head office, supervisors and managers...empty promises were all I recieved! So, after waiting around and mindlessly selling, ahem...un-mentionables, I decided to take matters into my own hands! I got myself a second job!

Yes, a second one. Hopefully I can stay on board with La Senza part time, but that seems to be all up in the air. My theory is that the company is unsure of what to do with an employee who is not a floater. Im honest, dependable and do way more that I should for the money I get, yet unfortunately for me, integrity doesn't mean a thing to these corporate robots. Used to a high turnover of half-baked and Barbie brained teenage girls, when confronted with a mature lady (if I do say so myself...) they freeze like a turtle who's lost its shell (deer in headlights is so over-used). So I wont be seeing a wage increase (due to the "economic crisis"), although they can afford to keep buying hideous clothing that nobody buys (ie: velour leopard print bras...and panties with feathers and fringes...yes both). It is quite the mystery to me.

With that said, I have officially been hired as a Junior Bridal Consultant (soon to be senior, I just know it!). I basically help brides find "the perfect dress", accessorize them with shoes, veils and bling... cant forget the bling. After that, I outfit the bridesmaids. Figuring out styles, sizes, fabrics and colors. 3rd priority is Mother of the Bride/Groom....all their dresses are mossy green with shoulder pads... BLEH! So anyways... it should be a fun job.

As for my second year in Lethbridge, I forsee many things. I am counting on "making bank" so that I can finally pay off that pesky school loan, save up for a reasonably dependable car, take some classes at the local college but still remain in full time sales and then probably around this time next year, write another blog.

I know that blogging is a one way communication until the comments start flowing, I am going to just jump on this subject, because after being in YSA for a solid 2 years, I feel like I could teach a flippin' class on everything you think you need to know about "it" until you actually get to "it" and then discover everything you think you know is crap. This "it" I am talking about is Marriage. Yes...things are still the same. Monthly lessons on eternal marriage. I am not 'dissing' the significance, but I definitely don't feel as inspired about the topic as I did when I first heard it in YW's when  I was 14 and just starting to recognize the other gender as more than just hair pulling, snotting, stinky monsters. Unfortunately boys haven't changed, and neither have the lessons. Im just saying.

Well, that is it. I'm signing off. Tomorrow is another day at work... just about tipping the scales at 45 hours this week. You'd think I'd be living in the Swiss Alps in my own house by now. I feel like I should retire! And that I will do. I am retiring to bed, hoping to wake up to a bed full of money and the laundry on the floor turning into love letters from 15 (or more, my room is a little messy) eligible bachelors from around the world, waiting to take me out for mini golf and an ice cream cone.