The dog days of summer are upon the city. Here in Edmonton, the weather is either incredibly hot, or stormy beyond recognition. Or sometimes, both in one day. That's something that will never cease to amaze me about Canada, the prairies specifically. Lately it has been 30 degrees, 35 with the humidity (86-95 Fahrenheit). It's been making me insane, especially at night trying to sleep. My bedroom is in the basement, so it's better than it is upstairs but it's still quite unbearable. I love the heat, but it's the humidity that gets to me. That and the fact that I really don't have any shorts to wear in the heat. It's mostly jeans. Tonight I'm going to the bar and am smart enough to wear a thin summer dress.

Lately it's been raining though, so it should cool off. But the humidity...oh the humidity!

My mom surprised me today with a sandwich for lunch after I woke up at 12:30. Ahhhh, it was GREAT to sleep in! I haven't done that in quite awhile. Not since I've quit Hollister anyways.

Oh yes. I quit. I love their clothes, I like the ideals that they say they hold themselves to. But it would be even better if they followed through. They preach the greatness of having a clean lifestyle, no weird hair, no cake-face make-up, etc. But while they hire people who look like what they're pushing, they don't have that attitude. Everyone who works there is so completely absorbed with their image, it's totally counter to what they encourage. I hate the uptight attitude and the "holier-than-thou, look-down-my-nose-at-you" thing too. Couldn't stand it actually. It's why I quit.

Going out tonight. Very excited!

Saw Hancock yesterday.  It was really good...until he tried to kiss the wife of the guy who was helping him and she revealed her super powers and threw him out the window.  Things escalated from there and the movie became totally different.  Not sure how I feel about it.  Kinda made me think,"Oh, great, here we go.  Same old stuff coming from Hollywood."  What should I expect.  (Side note: Charlize Theron is totally beautiful and Will Smith is totally beautiful.)  But, it was heading down this reachable, kind of believable path...until that point where she, well, you know, threw him out the window...

  and they became fighting gods or something.

He said it! Finally said it. Those three little words that seem so inconsequential, but can change absolutely everything. He realized when he was in Europe he felt the same way I do.

He told me. He loves me!

Groundbreaking Thinker (GT)

(Just visiting? Take the free test and determine your personality type!)

Groundbreaking Thinkers are charming, enthusiastic persons. They really bubble over with energy and like to take centre stage. They love variety both professionally and privately. Groundbreaking Thinkers tackle changes consistently with their optimism and firm belief in their own abilities; they are always on the look-out for improvement possibilities. Their excellent communication skills are of great advantage to them here. They approach the world with curiosity and openness and master new situations with a great deal of talent for improvising and with resourcefulness. Their spare time is taken up with a large number of hobbies; most Groundbreaking Thinkers like to travel in order to gather as many different impressions as possible. This personality type is unbeatable at discovering new possibilities.

In their work, Groundbreaking Thinkers highly rate challenges and diversified tasks. They cannot stand routine and too detailed work. They love to astound others with bold ideas for an original, new project and then leave it up to the others to implement them. Hierarchies, rules and regulations arouse their opposition and they love outsmarting the system. It is vital to them that they enjoy their work; if this is the case, they quickly become pure workaholics. Their creativity best takes effect when they work independently; but they are very good at motivating others and infecting them with their optimistic nature. Conceptual or advisory activities appeal especially to Groundbreaking Thinkers. It can happen that some people feel somewhat duped by their flexible, spontaneous nature.

Their sociability and enterprise ensure that Groundbreaking Thinkers always have a large circle of friends and acquaintances in which activity plays an important role. As they are mostly in a good mood, they are popular and very welcome guests. Grumbling and peevishness are unknown to them. However, they do tend to be a little erratic and unstable when it comes to obligations and this makes them appear to be unreliable to some. Groundbreaking Thinkers are very critical and demanding when it comes to picking a partner because they look for the ideal relationship and have a very concrete picture of this ideal relationship. Mutual aims in life are very important to them. They do not like compromising and would rather remain alone. For the partner, it is often a challenge to have a long-term relationship with a Groundbreaking Thinker. Groundbreaking Thinkers need a lot of space and diversity or otherwise they become bored and feel cramped. Types who are rather more traditionalistic often have problems with the willingness of Groundbreaking Thinkers to take risks and their often crazy, spontaneous actions. However, if one can summon up sufficient flexibility and tolerance for them, one will never be bored in their presence and will always have a loyal and faithful partner.

Adjectives which describe your type

extroverted, theoretical, logical, spontaneous, rational, innovative, intellectual, open, independent, curious, enterprising, analytical, clever, enthusiastic, venturesome, inventive, energetic, sociable, optimistic, non-conformist, creative, freedom-loving, charming, able to get enthusiastic, self-confident, communicative, capricious, inconsistent, outgoing

These subjects could interest you

documentaries, books, talks, museums, computer, Internet, strategy games, politics, drawing/painting

ARE YOU:
1. A cuddler?: Is there anything stronger than definitely? Yes, 110%
2. A morning person?: Depends on the morning. Not usually.
3. Are you a perfectionist?: Yes yes and thrice yes.
4. An only child?: Nope, younger brother, older half-brother
5. Catholic?: Not even close
6. In your pajamas?: I wish; I’m at work.
7. Currently suffering from a broken heart?: Far from it J
8. Okay styling other people's hair? I stink at my own hair. So no.
9. Left handed?: Can’t do much of anything left-handed, except apply mascara and play hockey.
10. Addicted to the computer?: Not addicted, I can quit anymore, I swear …
11. Shy around the opposite gender? Far from it. I think they’re more shy around me than the reverse

DO YOU:
12. Bite your nails? Nope. Ick.
13. Get paranoid at times?: Who doesn’t?
14. Currently regret something that you have said?: Why bother with regrets?
15. Curse frequently when your mad? …I’m trying to stop
16. Enjoy country music? For the most part.
17. Enjoy jazz music?: Love it
18. Enjoy smoothies?: Delish!
19. Enjoy talking on the phone?: I do it all day at work, so not so much
20. Have a lot to learn?: depends on the subject.
21. Have a pet?: A dog and a cat
22. Have a tendency to fall for the "wrong person"?: sometimes. Not lately!
23. Have all your grandparents?: Just one grandma left
24. Have at least one sibling?: 1 1/2
25. Have been told that you are smart?: Yeah
26. Have a broken bone?: Kind of. A bone in my foot.
27. Have Caller I.D. on your phone?: Can’t screen calls without it.

LAST PERSON:
28. Laid in your bed with you?: Kevin
29. Saw you cry: When was the last time I cried … ?
30. You went to dinner with?: Hmm. Maybe Kevin. I haven’t had dinner with Dhiraj lately!
31. You talked to on the phone?: Some woman from our other office in Mayfield.
32. Made you laugh? My mom
33. Simple or complicated? I like to think I’m pretty simple. Not simple-minded, mind you.
34. Gay?: Happy? Yes. Homosexual, no.
35. Hardcore? Not even close.

DO YOU PREFER:
36. Flowers or candy?: Lilacs or lilies!
37. Gray or black?: Not a huge difference. I prefer grey t-shirts with jeans.
38. Color or Black and white photos? Definitely depends on the photo
39. Lust or Love? Love. Who prefers lust??
40. Sunrise or sunset?: Sunset. I’m usually not up at sunrise
41. M&Ms or Skittles?: Neither. Not a candy person. Probably Skittles if I had to.
42. Staying up late or waking up early?: up late

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY !!
43. Do you like anyone?: Most definitely.
44. Do they know it?: They damn well should!

DO YOU PREFER...
45. Sun or moon?: Moon. I’m a total night owl.
46. Winter or Fall?: Fall.
47. Left or right?: In what context?
48.10 acquaintances or having two best friends?: Two best friends

49. Sun or rain?: Sun!
50. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream? Chocolate

IN THE LAST MONTH, HAVE YOU?
51. Bought something you didn't need?: Who hasn’t? I’m pretty good at control though, but I definitely didn’t need that t-shirt…
52. Sang in front of people: By accident at work!
53. Been kissed: Yes
54. Been hugged: Yes
55. Felt stupid: Occasionally. Especially when I couldn’t punch in my employee number at Hollister, but I blame that on being hungover …
56. Missed someone: Yes yes and thrice yes.
57. Got drunk: Uh, it’s my birthday this month … that’s a given!
58. Got high: Nope
59. Danced Crazy: Oh yes. I always dance crazy.
60. Gotten your hair cut: I need to ...
61. Cried: I don’t know …
62. Lied: Not that I recall.

The Threes.
63. Name 3 schools you went to: MRC, U of A, Ross Sheppard HS.
64. Name 3 things in your backpack: iPod, notepad, wallet
65. Name 3 things you do when you're really stressed: Listen to music, watch movies, walk
66. Name 3 favorite places to shop at: American Eagle, Hollister, Payless Shoes
67. Name 3 places you go on a daily basis: Work, home, out with friends (various places!)
68. Name 3 favorite fruits: Strawberries, bananas, melons
69. Three names you go by: Kylie … and that’s about it. I have no nickname.
70. Three things you are wearing right now: Black button up shirt, black skirt, red polka-dot shoes

The Who's.
71. Who is in the house with you? In the office … so about 200 people!
72. Who are you thinking about right now? Kevin, Dhiraj, Kelly, Aunt Gabe, Mom, Lace, Kristi
73. Who did you last talk to on the phone? Someone looking for Rick Radies.
74. Who do you sit next to in your 4th period class? That’s so high school!
75. Whose birthday is next? MINE! (well, my aunts is today…)
76. Who was the last person you told you loved? My mom? Dad? I say it before I go to bed…
77. Who do you wish you were with right now? Kev.
78. Who gets on your nerves the most? They know who they are. Mostly people at work!
78 1/2. Who's name have you said the most in this quiz? Kevin. How embarrassing.

The Where's.
79. Where do you live? Edmonton, unfortunately.
80. Where is your phone? Cell phone is somewhere at home, I forgot it again … grr.
81. Where is/are your parent(s)? Mom is down the hall, Dad is at work in St. Albert.
82. Where do you sleep? My brother’s old room.

83. Where did you get the shirt you're wearing? From Danyelle!
84. Where is the last place you took a ride to? Drove to work this morning. I went to Banff for fun a couple weeks ago.
85. Where in your house are you? I’m at the reception desk at work.

The What's.
86. What was the last thing you ate? Cucumber slices

87. What color shirt are you wearing? Black with a white undershirt. Can’t show too much cleavage …
88. What kind of cell phone do you have? LG chocolate slider.
89. What is the closest item near you that is blue? My water bottle.
90. What is your favorite color? Red
91. What kind of surgery have you had? Oral mostly. Cutting gums, taking out teeth and the like.
92. What do you wear more; jeans or shorts? JEANS. Live in ‘em.
93. What is the last movie you watched? Bend It Like Beckham last night. I was bored …

The When's.
94. When did you start school? College? 19. University? 18. High school? 15. In general? 5.
95. When is your birthday? June 15, 1988
96. When did you last go to the mall? Yesterday! I do have a job there now.
97. When was the last time you bought a pair of pants? No idea. I need some.
98. When were you last at school? April
99. When was the last time you slept in past noon? Saturday. And boy, it was good.

My birthday party was an absolute gong show. Lots of drinks, lots of dancing, and some minor drama. I'm glad that it was a tame night (comparatively anyways), but I don't think I'd go back to that particular bar. It was very small inside and very dark (with the decor and the colouring anyways). The line was a little ridiculous (the bouncers made us wait in line for no particular reason) and the bar was SO HOT. I wasn't ridiculously drunk (drunk, but not ridiculous!) but I thought I was going to pass out, it was so hot. Afterwards it was nice to head home a little early and just chill with some girl friends.

Not so nice this morning when I had to go into my orientation at Hollister though! I got the job and had to be there at 9am for the general meeting/orientation/this-is-what-you'll-be-doing-here thing. Aside from being hungover, it actually wasn't too bad. I found myself agreeing with a lot of the rules there, which surprised me. I've worked retail before, but I've never really been a fan. I think, now, that it's mostly because I've been working at the wrong stores; stores that promote lifestyles that aren't really a part of mine. The Gap was a little too anal for me and Tommy Hilfigure was WAY too uptight. Hollister is all about the laid-back California lifestyle. "Models" (sales associates, they call them models because they don't advertise, so the employees are the billboards) shouldn't have caked on make-up, facial piercings, or un-natural hair. That covers that blonde-under-black and black-under-blonde crap too. You can dye your hair/streak it, but it has to look natural. I really like that idea; I'm sick of the fake fronts up in retail. And when they said 'minimal make-up', she said "Just accentuate your natural beauty." I love that idea. You don't need make-up to be beautiful, make-up is only supposed to highlight what is already beautiful. This store really aligns with what I feel. And, they don't sell black. Seriously. It's too "city." And the only shoes are flip-flops, Vans, or Chucks. That is all I own! How perfect...I'm looking forward to starting this Saturday!

Everything is still rolling on as normal. Kevin's only been gone 3 days and I miss him like crazy. Only 18 more to go! I'm sure they'll pass quickly though, there are still so many plans lined up for the next couple of weeks!

As weird as it sounds, getting this job has really made me feel beautiful. A completely neutral person that I'd never met before asked me to work at their store because I have a certain look. As exclusive as that sounds, it really made me feel special to be signaled out because of my looks. I've always had a laid back attitude, and I'm glad that I found a store that falls into that!

Interview at Hollister tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Applied for a new job within the same company! (They're looking for a permanent receptionist, ie, someone who is not going back to school in September.) Wish me luck!

And I'm going for a run tonight with a friend (providing it doesn't rain) and drank 1.5 L of water so far! Go me!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I truly believe that a retail store tried to draft me into working there.

I went to West Ed on my break at work yesterday and checked out Hollister, because I was looking for some work clothes (and, you know, other things). I found a shirt and went up to the till to pay. The girl at the till asked me if I found everything alright, basic till-chatter. We kept chit-chatting and she said "So are you on a break from work?" I was actually wearing a Hollister shirt and just some black dress pants, so I said "Yeah, I'm just working at a construction company now, doing reception." *laugh laugh laugh*

"So, have you ever thought about working here? It's great if you like the clothes and you only have to work one five-hour shift a week," she said. Hmm!

For those not familiar with the store, it's the only one in Alberta. They've very, uh, exclusive with their hiring. Most of the people who apply aren't hired. I was talking to a friend of mine as well, and she says that a friend of hers was approached in the mall by someone who said "You're so beautiful! Would you want to work at Hollister?" No lies.

So I think I might actually take the job! Once a week and I get a discount at one of my favourite stores? Why not? And it's practically policy to not help the customers. As horrible as that sounds. It's not like at the Gap where I had to knock on the dressing room doors. That was just ridiculous! And very intrusive.

I was shopping online today as well, all it took was one discount offer from AE! Bought two bras, some underwear, sweater, dress, and tank top! Woo!

And I needed to measure myself to get the right bra and make sure, so my mom and I took our measurements. Why not? I'm a 36-28-37. Pretty much an hourglass. That actually came as a huge shock to me!

So, for this week (to take an idea from Barb!):
Hurrah! - for the Real World, being asked to work at a very exclusive store, for people at work being bearable.
Boo... - to the whole thing about the "stepping it up" with my dress, Kevin leaving for three weeks (but he will have SUCH a good time!) and not having enough time to be as active as I'd like.

So for work, we're supposed to wear office appropriate attire. Fine and dandy! I have nothing but t-shirts and jeans in my closet, but I thought that t-shirts would be fine if I dressed them up a little with accessories and pants/shoes. But I was in for a rude awakening today.

My mom (my mother, not my boss) told me that Marilyn (my boss!) told her to pass on the message that I needed to "step it up" in terms of my clothing. That completely threw me for a loop. And I'm not allowed to wear my brand new lululemon pants to work anymore. That's the part that got to me most. There are at least (at LEAST) two other women in the office that I've seen walking around in those pants. And why not? They're so comfortable and they look pretty sleek too.

But no. Because I'm the first person that everyone sees when they walk in the door, I have to be held to a different standard. Even though my work is satisfactory, someone found it necessary to comment on my attire. Un-freaking-believable. I was spitting mad. Still am, actually. So now I have to go to work looking like a Barbie doll so that our clients aren't "upset" by my OUTRAGEOUS lululemon pants. And that means sucking it in all day because all my "work" clothes (ie, dress pants and blouses) are too small. In fact, button-ups very quickly become button-LESS with my chest. It's just so frustrating!

I discovered three things today:

1. I suck at shopping for 'work-appropriate' attire.
2. I hate shopping for 'work-appropriate' attire.
3. Old Navy has NO 'work-appropriate' attire.

So now I'm going to West Ed tomorrow on my break to try to find some clothes that I can wear to work. Won't that be fun fun fun for me?