SHORTSTACKZ

Though life is filled with chaos, it is not impossible to live. I'm passionate about shoes, sports, photography and music. I believe that every dream can be accomplished. Failure is not an option. Photo Blog - T.Oh.Fresh

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Sorry...not sorry!

How does one fake an apology? I mean, it’s been over 6 years now since I’ve spoken to someone who I thought was a ‘friend’. A really good friend at that. We were thick as thieves, all up until the point of her not agreeing with our boss. That’s right, she needed money...and I helped her get a job in order to pay some of her bills. 

I don’t think there should be anything I should apologize for. She left me in the rough,  leaving me to work a majority of her shifts when she left (while I was still in school). Quitting without two weeks notice (which should never happen...professionally). But let us back it up here...

I should have had the sense that this would never have been a friendship built to last. This was the same person in high school who got mad at me multiple times because me and guys became best friends and she showed ‘interest’ in them. I’ve been a tomboy all of high school (and let’s be honest here...if you ask my boyfriend now he’d tell you it hasn’t changed). I was always the girl who became best friends with all the guys.  

Apparently our friendship is missed on her end, and she’d really like to be friends again...but only if I apologize. I don’t feel as though I really need to apologize. She was the one who cut me off because I chose to work my job instead of walk off the job and leave with her. Meh...not sorry at all. 

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Ho Ho Holy Heck I’m Broke!

With Christmas mere weeks away, I have yet to really touch on my Christmas shopping. Let’s be honest with ourselves here, there are my grandparents,  parents, brother, my brother’s girlfriend, my aunts and uncles, cousins, the boyfriend, the boyfriend’s daughter, friends, and then you have...the pets! If you even tried to keep count of my life I would be purchasing presents for 40 (This number is family alone)+ individuals leaving my pockets virtually empty by the end of it. 

There are no Black Friday Sales, no days enough in the year, no shopping hours enough to be able to find the perfect gifts for these individuals and have it actually mean something. 

My pockets are not never ending, and budgeting for such a large group is strenuous. 

This is what happens when everything becomes commercialized and is no longer just a time you spend with family. Everyone is expecting something. 

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Dear World.

I suck at blogging. I’ve apparently been to engrossed with life, and what I want happening in it that I’ve neglected a lot of things. Blogging being one of those things. I’ve made promises to myself year after year that things would change, that I would have a moment to reflect everyday, a moment to myself, a moment to capture in a photograph what my day has been like. That is obviously not the truth. It’s been years since I’ve actually updated or posted an online blog post.

Let’s see...what has happened in the past few years that is even worth mentioning...I mean it isn’t as though anyone really cares to read this right?

I’ve been working at Starbucks for the past 5 years. Yes, count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 YEARS?!?! I never thought I would actually be there that long, but look at me. Still there. Making caffeinated beverages for the world, and Frappuccinos for their children.  They’re an excellent company...they support their partners like no other and trust me, I am thankful for that...but never did I expect I would continue being a barista after 5 years. 

For the past 4 years now, I’ve also been working with the wonderful show Air Farce for the company Don Ferguson productions as their audience coordinator. It all started as a dream, really....I’ve always wanted to work in the television industry as a child. I was never sure of why, but it was just something that I had wanted to do. I got my change to start working in television when I was given the opportunity in high school to be a co-op student. Only so many students are chosen for the program a year, and I was lucky enough to be able to choose working with the Royal Canadian Air Farce at the age of 15. I’ve been volunteering ever since, and now I’ve turned working in TV as a contract opportunity multiple times a year. 

My photography has also sadly taken a back seat to my life. As I try to figure out how to navigate this ‘adulting’ part of my life. Figuring where I want to be in the next few years, figuring how much I am able to spend on a house before I break the bank....you know ADULTHOOD.

Welp...let’s see how long I will be able to keep up this ‘typing into no mans land and hoping someone out there listens’ haha...

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Late for work?

Not a very well known secret, but if you’re ever late for work and it’s the TTC’s fault (which more than likely is true...considering that has always been the case when I’ve been late) you can actually receive a note? 

If your boss doesn’t believe you, they have the TTC  notices that they place on twitter (@ttcnotices) speaking of the disruption but if that doesn’t work you can request a note through TTC’s customer service hotline.

Call 416-393-3030 between 7AM and 10PM any day of the week and you can receive a note that won’t be personalized but will say that you were late due to a delay on the subway. It’s faster to get your note if you call, but can take up to 5 days if you ask for a note via email.

Bet ya didn’t know that!

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Took 2 weeks to get here, but it's progress!

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Day 8-9.

Obviously skipped day 8 of blogging as I spent most of my time with OC. Missed him. Then I didn't get back home until late this afternoon. Nothing beats good conversation with someone who has been in your life for 11 years. When we became friends years ago who would have known life would have taken us this far. If we spent all 11 years together dating we would have killed each other. We agreed that would have been the case. Now, we're not a 'couple' but we have one of the greatest friendships I could ever have with someone of the opposite sex. He knows more about me than most of my exes, and I the same for him. I'm glad that God has put someone like him in my life that I can explicitly detail life encounters with. Not having to focus on misconceptions or have him judge me in anyway.

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Day 7.

Oatmeal with banana for breakfast. Butter chicken with naan for lunch and hot pot for dinner. Super tired and exhausted today after work for some odd reason. Due to having to work at 5am tomorrow there is no work out today. Womp! Purchased some new vitamins to help speed metabolism (hopefully). No new purchases tomorrow expected. Just work, come home work out and then see where the world goes from there.

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Day 6.

Was too tired to blog yesterday during the journey. 2 soft boiled eggs for breakfast. Oxtail with peas and carrots for lunch. Korean BBQ for dinner. Came home from work and meal prepped butter chicken for lunch and one future lunch possibly for next week or the week after. Workout was good. Ab twists and squats with medicine ball and a 50 minute stationary ride.

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Day 5.

My legs are starting to feel like jelly, but I'm still pushing on. Started off my day with apple cinnamon oatmeal with sliced banana. 2 chicken thighs with steamed rice and miso soup for lunch. Avocado salad and spaghetti for dinner. 50 minute stationary bike ride going at an average of 26.8kph. Squats and jacks after. Work is hard, payoff is great. Definitely energized after that workout with adrenaline running.

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Day 4.

Cinnamon spiced oatmeal with banana for breakfast. Jerk chicken with rice and oxtail gravy for lunch. Then for the first time in my life I tried Ethiopian food for dinner. OMG so amazing! I have to thank my girl Michelle for pointing out this amazing place that isn't too far from where I live called Nazareth's. Nazareth definitely hooked us up tonight with some amazing grub. Small little place that doesn't seat more than what seemed like 25 people. Food was bomb. Got home and had a chance to have a long winded conversation with OC. Definitely missed those long 2.5hour long conversations about life, love and where things are headed. He gets it. I get it. Our friendship has been running 11 years and counting. No matter how many people pass through our lives, it's great to know there is a friendship and mutual respect from both parties. He is one of the greatest people I could ever thank God for putting in my life. He has been there through the good, the bad and the ugly. The support he gives me through the roughest times is what I crave the most, and he's definitely seen me breakdown and be at my worst. For that I am so thankful I haven't scared him off. xo

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Day 3.

Spent most of my time in my room today, was looking forward to going out but apparently that wasn't in the books. Disappointed? Yea a little. Oh well, caught up on some coffee study. Looking forward to see my girl tomorrow for our dinner date! It will be the first time I have ever had Ethiopian cuisine, so this will definitely be an experience. I may even go all out for the traditional coffee ceremony, but it all really depends on how I feel tomorrow I guess. Felt a little less energized today than I did the past 2 days, which is a little discouraging. Finished a meal prep for tomorrow, but not for the rest of the week yet. Hoping I can get it all done and get in a workout tomorrow after dinner before I hit the hay. We'll see how it goes.

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Day 2.

More water logging, calorie logging and exercise. Who ever thought I would be sitting here calorie logging, but I will admit that FitBit has made it quite easy for me to log. Also, not depriving myself at all, just by drinking more water I am finding that I am feeling a lot more full often. Ahh not so bad yet.

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Day 1.

I've definitely slacked but this is day 1 of my journey into 2016. It's all starting with food/water logging and workouts. I'm turning 28 this year so I need to get it together. Got a chance to speak to OC today and have a quick little conversation on where I think my life is heading. I'm 27 and still living in my parent's house. Not to say that living with them isn't amazing, I just need to get out on my own. I however, have a plan with my money so everything is temporarily on hold. On the bright side went to dinner and the Raptor's game with my cousin and witnessed a win over 100. That means free pizza tomorrow! However, it's a new year and weight loss is a real thing this year.

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Goodbye 2014...Here's to another year!

2014 has had it's moments, and some may even recognize that 2014 definitely started off rocky for me. From my aunt's cancer diagnosis, a former friend's passing, another former friend having legal trouble, and multiple close friends who have been dealing with other various medical issues I can't wait to ring in the new year. 2015 has arrived and I'm determined to make the best of it! I could say I ended my year off with a bang, booking my first audience coordinator gig which was SPECTACULAR! But everything else that has happened in my world has overshadowed how happy I could be for myself.  Here's to 2015 and all it has in store :)

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Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie There are many things to be thankful for this thanksgiving weekend: family, great friends, and the ability to say I can live my life the way I want to. I am so grateful to have amazing friends who especially give me sound advice everyday. LOVES IT!

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Yay ME!

I've been so busy over the past little while and have been neglecting this like crazy! I'm not even too sure when the last time I made an actual blog was but here goes nothing! I've been going to quite a few interviews over the past few months, working on sending out resumes, bettering my portfolio...etc. Nothing has been solidly defined, but most recently I went in to have a chat with some people I have worked with in the past. I have spent a lot of my high school, university and adult time volunteering my time or getting paid to work with television professionals. This time it's my first paying gig where I'm the head honcho of the audience department! It has been decided that I will be the new audience coordinator this year of the Air Farce New Year's Eve special! I'm excited to be put in the forefront and taking the time to engage with different audience members on a different level. I have worked with this production staff since I was 16 years old! That's right! If you know me at all, you'll know that I'm now 26...and I have been on this production almost every single year. It's been a long awaited time for me to see how much effort and my life goes into this, but I'm excited. It's a new start and allows me to step away from the life of serving coffee at a Starbucks location. Over the past few months I've also been working on perfecting my craft of coffee tasting by becoming a coffee master at Starbucks. It's an incredible journey to take especially when you're interested in the production, purchasing and the amount of time and energy it takes to roasting the perfect cup of coffee. So as I sit here in a Starbucks cafe waiting on a meeting at another job I have, sipping on my triple tall americano, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to update the blog about my life. Happy Days.... ;) xoxo

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It's been a hot minute since I've updated this. Most recently I have cut my hair in order to donate it to children cancer patients. This was near and dear to my heart and I felt like it was something feasible. I am still working jobs that don't necessarily pay me very much so giving monetary donations every once in a while is somewhat out of the question. I have extra hair, and this is something some children lose while going through their chemo treatments. For those who know why I've disappeared in recent months, you'll know how much this actually hits home.