30 Days of April TOPIC LIST

This is the list of topics for my 30 Days of April Challenge. I'd like to thank all of you who submitted suggestions. I tried to use topics from everyone, but since I got more than 30 I had to leave some off the final list. I was impressed with how creative you guys were! So to reiterate this, I'll be blogging every day in April.

If you can't read the topics here is a typed version of the list:

1. 1984
2. Things How I Met Your Mother (TV show) Taught Me
3. My Spirit Animal
4. Tea Shops
5. Favourite Song (of All-time)
6. Schadenfreude (taking joy in the misfortunes of others)
7. Canadian Stereotypes
8. Books
9.  Celebrity Girl-Crush
10. First Album I Bought
11. Things I Won't Miss About My 20s
12. A Birthday Story
13. Me @ 60
14. Review
15.  Favourite 60s Band
16. My Biggest Flaw
17. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Quote)
18. Gross Food
19. Starts with K
20. Favourite Toy as a Kid
21. Where would I live if I Could Go Anywhere
22. My Memorial Tattoo
23. Travel
24. Favourite Female Superhero
25. Yellow
26. Politics
27. Running
28. Five Things I'm Thankful For
29. Jewellery/Fashion
30. Living an Authentic Life

30 Days of April Coming Soon!

As promised, I'll be posting the 30 Days of April list of topics by Sunday night. So if you want to submit topic ideas still, EMAIL me.

I received quite a  lot but it's nice to have a variety of topics to write about from different people.

Also during the month of April Lana and I will be posting our NHL playoffs posts for the third year in a row. The first year she won, and last year I won. This year will be interesting as both the Habs and Rangers are in the playoffs.

Turn the Page

My interview/first day of work outfit.

Yesterday was a crazy day.

To explain why I have to go back a few months. After not being hired on permanently by the bookstore in January I began applying for more retain positions. I applied at a Teavana store, IKEA, Bell, The Gap, you name it, I applied there. I heard back from only one - IKEA. After a phone interview with HR, I waited two long weeks and heard nothing. A week after that I was given an interview - a group interview. And it didn't go great. Basically, I couldn't hind my distain for annoying customers. So that was the end of that.

Meanwhile, one of the other bridesmaids in the wedding I'm in this Spring, works for the regional government and informed me about their employment centre. It was 100% free (minus my travel costs) and I worked with several case workers to help me get a job. But not just any job, a job related to what I did in school!

So one woman was doing recruiting, while the other was co-ordinating with everyone, while another helped me fix up my resume. It worked! Last week I had a phone interview and this Monday, yesterday, I had an interview. And the interview turned into a job right away. I'm not even kidding, I started right after having been interviewed. The downside was I hadn't packed a lunch, so I basically starved.

What is my new job? I'm a writer for a media/branding/marketing company. It's a small office of four of us - and I'm the only girl. I sit at my desk and write copy for clients and handle the social media for the various sites we control the content for. For the first time in my life I have used Twitter. I still think it's stupid, but now I'm being paid to use it. And it's not my account.

It's shitty money, but a professional environment where I work on real projects. So basically I'm starting a new chapter in my life. A re-boot in my career. I'm turning 30 in three weeks, so it seems like the perfect way to close out my 20s.

March Shmarch

So aside from my terrifying world news update, I haven't been very active on this blog this month. I have some very good reasons for this:

A) I'm blogging everyday in April for my blog's 5th birthday and my 30th. See details HERE. So, I really need to bank some good stories for the 30 days of April challenge. Last chance to submit topic ideas.

B) Life is a bore. There have been little blips of good stories, but nothing I can use to flesh out a full and complete post. Such as the hospital gown I found discarded on a bus bench with an ID bracelet on top. All I can do is speculate - no real story there.

C) Possible exciting things happening but I won't share until I know for sure.

So how fucking horrible has March been? It's the first day of Spring today and the colour of the sky is the most depressing shade of light grey I've ever seen. Everything is muddy and damp. There are no flowers. There is no green grass. It's just miserable.

Anyone reading anything good right now? What's your favourite TV show or movie coming out. The new Muppet Movie might be okay. I also want to see The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it's only showing in limited theatres. Boo to that. In April two of my favourite shows are back - Mad Men and Californication. Both in their final seasons (though Mad Men is splitting it's final season in two over two years, so does that even count as a final season?) Maybe I need to take a break from pop culture and do something more meaningful, but no, I'm addicted to TV.

Back to my boring life. See ya!

Tell Me Something Good

I woke up today to the following news headlines:

• Toronto's Mayor (by title alone, basically) was once again videotaped acting drunk and biligerant. Are we surprised? No. Will I flip out if he is re-elected in the Fall, hell yes I will!

• There was an earthquake in LA and an even worse one in Chile. Yet I've read more about the one in LA...which didn't even cause any damage.

• Oscar Pistorius trial continues. Even if South Africa finds him innocent of willful murder, he's still a crazy paranoid gun nut. We have to remember even crazy "murderers" can be exceptional athletes.

• So the Malaysian plane is still missing and the focus is now on the pilots. I'm going to now say something kinda controversial. But if it turns out to be true that the pilot wished to commit suicide, I wish he'd just taken a fucking gun to his head - on land, where he wasn't in charge of the lives of 200+ innocent people. The morbid part of this story aside, am I the only one who keeps thinking of the show LOST? I imagine these people on a crazy island with smoke monsters and polar bears roaming around. This is my happy place when the news is telling me how fucked up people can be.

• More about Ukraine and Russia - I'm going to be honest here, I don't fully understand what's going on.

• And in NYC and Boston gay people can't also be Irish? Or something like that. There are rainbows anyways, why not let them also be gay. This is silly. Again, I'm a bit confused over this issue. But I'm sure mayor Ford would be okay with banning gays from Irish parades.

So happy St. Paddy's and I hope the rest of this day brings good cheer and good news, 'cause we really need some good news.

Looking Ahead to 30 Days of April

Animal print because I'm getting closer to achieving cougar status.

It's Miserable March! It's still freezing cold out, I'm still unemployed (or self-employed doing odd jobs for people) and I'm just not feeling very positive. Down with March! I've got the blues so bad that not even a St. Paddy's day green beer can solve it!

But April will be here before you know it, so I'm planning something big. In April I will be celebrating two major milestones: 1) I turn 30 and 2) This blog turns 5. And guess what? There are 30 days in April...turning 30 in a month with 30 days. it just seems nice and balanced, doesn't it? In addition to those two things, I also have a few races and a few parties for my brother's wedding to help with (bridesmaid's duties). April is shaping up to be a crazy month!

So here is my idea - I'm going to blog everyday in April. These blogs might not be all Pulitzer Prize contenders, but I will do it. But instead of me making up my own list of topics, I'd like suggestions. Because I don't have 30 solid readers of this blog, you can each suggest a bunch. If I get more than 30 I'll choose my favourites. Of course you guys can also participate if you wish. I'll publish the list before the 1st of April.

Try to be creative and think outside the box. I don't want "what's your favourite colour" or "pet peeve" or "favourite food." The topics can be vague or specific - just as long as they're interesting. They don't have to be birthday or age related, but they can be...it's really up to you.

EMAIL THEM HERE.

You have just under a month to send me your suggestions!