All work + lovely flu =s little time and inspiration to write. More later :-)

Christmas Shopping - Check

Ahhh it's December 23 already! I'm going to squeeze in some gift-shopping before I head off to work this afternoon. Gotta love the holidays!

Countdown to the New Year!

I'm working straight through the holidays and haven't done any Christmas shopping whatsoever! But it's okay, better late than never right.

2011's just around the corner - can't wait! Have much to look forward to. It's going to be a wonderful year! I have more journalism gigs lined up, home-decorating ideas to go through with and a newfound resolution to invest more time to yoga and taking care of me.

Any resolutions to share? 

Apples & Peanut Butter

Known to be nutritious and a huge energy-booster, meet my newest dessert fix - apples smothered in organic peanut butter. Scrumptious!

Almost but Not Quite

After a couple of weeks of struggling for work I’ve found a new part-time job – it’s non-journalism related but is a huge relief on my wallet! And now suddenly, I’m also getting more reporting shifts!

I was scheduled to hop on to a bus tomorrow at 6am with some of the Earl Jones Ponzi scheme victims, most of whom are seniors. They’re rallying in front of the Royal Bank headquarters in downtown Toronto (where they’ll meet with 20 other Toronto-based victims) and are hoping to meet with RBC CEO Gordon Nixon. They filed a $40-million class action lawsuit against the bank for ‘negligence’ five months ago. They claim many of their cheques which Jones cashed in were with forged signatures or sometimes, no signature at all.

The case could go on for years but the group wants RBC to cooperate swiftly so things are resolved sooner than later. Three of the seniors involved in the ordeal have passed away since...  

There's been some scheduling issues at the newsroom and now my opportunity to cover the story is a bust. Despite the over five-hour long commute to Toronto and back, and expected freezing weather, I was looking forward to covering the story.

It’s all good. I’ll get to cover other interesting stories this month. So long as they’re not funerals – I covered three last month!

Brownies & Oh Henry! Icecream

For the most part, I've been eating pretty healthy this past month - or at least healthier than usual. But then this week... I baked some brownies and later... went on to buy some Oh Henry! icecream from the grocery store.

It's my latest guilty pleasure. The combination of luscious icecream, consisting of chocolate chunks, caramel swirls and crunchy chocolate-covered peanuts, along with rich, moist chocolatey brownie squares is irresistable. I can't seem to get enough of it and fortunately for me, I don't have to share it with anyone either. Somebody stop me please!

Hello Winter Wonderland!

After missing it last year I'm quite thankful to get to witness the beginning of Winter this time round. It's absolutely beautiful outdoors. The heavy snowfall has brought this serene silence all through the city. It's numbingly quiet even on the streets of downtown; as though time has slowed down some for everybody.

I know drivers don't feel the same way. The snow-covered roads have been havoc for them. Luckily I'm a walkin!'  

All Settled In!

For those who've been staying tuned, apologies for my delayed entry! The move wasn't easy, had so much to get done! But alas, things are finally falling into place. I still need some furniture but in due time I suppose. Once I got over the initial shock of isolation (had no TV, internet, etc.), I finally began to enjoy being on my own.

I haven't cooked any gourmet meals yet but am taking baby steps - doing some groceries and making some very basic meals. I've got all the essentials I need to make chai (loose tea, milk, ginger and sugar) and that's really all I need to make me feel at home.

My reporting shifts have been cut down right now and my receptionist days are over so most of my energy's going into finding more paid work. I'm being pushed to network more so that's the plan for now. I'm meeting some very interesting people. Crossing my fingers that something comes up soon!

THANK YOU to all my awesome peeps who've helped me through this transition (from making one of them IKEA do-it-yourself bookshelves to hammering in screws to priceless moral support). Words are not enough!