thank you.

so today i received a little thank you postcard from starbucks.. and i am a little torn on how to feel about it…

And, here’s what the postcard said:

Because you’re a loyal auto-reload customer, we’re giving you a little gift: $15 loaded onto your Starbucks Card by August 23, 2006.

Use the $15 to treat yourself to that indulgent beverage you’ve always wanted to try, our latest musical offering or anything else you enjoy at Startbucks.

The choice is yours. Thank you and enjoy.

Your friends at Starbucks.

P.S. This amount will be loaded onto your Starbucks Card ending in 8529.

ok.. so on the surface, this is great… i open my mail box… and get told that i got $15 for free just for using a service that is absolutely the easiest, fastest and most convenient payment method around… also, just being acknowledged (albeit computer-generated) as a customer and rewarded for it… it’s this kind of stuff i am a sucker for (seriously, when was the last time ANY company gave you $15?)… which leads into why i am torn… since i know so many reasons why i should not—- naaa… no need to balance my argument… let’s leave this one open for debate… why should i feel fooled / hate starbucks?

opportunity

well… my mom left the city earlier this week and i have just finally regained my freedom over my surroundings… it’s not that she was really in my way.. but it just didn’t feel right with me living my life, with her ‘living in my life behind the scenes’…

anyways, things seem to be going well… work is busy… and only a little frustrating at times… but alison has been really cool.. so that helps… also, i’ve been hanging out with steph a bunch… which is interesting in all those fun ways that only occur when first getting to know someone new… ohh and flickr, i’ve been hooked ever since i broke-down and went pro… so be sure to check out my life… photographed sometime…

and for you central-canada based readers/vancouver apartment burglars… i’ll be back in ontario in a few weeks for jordan’s wedding… so hope to see/accommodate you then… (or maybe in october… which will be a longer, thanksgiving/dan’s wedding trip home)…

happy summer all!

true story.

so over the last month.. i have been all over the place.. first starting in chicago… where i attended a conference and overall had a great time… many exciting things happened like:

• meeting my real life next door neighbour from vancouver – true story.
• bar hopping and being silly with dan and jordan – thanks dudes.
• eating chicago-style pizza, great steak, and of course conference food.

from chicago i moved on to ontario.. where some activities included:

• killing the bottle of cognac i got at duty-free at my dad’s with janet
• reuniting with many of my old coworkers from western (andrei, andrew, chan, diane, jeff, michelle, nick)
• bbqing chicken, corn and potatoes in allison’s backyard
• meeting crissy (my only and awesome longtime internet pal) while enjoying dan and matt’s jam session… ohh and canoeing on uncle rick’s pond
• boating in the rain and many attempts at water skiing with andrei, his brother, and allison
• attending a blue jays vs yankees game with my mom and dan
• hanging out in the backwoods of scarborough with dan and leif
• getting lost in the niagara region, while wine tasting and stopping for a break in the park at the falls
• seeing and critiquing my dad’s new house with my sister
• eating hot wings and playing with remote controlled fans with kelly
• enjoying the ultimate feast at red lobster with my mom, sister and allison
• chatting and playing devils advocate with lindsey until the early am
• drinking with jason and allison on a roof top patio.
• losing at everything at jordan and lauren’s stag ‘n doe, except for the ‘guess the number of kisses’ that i co-won with phearum
• cruising around taking photos with jeff and jenn

ohh and since i have been back home…

• andrew and my mom have been sharing my living room – thanks steph for the air mattress. you’re the ….est!
• partied at my neighbour’s and went to honey with andrew, cameron and lauren.
• took a coop car in for tire repairs
• went apartment hunting with/for andrew
• developed a theory on the break-in that happened 2 doors over
• went to playland with cameron and kicked his ass at mini-putt

anyways.. there is so much more that i have not included… but hopefully, years from now.. this will be sufficient to remember the best parts of july 2006!!