I Feel So Zen1

I got two potentially devastating news in the last five days.

Depressing, right?

Yet I was able to say, "Oh, well," and quickly move on. Weird, eh?

I wonder why. If this happened in any other day or any other week - especially a couple of years ago - I would have been completely down. I would have been hiding in my room and crying my heart out. I would have been in a major funk.

But not this time, not right now. That's not saying that either supposedly painful news didn't hurt. They both stung a little. But not so much. It's so weird.

Maybe this is the so-called calm before the storm? That would suck, considering the crap that I've been through in the past year. Does this mean that there's more pain and suffering ahead?

Or maybe it's because I know that I'll be fine no matter what happens. God will provide my needs and He knows what's best for me. I also know that He knows I can take on whatever suffering is in store for me.

Hmmm... Can I have good news now?

¹ See definition #4 on Urban Dictionary: complete and absolute peace.

Three Stories. Yeah.

I did it: I submitted three stories for the 2010 FMC Fiction Prize.

Thank God.

I decided to add another story to the mix, because submitting three stories is a little bit cheaper than submitting just one. Well, USD $2 is still two bucks. So, in addition to Before I Let You Go and Frogs & Princes, I quickly edited Under The Autumn Rain, a story I wrote seven years ago. Then I went on the Flatmancrooked website and paid USD $40 for the three stories via PayPal. Then I copied and pasted the three stories on the submission form under my pen name. I was so relieved to see the "Success!" message after I hit send.

Again, thank You, Lord!

If you've read Before I Let You Go on my Writing.com profile - coughgotomyprofilecough - you'd know what it's about. Frogs & Princes is about a Christian girl torn between a Christian guy with whom she's in love and a non-Christian guy who's into her. It's semi-autobiographical. 'Nuff said. Anyway, Under The Autumn Rain is about a new Canadian immigrant who's had a bad day and who wants to give up.

Phew!

Even if I don't win anything, at least I got to write a new story. And I was able to write and edit with a deadline. See? It's a win-win situation.

But I do hope I win something. It'd be cool to win even a runner-up prize or consolation prize on the first fiction-writing contest I entered. That'd be really cool.

Ciao for now!

Say A Little Prayer For Me

I need to ask you guys for a little favour: please pray that my job interview tomorrow will be a success.

I'm going on my first interview in almost two years and I have less than 15 hours to prepare since I had to work late today. At 10 AM tomorrow, I'm meeting a recruiting specialist regarding a brand-spankin'-new job opening. And I need to nail that interview. (If you personally knew me or if you've seen my tweets, you might have an idea why I need to nail this one.)

So I'm asking all of you to pray for me as I do the same. I pray that God guides my words and actions before, during, and after the interview according to His will.

Thanks in advance.

By the way, it means editing Maybe This Time was pushed back to tomorrow night. I hope to finish it all by Sunday night.

Ciao for now!

Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

Goodbye, 2009!

While 2008 was a year of healing and 2010 is a year of hope, 2009 was a difficult year. It was difficult for everyone affected by the recession, but it was especially difficult for me.

I started seriously looking for my own place, even without enough money. I didn't - still don't - have much support from my family because they don't think I'm mature enough to live on my own. I lost one unit I liked because my brother took forever to definitely refuse to help me. Every time I mention the words "condo" or "condo hunt," my mom and my sister wig out. It is painful that other people support me in this matter, while my own family doesn't.

Then the government of British Columbia announced that it is harmonizing the Goods & Service Tax (GST, at 5%) with the Provincial Sales Tax (PST, at 7%), thus creating the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST, at 12%). It is effective starting July 1, 2010. The HST announcement led to a surge in real estate sales, reducing the inventory and turning the real estate market into a seller's market - which means, it's not helping me at all. The government is insisting that HST is good for the economy, but more British Columbians disagree with it than those who accept it. For more information about the HST opposition, please go to this site.

Also, the recession's effect on the construction industry affected my work days and my salary. To prevent more layoffs, my employer entered us in the Work Share Program and cut our working days by one or two days. Employment Insurance is paying us for those days, but it does reduce the money I put into savings, part of which is for the condo hunting.

The above may not match other people's difficult experiences this year (e.g. the Typhoon Ondoy/Ketsana victims in the Philippines, among others), but these were very difficult and painful for me. This is just half of all the pain I experienced in 2009, at least those I can talk about without getting chewed out.

These difficulties did teach me/remind me of a few things:

• God has control and sovereignty in my life. I can't impose my will on His.
• Everything happens for a reason and that God answers prayers in His time.
• God does not give me trials that are beyond me. He has gone through everything He makes me go through.

In 2010:

• I will have a better quiet, devotional time. I usually do it in the morning, before I leave for work, but I feel it's not enough.
• I will register for more editing or writing courses to develop my skills. I'm not sure about the SFU Certificate in Editing program anymore, because it will cost me at least $4,000.
• I will write more - and edit more.
• I will change my sleeping habits for the better. The more sleep, the better.
  
• I will improve my time-management skills.
• I will spend less and save more. Except, of course, if it relates to LOST. *Wink wink*
• I will fix that emotional unavailability thing.
• I will make other necessary changes in my life. *Wink wink*

Lord, I thank You for all the obvious blessings and blessings-in-disguise You bestowed upon me in 2009. *Sigh* More of the same for 2010? Hmmm...

Goodbye, 2009! Hello, 2010!

Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

There's a Reason I Don't Like Baseball...

... And that is baseball's interruption of Fringe.

Grrrr!

For at least two weeks, there will be no new Fringe episode due to post-season baseball. According to FringeTelevision's calendar, Fox will re-air the Season 2 premiere, "A New Day In The Old Town," on October 22nd IF there's no ALCS Game 5. The next week, October 29th, there will be no episode at all due to World Series Game 2. The following week, November 5th, episode 2x06 ("Earthling") may be aired IF there's no World Series Game 7. If so, episode 2x06 will be aired on November 12th. That's four weeks after the last new episode. FOUR WEEKS!

My Geek Thursday (FlashForward at 8pm and Fringe at 9pm) will be incomplete for at least one week. Three, if I discount the rerun of the Season 2 premiere and if there's World Series Game 7.

It would have been better if Fringe Season 2 episodes were available on Canadian iTunes Store...

God could possibly have arranged this so I can focus on Assignment 4 (the last one!). Possible, right?

*Sigh* Oh well...

All The Single Ladies...

Oh, crap. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) is stuck in my head again.

Quiz: What Type of Single Gal Are You? My result: Happy Medium You definitely see the good (and bad) in both being single and in a relationship. You don’t see being single as a death sentence; sure, you may get lonely at times, but still find joy in your work and when spending time with friends and family. Keep up that positive attitude!

Take this quiz!

An Evil, Evil World

I just learned that an old friend of mine from grade school was shot dead last Sunday, August 16th.

According to my classmates, he was shot in the torso somewhere in Antipolo City, Rizal Province (which borders my birthplace). I guess that someone got himself or herself a gun and decided to shoot someone. Or the killer was probably having a psychotic episode and mistook him for someone threatening. Either way, it was unfortunate that my old friend was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He was a generally nice, soft-spoken guy. He was this tall, mestizo hottie and many girls had a crush on him. (Yes, that included me. ) I do not remember him getting on the periodic Top 10 in class, but I think he got decent grades. He was also a lot of fun.

So, the world just lost a decent guy because someone made the wrong, wrong, wrong choice. Is that unfair or what?

*Sigh*

I know God has a reason for letting a nobody (my grade school best friend's words, not mine) take my old friend's life. He may have completed his mission here on earth. His death may help change gun laws in the Philippines (keep your fingers crossed!). I don't know why God let him die, but I do know that God will punish the killer either in the culprit's lifetime or on Judgement Day.

My friend's senseless death makes me wish that Judgement Day would come soon. I cannot take any more of this evil, evil world.

Patience is A Virtue...

I'm still way too tired from my trip to the US western states (i.e. Olympia, Washington; Astoria, Oregon; and San Jose, California) and I do not have the energy and time to write a decent post. So I turn to Blogthings...

You Are Very Patient

You are an incredibly patient soul. You rarely get rattled or frustrated. You are willing to let others take their time... even if it means you must wait. You have the makings of a great teacher, parent, or leader. You are able to deal with people's annoyances and quirks. You don't let yourself get angry.

Are You Impatient?

Agree? Disagree? Hehehehehe...

Gone Camping...

I've been very busy.

In addition to work, church, business planning, and LOST Rewatch, I received my course materials from SFU Writing and Publishing Program, and I've gotta get started on Assignment 1 that is due on July 31st. Also, I've been preparing for my trip to Washington, Oregon, and California. You know, writing a packing list (thanks, Google Docs!), actually packing my clothes and other essentials, and making sure my electronics are fully charged.

Yep. I'm going on vacation. Woot woot!

So there might not be another blog post until I come back on July 20th. I know, I know: I haven't blogged since Canada Day. Like I said, I've been very busy. Unfortunately, Blogger Mobile doesn't work with Canadian cell phones, so can't do that either. Maybe I'll try to find a Wi-Fi hotspot and blog from my iPod Touch?

Anyhoo, have a great summer and please pray for our protection.

Ciao for now!

How Do I Live My Life?

You Live Your Life Silently

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You tend to avoid confrontation and stay away from sticky situations. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many acquaintances. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Interesting... True, though.

Fringe Returns September 17th

EW.com's Michael Ausiello reports that FOX has released its Fall 2009, premiere schedule. Looks like Fringe will return on September 17th, Thursday, at 9pm.

Yay!

Let's hope ABC won't put LOST in the same time slot as Fringe, when it returns in the winter. It's probably unlikely, but weirder things have happened.

I wonder if filming has started. Hmmm... Maybe I should visit Vancouver soon. Hehehe...

Leap, Dude, Leap

I just started an editorial and typing service business. Yeah. I did an outline for a business plan, researched my market, carefully read statistics and business start-up info, and created a web site.

Well, I need extra money so I can save enough for a down payment and closing costs. A little moonlight business can help. A former co-worker is moonlighting as a bookkeeper for at least one small company. I figured, I could moonlight too - not as an accountant, but as an editor. I've been writing prose and blogs for years now - specifically, 15 years all told - and I have been editing my nephew and niece's school papers for almost half of that. Plus, I always edit stuff - like news articles, feature articles, company and road signs, other people's blog posts, etc. - in my head.

I thought I could make it as a freelance editor after I worked on Miss KC's essay for her high school IB program. I needed to whittle it down from 600 words to 200. I only managed to reduce it to 400 words, but I tried to rearrange sentences and change the wording so that I could unite her ideas into one decent application essay. Apparently, after I gave it back to Miss KC, they sent it to their editor-friend in New York (yes, the mecca of publishing in the US) for further polishing. I don't know what the final essay looked like, but it probably helped her get in the program. According to Mrs C, their friend said it looked professional - as if a pro editor worked on it. From there, the freelance editorial services business idea was born.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of my research, but it took me two or three weeks before I finished the rough draft of the business plan outline. I still have not finished writing the business plan itself, but I can work from the outline. I even figured out a fair pricing plan: I will be billing based on either word count or page count (depends on the document), rather than on the number of hours I worked on it. Since I have a day job, LOST obsession, and a hint of a social life, the usual pricing basis will not be fair. Anyway, I added document or manuscript typing to widen my market. I would probably do a bit of editing as I type anyway.

So I created a website on Google Sites, because it is free and it is convenient (I am using my other GMail account for the business). It's a decent site - frankly, Microsoft Publisher can do better - but it works. The site is almost complete; I only need to complete my bio and to figure out how to make the file upload page work and secure for my customers. Check it out, if you'd like.

Also, a thought came to me last Saturday: Why don't I actually study editing? Simon Fraser University has a Writing and Publishing Program, which is based in the City of Vancouver. There is a Certificate in Editing program, but all applicants need to complete Editors and Editing: An Introduction. So I registered for the online course, which starts on July 1st (a.k.a. Canada Day) and should be completed after four months. I hope I get to finish all the requirements so I can apply to the Certificate program. And for $420, I'd better!

Now, I need customers. So, if you need someone to polish your work, then let me know. Pricing is on the website, and you'll find it cheap and reasonable.

And, oh, this feels so much like Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother's Season 4 finale ("The Leap"). Although the field is still architecture, teaching is an entirely different career. With the help of his friends, he took the metaphorical leap and left the architectural practice to teach. My situation is different, but the action is the same: I also took the metaphorical leap by moonlighting as a freelance editor and by studying editing. I actually remember telling my old boss (from the one that laid off the entire Burnaby finance department) that I want to go into the literary/publishing field. Ten months after, I finally made good on that statement. Let's hope I become successful enough so I only have to work part-time as an accountant. Hehehe...

Don't Quit!

I was supposed to memorize the "Don't Quit" poem when I was in CAT (Citizen's Army Training, like ROTC) during Grade 10 (high school senior where I come from). Of course, I never did, but they never found out because I was never required to recite it. 

Anyway, part of this poem was featured on the Pastor's Corner today. I realized I need to keep a copy of this poem somewhere. I need it to remind me that I shall never quit - in looking for my first place, for instance. It might be difficult to find the condo for my specific needs, but I will keep looking. Also, I won't quit when my business does not bring me the profit that I'd hope. I also won't quit when it comes to my pathetic love life and LOST. (Hehehehehehe...)

Here's the full poem, courtesy of TheDon'tQuitPoem.com:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 

When the funds are low and the debts are high, 

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 

When care is pressing you down a bit, 

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

 

Life is queer with its twists and turns, 

As every one of us sometimes learns, 

And many a failure turns about, 

When he might have won had he stuck it out; 

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 

You may succeed with another blow.

 

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man, 

Often the struggler has given up, 

When he might have captured the victor's cup, 

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 

How close he was to the golden crown.

 

Success is failure turned inside out-- 

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 

And you never can tell how close you are, 

It may be near when it seems so far, 

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

The website says that the author is unknown, but there's a name at the bottom of the Pastor's Corner sheet: Mr Harry Knowles, Sr (1904 - 1979). Some websites attribute the poem to him. 

Regardless, thanks to whoever wrote the above poem! Your words help us get through difficulties and failures.

Condo Hunt: HGTV Canada Contest and Rockport Update

I love HGTV Canada's TD Canada Trust First-Timer Mondays. I get to watch two episodes of Property Virgins, House Hunters, and Income Property (yes, the one with the hottie host).

Also, there is an open contest sponsored by TD Canada Trust, where a lucky person - hopefully, me - will win $25,000 for renovating, redecorating, or purchasing a home. Dude, $25,000! I can pay $20,000 downpayment and have enough money for closing costs.

Of course, I entered and I am now fervently praying that I win. If I did, then I don't have to get a little financial help from my brother. Yay!

Speaking of which, I don't think he wants to lend me any money. We've been e-mailing each other about it, and I have answered most of his probing questions so far. Apparently, he's still not satisfied. Actually, he did say he can lend me some, but when I asked him to raise the amount, he doesn't want to lend me money anymore. His apparent unwillingness to help me out is negatively affecting my hopes of getting the Rockport unit. It's taking him forever to directly tell me either yes or no. In turn, it's taking me forever to register an offer on the property. I just heard from my realtor that someone has put an offer on the unit yesterday.

Oh, well. If that buyer gets the place, then I guess it's just not mean to be. But, where else can I find a great place that is close to transit, Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, my doctor, and my dentist? Argh!

Stay tuned.

Update - 2 May 2009, 07:08
It's official: my bro said no. Oh, well...

Condo Hunt: Davenport and The Rockport

Two weeks ago, I had a bit of a free time and I was able to look at MLS listings. I compiled five of them and sent the list to my realtor. Shortly afterwards, my mother made an excellent point that I should choose a place that is close to everything (e.g. groceries, Shoppers Drug Mart, bank, et cetera). I know that two of the listings that I gave my realtor are located near Willowbrook Mall. So I asked her if we could just see those two.

So last Thursday afternoon, we met in front of the Davenport, which is located near the intersection of 197 Street and 69 Avenue and was built in 1997. We looked at a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom unit on the top floor. We noted that it is a long walk from the elevator to the unit, so obviously that's a bit of an issue for me - being a single gal and all. When we entered the unit, we were instantly greeted by the sunlight coming from the huge door leading to the spacious balcony. We went out to the balcony and assessed it; the view is nice and it is, up to that point, the biggest patio/balcony I had seen. The noise from the street can be heard, but it likely won't bother me; being on the top floor helps. The unit has laminate floors - obviously not real hardwood floors, but these will do. The living room is as spacious as it can be - with the sellers' stuff in the unit, it's not quite easy to see how spacious it really is. The kitchen and eating area are decent, although there are no stainless steel appliances (the unit is 12 years old and the refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher are probably from when the building was built) and no granite countertops. Personally, as long as the appliances still work, it's fine. The mirrors they installed give the illusion that the living area is bigger than it really is, so kudos to the sellers for that. The den/office is nicely sized and bright because of the two windows in it. The bedroom at the end of the short hallway is enough - not too big, not too small - for my needs. To our surprise, the closet is quite big and has enough space for my clothes! From the bedroom, there is a door to the bathroom that can be closed/locked when there are guests. The bathroom is decent and nicely sized. I might replace some of the lighting, as well as the major appliances, but the unit isn't too bad, given the age of the building. It is well-maintained and bright. The list price is $184,900, or $249.53 per square foot. 

Then we went to The Rockport, a mere two-minute walk from Davenport. Like the other complex, it is also a low-rise building. The unit that we looked at was at the first floor, although we had to take the elevator to reach the first floor. It is the third door from the elevator, so it is much easier for me to carry the groceries, et cetera. The first room we saw was the small den/office. The built-in storage units are great and the office space is enough for me. I only hope my desk fits! The kitchen is painted with a warm green and great cabinets. Like the Davenport unit, the appliances may be as old as the building (i.e. 11 years old) and may need to be replaced further down the road. The bathroom walls and cabinetry match the kitchen, and is decently sized. Across it, the bedroom is spacious enough - the closet is as big as the one in the Davenport unit - and has dark hardwood floors - which I love (the floor for the rest of the unit is light wood)! The huge patio can be seen from the bedroom window. Really, the patio is huge! There's a covered section, and there's a garden area. That would be freakin' awesome during the summer and spring, although I have a purple thumb (this girl don't have a green thumb). My realtor did say that I can just put plants in giant pots. The sellers are also upgrading the unit while it's on the market, so kudos to them as well. Overall, the unit is well-maintained and doesn't feel like it is only 629 square feet. Anyway, the unit is selling for $178,900, or $284.42 per square foot.

The best thing about these two units? They are both close to the following:

• Bus stop;
• TD Canada Trust, where I bank;
• Willowbrook Mall;
• The Real Canadian Superstore;
• Shoppers Drug Mart;
• My doctor; and
• My dentist.

Perfect location, location, location!

Now, I have decided that I am going to buy one of them. Which one? I'm not saying. I just need to pony up $20,000 for the downpayment. If only Hurley can lend me the money... Hehehehe...

Stay tuned. ;)

There's a Thief in the LOST Fandom... GET HIM!!!

Oh, this is truly horrible: Erika Olson's recaps are being used word-for-word by a YouTube LOST vlogger!!!

Last Thursday, E, one of the top LOST bloggers, told her Facebook friends and Twitter followers that she was very upset that someone "has been using [her] recaps as their own". I thought, "Who the heck would even dare do that?" E has a copyright statement at the bottom of her blog; so this guy either never scrolled down to the very bottom or ignored it. Well, according to Oxford dictionary, the word ignore means "to disregard intentionally" (the emphasis is mine). Seeing as how Seanie B reportedly brushed E off in her attempts to personally confront this thief, the best bet is that he ignored the copyright statement. I can't believe this guy has the balls to produce a LOST recap vlog (or video blog), take E's words from her own blog, read it out (or memorize it), and claim the recap as his. Whatta SCUMBAG!!!! And his fake-recaps are featured on TVGuide??? UGH!!!!

Of course, everyone who commented on her Facebook status/Twitter update suggested one, two, or all of the following:

• Confront the thief - which she did, unsuccessfully;
• Report him to YouTube;
• Sue him; or
• Sic the Smoke Monster on him.

Fortunately, DocArzt published this piece on his blog. Hopefully, this will inform the LOST fandom, and the rest of the world wide web, that original ideas are being passed of as someone else's own, and it is wrong. This is plagiarism and it's a crime, plain and simple. The fact that he refused to admit that what he's doing is wrong and criminal makes my blood boil.

I seriously wonder how this guy can live with himself, knowing that he is stealing someone else's ideas and denying that it is wrong. Shame on him!

If you think that this guy is a scumbag for plagiarizing E's work, then please spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, your own blogs or websites, and the method of communication of your choice. Also, please Digg DocArzt's article on this matter and keep it on the forefront of Digg's home page. Let us all stand up against plagiarism, among other cybercrimes.

P.S. The title of this post is NOT - I repeat, NOT - meant to encourage mob mentality and doing harm to this jerk. It is only meant to get everyone - LOST fans, anti-plagiarists, media, everyone else - to unite against this crime.

Condo Hunt: Back to Madison Villas

The C's, my mom, and I went back to Madison Villas at Brydon Creek today. Mr C liked that building because it would make it easier for him and Mrs C to get to work. I liked it because of the price, although I'm wary about the access to transit.

My mom convinced me to look at the one-bedroom + flex room unit. She said that I'm single and I don't need a two-bedroom unit. So, the real estate agent showed us a suite on the first floor that is similar to the show home: 1-bedroom + flex room, 1-bathroom. It is approximately 688 square feet, and at $169,900, it is $246.95 per square foot. I was more open to the idea of getting a one-bedroom unit, because it is much cheaper and is just the right size for me. We looked at the identical second-floor unit. Finally, we went up to the third floor 1-bedroom + flex room, 1-bathroom unit. I discovered that the utility/storage room is much bigger in the 1-bedroom unit than in the 2-bedroom units that we previously looked at. Also, the flex room is big enough to be my office. The en-suite bathroom can be closed off when I have guests so they would not have access to my bedroom; the idea of my guests having access to my bedroom through the bathroom made me wary of the 1-bedroom unit, although I knew that it would be much cheaper. The master bedroom does not have a walk-in closet, but it has two closets that can fit my clothes. I can always keep my current dresser. There are furniture and appliances available that are ideal for small spaces, so I just need to find a good deal for the bed, dining set, couch, patio furniture, et cetera. The unit faces the east and the window is huge, so there are loads of natural light.

The monthly strata fee is much cheaper than I had anticipated. The annual property taxes are also relatively low. A good deal, isn't it?

Unfortunately, there are other buyers interested in the unit, so I really need to act soon. I've been pre-approved for a $200,000 mortgage. I don't worry about the monthly mortgage payments. I am kinda worried about the down payment, though. I haven't had enough saved for a down payment. It's my stupid spending habits, I know! I am waiting on my brother's answer - whether or not he'd be able to help me with the down payment. I do hope he will. Otherwise, I might have to wait a long, long, long time to save enough.

Of course, it also needs to be God's will. I need to speak with God about that. Soon.

Stay tuned.

My Life Would Definitely Suck Without Kelly Clarkson

Is Kelly Clarkson reading my journal and/or my thoughts?

I just finished downloading Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted (Deluxe Version) from iTunes. Actually, I'm already on my second run of the entire album. And I love it already!

Despite its stark contrast to My December's moodiness and darkness, I actually like it. Both albums reflect my current thoughts and feelings regarding all aspects of my life. While My December helped me through my lengthy depressive period, I think All I Ever Wanted will be my soundtrack for the next few months. (I don't actually know what's going to happen in spring/summer; it's just a gut feeling.)

My favourite songs so far:

• "My Life Would Suck Without You;"
• "I Do Not Hook Up;"
• "Cry" - I just about wept when I first heard this song;
• "All I Ever Wanted;"
• "If I Can't Have You;"
  
• "Whyyawannabringmedown;"
• "If No One Will Listen;"
  
• "Tip of My Tongue;" and
  
• "Can We Go Back"

Will any of these songs beat "Maybe" as my favourite Kelly Clarkson song of all time?

Hello RRSP!!!

Your Money Personality is Healthy

You have a good relationship with money. You don't spend wildly, but you're not opposed to treating yourself on occasion. In general, you save some of what you earn. You know the importance of a nest egg. You aren't afraid of being financially literate - you embrace learning more about finances. From a retirement plan to having an emergency fund, you know what you need to have to be safe.

What's Your Money Personality?

Wonder how long I'd need to save enough money before I can have enough for a down payment... Hmmm...

Condo Hunt: Hawthorne

About two weeks after my family and I looked at Madison Villas, we went to the Hawthorne sales centre at the Walnut Grove neighbourhood in Langley, BC. I've been seeing the signs for the Hawthorne, as well as the buildings that are still being constructed, on my way home from work.

The show home is a 1-bedroom + den, 1-bathroom unit. At approximately 721 square feet, it is a very compact space; it is also bigger than the similar unit at Madison Villas. I like the dark wood - walnut, I think - used in the furniture. I also like that the bedroom and living room are big enough for solitary living (read: possible spinsterhood). The bench at the bedroom window was also a nice touch to the space. The stainless steel kitchen appliances and granite countertops are great, but both should be expected in newly built condominiums, right? Since it is a small unit, the home stager used the space well with minimal furniture and decor. The bedroom also has a decent-sized walk-in closet. The den is cute and could work as a tiny office or reading area; however, it is much too small for me. Worst comes to worst, I could probably make it work as a small reading area, and use the dining table for my writing/blogging. But a 7'4" by 6'0" den is too small for my needs. I'm also wary of visitors using the en suite bathroom and having access to the bedroom. I'm private that way. I haven't gotten the exact price from the realtor, but he said it's between $240,000 and $270,000, or between $332.87 and $374.48 per square unit.

He did show me the floor plan for a 2-bedroom + study, 2-bathroom unit. It is approximately 904 square feet, but is still smaller than its Madison Villas counterpart. I assume it also has a walk-in closet, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, laminate hardwood floors, and all modern condo features. This unit is better for privacy purposes, because there are two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The other bedroom could be the office, while the space for the study could be occupied by bookcases for my tonnes of books. The only problem with this unit is the price: the second-floor suite is $334,900, or $370.46 per square unit. It is more expensive than the 2-bed + flex, 2-bath unit at Madison Villas by $97,000! I do understand why it's expensive - the Hawthorne is walking distance from transit, IGA supermarket, Shoppers Drug Mart, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Royal Bank, Colossus Langley, et cetera - but I could have used that 97-grand to pay off the mortgage for the Madison Villa unit or to buy furniture.

*Sigh* Fantastic location, great square footage (for me, anyway), Marcon-quality, and Starline Windows-quality. Oh, did I mention that it's only five to 10 minutes away from work? It's only so darned expensive. I e-mailed the realtor regarding the unit similar to the show home, but he never got back to me.

Guess it's not meant to be.

*Sigh* Stay tuned for more condo-hunting trips.