Blueprints, Bond and Bombshells

The word of the week is stunned.

November 19 - Headaches

One of the apps I use several times a day on my phone is a barometric pressure reader called Barometer Monitor. It charts a graph showing the current and historical pressure readings in my area, in an image like this:

It's incredibly useful, as I can now track real-time how my headaches( as such )develop from the atmospheric changes. Rather than checking a website that's updated only every hour( and when I can GET to checking it! )I can instead just glance at my phone. It's really helped me avoid taking unnecessary medication when the pressure's not climbing or falling rapidly, which I'd rather not do. I love technology and my SIII especially!

November 20 - SHOCK !!!!!

Today was bad.

My sister was let go from her job today, for NO reason other than one of the doctors she works for took a dislike to her. Which, knowing my sister, means he's an idiot. Certainly all the other staff were shocked and angered by the out-of-the-blue dismissal and told her so. She's a wonderful person and GOOD at her job, so to have something so petty cost her so dearly is maddening. But it was made to look like 'You are just not working out' with petty examples, so she can't easily claim a wrongful dismissal...

Which means that we're BOTH unemployed now. With no income.

I've been applying steadily to jobs in Victoria, with no results. Not a single one.

So I need a job, even loading grocery bags.

It's bleak, but reality isn't fair. I'm going to pound the pavement harder, as it comes down to being PERSONABLE: getting in the door, introducing myself to a company and taking it from there. I can no longer afford to rely as heavily on my resume` as just being a sheet of paper to companies looking to hire isn't working.

What a day.

November 21 - A good deal

Obviously right now I'm trying to conserve funds, but some things you just can't pass up. Especially if you've been waiting a while and they're not expensive. So let's be upbeat...

Case in point: a charging stand for my sister's Blackberry Playbook, which she loves. The USB charging port on the bottom has a tendency to wear out and get wobbly over time, so I've been trying for a year now to source one of the 'Rapid Charging Docks' that uses inductive charging and this avoids having to plug a cord into the USB. But the things normally retail for $70 new and even eBay see them go for around $30-40 plus shipping.

But today, a post on RedFlagDeals.com said they were on sale for $14.99 at Staples, though they were going quickly. I called BestBuy( twice, as the first call went dead )and got a price match for TWO chargers, for a grand total of $21.72 with tax and shipping. How? One of my local Staples still had a single charger left in stock, so the BestBuy rep was able to match AND beat the price… plus anything over $20 gets free shipping. So I finally scored a deal for very little, thanks to keeping an ear to the ground and being patient for almost a year. Yes!

It's also likely the last 'extra' money I will be spending before 2013, along with one other exception below on the 24th.

November 22 - Waterfall Hotel

I like waterfalls and forest settings, so when I saw this, I was enchanted by the combo:

It's a hotel in Chile, built to look like it was carved out of a stone hill. It's inside a national park, so the setting is very calm and tranquil. The water from its peak splashes down every few minutes onto the moss-covered surface.

It's just cool. I'd like to go there one day. When I can afford it.

November 23 - Black Friday

I didn't know Black Friday was now a Canadian thing, but apparently retailers here have jumped full-force on the bandwagon to follow the American post-holiday sales frenzy.

Which is good for the wallet, but bad for your health if you get trampled in a store.

Not needing anything this year( and not having the budget for purchases either )I skipped all the sales save for one small purchase of a game I've waited over a year for:

It was on sale for only $19, a real bargain, so I gave in and picked it up. It also helped that I waited long enough to have upgraded my video card earlier this year, so it looks incredible on the TV I have now. Sometimes patience is rewarded; in this case, for the second time this week.

I'm using that as an excuse to feel good and lift my spirits.

November 24 - Skyfall

Today's main event was going to see the new James Bond film Skyfall at the IMAX, though not in 3D. It was a celebration of Fifty Years of Bond and I have to say I think they knocked it out of the park. The pace was stellar, building throughout the film, with nods to the history of the franchise sprinkled expertly throughout. It's more than two-hour running time went by in a flash, with incredible performances from all the cast!

Only two things bothered me though, so stop reading here if you haven't seen the film.

Ready?

One: the fact that one of the women that Bond was involved in was so… casually… disposed of, irks me. She's killed and forgotten about almost immediately, which is not acceptable as she was rather memorable, as all Bond Girls should be. It annoyed the writer in me, who wanted her death to mean something at least; instead, it was empty.

Two: the idiotic use of a flashlight in the ending action scene was, well, dumb. I mean, if you're fleeing the bad guys in the dark, don't wave a BRIGHT LIGHT around on an empty field! Sheesh.

November 25 - Epic Blueprints

Sonofa…

Sometimes, life likes to waggle its fingers in your face, saying "Nyah-nyah!" and today was one of those days. Why?

Because Star Wars: The Blueprints Book went on sale for 50% off until Nov 30th.

This is the ultimate, no-holds-barred, Thing That I've Most Wanted since I first saw the films as a kid. I've collected all sorts of details in pseudo-blueprint form from many sources over the years, but never has there been so MUCH technical goodness crammed into a single volume until Epic Ink created their masterpiece last year.

For $500 USD. And it's half-off right now; still pricey.

I'll just sit back and admire the thing, knowing that there's only 5,000 of them out there and eventually, one day, a copy MAY make its way onto AbeBooks.com or eBay. I hope.

Because I sure as heck can't afford the thing right now. But I can dream.

Which means I'm going to bed now and waking up to a new, positive week, I hope. All I need is one phone call to bring me in for an interview and I know I will knock their socks off, in all the good ways. Just one call. Hear that, universe? Ring me up this week!