Tricia's Musings

Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto



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Missing my family

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I’ve been thinking about my family a lot lately. I’m not sure why, perhaps it’s just the time of the year. My sister, and one of my brothers live in the Toronto area but I hardly ever see them. That will change tomorrow or Sunday though, because my brother is going to come over and bring my scanner back. Two bonus’ there – I get to see my bro and I get my scanner that I’ve barely been able to use since I purchased it back. Yeah!

I have two other brothers. My oldest brother, who was almost 20 when I was born is turning 60!!! in a couple of weeks. I can’t believe that I have a brother that age. It’s always seemed more like he should be my parent given his age rather than my brother. He’s worried that he’s turning into an old man but I keep telling him that you’re only as old as you feel.

My final brother, currently lives in Vancouver. I say currently but I think that’s a permanent situation. He loves it there. He’s traveled all over the world for his work as a geologist. He’s lived in the Dominican republic, Africa, and even Spain. I think he enjoyed Spain the most of all the places he’s lived. He’s even talked about buying a property in Spain once or twice in the past. I don’t know if he was serious, but if he did I’d certainly try to visit his “villa” every once in a while.

As I said I’m not sure why I’m thinking of family so much lately, but I am. We’ve already had our thanks Giving here in Canada so the next big time for all of us to try to get together will be Christmas. Unless of course my brother from Vancouver happens to come to town for business- then we all try to get together for dinner.

I guess I’m just missing my family. Do you get that way some times?





Spot and Avoid Mortgage Fraud

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I remember when we first started looking at houses back in 2001. The whole experience of dealing with a real estate broker, real estate lawyer, mortgage broker and securing a mortgage with the bank were all new, and frankly intimidating experiences for my husband and I. Worse still we’d been hearing more and more stories about Mortgage Fraud in the news.

There were stories in the news about Mortgage scams where you’d be approved for a loan at very reasonable rates but before it was finalized the mortgage company would ask for fees for this or that, and then perhaps ask for more money stating that your approved mortgage wouldn’t be finalized until you paid the rest of the fees they were asking for at that time. There were other stories about hidden fees, people being told their month payments would be lower than what they ended up paying in the end.

I did my research and I used a Real Estate broker and Lawyer that had been recommended by a friend, but it was still an un-nerving process. I wished I’d come across personalhomeloanmortgages.com when we were buying our house. It would have made things a bit easier. There is so much information there, that I as a novice would have appreciated. There’s articles explaining mortgage brokers, Understanding home equity loans, Mortgage basics – called appropriately Mortgage 101. You can do local searches by city to search housing market trends, local mortgage and real estate related service provider listings.

You can visit their Financial Forum and talk with others about things like how to spot hidden fees, and which types of loans work best plus hundreds of other topics. You’ll feel secure when you use this site because all customer data is protected through SecureTrust.

If you’re in the market for a new home or looking to renew the mortgage on your home I suggest you have a look at this site and get some very useful and timely information that will help you make the decisions that are right for you.

World Premiere of FrightWorld

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What are you doing this coming Halloween evening? Would you like to go to FrightWorld The Movie World Premiere? Do you enjoy Horror movies? If you could do you should not miss this event. What could be better than combining the most frightening night of the year with the world premiere of a horror film that’s touted as being an cross between Friday the 13th and the shining?

Frightworld, the World Movie premiere is taking place at Frightworld Haunted Amusement Park – one of the top 13 scream parks in the USA, in Williamsville, New York. If there is anyway that you can attend this event I think it will be more than worth going.

I’m totally a horror movie and horror novel fan. I previewed a short movie clip at the site and it looks like a real hide under the seat and scream until someone you love puts a comforting arm around you kind of movie. I’d love to go and see it myself but, unfortunately it’s too far away for me to travel. I’ll have to wait until it’s in a theater near me.

Not only will you attend the first screening of this new horror movie, you will be able to attend a Q& A with the stars of the movie – Dina Cataldi, Tiffany Scott and more. You’ll meet Kamilla “Katexenna” Kova, UK Fetish Model and Star of FrightWorld, FrightWorld Writer, Producer and Director David R Williams, and the FrightWorld FX Team. You’ll also Tour Frightworld Haunted Attractions 5 Award Winning Houses of Horror.

Isn’t it appropriate that exactly 13 bands participated in Frightworld – Marazene, Any Question, Obomatic, Punch Drunk, Imbued Vagary, Machine Gun Symphony/Charlie Drown, Synthetic Dream Foundation, Darker Days Tomorrow, Apikorism, Sick Machine, Abandcalledpain, and Tearwave.

If you’re interested in going you can buy advance tickets through the site link above for only $23 or else you can get them at the box office for $25 on the day of the show.

If anyone attends please let me know if it was as scary as it looks like it’s going to be.

12 years and counting!

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Yesterday, the 22nd of October was my wedding anniversary! My husband and I have been together for 17 years in total- 5 pre-marriage, 12 married. All have been wonderful.

I had just finished writing a very long post about our time together but when I hit Save and continue editing my screen went blank and my post disappeared. I’m upset about this because it was a very long post and I’d put my heart into it. This is the second time this month that wordpress has caused me to lose a post. Grrr

So this post is going to be shorter!

In our time together Chris and I have been through a lot! Unemployment- one at a time and both at the same time, which of course meant major financial problems, we’ve each taken a turn going back to school – College or University in order to study for a new career, four miscarriages and serious illnesses for both of us, the major purchase of our house quickly followed by 9/11 and my husband being permanently laid off work on the same day, the death of my father, and then the death of my mother, followed one year later by my sister going into a coma after a mistake occurred during a surgery she’d had, and now my ongoing illness (Crohns) and inability to work.

Through the stress of all those bad things happening we’ve managed to stay together, build on our relationship and grow even stronger. I know many couples who’ve gone through only a couple of the types of things I’ve mentioned above that couldn’t hold their marriages together after those things occurred.

I credit the fact that Chris is not only my husband but my best friend, and my being his best friend as well for the strength of our marriage.

Even through all of the bad times we’ve gone through there has always been love and laughter almost every day. I love him with my whole heart and I know, when he looks at me in that special way of his that I am his world.

To twelve very happy yet very eventful years of marriage and many many more. I’m certain we are in this for the long haul.

_______________________

It’s Click & Comment Monday! You guys know the drill by now don’t you? I don’t have a renter so visit someone in my Links (left column- extra helpings) and leave them a comment, then visit a blogger that’s linked to there site and so on. Please visit at least five different blogs in this manner.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Home Office from Hell Contest

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If you work from home, full or part-time, or if you have a home office from hell, you might be interested in this contest that I found. It’s The Home Office From Hell contest. Fairly self-descriptive don’t you think?

The contest begins October 23rd, that’s today folks, and it will end on March 31, 2007. The official contest rules are posted on the site, but the basics of the contest are:

  • Post the top 10 reasons why you need to move out of your home office from hell;
  • Optionally – You can also upload a video of your hellacious office.

The grand prize winner will win 12 months of rent (up to $12,000) at any location posted on Offices2Share.com, and a paid trip to New York City which includes two nights hotel stay and lunch with Donald Trump’s right-hand man George Ross, A dell desktop computer, a Dell laptop computer, and a Dell switch and server, and tuition for the Entrepreneurship mastery program at Trump University. The grand prize looks like it’s worth more than 24,000 dollars! The second, third, fourth and fifth runner up winners will also win some valuable prizes.

If I were entering the contest my top 10 reasons why I would need to move out of my office from Hell would be:

  1. My home office is in my living room dining room
  2. I have two desktop computers on my antique dining room table
  3. My chair is falling apart
  4. Our living room couch is the break room area, and the second office where the laptop is used most often
  5. I can’t concentrate when the TV is on
  6. I get distracted when the TV is on
  7. We are in the process of renovating our living room dining room – particularly the ceiling so I’m going to have to move my office
  8. I have loose plaster falling on me occasionally since we have cut the plaster in our ceiling
  9. I get the urge to dance to the music that I’m playing instead of working
  10. My husband and sometimes boarders use my Office!

That probably wouldn’t be a winning entry, but create a list that’s better than mine and send it in for the contest. What are you waiting for- look at the prize you could win!

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