Cheap bartenders

One thing I do love about being in a big city is being able to go out to a bar or pub and have a good time with good friends! One thing I do not like about the bars in Edmonton and how cheap the bartenders are... I've got ripped off so many times I can't even count. I don't know how many times I've paid for my drink and gotten little to no money back after I've paid with a 20$ bill. Now I do understand that the tips is making them all their money, but i'm sorry as the bartender, you don't get to pick how much of a tip you will receive from me. Once you give me back the EXACT amount of change, yes I will throw some money into your jar, but if you choose to take your own tip and not give me the right amount of money back, your bar and yourself will no longer be receiving any kind of tip from me. I think the Pint has ripped me off the worse so far, I ordered 2 highballs, came to $10.50, I gave him a $20 bill, what do I get back, $3, now you do the math and see how that seems a bit off. Annnnd after he did this and I looked and realized what he had done, he was no where to be found. He clearly knew exactly what he did and just ran off what the tip. Such a bastard. So yeah, I can't help but to NOT want to tip at the Pint anymore, because that one guy had to rip me off that bad, he ruined for everyone else, which to you might not seem fair at all but hey, I don't have that kind of money to be letting the bartenders choose their tip. The other place where it has been horrible is Oil City or should I say Oil Dirty. I don't care that the male bartenders are usually topless and the females usually have their tits and ass hanging out, that doesn't give you the right to choose your tip from me. Yes all the guys and girls who go their to stare at the abs, tits and ass are probably going to tip you well because your giving them something they probably don't get to look at in their everyday life. For me, no that isn't why i'm there, you make me a good drink and give me all my change back ill tip yah! I find at Oil Dirty they will hold all the change above the change jar and look at you  with eyes saying "can I just take your $10 worth of change and throw it in my jar?" and before you even answer they just dump it in there. Um hello? what are you doing. I will and I mean I will put my hand in that change jar and take my change back so lets just do us all a favor and give the right amount of money back and than i'm happy and your happy because your getting a tip!

Samples at the grocery store

There is nothing better when you go to the grocery store and the first thing you notice is a sample stand. I walk into Save-on today and there she is, the awesome lady that is always sampling their desserts and pastries. Of course I go straight to the stand, what is she sampling today you ask? Pie! Banana pie, coconut pie and chocolate! I went for a banana and it was delicious! I remember about 2 weeks ago I was there and she was sampling st pattty's day cupcakes and she hadn't sold any ( no idea how this happened ) so she forced me to eat about half, but hey I wasn't complaining. Than I go around the corner and there's another sampling table, this never happens! It was like I was in a costco or something. Now people were going crazy for this one, it was some kind of garlic sausage. She wasn't even done cooking it and people were lining up for it! I decide hey, Ill go finish my shopping and come back for it. I come back, get in the much smaller line, a little old lady was in front of me and she was acting like some angry hungry hippo. Not only did she snatch two for herself, when she went to hand me mine, she snatched mine too.When I finally got to taste mine, it was awesome but the lady kept trying to sell the product and its like cmon lady, no ones actually going to buy it, we just want the free samples! People go crazy for free food I tell ya. It just so happened I was starving when I went into the store, so thank you Save-on for satisfying my hunger for free for a little bit so I didn't buy everything in the store! 

Animal Cruelty in Canada

Something that is really close to my heart is animals. I love all kinda animals, where I live there is bunnies everywhere you go and they just make my heart melt. I got my first cat when I was probably around 7 or 8 and it was one of the greatest days of my life. And one of the worst days of my life was when I put her down. But after that we got another kitty and he was also great. Where I live now we have a dog and a cat and its absolutely the best, for two animals, they make me very happy. I cant ever walk past a pet store without at least taking a quick peak. I'm one of those people that if I could save all the strays out there, I would, If I could some how stop all animal cruelty out there, I would. Something that really disgusts me is how much animal cruelty is raising in Canada. Some of the stories out there I can't even read because they're so sick.
Just some sub titles of cases in Canada:
St. Catharines- Cat doused in gasoline and beaten to death
Ottawa woman charged in dog stabbing
Sick thugs hack off cat’s tail in the latest in a string of mindless animal attacks
Teens plead guilty to lesser charges in cat microwaving case
Couple Pleads Guilty to Starving Dogs
Dog left to die in river with brick tied to collar – The Toronto Star
Cat Set On Fire and Thrown in Clothes Dryer


Most of these I read about 1 paragraph and couldn't even finish. It's just how could people even put the thoughts into their head and than actually do it, it blows my mind.
I think the criminal code for animal cruelty in Canada is pathetic. The punishment is not even close to where I think it should be. 
Criminal Code of Canada -

Causing unnecessary suffering

445.1 (1) Every one commits an offence who(a) wilfully causes or, being the owner, wilfully permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal or a bird;(b) in any manner encourages, aids or assists at the fighting or baiting of animals or birds;(c) wilfully, without reasonable excuse, administers a poisonous or an injurious drug or substance to a domestic animal or bird or an animal or a bird wild by nature that is kept in captivity or, being the owner of such an animal or a bird, wilfully permits a poisonous or an injurious drug or substance to be administered to it;(d) promotes, arranges, conducts, assists in, receives money for or takes part in any meeting, competition, exhibition, pastime, practice, display or event at or in the course of which captive birds are liberated by hand, trap, contrivance or any other means for the purpose of being shot when they are liberated; or(e) being the owner, occupier or person in charge of any premises, permits the premises or any part thereof to be used for a purpose mentioned in paragraph (d).

 Punishment

(2) Every one who commits an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of

(a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term of not more than eighteen months or to both.
Now this is just part of it, but it is not enough! "Cruelty laws are only as good as those who are willing to enforce them. In Manitoba, the laws are in place, but there is absolutely no movement on the part of the Provincial Vet and anyone involved with that office. You could have capital punishment, and it would deter noone because everyone knows those in charge do NOT give a damn.There's a election coming...time to start making some noise in this province."

I Hope everyone out there could take some kind of stand, because this needs to be stopped! 

When someone doesn't pick up their phone

Usually the people I make phone calls too are the people that are pretty close to me, so I generally know what their daily schedule is so I know when or when not to call them. Something that drives me crazy is when you KNOW someone isn't busy and they don't pick up there phone, especially when it's important! Its so frustrating when someone tells you to call them, so you do and yet they still don't pick up! drives me nuts!! A great example for you all is someone told me to call them today at exactly 2:10 pm, so I did, no answer. Call again, no answer. Repeat that 10x still no answer. Im now sitting at the LRT station frustrated as can be and still, no answer. To make the entire situation worst, my phone is on it's last bar, great, just great. I could be at home relaxing and not sitting on an uncomfortable bench in HUB but yet i'm still sitting here and no answer. 30 minutes ago they were suppose to pick up the phone! How annoying, well for all you people out there, if you ask someone to call you, do them a favor and pick up!!! 

Awful servers at Hudsons

Most of the time when I go out to eat somewhere I get pretty good service. And you would think that anywhere you go, you're going to automatically get a good server, why? Well because I would think that the server is there to do one thing, make money. How is she gonna make good money? Good tips, and how is she gonna make good tips, good service. So yeah, 98% of the time, I find most servers very good! But for some reason, I don't think the servers at Hudsons are there to make money, because the service i've experienced there is probably the worst I've ever had. First of all, we didn't even get a "Hi, hows it going today?" She just automatically asked us what we wanted to drink and when we asked if there was root beer, she bluntly said NO. Second off, after we got our drinks and decided what we wanted, we had our menu's closed for quite a bit of time before she even bothered to see if we were ready. The thing that blew my mind is as I sat there and waited to be asked what I wanted to eat, I watched the servers stand by the bar and eat food. A) why are the servers eating where everyone can see and B) why are they getting fed during service, not even a break when I haven't even placed my meal yet. After FINALLY taking our order, not once did she ask if we wanted drink re fills. Finally our food came and during the entire period of eating I never got asked if everything was tasting alright or if I needed anything, well another water would have been great but that never happened. Once the meal was finished and all was said and done, we said we had debit to pay and she probably answered in the rudest way possible "We don't take debit, only cash or credit" .. OH OKAY. What kind of establishment doesn't take debit and she did not need to say it in that tone. Well needless to say, after the crappy ass service we received i'm sure she wasn't pleased with the tip but hey as I said, Good service = good tips.
Although I would never go back to Hudsons for the crappy service, I would go back just for the sweet potato fries and the amazzing dip it comes with and the overall food was alright. 

Using Transit in a big city

If there is one thing I miss the most living in a small town, it's having my own vehicle to drive. Because if there is something that I have gotten sick of living in Edmonton, it's using transit everyday. The transit is great here but either way it's a pain in the butt. Im tired of sitting by stinky people on the train and waiting for the bus in the cold. Last night I was intoxicated by the fumes of Marijuana as a guy decided to smoke a joint on the train, that was just oh so pleasant. I have days where I would do anything to just walk 5 steps outside and be able to hop into my car and be on my way. Yes I know i'm saving tons of money doing it this way but oh man I want my car here! I think the biggest pain is grocery shopping, who wants to carry all their groceries home on the train, not me. I want to put all my bags in the trunk of my car and drive home.
Well this only gets me more excited for the day to come when i'm making enough money to be able to get a new car and drive it in the big city!

Crackers, cheese and pickles.

There is nothing better than a great snack, if I could just snack all day and never eat a main meal like breakfast, lunch or dinner, I would.

Now there is all kinds of snacks, but the best snack of all times is crackers, pickles and cheese. 

First of all the cracker must be a Ritz cracker, nothing else.

Secondly, the pickle has to be dill, I don't want any of those sweet pickles, keep it dill, keep it good.

Lastly, the cheese must be marble, that way you're getting a mix of mozzarella and cheddar all in one!

The way I like to go about it, is count how many crackers I have on my plate and than after that I cut exactly the amount of cheese, don't be wasting that cheese. And obviously after that you cut that amount of pickles and BAM! You have the greatest snack sitting right and front of you.

The salt from the cracker and the dill from the pickles all added with the cheese is the perfect combo.

When I have all 3 of these ingredients in my house, I tend to indulge in the snack once a day!

Enjoy!