An Expensive Day, Everyday

The benefits I was getting as a Ryerson student ran out in October. Even though I was only a student until December 2012, the benefit package runs from October to October so I have been covered for a while. It is a tough bit of reality to have to pay full price for all of my medications - literally hundreds of dollars. Here is a normal day for me:

Birth Control -Cyclen - $0.90
ADHD Meds - Adderall - $3.18
Morning Anti-Depressant - Effexor - $1.49
Evening Anti-Depressant - Wellbutrin - $1.75

That is a total of $7.32 everyday, and $219.60 every month!!
So it costs me almost 10% of my income to just to stay sane, functional, not pregnant, and making sense.

The good news is that my current work is arranging for me to have a benefit package, which they will pay for, in 2013. I am going to look at packages next week to discuss which one would be best; I know that I would like dental and obviously I need prescription drugs covered!

Good Advice

"Don't argue with idiots. First they will bring you down to their level, then they will beat you with experience."
--- Sunjay Nath, Motivational Speaker

It Is Harder In Spanish

I have had a personal Twitter account for almost a year now (@SweetonChris) and set up a Twitter Feed for Always Standing right away. Well, a couple of months ago it went away and I have been trying off and on for a few weeks to get it back or set up a new one. It is hard to figure out - just like Twitter was at the start, but I am (literally) a professional at that now. Now I have a strange version of the widget that seems to be Spanish, and I'm not even sure it works correctly. The one that Steph has working for Stephanie Beach Photography's Blog is so nice and I need to find time to talk to her about helping me fix mine, though she uses WordPress now and not Blogger. Keep your eye on the left side of Always Standing to see if my Twitter Feed situation improves, hopefully I will get it all sorted out soon.

Armaweddin

I met Halley years ago when I went to visit Anna in Paris. She had quickly became Anna's best friend in France and they have remained close over the years. Halley is originally from Tacoma (near Seattle) but I don't exactly know where in The States she is now. The main thing I always connect with her is social media - she has always been way ahead of the times when it comes in media and the internet. Other things would be that she is smart, funny, fun, interesting, and beautiful. I am glad that Anna has stayed friends with her and from that, and Facebook, she has stayed on the edge of my radar.

She is getting married later in this month and it is going to be a very unique wedding. I had been following along on it a bit, but recently she wrote an article for The Huffington Post that explains it all in more detail - Read it here. Congratulations and best wishes!

Bond, Jason Bond

Jason In His New Suit

(Has Perfected The 'Hate That My Girlfriend Is Taking My Picture' Glare)

By Me, Using his phone, which takes terrible quality photos

Christmas List 2012

Big Dreams
-Warm but stylish/fashion winter boots (7) or GC to get a pair
-Android Tablet, 9in style, not 7in
-Flat screen TV
-A nice/fancy but subtle watch
-Road bike, light and good for Toronto
-$ to help payoff student debt

And As Always - BOOKS
-Any! Used is great, hard cover preferred
-Classics
-Science Fiction, William Gibson
-Chick Lit
-Easy book to learn Bridge, basics

Fun Times
-Taboo
-Scatigories
-Eye shadow primer, Urban Decay
-Tickets to local dance, theater, and comedy
-Medium size globe
-Mix to make Chai lattes
-Picture frames
-GC for photo printing
-GC for Caryl Baker Visage (beauty store, in most malls)

For Two, Who Is Still Evil
-Cat litter deodorizer, Arm & Hammer
-Cat nip
-Ball/feather thing on sting attached to stick (Dollerama)
-Medium size scratching post with perch

For Rrunuv Bayit, My Apartment
-Spatulas for frying pans
-Biodegradable bags for kitchen compost bin
-Oven Mitts
-Candles
-Flashlights
-Air purifier that can remove pet dander
-Ikea tub style cheese grater
-Good knives to cut vegetables
-Ikea GC for closet organizer 
-Sears GC for a Wingback-Chair Cover

Renovations To My Rental
-Screwdriver with all the ends
-Nails and such to hang things
-White toilet seat
-Adjustable wrench
-Ceiling Light for hallway, and help installing it
-Tool box
-Home Hardware GC for paint

I Am A Birder 
(First Step Is Admitting The Problem)
-Small set of binoculars
-Small umbrella
-Bird book
-Photoshop for my laptop
-Small bills and change, Euros and American

Daily Necessities
-Lunch-size Pyrex
-Gin
-Thin black socks for work (7)
-PJs (M/L)

Years Of Christmas Lists

I am prepping this year's Christmas List and will have it posted tomorrow. However, I was wondering what my previous lists looked like. The first two years of Always Standing I didn't post my list online, but since 2008 my list has gone up publicly onto the internet each year.

Take a look back at previous years (they are surprisingly similar):

2008 Christmas List
This marks the first public appearance of 'Cordless Drill'. Last year Taylor got me one!

2009 Christmas List
The Christmas before I went on my big 'around the world' trip. Asked for a lot of travel stuff.

2010 Christmas List
I didn't want enough apparently, and I had a late post for list additions.

2011 Christmas List
Last year was a bit focused on the car, that sadly I then crashed a few weeks later.

The Most Epic Of Mustaches

It is the very end of Movember and I want to finish with a photo of someone who really knows how to grow facial hair, Wes. He doesn't have a MoSpace page but still grows a 'stach and then donates to others - a great Mo Bro.

Wes Shows Us How It Is Done!