Do you ever feel like you're standing at the crossroads? Standing there, looking down the available paths, and just don't like what you see?

I dunno. Maybe it's the winter blahs (or SAD, as the let's-make-everything-an-illness crowd calls it), maybe it's the truncated tv season, or maybe its the mistake of visiting Facebook one too many times. (Am I the only one who hates Facebook? I swear everyone I went to school with is practically the CEO of Microsoft.....you know, great career, married with gorgeous husband, wonderful kids, and tons of equally impressive friends. Not only that, but everyone is a camera whiz and can make themselves look like Hollywood starlets. God, it's depressing.)

I'm 34 now. 34. 34 and sitting alone at the pc again. 34 atten pm and sitting hereabout to go into work. 34 and doing the graveyard shift for ten years. 34 and spending my best years taking care of my aging parents, taking care of their bills and debts and watching, just watching, my life slowly drift away.

You know, as a kid I would spend all my time in school looking out of the window and daydreaming. But it was ok.....I had a sharp mind and could answer all the questions and do the assignments while everyone else was shuffling into their seats. It's funny, I found out much later on that I always had the highest testing marks in the school (maybe that's why they never found out that I never listened, or did homework, or studied, or knew what was going on lol). I look back on all that daydreaming and think damn, wish I going go back 30 years in time and do it all over again (I coulda been a contender!) . The worst thing in life is having a wonderful gift and losing it. Actually, what's worse is still having just enough active braincells to realiseexactly how muchI lost.

Anyway, back to the crossroad. 34. Somehow, some way, I need to find a way to break off the path I'm on and get onto a better road. Just one step....

Somehow, some way, I will find a way to take that step this year. The path I'm on is quickly leading to a cliff, and it's either get off or fall.

((Hmm, this is a bit more of a Rant then a General. Oh well, it's more here for me to see it in front of my face, in black and white.))

Is it just me, or have allthe dynamic discussion boards out there just vanished?

It seems whenever someone wants to talk about a show on more than a superficial level, you're lucky to see one or two responses. But mention something about an actor's new haircut, or what a cute couple two stars would make, and bam, 3 pages of replies.

There are so many shows out there which generate so much thought: the CSIs and forensic topics, Criminal Minds and what exactly is happening in all of our minds, and even shows like House and how the human body deals with so many ailments.

I believe these shows offer such a wonder gift to viewers, not only to learn something about scientific topics, but to learn more about ourselves. Why do people insist on throwing it away because lolz omg he is soooo cute? It's freakin TV! Everyone looks good, even the so-called 'ugly' people look damn good. Get over it already!

**sigh**, I left these forums about a year ago at this time (for about 6-8 months) when it got to me too much, and I feel it may be time to do the same thing again. I just wish people would appreciate these shows the way I do, not just as eye-candy and storylines, but as wonder fodder for the brain.

Well, I just finished my work week, and I just don't understand people anymore.

Our store had decided to open 24/7 on the 18th of December til December 24th.  Well, the people who shop in the store at 3 am are something else!  Every single night this week we have had people show up in their pajamas and shop!  I realise we're situated in a very safe area of the city (not like there's a whole lot of dangerous areas in Ottawa to begin with, but still) but wandering around in your pajamas?  It reminds me of an old Dilbert book (Casual Day Has Gone Too Far) where all the employees are walking around in bathrobes, in costumes and in the buff.

Apparently, this wasn't a surprising development to some of my coworkers.  Some of them told me how its the big thing for high school students around here to wear their pjs to school on a regular basis.  And I thought the fashions back in my day (the cool cool 80s) were odd. 

I've gotta wonder, is this a trend anywhere else?  I mean, I know Ottawa has been having unseasonal warmth for this time of year - there's not even a whisper of snow on the ground yet and word has it we will have rain for Christmas - but is anyone else out there around the globe seeing this trend?  Or are the people of Ottawa going insane?