a home of my own

When I first moved to the ‘knife five years ago (this week actually), the housing market was going strong. I was fortunate to time my arrival for a condo conversion project that was still reasonably priced. This was my first foray into the housing market and it went well, seeing a healthy return in only a few years.

However, the housing market in the ‘knife has still been going strong all these years later, although some think it may be maxing out. A similar boom is going on in toon town and is responsible for the rent increase discussed below.

I have serious concerns about what I’ll be able to buy when I come back after law school. I remember when I first moved north my Toronto friends threatened an intervention if I ended up living in a trailer park. Some swore they would fly north, kidnap me and return me to downtown. Realistically though, a trailer may be my only option.

I’ve been in enough trailers now to know that they can actually be quite nice, and they are a good alternative in a land where it is so expensive to build. I’ve housesat in quite a few and visited many more, but there’s always a little part of me that thinks of those poor people living in trailers in the southern United States who seem to be magnets for tornados. Until now that is. I’ve found the trailer of my dreams.

It was the smallest thumbnail of a photo on the Globe and Mail web site that led to the discovery of my dream trailer. An article about small space eco-living. An architect has designed a trailer that can operate off-grid, but still look fabulous.


The entire trailer is 273 sq feet but brilliantly laid out. With solar panels, wind power and a large water reservoir you can put the trailer down anywhere and just start living. You can even order it furnished. With one or two add-on rooms, it can be modified or changed. As much care has been put into designing the interior as the exterior to create what could be considered a stunning home in any setting. For more info, visit www.sustain.ca.

If I’m going to be trailer trash, I’m gonna be designer trailer trash.

fill up the bowl, sugar daddy

In an earlier post I talked about the sugar daddy relationship. Today, the Globe and Mail took a rather different look at the subject. In the technology section there was a story on a web site called seekingarrangement.com. Yes it is exactly what it sounds like, boy toys and young women can advertise their desire for a sugar daddy, while daddies and I’m sure some sugar mommas can advertise their desire for a younger companion.

I remember a song lyric that said “pimpin’ ain’t easy”, but this new web site makes it appear easy. Looking to pimp yourself out for $5,000 a month, sign up now. Willing to spend your fortune on a young coed’s tuition, start surfing.

Hmm, tuition, I wonder if I could find someone to cover my recent rent increases… excuse me I have some self-marketing to do.

is the winged red gopher dead?

I recently got this card in the mail from one of the Saskatoon Uncles and it has now taken on a whole new meaning. Many of you will know that I'm not a big fan of socialism, my views lean more towards conservatism. However, having to live in the great socialist state of Sasktachewan! I thought I would at least receive some benefits living under NDP rule, but no.

It seems like the only thing charging forward with boundless enthusiasm in Saskatchewan is rent.The Uncles were checking my mail and apartment the other day and found a notice saying my rent is going up 12 per cent on October 1. This is the new apartment that I moved in to on April 1 paying the market rate.

How is it that in such a socialist state, there is no rent control. I've looked at the Residential Tenancies Act and there are no limits whatsoever. As long as three months notice is given, rent can be increased. There's not even a limit on the number of times rent can be increased. I am not a fan of rent controls and recognize the problems with them, but there at least should be a limit on how often rent can be increased.

What amazes me is that there appears to be no big outcry. There are stories of people in Saskatoon being forced out of apartments because of rent increases but no outcry. I think the government is so excited that the economy is booming and an election likely this fall, that they are afraid to say and do anything to mess it up.

Now that many former socialist leaders sit on boards of booming Saskactewan resource companies, they are too busy watching their stocks rapidly rise in value to notice that prairie socialism is dying.

you can't always get what you want

As summer begins to wind its way towards fall, thoughts turn back to school. This process is being moved along by what the little law school on the prairie likes to call "balloting".

Balloting is a complicated and onerous process to choose our classes. You start with a list of classes being offered, and full descriptions of each class, including who will be teaching. From that you develop a wish list of 10 to 16 classes that you would like to take. I unfortunately have a list of around 30.

Then you take these classes and look at the course schedule and start crossing off courses that conflict with each other. You then review the exam schedule and once again cross courses off that conflict, or that you don't like how the exam is scheduled compared to others. For example, back to back exams. Some people do course selection based on the exam schedule alone (all early to make for a longer christmas break, or evenly spaced to avoid stress).

You then need to look at mark distribution from previous years for those courses still on your list to see if they are overly hard or easy. This is also a factor when determining which prof you want teaching.

Still with me, good, cause we're not quite done. Finally, you have to review enrollment numbers for previous years. Because we ballot for classes, you need to rank those classes that fill up quickly (i.e. Evidence) higher than those that don't (Jurisprudence). Really, you need a degree in logistics to figure this all out.

I've been working on course selection for a while only to come to the same conclusion as the Rolling Stones, "you can't always get what you want". First, too many of my choices conflict. I can't take Family Law and Current Issue in Law Reform because they happen at the same time. You then need to start projecting course selection over the next two years.

Second, I need to find a balance between the courses I want to take and the courses I should take. I realize that if I take all the courses I want, I'll graduate with no marketable skills and be completely unprepared for articling. I'm drawn to the law school equivalents of "basketweaving", such as "Canadian Legal History" and "Law and Culture" while completely disinterested in useful course like "Tax 1" and "Civil Procedure".

So I will continue to plug away at balloting, probably right up to the deadline of July 30, when my selection becomes "locked in". Becuase if I really try, I might just find that I'll get what I need.

the blog is back

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome. It appears there have been some new visitors to the blog lately. As the little sister’s notoriety grows, it appears a few more people are finding their way to my blog. As you may note, there has been a long dry spell on the blog, but hopefully it will be back and full of life over the next couple of weeks.

blogus interruptus

As many of you have noticed, blogging has slowed to a glacial pace since I've moved back closer to the Arctic. Given how infrequent the blog entries have become I've decided to put the blog on hiatus for the next few months. I'll be leaving the blog up, but probably won't be posting again for a while, possibly as late as September when I return to school. If events change and I start blogging again regularly before then, I'll let those regular readers I know about know.

Thanks for all your comments, feedback, visits and support since this blogging experiment began.

Glen

a few simple rules...

I think Russell Smith has been too busy with his various other projects to be out and about this spring advocating the better rules of fashion. Whether it is his Globe column, his CBC radio show, or hiding from the jihad the little sister has launched against him on her blog, something has been keeping him quiet on the topic of clothing.

Whatever the reason, I have decided that he hasn't been out and about, and I offer the following guidelines for the fashionably challenged I have seen or discussed in the last few days.

First, it was scorching hot in Edmonton this weekend, where I was for the Police concert (more on this later). I understand it was the first nice weekend in spring and people would want to enjoy it. But guys, if you're skin is pasty white and you're boney, keep a shirt on. I'm willing to accept shorts, but your white pasty ribs in my face, NO.

I'm sure some of you pasty white boney people are saying "oi - how am I supposed to get dark if I can't reveal my pasty white skin". TAN IN YOUR BACKYARDS! Once you have some meat and colour on your body, come on out. Until then - keep it under wraps.

Next, for the girls - it's a night out, you want to have a good time, show off some assets. Hoochie it up a little, I understand. However, those tarty clothes don't fit anymore, put them away. Don't pry yourself into those old jeans, with boobs, butts and rolls falling out all over. Really, keep it away. Pick up some new clothes, you'll look even sexier.

At spin class the other day, the subject of bike shorts came up. Do you wear anything under your bike shorts. The answer from the instructor was if the short's padded, nothing goes under. My advice if you're not crazy about bike shorts, the double short is a solution, bike shorts, with an outer short attached.

Finally at lunch today, office attire came up. Tank tops, cut-offs and flip flops are not appropriate for the workplace, particularly if you work in a jail. First, practical reasons, if I'm working in a jail, I want to be able to run, which is not going to happen in flip flops. As the little sister sarcstically said, "Why not? I like to walk around with a t-shirt that says slut across my breasts when I go to the jail". People, remember where you are.

I know I seem very uptight and strict about these things (possibly prudish?) but really if we all follow these rules, the world could be a better place.