The Chaotic Enigma - Inside My Mind

The Inter-County Baseball League is a great affordable option for anyone who doesn’t like paying inflated prices that Roger’s  loves to charge at the SkyDome.

You can see their website at http://www.burlingtontwins.com/

Saturday the Burlington Twins were having their home opener against the Hamilton Cardinals…

The game was scheduled for 2 pm which as far as I am concerned was a great time.

There was everything in this game, hits including home runs, batters being beaned, extra innings and the home team won in 11 innings - 11-10

This game was A W E S O M E…

World Renowned Recording Artist Michael Burgess sang our National Anthem, still have tears in my eyes over that…

Leafs fans, you know who Michael Burgess is.

Afterwards, I was lucky enough to speak to Mr. Burgess & I was even more blessed to have a photo taken with Mr.Burgess.

The game was mostly a blur to me, because I was having so much fun.

I bought a hat and a t-shirt - it cost me less then what 1 hat would cost at SkyDome.

They have a real nice vibe at Nelson Park - the Home of the Burlington Twins..

BTW,

Here is a shocking fact…

Burlington Twins have the best hot dogs I’ve ever tasted…

AND…

They only cost 3 Bucks, so I had quite a few, haha…

In other words, this was an awesome day,

$7 Bucks for an Adult Ticket, $5 for Student/Seniors & Kids under 12 are free…

How is that not amazing bang for your buck.

The players are accessible, you can sit literally anywhere…

Kids can run bases, they give out prizes & cash…

This is actually something MOST can afford,

Unlike the gouging that most teams in the GTA do to people on a daily basis,

Yeah, I’m hooked and I will be back soon…

Only Question is…

Will You Be There

OakleyInc

100,000

It’s quite a number – It’s the kind of number that makes most people stop, even for a moment.

Now, I’m going to tell you my story of what 100,000 means to me.

When I moved to Toronto a few years ago, I knew no one. I had a life before Toronto and I kept to that life through Facebook and an invention called a telephone.

I knew what twitter was, just had no interest in it. Well In January 2010, after being in Toronto for about 6 months I jumped into the world of Twitter.

At first I just read hashtags to familiarize myself with twitter. I started following the people who appeared to be interesting. The very first person to follow me on Twitter was the @mapleleafs very fitting if you ask me or those who know me.

Twitter is both a blessing and a curse.

I’ve had the opportunity to do things because of Twitter. For example, a road trip to Ottawa with someone who became a good friend of mine. We called this road trip #PlayoffsOrBust

Trust me rather than tell you all the details, you should watch the vids.

@Pshag I am glad to be your friend. In the time I’ve known you, you’ve always made me want to be the best person I can be.

These vids never fail to make me smile, thanks Brad for doing them.

Check out the links to the trip,

Pt 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mce_-cGzbDU&feature=my_favorites&list=FLc1aZpp_clwj_RDWiNTxIhA

Pt 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FcHSwTLY1w&feature=my_favorites&list=FLc1aZpp_clwj_RDWiNTxIhA

Pt 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL2xKE4MKRs&feature=my_favorites&list=FLc1aZpp_clwj_RDWiNTxIhA

Twitter also is the reason I became friends with @GarrettBauman – we’ve gone to Ottawa a few times to watch the Leafs play the Senoritas and to watch the 2012 NHL All Star Game; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr-sS_YPmak and we even watched the Leafs at ACC too. He’s also a big Jays fan too, and we’ve seen Blue Jays games too. He’s a great friend, a fantastic hockey writer too. He’s the kind of friend everyone should have. Again; all because of twitter.

On twitter I’ve met people like @cdot_in_tdot & @trishca. These two are two of my closet friends. The fact that they keep me grounded more often than not is a big plus.

Trish works for the Toronto Botannical Gardens and I was able to be there for a special night… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iieHFpA5TFU Trish is also the person who helps me find cool places to blog about on this site http://mymonsterappetite.tumblr.com/

Calvin is also one of the most dedicated, loyal people I’ve ever met. I’m blessed to know him

In the time I’ve been on twitter, I would think most of you know I am a Passionate (Obsessed, fan of the Leafs & Marlies) that led to me becoming friends with Matteo of @wewantacupcom. We did a podcast together for a long time. His friendship is invaluable, I consider him a mentor to me in many ways. I encourage all hockey fans to get to know this guy and his site. www.wewantacup.com His passion for the Leafs almost matches mine J

My obsession with the Leafs and Marlies also has allowed me some special access to the Leafs as I won a few contests on Twitter & I’ve manages to meet pretty much all of both rosters at one point or another.

Thanks to @LGCanada for the #LGFanbassador event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiKptFGMwcE & Coke Zero & @RealSports for this  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5swK5RD2vg

I’ve done a few Marlies themed Podcasts, but these 2 Marlies events were my favorite, the first was an open practice in Bradford, Ontario http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng3uB0Le2NA

The second was at a game, watching it in a suite.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J2sO-r1P9U

My love of sports has allowed me to partake of another adventure that I will never forget thanks to a friend of mine. His name is David aka @rocky1951

David knew I was a hockey fan, so he let me have a fan experience; that I think many hockey fans would like, I brought @LeafsFan71 along, cause he’s a real huge OHL fan too. Alan is also one of the classiest people I have ever met in my entire life, everyone loves Alan, he’s a world class guy with a heart the sign of Mount Everest.

That day I got to meet both teams including Greg McKegg & Sondre Olden who I hope will have amazing careers with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I also met Max Domi, sat in his dads’ suite too. I will say, one of the best days ever for me. JLC runs a tight ship & the London Knights are one classy organization. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OgDfQrXEkM Thank you David.

Twitter has also introduced me to people like @alexaohamilton – who just happens to be a fantastic writer – she wrote a great book. Please check out her website. http://alexaopalhamilton.com/

I’ve also met a guy by the name of @ZachBussey – he’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve met, a fantastic blogger too. Check out his site http://zachbussey.com/

Zach was kind enough to do a superbowl contest and well, I won that so I took my pal @GarrettBauman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u34gvdkJHS0 what an amazing game. Got to see jevon Kearse, Bruce Smith & Met the Buffalo Jills.

I also won a contest to go help deliver seasons tickets to loyal TFC fans, let me tell you this was a fun experience, thank you TFC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6YU1jliFk

Let me tell you about Dez, if memory serves me right, and I’m old, so forgive me, she was the very first person I met from twitter. The very first tweet up I ever attended was #DezignatedBash - this is where I met people for the first time that I will never forget, Dez and I have a friendship that is not defined by one thing. Her passion, intellect and compassion will always keep my friendship securely with here.

My friendships with people in the world of professional wrestling has allowed me to meet some of the who’s who in the industry, past & present. Beefcake, Nash, Steiner, Mickie James, Robert Roode, James Storm, Jeff Jarrett, XPac, Billy Gunn, Tatanka, The Million Dollar Man & Virgil, Steve Corino, Rhino, Kurt Angle & the IMMORTAL HULK Hogan.

Kurt Angle is a true pro and a classy guy. Hulk Hogan was amazing, I got to talk to him before the show started, he posed for a pic with me, signed my WWF World Title. I will always be a Hulkamaniac. Check out this clip I recorded of the Hulkster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Vmon1DxN8 The fans BLEW the roof off the building in Brantford for the Hulkster.

I still think it’s cool that on twitter I’ve been tweeted by Colby Armstrong, Velvet Sky & Gail Kim. However, when Doug Gilmour  and Wendel Clark directly tweeted to me, and Hulk Hogan tweeted to me a few different occasions, I literally lost my mind. I’m still a kid at heart sometime.

I also met the First Lady of Real Sports, @GailGabrielle – she’s so unbelievably awesome, I think most of you know that already. She was there last year when me and Garrett attempted the Hail Mary. Gail was one of the very first people I ever met off twitter. I admire her. We did that on our Birthday weekends as they are so close together. Last year about 40 or 50 people showed up. It was a great party; indeed.

This year I turned 40 – so @cdot_in_tdot allowed me to host the party at a great restaurant called Shoeless Joe’s (Spadina & Bloor)

It was likely one of the most awesome moments of my life. That day I got tattooed haha, really did.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=797ZaTPQM20 That party brought together many of my friends offline and online. The people that came are all friends, but not all were sports fans. Many new introductions took place that night.

 Bamboo Tattoo, by the way is the place where you go when you want a real tattoo http://bambootattoostudio.ca/

I also met the great people of iBroadcastTV – I love these guys, I know they are going to do huge things. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CwJQ2aJdvY

I’ve had thousands of conversations with people about the Jays & the Leafs. It never gets old to me, I love sports.

I even went to a tweetup where I was Certified in CPR, thank you Red Cross. That is a special memory for me. I encourage everyone to give blood, sign an organ donor card and get CPR certified.

@BigBadBruDaddy – I keep waiting for you to get your big break, you are one talented comedian.

@Braziliangddess – Lana is a dear friend of mine and unbelievably intelligent, this lady is one of a kind, there are none like here that I’ve ever met. DO not let her outside appearance fool you, she’s a million in one.

@MegButton is another person who I’ve met because of twitter, on a scale of 1 to 10 for beauty; she’s a 43…way off the scale. People, do not let the blonde bombshell look fool you, she’s one of the smartest people I know. Plus, she’s a Leafs fan, much love to you Meg.

Kym Taal aka @Ktaal –  the social media guru of @bpsquareone is also an amazing friend I met through Twitter. We watched the games LIVE at the Memorial Cup last year, I’ve been there to help with Pics & Vids for Customer Appreciation days & BP Idol. She is always able to give me the answers I seek.

All my love to you Kym, I’m blessed by our friendship. I also met her rocking pal Senga, who is a good gal, a leafs fan, unlike her Man (BOOO a Habs fan, lol)

I made some great friends with people like @normanjames @moniz9 & @sariclancy. They may live in London, but their friendship is priceless to me. Norman is the King of the Podcast. Nathan & Sarah are awesome in every way, Leafs & Jays fans too.

Justin Baisden (@The_Jmoney) Dan Levy (@TheDanLevy) Two of the smartest guys I know, wish I got to spend more time with them.  Justin & Dan always seem to have their finger on the pulse of today. Much respect to the both of them.

My friend @Merreee1 – proud American, friend & one epic player when it comes to “Words With Friends”

@lemonjellie – cake ninja, photographer, blogger, leafs fan, my friend.

@GabiFortinSmith she’s like a sis to me.  Dedicated Leafs fan.

@TsarKasim my friend, a guy with morals and integrity, one hell of a Words With Friend Player – wish I got to hang out more with him.

@KarlyJo19 – this pint sized pal of mine is more mature than most my age. She’s been a good friend to me. Dedicated Leafs fan. Don’t mess with her, or it’s lights out.

Rob aka @Robsarj – a good friend, a talented young manm designed my business cards, also helped me with launch of www.enigmaphotography.ca He has a wealth of knowledge and compassion.

Cammi, aka @Cammipham has the soul of a songbird &  the heart of a lion, such a passionate, driven young woman, I’m happy to be in her life, a good friend.

Joe at @BeTheGame – this man resonates passion and compassion for the less fortunate. Interact with him, see what he’s doing to change the world, support his mission.

@Alleycat17 – One of the most passionate, loyal, hardcore Blue Jays fans alive. She’s a great Maritimer with a heart of gold, much love April.

Jon aka @JonSinden – this man does more for MLSE sports than most realize,he’s also someone I call a friend, he’s one guy I’d like to hang out with more often, but he’s uber-busy J

Esther aka @soul_whispers – She has an amazing soul, I don’t use the word amazing often, but she is this and more, she’s in touch with her soul and the global community, she has a level of compassion for others that is unmatched by most. She is someone I think everyone should make an effort to know.

Monica aka @JustMeMonica_ a wonderful young lady, loyal leafer and a talented hard working business owner, glad to be a friend to her.

Please take time to get to know these fine individuals as well, I have and it’s been an enriching experience. People like @VintageLeaf   @StephGT87 @Benny_SteelLeaf @icehboy @Tonyhson @MarkUkLeaf @DylanWettlaufer @Kennedy76Ca @sassygirlcanada @lolastar @carolaik @d0nnagabbanna @vintagemuskoka @anitaelizar  @TomMannington @AyznGurl @BranLwyd @abtheleaffan @Scotsman7@jongauthier @clickflickca @lushbaby @tracieryan_  @notashopaholic @zgarner2000 @cyf8 @brianhuddle @KF_Kadri43 @LeafFan1920 @TML_Talk @JustMeMonica_ @hockeylife30 @kevinkcodes @doomzto

I Love these people; take the time to get to know them. It’s not just sports we talk about. These are some of the most dynamic people out there, wonderful minds they all possess

Stefan, aka @Shakes1 – this guy does more for OHL Hockey & IBL baseball than anyone I know, talented DJ too, my friend, thanks twitter.

@Shashena my friend with the beautiful soul & matching shoes. I find you inspiring and invaluable. I thank you for the gift of friendship.

The two Steph’s @leafsgirlsteph & @steph_leaflover. These 2 ladies are my friends; they also don’t let me get away with anything. I think at times they are way too tough on me, I suppose that’s cause they care. I am glad that they do. It’s an honor to call them friends.

@DavePoaps & @mads_kassinger – a lovely couple both with hearts the size of this country, I’ve known them both for about 2 years. Two friends who are legit amazing. They enrich my life and those of others who know them.

I’ve spent time with Joe_17 and @Paula_Sullivan – both maritimers, both massive Leafs fans, both my friends… get to know them. Paula you are a wonderful woman, with a heart of gold..stay you…Don’t let your warmth be put out my negative energy.

Jonathan aka @Canadian09 –  one of my best pals, a great sports fan and friend, one hard working guy.

My friend, @LilSunshineXO – not enough words to describe this princess. But Sunshine is a friend worth having. She’s eclectic and audacious and she has my respect.

@MoniqueBoblin this lady has been here for me on more than one occasion, I trust her implicitly, she’s got the soul of an angel, I love her honesty and passion. My friend, I admire you.

@Fragileheart – Oh sweet Reggy, you are one of a kind. A complex young woman who reeks of awesomeness

My friend Mislav aka @Xterratu – one of the sharpest minds i know, big leafs fan and an unbelievably talented writer, Europe’s gain is North America’s loss.

@PhotoJunkie – Rannie you exude class, I’m also a fan of your work. I think you are a talented photographer.

Ryan,aka RyanSH13  I always wished I had a brother, if I ever did – he’s be you…I trust you implicitly, I’m proud to call you a friend. The best thing about the prairies my friend is you.

Raymond aka the @Funky Barrister a man with morals, conviction and passion, and even though I know he’s a Habs fan, he’s still worthy of my respect. Class personified.

M…. aka @LaBellaVita320 –  you read my food blogs, we share many interests and philosophies, I am thrilled to call you my friend. I know you are always looking out for me. Friends like you are priceless, and will always be treasure. Plus you love Nutella & Titanic = Perfect,  Ti Amo Bella Principessa.

It would be nice if everything on twitter was always happy go lucky, however, that’s not realistic.

I can honestly say that 90% of the people I’ve ever tweeted I respect and admire. I’m aware there is a group of people who don’t like me. The funny thing is the people who don’t like me have NEVER met me offline.

All that matters to me is that my friends know my heart & they stand by me. I do the same in return.

I may not have mentioned every single person who follows me, but do not discount that, you are part of my journey to 100,000 tweets, therefore, you are important to me.

Never judge a book by its cover. DO that and you really miss out on special. Remember, LOVE is LOUDER.

The journey to 100,000 Tweets is something I never thought would happen. I’ll be honest; I thank each and every single person who has ever tweeted to me.

Even if you came with love or hate, Know this…your tweet meant something to me, good and bad.

I have enjoyed this journey to 100,000 Tweets.  it really has been an adventure. The experiences & friendships formed are something I do not take lightly. I had an open mind when I joined Twitter. I think this is a HUGE reason why I’ve had a lot of happiness and positive things come out of it.

I say this with all the sincerity I have. Thank you all of you for being with me on this journey, regardless if you have followed me a day, a week, a month a year or whatever. You are important to me. I don’t just follow anyone.

If I make it to 250,000 Tweets, I am sure I will have more to say…

Twitter clearly has the power to change the world if people work together, NOT work against one another.

It’s made my life a lot more rich and worth living from the friendships and experiences I’ve had through these 100,000 Tweet.

In the meantime, be good to one another, be good to yourself,

Be the change you wish to be in this world, do that my friends and we’ll make history…

I’ll leave you with these words, spoken by a man with great passion…

My Friends,

Love is better than anger,

Hope is better than fear,

Optimism is better than Despair,

So let us be loving, hopeful, optimistic

And we’ll change the world

This blog I worked on throughout the week, it’s my heart, mind & soul in this blog…

I hope those who read it enjoyed it. This is the real Oaks talking, no glitz, no glamour, just an honest blog to reflect how I feel…

Consider this,  the Oaks unplugged,

Kindest Regards,

OakleyInc

I read this on TSN…

Just wanted it to be NEVER FORGOTTEN…

WASHINGTON - Canada’s Sheldon Kennedy stepped into the American spotlight on Tuesday, the one-time victim of a sexual predator making a Capitol Hill appearance to urge U.S. lawmakers to “empower” anyone who suspects children are being sexually abused.

Under the glare of television cameras and the din of snapping shutters, the former NHL player matter-of-factly told of the ordeal he suffered at the hands of a once-trusted hockey coach. His testimony came as America grapples with the Penn State college football scandal.

“In my case, my abuser was International Hockey Man of the Year,” Kennedy told the U.S. Senate subcommittee on children and families, whose members include Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota.

“In Canada, that gave him almost God-like status. Sound familiar? The kids — and often their parents too — looked up to him as a hero. This was someone who could make their dreams come true and he used that trust to hurt them.”

Pedophiles count on the fact that most people have trouble believing trusted adults in their fields — coaches, teachers, priests — would ever abuse children, Kennedy said.

“Senators, you need to give all adults working with youth and all parents the tools to recognize and respond to abuse when it first arises,” said Kennedy, who stunned Canada in 1997 when he stepped forward to accuse Graham James, his former junior hockey coach, of sexually abusing him for years.

“Empower the bystanders and you’ll be taking an important first step in breaking the silence on child abuse.”

Authorities in Pennsylvania, indeed, have accused several high-ranking officials at Penn State of knowing young boys were being abused by Jerry Sandusky, an assistant coach on the college’s celebrated football team, yet failed to notify the authorities.

Tuesday’s hearing was held the same day that Sandusky appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom and waived a preliminary hearing. He’s facing 52 charges involving the sexual abuse of 10 boys between 1994 and 2009.

The chairwoman of the subcommittee, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, told the Senate hearing about so-called double victims. Those children first suffered the abuse, then that abuse was overlooked, ignored or covered up, said Mikulski, once a social worker in Baltimore.

The Maryland Democrat said such coverups were a particular problem with institutions that were deemed beyond reproach or “too big to fail.”

“We want to break that code of silence,” she said. “No institution should ever be too big to report, or too famous to report. And no adult should ever feel they are protected because of the brand they represent.”

Kennedy said those close to abuse situations often have an inkling — or in the case of Penn State, an outright awareness, according to authorities — that something untoward is going on.

“In every case of child abuse — certainly in my own — there are people who had a ‘gut feeling’ that something was wrong but didn’t do anything about it,” he said.

“Their attitude was: ‘I don’t want to get involved,’ ‘it’s not my problem,’ ‘he couldn’t possibly be doing that’ or ‘the authorities will take care of it.’ And that’s what pedophiles and predators are counting on. They are counting on the public’s ignorance or — worse yet — their indifference.”

The Penn State scandal ultimately resulted in the firing of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. Penn State president Graham Spanier also lost his job, and two other college officials have been charged with perjury and failing to report the assaults, some of which took place on campus.

For Canadians — and Kennedy in particular — the scandal is sickly familiar.

Kennedy, 42, has said he didn’t tell his teammates about the abuse for fear they’d believe he was gay. He didn’t tell his mother because he was afraid she’d pull him from Canada’s revered junior team.

It’s not just victims who are afraid to come forward, he added. It can also be adults close to the situation who suspect something isn’t right.

“These issues carry fear,” he told the hearing.

“So if we can eliminate that fear and give people confidence to act on their gut feelings, you’re going to get a lot more of these parents and these coaches and these leaders and these teachers reporting and listening to our kids.”

James was convicted of some 350 sexual abuse charges and served 3 1/2 years in prison. He was quietly pardoned in 2007 — something that touched off a national firestorm when it was revealed to The Canadian Press by Greg Gilhooly, another alleged James victim.

Last week, James pleaded guilty to fresh allegations of sexual assault from two more of his former players, one of whom was NHL star Theo Fleury. Charges related to Gilhooly’s allegations were stayed.

The political and legislative fallout of the James pardon continues to this day, resulting in much closer scrutiny of all applicants and stringent new rules that prohibit record suspensions for certain types of convicts, including sex offences against minors.

Tuesday’s hearing was aimed at examining America’s child abuse laws.

In particular, the subcommittee says it wants to review the adequacy of current federal and state reporting requirements, in addition to proposals aimed at both preventing abuse and intervening when abuse is suspected.

Saying goodbye, Is never an easy thing

But you never said, That you’d stay forever

So if you must go, I‘ll set you free…

The above photos are of my jeep in happier times,

And, here is where my blog begins…

I’ve travelled through every province in my jeep, even the 3 territories. I’ve been in most of the States as well with the jeep.

I’ve had this Jeep longer than any vehicle I have ever owned.

The jeep was a lot like me, rugged, dependable, and generally not noticed by many.

This was the best vehicle I ever owned.

I had some amazing times in this jeep…

Like this road trip with my Friend Brad,

We drove to Ottawa to watch the Leafs beat the crap out of the Senators.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mce_-cGzbDU&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FcHSwTLY1w&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL2xKE4MKRs&feature=share

One thing is for sure about this jeep, I have so many memories of the adventures, I’ll never forget.

I was stopped at a red light on August long weekend,on a street I had been on many times before, it was a Friday night, sky was clear, roads were dry…and then it happened…

There is NO WAY, I will sugar coat this comment, an ASSHOLE driving a minivan, talking on his cell phone hit me…drilled me in fact. He hit the jeep so hard he broke the trailer hitch & made the stereo pop out.

The guys name is James, I would love to give his last name, not sure if legally I can.

He tried to get away, but I cornered him & phoned the local police, He was extremely verbally abusive.

Needless to say, his vehicle on cursory examination had a cracked License plate holder, my back end was crumpled in, but drivable.

I drove it all weekend, waiting for the Tuesday to arrive, so I could take it to a mechanics.

All week I waited, and waited & waited. No calls at all from TD Insurance or the mechanic.

Keep in mind when I spoke to Natalie, my adjustor at TD insurance,she mentioned she would call me within 24 to 48 hours, she never called me once. EPIC FAIL for TD Insurance.

8 days later I FINALLY got ahold of Natalie, when I told her who I was and why I was calling, she said in a very cold manner, “Oh, I didn’t tell you?, Your jeep is being written off” FAIL AGAIN TD INSURANCE

I was floored, stunned…I was so upset, this jeep has serious sentimental value attached to it, knowing it was being written off, knowing it would be destroyed by a compactor, I’ll admit it made me sad, devastated actually.

A good friend of mine, well she put 2 & 2 together & knew that losing my jeep was reflective of 2 other incidents in my life. She was able to point out, that it’s easy to become emotionally invested in something that has been part of your life for a very long time.

I’m glad she’s a friend, she’s always there. She is someone I trust implicitly.

After I was able to recover from the shock, it was all business. I got a lowball offer, which I immediately rejected & they went back to the bargaining table.

I was given an offer that was mostly alright. The new offer came from a manager in the loss Department.

She even had a cheque ready for me within 48 hours, so KUDOS to Jennifer where ever you may be.

The next phase in moving forward was to find a new vehicle, and wouldn’t you know, in my search for a new vehicle I found another Jeep Cherokee, one year older than mine, but same color, same everything…

I was overwhelmed, I seriously considered buying it, but the friend I mentioned earlier pointed out, it would look the same, likely drive the same,but wouldn’t be the same.

She made a valid point, that it would be worse to have something so close to familiarity, but yet not close enough.

There is no replacing the memories of the Jeep, I know that.

I decided to go completely against the grain, I abandoned my fixation on the SUV’s of my world.

I bought a new car, and although I will never forget the best vehicle I ever owned…I need to move on, I’ll always love my jeep though…

This was a learning experience for me, I learned that even though everything seemed bleak, the sun will shine again.

It’s time to make some more memories - this time in a car, 

I look forward to those new adventures…

Curious to know what my readers think…

I miss my jeep, the loss reminds me other things in my life…

I’ll miss you my old friend, but I know I will never forget all the great times I had,

Here are the final words on my jeep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sct-eAzOKac

OakleyInc

Photos are of the new vehicle….

It’s very clear to me that there is a lot of emotion when it comes to being employed vs unemployed.

I was tweeting about this very subject the other day. I said some things that were misinterpreted and after a few minutes some people were very much in agreement with what I said. There were others who did not agree with what I said.

Twitter only lets you speak in 140 character,my explanation is a lot longer.

I am 39, I’ve been in every province & territory, I’ve worked since I was 16.

I’ve always been of the mindset that hard work is good for you.

I was born in the Maritimes where there was not a lot of work. 

I always had a job though, no matter what province I’ve lived in,including Ontario.

There are people out there who have no desire to work.They would prefer to collect welfare, or work the minimum number of weeks, then collect EI. I’ve no respect for that, you are a leech.

However, there are those who are unemployed who work harder then others I know who are employed. These people are sending resumes out, going to interviews & doing everything by the book, these people I have such respect and empathy for.

What are me & others doing different. I cannot speak for them, so i’ll tell my story.

I came here to Ontario for a few reasons, my love of sports & for other personal reasons.

I’d been working for about 20 years when I came to Ontario.

I did not really know who & where I wanted to work for.

The first thing I did was update my resume.

The next thing I did was starting finding reputable job sites…such as

https://www.workopolis.com/

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca

http://www.monster.ca/ (this site will help u design free cover letters & free resume builders)

http://www.torontojobs.ca/

http://torontojobshop.ca

http://www.linkedin.com/

I even checked out Kijiji & Craiglist  as well.

I went & bought a business directory for the city of Brampton & Mississauga.

These Directories tell me everything I need to know about a business.

Once I got that of course, I mass emailed every single business that matched my skill sets or I felt I might be a good fit for..

Once I did that, along with all the job sites I was accessing within a week I had about 40 interviews.

That is a lot of interviews, I did not go to all of them of course. The specific companies that I wanted to talk to, those who were I focused on.

There was about 10 companies I was very interested in. Once I emailed them my resume, I waited exactly 1 day before I started calling them.

I called each & every employer everyday till I got my interview.

I’ve heard many pros & cons regarding calling employers.

I don’t exactly play by the rules.

Think about it, if the employer has no plan on calling you back, you have nothing to lose by calling everyday till you are told, come in or piss off.

If you sign up to any of these sites, the sites will also send you job postings you are qualified for.

Once I got the interviews for the place I wanted, off I went to be interviewed.

All interviews are different, they tend to be different because everyone is different.

However, I know how to sell myself. My direct mannerisms are a blessing & at times a curse.

However, following this methodology has found me work in every province.

I got the job I wanted & while I was working, I was still looking at the sites everyday & looking at upgrading my options. That led to another job.

One day I happened to get a call from a company in Montreal, who were accessing many of the sites I was and had seen my resume. They were expanding into Ontario, and they were interested in me.

I went to that interview & the offer was so appealing - but I turned it down.

A few weeks later another Executive with the company phoned me & made me an offer I could not refuse, so off I went to work for them…

And this is where the story gets fun,

I was working for this company from literally dawn to dusk, Six days a week, sometimes 7.

I did not have any life at all.

I felt beaten & broken.

Then Twitter said hello to me.

I slowly got into twitter, so very confused by how it all works. I was becoming addicted to it, sooooo

I went to a gathering of twitter people. I met a lot of people that night including @CorySilver @pshag @dezignated @dallas_price @trishca @gailgabrielle @clickflickca. Amazing people who have changed my life.

After that I was hooked for good.

The strange thing was - the day of that Gathering at Real Sports was the day I quit my job.

I quit a very well paying job, that had lots of potential for me.

I quit because I was unhappy, my life was consumed by working for someone else.

My passion in life has always been Photography, Food, Writing & sports of course.

I’d been involved with photography since I was a child. I knew I was good - I just had no idea if I had the guts to start my own business.

I started a Facebook Page, I already had a built in FB audience, so creating this page was common sense. 

https://www.facebook.com/TroyOakley.EnigmaPhotography

I encourage you, if you “Like” this page…go ahead click…

I designed & created my own official website 

http://www.enigmaphotography.ca/

I wasn’t an expert, so I got a very good guy from Twitter to help me with hosting. Thanks to Roberto Sarjoo for helping me with that, He also designs the worlds best business cards, he designed mine. They are the best I ever had.

Once I started interacting more on Facebook & Twitter, going to tweetups, I started to get people off twitter & Fb hiring me to do small jobs.

This is Toronto however, there are some unbelievably talented people here. I know the photography business will not be easy.

I know bills still need to be paid, so I decided I would look for some work that would not interfere with me building my business.

Once again, I took to twitter because on Twitter there are some great sources for job leads, accounts like @YahooJobs @Spherion_Canada

 @googlejobs @Jobs_Toronto @MonsterCareers  

@Workopolis @JobsInToronto @RogersCareers @googlejobs

Of course, at this point I had 3 or 4 hundred followers who would tweet on occasion about job leads they had.

About that time, I started following Julie, she is the Chief Matchmaker at Vestiigo. @Vestiigo @VestiigoJulie 

She always seems to have an inside scoop to some amazing opportunities. Combining all the twitter links with all the JobSites once again I found a job very quickly.

I was hired to do sales, which I have always had a knack for - I love closing deals.

Once I was there for a few months, I started talking to them about Marketing, Advertising & Social Media.

I am now responsible for building a brand for them using Facebook & Twitter.

At this point, that leaves me with a job in sales, a photography job, & now a job in social media.

I have been steadily getting more & more clients in the photography business. In fact one of my clients was so impressed she introduced me to someone very close to her.

He is looking for someone to run his social media as well.

If I take this job, it will be job #4 for me.

Everything that has come to me is because I followed a system.

Making sure I checked the sites daily,Calling Employers daily and I networked my ass off when I moved to Ontario.

Twitter is perhaps the best marketing tool I’ve ever seen. Think about it, your friends & their friends are on Twitter. Many different businesses are online as well. When they have vacancies, they tend to tweet about it.

Everyone is talking on it. On my twitter list I don’t just follow anyone, or let anyone follow me, I want to be able to offer them something. My friendship, my knowledge, experiences etc. I hope to gain the same from the people I follow.

I’ve thought about this long & hard, I get work because I am tenacious,ambitious & I know how to sell myself in interviews,

If you are unemployed you have NOTHING to lose, so call them daily, use the sites & the twitter accounts I mentioned.

Ask your friends if they know anyone hiring,go to Job Fairs which Toronto has all the time.

If there are certain companies you want to work for, send them your resume.

Keep calling, if they don’t have a twitter account or FB account & you have a knack for that, explain to the company how you can use this to make their business even more profitable.

I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but I have an employer who pays me a separate salary to a different job in the company, so it does happen, its happened for others too.

Be confident, confidence is King…show the world that you are the most amazing person & that you will be an asset to the company, confidence is sexy & impossible to resist.

I believe that anywhere I work I will be an asset for the team. I am also willing to adapt to become more integral to the team.

I believe that if you sell yourself on the phone and/or in person the job will become yours.

I don’t doubt in my mind being unemployed sucks,I can imagine the emotions, anger,sadness, frustration etc.

However, if you use these sites, use these twitter accounts,talk to companies you want to work for, call them every single day & sell yourself,

I believe you will get the interviews. I believe you will get the job. Don’t forget for every company hiring, they are begging for an applicant to stand out & blow them out of the water.

I know of so many people who get into a routine of ho hum interviews,

I approached every interview as if my life depended on it..

Be assertive,stay focused, Do Not have self doubt, Embrace Your Animal Side - BE CONFIDENT.

I’m just a guy, these things have worked for me.

I believe they will work for you…

What have you got to lose?

BELIEVE IN YOU

OakleyInc