Knocking on wood is for pussies

This could so be in the back book cover jacket sleeve yeah? Raymi currently lives and blogs in Toronto with her two cats (inherited step-motherhood thereof) one Lady Garbage and Her Friend, Boyfriend…she likes soup. But not when there is too much cinnamon in it.

Hola blogarinos!

I’d kill for some sunshine today. Short of that, a dry sky.

This shirt was close to making its way to the donation bin, can you imagine?

I wanted to do back-to-backs of a year ago this month but I looked in my archives and got severely depressed and bored instead. The desire has passed. I threw some archive links in my twitter feed and the blog numbers were cranked over 130 guests for a couple hours. Ok twenty minutes. IS equivalent to 2 hours in blog years.

I found my nail polish, it was in my laptop bag, with those strawberry nail polish remover pads erica gave me, so I gave myself an insta-mani on the spot while playing (and winning) Balderdash. It was a very intense game, I wonder how it will go down this weekend when more relatives show up. I will have to practise shadow-boxing.

On my way to victory. I still have to think of some nicely cold served revenge though for Shawn, he ripped a chunk of my hair out. In that moment I had to make a quick decision, do I give him a right hook in the eye and spoil the party or do I end it and remove myself and SLAM THE BEDROOM DOOR AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE. Still angry and I will hear it at the salon today. My brother was drinking psycho punch for sure, he warned me he would hit back earlier so I knew it would escalate. I wonder if we will still kick the shit out of each other when we’re forty?

I think I am getting sick but I am not going to dwell on it, I’ve had a couple of those sick feeling sneezes that wash all over and prickles your skin the last few days and my denial act of said sickness possible ailments has actually been working effectively so far. Knocking on wood is for pussies. I also quite enjoy the taste of snot down my throat. #yeahisaidit.

We saved the gingerbread train for Hailey but we opened it like raccoons and inspected the box contents based on the credo of “I bought it.”

We also played indoor frisbee with this neat fold-up frisbee I got in San Diego from Blogher holy shit next year take an empty suitcase with you, I bet all those mommy bloggers wrapped their kindles for this xmas, smart.

I can’t believe they let me go out in public in this dopey outfit, the socks I was wearing with leggings and grey flats, stupid hat. Behind my back they were calling me a trucker dude. It’s every man for themself in my family. Haha this reminds me of drunk wisdomery with Courtney last night, I said, life is like that Will Smith post-apocalyptic world movie (I can’t believe I spelled that right) and he’s alone waiting for rescue and there are zombie monsters everywhere, THAT is what it’s like, you MUST be happy on your own and survive. We just discovered that Courtney’s Ex is more of a piece of shit than we thought so we got smammered last night. Smammered is Heidi’s word and I give credit where it’s due.

This is how dude’s wrap a present. WRONG. You make it look like a pretend fire in drama class and place it in one sheet at a time like the whole bag is a fire. Why do you think they give you 8 pieces? This is 8 pieces of tissue paper folded over, cool waste dude! I left it as is cos it was funny and then I pointed it out to everyone when we arrived for a joke. Dad I will get you a card on the weekend. LONGEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

Friday night alright outta site! It’s getting to laundry low level so outfits are interesting I wonder what I will wear today, how exciting!

Leaf me alone. Getting longer.

AHHH Scary leaf ghost.

I don’t know my own strength/accuracy plus I had never done this trick I just invented before. Don’t aim it at your head, stupid?

A woman was studying, (absentmindedly not seriously) and we quickly ruined that for her. If you don’t want to be around people then why the fuck did you leave the house? She was scowling at our fanfare but by the end managed to grimace a giving-in smile at me because I kept staring back at her threateningly with my FUN. I hate bitter people because they remind me of how I used to be.

So suck it.

My bro had oxbloods like these when he was a teenager, I had them in blue, so I got these as an homage to him as well as a double time burn. I bought him a nice pair of Wallabee’s a couple years ago as a switcheroonie on style omg what is this Freaky Friday! He wears them on special occasion type occasions. Why am I writing like Jack Kerouac today so much oh right I’m a pisstank wordsmith like he is, a-doye.

I am trying to do the Marilyn poster, can’t wait to see it!

Even though I’ll definitely be playing Courtney Love. I thought this outfit was a bit of a Cobain Hybrid.

OMG GET OUT OF MY HEAD. Lol.

And my Nirvana tribute tat. I felt I was dressed pretty posh at my MTV interview, I am tired of the Courtney Love connection. It’s insulting. Yes she is an icon a little but I am not a raging lunatic like that, not yet anyway. I was wearing a goddamn $800 jacket that I talked about for an hour aghh!

Party statue, fresh from band practise in where I scrame my fucking guts out after very little sleep cos I was partying, I swear! NO Courtney Love here. I’m cute though right? That soup had too much cinnamon.

Teach had a burger so he only ordered soup and the waitress went, “Just soup?” haha well we had pints and I ordered a vegan sandwich. If you eat like a vegan you will look like Kate Moss but people always be fucking with Teacher, it’s funny. I think it’s the glasses. People feel comfortable, themselves, in giving him a what-for. I love it.

Whereas me it’s a mystery box of how are they going to react. I know I generally boss around servers but that’s only because I am efficient and I sort out our drinks and food within four seconds of ass hitting seat, who said it that their dad was a busser orderer too? I am not exactly that guy but I know the time saving trick of menu depositing and splitting for five minutes and nuh uh if you think homie done gone play a trick like that. Our very nice and professionally phoney people pleaser server at Fazooli’s tried it and I was like, HEY, wait a minute. Then ordered apps and those slush martinis before she could go look at herself in a mirror. She knew then that we were a table not to be ignored.

There was a pile of leaves, maybe that pissed her off? Hey lady is this your pile of leaves? There are two kinds of people in the world, those who get angry over spilled piles of leaves and those who are no big deal about it and just rake it again as life and fall is short. Ha I kinda gave up on that one right. I am getting leaving house anxiety because it’s so rainy and my light bulb ikea guy I bought out of loneliness is so comforting (you should get one) but mostly I am lazy, and possibly sick. And a whiner.

Bringing the big ass umbrella with me.

Ready for your punk rock aerobics instruction? My torso is not this long or warped, it’s the pants, they have stretched out and are a large. I’ve shrunken since purchasing them.

How is this inappropriate for minors? My jingle bell rock dance video was flagged. HO HO HO!

Don’t forget to PVR How the Minx stole Christmas.

Wait a second.

He didn’t even tell me about these ones. He said he was “getting mad” so that meant I was posing right.

Ps. I am only wearing one pearl earring in the durex video, I lost one on the way over :( Gotta get ready now love you bye!

Prepare to get schooled

Good afternoon class, welcome to Social Media Business Studies: THE NECESSARY EVIL. Now watch me as I live tweet and make fun of several people/brands/pop culture things. This is what we call “working” and this class is scheduled during a very vital key tweeting timeframe haha kidding I didn’t tweet, or say this either.

Wow love what you’ve done with the Business Department office. I love patios! I think it makes the students lazier though always coming to mooch around on their spare/lunch instead of walking up town to get high and eat pizza. Just kidding, no bad kids in sight, our generation has been grandfathered out. Speaking of, I told Mr. Bates about the falconer reunion party we had and said everyone is loving and like gangster’s paradise, one big happy family unit still. And yes everyone we are all very well versed on the hilarious offering what is Tom’s surname, Mr. Mastur- LOL. just had to get it out of the way cos it was very educationally important to address. The element of humour is a crucial raymi the minx component.

Statement purse of the century, Fall is definitely the season for a bright bag. This girl asked if it was some designer, whats her face and I was like “?” and then told them all about Nella Bella. She flips designer purses on Kijiji. Oh what a world we live in today.

Colleague and I were given leather-bound SSS insignia post-it holders. VIPLEASE treatment! Mr. Bates was funny and pointed out the 2010 dated year haha, and before he opened them up for us we were like Ooooh, and he goes yeah sorry (cos it could have been anything inside there right, good build-up to a great let-down) haha. I will let it proudly gather dust on a desk at some point, Tom.

See Tarek, everyone adores your work. Ps. do you think Mr. Bates is a sleeper gay? Lol.

No cell phones in class. Pfft. there isn’t wifi though cos of the (paranoia) brain waves, seriously. I said that’s fine, I didn’t have wifi so they should cope without.

I remember Mr. D he’s the shop/auto teacher, he always had grease rats loitering around, car groupies? Nerds who wanted to be manly and this one slutty girl whom I used to hang out with who was irritating as hell. She hung around Ward and I aka used him for rides, sorry gal, Ward is my chauffeur. He taught me to drive standard and I invented Life happens to Raymi at his house one night in the year 2000.

Woop woop! Partay!

And then this cute blushing ginger guy showed up and we shyly said hi to one another.

And then I was blown away by my English Media teacher showing up and screamed out OH MY GOD YOU INSPIRED ME SO MUCH! (Had no idea he was still teaching) And then everyone laughed at him gahaha.

He had hair when he taught me. Mr. Bates was like I didn’t know he taught you, I still think of him as the new guy. I chuckled as I set up my crap and said that’s funny you don’t get the respect you’ve earned and time you put in until you retire here. I hope you get a nice watch.

Off to chat to one of his students. Teachers use guests as student avoiding forcefields and just being an adult period in a school-setting makes everything you do look super important and you, very busy. Teachers have it made.

Ha I see event planner down there and how does a teacher even know what that means or how to teach it? I guess just watch wedding planning shows and you will figure it out? Brand manager? See, lucky kids, none of this shit was taught to me, which is what I told them so you better take notes.

We started in this room, then moved to the computer lab, which works on a first come first serve/scheduled basis? I introduced myself and then we all had to shuffle rooms. Gave me a breather to calm my nerves a little.

HOT FOR TEACHER!

Aaand here is my rack No wifi? Lets get out of here. Didn’t use the laptop at all during my talk. They could just tune real me out and scroll away.

Much better. Wow, it’s not blocked? Amazing. oh my god that girl’s hair, gorgeous.

Ok so, I have been doing this for eleven years this November blabbity blah.. One girl said ok so when did you first start getting paid, I said three years in or so, wait a minute, you did this for years and no money? UH I had a real job and I was building my brand and preparing for wealth and working in a non-existent field. I paved the way for what is happening today. I started blogvertorials. Today if you were smart enough, thanks to me, you could start a blog and make money from it pretty much straight away but there is still a lot of work required of you. A lot of planning goes in to it, from your brand (name) to your design, content, appeal, angle, niche. Over the decade I have made many contacts and connections which over time those bonds get stronger and trust is built and then eventually you advertise for every single person you know because you are an expert in your taste-making field, whether your brand is appropriate for that client or not (many seem to think that mine isn’t, wrong, your customers read my blog) you eventually become a household name with daily relevant coveted traffic. I get 3000 UNIQUE visitors daily and advertising with me will raise your website’s rank. For example, I’ve brought a brand’s rank of over 4 million to under a million after working on a 3 month long campaign with them. Does the blog you advertise with raise your rank at all?

If you’ll note, along my sidebar, I have over 10 FIRST PLACE various blog awards that I have won through weeks of solid hardcore intense and skillful campaigning. I do not settle for second place, First is where it’s at. I even beat Dooce in 2006 for Best Diarist, and by now she’s on par with Oprah and Katie Couric.

And last night I did my first film advertisement for a brand that I am sure I’ll get more work out of, knock on wood. I said here’s one of my trade secret tip sayings, YOU’RE ONLY AS BIG AS YOUR NEXT BIG THING so even though I am coming off something “big” that I did last night, I have to move on to the next thing, which is you guys here. Then I motioned to colleague with camera. You are my next blog post. I think they got it but I felt a little amway-ish at times with my zippy liners, I’d stop halfway through a maniac spiel and go uh, I guess no one knows what I am talking about and then I had to explain what spin-doctoring was (which Mr. Bates said OOh good one and is putting on his test!)

Couldn’t find my bag of newspaper tricks from last time I spoke at SSS so I only brought my tiny blurb in The Grid about Rob Ford, my mother, Dan Aykroyd and I to pass around. I prepared a fun bag of visuals too, boutique hotel room card keys I saved, my photo of the WTC burning that I took, conference badges, ticket stubs, a stuffed doll of myself someone made. I think it was a very enjoyable presentation if I do say so myself.

Hey blond girl you were in the last class I spoke to.

Lucky to get Mr. Bates two years in a row.

We watched Bad Teacher on the weekend so this was very timely for me, as is everything because I am always ahead of the curve. #dustingshouldersoff

Ok so like after I graduated from high school and took off to NYC I had to change my game plan because this major terrorist disaster event happened and the party was over and my big plan of making it in that scene kind of died so I moved to Maine for a few months and had a radio show there instead called There’s Something about Raymi. One kid is like, what was your radio show about? I said, stupid crap, like my blog. I read weird stuff on air from the internet and talked about Canada a lot cos they’re stupid idiots and don’t know anything about us. I read the Molson Canadian beer commercial (that had just come out) that debunks every canadian stereotype, or re-inforces it, the My name is Joe and I am canadian blabbity blah. Big hit! You can blog from anywhere in the world, any scene, life is what you make it and it extends to blogging so, no excuses. Every new experience is a new opportunity in blog life to reach a new market demographic/audience.

My first book at 22. Even hate mail is valuable. (measure it in inches, -Warhol) We’ll be rolling out a Dear Raymi vol. II no doubt at some point, so watch your grammar! raymi@raymitheminx.com

I caught her laughing along with some of my jokes. Good stand-up practise too. When I passed around The Grid copy I said now, this paper didn’t have to mention my mother and I at this function but I had the exclusive on it and the saucy addition of raymi the minx and the mayor is media gold and that is somewhat linked to spin doctoring in the sense that, I knew a photo with the mayor would pay off for my blog and that it did that’s why I invited Tracey the Minx and my fairy Godmother Lois. We’ll be out on the loose tonight and tomorrow oh my. I was very insidery with these kids cos I wanted it to all make sense to them someday when they learn that blogging is a very good means of success if done right, quite a practical hands-on learning which is what I meant when I asked how a teacher could possibly teach about event planning because there is more to it than simply guest lists (I told them to kiss PR girl ass like a motherf-er) and simple black outfits, you have to spin doctor and get VIPs in there, media, you have to orchestrate a magical successful circus, it can be a nightmare. Planning my ten year ann. gig was hell and there is still a frosty scowly face bee in this industry hive toward me for some alleged rudeness besought upon her from me (which I had no intention nor recollection of), you cannot please everyone and WILL NOT. So toughen up.

This is the cookie dealer. He makes cookies at home, wraps them in cling film, and price tag stickers, sells them at school which by Mr. Bates’ confession, is illegal. Mr. Bates is one of his cookie customers. LOL! I said that’s great but what are you going to do when you graduate? Get on twitter and/or blast on FB what batch of cookies you’ll be making for tomorrow. It’s his dream to make an indoor skatepark.

Hey kids what can I say, I did it my way.

Cookies have been banned from cafeterias, all junk and unhealthy foods, but Mr. Bates said (uber-sarcastically) yeah “apparently” because they’re evil, yes. I’m taste-testing one, not bad, not overly sweet or buttery. Smart guy. Also, wouldn’t your sexist old-fashioned mentality picture the bubbly phoney popular girl to be behind this evil cookie selling?

$1 liquidated to 25 cents hey I learned about double-stickering in biz class too kid, you’re lucky I didn’t pay for this.

Ha ha how adventures in babysitting of me. A lesson in swag bags. Also on the test! No one knew what they were, Mr B was shocked. Only Toronto kids know what they are, interesting.

????? So glad I am not in high school anymore o_O?

One of my sponsorships. That blew my little fan girl raymi away. I have 7 Nella Bellas?

Interesting hair day from behind.

That kid fired up Yogurty’s website and I’m like, excuse me, is he even in this class? I gave him a card too tried to get him to pose in our group photo Ahaha. He was really funny (good work you are working very hard lol I said) and I used him (and others) at certain junctures for comedic purposes. Good group of kids these lot, it was a fun lesson session.

I played with this three hole punch A LOT even partially dismantling it at one point.

Ok lets get the hell outta here and beat the after school rush. But do we have time for a library heist first and group photos? Duh!

Success is going back to your high school and teaching them about your weird life. You can work in a box factory and be a millionaire (though unlikely) ok scrap the box factory thing, what I mean is, I am one who thinks I am always right and I need to public/motivational speak at least every other month or so to stay sharp so thanks for having me Mr. Bates! Get those kids on tumblr.com or twitter. Probably both. And funnel all that crap to Facebook while you’re at it. (especially the cookie dealing kid I got high hopes for him and the Kijiji girl too).

Good work, I am giving you all A’s. Now get that swag bag out of here we do not advertise for free.

I only dressed a little bit slutty. Guy on the left looks exactly like a friend/classmate of mine from SSS who died of Meningitis while backpacking in Spain, in a hostel (be careful when you travel, and if it’s a cold, it could be worse!)(not to make you travel paro or anything) I didn’t mention it at the time but every time I looked at his face, it hurt. He died in his sleep, was peaceful. #emo. He was 21 I think. I got one last summer party in with him that I am forever grateful for, we all went til the sun came up and I never partied like that before all the high school cast were there. Maybe I will write about it some day. Way to go Scott Monk for that rip roarin’ blast! #thosewerethedays. I lived in Oakville at the time. Actually I will write about it and stick it in Six Months in Mansions which’ll be a juicy seller.

Mr. Bates is into harajuku culture or he likes to copy how I pose in photos.

How cute. Ahh high school memories. So fun.

And now for more fun. Book heist.

Mr. Bates gave me a copy of On the Road (a little raymi that pays attention) and I was like, can we steal the copy I used from the library for my essay that’s all underlined and marked up like a crazy emotional teenager? Ok sure, class, stay here til the bell rings we “have to go”. HAhaa. I said just locked them in!

Blond girl was on our tracks, then Mr. Bates dropped out of teacher role (which is hilarious to see a teacher being real and like, when Bob Saget swears, I am so naive it’s adorable) and said some funny stuff and I go, Mr. Bates! There’s a student RIGHT THERE behind us and he goes, oh yeah, she’s great. Then made her hold his clip board while he tied his shoe and said, there should be someone here to do this for me. HAHAH! Dying. Then some of his students slip out and he’s like, they’re escaping. School is jokes, or a joke if you’re a genius like me. My brother let a neighbourhood cat in the school a couple times. That school is so chill man compared to the scary maximum security prison what was my Catholic School I transferred from.

The lockers are painted differently now.

Very teachery shoes of me, clacky. I brought other heels to change into but didn’t see the point.

Haha look dad he chose a picture of me and your mustang for his clipboard notes.

This library was a good place to duck in to if you were avoiding teachers, or brothers.

I used to write in the Vice forums in this library, until the website was blocked, and then my blog too. Yahoo chat wasn’t, I’d plan my night’s mischief at SSS before going to my part time job, where I had phone access for 4-5 hours before closing time. Pre-cellphone world smarts. I bought a Motorola brick phone to make sneaking around easier too. That’ll go in another autobiography.

Should have looked up the last time it was taken out. Probably me.

How to not steal: If paparazis are present, they may photograph your crime. Ps. I don’t steal. Once in awhile a friend will admit to petty theft or Kleptomania and it is shocking, some people actually have a problem. A family friend at one point in time was an under cover store walker, he has stooories.

Yup that’s the one.

Metal detection bypass. You mean, I could have been stealing books all those years? Magazines too? Dammit. It’s ok, when I wrote reports I would invent authors/books that didn’t exist and make up the facts and bullshit statistics myself if I couldn’t find any books on it or take from a pile that I didn’t read. Sometimes my stuff was so well written I’d get, not exactly accused of, but perceived plagiarism. No, I am just a very good writer, sorry. My dad accused me once too, it’s a compliment the way I see it. 56% of euthanized pets are grateful for it. Lol.

Like, this is SO good there is no way an idiot like you could have written this. And how!

Cheers yo thanks SSS love ya Ever! Always! Forever! and kids, don’t forget…

Ta xo your pal raymi.