Photo-a-Day - 7: bright

I didn't get the best photo for today's June: Photo-A-Day prompt, but I live by the understanding that every dark cloud has a bright silver lining so that's the shot I snapped.

With 'bright' in mind, I thought back to some of the shots in my photo archives and came up with two that quite worthy of today's theme. I've been on two memorable trips where bright lights meet big cities.

1. The City That Never Sleeps: New York

2. Sin City: Las Vegas

Which bright lights do you prefer? NY, NY or Vegas, baby?! Do you have a bright silver lining experience you're willing to share?

Photo-a-Day - 5: environment

Today is World Environment Day. It is also charity prompt day in Fat Mum Slim's June: Photo-A-Day challenge.

Now, I have two confessions to make.

1. I am really not much of an environmentalist. I recycle, but that's about it. I tend to catch a lot of flack when I admit that the environment is quite low on the list of things I care about, but haters gonna hate and I'm going to continue caring about things that I deem more important.

2. I didn't take this photo today and although I have noticed that a lot of the photos being posted by other participants are old photos, I wanted to do this challenge right and take a new photo-a-day throughout June. Then life got in the way and that didn't happen. It feels somewhat odd to post this photo today since it was so beautifully warm and sunny here, but it's one of the best photos of the "environment" that I have on my computer right now and I wanted to post something.

Photo-a-Day - 3: on my table

In addition to providing you lovelies with today's June: Photo-A-Day, I'm going to tell you about my day. Here's my photo first:

On my table at any particular moment of any particular day you'll find a collection that looks something like this: my laptop with a bursary application form open, a scholarship application, forms to confirm my attendance at a meeting, always a notebook, and always a pack of coloured pens. I'm a busy person...

...which leads me to the events that occurred throughout my day today (and most days). Keep in mind that while all of the upcoming things are happening, I am also at my full-time day job as an Office Assistant at Brandon University.

One of the WUSC students comes into my office and needs help printing off some resumes. At the same time he tells me that his brother who I am helping to put through Kenyan boarding school because he cannot get a decent education in the refugee camp where he lives, wants to fast track his education and attend a British boarding school (still in Kenya). The cost is about three times as much, but if he can fast track his high school education, he'll be able to apply to WUSC's Student Refugee Program and hopefully come to Canada (just like his brother who is sitting in my office). If he can't fast track his education, he'll be too old to meet the requirements for the program. He needs 2100 CAD. I currently have 700 CAD set aside for him. Like I said, three times as much. I'm going to be a broke ass graduate student in a few short months; how can I provide someone with what is likely the only chance he has to better his life? How can I not?

As I am packing up text books to send to schools, orphanages, community groups in Africa through Better World Books and Books For Africa (This shipment will contain approximately 25 boxes of approximately 20 books each. I do this at least once every two months.), another WUSC student comes to me because he needs my help finding the book he requires for the Spring Session class he just started. At around the same time, another friend of mine comes to my office because she needs help printing her thesis. I tell her to hold on a minute while I go with him to get his books. I help him find the textbooks. I print her thesis. I continue packing textbooks...

...and that, my lovelies is #justadayinmylife.

Photo-a-Day - 2: a moment

Fat Mum Slim holds a Photo A Day challenge every month and I'm finally taking part in one!

This moment occurs daily, often multiple times a day. My Winston loves to cuddle, but more specifically, he loves to rest his chin on the couch or my arm or my leg in anticipation of a rub or a scratch. Just look at that face, so full of the love that only a dog has for its owner. He's stolen my heart. Just one of those looks and I forget all of the shoes, socks, etc. that he has destroyed!