A profile of a city:

Population

• 2.6 million residents
• 5th largest city in North America
• 25% of Canada’s population is located within 160 km (100 mi.)
• 60% of the population of the USA is within a 90-minute flight

Economy

• 11% of Canada’s GDP, topping $127 billion in 2005
• Local businesses export over $70 billion in goods and services worldwide, with retail sales of $47 billion annually

Capital

• Five of Canada’s six largest banks are headquartered near the country’s busiest stock exchange
• Centred in North America’s 3rd largest financial services centre are 75% of Canada’s foreign banks, and 65% of the country’s pension fund companies

Workforce

• 76,000 businesses
• 1.4 million working people, one-sixth of the country’s labour force

Location

• 150 million customers and suppliers are within a one-day’s drive
• Pearson International Airport provides flights to over 300 destinations in 54 countries through 64 carriers

[adapted from: City of Toronto: Toronto Overview]...

I postponed my driving test. Again. I should have pushed it further back when I did. The test landed at a bad time: a week after returning from Cuba, and the same week I have major deadlines at work. I might have to work a bunch of overtime.

Plus, I need to practice! There's a requirement of having driven on a highway at least five times in the past three months. I have yet to hit the highway this year.

I'm going to set up driving lessons and give myself just over a month to practice.... regularly...even outside of official lessons...and maybe even on my own. I need to build confidence.

But I really need this now more than ever. It might even have an impact of my financial future. This is what's driving me now.

I have returned from Cuba.

However, I'm too tired to relate my experiences at the moment. I will do so at a later time.

In the meantime, I will say this:

• I'm glad I brought SPF60.
• I enjoy Cuba Libres overmuch.
• I wasn't bothered by the heat.
• Swimming in the ocean was delightful.

Stay tuned.

I wrote my last exam this morning (it went all right). All the major chores are done around the house. All that's left is packing and other preparations for vacating this place, this city, this province, the country, this continent!

Hey, hey! I'm on vacay! Goin' to Cuba for a full week! We leave tomorrow afternoon.

It's my first "real" vacation, I suppose. I've been to the west coast a few times, but the furthest south I've been is Erie, Pennsylvania.

It's going to be awesome.

But as soon as I get back, it's full steam ahead. I have to sort my shit out. I'll be using my time off for some introspection in between the fun. Unplugging from the Information Age for a bit will do me some good.

After taking an HR course recently, I was reminded of many things. I have taken 3 other courses in the subject, and so I know a lot about managing people. Or at least I should.

I live life with blinders on.

I've come to realize something. There are a number of factors that both motivate and retain people within a company, and collectively they have a huge impact on job satisfaction. These factors are many and include such things as feedback, training, work environment, co-workers, rewards, praise, recognition, benefits, raises, management, flexibility, promotions, titles, status, etc.

Of all of these things, I can count on a single hand ones that actually apply (at all) to my job, and within those I can count only two that I would consider satisfactory.

This begs the question: WTF am I still doing here?

This question begs another: WTF have I stayed here so long?

Both questions beg yet another: Why...