Update on the State of Affairs

Sep 29 2015

Pleased to report my brain is coming back, and my drive too, wasn’t sure when it left how long it’d be until I saw them again.

It’s been a weird 5 weeks since quitting the newspaper, but still an excellent decision. Took time to to reflect, set some hard goals with firm dates, and plot how to morph things to accomplish them. Made a spreadsheet, plus wrote it out old-school with a Sharpie on a blank page.

Some things in no specific order:

– starting to freelance, small one-off pieces here and there, with a heavy weight on the topic I said I wanted to further specialize in – auto security

– it’s been 1.5 / 4 months I planned for my savings to cover things. As of today, I have replaced 40% of that monthly income writing 25% as much as previous

– the ‘Keri on Driving’ Library is underway, soon all 160 columns will be catalogued, and a ‘Table of Contents’ created

– remember all my epiphanies? Been tracking things since, watching, and have now seen enough signs to be 100% convinced my backwards idea is going to work…

– cars are booked for weeks out

Actually, there’s been some amazing
car moments over the past couple weeks:

Tossing the all-new 2017 Jaguar XE around an autocross course.

My 2016 Chevy Trax photoshoot came out awesome.

Being drifted in a 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE.

And I revved this 2016 Pagani Huayra.

There’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes development too, emails, negotiating and talking on the phone.

Looks like this, boring.

And yup, I’m That Guy who wears a headset like that.

But hair is better since that photo, thanks Kaila! This is your best blonde yet.

Go see her too, and soon, because the year+ we’ve been working together I’ve watched her climb up quickly, so it’s best to get on her client list now – Brennen Demelo Studio 416-301-1072

kk back to building a presentation, I have 30 of these to deliver.

Hey haven’t shown you my desk in a while… I’m here right now and will take a photo, one sec…

Blog tag = desk (17)

Have a good Wednesday tomorrow!

Night night.

Canada’s Oldest ‘Hair Stylist & Blogger’ Team

May 25 2015

Brennen Demelo and I are.

Back in the beginning of blogging – 2008-ish – the first partnership any blog girl worth her salt landed was a hair stylist. When Brennen and I shook hands, I’d just moved to Toronto and was producing ‘The Canadian Explorer’ and he had one sink in the back of someone else’s business.

We’re now in our 7th year, and are
the only partnership still intact.

Above is us through the years.

Below is us in 2008.

Today, he’s a leading salon in Toronto and Canada, opened a second location in Barrie, for years has been the top L’Oreal Canada representative, styles many of the magazines covers you see, and I’ve become one of the country’s top auto journalists.

Blog tag = Brennen Demelo (27)

Go too.

BrennenDemelo.com

416 301 1072

Toronto’s Best Blonde

Nov 10 2014

Like how I worded the title? Bah.

Glibness aside, it’s the blonde that comes of Brennen Demelo Studios that’s the best. 6 years I’ve been going there, and it always is.

Go too: Brennen Demelo Studio 416-301-1072

How long can I be expected to sit still inside for, really.

Don’t know how highlights turn into a full blonde head, but they do.

Thank you Kaila!

* a rare sighting of Brennen, whom I hadn’t seen for months and months, because coming soon is his second shop – Brennen Demelo North – a new studio in Barrie.

And _wait_ till you hear his Harley story, best travel story I’ve ever heard, will blog it soon.

Leaving for Targa NWFLD Rally in 36 hrs, Freaking

Sep 8 2014

In 36 hours, I’m going to compete in Canada’s biggest rally race, for which Nissan has outfitted me with a car, kit AND support staff for both logistics and mechanics, I know nothing about this sport.

My only rally experience was a few months ago, when I got to do the Mazda Adventure Rally. Where I won the Daniel Boone Award, for being last to return to base every. single. day.

But then I think, it’s okay, there is really only one thing to know:

Don’t crash the car Keri, do not crash this car.

Plus my life’s still unsettled from the move.

There’s more to this owning-a-house thing than you think going in, eh. Still don’t have furniture, think my washing machine is broken, and I’m nervous to leave my house alone for the first time.

Then my mind just seized up, and for the last 45 minutes I’ve been pacing between the laptop, and an open suitcase… GUYS.

That’s all I have packed, but the decals came out amazing, good and thick. The Decal Zone made them.

First time I’ve held my URL IRL

And my hair is looking great, thanks Kaila! Brennen Demelo Studio. Go too: 416-301-1072

My Itinerary

Tuesday – day off blogging, deadline at newspaper, finish ‘Auto About’ page, forgot to buy things and other errands

Wednesday – fly 12 pm, team dinner

Thursday – Day 1 of Rally Racing School

Friday – Day 2 of Rally Racing School

Saturday – don’t know

Sunday – official practice day, thankful this day exists

Monday – Friday – RACE 7am – 5pm, 6pm auditorium meet & greet, dinner, study next days route book

Took time off from the newspaper, blog will be updated daily, will try for lots of video.

My helmet arrived Friday.

It’s been modified -a microphone and ear-plugs, to a plug out the back that I connect to a radio, to talk to my driving partner.

kk I feel more normal-brained now, blogging it helped. Blog. Because of this blog, here we go on a once-in-a-lifetime $30k race car extravaganza. Got goosebumps typing that.

Starting Wednesday afternoon,
I’ll be living in another world for 10 days.
TTY from there, then!

Where this post came from.

And the good luck gift I got myself: Targa shoes.

Twitter – @KeriBlog

Facebook – Keri CDN

Blog tag – #NissanMicraTarga

I’m car # 1998.

So I Blinked and Today Vanished

Jan 20 2014

And I didn’t even swap cars today! Woah this Monday. This 3 job thing is something. It only works because they’re all in the same industry – automotive. Which, I’m officially at 1.5 years of auto journalism now tada :) No better industry to have landed in, I’m lucky.

This daily blogging thing, a pattern is emerging: night blogger. Seems logical… do a very solo task at night, not during the day, that’s for talking and deadlines. Gonna run with that this week: KB.com – updated daily M-F, in one chunk, at night.

This week’s car is my Jetta, Wednesday’s column is “About Funeral Processions”, and my Chrysler 300 review is out soon. Called it “stately”, as a compliment.

kk I have to get footage to my editor, I’ll finish the security and other posts tomorrow, because I blinked again, now it’s 9:17, and I forgot to eat xo TTYT

A few photos from recently.

Jetta milestone. That’s in miles, too. 284,000 km.

Blonde by Niki. Ask for “Illusion Head“.

Go too: 416-301-1072 Brennen Demelo Studio

Sooo, once you buy 1 pair of shoes online, and this vortex opens up, and sucks you into more shoes huh…

Discovered Heels.com. Ordered at 2am, and by 10:30 they’d been shipped. That’s good and bad eh.

But last ones in my size, an impossible size.

This hat! Forever this hat.

Canada Goose gave me the hat, for when I covered the Olympics in video in 2010. OMG that felt so weird to type. 4 years ago now, exactly.

Went buying on the weekend, at Vaughn Mills Outlets. That place has been my go-to mall for years. Like, $250 reduced to a sensible $50, in & out in 45 minutes.