My oven hasn't been working well for a while. Last week the bottom element stopped working almost completely. It doesn't get hot. This means things won't bake. The lack of baking means turkeys can't be roasted.
Now, maybe you can see where I'm going with this. I'm supposed to house my family for Christmas this year. My family enjoys turkey on Christmas Day. No oven... no turkey... no family.
That's right: a lack of oven means my family is staying home for Christmas. I got the news when I updated my mom on the oven situation.
Quite frankly, this is a surprise. It is unfortunate, sure, but I'll manage on my own. I've never been one for holidays anyway. I am sad I won't get to see my parents and brother for a while, but it can't be helped. No perogies or cookies... that's sort of sad, too.
As it is, I might be getting a new oven on Saturday. Apparently it looks like the thermostat, which means it's cheaper to replace than fix. Sweet.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
I think I just bought eyeglasses online. I mean, I know I did, but it's really just the idea of glasses until they actually arrive at my house.
See, my sister works for a company that sells contacts online and they've recently decided to expand into glasses. They have a ridiculous special on for friends and family to try out the online glasses service, so I'm getting these (described as "European modernism combined with stylish simplicity") delivered to my door for, like, under $75. Total. Even with my retarded blind person prescription.
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
I'm not sure what happens if they look stupid on me, but whatever. I'm looking forward to the challenge of not looking like a dork. I am almost certain to fail.
Library news, so skip over this part if you're sick of hearing about libraries:
1) Last Friday I had an interview for a student librarian position at the library. I've got a 50/50 chance because I think there are around 17 people being interviewed for 9 positions. I didn't think I would get it going into the interview, so if I don't it won't be a surprise. I just wanted the interview experience.
2) Today I found out I got a scholarship from the library, which is a welcome injection of money towards my tuition. Yea! Money! Seriously, this library job has saved my life more than once.
3) Someone told me about a job at a law library for when I graduate, but it's not really a librarian position. It's more like a tech job, which means being paid less than a librarian, but it would be a cool experience because they have database needs, loads of cataloguing, and would be a self-directed workday. I'll find out more soon.
4) Wednesday I start a two week stint getting paid an extra $4/hr for filling in for my supervisor. I've threatened people not to try to quit or ask for days off because I have no idea how to organise those things.
I've been keeping busy with socialising as much as possible, and have been fighting a cold for about a week because of it. I went to the Biltmore last Thursday (it's aight; red velvet walls!), the Mint Christmas party at the Railway on Friday (missed The Pack), the FairSands Christmas soiree Saturday afternoon (and ate so many yummy sweets!), Grandview Lanes for Pilot 1 Bowling Nite (Pilot 1 is a strike-related social club), and shared dinner at The Foundation last night. This week I get to catch up with friends I don't get to see very often and Friday I'm going to my friend's house for Nacho Hat Night.
Not sure when I'm going to clean my house for Christmas, but it has to be before Sunday. That's when the family gets into town. That's a whole other story.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
questionable working conditions
I'm convinced my jobplace is trying to kill me.
Tonight at work I started sneezing and my throat felt like tiny little particles were attacking it. This is not a cold. I know it's not a cold because the other 3 people working in the general vicinity experienced similar symptoms at almost the same time. I think The Man started pumping airborne diseases through the ventilation system to kill us all off so it's easier to implement job reduction strategies.
I mean, it's all starting in January anyway. As of January 1st, there will be a lower-paid position that is meant to replace most of my friends' jobs over the next 2 years. The management team has to save $100,000 this year and figured eliminating the lowest-paid position and introducing an even lower-paid position was the way to go. Even though the head of the library got a $20,000 raise last year alone. It's causing a huge amount of stress for everyone, me included. My job will require me to take on more of the lower position tasks because there are fewer people to do them, even though I'm already doing extra work from the last workplace/job reorginisation. I only know what I'm doing because I'm so nosy and want to know everybody's business; if not for that, I'd be screwed.
Sure, sure, I'll be done school in 5 months and won't be working my position anymore. (As soon as I'm done I'll have to reapply to the library as a librarian, which isn't a guarantee.) It doesn't really affect me. But, as I said, a large number of my friends are in positions that will require them to find work elsewhere or face serious RSI damage while getting paid $2-$4 less per hour and not being able to work more than 24 hours per week. It kind of causes an imbalance in relationships.
Not like I can do anything about it. No one can. It's a done deal.
Oh, unrelated: I have to make as many gifts as I can this year since I don't have much money, but need suggestions for gifts for men. Ideas? Easy, fast ones? That involve fabric or cross-stitch or cutting paper into shapes?
Tonight at work I started sneezing and my throat felt like tiny little particles were attacking it. This is not a cold. I know it's not a cold because the other 3 people working in the general vicinity experienced similar symptoms at almost the same time. I think The Man started pumping airborne diseases through the ventilation system to kill us all off so it's easier to implement job reduction strategies.
I mean, it's all starting in January anyway. As of January 1st, there will be a lower-paid position that is meant to replace most of my friends' jobs over the next 2 years. The management team has to save $100,000 this year and figured eliminating the lowest-paid position and introducing an even lower-paid position was the way to go. Even though the head of the library got a $20,000 raise last year alone. It's causing a huge amount of stress for everyone, me included. My job will require me to take on more of the lower position tasks because there are fewer people to do them, even though I'm already doing extra work from the last workplace/job reorginisation. I only know what I'm doing because I'm so nosy and want to know everybody's business; if not for that, I'd be screwed.
Sure, sure, I'll be done school in 5 months and won't be working my position anymore. (As soon as I'm done I'll have to reapply to the library as a librarian, which isn't a guarantee.) It doesn't really affect me. But, as I said, a large number of my friends are in positions that will require them to find work elsewhere or face serious RSI damage while getting paid $2-$4 less per hour and not being able to work more than 24 hours per week. It kind of causes an imbalance in relationships.
Not like I can do anything about it. No one can. It's a done deal.
Oh, unrelated: I have to make as many gifts as I can this year since I don't have much money, but need suggestions for gifts for men. Ideas? Easy, fast ones? That involve fabric or cross-stitch or cutting paper into shapes?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
uncertainties of the day
Just home from a visit with my sister. She kindly stopped by my house after work to take my cans/bottles to the depot so I could get some money back. Holy geez, I had almost $20 worth of bottles and cans ($19.90, to be exact), which reminds me I shouldn't hoard recyclables for so long or I should stop drinking. Neither seems possible right now.
We went downtown so I could see her apartment. She's been there since June or July, and I hadn't seen it yet. It's a small place, but it doesn't sound like she's much of a fan of the place anyway, so maybe she'll move closer to me. Would be better. We went for dinner and drinks at the Cactus Club so she could use a $50 gift card she won at work, and got boozed up on bellinis. Note to self: two bellinis is too much when you have to walk.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" is on the CBC right now and I'm so excited about it. It's sponsored by Library and Archives Canada, which is pretty neat for me, since, you know, I'm going to spend some time in libraries in the future. Like when someone famous mentions your hometown or something and you cheer because you're from there. Same thing. Next week's should be fascinating; it's Don Cherry. The thing about the show is that I wanted to pitch something similar for CBC Radio so I could get a trip to the Old Country and see the Czech Republic. Now... seems like a bad pitch. Sigh.
Ordered more socks. And bought some boots, though not the ones I thought I would. Some fun rain booties and a pair of waterproof and somewhat stylish Merrells that I'm still not totally sure about because they're just snug right now. I only have 8 more days to decide about them before I can't get a store credit anymore. I wanted black ones, but they only had smaller brown ones, so tried them. They fit in the toe, but are a smidge snug over the tops. What should I do?
We went downtown so I could see her apartment. She's been there since June or July, and I hadn't seen it yet. It's a small place, but it doesn't sound like she's much of a fan of the place anyway, so maybe she'll move closer to me. Would be better. We went for dinner and drinks at the Cactus Club so she could use a $50 gift card she won at work, and got boozed up on bellinis. Note to self: two bellinis is too much when you have to walk.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" is on the CBC right now and I'm so excited about it. It's sponsored by Library and Archives Canada, which is pretty neat for me, since, you know, I'm going to spend some time in libraries in the future. Like when someone famous mentions your hometown or something and you cheer because you're from there. Same thing. Next week's should be fascinating; it's Don Cherry. The thing about the show is that I wanted to pitch something similar for CBC Radio so I could get a trip to the Old Country and see the Czech Republic. Now... seems like a bad pitch. Sigh.
Ordered more socks. And bought some boots, though not the ones I thought I would. Some fun rain booties and a pair of waterproof and somewhat stylish Merrells that I'm still not totally sure about because they're just snug right now. I only have 8 more days to decide about them before I can't get a store credit anymore. I wanted black ones, but they only had smaller brown ones, so tried them. They fit in the toe, but are a smidge snug over the tops. What should I do?
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
can't always get what you want
I've been on a fruitless quest for boots and a coat that don't suck. Today I wanted to see if anything good has happened in the coat/shoe worlds, or if stuff is on sale enough for me to find it OK enough to buy/wear. Not sure why I even bother.
The coat situation... well, I'm just going to have to give up on finding a winter coat that is nice and that fits and that doesn't cost more than I spend on a semester's tuition. I don't want a black coat. I don't want a long coat. I don't want a hood. Those are really my only criteria. Oh, and it has to fit. Today I looked at a lot of coats and none of them met all those traits. The one that came close is a rain coat, but I'm not sure I should buy a rain coat when I lack the ability to generate enough heat to not get hypothermia while waiting for the bus for extended amounts of time.
The boot situation is problematic for two reasons:
1) I want low-heeled boots, probably.
2) My calves are too meaty for most conventional boots to fit over.
I blame two things for this:
a) genetics are cruel
b) my once-sporty self got lazy
Maybe if I concentrated on one or the other thing to look for I would be successful. Maybe.
I did purchase a bathing suit meant for rigorous swimming exercise in the near future. It did feel strange to buy a bathing suit in December with no plans to go to a hot place that would require a bathing suit. Buying bathing suits in December is probably not a great idea because they aren't really on sale and there are often a lot of spangly, sparkly, hanging things from bathing suits for sale in December. Maybe people that can afford (and have time) to go to sun destinations lack taste.
Also, I'm thinking of boycotting food. Generally.
The coat situation... well, I'm just going to have to give up on finding a winter coat that is nice and that fits and that doesn't cost more than I spend on a semester's tuition. I don't want a black coat. I don't want a long coat. I don't want a hood. Those are really my only criteria. Oh, and it has to fit. Today I looked at a lot of coats and none of them met all those traits. The one that came close is a rain coat, but I'm not sure I should buy a rain coat when I lack the ability to generate enough heat to not get hypothermia while waiting for the bus for extended amounts of time.
The boot situation is problematic for two reasons:
1) I want low-heeled boots, probably.
2) My calves are too meaty for most conventional boots to fit over.
I blame two things for this:
a) genetics are cruel
b) my once-sporty self got lazy
Maybe if I concentrated on one or the other thing to look for I would be successful. Maybe.
I did purchase a bathing suit meant for rigorous swimming exercise in the near future. It did feel strange to buy a bathing suit in December with no plans to go to a hot place that would require a bathing suit. Buying bathing suits in December is probably not a great idea because they aren't really on sale and there are often a lot of spangly, sparkly, hanging things from bathing suits for sale in December. Maybe people that can afford (and have time) to go to sun destinations lack taste.
Also, I'm thinking of boycotting food. Generally.
Monday, December 3, 2007
burning hearts
One of my friends left for a 3-week trip and, in preparation, I made him a compilation of all the Spanish music I have loaded onto my computer to get him into the mood for his trip. While burning the disc, I looked through a few of my playlists and stumbled upon one that I compiled after the boy with fantastically curly hair stopped calling. Entitled "Sappy," it's got loads of songs that I love but that make me a little sad and wistful about missed opportunities and relationships that ended before I wanted them to.
I'm absolutely in love with "Burning Hearts" by My Favorite; there's something about the intro that makes my heart soar and then come crashing down. Makes me feel like writing bad poetry and watching teen movies. And it makes me miss my old friend in Chicago because it's something he would love to listen to and first introduced me to My Favorite.
At some point in November I decided that I have to mark the completion of this next degree with something special before I embark on a big girl job or get sucked into the job machine that will grind me up and spit me out if I let it. So I decided that, since I haven't been since 2001, I would go to Chicago and then try to swing up to Toronto for a week or two in May. There's no particular reason for wanting to go to Chicago other than I always love it there (even when terrible things happen) and one of my favourite trips ever was a 3-week stint during my undergrad that fell right around the time I'm planning to go. And, naturally, I'm hoping to see my old friend for a wee bit.
I realise it will put me in debt and is probably a stupid thing to do from a financial standpoint, but there are a number of extremely good reasons for such an endeavor:
1) I haven't been on a trip of any such magnitude for at least 2 years and I'm not getting any younger.
2) By scheduling a visit to Toronto, I can visit friends and see if Toronto is somewhere I want to live in the near/distant future.
3) May is a good time to travel because it isn't terrible weather, but is before trips get really expensive.
4) And, goshdarnit, I've worked myself silly for the last couple of years and just want to not work for a couple weeks.
In the meantime, I'll listen to sappy songs and watch teen movies set in Chicago, and dream about the day I can revisit the Windy City. I hope I can figure out how to get it done/organised.
I'm absolutely in love with "Burning Hearts" by My Favorite; there's something about the intro that makes my heart soar and then come crashing down. Makes me feel like writing bad poetry and watching teen movies. And it makes me miss my old friend in Chicago because it's something he would love to listen to and first introduced me to My Favorite.
At some point in November I decided that I have to mark the completion of this next degree with something special before I embark on a big girl job or get sucked into the job machine that will grind me up and spit me out if I let it. So I decided that, since I haven't been since 2001, I would go to Chicago and then try to swing up to Toronto for a week or two in May. There's no particular reason for wanting to go to Chicago other than I always love it there (even when terrible things happen) and one of my favourite trips ever was a 3-week stint during my undergrad that fell right around the time I'm planning to go. And, naturally, I'm hoping to see my old friend for a wee bit.
I realise it will put me in debt and is probably a stupid thing to do from a financial standpoint, but there are a number of extremely good reasons for such an endeavor:
1) I haven't been on a trip of any such magnitude for at least 2 years and I'm not getting any younger.
2) By scheduling a visit to Toronto, I can visit friends and see if Toronto is somewhere I want to live in the near/distant future.
3) May is a good time to travel because it isn't terrible weather, but is before trips get really expensive.
4) And, goshdarnit, I've worked myself silly for the last couple of years and just want to not work for a couple weeks.
In the meantime, I'll listen to sappy songs and watch teen movies set in Chicago, and dream about the day I can revisit the Windy City. I hope I can figure out how to get it done/organised.
Friday, November 30, 2007
also known as
I'm changing schedules at work (ya, ya, I know I should be doing just work, but the computer programs I need to actually do my job are down for another 20 minutes) and noticed that a new name was haphazardly added to the schedule. We had a discussion about having a practicum student in next week (whom I met at a class breakfast on Wednesday), so knew it was her. But looking at the name... I realised it was wrong.
The name: Patty Labelle.
The real name: Shannon Labelle.
My supervisor's name: Shannon.
So, essentially, my supervisor entered a large, African-American woman's name (a famous singer, no less) instead of a small, white girl's name that is the same as her own.
I find this outstandingly amusing. I've shared this with a couple others in my office and we've all had a good laugh. But now I suspect I should change it. Sigh. It would be funny to see the look on the student's face when she saw she was listed as Patty Labelle. Though that would be mean and a terrible way to start two weeks working with people.
Besides, there's still the desk schedule...
The name: Patty Labelle.
The real name: Shannon Labelle.
My supervisor's name: Shannon.
So, essentially, my supervisor entered a large, African-American woman's name (a famous singer, no less) instead of a small, white girl's name that is the same as her own.
I find this outstandingly amusing. I've shared this with a couple others in my office and we've all had a good laugh. But now I suspect I should change it. Sigh. It would be funny to see the look on the student's face when she saw she was listed as Patty Labelle. Though that would be mean and a terrible way to start two weeks working with people.
Besides, there's still the desk schedule...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)