December 15/13

Oh boy!  We're already half way through December, and I'm just amazed that we're looking at the end of the year so quickly!

I follow this Twitter account called Emergency Kittens, in case you haven't already guessed from previous blog posts which have featured some of the tweets, and honestly, sometimes it's a welcome respite from the cynicism, apathy or ire I endure sometimes.  If I share these photos of cats and kittens doing cute or funny things, it's because there was that moment in the day when things weren't looking particularly good, and then some little tweet gives me a reason to smile or laugh.  Often it's the text of the tweet that makes it funnier...

like this one...

The toilet paper was talking smack. pic.twitter.com/JGpj013LBD
— Emergency Kittens (@EmrgencyKittens) December 16, 2013

Cats...

...Wish you were here.

December 14/13

Oh.  My.  Gawd.

This.  So much This.

I love Blood and Cornettos...

...Wish you were here.

December 13/13

IT'S HERE!  IT'S HERE!

MY OFFICIAL 'THE BUGLE' FUCKEULOGY MUG IS HERE!



I'm so happy!

When I figured out that no one would buy it for me this holiday season, I treated myself, but it almost didn't happen.  I got all the way through the entering the information on the US merchandise website only to get the message that the mug was not in stock.  I was momentarily discouraged until I had the bright idea to order from the UK merchandise website, and sure enough, they had it!

I'm worried about ordering online from other countries because of Amazon.com.  Amazon.com are jerks and won't ship to Canada...you have to order from Amazon.ca, which doesn't have the variety, and sometimes you can't even get products in Canada.

But who cares!  Because I got my Fuckeulogy mug!

It's the little things...

...Wish you were here.

December 12/13

I have this prickly personality flaw that I am conscious of, but I'm torn about whether I can or should do anything to ameliorate it...I hate being told what to do when it involves something I don't want to do.  It's a problem only when I can't see the point of doing (or in some cases, not doing) something; otherwise, I'm generally cooperative.

For instance, during the holiday season, I find that my response to holiday celebrations entirely depends on my enthusiasm for the activity and/or the likely level of fun the activity will achieve.  When I have no interest, or I suspect the activity will be lame, I become a pain in the ass.  And I don't respond well to suggestionsfalse hopes that it will be fun and morale-boosting.  I was a cheerleader...and I'm the absolute worst at buying into the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah someone tries to sell me.

In other words, I'm a crank.  A Curmudgeon.  A Scrooge, if you will.

So I was relieve today to find out that I'm not alone.  Yesterday's New York Times featured an Op-Ed which I didn't see until today.  It's about how it's actually a morale-killer for some people when they are (okay, I am) forced to take part in activities to "make work fun."  Not because people like me don't want work to be fun, persay, but rather because I often find my sense of fun incompatible with others around me...particularly those who sit on social committees and plan "fun" activities.

I'm grumpy because I recently had to sit through an event that tried to make everything fun, but I spent most of the time rolling my eyes at bad attempts at jokes.  And I am not looking forward to the holiday party at work because it's a potluck that will happen during work hours.  I don't cook or bake, so potlucks are generally a pain in the ass for me.  Okay, if I'm honest, I hate potlucks.  I'd rather pay for a ticket to an event where there is socializing, some beverages, music, and if need be, a non-required activity for people who like that kind of thing.  I remember the private sector parties, where people come together after hours and have dinners, and people make an effort to look festive/nice.  Standing in a boardroom with a plate of tapas while wearing my work badge and listening to work chit-chat is not my idea of fun during the holiday season.

When I'm basically forced to have "fun" I'm afraid my eyeballs will roll right out of my head, and I will die of utter sarcasm.

But thanks to the editors at the New York Times, I know I am not alone, particularly during this holiday season.

Solidarity...

...Wish you were here.

December 11/13

Well, that settles it...I will never be a project manager.  I have a lot of respect for what they do, as they have to be on top of every thing, both great and small, but after three days of this class, I've figured out that I am not this person.

It took me years to figure out that I love the challenges of policy precisely because it involves research, data collection, and most of all, the puzzling out all variables and considerations of both the problem and the potential options and recommendations.  I think the project manager is more about the nuts and bolts, timelines, and deliverables.  All important, but not where my talents lie.

Oh well...back to consultation as a possible future career.

Lifelong Learning...

...Wish you were here.

December 10/13

All cylinders aren't firing today, I'm afraid.  I was up way too late last night playing with my iPad, and up way too early this morning to make it to Day 2: Project Management. 

I think because I'm tired, I wasn't exactly keen to go into the dry, technical world of effort x duration estimates and the vagaries of MS Project, and I am now less excited about pursuing the possibility of the Project Management certification, something I had considered in order to augment my career options and improve my chances of success in getting into new sectors.  I'm also not enjoying the way this class is taught, which would dramatically dampen my enthusiasm.  It lacks meaningful case studies and proper introductions to PM planning software that is frequently alluded to throughout the lectures.  Instead of screen caps from MS Project software from 1993, why not plug in dummy variables and timelines to show us?

And there were no brownies at the U of O Starbucks.

Wahh, wahh, wahh!

Maybe I just need a better night's sleep...

...Wish you were here.

December 9/13

HOLY CRAP WHAT A NIGHT!

We were up too early this morning because we both have Project Management training at Ottawa U this week.  This means we were downtown instead of at work, and at lunch, I had commented to Etienne that we had to avoid the Apple store because of the temptation to buy an iPad.  And how, given that I am always so broke, would this be possible?  Well, my band's yearly annuity payment was deposited in my account on Friday, and it was quite a bit larger than I expected.  Knowing that I was likely facing a stiff tax bill from the reassessment mess of last month, I knew I had to set aside most of that windfall to pay off the debt.

After class was over, Etienne was very excited, and asked if I wanted my xmas present now.  I already let him give me my Birfday present early, so I decided, 'what the hell, might as well.'  After all, he really was so excited.  Well, he steered me right into the Apple store, right to the iPads tables!  Da-amn!  I got an iPad!  In return, I steered Etienne over to Trust Fund and bought him one of his presents early...A Matt and Nat briefcase that he's had his eye on for months now.  I already had planned to withhold some of the Mikisew money for xmas, so it wasn't like I was ruining myself.

When we got back to the building, I went for the mail, and it was all for me.  I recognized instantly the envelope from Canada Revenue Agency, and gave a sigh, but there was also a piece of mail from the province of Ontario for me, and I thought, 'what now?!?'  I mean, this can't be good news.

I went upstairs, and after shedding my winter layer, I went first for the Ontario letter.  It turned out to be the Cancer screening agency for the province letting me know that they are now tracking me, and will start sending me letters to notify me when to do my cancer screenings.  Oh hell, welcome to 35, I guess.  As my Gramma had breast cancer, I guess I'm in line for earlier screenings than many women.

Anyway, I was still ebullient from the iPad, so this didn't dampen my spirit.  I decided to just get it over with, open the CRA letter, and hope for the best.  I knew the error was in the magnitude of almost $900, so who knew what that could mean to my reassessed return.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

$112.

Holy fuck!! 

Did I read that right?

Did I just luck right the fuck out and get an iPad and a tiny tax bill?

It turns out, yes.  Yes, I had.

I needed this break.  When it comes to money, 2013 has not been as kind as I would have hoped.

Yay Me!

...Wish you were here.

December 8/13

I am just dumbfounded.

I just read about the death of a 12 year old boy here in Ontario because he was having a severe asthma attack while outside on break, and his rescue inhaler?  It was locked in the school principal's office. 

I didn't even know that Ontario had a policy of locking up the medications (including urgent life-saving rescue inhalers and epipens) in schools.  I need to do some research into why that policy even exists, because on the face of it, it's dumbfounding.  If you have to take away a child's life-saving medication, why the fuck would you lock it up and make it inaccessible, thus reducing the chances of getting it in time?  Who designed this fucked-up mess of a policy and what criteria went into the decision to design and adopt it?  Policy shouldn't increase the probability of death.

 Bad policy disturbs me to my core...

 ...Wish you were here.

December 7/13

This...definitely this...

No one has to heart to tell him he's not a dog. pic.twitter.com/9GgHyZrso2
— Emergency Kittens (@EmrgencyKittens) December 7, 2013

Cats are awesome...

...Wish you were here.

December 6/13

There is an upside to being home sick still.  Sure, I can't go out into the world, but the world was beamed into my living room this afternoon, as I watched the FIFA World Cup Draw unfold. 

It was an awkward show...athletes generally make pretty terrible performers, and the "banter" exchange between Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and FIFA head Sepp Blatter was positively painful to watch.

But it wasn't all bad.  I was just delighted when it was announced that the Netherlands had drawn the second spot in Group B, setting up the second match of the World Cup to be a rematch of the World Cup 2010 final!  If that's any indication, this is shaping up to be a fun-filled tournament!

Counting the days...

...Wish you were here.

December 5/13

Nelson Mandela has died.

Madiba gave the world so much more than people realize.

Almost immediately, the world reacted with resigned sadness, but there were those who couldn't help themselves--they have to offer snarky commentary about how he was convicted for crimes of violence.  In particular, one person tweeted that they wondered how long it would be before liberals "erased" his militant past.  This person obviously misses the point to what made Mandela a leader...

His past as a militant isn't supposed to be erased or ignored.  Mandela fought the inhumane system of Apartheid with some force, and he was convicted and given a long sentence in an isolated prison.  Most men would see their anger fester in an Apartheid penal institution, maybe even grow worse.  Mandela possessed a strength of character I believe few in life ever have possessed, which he used to overcome the anger and promote peace, partnership, equality, humanity and hope.  It's a source of inspiration.

The guiding light of Mandela has gone out.  It's time to celebrate his life by doing something to make your light shine a little brighter.

Goodbye, Madiba...

...Wish you were here.

December 4/13

I've been home sick today, likely the flu, but honestly, despite the discomfort which even included regurgitating bile, the worst part of my day happened at 5:30 am.

Apparently, my dream was so upsetting and so incredibly vivid, I was awakened by chest pains and palpitations.  Quite literally, I was raging on in my dream hard enough to cause a shock physical reaction strong enough to wake me and make me wonder if I was having a heart attack.  That's really scary. 

If I'm honest, I was dreaming about work.  Not my actual job so much as the stress that certain relationships put on me.  I know it's totally irrational, but really, lately I've been getting advice and signs that I need to move on...is this just another one?

Sweeter dreams...

...Wish you were here.

December 3/13

Ugh, it's not my day.


I rushed to get out of the house early because I had a dentist appointment at 9 am.  And ended up waiting for about 15 minutes for a bus.  I made it to the appointment with my butcher/dentist (I'm still working through some emotions from March), and had a particularly harsh cleaning.  Then I went to work to a meeting that I wasn't even really supposed to be at (long story), and to top it all off, I was starting to feel sick.  I know that tickle in the back of my throat when I feel it.  Well, by the end of the day, my body was sore, and I was tired.  It didn't help that I stayed late to make up for the time for the Dentist appointment.

It's not even 8 o'clock, and already I want to go to bed.

A cure for the flu...

...Wish you were here.

December 2/13

HAPPY BIRFDAY DADDY!!

Hey, guess what, everyone!!  It's my daddy's birfday!  He turns (redacted) today!

I've always been close to my parents, though there were times you'd have to look closely to see if I was more the Momma's girl or the Daddy's girl.  Obviously during the perils of high school, I would say closer to neither.  There were screaming matches and displays of mutiny during that period of time, and I know Mummy would be bothered that I said this, but she took on the task of reaming me for bad grades and my career aspirations, being the bad cop, so that my dad wouldn't have to, and he could be the good cop.  Isn't that the way of it here in North America!

Anyway, once we all grew out of that, it was largely smooth sailing with my parents again, and even though my dad has sometimes really questioned some of my decisions, he's been stellar in supporting me anyway, letting me rise and fail.  Over our insane mad dash of a drive across the country, we got to talking about some things, and learned to understand each other better.  I think we've come to the conclusion that he is proud of me, and that no matter what, he understands, as his mother was beginning to grasp before him, that my journey is my own.  I appreciate the support more than he could know.

Thank you, daddy...

...Wish you were here.

December 1/13

Well, the morning started off fantastic.  Then it fucking awkward quickly, and then we waited the rest of the day to go to the hockey game.

I don't want to get into the awkward part, but be assured, all is well here.  No, instead, I want to get into my hockey game!

I have a friend at work who decided to buy Senators' season tickets this year (although I don't understand why...so far as I can tell, she's not particularly a fan), and she has sent out the message earlier this year if anyone would be interested in buying tickets.  Well, Oh.  Hell.  Yes.  This is the first season that Detroit is back in the Eastern Conference, so OF COURSE I would buy those tickets!  I was going to get Etienne tickets to the Montreal games, but he didn't want them because last time he went, he was up in the 300s and the Sens' fans there were apparently total dicks.

Anyway, I did the deal on Detroit...and shortly after, Detroit did the deal on Alfredsson, which dramatically bumped up the potential for fans being dicks to me because I'm a Red Wings fan.  I'll admit, it worried me a lot.  All this afternoon, I was worried about it.  But given that the Sens had beaten Detroit twice this season, I realized that it would probably be a loss for me anyway, and just decided to go and have fun.

We got on the bus downtown, and as is now customary, we spotted a car accident in the ditch beside the highway.  I've been to what is now the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata precisely four times now, and all for times, we passed a car accident on the highway or on the side.  Well, might as well keep up the tradition.  This one just looked like a couple of cars slid into each other, likely just lost control while going too fast for the road conditions, no significant damage, so that's why I can speak so breezily about it.

My spirits were further bolstered by how many Red Wings fans I saw.  Surely, we were outnumbered to a ridiculous degree, but we were strong in numbers, our little cadre!

Of course, it's Detroit's first time back since the Alfredsson signing, and Etienne and I conjectured a few days ago how it would play out.  He anticipated booing, and I anticipated a lavish show of respect for their longtime hero, even if it was grudgingly.  We split the difference.

When the loud speaker blared that Alfredsson was in the starting line-up, a cheer went through the building.  When there was a special tribute to him, the building erupted into a lengthy standing ovation.  After all, he was their hero.

But thereafter, every time he touched the puck during the game, he was heartily booed.  It was so weird, seeing people wearing Sens jerseys with his name and number emblazoned across the back who were booing him.  I guess there will be a booming business in Sens Jerseys this year, as everyone retires their replica Alfie ones in favour of a new hero, likely Karlsson.  I was also struck by the two high-priced  luxury boxes filled with Swedes, waving their flags with great pride at Ottawa, yet booing Detroit.  Sure, Ottawa has three prominent (okay, used to be four) Swedes in its organization, but shit!  Detroit has 9 in its current roster, and a helluva lot more in development thanks to its recent tradition and taste for drafting from Swede.  Like, really? 

I just don't get "fans" sometimes.

Anyway, I was on edge all throughout the game; it wasn't until Detroit scored the first goal of the game that I relaxed a little.  And like a good little fan, I didn't boo Ottawa, I just spent my time cheering Detroit.

The Wings won 4-2, with Alfie scoring an empty-netter to seal the deal in the dying minutes. 

Welcome back, Alfie...

...Wish you were here.