Interview meme, Part Six Gazillion
Jan. 20th, 2008 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mousmeSo the Interview Meme is back. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here's how it works:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
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fearsclave asked:
1) How's the new job going? We're all dying of curiosity here!
The new job is going really well for the most part. (For newcomers to this LJ, I've just recently started a job working dispatch for the RCMP here in Montreal).
For the most part, it's a pretty straightforward job, much like all the jobs I've had before. Answer the phone when it rings, answer the questions of the people calling, be they police officers or members of the public. There's a lot of paperwork to handle: secure faxes, non-secure faxes, lots of files, radio logs, computer logs, general logs, blah.
One of my coworkers described it thus: We're not paid for what we do, we're paid for what we can and might do, should the need arise.
I also do a lot of checks for officers: name checks, plate checks, address checks, etc. There are a lot of ongoing large-scale investigations, and they need a lot of information on fairly short notice sometimes. You may have heard of the latest RCMP crackdown on a ring of internet pedophiles. I believe there were 90 arrests at last count.
There are office politics, of course. I seem to have been hired as a pawn in what looks to be an internal dispute in the department, but I find that so far that hasn't directly affected me, and so I'm withholding my judgment until I get to know the situation better. There are also serious scheduling problems, directly due to staffing problems, indirectly due to the small-scale war going on behind the scenes. They promise things will calm down within a few months, but apparently they've been saying that for two years. Oh well. :)
2) For that matter, what have you been up to lately? You've been awfully quiet...
See above. I've been working, for the most part, and when I haven't been working I've mostly been zoned out either sleeping or watching CSI: Miami (it's like watching a train wreck, but it's so much fun!). I'm just starting to have a bit more energy for stuff that's not working and sleeping, like checking LJ and putting on the Fourth Annual Capricornucopia, which went very well indeed.
The scheduling woes at work have also kept me off the radar, for the most part. I've been working days, which means getting up ridiculously early, or nights, which means leaving work ridiculously early and sleeping for most of the day. This week I'll be working evenings, much like I did at Boomerang, which means I might actually get some stuff done.
I've also been doing some cleaning, which this place sorely needs. I've been doing a little bit each day, and my goal is to get the place presentable by the end of the week, and thoroughly respectable by the beginning of February.
3) What's the happiest moment you've had so far this year?
Well, now that Capricornucopia is over, it's a no-brainer. January mostly went by in a blur of overtime and night shifts, so there are no super-memorable moments for the most part, but the year is still young. I am generally quite happy with the way things are turning out overall. I can't think of a single day this year that I've been unhappy. I've had a few moments of frustration, but they've been few, far-between, and short-lived.
4) Have you got anything interesting planned for this year (aside from Capricornucopia, which, sadly, I cannot attend)?
I have no Big Events planned as yet, although there's a possibility that I might be moving, in which case I shall be throwing a housewarming party. :)
I may be working security for Quebec's anniversary celebrations, which would be very cool, and I might also be heading out to BC for some training, but there's no guarantee for either of those things.
I'm also thinking of looking into some short-term courses for things that I've always wanted to learn. I have to be able to take them over the course of a weekend or two, not longer, since my schedule is so variable. Still, it should be fun if I can make it work.
5) Have you got any vacation time planned this year? If so, what are you going to do with it?
"Planned" is a very strong word. In theory, I will be getting time "off," in the sense that, the way our schedule works, I get five days off every eight weeks or so (it all works out, time-wise). I am apparently allowed to combine that with regularly-allotted vacation time, or with vacation time accrued via working overtime.
So the tentative plan is to take time off where and when I can, although since we're short-staffed that might not be as easy as I'd like to think. In no particular order, here is what I'd like to do with my vacation time:
- head (possibly with you, if we can coordinate things well enough) to the Rural Wastelands, and visitprolixfootle and bodhifox
- head to Halifax to visitjoane and shenlo
- visitwhiskeygirl8
- spend a week with my parents in France
Obviously, I won't be able to do all of these this year, but those are the four priorities.
bodhifox also interviewed me:
1) What is your weapon of choice when you go to the wilderness?
Uh, weapon? As in, what do I use to kill the bunny wabbits? Or do you mean an all-purpose tool?
Either way, I am not proficient in the use of most wilderness-associated tools. I am reasonably handy with a knife when it comes to cutting things, but I could never use one as a weapon without more training than I currently have.
I am next to useless with a gun, bow and arrow, and any other kind of projectile weapon.
I do plan to learn how to set a snare for rabbits, since that seems to me to be one of the easier ways to catch them, if not necessarily one of the most humane.
I can, with a set of matches, build a fire. So at least if I'm stranded I won't freeze to death. ;)
2) I asked this of someone else but it fits you too. Local, or organic? Which would be more important to you in choosing food?
Local over organic any day. These days people slap "organic" labels on a whole bunch of stuff that is "organic" only in the most technical of ways. Any good that comes from the produce being organic is also quickly counterbalanced by the "food miles" on it, anyway. Why on earth would I buy "organic" carrots from California when I can get perfectly good local carrots? Sure, the local carrots may have pesticides on them, or may even be genetically modified to be more cold-resistant or whatever, but at least they haven't traveled 3,000 km to get here.
3) Can you catch, clean and cook a fish? What about a rabbit?
Fish: I can catch them, gut them and cook them, but I still have trouble with the scales.
Rabbit: I can cook rabbit, no problem. I've only ever "caught" the one, and that wasn't me so much asfearsclave. I was just along for the ride when he put a couple of caps in poor Thumper's ass. I also watched with great interest as he skinned and cleaned it, and I think that I might be able to reproduce the process given the correct tools.
4) You smile in all your pictures I've seen. Are you happy, in general? Do you feel like you are on track with where you should be heading in your life?
I almost always smile in my pictures, unless someone takes a "candid" shot in which I happen not to be smiling. Smiling is an expression that comes very easily to me, and always has. If I catch someone looking/staring at me, my first reaction will generally be to smile at them (unless they're clearly being hostile about it).
To answer your question: yes, I am quite happy, in general. I like to think of myself as a happy person. I went through a period in which I wasn't happy, and I didn't feel like myself at all, if that makes any sense to you. I like where I am, and I like where I think I'm going. I'm doing my best to live life as though it's not a dress rehearsal, and as though I'm not trying out for the afterlife. As a result, I try not to think of things in terms of being "on track" or not. "On track" for me implies that there is a final destination, and that once I get there, everything stops. I've said elsewhere that I consider myself a work in progress, and as such I reserve the right to change my mind along the way as many times as I see fit.
But, yeah: very happy. :)
5) What is the most important thing you will consider in choosing your property? Proximity to friends? A stream? A fireplace? Moose? Please tell me what you are looking for in your land.
There are a few criteria for which I'll be looking. I won't list them all here, but here are some of the important ones:
- Proximity to friends, family and like-minded people™ is a must. I am a social creature, and I will go barking mad if I don't have someone to talk to/visit at least occasionally.
- Proximity to a main highway/method of public transportation, like the train. In all likelihood, my job will remain in Montreal, and as a result I will have to commute many days of the week. Anything that makes this easier will be a bonus.
- A minimum of two acres of arable land. Being able to have my own vegetable garden is a must, and if possible I'd like to have five to ten acres at least so I can have some goats, rabbits and chickens in the long run.
- some sort of standing or running water (not a must, but a bonus)
- a bit of brush or forest (again: bonus, not a must)
And that's all, folks!
Also, I'm still open to answering questions, if you feel like doing the meme in reverse. :)
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
fearsclave asked:1) How's the new job going? We're all dying of curiosity here!
The new job is going really well for the most part. (For newcomers to this LJ, I've just recently started a job working dispatch for the RCMP here in Montreal).
For the most part, it's a pretty straightforward job, much like all the jobs I've had before. Answer the phone when it rings, answer the questions of the people calling, be they police officers or members of the public. There's a lot of paperwork to handle: secure faxes, non-secure faxes, lots of files, radio logs, computer logs, general logs, blah.
One of my coworkers described it thus: We're not paid for what we do, we're paid for what we can and might do, should the need arise.
I also do a lot of checks for officers: name checks, plate checks, address checks, etc. There are a lot of ongoing large-scale investigations, and they need a lot of information on fairly short notice sometimes. You may have heard of the latest RCMP crackdown on a ring of internet pedophiles. I believe there were 90 arrests at last count.
There are office politics, of course. I seem to have been hired as a pawn in what looks to be an internal dispute in the department, but I find that so far that hasn't directly affected me, and so I'm withholding my judgment until I get to know the situation better. There are also serious scheduling problems, directly due to staffing problems, indirectly due to the small-scale war going on behind the scenes. They promise things will calm down within a few months, but apparently they've been saying that for two years. Oh well. :)
2) For that matter, what have you been up to lately? You've been awfully quiet...
See above. I've been working, for the most part, and when I haven't been working I've mostly been zoned out either sleeping or watching CSI: Miami (it's like watching a train wreck, but it's so much fun!). I'm just starting to have a bit more energy for stuff that's not working and sleeping, like checking LJ and putting on the Fourth Annual Capricornucopia, which went very well indeed.
The scheduling woes at work have also kept me off the radar, for the most part. I've been working days, which means getting up ridiculously early, or nights, which means leaving work ridiculously early and sleeping for most of the day. This week I'll be working evenings, much like I did at Boomerang, which means I might actually get some stuff done.
I've also been doing some cleaning, which this place sorely needs. I've been doing a little bit each day, and my goal is to get the place presentable by the end of the week, and thoroughly respectable by the beginning of February.
3) What's the happiest moment you've had so far this year?
Well, now that Capricornucopia is over, it's a no-brainer. January mostly went by in a blur of overtime and night shifts, so there are no super-memorable moments for the most part, but the year is still young. I am generally quite happy with the way things are turning out overall. I can't think of a single day this year that I've been unhappy. I've had a few moments of frustration, but they've been few, far-between, and short-lived.
4) Have you got anything interesting planned for this year (aside from Capricornucopia, which, sadly, I cannot attend)?
I have no Big Events planned as yet, although there's a possibility that I might be moving, in which case I shall be throwing a housewarming party. :)
I may be working security for Quebec's anniversary celebrations, which would be very cool, and I might also be heading out to BC for some training, but there's no guarantee for either of those things.
I'm also thinking of looking into some short-term courses for things that I've always wanted to learn. I have to be able to take them over the course of a weekend or two, not longer, since my schedule is so variable. Still, it should be fun if I can make it work.
5) Have you got any vacation time planned this year? If so, what are you going to do with it?
"Planned" is a very strong word. In theory, I will be getting time "off," in the sense that, the way our schedule works, I get five days off every eight weeks or so (it all works out, time-wise). I am apparently allowed to combine that with regularly-allotted vacation time, or with vacation time accrued via working overtime.
So the tentative plan is to take time off where and when I can, although since we're short-staffed that might not be as easy as I'd like to think. In no particular order, here is what I'd like to do with my vacation time:
- head (possibly with you, if we can coordinate things well enough) to the Rural Wastelands, and visit
prolixfootle and bodhifox- head to Halifax to visit
joane and shenlo- visit
whiskeygirl8- spend a week with my parents in France
Obviously, I won't be able to do all of these this year, but those are the four priorities.
bodhifox also interviewed me:1) What is your weapon of choice when you go to the wilderness?
Uh, weapon? As in, what do I use to kill the bunny wabbits? Or do you mean an all-purpose tool?
Either way, I am not proficient in the use of most wilderness-associated tools. I am reasonably handy with a knife when it comes to cutting things, but I could never use one as a weapon without more training than I currently have.
I am next to useless with a gun, bow and arrow, and any other kind of projectile weapon.
I do plan to learn how to set a snare for rabbits, since that seems to me to be one of the easier ways to catch them, if not necessarily one of the most humane.
I can, with a set of matches, build a fire. So at least if I'm stranded I won't freeze to death. ;)
2) I asked this of someone else but it fits you too. Local, or organic? Which would be more important to you in choosing food?
Local over organic any day. These days people slap "organic" labels on a whole bunch of stuff that is "organic" only in the most technical of ways. Any good that comes from the produce being organic is also quickly counterbalanced by the "food miles" on it, anyway. Why on earth would I buy "organic" carrots from California when I can get perfectly good local carrots? Sure, the local carrots may have pesticides on them, or may even be genetically modified to be more cold-resistant or whatever, but at least they haven't traveled 3,000 km to get here.
3) Can you catch, clean and cook a fish? What about a rabbit?
Fish: I can catch them, gut them and cook them, but I still have trouble with the scales.
Rabbit: I can cook rabbit, no problem. I've only ever "caught" the one, and that wasn't me so much as
fearsclave. I was just along for the ride when he put a couple of caps in poor Thumper's ass. I also watched with great interest as he skinned and cleaned it, and I think that I might be able to reproduce the process given the correct tools.4) You smile in all your pictures I've seen. Are you happy, in general? Do you feel like you are on track with where you should be heading in your life?
I almost always smile in my pictures, unless someone takes a "candid" shot in which I happen not to be smiling. Smiling is an expression that comes very easily to me, and always has. If I catch someone looking/staring at me, my first reaction will generally be to smile at them (unless they're clearly being hostile about it).
To answer your question: yes, I am quite happy, in general. I like to think of myself as a happy person. I went through a period in which I wasn't happy, and I didn't feel like myself at all, if that makes any sense to you. I like where I am, and I like where I think I'm going. I'm doing my best to live life as though it's not a dress rehearsal, and as though I'm not trying out for the afterlife. As a result, I try not to think of things in terms of being "on track" or not. "On track" for me implies that there is a final destination, and that once I get there, everything stops. I've said elsewhere that I consider myself a work in progress, and as such I reserve the right to change my mind along the way as many times as I see fit.
But, yeah: very happy. :)
5) What is the most important thing you will consider in choosing your property? Proximity to friends? A stream? A fireplace? Moose? Please tell me what you are looking for in your land.
There are a few criteria for which I'll be looking. I won't list them all here, but here are some of the important ones:
- Proximity to friends, family and like-minded people™ is a must. I am a social creature, and I will go barking mad if I don't have someone to talk to/visit at least occasionally.
- Proximity to a main highway/method of public transportation, like the train. In all likelihood, my job will remain in Montreal, and as a result I will have to commute many days of the week. Anything that makes this easier will be a bonus.
- A minimum of two acres of arable land. Being able to have my own vegetable garden is a must, and if possible I'd like to have five to ten acres at least so I can have some goats, rabbits and chickens in the long run.
- some sort of standing or running water (not a must, but a bonus)
- a bit of brush or forest (again: bonus, not a must)
And that's all, folks!
Also, I'm still open to answering questions, if you feel like doing the meme in reverse. :)
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-21 11:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-27 03:40 pm (UTC)1- How is work going, apart from the Nutcracker? Do you still like what you're doing? What is your main source of work these days?
2- What is your favourite part of Halifax? Why?
3- What RPG character of yours do you like the most? Elaborate.
4- Do you want and are you planning to have more children? If so, do you have a vague time frame in mind?
5- What have you been watching/reading lately? I'd like to know what's been turning your creative and escapist crank.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-21 12:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-27 03:45 pm (UTC)1- I noticed in your bookcase the last time I was at your place that you have a number of books on goddess worship and sacred spaces. Can you tell me about this interest?
2- What inspires you when you paint?
3- Do you have a favourite medium in which to paint? Explain. Also, is there a medium that you're dying to try out but haven't yet? Enquiring minds want to know.
4- If you could live anywhere in the world (cost of living and such being taken care of by an outside source or something) where would it be and why?
5- Where would you like to be in five years? (No, this isn't a job interview, I promise!)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-21 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-27 03:56 pm (UTC)1- So, tell me honestly: do you really, truly have an upper limit on how many pets you'll allow in your home, supposing Carolyn bats her eyelashes enough at you? What's your policy on furry beings that take over your furniture and insist on regular pats?
2- What outdoorsy survival-type skill do you currently not have or master that you want to learn next? I want to know the one at the top of your list, and why you have it at the top of your list.
3- Are you planning to enlarge your garden this year? What new things are you going to plant?
4- What have you got planned for your vacation time this year?
5- What is your current dominant psychotic obsession? I know you have several, but I'd like to know which one is uppermost in your thoughts these days.