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2008 in retrospect meme
Dec. 16th, 2008 05:49 pmThis isn't one of the two memes that I always do this time of year, but I liked it, so. Ganked from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
readykatego.
( Meme behind the cut )
readykatego.( Meme behind the cut )
Life continues apace
Jan. 3rd, 2008 10:56 pmThings are still going well. I'm still greatly enjoying my work, although conversations with folks at the office have revealed a few underlying problems of which I wasn't really aware before (not that I could have been, not having been there), but the problems are "overflow" from before, and I'm optimistic that it won't affect me too much.
I'm about 65% operational, as it stands. I'm able to handle 90% of the routine calls, and arrest warrants no longer hold any mysteries for me, nor do the faxes. I have finally begun putting together a binder with notes on my various duties, reminders and memory aids, so that I'll have a quick reference to look at if needs be. One of the other two new girls is also doing something similar, and so rather than do a lot of the work twice over, we've been helping each other out by making copies of our notes and sharing them. So far it's working out quite well.
My one gripe is that, because the woman who was meant to be my coach is out on sick leave, I still don't have a firm idea of what my schedule is going to be for the next two months, which makes it very hard to plan my life. I know that next week I'll be working graveyard (2300 to 0700 on weekdays and 1900 to 0700 on weekends) for seven days straight, and then after that I'm supposed to be "off" for five days. However, I don't know if I'm going to get those days off, since they might change my schedule around again. I hope not. Still, as gripes go, it's thus far a minor one. I'll only truly be put out if it continues indefinitely.
In other news, I took the plunge tonight and bought myself a Scooba as a birthday present. I've been toying with the idea for over a year now, and I have decided that I loathe washing floors enough to warrant the expense. I have heard good things about it from various sources, and so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. With any luck, I should have it next week, or the week after that at the latest.
The Neo-Consumerist Recycled Pagan Solstice celebrations went quite well. I saw the family, as well asshenlo and joane whose baby Jenny I finally got to meet after hearing all about her for six months or so. She is an absolute darling, and definitely takes after both parents (though she favours her Daddy in looks right now).
Preparations for Capricornucopia proceed as well, although I am slightly more anxious about it this year than I was in previous years, possibly because I'm a little stuck on the writing. Still, I have two and a half weeks, which is more than enough time, right? ^^;
Tomorrow isluvenditti's End of Holidays Lament Feast, and the day after that it's my birthday! I'm looking forward to being 29, for some weird reason. Actually, I've usually enjoyed my birthdays (with one or two notable exceptions): this time of year is always filled with a sense of renewal for me, and the fact that it coincides nicely with my birthday is a bonus, really.
I've decided that I'm going to make New Year's Resolutions this year (I already have, actually). I haven't made any in the past, oh, seven or eight years, on the general theory that they don't work. However, I always made a point of trying to set down new paths for myself, as a way of generally trying to improve myself and my life, and so this year I'm just going to go ahead and make resolutions and concrete goals. Heck, I might even keep them this year. :)
I'm about 65% operational, as it stands. I'm able to handle 90% of the routine calls, and arrest warrants no longer hold any mysteries for me, nor do the faxes. I have finally begun putting together a binder with notes on my various duties, reminders and memory aids, so that I'll have a quick reference to look at if needs be. One of the other two new girls is also doing something similar, and so rather than do a lot of the work twice over, we've been helping each other out by making copies of our notes and sharing them. So far it's working out quite well.
My one gripe is that, because the woman who was meant to be my coach is out on sick leave, I still don't have a firm idea of what my schedule is going to be for the next two months, which makes it very hard to plan my life. I know that next week I'll be working graveyard (2300 to 0700 on weekdays and 1900 to 0700 on weekends) for seven days straight, and then after that I'm supposed to be "off" for five days. However, I don't know if I'm going to get those days off, since they might change my schedule around again. I hope not. Still, as gripes go, it's thus far a minor one. I'll only truly be put out if it continues indefinitely.
In other news, I took the plunge tonight and bought myself a Scooba as a birthday present. I've been toying with the idea for over a year now, and I have decided that I loathe washing floors enough to warrant the expense. I have heard good things about it from various sources, and so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. With any luck, I should have it next week, or the week after that at the latest.
The Neo-Consumerist Recycled Pagan Solstice celebrations went quite well. I saw the family, as well as
shenlo and joane whose baby Jenny I finally got to meet after hearing all about her for six months or so. She is an absolute darling, and definitely takes after both parents (though she favours her Daddy in looks right now).Preparations for Capricornucopia proceed as well, although I am slightly more anxious about it this year than I was in previous years, possibly because I'm a little stuck on the writing. Still, I have two and a half weeks, which is more than enough time, right? ^^;
Tomorrow is
luvenditti's End of Holidays Lament Feast, and the day after that it's my birthday! I'm looking forward to being 29, for some weird reason. Actually, I've usually enjoyed my birthdays (with one or two notable exceptions): this time of year is always filled with a sense of renewal for me, and the fact that it coincides nicely with my birthday is a bonus, really.I've decided that I'm going to make New Year's Resolutions this year (I already have, actually). I haven't made any in the past, oh, seven or eight years, on the general theory that they don't work. However, I always made a point of trying to set down new paths for myself, as a way of generally trying to improve myself and my life, and so this year I'm just going to go ahead and make resolutions and concrete goals. Heck, I might even keep them this year. :)
New Year's Meme II
Dec. 30th, 2007 10:55 pmHere's the second meme I do every year.
Five things that 2007 taught me:
* Friends are a Very Good Thing to have around.
* Dig deeper. Things are very seldom what they seem.
* Following up is the most important part of a job application. Employers are silly beings who don't always keep track of what they're doing.
* It's never too late to learn something new
* Food that you've grown or caught yourself always tastes better.
Five personally significant events of 2007:
* Capricornucopia
* Quitting Boomerang and joining the RCMP
* Going on my first hunt ("Be vewy vewy quieeeeet... We're hunting waaaaaabiiiiiitsssss...")
That's all I got. This year was about ongoing accomplishments as opposed to discrete ones. It was a pretty great year all around.
Five things I want to do in 2008:
* Proofread and finish a second draft of "Crisse, des Zombies! (Zombie Crisis!)" and submit it for publication
* Travel somewhere out of Canada
* Put aside money for a house
* Start up my writing again on a regular basis
* Start preparing for a lifestyle of homesteading in the near-ish future
Five things I don't want to do in 2008:
* Not write at all
* Ignore my musical side
* Lose my current financial stability
* Let my apartment stay in its current mess
* Stay in poor physical shape
Five people whom I'd like to know better in 2008:
I'm not naming people this year. There are a *ton* of people I'd like to get to know, and I don't want to have to pick only five of them from the list. I will do my best to be in touch with all my friends, old and new, and see where that gets me.
Five things that 2007 taught me:
* Friends are a Very Good Thing to have around.
* Dig deeper. Things are very seldom what they seem.
* Following up is the most important part of a job application. Employers are silly beings who don't always keep track of what they're doing.
* It's never too late to learn something new
* Food that you've grown or caught yourself always tastes better.
Five personally significant events of 2007:
* Capricornucopia
* Quitting Boomerang and joining the RCMP
* Going on my first hunt ("Be vewy vewy quieeeeet... We're hunting waaaaaabiiiiiitsssss...")
That's all I got. This year was about ongoing accomplishments as opposed to discrete ones. It was a pretty great year all around.
Five things I want to do in 2008:
* Proofread and finish a second draft of "Crisse, des Zombies! (Zombie Crisis!)" and submit it for publication
* Travel somewhere out of Canada
* Put aside money for a house
* Start up my writing again on a regular basis
* Start preparing for a lifestyle of homesteading in the near-ish future
Five things I don't want to do in 2008:
* Not write at all
* Ignore my musical side
* Lose my current financial stability
* Let my apartment stay in its current mess
* Stay in poor physical shape
Five people whom I'd like to know better in 2008:
I'm not naming people this year. There are a *ton* of people I'd like to get to know, and I don't want to have to pick only five of them from the list. I will do my best to be in touch with all my friends, old and new, and see where that gets me.
New Year's Meme I
Dec. 30th, 2007 09:52 pmOnce again, it's time for the New Year's memes. I do two every year, and have been ever since I started this LJ.
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://mousme.livejournal.com/597914.html
What did you do in 2007 that you had never done before?
I wrote a complete play.
I learned to play Enter Sandman on the drums.
I helped retrieve about twenty stolen cars.
I applied for a job at the RCMP and got accepted.
I got Top Secret security clearance at the national level.
I played a drinking game.
I went hunting and was witness to the slaying of Thumper (metaphorically).
I flew to P.E.I. for the day in a private plane.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not really. I did well for a while, but job-search-related stress and other factors pretty much interfered with my best intentions. I'm not the "go to the gym and lose 600lbs" resolution kind of person anyway, but I do like to re-evaluate around this time of year and see what I like and don't like about my life, and set goals accordingly. I imagine that I shall make more "resolutions" along those lines this year and see what comes of it.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup!karine, urban_homestead, joane and pasley, among others!
Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, unfortunately.
What countries did you visit?
Just Canada. I haven't been in a position to leave the country for a while now. Perhaps that will change this year, now that I have a job that pays better. :)
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Huh. Now that I have the kind of job I've wanted for years, the major thing that I always considered I was lacking has come to be.
I'd like to have the kind of discipline that will allow me to keep this apartment clean for more than a few weeks at a time. I managed it a bit last year, but not enough to my satisfaction.
I'd like to be able to put more money aside for that day in the future when I decide to buy a house in the country.
Honestly, I can't think of anything that I'm truly "lacking" right now. There are things I would like to do, that I'd like to have, but nothing terribly important, nothing I can't do without. I am pretty satisfied, all told.
What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm very bad with dates. I say this every year. I remember events, but not specific dates. Feelings, emotions, people, but not dates. Also, "etched" is a pretty strong word. Let's just say these seem to me right now to be important dates from this year. Let me think.
I remember Capricornucopia and Tarasmas.
I remember the birth of all my friends' babies.
I remember my friend April's visit from the US.
I rememberaislingtheach's birthday, which was awesome.
November 19th is the date I started at the RCMP.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's more.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got a job as a dispatcher for the RCMP. That rocked hardcore.
What was your biggest failure?
I think I handled the conflicts at my old job poorly, in retrospect. I mean, I handled them in a way that wasn't terrible, but I probably could have done better. Otherwise, as years go, this one was for the win.
What was the best thing you bought?
The most expensive thing was my shiny new PS2. I got a fair bit of mileage out of it in the first few months after I got it, but I haven't touched it in a few months since I started my new job. Perhaps when things settle down I'll be able to get back to it.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few migraines and a cold that knocked me flat on my ass for a week, but nothing to write home about. Oh, there was the really fun abscess back in October. Mustn't forget that. :P
Whose behavior merited celebration?
pasley and jteethy spring to mind, who handled a very difficult year and a scary premature delivery with grace and aplomb.
Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
A few people I won't bother mentioning here. The US administration. The Canadian government, in more than a few instances. Politics in general. Blick.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent, utilities, food and books. A couple of happy geeky things, like the PS2 and FFX. A few CDs, a couple of TV series on DVD.
What did you get really, really excited about?
The RCMP and my new job. New babies everywhere!
What song will always remind you of 2007?
"It's Only What You Want" by Hayley Sales.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier.
Thinner or fatter? I think about five pounds fatter.
Richer or poorer? Definitely richer.
How did you spend Christmas?
With family and friends, as always. I spent the morning at work, watching a CSI: Miami marathon when things were quiet.
Did you fall in love in 2005?
Uh, nearly? Sort of. There was a near miss.
How many 1-night stands?
This question is starting to depress me. Same answer as always: *scoff*
What was your favourite TV program?
MacGyver!
What was the best book you read?
Yikes. I've read a ton of books this year. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 or even more. I don't know which was the best. However, I had a lot of fun with the Dresden Files, and the Night Watch series, among others.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sadly, I didn't make any really new discoveries this year. I must endeavour to change that.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Meh. No hating. I couldn't handle the kharma backlash.
What did you want and get?
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
A new job.
A PS2.
What did you want and not get?
Not much. A clean apartment, but that's entirely my own fault.
What was your favourite film of this year?
I was unimpressed with the movies I saw this year. They were good enough, but none of them really stood out. I thoroughly enjoyed "3:10 to Yuma," however. Russel Crowe was marvelously melodramatic as the bad guy.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28 and spent the day at work.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Paid vacation time would have been nice.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Brightly-coloured socks, and a relaxed business outfit for work. Comfortable was what I went for, for the most part.
What kept you sane?
My friends, my family, the opportunity to be creative.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I stopped paying attention to that sort of thing several years ago.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Mostly environmental stuff and a few women's rights issues that hit the news a few times.
Who did you miss?
In particular,joane and shenlo and rowen26, but luckily I got to see them all over Christmas, so yay! April, whom I saw only too briefly. Béatrice and Néomée, who live in Europe now.
Who was the best new person you met?
Erm... I met a whole bunch of new people. I like them all. :) Couldn't choose if you held a gun to my head (although I might lie in order to save my life ;) ).
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
There are very few obstacles in life that can't be overcome —or at least worked around— with enough determination.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Stop and look at the sun
Tell me what have you done today
That left you dreaming
'Cause living life's not a goal
It's been happening all along the way
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://mousme.livejournal.com/597914.html
What did you do in 2007 that you had never done before?
I wrote a complete play.
I learned to play Enter Sandman on the drums.
I helped retrieve about twenty stolen cars.
I applied for a job at the RCMP and got accepted.
I got Top Secret security clearance at the national level.
I played a drinking game.
I went hunting and was witness to the slaying of Thumper (metaphorically).
I flew to P.E.I. for the day in a private plane.
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not really. I did well for a while, but job-search-related stress and other factors pretty much interfered with my best intentions. I'm not the "go to the gym and lose 600lbs" resolution kind of person anyway, but I do like to re-evaluate around this time of year and see what I like and don't like about my life, and set goals accordingly. I imagine that I shall make more "resolutions" along those lines this year and see what comes of it.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup!
karine, urban_homestead, joane and pasley, among others!Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, unfortunately.
What countries did you visit?
Just Canada. I haven't been in a position to leave the country for a while now. Perhaps that will change this year, now that I have a job that pays better. :)
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Huh. Now that I have the kind of job I've wanted for years, the major thing that I always considered I was lacking has come to be.
I'd like to have the kind of discipline that will allow me to keep this apartment clean for more than a few weeks at a time. I managed it a bit last year, but not enough to my satisfaction.
I'd like to be able to put more money aside for that day in the future when I decide to buy a house in the country.
Honestly, I can't think of anything that I'm truly "lacking" right now. There are things I would like to do, that I'd like to have, but nothing terribly important, nothing I can't do without. I am pretty satisfied, all told.
What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm very bad with dates. I say this every year. I remember events, but not specific dates. Feelings, emotions, people, but not dates. Also, "etched" is a pretty strong word. Let's just say these seem to me right now to be important dates from this year. Let me think.
I remember Capricornucopia and Tarasmas.
I remember the birth of all my friends' babies.
I remember my friend April's visit from the US.
I remember
aislingtheach's birthday, which was awesome.November 19th is the date I started at the RCMP.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's more.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got a job as a dispatcher for the RCMP. That rocked hardcore.
What was your biggest failure?
I think I handled the conflicts at my old job poorly, in retrospect. I mean, I handled them in a way that wasn't terrible, but I probably could have done better. Otherwise, as years go, this one was for the win.
What was the best thing you bought?
The most expensive thing was my shiny new PS2. I got a fair bit of mileage out of it in the first few months after I got it, but I haven't touched it in a few months since I started my new job. Perhaps when things settle down I'll be able to get back to it.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few migraines and a cold that knocked me flat on my ass for a week, but nothing to write home about. Oh, there was the really fun abscess back in October. Mustn't forget that. :P
Whose behavior merited celebration?
pasley and jteethy spring to mind, who handled a very difficult year and a scary premature delivery with grace and aplomb.Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
A few people I won't bother mentioning here. The US administration. The Canadian government, in more than a few instances. Politics in general. Blick.
Where did most of your money go?
Rent, utilities, food and books. A couple of happy geeky things, like the PS2 and FFX. A few CDs, a couple of TV series on DVD.
What did you get really, really excited about?
The RCMP and my new job. New babies everywhere!
What song will always remind you of 2007?
"It's Only What You Want" by Hayley Sales.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier.
Thinner or fatter? I think about five pounds fatter.
Richer or poorer? Definitely richer.
How did you spend Christmas?
With family and friends, as always. I spent the morning at work, watching a CSI: Miami marathon when things were quiet.
Did you fall in love in 2005?
Uh, nearly? Sort of. There was a near miss.
How many 1-night stands?
This question is starting to depress me. Same answer as always: *scoff*
What was your favourite TV program?
MacGyver!
What was the best book you read?
Yikes. I've read a ton of books this year. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 or even more. I don't know which was the best. However, I had a lot of fun with the Dresden Files, and the Night Watch series, among others.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sadly, I didn't make any really new discoveries this year. I must endeavour to change that.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Meh. No hating. I couldn't handle the kharma backlash.
What did you want and get?
A number of things that aren’t really quantifiable.
A new job.
A PS2.
What did you want and not get?
Not much. A clean apartment, but that's entirely my own fault.
What was your favourite film of this year?
I was unimpressed with the movies I saw this year. They were good enough, but none of them really stood out. I thoroughly enjoyed "3:10 to Yuma," however. Russel Crowe was marvelously melodramatic as the bad guy.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 28 and spent the day at work.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Paid vacation time would have been nice.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Brightly-coloured socks, and a relaxed business outfit for work. Comfortable was what I went for, for the most part.
What kept you sane?
My friends, my family, the opportunity to be creative.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I stopped paying attention to that sort of thing several years ago.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Mostly environmental stuff and a few women's rights issues that hit the news a few times.
Who did you miss?
In particular,
joane and shenlo and rowen26, but luckily I got to see them all over Christmas, so yay! April, whom I saw only too briefly. Béatrice and Néomée, who live in Europe now.Who was the best new person you met?
Erm... I met a whole bunch of new people. I like them all. :) Couldn't choose if you held a gun to my head (although I might lie in order to save my life ;) ).
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
There are very few obstacles in life that can't be overcome —or at least worked around— with enough determination.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Stop and look at the sun
Tell me what have you done today
That left you dreaming
'Cause living life's not a goal
It's been happening all along the way
Where did the time go?
Sep. 23rd, 2007 12:25 pmI've been too busy to post. I keep telling myself that I should write posts in here that aren't "here's what I did while I wasn't posting" entries, but I never seem to get around to writing those meaningful, insightful entries. I rather think that I don't have any to write. I've lost the knack of writing analytical text ever since I left university. Besides, I don't know that I'd want to inflict my essay-writing skills on my beleaguered flist, as I seem to recall that I bored myself silly with my own academic writing. I remembered wondering who would ever want to read such dry stuff as I was able to produce. It's not that it wasn't good —it was just really, really dry going.
Anyway, I've had a busy couple of weeks.
I saw an old friend of mine from high school last Saturday, although we didn't have much time to actually catch up as he had to go back to his office right after lunch (he's a lawyer). We did have a nice chat, and wandered through Atwater Market before he had to go, and it was really nice to see him again. Of all my friends in high school (of which there admittedly weren't many), he was the one with whom I got along the best. We're supposed to meet up again at some point in the near future, which ought to be nice. After that I got treated to a lovely private concert in the living room of some family friends, and spent the afternoon and better part of the evening making slightly awkward small talk with three roomfuls of people I didn't know and with whom I had nothing in common. Still, the concert was quite nice. The violinist was a young man, somewhere between nineteen and twenty-one, and he's quite promising. His playing was very adept, although it lacked depth and intonation, but with time I'm guessing he'll turn out quite well.
Sunday was spent hiding from the world recovering from that stupid migraine which started late on Saturday. Annoying in the extreme, as it was a gorgeous day out.
Monday was a writing jam withowldaughter, in which I got more writing done in one morning than I had in the past four weeks combined. I'm finally getting back into my ongoing YA novel, and I'd like to have it finished by the end of the year. I might "cheat" and make finishing it my NaNoWriMo project for this year. Either that or I'll write another horror novel, since they appear to write themselves for me.
I forget what I did on Tuesday, but I do remember that I had to be out of the house stupidly early to do it. That's probably why I don't remember: I was still half-asleep. ;)
I met up withai731 on Wednesday morning, and she taught me the mysteries of canning. It's a really fun process, I assume more fun because there were two of us. We went through about three-quarters of the 20lb bag of apples I'd picked, and made apple sauce, apple butter (so very yummmy!) and an apple cake based on her grandmother's recipe, which was so very very delicious that I brought it to work with me so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat the entire thing by myself. I brought half to work, and ai731 kept the other half, naturally. I had to abandon ship just before the end of the session, as I had to go to work, and I just received the last three jars of apple sauce last night. I am very pleased with how the whole thing turned out.
Thursday was spent driving my mother around so she could get some errands done without spending the whole day doing it. Since she doesn't drive, and generally gets around pretty slowly anyway, it's easier for her if I occasionally spend a morning driving her around, and I don't mind doing it in the slightest. I tend to lose my mind if I spend too much time with my parents, but a couple of times a week is enough for me to keep my sanity.
Friday's Ubisoft lunch got canceled for me due to the (not unexpected) passing of my great-aunt Margot at the age of 93. I have very fond memories of her, and of going to her apartment in the Linton for a New Year's Day luncheon every year until I was about eight or nine. After that she moved to a smaller place (I believe it was a residence for relatively independent retired folk who only needed minimal amounts of help to get through the day), and she became a little too frail to be able to put on the spread she really wanted to. None of her three daughters ever kept up with the tradition, and so I sort of lost track of her for a while. We still saw her at the larger family gatherings, but it wasn't really the same.
The funeral itself was interrupted when my cousin Ophelie (the youngest of all the cousins, and one of the two cousins near my age with whom I actually keep up and get along) suffered some kind of seizure or syncope in the middle of the service. She was sitting right next to my father, and the next thing we knew she had turned a horrid shade of green, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped forward. Luckily my aunt (not Ophelie's mother, but another aunt) is a nurse and took over immediately. I was rather grateful not to have to step in and apply my limited first aid skills to the situation. Someone produced a cell phone (a blackberry, I think) and called 911. I spent most of the time keeping people from crowding around, and reassuring people that no, it wasn't taking as long as they thought for the ambulance to get there. I timed it, see, and it took nine minutes from the moment the call was placed to the time the paramedics got there. In times of crisis, people's perception of how quickly time elapses gets seriously distorted.
My mother spoke to my cousin yesterday, as well as my aunt. Ophelie is doing okay, as it turns out, but she's going to have to see a neurologist, as her symptoms were quite alarming (swelling in the throat, stiffening of the extremities, extremely elevated heartrate, etc.). My mother, in true keeping with her nature, has invited her to dinner next Sunday.
After the funeral I took my mother to Juliette & Chocolat for lunch. Egads, it should be illegal to make chocolate that good. I have rarely had anything quite that sinful. I must go back.
Yesterday I got shanghaied by my parents into helping them shop for appliances. God help me. The less said about that, the better. The day improved immeasurably by the time I got toluvenditti's for dinner, and had a wonderful time with all my friends, chatting about movies and books and games and food and all the usual things we end up talking about at these events. I borrowed the movie "Clue" and watched it last night: it's a great deal of fun.
All right, the rest of my day beckons. More updates when I have something to say. ;)
Anyway, I've had a busy couple of weeks.
I saw an old friend of mine from high school last Saturday, although we didn't have much time to actually catch up as he had to go back to his office right after lunch (he's a lawyer). We did have a nice chat, and wandered through Atwater Market before he had to go, and it was really nice to see him again. Of all my friends in high school (of which there admittedly weren't many), he was the one with whom I got along the best. We're supposed to meet up again at some point in the near future, which ought to be nice. After that I got treated to a lovely private concert in the living room of some family friends, and spent the afternoon and better part of the evening making slightly awkward small talk with three roomfuls of people I didn't know and with whom I had nothing in common. Still, the concert was quite nice. The violinist was a young man, somewhere between nineteen and twenty-one, and he's quite promising. His playing was very adept, although it lacked depth and intonation, but with time I'm guessing he'll turn out quite well.
Sunday was spent hiding from the world recovering from that stupid migraine which started late on Saturday. Annoying in the extreme, as it was a gorgeous day out.
Monday was a writing jam with
owldaughter, in which I got more writing done in one morning than I had in the past four weeks combined. I'm finally getting back into my ongoing YA novel, and I'd like to have it finished by the end of the year. I might "cheat" and make finishing it my NaNoWriMo project for this year. Either that or I'll write another horror novel, since they appear to write themselves for me.I forget what I did on Tuesday, but I do remember that I had to be out of the house stupidly early to do it. That's probably why I don't remember: I was still half-asleep. ;)
I met up with
ai731 on Wednesday morning, and she taught me the mysteries of canning. It's a really fun process, I assume more fun because there were two of us. We went through about three-quarters of the 20lb bag of apples I'd picked, and made apple sauce, apple butter (so very yummmy!) and an apple cake based on her grandmother's recipe, which was so very very delicious that I brought it to work with me so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat the entire thing by myself. I brought half to work, and ai731 kept the other half, naturally. I had to abandon ship just before the end of the session, as I had to go to work, and I just received the last three jars of apple sauce last night. I am very pleased with how the whole thing turned out.Thursday was spent driving my mother around so she could get some errands done without spending the whole day doing it. Since she doesn't drive, and generally gets around pretty slowly anyway, it's easier for her if I occasionally spend a morning driving her around, and I don't mind doing it in the slightest. I tend to lose my mind if I spend too much time with my parents, but a couple of times a week is enough for me to keep my sanity.
Friday's Ubisoft lunch got canceled for me due to the (not unexpected) passing of my great-aunt Margot at the age of 93. I have very fond memories of her, and of going to her apartment in the Linton for a New Year's Day luncheon every year until I was about eight or nine. After that she moved to a smaller place (I believe it was a residence for relatively independent retired folk who only needed minimal amounts of help to get through the day), and she became a little too frail to be able to put on the spread she really wanted to. None of her three daughters ever kept up with the tradition, and so I sort of lost track of her for a while. We still saw her at the larger family gatherings, but it wasn't really the same.
The funeral itself was interrupted when my cousin Ophelie (the youngest of all the cousins, and one of the two cousins near my age with whom I actually keep up and get along) suffered some kind of seizure or syncope in the middle of the service. She was sitting right next to my father, and the next thing we knew she had turned a horrid shade of green, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped forward. Luckily my aunt (not Ophelie's mother, but another aunt) is a nurse and took over immediately. I was rather grateful not to have to step in and apply my limited first aid skills to the situation. Someone produced a cell phone (a blackberry, I think) and called 911. I spent most of the time keeping people from crowding around, and reassuring people that no, it wasn't taking as long as they thought for the ambulance to get there. I timed it, see, and it took nine minutes from the moment the call was placed to the time the paramedics got there. In times of crisis, people's perception of how quickly time elapses gets seriously distorted.
My mother spoke to my cousin yesterday, as well as my aunt. Ophelie is doing okay, as it turns out, but she's going to have to see a neurologist, as her symptoms were quite alarming (swelling in the throat, stiffening of the extremities, extremely elevated heartrate, etc.). My mother, in true keeping with her nature, has invited her to dinner next Sunday.
After the funeral I took my mother to Juliette & Chocolat for lunch. Egads, it should be illegal to make chocolate that good. I have rarely had anything quite that sinful. I must go back.
Yesterday I got shanghaied by my parents into helping them shop for appliances. God help me. The less said about that, the better. The day improved immeasurably by the time I got to
luvenditti's for dinner, and had a wonderful time with all my friends, chatting about movies and books and games and food and all the usual things we end up talking about at these events. I borrowed the movie "Clue" and watched it last night: it's a great deal of fun.All right, the rest of my day beckons. More updates when I have something to say. ;)
Nea Year's Eve in review
Jan. 1st, 2007 08:12 pmAfter a lot of cleaning, my apartment was more than presentable by the time joane and shenlo arrived on Sunday morning. It was cleaner, in fact, than when I held my housewarming in August, and that's saying something.
The day went beautifully. The cornish hen fell off the bone it was so well-cooked, the wild rice was slightly overdone but still delicious, and the fact that I accidentally overcooked the asparagus (again, I can never manage asparagus, why do I keep trying to serve it?) was more than compensated for by the homemade mayonnaise.
The cats spent the day all overjoane and shenlo, in their laps, getting pats and cuddles and love and kisses, purring and trying to groom shenlo's beard. By the end of the day they were all passed out in pat-induced comas on various bits of furniture. Such contented kitties.
shenlo very kindly helped out with some of the dishes while I baked banana bread in the afternoon, and we spent a wonderful day just hanging out, chatting, having a little writing jam for Bluebook, and molesting the cats. It was fun, it was relaxed, and I really can't remember the last time I ever had such a good day at home. The housewarming came fairly close, but I spent most of that running around trying to keep track of thirty-plus guests. I'm finally beginning to think of this place as "home" and not "that apartment of ai731's that I happen to live in. I have some plans to make this place feel even more like home over the next few months, and shall likely post about it here when the time is right.
Toward 7:30 we headed out tosandman7's low-key New Year's Eve party for more food (oooog...), games and a few drinks. We played Uno, and there was much shouting and laughing and talking in silly voices and accents and occasional swearing ("Fuck! Would you all fucking stop fucking swearing in my fucking house?"), and I actually won the round. I very rarely win at these things, so it was a nice surprise.
We watched the ball come down on Times Square, and rang in the new year with Fragoli, a strawberry liqueur thatsandman7 picked up, in chocolate shot glasses. Heaven. Very, very nice. It was wonderful to see people I don't get to see very often, like jystdave and gmarc, and of course all those people I do see relatively regularly, like karine and adamofeden and others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I also got to meet jystdave's lady, whom I hadn't previously met.
Staggered home at nearly 2am, and went to bed. I wish all my days could be this fantastic. :)
joane and shenlo arrived on Sunday morning. It was cleaner, in fact, than when I held my housewarming in August, and that's saying something.The day went beautifully. The cornish hen fell off the bone it was so well-cooked, the wild rice was slightly overdone but still delicious, and the fact that I accidentally overcooked the asparagus (again, I can never manage asparagus, why do I keep trying to serve it?) was more than compensated for by the homemade mayonnaise.
The cats spent the day all over
joane and shenlo, in their laps, getting pats and cuddles and love and kisses, purring and trying to groom shenlo's beard. By the end of the day they were all passed out in pat-induced comas on various bits of furniture. Such contented kitties.shenlo very kindly helped out with some of the dishes while I baked banana bread in the afternoon, and we spent a wonderful day just hanging out, chatting, having a little writing jam for Bluebook, and molesting the cats. It was fun, it was relaxed, and I really can't remember the last time I ever had such a good day at home. The housewarming came fairly close, but I spent most of that running around trying to keep track of thirty-plus guests. I'm finally beginning to think of this place as "home" and not "that apartment of ai731's that I happen to live in. I have some plans to make this place feel even more like home over the next few months, and shall likely post about it here when the time is right.Toward 7:30 we headed out to
sandman7's low-key New Year's Eve party for more food (oooog...), games and a few drinks. We played Uno, and there was much shouting and laughing and talking in silly voices and accents and occasional swearing ("Fuck! Would you all fucking stop fucking swearing in my fucking house?"), and I actually won the round. I very rarely win at these things, so it was a nice surprise.We watched the ball come down on Times Square, and rang in the new year with Fragoli, a strawberry liqueur that
sandman7 picked up, in chocolate shot glasses. Heaven. Very, very nice. It was wonderful to see people I don't get to see very often, like jystdave and gmarc, and of course all those people I do see relatively regularly, like karine and adamofeden and others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I also got to meet jystdave's lady, whom I hadn't previously met.Staggered home at nearly 2am, and went to bed. I wish all my days could be this fantastic. :)
A short-lived Christmas
Dec. 25th, 2006 07:42 pmI got to see about 60% of the family today before I had to leave for work. They all seem in reasonably good form (even my uncle who has arteriosclerosis in his back), and they were all quite disappointed that I wouldn't be spending the day with them. Oh well. Next year.
My parents went bonkers over the VCR. I had expected them to be pleased, but their reactions exceeded my expectations, which was very gratifying. My father in particular immediately got rid of the old VCR and installed mine, and tested a video in it. I think he'll be watching something tonight.
For Christmas I got a membership at the local YMCA, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. I asked Santa Claus for it, so I was very pleased when he came through for me. My father also got me a novel by Fred Vargas, a mystery novellist we both enjoy. It's next on my reading list after the latest Irene Adler mystery.
One morning this week I must go to the YMCA to get my identity card made and to explore all the machines and programs and stuff. I am quite excited.
On an only-slightly-related note, my mother gave me a whole bunch of various bits of Christmas luncheon to take with me to work, and I can now officially say that I have eaten too much. Some Christmas traditions are harder to break than others, it would seem. ;)
I am getting off work in three hours, after which I will see my cats, whom I abandoned yesterday morning (with plenty of food and water) in order to spend the day and night with the parental units. Doubtless I shall come home to vocifrous complaints. I'm looking forward to seeing the kitties again. :)
That's it for now. This week will mostly involve work and cleaning (again) and a trip to the YMCA. This weekend there will be more festivities. Festivities are good.
My parents went bonkers over the VCR. I had expected them to be pleased, but their reactions exceeded my expectations, which was very gratifying. My father in particular immediately got rid of the old VCR and installed mine, and tested a video in it. I think he'll be watching something tonight.
For Christmas I got a membership at the local YMCA, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. I asked Santa Claus for it, so I was very pleased when he came through for me. My father also got me a novel by Fred Vargas, a mystery novellist we both enjoy. It's next on my reading list after the latest Irene Adler mystery.
One morning this week I must go to the YMCA to get my identity card made and to explore all the machines and programs and stuff. I am quite excited.
On an only-slightly-related note, my mother gave me a whole bunch of various bits of Christmas luncheon to take with me to work, and I can now officially say that I have eaten too much. Some Christmas traditions are harder to break than others, it would seem. ;)
I am getting off work in three hours, after which I will see my cats, whom I abandoned yesterday morning (with plenty of food and water) in order to spend the day and night with the parental units. Doubtless I shall come home to vocifrous complaints. I'm looking forward to seeing the kitties again. :)
That's it for now. This week will mostly involve work and cleaning (again) and a trip to the YMCA. This weekend there will be more festivities. Festivities are good.
New Year's Meme I
Dec. 25th, 2006 03:33 pmEvery year I do two New Year's memes. I like to see how my answers evolve and change. :)
:::ETA:::
And every year I managed to either post the years wrong, or at least forget to change the dates. Oops. Fixed now.
:::end ETA:::
( Meme behind the cut )
:::ETA:::
And every year I managed to either post the years wrong, or at least forget to change the dates. Oops. Fixed now.
:::end ETA:::
( Meme behind the cut )
( Cleaning update #666,333,888,444,129 )
In other, non-cleaning news, work continues apace. It's a little slow right now, but that doesn't mean much. Sometimes you get an hour or two in which nothing happens, and then a mad rush. I'm a little torn, because while the slow periods are boring, they're also way less stressful than when calls come in one after the other.
I got up at 9:30 this morning, which is decent enough, but a little late to run out and do the shopping I wanted to do. So tomorrow is my last chance before Saturday to get my shopping done. I don't especially want to spend Saturday shopping, because it's the 23rd and things are going to be crazy. Not that they won't be crazy tomorrow, but the 23rd will be even worse (let's not even talk about the 24th -that scenario gives me the creeping horrors).
I'm looking forward to Christmas this year (the part spent with my family, not the part spent at work) and to 2007, which looks like it may well be a kick-ass year. 2006 treated me pretty well, all told, I must say, and the trend looks like it's going up. I shall have to do my yearly recap in the next few days. It's become an LJ tradition for me.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates.
In other, non-cleaning news, work continues apace. It's a little slow right now, but that doesn't mean much. Sometimes you get an hour or two in which nothing happens, and then a mad rush. I'm a little torn, because while the slow periods are boring, they're also way less stressful than when calls come in one after the other.
I got up at 9:30 this morning, which is decent enough, but a little late to run out and do the shopping I wanted to do. So tomorrow is my last chance before Saturday to get my shopping done. I don't especially want to spend Saturday shopping, because it's the 23rd and things are going to be crazy. Not that they won't be crazy tomorrow, but the 23rd will be even worse (let's not even talk about the 24th -that scenario gives me the creeping horrors).
I'm looking forward to Christmas this year (the part spent with my family, not the part spent at work) and to 2007, which looks like it may well be a kick-ass year. 2006 treated me pretty well, all told, I must say, and the trend looks like it's going up. I shall have to do my yearly recap in the next few days. It's become an LJ tradition for me.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates.
Ah, the joys of computer problems
Dec. 12th, 2006 08:30 pmThe IT people "fixed" my problem by making it even worse. So now I'm stuck with nothing to do until tomorrow, when they will tackle it again.
*twiddles thumbs*
The little Italian guy with whom I'm working is 21 and obviously mentally about twelve. I think I threaten his manhood. It's charming, in an annoying sort of way. Luckily the other guy on shift is older, married, and a lot more sensible. Nice, too. Things are quiet right now, and I doubt they'll get much busier before I have to leave at 11pm.
I'm going to try to catch the bus at St. Henri metro station tonight, in the hopes that I'll be able to get home, if not faster, then at least without having to walk from the metro after midnight. My neighbourhood is pretty safe, but I'd feel better not having to walk all that way in the dark.
Last night there was a homeless man standing at the bottom of the escalator, blocking the way for everyone. He was just standing there, twisting a bottle around and around in his hands, practically catatonic. It was sad, but at the same time I was a little worried. It was a large and sturdy-looking glass bottle, and, well, if he'd been violent (which he wasn't) he could have done someone some pretty serious harm. By the time I lost sight of him the little STM man was talking to him. I hope things worked out.
In other news, I missed the garbage pickup by five minutes yesterday. I was most annoyed. Tomorrow night I shall put the garbage on the kerb ahead of time.
There's a possibility that my company will want me to work overtime on New Year's weekend. I am most displeased. The other new girl who was meant to work weekends all through the holidays is in the hospital with a ruptured cyst in her stomach, and so everyone is being drafted to replace her. I've already made it pretty clear that I will work anytime for them except the 31st. On the plus side, it would mean some extra cash, butjoane and shenlo only come to Montreal once a year, and I'm not going to miss them just for work, dagnabbit. They don't need me the 23rd, thank goodness, so I don't have to fight about that.
In case you were interested, the cleaning proceeds apace. Slower than I'd like, but I think ought to have the place in good order by the time the New Year rolls around.
*twiddles thumbs*
The little Italian guy with whom I'm working is 21 and obviously mentally about twelve. I think I threaten his manhood. It's charming, in an annoying sort of way. Luckily the other guy on shift is older, married, and a lot more sensible. Nice, too. Things are quiet right now, and I doubt they'll get much busier before I have to leave at 11pm.
I'm going to try to catch the bus at St. Henri metro station tonight, in the hopes that I'll be able to get home, if not faster, then at least without having to walk from the metro after midnight. My neighbourhood is pretty safe, but I'd feel better not having to walk all that way in the dark.
Last night there was a homeless man standing at the bottom of the escalator, blocking the way for everyone. He was just standing there, twisting a bottle around and around in his hands, practically catatonic. It was sad, but at the same time I was a little worried. It was a large and sturdy-looking glass bottle, and, well, if he'd been violent (which he wasn't) he could have done someone some pretty serious harm. By the time I lost sight of him the little STM man was talking to him. I hope things worked out.
In other news, I missed the garbage pickup by five minutes yesterday. I was most annoyed. Tomorrow night I shall put the garbage on the kerb ahead of time.
There's a possibility that my company will want me to work overtime on New Year's weekend. I am most displeased. The other new girl who was meant to work weekends all through the holidays is in the hospital with a ruptured cyst in her stomach, and so everyone is being drafted to replace her. I've already made it pretty clear that I will work anytime for them except the 31st. On the plus side, it would mean some extra cash, but
joane and shenlo only come to Montreal once a year, and I'm not going to miss them just for work, dagnabbit. They don't need me the 23rd, thank goodness, so I don't have to fight about that.In case you were interested, the cleaning proceeds apace. Slower than I'd like, but I think ought to have the place in good order by the time the New Year rolls around.
New Year's Meme II
Dec. 28th, 2005 12:15 pmAnd here's the other meme I do every year. I don't like it as much, but it serves its purpose.
Here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458086.html
( Meme behind the cut )
Here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458086.html
( Meme behind the cut )
New Year's Meme I
Dec. 28th, 2005 11:53 amSo every year I do this meme. This will be my third year, I believe, which isn't bad, considering that this is the fourth year I've had my LJ and that I got my LJ in February of 2002. So I'm pretty consistent at least with this.
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458393.html
( Meme behind the cut )
If you're interested, here are last year's answers: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mousme/458393.html
( Meme behind the cut )
