The word of the week is humility.
February 18 - What to do?
Today I realized that I hadn't looked at any job ads for
at least 48 hours.
Not having to search for work all day long, every day of the
week, is a great relief. I'm still looking for a 'better' job but I'm
extraordinarily thankful that I'm employed right now and have been afforded the
luxury of time, which I didn't have when my EI ran out at the end of 2012.
One thing I didn't mention that time also doing is
advertising locally for home computer repairs in consultation. The occasional
side job is something I can do quite easily and there seems to be a demand for
it in my local area, though I wouldn't go so far as to work for a local computer
shop as every single one of them requires several certifications that I don't possess. While I might spend the time to get those certifications, it would be a
bit before I would recoup the costs and to be quite honest, those jobs
advertise locally don't pay all that well – I'm better off with the job I
currently have it Staples, for sure.
As I mentioned last week, my plate looks to be pretty full
for the next while. Is a shame that I've fallen into the habit of doing very
little reading and only watching the occasional show when I have time but on
the other hand it means that my time is been better spent in furthering my
personal situation rather than frittering it away with distractions.
I'll just save up my reading list and movie list for when
I'm retired on a beach, sometime sooner rather than later I'm hoping - and
planning - for when I'm not too much older.
February 19 - Game Of Thrones
I have to admit, I haven't read A Song Of Ice And Fire
yet, the massively popular book series created by George R.R. Martin that is
the basis for the also-massively-popular TV series Game Of Thrones - which
starts its third season soon.
The first time I heard about A Song Of Ice And Fire was
back when I attended TorCon in 2003. They had a costume contest at the
convention and several of the entries were characters from ASOIAF, which I of
course knew nothing about and hadn't even heard of then.
 |
| I just LOVE the intro sequence! |
Fast forward to today, when I've seen only the first four
episodes of season one of Game of Thrones - it's pretty darn good, I have to
say! I've been watching it with my sister and she's even less enamored of
politics than I am, but the incredible way that George R. R. Martin has managed
to see his work put so adroitly on the screen has drawn both of us in. I'll
have to pick up the second season sometime soon so that where ready when the
third season appears on television. However, not having cable right now or for
the foreseeable future means that will have to consider alternatives like
Netflix in order to watch Game of Thrones this spring.
I just want to see what happens with the dragons, to be
honest. That's just killing me trying not to run across any spoilers before I
see what actually happens, including reading any of the books to date.
Party time: Tonight I squeezed in attending a good friend's birthday party for a little while before I had to work. It was great to get out and socialize, especially with this wonderful group of people. There were a ton of fantastic folks squeezed into a small apartment, with everyone having a great time. Sadly, I had to leave well before any of the desserts were dug into or the drinks really got flowing, but I was glad I could all the same. I hope to be out with friends like these more often!
February 20 - Financing the Future
I'd like to take a few trips this year, but I'm not sure I
can afford any of them. Especially since I just managed to begin working again
last week.
Some of my friends are having a get together this summer to
celebrate our 40th birthdays. This may not seem like a big thing to some, but
since I've known most of these friends since we were very young in grade
school, it's a big thing to me. I think somehow I'll find a way to make this
trip, no matter what else happens.
I'd also like to just take a trip back east to visit many of my
friends and family Ontario, as I haven't been back in several years and I miss
them all terribly. While Fbook is a great way to keep in touch along with
e-mail and the occasional phone call, there's no substitute for being able to
see people in person to give them hugs, and handshake or just to raise a glass(
or two )to times past and to good times coming our way.
The final place I'd like very much to be is at the Phoenix
Comicon in May in Arizona. It's where their holding the 20th anniversary
gathering of all the remaining Babylon5 cast members, an event that won't come
again. This may be the most expensive of the three trips, but I think I'd
regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't at least try to make the effort.
Too many of the cast have already passed on Beyond The Rim and I'd like to meet
a few of them sooner rather than later, as I greatly respect their work and
admire many of them as people too.
So that's my plan for 2013 to Go Places. We'll see how far I
get soon enough!
February 21 - Asimov in the 90's
One of the all-time greats of science fiction is author
Isaac Asimov, who wrote I, Robot among other stories.
Asimov was( and his stories still are ) an inspiration to me, as he was a
brilliant mind who love to share his insights and was a noted scientist in
addition to being a superb, prolific author.
He also like to stretch his interests, which is why he
appeared in a series of TV episodes in the early 1990s called 'Visions of the Future'
which explored that most familiar territories to science fiction authors. Fascinating
stuff:
February 22 - Nights
The new job is going well and I'm adapting quickly to night shifts.
I'm actually surprised at how quickly I've been able to
switch my body clock around. For this week and next, I've decided to keep to a
strict schedule of eating and sleeping to ensure that I don't feel out of sorts, my body not knowing when I should be awake or asleep or hungry.
Tonight was my last night of five in a row and here's how it
went: I was up at 4 PM, had a little to eat and got cleaned up. Around eight
o'clock, I had another small meal and then got a ride to work from a friend
well before my 10 PM start time.
My first break was at midnight and I had a large cup of tea
to keep my system running with a little caffeine. More steady working followed
until another break at 2:30 AM, when I had my 'lunch' - which these days is
consisting of a nutrient shake mixed with fresh fruit. It's quite yummy and it
really helps me balance my system; I kind of wish I had done the shake thing
for years when I was working at MMart when I barely had time to chew a sandwich
almost every single day.
Onwards to 4:30 AM and the third break of my shift. Did I
mention that these are full breaks, where I can sit down, put my feet up and
watch television or read uninterrupted for a full 30 min. without any
possibility of having to jump up and go to the front or do other work? I love
it. It's been an almost obscenely pleasurable experience to do nothing at work, one
which I have had very little familiarity with over the last decade.
My shift ends at 7 AM sharp, with no funny business about
getting a little bit more done or having to help other staff with things.
After tidying the store for the last half-hour before 7 AM, I get changed, clock
out and go home feeling tired but satisfied with my new job. It may not pay as
well as my previous one by a wide margin, but even working nights, it's 10 times
less stressful and 100 times more satisfying.
February 23 - The Cycling Begins Again!
I rode my bike today for the first time in almost a year.
It had been gathering dust in the basement parking area at
my old Bear Mountain place until now, as my tendonitis wouldn't let me ride it,
at all. This week I brought it down to my place here on Cook St and locked it
up out the back, feeling the time was near again to ride.
Tonight I pumped up the tires, dusted off the seat and rode
it over to Thrifty's Foods, turning what's normally a twenty-minute walk into a
trip of less than seven minutes.
The best part? It was a breeze there and back; I wasn't so
far out of shape that I couldn't handle a few terrain contours or getting the
bike up to speed fairly quickly. I always enjoyed the range that the bicycle
can give you both in the city and off the beaten path, though I'll admit I'm
not someone who will take a 20 km bike ride daily.
No, what I really enjoy is the fact that after the initial
purchase, a bike is generally maintenance-free aside from a yearly tuneup.
Unlike a car whose monthly payments on top of operational costs and insurance
means that it's a burdensome expense for most people, even those who are
blessed with well-paying employment. For myself, writing around a city like
Victoria with many well-marked bike lanes means I can forgo with the expense
of a car and still enjoy the city, whose climate enables me to take my bike
almost anywhere at any time of year with a little preparation.
It's a wonderful
feeling.
February 24 - The Oscars 2013
When I woke up late this afternoon, I didn't think I'd be
watching the Oscars. After all, it's an event where Hollywood pats itself on
the back for all the money it's made in the past year, whose nominee lists
often ignore deserving winners for political reasons.
All the same, having Seth Mcfarlane host this year was a
twist. So I tuned in.
I was actually glad I did, even though watching a livestream from
CTV.ca( no cable anymore )was a bit of a chore as it kept getting interrupted
by ads every few minutes - which turned out to be a technical glitch that the
site posted about most of the way through. Once that was fixed, the show was
watchable again.
Despite the political and monetary overtones, what most impressed me about the entire show was the
honest humility that many of the winners showed. I found that like a lot of the Babylon5
actors, the actors who were on stage tonight were by and large appearing to be
very honest which I understand is a function of acting but I like to think that
off the stage that some of them may just be the good people as they appear to be
under the limelight.
Don't hold me to that, though.
I'll be staying up tonight, for the second night in a row to
keep my body clock tuned to the graveyard shift for this coming week. I don't
know yet if it's going to be just one more week of nights or if it's going to
be longer, but I've heard from several people at work that they're still hiring
more employees, including those for the night shift so I'm hopeful that my time
spent working the witching hour will be winding to a close soon and I'll be
back blinking at the morning light when I'm waking instead of trying to fall
asleep.
