Double Trouble

Just for a bit of variety, here's a 2 weeks-in-one-blog entry, just like I used to do. Don't ask me why... laziness perhaps? Creating a sense of suspense? Just plain irresponsible? You decide... and as usual, don't let me know. :-)

March 31st - Bus and Breakfast

Worked an evening shift, nice and quiet. The bus route here is fairly straightforward, so that's nice - I just hop on at my front door and I'm at work in less than 15 minutes. As a bonus, the Subway across the road is open at 7am, so I can grab a bite before work if I catch an earlier bus... nice, as the sun's rising earlier now and I can enjoy a sunlit breakfast with a free paper to read. Of course it's no Sunrise Cafe, but my clothes don't smell nearly as heavily of fried food afterwards.

April 1st - Fooled you!

Opened the store today, April Fool's day! I had the itch to fool someone, and since I was wise to my own tricks I decided to fool both the old crew I worked with and the new ones here in B.C. So I sent a fax back to the St. Kitt's crew, telling them for the most part how nice things were in B.C. ... and how I'd managed to resurrect my old clown job out here. In fact, I was 'doing so well' that I might go full-time as BoBo. They ate it up and called back... so I had to break the news to them. *grin* It was good to hear everyone's voice though; miss you gals! I also wrote up an 'official' email for my new co-workers here, warning about a 'fraud group dressed as clowns' that were working the area trying to cash bad cheques( again with the clown theme, ha! ). Apparently I did a good job, as nobody said a peep until the next day when I came in and had to tell them... as they'd signed off on the memo. I love my job sometimes...

April 2nd - Don't say the S-word

Worked again in the AM, and I must say I do like these early shifts. Before it seemed a chore to come to work, but starting off with fresh air, sunshine and decently warm temperatures( with no white crunchy stuff underfoot... and I don't mean spilled sugar )makes all the difference. Plus, I'm on my own for most of the day, so it's not crowded at all. In the evenings, I can do as I wish, and I usually split the time between writing, reading, gaming and laundry. Well, as little laundry as I can manage to get away with... I still miss having in-suite laundry, as you don't have to fight for a machine. Politely of course, and without wet towels.

April 3rd - The Spiral Cafe

I took a morning shift today so that I'd have the evening free, as my neighbour Laurel had suggested an entertaining escapade at the Spiral Cafe west across the bridge over in Esquimalt. Playing tonight was one Annabelle Chvostek, whose melodious tunes and heartfelt charm made for a memorable night of choice. In particular, I liked her song entitled 'I left my Brain' from her album Resilience - it had a catchy foot-stomping tune and showed an excellent tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. So in other woods, a good time was had by all... and I hope more of the same again soon.

April 4th - Seals in the harbour

The first day of my three-day weekend dawned sunny and glorious here in Victoria. I had breakfast at Brannigan's with my mom, and then helped her with a few things at her condo, as well as filing her taxes( finally )after some delays from previous weeks.
After lunch, I met one of my co-workers at the Cook St. Village Starbucks for a coffee. The weather was nice, bright and sunny. Unfortunately, her daughter wasn't feeling too well and managed to be sick three times... all on the patio, thank goodness. Maybe I just have that effect on women? I felt bad, but other than that we all enjoyed the weather and the company. Later on, I met my parents for some shopping chores. We also visited Mount Tolmie Park later in the day, one of the highest points in the Victoria area. The hills that the roads wound around would have been impassible with any kind of snow, so I'm glad for the mild climate here. The view was amazingly clear( likely due to the cool air )and the clouds cleared just as we reached the summit( see the pic ). On the way home we stopped to see the famous harbour seals of Victoria( see the photo ). You can buy fresh fish at the marina to feed the wild seals, who hang around the docks looking for handouts. They're wild though, as the signs point out, so watch your hands whilst feeding them.

April 5th - A Saturday off, with Lego( sorta )

For a day with nothing planned, I sure did a lot. But i won't bore you with it. Of note though was that I discovered there's a writers group on Vancouver Island, so that may be someplace that I'll pop in for a look-see soon. Along with the archery club, the runner's club, and the cyclists club... there's probably a Lego club too. I should mention, on the subject of Lego, that I was at the Sidney Museum Lego Exhibition last week on March 27th. There was a TON of new and old to see in All Things Lego... including a Lego Millennium Falcon. That would be so cool sitting on display here... but it'd take too long to build.

April 6th - Brunch at Samuel's

I took my parents to the 11am( PST )brunch at Samuel's, located near where we first stayed after arriving here in Victoria. The service was as excellent as I recall, with my cup no sooner being empty than it was filled once more, and plates whisked away almost before the last crumbs had fallen. The food was perfect, with the highlights being the juicy bacon and the incredible scalloped potatoes. Mmmmm! Too bad it costs as much as it does, or we'd go more often... then again, it's more of a treat the LESS often we go.
Plus the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows is amazing: across the road is Thunderbird Park, with some amazing totem poles and more native wonders. Just beyond that is the Royal BC Museum, somewhere else I've yet to step foot. Heck, there's so many places I'd like to explore here I'll be busy doing JUST that for years - which is great! I took a walking tour of my neighbourhood and took some great pictures of the cherry trees that blanket the area - literally, with all those pink blossoms. Moss St is lined with them from the edge of the ocean all the way north to Fairfield - blocks of cherry trees in bloom. Plus, many of the gardens in the area are in bloom; it's quite lovely to behold.

April 7th - B5 vs BSG

Back to work today, dang it, n the evening. I did order some more things from Amazon.ca, including a few that my neighbour Ben told me about: the 1st and 2nd seasons of Babylon 5 finally went on sale for what I was willing to pay. Considering that the series went off-air in late 1998, that's saying something for continuous high prices... I've seen various seasons as high as $99.99 in Canada, which made me wince and be a little more patient, which finally paid off. For those of you who haven't seen B5 and like SciFi, I highly recomemned it; the only series that IMHO that has reached the same level of excellence in all aspects is the more recent Battlestar Galactica. Go check out the Lurker's Guide to B5, which is an incredible resource for the series made all the more amazing by the fact that the series creator, J. Michael Straczynski, put a lot of his own time into answering questions and the like for fans in those early halcyon days of the internet - long before creator-fan webchats and such became common. In any case, I love both shows for different reasons... and apparently a lot of other folk do too.
Did I ever mention that I'm a voice in a B5 game? The folks over at Space Dream Factory decided to create their own game back in 2002, after Sierra canceled the 95% complete B5 flight sim in 1999 entitled B5: Into the Fire - typical corporate stupidity. SDF called their fan game I've Found Her, after a particular plot thread involving a lost love of former B5 Commander J. Sinclair - something nobody but a fan would understand. Anyway, I have the part of Alpha 4 and was thrilled to be part of the project, which has since produced a 'prequel' sequel called Danger and Opportunity. It stands as a testament to what fans( of any genre )can accomplish and the skills they can muster... IFH remains one of the top fan-created video games to this day, by anyone's standards, including big studios like Sierra. SDF is smarter though. :)

April 8th - The Camino

Just a quiet night at home. I read through most of Shirley MacLaine's recent novel The Camino, which documents her journey along an ancient pilgrim's trail in Spain that took her nearly 500 miles by foot in a month. My neighbour Laurel loaned it to me and though I found it a fascinating read in terms of what the human spirit can accomplish, I didn't find any revelations within its pages. Maybe if I re-read it backwards...? Fascinating story though, and impressive that a Hollywood star would undertake such a grueling pilgrimage for all the right reasons, at her age. My good friend Mike H. called, and we chatted for almost 2 hours. He had some great news about some projects he's involved in, and it was just great to hear his voice again. He had some other news, not so great, but that kind of goes hand in hand with good news now doesn't it? Still, it wasn't earth-shattering and I don't think it will be of import after only a little time has passed. Thanks for calling, Mike!

April 9th - Bus tunes and Beauty

My new cell is great, and I use it with the nice Jabra headset that I won at Katie's fund-raiser a few years ago - bluetooth is a fickle beast sometimes but great when it works. So great, that I ordered a Motorola S9 bluetooth stereo headset a few weeks ago that I've been testing out. So far, so good: the tunes are nice and loud even on the bus. Speaking of which, I know I've mentioned before that I enjoy taking the bus here, but I don't think I've mentioned the fact that it always seems that whatever one I ride, there's a bevvy of beauties aboard. I'm not sure about the statistics here, but some days I feel like I'm on a bus of pirates( yaarrr! )as they loved to kidnap the most beautiful womenfolk and spirit them away to their safe havens. Not that I feel kinship with any of those scurvy peg-legged puritanical pirates, but mine eye do spy quite a few lovelies on them thar' buses. Which is a surprise, as I thought most of them jogged and didn't take transit. Who knew?

April 10th - Tom Petty

Just a normal day, really. Closed the branch today, and it wasn't all that busy. Perhaps the blah weather might have something to do with it... I've noticed a correlation between busy times and sunny days, so perhaps the blah skies are keeping people indoors, huddled around videos of sunny beach paradises from vacation ads on TV.
One nice thing about Victoria is that the radio stations seem to play a LOT of Tom Petty. I mean, I'd be lucky to hear one of his songs a a week back in Niagara.. yet at least twice a day the radio here blasts out a great tune of his. Now does that say 'Welcome to Victoria!' or what?
Ironically, Tom Petty will be here in B.C. this summer, and I'm actually considering going to go see the show. It's in Pemberton, so it's quite the haul - we'll see. I'll comfort myself with all the blooming flowers here, which have been growing steadily all the winter season and have really started to burst out in the last month or so.

April 11th - Double Duty

I opened the branch today... and would up closing another one. Boy, was that dumb. From the minute I walked in, the place was a zoo. I stood at the counter and served folks at a blistering pace for close to five hours... not easy when you've been working since 8am. In any case, things thinned out and I had someone come in to help close the place, which was nice, as I was feeling rather burned out by that point. Still, given the circumstances that led to my last-minute shift at this other branch, I can't complain too much... being a little tired can't hold a candle to the things that my co-worker at this branch is going through right now. So I'll sleep on that, and be thankful.

April 12th - Double Duty Deja-Vu

I did some writing this morning, working on a few concepts that occured to me in the shower this week. As many authors have noted, shower-time seems to be a cornucopia for generating ideas... be it the heat, the soothing effect of the water or even getting soap up your nose, whatever makes the ideas flow is most welcome in my world. Good clean creativity!
Yet it seems the same things happen here as elsewhere in the company: people don't show up for their shifts and there just aren't enough staff to cover. So I volunteered( for some O/T of course )to help out, as they were really in a bind and well, I didn't have plans to speak of and they'd asked me earlier in the week about this particular shift. Of course, given the craziness of last night at the same store, I wasn't so thrilled to go in tonight... but it was the polar opposite of the night before. Quiet and sedate, I barely moved to the counter after the dinner hour, which was a blessing as I was still beat from the day before. Lovely, in some ways. Oh, and this branch is the only one in the area that's actually close to a Tim Horton's - ironic, as every single branch I'd ever worked at in Niagara was but a stone's throw away from a Timmy's.

All for now. In some ways, this blog is similar to my old answering machine messages back in my university days. Before cell phones, I'd always be missing peoples calls whilst at work or away at class, so I came up with a solution: leave an itinerary on my machine. That way, people would know when I'd be home. Worked well enough for a few years, until the dawn of cells made such things like answering machine tapes obsolete. Still, it was fun... and my friends hated it. :) And thanks for the comment Jen!

Cherry trees make for love in the shade...

"In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" - Tennyson

March 23rd - Easter Dinner

I worked a mid-shift today, only 5.5 hours due to it being a holiday, so not so bad. After work I went to my parent's place for a last-minute Easter dinner, which was great. I watched a recording of Stargate Atlantis, recorded last week( yet I've not had time to see it ) - Richard Dean Anderson was a guest star again, and seems a little tired compared to earlier years as Jack O'Neil. Still, I am enjoying the show, though they seem to have become a little TOO 'chummy' and comfortable among the main cast - that edgy dynamic of SG-1 seems blunted in Atlantis.

March 24th - The Pachira Plant

It's always nice to have a Monday off, even if it is a holiday... whatever that means. While I was out today( most stores were open, but the banks were closed ), I picked up a Pachira plant at the local chinese corner store. It's a cool-looking miniature tree, grows slowly, and most importantly, it's very hard to kill through neglect. The local store calls them 'Money Trees', and this link explains why - they are considered good luck and are often given as housewarming gifts. So I have a plant now for my place, it won't take up too much room and I should be able to keep it alive... I hope!

March 25th - Friends on a Day Off

Two calls today that made me smile, both within an hour of each other. Rene called with some good news, and so did Brian. Brian also told me that my first email with contact info I sent out a week before I left Niagara had an error in it: my Niagara-area phone number was missing a few digits - perhaps that explains why so few people have managed to get ahold of me here. So I set my voicemail to come on after 30 seconds, and to ring my cell at the same time... hopefully that will improve things a little, but Vonage seems to be a little off on their tech promises, so we'll see.
I spent a good part of the day doing paper-sorting, trying to get my mess into some kind of order. I also relaxed, wrote a little, and generally tried to enjoy my last day off.

March 26th - The Holy Grail

A shorter mid-shift today, with only a few idiots, whom I managed to effectively deal with per usual... sometimes I wonder how people get through life being so miserable to other human beings. Then I shake myself and give thanks that I don't have to deal with them every day like their families or co-workers... *shudder* Things could be worse, so there you go.
I watched most of Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail tonight, along with a bottle of "Monty Python's Holy Ail" - a nice beer that I found locally. Love that movie, though by this point I can spout all the dialogue verbatim... yet it holds up well for its age.

March 27th - Camera Thoughts

I'm considering getting a camera for myself in the next few weeks, as I never seem to have one handy when the good shots present themselves. While I purchased a solid point-and-shoot for my parents, and can borrow it anytime, I'm loathe to buy the same Fuji f50 camera twice, so I am looking at similar price-range cameras but with different capabilities, such as super-zoom. We'll see if anything manages to convince me to go against my miserly ways in the next month or so.
Worked a close shift today, and it was fairly busy. Nothing untoward though, so that was nice... even the couple of 'regular idiots' who came in today left without being their usual selves; a surprising but welcome relief all the same.

March 28th - Pubs and Pot Pie

After working a solid mid-shift today, I considered going out for the evening... but sitting in a pub reading a book over dinner still seems a little lonely for me right now, and the fact that pub far usually means I have a limited menu choice of what I can eat also doesn't help. I am hoping that the new herbal treatment I have been using for the last few weeks will help change that limitation in the near future, over the coming year. So I tucked into a nice chicken pot pie with a few sides - these things are simply amazing, from the SaveOnFoods grocery over by my parent's place. I've tried quite a few from various places, both frozen and fresh, and the sheer quality that SaveOn puts into their fresh pot pies is stunning - the things are literally packed with chicken( plus veggies )compared to the meager bits that every other place grudgingly sticks in their pies. Plus the prep is easy, and they're great both fresh and frozen. Which is good for busy days here.

March 29th - Changeable Weather

One thing about the weather here in Victoria, it's never all-day-the-same. While I was working today, it went from rain... to sun... to rain... to sunnier... to rain... and then sunny again on my way home on the bus. I'm not talking breaks in a cloudy sky here, no... full-on rainy downpour to blue-sky sunny and back again, in the space of an hour or so. And back again. It's nice, as you don't necessarily have to expect that waking up to rain means rain ALL day - you could be sitting on a patio by afternoon or evening with perfect weather. Looking forward to that this summer!
Otherwise, a plain-jane day, worked my last day at the Quadra branch until the early evening. And no sign of A____ today, which was disappointing. Oh well. I spent part of the night in NWN working in a story plot... that didn't end so well. Frustrating, but them's the breaks sometimes.

March 30th - First day at the new branch

I worked the entire day at my new Fort St. branch today, which was nice - as it was a Sunday, I had the place to myself. So the work got done, and I familiarized myself with the branch once again, as I can never seem to find things just when I need them... of course. I am also hoping that this smaller branch has a commensurately lower share of daily idiots, but one never knows.
I managed to miss BOTH buses heading home, so I soothed my ruffled feathers by having dinner at the Subway a few steps away - that will be convenient in many ways I think, for last-minute lunches, breakfast before work and so forth. I like the new location, and I hope I can manage to minimize my bus travel-time home, at least until I get myself a bike and eliminate that time wasted sitting around and in transit.

Seems the page counter is working, which is nice... now I can see that people ARE reading this thing, which is also VERY nice - see you all next week!

Spring is here, at last!

How many blogs could a woodchuck blog if a woodchuck could blog wood?


March 17th - a new car? What??

My parents told me today, out of the blue, that they've decided to purchase a new 2008 Mazda3... very similar to the one they've rented the last 3 times or so from Enterprise. Needless to say, I was shocked... but then, I had been preparing them for the last few months for the possibility of such a big purchase by helping them to research car possibilities, giving them info on HOW to shop, and so forth. The speed of their decision still left me a little breathless, but I can't fault their choice, especially at the price and 0% interest at that. Worked until early eve at Quadra, which was very pleasant... everyone there is friendly, fun and not at all boring to talk to, unlike some places I've worked far in the past where entire shifts could pass with no conversation outside of work-related topics. Of course, back then the context was different, and I wasn't in such a close space for hours at a time with the same people. Odd how that's turned out.

March 18th - Light Therapy

I worked at Fort St today, closing the store. The morning was spent writing, as seems to have become my habit of late. The circadian rhtyms must be being helped by the copious amounts of sunlight my apartment receives during the day from the main south-facing witndow, which is over 8 feet wide and five feet tal - that's a LOT of light when it's sunny, folks. S'nice! *grin*
I've also started taking some homeopathic medicine to try to alleviate my problem with gallstones. The local herbalist at the Fairfield plaza actually carries a solution to be taken before meals which promises to reduce gallstone size over time, along with other benefits. Seeing as I am loathe( yes, loathe! )to submit to the surgeon's knife before trying alternate solutions, I am hoping regular use of this treatment will, in the fullness of time, allow me to once again enjoy a good beef steak or other things I simply cannot eat without danger right now. Mmmm... medium-rare steak( I'm drooling mentally and literally as I picture it ).

March 19th - New Car Day

Well, I was up early today to go to Mazda here in Victoria to look over the paperwork for my parent's new car at hte dealership. For once, everything seemed to be very much on the up-and-up, without the usual silly things like paint protection and vehicular diapers being pushed on car buyers. I left the place and headed to work for the day much more confident that my parents were not being fast-talked. I was pleased that they wanted ME to look things over before they signed too.. though whether that's due to my natural paranoid nature when it comes to spending money or just my natural distrust of car salesmen, is anyone's guess.

March 20th - First Day of Spring, and love?

Ah yes, the first Official Day Of Spring today... also the last business day before the long weekend, when banks and governmental agencies all pull in their welcome mats and take off for the cottages or whatnot. Also when hordes of people descend on every bank and business to get THEIR business done before the weekend really hits. As such, it was steady today... and I was VERY pleasantly surprised to meet someone at the counter once more by the name of A_____. I helped her out with a problem a few weeks ago, and something seemed to 'click' when we were talking... and it did so again today, when I had to gently end the great conversation that we we having to get to other people in line( doh! ). She seems fun, as well as being a generally happy person and very easy on the eyes. Though she's younger than me, I'm still interested to see if anything might come of it. But not today - if there's a next time, then I think I'll muster myself and see what she says. If anything. *grin*

March 21st - No choco-eggs for moi ...

Good Friday... and I made it a good one too. I spent the day de-stressing, reading a few books in the comfort of my couch-nook and generally trying NOT to think about some of the time I was wasting that could be spent doing other things... at least until late afternoon, anyway. It was very, very nice.
One thing I will miss today is going out for Rusty Nails at the Kilt with my friends, especially Paulino whom I think was the instigator of that little 'tradition' amongst all of us.
That's about it... some part of the evening was also spent on NWN, where I ran into a few friends from long ago and 'caught up' a bit with them. I should mention that the server I frequent has been more than generous, and several of the 'areas' I have created are now hosted there... so I'm both a homeowner AND a tavern-keeper, at least my character is, in Nordock. Odd, but it gives me a sense of satisfaction in some ways I cannot explain.

March 22nd - Hello, pictures ...

Amazing how quickly these days off fly by... today, for example. I was up and about, doing more oganizing on the place( yes, I know, it never ends, but.... )and got rid of the last of the boxes. I also mounted pictures on the walls( finally! ), so my more-than-lifesize portrait of Darth Vader unmasked has a nice prominent place above the couch... darn thing will probably creep me out in the dark more than once, but oh well.
I spent a good part of the afternoon out with my parents in their new car, going various places to pick up the usual supples. Seems I'm always doing that too... *shrugs* Exciting, it is not, but very necessary... WalMart's a little too far by bus for my time-budget right now. I may switch pharmacies to the ones closer to me here, but we'll see how that does with my new doctor next time I see her.

March 23rd - Work and Easter Dinner

After puttering around in the morning, I went to work for a very short shift today, only 5.5 hours at Quadra. It was quite nice, and was only busy intermittently at times before we closed early in the evening. I went from there to my parent's place, where I had a turkey dinner with them, which was lovely... save for the fact that it was interrupted, but for a good reason: my friend Jay K2K called, and asked if I'd like to be in his wedding party come the fall in Niagara. Of course I said yes, I'd be honoured... and I am! Now I have to plan on returning to Niagara come the fall, which I was going to do anyway... but now I have a darn good reason to, to boot! Hooray!

S'all folks ... as always, feel free to call, my FB updates will tell you when I'm in... I don't call back home as much as I'd like to, due to the time difference.. people are usually already at work when I'm up in the AM, or already in bed by the time I get home. Frustrating, but there it is ... hence email. :)

If you can read this, you're too close....

March 10 - Blossoms in March

I finished up an article in the morning, and then worked the evening shift downtown, closing the store. The weather hasn't been too bad at all of late, and the air smells rather nicely of spring starting to bloom. Speaking of which, many of the streets around my neighbourhood have cherry trees, and they've all begun to blossom on earnest. A few streets will be covered in pink blooms in a week or two, which is incredible given that it's only the middle of March here! Many of the plants bloom year-round, and I could pass almost any garden and see at least a few flowers still blooming brightly, if not vividly.

March 11 - Hail to the Bus Driver, Bus Driver...

Closed the store again today, after a fun bus ride. I decided last week to take the plunge and get a monthly Transit Pass, which is turning out to be a great decision. I don't need to worry about getting transfers or running out of bus tickets, so it's rather liberating. Also, in B.C. you can claim your Transit Passes on your taxes, which is a nice touch. While riding on the bus too, I've been doing some observing of my fellow passengers, and I have to say that though they are a quiet bunch, they are one and all unfailingly polite and courteous. Everyone is very friendly, and I often see drivers hold very warm conversations with regular riders. Does the heart good to see.

March 12 - Tidy tidy

After another mid-shift at the other branch, I spent the evening cleaning the place up for tomorrow night. What am I going to be doing tomorrow night, you ask? Why, try to take over the world... *narf* Er, wait, no... it's Movie Night here in my place! Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me, but I had the place looking top-notch by the time the evening was done. A lot of boxes hidden away mind you, but the overall effect is a tidy place, in my estimation - finally.

March 13 - Movie Night and Shamrock Shakes

Worked an earlier shift today, my last one for a while at the downtown store. I'm being transferred to another branch to keep things fresh, as some other staff are as well. Should be interesting, but I won't miss the crazy customers one little bit from downtown. I wandered into Chapters while waiting for a bus after work, and found a great photo book on Ireland for half off... ironic, given that St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. Also, it looks like McDonalds is bringing back the Shamrock Shake in 2008, but only for the month of March - pity. Not that I enjoy much of anything that the Golden Arches has to offer, but somehow the Shamrock Shake holds a little bit of nostalgia for me... gods only know why. Maybe 'cuz... it's green?
I hosted a movie night at my place in the early evening, with three of my neighbours. We watched Neil Gaiman's Stardust on HD-DVD, a movie I had been eagarly waiting to watch. I had a great time, as they all appeared to as well - all four of us appear to have similar interests, so much so that we kept talking well after the movie was done. I almost hated to end the evening, but too much of a good thing, you know... we're looking forward to the next movie night though!

March 14 - They like me, they really really like...

Just a mid-shift today, nothing to get excited about. I'm finding that my co-workers at the new branch apparently can tolerate my sense of humour; indeed, it seems to be growing on them, and more quickly than the downtown branch to boot. I'm not sure if that's a good thing... for their sanity, of course. Makes for a fun day though... and one of the girls there apparently jsut LOVES zombie flicks, so that's an endless topic for discussion. Funny too, as another girl gags at the mention of eating brains - literally. So that's fun when they're working together...
I've been looking online at some animation cells lately on eBay, but holding off. Some of them might be interesting to have, to 'own' a little piece of a show or two I liked when growing up. But the wall space here is very limited, so I'm not sure I'd be able to frame more than one or two.

March 15 - Date Time

I worked a half-shift today to help out, and then hurried home to get ready for a date. I met her down in Cook St. Village around 3:30 at the Starbuck's, and we walked from there down to Dallas Rd. and along the shoreline parkway. She had her dog with her, and though I was a little wary the pup behaved herself very well overall. Of course, it rained on us as we walked, but I had an umbrella packed just in case. Still, I was rather wet by the time an hour had passed and we arrived back at Cook St. We both enjoyed each other's company a little, and I might see her again in a week or two - it'd be nice at the very least to have a friend to show me around town a bit. *grin* No sparks though.
The rest of the night was spent emptying all those boxes I'd brought over from my parent's storage last week, getting the last little bits squared away. Quite cathartic.

March 16 - Breakfast, beaches and waterfalls

Off to breakfast this morning with my parents, at a nice waterfront cafe over in Esquimalt called The Princess Mary. After helping my parents file their taxes, we headed up-island for the afternoon to Collwood, where we went to Witty's Lagoon Park and had a good look at the Sitting Lady Falls. Amazing that everything was so GREEN in March, though it was admittedly a little nippy. We also went to one of the large beaches nearby, where I was amazed again by the natural beauty of my new home here on Vancouver Island. The sand was soft and grey in colour, and vast quantities of cool driftwood lay in rows all along the shore. It was quite tranquil.
I traded up for some new dishes in Langford to replace the older set that hadn't traveled well across the country with me, so the new Corelle set should last me a few decades, I hope. They're similar to what my parents had and grew up with, so they should last quite some time.

All for now... signing off. *bleep!*

Sunshine, white teeth and... bagels?

I've started making notes as my week goes by, so I have some interesting things to pop into my blog that I've recorded as they happened, day to day. Observances, little things that I find interesting, things like that. No podcast yet though, but I am working on it... trying to use my PDA as a recorded has met with limited success. Still, I'm trying it.

March 2nd - Working Sunday, ends in... turkey?

I worked at the Fort St. store today, by myself, so I stopped at the local Subway on the way in and picked up not only their new 'Stuffer' bacon breakfast sandwich, but another one for lunch... which I didn't end up eating. Why? It was another busy day, with a steady stream of customers from the word 'go' - so much so that I didn't finish breakfast until 2pm; yikes! At least it wasn't insanely busy, but I was still worn by day's end in the early evening. It was nice that my dad picked me up from work, as they'd rented a car again for the weekend; the thought of trying to connect with a bus to make it home in an hour's time didn't appeal to me. I also picked up a nice cooked turkey breast at the local Safeway for a song, so that made for quite the nice meal in the evening. I even caught an episode of Stargate: Atlantis that I'd recorded earlier, and it wasn't bad, covering some interesting points about honor and difficult choices. I'll say this for the show: they've learned some lessons over the last few years, so I hope they'll keep it up next season.

March 3rd - A Sale... $2.99?

I was browsing Amazon.com today( not Amazon.ca, as their selection usually stinks ), and I came across HD-DVD's... on sale for 50% off! My annoyance at the fact that I'd backed the wrong HD horse may well be tempered by the fact that I might be able to stock up on some great movie and TV titles in the next few months( I think I've already mentioned this )at Vastly Reduced Prices. Of course, this still means spending money, but still... Sale Prices! I spent some of the morning writing a new Nichneven story, which for some reason popped into my head as soon as I woke today. I guess it'd been percolating a while in there, as stories sometimes do. Check it out at Nichneven.com, if you have a moment. It's good. Really. :) After another decent day at work( still heavy on the taxes; is May here yet? )I caught the bus home and made myself some turkey dinner. Yes, it was deja-vu from last night, but the addition of some turkey gravy from the nearby corner store made ALL the difference. Amazing how a good meal can make your evening It also looks like my mailbox is a lost cause.

March 4th - Dentists, laundry, groceries... yawn.

Up early early today for a 7:45am dental appointment, just down the road. Amazing that I can walk to the dentist's in 10 minutes flat, at Cook St. Village. It was a good checkup too: my new dentist was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable, as the checkup he did was the most thorough I've ever had, using terms I've never heard any previous dentist use. He made a complete map of my mouth( insert puns here ), and told me that my teeth were in great shape, so much so that he'd gladly trade HIS teeth for mine any day. The usual admonishment to brush properly and floss followed, which of course I need to keep in practice with( don't we all? ). The morning was then spent lugging loads of laundry up and down the stairs, all done with the brilliant sunshine pouring in all the windows in this building. It's 10 degrees outside PLUS the warmth of the sun, so it's going to be a great patio day I think.

March 5th - Dazzling sunshine and outdoor relaxation.

Up again and working on the place. I got it FINALLY looking like I wanted, with the shelves organized and 95% of the clutter properly stowed. Now all I need are a few pictures, a little organization of shelf contents and I'll be happy. I was done all that by early afternoon, and a good thing too, as my dentist called with a cancellation and got me in ASAP for a cleaning. Very thorough too, I learned a few new things while I was there... and it was a simply GORGEOUS day out, so much so that I walked without a jacket there and back. I even changed into a t-shirt at 3pm to sit outside with some of my neighbours and bask in the blazing warmth of the sun for a while over coffee. I also had a glass tabletop delivered for my coffee table / kitchen table, so that means I no longer have to worry about damaging it through constant use. NICE. The glass guys did a perfect job too on the size, and next-day delivery too - great service.
I spent the evening working on articles, trying to catch up, but my heart's not in it this week... seems I'm missing some zing or something. I hope it comes back soon.

March 6th - Transferred !

I opened the main branch today, and was busy right up until I left for home. Everyone seems to be getting along fine of late, which is ironic as I learned today I( and another person )are being transferred to other branches next week as part of the area's policy to prevent boredom setting in from working the same branch all the time. I'm going to a slower branch, which is a little more remote by bus; I hopped on one after work and went out that way to Safeway again for a few more things. It was easier than I expected, and it was another lovely day out for walking.

March 7th - Energy?

I worked the mid-shift at Quadra today, where yet again every other person was doing their taxes. Of course, quite a few people who come in have problems with their taxes that they thing coming to us will avoid... which is not the case. Many times I have received looks of stunned disbelif as I tell people the various reasons why we can't discount their taxes but have to e-file instead... they likely heard the same reasons from the last tax place they walked out of. I don't know why they think they can 'escape' paying debts owed to the CRA, as every tax preparer links electronically to the CRA's website to work on the taxes. Probably just ignorant of the system, but they learn fast from what I've seen.
Just tried to relax tonight, nothing going on and I'm tired mentally. The good weather should have energized me, but not as much as I thought it would have. Seems I'll have to get that bike sooner than I thought, and work on improving my energy levels.

March 8th - Silly people

I was dropped off for the mid-shift at Quadra today by my parents, who seem to have taken to renting a car every other weekend of late. Not that I'm complaining, as it means less time spent waiting for a bus. A little less, anyway.
Work today only had two rude idiots, a new record low. I still can't understand how some people manage to get through the day by being nasty to everyone they meet; they must be dead inside in so many ways. Still, it's hard to pity someone who's in your face for no reason when you try to help them... *shrug*
I had dinner with my parents, not a whole lot of time spent visiting as I emptied out the storage area there of some remaining boxes and carted them back up the stairs at my place. I'll find room for them in the next week or so, as time permits.

March 9th - Day off? Where? It's gone.

Did a few things around the place today, storing more stuff in smaller places than I thought possible. At least it's all here now, so what's left at my parent's small storage unit will likely stay there for the time being.
I had coffee( well, tea actually... )with my next-door neighbour Ben today. He seems like a great guy, and his g/f seemed nice too when I met them a while back. We talked about the area and other things, and I learned a little more about the city. Looks like I've lucked in with two great neighbours here. :)
After a nice call from Rene( telling me about all the snow that Niagara just got )I spent the afternoon and evening writing and trying to overcome some writer's block that's been nagging me of late.

There once was a man from Nantucket...

Quite a few links in this blog update, but then I'm always all over the place each week on my mental map: so many interesting things to think about, and so little brain power. No, wait, that's not right...


Feb 25th - Monday again?

I worked the evening shift today, after spending the morning waiting for the mailman to arrive... but I must have missed him by a matter of minutes. I wanted to see inside my mailbox, to get a good look at the locking mechanism. I have to replace the lock with a new one, and of course it's the old catch-22: I can't see the lock without a key, but I need to SEE the lock to get a new one. Ironic.

Feb 26th - The Watchmen

I didn't wait for the mailman today. Nope. Just worked in the evening again. The usual lines for taxes, as it's that season now. Oh, the joy... at least animals don't have to worrk about taxes, just the occasional filmmaker with access to a video editor and a wacky idea. I also read deeper into The Watchmen graphic novel I picked up last week, it's as engrossing as I expected. There's also a movie in the works, which I hope will turn out better than this one did, as I'd had high hopes for it.

Feb 27th - Middle O'Th'Week Day OFF !

I had the day off... so of course, I was busy. At least I wasn't working Welfare today, which was a nice change... those lines are seriously long, all day. I spent some of the day writing some articles, and the rest of it sort of blurred into the various Things That Need Doing on a Day Off. On a nice note, my tax return came in today, so that was a good thing. Only took 10 days, thanks CRA!
I've also been catching up on some TV shows here and there with my PVR, watching them when I can. One I've started to like again is Total Drama Island, which has interesting characters, nice plot twists and a spunky animated style - it has a catchy opening tune too. Along with Clone High, I've been catching up on episodes... also, Clone High features the voice of Nicole Sullivan, who has been in more shows than any five other voice actors combined, something that I might aspire to if I can get into that field of work.
I also put my old Cogeco Digital Cable box up for sale in the FaceBook Marketplace... wow! I had a dozen responses to the ad within 30 minutes, totally unexpected; apparently a lot of people were looking for these things. Too bad most of them wanted to cheap out on shipping, even though the ad SAID I was in B.C. .. just goes to show people don't READ things through, even simple and short ads. Ah, human nature...

Feb 28th - Holy Taxes Batman ...

I worked the mid-morning shift, which turned out to be The Day Of Ten Taxes.... whew! All I got, all day long, were taxes... person after person with problems too, all of which meant calling the CRA to get confirmation on one thing or another. By day's end I didn't want to see another tax file... just too many to do, one after another. Yeesh. I spend some of the evening online on NWN with some friends, which was nice and definitely NOT as taxing!

Feb 29th - Last Day Of Feb( duh )

I worked at our Quadra store on the mid-morning shift today. Again I was struck by the different crowd that comes to this store, compared to the Douglas St. location, which has a high count of folks hard up for cash... among other things.
Which makes this place look all the more appealing. Just step inside and shop, you'll always have time. Maybe I can find my ultimate salad bowl there too, for my usual fave Caesar Salad... but in a bowl made out of bacon!!
I caught some of Damnation Alley on TV in the evening as I was doing other things, and I recalled how much I loved the movie for one thing only: the ultra-cool post-apocalyptic vehicle it featured, called the Landmaster. Amazingly, the vehicle has survived into the present day, having been far more than just a duct-tape and balsa-wood movie prop. Have a look at it here.

March 1st - Four Months

A new month, and it seems like only a little while ago I stepped off the plane here in Victoria. Four months have passed since I last saw some of my friends, but I'm pleased that I've been able to talk to most of them since. Miss y'all folks.
Worked the closing shift today, typically. Things seem to have swung around the other way at work stress-wise: I'm managing to cope with most of the operational stresses of Paperwork, so that's making everyone else Happy. So that's nice.
I am still considering building my own home here in Victoria at some point, if I can find a small bit of land to build one of these on. I figure it would be all I'd need, won't be too costly and has a log cabin beat hands down.

Pictures at last ...

Finally... after months and months, I have the pictures I want AND I know how to post them to the blog - a good combination. *** I've added pictures from my neighbourhood and my new apt all throughout this blog. Read on...


Feb 18th - the Return of Groo!

I worked at another location today, the one near the 2-for-1 $5.00 movie theater. I was all set to see a double feature tonight of I am Legend and The Golden Compass... but I checked the marquee on the way into work, and they'd replaced Compass with P.S. I Love You .. ick. So, I just went home to read the new copy of Watchmen I'd bought before work at one of the many local comic shops. I've heard about this mini-series for well, twenty years now, but never actually picked up a copy to read it. Now I have it all in one lovely yellow-jacketed book. And to TOP it off, I discovered that Sergio Aragones has come out with a NEW limited series of the Groo The Wanderer comic book... nice! On a side note, check out the 10 Coolest Toys from the 2008 New York Toy Fair... I just have to try to find that kite!


Feb 19th - So long, little buddy ...

Soldiering on, I spent the morning working on a few things around the apartment. Spring cleanup, I guess you could say... which it certainly seems like, with no snow and temperatures in the low double-digits: sweet! Oh, I sold my old PDA on eBay last week, my versatile Asus MyPal A716. Having taken in trade a Dell Axim X50v, I no longer needed the little guy and so gave him up to a good home. Too bad the bottom fell out of the PDA market a year ago, or I might have gotten more for the A716... I just can't see myself trying to use a smaller smartphone's screen instead of a PDA; too tiny!
Interestingly, I heard today that B.C. will be celebrating it's 150th year as a province this year. I guess I sure picked the right time to move to 'The Best Place On Earth' ... right before the biggest party in a century and a half! As well, the Province will be giving every man, woman and child a Climate Action Dividend cheque for $100.00 this June, part of the government's recent pro-environment budget.


Feb 20th - Crazy at Work, literally.

Got a call this morning that a co-worker was rather ill, so I agreed to come in in the late afternoon to finish off the shift and cover for her; strep throat isn't something to mess with, so she's staying home. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished, as they say. The evening finished with a crescendo of crazy an hour before close: a crack addict( or similar drug )wandered into the lobby with a friend, and wouldn't leave. She was well off her head, having misplaced her cheque or somesuch... the bottom line was that she was freaking out in the lobby( and getting worse despite her sane friend's attempts to calm her & get her out of there )so much that I had to call the police to have her removed. Reason and patience didn't count for much when her eyes were rolling back in her head like a zombie chewing on fresh brains. I felt helpless, in that there was nothing I could do for her - her suffering was plain to see, but at the same time I had to step back and realize that she was in it herself, and that I would just get dragged down if I did something stupid to try and help her immediate situation. She was still waiting around, howling outside the store, as I closed up and went home, to sleep rather fitfully and ponder the fragility of the mind.


Feb. 21st - My Ship( ferry? )arrives at last.

I worked the mid shift today, after a morning spent groggy from lack of sleep. Amusingly, the same woman from last night came in just after I started work. 'Carrie' apparently found her cheque, and was much, much calmer... but one could see the dark waiting behind her eyes, even in the bright sunshine pouring into the lobby. Amazing what a difference a night can make, making evening the craziest addict seem almost normal at more than arm's length. Shocking. Still, good news with bad, I suppose. My ship came in today, so to speak, so monies owed to me are coming back in decent enough quantity that I will be able to pay down a few things that have been hanging over my head like the Sword of Damocles. About time too, give the current rates of interest... that and a good tax return means I won't be wondering which ends to try and stretch to meet this month's month-end, for once. We'll see about next month, but the outlook is good.


Feb. 22nd - First Day Off of a 3-day weekend!

I started off the day with breakfast at Quizno's, then off to give various places their dues early. It felt good to pay things down ahead of time, instead of waiting for the bills to come in at a larger size than they were a few months previous. A nice, nice feeling for a change. It's not a lottery win by anyone's definition, as THAT would be conducted in a limo with cash leaking out the windows. Still, small steps in the right direction are GOOD, no matter the size of the coin leakage. The rest of the day was, in a word, spectacular. I spent part of it walking the neighbourhood( it smelled like spring, warm and sweet! )taking pictures in the brilliant sunshine and sipping a chai tea at the Cook St. Starbucks. That was very relaxing: the village was FULL of people going about their business, stopping to chat with one another and smiling... so many happy folk I wanted to sit there and smile like a fool myself, but I restrained myself to a wide grin. After a surprise call from Rene & Shiloh( miss ya!! )I spent the evening watching various things on TV: some recorded eps of Robotech and Shadow Raiders, and the ever-popular The Fifth Element, one of my more Fave Films.


Feb 23rd - The Much Anticipated Pics!

Surprisingly, I didn't watch a single cartoon this morning, as I was quite busy cleaning the place up to take some pictures for this blog. Here's one taken down by the coast, ten minute's walk from my front door:

I spent a good deal of the day out and about, doing the usual "Hey, I forgot I needed that..." shopping, returning things that don't work, and generally getting good use out of a rented car. Evening was partly spent online with NWN, as I ran into an old friend and caught up with her for a bit.


Feb 24th - Lazy Sunday at the Parent's Place

Well, kind of a letdown today, but at least it was productive. I had breakfast at home, then did some work on the PC for a bit( backups are boring ). Picked up for lunch at Quizno's, where I tried out their new 'Sammies' ... basically small toasted flat pita's in four varieties. VERY tasty, and the pitas were SO fresh, like poppin' fresh squishy. Yum! After that, it was hours spent putting things together at my parent's place... patio sets can be SO fussy. At last the cat was happy to see me, and he didn't have to help aside from drooling all over.
Evening was relaxing too, as I was feeling worn out for some reason.



Well, I managed to get all the pictures up at last. Apparently Blogger.com had issues Sunday. From the top, the pics are: 1) Moss Under a Bench 2) The mountains to the south 3) Greenery on Feb. 22 4) my New Apt on the Day of Possession 5) More Greenery in Feb 6) The Coast 10 mins south of my new Apt and 7) my new Cozy Apt Setup.... plus a Sunset to finish it all off.

"Why do we always come here? I guess we'll never know. It's like a kind of torture, to have to watch this show...."

Feb 11th - Hear that phone ringing?

Worked the early shift today, nothing special really, just another day and another dollar made. I did set up a telephone for my Internet phone service in the evening. Months ago, Mike had found me a lovely old-style telephone which I kept after moving out here. I now have it and another phone plugged into my Vonage service, so that calls made to me here will ring with that lovely old-style bells-banging sound. Can you say nostalgia? Beats rap ringtones any day, IMHO.

Feb 12th - Cheap movies around the corner

I was up earlier than I'd have liked today, as I had to figure note which busto take to work this morning. Actually had to take two buses, the one that runs past my apartment and swapping to another one I was not familiar with. Fortunately, they have an excellent transit guide here in Victoria, so I was able to pick the correct route without too much trouble. It was actually easier than I thought, and I learned a few things while waiting at the bus stop: a few folks were talking about the markets on Yates, right across the street. Although expensive, there is apparently quite a good variety of fresh fruit and other delicacies not found elsewhere in the city. I may have to stop there another day and have a look, as I have driven past there dozens of times and never bothered to stop. Just goes to show you there's always something new just around the corner.
Work was okay today; I enjoyed working at another branch for a change, even though I'd been there before. the customers are different and interesting in other ways. They ask for a lot of change, which I don't find odd, as this branch is on a corner near a busy intersection. Also, there is a movie theater several doors away which plays discount movies on a 2-for-1 basis. Currently playing: I Am Legend and The Golden Compass, neither of which I have seen. I I might take an evening off next week and go see a cheap double feature for a mere five dollars, plus popcorn of course( those of you who know me know I almost never buy food or drink at the movies ). Because they just charge too damn much....!

Feb 13th - RRSP's, Taxes and a nearby village

A lot of things done around the house today( house, apartment, same turn of phrase ), which means it's slowly coming together bit by bit. I did go to the bank today and talked to them a little about RRSP's to help maximize my tax return. I talked to a lovely young woman with the whitest teeth I've ever seen outside a Crest commercial - yikes! Either she had them bleached, or the toothpaste she was using was fluorescing under the bank's lights. It was quite startling.
I should mention, if I haven't already, that my new apartment is right in the middle of two shopping areas in my neighborhood. Cook Street Village is to the west, and it's quite charming as the name implies. Aside from the Beagle Pub( one of many fine places to eat in the city ) there is a nice little grocery store called Oxford foods, which has some really amazing specials from time to time. Now, some of you might find this a little boring but I would like to describe the area in some small detail. There is a post office, opticians, laundromat, flower shop, diner, bookshop, antique store, walk-in clinic, hair salon, lawyer's office, Mac's convenience, video store and a few other places. There's even a Starbuck's, right across the street from their chief rival, Serious Coffee - both of them have nice outdoor patios that I plan to try out in the nicer weather ahead. Even now, a few folk do sit outside during the day, non-smokers all, as there's no smoking allowed on these fine patios. I love it.... especially since there is a SECOND Starbuck's in the opposite direction at the Fairfield Plaza, again only ten minutes walk away. I'm truly well set for my shopping needs here, it's just fantastic.
I spent the evening finishing up my taxes and submitting them through Netfile. I managed to pay less than $20.00 to file them online thanks to a promotion through my bank - nice! I should be getting a decent if unspectacular return this year( for once! )thanks to the incredibly expensive costs of moving out here to Victoria. not that it will offset very much of what I've already paid, but the short-term should be very nice to have in hand were paying some upcoming bills.

Feb 14th - Valentine's Day: Do you know where your heart is?

Nothing special today: I closed another branch( again )on the evening shift, which was very relaxing. This particular branch tends to be very very slow after seven o'clock in the evening, which is fine by me, as I can relax and make sure I get all my work done before closing time. There was even a Subway nearby, which I stopped at before work - cheap Subs of the Day! No candy hearts though.
---> Down the road, only a block away and less than 15 minutes walk is the Pacific Ocean. Why and my mentioning it here? I think it's just amazing that I can be down at the waterfront in less than 20 minutes from where I live. And were not just talking about a crowded strip of shoreline here: it's all park land in the view is unblocked due South straight to the mountains across the water. The clouds and sunshine some days makes an almost magical picture in its serenity.... photos coming soon I promise.
There was another anniversary today, ten years ago this year, but nobody but myself and one other will ever likely mark it. Heck, who am I kidding: only I remember...

Feb 15th - Call of Duty calls me once more!

After working the mid-shift today, I hopped onto Xbox Live after getting home and ran into a few of my friends playing Call of Duty 4. We played quite a few games for a couple of hours straight, and I am proud to say that I acquitted myself very well for not having picked up a game controller for months. I only wonder what I could be like if I played a more regular basis. Still, with all the work I have to do with Cyberwalker, my plate is quite full for the next month or more.

Feb 16th - Neverwinter Memories

I opened the store today and had a really good day overall. Everyone was in a really good mood, both staff and customers included. Maybe it has to do with the sunshine this weekend, which of course I'm working both days of. Still, if it means that everyone is happy, I can deal with it.
Evening saw me run into an old friend on Neverwinter Nights, while patiently working on my Nichneven character on a new server( the old one went down before Christmas ). I was very pleased to have run into her again, and we spent a few great hours adventuring and reminiscing both. There are quite a few people from Neverwinter( Lands of Nordock server )that I haven't seen much of, even through email contact, and I'm hoping that will change soon with the re-opening of the old server under new management. Still, we have some fantastic times there in the last few years, and I cherish those memories. Though I didn't spend nearly as much time on that server as many of the folks there did, it was amazing to me that almost every session I gained in was memorable in several ways. As a writer, the stories that developed were fascinating for some of their plot structure and their characters( with the players providing the twists of course ). Some real friendships have developed with people I have never seen face-to-face, and perhaps never will save through their avatars. What a world we live in.

Feb 17th - Blu-ray: 1 HD-DVD: 0

I opened the store again today, after spending a little time yet again in a nearby Starbuck's after stepping off the bus. It was a gorgeous day outside, with brilliant sunshine blazing down on the buildings across the way, though it was a little chilly in the shade, from what people told me. I had a great time with my coworker, whose sense of humor is always well-timed and witty. Working with such people over the past seven plus years has been my privilege, and I hope that any future job I take will have even half as many great people as this company has had.
On a side note, it looks like the high definition DVD wars are finally drawing to a close, and unfortunately it looks like I backed the wrong horse: HD-DVD has lost to Blu-Ray thanks to the power of the open market, despite HD-DVD being a better format than Blu-ray( shades of Beta vs VHS, anyone?. Still, it means that for the next little while, I should be able to pick up quite a few HD-DVD titles and good discounts as the stores clear out their inventory. Considering that I don't watch all that many movies, the ability to build a quality high-definition movie library cheaply appeals to my budget sense. $2.99 !!!


Yet another week draws to a close. I found out this week as well that a good friend of mine is now pregnant, way back east, so she and her hubby are thrilled along with the rest of us. Congrats!
Also, for those of you interested in the process, it takes me about an hour or more to do each of these blogs... I'm using some voice recognition software called Dragon NaturallySpeaking to help speed things along at about 140 WPM, but it still takes me a while to edit it all and insert the links. Presto.

Hokay, here you are: your Weekly Dose of Me. Go easy...

Feb 4th - The Fiddly Bits Never Cease to Move

Yeah, you guessed it: I spent today working on my place again. I still find it amazing that I can spend os much time for so little apparent result, but really it's all about organization.
Also, it's about relaxing after yesterday, I'm still pooped... averaged one customer every 3.5 minutes for 8 hours straight, plus phone calls and other daily duties... yeesh.
Also on my to-do list: fix my parent's laptop. Again. After resurrecting it from the grave this past summer and upgrading it to Vista( hi Dan! ), it's apparently decided to cough up a new problem, one that's OF COURSE hard to diagnose: the power LED flashes three times when the on button is pressed. That's it. No mention of this little problem anywhere that Google can find...


Feb 5th - Back to work

Yep, worked in the afternoon... and it was teeh-grindingly stressful. Apparently though I was insanely busy on Sunday, I managed not to do certain small things correctly and managed to tick off the store managed( more than I usually have so far ). Sad to say she's really sick this week as well, so she doesn't need the stress any more than I do. Seems I can't do much of anything right, as it results in doing two things wrong in the process, even with fiddly checklists to help me form proper work habits in the new branch. I went home feeling wrung out, tired and worthless as a long-term employee, not a good combo for someone in the business of money risk-assessment.

Feb 6th - Dah-dah-doh

Again, stress at work. Lovely people, teeth-grinding details I can't relate. I'm certain that Dante would have included these things as one of the 999 Layers of Hell if he was alive today. Sleep was a relief.

Feb 7th - Movies

Read the above. Nothing else worth mentioning, save that I'm keeping an eye out for either a) an explosion of grey hairs or b) a trail of hair falling out as I sleep. Neither of which appeals to me.
So instead, let's look at what I promised to list last week: my Fave Movies! Now, as some of you may already know, one of my all-time faves is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. I could watch that movie again and again, which may confirm some folk's more arcane theories about the soundness of my mind. Moving along: The Dark Crystal, which blurred reality and fantasy in the days before CGI; thanks Jim. Spiderman( heck, what kid doesn't want to be Spider Man? ), Forbidden Planet( some of the best sci-fi ever ), The Road Warrior( teeth-shaking post-apocalyptic road carnage! ), The Shawshank Redemption( beating the system ), The Star Wars Trilogy( 3-for-1 there! ), Aliens( bug-blasting action horror ), Metropolis( the benchmark for all SciFi films to follow ), The Matrix( yeah, I know, but it had KILLER W.O.M. before release! ), Blade Runner( so lovely it hurts to watch ), Donnie Darko( feeling trapped, anyone? ), The Princess Bride( my sense of humour 100% ), Brazil( the system beats YOU ), The Purple Rose of Cairo( how you can beat the system but lose anyway ), The LOTR Trilogy( one word: hobbits! ), Blade Runner( so good it deserves mentioning twice! ), Citizen Kane( hubris and so much more from the Forties ), 2001( a stunning visual work of art and mind ), Superman( we miss you Mr. Reeve ), and Life of Brian( laugh when it hurts ). This is by no means a definitive list, but as you can see it's long on Fantasy and SciFi, and quite short on romance, with a leavening of comedy tossed in. Horror, not so much, nor mystery, nor drama... I get enough of all three in my daily life, hence the somewhat escapist Movie List. *smile*

Feb 8th - Respite

My day off started fairly well, I went in early for an ultrasound to determine the size and severity of my gallstones. Hopefully I can work with my doctor on non-invasive treatments, as it's my firm belief that original equipment like a gall bladder should not be removed without thought being given to long-term health effects. I've managed to manage( hah! )that particular problem( among several I might add )without any painful relapses for almost three years now, through diet and exercise alone. I really don't want the thing chopped out if it's going to shorten my lifespan or do other things to me long-term; something to discuss with the doctor.
The remainder of the early morning and early afternoon I was out doing various things, when I received a call from one of the local stores: could I cover a shift for a sick co-worker? I said yes and so worked the evening shift at another store, and loved it. It was just me and the passing cars through the window. I had time to deal with the few customers( slow night! )and get ALL of my duties done properly, which was a huge relief especially being at an unfamiliar branch.

Feb 9th - Saturday Shopping in the crowds

Wow, talk about shopping 'till you drop. Skipping the AM cartoons( not much on of interest anyway ), it was out first thing in the parent's rental car, a nice Mazda3... stylish and comfy. Not taht there was a lot of exciting things happening, but we did end up with a full day and a full car: mostly storage boxes for me, bought on the cheap so I can store all the little bits and knacketts that I've accumulated. Since my new place is VERY short on closet space( where I usually stuff all the bits ), I have to put the boxes on the shelves... and since cardboard looks like crap, I went for tweed. Much better looking, and durable too. Heck, they were CHEAP, so I may stock up again on the next sale. Of course, I don't have a lot of room with all the books I have...

Feb 10th - a new laptop ... well, almost.

Sunday Shopping: once the bane of religious zealots everywhere, now nobody thinks twice about blowing hard-earned cash on materialistic gain on the Lord's Day. I certainly don't, and never did. That said, I was on the road again today with a specific goal in mind: laptop replacement. I had settled on a nice Toshiba model over at Staples, not too pricey and full of enough features to satisfy the less technically-inclined retired couple, such as my parents. The purchase wasn't helped by the sales clerk, who looked like he'd rather be back in ESL class; honestly, he did nothing to help the sale at all, aside from checking stock. And guess what? All they had was a 'restored' model, aside from the demo. I should have taken that as a warning sign, because sure enough, I set it up at my parent's place a few minutes later to discover a bright red stuck pixel smack in the middle of the screen. Stuck pixels: bane of my tech toy existence. So back it went to Staples within the hour for a rather smooth return... and then I discover that they won't credit my card until up to 48 hours later. So, no laptop for my parents today, or tomorrow... and all of this in the pouring rain. I tell you, when it wants to RAIN here, it does. Still doesn't quite match the ow-the-drops-are-raising-welts pounding that a good summer rainstorm in Florida will give you, but it's mean enough to soak you six times from sideways. Then the sun arrives to blind you with the wet glare on the roads, all within a few minutes. Yet... it's still better than snow. *grin*
I went out to the Irish Times Pub here in Victoria to listen to some Celtic music courtesy of Daniel Lapp and his bandmates. The pub was a great place, huge with two stories inside. I downed a Guinness while feasting on a great veggie burger, the only way I can get close to beef these days. I was out with some new friends from the building, and we had a great time; intellectual discourse was never so much fun when in a pub. I look forward to my next night out!
The late evening was spent working on a few projects, including a PAYING writing project that will be published in early summer - more on that as I'm allowed to release info. Deadlines... lots of fun when you work ahead of time on the things.


Thanks again to the Anonymous Poster on my last blog entry: it warms me to know that I'm on some folk's minds of late. Especially given the total lack of Punnage they've been blessed with in my absence. I can almost hear the brain cells rejoicing... miss ya folks.

The Shortest Blog So Far - Yay!

Hey there folks Out There Somewhere, this will be a short one, compared to the last few! As always, I never know if anyone's reading this... but heck, I write it anyway!

Jan 29th - Bills

Yep, I went through a whole bunch of bills today, as well s a ton of other papers. Took me a few hours, but I finally feel organized again... to a small degree. It will still take me a few weeks to get things put to rights around here, every book in its place and all that. More work. :)
At least my writing career seems to be taking off. No Great American( Canadian )novel sales as yet, but one has to start somewhere. I'll take getting paid for a series of small articles on a regular basis, yessiree! At least I won't be going into web design; my two efforts so far, Nichneven.com and ChurchOfTheBanana.com are great for what I wanted them to be, but will be making me exactly nothing, forever. At least it was fun designing them, and I can put some of my lighter creative work into new stories on occasion for both sites.
Speaking of light, my good friend Shiloh called me tonight on my Niagara phone number, so I was thrilled to talk to her. Sadly, she related some bad news on several fronts, so I felt my own problms shrink by comparison... sad how that works, too. Still, she's one of the few people who have called me, which is bitter as I've sent out numerous emails with my # in them, reminding people they can call me for FREE from Niagara. I guess it just goes to show that people get a little too busy for the small things.... and that I should be more proactive in calling people, at least for a little while. Maybe next week!

Jan 30th - Back to work, doggie!

Not much to say, worked in the evening today. As usual, everyone I work with is fantastic... which makes the STRESS I'm being put under there all the more bitter. Not that I can get into details, but for those loyal blog-readers out there, I have mentioned the reason already. Sad to say, it's only getting worse. It's a true juxtaposition of people versus paper, ironic in all it's mind-shredding glory. Suffice to say, I'm not sleeping well at night, and I'm finding grey hairs now... *sigh* Not what I need after the last four days of sweating buckets to get my place in order.

Jan 31st - Short Sh(r)ift Day

Same stress, less working hours. I know that everyone, in every job since the dawn of time, likes to complain about their work. I'm no different, but I do know this: nobody cares. :) Those few lucky souls who are in jobs they love better watch out, 'cuz I'll find you, and douse you in cod liver oil then set some starving cats on you - you've been warned.

Feb 1st - A New Month! TV Shows!

Welcome to February, when the thoughts of the young turn to love, and the thoughts of the older and wiser folk turn to paying their Christmas bills. Myself, I went to work for the early shift today, opening the store and generally not enjoying myself. It's sad when almost eight years with a company means little in a new branch... but I won't go into that. Suffice to say( love that phrase )that escapism seems to be on a rampant rise in the last few decades, as people find new and exciting methods to push the daily job grind from their minds.

Speaking of escapism, I've discovered I have quite a few favourite TV shows( insert audience groan track here ), so I thought I'd share a few of them here( since it is my blog, and I can )in no particular order: Babylon5( my all-time fave show!! ), Stargate( SG-1 and Atlantis both ), Undergrads( only 1 season! ), Farscape( Jim Henson, we miss you! ), Samurai Jack( amazing visuals and writing ), Battlestar Galactica( the new one ), Alias( still working in it Mike! ), Firefly( even Kris couldn't un-cool it ), Reboot( ah, Tara in 1998! ), Dave The Barbarian( the wacky humour is RIGHT on my level ), MegasXLR( only a few weak eps ), Star Blazers( introduced me to Anime! ), Robotech( futher fanned my fan fires for Anime! ), Thundercats( one of the coolest cartoon intros ever ), Venture Brothers( a total sendup of all things cartoon ), as well as quite a few shows that are off the air from years past... but thanks to DVD, we can BUY reruns now instead of just waiting for the networks to recycle them. Isn't consumerism grand?
Next week: My Fave Movies...

Feb 2nd - How to Miss The Bus

After my ususal disappointing saturday morning cartoon meh-ness, I went to work for the closing shift. All in all, it wasn't so bad... except for the fact that after finishing as best I could as fast as I could, I missed my bus by sixty seconds. I'm sure everyone can relate to that sinking, frustrated feeling you get in the pit of your stomach as you see your buss pass by... or pull away from the stop ahead as you break into a yelling sprint... ah. So I discovered the hard way tonight that I lived exactly thirty-three minutes away on foot, at a Missed-My-Effing-Bus-By-Less-Than-A-Minute walking pace. Good exercise, that, in the cold too.

Feb 3rd - a Day Alone @ Work.

I was on my ownsome today for the short Sunday shift: I both opened and closed the store, just like I used to to back in Niagara... save there, I didn't have nearly as much initialling papers to do. *cough* Oh, and since everyone at work is sick( some with strep throat! )it was soothing to my twitchy sinues to not have sick folk around - best rest in bed kids, and get better soon. Of course, it was a BUSY day, so by myself I got exactly five minutes to both eat AND take a pee break - no fun, especially if you know how fast I usually move when it's busy. Snag that for 8.5 hours and can you sad, TIRED? Yeah.... at least I caught my bus. Barely. I have to say though, my choice of residences rocks: my bus route takes me to within a block of work, and goes past ALL the places I might need to go. I may not even buy a bike until later in the year, just a bus pass. Um?
Of course, more work when I got home: laundry! There are two pay machines here, at only $1.25 a load. Not exciting, but not having to leave the building to do laundry is a BIG plus... hanging stuff to dry in my bathroom is not so great, but again it beats killing hours at the laundromat, time I can spend doing other more productive things. Got three loads done in a few hours, with minimal trips on the stairs: nice. Rene also called from work, which was great! He's one of the Few Fine Folks who call me... miss ya, big guy! :)
Now a-bed, to dream of all the work I can get tomorrow on MY DAY OFF. *happy tired sigh*

That was a bit longer than I'd planned... but if I was able( willing? )to write down ALL the things I wanted, I'd be here for hours every week. Plus, this would become a Bloated Blog...