me and the universe

My success deferment was leveraged into actuality today. That's HR-speak for saying i was canned in sixty seconds. My boss actually had the nerve to escort me to my office and demand my key and then walk me to my car, as though i were some sort of criminal, watching me like a hawk the whole time. What? She thought i would blow something up?

While I was taking my key off its ring, I realized that I had asked the universe for a job to get me through to the end of the year and that, amazingly enough, gotten it. She walked with me down the stairs, and then as I was standing in front of the door she started -- no lie -- small talking. Now, I had been as pleasant and gracious as anyone could be, no small feat under circumstances that would leave any sane person apoplectic with embarassment, and younger ones in tears. nonetheless, i held my poise, as i have done ever so often in the past several weeks.

and that's when the universe rewarded me. it always happens when you least suspect it, i suppose, but when you act on not even faith, but the faith of faith, the hope of hope. With my back against the door, about to walk out into the freedom to feel and express however i chose, she asked one last question.

Her: So do you have something fun planned for this afternoon?
me: Actually, the timing is just right, as I've decided to start Proust.
Her: puzzled, i thought maybe she didn't hear me, that perhaps my poise had failed me and my voice had shaken. But no. With the sincerity of someone trying her levelbest to seem as though she actually cares about your future: O. . . uh. . is that a school?

And then, with grace and bearing, I got softly to explain that it was not an it, but a he, one of the greatest authors of our time, though i didn't put it in those words. She scuttled, litterally scuttled, back down her corridor to the office.

As i walked into the unseasonably refreshing sunlight, my tin of teabags precariously perched in my soup bowl with its silver spoon, my coffee in my other hand no longer steaming, i thought yes. yes the universe loves me and wants me to be happy. And I laughed at long last, releasing it all, holding nothing back, wholly myself.

workwise

i made it to work this morning, more than on time, more weirdness in dreamland disturbing me awake before the alarm. i am so not certain what is up with that, but it can end any time now and i'll be happy with it. Artsie clearly sensed something wasn't right with me, and was never more than a few inches away all night. Poor thing seemed to be freaking out a bit herself and wanted to be close. Perhaps Guinevere's fairies have come home to roost.

i got a rash of letters this morning and it must be the thursday to catch up: Connor, Scully, Cormac. It was good to connect, and even though I won't make it to the Maryland bash this weekend, alternate plans are in the works. Scully wrote that the music scene where he and his lady are is pretty cool, and I'm attentively awaiting further details.

Still no word on when this contract ends, only that it does, and soonish (probably abruptly once it comes to that). Keep an eye on this space, as the Brown Coat New Year's Details are forthcoming, probably tonight.

2005 trading card

ooooers. flickr toys.
[not nearly as dirty as it sounds.]

i mean what do you do when you can't sleep? i'm off to catch a bit of a nap before getting ready for work (yes, i'm working this week. how obscene is that?)

witching hour

Awakened in the middle of the night, unwinding the dream from the sheets, relieved at unreality, wondering at what my mind is trying to say, suspecting something was lost in the translastion from sub to conscious.

And then of course the dog needing out.

This whole healthy living thing has its downsides.

who ARE you?

i'm batman.

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause. Neo, the "One" 79% Batman, the Dark Knight 79% James Bond, Agent 007 75% Captain Jack Sparrow 75% The Amazing Spider-Man 75% Indiana Jones 67% Lara Croft 63% El Zorro 54% William Wallace 54% The Terminator 50% Maximus 50% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

my inner scooby

Your life is full of magic. Sure, you might have been a little awkward in high school, but hey, get over it--you're a hot little number now. Even though you're slightly more worker bee than queen, your friends and coworkers are mesmerized by your hypnotic personality. And you've got more than enough mojo to keep that special someone around. Take the test.

new versions: not always a good thing

Back in the day, several years ago when i originally took the Geek Test, there were no versions. Looking it up for jax today, i discovered that we are up to version 3.1. So i took it all over again. I noticed that the SCAdian events stuff ahs been done away with, as have most of the sexual questions [i suppose real geeks don't have sex]. anyway, the removal of those along with the inclusion of many other tv / video game things (along withthe removal of having played zelda and tron and zork) have lowered my score down from the mid 80's as it once was, though the classification is still the same: Geek God(dess)[72.58383%]. And yes, I am a member of innergeek, a forum which no longer seems to exist. That's a shame; i'll really miss Scotty Monkeypants.

Quote of the day

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'
- Ronald Reagan

happy kringle!

the boys and i had a lovely yuletide, complete with evening friends and card games and morning paper-strewing, which the kittens adored. the little green army men and little red firemen kept their attention long enough that i finished Anansi Boys (a delight on par with American Gods) and later in the day i got to read all of Memoirs of My Meloncholy Whores. Reading time is the ultimate present for me, so i'm delighted. i also have a new poem i'm working on, and a character who is stirring in her nest. who knows what shall come of it?

hope your holiday was lovely.

there are rules

Some words shouldn't be mixed together in headlines, no matter how accurate. Probe should never be within five words of body parts, especially in any headline that includes authorities, for example.

monday monday

We have a tree. It blinks. Well, okay, the tree itself doesn't blink, but the little white lights on it do. There was a bit of a scare that we wouldn't be going anywhere, given that the battery was more than a little depleted (apparently the keys CAN come out of the ignition when the jeep is in alt mode -- who knew?!?), but the boys were dears of understanding while we fixed alla that. and they ate heartily and well at the MoJo Cafe (highly recommended for all its fare, not the least of which is fairly traded coffee) while the tree rested on top of the jeep on the way home.

Once inside, I amazed myself by not having gotten a tree that needed a sixteen inches trimmed before it could stand up inside. Apparently, a seven-and-a-half foot tree (the boys and I went right to it, all of us, and declared it perfect, even if it was "the short one") is in fact just the right height for my nine-ish feet high ceilings, especially when the stand is taken into account. As far as decorating, that's about as far as we have gotten, but it's pretty cheery nonetheless.

Cormac came over for a bit of lunch and cards, which was fun, and then I napped until our evening showing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Frankly, I loved it, and think that it was an amazing production. I can't wait to see it again. I have heard that it is a pared-down presentation, without all the meaningful bits on how one ought to live, and don't agree. I think that ther's a whole host of the message, sometimes more subtle than others, but definitely there. My favourite line: "So much for love."

We definitely will be seeing it again, at the Grandin. Feel free to join along.

Also, this weekend, I read Nick Hornsby's How to be Good and Avi's The Book With No Words. Both come highly recommended, and Hornsby has really gone out on a limb for himself here. The hip guy-writer has devlved into some serious ground about relationships in the early twentieth century, and does so with characteristic wit and relentless honesty. Nicely done.

monday monday

We have a tree. It blinks. Well, okay, the tree itself doesn't blink, but the little white lights on it do. There was a bit of a scare that we wouldn't be going anywhere, given that the battery was more than a little depleted (apparently the keys CAN come out of the ignition when the jeep is in alt mode -- who knew?!?), but the boys were dears of understanding while we fixed alla that. and they ate heartily and well at the MoJo Cafe (highly recommended for all its fare, not the least of which is fairly traded coffee) while the tree rested on top of the jeep on the way home.

Once inside, I amazed myself by not having gotten a tree that needed a sixteen inches trimmed before it could stand up inside. Apparently, a seven-and-a-half foot tree (the boys and I went right to it, all of us, and declared it perfect, even if it was "the short one") is in fact just the right height for my nine-ish feet high ceilings, especially when the stand is taken into account. As far as decorating, that's about as far as we have gotten, but it's pretty cheery nonetheless.

Cormac came over for a bit of lunch and cards, which was fun, and then I napped until our evening showing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Frankly, I loved it, and think that it was an amazing production. I can't wait to see it again. I have heard that it is a pared-down presentation, without all the meaningful bits on how one ought to live, and don't agree. I think that ther's a whole host of the message, sometimes more subtle than others, but definitely there. My favourite line: "So much for love."

We definitely will be seeing it again, at the Grandin. Feel free to join along.

wintery mix, revisited

Many many thanks to Shane for sending along something positive. It is better than Too Much Coffee Man trying to explain irony.

The boys don't have school today, of course, even though the roads are (once again) just fine. We are looking forward to seeing Narnia this weekend. Possibly more than once. If you're interested in seeing it with us on Sunday evening, please leave a note, as I might be able to get group tickets.

Wintery mix

Yay! For those of us disappointed that the six-to-twelve inches of snow forecast turned into a lovely little dusting, we now have a winter storm warning including ice and the whole nine yards. by the way, even though the weather alert reads that travel will be "very hazardous or impossible," I will be at work. I have a meeting at 11, and we will just have to see what comes of that. Thank goodness for four-wheel drive.

cake, coffee and cards

I am thinking of actually cooking *gasp* with the boys, since I need to spend some time cleaning up the kitchen--it's Dragon's turn, and you know how he loves to cook. Also, I have a new recipe for a vegan cake--that's right, no eggs or milk, and I hear it's delicious; I remain skeptical until there is evidence, which means we get to have a taste test!

Eldarian gave me a new card game as well: Quiddler. Letters and words and cards and suitable-for-up-to-8-folks (o my!), it is made by the same people who brought us the fun that is Five Crowns. Want to come over for some cake, coffee and cards?

Many thanks to all who wrote or checked in on Dragon. He is doing well, and seems to have bounced back from the procedure itself. Also, I officially applied for my job as of this afternoon; for good or for ill, I will know if I am permanently a part of this team in the coming weeks. In either case, I'll be a woman in need of a bit of a get-together, so let's all think about when we can schedule it. Perhaps it will entail another round of cake, coffee and cards.

By the way, I finished PopCo., and I must say it was charming, delightful, intriguing, subversive, and a great read. I am also quite glad that I was given an advance reader's copy, since the cover of the print version really gives me the unholy creeps. Even if the blurb on the back is as engaging on the current cover as it is on the advance one, I don't think I could stand to have that doll face staring at me for the legnth of time it took me to read the book, and I'm pretty fast.

Do please also leave your comments for what you would like at the decoration gathering this Sunday. I have signed up for making mulled cider, and depending on the timing of everything might make an apple cake. Dragon has decided he is in charge of making certain there is eggnog (but don't be surprised if he doesn't share) and Tiger is all about the finger snacks. I'm seeing lots of nibbles available, and we can always figure out the rest of it from there. I suppose since this is coming up so quickly that I should get off my duff and find the Christmas Tree stand. I know it's in the basement somewhere, but somehow that doesn't make the prospect of locating it any less daunting.

pending rejection from slashdot

CNN has a story on a study relased by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and Social & Scientific Systems, Inc. Apparently, people at high risk for liver damage showed that those who drank more than two cups of coffee or tea per day developed chronic liver disease at half the rate of those who drank less than one cup each day. From the story: "Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of serious liver damage in people who drink alcohol too much, are overweight, or have too much iron in the blood." So go out, get drunk and have drink coffee the next morning -- it's all good.

home again home again, jiggity jig

the airport saga was relatively uneventful, and i am home. i thoroughly enjoyed ottawa just as much as i did five years ago, and perhaps even a bit more. the light dusting of snow that i ordered for the trip arrived just on time, even though i didn't, and once the wind died down, the cold was refreshing. it's a lovely city.

dinner in the revolving restaurant was a fine affair, worthy of being hosted in a nation's capitol. i even discovered that Ontario produces some serious, stand-up wines. but as good as the meal was (and it was) and as impressive as the service was (and it was) i think the best time was still to be found at the mayflower pub and restaurant. breakfast on sunday -- it seemed to be a national pasttime there.

we visited the parliament, hung around waiting for the guided tour to begin, and then bailed when we realised how many people would be in the group. after that, a fair walk about in the snow discussing politics and our lives was just right.

notes for next time: the hotel was perfect. visit the public library. see if there is a film festival going on before the last day there.

my ears did jar a bit when i arrived in the philadelphia airport and the announcements weren't repeated in french. i had quite gotten used to it without realizing.

the auld dubliner

i had an amazingly good culinary experience at the restaurant / pub found last night: four heese spinach dip with pita and a mediterannean quesadilla. the food alone could have me move here. now if i only had a job. . .

off to get breakfast and go shopping. [not a typo: could it be the air?]

Please return your seats to the upright position

I've arrived safely and we are going hunt for a restaurant. Hopefully no menus will be harmed in the process.

canada time

In my efforts not to overpack, I did anyway. There were issues with the laptop, and it is staying home. [kn0w1 knows where i will be and how to get in touch with me.] The pets will be visited.

I have crochet, ample yarn, and a prepublication book.

It's snowing in Canada right now.

Sing it with me: O, CAAAAAAN-a-daaa

World Aids Day

If you get a moment, find a red ribbon and wear it.

Number of people living with HIV in 2005: 40.3 million
People newly infected with HIV in 2005: 4.9 million
AIDS deaths in 2005: 3.1 million