Good day so far

So I went to Surrey Central, and met up with a very nice man.  He treated me to hot and sour soup and a steamed bun (which was teh awesome) and we walked around and talked a bit, and I anticipate hearing from him soonish. And meeting his dog, who sounds like a sweetie.

It’s not the best part of town even in broad daylight (I wanted to avoid him having to come across that non existent bridge) and as soon as I got off the train there was a guy….. urinating in public, in broad daylight.  Funny thing, the last time I saw a guy urinate in public was at a Skytrain station.  I am glad to be a girl for a lot of reasons, but needing to plan my life so I don’t have to micturate in the full view of people who might not want to watch is definitely one of them.

Then I went to New West and nobody I know there was answering  the phone and Keith wasn’t either.  I went to the Quay but all the stores are closed, so I went back to the new Sally Ann thrift store building and made a killer haul for less than 20 dollars, and then realized GOSH SAKES IT’S COLD. So back home again.  It was beautiful and sunny this morning, but the weather is increasingly overcast and frigid.  Next up a trip to Mike’s for dinner (me cooking) and Jeff and Keith are coming along.  Something tells me we’ll be watching movies and drinking beer tonight….

I should toss those clothes in the laundry.

Sleep and food and Saturday links

Casting the witch in the Wizard of Oz.
I heart Margaret Hamilton.

This is just freaky, but I’m only posting it because of the Firefly reference.

I was really suspicious of the do not call registry right from the beginning, mostly because after the gun registry debacle I didn’t think the Canadian government could organize something conspicuous in a camouflage store.  Now we learn, surprise! bafflement! that the government is SELLING the list at a nominal price to whoever will pay for it. Alas, Ottawa.

In about 2 hours I’ll be jumping on the transit for my coffee date.  Instead of swithering, I’m sorting laundry, acting as cat doorwoman, paying bills, cooking AWESOME split pea with ham soup, making breakfast for me and Jeff and answering emails.  I had a wonderful night of sleep – slept maybe 1 1/2 hours longer than normal.  I actually feel good.

Perhaps it has something to do with the departmental meeting with the new Ops great grandboss at work.  Like Holy Paradigms Batman.  I was buzzing like a thwacked beehive and dancing up and down like a little kid when I got home last night (met up with Keith at Brentwood station and the little bugger did a ninja on me, sneaking up behind me in the bus line up) because I was so happy with the meeting.

There are four priorities in the new configuration of the company.  Safety, Quality, Customer Service and Financial Results.  So I recited them to the dude to indicate that I’d stayed conscious during one of the town halls, and then I asked him to give me the matching 4 mantras of corporate culture.  In a very TED lecture kinda way, he said, “Respect, Metrics, Voice of the Customer and We’re Only in One Business, and that’s the Only Business that We’re In” (not phrased like that and over a much longer period of time) and gave examples to support it.  The previous group he’d been with had just sat and stared at him.  Patricia and I peppered him with questions until he told us (respectfully) to let the men get a word in edgewise (and just think about the state of the world that this would be the case… I love the 21st century).  Then I insulted his wife’s taste in sweaters (yes, I know, and I am going to be punished, I’m sure) and we went home.  It was supposed to be a half hour meeting and it took nearly two hours and the time FLEW BY.  My hopes and fears for the future remain the same, but my hopes definitely have my fears in a hammerlock.

I’ve been conversing with Deb about her daughter Jenn and her Pitbull rescue organization.  Here’s the link. Unfortunately it’s not possible to get a tax receipt for Canadian donors but I urge my American readers to make a donation if it meets their criteria for a worthy charity.

And tomorrow, time for a baptism.  Me happy.