Author: Allegra

Minister Katie Stein Sather had a letter published in the Sun today. My Katie disappeared with the new camera last night, prompting Paul to nearly blow a head valve, as they say, but of course she brought it home safe and sound, and loaded with pictures of her …. friends. Not much else to report.

later…..

I have come to regret ever volunteering for the youth program at church. My heart tells me I am still doing the right thing, but I look at this pile of well meaning literature (which has come to my hand like the dreck of ages as oozed by VERY Nice ‘n’ Earnest Humans) and have to suppress a shudder. I will do it their way because that’s what they’re expecting, but I think about the Correction that is coming and I have to suppress another form of nervous tremor, which is me envisioning a Unitarian Gun Club. I mean really, if you were cursed with an imagination that could think up the Unitarian Gun Club without suffering cranial herniation…….. I am a sad sad puppy, and need to think about other times, things and higher stuff.

I committed labour unrest the other day, by reporting a bus driver for using a cell phone – while manipulating the bus MY preciousss heinie was parked on. Under normal circumstances this would generate an unproductive but bilious fury. Under these circumstances, which I am about to relate, which I witnessed with my two (still barely functioning) eyes, which really happened to me and belong to me until my neurons part with them – under these circumstances I did not transform into a dove but into a f*cking stool pigeon. Dear friends, relations, neighbours and strangers, there was a family of FIVE GERMAN TOURISTS in the front, aged 15 to 50, the boy and girls as bleached and Teutonic and GORGEOUS as it is possible to get without lurching into parody, the parents trim, big featured and intelligent looking. The looks on their faces as they watched the driver answer his phone and then PULL OUT OF THE STATION should, by rights, have knocked the phone out of his hand and onto the street. Now even then, all my relations, I might have kept my little cheese-eating paws in my pockets and swallowed the river of molten lava/bile that was mounting in me like the cork pressure behind Krakatoa’s little urk, BUT he made a mistake. He WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH HE WAS GOING TO MAKE ON OVERTIME as he was on the phone. What’s a good citizen to do? Of course I ratted him out. Three f*cking strikes baby.

As the Bible says, a puppy will go back to its puke (okay, I’m paraphrasing, but not by much) I will go back into the mopes and wails of my life, telling them over like a rosary made of fossilized porcupine sh*t, ever so tactile. I guess the thing that makes me saddest (or maybe sadist, they’re pronounced the same way in my dialect) is thinking that teaching these kids peace love and understanding is not really gonna help them that much when the crap hits the fan. So I am not really inclined to teach principals that won’t keep you alive when evil men pack weapons, but I know that I must or abandon the post.

It says that a youth advisor must be drug free. I happen to really like beer, although I don’t imagine that I’ll drink that much around.

As a Canadian woman, I would be a fool, and the worst kind of feminist (in other words, impractical in my understanding of human nature) not to acknowledge the role that many thousands of Canadian men and women played in giving me the life I have today by valiantly parting with life in local and foreign wars on behalf of my ancestors, and the ancestors of the governors of my part of the world. I don’t believe for two seconds that anybody deserved to die in the conflicts of this last or any other century (okay Ceaucescu), but democracy is worth dying for (the ideal, not the nation state), if only because it seems the single chance for the improvement of self government.

Okay the boys are back from F 9/11 so I guess I’d better get away from the computer. I still think I’d like to teach UU Youth to blow things up, but I’ll have a hard time getting THAT on the curriculum.

today’s mgmt tip
2004-08-19— Posted by: allegra

Suck UP. Bite DOWN.

Little furry animals
2004-08-19— Posted by: allegra

Winkie and Spud.

As you can see, the phrase ‘they get along as well as a dog and a cat’ really depends on the critters involved.

These animals own Mike, and crew-ell-eee force him to toil in the salt mines to buy them treats and keep them in luxurious (and remarkably work-free) accommodations. Winkie has very nice markings, in my opinion, a long and slender tail, and a one man cat kind of disposition. Spud is more of an obsession than a dog. Bone idle and a suck for attention, she coasts through life on her sunny personality.

nowhere close to enough sleep
2004-08-19— Posted by: allegra

In the words of the immortal Martha Ballard, my comforters are much as Job’s were.

My initial hunch that I would be better off not calling any of my friends about what’s going on right now was borne out; fortunately my family is being a lot more sensible about it. Nobody else believes – or appears to believe – that Katie will smarten up while she’s living with me; my loosey-goosey style of parenting would likely prevent this from happening. I go through phases when I want to kick her out, but they don’t last. I should steel my spine and just say, you don’t respect me, out you go. “She needs to go to someplace with a LOT of rules.” “You’ve done your best, it’s time to get out of the situation.” It’s like I’m the only person who believes she’ll smarten up, and I’m being gently rebuked for thinking so. The alternative, according to my friends, is that she’s going to end up dead, hard drug addicted or on the street selling herself or some dreadful combo thereof. Katie, if you’re reading this can you email (names deleted but available on request) and let them know that these – while interesting and dramatic life experiences – aren’t in your immediate plans? You might want to add something about how you have two parents, as well…. I mean, if you want to.

Interesting dreams. In one, Peter and Cheryl announced that they were going back to South Africa (and a very DIFFERENT lunch bunch all screamed about it, going on at length at what a bad idea it was (there were a bunch of people there, but it wasn’t my usual lunch bunch from work)). But they were adamant. That’s bloody weird, cause I can’t imagine them doing that except to visit.

Next, I was molested by forest trolls (picture the Egyptian god Bes except green and furry and two feet tall) and gotten beaten until I couldn’t see when I was spirited enough to bite one.

Then I was watching a giant picking up two little people, howling at them, “I’ll grind your bones to make my bread” at which point one said, “How unsavory!” and the other said, “How un …. sanitary!” Where’d that come from? Paul thinks he knows, see below. Also in other news from dreamland, Glen and I worked at the same place and seven people were laid off and we were both on notice that we were next and Glen said, “You’d better get your resume up to date!”

Then I had to fill out customs papers on a Hungarian typewriter. From the script of Starman “Weird you want, weird you get.” But I swear, officer, I did NOT melt that man’s lugwrench.

Snap back to reality, drum roll please. Paul was dreading going into work this morning, and rightly so. Air Canada skated out of bankruptcy by renegotiating all the union deals, all the deals with suppliers and creditors (same thing) and of course it made a deal with Cara. People on the bottom of the Cara Foods organization do NOT make what I consider a living wage (specially in THIS burg). Air Canada wrung concessions from Cara and then Cara blithely asked some very poorly paid, mostly immigrant, sandwich cutters and food preparers, if they could offer up some bone mass for the next Air Canada passengers’ meal in the form of wage concessions. I know that conservatives will argue that there is no moral difference between getting a 5% concession out of a regional pilot who makes 70K a year and getting a 5% concession out of a sandwich cutter who makes 20K a year, (and the market will reward sandwich cutters who improve their educations, etc.) but conservatism aside, there’s a practical difference. Full marks if you spot it. Anyway, Paul, who has already had his pay packet lightened by some hundreds of dollars a month (and is content to keep still for it if he keeps his job, true so far, and the management quits p*ssing away money on paint jobs and VPs of French Communication, which so far is not true – 27 VP’s for a company in bankruptcy protection???? I prob’ly don’t have the number right but Paul hauled out the org chart a while ago and we reviewed it with bile, liberally mixed with disbelieving fury), is furious on behalf of the Cara employees. He is so upset that I can’t repeat what he said because it’s the kind of things that makes lawyers turn green, then slowly flush. Anyway, Cara is on strike effective today, so I’m sure the food purveyors in the airports will be smart enough to make bag lunches for the masses – or will they? Capitalism is not as quick off the mark as everybody says it is. Sorry I’m writing so parenthetically, I’ve got a mind like a trash compactor.

I went over to Hank and Margaret’s last night. Terence was utterly charming – he kept running up to me and patting my leg and then running away. I collected ‘the story so far’ of the youth curriculum and at least we got that out of their basement – and into our front room. Paul grumbling throughout.

I have to confirm if it’s circle tonight and then we pick up the kids tomorrow. Another grisly day awaits. Okay, it isn’t grisly, I’m just spoiled. And seeing as how I’ve gone off, maybe it’s time for a shower.

marmot sighted
2004-08-18— Posted by: allegra

Head for the hills! Provided by Brother Jerome, taken at Garibaldi. PLEASE SEND FURRY ANIMAL PICTURES, especially if they are digital, reasonably detailed or have a good story connected with them. This means you, Glen and LJ!.

I will have to make a second post for the second picture as you can’t post more than one picture at a time in a single post with this software.

marmot sighted
2004-08-18— Posted by: allegra

Head for the hills! Provided by Brother Jerome, taken at Garibaldi. PLEASE SEND FURRY ANIMAL PICTURES, especially if they are digital, reasonably detailed or have a good story connected with them. This means you, Glen and LJ!.

I will have to make a second post for the second picture as you can’t post more than one picture at a time in a single post with this software.

not enough sleep
2004-08-18— Posted by: allegra

Have confirmed that both of the kids are coming home on Friday night. I am just dazzled at the email I got from Keith. Apart from the one typo (and hell, I’ve made some dandies) it was a masterpiece; entertaining, informative, well constructed and droll as all get out. He really didn’t sound like an 18 year old man except in his enthusiasms. (Boys and toys). Anyway, he actually did get to shoot at things and is claiming good accuracy. (I’m a pretty boy! I’m a bright boy! – which is actually a quote from Frank Magazine which Keith and I use all the time – the follow up is a dour “Please! Silent affirmations!!)).

Glen is trying to get me to use wordpress which will make this site a lot more interactive, but I am being somewhat Luddite and having problems with the back end. I mean I log on and look at things but I don’t really know how to do stuff, so I think I’m going to have to admit my ignorance and get some coaching. I did download it and the documentation looks really good.

Various people I’ve lit virtual candles for are doing better, so that’s a bonus. Anyway, if I’m going to make the bus I’d better assemble my feces and fly. Completely inadequate in the sleep department. My eyes are squeaking again and I’m yawning convulsively and repeatedly.

Was very pleased to hear that Meg the Temp is going to be with us until September. The department she’s going into is short staffed. I would run out of adjectives to describe how badly.

Raillery
2004-08-18— Posted by: allegra

Pictured is the newest bird, the Calayan Rail. Locals call it a piding. I have to ask, how the hell did the wildlife biologists miss a bird that’s wearing conspicuity garments? Native to the Philippines but not for long, apparently. They found it while it was on the verge of extinction.