Category: Friends

Cryptic email and status report

Yesterday at work I got this massively cryptic email from the senior finance person who says check into your share situation.  Normally I have stuff neatly filed but I can’t find anything more recent than 2003.  I don’t think the phone number is even the same from back then for Computershare. Now I have to phone Computershare and find out what’s going on.  Needless to say, there have been public announcements about the company which may not be named and while I don’t imagine this actually means a lot of money I am mildly excited.

Pressured speech commences:  Continue reading Cryptic email and status report

Came home from drinking with coworkers last night

And there’s a block for all the knives, a new toilet seat, and, in the freezer, chocolate ice cream. It’s like I live at Hogwarts and every time I turn my back the house-elves have done something. Go Jeff.

Said goodbye to Liz and Klaus last night. Liz is an Irish lass who was with us in HR very briefly but memorably and honorably (and if I say why she was memorable, that would be indiscreet) and Klaus is a German lad who was with the company for about the same length of time as me. Like everybody who’s been at BigCo for more than ten minutes, he has an Allegra anecdote; faithful readers of this blog will know that I write Valentine cards for coworkers every year. One year his read, “I love you as much as I love the company ERP” which is kinda like saying you love boils, plague, cedar splinters and popped collars. He sought me out afterwards and with a classic everyman WTF expression on his face BEGGED me to reveal what in God’s name he’d ever done to deserve such a card. Everybody in earshot hearing this for the first time burst out laughing…especially the people from Finance.

I spent 50 bucks on jugs of beer and nibblies, and some of the folks there coughed up some money, so I only ended up spending what I would have spent on myself, so it was more than satisfactory.

I am making chocolate waffles. My happiness is tempered somewhat by the knowledge that somewhere, lurking in the batter, is a piece of eggshell. I hope I get it and not Jeff.

Ooh, I just remembered. Ian M. gave me a lift home and he’s got a brand new Prius. Silver, of course. What a sweet ride that car is!

Off to the back doctor this afternoon

My life has basically become a very unpleasant place, and my sleep is getting worse and worse, so off I go.

Cousin Gerald is now a grampa times two. Hurrah! More deets as I get them.

Youtube Bingo last night was great… Jeff and I learned about Jon Lajoie. If you already know about him, great; if you don’t, well, let’s just say his ability to keep a straight face while singing lines that make you spew your beer in all directions (one of us, I won’t say who, actually did have a beercident) makes him an instant classic. Not safe for grandparents, sorry. Or anybody with pretensions to taste and decorum. Not.

Star Wars floppy & other news

I don’t know why I thought this was so funny, but I did.

Chipper got her dvd of puppy power but has not reported back yet. I’m bouncing from one foot to the other wanting to know.

Paul’s back from the Adirondacks. Tish and Terry are doing fine. Paul says he had a really tough time keeping up with Terry, but he’s been saying that for 25 years so I don’t think this represents a change. Terry always seemed to be a secret new power source anyway. And sing yip and whoo hoo! Paul quit smoking! Seven days no smokes, let’s all think positive.

No word from Katie, but I imagine somebody would have called me if any further insanity had taken place that I really had to know about.

I just made french toast. How amazing! Jeff has just gotten up! Good, otherwise I might end up eating it. Time to put on the bacon. Jeff doesn’t drink coffee anymore, but he misses it. I say things like “I can’t live without coffee” but of course I can. I’d be learning how to roast chicory as a substitute.

Fell out of bed

At 1:30 this morning I fell out of bed.  I landed painlessly on the floor (I was rolling over, and I just kept going), and lay there for a second, disoriented and wondering if I’d woken the whole house up.  Given that the dryer was running, I guessed not so much.  Now it’s quarter to three and I really wish I could go back to sleep, but I’ve been lying awake for an hour and decided to get up when a) I cracked my lower back so loud it rang around the room like a gunshot (never done that before) and b) I realized I just wasn’t going to do the usual, which is fall right back asleep again whenever I wake up.  Then the inertnests called, and I found this photographic gem off reddit.

Mailed puppy pics off to Chipper yesterday at lunch.  I met Robof9, Francis, ScaryClown and somebody else from work going out on a nature walk just as I was getting back from the Post Office up the hill.  Came home after an interesting day full of portents of the future and prepared part of supper – Jeff grilled salmon on the bar-b-q, and it was yummy.

Friends and video

Tammy’s got a chronic ailment.  She’s in research mode because that’s what she does when she gets bad news, but the thing that made me cry after I got off the phone was that her big thing was that it not affect our trip to France.  Her health is so much more important than the trip…

Crashed early again last night.  Saw a guinea pig and a puppy in Brentwood Town Centre Station last night.  I’ve seen more critters there than in most zoos. Bought veggies and made tuna salad for supper – too hot for anything else.  I THINK I MIGHT BE WINNING against the dreaded video editing issue.  It says it’s going to take 1400 minutes to convert the file, but that might just be blowing smoke into my eye.  Anyway, I have 15 hours of family video – at least – to boil down, like I NEEDED another fracking project.  Spoke briefly to Katie last night.  Picked huckleberries and – get this – saskatoon berries yesterday at lunch (me, Trevor, Patricia, ScaryClown and Robof9) as well as grabbing salmonberries on the way by.  Watched the video Patricia took of the raccoons in Stanley Park – cute.  Anyway, let’s see if I can load the damned file once the import into iMovie is done.  1400 minutes?!  Zow. I am beginning to see how Loki might have been spending his time when he first converted the files from tape to VOB!

Huff continuum, Meadow calls, phone calls

I did a massive laundry last weekend, but I didn’t do laundry this weekend, because I was feeling lazy, and because I fell into the Huff continuum.  What a great show!  The scripts and situations are amazing, the acting convincing, and I think I have a crush on Oliver Platt.  I mean Hank Azaria is cool upon cool, but it’s Oliver I enjoy watching the most.  He’s just SO over the top.  When two little (as in very very short, not young) hookers turn up to assist a character (a sitcom star played by Bob Saget, can you picture it?) the expressions that cross his face as he tells them (in effect) “Your client isn’t here, can I help you?” deserve Emmys.

Meadow wandered into the house again only this time she went straight for the bowls.  I have pix, but not high quality ones – and here’s one.  She really really likes Jeff!  I have a great picture of Jeff petting her after absentmindedly putting a waffle in his mouth to free his hands- she’s eyeing the waffle hopefully – but I’m going to email it to Jeff and see if he wants to post it.  I wish nothing to impede the current flow of domestic tranquillity…..

Keith here yesterday; I spoke to Katie on the phone; all’s well with the world, except she’s really angry and doesn’t know what to do about it (this represents an improvement over previous emotional palettes in similar sitches).  Oh, and I spoke to my old friend Liz, not likely previously mentioned in this blog, and she and her brood are doing fine.  She and Andy are alone in the house… the youngest, 17, and as she puts it, in the full flower of his young louthood (she quickly said this was a quote from Lawrence Sanders as I fell about laughing when these words passed her lips) is in Calgary with his older brother and the girlchild is off west as well.  Needless to say she has the back of her hand pressed firmly to her forehead at this family tradegy.  Oh, and I spoke to my ex-mother-in-common-law yesterday and she’s well too.  Just because things have changed doesn’t mean I shouldn’t call her once in a while, and she made my heart burst with pride when she mentioned Keith had phoned her to thank her for the birthday gift.

Isn’t she adorable?  If I could adopt her I would do it in a heartbeat, the cats are practically adjusted to her already.

Waffles on Sunday

As has come to be traditional on Sunday morning, I make up a big pot of coffee and a big batch of waffles. I contemplate the waffle iron, which is close to me in age and still functional, although rather beat up, and I think to myself, do they still make bakelite? Because it’s pretty cool stuff, and quite durable. Kitchen appliances just aren’t made as they used to be, and I wish that would change.

Meadow came upstairs yesterday afternoon; it was good to see her. She was happy to see me, but as soon as she saw Jeff she came over all puppy, twisting around with happiness to see him. Critters sure love Jeff.

It was hot enough in here yesterday that the air conditioner came on – Jeff has it set for 26 degrees.

I am contemplating elective surgery on my face (my eyelids are hanging so low I can hardly see) and elsewhere; details, no.

drfilk was over for dinner (beef stew, diced tomato salad and garlic bread). He and Lady Miss Banjola are rehearsing for Denvention – they have an hour long concert – and also recording with Tony in Seattle in August. w00t!

Jeff has introduced me to the works of Daniel Pinkwater. I particularly liked Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars and Young Adult Novel.

I called my m0m to check up on Katie, but Katie was out running errands with Alex and Darwin. I can’t even be worried about her if she’s at her grandma’s – all I can do is think kindly thoughts, towards everyone involved, and hope for the best. A special shoutout to Paul for being there for Katie

Today will be a lazy/slash/domestic kind of day, and maybe if it stays quiet I’ll try to record something.
I feel mellow and contented, and it’s great to sit in the bright sun in the kitchen.

Off to Mission.

I won’t be posting until after I get home from Mission tomorrow; it’s time for the festival out there with my current and previous coworkers, including no fewer than two bosses, and which involves stringed instruments, alcohol and the World’s Best Campfireâ„¢. Continue reading Off to Mission.

Playing around

My new Zoom H2 arrived so I have been playing with it.  It seems pretty intuitive and comes with a kick ass quick start sheet.

Times are ‘interesting’ at work, mostly for other people, and in the sense of the Chinese curse. ScaryClown got himself a week off to think about how nuts he is.  I love him dearly, but sometimes his intense intelligence & perfectionism overpower his somewhat stunted sense of self interest.  A couple of other people have left the building, one assumes not as a result of any overpowering desire to run away.  I mean, I won’t miss either of them (one of my coworkers went so far as to play “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” through the speakers on his desk upon receipt of the email, and I did the weasel dance) but Patricia chided me on my lack of professionalism and reminded me about the adage on “the devil you know”.  She has a point, as always.

The Luddite was over last night for dins.  He cracks me up, and only rarely when he plans to.  His raspberries aren’t doing as well as he’d hoped but the strawberries he gave me are ripening nicely.  He gave technical advice to Jeff about his bike and manifested an immense mass of bitter chocolate from his bag.  Jeff cooked chicken breasts which turned out delightful and succulent.  I made chickpea salad, so I imagine we’ll all be tooting like a toy symphony for the next few days.

It’s hot.  I wore a synthetic dress to work and Jeff blanched as I approached him, so I changed when I got home.

I got a migraine sign this morning, so I should be smart and go to bed.  Buffy Season 1 is over….que l’on continue, as a famous separatist once remarked.

We haz the cool

  • I will never be cool in THAT sense, but I can certainly praise the thrice blessed Jeff, who got an air conditioner yesterday.  It made living at Geekhaven Beta a damned sight more pleasant – it was fracking hot.  Eddie was all over it.
  • I will resist the blandishments of my naturist friends today and NOT go to Wreck Beach.  Jarmo & Co and Mike will be off there today but I simply have too much life maintenance to do, and then Jeff and I will go pic-a-nic someplace, maybe. Depends how appealing it is to stay where there’s a steady stream of cold air.
  • Lawrence H, one of my coworkers, saw a Dall’s porpoise out in the Strait on Saturday.  It was just part of how awesome it all was, the trip from Vancouver to Victoria.
  • Victoria, approached from the ocean on a hot day, has a mesmerizingly beautiful scent of hot, sweet pine.  NO not like Pine Sol.  A magical, resiny gorgeousness that lifts on the breeze and drowns one in anticipation.  As drfilk noted, “Well, that’s better than I thought it would smell.”
  • I sang much of the way there, as much nautical stuff as I could remember, which isn’t much, but thanks to my mother and father I know all of the lyrics to at least one version of “The Eddystone Light”.
  • I learned last night that somebody I never talk to at work (I don’t sit with him at lunch anymore) thinks I’m a great performer.  Now I am thinking “When the hell did I ever play in front of him? And PS, thanks.”
  • Oh, is the rent due?
  • My rear end still hurts from the trip there. A little.  Not like Sunday morning, when my parents were giggling at me every time I sat down and squawked.  My back isn’t great but I know walking will fix it.
  • I have to water my plants; they got a good soaking Saturday morning but they are droopy as hell, as container plants are in this kinda heat.
  • Robof9 took pics of his wife’s work.  She is a professional plant person.  Sheesh, I guess that makes her a horticulturist… anyway, 100000 plants that she grew all needed watering on Sunday and he took pics and I await them happily.
  • Next post, various pics.  Be prepared..
  • I have booked a Can Car to deal with the box situation.
  • I think I need a summer weight housecoat.
  • For those who might be nervous on his account, Paul survived the last round of layoffs at his work.
  • The folks downstairs, in an effort to avoid us, have taken to smoking cigarettes indoors. For me this is annoying, due to my disturbed relationship with tobacco; for Jeff it is nauseating and hopelessly rude.
  • I participated in a Pagan ceremony on Sunday.  I am still processing it. When asked to pray I directed my energy towards a good outcome for somebody I despise, in an effort to cultivate both mindfulness and compassion.  The notion of praying for myself when I’m so comfortably settled with life the universe and everything (occasional bitchiness and annoyance with incompetence aside) was not on.  Runnerwolf was very specific about saying, “If you’re praying for somebody else, always pray for the best outcome – something concrete might not be what’s required for the person you’re praying for.” The psychology of this seems wise; you have formed an intention without becoming attached to the result, which is better than petitioning the lord with a laundry list of ‘want-its’ and then getting miffed when they don’t come to pass.  Funny story: she used popcorn instead of dry corn for ceremony once, with entirely predictable results come time to put the bundle in the ceremonial fire.
  • I know what copal and frankincense and myrrh look like now.
  • Why would an atheist bother with all that?  Because of Tennyson (oops, nearly said Donne)
    I am a part of all that I have met;
    Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
    Gleams that untravell’d world,

One thing and another (Battlestar, Victoria round up)

Here’s a report, forwarded by Robof9.
G. E. Productions Inc. is filming on campus, portions of the movie“ Battlestar Galactica “.

Film Set Preps, Shoot and Wrap-up / Clean-up Day;
7:00AM to 11:30PM, Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Film Set Preps, Shoot and Support function locations:

1)  Academic Quadrangle – Courtyard and Reflecting Pond area.
                                     – AQ rooms 4120, 4125, 4140, SSB 9200

2) Parking – SH, Lot E(East portion)
                 – S SH N side of fire lane to bus loop
                – Lot G (lower East portion)
                – Studio II (East grass area)
                 – ASB E. lane (East side)

– Set areas will be dressed prior to filming by early morning.

–  Set props, vehicles & equipments positioned where designated, shall be cleared out as soon as film shoot activities are completed.

–  Between 9-10pm Wednesday July 2, ‘08, all filming activities completed.   All vehicles, equipments & props removed, film shoot site cleaned-up and  wrapped out of campus.

I saw a man on a bike with a parrot on his shoulder in Victoria.
I have a migraine (no surprise, all the sun I got this weekend plus really inconvenient amounts of hormones).
I got up really early and ate pea pods in my mOm’s garden yesterday morning.  Om nom nom.
I had a really really amazing weekend.

It’s a beautiful day

I’m at the folks’ place in Victoria recovering from one of the more memorable days in many moons.

I got up at 4:30 and left the house with Jarmo and crew around 7:30.  We launched from Burrard ramp.  There were eagles at the launch site.  The launch was hilarious, mostly because the Suburban’s muffler was under water for a good chunk of the launch.  Anyway, that was successful.  Out into the Georgia Strait where the combined one two punch of the Fraser’s two arms dumping into the strait caused incredible lumpiness.  I lost my hat (I had sunscreen), applied sunscreen to the back of Jarmo’s neck and his bald spot, and stood for the first 1.5 hours.  We stopped at Galiano and got ice cream bars and pumped the bilges, after which the boat behaved in a much peppier fashion.

Got to Victoria Harbour long about 11:30, with bunting flying and hordes of people for the tall ships festival, including the Nina, and Jarmo just moseys up to the nicest section of dock and gets everybody a pass to the docks.  I bail to go to Pondside for the filking. 

Shortly after I got there me and twenty other people ran through the Tapioca Song… EVERYBODY there knew it off by heart, it was amazing. Instruments included stand up bass (thank you thank you Peggy) hammered dulcimer, banjola, many guitars, resonator guitar and many harmonious happy voices…..  AND – and this makes me so happy I could burst – it was simultaneously signed in Ameslan. 

I played with Devon Rex cats and listened to some of the nicest and smartest people in the world tell stories and sing songs and play exotic instruments.  Happy, happy sigh.

Then I realized I was exhausted and begged Dr Filk for a ride to my folks’ place on his scoot, which he kindly provided.  There I was thinking I wouldn’t get a ride on a motorcycle this summer, ha! THEN I got to ride to my granny’s place in the Camaro, with the top down, during a cloudless summer evening.  I had a lovely (and brief) visit with my gran, then came back here and drank a cup of tea.  There was a deer in the parking lot across the street from her apartment while we were there.

You have to admit I had an amazing day and I send big hugs and kisses to Douglas and Juliana for sponsoring the amazing event that is Pondfilk.  But I am sun- and windburnt and entirely bagged and my bed is calling me in three part harmony with stand up bass accompaniment, so good night moon.  mOm’s going to give me a lift back there in the morning, and then with any luck I’ll hitch a lift back to Vancouver with Tom and Peggy.

Tired and happy.  That’s me right now.

Nothing but pix

So, in no partic’lar order.  The broom made me think “Hogwarts is missing a student!”; and the bunny was a creature dumped on Burnaby Mountain by some schlunk, may he or she encrust the worst part of hell, BUT the story has a happy ending and the bunny was rescued; Patricia, LTGW and Francis at the pond; a salamander in the pond (hard to see, but there); a bee in a salmonberry blossom; fungus in the woods; the flowers Jeff gave me earlier this week which smelled heavenly; Trev and ScaryClown at lunch.