Category: Writing

Here I am at the end of another week

It is NOT as if time was crawling when I was unemployed, but now it’s going so fast I’m feeling like every second is a blur of paper.

I am making stupid mistakes and good catches at work.  I hope it averages out to continued employment.  You just don’t get a team like this every day… everybody is so civilized and hardworking (compared to me).  I could whine about the variability of it, but that’s what food is like.  Prices go up and down in the cycle of the seasons and nothing stays the same.

One of my fave coworkers is off in her homeland visiting rellies. I miss her because she is one of the most intelligent and yet sunny tempered individuals I have recently met. (I keep wanting to introduce her to my son, which would be grossly inappropriate in so many ways). I miss her because the most administrative portion of her job fell to me in her absence and it’s fussy and important.  So, nervous.

I am going to work on crochet and forgiveness this weekend; along with some stuff I should have attended to ages ago.  Although I am tired all the time, certain kinds of energy I didn’t have last fall have come back into my life.

I am having better communication with people I am intimate with, and that makes me calmer.  I don’t feel like everybody should be able to read my mind any more.  I know I can be a sore trial as a friend sometimes, when I’m not expansive and entertaining.

Jeff loaned me the vehicle yesterday.  I got home much faster than usual and it made a big difference to my mood all day.  I am very grateful, especially since it did inconvenience him.

Keith is apparently hiking off to Edmonton in mid May.  I will miss him, but he’s at the point in his life when he’s going to take off and adventure, and that’s good.

I learned from Katie that the baby will take her last name.  That was a calming bit of news.  I had lunch with her on Sunday as I was checking out.  It was a blessing to see her.  She’s still not showing; yet the ultrasound shows what looks to be a very robust looking kiddo.

Rob W phoned last night and we talked writing.  I don’t know what makes me an expert, except that I do more of it.  Volume is not necessarily a good aspect of production – think farts and you’ll know what I mean.  And yet it is by writing crap that we open the channels to the good stuff.

Well, off to find clothes and bus tickets and get out the door.  Boss lady is back today and much activity is in store.

Cuppa Joe serves the best hot chocolate in the city.  Srsly.

Edwardian hotels

So… the Arundel Mansion Hotel is awesome, but there are few things you need to know before you book in.

1.  YOU WILL NEED EARPLUGS.  They are supplied, but it’s noisy down here.

2.  You should probably bring an extension cord if you want to charge anything in your room overnight.

3.  If you are scared to operate an elevator which is roughly the same vintage as a Boer War survivor, don’t come, or stay on the lower floors and use the stairs.  The elevator is not automatic and it makes unearthly noises as it moves.  It is, however a complete delight. I love it.

4.  You WILL have to wash just about everything you need in the kitchen before you use it.  You are at the mercy of the housekeeping standards of the previous tenant, and the previous tenant didn’t even rinse the f*cking percolator.  I was employed for about ten minutes in the effort to restore it to some semblance of food safety.

5.  A claw footed tub is beautiful, but the surface finish may not meet your standards for cleanability.

6.  The wifi is not wonky, but it is slow.

7.  It is simply not possible to keep a place of this vintage to the cleanliness standards of modern hotels (such as they are, since everybody knows what happens if you turn a UV light on in a hotel room.)  That said, the linens and bedding are completely clean.

8.  It’s a sketchy neighbourhood, but I’ve never felt threatened.  If drug deals in the parking lot below (the one with the vintage Rolls Royce…) skeeve you out, you won’t like it.

9.  There is lots of food of varying kinds and quality and easy transportation and nice walks and touristy stuff close by.  The Keg, alas, is closed – there’s some kind of structural problem.

TL;DR – If you’re OCD, have no personal qualities such as adaptability, a sense of history and equanimity, and expect South Korean style internet access, you will hate it.  If history, quirkiness and creativity appeal to you, this is like a steampunk luxury indoor camping experience, and I love it, and I will be back.  Keith and Paul loved it.

 

A friend came over for coffee in the morning, and Paul and Keith took me to supper at the Heritage, and I wrote 1500 words in the middle, which is much less than I’d hoped and much more than I’ve done recently.  I pronounce myself pleased.  I’m gonna take video of the elevator  – it is a TRIP.

 

Off to work early this morning

I need time with my supervisor to actually learn my job…. and it’s not happening during regular hours.

Christie Blatchford is a ghastly excuse for a journalist.  I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic shill for values which support hatred and corporatism.  Gah.

Margot voluntarily remained in my lap and let me pet her for about five minutes yesterday without fleeing; them she remembered she’s not a lap cat and took off.

Paul came by with dun tot night before last, and talked to me about the restorative justice event he and Keith and Lois went to in Victoria (they got in a visit with mOm and pOp too).  I am so proud of the folks for doing that.  Thanks Jeff for updating John’s memorial site with that info.

I am REALLY looking forward to my writing weekend.  I’m going to hole up in a hotel and write for three days in a hundred year old building with clawfoot tubs and free wifi, best of both worlds thanks.

Well, if I’m going to get on the bus by quarter six I’d better root, ablute and scoot.  Root in the eating like a pig sense, not the other use of the verb.

The images and music from Upstream Color are still going through my head.  It’s an amazing movie, I’m looking forward to rewatching it as much as I enjoyed rewatching Primer.

Hopelessly romantic

As part of my prep for the next blast of writing, I am rewatching every hopelessly romantic film I can, so I got Jeff to watch the 1991 Disney Beauty and the Beast with me last night.  Honestly, I must have cried for half an hour, I was so filled with nostalgia, plus of course that wonderful transformation scene.  I also found it strange that I knew every note of the soundtrack even after all these years.

We’re slowing up on Downton Abbey because of course we blasted through it.  I do love the show.

Now to see if Jeff is ready to watch Game of Thrones….

A good week

I’ve had another great week at work; we’re doing a bunch of training for a new computer system and after Epicor’s Avante it’ll seem like roasting marshmallows and drinking beer.

And I got paid.

Gotta like that!

I descuzzed the kitchen surfaces (except the sink, Jeff got to it  before I did) and now am contemplating the agony of getting on the floor and cleaning out the fridge, which smells like Something Dead, since bending knees and back does not suit me.  I have had to learn how to step down off the bus all over again; if I lead with my right foot I nearly collapse on the ground from the pain, so I have to remember it’s left foot first.

Jeff and I are very much enjoying Downton Abbey and recommend it.

Coming up – last episodes of Warehouse 13, the season ender for Justified, more Archer and hopefully more Rick & Morty.  And Game of Thrones starts up again tomorrow night.

I need to transfer some music onto my phone to relieve the tedium of the bus ride, and also maybe some TED talks or books on tape.  Apparently the Dunnett novels are all available but of course I haven’t found a free one.

I opened up the novel again and worked away at it for a bit last night.  I’ve booked the Easter weekend to do nothing but write, but that’s two weekends away.  Maybe I’ll even finish it; there’s a novella length single scene I have to write for close to the beginning of the book, and it’s going to be hopelessly and most soppily romantic, so I’ll have to really be in the mood.

Haven’t heard from Katie lately, but apparently she’s not throwing up constantly any more, so yay.  She lost a lot of weight, poor lamb, and that is never good.  It’s as well that we’re made of tough stuff.

I answered the door today to a couple of Xtian types wearing my screaming blue “I am on the side of the scientists’ t-shirt, which I acquired from a geekgrrl at Conflikt VI.  Happy days! Declined their dead tree, have enough of my own thanks.

It has been more or less unremarked that the first climate change refugees left their Pacific Island this week.  Very sad.

The global banana crop is about to fail due to a pathogen which has now been found on every continent. Also, sad.

 

 

Waiting to hear back

I am waiting to hear the results of my interview yesterday, which is for a job a short commute away working for a privately owned company.  I was pleased with getting the interview.  I will know by Friday about the job I interviewed for on the 5th.

I have printed out my manuscript so far and will start assembling it.

I am feeling pretty good today, and the sunshine is most glorious.

I’ve been invited for a jam on Saturday.  Picture me having slept in my clothes and hungover for church next Sunday….

What I did today

I did no writing.  I practiced my mandolin a bit – I’m working on two songs at once, always inconvenient as my head ends up buzzing with everything I can hear and can’t sing all at once.  I delivered a children’s story and a homily at church.  Katie did me the honour of joining us.

It was well received.  I had no fewer than three current or former ministers in the congregation, so you can imagine how hard I had to brush up my toes.

I went for a 2.5 k walk in Oakalla (Deer Lake Park) with Paul.  And now I’m contemplating supper and the long awaited finale of True Detective. Paul and I drank tea on the back deck afterwards, and laughed like drains about one thing and another, and I got to look at his Australia pictures, some of which were quite entertaining and interesting.

Ralph Greer, one of the best and kindest and wisest men I ever knew, passed away Friday.  His funeral is next weekend.

I will take my ease for the rest of my Sunday – tomorrow will bring its own interesting events.

Wonderful interview

I had a fabulous interview yesterday.  The owner and the office manager interviewed me, seriatim, and I want to work there and I hope they want to hire me.  It’s a small growing company.

500 words yesterday.  I am not settling.  If, as I suspect, they hire me to start on Monday (!?) I have a couple of days to finish the novel (just joking, but I should make like Winsocki and buckle down).

Jeff kindly loaned me his car for the interview, thank you!

I give a homily at church this weekend.  I need to get the children’s story finished.

This is a remarkable photoset.

 

So it won an award

Disney’s Frozen is visually stunning and the book and libretto sucks. Sorry, but there it is.  A lot of talent has been thrown at a big budget, but honestly, you might want to think about watching it with the sound off.

The weather is well above freezing but damp and icky.

No writing yesterday.  I was hung up on various thinks and feels.

Now I’m going into that nasty weather for a walk.  I can’t keep sitting here and not writing; nothing gets the juices flowing like a long drive with no destination or a nice long walk.  Maybe I’ll pick up some lunch.

 

 

Under my breath

Yesterday was redeemed by painkillers, friendship and wordcount.  1100 words yesterday, got Katie moved into an apartment in New Westminster.

I’d like to thank Randy and Rob W for helping with the move in the absence of Paul and Keith. The family heirloom furniture has been safely moved.

Glad I went to bed at 8:30 last night, Margot woke me up looking for breakfast just now.

 

 

Longitude

I highly recommend it.  8 out of 10, would watch again.

350 words yesterday.

Today is going to be a bit of a write off, what with having volunteered to tidy coffee after church and helping Katie move.  I haven’t even figured out how I’m going to be dealing with driving a one ton truck in the mass of snow we’re supposed to be getting today.

Keith called yesterday.  Sounds like if he doesn’t land one of the ‘work on a farm’ gigs in Australia he’ll be back within a few weeks.  He actually sounded miffed that he wasn’t able to assist Katie movie, which you have to admit is sweet of him.  Then he is sweet, biased as I am.

Life etc.

1200 words yesterday

I have another month and a half at least of brutally hard work and then the real work begins.  Heavy sigh.

Yesterday there was an interesting church meeting at Audrey’s and we talked about our church’s mission.  I tried to contribute without mockery.  It was hard but I managed.

I have to help Katie move tomorrow.  Fortunately I have managed to locate some help.  Hopefully Katie has too.