We got away clean yesterday, I'm dropping by tonight to grab some clothes and such--quick in and out, maybe a half hour tops. Gotta get back to the future in-laws' place before Survivor, after all.
Our cat is quite annoyed about the move (if only we could explain things to her) but she's been there before and it's really for the best. Also got word yesterday that one of our family cats on the island had died suddenly. She had been old, frail, sick and ill-tempered for a while, but...I miss her.
Suffice to say, for those who know this means, that she was David's cat. She was beautiful, playful, delicate, and charming company. I'll add her picture when I can.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Assholes $300, Wrye Zero
It was a great weekend with the folks visiting and The Frantics reunion special, but things went downhill rapidly after that, with a cancer scare (doctor doesn't think that's what we're looking at, but given my family history I can't be too careful, so he has referred me to a specialist) and the psychopaths downstairs going batshit insane and slashing my tires. So today finds me kinda decompressing and coming off the adrenaline high.
So...first order of business is to minimize the time we're in our existing apartment, and not stay overnight. Me, the fiance, the cat and our computers are bugging out tonight to housesit for her parents, who'll be away until the 20th. By which time, using that as a base and returning to pack things during the day, we should have most of the old place packed up and ready to go. If we can move in to our as-yet-hypothetical new place on the 25th, say, things might just be okay. I don't like the looks of that five day gap, but we are not exactly without resources here.
The ladlady has offered another apartment, one not above the crazy people and in a neighbouring building, but frankly that offer would have been fine up until the point someone took a knife to my car. I'm not sure putting the car in the neighbouring parking lot is an adequate hiding place, really. She's also made noise about evicting the psychos, but--frankly that doesn't suggest to me that I want to be around when and if they get that notice.
So far, 2006--big thumbs down from here. Maybe March will start heading upwards.
So...first order of business is to minimize the time we're in our existing apartment, and not stay overnight. Me, the fiance, the cat and our computers are bugging out tonight to housesit for her parents, who'll be away until the 20th. By which time, using that as a base and returning to pack things during the day, we should have most of the old place packed up and ready to go. If we can move in to our as-yet-hypothetical new place on the 25th, say, things might just be okay. I don't like the looks of that five day gap, but we are not exactly without resources here.
The ladlady has offered another apartment, one not above the crazy people and in a neighbouring building, but frankly that offer would have been fine up until the point someone took a knife to my car. I'm not sure putting the car in the neighbouring parking lot is an adequate hiding place, really. She's also made noise about evicting the psychos, but--frankly that doesn't suggest to me that I want to be around when and if they get that notice.
So far, 2006--big thumbs down from here. Maybe March will start heading upwards.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Thirty-seven?!
Geez, it's early. 6AM shifts all this week. Chocolate cake left in the fridge for us, for some reason, though. Some fun from the polling station:
-The requirement for each voter to state their name and address, immediately after giving us their voter card with their name and address on it. (Of course, woe betide anyone who told us a different name and address--they would have to produce ID. oooooo)
-Several voters wondered why some voting procedures were different in the federal than the provincial election. This was particularly amusing when they were remembering things that so far as I know (and I worked that one too) didn't actually happen. e.g., "Why don't you have one of those automatic counting machines like they use in the provincial?" That would have been nice, to be sure, but I think you're imagining that, sir...
-Several angry voters demanding to know why the polling station wasn't in the usual place. Thanks for the ol' heads up, there, Elections Canada.
-Lots of funny voters who under any other circumstances I would have enjoyed joshing with.
-Amazing peoplewatching fun: numerous families, parents with little kids, and couples voting. Dozens of new Canadians from all over and at least six or seven languages spoken.
-Many occasions to use (sometimes with deep regret) the phrase "I'm not legally allowed to express an opinion on that until about 8 this evening." Much love goes out to one particular poor woman who was genuinely agonizing over who to choose.
-A complete lack of any appreciable morning rush, followed by extremely irregular spurts and starts of people. At one point we had a lineup of ten people at our station while the other four were empty.
-The young people voting for the first time.
-As we were situated in a church hall with a toy basketball hoop, little kids cccompanying their parents got to run around and shoot minature baskets. W00t!
-Tracking the progress of the family where everyone came to vote over the course of the day except for and I quote "the asshole watching TV".
-A crowd of polite and helpful scrutineers. I thought the Conservative and Liberal volunteers were going to come to handshakes and hugging by the end of the count.
-A really tight race in my poll, with a final margin of only three votes--and going counter to the eventual result, at that.
-A woman who came in to vote with her trained rabbit sitting on her shoulder...
...Followed immediately by a woman allergic to rabbits. Ah, democracy.
Line of the day:
me: "You can mark one X for one candidate"
voter:" "I don't want more than one!
-The requirement for each voter to state their name and address, immediately after giving us their voter card with their name and address on it. (Of course, woe betide anyone who told us a different name and address--they would have to produce ID. oooooo)
-Several voters wondered why some voting procedures were different in the federal than the provincial election. This was particularly amusing when they were remembering things that so far as I know (and I worked that one too) didn't actually happen. e.g., "Why don't you have one of those automatic counting machines like they use in the provincial?" That would have been nice, to be sure, but I think you're imagining that, sir...
-Several angry voters demanding to know why the polling station wasn't in the usual place. Thanks for the ol' heads up, there, Elections Canada.
-Lots of funny voters who under any other circumstances I would have enjoyed joshing with.
-Amazing peoplewatching fun: numerous families, parents with little kids, and couples voting. Dozens of new Canadians from all over and at least six or seven languages spoken.
-Many occasions to use (sometimes with deep regret) the phrase "I'm not legally allowed to express an opinion on that until about 8 this evening." Much love goes out to one particular poor woman who was genuinely agonizing over who to choose.
-A complete lack of any appreciable morning rush, followed by extremely irregular spurts and starts of people. At one point we had a lineup of ten people at our station while the other four were empty.
-The young people voting for the first time.
-As we were situated in a church hall with a toy basketball hoop, little kids cccompanying their parents got to run around and shoot minature baskets. W00t!
-Tracking the progress of the family where everyone came to vote over the course of the day except for and I quote "the asshole watching TV".
-A crowd of polite and helpful scrutineers. I thought the Conservative and Liberal volunteers were going to come to handshakes and hugging by the end of the count.
-A really tight race in my poll, with a final margin of only three votes--and going counter to the eventual result, at that.
-A woman who came in to vote with her trained rabbit sitting on her shoulder...
...Followed immediately by a woman allergic to rabbits. Ah, democracy.
Line of the day:
me: "You can mark one X for one candidate"
voter:" "I don't want more than one!
Monday, January 23, 2006
October 17, 1991...
...that would be the last time I woke up angry at the leader of the free world and at living under Provincial and Federal governments fundamentally opposed to my ways of thinking. But...looks like things will be back to the 1980's for real come Tuesday morning. Republican president, check. Nitwit right winger Premier...check. Latest entry in the "worst Prime minister ever" competition? Come on down, Steve.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
42, Level
Quiet day, today, sifting out the mess that had accumulated at work while I was playing third-string goalie. Basically, If I'm on the ice on the tech support side of things, gonna be a long day. But onward and upward. After finding out that the Harpy candidate in Richmond is an ex-president of Focus on the family (yikes), I feel very good about my vote. I don't think the riding is likely to go blue anyway, but--this is an important point in history. Time to be counted.
Monday, January 16, 2006
M minus 43
Hmmm. February may be a short month, but there's still 43 days between us and the new (and at this point theoretical) place. But things are in motion, a decision has been made, I feel good. No more feeling like a hostage in my own space. No more jacktards thumping my floor and screaming obscenities when I step through the door, vacumn, or kiss my fiance. No fucking more. $1100 a month for this? Try again.
Not all grim news, though. We had our elections Canada training tonight, there've been a few legislative tweaks since the last election, but it's pretty much unchanged. 12 hours (really 14 plus), bring a pillow, food, water, possibly a book. Pick up the ballot box on Sunday afternoon, all done by this time Monday. Ms.W is enjoying the new job, our sick kitten is feeling much better (still no test results, tho) and it's all very...full.
43 days. I can do this. Not so hard. I've done much harder for far longer.
I'm just tired of having to.
Not all grim news, though. We had our elections Canada training tonight, there've been a few legislative tweaks since the last election, but it's pretty much unchanged. 12 hours (really 14 plus), bring a pillow, food, water, possibly a book. Pick up the ballot box on Sunday afternoon, all done by this time Monday. Ms.W is enjoying the new job, our sick kitten is feeling much better (still no test results, tho) and it's all very...full.
43 days. I can do this. Not so hard. I've done much harder for far longer.
I'm just tired of having to.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
I do not like you, 2006.
Ugh. The insane downstairs neighbours (who are, it turns out, "known to police") have finally forced our hand and so we'll be moving March 1st. Terrific. After a first week sick as a dog and a second week working the dawn shift and worrying about a sick kitten, now this. 2006 is really pulling out all the stops to leave a lasting impression.
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