Tailspin

Too much sleep during the day = (you guessed it!) INSOMNIA!

Usually I read to make myself good and tired for bed, and last night was no exception. Btw, I'm feeling much better today. The pain has diminished and my plumbing seems to be reasserting itself (which is a good thing.) Just to be sure, I have concocted some yummy brownies from the "LooneySpoons" recipe book (a prime ingredient there being prunes! And am also planning on making a nice batch of Mom's patented bran muffins later today.

But back to trying to sleep! At least the weather last night was cool; it makes going to bed easier when you can have a duvet on you with one leg out and be reasonably sure you won't freeze or bake. My fever has broken, so that makes it a lot easier to sleep too. I finished the book I was currently reading around 1:30am and was finally able to get some shut-eye.

Ok, now on to my rant!

What summer reading would be complete without picking up a couple of books from a favourite author or two? I grabbed Anne McCaffrey's "Nimisha's Ship" and Morgan Llywelyn's "The Horse Goddess" from the library before my trip and figured I'd be in good company. I am an Anne Fan. And anti-Anne stuff will not be tolerated here (unless you want the equivalent of kicking an active bees nest like a football with resultant buzzing and stings!) That being said, I was really disappointed with the book I finished the other day.

I had hoped that "Nimisha's Ship" would be of the Ship series AM had begun so many years ago with "The Ship Who Sang." Sadly, it was set in an entirely different universe (The Coelura universe, if you're interested.) I kept waiting for shit to happen in this book, and nothing ever did. Man! There was no conflict, no crises, no character development! There was no danger--nothing ever happened that put the main character in the least bit of trouble. Can you imagine what a bore to read that would be?

The first like 70 pages were all backstory about a really repressed high class society and the main character eventually breaking free to go out on her own. Great, I don't mind hanging in there so that the heroine can go and do stuff. But she never got to do stuff! Even the aliens while not being completely uninspired were just way too happy to get along with everyone. Everything felt like there was a dusting of happy-drugs in the air that made everyone get along hunky-dory (somewhat like on Star Trek :-)

The single character that had been sort've introduce off-camera as it were as a threat NEVER materialized and nothing was ever resolved with this guy. He was just sort've in the background as a possible threat. Wooo. Another character that caused minor friction was introduced almost at the end of the book and then conveniently shipped offplanet before she could cause any..um.. ACTION???!

Ok, whew... Um, I'm not a big-name professional writer, and I am grateful that as a woman who is an octogenerian, Anne McCaffrey continues to write and 85% of the time really entertain me. But MAN! If this book had been submitted to an editor by a not-so-famous writer, it probably would not have seen print. I am sad to say that it was a waste of my time and 388 pgs I will never get back *sighh*.

Hmm, well one disappointment doesn't mean the world's ending right? The author Morgan Llywelyn who brought us "Bard" and "The Red Branch", in my opinion the best retelling of the CuChullain cycle (and on my top 10 of fav books) would not fail me...

But my G*D, "The Horse Goddess", a book I'd been looking forward to for awhile (I tend to "save" books that I'm really interested in to read later..) managed to do it. It is an earlier offering, printed in '82 I think, and runs at a hefty 480 pages. Where "Bard" and "The Red Branch" were intense tales of adventure, with haunting heroes with depth and beauty, "The Horse Goddess" just faltered and failed.

First, we have a heroine who is supposedly "free" and her own person, except for the majority of the introduction she just sits around and whines about her situation, not really doing anything to change it at all. There are descriptions in here that would put ME to shame; endless rambling about chewing leather, beading boots, breaking horses, collecting dung, making clothes, making cheese, drinking, eating etc etc. ENDLESS. This monolith could've been edited to about 300 pages with, well, probably a lot of difficulty. Just because you enjoy doing research for your book, doesn't mean the rest of us want to hear all about the cultural background of all of your main character's encounters with background characters. We don't care! The background stuff has nothing to do with advancing the plot and just bogs it down even more.

Urrrg, so frustrating. And I like stuff like Jean M. Auel's "Clan of the Cave Bear". There are limits though; you will eventually overwhelm and yes, bore, your reader. Of course I'm talking to someone who penned this like, 24 years ago, but still.

I, unlike some people I know.. never skim when I read. I respect the work of the author and I am a good appreciative reader (at least I think I am :-) I WAS SKIMMING this near the end. Ohh, the endless descriptions... Thomas Hardy would've been proud (check out "Return of the Native" for some endless rambling descriptions of furze and moors and stuff.)


Ok, so now I have put everyone off McCaffrey AND Llywelyn, which was not my intent. I merely was disappointed when my expectations for satisfying story-telling were not met. Please, if you have not read either ladies, turn to some of their stronger work: "The Ship Who Sang", "Dragonflight" or "The Crystal Singer", are some of my favourites from the Dragonlady. With ML, try "The Red Branch". This is a book I clearly remember my Dad reading to us around the table and we just all started to cry together: one of those intense, familial moments that stay with you. Of course we did the same when we listened to Jennifer Warnes sing Cohen's "Joan of Arc", but perhaps we are just mooshy that way. Or Celtic :-)

Off to make muffins..!

A bit of nonsense

Which Major Arcana Tarot Card Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as III - The Empress. The Empress is a maternal symbol. She is the mother figure who loves, nurtures and protects. She will protect you, she will always be there when you are in trouble. When you fall over and graze your knee, the Empress will kiss it better. Yet she is not a weak figure. Her compassion is strength. If her children are threatened she will stop at nothing to protect them. If well aspected in a Tarot spread, the Empress can symbolise security, protection and unconditional love. If badly aspected it can represent over-protectiveness, fear of risk taking and refusal to face the real world.

Auurrgghh

I hate when medication runs out. Acetaminophen isn't the same... I think I'm going to have to call my Dr. and get a new prescription. *sigh*. I was actually up at 5:30am this morning, trying to get ready for work and felt awful. The pain in the side thing isn't like a cramp... just a pressure, dull and inevitable..and annoying. I slept for 3 hours and the Acetaminophen ran out. My other medication was of the 10 hour variety. Not fair!

Hmm, guess I should finish up my history of stuff.

So, I returned home, unloaded my gear and passed out. Until the next morning when I awoke in the state I'm currently in, only much, much worse. I ended up at Emerg. with my Mom at the Queensway Carleton. Now as everyone knows, Emerg sucks because you're basically sitting there forever, getting bumped down the line as people with sucking chest wounds get in ahead of your "possible appendicitis attack" or whatever I got categorized as..



Thankfully Saturday mornings are a good time to be at the hospital, and by the time noon rolled around, I had been sampled, probed, bled, *medicated!* and was on my way to being X-rayed. I did feel a bit like an abductee, except the Dr. in charge was a long red-haired Celt, not an androgynous alien dude. The fellow doing the X-ray was an enthusiastic little guy who moved the cool machine all over and ME on the table until he had 4 shots. Then I got dressed and we got to wait...

Waiting would've been ok, except I had a wedding reception to get to: the reason I'd had to get back to town from Toronto so quickly! At the end of it all, we escaped not really knowing much, except that they'd ruled out appendicitis and a twisted ovary (MAN that sounds painful...!) but they recommended an Ultrasound to get a better look. I don't know why we didn't just do it while we were at the Hospital and all, being tested for everything, but who knows.

We managed to get going and get to my friend LH's reception at Algonquin in time. I felt ok, the dinner was superb..capped with a dark chocolate dessert sprinkled in 18k gold. Wow! Thar be gold in me! Crazy :-o



I filled my prescription in Bells Corners on the way home at Shopper's--with the very cute pharmacist explaining all the ins and outs of my special pain-killer/ anti-inflamatory.

Got home and lounged below with Clay, feeling ok til around midnight when I just sort've crumpled. The night was hell, getting up every hour or so to pee, get more water, put a cool cloth on my burning head. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I wasn't aware of anything except nausea and pain.. which eventually passed after a couple of hours. Spent Sunday in bed with a bucket handy and the aggravating hours pre-med and post-med to endure until I could relax and sleep once more.

So the week has pretty much been like that, only getting marginally better as time progressed. I think that my fever is pretty much gone..and I'm eating sort've normal stuff now, as opposed to just bananas and toast (and plenty of water.) I haven't had coffee in a week, and can't imagine it right now. Damn, that is NOT normal!

I called the various Ultrasound places in town and they all seem to be staffed by overly snippy women who didn't want to give me an appointment before the end of September & were mightily miffed that I couldn't tell from my Dr's handwriting whether I was to have an abdominal US or an abdominal/pelvic one. They can *sense* weakness I guess... Glad I have my Mom on board to help get things sorted out with her patented "teacher's voice". Yay.

Stay tuned....

PS: The only really fun things that have been happening have been watching "The Venture Bros." every day with Clay when we have supper. I really love this cartoon..it makes me laugh (which hurts). I love the snappy writing, the over-the-top characters and the timing. It is SOoo fun. Highly recommended. My favourite character is Dr. Orpheus :-D (That's the Necromancer waving his hands around in the left side of the piccy below.)



PPS: If anyone can guess the significance of the machine I included in this post, you'll get a lollie.

Will draw for food

Well, as you can see, I eventually DID make it to Toronto! I cruised in with Beth in the mornings and returned to Newmarket at night to chillax with Fi over brews, pizza and TV. Decode was awesome. It was really fun getting to see everyone; I think it's been at least a couple of years since I'd been in town last, working on an interactive game based on idea I had called "Moon Warriors".

I got to sit in the boardroom with a big stack of paper and basically draw all day long, enjoyed coffee and chats with my buddies and new people that peeked in to see how I was doing. It was delightful, quiet, just drawing--doing what I love to do. I had a couple of great lunches at the Dominion on Queen with Nancy and also at a little joint on the corner on Thursday that had great omelettes (when my tummy first started acting up :-P)

I got to meet the writer who is on board for Ivy & Dummy: Myra Fried--a very cool, whacky woman who has a great sense of humour and approved my "subversive" message of Ivy not needing a "real" boyfriend, just her stuffed guy (But she THINKS he's real!! That's the diff!) I also got to meet the animator who did the initial pilot last fall, Geoff Marshall of Crush & Chromacide. It was so nice putting a face to a name and really get talking Ivy & Dummy with an awesome and friendly dude who made them move!

Thursday I spent cleaning up a few drawings that were going to be used for promo for the next Teletoon meeting at the end of August. There was a fun drawing that has Burris slumped in the BG with Ivy all aglow in the foreground, talking on the phone saying: "I think it's going to be the "BIG RING" Christmas!!". Very cute :-) I also cleaned up one of Burris on a couch next to Ivy's Dad (Ivy's Dad looks a lot like Burris :-)

Thurs night we were going to have drinks and stuff, but I wasn't feeling up to it, so I just tootled on home to Fi's place, where she was elbow deep, making a Jig's Dinner for Unwind Yarn House in Newmarket where she works (when she's not wrangling twins :-) A Jig's Dinner is a trad. Nwfld dish that involves boiling salt beef with lots of root vegetables and then eating it up while trying not to have a heart attack. (The sodium content for one portion of the salt beef is 5000 mg!) :-O There was a bit left over from the gigantic pot, so I got a little taste. Delicious (and it didn't need salt...)


And now, "Buddy Whasisname and the Other Fellers" present Salt Beef Junkie from the THE SALT BEEF JUNKIE ALBUM


SALT BEEF JUNKIE

God bless my soul what can I do they say my salt beef dinner is a killer
It's got carcinogens and heavy duty fats it could serve as an elephant filler.
I'm as good as dead but I'm sure well fed 'cause I love those buckets of riblets
I love to drink that liquor and chew those bones even though I'm picking my giblets

Chorus:
Put on the beef, peas pudding and the greens
Carrots and turnips, can't you smell that steam
Some new potatoes with a puddin' good and lumpy
No I just can't wait, I'm a salt beef junkie.

Now some folks like to eat carrot sticks 'cause they're afraid they might become gluttons,
But me I don't like those rabbit foods 'cause I'm afraid that I might pass buttons
Every Sunday morning while some folks fast or eat food that tastes real crappy
I got my salt beef dinner cooking on the stove 'cause I wanna die real happy.

Jane Fonda likes to eat sesame seeds and Twiggy likes low fat tofu
But they don't live in Newfoundland where the winter winds blow right through you
Now if they lived in Wesleyville where the north wind blows right vicious
They'd enjoy their salt beef dinners just like me and the missus

I don't want to be some health food freak who eats alfalfa and bean sprouts
I don't want to live to a hundred and three if I got to throw my beef out
When it comes right down to preparing food I don't want to germinate or shuck it
I'll take my chances on salt beef dinners and keep my head in this bucket.

----(at this point, you put the empty salt beef bucket on your head and grin like a maniac)----

Anyway, it was fun and I hope the yarn store appreciates what Fi whipped up for them for their Taste International day (the rest of the street got to do different countries. I don't know why the store got Newfoundland..weird!)

Friday, we rolled on home, with Fi navigating and I got to see all the places I missed on the way through the first time, like Port Perry and Uxbridge. WHEE! We had dinner in Tweed at Kelly's and rested our dogs a bit, which was nice. Just rested the old dusty eyeballs before tackling the 7 again. I got Feef to her brother's place around 7:30pm so that was all to the good. Got back to Kanata in time to say hi to Clay and collapse on the couch.

Yes.. there is more to come.. later :-P
I'm feeling a *little* better..still some dull pain coming in the right side of my body, but not as sharp as on the weekend. Not looking forward to my medication running out (only have 1 dose left .. SIGH.) Got an appointment for an Ultrasound on Sept. 8th, so we'll see if I'm germinating an Alien, or if one of my PCOS related cysts has gone awol and is crushing up against an ovary or something. Maybe it's just a really bad pulled muscle?? Sigh.

more l8r..

Rolling stone gatherin' no moss (BUT I'M GREEN!)

Whew. I have not been looking forward to the post, because it's long, complicated and I'm tired & sick... My typing speed is uncharacteristically slow..and I'm not trusting my spellig abilities :-O So, apologies in advance for any wrongdoings related to my fever/flu.

Let's see..when did I post LAST? August 10th? Ok.. so a bit of history: The weekend of the Perseid meteor shower up at the Big Rideau was spent in town, because our annual family reunion was bringing all of my cousins and their kids HERE for once. Usually the reunion occurs part-way between Ottawa and Toronto at a campsite and everyone camps, swims, sits around fires eating Smores..mmmmmMMMMmmm and plays mini-golf & loose and fast rules with Scrabble.

Since my Dad's health and mobility were worse this year than last, instead of heading out, we stayed here and people headed to US (the old Mountain coming to Mohammed thing I think.) Friday we gathered in Aylmer at Lisa & Hugo's place and got to see everyone! I'm constantly amazed by how fast kids grow. Wow :-) Got to meet my cousins' new Newfoundland doggie "Elvis"; a friendly and HUGE puppy. Although, he's not really a puppy anymore at over 100 lbs!

Saturday we gathered at my folk's place in Stittsville, and the weather was generous to us: not too hot and not pouring either. Hurray :-D It was cool seeing my niece Bronwyn booking all over the lawn with a ball and her cousin Eric stumping along after her. If Anders has his way, he'll have a mini soccer team going in no time! We hung out, laughed, played with the 20Q game and the Scrabble cube game from 1971 I found at the Thrift shop in Bells Corners. I haven't laughed so hard in forever. The best one was the 20Q trying to guess "vomit" and guessing "fairy" instead... Hahaha! Look! It's Velma! The Vomit Fairy! Heehee... uhg.. anyway, I shouldn't laugh as I have been visited by Velma and it is NOT fun!

We said our "good-byes" and the quick reunion was over all too soon.

Sunday, I spent an annoying afternoon at Canadian Tire getting my little red Echo ready for my trip. Don't you love when initial estimates of $70 always go to $250? What are you supposed to do? Say "no", I don't want you to do the extra work and fix my back brakes before I go on a road trip? Sighhh. Just Clayton's & my luck; the Cnd Tire shuttle had JUST left when we dropped off the car. So we were stuck at the store for about 3 hours. Urg. Oh well, at least the brakes and the washer thingie got fixed. My blubbering gasket couldn't be dealt with because it was a part that had to be ordered from the dealer..and it was a SUNDAY. *sigh*. So, I got to sound loud and proud all the way to Newmarket and back...

Monday August 14th, packed artwork, supplies, clothes and cooler with water, a bag of cassettes (yes, I am living in the stone age I suppose. But a cassette player in the car is still an improvement over my old Mustang's radio that only got 5 channels!) I rolled out of Kanata around 12:30pm after topping up the gas tank. I took Hwy. 7 West and just stuck to that long and winding road as long as I could. It was perfect driving weather: bright blue sky, puffy white clouds and great music flowing from the speakers: mixed tapes mostly, and SOTW, Great Big Sea, Alison Krauss & Union Station and of course Bif Naked!

After Peterborough, I knew things would be a little more challenging, as according to my Mapquest map, I had to keep an eye out for the route that would hook me up with the 47 that would link me easily to the 404, then north to Newmarket. Suffice to say, that what should've been a fairly easy jog turned out to be like a 3+ hour detour! The last thing I remember was plummetting from the marked path onto a dirt road, and then by "feel" finding my way west, then north..past farmer's fields..more dirt roads.. Oh, then the sky clouded over and started raining on me..and the sun started to lower... EEP!

By the time I managed to orient myself, I was within spitting distance of Orillia! AUGH.. how did that happen? I blame the "Run Lola Run" tape.. lack of a good map and people riding my butt when I was driving. I had gotten turned around on dirt roads and was just so grateful when I finally found some hardtop (the 12 North) I just jumped on it and kept driving!

So, I bought an Ontario map at a gas station. And a Snickers bar to cheer me up. Then I returned to the Echo and figured out that the main problem that had been in my way (the reasons roads to the west stopped going, and were NEVER going to hook me up to the 404) was that there was a bloody great big lake in the way: Lake Simcoe! *&#^

I finally found myself on the 11 South and that mystically transformed into the 400 S, just past Barrie. BARRIE! Augh.. With Bif singing away and the car zooming in the correct direction, the sun burst through the cloud cover and lit the fields and trees bright gold and green. The sky was an indigo backdrop that was unearthly. The rigs and cars shooting by didn't bother me a bit. I was heading South! I had a map..and all was well with the world.

I arrived in Newmarket around 7pm in time to say hi to Beth, Fi, Brad and the lovely twins (who were on their way to bed.) They'd saved some Thai food for me for supper--how nice; and a cold Keith's as well. Just what I needed to restore my faith in the world and encourage me to sally forth yet again. By the time Fi and I got back to her place and threw all of my luggage down, I was all for bed. We did a quick run for beer and supplies, then I settled on Fi's futon and just drifted off to dreamland with CSI playing in the background.

More later, amigos.

For your amusement, a map of my forays..

Urban Legends, hoaxes and such

Every now and again at work, or at home, someone sends an email around about a shocking (or amazing) event, or someone holding a MASSIVE kitty, or HIV needles in theatre seats. Oh yes, and don't forget the "email tracking program" that will give you piles of money if you spam your friends!

Please, before you forward these Urban Legends around, go to the website Urban Legends and make sure they're real events and not fakes. The website has tons of pics, stories, and the like debunking the false ones and underlining the truth in the real ones.

The latest one at work is the Mars in August one being the size of the full moon, which *never* happened. Happened, past tense, you might ask? Yes, the email about Mars dates back to August 2003. While Mars was very bright that summer, it never reached the optical size of the full moon. And neither will it *this* particular August, because the email is 3 years out of date.


Anyway, just a quick rant because the immediate belief and instant forwarding of the emails happens so damned frequently and 90% of the time they're hoaxes! I'm not immune to getting sucked in by hoaxes and fake emails too. I'm just a bit more careful now before I run to my FWD button and send the msg & accompanying pic off to all of my friends and relatives.

So, before you fwd. CHECK!! :-O

Whew. What else? Work has been... quite dull really. No 48 degree heat, no knocking on strangers' doors. Just sitting and typing, sitting and looking dazedly at the monitor. We're keying the PISA booklets in EP-90 which is a pretty basic program with an intense blue screen. I turned down my monitor a bit, and that seemed to help. It was weird sinking back into sedentary work after walking all over the place for the last few weeks. But, air conditioning is *ni-ice* :-D


Some news: I'll be heading to Toronto next week to work at Decode Entertainment's studio on IVY & DUMMY!! Hurray :-)) I managed to get some time to go to TO and will be hooking up with my friends there and working my butt off. I'm really looking forward to meeting the team and seeing my old buddies. Worked on some more sketches and fwded them last night. It was fun, although tiring to work keying all day, then stare at PShop until 10pm. Then get up at 5:30am. AAGH.

I was so spacey this morning, I sailed right past Moodie Drive, which is normally where I turn LEFT (or North) to get to the 417. I winged right through Bells Corners, getting all green lights and caught the Queensway just before Pinecrest. Weird. Now I have to start leaving 5 minutes earlier so I won't be late (and so maybe I can score a coffee before hitting the old keyboard.)

So, more news later........
Cheers
Suzanne.

ISLAND OF THE BURNING DAMNED

In the inestimable words written by Pip & Jane Baker, and portrayed by Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, I repeat "IT's THIS DAmNED *HEAT*!!" Imagine Sue staggering around, sweat pouring like a fountain from brow, pits, belly, chest (are you supposed to sweat from your chest??) boobs, back, shins. The movie "Island of the Burning Doomed/ Island of the Burning Damned/ Night of the Big Heat"(1967/1971)says it all, without me having to do it.

Surprisingly, apart from some nice panning reviews online, the quotes I was hunting for were not forthcoming. So I must go on shaky memory: "First the glands go.. then the brain, some go faster than others" (speaking of the 100 degree+ heat baking everyone alive and making them act irrational!) Of course the aliens responsible for it, who resemble giant fried eggs are probably just pissed because the movie was shot in a cold climate and they wanted to spruce things up a bit.

Well, it was Valley of the Burning Doomed this week, as temperatures with the humidex soared to FORTY-EIGHT degrees C. That's like 119 F, for you Yankees :-P I had to check my eyes when I looked at the Weather Network. My left eye is a bit blurry, so I thought, geez 43 humidex, that's pretty bad. Then I saw the 48! I don't know why the 5 degree difference was such a big deal. Maybe because 48 is closer to 50 degrees and 43 is closer to 40 (in my head anyway.) I just imagined myself going out to enumerate and dissolving into a puddle. So, I stayed indoors, lay prostrate over the A/C vent in the basement (which is hard to do, because it's on the ceiling.)

My folding cooler has been working well. Wednesday, in a burst of craziness, I managed to throw 6 water bottles and an apple into it, overdue Library CD's into my bag and then exploded out the door on my way to an interview. The interview was for a term CR-3 at Stats, which is basically what I'm doing now, only it wouldn't be "Census Exclusive" (which is my current denomination.) that means that if I get the position (which is the same pay, same job etc) I would be able to apply for internal job postings. Which I can't do now.

Of course traffic was lousy (why?? it was like 10am?!), of course I outsmarted myself by taking Carling instead of the Parkdale exit (knowing the latter was closed for construction.) And ran directly into MORE construction on Carling. And, yes, I was late. What's the first thing they teach you when you're a callow youth, impudently reviewing your resume and beefing up on good Interview questions? DON'T BE LATE! Oh yeah, and wear something clean. And don't sweat in it, even though it's a million degrees out.

So, I was late. And sweaty, my brain fried to curry because of the heat, and the last 2 weeks of enumerating. I was buzzing. And part of me just wanted to let the whole thing slide. Why should I care? Why wouldn't I delight in getting laid off in November, go on EI and finish writing, drawing and painting to my heart's content? Because myself, Clay, LH and my Mom would kick my ass. Apart from putting the boots to my innate apathy (there's a reason my posts are signed "Apathy Girl") thar's bills what's got to be paid and a livin' ta be earned, girly.

So I was late.

But the security dude was helpful, the ladies at OID who were doing the interviewing; friendly and pleasant. I blanked out on a few things, but gamely hung in and peppered my answers with "flexible" "helpful" "reliable" and even knew that Statistics Canada conducts... the CENSUS. :-O

Ok, I'm an ass :-) It was nice getting the thing overwith though. Afterwards, because I wasn't frazzled enough, I worked the whole day enumerating. I chased after all my call-backs (people who finished their census forms and need it to be picked up by ME.) I hit every single place that was on my sheet. I knocked on doors, left notes (mostly mean ones) and completed a couple of 2Bs with some very friendly foreign people, who just were overwhelmed by the massive questionnaire.

Got home, peeled out of the wet clothing. The clothing was not "spotted lightly with perspiration", the clothing was not damp from a bit of exertion. The clothing was WET. It felt like I'd pulled it out of the washing machine. I threw it on the floor and passed out in bed. For 10 minutes. I could've slept much much longer, but Clayton called from the Wizard's Tower on Hazeldean, wondering if I could pick him up. What a sweety. Every day I complain that I'm tired and he says: "When you get home, why don't you just grab a quick nap?" Thanks buddy. The one day I try and do it--

Oh well!

So, what's next? My list was handed over to a new team and I'm left with my hands empty. I started working on crap here, organizing, cleaning and moving furniture. Joy :-D It is, actually.. 'cause the weather has broken and I am not outside pounding the pavement and dripping on strangers. Hurrah :-) Maybe the NRFU Task Force can nail the last of my respondents. Good luck to 'em; they'll need it :-)

One thing I learned from the whole deal was courage, fortitude and an endurance I didn't think I possessed. I met lots of cool people; and I think only a minority were drug-dealers (if that.) I got to talk with people of all different races and ages, with a variety of attitudes about Statistics Canada and the Census in general: again, mostly positive. Did I grow from the experience? Possibly. I think I lost a couple of pounds, so that's cool. I have a different outlook on the Britannia/ Bayshore area than I did before. I never felt threatened or unsafe when I was out, at all. Which goes to show that I went out during the DAY. Um, kidding. Would I do it again? Ummmmmmm....

Ok, enough stalling. The dishes & laundry are pestering me.

PS--for fun, here's a map of my Enumerator's Route..you can pick out where I went by following the glowing trails on the Google Earth satellite pic.