I'm cooking a chilli. Chili? Chile? I put in a few red pepper flakes, sprinkled straight from the jar. I did not taste the chili, however, my lip feels like it's puffing up. The left tip of my tongue is burning, the burn spreading over to the middle and the other side. The corner of my left eye is warm and feels bigger than it should. It's amazing how the heat hones in on a particular point on the skin. I only have to think about opening that jar and I feel its effects.
This has been a strange week - very work-focused. I have been doing a bit more traveling; this week, to a few small bilingual municipalities nearby. I am the project officer for these communities because allegedly I speak French. I did get some practice last night. I love speaking French and will take any opportunity to do it. But it's not strictly French that is spoken in The Friendly Province. They speak Frenglish, what we called Franglais in junior high. It's quite charming. And they like their meetings long, so I'm glad it's the weekend.
In one of these towns resides just about the nicest CAO you could meet, one of those people after whom you wish to model yourself. Self-assured, unassuming, comfortable, grounded. One day, people will see me and think that. They will think, Yellowbird = Zen.
Not quite there yet. I despise being video-taped. On Tuesday, I watched a four-second video of myself that presented me with the horrific realisation that I pull not only my mouth over to the left side when I speak, but my entire body. When did I develop this undesirable habit? God. You mustn't remember this the next time you talk to me or you won't hear anything I say, so distracted will you be by this silliness.
This reminds me of Boyfriend #1 (not to be confused with #1 Boyfriend) who realised, after watching himself on camera, that he was less cool cucumber and more gnat - that was precisely the word he used to describe himself, which is pretty hilarious. I spend way too much time thinking about how I carry myself. I imagine acting would be a useful skill because one could believably shift away from gnat-like behaviour and toward something smoother, more poised, like dolphin, or cat, or ostrich.
I wish the weekend were longer. Maybe I'd be bored with three days off but I don't think so.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Monday, 18 January 2010
The hub of the north
I went to Thompson for work. It is like a big suburb with a big-box power centre for a downtown. The roads are designed to accommodate F-250s. People's back yards are stuffed with quads and snowmobiles and speedboats.
I flew there - yes, I work for a climate change program. Unless there are several people making the trip, it is not worth the time to drive. I would have liked to have taken the train but I think that takes 24 hours. I make no excuses. The flight was noisy as hell but a lot of fun. The airline served not only a free meal and coffee, but candies to munch on as we descended. The sun was beginning to rise on the way up, a bright pink-and-orange stripe, but I was sitting on the other side of the plane. Below, all was green and white - trees and lakes, forever. I started The Road.
I had a driving tour around town, including the mine. The sun was up over the horizon.
Later that afternoon, the sun was shining through a snowstorm.
After work, in the common area of the B & B, I read more of The Road . I took myself out for delicious pizza at the local 'institution'. It was quiet outside because of all the snow. I watched bad cable, and allegedly good cable, but even that was bad. Still, watching tv is fun in a hotel. I knitted - my hobby for the new decade. I read more of The Road.
The next morning, my reason for going there and I were booted from her office on account of an unannounced meeting. Her office and the board room are one and the same. This happened two more times. We managed to get some work done.
The flight home was dark. More food, sweets and the end of The Road.
I flew there - yes, I work for a climate change program. Unless there are several people making the trip, it is not worth the time to drive. I would have liked to have taken the train but I think that takes 24 hours. I make no excuses. The flight was noisy as hell but a lot of fun. The airline served not only a free meal and coffee, but candies to munch on as we descended. The sun was beginning to rise on the way up, a bright pink-and-orange stripe, but I was sitting on the other side of the plane. Below, all was green and white - trees and lakes, forever. I started The Road.
I had a driving tour around town, including the mine. The sun was up over the horizon.
Later that afternoon, the sun was shining through a snowstorm.
After work, in the common area of the B & B, I read more of The Road . I took myself out for delicious pizza at the local 'institution'. It was quiet outside because of all the snow. I watched bad cable, and allegedly good cable, but even that was bad. Still, watching tv is fun in a hotel. I knitted - my hobby for the new decade. I read more of The Road.
The next morning, my reason for going there and I were booted from her office on account of an unannounced meeting. Her office and the board room are one and the same. This happened two more times. We managed to get some work done.
The flight home was dark. More food, sweets and the end of The Road.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
I haven't forgot you, blog
Hi! I'm still here. Not giving up on the blog is one-half of one of my three New Year's resolutions. The other half of the one is to do stuff - like, wholeheartedly, not in a half-assed way. Whole-hearted blogging.
The other two are to chill out and be nicer to B. I am nice on-line but a real meanie at home. OK, I'm not that bad, but everyone can be nicer.
I admit to being into facebook. It is like a mini interactive blog, but with a wider audience and more pictures. Perhaps that explains the thin blogging.
Another factor was the virus on my computer. B, Mr. Computerscienceman, installed kubuntu so that's what I'm using now. The fonts are all funny. It's affecting my writing. It's harder to be serious with this font. Akin to writing a sympathy note in comic sans.
Well, this is a start, but I've been at work all day, it's really snowy which means heavy boots, and I went to a yoga class this evening so I'm tired. And there's not much time left to squeeze in an episode of The Sopranos, which I have just discovered. Good night. No retard jokes.
The other two are to chill out and be nicer to B. I am nice on-line but a real meanie at home. OK, I'm not that bad, but everyone can be nicer.
I admit to being into facebook. It is like a mini interactive blog, but with a wider audience and more pictures. Perhaps that explains the thin blogging.
Another factor was the virus on my computer. B, Mr. Computerscienceman, installed kubuntu so that's what I'm using now. The fonts are all funny. It's affecting my writing. It's harder to be serious with this font. Akin to writing a sympathy note in comic sans.
Well, this is a start, but I've been at work all day, it's really snowy which means heavy boots, and I went to a yoga class this evening so I'm tired. And there's not much time left to squeeze in an episode of The Sopranos, which I have just discovered. Good night. No retard jokes.
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