Able to leap tall orders in a single bound

Day two of interviews for the "WunderAssistant". I've been told firmly not to call the newbie my "Minion", so this is the last time you'll see or hear me use that term.

Reading resumes has been a highly entertaining experience. I even got a resume from a gentleman who had a truck load of experience. Had a BSc in Chemistry, a Masters in Biology and Zoology, and one dissertation away from a Doctorate. He worked for the SK Government and wrote published papers about the parole system. He also was apparently a professor. This guy took his Doctorate in 1960. YES, 1960. So, if it's say a 6 year program, he would have had to have been say 19 years old in 1954. Doing the backwards math, this would make him born in about 1935ish, which would make him around 74 year old! What, pray tell is a 74 year old man who has this kind of higher education applying for what I would call for him (not really for the next incumbent) a scutt work job? Is he bored at home? Is he lonely? Is his retired wife completely sick of seeing him sit on the couch at home watching soaps all day? I'm tempted to call this guy and take him to lunch just to find out why he applied. Talking to Shaffie, she told me that people of his culture just simply don't retire. Still, want to take him to lunch, that hour would be fascinating.

Some are good, some are too good, some not good enough. The last interviewee was certainly qualified, and seemed eager and nice enough, but there was something...something about her I found grating. If I have to spend 9 hours in a room with someone they have to not be like shredded cheese.

Cape is ready, who wants to wear it?

Forgive me for not blogging, and btw Tuna Helper is gross.

To those who read this, or visit this frequently like I know Shelley does on occasion, I haven't blogged much lately. Not because I didn't have much to say, but because when I get on the computer these days, pretty much all I do is check my e-mail, update Facebook for a few moments and call it a night.

So in the interest of updating people here goes:

1. Thank you Shelley for the Happy Birthday wishes! It was a fantastic birthday. I flew to Seattle to see Tori Amos in concert at the Wamu Theatre the day after my birthday. I met a wonderful woman on the shuttle bus from the Sea-Tac Airport to our hotel and we ended up going out for dinner together. She said it was just plain silly of me having dinner by myself on my birthday. So, thank you Gail!


I had the best day toodling around in Seattle on the 10th. I went to the Science Fiction Museum, shopping, Pike's Market and Pioneer Square. I even found a little Breyer in an antique store who begged me to take her home.

Tori as always was fantastic. Although nothing could top meeting her in 2007, this was a pretty close second. Even the opening act One EskimO (yes that's how they spell it) was great. Check these guys out on their MySpace page! The Seattle trip was 38 hours of awesome!


2. Before all this happened, my douchbag landlord decided to get the entire building fumigated on July 1st. I got 6 days notice to move 17 years worth of shit out of my apartment for 24 hours. Nice and happy frickin' Canada day to you too! All turned out ok with the tremendous help of Glenn and his daughter Sarah, Adrien, Clint, Amber and Tony, Shafina, Lauren, Claudia, Chris, and Mom. Thank you also to Candace who let Q and I stay at her house whilst being fumigated (even though she wasn't there and on holiday). Her friend Chris was there and he made me steak on Canada Day after Quincy and I took a long walk in the residential area on the other side of MacLeod Trail. We walked and took a bunch of pictures of flowers. All in all, other than the fumo-move, Canada Day was fun. But, I still don't know what the hell they sprayed for.

3. Got the dreaded front tooth root canal (which hurt like a sonofabitch btw)and subsequent prep for one crown and three veneers. I'd like to tell you this experience has been positive, but the arguements with my dentist as to how I want them have been tiresome. I wanted a normal, didn't care if they were slightly crooked natural smile and he seemed to think I wanted to go Hollywood. He put me in touch with the gang who are actually designing them and now the new waxup looks normal. These temporaries are rough and too bulky, too long and are now causing sores. Plus, because it's one unit, I cannot push air through them to talk and I sound like I'm lisping. The 28th cannot come soon enough. That's D day.

4. Since I have temporary veneers right now in one four teeth unit, I cannot bite into anything. I bought groceries on Tuesday mostly completely devoid of nutrition on the basis they needed to be mushy. BTW, do not EVER buy Tuna Helper. I thought it would be ok and mushy enough for me to eat, but the consistancy of that vile product is liken to wallpaper paste and tastes just about as good. The only saving grace was the four tablespoons of hot sauce I put in it. Someone pass me a fricking carrot already!

5. Work is work, same old same old and my "manager" is still difficult to the extreme to deal with. I don't think she believes in emotion, and thusly doesn't understand how much pride I take in my work. Pride is an emotion I think she simply doesn't get.

2009 Dog Jog with Super Q

Quincy and I attended the 2009 Calgary Humane Society's Dog Jog this past Sunday. It was a lovely warm day and Q sure had fun. He wore his "Official Cookie Taster" scarf and it sure got lots of attention. No wait, it wasn't just the scarf!



He made a bunch of new friends, including a group of three ladies who joked that he was tryng to get their phone numbers. My dog, the chick magnet.

Remembering past loves

Sometimes when my work consumes,I tend to forget the past loves of my life. I'm not speaking of past relationships. Last night I was inspired to re-visit one of my passions that I had been neglecting for so long. Here is the first that inspired me.

This is an excerpt of Letters to a Young Poet, by Ranier Maria Rilke, one of my favorite poets, and from reading Shelley's recent posts, seemed fitting to help soothe her hurt soul.

How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are the beginning of all peoples. They myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.
So you must not be frightened, if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloud-shadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall...