10:45 p.m. - 2004-03-21
Bon Mots
Blue stockings. Well you see, it happened this way...... I was transferring my unmentionables from the dresser to the drawers inset under my "new-to-me" bed. Out from the bottom of one drawer popped a pair of powder blue panty-hose. Last time I wore them? Fall 1996 when I went to Ottawa for my first training session as a Returning Officer. Having never traveled in the Province of Ontario before, it never occurred to me to think that the office/work dress code might be substantially different from the one in Calgary. We have business casual. Conformity isn't a very big issue, except in law offices and banks, or for power meetings. The idea being that one is at work to focus - well - on work, not one's Ensemble. However, the dress code in our capital city, at the time, was very rigid. Black, blue or, if very daring, brown skirt or pants with a white or blue shirt. Business suits for both genders - even better. So when I waltzed into class with blue stockings and I think, a navy skirt and a pullover sweater the response was quite marked. Even moreso on the morning I wore the forest green stockings - but, come on, it was Hallowe'en and I am an Aquarian, it's my responsibility to shake up other people's sensibilities. The response was so strong, that when I returned home I did the laundry thing then I shoved those stockings to the very bottom of the drawer, feeling as though I had to hide the evidence of my Western gaucherie. So anyway, I pulled that pair of stockings out of the drawer and decided I just had to wear them now. What made me happiest? They still fit. I haven't been on a scale since the boys' Dad left, because I had more than enough stress to deal with, without having to watch the needle creep higher every so often. When I became ill about 3 years ago, I gained about 30 pounds, but the stockings and how they fit indicate I've gotten rid of the worst part of that. Still a little too much fat on the tummy, but it's still coming off. These days my legs are so pale from chronic sun deprivation, that the colour does me no favour whatsoever, but there's this principle - when I get older I'm going to wear purple hats and I don't care what anyone else thinks.
Spent a good part of today preparing for and working with the person who will be my lead trainer for the election. We worked together on volunteer projects for years, until both of us had to go back to work. She has her undergrad degree in teaching and works with high needs students. Truth to tell that's the one task I really loved doing - training my polling day staff - , but Elections Canada made it mandatory that we hire someone else. Their reason was that they wanted us to focus on administrative responsibilites. Problem, of course, is that no matter what else happens, what the public notices is whether polling day staff can handle all their needs properly or not. My trainer is very good, but I think the personal contact between me and the frontline is critical too. Talking to them just on polling day when there are problems, isn't as effective because there isn't any bond of trust. They've given that to their trainer and that can be a barrier for some people. Oh well.
E-news today? Arabnews was full of articles about educational issues today. Given that is an avocation for me, I found the whole of the paper fascinating. A story about the awarding of the Arab equivalent of the Nobel prize to a number of people. Another on the increased attention to physical fitness for girls, through a story on training them as horseback riders. We have a world class show jumping and steeplechase competition here every summer at Spruce Meadows. More competitors always makes the events even better. Maybe some of these ladies will be allowed to participate. Next was a story about the imam from Makkah coming to Canada this summer to work with Muslim scholars and students living here. In my community that news will probably cause a lot of excitement, because about 8% of our population, according to the 2001 Federal census, is Muslim.
This article on cyber-bullying was timely, in that it confirmed some concerns I mentioned a post or two ago about politics not only being a game for politicians - even though the focus of the article was on its effects on young teens. bullies. Read between the lines. Foiegras This article just reminded me of a joke one of my fellow humour lovers posted:
"A young man took a farm girl into town for a date at a fancy restaurant. While studying the menu she asked, "What's filet mignon?"
Thinking fast, her date replied, "It's pickled goat's liver. Why?"
Goat's liver - goose liver(foie gras). C'est le meme chose, n'est pas? Same thing, right?
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