17:46 - 22.02.06
errands, no errors
My sandals were calling my name yesterday morning. I looked at them longingly, then checked outside. No, not yet my darlings. Snow on the ground and worse yet patches of ice. Sigh. Dug out my boots. Wait another month, I think. I was dressing to go on several errands downtown in the company of my youngest. The trip on the train revealed that our river still hasn't frozen over, though. Our winter has been extra-ordinarily mild. The last time it was this pleasant was the year our city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988. The organizers feared that there wasn't going to be enough snow in the mountains to allow for the main events. If I recall correctly, it was a few years later that we had three winters in a row where the temperature stayed at about -30 C for about four months at a go. Things have a way of balancing out in this corner of the world.
The errands? A vist with my chiropractor - discussing things political that are evolving federally with respect to social issues - and then dropping off more keys at the realtor's office. A quick trip up to the last company I worked for to drop off a book I had borrowed from their library. I saw my supervisor's supervisor walking with a group of men at street level just shortly after, but she didn't seem to see me, so I just walked on. Next up was a visit to the agent for the one candidate at his workplace. The one who missed our scheduled meeting times last week. Found out what he did for a living and realized that his profession was part of the problem. In the industry I work in these scientists have a reputation for brilliance, but also for an inability to function in regular society. Just too hard to communicate with regular folks, I guess. That was the official itinerary for the day and then it was play time.
My youngest and I stopped for coffee at Tim Hortons first. Absolutely necessary for that caffeine hit, don't you know. Next up was a visit to a health store for one of those spring cleanse kits - can't hurt, right? Then my favorite Art store - Art of My Heart. Artifacts and treasures from all over the world. What caught my eye was a whole case full of amber jewelry. As you know, dear diary, I've been searching for a piece for myself for a long time - one that I could afford and that was real amber. The prices on these made me wonder, although the pieces looked as though they were authentic. The proprietor was visiting with a couple of friends, but good humoredly came to open his cases so I could take a closer look at what he had. Yes it is real, from Poland. I had come across other people last year selling bits of amber for about the same price from that country, so decided he might be above board. My youngest said he wanted to give a pair of earrings to me as a Christmas gift and asked if he could buy those. That was pretty cool altogether.
It was 11:30 by then, so we decided to find a restaurant before the work crowd flooded the area. Decided the grill where my sister's sister in law and I had last eaten was a good choice. Nice ambience, regular western fare and good prices too. We were seated at a window table, which meant we were able to people watch as we visited. This was on the main pedestrian mall in the downtown and it can be great entertainment all by itself. The best part, of course, is that it is free.
Half a building away on the same side of the mall is our main museum. That was our next stop before heading home. There had been a major exhibit about the city in the cliffs at Petra in the Nubian desert from October to the day before we visited. We were able to see a lot of it as it was being packed up, but we didn't have to pay the premium price nor deal with the crowds either. Best of both worlds. My favorite exhibit is the Art of Asia. My son's is the weapons of the world. Hmmmm yes. We spent equal time in both. In the war exhibit there was a bugle from 1912. The maker of that bugle? One Henry Potter. Hmmm again. I had been checking out JK Rowling's website the other evening and she was talking about her writing of book seven. The last in the series. She has stated that cats will play a major role in the upcoming story, as will the students from Ravenclaw. In the Asia exhibit Padma (Lahkshmi) and Parvati came up a lot as aspects of the goddess who was the consort of Siva. The creator in Hindu legends. Hmmm again. Next up was the mineral exhibit. Precious stones and crystals from all over the world. Austinite from Utah - what's up with that? The quartz and jade were my favorite stops, although I do admit I lingered by the emeralds and rubies too.
Headed off home after that, with a stop at the grocery store for basics. After my youngest defrosted and cleaned out the fridge yesterday it was looking pretty bare you see. On the train the young woman across from us asked if we were with the election. Turned out she was working at the one school where the janitor didn't arrive on time, so that I had to ask their team to open their polls outside on the sidewalk. I got a first hand recollection of the day from her that basically took up the entire time of our trip together. Nice young woman.
At the grocery store talked with the one male who was a supervisor for me just a month ago. He was quite enthusiastic about the prospect of the next event, but I admit I am still too tired to contemplate such a thing yet. He was asking when I will be going to Ottawa next and I really couldn't say. Last event none of the Returning Officers were brought in for any work. The only people who went for training were the techs and the assistants. Something that really bothers me, but then again we've gone through this before, haven't we dear diary. At home surfed several travel sites looking for information for my Dad. Called him to ask more questions about his preferences.
I had a very strong feeling about my supervisor from the contracts I'd had from 2001 to the beginning of last year thinking about me. That seemed odd until I opened the mail box and found the first of my income tax receipts waiting for me. Oh yes, that time of year. My tasks for next week I think - calculating and filing those for the past year. I'm guessing that maybe the one supervisor had some paperwork to do with respect to my contract and that was what I was picking up. I didn't feel anything negative about him, but I went back and reviewed my posts to you for that last month I worked on that contract. As I did so, it answered some questions I had been harbouring in the back of my mind about my tech for this election. Remember he was working at the same company then and that was when he had gone to Ottawa for his training. A couple of Ah hah moments based on a conversation/questions I had recorded from him. I'd forgotten about that. At the end of that review I called number two son just on an impulse. Their baby is due in a couple of weeks. The whole day I could see that little girl hunkering down and preparing to emerge into the world. She seemed to be all revved up and ready to go. Just wanted to check how her new Mom and Dad were doing in their preparations to accept her into their family. Everything seems good.
This morning talked with my Dad again first thing. More information about what he has ready - passport and such - as well as a response from him about something my youngest wanted to buy. He said that because of the type of snow that was falling, the roads had all iced over. A trip that usually takes him 20 minutes lasted well over two hours. "Don't go outside unless you have to". Next up the phone rang and it was the one candidate. Yesterday, when I picked up the paperwork from the one rep, it was still incomplete. The deadline for submission is tomorrow. No submission no return on their election deposit. Could we meet to finish off the details. Fine. I agreed to meet him at the local restaurant that features dishes from his particular cultural group. Tea and sweets were in order. I think he was testing me out in some ways, although our discussion was about personal challenges we had both faced and also about social issues that concern us both. That being the difficult circumstances that so many young adults encounter these days trying to establish themselves. He is correct in noting that it doesn't matter the child's background any more, our society is so harsh and unforgiving and so commercialized that it is hard for the next generation to find balance or a safe way to establish families of their own. A lot of discussion about acculturation too.
That seems to be a theme for wherever I go now. Guess I should listen to what the guides are whispering to me, but I really don't see a path to follow yet opening up. Wish I did because it is what fired the passion I had for volunteering when the boys were small and where I still feel a very strong pull. That is work that is more important to me, but how to go about it so I can still pay the bills and still have some time to think and pray. That seems to be more important too. This well has been running dry for a while and I need to replenish it before I can nurture anyone else.
Two oddities of the trip today? As we were visiting, another man walked in and joined us. The candidate's brother. Just wanted to meet me. He's divorced and lonely. Oi. That's not the kind of nurturing I have in mind. I'd rather work on the living conditions of young adults and cuddle that new baby grand-daughter of mine. Can't wait for that, since there is even a rocking chair just for grandmothers at her home. The other odd thing was the police cruiser that arrived at the shopping mall as I was arriving for the meeting with the candidate. It sat in the one narrow driveway into the complex, yet didn't seem to be there for any purpose. No stopped vehicles and no photo radar or breathalyzer equipment in sight. Just sitting in the middle of the flow of traffic. Strange. It disappeared out of eyesight when I went into the restaurant, but came cruising up and around me when I left and was walking back toward the crossing lights to return home. It went and parked in the same driveway and sat there in the middle of the traffic flow again. Just sitting there until I turned the corner and headed down my street for home. Just weird.
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