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19:20 - 25.10.07
Dreams
Yesterday was interesting. Needed time to process it though. My youngest still wasn't feeling very well so he headed off to the doctor's office at the same time I was trying to get out the door to attend that one interview. He called a cab, so I tagged along as far as the train station. On the radio, one of the talk show hosts fulminating about the difference between prices north and south of the US/Canadian border. The case in point was a Canadian manufactured car. That said, the price was $10,000 less in the US, even though our dollar is worth more than theirs at the moment. Add in a lot of US dealers won't sell to Canadians who wish to take advantage of the price difference. Not "viva la difference" in this case. The talk show host must have had several programs on the issue, because he noted some of the station's advertisers had pulled their ads because of his insistence on getting answers about the issue. For one thing, it is a violation of the Free Trade Agreement to refuse the sale of an item once any other similar item is sold cross border. Granted most Canadians are really leery of that provision of the act, because it puts at risk things like our public health care and water resources, should any province choose to change the current set up of those agreements. Concern about private health care insurance in Canada going the way it is in the US now, where an illness can wipe out or bankrupt a family. Our system is far from perfect, but at least one can have access to care - sort of. The cabbie was laughing at the theatrics of the radio host, but he has long been known as person who likes to generate controversy or discussion, depending on one's point of view. I interviewed on his show once as a volunteer liaison for our community association. I can't say who some people who knew me were more concerned about, since I wasn't shy about making a few controversial comments - well researched of course - myself. The host, at that time, was busy bashing our part of the city - again - so I called him on it. Apparently their switchboard lit up with more calls from people supporting my observations than had been seen for any program in a long time. If one wants to be racist about the residents of a given area at least have the cojones to be honest about it, eh, was my position? Many of my fellow residents - caucasians - who also live in the area had some really disturbing tales to tell him about comments made about the cultutral make-up of the community from people who had never been near it. They were very similar to the experiences I had mentioned. Educational experiences on tap for all that show.

Jumped out at the train station and continued my journey downtown. Since the cab ride had shortened my travel time by about half, I was able to make my pre-winter trek into Chinatown to pick up my supply of winter herbs and preparations. You know things like White Flower Oil for flu and ginger honey formulations for tummy aches and colds. I had run out of supplies long ago, but hadn't worried about it too much over the summer. The one daughter who was working on the cash register recognized me as a regular and we chatted a bit. I told her I could tell by the aching in my bones that winter was very near. She laughed. I was proved right though later that night when a violent wind storm passed through during the supper hour and snow - the stay on the ground type - followed a few hours later. That elbow is very precise, added into the weather migraine I had the day before. Just what I need, trick joints.

Slipped across to the plaza in front of City Hall to a complex of performing arts venues where I was scheduled to meet the interviewer. At that point in time the ambient air temperature was somewhere around 22 C/70 something F. Quite warm by local standards, y'all. I had dressed for the coming storm, so was a bit uncomfortable in my extra gear. Checked in with the receptionist then headed off to tidy up and cool down after the quick jog from my shopping trip to the interview. As it turned out, the gentleman was held up in an extended negotiation with a supplier - I could see them debating through the glass windowed meeting room - so I had plenty of time to gather my thoughts - such as they were. The meeting was in a part of the building where, as a volunteer, I had once attended many a city parks and recreation meeting during the day and Parks Foundation meetings during the evening, when I was fund raising and lobbying for that recreational park that was eventually built one community over from me. Being back inside triggered a lot of - mostly - fond memories. The receptionist was a really interesting lady who actually seemed very familiar. Yet, when someone addressed her by name, it wasn't what I thought it should be. Curious. When her phone wasn't busy - I ended up waiting about half an hour, you see - she came to stand by the window over-looking Olympic Plaza and we shared memories of its development. She had started to work in the building about the same time I spent so much time there, which was when that plaza was built. That slid around to talk about our families - similarities and differences. We were both the oldest of what would now be considered a large family, although it was the norm at the time. She grew up one province to the east like a lot of our current residents. I actually would have liked to learn more about her experiences, but then that meeting ended.

I was invited to follow the interviewer. We took one of those journeys through some of the winding passageways that are a hallmark of the complex. Several old heritage buildings cobbled together to make the one big theatre complex now. I love the feel, the architecture and the history of the building, which was one of the reasons I had applied for the job, even though I knew the pay wouldn't be enough to cover all my bills. Decided that if I got the job, I would find ways to supplement my income later. As we passed one of the odd corridors linking two old buildings, stepping gingerly down the shallow stairs, I asked him if had encountered any of the ghosts that I knew were there. That corridor triggering the question as one of the haunted passageways. He flinched, shoulders hunching up a bit as his head went down at the same time. His response was quite emphatic, as he responded in the positive. He said that often when he worked there very late at night it was impossible to miss them. It was a bit risky to ask a potential employer such a thing, but I wanted to get his measure too. He could have tossed me out at that point as a crazy lady, but treated my questions seriously instead. Truth was in the parks department when I visited there, the staff spoke of the poltergeist that seemed to visit in the evenings. There were a number who wouldn't stay past a certain time of day. Angry spirit, not likely to leave any time soon, despite the new renovations that have occurred since I "haunted" the place myself. Didn't need to be anywhere near Hallowe'en for those spectral ladies and gentlemen to appear either. The interview was really intriguing, just in the fact that he chose to have it in one of the empty theatres. Bonus. No lights on, but a gentleman walking across the lit stage as we entered, joking back and forth with him. He sat me in one of the seats that I probably couldn't afford to pay for, then went to turn on the stage lights. How cool is that. Atmosphere and a real feeling of luxury. Most interviews are carried out in dingy, often windowless rooms that make one feel as though they are being interrogated, even before the questions start. He asked why, with my background, I had an interest in the job I had applied for. I responded quite honestly that more than anything right now, I needed to learn how to play again. His face lit up at that point and he said that in the theatre - support work, not acting - that was definitely doable. The rest of the questions were very straight forward. Instead of asking all sorts of psychobabble or oddball questions that had no bearing on the work that needed doing, he just focussed on the plusses and challenges of the work itself to see how I would respond. I had to catch my mind a couple of times as it tried to wander off after the ghosts and the atmosphere in the theatre, but I think I stayed on track most of the time. He asked a couple of times for reassurance that I was done with the election work - maybe concerned I would disappear for a couple of months - and I was emphatic about it not being an issue anymore. He said he would get back to me. I do hope he decides that I am worthy enough to learn how to play again, while working in such a fascinating atmosphere. The low pay is worth the price of admission to me, since I suspect there are all sorts of new skills to learn as well. Won't get too excited I guess, until I hear back from him.

Headed back home after that, stopping at the drugstore to pick up milk and other essentials. There was a gathering of women at the front who all seemed to know each other well and who liked each other because of their long standing relationships. Sometimes just standing close to a group like that can rebuild a positive sense of community in one - at least it does for me. The cats were very pleased to see their human walk through the door. Ms Kitty made a very pointed beeline for an empty water bowl - mea culpa - standing and waiting patiently until I had addressed my oversights from rushing off in the morning. Checked my voicemail to find two calls waiting about possible interviews for other jobs. Both calls came from other locations - Atlantic Canada and Illinois in the US - but both were for work in this city. Just very odd. Neither is for the industry I used to work in downtown, but both positions were for more high-sounding job titles than I would normally consider applying for. That old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" running through my head. One company had also sent an email, so I sent it off to a family member familiar with the industry to see if it was genuine. The other I called back today. Agreed to discuss the position in more depth in the days ahead, as it would be what I consider a dream job. I consider the job I interviewed for yesterday a dream job too mind you - except for the pay. Now that the boys are all grown, income doesn't have to be my primary focus, and it isn't, if the right combination of circumstances present themselves. Hmmmm. Neptune - the planet of dreams - astrologically is in my sun sign and it turns to direct motion on Hallowe'en, just a day before Mr Mercury does the same almost right on top of my natal Neptune. Who knows.

Had a dream last night about someone stealing my identity, then trying to make it look as though the illegal things they were doing were being done by me instead. Intense discussion with a lawyer who I know in real life. They had been defending me in court, but then said they had to recuse themselves because of a conflict of interest. There was a hearing scheduled for that afternoon. That lawyer left some points and information for me to consider/use, since I would have to represent myself to the judge very shortly. Their presentation was odd though. We had been meeting over lunch. The lawyer place several alternately placed green and yellow napkins, folded into triangles, on a clean dinner plate. Inside, written on those fabric napkins, was the information they wanted me to have. One of the things that was most helpful was the fact that a drivers' licence purporting to be mine was included as evidence against me. Of course, as you know, in real life I have never had a driver's licence - never, ever. It seemed that the dreaming mind and the waking mind were working together on the problem, which in itself was a bit disconcerting. At that point, when the licence defense came to the surface of my consciousness, there was an "ah ha!" and I woke up. The background for the accusations seemed to be coming from the Elections Canada milieu, which really bothered me even when I was awake. Can't do much about the mind cleaning out old closets, though I guess. Maybe one of those theatre ghosts followed me home and found that was the scariest thing that they could use to haunt me. Don't know.

Today I was back trying to resolve that one Elections Canada issue. I thought it was done a day ago, but then more information arrived in the in-box. Sigh. Probably another 5 or more hours of free labour for them in addition to all the time I've put in on the tax issue already. If it wasn't for the fact that it is to help out a staff member, I would have told them well, whatever. It isn't over yet either. The other emails last night were for and about the quality control piece work I do now. The company was having difficulty finding people to do that work in northern Alberta/British Columbia, so I sent their information to a couple of women I know who I thought might enjoy the work and the opportunity to make some extra money just before Christmas. Turns out the one woman already works for them. She sent back the names of two other companies that do the same type of qc that I could also apply to. Sent off one application right away. Not long after, I had several emails from a number of people in the company I work for now. I had mentioned in my application that I was contracting for them, so I guess they checked that reference out right away. The upshot was that from having no work currently available, there were now several choices of assignments offered or mentioned as upcoming. Hmmmm. Guess that means that I've done alright by their measures so far. If I can cobble several of those small jobs together, maybe I can make a fair living that way. Would save me having to go into anymore interrogation/psychobabble interviews anyway. I would be a lot less stressed too, since I've already learned how to cope with relative, but real poverty in this very wealthy city. Then again being happy and feeling proud of one's work is a whole different type of wealth, isn't it?

My youngest just walked in the door, so I think I'd better go gather up his laundry so he has clothes to wear to work tomorrow. Talk with you later, dear diary.

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