December 15/13

Oh boy!  We're already half way through December, and I'm just amazed that we're looking at the end of the year so quickly!

I follow this Twitter account called Emergency Kittens, in case you haven't already guessed from previous blog posts which have featured some of the tweets, and honestly, sometimes it's a welcome respite from the cynicism, apathy or ire I endure sometimes.  If I share these photos of cats and kittens doing cute or funny things, it's because there was that moment in the day when things weren't looking particularly good, and then some little tweet gives me a reason to smile or laugh.  Often it's the text of the tweet that makes it funnier...

like this one...

The toilet paper was talking smack. pic.twitter.com/JGpj013LBD
— Emergency Kittens (@EmrgencyKittens) December 16, 2013

Cats...

...Wish you were here.

December 14/13

Oh.  My.  Gawd.

This.  So much This.

I love Blood and Cornettos...

...Wish you were here.

December 13/13

IT'S HERE!  IT'S HERE!

MY OFFICIAL 'THE BUGLE' FUCKEULOGY MUG IS HERE!



I'm so happy!

When I figured out that no one would buy it for me this holiday season, I treated myself, but it almost didn't happen.  I got all the way through the entering the information on the US merchandise website only to get the message that the mug was not in stock.  I was momentarily discouraged until I had the bright idea to order from the UK merchandise website, and sure enough, they had it!

I'm worried about ordering online from other countries because of Amazon.com.  Amazon.com are jerks and won't ship to Canada...you have to order from Amazon.ca, which doesn't have the variety, and sometimes you can't even get products in Canada.

But who cares!  Because I got my Fuckeulogy mug!

It's the little things...

...Wish you were here.

December 12/13

I have this prickly personality flaw that I am conscious of, but I'm torn about whether I can or should do anything to ameliorate it...I hate being told what to do when it involves something I don't want to do.  It's a problem only when I can't see the point of doing (or in some cases, not doing) something; otherwise, I'm generally cooperative.

For instance, during the holiday season, I find that my response to holiday celebrations entirely depends on my enthusiasm for the activity and/or the likely level of fun the activity will achieve.  When I have no interest, or I suspect the activity will be lame, I become a pain in the ass.  And I don't respond well to suggestionsfalse hopes that it will be fun and morale-boosting.  I was a cheerleader...and I'm the absolute worst at buying into the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah someone tries to sell me.

In other words, I'm a crank.  A Curmudgeon.  A Scrooge, if you will.

So I was relieve today to find out that I'm not alone.  Yesterday's New York Times featured an Op-Ed which I didn't see until today.  It's about how it's actually a morale-killer for some people when they are (okay, I am) forced to take part in activities to "make work fun."  Not because people like me don't want work to be fun, persay, but rather because I often find my sense of fun incompatible with others around me...particularly those who sit on social committees and plan "fun" activities.

I'm grumpy because I recently had to sit through an event that tried to make everything fun, but I spent most of the time rolling my eyes at bad attempts at jokes.  And I am not looking forward to the holiday party at work because it's a potluck that will happen during work hours.  I don't cook or bake, so potlucks are generally a pain in the ass for me.  Okay, if I'm honest, I hate potlucks.  I'd rather pay for a ticket to an event where there is socializing, some beverages, music, and if need be, a non-required activity for people who like that kind of thing.  I remember the private sector parties, where people come together after hours and have dinners, and people make an effort to look festive/nice.  Standing in a boardroom with a plate of tapas while wearing my work badge and listening to work chit-chat is not my idea of fun during the holiday season.

When I'm basically forced to have "fun" I'm afraid my eyeballs will roll right out of my head, and I will die of utter sarcasm.

But thanks to the editors at the New York Times, I know I am not alone, particularly during this holiday season.

Solidarity...

...Wish you were here.

December 11/13

Well, that settles it...I will never be a project manager.  I have a lot of respect for what they do, as they have to be on top of every thing, both great and small, but after three days of this class, I've figured out that I am not this person.

It took me years to figure out that I love the challenges of policy precisely because it involves research, data collection, and most of all, the puzzling out all variables and considerations of both the problem and the potential options and recommendations.  I think the project manager is more about the nuts and bolts, timelines, and deliverables.  All important, but not where my talents lie.

Oh well...back to consultation as a possible future career.

Lifelong Learning...

...Wish you were here.

December 10/13

All cylinders aren't firing today, I'm afraid.  I was up way too late last night playing with my iPad, and up way too early this morning to make it to Day 2: Project Management. 

I think because I'm tired, I wasn't exactly keen to go into the dry, technical world of effort x duration estimates and the vagaries of MS Project, and I am now less excited about pursuing the possibility of the Project Management certification, something I had considered in order to augment my career options and improve my chances of success in getting into new sectors.  I'm also not enjoying the way this class is taught, which would dramatically dampen my enthusiasm.  It lacks meaningful case studies and proper introductions to PM planning software that is frequently alluded to throughout the lectures.  Instead of screen caps from MS Project software from 1993, why not plug in dummy variables and timelines to show us?

And there were no brownies at the U of O Starbucks.

Wahh, wahh, wahh!

Maybe I just need a better night's sleep...

...Wish you were here.

December 9/13

HOLY CRAP WHAT A NIGHT!

We were up too early this morning because we both have Project Management training at Ottawa U this week.  This means we were downtown instead of at work, and at lunch, I had commented to Etienne that we had to avoid the Apple store because of the temptation to buy an iPad.  And how, given that I am always so broke, would this be possible?  Well, my band's yearly annuity payment was deposited in my account on Friday, and it was quite a bit larger than I expected.  Knowing that I was likely facing a stiff tax bill from the reassessment mess of last month, I knew I had to set aside most of that windfall to pay off the debt.

After class was over, Etienne was very excited, and asked if I wanted my xmas present now.  I already let him give me my Birfday present early, so I decided, 'what the hell, might as well.'  After all, he really was so excited.  Well, he steered me right into the Apple store, right to the iPads tables!  Da-amn!  I got an iPad!  In return, I steered Etienne over to Trust Fund and bought him one of his presents early...A Matt and Nat briefcase that he's had his eye on for months now.  I already had planned to withhold some of the Mikisew money for xmas, so it wasn't like I was ruining myself.

When we got back to the building, I went for the mail, and it was all for me.  I recognized instantly the envelope from Canada Revenue Agency, and gave a sigh, but there was also a piece of mail from the province of Ontario for me, and I thought, 'what now?!?'  I mean, this can't be good news.

I went upstairs, and after shedding my winter layer, I went first for the Ontario letter.  It turned out to be the Cancer screening agency for the province letting me know that they are now tracking me, and will start sending me letters to notify me when to do my cancer screenings.  Oh hell, welcome to 35, I guess.  As my Gramma had breast cancer, I guess I'm in line for earlier screenings than many women.

Anyway, I was still ebullient from the iPad, so this didn't dampen my spirit.  I decided to just get it over with, open the CRA letter, and hope for the best.  I knew the error was in the magnitude of almost $900, so who knew what that could mean to my reassessed return.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

$112.

Holy fuck!! 

Did I read that right?

Did I just luck right the fuck out and get an iPad and a tiny tax bill?

It turns out, yes.  Yes, I had.

I needed this break.  When it comes to money, 2013 has not been as kind as I would have hoped.

Yay Me!

...Wish you were here.