I had an interview this morning and they liked me. A lot. So much that I'm expecting an offer before Monday turns to Tuesday and probably before this very day is through.
It will be nice to be employed...it was also sort of perversely funny to see the interviewer's face when I told him that I had another interview scheduled on Monday. I do have one indeed and it has been in motion since February and would only begin in mid-October (but would likely mean that I would be set for life...government work being what it is).
Gah! Making decisions is hard!
- Mood:
happy
This year I have five and they are all different! Yes I know that's crazy talk! This time around I will be placing each cultivar in its own pot. I hope that it will mean that we get bigger plants and more tomatoes! (Hopefully we won't be drowning in tomatoes just pleasantly submerged...)
What else should I plant?
I'm leaning towards nasturtiums because we received a free seed packet. They are eye candy and they make lovely (edible!) plate decorations. I will probably also purchase a mixed herb basket at the Jean-Talon Market because last year's worked out quite well in terms of our cooking needs.
Any other suggestions?
-------
I just had dinner with my parents and they were kind enough to offload a few more giant earthenware pots! Woo! Now I have to buy more dirt in order to fill them!
One of these pots is so big that I think I might get a tree for it. There happens to be an orphaned ficus in our corridor...perhaps I will adopt it before it dies from lack of light and water. I hesitate to take it in because it clearly belonged to someone and I expect them to come and take it back any day now.
I should probably consult Mr. Bunny before taking in such a large stray... (The ficus must be six or seven feet tall!)
- Mood:
pensive
You see, last Saturday I was clipped by a car...
Before you ask, I'm fine. A little bruised on the inside and now (4 days later!) showing a tiny bruise on the outside too. I was in on and off pain for the last week (well almost a week). It was like a bar of pain going accross my lower abdomen. I even skipped all three of my Dragon Boat practices this week because I was afraid of further injuring myself.
I was clipped by the car's mirror. It was not one of those bits that are designed to move yet move it did. I felt and saw it disconnect a little from the car door. I also felt the car's wheels roll right over the tips of my shoes...not my toes, my shoes! All I could think was that my toes could have been crushed so I was almost elated to still be standing after the occurence. Of course, the adrenaline was coursing through my veins so I couldn't even feel any pain at that point.
My dad yelled and my mom screamed. The driver stopped and realised what just happened only when we told him. He was distraught and apologetic. What do you say to the person you just hit with your car? Sorry? I didn't see you standing there in your bright orange raincoat.
He was going somewhat fast as he exited the parking lot and I didn't even see him until his mirror was already pummeling me. It was a close call for my toes but also for my innards. That was uterus he hit it's a good thing that there was nothing in it at the time...not that I intend to put anything of the sort in the near future. Still, I felt that particular part of my body vibrate in unhappy ways for the next few days.
I went to the emergency room and was pleased to hear that there seemed to be no internal bleeding. Hurray I said! Hurray my organs are not ruptured!
Mr. Bunny says that they wouldn't have let me out had they examined my brains for signs of normalcy. I choose to take it as a compliment and leave it at that.
I had an interview which seems promising and is kind of my dream job at the moment (it would provide administrative work, writing work, teaching work and, most importantly, a paycheck!)...
I also had choir last night. Always a busy evening on Thursday.
And...dragon boat season kicked off this week. I always look forward to it but this year will be hard. Three nights a week two of which are not on the same schedule as Mr.Bunny. I know it's a bit silly but having someone else to push me to get moving is sometimes a necessity. Moreover, this means that our schedules are completely out of synch. So...
Monday night was tough but really not as bad as expected. The coaches are easing us back into the sport after a lethargic winter. I don't expect mercy will come into teh equations a few weeks from now. I had muscle tremors when I got off the boat but they quickly passed and a warm shower left me relaxed. I've decided that waiting for the boys to finish their late practice might not be worth it. It's kind of lonely and the lift home is not entirely worth it. I guess I'll have to see how it goes.
Tuesday was a bit rough mostly due to lactic acid buildup. I was too whiny during practice. I don't like it when others complain and usually try to push for a more positive attitude on the boat. I was one of those complain-y people on Tuesday. Practice wasn't too bad. More technique which means that by the time we get into the swing of things I should have amazing paddling skills. I was happy to have Caro join us and also very pleased to see how full our Gingerbread Crew boat was. It was heartening after last year's low attendance records.
Wednesday was not as bad as expected during the day but the practice was cerytainly tough on my morale. I paddled on the left (at the coach's suggestion) and had a really tough time keeping technique and timing under control. Not only was I displeased with my performance but one of my new team members rudely pointed out one of my shortcomings...this did not help my confidence but I think I've mostly gotten over it by this point. My pride was rather wounded. *sigh* I think I'm in for a rough ride this Summer. Let's hope I don't regret getting onto an advanced team.
My ears are nearly nothing but white noise.
I do not mention this in order to complain about my clearly damaged eardrums but to recommend a band and to urge you to attend their concert if it is at all humanly possible.
The music is nearly indefinable (trip-hop/electronica/rap/acid jazz...) and it certainly had me dancing.
You can hear a few of their tunes on their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/beastsound
And their show was raw energy yet tremendous musical & visual polish. I usually like to listen to a band before attending their concert so that their music is at least somewhat familiar but even free of mental preparation, I was instantly entranced.
I'm tired and my ears are buzzing but I have a grin on my face. :)
Their next show in Montreal is on April 23rd... Get tickets if they haven't sold out yet!
For the full newsletter and more... go here!
Weird Words: Maieutic /mI'ju:tIk/
----------------------------------------
Bringing a person's latent ideas into clear consciousness.
The maieutic method is Socratic: a person is engaged in a dialogue
by a questioner until frustration caused by challenges to his ideas
leads him to dissatisfaction with his settled convictions and makes
him refine his views. In practice, of course, the questioner knows
the answers already and leads the dialogue by supplying clues to
allow the other person to work them out.
The word is from Greek "maieuesthai", to act as a midwife, from
"maia", a midwife. Socrates compared himself to a philosophical
midwife, who through his questioning could induce the delivery of
superior understanding in the other person, because the knowledge
was already present in that person's mind.
Though the word is first recorded in the seventeenth century, it
has become very much more common in modern times, especially in
discussions of philosophy, education and psychotherapy.
- Mood: amused
Boskone 2009 Bone Marrow Drive in memory of Emru Townsend
Another way fandom can help save lives - It's just a cheek swab to register| Host: | |
| Type: | |
| Network: | Global |
| Date: | Saturday, February 14, 2009 |
| Time: | 10:00am - 6:00pm |
| Location: | Westin Waterfront Hotel |
| Street: | 425 Summer Street |
| Email: |
Description
When someone needs a bone marrow transplant and none of their family members are a match, the registry searches for a donor whose tissue type profile is compatible. 70% of people requiring a transplant need an unrelated donor.
We are not wise, we humankind,
who live a little time and die.
What can we do against the night
but weep, and rage, and question why?
For what are we but bone and blood,
and speaking voice and loving heart?
We share what help and hope we may
Together now, before we part.
But if we do not speak, or love,
or offer blood, or bone, to save
another breathing human life
who'll live to love because we gave...
what are we then but cold, alone,
the chilling blood, the empty bone?
- Jo Walton, Boskone 46 Author Guest of Honour
Representatives of the National Marrow Donor Program and volunteers from the fannish community will be running an information table and registry drive. Registration itself is simple and painless: all you have to do is swab your cheek and fill out a form. To register you must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in general good health.
Legislators in several US states have passed laws that make it mandatory for most insurance companies operating in these states to pay the cost of registration. Please bring your health insurance card with you. If you live in RI, NH, or MA you can register at this event at no cost.
More than 35,000 patients per year, many of them children, are diagnosed with diseases treatable by marrow or stem cell transplant. These diseases include leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers and genetic diseases.
A person looking for a stem cell match may find one potential donor in a pool of 20,000, or 1,000,000, or more. The most likely match for someone is a person of the same or a similar ethnic background. No one is guaranteed a match, regardless of background, but ethnic minorities are especially underrepresented and patients have even less chance of finding a matching donor, since ethnicity plays a critical role in increased chnces of matching. Then they have to hope that person is on the registry. You might be the match necessary to save a life.
Many people do not consider donating because they may not know they can help, but also because they have misconceptions about the donation process. The drive is a great venue for getting your questions answered.
The inspiration for this drive is the thousands of people who are waiting on any given day for a donor.
One of them was Emru Townsend, a fan and critic. Instead of writing about animation, comics, and technology, last year he spent his time writing about how people could save his life, or that of someone just like him at healemru.com. This drive is in his memory.
Even if you are not eligible to give blood, you may be eligible to be a bone marrow donor, so please do not select yourself out of the process if you are interested.
If you register at the drive, consider getting a membership and enjoying the convention who were nice enough to host us!
We are not wise, we humankind,
who live a little time and die.
What can we do against the night
but weep, and rage, and question why?
For what are we but bone and blood,
and speaking voice and loving heart?
We share what help and hope we may
Together now, before we part.
But if we do not speak, or love,
or offer blood, or bone, to save
another breathing human life
who'll live to love because we gave...
what are we then but cold, alone,
the chilling blood, the empty bone?
- Jo Walton, Boskone 46 Author Guest of Honour
Representatives of the National Marrow Donor Program and volunteers from the fannish community will be running an information table and registry drive. Registration itself is simple and painless: all you have to do is swab your cheek and fill out a form. To register you must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in general good health.
Legislators in several US states have passed laws that make it mandatory for most insurance companies operating in these states to pay the cost of registration. Please bring your health insurance card with you. If you live in RI, NH, or MA you can register at this event at no cost.
More than 35,000 patients per year, many of them children, are diagnosed with diseases treatable by marrow or stem cell transplant. These diseases include leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers and genetic diseases.
A person looking for a stem cell match may find one potential donor in a pool of 20,000, or 1,000,000, or more. The most likely match for someone is a person of the same or a similar ethnic background. No one is guaranteed a match, regardless of background, but ethnic minorities are especially underrepresented and patients have even less chance of finding a matching donor, since ethnicity plays a critical role in increased chnces of matching. Then they have to hope that person is on the registry. You might be the match necessary to save a life.
Many people do not consider donating because they may not know they can help, but also because they have misconceptions about the donation process. The drive is a great venue for getting your questions answered.
The inspiration for this drive is the thousands of people who are waiting on any given day for a donor.
One of them was Emru Townsend, a fan and critic. Instead of writing about animation, comics, and technology, last year he spent his time writing about how people could save his life, or that of someone just like him at healemru.com. This drive is in his memory.
Even if you are not eligible to give blood, you may be eligible to be a bone marrow donor, so please do not select yourself out of the process if you are interested.
If you register at the drive, consider getting a membership and enjoying the convention who were nice enough to host us!
Dark Pines Under Water
From The Shadow-Maker
Macmillan, Toronto - 1972
Macmillan, Toronto - 1972
This land like a mirror turns you inward Explorer, you tell yourself this is not what you came for But the dark pines of your mind dip deeper |
Here is the original invitation.
And here the place through which I was drawn into the web.
A beautiful tradition and a wonderful way of celebrating Imbolc! Any excuse is good when it comes to sharing poetry with my friends...
Feel free to copy the following to your blog and spread the word. Let poetry bless the blogosphere once again!
And here the place through which I was drawn into the web.
A beautiful tradition and a wonderful way of celebrating Imbolc! Any excuse is good when it comes to sharing poetry with my friends...
Feel free to copy the following to your blog and spread the word. Let poetry bless the blogosphere once again!
WHAT: A Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading
WHEN: Anytime February 2, 2009
WHERE: Your blog
WHY: To celebrate the Feast of Brigid, aka Groundhog Day
HOW: Select a poem you like - by a favorite poet or one of your own - to post February 2nd.
RSVP: If you plan to publish, feel free to leave a comment and link on this post. Last year when the call went out there was more poetry in cyberspace than I could keep track of. So, link to whoever you hear about this from and a mighty web of poetry will be spun.
Feel free to pass this invitation on to any and all bloggers.
http://www.rebound-designs.com/
(found by way of http://www.inkygirl.com/)
Purses made from used hardbound books! I'm such a girl...
Hobbes has a a new storytelling website with (so far) two very awesome stories to which you can listen. The musical accompaniement really adds a nice touch too!
Check it out whether you know Hobbes or not is of no consequence. He's an excellent storyteller and his telling of La Befana is one of my favorite Christmas-y stories.
shorteningtheroad.blogspot.com/
Hmm...maybe I should put the "You Don't Know Jack" stories on my iPod. It might be cool to have them come up when I'm in a shuffle mood.
Mr. Bunny looked like he needed happy food when he left this morning so I decided to go through with my loose plan of making some sort of soup with that butternut squash that has been sitting on the counter.
I mostly play fast and loose with my ingredients and quantities but here is the list of the ingredients I used this time around:
-Lots of yellow onions (7 of them...)
-3 medium sized sweet potatoes
-5 carrots (the ones that were left in the fridge after my latest "ginger+carrot+pork loin=delicious" stir fry)
-1 butternut squash
-A bit of concentrated chicken broth (ran out...I would normally use broth instead of adding salt)
-sea salt (to taste)
-powdered ginger
-Loads of the Peppermaster's Mild Green Curry sauce (in case Miss Brenda might like to partake :P) Contains loads of ginger and a nice blend of hot peppers that won't make your eyes water.
-Fresh garlic (3 cloves)
-1 can of coconut milk
When I serve the soup I will grind fresh black pepper over the bowls so as to offset the sweetness of this particular blend. (Crusty bread, butter and perhaps a bit of sharp cheese will be served too)
If you haven't heard of the Peppermaster before...shame on you! Go check out their website. At the moment we have their Mild Green Curry, their Jerk Curry (I think that this is the fourth bottle we purchase for our own use), their General Tao's Szechuan and their Bahamas BBQ.
http://www.peppermaster.com/
- Location:the kitchen
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:Shuffled iPod music
My clothing woes are not really what I wanted to write about today so I'll quit before I start thinking about my hair. (!)
Convocation, despite its enormous potential for boredom, is something that I am quite keen on attending. It marks the end of a three year journey through the halls of academia. I have to admit that I still have many moments during which I question my choice to take this path that does not lead directly to financial security. Don't get me wrong, I do not regret the time spent in class and the time spent reading and studying. I love school and I love university. In many ways, I miss it already. However, I am also well aware of the fact that thinking and reading will not pay my mortgage or my debts.
I guess I need the finality of a ceremony to mark the fact that despite my frequent slacker-ish tendencies and all that time not spent reading more articles, I deserve a Master's Degree. I did this degree for my own benefit but it will be nice to be acknowledged in front of so many people (some of them my friends). I did work hard and I have changed/grown in the past years.
At the end of last year I stated that I was ready to grow up now. This did not mean that I was prepared for all of the changes that barreled down upon me throughout 2008...but I think that I greeted the majority of them with at least some amount of poise. I used to be fond of saying that I didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up. I haven't really said that this year. I may not know exactly what it is that I want but I have a better idea of what my goals are and I think that I am now more willing to accept the challenges ahead.
Think of my convocation as a level-up. I'll try not to giggle about that one during the ceremony. Now let's hope that I don't end up crying instead.
- Mood: contemplative
- Music:The Future by Michael Franti & Spearhead
Last night Emru Townsend passed away.
I knew him through his sister first and foremost. I seldom met him yet by this point I feel as though I have lost a close friend. I am saddened and humbled by the incredible devotion of his family and the mountains that were moved by them not just in the hopes of finding a donor for him but in the hopes of raising overall awareness of the Bone Marrow Registry.
If you haven't done so yet, please go and visit: http://www.healemru.com/index-en.php
The page was created in order to get people aware of the issues and to encourage them to register. I urge you once more to do so if you are elligible and to pass the information along to someone else (even if it's just one person) regardless of whether you can donate or not.
Rest well Emru. I hope to meet you again in some other life because the love that you inspired in others is of the kind that changes the world for the better.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
kino_kid ! I'm thoroughly exhausted today but so very glad to have been at such an awesome concert with you! I've been listening to the two albums I got last night in a loop. (Ok so far it's only been All Rebel Rockers...but it has been on repeat.)Last night was amazing. I instantly enjoyed every song despite having only heard two or three before. I'm an instant fan of the song lyrics, the music and the attitude. The opening act was great too! (The Soliloquies of Sound)
The bone marrow registry that is...
Here is the link: http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Dono
Do it if you are eligible and tell someone else about this too! Even if you cannot donate for one reason or another, you can contribute through your words and encouragement.
If you want to find out more, the following website makes many things clear: http://www.healemru.com/index-en.php
I know that I've made similar posts in the past...but I think this is something that bears repeating.
________________________________________
I just want to thank those that attended our Halloween party on Saturday. Mr. Bunny and I are overjoyed that it was such a success. We counted 47 attendees in our home! (Not counting the neighbour's drop-by...that would make it 50!) We love throwing parties so it's a huge relief to know that we have so many friends and that they all fit inside the place.
________________________________________
I'm also insanely excited about this coming Saturday...I just purchased tickets for the Montreal Opera's presentation of Les Pecheurs de Perles! We'll be in the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier's nosebleeds but anyone who has spent an evening there knows that it actually provides a nice view of the stage. Granted the details of the costumes are a bit harder to see but it didn't stop us from being amazed when we saw Turandot (my first live opera ever) and I expect that it will not stop us from fully enjoying Bizet's music.
I also purchased tickets for Verdi's Macbeth and Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. I'm still debating Lucia Di Lamermoor...Mr Bunny thinks it'll be overly dramatic and since he'll be paying full price from now on, he's being more choosy... Maybe
un_roseau will be willing to go with me. We can leave him at home for once. ;)- Mood: excited
The Month of November is National Marrow Awareness Month in the US.
November 3-9, 2008 is Canadian Stem Cell Awareness Week.
November 17-23, 2008 is Anthony Nolan Week in the UK.
So let's try and build some awareness!
1. 70% of people requiring a stem cell transplant need an unrelated donor.
The first choice is a family member, but more people will have to rely on a stranger.2. Register by providing a blood sample in Quebec or the UK, or a cheek swab sample in the rest of Canada or the US.
In the US, UK and most of Canada, you can even fill in your registration online and get a kit sent to your home.This is a free service in many countries, and in the US, there are ways to register for free.
3. Donation is safe, fast, and not risky.
You never donate stem cells or bone marrow at risk to your own life. Whatever is donated replenishes itself naturally in the body.4. There are 2 ways to do it.
70% of people will donate in a process that takes a few hours and is similar to donating blood. For a few days leading up to the extraction process, the donor receives injections to produce additional stem cells in the body.30% of people will donate by having liquid marrow extracted from within the back of the pelvic bone.
5. Many people cannot find matches.
Giving blood is important, and people who need transplants (in addition to many other people) need blood to survive. There are 8 blood types, but several million combinations of possible human leukocyte antigen (HLA) profiles - 150 billion different possibilities in theory.Where to go for more information:
OneMatch
(Canada) free Hema-Quebec
(Quebec) freeNational Marrow Donor Program
(US) free in person if you are in a minority donor pool, subsidized or free at some bone marrow drives, free online registration with promo codeDKMS Americas
(US) Find out how to register without leaving home for free or by paying what you canAnthony Nolan Trust
(UK) freeI'm sick.
::headdesk::
