Abi is looking forward to seeing
Do
Ra
Sca
Co-co (or is that cocoa)
Ed
Nana
Papa
and Papa
Those would be
Dorion
Veronica
Scott
Corey
Ed
Nana
Pa-Pere
and Grandpa.
We've been looking at her scrapbook together and talking about family. She remembers Nana easily - since she was recently visiting. She recognizes her papas, but hasn't had the same amount of time with them. When grandpa was here, he didn't consistently refer to himself as Papa/Grandpa the way my mom called herself Nana. However, with pictures in front of her, she enjoys pointing out all these people (sometimes with prompting, sometimes on her own) along with mom and dad and Abi/baby (depending on how old she was in the photo).
If I mention any of these people, she fetches her scrapbook and opens to the family page to point them out.
I'm excited to see her reaction when she gets to see all these people in person again.
It's also made me realize we don't have enough pictures around of them. I aim to fix that with the next scrapbook - which I've started sorting through/uploading to print digital photos for.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Chipped Bowl
My bowls are chipped. Some of the saucers are broken, maybe a small plate or two as well.
I remember when I got my dishes. I was about 14 and I had asked for these for a gift. I wanted to be ready to move out when it was time (many years later...) I imagined how great it would be to move out and have a complete matching set of dishes. Over the years I also collected my cutlery, knives, cups, towels, etc - all in preparation of THE DAY when I moved out.
Then I moved out (and by out I mean far from the Prairies, out to Newfoundland) and I was so proud to have my dishes (along with the rest of my household items).
Here I am 7.5 years later and I'm ready to part with the broken set of dishes. It's not simply that some of the bowls are chipped and some plates are broken. It's not simply that I'd rather nicer dishes (I'm thinking handmade pottery that doesn't have to match perfectly). I realize that these dishes represent moving out on my own, my first steps out into the world, and that period of limbo as a graduate student.
I am ready to be done with all that! I'm ready to finish my PhD. I'm ready to move on from "first steps" to...
and that's where I draw a blank.
What exactly is it I imagine moving on to?
"real life"? What's more real than my life right now?
Is my life going to change drastically when I have a document that says PhD on it?
Oh, one dreams it will, but I know it won't. I'll simply be entering a new state of limbo - she who waits for tenure. Assuming I can even find an institution that still offers tenure in my field...
I'd be happy just to have full time employment. Or maybe I don't even want full time employment any more... I don't know now. Maybe I want to balance my life at home with my career in academia better. Maybe I don't want all parts of my life tied to the university. Some parts, certainly, but I also highly value and enjoy raising a family. I don't know what that would look like or how that works exactly? I know some of my peers would look down upon it. And others will value those choices. Is it feasible in practice? I don't know.
That's the future. Right now I've got to deal with these chipped bowls and this dissertation that hangs over me. I'll look into the pottery and other changes when this is all done.
I remember when I got my dishes. I was about 14 and I had asked for these for a gift. I wanted to be ready to move out when it was time (many years later...) I imagined how great it would be to move out and have a complete matching set of dishes. Over the years I also collected my cutlery, knives, cups, towels, etc - all in preparation of THE DAY when I moved out.
Then I moved out (and by out I mean far from the Prairies, out to Newfoundland) and I was so proud to have my dishes (along with the rest of my household items).
Here I am 7.5 years later and I'm ready to part with the broken set of dishes. It's not simply that some of the bowls are chipped and some plates are broken. It's not simply that I'd rather nicer dishes (I'm thinking handmade pottery that doesn't have to match perfectly). I realize that these dishes represent moving out on my own, my first steps out into the world, and that period of limbo as a graduate student.
I am ready to be done with all that! I'm ready to finish my PhD. I'm ready to move on from "first steps" to...
and that's where I draw a blank.
What exactly is it I imagine moving on to?
"real life"? What's more real than my life right now?
Is my life going to change drastically when I have a document that says PhD on it?
Oh, one dreams it will, but I know it won't. I'll simply be entering a new state of limbo - she who waits for tenure. Assuming I can even find an institution that still offers tenure in my field...
I'd be happy just to have full time employment. Or maybe I don't even want full time employment any more... I don't know now. Maybe I want to balance my life at home with my career in academia better. Maybe I don't want all parts of my life tied to the university. Some parts, certainly, but I also highly value and enjoy raising a family. I don't know what that would look like or how that works exactly? I know some of my peers would look down upon it. And others will value those choices. Is it feasible in practice? I don't know.
That's the future. Right now I've got to deal with these chipped bowls and this dissertation that hangs over me. I'll look into the pottery and other changes when this is all done.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Collision Inconveniences
The inconveniences incurred by the recent collision continue to waste my time. (And so I thought I'd spend some more time writing about them...). I also thought some of my friends who may be in the same boat I was a few simple days ago - sans accident - would benefit from sharing what I have learned. So let me tell the story again from a slightly different perspective.
Firstly, I should say that while I am still annoyed by the inconvenience of the accident caused by the young man who was in too much of a hurry to wait behind the bus (and subsequently wasn't paying proper attention to the traffic he was merging into), he was polite and I was impressed that he actually picked up his "litter" (bumper pieces). I doubt he thought he could just glue them back on. When we spoke on the phone to exchange further information, he continued to be polite, despite the fact that while I was also trying to be polite, I'm certain I had a "tone" to my voice that could easily have fed rude behaviour on his part. Hey, I was annoyed and rightfully so IMNSHO.
The reason we had to talk further on the phone was because we failed to gather all the information we needed on the scene. I knew enough to check the damage, get his license and registration info, and make sure the car was his. I also tried to get witnesses (but none came forth at the scene.) There were things I missed, however, that I didn't know to get or forgot. I realized after that I DO have a collision reporting sheet in the glove box with MY car registration info, but since the other driver never asked to see it I didn't pull it out. He chose to get my phone number and call me (after class I presume). If I were ever involved in an accident again, I'd be sure to pull out that sheet and fill in the details. So, dear readers, if you don't have a collision reporting sheet in your vehicle already, get one! You never know when you might need it - even if it's as a witness. Maybe the other drivers don't have one. Here's an example.
After the original inconvenience of the collision (good thing I was running early for my meeting), comes the myriad other inconveniences (not necessarily in this order).
1) Reporting it to my insurance agency and making multiple phone calls (in part because I didn't have all the necessary information about the other driver's insurance and car, but also because I should have gone to the police first).
2) Driving to the middle of nowhere (by city standards) to make my report at the regional collision reporting center. (Notably, the information given to me by the police officer did not include his badge number which the insurance company wanted. Fortunately, I'd written that information down before he handed me his card.)
3) Shopping for a new car seat for Abi. It seems such a waste to throw out the otherwise almost-new car seat! Let's be realistic - it wasn't damaged. My car car was barely damaged. I could have damaged the car seat more by putting it in and out of cars.
4) Installing the new car seat. You know, opening it all up, getting the straps in order, sizing it. Then I stripped the original car seat down so we could keep the cover. Now when the cover needs to be washed, I can slip cover 2 on immediately. (The only benefit to this whole ordeal that I can see.)
5) Bringing the original car seat and its receipt to my insurance agent so they can write me a cheque (to be sent...) for my new car seat and properly dispose of the original car seat.
6) Visiting the autobody shop so they can inspect the car, give the estimate to the insurance company, order the new bumper, take pictures, etc. (At least none of this part comes out of my pocket.)
7) I still have to get an appointment to replace the bumper, bring the car in, get a rental if needed (although how long does it take to switch-out bumpers?) or wait around the autobody shop.
8) Will likely have to get some massage therapy (oh, darn). I'm hesitant to attribute any of my current aches to the accident since I was feeling achy already. My wrists hurt the first day, but they seem fine now.
All this because of an accident caused by someone else. A great inconvenience.
I complain, and yet I am well aware that it is ONLY an inconvenience. It could be much worse. There could have been a serious injury. Abi could have been in the car. I could have been smashed into the car ahead of me or some student fresh off the bus running across the street. A million things could have made it more than an inconvenience.
But hey, it IS a bunch of inconveniences, none of which I would have to endure and waste time on if the other driver had been paying attention to traffic. Insurance companies don't pay for my time, gas, lunches bought on the go, etc running around town taking care of all these things. So I'm bitter. :P
That's life. There are often inconveniences. We deal with them and move on.
Moving on... I will soon upload THE CUTEST EVER video of Abi. Wait until you see what she's been practicing for Yule... My family should recognize it... Hmm, I should send the video to Mrs. Brown too...
There will be a part 2 Yule video to follow. But you'll have to wait at least 6 more weeks for that!
Firstly, I should say that while I am still annoyed by the inconvenience of the accident caused by the young man who was in too much of a hurry to wait behind the bus (and subsequently wasn't paying proper attention to the traffic he was merging into), he was polite and I was impressed that he actually picked up his "litter" (bumper pieces). I doubt he thought he could just glue them back on. When we spoke on the phone to exchange further information, he continued to be polite, despite the fact that while I was also trying to be polite, I'm certain I had a "tone" to my voice that could easily have fed rude behaviour on his part. Hey, I was annoyed and rightfully so IMNSHO.
The reason we had to talk further on the phone was because we failed to gather all the information we needed on the scene. I knew enough to check the damage, get his license and registration info, and make sure the car was his. I also tried to get witnesses (but none came forth at the scene.) There were things I missed, however, that I didn't know to get or forgot. I realized after that I DO have a collision reporting sheet in the glove box with MY car registration info, but since the other driver never asked to see it I didn't pull it out. He chose to get my phone number and call me (after class I presume). If I were ever involved in an accident again, I'd be sure to pull out that sheet and fill in the details. So, dear readers, if you don't have a collision reporting sheet in your vehicle already, get one! You never know when you might need it - even if it's as a witness. Maybe the other drivers don't have one. Here's an example.
After the original inconvenience of the collision (good thing I was running early for my meeting), comes the myriad other inconveniences (not necessarily in this order).
1) Reporting it to my insurance agency and making multiple phone calls (in part because I didn't have all the necessary information about the other driver's insurance and car, but also because I should have gone to the police first).
2) Driving to the middle of nowhere (by city standards) to make my report at the regional collision reporting center. (Notably, the information given to me by the police officer did not include his badge number which the insurance company wanted. Fortunately, I'd written that information down before he handed me his card.)
3) Shopping for a new car seat for Abi. It seems such a waste to throw out the otherwise almost-new car seat! Let's be realistic - it wasn't damaged. My car car was barely damaged. I could have damaged the car seat more by putting it in and out of cars.
4) Installing the new car seat. You know, opening it all up, getting the straps in order, sizing it. Then I stripped the original car seat down so we could keep the cover. Now when the cover needs to be washed, I can slip cover 2 on immediately. (The only benefit to this whole ordeal that I can see.)
5) Bringing the original car seat and its receipt to my insurance agent so they can write me a cheque (to be sent...) for my new car seat and properly dispose of the original car seat.
6) Visiting the autobody shop so they can inspect the car, give the estimate to the insurance company, order the new bumper, take pictures, etc. (At least none of this part comes out of my pocket.)
7) I still have to get an appointment to replace the bumper, bring the car in, get a rental if needed (although how long does it take to switch-out bumpers?) or wait around the autobody shop.
8) Will likely have to get some massage therapy (oh, darn). I'm hesitant to attribute any of my current aches to the accident since I was feeling achy already. My wrists hurt the first day, but they seem fine now.
All this because of an accident caused by someone else. A great inconvenience.
I complain, and yet I am well aware that it is ONLY an inconvenience. It could be much worse. There could have been a serious injury. Abi could have been in the car. I could have been smashed into the car ahead of me or some student fresh off the bus running across the street. A million things could have made it more than an inconvenience.
But hey, it IS a bunch of inconveniences, none of which I would have to endure and waste time on if the other driver had been paying attention to traffic. Insurance companies don't pay for my time, gas, lunches bought on the go, etc running around town taking care of all these things. So I'm bitter. :P
That's life. There are often inconveniences. We deal with them and move on.
Moving on... I will soon upload THE CUTEST EVER video of Abi. Wait until you see what she's been practicing for Yule... My family should recognize it... Hmm, I should send the video to Mrs. Brown too...
There will be a part 2 Yule video to follow. But you'll have to wait at least 6 more weeks for that!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Not a good week.
First Abi was sick, then Robin, then me. We're all at the last stages of recovery. Maybe it was H1N1... hmmm.... or just the regular ol' flu. Mostly it was congestion and aches and fever on my part (as is my usual MO when I'm sick). It was pretty short lived thankfully - over the weekend for me.
So we recover from that and what happens today? I drop Abi at daycare, head to a meeting near the university and get rear-ended by a student rushing to get out of the lane with a bus stopped. Incidentally, he needed the left lane anyhow to turn in half a block, but that's not why he was changing lanes. Really, he should have already been in the left lane if he knew he was going to turn at the end of the block. I hate when people leave changing lanes to the last minute. But changing lanes at the very last minute to avoid being behind a bus just so you don't have to slow down, and not cluing into the fact that all the cars in front of you are also changing out of that lane and thus causing everyone in the left to slow down and stop - well that's plain stupid driving.
Fortunately I'm not a stupid driver and I wasn't riding the rear-end of the car stopping in front of me, so I was not pushed into that car.
The cars behind him drove off and no one on the street was paying attention to be a witness. Oh well, the evidence is in my bumper (literally) and it was a pretty simple situation to describe.
Fortunately Abi was not in the car or I would have been freaking out at the driver. Nobody was injured - except poor Matilda's bumper. And his car's bumper, but I don't care about his car. Matilda received a souvenir piece of his bumper lodged in the cracks he made. I'm leaving it there until the collision center sees the car later today.
What a pain in the arse! Now I have to make reports, go to the collision center, yadda yadda, all because of some other idiot.
The important part is that everyone is okay.
So we recover from that and what happens today? I drop Abi at daycare, head to a meeting near the university and get rear-ended by a student rushing to get out of the lane with a bus stopped. Incidentally, he needed the left lane anyhow to turn in half a block, but that's not why he was changing lanes. Really, he should have already been in the left lane if he knew he was going to turn at the end of the block. I hate when people leave changing lanes to the last minute. But changing lanes at the very last minute to avoid being behind a bus just so you don't have to slow down, and not cluing into the fact that all the cars in front of you are also changing out of that lane and thus causing everyone in the left to slow down and stop - well that's plain stupid driving.
Fortunately I'm not a stupid driver and I wasn't riding the rear-end of the car stopping in front of me, so I was not pushed into that car.
The cars behind him drove off and no one on the street was paying attention to be a witness. Oh well, the evidence is in my bumper (literally) and it was a pretty simple situation to describe.
Fortunately Abi was not in the car or I would have been freaking out at the driver. Nobody was injured - except poor Matilda's bumper. And his car's bumper, but I don't care about his car. Matilda received a souvenir piece of his bumper lodged in the cracks he made. I'm leaving it there until the collision center sees the car later today.
What a pain in the arse! Now I have to make reports, go to the collision center, yadda yadda, all because of some other idiot.
The important part is that everyone is okay.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Montreal
We're back home following a whirlwind trip to Montreal where I attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion and we visited with family in Montreal. Plus we added a special stop just north of Kingston to see family friends and deliver a blanket I made with the help of some friends.
Mom joined us in Montreal, so we picked her up on the way past Toronto airport. Visited friends at the old schoolhouse. Made it into Montreal that evening after a long day on the road. Abi was kept occupied with a new sticker book and her dolls when she wasn't sleeping. While in Montreal we saw the sights and ate a lot of good food. We visited with my aunt and cousins, Robin's cousins, and of course my colleagues at the conference. Rounded it out with some shopping, which also required getting lost trying to find a local yarn shop. Robin wanted to give up, but we insisted that the time lost so far would only have been in vain if we didn't find the yarn shop!
Speaking of driving in Montreal - never again! OMGs, I have seen some bad driving habits, and every region seems to have its own quirks shared by residents - but Montreal is the worst I've encountered so far. First of all, the roads are nearly impossible to navigate, the signs are poorly marked, the construction is horrendous and there are no marked detours, most roads are one-way and may randomly change directions - but the worst part was the rampant double parking - people randomly stopped in the middle of a busy road all over the place. Don't even bother driving in the right hand lane beside the parking lane. Add to that the fact that the coordinates for our destinations were almost all wrong in the GPS and we wasted a lot of time on the roads.
For photos see the flickr account, which will hopefully finish uploading soon...
Mom joined us in Montreal, so we picked her up on the way past Toronto airport. Visited friends at the old schoolhouse. Made it into Montreal that evening after a long day on the road. Abi was kept occupied with a new sticker book and her dolls when she wasn't sleeping. While in Montreal we saw the sights and ate a lot of good food. We visited with my aunt and cousins, Robin's cousins, and of course my colleagues at the conference. Rounded it out with some shopping, which also required getting lost trying to find a local yarn shop. Robin wanted to give up, but we insisted that the time lost so far would only have been in vain if we didn't find the yarn shop!
Speaking of driving in Montreal - never again! OMGs, I have seen some bad driving habits, and every region seems to have its own quirks shared by residents - but Montreal is the worst I've encountered so far. First of all, the roads are nearly impossible to navigate, the signs are poorly marked, the construction is horrendous and there are no marked detours, most roads are one-way and may randomly change directions - but the worst part was the rampant double parking - people randomly stopped in the middle of a busy road all over the place. Don't even bother driving in the right hand lane beside the parking lane. Add to that the fact that the coordinates for our destinations were almost all wrong in the GPS and we wasted a lot of time on the roads.
For photos see the flickr account, which will hopefully finish uploading soon...
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Halloween 2009
Abi, her grandpa, Robin and I had great fun attending a birthday party on Halloween and trick-or-treating with friends. Abi took to going door-to-door like a fish to water. She quickly caught on that people were putting stuff in her bag. She didn't care what the stuff was (nor did she know that she won't be eating any of it...), but that's not important to her. It was stuff to put in her bag!
As you can see, Abi was a pumpkin and Robin was R2D2 - inspired by the hat I was making him for Yule but managed to finish in time for Samhain. I was a Yule/Christmas witch - not my most creative costume, but any time I can find an excuse to wear a witch hat is fun for me.
We also have new neighbours. This is our neighbour. Seriously - this was their house last night. Anyone who is artistic enough to build their own paper-mache (or similar - this is NOT store bought / inflatable) witch and put it in their window on Samhain is cool by me.
As you can see, Abi was a pumpkin and Robin was R2D2 - inspired by the hat I was making him for Yule but managed to finish in time for Samhain. I was a Yule/Christmas witch - not my most creative costume, but any time I can find an excuse to wear a witch hat is fun for me.
We also have new neighbours. This is our neighbour. Seriously - this was their house last night. Anyone who is artistic enough to build their own paper-mache (or similar - this is NOT store bought / inflatable) witch and put it in their window on Samhain is cool by me.
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