I would list some things, but rather rant about that which is foremost on my mind, the same thing I think of every winter around this time (and continue to think for months). People were not meant to live here. Why they do, I won't know for a while. Why people think Canada is such a wonderful place to live is beyond me. But perhaps is just the Seasonal Affective Disorder coming though in these bitter bitter days.
As you can see, the forcast for today is a beautiful and clear sunny day, if it weren't for that pesky negative. Yes, -33°C folks! For those of you who don't know what that feels like, imagine stepping into your freezer naked. It's colder than that. And then there's the wonderful wintry addition of Wind Chill. On the open prarie, there isn't much to stop the wind, and as it rushes the cold air past your exposed cheeks, the temperature often feels much colder than -33.
I will admit that since moving to the city Edmonton which is closer to the mountains, winters have generally been warmer than back in Saskatchewan. That won't stop me from thinking every winter that I need to move somewhere warmer. This week, the only place in Canada that would be is the west coast. Now just to get relocated....
Another thing this terrible cold has brought is indoor wind. The underground pedways are the worst, anytime a door opens between the cold outside and the warmth inside, a gale-force wind greets you in the face. Ugh.
And yet somehow, millions of people live here, through weather like this, year after year. And I am one of them.
Writing email in a web browser, I pause to think about what to say next. I leave the email alone for a while. But when I click on a link my email goes away into the void of the internet. I wonder if there's some kind of "things that didn't make it" place on the internet, or if it's just floating around. It'd be nice if there was a "Data Lost and Found" out there somewhere, or a "safe-house" for data that has no destination, no home. A place for the vagabonds and unwanted, the undeliverable messages. One can only hope, for the sake of the email...
Writing email in a web browser, I pause to think about what to say next. I leave the email alone for a while. But when I click on a link my email goes away into the void of the internet. I wonder if there's some kind of "things that didn't make it" place on the internet, or if it's just floating around. It'd be nice if there was a "Data Lost and Found" out there somewhere, or a "safe-house" for data that has no destination, no home. A place for the vagabonds and unwanted, the undeliverable messages. One can only hope, for the sake of the email...
Not yet, but I'm on my way! Last night was my first Japanese class. I'm taking it through the Faculty of Extension, so it's cheaper, it's only once a week at night, and there's no exam at the end. Does school get any better?
It was great to go back to school, and since leaving I've realized that I really miss it. It was the best time I've had in my life and I want to go bad as soon as possible. However, I really really dislike being in debt, possibly more than I dislike not being in school. But as soon as those debts are paid off, look out world! I'm going back to school!
So why learn Japanese? I'm really not sure, other than I have a small start in the language. I know at least three other people who've learned it and have a few Japanese friends. And I want to go there eventually. I have to admit that, like Greece, I think it's the food that attracts me to the culture. And speaking the language, or at least being able to read a menu and signs will be helpful, when I get there someday.
Since I started working all day in front of a computer, I've been going to the gym. At first, it may seem like I'm one of those people with a New Year's resolution to 'get fit' because I bought my membership on December 30th. But it was just coincidence, I swear!
My plan so far has been working. As much as I hate going to the gym, I manage to get there at least 3 times a week. Last week was a bit less because of the impromptu trip home, but going strait there after work seems to do the trick. I tell myself: go everyday that I'm not doing something else, so unless I'm working at Badass Jack's, going to night class or yoga, you should be able to find me at the gym after work.
I don't like working out, though. I'd rather actually be doing something, like rollerblading, swimming, biking through the river valley or hiking up a mountain. Unfortunately, I can't do these things in the middle of winter (so, basically for 8 months of the year), so to keep active, I head to the gym to use the Elliptical Machine. I like this because you can move your arms, unlike the stationary bike, and it doesn't wreck my knees like running would.
When I first started going, almost a month ago, I hadn't been to the gym in 8 months. I had been working 7-hour days on my feet, so I didn't feel the need (or the cash flow) to join a gym. I figured I would be sore and tired out from working out, but in almost a month, I've felt the aching of muscles working only once or twice, regardless of how hard I've pushed myself.
Last night was my first Yoga class in almost 9 months, and though I've been trying to do some on my own, having the instruction is much better. My instructor will give wonderful suggestions, and will often adjust our bodies so that we can feel a pose more deeply, the way it was meant to feel. Again, although I worked hard, I don't feel stiff and sore.
So I wonder, am I really pushing myself hard enough? Or am I just in better shape than I thought? Not that the answer matters much. I'll keep doing what I think is working hard and I know that it is better than nothing.
With the start of an engineering-related job, I recently watched Office Space. Anyone who's seen this movie might remember Milton, the "squirrelly looking guy" who was laid off years ago and didn't even know it. They kept moving his desk, but he managed to keep his stapler: a Red Swingline Stapler, which can now be purchased from thinkgeek.
But I've just recently noticed that I have a Swingline stapler! It's not red, it's square instead of sexy, but it's still Swingline.
I wonder if anyone would notice if I brought in some red nail polish one day....
Today, I noticed the lengthening of daylight for the first time since it supposedly began. We are coming out of our darkness, and with it, we are coming out of winter. This is the beginning of hope for spring. I know there are still wintry days left, but now, noticeably, it has begun. I smile at the end of this gloom.
I've entered the world of Engineering. I am one of those people who gets on the train at the University LRT station, fighting the mob of students rushing to their 8am classes. I didn't get to experience this for the first month I worked, but I will get used to it soon enough, I'm sure.
What can I say about working at EPCOR again? I'm happy to have the job; even if it's not the glamorous ideal of "Engineering" that was insidiously jammed into our brains from the very beginning by our wonderful dean, it's an engineering job, nonetheless. I am an "Engineering Data Analyst," which does imply more than pure data entry. And with the scope of this project, I could be here for a year... maybe longer!
So thank you EPCOR, for giving me a starting point, a foot stool to stand on and elevate me one step higher than the other graduates who are looking for work in this field.
every winter around this time (and continue to think for months). People were not meant to live here. Why they do, I won't know for a while. Why people think Canada is such a wonderful place to live is beyond me. But perhaps is just the Seasonal Affective Disorder coming though in these bitter bitter days. 
