Monday, August 28, 2006

Wisestock 2006

Jai Gibson is an ex-cop turned painter and poet committed to bringing about social change and and the continual betterment of the human spirit [my words]. He is the founder of the Black Lab Studio and currently operates a 'community center' and 'peace farm' in Newcastle Ontario.

Labour Day Weekend marks the largest event to date, an all weekend concert and artisic display hosted at the 'community center' [Lockhart schoolhouse].

Newcastle is about 20 minutes from the cabin/tree farm. We'll be up there this weekend, and will be checking out Wisestock as well! I half thought of getting together some of my creative writing to 'perform' at the event, but I'm just not that organized!

Friday, August 25, 2006

All about me

I took a 'strengths finding test' at my new place of employment. Here are my top 5 strengths:

Input
You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information-words, facts, books, and quotations-or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don't feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It's interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Intellection
You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the "muscles" of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person's feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective.
In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.

Learner
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered-this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences-yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the "getting there."

Restorative
You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing-this
machine, this technique, this person, this company-might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.

Command
Command leads you to take charge. Unlike some people, you feel no discomfort with imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set, you feel restless until you have aligned others with you. You are not frightened by confrontation; rather, you know that confrontation is the first step toward resolution. Whereas others may avoid facing up to life's unpleasantness, you feel compelled to present the facts or the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. You need things to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. You push them to take risks. You may even intimidate them. And while some may resent this, labeling you opinionated, they often willingly hand you the reins. People are drawn toward those who take a stance and
ask them to move in a certain direction. Therefore, people will be drawn to you. You have presence. You have Command.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Sign that you're old #54


The home page of the Old Navy website features an outfit identical to the one you wore to the Much Music Video Dance Party in grade 9.

This struck a cord

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

E. B. White

Late-breaking bucket update

The row along the fence has been steadily decreasing. I can actually see where the fence meets the lawn for most of the yard's perimeter. The remaining buckets contain mostly rock - which we are going to transport to the cabin Labour Day weekend. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Hauntings

Last night I was enjoying a few minutes of alone time with the T.V. when I heard the sound of someone moving around on a leather couch from the empty leather couch across from me. This is the third such incident in the last few weeks. I sat there in horror kind of looking around in hopes of finding some explanation, when the noise changed to a scratching sound so I ran upstairs and got into bed with Evelyn and Cory.

Because...you know...obviously if the three of us are upstairs together in one bed then nothing could possible harm us...

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Buried alive

So here it is Thursday already, and I haven't really accomplished much of anything. I am utterly exhausted - Evelyn hasn't been sleeping well so I'm not getting a solid sleep, I've been a little under the weather, and I turned down a job I would have really loved because I don't want to sacrifice time spent with my family. I don't regret my decision - but it did break my heart a little because it would have been a FABULOUS opportunity. That's OK - there will other jobs like that later in life.

Last night we went to the Optimist Carnival with Sonia, Timmy, Megs, and Kate. Evelyn went on not one, but two pony rides, and down the big blow up slide. She loves horses - and who knows, if we ever move up to Eniskillen maybe she will have one someday.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Soooooooo versatile

In a moment of desparation yesterday, I cut my own hair. I trimmed my bangs, and some of the layers surrounding my face. Cory looked scared when he stuck his head into the bathroom and saw what I was doing.

It's not really straight or anything - but I think it looks funky. And I'll take funk over perfect and boring any day.

Bleh

Odd that I would wake up on Monday feeling like I drank two bottles of red wine, nauseous, and extremely cranky.

Had I known I would feel like this for no apparant reason, I would have drank two bottles of red wine to make it worth my while (well, maybe one bottle and a half).

I think I need a vacation.

About the buckets

So Cory had Sunday off work and I made it our mission to work on ridding the yard of the row upon rows of buckets.

Cory is a bucket boy. It's the farmer in him. I love the farmer in him, but ironically - the obsession with buckets and trying to grow 15 different things just because he has a seed also drives me insane. I appreciate the fact that his thumb is very green -it's just that, well - it's clutter.

So, we moved most of his experiments into the empty flower bed - and arranged them in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Progress!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Cool office. REALLY cool office.

It's neat to work in an old renovated warehouse/factory but MY GOD the air conditioning is on really high and I could use my winter coat and a hot hot cocoa!

Things just keep getting better and better - and after 3 particular incidents that I can pack squarely away in the 'bad luck' category, the good times are finally here and I am loving every minute of it.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

A rainy day in Elora...


We recently spent a day in Elora - checking out the rock face and attempting to get a swim in at the Quarry. Alas...the rain had it's own agenda, and we were forced to embark on yet another rain walk. Good thing Evelyn loves them!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Unsettling

There is something very unsettling about deleting all the files off 1Andrea. I know it's my last day of work, and it's not ABOUT leaving...it's about the feeling that never, ever, have I deleted all the files on my hard drive. It just feels like something one doesn't do.

Well I did it. It's done, and so am I.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

But will there be silliness?

While I am still excited about my new job, I can't help but wonder...will there be silliness at the new office? If not, I suppose there is always msn. My partner in crime at the office wrote this fantastic piece re: my goodbye lunch (one last trip to our all-you-can-eat soup buffet). It was really too good not to share:


Tomorrow it will definitely be hot,
But you know you want what’s in the pot.

Time to tell Andrea that she is great,
To wish her well and celebrate.

We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, what do you say?
We’ll steal some cheese from the buffet.

Come join us at lunch for a good time,
RSVP to me if you don’t mind.