Sunday - I'm at the streak's, house/cat/plantsitting. It's nice because I can stay away from the mother hen for a few days to recover. And prepare for the things that will come this week.
I took a lot of photos this weekend - Canada Day parades and all. I had a good time. The Adman was there with his wife and kids in the parade dressed up as local historical figures. It was adorable. The parade, which was in another town even smaller than this one, was huge. There were a lot of floats, a brigade of Shriners, and twenty old old cars. Vintage is cool.
I didn't get a sunburn, which is good, and I bought a couple of things. I got a frog from indonesia that has wings. They're meant to be protector spirits for dwellings. I'm going to hang him from the ceiling, like everything else in my room at school. I also bought a bracelet and a pair of bobby pins for my grandmother that have african violets preserved in resin on them. I could have bought other things, and I must admit it felt pleasant to spend a little money. I don't get to spend it on much around here.
After more of my journalistic obligations, I went into a nearby small city to get groceries for the week and to hit this bra store that has brand name bras for cheap. I bought two in bright colours. I don't need anymore white.
I was tempted to buy widow... er... what do they call those things? With the garter's attached. Yeah, I was going to buy one of those, but I might go back. It would be fun to have one in my closet.
I don't think the mother hen was too upset at my departure. I went in because I was worried someone might have called. No, no calls. Just her asking if I had breakfast. It was noon. I had been out on an assignment already at that point. Right.
Oh, I have something else to add - a new link. Go check it out. You might enjoy it.
Monday - Ah, having the internet is so nice. I actually get to talk to people online and send ten page long random emails if I want. But on to today's news. (Man, do I feel like a journalist)
The boss is back. His baby is okay. Better than we expected without news. So he's back and being the boss.
I have lots of writing to do. I don't want to do lots of writing. I have too much energy and it's making me crazy!
Today I did an interview with a woman who runs a literacy program here in town. The house I went to take a photo of some of the little kids in the program was scary. It was stark. The walls in the kitchen were bare. They had the wallpaper pulled off, and it still remained in patches, and underneath it was bare drywall. The floors were bare boards. Not hardwood floors, just the kind of floor you would find in an old house if you tore up the floor and the underpadding. But the appliances looked relatively new. The kids were clean, but their hair was kind of messy.
I hate seeing things like that. But I'm glad there are programs out there to help kids who live in environments like that get a good start. The program involves this really nice woman who goes to the families and reads to the kids so they get used to hearing an educated voice read. The woman also does activities with them, and asks what colour the things on the page are, and what they are, and how many there are - things to get the kids involved and learning. I was really glad I got to go and see that, even if I was just the dumb journalist taking a photo.
Other than that, things seem okay. I have stories for Wednesday. I have time to do them, if I work more tonight. I couldn't concentrate today. I wrote an email to one of my friends saying I'll need a mini trampoline for my office (office, right.. cubicle) when I get a real job to work off my nervous writing energy. I usually write in my room in residence, where it's quiet and I can blast the Ramones or whatever hard rock thing strikes my fancy that day. When I get frustrated, I jump on my bed. I could have used that today.
Oh well, I'll just have to settle for being really really edgy for the rest of the day.
At least I can sleep here tonight in the relative quiet. Though I realize it will only make the B&B that much worse when I get back.
Last night the cat woke me up. It was the last thing I needed. It kept clawing at the blankets, and wanting to come up top. I did not want to sleep with the cat beside me so I kicked her out and forgot about it.
I needed the sleep to deal with the proofer.
I had an email from a friend today. I was thinking about the summers we used to spend together sailing and how our personalities used to mesh on a boat. I'm not exactly wild by any means, but she was such a stickler for protocol and protection against danger that she would freak if we got too close to a buoy, too close to tipping, too close to losing the spinnaker. But then she would get this look in her eyes and we would just be wild and crazy together for fifteen minutes and those fifteen minutes would be completely worth the harried breathing and near panic attacks I used to help her through. When we got older, she was stressed about school and money. She got mono and was really sick and nearly went into kidney failure. I think she's finally learning to cope, to calm down and just breathe. I think her new significant other might be helping her out with that, so I'm glad to see her happy.
Man, I miss sailing. I miss the wind in my air, and my feet being prunes from the swamped boats, barely floating in the waves.
And my mother says I'm a romantic.
It's Tuesday, so it's production day! I was not excited this morning, not after my bad night's sleep. And I was dreaming too and it was cool so of course I remember none of it.
I'm kind of sleep deprived because of the time difference. It's rotten.
And I've been saying rotten a lot. It's my new word.
Anyway, the proofer came in before there was anything to do, as usual, and then was offended there was no coffee. I was packed with sugar and the boss said I should be filled with ritalin. I thought the rest of them should be on ritalin. Everyone thought my baptism photos were hilarious in relation to the headline "Bobbin' for God" but I thought it was offensive. And if there's a group I have problems with offending it's the religious. They all thought that was even funnier than "prix modique" - which means modest price. But it sounds a lot funnier in French.
They seemed to get things out on time for a change so Boss sent me off to be rested for the council meeting tonight. And I needed to be rested. Everyone was crazy upset about everything! It was ridiculous. And the council sees money and not people and consequences... I don't want to get into it because I feel like there's a side to take. And I can't be unbiased because where I sleep is in the area and I don't want to see more trucks and more even uglier buildings that the ones that are there. And there are ugly buildings on that street. The funeral home looks like someone took a cake decorator to it - flowers on the stone. It's horrific.
Probably not good for business either.
But now I'm in a quiet... er... I'm blaring the Ramones, which isn't quiet but which is nice, and relaxing in its way.
You ever just have something you should just get out, but to you it seems so traumatic and to everyone else it will be funny, so you don't want to write about it?
Tuesday night, after my last entry, I went to the town hall meeting and I shot my mouth off. I expressed an opinion. I embarrassed myself too. Plus, I showed a bias. I'm not biased. I see both sides of this. I just happen to agree with the people against this silly grocery store expansion. But my story won't show that.
I feel like an idiot. I beat myself up over it. The boss told me that I shouldn't do these things, as if I had been walking around proud of myself the last few days instead of worried some idiot bigger than I would recognize me and run me down for sport.
That's not going to happen. My friends from small towns have reassured me people are all talk and no action.
I still feel like an idiot. And I managed to ruin my own birthday. At least I can attribute my idiocy to two things - I was not thinking on Tuesday. My hyperactivity was a clue. Plus, I was only twenty then. I was still young and stupid.
That's the most reassuring thing I can come up with. Besides admitting I blew my integrity out the window!
Have I mentioned how stressful it is without the boss? How I'm lonely? How I wish I were somewhere else?
It's been a rough week, but it's looking up. At least things might blow over. I'll write a balanced account of the meeting and fuhgeddaboutit.
A la prochaine, mes amis.
© lily keller 2001
back current next