1. I've never been sure if anyone at work reads my blog. No one has ever mentioned it to me, and I haven't told anyone I do it. Still, it's a small town, so I kind of figured it was inevitable, but I enjoy living in that state of denial.
And yet, two things kind of killed that idea today. One was when one of my co-workers forwarded the "What Kind of Geek Are you?" So that was weird. The other happened at the staff Christmas party this evening, when one of them referred to me as a "real townie bastard." Which is a bit too much of a distinctive phrase to be a fluke. I might have said it around the office once or twice, but I kind of doubt it.
So yeah, I'd say the cat's out of the bag. But no one is complaining to me, so hopefully all is good.
2. And yeah, this is also work related and I said I don't do that sort of thing, but at the Christmas party they gave out staff awards. And I won one. Not particularly sure I'm proud of it, though. I won "Most Sarcastic" staffer.
Now, my friends are laughing their asses off and will state that this is pretty damn obvious. And hell, a few years ago, I certainly would have agreed. I have a notion in my Grade 5 report card from a teacher worried that I was too sarcastic and tended to say mean things to my classmates. This continued into university, where I swear to God, friends would provoke me just to get one of my full-blown bitter sarcastic rantings. Because hey, I might be sarcastic, but I was usually entertaining.
I was like this right up until the moment I met Cathy. And not to get all mushy, but friends say that after we started seeing each other, I mellowed out a lot. That I wasn't nearly as sarcastic. And all agreed that while it killed some of my entertainment value, that was probably a good thing.
And yet, here I am winning staff awards for sarcasm. I'd be depressed by this, but I know it's an award meant it jest. It's also a nice reminder that no matter how much you think you're improving, there's always more work to be done.
3. However, having said all that, allow me to once again express my delight that the Eastern School District plans to close Booth Memorial, my old high school. If I might make a suggestion, if you just skip along the consulting process and agree to close it at the end of the '08 school year, that would be swell. It also happens to be my 20th anniversary of leaving the hell hole and while I plan on being in Italy as to ably avoid any potential reunion that might be percolating, I would make a side trip to St. John's on the way back to Iqaluit if I could be the one who gets to flip the switch when it comes to blowing the place up.
So if someone in the Williams government could make that happen, I'd appreciate it. I'll even say nice things about you and call VOCM open line shows and sing your praises. Thanks.
(Yeah, that sarcasm thing is going to be hard to kick).
4. Speaking of demolishing things, I see the Janeway is about to go ka-boom. Fortunately that I was only in the hospital once, and that was when I was a week old so it's not like I have any real memories of the place. But I lived near it for a good chunk of my life and it occupies a space in my brain. It's a landmark to me and I'll kind of miss it, even though it serves no purpose just standing there empty and useless.
I imagine Cathy might have a different reaction. She spent a lot of days in that hospital as a kid. I don't know if she'll be happy or sad to see it go.
5. I say this every year when the government of the day announces these bloody rebates. Take the $11 million and funnel it towards energy efficiency tax breaks. Put in better insulation, get a break on your income tax. Put in new windows, get a tax break. That sort of thing. Makes more sense than giving someone a check for a couple of hundred dollars. I understand politically it makes sense, because nothing helps the popularity like handing out checks. But hey, if you have a popularity at a staggering 82 per cent and have just won a massive, crushing majority, maybe you can entertain the radical notion of doing something wiser and more long term with that $11 million than handing out checks that are only marginally useful.
Last Five
1. You are what you love - Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
2. Bloody well right - Supertramp
3. Better be home soon (live) - Crowded House
4. Get behind the mule (live) - Tom Waits*
5. I am a rock - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
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