h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Its a lot of days, but most of our shifts are short. Sunday was a nice day at work. I did some monitoring, but mostly just listened to the football regional finals on the radio, and put the scores on the white board, and read a book. Our dialer worked! Without any problems! That's a first!

I'm sure glad I'm not the only one who puts on whatever's handy! As long as the important parts are covered, and its comfortable! This time of year I wear mostly cords with sweaters or flannelette shirts. I have this great pair of corduroy overalls that I just love. I'm looking for another pair - they're just so comfy! My yellow tam and matching mitts and scarf look so much better with my jacket!

Its so wet and slushy now. We're supposed to have it reasonably mild all week - even a chance of rain Wednesday. Its so slippery, though. I watched someone take a tumble on the sidewalk Saturday.

Its nice to have most of today off, after the weekend. Those 2 big 8 1/2 hour shifts are killers! Today I don't have to be in till 4:30, and that's much better!

That must be a relief. Its nice to work a short shift. Tomorrow we are probably getting out of here around 2:00pm for the holiday. Looking forward to that as I'll work most of the weekend.

Last night was Burke's first basketball game. They won! It was so much fun, he played well and enjoyed himself. That was nice to see. This group of parents are so much fun to be with. I laugh from the minute I get there until the minute the game is over, win or lose. There is another game tonite and I'm hoping Burke gets to play as much.

It is getting colder and colder out. Luckily I'm just outside waiting for the train or the bus. The wind has been wicked. It cuts right through you. Makes wearing a skirt courageous.

I just love courdoroy. I have a pair of pants I bought from Old navy, that were on sale and I can't get enough of them. They are so comfy and warm and wonderful for winter. I have a nice bulky soft sweater I wear with them. Just a nice cozy feeling!

Whew, its going to be so busy until next week. Not only is there all the cooking and cleaning for thanksgiving (which I love) but there is also this huge job. I couldn't sleep last night for thinking about it. I worry about making the deadline on it. Its going to be alot of coffee and late nights until 1 week from now!

In case you don't get time to come back in, Happy Thanksgiving!

We'll likely have a short shift Thursday, then off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today was my 9th shift in a row, and I'm getting tired. One and perhaps 2 left to go. We had a good shift tonight, and got well ahead on some of our projects. I came home on the bus with my 2 buddies, D and Regina, and we laughed all the way. They're such a pair!

Glad to hear Burke's basketball team's doing so well. Your kids both have great teams to play on!

That wind storm you had went right up and through Nova Scotia. I was just reading on the Halifax CBC website that they had power outages all over the province. I knew it had gone out in the south of the province. One of our current surveys is with Canadian apple growers and some of the sample is in the Annapolis Valley's at the south end of Nova Scotia. One of our callers told me they were sitting in the dark. I looked at the webcams, and it looks like part of Halifax Harbour is dark - including a light house! Now that's dangerous, with high seas! And Harley thought Winnipeg had lousy weather!

Sorry to be so long away! I got involved on Wednesday night with a job from hades. 20,000 respondents over 1000 questions. We had to have the data ready in a week. We worked all through the Thanksgiving weekend and then into last week. I finally delivered the last batch of data on noon on Friday! Yesterday I basically collapsed. My great team came through. These poor girls worked their fool heads off for well over a week with nary a complaint. I have the best staff in the world! It feels good to have it behind me but now I have that nervous wait to see if everything is alright and if the client is happy. Whew!

I'm so far behind for christmas! I've got nothing going on here to make the house look festive. I have people coming over in a weeks time to make tamales and I'm totally unprepared for that. I'm going to the local mexican market to see if they can give me some advice. My friend becky says that when I walk out they will probably be shaking their heads saying "crazy white woman". It will be worth it tho! Last night I went to see a friends band play at a local pub. What a fun time. It is not often that I'm one of the younger people in a bar but with this crowd I was. Daves band is made up of all his siblings and his entire family and parents friends all are at the show. They play songs of all varieties. These old blue haird ladies were on the floor dancing. It was alot of fun and a very friendly atmosphere. Can't wait to see them again. I work with Dave and 4 of us from the office met up there to see him. He was so excited to have people from work there.

Basketball for Burke has been a dream!! He has gotten written up in the paper a few times and his team are now 5-0. He has gotten an incredible amount of playing time and has played very well. In the last game (on friday - what a fun and nerve wracking time!) it was against one of our crosstown rivals and was very contentious. He was so excited about how he played. He usually is very critical of himself but he knew he played well on friday. He is still coming down from that high!

How has your week been?

Sorry I took so long to get back to you. Its been just crazy at work! I worked 14 straight, and I was so tired! Ron wasn't well, and I did a couple of shifts for him, as well as my own.

I finished Harley's sweater for Christmas, and today I baked him a batch of shortbread, got all his gifts wrapped and his box in today's mail. He should get it next Tuesday.

Harley called today-he's all excited (again, or still!). He met up with 3 of my old Navy buddies, 2 sailors and a WREN, at the Maritime Command museum, and got a full tour, including places the general public doesn't get to go. And he heard some tales about his mother! One of them is going to have him out to their place in the country after Christmas. He's all excited about the museum, saw communication equipment I operated, uniforms, medals, war-time recruitment posters, etc.

For Christmas day, he may be alone, but he's got live lobsters coming from down the coast, one of the girls at work is bringing them in for him, and he's planning a lobster boil. That's got him excited-he's never had it. Its funny to hear him so wound up. He has low blood pressure, like me, and I was teasing him that his blood pressure's probably---normal!

Now I'm nearly ready for Christmas. The house cleaning's done, decorating-done, baking, well, started, and just a couple of gifts left to buy. I may even be ready before Christmas Eve!!!

Hello!

Seems like we both have been smacked at work. How nice that you have gotten Harley's stuff off to him! I'm soooo far behind for christmas. A good friend of mine found a truly needy family so I've been helping him get together some gifts/food/etc for this family and that has taken my free time. Now I have to play catchup. I think I'm going to take the afternoon off tomorrow to get all the gifts for friends and then Sunday and next week concentrate on the kids. Its just been so crazy here. On Friday we have our annual christmas party and it is one full day and night. We start celebrating when we walk in around the office, go to an all afternoon lunch, and then end up at a bar somewhere after 6:00. Usually by 8:30 I'm on a train just drained. It is one goofy thing after another but you really have to rest up for it!

How fun for Harley!! It is so neat to meet people who knew your parents way back and hear the stories. He must have been over the moon to be able to see everything and get into special areas. That lobster boil sounds really good as well. I think we may have a houseful. Not sure yet. My nephew who is in the Air Force and stationed in San Antonio is flying in for Christmas and I think that we may have my friend Sue and her brood. Its always kind of a last minute thing however.

I had some friends over on Sunday and we made tamales. We had a blast and the tamales came out pretty good. I think I'm going to make it a tradition. We all had some wine/beer and made tamales and then ate tamales. It was a very relaxed and happy day!

Things aren't slowing down a bit at work! We have so much going on - and a 30 per cent cancellation rate! Its a zoo!! I'm taking my 2 days off this week to get finished up. We have a shortbread contest going on. One of the CSR's and I are taking in some shortbread, and Ron's going to judge them. I see a plot there!

I was just in the NORAD Santa tracking site. Its so cool for kids. When I was stationed at Mill Cove on Canada's East Coast, I was duty one Christmas Eve. I happened to be walking through Air-Ground-Air as a US fighter pilot radioed in that he'd spotted Santa - a UFO warning, then permission for him to fly in for a look, and finally the report on Santa. Cute!! I was in the radio room at that time, and when I returned to my bay, one of the other operators picked up Santa - sending in plain language in Morse Code. There wasn't much traffic, so he turned on his speaker and we all copied Santa - in lovely Morse! He reported his position, and our operator sent him Roger Santa, have a safe trip. The message was relayed on to the children's party at CFB Halifax.

Our Christmas party at work is Thursday. Its just pizza and soft drinks in the training room, but a nice social time. We've made up caroles about Dimark - The Twelve Days of Dimark, Cap'n Ron Got Ran Over by a Reindeer. (A friend's reindeer display blew off the roof and hit Ron on the head last Christmas! We couldn't let that one by!) The whole place is looking forward to it.

It sounds like your tamale party was a success. That would be so much fun! One of my strays is doing Christmas dinner for friends, and my other stray has to get back to me. As long as they aren't alone!

Work is going full strength here but I think towards the end of this week it will slow down dramatically as lots of people are off next week. We are off Monday and Tuesday of next week and have a half a day on Friday so there is only 2 1/2 days that week. I'm hoping to work a couple of days from home to save myself the time of the commute.

Our party was friday and it was alot of fun. I've really become chummy with two women here and they are just so much fun to be around. Very crazy but not so much that you worry where the night is going to go. I was home on the 9:30 train which was perfect. Got home to a sleeping son (he is pooped from basketball, practice and school work - the women in his life (okay teenage girls) are most unhappy with him as he has not time for social life right now), a chatty daughter and a good spirited husband. It was so nice. I came in, warmed up some dinner leftovers, had a gin and tonic and chatted with Steve and Ali. Perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Saturday was my family christmas get together with my cousins. My son and my cousin Jacks son are a year apart (Erik is in college now) but our two boys get along so well and it is a pleasure to watch them interact. They act like brothers. The evening was low key but nice, we all sat around, mainly chatting about my dad. Nice to have those memories of him to chat about. Good food, some wine, delicious desserts. My cousin Nikki made a yellow cake that had apricot frosting and coconut caramel frosting. It was so good! The drive home was a nightmare as there was construction on the road and they took the 4 lane tollway and merged it into 1. I was low on gas and sort of in a panic! We made it though.

Finally got a significant amount of shopping and prep done for christmas yesterday. We are probably going to have less people than I thought which is actually nice for once. I've been really pushing myself this year with my dad's death, moving my mom out of her house, selling the old house and keeping up with kids and work. It is nice to have a day or two to just relax.

That santa stuff sounds wonderful. I remember when I was little we used to keep the transistor radio on giving us santa sightings. It was soo exciting!

I'm all ready for Christmas - and it isn't Christmas Eve yet! Gord asked me what I wanted to do with all of Christmas Eve day off, and I had no answer. Just hang around, I guess.

We had our party at work yesterday, and it was fun. The owners joined us this year, and they had a good time. Fabio is generally overwhelmed by large groups of us, but he made the effort yesterday, and we appreciated it. The co-owner was having a great time. She was singing company-specific caroles (This Job Blows, especially) with one of our callers! Then we did a full shift, and ate baked goodies all shift. I'm still not hungry!

Today's our last shift till Tuesday, and I don't expect many in. Lots of cancellations tonight.

Everyone's on this politically correct thing this year, and I really saw how stupid it is last night. I was speaking to one of our Jewish women, and asking her if she celebrated Hanukkah, and she told me about it. I wished her a happy Hanukkah, and she wished me a Merry Christmas. Another caller, a young girl, doesn't celebrate Christmas, she simply doesn't believe in it. But she wished me a Merry Christmas, and I told her to enjoy her days off. What's the problem? No problem!!

If 3 people on a call floor can solve this problem, why can't the rest of society, and no one needs to be insulted!

I may not get a chance to post again before the Big Day, so Merry Christmas to you and yours. Have a wonderful time- From Gord and me-Linda

I agree with you on the holiday political correctness thing. We had a christmas party this year at work not a holiday party. However this company is unique in that.

I'm off on a whirlwind of activity for the next two days. I have to do some shopping for my mom, so I'll have to hit the mall again and am not looking forward to it. We also have a basketball tournament and then a christmas party with our friends. Tomorrow I think I'm going to be cleaning, wrapping, baking and cooking. I want to just have a very peaceful christmas with nothing to do but heat up things and drink good wine. Ali and I are going to make some christmas cookies this afternoon (if I get all my errands done). We are off today at noon and then we don't come back to work until Wednesday. Heavenly!!! I'm looking forward to the time off doing nothing. Well cleaning, organizing but not working.

I hope you have the happiest of holidays and that you and Gord enjoy yourself tremendously!

Fondly,

Joy

Hello Dimples! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Our's was pretty quiet without Harley. We just had a lazy day, and a big Christmas dinner, then a quiet evening. I stayed up late and watched White Christmas. It wouldn't be complete without that old movie! Boxing Day was another day of relaxing, and wonderful leftovers! I feel like all we did was eat.

Back to work Tuesday, and we were supposed to work Wednesday to Friday, but the sample gave out on us, and we ended Wednesday shift early, and we're off till Jan. 3! Our master scheduler couldn't schedule a one-man rush to a 2-hole backhouse! Sorry, when someone really screws up like that the Canadian Prairie comes out in me! He (the scheduler) had left a note to extend the shift to 10:30, and at 7:40 the Boss phoned and told us to give it up and not recycle the numbers again, to quit at 8:00. Those two had a screaming match before Christmas, and perhaps another one is due! Love to be a fly on the wall!!

New Years we're staying in. We rented some movies, and we'll watch them, eat (of course) and raise a glass to Harley at Midnight. Besides, my neighbours wouldn't like it if I had a roaring Hogmanay party with dancing and a piper!!

Anyway, hope you have a good New Year's and all the best to you and your's in 2006.

That does sound like fun doesn't it?

We will have our friends the rizzi's over who we traditionally see the new year in with. Ali is having about 4 of her friends over so there will be giggling and shrieking and all of that. We are planning on doing a tapas themed night with sangria and lots of little appetizers for us. It will be very low key but that is what we all need.

Christmas was quiet and very enjoyable. We had a good dinner and then by 8:00 at night I was on the couch watching masterpiece theater about the lost prince. It was lovely. The days following were very good as well. Peaceful. Quiet.

Well I wanted to say Happy New Year. I need to run to the shops and get Ali her party supplies. It is a complete madhouse out there right now but heck, someone's got to do it eh??

Heres wishing you all the best in 2006. Hopefully no one will really come to blows at your office!!

Well, a week or more later, and things have finally calmed down. We're in a slow period at work, but it looks like picking up again. Everything on the news is about the upcoming election for Prime Minister on January 23. Its getting to be a tight race, and looks like a coalition government again.

If it seems like my life has turned dull, it must be the January Blah's. Not unhappy, just not much of anything else, either! Nothing wrong with me Spring won't cure!!!

I'm at work - that's dull tonight, too. I just walked down one of the aisles, and someone's tacked up a piece of paper with "resistance is futile" on it. Looks like yet another fan! I couldn't resist, I wrote Don't Panic on the piece of paper!

At least the weather's nice. Its the warmest winter I can remember. Bring on global warming - I live in WINTERpeg ManiSNOWba!! Tee Hee.

Keep your chin up, I know the january doldrums feeling very well. We have had some gorgeous weather down here as well. We were in way northern Illinois for my son's basketball tournament and this is the first year that we didn't run for the cars due to frozen weather!

I've been trying to follow your elections. We have a show here that is from Canada and they have been discussing the elections. I have to admit to being a typical american in that I don't learn enough about other governments, most especially the one to the north!

I love that sign and good for you for writing don't panic. You should have also hung up a towel!

Our election campaign has sure been interesting this time! Come to think of it, our government's been interesting lately, with scandals, corruption, etc. Its definitely time for a change. We're both voting against the current ruling party. I've had enough of being bribed with my own money. I don't like the entire platform of any of the parties, but I'd rather vote for my cat than the liberals, so I've had to work out who I believe in most of the others. Our polling centre is just across the street, so we'll go over right after lunch, I think. Tonight I'm off work (come hell or high water!) and we're planning on an evening in front of the TV watching the results come in. Hopefully it'll be a new world tomorrow morning!

I'm just off 14 days straight. We've been that busy, and our shifts got so messed up with the ups and downs of the job, I needed the extra hours. We have lots of work in the wings now, and a promised raise right across the board at the end of February, so things are looking up.

It turned bitterly cold here the last few days. They tease me at work about weighing 9 pounds (I'm a scrawny old crow!), and I was telling them yesterday I weighed 59 pounds - 50 lb of clothes. Its supposed to moderate now for a bit. We've had a great winter so far, so can't complain about having to wear ski pants and an extra-warm sweater for a few days!

Hello!! Sorry to be away for so long, but this has been an awful couple of weeks. You are not going to believe what has happened. We have this little cute young girl at work named Dana. A little tiny black girl, adorable, nice, kind. She is an admin assit and handled lots of admin tasks (she did some data entry for me) and arranged the birthday partys, the showers, all of that. She had 3 children (7,5,3). She was murdered about two weeks ago. It was horrible. She was stabbed and then her house was set on fire to cover the crime...by her husband. He got caught in the fire but will survive. It was horrific. The whole company (there are about 110 of us) has just been torn up. They called in a grief counselor and people have just been numb. Yesterday was the funeral. A good ole southern baptist funeral. The preacher was yelling "can I get an amen!! Can I get a Hallalujah". It was amazing. So sad, but they kept trying to talk about her being at peace. The saddest thing is to hear her daughter saying "i miss mommy" throughout the service. Damn near broke my heart. It has just been very hard to understand and fathom. A group of us went to chinatown to have a late lunch. One of the people was Dana's VP that her group reports to. She told us that she is going to get a portrait of Dana that we will hang in the reception area so that she is never forgotten. We have all been contributing to a fund for her kids and the company is going to be taking care of that for a long time. It is just so hard to understand. We also had a gathering at a coworkers house so people could just talk about it. Its going to be really strange next week as the funeral is over and you just have to come to terms with it.

Isn't that just awful?

Joy, I just don't know how to answer that post! I'm so sorry. It must be devastating for your company, and each person individually. What an awful thing to have happen, and to leave 3 young children behind. Her husband deserves whatever the law does to him and more. Remember her as you knew her in the office, and socially. Perhaps she'll be an angel on your shoulders, correcting your spelling and grammar and keeping you all out of literary trouble.

Our receptionist took a tumble on the stairs last week, and in getting checked out, complained of a sore stomach to her doctor. A cat-scan revealed that she's loaded with cancer, and not expected to live. We're beside ourselves. Jen, like your Dana, is a darling. She always had a kind word for everyone. We haven't seen the boss since he told everyone a week ago. He depended on Jen to run the front office. The whole company's been pretty quiet since we heard. Worse yet, someone drove her to the doctor, and her car sat in its parking spot most of the week, till arrangements could be made to take it home.

Accept my condolences, and pass them on to your co-workers. Keep strong, for Dana, and help her kids.

It is just awful. I think the thing with coworkers is that you expect to see them always in their positions. While not really friends, you are sort of this strange family at work, aren't you? Especially the front office people. They seem to hold it all together. We are doing as much as we can for her kids. Luckily there is a huge family to care and love them. We will never forget her, in fact they are going to get a portrait of Dana and put it up in the lobby so everyone that walks in the door will see her. That will be nice. Oh how sad for your coworker! That is horrid!

Ali and I have contracted the flu. I think we got it from the baby, she was here on Sunday and of course we were all over her, playing and hugging and kissing and all of that. She had the flu. Ali and came down with it within an hour of each other. After two days at home I'm starting to be able to keep food down. Just very dehydrated right now. Man, what a week! I'm so looking forward to a new start with February.

Days off at last! I've come down with a cold, occupational hazzard on a call floor, I guess. I'm rallying this afternoon, but I still feel like crap! I didn't bother getting dressed today, still in my 'jammies. All I've done is play games on the computer.

We have our new government. Prime Minister Harper was sworn in this morning, along with his cabinet ministers. We'll see how he does. Its still a minority government, but some of them over the years have done a lot of good. Although I don't agree with his entire Conservative platform, better him than more years of Liberal scandals. He appointed a good cross-section from right across the country, which was the right move, and a few from Quebec, always a thorn in the sides of English Canada!

We've suddenly got more work than we can handle at work, and we're hiring newbies again. Some of them are just excellent, and a few just won't make it. Now if they'd only solve our equipment problems! I had 2 banks of phones - 8 in all, go down on Sunday, and had to shuffle people around. At least the whole floor didn't go down - that's happened before!

Hope that your cold is better. I'm just feeling run down lately. I think I'm burning the candle at both ends. Oh well, this pace will calm down soon I guess. Burke is busy trying to make his college decision. It is really difficult for him. I think he is freaked out by this, his first real adult decision. He and Steve are going to be visiting a few colleges in the coming weeks. Hopefully he will step on to a campus and just feel it is right.

Well, they charged Dana's husband with first degree murder. Doesn't seem to bring much solace. I mean, yea, justice seems to be being served, however it doesn't bring her back. So, I guess we will just have to accept what we have.

This weekend is going to be rare. I have a saturday where I have no games for either of the kids, no work issues (I shouldn't say that, there is still 1 hour 20 minutes of work!) and no real appointments or entertainment commitments. HEAVENLY!!! I might be able to clean and relax. That sounds really good. Sunday Burke has a game that is pretty neat. It is a tournament and he gets to play on the floor of Loyola college. It is a big arena and a thrill for the boys to play in such a place. Tonite they play at the school and one of the parents is having a gathering at her house for all the parents. It should be a nice time. A drink, some snacks and talking about our sons. Wow, as you know that is one of my favorite subjects!!