"You did say you wanted your hair to be short, right?"

First, a quote from work on Monday

Unknown guy: (to my co-worker, who is a friend of his) "Like my new lip stud?"

Co-worker: "What? That's no jewellery! You go to kiss your girl an you'll stab'er!"

Work overall went well. Drice thru does seem to make the time past a little faster, just becuase you have to consentrate so hard to make up what they mean. Like this order.

"I wants a double mac meal nar cheese onions double pickles Sprite girltoy happy nuggets with white milk three custard cones."

And he's gone, leaving me gaping at the screen. And yes, the lack of punctuation is also deliberate. At any rate, the day went well, and then I had the next three days blissfully off. 

Tuesday was the day of the Brownie/Guide/Spark/Pathfinder banquet, which I went to as a guest. It was fun, though I think I found a number of the speeches funny when they weren't supposed to be. "All the leaders are important. No one is more important than anyone other. But I have to tell you, the most important leader is the Unit Guider. The work she puts in..." And there's me, grinning like a loon in the middle of the room. 

All of the groups performer an entertainment each, which were quite good, considering. The Sparks,( 5-6) as always, got by on getting cute, but the Brownies (7-8) had a fun dance. The Guides (9 -11) had a song/skit which had enthusiastic participation, which is rare. And the Pathfinders, (12 -15) who are usually too cool to put any kind of effort in, turned up with a prepared song including guitar and accordion accompaniment, which was quite unexpected.

In addition, the organizers of the banquet had put out a ice-cream tub for donations for Gid. Everyone in town knows about him, and with him now being in Toronto for treatment, the concern has only grown. They asked me to come up to the mic (in front of about 300 people) and give a little talk about how he was doing. Which I did, heart in my mouth. They had warned me earlier that they wanted me to talk about how he was doing, and then in the introduction the MC mentioned that she really didn't understand what Gid was doing in Toronto, and she hoped I could explain it. Oh my, how do I say this so that I don't panic the children? They're eating, for goodness sake! But I stumbled through, and my sister Fraulein said later that I did a good job. *sigh of relief* 

They raised $141, in the course of the evening. No prior warning to the attendees, just a bucket by the door. We really do live in a remarkable place. We also came home with most of the leftovers from the banquet, which makes my job of cooking that much easier. :D

I had a protracted series of confrontations with my brother Trapezoid today, beginning with him cable-tieing his sisters, and ending with my shaving his head. 

*wide grin*

That makes it sound much worse than it actually was, I just couldn't resist that line.

The confrontations of note started with me washing dishes, and having it brought to my attention that, at their request, Trapezoid had fashioned hand-cuffs out of cable ties for his sisters. Discussion ensues of how it is never appropriate to cable tie your smaller siblings. Tempers are lost. I go down to apologies and explain why seeing the small ones with their hands and feet restrained pushes my panic button. He is reading a western book instead of his school book. TV time is taken away, and writing is started. An hour later, more discussion ensues over what is considered the proper amount of writing for a 13 year old to be turning out. He's saying that a 49 word quote and 18 words of original commentary is enough. I'm holding out for 250 words minimum, of which no more than 100 are a quote. I win this one. During supper, he remember that his cadet inspection is coming up, and he needs a hair cut. 

I will take this opportunity to point out that I have never cut hair.

He does need a hair cut, though. I pull out the trimmers. We can only find one attachment, so we decide to go with a one-length cut. I start the trimmers, who buzz alarmingly. I start carving chunks of his hair out. Just as I get it to a tolerable "mushroom cut" stage, the cutters start making a different note and neglecting to cut the hair, so I have to resort to the scissors. I thank God he didn't need any styling, just short. And it's short now.

No, actually, I'm rather pleased with the cut. It's not lumpy unless he stands with his head just right in the light, and with the cadet cap on he looks quite sharp. *is proud* 

That is a normal amount of drama in a day with Trapezoid, really. And I didn't include the minor confrontations. :D

"No rest for the weary..." "Go on then, you're not weary!"

I worked an odd shift time yesterday, so I saw three other shifts turn over.  The thing that gets me is the fact that ALL my co-workers, with the exception of the supervisor, one of the managers, and one of the girls who are underage. were planning to go out drinking. It was May Two Four yesterday, which is the traditional time to go out camping, (and drinking). A lot of people went out last weekend as well, since is that when the parks open. 

And when I say "one of the girls who are underage," I mean; the other underage girls are still planning to go drink themselves out of their senses. My sister and I were doing the math, and the social girls start going to drinking parties at age FOURTEEN! Once again, it's just what you do.

I was invited up to the work party as well. The people at my work are friendly, and I'm overage. But thankfully, I'm just not interested. One of my friends, in a recent discussion of morals, mentioned how easy it seems to just hop in the car and drive over where you're invited. However, (also thankfully), I don't have a car, and I'm not permitted to drive the standard VW which is our current family vehicle. If I'm to go anywhere, I have to get my parents to drive me where I want to go. This tends to put an automatic damper on any interest I might conceivably have in parties. :D 

But also, I just have never been interested in drinking myself unconscious. If it was a video game party, now, I might try to hitch a ride... 

In other news, Mommy, Daddy, Gid and Sammy have set out for Toronto early this morning. They'll be there for a week for Gid's Stem Cell harvesting, and then back to St. John's for another week of Chemo, Lord willing. I did get the Library grant, (surprise! :) so I'm having a meeting to discuss hours and duties sometime this week. And then I'm training for Drive-thru on Monday, so I will be able to be scheduled for more and different shifts. It looks like the duties are piling up!

"maybe I overdosed on Caffeine..."

I haven't blogged in a while, but yes, I am still alive. *waves* 

I've now done two shifts at my new place of employment, which went well. The people there are really nice, which helps enormously, and the actual job is not that difficult: make coffee, push drink buttons,  fill fry containers, sweep floors, push cash register buttons, wipe trays, make sundaes, cones and flurries; and that's about it. And so far, I have set nothing on fire, thrown a total of zero items at anyone, and cut/burned/injured only myself. Looks like a success! :D

I should make one thing clear about the job though. I have had a remarkale number of persons say to me, "Oh, you must like dealing with people then!" The logic runs- I assume- since I am working counter, I like to talk to the dozens of people I log through an hour. Ahhhh.... No. I don't. That is not the highlight of my job. I don't mind talking to the people who are friendly, and I no longer feel sick inside on seeing someone I have not lived with come up to the cash, but I am not an extrovert, in any sense of the word.

In fact, (I was thinking about this last night,) this could be yet another way God is using to push the edges of my comfort zone. I would be very happy to spend my time in an office, or on a computer, or otherwise not "dealing with people". But that isn't good for me, I think, and the job forces me to get out and "deal with people" all the time. *sigh* I still really wish there was some other job I was qualified for, but right now drive-through seems to be my most valuable skill. 

It's all in God's hands, no? And if other people of my personality type, (I know you're out there,) can stick it out, so can I! *resolute*

But aside from the job, not much of note has been happening. I am slightly dubious about the Library grant/job coming through, because I am not currently accepted to any post-secondary institution, and I have no real career plans. Both of which criteria the government likes to see filled. However, if it does come through, I'll just work an estimated 77 hours a week for 8 weeks, and then get through just in time for Mommy and Daddy to head off to Toronto for Gid's stem cell treatment. I hadn't actually ran the dates till that moment, but it looks like that works out very well, if I do get the grant. Interesting.

It's all in God's hands. I have to keep reminding myself of this. Today has troubles enough for its self, don't worry about tomorrow. 

"So I'm going to apologize for that..."

Apparently, as they drove away from the hospital this morning, Gid sighed and said 

I'm glad that's over.

He's spent a ridiculous amount of time in the hospital, and it's getting just a little old. But he's back home now. Yay! That also means that Mommy and Daddy are home, and I am no longer in charge. YAY!!!!!!!!!!! :D

I still have a cold, however, so I am wearing a mask as not to infect Gid or the other small ones. It's surprisingly menacing. All I need is a pipe, and I'd be a proper gangster! *coughs* Right. MOVING on.

This morning I got a call from the people who run the grant program though which I hope to get a job at the Library. The questions they wanted answered were almost funny, they were so much what I had expected. "What are your career goals?" "Where are you going to university?" "Have you been accepted at a university?" I seem to remember predicting that those questions would be sticking points when I filled in the application. Salute me for a prophetess! :D However, I predicted that for the reason that I always seem to come up against these questions, and I am never able to give a standard answer. I am beginning to think I never will. Ah, who even wants to be normal? I certainly don't!

Then I got a call from McDonalds this afternoon. The manager was going to call me yesterday, but she's had "some good days," and she didn't get to it. She said the title, and booked me in for training on Thursday and Friday. I will admit that I am slightly nervous about that. The manager, Wavy, is rather formidable, and there is lots to learn. *bites nails* 

I reassure myself that a touch of nerves will help me stay sharp, and after all I am not brain dead, neither is it rocket science. I should be able to figure out how to keep my head above water soon enough. That's not going to stop me from doing a lot of praying though!

"I'm a professional musician!" "Have you ever had to pawn your amp?" "Well, no but-" "No you aren't."

I had an interview with McDonalds this morning, which was- not as bad as I feared. I hesitate to ever call a job interview "good," but this one went smoothly, and I wasn't scared until I cam out again. There were a few tense moments; when they asked me why I left Tim Horton's, and who I could give as references at Tim's. I didn't exactly leave there in a happy frame of mind, let's just say. It was my first experience in a defined hierarchy-type job, when I wasn't on my own initiative, and I had a bunch of co-workers who liked to "teach" the sheltered home-schooler about "the facts of life." So, it wasn't my favourite job ever. 

But it seems that my references were good, because I got a call this afternoon, saying I could have the job if I wanted it. And thankfully, they still have the blue uniforms, not the brown monstrosities that have just debuted in the UK. *shudders*

NOT me.

This is rather ironic, really, given the reminisces Third World and I engaged in at College. After talks about the worst shift ever, and picky customers, and faulty equipment, and coworkers who can only be described as disturbing, I said, "We're going to end up working Fast Food again this summer, I know it." And as it turns out, Third World has a bunch of leads on other work, (she's in a city, so the options are slightly broader), but I'm looking clear to be manning drive-thru again. :D I love irony. It makes life so much richer. 

I think this job could be fun. In a rather geekish way, I like the cash registers, and equipment, and being able to ring in a ridiculously detailed order as fast as someone could speak it. There is a nice bit of triumph to repeating back an order and totalling it correctly, while not at your cash. And McDonalds does more things than Tim's, so the learning curve should take a bit longer. Also the people there seem to be nice. ALSO; I'm getting $8.50 an hour, 32 hrs a week, which works to $272 a week, before taxes. not bad, not bad at all. At that rate, I might actually get the debt paid off before I turn thirty! :D

*sigh*

Having my smaller siblings wash dishes is pure torture. For everyone involved. *beats head against wall* General tears and hysteria. And screaming. But nothing has broken, yet. 

*puts head on desk and cries*

 And oh look, Sam just took a fire poker to my bread dough. 

"I'll tell you about our new security system. All our chefs are armed."

The little girls are all now proud owners of lip shaped whistles. They, however, keep forgetting which one belongs to which person, and that has led to some comments rather funny to overhear.

 

"Give me back my lips!"

"Those are my lips!"

"No they aren't, they're mine!"

"Get your hands off my lips!"

And even;

"I like your lips."

Good times with dollar store toys. 

It appears that Gid will be in the hospital for at least 10 days, as his blood cultures area growing something. So, I rule the roost for a while more. *evil smile* I'm become more used to being in charge again, which is good. 

Sam and I are hanging out a lot. (Sam is my three-year old little brother. ) Once supper was prepared yesterday, we were waiting for the others to get back from the park, so I read Crime and Punishment, ( a lovely book), and Sam read over my shoulder for a while. Then I let him listen to one ear of my ipod, which he was most pleased about. 

Here's a bad picture. 

And here's a slightly better one of him at his birthday party. 

And then after everyone went to sleep last night, Mommy and I had a girls' night. We did our nails, and ate chips, and watched Ocean's 11, which is a very fun movie.

"Your body's going through some CHANGES right now..."

For reasons which seemed good at the time, I got up at four yesterday, and then ended up going to bed at 10. My immune system  and body have sent me a message regarding this activity. 

"Oh, Hello. We have an issue. You know how during all the so-called stress at College we kept you disgustingly healthy? You know how you didn't miss a class? That was dependant on you giving us time off; at least 7 hours of sleep a night. We don't mind when you take the time, just so long as you do. This "five hours" thing is stopping now. We mean it. To warn you, we're giving you a sore throat. Don't make us give you a cough,

Concerned Friends."

So, now I am resolved to try not to be TOO insane with the sleep deprivation thing. But, I think I figured out why I keep being drawn to the computer. I mean, aside from the fact that you can do fun things on it, like writing, and reading the news, and writing, and reading blogs, and writing, and reading facebook, and writing stories and writing code and writing blogs. *cough* *wide grin* Anyhow, for the past 8 months at College, I had a quite decent amount of work to do, most of it on the computer. So now in the back of my brain there's an idea that if I'm not reading or on the computer, I'm slacking. 

This is of course not strictly true now that I'm at home. And now that I've pinpointed this, I should be more reasonable about computer time. Maybe. 

In other news, Frauline is off to Town for the Home School Conference this weekend, so I'm in charge when Mommy and Daddy aren't here. And Gid spiked a fever last night, so he's been brought into the Gander hospital, an hour away, and Mommy and Daddy will be taking turns staying with him.

One half of my Family, and the view from my window

Courtney (Frauline)

Victor

Mommy

Georgia

Georgia again

Elizabeth

Another shot of Elizabeth

Bonny (Slonner)

My view.

30 kilometres later, I have an interview!

I have walked 30 kilometres in the last 24 hours. That is 18.641136 miles. My legs have sent me notice that they are not moving, they don't plan to move, and any attempt to force them to move will be met with armed hostility. 

Why did I walk so far? Well, first of all, I found out on Monday that I owe my College $11,000.00. I had thought that was paid by a benefactor, but I was in error, apparently. A job abruptly looked like a REALLY good idea. I cobbled together my resume, and yesterday I headed out! All the way to the other end of town, (5km,) and back, (also 5km). I put resumes in everywhere that I could even remotely envision myself working. This included two hardware stores, and, seized with the sprit of much courage, McDonalds. Ah, funny-ish story about the second hardware store. The man who took resumes was on the phone when I walked in, so I was waiting by the office, when in walked a MASSIVE youth with a sheet of paper grasped in his ham-like fist. I am not short, but this guy was at least a foot taller than me. He was wearing a snowmobile jacket with padded shoulders, and a truckers cap. I felt about three feet tall, and as fragile as a toothpick. He just stalked in, dropped the paper on the desk of the manager, (Ha, genitive of possession there), and stalked out again. I was acutely aware, let us say, that I was wearing a white pants and my "stylish" coat in a hardware store. 

So, I made my way to the end of town, received two invitations to "come back tomorrow morning so you can give your resume to the Manager," and walked back. THEN, in the evening, I went out with my friend Ms. B, and as her car is in the shop we walked and chatted. We went, (you guessed it!) all the way to the end of town and back. By the end of that walk, I could no longer walk in a straight line. :D But it was nice to talk to Ms. B, and hear all the drama from St. John's and around home. 

Then today, I walked it again, to hand in those resumes to the managers. I now have 14 resumes and applications out at various locals in town. WHEW! Thankfully, most of them were positive about my resume, and the person in charge of hiring at McDonalds stopped me on the street this afternoon to book an interview on Monday morning. I'll have to see how it all pans out. 

And thankfully, while doing all that walking, the rest of my PENredux story arrived in my head, which is very jolly. I need ot go write now, and then make some supper. *nods*

Did I actually get up before the sun? Voluntarily?

I have realized several more important things. 

One: I spent a lot of time on the computer, and a lot of the things I would like to do, (writing, news trawling, programming, etc.) would involve spending more time on a computer. This is slight problematic in that I think my family would like to see me once in a while. :P and also I am now sharing a computer with people who live in the same house as I do.

Two: I had a lot of, if not "free" time, certainly "self directed" time at the college. Now I'm following the schedule of my family, who likes to get up before 10, and thinks that going to bed at 2 am is slightly excessive. (I can't imagine why...)

 This leads me to my next point!

Three: I am going to get up early to use the computer, so it can be used by others the rest of the day. *pause* Yes, really. *longer pause* I'll drink some coffee in the morning, okay! I shall triumph over scheduling! 

That is all.

No, it isn't. I am also going to try and find out more information about my possible library job, and if it is 20 hours a week, which I suspect, I will try and find another job to bring me up to the requisite 40 hours. *slumps* It must be done. And it seems that most places in town are hiring! Time to join the work force again.

*marches off*

"I could say something about how modern art is representative of the post modern viewpoint in which there is no truth and therefore anything is art...

I keep realizing more pieces of how Augustine has affected the way I think. My sister Slonner mentioned that she wants to go to art school when she grows up, and I ALMOST started a rant about postmodernism and performance art and the absence of truth in modern society and how that has changed the purpose of art, but I didn't. I know, for those who were there, you are probably saying, "yes, yes you did rant," but trust me, I didn't. I also wanted to start a discussion about the influences of subjective truth on personhood and science fiction, but again I didn't. *wide grin* I hope I keep this way of looking at the world, cause even if I don't have anyone to talk to about it, it is very interesting.

Speaking of intersting things, it is quite intersting to move back to a place. I wasn't really old enough to notice things before we moved to San Diego, but I am now. The land just feels right in a way which Ottawa didn't, even after 8 months. I suppose that's becuase of all the memories here, so things are familiar. It is also very interesting to have people recoginize me, after living in the city. I came in on the bus on Wednseday, and then took a taxi to the other end of town. The taxi driver recognized me from when I worked at Tim Horton's two years before, and knew where I wanted to go before I told him. Small towns!

I am also loving the sound of the sea and the smell of salt and wood smoke on the wind.

But I am missing the Augustinians. *sigh* Moving is problematic.

There is a whole list of people and activities queing up for me to notice their absence. Currently missing things like puns are being shouted down by things like the lack of Third World, but I know they are just lying in wait to attack me. Bah.

On the other hand, I went on an expedenture with the small ones to buy band-aids, and they wanted an explanation for everything.
"How does the water in the ditch get there?" (spring run off)
"How far could we go if we followed the trail?" (Vancouver)
"Can we buy that, or that, or That?" (No, becase you forgot your money)
"Why does that lady look like she's in pain?" (that one was a little delicate to explain, as she was mentally handicaped. *cringes internally* But I think they were good with my explanation, that her brain hadn't grown when her body had.)
That's fun, being the big sister again. It's good to be home.