Ahh, temping. I temped for several months in 2006 and I’m temping again until something permanent comes up, hopefully soon (fingers crossed). It’s not easy to temp; basically you’re thrown from industry to industry, a few days here, a few weeks there, constantly meeting new people and learning new tasks. The meeting and learning wouldn’t be so bad if the experiences weren’t so fleeting; these are people you won’t work with again, unless they decide to ask you back … for another week. Right now I’m in the security system industry, for a few days. I received a crash course this morning in who to forward what types of calls to, how to use the debit machine, navigating a program I’ve never seen before and how to get out of the office after you’ve locked the doors. Still not clear on that last one; if you’re reading this on my blog, you’ll know I figured it out.
The one good thing about temping is getting to “sample” many different businesses. It’s an opportunity to learn which places have nice bosses and which ones don’t. When you’re applying for permanent positions with these companies, you’ll know what to expect. Right now the person I’m covering for normally never takes breaks and works through her lunch, she’s so busy. I’m only doing a fraction of her job and have time to write this. It’s good to know how tough her job really is, though, so I’ll be prepared should I ever find myself applying for a similar one.
Then there is the lack of benefits, vacation and sick days, and the lack of a steady paycheque as well. On some assignments you make more, some less. Or you may have a few unexpected days off. (Actually, with my temp agency, down-time is a rarity.) For someone who doesn’t like change, it’s also stressful to never know where you’re going next when the agency calls with a new assignment. Fortunately, it *should* all lead to permanent employment with a company whose waters you've already tested. Plus being able to say you’ve worked in a variety of industries looks good on your resume. So I’m sucking it up and crossing my fingers for permanency.
Having not seen their first one, I really wasn't sure what to expect from this film, other than an Asian guy and an East Indian guy doing drugs and acting funny. The 18A rating should have tipped me off.
So Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are mistaken for terrorists on a plane to Amsterdam and sent to Guantanamo Bay. They escape and have some crazy adventures trying to get their lives back. There is mucho full-frontal female nudity, fake full-frontal male nudity (of course), a very bigoted Home Security-type official hunting the boys down, Neil Patrick Harris as himself and ... George W. Bush. I don't think there's an American film being made today that does not have a version of the President in it.
The trailers I saw of this film are really quite funny. Unfortunately all the funny parts are in the trailers. There are only so many getting-stoned jokes one can make. The Home Security guy insults many different races with the most offensive "jokes" you can imagine, but the writers (whose only experience is with the Harold and Kumar films) just sound desperate to wring a laugh out of their wanting script. Apparently black people really love grape pop. Didn't know that.
Of course they meet the President, who coincidentally loves his pot too. Oh yeah, each boy has a love interest they get in the end, because that's something else no film dares go without. And that's hardly a spoiler since hey, of course they get the girls. Otherwise it would be Harold and Kumar Do Away With Paint-By-Numbers Scripts.
This little fish is the first of many for the Ecology Action Centre's Stitchin' Fish project. It didn't take too long to make: here is the pattern I'm using (without the mobile, obviously). I plan on making as many as possible and then handing them all over. Also considering picking up some polyfill and making little stuffed fishies. I messed up this one's other eye, but that's our little secret.
Also, below is the first item I have made without a pattern. I've never been very good at following directions, including knitting patterns, so this is a big deal to me. This was supposed to be a dishcloth, but due to a bad yarn recommendation, it's not really anything. It's a cotton-acrylic blend that would be great for doll clothes ... Still, nice colours, eh?
Convincing either cat to look at the camera while taking their picture is a real feat. I managed to get both of them today, so now y'all get to see their faces. Tubbs:
Not a very good pic of Buddy, but you should expect bad photography from me by now:
And it wasn't even supper time. Good kitties ... for the moment.
It's about 64 inches long with only a couple of small errors. For those interested, the yarn is Misti Alpaca chunky 2-ply, and the colour is wine melange. Yaaaay, it's finally complete! It took about two weeks. Still haven't decided what to do with it (give it away or keep it); at any rate it's too heavy to wear until next winter. Next up is a throw made on circular needles. I'll be practicing with beer bottle cozies first (for Mike, ahem), to get used to using circulars.
So Mike and I attended the Bluenose Cat Show at the Dartmouth Sportsplex on Saturday. Ironically the cats don't interest me (you can't pet them and they look bored to tears in their cages); we go for the vendors. Unfortunately there are never many and this year there seemed to be even fewer, maybe five tables. We bought a corner scratching post for our poor couch (they scratched right through the last post) from a New Brunswick vendor who makes lovely cat trees ... but charges way too much. We also picked up this bright pink cat tent. We had no choice but to buy pink as they only had pink designs left.
Yes, that's our treadmill covered in plastic in the background, to keep the cat hair off (Tubbs sleeps on the belt). Tubbs actually checked out the tent first, then Buddy thought he'd see if two cats could fit in there. They probably could if one didn't hiss and swat him. The bottom of the tent is a nice fuzzy material, and Tubbs scratched the heck out of it yesterday. So it's a tent and scratch mat. Hopefully they continue to use it once the novelty wears off.
So Mike and I are probably the last people to see this film, since it's been out for quite awhile. It was much better than I was expecting, since some reviewers didn't care for the repetitiveness. I think generally they pulled it off.
In a nutshell, the US president is the target of an assassination by terrorists. Uh-huh, so what else is new? He's shot, a hotel lobby is blown up, then the grandstand explodes. This takes place in Salamanca, Spain, where world leaders have gathered for some kind of kick-terrorist-ass summit. We watch the chain of events from the perspectives of several different people: a news exec (Sigourney Weaver), a tourist (Forest Whitaker), a Secret Service agent (Dennis Quaid), the terrorists themselves and the president (William Hurt). While it does get a bit tiresome to keep returning to 12:00 p.m., with each telling we at least learn something new.
Neither director Pete Travis nor screenwriter Barry Levy has worked on anything of note (no-name films and mini-series), so I'm not sure who is responsible for the hokey aspects of this film. Whitaker's tourist acts like he's never seen people or buildings before, and he befriends a kid with an ice cream cone. Unfortunately this kid plays a pivotal role much later in the film, so she keeps popping up in all her wholesome goodness. There is a lengthy, exciting car chase on the narrow streets of Salamanca in the tiniest subcompacts I've ever seen.
Despite the replaying of the assassination and the unbeliveable things Whitaker the tourist does (how many other tourists in an unfamiliar country chase Secret Service agents around town?), Vantage Point is an emotionally intense, generally satisfying action/drama that kept me guessing until the end. As long as I can't predict the "bad guy" within the first 15 minutes of a film, I'm happy.
Ever have a project you're working on start speaking to you? "You know, I'd be perfect for Such-and-Such," but you really planned on keeping it for yourself.
Have you ever given something to a family member or friend and have them not react enthusiastically? "Oh ... thanks for the tea cozy, even though I don't drink tea and don't like this colour ..."
My scarf has been asking me to give it to a co-worker who has been admiring it. She loves purple and used to knit. Problem is, we only see each other at work; we're not friends per se. But my scarf, which should be completed this weekend, won't shut up. "D. would love me, you know it. She'd probably wear me in summer, she'd be that smitten with me." I thought I was knitting it for myself, but the scarf has other plans.
So I'd like to know if you've ever had a project dictate who its ultimate owner would be. Knit/crochet/sew something for your mother only to give it to someone else or keep it for yourself? Make something to sell but found yourself handing it over as a Christmas gift? And have you ever completely miscalculated and have a recipient give a half-smile and a bland "Thanks" for all your hard work?
Comments will help me decide who my talking scarf belongs to - me or my purple-loving, former-knitter co-worker.
So some nights my kittehs just don't want me to sleep. Nighttime is playtime for Buddy. I'm used to going into the hallway around 4 a.m. and shooing him off of Tubbs a few times. That's usually the extent of it. But some nights (I should say mornings) it's nonstop. Like Friday night/Saturday morning. I got practically no sleep thanks to Buddy chasing Tubbs here, there and everywhere, scratching the apartment door, jumping on and off the bed, meowing his way through the room, getting behind various pieces of furniture and scratching the wall, and even chasing Tubbs up onto the bed so they could fight on my legs. Thanks, Bud.
When I get no sleep I still have to get up and function. What do they get to do? Sleep all day.
Don't they look sweet and innocent? Don't be fooled ...
This one has a website: www.opataverna.com.
I always expected this restaurant to be dark and crowded, I guess because of its location on the corner of Blowers and Argyle streets, both crammed with little eating establishments. However, Opa is large, bright and spacious inside.
Mike and I brought our niece Sarah to the restaurant. She professed to love chicken souvlaki. What she really meant was she likes chicken. She picked the vegetables off her skewers, claimed the Greek salad had too much dressing and cheese, and didn't care for the accompanying potato either. I'm sure her meal would have been fine for someone who likes Greek food. I don't, so I ordered the meatballs (soutzoukakia) with penne pasta. While tasty, it was also very oily. Mike had chicken shawarma - chicken and veggies wrapped in a freshly-baked pita - which he very much enjoyed. I tried his potato, which appeared to have been peeled and boiled whole, and it had a strange, tangy taste. I don't blame Sarah for not liking it.
Desserts were very good all around: black and white mousse, chocolate torte and apple baklava. Our server was friendly, but there was quite a wait for the entrees, presumably since they are made from scratch. However, it was nothing like the wait for our pitiful food at Stonehaven.
There is a fake olive tree in the middle of the restaurant. For some reason, a man at another table got up to investigate this tree. He circled it, staring up into the plastic leaves and olives, for several minutes before returning to his table. Perhaps he doesn't know a fake tree when he sees one.
Prices were reasonable and even those who do not like Greek food can find something. We will definitely be going back.
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