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I throughly enjoyed my visit with my brother and sister-in-law.  It was the first time we had to really enjoy ourselves without one of us working.  We've either had short, hurried visits back home in Edmonton over Christmas and my trip up in March.  I was busy editing my article and they both worked during my Denver visit last November.  We drove to Key West, Miami Beach, Naples, and spent time in Broward County.  They even did a yoga session with Darcy and I on Monday night!  It's sad that we live so far apart and I may not see them again until next spring or summer.  That's assuming that Darcy and I don't get the UAE jobs.  

Darcy had her phone interview at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST).  Despite the good pay (47K) she does not have good vibes about it.  The library seems a bit drab and the programs offered are similar to BCC and seems to be a trade school.  We're not demeaning the place but the low quality of the library and type of reference questions asked may not justify moving there.  Plus there apparently aren't many library job oppourtunties for me in MooseJaw.  It is about an hour drive one way to Regina.  My only option may be to buy a laptop and take online courses somewhere.   So despite the job being in Canada and closer to home our hearts aren't set on moving there. 

Darcy's Dad sent some interesting links about the UAE country http://www.uae.org.ae/general/contents.htm and http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?ID=43#top.  The UAE library is at http://www.library.uaeu.ac.ae.   Darcy and I had an hour long informal phone interview with the search committee head of the UAE Library.  The conversation went quite well I thought.  Of course we may have an idyllic view of living in the UAE but I have a feeling that if we are hired that we would enjoy living there for a year or two.  Benefits are generous and include free housing, free healthcare, tax free income (salary would be about the same as here) and free round trip tickets back home once a year.  Drawback is that they won't begin conducting phone interviews until September.  The SIAST people would likley make an offer long before then.  

The other thing is that if we are both offered jobs at the UAE that would likely change our wedding plans.  So unfortunately we haven't spent much time on our wedding as we would like.  It's a special time as a couple is only engaged for a finite time.  We've spent little time ring shopping although Darcy has found some neat ring sites online like http://www.weddingbells.ca/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=18&t=007075 and http://celticrings.com/index.shtml.  Plus my lease expires at the end of August and I don't know if I can get a roommate to potentially live there for only a few months.   Month to month rent will go up to $950 a month.   So it's frustrating with so many things being up in the air.

Anyway I should go have dinner and then rush off to my drumming class....

posted by Michael at 6:33 PM