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It's Friday and I'm ready to head home for a relaxing three day break. Sounds like Darcy spent a lot of money at the grocery store so we should eat well during the short holidays! Unfortunately Darcy works tomorrow so we will only have Sunday and Monday off. It won't feel like Christmas being stuck here but we'll make the most of it. I will make Sin Fizzes and my Mom's cinnamon and sugar balls Christmas morning. Our little Christmas tree has even more gifts now and someone special is gettting many of those ;) It's strange but there really aren't many things that I want. There are some dumbek music cds I'd like and that's about it. I have been betting on a few Star Trek Gold Key comics and McFarlane NHL figurines but it's best if I buy those myself. I hope that I win the hockey figures! Starting bid is $1.00 and shipping for first figure is $9.00 and subsequent figures are $5.00 each for shipping.

I've been busy at work buying $8,000 worth of academic dvds in environmental science, health and technology. That seems like a lot of money but these videos are from small vendors like Green Planet Films, Bullfrog Films, First Run Icarus Films and Berkely Media. These are not videos that many public libraries would have or could likely afford to purchase. Many of these items cost around $200.00 but the content is excellent.

The weather has been refreshingly cool the last few days and it makes it feel a little bit like winter. Yuletide greetings to all!

posted by Michael at 6:31 PM

 
Well I officially have an on-site job interview at the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi. It's set for the week of January 21, 2006 so I have some time to prepare. Quite exciting but I'm also nervous! On Sunday I went with Darcy and friends to see a well known local bellydancer named Ansuya perform. She is one of the original Bellydance Superstarsand she performed an electrifying 20 minute performance! We had dinner and watched the show at a neat restaurant called Uva. It was a 45 minute trek down the turnpike and interstate to Coral Gables.

Weather has turned refreshingly cool (10 celcius last night!). So I wore my PJs last night and kept the bedroom window open just a crack. Today I dusted off my long sleeved Canada shirt in celebration of the cool weather. I'm currently bidding in ebay on two Star Trek Gold Key comic books. Don't know what made me decide to do this but I hadn't used ebay in a couple of years. The two comics total less than $10.00 excluding shipping. There's only a few hours left in the bidding so we'll see what happens...

posted by Michael at 7:05 PM

 
Just an update with the job search. University of Calgary emailed me a few days ago stating that I did not make the cut for an interview. I'm disappointed but not completely distraught. But I honestly thought that I was a strong candidate. The position was for a Humanities & Social Sciences Liasion Librarian. Preferred a degree majoring in History, which I have and it did not specify x number of years experience in an academic library (I have over four). I have experience in collection development, teaching and reference. My major weakness is in web page design but that's not in my job duty and it's difficult for almost any librarian to effectively do all those tasks. I'm also born and raised in Edmonton despite working in the U.S. for nine years.

So I decided to email the lady back asking politely if there were any deficiencies in my application. I would really like to know what kind of person they were looking for. Perhaps my not having a second Masters degree in History and not working in Canada as a librarian worked against me. At any rate at least I can now put the dream of working in my field in Calgary out of my mind.

There is still hope that I will get an on-site interview with the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi. Their search committee asked me to fill out a preliminary employment form that seemed to be more of a passport application. Darcy and I are excited and nervous about the prospects of moving overseas. I am nearing the end of my patience with the stress of work, dealing with stupid and rude patrons and the hell of living in south Florida. We want a new challenge and we love what the United Arab Emirates has to offer. I think we could still live fairly comfortably there with only one salary and if we end up raising a kid there. Plus it would be the experience of a lifetime! Anyway I don't think I'll hear any more news from the UAE until January.

Forgot to mention last time that we watched a neat movie called What the Bleep Do We Know!? A great movie that mixed drama with science (quantum physics). The basic premise is that one should be aware that there are endless possibilities to what we perceive and do everyday. Combined with our limited knowledge and understanding of the inner and outter universe only the movie reaffirmed my belief in agnosticism.

I finally had my appointment with an orthopedic surgeon last week. He showed me my MRI scans and the two gaping black holes in my two lower discs. It's not a good sign to have that somewhat advanced degeneration at my relatively young age but with my awareness of the condition and my fairly healthy lifestyle I should be okay. My Mom recalled me having lower back problems when I was fourteen and asking my brohter to walk on my back. Of course it's impossible to predict the future and the worst case situtation is that I would need spinal surgery in my old age. My mid/late 30s have been eventful healthwise!

Last bit of news is that I had credit card fraud. I made an online purchase and grew more suspicious when the figurines didn't arrive when they were scheduled. I left two voice mails with the company since they weren't accepting emails during the holidays (go figure!). Finally called Visa to reverse the charges which they happily did. Then they notified me that there were *unusual* transactions made on my credit card beginning the day that I purchased the figurines! They were a couple of clothing purchases for $60 each and a computer equipment purchase for $600! It was good that they were red flagged - perhaps because a few months ago I disputed a charge for perfume purchased in Hong Kong. So they sent me a new credit card and today spent a bit of money online. These stores used PayPal which is pretty secure.

Today's the 25th annivesary of John Lennon's death. I remember being at school that next day and everybody talking about it. My parents had bought his last album Double Fantasy. So I guess that's all for now - Happy Holidays!

posted by Michael at 6:22 PM

 
Another month has elapsed and despite the monotony of my life there is some interesting news to share. About a month after applying to the Petroleum Institute I got an email from them asking if I was still interested in the position of Information Services Librarian. I replied saying that I was and was soon told that I would have an informal telephone interview with their search committee. The UAE is nine hours ahead of Florida so they called at 11 pm on Friday, November 11. The conversation was a chance for them to gauge if I was a suitable candidate to perhaps fly in for an on-site interview in Abu Dhabi. The phone call ended up lasting two hours! I thought it went fairly well and we both asked each other many questions.

A few days passed and their administrative assistant followed up saying that I had passed this stage of the interview process and now I needed to complete some paperwork. They contacted me a few days later saying they could not get confirmation from one of my references. I finally did and must now wait to see what happens. So I'm naturally quite nervous about potentially flying to Abu Dhabi for a three day trip!

I saw an orthopedic surgeon this morning. My chiropractor referred me to this doctor due to my degenerated lower discs. It is a problem (likely genetic) but as long as I remain healthy and active then I should be okay. But over time I will likely experience more degeneration but it should be gradual. Just another thing to keep in mind along with my mitral valve prolapse issue.

Was glad to hear that the Eskimos won the Grey Cup on Sunday! Unfortunate that I wasn't there to see their thrilling OT win. A colleague at work invited me to a Panthers hockey game last night. It was fun despite low attendance and the Mapleleafs pulled out a win. Hockey Night in Florida is still not the same as Hockey Night in Edmonton!

I watched the 1927 silent film Metropolis. What an incredible movie - it was so far ahead of its time with production values! The scenes with the false Maria are a bit racey so they must have caused a stir back in the twenties. I've also been trying to keep up with my reading. When I'm at home all I seem to want to do is relax, do yoga and exercise and read. I finished reading A Peace to End all Peace. Empires of the Sand looks very interesting as it's not written by a Westerner. Cradle & Crucible looks very good too! It includes an article by Daniel Schorr whom I respect greatly. He is NPR's senior news analyst and does his weekly new commentary on Saturday mornings. I believe that he is the last surviving student who learned about journalism from the fabled Edward R. Murrow. I'm currently reading The Emergence of the Middle East: 1914-1924 by Howard Morley Sachar. The subject matter is identical to David Fromkin's A Peace to End all Peace. There are surprisingly few books written on this topic - Sachar's book was published in 1969 and Fromkin's book in 1989. Another excellent bookd I finished reading was Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell. Sadly she seems to be virtually unknown today and played a crucial role in creating the Kingdom of Iraq in 1921. All Bush had to do was read these books to realize that his strategy for invading Iraq would be a mistake! But I guess that was too much to ask for as Bush has said that he doesn't read books but rather reads people.

Well, enough blogging for now. I better get to work as I work 1-9 tonight...

posted by Michael at 11:18 AM

 

This is my office... 
posted by Michael at 5:33 PM

 
I'm back at work after having last week off due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Wilma. All I can say is that it was a disquieting feeling to be in the middle of a powerful hurricane. We were about as prepared as we could be on Sunday Oct. 23. I had filled my car with gas, had ample ice in the freezer (saved from Hurricane Katrina) and food in the fridge. We also cleaned the apartment and did laundry that night while nervously watching the hurricane edge closer. I finally went to bed at 2 am after realizing I had to get some sleep. But I woke up at 6 am and rushed to the tv to watch the news. The storm had hit landfall south of Naples and was quickly approaching Broward County. We lost power at 7:30 am and for the next four hours we were pummeled with 100 mph winds. The building swayed a bit in the gales and our windows facing west bowed from the pressure. We thought the patio door would implode but luckily it held. It was scary for a while and all we could do was ride it out by huddling by the bathroom. That was the safest place to be in the apartment.

By mid afternoon people were venturing outside and surveying the damage. Everyone was stunned and we soon learned that Wilma was the most powerful storm to hit the county since Hurricane King in 1950. Most of the large ficus trees were uprooted or suffered severe damage. Our parking lot suffered damage yet most card avoided being hit by downed trees. A large branch just missed hitting my car and it got lodged underneath Max.

We only lost power for three and a half days and the boil water law was lifted after four days. The two swimming pools are closed due to damage. Our tree sanctuary is gone and there is an empty feeling when we sit on our balcony. The birds have returned but are probably in shock like we were! If we could move tomorrow then we would. I believe that this area will likely be in an almost continual state of repairing from the high number of storms that are predicted to hit us. Look what's happened in only the last fifteen months!

We're still on tap to leave by August 2006 for parts yet unknown. Just learned that our rent will increase $80 a month to $1,080 for a one year lease. Almost afraid for what the seven month or month to month leases charge. I've applied to a couple of jobs: one at the University of Calgary (Humanities & Social Sciences Liasion Librarian) and at the Petroleum Institute in the UAE. We'll see what happens. I feel more detached with living here now but I can easily wait for a few more months before moving.
posted by Michael at 5:32 PM

 
I'm long overdue for posting an entry. Even though I've been back almost a month from our Edmonton trip I never found time to write. Go to our newlywed blog for comments on our fantastic wedding and honeymoon! It was difficult to get motivated to work upon our return home. Within ten days Hurricane Katrina his south Florida and, despite only being a category 1 storm, it packed a wallop! A few people died near us due to falling trees. We lost power for 55 hours and it was a bit scary. Almost 1.5 million people were without power (half the population of Alberta!). Sadly the damage was minimal compared to what the storm did to the Gulf a few days later.

I'm now going to get on my soapbox about the aftermath of the hurricane. It was unbelievable how unprepared all levels of government were unprepared for providing relief - complete incompetence and it's just another example why Bush and his cronies should be thrown out of office. Stories are leaking out daily about how FEMA staff emailed the head of FEMA and Homeland Security Friday morning August 26 stating that a disaster was imminent in the New Orleans area. No replies came from the top bureaucrats and a minimal number of disaster people were sent south. The same time, if not a few days earlier, the head of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, called the FEMA head and others stating that Katrina would increase to a category 4 or 5 and cause massive destruction. This storm was *The Big One* that everyone, especially in New Orleans, in the GULF feared! The National Weather Service sent out bulletins essentially saying to people *get out of there now!* 80% of New Orleans residents did or rather those who could. Most who were left behind were poor Blacks and no one tried to bus them out. Instead they were crowded into the Superdome and Convention Center and the rest is history.

Newsweek rhetorically asked *Do you feel safer after the government's painfully slow reactions to Katrina's aftermath?* All the bureaucratic re-shuffling and spending billions on the fascist sounding Homeland Security Department pretty much did NOTHING to prepare people for the storm. And there were days for planning! Imagine, god forbid, if a large bomb explodes, tunnel collapses somewhere with no warning! How would the homeland people and FEMA react?

Katrina's aftermath also reared the issue of race and poverty in the so-called greatest nation in the history of humanity. I'm an American but I get sick and tired of hearing that American is the greatest, wealthiest, most powerful county in the world but the nation's infrastructure is falling apart. You quickly scratch the surface and there are millions of people with no health care (that includes middle class who can't afford to insure their spouse and/or kids), rising debt and widening gap between rich and poor. Did the government also respond slowly because the hardest hit people were poor minorities? I say yes but that isn't the only reason. The Republicans are now *re-visiting* the law Bush signed to substantially toughen the bankruptcy law. Katrina has displaced tens of thousands of people and who must start all over again from scratch. They have no choice but to declare bankruptcy. Yes, consumer spending in the West is a large culprit for living way beyond one's means but record numbers of bankruptcy cases are because American who need medical attention are literally bankrupted by getting surgey. I have co-workers who are lower-middle class like me who can't afford healthcare for their child.

I don't know how King Bush can keep the government afloat with doling out tens of billions to the Iraq fiasco and spend more on the Katrina cleanup PLUS continue to issue tax relief to people. This story puts some things in perspective. BTW I never received a cheque for his second round of tax refunds. I can't help but think that the storm requires as much navel gazing, domestically at least, as 9-11. I am actually sick of hearing about the poor victims of 9-11. It was a tragic day and many questions weren't answered but many vicitim's families were compensated and there was a commission. Guess what? Haliburton has another fat contract for reconstruction in another Gulf region! How can Bush, Cheney and Rove get away with this crap? The American people did vote Bush back into office last year so only the people can blame themselves. Katrina, I think, has far more implications for discussing the state of the state at a far greater cost morally to this county than 9-11. This time Bush can't use a bullhorn at ground zero and tell people it's okay. I wished someone had dropped him at ground zero at the Superdome and tried using his folksy charm on the mobs of people!

So Katrina has further polarized America with racial issues, security and disaster relief issues and economic issues. It is very disturbing and depressing. I guess I'm harping on these points because Darcy and I are leaving south Florida next year for a place not set in stone yet. So much to think about how we want to live our lives in peace and harmony. Of course everyone deserves that but we feel it's a chance to start from scratch. Lies I learned in Library School is a sobering but very accurate view of the state of our profession. I take responsibility for my actions and have no regrets about going to library school. But I have worked hard as a librarian in the past five years and feel I can't get ahead. Meanwhile Darcy has floundered in her job with few meaningful duties to perform. So, sadly, we're not upbeat about finding meaningful work in our field. I keep going back and forth about returning to school or finding a job in a related field.

Last bit of news is that I have been experiencing tremendous pain and discomfort with sciatic. It was bothering me a bit before our wedding but really flared up that day. It was tolerable during our honeymoon but I went downhill upon returning to Florida. I've been seeing a chiropractor for three weeks and treatments have stablized my pain. The doctor wants me to have an MRI done to get an accurate sense of possible nerve and deep tissue damage. So I've hobbled around like an old man and can only do chinups and a few yoga stretches for exercise. It's been very depressing for me as my life has become quite sedentary. I have BlueCross BlueShield that provides a $1,000 deductible for hollistic medicine. So it's hard for Darcy and I to cheer each other up and both be in a calming mood. I guess this is the first test of our marriage!

posted by Michael at 12:44 PM

 
Believe it or not I've been finishing reading some books lately. One was called The Middle East: a brief history of the last 2,000 years. Darcy had bought it for me last Christmas! It was very interesting but I'm such a slow reader and reading usually puts me to sleep at the end of a long work day. Then I read The Flanders Panel. It was a murder mystery that revolved around a 500 year old painting with a chess game theme. Darcy's parents had bought me the bookfor me at Christmas. Then I finished a book that Darcy had checked out. It's called Don't Eat this Book. It's written by the same person who directed and starred in the fourth highest grossing documentary of all time, Super Size Me. I don't want to eat at another McDonald's again and ideally any fast food joint! We are polluting our bodies and the Big Food Industry is winning the battle. An article titled Kentucky Among Nation's Sickest States today only confirms what the book says.

I also finished a book titled
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Very interesting ideas on upcycling and how conventional recycling doesn't really work. Recycled products should only be recycled into renewable products from the same material. Plus it is possible for industries to not produce extreme pollutants. The book is written by a chemist and an architect. They were hired by Ford Motor Company to redesign its aging and polluting headquarters. Apparently it's been a success and all big corporations should follow suit.

I had a restful weekend as Darcy and I relaxed by the pool for only the second time since we moved!! I did it again the next day while she was at work. I've been working out a bit as my body has almost recuperated. We leave for Edmonton next week - hard to believe! It's late so I should sign off....

posted by Michael at 7:45 PM

 
We've had an early start to the 2005 hurricane season. Hurricane Dennis is slamming the Florida Keys right now. It formed very quickly from being a tropical wave barely a week ago to being a category four storm yesterday! Plus it's also the most powerful storm to form this early in recent memory. The wind bands began picking up yesterday and it is a strange phenomenon. The sky began greying over and clouds were swirling around and the wind was hot. Last night the wind would pick up and die down every fifteen minutes or so. There was one huge thunder blast that must have been the loudest I've heard here. It was late and I was reading in the living room and the sound jolted me and just about every car alarm in the block. So it could be a long, wet summer that makes us all the more anxious to leave this place.

I like to pride myself in being a realist rather than a pessimist but coping with the harsh weather here is really getting to Darcy and myself. Neither of us is in the mood looking for work and I would ideally like a break before possibly going back to school. Maybe we can both take an extended vacation in fall 2006. Our lease would run out at the end of July next year and we could pack up our stuff, drive back to Edmonton or Calgary and store it. Then we could go on a vaction overseas that fall and winter. We'd have to budget our money though but that should be okay. I'm at work preparing to teach a library instruction class to doctoral computer science students. I'd rather be at home reading but luckily I get comp time for coming in on days off. Also need to deal with our incompetent landlords again. They have my credit card on file and said that way they can pay my rent automatically rather than me come in The first time I did this they lost my paperwork and I had to convince them to take off the late rent charge. I did the paperwork a second time and obviously some one has screwed up again. Plus it seems everytime I go to the office it is closed when it should be open! Who needs to deal with that crap?

My horrible cold is almost gone after over three weeks of suffering. I haven't been this sick for this long since my food poisoning bout in 1997. I've lost much energy and am coughing and hacking like an old man. Plus it's made me grumpy. The day before I got sick was my ill fated interview with the HCT and subsequent record home workout of doing 148 chinups. How far I've fallen since then! But on the bright side is that my vacation starts on my birthday and our wedding is fast approaching...

posted by Michael at 12:38 PM

 
I should probably call in sick tomorrow but will see how I feel. I haven't felt well since June 15. I suffered with a horrible sore throat and saw a doctor on June 22. He found nothing wrong and even took a strep throat swab. He prescribed me 875 mg amoxocillin pills and to take two a day. That's a tremondous amount of anitbiotics to take considering I didn't have a bacterial infection - I was diagnosed with acute pharyngitis (sore throat). I suspect that he theorized I could develop may develop a viral infection but am not sure why he prescribed the drugs. All they did was make my stomach do cartwheels for a week. It probably cleaned out all the backterial in my body and made me vulnerable to catching this chest cold. My throat slowly improved but this morning I woke up with a sore chest and croopy cough. Now at the end of the work day I feel like crap. I must have caught some virulent cold bug from someone as this sucks! I've had no energy for two weeks and feel as bad now as I did two weeks ago. Hopefully this thing will run its course as I don't want to go back to the doctor and take more pills as a safeguard.

Darcy's wedding shower was last weekend and was ironically the worst day that I had with my churning stomach. So I had the apartment to myself and drank ginger tea with honey and watched the last few episodes of Enterprise. The tea was good (had to grind a ginger root and let it steep in hot water before straining). Unfortunately I couldn't find the final episode on my friend's tape so I will have to wait and watch it some time, some where.

Wedding plans are coming together (see the wedding blog for those details). My mom returned home from her Spokane trip and reported that my grandmother improved quite dramatically from her almost fatal bout with (can't remember the superbug she had). It caused massive dehydration and delerium. My poor aunts and mother had to deal with taking care of my grandmother and cleaning out her apartment and revising her estate. In many ways it's terrible to get old and being sick puts a lot of pressure on relatives. I hope that when I reach my grandmother's age that there will be a cyanide pill that people can take. It could alleviate so much pain and suffering for surviving relatives and to not deal with nursing homes and extended care facilities and spiraling costs of health care.

I'm a bit disappointed with my status with the HCT. I've not been contacted by anyone since my interview like they said would happen. All I know is that last week my online application history chart had a stop sign affixed in my *failed interview* category. I can accept that providing that the search committee had my complete application. Unfortunately they did not and they even mentioned it in my interview. I told them that I had made changes to my personal profile and that I saw the changes myself. However, the following day I logged in and looked at my official application (which is kind of buried in the website) and I was shocked to discover that the app reflected NONE of my editions since I first posted my application on May 1!! I was livid and emailed the only two contacts I had at the place. One was the individual who called me about the interview and the other person was the recruitment head. But I've had no reply.

As I reflected on the interview I realized that I had no opportunity to ask interview follow-up questions. I only had twenty minutes to ask them questions and I only asked a few of them. I felt that the interview was rushed and, combined with how things have progressed afterwards, I feel that things are disorganized there. Not that I'm a well organized person either but I've been left in limbo with no way to contact them!

A colleague at work has a friend who works at the American University of Sharjah. We've sent each other a few emails and I've learned a few more interesting things about life over there. It's not perfect by any means but can't be worse than living in Broward County for five years. That university is constructing an impressive new library.

Work is okay but it is boiling down to the lull before the storm as three people are leaving by the end of August. Another will go on maternity leave in the fall at least two others are actively looking for work elsewhere. Department morale is very low and I am tired of hearing people bitch even though they have legitimate complaints. But I've been here as long as they have and in some cases longer. But you either suck it up and do your work or get the hell out of here. I have one more year of learning the ropes with collection development and whatever other tasks I can learn before we leave this god forsaken place for who knows where.

My university's retirement annuity policy change has really irked me and is a factor when we will leave. NSU has decided that employees must be employed on the last calendar day of the year (Dec. 31) in order to retain all retirement contributions by the employer. In other words if I leave next summer 2006 then I will not be able to keep all the money that NSU has contributed for me for that year. I'm having TIAA-CREF calculate how much I receive annually from NSU. Anyway that adds up to a lot of money. That's enough griping for now - I want to go home and rest my aching chest and pick up my Harold Balazas art that my grandmother and aunt sent me (wedding gift!)...

posted by Michael at 7:22 PM

 
I forgot to mention last time that I set a new record for doing chinups in one day - 148! I did a half decent workout Tuesday compared to what I normally do now. I guess I wanted to let off some steam after my video conference interview. I'm glad I was able to take that day off! I relaxed after the workout and began reading Dave Thomas's SCTV : Behind the Scenes book. It's very enlightening and I was lucky to remember watching it live in the early 80s when I lived in Red Deer. I'm battling a flu virus as I woke up Wednesday morning with a very sore throat and overall feeling of weakness. Perhaps I caught something when we went to the Turkish restaurant Tuesday night. Two of Darcy's friends bellydanced there - a lot of fun!

Last Friday I flew with my supervisor to Orlando to attend the Florida Library Association's Leadership meeting. It's a day long orientation for members who are committee chairs and heads of interest and discussion groups. It's kind of fun and good experience but it takes time. I'm the Chair of the Continuing Education Committee for 2005-06. Darcy was chair last year and will help me get through this year! I'm trying to plan at least one program and co-sponsor it with the local Broward County Library Association. I'm the Historian there and attended my first Board meeting Monday! Almost time for me to head off to my drumming class. ...
posted by Michael at 7:26 PM

 
Another hectic thirty days have passed since my last posting. Anyway the big news, besides wedding stuff, is my job interview yesterday (June 14). It was the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I had set up my online profile May 1 and got a phone call at 1:00 am on May 31 from a staffer at the HCT. Darcy's mother had just flown in a few hours earlier so we were still up and talking. I was naturally excited to get the phone call but also nervous about the video conference interview. The college emailed me a week later confirming the location for the interview that was only half a mile away. A couple of days later I got the college's literature in the mail along with an informative CD-ROM. I scoured their website and took notes and even found an article published by two former staff in 2000. So I was fairly prepared for an extensive interview but knew that I likely wouldn't have the opportunity to showcase my knowledge.

I had never participated in a video conference before but the technical aspect of it went fairly smoothly. The lady at the office that had the facilities showed me to a large conference room (the HCT paid for this) and positioned the microphone and camera. Then I spread out my copious notes on the huge table. But I needed to strategically position them so that they wouldn't show up on camera. I arrived half an hour early and had time to decompress! During the setup time I was able to see myself on the television and thus could get a sense of what the interview panel was going to see. I wore my lucky $900.00 Hugo Boss suit (I first wore it to my SLIS grad in 2000 and all subsequent job interviews).

It was just before 9:00 am and the t.v. screen changed to a menu of options and then I heard the dial up tone and phone number appear. The first three times were unsuccessful but eventually the transmission connected and I saw their slighly hazy images. Movements were slightly jerky and images not crystal clear and the sound had about a five second delay. They quickly introduced themselves (one lady had graduated from SLIS at the University of Alberta!)

The panel mentioned that three positions were currently vacant with two being at Women's Colleges. At least one of the positions had a start date of August 13! They proceeded to ask me several situational questions which I answered pretty well I think. I only had twenty minutes left to ask them questions. I admitted that I had several but had to be selective due to time constraints. Unfortunately they didn't offer any way for me to ask follow-up questions. They realized that due to my August wedding that, if I were successful in the interview, that I would not be able to start work in two months. But they assured me that positions appear throughout the year due to contracts ending and people rotating out.

I'm only concerned know as to whether I made this next cut or not. I'll find out within two weeks. The panel did mention that they did not have my answers for the *about me* section. I just checked and they are indeed all blank! I've altered them periodically since May 1 and most recently just now. I suppose I need to email my lone contact at the HCT who called me. That category is vital to learning about each candidate excluding professional experience.

It would benefit Darcy and I, if we're hired, to start work there anytime after the fall. For me, starting there next spring would be ideal. That would give me one more year at NSU to become more comfortable with collection development and other duties along with fulfilling BCLA and FLA committee obligations. We'll see what happens! It's 1:00 pm and time for me to start work...
posted by Michael at 12:58 PM

 
My car is in the shop again (although it's been over four months). The last time was when my old mechanic needed to replace the shocks. They were under warranty and had been replaced the previous November. Max (my volvo) has been running great since then but its 3,000 mile oil change was coming up and I suspected he had a few oil and coolant leaks. As well I discovered that the air conditioning wasn't working - again. I got fed up with having to pay $50 for freon every spring so I figured something more was wrong. Of course no other mechanics would have checked the problem out further besided just topping up freon (which shouldn't have to be done every year! Turns out I need a new a/c evaporator which will cost $1,900. Other leaks and repairs will bump up the cost considerably so I'm rather depressed about that. But the a/c has to be done. It would be like living in Edmonton in winter and not having heat in your car. So I won't have Max for a few days but at least I was able to work out the logistics of commuting. I took the car in yesterday to the VShop - a neat sounding name. They're very close to our apartment and the people there were friendly. They even gave me a ride home - unprecedented for any mechanic I've seen. I had the day off and Darcy will take me to work the next two days. Luckily I work close to home and it is almost on her way to work. So I will likely set a record today by spending almost thirteen hours at work!

On my day off (yesterday) I worked out and began consolidating my photo albums. I have several photos that my Mom got developed from slides that I need to integrate into my albums. I'd need to take at leasat a few days off to get that done. There are a few slides that I need to get converted into photos and I can get that done this summer in Edmonton. Then I can organize all my photos chronologically and revise my life story. It's been fun looking at photos from the 1970s - it's strange to think how much time has passed and get lost about reflecting events from the past. I'm older now than my parents were in that decade.

But I don't feel that old - I guess it's because I'm not a parent and I'm still stumbling around trying to figure out what I want to accomplish in my career. For that matter what do I want to do for a career. Darcy and I disillusioned, her even more so than me, over the profession of librarianship and what is offers and doesn't offer. It's lost so many web based initiatives to the private sector and it has negatively affected how people conduct research and perceive libraries. There are many bright individuals in the profession and some interesting projects done in collaboration with other agencies but the profession still seems to be led by bureacrats stuck in the antiquated 1970s and 80s mindset.

Both our libraries are indicative of this and it's frustrating - getting stuck in mundane daily routines and putting out fires. For myself I don’t have time to read my profession’s literature and see what’s going on in technology developments and research. I don’t feel like looking for another job and would almost rather go back to school. I shouldn't feel burnt out and Darcy shouldn't feel bored and disillusioned after barely five years as a librarian! Maybe this is normal and our parents and grandparents went through the same motions but they stuck it out. I guess Gen Xers aren’ t going to take it anymore (sounds like a song from Twisted Sister!) Damn – I only have an hour left before my work day officially begins and I have more personal stuff to do – until next time…
posted by Michael at 12:06 AM

 

My friend Dante and me at the library's Christmas party in 2002. He returned home to Toronto to bigger and better things. I'll miss him but I have an open invitation to visit! 
posted by Michael at 7:39 PM

 

Craig, Malini and I west of Boulder (March, 2005). 
posted by Michael at 7:35 PM

 
Here I am again after almost a month passing between blog entries. Guess I get too wrapped up in work and the daily grind. Big news is that Darcy and I decided a couple of weeks ago to leave the U.S. in the summer of 2006. So she will not apply for the green card and instead renew her TN-1 work visa for one more year. We can do this when we return to Florida after our honeymoon on August 15. By next summer 2006 I think I will have been able to fulfill most of my major goals at work and will be ready to move on. I wil have lived in Florida for six years which is much longer than I imagined. But I've also accomplished much more than I ever thought possible. Beside the subtropical weather here is really getting to me and Darcy. Darcy's professional career has sadly stalled here and she is sick of BCL. Health care is a scary issue here along with rising education costs. Plus the almost constant horrible humidity saps our energy and makes us grumpy! But there just don't seem to be nearly as many job prospects as in the U.S.

So it will be a risk leaving here with potentially no jobs for both or just one of us. We figured that there are three places to relocate in Canada based upon selection of jobs and universities. They are Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. We both agree that Calgary is the best for having lowest cost of living and being a bit closer to home. So I visited the University of Calgary's website and found an interesting graduate program to possible apply. It is the Center for Strategic and Miltary Studies. It offers a course based Masters program with the description stating "
The Master of Strategic Studies (MSS) program has been designed to achieve a specific educational goal; to provide students with a graduate degree that combines a strong military-oriented, liberal arts core, with opportunities to study more technical subject matter ranging from international law to geomatics engineering. The goal is a well-rounded graduate education which will place the technicalities of war and defence-related subjects, past and present, within the context of the overall human experience. " GPA must be at least 3.4 and requirements seem liberal enough where I would have a chance of being selected. I've always found international relations interesting and the history of warfare intriguing. So I need to decide what to do and begin my application process this fall...

I just applied online for a job at the Higher Colleges in Technology in the United Arab Emirates. Their website is good and they have multiple openings (which can be a good sign or not depending on how you look at it). They have a comprehensive applicant profile that must be completely filled out before one can apply for a position. I naturally applied for the librarian(s) positions and will wait and see what happens. There is a neat applicant job status field to view after you've applied. Darcy and I would prefer to work overseas for a while there before returning to Canada.

My Canadian friend and colleague Dante left for Toronto early Monday, May 2. He was homesick and needed a change of pace. Dante worked his butt off here and will be much happier back in his home town. He will be a branch librarian at Richmond Hill Green Library. So another Canadian colleague leaves South Florida back to Canada. Guess Darcy and I are next if nothing pans out overseas. My dream is to live overseas for a few years and then relocate to North America.

Finally, Enterprise is winding down its last season. The last few episodes haven't been too bad. Luckily friends of ours are taping the shows since we have poor reception. I did a record 210 chinups at home last week. I guess that's all for now....
posted by Michael at 7:15 PM

 
Our last night together in Denver at Joe's Crabshack. We had worked out hard at the gym that afternoon and had a few stiff drinks before dinner. Yummy crab for dinner!
posted by Michael at 7:17 PM

 

Maini and I enjoying a game of Connect Four... 
posted by Michael at 7:09 PM

 
I'm back in hot and disgustingly humid Broward County after spending nine relaxing days in Denver. Actually my brother and sister-in-law live in the charming city of Westminster. We took a day trip to Estes Park and spent the rest of the time relaxing in their wonderful new condo. They moved in last fall and have decorated it with exotic looking artwork from India. Their three cats liven up the place too! My brother put me through some grueling but long overdue workouts at the local fitness center. I was sore but felt invigorated! Cocktail hour was held daily at 5:00 pm and we drank almost two bottles of rum including one 151 proof bottle. I also finished off my bottle of rye that I bought in 2003. Craig bought a blender and made excellent daiquiries. Unfortunately the blender overheated and we had a smoke out in the kitchen. They had just bought it and is under warranty.

We watched some thriller movies: The Ring , Toolbox Murders, Saw, and saw The Ring Two and Robots in the theatre. We also watched White Chicks, Ladder 49, One Hour Photo, and Dawn of the Dead. Anyway I hadn't watched that many movies in years, if ever, in such a short time! Also did a lot of recreational web surfing and created an inventory of Craig's comic books in Microsoft Access. There were some comics that I hadn't seen in almost twenty years! But it was very enjoyable as all of us just relaxed. Last Friday we spent almost the entire day inside watching tv.

Darcy couldn't come because she had booked time off for her mother to visit. Unfortunately her dad became quite ill and had to be hospitalized. So her mother had to cancel the trip down. One big drawback for families living far apart is when someone gets sick. If Darcy's mother can't fly down to visit then I think Darcy should visit her parents once her dad is discharged from the hospital. But that is her decision.

There is no update on Darcy's BlueStone band signing a contract. I think things will be delayed by the label being able to sign Darcy so hopefully that will be resolved soon. No news with finalizing a photographer either. It would be nice to get something definitive finalized in our lives soon. I guess that's all for now...

posted by Michael at 7:43 PM

 

My brother Craig and I in the Rockies... 
posted by Michael at 7:09 PM

 
Yikes - it's been an entire month since I last wrote! I hate neglecting blogging but, unfortunately, work has consumed much of my free time. I'm trying to edit my manuscript article for the peer reviewed library journal Reference and User Services Quarterly. It's been quite an academic exercise and has shown my glaring weakness in writing and conducting research. I'm sure the editors and reviewers know that and is maybe the reason I'm still editing the thing almost a year later.

We've settled comfortably in our apartment despite the complex's horrible maintenance service. Darcy was sent an online survey tenant satisfaction survey and gave low marks for building upkeep. But our unit is comfortable (breezy, cool, and shady). Last night I bought a large bookcase from Target and must put it together. Believe it or not, that's the largest piece of furniture, not counting my air bed, that I've bought in my life. That should hold the remainder of our books and magazines. We need to tidy the guest room/workout/bellydancing studio for when Darcy's mom arrives at the end of the month.

I recently bought a chin up bar. It had been on my mind for a year or so bought I had not been able to find one that did not require screwing into a wall. One I had purchased a year ago made a mess of my, and Darcy's, doorway. This one is excellent and worth the price. The doorway can't be wider than 36 inches and there needs to be a doorway frame on top for part of the bar to sit. So I'm very happy that I can do chin ups at any time. I still miss Washington Park and not being able to do dips though. I have used the apartment's gym a few times now. I've not been able to develop a routine and have had to go early in the morning. I've hardly every worked out before 10 am but seem to now. I've also used the treadmill since the lack of a residential neighborhood prevents me from walking outside much.

I didn't realize that Target was fairly close to us as well as the west side of Broward Shopping Mall. One could comfortably walk there in about twenty minutes in winter weather. Other news is that I'm flying to Denver again on March 18. I definitely need a break after the completion of the serials cutting project, editing my article, and ordering hundreds of new books. Too bad Darcy can't come but she will enjoy the time off with her mom here. Not surprised to hear that Star Trek Enterprise has been canceled. Just not a very good show IMHO. I read an eye opening book called Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. I knew that he had a propensity to steal other people's thunder but, according to the author, Roddenberry treated many people very badly. Plus he seemed to be an alcoholic and casual drug user. But he brilliant in helping to create the Star Trek franchise.

I have many other books to read and it will take me a while to get to them. On a sad note, our yoga studio has closed because the owner could not afford to pay the huge increase in rent once the office buildings were renovated. The last class, 2.5 hours was held on Feb. 26 and was very good despite it also being my hardest yoga workout. We learned many new moves and can do some at home. Hopefully our teacher can find a new location soon! I like doing the poses and, in many ways, are better than lifting weights. As I age I would like to do more yoga with less emphasis on weights. Having my home weights along with doing chin ups would be enough.

Not much news on the wedding front. We're negotiating with a student photographer from NAIT. Once something is finalized then we'll post an entry in our wedding blog. Guess that's all for now...
posted by Michael at 6:59 PM

 
Yikes - an entire month has gone since since my last entry! The big move on Saturday, Jan. 29 went fairly smoothly. Our new apartment leasing office messed up our move-in date. For some reason they though we were moving in Feb. 1 even though we had signed our lease! So our apartment was not going to be ready until 5 pm that day. That was not good and Darcy negotiated to have the time moved to 2 pm. I had book a UHaul truck from 8 am to 4 pm and was luckily able to change my reservation to 10 am to 6 pm.

We ended up having four friends help out which was a blessing and made the move go fairly quickly. We started at my place first and backed up the truck to the rear patio door. I had more stuff than I thought but managed to have the place pretty much cleared out by noon. Next we drove to Darcy's and loaded her stuff plus we used our friend's vehicles. In hindsight renting a 17 foot truck would have made the move even easier. The weather was cool so I didn't overheat like with my last two moves here.

I treated everyone to lunch and then our convoy headed to our new place. We arrived there at 2:30 and discovered a painter in our apartment! Not a good sign. The office apologized profusely and said the complex's owner was in town and there was little time to get our unit ready (it was empty for ten days before we moved in). Anyway - the carpet was vacuumed although I'm not sure I believe them when they said it was steam cleaned. The walls were dusty and had cobwebs in ceiling corners. Plus the garburator didn't work, light bulbs were missing in fixtures, etc. The big thing was the master bedroom window alcove area had suffered water damage to the wall and ceiling. There were cracks, paint chips and the wall was ready to cave in with only a bit of pressure to it.

Not much as been fixed as of this writing and we are getting frustrated. Other than that the apartment is very nice and roomy and cool temperature wise. Our balcony faces a canal, is shaded by trees and faces west. So we don't get a lot of sun which is nice. Makes it a bit dark but I don't mind it at all. It's so refreshing after over four years of living in an sweaty armpit environment. We did move during this so-called cold snap but I don't think the hot, humid summer will increase the inside temp as much as my old place.

I spent the night of the 30th in my old place as I needed to do the walk through with that office the next morning. Plus I had one last car load of stuff to haul out. My roommate didn't have much stuff. Unfortunately he didn't have room to take my old desk so I had to throw it out. It must have been about 30 years old as I remember making models on it with my dad in Edmonon in the 1970s.

I've had to discard more stuff - mainly t-shirts. There were many that I hadn't used in years and we don't have the space to store it. I've whittled down my clothing to about two dozen long sleeved shirts and double that for shirt sleeved shirts/t-shirts. Bear in mind I have bought few long sleeved shirts since moving here so most are from my Edmonton/Spokane years. I basically wear short sleeved shirts for work, weekends and working out. Not bad, I think, for sheer numbers. We need to shop for a portable shelving unit to fit in our guest room wall length closet. That way I can easily store all my Star Trek magazines and books. Not enough book cabinets and wall space to display that. I'm at the point of wanting to sell many of my comics but ideally it would be nice to re-read them first. Have to go to EBay and see what they're worth plus check out the Overstreet price guide.

Have been too tired and busy with unpacking to work out in the last two weeks. I knew this was coming and will get back in the groove, hopefully, at some point. I have weights and bench organized in the guest room. So far it's fun living with Darcy - we haven't had many arguments :) It feels right I suppose after knowing her for almost five years and being engaged for eight months and getting married in six months.

No news on the wedding plans. I've been waiting for an interested NAIT student to email me but have heard nothing. That is not good since the request went out almost a month ago. Guess I need to update our wedding blog one of these days. Last bit of news is that I'll be visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Denver in late March. No good deals online so bought a $357.00 ticket on Orbitz. Will be flying on United so I'll collect more airmiles. Have enought for a free flight so will cash that in for our flight home in July.

We attended Harmonic Motion's last monthly performance party yesterday. It was great and the live music fantastic! Plus Darcy was one of two features dances and performed marvelously. She doesn't give herself enough credit. My drumming continues to come along slowly. Our yoga classes are in jeopardy as our teacher has been forced to move out of her building due to renovations and exorbitant rent increases. She has been looking for a new location and will likely find one but perhaps not right away. Her last class is the end of February. I'm growing a beard to portray Abe Lincoln for the kids again. But this time it's only for one day! It's getting late and my legs are cramping again from sitting for so long. Guess that's all for now...

posted by Michael at 7:52 PM

 
I'm back safe and sound in muggy South Florida. Christmas vacation was therapeutic as I ate and drank a lot. I felt a bit guilty doing it but I probably needed it! The weather was refreshingly cool and invigorating. Went for a few walks outside and the wind was cold a couple of times. Once on Christmas Day and then in St. Albert. I went with Mom out there and walked along Sturgeon River and in St. Albert Place while she got her hair done. It was a trip down memory lane as I hadn't been in the public library in over ten years! I stayed over at Darcy's parent's place twice for the first time. I didn't manage to play one complete chess game with Darcy's Dad because I take too long to move pieces. Keith found time to stay over one night so it was good to see him. Also had time to squeeze in visiting with Ed and Lori and their two kids. That reminds me - I need to email him with the contact information for NAIT's photography program.

Dad and I drove out to Thorsby to see the Chevelle. Poor old Bessie's interior was somewhat ravaged by field mice. They had borrowed a hold in the back seat and took out stuffing to make nests. The body looked okay but we couldn't get it started due to no battery. I made the tough decision not to fix up the car for the wedding and instead sell it. If I had a lot of money I'd do it but the bit of money I have saved and from Grandma Shires's inheritance needs to be spent on our immediate future (moving, education, overseas trip). So I need to figure out the logistics of selling it - price is not much more than $2,500.

We visited our lay chaplain at Tim Hortons and dropped into the Special Events Rentals place. But ideally I had wanted to get more wedding plans finalized. There are things we can accomplish via the telephone and email. More about this on our wedding blog. Last big news is we signed a year lease at the Atriums of Plantation apartment! We're excited and must gear up for the big move in three weeks. I've reflected on the devastating tsunami and my trip to Thailand in 2002...

posted by Michael at 7:25 PM