Today I had an interview at a hospice center. Once my vaccinations, TB test, background check and classes are taken care of, I can begin. I am a bit excited, but then I feel guilty because this seems far too serious a subject and a place to be excited about. I am curious. I am also bored and want to try volunteering and this place is close to my house. But mostly I am hoping to get a peak at what nursing is like in this place. Seems interesting.

I just applied to McGill University. Afterwards I checked their deadlines and today was the deadline for the application. Talk about last minute. I'm not sure it's worth the $85 application fee since it's not my top choice. It would be my second choice, if it were a 2 year program, but then, 3 years isn't so bad and it's in MONTREAL! So maybe it is still my second choice.

I am stressed out by all these school applications. It's so much work. But I have already had several people say, "You wanna be a nurse? Can I get your number? I'll call you in two years..." That's how much they need nurses, at least in Ontario. This is okay. I can make it through the applications and when I'm done, someone's gotta take me. I hope...

history sticks to your feet

This is the sixth year of this blog. I started looking back at some of my old posts. I'm a little embarrassed. But mostly it's fun to read about times I had forgotten. Or read a story I wrote, only to see I tell it a bit different now (mostly just shorter now, and many would say thats a good thing).
Anyway, I found this, Amanda. From June 2, 2006. Though we may laugh at all the wrong moments, we do so to ourselves too.

"It was kind of rainy that day though and I was wearing my flip flops. At some point we were crossing a street and there were cars all lined up.. and I slipped on a man-whole cover in front of all of them scraping my knees and tearing holes in both knees of my good jeans. At least now they're "stylish"... Ah well, it was worth the laughs. If something stupid like that is going to happen, there at least better be people to see it to make it worth while. :)"

I'm baking a chicken leg for the first time in my life. Can you believe I've never done that before? I was beginning to feel like a decent enough chef living at the brick house, but I guess Dee really did most of it, and even together we rarely cooked meat... There's a first time for everything.

Speaking of firsts, I had my first day at my new job yesterday. I'm surprised and how complicated some things at Tim's can be, even with all their machinery to make everything so simple. I don't think their machines make things simple, actually. They just make everything 99% uniform. I don't like it. It takes no talent or skill to work there, except to listen well, read a screen well, work quickly and be accurate. I'm also disappointed with their idea of "fresh". But I won't talk too much about it, because I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me... In their defense, most things frozen are still fresh in their own way, right?

I am applying to volunteer at a hospice center. Seems like it could be fun and difficult at times, but mostly I am hoping it will be a good experience.

Once upon a time...

Four weeks of unemployment.
First two weeks spent travelling with my big sister.
Last two weeks spent in very rigid search (job search) mostly.
Last two weeks spent filling out applications. Job applications, unemployment application, school applications...
Last two weeks spent "developing myself" with literature, Dutch, French, the Bible, Netflix and paint-by-numbers.
Last two weeks spent IN THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR!

Tuesday:
1 awkward interview.
14 days of free pass to a fitness center.
1 funny story.

Funny story side note: So I finally had an interview. A receptionist job at a fitness center. After realizing I have almost no experience, however, P (who I'll call the interviewer) offered to give me a tour of the facilities, which I guess in P language means, "I'll show you out."
We stepped out of the office, which was located in a big exercise room and he said, "Well, this is one room. I won't show you the rest, it's too big. Do you like to work out?" To which I responded, "Sometimes," so he said, "Okay, go ahead. I'll get you a free pass" and he walked away leaving me amidst stair-steppers, ellipticals, treadmills and stationary bicycles... IN MY FORMAL ATTIRE!
I did stay and climbed 21 flights of stairs in under ten minutes and he came back with a 14-day VIP pass, which gives me access to everything, including the pool!

Wednesday:
10 laps at the pool.
1 inch of snow.
1 Netflix movie.

Thursday:
1 job application.
1 company.
4 locations.
3hrs of paint-by-numbers.

Friday:
5 new resumes printed and
5 cover letters.
2 interviews and
2 job offers in
2 hours.
1 job
3 left-over resumes
1 happy camper.

(And 1 poorly told, Carmela fashion, funny story.)

Journey of the Juniper

Today I put my work pants on and felt a little prick. "Perhaps I have a little piece of juniper in my pants", I thought, so I turned them inside out to see and instead of a little piece of juniper the size of my pinkie nail, I found a whole branch as long as my hand. How did that ever get in there...?

I like working with cuttings because instead of coming home smelling of sweat or soil, I come home smelling like a Christmas tree. I feel like I can go much longer without doing laundry... but I'll stay on the safe side. Or safer side anyhow.

I never really get homesick, but this year Christmas seems to be highlighting the fact that my family is so dispersed. I have been away for a few Christmases so far, but usually I had a big distraction so I didn't notice so much. But this year I just miss my family and having a Christmas tree with wooden ornaments from the fair and our stockings Mom stitched and hot coco and Dad reading the Christmas story from Luke and having a big yummy meal and a party at church and being in Mexico... I miss the crazy lights hung up all over downtown and the big Christmas tree on Paseo Montejo, or someplace, and the kids coming by to sing a song with a manger scene in a box. I miss it all. And I miss them.

Maybe I should get a wreath. Or twinkle lights to put on the fake fern...

What a wonderful life.

The last couple weeks at Bakkers have consisted of an assortment of different jobs, some of which were the most strenuous I've done there yet. Walking through soft dirt while hopping over freshly dug trees, then bending at each clump of trees to put a label on it, all the while trying to stay ahead of the tiers so they don't move the tree on me and cause me to lose my hold on the label... And so we don't all get in each others way, bumping into each other as we try to keep a fast pace. Then there was the couple half days of putting poly plastic on the poly-houses. My job? Stand around watching the men tug and pull and fight the plastic to get it where they want and then a couple more men throw shovels full of dirt on the loose poly all along the side of the house, and THEN came the weakling women and old men's job - walking up or down each side of the long house, stabbing that extra poly with a long poking stick. Raise, STAB! Raise, STAB! Raise, STAB! Good workout. I liked it at first because it kept me warm, then got really tired and was thankful Dee finally told me I only had to poke after every two steps instead of after each one! (Gee thanks, Foo. Every step... bah!)
These weeks have been hard, but fun. The fast pace made the days go faster. The hard work made me feel good physically and sleep good too. Working with huge crews gave me a chance to get to know other workers I've seen around all summer but never talked to. And best of all, the standing around between the hard work gave me a chance to enjoy the sunrise and the sunset and all the stuff in the middle every day! Like a big oreo.

Got an hour? Listen to this...

Fall was almost my favorite season in Sioux Center. The temperature is nearly perfect and all around the earth and the air are an explosion of color while the leaves change into yellows, oranges, and reds, first on their branches and then swirling through the air and then forming a blanket over the streets, sidewalks and lawns. Some jobs on the nursery allow me to enjoy this process, such as grading locusts or birch. However, overall I have not felt the fall here to be as enjoyable. It is wetter, more grey, and colder. Perhaps this is just a bad year. In any case, I am glad I was able to visit Sioux Center and catch a glimpse of this season there.

But mostly I am glad I was able to spend even a little time with a few of those who have remained there. I have missed you all greatly, actually, and wish I could have seen more of you yet!

Dee and I were fortunate enough to see Sufjan Stevens on this new tour of his. I very much like his new album, or at least what I've heard of it so far. The concert consisted almost entirely of new material, all of which (perhaps due in part to the experience of hearing it live) I found to be spectacular.

Yesterday I was fooling around on some crutches. While my hands were thus occupied, a friend decided to hurl a frisbee at me and afterwards draw my attention to it just in time for me to watch the frisbeen meet the bridge of my nose... Today I had a headache. I would have been okay with that, had I been also rewarded with a black eye. I feel like everyone should have at least one black eye in their lifetime, or at least I should... And this should have been my chance, or so I thought. But no. Not even a bruise on my nose. Just a red spot and a bump and a headache. Ah well. Nothing ibuprofen could not fix. :)