The job search is still going on. I have an interview with a community just East of Calgary on Friday morning, and I'm pretty excited about it. I have a lot of work to finish up in the next couple weeks, should be a fun time.
My room is a disaster and I was going to start cleaning it, but didn't, because I was distracted by making arrangements for places to stay, etc, with the gang for next week. My roommate James is getting married. How strange.
This should be a fun few weeks. As of tomorrow, my countdown is 14 days!
Also, comments on the mainpage (blogger) should now be functioning as a DISQUS account, to maybe make me use that more, since I rarely use comments, but most Tumblr folk do.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Something I noticed:
If all goes well and I get one of the two jobs I'm hoping for in this internship game, then I'll have to change my title bar (if you're not reading this on blogger, check it out).
I put it together in September 2007 while working in Cornwall, and it's pretty much the 5 places I've spent a good deal of time in, and the associated water systems that have played some sort of role there.
So far, the display includes Caledonia, Cornwall, Willow Springs, Toronto, and Waterloo, but I think it would be pretty fun to add in a new piece that represents either of the municipalities/regional service commissions I would like to work for. And if I'm really lucky, one would be mountains too!
Okay, back to work.
I put it together in September 2007 while working in Cornwall, and it's pretty much the 5 places I've spent a good deal of time in, and the associated water systems that have played some sort of role there.
So far, the display includes Caledonia, Cornwall, Willow Springs, Toronto, and Waterloo, but I think it would be pretty fun to add in a new piece that represents either of the municipalities/regional service commissions I would like to work for. And if I'm really lucky, one would be mountains too!
Okay, back to work.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Cold calling.
I've never been one to use a phone much. I think the most I ever have used the phone has been over the past summer, and especially during frosh week this past year. I think my phone records would back that up.
For a class assignment, we are setting up a focus group in the local area to discuss the implementation of a new plan, and to get public feedback about the process and area. I can handle meetings just fine, they don't scare me at all, but the problem is that we also have to be in charge of recruiting people to come to our session. That means cold calling randoms in the community that live near our area of study. I discussed the phoning aspect with the graduate student in the course who is handling the administrative function of our research methods (aka, liaison to office of research ethics). My dialogue ran somewhat like this:
"I've always had a phone phobia. When I was younger I even had a door phobia. I would always go to see if my friends were at home, but if I wasn't able to spot them from the street, it was rare that I would actually make any sort of contact. This was similar with phones, I would rather just stop by than to phone ahead, and just try to get me to do anything on the phone, it's pretty terrible."
So part of the course we determined as a class was to also create some goals to work on during the course of the project. Mine included just getting down and dirty with phone calls. We basically have a list of names/addresses of folks that live in a given neighbourhood and have to search canada411 to find the actual phone numbers (about 15 second search, really). Then call. Oh my did I ever sound like a telemarketer. I feel sorry for the first few places I called (that answered). I definitely read word for word from the script I had, and it wasn't pretty.
As time passed and I got to talk to more real people, it was much more interesting, and I had a good chat with a couple people about the project. One lady responded that her husband (who is part of a very recognizable family tree in Waterloo area) would have loved to participate and contribute, but is in a nursing home and wouldn't be able to come out to our sesh. Another would have loved to talk one-on-one, but didn't want to meet in a group. It's people like this that I wouldn't mind picking brains with, if only that was permissible under Research Ethics.
So at the end of the night, I was pretty bummed. No one had responded positively by 8:20 and I figured "well, this should be the last call I make, otherwise people realllly will not be happy with me. So I looked up one last number, did my regular spiel, but timed it a little better to get the verbal clues of interest (uh-huhs). It worked! Someone said they'd like to come. That excites me, and makes all those other calls worthwhile!
In the end though, I'm really hoping we can just run into randoms tomorrow on the streets and convince them to come. Also, I hope its not raining when I need it not to be raining.
For a class assignment, we are setting up a focus group in the local area to discuss the implementation of a new plan, and to get public feedback about the process and area. I can handle meetings just fine, they don't scare me at all, but the problem is that we also have to be in charge of recruiting people to come to our session. That means cold calling randoms in the community that live near our area of study. I discussed the phoning aspect with the graduate student in the course who is handling the administrative function of our research methods (aka, liaison to office of research ethics). My dialogue ran somewhat like this:
"I've always had a phone phobia. When I was younger I even had a door phobia. I would always go to see if my friends were at home, but if I wasn't able to spot them from the street, it was rare that I would actually make any sort of contact. This was similar with phones, I would rather just stop by than to phone ahead, and just try to get me to do anything on the phone, it's pretty terrible."
So part of the course we determined as a class was to also create some goals to work on during the course of the project. Mine included just getting down and dirty with phone calls. We basically have a list of names/addresses of folks that live in a given neighbourhood and have to search canada411 to find the actual phone numbers (about 15 second search, really). Then call. Oh my did I ever sound like a telemarketer. I feel sorry for the first few places I called (that answered). I definitely read word for word from the script I had, and it wasn't pretty.
As time passed and I got to talk to more real people, it was much more interesting, and I had a good chat with a couple people about the project. One lady responded that her husband (who is part of a very recognizable family tree in Waterloo area) would have loved to participate and contribute, but is in a nursing home and wouldn't be able to come out to our sesh. Another would have loved to talk one-on-one, but didn't want to meet in a group. It's people like this that I wouldn't mind picking brains with, if only that was permissible under Research Ethics.
So at the end of the night, I was pretty bummed. No one had responded positively by 8:20 and I figured "well, this should be the last call I make, otherwise people realllly will not be happy with me. So I looked up one last number, did my regular spiel, but timed it a little better to get the verbal clues of interest (uh-huhs). It worked! Someone said they'd like to come. That excites me, and makes all those other calls worthwhile!
In the end though, I'm really hoping we can just run into randoms tomorrow on the streets and convince them to come. Also, I hope its not raining when I need it not to be raining.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Where do we go from here?
Now that we're in month three of the fall term, people keep asking me: "What are you going to do in April?" So far, I don't have an answer, just general ambition: get a job. Yesterday I was helping give tours to prospective students in the School of Planning, and the Environment Faculty, and somewhat Grebel too. I had a great time with that, because I love being able to help people get the information they need to make a decision. I wish I had some sort of help to make a decision right now, but instead I'm too focused on the now rather than the future. I suppose all these people asking "what's next" is a good way to have me think reflectively on what it is I want to be achieving in the coming year.
In my last official blog post (I'm not counting tumblr) I was talking about third wheels, and how incredibly awkward they can be. Not long after, Jamie and Becky did get engaged, and that was pretty exciting. I think after that post though, I found myself less and less in those awkward situations, which is kind of a nice thing, I suppose until I run into a new couple I hang out with too much. To get to my point though, what I'm finding incredibly awkward these days is wondering if there is a relational spark happening, but then rationalizing away the notion of even bothering because I don't have a clue what life after April will look like (and that is the month, of course).
This also gets me thinking about my friends here in Waterloo, away in Caledonia, and at all points in between. I hate the transient life that co-op has put me in to, because I now find that I really wish I had more time to interact with all of the same people, but time and travel are blocking those. I would love to go curling sometime with my team of wonderful folks from Cornwall, but that's a bit much to ask for. I would love to drop in on the painted lady and experience the quirkiness of Ruth and Larry. Or to hang out on a thursday evening with the guys from CABC. Or especially to just chill with my extended family of friends like we did in high school. The past little while I've thought of how potentially crazy my working life might be - I could be on my way to Alberta for two years after I'm done. It's just one of the options I have, but it's a decent opportunity. It would be a lot of change.
Another aspect, thinking about housing. I've been getting by over the past few years on shared accomodation, rooms for rent, and the like. Going into the real work world all I'm really looking for is one room, and thus I'm still in the mentality of 'oh, I could go *place* and maybe stay with *person*, depending on who I know where. I think I could almost get by for a few years on still pretending I am a student looking for one room for a short period of time. I've even thought, "well, if I can get a job in Toronto, I could go back to Liz's place..." effectively killing the rental of that apartment. What got me really thinking about this was the lovely condos we saw last weekend in Toronto. How I would love to own that little piece of crazy design in the distillery. I should work for something that could get me that kind of cash :P
So anyways, if you're going to ask, I don't know what May holds. I do know what December will have in store, as the folks at VIA rail have kindly accepted me on to their trains for most of the month. Oceans, here I come!
In my last official blog post (I'm not counting tumblr) I was talking about third wheels, and how incredibly awkward they can be. Not long after, Jamie and Becky did get engaged, and that was pretty exciting. I think after that post though, I found myself less and less in those awkward situations, which is kind of a nice thing, I suppose until I run into a new couple I hang out with too much. To get to my point though, what I'm finding incredibly awkward these days is wondering if there is a relational spark happening, but then rationalizing away the notion of even bothering because I don't have a clue what life after April will look like (and that is the month, of course).
This also gets me thinking about my friends here in Waterloo, away in Caledonia, and at all points in between. I hate the transient life that co-op has put me in to, because I now find that I really wish I had more time to interact with all of the same people, but time and travel are blocking those. I would love to go curling sometime with my team of wonderful folks from Cornwall, but that's a bit much to ask for. I would love to drop in on the painted lady and experience the quirkiness of Ruth and Larry. Or to hang out on a thursday evening with the guys from CABC. Or especially to just chill with my extended family of friends like we did in high school. The past little while I've thought of how potentially crazy my working life might be - I could be on my way to Alberta for two years after I'm done. It's just one of the options I have, but it's a decent opportunity. It would be a lot of change.
Another aspect, thinking about housing. I've been getting by over the past few years on shared accomodation, rooms for rent, and the like. Going into the real work world all I'm really looking for is one room, and thus I'm still in the mentality of 'oh, I could go *place* and maybe stay with *person*, depending on who I know where. I think I could almost get by for a few years on still pretending I am a student looking for one room for a short period of time. I've even thought, "well, if I can get a job in Toronto, I could go back to Liz's place..." effectively killing the rental of that apartment. What got me really thinking about this was the lovely condos we saw last weekend in Toronto. How I would love to own that little piece of crazy design in the distillery. I should work for something that could get me that kind of cash :P
So anyways, if you're going to ask, I don't know what May holds. I do know what December will have in store, as the folks at VIA rail have kindly accepted me on to their trains for most of the month. Oceans, here I come!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Threesomes
Now that I have your attention. A quick update: work is okay, spring term is half over, courses are mostly lined up for fall and now winter, and my blog has indeed been lacking. Sorry.
In my last post (or the one before) I made reference to wanting to post a blog about being a third wheel. A week or so ago I got thinking about that post again, and then checked up on my blog half a week ago and realised, oh, I did say I would write that post. Now I don't really remember why I thought of the post way back in March, though maybe it was J+B or G+C, or something. Anyways, over the last while I've distinctly noticed how I just seem to be everyone's third wheel.
It is awkward. And yes, I'm sure it is pretty awkward for the people who I'm thirding, but seriously, participating in any sort of activity with your friends who are a couple is just weird. You always have to look away, talk to yourself, or ignore the fact that you are somehow annoying them, otherwise you just end up having to remove yourself from the activity. It entirely sucks because you want to spend time with the people, but it is hard when the people are also a couple. The weird thing is, I have started to discover that I do well in odd numbered situations. Take my regular activities as an example. More often than not, I am doing something alone - discovering Toronto, going for a good long walk, riding the rocket, watching The Notebook, living, eating, etc, etc. alone. I've gotten so used to being alone, that when I do get into a third wheel situation, I can almost ignore the people I'm with and be by myself.
It's not healthy. I find myself in one-on-one situations and I feel exponentially MORE awkward. Part of it seems to be that I am a natural listener, and not a very good talker. I talk, yes, but rarely with much sense to it. Oddly enough I find that this also makes me a key component of hall parties, as I can say something to get a random discussion going, but then I sit back and soak it all in instead of contributing (until a lull). Again, this is not helpful in smaller group settings (where two people are distracted with each other), or when it's just me and another person - there's only so much one person can say.
As if just being a third wheel isn't bad enough, there is an awkward feeling whenever the couple you are with tries to fix "the problem" of the third wheel. My last third wheel experience involved [delish] dinner and a [terrible] movie. Upon leaving the driveway of my friends house (I was driving), the night started out being awkward. No one rode shotgun. I felt like a chauffeur. At dinner, we sat three people at a four person table. I now am faced with a "challenge" to fill the fourth seat by next year. Also throughout supper, a list of girls who were mutual friends of the couple was run down trying to find me someone. (The unfortunate circumstance is I am usually experiencing #5 on this list.)
On the bright side of being a third wheel is the bonus friend. That being the friend who if it hadn't been for the one friend, you wouldn't have met the other. After reading most of the archives of "One Sentence", it's probably a good thing I and the others are of strong moral character. Seriously though, some of the best friends I have are only my friends because they are dating/engaged to/married to a good friend of mine. That's fantastic!
For all the complaining I may do, I find that being a third wheel is something that allows me to grow up. My only issue is trying to figure out if I should just go alone to weddings (I'm sure this issue will come up, in fact... it's looking like it will for next year... I think I'll take my mom).
In my last post (or the one before) I made reference to wanting to post a blog about being a third wheel. A week or so ago I got thinking about that post again, and then checked up on my blog half a week ago and realised, oh, I did say I would write that post. Now I don't really remember why I thought of the post way back in March, though maybe it was J+B or G+C, or something. Anyways, over the last while I've distinctly noticed how I just seem to be everyone's third wheel.
It is awkward. And yes, I'm sure it is pretty awkward for the people who I'm thirding, but seriously, participating in any sort of activity with your friends who are a couple is just weird. You always have to look away, talk to yourself, or ignore the fact that you are somehow annoying them, otherwise you just end up having to remove yourself from the activity. It entirely sucks because you want to spend time with the people, but it is hard when the people are also a couple. The weird thing is, I have started to discover that I do well in odd numbered situations. Take my regular activities as an example. More often than not, I am doing something alone - discovering Toronto, going for a good long walk, riding the rocket, watching The Notebook, living, eating, etc, etc. alone. I've gotten so used to being alone, that when I do get into a third wheel situation, I can almost ignore the people I'm with and be by myself.
It's not healthy. I find myself in one-on-one situations and I feel exponentially MORE awkward. Part of it seems to be that I am a natural listener, and not a very good talker. I talk, yes, but rarely with much sense to it. Oddly enough I find that this also makes me a key component of hall parties, as I can say something to get a random discussion going, but then I sit back and soak it all in instead of contributing (until a lull). Again, this is not helpful in smaller group settings (where two people are distracted with each other), or when it's just me and another person - there's only so much one person can say.
As if just being a third wheel isn't bad enough, there is an awkward feeling whenever the couple you are with tries to fix "the problem" of the third wheel. My last third wheel experience involved [delish] dinner and a [terrible] movie. Upon leaving the driveway of my friends house (I was driving), the night started out being awkward. No one rode shotgun. I felt like a chauffeur. At dinner, we sat three people at a four person table. I now am faced with a "challenge" to fill the fourth seat by next year. Also throughout supper, a list of girls who were mutual friends of the couple was run down trying to find me someone. (The unfortunate circumstance is I am usually experiencing #5 on this list.)
On the bright side of being a third wheel is the bonus friend. That being the friend who if it hadn't been for the one friend, you wouldn't have met the other. After reading most of the archives of "One Sentence", it's probably a good thing I and the others are of strong moral character. Seriously though, some of the best friends I have are only my friends because they are dating/engaged to/married to a good friend of mine. That's fantastic!
For all the complaining I may do, I find that being a third wheel is something that allows me to grow up. My only issue is trying to figure out if I should just go alone to weddings (I'm sure this issue will come up, in fact... it's looking like it will for next year... I think I'll take my mom).
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Wet socks and late beds
On Monday, I wore a spring jacket. Today, not so much. There were definitely snowpants involved.
Amazing what a week does.
I'm getting run down. March is here, and fierce, and I really just want it to be done already. Maybe if Easter comes faster so I can go home for a day or two (or, goodness, three!) and then maybe I'll enjoy life a little bit. I got talking to MG tonight about the random things in life, like how to decide who goes to weddings, and that conversation led to more questions about how my relationships are going with people at home. I feel so terrible for never actually making the trip despite the many promises and close proximity. I'm a terrible friend.
I made some ambitious travel plans for christmas, and I really hope I can follow through with them given a certain amount of time and financial availability. Oh to be rich and have unlimited resources for travel.
This is turning into something shorter than I thought it would. I expected to rant, but that isn't happening. At some point I want to rant about third-wheeling. I notice that I happen to throw myself in to that spot often, so it always gets me thinking.
Amazing what a week does.
I'm getting run down. March is here, and fierce, and I really just want it to be done already. Maybe if Easter comes faster so I can go home for a day or two (or, goodness, three!) and then maybe I'll enjoy life a little bit. I got talking to MG tonight about the random things in life, like how to decide who goes to weddings, and that conversation led to more questions about how my relationships are going with people at home. I feel so terrible for never actually making the trip despite the many promises and close proximity. I'm a terrible friend.
I made some ambitious travel plans for christmas, and I really hope I can follow through with them given a certain amount of time and financial availability. Oh to be rich and have unlimited resources for travel.
This is turning into something shorter than I thought it would. I expected to rant, but that isn't happening. At some point I want to rant about third-wheeling. I notice that I happen to throw myself in to that spot often, so it always gets me thinking.
Monday, March 03, 2008
My Palindrome Co-op Life
EO SDG SDG EO
+ Knowing I have housing
- Rando roommate, not a student
+ Freedom to come and go as I please
+ Not really worrying about taking a day off in May to be Emo for a weekend
+ The bus/subway/bus/bus trip to the airport is something I've done once already
+ Just figured out that it would be smart of me to maybe take an extra day of that weekend and visit my Aunt, Uncle, Cousins, and second cousins (two of whom I've never even met, and they're already pretty old for not existing last time I saw their parents).
+ Rando roommate is a trucker, not necessarily going to be there all the time, which means more fridge space, couch space, tv time, and... freeeezer room.
+ Guaranteed the smaller, less expensive room, thus rent = cheap, though not so cheap as Cornwall, but still cheaper than many other places I could be in Toronto.
+ Feeling like things have fallen into place logistically, and can now focus on work.
- Can now focus on work, and there is so much to focus on.
- Co-op process
+ Procrastinating = a half cleaned room, that will be clean before bed at least.
------ no pool haus
+ Knowing I have housing
- Rando roommate, not a student
+ Freedom to come and go as I please
+ Not really worrying about taking a day off in May to be Emo for a weekend
+ The bus/subway/bus/bus trip to the airport is something I've done once already
+ Just figured out that it would be smart of me to maybe take an extra day of that weekend and visit my Aunt, Uncle, Cousins, and second cousins (two of whom I've never even met, and they're already pretty old for not existing last time I saw their parents).
+ Rando roommate is a trucker, not necessarily going to be there all the time, which means more fridge space, couch space, tv time, and... freeeezer room.
+ Guaranteed the smaller, less expensive room, thus rent = cheap, though not so cheap as Cornwall, but still cheaper than many other places I could be in Toronto.
+ Feeling like things have fallen into place logistically, and can now focus on work.
- Can now focus on work, and there is so much to focus on.
- Co-op process
+ Procrastinating = a half cleaned room, that will be clean before bed at least.
------ no pool haus
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