Nostalgia…

This made me a wee bitty misty this morning… it’s a short vid of the town (South Queensferry) in Scotland where I grew up… it shows the high street where I used to work at the local pub, the clock tower through which I would walk to go to the bookies to bet on the football scores on a Saturday, the bridges that I have crossed on foot, by car and by rail countless times. It shows the Hawes Inn, which was featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Kidnapped” (It’s the white building with the motor cycles outside), where my brother worked and where we would go for beers on a Friday and play darts and pinball. It’s also where we stay every time we are back in the auld country.

I often have pangs of missing Scotland and what it is to be Scots. Which is stupid really because I hold it really very close to my heart, being Scots, that is.

My passport may say I’m not, but sometimes everything else about me says differently.  

Then I remember that the blue skies shown in the vid appear once a leap year and for about 4 minutes.

  

4 days in…

Week one nearly done… and it’s tough to say anything of any real substance about it…

Initial observations:

- I seem to be working with some great people… an eclectic mix.
- I like fish, which seems to be a good thing and must ask the boss/fishfeeder for some advice as and when I finally get my own tank up and running.
- I enjoy playing ping-pong at lunch time with JP, but do not so much enjoy getting my as handed to me on a plate by the large Iranian dude. (it’s a metaphor for losing very badly and looking like a flailing one winged (thats wing-ed) beastie…
- The fresh fruit is a nice touch
- Trying to piece together the work that is expected of me has been somewhat challenging, but then again, I never did like it too easy.
- Doing the work without the tools, likewise.
- I have yet to formally meet some people… but I’m very shy and reserved that way.
- The incredibley chilled atmosphere blows my mind. Does anyone get stressed at this place?

As far as the piecing it all together part is concerned I do have to ask myself if I know more than I did 4 days ago – and the answer is very definately ‘yes’… so I guess it’s all good.

I’m also really enjoying the walk to and from – the metro doesn’t really save any time – it’s more a lazy convenience and I have multiple routes that I can take which mixes it all up… and armed with a *gasp* CD player I have a new soundtrack to every day…

- Monday = Black Crowes Tall Sessions
- Tuesday = Starsailor
- Wednesday = Del Amitri
- Thursday = Quireboys

(I have no idea whay I even typed that – how 16 year old of me (not that there’s anything wrong with that))  

…of course, I was called about 3 other jobs and was given a GOLDEN contact for a place that I REALLY wanted to work at… I knew this would happen – it always does… and I really don’t feel good about chasing any of the opportunities up… it’s a karma thing.

But so far so good.

I like the balance.

Wee me

Just coz JP did it and I have no will or imagination of my own.

 It’s ME!! Only wee!

The likeness is uncanny.

Hat trick hero?

So last night was the first Pub Quiz of the new year for myself and Madame la Pleine and we were fortunate to be paired up with Other Jen(the vocal genius) and Kimberly (the silent genius).

Questions devilishly prepared by quiz host extraordinaire: Mark Trebek.

OK – so I pooped on a series of Alaskan glaciers, and had never heard of Marcy Playground, but I did remember that Madness sang “Baggy Trousers” and that Inspector Morse was John Thaw.

I also remembered Meatloaf. As much as I try to forget.

It’s too many wasted hours at karaoke.

Plus, my paper aeroplane was a feat of unparalleled engineering and would still be flying now but for a 4 inch brick wall.

All this to say that it’s now a hat-trick of consecutive wins for me (only broken by the time that I hosted – so it doesn’t count as participation, right?).

…and more importantly free beer.

mmmm. Free beer.

Grammar corrections below please.

The Black Crowes – The Dark Truth

 I make no bones about that fact that I believe The Black Crowes to be the most Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in Rock ‘n’ Roll. I believe I own almost everything commercially available to date and am VERY EXCITED in anticipation of their new album this year.They have also been a band who have been rife with lost bass players and guitars players and drummers and the rehiring of said guitar players and drummers.

But now I know why Johnny Colt never came back.

He wasn’t allowed to drive the Chris Robinson borg, got spit out and squished for his efforts!

Rock on borgdudes.

The Job Update…

It seems that the stars aligned and using some techniques from the job club boot camp course I had been doing: assertively networking, smartening up CV, interview prep and some outstanding efforts from Jonas Parker, being the fine man that he is – I interviewed on Friday and accepted a position at the same company he is at.

I also believe that Zura works there also. I saw her blogging. Really I did.

JP and I met for some smoked meat at lunchtime (which was directly after the interview) and discussed the situation. We discussed the pro’s and con’s and realised that we were having a similar discussion as he was having with himself right here.

I had pretty much been offered the job on the spot and had to make some pretty quick decisions:

It was time to make a list of pro’s and cons:

Cons:

• $$$

Pros:

• Autonomous office
  Less stress than I’m used to
  Relaxed environment (there are fish tanks everywhere)
  Interesting tax break offers
  Close to home (still downtownish)
  Boss of same cultural background. (The Scotland thing)
  Flexibility
  Financial security
  Opportunity for a work/life balance thing.
  Having a friendly face at work

There were others which basically amount to company policy so are probably best left off of here… but when written down, quite clearly the pro’s outweigh the con’s.

The wife and I did the budget this morning in view of the our wee man on the way and we’re going to be fine.

So it was a no brainer.

I start Monday 12th March, which gives me a week to relax, be stressfree and ready.

A week to relax and play guitar, prep and start on the man-child’s nursery.

This is good.

Maybe I’ll get calls from all the other lines that I have in the water at the moment – isn’t that always the way it happens? Whatever. I think I may be able to do well here…

Thanks JP. I owe you big time.

It’s funny – I had taken a walk up the mountain to the chalet and took pictures of the city’s panoramic view. It’s hard to articulate clearly, but I found myself looking down over it with a sense of distance. Like I didn’t belong – or wasn’t part of it’s pulse.

I wasn’t contributing.

And that made me feel very invisible, like I could see the city pass me by and not even notice that I was there… and it’s remarkable how that experience can give one so much clarity of thought and even recognise and change priorities…

When I got home – I had a message about the interview.

Strangely there was no real question about the outcome for me, or it’s impact to my family.

So these are good days…

…and as much as I may come to regret saying it, I am now another beat in the pulse that is this place.

In my head anyway.

Tagged…

Begads – I’ve been tagged by Mr Lambic.

So apparently I have to list 10 wuh-huh-huh-whacky, weird, and little known things about themselves, write the rules and then tag 6 other people to do likewise. (or a dead ghost girl will enter their dreams and terrorize them for 7 years…. etc etc etc)

1) I am a twin. We were adopted at a very young age. We look very dissimilar. I have always questioned my twinnage. (not really)

2) Taylor Hicks is not my twin. Although many say he could be. (does anyone still remember Taylor Hicks)

3) I am, by nationality, Canadian. Always have been. My secret is out. The soft Scot’s accent is not fake however.

4) I have two scars on the right side of each knee which are in the same position and of equal length. They are not twins.

5) I am a classically trained trumpet player. I achieved grade 8 (top British School of Music exam) at age 16, and have played with the Scottish Symphonia Orchestra 3 times. I haven’t played in 14 years.

6) I reached the quarter finals of the Bank of Scotland under-18 tennis championships in Broughty Ferry (Dundee), 1987.

7) I think I peaked too early!

8 ) My university band was called “Width, Thrash and Dump”. It was named after some amusing toilet graffiti. We had a song called “We are Width, Thrash and Dump”.

9) My first car was a Land Rover Series 2A. You filled it’s petrol tank up by lifting the passenger seat up. It cost a fortune to run. I love it as though it were my own child. My “Twin” brother killed it by confusing it with a formula one car and by piercing the oil block.

10) I sold bags of horse manure to garden centers for £1.00 a bag as a kid to finance my drug addiction rock and roll lifestyle of the mid to late ’80s.

11) (Bonus) I never took a hard drug in my life.

now…um it’s up to Tali, Gumper and Preggers Plays Pop if she will ever blog again.

It’s only three so bring it death-ghost-girl. Bring it.