I am not, perhaps, destined to be a painter

I've been over at the new place all afternoon, taping and painting. I guess I hadn't mixed the paint up quite as much as I should have, because when I was doing the edges of the first two walls (ceiling, floor, and around the windows) there was a lot of dripping and patchy colour. So, naturally, I had to go over those spots again.

I got the first coat of paint on in the living room, though, and I think it's starting to have a bit more personality ^_^ With luck, I'll be over there again tomorrow, putting on coat number two.

Really, what's been taking me the longest time is all the taping. I hate that part - the fiddling around corners, trying to get the tape to stick to the horrible stucco ceiling. Also, someone who used to live in the house had a real thing for staples - there were staples all over the walls. They're all on the carpet, now.

My back and shoulders are on fire now, so I'm going to hit up a nice hot bath.

All in all, a pretty good Sunday. How about you?

A Severe Geritol Deficiency*

I'm developing a headache as the day progresses. I'm not sure why - the office has been very quiet with my coworkers away and a minimum of citizens coming in to pay bills. I feel it in the back of my neck and behind my eyes, though, and am looking forward to going home.

I've had some inspiration about the blocks I've been piecing for the past few days - they're made from leftover fabric from the quilt I'm making for Hunter. I thought, rather than put those scraps away until some nebulous future date where I might do something with them, I should just jump into another quilt top. I made 40 blocks, and then started wondering what to do with them. ^_^

Everything hinges on how much unbleached muslin I have kicking around in my scrap box. It used to be my sashing of choice, and there might be enough for what I intend. If not, I guess another trip to an online quilt shop may be in order.

Will I go home after work and wind up on the couch, or will I head over to the new place to continue taping corners and spackling the crazy number of holes in the walls? If I do the latter, I could start painting tomorrow. But if I do the former, I get to lie on the couch all night. Decisions, decisions.


*5 Internet Points if you can tell me who said that.**
** Internet Points are non-transferable, and are only good for gloating.

Freezing

So, when I got to work this morning, it was like walking into a freezer. And I worked in a freezer at Schneider's for four months back in 2004, so I feel qualified to judge.

To fix this problem, I would have to call Public Works to come and adjust the boiler. By the time that happens, and by the time the boiler finally makes everything better, it will be time to go home, and then when we come back on Monday it will be too hot.

I have a wool coat that's been in my office since February. I might just toss that on. Or make several cups of tea and rest my hands in them.

I'm all alone in the office today. That means MUSIC TIME!

[EDIT] Turns out the cooling system had not been shut off last night, and so K came in and adjusted it for me. I am typing much faster now that my fingers are not in danger of shattering on the keyboard.

Feliz Navidad! Feliz Cumpleaños to me

There was a cake at coffee break time - I didn't take a picture because I was too busy being serenaded by Glenda and half of Council, but rest assured, it was lovely to behold and delicious to consume.

I was late for work today, actually. Last night's meeting ran until 10pm, which meant that I wasn't home until 10:30. There was a rumour floating around the news and internet that around 3am this morning might be a good time for seeing the Northern Lights. I was trying to stay up for that, but eventually crashed at 1:30 - I hope they weren't out at 3am, that would be disappointing.

Anywhoodle, I had a hard time sleeping, then a hard time staying awake, and I finally rolled out of bed at 8:35...five minutes after I was supposed to be at work. Whoops! I called Glenda to let her know, and then took my time showering and picking out my clothes.

It's only fair for me to be late on my birthday - I was two weeks late to my first one, why change a good thing after *thirty-mumble* years?

Now I have to decide between being a Responsible Adult who doesn't put anything more on her credit card until the current balance is paid off and being a Birthday Girl who buys herself a pair of wicked, impractical stilletos and a skirt she can't fit into until she loses a few pounds. Decisions, decisions...

Eight Months

That's how long I've been in the Yukon now.

I know, it barely seems like any time at all. I guess it helps that I've been so busy at work, pretty much from day one.

I'll try to return with a more interesting post later, but I'm running late, the photocopier is out of toner, and tonight is a Council meeting. I've got issues today.

Hahahahaha!

In this post over at Lemondrop, they're talking about wedding proposals. Nothing too out of the ordinary...except this bit, which made me almost choke with laughter:

Second, she likes to believe that you know her intimately -- and no, we're not talking the carnal sense. We mean that you know, after all this time, how she takes her coffee, whether she likes to sleep with her socks off or on, and what her all-time favorite movie is. Pay close attention to that last one, guys, because no matter how deeply you loathe it, and even if she doesn't realize it, she is hoping that when she finally meets the man of her dreams, and he professes his intentions, he'll recreate a scene that's like something straight out of that.*

My favourite movie of all time? Aliens.

I think I can safely say that there is no way that a recreation of any scene from my favourite movie is going to get me in a proposal-accepting frame of mind.

Unless you're proposing to me while teaching me how to shoot a high-powered pulse rifle with a grenade launcher. That just might work.


*Emphasis most emphatically mine

Belonging

There is a quotation I found on a community planning website shortly after I came North. It reached into my chest and touched my heart. It seemed to encapsulate my feeling toward this new place in which I had found myself, and it spoke to me of hope.

"When people feel they 'belong' to a neighbourhood which is theirs through their own efforts, then it will become a place which is worth struggling to retain and develop. People will safeguard what they have helped to create."*

I feel that way about this place most of the time - I want this town to continue, I want this town to thrive. I want to promote this town to the world outside, to say, "I came here, and look! I became part of something - not because I want to take over and tell people what to do, but because I want us all to develop and retain this place to which we all belong!"

It's a bit lofty, I know, but it keeps me going.


*Lord Scarman and Tony Gibson, The Guardian, 11 December 1991 [emphasis mine]