Positive Thinking
I try to make mental lists of things that make me happy every so often, just in case I have a bad day.
Firstly, though: what am I still feeling anxious about? What can I do about these things?
-No call yet from Fort Ed.
Caveat: I'm 98% sure I have the job. I mean, I got an invite e-mail to reapply for the job, my supervisor-friends/acquaintances still seem to like me on facebook and twitter, I've been doing lots of shiny Canadian history research this year that they're aware of... Plus, through facebook status update stalking and conversations with friends I know from Fort Ed, in real life, I'm told that they're rearranging where they're putting a lot of the returnees this year and so they're still in the process of organization and haven't really actually called anyone yet. So I'm not alone in not being hired yet.
-PAPERS. My thesis may be finished, but I still have four big papers due in the next two weeks.
Caveat: I have about ten pages of each of the papers done, and most of the research finished for all of them. Two of the papers only need to be about 10 pages long, so now it's really just a matter of streamlining everything and writing conclusions. I have the basic meat of the things there already. The other two need to be 12-15 pages long, but again, they're on their way. Add a few more examples, flesh out some of the points, write conclusions, and I'm fairly golden. Hopefully. I'm just not feeling very creative at the moment. Must do more mindless reading... I like passively absorbing things...
-Women's Studies group project! Oh man... it really has been like herding cats. :( One of my group members is pretty good and very helpful and has original ideas... but the other simply doesn't seem to get it. This person doesn't do much work (none that we couldn't really do) and has now asked me to help her with her final paper. I gave a few basic non-committal suggestions but essentially refused. I already feel as if I and the other group member are doing most of the research for our presentation. There's no way that we're going to do her paper for her as well. :P
Also, that presentation is on my birthday. I already told the other members that there's no way I'm meeting to practice at the last minute that morning as well. We've met at least five or six times already for a ridiculously short presentation, and only twice have all of the group members been there. I've always attended. I've already devoted far more time to this project than is strictly necessary. We'll practice on Monday and the powerpoint WILL be ready for that. Focus. Right.
Anyway, things to make me happy:
-I got the work visa information from the lovely lady at the French embassy in Ottawa! Unfortunately, you need to be at the consul in person to get the visa, and the closest consul is in Calgary, three hours away... and it doesn't issue visas. This means I have to go to Vancouver. I can't go until I get my work contract from France from my future employer, which could arrive anywhere between May and early September. Apparently the schools close in August and nothing happens? So if it's not here by late July it's not coming until September, at the last minute... Anyway, while it is expensive, I've turned this into a plus: Vancouver is only a few hours away by air and so I'll probably just go on one of my "weekends" at Fort Ed this summer, either with my mother or with a friend of mine for school who has expressed interest. Essentially, I'll fly in after work, stay for two nights, do the visa thing at the French consulate, visit some museums and possibly Stanley Park, and make a weekend of it. Vancouver is a cool place to visit. Anyway, this also means that I'm PRETTY sure I have the job in France. *dances*
-Incidentally, I have the job interview for the similar position with a different program in Quebec next week, to be held in downtown Edmonton. I'm going to go to it as well, just in case. I don't want to slam this door of opportunity behind me, saying "I already have a job in France so I don't need you!" in case something goes wrong and I must go crawling back... So yeah, just in case. This means I pretty much, one way or another, likely will have a job in September.
-I went to West Edmonton Mall (AKA one of the largest malls in North America) a few days ago to find presents for my sister's birthday (well, our birthday, because we're twins) and to get some study snacks for the weekend. I also popped by the music/movie/electronics store HMV just because. (Hey, it was on my way to the little Chinese bakery on the second floor corner, past the pirate ship! The store spreads over two stories and has its own escalator, so this is literally on the way.)
Anyway, since I've been watching Supernatural online the last few weeks in between studying and writing papers, and I've grown frustrated with the quality (I could only find one copy for one episode that had the video and audio out of sync by three or four seconds: first world problems, I know) and since I love the series so much I decided to patronize them and buy the boxed sets... or at least see how much they were so I could maybe see if it was reasonable to ask for one for my birthday.
So I found season one... with a sticker that said $24.99. "???" Thought I, "That doesn't sound like HMV pricing at all!" Especially for a boxed set. Sure enough, when I picked up the box, the one behind it said $74.99. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the cover of the cheaper one said "Supernaturel" instead of "Supernatural", and when I looked at the back, I realized that the former just had a French cover. Utilizing my mad French language skillz, I quickly determined that all of the features were the same, and that the French one also had English audio as well as the French. I asked an employee of the store anyway, and he double-checked the prices (even he thought it was weird) but yeah, they were right. I decided to buy the French one, because hey, even if I had to put up with French-language menus and had to actually go and switch the audio to English from French every time I watched an episode... if it saved me $50, no hardship, right?
When I got home later that night, I opened the packaging... and it's only the slip cover that's in French. The inner cover, the DVDs, everything else, is in English. Like the HMV guy suggested to me earlier, it looked like it had only been repackaged. So essentially I saved $50 by buying a copy that had an "e" in the title instead of an "a". I'd say that's an epic shopping win, don't you? :)
-Also, a friend of mine took me out for supper and bought me a drink to celebrate me finishing my thesis. That was lovely. :)
Firstly, though: what am I still feeling anxious about? What can I do about these things?
-No call yet from Fort Ed.
Caveat: I'm 98% sure I have the job. I mean, I got an invite e-mail to reapply for the job, my supervisor-friends/acquaintances still seem to like me on facebook and twitter, I've been doing lots of shiny Canadian history research this year that they're aware of... Plus, through facebook status update stalking and conversations with friends I know from Fort Ed, in real life, I'm told that they're rearranging where they're putting a lot of the returnees this year and so they're still in the process of organization and haven't really actually called anyone yet. So I'm not alone in not being hired yet.
-PAPERS. My thesis may be finished, but I still have four big papers due in the next two weeks.
Caveat: I have about ten pages of each of the papers done, and most of the research finished for all of them. Two of the papers only need to be about 10 pages long, so now it's really just a matter of streamlining everything and writing conclusions. I have the basic meat of the things there already. The other two need to be 12-15 pages long, but again, they're on their way. Add a few more examples, flesh out some of the points, write conclusions, and I'm fairly golden. Hopefully. I'm just not feeling very creative at the moment. Must do more mindless reading... I like passively absorbing things...
-Women's Studies group project! Oh man... it really has been like herding cats. :( One of my group members is pretty good and very helpful and has original ideas... but the other simply doesn't seem to get it. This person doesn't do much work (none that we couldn't really do) and has now asked me to help her with her final paper. I gave a few basic non-committal suggestions but essentially refused. I already feel as if I and the other group member are doing most of the research for our presentation. There's no way that we're going to do her paper for her as well. :P
Also, that presentation is on my birthday. I already told the other members that there's no way I'm meeting to practice at the last minute that morning as well. We've met at least five or six times already for a ridiculously short presentation, and only twice have all of the group members been there. I've always attended. I've already devoted far more time to this project than is strictly necessary. We'll practice on Monday and the powerpoint WILL be ready for that. Focus. Right.
Anyway, things to make me happy:
-I got the work visa information from the lovely lady at the French embassy in Ottawa! Unfortunately, you need to be at the consul in person to get the visa, and the closest consul is in Calgary, three hours away... and it doesn't issue visas. This means I have to go to Vancouver. I can't go until I get my work contract from France from my future employer, which could arrive anywhere between May and early September. Apparently the schools close in August and nothing happens? So if it's not here by late July it's not coming until September, at the last minute... Anyway, while it is expensive, I've turned this into a plus: Vancouver is only a few hours away by air and so I'll probably just go on one of my "weekends" at Fort Ed this summer, either with my mother or with a friend of mine for school who has expressed interest. Essentially, I'll fly in after work, stay for two nights, do the visa thing at the French consulate, visit some museums and possibly Stanley Park, and make a weekend of it. Vancouver is a cool place to visit. Anyway, this also means that I'm PRETTY sure I have the job in France. *dances*
-Incidentally, I have the job interview for the similar position with a different program in Quebec next week, to be held in downtown Edmonton. I'm going to go to it as well, just in case. I don't want to slam this door of opportunity behind me, saying "I already have a job in France so I don't need you!" in case something goes wrong and I must go crawling back... So yeah, just in case. This means I pretty much, one way or another, likely will have a job in September.
-I went to West Edmonton Mall (AKA one of the largest malls in North America) a few days ago to find presents for my sister's birthday (well, our birthday, because we're twins) and to get some study snacks for the weekend. I also popped by the music/movie/electronics store HMV just because. (Hey, it was on my way to the little Chinese bakery on the second floor corner, past the pirate ship! The store spreads over two stories and has its own escalator, so this is literally on the way.)
Anyway, since I've been watching Supernatural online the last few weeks in between studying and writing papers, and I've grown frustrated with the quality (I could only find one copy for one episode that had the video and audio out of sync by three or four seconds: first world problems, I know) and since I love the series so much I decided to patronize them and buy the boxed sets... or at least see how much they were so I could maybe see if it was reasonable to ask for one for my birthday.
So I found season one... with a sticker that said $24.99. "???" Thought I, "That doesn't sound like HMV pricing at all!" Especially for a boxed set. Sure enough, when I picked up the box, the one behind it said $74.99. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the cover of the cheaper one said "Supernaturel" instead of "Supernatural", and when I looked at the back, I realized that the former just had a French cover. Utilizing my mad French language skillz, I quickly determined that all of the features were the same, and that the French one also had English audio as well as the French. I asked an employee of the store anyway, and he double-checked the prices (even he thought it was weird) but yeah, they were right. I decided to buy the French one, because hey, even if I had to put up with French-language menus and had to actually go and switch the audio to English from French every time I watched an episode... if it saved me $50, no hardship, right?
When I got home later that night, I opened the packaging... and it's only the slip cover that's in French. The inner cover, the DVDs, everything else, is in English. Like the HMV guy suggested to me earlier, it looked like it had only been repackaged. So essentially I saved $50 by buying a copy that had an "e" in the title instead of an "a". I'd say that's an epic shopping win, don't you? :)
-Also, a friend of mine took me out for supper and bought me a drink to celebrate me finishing my thesis. That was lovely. :)