Update for the New year
It's the end of a decade for me. Sunday the 1st is my last shift at Bay St. Video. It's been great there and I'll miss it, but it's also kind of exciting. From that point on I'll be able to work at CAMH on Tuesdays, which means I'll have Friday, Saturday and Sundays off. Of course I have the job writing fact sheets for Rainbow Health Ontario, and my third job, helping them with their RHO conference in March, starts then as well, and I have work to do for the Journal of Postcolonial Networks, so those days won't be work free, but not being tied down to a schedule will be an exciting new experience for me. I'm also hoping to be able to do more socializing now that my weekends could theoretically feature sleeping in. Having to be at work Sunday mornings really put a crimp in the Saturday nights.
I feel a little relieved that after weeks of my cats staring at the cupboard as if it's talking to them I finally found out why. I came into the kitchen yesterday and found they'd cornered a mouse, which was cowering behind one of the kitchen table legs. I caught it and put it in a bag, and realized it was alive and uninjured (although probably freaked right the hell out). I couldn't very well put it outside - that would have been certain death. I had no idea where it came from, and the idea of just letting it loose in my house felt wrong. So I bought a bloody Habitrail and now the thing lives on top of my fridge where the cats can't get at him. He still seems pretty freaked, but he's eaten some food and explored the new digs. I put a tea towel over him so he feels more secure.
I've been getting lots of exercise - Since September it's been 4.5 hours a week. The Yoga classes Lori bought for me are ending on the 9th, but I'm considering continuing them on my own dime. I know - shocking. I've eaten like a piggy over the holiday and been sick, but the exercise has continued. It actually feels kind of good.
I had a pleasant trip home, spent time with mom and dad and even managed to see my cousins Paula and Jim. Of course neither parent feels as if they had enough time with me. Still, I'm visiting more than I ever have before. My trip to San Francisco was a lot of fun, mostly thanks to The Maltese Falcon, Judith Butler, and an AAR friend named Ben and his partner. Although I'm beginning to wonder if I'll go to AAR again. I think it's time to focus on stuff more in line with health research. Maybe join some of their groups.
I've submitted two articles for publication, one based on postcolonial First Nations work and the other emerging from my dissertation. I haven't heard back from them yet, which is a good sign. Maybe they're being peer reviewed. Lori let me peer review an article with her for a journal, which is a fun resume builder. I've also got an article in a book that's being but together for Seal Press. In the coming months I'll hear back about the CAMH fellowship I applied for, which would entail studying bisexual women's marijuana use. Coworkers have jokingly called it Margaret's grow-op project.
I've been writing fiction as well. Since August I've written 39,568 words. It's no Nanorimo, but it's not bad. One, Northern Exposures, was written for the journeystory Big Bang challenge. It's my first story to ever have artwork, since the challenge paired you with an artist. zebra_three did such an amazing job it kind of makes me wish they all had art. Another, Carlton is the Reason for the Sneezin', was written for fun as a Christmas offering. I've got one story in progress that was written for the psychbigbang challenge, even though I didn't finish in time. It's 25,000 words minimum and I'm still only at 17,772. But I shall complete it eventually. It feels good to still be writing, even if it is fanfiction. Hell, I've written more fanfiction since I started in 2009 than I think I'd written fiction period in all the time prior.
In other numbers-related news, I now owe only $22,831.52 on my loans, which means I've paid 57% of them off. I'm going to push to pay one, my Nova Scotia loan, off entirely within the next few months --there's only $5,189.70 left on it-- thereby leaving only one. When these are gone I shall have a party, possibly with an open bar.
One of my Christmas presents was the book you read for your drivers license. Mr. Pugh thinks I should do it and while anxious, I agree. If you can recommend a good school, let me know.
The marriage thing is still awesome. I'm enjoying the time together and looking forward to more of it. Even though I'll miss working with him, it'll be nice to have time together at home. He's a great person to be poor with, but I think he'll be even more fun to be not poor with. We're coming up on our 17th anniversary.
I feel a little relieved that after weeks of my cats staring at the cupboard as if it's talking to them I finally found out why. I came into the kitchen yesterday and found they'd cornered a mouse, which was cowering behind one of the kitchen table legs. I caught it and put it in a bag, and realized it was alive and uninjured (although probably freaked right the hell out). I couldn't very well put it outside - that would have been certain death. I had no idea where it came from, and the idea of just letting it loose in my house felt wrong. So I bought a bloody Habitrail and now the thing lives on top of my fridge where the cats can't get at him. He still seems pretty freaked, but he's eaten some food and explored the new digs. I put a tea towel over him so he feels more secure.
I've been getting lots of exercise - Since September it's been 4.5 hours a week. The Yoga classes Lori bought for me are ending on the 9th, but I'm considering continuing them on my own dime. I know - shocking. I've eaten like a piggy over the holiday and been sick, but the exercise has continued. It actually feels kind of good.
I had a pleasant trip home, spent time with mom and dad and even managed to see my cousins Paula and Jim. Of course neither parent feels as if they had enough time with me. Still, I'm visiting more than I ever have before. My trip to San Francisco was a lot of fun, mostly thanks to The Maltese Falcon, Judith Butler, and an AAR friend named Ben and his partner. Although I'm beginning to wonder if I'll go to AAR again. I think it's time to focus on stuff more in line with health research. Maybe join some of their groups.
I've submitted two articles for publication, one based on postcolonial First Nations work and the other emerging from my dissertation. I haven't heard back from them yet, which is a good sign. Maybe they're being peer reviewed. Lori let me peer review an article with her for a journal, which is a fun resume builder. I've also got an article in a book that's being but together for Seal Press. In the coming months I'll hear back about the CAMH fellowship I applied for, which would entail studying bisexual women's marijuana use. Coworkers have jokingly called it Margaret's grow-op project.
I've been writing fiction as well. Since August I've written 39,568 words. It's no Nanorimo, but it's not bad. One, Northern Exposures, was written for the journeystory Big Bang challenge. It's my first story to ever have artwork, since the challenge paired you with an artist. zebra_three did such an amazing job it kind of makes me wish they all had art. Another, Carlton is the Reason for the Sneezin', was written for fun as a Christmas offering. I've got one story in progress that was written for the psychbigbang challenge, even though I didn't finish in time. It's 25,000 words minimum and I'm still only at 17,772. But I shall complete it eventually. It feels good to still be writing, even if it is fanfiction. Hell, I've written more fanfiction since I started in 2009 than I think I'd written fiction period in all the time prior.
In other numbers-related news, I now owe only $22,831.52 on my loans, which means I've paid 57% of them off. I'm going to push to pay one, my Nova Scotia loan, off entirely within the next few months --there's only $5,189.70 left on it-- thereby leaving only one. When these are gone I shall have a party, possibly with an open bar.
One of my Christmas presents was the book you read for your drivers license. Mr. Pugh thinks I should do it and while anxious, I agree. If you can recommend a good school, let me know.
The marriage thing is still awesome. I'm enjoying the time together and looking forward to more of it. Even though I'll miss working with him, it'll be nice to have time together at home. He's a great person to be poor with, but I think he'll be even more fun to be not poor with. We're coming up on our 17th anniversary.