Double Duty

So, I'm late for work. And it's the day I swear in so I have a ton on my mind already and I figure, "BAH. I'm only 10 minutes late, I can make that time up between the house and the highway."

Because, seriously, there are NEVER police out where I live. NEVER. And I've roared up and down that road at least 800 times in my life.

Except, apparantly, Thursday.

And I think he was actually headed somewhere else because he just whipped around and pulled me over before heading back out in the opposite direction.

Which is totally fine. I'm speeding, I deserve a ticket.

But there's the little matter of never having switched my Alberta licence to a British Columbia one. When one moves, you have 90 days to change it over. Now, when the nice policeman asked me how long I've been here and I say, "Not very long." that's all well and good - until he looks at the car registration and sees I registered it LAST December.

It honestly feels like I just got here. Can *you* believe it's been a year? Exactly my point.

Of course, being the upstanding citizen I pretend to be, I can't lie to the police. It's just not in me.

What all this means is that I don't have a valid driver's licence. Which is sort of, you know, illegal.

But, he let me go as long as I show up by next friday at the police station with a new BC licence. Otherwise, yanno, they come get you or something.

Except, the problem there is I am now working a 7 day in a row week whereupon the last day I also work for the unit. And I have no time.

Betsy and I are sitting on the side of the road waiting for the paperwork galore when I noticed the barn across the street looked so very pretty at 7 am with the sun coming up around it.

I'd actually gotten my camera out before I realized that it may not be prudent to get out of my car and start snapping pics in front of the guy who could choose to arrest me if he took the action as meaning that I was utterly unconcerned with my illegality, my $300 in fines and the gravity of my situation in general and decided to become offended by it.

And that is the story about how I possibly *could* have become a convict and a Private in the same day.

Resuming Normal Services

Gets Out (A Little) More can now be accessed by the link on the right hand side.

At some point, I will redesign. I promise. For now, we're back on the dogsled in Alaska with Matt.

Private Jenjamin

This is me.... saying.... "I pledge alleigance to the Queen of Canada." ... or something like that (although the words 'Queen of Canada' were actually used).



I thought I had tomorrow off but given the option of "Well, it's strictly voluntary to come along for the Remembrance Day presentations...." ... I thought it would be politic to take one of my two days off of the next ten days to make the effort and haul myself out of bed to spend the day schmoozing with the veterans.

I'm sure I'll be a big hit - having sworn in only the day before.

I.am.so.tired.

But I'll be one of only two female linemen. How cool is that? And I always envied those people who's ID listed their tattoos - now I have one too! (I know, I'm strange, I know).

I'll be back on my day off to tell you about my run-in with the cops this morning.

Whether or not you celebrate Remembrance Day, whether you agree with what's going on or not - in the past or in the future -, and whether or not you were aware that the last Australian to actively serve in both WWI and WWII - William Evan Allan died on Oct 30, do me a favor today and take a moment to send thanks to the dead (all over the world) to whom we all owe such a large debt and who (rightly or wrongly, for personal reasons or national) have made the greatest sacrifice for their beliefs and those of their respective countries.

Thanks :)

On Hiatus

Taking a break from here to use the trip journal.

Loyalty

MaJen's been here for the last couple days and so last night I slept on the couch fold-down thingy. About 10:30 this morning, both of us still out like the dead, her dog Max jumped up and lay down at the end of the bed while Cabot was up in his usual spot beside my left ear.

I made the mistake of saying, "Hi Maxwell," and he popped up and started towards me for a pat on the head.

Cabot hissssss'd and reached out to claw ME. About 5 times in quick succession.

I'm laying there, blood streaming down my head and neck while I hear MaJen laughing from the bedroom. "You silly bitch, you know better than that."

(Gotta love those British mother endearments, what?)

Five minutes later, wiping the blood off my head and trying to stem the bleeding from the divot out of my ear (he actually removed about a centimetre of flesh, people), she glanced sideways at the picture of Matt on the wall, poked it with a finger and said, "You should be the one here doing this."

My mother. Nice.


*ick*
At least it gave me a chance to test out the disinfecting properties of my Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Oil soap - a good sign since after trial-running it out as a toothpaste (during which I accidentally swallowed some) even the *smell* of it makes me gag.

If I Sent You This Picture....

...do you think you'd be able to recognize me in an airport of a city with a large Greek and Italian population? Or would I just blend in?...


*click for BIG face*

hrm... Did I Forget to Pay the Mob Off This Month?

Original bit for this is ... here.

So... generally ...


*clicky-click - make the Leader bigger*

Last night.. specifically ...


*don't click! it's scary!*

(Isn't it great when you say, "Cabot, close your eyes." and he does. My cat rocks.)

Or is it just that we caught Wade kissing the WRONG frog?


*click to biggify*

Are we all to perish?

Oh woe! Woe is me!

(seriously, I have no idea what this frog thing is about but... whatever, I'm sure the fascination will pass)