Have elected to stop volunteer work for the next three or four weeks. I worked hard yesterday, fixing up a 70 pound diving display dummy for Nanaimo museum yesterday before my old knee injury tripped out. Served me right for electing to carry the thing down a gravel slope hundred and fifty metres from the old premises to the new place. My knee can go months, years, without playing up, then a mis-step or a slip takes me all the way back to square one. All this despite two bouts of surgery on the offending limb. Rather like snakes and ladders.
While I was sitting in the staff room, trying to coax the offending bits back into place, which is a particularly painful process, one of the staff came in and made a sarky comment at me like I was malingering. The phrase used was; "Well, I'll leave you to your suffering." What was specifically offensive about it was the tone in which this was delivered. In candour, there is a distinct impression that the person in question has 'issues' with my presence as a volunteer at the Museum.
This being the case, I think a short leave of absence is called for. There is the MSS to sell, Tetra work to do, and a family event to deal with. Ars longa, vita brevis being the case. That and my knee needs rest to heal properly.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Name check
Well, another little bit of local recognition. Tonight is the gala opening of the brand spanking new Nanaimo Museum.A lot of hard work has gone into getting everything where it is, and tonight the local dignitaries come round to make speeches and have a look at the result of all the sheer graft put in by the volunteers and staff. Angie and I have been pitching in where we can, and I am mightily pleased to see several of the items I've helped restore on display. Am also dead chuffed to see both our names up on the dedication board just inside the museum door, as well as the Powers Cameragraph I worked on in its brand new home.
It's not quite the same buzz as seeing your hard wrought phrases in print and on sale in a bookshop, but it's getting there.
Tonight I shall be donning my best and only Marks and Spencers travel suit, best shirt and shades. I shall sip a spritzer or Ginger ale in a champagne glass because I'm driving, and maybe do a bit of hob-nobbing, or its Canadian equivalent.
Now all I have to do is translate this into a bit of publicity for the Tetra Society. Get my guys some new projects for Fall, raise some public awareness and money for my pet cause.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Social networking+
Got an e-mail from someone about their brand new, whizzy social networking web site, and would I like to sign up? As it was free, and to stop them pestering me, I signed up for a free account. Not that I'm interested in Facebook et al. I do all my networking face to face.
Why? Because on social networking sites, no-one can taste the beer.
Why? Because on social networking sites, no-one can taste the beer.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
What I do when not writing
Well, there's the day job, and then there's restoring stuff like this for the new Nanaimo Museum. The top picture is of a 1909 hand cranked and much modified Powers Cameragraph No 5. The filaments in the hand blown Edison manufactured lamp look sound, and the lenses are in the main intact. Having spent some fourteen or so hours on this machine, I think with the addition of some electric cable and replacement reel mechanism, it would function perfectly.
As for the Columbia wind up gramophone. After a little spit and polish it worked perfectly, and in the photo is playing an old 78 record of 'It's a long way to Tipparary'
I love old technology like this when it works first time round. What else is good? Oh yes, Angie passed her BC driving test first time. The sun is shining. Wonderful.
As for the Columbia wind up gramophone. After a little spit and polish it worked perfectly, and in the photo is playing an old 78 record of 'It's a long way to Tipparary'
I love old technology like this when it works first time round. What else is good? Oh yes, Angie passed her BC driving test first time. The sun is shining. Wonderful.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Big month
What with one thing and another, early July 2008 has been quite intense. The best news of all is that I passed my British Columbia class five driving test first time. Written exam was Tuesday, the actual driving test this morning.
The test centre is a far cry from the miserable, dour experience of an English Driving test as I recall them. The staff smile. They chat, they banter, they celebrate your good news and commiserate with your bad.
I can understand the principle, Canadians like to be happy while they work because there's no percentage in being a sourpuss. Their business is to check your competence as a driver, not put you in a pressure cooker and send you through the whole bloody business several times because your nerves got in the way of your driving. They go out of their way to ensure you are relaxed and paying attention to the job in hand, which is driving a vehicle on the road. A big thank you to Elizabeth one of the counter clerks, Ken the examiner, and the irrepressible and very much larger than life Kat at the Nanaimo Drivers center.
In addition, the Tetra Society of North America, the disabled charity for whom I am Nanaimo's area co-ordinator undertook and completed their first project recently to help a little girl with a long term degenerative disease of her nervous system. All we did was fit some additional bannisters in her home so she could get up and downstairs more easily, but that's the way things work here. People give of themselves because they want to. I just wish we could find a few more projects for the local volunteers. There's a lot of legwork involved, and being new to Vancouver Island just drives home how personal everything is. Stuff is arranged through contacts, and to be honest, I'm struggling a little at present. However, nil desperandum and I'm putting my other talents to good use for the local Red Cross and the shortly to re-open Nanaimo museum.
The Local branch of the Canadian Red Cross has moved, and all the volunteers put their shoulders to the wheel. I helped out with a bit of computer wiring and some of the decoration, and everyone else has just pitched in and worked wonders.
As for the museum, Dave the curator handed me an ancient piece of movie technology and asked me what I could do with it. The Powers Cameragraph Model 5 was in pretty fair condition for a hundred year old hand cranked projector, so I've cleaned it up as best I can and it goes on display shortly, sponsored by the Shaw, the local cable company. Dave has intimated that he has another piece of kit he wants me to perform the 'laying on of hands', (A very useful talent for the IT support engineer as I once was) on an ancient phonograph.
I really feel like we're beginning to belong here.
Update: I got an award from my friends at the Red Cross last night! Totally bowled over, chuffed to bits and generally speaking quite pleased with myself.
The test centre is a far cry from the miserable, dour experience of an English Driving test as I recall them. The staff smile. They chat, they banter, they celebrate your good news and commiserate with your bad.
I can understand the principle, Canadians like to be happy while they work because there's no percentage in being a sourpuss. Their business is to check your competence as a driver, not put you in a pressure cooker and send you through the whole bloody business several times because your nerves got in the way of your driving. They go out of their way to ensure you are relaxed and paying attention to the job in hand, which is driving a vehicle on the road. A big thank you to Elizabeth one of the counter clerks, Ken the examiner, and the irrepressible and very much larger than life Kat at the Nanaimo Drivers center.
In addition, the Tetra Society of North America, the disabled charity for whom I am Nanaimo's area co-ordinator undertook and completed their first project recently to help a little girl with a long term degenerative disease of her nervous system. All we did was fit some additional bannisters in her home so she could get up and downstairs more easily, but that's the way things work here. People give of themselves because they want to. I just wish we could find a few more projects for the local volunteers. There's a lot of legwork involved, and being new to Vancouver Island just drives home how personal everything is. Stuff is arranged through contacts, and to be honest, I'm struggling a little at present. However, nil desperandum and I'm putting my other talents to good use for the local Red Cross and the shortly to re-open Nanaimo museum.
The Local branch of the Canadian Red Cross has moved, and all the volunteers put their shoulders to the wheel. I helped out with a bit of computer wiring and some of the decoration, and everyone else has just pitched in and worked wonders.
As for the museum, Dave the curator handed me an ancient piece of movie technology and asked me what I could do with it. The Powers Cameragraph Model 5 was in pretty fair condition for a hundred year old hand cranked projector, so I've cleaned it up as best I can and it goes on display shortly, sponsored by the Shaw, the local cable company. Dave has intimated that he has another piece of kit he wants me to perform the 'laying on of hands', (A very useful talent for the IT support engineer as I once was) on an ancient phonograph.
I really feel like we're beginning to belong here.
Update: I got an award from my friends at the Red Cross last night! Totally bowled over, chuffed to bits and generally speaking quite pleased with myself.
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