While the long wait for publisher replies continues, the realities of life intrude, and a day job must be found. To this end I have enlisted on a month long programme which I hope will help me land a full time job in this new land. Have spent the past week simply on establishing what kind of career I am truly suited for. Four separate personality assessments have been completed; Myers-Briggs and three others. The supreme irony is that they all said more or less the same thing, I'm a Computer Technician who has an aptitude for Technical Writing. Which is more or less how I used to make gainful employment in the UK before the ageism kicked in and younger and much cheaper people got hired way ahead of me. Ended up scraping the bottom of the barrel fixing Printers and working cheap. Financially, it was getting pretty desperate. I can only shudder when I think of those times.
Now after a massive leap of faith, both Angie and I are enjoying life here in Canada. We have made our mark locally and hope to continue to do so.
The new Museum is up and running, and as soon as David the Curator comes back from a three week lecture tour in Alaska of all places, I'm sure we'll be getting phone calls to help out with further reconditioning and cataloguing artefacts. Angie has acted as an informal educational consultant for the new schoolroom exhibit, and I think my next project will be on the Coal mine or First Nations displays.
The Diver hanging up in the rafters is my latest contribution, and seems to work quite well, although if I'm asked to do another 300 shelf liners I might be tempted to demur.
Pleased to say I have just bagged a new project for the Tetra Society to adapt a controller for a clients mechanised bed, and am told by my Red Cross friends that they want to hire me, although I have to wait for another five days for the vacancy to be pushed my way. Apparently my application has needed to be okayed at National level because I only have a temporary and limited Work Permit at present, such are the complications that immigration throws into your lap. Am thoroughly delighted that Angie has been hired as a Teacher on Call for a local Private School. When all the work permit hoops are finally jumped through we can both take on things that previously were forbidden to us. I will be legally able to take on all the occasional paid jobs that keep getting nudged my way, and Angie can do some freelance home schooling work which one lady has been determinedly chasing her to do.
Summer has been pretty busy. My Mother came over for two weeks and we took her to see where my cousin lives on Saltsping Island, introduced her to some of Angie's old family friends over here and showed her around Victoria. Got a letter a week after she had returned to England to the effect that had she known about Canada forty plus years ago, I would already be a Canadian Citizen. I'm just pleased that she approves of our move. God bless you Mum. Two weeks after Mum's visit Angie went back to the UK to see Jo and Laura established in University, returning via Air Canada and Harbour Air in the Rain. Verdict; England is an interesting place to visit, but you wouldn't like to live there. She was glad to get back to British Columbia.
Went fly fishing with one of my visiting Brothers in Law and caught not a sausage, nor a fish for that matter. Saw hundreds of the things, but they just weren't biting for some reason. By Ian's intent expression you can see the frustration with which he was viewing the situation. Poor guy, he was so determined, but after we'd both lost a couple of lures each, at five we reluctantly called it a day. I'm more of a sea fisherman myself, and like a boat kicking under my feet and the taste of salt spray on my lips.
Amos, my dog, had found what the Bears do in the woods and much to my disgust rolled in it like it was body lotion. I scolded him thoroughly and towelled him down as best I could before consigning my disgraced mutt to the back of the Van with all the windows open. Angie has mooted getting another dog, possibly a Beagle in a couple of years, so Amos can have regular company while we are increasingly not at home.
Regarding communication with our hyperextended family, what with one time zone and another, we have nothing but good to say about Skype. This morning we were talking to Jo on a Skype call and it's a wonderful thing for setting your mind at rest. You get to see the body language, and the microphone picked up Jo's conversation with friends in the corridor when they dropped by. I have a feeling she's enjoying Manchester University a lot, especially if the kissing noises I heard were anything to go by when a dashing young male caller knocked on her door while we were talking. In the short time she's been there, she's fallen in with a terrific crowd by the sound of things, and I'm truly pleased for her. Voice over IP connections allow this kind of detail, and to do it for free, well, a big virtual clap on the shoulders for all the guys who make it possible. Thank you.
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