The Power's Out
The power went out around 4pm yesterday, and it's nearly noon this morning. After a search I found Hydro Quebec on Twitter and have been following along....still over 300,000 customers are without power, and it will be restored later today or TOMORROW. Not too long ago, this would be a smaller inconvenience, but now that I've come to enjoy all the luxuries of Canadian life, it's a big freaking deal. I can't keep track of the number of times that I've gone to do laundry or put something in the microwave!
Yesterday I read, watched a movie on my computer, and surfed the net on my phone...not thinking that I should be in conservation mode. As of 7pm, computer was dead. As of 9pm, phone had about 20% battery life left. I even have a second charger for it (which has come in handy so many times!), but that's dead too. Finally I decided to drive to this cafe Louis takes me to, in search of an power outlet.
On the way here, the traffic lights were all out until I was really into Rosemere (one of the many neighbouring cities), and I saw that the shopping lot parking was full, and, of course, the cafe parking lot was pretty full....since everyone had the same idea as me. :)
I found THE LAST outlet at the back of the cafe and was pretty excited, until I realized I left my phone and my second charger (that needs charging) at home. I contemplated driving back (which takes much longer because all of the trafic lights are out), but then decided I'll stay here, get some planning and job hunting done (which I just found out can't be done because the internet connection isn't working here...), and then head back when my computer is fully charged.
Louis left on Monday and it's taken a toll on me, although maybe not as bad as I had thought. My sleep patterns are screwed up again (I wake up at 5 and not just because the dog is going crazy), I'm less happy than before, but I'm also taking it easy on myself and accepting that the week that he leaves may just not be my best week. As of yesterday (in effect today), I've implemented a rule that I have to shower before I eat breakfast. I have a tendancy to find all these little things to do around the house, none of which are on my priority to-do-list, and then I end up in a funk and don't really leave the house unless it's for a run or to go to the gym. I have A LOT of things to do and A LOT of running around to do, and it's piling up. Things like get my Quebec health care, driver's license, etc, etc. I've been postponing a much needed doctor's appointment and hair cut...well, I've just been procrastinating. It's odd how when I lived in Edmonton, I was alone all the time. Well, not ALL the time, I went out and saw friends and family, etc, but I did my own thing and actually needed my "alone time"...maybe more than the average person. Now I associate aloneless as something negative, and it upsets me, and I'm not comfortable with it.
On the job front: I think I got a little false hope that this process would be faster because of the feedback I got initially. Apparently, for my field, my profile is impressive and I would be a very easy client...except that the demand for my work, as a FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) expatriate is low at the moment. There were two positions that I was qualified for, but their terms wouldn't have worked for what I'm looking for. There are a gazillion crazy interesting jobs in the UK, Europe, and USA, but they would be residential jobs (I'd have to move there). And of course, there are plenty of jobs in Quebec. This wasn't my plan, but like I said before, everything is in a constant state of change,
so I'm going to put my feelers out there and see what kind of feedback I get. If there's the right offer...well, things can change pretty quickly.
I have a million other plans in the works to get my brain going again, which is good.
I have a friend (who I used to work with in Canada and Madagascar) that is visiting his family here for a few weeks and I feel SO GRATEFUL that he's been around! He's an incredibly positive and kind person, and his wife super friendly and fun, his brother and sister-in-law are awesome, and it's been great to socialize with people in MY new home. I think after my friend leaves, I'll reach out to his family to see if they wanna hang out. They are new to Montreal as well, so I think they'll be up for it. I've made jokes about it, but it is totally a scene out of the movie, I Love You, Man. Like I can't come on too strong, but I'm borderline desperate for a friend, and they are like normal/funny/etc. We don't have to be best friends, but it would be nice to hang around with someone I know (especially an ex-Edmontonian!!!) from time to time. OH, and their little girl is around 2 years old and pretty freaking hilarious. Louis reminded me also of some people we used to work with that moved back to Montreal. They are kind and welcoming, so all I have to do is take that step and make the phone call. Or email. So there. Everything on paper is taken care of.
Today my visiting and new friends went to Mont Tremblent, but I'm not feeling 100%. Maybe it's the Louis-leaving that's giving me psuedo symptoms or maybe I just really do have a bug.
Oh - the main entertainment in my life is Maggie, the dog. Don't laugh, I'm serious. This poor, poor creature. Petrified of storms, wind, etc. As we've had a super intense storm, and winds continue, she has been going crazy. Her new thing is trying to dig a hole in the hardwood floor. If I leave her alone, she digs so hard she's out of breath. It takes a long time to get her sort of calm, and I have to have her sit beside me and constantly remind her to stay, or else she'll go back to digging. She's always been scared of storms, but I never knew it was this bad! Last night I locked her up in my room because I was too worried about her. I know this means that tonight, when I put her cage back
where it normally sits, she'll fuss and be like, Hey, yo, last night you let me hang out with you all night, what's the deal? And bark and wine and go crazy. It's still windy today, so she follows me every single place I go, even in the kitchen and bathroom (where she is not allowed to enter). I feel bad for her, but I also don't want to give her bad habits!
Well, that's all that's new with me. I feel like I have SO MUCH going on, but it's really nothing.
Yesterday I read, watched a movie on my computer, and surfed the net on my phone...not thinking that I should be in conservation mode. As of 7pm, computer was dead. As of 9pm, phone had about 20% battery life left. I even have a second charger for it (which has come in handy so many times!), but that's dead too. Finally I decided to drive to this cafe Louis takes me to, in search of an power outlet.
On the way here, the traffic lights were all out until I was really into Rosemere (one of the many neighbouring cities), and I saw that the shopping lot parking was full, and, of course, the cafe parking lot was pretty full....since everyone had the same idea as me. :)
I found THE LAST outlet at the back of the cafe and was pretty excited, until I realized I left my phone and my second charger (that needs charging) at home. I contemplated driving back (which takes much longer because all of the trafic lights are out), but then decided I'll stay here, get some planning and job hunting done (which I just found out can't be done because the internet connection isn't working here...), and then head back when my computer is fully charged.
Louis left on Monday and it's taken a toll on me, although maybe not as bad as I had thought. My sleep patterns are screwed up again (I wake up at 5 and not just because the dog is going crazy), I'm less happy than before, but I'm also taking it easy on myself and accepting that the week that he leaves may just not be my best week. As of yesterday (in effect today), I've implemented a rule that I have to shower before I eat breakfast. I have a tendancy to find all these little things to do around the house, none of which are on my priority to-do-list, and then I end up in a funk and don't really leave the house unless it's for a run or to go to the gym. I have A LOT of things to do and A LOT of running around to do, and it's piling up. Things like get my Quebec health care, driver's license, etc, etc. I've been postponing a much needed doctor's appointment and hair cut...well, I've just been procrastinating. It's odd how when I lived in Edmonton, I was alone all the time. Well, not ALL the time, I went out and saw friends and family, etc, but I did my own thing and actually needed my "alone time"...maybe more than the average person. Now I associate aloneless as something negative, and it upsets me, and I'm not comfortable with it.
On the job front: I think I got a little false hope that this process would be faster because of the feedback I got initially. Apparently, for my field, my profile is impressive and I would be a very easy client...except that the demand for my work, as a FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) expatriate is low at the moment. There were two positions that I was qualified for, but their terms wouldn't have worked for what I'm looking for. There are a gazillion crazy interesting jobs in the UK, Europe, and USA, but they would be residential jobs (I'd have to move there). And of course, there are plenty of jobs in Quebec. This wasn't my plan, but like I said before, everything is in a constant state of change,
so I'm going to put my feelers out there and see what kind of feedback I get. If there's the right offer...well, things can change pretty quickly.
I have a million other plans in the works to get my brain going again, which is good.
I have a friend (who I used to work with in Canada and Madagascar) that is visiting his family here for a few weeks and I feel SO GRATEFUL that he's been around! He's an incredibly positive and kind person, and his wife super friendly and fun, his brother and sister-in-law are awesome, and it's been great to socialize with people in MY new home. I think after my friend leaves, I'll reach out to his family to see if they wanna hang out. They are new to Montreal as well, so I think they'll be up for it. I've made jokes about it, but it is totally a scene out of the movie, I Love You, Man. Like I can't come on too strong, but I'm borderline desperate for a friend, and they are like normal/funny/etc. We don't have to be best friends, but it would be nice to hang around with someone I know (especially an ex-Edmontonian!!!) from time to time. OH, and their little girl is around 2 years old and pretty freaking hilarious. Louis reminded me also of some people we used to work with that moved back to Montreal. They are kind and welcoming, so all I have to do is take that step and make the phone call. Or email. So there. Everything on paper is taken care of.
Today my visiting and new friends went to Mont Tremblent, but I'm not feeling 100%. Maybe it's the Louis-leaving that's giving me psuedo symptoms or maybe I just really do have a bug.
Oh - the main entertainment in my life is Maggie, the dog. Don't laugh, I'm serious. This poor, poor creature. Petrified of storms, wind, etc. As we've had a super intense storm, and winds continue, she has been going crazy. Her new thing is trying to dig a hole in the hardwood floor. If I leave her alone, she digs so hard she's out of breath. It takes a long time to get her sort of calm, and I have to have her sit beside me and constantly remind her to stay, or else she'll go back to digging. She's always been scared of storms, but I never knew it was this bad! Last night I locked her up in my room because I was too worried about her. I know this means that tonight, when I put her cage back
where it normally sits, she'll fuss and be like, Hey, yo, last night you let me hang out with you all night, what's the deal? And bark and wine and go crazy. It's still windy today, so she follows me every single place I go, even in the kitchen and bathroom (where she is not allowed to enter). I feel bad for her, but I also don't want to give her bad habits!
Well, that's all that's new with me. I feel like I have SO MUCH going on, but it's really nothing.
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