I'm glad we did turkey yesterday as we were able to drive back into Regina today just in time to beat a big snowstorm that hit this afternoon.
We took Pace out for a walk in the snow just now but he was *not* impressed – not sure if it's new winter boots (which he hated when we tried them on) or the snow or a bit of both.
At any rate, this song always appeals on this special day, no matter when it comes.
In a break from Sarah Failin' posts, here's something on the Canadian Election.
This site has been designed to help people who are considering voting strategically to help prevent the Conservatives from gaining a majority government on October 14. (Where's proportional representation when you need it? We'd have a different political landscape if some form of PR was in place including 14 (!) Green Party seats. It's not on the chart I link to but I saw one version that showed the Marijuana Party gaining a seat under PR as well – how fun would that be?)
Although strategic voting isn't the ideal, it's one of the few options people have under our current system to gain a larger measure of control over the impact of their vote. (Here in the West, how many elections have we had where we turn on the TV to see that the outcome has already been decided once the polls closed in Ontario?)
Luckily, the advice of the site on strategic voting says that I should vote for the party I was going to vote for anyhow. But if you're in a close riding and thinking of voting for a different party, you may want to reconsider.
(Oh, and apologies to my Conservative-voting readers. You are completely misguided but I love you too!)
I'm writing this on October 9 but dating it as October 8 as I meant to write yesterday about my one month anniversary at RPL. So far, the first month is a blur but I'm enjoying it immensely – from the work I've been able to do to my co-workers to just learning about the organization itself (and the upcoming changes.)
I'll probably write more later but I've got to go change a diaper. (Trust me – I'd rather flesh out this entry!)
…I bumped into my Director and Deputy Director at the Ottawa Airport and was like “So, you're on the 6:45pm flight too?”
“No, 7pm” was the reply.
We quickly realised the slight difference was because they were flying Air Canada and I was flying WestJet.
“Oh, you'll beat us by 15 minutes then!” they joked. “Or maybe more since we have a quick stopover in Toronto.”
“Well, I've got to go to Calgary then back to Regina so I think you'll probably beat me.”
How right I was. When I got to my gate, I found out that there was some sort of wind storm in Calgary so they were delaying all incoming traffic at its source. We finally got away from Ottawa half an hour late but when I got to Calgary a few hours later, I soon realised that I'd missed my connection. (Hearing my name called over the PA system was a pretty big clue.)
I was pretty anxious to get home after a few days away so this is a big disappointment but I'm trying to stay zen about it – they've put me up at the Airport Delta, I'm waiting for some supper to arrive (also comped), I've got a free in-room Internet connection (luckily I didn't accept the $10 rip-off wireless access the clerk offered when I asked about Internet) and I'll be home later tomorrow morning.
I'm about as burnt out as you can get so I think I'll leave it there and maybe type more about the HR Summit and other related topics over the next few days. Good-night…
All the problems are solved.
All the jobs will be filled.
All other meetings have been canceled.
The crust has been browned.
You can sell library cards if they're made of art.
MLIS education has been called “rinky dink”.
The revolving restaurant that spun us past Parliament Hill at lunch was nice.
Lunch was like looking into the future.
Have they squeezed the idealism out of me after two years as a working professional? No. Yes.
Do I know you? “I have a blog.” Oh, you.
Thanks for all who posted comments over at the official summit blog. Keep 'em coming – I'm reading them if no one else is.
I got name-checked from the podium – more in passing than anything positive or negative. Still weird when that happens.
I was the hub in a room without wireless.
That allowed me to sit in the back and watch quietly.
I couldn't bribe the other blogger who was a runner with the mic during the Q&A to do a Darth Vader whisper “RETIRE!” from under the table.
All the problems are solved.
All the jobs will be filled.
All other meetings have been canceled.
[Barb pointed out in the comments here that you have to fill out your name, e-mail address and web site as required fields otherwise you may lose your comment when you click 'submit' on that blog. I didn't realise this and apologise to anyone who may have lost their comment. If you don't want to post your particulars because you're job seeking or you don't want your information spidered, you should be able to put in fake details that work just as well.]
Okay, the blog is up and my first post is asking people for their thoughts on any aspect of HR as it relates to libraries.
I don't often beg on this blog but I would *really* appreciate if you help me justify the expense they went to in bringing me here by going over there and posting a few thoughts – whether it's about the good and bad of library school (I know you can do that one!), what libraries should be doing in terms of recruiting and training new librarians, what myths you've heard about the future of staffing in libraries – anything really.
If it helps inspire you, pretend this is a thread where I post that I've got my first job or my baby is born and you feel compelled to post like you never have before (remember – post over there because posting here doesn't count.)
Also, this is a great opportunity to directly address many of the top decision makers and senior managers in the Canadian library world so why not take advantage of that?
Thanks in advance for your help!
…means that they can get you an early check-in as soon as you walk up the street from your old, cheap crappy hotel. Of course, the downside is that, unlike your crappy $90 Econolodge hotel which at least has free in-room wireless, even if you have to fight to get it working, your $200/night downtown ritzy business hotel charges you $10/day for in-room wired Internet access. What a rip-off!
