Seafood show

Since I haven't posted since Sunday evening and the week has sped by to almost another weekend, it's time to catch up. Especially as I think we're headed in to Halifax for the weekend. The shore captain has suggested that we take in the seafood show being held there as a business trip - as the oldest daughter said "how romantic". But I am never sure until we're approaching the city limits if we're really going to escape for sure or the vortex of work and other responsibilities will suck us back.

There were some positives to the week with the staff appreciation BBQ on Wednesday meaning I got a free lunch, well actually getting a lunch break at all is a bit of a novelty lately with all the H1N1 festivities. The other positive is that my camera is now working fine as I'd been quite concerned about having to leave it at the repair shop etc. but it must've been a bit of sand or dirt in the lever which has worked its way out. Yes!

A not so positive experience was hiding in my office from the clowns who visit the facility. THAT I could not handle today with everything else going on.

When I called the secretary at the plant to ask a question about Workers Compensation she sounded really flat and complained of a headache saying she got one every afternoon. I suggested that maybe the carbon dioxide levels were up in the office and she should open the window. This caused her to become really animated and declare opening the window was not a good idea due to the smells out there. She had almost been asphyxiated by the smell of rotten crabs as the shore captain had fallen in a tub of them and she felt ill every time he came into the office. She explained he should be made to stand on the doorstep to take his clothes off for the washer and be hosed down. Now there's a visual image burned into your mind eh? She sure wasn't exaggerating when his majesty did arrive either - ripe was the word.

I've been having regular sessions with the QMP plan for the plant as the CFIA inspectors are regulars now trying to get the process started. Last evening I killed a printer cartridge so couldn't do anymore, I attempted to laminate some sheets today and the laminator made one into an accordian so this is on the to-do list for the city this weekend. Tonight I was spared the additional office administration assistant duties as after an 'intense discussion' about spelling - the world's worst speller challenged me on a word he had misspelled in a document he had produced today as he is actually navigating the computer now, refused to admit he was wrong and then decided "that's good enough" after he has squirmed, pointed and dictated exactly how I must format the forms for many sessions. When I called him on it - his huff arrived and he left in it - making statements to the effect that I was being punished or missing out on the word processing. Obviously an imperfect grasp on the situation as I don't feel as if I'm being rewarded by spending more hours doing what I spend the day doing but with a micro managing instructor.

So it was not good that I received a tempting (if tongue in cheek) email from daughter # 1 in my fragile state:

Do you need a Financial Advisor to review your retirement plan? I think 6 months from know is do-able; let me get my people on it :) THEN you can move to beautiful Victoria with me in the spring and we will go to U Vic to take the teaching English course and then travel the world - never to be heard from again. Well, until our New York Times bestseller travel logs catapult us into fame and fortune we've never imagined. Or, Plan B) I win the lottery. We'll see what 649 has to say on Sunday - I'll keep you posted

There had been some chasing of cats with an air pistol by the life partner with plastic suction bullets (think of the kind Bugs Bunny used to use) on Wednesday and I came home from work to find the plastic arrow/bullet in three pieces. I'm not sure which of the felines decided they weren't going to be terrorized again and took matters into their own teeth but...

The prodigal son is in full swing getting ready to go fishing so he and the crew were baiting trawl today. When I consider that the combined age of the three of them is 60 - yes you read that correctly - Captain age 22, crew members 20 and 18 as they plan to head 12 hours each way out to sea to fish for three days all summer, it gives me pause. But they have more sea hours than many much older folks and the bait shed consensus is that 'you should be able to get lots of work out of fellas that age' so we shall see. I truly worry less while they are occupied on the water though with lads of that age.

Have a great weekend and I'll update you on the urban weekend if it's a go.