It's Official

I am now the permanent head of the Kelowna branch library. Knock me over with a feather! It wasn't even my idea (like I have that kind of influence LOL). But because of our severe staffing difficulties, HR argued that if my position were made permanent, then the Reference Supervisor position would become permanent and so on and so forth. They even made the 21 hour position permanent. So now maybe we can get some hiring done and move on. I can't believe we've been running 39 hours a week short of librarians for the past couple of months.

It's kind of weird though, ending up going to me when they turned down the two internal candidates who originally applied back in 2005. However if they hadn't gone through the EGTB experience, things would never have turned out the way they did. So - I better not screw up.

Funny how things happen...

Time Flies

I guess it's 'cause I'm now on the downside of 50 but time goes by so quickly it scares me. The days turn into weeks turn into months before I know it. Right now I feel like I just got home from work and I can already start thinking about going to bed (or at least it's way too late for a nap!)

Found this old picture from the late 70's when we girls had a 'tea party' one afternoon at Lynda's house. We all dressed up like ladies and had tea (and I think Tom Collinses) outside on Lynda's parents lawn. I think I'll have to edit this post to put this picture side by side with the one from a couple of weeks ago in our vintage clothes! To see how well we've aged?!

Things at work are going from bad to worse. Oh I shouldn't say that - I'm perfectly happy! But librarians are dropping like flies. One of them, who's been off sick most of the last 6 months, is probably going on extended leave. One of the Salmon Arm librarians is retiring so our only remaining librarian may get her job and leave us totally librarianless (except for the children's librarian and me). It's unreal, there's been more movement in the last year than there's been in the 20 years I've been there. I tried to convince our Executive Director to come down to do some shifts this morning but she says she'd require so much training she wouldn't be worth the effort.

Holly and I are going back to the coast next Friday for a few days. Flying down this time - I got an excellent rate with Air Canada for some unknown reason. We're staying in Steveston, at least for the first couple of days. I've booked us into the Steveston Hotel for 2 nights but I was afraid it might be too noisy so I didn't reserve longer. I'm amazed at how few Steveston B&B's there are listed on the Web - there must be more! My friend Mark (NYC) will be in town that weekend so we'll get together with him at some point.

At the rate I'm going our departure will feel like it's in about 36 hours instead of a week & a half - better start getting organized!

Keeper

Well.

We've been under the misconception the last 9 months or so that Myla was with us temporarily. Once the school year ended we thought we'd be having a discussion with her 'real mom' about whether or not we'd be keeping her. Turned out her 'real mom' cannot take her back so she's ours. She sheds like crazy, that's my main beef with her. Really she's a nice dog. sigh. We'll see how it goes. I told L, her real mom, that if we had to give her up I would let her know, but also that we would never take her to the SPCA or anything like that. Holly doesn't know yet - she's going to be really impressed. And my MIL wasn't too happy either; Myla always digs up any bonemeal that Barb puts in the garden.


In other news, I had my few days in Vancouver. Holly stayed home after all which was a good thing. It was a very busy time, starting Friday night when 12 of us went to Dan Japanese Restaurant and had a fantastic meal. I forget what it was called, but it was a multi-course affair where the food just kept coming. The friends I was hanging out with are my old university buddies (from my undergrad years 1974-1980) and it's amazing how much fun we still have after all these years.
There we are outside the restaurant: Rob, Mari-Anne, Greta, Roger, Kelly, David & Vivian, James, John and me...


We also had many meals at the White Spot (just like old times!), one at Vij's, Monk McQueen's at False Creek, Vivian & Kelly & I went to the Flaming June Day Spa for pedicures and shopped on Commercial Drive - buying vintage outfits at "Little Miss Vintage". Here we are looking divine outside Vij's.
You should have seen us on the Broadway bus, trying not to sweat in our new old clothes! (It was a very hot weekend in Vancouver too.)


And we did something I'd never done before - David & Vivian, Kelly & Peter & I went to Exhibition Park to the horse races on Sunday afternoon. And I was very lucky! I won every bet I made - too bad they were only $2 bets...