these are not my walls

Look! I made a cake!



Today was ostensibly the last day for two of my co-workers, the one who was retiring and the one who was going to a private firm in Vancouver. The cake was for the latter (we got her a tiara, too. Get it? A crown? Yeah, we're hilarious.)

However, turns out that she got to work today, and there was an email waiting for her from the new firm, rescinding the job offer. Um, oops.

Little tip for you: if you're going to breach an employment contract, I'd recommend not doing it if said employee is a lawyer, who has other lawyer friends. Yeah.

So, it was a bit of a drama-filled day for the poor girl, but it looks like she's taking a month off and then coming back to our office. I hope it works out for her. And that she sues the jerky firm for big bucks (or at least enough to pay off the apartment she signed a lease for in Vancouver...)

I forgot to mention, there's nothing wrong with the car. In case anyone was worried. :)

Also, the snow was well gone by lunchtime, leaving behind big slushy wet puddles. Mmmm. For a city that gets so much freakin' rain, you'd think they would design the drainage better. But then, why complain about the puddles when we're apparently draining raw sewage right into the ocean? Yeah, we got bigger fish to fry.

I went out to lunch at a fancy-schmancy bistro today. We were having a going-away lunch for one of the Crowns who got hired at the same time I did. She's leaving for a downtown Vancouver firm, which I think will be a better fit for her. Sartorially, anyway. The bistro looked pretty, but the food was kind of meh and I swear our waitress was faking an accent. Nobody else agrees with me, though.

Then we had coffee and cake at 3 for another woman in our office who's retiring as of today. Apparently she made that decision last week when she was told that the only alternative was for her to switch jobs to doing something that she despises. Fun times.

On Friday, one of the senior Crowns is retiring - something she's been planning for more than a week - but I declined to buy the $25 ticket to her retirement party. I'm cheap that way.

So, yeah, they're dropping like flies around my office. More work for the rest of us, I guess. Ummmm...yay?

It snowed here again yesterday. Okay, fine, it's January in the northern hemisphere, it's time for snow, but for Victoria? This is RIDICULOUS! I protest! At least it didn't stay around at all.

Although our power went out yesterday morning for a few minutes. I'm not sure if the two were related - and if they were, we have the world's flimsiest power infrastructure, and we might want to look into that - but it was kind of funny. "Funny" because I was already up at the time, and therefore the fact that the alarm went out didn't affect me. :)

In other news, mmmmmm I love coffee.

Side note: Amy! Yay! I don't know when we'll be in Van, but I will be in touch!

Okay, first of all? I am extremely surprised there are still so many of you people checking this blog. That's kind of hilarious. I will attempt to be more entertaining. And, uh, regular. Wah wah.

Second, after taking Jessica's advice into account, I must change my mind: I *would* like to visit the Vatican giftshop. Now, if only I knew people to give tacky Vatican gifts to...

This morning, as I was hanging out on my balcony just now, I heard someone scraping ice off of their windshield. This has been a stupidly cold, snowy, icy winter for Victoria, and I protest. Strongly. Although I drove in snow with my all-seasons, so there's one phobia down. A bazillion to go.

Today I'm taking my car in for its check-up. The car people have been calling and writing me for MONTHS telling me it's time for my checkup, but I wanted to wait until I got a little closer to the mileage sticker they gave me last time - apparently I don't drive as much as they expected. Although I suppose there's every chance I'll drop the car off, and they'll call me and say "if only you'd brought it in sooner, now it's going to cost ONE MILLION DOLLARS to fix everything! Ha ha!" (Because that's how they talk. Fer sher.) Oh, well. It's not like we *need* a car...

I need to start posting here again!

It's a foggy morning here in Victoria, I can barely see all the way down the block. I love breathing in fog (not to be confused with smog), it feels so deliciously moist. I've been busy with work and life in general. And that's the update.

Here's a meme!

Bold = stuff I've done. Italics = stuff I wanna do.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band (assuming jamming with Moxy Fruvous counts...:P)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (An *improvised* solo...)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (I don't think driving through it counts
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning. (Or malaria. They weren't sure.)
17. Walked to the top of The Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train (But only in a sleeping car!).
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Half-Marathon counts, dagnabbit!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (A 3-hour cruise...around Manahattan!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (Hmmm...my near ancestors: England, check. My far, far, far ancestors: Africa, check.)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen the Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (I'm pretty sure this would require *talking* to said stranger.)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Well, a franchise.)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason (I think they mean to imply "received", but whatever...)
64. Donated blood, etc.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London(I think)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (Never gonna happen.)
91. Met someone famous (Maybe they should define "famous"...)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (Ha! I think they mean "been a party to", but whatever - I was "involved" as counsel!)
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (Often.)