Music, Location and A Bulldog

So I've been in my new job for a couple weeks now. It's awesome! Three random things:

1. They play music in the office.  (gasp!)

I was shocked at first and not sure how I felt about it, but after opening my mind and giving it a chance for a couple days I relaxed. Now I really enjoy it.

Plus it's music I like.

Today some song came on...the singer started wailing....my blood pressure started rising.....and just when I thought I was going to go mental, my workmate who runs the music hit 'Next'. Everyone started laughing and breathed a sigh of relief that we're all on the same page.

2. It's really great/weird/crazy to be working right downtown.

My office is seriously DIRECTLY above my very favourite clothing shop in the city*. This is not necessarily a good thing. 

Image courtesy of Smoking Lily 

It's a good thing this is an old image - if I had passed this outfit on my way in to the office I would have bought it ALL.

And.... 
 
3. There's a bulldog.

The other day I came back from lunch and the woman who runs the florist shop had her bulldog there. He was so friendly and snorted the entire time I patted him. I was a little afraid he was going to follow me into the elevator, but he didn't. He just stared sadly as I walked away.

I can't wait to talk to the owner and find out his schedule.
 

*Christielli - the place where I bought that super cute dress!!

Book Review #17

I have a block of cream cheese sitting in the sun getting to room temperature. My recipe also involves pulverizing pretzels in my food processor. Let's hope it doesn't turn into a disaster baking blog post.

For now, another book review because I'm way, way, way behind and have about 20 books to tell you about.

The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill 4/5 
 

Holy crap was this ever amazing. I wasn't listening to Canada Reads when this one won, but I'm sure it was no contest. A difficult read, but well, well worth it. It must have been emotionally exhausting writing it.

Persuasion - Jane Austen 5/5

I finally did it. I read the only Jane Austen book that I had left. Now I've read them all. This one was amazing. When Wentworth finally declares his love for Anne: ooohhhh shivers. Now I'll have to start re-reading them. Next up will be Mansfield Park.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden 3/5

This one has been sitting on my shelf for years. It's funny how you pick up a book a million times and aren't in the mood, then one day.....anyway it was a really good read. It's not a book I'm going to keep (I only keep my favourites) but I'd recommend it.

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert 1/5

I only bought this because it was two bucks at the book sale and there were a million of them there.....no wonder because it was worth about two bucks. The writing is fine, but the woman is seriously, seriously annoying. I have no desire to see the movie and don't get what the hype was about. At all.

Atonement - Ian McEwan 5/5

Holy crap. This guy is amazing. The way he built up the beginning of this book - unbelievable. Then it totally changes and you end up on a different path......he DELIVERS on the writing, the plot, everything. I'll be reading him again.

We just got back from Russel's. We have to stop. We have an entire bookcase devoted to books neither of us has read yet. It doesn't help that they have a deal - if you buy 4 books, you get the 5th free. It also doesn't help that Brad has a book list with over 100 books on it.

Schplinths AND Elashthics?!

I saw my orthodontist again about a week ago. He had good news and bad news.

The good news is that I'm getting the braces put on in January. This is 3 months ahead of schedule. (I was supposed to wear my schplinth for 6 months, then braces.) So I have just over a month until the next stage of my nightmare journey.

The bad news?

I have to keep wearing my splint at the same time.

I'm going to start selling tickets to the freak show.

The idea is for me to keep wearing my splint, which sits on my bottom teeth while I wear braces on my upper teeth*. After my upper teeth are straightened, I'll reverse this - which will be worse. I understand wearing a splint on upper teeth is way more uncomfy.

This area is reserved for the photos I will show of my splint and braces. Never! 

I will not subject you to the horrors.

At least the amount of time until I can eat a sandwich isn't any longer: T-Minus 2 years.

On this note, two amazing things happened to me in the last week with my Schplinth:

I met up with a friend for tea, we hadn't seen each other forever. Get this -she brought her splint (she only has to wear hers at night, lucky girl) so we could have a "Splint Party" in public!** It was one of the sweetest things EVER.

I now wear it all day around my new workmates. They seem to be totally used to it and even tell me that it's hardly noticeable. I still call bullshit on that one, but it's really cool nonetheless.

*My teeth aren't actually that crooked.

**We didn't end up wearing them because I actually take mine out when I drink stainy stuff like coffee/tea/red wine.

Bucket Hats

When I had my week off I made something else.

I can't even deal. They are so cute, reversible, easy to make and the pattern was FREE.

I made the pink one first, it's for Wren. Once I got to the end, I saw the two most dreaded words in the Sewing Language:

Hand stitch.

Middle fingers were aimed at the pattern at that point*. I attempted it for about 3 stitches, ripped it out and ran it through my machine. Therefore Wren's hat is not reversible.

So I re-wrote the pattern when I made the green one. It's reversible but it's put together completely differently. Personally I think it's way easier and looks fantastic.

I have at least two more planned. 

*There is no photo of me giving this sewing project the finger. I can't have two projects for Wren include the middle finger!

Cocktail Parties and Book Launches

Ummm? Where am I? I don't even know where to start. My first week of work......let's just say there were cocktail parties, some drinking, missed ferries, late night dinners and a lot of brain stimulation.

My workmates are amazing. We all sit at one table, it's completely open and super casual. My first two days were relatively normal and routine - lots of Revit, ironing out glitches in a new computer, finding my way around a new model, figuring out the good coffee spots in the neighbourhood.....you know.

Day Three is when things got interesting. We went to Vancouver for a cocktail party to celebrate a book they just published. Ummmm....yeah!!!??

Oh...but....oh right. Cocktail parties - so not my scene. I spent hours trying to figure out what to wear, agonizing about not knowing anyone and dreaded the scene of standing in a corner alone, trying not to look too awkward.

 (Going into the party. Take a deep breath....)

Nope. It was not like that at all.

First I had all my new workmates to get to know. And I already know two girls in the Vancouver office*, I introduced myself to a guy who I worked with on the hospital project and of course met a bunch of people in the Vancouver office.

It was so fun.

The next day was "A Day of Making" in the Vancouver office. Everyone gets together and designs/makes/creates something. This year we had to do a 2 minute presentation on social sustainability. I had only found out about this on Wednesday afternoon so I was really flying blind. I tried not to panic.

But lucky for me it was supposed to be really loose. They didn't want to give us tons of parameters. People came up with so many places, ideas and different approaches. It was really interesting, inspiring and fun.

I chose to present a building that I fell in love with a couple years ago. I actually learned a lot even though I working on my own. When will I have another chance to sit around for a couple hours and figure out why I like this building so much?! 

Most people had computers to work with, but I didn't have mine so I got crafty. I sat at a table for 3-4 hours and put some stuff together.

I don't have a photo of my final product, but this gives you an idea of what we were doing and how the day was structured.

I approach public speaking like it's no big deal. Then I get sweaty and shaky when the times comes to actually do it. I start off pretty confident then halfway through I feel like I throw my notes out the window and ramble through.

I had someone tell me they thought I did well. Yesss! 

My new boss was emailing me last week about all this stuff so I knew ahead of time. I was totally dreading everything. Think about it - it's your first week and you have to attend a cocktail party and do a presentation to a bunch of people you don't know. But I realize now that it was a good way to start. I got to know my workmates on a social level, now we can actually get to work next week. For real.
 

*This is an entire blog post for another day.

T-Minus 24 Hours

I can't believe how fast the week went. I could have used a month, I really am not joking. It's good to know I'm "in demand" but - and this is said like Seinfeld when he didn't want to wear the pirate shirt: 

"I don't wanna be in demand!!"

I wanted to read at least 3 more books, watch 10 more movies, finish 8 more sewing projects and try 10 more recipes.

I should be grateful I was able to spend some time here - my new sewing room. Yes, that's the ocean. Cool hey?

 Chip lives here for now.

On Friday I re-visited a favourite recipe. Remember this bread?  

It's got to be one of the worst things for you - bread with tons of butter and sugar. But damn, it's the BEST.

I also finished a little sewing project that I'm loving. Rawbean gave me some fabric a long time ago and I finally decided to use some of it. Just a quick pillow cover. I added a button from my late mother-in-law's stash which makes it even more special. Oh Dee, how I miss you!

Sorry about the wrinkly pillow but we all know this is no polished craft blog.

I spent a lot of time in this chair - watching a couple movies, a few cooking shows, falling asleep and catching up on a knitting project.  

I'm starting a new adventure tomorrow.

Damnit Doll

Don't you love getting mail? Better yet, don't you love getting mental things in the mail?

I do.

Especially when it's something totally appropriate from someone awesome.

Notice the 'Go Hard' instruction. Love. It. 

The idea is to grab this guy by the legs and bash him around. It's disturbingly satisfying and has gotten a lot of use, not to mention warmed my heart.

New Gig

During all the craziness lately, I somehow managed to keep my head on straight enough to get a new job. It wasn't exactly straight forward either, oh no.....

Right after I was laid off I had an interview with Company A, who was my first choice in town. It went well, but they didn't want to hire me and let me go right away - which I totally appreciate.

So I approached a few other places and ended up with an offer of a 3 month contract with the company I used to work for in Vancouver, Company B. This was a really good option.

Literally at the same time I was negotiating with Company B, another job interview came through. I put Company B off for a couple days while I explored Company C. This meeting went well too, but they were in the same position as Company A.

The next day Company A approached me with an offer of contract work.

I just want a simple life.*

I got new shoes! Sigh.....

So I'm starting next week with Company A - my first choice!

I'm excited but seriously needed this week off to recover from everything that's happened. I've been getting a few things done, but also spending some time curled up with blankets, movies, sewing and a good book.

One of my favourite workmates was also hired at Company A. We're really stoked to get to work together, I've never started a job with a familiar face!!

*Don't worry, I only had a small pity parade about having too many opportunities.

Schplinth Case

Now that I'm wearing a splint every day, I have to carry around a toothbrush, toothpaste and the case. I needed a small bag to keep everything together.

What a good excuse to make something?! I looked at a few patterns and decided to make the Hands Free Bag from One Yard Wonders. I just made it smaller.

The pattern didn't seem too bad, it went well until my usual stumbling blocks. 

 "Stitch, pivoting at corners."

What the what? I just don't get how you're supposed to attach two flat pieces of fabric together and somehow make a 3D box. Pivot how? In the fourth dimension? What time is it? Do I need to travel into the past somehow to make this thing?!

After lots of swearing, jamming fabric through my sewing machine, hoping for the best and reminding myself that it was just for me, it didn't turn out too bad.

The other thing that bugged me about this pattern was the hand stitching at the end. Really? I'm no pattern maker, but I'm sure there must be a better way to attach the zipper. Hand sewing sucks big time. I managed to figure it out a couple years ago - remember this?

Anyway I'm going to spend some time in my new sewing room this week. I have some other stuff going on, but getting back to basics and taking a break from life is really high on my priority list this week.

Last Day at Work

So today was my last day at work. It's still really surreal, I can't believe I won't ever go back there.

It was the best job I've ever had - the people were great, good projects....but things can't stay the same forever. I'm thankful I'm leaving on really good terms. There is no backing away slowly with middle fingers extended. That just isn't my style.

I was there four years and holy crap are there some amazing things to look back on.

In typical Jabba Dork Style, I made a collage of images that are directly associated with this job.
 

Here are a couple links in case you've forgotten my gripping posts from the past.
Estrogen Row
Chip - Kidnapped!
Teleconferencing

I said goodbye to everyone and left the hardest goodbye for last. My workmate RF and I were super close. He put it perfectly a month ago when we found out I was laid off, he said "It was just too good to be true."

I couldn't have said it better.