February came and went in a flash. Winter arrived in Pugwash, although the harbour still hasn’t frozen over, I got another new job and life is just whooshing along, punctuated by evening soaks in the hot tub.
Let’s see, I guess I should start with the new job: I am the new library assistant at the new Pugwash Library! I am absolutely delighted. I hemmed and hawed about applying – I mean, I just started working for the Farmers’ Market, the last thing I need is another new job, but… the LIBRARY! And it’s only minimum wage, but… the LIBRARY! I have always wanted to work at a library. I LOVE LIBRARIES! I have applied for a few entry level library positions in my life, but I’ve never even been called for an interview before this. Working at ONEcard at the University of Alberta was the closest I got: I physically worked in a library (but not for the library).
Anyway, I applied. I interviewed. I accepted the job offer. I went to Amherst (about 45 minutes away) for two days of training at the main branch in the region. I was a few minutes late for my second day because we had freezing rain first thing in the morning and the roads were absolutely treacherous the whole way. It was terrifying. I hated every minute of that drive, but then my training was over and I got to start at the Pugwash branch, which is a 90-second walk from my front door. It is just up the street. I’ve got it made.
So yes, I have been incredibly busy this month. I basically went from having one part-time job to having two part-time jobs to having three part-time jobs in the span of two months. Which adds up to a job and a half if I’m doing the math right. It’s plenty of work, but I’m actually really digging it because I enjoy having a variety of things to do. I don’t want every day of work to be the same. And (so far), having a lot to do and a partially set schedule alongside a super flexible schedule seems to be just what I need in order to get shit done.
Also Aldon, I’m really leaning on him to take care of things home while we adjust to this major lifestyle change, but it’s great because he has the time and energy for that now, and he likes it too. And if we end up managing a second vacation rental this summer (stay tuned), he’s probably going to need to do the bulk of that as well. So our team is really rallying right now, and things are feeling good.
Book recommendation: Ducks by Kate Beaton
A graphic novel memoir by a Cape Breton gal who went to work in the Alberta Oil Sands to pay off the student loans she accrued from a liberal arts degree (and then went on to draw about it). It’s really well told, and even if you wouldn’t typically pick up a graphic novel, I still recommend you check it out. Especially if you’re from the maritimes and/or Alberta!
Television recommendation: Poker Face
I love this series! Well, I should say I love Natasha Lyonne (I’ll watch her in anything), but the writing and visuals are also fantastic. I really liked her in Russian Doll, which was a bit strange for a general recommendation, but Poker Face has a familiar crime/detective structure, only inverted (called a “howcatchem”- a new term I learned this month), and it has a great 70s nostalgia vibe. Comparisons to Columbo are spot on and it’s just so much fun (for murder)!
I think that’s all I have to share for February. These letters may get shorter (or worse?) as work picks up, but I still plan to get something out every month. And I hope to get out and take more photos as it warms up too, I didn’t have much selection to choose from this month.
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