O. had his long “weekend” Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday then back to work tonight.  It’s been ages since he hasn’t taken on some extra shifts and had a few days off, in a row.  We finally had some time to regroup a little.  We had picnics, bike rides, long drives, big meals and hours of movie watching.  It’s been good.

Duncan is really fast on the bike.  It’s got training wheels (which are called stabilizers here,  neither the bike salesmen nor I had any idea what the other person was trying to say, “What?  No.  Training wheels.  He’s only three.”) but within minutes he was navigating around the dining room table and through halls.  He can’t do the handbrakes yet, but he quickly found that by wrapping his feet around the front tire, he stops.  All though great for in the house,  not so great going faster on pavement at the park.  The back wheel came rearing up and he flew off the bike.  He was fine,  and it was hilarious, but he’s working on the hand brakes now.

We watched Love, Actually,  which I had seen once when it was new, but it is a really good film.  It makes me cry, it’s filled with grand romantic gestures,  it’s really funny.  I like it a lot.  And I watched The Usual Suspects, I hadn’t seen, but it’s awesome.  Kevin Spacey is pretty damn cool, which I knew, but this film reiterated.  I was really glad,  because I kept hearing Kevin Bacon when my husband was telling me who was in the movie,  and I hate Kevin Bacon.  The first movie I remember seeing him in was The River Wild, he was a twat. Then Sleepers, I never got over him raping little boys. 

Tonight we made stew with rosemary and black pepper dumplings, then brownies with Greek yogurt and raspberry coulis for dessert (I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I know what coulis is,  let alone that I know how to make it… but, there ya go).  O. was nervous about the dumplings.  Apparently the last time he’d had any were on a Scout trip as a kid,  and they all had ‘gut rot’ for days.  I’m not sure what the hell gut rot is,  but it almost put me off dumplings as well.  It was nice though.  I’ve been grocery shopping and cooking again and I forget how much I like it.  Those are by far the best household duties. 

We’ve been working on our ‘5 year plan’ which puts us in British Columbia, Canada, and we’ve been talking about my visiting the US to see me family.  We’ve just gotten a huge tax refund and I’m having a hard time justifying spending half of it on a vacation for me and the Boy when I don’t work.  Part of me wants to say, ‘Fuck it Honey,  you stay here and work,  (overtime if you have it in you, I’d like the savings to have doubled by the time I return) and I’m going to go gallivanting around the western United States visiting loved ones,  because it’s been SIX WHOLE MONTHS and I miss them!   Then the other part of me thinks,  the IL’s are coming home tomorrow and I would sure like to finish paying off our debt with the tax money and get the fuck out of this house.  I’m feeling quite guilty about not adding to the income,  but whining that we don’t have enough money to do what I want to do. 

I have been to three interviews and spoken to masses of people about jobs.  I’m having a hard time because 1.) I have quite a few stipulations about what kind of job I’d take - to do with Duncan (he’s never really been in daycare and I’m not so keen on the idea), and the fact that I don’t have a car.  Public transportation here is great,  but I’m not that willing to take him to preschool on one side of the island and then get to the other side all before 9:00am.  On the bus.  Busses are great, but not leave the house at 7am great. And 2.)  The employers are weird.

The job interviews have all been not at all what I was expecting,  and I had a phone call about a florist job yesterday.  The woman first set up an interview with me, then goes on to tell me that she’s already found someone else for the position I’d applied for,  but she’d like to get me to come in whenever they are a bit busy.  Hi, but no.  I can’t just come in whenever the fancy strikes you,  I applied for a position, that I would come to work, everyday.  You know,  as people do when they are employed.  Why would I possibly want to just randomly be called up?  She said over and over, “So… you aren’t coming in tomorrow?”  NO!  I don’t want what you are offering.  She was either stupid or honestly found the concept unbelievable.  And another guy just didn’t want anything to do with me because I am not local,  which is (sometimes) unfortunately quite obvious as soon as I open my mouth.  Then he found out my husband is local,  and was interested in me, but started making all kind of patronizing and ridiculous jokes. 

I’m looking for employment,  but surely I can find a job that doesn’t involve being bombarded with stupid people all day.  I’ll keep looking.