billiwack, bailiwick

Billiwack.

Word used repeatedly this week by my boss, describing the mess of our collection room.

“Well, that’s  your billiwack!”

Huh?

I just Googled it and apparently its some sort of “monster.”

However, I like to refer to my accessioning nightmare as “The Enemy.”

Interesting words as of late?

I started kicking The Enemy in the ass today. Operating under the policy if the artifact does not have a number, or a “to be accessioned” tag – it gets disposed of.  Yes, I love typewriters but we don’t need twelve. Especially when they don’t have specific significance, and we don’t have the room to store them on site (yes, i may de-accession one into my hands… ;)).

Before today I was unable to walk into the collection/storage room. Now things are on shelves and you can move between rows a bit better. Basically took the chaos, and tried to make it organized chaos. My hope is to make the organized chaos, organized. Tomorrow a consultant is coming in and I’m hoping after he gives his recommendations, I can compare them with my thoughts and then I’ll be able to actually start what I was hired to do.

Yeah, so been a busy week. On the plus side after work I went to the pub and tried a new kind of cider.

Always a silver lining.

How’s your week going?

if you were of the world they would love you

This clip is old, but I was reminded of it today while drafting a letter that has to go before the Town Council, and then be approved by her Royal Majesty’s representative…about flying a foreign flag.

Gotta love the East coast accent on the word “Park” too. :)

Song of the Minute: Black Boys on Mopeds – Sinead O’Connor

your mission, if you choose to accept it…

Actual sentence said to me by my boss today. Who favours the all denim look, and wears an Indiana Jones hat.

Dude, I just drove 6 days to get here. I ain’t turning around.

Although there were a few times today I did think about running for the door. Basically the job description I applied and interviewed for is not exactly what I’ll be doing.

Hired for an Assistant Curator. Shall be Curator.

B I G difference.

The museums archives and artifacts are a complete mess. Imagine the room in your house that is usually piled with crap you don’t let anyone see. Times that by 100 and add objects you can’t lift, and you kind of get an idea of my new enemy.

Plus side, the staff are great, and I’ll get to spend a lot of my time around old cameras and typewriters. Oh and tomorrow I get to meet the press. Being interviewed by the newspaper and radio. Ah…gotta love a small town, eh.

Have you ever taken a job where you bit off more than you could chew?

solid gold

I really hope he wins tonight at the Oscars.

oh yeah!

steamed milk

I woke up with this song in my head this morning, and it won’t leave.

Not a bad thing, really.

Anything been repeating in your head lately?

birch

I don’t even know where to start.

This week has been so full, everyday so exhausting (in a good way), I’m still trying to process everything.

I arrived in my new town on Wednesday, after a glorious trek through the Rockies…where wildlife was finally seen (see moose below). You’d think with the size they would be easier to spot, but they kind of sneak up on you.

My new house and roommate are great. I’m house sitting for him for the next month, as he is away, which includes dog sitting. Skeena is part lab and husky and the most well behaved dog I have ever met. She’s at my feet now, I’ll have to take a few pictures and upload. The house has a couple of quirks, mainly my bathroom, but also the oven door, which is also broken, and has to be propped up with a chair to close, which is problematic and dangerous. I might have to limit my baking.

Started work today, and the people seem to be very lovely. There is defintely a lot of work to do, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

The town itself is much bigger than I thought, roughly 20,000 people. I’ve already been to the library, art store, tea house, and sushi bar. Oh, and I befriended the bartender at the pub yesterday. They have a dozen kinds of cider! I think I’ll fit right in.

I have heaps of photos to share, but might take a while to upload to Flickr. I have about two dozen road signs alone, and of course traveling Yoda needs his own album. Here are a few in the meantime.

Moose!

Some white-tail deer were also spotted along the road. Don’t see many of them in Ontario.

Athabasca Glacier in the Rocky Mountains. This picture does not do it justice.

En route to Jasper.

Traveling Yoda.

Driving into the Bulkley Valley, at sunset.

where art thou wildlife?

Well, I have stories and many (many) pictures to share from my journey thus far.

Driven about 3700km, and now residing in Jasper, Alberta. Today we left Calgary and Casa Zombie (more on that later :)), spent the afternoon in Banff, which was lovely and now I’m sitting by the fire and looking out at the Rockies from the window. The drive from Calgary here was amazing. Everyone should do it if they get the chance, and if you like mountains.

The only disappointing part of the drive up here was that we didn’t see any wildlife! They give you a booklet when you enter into the park on the dozen of wildlife you’ll most likely see, and we saw none. None! Many deer and whatnot throughout Calgary but nothing when you get into the National Parks. Quite sad about this. Maybe you’d see more in the summer.

I have a lot of blog catching up to do…hope all is well in the meantime!

p.s. This Inn had an old typewriter in the lobby. I may never leave…or leave with it…

I94

in the painted woods
is where i planted sunflowers
for you.

i waited
but the seasons
could not.

Driving through Minnesota and North Dakota I saw fields full of dead sunflowers.

Surprisingly it was the most peaceful thing I’ve seen on the trip thus far.

while i’m off chasing my own dreams, sailing around the world…

So, I’m in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Of course, the cheesehead picture is a must.

I left my house this morning at 6.28 am and arrived here just after 6pm tonight, but gained an hour with the time difference. That’s about 1100 km. We hauled ass, it was great, and thank goodness for packed lunches and a great playlist…although tomorrow we defintely need some good rock music.

Michigan still remains my least favourite state, Illinois was just a giant toll road, and Wisconsin so far…who knew it was actually quite picturesque?  I’ve been impressed. I’ll be sure to upload more photos later on.

So far we’ve haven’t encountered any mishaps (knock wood), but our little stops along the way have provided much amusement. I mean when you see a giant orange moose you stop and take pictures, right?

What are some of your favourite road trip memories?