Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
why am i at work?
i’m not supposed to be at work this morning, in fact i took the whole of today off some time ago because of the colloquium i am attending later on – but yesterday i was requested to attend a meeting with one of our local members and their supervisor this morning and so decided to come in and work until noon. it is unclear to me whether this is a fact-finding or disciplinary meeting, but i have a vague idea of what it involves (some unacceptable use of the internet charge i believe to be unfair in that the person in question is not doing anything differently than her co-workers).
that makes two new stewarding cases this week – one here and one at another worksite (which involves disability issues and so therefore is mine to handle). that goes on top of the other three current in my file right now – one involving a discipline, one a grievance and one that may evolve into a harassment complaint. each of these cases has its roots in a different area of policy which means i have to read through a lot of materials in preparing each case, to ensure i am not missing any hook on which i can hang a victory – such is effective advocacy. i am feeling emboldened by a recent win, which allows me to look optimistically at all of these cases, but when realistic i know what the odds are of having the result come out in our favour on each. unless management screws up procedurally (rather than just morally), it is hard to win no matter how well-argued the case.
so i am at work, and there is lots of it because things are busy right now and there are lots of projects coming up in the near future. i would like to post something more interesting later today but we will see about that.
heart raptures
otherwise known as the list of things i live for…. i originally had intended to write a list of 100 things – but it’s hard to think of a 100 original things and this list has been sitting partially completed for the last two months. i have decided to post as is and add to it over time.
1) the crakow klezmer band
2) the sunrise over mount baker as seen from the lion’s gate bridge
3) my lover when he gets that look in his eye
4) the spawning sockeye on the adams river “like millions of roses”
5) letters from children
6) an eagle feather found on the beach
7) swimming naked in a crystal alpine lake after two days of hiking
8) “the red cedar” by emily carr
9) a shooting star in the early morning dark – and not knowing of anything more to wish for than that
10) the sound of hard rain hitting the roof when snuggled in a warm bed
11) high storm clouds passing over a bright moon on a windy night
12) flowers rescued from a dumpster
13) roasted beets
14) being kissed good morning on the back of the neck
15) dammit – cliche yes – but sunrises in general
16) the northern lights over the howe sound at 5 in the morning
17) luscious red flowers spilling open on a spring afternoon
18) letters from friends who have come through the struggle the better for it
19) finishing large and long projects
20) meeting a fellow traveller unexpectedly
21) organic, dark coffee (fair trade of course!)
22) the romantic melancholy of missing loved ones
23) a cold beer and a good political argument at the WISE
24) the brandenburg concertos (particularly 1 and 3)
25) sparks when meeting someone for the first time
26) standing up to the cops with a crowd full of angry people
27) winning someone’s job back after they have been laid off
28) the scent of cedar trees
29) playing my fiddle until my fingers hurt
30) children dancing to said fiddle playing
31) resistance of all kinds
32) knowing the people out there who love me think of me from time to time
33) serial radio dramas (thanks cbc for that peculiar fancy)
34) wild strawberries
35) seeing bears in the wild
36) fiction so compelling it seeps into everyday life
37) good accordion playing
38) eclectic friends and eccentric co-workers
39) politically conscious music
40) going on strike (what you lose in pay, you gain in dignity)
41) getting the lyrics to a new song just right
42) collectively creating
43) potluck feasting
44) mountains from all vantage points
45) being humbled by those who know so much more than me
46) learning new things about marine life and the sea
47) a decent red wine and a long conversation
48) my women friends who so rock my world
49) meeting a new mentor
50) smoked salmon and avacado on kavli crackers
grateful? why yes, i am…..
where am i going to be friday?
two places actually:
i am speaking at the bob everton memorial colloquium (dialogue on democracy) which runs from 12:30 to 5:30 at sfu harbour centre.
afterwards i will be attending the submission hold/norman nawrocki show at the silkhaus.
norman is one of my all-time favourite performers and violin players. i have written about him here before.
come and join us on friday for events both thought-provoking and fun!
an update
it has been days and days since i posted here – and the past four days has seen a move and a trip across the border, and shopping, and unpacking…. so here is the daily chronology for the sake of an update post.
friday – i moved into my new house in gibsons and cleaned up the old place in roberts creek. the move went extremely well, the guys i hired were great and even the clean-up of the old place didn’t take too long. the only casualty in the move was a paper lampshade that was already torn to begin with (it literally disintegrated in the move). i was finished everything by about 6 pm, and got my damage deposit back in cash on the spot. by friday night i had got my bed set up, my shower curtain hung, the food that needed to be cold into the refrigerator, my adsl connected and working, and my stereo hooked up. my real estate agent called me to tell me that she thought i made the right decision and since when i made my offer it had likely already accrued some value (market is hot apparently).
saturday – i got up at 5:30, filled my tank full of gas and hit the ferry to meeting jess and megan in east vancouver at 8. the three of us drove down to bothell washington for a belated earth day event that featured dana lyons and derrick jensen (who i have been wanting to meet in person for awhile). we attended an informal discussion early in the afternoon, met a friend of mine for lunch at a thai restaurant, and then hung around for the evening event which went until 11:00. then we drove home and i crashed on jess’s couch. the border was uneventful going both ways, and the trip was definitely worth it. i will post more on this later.
sunday – i got up early and drove to the ikea in coquitlam where i spent a small fortune on occasional tables, bedding, kitchen gadetry, shelving and bathroom textiles. i still need to get some sort of loveseat or small sofa for the living room since the pillows i had in the last place won’t really work in this new place (at least in that room, i want to use them in one of the downstairs rooms…..). got home around 2 and spent the rest of the day putting together furniture and unpacking.
monday – went to canadian tire in the morning, then london drugs and picked up additional household things, then spent the rest of the day unpacking and moving empty boxes downstairs. i have managed to get the entire kitchen and breakfast nook unpacked at this point, but there is still a *ton* of work to do.
so really the last four days has been a combination of working and driving, with a brief interlude of socializing in bothell. i am well, and really excited to be in my new place despite the fact i can’t even find my shoes at the moment….. i think however, that a housewarming june 11th will be right on schedule for having the majority of my boxes unpacked!
when is an inukshuk not an inukshuk?
now – as people know – i’m no fan of the fact bc was awarded the winter olympics in 2010 and i’m sure that as the years tick down, i will find many more things to complain about… but i am honestly appalled by the ioc’s choice in an official logo for the games. the cbc article linked to above contains many good first nations criticisms of it, including some outrage from the inuit culture who actually use the inukshuk as a survival device and for whom it holds great significance…. not to mention bc first nations who wonder why none of their art styles were not incorporated into the design (since these olympics are being held in their territory after all).
rather than being a celebration of aboriginal artworks and social contributions, this symbol is one more example of the cultural appropriation of aboriginal symbols in a way that is insulting, assimilationist and inappropriate. unfortunately, this is something canada likes to do a lot, as if choosing native symbols to represent government departments and events will somehow ammeliorate the damage of genocide and colonialism that has all but destroyed the way of indigenous life in this country.
besides the general cultural comments – there is no doubt that is one *ugly* piece of design work and it’s too bad we’re going to have to live with it for the next 5 years. yuck.
Red Cedar 