Tuesday, May 06, 2014

April in review

April was a boring, rainy month. It was still a little depressing, but we felt spring was on its way although it never really got here fully. It is still a little colder than seasonal temperature. By mid-April we still had freezing temperature and a little snow fall. I felt sad. I still feel I need some change so I applied (several times) to work in another library and waited all month for results. I am still waiting. I hope it will work. I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't…

On the domestic side, with slightly warmer temperature there was a lot to do around the house (spring cleaning, preparing the garden) and many things to organize (medical check-ups, update financial records, using the income tax returns to replace and update household appliances, etc). So it kept me busy. I didn't write much (just one book comment, on a manga about Freud). It is frustrating to have so many ideas, so many words in my mind that I could write and not enough time to do so… I went to a book sale and found lots of books (many manga) for really cheap. We've finally found someone (a shelter) to take the last of the kittens we've rescued this winter. I'm so glad that we found places for them, but I was also a little sad to see them leave. However, I kept one and his playfulness, his cuteness, fill me with joy. I've seen something really strange one night right after sunset: a swarm of seagulls noisily turning and pulsating into the clouds. Not long after, we got the first thunderstorm of the year…

In the news, provincial elections brought back a liberal government, the Ukrainian situation continues, they still haven't found the Malaysian plane, and a South Korean ferry sank killing lots of children from the same school. You'll find over an hundred links to some news stories that I found interesting — just after the jump:


Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture
Apple, apps and mobile devices news
Books, Digital Edition & Libraries Economy, Environment & International/U.S. Politics Health, home & garden Humour
Local News & National Politics Media, Culture, Entertainment & Society Sciences & History

Technology, Gadgets & Internet Union stuff & Montreal's libraries

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2 comments:

clodjee said...

The day after writing these lines I learned that my transfer request was accepted. So from the beginning of June I will work in another library. After nearly two years (and thirty job applications) to try tirelessly (and unsuccessfully) to leave the borough where I work to get closer to my home, I decided to aim for a more realistic goal and apply for a transfer within the same borough and so bring me only a little closer. Better have occasionally a small victory that no victory at all! It's better for morale and for the mind too!

Le jour après avoir écrit ces lignes j’ai appris que ma demande de mutation avait été accepté. Donc, dès le début de juin je vais travailler dans une autre bibliothèque. Après près de deux ans (et une trentaine de demandes d’emploi) à essayer sans relâche (et sans succès) de sortir de l’arrondissement où je travaille pour me rapprocher de chez moi, j’ai décidé de viser un objectif plus réaliste et de faire une demande de mutation à l’intérieur même de l’arrondissement et ainsi de me rapprocher seulement un tout petit peu. Vaut mieux avoir de temps en temps une petite victoire que pas de victoire du tout! C’est meilleur pour le moral et pour le mental.

clodjee said...

I'll probably save only fifteen minutes on my commute time (thirty minutes round-trip off the ninety it takes me now), but it will be a quieter library, and I won't have to deal with the teenagers from hell anymore. I am quite happy!

Même si je sauve seulement une quinzaine de minutes de voyagement (une trentaine de minutes par jour de moins sur les quatre-vingt-dix que ça me prends en ce moment), je vais travailler dans une bibliothèque plus tranquille et je n'aurais plus affaire aux ados de l'enfer! Somme toute, je suis pas mal content.