Saturday, June 14, 2014

May in review

Spring was late and therefore seasonal temperature (sunnier and temperature more around 20' C) came nearly two weeks later than usual (from May 11th). We use to say that May is the nicest month of the year, but it really became true at the end of the month (and even early June!). Buds were starting to open, but it felt strange in May to still see the browns of bare trees with no leaves in them. However, by the middle of the month, with the first thunderstorms of the year, the landscape quickly exploded with greens.

I had to deal with a lot of anxiety in May. I couldn't take it anymore at my job (I liked the team, the place, the job itself, but the long commuting hours and unruly teenagers where making my life impossible). I was on the verge of depression and needed to do something. However, the prospect of a new workplace (slightly closer from home, quieter) was also a source of apprehension. Was I making the right decision (I am still not sure) ? All this was translating into various body pains (back, chest, jaw, digestion problems, general discomfort, etc.).

Also we've been in the new house for over two years now and did very little work, so I really needed to get going with the repairs and improvements. I took two weeks off toward the end of the month for that purpose. First I wanted to repair and paint the garage door, but simply replacing the broken door-opener revealed quite a saga (the installation guy had to come THREE times and I had to hire an electrician to move a light fixture and install an electrical outlet).

As usual I started my vacations with a cold, watch too much TV and ended up doing only half of what I planned (the weather was not so bad, but I spent lots of time waiting for the workmen). I wrote only one manga comment (Joséphine Impératrice, vol. 1). No time left to visit museums with my wife and it was raining on the day we were planning to go to the botanical garden. But at least I finished the garage door and got the ball rolling with the house repairs… However, I better get going because there is still a lot to do for the remaining part of the summer!

Not much happened on the world stage (or was I too busy to notice anything ?). I got mostly interested with Apple WWDC keynote. The announcement was very promising, but also quite disappointing as they announced only software products (OS X 10.10 Yosemite and iOS 8, both due in fall) and absolutely NO hardware (I was expecting to see updates for the iPhone, Mac-Mini and AppleTV). But it was to be expected at a developers' conference. While reading online I nevertheless gathered over a hundred news links that you'll find just after the jump:


Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture
Apple, apps and mobile devices news
Apple: the 2014 WWDC keynote announcements
Books, Digital Edition & Libraries Economy, Environment & International/U.S. Politics Health, home & garden Library Humour

Local News & National Politics Media, Culture, Entertainment & Society Sciences & History Technology, Gadgets & Internet Union stuff & Montreal's libraries

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