A Great Week

I've had an interesting week. Last friday at work went much more smoothly than thursday. Then I had the weekend off, and on sunday I went to my youngest sister's church where we had 'art night'. This church is much different from the usual style. It's made up of people who are tired of the stifling rules and regulations that often go hand in hand with traditional churches. I go there every second sunday (more or less), alternating with my second youngest sister who attends a more traditional (but still much more cool than the church I remember with horror from my youth) church. This art night was intended to give artistic members a chance to show their talents - to display art that is very different from the usual thing that is deemed acceptable among religious people. I had submitted some of my photographs, but I was a bit late, and so I wasn't able to be part of the program. I was told that they intend to have another art night in September, and that my photographs will definately be part of that. So I'm happy. I was very impressed with the talent I saw that night! There were nude (and other styles) paintings, and one short film, and modern dance, and singing. I had wondered if the artists would come across as "trying too hard to be alternative", but it wasn't that way at all.

This past tuesday, my boss returned from her week off. I enjoy my job more when she's there. She and I get along very well. I had an extra day off this week, so wednesday and thursday were free for me. On wednesday evening I went out, intending to just stop at the corner store for smokes, but it was such a nice evening, I decided to walk further to the Queen Street Market - a small, old fashioned store where they sell a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I filled my basket with broccolli and zucchini and bananas and apples, yogurt and plums and grapes. I love the feeling I get from wandering through an old fashioned store, choosing healthy food. There's something very wholesome about the entire thing. I'm looking forward to summer evenings when I can walk to this store in my sundress, instead of having to bundle up.

On thursday (yesterday), I went to the mall in search of some extention cords for my webcam (didn't find the right ones, so I have to keep looking). On my way out, as I was walking up the hall from my apartment suite, I had the Leonard Cohen song "Suzanne" on my mind. That song is about a woman Leonard once knew, who was "half crazy". One of those types who follow the beat of their own drummer, and make no apologies for it. I was thinking about this when I pushed open the door leading to my building's main lobby. There on the floor was an old lady in a hat covered in plastic flowers! She was leaning against the wall, wearing her hat, and a floral dress, and stockings rolled down below her knees. She was very thin, and had a lot of makeup up, she must have been in her eighties. At first I thought she had fallen, then I realised she was comfortable there. She was having a conversation with my building manager, who is also a little strange looking - no more than five feet tall, and partial to cowboy boots and extra large beltbuckles with cowboy engravings on them. The third person in this strange trio was an elderly man leaning on his metal walker. The two men didn't seem to think anything was strange about the fact that the woman was lounging on the floor, so I smiled at them all and let myself out of the building.

My neighbourhood is poor, there are a lot of street people. They all seemed to be out that day. There was a man at the bus stop having a conversation with himself that seemed to please him a great deal. And as I waited to cross the street, I thought I heard a car radio behind me, but it turned out to be a woman on a bicycle, talking to herself through a kind of megaphone. There were old people shuffling along, who offered me their toothless grins, one man even waved as he passed me, as though we were old friends, though I'd never seen him before. People are very friendly to me here.

At the mall, as I sat outside having a smoke, I overheard a phone conversation between an older woman and her grown son. She was quite demanding. "You'd better get over to Mill Lake!" she ordered him "They're filming a commercial there, get over there with your video camera!" Then she got upset about something he said, and began to complain about her son's wife (or so I imagine). "You don't have to get me diamonds!" she barked "I'm very easy to please! You have the wrong impression of your mother, stop listening to that woman! That liar! That mother of all lies!" (lol). "Take it up with the Lord." she said "Then you'll understand I deserve at least a small gift. Take it up with the Lord." I couldn't help but overhear, she was quite loud.

Later, I stopped at the food fair in the mall. I was standing before the Thai food stall, when the woman working there offered me piece of meat on a toothpick. "You eat it!" she barked at me "Honey gahlic chicken! It's hot! Hot! You eat it!" I took it, and ate it. It was quite good, so I bought a little box of it to take home. I left the mall with some heavy bags of food I'd bought at the grocery store (I really should stop buying heavy groceries so far from home). I decided to take the bus back, rather than walk like I usually do. A bus stopped at the bench where I was waiting, and I asked if he went near my stop. He exclaimed "You're so well prepared! How wonderful! You're so lovely! So friendly!" (lol). It was a little over the top, but I smiled and thanked him. He took me to the bus loop where I could catch a connecting bus. After I got off his bus, he rushed after me to offer me other alternatives - other buses I could take that would get me close to home. Together we decided on my best choice, and then he returned to his bus.

As I waited for my bus, I watched all the strange people who hang around the loop. There was an old man with a gigantic cane. It was made from what looked like driftwood, carved into an "L" shape, with a large marble embedded in the tip. The cane was so large, it came up to his chest! There was a young man (or woman, I'm not sure), who I've seen there before. He wears clothing that resembles a bus driver's uniform, but is obviously not. He's disabled, and uses a metal cane. He seems to be enthralled with all things related to bus driving, and so I guess he hangs around the loop in order to play the part. As the buses came in, he would call out their names, beaming at all the people waiting, obviously feeling very important. He barged around the place, showing off his bus knowledge. There were a few young kids on skateboards, and girls freezing in mini skirts, hanging around them. I sat there eating my honey garlic chicken pieces with my fingers, and watching the scene. I'll have to bring my camera along one of these days, I'd get some cool, arty pictures there.

Today I worked. Shortly after I arrived at Taylors, my boss came up to me and tentatively told me there are a few things I need to brush up on. She asked if I would meet with her in a private room upstairs, so she could go over the things I'm not doing correctly. I was nervous, because I really want to keep this job. We sat down together upstairs, and she explained to me about the transactions that she was concerned about. I told her I appreciated her telling me, and that I would work hard to improve. It turned out to be quite a nice conversation! We get along very well. She told me she really likes me as a person, and wants me to succeed at the job. I came out of there feeling uplifted. Instead of the sinking feeling that usually accompanies these types of conversations between a boss and an employee, I felt confidant - all because of the way she handled it. I walked out of there knowing that she isn't displeased with me, but only wants me to know the things I need to brush up on, because she genuinely likes me and wants to keep me on.

I was reminded of my math. The way I studied my ass off, and believed I was giving it 100%, yet I failed the tests. Then I thought long and hard, and realised I might be giving only 98%, and that I could give just that little bit more. When I did that, I passed my math with an A. I did that again today at work. I'd been working hard before, but today, after this talk with my boss, I pushed myself harder. At the end of the day, my boss was beaming. She said "I should give you a gold star for your performance today!"

And so it's the weekend again. I feel great about everything, life is swimming along. I hear it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so I might do some arranging out on my patio.