Roundabout Woes

The roundabout built to replace one of the most dangerous 4 way stops in town has been completed. Seeing as I go through that intersection at least twice a day it's been fun watching people learn to use it. Hopefully the morons that couldn't figure out a 4 way will be able to understand "yield to traffic in the circle" but only time will tell. So far I've seen "keep driving and don't slow down at all" through to "stop in the merge area and wait for the car on the other side of the circle to go past". Well, it will keep my work commute interesting anyway.

It Just Might Be Summer

Yesterday the temperature was reportedly in the 30s, the radio said downtown Duncan was up to 40 and heading for 43. I can't find anywhere else that gave that temp but I'm quite sure the Walmart parking lot was that hot. The thermometer in the restaurant, just outside the kitchen, read 35, so that means it was about 45 past the wall of heat in the kitchen. Hot, hot, hot anyway.

Sigh . . .

No visitors for me this summer. At least for now anyway. Readers may remember that Gulzar, my friend in Pakistan, had applied for a visa to visit here in July. His first application was refused because he did not prove that he will return to Pakistan (a full time job and being sole supporter of his widowed mother was not enough . . .). He was going to reapply but due to being very busy at work (out of town) did not have time until this week - the same week he was booked to fly. So he had to cancel his flight. Now we are trying to decide if he should try again or not.

I have done a lot research on visas recently and it appears if you are from a third world county, even a Commonwealth member, basically you have a snowballs chance in Hell of getting a Canadian visitor visa. Especially if you are invited to Canada by a member of the opposite sex. //roll eyes// From what I have read he would need to include letters of recommendation or whatever from Allah on down (bank, employer, Imam at his mosque, etc) and would still probably be refused. It is so sad that so many people abuse the system and law abiding people get screwed around.

Too bad I don't know anyone at Immigration or the Islamabad High Commission who could put in a good word. Sometimes being an honest, law abiding, mostly tax paying (as in low income, not tax evasion) citizen counts for squat and that sucks.

Let's See . . .

What's been going on around here?

I didn't realize it has been so long since my last post. Time flies when you have no days off. Not really, but it's been awhile since I had 2 in row so it kind of seems like I haven't had any.

Updates:
- Ryan applied too late to make it through the screening process for the reserves this summer. He is now the replacement relief dishwasher (Saturdays & on call) at Bistro while he "looks" for another job.

- Bistro needs a replacement relief dishwasher because the original was given very bad advice (we guess, anyway) that since he had a sore shoulder he should file a WCB claim. Problem is he never told anyone he was injured, nor can he remember when or how he was injured. Fatima is already fighting WCB over one of her former partner's employees and is in no mood to do it again. Apparently the next one of us to be injured will be killed on the spot, as she'd rather go to jail than deal with WCB again.

- No work schedule for this week or last for that matter. No biggie really, I just assume I'm working and am pleasantly surprised if I'm not. I did have my birthday off due to the holiday weekend but had to zoom to Victoria and back the following Sunday for Ryan's birthday dinner so it feels like no days off since then.

- One of the Bistro cooks left. We'll miss him. He went to cook for the Coast Guard on a research vessel. He applied before he got the job with Bistro and will now be making an absurd amount of money for 28 days on, 28 days off. Too bad I get seasick or I might look into a gig like that.

- Selena now has sort of turquoise blue hair. Actually, I like it the best out of all the wild colours she has chosen.

- Apparently there is very little crime in Duncan. I surmise this because the police had time to pull me over Tuesday and cite me for non functioning tail lights. Who over looks at their tail lights? I guess he spent the day pulling over half this town. I hope he went out at night and got everyone with one headlight. Luckily he decided not to give me a $130 ticket and after a trip to Canadian Tire the lights now function.

- The Book of Lists, Canadian edition. What a strange book. It is quite funny and bizarre and mundane all at the same time. I found a copy on clearance at the book store next to Bistro and picked it up for Ryan but I keep reading it myself.

So that's about all that is new and not particularly exciting here.