"If General McClellan did not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it."

[beboots]

"If General McClellan did not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it."
-Abraham Lincoln



"Ce ne sont pas les pas d'une personne qui danse!" ("Those aren't the steps of a person that can dance!")

So I have a few things to glee about, and a few things to be anxious about. Sadly, more of the former than the latter.

First thing's first: I have the interview at Fort Edmonton! <3 (In fact, it was the handsome Kevin Spaans who made the call - I love his voice!)

Anyway, I'm hoping to apply for historical interpreter. So, no more running Midway games and rides - I would get to be a full-time historical persona, you know? I've groomed myself for the position of Country Wife at the Fort (1846) era. I think that I have a decent chance of getting it, as they always run short of country wives (that's Métis or Cree women, married to white (or later, other Métis, fur traders, to those who haven't studied the Canadian fur trade). I've grown my hair out long, and taken several Canadian history classes... including a native history class. The paper I'm writing right now (2,000/3,000 words written, due a week from this Thursday) is actually on the topic of Cree-Blackfoot-Métis-white relations around Fort Edmonton from 1800-ish-1850s. I think that I know my stuff.

BUT I have two problems.

ONE: I'm going on vacation this year - just over three weeks, to Ireland and Scotland. This would not normally be much of a problem (quite the opposite - I love travelling!), except that I was told over the phone that I needed to have the exact dates of any time off that I require, because they're being extra careful about vacation times... because they're hiring so few employees this year, because of the recession, they need people who can work the most time. Which means that if they think that my vacation is too long... they won't hire me, but they will someone who will work all of the summer.

I'm going to pitch it as "I cut this six week vacation of a lifetime in half because I desperately want to work for you guys". Also, I hope that their desire for people who would fit in really well in the role of Fort women (and a hopeful continuation of the trend of a shortage thereof) will work in my favour. I really, really hope that I'll get the job, guys... I'll be miserable all summer if I don't. :(

I suppose that I could ask to be on the Midway again, if all else fails, but... I won't have nearly as much fun. :(

SECOND: Well, this hopefully shouldn't be too much of a detriment, but... remember how I used to work at Superstore? For four and a half years? Well, I called up my old boss at work to see if I could use her as a reference. I mean, I worked hard under her, specifically, for two years, and I was a great employee for another two and a half... BUT, first of all, she was like "wait, I can't give you a reference, you quit two years ago! It's been too long!" and I then had to explain that no, it had only been eleven months, because I quit around this time last year to work the summer at Fort Edmonton. Then she said that it was actually illegal for her to give me a reference, for some reason, because she was now the Store Manager. I was actually almost in tears - I was counting on that four-year job to be a good reference for at least two years. How does that look, when I can't use the longest term of employment on my resumé as a reference? D: I think that she heard the tears in my voice, and she agreed, but stated that she was moving to a different store in two weeks, and she didn't know it's phone number, so... yeah. I'm kind of screwed for that reference.

And I need to bring THREE to the interview. One is fine - my old Midway supervisor already agreed. I could probably wrangle a second out of the 1920s supervisor, who has seen me work. But the third?

I eventually thought of my research supervisor for my honours thesis, Professor Smith. I've sent her off a quick e-mail asking/pleading for a reference. I actually think that she would be a better reference for this job - I mean, at least she can tell them I'm organized and do good historical research, right? Right.

Also, I was even more anxious because the internet at my house stopped working for two hours, so I couldn't send off that e-mail right away... yeah. Nervous.

I think - I HOPE - it will all work out. But if it doesn't... I'm definitely going to cry myself to sleep at some point. I have no backup plan for another summer job if this one falls through. D:

On another note... I'm making progress on my papers and readings! Not quite AHEAD, per se, but definitely not behind. Stuff is getting done. I'll feel much better in three weeks' time, though. I'll have then handed in two of my papers, finished a presentation, and had the interview.

Comments

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I've sent you my mailing address through a private message. :)

I totally have several penpals (one from Hungary, one from Japan), because I love handwritten letters... <3 Everyone always has way more neat penmanship than me, though.

Interesting! I thought that that was the case - at least written, anyway, because when I look at Portuguese I can kind of guess at like a third of the words from my experience in French and that one semester of Spanish I took like five years ago... I can totally understand the spoken languages being so far apart, though.

[anyjen.livejournal.com]

Received and replied. ^___^

Also: I've just finished watching the four-man bobsleigh... congrats on the bronze! Though it was such a shame you didn't get silver. You were so close! >_<

Oh well. Bronze is still World's third best. That's sure something. :D

I'm amazed at how many crashes there were during that competition, though. Six total between the first and second run... none during the third and fourth. And some of the people who crashed were really big names. I wonder if there was something wrong with the ice that first day...?

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I am ashamed to say that I didn't watch the bobsleigh. :P But really - most of the time the determining factor of who wins gold, silver or bronze is a matter of milliseconds - you can't necessarily call who's going to win. Half of the time, the athletes are just blurs anyway, so perhaps people DO watch it for the crashes...? (I feel horrible saying that after what happened to that Georgian luge athlete, but...)

[anyjen.livejournal.com]

It was a hundreth of a second in this case (only the luge is measured in milliseconds). The Canada 1 team were in silver position during the first three runs, but in the fourth, Germany 1 got an exceptionally good time, and Canada wasn't able to hold on to their position... the difference was literally only 0,01 of a second. That's gotta hurt. >_<

I must confess that the crashes are darn impressive... it all happens so fast, and it's so loud... it's a beast of 600 kilos that suddenly goes out of control and is sliding on its side, gauging tracks on the ice and with four hundred kilos' worth of men squeezed like sardines inside something that's no bigger than a bathtub... but then again, even when nobody crashes I find it exciting.

The loading of four men inside said bathtub-like sleigh in under five seconds while they're running and pushing that 200+ kilo beast is like a very precise dance, the way the pilots have to balance speed and control (the more they try to control the sleigh, the more they lose speed), the way even a slight touch on the side can make them lose speed and control, to nearly tragic cumulative effects (most of those who crashed in curve thirteen had touched the wall on curve eleven and weren't able to compensate in time).

They call it the "formula one on ice", and with good justification... reaching speeds of 150 km per hour and being just as dangerous if something goes wrong. But I personally find it far more fascinating than watching cars zooming around in circles, to tell you the truth... ^^U

Plus there's the human angle... how do the sportsmen react when they get a good time, do they take a bad time graciously, do they get happy when a rival crashes or do they groan with them, do they throw a tantrum when they crash and thus ruin their chances of a medal or even a top-ten position... (Great Britain crashed on their second run but still got good times the other three and came in the top-twenty)? Team Japan, for example, were very gracious about their crash and were one of the few teams that started on the third run anyway... and they were very happy to have made it safely down the track, even though their cumulative time wasn't good enough to take part in the fourth (only twenty teams are allowed on the fourth run). The Russia 2 team, in contrast, were angry, yelling and violently throwing their helmets on the track when they crashed, and didn't take part in even the second run (they crashed in the first).

And even these great, World Class teams often make mistakes that are honestly giggle-worthy. When they slip while loading and are left flailing and flopping like fish until they can get inside, when the pilot can't get his/her hands on the controls in time and the sleigh behaves like a pinball ball... and sometimes it's the design of their protective wear that's funny, even if the poor sportspeople didn't have anything to do with it.

The woman's Italy two-man bob team, for example, was victim of a very unfortunate colour combination... their suits were white and blue, their sleigh was bright red (designed by Ferrari, it couldn't have been any other colour, of course) and as if that wasn't clashing enough, they were wearing pink helmets. XD

...and looking at this comment you'd think I was a sports fanatic. Nothing fartherst from the truth. I just happen to like sleighing. XD

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I agree - watching the reactions are very neat! :D It really does say a lot about a person - or a team.

Also - funny helmets. Or uniforms. Or both. XD

I have to say that the only events that I watched almost entirely was the ice dancing. I can't wait until you get to those - because then I can squee along with you properly! ;)

I take it that that CTV website I sent you is working fine, then...?