2006-06-09 - 10:41 a.m.

world cup, cats, and canada

The opening game of the World Cup will be broadcast here in about an hour. I am staying home to watch it with K - my excuse is that I will be extracting data. Truth be told, I love watching soccer - the game is thrilling and the professionals run like gazelles. K was singing the German national anthem in the shower this morning. It is total parody - he wants and expects the team to lose.

CAT REPORT: Mizzy just chased Lyra through the apartment. Must have had an urgent appointment in the living room. They were excited to get zucchini with their breakfast today. My cats love zucchini for some strange reason.

Anyway, I am slowly becoming used to the idea that I will become a car owner. I really hate the world of insurance, repairs, oil changes, fees, etc. Not to mention I will join the world of air pollution, traffic jams, and oil dependency. K argues that driving across the country with the cats would produce a smaller carbon footprint than taking an airplane. Furthermore, our owning this vehicle is better than giving it to someone who would really DRIVE it...I'm still not comfortable with this.

In a somewhat related note, the administrators at the university in Canada were quick to fix the problem with my paperwork, but the folks fixing the paperwork in Ottawa have been a bit more lackadaisical about it. I expect that I will have to call and get them to fax the paperwork on Monday so that I can begin immigration right away. I'm still out the $500 in July salary, though. However, I did a calculation and I am still better off than I would be in my current position, so I'm not complaining.

I really love the chair of my new department. I sent an email pointing out the problem, and had him calculate the actual salary. I see that this was a bureaucratic hangup and not worth pointing fingers of blame, especially with a guy who has done quite a lot to help me out. Instead I wrote him an email that stated: "Bureaucracy is a bit like global warming: be prepared for unanticipated surprises" His classic reply: "not quite the same - there are no bureaucracy skeptics." I like quick-witted chairmen.