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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.
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. leave a note
...they are just words, Suzi... - 2011-08-29
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