Let's Go

So we get the apartment.  I kept calling today until they finalized everything.  Then we had to tell our current landlady.  It's the 29th.  We were really cutting things close.

Oh, and the health inspector finally showed up at my "local coffee shop" today.  No manager or supervisor was in, but while he was there, my other manager drove through.  He was told about our visitor, but didn't do anything.  I expect some sort of reprimand soon.

Moving On Up ...

... Onto the mountain and away from this downtown mess.  Not that I mind our building, but the surrounding neighbourhood is awful.  We've got parties with loud music, countless barking dogs, a residential care facility with schizophrenic people yelling and screaming at various points in the day and night, and an almost constant police presence.

I don't mind the police presence so much, but rather the reasons for it.  It's very noisy and kind of dangerous.  So we're moving.  We'll know tomorrow whether we get the apartment we applied for on Friday.  At this point it's still at 99.999999% ours, and I need 100% to start packing.

Bartender

I'm like the bartender of the "local coffee shop".  I work in the kitchen all day and people drift back from the front to gossip, talk, waste time, anything (because no one seems to want to serve the customers).  Because there are people talking back there all the time, I hear things.  And because sometimes it's just me and who ever is on break, I hear personal things.  They like to tell me things because I won't talk.  So I hear a lot.

I know who's fighting with whom, who's pregnant, who's leaving the store, who's upset with management, everything.

About a month and a half ago, I heard something somewhat reliable from a co-worker.  I take everything with a grain of salt, so I never put too much into it.  She told me that she'd somehow gotten a letter from our head office in her mail, addressed to the store.  She said she opened it, and it basically foretold the end of the store (that is, that it was to be taken away from our owner at the end of June).  She told me that she burned it because she got scared that she'd get in trouble for opening it (even though it came to her house.  That part I don't quite believe).

I gave it some thought and decided to wait and see.  Well, yesterday my manager (the one who's been trying really hard to get our store up to code and running properly; the good one) mentioned something about how everything was going to change in a week and a half.  (We've been really frustrated with crap that's been going on between our "local coffee shop" and our sister store.)

I asked her what was happening in a week and a half.  She said to me (and the morning baker, who was also there) that things were going to change and that she was worried about the day shift.  She also said not to say anything.  I know I won't; I hope my morning baker doesn't.  I don't count this blog, though, because "Heather" isn't my first name, and I never mention the name of my "local coffee shop".  And because no one really reads this anyway!

So now I'm staying here because I need to see how this ends.  It's like a story I've been reading, and if I leave now it's like I've ripped out the last two chapters and thrown them into the wind.

Really?

So ... no health inspector has stopped by yet.  I'm assuming I would find out, seeing as I threatened to phone the health board publicly.  But, so far, nothing.  Boo.  There goes my trust in the government.  Oh, wait, that's been gone for a while.

My "local coffee shop" has finally gotten its first complaint regarding food poisoning.  This should be interesting.

I finished a sweater that I've been working at off and on since last August.  I started working on it again because it was kind of chilly last week.  Figures.  Now it's freaking hot again.  (Not that I mind.  I tend to get colder than everyone else, so this hot, humid, sticky weather is welcome.  I don't like the sticky part though.)

I'm still working on the other sweater I started, the bulky plum-coloured one.  Sorry, no pictures in this post.

I May Be In Trouble

Wednesday, at my "local coffee shop", I killed a cockroach.

That was the last straw.  Add to that the mice droppings I found, the mice running around, the dead ones, and the freezer that doesn't freeze properly (and there's potentially hazardous food in there!).  I mentioned the health board and my manager either overheard or was told by someone.  He told me not to because it wouldn't be good for the store.

I called the health board on Thursday.  They are sending an inspector.

I know they can't fire me legally for this, but they've terminated without cause before.  We shall see, since the inspector ought to be there today.

Canadian Summer

It's almost here!  Which means I'm knitting a sweater.  Despite the occasional week of humidity, half the time our summers are (for me) rather chilly.  Of course, since I live next to Lake Ontario, that's normal.  So I'm knitting another sweater.  But I had a problem.

I couldn't decide which pattern to use!  I liked bits and pieces from each one, but not an entire one.  I want to use bulky yarn to make a shapeless, warm, comfy sweater ... so I'm making it up as I go along.  So far, I think it'll work.

Dad's job is great.  He likes it and seems happy with it.  We're thinking of moving up the mountain because downtown is a little weird.  And I won't stay at my store when we do.  I'll find something close to wherever we will live.

I finished that hat my friend wanted.  I will never do a hat with yarn smaller than worsted weight ever again!

Will They Mind?

One thing that always irks me at my workplace is that there never seems to be anyone to replace me.  For example, tomorrow I am calling in sick (back pain) and will be doing so more than four hours before my shift (which means waking up at 6am to call them and have them hem and haw about me recuperating).  I know who I will suggest, but it shouldn't be this difficult to find someone to cover me in my time of need.

My back?  I must have done something to it in the freezer on Monday ... it twinged weirdly and has been crying to me ever since.  I can't really lift anything without it waking up, so I figure one day ought to do it.  My BF has been administering back massages, which helps, but the next day I just ruin whatever progress I've made.

I agreed to knit that hat my friend wants.  I'm almost done (ran out of yarn - I'm using Patons Grace) and I'm almost done my mom's tank top.  I started a pair of socks to use up some of my stash and I think this particular yarn colour can only be worn on one's feet.  Hidden away.

See?  So far, they're not playing nicely.

Selfish Knitter

I'm trying to be one, anyway.  When someone asks me how long it takes me to knit something, I get the feeling that they want it in a couple of hours.  I usually say four or five days, just to mess them up.

With my luck, my friend will still want me to knit it.  I may do it, for money.

I need to find a new job.  Mine may not be around much longer and, quite frankly, I'm sick of the stupid stuff.  It's just this particular store, which is unfortunate.

I've been working almost exclusively on my mom's tank top.  Surprising, I know, since I usually have about ten projects on the go at one time.  It's getting too big to carry around now, so I've started a pair of cuff-down socks for when I'm out.  I know, another surprise.  Especially since I swore I'd never do another pair of socks again.

I'd like to look at apostrophes now.  Yes, they are used for contractions, but they're also used for possessives.  In a way, they're almost like contractions themselves.

"The cat's food" is really a shorter way of saying "the food belonging to the cat".

I'm having this inner argument here instead of having one with my friend.  Am I wrong?