One year later

On April 29, 2010, a very exhausted, hungry, sleep-deprived Fancy rolled into Ottawa in a U-Haul containing almost all of her belongings (minus the Kitties), and her equally exhausted, hungry and sleep-deprived Daddy. It was the end of a marathon that had begun at 9 am on Monday, April 26th at the corner of Wilson and Grange in Burnaby. In what was likely the maddest dash across the country, Papa Bear and I tore across the mountains in one day, the prairies the next; day three was consumed by Northern Ontario Canadian Shield country, and finally on day four, we had a relatively light 10 hours from Sault Ste. Marie to my new 'home,' Ottawa.

One year later, I'm not even living in the same apartment I moved into when I arrived. I'm not working at the job I raced across the country to take. I'm not even working my way through the available fishies online.

Ottawa is nothing, if not full of surprises. I am not where I thought I would be a year ago.

Fort...Lawderdaaale

We're back and sunburned in all the right places!

Finally, after 6 years of going pretty non-stop, I went on my first vacation. The last one was to Cancun in February 2005, so I nearly forgot how to be on vacation...I started to get confused about all the options for doing things, forgetting in the process that I'm not supposed to be stressing about that stuff!

Etienne and I settled on Fort Lauderdale for 5 days; short enough not to impact our vacation days at work (since one of the days was Good Friday, a statutory holiday for the Federal government, so we didn't have to take that day), but long enough to have more than just that "we've arrived and now we're leaving" feeling. Fort Lauderdale happened because it was cheap and easy to do in light of the timing. We'd actually decided on Costa Rica, but timing didn't work out in terms of deals and work schedules, and we didn't want to do it in a hurry or on the cheap...not for my first vacation in 6 years. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood and want a few tips...

The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort and Spa: I recommend it; it's reasonably priced, has great amenities, including a skywalk right to the beach, and a company on hand to rent chairs and umbrellas, and on the oceanfront side...the view is glorious. The staff is hit or miss, but who cares as long as you get what you want or need.

Spazio: an Italian restaurant on the beach strip, this place has decent food, and a fairly decent wine selection, but our server was incredibly useless. We watched as other tables were waited on by more attentive staff, while I toiled in hunger and travel fatigue, waiting 20 minutes for just a daiquiri.

Coconuts: a seafood restaurant right on the water (it's not on the strip, but rather off of it on one of the canals), it had great service, great food (I had a half chicken, Etienne had...a whole lot of vegetarian-friendly foods thrown on to one plate), great views...it simply lived up to its great reputation.

Casablanca Cafe: Another "seafood-based" restaurant, it's a favourite of the locals. The service was great, the food was great (I had a giant New York strip and a wicked chocolate mousse, he had a pasta dish), it's a good location, and just a cool vibe.

Via Luna: Another Italian restaurant, located in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the strip, it's slightly more upscale, but the service was excellent and very accommodating. I had the spaghetti pomodoro with the best meatball I've ever had, and Etienne was prepared to order a risotto and scallops dish, until the waitstaff suggested he could take the mushroom risotto side dish and have it made into an entree. And because our waitress thought our order took so long (which I don't think it did), she gave us this sublime hazelnut-chocolate mousse cake on the house. I most highly recommend this restaurant if you're ever in Fort Lauderdale.

Other than all of the food finds, Etienne and I kept things fairly basic: a little shopping, some swimming in the ocean, and *lots* of sun. We went out and got hideously burned on our first full day there, but even now as I sit on my couch in my apartment, looking out over a gloomy, cold spring day in Ottawa, with the burn swelling going down, Etienne and I are turning a lovely shade of gold. Normally a ghostly (sometimes even greenish) pallor, we look healthy for a change!

We spent a lot of time discussing the travel situation, and we both agree that there are lots of places we want to go. Plans are discussed, and I hope that in the coming year, I have more exciting places to blog about!

The Trouble de Travail

I'm bound in the next several months to start French training in an effort to become bilingual, and in this, I'm eagerly supported by my new manager in my new job. So far, I've just been easing in with some reading, and lots of watching the internet for updates on the problems in Japan, election platform updates and promises, and any other potential news items that would impact the program I'm working on. And of course, this being an election cycle, there's not a whole lot else I can do. The political government is dissolved, leaving the bureaucracy to simply manage until a new government is elected and we re-start the process of policy and program changes. Until then, no new programs, initiatives, decisions, policies, etc. During this time, the only department that sees some movement is foreign affairs, and even then, it's only enough to signal that Canada is still a part of whatever is going on.

As I look back on the time I spent at INAC, and I try to sort out what I would have been doing over there during the election cycle (and my really strong hunch says "Nothing. Like always."), I'm sort of excited; yes, it sounds like I'm not doing a whole lot at HRSDC either, but I know that once the election is over, I'll actually be given tasks that are meaningful by a manager and director who appear to trust I'm competent and capable of doing them. I'm finally optimistic about working in the federal public service.

If I'm concerned about anything, it's that my work habits have become pretty slack because of the wasted time at INAC. Left to my own devices, I was creative in how to waste time (redecorate Diana's office while she's away? Sure!), and I fell into a pattern of playing on the internet and shuffling papers. I'm afraid I'm easily distractable now, and I seriously need to kick my butt back into shape and re-learn good working habits.

Still, if that's my biggest trouble with work...I'm starting to count myself quite lucky.

On Election Silence (or...Screaming in the Inside!)

I'll be honest, I've been disengaging from the electoral process in the past because I've been unable to handle the Conservative Party of Canada under Stephen Harper. This is no secret, I've blogged about it before, but now I need to be careful, and formally disclaim that my views are that of a private citizen, and they are not implicated in my public role. My wider goal of helping Canadians motivates me to do the best job possible to meet that goal, regardless of what party forms the government. I also must disclaim that I will not actively and/or openly declare support or campaign for a candidate or party here, because this is a public blog, open to all. I own my writings, and I accept the consequences.

This election has re-ignited a fading passion for politics, so what I do want to say, and what I feel I'm well within the confines of the Public Service Employment Act in saying is that I want you, if you are eligible, to VOTE. Find out what you can about the parties and their platforms; it takes just a few minutes to find media reports that compare the platforms on key issues and see which candidate or party best represents your views and needs. On May 2nd, cast your vote!

I know it seems fatiguing, yet another election in such a short time span, but let's remember that this is democracy that citizens in other countries hear about and, in some cases, long for. Your right to cast a ballot for the candidate or party of your choosing is not a privilege, it's a Right. You have the right to have a say in the priorities, policies and programs of this country, and that is so precious.

You are fortunate. I am fortunate. And on May 2nd, I will be casting a ballot, if for no other (possibly more noble) reason, so that I have the unquestionable, legitmate right to complain about the outcome :)