Friday, December 30, 2005
Late Christmas Presents
James had ordered a couple of things for me from Amazon, but for whatever reason, they just couldn’t get them here on time for Christmas. They arrived on Wednesday, and I spent the greater part of yesterday (interrupted by a few hours of work) watching episodes of season one of Due South. We got season one and season three. James said for some inexplicable reason, season two cost twice as much as the others, so I will have to find other means of obtaining that one. (hint hint Ma! See if you can find it up home for $50 or less, and we’ll send money!). We will also need season 4, which was a confusing season, but ties up the loose ends nevertheless.
I got interested in this show just as it was going off the air. Then again shortly before I left Canada and was home unemployed I watched re-runs every afternoon to take a break from packing. When I saw that it was finally released on DVD, I put it on my birthday wish list. And got it for Christmas. Which is usually what happens. I ask for something for Christmas I get it next birthday, and vice versa.
Paul Gross is great, he really could break into Hollywood big box office if he wanted to. Not quite sure why he never did. Pretty much everything he’s ever done has been strictly Canadian, other than the season(s) of Due South that got picked up by the American production company. I notice that there are a lot of actors that were in Due South that later show up in his movie Men With Brooms. Which is a hilarious movie by the way, and available in the US, I’ve even seen it here even in our hick town Blockbuster. H20 is another one of his movies I want to see, but its not available down here, so again I’ll have to either order it from a Canadian distributor or kindly ask Mumma to send it or bring it next visit.
Due South is funny with the Canadian/American stereotypes we’re all so familiar with. Canadians are so nice and polite, and Americans are rude and violent and all carry semi-automatic weapons. Put a Canadian Mountie from the Yukon into downtown Chicago with an Armani suited detective, and comedy ensues. As well as some not bad action cop-drama. Sprinkle in some Leslie Neilsen in a couple of episodes (one in season 1 and I think 2 in the last season), as well as Canadian great Gordon Pinsent as the ghost of the dead father, and it’s a very entertaining show. Not to mention of course the deaf “wolf” sidekick named after former Canadian Prime Minister Diefenbaker. I’m quite enjoying it.
My job hours have been cut considerably which is going to hurt us financially. I’m now splitting a part time job with my co-worker. One week on, one week off. Our “week” being only about 27 hours. My paychecks now will barely cover our bills :-p Our gas bill alone last month was over $200! Its hardly even worth getting out of bed for, but I’ll try to hold on to it at least til after my immigration interview. I have been checking the classifieds every day, in 3 different listings, but they’re all the same. There’s 4 jobs listed, 3 at the hospital, and one at some other company, which I have applied for. The hospital jobs I’m not going to bother. I’ve sent them probably half a dozen applications previously for admin/clerical jobs, and they don’t even bother to send a “thanks but no thanks” response. Plus, the job descriptions include giving injections to patients for some reason. Why they expect receptionists to give injections is beyond me, but there ya go. And they also expect receptionists/admin clerks to be lifting patients and whatnot, something I wouldn’t be able to do. Those are the only jobs within about 50 miles of here. Other than “work from home and make $50 thousand dollars next month!” Yeah, right :-p
I’m tellin’ ya, not even right out of high-school with no experience have I ever had such a hard time finding a decent job. This area sucks. I have been seriously considering moving to a border town around Buffalo/Niagara so at least if I have to be miserable with a crappy job, I could maybe drive up to visit family and friends a couple times a month. And we’d be closer for them to come and visit. Plus, they have Tim Horton’s! Its only an hour and a half travel time from Toronto, not counting the wait at customs inspection. James didn’t seem too keen on Buffalo tho. *sigh* Any ideas anyone?
Well, I think I shall go call a couple of customers to see if they have any Watkins orders for me, and then go watch another couple of episodes of Due South before work.
Oh, btw, an internet friend of mine up in Maine delivered her baby girl the other day, about 4 weeks premature. The baby is having some difficulties with undeveloped lungs, and has tubes and ventilator to help her breathe. She’s doing most of the work on her own, but she, and her parents (a couple I met thru a marriage based immigration message board) could use some positive happy thoughts and prayers. I’m sure they’ll all be just fine, but as an Auntie of a premie, I know how stressful the whole ordeal can be. Extra prayers I know would be appreciated, if you can spare them. For myself, prayers, and baby gifts are winging their way to her as soon as I can get to the post office :-)
**edit**
after some investigation (looking for season 2 & 4 for cheap) I learned that it was actually the BBC and I think a Swiss company that picked up some of the tab for season 3 & 4, and that CBS who originally were their backer had bailed out. ¶ 11:08 AM
I got interested in this show just as it was going off the air. Then again shortly before I left Canada and was home unemployed I watched re-runs every afternoon to take a break from packing. When I saw that it was finally released on DVD, I put it on my birthday wish list. And got it for Christmas. Which is usually what happens. I ask for something for Christmas I get it next birthday, and vice versa.
Paul Gross is great, he really could break into Hollywood big box office if he wanted to. Not quite sure why he never did. Pretty much everything he’s ever done has been strictly Canadian, other than the season(s) of Due South that got picked up by the American production company. I notice that there are a lot of actors that were in Due South that later show up in his movie Men With Brooms. Which is a hilarious movie by the way, and available in the US, I’ve even seen it here even in our hick town Blockbuster. H20 is another one of his movies I want to see, but its not available down here, so again I’ll have to either order it from a Canadian distributor or kindly ask Mumma to send it or bring it next visit.
Due South is funny with the Canadian/American stereotypes we’re all so familiar with. Canadians are so nice and polite, and Americans are rude and violent and all carry semi-automatic weapons. Put a Canadian Mountie from the Yukon into downtown Chicago with an Armani suited detective, and comedy ensues. As well as some not bad action cop-drama. Sprinkle in some Leslie Neilsen in a couple of episodes (one in season 1 and I think 2 in the last season), as well as Canadian great Gordon Pinsent as the ghost of the dead father, and it’s a very entertaining show. Not to mention of course the deaf “wolf” sidekick named after former Canadian Prime Minister Diefenbaker. I’m quite enjoying it.
My job hours have been cut considerably which is going to hurt us financially. I’m now splitting a part time job with my co-worker. One week on, one week off. Our “week” being only about 27 hours. My paychecks now will barely cover our bills :-p Our gas bill alone last month was over $200! Its hardly even worth getting out of bed for, but I’ll try to hold on to it at least til after my immigration interview. I have been checking the classifieds every day, in 3 different listings, but they’re all the same. There’s 4 jobs listed, 3 at the hospital, and one at some other company, which I have applied for. The hospital jobs I’m not going to bother. I’ve sent them probably half a dozen applications previously for admin/clerical jobs, and they don’t even bother to send a “thanks but no thanks” response. Plus, the job descriptions include giving injections to patients for some reason. Why they expect receptionists to give injections is beyond me, but there ya go. And they also expect receptionists/admin clerks to be lifting patients and whatnot, something I wouldn’t be able to do. Those are the only jobs within about 50 miles of here. Other than “work from home and make $50 thousand dollars next month!” Yeah, right :-p
I’m tellin’ ya, not even right out of high-school with no experience have I ever had such a hard time finding a decent job. This area sucks. I have been seriously considering moving to a border town around Buffalo/Niagara so at least if I have to be miserable with a crappy job, I could maybe drive up to visit family and friends a couple times a month. And we’d be closer for them to come and visit. Plus, they have Tim Horton’s! Its only an hour and a half travel time from Toronto, not counting the wait at customs inspection. James didn’t seem too keen on Buffalo tho. *sigh* Any ideas anyone?
Well, I think I shall go call a couple of customers to see if they have any Watkins orders for me, and then go watch another couple of episodes of Due South before work.
Oh, btw, an internet friend of mine up in Maine delivered her baby girl the other day, about 4 weeks premature. The baby is having some difficulties with undeveloped lungs, and has tubes and ventilator to help her breathe. She’s doing most of the work on her own, but she, and her parents (a couple I met thru a marriage based immigration message board) could use some positive happy thoughts and prayers. I’m sure they’ll all be just fine, but as an Auntie of a premie, I know how stressful the whole ordeal can be. Extra prayers I know would be appreciated, if you can spare them. For myself, prayers, and baby gifts are winging their way to her as soon as I can get to the post office :-)
**edit**
after some investigation (looking for season 2 & 4 for cheap) I learned that it was actually the BBC and I think a Swiss company that picked up some of the tab for season 3 & 4, and that CBS who originally were their backer had bailed out. ¶ 11:08 AM
