Sententiae Draconis

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." - Lewis Carroll

I checked in with the archaeology job again. Apparently they still haven't finalized things with their clients up north, which means that they still don't know if they can hire additional people for the field season. My contact seemed frustrated by this - but not frustrated at me. She again encouraged me to keep in touch.

But things are too close to the wire. I'll be homeless on the 31st. I can't stay here.

So I've bought my plane ticket to Newfoundland. I'll be heading that way on the 30th.

In theory I know that this hasn't changed my situation at all. I could still get this job and head to Calgary and actually get to use my degree for once. If everything turns out well than this will just be a visit with my brother that I really need.

But it's really hard not to feel discouraged.

Plus, I'm in the midst of packing and moving. It's hard not to feel discouraged at this point. On the one hand: Why do I have so much stuff? On the other hand: All my worldly possessions fit into roughly 17 boxes/bags (including the duffles I'm taking on the plane).

SHE SAID AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY BRING ME ON!!!!!

They're still in the process of hiring people, but they'll give me a call in a couple of weeks to confirm (or deny).

I may start as early as April! Depending on contracts with clients going through and the weather and other weird logistical things.

She sounded really nice!

She was mostly talking about working up North, which I think is where I'd want to go anyway!

She also mentioned that because I have a Masters degree that it's possible that I could stay on with them and be trained for becoming a permit holder! (In order to dig in Alberta each team has to be led by someone who has a permit to do archaeology in the province, each province has different regulations about who can hold a permit. It's like my brother needing his mate's ticket in order to work as a mate on the boats.)

Continue thinking good thoughts please! I really want this job!

Had my phone interview with the archaeology firm. They seemed really nice and I think that overall it went well. Except that I don't have a driver's license and that might be a problem - which I sort of knew going into it, especially working in rural areas. But at least the interviewer gave me a chance to explain why I haven't gotten my license yet (and commented that although she drove standard now she couldn't imagine having to learn on one - which is the main reason I didn't actually learn in High School: no one teaches on standard where I'm from, and naturally my parents drive standard). hobbitbabe pointed out that it meant the interviewer was on my side, and I hope that's the case.

Man, it's never more apparent to me how many non-verbal cues I follow in social situations until I don't have access to them. I think that the interview went well - but I definitely hate phone interviews.

Also I probably won't hear anything until January because they weren't able to get interviews for some people until after Christmas.

So I'm watching H50 and eating curly fries and knitting until I have to go to work tonight.

Job interviews suck.

So it's been over a week since I got back from Italy, and I still haven't written up a good post about the dig and being back and all those other important things. ... And this isn't that either. This is a post about all the crazy things that are in my head at the moment.

First and foremost are James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender - because they are awesome and X-Men has eaten my brain. It's not so much that First Class was that great a movie (although I did really enjoy it) but their chemistry was fantastic and their obvious friendship in all their interviews is absolutely contagious. Their epic bromance is only equal to Sir Patrick and Sir Ian, or RDJ and Jude Law. It's epic. And also they totally weren't exaggerating when they mentioned the drag scene which was cut from the movie - HILARIOUS! I think I may have to buy the DVD if I'll get extras like these!

Evidence: The Japan DVD trailer, the Drag is at the 4 min mark!

I've also downloaded and started watching episodes of the Animated X-Men TV series which is a fond memory from my childhood. It is totally awesome too. I was not expecting it to still have such great characterization and messages and even the plots are pretty awesome. Even my roommate M is loving it and she didn't watch it as a child and therefore doesn't have nostalgia. - Also even in '90s Children's TV the Professor and Magneto are made for each other!

Let the brain-eating continue I say!

I've been procrastinating from writing my report for the dig. Partially because I've never written an archaeological report before and I'm worried that I'm going to screw it up, and partially because I've been sick and sleeping for most of this past week. In that light I've even ended up accomplishing other things - like organizing an orientation for the incoming grad students to our department (because our department would never do anything like that and also it needs to happen - but it's going to be super basic, I don't have the time or energy to do anything more official.) and getting my student loan documents in order (almost done!).

But today I will at very least start on that damn report, and I will at very least organize my laundry so that I can do it. And I will try not to be seduced by the internet and McAvoy-Fassbender interviews - I've seen most of them already anyway.

Also also - have you guys seen the new videos up on Peter Jackson's Facebook page for the Hobbit! There are 13 Dwarfs! And they are AMAZING! They are teasing each other and joking back and forth and it makes me squee like a squeeing thing! I can't wait for the Hobbit!



And on a more somber note, Jack Layton, Canada's Leader of the Opposition, died of cancer. It's really weird reading people say that they were expecting something like this because of how his health had taken a turn for the worse, because I've been on the other side of the world and paying even less attention to the news than I normally do. I vaguely remember hearing about him having some health problems, but the last I'd really heard of him was from the election when he was strong and energetic. So it's kind of shocking to me. He was a great man and a great politician, and the farewell letter he wrote to Canadians two days before his death is very moving. I don't agree with all his politics, and he was in no way perfect, but I'd been really looking forward to what he would accomplish as leader of the opposition and I had great hopes that he might've won the next election and become our Prime Minister. I'll miss his lovely moustache. See also: The Happy Jack Layton is Happy Tumblr for some awesome photos of Jack in action (via karenjeane).

I'm doing a paper on small finds from Mithraea (ie pottery and animal bones and things not structural in sanctuaries of the god Mithras). It's pretty awesome - but the best part is the puns and the snickering which is happening in the articles I'm reading.

Title of article (I'm not joking): "The Symbolic Meaning of the Cock: The Animal Remains from the Mithraeum at Tienen (Belgium)" by An Lentacker, Anton Ervynck, & Wim Van Neer

In a different, but related, article: "As shown in the animal bone study of the Tienen Mithraeum in this volume it was not possible to collect 243 cocks, mostly adult species, in an instant. This requires long term planning." (Marleen Martens)

Te He.

I have determined that I'm actually about 12 years old. Penis humour is the best.