What a first shift!

Well, I finally had my first shift at the Post Office and it was quite a time. I walked in an saw a familiar face right off the bat. That was nice, and then some of the guys I trained with were also starting that same time. There were four of us in all. The bosses were great, told us where we needed to go, what we needed to do and showed us the routine we will follow every evening.
I get out to my truck and do the pre-trip inspection. Going through the thing from top to bottom. But we have to sign our names to it, so I might as well do it right? There is apparently 28 minutes written into our agreement for that inspection alone.
So I wait around for about 1.5 hours before my turn to load up. I show grace and elegance as I back into dock #2 and jump out of my truck and into the warehouse. A lady drives 5 cages onto my truck and off I go to St. Albert.
I had no trouble getting there, and only a little bit of trouble backing it into a tight dock there. I will say at least it was NOT graceful and elegant.
I made it though, and turned around and went back to the plant. Things are quite busy there at about 11:15 in the evening. So there's some more waiting.
When it my turn to back in there is a big semi truck with a 53' trailer in Dock #2. So I attempt to squeeze in to dock #1. Well, you can now imagine where this story is going....
I nudged his mirror. Honestly, it was nothing more than a nudge, but we have to fill an incident report. The new guy crashes his truck on the first day. This is just great.
Anyway, the familiar face a recognize at the start of my shift is the guy who comes to deal with this, and he makes me feel fine. Tells me safety is first, and no matter how much is going on around me, if I am unsure to just stop and look. Be sure.
I know I will get used to the big truck, but I thought this was a funny little story after the first day.
So I finished that, loaded two more cages and hit the road to finish my job. An uneventful trip anyway.
I will only point out there was a crazy full moon as we walked out to our trucks for the first time. And I noticed a dead crow on the side the grass where I parked my car. Omens, perhaps.
We'll see how tonight goes.

Sarah's Gone

Well, that was officially the quickest three weeks of my life. But what an amazing visit. I think we did pretty well to fit as much as we did into the visit. Sarah's beau is wonderful, we got to see all of Sarah's friends, and had a trip to the mountains. We had four days at Folk Fest and even got a day in at the lake.

The worst thing about it was they had to leave.

There's Alvin as we arrive in Jasper. It was Carly's birthday, and Marty was off that week so we got to bring them along with us.

And we got in a couple of scenic little walks in to pass the time before we were on the road back to Edmonton. Maligne Canyon and Mount Edith Cavel.

There are no pics of the folk festival because I wasn't going to bother lugging my camera around. I will have to get those on the other computer. But as always it was a wonderful visit with a bunch of people I don't get to see very often. Uncle Wally and Hal were there again tempting me to take a trip to Seattle. Maybe this year it will actually happen.

Sarah and Alvin were here for his first visit in Canada and then there are friends from Vancouver, and all over who come to enjoy some cold beer and good music.

Otherwise, I will have one more week off work before they finally cut me loose on Monday Aug 27th. What a stretch of idleness.... but things are going to change pretty soon. I think I will take off to Saskatoon tomorrow for a round of golf with my cousin. Grandma says she'll pay for gas. For now though, I must have something else to do.

Sarah's Home!!!

Sarah and Alvin arrived in Canada a week ago today. I have had no time at all it seems to make any posts.
Summer is flying by, and I have been taking lots of pictures to put up here. The thing is, I don't have my camera with me at the moment. Thus. I find two minutes to post, and I don't have all the tools to do what I want to do.
This weekend we went to Jasper and showed Alvin the mountains. We seem to have been ripped off in the wild life department. Only one group of mountain goats, a few squirrels, and a deer on the outskirts of Edmonton. But there was lots of beer, lots of food, and lots of great company.
Otherwise, I have finished my air brakes training and I am off for the driving test tomorrow. Soon I will be working...... 9 full days of training under my belt and a few more to go.
On the apartment front, I am going to look at two places tomorrow and likely will be able to come up with a decision.
Folk festival tomorrow and things will be just as crazy for a few more days.