Mondays can be so different. Last Monday I was up well before the sparrows to fly to Montreal for an all-day client meeting. Except for the getting up early part, it wasn't as gruesome as it sounds. The meeting was well organized and all the right people were in the room when needed. There were subject experts ready to co-operate with the project leader and some even expressed themselves with passion about their product. Sure, it's a commercial enterprise, and the point of the effort is to make money for the company, but the product can actually make a positive difference to someone's life and that aspect was clearly in the minds of those making this project happen.
Today's adventure was in town at Toronto General Hospital, where I had a gastroscopy, which is a diagnostic exploration of my stomach using a camera on a thin tube that goes down my throat. Also not as gruesome as it sounds. I had a spray anesthetic to calm my throat, but I declined the sedation so that I could watch the show. I got a spectacular view of my more or less healthy pink innards in real time on a screen a few feet away -- yay technology! I was done and out of there in less than an hour. The worst part? Getting the IV needle, which I didn't use after all, in the back of my hand. Oh, and going without tea since yesterday. Now I'm celebrating with a very large cuppa and a box of timbits.

Posted by lynda at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Claire is having the most exciting life right now -- that's why most of these posts are about what she's up to. Not that I'm not busy; I've been a bit swamped with a variety of client work, from project management for elearning in financial services to information design for a major retailer.

But you want to hear about the birds, don't you? Claire continues to work at the Texas State Fair, doing whatever she is assigned to for Steve Martin's group of trainers and handlers. Her latest gig is one that is usually given to interns like herself. She had to sit among the audience pretending to be a show visitor, then volunteer when called upon for one of the show segments. What followed was a bit of stage business with her backing away in mock fear from an oncoming marabou stork, ultimately backing up right into a pond. Let's just hope someone got that on video.

Posted by lynda at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our bird girl is now reporting from the Texas State Fair in her role as avian assistant (I'm sure that's not the official title, but you get the idea). She gets to go to the top of the ferris wheel and (sometimes while it's still moving) release two birds: first, a Harris hawk, then either a tawny eagle or an augur buzzard. They make a spectacular descent to land on Steve Martin's arm in the bird show. Woohoo!
In other much more mundane news, Bob and I planted four new shrubs in the back yard to dress up the newly repainted fence. We are doing our bit toward the current boom in home improvement spending, but I see it as improving wildlife habitat. Certainly Bob did his bit for habitat relocation when he moved the woodpile from the garage to the back yard. The logs included last year's nesting sites for small furry creatures. Ah well, we are but stewards of our small patch.

Posted by lynda at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)