settled

after a difficult first couple weeks, i feel that i have now settled into my responsibilities as a supervisor of a tree plant in the wilds of northern ontario. after the stressfull first round of planning has passed, during which a few below-the-belt blows were fielded, the plans have worked out quite well, and all the planters remain entirely oblivious to the seemingly intractable hardship that was just barely deflected. but now we're in the clear; the plans for the remainder of the contract are more or less easy, the planters are happy to be making a tonne of cash, and we're quite significantly ahead of schedule already.

i'd also like to let you know that i'm a bus driver. my sweet ride is known by the affectionate knickname, "ducky", after the humourous waddling of a chafed, though well-loved, supervisor from several years ago. she's a full-sized, white schoolbus, outfitted with a trucker radio for the requisite mileage call-ins while driving my planters in to the block on the haul roads. the truckers, of course, don't really understand you unless you speak in their colloquial northern tongue. and so, out of consideration for the safety of all those under my care, i make myself into a fellow resident of atikokan, replete with the slow, laconic drawl of the north and a hopefull, though gawdy enthusiasm, that my town, atikokan, will soon be the proud bearers of the title, hockeyville.

thanks again to brier and shawn for the barbequed moose steaks, wine, and all-day, all-night sauna sessions that have restored my body and mind for another week.