Well, so much for the good intentions of last August! I managed to post just one entry into this blog during the whole of 2009. Perhaps this year I'll do better.
There have been a number of changes in my life since last August: here's a brief summary. At work, Ami didn't return from maternity leave, so my status as Mr. Map Connection could be said to have changed from temporary to permanent, but this "promotion" has not come with any benefits. If anything, things have gotten worse, because the building administration decided it wanted to use the space where Map Town did its web administration, internet order processing, and packing, and Roger (Map Town owner) was happy to surrender the lease and save money, but that meant that new quarters had to be found for Ryan, our technician, and the powers that be decided that Map Connection had to "share" the back office, so out went desks, shelves, backstock, and packing supplies and in came shelves for web stuff (sparsely used), humming computers and a taciturn office mate with an attitude who insists on distracting me with music only occasionaly pleasant: fortunately, he arrives and leaves much earlier than I do, and a good part of my day is spent out front helping customers, so that I don't have to spend too much time in the same room with Ryan.
In Quaker life, Maria and I attended Western Half Yearly Meeting near Saskatoon over the Thanksgiving weekend 2009, and I was asked to serve as assistant registrar for Spring 2010 WHYM in Sorrento, registrar for Fall 2010 WHYM in Water Valley, and registrar for Spring 2011 WHYM in Sorrento: responsible positions indeed. I also continue my service as Clerk of Meeting for Ministry and Counsel of Calgary Monthly Meeting (as such, I helped organize CMM's annual retreat at Kamp Kiwanis near Bragg Creek the weekend before last) and put together this year's Statistical Report for CMM (to be sent to CYM for inclusion in the Canadian Statistical Report). I try to attend Meeting for Worship most Sundays, but don't have much success with this in the winter - it's so hard to resist the temptation to sleep in on a Sunday morning when the ground is covered with ice and snow...
Attending the Schlaraffia meetings continues to be a highpoint of my week throughout the winter. Succumbing to ill-deserved but generous praise, I have become the Rocky Mountania's musician: usually I manage to play the Abendlied, the Aufmunterungslied and the birthday song (gaudemus) with one hand on the piano, and then the more difficult Schlusslied on the flute. From time to time I also present other tunes on the flute or by singing - although I am no great musician, my talents in this area surpass those of the other Schlaraffen in our local meeting (or I am simply fool enough to stick my neck out and self-confident enough not to care about mistakes) and my attempts to entertain my fellow Schlaraffen have frequently been awarded with praise, Ahnen, and the Wochenwanderfechsungsorden. Having climbed the social ladder to the rank of Junker in the Fall of 2008, Al Kapusta and I are soon to make the next big step to becoming fully fledged Ritter: two weeks ago we had our Junkerexamen, a seamstress in preparing special cloaks and Helme for us, we are to read our Ritterarbeiten at next Tuesday's meeting (I've got to write mine during the coming weekend) and our Ritterschlag ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, March 20 (2010)!
Das waere's fuer heute! Mi petas pardonon, ke mi hodiau' skribis nur angle kaj sen fotoj - espereble ne dau'ros longe g'is kiam mi blogos denove - tiam ankau' germane kaj Esperante, kaj kun fotoj.
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