Cyber Nice Guy's blog: "Cacoethes scribendi"

It's a good thing I don't have a fear of the dark. A night without electricity and thus heat in a basement suite is a long dark and lonely one. The lights went out as it was getting dark, so I couldn't do anything about it until this morning. Survival instinct took over and I was able to keep warm by huddling under my blankets. At the same time, it was pretty peaceful. The best hibernation yet. I suppose I could have called my friend Yvonne and bunkered down at her place, but I decided to stand guard here, just in case. I called my housemate (lives upstairs), who's on the road again, and he said he'll be back Friday to pay his electric bill. The house is on a reduced-power mode because he couldn't get back in time. I guess I had one appliance too many on yesterday evening. I struggled through the snowdrifts to reset the meter as soon as there was enough light to see at dawn. I'm drinking double chocolate hot chocolate. The things you take for granted.

Another seven straight days of Wally work under my belt. I'm exhausted. Two days off.

Due to some recent revelations regarding the two newspapers I worked for since arriving in Western Canada, I'm approaching a three-way impasse here...if I get accepted to college, should I go? Should I stay with the Wal-Mart company for the long-term? Or should I make a third attempt at journalism? Time and opportunities will tell.

I'm becoming a night owl. I got a new pillow yesterday, hoping it would help me sleep. It's comfy, but regardless I was still up at 4:30, my second time up last night. I checked my email and noticed Yvonne left me a goodnight message on my MSN. I saw her display pics flashing as she was adding new ones. We talked online for an hour or so. Now she's gone back to bed and I'm still up...watching infomercials, of all things.

Did you know that Seasonal Affective Disorder partially stems from humans fighting their natural urge to hibernate? After running some errands, I turned off all the lights in my apartment, making it cave-like. I shut myself in my room, turned on my mini-heater and had a brief hibernation this afternoon. It was nice.

Yet another boring Saturday night. I don't have much money to waste anyway.

I arrived in Lloydminster 365 days ago on this very hour - almost a broken man. Thanks to a cast of great people, living here has been a positive life-changing experience!

Snow day!!! Major blizzard in progress, affecting both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Highways are shut down, with tow trucks and plows unable to get out. Dozens of cars are in the ditches already. The lady who drives me to work has her car snowed in, thus I'm not going anywhere - and I'm certainly not walking. I called her while standing in the house's foyer watching the swirling snow and we agreed it's not worth it to even attempt going to work. Wally can do without us for a day - save the poor, poor little company some money. Areas above a line running from Lloydminster to Saskatoon to south of Hudson Bay will be hit with as much as 20 centimetres of snow and blizzard conditions, according to CBC Saskatchewan.

I'm trying to sort out the dreams I had last night. The overall setting matched the theme of this week: a career change. Dominant images include being a member of the Mob, and flying a Cessna around Alberta. I think the Mob was a part-time job. I was strutting around in a tux, presumably with a gun in my pocket. I cringed when one of the other members screwed up on a job, and instead of shooting him, the don kicked him hard in the balls. There was other Mob-related images, but they're fading already. As for being a pilot, I remember I had a long list of stops to make (carrying cargo, I think), and all was going well. I was trying to take off from Calgary (?) to cheers of the flight crew shouting "You the man!", but couldn't because a hanger was being built directly over the runway for some reason (perhaps it was actually a Wal~Mart). I was taxiing back and forth in frustration, roaring down the runway in an attempt to gain the proper airspeed, and had to hit the brakes because a guy on a ladder was suddenly in my path. I woke up when I realized it was futile. I think the moral of the story is never eat pizza minutes before going to sleep.

I had to get some printer cartridges at Staples, so I ended up spending the morning at Wal~Mart, reuniting, circling the store, getting hugs and all that good stuff. Their situation is dire, and they're desperate for "good workers like myself". I told everyone that my return is a good possibility. The store manager AND District Manager said there's absolutely no problem - because I'm eligible for re-hire, they still have my file - I can pick up where exactly I left off - benefits included. I even got my discount when I had coffee at McDonald's with my friend. I visited the College a couple of days ago, and the six-week upgrading courses I want to do take place in the winter, spring and summer - so I have a choice. I may do Math separately in the winter, and then Chemistry and Physics later. I need to make an appointment with the academic advisor. Life goes on.