The State of Me

[tripperfunster]

May/June has been amazing and terrifying and exhausting!

Hubby and I decided a few years ago that we wanted to live somewhere better warmer. We were in Central Canada (just above North Dakota) where the winters are cold and long and the summers are stupid hot and full of mosquitos. So after much wrangling and selling of our business of 17 years and our house of 12 years we bought a house ON AN ISLAND on the west coast of Canada.

Okay, the island is huge, Vancouver Island not some tropical sand paradise, but it is now my home!!!!! EEEEEE!

Nanaimo is SO GODDAMNED PRETTY, I can't even. But I"m getting ahead of myself, let me backtrack.

Last month, after much wrangling with buyers for our house, we flew to the west coast to find a house that we could afford. Not far from here, Vancouver (on the mainland) is the most expensive city in Canada, and one of the most expensive in the world. Needless to say, we could not afford to live there. We also could not afford to live NEAR there. :D

We have a little hobby farm, and 2+ acres even 100 kilometres from Vancouver (or VanCity as it's called) was way out of our budget. The island is much slower and somewhat cheaper and really, every bit as lovely, but with more of a small town (retirement) feel. Perfect!

We found a house that we LOVED with five acres and put an offer on it and GOT IT! Yay! There was still a month+ until we got possession, and the kids were still in school, but I started applying for jobs on the island. I even got a cell phone when we were out there, so I could put both a BC address AND phone number. (sneaky!)

We started packing, arranged for movers and animal transport for the horses and other assorted critters. My buddy Julie dacro who lives near VanCity offered to fly out to my place and help me drive across the county. I was going out early to get the house/yard ready for the animals and to hopefully find a job.

Two days before we were slated to start driving I got a call for a job interview! With a major airline for a Customer Service Agent. OMG!!! So great! Except that they needed me to be in Nanaimo in two days. Yikes! I really didn't want to tell them that I didn't live there yet and put the interview off, so I flew out on the Monday morning for the interview.

I rented a car, checked into my hotel, made myself PURDY, ironed my jacket (holy crap! I haven't wielded an iron since … well aside from crafts, in FOREVER!) One everything was perfect, I drove back to the airport to be interviewed. As I was turning into the parking lot from the highway, someone ran a red light going in the opposite direction and smashed into me.


Wow. I"ve never been in a serious accident before, and hopefully never will again. I don't know exactly how fast he was going, but the speed limit there was 90K/hr and he was rushing the red light, so I can only assume he was going faster. He hit my front passenger side and spun the car around 320 degrees.

My first thought was OH SHIT! There was the crunch of metal, the airbags exploding, the car spinning and then … nothing. My second thought was Holy fuck! My interview!

I grabbed my purse and my resume, kicked my door open and hobbled out of the car to see if the other people were okay. They were, mostly. A bit banged up and in shock, but fully conscious and able to get out of the car. A couple of witnesses stopped, the cops arrived, so did the ambulance and a passing physician. They wanted to check me out and take me to the hospital, but I was all "I have an interview in 10 minutes. I flew across the country to get here, and I'm not going to miss it!"

Long story short, I made it to the interview and I FUCKING ROCKED IT! :D Even covered with airbag fluff! I've never had one go off before, but they are full of little white fibres. It looked like a cat exploded on me. I had also started out with two barrettes in my hair, and I have no idea where they went, because I never did find them!

I had some pretty spectacular bruises (yanno, the kind, when you show someone, they cringe and hiss?) and it seems that I've torn my rotator cuff. ouch. I go for my first physio appointment tomorrow, but it seems that time is the only thing that will help that.

I don't like to think of myself as a pollyanna. I don't look at shitty situations and sing "yay! Cancer is fun!" But perception is everything, and I am actually super grateful for this accident. Grateful that I was able to walk away from it, with relatively minor injuries. Grateful that it wasn't my fault and no one got killed. And really? How fuckin' awesome did I look, crawling out of that wreck and walking 100 feet to my interview?

Talk about making an impression! The airline that I was applying for is notoriously hard to get into, and they really appreciate people who are creative and funny. Now, I think I'm pretty funny on a day to day basis, but when I am injected with 100% adrenaline? I am fucking HI-Larious! :D For reals. I have never been so 'on.' And clearly showed them that I can handle myself under stress.

I got the call this week that I probably got the job. Probably. … Someone there has applied to transfer to Toronto, and IF the transfer is approved, then I have the job. If I don't get it, it's not because of me, it's them. :D Yay!

Anyhoo, Julie and I DID manage to drive the 2000K across Canada with dog and tortoise in tow, and now I am here, all alone (except aforementioned dog and tortoise) in a big empty house, waiting for my family and my furniture to arrive. I spent the first few days in my old RV, waiting for possession, and since I still don't have a bed, I still sleep in it.

Here's a pic from the campground:
So funny! Those are propane tanks that someone has done an amazing job altering.

My neighbours at the campground were a super nice slightly older than me couple who invited me over for dinner and even helped me get my car and RV to the new house. My new neighbour at the house has a 250 acre Bison farm, and I'm told he even has a pair of eagles! This man will be my new BFF. :D

So, thus ends my radio silence. I hope my shoulder will be well enough to start drawing again soon. Even sitting at the counter typing is giving me some pain.
Here is a parting photo I took in the town next to mine. It's a super cute, charming little place, on a hill by the ocean. And then I saw this. I'm still not quite sure WTF.

I honestly cannot imagine the story behind it.

Comments

[lilyeyes.livejournal.com]

OMG - you've moved into my timezone! YAY!

Congats on the house and keeping my fingers crossed for the job. Hope your shoulder heals really fast!

♥

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

The lazy timezone! :D

My dad was HORRIBLE with remembering that we were an hour earlier in Manitoba than Toronto. I shudder to think how early he'll call now!

Lucky for me he rarely bothers.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

That's quite the story! And if you don't get the job after this, that company deserves as collective custard pie in the face. Hearing the full tale, you were damned lucky, and I hope you get some compensation from the offender's insurance too. You should look into that - it's not mercenary, it's what insurance is for. My friend got a decent pay out after a stupid idiot rode the pavement in London and took her out while she was just walking along, minding her own business. She was concussed and a nice couple took her to hospital, so no major injuries but compensation still applied. And let's face it, you are suffering consequences for something that was in no way your fault.

Anyhow, rant over, I'm glad you are alive and getting treatment for your arm. After all, GISHWHES is nearly upon us and I'm sure your team will be anxious about you!!

As for those swasticas - how utterly weird. I know it used to be a symbol of peace and is an ancient thing, but you'd have thought since the Nazis perverted it, nobody would want to build it into their house!!!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

It's also a Native American symbol. But this is Canada! The building might be older than the Nazis, but you would think that you'd do everything in your power to cover them up!

The claim is still in process. I was terribly late to do anything, but since the other people were hurt it was already in the system. I'm just waiting to hear back from the adjustor, but it looks like they will cover the majority of physiotherapy.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

That's good, I hope they don't take ages paying it out.

[tinkcph.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a ride! I'm so glad you're (mostly) ok and I wish you a speedy recovery. Congrats on the house, and fingers crossed on the job! It all sounds very exciting!

The swastika did not become a symbol of evil until WWII (1939-1945). Before that it was just a symbol/pattern, like any other. The house you were looking at was probably built around the turn of the century.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is probably older than Nazis, but you would think that in all this time they might have done something to cover it up!

Thanks for the well wishes. MY fingers are crossed for that job too!

[drinkingcocoa.livejournal.com]

This is the most amazing story. All of it. They can't not hire you. You're unforgettable.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

I"ve never been known for my restraint and subtlety. :D

[torino10154]

Wow, what a tale! Hopefully you've gotten the big excitement out of the way and it's all smooth sailing from here!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes! Quiet and uneventful!

[kath-ballantyne.livejournal.com]

ugh. So glad you're okay after that.
Good luck with the job and setting up the new place.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yes, a new house with new opportunities. Now I need lots of cash to do all the fun things to it! :D

[alienor77310.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, just glad you're in better shape than the car. Fluffy is a good look anyway.

As for the swastikas, it just shows the place was built before the 1930s - you can find tetraskelions in religious and decorative art all over Europe and Asia. I know several churches in southwestern France where they are part of the decorative patterns on the walls.

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

They are very striking, for sure. Hilter def had an eye for aesthetics. Too bad he was evil, he could have been a great designer! ;)

And yes, I rock the fluffy look! :D

[alienor77310.livejournal.com]

There's lots of AU fics and books where he's been accepted into the Kunstakademie in Vienna and becomes a middling art-deco painter instead.

(and there's those where his father hasn't been acknowledged by Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, and he never goes far in politics because nobody in their right minds would shout "Heil Schicklgruber"...)

[magically25.livejournal.com]

Hi Trip, I was starting to worry that something had happened and now I see that it had, good and bad (though good outcome).
I'm so glad you're ok after that horrific accident. Your new locale looks absolutely beautiful.
Wishing you all the very best in your new life and a speedy recovery.
Luv
Ally X

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, I will hopefully be back to drawing soon. My first physiotherapy is today. Hopefully they're gentle!

[piplover.livejournal.com]

So glad you're OK, and hopefully will get the job. I would have hired you just for coming in after such an accident!

[tripperfunster.livejournal.com]

It really was a blessing in disguise! My fingers are crossed!

[majmunka.livejournal.com]

You are A.W.E.S.O.M.E!
That airline will be very lucky to have you :) I hope your shoulder will heal soon. Torn rotator cuff is painful as hell :(

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

this whole post sounds like something out of some wild movie. So glad you weren't more seriously hurt.
(I had a great slashy dream last night about our two favorite figure skaters, speaking of movies!)

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Wow. Yes, you did well under stress and demonstrated that you really WANTED that job to arrive after JUST being in an accident outside the airport parking lot. Aced it.

Looked up swastika on Wiki. The spiral is in the 'solar swastika' mode (not the Nazi version). ...right-handed (motion), implying clockwise direction -- and therefore 'with' the currents of Nature.
And this is probably the most likely reason .. In Masonic teachings, "the most ancient Order of the Brotherhood of the Mystic Cross".
http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/ctg/swas.htm

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks for looking that up. I know there's different ones, but I've never been able to tell them apart. Oops.

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

OMG! Glad to hear you are okay. They make cars nowadays to take impact and attempt to keep the people inside from getting hurt.

Glad you got to move somewhere you like. Best wishes on the job.

PS the swastikas... they're a big symbol in a ton of other cultures, Native American to Buddhist, Asian. I think the early Christians called it a 'broken cross'?

Then a bunch of racist misogynists had to come along and ruin it for everyone (like they always do.)

[myriadprobold.livejournal.com]

So how did physio go? (I'm late reading this and I've read a bunch of the comments already).

I am glad you were able to find a new home in a location you love.

Fingers crossed for the job.

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

Damn.
You know how to make life exciting, that's for sure.
Congrats on the move, and the walking away from the accident (!!) and good luck with PT and, well, everything!

[synn.livejournal.com]

holy crap, I am breathless just reading all that!
That is a lot of excitement, and I am very glad the majority of it is good, happy things about the new home, move etc. all going well :D
The accident obv. not so good, but I am so happy that you (and, it sounds like, no one else) was seriously injured!
I hope what injuries you do have heal up cleanly and quickly.
As you say, I'm sure that helped with the interview first impression, though!

(There is a book series by james alan gardner where the first-contact explorers die routinely, and instead of saying someone died, they say they went 'oh shit', because that is always their last words.
It seems to hold true, though, I've said it just before or during every accident i've been in... not that i've been in *that* many, but still)

[nic]

I had been wondering how you were doing! Wow, what a rollercoaster of adventures and mishaps. I really hope you heal soon - that sounds so painful. :( :( :(

[nimielle.livejournal.com]

I'm sooooo happy you're ok!!

I was worried when you didn't update and there wasn't any news. I'm really glad nothing worse happened! <3

As for the house, since they are turning left, I believe they are related to buddhism rather than the nazi party. I hope that helps with finding it less weird. :)

*all the careful hugs*

[clayangel.livejournal.com]

Holy shit!! O.O I'm so glad you're okay! Accidents are always so terrifying. Thank god you were able to walk away from that.

But yay for moving! (It seems weird to be all yay with the accident thing, but yay anyway?) I've been to Nanaimo once, and I liked it, but I found the people around Vancouver to be weirdly rude. Though I think the island was better.

[sara-the-lazy.livejournal.com]

I am happy for you, reading all this! I'm never on LJ but felt compelled to poke around and am glad I did. Hope things are going well. I'm still eternally grateful to be one of the recipients of you offloading a bunch of art *huggles it*. Wishing you well. Obviously the car accident isn't happy and I hope recovery is going well.