You should read this blog.

Because why wouldn't you? Especially since in this post, I will attempt to share something of meaning, along with the random musings. Soooo. What did I learn today? Not a whole lot in terms of concrete facts, I'm afraid. I did scan and enter over sixty photographs into the database, so there is at least a concrete number. Wheeee!

I also made a really great list of things to take for the upcoming weekend, which is Norah's birthday in Niagara-on-the-Lake. From the looks of it, I'll be taking a U-Haul. Must streamline. Comments would be welcome on how best to do this. And no, just not taking any clothes will not work for me, or any of my nine fellow guests.

This would probably be the time to comment on the G20 and its aftermath. I was away from my apartment for most of the time, and I understand that all the setting alight of police cars and so on happened some blocks from here, but it was pretty wild when we were more or less evacuated yesterday from work because of a planned protest at a city agency on the same street. (Trying to be cryptic here. I have no idea if my workplace Googles itself, but if it did, it would probably hit on its name here. And then Emily would have to do a media clipping just like she does for legitimate news. And then I would scan it, and we would database it, and that would be just crazy.)

I am really looking forward to meeting someone from a protest group, so I can get perspective on the issues from different standpoints. Then I will add that to my novel, along with context and statistical analysis.

Okay. Enough thoughts. Fact time. I was very excited to learn that a conservator that I respect is starting to recommend a broader range of acceptable rH levels for collections storage and management. If this means nothing to you, think of it in terms of the environment. If we can have as much as 5-10% higher humidity, that means wayyy less air conditioning, and then everybody wins!

There's nothing funny about armaggedon

No, there really isn't. Should that have a capital "A"? I'm not talking about the awesome film, I'm talking about the real end of days. Tornado, earthquake and thunderstorm? Uh-oh. Super creamy coffee, though, like the one I'm having right now? There IS something funny about that and not necessarily funny in a good way. I'll have to be more careful with the self-serve system at the cafeteria here.

Back to the disasters. Despite all of it, I think we're still going to be okay. I've seen nothing regarding the G-20 except security and preparation, and while you can't plan for natural disasters, there is some comfort in having every police officer in the country within a six-block radius of one's home. Well, probably not EVERY one of them, but there are a lot.

Enough about that. However, I don't know what else to talk about. It's on everyone's mind and it's all we do talk about. So archives it is.

I am still working on photo scanning, and I hope I'm doing a good job. When there are no plans to use the databases anywhere but internally there is some latitude, I think, in the way things are described. That being said, I am trying to be consistent. And it's funny, because I'm starting to recognize people whom I've never met, and aren't even still alive in most cases. Oooooo. My boss says that she thinks I have a photographic memory, but I just proved that wasn't true, because I was wondering what the real term was for that (eidetic) and I had to look it up. And if I had an eidetic memory, I wouldn't have had to.

Drat. There goes all the mystery and intrigue.

Week Two at the archives.

Sooo. What's going on this week? We have stuff on the go, but I hope we get more visitors as the summer goes on, because I really enjoy the detective work of tracking something down. It's sort of happening with the photo collection, because as I get more familiar with people and events over the history of the institution, it does get easier to place things in context. And I suppose, in the grander scheme of things, context is what really matters.

That will be the focus of my novel. Heh.

Either that or statistical analysis.

To provide some context, as it were, for that last comment, I should explain that on Monday we are having a visitor from the office of the local MP, and I am going to show her around. We really don't know what their concern is regarding this facility, but I want to be ready if I can for any questions. So I hope that she asks about visitor statistics, because that's what I'm preparing for.

Wow. This blog isn't funny at all. I guess I'll post, but if in retrospect it is awful, away it goes!

Perhaps something good will happen on the weekend!

Yes. I live in a museum.

Welllllll. It has occurred to me that if I expect other people to blog (you know who you are) I would be wise to set an example. Let's see.

So I've got a new job. It's all around great. So awesome to be back in the heritage field for real!

Met two Queen's alumnae today, one actually from my class although I don't think we knew each other. We were in some of the same first year classes, but so were a couple hundred other people, and I think I look different now.

I've got to get going and get some culture. I went to church on Sunday at Metropolitan and was less than impressed with most parts of it, although the brass band was a charming surprise. I want to go back there to hear the organ, but maybe in a concert setting. It's supposed to be one of the best in Canada, and is apparently also the largest. Coupled with the Gothic Revival cathedral, it was like being at the Presbyterian church in Stratford. About the same size of congregation too, which was a little shocking. In a depressing way.

So. Anyone want to hear a charming story from my childhood/family life? Dave, I'm talking about you here. Although I have mostly sisters, and we're not really into fishing, we have rituals too. One of the best is a really recent one, but I think it's going to catch on. Bear with me, it takes a little setting up.

My parents have always resisted naming the farm - Mum especially thinks that they tend to be clichéd, particularly if they have "acres" in them or anything is "rolling" or located in a "glen", "croft" or otherwise. However, we think we may have come up with something. One night, my sister Laurel was clearing up after another one of our giant family bunfights, and she dropped a pile of silverware, causing her to moan "oohhhh entropy!"

Now, entropy, as you know, is the term from particle physics that describes the tendency of all matter to want to return to chaos. We think that this is an excellent description, because large families can be a little nuts. It is especially appealing to Iain, who loves particle physics. I'm not kidding. He loves it when I remind him that he's not actually here, he's just more likely to be here than to be spread at random thoroughout the universe. So stay tuned for more from Entropy Acres.

And of course we'll be leaving off the acres part.