Spring
Last weekend I decided that spring in my part of the world was sufficiently advanced that it was safe to plant out my seedlings -- the squashes, tomatoes, peppers, Cape gooseberries and aubergines -- as they'd had some time to harden off in anticipation of being planted in the square foot gardens and also into the new beds at my parent's house and at my sisters' house on the other side of town. For my own deck, I kept a few miniature varieties of pepper and tomato, and planted seeds for peas, carrots, arugula and beets in my planter box. It all seemed to be going quite well until on Thursday night a huge windstorm whipped through town, bring deluges of rain and thoroughly pounding the poor things. Then on Friday night, despite the fact that we haven't dipped below freezing for most of the winter here this year, we had a frost warning. Frost, mere days before the Canadian planting date of the May 2-4 weekend (as the Ontarians call it). Who thought that up? I brought my peppers indoors and hoped for the best for the ones planted in the ground all over town. Fortunately, aside from a few squash casualties, everything seems to have made it. Whew! I'd have hated to grow all those lovely plants from seed only to lose them to impatient gardening... Mental note to self: no matter *where* you live in Canada, Timeseeker, plant out only on or after the May long weekend.
In other news, I wrapped up my first contract as an independent consultant. It was good, the work was received well and all, but the ending was strangely non-eventful. More like, okay, here's the final report, here's the digital version, here's how to use the database. Um, good luck with that? That's it, that's all folks. In some ways it reminded me of the last lecture of the year with a group of undergraduates that is graduating. You've interacted with them all term or all year, maybe got to know them a bit, collaborated, gave feedback, worked with them, and then, it's the last class, you make a little fare-thee-well speech and off they go, never to be seen again. I have no idea if I'll ever work for those particular clients again and while I may well see individuals I met there on the streets of my town, it still seems odd. Welcome to the world of consulting, Timeseeker.
My other 'day job' is frustrating me. I have trouble believing the current enthusiasm for getting our process sorted out (what, pray tell, were we doing for the last year?), and by a recently graduated with little job experience intern, at that. Sometimes I think the lads are blinded by the possibility of work for free, and don't think through that sometimes (not always) you get what you pay for. Hmm. It doesn't seem a good basis for business planning to me. A friend asked me recently what I would do if I was to choose a business I'd like to run (rather than this consulting gig that I've kind of fallen into by accident) and what came to mind (again) was the idea of a B&B in the country somewhere, with Earthship cabins, a bunk room for backpackers, a big country kitchen to make breakfasts and baking for my guests, and a little hobby farm with it. I know, I know, hardly practical. And several people have told me lately that baking would be a good business for me, except for the part that when you turn what you love into a money-generating operation, it seems to me that the benefits of the loved-activity are often lost. Hmm.
Still, food for thought along my path, I guess.
In other news, I wrapped up my first contract as an independent consultant. It was good, the work was received well and all, but the ending was strangely non-eventful. More like, okay, here's the final report, here's the digital version, here's how to use the database. Um, good luck with that? That's it, that's all folks. In some ways it reminded me of the last lecture of the year with a group of undergraduates that is graduating. You've interacted with them all term or all year, maybe got to know them a bit, collaborated, gave feedback, worked with them, and then, it's the last class, you make a little fare-thee-well speech and off they go, never to be seen again. I have no idea if I'll ever work for those particular clients again and while I may well see individuals I met there on the streets of my town, it still seems odd. Welcome to the world of consulting, Timeseeker.
My other 'day job' is frustrating me. I have trouble believing the current enthusiasm for getting our process sorted out (what, pray tell, were we doing for the last year?), and by a recently graduated with little job experience intern, at that. Sometimes I think the lads are blinded by the possibility of work for free, and don't think through that sometimes (not always) you get what you pay for. Hmm. It doesn't seem a good basis for business planning to me. A friend asked me recently what I would do if I was to choose a business I'd like to run (rather than this consulting gig that I've kind of fallen into by accident) and what came to mind (again) was the idea of a B&B in the country somewhere, with Earthship cabins, a bunk room for backpackers, a big country kitchen to make breakfasts and baking for my guests, and a little hobby farm with it. I know, I know, hardly practical. And several people have told me lately that baking would be a good business for me, except for the part that when you turn what you love into a money-generating operation, it seems to me that the benefits of the loved-activity are often lost. Hmm.
Still, food for thought along my path, I guess.
Comments
Greetings from Oslo from both of us here.
I'm so glad the garden didn't bite it last week--that would have been terrible!
Norm still wants to be in charge of the salads in the restaurant by the B&B. Let me know if it ever happens!
Love you tonnes,
N.