The one where I say 'cock' in the correct context

I woke up at 4 this morning but I feel really good about it. My lights were out by 11, so I'd already slept decently, and I really needed to pee. As a general rule sacrificing sleep to not rupture internally is okay. It might have been nice to doze off more quickly after awakening, but the 2 hours I lay awake were excellent. They featured a comic book,

peanut butter on a rice cake,

Note: a rice cake was unavailable at the time of the photo shoot

a glass of milk,

and relaxed amusement with my current lot in life.

Then, as a bonus, when I slept again I had a dream featuring Toon and a shower.

Sexy time?

All the time.

Today at work was more of yesterday. Lots of wandering and learning about the buildings. I got to see the inside of the mill finally and it is freaking amazing. They don't have a mill interpreter right now due to cutbacks - the miller is currently the doctor and the cabinet maker once in a while - so the giant cogs and gears are motionless. But when they put that big ol' wheel back to spinning I'll never leave!

Gonna grind my grain so good.

I also met some new animals. We have some new Light Bramah fowl. That's one to the right. Imagine him, but even more handsome, strutting slowly across the barnyard with his feathered feet rustling on each stomp. That's what our cock looked like, and there were also some really pretty hens.

For him.

Not me.

I also met Jake and Ross, a Percheron and Clydesdale respectively (horses for the uninitiated), some Toulouse geese (I wish there had been only one) and their Embden cousins. Yesterday it was Hereford cattle and Leicester sheep along with some fancy-pants pigs whose breed I didn't catch.

We're all about the rare and heritage breeds at BCPV.

We're also all about dog powered butter churns. Or at least the example we have attached to one of the village homes. A quick interweb search tells me such things were not wholly uncommon, but unlike most of the pictures I'm finding ours looks more like a giant enclosed hamster wheel. The dog runs inside and his or her power is transferred to the butter barrel by way of a belt.

In the olden times even the butter was better.

The day that was

Last night I meant to be in bed on time. Honest I did. But an inadvertent adventure in the park later - featuring amongst other things; a Sinatra singalong, can-can dancing, and lady-tossing - I was getting to bed late.

Sleep or no I was on the TTC once again, heading north to Black Creek Pioneer Village for my interview. I say again because Brendan and I went up there Thursday on a research trip. I should really write a whole entry on that but I won't. Instead I'll say, very cool, and mention I was particularly impressed by the print shop, weaving looms and old time bakery (scones and cookies, yum yum), and a bit sad that the mill was closed for the day.

The interview was for an education assistant position and went exceedingly well. It lasted almost an hour, mostly because we were having a wonderful chat about this and that by the end of things. You know an interview is going well when one of the interviewers mentions his past life as an underwater archaeologist and you're able to talk about working with one of the more famous Canadians involved in that field.

John Oleson, still doing it right.

But that's beside the point.

I answered the questions well. Talked about how I would discipline the wee ones should the need arise, said my friends would describe me as 'communicative' (as in talkative but I also listen, heh), 'entertaining', and 'reliable', and basically was awesome and enthusiastic.

Right guys? Ol' entertaining, reliable James!

We even chatted a bit about where I saw myself headed. I mentioned I was considering a museum master's program and they suggested maybe taking some courses with the OMA (Ontario Museum Association). I'm going to assume they don't throw that suggestion at everyone.

If I had to pick a weak point for the interview it was when they asked me about my knowledge of 19th century Ontario history. I mentioned the 1837 rebellions, then mumbled on about nothing else for a few minutes before finally stopping myself.

So that was nice.

Of course I was a bit dressed up for the affair (shirt tucked in and all) so I decided to go for a brief strut once downtown. Always a satisfying experience.

I saw The Golden Girl on her way home from work, received compliments, ordered a Gandhi Cuisine butter chicken, came home, stripped to my underwear, watched the documentary Wordplay and stuffed my face.

Satisfaction!

(I met that Oleson fellow once, but he's pretty cool. Aside from archaeology he's also a SCUBA diver, boater and does aerobatic flying on the side...that's right kids, he's a BARNSTORMER!)