Dayjob Developments

When I worked for Via Rail in Halifax, I didn't have enough seniority to hold a regular assignment and so I worked the spareboard. This meant that I never knew when I was going to be working, or what job I'd be doing, until 24 hours before departure. I figured things would be pretty much the same in Vancouver, particularly considering that what little seniority I had accrued in Halifax, I lost in the transfer, making me junior to everyone working the train in the Western Region (Winnipeg and Vancouver), except the people hired this year off the street.

So I was more than a little surprised when my manager asked me yesterday if I wanted to be assigned as Activity Coordinator. There were five spots to be filled and only four people put in bids for them and since I had worked as a spareboard Learning Coordinator (a similar position) in Halifax, my boss figured I was well-suited to fill the vacant spot. It's not my favourite job on the train, but it's far from my least favourite and the pros outweigh the cons considerably. I've accepted the assignment, which means that I'll probably have quite a bit more time to myself this summer than I'd anticipated and, moreover, I'll know when that free time is going to be well in advance--a development with which I'm quite pleased, not only because it means I can have more of a life, but it also makes writing a lot easier to do during my busy season.

And more time for writing means more time for procrastination, which means more time for you, dear CLM readers.