I'M A SCARECROW!

J did a quick fly-by of Calgary for a business meeting. In between shifts, I swooped over to the Port-O-Call Best Western to rescue her, briefly, from bland hotel food. But it was a botched operation because I forgot my wallet! It was really nice catching up with her, sharing about wrestling with meaning and purpose at the current stage of our journeys. In a respectful way, I am envious of her vocation, working for a Christian organization that is involved with development and relief work all around the world. Me, I sit in front of a screen and look at numbers, I tell her. Yet, she reminded me that there are many elements involved between a planted seed and a blossomed fruit. Aside from the work in getting the seed planted, somehow water, soil and sunlight is thrown into the mix. And sometimes you need a scarecrow to stand there, appearing to do nothing, but purposed in protecting the growing seed. A hedge of security from unwelcome/unexpected elements.

My director likes to come up to me and quiz me point blank. He doesn't care for a full analysis, just a simple answer which shows subconscious understanding. He asked me, once, what the most important task is for someone in my position. I was torn between protecting our company's energy position and ensuring that we are operating in compliance. But his answer blew me away. He said that the most important thing is "our Millar Western Dispatch Hedge". Basically, we have an arrangement with one of our syndicates to effectively shut down one of their production lines if ever directed to by the province's system operator. In the event of a sudden energy shortage, one way of avoiding a blackout is by forcing larger consumers of electricity to shut down. If we receive one of these dispatches, WE HAVE TO get in touch with our syndicate and they must comply within ten minutes. What's the risk? Should we fail in getting the plant to shut down and a blackout occurs, we would be held liable for anything that might result from this. Worst case scenario, a life support machine fails to support the life that it is connected to. Obviously, there are more than just financial risks involved. And guess what comes in at 19:44, less than 2 hours after my scarecrow dinner conversation? My director has only seen these twice in his 5 year tenure at the trading pit, and the sirens that go off are pretty scary so you can't miss it!

It's a small world after all. In 1999, there was a University of Waterloo accounting co-op that attended the same church as I. We first met when I started giving him rides to church. Then, with his mom moving back to HK, he stayed a work term at my parents' place. Well, we've sort of lost touch once he went back to school and graduated. I find out recently that has been working in Calgary for the past year! After three weeks of trying to get together (he's an internal auditor, right in the middle of busy tax season), we get caught up over lunch at Milestones (he had suggested Catch, but they're, regretably, closed on Sundays). The food arrives, but we're so engrossed in our conversation that we pay little attention. After saying grace, we both have our forks into our respective omelets. What a second, I didn't order an omelet! Just then, one of the servers arrive at our table with a puzzled look. "This isn't what you ordered, right?" We both realize that it wasn't, and quickly, the plates are whisked away, a bite size portion of egg still impaled on our dangling forks. I wonder if they served those plates to the right table?

I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Recently, I went with J to watch a movie. She ordered a kid combo which comes with a slushee. However, the icy drink was served it in a large cup. After the server realizes the mistake, she takes a kid-sized cup, pours into it the contents of the large she just filled and dumps the rest back into the slushee machine! Umm. As they say "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"!!

HERE'S TO WISHING MY SIS A HAPPY B-DAY!!