Elgan speaks
...and her words thunder across the land

If you have a nose, picket!

Tuesday, Mar. 16, 2004
4:25 p.m.
Yes, I realize this is my second entry today, but it�s not the first time and it won�t be the last. It was cold picketting today. I walked down to the HQ, bundled up as I described earlier, and got quite warm from my exertions. Since I was scheduled to join Hubby at the east entrance, I had to get a ride over there, since we are not encouraged to walk on the highway. While I was waiting for the shuttle, letters arrived from the British Columbia university teachers association and from the American university association expressing solidarity for our cause. CAUT gave us a cheque for $1,000,000 to help out with the strike, and a whole contingent of students came out for the ceremony, starting with a small parade down College Street from HQ to the campus. They displayed banners, sang the school song, and generally created a lot of noise and good vibrations. Some students had set up a barbecue at the main exit, and were giving picketters a choice of regular or veggie weiners.

Unfortunately, there was a sour note as one of our group, Patsy as a matter of fact, was the victim of senseless violence. The passenger of a passing vehicle threw a jug of windshield fluid which struck her in the head, and the woman she was walking with got dirty underwear in the face. Patsy was okay, if a little shocked, and reported the incident to the police right away.

One of the students told us that the administration, in an attempt to get the students off of campus and to �buy� their favour, has provided free buses to the local ski hills and also to Montreal. Hence, there were not that many students around today for their little demonstration since some had taken advantage of this most generous gesture. But the ones that were there certainly made up for it, with purple BUs painted on their cheeks, complemented by the cherry red noses brought on by the cold March air. I am told that the weather should be warming up starting tomorrow, with above-freezing temperatures. That would be nice. I am aching from standing around in the cold.

One of our profs who lives in Montreal came in this morning with bags and bags of freshly-baked bagels from one of the famous Montreal bagel factories. I had a poppyseed one, and then found out later than I was talking and grinning at people with poppy seeds stuck in my teeth. Oops! When I got home this morning I had a really hot bath and started falling asleep in it, so I decided to nap until it was time for the cheque presentation at 1:00. After that Hubby and I watched Johnny English, which he had rented last night, and I had a good laugh. Rowan Atkinson is brilliant, but I think he is wasted in these kinds of films where his Mr. Beanness is exploited. I much preferred him in Bernard and the Genie, which was also a pretty bad movie, where he played a crooked art dealer. At least he didn�t have to bumble in that one and got to be properly villainous. I still think his crowning achievement is the Black Adder series.

I must call my students and let them know that I haven�t forgotten them. They must all be quite distraught. Hopefully this won�t last long. Oh, by the way, Dagget died. Very sad. wilberteets is extremely upset. Leave her a note, okay?

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