Year's end

I'm sitting at my desk at work today; I always volunteer for one of the three working days between Christmas and New Year - I think the boss should set an example, and not ask people to do something I'm not prepared to do myself. It's, of course, extremely quiet - I'm basically here to support one other person who has to be here, and he'll be leaving early this afternoon. At which point I'll shut up shop for the year. For the last time. This year end working has become a familiar ritual for me, and although there will be several work-related things which I've done for the last time already, this will be a clear and obvious one. Never again will I go round, checking the doors and windows are locked; making sure no-one's been overlooked; setting the alarm and notifying security that we're all out, and if the alarm goes, it's not us. (One year, it was someone I'd missed, although he hadn't signed in, so I didn't know he was there...)

I'm not getting as much work done as I intended - it's always a bit difficult to get motivated when it's this quiet - and partly that's down to the distractions I have on my desk. One is a wonderful coffee-table type book full of glorious photographs of BC (Zoë's last Christmas present), and the other is a fax.

This fax is the final confirmation of the decision from HRSDC. We are allowed to come to Canada, and contrary to the information we had earlier, we are confirmed for the full 3 years, which takes some of the pressure off when it comes to getting permanent residence organised. It's here; next step is the Work Permits, the application for which are all prepared, and then we just have to sell the house.

Let's go!