Hopefully the weather is good. The views around Revelstoke are pretty amazing. Are you skiing or trying snowmobiling there?
Not sure at this stage. We are there for two nights on the way to canmore and two nights on the way back, so might buy myself a ticket somewhere in there Fingers crossed my camera will get a workout
no, oil and gas. Wages (of sin) for working iun schooling isn't quite sufficient for me. My (extended) leave is 4 weeks annual leave, some purchased leave, a few public holidays, and some leave without pay
Well that;s an interesting way of spending Christmas night. About 6pm tonight, the fire alarm went off in our hotel. So we grabbed ski jackets, beanies, wallets, passports and phones and headed downstairs, still wearing trackie pants and ugg boots. Stood outside for about 30 minutes and waited for the firies to announce the all-clear. Turns out someone was cooking too hot in their room and set off the smoke alarm. Great job by the firies, especially on Christmas Night Now we head downstairs to our christmas dinner appointment
Gathered that, just like to take the bollocks out of everybody. Mind you, a friend is acting principal of one of the "golden triangle sun shine out of" institutions, not too may zeros distant from my time in resources sector, but a darn site more stressful from what can see. Back to the story....
Living in the triangle and having done 15yrs at one of those schools I can quite imagine the pressures on a principal. The entitlement of some is beyond a joke. At least 6pm wasn’t sleeping time...my two out of home boys called me at 11.30pm from the evacuation zone near their building last night after someone did the exact same thing. FFS! Near midnight on Christmas Night? Eat leftovers dude. Poor Firies.
You can "purchase" extra days of leave and it is deducted from your wage throughout the year. Well that is the way it works in my office I assume most are similar
salary sacrifice, so only get paid say 95% of my regular pay and take extra leave in lieu. We can buy 2 extra weeks a year
Yes, first they take it away by forcing the office to close over xmas, then they ask if you'd like to buy it back...
At our place purchased leave means that you are 'paid' while you are away, meaning that your super contributions are also paid. Leave without pay is just that and no super.
I generally take some unpaid leave to make up for the two weeks forced leave during Christmas. We don't have a buy back option but that might be good if you still accumulate leave and super.
It's a loophole IMO, and lazy HR. They can state it's an "office shutdown" and are legally allowed to ask you to take leave. However, our office isn't a storefront, we don't have a street presence, and there's always plenty of work that could be done. Instead we're forced to burn leave days so people don't accrue too many, and then people state how busy we always are. Not sure what's stopping HR from managing it properly and simply tapping people on the shoulder when they accumulate too much leave. I see it as their job function, but clearly I live in a fantasy world.
We have an up market retirement village across the road from my work. We have 5 or 6 times a year where someone burns their toast in their villa and the entire village gets evacuated. 100’s of wrinkleys out on the front lawn!!!!! Priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HR = Human Relapse. 99% effort on their part for 0% return. Hiring and firing excepted. Go to a site for 2 days and anti discrimination induction expected to be done, plus all the other inducttions, forget the actual job.
spent today at Revie Resort, just as foot passengers. Temps were a mild -3 at the base Took a ride up the Gondolas, for only $19/ea plus taxes. The light was very flat and the views were limited by cloud cover. some nice flurries falling when we got up to mid mountain. We then wandered around town and then we went into Pulse where Nikki got her ski boots tweaked by the guy who sold them to her in Thredbo! I'll post a couple of pics once Ive uploaded them
We drove from Revie to Canmore today. 310km along the Trans-Canada Hwy. Forecast was for significant snow this afternoon, but all we saw was a few flurries so perhaps we managed to stay ahead of it. Roads were a bit slushy over the Rogers Pass, but relatively easy the rest of the way. The scenery along the way is absolutely incredible, and I'm disappointed that I was driving, with Nikki continuously yelling at me to keep my eyes on the road A few picstaken from the moving car, but a shame the light was mostly flat, and the windows were typically dirty
How good is Rogers Pass! I rate it as one of, or not the most jaw dropping drive I’ve done. I’m a Kiwi and have travelled the length of NZ and there are several comparisons for sure but Rogers Pass! Seeing the trees snapped off 40 feet up and on the other side of the road was something. I counted 12 Avalanches while driving. Obviously they had already happened.... natural, skier triggered or man triggered I’ll never know. Only 3 weeks and I’ll be driving through there again. Considering a day tour through there also but a very good guide friend advised it’s basically like Niseko people wise......... which made me choose other locations. It’s on my list and have a spare day around the area where I could still do it. Enjoy your adventures
I first visited western Canada in 1985 and have lived here full time since 1992, driven all the southern BC highways many times. Rogers Pass is the one that still makes me go wow. Not the road but the scenery. The highway summit is a mere 1330 m, but the peaks that overlook it are over 3000. The approach from the east is my favourite, mountains just towering over the road make it look utterly insignificant. One of the most dramatic highways anywhere.
From the Glacier National park entry gate onward is where the gradient kicks up. You'll be in the relatively wide Beaver Valley , but then the road takes a right into a much narrower creek that leads to the summit of the pass. That's when the road appears to be completely dominated by the huge cliffs above it. Enjoy the view, because soon it is obscured by the seven snow sheds immediately below the pass itself.
went for a stroll around Carmore today and no winds worth reporting temps up to +5 but light flurries are the same time. The views in this town really suck!
Is that Beaver Valley that's relatively wide? Or a valley that's named after a relatively wide beaver?
so today we headed into Calgary and did a bit more damage to the credit cards. Tried on a fantastic Canada Goose jacket, but way too hot and bulky for ski holidays and transporting, so wouldn't buy one unless I lived here. If anyone visits Calgary, stick your nose into a store called Sporting Life - the ski clothing and gear just went on forever!
Well the scenery is outstanding. The town itself seems to be made up exclusvely of tourist accommodation and souvenir shops, but its a great place to shack up. Plans are to head up to Lake Louise tomorrow
Thanks for the advice, I’m needing a new ski jacket after a critical malfunction today... any decent shops in Banff?
Gareth and Nikki were holidaying in Canada. One winter morning while listening to the radio, they hear the announcer say, "We are going to have 4-6 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even numbered side of the street, so the snowplow can get through" Gareth goes out and moves his Audi. A week later while they are eating breakfast, the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 6-8 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd numbered side of the street, so the snowplow can get through. Gareth goes out and moves his Audi again. The next week they are having breakfast again, when the radio announcer says "We are expecting 8-10 inches of snow today. You must park..........." then the electric power goes out. Gareth is very upset, and with a worried look on his face he says, "Honey, I don't know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park on so the plow can get through?" With the love and understanding in her voice like all women who are married to men exhibit, Nikki says, "Why don't you just leave it in the garage this time?"
