David Joseph Dowker has passed away

He died the evening of March 24 at North York General Hospital, subsequent to a fall over Christmas. I was able to speak to him on St. Patrick’s Day; the hospital had him call me, but he was so obtunded I could barely understand him. I have written a blistering letter to the ‘patient experience’ people at North York General, but I will never send it. He was predeceased by his partner of many decades, Jo Volk, in 2017.

I am calm about it because I know in my heart I did everything I could to help him during the last months of his life; I’m now trying to get his cat adopted and I’ve notified some people who wouldn’t have found out about it otherwise.

He knew I loved him.

My duty now is to the living. I will help his sister as much as I can from a distance, but I know that’s what Dave would want me to do.

Productive day

We did a shop, and I ran three loads of laundry and dried and put it all away. I made a salad and watched some TV and got the newsletter away, and wrote a bit on my new fanfic. Spoke to Dave briefly on the phone; spoke to mOm briefly on the phone (she sounded SO happy, Barry and Cousin Alex were in the sunroom when I called!).

Tomorrow I hope to finish the embroidery on Alex’s apron, practice instruments, clean out the fridge and make some pork stir fry. We shall see!

People on bluesky ARE SO DISAPPOINTED that Snoop Dogg is performing at the inauguration. Shaking my fool head.

absolutely spent

Dropped Alex off…. came back home, then walked to the eye doc because I might get drops, but I didn’t, so I did about ten times as much walking as I’m used to.  BUT my eyes are in as good health as a prediabetic my age can expect – and my prescription has BARELY changed.

Picked up my prescriptions while I was out (cutting it fine as always, eyeroll) and confirmed that my local pharmacy will give me my flu and COVID shot, so I’ll probably do that tomorrow.

Right now I’m waiting for the landlady; rats peed and pooed in the insulation for the oven and THE STENCH OF BURNING RAT PEE fills the house while I’m trying to cook nommy food. I don’t care if we get something ugly as long as the burners and oven work.

Jeff and I are still hearing rats from time to time. GET ON IT BUSTER.

Suzanne and I are going to a place called Juke – they only serve gluten free fried chicken so Suzanne is TRES KEEN to go.

finest compliment

helluva start to today’s bout of consciousness; reading my mother’s email thanking me for writing ‘Sweep Off Those Waves’

 

‘What the characters said about how sixer and human brains operated – telling to me in my condition of ill-functioning brain.’

(Sixers don’t ‘have’ brains but thanks mOm)

also, crying now

also, her opinion means more than the world’s.

ermagerdke

Just blocked another GD bot on bluesky they are all

The muse walked up and punted me hard musta been Terpsichore doing a kick-turn of some vigour and this fell out I can hear a banjo a hi hat and bass drum and a stand up bass

I am not Dean Winchester

I don’t have a thing for brunettes

but then you’re not a person really

You are a bot-pretending to be——a brunette

Dean would kill you if he knew you were a bot

Dean Winchester kills monsters and a human you are not

kill the bot – kill the bot – kill the bot – kill the bot –

it’s a monster it’s a monster it’s a monster kill the bot

 

I am not Dean Winchester

I don’t get to die and come back

I put you down a dozen times a day and motherfucker

bot you come back

Season 10 Dean would just gank you like a djinn

but Dean is up in heaven where you bots just can’t get in

 

kill the bot – kill the bot – kill the bot – kill the bot –

it’s a monster it’s a monster it’s a monster kill the bot

bright blessings

So…. got to go to the gerontologist’s with Paul this morning first thing; then we came back here to trim his HEINOUS BLOODY TOES (I clipped him by accident and he would not stop bleeding which meant I nearly gave myself hysterics while Paul told me he could barely feel it) then I booked him an appointment with his GP EIGHT FUCKING WEEKS GOOD GOD WHAT IF IT WAS AN EMERGENCY and I emailed Lois his foot measurements and THEN we went back to the eldercare joint and I signed him back in and we had lunch.

The gerontologist said “It’s time to think about Plan B” ie what the family does when Paul can no longer live where he’s living. I’d say he’s got another year mebbe but the waiting periods are longer than that so the sisters will have to think on it.

I’m back home again. Normally talking about someone else’s mental state is rude, but I simply must share this masterful response to one of the interminable questions on the cognitive tests the administer every time he shows up.

Write a complete sentence.

This is what it was

 

Gotta ball

What a king, what an absolute unit Paul is.

So long and thanks for all the small salty fish!

So this is me checking out of writing a daily blog. The blog will be coming down as soon as it is safely backed up, and I can stop paying for it. I will be letting the domain name go because honestly I’m never going to be a famous writer and nobody gives a shit about the stuff I write except a small number of cool people but that aside I’m tired and the original purpose of the blog has expired. I have zero ‘engagement’ with an audience and after twenty years of busting ass with no payoff I’m good with it dying. I wanted control, I got control, but who cares? I know I no longer do. And eventually this household will break up and I won’t have tech support to the standard I’m used to, which is banging on Jeff’s door at 4 am to ask wherefore I cannot log in, while he drops what he’s doing to help! LOL I’ll never get THAT again. Plus bots keep attacking the site and slowing everything down.

I will be sending out a weekly digest of events, thoughts, video and photo links, and new writing/songs every week via email. So far my mOm, my pOp and Leo and Dave and possibly Alex? I dunno … have indicated that they want to see it; email me at allegra      ‘fraught’ sloman atty gmail if you want to subscribe. But the offer’s only good for as long as the blog is up, so that should keep out the punters.

I don’t want to train AI, unpaid, when I have one of the most distinctive writing styles of anyone on the planet, in English, anyway.

I’m TheCorrection on bsky, not that any of you would get accounts, and I’m under my maiden name on facebook, and I’m under my own name on tumblr.

Happy birthday to me! Now I’m going to take my sick ass to the bathroom and have a nice, long hot bath, and relax. It won’t be long now!

 

Coughing has slowed to a crawl

Thank goodness. I’m very dehydrated so I should go have something yummy to drink.

LOVERLY chat with the fOlks last night, pOp got in on the act by saying he didn’t know what to say, which also is typical. We were happy about a dentist appointment being cancelled and rescheduled until when pOp can lie in the arms of Morpheus during the appointment. Yeah, painless dentistry is much preferred.

Other than that the fOlks sound fine which is cheering. They admitted that it’s weird having a 65 year old daughter. But as I pointed out, a 65 yo daughter WITH DAMNED GOOD HAIR. From the video Sunnie Larsen took. I look BLONDE under the lights. You can see Cindy’s back and Miles Vorkosigan in the reflection.

 

Coughing A LOT

Alex is here, I’ll run him to school in half an hour. I’m staying in my room and only leaving with a mask on my face. I suppose I should dress, heavy sigh.

Managed the school run with no issue, and Alex liked the fidgets I bought for him at Orycon. One’s chain mail, one’s a three by three bubble popper. He pronounced himself pleased with both of them.

I keep trying to call my mOm and the phone’s always busy. Anyway mOm I tried. I can’t help it if you’re popular!!

 

later

 

coughing has died down, COVID test is negative. I really don’t believe it. I was out walking to get the COVID tests and I got out of breath INSTANTLY. Picked Alex up some treats at the same time.