Month: March 2015

A massively unpleasant hour and a half

I have a temporary crown and get the real one in a fortnight. He froze me up solider than Mr. Freeze in liquid nitrogen, and then I was gagging for about half the time because the freezing was going down the side of my throat and a bit into my tongue and I quit being able to swallow with comfort.  Then of course they put a succession of chemical goos in little plates and they tell you to bite down and you know because this ain’t your first tooth-wrangling partay that you actually have to do what they say or the ****sucker will never fit properly in your mouth and even then there will be mighty hammerings and pryings and sawings and filings getting everything just so. But for the five minutes and other minutes that the gooey trays are in your mouth, there’s this impression that you’re sampling ‘the verrrry best a toxic waste dump can offer in the way of chemically goo!’ And I bit myself when frozen, one of my least favourite feelings because you have no way of knowing how bad it is until the freezing wears off.

Now my mouth hurts and the afflicted/treated tooth hurts so FRICKING BAD I am going to get up and get painkillers, and I don’t usually.

And all of this complaining must be set against the balance: that I needed to have the work done, and my family helped me, and I’m really, despite all this colourful whinging, most seriously and abjectly grateful.  Thank you.

Oh, and I biked to (in the middle spent time sunning myself at Paul’s, and also, sweeping, as the floors at Planet Bachelor Rev 1.3 needed them, and there was an apple and some San Pellegrino in there too) and from, so please, plaudits for getting off my ass.  It too is God’s handiwork, and only needs the chance to shine.

So happy Paul has retired.  I certainly think he is happy too.

Approximations

I thought I’d just untighten all of the cpap straps evenly and see if that helped, and it turned out to be perfect – sort of like a hole in one, since I figured I’d be fussing with it for half an hour.  As soon as I settled the mask on, I realized I had indeed overtightened everything to a farethewell.  So, 3.4 hours last night.

Paul and I went for a walk and I had a turrible craving for barbq ribs so I bought some (and treats, which was evil of me).  Paul is really enjoying being retired so far and headed out to Delta Air Park after we got together.

The ribs were amazing.  I boiled them and slathered them with sauce and baked them with tiny new red potatoes, and the potatoes were so well done that the innards were almost liquefied, and so sweet – best taters I’ve done up in an age.  The leftovers will serve for another two meals, so that was four tasty meals for $14.

Off to the dentist today.

No word yet regarding the last interview…. but I’m patient.

 

Reflection and droopery

As is often the case, a happy moment is followed by reflection and droopery.

I think I invented a new area of economic inquiry yesterday.  It combines stealth feminism, libertarianism and a new way of viewing productivity data.  I’m going to cruise around the web and see if anybody is actually, like, already doing it.  I’m betting not.

Somehow, in adjusting my cpap mask for tightness I fixed it so it doesn’t actually feel comfortable and it pinches my nose like crazy.  So .4 hours last night.  I am so bleary this morning (and I slept nine hours) that I made coffee for the first time in weeks.

Buster just jumped from the tv stand to the top of the tv, balanced precariously on that while my brO and I dropped the air pressure in the room by a couple of kilopascals, and then leaped up to the shelf above the tv where lurketh the handmade Cthulhu stuffies. For a second we thought he was going to jump onto the secondary screen, in which case I’d still be cleaning up glass and debris. Must figure out how to anchor that!

 

 

Some power in the morning

What an amazing church service.  I ain’t been feeling it lately, but that was a fabulous service delivered with love and care – individual testimonials as to the spiritual benefit of all manner of art, from fabric art to dance to hip hop music to singing to poetry.  Just, so, good. Joan Morris full props for a sound and worshipful service; lots to feed the spirit!

Got some nice long ear flapping in with some cocongregants afterwards, and then Sue kindly brought me home.

I am seriously thinking of adding “A Unitarian Viewer’s Guide to Deadwood” to my pile of writing projects.  DAMN  but it was a good show, probably one of the best ever. That plus “A UU guide to Akta Manniskor”, which is a show so full of Unitarian values that it is really quite remarkable.  And maybe Franci and I should do a Unitarian’s Guide to The Good Wife, since it’s such a pro-social show.

 

No hours logged

Keith has done his download.  Paul and I broke up years ago, but that doesn’t really set a timetable for when Keith processes it, so that is what it was about.  My final comment to him was, “I understand it takes a while to process things, and you might wish to consider talking about it sooner than later.” So, all good.

No hours logged last night.  I honestly think I forgot to put it on, which is weird, because I loaded in more distilled water. So I feel a little sludgy this morning.

I think I will make waffles.

Saw Louis Malle’s Crackers with Keith and Jeff yesterday – it is a most wonderfully strange movie.  Many aspects of the script you couldn’t get made today.  Wallace Shawn as Turtle is amazing.  Donald Sutherland as the would-be supervillain is hilarious.  The scene where he’s expertly blowdrying his hair had my eyes popping. The film is not very highly rated and I enjoyed it anyway, mostly because I had no idea what was going to happen next. Also, a young and sizzling Christine Baranski wears a startling array of lovely lingerie, and that by itself is worth seeing.

Good feeling

I have to say, Patricia really found a great bunch of people to work with, and I’m glad I had a chance to interview there.  I would say that I am at least being considered for the position, but I suspect they’ll hire somebody they have to train less, being quite practical people.  I actually enjoyed the interview process which is … you know, unusual.  I don’t know when they are likely to call back but I am not concerned.  If I get the job, I’ll be happy and if I don’t get the job I’ll be not quite as flush, but still happy.

1.8 hours last night and it would have been longer but I had to get up and boot Margot out of my room, and I couldn’t fall back asleep until I took the mask off.  Sheesh. Still, much better rested this morning, har har.

X Company continues to be really entertaining and full of moral quandaries regarding spying and working behind enemy lines.  I am very much enjoying Evelyne Brochu’s performance and was interested to hear she’s in Orphan Black.  Jeff didn’t enjoy it so we quit watching but I’m thinking I might like another crack at it.

There is a new Belgian Style brewery with taphouse up Production Way and Paul and I are going to inspect it for worthiness at some point soon.

I light a candle for Jeff and JeriLynn C for their successful move (they got hardly any notice, and stressed about it as would I, and as I DID the last time it happened to us) and for Tom and Peggy and their new grandbaby Josie (whom I greatly look forward to meeting) and for Brooke who AS USUAL provides good advice, her second lot in as many months and what a difference taking that advice has made to my comfort, Cthulhu bless the pharmacists.  I light a candle for one of my friends who is having an exceedingly difficult time with her current spouse regarding custody arrangements.  With permission, he took his children out of the country on vacation.  Without permission, he kept them an additional week and said ‘we already agreed on that’ when HOLY DIPSHIT there’s nothing in the emails to suggest he was going to give her a heart attack by pulling this stuff.  What he doesn’t know about his current legal situation is vast in expanse, and of course she’ll be elected queen bitch of the universe before this is all over, but I have been watching the situation unfold for many years now and she has lived up to her promise not to prevent access to this crazy ass guy just because he’s crazy.  I light a candle for Tammy, who got a glowing recommendation letter (yay…. but the job market does not magically get better, so I light a further candle for her job luck).  I light a candle for Chipper, just because I can, and because a couple of times in the last month she’s made me laugh so hard on the phone I’ve nearly sprang a rib.  I light a candle for Jeff, who is awesome, and loaned me his car yesterday which improved my mood for the interview, and another for Buster, who has a butt problem of some kind, but hey, those carpets go through the wash, and thank you mOm for making them.  I light a candle for Katie, who is negotiating going back to work in May, and for Keith, who still hasn’t talked to me about whatever dreadful advice / scolding he threatened to drop on me.  I’m no longer appalled.  The longer he waits the funnier this is going to be, and even if the joke’s on me I intend to enjoy it.  Okay here’s one for Paul, who gets me off my duff and into the sun, and much the same for Mike, who wrote a lovely recommendation letter for me, the dear lad, and here’s a big candle for all the elders at church, who are my role models (as are the fOlks) for getting old, and for the minister, not that she particularly needs it, and for everybody who’s ever served me food and drink, and for the Fraser River, and for the memories of Grandad, Grampa, Grandma, Granny, Sue, Elizabeth, Dave, John, Derry, Michael and Bounce.

I think today I’ll sort papers and clean out the fridge and if it stays nice maybe go for a bike ride and pick up kitty malt – Margot really needs it and the current tube is just about done.

 

What a thing it is to have friends

A friend called me at 9:30 last night.  I had to take my cpap mask off, and completely wake up to get the call.  My heart rate leapt into the Empyrean, as it always does when the phone rings and it’s pitch dark.  Has one of the fOlks suddenly taken ill?  Is one of my children trying to get a lawyer subsequent to an incident of some kind?   As I settled into dealing with the fact that I was now awake, my friend said, “Oh I’ll just let you get back to sleep then.”   And she hung up.

This is a person who is familiar with my current sleep wake cycle.

Just so we’re clear, her error was not in calling me.  My friends know they can call me, because I’ve said so, repeatedly.  Her error was completely waking me up, rejecting my offer to communicate and denying my agency to do so because ‘I was already asleep’, and then hanging up on me.  This filled me with a bilious fury and disgust during which I reviewed whether I even want this person as a friend at all, despite everything we’ve been through.  As the night crawled on, I consoled myself with the thought that with any luck I’ll be given the opportunity to wake her up on the eve of an important event and completely screw her sleep cycle, but be too polite and thoughtful to actually, you know, do it.

I have an interview today and I didn’t get back to sleep until after one, and I was so messed up I couldn’t put the mask back on, so I’m underoxygenated and underslept.  Jeff advised a nap, I’ll see if I can.

What a thing it is to have friends.  I wish they would find other ways to test our friendship  than messing with the few blissful hours each day during which I have no pain, and no worries, but when I think of how many people have no friends at all, I know I’m being quite unreasonable.  Not everybody lives in a household where sleep is sacred, and I can’t expect the world to conform to my needs.

Finally done with the address to the troops, now comes the stitchery to put the second part together and a push to get 4-6000 words for the goodbyes and the beautiful crowning achievement that the whole book has worked towards, which will completely turn to dreck in the first two paragraphs of the sequel.

I got reddit gold a couple of weeks ago for a comment.  Maybe two people who read this will care.  It was about childlessness by choice.

I found the extension for my Mac charger.  Life is somewhat more convenient.  See what cleaning your room can do?

 

 

Moar beer!

Picked up some Phillips Hop Circle IPA on the way home from our walk yesterday.  I was actually napping when Paul called; we got Phyllis’ letter to the post office, and walked, and I deposited a cheque, and returned home to get some spaghetti into us and watch our Tuesday TV.

And oh, the walk.  I have NEVER seen so many wild seals at once.  At one point, directly in front of the discovery centre, there were five seals, all facing into the stream, and quite close to shore.  We also saw the N American variant of the Common Merganser, a breeding pair of them, and heard their bizarre call at least once (I had to look it up to confirm) and we saw another breeding pair of ducks which were much smaller and which I could not for the life of me identify.

I got some video of them but damn they were far away.

We also saw a real range of dogs including the world’s oldest and mellowest pit bull, who sweetly accepted a pat.  Paul insisted on buying me gelato, so I insisted that he buy the lime mojito (So Tart, and the mint flavour at the finish, So Divine) and I got Pannacotta, which is wimpy of me I know.

2.9 hours!

beer!

Paul brought Goose Beer IPA back from the States for me, and we had a lovely long chat about various subjects.  He’s OVER THE MOON about being retired, and I’m very, very happy for him.  When he first got the job at Air Canada I was very happy because he’d had quite a choppy job history up until that point and I remember saying that he now had a fighting chance of being able to retire on more than a pittance, and now it’s happened, it’s really real. And he so richly deserves it, because that man put a lot of his life and pain and grit into that company and the safety of the people who fly in those aircraft.

.7 hours last night, what’s up with that.

Cleaned my room yesterday! Buster used the opportunity to come in and pee on stuff, but fortunately it was stuff I was throwing out or immediately washing, so Saul Goodman.  The beautiful wood floors now shine, I’ve consolidated seven boxes into two, and now I need to move all the filk I discovered (holy MOG there was a lot of it) into the binder(s) allocated for it.  BUT I found the Kathy Mar songbook for her concert at FKO which I had been looking for since I went, very happy about that.

I found 33 dollars in change and bills while I was cleaning, netting $5.50 per hour.  Just trying the brightside, here.

Next on deck getting the three loads of laundry put away.  I suspect my best bet is to s-can 50% of the clothing that comes out of the dryer today.  I don’t have enough room, and while psychologically I can never have enough cotton knit dresses in beige, possibly it’s time to turn them into something else, like a donation to a charity.

After that my desk, and an indexing of my craft, cable and paper stashes so I know what I have and can quit buying cute little notebooks.  I found so many yesterday that it is not funny, nuh-unh.

I have to figure out which writing I’m going to give the interviewers on Thursday. This is not going to be difficult, I just have to ensure that it’s the correct tone for the task.

I recently had reason to confront how I am a complete frickin’ coward about SJW issues, even when they are in my face.  Blerg.  PLEASE DON’T SAY SOMETHING TRASHILY RACIST AND THEN SAY I’M NOT RACIST MY BEST FRIEND IS BLACK BECAUSE you will make me intensely uncomfortable and I won’t actually do anything about it.  I got some good suggestions from my twitter pals – the white ones.  The POCs stayed the hell out my mini meltdown, for which I can only say thank you.

Shaking my head.

Jeff has returned from the land of the fOlks, and they remain bloody marvellous by all accounts.  I have received an envelope, for this relief much thanks.  And now I’m going to storyboard my day, which has some bicycling in it whenever the rain lets up.  And yes mOm I will wear my helmet this time.

 

 

Sundry and various

Got a package ready for ex MIL Phyllis so she’ll finally have pictures of her new great grandbaby.  Didn’t manage to get it into the mail, that’s for today.

3.9 hours on the cpap, in two stretches.

Jeff texted me to remind me about the garbage and if you can believe it I was already done!  I have brushed up my toes.

Went to see the gals who gave us Autumn, who transmoggified into Buster, and gave them all the contact deets so they can come and see him anytime. Rode over there on my bike to feed Ayesha and on the way back and JUST MISSED the vet’s office so I couldn’t pick up kitty malt for Margot, who seems to have quite a hairball to deal with.  She’s quite clingy and for the first time in about four years spent the night with me on my bed. Buster tried to scare her off but she wasn’t having any.  While I was riding (in the pouring rain, meh) a four year girl chided me for not wearing a helmet.  Everyone’s a critic.

Paul seems to be in the best mood you can imagine possible, which probably has something to do with retiring.  Yup, he put in his paperwork and joy was exceeding unrefined-like. They gave him money to buy his own goodbye eats with and he said POSITIVELY NO DONUTS and fed everybody about $150 of healthy food, which he says his soon to be former coworkers fell on like piranhas.  Nope, not even a deli tray – all healthy stuff.

He is currently in Seattle and he’s promised to bring me home some craft beer.

Watched one of the Bourne movies last night and noodled along to the music trying to deconstruct how you make a tense soundtrack.  I don’t normally write in modulations but soundtracks are full of them.  I will have to think on this thing.  It’s definitely a skill.

Did not go to church.  Sue was rehearsing in north Van and I just could not get my ass out the door.  But I did go cycling later, so I’ve got that going for me.

I practiced mandolin quite a bit yesterday. I did not do any writing or editing.

Ayesha

After church today I’ll be visiting Planet Bachelor to feed Ayesha.

1.9 on the cpap last night.

Helped Sue with a recording yesterday, practiced my mandolin long enough to get sore, and discovered I’ve lost my admin password for my mac.  I have a hint, but I cannot put it in exactly so I’m a little choked.

Sleeping with my door open was a rather noisy experience.  Buster is opening cupboards again.

Not writing, but editing.  Work is progressing.

Bean paste

Among other things, that’s what Katie fed me for lunch yesterday.  Alex dumped a coke all over our booth, the little bugger.  Argh.

I got a call back from the company I most recently interviewed for.  I will be gang interviewed by 4 lots of people over two hours.  Once again, I’m prepping in all seriousness, but I’m not going to be downcast if I don’t get it; I’m qualified for the job and I need to remember that, looking for other work.  Look for how it went next Friday morning, unless I post Thursday afternoon late.

0 hours on cpap, I actually forgot to put it on last night.  Tonight I shall try again.

Walked 4 k yesterday; I was about crippled when I got home, but hey, 270 calories were burned.  It was raining, and Alex slept through the whole thing.

Changes and exits

It’s not my story to tell, so I won’t tell it. Suffice it to say that someone dear to me is experiencing anxiety and disquiet for very valid reasons, and I feel my presence really helped move things along a good path and reduce anxiety, an’ that’s what friends are for.

Spent the night away from home, 4 hours on the cpap anyway so I feel quite perky.  Keith says he needs to talk to me about things and stuff for reasons, and that I’m going to be very upset.  Katie and Alex are coming over later this morning.  O don’t I have a lot to look forward to.

Back to the address to the troops.

the disappointment

Only half an hour on the cpap last night.  I could not get comfortable, as I was congested.

Today I learned of the purported existence of a Randy Quaid sex tape, with his wife (of course) and Rupert Murdoch purportedly watching.  I know the disgust response must be controlled, but in this case my homunculus just about launched last night’s spaghetti into orbit.

I am waiting to hear back from the interview with patience.

I light a candle for people I love who are going through a super hard time right now.  Work especially is very hard and causing anxiety and sleep loss.  I know those feels and hope a swift resolution of outstanding problems happens to their satisfaction.

Still pluggin’ away on the novel.  Most recent George quote, “Of course I love human culture! Not all of it equally.”

Paul and I keep booking appointments for blood donation and having to bail… hopefully we’ll get this sorted out.  Keith already donated this month.

This news may be of interest to certain among my readers.  Health of kidneys.

I am going to see if I have the energy to make Belgian waffles for breakfast.