Lovely indoor walk with Paul yesterday at Lougheed. He seems very beaten down and oppressed by his illness but cheered up for the walk. It always cheers folks up to eat, so we got some lo mai gai, which was particularly fine in comparison with previous outings, and there was a lone har gaw in there because they were out of enough lo mai gai to fulfil my order, and the hot and sour soup was as good as I ever remember it being there. We went to Cobb’s but I didn’t buy treats, just spongy crusty white bread which is my kryptonite for stuff I’m s’posed to lay off for my liver.
I talked with Katie and Paul for a while before we left, sitting in the wind on their back deck – no problem though, THERE’S NO FUCKING HEAT AT THEIR PLACE AND BECAUSE IT’S AN EXTREMELY COMPLEX AND UNUSUAL HEATING SYSTEM IT WILL BE WEEKS BEFORE IT’S FIXED. SO why not sit on the ass-freezing cold deck and parlay, it’s not particularly warmer indoors. (It’s a good thing Ryker is the least susceptible to cold babies I’ve ever seen in his life, is he part Sami or something…)
Sam, one of their new Cattus Cattuses, who has Bengal markings and a voice that goes through your head like a Nazgûl screech, is in the process of becoming an outdoor cat after a lifetime of indoor luxury, and she let Katie know in no uncertain terms that the rainy, haily, windy, bullshit weather was cramping her style. She kept coming to the door and screaming for the wind and rain to stop, it was actually rather funny. And of course as soon as Paul and I got to the car, the sun’s rays lit it up like a Klieg light; the weather got marginally better for the rest of the day.
Paul asked Katie to do up his jacket. He forgot to bring his phone and a mask and was apologetic, but I don’t care about the phone for a two hour jaunt and I always bring a spare for him so it was not a problem. We had a number of relevant and connected conversations, including about the Fraser Foreshore victory.
I mentioned the Power of Attorney to him on the way back and instead of becoming irritated with me he was calm and receptive and responsive, which I took as a very good sign. (I was also talking about how he and at least one of his sisters would be present for the discussion so he wouldn’t be feeling sandbagged, and I’d say something and pause so he could comment on his own time.) He seemed so lonely and forsaken earlier I held his hand as we were walking through the parking lot.
We TRIED to go to the Pita Store on Government but of course Government is closed except to local traffic, which is tiresome, so I drove all the way over to Bainbridge to try to get at it from the western side and it was closed there too. I really should put more fuel in Paul’s Echo before I do anything else with it – the fuel light came on just as I was turning in for home.
Buster did a jumping paw clap for a treat this morning and transferred it to his mouth without either front paw touching the ground. ALL ONE SMOOTH MOVEMENT OF CATCH AND NOM.
I asked him if he ‘wanted’ to train this morning and he signalled twice. (He bumps his head against my left leg. Not my right leg, my left leg. The specificity of it is adorable.) First, the dropped paw clap – I hold up the treat and he jumps for it. In this case he made a real effort to bat the treat in the direction of where he wanted to do running catches and then turned around and did everything but raise an eyebrow. That cat verges on being on obsession with me.
Made peppermint tea for Jeff and English breakfast tea for myself.
We’ve started a rewatch of the movie ‘Gettysburg’; it’s the special edition so it’s pushing 4 hours in length so we obviously divvied the movie up into two parts. (I still want a rewatch of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, but I may have to do that by myself.)
Woke up thinking of a scene I’ve yet to write on TB, a long midnight convo between Richie, who can’t sleep, and Omar, who gets up to deal with it. Insomnia and story building —- is there a connection? I mean when the characters get it, not me.
No pixellated progress on either story – I was in laundry and errands mode yesterday (also picked up 20 dollar worth of veg and fruit). TELL ONTIE MARY I HAVE AFTER MONTHS FINALLY PURCHASED ENVELOPES. One of the errands at Lougheed yesterday was a package of envelopes; I finally remembered. I REMEMBERED. I was kinda forced to pick up medications because I’m out. Whiiiich reminds me of other errands. Oh well. I love Burnaby Square Pharmacy and think the people who work there and run it are angels.
I don’t know if any brain fog has lifted but I feel clearer today than I have in ages and quite a bit less anxious. Wordle in 5 (it was a knotty one) and I haven’t done my Lumosity yet.
And my final bit of news. Peggy does pick up music jams around town these days and at one of them an elderly gentleman showed her a bass ukulele. She owned as how she has a friend who might be interested and I am now going to get it on loan. IT SOUNDS AWESOME as I checked it out at the last housefilk (Ohh I should thank Jasper for telling me about the person who makes custom badges because Beaky is going to get an embroidered badge, mOm!) but I have never seen strings on anything as weird as the ones on that instrument. I will be picking it up at some point to toy with. Apart from being a ring-tailed BEAR to tune (that bass note is just…. repugnant to tuners….) it’s adorable.
I need to make phone calls to loved ones today. I am in a good mood and not a cranky whinedrawers with a side of flounce. Even if I have three immense loads of laundry to put away (Jeff is in the background making the Morty face). My only final question to myself is if I am going to even bother getting dressed today.
The Morty face in question:
