Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

MOA and not being here

Went to the Museum of Anthropology yesterday.  Spent some time looking at the outdoor exhibits and wandering around in the weak spring sunshine which seemed to get as far as Boundary Road, but it never really got sunny in Burnaby yesterday.

I just got accused of being pseudonymous.  Colin reposted my “Parking Goddess” monograph from 1993, and one of the responses was that even though I’m googlable and have an eponymous website, that proves nothing.

That son of a bits wants me to give up blogging entirely, and I may oblige him.  What’s the point of blogging virtually every day for five years only to have some asshat not believe in your existence.  I am so mad I could spit.

Give me a frakking break you asshats!!!!

Okay, thanks to the incompetence being shown by the cops and the Crown in Victoria (and no, I’m not talking about it on my blog because I don’t have permission to) I FnCKING HATE the cops and their apologists in the halls of the legislature of BC –  and everything to do with them right now.  But this latest is FnCKING OUTRAGEOUS.  They are hiding it in an omnibus bill.  The BC government wants to END mandatory inquests into deaths in custody.

Get off your asses and protest.  If you think that giving cops a licence to kill teenagers, immigrants and First Nations people, and that the right of the government to appoint a retired cop as Chief Coroner, makes BC a better place to live, you can go back to sleep now.

Happy Easter

Well do I remember John’s voice coming up the stairs, “Happy Crucifiction Day!”  Yes, I misspelled it.  Lady Miss Banjola warning, do not look at this baby bird. This kill it with fire baby bird.

I had a completely useless day at work yesterday.  I felt like I had spring fever, Alzheimers and an incipient migraine all at the same time.

Keith and Kate were both over last night, and it was wonderful to have them around.  Especially Katie; she’s having an unusual time adjusting to being Dax-free at the same time she’s still living with one of his family members.  I know it can’t last, and so does she; but the problem is she’s in better shape and happier than she’s been since she was in her early teens, getting enough exercise and eating properly (she’s lost ten pounds she didn’t need and looks awesome).  We watched Milk and it was awesome.

Watching Gizmo fade

Katie petted him last night and he lost his balance (she wasn’t roughhousing).  Today Jeff’s coaxing him with tuna.  Paul pets Gizmo every chance he gets, considering him a Most Superior Feline.  But even though he’s still going out and still using the litter pan and still (with some reluctance) eating, he’s not well.  Margot is less rambunctious with him.  Eddie smells him and then sits back, with the cat equivalent of a frown on his face.  And then I read this article, and it’s pretty obvious to me why vets have a high suicide rate.

no foolin’

It’s April Fools Day.  I am so tempted to go to work in my superhero cape, but that’s not gonna happen.

Church meeting last night; Rev Katie brought warm hot cross buns.  Like, she had just taken them from the oven at home. All this – and she cooks too.  Good meeting.  Margot came in at one point and played with Rev Katie’s shoelaces.

I have to say I am looking forward to the weekend.  I will collapse on Friday, go canoeing if the weather cooperates on Saturday, and then church and practicing instruments on Sunday.  And at some point, digging; the garden isn’t dug out yet. Tom says I’ll definitely need a mattock to get the worst of the tree roots out.

PS, one of the reasons I like Henry Rollins.

Lighting candles and waiting for beer

I bring both joys and concern to my virtual table of candles.  For the people of Chile and Haiti, strength for the reconstruction.  For Patricia, who will be attending a family funeral, a candle in hope that the sight of much loved faces will be of some comfort.  I light candles of thanks and praise for the folks who have been helping me along as I deal with this last bout of hormonally triggered sadness.  I light a candle for Margot, who has been a bright, if furry, spot in the overcast.  For work, a lighter heart and patience. For home, some inspiration about cooking.  I come home and stare blankly at the cupboard, which is tiresome.  For Gizmo, a peaceful journey as he prepares for the trip across the Rainbow Bridge.  For Jeff, a good trip to Victoria.

Easter is my least favourite holiday.  Easter is often a big drama for me, threats, cars dying at the side of wintry highways, getting dumped…. I light a candle for a peaceful Easter.

On the lighter side, I wants me some, if only for the bottle.

Orange you glad there’s a baby

This is kind of jamming two things together.  After a lot of days of being sludgy and unsociable, I got out to no fewer than four social / hobby outings this weekend, not counting church, which I skipped.  After I got back from lunch, Jerome called and I went to see him and the babby (Braden) who is a busy boy.  Shannon was out so it was just the two of them.  We got in a walk and a lot of playing with Braden, who is just at the stage where the pushing backwards crawl converts to the marine crawl, and it was SO good to see both of them.  So much blonde hair, such big bright blue eyes on the little one.  He decided not to ‘like’ me, but he was okay with me; I let him completely wake up from his nap before I started holding him, and anytime I was holding him I made sure he could see his papa.  Chill Monkeys, look out!  I’ve got a lad to be spending money on now.

Then I went out to the first REAL rehearsal of Orange You Glad, the all women mostly a capella group (I got to be the guitarist, which tells you all you need to know about the instrumental skill level) and myself, Angel, Candace and Jessica worked our way through Ring of Fire, Bird on a Wire, Orphan Girl and a lot of laughs.

Then I came home, thought about putting away my laundry and collapsed in front of a S3 BSG instead.  Tahmoh Penikett is one of the nicest looking men who ever lived.  His jaw is so VERY square cut, and his frame so very, uh, masculine.

Where’s the rat???

I bailed on church… fifteen minutes before I had to leave I got a message on the wind telling me to stay put and await developments.  Developments were more or less immediate…. ScaryClown and then Keith phoned, so my posse and I ate brunch at the Heritage.  Yummy as usual… ran into Glenn from church so that was all very recursive.  Anyway, as Jeff and I were on our way out the door we noted a dead rat on the back deck – young, headless and male – and as we came back in, no rat.

So, where the heck is it?  We may not know until it starts to smell.  The joys of having a cat door.

Gizmo is getting sicker and sicker, but he has good days and bad days, and as today had some rat in it, it’s probably a good day by cat standards.  Jeff will update with a post in due course.

Jeff has taken to calling me Miss Organized.  He is being sarcastic.  I think I’m doing okay considering how tired and sad I am most of the time these days, but I really shouldn’t have left the chicken out of the fridge.  Point taken…

Singing and playing

Last night I got to sing and play with Cindy (all three kids in tow), Tom and Peggy.  I prepped the salad but everything else hit the table without my assistance.  Paul turned up but he had to leave to work; he stood patiently by the barbecue and got food happening but didn’t really have a chance to interact much. Laura from church was there for a meeting when I got there and I told her about the overgrown adventure playground at the SFU campus and now I’m trying to figure out how to mark up a map for her.

It was a lovely evening and Cindy gave me a ride home at some ridiculous hour.  Now I am going to stir my stumps and get to church.

Cindy’s son has a beautiful new ukelele.