Author: Allegra

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

Quelle Journee

I really DID NOT want to go to church today, but I decided, since I had booked the car, that I might as well run the errands and go to church as planned (actually, I didn’t even want to leave the apartment – but I’ve realized that this way lies madness).

SO.

First I get the trip logs out of the two cars at SFU. Then I go to church and cough up my pledge (and a mighty big hairball it was, too, and I still owe for last year). Then I go to Long & McQuade out by the Port Mann, and it’s closed. Then I go to the liquor store on Lougheed that’s open on Sundays and learn (yeep yeep yeep) that Winter Ale is BACK. I will leave it in the fridge for my return from Santo Domingo. Then I realize there is a Tom Lee (OPEN) on Barnet and poke my head in and leave poorer but with lots more mando stuff and a thingy that will allow me to put a strap on my guitar… and I bought a strap, too.

Then off to West Broadway to pick up travel stuff for the trip (inflatable cushions for the long damned trip, packs to hide passports in, Spanish phrase book, Lonely Planet Dominican Republic), then I dropped the trip logs off at CAN at Granville and Hastings, then I went home along Hastings and realize that I still haven’t ordered daughter Katie’s other other other birthday present, which is the complete Strangers in Paradise. They had 2, so I picked it up, and order the other trades 1 through 6. Came home to find some asshat had parked in my spot and had to put the Prius underground. Grr. Anyway, twas a busy day of much expenditure.

My flabs in zero g

Well, not exactly.

Smell for comfort. 

I may have posted this already, but it’s still funny.

V. cool pic of deep sea urchins.

Human reproduction sure can be odd. 

Will Allegra stop providing links to articles about the collapse of the Yankee dollar?  Sadly, no.

Math Song Finite Simple Group of Order Two. 

More Heroes

Portentous voiceovers.  Black Hawk Down style soundtrack.  Comic book sensibility.  Really crappy attempt to make a back lot look like India.  (v. disappointing for somebody from Vancouver…)

And yet I am up to episode six.

Death in the family

Cousin Rawd passed away yesterday.  My mother writes,

Rawd died at noon today.  He had been in the hospital palliative care unit since Thursday and Graeme had hoped to get him home Friday.  He was so tired, Graeme said; he had no fight left in him.  Graeme said it has been grim the past few months, with Rawd fighting so hard, and day by day failing.  He was conscious and alert until the last few minutes.  Graeme was with him.

Graeme and Rawd were the first gay couple to marry in my family.  They are the most gentle, courteous and intelligent people; Rawd was a pillar of his profession in Saskatchewan; he fought the cancer with humour, wit and an abiding courage that has served as an example to the rest of us as we have been personally tested by this same scourge.  I’m crying as I write this, because I have one luminous memory of Rawd; he came to Pride Day in Vancouver two years ago, and he was SO happy to be among friends and participating.  Even then he was quite frail and ill, but I’ve never seen anyone so lit from within. 

I hope that genealogy programs change to accommodate gay and lesbian marriages. 

And today is All Souls. 

 

Fireworks

Katie K had a bag of fireworks, so I dropped by her place last night, and in the pile of dirt conveniently left behind her place by the construction of the ‘group of Seven themed condos next door which has displaced one of the largest crow rookeries in BC”, we set them off.  Then when I got up this morning there was a facebook question asking my first memory… which was fireworks.  About some things, anyway, I am consistent.

Watched the first episode of Heroes last night.  I am looking forward to seeing the rest of it.