Lazy Day

While Paul was here I handed him the phone and a beer. It was delightful to see how much he enjoyed talking to mOm, and mOm has long considered him a worthy in-law.

We took two turns around the 12th Ave School circuit and sat in the shade and watched a number of people not wear masks. I wore a mask anyway, the one to support the Vancouver Aquarium, which has turned into my go to mask because it fits well and is comfy.

 

I had a couple of days, most of a week, of feeling much better, but I’m feeling very jaded and unhopeful at the moment. I despise Trump and all of his minions and supporters so much, but I guess there’re historical precedents for an entire culture of people being so convinced of their superiority that a devastating war is the only way to slow them down.

Buster trained twice yesterday with vigour. Then he flops on the floor and looks cute. Yes Jeff he got his Sunday dinner.

Saved seeds yesterday. Practiced. Watched some TV but not a lot. Watered the garden. Fed a friend. Made soup. Cleaned a few things. Finally used up that cabbage head which has been unprofitably rolling around the fridge, and made fried cabbage with onions and chunks of steak. Only added half a teaspoon of salt as seasoning, but damn it was good, and that was dinner. Also phoned Mike to tell him there’s some really good soooooop waiting for him here.

BRIEF wildlife encounter

If I remember to get a camera, I’m not in the moment, so this is unrecorded in video.

Small brown bird, dapper despite being distressed, greets me by flying through my hair as I go into the media room. I set everything down (I was carrying NOT ONE BUT TWO ARRAYS OF HOT LIQUID GAWDAM AND IT WASN’T EVEN FIVE AM AND I’D ALREADY ALMOST WIPED OUT IN THE BATHROOM) after congratulating myself at not tossing the entire array at the ceiling with an unhinged scream, and considered my options.

While the bird flew pretty much nonstop across the room, NEVER CHEEPING or making any sound not associated with flying, I turned the light behind the TV off and the room light on. That accomplished, I turned on the light into the games room and turned the room light off. The bird obligingly flew into the lit room, whereupon I closed the door, which was the first point at which I could be guaranteed that the bird would not fly up the stairs, into Jeff’s room, and shit on his head as a conversation starter.

And then THE JAPANESE NOREN that has scowled across our living space from various doorways ever since mOm gave it to John in the mists of time BALKED THE CRITTER. It couldn’t fly under it and instead it perched on it – repeatedly, glaring at me.

Talking and moving slowly and carefully, I remonstrated with the bird. “Sister – the door is that way!”

I opened the back door and folded back the noren so the bird could get through the second-last door, and then, scant inches from the open door, the bird communed with my laundry and went all Disney like it didn’t want to leave.

“You may not nest in my underwear, there is a cat in this house, which you already know, dumdum.”

I advanced on the bird and it flew off into the morning twilight. I closed the door and thought, “I didn’t take pictures. I didn’t try to catch it. I just tried to find the fastest way to get our unintended guest out of the house.”

Now I have told you what happened. I supposed one morning I’ll come downstairs and there’s a raccoon going through the trash and then you’ll really hear me screech.

Wednesday I’m floating

It is possible I’m working on a new song. It’s sometimes hard to tell. Otto is the enabler this time.

Made three pots of tea this morning; two for iced tea and one for the morning cuppa.

Talked to Mike on Skype last night HE WAS EATING, the BUM, and I got so hungry, watching him.

Went for a brief walk with Paul yesterday then hung out with him for a while on the deck.

Buster has been very lazy; he has no inclination to train these days, he just wants scritches.

productive day

I don’t know what’s wrong with this woman but I bet it’s hard to pronounce.


Mural at Big O Tires on Edmonds, now closed, so this mural will probably vanish. Alex loves the Cars franchise so we drive by it with him in the car every chance we get.

I had brekky with Jeff, went for a walk, picked up my guitar stand hardware, got a case for the ukulele, and got my bloodwork and urinalysis sorted. Also, my orthotics are in and I may be able to push up the fitting appointment.

On today’s date at around this time 34 years ago, I went into labour with Keith, and my life got better. He was a really cooperative family member right from the beginning, and with his bright hazel eyes and his ready smile, a real looker, too. (Women, especially, sighed over his beauty.) He has grown to man’s estate with a keen mind and a relatively tender heart, and he loves and loved his grandparents and great grandparents, so I think Paul and I did okay.

I could wish I hadn’t brought him into this particular world with its problems, but I suspect he’ll surprise us all.

accomplished

Took Jeff out for breakfast (a treat), talked to my doc on the phone and got a requisition for blood and urine work (that’ll be Monday, I guess) and drove in rush hour traffic to the pedorthist and got underway for new orthotics.

Allegra presents with a history of custom orthotic use and requires an update. She is significantly overpronated left>right with hindfoot valgus, medial ankle shift and forefoot abduction. Custom orthotics will help realign the hindfoot and control overpronation. Supportive footwear with a stiff heel counter are recommended.

Translation: the top of of my right foot hurts like a mofo, my left ankle bulges in when I walk on the inside like it’s going to just collapse, my left great toe joint is really stressed and I should never not wear orthotics when I’m upright evar again.

I think it’s possible some more grit came down the pipe this morning.

Then I had a simply splendid night of sleep only to wake up with something moving shit around in the yard. Sadly I had to stop in the john before I went out on the deck and by the time I’d finished washing my hands whatever it was had scarpered.

I’ve donated money to Pivot in the past. Herewith, some success.

So I’m actually feeling like I pushed that peanut today.

 

Off to Planet Bachelor today

Going to go love on my pipples for a while, this afternoon. I will need a walk so I’m planning on walking over. (later…. not so much, I think I’m working on cystitis or a kidney stone.  Katie is going to drop by later but it’s 10 am and I’m going back to rest.) also thanks to Jeff for being supportive

Trump, trumpity trump I don’t feel sorry for him at all.

Korean pop fans, who for whatever reason have decided to throw their likes behind Black Lives Matter (k-pop is SUPA problematic about cultural appropriation re contemporary black music, but the fans are pure uwu softness) (uwu is emoji talk for ‘cute’ as in HF MY PANCREAS DONE GOT EXPLODEY), reserved a million tickets for Trump’s rally and then because even the GOP voters in Tulsa fitfully experience self-preservation instincts, only 19K showed up.

This morning the feeds are full of the names of bands that got more people into that arena – paying bums in seats – than Trump did. How freude was my schaden.

Also in my feed this morning; antifa rescused a person being pressed to the ground by a single riot policeman with one of the most sincerely launched flying kicks I’ve ever seen. Antifa one, cop sent flying.

San Diego sent TWO THOUSAND youths on skateboards down one of the main drags; full props to whoever managed to do that WHILE HOLDING A HUGE SIGN.

Spoke to Jan and Jim yesterday…. how good to hear their voices.

 

 

 

lol

Jeff rumbling at the screen during a documentary, “Get him in therapy.”

My day is complete.

So I should probably do something incredible with it, everything else will be a bonus.

I’ve been looking around, and thinking about something Jeff said earlier. When I scan through the interwebs to see what settlers are doing about racism in their own minds there are divisions visible to me.

One small cohort wishes to explore through an emotional, not analytical approach, understanding the injustice and the appropriateness of a continued resistance to racism and its personal and institutional benefits to settlers.

Another just wants to know what the new rules are so they can avoid sounding racist in daily speech since it’s tiresome to get called out on it. Most of these people use the words ‘political correctness run amuck’ which enh, isn’t a good look, when they complain publicly about how it’s impossible to keep track of all these changes in the world.

Some people are born activists.

& some go la la la.

much more chipper

I have definitely turned the corner. Strangely, this improvement may coincide to going back to sleeping under a weighted blanket (I was using my battered old ‘white’ duvet instead) but I definitely sleep sounder.  I’m also taking a slightly different path on pain management, so I hope my activity level will naturally rise in consequence.

Weather continues not great. This week the temp isn’t supposed to crawl much above 20 and we’ll get a little bit of sun, but June-uary continueth.

Jeff and I went for a lovely social distancing walk in the rain yesterday at 12th Avenue school grounds; wasn’t a soul else on the grounds and I wore my shield instead of my mask. Jeff, since he didn’t actually encounter anyone else, went mask-free. It’s very nice to be outside without a mask.

Watched a fair amount of our current range of TV yesterday; Castle S2, Time Team 1999, Vera S5, New Tricks and Jeff’s started watching Elementary, which I sat in on and proved quite entertaining.

Seven people arrested at the Viaduct BLM demo yesterday; Twitter wants white people down at CRAB park. CRAB park is where the homeless encampment moved to and fictionally it’s where George and a couple of his children are when the earthquake strikes.

 

this n that n this

Image

Another bad day for me yesterday, spent a lot of time sleeping. Weather AGAIN is atrocious, will it ever be summer?

Couple of loads of laundry, made some banana bread which as far as I can tell got demolished over the Castle and Time Teams we watched yesterday. LET’S JUST EAT BANANA BREAD AND IGNORE THE SHIT SHOW of american cities catching fire because the cops are assholes

WE MUST GO WALKING TODAY we need to get out the house.

as good a day as

at 5 am I walked the face shields over to Planet Bachelor and briefly saw our grandson (Paul got up to take a leak while I was there staggering across the eye like a zombie in the background, grunting at my greeting) and Katie, who gave me the joy of her company for a brief moment, and a lift home. Raining off and on all day.

Around 10 am Jeff and I trekked out and committed 6 WHOLE ERRANDS – me in medical mask and face shield, Jeff in his homemade mask; Shoppers Drug Mart, The eyecare place, Kin’s Farm Market, the bank machine in the Colonial City Mall, gas and treats at the 7-11. We parted ways to increase efficiency and achieved our goals in very smart order, retreating to the joys of Time Team and New Tricks, among other TV offerings, and things like laundry and dishes and making a lovely fresh salad and bringing new guys up to speed on the old server, for the rest of day. Cold chicken sliced over salad with a side of fresh corn on the cob for dinner.

It was a productive day, and the anxiety level in the house is way down.

I know that it is ludicrous that I feel safer walking around with a facemask but I really do. I’m shedding 95 percent less crap when I do, and I’m definitely less of a danger to the people around me, even if they look appalled and give me a wide berth as I pass. I’m going to double up whenever I go out now.

Miss Margot with a flicker feather in her fur

Geezer Dome

TWO GEEZERS ENTER

First Geezer says, “I’m not quite sure why I’m here. Can I leave yet?”

Second Geezer says, “I thought I knew why I was here, I was hoping I could figure it out from context once I got here!”

First Geezer says, “Perhaps we should repair to the closest tea shop and consider our options.”

Second Geezer says, “All these people look like they’re expecting us to fight.”

CROWD ROARS IN A SINGULARLY UNPLEASANT BLOODSPORT SORT OF WAY

First Geezer says, “Maybe we can fight in Algebra.”

Second Geezer says, “I’d prefer to fight hypothetically.”

First Geezer says, “Still holding out for tea.”

Second Geezer links arms with First Geezer, “Now I remember, I wanted to tell you there are now TWO slugs on the downstairs bathroom floor, carefully watched over by a spider!”

EXEUNT BOTH WHILE CROWD BOOS

mask making

I assembled all of my materials for mask making; I made nose pieces for 7 masks out of available materials; I ironed the fabric; I ceased operations because I realized I literally do not have the coping capacity to wind a frickin’ bobbin. Heavy sigh. Tomorrow morning I promise it will start again.

I washed and folded hand towels today and made coffee.

I worked on a tune and read fanfic.

I am so fucking terrified

I am having trouble marshalling my thoughts and I’m having a hard time telling my physical from my emotional sensations.

I don’t want to leave the house, but we’re going to go shopping.

I don’t want to make someone else sick. The winnowing fan hasn’t come close yet and I don’t want it to. I want to walk a golden path through this because I deserve it. I want to catch it to burn off my sins. I want to catch it to spare ones that I love, as if the virus knows that kind of math.

The math of dreams and denial; the math of a sick thought burning a furrow through my nerves.

I need sugar, and flour, and toilet paper, and I don’t know what we’re going to find at the store.

 

8:23 am – we shopped during the old people’s hour, and it was okay, but there is no sugar, no flour and no toilet paper.

from the Nib today…. this