glamping

So the Delica was wonderful to sleep in, thanks, after Mike sorted out the storage issues. He packed tent pegs, he swears he did, but he didn’t find them so the SUV tent extension never got put up. That hiccup aside, I got to camp:

In a new place (Sxótsaqel, Chilliwack Lake PP)

RIGHT ACROSS from the pit toilets, which were clean and unsmelly

Drank not a single whisper of anything alcoholic

Found out about recent generation camping equipment that’s most useful

with a cat and two dogs (Ninja, Zaya and Jasper)

with a raven flying through the woods

listened to the other people at the campsite play Mölkky which is a deranged Finnish version of skittles invented late last century

and three little chipmunks so we kept yelling for Alvin

with new people and old (Stephanie, the long term girlfriend of Erik (all camping trips should have a meltingly beautiful young couple to admire, she’s one of those women who without being too much into herself can put her hair into a messy bun in 1.5 seconds and then look gorgeous) and her beau Erik who instead of being Jarmo’s child at Baumfest, conspiring with Ville to lock me in an outhouse LOL LOL is in fourth year med school prepping to be a radiologist and who probably saw Tom on rounds when he was dying at RCH, and Päivi, whom I hadn’t seen in easily 15 years; and Samppa her oldest whom I hadn’t previously met and Matthias who turns out to be ANOTHER Finnish extraction med student. We got into the prolapses folks, it was intense, also hilarious)

Not having to prepare a single meal, cup of coffee, pack except for myself or do any driving. I wiped some stuff up, cleaned the small trash off the campsite, got the chairs out of the rain, that kind of thing; told stories and sang songs

—very nice gig frankly

With a view so intense that if you want to see the mountaintops through the trees you have to tip your head back

and a beautiful beach

and it’s only two hours from here, less if you maniac it down highway 1.

I have more notes and more details later, but I’m home, and happy and I can hardly wait to tell Katie about it but I bet she already knows about this campground. Maybe pics later if I can liberate them from Mike.

All hugs and kisses to Mike for underwriting basically everything

the atomization of english

I was laughing very circumspectly this morning (I went to bed at supper time and woke up at one, having missed my evening meds AGAIN) when someone on reddit autocorrected ‘arrangement’ into ‘arraignment’ and you have to admit that depending on the context that could be a typo for the ages.

Elon Musk (whom I refer to on twitter as zibethicus the dishfaced) is reconsidering buying twitter. That’s a nice way of saying that twitter shareholders, the regulators, and the banks holding Musk’s IOU are all getting itchy, plus he’s finding out that 5% the site is fucking bot accounts.

I am currently the proud recipient of 50x the average number of karma points on reddit. This is PROOF POSITIVE of a misspent decade trying to give advice and comfort to other women. Up until recently I bought karma points to give to other people but I quit doing that as being a ludicrous expense.

Fucking Israeli police were beating the shit out of mourners at Shireen’s funeral. THEY MADE THE PEOPLE CARRYING HER COFFIN DROP IT.  May they receive the recompense they are owed for their crimes.

HEY MAMA YOU TELL YOUR SIS THE FUCKING RUSSIANS STOLE ALL THE SCYTHIAN GOLD FROM THE MELITOPOL MUSEUM, YES, THE SCYTHIAN GOLD THAT SHE SAW IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM IN THE 80S I am so fucking mad right now I could blow up a tank with my mind

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Laundry and walk

I did laundry! I went for a walk in Fraser Foreshore! 14389.

The woods were full of leedle yellow birds. I am convinced that I saw a Wilson’s Warbler almost the instant we got to the park (it was flitting about in the shrubs below the stand of cottonwoods at the western end of the western parking lot) and the two of us were stunned by the joy of all the leedle birdies’ mingled songs; it was amazing. No eagles or herons; but ducklings and small birds. And someone left a hawk feather on the path…

It was a SUPER pleasant day in the park. Paul was in fine form. After we got back we all watched a Burn Notice and then when I stood up I put my back into a spasm and the pain was so bad I mistook it for a heart attack. I staggered out to the car and as soon as I sat down the spasm cleared and I realized it was referred pain. Total elapsed time less than 5 minutes.

I apologized most sincerely to Paul and Jeff (I won’t lie, the pain terrified me and I didn’t want to go to a hospital in the middle of the plague anyway). Now I feel fine. We’re going to do a shop this morning after Jeff does the trash.

I am so lucky I have people to look after me when I’m feeling crappy.  I really feel cared for and not everybody, not even close to everybody, gets that in this modern variable hellscape.

 

Hope to keep writing and doing laundry today

Also hoping to get out for a walk.

My new fan left five kudos overnight, sweet lady.

14187 on ‘Totally Boned’

I have lots of opinions on many subjects this morning but the major things on my mind are:

from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free

and no, it doesn’t rhyme in Arabic.

I mourn the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, murdered by IDF. State armies murdering journalists is so 21st century…

the 170K people in Mariupol who can’t get food in and can’t get people out

the way Russia keeps trying to arm up Snake Island and keeps getting punched in the nose

the way China continues to build up its military forces in a pretty obvious push to remove Taiwan from the list of democracies, plus how it’s arresting people in HK

Tony Hawk doing skateboard stuff in 1/6 G (in the vomit comet)

The fact that you’re expected as a disabled person in BC to get by – rent food etc on 1400 bucks a month. I COULDN’T DO IT. It terrifies me.

Doug Ford acting like he didn’t prepare for the debate yesterday. Autistic child waitlist for care and assessment has doubled on his watch. a thousand seniors died in care and his friends are still allowed to build care homes FUCK DOUG FORD thank you

Gove (who has previously admitted to cocaine use) appearing on UK breakfast television higher than Fearless Freep on cocaine in the same week that cocaine addicts complain about how the new five pound note will scratch your nose when you’re doing a bump and yet somehow Boris Johnson appears in public with a scratch on his nose and everybody in the UK from pundits to punters is going MMMMHHHMMMM could it be that the terrible performance of virtually every Tory minister??? …. naw, couldn’t be.

being sad about not seeing my grandkids for a while since people keep insisting on catching COVID

wondering if mOm and pOp still have the 1963 vinyl album “My Fellow Canadians”

a comment on a story

This was very sweet. ??

The story was ‘The Accidental Mr. Right’ which is one of my personal faves, so that’s delightful.

 

THEN from the same person, later, for a different story…

Cas deserved to hear ‘I love you’ more than any character ever created, I truly believe this. Thank you for this one.

Oh, she must be reading them in rapid succession now LOLOLOL, ‘CAUSE HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE

Have to say this one surprised me, lol Both dreams were…perfect.

 

and I wrote 837 words today on “Totally Boned”

THEREFORE: I am doing fine thank you as of this minute.

INTERIOR, DAY

ALLEGRA sashays downstairs to wait for the Indian food she ordered. SHE IS HUMMING

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Paul must be in the States again, I haven’t heard from him in a week. LATER – PAUL CALLED THIS AM, HE’S BACK.

There are two Disneys: a monster and a storyteller. There’s a monster of megatons of plastic garbage, not paying writers, harassing employees, gleeful racism, social control. The storyteller is a thieving panderer with catchy tunes. We forget the former to smile at the latter.

(the foregoing is my response to a tweet about ‘disney adults’.)

Breakfast was egg salad over regular salad with lashings of tea.

It’s raining AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN. All the dogwood flowers are turning brown so the beautiful shining elven tree now looks like dogs been crapping on it.

My mood is…. not great. But I’m writing and I’m safe and comfy at home, so I will do my absolute best not to make my mood someone else’s problem.

Buster trained hard this morning; I think I’m teaching him to give kisses but we’ll see. Maybe I’m just teaching him to transfer zoonotic illnesses.

 

gorgeous day

I suppose what I should have been doing was mowing the lawn, but if it’s not raining today that’s what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll put my two loads of laundry away LOL PROBS NO.

Tested negative for COVID again.

Putin didn’t mention victory in his victory speech. Nor did he mention nukes. Soft good traitor tyrant.

12623, I think the writing drain is unclogged and I should be able to go. It’s hard to match the 4000 word day I had earlier on this story, sigh, but at least I have all the protagonists herded into one place psychologically for their life changing phone call.

Katie called first thing yesterday and PULLED ME OUT OF THE BATHROOM and then we howled laughing, thinking ‘MY TODDLER NEVER LETS ME POO IN PEACE’ and how that just never changes because THEN WE PHONED OUR MoM and got her away from her exercises so she’s PUFF PUFF PUFF it’s so PUFF PUFF PUFF lovely to hear your – PUFF PUFF oh that’s better – voices.  Katie and I also breathed sad and mad at each other about RvW because what the fuck can you do.

I didn’t hear from Keith but I heard he was playing with Ryker when I Katie called and that was good enough for me. Later in the day, Tammy, bless her, called, and we had a good long chinwag. Trying to time the market is a hard and always potentially expensive game. Paul and I got lucky, is all. Toronto is not a good market right now.

I got amazing feedback about my ‘activism’ from back when I actually was an activist and not just a keyboard warrior yesterday and it was lovely. I’m not going to repost it but to remind myself in future, 1100 reddit karma points for my welcoming congregation post was COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED and I cried at some of the comments. REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT and in this case it was an asexual saying ‘thanks for making me feel seen’ and that was a moment that made me feel THIS IS WHAT I WANT FROM LIFE.

So now I suppose I need to be more of an activist. I’m doing what I can given that I never leave my rental. LOL.

I miss my filking buddies. This is the ‘other’ Jeffrey in my life, lol, and what a lovely man he is, married to an even lovelier person, Jeri Lynn (well she makes homemade raspberry soft candies that taste like a trip to the Hesperides so of course I like her better.) Jeffrey gave me his dulcimer capo, can you believe it? what a guy.

 

Camping trip!

Mike and I are going to go car camping next weekend, if all lines up (we’ll be self-testing before we go). So looking forward to it!!!

No progress on the writing. Very much enjoying the Burn Notice rewatch; Gabrielle Anwar is quite something as the volcanic Fiona Glenanne. And of course Bruce Campbell is just wonderful. I am now pronouncing the character of Michael Westen asexual – if one does, many of the things he does make a lot more sense.

 

creeping progress

12409 words (creeeeeeping)

Had an absolutely lovely and heartening phone convo with Sue, my friend from church. She has an ongoing part in a TV show here in town! which we had thought about watching but now we’re rethinking it. At least I am. An IMDb listing, good golly y’all. I’m sure she’s fantastic. Also the entire series is CRAWLING with Stargate series alumni, I was snorting at the cast list, Paul McGillion makes an appearance.

We spoke of many things. Renee Spakowski passed. She was a truly amazing person and a really good organizer. I knew about Jean Donaldson passing away. Other people from church have died, and I haven’t been making phone calls because I’ve been very wrapped up in myself.

I told her about my spot in Guest 23 magazine (thanks to Dave, being the editor lol) and she was very kind about the poem I read at Tom’s memorial service. She said that in the first few lines the congregation knew where they were and what was happening and I said all I wanted to do was write something honest that other people could relate to and she said I succeeded. That was good.

And we talked about R v W and we talked about the state of the world and we talked about what happens when you have to end a friendship and so I talked about the friendship that I had to end and how years and years later I’m still so SORE about it, because it’s a personal failure, or so I feel. But one sets boundaries and tries to live accordingly, and it’s damned hard.

and she asked me about Ryker the wonderbaby

Allegra and Ryker aged 4 months
GRANDMA AND RYKER

I send morning greetings, hope you are all doing well today!

Suzanne was here

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Suzanne was falsely arrested this past week but released (it’s her story to tell but I nearly died of fright as she was recounting it AND FUCK THE POLICE MOST SPECIFICALLY THE RCMP) and one of her ex boyfriends passed away living rough (grandson Alex’s dad told her, otherwise she wouldn’t know, and they’re going to the memorial tomorrow) and I’ve never felt my privilege so hard. I want nothing but good for her and life is not providing it.

At least the fucking cops didn’t confiscate the gummies I gave her because they were excise stamped.

Tiny bit of writing last night, still balking at the convo. Maybe I should just write something bad and get it out of the way.

 

 

 

May the fourth be with you

May the eighth is more important though. That’s when there’s supposed to be a Mother’s Day Strike in the US for abortion rights.

I am still extremely upset and weighted down about Roe v Wade. Abortion rights are under attack in Canada too. Until just a few years ago there were no abortion providers in PEI, and in NB you have to drive TWO HOURS FROM THE CAPITAL OF THE PROVINCE to get care.

Don’t be fooled. They’re coming for us.