got up at four

Made tomato lentil soup. Very tasty; zero fat and hardly any salt nonetheless.

Paul’s about to come over and take me to Fraser Foreshore before it gets too hot.

About sixty words of infill on previously existing projects. I have so much work ahead of me to massage the mss into shape it’s quite vexxing.

Put down more ant traps, the ants are back in sheeting hordes.

Cedar Isle Farm reports the harvest:

Barley – not good, sadly

Wheat – both hard and soft, excellent quality and yield

Oats – OH YEAH BABY

Rye – much better than anticipated

This has been your community supported agriculture report.

 

Paul ate lentil soup, iced tea and pecan-apricot chocolate mascarpone salad.

middle of the day

Katie took a break in the middle of the work day yesterday to take my phone call because I think it’s safe to say that I’m concerned for her mental welfare at the moment and we had a rudely long call (as far as her employers are concerned) but she was already in an office so there weren’t any big ears and we could just hang.

Some parts of the conversation were incredibly painful, the stuff that you just don’t put on social media because of how it plays out over time, because of who might be affected adversely, because of who might cruelly take advantage of it. But I have to say that overall, given her circumstances, Katie is doing the correct things in the correct order and Keith and Paul are being supportive and (relatively) non-judgemental. Things aren’t great but they aren’t critical, and the baby is fine as far as any of us know. And now I’m going to post this before I say something I shouldn’t.

I’m spending an awful lot of time thinking about Honey on the Moon/Best Roommate in the World without actually writing and now I’m thinking I want to rewrite it so it’s a much slower slow burn.

Phone came home

Mike dropped by briefly and gave me a 3d printed tentacle hook. Also dropped off the non phone phone Jeff loaned me that I forgot over at his place (which he charged, thank heavens)

tentacle comme ça

I don’t really know how to describe the mood I’m in. I’m not sad, I’m not happy, I’m not depressed. I just feel blank.

kMike has moved out of Caspell Junction. I am sad about this but it is none of my business.

better and still okay

Things are calmer, but they will be sadder again yet, so waiting is. Katie’s doing better.

Talked to Jeff and we’ll be hiring housekeeping help on a trial basis.

Jeff got me a medium coffee and some donuts, thank you, and then we watched a “Tim Team” which is traditional.

It seems possible, perhaps likely, that the ant problem is going to taper off and stop.

Buster was excited as hell about the rain. He went in and out three times and yelled about the rain just as loud the third time as the first time. He trained this morning as well, although he was hard to settle, so excited about RAIN mom. Let us pause and bless the life giving rain, present for the first time in 46 days.

The floor is shaking in a very SF sort of way, must be Elite Dangerous.

sad but okay

I had a very long talk with Katie last night, got caught up on what’s going on with her and her s/o, and it’s not my story to tell, so I won’t. But I’m sad.

I feel compassion for everyone involved, but I’m going to centre Katie for the time being.

Love each other while you can,

Soon we’ll go and have our fun on Bowen Island, and after that, Victoria to see the grands.

hanging with Susana Ville and Jarmo and Sauna and Mike

In the morning on Sunday Alex and Katie took us out to IHOP. Then at four we were off for Hastings Sauna – I respected my blood pressure and only went in for about fifteen minutes. Mostly we talked. The manager fell on Mike’s neck like he was hoping he’d reinvigorate the business single handed. (In the meantime, we’re plotting our next trip to the JJ Korean spa in Coquitlam) and Jarmo offered me a peach Bubly which was nice.

Earl’s on Lougheed afterward for a celebratory meal. I would NOT have ordered the second most expensive entree on the menu if I’d had any idea Jarmo would pay for it, but that’s the kind of friends I have and I had been daydreaming about surf and turf for a very long time. It was fantastic. Seriously. Best restaurant meal I’ve had in ages, and despite being on the Lougheed highway side of the building it was cool and deliciously quiet.

Then hugs while the folks drive back to Chilliwack where they live now, and hanging out at Mike’s for the evening (congee and garlic shrimps for brekky), plus body work and the first three episodes of Loki (also got to listen to Mike work his way through Kane’s theme in Skyrim which is always a treat) and THEN he three Dee printed me some pick holders for my ukelele and my other guitar. Consider all that and wonder not why I follow that man around like an awkward pupdog.

Then we walked back here, split up and I came home and rehydrated because it was berloody hot out there and I thought I was going to have a heart attack for a while there, and Mike went to Oliver Twist and bought a Steamworks party pack and some munchies. We then watched two movies (Jolt and Boss Level) with Jeff and Mike walked home.

Birthday

Jeff’s Bday celebration yesterday. We had an untroubled day at home (after a small shop) and went walking with the king. Buster was SO HAPPY to spend a couple of hours on the deck with us.

Today me and Mike and Jarmo and Susana are going to go to Hastings Sauna and then I’m going to hang out over at Mike’s. This is like THE MOST SOCIAL INTERACTION Mike has had in many long months, I imagine he’ll be practically giddy. I know seeing the Dalai Jarmo is going to make me giddy, and I will definitely talk to Susana, which given that she runs an LTC in BC means that I’ll be getting a ground zero response story to COVID over the last 18 months. There’s also family stuff going on in the background which won’t make it to the blog but is distinctly and prayerfully on my mind.

Load of laundry is on.

I cut about six inches off my hair, but not evenly, so now I look like even more subsistence than usual.

My new crown aches almost all the time. I sure wish it didn’t, at least it’s not keeping me awake as much. It got bashed around quite a lot and I guess it’s still sore.