I’m trying not to overthink things, but I really have had several good days in a row. Today was another of them. I started out chasing down donations for Rotary and was very blessed to bring in an emerald level sponsorship. It was a rainy kind of morning, but even that made me happy because I got to wear my minion raincoat that I got in California last year Rotary lunch was very interesting. The speaker was Jason Wheeldon, local longtime realtor, who gave a lot of housing statistics and trends, and it was quite fascinating.
Dave Williams
The afternoon was once again pretty productive at the office. I do like March. It’s one of those months where I can just catch up on things and make people happy which means I am not grumpy. Also, a good thing.
I had a 4 o’clock appointment at the travel vaccine clinic to get my final booster for my hepatitis B and that one’s good for 20 years. Most of my others are good for another 10 so that should pretty much cover off my travel years.
Next was Encore for friends with benefits gathering at five. I texted Rae that I was there early for friends with benefits. A while later, she came out of her office and said oh you’re here early and I looked at her strange but didn’t realize for some time that I had accidentally texted the client that I was there early for friends with benefits. They responded with a.’What????’ I was nearly crying. I was giggling so hard when I realized my mistake and I’m grateful that this client is a friend and will laugh about it.
I signed up for trivia night with the usual suspects and then ran off 20 minutes into it to get a haircut with Karissa and came back to play the last couple of rounds and once again we came in second. As I was leaving this lovely gentleman of my era with a delicious accent asked if I would be back next week and I told him that I thought I would be and got a big smile in return. I’m curious what that was all about….
I had meant to be caught off guard by the snow on the ground when I woke up this morning I had hopes that we were done with that although it’s not a surprise it is often snow even in April and it didn’t really stick around so that’s a good thing. What did happen was the barometer had changed enough to cause two things, a low-grade, trying to become something, migraine and an aching ankle. I have a feeling I’m going to become that person now. Remember the old guy with a I can feel the weather is changing. I can feel it in my knees. I can feel it in my toes. Sigh, I can feel it in my ankle.
I enjoyed today at work. I worked on things that give me satisfaction for people who appreciate me and that is a good combination. I took time to virtually attend the chamber AGM as well.
I ran out in the afternoon for my optometrist appointment to find that my eyes are very healthy inside. My prescription is not changed for the second annual appointment in a row, which may be a record and she is going to refer me to the specialist in town for surgery on my eyelids. They are quite hooded and bothersome, making me feel rather stoned and tired all the time now and because they are affecting my health it will be covered by our medical service plan. I did find it rather amusing that at 61 I now have implants.(in my ankle.) and I’m about to have my first plastic surgery as much as the idea of surgery on my eyes freaks me out. I look forward to the difference it will make.
After work, I was to meet Paul and Laura for wing night at Fenwick & baker so I went a little bit early and hung out with Dave for a bit. We had good conversations about ideas for his store and ideas for the donation of Rotary in general. I feel respected conversations which have been hard to come by lately.
I had such a nice dinner with Paul and Laura and good conversation as usual, but it was also nice to just get home and curl up and watch Survivor
I know it’s odd, but I don’t eat burgers most of the rest of the year and here I am eating them nearly every single day right now. after a long day at work I headed to the Heid-out, but there was no parking for way too long of an amount for me to walk so I went to Fenwick & baker. I ended up having a delicious burger, a lovely visit with Codey at the bar and Robbie, the bartender and a few other others that I knew and it made it all worthwhile . I had a great catch up with Keon about his trip to Vegas and we established clearly that he needed to use Marnée’s magical tours for that trip and he didn’t do any of the truly fun things in the whole week that he was there. It made me once again, want to take people on tours or hook them up for their vacations.
I did a bunch of errands this morning before heading to the office, including picking up mom’s pills and taking them to her and having a nice little visit and going to winners to find a barrel to make a cardboard out of for my donation to Rotary. There were no small ones left, but I hit the big time with a beautiful lazy season, but I can’t wait to turn into something beautiful with the help of Chris Marie who runs the laser cutter.
Long day of data entry and reconciling. By 7:30 I was starving so I headed to Boston Pizza for Burger month. I was literally shaking by the time I got my Perogy Chicken Burger and Caesar salad. Skimmerhorn was on special so I got my whole delicious meal for 31.57 including tip. The food was good, the service was good and I got another chapter of my book read. They have cool new charger stations.
I am now enjoying Running Point, a good series on Netflix, with Kate Hudson.
A good sleep, a long cbd bath, a few chores, 3 losses to Mark in Outsmarted, finished The Bear, watched Nice Guys which I’m pretty sure I’ve already seen, and I am glad the wind has calmed down.
I had a good sleep and woke up with no intention of going anywhere. I made coffee and sat in my chair and started watching my shows did a few little chores and relaxed again and then I was scrolling Facebook when I saw a post by Kristen reminding me that I had wanted to go to the Opening at the gallery today it was already an hour well into it and so I got myself ready and headed there. I am so glad I did. I know what it feels like when people you know come out and support the things that you do and I also know what it feels like when they don’t so to be able to go to a show where I saw the artwork of two of my friends and to see them in person and to have wonderful conversations with artists and creators and watch demonstrations of felt art and wet felt forming and other things that I can’t even completely explain, but I took some cool pictures and it was soul filling.
I did buy a two dollar clearance incense holder with cute little package of incense and a gorgeous piece that Kristen made which I can’t get until the show is over at the end of April but it’s even called ‘Oooh so shiny’. it seriously called my name and one of my favourite things is to have art around me that I know the people who made it. We need to support the people that make beautiful things that bring us joy.
One of the demonstrators was Mary who does wet felting and I was so traced by her tea light holders that she made that I wanted to buy them, but she wasn’t selling them and I said, but if you were to make a couple that I could buy from you I would I would buy them and she just gave me two of them. Although I may be spoiling the surprise, my plan is to send one of them off to my friend Linda in England and then we can both have a beautiful piece of art and think of each other when they’re lit up. it is so lightweight and I can flatten it and mail easily. Mary even did a little video for me telling how to Restore it once it gets there.
After the show, I stopped at Encore to pick up a couple of my friends with benefits crawlers. It was crazy busy in there so there was not a chance I was sticking around instead. I decide to go to ABC country restaurant and try their burger for burger month. There was no one there and it was so peaceful. I read my book, enjoyed a Caesar, and the burger was excellent. My favourite one so far I think. Eventually, some people came in, but I sat there for an hour and a half or two just reading my book and enjoying being out.
Once home, I did all those chores that I normally do on Sunday, taking out the garbage changing the litter box, change my bed, doing the laundry, changing over the dishwasher, all those things. It was really quite a productive hour or so and then I’ve been watching my weird little guilty pleasure Highway Thru Hell ever since. it feels like tomorrow is a bonus day now, but I suspect I will get even more things done.
I had decided to take today off, but I was awake at 6:30 so after relaxing for a bit, I decided I might as well go into the office and deal with all the email that were coming in. I ended up being there for a good part of the day and actually got a lot of things done, which clears the list and relieves the tension I did take my recycling and even found out that I can recycle electronics at Staples so I dropped off an old printer and a couple of keyboards. They just had me sign the paper, knowing that I will not be able to get them back and that’s awesome After that, I went to Canadian Tire to buy batteries and a new corn broom, and with the gift card that I was given for Christmas and the points that I had (Canadian Tire money), I ended up only paying $6.71 for two big packages of batteries, a very good broom and a bottle of flavouring for my soda stream. Pretty good deal, all in all
Next stop was Encore for a burger month burger on the way home. I ended up having a nice visit with Rae-Annebefore she headed off with Roger for a walk and said she would be back for the music at nine.
I decided to stay. I ended up having a couple of nice visits and getting a good chunk of my book red before the music began, the opening band, Fyfe Williams included Encore’s brewmaster Brando, the banjo player.
Tailgator closed the night. They were good but maybe too low energy as people were there to dance
I did find it amusing that one of the guys reminded me of Gene Ween.
It was nice to hang out with Dee-Anne and Rae-Anne
I am not sleeping well the last two nights. I still choose to get up and get functioning and get on with my day and get the things done that I can and I feel satisfied with my job. What is still challenge me Is the volunteer work part of which I’m being paid for but the numbers are overwhelming and apparently there is some disrespect as to whether I should be considered a sponsor of the event that I am doing so much work for. I guess what they don’t understand is that I am about to make a 30 day contract and then 30 days maybe at the end
I stopped at fire hall to take in the Burger month Burger, which was fine but again marinara not my favourite so that is my fault not theirs. I did have a wonderful visit with a man named andree from Slovakia who comes here to work Thursday and Friday of every week for the radio station and I learned great deal about him and his family and their 10-year-old son and their immigration processed to Canada and it was really lovely. I do like being the person that can ask the question and stimulate conversation because I think it’s good for them and for me. the Nanaimo Bar is freaking delicious and potent
Fisher Peak performing artist society had its a AGM tonight. It was not without its complications and I felt at one point to go over the meeting, but I grew weary of the side talk and the things that we’re not necessary and I just wanted us to get on with it so that I could be done with it. I am no longer the treasurer however I was grateful to be part of appointing Randy Tapp as it token treasurer. He will let me know what the board has agreed and I will do the books and all the regular treasurer things and give him the reports. I fear for the society. I think many things were brought up tonight that highlighted egos involved and it will be hard for me, but I will need to add a certain level, walk away
When I left the meeting, I settled up to the bar to find Hugh Moore there and we had fun, just sampling whiskey combos and enjoying each other‘s company. That was the perfect and to what was a stressful evening. I also admit that my favourite part was visiting with the president‘s wife, Jean. I noticed during the meeting where she was picking up on things and iterating what was necessary and I appreciated her very much for being there. She has her husband’s back as the president, but she also acknowledges what I have gone through and I appreciated her very much.
I woke up fairly stuffed up again, but took my medications and got through the day a lot better than yesterday. One of the highlights of the day was Monica leaving a gift bag at my office door. I wish I did get a picture. I’ll try to remember tomorrow. She made a hilarious homemade card and on the front of big letters it said ‘snot to be gone’. In the bag were figurines of Ren and Stimpy, which made me laugh, especially because she knew I would know who they are and the amount of bodily fluids that are involved in that show would put a big smile on my face for sure.
I prepped angel food cake, sliced up strawberries, and brought whipped cream to share with everybody at the office. I printed a picture of Jackie with a little story and ask them to hug somebody special today in honour of her. Honestly, it left me a pretty dang good mood all things considered.
I had good texts with the two other people closest to her, her son Reid, and her friend Mike who is in Mexico. Mike a.k.a. Michelle, is the one who introduced us in the first place because I was doing Mike’s books and Jackie was their accountant. That is how I got to know her and how she recruited me to the accounting firm she worked for and how we became fast friends travelling off Island every day., two decades ago.
Amount of work done and then just decided it was time to stop and build my lucky bamboo. I put on CBC and listen to an interesting program while I built it. It was a good meditative thing to do before coming home.
The best message of the day was just as I was finished at work and Reid let me know how happy he was that he was able to pick up his mom in her urn from the funeral home today.
Yep, she’s still controlling and looking after us all from beyond. Happy Birthday JB. I miss you.
I fully admit that my kryptonite is snot and phlegm. I can’t stomach seeing it coming out of other people and I even more can’t handle it when it is my body creating it. I even wore a mask today so that I didn’t share the joy. It’s definitely different when you’re stuffed up and have to wear a mask to protect others as opposed to when we wore them to protect ourselves. It is hard to breathe.
I did get a good amount of work done and took care of some errands and picked up my first burger for burger month from Fire & Oak. It was a pizza burger. It was OK, but unfortunately, not good for take away as it was soggy around the edges and that did not help with my current condition, to have soggy food as well as a soggy head. I also am not a big pizza fan so probably others would enjoy it more than I, but it was for a good cause.
Once I was done at the office, I headed to Safeway to get some daytime nighttime cold capsules and some fruit. Ended up wandering and getting a few groceries, had tremendous savings from a combination of sales points and coupons that I saved over 38%. I forgot how satisfying that is. It’s been so long since I did groceries I was out putting my groceries in the car when I realized that I needed to buy myself flowers so I bought a nice bouquet in honour of my loss and I also bought a wee orchid as that was Jackie‘s favorite Flower and I hope to keep it alive although she knew I never could so we’ll see.
I also picked up strawberries and whipped cream and little angel food cakes and away Mickey of Jagermeister to celebrate tomorrow what would’ve been her 70th birthday. Jager is the only thing she ever drank on occasion besides her daily Canadian beer
It felt good to make a plan for tomorrow and I hope I am feeling better by then as well
Being that I only got clearance to start weight-bearing at all on February 19 I found my Fitbit step count for this week compared to that week quite amusing. I was over 10,000 steps higher than the week before lol
OK, so as long as I am talking about it, I’m still on the right side of this darkness just so you know. My Jackie isn’t here anymore to read all the signs and put me in the right directions and the closer I come to her birthday in two days when I was hoping to have seen her the more I am falling into the abyss. But the thing is it’svnot really about her. It’s about pain and the trauma of my fall and pushing through it and doing all the work and praying I didn’t make mistakes and still making little mistakes because I’m so tired and burned out because I’m good at what I do and people need me to help them and I have trouble saying not right now And when I do it, it’s in the wrong tone and I have to turn around and apologize and I feel like I’m in a strange cosmic monologue of yes, oh I’m sorry. No, oh I’m sorry. Oh, can I help you…… Next? and I have a fucking cold on top of it. Merde!
Oh, and did I mention I came out of work late and then that snowed Yep first time I’ve had to shovel for myself since December at least it wasn’t a lot
I am still fighting something, but feel a bit better today. I spent time moving my Lego and Star Wars things to the den, watched The Substance and Dune Two, made some me food and am now settled in to watch the Oscars. I also took time to break down the BB8 that I bought made. I want to build it myself and add lights.
I am struggling today. I woke up earlier than I wanted to because my ankle was, I guess, burning, is the easiest way to describe it. Is that kind of shin splint feeling again or I can’t really get it into a perfectly comfortable position. I decided it was a good day to just put her a tiny little chores and hang out in my lazy boy but it’s hard because half an hour ago. It was 21° out and now it’s 23 and it’s sunny and beautiful and I wanna be outside walking, but I think I should not.
Now that the pressure, well, the extreme pressure, of January and February is over. I am sinking. I know the things I need to do. I need to go to a chiropractor. I need to go to a massage therapist. I probably should go for counselling and process through a lot of this stuff but instead, I am just stuck here in my chair frozen in time watching the Oscar nominated movies. I want to go to the hockey game tonight, but I realized that would probably not be a good idea but I need to continue to rest my leg so I think I will just stay home and take a CBD bath bomb bath or something and go to bed at a decent time that’s the goal anyway. I am also on what feels like the verge of a cold… sigh.
I watched Emilia Pérez. Then I watched Conclave. Then I watched Nickel Boys. They are all three pretty heavy.
I figure I will make time for one more.
I realized that I can’t take a bath as my tattoo is too fresh. Sigh.
I ordered from Ella’s. My Jamaican chicken salad was delicious and there is no for tomorrow. I hope I sleep off this cold feeling.
triumphgal 