Can You Hear Me Now?

Oh, I know, I’m long overdue for an upate, blahblahblah.

Guess what happened to me yesterday afternoon. SO embarrassing. I got on my scooter and backed it up, and remember that time the walker carrier caught on my TV stand and dragged the TV across the room? Well, this was even worse. The walker carrier caught on the TV stand again, but this time the TV started to fall off, everything on and around the TV stand (DVD player, candle holder, video tapes) crashed to the floor, and the TV was on top of me. I couldn’t move or it would crash to the floor, and I couldn’t push it back up onto the stand. It was… um… awkward.

Since the first thing I do before taking my scooter out (after locking Pita safely in a room) is open the door to the hallway all the way, I figured someone should hear me. The rental office is right next door, after all. So I started yelling “HELP!! HELP!! SOMEONE PLEASE!!” and yelled the names of the girls who work in the office several times. HOW COULD THEY NOT HEAR!?!?! GEEZ. Finally after about 5 minutes of yelling I heard the door across the hall from me open, and knew the man-who-never-wears-pants heard me. I called for him to please come into my apartment. I guess he figured the situation was serious and more than he could handle alone, so he called out “just a minute!” and ran to the rental office. Soon the girl from the office and man-without-pants (wearing, as usual, just a t-shirt that barely covered his tighty whiteys) were both in my living room. There was no time for eye-rolling or giggles, a TV was falling to the floor. So between the two of them they got my TV back up on the stand and detached me. I wish I had asked someone to grab the camera first. Instead, I just took one of the aftermath when I got home:

I am SO getting that walker carrier removed. I never use the damn thing anymore, anyway. It makes my scooter way too long and I hit things with it all the time, and I can’t afford a new TV. Oh, and I’m also very glad I live beside the rental office as that is not the first time they have rescued me.

So, what have I done since we last talked…. oh, I tried to watch “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” but turned it off after the first 10 degrading/dehumanizing minutes. I didn’t even want to see what else was in store. I’m really ashamed of you, Adam Sandler, I was a fan!!

Last Monday I had a great night out with some of my very best friends. I LOVE hanging out with these people; there is so much mutual love and they help and protect me so very much. I love my supportive, selfless friends!! Anyway, it started with Jay and his brother Marc (and their friend Dave) picking me up (and they had a burger for me, too) so we could all drive out to Carstairs, home of the Polyjesters. Jason and Sheldon had organized a big show at a local bar, starring Randy & Mr. Lahey from the Trailer Park Boys. We arrived late, (long drive), and the place was packed, but there was my friend Kim at the door waiting for me, and she had saved a couple seats for me at a table. She also gave me a gorgeous bracelet, one which she was wearing, too. “I know you’ve been having a rough time lately, so I want you to wear this and everytime you look at it, remember that I am thinking of you.” Awwwww Jason and Sheldon were there, of course, to supply me with lots of hugs n’ kisses, and a few of their new CDs. YAY! I finally got to see my name in print on a Polyjesters’ CD The first name, by the way. We can’t forget that part.

I gave Marc my camera for the night, so he could go up to the front and take a bunch of shots for me. He… filmed video, mostly. He took a few shots, as you can see, but mainly he filmed it. He used all of my memory to get as much video as he could, and I’ve just ended up with a 700mb piece of video that I can’t share or upload anywhere because it’s too big! Hee

Jason and Sheldon joined them on stage for a few tunes

Mr. Lahey shows off the Randy’s Belly BBQ apron

So, that was a very fun night. The show was funny (most of the time, especially if you like potty humour). The PJ’s joined them on stage and did a few songs they wrote for them, the funniest one being a rap about “that shitstain Ricky, the shit spot!”. (You had to be there). There was a lot of talk about Shitstorms, and wouldn’t you know it, a few minutes after they got off stage, a major shit storm rolled in! The wind was UNREAL. I mean, there were 4 of us in the van and we still felt like we could have been blown off the highway at any minute.

Anyway, thanks all of yous for a great night. And I can proudly call Randy & Mr. Lahey “Pat and John” now, as it is the second time I’ve met them and they remembered me from the last time. Plus, they are very good friends of Jason and Sheldon’s, and Sheldon totally talked me up to them, and Kim had dinner with them, so that makes us all friends.

The next day I ate beef curry that Sheldon had made and sent me home with the night before. ZOMG. So amazing. He sliced apples and bananas in it, which is “how they do it in Africa” I guess, and it was incredible!! That Sheldon can cook, man.

Did anyone else watch Oprah the other day, when Dr. Christine Northrup was on?? How AMAZING is she?? I need to get her books. I wish she was my doctor. How many doctors address vitamin deficiencies, speak out against their own profession with respect to unecessary vaccinations, recommend digestive enzymes, Chi Kung, total mind/body connection (her theory on Fibroids: “It’s creativity that hasn’t been birthed yet because [the uterus] is our creative center, the low heart. Or it is shoving your creative energy into a dead end job or relationship.”) I think THIS was my favourite part. I am learning more and more these days, with my regular visits to the Clinic for Mind/Body Medicine, just how true that is. I just wish I could undo 30 years of hating my body. It’s no wonder I’m in the shape I’m in… I can’t remember a time in the past 30 years that I loved my body. “It” has failed me time and time again, and if there is any truth to that Law of Attraction stuff, my body has been responding to my thoughts and feelings and expectations of it. TA-DA!! Now, how do I rewire my thoughts, preferably overnight??? Sigh.

I actually had a really great meeting with my psychologist yesterday, and there could be some very exciting help available for me soon… she’s looking into it and discussing me with the head doctor at the clinic, who may pull in a few favours he is owed from another specialist… and I could become a Priority Project in the near future. More on that when I find out what they’ve got planned! In the meantime, I’m weaning off my anti-depressants. I’ve cut down slowly from 40mg/day and am now at 10mg/20mg alternating days. It hasn’t been very easy, I cry pretty easily and have had many cry-myself-to-sleep nights, but I know that’s normal. My brain is used to getting that hit of seratonin every night and trying to lower the dose and getting your brain used to producing its own is not something that will happen overnight. It won’t last forever! I hope to be off them completely by the end of February.

Can we stop talking about Britney Spears for five minutes and talk about something IMPORTANT?? Like the fact that The Polyjesters new CD is out and I’m the first name thanked in the liner notes?? And it’s an awesome CD and you can buy your own copy using PayPal or cheque at the Shop on their website? (Individual mp3’s and full digital albums available too). Kitchen Radio, people. It’s the best CD of 2008 and we are only a week into it. Samples of the songs are on their site now, too. And you can hear two full tracks and become a Fan on their Facebook Profile page. So much going on!!

Oh I just noticed that they have a deal in the shop to buy ALL FOUR of their CDs for $50. That is a major great deal!!! Wheeee!!! I’m so super excited about this CD. They are my most favourite band ever, and I don’t need to tell my regular readers how much I love Jason and Sheldon. If you’re not a regular reader, I LOVE JASON AND SHELDON.

And Britney, get some help!!! I don’t want to be reading about your death any time soon.

How’s the new year been treating you so far? Mine has been pretty damn good. My friend Melanie stayed over on NYE and then for a few more days before catching the bus back to Fort MacMurray on Friday morning. (So early that I did not get out of bed to hug her goodbye, she just got a muffled “thanks, bye, good luck, snore” out of me). It was great having her around, she was good company and it’s always nice to have someone here that can help with the basic things that I may fall over while doing. Oh, and she did ALL OF MY LAUNDRY OMG.

I’m feeling rather good these days. Keeping myself on the up and up. I’ve cut my anti-depressant dose down by half so far. Hopefully I’ll be off them completely in another month or so. Then I need to work on the sleeping pills and I’m not looking forward to that!! I have not been sleeping very well lately, even with their help. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, one step at a time.

Yesterday my mom, Bob and I went to Red Lobster for lunch. I had chicken tenders (not a seafood fan, but I’ll go there ANY DAY for the garlic cheese biscuits) and did you know I prefer broccoli over fries as my side dish?? I really do. I wish every restaurant gave broccoli as a choice of side. I’m not a salad fan, so “soup, salad or fries?” quite often ends up as fries. But I sure love me some broccoli, I would eat it every day if you cooked it up for me.

Speaking of cooking for me, I’m patiently awaiting my first food order from Cooking For You. I’m starving, so I hope it gets here soon. I’ve got a hankerin’ for some butter chicken curry!! Or maybe Greek meatballs? And parsley mashed potatoes. Ohhhh, hurry! I hope today is my delivery day and not Thursday. She told me Mondays, but I think it’s Thursdays because I’m south of Highway 1. Argh! I’m so hungry I may just have to make some soup to tide me over until I know for sure.

5 minutes later…. so I was just about to make some soup, tearing open the package, when there was a knock at my door. The rental office accepted the delivery for me earlier in the day when I was out, and decided to bring it over now EVEN THOUGH I’VE BEEN HOME FOR HOURS. Anyway, meatballs and mashed potatoes are defrosting in the microwave while I try to keep my cats from chewing up the huge styrofoam cooler the food was delivered in. I’ll get back to this after I eat, so….hungry….might….die.

I feel much better now. That was really good! Tomorrow I’ll try the butter chicken curry and I’m already planning my next order.

Yesterday I received a lovely note from Kate, who works at the women’s shelter our Pay It Forward project helped. Part of her note said “I do want to tell you one thing that you did with the gifts. I have a client who left an incredibly abusive relationship with 2 small children & she was 5 months pregnant. She has scrimped and saved and been put through the mill with lawyers and no money, etc. She was the first person to choose some gifts you had sent. She was soooo grateful that she had tears of joy at my truck - because of you! So from her & those who also recieved some gifts you had sent - a HUGE BIG ENORMOUS HUG and many thanks!” So… thanks also to all of you who donated! Yay us!

Another new release I must mention is Shauna Reid’s book, The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. I started reading Dietgirl just as Shauna was planning her move to Scotland… late 2002. Wow, over 5 years ago! Shauna is amazing. I’m so happy she wrote a book, she’s such a brilliant, funny, and down to earth writer (and person, I’m guessing). I’m anxiously awaiting my copy of the book to arrive in the mail, autographed by Shauny herself. I’m not reading any other books at the moment because I don’t want to be in the middle of anything else when it arrives! Hopefully Amazon.ca will have it back in stock soon… otherwise everyone has to order it from the UK! Maybe copies will start showing up on eBay soon

Speaking of eBay (see that? Great shopping-related transition) I have curbed my addiction somewhat, out of necessity obviously. There is only so much money and so much closet space. However, I found a great deal on a couple MP3 players. I never have owned an iPod, (for shame, I know) but all my music is in mp3 format anyway and I don’t really plan on using it a lot. I’m a little adverse to headphones. I figure one for music and one for my meditation and Laws of Attraction CDs and stuff like that. I think listening to The Secret Meditation CD every night is helping… I mean, it certainly can’t hurt, and I am feeling better these days. Considering I’m weaning off anti-depressants, that says something, I think.

Beautiful Pepper in front of my beautiful new monitor. Jealous, much??