Can You Hear Me Now?

Monday, April 21 - Wednesday, April 30:

After that busy Rob and Peter week, I had to get back to doing taxes on Monday. I had quite a lot to finish up before the 30th! I don’t think I did anything exciting that week of Monday to Friday, I just worked and stuff. (”And stuff” means my usual daily routines of home care, lattes, quick trips to the mall, Facebook, Ellen/Oprah/Dr. Phil on and off, eBay, all mixed around work). On Friday, my home care worker, who is about the sweetest lady on earth, came by a second time around 1:00 and brought me samosas and pakoras. She’s from India and knows how much I love Indian food, so she decided to bring me some. Seriously? How nice is she??

On Saturday, I made plans with Jason. We had been talking all week about going for that Indian food buffet that Peter and I had gone to at the Samosa Grill, so on Saturday we confirmed it. Jason also had a cousin playing in a band downtown later that night, so he asked me to be his “date” for that. It actually was very much a real date, with Jason paying and everything, but I can’t REALLY date Jason. I mean… I love him too much, I think! We’re family. Anyway, I took my wheelchair because I thought it would be easier to get me around. Which it was, but still a hassle. The Samosa Grill is upstairs, so we had to take their freight elevator, and wait for a staff member to be free to take us to that loccked area. She took us the long way around, which involved going through storage areas and knocking over bins of empty bottles and such. Getting me in anywhere can be quite the production. Finally settled, Jason was my server for the evening, since it was a buffet. He took good care of me. Leaving was a little easier, because the staff member who took us knew the shortcut that I had taken with Peter last time. A lot less stuff to knock over.

Oh, and I should also mention that Jason has a Monster Truck van that I have a very hard time getting into, it is so high. Lots of help and butt boosting required from Jason. We get into some questionable positions, and if either of us were famous, the paparazzi would have a GREAT time taking pictures. Anyway, we were finally headed downtown to the Palomino, which it turns out has no elevator to get to the live music downstairs (it’s a very old building). Jason was mainly interested in seeing his cousin and saying “hi”, than he was in actually seeing the band, so our plan was to just stay in the upstairs bar for a drink or two if the stairs were going to be a hassle. Parking downtown is, of course, hard to come by, but after driving around for awhile we found a spot a couple blocks away. As Jason wheeled me to the club, I was saying “I’ve gotta pee the second we get in there!” (I’m such a classy date). We got inside the main doors no problem and asked a waitress where the washrooms were. “Our upstairs bathrooms are out of order. You have to go downstairs”.

Ah, wonderful. It was only about 8:30, and the doors for the show downstairs didn’t even open until 9:30 (although you could use the washrooms, of course). We decided to just brave the stairs and hopefully they would let us stay down there. Jason walked down the stairs with me, slow and steady, then ran back up to get my chair. I used the facilities, then we got settled at a table in the empty bar. They let us stay there and wait for the doors to “officially” open. Jason ran back upstairs and bought us drinks. At some point I apologized for being so high maintenance, needing all this help from him! He said “this, to me, is not maintenance. This is nothing. Emotional High Maintenance is a lot more work!” (Referring to relationships - have we not all had to deal with emotionally high maintenance people at some point?) That made me feel good. Physically, I’m pretty demanding because I need help with stuff, and you’ve got to be in good enough shape to lug a wheelchair or walker when hanging out with me! But I’m not going to drain you emotionally, so I guess it’s whatever is easier for you. I need to learn to stop apologizing all the time, because I know I would rather help someone down the stairs and push them in a wheelchair, than deal with bitching, whining, complaining, and walking on eggshells with someone you don’t know how to talk to or are afraid will explode if you say the *wrong* thing. Yeah.

So, we stayed down there for a couple of hours, listening to live surf rock music, before we were both ready to call it a night. Going up the stairs we had many staff offering to help - “can we do anything to help?” to which Jason responded, “all we need is time!”. Good answer. Jason walked with me up the stairs and a bartender carried my wheelchair. He said they had hosted big parties for oil and gas companies and stuff, and one night there were 3 wheelchairs, and the men were paraplegics and unable to stand at all. Times like that they really wish they had an elevator, but renovating a building that old would cost a fortune. I’m just really glad I am able to stand/walk, because no one would be able to carry me up or down stairs. Ahhhh, to be a lithe 115 pounds.

Jason dropped me at home and wheeled me inside, making sure all was okay and no cats ran out before he left. It was a great night! I heart my Jason.

Sunday, I rested and Facebooked and eBayed. I replenished my shower gel/body lotion supply with Avon products that cost a total of 6 cents, and with shipping it only came to $18.05… when I received the box, she had paid $22.50 for the shipping. Sometimes, the deals on eBay freak me out. I don’t understand how someone can sell sets of shower gel and body lotion for one penny, spend more on shipping than they charge, and continue being a seller. Maybe she promised her husband she would give him all her eBay profits and then found out he was having an affair.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were the end of tax season. Naturally, the CRA’s website decided to conk out and I wasn’t able to file the last two I had. It was frustrating as HELL!! Luckily, the CRA became aware of their server issues and let everyone know they had an extra week to file online. I wish I had known that before I spent all day Tuesday fighting with their website! Anyway, alls well that ends well. Everything got done and my clients are happy. Now the late ones are starting to call me! I’ll be busy for another month…

Next up, my 40th birthday extravaganza! Wheee! Until then, here is a really cute video of Pita and Pepper (mostly Pita) chasing their new laser:

I decided to do an update because Maggs tagged me with the above award, so I needed to put it up here, and figured I may as well update while I’m at it.

The rules for the “You Make My Day” award are to re-present it to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness, inspiration and make you feel happy about blog land. Let them know through e-mail or by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times, and if you do, consider yourself really, really loved. So to pass it on and keep the love going ~ here are 10 of the 100’s of blogs that keep me inspired and bring a smile to my face. Please check them out when you have a few minutes…perhaps there are some new friends to be made!

So that’s how it works, and here are 10 blogs that make me smile and/or inspire me regularly:

Maggie
Kerri
Scott
Sylvie
Shauna
PostSecret
Big Fat Deal
Robyn
Sandee
I Can Has Cheezburger (Seriously cannot go 10 minutes without a peek over there haha)

I’m not going to let them know I bestowed this honour upon them, but if they happen to check their referral links and end up here, they are free to recognize it if they want

Lots has happened since my last update, and wouldn’t you know it, I don’t have much time here. For starters, I saw my dad for the first time in almost 6 years. One thing I have realized, is that he may never change, but I certainly have. Hopefully that will be enough for us to have a relationship of sorts. It has never been a question of love; it’s more about how to have a relationship with him without him trying to take over my life. I am an independent person, and he wants to take over and do everything and have all the answers, and in the past this has caused me more stress than you can begin to imagine. (There’s other stuff, too, but I won’t get into it). Anyway, hopefully we can set boundaries that will keep us both happy. I know after spending a few hours with him yesterday evening, that I’m much better at handling his personality than I used to be. Rather than get stressed out, I let it slide and just shrugged it off as *just the way he is*. I have learned, if nothing else over the past 6 years, to allow people to be the way they are and live their life the way they want and not let it get to me. Their problems/behaviours/choices etc. are not mine to worry about, unless they are hurting me (or my family, or children, or animals, or…). I am a mere observer. Wow, I think I’m growing up!

On a whim today, I decided to get my legs waxed. OUCH!! Facking OUCH!!

Last weekend was supposed to be a lot of fun. CD release parties galore, including the Calgary one for The Polyjesters. So what do I go and do?? Fall and twist my ankle, of course. I stayed in with my foot up, icing it. My mom was here, and without a show to go to, that gave her the time to clean out and re-organize my cupboards. Gotta love moms!

I’m switching my TV from our regular Shaw Cable (I just have the basic cable) to Telus TV. I’m excited! I didn’t realize everyone has to be digital by 2009, and I’ve got a pretty old TV here. So I’m getting a free digital box, one year of basic cable for free (which is $10/month cheaper than Shaw anyway! Wheee!) and extra channels I’d like (to get those great HBO shows and A&E, the Learning Channel, etc.) for only $6.00/month. I’m really pleased! My neighbour has it, and loves it. It’s great that Shaw finally has some cable competition.

Anyway, I’m crazy busy with work, and outta time. Catch ya later!

Another week goes by, another update… I meant to do one earlier, but I had a fall on Tuesday night, hit the back of my head, and knocked my equilibrium out. It’s been difficult to see at all, everything is blurry and spinning, and never mind my balance. Non-existent! Computer time has been fairly minimal. Yesterday I saw my chiropractor and he made some adjustments and gave me some homeopathic drops. I’m not as spinny today, but my vision is still really bad; blurry and seeing double. He said it would take a couple days to straighten out, and to take these drops every 1-2 hours, so hopefully that will help. I see my regular doctor on Wednesday as well, so I’ll see what he says if it’s not better by then. I’ve never gone for an IV cortisone drip like most MSers have at one time or another, and this is the first time in my life I’m actually considering it. Whatever will help my vision and balance get back to how it was before, which was bad enough!

Anyway, I’ve been busy since my last update. On Monday night I was taken out for awesome Indian food by two of my favourite people, Jason and Sheldon. We pigged out. Oh, my, I love that stuff… samosas, pokora, curry, vindaloo, butter chicken, naan bread… yum!! We were sort of celebrating the completion of their new CD artwork, on which I worked hard editing the lyrics. So they took me to dinner as a thank you. And, because it had been a loooong time since we’d hung out! Anyway, the CD is ALL done now, and should be ready to buy in time for Christmas. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook group for the latest updates!

Lovely self-portrait attempt of me and Jason

I love Jason!!

Sheldon and the FOOD. Sooooo good.

Pay It Forward update:

On Tuesday, I went to the mall and piled up on things for the ladies and kids at the shelter… I bought many pairs of pajamas and slippers! The store that had slippers 2 for $15 last week now has them at 2 for $12! We now have about 10 pairs of ladies slippers (sizes 5 - 10) and 6 pairs of kids. I bought some 2 piece pajama sets in a variety of sizes (small to 3X) and a couple nightgowns. I also took a swing through Dollarama for hair brushes and emery boards. I added a few pictures to the Flickr album, but I kept everything in the boxes because it is just too hard to lay it all out to take photos, I hope you understand! (The cutest slippers are at the bottom of the box. Darn!) Anyway, I’m getting lots of stuff, but still need more! Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, and if you re able to help out (all $$ is going to buy necessities for the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter) please use the PayPal button below, or contact me (donna@innereyes.com) to send money another way.

Tuesday night I fell trying to close the office door behind me to LOCK PITA IN to keep her from running outside when I was going to open the front door. That damn cat! I love her to pieces, but she has caused me about 4 falls now (including the one when I broke my wrist) because she always has to run for the frickin’ door and out into the hallway. I don’t know what to do with her!! I can’t chase her or even bend over to pick her up without falling, so she gets out there and then I have to wait until someone else comes along to help, or she jumps up on my walker (at which point I can lift her inside) or she comes back in on her own accord. Which she doesn’t do anymore, because she likes the hallway… she knows behind every other door is a person who could potentially pay attention to her. Every time someone enters the hall, I ask them to “please scare my cat back inside!” and they go “awwww, she’s so cute…” and pet her and give her love. So of COURSE she wants to be out there! Sigh. The landlord has given me shit because “cats are not allowed in the halls, people have allergies” but I can’t HELP IT!

Wednesday morning, blurry eyed and screwy visioned/unbalanced and all, I had to go to a client’s. The second I opened the door, Pita raced between my legs and was out in the hall. Roaming up and down, crying at every door, looking for attention. Rolling on her back, showing off her cute tummy, waiting for someone to come along and snuggle her. I stood in the hallway with my winter coat on, which made me really hot; they keep our hallway at a ridiculously hot tempertaure, made only worse when you are already wearng your coat. Normally I am just walking out, so it doesn’t affect me much; but this time, I couldn’t leave until Pita was back inside, and the heat was really getting to me. The heat combined with Pita frustration got to be too much… then a door opened at the end of the hall, and Pita ran towards it. Three people exited the suite, including my landlord, who was showing an apartment to these two other people. Oh, crap. “No pets??” said one man. “uh - cats are allowed” said my landlord, as she shot me a dirty look. I was almost in tears. The heat, Pita being a brat, PMS, embarrassment… I cried out “she keeps running out the door and I CAN’T GET HER!!” (I may have stomped my feet like a 3 year old) My landlord tried to calm me down by saying, “it’s okay, I got her…” picked Pita up and put her inside my apartment. I apologized and said “I am JUST SO HOT” and she said she wasn’t allowed to turn down the heat. (Year round sauna in our halls, it’s nuts!) Anyway, I tried to keep my stupid tears at bay as those two men commented on how cute my cat was, and then went outside in the cold air to wait for my ride to work. Within seconds in the cool air I felt better… it’s so weird how that is.

Oh yeah, also on Tuesday I received a call from UPS about my electronic lift chair that I had ordered off eBay (to save $$). Because it was coming from the U.S., and was in a huge cardboard box. it was considered freight, and I needed to hire a broker to get it through Customs. Ack! I was referred to a one-time brokerage firm, and they helped me with the paperwork and charged me over $100. Thankfully, I only had to pay broker fees and GST. N0 duty. Thank GOD. The chair then crossed the border Tuesday night, and would be delivered on Thursday.

Thursday I was supposed to go out for dinner with my friend Melanie. I told her about my condition after my fall, and that it would be best if I didn’t go anywhere. So she offered to come over and hang with me instead, order food in, stuff like that. Cool! I received the call from UPS about my chair around noon, and they said it would be here within the hour. Then Melanie called, and asked if she could come over now, because she had been out shopping and didn’t feel like going home and then all the way out here again. Okay, sure, but I’m not even DRESSED. Anyway, UPS arrives… one guy with this huge cardboard box on a dolly. “I can’t get it through the doors” he says. “Can’t you take it out of the box?” I ask. He’s not authorized to do that… “we’re not furniture movers… we just deliver to your door. I can leave it on your patio.” (He couldn’t get it through my patio doors because of that big pole I have in the middle). So, brand new electronic lift chair on the patio in the freezing cold. There is no way Melanie would be able to lift it in. So, I call my client Troy… he does upholstery work and has big Sprinter vans and technicians who are used to moving around furniture. Fingers crossed, “Hi Troy, it’s your favourite bookkeeper…” wink wink. Troy, because he is amazing and awesome, was at my place within an hour with one of his techs, Dave. (I managed to quickly shower and throw clothes on just in time for Mel’s arrival moments before). They unpacked the chair, moved it inside, set it up (”we work on these kinds of chairs so if you ever have any problems, we probably have the parts to fix it”), removed my old ripped up recliner and all the cardboard to take to the dump, and were off. Talk about service!!! If you are in the Calgary area and own or buy a piece of furniture from a major retailer (La-Z-Boy, Leon’s, The Brick, etc.) and it needs repair, you tell them you want Customer Choice Upholstery to do the repair!!!

So, in the end, the chair is here, safe and sound, and it is perfect… however, I am very lucky to know someone like Troy. Otherwise I may have ended up needing to pay a furniture mover a LOT of money to come on such short notice and do all of that! Plus to remove the old chair… a junk removal place had quoted me $111! I emailed the eBay seller and warned him to advise any other potential Canadian customers (I was his first) of the extra fees and work involved with getting their chair moved in. The chair cost me $999 US, plus $175 UPS shipping plus $105 broker fees… still a savings overall (this chair costs about $2,000 here) but I’m going to have to get Troy and Dave nice thank-you gifts!!

This is why it’s called a Lift chair. No more struggling to get up! (Spots are from my camera. Oops)

Fully reclined. Everything important within reaching distance… latte, water, vitamins, drops, remotes, books, kleenex…

Melanie and I broke out a bottle of wine, watched Elf, ordered Chinese food and just hung out. We were celebrating her birthday (which had been on Monday) and the fact that she landed a sweet 3 month contract working up in Fort MacMurray for mega $$. She left Saturday. I hope it works out for her!

Me and Mel at Pam’s birthday party a couple weeks ago!

Friday my monthly housekeeper came, which was good because I am pretty useless for any of that at the moment. Melanie had helped me load the dishwasher and stuff the night before. My intentions of working on Friday were tossed out the window… I’m just too OUT of it. I just watched a movie that night with one eye and spent a lot of time cuddling kitties in my new chair.

Saturday (yesterday) was the chiropractor, and hopefully I’m on my way back with my equilibrium. My mom and Bob took me out to eat at this Asian place they had tried once before, but I was not a big fan. LOVED my spring rolls, but hated my curry… I guess an Asian restaurant isn’t the best place to get a curry dish. I sent it back because the chicken was nothing but stringy fat. Gross! Most of the menu was pork or seafood dishes. I’d rather stick to my Favourite Vietnamese Restaurant and my #50 chicken satay, any day of the week!

Today I slept in something awful, (I mean, I slept in late, not that I slept in… like… something other than my bed) and finally decided to shower around 4:30 when I could no longer stand the smell of myself. It’s one of those days…

Time to take more drops and rest my eyes settle in for the night… PayPal link below is for my Pay It Forward project! Thanks!

New favourite hangout - the piles of clothes going to the Salvation Army.

Hi. I’ve been busy. And on Facebook.

Oh, speaking of, I started an MS With Attitude group over at Facebook. If you’re on FB, please join it. Even if you don’t have MS. Maybe you know someone who does, or someone who is in your friends list knows somebody who does, and when they see you join the group, they will too, and so on, and so on!! Oh, by the way, my Fan Club is gone. It was a cute idea for fun at first, but after awhile it’s like… why, exactly? Heh. So I asked Emma to delete it. So, if you missed out on being one of my 50 FANS over there, you now have your chance at MS With Attitude. Thanks!!

Is anybody not on Facebook? I’m having coffee with three friends from high school again on Monday. I’m loving this! Today, out of the blue, after 22 years, I received a phone call from an old friend. She actually found me on Classmates, but I talked her into joining Facebook too, as she is going through that “whatever happened to…” phase we all go through, and she’ll find a ton of old friends there. She lives in Edmonton now, married 11 years, 2 kids… ahhh, her and I were Duranies and we wrote a movie screenplay starring us and the members of Duran Duran. Lisa Dalbello’s album “Whomanforsays” was our soundtrack. Yes. We RULED. Judy had pink & purple hair and got me into Toyah’s music, as well. (Oh my God! Toyah is still out there making new music! Cool!)

I’ve been for two visits now to my new psychologist at the Clinic for Mind/Body medicine. I LOVE her. After only two hours I can already tell she is much better (for me) than the psychotherapist I saw several times earlier this year and quit. I guess it’s true, what they say, you need to shop around to find the right therapist! So, I’m sticking with Jennifer for awhile, and will be going weekly. On Monday she gave me two meditations on CD and a copy of a story about self-judgment from “Kitchen Table Wisdom“. It was so awesome… she already knows me so well! I’m looking forward to where this goes.

THE FIRST SEASON OF FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS IS OUT ON DVD YOU’RE WELCOME.

So… how ’bout our dollar, huh? Being an eBay addict, I am quite loving it!!! I think I’ve finished my Christmas shopping already. It is so cool to buy something in US dollars and end up paying LESS!! Loving it. I wonder how long it will last? It better last at least until the end of the week, because I’m buying an electronic lift chair. It’s an early Christmas present from my mom and Bob, and myself. We’re all pitching in because I really need one. It’s harder and harder to get out of my recliner all the time. The lift chair I’m getting is $1,175 US including delivery… to buy it locally would cost closer to $2,000 CDN. I’m getting this one in the green. YAY!!

Hey, do you think I will ever finish the entries about my trip in September? Don’t answer that.

My friend Shawna from Winnipeg is here. She’s in town for a work conference the rest of this week, but I get to see her on Saturday. Ikea, dinner, movie, that kind of thing. Should be fun! I can’t wait to see her.

Someone asked me the other day if I take anything for my ADD. WHAT is she talking about?? Heh.

I worked at my client Gerry’s place last week. I normally do his stuff at home, but he has hired a woman who works in his home studio/office to do administrative work, so I went in to set up a Simply Accounting template for her and work with her a bit on entering data. Basically, I’ll be training myself out of a job But Gerry’s a busy man (jazz musician, and he does very well!) and needs someone who can be around, looking after the day-to-day cheque printing and stuff. He’s much too far away for me to visit regularly. I’ll have to go back a couple more times, and then I think I’ll just receive the back-up files every few months to check them over. His assistant is a smart girl, I think she’ll catch on quick! She’s also a musician, a cellist, and teaches Gerry’s kids piano. So… I guess I just have to hope she doesn’t leave for greener pastures or a major tour right after she’s trained! Gerry lives across the street from my friend/client Ken (which is how I met Gerry) so Ken took me out for dinner afterwards. AND drove me home, from waaaay up in the N.W., which saved me at least an hour with Access. They had me scheduled for a 6:00 pick-up, “estimated drop off time, 7:30″. When Ken heard that, he told me to cancel and he’d drive me home. Thank God!

I started this post on Oct. 18 and when I went to finish it, my blog was down. Then I had a super busy weekend and wasn’t able to get on here. Then I went to finish it, and my blog was (still?) down. Fingers crossed that it stays up long enough for me to finish it THIS time.

Started October 18 ~

We interrupt our vacation postings for a general ramblings post because it’s been a LONG TIME and I know you’re all wondering what’s going on in my life right now.

At this moment, I am trying to avoid obsessively refreshing my eBay selling page to see if anyone is bidding higher. There are a few hours left on couple things I’m selling, and I keep checking back. So I decided to come here to keep my mind off of it.

Yesterday I worked at Troy’s, and one of those Access drivers that has a crush on me picked me up. He’s the sweetest man. When I say “crush” with him I don’t seriously think he has a romantic crush on me… I think he just wishes I was his daughter or something. Although, he always offers to come over and scoop the cat litter and do housework AND make me coffee, so you never know. Yesterday he stopped at Mac’s for me and got me a large Seattle’s Best coffee. Some of these wonderful drivers really make up for the bad Access experiences I have! Oh, that reminds me, I should call Access and give him a compliment. They like to get positive feedback, they receive so little!

Okay, done. ****Refresh eBay page**** YAY!! All my stuff has bids so will sell for sure.

So what else… oh, Rob Szabo and Peter Katz are here this weekend!!! That’s right!! Saturday night at the Ironwood, anyone reading in the Calgary area had better be there!!! They’re touring Western Canada together again like they did last year. Remember, last year I got them their gig at Original Joe’s (ignore anything I say about that new food plan that lasted 2 months in that entry). This year, Rob made his mark at the Ironwood in April, and will never have to worry about scrambling to get a gig in this city again!

Oh, and speaking of Access drivers, I have hardly talked to AH lately! He did babysit my kitties while I was away, keeping them fed and actually scooped the litter this time (I gave him a lecture about that, and supplied dust masks). Then it was Ramadan, and since he doesn’t allow himself to even look at another woman during that time, (I asked him how that is possible, and he told me if he catches himself looking, he remembers it’s Ramadan and looks away immediately and thinks only pure thoughts. Whatever…) so he certainly isn’t going to talk to one on the phone. But I do intend to take him out for dinner (Olive Garden if we can get in, he still has never been there) to thank him for looking after my cats, I’m just not holding my breath for when it will actually happen.

The Polyjesters are almost finished their new CD!!! How excited am I? I can’t even put it into words. Jason has sent me the (possible) CD cover artwork, and it’s awesome. So I released the song titles to their Facebook group. Then, because of some help I gave him last week, he sent me two of the newly recorded songs. OMG. I also have 6 other very rough mixes of new songs on the CD and one that didn’t make the cut. Are you jealous? Yes, you are. OMG. I am soooo excited!!! It’s going to be so, so, so, so, so, so good!! Jason said Emma and I will get special seating and attention at their CD release. I think they should fly Emma out, no? And I requested my special chair be of the La-Z-Boy electronic lift variety.

***then my blog was down***

Continued October 24 ~

Obviously, it’s too late for y’all to see Rob, that was this past Saturday. And I’ve since sold another lot of items on eBay, will be shipping today or tomorrow. I’ve currently got a bunch of CDs up for sale… I’m cleaning stuff out!

I am anxiously awaiting The Office Season Three DVDs I ordered. I have spent the past month watching every episode, deleted scenes, bloopers, commentary episodes, etc. on my Season Two DVDs. I can’t get enough of that show. My Dunder Mifflin T-shirt is in the mail, as are some Dwight and Jim office supplies memorabilia. ADDICTED.

So, cheers to Facebook… the amount of people I am back in touch with after many, many years is astounding!! I went for coffee a couple weeks ago with my friend Carolyn and we were joined by Nancy, a woman I haven’t seen since high school! There are quite a few other school friends I’m planning to meet up with sometime soon. And I’m back in touch with my old friend Cheryl, who used to live with my former roommate Pete. I haven’t seen her since they broke up many years ago (except for a quick run-into-eachother at a Crafts fair in 2002). She came out on Saturday to see Rob and Peter! So we are going to hang out more, for sure. And then, there is Vlado…. ahhhh, Vlado…. I used to work at YTV in Toronto about 20 years ago. He was a sound engineer there, and an incorrigible flirt. It’s so cool to be back in touch with him… he is very successful in his field and has a wall of Oscars and Emmys to prove it!

Update on the AH situation - we actually went to the Olive Garden for dinner last night! Imagine that. It was fun. I drank red wine. I could barely walk afterwards; my right foot didn’t want to go flat. It liked twisting on its side. Thank goodness AH understands and was very helpful walking me inside. TWO glasses is all I had! And with a full meal! I am such a cheap date.

AH is back to being his helpful self for me… today he’s popping in to a computer supply store to pick up an adapter cord I need. I finally have my new computer set up (thanks to Rob, who did it while he was here over the weekend) but since it only has USB ports, my old printer can’t be hooked up. And I’m not getting a new one… this one was $2,300 back in its day and it’s a laser printer/fax/copier/scanner and it has served me VERY well!!

Hey, remember awhile back I was complaining about the waiting times to see specialists your doctor refers you too? And that one place told me “June, 2008″ and another told me they couldn’t even estimate, it was so far off? Well, I went to the first place today and am going to the second one tomorrow. I’m quite pleased. I’m not 100% sure either of these places will be of great help to me, but I’m giving them a shot. It’s FREE under our health care, unlike the other stuff I’ve done, like Quantum Release Therapy. Which, by the way, I went to one last time (?) a couple weeks ago, after not having been in over two months. Kevin told me he really didn’t think he could do much more, and that my physical damage is so far gone (11+ years since diagnosis, never mind all the years before that the disease activity was going on) that he can’t predict how long it would take (whereas usually he can tell his clients “3 more visits” or something). We did make great progress on the emotional side of things. And I do feel better since I last saw him… but that could be due to any number of things. Anyway, it could quite possibly end up costing me thousands and thousands of dollars and many, many visits, which I’m not able to do right now, and he doesn’t want me to. So… I have a couple other options I’m working towards in regards to improving my health, and I may toss in the odd Quantum session here and there.

Today I went to the Clinic for Mind/Body medicine, and I am hopeful. My goal here is to decrease or completely wean off my anti-depressants and sleeping pills, and improve my health overall. I will be seeing a psychologist there regularly, who I met today, and she is awesome. She’s on the same page as me with regards to pharmaceutical companies and the “over-prescribed, overpriced” MS meds, and she didn’t even balk at my mention of my quantum release therapy and how it helped me… she was very interested! The clinic works with the belief that our bodies can heal themselves (what a concept!! And this is actually funded by the Calgary Health Region, and they don’t PUSH PHARMACEUTICALS!) and the process is done through meditation, lifestyle changes, positive thinking, etc. Of course, I believe that too, and have all the tools I need to put it all into practice… my problem is with being consistent in keeping up the with the small changes. I’m hoping regular meetings with this psychologist and being held accountable (reporting in with my progress regularly) will help me stick with my program. I’m seeing her again on the 5th. She really liked me, too, so that helps.

Remember when I was in Toronto and I bought those ginger-encrusted roasted pecans at the Queen of Tarts and how much they helped my PMS and I was wishing I had brought a supply back with me? Well, guess who has 6 bags in her cupboard now? Yes, they were willing to send them to me, I emailed and begged and a nice owner let me pay with my credit card over the phone and mailed them. Awesome. ONE bag a month, at the appropriate time, is all I am allowed.

One of my cats or both of them just chewed the speaker cord off one of my brand new computer speakers.

So, yes, I had an awesome weekend. My friend Kim came out from Red Deer on Friday, and we went out for dinner to My Favourite Vietnamese Restaurant, and then she got me hooked on what Starbuck’s calls a Misto, and Second Cup calls a London Fog. (Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, vanilla syrup). I’m making those at home now too, but with whatever tea I have around (currently, vanilla… yum!) and they are $1 cheaper than lattes! But I have not given up lattes, oh no, don’t worry.

Then I forced Kim to watch several episodes of The Office. Oh, oh, oh, AND, she bought me the greatest present ever… one of those little things you see in a store and immediately think of someone and start laughing, so you must buy it for them? Yeah. It’s a cell phone holder that is a tiny pink Croc shoe!!! I love it!! Hee

On Saturday, she helped me out by going to Wal-Mart and pushing a cart home with a case of water, cat litter, and cat food. (”I must really like you… I am going to Wal-Mart on a SATURDAY!” she said). We also ate in the food court, because that Smitty’s (the only restaurant in the mall) service and food sucks balls. So instead, we had food court Chinese food, which kinda sucks balls, too.

Ohhhhh, but then it was evening. We headed to the Ironwood for 6:00, and at 6:15 on the nose (as Rob had estimated they would be there around that time) the boys arrived. They set up, we had dinner, moved tables about 4 times, etc. etc. Around 9:30 Peter Katz hit the stage and proceeded to amaze the audience… it was the best show of his I have ever seen, I was blown away.

Just as Peter started playing, my friend Cheryl arrived, which was awesome… and so did Jay and his brother Marc. Add our new friend Spencer (a friend of Rob’s) and his girlfriend Sam, we had a very full and active table. Actually, the Ironwood was packed, and so many people were singing along with Rob’s songs that it was awesome… he has so many fans here now!! Yay! Both guys sold lots of CDs and made a lot of new friends and fans.

Rob played a fabulous set as well,

For the encore, BOTH Rob and Peter took the stage and sang a couple songs and it was amazing:

The video cut off early because my camera was being wonky, but if you look at my other You Tube videos, I have the end up there too

I had to post this photo because it’s not very often you see me standing beside such a hot, young, strapping, hot, young man. This is Rob’s friend Graham, who sings in a rock band, and I met him at Rob’s gig in April. We talked a lot. He actually does have a brain and a personality, but seriously, do we care?

(I’m kidding… Graham is a sweetie and he has a gorgeous girlfriend - duh - but since he is 14 years younger than me I am allowed to tease him like he’s a toy. I think). After the show, Kim took off to meet other friends, and everyone else went home, so I sat at a table and waited for the guys to load up their gear and talk with their new fans. Rob kept me supplied with coffee and Bailey’s. Around 2:00 a.m. me, Rob and Peter headed to a 24 hour restaurant for some food… it was LOUD in there, all those late night partiers. Oh, so rarely am I one of them! It was almost 3:30 a.m. when Peter dropped Rob and I off at my place (Peter has other friends here he stays with). It was pretty much straight to bed for us. (Me = bed, Rob = couch! Geez).

The next day, Sunday, we slept in and took our time getting dressed. Around 2:00 we went to the mall for food, and actually considered Smitty’s for a moment, but Rob’s memories are not fond of it from the last time he was in town, and no one was seating us anyway. So off to the food court we went. I’m such a faaaaabulous hostess to my overnight guests. (It’s not MY fault Rob doesn’t drink coffee and lattes!). I grabbed a London Fog on the way back. Then, Rob brought my new computer into my office and my old one out, and hooked everything up, and now I am flying on here. (Not my typing, just the other computer things that involve speed). Yay!

Dinner plans, after much discussion and phone calls, ended up with meeting Peter, Spencer and Sam at the Tandoori Hut for some Indian food. It was so so so so so good! Great food, wine, and people. Good times.

You can see all the pictures I took from the weekend in my Facebook public album.

So, that was my weekend. Peter picked Rob up around 3:00 Monday afternoon and then they were off to continue the rest of their Lanky Wimps Tour.

On Tuesday, I cropped and uploaded photos and video and fiddled with my new computer and didn’t get any work done. Today, is almost over and I didn’t get any work done. Here’s to tomorrow!

“I am living in a box, I am living in a cardboard box…”

“I am living in a box, I am living in a cardboard box…”

Oh…My…God. I love my cats.

It’s amazing, the things you can find when you go through everything and completely re-organize your office. Things like, CDs you’d given up on ever finding since you were in the hospital the year before… your brand new, unwrapped Madonna and Johnny Cash CDs and your favourite Paul Anka CD, for instance. Has that ever happened to you? Truly wonderful.

I’m still working on my office, but I found those CDs when I was looking for all my software to load onto my new computer. My brand new, unwrapped Mika CD was in there too!! And I found a tax receipt I have to fax to the government for a client. ‘Whew.

My mom was here this past weekend. We weren’t as productive as we were the time before, when we cleaned out my closets. But we did manage to get some shopping in. My mom recently found the Cotton Ginny gift card I gave her for Mother’s Day in 2006 that she thought she may have accidently thrown out (wonder where I get it from?) and bought some nice tops. I bought a skirt… because I NEED MORE CLOTHES OH MY GOD.

Yesterday I worked at the Pub. That is getting harder and harder to do… not just the stairs, although I’m not a fan of those stairs and they’re REALLY not appreciated when I have to pee, but the entire place isn’t exactly accessible for me. Walking from the inside of the pub through the edge of the kitchen out the back door to the bottom of the stairs outside… is an obstacle course of small, cluttered spaces and uneven ground. I had a fall in the kitchen yesterday. Didn’t hurt myself at all, it’s just annoying, and not a safe place for me. The back door is also close to the gas stove - can’t you just see the day I land on THAT. Reach my hand out as an auto-reaction to break my fall and place it right on the fire. Uhhhh huh. I’ve been trying to do most of their work from home, but I DO need to show up there once in awhile. I only stay for a short time, organize stuff and file, eat my free lunch then bring work home. The Pub is for sale and it looks like it may be sold pretty quick here… at which point I won’t do the books anymore. It will be hard to let go of it after 7 years, but I don’t even want to think about trekking back there in the winter. Plus, I do twice as much work for that place for half the money of any other client. That’s because a) I love that place; b) I love restaurant accounting; c) they treat me well and give me free coffee, food, and a promo account for drinks and stuff; d) I see their cash flow and it’s not great so I feel guilty taking more, and e) I’ve known both sets of the owners I’ve worked for a VERY long time, and it’s always been “in the family” so to speak. The new owners (should this deal go through) are not a part of that “family”, so it’s time to say goodbye. And replace them with a client that will pay me twice as much!

A couple weeks ago my DVD player jammed. I put in a DVD and it took forever to load, and then it said “wrong disc”. I couldn’t even get the DVD out, after many tries and restarting the player, etc. etc. Eventually the tray opened (after… like… a week) and I tried a couple other discs, even a DVD cleaner disc, but the “wrong disc” error message keeps popping up and then the DVD is jammed. Has anyone had this problem? Is my DVD player toast? My mom and Bob have lent me their extra cheapie one they never use for the time being. I will finally be able to watch In Cold Blood since I finished the book a couple weeks ago. One of these days I’ll get a new DVD player. Visa raised my limit another $2,500 but I am NOT taking that as a license to spend. I do, however, marvel at the good timing as I’m off to Toronto and Montreal in a few weeks!

I’ve kind of been slack with my 101 list lately. The new computer one got crossed off, as luck would have it, with no work required from me! I am currently taking all of my vitamins and supplements daily and plan to do that until I go away, which will cross of #11. One thing I’m happy about, is #91, where I wrote a letter to a newspaper in response to this article back in June. I just noticed the other day that they published my letter (and I know they received hundreds, so I’m pleased!) It’s the last letter on this page.

See, I need to get my body acceptance/fat politics blog off the ground to talk about stuff like that. Yes. One of these days.

Self-portrait with Pepper

Pita is so gorgeous in this picture!

Pepper is the Shelf Cat.

I awoke quite startled the other day. I heard what sounded like a train going through my apartment, and shot up in bed, wondering what the hell it was. Well. You know those really crinkly plastic bags, that make a LOT of noise when you smash them between your hands and stuff? Not that you do that, but cats love those bags. And one of mine decided to crawl inside one (I sometimes leave the odd one on the floor for them to play with) and run up the hall and under my bed, chased by the other one. All I saw was a plastic bag racing under my bed followed by another cat, too fast to tell which one. Seriously, have you ever seen a plastic bag run?? It’s the funniest thing ever. And loud. Then I heard a thump, and all was quiet. I was worried she had hit her head or something? Oh my God, what happened?? I looked over the side of my bed, and there was the bag, but no cats to be seen. Later when I got up and went into the living room, I saw Pepper crouched in beside the sofa, looking like she was about to pounce on something/someone. I called Pita, and she slowwwly crept up the hall towards the living room, taking careful tip-toe steps, watching Pepper the whole time. So I settled into my chair, because obviously they were both okay, and playing some sort of game that didn’t involve me. So they tear assed up the hall again and chased each other around for awhile. Never a dull moment around here, with those two!

On Wednesday afternoon I had my free monthly shiteous housekeeping. Well, okay, it’s better than nothing, but really, if you see something like my coat on the floor, could you maybe pick it up instead of just vacuuming around it?? They sent me two girls this time, one that had been here before and a new one that I guess is being trained. The thing is, when I buzz someone into my building and then it takes 20 minutes for them to get to my door, I know I’m dealing with idiots. This goes for delivery people as well; some are deducted $1 from their tip. I realize there are no arrows pointing to which apartment numbers are which way, but if you go up one hall and don’t see mine, wouldn’t you just try the other hall? Instead of going upstairs to every other floor, wandering around aimlessly, before coming back to the main door and buzzing me again to ask where I am? And listening when I say “go to your right”? Instead of wandering around aimlessly until someone directs you up my hallway? And then, when I open the door, (after 20 minutes, I emphasize), I realize that one of you has BEEN HERE BEFORE? Not that long ago? Do you know what I’m getting at? Because I have no idea, I just keep asking questions??

Anyway, they were not the smartest cookies. I remembered the training session I had to put the one girl through with my cordless phone the last time she was here, but I guess it didn’t take (”hit Line 1. There is no Line 2. Just hit the Line 1 button and dial out. Then hit it again to hang up”) because I heard both of them hitting all sorts of buttons on that phone, beep beep beepity beep, talking to each other in their language, and finally giving up and coming to ask me if I had a phone they could use. I said “yes, you were just holding it”, and got up to show them where the phone was they had just put down. I pressed Line 1 to get the dialtone and handed it to her.

So, yes, although I am grateful to have free housekeeping for a couple hours/month, I just, you know, AAARRRGGGHHH!

I had a really great night out on Thursday. I met friends at the Ironwood for a special C-Jazz event, where Matt Masters was taking his first shot at singing old jazz standards in front of a live audience, and my friends the Polyjesters were playing with Terra Hazelton. It was such a great show… Terra has such an amazing and unique voice; as my friend Heather said, “she sounds like every Christmas carol you’ve ever heard”. So happy and joyous. But she also has her sexy, sassy and sultry side. She’s awesome. And the PJ’s were great playing with her. I see many more regular gigs with them all together in the future, because Terra is moving back to Alberta in the Spring (she lives in Toronto now, where she sings with Jeff Healey’s Jazz Wizards) and taking a break from Big City Living. We had dinner at the club earlier, and I had the same thing I had last time I was there - because I resist change and love Brie - the veggie burger with brie cheese. Heather ordered these glazed chicken strips that looked DELICIOUS, so both Michelle and I have decided we are getting those next time we go (which just happens to be this Thursday, to see Emm Gryner).

On Friday I went for my 8th Quantum Release session. We are back onto the emotional thing. Between this session and my last one, Kevin ran me through his biofeedback machine and did a brain scan and checked out my nervous system and everything, and didn’t find much coming up on the physical side. He switched to emotional and WHOOSH, there it was. I said “but last time you told me what Pat said about my emotional health being responsible for my physical health was a load of crap…” and he said that she was right, after all. (I KNEW IT!) I have way, way, way more going on in there emotionally than he realized, we just broke through the surface. “But I feel good, emotionally,” I insisted. “I thought we were done that part?” Nope, we’re not. I grumbled and started to whine “how bloody much more is there?!?” and Kevin looked at me sternly and said “do you want to get better, or not?” “Well, yeah,… but, can I wait a couple weeks before coming again, because I won’t have the money until then.” He said he really didn’t want to stop now. “I will comp the session next week. And I want you to know, I don’t comp anybody. I told you at the beginning this wasn’t about the money. Do you believe me now?” Yeah, $540 in free treatments, I do believe him. Plus, after this session he asked me questions about certain times in my life and what was going on, because he felt certain things and wanted to be sure we were on par. And we were. Then he got me talking about my Dad, and my anger there, and low and behold, I talked and talked and talked… so I guess it’s not “all gone”. He then suggested I write it all out, do the “unsent letter” thing. I pouted that I sort of hoped I could just come to these sessions, lay back, and get it all out of me without having to dredge it all up again. He said although that is possible, it would take a lot longer. So, in order to move the process along, I need to do the journaling exercise that my friend/client/Coach Ken has been bugging me to do for years as well. OKAY FINE. I’ll write the damn letter!

I received a call the other day from a woman who recently had triplets, and doesn’t want to go back to work, but thinks doing bookkeeping from home like I do would be a good way to make a few bucks without leaving the babies. She has a similar work background to what I did before this, mostly working in the one-girl-office environment and doing everything, including some accounting, but never full-cycle bookkeeping. Unlike me, though, she has never worked directly for another accountant that she can call with questions when starting out, nor taken any accounting courses (I did enter the CGA program, I just didn’t get very far before I had to quit, but I did get straight A’s in Financial Accounting I, II, Business Law, Marketing, and Simply Accounting. Ahem). Anyway, she is coming over on Thursday morning and I’m going to show her “what I do” and how I set stuff up. To be honest, it would be nice to sort of train someone on how I do things, (THE RIGHT WAY), and have someone to refer people that are referred to me to (got that?) As much as I’d like to take on the World’s books and make sure they are done properly and everything is neatly reconciled, it’s just is not possible. I am but one mere human.

I guess I’m accident prone. Lots of people are using their Facebook Notes section to fill out those little surveys that go around, and many of them have questions like “Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Have you ever had stitches? Have you ever had surgery?” And most people are all, “no, no, no”. WHAT?? Is that possible? I’m all “oh, hell yeah, I can’t count how many times!!” Geez. I actually do consider myself a lucky person overall, but those of you that have never needed an ambulance or surgery and have never had a broken bone or anything, you are some lucky people.

Speaking of being lucky, how about that couple in Ontario who won $32 million in the lottery, and while they were driving to Winnipeg to pick up their winnings, they bought a scratch and win ticket, and won another $10 million? I kid you not. It was on the morning news yesterday, but you think I can find a link?? No. You just have to believe me. How do I get me some of THAT lucky energy??

Speaking of accident prone, I fell the other day and landed smack on my tailbone. Many of you probably know how much that hurts, and since I cracked my tailbone when I was 14, it has always been a sensitive area. Anyway, my chiropractor has been away, so I’ve just had to wait it out. In the meantime, not getting treatment for that I believe led to pulling a muscle somehere around my ribs on my right side yesterday (while doing nothing strange - just drying myself off after my shower - it’s like it was just sitting there, waiting for me to turn that way or something) and now I am in SO MUCH PAIN, every move is agony. I will finally get to see my chiropractor tomorrow and he will fix me up, but until then I’m living on Tylenol while hunched over grabbing my ribs or lying down with a heating pad. I am soooore.

Robyn tagged the hundreds and thousands of people who read her journal, so since that includes me, I have been tagged! I’m going to try to think of things you don’t already know about me if you’ve been reading a long time, so this may be “Seven Things about my Past and Juicy Gossip”.

1. The oldest single I own was autographed by two of the members who wrote/played on it, almost 20 years later! Here’s the story. My first ever ‘45 single was “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by Taste of Honey (1978). Many years ago, I was working at a local talent agency and re-organizing their band files. I came across one for a “Don Johnson” whom I had met years before that, when he was playing drums at a gig with Steve Pineo. I read his file, and it turned out he had been the drummer for Taste of Honey. I thought that was cool, that he lived here now. In the mid-90’s, when I was doing accounting for a pub called the Unicorn, Don Johnson was coming in to sing with his new band. I came down that night and brought my single to get it autographed. He signed it and then told me “Perry Kibble is here, too” (another former Taste of Honey member and co-writer of the song). So I met Perry, and he also signed the single. I think that is so cool. Full circle moment. NB: Perry Kibble died a couple years later in 1999 of heart failure at the age of 49.
2. I used to work for the (Famous One Or Two Hit-Wonder Band That Shall Not Be Named). They used to own a chain of pubs across Canada and I worked at the Head Office, doing payroll and all kinds of stuff. After they fired the Best Accountant Ever who then Sued Them and Won, I took over most of her job as well, and worked there for as long as I could until I ethically could no longer take it. After I returned from a business trip to Toronto where I really saw Mr. CEO’s true colours and what my “options” were if I wanted to move up in the company, I quit. (Not the FOOTHWBTSNBN’s fault - they were nice guys, but not being involved in the day-to-day business, they weren’t aware what an asshole the CEO they hired was, and everyone was afraid to say anything because the Best Accountant Ever was fired after 35 years of service when SHE tried to say something). After I left, the Truth came out, (because… WHY would Donna leave?? There must be something going on…) and that CEO was fired. I then received calls at home from FOOTHWBTSNBN, begging my return (lalalalala! I rock!) but I was still unhappy with the people they chose to continue running the business and didn’t return, except to come in on Saturdays to help out the one person I DID like in the company (the new accountant) and she paid me big bucks to do so. But after a few months she had seen enough as well and was going to leave, and so I never returned, and shortly after that the main pub they owned in Calgary mysteriously shut down and the company went into receivership. NB: The FOOTHWBTSNBN are still milking the one or two hits they had in the 60’s and 70’s for all they are worth and keep releasing “Best Of” compilations and touring.
3. I once walked out on a job I stayed at for 6 weeks, which was the most pathetic working environment since FOOTHWBTSNBN, by going in at 8:00 in the morning, leaving an “I quit this bullshit” note on my boss’s chair, and going home before she even came in.
4. I used to work with a Freak Side Show. I really just sold tickets and worked the concession stand and helped with promo, but occasionally during rehearsals I would try different things, and I’ve done fire eating and tongue transfers with fire. When the show had to close its Calgary location, all the props (such as the 2 headed calf, creepy things in jars, the haunted Dummy) and carnival-like decor were stored in the basement of the house I lived in.
5. One of the stars of that Freak Side Show, the Impaler (he stuck long needles through various parts of his body and hung fish hooks from his chest, and he really did it… it wasn’t a trick… the guy was into being “tortured” and liked pain… his hero was Fakir Musafar) (do not click that if you have a weak stomach) was my room mate for awhile. He was 19 at the time. He pierced his own penis in our basement one evening. We had visitors, and were like… “don’t go downstairs!” When he was finished, he came upstairs as if nothing was any different, just another day. A few weeks later he took the piercing out when he was sleeping on a hide-a-bed at his parent’s place, and the ring at the end of his penis sort of slipped over a piece of metal at the side of the bed and hooked itself there, and he rolled over….

   Okay, I know, all you guys are hugging your privates right now, feeling his pain. Sorry. Some of these have very little do with things about ME, but I’m having fun reminiscing! Hehe But this is taking too long so the last two will be short and simple.

6. My biggest pet peeve is gum chewing or the sound of someone’s saliva smacking in their mouth. If you are anywhere near my ears and chewing gum or eating (and are a saliva smacker when you do it), then I am going to FREAK out and will try my best to do that politely and leave the room if I am able. But nothing makes me shiver with disgust more than that. Sometimes I’ll be beside a cab driver who is chewing gum, and I want to scream!!!
7. I always get excited about receiving, opening and reading my fortune cookie after a Chinese food meal, even though I don’t believe a single word of those at ALL.

If you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged as well, to write Seven Things about Yourself. You’re then supposed to tag seven people, but do whatever you want!