Muggy

May. 22nd, 2021 07:44 am
metawidget: Person sitting cross-legged from the rear, in black and white with noise and scratches (body)
I just realized that from Oscar's perspective, you've never needed to lick postage stamps. They wanted to know about the history of stickers this morning and I was thinking old lick-and-stick technology was old… I'd forgotten it is also kind of obsolete.

I've got my one dose of Pfizer/BioNTech in me and am currently contributing a bit of plasma to the system — apparently it's a tough year for a system that's kind of strapped in normal times. I'll pick up a few things while I'm out in Gatineau proper and hope I don't get soaked by the rain. We have dates on both sides of the river for relaxing restrictions further; it's nice to have a light at the end of the tunnel but it'll be a pretty quiet long weekend. Maybe ice cream and not-too-crowded beach on Monday?

Planning feels like a mug's game this summer, but it does feel like summer. A few more weeks of school, and then full on summer with things loosened up a bit but kids bouncing off the walls. I hope we'll find our new rhythm, have some fun with household and pod, and be able to plan again in the fall.
metawidget: A "palatable" icon with happy face licking lips and captions in both official languages.. (palatable)
It's been a while since I've done one of these.

1. What did you do in 2020 that you'd never done before?
Made Yorkshire pudding. Run a half-marathon distance. Gave plasma by aphresis.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not sure I made any last year. This year I'm vaguely committing to keep running, connect more with friends and mentors, make my work life better and maybe ferment some things.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Our elderly Druid and friend Judith. I can still sort of hear her voice and think of her lots — she's all tied in with the turning of the seasons now in my head.

5. What countries did you visit?
Unsurprisingly: none.

6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?
More time in person with more people.

7. What date from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 16, when we all went home from the office in the morning.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably getting the go-ahead to become part-time faculty at the Canada School of Public Service, teaching Positive Space training.

9. What was your biggest failure?
A Pride seminar that we had to reschedule a bunch of times that still hasn't happened yet. Logistics happen.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing beyond the routine stuff.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Possibly a used office chair for my home office. My back is better for it.

12. Where did most of your money go?
There wasn't a dominant category but a lot of it goes to various sorts of savings as well as food and drink.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
I think I was really stoked to do my secondment at the beginning of the year and to get good at running. The CSPS position is pretty exciting too!

14. What song will always remind you of 2020?
Maybe "Happy" by Mother Mother.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?
About the same?

ii. thinner or fatter?
My shirts fit better!

iii. richer or poorer?
A little richer: I've been saving, I have a steady job and no major debt. And I kept saving in the economic turbulence which really helped.

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Cultivating relationships and organizing for good.

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being overwhelmed and spinning my wheels.

18. What was your favorite TV program?
Sex Education. So cute and engaging. It's nice to find out about a show when there's already a couple of seasons out but now it's a long wait for Season 3…

19. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No… some people frustrate me, I'm envious of some of them, and some people just get on my nerves but I don't feel a lot of hate.

20. What was the best book you read?
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber was thought- and feeling-provoking.

21. What was your greatest musical discovery?
[personal profile] sabotabby put me on to Bob Vylan, who is raw and biting and Punk and very good.

22. What did you do on your birthday?
I had a backyard gathering where my parents as well as Heather, Andrea and Morgen made it.
metawidget: A platypus looking pensive. (Default)
I'm at the sports centre while the kids are swimming — the parent gallery is on the other side of a wall with windows, so I'm watching a swimming lesson on almost-mute. The muffled sounds suggest fun, and there is lots of bouncing and splashing and the occasional "trust you can float" exercise. I got the kids the goggles they wanted last weekend and they're the only kids with goggles in the pool today.

It's been a long couple weeks — still fridge-less, despite having talked to lots of people and voice recognition systems and had a technician visit a couple of times. Maybe we'll get a replacement soon… the city is also doing some municipal water work so we're under a boil water advisory until Thursday morning at least. It's almost camping!

I'm done my antibiotics for my elbow but I still have to wait for the now-not-infected swelling to go down (and blood donations are out until the elbow is completely healed). I feel a little urgency to actually donate because I'm not super optimistic that the MSM deferral won't be replaced by some other lovely normative standard around monogamy and white picket fences.

We all have a bit of a cold. *Sniff* I'm hoping we'll have a healthy, restful stretch with modern amenities soon (and maybe Elizabeth and I will be able to take a proper break together).

Today Oscar gets to go in a biplane with [personal profile] commodorified (and a pilot). I think he's excited and Elizabeth and I will find something awesome to do with the younger ones…
metawidget: A plastic wind-up teeth thing with a googly eye. (chatter)


In the year 2007 I resolve to:
Stop making silly resolutions.



Get your resolution here.


Elizabeth gave blood yesterday, and I went along as moral support (I miss being able to give, but maybe I'll be able to give again this year sometime)… the wait was pretty long and they offered everyone in the waiting area chocolates from the Laura Secord next door. On the downside, the Radisson Globule is filled with blood-related art and literature. I wouldn't be surprised if they were nudging donors' heart rates and blood pressure up, like here (found in [livejournal.com profile] montrealais' journal).

My parents gave me a new dresser for Christmas, to replace the older-than-me one I've been using for over 20 years. I assembled it last night, and put it in before going to have some beer and free peanuts with people from Ellie's work. As we were leaving, one of her co-workers, citing 'French humour' asked if “on allait dans la toilette pour faire l'amour.” Hmm.
metawidget: A platypus looking pensive. (Default)
Still straightening out my peer support schedule... it's the one thing that still feels like the beginning of the semester, two and a half weeks in. Everything else has settled down, I think: students, classes, work (sort of). Meeting on Monday evening, so I'll be straggling in to the election results party a little late. With a good stiff drink handy.

Went and gave blood with [livejournal.com profile] rottenfruit today. Here's to over a year of blood donation dates! The intake nurse recognized my name and chatted me up on what my dad was up to: it turned out my dad had trained him in the fine arts of liver palpation for hospital transport teams, in 1988. I had a nice speedy donation, as did Ellie. The trial location in Centre Les Ailes is cozy and pretty: whereas at Globule out by Radisson there are lots of photos of platelets and red trim, here there are more photos of happy people and a blue-and-wood colour scheme. It's a little easier on the blood pressure for a mildly squeamish donor... Afterward, we picked up train tickets for our trip to see her folks, skate the canal and spend some time in a recording studio (she'll be recording, I'll be staying out of the way and beaming). That's something to look forward to, for sure.

I'm reading up for some serious paper-pitching this week, and getting ready for that work meeting. Life is pretty good, and rather busy.

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metawidget: A platypus looking pensive. (Default)
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