I have long felt that my cat, Benjamin, spends most of his time looking down on me, even when he’s looking up… (Sorta swiped my idea this week from my pal, Az)
A bit of an anti-climax I guess you’d call it.
May 26, 2011 at 7:43 am (Co-operative living, Co-ops)
So tonight was the big General Member’s meeting tonight in our co-op. I had begged off because of my blood pressure which has been sky-high and knew that the meeting wasn’t going to improve things any. As some of you know, I had requested the acceptance of my resignation from the Board but the President of the Board said he wouldn’t accept it until after the resolution of the problems that were causing my stress. I have been taking a hiatus just to see how things go. While I can’t talk about the problems directly, just that they involved a particular person and that it wouldn’t be resolved until the general members made a decision. They have now done that and I think things should settle down and we can now actually get the business that we weren’t able to do during the nonsense that has been going on done.
I suspect that this won’t be the end of the problems from this person but it will be a lot of hot air. I just don’t like to be called a liar and I don’t like my friends and neighbours being called liars, even if I don’t necessarily get along with them. I also don’t like having to deal with shit that is stupid and pointless. I suspect this person wants to initiate a lawsuit. However, there is nothing to sue over and no one to sue. This person would be laughed out of court…. if it even got that far. And, quite frankly, they don’t know how to pick their fights and just seem to want to fight with everyone over everything. Apparently, they have also made complaints about people in the body that governs co-ops in the province and the association that our co-op belongs to. Why? Because they acted impartially instead of siding with this person during a mediation session and also gave us advice as a co-op after the fact…. which is what they are supposed to do. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
Sometimes you have to wonder why some people have to expend such effort in making life so difficult, not just for other people, but for themselves.
And, quite honestly, this is the same person for whom I expressed a great deal of appreciation last year when they were first moving into the co-op. My opinion began changing within a week of actually meeting them. Now, a year later, I can barely stand to hear their name mentioned and will not speak to them again.
Found it!
May 25, 2011 at 5:33 am (Art)
Tags: Copper enamelling
A couple of weeks ago, I posted something which included some of my father’s copper enamels. I mentioned that I wasn’t able to find a dish that we had. I was able to find it, finally. Here it is. Sadly, it has a little chip in it and it is a little bit scratched. But I love it. It’s supposed to be an ashtray, I think and we used it for that for decades.
Photo Hunt: “Cluttered”
May 21, 2011 at 11:05 pm (Photo Hunt, Photographs)
I didn’t contribute this week. It hasn’t been a great week for me so I just came up empty for the Photo Hunt.
Hopefully, next week will be better.
It looks like tnchick who usually runs it didn’t post either.
Loaner: Chevy Cruze
May 20, 2011 at 10:57 pm (Car, Car trouble, Cars)
My poor little Toyota Corolla was dead in the driveway on Tuesday morning and since I had a LOT of running around to do on both Tuesday and Wednesday (pick up Ange and Ryan at respective workplaces and IKEA on Tuesday; and run out to Kemptville to get Mom’s OHIP card renewed on Wednesday) I was going to need a car ASAP. The only rental company I could find that had a vehicle on short notice was Hertz. And while I had promised NEVER to rent from Hertz again after the fiasco when moving back from New York (paid in cash to the penny in US$ and was charged as well on my credit card and told I had to deal with the New York City branch… Visa simply refunded my money when I faxed my receipts but STILL!), I had no choice.
They had a brand new Chevy Cruze for me. Dark blue, 25km on the clock and the brand new car smell.
I set the alarm off in the parking lot of Hertz and took AGES to find the seat adjust handle (there are three… seat tip, seat height, and back adjust which I didn’t find until after I got out of the car later in the day.
A very comfy ride but the pick up was spotty, sometimes having to floor it in a tight spot and then feeling the gas come and go. Good braking. No complaints there. However, as with any American car I have used, it is a gas guzzler. I used half a tank just going back and forth across town and then another half driving down to Kemptville. In my Corolla (2003), while not getting the mileage I did when I first bought it, if I fill up in Ottawa, we can spend the day running down to Kemptville and all over the countryside before filling up in Kemptville (where gas is cheaper than in town) after only using less than 1/2 tank.
Nice car… nice ride… but until the American car-makers get around to building cars that are gas efficient, I won’t be buying on.
Ontario Labour Law and the Apocalypse (or “The Rapture”).
May 20, 2011 at 7:35 am (Ontario)
Tags: labour law, Ontario, Rapture
As many of you know, this weekend marks “Apocalypse” or “The Rapture”, set for Saturday May 21, at 8am EST. As this holiday falls the same weekend as Canada’s national holiday, “Victoria Day” – traditionally marking May 24th but conveniently moved to the closest Monday before the 24th — The Province of Ontario has outlined the specifics of it’s Labour Laws regarding this holiday weekend.
According to Ontario Law, service employees who have to work on Saturday (Rapture Day) AND the May 24th holiday (held on Monday May 23), will get their Victoria Day on Tuesday May 24th. Quebec residents who work in Ontario have the choice of taking either the Victoria Day on May 23 or on St. Jean Baptiste Day. As “The Rapture” is a religious holiday and not a federally recognized statutory holiday, employers are not obligated to provide employees with the day off. Employees may take the day of without pay. Normal rules regarding time-an-a-half and double-time apply only to the Victoria Day holiday. Quebec residents working in Ontario will be paid either for the St. Jean Batiste holiday or the Victoria Day weekend not both.
The Ontario Government has stated that, should The Rapture take place, the savings to the taxpayers of Ontario will be in the Sextillions of dollars (CDN) and may reduce the Ontario deficit by as much as 1/3.
Perchance to dream… of riding camels?
May 16, 2011 at 10:44 pm (Dreams, Menopause, Sleep)
Tags: Dreams, Menopause, Sleep
Yes… to dream of riding camels…
Last night my sister reminded me about Calcium/Magnesium. Menopausal women often experience insomnia (My Mom did, often falling asleep during the day but tossing and turning at night.) and they recommend Calcium/Magnesium before bed. So, I took two 173 mg. Calcium / 100 mg. Magnesium tabs and two of the Melatonin tabs and slept like a very large log until I was kindly wakened at 3am by my cellphone beeping to tell me that I need to plug it in… and again at 7am. In between, I slept solidly and had a dream which involved riding a HUGE camel through a city. Not sure which city. Matters not. The camel was gigantic, as big as an elephant, very soft and very comfortable. A little scary when he and I were perched on top of a bus and a train but otherwise… very comfy ride. I’d do it again. Oh. and it WAS a bit crowded when we were in someone’s living room, of course.
Blood Pressure
May 16, 2011 at 1:58 am (Blood Pressure, Health, Heart and Stroke)
Tags: Anxiety, Blood Pressure, Health, Stress
I knew my blood pressure was probably pretty high, what with the stress of the last few weeks. I finally had it tested and it was *gasp!* 167/109 and 105 bpm. A few minutes later, it had gone down to 153/104 and 96 bpm. I haven’t tested it in a while because I can’t find the blood pressure monitor. Until the whole thing with the problem with the Board of Directors is over and done with, even though I quit the Board (it hasn’t been accepted, yet, but I have no duties so I won’t stress out). Even so, because the General Meeting is still ore than a week away, I am still fretting over the possible outcomes of that. I can’t sleep at night but then am so tired by morning that I inevitably fall asleep and wake up far too late in the day…. Vicious cycle.
That Dreadful Insomnia by Sheeyo
I have tried taking sleeping pills… The first night I fell asleep fairly soon and woke up 3 hours later and wasn’t able to get to sleep, again. Every other night I have taken it and simply lain awake all night. Last night I dozed of fairly quickly and woke up an hour later, wide awake and couldn’t get back to sleep.
I have tried my anti-anxiety meds. I have tried the anti-anxiety meds AND the sleeping pill.
I have tried Melatonin. While that worked like a charm the first time I tried it two years ago, it has never worked since.
I tried Chamomile tea… Nothing.
I have tried eating a little something.
I have tried eating nothing after 7pm.
I went without coffee or tea for most of last week.
Now, of course, I could lie in bed and sleep all day. I just CANNOT get to sleep at night, or if I can GET to sleep, I don’t stay asleep.
Tonight I am trying Calcium and Magnesium. That also worked once but not after that. And it isn’t as though I am anticipating not getting to sleep. I get myself in the mood, curl up, try and put myself on a beach or in a field of grass — or, my usual fall-back, my “house” relaxation technique. [I imagine a place… street, road, path… city street… and imagine myself approaching the house. I imagine what the street looks like, that the surroundings are like, how I am getting there (car, carriage, walking). Then I imagine walking up the steps or path to the door, opening the door or knocking to be let in… whatever suits the house. I imagine the entryway, the hall, the walls, and where my room would be… Sometimes I imagine the whole house. Sometimes it takes me a while to get to sleep but usually I get to sleep within 15 minutes, sometimes I don’t even remember where I was before I dropped off.] Problem is that it hasn’t worked recently. Thoughts keep intruding and I simply cannot concentrate and end up fretting AGAIN about “What if…”.
It is stupid, I know. And I know that whatever happens, things will eventually calm down but until then, it is all I can think about.
And right now my eyes are shutting and it is only 5:30.
Photo Hunt: Missed
May 14, 2011 at 7:41 am (Photo Hunt, Photographs)
Tags: Family, Photo Hunt
The first three photos weren’t taken by me. In fact, I am in them. They were taken just after my Mom and Dad (step-Dad) were married.
They definitely qualify in several ways… The photographer “missed” the cat. I “miss” those days… and My Dad is “missed”. He died in 1988, a month to the day after my birth father. I miss him still.
I’m on the left in this photo. My step-sister and step-brother are the other kids. Skimmie the cat and Rajah the dog.
NOTE: Blogger is down. She’s using her WordPress blog.
My Dad and my brother during a birthday party. I’m not sure whose birthday. Possibly my sister’s. My Dad at his best. Enjoying a joke (probably his own and probably REALLY, REALLY bad). One of the few without a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
The earliest photo of my Dad, on the right, at age 2 with his sisters, Amy and Mehru. Probably his birthday photos.
And doing what he liked best, aside from working. On one of my birthdays, in Luskville, Quebec.
Today
May 12, 2011 at 1:18 am (Uncategorized)
I tendered my resignation from the Board of Directors, today, citing health reasons which is the case. My blood pressure is sky high and I haven’t been sleeping properly – if at all. As I was typing the first line of this post, my doorbell rang and it was the President of the Board telling me that he wouldn’t accept it for two weeks so if I changed my mind I could rescind my offer. I don’t have to concern myself with Board matters, except where a vote is needed or a cheque to be signed. I am willing to do that. At least the offer is still on the table.
I truly enjoy working with three of the members. They are terrific. Unfortunately, because of an ongoing situation which has meant for stress since the previous Board was elected (of which I was also a member) the stress has built and built. I said that if my health was compromised, it mean that I wasn’t in the best position to care for my mother. She (and my own health) is my primary concern.
So, we shall see how things go in the next few weeks. I don’t suspect that the problem that is causing the stress is going to go away and I suspect it will get more serious (which really is unfortunate because someone will lose in the long-run – not us). I just need to concentrate on my own health and that of my mother’s.
I feel a LOT better now that I put it on the table and hope that things resolve. I just can’t put myself through much more.
Mudpuddle 