Sunday, June 30, 2013

Last Day of Pride

Pride Rose & Brunch

Church St Pride
Pride Flags

Me & Hershey

Pride on Churvh St
Bandana & Silver Dress
Body Painting
Bandana and Silver Dress
Pride Body Paint

Me in silver dress
Me with Pride Vampire

One of the Stages

Me with a Gigantic Condom

Me with a HOT Dancer

Beer Garden
Me with a Beautiful Person - Who's Grabbing My Boob!
I want That Purple Dress!
Trojan Man
Pride Bandana
Beautiful Pride Rose

Happy Pride, Everyone!

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Pride Weekend, 2013

So, first I went to the market, as usuall.


I didn't make a ton of money, but it was fun and people seem to like my new tote bags.

And then, I gobbled down a Harvey's burger, fries, and milkshake at home, and then ran back out to enjoy the Pride festivities.












As is my wont, I sold my note cards to people along Church St.   I didn't make a fortune there either, but people were so nice and friendly!  I met one who said that her daughter and father were both artists.  Her father, she explained, liked meeting other artists and would probably like to meet me.  (I'm not sure how this came up, but the woman also told me that her father knows Alice Cooper!)

All in all, I had a good, fun, and profitable day!



Friday, June 28, 2013

Friday, June 28th, in Pictures

Carole Pope Singing in the Rain

And so Pride Weekend begins - right outside my balcony window!  This will be my 18th year grooving out to Pride.


My cats like Pride too - except when the loud music begins!  They are in hiding right now ....


Truthfully, part of me feels like going into hiding too.  I'm going to miss sharing this uniquely weird and wonderful experience with Rob and Mom.

However, I can't stop myself from enjoying life - and I do love Pride!

Happy Pride, everyone!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Due to Computer Problems Beyond My Control

There will be no blog posts today.  I've been fighting with my computer all day, and I need a rest.

Rob, my computer guru, where are you when I need you?

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Very Vodka Day


So, I debated for ages about going to the underwear show at Cafe California this year.  I knew it would be hard  without Mom.  She used to look forward to this event so much every year! 

On Monday of this week, I bit the bullet and made a reservation for this evening.  Beforehand, I went to my bi-weekly grief counseling session, which helped me prepare to go to the underwear show.

I knew I would cry, and I did, but only a tear or two.  I could picture Mom sitting and clapping to the music, saying, "There's that Church St beat again!"








Despite missing Mom, I had a good time.  The food was delicious and the men were hot! Plus, much to my amazement, I won a HUGE gift basket of Iceberg Vodka!!! Like  H U G E !  There has to be at least ten bottles. Not only that, but there was an iceberg shaped lamp included, which holds the biggest bottle of liquor in place.  Hilarious!



Mom, I love you.  And, maybe I'm crazy but I think you were with me this evening, watching all of the cute boys dance ....


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Still Busy

Email, painting, attending a meeting, more painting.

I'll write more tomorrow ....

Monday, June 24, 2013

Juggling, Ever Juggling

The weekend was fun; I'm smiling now just thinking about it.

Now, though, it's back to work.  Writing email, buying groceries, getting my phone connection fixed, designing and ordering new cards, managing my employees' scheduling.  I was literally juggling four things at once on my computer today!

I was going to paint today,  but that would have been too much.  Besides, it was as hot as hades - too hot to try to focus on steadying my movements for three or four hours!  I'll paint tomorrow, after I get ready for the day and before I go to the OCAP meeting in the evening.

It's almost midnight.  I'm tired and my neck hurts, but I have things that need to be seen to before I can go to bed.

Like Mom used to say:  "No peace for the wicked!"

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Another Busy Day

Today is another busy day.  I'm going to have dinner at Jack Astor's with Kelly and Yuula.  And then,  Kelly and I are going to see "The Wizard of  Oz"' at the Mirvich Theatre.

Fun!

I might write more later, but if I'm too tired I won't.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Too Exhausted

I'm too exhausted to write much.

Great day at the market.  Yay!

I had dinner with Motria and Lucy at Hot House. That was fun, and the food, as always, was delicious!

And then, Motria and I saw "Man of Steel" - it was super, if you pardon the pun!

It was such a long day and I'm exhausted!  My neck, back and shoulder are killing me!

Time to chill out.  Ahhh ....

Friday, June 21, 2013

Thinking About Rob and Mom

I felt a lot better today, like 99% better! Yay! 

And I had a good, productive day too.  I did online banking, wrote emails, and ordered tickets through Ticketmaster for Zappa Plays Zappa, which is playing on October 19th. (I yearn to go to Zappa Day in Baltimore again this September, but I'm not sure I'll be able to this year.  I might have to honour Rob by simply taking some of his ashes to the concert.)

I felt like treating myself, so I had dinner on the patio of the Hair of the Dog.  I was all set to order my usual macaroni and cheese, but seeing Mom's favourite meal, tuna melt on foccascia bread, I just had to have it.  All afternoon, in the back of my mind, I knew that today was the 10th month anniversary of my mother's demise.  So, maybe that was one reason for my choice.  Well, anyway, I felt fine and happy to eat her favourite meal and drink her favourite beer. I even toasted to her memory.

I was fine and happy, laughing and joking with Lucy during dinner. It wasn't until Lucy said she was going to see an art show at the Power Plant in the Harbourfront Centere and I explained to her that I wasn't sure how long it would be before I felt comfortable enough to visit Harbourfront again that grief suddenly whacked me in the face. I could remember all the good times that my Mom and I had spent every summer for 17 years at Harbourfront. In my minds eye I could see us a snack at Tim Horton`s and walking around the boardwalk going into the Power Plant to get out of the heat and having dinner at a nice restaurant nearby. I cried because I knew that I will never be able to do these things with Mom again.

Then I thought well maybe Mom and Dad are walking around the boardwalk themselves. Thats a nice thought. Dad loved Harbourfront too.  

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Up and About

Well, I'm still sick, but after a nice nap and shower, I feel a bit better.

I'm up and about, writing emails, texting with my brother Bruce, doing the scheduling for my employees - and stressing about all of the things I needed to do but couldn't because I was sick in bed!  Oh well, it'll all get done, whether today, tomorrow, or over the weekend ....

I'm so glad I'm feeling better!  I'd say I'm feeling 90% better, which isn't too bad at all.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Blah

Sneeze.  Sneeze.  Sneeze.

Sick. Sick. Sick.

Sleep.  Sleep.  Sleep.

Blah.

I will write tomorrow when, hopefully, I feel better.

Sneeze.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Sludgy Day

Yuck!  I woke up feeling like I was getting a cold. Plus, there's black sludge coming out of my kitchen sink. Yuula put three buckets-full of the stuff down the toilet. If she hadn't put the stopper in the sink, the sludge might have just kept coming up out of the drain.

I feel like I'm in some weird sci-fi movie.  The sludge that came out of the drain and took over the world. Bwahahaha!

Or, maybe it's just my poor sick feverish brain.

I hate colds ...

And black sludge.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Nothing Much to Say on This Beautiful Spring Day

Apart from writing emails, breaking up fights between my two cats, and untangling a scheduling mess, I've had a nice day.

I had a peppermint mocha frappuccino with Brittainy, and then I had a yummy tuna sub from Subway for my dinner.

I was going to paint this evening, but I think I'll go see After Earth instead.  Why waste such lovely weather by staying inside?

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Regarding Yesterday and Today

I made $77.00 at the market yesterday, which isn't bad.  And, my friend Larry from Indianapolis and his friends came to see me at my booth.  That's always nice; they're so friendly and cheerful!

One person from that group bought a package of "Tending to the Garden" cards, and I felt a tiny prick of sadness as I explained that it was based upon fond memories of my mom gardening at our house.

A couple of hours later, Frank Sachse and his daughter Jess (his son was there, too, but I can't remember his name) came to see me.  I hadn't seen Frank in years ... not since before Rob died.

I thought Frank knew about Rob.  I'm very open about my grief on Facebook, and Jess knows me there. So when I said "did you know Rob died?" I was kind of shocked when he turned red and started to cry. But in another way I wasn't surprised because Frank and his brother Pitney used to run a bulletin board system 25 years ago where Rob and I used to chat and fell in love. The brothers knew us well and they felt like we were the Romeo and Juliet of the bulletin board.

Through the bulletin board Rob and I met so many friends and went out on so many outings. We went to dances and bars and picnics and baseball games.It was like having another family. 

One thing that keeps popping into my head today is when I went to the island with everyone a week after I had broken my nose on Father's Day everybody was so nice and told me I still looked beautiful. I can still remember my friend Kooka telling Rob that I was fantastic and he would be a fool if he ever let me go. I guess Rob agreed with her because he never did.

So, yeah, 25 years ago I broke my nose on Father's Day at another picnic. It was up at Participation House in Markham. Every year they had wheelchair races on grass but this year it was on asphalt and instead of being in my power wheelchair I was in my manual wheelchair. I kept pleading with Rob to push me in the race and he kept saying "no, no it's too risky because your front wheels keep wobbling whenever you go fast." But did I listen? No. I got my own way and paid the price by flying out of my wheelchair when the wheels locked at high speed. I landed right on my nose. I can still remember the pain!

Rob and I had only been dating for a few months and I'm sure he must have wondered who was this crazy broad, especially since I stayed to eat a hot dog before going to the hospital. Mom didn't seem to surprised by my actions, neither did Dad, for that matter, when we got home and told him about it.

This weekend has been full of memories. Rob, Mom and of course Dad- I love you and miss you! I toasted to Dad with scotch and water for Father's Day and then toasted to Rob and Mom too.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak

I have a lot to say about today, but I only had three hours of sleep and a looooonnnnggg day at the market.  I think I'll take my body's advice for once and chill out tonight.

I'll talk about what happened today tomorrow.

Right now, I'm going to have a Harvey's burger and a spiked milkshake, and watch Mad Men.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday Night and Feeling Swamped Again


"The Disguises I Wear"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

I do my best to be Super Anne, to be determined and resolute about finishing all of my work, to act like a clown and joke with my friends about all of the millions of things I need to juggle every day.

Sometimes I just scream inside of my head:  "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

It's Friday night and I'm feeling swamped - again!

Someone please clone me.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Food Fight

Egads!  What a time I had getting my dinner from Swiss Chalet!

I used to order on-line from them, but recently I've had trouble with the system accepting my requests.  It either told me I was ordering too early, or, I'd spend ten minutes choosing what I wanted and how to pay only to be hi-jacked to a page that said: "File not found".

Today at 3pm, I asked Dobrila to call them and order over the phone, and to ask them to deliver my meal by 5pm.  (I knew I would be alone until 5, when Grace would come.)

I thought everything would work out fine but at 5:10pm Swiss Chalet hadn't delivered yet. So Grace called them and they said, "Oh, we don't deliver to people with pre-paid credit cards. You'll have to pick it up." Angry, I said, "But I don't have a pre-paid credit card!" (Why wouldn't they have said that at 3pm?! Plus, I used the same credit card for years with no problem.) So they apologized and said, "OK, we'll send it right away and you can pay half-price."

Forty-five minutes later, still no fucking dinner. So we called again and this time I was really mad! I said, "I'm a woman with a disability and people come at certain times to help me eat. You've just ruined my meal. I want my dinner free!" So they agreed and apologized again.

That should have been the end of it, but five minutes later when the guy came to deliver the food, I had to argue with him to let me have it for free. After ten minutes of him calling different people at Swiss Chalet, he agreed I should have it for free.

It will be a very long, long, long time before I order from Swiss Chalet again!


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Paint and Pain

I painted for most of the afternoon and evening.  I like how this piece is shaping up.  It's called "'My Torturous Mind".  It's all about my grief, how I'll be going along, happy as a clam, and then, all of a sudden, I'll hear some song or see some place or thing and it's like a trap door springs open and all of these thoughts, feelings, and memories come spilling out.

It's cathartic, sure, but hard too. Plus, my neck is killing me from working so hard - time for some 2-22's and Gravol!

Next painting: pretty flowers or cute pets ....  Maybe landscapes, flowers, or nudes  ....  Hmm ....

It's good to balance out one's art.  I'd go flaming nuts if I had to do either dark, thought-provoking paintings or ones that are more, well, benign.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Pictures From My Life Today

I'm too tired to write tonight, so, here are pictures of my boys; art in progress; and new cards: