No Time to Talk

I've got no time to talk today!  Sarah's coming over to finish the stick and poke of the hummingbird on my left arm.  I have to reply to emails; work on my employees' schedule; and really, really concentrate on finishing up my proposal for the artists residency.

Post Birthday Celebration

I've had a very good day today. First my door opener got fixed so I'm not trapped in my own apartment anymore! (I'm free, I'm free!!!)

While the guy fixed the door opener Laura came over and we chatted and had coffee andf frappachino.I gave her some material that was specially made with my artwork on it and she said she would make a few bags for me to sell. Brilliant!

After Laura and the repair guy left, Lucy and I went to the bank and I deposited some birthday cheques and (tah-da!) my setttlement cheque from the Toronto Police. That felt damn good!

Unfortunately, my joy was marred a tiny bit when a security guard at the bank started chatting with me and asked what the dates in my tattoo meant. Just hearing the question was a jab to my heart. But I help myself togther enough to explain that they were the 3 days that Rob was in the hospital and that he died on the 19th. She wanted to ask more questions, but I very politely said, "I'm sorry, I should be going now." After that I found a quiet spot and cried for a few seconds. Lucy suggested we go out for a beer to cheer up but I said, why don't we just go back to my house and have a beer there. We did and I did cheer up.

Lucy left and Brittainy came for her shift and I told Brittainy not to get too confortable because we had to meet my cousin and aunt at the Spaghetti Factoy. Much to my surprise, my cousin Lesley's 2 sons were there, and her husband Al.

All in all,  it was a very nice evening! We chatted and laughed and enjoyed the food and I loved the icecream with the singers and the single sparkler.

I'm tired I think I'll chill out and watch Enterprise on Netflix.

Incredibly Tired

I am so incredibly tired. 

Lucy is sitting beside me laughing her head off, saying the sentence I just wrote was such an understatement.  She came in to find me napping at the kitchen table.   And Simone is mock yelling at me, saying, "Go to bed!  Just go to bed!  I'll even pick you up, if you want, and toss you into bed!"

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think to myself.

I'll have a quick snack and then go to bed ... unless I get my second wind.

Happy Birthday to Me

What a day!  I'm too tired and sore to write....

However, a picture is worth 1000 words, right?

Happy Pre-Birthday

In approximately 45 mintes it will be August 12th.  My birthday!

I'm going to have a big party tomorrow night, a "shin-dig" as my father would say.  However, I wanted to do something tonight to celebrate.  So, Kelly and I went to Cafe California for dinner.  Previously, I had received a coupon from them in an email for $25.00 off a birthday meal. So, I thought why not take advantage of it?

Here are the pictures of my lovely dinner at Cafe California:

Grrr

I'm tired, sore (my hand still hurts a lot), sad, and semi-cranky.  I don't think anybody would like to hear what I have to say today!

I have an ogre inside of me, and he is just itchin' stomp his feet, yell, and pick a fight with the next person he sees!

I just took a Lorazepam, though, and I'm just about to do lots and work - that'll make him go to sleep.

And, it'll make me feel happy and very satisfied!

Sheesh! I really do need a life, don't I ...?

Things

I've always been rather a klutz, it's just the way I am.  Usually, I laugh at the silly things I do, like slipping out of my manual wheelchair at a party when I was drunk; or, falling off of the GoTrain because someone told me to go out the wrong way; or, almost drenching someone at the table next to me on a restaurant's patio because I accidentally burp as I take a swig of beer.

Should I go on?  Maybe another time ....

One thing that has always upset me, though, especially as a child, and that is when I accidentally break something.   I remember crying and feeling terribly guilty over what I had done.  My mother would hug me and say, "Annie, those are just things. Don't waste your time getting upset over that.  People are more important than things."

For the most part Mom was right. Inanimate, material objects don't hold a candle to flesh and blood people.

And yet, the TV that Rob watched before he died sits, unplugged, in the other room.  I tried to give the TV to my friend Leon, but I kept getting panic attacks and backed out of the deal.  Leon understood, of  course.

Yesterday, Simone brought Mom's kitchen table and chairs over to my place.

And Mom's armoir too.

People are more important than things, it's true.  And yet, certain things hold fond memories inside of them and make you feel happy.

Busy Fun Day

Today was a fun, laid-back kind of a day.

First, I met two old friends, Roger (he's a politician from Devon, England) and Ean.  We had brunch together at Golden Griddle.  We talked about our cats, politics, and the good ol' days of chatting over BBSes (Bulletinboard Systems).  Chatting inevitably led to parties and get-togethers.

And then we all went back to my place ...

where we talked about our cats, politics, my birthday party on this upcoming Monday evening,
 and days of chatting over BBSes.  Oh yes, and about where the nearest Dairy Queen was located.
 
Roger suggested, not for the first time, that I go into politics.  He's very persuasive!  I just know where I'd find the time to do it, though .....

After they left, I asked Lucy to trim my hair again.

I don't look too bad for someone who is almost 55, do I?

So Much to Say and Feel and So Little Time in Which to Say it

Today I was going to talk about my time with the grief counselor.  (Why do I feel guilty over things I know I have no control over?)

And, I was going to talk about what bastards people at ODSP are, not only to me but to other people!

I feel overwhelmed by feelings and thoughts, though. 

I just want to clean out my closet and make my mind go blank for awhile ....

Taking a Day Off

My hand is hurting more today and it's more swollen.  So, I'm going to take today off from writing and ice my hand.

Ice ice, baby!

Lots to Celebrate and Think About

Happy Civic Holiday!  That's what I thought as I sat in Starbucks on Church, consuming my double chocolate brownie and peppermint mocha frappuccino.

And yet, as Sarah and I were having dinner together back at my place, it suddenly occurred to me that this holiday used to be called Simcoe Day.  I think it was because I was telling Sarah that today would have been my parents' 64th wedding anniversary.

I decided then to write about it in this entry. My eyes found the photo collage on the wall.

And then I saw this picture amongst them all:

Mom and I are sitting outside of Aunt Frances' and Uncle Cy's cottage, situated on Lake Simcoe.  We are sitting at the same picnic table we sat at every summer.  Dad is there too, probably the person taking the picture.  Other relatives, like my Aunt Joyce, cousins Lesley and Susan, and Grandma Dixon were most likely there as well. Perhaps my mother's cousin Lynn with her two kids, Catherine Anne and Christopher were there on that day.  I can't recall.

What I do recall is that I always enjoyed our yearly visits up to see Aunt Fran and Uncle Cy tremendously.  We used to talk and laugh so much, and eat so many different delicious foods and play so many fun card games.  The cottage and grounds were both beautiful and welcoming, and the two boxers they owned were sweet and friendly.

I'm not sure when people stopped calling the first Monday in August Simcoe Day and began to refer to it as just the Civic Holiday, but I want to change it back! (I mention the name Simcoe Day and people look at me like I'm nuts.)

According to the CBC website, the history of Simcoe Day is as follows:

"In Toronto, however, it's known as Simcoe Day in honour of Upper Canada's first lieutenant governor and the man who initiated the abolishment of slavery in Canada. Toronto City Council established the civic holiday in honour of Simcoe in 1869.  .... John Graves Simcoe was a known supporter of abolition.  .....His bill was brought about by an incident — the Chloe Clooey incident," said Natasha Henry, a curriculum consultant specializing in African Canadian history.  ..... Simcoe received word of a slave owner violently abusing his slave, a girl by the name of Chloe Clooey, on his way across the Niagara River where he went to sell her into the United States. It was said that her screams were heard by many and the matter was brought to Simcoe's attention by Peter Martin, a former slave.  ....Simcoe's anti-slavery act was the first to pass in a British colony and remained in effect until August 24, 1833, when Britain's Slavery Abolition Act put an end to slavery in most of the empire."

(You can read the entire article at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/08/05/toronto-simcoe-day.html )

In a time where racial profiling is going rampant and where a man can get  away with killing a 18 year old African American boy, I think we should honour people who've had the guts to stand up for what they believe in and who change the system for the better.

Happy Simcoe Day, everyone!

Nose to the Grindstone

My hand feels much better today.  Yay!  It still hurts, sure, but I didn't wear my splint all day.

It is probably partially because the improvement of my hand and partially because I kept waking up last night worrying about everything I had to still do in my life that I've decided to cut this entry short and finish my proposal for the atist's residence.

Talk to you later ....

An Excellent Splint of a Day

When I got up this morning my hand felt a bit better, so I put on my new dress and splint, and went to the Market.

It wasn't the most profitable day I've ever had ...

I did sell a small painting to a regular customer from Lebanon who visits me every year.  It was great seeing her again; she's such a nice person.

Another regular customer gave me a poppyseed and lemon muffin.  And yet another person gave me a beautiful sunflower.

One of my friends, whom I hadn't seen in about seven or eight years, came and chatted with me.  He's the manager of Show Gallery, where I used to occasionally had solo shows or participated in group shows.  I told him that if there were any openings in the gallery I'd love to display my newest work.  He replied that he'd certainly call me right away if there was an opening.

And then new customers came to my booth and bought cards from me.  They were a young couple, and with them was their six month baby girl.

The baby's name was Simone, and she was a cutie-pie!  I think I'll use this photograph of her to paint her portrait.

I'm not sure if I'll paint tomorrow.  I'll have to see how my hand is feeling. 

Right now, I'm going to bed ....

PAINFUL and Yet Fun Day

Like I said yesterday, I accidentally rammed my hand into the doorframe as I was hurrying out the door. I had a really bad sleep because of the pain, so this morning I called my doctor and she sent me to get an X-ray. I didn't get any results but it sure feels like my hand is broken. I asked my doctor for a splint because I thought it would alleviate some of the pain, but she refused because she wanted to see the results first. The results will take four days, so I couldn't wait that long. I made an executive decision and bought a splint at the drug store.

But before I went to the drug store, Kelly and I went to Starbucks for a peppermint mocha frappuccino and double chocolate brownie. I was going to go to Curry's before going to the drug store, but on the way Kelly and I saw free samples of wine at the Wine Rack, so we stopped and had a drink or two. Hey, it's medicinal, right? It numbed the pain a bit. We went a bit further in the direction of Curry's and we came across some cool dresses outside of Dress Code, so we had to stop there, too. I bought two dresses and I'll wear one tomorrow to St Lawrence Market. Maybe it'll bring me customers!

So then I got to Curry's and bought six different colours of paint. Much to my surprise and enjoyment, they were playing songs by the Wooden Sky. I told the cashier that I knew the lead singer and his girlfriend Sarah, who works for me and who is one of my best friends.

So I finally got my splint at the drug store. I'm wearing it now and I still have pain, but way less. For one thing, it keeps me from accidentally whacking it on the table. I'm hoping that it will help my hand to heal. Maybe I'll paint on Sunday - I sure hope so! I really miss painting.

Finally FREE

I'm so happy!  My wheelchair was returned to me today, all fixed up and as good as new.

It felt absolutely fantastic to actually go outside and go shopping!  It was such a nice evening too ....   Not to mention how wonderful it feels to sit in a comfortable chair, a chair that has been specifically molded to the curvature of my spine.

I'd write more, but because I was so excited to leave the building this evening, I accidentally rammed my hand into the doorframe - HARD!  OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It hurts my hand to type.  Hopefully, it'll feel better tomorrow ....