Wednesday 30 August 2017

Thirdly

I think banana peel person may have moved!

This was from a couple of weeks ago (notice the forest fire smoke orange tinge?) in a different part of town but still not terribly far from first banana peel tree!!!

(If the photo is not clear that's two black banana peels thrown at the base of a (different) tree!)

Tuesday 29 August 2017

And Second of All

Weather's been a little .... moody?  all over the place?  un...decided?  this last couple of weeks.

It seemed to be a nice mild mellow not too warm for a while, and then it sort of got almost chilly for a morning or maybe half a day, and then Sunday it got HOT again, seemingly out of nowhere.

Oh, and the eclipse was fun!

It was partial here, but still cool to see.  When it was at its ... most.... covered?  (there's gotta be terms... for the partial totality...) it was like someone had tinted all the windows.  The light was eerie.  Because it was tinted but not quite dusk like and it was all the wrong colour.

I went outside and it was chilly (which it might have been anyway but I think it was more so) and the trees worked like pinhole cameras and their shadows made eclipse shapes and it was also 'not quite right' to the eye... light wise.

It was, I suppose, on the opposite end of the light spectrum from earlier in the month when everything had an orange haze/tint from the wildfires (which..... can we throw some rain that way please?  without lightning?)

But yeah, it was great to see and be able to observe it, and I've talked to people who were in the path of totality and they say it was an amazing experience and that it got VERY cold and dusk-like darkness (or some said they could see stars come out.) 

Monday 28 August 2017

So, First Of All

So many spiders y'all!

Like, it's maybe some of the spiders that escaped me the other week or so but I keep.  seeing.  MORE!

Other than the teeny tiny one from yesterday, they've all been fairly.... well sized.

And not capturable with my usual paper trick... these ones have needed a glass/paper combo.

It's very much not my favourite thing and I don't know why there are so many.  SO MANY!!!

Sigh.

Please stay outside of my apartment spiders.... and if you can't then please stay far away from me and don't come near me and please don't ever ever ever touch me ok?  OK.  Thanks.

Monday 21 August 2017

Ok...

Well, I'm not going to Burning Man this year.

That's all I have to say about it right this minute, other than to say I'm unhappy but it's probably for the best right now.

Wasn't in the space or mood to say anything about anything (especially this) last week and so we'll see how this week goes.

Happy Eclipse day if you live anywhere near the path it's taking.  If not, happy Monday.

Monday 14 August 2017

A Tired Sigh

I need weekends to be longer. 

Two days is just not enough.



Friday 11 August 2017

I Love Animals

I really do.

But I'm pretty much done with the seagulls in my neighbourhood.

If I knew how to murder seagulls, I would.

I can not handle them and their NOISY SCREAMING WHILE I'M TRYING TO SLEEP AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP BECAUSE OF THE HEAT!

Like, seriously... I love animals, but I want these seagulls to either move to another province, or die.

I am clearly not handling my lack of sleep well.

Between them and the worker men and the vroom vroom neighbours, it's the seagulls I most want/need gone. 

Go the eff away.  Seriously.

Love,
Victoria

Thursday 10 August 2017

Skimming

I noticed something a number of nights ago, and I'm not sure it's gotten much... or at least not dramatically better since.

My mind/brain is so all over the place I'm not really focussing on much at all right now.

I notice it when I'm in bed, reading at night.  I'll be reading the page... .... you know... Bob and Sarah walked hand in hand down the road, Bob's fingers pressing tightly around etc etc

But meanwhile my mind is going .. ok, so if I can get that back there and maybe I can call them tomorrow but ugh I'd really rather not, so is there some way I could do that without having to call?

And then I realize I've "read" a whole page about Bob and Sarah and I have absolutely no idea what's going on.

It's sort of this weird feeling like my brain is just pretending to pay attention to the page but really it's focussed on whatever the worry or stress is.  Which means I'm not enjoying the book and I'm not getting that relief of distraction from the book either.

I'm not sure how long this has been going on... clearly not forever, as I've voraciously read books all my life... and I'm not quite sure how to get back to *just* reading, because I don't want to be lying in bed stressing over trying to force myself to concentrate.  Reading's always been a relaxing thing for me (except during stressful books!)

I am re-reading a book I've read already so I suppose there's a possibility that that's part of the zoning out?  I stopped keeping track of my books on the sidebar here, so I can't even look back to see when was the last book I was stoked about reading... but I'm sure there has to have been one not all that too terribly long ago, right?

Sigh.

Sorry brain, I really don't want to just skim read... I want to actually get into the story and forget about my own worries for a while. 

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Oh!

I was chatting with a friend of mine online last week and I mentioned that I was dealing with having lost my VISA.

"Oh no!" she said.  "How are you dealing with logistics?"

I thought it was nice of her to be so concerned so I explained that I had cancelled the card and just was dealing with not being able to buy things online until the new card came.

"Why... why would you need your VISA for buying things online?"  She asked.

I paused.  "Because I don't have another type of credit card?"

"OH!" She said.  "Credit card!  I thought you'd lost your travel Visa for visiting the states and wondered why you were so calm about it!"

We had a good laugh about that and I said, man, I wondered why you asked why I needed a VISA for shopping online!  It all makes so much more sense now. 

Heh

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Don't Want To Talk About It

I lost some spiders.

Three of them actually.

As in... there have been a lot of spiders in my place this last week or two... and the last few I went to help outside... dropped onto the floor and scurried somewhere dark where I couldn't find them!

One went into a closet (I think) another under a dresser and I forget where the third went... like under/into the radiator or something.

One of these incidents also happened in my bedroom so we're totally not at all talking about that ok?

Thanks.

I have, however, also had a small influx of ladybugs.

I like ladybugs a lot, and the cool thing I noticed with the ones I helped out, was that they were pretty calm about getting on to the paper, and then when I held the paper outside... they would kind of sit for a moment... like they were feeling the air/breeze and then they'd spread their wings and take off!

So I really felt like I was releasing them into their happy outside world.

And let's just leave it at that ok!  YAY!  HAPPY!

Monday 7 August 2017

Yep

Summer's definitely here.

Like, yep.  For reals.

I can't remember if it was Wednesday or Thursday last week that there just was no sleeping happening... it was just too hot.  It actually felt a lot like Burning Man a few days last week... what with the skies being weird with forest fire smoke and the heat.  I even joked that the heat is only fun at Burning Man when there's so much to distract yourself with, but... to be fair, the heat's not really fun there either... but hey, at least you can sleep "outside" at Burning Man at night!

I wish I'd been able to do that, but... not sure I'd fall asleep outside here....

The heat broke a bit a couple of days ago, so that has helped a bit, and I know my apartment's not as hot as the ones above me must be so... I'm trying to just deal with it.  And to follow along with my Burning Man joke... hey, at least I have running water and flush toilets! 

Friday 4 August 2017

Boo

Well, here's a weird one for you.

I've got my first "wrinkled" skin.

Like, it makes me feel like an old person when I see it.

Know where it is?

It's the inside of my elbow.

How weird is that?

I noticed it the other night when I was putting my book away in bed one night.  (I read on my side, so maybe the skin is extra... folded?)

So yeah, sad panda... my elbow-insides are showing signs of age.

Sigh.

It better not be all downhill from here!

(Oh!  I wonder if my weird burns had something to do with it?!)

Thursday 3 August 2017

Making A Sad Face

I lost my VISA.

Sigh.

I'm not actually sure what happened... I have a small "wallet" type thing that fits a couple of cards and maybe a key or cash that I take when I don't want to take my entire purse or wallet or... handbag (?)

When I go for a walk, or something, I slip my VISA in there, along with five bucks and some photography business cards.  I've done it so many times with no issues.  I've had this little wallet thing for years.

Well, whatever day it was last week (Thursday?) I went to the gym.  I wanted to buy some tea on the way home (I walk there) so I took my little wallet with my VISA in it.  I also took a folded up fabric bag and put that in the same, zipped up pocket.

After my workout, I took my phone out of my pocket, and made my next appointments with the trainer and went on my way.  I may have also pulled out my headphones or something.

I was about a block from the store, when I went to feel for the wallet and it wasn't there.  I stopped.  Carefully searched both pockets and the pockets of my workout pants just in case.  Nope.  Not there.

Adrenaline rush panic.

Ok.  Ok.  Stay calm.

I texted the trainer to ask if she was still at the gym, she'd already left, but said she'd call them to ask.

I tried to convince myself that maybe I'd been careless and left it at home, so I hustled the rest of the way home and?  No.  Not there.  (Which I think I'd already known but wanted that moment of hope.)

I threw on some warmer gear (this was all happening in the evening, post dinner) and retraced my steps there, but quickly... hoping it had fallen out at the gym.

I got to the gym.  I searched the area.  Nope.  I waited for the receptionist.  I asked if it'd been turned in.  Nope.  We looked together again.  Nope.  Ugh.

I had that sinking feeling then... how bad was it going to be?

I figured not much damage would have been done.  I'd last had it in my hands about two hours ago and the tap technology only allows you to buy so much at once and so much in one day before you have to go back to the pin.  But still... it felt icky.

Someone had my stuff.  With my name on it. 

I walked home, trying to call VISA on my cell and having no luck and trying to stay calm, with a little luck.  I just wanted to call someone and have them come and take care of this with me and give me a big hug or ten.  And I wanted to cry. 

I hate having to be a grown up.

I got home and found the number and called VISA.

They were... of course "experiencing higher than normal call volume" so it was a bit of a wait.  All the while I'm imagining what someone was doing with my stuff. 

I got through and told them I'd lost my card.  They asked me if I knew what the number was.  Uh.. no.  Then they asked me what my S.I.N. was, which I took a minute to remember because... effing stress.

They asked me whatever identifying questions and then they cancelled my card.

They were about to hang up when I said "um, did anyone use it?"

I was pretty astounded that they didn't ask this.  Like... aren't you the fraud prevention people?  Shouldn't you be trying to make sure no one... you know... fradulently used my card???

But, no one had used it, thankfully, and then as he was hanging up, he reminded me that my new card will be a new number so I'll have to change any pre-authorized payments.

Ugh.

Talk about kicking me when I'm down.

So I got off the phone, had a good cry, and tried to make a list of all the places I'll have to contact (and hopefully not be on hold with...) when the new card arrives... in two to five business days.  Sigh.

Which means no online stuff can be done right now.  Which is fine.  Except for a couple of really important online transactions I need to do and now have to wait on.  Sigh.

So... when it comes down to it, I'm really not sure what happened. 

Might someone have gone through my pocket while I was working out?  Maybe.

Might it have slipped out in the gym when I grabbed my phone and I didn't notice and then someoen took it?  Maybe.

Might it have slipped out when I was walking (did I not re-zip up the zipper???) and it fell to the ground and someone took it?  Maybe.

The most likely thing is it fell out when I was getting out my phone and stuff in (or around) the gym.  And then I guess someone there was less than honest?

I'm not a criminally inclined person, but if I was going to steal a VISA card (ie not turn it in) I think I'd try to use it right away, no?

So... I'm not sure.

Maybe someone took the five bucks and chucked the rest.  Sigh.  I don't know.  It just feels icky and not knowing what happened or who might have my stuff is a gross feeling.  Plus, I really liked that little wallet and I've had it for years.

I contacted the police the next day and they told me to file a report in case it gets turned in (so they'd call me to come get it)  I would love to get the wallet back... but.... I'm happy that there weren't any charges made so that's the good thing.

It has been (and may continue to be) inconvenient to have to cancel my card and be without it, but I'm glad I'm not dealing with fraud charges and all that.

But still... either I was clumsy or someone was mean.  Either way, I'm not terribly thrilled.

Worker Men

"Worker Men" is what my friend's son used to call.... well, anybody he saw doing any kind of work at all... construction, roadwork, painters, you name it... they were all "worker men." 

Well, I have had more than my fill of worker men these last few weeks.

The building next to me has had worker men working on it for the last.  three.  weeks.

I know this, because they start setting up while I'm still trying to sleep. 

So now, as well as my WHYAREYOUSOLOUD noisy neighbours with the truck alarm, I have that rattling, scraping sound that tall ladders make...  and me no likey.

Ladders, it turns out, are not an easy sound to sleep through... because there's some part of the back of your brain that goes "THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK IN YOUR WINDOWS WAKE UP" even if you tell that part of your brain that they're just painting or fixing decks next door (or whatever they're doing.)

Thankfully, they've not been working on the weekends but y'all?  I'm not a morning person anyway, but being dragged out of my sleep into... worker men has not improved my morning status.

I do hope they finish their painting very very soon. 


Shoo, worker men, shoo!!  (Or shhhhh, if "shoo" is not possible.)

(And yes, I'm aware that my bedroom seems to face out onto a weird echo chamber.  Le sigh.)

Tuesday 1 August 2017

Dear Laptop

Why are you so hot all the time?  And I don't mean the "wink wink, how YOU doing?" kind of hot although you are that too .... in the computer kind of way, I mean, why are you so hot all the time?

Is it merely the surrounding air temperature... I think not... is it.. some kind of warning you're trying to give me about your impending... (insert something bad here)?

I really can't afford to replace you my dear... so if you would like to let me know what I can do to help you cool off (especially when charging or using any of your ports at all) I would be happy to work with you.

And for now, I'll continue to use that re-usable ice pack under you when things get... extra burny.

Sigh.

Signed,
Me

PS  Please be ok!