7:00 p.m. - 2004-07-20
Crochet
I came home from work quite cranky tonight, dear diary. Just a succession of irritants. It actually started yesterday morning. I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water. Not. The only good thing was that it was still really hot from the day before, so the cold water actually felt good AND I was definitely awake after a quick five minutes of soap on, soap off. I needed to get off to the bus so I couldn't determine the source of the problem until I got home last evening. As you will recall, I spent most of the evening writing a report for my supervisor with respect to the assignment we've been working on over the past month. I sent that off just before 11 pm. Then I had time to check the hot water heater. No way to light the pilot light suggested to me that the thermocouple had expired. Note to self, call the gas company first thing in the morning. In the interim shut off the gas and don't light any more matches. Fine. Then my number three son's buddy from Vancouver called. He was having a bad month. It took until almost 1 am to get off the phone. I don't begrudge the time, just the timing.
In the morning got up and had a sponge bath. Yuck I hate those, but a kettle full of hot water was all I really had time to prepare. Got into work and called the gas company right away. Who knew they were open at 7:30 in the am. Obviously not a lot of people, because I didn't have to wait for a customer service rep and the agent I got was cheery to boot. After about five minutes of information exchange she informed me she was "pretty sure" that they could repair the problem today. Wait a minute - I need to wash my hair tonight and do laundry. There have been years where I couldn't afford to pay the gas bill and have just used a kettle of boiling water to do those chores, so I know that it can be done and how to go about it, but it wasn't really the way I wanted to spend this evening. In addition, because I worked over 60 days straight, most of those over 12 hours, I've had to peel back the layers of dirt in my home. I'd planned to do some washing up or sluicing down in the evening, but not without hot water. Bah humbug.
Just focussed on detail work this morning until my head ached, then went for a walk at lunch along the river.That was nice. There had been a forecast of showers, so I had overdressed for the temperature it actually came to be, but after the walk home in the rain the night before I didn't wnt to get caught out again. Returned to the office in time to receive a call from one of the candidates. They hadn't picked up a critical package of paperwork despite a couple of reminder calls, but they realized they needed it now. They had called Ottawa and had been given both my cell number and my home address. "Just drop by". Indeed. I think I'll start researching the home addresses of some of the key people in Elections Canada and start inviting strangers to drop in on them at will. The only good thing was that it was one of the people I really liked as a candidate. The bad part was the wondering if EC had given my info out to a couple of the candidates, or their agents, who I don't want to know where I live.
I spent some time worrying about the security of my son should some of the bozos show up demanding service. I'll calm down a bit before I call or e-mail Ottawa. No point making things worse, but they don't have the right to dictate that my home be open to conduct their business especially without my knowledge or consent. That consent will only be given if it comes with their promise of a maid and an upgrade on some of the furniture. Six boys to raise as a single parent, and now a passel of kittens, has left me with nothing that I would really want to ask someone to sit on - even someone I don't like. My pay went to pay all the bills that backed up when they didn't pay me for the prewrit work in March. Not much left now, certainly none for furniture given the amount of repairs that have to be done first. Sigh. Besides, as a single mom I don't want some of those clowns to know where I live let alone feel they have the right to enter my home. This candidate was the one who brought his wife and daughter in to meet me and then his father another day. He is just a cool guy, so I don't mean to take my frustration out on him, butI need to stop EC from just walking all over me whenever they want to. I compromised by inviting him to sit on the porch with me to deal with the paperwork. Good thing it was a nice day.
Met one of my youngest son's friend's mom on the bus on the way home too. I like her, but she is kind of exhausting to be around. Too much negativity. I have enough battles with my own stuff to deal with. Someone else dumping theirs on me - especially when I can't agree with a lot of their concerns - isn't on. She also was trying to persuade me to get involved in her choice of gym and diet/trainer regime. No thanks. I hate the "group" thing. Put it down to being the oldest of five children, the parent of six and a volunteer for nearly two decades. I'm grouped out. I also don't follow the crowd and I have absolutely no patience with people who set themselves up as experts. I've been around long enough that I knew these people before they changed the way they marketed themselves. Change of marketing doesn't mean increase or change in the nature of the person. I don't want a social life right now either. I could be out having lunch, coffee or dinner with someone everyday. What is this obsession with food. I don't feel like eating, my stomach still does flip flops at the thought. I'd much rather go out for a walk, but no one will agree to that. As an Aquarian, someone trying to tell me that they know better than I do what's right for me just gets my back up. That's how everyone is coming across with all their ideas for my time and resources. We're a fixed sign, don't go there, y'hear? Oh well, maybe a nap will help. Yeah a nap followed by a nice hot shower. Did I forget to mention that the hot water heater was fixed by the time I got home? That lifted my mood considerably, so now let's see what the magic of sleep can do.
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