09:08 - 20.11.05
fishin'
Yesterday was all about communicating, even with Mr Mercury running retrograde. The purpose of those communications though was to clarify or fix miscommunication so that fits with the theme. Calls to staff, calls to the realtor, calls to some of the people I want to do some volunteer work with. Lots of messages left,then both phones went wonky. That's Mercury retrograde too. Talked with the hubby of one of the females I called. He goes for heart surgery on Friday. He was feeling more frustrated with himself for not being able to do what he wanted, than worrying about the outcomes next week. That is probably a good response in that he is addressing something over which he has some control, instead of over something where he can't control the circumstances. I told him about my little episode three years ago and allowed that was what bothered me most too. That having one's physical abilities so diminished that it felt as though one was imprisoned in one's body instead of being part of it. Saturn and limitations. Bleagh. Later in the day I talked to one of the nurses who will likely look after him post surgery, just checking to see what he can expect as resonable results. She said he would likely find his world expanding considerably after treatment and that she would keep an eye on him too. Good news both ways.
That theme continued when I spoke with one long time Returning Officer, who quit in disgust over the last election. I was telling her about what EC was doing with my data and my assignments and the feedback I was getting from my daytime job, and the home renovation woes too. She pointed out that the feedback of "wrongness" were the constructions of the senders and that none of them could live up to the standards they were demanding of me. She was especially helpful when I commented about the tech coming in to my home to deal with my computer problem when it would have been much more efficient to have just shipped the hard drive out to them and to have received one back in return. That computer might have been up and working for a couple of weeks if that had been allowed. She stated that she saw no reason why I should have to accept ECs intrusion into my home either. They certainly would never invite us into their homes, nor would they tolerate us sending our disgruntled politicians and voters to their front doors as they so often do to us. Nor would we be employed long if we handed out their home phone numbers to people the way they do with us during an election. There are a lot of people who I do not want to know where my home is. I sent her some of the discussion that I'd been having by email with EC because there are very few people who really understand the implications of what I am trying to explain, simply because election work is so arcane. There should be a book called "Behind the Ballot Box" written someday. Just anecdotes that limn some of the fun and frustrations we deal with daily. She is going overseas to work in Palestine as an observer on Friday and won't be back for a few months. That's work I'd truly love to do as well. I guess I just have to find a way to make that happen. We'll see.
My Dad and his neighbour arrived, just as I was saying goodbye. The family was going out for dinner at my Dad's request. The gentleman who had bought the building in which my father had an interest, had given him complimentary passes to one of the restaurants he owns. Misai is the name - a traditional Japanese restaurant. My brothers-in-law and my Dad and brother often go out at lunch, trying out various international cuisines, but my sisters have had less experience, so the ordering was a bit of a production number. Finally ended up with way more food than we could possibly eat, so it was packed up for take home either to eat or for bait for those of a fishing bent. See, most of what was left over was sushi. It was suggested that maybe I'd like to take some home for the cats, but they are already rather spoiled, thinking my chicken is their chicken, don't you know. It is warm enough for fishing today being that there is a chinook flow aloft. Temperatures expected to stay in the high teens C/ or the high 60's and low 70's for those of a Fahrenheit frame of reference.
I ordered saki and that caused a bit of a ruffle, both with some of the family and also with the server. She called me brave, although I don't know why that would be. Normally I don't drink alcohol, but when I was in my late teens there had been a really great Japanese restaurant on one of the really cool shopping streets in the city and it was part of the tradition with some of my friends to order a hot pot and share an order of saki too. Seemed like the right thing to do last night somehow. One of my sisters thought it was pretty enjoyable, but the men all stuck to their beer. Whatever. The food was delicious and the ambience was perfect too. Most of the visitors to the restaurant were of a Japanese heritage, so that was also an endorsement of it's authenticity. If those who actually know the cuisine choose to eat there, then it has got to be properly done. One thing about saki though - it takes vey little before one really needs to go take a nap. Wnet home and talked with my youngest for a while then crawled in to bed. Good, deep sleep to help face the rest of next week I guess.
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