23:53 - 27.06.06
heat wave
A charleyhorse is what got me motivated to move today. I guess that physiotherapy training still has its uses. Elevate the leg and relax. Well ok. The elevate part isn't too difficult, but relaxing while the calf has turned to a steel-like mass of cramped muscle and one can feel that cramping moving down the achilles tendon, then onto the top of the foot? Yeah, too right then. One of the things I learned when working in the rehab department was that sometimes cramping in the foot or lower leg can also be because a balanced intake of B vitamins hasn't been a part of one's nutritional programme. I am gluten intolerant, which means wheat products make me feel sick if I eat them. So I don't - eat them that is. That is where most North Americans get their vitamin B fix.
I had been debating with myself whether to go outside today, but that little episode made me realize I couldn't put it off. Need to buy vitamins if I want to continue walking. Signs from above, I guess. The debate was because the weather continues to be in the low 90's F/31 C. That means that the smog density blowing in from elsewhere added into what local gas guzzlers are producing is making the air unbreathable for some of us canaries. There was no smog alert issued here, but one can't report the presence of what one does not measure, can they? There is one Arts community newsletter I receive on-line that has just a bit of an edge to it, which, of course, is why I like it. Today there was a link to a site that allows disgruntled Canadians to express their disdain or protest of things they are annoyed about to the accompaniment of Twisted Sister's song "We're Not Going to Take It". With a karaoke tape of the original song running in the background, the protestor gets to add in their own well-crafted, rewritten lyrics to the song. I listened to one about transit fares and one about phone calls being tapped by the US Homeland thang. My protest song is going to be about being choked to death by the air that I breathe.
To get back to today. Sunday had been so stifling that neither my youngest nor I got more than a couple hours of sleep. Monday was spent catching up on that and housework. Monday night was much better in that a strong breeze cooled things off nicely. Problem was that the quality of the air blowing in was so bad I woke up coughing within about three hours of dropping off. I needed another two to get the lungs back to normal - graduated use of lung meds from weakest to where something actually kicks in. That coincided with getting my two young men up, prepared for the work day and off, so it actually worked rather well after all. Spent sometime on the computer doing some pre-election communication too. You see there was this voicemail from the one person from Elections Canada who had told me I had to get approval for the extra hours to negotiate another lease from the local rep. Well today it was the reverse. Why hadn't I called her back? Want to bet tomorrow it will be switched again.
Went back to bed with a headache. It was gone when I woke up, but I don't think I would have really noticed anyway with that charley horse thang going on. Decided to bite the bullet and deal with the banking problems that I had created for myself. Had to do that before going shopping for essentials like vitamins.
Got to the train station and realized there was a train stalled on the tracks. Those can take hours to fix, so I decided to walk to the first of the two banks I needed to deal with. Nearly an hour's walk in 90 degree weather - oh yeah. Didn't have any charley horses though. Did get a lovely sunburn mind you. You see I was wearing a long-sleeved blue denim shirt and beige khaki pants - well you didn't think I was going to wear nylons did you? My face and that Vee the blouse made are now a flaming red. Witch hazel cooled things down. Most everyone else I was around was similarly attired. Modest group of travelling companions today.
The banking agent I got was in training. That was another half hour of standing, but at least the bank had air conditioning. Not too bad. My own bank with my chequing account was another few blocks east and south, so I walked there too. The last time I really messed up when I was banking was about a decade ago. Then it was because there simply wasn't enough money coming in to cover all the expenses I had with supporting my guys on my own. Juggling funds to keep all the bills in the air was a very fine art. Six teenage males can eat a fridge full of food simply by opening the door and inhaling, don't you know. Then they grow two feet a day and .. well you get the picture dear diary. Not even judicious use of hand-me-downs could cover all their needs.
The upshot is that I really don't recall the banking procedures necessary to straighten things out. All I recall from a decade ago is the fear that my fragile little house of cards was going to come crashing down. It was something my youngest and I talked about on the weekend. He doesn't really recall much about those first years after his Dad left, but watching his oldest brother struggle the past year has reawakened something in his mind. He said my reaction to the bounced cheque also recalled some of those really bad times. Maybe the almighty has created this little crisis to show me how much progress we've made and how much I have to be grateful for, eh?
Anyway to continue. Marched into the second branch and asked to speak with the man who had been providing me with assistance by phone. He had actually been the reason I hadn't totally surrendered to those ugly flashbacks. Need to let those go. I thanked him for his help then walked back to the train.
It was quitting time for my youngest by then, so he met me over at the grocery store for the weekly shop. He bought supper for the evening. Then home again in time to take more phone calls about the elections work. I've got a tech, as of today, with way more skills than are necessary and he doesn't seem to mind I can't pay him what I know he is worth in the real industry out here. You see I worked in a company where he was very high up the ranks when I was just starting back into the paid workforce. There seems to be this parallel dimension thang going on between that time - 1996 - and now - the one where parallel lines meet and can influence each other. Far out man. Anyway I needed to finish creating the documents he needs to have to get up to speed so I can get them sent off tonight. Good night dear diary.
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