02:32 - 27.02.08
Sweet Dreams
My youngest was asking for eye drops today. Our climate is very dry, but even for those of us who have lived here all our lives and have adapted, this winter has been unusually dry. Neither of us has ever had to use them before this year, you see. On the radio one morning not long ago, one of the newer DJs was struggling to speak because the dryness was affecting their vocal cords in the extreme. They were trying to figure out how to deal with an asthma attack as well - something they didn't experience in the last city where they worked. I think it must be an individual thing though, because one gentleman immigrant I dealt with said their family had come specifically to this city, because his mother's breathing was so much improved over that in the last city where they dwelt. Hmmm.
I called the person at city hall who was listed as the contact person about the proposed business next door. From the busy signal I got for most of the morning, as well as a couple of comments that they made, it was apparent that my neighbour from across the back alley's door-to-door session last night had been very effective. The person I spoke with said that almost all of the neighbours in the surrounding homes had called. All were opposing the proposed licence. They confirmed that the nightmare landlord was still at it and they had encouraged their tenants to do this. I think maybe my neighbours and I should picket outside his house, requesting that the business be located in his home rather than destroying the quality of life on our street. I'll try less flamboyant methods first though - such as submitting a letter of protest over the proposed changes. Go through all the hoops first when dealing with this kind of issue.
While we were talking, the contact person listened to the tales I had to tell about the landlord's activities over the past few years. It was apparent that some of my other neighbours had contributed their own tales of woe, too. They seemed very sympathetic to our plight and suggested additional resources that we should try, to deal with the landlord's continuous harrassment and disruption of our quiet suburban street. They did think that the police should be involved - that was a spontaneous suggestion on their part - so again, I think other neighbours have told them about other incidents as well. I won't write my letter until I've calmed down a bit, but the deadline for submissions is next week. I'm afraid that if I say too much about the past behaviours, I might come off or be portrayed as an "hysterical single mother" - one of those stereotypes I loathe. Don't want to feed that perception or provide additional fuel for it either. Tomorrow I'll be calm enough, I hope.
Today I received one email inviting me to an orientation session for a job I applied for three weeks ago. It is a very reputable business and they are known for treating their employees well. Also received another job posting from one of my previous employers out of the blue. I would love to be hired for the position they were trying to fill so I sent in my resume, toute de suite. Um, they see being bilingual as an asset. As I've mentioned before, I graduated out of high school with honours after eight years of daily French lessons - from grade four on, but that was Parisian French and it was some time ago. I would be thrilled to take a refresher program though, simply because I think a second - or third - language is a real asset for anyone to have. If nothing else, it forces the mind to move out of old tired ruts in the way one perceives and thinks about things.
A similar kind of experience during the week where my youngest was visiting his friend in Ohio might be when my computer monitor went a lovely shade of blue. Turned out there was some connection loose that just needed to be jiggled, but there was that one week that I didn't know that. It meant that when I played free cell, mah jonng or solitaire I was forced to change how I "saw" the layout. I realized that I mostly played by the colours/patterns that were visible. Not possible in the circumstances. When I played with the blue-hued screen, I had to change my entire approach to creating a strategy to win. It was actually quite a stimulating exercise and it did show me how lazy my mind had become with respect to solving problems. One of those subtle life lessons about what we allow ourselves to perceive as our reality and what we block out as irrelevant or of less value. Made me think....how to apply the lesson in other ways.
Talked with my Dad and number four son today. More time playing with my grandson coming up. Yay! That Harry Potter book is packed and ready to go - oh yeah. More discussion with both of those callers and one of my uncles about my family tree project too. Uploaded more family photos in anticipation of populating that tree with evidence of the real people. That's exciting too. Anyway those cats are determined to chivvy me off to bed so good night for now, dear diary. Sweet dreams.
�
�
