13:52 - 05/03/2016
Antiquing
Happy May, Dear Diary. I've thought often of talking with you, but January and February passed quickly in a blur, as my body very slowly recuperated from some virus that I managed to catch either at my doctor's office or at the lab where I went for blood tests. My guess is the lab, since I always seem to catch something there. Since I am very careful to not touch anything there, and to wash and change as soon as I get home, I think the ventilation system must be contaminated - especially since I haven't been in there more than 15 minutes sometimes before coming back home and still getting sick.
Number four son moved back in at the end of February and that was a bit of a stressor too. He had lost his job at the end of last summer. My oldest son's step-daughter and her partner had moved in with him and his Dad to help with the expenses, I think. His Dad moved out within less than a month, but not before doing a lot of emotional damage to my son. At the end of January, the couple he lived with did a number on him too. He had been working at temp jobs since he lost his job, but the economy has crashed and there isn't any steady work at a living wage to be had. Many families are suffering. The upshot was that he couldn't find an affordable place to rent, so he moved in with me. He was distraught emotionally and very angry. It took over a month for him to calm down. It was exhausting for me to deal with him.
I had started having my youngest grand-daughter visit in February once a week, because she is very bright and a middle child not allowed to go to school yet. She was so angry and frustrated with that, that she tried a couple of times to run away to grandma's. That would include crossing a very busy, dangerous highway, so it was decided she would have a day a week with me to curb the wanderlust and frustration. Punishment for her now, if she is naughty, is to miss her trip to grandma's house. Just like the old days when my sons' punishment, if they didn't behave, was to miss out on a visit to my Mom - their grandma. She spoiled them. We go out for a walk during that day. I noticed on one such walk that a new bus shelter was reinstalled three months after the fact of it being shattered. I have also, on our walks, made a point of taking her to easily visible landmarks and introducing her to various people in the neighbourhood so that if she tries to run away from home again, then at least she will know where to go or who might help her.
So I now have grandbaby time several times a week with her and number four son's two school age children visiting each weekend. They have been encouraged to indulge in some rather destructive behaviours since their parent's divorce. Since I looked after them before the break up, I know that they are capable of understanding the impact of their actions and behaving better. The upshot is that this grandma won't accept the destructive, manipulative actions they engage in now. Sigh. Parenting 101 all over again.
The neighbours that I really liked in the next living unit were evicted a few days ago, because they couldn't pay full rent. Remember what I said about no living waged employment in the city available? Add in the continuous illness of the Dad and the reason for the eviction is not difficult to fathom. I wonder how many other families are being traumatized as a result of the petulance and greed of the oil industry and their investors. The Panama Papers revelations are only the tip of the iceberg. The amount of money being outright stolen from Canadian taxpayers or unreported income siphoned off to other hidden bank accounts has to be in the billions. Read John Grisham's book "The Firm" to get a sense of the duplicity. I was convinced Mr. Grisham had been following me around at work when I read it, but it probably comes from his observations as a lawyer in the US - disclaimers notwithstanding. I signed multiple non-disclosure agreements on a variety of assignments, or the tales that I could tell would land a lot of people in jail. I threatened to write a book about what I had seen, but the lawyers I spoke with just blanched and my Dad suggested that I wait until everyone who had any power to have me "dealt with" had died.
Anyway, I digress. The landlord arrived at their door last night. Apparently, he hadn't authorised his grandson to act on his behalf, but the court order had already been executed. Greed again being the motivator, I think. The neighbours were waiting on a payment to be able to give the full rent, but the grandson refused their partial payment then went to court anyway. I think part of his motive was racism, but also in good part - greed. You see, the grandson had been living in that unit when the Swat team busted their activities. They had about ten young males living in there, paying rent. It was obvious to me that they had some sort of drug operation going on too. My guess is that the two grandsons living there were skimming some of the rent off their grandfather, as well as padding their income with the illegal drugs. I'm really worried that they will try to reinstate their practices next door again. I wish I knew what to do next.
Number four son has been helping the family, as much as he can, because they were given very little time to find another place and move. Maybe it will help him psychologically to recuperate from his own betrayals from his Dad and the couple he was trying to help last year. I am most concerned about the young girl in the family. I think she is in grade 3. She had tons of friends to play with in the park across the street. Now, with six weeks left in the school year, she will lose all that stability and support - friends, teachers, and community. I offered to have her stay here during the week so she can continue her schooling, but her parents aren't fussed about splitting up the family. Fair enough and a difficult choice too.
A+ has been busy with his imported book business and he and his business partner's endeavours. They spent the last week in their booth at the comic convention. A week prior we had attended a lecture at the library by one of my favourite people - Wade Davis - about his time in Haiti. One of the attendees at the con recognised A+ as having been at the zombie lecture - small world. We also attended his Dad's New Years party and went to the free night at the museum as well as a culture night to see a film aimed at saving the Peel River watershed, but that has been my social life mostly.
I have been helping my Dad with scanning in his old photos of the sub-arctic. His Dad had part of the contract to help build the Canadian portion of the Alaska highway during World War II. The many-storied photos are of those endeavours, as well as my Dad's childhood. I guess, in time, I can expand the family tree I have built to include those exploits. I think my cousins might be able to help fill in the blanks.
I also heard from a woman who was researching her husband's side of the family. His Mom's first husband was my Dad's favourite cousin. He died when he was shot down while flying his plane over Germany during World War II. I think there might be a novel in that, if this woman is willing to share her knowledge. So far, no go. Sigh.
Anyway, dear diary, I should go finish cropping my Dad's photos and searching for estate sales for my Dad to visit. He loves discovering antiques and old, vintage radios which he then refurbishes and sells for the money to buy more antiques, I think.
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