14:21 - 05/19/2014
Wow. It's been a while since I've talked with you, dear diary. Nothing bad, just learning to live life differently, you know. Ch-ch-changes. In early March, my oldest son's step-daughter moved in with me. Caused some anxiety. She was a wild child and it provoked her Mom's outrage. Her Mom actually called me with threats. The young woman has been out of province for over seven years, so I decided she deserved a chance to prove herself. Her long-term relationship had dissolved and there were absolutely no jobs in eastern Canada. She applied for one of the lowest paying only to find she was in competition with over 1000 people. Word is leaking out that the actual unemployment rate is 20% among resident Canadians, with temporary foreign worker numbers being used to lower the number with respect to the devastation in the job market as well as the huge drop in hourly wages. Hmmm. Cui bono? She was working with my oldest son a day after she arrived and her old employer took her back a week later. It is supposed to be a temporary arrangement - her living with me - so far she has been fine as a roommate since she is rarely home.
Shortly after she arrived, we heard gunshots in the middle of the night nearby and the news reported a teenage male arriving at a local gas station looking for help not long after. Then there was the Swat team raid in the dwelling to the west of my home, not a month later - I think triggered because of a multiple murder in the west part of the city - that was linked to that home. It occurred just before noon and was completed in less than an hour. Stopped the Mommies and Daddies going on foot to pick up their school-aged children in their tracks.
Scared my cats, too. They were all clustered at the top of the stairs, waiting. Guess they could smell whatever the police shot into the house by canister. Made me nervous too - asthma does not respond well to pepper spray/tear gas or whatever it was. I have been reading the Harry Potter books out loud to the cats to help restore my speech and sight with great results. I found that I had to read an extra long time to calm them, and me, down after the raid.
The police removed 4 males from the house, although I think many more live there. I felt sorry for the young man/resident who arrived home from work during the process, still in his work clothes and carrying his tool box. He was probably beat from work and just wanted to get his stuff. He wasn't allowed access while I was watching. I have complained about the new landlord using that property as a boarding house. I am still waiting to see whether he will continue to inflict his greed on the rest of us.
I did call the city last week to report that I couldn't use my garbage bin, because it was full of empty fertiliser bags - either for a grow-op or bomb-making, I think. I am guessing grow op, because of the sniffer dogs and the gas company vans waiting outside the house to investigate after the police had done their thing. I was glad my grand-daughter was at work at the time of the raid - it was a bit unnerving.
Easter was at my Dad's with the siblings. His neighbour, who moved in with him when she sold her house, is now in the process of moving into her new condo. My Dad seems happier. I have also had visits with all the grandbabies who had birthdays from mid-February to now - I think maybe 4. As well as Mother's day visits. Very pleasant. The visit to the dentist, while painless not so much, but since I think an abscessed wisdom tooth was the reason for the blood clot it seemed prudent to have it checked. Besides, I'm tired of feeling as though someone took a hammer to the right side of my face.
A+ and I have spent time together. Did I mention going to see Captain America: the Winter Soldier - Robert Redford was fabulous as an evil politician. A+ is really busy trying to adapt his life to his Mom's absence. They had a business they operated together. He has had to take up all the reins on that enterprise, as well as with a new business with his childhood buddy - the artist. Meant the weekend of the comic convention was very busy for them. He is also renovating his home in order to take in a boarder.
I'm running out of energy, dear diary, so I think I will sign off with gratitude for the non-snowy weather. I think that is why I wasn't writing. Just too depressing with the endless snow.
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