Vacation End

Here's a photo of my favourite Fish n Chip place, Hutch's. It's on the way home from my harbour walk, so at least I can justify eating that fat ladened food .
This swan agrees !


Amazing that it took a whole week for me to relax. Tomorrow it's back to work.
At least I can stay home and don't have to face the snake pit till Wednesday. Have a new boss too. Yup! Let's see now that's, 4 team leaders, 4 managers, in one year, and I'm in the same spot. Well OK I did change desks a couple of times.

Had a good swim this afternoon My evaluation is over and I have decided to use the YMCA. It has all the amenities I'm looking for and a nicer, bigger pool than the YWCA. I found out I don't need to get a membership either. I can get what they call a 'clip card" 12 swims for $30.00. That suits my purpose as I know I will never use any of the other facilities. Aerobics just ain't my thing, nor is anything else that gets me all hot and bothered.

Speaking of hot. Now I have this weird thing happening were I'm hot and cold at the same time. My head is boiling like it's going to explode and my arms and legs are cold. It only happens once in awhile, but when it does it's very strange.

This weekend I joined the Green Party!! I'm also going to volunteer if the rumoured federal election happens this fall. Depends on whether the opposition decides on a no confidence vote this Friday. It seemed like a sure thing ,then today on the radio I heard the NDP leader Jack Layton, say he would be willing to work with the Conservatives to avoid an election. Sheesh ! I wish these guys would make up their minds!

I'm supporting the Greens more as a protest vote than anything. The mainstream parties have nothing to offer me. Also, when people talk about change they don't really mean it. What they mean is they want change as long as it doesn't inconvenience them too much. They want to save the planet, but they still want to drive a car and buy crap at Wal Mart. Meanwhile the Russians, are launching commercial shipping in the Arctic, as it will be ice free most of the year now thanks to climate change.

The Truth About Death Panels

Here's an interesting article that debunks death panels It includes information about assisted suicide and the real death panels: capital punishment around the world.

An informed opinion is best. Don't you think ?

September Art Crawl

Not much new to report from the Art Crawl tonight. except that James Street is becoming more gentrified. Can't make up my mind if that is a good thing or not. It really would be good for the downtown core to be spruced up. Far too many derelict and abandoned buildings.

I commissioned some art work !! Scott Webster, the artist I mentioned in my July Art Crawl post, is doing two black and white paintings for me. He likes to draw from photos and especially likes movie stills. I picked two scenes from La Dolce Vita . I'll post them here as soon as I get them.

After, we had really good Mexican food at Mex I Can. I tried vegetarian Tostadas for a change. Yummy sauted Cactus filling.

I had a couple of "spells" tonight, but nothing too serious. Dizzy and melting at the same time. Not at all fun.

These ladies were having a good time Salsa dancing.

YM or YW ?

Had a good swim today at the YWCA. The only problem was I found the water too warm and I got overheated. Had to quit after only 30 minutes. I love swimming in cold water. I guess growing up swimming in Lake Ontario got me use to it. That water was never warm.

Tomorrow I'm going to the YMCA to try their pool. I'm doing this to decide which one I will get a membership at. I went to the YM a couple of years ago as a guest on my son's pass. He went their for weight training and I would go swimming. I stopped going when I was having all those hassles at work and was too exhausted to do anything in the evenings.

I just want to refresh my memory of the YM because I seem to recall that the water was cold in the pool. They also had a nice shower and change room. I was really disappointed with the one at the YW. It's kind of grubby. One strange thing is the toilets are right in the shower area !! Not in a separate room . They also only have one shower with hot water!

I would prefer to go to the YW as it is a little closer to home and has fewer "weirdos". The men's residence at the YM has quit a collection of them. At the same time I'm such a fuss pot about hygiene. The YW change rooms and shower area just didn't look that clean. And there is that warm pool water to consider.

One thing is certain. I miss swimming on a regular basis so I will have to make up my mind soon. It will be good for me to get that exercise again .

I'm still a sweaty mess. Had the air conditioning cranked up high today and all the ceiling fans going.
Even with all that, I was melting.

While I Sweat

Or should I be more lady like and say perspire? Nah, it really feels like sweat and there's nothing lady like about it. I have been this way all my life. My mother said I was the sweatiest kid ever. Now it is excessive, non stop. No wonder I feel so weak.

Here are some amazing nature photos Except for the last one, which shows how disgusting we humans are.

Wish I had the patience to do work like this. Patience is in short supply these days.

I decided to remove Ad sense from my blog, as it is stupid and pointless.

Sooooo Tired

This has been fatigue week. I feel like a pile of bones with no shape. A result I think of the rise in temperature outside and work stress.

Gossip is an evil cancer that infects even the nicest people. Amazing too how gossip, rumour, can be twisted to become fact. I put up a poster at my desk. It's an ad for a volunteer group with the words "Get A Life!" emblazoned on it in bright orange.
Do you think they will get the message? These losers, who have nothing better to do than make others miserable with their poison. I try not to let it get to me but they know how to blind side you with the most awful comments, in that wicked passive/ aggressive way.

That's partly why I'm taking a week off. I need some rest. I need to be away from a toxic environment.

At least I have hot water.

Hot Water

At this very moment a new hot water tank is being installed in my basement. I'm writing this because I am so stressed out from this guy and the entire process.
I have been stuck in the house for two days waiting for a service call.

The tank conked out on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon I called and booked an appointment to get it fixed. I managed to get a call booked for Monday morning, only after being threatened that if the damage was my fault or had nothing to do with the actual tank, I would have to pay. I was also asked by the customer excuses rep.
(a.k.a customer service rep.) if I would be willing to take part in a survey. I said sure no problem.

Monday morning a guy shows up, says I need a new tank, says he will call the request in, and I should have a new tank the same day. He warns me it might not be till late that evening as Mondays are always "hairy". Monday comes and goes and no tank or call. Oh no wait. I did get that survey call, were the woman tried to sell me a bunch of stuff. I politely told her that unless the purchase came with a hot water tank to be installed immediately, I wasn't interested. She didn't like that response.

Today I call customer excuses again and find out that they have no record of any request for a new tank. They book another appointment and tell me the guy would be there between 12-4.The day goes by, still no tank.

The thought of another sponge bath tonight had me back on the phone. Customer excuse rep. tells me the guy is on his way. That was at 6:00 and it is now 7:30. Guy walks in and immediately starts whining. My stairs are too narrow (how did they get the old tank in I wonder)I don't have enough light in the basement.The stairs are too rickety (well maybe if you lost 200 lbs. they wouldn't be). The doorway is too narrow (see above). Why doesn't the hot water tap work in the basement? (he's got me there since I never use it). I suggest he do like the washing machine guys and take the side door off for easier access to the basement. He tells me that he isn't allowed to do that. He stumbles around in the basement making all sorts of racket, talking to himself. Yells at me to turn on the hot water upstairs.I do so and am told by him not to touch the tap till he says .

He comes back upstairs and decides to use the side door after all. He then goes out and disappears. Comes back ten minutes later with another guy. They sure are making a whole lot of racket down there. And why do they need to keep moving their truck ?
I don't want to know.

Stayed tuned for the next installment.