April 2008 Archives

oy.

last week? last week was rough.

between still being beleaguered by the horrible, horrible plague i think i got from all that French kiss-kissing i did at a show opening, the utter lack of quality sleep, the screaming from my neighbour's apartment, work taking my soul out back and kicking the shit out of it and stealing its milk money by the time Friday rolled around, i was completely out of sorts.

i was so anxious about rising gasoline prices, the rice rationing in American Costco's and the utter inability to hear anything but bad news about the planet and its inhabitants that there was nothing for me to do but become overwhelmed and curl up in a ball and whimper.

to top it all off, i missed getting my polaroid photos in the 'roid week pool on flickr by 5 hours because i was too upset to figure out that re-hooking up my scanner wasn't any big deal at all. le sigh.

Christopher braved my ridiculous moodiness long enough to watch some tv and eat utterly horrible pizza and then leave me to hopefully get some sound slumber.

Saturday morning, sometime around 8 o'clock, the screaming from across the hall started again. this time, it was beyond anything i'd heard before. it was shrill and manic. as i was trying to figure out if i should call 911 or just the non-emergency police phone number, i heard a knock at their door and my upstairs neighbour asking if everyone was all right. about fifteen minutes later, more knocking, this time followed by very officious voices asking what was going on. boy... that sure was a great way to start my day!

luckily, i put the rest of it to good use getting my space all cleaned, tidied and sorted. laundry was done and there was even a little tv-watching. a super-hot shower followed by an afternoon out in Kerrisdale with Christopher and the best sushi in the world and i was right as rain by Saturday evening which was perfect timing because i had plans to head downtown to have drinks with people from high school i hadn't seen in 8 to 18 years.

the micro-reunion (it was too small to even be called mini) was nice, but as everyone else there has been in a lot more contact with each other in the intervening years, i felt just like i did in school: friendly, but not really connected to anyone. i kept feeling like they all knew so much more about each other's lives while i was just kind of... there. i'm glad i went, but i think i had expectations of a greater feeling of shared history, especially with two of the attendees. unfortunately, it just wasn't there. i'm not quite upset about that, but it does leave me feeling a little like a small piece of my personal history has faded away.

ugh. i just realized that i hadn't seen the majority of those individuals when i was HALF my current age. wow. now that'll make you feel old. sheesh.

anyway, i've got to go visit Mr. Physio to pick up my prescription orthotics. i'm hoping they're going to be the miracle cure for all my aches and pains. once i get them, then i can start looking for new sport shoes. i have it in my head that Nike Free 5.0's are what, in combination with the orthotics, are going to make me walk and run and work out like a whole new person. heh. i'm such a sucker.

since buying my 1991 Volkswagen Golf, i believe it's been in the shop, on average, every six or seven weeks. let's run down the list of things which have required service/repair/replacement since i bought it in August:

- pre-purchase inspection (duh)
- post-purchase major tune-up (including new front brakes)
- front passenger window stopped working (needs new regulator - to be replaced next month, finally)
- rear passenger window replacement (remember when it exploded at the car wash?)
- noxious fumes entering cabin (oil cap was left off after oil change, but i thought it was the exhaust system)
- scary moaning noises when running fan and windshield wipers on high during major downpours
- ran out of gas on way to work (yay for BCAA)
- windshield replacement
- engine vacuum -- to address power problem
- leaky rear wheel cylinder replacement
- fuel filter replacement -- to address power problem
- headlight bulb burned out
- coolant leak due to coolant hose rubbing through spark plug wires -- the cause of power problem, who knew?
- accelerator pedal started sticking when accelerating (throttle cable was rusted through)
- slow leak in rear tire (to be fixed next month)

don't get me wrong, i really like my new-to-me car. it's definitely a step up from the Geo, but sweetness and light, i certainly hope i can get through the summer with only the most basic of routine service visits to my mechanic (although, i'm not hopeful as i think the master cylinder might be on its way out and it's due for a new timing belt fairly soon). it's getting to be a joke about how much time i've been spending there lately.

well, either that or i need to dump Christopher for a VW specialist. just kidding, honey!

p.s. there's major construction going on at work and i think the constant vibrating of the building might just make me go insane.

just in time for me to start my first mini-vacation of the year, i've been stricken with a vicious illness. i'm not sure if it's a cold or a flu, but i do know it comes with hot and cold running sweats, hacking, headaches, fever, exhaustion and insomnia. i thought i was feeling better today, but my weekly forty-five minute session at the physiotherapist rendered me spent and dripping with sweat. if i hadn't been so tired, i would have been utterly embarrassed.

so, yeah. i'm sick and on vacation. how lucky am i?

first, it was the plunger & lubricant.

next, it was "the most painful exercise i have".

last night, it was 13 needles inserted into my lower limbs.

if my physiotherapist wasn't so cute (and it wasn't working), i probably wouldn't have put up with so much from him.

i heart sunshine.

maybe it's an april fool's day joke, but there's no pain in my lower body today. after several months of various knee, foot and back aches, this ability to walk around pain-free is making me wary.

the feeling of impending suckitude is compounded by the non-problematic running of my car since the latest visit to the shop last thursday. i discovered a coolant leak right where a hose had RUBBED THROUGH two spark plug wires. yes, there was coolant soaking bare wires. last time i checked, water and electricity didn't go together. a quick (and expensive) replacement and there have been no power problems all weekend -- and i did a fair bit of driving around town. i keep touching wood or crossing my fingers, just in case.

i don't want to get my hopes up.

lucky girl that i am, i was treated to an hour long full-body massage yesterday. sweetness and light, that was fantastic. after all the aforementioned aches and the week i couldn't turn my head to the right, massage was exactly what i needed. seriously, what took me so long to start going?

in other news, there's not a lot of other news. the weekend was relaxing-busy, with lots of thrift stores, an ice pellet storm, a family gathering, Portobello West, the single best CFC workout since we started them and a trip to get our last feed of Wally's Burgers before they closed down yesterday.

the appearance of sunshine on sunday was quite the tonic for my soul. walking around Vanier Park taking photos of cherry blossoms and friendly ducks was exactly what i needed after the last couple weeks of wintery weather. now, i just hope it sticks!