Zoomin' and Pukin'

tuesday

Well, what to say? I had the greatest time talking to Jack, a fellow board member of SPACE, a stutterer, and a speech language therapist who, as a side hustle, does Shakespeare workshops for people who stutter that culminate in a performance. As I meet these wonderfully accomplished people who happen to stutter, my stutter becomes far less of a burden. I’m inching towards pride in my speech thanks to Aidan and his spectacular pals.

The rest of Tuesday was spent walking Sheba and making cinnamon buns to share with my fellow dog walkers this morning. During the first rest, the dough didn’t rise as much as I hoped it would. There was a slight improvement in the rise during the second rest. 

I’ve never made buns before of any kind. I decided to use the dough recipe that I use for challah, and I added a bit more sugar. And when I rolled it out, I coated it with brown sugar whipped in butter, and I sprinkled pecan chips and raisins on it and then rolled it up and cut it into sections to become individual buns. As I type this, the buns are baking in the oven. I have doubts but am hopeful.

I also donated to SPACE which was very well received. I am so chuffed by being part of the SPACE community, I had to donate. Besides, I went to the pharmacy this morning and picked up three prescription refills and I paid nothing. All my drugs are free except for the first few months of each year when I pay down the deductible. Donating to SPACE is what I will do with all the money I don’t spend on pharmaceuticals.

I didn’t read all day. I was too busy baking, Zooming, shopping and walking Her Highness. It is amazing to go through these endless days alone, never bored and always engaged with something—reading, Zooming, working on the house or the yard, keeping the fire going, etcetera, etcetera.

I’ve been kind of swept off my feet by Aidan and SPACE. I’m starting to feel, at times, like I’m in the Green Room with the other presenters at a TED Talk, feeling that I’m about to be exposed as a fraud. I had a think and decided that my colleagues at SPACE are there because of special skills, and most of those skills relate to SPACE programs and services, and I’m there to support them by focusing on the infrastructure of the legal society. 

Tuesday night I texted Aidan to ask if the members we solicit can receive a tax-deductible receipt for their membership fee. He answered that he didn’t know. I texted to him that I’d find out. He texted to say how pleased he was to have someone volunteer to take something on. For the first time, I used AI to ask if membership fees in BC were tax deductible for our members. I got a concise and definitive answer. I copied two short paragraphs of the text on Google and texted them to Aidan. Mere minutes had gone by.

Small stuff, I know. But helping him will please me deeply. Jack, the man I met on Zoom today—who lives in Nashville; I can’t believe I have met someone from that city—he believes in membership. And I’ve written to Brooke, who is interested in fundraising and already part of SPACE. It’s all so exciting, slowly building a case for memberships and clarifying legal issues for the upcoming board meeting. 

I’m so fucking excited because my brain will be present at the meeting and speaking for the concept of memberships and our objectives in creating this status of affiliation, and the obligations imposed on SPACE (that I welcome). Dealing with members will be part of my job. And Aidan and I will work together on content to meet those obligations. Woo fucking hoo!

And it’s because in this forum, like nowhere else I have ever been, is where my speech doesn’t matter. My speech is a badge of honour when I’m in the SPACE community. Finding SPACE is proving to be as valuable to me as meeting Dr. Shoja and moving to Gabriola. Now I have three things to thank for healing my post-breakdown soul.

I’m a texter. I’m learning things from young people about how they communicate. SPACE is entirely digital, and it sells digital products and events on the ground. I’ve been texting Aidan. He confirmed this view I have of SPACE. 

Tuesday evening, I became quite ill, quite quickly. It’s the second time this has happened. I felt verypoorly; walking was a challenge and I went to bed without brushing my teeth which I HATE to do. But I slept like a hibernator.

wednesday

All through the early morning I was texting Aidan and arranging for more Zoom calls with SPACE board members. Before I knew it, it was time to meet our friends to walk with our dogs. Sheba, however, was limping, so we came home and I didn’t give them my cinnamon buns because of the rancid pecans. They ruined the buns. Also, I was not pleased at all with the dough. The yeast failed and I don’t know if it was also old, like the nuts, or the milk wasn’t hot enough. I’ve ordered a new high-tech baking thermometer so I can more easily and more accurately know the temperatures of liquids. It will be very handy for making bread—yeast is best mixed with milk or water that is 110°F—and for tempering chocolate.

When we got home, I did more SPACE stuff until it was time to Zoom with Nicola, who’s a dear friend, not a SPACE person. We had a blast talking for an hour and a half, and then I fed the brood their lunch, after which I got lost in YouTube videos of some people who have channels to which I subscribe. And then we went out for our afternoon walk, and Sheba was walking well.

Evening was spent on the chaise, but not for long. I went to bed early and it was lovely falling asleep while listening to the rain falling on the roof. I love falling asleep when I can hear the rain. And it’s still raining. Sigh. We will short walk today unless the rain stops, and tonight I dine with Kris and Steve at Woodfire. I’m really looking forward to a restaurant meal with friends. Plus, I Zoom this morning with my UK stuttering group.