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"My" end of the new studio. And all my supplies in place. |
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The cabinet is full of fabulous DVDs to watch while I work. I love having the wood stove for heat. |
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That big empty space will be where the sofa bed goes. It will be against the wall and have a low table in front. |
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The north wall looks back at my house. |
Sunday night,
just after nine, the power went out so I went to bed for a great night’s sleep
that was ruined when I woke up.
There was poop
in both the dining room and the bathroom. Worse, she is hairy, so…. I have to
wash her butt and she hates it. Sigh. And in the dark with the torch in my
mouth triggering my gag reflex.
I’m being very
careful with her now. I watch her constantly to see if she’s eating anything in
the yard and keeping her away from Almond Roca (kitty poop from the litter
box). I’d been enticing her to eat dry food — to which she’s indifferent — with
a bit of wet food. So I’ve stopped that, too.
And I’m
adapting. I realize that I can make my life easier if I dedicate my mornings to
Her Highness. If I do that and I tire her, I can be productive in the middle
part of the day while she and the cats nap.
No sooner do we
seem to settle into a pattern than she grows out of it and into another phase.
This is my first experience with parenting a puppy.
•
This morning
the power was still off and starting up the generator is a big pain in the butt.
I have to go out and move it into position, start it up and then bring long
extension cords into the studio (to make the water pump work) and the house
(for the fridge and lights). Then I have to unplug everything and switch the
plugs to the extension cords and then reverse everything when the power comes back
on.
At least I have
music and a portable computer that function on batteries — there’s no Internet
connection but I can write and do design work. I’m happier that better weather
is on its way (eventually). Spring and Summer here is going to be very
different without storms/power failures and having to keep the fires going.
One day I will
consult with an electrician to install a “shadow” circuit in my house. Electricians
install a second outlet near the fridge, water pump, TV and computer area and these
second outlets are connected to a panel on the outside of the house. I can then
use extension cords with two “male” ends to connect the panel to the generator.
And then, inside the house, I just move my plugs from one outlet to the other
quite simply and there are not long extension cords all over the place.
As I age this
kind of system will become more important.
The power came
back on at 8:30 and then went off again. It continued to go on and off for the
next 45 minutes which was pretty frustrating. Each time it comes back on I
think, “Okay, this time….” And then it goes off again.
So, almost
predictably, I had a seizure. Not only that, a pretty nasty one that left me in
a zombie state for an hour or so afterward. I am trying now, not to
hyperventilate. However, that seems to make spasticity worse and recovery take
longer. It may be my imagination, but that’s my impression.
•
The pace at Pinecone Park picks up over the
next few weeks. Tomorrow I go to Vancouver, on the weekend Crystal and her
family come to visit and next weekend I go to Vancouver to stay overnight and
to come back with my ladies and Dwight.
•
I had the Grammies on
TV last night as I did things around the house and I’d watch when something
caught my interest — like Alessia Cara winning best new artist. I
have her CD and love it. She’s Canadian and incredibly talented and well
spoken.
The opening was
incredible. I have no idea who Kendrick Lamar is but his opening was remarkably
powerful. I was spellbound. At one point, the stage was full of perfectly
aligned young black men in blood red hoodie body suits and he shot them one by
one to the beat of the music. It was a brilliant, artistic acknowledgment of
the Black Lives Matter movement.
And Rihanna.
Man oh man, am I a fan. She looked incredible: She was a sexy siren in a red
dress, looked gorgeous with her hair full out and curly and she can sing like a
kiss or a cannon. Her set was magnificent: The costumes and choreography just
delicious; the colours were inspiring.
And Ben Platt the
star of Dear Evan Hansen on
Broadway absolutely blew everyone away just standing there singing in street
clothes. He was mesmerizing and everyone in Radio City Music Hall new it.
And what a
night for Mr. Mars and his crew! He’s such a fabulous man and entertainer. And
can he ever dress! He won the seriously big awards: Song of the Year and Album
of the Year. He was signed first by Mowtown but they dropped him.
I’ll bet there are several people there with huge regrets.
And Sting
inspired me to discover where the mute button is on my new remote control.
•
My reward for
completing tasks one and two for the Arts Council was to receive task three.
It’s another mind numbingly boring and long clerical/mathematical chore. The
kind of thing I can actually love doing — especially very early in the dark morning hours.
•
For the past
few days I’ve been listening to the Aboriginal
Television Network and boy am I happy I did. I learned a lot and long-held
attitudes have changed. I’ve really enjoyed my experience and I plan to keep
listening. I really like it and I really like my country with policies
that “forced” the channel on me.
The editorials
are, to my mind and ears, brilliant. They are researched, restrained and
enlightening and I am hooked. Plus, yesterday I listened to two movies; one was
Whale Rider and I loved it. I watched
several scenes, but the ideas, the language and the music were compelling. And
the scenery of the second movie, filmed in New Zealand about Maori culture was
as beautiful as the actors.