Crystal!

Thursday was another day of idleness. I read a fair bit (New Yorkers) and did some housework; then I went to Jay’s to pick up his mail. 

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But! The car repair place called. My car goes in for repair on Monday and I get a courtesy car whilst they work on it. Soon my lovely little convertible Fiat will have a working trunk again. ICBC confirmed the claim! (I wrote to the corporation to praise Hasan.)

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I get dressed quickly when I rise in the morning. I go to the hall cupboard and get some newspaper that I crumble into a ball as I walk to o the porch to get a few pieces of kindling. I find out when I’m on the porch if it’s raining; I hear (or I don’t) the rain on the porch roof. I also find out how cold or warm it is. 

Then I go back inside. I take the paper and kindling to the fireplace and set the fire. Then I get my gloves and go outside for wood from the shed. I look up as soon as I step outside to see if it’s cloudy, mixed or clear. This morning was mixed and the dog walk passed without rain. It was also warm.

I’m very good with fires; mine always burn well. It helps that I’ve had the wood seasoning for months in a dry shed. 

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Crystal and I were both dumped by our partners in the same year and we both moved into the same condo complex in the mid nineties.. My condo was right above hers. We met and bonded.

We’ve been extremely close ever since. She eventually married (I officiated at her wedding), had three kids, separated and raised her kids on her own. I got to know her parents and absolutely loved watching the kids grow up—and that included one of her twins transitioning from female to male. We’ve been, as is said, “through the trenches” together.

Then, two years ago, she met a wonderful man who fell deeply in love with her. I was terribly happy, but then my condition set in and I moved here, so we of course suffered a huge loss of contact. But the other day I got an email and replied.

This morning, I got another email from her making it clear that she did not get my reply. So I wrote another longemail and then, for some reason, I impulse called her using FaceTime. And she answered! It St. Catherine’s, Ontario!

We talked for forty-five minutes and she showed me her whole house. It was absolutely fabulous to get all caught up. She and her kids moved in with Peter in August and now everyone is settled into their new lives in Ontario. It felt so, so good to talk and to see her.

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Today, I took myself into town for lunch and did some shopping. And I’ve chilled all the rest of the day and I’ll do more chillin’ tonight.