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Zoom has all these fun features that we discovered together during our BC Stuttering support group Zoom yesterday morning. This is one look I made for myself as I talked with my friends.

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The morning attempts of snowfall failed. By ten in the morning, the sun was out, and the entire sky was blue. When I Zoomed with my BC stuttering friends, they showed me the accumulation in Vancouver, and it was deep. Thank God we missed that big dump here. Then, early in the afternoon came the clouds and another attempt at a snowfall. It was a five-minute blizzard, but nothing stuck.

I wondered what would happen through the night and today is predicted to be a heavy snowfall day. I really don’t want any accumulation of snow because walking will be so hard on me. God, I hope my docs find out what is wrong with me.

We went to Rollo Park to play fetch in the late afternoon. We hadn’t played fetch for months and Her Highness was delighted. And so was I because there were a dozen young men in very sexy sporty gear playing soccer in the park, and several wonderful friendly doggers. As we left, it again tried to snow but failed. Hooray!

Instead, the snow arrived today. It has been snowing since I arose at five am. I’m a little worried about getting to the hospital on Wednesday. My car goes fairly well in the snow, so I’ll just hope for the best. All I want to do is stay warm today by the fire.

Fear

Last night I went out to fetch some wood. I chose to select two robust but not big pieces and carried them into the house. No problem. And then WHAM! I was really struggling to breath. It got scary for me. I felt myself close to tears. I took a deep breath in and forced myself to breath through my nose. In out, in out, in out. It went on for a long time. I have learned my lesson.

I see three possible outcomes from my three cardiac tests:

1.    They find nothing to account for my condition in my heart.

2.    A coronary occlusion—a blockage of plaque in a coronary artery.

3.    A problem with a cardiac valve.

I’ll be very disappointed if no reason for my weakness is discovered. I have no idea whatsoever what to do if that happens. One option, obviously, is to live with it and carry on. But this incident last night makes me want to keep fighting to know because it is so incredibly debilitating. Like I need another chronic problem.

Occlusions are easy fixes. It’s done through the arterial system. It’s miraculous. The operation for fixing valves frightens the bejesus out of me.

I once lost use of my left arm. I had to manually move my left arm with my right one, and every time I took a step downstairs, my neck would throb with mind-numbing pain. The correction was spinal surgery, and I was afraid of that one as well. When he told me I needed surgery, I declined. But I came to my senses the next day, called him back, and had the surgery.

On the plus side, carrying those two pieces of wood in for the fire last night had me waking up in a warm house this morning, and that’s pretty wonderful when it is as cold outside as it is now. We’ve been having pathetic snow flurries this morning, and that suits me just fine. Walking in snow is exhausting, so if we get a real snowfall, walking Sheba will be brutal.

Now, as I go to post this, it is snowing much more seriously. Pooey. But I shall ignore the weather and concentrate on reading, eating and cooing with Fred, Ethel and Her Highness because today is My Day!

Lion's Mane mushroom. My neighbour sells
them in a roadside stand.

RIP Chris W.

thursday

Thursday was entirely uneventful. There was a lot of sleeping.

I went into the village to shop in the morning, after our walk, and on impulse I bought some lasagna to make having lunch simple and quick. Two hours after eating, I got a very upset stomach and the runs. Man, did I get the runs. And more sleeping. I lost the entire afternoon and early evening to feeling very poorly.

I watched Conclave in the evening, and I absolutely loved it. Everything is great. It might be easier for helps me because I was raised Catholic as a child. But it doesn’t matter at all that it’s Catholic because it’s not about faith, this film, it’s about power. Oh my God, what a deliciously wonderful film.

I’ve calmed down about my heart issues. Reading my 2021 echocardiogram was a mistake. It filled me with fears that the problem might be a valve or two valves, because the operation is so horrendous. I am trying my hardest not to worry, it could still be plaque, or they may not find anything wrong (which would really disappoint me).

The rain is back. It started late Wednesday and although it didn’t rain all day, it was dark and foggy but not as cool. There may be snow on Sunday and Monday, but the sun is expected back on Tuesday.

friday

Friday saw no rain. My friends and I were thrilled to be able to do our morning walk together staying dry. And after our walk, I had a nap and then we went into the village to shop for salad supplies, and to report my food poisoning to them. They pulled all the remaining lasagna from the deli cooler, and I got 10% off all I bought.

Then I came home for a long nap before making the salad I wanted to make to take to Jay’s for dinner with him, Eoin and François. And once my salad was assembled, we shared a short trail walk together, Her Highness and I.

I’m very pleased with the salad I concocted. I de-seeded an English cucumber and thinly sliced it, I added very thin slices of six or so radishes, and then I mixed that with the zest of one lemon and six ounces of crumbled feta cheese. I also added a couple of dozen cooked prawns. The dressing I made is lemon juice, vinegar, chopped dill and garlic, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar and oil.

The sky cleared just before I headed out with Sheba to go to Jays. It was, as always with these gentlemen, a blast to be together—and this time, in Jay’s new home with the fabulous view of the ocean. We had a wonderful time together as we always do!

It’s dark and cool here this morning. About 10 snowflakes fell. Tuesday night, they are predicting temperatures of -7°! Shizah! I am preparing for snow—aka the end of the world.

Sad news: Chris Wootten, the fellow who founded the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and the person whom I was always mistaken for, has passed away. He and his wife are very, very close to my buddy Leslie. She lived with them for over a decade and has remained as part of their family” ever since. It’s a sad day.

Goodbye Di ❤️

Wednesday morning went by slowly and smoothly. I was up long before Dianne and Sheba and I walked together on a short route before she got up. Once she was up and about, we just spent our time chatting together and then we had lunch. She left here at 1:00 to catch her ferries home.

I always find it a little lonely after someone has been visiting and then departs. But I knew I’d soon adjust to being back to normal. I had a long, wonderful nap in front of the fire in the afternoon, but I was awakened by Sheba barking sharply. She was barking because Deborah, a neighbour, was coming up the driveway.

Deborah asked me where David and Ursula were. I told her they were in Costa Rica, and then she told me she was asking because when she was walking her dog, Stormy, there was a loud alarm of some sort going off at Dave’s place. So, I wrote to Dave to ask what it might have been. I’m going over to his place today to look around and ensure there is nothing damaged or ongoing.

Today will be spent by the fire, but we’ll go into the village to shop and, of course, we’ll take our regular forest trail walks. Essentially, I am killing time until Wednesday and Thursday and my final two tests.