9-243 (31/8/22) -- Breathing Difficulties

It has been hotter and humid again, but with a warm breeze -- almost wind -- that helped a bit. I walked out to Main Street for two errands. I got milk and something for the fall allergies that are wreaking havoc with my ability to breathe easily. <sigh>  Being outside exposes me to the allergens. The cooler nights we had on the weekend encouraged me to open the windows a bit to help cool the house as much as possible before the heat returned. This, too, brought allergens into the house. 

Inhalant allergies are part of my life particularly during spring and fall. These remain my favourite seasons for the warmish days and cooler nights, though. The extremes of summer and winter are challenging for me. A new aspect of walking around with allergies is sounding stuffy or sneezing in public. It holds a whole new sense of guilt for me and horror for those around me. I wear a mask indoors but hadn't put it on yesterday until I got into the building. Luckily no one was around to witness this oversight and the ensuing sneezes. 

I share a favourite song for allergy seasons today. One line speaks to me -- "From what I can see of the people like me, we get better but we never get well." That sums it up well. For those like me, hang in there. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Allergies -- Paul Simon

9-242 (30/8/22) -- Still Summer

Very hot and humid air is visiting again for a few days. It was about 30C (86F) but felt like 39C (102F) with fairly solid feeling air. Summer is still with us, despite school starting up early next week. I headed up to campus to check mail and print a few documents. It felt cool int he building with a/c. <smile> Back at home, I turned on the portable a/c unit that helped make the house feel a bit more comfortable. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on editing and revising a manuscript. There is much more to do with this one. I had some trouble getting my head in the right space to focus fully, but got a few things altered and made a list of questions to discuss with the co-author. I also have a plan that might help me prepare to focus better next time I pull this one out. <fingers crossed>

I noticed a number of trailers and moving trucks around town today. The mass arrival of students for the fall term has begun. I encountered students with their parents and siblings on Main Street when walking. They were looking around the town and looking for places to dine. It always reminds me of the times I moved to university as an undergrad and the post-grad -- moves that involved participation by my family. It is a time of year that always makes me smile. 

A few lines of a song came to mind, even though it refers to high school. It could just as easily fit with university. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Glory Days -- Bruce Springsteen

 

9-241 (29/8/22) -- Busy Week Begins

Monday brought a sunny day. Temperatures were warmer and a bit more humid than the past three days, but forecasts note the coming few days will bring more uncomfortable hot days.  I spent the day indoors doing housework and reading some documents for the new phone and such. It kept me occupied, but it felt like little had been accomplished. 

Several things must be finished this week. I've been working away at a few of them and deadlines are looming. Some of these items require input from others, so that adds to the stress. One is a lot like herding cats -- it can be done, but takes a lot of prodding and coordinating. <sigh> Similar projects have always worked out well, but not without a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. To deal with the anxiety, I went for a walk in the early evening. The air had cooled and felt pleasant. I took my tunes with me, too. It all helped me to relax a bit. 

A song came to mind with lyrics that speak to walking and music. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Walk of Life -- Dire Straits

9-240 (28/8/22) -- Disruptions Outdoors

Sun shone most of the day and it was pleasantly warm and not humid. Tomorrow things will change back to less comfortable weather.  

I worked at editing tasks. These always take longer than I think it will. I had hoped for two hours for one task and it took three. Not as far off as usual, so I should take that as a win, right? <smile> Much lawn mowing has occurred near the house for most of the morning -- like early on a weekend morning when I planned to have a lie in <sigh>. It happened again in the late afternoon into early evening. So it has been somewhat unpleasant in my quiet (at least in the summer) neighbourhood. Some mowers are much louder than others and today must have been their day because it was very loud out there for extended periods of time. 

A line from a song came to mind as I was lamenting the decibel level outside. It made me laugh. I'll share that song here tonight as it fits my day in many ways. I love this demo version by the young (at the time) songwriter. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Pleasant Valley Sunday -- Carol King 

9-239 (27/8/22) -- Never Ending

Saturday again and with it comes the usual house chores -- some cleaning and laundry. I completed the latter and some of the former. I believe that cleaning never really ends. When one area is 'clean' and I move onto another sector, the first area begins to collect dust and such.  Even 30 minutes after cleaning the floors, invariably I find a dust bunny or clump of dust and fur just sitting in the middle of the floor taunting me. As a science based professional, I take this as concrete evidence of my thesis that the process continues ad infinitum. I dislike many cleaning tasks and thoughts like this can lead me to just ignore it all -- somewhat counterproductive, eh? 

I often find myself thinking of upgrades that could help with the cleaning process. A central vac would eliminate toting the heavy canister vac around the house. A cleaning service would be cool. I had one when I first arrived here, but the ladies retired a long time ago and finding a replacement has proven difficult. While day dreaming about these and other ways to find my way out of the mundane aspects of the cleaning jobs, a song came to my head that made me smile. I hope it can do the same for you. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Daydream Believer -- The Monkees

9-238 (26/8/22) -- Crowds All Over Town

Today involved multiple shopping stops. I needed smaller bits of groceries but met with several empty shelves for key items. That was a theme for the technology shopping as well -- no phone case or the size of SD card on my shopping list. I'll try to find those two items online. The two places where everything on my list was in stock were the store for bread and cookies <smile> and the store with the wine. I'm not sure what message that sends, but at least some things were in stock. 

The grocery stores were crazy today with almost full parking lots. I don't usually go food shopping on a Friday unless I go mid-morning. Today was mid-afternoon and so many parents and kids of all ages filled the place. The larger number of shoppers made the noise level almost unbearable at times. Next week, students will return in throngs and we often have empty shelves everywhere around Labour Day. So, things likely will only get worse. By mid-September we should be back to normal.   

Thinking through my crowd experiences today brought an older song to mind. While I felt outside of the main crowd, I expect that it looked like I was just one of the larger group to any outsider <smile>. So while I felt apart from the crowd, I was likely a part of the crowd.  (word usage that this grammarian has always had issues with when grading papers and such <grin>).  Keep safe. Enjoy! 

The "in" Crowd -- Dobie Grey

9-237 (25/8/22) -- Saga Nearing Completion?

I went to the next city down the highway with a friend today to do some shopping. It was a fun afternoon. In the morning, I finally got a new phone. I've been talking about this for over two years. The process with the cellular provider has been long and frustrating. 

When I had been to the store earlier, I received no good answers to my questions. I had decided to call the compay by phone. I made that call earlier this week and opted for the call back option to avoid listening to sad music or marketing messages. That partially worked but the call back began in mid-sentence telling me I needed to call them back.<grump>  So, I'd noticed a live chat window when on the company web site a while back. That seemed to be the next best option. I traveled through a number of web site menus to get to the current customer section for cell phones. Up popped the window. I wrote to tell them what I was wanting help with -- phones that fit with my basic plan. I was asked to confirm that I was a current customer. I did. The response was that the chat function was for new customers only. How terribly odd. I was provided with the phone number that would be able to help me. Guess what? That was the same number that just failed at call back. <sigh> I took a wee break and then called the number again. This time I got into a different menu line and was asked to verify I was who I purported to be by letting them push a six digit code to my phone. OK. I typed the code into my handset. That put me through to a live person. Her first action was to tell me she had to verify who I was by pusHing a six digit code to my phone. When I noted I had just done that, she said she had to do it again. Bizarre. I read the number back to her and we were ready to get to my main question about what phones I could upgrade to. Before she went any further with an answer, she noted that since I had opted to have the cell phone bill folded into my local provider bill, she could not help me. But, I could go to the local store -- I noted here that my experience had been less than stellar. She then said I could do this through my cell by going to the web site and doing the upgrade that way. By this point, I had stated several times that my plan does not have data included with it. To go to a website to upgrade would then cost me a ridiculous fee for using data. <sigh> So the store was the only option. She did tell me, though, which three phones I could upgrade to. I looked them up online to read about the specs of each and chose the one that most fit my desired options. All prepped for the store visit.

The next day I headed back to the store and sought out a different associate than I'd been speaking with recently. The person I got had some good people skills, so she was able to help me. They did have the chosen phone in stock. I asked about getting it set up and information transferred from one phone to the next.  We made an appointment to ensure there wouldn't be any lengthy waits if I just wandered in one day <smie>. Today was the appointment. Things went very smoothly with the transfer and we got it set up well for easier navigation and use. I got the screen protector installed but there were no cases in stock. That I can get from any of a number of stores or websites. I also plan to get an SD card to store music and photos. So, the store experience today went much better than expected. Cool.

There will be much learning to work with the new phone but it means seeing things differently -- not always a bad thing. <smile> I felt like something had been accomplished today -- something big for a change. A song about this feeling is shared here tonight. Many covers of this one exist. This version is soft and easy -- a relaxed kind of feeling. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Feeling Good -- Nina Simone

9-236 (24/8/22) -- Rebuilding

Today I had lunch with colleagues. We had a lot of fun catching up on what happened in the past two months since our last outing. We chose to eat inside since the humidity was oppressive, even when clouds arrived. Food was pleasant, too. We noticed the husband of a colleague come into the dining room. He has been retired for a long time. He hired me and retired shortly thereafter -- there's a number of lines that could follow that <smile>. On the way out, we walked past his table and I realized that I knew all of the five retirees meeting for lunch -- much like our group of four (three of us are retired). I smiled at the reestablishment of former routines. 

In the late afternoon, I went to the evening market with some vendors from the Saturday farmers' market. I came home with some fantastic tomatoes. Before leaving, I spoke with organizers of this community reorganizing project. We chatted about a goal of the Wednesday market that was to link community groups and individuals. I likened it to a tapestry that has unraveled as well as had areas with holes. The former have threads that can be partly rewoven while the later will require all new threads to remake a whole tapestry. It will not look the same -- a new pattern will emerge from the repairs. This metaphor noted that some of the groups involved in the community before the pandemic will have folded, while some of the active players may not return. Groups and people may also return in different capacities. It won't be the same as before, but it will rebuild.  

Seeing such local changes slowly coming together feels wonderful. It isn't as easy as just going back to the way things were. They will not be the same as that time again. Work is needed to get things up and running again. When pondering the fabric arts metaphor, a song from a great folk hit my consciousness. The lyrics speak to a similar metaphor. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Weave Me the Sunshine -- Peter, Paul and Mary

9-235 (23/8/22) -- Late or On Time?

Highlights of the day included a visit to get groceries. The parking lot was full. The reason might have been the beginning of the influx of students for the fall term. This will pick up over the next week. Shopping next week isn't recommended since shelved are emptied of staples as all those new households are getting set up tor the next year. I got home later than I'd expected, and was over hungry. I made an early supper and was relaxing a bit after running several errands. I panicked when I saw that it was time for me to be at the physiotherapist. I had gotten way too comfortable and nearly forgot. I dashed out of the house and drove to the office getting there in about 15 minutes. Luckily, the physio had another client who needed much attention. I had to wait a bit, but found myself relaxing again. I thought how easy it would be to just fall asleep at that point. I didn't, though. <smile>  When does each group see things as being late? Hmmm. 

I hate being late for things and generally arrive right on time or a few minutes early. There seem to be two types of people in this world. Those who a always just a bit early and those who are perennially late. I am the former and have difficulties understanding the relaxed nature of the latter <grin>. I have had supper overcooked when I had to hold it in a warming oven while waiting for people to arrive. I had said we will eat at 6 PM and come anytime after 5, only to have folks arrive at 6:30 to very dried out dinner <sigh>. I would call if I was running late, but late is a relative term <smile>. 

The title line of a song ran through my mind a few times while pondering the concept of  being on time or late. The song deals with something else, but the one line fit my thinking well. This recording took place many years after the original. Listen for the guitar and piano solos by the singer and her musician friend. Their harmonies are great, too. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

It's Too Late (Live at the Troubadour) -- Carole King w/ James Taylor

9-234 (22/8/22) -- Walking Slowly

Before lunch, I walked out for milk. It humid and hot with unrelenting sun. On the way back home, the heel pain affected the knee joint today. It has been a few weeks since this pain last surfaced. It makes walking any distance very painful. The bursa on the lower inside area of the knee are inflamed, so the tendon there does not slide easily over those 'lubricating' parts. So, I have to walk slowly and with a decided limp. Needless to say this makes me grumpy <smile>. 

I love walking. It is the one exercise that takes me on errands or through the neighbourhood or down Main Street. Getting out among people and into nature is wonderful. I like to walk out to do the bank, drug stores or other businesses that are close by. I've always enjoyed walking, but usually only when it had a purpose in it. Since the lockdowns of the past two years, I learned to enjoy walking for walking's sake. It was the only way I could get myself out of the house (legally that is) unless I was going to the drug store (I had them deliver during the worst of the isolation), grocery store (did curbside pick up) or a medical appointment (these were mostly done by phone). 

I made a physio appointment for tomorrow, which should get me moving (no pun intended <grin>) in the right direction.  The selection for today has a great bluesy sound. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Slow Walk -- Bonnie Tyler

9-233 (21/8/22) -- Musical Lift

Today was hot again -- 31C (88C) feeling like 39C (102F). The forecast for tomorrow looks similar. I walked out in the late afternoon to pick up an order at a store on Main Street. Stepping inside the air-conditioned store felt wonderful. There were no lineups, so I got through the purchase process quickly. Given the lovely temperature indoors, I wouldn't have minded waiting for a bit. <smile> I hope it cools a bit overnight as it looks that the next few days will not see cooling to assist with sleep. I tried to do some work in the house, but it felt humid there, too. I felt tired as the afternoon wore on, which is why I decided to go for a walk to Main Street. That did help. 

While trying to get motivated to get some work tasks finished, I felt the need for Freddy today. So many to choose from, but I chose this one to share today. Listening to the Queen performance at Live Aid always helps lift me up. Such great music and artists. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Radio GaGa -- Queen

9-231 (19/8/22) -- Summer and Trousers

I took a long afternoon walk that helped me work out some anxiety. Exercise helps. The sun was very hot and I felt sticky from sweat mixing with sunscreen. <smile>  As I walked down Main Street, I encountered many people carrying lawn chairs as they headed to the park (a athletic field for the most part). Tonight is the first of two days of a music festival that has been on hold for two years. The lineup is amazing for a small town. The ticketed area is fenced off in the back but in the area nearer to the street, there will be folks listening even though they can't see the stage. I'm not one for sitting in a crowd all day in the hot sun for two days in a row. Nor do I like sitting on grass in the darkness when any mosquito within 20 km will find me. <grin> I have done this for shorter times and it is fun. It might depend on who goes with me. Hmmm

The headliner tonight is a local band who have made a name for themselves within the country and elsewhere. They opened for the Stones during the Canadian tour and have several albums to their credit. They constantly are in the top 150 artists for sales and regularly in the top 40 with their music. Needless to say they have a following here. I recall hearing them when they were a high school band. Three members have been at the core of the band from the start.  The band name has always contained a reference to trousers and still does in a UK usage fashion. <grin> I chose one of this band's songs to share tonight. I love the words of the final verse -- 

Another day passing away

I hope to learn from my mistakes

Everyone must feel the same

Another day under the gun

Racing the clock, chasing the sun. 

If you aren't familiar with the group, it is worth listening to some of their other stuff. Very cool. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

The World I Know -- The Trews

9-230 (18/8/22) -- Seeing the Future

It's been a day. I spent a lot of time on the phone making calls to set up appointments. The first two were to see my MD and to have teeth cleaned next month. Another will take me down the highway next week for clothing fitting. I ordered products from further down the highway than I will be next week. Half of the order was in stock and shipped by bus. I got a call from the bus depot at 7 PM telling me the parcel could be picked up. I got it by 7:30 PM. Not bad for an order that was finalized about 3:30 PM! I had expected it to arrive tomorrow. The rest of the order will take about three weeks or so to arrive. It was the part of the order I needed soonest, but I'll have to make do with an alternate for now. 

I went for a walk mid-afternoon to work through some conflicting advice I'd received from two people. It will take some time, but I have the beginnings of a plan to move forward. I had a great chat with a friend at our usual weekly get together. This helped make me laugh and refocus on other less stressful parts of the day. 

A song from a Newfoundland artist came to mind today -- one that has a 'pick me up' feel.  I guess that is hope I hear in the lyrics. Some days, one just needs to hear that kind of message. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

It's OK -- Alan Doyle 

9-232 (20/8/22) -- Music Highlights

It has been a sunny day. A wonderful weather day for the second (and last) day of the outdoor music festival in town. Two groups that I love listening to are featured on the festival lineup today. I chose to share songs from each of them. 

The first one is from a Newfoundland group with stunning tight harmonies. They do folk and Celtic music with a pop rock twist. The song I chose is one that speaks to the importance of the feeling of home. Even when we can't physically get back there, our memories can help provide comfort and calm -- or as the lyrics state "solace and safety". The video is filmed at a bakery cafe in downtown St. Johns, NL -- a great place for dine in and carry out food. 

The second selection today is by a Canadian group from Ontario. Their sound is indie pop rock. Quirky comes to mind for this group. <smile> They use unique instruments some of which can be seen in the video here. I love the sentiment of the lyrics. It sounds like a perfect holiday getaway <smile>. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Take Me Home -- Ennis Sisters

Summer Vibe -- Walk Off the Earth 

9-229 (17/8/22) -- Between Raindrops

Today was filled with small errands done around town. I drove to several businesses to complete some tasks. The highlight was the Wednesday evening market. I went for the amazing orange cherry tomatoes that are so sweet but with a strong tomato tang. I got a pint. Then I saw some amazing rainbow chard and a 5 lb box of wild blueberries. I cooked the chard for supper and it was delish. The blueberries can be frozen as they are in the box and will last into the winter if I don't go overboard on cooking all things blueberry. <smile>. Before I freeze them, I will eat some fresh with yogurt, cereal or milk. Yum. 

I went for a walk to two stores closer to home and managed to get done between rain showers. Intermittent thunder and rain have filled the evening. I unplugged some electronics 'just in case'. The rumbling sound put the furry one into alert mode. Poor thing. I don't like it either, but at least I understand that we aren't really under attack. The rain accompanying the distant thunder was intense. There was a rainfall warning for major accumulations over a short period of time. Plants and forests should do well with the rain. 

A song from a favourite album from my youth came to mind this evening. The deluge of rain took my mind to the song shared here tonight. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Who'll Stop the Rain -- Creedence Clearwater Revival

9-228 (16/8/22) -- Old and New Ways

This afternoon, I was thinking of a house I lived in while in Saskatoon years back.  It was a wonderful 2-1/2 story home with a small footprint. It went up not out. I remember my mother calling it an Eaton house. This company delivered pre-fab houses back at the turn of the 20th century. These thoughts took me to an earlier conversation I had with a friend. We were bemoaning the rise in online shopping for clothes, appliances and cars to name a few. Such items are delivered to front porches after being bought sight unseen. We both felt that a car needed to be driven and not delivered to the front yard. I noted I have to feel fabric before I purchase clothing items. We both felt sorry that many people are missing the cultural experience of shopping in several stores to buy the one item on our list. 

How did these two thoughts become linked in my mind, you ask. <smile> Well, while thinking of the house, I realized how many people have never shopped from the Eaton or Sears catalogues. It struck me at this point, that perhaps the catalogue experience could be akin to shopping online. I couldn't feel fabric when shopping from a paper catalogue any more than I can feel it when shopping online. In some cases, the catalogue shopping was superior to online databases that repeatedly show the same item on  every  'page' Yet, online shopping allows shopping in super 'department stores' with many options for each item searched despite repetition. It also can let shoppers know in real time if items are in stock or not. The downside of this is scrolling through page after page of items with nothing in stock and no way to filter the results.  

So, while buying a vehicle online isn't my preferred method, people in my grandparents lifetime, bought houses from a catalogue. Perhaps online shopping is the new catalogue method. I'm not sure I'll get used to that, though. I definitely will not get used to the push technology that populates all sidebars on any online site with items that I had seen in online stores. There are ways to get around that, too. More software to learn how to use. <grin> 

A song came to mind while I sat listening to the rain. It fit perfectly with the blog topic today. I used a cover version in keeping with the theme. <smile> Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Everything Old is New Again -- Anne Murray

9-227 (15/8/22) -- Support All Around

It's been a busy Monday. I went to campus to print some documents. While there, I got to chat with a couple of friends who I haven't seen for some time. I had a good phone visit with another friend. Later in the afternoon, I visited the physio to help with the Achilles tendon pain and then watered plants for a friend. Just before sundown, I went for a walk that made a good ending to the day. 

I realized again today that many people surround me. They are willing to help even when not asked.  That means so much to me. It always surprises me when others willingly give their time or offer solutions to problems. This demonstrates social support, a concept that includes reciprocity. It involves knowing that others can help you when you need it and that you are able to help others should they require it. This construct is a social determinant of health. Feeling the broader connections with the world around us improves our view of life and shows us we have some control of our lives. 

I chose a song with an upbeat sound. I've used it here before, but it does make me smile and speaks well to the concept of social support. Keep safe. Enjoy!  

Count On Me -- Bruno Mars

9-226 (14/8/22) -- Accosted by Words

Rain fell intermittently throughout the day. Each time I thought of going for a walk, it started again. So, that plan will wait until tomorrow. I did some housework and reading today. It was a quiet day. I did find myself thinking of encounters with bullies from days on the school yard to my professional career and in my personal life as an adult. I appreciate speaking to people as adults to address any difficulties, yet many people don't act like adults. <sigh>   Most seem like unhappy people if one is able to see through their unpleasantness. My way of dealing with bullies has been to turn and walk away -- refusing to engage. This doesn't make me any less angry with the affronts, but is can stop the bullies in their tracks. In my experience, this creates extra frustration in them when the target of their diatribe just leaves. It feels a bit passive-aggressive, but it provides some time for de-escalation or calming a bit before dealing with the topic at hand -- if there even is one worth discussing.

The song chosen to share tonight, notes the need for group responses to bullying behaviour. We can't stand by and watch or ignore such situations.  Keep safe. Enjoy! 

I Saw It -- The Barenaked Ladies

9-225 (13/8/22) -- Sounds

The weekend began with laundry as usual. <smile> I took time to read for two editing projects. There is still a lot more to do with both. Just after sunset, I went out for a walk. I found myself listening to the sounds around me. It was a relatively quiet evening. I took time to listen to the body -- what hurt and what felt good when strides stretched connective tissue and muscles. I listened to birds and other fauna. The breeze in the leaves of the trees overhead was soft and gentle. The quiet sounds of human voices carried on the breeze as they were  outside enjoying the cooler summer evening.  

A song about listening is shared today. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Listen to the Music -- The Doobie Brothers

 

9-224 (12/8/22) -- TGIF

Business today included paying bills and looking into getting a new phone. It appears that only the premium plans were presented -- either that or there are no plans with smaller amounts of data for those of us who don't stream movies on the small screens of smart phones. <sigh> I refuse to spend that much money and told them that might be all it takes for me to move to a different carrier <sigh>  Nothing online showed me other plans either. So, my next step will be to check with an agent online or by phone. Irritating. <sigh>  

Rather that shouting at traffic and rolling my eyes rather loudly way too often, I chose to take a few moments today to think through the TGIF process presented by Brene Brown a couple of years back. Here's what I came to when pondering the four themes. I encourage others to do this, too. It helps one to find the positives in a day that feels more stressful than calm. 

I Trust that air travel will get smoother in the near future. 

I am Grateful for furry friends -- from the neighbourhood group but especially for the one I share the house with. They help me to laugh and to find moments of calm.

I am Inspired by friends who step into the discomfort and share rougher portions of their journeys. 

For Fun, I will plan more outdoor meals with friends at our local restaurant patios. 

While pondering today, I thought through a number of self care modes. A song came to mind that made me smile. It reminds me of friends from years back. It also fit with my thoughts of being kind to myself. Keep safe. Enjoy!   

Handle with Care -- The Traveling Wilburys

 

9-223 (11/8/22) -- Decisions! Decisions!

I had a morning appointment to begin the day and then went out to run errands for milk and bread. I had looked at carry-on luggage yesterday and when I checked what is currently in the closet today, one of the bags is the same size as what I saw at the stores.  So, no need to purchase something new, since the one at home is still fairly new. It was a set I inherited and I'd never measured the bags since I always checked the main bag. I was pleased that I did determine sizes of the set so I won't have to make a decision of which other one to buy. No need for any further decision fatigue or duplicate bag sizes <smile>.  

The next big decision involves getting a new phone -- like shopping in the soup aisle -- they all look similar but inside they are different. <grin> I pretty much have this one decided. The stress comes with choosing a minimal plan, since I don't need oodles of data for much. I currently don't use mobile data at all -- just doing a few calls, texting and messaging -- all with wifi data. It must be time to step into that part of the century <sigh>. So, that quest will continue tomorrow. 

Decisions can be exciting, but when too many pile on top of each other, things can become untenable. We make hundreds if not thousands of decisions daily -- many of them we aren't even aware of. Those we recognize can be smaller -- like what will I make for supper, which shirt to wear today or whether or not to answer the phone. The big ones -- like buying a new car -- or phone <smile> -- can be just too much to deal with given the many other things that involve our brains. These major decisions can make us wake in the night, and feel frustrated or angry at their perceived complexity. The fatigue is real. This process has been documented by psychology researchers. Yet, we often practice some negative self talk about expectations for ourselves to do better. "It's just a phone" might be stated when in reality there is much more beyond that desired simplicity. We should strive to recognize this and understand why we might be shouting at the other drivers or at our devices <smile>.  It all has to do with being kind to ourselves. Not an easy task at the best of times. 

While working through decisions today, I heard the title line of a song running around inside my head. The rest of the song lyrics deal with decisions far different than the ones I'm working through. The tempo and melody feel upbeat and made me smile today. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind -- The Lovin' Spoonful

9-222 (10/8/22) -- Lottery Dreams?

We had another cool day and a pleasant night that made sleeping easier. My day was spent running around town to knock a number of things off the 'to do' list. Most items that I was hunting for were not available. I will be at one other store tomorrow and if not, it is back to the one place I was at yesterday. Luckily, it is a small town, so getting to all potential points of sale is rather easy most days.  

While spending time searching for things -- some of which I was assured were in stock when I did the online search earlier today, I thought it would be nice to pass this along to a personal shopper <grin>. I'd need to win the lottery for that one. If I won the lottery, some issues might be solvable in one way or another, but it wouldn't be an answer to all difficulties. It might make running away easier, though <smile> Put everything in storage and just go. To win, though, I'd have to actually buy a ticket. <smile>  

Lotteries recently have had very high jackpots .Many run into hundreds of millions while some accumulate to approach -- and surpass -- one billion. Those numbers are difficult to grasp. I remember when a million dollars was a huge payday. In reality, it is still a sensible level of winnings and if invested would provide a reasonable income for retirees. Receiving many millions of dollars would help pay off some debts, but can bring a lot of headaches. Luckily, that amount of money could pay for an assistant to screen the unfathomable number of requests for funds that would be inevitable.

The song chosen for today was released 30 years ago so some of the ideas may not fit with current day realities. A dollar just doesn't go as far as it used to <sigh>. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

If I had a Million Dollars -- Barenaked Ladies

9-221 (9/8/22) -- Revise & Edit

Good news. The rain continued until about midday today. The ground is not soggy but the tree leaves were laden with water so drops and more fell to the ground most of the afternoon with every bit of air movement. We still need more and that may come later in the week. We'll see. Temperatures were cooler overnight, which helped cool the house a bit.  That could get cooler, too, but the temperature forecast is for mega-heat again by end of the week. So, regular cooler nights are still not in the near future. I wore jeans outside for the first time in a long while. I felt comfortable until the cloud thinned a bit and heat from the sun warmed the wet air -- then it became uncomfortable. 

I participated in a virtual meeting over a research paper. It is now my turn to work through parts of the whole. It has been a long while since I've done this type of writing. I've done editing, which really is what this current project is about. So, I hope things will go relatively smoothly, though editing one's own writing can be most challenging. I have another editorial paper review to complete, so I'll be occupied this month with these other ongoing tasks. 

I find writing somewhat therapeutic and even cathartic depending on the topics. Some projects act more like work than enjoyment. These don't help with the feeling of accomplishment that often arrives when a project is moved along to the next level. For a large project, I like to write for several hours at a time. After this, I let it rest until the next day, read it aloud making any editorial notes along the way. Then, the writing process begins for another several hours. Editorial work and reviews are different. I do the first read through an article and then let it sit for a few days. When I come back to it, I already have ideas about which parts of the manuscript I want to address. I make notes and then let it sit again. Sometimes I encounter other ideas that I add. Then for the final process, I type up a report of sorts with my comments and suggested alterations. To be honest, this part always takes longer than I expect -- usually 4+ hours needed to complete.

I came across a song that fits my main project for the coming weeks. It brought a smile today. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Rewrite -- Paul Simon

 

9-220 (8/8/22) -- Looking for Rain

Today was far cooler than the past several days.Clouds helped things feel cooler, too. Rain is expected and sincerely hope it will come in significant amounts this week. Things are way too dry and crispy outside. The area of the yard with poorest drainage has brown grass -- a rarity for sure. 

When thinking of and hoping for rain today, I said that when the rain arrives, I'd gladly stand out in it -- just a type of welcome. We get rain often in this maritime climate. Now it has been a noticeably long time since we've seen a gentle soaking rain. Walking in the rain can be relaxing -- provided one is wearing the requisite gear. Listening to the rain brings a sense of calm. the gentle rhythm and sound from rain can restore one's soul. Granted, wind that pushes rain or monsoonal heavy rains are entirely different beasts -- not relaxing at all. So, I'm hoping for a couple of rainy days rather than short-lived downpours in a storm system. 

Songs tend to use rain as a metaphor for the unpleasantness of life. That makes me sad, since rain can be wonderful. [Remind me I said that when we've had two solid weeks of cloud and rain this coming fall <grin>] There are a few happier sounding songs about rain that came to mind. I chose one that I don't think I've used before in the blog. The lyrics remind me that I am from the prairies and that it took time for me to begin to appreciate the rain after moving to the Atlantic coastal regions. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Like the Rain -- Clint Black

9-219 (7/8/22) -- Hiding or Avoiding?

Today has been the hottest day of the current heat advisory.The local theatre moved their play indoors with some alterations to keep actors and audience safe in the heat. It looks like there will be some cooler days with rain possible. We need both -- a good soaking rain would help plants and reduce fire risk. 

I found myself avoiding some tasks due to the heat and others that might increase anxiety. Avoidance can help to reduce anxiety levels, but the situation still lurks and will leap in front of you and shout in your face when you least expect it -- just when you feel calmer for a few minutes. So overall, avoidance doesn't help for long <sigh>  Sometimes it feels like hiding or escaping, though that small moment of calm isn't really fooling anyone -- least of all yourself.  I chose a song that acknowledges this fact <smile>. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Running Away -- Bob Marley

9-218 (6/8/22) -- Local Produce

Today was another hot day. I stayed inside doing laundry and household accounting. I was somewhat behind on the latter, but managed to get through much of the backlog. This made it clear just how much costs increased over the past several months.  

I have found staples that are less expensive, but even those have increased significantly in the last quarter -- things like bread, milk, eggs and such. I've been trying to get back to more vegetarian meals each week like before the pandemic. The current economy supports the move back to vegetable protein sources. I enjoy legumes and generally have cajun red beans, veggie chili, veggie burgers and such in the freezer waiting for reheating on warmer summer days. I didn't get these items made before the recent heat waves, so have had to work with fish, poultry or meat more often than usual. 

I was excited to read that the local Farmers Market have brought back the Wednesday evening market. It runs from 4 PM to 7 PM  with fewer vendors, but the basics can be found. I look forward to summer onions -- red if I can get them, squash -- pattypan is one of my faves, early tomatoes -- some great smaller varietals, and edible pot peas. Others might also be there like the bakers and Indian curry hot or frozen meals. I look forward to getting some local products. <smile> 

Thinking about the potential to get to an evening market this summer brought one song to my brain. It is a ode to the farmers, even though there are many stereotypes included. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Farmer's Song -- Murray McLauchlan 

 

9-217 (5/8/22) -- Scatterbrained

It was super-hot again today. My errands took me to places with a/c -- a way to feel cooler for a short while. I printed a document on campus and then headed to the grocery store for a few things. The stop at a house I'm watching for friends was brief. I forgot to bring the key. <sigh>. I went home for an hour or two and then realized that I had left a flash drive on campus. So, back I went. Sure enough, it was still in the printer. That is a good thing. <smile>. Next, I made the return trip to water the garden for friends -- with the key this time. 

I worry about myself some days.Today the forgetfulness was more pronounced than usual. Not sleeping well due to the heat and the sound of the fans running, makes a person less able to focus. Increased anxiety disrupts sleep patterns and ability to focus, too. There are a few items hanging over my right shoulder these days. Things will be resolved sooner or later. In the meantime, forgetting why I went into another room will stay with me. At least I can recall when I retrace my steps or concentrate a bit more. It takes more energy to focus though, which only adds to the fatigue that comes with the rest of the package. Generally, circular motion makes me dizzy and this situation is no different. <smile> 

A song came to mind today. Some of the lyrics sound like things I mutter to myself in frustration when I forget something, but the words seem to describe something very different. Stay safe. Enjoy! 

I Don't Remember -- Peter Gabriel 

9-216 (4/8/22) -- Weather Impacts

Again, we are in the midst of heat advisory temperatures with humidity. I met a friend for lunch today and we chose to eat in the air conditioned dining room instead of outdoors. The sun was relentless. The food was wonderful. I had a dessert that was available for the first time -- truly scrumptious. I walked a ways to pick up some bread and headed home. In early evening, I walked out to to mail a letter. The humidity was difficult even into the later evening. The forecast looks like things will remain much the same for the next week or so. <sigh> 

There has been far less rain over the past few weeks. Grass is turning brown and crunchy and leaves are drying up and falling from trees. A province-wide fire ban has been in place. The forecasters suggest that we could get some measurable rain this weekend. It won't cool things but it might help the plants to recuperate a bit. 

I know I complain a lot about weather <smile>. I would enjoy warm days with cooler overnights. I'm not sure where in the world this might be located, but that would be my dream summer. A song came to mind that used a phrase that suited the day perfectly. The lyrics deal with something a bit different than what we are experiencing in this part of the world today, but the title sure fits well. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Heat Wave -- Ella Fitzgerald

9-215 (3/8/22) -- Some Like it Hot

The day began with clouds, but I could feel the heat beating down on my head when I was out for a short morning walk. Humidity is climbing again this week with major heat indexes expected over the next four days or more. Due to the forecast, we decided to make an inside reservation for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants. Lunches have not been offered since reopening after pandemic shutdowns. I'm looking forward to this outing. <smile>

I met with a research colleague to discuss a paper under revision. It is nice to get back to this project. <smile> Another meeting took me out of the house in the afternoon. I stopped by campus to print a few documents needed for several projects. It felt great to see some things moving forward again. 

I met several people today who enjoy the heat and humidity// They had big grins as they walked outside. More folks, though, seem to feel the effects of increased temperatures as acutely as I do. It is a time of year when moving around or driving somewhere can be easier than when we have to contend with ice and snow. I've always maintained that we try to pack 12 months of living into two to three months of summer. I'll admit to enjoying many activities of the summer -- eating outdoors, sitting on the porch or deck, walking in the cool of the evening, or walking along the beach. They all help me to smile. Thinking through this today, a song came to mind that I share here. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Hot Fun in the Summertime -- Sly and the Family Stone

9-214 (2/8/22) -- Hunting Online

It was hot today and promises to be hotter again over the next several days. I worked at household accounting, planning future travels, and doing some online browsing to find items that are difficult to purchase in this smaller town. I like getting things delivered to the door rather than driving down the highway in hopes that I might find what I'm looking for elsewhere. August has often been the month when major purchases occurred since that is when I took a couple of weeks 'off' before classes began. Now that I'm retired, this year the pattern remains. I expect this may not be perpetuated over the years, since taking time to go to another town or city to shop could happen any time. <smile> That is a difficult concept to get my head around some days -- particularly as we get back into being more mobile after the pandemic. It will improve, I'm sure. 

The online searching will continue. I know what I want and I'm not sure if anyone makes it. I need new runners -- do they have to be glow in the dark yellow or green? <sigh> Those colours will not work with my wardrobe <grin>. I need boots -- do they have to be lined with wool? I'm allergic, so I find something that appeals to me only to find out that sheep have been involved. <sigh> I need a new phone -- do they have to cost the same as a mortgage payment? Even the ones that have been out for a couple of years seem rather pricey. <grump> Several other items are needed and it will be tricky to find what I want without first finding out what I don't want <grin> 

While checking online off and on today hunting through listings of items -- some of which didn't even come close to the search terms -- a title song line echoed in my head -- yup -- a bit empty up there today. <grin>  Keep safe. Enjoy! 

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For -- U2

9-213 (1/8/22) -- Freedom

Today marked Emancipation Day. On August 1, 1834 -- 133 years ago -- the Slavery Abolition Act came into force, effectively ending slavery within most of the British Empire. This year the date coincided with the August long weekend in nine provinces and territories -- names vary by province. Here it is Natal Day and elsewhere it is known as British Columbia Day, Heritage Day, New Brunswick Day, Saskatchewan Day, Terry Fox Day and the mundane Civic Holiday. Over supper with a friend, we watched the televised special commemorating this historic event and discussing what the term 'freedom' meant to many people. Music and dance numbers were interspersed between the small group discussions. I'm hoping it will be available on the network website for those who missed it tonight. 

I chose one song to share here tonight. They were all so heartfelt, but this one speaks to how the journey of a single person can affect that person or others that come after them. The artist contextualized this well during the special.I enjoy this Canadian singer -- such power. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

I Traveled -- Jully Black