August in Calgary
Well, I got the dryer working again with a new thermostat. The bathtub has been re-caulked and is no longer leaking, so now I have to re-do the ceiling to hid the ugly water stain. The car has a new muffler and is working fine. The dishwasher is toast, but I'm now used to doing dishes the old fashioned way. Since my last blog entry, I went to a Stagette, and to Yuk Yuk's with friends one night. The girls and I went to see RV at the movie theatre after brunch at Stage West on the 13th - both lots of laughs. I've always enjoyed comedy in all its forms.
I've cancelled my trip to Newfoundland in September, mostly because of things going on at the office. I've decided to spend the holidays with family in New Brunswick, which I haven't done for so long that I can't remember the year. Looking forward to sitting around the table with family for Christmas dinner, eating Mom's meat pies for breakfast, and visiting with everyone.
My Progress Club is hosting it's annual huge garage sale, which will be hosted by a member in Ranchlands this year. I'll help set up on Friday night, and spend Saturday there with the girls. It's always a fun day. I will try to restrain myself and not come back with a carload of stuff I don't need. I need to organize the stuff I want to donate, and I need to be totally ruthless and do some serious downsizing of all the clutter in my place.
I'm on the road again starting Sunday evening when I drive to Medicine Hat, do business in the morning there and drive back in the afternoon, back in Calgary office Tuesday morning, leave for Lethbridge in the afternoon for site visits and a board meeting that evening. Return from Lethbridge Wednesday morning just in time to attend a seminar being given in our boardroom that afternoon. Thursday afternoon I have my follow-up appointment at the Sleep Clinic. I'm eager to discuss what they learned from that machine I was hooked up to three weeks ago.
Sometimes it sucks to be me...
If you want to know why I haven't added to my blog for so long, it's because I don't like to enter negative thoughts. But a blog is supposed to be about real life, right! So here's what has happened in the past 3 weeks or so:
- I got the worst Summer cold I ever remember having, spent 3 days in bed
- I wrecked the bottom of my car by driving over one-too-many concrete lane dividers. (Saturn dealership noted "Customer drove over cement block and is hearing a lot of noise from undercarriage. A good scratch but no safety/mechanical issues") Getting new muffler parts installed tomorrow.
- I discovered a huge wet spot on the ceiling in my downstairs bathroom, hoping the re-caulking of the tub upstairs will stop it from spreading until I can get the bathroom re-done. I've been putting it off for too long, hard to get plumbers in booming Calgary.
- Oh yeah, and the dryer is broken again. May cost less to buy a new one.
I picked up a machine at the Centre For Sleep & Human Performance which I have to hook myself up to tonight. I have been going to every specialist my doctor could think of to try to determine why I'm so tired all the time and gaining so much weight. They think I have a sleep disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The clinic takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, and Dr. Samuels has tried to assure me that he can get me feeling and looking well again. My philosophy: can't hurt - might help. Not cheap though, $165 just to wear all those apparatus and get the analysis, which is the first step. Wish me luck.
On the job front, I finally completed all the study and practical requirements for my Leadership Certificate. Five from our office started it, and only two of us are still in it. There should be some sort of presentation ceremony soon. The housing/homeless shelter situation in Calgary is critical and we are begging social agencies from other provinces to let people know they must have a place to stay before they get here!!! As the liaison between the government and the shelter operators, I am constantly trying to get them funding for what they need, but what we're doing is obviously not working. People are getting 150% rent increase notices because landlords want them out so they can condominiumize the projects. The result is more and more people living in their cars or on the streets. The camp grounds are full, and social services can't even find motel rooms for homeless families. There will never be rent control in Alberta. It's all very complicated and stressful.
On a more positive note, my brother-in-law Nick arrived July 25th and is visiting friends in Calgary area and different parts of BC. He's just using my place as home base, but we did get caught up on family news. I'm supposed to go to the Progress Club convention in St. John's, Nfld Sept 13-16th. Mom was going to join me for a week of sight-seeing afterward, but changed her mind. I haven't decided yet if I'll go to NB for that week afterward.
And that's all folks. More cheerful entry next time - I promise.
ps. Go see the Miami Vice movie, I loved it. Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx are HOT. Just don't expect something like the TV series.
