Monday, May 28, 2007

Crazy.. toys in the attic,....

It's just crazy.

Of course because I decided months ago, that I was going to go for the gusto and chose Lebanon to meet my fiance, for a plethora of reasons, including having opportunity to meet his mom, and friends, that things were going to get tense just a few weeks before my departure. Of course it has to be this way for maximum effect.

*Sigh* A smart person would have probably chosen Cyprus for everything initially. But no. I had to live dangerously. I had to go against what a logical person would have chosen. Lebanon had been on my list of places to visit on day, when things looked calm. Then I figured how better then to visit with someone who has lived there most of his life. I swear it made sense at the time.

Dunno why my gut is still not freaked out. The thought of flying to Lebanon is still not freaking me out. Though I'm disappointed cause I know I will not be able to move freely. However something is encouraging me to keep going. Dunno if I should listen to this voice anymore.

Just too many decisions to make. I figure flying stresses me to the max.. Can it be worse? And yet what if I was to feel like I did when I visited Weymontachi.. Just did not want to be there after sundown. I won't be able to leave. I'll have to put up with that sensation for the duration.

Time to go watch some mind-numbing TV.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

We're melting

I like summer in Montreal. Of course like all Montrealers I do complain that it gets hot at times. But one is not a Montrealer unless one complains it's too hot in summer, and too cold in winter. Never completely happy.

It's been a weird spring. It's gone hot/cold/hot/cold. It was around freezing a few weeks ago, and yesterday we hit a record of 30C for this day in May. Previous heat record was 28.5 many years ago.

Which leads me to something else. The AC unit at work that covers our area has never been strong enough for the ever increasing equipment. I have inventoried and given to my boss the wattage of all the equipment already last summer. Had a student do it. Inventory every single monitor, flat panel and PC. Check out the power consumption for each, to find out how much heat each item is generating. Plus an inventory of people so that they could buy a unit that would cover our needs. We've been promised a new unit now for several years.

Well the heat issue came back this spring every time it got warmer outside, it was anywhere between 27-30C in my area. The past couple of days I've had sweat running down my body it's been so warm. Turns out that the owner had never signed for a new unit. IF I understood correctedly he was supposed to buy a new unit to cover entire building. Now they finally signed off a few weeks ago a new unit to cover only our area. Since it's been a sauna, for the past I dunno how many years now. The heat issue keeps coming back. Well the new unit has a 10 week delivery time. So not until 3rd week of June. THey did work to redirect air from the Gym to my area... and put it DIRECTLY ABOVE my desk.

SO the past few days, now I still get 27-28 at my desk, but with cold air on my head and shoulders. So I get cold shivers now. The maintenance woman, promised me she'd move the diffusor above my head to a few feet away. I hope that helps.

The irony is.. the AC unit broke down yesterday. IT's only working at 50% It was 30 outside, and just as warm inside. They had to bring large industrial fans. THankfully I had vacuumed the dust bunnies around the cables I have near my work benches a few days ago. Cause all fans do is move around the dust. Which means I have to take asthma meds to avoid coughing all night.

The sad part is... I cook at work and then go home and freeze. I mean if it's too warm in winter, and I only heat my home to 22.. and I spent the entire day aroudn 28... I'm going to be cold even with 2 sweaters at home at night.

I suffered from so much hot flashes in pre-menopause because of the heat issues. I was fine under 24 but it was 28-30 at work, and at the time I lived in a townhouse where the thermostat was broken. I could either have heat on or off. So I used to have to open windows all winter so it wouldn't be 30. And I wondered why I kept having hto flashes!!!! Thankfully I've passed that. I don't get hot flashes anymore. or rarely. But I still cook easily.

And I'm going to spend most of June in Cyprus and Lebanon, where the temperature is about like July in Montreal, but with less rain. I have quite the collection of sundresses, short skirts and skorts for warm weather. And with all the walking I've been doing hte past week, in the sun, I'm getting a bit of a tan base, so I won't burn so easily. I haven't been using sunblock becuase I'm not out long enough to burn. They've been saying now that we should get at least 30 minutes of sun without sunblock per day, to get the good part of the sun. So long as I am not out long enough to burn, I don't put any on. I tend to prefer going out in the sun past 4 pm, and I rarely burn at that time of the day.

Both times we went to the beach while I was in Dubai, we got there around 4ish. Did not put sun block we stayed about 2 hours and both times I was just about to start burning, I felt my skin was tightening, but no burn. Was just perfect. I never try to tan, though by the end of a Montreal summer, my feet are usually tanned. I remember one summer, I was 15 or 16 and spent the entire summer working on my tan. It wasn't bad until mid august and then it rained 3 weeks straight. When school started I was white as a ghost and people asked me if I went out of the house at all. No one believed I actually ahd a tan 3 weeks earlier. Was last time I tried tanning. I take pride in being vampire white. Besides now I'm mid 40's, and my skin is still nice. Whereas women my age who tan all the time by now have leathery skin and look twice as old.

Heck my last bf was half-mohawk. If he went out in the sun, he'd get very dark. He didn't go in the sun much, but just driving his car, his arms would be a deep brown. He'd always joke about me being his 'pale-skinned' gf. I think it's perfect to be so pale. Goes well with the red hair I like to have and the freckles I do get in the sun.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Multiply like rabbits

I've been seeing wild bunnies around for a few years, but I've been finding it strange that they come around during the afternoon. Rabbits are notoriously nocturnal. I noticed today that there isn't just one or two rabbits, but there's at least 3 and they all look more or less the same.

Sigh. I like rabbits. If I start a vegetable garden I'm not only going to have to deal with the squirrels but with the bunnies.. and obviously there's no predators dealing with the rabbits. At this rate, in a few years we will be over run by bunnies. But they are so incredibly cute....

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Dragonfly Totem

I was reading about the Dragonfly totem this morning, as one of my tattoo's is the dragonfly:

The power of Dragonfly lies in its ability to see around things by looking from different angles. Using its ability to transform colors and lights by reflecting and refracting them, Dragonfly shows us that life, like light, can bend, shift, and adapt in various ways, making life's appearance never be what it appears to be. Dragonfly's magic shows us to see through life's illusions and find our true vision. It calls us to transform within our lives and reminds us to feel deeply so we will have the compassion necessary to help ourselves and others.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Interesting Biases

Was talking to Debbie about the waterheater woman, and she pointed out that I sound really young. Reminded me of an incident when I lived on Woodhaven circle.

It was afternoon, and both of my daughters had just fallen asleep for the afternoon nap. It was a warm day out, so I had the front door open, and the screen door was locked, so air could come into the house.

Some young traveling salesman rings the doorbell. I wasn't expecting anyone and had forgotten I'd left only the screen door, so, the moron rings like 10 times in a row. Of course by then you can hear two crying babies. [maybe they were 2 and 4 respectively]

SO I go to the door pretty pissed, and the first thing he says to me is "Are your parents home?" I answered that if he wants my parents he's in the wrong part of town, that they live in RDP [30km away]. He tells me to stop jerking him around that he wants to talk to one of my parents. At this point I lose it. I tell him this is my house and the crying he's hearing are my two daughters that he woke up with his obnoxious ringing, that if someone isn't answering the door, perhaps they don't want to answer the door or they have sleeping toddlers.

So at this point he starts getting argumentative. I should be flattered that he thought I was so young and he starts on his sales pitch. I told him he'd better get off my property.

That was one of three times, since I've moved out of my parents home at 21, where someone assumed I was too young to be a parent, too young to own a home, too young to be living by myself. And the thing is.. they think you should be flattered that you get treated like a 16 year old.

Sorry if I was able to vote and drink legally at 18, I'm old enough to buy appliances like a stove and a fridge [SHould have seen how many stores my ex hubby and I had to walk to at 23/24 to be able to buy appliances before someone would talk to us], to have children, to take care of my children and to own a home. I should be capable of making decisions about my future like any other adult.

It still gets to me that at 40 + years old some people still talk down to you like you're a little kid who woulnd't know how to deal with their own life. I've owned this house by myself for the past 7 years. I'm SO F***ING fed up of people telling me to 'consult your husband'.

I mean like I explained to my older neighbor a few days ago, I'm mechanically inclined. I've always been mechanically inclined. I used to help my grandpa fix things starting at age 3-4. I could better anticipate the tools he needed then his kids or any one else he worked with other then my grandma. I'm also a reasonably good problem solver. I tend to like men who are artists who might not have a mechanical bone in their body.

Dr. Phil yesterday was about 'girly men' and how some had wives who had issues with being 'The man of the house". I have no issues with playing the role I'm good at. I don't expect my male partners to 'be the man'. I expect them to be a partner. To be someone with who we split up tasks according to interest & capabilities, not according to gender.

I used to get so upset when my youngest, who is a tom boy, would come home and tell me that some boy told her "girls don't play with such and such thing", and I used to ask her "Do you like playing with toy X", then say "Mommy gives you permission to play with toy x". TO make her realize that she was allowed being herself, even if that meant she was not a stereotypical little girl. She loved to play with cars and construction games, and not with dolls. And for those who might think she's not maternal, it's actually quite the contrary. My youngest is a natural with children. Always has been from like 3 or 4. She would help out with the younger children at her babysitters. She's worked in day camps, She works as a lifeguard and swimming instructor now. She loves working with children. My eldest daughter who loved playing with dolls, is much like me and has no maternal bone in her body. Doesn't like small children. Doesn't know how to approach them or what to do with them. But like me I'm sure she'll make a fine mother if she wants to be one. We're not maternal, but we use common sense instead to make sure child has what he/she needs. We don't care for other people's kids much. [Though with age I'm finding that is changing for me. I get all gaga over children under 5 now.... can't wait to be a grandma]

Off my soapbox again...

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Things that make you go Hmmm....

I didn't know that I had to be married or that I had to discuss buying a water heater with my husband. Things one learns as one ages!!!

I called Gaz metro-plus yesterday morning to enquire about getting service for my hot water heater. Just by my flooding description it was obvious to everyone the unit needed replacement. To it's credit, the unit lasted 18 years.

Now when the lady called me back about replacing my hot water heater, there were several options. I could buy or rent a hot water heater, and I could get a 40 or 50 Gallon. Well I have people who love their long hot showers.. I decided to go with the bigger one and after checking out price for rent and total price for new unit, including installation and taking away the old broken one, I decided to go for the 50 Gallon tank. So the lady says "Don't you want some time to think about it? " and I'm thinking.. what's there to think about. I have a defective water heater leaking in my furnace room, you gave me options I made a choice. Then she says "Don't you want to discuss it with your husband?" I didn't know that I had to be married to own a house, never mind, *gasp* be able to take a huge decision like whether or not I chose the 40 or 50 Gallon. Like wow. I raised 2 kids to adulthood, but I'm too stupid to buy myself a water heater. Like.. how condescending. Makes you wonder if people think before they talk.

I've had a few males I've talked to about my water heater woes suggest that it would have been so much cheaper if I'd gone to Canadian tire and picked up one.. Well I just did my homework. The comparable gas heater is $700.+taxes is about $800, and it's still a smaller one by 9 gallons. Then I have to lug it home, and it woulnd't fit in my car. It weights around 200lbs. Then I have to lug it downstairs into the basement. I also have to lug out the old one. As it happens the shutoff valve, had broken when I closed it sunday night due to corrosion over the years. There was also lots of corrosion on the copper pipes connecting the water heater to the rest of the water in the house. I woulnd't have been able to change those myself, never mind connecting the gas element to the new hot water tank. Plumber was here 2 hours to install it. So that would have been another $200 just for installation, plus parts that were changed. No, the amount I paid for having the hot water tank installed the same day it broke, the old one was taken away, the valve was changed and the connecting pipes were replaced, was well worth the $1100 I paid. Why didn't I go for an electric one? Well because I've tried both. The gas one heats up the water much faster. When there's 3 women in a house wanting showers roughly at same time, this is a real bonus.

This is probably the first time in my life someone bitched because I was decisive. Usually people complain that I take to long to make up my mind. That I'm wishy washy.

Off my soapbox with my rant.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The water gods absolutely hate me

So it was just a little bit past midnight. CSI Miami had just started. The "Caruso one-liner'" tonight was "Here we go" followed by the who screaming.

I had just been thinking about an old photo from when I was in University and decided to go scan it. Well I walked into the basement and low and behold there is water... My hotwater tank seemed to have sprung a leak. The fact that those who installed my furnace blocked partial access to the drain didn't help. Water was covering the floor of most of the basemetn at least 1-3cm. Got my eldest downstairs to give me a hand. She was pushing water with a giant squeegee towards the fold room where the sump pump is so it would drain there, and I was pushing it back into the drain in the furnace room, once I freed the drain from the border blocking it. I also picked up 2 buckets full by towels and sponge mop. I'm tired. I'm crabby.

This was around 12:11am... Officially on Monday.. What a way to start a Monday.. .It's close to 3am and I'm still not sleeping. I'm hoping that the valve I closed is right and it's going to keep the water from leaking into the furnace room. I'll deal with the water damage tomorrow.