The Tribute Band The Policemen - Plays a rocking version of Walking on the Moon

Followup at the Lakeshore general hospital

Saw the lung specialist at the Lakeshore hospital yesterday.So the sputum test was negative. No bacteria fuelling me to be sick

However they did a plethora of blood tests before I left hospital last month. One of them shows elevated IGE's.  That means I show signs of being highly allergic.  Now I know I already have allergies, like grass, ragweed, trees, feathers, kapok, wool, tobacco, dust & dust mites, mould, and cats. That's what I can remember, there might be more. Could be I show signs of being highly allergic because I sleep with my cat and a feathered comforter and pillows. Could be that I show signs of being highly allergic because of the fungus. Who knows.

Now have to schedule an appointment with an allergist to get a skin test for Aspergillus, because he suspects I have allergic bronchopulmunary Aspergillosis

He's also having me do breathing tests and lung capacity tests to check the level of my asthma.

If I have ABPA, then I will need to take steroid asthma meds for life.  This isn't so bad except for the fact that I have osteoporosis and steroids are bad for my bones.

I did tell him about the 20 km 4 hour hike I did in Mauricie park and the 2km 1 hour down a mountain hike I took in August in Cape breton, to point out, that I was stunned my lungs were bleeding. I quit cigarettes back in 2006 and didn't appreciate that the doctor/nurses at the lakeshore gave me a lecture on my bad lungs, and telling me I had signs of heavy tobacco use for  20-30 years. That I am in good shape.  To his credit he never said a thing about my smoking and is actually looking beyond to understand why I landed in the hospital with an infection that caused my lungs to bleed.

The Police Men....

As seen from Pub St Paul last night.  Later I will post some of the better songs they played. I was so tired during the last set I was dozing off during songs.

Addictive and yummy

I like the one with Hazelnuts but the one with figs is just as good. YUM!

Now when I think about it, I think about this song:

They were all hanging on the bed...

Yay Mondays.

Not sure why but this morning I was in formidable shape. I managed  to forget my breakfast in the microwave and my phone in my bedroom.

It sucks because I didn't have breakfast. Usually the nuts in my breakfast keep me going till noon. Instead I had my Waldorf salad at 9 this morning.

I've been using my phone as a stopwatch to do tests in Windows extensively. Today I had to use the clock on another PC. Which means I have to watch time and write it down and notice it when it ends. And do math. GIANT PITA.  Never mind that watching Windows doing mode changes is more boring then watching paint dry. Been watching them all day. I'm almost in a coma.

And of course while it's snowing outside today, the building maintenance decided that it was a great day to heat up my lab at 31 C. I called at 9am.  He told me he just got in. By 1PM nothing had changed, so I got someone else to call. The building maintenance never picked up the phone BUT, the AC is finally back on and the temp is more reasonable at 25C now.

I worked through lunch because after being cooked at 31 for hours, I'm not dressed warmly enough even with a coat to go for a walk outside.

I'm being Policed

Yes. I'm being policed to death.  He joined a Police Tribute band, so the past week, I've heard way way too much "Every little thing she does" "Roxanne" and "message in the bottle"  I'm not a fan of the Police. While I know most of their popular songs, I'm not a fan. I've never owned anything by the Police, and no Police material has ever been found on a mixed tape of mine.

Not a fan of Sting either. At least the singer in this Tribute band can sing. The one in the Judas Priest one leaves a lot to be desired. Apparently I'm a singer snob. I can thank my mom who submitted me to hours of Opera every fucking Saturday while I grew up. I'm really fussy about singers. Usually if I don't like a band it's most likely because I'm not fond of the singer. Two that come to mind are Bruce Springsteen, and Geddy Lee {I hate his voice with a passion}.

So not this Thursday but next Thursday is his debut as drummer in the Police Tribute and they are playing at Bar St Paul in Old Montreal.

Astro

I started eating yogourt a few months back. I always enjoyed Astro Yogourt, and it has been my favourite both because of the thick creamy texture and because it's one of the least expensive. Most groceries sell it for $2.99, but I can get it for $2.39 at Sheng Tai.  Before the antibiotics, I was eating one 750ml tub a week, usually split between 3-4 servings.   Since the antibiotics, I'm eating 4x750ml tubs a week. One stays at work and I eat it mid-morning. 

Dresses made fall 2016

Love how this Burda dress came out with this rayon knit bought at Club Tissu

Dress made with a batik coupon picked up at Atlantic Fabrics and a left over from a dress made last fall, using a pattern I redrew from the 1990's

Shiny teal light weight rayon that my friend  picked up at Mood fabrics in New York

Rayon knit bought at club tissu

Second dress made from Shiny light weight teal rayon fabric from Mood Fabrics

Comfy cotton knit for this Simplicity pattern that has a pointy Elfy hood

Sick of being Sick

About a month ago I spent the night at the Lakeshore and it was determined I had pneumonia.  Then I spent a week in antibiotic hell. The pains I had following the taking of the meds was epic. I missed 3 days of work that week I felt so crappy.  Then there was the visit to the Superhospital on the 27th. Since then I developed what I would characterize as bronchitis. I has such a nasty cough and fluids in my lungs I started taking my asthma pump, which I had not taken since 2010 or 2011.

Yesterday it seems that I'm either catching a cold or some other infection. My sinuses are now completely blocked and I had green mucus, which leads me to think I still have some infection.

That being said, I can't see my grand daughter. I'm not going to make my daughter and granddaughter sick with some virus I'm harbouring. But it really sucks the big one.

2016 has sucked for my health. Spent 2 months healing a broken rib, stupid thing still hurts at times when I cough. I also look forward to seeing XRAY of those. According to the lung specialist I have "overlapping" ribs.

Seeing the lung specialist on the 28th of November. Hopefully I will not end up again at the emergency at the Lakeshore. That would suck balls.

New Dryer.....

Maytag De806 - RIP after about 48 years!

 

Maytag DE 308 - picked up for $30

  My mom's faithful dryer that she bought when I was 6 years old died on us back in April. I didn't have money to call a Maytag repairman until now. Sadly it cost $130 to find out that the dead part was no longer available anywhere and could not be bypassed,  it was the timer mechanism. If it had been other parts, they were still available from Maytag. 

After I found out about the fact it could not be fixed, I went on Kijiji and looked for Maytag dryer. The first I found being sold alone as opposed to a pair of Washer/Dryer was one that looked a lot like my old one.  And he wanted $30 for it.  So after work we drove to ST Eustache to pick it up.  Works like a champ.  From the serial number I figured this one is about 10 years younger then my old one. Looks like it was manufactured in 1978,  Mine was from 1968

Sami Fruits

My youngest daughter had told me how great Sami fruits was last year.  I hadn't had a chance to go there until recently. She was right. Great prices on produce! I went to the Sami fruits in DDO on du Marche.

I was suitably impressed. People complain that the produce doesnt' keep.  Produce isn't supposed to keep for months. If it does, it's GMO and not necessarily that great.

I find for instance that the fruits and veggies at both Adonis and Mourelatos are cheaper then most other grocery stores, but you have to consume it in the week you are buying it.   It's not such a bad thing. Growing up, fresh produce was just not available in winter.  I spent lots of winters eating only potatoes, carrots and turnips. Fact we can get fresh peppers at Sami fruits for around $1.39 a pound is awesome. I don't expect them to last for more then a week.

I tend to buy tons of produce and cook it right away. Works fine. Even the romaine lettuce I bought at Sami Fruits looked a bit dry when I got it, easily solved. When you get home, you rinse it in cold water and put it right away in the fridge. When we used it last night, it was nice and crispy and not wilted at all.

One of the reviews I read was that their mom wasn't served because she didn't speak Arabic. Don't know what this lady did to annoy the staff, but I've been there twice since Sunday and I don't speak Arabic. The staff was friendly and courteous. Most speak impeccable French. Another complaint was the fact it's a cash business. You can pay with interact for an extra $.25 cents.   Who buys produce on credit?  It hasn't been that long that grocery stores take credit cards. The idea is you shouldn't being indebted yourself buying food.

Sami fruits will now be a stop I do on the way home from work. As I can come home and drive in front. And if I go weekly the produce keeps NO PROBLEM! And they have Lebanese cucumbers.   Terry tried one for the first time yesterday and liked it. I've been telling him for a while that I prefer them because they spoil more slowly then regular cucumbers.

WTF America?

So you decided to elect a racist, sexist, pussy grabbing, narcissistic, egocentric billionaire that would be broke if he hadn't been born in wealth and you think he will "FIX" your country?

Are you proud that your first lady stars in soft porn? Came to the country as an illegal immigrant?

And in case you want to know just how insulting he is, the New York times compiled it. 

Yep make America great again..... In whose mind?


 

Montreal Murals

Mural near the Entrance to China Town near St Laurent

Somewhere on the corner of St Laurent street.

This mural is in Little Burgundy and depicts Oliver Jones

This one is in Verdun

I love urban art and murals on buildings. We have many of them in Montreal and I find it's part of it's charm. We drove around the city on Sunday the 30th, and these are some of my photos.

Remember

Remember, the 5th of November.....

Justice for missing and murdered indigenous Canadian Women

I believe it is a mural on St Laurent street in Montreal