Great Big World Out There

tired of H1N1 contraversary

So the Calgary Flames jumped the H1N1 queue.  Not enough vaccine coming in fast enough.  Suspension of the flu clinics in Alberta til Thursday.  You'd think the whole world was coming to an end.

I'm not impressed the Flames are trying to get out of a PR snafu by saying everything was approved by Alberta Health Services.  So they would have messed up the lines in public places?  Give me a freaking break.  So that's the price of fame.  I don't envy the AHS person who actually approved the 'special' clinic.  They'll be on the dole soon enough.  I am irritated by the Flames claims that they didn't ask for special treatment.

BULLSHIT.  You got the special treatment.  You jumped the line. Don't claim that the vaccine was available to everyone and that you didn't do anything wrong.  You didn't see the news about the 4-6 hour waits in the cold for a vaccine?  You think it is ok to swan in to your private 'public run' clinic and get your shot WITHOUT WAITING? It was available to everyone WHO WAS FUCKING WILLING TO WAIT. Give me a fucking break. 

I'd feel the same way if it were the Oilers who asked for special treatment.  As an Oilers fan, I cannot deny that I am pleased that they didn't jump the line.  Hell, they got their innoculation the old fashioned way - they all got the flu. 

They say they needed the shot because they travel.  I don't think they travel commercial like the common folk.  The former premier of this province had his wife wait in line so he could get his shot.  I have no problem with that.  These rich hockey players couldn't pay someone to stand in line for them?  Surely they have a nanny with all their money. 

At the end of the day, people will forget the Flames jumped the lines.  They've got their shots and you can't take that away from them.  If a baby dies because they couldn't get the shot - I don't envy the jerks who were too good to wait in line. 

Cannot wait for daylight savings to end

So excited about the extra hour of sleep I'll get tonight.  I've been playing games all day and going swimming and it has been lovely.

I've been cleaning my office in between mafia wars and cafe world on facebook.  I have scads of things to throw out and give away.  There are empty spots on the shelves and I keep thinking - I can fill those spots up!  Except I am getting rid of so much stuff that I don't actually have anything to put in those spots.

This is not a bad thing.

***

I don't want to wait 4 hours for an H1N1 shot.  I feel bad for my sister, she needs to get her kids vaccinated and is trying to find a place to take them. She was going to have Dale stand in line for her but he decided to go to the auction market instead.  She is still pissed, because now they are talking about running out of vaccine.  She wants to get to a clinic on Monday but there aren't any close to her.

What an ass pain.  If only people weren't being such ever-loving idiots about the whole thing.  I am not in a high risk group.  I will wait for my vaccine so all the little kids can get their shots, and the pregnant women.  I think they should be screening people at the door to make sure the high risk people can get the damn shot.  Call me crazy.  

If it comes to it, maybe I can get the shot when I get to California.  I'll pay, I don't care.  I'll pay so I don't have to wait in line and I am protected. 

***

Went to the football game last night.  No other family felt like going so I went by myself.  That was fine, because I ended up sitting with a friend from work.  I felt helpful because he was freezing and I had lots of blankets.  It was a decent game, even though we were only playing Toronto, the worst team in the league.

We needed SK to win today to clinch a playoff spot somewhere.  We need Montreal to win this weekend, Calgary to win and then Winnipeg to lose to Hamilton next weekend.  We need to beat BC next week too, and then we have lots of options for making it into the playoffs.

It is making me crazy, I don't mind admitting that. 

***

My head is killing me.  All the way down my neck.  GAH.  Make it stop.  There's only so much advil a person can take in a day.  I am excited about my cleaning spree.  I am getting close to having a clutter free office.  I can't tell you how nice it is to see bare spaces on my floors.  Ah, bare spaces.

Stupid House

I am irked by the house in which I live.  When they built the basement, for reasons unknown they chose to make the walls 1 1/2" thick.  Not typically a problem in the big scheme of things.  Until, 50+ years after the house was built, I come along with my shiny new tv and shiny new wall mounting bracket and I need a 3 1/2 wall.

Bah.  I've solved the problem by building an ugly shelf.  It will do the job and I will save the wall mounting bracket for when I live in a place that has normal walls.  

***

I was quite clever and I took the old tv off to be donated before I even took the new one out of the box.  There were actually 2 other tvs that could have been donated, but I only took the one because I wasn't sure where the remote for the third tv was hiding.  Also had no idea if it would actually fit in my car, being full of recycling as it was.  

I took the afternoon off, you see, since owing to an inability to read the clock I stayed late last night and another night this week, and voila.  Might as well go home, no?  Best part - getting to the bank to change my RSP deduction amount and frequency.  Then while I was at it I decided to get really ambitious and I opened a tax free savings account.  If only I had $5000 to put in it.  Oh well.  I'll get there eventually.  I also got the paperwork I needed to change the account my student loan payments come out of.  I can stick money in that account every payday and 

***

My back is killing me from all of the lifting and stupid carrying I did this afternoon.  I carried around tvs but also cleaned out flowerbeds at church.  That was a wet and messy job.  Rotten and wet nasturtiums are thoroughly disgusting. They looked nice in the summer but I really couldn't leave that mess there over the winter.  I am sure someone would have disapproved.  

***

What else is new?  I'm watching the football game on my new tv.  I've got to find some kind of shelf thing to place my theatre system and satellite receiver upon.  It'd be nice to have a spot to put my fancy printer while I was at it.  Now that I have a fancy hi-def tv I kind of want to get a proper high def receiver for my home office.  How spoiled am I?  Two fancy high def tvs in a year (both paid for, thankyouverymuch).  

***

Might I just say that my back is killing me?  I might?  Thanks.

not much to say

Feeling pretty quiet.  I am quietly freaking out about the piles of things I need to get done before the end of October because I am gone most of November.  A grant to help write, a trip to Ontario to plan, a trip to California to think about, a new tv to buy, a home office to shovel the crap out of, various stupid games on facebook to keep up with and getting caught up on my book keeping.

I hate bookkeeping.  I never think to call the people I need to call during business hours to send the stuff I need during non-business hours to work at my second job, keeping the books straight for my dad. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out why exactly they conducted a purchase the way they did - splitting them but not right away, months later when it gets paid at which point I need to reverse things and I need to keep it all straight and it makes me want to scream.

Bah.

Or I don't have an invoice and I need to figure out WTF they bought.  Cheques with no receipt.  Or receipts that don't show up until months later.

Joy.

Anyway, I have shit to do and I've got this weird carpal tunnel thing happening in my arm, wrist and fingers.  Think I need to do something about it.  No time or energy, though.  Heh.  That'll never fix anything.

On the bright side, I am on the verge of paying off all of my debts.  Hee!  This is exciting.  I have a pile of expenses coming to me this week (exciting) and more in the coming weeks.  I've gotten a pile of airmiles from my business travel and dog bills this year.  Such a nerd that I am excited about that.

Anyway.  I am being dull and I need to get to bed earlier than most nights this week.  Can't keep going on 6 hours of sleep.

hockey

I sprang for the hd ppv of the oilers games this season.  The dude on the phone seemed surprised by the price - $200 was said in a state of bewilderment. 

Paying that much, it is not surprising I became agitated when the sound/picture did not work concurrently at the beginning of the game. 

My legs are really sore.  I keep stretching them out but nothing seems to really eliminate the pain.  I don't want to take more advil, since I had a migraine earlier today that needed 4 extra strength pills to kill.  I've had almost enough of migraines for a while. 

I need to go order some stuff for work.  Happy day.  Spending other people's money.

I shall write of my trip tomorrow. 

Going to Winnipeg

Up way too early this morning. I kept waking up in a most annoying fashion.

Flight was ok. Must have requested exit row, which was nice, if
surprising. I didn't feel so hot when I got to winnipeg, so imy
suitcase trailed around baggage claim long enough to be rescued by a
westjet employee.

I watched a mom say goodbye to her daughters who were boarding the
plane to winnipeg with their grandparents - she was a westjet employee
and kept saying she'd see them tomorrow. It made me think of the
horrible scene I witnessed in minneapolis in January - as long as I
live I'll see those kids crying their eyes out wrapped up in their
mum's arms.

I will cease to speak of it, because it would not do to begin weeping
amongst the combine talkin' farmers in the Perkins I have landed in.

I need to get a new gps. My current one randomly decides when it can
find satellite reception, oddly enough this appears to function best
when buried under the passenger seat of the lincoln I have rented. (I
don't recall requesting a pimp mobile, but perhaps car club membership
bumped me up a grade in addition to skating me past all the poor
schmucks who don't know how to skip through lines). Anyway, new gps.
I have my blackberry too, so all is not entirely lost if I don't find
a gps I like for a reasonable price.

Winnipeg is kind of pretty, but the bits I have seen have been what I
would call shabby. Not as much ignorant building of shiny new
buildings as in edmonton, perhaps?

Am eating french toast this morning. Cannot wait. Hit my head on the
trunk of the car. Car has air conditioning for your ass. Am
mystified by this. Also, cannot work out how to work the radio so
moved on to ipod.

Will shop today, I think. Check in to hotel as soon as humanly
possible. Sleep before game, which starts at 630 local time. Wonder
what my seat will be like, how much beer and hot dog will cost and if
my team will win. I shall report in later, after a trip to the
canadian mint.

Whee!

At the gas station

I just had an uncontrollable need for a coke and some packing tape.  Luckily I live within eyesight of a Flying J so I headed off there a couple minutes ago.  No packing tape, alas,  I will have to look harder in my own house.  There's got to be some around here somewhere.  

There was a woman in the store.  One of 'those' women.  The kind who smoked a pack a day too many, and speaks in volumes normally reserved for the stage.  My first notice of loud lady was when she loudly proclaimed that she was parked in the wrong spot - a spot that wasn't actually a parking spot.  She told her 9 year old kid to go move the car while she stirred her coffee (the kid did not in fact do this, despite her repeated requests).  At one point she loudly muttered, 'OH, did I lose my stir stick in here?'

I don't think it's the stir stick that's missing, if you catch my meaning.  

I was still looking for packing tape while shamelessly being amused by this crazy lady.  She moved on to the check out, pausing to remark loudly upon the cleverness of providing carrot cake for purchase by hungry customers.  (Imagine that, knowing your customers well enough to sell what they want!)

She then saw the sandwich display.  Whereupon she randomly asked her kids, 'If I let you slam 1 of your pops will you eat a bologna sandwich?'

Kids: 'YES!'

She loudly paid her bill ($1.56 in small change) and headed out to the car, talking yelling about how she had to phone the kids dad, he would think they were halfway to Saskatchewan, and they were in the wrong spot and also they needed to turn by the green arrow.

I was exhausted by the time I went to pay.  As I left the store, I saw loud lady loading her kids into the car, whereupon she pulled out of the 'wrong' spot.  While it is true that the spot she was in wasn't truly a legit parking spot, her solution was not really an improvement.  As I got in my car and backed out, I saw that she had chosen to back into the spot next to the non-spot.  The handicapped spot.  

She hadn't even backed in the whole way - so she effectively blocked traffic on that whole side of the gas station.

I went out the back exit, to keep the stink of stupid off me as much as possible.  I'm so pleased I had that coke craving.

cannot think of a thing to say

but I need to say something, so I shall gibber madly for the next 10 minutes and see what I come up with.

I spent most of my weekend looking for a bathtub faucet.  You'd think that wouldn't be hard, but oh, how wrong you would be.  I tried a couple of stores in Leduc but could not find a) suitable faucets or b) a person who might know where the damn faucets might be.  Then there was a problem with the pipe bit coming out of the wall, so we went through 2 replacements before we found a way to make the third version work. 

All this so we could continue to have a hand shower without having to rip out a wall.  I learned about shower/bathtub faucet items though.  I think I want a roman faucet set in future bath tubs I build in a future house. 

Speaking of bath tubs, I know it is probably the thing to have fancy jetted tubs and all the whistles and bells.  I can't stand those things.  You need to empty your hot water tank (I will have on demand hot water so not a huge deal, but still) to fill the bloody thing, and I don't particularly need to go swimming every night when I take a bath.  Because yes, I am a bath person.  Not so much a shower person.  I take a bath before bed every night because it switches off my brain.  Or at least start the switching off process.

I have ideas for future house building but the prospect of making decisions fills me with dread.  I'm not usually decision-making averse, but damn.  I don't want to decide on 15 different floor choices, the type of furnace (with A/C, thank you very much, ideally geothermally powered, however that works) and if I should get that stuff that stops your house from burning.  I know I don't need granite counter tops, because please.  I am not that pretentious.  Except when I fly long distances, and then give me the first class treatment because it hurts my back to be scrunched up in a stupid seat. 

I have embraced stupid games on Facebook the past week or so.  I am enjoying the building of 4 farms, two mafia families and now I have moved on to zoos and fish aquariums.  Not so fond of the fish aquarium thing, their server has been stupid and off all evening so I think I will quit that one once the server is back.

I submitted the thesis to the grad studies faculty today.  We'll see how long it takes to be accepted.  Or if it is in fact accepted.  They have to do the checking of apostrophes and so forth.  Sucks to be them, if you ask me.  All I know for certain is that I am mighty f'ing tired of looking at the bloody thing.  Stupid thesis.  I hate you.

I have now written for 9 minutes, that wasn't so bad after all.  I have to work on my zoos, my farms and my mafia now so I shall sign off.  Happy Monday.

supermarket sweep

I was wandering through the channel guide this morning and came across supermarket sweep on the gameshow channel.

There are 2 things wrong with the above statement.  1. that I recognized a game show called supermarket sweep (answer questions, then run around a fake grocery store for the most expensive items, the one with the biggest shopping bill wins.

2.  That I pay for the gameshow channel.  Yeek.

***

I have to dash off to church in a little while.  I've run through the songs for today, nothing too hard.  I'd never seen the first song before but I've run through it a couple of times and now we should be fine.  

After church I will need to return another bathtub faucet.  I bought 2 of 'em yesterday, and both of them didn't work properly.  I am irked by this.  Irked!  I don't know if what I need exists, or if I will have to order one on the internet.

I am done

See that spot back there?  The one about 400 miles and 3 months ago?

That's the spot where I needed to take some damn time off and didn't.  I have some travel planned the first week of October.  I'll be in Banff.  I like Banff.  I wasn't going to go to Banff this year, long story, but now I am going.  Then I'm off to Winnipeg for some football and some friends.  That will be nice.

I was going to go back to work right away but you know what - I am done.  Tired as hell and I've been doing what I've been doing without a break for way too fucking long.  So.  Vacation.  Me.  Can't wait.  Would go now but can't afford to take the time since I have deadlines coming up.  

Sometimes I think I need to go somewhere that needs a Tim Horton's and make my millions.  It'd be like printing money.  Or similar.  

***

Watching toddlers and tiaras.  What the hell is wrong with some people?  Live your own  damn life, not your kid's.

***

My knee is hurting me. I wonder what I did to it?  It was 32 degrees outside today according to my car.  How can you not love that at this time of year?  I haven't had supper because I forgot.  I think that is making me a little dumber than normal.  I can't stop thinking of random things to say and  then typing the random thoughts randomly into this browser.

I've begun a new project.  I want my dvds to fit better into my cabinets and I want them to be in dvd holders. I hate wallet things. So I ran out and got myself some cases earlier this week.  I'm gonna throw some of the DVDs into cases before I go to bed.  I'm also going to get rid of some of the duds.  I don't know why I bought so damn many dvds in my past.  I don't want to do that anymore.  Rather spend my money on books.  I love books.  BOOKS!!!!

Am hungry.  I wonder if there is still ham in the fridge.  I could really go for some ham, dammmit.  mmmm.  Ham.