WAKING THE BRAIN

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Oh my, what a game between Boston and the HABS last night! It was a ‘sit-in-the-edge-of-your-seat’ action, and would have been perfect if not for the bad hit on one of the HABS players. The kid is only 22, and is concussed, lying in the hospital. Unfortunate, but personally, I don’t think that kind of injury was done with malice. It was just the location on the ice where it happened; I doubt very much that Chara (the Bruin’s player), had time to notice exactly where they were when he hit. And hockey is a contact sport, after all. Still, if I was that kid’s mother…I would probably be roaring for revenge by now. Many of the HABS’ fans are going over the edge with calls for dire punishment. This town takes hockey to heart!

Was it the gorgeous sun shining outside our windows yesterday? Or the fact that I had already been awake for 6 hours before traffic allowed me to reach the office? Or the article that I read on the news stating that the provincial fiscal civil servants are belligerent, not adequately trained, and often hired on contract from foreign countries to strong-arm and harass our citizens and small businesses for tax collection? And they have monthly quotas?????

It was possibly a combination of all three. All I know is that I was in neutral, in the worst way. My concentration was at zero capacity. I hardly heard the words of the client sitting in front of my desk; or rather, I heard his words, but none of it was sinking in. It wouldn’t be amiss to admit that the only thing I accomplished was moving piles of paper from one place to another, and I’ll probably spend today looking for those piles because I won’t remember where I put them down!

One of the employees is on vacation in Cuba (I couldn’t refuse – it was a family affair and paid for by her father-in-law), and we were already short-staffed before she left. Poor Line did more than her share yesterday, trying to encourage me by stating that my being so tired was the reason I was unable to function; that it was understandable after the year I’ve been through. Ha!! I can just imagine my grandma’s comment on that excuse! In fact, she wouldn’t even have to say a word; she would just straighten her shoulders, give me that look of hers, and I’d get moving!

Which is what I plan on doing today – move those darned shadows that are numbing my brain. Enough is enough. My brother called to say he is feeling better, my grandson arrives home this evening, the HABS did win the game last night, and the sun is shining out there again….and, incidentally, yesterday is done and gone. Today is a brand new day, just waiting for me to fill it with good things and happy SMILES - I’m on it!!!

Hope your day will be pleasant too, and that you SMILE all the way through! (Ha ha! Poetic, I am!)

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

SNOW...AND TELEPHONE

Yesterday morning I had an appointment at 9:30 to pick up documents in my area. The phone rang just as I was leaving the house, and I was surprised that it was a client. It was after 9 AM, so the office should be open, but obviously the calls were still being forwarded home. Thinking that maybe they had forgotten to take off the call-transfer, I opened my cell to text a reminder to Line, and was astonished when I read her message.

‘Huge storm. Working from home.’ it read. Storm?? What storm? There was no sign of it in the bush, and a glance outside showed that snow had not fallen during the night either. Between Line’s information, the internet, and the radio, I soon realized that my Demons were out touring again. Everywhere BUT the bush was dealing with one of our biggest storms to date. The roads to the office were passable, but it would take hours to get there because of traffic and removal operations. It seemed I would be working from home too.

I wasn’t able to complete much paperwork; it was a phone day. Every time I put down the receiver, another call would come in, and more than once I found 3 or 4 voicemail messages besides. It was a relief when things started to slow down after 5 PM.

I decided to make my daily call to my brother, then call it quits for the night. He was sick and running a fever; it sounds like the flu-bug that has been going around. Grump and I jumped into my truck, made a stop at the pharmacy for medication, and on to his place where we found the bro wrapped up in blankets, not feeling good at all. He took the medication I had brought, and we waited around for a bit until his fever lowered some, and I remembered to put the phone beside my bed…just in case…when we finally got back home. The surgery for his lung is scheduled for March 18th, and hopefully things will be better when it is done.

Today is another day. I was awake at 4 AM, and have a feeling I’ll be using the futon in my office this afternoon. In the meantime, there’s a ‘to-do’ list as long as my arm… and I’m finding it more and more difficult to rouse the necessary energy. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes of self-motivation, a reminder that we’ll do it one step at a time, and that things are easier when we do it with a SMILE!

Have a good day, folks!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

VEGGIN'

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It was ‘lie-low’ weather yesterday in the bush. When my son called to ask me how the roads were up here, I suggested that he celebrate Yoshio’s birthday in the city instead, and he readily agreed. His job has him driving all week, in all kinds of temperatures. Why negotiate slippery roads on your weekend if you don’t have to?

After doing some light housework, I built up the fire, and Grump and I settled on the couch in front of the TV. It wasn’t long before we fell to sleep. Ah...one has to love the occasional lazy day!

Grump, of course, did not agree. We were no sooner awake than he began to hint that we should go outside and play. If it had been still snowing, I’d have probably agreed, but the rain was coming down by then, and everything was glare ice out there, so I refused. I’m sure my dog is convinced that his mistress can be terribly boring at times.

Other than talk on the telephone once or twice, answer some e-mails, browse in Blogit, download a couple of books to my Kindle, I did little of anything before it was time to watch the HABS win their Saturday night game. A short stint of reading, then bedtime. The life of Riley.

Today, however, will be a different story. There is a pile of paperwork on my desk, floors to wash, laundry to be done, and I need to go into town for some errands. We’re deep into another snowstorm, and apparently it is to last until tomorrow morning, so there is no use attempting to wait it out. My Demons have come back home.

I’ll get to it. Wishing you all a great day, and sending you all a huge SMILE.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.

A NEGATIVE

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I had a Panic attack last night, and it was a dilly! Out of the blue. For no darned reason at all.

Those bothersome events started about 3 years ago. The first happened while I was driving home from a hectic day at the office. It threw me for a loop, I tell you! I pulled over to the side of the road, certain that it was a heart attack, worried that I’d lose control of the car and run somebody down. All the symptoms were there, but the information (which I googled afterwards) advises that the chest pains are not the same at all. If you have never experienced a heart attack, how would you know?

So – they have been happening off and on…mostly off…and lately things have been fine. I’ve even been sleeping more, working less hours, getting exercise; in short, doing all those things one is supposed to do. Granted, we’re in high season, but this year has seen me stay much calmer than usual. I would even venture that I’m in a much better place mentally than I have been for ages.

It’s no wonder then that last night’s episode took me totally by surprise. It was also one of the worst up to date; my heart was hammering so hard that I thought I would bounce out of bed! Although these things are only supposed to last 30 minutes or so, I walked the floor from 1 AM to 6 AM, attempting to regulate my breathing, sipping water and, I admit it, cussing when nothing seemed to work. I was tired, and desired nothing more than to sleep. Finally the ticker settled down, but it had already ruined any chance for a productive day.

Actually, that’s not quite true. The one thing I did accomplish today was to dig out the list of preventive tests my new doctor had requested when I last saw her; the one put aside until I would have time to follow-up. Maybe I shouldn’t mention that the date on the sheets was February 2010? Anyway, I called and faxed and logged appointments. My body doesn’t feel sick, but it’s better to be sure that all is well physically before going for the lobotomy. (Joke!!)

It could be flashbacks, I suppose. Anyhow, we’ll check it out in spite of my aversion to that kind of probing. Doctors always seem to find something wrong, which is why I avoid them in the first place.

Ah well, everything happens for a reason, so maybe it was the sign to smarten up. It’s easier to handle things when you know what you’re supposed to be handling. Besides, I certainly don’t want to go through another night like that if it can be helped!

Kilroy has started posting on his blog again; tomorrow we’ll be celebrating my Japanese daughter-in-law’s birthday (sushi, yum!); and the HABS are on a roll! Life is good, and tonight I’m SMILING. It’s winging its way out to you all as I write – hope it adds a little warmth to your weekend!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

THE DAY TODAY

Grump is pouting. He wanted me to go for a walk tonight, but I really don’t have the energy, so I opted for relaxation in the Jacuzzi instead. The minute he saw me turn on the tap, Mr. Grump lost any hope that his repeated efforts would change my mind. He did a doggie ‘HUFFMP!’, turned his back and stalked away. He’s on his cushion now, and I’m getting The Look, LOL!

It’s not that he is restricted out here in the bush. He is allowed to roam freely as long as he stays within the boundaries, so has lots of running space on the land. I know he enjoys my company, and walking up the country road is, of course, out of bounds unless I’m with him, so is rarer, therefore a treat. Yet I have a sneaking suspicion that he has another reason for wanting my presence…he intends me to be a bodyguard. Those thrill-seeking ladies are still out there, and I fear he is under the false illusion that they will be less likely to bother him when he’s running beside his mistress. The poor fellow has much to learn about females and their hormones.

I worked from home part of the day, and spent the rest running around picking up tax papers, collecting office accounts, doing errands. I was back to the house by 3 PM, and prepared supper for Dawna and Malcolm, who arrived not much later with laptop in hand. Malcolm is setting up a data program for our business, and we needed to get together and exchange information before he can complete the job. It was a nice evening, with interesting conversation, as is usual with these two, and yes, after eating we watched the HABS win their game.

The water has finished running, the soft scent of Tamanu beckons, so I leave you now to slip into warm, gentle bubbles. From there I will send out cyber-wishes that you all enjoy sweet and restful dreams tonight; that Justi has a special birthday tomorrow, and that each of you catch my SMILE!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

SEXUAL HARRASSEMENT!

The beautiful Louka.
I was standing at the kitchen sink, finishing up the dishes, when I heard scuffling on the gallery…. and was that a faint cry of ‘Help’?

It must have been telepathy. When I turned around, there was Grump-puppy, his face mashed up against the French door, staring at me through the glass, panic in his eyes, beseeching his mistress to let him inside. And will you please hurry!!! His dilemma was evident, so I hastened over to rescue the poor fellow. With a look of utmost relief, he slunk past and bee-lined to his doggie cushion, turning his back to the door before throwing himself down, attempting to become as small as possible. He was hiding. I couldn’t help but laugh aloud, and his expression told me I was adding insult to injury. It was just too funny. It is also one of the worst cases of sexual harassment that I’ve ever seen, LOL!!

My neighbor’s Sally, the Rottweiler, and the beautiful Louka, the wolf-husky mix, are in heat. Grump, being the only male in their immediate area, has become the target of their ardent desires. He had the big ‘O’ when very young, so he is slightly bewildered by their persistent attention. Both females are taller than he is, and they tend to become pushy when competing for his favors. Grump gets caught in the middle. To be fair, he does try to accommodate them, but the instinct is just not there, so he gets bored quickly. When the two of them come after him at the same time, he gets downright skitterish. It’s been so bothersome that he doesn’t even want to go outside if he sees Louka at the door, where she is more often than not. Being the star in doggie-porn is obviously not one of Grump’s aspirations.

This has been going on for about 10 days now, and I try comforting my poor pit by telling him that things will be back to normal within another 2 weeks or so. He listens politely, doing his best to ignore Louka’s face in the window, and, with typical male behavior, has wisely decided to keep his head down while the ladies are on the rampage. He’s waiting it out.

I’m sure he can’t understand why I find it so comical, so I won’t let him catch me SMILING as I write this. I’ll hurry and send it out to you, folks – and wish you all a great day!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec

SMILING

My summer rainbow.
I woke up smiling, in a ‘powerful good mood’, as my sister used to say. There is no particular reason that I can think of. Maybe I had sweet dreams; I can’t recall any of them. Instead of stumbling out of bed immediately as I usually do, I lay snuggled in the warmth of the blankets, enjoying the soft breeze from the fan, feeling it gently blow over my face and through my hair.

Yes, I did remember that today is February 28th, the limit date to remit Summaries and T-4’s to the government; a hectic day in the best of times. A morning that, in past years, would have me hit the floor running. I can’t put my finger on why I am so calm, or why I am even taking the time to sit and write this post. One thing for sure, I’m certainly enjoying the feeling, and hoping it will last.

Could it have been the events of the weekend that brought it on? Saturday was mostly spent cooking up a feast for the visit of my Cuban friends. It’s an activity that I love, and the meal was tasty, the company fun, and I even managed to catch the HABS’ win in the midnight replay. On Sunday I cheerfully banged around in the kitchen, doing the mountain of dishes to the beat of AC/DC, while Grump watched on happily, certain that some of the leftovers would end up in his dish. Helen dropped in for her portion, and my grandson grinned as I carried a few downstairs and deposited them on his table. Life was good.

It’s has been snowing for a couple of hours already, and the prediction is for freezing rain later this afternoon. Not the best rush hour weather, but I know I need to be at the office, so I’ll jump in the shower and be on my way.

If any of you suddenly experience a warm, peaceful moment during the next few hours, it’s may be the result of my attempt to cyber-share my present feeling. If you look closely, you will see my SMILE!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.