My 2009

Relaxing, waiting for the New Year. Not much choice as I am partly deaf due to a sinus infection.

This is the time of year when the media review the past year and make predictions for the new. In addition, we get a decade review and projections of what will happen in the next ten years.

My 2009:
Started off terrible. I was in the middle of a battle with my employer to resolve my "duty to accommodate" request, which came close to becoming a grievance. I lost six months of pay due to extreme fatigue, caused by the aggravation of my MS. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I wanted to quit working only to have it over and done. My employer refused to acknowledge my MS. They picked on one tiny part of a Health Canada report to insist that I MUST seek psychiatric treatment before they would even consider accommodating me. I'm telling you, there were times I felt like I was in the 1950's Soviet Union. Nothing is more evil than the person who smiles at you and then proceeds to try and destroy you.

Please, Please, if you are not trained in medicine or psychology don't try and impose your half baked ideas about therapy and drugs on someone. And if you no nothing about an illness; either educate yourself or shut up!!

Fortunately, providence rescued me in the form of a court case that ruled in favour of another woman who was going through similar hell. The attitude of my employer at the time was to impose accommodation rather than accommodate. There is a big difference. I don't know why they had that attitude and I don't care. I'm just glad that a judge had enough brains to review policy and give them all a legal slap!

Even after I received my accomodation it was a tug of war. This one person just couldn't stand being bested, even though allowing me to work at home was the right thing to do.

Then in the summer something strange (but good) happened. I made peace with a relative. End result of that is I came into some unexpected money, which I used to fix up my dilapidated house.

What I want to say is things can get better. You must hang in there. We all of us go through trying times and things can look bleak but we must not lose hope.

When things are better, remember the bad times but don't dwell on them. Use them as a lesson and savour the good. Oh ain't I the little philosopher!

I want to say Thank You to the following :

My Son. Kid, without you I don't know how I would have made it. You're awesome.

My Dad. Thanks for accepting my wanting to make peace. Oh and thanks for the money too. My house feels more like a home now.

Mom Thanks for the cross and your blessings. Keep praying. I think it works.

Frank. You kept telling me things would get better and they did. Your positive attitude was and is a tonic. You're one interesting guy.

Cathy, The Debbies, Joanne and Marta. You helped me out and prevented my cracking up. Thanks girls.

Postcards. Yeah my hobby was a good distraction from all my misery. Love ya, postcard pals.

The beautiful nature trails of Hamilton. Those walks restore my soul.

The birds in my backyard. Even though I spend too much time daydreaming when I watch you from my office window. Yeah even you crazy woodpecker!!

Dr. Paulseth. For being such a calm, cool, collected, doctor. You assured me I wasn't nuts when others were trying so hard to make me feel that I was.

Oh and thanks to all the bloggers out there who helped me unravel the crazy mystery of MS. Your advice,your stories, are an inspiration.

Here's looking to a truly Happy 2010 for all of us.

Not Even 1% Fun

The old expression about traveling "getting there is half the fun". If ever there was anything so far removed from the truth, it is that statement.

I decided to go away for Christmas. I never said before, but my son has been away doing volunteer work for the past three months. There is also lots of feuding in my family. Had a lovely time visiting friends in the South West of the U.S. Had a delicious traditional Mexican Christmas meal.

The day after I arrived the failed bomb plot occurred. Yeah you know the one. The guy paid cash for a one way ticket to the U.S., his only luggage being explosives stuffed in his crotch. His father had warned authorities about his radical beliefs, he was on a watch list etc. etc. A dozen red flags.

My nice trip marred by 24/7 reporting of new airport security. There I was, already so tired from my trip down; that I couldn't even imagine what further annoyances could be put in place to make air travel even more irritating.

Every trip the flying experience gets worse. There is no communication between the various entities that are needed to get me and my fellow passengers off the ground. Every airport has their own rules, which seem to change with every flight.

All the billions spent on warfare, on intelligence, on security, yet still these evil fanatics can figure out ways to terrorize us. The only reason we got lucky this time is due to the fact that this nut was inept. Yeah lucky us.

So there I was getting ready to come back home. Glad that I only had a suitcase and my purse to take with me, albeit a very large purse. The media had said that no carry on bags would be permitted. Then the story changed to only one piece of carry on luggage. You would not be allowed to have anything in your lap, you would not be allowed to get up from your seat one hour before landing(great news for the incontinent) No liquids of any kind would be permitted. There would be thorough body searches.

I packed my bag, thought twice about having a small bottle of hand sanitizer and my lip gloss on me. Decided to go ahead and include them as these items are not sold in any airports. You can buy booze, cigarettes, perfume, fancy bags, and overpriced souvenirs, yet the only lip balm I have ever seen in an airport is the cheap, waxy, medicinal brand. Oh yeah you can also buy $4.00 bottles of water because you can't bring your own eco friendly water bottle with you.

Forget about me hiding this stuff in my panties. For some reason I am always the one who gets the pat down and the wand treatment when I go through security. I also get the third degree from immigration: Why am I visiting the U.S.? Who am I visiting? Where do I know these people from? What is their address? How long am I staying? (Hey you yelled at me to see my itinerary, check it out) Yeah, they shake down old ladies and let the bad guys sail through. And why don't the airports have any hand sanitizer? Everywhere you go now malls, offices, there are huge courtesy bottles of it, yet not at the airports.

Things went very smoothly at the El Paso airport. They had the same vigorous security in place, only this time I went through with no body search. Carry on bags? People had the usual ton of stuff. They did pull random people from the line to search them prior to boarding. That was the only difference I saw. Procedures on the airplane were the same as always. There were no restrictions on moving about the cabin at anytime, except when the seat belt sign was on. You could use your laptop, snooze with a blanket, and use the bathroom as much as you wanted.

At Houston I can't say what new measures they had in place, as I was already cleared and was just passing through for my connecting flight.

I can't say what security would work to keep us safe. Yes it's true that if a person has evil on their mind they will figure out a way, however, this time we really were asleep at the wheel.

I don't mind the delay for extra security. I appreciate that they are trying to keep us safe. I am baffled that in this so called information age, a bungler like this guy, who did a dozen suspicious things, could get on a plane and try to blow it up.

Air travel is already so difficult what with flight delays, unannounced gate changes, missed connecting flights, bad expensive food, gross bathrooms, crying babies, and lines, constant waiting in lines.

Instead of hassling innocent travelers, let's by all means have effective security.

Oh yeah and I had to pay $20 to check my bag!

A Strange Sort Of Holiday

Here I am posing with the case for the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Yeah, it's been a weird holiday so far. Do you know where this picture was taken? I'll send you a postcard if you do.

Merry Belated Christmas

I'm out and about. Updates after the holiday. Hope you are all having a good one

Blogging Around

Really don't feel much like blogging myself so I've been checking out other blogs leaving the odd comment here and there. Wish I had the energy to take on a few more blogs, as there are lots of good ones. May as well face it. I simply don't have the energy to do that much reading. Sorry if you have a new blog I just can't take on anymore right now.


Watched the movie "49th Parallel" 1949 last night. Lots of stereotypes about Canada. Complimentary, but stereotypes none the less. The story is about a group of Nazi officers stranded on Hudson's Bay after there U Boat is sunk by the Canadian Air Force. So who is the first Canadian they encounter? A French fur trapper played by Laurence Olivier!! I won't give away the story, but recommend it just to see the old Canada. The one I grew up in. Oh now I sound like an old fogey.

I have this feeling that Canada is not held in as high regard anymore, what with our stupidity at the climate talks and our involvement in Afghanistan( No I don't call it a war, cus it ain't) We aren't the clean living peace niks we use to be. Which is a shame.

The Big Clean Up

Finally the work is done, the contractors gone, and my house is in order. Everything is looking good. I'm amazed at how much warmer and quieter it is inside thanks to the new windows. No more drafts!

Haven't been feeling to bad except for the cursed fatigue.

I am unhappy with a couple of fair weather friends, no, more like bad weather friends.I was annoyed with one of them who went away this week to spend the holidays out west. When I said give me a call before you leave9 I wanted to say Merry Christmas have a safe trip) she said "Oh she would be too busy" but not so busy that she managed to send me stupid email jokes that evening. Yeah OK lady I'll remember that in the New Year when you call me up to keep me on the phone for two hours complaining about your boyfriend. And yeah I hope you are reading this. Having friends means making time for them and not just when it' convenient for you.

Straightening up the house and getting ready for the holidays has left me with little energy for anything else, so the old blog has been neglected. To be honest I'm not even sure if I want to carry on with a blog. I feel like I've said pretty much everything I can about MS and prattling on about my life doesn't seem to be worth the time and energy involved. We'll see. Maybe I'm over tired.

Canada You Have A Choice !!

I'd like to thank my friend Herrad at Access Denied, for making me aware of this
site

and this one
Sign the petition

There is still time to save the Copenhagen climate talks.

MS Is Everywhere

Day one of the window install. Somehow a general conversation about taxes evolved into a discussion about MS. Don't remember exactly what we were talking about when the window guy mentioned his wife has progressive MS and is in a wheel chair. I felt myself freeze for a couple of seconds. I don't know why it is that every person I meet who has MS or has a loved one with MS, it's the progressive type.

At least I will be able to help this guy, as he and his wife are not claiming all that they can on their taxes for disability. I'm not allowed to give specific advice but I can at least point them in the right direction. They are losing out and why should they? AND why isn't anybody telling them this stuff???

So now I have decided that my next volunteer work will be to advise anyone with a disability, chronic condition, syndrome, on how to legally maximize their tax claims.

I may have to wait till I retire as I'm not certain if i would be permitted to do this by my employer, even though I wouldn't charge for it. They are very picky about what I can do outside of work and rightly so. Too many kooks in the past giving out free advice that was in fact rubbish. The media is always quick to pounce on Revenue when they screw up. Funny they never scrutinized the banks in the same way. We might have been able to avoid this massive credit crunch.

Yeah we all hate taxes. What kind of a world would it be though if we didn't have them? People always say they don't want the government in their face, yet they don't seem to mind money grubbing corporations doing it.

Eternally Dripping Sinus

Yes a very elegant topic tonight. My dripping left sinus, which has been that way now for about two years. Today I had a rotten headache from it and the sensation that every time I breathed the air was shooting up straight into my brain.
My feet are driving me crazy too Amazing how many different kinds of pain in them. Sharp, that feels like an electric knife, dull pulsing, prickly, stabbing, burning. Even more fun when I have two, three, types happening at once

At least my Christmas shopping is done !

Winter is Here !!

Feels like -20C out there with the wind chill And Oh what a chilly wind!It felt like a hurricane when I went out this afternoon. I could barely walk. It burned the skin on my face and now I have two big red patches underneath my eyes. It's still howling out there now.

I feel like a wreck. Thank goodness for the old movie channel because I sure don't feel like doing much. Right now I'm cooking chili and watching "Odds Against Tomorrow" starring Harry Belafonte as a small time crook who joins up with two white guys to rob a bank. Interesting racial tensions, greed overcoming any prejudice.

I was watching the birds outside today and wondering how they manage in this cold.

Copenhagen

I'm embarrassed that Canada has been described as the "ant at the picnic" at the Copenhagen climate summit.
Polar bears are eating their young due to starvation. The Russians are booking commercial ships for the North East Passage, offering free ice breakers, so confident are they that the arctic sea will remain free of ice. In spite of this our Prime Minister, rejects calls for controls on the Tar Sands saying it is important for jobs and the Canadian economy. I guess when we are all under water we will finally get it That climate change is here.

We have to stop kidding ourselves that an ever expanding economy is sustainable.
That we can just keep on sucking commodities out of the ground to make a bunch of junk that we don't need.

Get out of your car, go for a walk, quit hanging around malls buying cheap plastic stuff, stop drinking bottled water, and start looking for energy alternatives.

Attack of The Woodpeckers

Help ! The woodpeckers are attacking ! I heard what sounded like someone banging on my kitchen window. It was a woodpecker who managed to grab hold of the screen and was tapping away. Must have been some juicy bugs that attracted him. In fact my whole yard must be bug filled since the woodpeckers like hanging out there. Oh! can they ever make a racket too. Add to that the sparrow clan that chatters away in my front yard bushes and it's quite noisy, but noisy in a good way. The sounds of nature I enjoy. The sound of my neighbours unhappy yelping dogs not at all. Ah the joys of working at home. Am I complaining? No way ! Even the worst day at home is better than the best day in the office. I find I still get very tired during the day.Now at least I can take a break when I really need one and not at some mandated time. I never find the office coffee break therapeutic. Too many people, too much going on.

Had some good news. The windows will be installed next Monday. Looks like Santa is bringing me an early Christmas gift.

Some advice if you are thinking of buying a home. Unless you are really handy and really healthy, don't buy an old house. Sure they have their charms and new houses have problems too.I am learning the hard( read: expensive)way that an old house can be a real money pit if you have to pay people to fix it for you. The good old days when I could do most of it myself( yeah I was MS fix it) are long gone and now it costs me a fortune to get things done.

I was a little sad today thinking how useless I am now, at least when it comes to things like that. A total weakling. House repairs were actually fun for me. I had a real sense of accomplishment when I completed a job. Ah! may as well forget it and move on. Lots of other things I can still do and many things left I want to try.

December 6, 1989

In this picture - The Honourable Helena Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women), places a red rose to represent all the women and girls who are victims of violence. The 14 white roses, which were placed by her colleagues, represent the 14 young women who lost their lives at l’École Polytechnique in Montréal on December 6, 1989.


On December 6, 1989 Marc Lepine murdered 14 women "because they were feminists".
Read how one women tried to save lives by denying being a feminist and how today she realizes she had many misconceptions about what that meant.

I am a feminist. I am not a man hating, bra burning, militant.

Blogify ?

blogify: To dramatize or overexaggerate. To describe otherwise bland subjects in a horribly depressing and/or dramatic manner. To make dreary . . .– Urban Dictionary

Check it out at Urban Dictionary

How would you describe your blog? Mine: Woman too tired to be as interesting as she would like to be.

Yeah but I try.

And I see my American friends continue with intelligent debate of
the health care issue:

William Shatner:
If you have money, you're going to get health care. If you don't have money it's more difficult.
Rush Limbaugh:
If you have money you're going to get a house on the beach. If you don't have money you're going to live in a bungalow somewhere.

William Shatner:
But we're talking about health care.

Rush Limbaugh:
What's the difference?

Rain In December

Sitting here taking a break from writing Christmas cards watching "Diary of a Madman"
I think Vincent Price enjoyed playing crazy guys. He did such a good job too. The characters are often sympathetic, and not over the top wacko like they are in today's movies. Oh don't I sound like an old fogy.

Well I have a new furnace and central air! The job went smoothly, only I think one of the guys had a bladder problem, because he used the bathroom about twenty times. My germ paranoia had me with the bleach, scrubbing away after he left. Hard to believe such a tiny furnace is such an uber heating machine. Here I am with this super efficient heating system and the weather is spring like out. It poured rain again this evening. Am I complaining? No, my winter boots can wait.


Not much else going on. I think the Afghan troop surge is a mistake and I hope our Prime Minister doesn't extend Canada's involvement there.

A Cookie A Day

Not as healthy as an apple and don't blame me if this adds to your holiday calories. A different cookie recipe every day till Christmas here