My life's Adventure

We have bought shortbread, socks and chocolates for Christmas presents.

We managed to save money buying food and socks for presents. We bought some ginger bread houses for kids. My partner went out in the heavy snow and cold and mailed the presents today. I ordered her some shoes for Christmas and also bought her an Aboriginal hair piece. Which means it is just a hair piece made of beads. I also used some points loyalty program and got some bookstore gift certificates for presents for L and my partner's sister. I am getting my own brother a CD over the internet and I am also buying his son that. We bought the women in our family soap and also one young women facial clay. We bought elders nuts and shortbread. We still do not have a tree. I am about to go out and use some grocery gift certificates to buy some more food.

I owe a lot of money right now and I will post my progress paying these bills due now.

Busy working, two more days in the working world done.

I worked two days feeling different and uncomfortable in my skin. I did though do a good job and continue to work a full week this week. I have most of next week off as holidays.

Computer games, tasks and helping neighbours with computers.

Part of my alienation comes from having no one to play computer games with. I was just playing scrabilous on facebook with someone who is also disabled. We will call her Q for scrabble. She is a learning counselor at my old school's disabled student's centre. I have known of her for years while I put together my first degree and then had more success with my second degree. I am happy to have her as a friend thus creating a bigger academic network. I could turn to her for help with school issues if I needed too.

I just spent about two hours playing this game and also playing Second Life a little. So games are no longer played alone because even in Second Life I said hello to another player and made a business proposition to another player to buy some land cheaper in a snowy region of that 3-D world.

I did get H some help. I helped her turn on and download her email and send one reply. I also said I would go back to help her more, may be tonight after work.

I am just transferring some songs to my new cell phone which can play music quite well. I will also do some typing up of minutes over night and some studies for workplace promotions.

Seasons Greetings to my Yahoo chat friends.

I sometimes tell others in yahoo chat to visit this blog. I should just say a happy holidays to those chatters out there. I may drop in on yahoo chat and say hello from time to time over the holidays. I might also drop in on Second Life and will of course be using facebook as usual.

I am helping H with her computer this evening

I am just running out the door in this snow storm to help H with her computer and the Internet. H has depression issues and is also a strong self help group supporter. That is how I know of her. She is also a neighbour so this will not be a long trip in this snow storm. I am of course taking a first aid kit, a flashlight and cell phone and warm winter clothing. I am always trying to be prepared for emergencies. Last night I helped a drunk who was falling down in the snow storm. I also asked a police officer actually a Royal Canadian Mounted Police man in his car to look for the drunk on the street, because of the risk of frost bite and death.

I just took some vitamins.

I just took 1 gram of vitamin C and 1 gram of niacin and 1 capsule of fish oil.

I attended a few hours of labour strategy meetings today.

I met with other union members today to discuss our labour union. We were well fed and relaxed with no infighting. I applied feminist principles to move us forward. I also did not do most of the talking but did more listening. I am home now it is very cold outside and we are expecting a major storm from Texas. I am warm at home and just need to go out and buy milk and get some cash from a bank machine to help pay for presents tomorrow. I may stay up all night and sleep tomorrow at about noon. I have some typing up of the labour meeting notes to do and some typing of the self help group AGM minutes that I should also get to.

I am just getting ready to go to work now.

My partner went out in the cold and bought us smokes and pop this morning. I slept on the couch falling asleep tired at about 2:00 AM. My partner woke me up at about 7:30 AM. I work my regular 8 hours today and then come home. I am selling a jig saw today. The fellow who is buying it is coming over after work. We are so broke now and just will be able to afford some things this weekend not everything planned. I am not sure if C and J are coming by this evening but R has confirmed he will be coming over.

I sort of use shelves and table tops and other flat surfaces to organise.

I was looking for some computer parts and could not find them today. I have some shelves in my office that are particularly for different types of computer parts. I can then generally locate these parts when I need them. But I did loose track of some parts recently. Part of the problem is that I consume large amounts of computer parts and do not have enough space for everything.

Our volunteer meeting was quick.

We introduced some new volunteers and discussed issues with our service. Then we talked about up coming events and training. This is law enforcement volunteering so I will not go into any detail. And remember this is law enforcement in Canada so not as may be tough as you find in other countries. And we are all volunteers not paid police. We are never in any danger because of our volunteering.

I wrote my final exam yesterday.

I wrote my final exam yesterday. Today I am back at work. I have a volunteer meeting after work today. I have a new cell phone now. It may become very expensive this cell phone as it downloads from the internet. I have to be careful with it. It is expensive as it is but downloads are very pricey.

L is looking after herself well, I think.

I am concerned with L given that I know depression can worsen when one is grieving the loss of a family member. I asked her on the phone if she was eating and and getting rest. She said she was eating and taking her meds. I also asked her a few weeks ago about taking her meds. Without them she stays up long hours and does not get rest. I wonder how she would do without her meds? I know she looses all sense of the world then.

I am off work today.

I have today off work to study for and write an exam at school. My present boss is supportive of my studies. I need to review some notes in my notebook and then go to school this afternoon and write the exam.

Update school project

I am trying not to brag but I do want to let you know that we did well with our term project. So our lose was not what was marked instead our efforts and more so our conceptual understanding is what was evaluated. I now know my full mark can be excellent and it depends on my studies tonight. My mood for tomorrow is important too. At the moment I took my meds including my vitamins. It is a pay day tomorrow and I often stay up all night before pay day and spend some money as soon as it is transfered to the bank. I am only disclosing this because it is quite common as a habit for those of us on government cheques and limited incomes. The only real differences now are the government cheque is for work I have done, the amount is much higher, and also, I have to work each day so staying up late is not as easy or even smart.

Update conference last week

I did not actually take last Friday off of work. I did not attend the conference. It was not actually in my official field of study. It was also pure political science and concerned the Internet as well. But I did not attend after all. I worked that day towards our deadline. So yes I am a committed and dedicated worker.

I should be studying this evening.

I need to start studying now. I was able to finally get our cat to the vet today. She is healthy and well. She had her booster shots. The vet cut her claws for us and I watched and I think I can do this claw cutting now.

I am going to help H with her computer soon and she is out of her blues now. I sold her a computer and offer her free lessons. Speaking of consumers I met a consumer survivor from the Ukraine at the dinner. I also know a consumer who is going to Africa. One of my coworkers had to return to Africa to visit his ailing mom. I won't give more details than that as I respect these person's rights to their privacy. I was being difficult trying to advise one consumer at the dinner on school and scholarships. I said I was sorry. I am just trying to show that some of us live regular lives and stuff.

Speaking of life we had some money help from our parents to get our holidays started a bit better. We still have no tree but soon will I hope. I am hoping to get a new cell phone but had such a bad time today talking to company representatives in the retail store. I guess retail workers think we are the ones who are jerks or stupid but really this guy was so judgmental and rude. I thought the customer was always right not someone to treat like an idiot? None of the clerks at the department store were jerks and they put up with us. They were actually quite helpful even if young and not that experienced although truth be told it was the elder workers there who really were the most helpful with their accumulated knowledge of the store.

Thanking those academic supporters

I had extra help at returning to school. I was helped by learning assistants and councelors.

We bought Christmas cards and socks.

We did go to the department store after the dinner. It was my wife's turn for feeling uncomfortable in the store this evening. She was too hot in the big sweater and coat she was wearing. We bought some working socks for men in our family. We also bought some Christmas cards. The cards have a dove with an olive branch. Wishing all my readers peace of mind and peaceful holidays. I realise Muslim holidays are only weeks away now. Jewish holidays are already upon us. My workplace was more friendly today and slightly festive.

Self help Christmas dinner.

The big event on our self help group's calendar is this party in half an hour. The annual Christmas dinner is attended by almost every member. Members even show up for this event only all year. We are about to leave for the dinner but will be slightly late. We are only one bus ride away from the dinner.

After the dinner we are going to the department store again for more Christmas shopping.

I have tomorrow off of work and am taking the cat to the vet. I also have Wednesday off. Things were slow at work today but I worked hard and helped solve some problems my boss was having. I also studied some material for new employees in the government and have a course later this winter to teach me more about being a public servant.

I am just posting this then checking the bus schedule and it is off to the dinner and shopping with my wife. My wife just returned from the grocery store with lots of food and our Turkey dinner stuff for our friends dinner with C, J, R, and L later this month.

Christmas shopping blues.

Actually it was because I was hungry and tired that I did not enjoy our first shopping trip of the season today. I was over heated in the store wearing my parka, new fleece jacket, and down vest. But really we had almost no food and I had been up since 11:00 PM last night. So when we went shopping mid day I was in terrible shape. We got home with a lot of presents including a new sweater for my wife. Yes, I saw up close the large women's section of the store for probably the first time. We also bought nuts and short bread at that large downtown department store.

I then was well fed by my wife and went out to buy some food. I had a good second shopping trip. After buying food I continued shopping on my own now. I took a bus way out to the suburbs to buy some computer parts and studied on the bus the whole way there and back. I am slightly tired manic now but should sleep in about half an hour. I just have the last trip to the corner store for pop and I will crash out and sleep. Hopefully I wake up really early tomorrow like 4:00 AM ready for a long day at work. Then after work we have our self help group Christmas party dinner. I have Tuesday and Wednesday off of work.