Random, random thoughts

Today, April 6th,  but a year ago, I posted about how I was finding it difficult to write blogs, even though posting them makes me feel very satisfied with myself.

Not much has changed in that situation.  I looked back on some of my old posts and had a few moments of "Yes, I can be funny!", which surprised me because I thought I blogged to find out what I was thinking about.

I should have blogged about how I ordered the ugliest possible dress online and by mistake sent it out with our Sally Ann donations so now I have an unused huge padded envelope ; or how Dave cleaned the screens and the top of the dryer but clean and effective as it should have been, it no longer works at all.  Or maybe how I jumped, while sloping through every aisle at Shoppers Drug Mart, to buy a purple hair colour for my granddaughter Robyn and only noticed later that it had cost me $15.00, and that Oooops, I'd forgotten to ask Emily how she might feel about that. (She's fine.  She's the one who wanted to dye her hair black when she was two).

We're going to take an extensive holiday, mostly in France, and then on through Spain and Portugal to arrive at a beach.  There might be a few things to write about then.  I wonder if Dave would buy me a new tablet?

 

About change...

Here I am, in the middle of the night, sitting at my desk when I'd rather be sleeping.  For one thing, the apartment is cold, as it should be in the middle of the night but I just cheerfully sent my winter clothes to the locker, so my cotton robe is somewhat inadequate.

April almost!  I am looking forward to the warmer weather but I can't find any of my summer shoes.  Why do I have so many pairs of boots?  Why couldn't I find those same boots when it started getting cold in October?  Who took my summer slippers, and actually, who needs summer slippers?  What happened to bare feet in the house?

Who thinks I'm overreacting?

Life is Weird

And yes, crocheted one of these
 and wore it once

When I was in my early 60's, I started to notice that my fingers were sort of bumpy and slightly less dexterous.  That corresponded with my inability to crochet a straight line, and to apply mascara only to my lashes.  I took it well, I thought.  After all, I was getting older, and it was only to be expected that I would be affected by arthritis.  I say "affected" because I certainly didn't suffer.

A few years later, my wrists became very boney and developed a little mound---OK, helped to keep my bracelets in place.

Thursday, I woke up with a strange sharp pain in my right ear, and Yikes, it really hurt, so I called my doctor expecting to get antibiotics for an infection.  He asked me to "open wide" and we could both hear a click.  So now, I have arthritis in my jaw and the recommendation is to get used to it.

I have never, ever, heard a complaint from anyone about an arthritic jaw.  I'm not sure I've ever heard those words in the same sentence. I am not expecting this to be a hardship, and I know how lucky I have been in terms of my health, but sometimes Life is weird.

No nix for NYX

You may not want to hear recommendations from someone who chose to wear white gogo boots back in the day but I've been doing some comparison shopping and if you are a lipstick lover and can forget that I once painted my lips with nail polish, you might like to hear my opinion of NYX cosmetics.

NYX has its own stores, and also cohabits with a number of Shoppers Drug Marts, Loblaws Stores and probably other places I don't spend time in.

In their own stores, their "shoppers' helpers" present themselves perfectly, which is to say that each one of them looks like herself and not like anyone else you might run across the same day.  As a champion of diversity, this pleases me, and in fact probably drew me to their shelves and shops.

Whenever I'm at the Rideau Centre, I head for their place, looking just as grannyish as anyone else my age, and just as hopeful that I'll find something that knocks 30 years off my face.

Some of the things I've been told:
(I shuddered at a blush because it looked a bit glittery, and said pretty, but I'm too old for glittery cheeks)  She said"Everyone is entitled to glitter!!!!"  (I asked if she thought I should use the grey eyebrow pencil or the light brown)  She said "Pffffff!" and came back with a black one; I said I haven't had black eyebrows since I was a 16 year old dyed platinum schoolgirl; she said " well, it's time you try it again"

Actually, she was wrong about both of those things, and we both knew it but it was fun; we laughed and kept kibitzing about everything I was interested in.  I left feeling like I'd had a good time, and bought products I still enjoy and still feel like I got the best deal ever.  That doesn't come easy to women of my age, and somewhere in my twisted mind, I feel like I've slapped Estée Lauder.

Maybe she'd slap me back if she knew I paid $6.00 for my perfect lipstick.

 

This kind of reminded me of a used book store I used to go to, except slapping would never have entered my mind.

A New Juncture

Dave is following a very strict diet to prepare him for an operation in March---not a worrisome one .  The diet is strong on protein and healthy fats and veggies.  I have been doing my best to support him but while I can eat the approved stuff I can't not eat bread and chocolate and fruit.  As a result, the cupboards are relatively bare.

Dave is working late which lets me have dinner, so I am beating the bareness with a glass of sparkly white wine left over from a birthday party and 7 pepperoni pizza bites from a hidden corner of the freezer.

Karma:  Dave has lost 10 lbs over the last few weeks, and I've gained 3.

Drat!! doomed!

Many times I have said, "I'm doomed!"

Today, I have to say it again.  I normally do not watch TV in the daytime, but I did today and now I'm doomed.

Thought I might iron a shirt I bought not knowing it wasn't permanently pressed, turned on the TV and found myself watching "Andromeda".  Goodness! Everyone onscreen was sweating off make-up, the only black woman was in mini black leather and bracelets that must have been made right on her arm, and they mentioned "Neitzsche" twice in the 20 minutes left when I tuned in. I couldn't turn away.  Its campiness was sweet and potentially addictive.

I think I might have seen this show at least once before, because the hero and his minions looked familiar but I am going to have to be sure to move my ironing time to a different place.  An hour later and it would have been "Castle".

Excuse me, Mr Trudeau....

We have almost all our Christmas gifts wrapped and sitting somewhere safe, or under the tree, so why do I still have 4 bags of Christmas bags and one of Christmas boxes?  Many of these, and many of the ones we stuffed things in this year are being re-used, some for the umpteenth time and there are at least 8 that my talented sister sewed in pretty Christmas fabrics to send gifts from Calgary over the years.

I believe in re-using and recycling.  I do, even though it's a pain in the ass to collect and store them.  It's just that every year the size of the current gifts don't match with the re-usable bags.  The re-usable ribbon takes ages to untangle, the re-usable tags made from last year's cards require steady cutting hands which I no longer have.

So, Government of Canada:  There should be a law.