Musings on a Small Life

Okay, guys, my entire life--well, since I was about 5 or 6 years old and lying in bed with the chicken pox--this has been my favourite bird song, but I've never been able to figure out what kind of bird it is. I once tried humming it to someone, but my humming was so bad they didn't have a clue. Someone must know, I'm sure it must be quite common and prolific, given that I hear it every spring/summer. The video is a mere 5 seconds, just turn up your volume! And as for continued signs of Spring, here are the tulips that were just in bud on Friday, snapped again this morning, when I was out and about.     Here's hoping for a crazy-free week. At least the full moon has passed.  :-p

Last night was a full moon. I realized it when I was taking out the garbage around 4:30AM today and looking up at a full, gorgeous moon in a clear, dark sky. That explains my verbal diarrhea yesterday during the workshop, as well as the nuttiness of the week in general. I really need to start noting the dates of the full moon, so I can mentally brace myself. Seriously. The week is ending on a sad note for my co-worker: Her second (and only other) elderly cat had to be helped to the Bridge late this afternoon. Ozzie, brother to Rocky, who had passed in February. My co-worker had taken a half-day vacation, felt a deep need to leave work and be at home. She thought it was just work-related stress, but when she got home, she found that her 18-year old Ozzie had been peeing blood, and quite a lot. Ozzie was the one with IBD and a recently discovered abdominal lump, and she always expected he would pass first, so it was a surprise to her when Rocky went to the Bridge in February...

I've been afflicted with foot in mouth disease from a very early age, and I don't seem to be outgrowing it. Had another episode in a workshop today, where I piped up and said something totally inappropriate (work-related) in response to what the presenter was saying. It was a great workshop, on building inclusive and accessible workplaces, other than my faux pas. I think that I stuck my foot in it at my last workshop, too, back in March. I didn't mean to make the comments; she just hit on something that's a hot button for me, my mouth opened and blam! out it came. *Headdesk* So I won't be signing up for any more workshops for some months...or years. My little perk for the day, though, was watching a pair of ducks this morning, as I was heading to the office. I had only the little Elph and was at full (optical and digital zoom), which is why the snapshots aren't sharper.   Snapped more daffodils, too, and some tulips getting ready to bloom. I ...

I spied the daffodils and hyacinths on the way to the office yesterday morning.       And my bleeding heart is up a few inches now, great to see. Yesterday I cleared away some of the leftover dead stalks, etc., from the autumn and could see that my hostas are just peeking through the soil now. I need to get out into the back with a big garbage bag and do some clean-up, maybe this weekend if I get a chance. *** I had my third physio session this morning, for the plantar fasciitis. She feels some improvement, which is encouraging because my foot still hurts like hell. And I mucked up my other leg (knee) stretching the wrong way. ::Rolling my eyes:: It's kind of funny, except it all affects my mobility! *** My boss is back today. He'd been off last week because of the death of his mother, and then had had a two-day conference out of town. I'm sure he's hoping for some peace and calm in his life now. Peace and calm would be good. I'd like both, an...

I popped into one of our PetValu locations early this morning, on the way to a hair appointment. Our city shelter was setting up a mini adoption centre and here are the few adults they had: I think this is Rosie. Isn't she pretty? She's a "Chumley" cat.  :-) I think she was on hold.   I thought Mr. or Ms. Tuxie might eat the string!   Another cat (below) not particularly cooperative re: the little camera. No surprise, as only Chumley posed for me voluntarily! (Chum knew he was extraordinarily handsome.) And this young one, cute and into everything. Another Nicki in that respect. LOL. I wonder if s/he already has a home (staff member's cat?), with that collar and the tag.     Impressive display of tongue-to-nose touching here!   I hope they all find wonderful forever homes!

I've been trying to deal with customer service for our office copier/printer/scanner company for much of the morning. You don't want to know. But between that and trying to sort out my personal phone/cable/internet service (all bundled with one company), my brain is spinning. Is it a full moon yet? Feels like it! Anyway, I'll end the week on a cheerier note: Yesterday I saw forsythia starting to bloom, on the south side of our building. And here are some cell phone pics from Dad, from their jaunt to Lago Maggiore yesterday. Apparently there are several islands in it, about 120 kms away from Bergamo (where uncle Peter and his wife live). He said it would take too long via email to explain the history, etc., and I haven't yet had a chance to Google. Still, it looks like a wonderful place to spend a day!           Have a great day and weekend, everyone. May it be free of screw ups, tear-your-hair-out company service, and the like. Purrs and ...

[Work rant, feel free to skip/ignore.] Hell of a work week so far. My boss has been off, of course, because of the death of his mother. Monday AM our senior analyst came in and told us that he found out last week that our boss's boss has decided that because he does a fair bit of work for their unit (technically we're three units combined into one now), he's being physically moved as of May 1st, to an empty office downstairs with them. So they don't have to walk up one flight of stairs or call him or send him an email, presumably. Never mind the huge amount of work he still does for our unit and the number of times a day we're in and out of his office. He found out last Tuesday afternoon. Surprise! And surprise, 20% of his job will be given over to another department entirely, to do data reporting for them. And another surprise, this other department hadn't even been told yet, or told that they'd be paying for 20% of his salary! This is all at ...

I don't know, but it's flown by. Saturday I went to Value Village, tried on several things, but left with nothing. Hard to believe, I know. I did end up getting a pair of slacks at Northern Reflections, almost 50% off. They were offering 40% off any one item and as it turns out, they also give an additional 10% off (the already discounted price) during the month of your birth. So I lucked in! Then there was the usual grocery shopping, house cleaning, errands, etc. I got home in the early afternoon to discover the family next door gone for the day; yippee! They got back around 11PM last night, I heard someone POUND up the stairs. If that was intended to disturb me it failed, since I had already woken up (maybe subconsciously heard the truck?). This morning I had another problem with my hot water tank. I just had an issue with it on Christmas Eve, had to get a tech out to replace the temperature gauge thingie. This time it was the igniter (it's a gas tank). Appar...

From the bus shelter at 6:40AM:     I'm left to wonder what month we're in. February, perhaps. A few pics snapped around 11AM from various office building windows (the usual "vistas"):         And home (early) from work, around 3PM:   We were lucky, because even early in the morning, the sidewalks and streets were wet, not icy. Everything else was covered in ice, though, and it's only been since 4PM that the ice seems to be dissolving. So I guess we dodged a weather bullet, even though it was nasty out all day. Oh, here's yesterday's dessert, from lunch with two of my "co-workers": The tiny piece of truffle (?) cake and the mini-creme brulee. Some of you might remember that the last time I was at this restaurant was with Dad and (uncle) Peter, back in September. I think I had the creme brulee then too. Either that or the chocolate bread pudding (which they didn't have yesterday). Mmm, wish I had more of b...