chemical land

[the_siobhan]

The saga of the tree continues. Axel and Darrell spent several days with saws and ladders and managed the chop the tree back to the trunk, which freed most of the wires and ensured that it won't take out anything important when the supporting branch finally snaps. The remaining issue is the the main phone line that is still stretched underneath the trunk, but that's looped behind the supporting branch so it's going to be trickier.

We were talking about renting a chain saw next weekend, but then Bell reached out yesterday to ask what's going on with Metrolinx. I sent them the work order number and I'm hoping they can get action where we can't.

When this is over we are going to have so much fire wood. We converted the pig pit into a fire pit about a week before this all happened.

***********

D is having issues with his insurance company and employment insurance. And by "issues", I mean capitalism is a fucked-up system designed to wring money out of sick people. I keep telling him not to stress about it, but of course that works as well on him as does on me. As of yesterday he got our MP involved, so hopefully that lights a fire under somebody and he'll have one less thing to worry about.

***********

I got a bug up my ass a couple of weeks ago about cleaning the bedroom closet. Something to do with pulling a box off the top shelve and getting a faceful of thick black dust. (Another downside to railroad companies cutting down all the trees by the tracks; as well as being a sound baffle they used to capture a lot of the dust thrown up by the trains.)

I've been meaning to do an inventory of all our crap for the insurance company, and the closet seemed like a good place to start. Amazingly, writing down everything I own turns out to be a great incentive for throwing shit out, so now we have a full green garbage bag plus a suitcase full of my slightly less banged up gear to give away. I'm going to do the same thing with the dressers next.

We also seem to have a lot of stuff sitting around waiting to be repaired. Eventually that will happen.

***********

Axel got a temp gig at Elections Ontario. The provincial election is in two weeks so that means I almost never see him.

I'm trying not to think about the election too much. The prospect of Premier Ford Nation is just way too depressing.


***********

Aaaand I just got a call from city counsellor's office to tell me that we should be seeing some action from Metrolinx in the next couple of days. Nice.

Comments

[mr_sharkey]

Glad to hear Metrolinx is getting their shit together. Also glad to hear no one got injured taking the tree-parts down. You’re welcome to some keys from our Manitoba Maple - thing’s a weed that can grow a couple of feet in a year. Plant a line of them and you’ll never see nor hear the trains ever again.

.:.

[inulro]

The thought of Premier Ford Nation is scaring the crap out of me from over here; I can't imagine what it's like to be there. (Though being Not From Ontario and having lived in Peterborough and gone to university with people from "fun" places like Orillia and Orangeville, I'm all too aware that Ontario outside of Toronto is as scary as anywhere else).

[nicklausse]

Demographics have changed drastically over the last ten years due to high housing prices in the GTA, so there may well be a shakeup. Crossing fingers.

[sushispook]

A couple of years back, we had a freakout where something we thought was out on a bookcase wasn't, and we had to lay hands on it RIGHT AWAY for Miska's background check. I ended up pulling everything out of our very densely packed storage closet - like, every last thing - looking for it.

(turned out it was in plain sight, just overlooked)

Ever since then I've been on a crusade to purge like mad and organize everything. We just had a dumpster filled with stuff and nonsense taken away and the sense of relief I felt was... quite a thing.

(All this to say, I... get it on the purging front... oh my god do I get it)

[the_siobhan]

I have really bad hoarder tendencies due to years of food and housing insecurity, so I consider this to be a real sign of mental health progress.

It helps a lot that I sat Axel down and said, "Look, I can do this if you give me time and don't push me," and he's been brilliant at being supportive in exactly the way I need.

[armiphlage]

I hate to suggest it, but reading Marie Kondo's "The life-changing magic of tidying up" may help. Not the methods, which are bizarre, but to shock your mind.

(I was clinically diagnosed with ODC in 2002; after reading the book, my crammed-with-garbage apartment emptied. Kondo scares me, though)

[greylock]

Axel got a temp gig at Elections Ontario.

Not going to lie, read that as Elections Ontario. Was impressed, curious.