Hemlock B Bootsalotta

I keep telling myself I will post here and then not doing it. Then I look at the time stamp on my last entry and a month has gone by.

One of the things that definitely fell off the bus around the time of the funeral was my Spanish practice. I'm disinclined to go back to Duolingo since they brought in AI - I've seen lots of commentary from Spanish speakers that it's introduced a lot of errors into the program. But Duolingo did make it really easy to build a habit around practising, so I now I just have to figure out how to build a new one.

I'm also trying to build up the habit of doing Write Every Day again. And I started doing drawing exercises through DrawABox. And I'm trying to build a habit of going to the gym regularly again. That's really not a long list and none of the things on it are particularly difficult but I suck at changing multiple things at the same time so that does kind of explain why I keep running into a wall.

(Also new meds and learning to feed myself and big work stuff and the cat is also on new meds and ok, maybe it's more than four things.)

***

In very good news, contractor's tests all came back negative. No bone cancer. So he's back to work on Tuesday. I am very happy he's healthy, because I genuinely like the guy. It also means I can now yell at him without feeling guilty. He texted me that he spent all day yesterday driving to stores to pick up supplies.

One of the things that has been waiting for the end of the construction work is to get my fucking toilet fixed. I paid off the last of my credit cards this month and said great! Time to rack that baby up again! And called a plumber. He decreed the ancient throne to be unsalvageable so I have a new one winging it's way towards me. Some day very soon I will be able to crap in my own house without having to haul buckets of water from the shower to do so. What a country.

***

Saw my dad on Thursday. He wasn't doing great. It's alarming how fast his cognitive function is declining. Summer before last he would lose the occasional word. Now he only manages a few words before he starts struggling.

I sent an email to all family members and said, look I don't take risks around infection so we can do one of two things, either we do it at my house and everybody masks religiously for two weeks prior, OR we try and find a heated patio. I really didn't think the masking would fly, but much to my shock everybody agreed right away. The nephews said they mask anyway because they're both at new jobs and don't want to take time off. Everybody also said they are happy to do the family get-together in January, which means some gap after work events and NYE parties. So that's what we're going to do. This also gives me some extra time to get the kitchen sorted out - right now it's still full of boxes of crap. I don't want to unpack until the back window gets torn out because that's going to be filthy. But if I have a couple of extra weeks I have time to 1) harass the contractor to finish it 2) clean up after 3) put in shelves and 4) unbox everything.

Wish me luck.

***

I have been absolutely fascinated by everything that's happening around the CEO shooting in Manhattan. Not so much the shooting itself but the social media around it. Conservative commentators are getting pushback from their audiences when they frame it as "lefty's celebrating". People in New York actively telling each other not to cooperate with the police.

This article is a good example, there are people who spend their spare time solving crimes who have have done a lot to close cold cases and they're all saying nah to this one.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/internet-sleuths-say-wont-help-find-unitedhealthcare-ceo-suspect-rcna183228

It's been like a real-life Leverage episode and it's fascinating.

It has also led to a lot of Americans talking about their personal experiences with private healthcare. It's always been a horror show, but I feel like it's gotten worse in the last 10 years as the capitalism pressure-cooker gets hotter. Companies can't just make profit, they can't even just make more profit every year, they have to make a higher percentage increase in profit every year - until they hit the wall of course, because that shit's just not sustainable in the long term.

I am really hoping that Ontarians are reading these stories. Because our province is pushing for private healthcare and that's going to be very very bad news if the public just lets them get away with it.

It snowed today. Rather a lot. I'm looking the weather forecast and it claims to be going above zero tomorrow so I'm trying to figure out if I can just get out of shovelling entirely. Guess I'll find out.

I got a text yesterday evening and it was housemate saying they were off to visit their partner for the weekend. I guess it makes sense? Since I'm the potentially contagious one now? Even so I opened all the windows for a couple of hours (and froze my ass off in the process) before letting myself go unmasked downstairs because I Have Been Burned Once Before.

( cut for more covid talk )

( just symptoms again )

Tested positive this morning.

Posting this for record-keeping reasons.

( second verse, same as the first )

So once again I quarantine. And I should probably tell work and the Old Man's hospital that I might have been exposed. I find it kind of ironic that I'm the only person who ever masks at work.

The hospital is keeping housemate for a couple of days. They weren't able to keep anything down, including the Paxlovid, so I'm assuming the doctors were concerned about dehydration. Honestly, based on their symptoms I would have guessed Norovirus and not Covid, but hey, masking and hand-washing is good for not catching both right?

So my confirmed exposure was on Friday. My last potential exposure was yesterday. Assuming the housemate is clean when they come home and I continue to test negative, I can be around other people... Monday? That's five full days after being in the same room masked. That sound about right?

Hrm, just found this guideline that says mask for ten days after exposure. So if I count from Friday as my confirmed exposure that means I'm clear on Tuesday, or the following Saturday if I count from masked one.

*throws hands in the air*

This is the stupidest fucking time line.

In the meantime I'm running out of supplies. I need to see how much it costs to get food delivered. I know it's only $3 to get it pre-packed for me if I walk over and pick it up and that's probably safe enough if I do it during a low-traffic time slot.

You know, back when I worked with HIV I got to wear a full-ass hazmat suit. I have always regretted not stealing one. Going to pick up groceries while wearing a hazmat suit would honestly be a hoot.

***

Kitchen guy came in today for a couple of hours. He's still fiddling with a faucet that's fighting him and then he's done, hopefully tomorrow. Builder texted to say he scheduled with his crew to return on Monday and finish the drywall in the basement.

When I see kitchen guy I need to ask him for the name of the paint they used for the walls because who already put a big scuff in it by pulling the painters tape off too fast? This asshole right here.

***

I spoke to my dad on the phone today and it was really worrying how hard it was to get him to understand me. He also told me he had pneumonia last week - which means he's been sick three times in as many months. I get that it's not always possible to dodge illness, but three times since Xmas? That's concerning.

I have a mild headache right now, but I can't tell if it's from covid or the fucking vein throbbing in my forehead.[1]

I am going to write a screenplay. The working title is, "Can she make it through quarantine with her ex without murdering them and burying them in the backyard?[2]"

They are extremely fortunate the basement floor has already been poured. Just sayin'.

I emptied eleven boxes today, did five loads of dishes, and re-packed two boxes that will be leaving with the housemate. And put away stuff. (So much stuff. We only had a 10 x 10 kitchen before the renos, Why Do We Have So Much Stuff?)

This has not noticeably reduced the piles of boxes in the living room.

One more day should be enough to finish unpacking the kitchen. Then I guess I'll move on to shit like taxes and paperwork. I had to cancel all the appointments I made this week and I can't do anything social because of this fucking virus.

I wonder if the liquor store delivers.

---
[1] Actually from dust. I'm allergic, and there was a lot of it. The mask helps.
[2] Place your bets now.

... AAAAND it's covid.

( Questions of Days )

***

The Good: Elderly Gentleman Cat was weighed by the vet this past week and is starting to regain some mass on the new chicken regime. Fuzzy bastard eats better than I do.

The Bad: Only now he associates the microwave with chicken so he runs over and starts shrieking at me every time I'm near it. And since the microwave sits under the shelf we use in lieu of a kitchen counter I can't even make a coffee without him getting under my feet and yelling like a ban sidhe announcing my imminent departure.

The Ugly: In the 20+ years I have lived with the housemate I have not yet managed to convince them not to pick up dirty towels from the floor and hang them back up. This led to me wiping my hands on a towel yesterday and getting a fist-full of stale cat food. I made the exact same noise as my cat.

***

Had an argument with my dad's wife about Xmas plans - she wanted to go to her favourite tea-room on Tuesday. The place is tiny. It seats maybe 12 people max in a single row of tables and since most of their business is take-out, there is a constant stream of unmasked people standing directly behind your chair the entire time you eat. We did it last year based on her promise that we would be seated "well away from people" and I swore I wasn't doing it again.

We have Covid, influenza, RSV, walking pneumonia, and strep making the rounds right now, I have asthma, my dad has COPD and SHE'S NOT FUCKING VACCINATED, Jesus Fucking Christ.

My sister stepped in and said she would be happy to cook in their kitchen, so we're doing that instead. Sister gave me the jobs of bringing desert and feeding her enough wine to get her through the evening without smacking anybody.

***

There is a great deal of thumping and banging going on somewhere outside my house and... fireworks? Is that a new Xmas thing?

***

Tomorrow is dinner with the lovely and talented and most excellent cook BC. There will be turkey. I have been informed there might even be leftover turkey. Leftover turkey is pretty much my favourite food ever and I will not be sharing it with the cat.

[Edited to fix the typos I never seem to be able to see before I hit "enter".]