They lied?

 Bringing you up to speed. Flat tire. Assured by one dude that we could get away with buying only obe tire. Assumed the tire was going on today. Another dude vetoed the plan. Four tires. Somebody lied to me. If the first dude contacts me tomorrow or Friday and we go back to the original plan, I'll leave my review of the place unchanged.

 If I don't hear anything, that review changes drastically. Lying jerk... no, a one star review won't bother that inbred jerk at all, but it might make me feel better. Besides that, things are okay. Hope my readers are well.

BYE.

Civic duty stuff

 Several elections went down today. New school trustees coming to the plate tomorrow. Two school divisions looking for a new trustee. It was a lovely day today. Clear sky, cool blustering about. Did a load of laundry today after I voted. Got the voting done early this morning. Get it over and done with.

  Yesterday was a waste of an inservice. Plenty of fascinsting information but the delivery of that information was slip-shod, the tech was untrustworthy, and honestly; I would have preferred to work that day. Anyway, it was a wasted day. Today was a pretty good day.

  Reading and playing Inzoi. Not sure what to make of it. I just like that the deaths are more realistic and you can get into a car accident. My dude clipped a woman with his scooter and was freaked out for the rest of the night. I hope my followers are doing well.

BYE.

Uninstalled Duolingo

 The latest update threw me into such a loop that I have uninstalled this waste of an app and am dreaming up painful hells for the pinhead who okayed the update. Some people should go home to their eldritch homeland and never come back.

 Meanwhile, there are 4 weeks remaining. Very nice. Now we just need it to rain in Manitoba for two weeks solid. That will take care of the wildfires. There's nothing else to say.

BYE.

Nahh

 No limericks. I could only come up with two (naturally naughty but of very low quality) and quickly lost interest in the idea. Feeling brittle. It's a mix of several thing; Mom, Spring Break being just around the corner (feels like a century away), the kids being extra horrible. All of the above.

 But Friday is here and there's one more week to go. Mom is still kicking but... yeah. Dying takes forever. Been reading as usual. That's all.

BYE.

Spending money

 Never had a blow-out before.

Looks bad, doesn't it? Anyway, I got the car towed and looked at today. Bad timing, as it was Louis Riel day yesterday and the garage was closed. Anyway, long story short, I will need to spend even more money as there is something else wrong with this turd of a car.

 I also had to take a walk to the grocery store over the weekend. Note to self; walking with the wind at yer back is much bettet than walking with the wind in yer face. Also, don't buy 7 kg of litter if you don't have a car. My arm muscles had a few four letter words for me the next day.

 And that's what's going on with me.

BYE.

Avoidance

       So we got our first big snowfall of the year and my car got stuck in a rut (aren't we all so stuck in ruts?). Yeah, so I'm home today and not very happy about that. It was Remembrance Day yesterday so I was off from work. You might think I'm thrilled about having a four-day weekend but I'm just frustrated. I hope someone can clear some of the parking lot so I can at least get my car back in its stall because I couldn't make the turn and got stuck. A very nice dude who was shoveling out behind his vehicle helped me to at least park out of the way of oncoming cars. Not that anyone's going to make that turn right now.

       A lot of outraged shrieking in the car, let me tell you. Nothing to do but wait. At least I'm safe and warm. Also, I'm not the only staff member who could not make it into work today. Meanwhile, I'm avoiding my compy. I need to open it up and give it a good blast of air because I want the ghost in the BIOS to go away. It's been at least a week since I turned it on. I'm not going to say what I've been playing, Sims-wise, because I uninstalled that piece of dreck from the compy a long time ago. Why I installed it on my lappy, I cannot explain. I'm sad and pathetic; that's all there is to it.

       Now for something very important - after the fact, but still...

 

Shout-out to John https://www.flickr.com/photos/shebalso/44385637204  for the image.

       That is all for now. If you would like to see some Sims stuff, I only have the dreck for you currently. 

BYE.

Entrée interdite à nouveau

       We are in the third wave of the pandemic and the stupid people of Manitoba have made things frustrating for the rest of us. So we are back to various restrictions and the public library being closed again. First offence for being caught maskless should be a ten thousand dollar fine followed up by an automatic castration of the offender's entire family if they're caught out breaking the rules a second time. You are welcome to put these great ideas into play, Pallister ya worthless piece of Tory garbage! Meanwhile, I am booked for my first dose and I am eagerly looking forward to it. The end of the month cannot come fast enough for me.

 

      Bella-Claire here does not seem to be all that pleased with my great ideas. B-C and her hubby Malcolm are the beta couple. They were the ones who wanted to go back to Al-Simhara but the game said 'No chance.' I'll keep trying. Maybe it will work one of these days. On the other hand, who would want to leave Sunset Valley for even a day? Look at that gorgeous lighthouse.

 

      Of course, even normal fines cannot work if the cops don't ticket and fine people when they catch them. Get yer act together, guys! Anyway, there has been no mention of my school division going to full remote. Monday's when the news might change but even so, I don't think I'll have another lean summer ahead of me. The division has to give support staff a month's notice, so even if I get the message next week, it will be the middle of June by the time the layoff goes into effect. The summer will not be as lean this year, I imagine.

 

 

     These two pictures I caught of regular townies doing their thing in one of my games. Enduring love and ended love.

 

     Then again, it just could be his hair she's not into....

 

BYE.

In the Balance

       I thought at first that my dishwasher was going to join my washing machine. There's a spatula in the way, so no big deal. How much do dishwashers cost anyway? In the 600-700 dollar range, eh? Oogh. Not like I can afford that right now. However, my dishwasher lives still and all is well. I may need to get a credit line one of these days. Look at me being all adult! Anyway, there is hope on the school front. Who told the education minister to only let the kids come back after Labour Day? I guess Pallister did not get his way. No word from the superintendent as to when the EAs and I can go back in the fall. I guess it won't be until late August like always.

      I hope what little I have pulls me through. Anyway, mustn't let my GAD take over and turn me into a quivering mass. I finished reading 'On writing' by Jorge Luis Borges yesterday. Apparently, I read it back in 2014 but have no memory of doing that. I guess I should check my diary from 2014 for more information. Oh, and the WPL's doors are open for book exchanges again! Ooooooh, so tingly! 😍  I went yesterday and picked up the only book that was waiting for me. Poor little thing's been waiting for months for me. I brought a few books back and will bring the rest when I have another book waiting for me. That's just how I roll.

       My plantsims moved from Twinbrook to Starlight Shores recently. I downloaded and installed the Tempest mod from NRAAS and man, do I love not having all those blasted leaves and leaf piles everywhere in the spring. I also like not having so much mist in the area now. Twinbrook is beautiful but lousy with gloom. Anyway, I will post pics of the new Reardon digs once I've taken enough of them.

      Now for some generic shots of my sims. Tell me you weren't expecting this!

BYE.

Not sowing discord, but...

      Like many people, I'm on a couple of Discord servers. Unlike many people, I'm rarely on them but I paid a visit today to see the two or three people I used to keep in contact with all the time. I'm on Twitter as well but I'm rarely on there either. I love being anti-social.

      I'm following one of the bigger Youtubers and thought about joining this person's Discord server. I've sat in on a couple of their livestreams but I like having conversations with people and that's nigh impossible on a livestream with thousands of people screaming memes and other stuff.

      I know, I know... joining this Youtuber's Discord will probably be no better for me. Not to worry; I'm not allowed to join the Discord. Please permit me a few grumbles, you two or three types who still follow my mindless rambling. I like my privacy and... let's be honest, why join a Discord if I won't be there very much? I don't like giving out my phone number to every bot, click, and spy site. Call me paranoid but there you go. The two servers I'm part of don't ask for a phone number. Why the freshly pressed inferno does this server demand one?

     I dropped this Youtuber's server like it burned me and am considering unsubscribing from both of this person's channels. Just being bitchy on my part, I suppose. I'm too lazy to bother unsubscribing, at any rate.

     Enough yammering. Time for some Sims pics.

BYE.

Fighting annoyed?

      I’ve been reading the occasional Clive Cussler book, and while I find them nice pieces of escapism wrapped in colourful detail and adventure, today I wrapped up “Trojan Odyssey” and nearly threw the book against the wall. The story itself was lacking compared to the others I have read but that’s not what made me want to throw the book and Clive off a roof. The book wraps up with the author putting himself into the story. I hated it when Stephen King did it in his Dark Tower series and I am not very pleased with Cussler doing it either. At least Cussler had the decency to only put himself in for one scene.

      Why does this annoy me so much? I really cannot explain it. Why does the author want to meet his creation? Doesn’t he already know everything there is to know about his creation? Granted, Cussler puts himself into the story as an admirer and not as an integral character. King, on the other hand, is very important to Roland and the ka-tet of the Dark Tower saga. It just seems like such an arrogant choice. Maybe King just found it cathartic because he wrote it around the time of his car accident. Isn’t writing a cathartic act? And if you can make some money out of your catharsis, go for it.

       I’m just saying that I did not enjoy it when King put himself into the book and it just annoyed me when Cussler did it. The story itself was a little lacking as well. I have no opinion about the Trojan War and I like the Amazon angle a little – too darn late in making an appearance, mind you. The environmental angle got on my nerves a little. Nothing like a bit of climate change (but in the other direction) to hit all the right buttons. By the way, the human species has damned the ecosystem for (possibly) all time. Such light-hearted discourse!

    Now for something a little cheerier. 

BYE.

I have to make an announcement

Now hear this!


      My cat is a brave and deadly hunter!

     For point of reference, this is my cat.

     She made a triumphant kill this morning around 4. Sadly, she had to wake me to do it. Trilling, meowing, chirping. I'm sure that's what woke me. At first I thought she was just being needy.

    I got the light on and saw her prey - a hapless moth that had somehow gotten into the condo. She jumped after it, swiping the air with her paws.

    After a momentous struggle she trapped it in the bathroom and devoured her prey.





     I managed a few weak cheers and went back to bed. Yeah, I am unappreciative of all her hard work in keeping us both safe from low-flying moths. Right now she's on top of the cupboards having a nap. A well-earned rest, no doubt.


BYE.

Yeah... got distracted.

     A few mumbles from me to make up for a very long silence. So since I went silent in July I've been to Nova Scotia with La Madre and then I got back to work at the close of August.
     I will start with my adventures in Halifax. First off, stay away from Air Canada as much as you can. They screwed La Madre and I royally concerning our flight east. The connecting flight was outright cancelled - thus pissing off a multitude of people. That flight was supposed to land in Montreal and from there a whole bunch of people were going to a variety of places. Air Canada seems to be controlled by a sub-human society of idiots.
     Then we reached Halifax and got screwed over by the Delta Barrington. Stupid, thoughtless morons that never told La Madre and I we were supposed to be in another hotel. Nobody told us anything and I blame Delta Barrington wholly for this snafu. Our replacement hotel I call the No Point Sheraton. You can figure the real name out. Meanwhile the harbour and surrounding restaurants were great. I highly recommend McKelvie's by the water - amazing food.
      Things got better when we made the trip to Sydney. Seafood chowder became my friend while we were there. Sydney has a beautiful walkway by the water as well. The best restaurant of all was in North Sydney. If you are ever there, go to Lobster Pound and Moore. You will not be disappointed. Oh, and for the first chowder I ever tried (and LOOOOOVED) was at Governors Pub & Eatery. Amazing.
       Are you a Rita MacNeil fan? Be sure to go to Rita's Tea Room. I teared up walking around there; looking at all the newspaper clippings, the anecdotes, and the many, many hats. Her voice, her presence... just a wonderful experience. I would have gladly skipped Halifax altogether if it meant going straight to Sydney. Sadly we had to go back to Halifax but this time were stayed in a hotel near the airport.
       I greatly recommend going to Nova Scotia. Just avoid Air Canada, the Delta Barrington, and the Four Points Sheraton. Halifax is not that bad and Sydney is wonderful.
       So here we are in October. I cannot say that I won't get back to posting. I've lost interest in telling my sims stories. I am definitely playing the game still but my priorities have changed. Anyway, my cat got her paw stuck in one of my runners just a moment ago. What gets into that beast's head? That is all for now.

Introducing the Sadist!

WARNING! THIS IS NOT SIM-RELATED!

          I have kept a diary since the earliest days of 1993 and will probably be buried with my most recent incarnation of it (currently on #15, by the way). I started keeping a blog (not very often, as you might have noticed) back in 2008 because why not. Thanks to the Sims I've done much more with my blog of late. This blog is only going somewhere if Blogger dies. I'm not often very personal in this blog because I save that stuff for my diary but I got back from my doctor this afternoon and was amazed at how happy I felt. I usually feel pretty good after a chat with my M.D. and I think it's because I talk with her. One can write in a journal for pages and pages and one can talk to a cat for hours and hours but it's always going to be no more than a one-sided discussion.
           My family already knows about what I'm going to write here but their experience with this matter is very limited. I'm writing about this because I know it's more common than I once thought. The two or three people following this blog might know someone (especially if that someone is themselves) under a similar cloud and might have some suggestions for me. To be blunt, there's a little sadist living at the back of my mind. Periodically (every few days) he pokes his head out and whispers darkness and doubt to me. Once upon a time I thought I was merely a common worrywart. Now I know this matter - this little sadist - has a name. I've begun to call him the GADabout but most people would call him Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
           I have a history of worrying - going back to my teens - but it only became noticeable when I moved from my parents' house into the Great Unknown. I had a panic attack in 2010 which made me start wondering. I attended a conference on stress in 2012 (if I recall correctly) and learned that stress was the cause of more than a few illnesses. Something else to worry about. I'm not the only one in this world that's worried about worrying. Probably one of the nastier vicious circles out there. It wasn't until 2015 that I really began feeling the presence of the sadist. It's the physical symptoms that really got on my nerves.
           Nausea, insomnia, palpitations, and other completely wonderful horrors to haunt my days. Okay, it's not nearly as bad as I make it out to be (mountains out of molehills - the story of my life) but it was enough to finally send me out doctor-hunting. It didn't take her long to figure out what was really going on within. I took an anxiety test and answered a bunch of questions and now we know I have a mild form of GAD. It doesn't keep me from going to work (although there have been a few times I've had difficulty going into the grocery store because of my gag reflex - TMI, amirite?) but it's been a great deal of frustration.
           There's not much else to say. I'm keeping watch over my worries in my journal and dueling with the sadist. Things are all right today but I may spend next week sleepless and stressed. Now I put the point out to anyone reading this. Are you in the same boat? How do you steer your boat? Thank you for reading and have a wonderful evening.

The winter unending

   Who ever heard of a -49 windchill at the dawn of March? We're supposed to be having a false return to spring garnished with a few blizzards. The weatherfolk promise it's a dry cold that will keep the impending floods at bay this spring but that, to pardon the pun, is cold comfort to even the hardiest winterphile. The fine folks around here are dog people for the most part, and it hurts the heart to see them out there walking their poor pups in such icy circumstances.

    At least my pet's strictly indoor. Perhaps if I weren't so lazy I would have gotten a dog. On the other hand, most of the folks here have more time during their day to walk the dog. If I were to win the lottery that would be another case. Meanwhile, the merry spinsters continue to hang out and try not to get on each other's nerves. At least, one of us is trying....

    I'm continuing with something I messed around with in previous years. I hope to keep it going.
20 years ago...

March 4, 1994

Today when I got home, I was told by my parents that actor John Candy had passed away after having a heart attack. It really shocked me to hear that, I have been a fan of John Candy for a long time. However, his weight was higher than it should have been, the doctors think that’s what caused the heart attack. Not only was this actor very good, he was also a Canadian, and that adds to my sorrow. Needless to say, this has been a sad March the fourth evening Goodbye John Candy, I miss you.

    Later days... and hopefully warmer days!