Where's TD?

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
I just got the flu shot today, I have to wait with the blood test until next week - I have to be on the drug a full 30 days before the test, and I just looked at my calendar and realised I hadn't started using it unitl October 2nd.

I'm completely stressing out today because I've got this one job that WILL NOT GO AWAY, and it's messing up my schedule for getting all my other jobs done on time. I wouldn't mind doing it except the person I have to deal with is not exactly the brightest person on the face of the earth, and one of my shortcomings, I confess, is that I do not suffer fools gladly.
 

Littledragon

Above The Law
TDWoj said:
I just got the flu shot today, I have to wait with the blood test until next week - I have to be on the drug a full 30 days before the test, and I just looked at my calendar and realised I hadn't started using it unitl October 2nd.

I'm completely stressing out today because I've got this one job that WILL NOT GO AWAY, and it's messing up my schedule for getting all my other jobs done on time. I wouldn't mind doing it except the person I have to deal with is not exactly the brightest person on the face of the earth, and one of my shortcomings, I confess, is that I do not suffer fools gladly.


Sounds like you need a vacation TD lol, I hope you are felling better and hang in there, after every storm the sun always comes out.

Cheer up TD! :)
 

Storm

Smile dammit!
That's me ok! A Storm with a shine;).
2 coats of any decent paint will cover another,unless maybe white on black!
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
The stuff they gave me was too thin to cover the dark pink - it's meant to go over pastel shades, and it's not tintable - hence why even three coats of the stuff failed to make the pink go away.

Despite the hours I'm working, I'm still barely able to make my minimum monthly income, so I'm just going to have to hope that work picks up enough that I can get the place painted in time, before the sofa arrives.

I'd really like to have my mates over for tea and biscuits; after all, it was one of the reasons why I so desperately wanted to move downtown, so I could have company come over.
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Oh, my. This is one tired little puppy, I can tell you.

I've pretty much been working non-stop since moving into my new place. As you know, I've also been trying to get at least the bedroom painted, in between working for money.

Today, at noon, I finished the last of my paying jobs.

And Wednesday, I finished painting my bedroom!

I can safely say... thank goodness! I can also say my bedroom is pretty in a soft, pastel, almost girlie sort of way. None of the apartments I'd lived in for the past 20 years have been nice enough that I wanted to decorate them. I guess those hideous pink walls did me a service, because it forced me into the position of having to decorate.

It also helped finding out - rather late in the day - that I was using the wrong paint. I needed primer, not base coat - the base coat I had might have been adequate for the purpose if it had been tinted, but the fellow at the hardware store said it couldn't be tinted.

I should take it to the paint store where I got the primer (and which sells that brand of paint, incidentally, which the hardware store didn't) and see if it can, in fact, be tinted, in which case, I might be able to save myself the cost of another can of primer ($40! Shockingly expensive).

On the other hand, I kind of liked using the right paint for the job, and I'm rather disillusioned with this other stuff. (The building management supplied it. It's Benjamin Moore, so I thought it was good quality. It probably is - it's just the wrong kind of paint for the job).

I still have a few little things to do in the bedroom. I need to paint the shelf in the closet, the door frame to the hallway and the window sill. I'm also going to start looking at curtains and curtain rods - I opted to have the closet doors removed because they were bi-fold doors and took up space I could ill-afford to lose. Right now I have my filing cabinet and my printer taking up about 1/3 of the horizontal space in the closet. Since the top of the closet is about 8 inches down from the ceiling and the ceiling is 9 feet high, it's rather a high opening; so I'm considering splitting a curtain, one to cover the top down to the shelf, and another to cover from the shelf down. Decisions, decisions.

Next big job - the living room. Yikes!

But tomorrow, I am going to sleep in, secure in the knowledge that almost all of my undone work is done (I still have a few things to do, but now that the bedroom/office is sorted, it'll be easier to do because I won't be feeling so stressed out at the mess it was in).

Of course, work has dried up now - at least it had the decency to wait until mid-November this time! - but I'm hopeful I'll get enough so that I can finish paying for a picture (as if I needed any more pictures) I bought that I've decided will be my Christmas/housewarming present to myself. It's an original oil painting done in a charming naive style of... sheep! Well, it's meant to go by my bed, so why not?

Anyway, I'm exhausted; I don't think I've gone through anything like this in recent memory, and the stress over the past few months has done me some damage, healthwise. Now I must take some time to put some balance back into my life, before the next major onslaught of necessary tasks - like getting this place ready to receive my sofa! (Which should be arriving December 1st! Yay!)

-TD, suddenly falling asleep at the keyboard....zzzzzzzzzz....
 

Amos Stevens

New Member
Hey keep this up we will be seeing your place on the rich & famous!

Take care TD & WAKE UP-you don't allow snoring here
 

Serena

Administrator
Glad to hear things are finally coming together, TD--well, for the most part. :D I can see why you need to get the living room in shape quickly, but don't put off getting your health back in check.
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks, Serena.

It was lovely having this weekend "off" in the sense that while I still had things to do, I didn't have to do them if I didn't want to - no deadlines!

Mind you, the living room is still a disaster area and I really must get that sorted out because the sofa is coming! the sofa is coming! (soon)

I spent most of yesterday worrying about my dad. I don't know if you heard, but there was this big snowstorm that hit Nova Scotia, knocking out the power pretty much throughout the whole province. One of the meds my father takes to help his breathing requires running (I think) a compressed air tank - Serena would know what the gadget is, specifically. He puts the meds into a receptacle, puts on a mask and turns on the air so he can breathe in the medication.

No power - no air. No air - no medication.

He had one of those asthma puffers which helped a little. I called Nova Scotia power and told them of his situation. Fortunately, he lives near the natural gas plant in Goldboro, so I expect it was that more that than the fact there was a little 90-year-old man who couldn't breathe in the same area that got the power on sooner rather than later, but he was still without power - and that meant no heat except for that coming from the little wood stove in the kitchen, and no light but candles and kerosene lamps - for nearly 16 hours.

I spoke to him this morning. He'd fallen asleep, exhausted from having to haul wood up from the basement to keep himself warm. If the power hadn't come on and started up the furnace, and the stove had gone out while he was still asleep... it doesn't bear thinking about.

On the other hand, I think he was better off where he was, rather than living in an apartment in town. At least he did have an alternative heat source, which he wouldn't have in an apartment.

I think he'll be spending a few minutes each day this week hauling up more wood from the basement, though....
 

Amos Stevens

New Member
Yeah I heard about that bad snowstorm TD-power out for 9 hours. Shame that there isn't someone near your dad that can check on him when power goes out like that. Here the power company has a list of people on oxygen & such that need immediate power
 

Storm

Smile dammit!
That's tough on your dad TD. It must be really hard for him hauling wood up. Last year when mine was bad i'd never have managed to do that,or it'd have taken forever.
Nice the way you look out for him though.
 

katw_03

New Member
TDWoj said:
Thanks, Serena.

It was lovely having this weekend "off" in the sense that while I still had things to do, I didn't have to do them if I didn't want to - no deadlines!

Mind you, the living room is still a disaster area and I really must get that sorted out because the sofa is coming! the sofa is coming! (soon)

I spent most of yesterday worrying about my dad. I don't know if you heard, but there was this big snowstorm that hit Nova Scotia, knocking out the power pretty much throughout the whole province. One of the meds my father takes to help his breathing requires running (I think) a compressed air tank - Serena would know what the gadget is, specifically. He puts the meds into a receptacle, puts on a mask and turns on the air so he can breathe in the medication.

No power - no air. No air - no medication.

He had one of those asthma puffers which helped a little. I called Nova Scotia power and told them of his situation. Fortunately, he lives near the natural gas plant in Goldboro, so I expect it was that more that than the fact there was a little 90-year-old man who couldn't breathe in the same area that got the power on sooner rather than later, but he was still without power - and that meant no heat except for that coming from the little wood stove in the kitchen, and no light but candles and kerosene lamps - for nearly 16 hours.

I spoke to him this morning. He'd fallen asleep, exhausted from having to haul wood up from the basement to keep himself warm. If the power hadn't come on and started up the furnace, and the stove had gone out while he was still asleep... it doesn't bear thinking about.

On the other hand, I think he was better off where he was, rather than living in an apartment in town. At least he did have an alternative heat source, which he wouldn't have in an apartment.

I think he'll be spending a few minutes each day this week hauling up more wood from the basement, though....

I hate to hear that your Dad had to endure this...:( Kat
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Amos Stevens said:
Yeah I heard about that bad snowstorm TD-power out for 9 hours. Shame that there isn't someone near your dad that can check on him when power goes out like that. Here the power company has a list of people on oxygen & such that need immediate power

Oh, Amos, it was 'way more than nine hours. For my dad it was nearly 16 hours, in other places, they won't get power restored for at least another couple of days.

This is what happens when you privatise hydro - the money goes to the shareholders instead of into maintenance, upgrades and staff. Hydro workers from Maine and New Brunswick had to be called in to help with the repairs, because Nova Scotia Power had laid off so many maintenance workers over the past fewyears, in order to cut salary costs and boost shareholder earnings.

This has been going on for years and people in Nova Scotia are finally getting fed up with it. Every time there's a storm, even a minor one, the power goes out, and stays out, for at least 16 hours or more. It's ridiculous, and it's all down to the fact that a previous premier, facing cash flow problems, sold the utility to a private concern. Result: costs went up, maintenance went down and people are left without power every time the weather gets uppity.

Amos, your utility has the right idea, about having a list of people who need power to run medical equipment. I don't think Nova Scotia Power has one - that would take a staff person to maintain and update, and heaven forfend they should hire someone to do this job - it might mean the shareholders get a few cents less on their dividends!

-TD, frustrated with a situation she has absolutely no control over nor influence to change
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
kat_whit said:
I hate to hear that your Dad had to endure this...:( Kat

Thanks, Kat. As I mentioned to Amos, this is a situation that's been going on for years, and I think has reached a crisis point in the province, enough of a one that people are finally too fed up to put up.

In previous years, when my dad was more spry, he could handle it better. But he's getting very frail, and without any kind of home assistance (and the fact that he's pissed off most of the people who live near enough to him to check on him and are likely to dance with joy at news he's hurt or worse), he's at risk. I worry he'll fall down the stairs if he has to get more wood in the dark, for example, or fall asleep and leave a candle or kerosene lamp burning unattended - or not wake up if the fire in the stove gets too low. He doesn't have a either a carbon monoxide or smoke detector, and that's worrisome, too.

-TD, feeling the weight of responsibility for an elderly parent
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Storm said:
That's tough on your dad TD. It must be really hard for him hauling wood up. Last year when mine was bad i'd never have managed to do that,or it'd have taken forever.
Nice the way you look out for him though.

Thanks, Storm. I do my best, but it's hard - I have to tread a fine line between looking out for him and getting him pissed at me for implying he's not capable of taking care of himself. Harder still because he's half a country away and the best I can do is make phone calls! I'd rather see for myself he's all right, but that's just not possible.

As long as he's answering the phone, though, I guess that's as good as I can expect.
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
The sofa is coming! The sofa is coming!

Tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, as a matter of fact.

Oh, frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!

I also today bought myself a little laptop of exceedingly elderly vintage, a P1 IBM Thinkpad. It seems to be running well; the laptop and case together came to $99 (about $80 US). It's not for doing the kinds of big jobs that I do; I only want it so that when I feel like writing, I'm not using one of my "work" computers, and I can also take it with me if I feel the need to get out. Maybe if I go to a cafe and write, I can be the next J.K. Rowling... one hopes, anyhow!

I love gadgets. Even old gadgets!

-TD, in a tizzy over the imminent arrival of the sofa
 

Jampa

New Member
TD, on France TV some time ago they were talking about smoke detectors that are very "effective"(efficient?), unexpensive and very simple to "install" as well... maybe you could get your father one of those...?
A big wood stove is our only heater, here, and for the 8 years we've lived here there was never a problem though... should there be, we have no smoke detector but the bigger one of my dogs barks at the door to get out as soon as there is a bit of smoke - which happens sometimes when *I* light the fire<G> - and even when I'm dead-asleep her barking wakes me up, so...

As to the electricity company/provider, aren't they bound to ensure their customers do receive what they pay for? I mean, aren't they liable in case someone should "suffer" from their negligence when power failures are caused by lack of maintenance? The electricity company here would be in big trouble if things like this happened... traders and businesses would claim damages for loss of earnings, to start with... and if a private person should sue the company for physical injuries due to their negligence, the share-holders would very quickly find out that economizing on maintenance is a risky miscalculation... :-(((
Aaaaargh.... greed...!

Hey, I want to see a pic of your sofa once it's found its place in its new home!! ;-)

Jampa - sending good thoughts to your Dad... and you
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks, Jampa. The trouble with a smoke detector in the house is that it would go off every time he had to use the wood stove. He uses the wood stove on a daily basis so that he doesn't have to run the furnace, which is fueled by oil, and oil is very expensive. He gets his wood free from a farmer acquaintance of his, so this keeps his heating bills down.

There is also a ghost in the house that likes to smoke pipes. I'm not sure if this would set the smoke detector off, however.

Nova Scotia Power is under fire now for its poor maintenance record and long wait times to get the power up and running again. I'm hoping that the government will finally do something about it (though it's not likely, since it's a Conservative government and they believe in tax cuts and runaway privatisation).

-TD, anticipating the immiment arrival of the sofa
 

Jampa

New Member
Oh! drat it!!! :-(
Then it is the one in the right color that's gonna be delivered on the 1st of December... ;-)

If I were to get a smoke detector I wouldn't put it near the stove, for it would sure go off every time we "re-load" the stove, but in the bedroom - when there's just a little bit of smoke it does not "wander" that far. Does the pipe-smoker go to your Father's bedroom? ;-))

A smaller profit is better than a big loss... these share-holders should have been less greedy.
 
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