Preludes And Nocturnes

I’ve let a bit of time pass so I could write this without totally dissolving into profanity. But yes, that is what someone with parkinson’s looks like/moves. I don’t know if anyone would really think Michael J Fox would fake or overplay his symptoms to do a TV commercial (and to not take his meds results in a very different issue of mobility) - but I thought I could just clear this up right here. And I don’t believe anyone who reads this blog is a real supporter of Limbaugh, but now if you are talking to an asshat and you need some personal experience to back yourself up with - you can say your friend confirmed this for you.

I didn’t like Rush Libaugh before, but that was about all sorts of other things that now have no real meaning. Now? Now he is a write off. He is a waste of organic materials. He is not a good human being. Seeing him mock Michael J Fox, my dad having parkinson’s, the impact of research on my dad’s quality of life…

My dad was diagnosed with parkinson’s at 39. He has done the conventional drugs, the unconventional, the brain surgery, and the test drugs. He had complications that almost killed him last month. He looks a whole lot like Michael looked on that commercial. There are days and months that are a whole lot worse. My dad is 60 years old.

So needless to say I had to wait a while - and even now I take a few breaks to type this out.

We have a cat tent, a cat bed… but really, they seem to like sleeping on us the best.

In other news, yes I really like napping on the new couch and loveseat.

There were three mooses in our parking lot this morning at work. A mom and her twin babies! Please note: babies still big enough to be horses. I excitely phone downstairs to see if our PR people got a pictures because I thought I’d send it to Jim or blog it or something. The lady on the phone was not as excited.

“erm, ah, yeah. No.”

With that tone. That tone that says “lady, we live in the north. What’s the excitement?”

MOOSES!

My job has a new component: program creation. This morning I was asked if I could put together a new BA Program.

Erm, ah, sure!

I’ll figure it out, no worries. But this is quite exciting for my whole CV building exercise. I like a job where I’m being asked to do things beyond my job and I’m just doing them. Makes my brain feel useful.

And, ya know, hello - I now can say I do PROGRAM CREATION!

Gotta count for something.

(quick disclaimer before people get too excited - this is stage one of three. Again: 1 of 3)

Okay, my new game is located here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/times/process-in.html#perm_res

And you can play along as well! Our section is under Sponsorship Applications (second table). Our application was delivered (according to the tracking number I stalked for two days) the morning of October 19th, 2006. The link given above is now stating they’re working on applications they got on September 18th.

THIS IS VERY EXCITING!

Now, probably not as exciting to the casual observer - but Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday the date they were working on was SEPTEMBER 12! Of course, I didn’t really expect the date to change over the weekend - but I kept watch anyway.

And yes, from the 12th to the 16th there is a weekend - BUT NO 13! Maybe they didn’t get any that day! That could happen again in the future. We don’t know unless we watch!

So the magic number we’re watching for is October 19th - that is our day! This will get us approved to move on to Step Two. From what I’ve read, you can hear back from them with a decision the day they open it. This would mean they have approved me to even APPLY to sponsor Jim and they’ve sent the entire package to Buffalo for actual real life processing! (Step Two)

Step Two is a kick in the pants. And not the good kind. Potentially quite long. But I don’t care right now - we’re doing Step One and it is FUN!

You all don’t want to know how excited I was to see that number move. It was like “ohmygod, there are actual people over there doing stuff and they updated the number!”

I managed to get close to all my Christmas shopping done yesterday. One fell swoop. I’ve heard back from two different people who saw me but said I had a look and a determination about me that mean I was not to be disturbed. They were like “yeah, I saw you but you had a mission.”

Hey, in less than two hours I did a quick scout, confirmed some things I had already listed, and then purchased for:

Mom
Leone (sister)
Julia (sister)
Jason (bro in law)
Jim’s birthday (Dec)
Laura

And confirmed items and location for:
Jim (Christmas)
Gram and Gramp
Dad
Melly

I have partial gifts done for:
Laura (birthday)
Melly ( birthday)
Leone (birthday)

Okay, and to all my friends/family - about the whole birthday happening right around Christmas… I know, it is probably tough on you all as well.

I think one more day might get it done.

Dave, the academic advisor, just won Jeopardy! (no, I don’t remember what uni they said he was from, but it doesn’t matter - our bonds of advisorship transcend all.)

Score one for my peeps!

I totally cheered for him.

The house was very quiet this morning. There was no Jim making breakfast and scolding the kitties (any kitchen time is kitty preparation food time in their minds). I ate my breakfast while making my lunch. Again, no Jim chit-chat.

So I put CBC on for the first time in months. I had thought at one time that it was weird Jim and I didn’t listen to CBC more often as it tends to be a standard sound in the house. But this morning I realised that Jim and I tend to talk a fair bit so the radio wouldn’t really be necessary. But not it is - so there we go.

In other news, I’m thinking of taking a graduate class.

Why? Why not.

I dunno. I can’t figure out if I want to do my PhD. But I just feel weird thinking I’m done school. I haven’t won yet. Isn’t the PhD the moment you’ve won the game? Like in Civ you can win the arms race or the world domination or achieve world peace or something. In education you are done when you finish the PhD, right?

Anyhoo, I don’t get the tuition waiver yet as an employee (comes later with perm position) but I was still thinking I’d benefit from one of the graduate level education courses. They have a couple in career counselling, Qualitative Analysis in Education, or the like.

Sometimes I worry I won’t ever just hang out at one spot and enjoy. But I think movement feels more natural to me…

Or at least the illusion of movement. I can live with that.

Well that went well. Final words were “excellent, keep up the good work!”

Of course the bummer was I thought I’d phone Jim to tell him… but he is right now in the Vancouver airport flying back to nyc.

Silly airport.

“yep, looks good!”
“can you believe it?”
“I can mail this tomorrow!”
“yep yep, hundreds of pages…”
“hour and HOURS”
“multiple agencies”

…

“why does this one checklist say ‘photocopy’ of this one form?”
“that must be an error”
“why would they want ONE form of tens upon tens photocopied”
“and why wouldn’t I have noticed any time in the past YEAR or so?”

…

[much internet looking up of huge guide ensues]

“crap”
“okay, I’ll copy it tomorrow”
“and THEN we’re done!!”
“this kind of puts a damper on our dance of joy scheduled for this time slot”

Jim is leaving in three days. This makes me sad and grumpy. I’ll head out to nyc for ten days in November, and then he is back here beginning of December.

But still.

Bah, I say!

In the happier news, we found a table we like (finally). It is on sale. It is backordered until DECEMBER!

Again, bah.

Upside, we’re heading out to the gym this morning so maybe I’ll be a happier princess when we are done there.

And I bought two new tops at Costco, of all places, and they were $10 each. Nice fuzzy long-sleeved. This makes me happy.

Well, relatively speaking.