Mini Freak Out

Augh! It's my 1o year high school reunion this year and I am currently receiving an onslaught of Facebook messages regarding said reunion and at this moment it is freaking me out. Maybe it's just tonight: the cider, the Harry Potter that is leading to my sense of holy sh*t... but holy sh*t! I don't know why its freaking me out. I think it's because I was a weird quiet kid in school and although I'm now not as quiet... 

Maybe it's because I was completely forgettable and it will feel weird to be there with my friends who were less forgettable. I'm hoping that Heidi and Lauryn will both come. Lauryn was an athlete and Heidi was active in school council stuff. I was the kind of kid that no one has any reason to remember. I was average in every possible way. Not popular. Not a loner. Not picked on. Not a bully. Not much of anything. It is seriously causing me intense turmoil at this moment. Maybe it's the cider.  I can just picture the conversations: uh... who are you? Right. And you went to school with us? Right. Yeah. I kind of remember you. Are you married? (and then the conversation ends when I vomit on the person's shoes). 

And...back to my cider. 

Fish Eater?

I have been wrestling with the idea of starting to take fish oil supplements. The idea repulses me and makes me feel a bit guilty. I have been praying that God would give me really clear direction on this one. A dream. Something. Anything. Yesterday I began to think about how the Creator made us all interdependent. I depend on fish to sustain certain ecosystems. Fish sometimes benefit from people removing a couple of them from ecosystems. If a fish can be used to heal me, then I can believe that for this time in my life, healing from the Creator is through fish. It still disturbs me that I may have to put parts of a once living creature through my mouth, but God will give me strength. I hope I don’t cry. That would look really wimpy.

On a different note, I am now a believer in the power of nasal irrigation systems. I finally got a Neti Pot. It is WONDERFUL. For a gal with allergies and a constant case of the “stuffies” this little bad boy has changed my life. I have been using it every morning, and I feel moisturized and I breathe so much easier. Apparently you can get plastic ones at drugstores. I haven’t seen one yet, but once I do…I will buy probably more than one and give them to allergy-d and sinus infection prone family and friends. It is that good.

Yesterday I was at my friendly-neighborhood big box stationary store (not so friendly, not in my neighborhood) and there were these light-up pens with Bambi in them (for 99 cents) and I did just what that store wanted me to do, and I bought one. I even tried to think of why I wanted that pen. Do I need another pen? No. I bought it because it had floaty sparkles and a plastic Bambi in AND it lit up. I am SUCH a sucker for stationary.

Today, I talked to the guy who I called an a-hole and he was very nice.

There's No Romance in My Blood (and no-antibodies to give me the diagnosis I crave)

I talked to an a-hole today on the phone. It was work related - I was advocating for someone. He was the employer and landlord. I was being nice. I kept my voice low and calm. I think he knew he was in trouble from the get-go and he responded defensively. But seriously. He didn't have to be so mean. I found myself spewing out phrases of dirty words for about 7 minutes after I hung up the phone. I haven't been that angry for a loooong time. 

On a different note, my roommate has a fever tonight and she ordered pizza. Now, I'm not much of a pizza eater, but I do know a thing or two about being sick...

I went to Pizzeria Prego  last Friday night and they have gluten free crusts there!!!!!! !!!!!! They do have corn in them, (and cheese on them) and it was delicious. It's been awhile since I've had pizza, and I ate the whole thing in one sitting. That was somewhat regrettable, but I have pizza back in my life (well, kind of in my life - corn and dairy aren't my best friends). 

Speaking of best friends...have you seen "Scott Baio is 45 and Single"?!?? Maybe it was the pizza, but that is one good-trashy show. I am thankful for the writers strike. I have my Thursday nights back, and when I visit my cable-d friend, I can gorge on reality shows without feeling too guilty about it. For example: "Hey what do you want to do tonight?" "We can watch cable." "Okay, but there's nothing on." "I guess we can watch Scott Baio again." "Okay." See? It's that simple. 

I've decided to try to convince my family to all get tested for Celiacs (even though I've never been actually "diagnosed" with it). Tonight, I checked in with my mom and talked with one of my brothers. I am pretty sure that if anyone in family has it, it is my darling middle brother. Years ago when my spirit knew it was time to say good-bye to gluten it was difficult, but manageable. I had a healthy lifestyle even when I was ill. I can't imagine making such a big change and not being very healthy. I guess the only thing I can do is ask the Creator to speak to and heal his spirit.

I am going through a strange time right now. I feel like I am going through healing from the years of being sick and not looking sick and having physicians brush me off. It was really hard when I hurt so bad and had nothing to show for it. No one seemed to take me seriously. I was so low. My body ached. I was emotionally drained. But from what I was being told, I was the picture of health. I really tried hard to brush it off. It seems a bit silly that I am so emotional about this. But I finally feel vindicated. And now that I'm throwing around the C-word, I no longer feel like it's necessary to throw in disclaimers about my diet, and I feel less apologetic when I ask questions in restaurants. You probably don't care. That's fine. But this is a big thing for me right now. 

Gimme Yer Money

Candeo Housing Association has put an offer on a building and the offer was accepted, and now we need to raise $555, 000. If you have any extra dollars, we could use them. It's a four-plex in the West end - off Stony Plain Road. It's a really great building and I'm really excited. So now it's grant writing time and asking people for money. Just think, if everyone who reads this blog chips in ten dollars, we'll have a hundred dollars in no time. One hundred! I guess every little bit helps. 

The Digging-est Dog

There are fire trucks outside my place right now. The fire alarm from the next building just went off. My guess is that there was a fire. When I was younger, I remember thinking that if I was ever in a building that was on fire, I would just jump in the shower. It seemed like the smartest solution. How can you burn when you're soaking wet? I later found out about the power of smoke and having the ceiling cave on one's head. Now if I'm ever in a building that is one fire I will plan on using the nearest exit and stay low to the ground. 

Last night I saw "Juno" (finally) and it was really great. I knew that I really liked it when Belle and Sebastian started playing (how predictable, I know). I was hoping that they were going to play "Stars of Track and Field" but I guess that was too obvious? I think that "Stars" is one of my favorite B&S songs. But then again, they are all my favorite. 

So...I went to my first allergy desensitization session this week. And it was heffing nuts. Absolutely crazy. Tuning forks. Cold laser. Coloured glasses. Sander-buffer thing. These are a few highlights. 

I also went to the dentist this week to get a filling. I had a cavity filled when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago. I found this experience quite traumatic. The part I hated most was the mouth dam. I did not like that. I was trying to tell two co-workers about the experience and this is an excerpt of what I described: "and then she asked me if I ever had a rubber dam in my mouth". Yeah... it was not until the words were out of my mouth that I realized what I had said. The assistant did not ask me that question in those words, by the way. For someone so wholesome, there is some crazy shit that comes out of my mouth. Yikes.

Today there was the Homeless Memorial. It was sad, but nice to be around people who care. People live such rough lives. I feel sad for myself when my leg goes numb, or when I want to eat a muffin. I can go home and do yoga and bake some GF stuff. Life could be so much harder. 

Energize While You Synergize

I just want to take some time to share with you, dear friends, how much I love carbohydrates. I love them. My current favorites (in no particular order): potatoes, rice and quinoa. My naturopath has convinced me to try to diversify my diet more. (I like the idea of eating locally but by cutting out wheat and corn my options are limited). (That was just in case you were judging me about my irresponsibility. I am jerk. I am knowing it). Sometimes I like to make jokes about not eating breads because I'm on Atkins. It's a joke that is quickly fading and was probably never very funny. But I laugh and laugh. Atkins! Can you even imagine?

Yesterday I went to a conference and the craziest thing happened. The facilitator used the words interface and synergy (about 4 times). "Hopefully we can interface again, and get some synergy going". What?! If it happened just once, I may have been able to handle it. But it happened more than once. When synergy got synergized, I scoffed. No one, not one, should use that word in any form more than once a day. I thought words like that were just jokes for people who understand Dilbert. I feel way more culturally relevant now. Finally.

MY HOUSE IS HOT!!!!! I live in an older house and the heat has been turned off for about a week now. But it's registering at about 26 degrees. Celsius.  Holy heff . Apparently there is a chance that some wires(?) are crossed and my suite is controlling a different suite's heat. The plumber is coming in next week. Until then, I will just try to enjoy balmy winter nights. 

Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It

Three things:

1. My favorite thing on Arrested Development was when Lindsay was sitting on the photocopier making copies of a Volvo - and the jokes that followed. It was just dirty enough to keep me interested.

2. I received a strange request to take part in an interesting sounding project. One would assume that due to my emotional sluttery and high level of self disclosure I would be delighted at the offer... but it mostly just makes me uncomfortable. 

3. My motion sickness got really awful and I asked Jesus to heal it and it's not so awful now. Thanks God. 

(bonus) 4. I have my first allergy desensitization session Wednesday night!!