Saturday, as days spent mostly for pleasure was a good time. I managed to work on several projects I had lined up and learn some new techniques while enjoying a few laughs, getting some nice freebies, being fed by someone else and shopping for new scrapbooking toys – what is not to like? I stopped for $300 worth of groceries on the way home which quickly brought the ‘being a teenager mode’ to a halt.
Stanley as pictured here has become the object of a custody request, as in the youngest daughter’s phone call of yesterday which informed that Pets Unlimited in Fredericton (where a roommate works) has shampoo which makes cats not allergenic. Hmm, not sure how the cats feel about being shampooed, considering they don’t care (as about many
things) if they cause problems and are more in favor of doing the bathing themselves. Apparently the allergic roommate is now not bothered by Winston (a kitten who has been welcomed into their household) who has been treated thusly and so the push is on to reunite Stanley with his original owner. Concerns that Stanley will physically abuse the kitten not react well to the move; require extra financial resources etc. were settled. Discussion ensued of various transportation variables as the bridesmaid will be traveling to Halifax to have her dress tailored and requested Stanley be driven there. The final decision however was that Stanley should be retrieved when the bridesmaid was home the last weekend in June for her sister’s wedding.The boy wonder continues to lobster this spring, managing most days on four to five hours sleep – I can vaguely remember when I was his age and could handle that concept. His lobstering alone is a matter of concern for those of us over the age of 23, but considering the risky behaviors he engages in on land, I should not be alarmed. He continues to transport himself on the generosity of his father due to the truck in pieces in a friend’s backyard awaiting a rear end.
Have had some discussions with the bride-to-be lately and plans are coming together for the nuptials although the focus this next while is on academics. She is finishing up her final week of practice teaching, volunteering the next week in a city classroom with someone who was a former university mate before she graduates on May 8th. Although David Suzuki’s ideologies differ from the father of the graduate who advocates killing fish, it will be a pleasant change for these Anglophone parents to hear in his message in a language we understand. After that she will be able to substitute until the end of the year while she awaits the opportunity to apply for job postings for September. Hopefully, some kind of term position will offer itself as it is a cruel and unusual punishment to study for six years in a language which is not your first to find you have to wait your turn. We are all thinking positive thoughts, so add yours along.
Also had a chat with the oldest daughter who is involved in doing a fundraiser at the bank displaying her cultural roots (fish chowder and blueberry buckle) with the explanation that “oatmeal bread might be too weird for these people out west” and that the dessert had to be explained. And to think that we consider the Quebec situation an issue in our one big country eh? She described going out for a few laughs with a female welder and her friends who included some mature Greek Canadians (described as mature and macho enough to buy your drinks and hot) which was a nice diversion on the weekend.
I had attempted this morning to borrow the high-speed internet access of a friend up the road while calling Dell to get my wi-fi operational on my netbook as somehow in the Bell turbostick debacle it has been altered. This was not to be as after much discussion with two Dell techs I was advised that there was a nominal charge to purchase an expired warranty service which would give me 30 days of tech support but no parts if required. When I asked for a costing of ‘nominal’ I was told $60 - $150 which I pointed out is not my definition of nominal, and if they were hoping to teach me a lesson for not buying the extended warranty this hadn’t worked as I would do anything in my power to NOT give them anymore of my money and furthermore I’d only used the netbook about 30 times in total. I opted to contact Bell and it likely comes as no surprise that Bell does not support wi-fi only the turbostick but as I told the tech “you couldn’t help me with the turbostick either that’s why I am paying $250 this month for something I don’t have and you must see on the file the hours I spent on the phone with tech support installing and uninstalling software which has now affected my wi-fi!” When she directed me to visit bell.ca I was particularly unimpressed so I asked “and just how would you suggest that I do that since I can’t connect?” An attempt at system restore to a date pre-turbostick was unsuccessful so my next call was to a local computer tech that the shore captain uses – with a name like Cyber Geek how can they not be good? After admonishing me for buying online he told me I’d need to bring the netbook in for them to look at, but reassured it was likely minor and they wouldn’t charge if so. I told him if it was more than $50 I wouldn’t bother and would instead have an expensive paperweight and at any rate the shore captain was to be billed as I was still owed payment on the laptop I surrendered for the boat. The word for Eastlink locally is end of May for broadband access – all digits crossed. My friend has a heart condition and it’s not likely a good idea for him to be a spectator to events such as I took to his house yesterday.
