As I ready for yet another trip to the city, I shall first update this blog. All is well and the trip shall include a visit with Miss Claire so am looking forward more than usual to the journey.
This recent weekend we enjoyed having our grandson over and he is spirit lifting as only a five year old boy can be. I had arranged with his mother to pick him up at the nearest bus stop to us on Friday afternoon and return him there on Monday morning for school. I arrived early at the stop as I couldn't remember the exact arrival time (a lot has gone in my life since I did the school bus run in June) and there was a new driver this year. As 4 pm approached his mother texted to ask if he had arrived and I assured her I was waiting at the stop. Shortly thereafter the bus sped by. I quickly texted his mother 'bus went by' and began pursuit. Back in the day when our children rode the elementary school bus there were multiple stops through the three small communities but….no more. With our aging population there is not another stop until Ingomar which is about five minutes away. As I tailed the bus, the frantic texts from his mother arrived…is he on the bus? why didn't they stop? At the Ingomar fire hall the bus finally turned in and I approached the door. Our grandson quickly exited through the door and stood beside me with a relieved look on his face. The poor driver was very apologetic and explained that a substitute teacher had his class and hadn't provided the bus transfer form to her. That, and the perfect storm of the two young fellows who get off at the stop I frequent, not being on the bus Friday meant she didn't stop but continued on. Our grandson realized something was amiss as they passed out of our community and told the driver she'd "forgotten to let him go to his Nanak's ". I arranged to drop him off at the regular stop on Monday morning and we headed home.
The weekend was spent with lego, crafts, playing games of mousetrap and scardy squirrel and reading books. He spent Saturday afternoon visiting his great Nanny with his Auntie and running errands. Sunday was Open Farm Day at Chestnut Hill Farm and so we enjoyed visiting the piggies, chickens, ducks and bee hives. We even saw his teacher and her family there so I introduced myself (her father was principal when our children were small) and she taught in Uluhuktak (next community to Sachs Harbour) when she began her career. Small world. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in secret preparations for an early birthday party as due to my anticipated immunocompromised status on the actual date I will be hibernating. We enjoyed a nice supper with blueberry cake/candles and I was treated to a scavenger hunt for some lovely gifts. I was thrilled with the handmade (supervised by the auntie) creations. As the little guy was being put in the tub that evening the pump sputtered and….we joined the waterless masses locally as we suffer through a major drought.
Fortunately, it rained during the night and all day Monday. In fact, as we waited for the bus Monday morning there was a major cloudburst, which luckily slowed when the bus arrived. We had large grey wharf boxes brought over from the plant - the shore captain has been providing them locally for a few weeks now - and the fire department filled them with water suitable for everything but drinking. So, buckets of water to flush the toilet, boiled two large pots full to do the dishes from a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, paper plates, hand wipes, laundromat, showers at the provincial park and drinking bottled water.
On Monday a buddy and myself first had a Cuban lunch at Shanty Cafe (she treated me - I am so spoiled) and we shopped at the craft shop of the sheltered workshop which is next door. Then we attended Look Good Feel Better at the regional hospital which is a sponsored session with about $200 worth of free cosmetics. None of the other ladies realized I was wearing a wig so I was a good advertisement for the section on hair replacement and I managed to put my makeup on without looking like a clown so it was a good time. I'm not likely to wear all the makeup but….there were some nice goodies.
Tuesday when the well was checked….we had water to cover the foot valve at least a few inches but the pump had lost its prime and wouldn't pick up the water. So, the shore captain called a local plumber who promised to come 'first thing' in the morning when he was assured the man of the house would be here. I was sleeping soundly at 7 am when rudely awakened by my other half who said "get up, I have to go and the plumber isn't here yet". Not being a morning person I stumbled out of bed and he left. In the bathroom a few minutes later I heard my phone ringing and found a voice mail message stating "call me back, it'll probably be too late by the time you do", When I connected with the life partner who was not even two km up the road, he had passed the plumber on the way to our house and was directing me to pay him cash. Now a bit more awake I firmly educated him on the difference between have and want as in….I am a nurse I have to be at work 20 minutes to 7 to listen to report / you are self employed and want to be at work at a time you decide this morning - big difference. He protested that he would be away the next day and a half and had paperwork to do, no argument but the 5 minute wait for the plumber and his 15 minute service call (which netted him $120) could have been scheduled in there. The day is long when you're up that early. After breakfast I settled in to clean / organize my scrapbooking supplies and had a very productive couple of hours. Certainly not complete but a very good start. Lots of ideas for projects now that I've gotten my things out and looked at them.
After lunch I enjoyed my book on the deck and the neighbour walked over to tell me that she had about six feet of water in her newly dug well. Apparently there were two attempts made as the first was dry as dust. She was pretty excited as she's been waterless for weeks now. We feasted on BBQ moose steaks for supper which had been a gift to the shore captain.
So tomorrow it's start the steroids and have the bloodwork day and then the trip to the city to overnight before the longer day of appointment and chemo. Completing this cycle will mark the halfway point of the treatments.
