Overwhelming

My big daughter finally got around to signing up for drivers lessons. She has also been giving serious thought to which University she will be going to after next year. That left my head spinning.

The wee one is kicking the backwards walking the last few days and is progressing into running forwards. The running is fraught with danger though and there have been several face and headplants into stationary objects.

My little daughter has mastered the words “shoe”, “thank-you”, “sock” and “poo”.

Speaking of poo, she has successfully signed that she has “pee’d” a couple of times (even though she had actually pooed), and the congratulations have gone to her head. Now anything to do with her nether regions, or diapers, or just not wearing pants is an occasion to both sign and say “Pee” It goes on and on, that and “Hot”. Everything can be and is hot; from the oven, to N’s nipples, from my coffee to the icy cold back window. It doesn’t matter what the temperature of the object in question is, just how she feels about it.

My beloved friend Angela bought me a new iPod! You read right, Angela D of Front Door Organics (please feel free to sign up for their wonderful service if you live in Toronto), took pity on me, and bought me an iPod with her air miles. Is she great? Oh Yeah! This happened back on New Years, so it isn’t exactly fresh news, but every time I press play, every time I look at it’s pretty pinkness, every time I listen to a podcast, just about every day, I am overwhelmed by her kindness. Wait though, there is more; while I was incapacitated with illness, her beloved (JJ) had left us a big container of homemade soup. I tell you, these women are too good to us. Yay for Angela and JJ.

My new job is pretty great. Sure it is basically just the same thing I have been doing since the late 80’s, but it is all-new at the same time. I am downtown, which is exciting and invigorating. I get to walk to work from the daycare every morning, down through UofT and Spadina; some of my favourite bits of the city. The commercialization of this hunk of Queen can’t wash away all the good memories I have from hanging out around here. I am working with a mostly all new crew, but there are enough people I have worked with before to make it comfortable. Yes, a change is as good as a rest, and I am feeling quite rested in regards to work.

I have been doing the crossword every day on the subway on the way home. I know this isn’t a shocking thought, but I really am getting better. I have enjoyed crosswords on and off for about 10 years, but while I was sick I watched the documentary “Wordplay” about the NY Times crossword and the nerds who take if very seriously. I was inspired. I bought a Times on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and just like they mentioned in the film, it got harder each day. Monday I finished on the trip home. Tuesday’s I almost finished by Wednesday afternoon and Wednesdays was a washout. I can’t even imagine the Friday and Sunday ones. So rather than buy a NY Times everyday I am taking the one out of the Globe and Mail here at work. It is hard in its own way. Because it does double duty as a cryptic and a regular it has few clues but really long answers. So if I miss a word or two it has a deleterious effect on the rest of the puzzle and my chances of finishing it. I did manage to finish the jumbo Saturday one by Sunday evening this week though. I want to be able to whoop my Mom at them by this summer.

I am assuming all but the most confirmed metal heads would be Overwhelmed by how much metal I have been listening to. Most of the Lounge Music blogs I used to frequent have dried up, so it has been on to the Underground Metal blogs. Grindcore, Deathmetal, Blackmetal, Stonermetal, Powermetal, Thrashmetal, Doommetal, and all the different subgenres that you can make up from them. Metal Metal Metal. (I am not responsible for any offense you might take at some of the content of these blogs - you have been warned.) I never liked it as a teen, but for the last 3 years of so I have been rocking it. If you want to find some, go to blogspot.com and do a search through their blogs. Just plain Google doesn’t always work. I am still rocking the Lounge though; I found a great Blog this morning that had a couple of Enoch Light albums, and some Hammond Organ albums and other great stuff. Gotta keep it mixed up eh?

Crap, I have to get to work now.

More soon.