Diabetes-Cats

A difficult day at work

2009-11-03T21:18:00.001-05:00

Today's Horoscope: "A difficult experience at work will open your eyes to the fact that your mood swings are more harmful to you than anything else. That being said, a period of great professional achievements is getting started."

Good gawd, I hope so. I'm having a nice little cocktail (or four) instead of supper---a hefty shot of vodka over lots of ice with a modest amount (maybe 1/4 teaspoon) of pure Quebec maple syrup stirred in. What would you call that? I'm sure there's already a name for it. Maybe a Boozmopolitan.

I was about ready to quit my job today. I can't quite recall the reason, now---something about few resources, limited contacts, ancient software, and a scatter-brained co-worker who praises me with faint damns. Not really---she responds to my ideas and suggestions with a long-drawn-out "great" or "excellent" à la Office Space. I get the idea that she's not quite with it. But she does have a lot on her plate...and I do have 17 more years of experience at this kind of work.

So since I can't recall the exact reason for wanting to leave a modest-paying job with absolutely no benefits in this lean market, I attribute it to a mood swing. After a soothing cigarette in the early afternoon, I went back to my desk and spent a whole three hours re-reading a policy document and an associated procedure to determine that, yes, they are both quite coherent but only one needs some adjustment before they're both approved.

This, by the way, is a view of a sunset of the Bromont ski hill around Christmas from the picture window of my parents' former home. Using good binoculars, you could faintly see skiers going down the slopes under the night-skiing lights---over eight miles away.

And the maple syrup was produced by my brother's former landlords.

Changing Clocks AND Calendars

2009-11-01T06:48:00.000-05:00

So Daylight Saving (not Savings, please) Time has come to an end. Time to put the clocks back. And get another hour's sleep. But I don't think I've ever had to change the calendars and clocks on the same date. This is my funky electric kitchen clock from Value Village.

Falling back has fewer consequences than springing ahead, apparently. I've heard that car accident rates climb on the couple of days after DST begins in the spring, because people have "lost" an hour's sleep and are even more stupid on the road in the morning than usual. My parents sometimes forgot to change the clocks and as a result we were sent to Sunday school an hour early. A woman I worked with was so oblivious she couldn't figure out why her daughter's daycare worker was giving her dirty looks until Wednesday, when I asked her if she'd changed her clocks. She was dropping her daughter off an hour late every day.

My problem is that I can't figure out whether it stays dark later or gets light earlier in the days ahead. Oh, I just figured it out! It's 6:48 am ET, and it's getting light! I wonder if I do figure it out every year or whether I just forget.

Green, red, orange, yellow, white, and blue

2009-10-29T22:16:00.003-04:00

Would be nice colours for a flag, wouldn't they? But they're the recommended colours of the vegetables and fruits we should be eating more of to get all the phytonutrients and antioxidants every day.

Green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, and other greens like Brussels sprouts and broccoli
Red like sweet red peppers and tomatoes, and apples, raspberries, and strawberries
Orange like carrots. And orange peppers, and oranges, and many kinds of winter squash
Yellow like, um, yellow peppers? Pears?
White like mushrooms and onions; maybe garlic...
Blue like, well, blueberries. And blue, red, or black grapes, I guess. I'm not sure where eggplant fits in there, since most are only purple on the outside.

You can look all these up yourself, of course.

Food guides suggest five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. But put the veggies first---while fruits have fiber and good nutrients, most are higher in sugar. In fact, children should be the ones getting as few as five servings a day---adults should get up to twelve. Most vegetables have fewer carbohydrates and more fiber. Adding just a serving or two a day (one small apple, one orange, one cup of broccoli, half a cup of carrots, etc.) can benefit your belly.

Some folks say you should eat not one but three apples a day---there's even a diet for it. Apples have lots of soluble (pectin) and insoluble fiber (skin). I halve an apple, trim out the stem and blossom ends, and remove the core with a melon baller. In fact, I've never used a melon baller to make melon balls. Less waste and you can eat cored pears and apples at your desk with little mess and no sticky fingers. The Red Delicious variety is supposed to be the best.

I like kohlrabi. It's a good substitute for potatoes or turnip in beef stew. I think you can steam or boil the greens (but slugs have been at the leaves in this image!!), but I usually just throw them out. Handsome Stranger likes to play with the peels.

I just came back from the store where I picked up six packages of frozen veggies on sale (Green Giant Essentials). Harvest season is getting ready to end, and southern Ontario has terrific farmers. But I might as well just dump the fresh produce I buy right into the composter from the reusable shopping bags. I'll eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches for three nights in a row instead of washing, slicing, and steaming or roasting the food I buy. My freezer drawers are packed full of frozen veggie and fruit bargains, as well as stuff I've frozen myself. But the fresh produce on the fridge shelves is getting all wrinkled and less appetizing. Maybe if I washed a few pots, and cleaned off the table, stove, and counters...

But I'm trying to do better. Tonight I went to the kitchen to make myself a PB sandwich, and instead I microwaved a Green Giant package and put it in a bowl of reheated beef and vegetable soup. Now I feel all virtuous again.

Fatal Light migrating bird casualty

2009-10-24T10:27:00.010-04:00

I don't usually walk around with a dead bird in my pocket. If it had been a House Sparrow (pest!), starling (pest! pest!), or other common bird I could identify, I would have kicked it to the curb.

My former co-worker LH notified me one evening of the location of two "sparrows" that had hit the office building. I picked them up after work and identified them as a pair of Brown Creepers that had hit the tower on their way somewhere. I did a little research and phoned a couple of people, and a few days later LH and I were on our way at lunch time to the Biodiversity Centre at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). A very nice bird man confirmed my ID and took the bodies away. Then LH and I rode up the elevator and had a luscious lunch at the then-existing JK at the ROM (JK = Jamie Kennedy, renowned Toronto chef and former restaurateur). (Ten percent discount for members! Real cloth napkins! Fine dining! We felt both pampered and virtuous.)

Brown Creeper Photo © Michael J.Hopiak / CLO

A good bird site, especially if you think you might know the species, is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds website. They even provide links to bird songs.

But this one's unknown to me. The closest I got was a Henslow's Sparrow, but the males, females, and even juveniles have obvious stripes on the head and this one has a dark grey cap with no stripes at all. The colours are very close too---olive green around the neck, bright rufous speckles on creamy breast, bright rufous feathers on back, wings, and tail, pinkish underside to beak, buff eye-ring. But it's got that grey headcap. I'll have to get my Sibley and Petersen and National Geographic guides out and see if there are variations. It could also be a Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, or a Lincoln's Sparrow. And it could be a juvenile Dark-Eyed Junco, but it should have its adult markings by now (late October).

Anyways, I picked it up just outside my office building on Friday.
It hadn't been dead for long; rigour had set in, but its black eyes were still clear. I put it in my coat pocket, then transferred it to a small paper bag (I have many---I eat too many muffins on the way to and at work), and to a freezer bag and into the freezer when I got home. The Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) is staffed by volunteers (I think) and works with office managers to turn out lights at night to keep migrating birds from crashing into high-rise windows. People trek to high-rise buildings before dawn and pick up and record fatalities and injured birds, and work to get the live ones rehabbed and back to their routes. And there's a collision reporting page in case you do find a dead or injured bird: http://www.flap.org/new/colrepfr.htm

UPDATE: It's a Fox Sparrow. I got a clue from my Petersen's guide and googled for a live image.

UPDATE October 29: I'm being a good honest blogger and removing the photo of the Fox Sparrow. The photographer has copyrighted all his images and I didn't ask permission to use that one.

You can see Doug Backlund's beautiful photos here: http://www.wildphotosphotography.com/WildPhotos/birds2/fox_sparrow2.htm

The first cut is the deepest

2009-10-21T18:57:00.004-04:00

I got another nice stack of mail today, including a notice to pick up a parcel at the post office, which closed at 3 pm today (an eBay purchase; more on that later); my November transit pass; and a PandG Brand Sampler. Like the first one I got in May, the ends of the tough paperboard box were firmly glued, defying any attempt to open it by hand. So I grabbed my handy utility knife, and thought to myself, just as I started to cut towards my thigh, "Don't do it that way, you f*cking idiot!" as the blade sliced about 3 cm through my good Kenneth Cole slacks and into my leg. (Really, it's not much more than a good cat scratch, which usually come in threes, and a regular bandage on a diagonal covers it nicely. My skin, I mean---and I think I can patch the slacks adequately with some light-weight iron-on interfacing on the inside.)

In the dangerous box was a real grab bag of goodies: a full-sized Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (which is good, because I can't find my two-pack anywhere); a 60-ml sample (good-sized) of Olay Total Effects body wash; a Tide Stain-Release in-wash booster packet; two one-load samples of fabric softener (Ultra Gain and Ultra Downy), which I don't usually use, but I've heard they help in getting animal fur off clothes and linens; and a Gain laundry detergent sample.

My eBay purchase, which I'll pick up tomorrow, was a hand-turned French rolling pin made of black walnut. The wood came from a 150-year-old farm house in Kentucky, and the seller's husband has time on his hands, so he's making a bunch of these from antique wood.

It's 20" x 2.5" and has a nice weight. Black walnut is worth its weight in gold in some parts. Here it is next to my maple pastry rolling pin. I've since rubbed some food-safe tung oil on it to keep it moist.

Now I just have to clean off the kitchen table, get some pastry flour and lard, and try my hand again at making a pie.

UPDATE: I picked up my new rolling pin at the post office Thursday night. It's beautiful, and somehow a bit bigger than I expected. Instead of pie pastry, I think I'll make pasta dough. I've had much better luck with it. And it's fun squashing it in the pasta maker that I got at a discount at Value Village (someone had stolen the table clamp and crank, but I had spares here at home).

Office Space

2009-10-21T07:05:00.000-04:00

While speaking to my manager yesterday about working conditions (she's very solicitous), I was reminded of starting my first full-time job as a tech writer in Toronto. The building was due for renovation and there was limited office space. For the first three months I carried my working papers, desk supplies, and reference books in boxes (cheekily labelled "Karen's Desk" and "Karen's Office"). When I came in in the morning I'd ask my boss where I'd be working that day. I counted---23 different work spaces between July and October. Finally I was assigned an actual office with a door that closed. I shared it with another technical writer and we got along famously.

But sometimes I'd come in and sit down and find that my PC was missing. A manager would "borrow" it for presentations because it had the right pin count in a PS2 slot or something.

Eventually the building renovations started and my team and a couple of others moved to temporary office space. I had an office. With a push-button phone. And a door that closed. But my insensitive boss (when she got pregnant, and declared that every woman should have at least one baby, and I said I didn't want to ever, she said I should anyways and give the baby up for adoption) would open my door, speak to me, and leave without closing the door again. This happened a few times one afternoon, and I got up and closed the door after her each time. The last time I guess I sort of closed it a bit more firmly (I mean, the glass didn't rattle or anything, but it was close to a slam), she opened the door again, looked at me oddly, and closed it again.

Other than that it was a fine place to work.

At this new place, I'm getting eye strain due to the overhead fluorescents, and I can't figure out how to adjust my chair, and after three weeks I still don't have access to the network folders. But at least they're not paying me...

Hiding the cats from the dog catcher

2009-10-17T08:29:00.004-04:00

I got a nice big stack of mail the other day---my eBay purchase, a detergent sample and coupons, and not one, not two, but four notices that I need to renew my pet licences.

In summer 2008 there was a ~~cash grab~~ revenue-generating and youth employment initiative by the City of Toronto: young persons were hired as enforcement agents for Toronto Animal Services (which I've visited when in the area; a nice place to shop) to snoop around people's homes looking for evidence of domestic animals (cats and dogs). Then they'd knock on the door and make people buy licences ("Annual licensing [sic; US spelling] of dogs and cats is the law in Toronto..."). There are lots of outdoor cats (and indoor ones, if I count those that like to sit and look out their front windows) and a few dogs on the street. Well, I didn't wait for some pimply-faced clipboard-carrying municipal-ID-wearing punk to knock on my door and intimidate me by looking over my shoulder at the dust bunnies made of cat fur lining the stairs. I went online and bought a licence for each indoor cat ($15 per cat if it's sterilized, which mine are). And you're supposed to attach the licence tag to the cat (mine don't wear collars, and I don't believe in superfluous piercings). Licencing cats and dogs has been the (by)law since I've lived here, but I probably could have gotten away with not doing it. And I don't think they even did our street in the end.

I got renewal notices in July and ignored them. After all, I wasn't working and didn't want to spend the money. Now I get them again. I have only a few days to renew in order to obey Municipal code chapter 349, or a Municipal Enforcement Officer will come to my house, count the cats, and fine me $240 per miscreant. I tried to figure out a way to let them know I no longer have four cats staying with me (betrayal, I know; can I build a secret room to hide them when the Guardians of the Peace burst through my door? Can I declare that they are Domesticated Ungulates of the families Artiodactylus and Perissodactylus, Anseriformes, Galliformes and Struthioniformes and are thus exempt from the licencing rules?). But the layers of fur on every surface, scratching posts, shredded furniture, and all-pervading litter box smell will betray me. I'm a good corporate citizen, generally, but this gets my goat, so to speak. (By the way, did anyone get that? Goat sort of = Artiodactylus?)

Now that I'm working the money should not be such a problem. But it is---I found out on payday that my employer pays in arrears, just like EI (after the two week waiting period to receive benefits or pay, there's another two weeks to wait). So I don't get paid until the end of the month.

Bid early, bid often!

2009-10-08T18:50:00.002-04:00

This is a public plea for people to look at my eBay sales. I had time on my hands yesterday, and these things were already boxed up, so I listed them:

An aluminum tortilla press that I never got the hang of using (a looker asked me why it was so "inexpensive." I replied that it IS an auction, typically starting low to attract bidders...)
A vintage Pyrex covered casserole from the 1930s, made for the Russakov Club by Corning Glass Works
A vintage 1950s set of 3 Pyrex clear glass nested mixing bowls in lovely condition
A shabby woolen runner in reds and blues that may or may not be a vintage Navajo rug (eBay doesn't let you say what you think it is if you don't have provenance on it).

It's mainly because, even with the contract pay, it will take me ages to pay down the debts I incurred while I was out of work. I don't know how people do it. I don't usually live with debt for very long (I don't count the mortgage). When I had cable I'd watch TV programs on dealing with singles' or couples' debt. I could easily sympathize with the subjects, but couldn't relate---until now. I'm not in dangerous debt, but I'm unhappy about it, since I'm not making enough money to pay it off quickly.

And my lovely tax refund, which I usually get in mid-March, will go right to what's left of the debts!

A fine kettle of phish, and Protestant "guilt" ethic

2009-10-07T10:41:00.000-04:00

My third day at work, and I call in sick. I started feeling not so great yesterday afternoon, after a poor night's sleep on Monday night. Woke up in the middle of the night coughing. Buckleys Mixture does work, for a while. Woke up again with the cat alarm ("We're alarmed! Wake up! Feed us! Let us help you wake up by knocking everything off your nightstand!"), just before the radio went on. Sneezing. Headache. Chills. Put on a fleece jacket under my thick cotton jacket since the indoor temp is over 20C. Good thing too, because Handsome Stranger was busy keeping my neck and shoulders warm, and I haven't clipped his claws lately.

I e-mailed and left voice messages with HR and my co-worker, asking for something to do. It's not strictly the Protestant Work Ethic---more like the Protestant Guilt Ethic. I can't take any cold/flu products that are available over the counter to alleviate symptoms, since almost all (including Alka-Seltzer) are contraindicated for diabetics. Otherwise I'd suck it up (unlike me, since I'm so self-indulgent when it comes to my health, sort of). So I asked for a document to work on.

And I got a very realistic PayPal message the other day. But I knew I hadn't sent a payment to anyone for anything. PayPal agreed that it was a spoof/phishing e-mail. I think these "phishers of men" take advantage of those of us who, while in our cups or three sheets to the wind or looking upon the wine while it is red, bid on auctions or buy products late at night. I try to avoid that these days, after the DazzleWhite fiasco. Though I was stone-cold sober when I fell for that one.

New Job, and New Scanner

2009-10-05T20:15:00.004-04:00

First day at the new contract job. Apparently it takes over a week to requisition a work station, so I didn't have a computer to work on (this isn't the first time it's happened at a new job; at one place they forgot I was coming at all, and then my new boss couldn't remember my name). But my new co-worker and I toured the building and she introduced me to the Admin team members, and we reviewed the list of documents we will be working on. They are posted on the corporate intranet. And I figured out how to record a personal greeting on the phone. There's a Tim Hortons downstairs, and an underground walkway to the subway station. I can imagine that, with winter coming, the uphill walk to work and the downhill back will be (voice of Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein)...treacherous. (Remind me to write a note to myself to get a copy of that movie; it's one of my favourites.)

I just wrote about my old computer equipment but didn't mention my refurbished scanner (bought in 2000) was an Epson Perfection 636. Perfectly serviceable still, but when I upgraded the operating system from Win98 to WinXP the software drivers for it couldn't be updated. It took ages to find and download new software, but the $50US or so was worth it. It takes an 8.5 x 11" page. But the software only implies that it can scan negatives to positives. Either it's lying to me or I can't figure out how to work it.

I want to make family calendars as Christmas gifts this year, and I want to use old family pictures. A few months ago I bought a negative/slide scanner on eBay (FS-C1-VP-BX2 Film & Slide Digital Converter). But no how, no way could I install it on my Toshiba laptop. I gave the whole mess to my brother who was able to get it working on his laptop, but he's not very fond of it. And he's a lazy sod: he scanned exactly one image---from his and Mom's trip last year to Australia. I'll take it back and re-sell it on eBay.

So instead of trying to get him to scan old negatives, I'll get Mom to send me her selections of actual photos from multiple albums and I'll scan them and upload them to one of the custom calendar sites.

In the meantime, spending money I don't have again, I fell for a new HP Scanjet G3110 flatbed from Staples that also does slides and negatives (and bulky items: useful for online auctioneers). And it actually works! The bonus is that it plugs into a USB port so I can use it on the laptop. I can also scan to PDF and e-mail. So I'm happy now. Tra la!

Here's a scan of my girl Bwai from a negative strip using the Scanjet. If she looks blue, she is---she just had a shave. Note how her fat belly hangs over her back feet.

Old computer and software still useful

2009-10-03T10:30:00.002-04:00

I started working in Information Technology in the summer of 1989. My first work PC was an XT, similar to this one, sound effects and all. I used Word Perfect on DOS to write and update financial systems manuals. I think we had network folders, and a primitive e-mail system. A few higher-tech people had Windows PCs, but I didn't get one for a year or so.

In 2001 I was fired from a job after five months (gawd, what a relief! I hated that job!). I got a decent severance package, and went out and bought my first (refurbished) home computer---a Compaq tower with a staggering 9G processor, Windows 98, CRT monitor, roller-ball mouse, and PS2 keyboard. People had been making fun of me for a few years because I didn't have e-mail. But I got hooked up with an ISP a day or so later. I called Bell Canada, but they would only send me their Internet start-up package by snail-mail, and I wanted to be online pretty soon. I got on the phone with a tech from another service provider, and he walked me through the steps. I put my résumé online (I think it was Workopolis) in the morning and by mid-afternoon I was getting calls from head-hunters. Those were the days, eh?

Over the next couple of weeks I met about eight recruiters and hiring managers, and had several interviews. I turned down one job because it was too far to commute, and another because there were too many people on the writing team. I interviewed for a lone tech writer position in the morning, and when I arrived home shortly after I found a voice message from my head-hunter that I'd been offered the job.

Anyways, to make a long story even longer, I was allowed home-use installs for Microsoft Office, Adobe FrameMaker, and Acrobat. I've since upgraded from Win98 to WinXP and MS Office 2003, and I have a ~~pirated~~ version of PhotoShop. I had bought a refurbished flatbed scanner, which came in very handy when I was selling a lot on eBay. (My primitive method was to take film photos of my items and scan them and upload them.) And all that software still works! I scanned my autograph yesterday and created a digital signature using Acrobat, so I could e-mail my prize declaration form and not have to spend a dollar plus tax on faxing it.

I don't have Internet access on it anymore, though, and I need to take the tower apart so I can fix the CD drawer. I guess I used it as a cup holder for too long...

The money is just pouring in!

2009-10-02T06:00:00.007-04:00

Along with the $100 CA or so that I will get for the shoes I sold on eBay, the $10 CA I earned filling out web surveys, and the one-cent piece I found on the floor of the pharmacy the other day, I have been notified that I won $50 in an online draw.

Once I fill out the Declaration and Release Form and fax it in, and send an e-mail with my answer to the skill-testing mathematical question ("without mechanical or other assistance in the amount of time permitted") within seven days, I will get my prize e-mailed to me in four to six weeks.

The last time I won anything of value was at a company Christmas party in about 1992. The prize was a Hitachi boom box (CD, AM/FM, dual tape deck). The CD player no longer works, but I still use the radio part as a morning alarm. I have tonnes (well, quite a few) pre-recorded cassette tapes from my favourite artists in the 1980s and 1990s. So I hang onto the thing even though it takes up a lot of room. My car has only a tape player, and my road trip music tends to be stuff I can sing along to, like Prince (really!), and The Mamas and Papas' and Eagles' greatest hits, so I hang onto all the cassettes too.

I haven't bought a lottery ticket in quite a while because I spend my imaginary disposable income on smokes and cat supplies. But with all the luck I'm having lately I'm going to keep my eyes open, and if I find a two-dollar coin in the gutter I might just indulge. Not buying a lottery ticket has been about as successful for me as buying one (punchline to old joke).

Time to turn on the furnace, dammit!

2009-10-01T09:15:00.011-04:00

I hate this time of year. Well, not hate, exactly: I don't like having to turn the gravity furnace on, and not just because it's not a simple matter of flipping a switch and turning up the thermostat. Last year I didn't turn it on until October 3, so I haven't held out quite as long. But it just hasn't been that cold here until today.

It's freakin' cold in the house, though (probably because I still have quite a few windows open). While it's sunny the outside temp is about 8C (48F). And in here it's about 14C according to my ancient thermostat.

A gravity furnace, while it may be inefficient in fuel use, has some advantages. There are no air filters to change. It has no moving parts such as a fan. The only electricity it uses is to turn the gas valve on and off. There are no electric blowers, so you don't feel air flow when the furnace is on, and there's less dust in the air. Because it's made of cast iron, the whole thing retains heat, so even while it's off it's heating the basement (and the dining room floor). I have double-glazed windows, and I have sealed up any drafts I can find using caulking, expanding foam insulation, and backer rod, especially around the south side of the house. When I had the house inspected in November 1998, the carbon monoxide reading was extremely low, like 9 parts per billion or something (the inspector told me and my real estate agent that the cigarettes we just smoked put out way more CO than the furnace). I of course have a carbon monoxide detector. The only time it sounded was when I wiped it with a furniture polishing cloth that had some volatile compounds impregnated in it. I stopped using those!

The only cold air leaking in comes from the ancient back door frame. I remedy this by stuffing an old blanket in a plastic bag between the doors, since the weather stripping doesn't quite do the job.

On the other hand, the gigantic ducts take up a lot of head room in the basement. I'm 170cm (5'7") and I have to duck in a few places. The furnace itself takes up a lot of room, sitting as it does in about the centre of the space, and having a circumference of about three meters/10 feet. Getting it out will require some specialists in asbestos removal, since there are sheets of AB protecting the floor joists from the hot water duct to the chimney. It's probably less than 50 percent efficient (though the higher gas bill is offset by the lower electricity use). And getting a mid- or high-efficiency furnace will cost, well, a lot more than I have in the bank.

And I was lucky I bought the house when I did---new insurance rules in 1999 required a furnace to be less than 25 years old. Mine is almost 90. If I wanted to change my insurer I'd have to replace the furnace first. These rules also require replacement of knob-and-tube wiring and galvanized plumbing pipes, and an upgrade to 100-amp input service. This has been done already, but there's more to go.

So the furnace is on, I'm covered in dust and cobwebs, the windows are closed, the temp is already up to 17C, and my ankles are feeling warmer. Maybe I'll put on some socks, though.

My Daily Kitten Klub has a new member

2009-09-29T11:25:00.003-04:00

And while Handsome Stranger is not guaranteed to be the next featured feline on The Daily Kitten, he has joined the Kitten Klub:

http://thedailykitten.com/klubkitten/KBinTo/handsome-stranger/

Though I'd really like to bludgeon the webmaster for such a nasty name.

The first 2116 steps...

2009-09-27T08:30:00.004-04:00

I e-mailed my brother today: "The way to get things back in balance is: eat regularly; smaller meals of whole (unprocessed) foods, including more vegetables; exercise; reduce stress; quit smoking (!); reduce alcohol and caffeine. I sure as hell haven't been doing any of that the last few months." This is the general advice to myself for improving my digestion, which has been causing me trouble recently, and should also help my general health, especially diabetes.

So this morning I made a protein shake with water instead of soy milk, and with psyllium, inulin and glutamine powder, and a tbsp of cocoa; ate a hard-boiled egg, half an apple, and a handful of washed grapes. I will start washing fruit properly for the first time ever, too. I wonder which food makes my stomach hurt more?

Then I attached my pedometer and walked for 2116 steps, including a set of stairs off an adjoining street that leads up to a cul de sac, at which point I turn left to get to my house. I'll try to do another walk later today.

If 2116 steps sounds like a lot, it isn't. It took me 20 minutes or so at a moderate pace. And 10,000 steps a day is what I should work up to.

Another eBay sale - MBT walking shoes

2009-09-26T10:58:00.005-04:00

I bought original MBT walking shoes from a specialty shoe store in Toronto (at full price, back when I could still afford them) in an effort to restart my 30-minutes-a-day walking program. But I never got used to them and need to find another exercise/sport/recreation program to get my muscle tone, cardio, and flexibility back. (I'm not too old, yet! I hope...)

So instead of letting them gather dust (and cat hair, which I didn't include in my listing!) I'm selling them on eBay. I've got five bids and eight watchers with just under five days left to go.

Please, have a look! You can even bid!

UPDATE October 1: Whee! They sold for a good price to a buyer in Alberta.

Working days are here again (almost)

2009-09-26T09:50:00.007-04:00

On Monday, October 5 I start a six-month contract with an Ontario provincial corporation. I won't say who it's for---this might be too public, and I did have to get a police security check. If at the end of the contract period I don't get an extension (though my two previous contracts in 2000 and 2005 were extended well before they were due to end), I won't have to wait for employment insurance (EI). I will continue to report every two weeks to keep my file active ("yes, I did do paid work; no, I haven't changed my address").

If I don't sound all that happy, well, I guess I am happy in a way---but I've become used to the semi-retired lifestyle! I spend the day surfing the web and e-mailing, writing a diary, lying around reading, taking marathon naps, and not much else. I've lost all my good habits: no exercise, worrying incessantly about money, drinking and smoking too much, and not eating properly.

And I may be in trouble with the gas companies. I thought my water heater rental agreement was with Enbridge, but it's actually with Direct Energy (DE). I did not renew the contract with DE (I know I sent the cancellation in time); I had better look at the contract terms to make sure that the services I contracted for (water heater rental and gas billing) will not be renewed.

And I doubt that livclean, my new water heater provider, made any kind of arrangement with DE. Ellen Roseman, who writes "On Your Side" for the Toronto Star, has helped a number of other people with conflicts in their second-party marketing gas contracts. But I hope it doesn't come to that. I just received my August gas bill---I used 5 cM in a month. That amounts to about $1.40 CA, though the total bill was over $35.

OK: here's my Happy Dance, now that I'll start working in just over a week.

The Weakest Link - Google Ad

2009-09-23T09:28:00.008-04:00

I know I'm not supposed to click the Ads by Google links on my own blog pages (I got a terse warning from Adsense because I clicked lots of links on my pages, trying to up my earnings), but I couldn't resist clicking this one:

Here's what came up (note the URL under the banner):

And here are the link properties (left).

New Gas Hot Water Heater!

2009-09-22T08:09:00.016-04:00

I just got a very good house improvement and it should cost me very little if anything. I get credited for carbon offsets, and I might even save money every month.

A guy from livclean came by on Wednesday (Sept. 16) to offer me a new gas water heater (Energy Star-rated), at no charge to me upfront. I don't think very many of my neighbours took advantage of this offer, although quite a few people rent their gas hot water heaters from Enbridge. I imagine that callers going house to house are not fully trusted, especially considering some reports of unscrupulous natural gas marketing firms. But I fell for it, so to speak.

My furnace, kitchen range, and hot water are gas-powered. My 5-year fixed-price contract with Direct Energy will end next month, and I'll be billed again by Enbridge, Toronto's gas distributor; they'll charge 19.9 cents per cubic meter (I'm now paying 27.9 cents/cM), at least for the next few months: http://www.thestar.com/article/699257).

Anyway, I used to rent the water heater from Enbridge. That heater was more than 15 years old and it was putting out calcium deposits that clog up my low-flow faucets and shower head, and some of the laundry was getting a bit of a brownish stain.

livclean is an independent Canadian company that has partnered with Enbridge to take over their water heater rental business. So instead of renting my water heater from Enbridge I'll be renting from livclean. The monthly rental charge will be $5 more but I will save some money on the gas to heat the water (maybe $7.00 per month). And livclean offers carbon offsets.

Two installers came yesterday (Sept. 21) at about 1 pm. Considering that I made the appointment the previous Wednesday for between noon and 5 pm, that was quick service. They did the work quickly and neatly, cleaned up after themselves, showed me how to operate it in vacation mode, when to do my own maintenance (drain a bucket every six to 12 months), and how to restart the pilot if I have to turn it off. I asked if it was safe to replace the insulating blanket I'd had on the old heater, and they said I could, but the new heater has good insulation (I put my hand on it once the water was heated---which took about 30 minutes from cold---and the surface was cool).

They also replaced the foam insulator with a nice thick new piece. One of the installers offered me the spare pieces. "Cats like to play with them," he said. Imagine my dismay---I thought my two girls had invented those games!

http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/02/cat-entertainment-bwais-new-toy.html

What are we supposed to live on?

2009-09-21T07:29:00.005-04:00

Not to sound all whiny or ungrateful or anything---but I'm nearly out of money because my first Employment Insurance (EI) deposit hasn't arrived. In fact, I am more than out of money. I used my Visa card to pay the minimum on my line of credit (LOC) last week. (This is known as robbing Peter to pay Paul.) Two weeks ago I moved money out of the LOC into my chequing account to cover the overdraft after my mortgage payment came out. And for about the third time in five years I can only pay the minimum on my MasterCard (I usually pay the full balance), which has a 19.97% interest rate. And my mortgage is due again this Friday.

The so-called two-week waiting period for EI is actually more like six weeks. I gave my bank account info when I applied to get my benefit cheques directly deposited. When I called Service Canada a few weeks ago I was told I'd get some money starting the week of September 15. It's now the first day of fall (and a LOVELY day it is, too).

However, I'm on a very short short-list for a contract position (they've asked for ID to conduct a security check, and I've got two of the required three employment references). So by the time I get my first EI deposit I might also have a job. Wouldn't that be ironic?

September 21 UPDATE: I called the Service Canada toll-free number and found that I will get a deposit as early as tomorrow and as late as Wednesday. It will be enough to pay the mortgage and buy cat food, litter, and smokes. This is only a week later than the agent I spoke to told me I'd get it. If I have to live on EI for any length of time that's about all I'll be able to afford.

September 24 UPDATE: Yes, the deposit came Tuesday. And I faxed ID for the security check and three references. I expect the security check will take a few days (Sault Ste-Marie Police Service conducts it), so I might even get another EI deposit.

The 22-Hour Cat Day

2009-09-20T07:39:00.004-04:00

Since I've been out of work (June 11/09), the cats are mostly pleased to have me at home. But my waking and sleeping hours are no longer regular. I sometimes get up for the day as early as 4:30 am. The cats then expect to be fed immediately. And of course they get hungry early and start asking for "supper" around 2 pm. If I cave and feed them just a little bit, they want a lot more at their regular feeding after 5 pm. And after my ER visit, when I missed their late-afternoon feeding by about nine hours and they got their expensive kibble at 3 am, they of course woke me up at 6:30 am wondering why I wasn't up and catering to them.

They have vays to make me vake up. My fat girl, Bwai, once nuzzled the bedside lamp so hard it fell over and cut my forehead (if I hadn't rolled over toward her at that second I would have had a scalp wound instead). Handsome Stranger makes a nest in my hair and purrs and kneads---always a reminder to clamp him between my legs and trim his claws.

I think it works like this: their perceived day is getting shorter. I mean, it's just not reasonable for them to start asking me for food at those stupid hours. I can't knock their heads together and make them fall asleep for a while longer. Can I?

Over Thirteen Hours in Emergency, or The ER Symphony

2009-09-18T03:33:00.013-04:00

I had radiating chest pains early Thursday afternoon, after a two-day bout of what I thought was indigestion (it felt like food was coming up my esophagus, or was stuck partway down---might have been the popcorn I'd eaten 12 hours before). I was walking to the grocery to get some lunch when the pains started increasing. I stopped by my doctor's office on the way home (she had finished office hours but she checked my pulse and suggested I go to the emergency room). Of course my pulse was elevated, and I felt my BP was going up (probably due to stress). I've had numerous heart tests in the past year (http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/01/five-hours-for-cardio-tests.html, http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-been-year.html) to look at atypical heart rhythms so I'm at risk for heart problems.

So I took a cab to the local hospital, arriving about 1:20 pm (busy-busy place, lots of EMS personnel and cops coming in with elderly passengers in crisis, and quite a few under- or over-medicated people). I was registered and through triage fairly quickly, but had to wait a couple of hours for blood taking and the EKG. Then I waited, and waited, and waited. During this time I did some yogic breathing and visualization, and that helped with my rapid pulse and even the chest pains. After over nine hours, I was at the top of the list---for the cardio doc, which still meant that other patients were seen before me. I said I wanted to leave, but the nurse told me if I did my file would be closed and I'd have to start over the next day. I wandered away, had a bit of a sniffle, got hold of myself, and went back to pacing.

Finally, after over 10 hours, I was called and put in an exam room. But by that time eight hours had passed since the blood was taken and the EKG was done. So they had to be done over again. The doctor also ordered a chest x-ray, though that only took about 20 minutes. Of course I had to wait again for the blood to be assayed and the radiologist to review the x-rays---another two hours. I was out of there by 2 am, with a copy of my EKG results and blood tests (random glucose and A1C: yuck results; but I had missed both my lunch and supper meds).

An emergency room is an unsettling place. A gurney was rushed in ("code blue, pediatric resuscitation") with a vanishingly small patient; a few minutes later I was pacing near the entrance when a very distressed woman staggered in with an EMT who was helping her into a wheelchair; she could barely breathe through her tears, let alone walk ("Is that the mother? Yes, she's the mother").

Somewhat later five burly cops (four men, one woman) hauled in a screaming woman in handcuffs and shoved her up against the wall. The woman, who I estimated to be about 30, was around my size, but she needed five cops to subdue her?? What happened to talking, mediation, and calming techniques? Not these cretins.

But the patients in the increasingly-crowded ER were generally helpful with each other (and mostly patient with the process). And I had some friendly conversations with several of them.

I paid my cab home in loonies and quarters, arriving at about 2:45 am. But I'd had only one (bummed) cigarette in all that time, so I had plenty when I got home. It's too bad I got up at 4:30 am on Thursday---after nearly 24 hours awake and severely stressed, I can't imagine falling asleep any time sooZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

UPDATE: My blood tests and EKG did NOT indicate any heart problems, real or imagined, though the cardio doc (a rather handsome and brisk man, as was the nurse) made an appointment for me, due to that lump in my chest that kicked off this whole ordeal, with the same gastroenterologist who supervised my colon exams last year. And a nice person from the hospital called me today to confirm the date of the gastro appointment and to ask how my experience was (and I TOLD her), and she apologized for all the delays. Apparently it was a busy-busy day in the TEGH ER. Now I have a sore throat: probably an infection I caught from one of the hundreds of sick people I encountered.

My "new" swivel chairs

2009-09-14T08:06:00.011-04:00

I found two of these Palma Brava rolling swivel chairs at Value Village on Saturday, $9.99 CA each. The casters on mine are round but that's the only difference. The arms are rattan, the base and back are silver-polished cast iron, and the seat is leather. They're in lovely condition (except I have to clean up the casters---I rolled them home from the store over our rough sidewalks).

I left a message at the Palma Brava store. I got a call back quite soon: the chairs are at half-price at the moment, $412.50 each (originally $825.00, if you're too tired to do the math). Unfortunately they don't fit under my kitchen table, though they look very nice in there.

I have this thing about chairs. I'm liable to pick up a wreck off the curb with a plan to fix it up. I have two retro (ca. 1962) tub chairs, made for Eaton's, in the living room: one that I got off the curb and the other that a friend sold me for $20. They're matching, but the foam is missing from the cushions and thanks to the cats need reupholstering.

Since they're so pricey and they don't really fit in my house, I've listed the swivel chairs for sale on Kijiji. But I don't know how well that site works...maybe I'll have better luck on eBay.ca, local pickup only (click links to see my offers).

Various remarks on smell and stinks

2009-09-12T09:28:00.014-04:00

I read an article in the Toronto Star today about anosmia---the lack of a sense of smell. I've been without for as long as I can remember. I thought the article was pretty funny---the subject of the article was 16 years old when she first realized she had no sense of smell after stink bombs were let off in her school and she didn't run away screaming from the stench. She said, "It never occurred to me there was anything wrong with me. Everyone else was just a complainer." Well, duh!

I followed my family's and other people's behaviour when it came down to it: inhaling and smiling at the Sunday meal: grimacing at others' reports of foul odours. No connection to an actual smell...

My mother still didn’t believe that I didn’t share her very keen sense of smell even after a robin’s egg broke in my room one night. My great-uncle had given me a bird’s nest with an egg in it. I put it on my window sill with all the china birds I’d collected from Red Rose tea boxes, and the family cat, attracted by the smell, knocked it down and broke the egg. Mom was woken from a sound nap, waiting for my dad to come home from Scouts, by the smell; she was in the living room one floor below and I was behind a closed door. She came roaring upstairs, "whydidn'tyoucleanthatup?!" I was eight years old then.

My friend nearly wept when she helped me pick up my first brand-new car: “You can’t smell the new car smell!” A potential boyfriend once asked if my anosmia might reduce my sexual pleasure! I expect it might; I don’t remember…

And I just spent a few minutes with both my neighbours DF and CMcD who helped me investigate the source of the cat litter smell into their house from my basement. C called and said there was still an odour. I said I'd JUST changed out two litter boxes and de-clumped the other two. Both said the smell in the basement was "catty"---only to be expected with four cats in the house---but not as horrendous as they both expected. Between the three of us we sought out gaps in our common walls on both sides, and they even donated a can of Great Stuff for more sealing power.

We may have it licked, if I do the sealing and keep up with the de-clumping.

UPDATE 1: I e-mailed the author of the Toronto Star article with some of the above remarks, and he was kind enough to reply a few days later.

UPDATE 2: I could see where DF used the sealing foam during his kitchen reno on my side of the semi. I don't think my contractors did anything except repair the drywall. But I found a HUGE drafty gap at the bottom of my basement stairs. I started filling it with aluminum foil sheets as a barrier for the Great Stuff for Large Gaps. Then I started filling the gap. I had to let the first, second, and third applications cure. Then I started stuffing newspapers and plastic bags into the gap before I sprayed again. That was a couple of weeks ago now. Either the gap is sealed and the problem is solved, or C and D are just not complaining any more...

Books for sale

2009-09-08T11:05:00.004-04:00

Among other things to declutter in this house are books I've read (or haven't read and have no intention of reading or re-reading) and those I want to get rid of. (Get rid of books?! How dare you?) I posted an item on the Editors' list a few weeks ago ("I have nothing to read") and got made fun of, a bit. But the responders advised re-reading what I have. Except that is what I keep close -- books I've read that I will re-read. And new books I haven't read yet. Especially the ones with pretty covers.

But the computer/guest room (middle bedroom) where I want to store/shelve the books is leprously deteriorated; it's where the roof leaks. The plaster skim coat on the ceiling (from 1920, probably) is peeling and dropping off; there are brown water stains dripping down the walls; since I took out the wooden Ikea corner computer desk (a neighbour took it away last spring) there's no place to use the Compaq desktop with all the power apps (and no Internet). And no guest could possibly sleep comfortably there at the moment.

I just spent some money I don't have at http://www.betterworld.com/ for three Robert B. Parker books that will be new to me. That site 1) recycles used books, especially from libraries; 2) promotes literacy.

So now my options are to 1) cull the books I will not read or re-read, and 2) sell them someplace (maybe Alibris).

Wish me luck. Books are not decor to me, books are just there at the moment.

80 pounds of kitty litter

2009-09-06T12:32:00.006-04:00

That's what I bought yesterday ($9.99 CA per box of fresh4life). Two persons from the store carried the boxes out to my trunk (17.7 kg/40 lbs each) and I lugged them into the house and down to the basement today. In the last few weeks I have been de-clumping once or twice every day (in the next couple of weeks I expect to develop the hard-wired habit) and refreshing with new litter, sprinkling lots of baking soda on the litter, and spraying Febreze air freshener every time. (My former house mate, during the 2.7 years he lived here, declumped the litter about 6 times, and never once bought litter, the filthy, lazy basterd, even though his nasty cat used it several times a day. But then he never bought detergent or toilet paper either.)

I've spent more money on eradicating the odour (detergent, litters, baking soda, air spray) than I have on person food in the last month. Well, maybe I've spent the equivalent on booze...

Despite everything I've read and heard about cleaning out cat litter boxes on a regular basis (that is, do it every day!), and which I have never ever done, my neighbours have never had a problem with the smell invading their place until earlier this summer (http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/08/benign-neglect.html). They renovated their kitchen about a year ago and probably sealed whatever open areas that were left in our common walls (mine were sealed in 2004 during my kitchen reno; I used to be able to see into their basement, and mice travelled around).

So after I changed out all the litter and corralled up the stray poops, I washed the basement floors with Borax and CLOSED A WINDOW. This seems to have helped somewhat, since I've had no calls about it.

But I'm afraid of answering the phone.

UPDATE: The No-Name store brand kitty litter, even the multiple-cat one, isn't worth the plastic jug it comes in. I got a few 7kg containers on sale at $3.99 a week or so ago (regularly $4.99). The fresh4life brand in the 17.7 kg box costs about 64 cents per kilogram. The No-Name also worked out to be about 64 cents per kg---on sale! And it has to be changed out more often.

Mountain Ash Buffet for Robins

2009-09-04T19:42:00.005-04:00

My neighbour's mountain ash tree produced an excellent crop of bright reddish-orange berries this year. I took a picture of it in full glory on August 30 (left; click to see larger image), and then watched over the next six days while the robins stripped it bare (September 4, right).

I was reading in bed and watched one poor bird. He seemed to be falling asleep -- first his head tilted to one side, then his right wing flopped. When some other robins flew into the tree he woke up a bit and gobbled a few more berries; then he fell asleep again with his head tilted to the side. It was like watching a drunk on the subway! It seems like there are a lot of ash berries this year. I wonder if that means the winter will be cold?

Banana Loaf or Muffins - low fat, no added sugar

2009-09-03T07:10:00.006-04:00

My goodness, it's September already! Our last three weeks of summer will probably be nicer than the first three months...and it's cool enough overnight and in the mornings to make me want to turn the furnace on early.

Now to the point: I've modified this recipe considerably, mainly by: deleting the sugar; if I'm a bit short of mashed banana I've added an extra egg; I mix different flours (yesterday I used 2/3 whole-wheat all-purpose flour and 1/3 teff flour). It doubles well and freezes well, if you've got a particularly big bunch of over-ripe bananas. And of course you can add up to 3/4 of a cup of brown sugar if you really need to.

Banana-Fruit Loaf or Muffins, adapted from “Banana Walnut Loaf” recipe, The Chatelaine Cookbook, © 1973

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or spray baking dishes (muffin pans or loaf pans). Prepare a cup of fresh or frozen and thawed berries (yesterday I used thawed cranberries and blueberries), or chopped walnuts.

Dry ingredients:

In a large bowl, stir together:

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (optional)

Stir dry ingredients and nuts/fruit(s) together.

Wet ingredients:

In a medium bowl, mix well:

1.5 cups mashed banana
1/4 vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/4 cup soured milk (to sour fresh milk, add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice and stir)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Make a well in dry ingredients and stir wet ingredients in lightly. Stir only enough to moisten dry ingredients.

Fill prepared pan(s) and smoosh batter to edges. Don't over-fill!

Makes enough for 1 9x6x3 inch loaf (bake for 1 hour at 350F) or 12 muffins (bake at 350F for 25 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in loaf/muffin comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 or 15 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks (or slather with butter and eat warm!). BTW, waiting to remove the loaf or muffins keeps them together -- if you try to remove them when they're hot they'll fall to pieces.

Baby clam and red pepper sauce recipe

2009-08-31T09:55:00.003-04:00

I had dozens of cookbooks (none of the classics like Joy of Cooking, though I have a New Larousse Gastronomique) but I still couldn't find a recipe for canned baby clams (they were on sale) except for a white sauce for linguine. So I made up my own. You can serve this on al dente whole wheat pasta, brown rice, or other cooked grain like couscous. Al dente pasta has a lower glycemic index than over-cooked floppy mushy pasta. Make as much pasta or whatever as you need. This recipe freezes well.

A mere quarter-cup of baby clams provides well over 100 percent of the RDI for iron and B12. They're a bit high in cholesterol, but wtf. I like the chewy texture. A handy site for finding way more than you need to know about the nutritional components of various foods, including some brand names, is the USDA Fat-Free database. Just type in the food in the field at the top and hit Enter. With the beans and whole grain pasta or brown rice, this provides a good source of dietary fiber; lots of Vitamin A and C; iron; and some protein.

I like to get all my ingredients measured out before I start cooking. That way, if I decide to drink a little wine in the process I don't get as muddled up. And you can pour a half-cup or so of the wine into the sauce, too. Any or all of the herbs and spices are up to you.

Here we go:

Clams in Red Pepper Sauce (c) Karen E. Black 2009

1 tbsp canola oil (or enough to just lightly cover the bottom of a large saucepan)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp cumin powder
1 can baby clams, drained
2 sweet red peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped (I prefer sweet onions, but you can use what you like)
2 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes
1 cup canned black beans (AKA turtle beans), drained and rinsed (this removes salt)

Heat oil in pot on medium high heat (don't let it smoke!). Add the spices and herbs and stir briefly until they're aromatic.

Stir in red peppers and onion, and saute until tender (not too long -- about 5 minutes).

Add the tomatoes, clams, beans, wine, and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta or rice or your whatever.

Squash and lentil soup (My own inventions)

2009-08-30T09:07:00.013-04:00

Like the White Knight in Through the Looking-Glass, who repeatedly falls off his horse as I've been doing lately, I've decided to promote my own inventions: recipes for things I like to eat but can't find good recipes for. All the ingredients should be available in either regular grocery stores, bulk food stores, health food stores, or ethnic (middle Eastern) food stores.

Here's the first one:

Squash and Lentil Soup (c) Karen E. Black 2009

Provides a low-GI meal, high fiber, medium carbohydrates and protein; low sodium; vegan without milk, or with soy milk or with vegetable broth; no added fat.

Pressure-cook, steam, bake, or microwave 1 halved or quartered small or medium winter squash (like Acorn), scooped, cooled, and flesh removed (discard shell in compost!).

Bring to simmer in large pot (like a dutch oven, at least 4 liter size) 1 liter low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth or vegetable broth, or just plain water.

Add:
Cooked squash
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
½ lb mushrooms, trimmed and halved
4 (or more or less) cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fenugreek (hypoglycemic)
1 tbsp black cumin seed (hypoglycemic; AKA Nigella sativa, black seed)
1 dried chili pepper, crushed and seeds removed (to increase heat, keep seeds)
Pepper to taste
¾ cups red lentils (these cook quickly so you can add them late in the cooking process)

Simmer until carrot is tender.

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor. Mix in 1 cup skim milk or unsweetened soy milk if desired before serving.

Serve hot with a crusty whole-grain bread and steamed veg or side salad.

You might check your blood glucose levels one or two hours after eating to see if this recipe works for you.

I don't recall how many servings this makes (4-6?), but you can freeze 250ml portions for lunches.

My birthday (sigh) again and pies

2009-08-24T11:25:00.007-04:00

Today is my fiftieth (mumble-mumble-mumble) birthday (I think last year's was my mumble-mumble birthday: http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-birthday-sigh.html). My horoscopes are all in conflict today -- what are they thinking?!

My sweet Mom called me this morning and sang Happy Birthday to me. Her soprano is nowhere near what it was now that she's 77, but it was also early in the morning so she wasn't warmed up. She was going to the church to make pies today. She's in charge of trimming crusts, and she's not that keen on it. (She also sent me a cheque with my birthday card -- my bank holds any cheques from non-Ontario sources for six days, though, so it won't burn a hole in my pocket.)

I often watched her whip up a basic pie pastry in a couple of minutes. Her piecrusts were always light and flaky, and didn't, like mine, end up mounded high over the soggy fruit. She also didn't like the way I peeled apples for her, using a sharp potato peeler instead of a paring knife. I figured you'd get more fruit using the parer carefully, but it was too slow for her and she'd take over. As a result (yeah, right, blame your mother again!) I can't make a nice short flaky pastry.

It's been a summer. I've been out of work for almost three months, and instead of using this time to relax and enjoy the summer, work on my garden, clean and organize the house, keep in touch with friends, get in shape, etc., I've mostly been lazing around and feeling sorry for myself. I tell myself it's due to my severe sleep deficit: I haven't slept for eight hours in a row for years. It's not something you get used to. It's almost like being a shift worker.

I have a couple of pounds of frozen already-mashed overripe bananas (to make banana-walnut-cranberry-blueberry muffins, using no sugar and all-purpose whole wheat flour), and a couple of pounds of frozen gooseberries -- one cup or so from last year's garden's meagre harvest and several pints of big red ones from the grocery -- to make jam (no pectin required with my old-fashioned recipe). So it's not like I don't have anything to do; it's just like I don't feel like doing any of it.

However, I did just de-clump and deodorize (with baking soda) the litter boxes, so I hope that my neighbour is happy.

And Mr. Jones ran right up to the front door to greet me today, chirping and yowling -- he REALLY wants to come in the house. Handsome Stranger, on the other hand, has draped himself across my shoulders and is snoozing...

Night sweats may stem from gluten intolerance?

2009-08-16T09:31:00.008-04:00

I've been plagued by night sweats for about 20 years, way before I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. These aren't, as far as I know, related to menopause. I suffered a bit from short-lived hot flashes (and only one noticeable mood swing a couple of years ago, though I can be a bit of a drama queen) but I seldom get them any more. I've been period-free for over two years now (whee!).

My mother (aged 77, bless her heart) gets them too, as does my older brother. I'm lucky to live in a house with four beds, so if I really had to I could move to another one when one gets too damp, though I usually just move to another quarter of the double bed. I keep a fan going with the window open, in winter I keep the heat at less than 17C (that's about 63F in US gallons), sleep in a T-shirt until it gets damp, cover the wet spots with a towel (and no, not those wet spots, dagnabbit), and usually sleep without covers.

I've read recently that night sweats that are not associated with perimenopause or menopause have numerous causes, including AIDS, tuberculosis, low blood glucose, hyper- and hypothyroidism, and celiac disease (major gluten intolerance with damage to the digestive system, not just periodic GI problems). I read one post from a woman who said she also suffers from calf pain, but that might be peripheral artery disease (PAD), which can be associated with diabetes.

My grandmother had hypothyroidism as well as Type 2 diabetes, but she never talked about night sweats. Problem is, while blood tests for several of these possible causes (I've been tested for HIV and TB since I used to be a regular blood donor), the test for celiac involves a biopsy. Ouch. I've had enough invasive tests for a few years.

So as a first step (which might also help with glucose control) I'm trying gluten-free products. I can eat quinoa, gluten-free oats, veggies and fruit, rice and rice flour. I haven't checked on hops yet...

Oh, the indignity of it all!

2009-08-14T08:06:00.008-04:00

Our venerable porch cat Mr. Jones (aka Scuffy, Boss Cat, etc.) has a new moniker, courtesy of my neighbour's nearly-four-year-old daughter: Sparkle Tail the Girl Cat. Where she got this, I don't know: she's not a TV-watching child, much to her mother's chagrin. I'm going to ask her when he can be a Boy Cat again.

For at least a couple of years now both I and my neighbours have been feeding him every morning, and at least three other people on the street have contributed food and warm bedding. Another person has tried (unsuccessfully, so far) to get someone to contribute a recovery room for a couple of days, in hopes we can catch him, get him fixed, and release him in the 'hood.

In mid-winter he disappeared for nearly a month---when he reappeared at my front door in early February (http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/02/cat-came-back.html) he'd lost half his winter weight. Now the summer fleas are causing him to suffer somewhat.

Mr. Jones's history is unknown. But one of my neighbours keeps tabs on where he hangs out. When we first started discussing him she swore he'd been around for at least five years. Then it became ten years. We chatted on the street earlier this week and she gave me an update on her observations, and now she claims he's been around for 20 years...

Mr. Jones has a couple of quirks: while he waits for me to come downstairs he stretches up to the window to peer in. When he sees me he sits back down. When I open the front door he steps politely into the hallway, then goes back out. When I put his food in his dish he sniffs it, looks up at me, and waits for me to pat him. Only then will he put his head down to eat.

What's really pathetic is that lately he is trying to walk further into the house when I open the door. My heart is breaking because, with four indoor cats already, and his unknown temperament and health, I can't let him in.

But my four indoor cats are complacent when he appears (unlike their reaction to other outdoor cats they see), and he and Peabo have sniffed noses. So, could he come in?

Benign Neglect

2009-08-12T07:39:00.005-04:00

The last time I made banana muffins I neglected to clean the muffin pans out (nice vintage Ecko ones from Value Village). I don't like having to peel a paper off my muffins so the pans had a few crumbs stuck to them. Once that hardened, I decided to give them a good (read: too long) soak. All that did was rust them up and leave stains on my sink. So I cleaned them up a bit, then decided to throw them out. Then I decided to offer them back to Value Village. Then I decided to list them on a free-for-the-taking site like declutterize or ReUseIt or freecycle. Then I decided to clean them with steel wool and extra-fine wet-dry sandpaper from Lee Valley. They still have a few stains on them, but they are in pretty good shape now. Remind me to write a note to myself to buy a few over-ripe bananas. And maybe some paper muffin cups, though I abhor the things.

There are few things that don't suffer from benign neglect -- dental health; my back yard; the vegetable crisper contents. In the garden, lilacs much prefer a sunny location over fertilization to bloom in the spring, and morning glory and nasturtium much prefer a poor soil, otherwise there's lots of foliage and few blooms.

And cat litter boxes.

I've got four of the poopy things. Cats, that is. Pet sites all recommend one litter box per cat plus one extra. I only have four boxes, but one of them is four feet long and two feet wide (it's an under-the-bed plastic storage box that didn't fit under the bed when I got it home). I was mortified when my attached neighbour asked me over. She was quite kind: asking me how I was doing, about the job hunt, and so on. Then she mentioned that the litter box smell was coming through our common basement wall into their upstairs. Augh! I immediately dumped and replaced the litter, after washing out the boxes with washing soda and sprinkling baking soda in the bottoms. I washed the floors with a liquid that's supposed to deodorize cat-smelling areas, and sprayed Febreze around.

Strangely, I suffer (or not) from life-long anosmia -- no sense of smell. So that makes benign neglect all that much easier for me.

And leave a comment if you want my very low-fat, no-sugar banana loaf recipe!

Is it necessary to water during a summer drought?

2009-08-10T13:25:00.004-04:00

We haven't had a drought in Toronto this summer (yet). In previous years the August heat and funny weather can cause lawns to go yellow. But grass is resilient and it will recover quickly after one good rain, but home owners still use drinking water from the tap to keep it green.

Toronto.ca provides a LOT of information on lawns, including discouraging them. I say, "Nature abhors a lawn" (you heard it here first). I say, "Grass is one plant." Organic farmers discourage monoculture. A "nice" lawn needs pesticide and fertilizer. The City of Toronto will not pick up grass clippings, unless you hide them at the bottom of a yard waste bag under other weed and clippings.

Two years ago I had my back downspout disconnected. Incompetent workers created more issues with the roof (see http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-has-been-day.html) than they helped, and I've had my eaves troughs and downspouts replaced and the rain barrel moved. My front yard is mostly xeriscaped (drought-loving summer plants).

What I should really do is take out the roses. I have two in the front. One is in a really bad place that doesn't get enough water, though it's survived, blooms only once in the late spring, and then gets eaten by bugs. I don't water or fertilize it. The other is a similar old-fashioned plant that I bought a few years ago. Now I love roses (mine are magenta). But I don't like maintenance.

My brother's blueberries

2009-08-10T07:03:00.006-04:00

My bro has a nice big property in a small town -- two-bedroom house with a nice-sized deck and a patio, separate garage with workshop, a storage shed for his lawn tractor and other equipment, and a stocked trout pond, with a small covered bridge he built over the creek that feeds it. He loves to cut down old trees and plant new ones. And he bought some blueberry bushes this spring that have produced some nice big juicy berries, some of which he brought when he visited last week.

I've planted blueberry bushes before, but they didn't take. Besides, I like things I can ignore that will still produce. When I got my big silver maple cut down I lost all the boysenberries.

Canadian blueberries are on special at a few places right now. The cultivated ones are huge and sweet. I should buy a few more and freeze them. Wild blueberries grow low to the ground and are a trial to gather (not to mention that black bears like them too), though they have way more of the valuable anthocyanins and antioxidants, and cost more in stores. One year at camp, my mother picked enough to make 36 500ml jars of wild blueberry jam. That's back-breaking work, and goes to show you how bored she was while my dad worked as Arts & Crafts director.

I bought 9 dry pints of BC blueberries today and am in the process of freezing them for the fall and winter -- they're good on hot cereal!

The Garden "During" File

2009-08-08T08:07:00.007-04:00

This is the mess in the back. The weeds were over a foot high before my Big Bro took his gas-powered weed trimmer to it. The electric lawnmower was sort of incorporated in the weeds...but it's worked before after spending the winter outside.

Some of the raspberry canes are up to eight feet tall. They bear fruit the size of the tip of my thumb well into the fall. They aren't doing as well this year due to the rain and cooler weather; last year, even after the 'coons got at them (I could tell by the visible seeds in the poops they dropped on my lawn), I still got enough fruit to make 25 jars of jam.

I plan on building a raised bed for strawberries (I'd like to find a bale of straw somewhere), and moving the asparagus to a sunny location, where I'll also be reminded to fertilize and mulch. I also have rhubarb that I moved and separated this spring.

And the gooseberries are now in a sunny spot, but they didn't like being moved this year and didn't blossom, though they have survived pretty well. I'll have to figure out how far back to prune them.

Family visit and "garden" update

2009-08-07T05:35:00.013-04:00

My older brother came to visit on Sunday for a few days. He likes to invite himself; I arrange vacation time; he doesn't show up (well, he's done it twice: once because "I don't feel too good" and once because his car wasn't feeling too good). This time he made it! We sat on the porch and drank beer on Sunday and had pizza for dinner. We ate Thai food on Monday (not much open on the civic holiday). Then we drank our dinner on Tuesday and slept early. Wednesday we had a lovely grilled steak with home-made cole slaw and potato salad. I made a loaf of Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread with whole wheat flour and oat bran, and we had that with balsamic vinegar and olive oil -- yum.

And he's such a helpful person! He helped me move to this house in 1999, and we exchange items (for example, my mother's portable dishwasher went from Waterloo, QC to Granby to Toronto to Stanstead, and an area rug of mine made a similar trip). My back yard is in shocking condition. The lawnmower was decomposing into the weeds, the raspberry canes are taking over in the back, I left nice clay/ceramic pots out that crumbled in the cold and ice, and I had the biggest dandelions and broad leaf weeds I've ever seen. But he brought his gas-powered weed trimmer and tackled the worst of the mess for me.

I don't have grass any more, since I let a spot of yarrow (mine is pink) take over. I still have a few strawberry plants from Manitoulin Island that are growing in the shade of the raspberry canes, and I have some lumber, so I'll be making a small (4'x4') raised bed to move them to. I'm using corner bead (cheap!) to attach some 1x6 pine planks that came from the old deck I demolished (I hate to throw stuff away -- that was in 2000, I think!).

Two years ago I had two of these Lee Valley grow bins with the strawberries coming out of every hole, and I sold or gave away about 50 more plants. But I neglected to water the bins and I got exactly one strawberry (click the image to have a look: centre left), and the plants were gone the next year...

And my asparagus did NOT get its mulching and fertilizing in the last couple of years, though the plants are mature enough to provide several meals if I treat them properly. I've used it in quiche with home-grown tomatoes and basil. They're also shaded by canes, so I'll attempt to move them too.

Naturally I didn't take a Garden: Before picture. Maybe I'll post a During one.

Dipladenia -- found!

2009-07-29T09:07:00.010-04:00

I've decided to never walk past a display of Dipladenia (if that's what these are) without at least checking out the prices. These are a bit hard to grow, let alone find in a garden centre; in fact, I've only ever found them in the little fruit-vegetable-flower markets that thrive on Toronto's Danforth Avenue. One of the things I find appealing is that when the flower buds start to unfurl they're white or nearly so, and then the colours start to brighten up.

It's amazing what you can buy around here. (Some year I'm going to buy a fig tree---when they're on sale they usually come with a few fruit already on them. I understand that figs are finicky and require much coddling through cold weather.)

Anyways, I found these two specimens the other day, $4.99 each. They need repotting, and I'm nearly ready to do that (just have to mix a bit of coir in the potting soil).

AUGUST 4/09 UPDATE: The Dips have been repotted and they seem to be quite happy in their biodegradable ("green") pots from http://www.greenpots.com/ (but mine are black, for some reason...).

They are tender perennials, which means that I will have to bring them in in the fall before the frost starts. The other issue with these lovelies is that there's not much definitive info on over-wintering and then getting them to bloom again. These are Grown in Canada, by the way.

A 55th wedding anniversary

2009-07-24T12:43:00.009-04:00

My mom and dad got married on this date in 1954. He was 31 and she was 22 when they married, apparently in a bit of a rush (no, she wasn't pregnant; Douglas was born on July 12, 1955).

My dad died very suddenly in 1986 at 63 years of age, of a heart attack, at home. He'd been retired for four years (after 36 years of teaching), and was involved in the Masonic temple, raising funds for a teachers' retirement home, travelling with Mom, bee-keeping and gardening at their huge rural property, setting up his work shop, and volunteering as a steward for the United Church. His own father had died of heart disease at age 59, just before he and my mom met at the school where they both worked.

Dad's first teaching job was at the Knowlton Academy in Quebec. He bought his first car without knowing how to drive. (He figured it out, though -- he was my first driving teacher, on an Austin Mini 4-speed, and he WAS a teacher at heart. I learned how to steer from him, which is the next best thing to know about driving, after how to stop.)

Mom's first year of teaching was in Buckingham, Quebec -- when she was 18! She graduated from high school in Aylmer, Quebec, then did an additional year in Ottawa, Ontario, to get "qualified" to teach. The next year she went to MacDonald College (at McGill University in Montreal) to get her teaching diploma. After her diploma her next job was in Waterloo, Quebec.

Teachers made pitiful wages in those days. Most teaching couples of my folks' acquaintance worked summer jobs. My Grade 5 teacher worked on her husband's dairy farm all year round. My father worked as the Arts & Crafts director at a boys' camp in the Quebec Laurentians for several years (including the summer I learned to walk; my brothers and I went to kids' camp in later years, mostly learning to develop a thick skin, along with canoeing and swimming); or Dad took extension and summer courses (Industrial Arts, Biology, History) in New Brunswick (we spent the summer camping in a tent), Montreal (MacDonald College; married couples' housing), and New York state (Oswego; camping again).

My mom went back to teaching full time when my dad entered university to get his BA in 1966 or so (anyway, he graduated in 1967; in 1979 I was the next BA in the family). A few years after he finished she studied for her Special Ed. diploma -- and got it, with excellent marks -- and she then taught full time again (we kids were mostly grown) until she retired in early 1988. (When she agreed to do some supply teaching a year or so later, she quit early: Sunday nights were stressful because of all she had to do to prepare for teaching on the Monday!)

I think Dad did a year full-time at Bishop's University (driving out to class from home early every morning, a one-hour trip), and Mom was the bread-winner. He needed at least a BA to continue teaching high school in Quebec. I remember he worked nights for a summer at a glass plant in town (he'd worked at the Rolls Royce engine plant in Montreal during WWII before he got his teaching certificate). We had Carnation Instant Milk, spaghetti, ground beef, oatmeal, and fresh produce (green beans, carrots, lettuce, chard, tomatoes) from the garden in the summer. I think the mortgage on the house they bought in early 1963 was about $90 a month.

So I'm recalling those years as I sit at the computer wondering how to get by on my EI (when it actually starts), without any fresh food from my property, or valuable/portable skills in a huge city where I have many contacts but no one (that I've contacted) to put me in a job. Feeling sorry for myself!

So-called "Employment Insurance"

2009-07-23T15:47:00.010-04:00

I delayed going to the Service Canada office until yesterday, because I really and truly thought I'd be working (or at least interviewing) by now, 6 weeks after I was terminated. I received my record of employment (ROE) about three weeks ago.

While the joint was hoppin', there was no line-up at the computer, where I input my info in less than 10 minutes (their estimate: 60 minutes) and printed my statement. Since I have a lot of contribution room I put a big chunk of my severance/settlement into my Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) to reduce the immediate tax hit (any funds I kept would have been immediately taxed as though they were earnings -- about 43%) and also to get a nice tax refund next March.

But it looks like 1) I'll be waiting longer than I expected to get a full-time job or contract, 2) a number of weeks must pass before I get any EI benefits at all, and 3) my severance, in the opinion of the federal government and local authorities, gives me enough to live on for the foreseeable future, which isn't in fact true, since I put over half in my retirement plan.

My mother sent me a generous cheque to pay my dental bill plus a bit more to live on, but when I look at my bank account (and my mortgage, insurance, transit pass, utilities, food for me and the cats, etc.) I see the bank balance dwindling steadily and at a faster rate than I calculated.

And I haven't taken any of the obvious measures to reduce my spending, such as quitting smoking, cancelling my basic cable (since I don't watch TV; UPDATE: that's done), reducing my alcohol consumption, and so on. While at the liquor store today I saw a woman who was speaking angrily ("I'm working now!!") with a fellow employee -- she was sitting cross-legged under the parking meter right in front of the store, with her belongings around her, and I guess it was her turn to solicit at that spot. The elderly gentleman in the wool hat and parka (who's not reliably medicated as near as I can figure out) just had to wait his turn.

Now I have a pretty nice wardrobe, and I'm fairly presentable when I've washed up, and I've often imagined myself standing, well turned out, in a likely spot on Bay Street during the lunch hour and saying, "Spare change? Would you like some spare change?" and seeing if anyone took me up on it... Now my spare change goes to smokes.

My scam product (re)(un)sold on eBay...

2009-07-19T08:43:00.009-04:00

August 19 UPDATE: I've listed it again on eBay.ca with Full Disclosure about the dispute, return, and conditon. There are 11 bids, 17 watchers. Again, I won't make my money back, but, as I say, every little bit helps...

August 7 UPDATE: The buyer disputed the item with PayPal ("not as described"). So he sent it back, PayPal reviewed the dispute, sided with him, and I had to refund his money. When he buys from another source (even the Dazzle White web site) he'll be very ashamed.

July 23 UPDATE: 24 bids and the item sold for $55.55 CA! I won't make any money but I'll recoup over half of the cost. GAWD, I still feel stupid!

Clipping the cats' claws

2009-07-18T15:05:00.005-04:00

This is my sweet baby Fiasco T. Peabrain (the T. stands for "ther" as in Winnie "ther" Pooh).

He's a little bitty cat compared to the others -- about 6.5 pounds. He's also head-shy -- no head-bopping or face-plants with this guy, and in fact he ducks away from kisses.

And he loves to stand on my lap and knead when I'm using the computer and in the "reading room." I have multiple scratches on my left thigh from his ministrations. And I forget that he is the most compliant when it comes to clipping those fishhooks off his front paws. I can do all 10 in less than a minute. I simply prop him on my lap, snip-snip-snip, and we're done. He raises no objection whatever. But it's his nature -- you gotta know your cats! Handsome Stranger gets angry after one or two clips, growling and struggling. So it takes a few sessions with him.

I use a regular nail clipper and take off only the really pointy ends.

I've been scammed!

2009-07-15T10:06:00.008-04:00

I get e-newsletters from sites that offer coupons and free samples. So far they've been pretty good: three full-sized PowerBars; 125g of ProPlan cat kibble (which they LOVE) and a $5.00 coupon; Excel gum plus a $1 coupon for a multi-pack; Olay samples that I will probably put in Mom's Xmas stocking (http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2009/05/overpackaging-is-sin.html); coupons for free products like Kashi granola bars; and a few other items. It's always nice to get packages in the mail, isn't it?

If I fail to read the fine print on these things I figure it's my own damn fault. But this one was a shocker. I feel I got scammed. I searched http://www.mysavings.com where the Dazzle White Pro "free" offer originated, and it's completely gone, and no one has commented on it in the forums. My credit card has been charged over $100 CA. I have cancellation numbers for the affiliate programs for my credit card provider as well, but I am in no way guaranted that I'll get any of the money back. I got the information for this from the Complaints Board (www.ComplaintsBoard.com).

The other thing I found is that the company's international headquarters is in Alberta. So much for Canadian integrity (not), though it's probably a US firm that uses a mail drop so they can evade US regulations. And I haven't opened the item, so maybe I'll send it back and watch for my refund through my rose-coloured glasses.

Armchair Job Hunting

2009-07-13T10:56:00.010-04:00

This has been a month, as they say. After my dismissal, I was pretty quick on the draw in posting my résumé online on http://www.monster.ca/ and http://www.workopolis.ca/, joining the professional networking site LinkedIn, and attempting to solicit recommendations from former managers and co-workers. But the market for technical writers (and so many other job types) is soft in the Toronto area. There's a possibility that I have too much seniority for the current market, so hiring managers might think my salary expectations might be too high.

After my last-but-one termination I had lots of calls from recruiters and good interviews. I got a call-back for a second interview (with nearly a promise of a job offer), but by that time I had accepted a contract offer. I've been incorporated since 2000 (helps a lot with taxes if your tax preparer is intelligent...) so I could take a contract at any time. I'd look for freelance work if I had a better portfolio. I might take a part-time job at Home Depot if they'd have me...

JULY 16 UPDATE: Not one, not two, but FOUR cold calls from recruiters in the last three days. One caller had my 2000 résumé, so I was very happy to send my latest with an extra nine years of experience in additional roles at two large Canadian companies. It was not a good fit with the available position, unfortunately, but the caller was encouraging. And another was to replace the current contractor with a more senior person -- goodness me!

I'm trapped! But I may try to escape...

2009-07-06T11:19:00.009-04:00

As I suspected, my endo wants me on multiple daily injections (MDI). We did not speak one word about the roles and benefits of diet and exercise in blood sugar control. He did not ask me what I eat or when, or whether I get at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise. He said if he had his druthers, he'd put every one of his diabetes patients on MDI as soon as they were diagnosed. He showed me a little PowerPoint presentation (training tool) on determining the efficacy of various doses at different times.

And in his office, after a 20-minute walk and a 45-minute wait, my BP was 102/60, which is very low! And I have put on a couple of pounds in the last couple of weeks. And I have been more active this week.

I might have mentioned that I don't cook that much -- I have food, appliances, cookware, and so on, but every flat surface is covered with clutter and filth. I figured I do have a place for everything -- it's getting everything in its place that's the bother. In the past I've been a maker of lists. I haven't done so recently but I've been keeping a kind of diary. Although it's in Word I don't go back and edit what I've written. It seems to be motivating me for some reason.

Inertia: a body at rest tends to stay at rest; a body in motion tends to stay in motion. It’s the motion I need! Next steps: finish dishes; unhang laundry and hang fresh load; pull out stove and fridge and collect all the cat toys underneath. That’s exercise for you!

Just the flax, ma'am

2009-07-04T11:16:00.005-04:00

(Image courtesy of sciencedaily.com)

Many whole-grain and multi-grain products include whole flax seed (breads, cereals, and even tortilla chips). However, we don't get the benefit of its omega-3 fatty acids and phyto-chemicals because they aren't broken down in our digestive system. (Check your poops the next time you eat a serving of Red River Cereal.)

Ground flax seed provides digestibility so you get the health benefits. But because of its high oil content it's liable to go rancid before you use it up. So it's best to buy flax seed in bulk, grind it in a coffee grinder, and store the ground seed in the refrigerator or freezer, or else grind only the amount you need.

One tablespoon of ground flax seed provides 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

Ground chia seed, on the other hand, does not deteriorate after a while (and grinding helps a lot to keep the whole seeds from getting caught in your teeth). One tablespoon, whole or ground, provides 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

A breakfast of sorts

2009-06-29T09:30:00.005-04:00

OK, since I'm obviously not doing at all well in controlling my Type 2 diabetes based on the evidence of my last blood tests, I have to make some fairly drastic changes in my lifestyle.

I believe that a low-carb, high-fiber (40-55 grams per day) diet that includes lots of vegetables and some fruit, along with aerobic exercise (rowing, cycling), strength training (free weights), and stretching (yoga) will improve my blood glucose, reduce my A1C, and will reduce my need for medications, and maybe finally reduce my LDL cholesterol. That's been the goal all along. I would also like to win a big lottery jackpot, but if I don't buy tickets, there's not much chance, is there? No.

So I've promised myself (again) to try to fix things. So for either breakfast or lunch the last few days I've been making a ridiculous drink that contains:

Inulin, a soluble pre-biotic fiber that does not affect blood sugar
Chia seed, very high in fiber, very low in net carbs, and high in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Glutamine powder, which provides a non-essential amino acid (protein building block), and may be useful in reducing carb cravings (please, please!)
Soy isolate protein powder, a low-carb, high-protein product
Unsweetened soy milk
Psyllium husk for soluble and insoluble fiber
Cocoa powder for a bit more fiber, iron, and chocolate flavour.

This makes about 1.5 cups of a thick crunchy brown drinkable mess (which doesn't actually taste too bad) with 13g net carbs (and about 10g fiber), 11g healthy fat, 215 calories (more or less) and 35G protein. Then I drink about 500ml water to wash it all down.

Now, if I don't sabotage myself by consuming high-carb processed crap between (or instead of) regular meals, I should see some results. Right?

Stop the diabetes, I want to get off!

2009-06-27T05:52:00.008-04:00

I had really disappointing results from my recent blood test -- since I lowered my dietary cholesterol to 5 mg per day or less by reducing meat, dairy, fish, and eggs in my diet, the LDL has gone UP (though the HDL and triglicerides are still good). I finally accepted a statin prescription for Crestor.

Also my A1C (aka HBA1C or glycosylated hemoglobin) went up instead of down. That's mainly because 1) I "forget" my nighttime insulin quite often, as well as the oral meds, and 2) I eat too much starchy food (even though it's whole grain), and 3) I don't prepare and eat the vegetables I buy.

And I don't seem to have enough energy to exercise, which is a symptom of uncontrolled blood sugar. But I need to exercise to help control my blood sugar -- it's a vicious cycle for sure.

David Mendosa is a type 2 diabetic who was overweight (BMI of 40) and had an A1C of over 14% when he was diagnosed. He learned how to manage his own DM and now has a BMI of 19 (very good) and an A1C well under 6.0, which is about what non-diabetic people average. I read his column (click here to read it: http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/75990/motivation?ic=6044) about what motivates him to control his own diabetes and to help motivate just one other person at a time.

You can imagine that I have a lot of work to do to get such control!!

Garbage piling up

2009-06-25T07:04:00.005-04:00

The garbage being reported about the city workers' strike, that is. After three days drivers are already lining up at waste transfer stations to toss their household waste, but strikers are making each supplicant wait 15 minutes, causing four-hour lineups. I wonder how many of those drivers leave their motors idling on these increasingly hot and humid days... I have no opinions on the strikers' or the city's issues, although if you can avoid using up your sick days, you ought to get some credit for that.

Last year homeowners and landlords in Toronto had to choose a garbage bin they thought they could fit two weeks' worth of garbage in. The mid-sized (1.5 bag size) to extra-large bins (I think four bags fit) have incremental costs associated with them, while the smallest bin (one bag) garners a $10 per year rebate on our solid waste management bill. I'm frugal (well, cheap), I recycle everything I can, and avoid excess packaging---well, we're all supposed to do that! So I generally put out the equivalent of one bag a month.

Our last bi-weekly garbage pickup was a week ago Tuesday. This week would have been recycling. Our Green Bins are emptied every week, because they hold compostable material including the stinky, attractive stuff like bones and fat and disposable diapers. And dogs and raccoons tip them over and scavenge what they can, leaving the crap strewn on the sidewalk for birds and squirrels and cats to pick over.

Now, we had lots of warning about this. The Green Tenant alerted us early enough, and provided numerous options for surviving a garbage strike, including some from his six-year-old son. So why didn't people adjust their habits JUST IN CASE? I guess some of us did. If the strike lasts another month, I'll probably have a bag and a half to go out. And being mostly vegetarian now I'll be able to compost almost everything except the used cat litter.

Which reminds me---I should go down and declump my babies' litter boxes today. I'll store the clumps in my old garbage can.

An almost pleasant dental cleaning

2009-06-24T13:55:00.006-04:00

I finally got to the dental office this morning for my tri-annual cleaning (just before my medical benefits end). I'd put it off for a week or so because I just didn't feel like going. So of course I frantically flossed, brushed, and rinsed this morning and drove up to my excellent dentist, with whom I've been a patient for over 15 years.

I've written about this before---over the past year or so, regular use of Crest Pro-Health toothpaste, Oral-B toothbrushes, and regular flossing have reduced my time in the hygienist's chair by about 25 percent. I no longer have dark brown stains on the inside gum line from smoking, strong black coffee, too much red wine, and "forgetting" to brush and floss.

I got "vanity" braces as an adult in 1992 (very successful, though due to bone loss I lost a molar due to bone infection and just got a permanent bridge to replace it). And I still have a bonded retainer on the lower inside teeth from when I got the train tracks off in (I think) 1994. I've argued with Dr. Dave about removing it but he says he regrets getting HIS retainer removed. The retainer makes it difficult (though not impossible) to floss down there. But while he thought the toothpaste was gritty when he first started using it himself he likes it a lot now.

Me too. But when I tried to e-mail Crest today I didn't get much luck. I'd like to tell them myself how well it works from a dental hygiene dilettante.

Online medical records...NOT

2009-06-24T05:57:00.009-04:00

I wanted to get my prescriptions refilled before my benefits run out on Thursday. Last week I dropped in at my doctor's office, filled a few vials from a very belated blood requisition with the phlebotomist, and talked to my GP for a few minutes. She opened my secure personal file on her computer, and noted that last time we'd talked she still wanted me on a statin (but I had wanted to try to get my LDL cholesterol down by lifestyle changes, which she had also noted). She took my blood pressure (120/80) and added it to my records. She renewed all my prescriptions online by direct link with my drugstore, and by the time I got there an hour later my oral meds, insulin, test strips, and Novofine needle caps were waiting for me, along with my bill for the co-payment. Earlier this week I received an e-mail requesting my presence ("please call for an appointment") and a copy of my blood test results for me to review before I went to the medical office.

Then I woke up.

Between 2002 and 2005, I knew or heard of a dozen people (literally) from my then-workplace who left to pursue careers at the then-new-ish Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA, now eHealth, which has been in the news a lot recently). I even applied for a job there... These were all business analysts, project managers, database administrators, programmers, and so on. It was a pretty exciting idea---develop software and processes to create secure online medical records for most Ontario residents. (I think they all left SSHA to take productive jobs.)

And after years of hot air and multimillions of tax-payer-funded dollars spent, most Ontario residents still don't have online medical records. From the link above: "2007 statistics show that 25 per cent of family physicians in Ontario have electronic records, compared to 50 per cent in Albert, 89 per cent in the United Kingdom and 98 per cent in the Netherlands." Probably a few remaining rural Dutch residents who still live in windmills (kidding).

In fact all that happened last week at the doctor's office was true, except for the online medical records part, which I made up (and I did thank everyone for letting me in without an appointment). It was when I got to the pharmacy that I found that the doctor had neglected to write my name at the top of the prescription form. This was on Sunday, and of course I had put off getting the thing filled until I ran out of something, so of course the pharmacist couldn't fill the prescriptions. They've known me for years, but rules are rules, though I did get a few pills to tide me over.

I went back Monday and asked about my prescriptions. The druggist on duty said there had been nothing faxed from the doctor's office though the office manager had called me that morning, asked me to come in to review the blood test results, and assured me they had indeed faxed the correct information. So the druggist went to the fax machine and there was the corrected form under a bunch of others. It was a busy early Monday afternoon (and very hot outside), and the 15 minutes I was told I had to wait turned into well over an hour.

I was finally transferring my goodies to my bag when I noted to the pharmacist that the NPH insulin I use was in a new package. He said, no, it's the same package, and opened one to show me a large vial that you fill disposable needles from. He then realized that the "pen caps" on my prescription were for a different injection system, and I had to wait another 15 minutes while they corrected the prescription and adjusted the bill upward somewhat. (They still owe me two months' worth of one of the orals, for which they didn't have enough in stock. If there had been an online order they could have had it restocked before I got there.)

While I waited---again---I used the in-store blood pressure monitor: 118/75, though my pulse was over 120. I'm sure that by the time I retire at age 75 the province will be able to read the RFID chip in my arm and tell me I'm not eligible to be diabetic anymore. But it was a lovely dream while it lasted.

it's not this, it's that

2009-06-18T05:58:00.003-04:00

My friend AL reminded me: "you didn't get fired .. you got downsized .. there is a huge difference between the two." (I didn't know then but I've since learned there has been at least one other person let go and a number of reporting structure changes.)

Well, yes, there is, especially when an interviewer asks why I left my last job (but maybe they're not allowed to do that). I could say I was laid off---but that implies a possible return to work. I wouldn't say I was fired, because there was no cause, and I did get a package. I could say I was terminated, but that just sounds like fired again, with an unhappy parting of the ways. I won't say I was down-sized, because they might just hire a contractor to continue where I left off (unlikely). And some companies call it right-sizing because they're adjusting the workforce to match the work needing to be done. Note that they never ADD people when they're right-sizing.

Anyway, my cats have been a tremendous comfort, snuggling up beside me in bed, stomping all over the keyboard, and barfing up hairballs in ill-planned places. They don't care that I was booted out---they're just happy to have me at home.

And another thing...

2009-06-15T07:15:00.006-04:00

When I went grocery shopping yesterday I picked from my huge collection of reusable shopping bags. Since June 1, Toronto merchants must now charge five cents per plastic bag they distribute, even the little markets and non-food retailers.

That hasn't affected me too much, since I've been bringing reusable bags to the store for years, even before they were heavily promoted. (And I saved my recyclable cans, bottles and papers and dragged them down to Guelph's public recycling bins as early as 1982.)

But the black cloth-like ones made of recycled soft drink bottles, while they're washable, are collectors of lint and hair. While they're still usable, they don't look too hot. I paid 99 cents for most of them, and got a few free at the Green Living Show the last few years. They ARE re-recyclable (is that a word? I guess it is now).

But the ones I like best are made of a light tarp material (plastic coated), and they are larger and have longer handles. I'm sure if I made a pile of all my bags they'd block the front door.

So, it's time to cull---I've had good responses to most of my FreeCycle and ReUseIt posts, so I guess I'll try there first. Someone with a little patience and time to kill can probably clean them up.

UPDATE: Within a few minutes of posting my offer of a dozen used and new shopping bags, I got a response, and the bags were picked up off the porch that very afternoon. A minor step in decluttering...

Next steps in life, etc.

2009-06-15T06:25:00.006-04:00

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future." Victor Hugo

Well, I hope the rather nasty dream last night about maxing out my line of credit doesn't pan out.

1. It's probably time to move out of my comfort zone in my career. I'm not talking about freelancing, since it would take too long to get back a reputation and regular clients. I've been in IT full time for 20 years. And while contracts have been lucrative and have led to full time employment, the per-hour rate, even for senior/experienced tech writers, has dropped drastically. But there's a nifty position (full time, permanent) in downtown Toronto that I'm probably partly qualified for. (What am I saying?! I AM qualified for it! They'd be crazy not to hire me!!)

2. Diehl and Ludington, who wrote my little bible, Take Charge of Your Health, recommend (no, command) no added sugar in the diet, and to eat "foods as grown." I've eliminated most of the cholesterol from my diet, and I drink diet-decaf cola to partly satisfy those horrible cravings---but colas deplete bone mass, and as a PMW (post-menopausal woman) with a very low body-mass index (BMI), I can't afford that. "No added sugar" probably also means those artificial ones in sugar-free gum, meal replacement bars and drinks (even those with a low Glycemic Index for diabetics), and low- or zero-fat yogurt. It means no cheating, which I do several times a week, with healthful bran or whole wheat muffins from a popular outlet I call Timmy Ho's, as well as downright indulgences in whole boxes of cookies. I have a great recipe for low-fat (1/4 cup) banana loaf with NO added sugar (since I forgot to add sugar to the batter once, and it turned out perfectly and tasted wonderful). But once it's out of the oven I can't resist it.

3. While I'm job hunting, I should have the time and energy to finally declutter the house. I bought a couple of books on organizing (even one for people with ADHD/ADD). I'd like to hire some help, but I really don't want to spend the money. Though it would make my life so much easier...

Finally, here's a what a dandelion looks like, just for Guacamole Jim (grins, ducks, runs).

Girlz n the Hood

2009-06-14T10:05:00.009-04:00

I've lived on this street for over 10 years now. Since then, quite a few houses have been sold and re-sold to young couples who've since started their families. I can recall three or four boys arriving, and there have been a few longer-resident families with boys. But most of the people who've delivered their spawn (or moved in with kids) have had girls. They range in age from one to 18 or so. On every pleasant day (and evening) the mid-aged ones (say four to 13) shriek, shrill, squeal, scream, yell, and twitter. They run across the street without looking both ways for cars, and are continually being yelled at for "forgetting" their bike helmets. On milder days (15C/60F and up) they're out there in shorts and Ts, and on warmer days they're running through the sprinkler or hurling water balloons at each other. On cooler days they play complicated female social games with arcane rules that continually change (somewhat like Calvin and Hobbes's baseball game). They leave their bikes and toys on the sidewalk or by the curb, huddle on my porch peering in through the front door to look for cats, and generally terrorize the 'hood.

Their brothers and the other boys are quieter as a rule, preferring inline skating, skateboarding, riding bikes, or playing road hockey next to the street sign that says Absolutely No Road Hockey. ("Car!" Then the scrape of hockey nets being dragged to the side.)

There's a sweet, shady little playground with a wading pool at the south end of the street behind the church, and another park, better equipped and much larger and brighter, just three blocks away. (That's also where the Organic Farmers' Market is held.)

But go one street over and it's empty and quiet. Little girls and boys peep through the chain link fences surrounding their yards, which are filled with play sets and other paraphernalia, and the children are pale and chubby. My neighbours' kids are all long and lean, freckled and fit, and have endless energy, which I of course envy.

Fitness/gym programs at schools and recess games have been supplanted by organized sports a couple of times a week (hockey--expensive, and soccer--cheap), and kids will stay indoors glued to TV, online games, or the Internet, rather than go out and play if they aren't given the boot. Results? Childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes in childhood, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol in childhood, and heart disease. Among other things, including lower ability to learn in school.

Helicopter parents aren't strictly to blame for this, of course. Though these neighbourhoods are generally safe, cars do zoom by even during the day, trying to escape the left-hand turn at the major intersection one street over (but they meet a cul de sac and have to zoom back again). And there are a couple of drunks on the street and in the boarding house, though there's generally safety in numbers.

Well, it's time to get active -- I have my shopping list nearly done. Maybe I'll add balloons...

When one door closes...

2009-06-11T14:16:00.006-04:00

Another opens. I got fired today.

Then I took some pictures of my peonies. They're really pretty. (Click the image to see a full-sized version. I'm very pleased with it.)

Then I got drunk.

Tomorrow I'll update my resume.

Reckless Disregard

2009-06-06T12:06:00.004-04:00

(n) the phrase Reckless disregard is used to represent (the) utmost stage of negligence in doing anything with a mentality of disregarding the existence of the society and its well being.

I had to look that up to be sure I was going to use it correctly -- turns out I'm not. But I'm gonna say it anyway.

I was an eBay seller (and buyer) for a few years. I had good sales for vintage Pyrex that I picked up on the cheap at thrift stores, and I made enough profit selling used coffee makers to buy a nice Kohler two-basin porcelain and cast iron sink for my kitchen renovation. Then the market, and my enthusiasm, seemed to dry up. But I never lost the habit picking up various boxes and packing material, and now that stuff's all over the house. And even under my desk at work (you get marvellous boxes and things from IT departments).

With reckless disregard ("reckless" being redundant, as one definition said, but that's lawyerly hyperbole), I will break down all the boxes that my own appliances didn't come in (but why I keep those, when I'm not moving any time soon, is beyond my understanding) and put them out for recycling or FreeCycling. (I'll keep the packing material, though, for a number of reasons, one of which is I hate to throw it out. Maybe I will FreeCycle some of it.)

Speaking of recycling, I used to feel smug and self-righteous about ordering the smallest bins the city was offering (even getting a rebate on my garbage bill). But as I took a few items out to my Blue Bin this morning I realized I hadn't put it out two weeks before, and it's nearly full, probably for the first time. I have quite a bit I'm hoping to stuff in by Tuesday at 7 am.

The point being, to clear out unused and extra items to make room for all the stuff cluttering the house. Yes, I still have hope.

Oh, thank dog for running water

2009-06-03T20:30:00.006-04:00

I don't know how I lived like this. I haven't had hot water in the shower for over a month. I haven't been able to take a shower, flush the toilet unless I filled the cistern with rain water, do laundry, or wash dishes for nearly a week. My handyman did what he could this evening, and I am now back to where I started: water everywhere but in the tub. I can turn on the hot water tap and possibly the cold with a wrench and get a shower out of it, but I have my doubts.

How do people live without running water? Well, they don't. Many die due to drinking contaminated water. But if you are dying of thirst, what do you drink? Whatever there is. This is from Wikipedia: "Throughout most of the world the most common contamination of raw water sources is from human sewage and in particular human faecal pathogens and parasites. In 2006, waterborne diseases were estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths each year while about 1.1 billion people lacked proper drinking water." And that was 3 years ago; probably more now.

Canada is one of the richest fresh-water countries in the world. And Canadians are doing what they can to help the world's people to get access to clean water. And are talking about selling our clean water to other countries, without, it seems, considering the consequences for future generations.

And many corporations, such as mine, are reviewing the consequences of providing water in plastic bottles when most tap water in Canada is practically free and uncontaminated (or filtered water is provided). The cost of bottled water (even when you buy a case at your local gas station it costs more than gas itself) typically doesn't include the cost of the bottles, the petroleum resources to manufacture the bottles and packaging materials, ship them to wholesale and retail outlets, and pay for either the garbage or recycling.

Living without water

2009-05-30T12:16:00.007-04:00

I've been without hot water in the bath for about a month now, due to a broken tap. I've been managing to bathe, though, using large pans of warm water transferred from sink to tub (and I've even taken a couple of cold showers), and washing my hair in the kitchen sink. Yesterday I visited my fitness club, for the first time in a couple of years, to take a hot shower and wash my hair. It was wonderful!

Determined to DIM (do it myself), I bought tools and replacement parts, turned the water off at the main, and have been trying my damnedest to get the taps off. I talked to veteran employees at two major hardware chains and they agreed I'd been doing everything right up to now (except fixing the stupid things). I succeeded in unscrewing the cold tap, which blew a couple of days ago and provided a steady stream of wasted water until I shut off the main, but even with the specialty pliers, vice-grips, or plumber's wrench, I can't get the old brass cartridge out. And while I've loosened the screw on the hot water tap I can't get it all the way out.

I've been using rain-barrel water to flush the toilet (one bucket does the job). But I can't do dishes or laundry or even wash because when I do turn the water back on the bathtub faucet comes on full. I filled the tub to save me a few trips to the water barrel, and I've filled the bucket with that clear water and am using it to wash floors and walls.

But fixing the problem is beyond me, so I need to call for help. I'm afraid I've done irreparable damage to the works, and unless a strong, smart person can do it, I may be forced to do a bathroom renovation. After 10 years here, it's probably the worst room in the house (after the computer room). I'd love a tub I can actually sit down in (my neighbour has the same tiny 48" tub -- bottom measurement is 39"/1m -- and he is 6'5"!). And except for the wooden IKEA vanity (which I installed myself, along with new supply lines and PVC drainage pipe) there's no storage.

Since I've barely used the tub except to shower since I've lived here I wouldn't mind a stand-alone shower. There's no ventilation except for a hole in the ceiling leading out to the roof, typical of houses of this era (1920). And yes, those are nicotine stains on the ceiling. Hey, it's my reading (smoking) room!

So what's it like living without running water? I can't compare myself to a refugee camp inhabitant, or even a person living on a First Nations reserve in Canada (close to the same thing in some cases). I did fill the coffee maker at the same time I filled the tub. I have access to laundromats and a dry cleaner; ready-made ice, bottled water and other liquids from the store to drink; and a fitness club and probably neighbours I can impose upon to borrow shower time. But I refuse to feel despair, since my procrastinating is really to blame. I plan on staying in this house for a long time yet so a reno is a GOOD idea.

But if I get a renovation started I have to use money I don't exactly have at the moment...

Overpackaging is a sin!

2009-05-21T06:49:00.004-04:00

This is the package containing free samples of skin lotion I received the other day. The quality of the image is lousy, but the tubes are on the lower right next to a Canadian dollar coin (aka loonie). The box is about 12" x 5" x 2", and the accordian folded paper was rattling around inside. My goodness! I will probably keep the folded paper for something (maybe carry it around in my bag and use a piece to steady a wobbly patio table).

When I buy shoes I make the store keep the boxes. I didn't buy an interesting product (a little tube of window cleaner that you dilute with water in a spray bottle) because along with the huge cardboard package with testimonials, instructions, and cautions, it was all wrapped in PET plastic, the kind you need scissors or lawn shears to open.

I think I'll e-mail the company to thank them for the product and ask them to reduce their packaging.

UPDATE: I did get a canned response from the company that didn't exactly address my concern about overpackaging:

P&G is committed to ensuring our products, packaging, and operations are safe for consumers and the environment. For products that go out with the trash, our approach is to reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, or incinerate waste (with energy recovered) prior to land filling, wherever it's environmentally and economically appropriate. We're continually researching alternatives for more environmentally improved products and packaging. For more information about what P&G is doing to achieve this, please visit http://www.pg.com/sr Thanks again for writing.

There's one born every minute...

2009-05-15T10:17:00.003-04:00

Onychomycosis. That's a fancy name for nail fungus. It's very hard to treat. Unlike many other people who just assume from their nails' appearance that they have an infection, I was actually diagnosed: my last doctor but 5 took nail clippings and confirmed it. I was prescribed a very pricey oral medication that may take a lot out of your liver and required blood tests after three months to check for liver damage (yes, I took it anyways, but not for long enough). I don't have the grossest-looking case (photos show examples that look like fudge brownies), but this year the left big toenail was sufficiently misshapen that I got an ingrown toenail (self-diagnosed and self-treated). And I can't wear nail varnish on my toenails any more.

So I was checking online for topical treatments. I found a site with testimonials galore about a brush-on product that's a combination of exotic oils and elixirs and magical potions from third-world nations. The 6-bottle deal was too good to pass up for a person who is already on enough meds. And shipping was free, and the package arrived on time through Canada Post.

I have to say that, after five days of 3x/day treatment, which is certainly not enough time to see any difference in the condition of the infection, the nails were softened enough that I could clip them without major flaking and cracking, and the cuticles were softened nicely. When you have diabetes the advice is to NOT soak your feet, but up to now that was the only way to soften the nails enough to trim them. And the cuticles, after a winter of closed-in shoes, were a mess.

My toenails do look better after my amateur pedicure, though, and while I'm not a "fuck-me high-heels" summer shoe person I do have a few pairs of sandals I like to wear with a skirt. If I've been a sucker for a snake-oil pitch I'll know in a few months.

Don't hate me because I'm skinny

2009-05-09T09:40:00.006-04:00

A few people at work have had great success following the Weight Watchers(tm) plan. It's all about healthy eating, with the assistance of product labels, web sites that help determine "points" for permitted/recommended foods based on nutrient values that you find on product labels (always a good idea!).

But I have unintended weight loss. It's due to uncontrolled diabetes. My body-mass index (BMI) is at an unhealthy low. My size 2 pants are getting baggy. My energy levels are low. I do try to eat properly but usually fail (carb cravings and mindless eating). I get enough sleep, but if I take a nap it can last for eight hours. And I often "forget" to take my medication, especially my night-time insulin shot. Also I drink and smoke too much. And it's hard to get motivated to exercise. I need to get more recent blood tests and I haven't seen my endo for about two years now.

I have an extensive library on diet, exercise, diabetes, cookbooks (vegetarian and cooking for diabetics) and general health. I just got Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's book (Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars, ISBN - 13: 9780316167161), which is intended for an American audience and suggests drugs that aren't available in Canada (and uses the mg/dl measurement for blood sugar values, meaning I need to divide by 18 to get my mmol/dl values). I get numerous e-newsletters (several a day) on diabetes, eating well, living well, and how to reduce my "real age." I am still re-reading "Take Charge of Your Health" by Diehl and Ludington.

But I'm not doing well at all. Is it time for multiple daily injections (MDI)? I bet if I quit smoking I'd gain a bit of weight...

Another lovely day in the T-Dot

2009-05-02T08:57:00.006-04:00

Brilliant sunshine, clear skies, 8C (about 47F in US gallons). Possible rain showers in afternoon.

I need to start making lists again. I haven't made much progress on de-cluttering and cleaning the house these last few months, but except for the kitchen floor it hasn't got any worse. My method used to be to list what I needed to do by a given date or by necessity ("Change kitty litter! Empty dishwasher! Pick up drycleaning!"). Now I merely list what I have accomplished, which isn't a bad method either, except that these days the list reads: "Starting thinking about considering the best day to change the kitty litter." I used to ask a co-worker to remind me to leave myself a note to do stuff. He thought it was pretty funny.

But the front garden needs a bit of work. Or a lot. Oak leaves (from the many mature trees to the west) fill the garden beds. They don't decompose readily (due to the tannin) so they mostly have to go into yard waste bags to be picked up by the city and (we hope) make it into the compost process. On Environment Days in each ward residents can pick up free compost (bring your own shovel and containers).

My gooseberry bushes need to be moved to a sunny spot before they leaf out any more because once the rampant raspberry canes start up they block all the sun. Also the rhubarb (good Scrabble word) should be moved into a sunny spot. My front door faces west so the sun appears in the east in the morning (I think...). I have lots of room on the north side of the property along the fence to put these things, since once there they get the most southern exposure. If that makes any sense.

My roof would be ideal for solar panels: the gable roof over the front part faces east and west, so it would get morning, afternoon, and evening light. But the start-up cost is high (though I could probably get some rebates or grants from federal, provincial, or municipal sources).

In the meantime, I took a laundry load down to the basement and brought up the yard waste bags I didn't use from last year. I feel like I've accomplished something already!

Mom Diary -- first convo after admission

2009-04-30T21:28:00.005-04:00

In an earlier post I talked about my mom's impending Hip Replacement Operation. I spoke to her tonight -- she's in good spirits and has already seen a few friends since her admission to Brome-Mississiquoi-Perkins Hospital this afternoon.

She CAN be funny but she tries too hard sometimes. But when I asked her what she was picking out of her teeth as we were talking, she said, "Bouillon." She ordered tea with her "dinner" but wasn't sure what the hot brown beverage was. Her friend told her, "If you think the tea is bad, wait until you try the coffee." I asked my long-suffering imposed-upon brother, who will be her only family to visit (unless I can get some time off), to bring her some Van Houtte's (a major coffee/tea chain) or some Tim Hortons when he visits tomorrow.

My brother and I have sent her flowers for when she wakes up tomorrow after her 8 am op. When I placed the order (try http://www.canadaflowers.ca/, they're great!) I made sure that I entered an alternate name. In Quebec for other than social reasons they use a woman's "maiden" name. My mom was married in 1954 and had to get used to using her maiden name again (such as for medical reasons) sometime in the 1980s. She's OK with that, though. As am I. Quebec's programs (especially all-ages daycare) are second to none in Canada.

I guess I'm more worried about her than she is about herself!

May 1 Update: My brother, who is the only child who can visit, told me that Mom won't exactly be UP to taking a phone call this evening: she's flat on her back with numerous tubes and bandages, and can't reach the phone. Here's an image of the flowers we got her for today, anyway.

How to save money on groceries

2009-04-30T05:59:00.005-04:00

I knocked this off in a few minutes for our department newsletter, which is usually about Information Technology and rampant nerdism, but the Editor in Chief will accept just about anything, bless her heart:

In these lean times, watching food prices and shopping for the best values is a necessity [she let that pass; I'm the Copy Editor]. Besides developing a grocery list (donotforgettoiletpaper donotforgettoiletpaper donotforgettoiletpaper), or basing your shopping on a weekly meal plan, don’t be shy to clip discount coupons. Try http://www.save.ca/ for lots of hygiene, skin care, household cleaning, and baby care items. And enroll with http://www.free-samples.ca/ to get, well, free samples of stuff. Don’t miss the in-store manufacturer’s coupons, either---they’re sometimes way better than the ones in the flyer.

And you can actually get money back!

If you have a good memory for shelf prices and examine your receipts, at many major chains (hardware, pharmacy, grocery) you can yelp at the cashier: “Oh, the price on the shelf was $N.NN.” She/he will normally start to argue, and you shrug apologetically at the people behind you in line, but you stand your ground and recite: “I’m claiming my entitlement to a refund and a free product based on the Scanning Code of Practice.” In stores that participate, you can see the big sticker on the entry doors and often on the cash register itself.

http://www.retailcouncil.org/advocacy/cp/issues/scanner_acc/print/scanner_accuracy02_eng.asp
If the shelf price is different from the register price, you should get a refund of the REGISTER price and you get the product for FREE. This applies only to the first item if you bought more than one, but you get the sale price for second and subsequent items.

If the price of the item is more than $10.00 the same rules apply but you only get the ten bucks AND the free product.

Case study: I decided to try a major name brand all-natural peanut butter recently, and because the sale price hadn’t made it to the register I got the jar for free and a $4.99 credit on my bill.

But the stuff is runny. I don’t like my peanut butter to actually pour out of the jar, even after thorough stirring and refrigeration. And it tastes funny (punch line to joke about why we don’t eat clowns). So late last week I e-mailed the company through their website, asking about the consistency: “…it pours! It has never had the creamy but firm consistency that I expect. Is it always very liquid?” (I’m such a gourmet.)

I got a response last night from the Associate Director, Consumer Relations: “I'm sorry to learn that you were disappointed with our Peanut Butter having a watery texture. I'm sending you reimbursement, via first class mail, which you should receive in 10-14 business days.”

I didn’t tell them I got the jar for free plus the credit of the sale price. Crafty, am I not? Case closed.

Hip replacement for my long-suffering Mother

2009-04-26T09:24:00.004-04:00

My mom's birthday (77) is coming up in less than two weeks. On Friday she is undergoing a hip replacement operation that she (and her children) hope will restore some mobility and improve her temper. The hospital she's going to has a good long history of success for this procedure. She'll have a week's recovery there and start physiotherapy the day after the op. Then she'll move to a seniors' residence where she knows quite a few people and where she'll have a private apartment with a kitchen (or she can use the cafeteria), and access to nursing and physio care as well (like she says, she can afford it). Once she's assessed as able to take care of herself she'll move back home.

Mom isn't scared of surgery -- she had a bunion and hammer toe repaired a few years ago (she also ended up at that residence after a day at home when she realized she couldn't manage). And she's used to pain, I guess...

The hip disability (osteoarthritis, of course) is compounded by long-term rheumatoid arthritis, which she contracted at about 30 years of age. Her knuckles are "drifting" (the deformity caused by swelling and inflammation in the hands) so she can't bowl any more (five-pin); her right knee (where the first symptoms started) has only about 15 degrees of movement; both elbows and her lower back are also affected. Since she's lived in her house I don't think she's ever walked the 200m round trip to the mailbox. And on shopping trips she can only walk about 50m before she has to sit down and rest. Another complication is that one of the drugs that suppresses her RA symptoms affects her lung capacity. She gets breathless walking around the kitchen sometimes. She was an avid golfer but hasn't played in a few years. And she has awful pain in her lower back.

And she doesn't manage stress well, which complicates a lot of things, such as sleeping, eating, and thinking. She admits she looks for stuff to worry about!

When she first started getting tests for the op, she was asked if she had anyone to help her at home. She said, well yes, I have three grown children! One is out of province and works full time, one is closer to home but works full time on an irregular shift (60-hour weeks), and one is not available at all. So she's done the sensible thing and booked herself a room, thank dog.

I know a quite few people who've had this done: two male co-workers, one under 40 years old and one was about 24; a friend, aged 48 at the time, and whose mother has had both hips done; another co-worker in her early 60s who was thinking of scheduling her second.

One thing, though -- I'll try to stop envisioning the procedure I once accidentally saw on The Operation: the surgeon was using a good-sized carpenter's hammer and chisel to remove the old hip...probably a reciprocating saw too...ugh!

Stuff that works for me

2009-04-23T18:48:00.006-04:00

Part of being diabetic is skin care, especially on the feet and legs, where ulcers can develop. Wound healing on the feet is especially problematic---at the five-day diabetes education clinic my doctor enrolled me in when I was first diagnosed (my god, January 1995?!) an operating room nurse who had joined the program told us that people with diabetes with gangrenous ulcers on their feet or legs made up six or seven out of every 10 amputations done at the hospital. Inspecting your feet daily, washing carefully in warm water, drying carefully between your toes, and NOT moisturizing between your toes where skin can get and stay damp (the bacteria spa!) are all recommended.

Despite all the "beauty" advice my mother has given me ("Oh, you'd look so nice with streaks in your hair; why don't you wear green eyeshadow; Dove is the best soap to use everyday, the doctor said so"), I STILL don't listen to her. I've always liked my greying hair, only wash it once a week or so, and get it cut two or three times a year at the local beauty school for a cheap and careful blunt cut. Dove bath bars actually make my skin dryer, and I've actually needed a prescription lotion for dry patches on my arms until I stopped using Dove. I don't wear makeup at all (well, a little lipstick once in a while). I was a faithful Mary Kay user for a number of years, but got tired of contacting the representative --- and of the cost, though I do have to say I LOVED their products.

But now I go with Olay. Daily moisturizer with sunscreen (SPF15), daily facial cleaning cloths (my oily skin has never been clearer, though I don't like tossing one in the garbage every day) or the Regenerist facial cleanser and body wash (their Ribbons product makes me slip in the shower though, so I can't recommend everything they make), and bath bars, along with a few other things I might splurge on and use sparingly. Olay is skin-effective and cost-effective --- for ME. And their Quench hand moisturizer is amazing on my hands when I don't wear gloves, which is most of the winter. I'm not real vain. I can't find their compact powder foundation anymore, but I have at least a year's supply.

I also got some free Aveeno products (which my mother also swears by now --- "The Doctor Says...") that are nice but not as addicting. But I'll try to use everything up before I buy more.

Evening the score

2009-04-22T20:19:00.004-04:00

The hot water faucet in my bathtub has ceased to be. It was bound to, sooner or later. I've been here over 10 years and only did a superficial redecoration when I moved in (though I did replace the vanity and installed PVC pipes, laid stick-on floor tiles, wall paper, low-flow shower head, a low-flow toilet and supply line, and got the window replaced). It really needs a gut and complete overhaul to be welcoming to guests (I'm used to it).

But now the gasket has bit the dust and I can't turn it off or on. So I've developed a method to take a sponge bath in the tub that probably uses about the same amount of water I'm losing every day until I figure out how to fix the stupid thing (compression faucet, probably 33 years old, and installed by the same semi-professional who did the original ham-handed reno when Mrs. Berry finally moved out after 56 or so years).

So, I fill up two plastic pans with warm water from the sink, stand in the tub, wash all over with a fluffy sock (easier to handle than a washcloth) and my usual Olay soap, and use one pan to rinse the back and one to rinse the front. I wash my face in the sink, and I'll wash my hair in the kitchen because it has a nice spray faucet on a hose.

But that frickin' drip is keeping me awake at night!

UPDATE: I'm always looking for uses for the water I'm collecting from the leaky faucet. So far I'm emptying it into a mop bucket for cleaning, saving some for watering indoor plants, and, best of all, using it to launder items that need hand washing. Two tubs (a day's worth of drips) washes and rinses two light sweaters or blouses or a miniload of unmentionables (bras, panties, camis).

Uses for sari fabric

2009-04-13T08:54:00.004-04:00

Sari fabrics (from those long, graceful, and complicated dresses that Hindu and other women wear, when they're not wearing the salwar kameez, the tunic/trouser/scarf combo) go out of fashion as fast as the seasons change. Luckily, their wearers donate many of these 6-yard lengths to Value Village, where they usually sell for under 10 CAD. I regularly browse their selection (ever changing) but have held off buying even the most beautiful (in my opinion) because I just haven't made use of the lengths I bought 3 years ago.

A former co-worker and I were discussing how he could decorate his pool area. I suggested some saris, so I bought a few I'd been looking over, took them to work, and he picked the ones he wanted. He and his partner draped them around a canvas gazebo and enjoyed them swaying in the breeze all summer. That's one.

Two of the ones I was left with I planned on using as temporary drapes. They're still in the drawer, though. And the third, the most elaborate (and heaviest) I thought I'd make into a shirt or blouse, with black body and gold collar and cuffs. That's two.

My latest idea (of course still unexecuted) is yoga bags. The mesh ones I've seen have skimpy straps and fit too tightly. Kind of karmic, I figure.

It's been a year

2009-04-08T21:25:00.005-04:00

As people say. And it's only April 8. I've been looking for more info and images of the stress echo (cardio) test I took late last month but I haven't found any yet, unlike the plethora (great word) of info I found on the January tests. After two consecutive "atypical" ECGs from St. Mike's hospital in November and negative/positive test results from the five-hour cardiac perfusion and treadmill tests in late January (at a clinic that my cardiologist says has ancient and unreliable equipment, though I'm sure they use fresh radio-isotopes), and a further ECG in the cardiologist's office a few weeks ago, I was told that the angiogram is the "gold standard" for determining heart function. As a post-menopausal diabetic (aged mumblemumble-two) the typical tests aren't very informative. The angiogram has a "tiny" (one in 500 is tiny??) risk of injury. So I picked the stress echo. (Pardon me a moment while I donate some more money in appreciation to TEGH for their great efficiency. OK, done.)

On the morning of, I skipped my coffee and ate a light breakfast as ordered, wore jeans and runners, walked to the hospital (about 20 minutes), arrived about 15 minutes early and got admitted immediately. I undressed from the waist up. I got sticky sensors all over the place. About three techs at a time. The tech did my echo cardiogram in about 1o minutes. Then I got on the treadmill and marched increasingly uphill for about 10 minutes until I said I wanted off. Then I was flung back on the gurney for the second echo while my heart rate and blood pressure were still high. My cardio was there the whole time and I got results by 9:05 am. I was having fresh coffee (but not from the hospital's cafeteria, blech) five minutes later. I found out I should have bused or cabbed to the hospital, but what does one do when transit takes just about as long as it took to walk? And as a diabetic, I need all the exercise I can get?

Anyways, immediate test results: the chances are 80 percent that I DON'T have cardiomyopathy. Yet (I'm too young?). Cardio advised daily low-dose aspirin. I've been doing that for about 4 years now. Also statins. The scariest part. I said let's wait until we see my next cholesterol levels. I don't have to see him for a year now. I'll try to stop eating cookies for lunch and dinner.

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-28T14:38:00.004-04:00

I don't need to get ready for Earth Hour (I already changed the batteries in the portable radio and put the old batts in a bag to take to work to recycle).

Yesterday I bought a stainless thermal carafe to put hot coffee in. If it works (it's an old Melitta) I'll reduce my electricity usage a fraction by shutting off the coffee pot after it's done brewing and pour the fresh coffee into the carafe. Won't make much of a difference, probably, but I will know.

There are some areas in Toronto to view the potential blackout with a good vantage point, and it promises to be a really nice evening, but I think I'll just take a walk through the 'hood and shine my lantern into the houses that still have TVs flickering and the electric lights on.

Last year it wasn't such a big whoop on my street. Around 8:45 pm as I was sitting in candle and lantern light and listening to my little radio I watched some lights come on in a house across the street -- and the people left the house!

Degrees of oblivion: In London, England in 1941, someone interviewed a woman who claimed to not know who Hitler was. Everybody ought to have at least heard of Earth Hour this year.

Skype and a muffin

2009-03-24T21:08:00.005-04:00

My bro and I need to talk a bit more than usual lately, and he's complained that he is grossly overcharged for his long distance calls. So I checked Skype (always thought it was too high-tech for me) and we both signed up and got our headsets. One month of free calls to me should pay off his headset (a Logitech ClearChat). It will take a bit longer for me because I have a 5-cents-a-minute plan and don't make many LD calls. But I can imagine us talking a few times a week over the next few months.

I wanted a muffin with my lunch today. First I stopped at Tim Hortons but they didn't have a bran muffin (and the others were really small for the price). Then I went into the mall to a pastry shop and they didn't have muffins at all, and neither did the bakery. So I stopped at Coffee Time and bought a low-fat oatmeal muffin (I've bought them at Coffee Time near work and they were fine). I'm glad I pulled off a piece and ate it as I left the store -- it was CRUNCHY! And too sweet. I went back in and made an apologetic face at the cashier, and said the muffin was stale. I took it out of the bag and rapped it on the counter, and said, "Muffins should not make a noise like that." The manager person came out and said all the low fat muffins that she makes are like that. Somehow I doubt it. I make a banana bread with 1/4 cup oil (and no sugar) and it's tender. (That reminds me that I have some overripe bananas in the fridge to make banana muffins with.) Anyway, I got my money back! Had to do without a muffin, though.

This has been a day

2009-03-21T15:28:00.002-04:00

Family and home issues are distracting me from managing my diabetes. I am doing my best to be vegetarian/vegan this weekend to help manage my cholesterol, but I don't know how well I'm doing. Also, I drink WAY too much booze.

It's really lovely how MEN get together and combine their testosteronal powers to scare ignorant home-owner ladies like me. I had three Eastern European gentlemen who work for the City of Toronto's Downspout Program (www.toronto.ca\water) come to scare me first, ten minutes early. Then official Toronto Downspout Man Bill came (exactly on time) to scare me some more. Then the Large Toronto Roofing company professional Toby (in gorgeous clean black bib-alls) came to scare me even more. I'm glad it was a nice sunny, though chilly, day. I got rid of most of my wine hangover by going out in a t-shirt and light pants and clearing off the back patio in 0C weather so that the Men with Ladders and t-squares could climb up and tell me how really really desperate my roof situation is.

My original good honest roofer called me back today and said, yep, they're scaring you. He's been in the business for decades and had given me good info (but I'd really like to know what's up there). The Large Toronto Roofing company professional Toby will be back on Monday morning to tell me all about it. I gotta call my insurance company about this pretty soon...

Saving money in a recession

2009-03-17T22:40:00.006-04:00

There are all kinds of advice columns on cutting spending on lunches, daily lattes, manicures/facials/spa treatments; saving on your regular expenses like utilities and transportation; what to do when your investments tank (I say "hang in there" and boost my monthly contribution to my retirement savings by 25%); and so on. I haven't found a useful thrift tip in years. Except three. More on that later.

I bring coffee from home in a reusable mug and fill my steel water bottles from the tap. I make my own bread. I bring my breakfast and lunch to work most days, and if I don't it's sort of a treat. My mortgage rate is incredibly low and will be for the next 4.5 years or so. The only way I could save more on electricity is if I unplugged everything. I haven't paid for water since July 2007 since I got the meter installed (though I will probably get a smallish bill in three months).

If I get off my duff this spring I will grow my own tomatoes and peppers from seed and clip fresh herbs from the old barrel, and I already have asparagus, rhubarb, and maybe a few strawberries and gooseberries along with the raspberries and blue grapes. I don't buy meat, eggs, milk, or cheese any more. I will be getting rid of more lawn this year, reducing my need for the (used) electric mower and getting the reel mower out more.

I haven't bought any clothes in about a year (except for fresh socks) or footwear (OK, a pair of Blundstones last November), and all the business-casual work clothes I got at the thrift store in the last few years are holding up. I get my hair done two or three times a year at the local beauty college for about $18 CA, which includes wash, cut, and blow-dry AND a tip to the student. (In the last four or five years I've had exactly ONE cut that wasn't absolutely perfect and low-maintenance. And I LIKE my grey hair).

I don't travel. I get a discount transit pass ($100 per month unlimited travel, and a 15% tax credit every year), and I hardly ever drive anywhere. I get "free" groceries from loyalty cards every few months (last fall I got $184 worth of staples and fresh food for about $48 using coupons and loyalty rewards). And while I hardly ever (well, never) use my fitness club membership it's only about $15 a month.

Finally, I got sick of buying a non-recyclable disposable lighter every few weeks (and tossing it in the garbage) and splurged on a steel Zippo. I supposed I could spend less on red wine, but then I wouldn't be as happy. (I've made my own a few times, and I just drank it all.) And how would I build up the Air Miles for groceries if I didn't stop in at the liquor store a couple of times a week?

Which leads into the first real money-saving tip that not many tip-lines mention: Quit Smoking! $8.50 per day = $3102.50 that I could put towards my mortgage or retirement savings or spend on home repairs.

Here's the second: Sell The Car! I insure it for about $100 a month and fill it up about 5 times a year (3 of those fill-ups are at Christmas). Still a considerable amount. But how would I get the garden supplies and large boxes of kitty litter home?

And here's the third that no one's mentioned: Eat. What. You. Buy! I throw out amazing amounts of fresh food because I'm too lazy to cook when I get home. I might as well take it right from the (reusable) shopping bags and put it in the compost.

But DO NOT suggest I surrender any of the cats.

The runaround from UPS

2009-03-12T10:19:00.008-04:00

My baking equipment from Bob's Red Mill is scheduled for delivery tomorrow (I did say I wanted No Signature Required so they'll drop it on the porch). The picklist was made the day I ordered. Here's where my package has been since then (click for larger image):

It's been in and out of two countries (four states and one province) and six cities, for a total of 11 transits. I thought once it got to Windsor, ON, the day after I placed the order, it would mosey its way along the back roads to Toronto and arrive one week later. Apparently not.

Does someone have a whistle I can blow?

Thursday, MARCH 12 UPDATE: It got back to Windsor, Ontario again this evening. So it should arrive on my front porch on Friday (the thirteenth!!). I will use the dough bucket and maybe the banneton this weekend to mix up the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. Unless I get hit with duty charges and have to send UPS a payment before I get it all...

Saturday, MARCH 14 UPDATE: Swell. I gotta pay $55.65 CA in duty and taxes before I get my package. That's a few more bucks than I was planning on spending. I asked UPS if I could pay the COD by PayPal or credit card, but they won't get back to me until the next business day, if then.

Monday, MARCH 16 UPDATE: I DID get a positive response from UPS customer service, saying that Yes, I could pay a COD amount by credit card using their automated phone service. But I just signed the back of the Info slip, left a personal cheque for the COD amount taped to the door (I'm a trusting soul), and my package from Bob was at my door when I got home. Tra la!

I also got an eBay item that had been mailed in the US on February 2, 2009. The seller was good enough to re-ship the item (which I received in about a week). I promised him that if it ever showed up I'd send it back. And I got a package that I'd ordered on Thursday or Friday from a Toronto nutrition house. So I'm all happy again now.

Brilliant Iris -- hopes for spring!

2009-03-10T17:15:00.004-04:00

This might be my favourite bearded iris. I think it blooms in early summer.

On the other hand, the pure yellow bearded iris is pretty nice too.

I need to move them ALL to a location that get better moisture, a little more sun, and just generally better conditions.

Burberry and barn boots

2009-03-09T05:17:00.008-04:00

I snagged this disclaimer from a reseller: "Burberry sells its quality products through burberry.com, its stores and select retailers. Burberry cannot guarantee the authenticity of Burberry merchandise unless purchased from such sources. Burberry is unable to guarantee that products purchased from other sources will not be counterfeit, tampered with, second-hand or of other doubtful origin."

I see the Burberry pattern everywhere in Toronto---mostly scarves in the classic fawn, red, white, and black, but also umbrellas, coat linings, earmuffs, wallets, and even rubber boots (I nearly bought a nice cashmere Genuine Burberry scarf in grey, black, and white, but restrained myself, for a change, even though it was half-price; I just noted to myself I'd bought a perfect English cashmere scarf for a buck in a thrift store).

I feel kind of embarrassed when I see whole groups of (mostly) women with the same scarf casually wrapped around the throat. And everyone sells some kind of Burberry. I expect to see Pez dispensers in the Burberry pattern soon.

Speaking of rubber boots, where did this look come from? The site claims that these are accountants wearing their rubber boots. Looks funky (I kind of like it) and it's become part of the late-winter look, at least in the west end of Toronto where I work. Sure, they protect the pant cuffs when you tuck them in, and they're replacing the admittedly impractical calf-hugging high-heeled pointy-toed black boots (and the utterly impractical Uggs, which just slide around on the snow and ice and aren't that warm to begin with). But does everyone have to jump on the bandwagon?

And while I'm on a style rant here, when will marketers stop dressing teenagers (and their older sisters who should know better, or should at least invest in a full-length mirror) in shorty jackets and low-rider jeans, displaying camel toes and muffin tops?

And cleavage season will be starting soon. I'm a straight woman but I still get retina burn on the bus and subway every day, starting about now. I can't take my eyes off it! I guess that's the point. Do women still complain about sexual harassment and disrespect? There's a place to start right there.

Bread of dreams

2009-03-08T12:34:00.007-04:00

Sorry, Mark Bittman, but your no-knead bread don't cut it (or maybe I need to follow the recipe better). Jim Lahey's no-knead bread recipe (3 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 1.5 tsp salt, and 1.5 cups water) is the best. My brother has followed the recipe a few times already, though he claims he uses more yeast. I admit I haven't tried the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes yet, but I will when my supplies come in from Bob's Red Mill on Friday (I hope; UPS, are you listening?).

This is the beautiful loaf (one-third Ontario whole wheat flour) that I ate yesterday. Yes. I ate it all. Not at once, of course. I did shoot up a bit of extra insulin last night, though that's just silly.

This is the loaf I just put in the oven 3 minutes ago: 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat, and one cup oat bran. You need to preheat the dish for 30 minutes before you drop the dough in (it sizzles a bit), then cover it for the first 30 minutes of baking. It will be done in about 45 minutes, but needs to cool completely before one digs in.

I got this nice Pyrex covered dish at Value Village for about 4 bucks CA.

Step 4: Stress management (and self-defeating behaviour)

2009-03-07T06:26:00.003-05:00

I often have trouble recognising when I'm under stress, whether from work, personal interactions, ill-health, or self-anger (at myself for self-defeating behaviour). I meant this blog to be a kind of confessional to purge my bad behaviours, such as not managing my diabetes (and as a forum to amuse myself and other with my mad cats' behaviour; the boys just travelled through the furnace ducts and pushed out through the cold air return. It's an adventure for them, since they don't go outside).

Stress management is supposed to be an important part of diabetes management, along with self-monitoring of blood sugar levels; 30 minutes of aerobic and strength exercise a day (though "experts" are claiming that more is better); care in diet and nutrition along with regular mealtimes; and taking medications as prescribed. And lots of water, "enough to keep your urine pale."

Deep breathing, meditating (focusing on clearing your mind of all thoughts, especially negative ones), yoga (including deep breathing through the poses), and endorphins from vigorous exercise are some stress-busters. Keeping in touch with friends and family (well, not MY family) are recommended. Ending your work day by leaving work AT work is another method. And the Book (Take Charge of Your Health) recommends giving your life over to God. That doesn't work too well for atheists like me, though...but the principles are good.

I'll miss another yoga class this morning because the roofers are coming to look at my mess (gee, could the leaking roof and potential huge expenses be causing some stress?). After they leave I'll do some deep breathing.

Feeling sorry for myself

2009-03-04T14:12:00.011-05:00

My roofer came to look at my leak(s)---on time!---and a look of horror (possibly manufactured, but maybe not) passed across his face as he went from room to room. I have multiple problems that a new roof just couldn't cure, including not enough insulation in the crawlspace (flat roof), a bad angle for the eaves troughs, and ice damming that forces melt water down past the plate and into multiple rooms, including the kitchen. It might cost me a lot, but maybe it's time to dip into the line of credit to do some long-past-due repairs, and maybe my insurance will cover some of the cost.

I'm not usually a comfort shopper, but I couldn't resist doing some in-store and online buying (not like my eBay sales will cover any of it, but what the hay). Due to my renewed interest in baking bread, mainly because of all the no-knead recipes I've been finding, I realized I needed some vital equipment, like an oven thermometer (testing reveals that my oven is 40-50F degrees hotter than set, which explains the tough crusts); a serrated bread knife (to cut through those over-baked loaves), both from Valu-Mart; a banneton for rising; a dough bucket (boring image, but it's here) that shows when your dough has doubled; and a bread bag, from Bob's Red Mill.

I love the idea of the banneton---a woven reed basket that you turn the dough into to rise, then invert it onto your baking stone, leaving the coiled reed impression on the finished loaf. My book of kitchen gadgets says the French (those devils) line their bannetons with light canvas, but I can get a good result with just flour.

Why do diabetes "professional" opinions differ from the diabetic community

2009-03-01T20:07:00.006-05:00

I trust David Mendosa and his research and personal experience much more than I trust 1) a certified diabetes educator (CDE), 2) a certified dietician with training in diabetes management, 3) an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes, and 4) my family doctor with many patients with diabetes. Why? They aren't diabetic. Not one of them.

I haven't met a diabetes advisor since January 1995 that's diabetic. A CDE I met a year ago had never heard of gymnema sylvestre, which is a known effective hypoglycemic supplement (has been used in ayurvedic medicine for a couple thousand years). Everyone I've talked to says to make sure I get unrefined starchy carbohydrates so that I have "clean" carbs for muscle and brain function, but then they say that to handle the starchy carbs I also need to increase my medications, including insulin and statins.

Regarding statins, even though my last blood test results showed close-to-perfect cholesterol (total, HDL, and LDL) that's not good enough, and my doctor wants me on both ACE inhibitors and statins.

Fuck 'em.

It's March! Can Spring Be Close?

2009-03-01T09:08:00.004-05:00

Only 19 days until Spring arrives -- at 11:44 pm on March 20! And only another week until Daylight Saving Time begins (March 8 at 02h/2 am). That means, um, what? Brighter in the morning, or in the afternoon? I forget. I think it's the afternoon. That means that when I get home it might still be light-ish out. I hope.

And only 19 days until my friend Debra (http://www.greensleevesblog.blogspot.com/) and I fling off our winter glooms and trek to Canada Blooms! I won't forget my wallet this time.

These are my Toronto tulips last April, before I cleaned out the oak leaves (or did I bother to clean out the oak leaves in 2008?). I'll be sure to do it this year.

Step 3: removing cholesterol from the diet

2009-02-28T15:18:00.011-05:00

No cholesterol means none. None more cholesterol! Zero eggs, meat, poultry, fish, or dairy. That leaves me with only about a million other kinds of food to eat. The trouble will be coming home from a long day at work (one hour transit each way) and taking fresh food from the fridge and preparing it, and NOT buying a bag of Fritos on the way home and eating them for dinner with salsa as a vegetable. Or spending money on pizza or Chinese or sushi or whatever. Or making a couple or three peanut butter sandwiches.

Considering the fabulous collection of cast iron, stainless steel, and copper cookware I have, and all the cool tools and knives and cutting boards anyone could ever want (none at full price, mostly bought at clearance sales and from thrift stores; I'm not rich!), I should be able to cook for myself, right? And I have a blender, and TWO food processors (one large Braun with multiple blades and bowls that I got at Value Village for less than $20 CA [see picture], and a smaller Salton that works well to chop onions, etc., quickly), and a Braun immersion blender that I've had for about 20 years. And two Presto pressure cookers (one vintage aluminum, needs a new sealer ring again; one new stainless steel). Oh, and I have a vintage juicer that works pretty well (5 bucks at our street sale).

I went through my freezer and cupboards and pulled out all the foods that are meat, fish, or dairy. I listed the frozen meat on FreeCycle and have had about 9 responses since yesterday.

I specified that the food should go to an organization that provides meals for people in need. This implies that, for example, the meats could be thawed and used in recipes. So a strip loin steak or pork loin could be cut up and made into a nourishing soup, stew, or casserole, so instead of feeding me twice (or once, if I'm greedy), that tender meat cooked with vegetables and potatoes should feed about 6-8 people. One can of sockeye salmon (hey, it was on sale!) could make sandwiches for four. Is that a lot to ask?

I think I've made my choice, though. I called Second Harvest today and left a message. They don't usually do small pickups, but I checked their website and among the donations they want is an industrial wringer bucket on wheels, of which I have one (1). I am not so ambitious about washing the basement floor any more...

Now I need to cull more cookbooks to make room in the pantry for beans and other things.

Leaking roof and SPAM -- coincidence??

2009-02-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

It's confirmed -- my roof is leaking. Again. Just over three years ago I was between jobs, reading e-mails, and speaking on the cell phone with a recruiter about an interview. I looked up and watched drops of water falling onto the floor. Long story short, my attached neighbours and I got a couple of estimates to do only part of the job and that would have really hurt our wallets. My neighbour's father recommended a guy who could do both roofs (including removing old roof and taking it away). Very good price, pretty good looking job. The guy also did another neighbour's house. But she hasn't been able to get in touch with him, and he hasn't answered my call this morning. So I'll probably have to get another local company to do it and figure out how to get the 20-year warranty honoured.

I stepped out for smokes and more coffee, and when I got back there was a message in my Junk mailbox from a British military guy with THE SAME EXACT NAME as my roofer guy. Except this guy wants to share Iraqi loot with me (I did wonder for a second how the roofer got my e-mail address). All I have to do is get in touch:

"We have managed to move funds belonging to some demised persons who were attacked and killed [Ed. damn, killed twice!] through these attacks. The total amount is US$15 Million dollars in cash. We want to move this money to you, so that you can help keep our share for us until when we shall come over to meet you. My partner and I will take 70%, . while you take 30%. No strings attached! Just help us move it out of Iraq."

It certainly would help pay for the roof repairs.

Starting out slowly...

2009-02-26T06:50:00.003-05:00

We all know we should drink more water---two liters/eight cups a day. I read somewhere that a headache can be a symptom of dehydration, and when you take an aspirin with a glass of water it's probably the water that eases the pain, not the pill. When I told my mother this (we're not big water drinkers in my family) she told a friend who was plagued by afternoon headaches. Mrs. M. started drinking more water and Mom told me her headaches went away. So, drink more water. (I have several steel water bottles that I fill from the tap.) That's one.

Due to oncoming cardio problems (negative on one cardio test from last month, positive on the other) due to diabetes and genetics, I've been noticing that ankles are swollen at the end of the day. A night of sleep (lying down promotes even circulation, probably) would usually solve the problem. But I don't want to go to bed with swollen ankles at all, thanks. My days go like this: get up, get coffee, feed the cats (including Mr. Jones) and grab the paper. Then I usually get online and sit for an hour or so. Then I get to work and sit for another eight hours. Then I get home and get online and sit for another few hours. Yeah, good physical activity there, KBinTo!

Yesterday, sunny and calm but cold, I got off the bus on King St. W. at Shaw and walked to work from there (of course I bought a soy latte at *$s to keep me warm). Took about 15 minutes (1.2 km/.7 miles). The problem with walking is it stresses incipient right-knee osteoarthritis, for which I had physiotherapy at this time last year for a month or so, until the benefits ran out. At that time I had started by doing 3 km in about 30 minutes. I'll try to walk at a healthier pace this time. That's two.

"Take Charge of Your Health" by Diehl & Ludington

2009-02-25T21:28:00.006-05:00

I've been reading (and re-reading, and RE-reading) this little guide book (159 pages) full of anecdotes and advice on various health improvements. I already have a considerable library of books and references and get a number of e-newsletters on "living well with diabetes." I'm a believer (though not strictly a follower, yet) of low-carbohydrate (or at least low starch), low-glycemic diets, though you know I LOVE my bread (and cake, and cookies, and pastries, and and and...). And I'm trying to eat less meat. (Tonight I had an orange sweet pepper, a big pile of steamed yellow string beans, and a good chunk of roasted salmon, which I am trying to digest with a bottle of water. And some extra dark chocolate, but so far I haven't eaten the whole bar.)

And I think this might be the book. I read it once and felt encouraged. I read it again over the last couple of days. Oh, I haven't spent much money in total on this library; mostly I got them off clearance tables and at thrift stores. I think to myself, one more might help with my motivation; there might be something in here I can use; gee, I really like the cover of this one. Mostly they're not for me. But I'm keeping "Take Charge..." in my handbag so I can read it on public transit to work and back.

You might be able to scroll through the whole thing here:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=kUsvzjgp_dwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA11,M1

Now, to finish Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking."

Cat Entertainment -- Bwai's new toy!

2009-02-23T20:56:00.006-05:00

Dis Bwai new toy! It's a 5-foot length of foam insulation for hot water pipes, soft and light-weight---perfect for attacking. I got extra pieces from a city power conservation campaign a couple of years ago (pipe insulation, faucet aerators, etc.). She recently found one of the pieces in the basement and hauled it upstairs with much struggle and arguing. Then she found the other piece and brought that up too.

She's a playful cat by nature, if I initiate an interesting game like laser tag. But she never went after it further than a couple of feet, then needed to rest and contemplate. And now I can't find the laser pointer.

These "toys" gets dragged from room to room and floor to floor (though they haven't made it back to the basement, and they're covered in teethmarks.

This morning I found that she had managed to drag one of the pieces up to the bedroom. (The other night I got up to pee and kicked about 5 toys down the hall in the dark. Once or twice a week I collect the toys and put them back in the basket in the living room.)

Here she and Handsome Stranger are vying over each end of the longer piece.

Bwai, you might have noticed, is somewhat obese. And has an odd coat. She needs a body shave once a year (at least) to deal with her matted fur (and she's too fat to clean her own bum). The vet puts her under general anaesthetic to do this, and charges me an arm and a leg. But she's much happier and more active (and cuddlier) once it's done. This time I've greatly restricted her diet (and she's prevented from scavenging the other three cats' food). I think she's lost a pound or two. I'll let you know.

Water conservation in the urban jungle

2009-02-21T06:59:00.007-05:00

Just got my first combined water/solid waste management bill from the city. I suspected this latest bill wouldn't be high: I have the smallest garbage bin, for which I get a $10 rebate per year (this billing cycle, the first of three annually, amounted to minus $2.95). The water portion was $27.87, and since I still had a credit from my payment of July 2007 (yes, 2007), my total utility bill is MINUS $18.70.

I was paying about $350 a year just for water and the privilege of 1920s water pressure---don't flush the toilet while trying to wash your hands, and forget trying to take a shower while the water sprinkler is on. I got my water pipe remediation (replacement pipe from main to property line for free from the city) in August 2007, right after I paid the July-to-January water bill. I paid $800 to the exclusive city contractor to install the water meter and the outdoor "reader" and the big copper pipe from the property line into the house, so that expense has pretty much already paid for itself in lower water bills due to actual use.

Add to that the American Standard high-efficiency toilet (HET) at 4.6 liters or less per flush ($75 rebate from city), low-flow Water Magic(TM) shower head, front-loading clothes washer (uses 1/4 the water of a top loader; $65 rebate from city), and faucet aerators. And I have good water pressure all the time---I can take a shower while the dishwasher or clothes washer is running.

BTW, the Water Magic site is here: http://www.watermagic.ca/Retail/products.php?action=bycat&cat_id=1 . There's a lever on the showerhead you can use to shut off the water flow while you lather up, but if you still have low water pressure be prepared for a blast of very hot water when you turn it back on! The web pages are slow to load, so be patient. I see that the site hasn't been updated in a while. And ignore the typos (saing instead of saving, signle instead of single). I did...

I got my shower head (Item Number: 701C, still $35 CA on the website) at the Royal Winter Fair market place a few years ago for $35 CA, and they were selling it at a booth at the Green Living show this year for the same price. Their demo is convincing! And the booth rep said she'd heard that the shower shut-off wasn't recommended if the water pressure is low.

Easy bread recipe

2009-02-20T13:39:00.006-05:00

I spent at least a year making whole-wheat bread by hand (mixing, kneading, shaping loaves, etc., taking about 4-6 hours) when I first moved to Toronto. First to save money, then because the process just became a habit. I'd make about 4 loaves of whole wheat bread every two weeks, freezing half the batch.

But many diabetics can't enjoy bread like they used to, though. At least I can't. Eating two slices of toast, whether it's whole wheat or multi-whole-grain, sets off a carb craving cascade. I've recently tried a bran bread (19 carbs per slice less 5 g insoluble fiber) and, while it is satisfying if I ALSO eat servings of fruit and yogurt, I still have to hold myself back from buying a chocolate bar, Sun Chips, banana bread, or salted peanuts for a morning snack. White bread (like my beloved foccacia) sends my blood sugar soaring over my meter's limit to measure it.

Can I live without bread? No. Can I buy a loaf and keep from gorging on it? No. Can I find a source of single servings? No, of course not. So I keep trying to find a bread I can eat, somewhat enjoy, and not finish in a half a day. And so I'm trying Jim Lahey's no-knead bread, the original that Mark Bittman is promoting with his quick-start-finish adaptations. Note: I didn't like Bitmann's recipe or method that much, but I might have deviated too much from the suggested recipe.

Another item I haven't tried yet is the mix-ahead artisan bread (you can get a basic recipe from their website at but you have to buy the book to get all the good info). This recipe lets you create a sour-dough mix that you keep in the fridge (another no-knead one) and pull just the amount of dough you want to bake for the morning or evening meal. It's quite a bit more time to make than the suggested five minutes, but it's worth a try when store-bought artisanal breads (like my beloved foccacia) cost $5 or more per loaf.

Anyway, here is the Jim Lahey version I found online and finally baked today.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl until combined into a shaggy dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Flour a work surface. Scoop the wet dough, which will be dotted with bubbles, onto the flour. Fold twice, deflating it, and let rest for 15 minutes. Don’t worry if it sticks a bit; just scrape it off.
Sprinkle with flour as needed to handle, and shape dough into a saggy ball. Let rest on floured surface for another 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450. Place heavy cast iron, enameled cast iron, Pyrex or similar lidded pot in oven. Heat pot for at least 30 minutes.
Carefully tip dough into hot pot. Sprinkle with salt or seeds as desired, place lid on pot, and return to oven.
After 30 minutes, uncover pot. Bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until browned as desired. Cool on rack.
Don’t be surprised if you start the second loaf before you’ve finished the first. A few more tips from Peg Carmen: Resist the urge to cut it until completely cool. Store on counter or wrap in paper until cut, and then in plastic. Do not refrigerate. This additive-free bread is best enjoyed within 24 hours.

Long Distance Calls

2009-02-19T06:46:00.006-05:00

Last night I had a short but pleasant long-distance conversation with one of my eBay buyers (he really really really wanted the espresso makers). He was in La Paz, Bolivia. It was interesting to think of the actual distance, though our time zones were only one hour apart. (Average year-round temp in La Paz -- daytime 23-25C, nighttime 12-15C. I think I will move there.)

I don't know why he's there; maybe business or visiting family. But he won't return to Canada until spring.

Anyways, I kind of envy people who can plan and execute a distant vacation or business trip. I get stressed if I have to drive in downtown Toronto, and planning a trip home to QC seems to take weeks. I've never had my own passport (travelled on my parents' on my only off-continent trip to the UK in 1970). The last time I left Canada was in late January 2001, for a seminar in New Jersey (took the bus to Manhattan and spent a blissful couple of hours in MoMA, got to a few clearance racks at Saks Fifth Ave., and I got to watch the SuperBowl too), and did some heavy-duty outlet shopping in Secaucus, NJ. When I got to US Customs at the Toronto airport, the officer chided me firmly for not having any "official" ID. I couldn't find my baptismal registration (no birth cert from Quebec at that time), of course no passport, and she didn't much like my driver's license. But I got into the US and back home again. Eight months later it wouldn't have happened.

My mother and brother are great fans of travel -- my mom has been to visit family in Aus/NZ and Ireland four or five times now and my brother has been to Aus/NZ twice and is planning his next visit in 2010. When my dad was living the parents went on cruises and tropical and temperate vacations. Maybe that two-month UK trip when I was 14 and we got dragged around three countries, mostly by car, soured me...

But I do have the application mostly filled out; got my QC birth certificate; got my dentist to certify that it is in fact me on my passport photos (nice ones, thanks to my local photog Hoi); got my neighbours to agree that yes, they have known me for more than two years; and got most of the forms filled out.

Since my company cut almost all travel/training/entertainment/conference budgets late last year there's next to no chance I'll be asked to represent. The nearest possibility is dinner with family in the US (my family all lives within an hour or so of the Vermont border).

It's not like I'm going anywhere soon. But I do love to get postcards from people who travel!

Excessive joy injures the heart...

2009-02-15T08:20:00.004-05:00

is the title of a novel by Elisabeth Harvor (I picked it up used but haven't read it yet; I think I just really liked the title). Anyway, yesterday (Valentine's Day) I was meeting my friend De at on Queen St. E. for a light lunch. Finishing my smoke standing near their fair-weather deck. A red-white spaniel-type dog was crouched there looking into the windows where I could see his/her "owners" finishing their leisurely meal (couple and baby). Poor dog was quivering in anticipation (not barking or whining) (or else he was shivering in the -5C temp), little stub of tail zigzagging almost to a blur. This behaviour escalated when his "owners" started getting up, putting on their coats, and strapping the baby to the tall male.

They came out, lounged up to the deck, and DIDN'T EVEN SAY HELLO TO THE DOG, let alone pat him and thank him for so patiently waiting for them out in the cold. The dog was going quietly crazy with joy, while the female leaned down to undo his leash (one-handed so she could hold onto his collar) and the male stood there like a lump (well, he did have an infant strapped conveniently to his chest). The only words spoken were, "Hang on." No acknowledgment that this little member of their ideal family group was so happy to see them and be near them that he was nearly going insane.

Can dogs get broken hearts?

The Cat Came Back!

2009-02-09T21:13:00.008-05:00

We thought he was a goner but the cat came back! My neighbours and I have been feeding and caring for a feral (probably abandoned) old tom who sleeps on our porches and in our sheds. I think he likes me the best, though---he'll follow me down the street, let me pat him and (very briefly) pick him up, accepts pats and scritches, rolls on his side for side pats, though not on his belly! And he has him some pretty sharp ends. He's called Mr. Jones, BossCat, Old Cat, Mr. McScuffersons/Scuffy, Scruffy, and Him.

On Saturday afternoon I glanced at my front door and there was the pathetic face of Mr. Jones peering in---he had been missing for over a month. I rushed to pat him and check his condition. His paws were a bit bloody, and while he gets scrawny and fleabitten in summer he tends to put on the fat and fur when fall arrives. The last time I saw him, around New Year's, I couldn't feel his ribs he was so chubby (and I got my cat sitter Ol to put out food for him). But he vanished and we thought he was a goner. I think he was trapped in someone's garage or shed, because otherwise he'd be fatter since several of us feed him at least twice a day!

After I put out some kibble with warm water, I immediately notified my neighbour Sus who brought over a bed with warm supplies and some canned food; yesterday she dropped off an octagonal coffee table with a door in the base that we'll try to put his bed in so he'll have more shelter. Although he didn't take to the bed at first, when I looked out a half hour later he was snuggled up warmly. And I'm sure my neighbours Cor and Dar and Liz will start bringing him his once or twice daily can again. And I have printed up some fliers to drop in mailboxes on the street asking for a dollar or two towards his vaccinations and neutering, so he can live on the street but not contribute to the unwanted kitten population (I think he is Peabo's daddy).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15779729@N06/3261365924/

My poor guy. I didn't note this before, but he lost the tip of an ear due to frostbite.

See my Vesuviana Cappuccino Electric Espresso Maker on eBay!

2009-02-09T19:42:00.005-05:00

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299849081

My lovely vintage electric espresso-cappuccino maker has 6 bids, 16 (now 17) watchers, and 134 (now 136) views, with just over a day left. I'm hoping for a good price. I sold my Sunbeam vacuum brewer for just over asking price -- with the combined fees (buyer pays shipping) I think I might just have broken even. That's not exactly my goal...

My Sunbeam percolator: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299862146 has a few views and two watchers; I don't expect to get much for it, although it's just gorgeous. I hope to get my asking price on this one.

I've a few visits to my 1975 Bialetti stovetop Moka but no watchers and no bids: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299850862

I do have quite a bit of fun writing up the item descriptions, though, and I enjoy bringing life back to a dusty or greasy treasure. And eBay now gives some great tools, like shipping labels paid through PayPal and Canada Post and printable off a laser printer. I still have to go to a CPC dropoff but it'll be a lot quicker.

I've found that a sinkful very hot water with about a 1/4 cup of washing soda (Borax) will take the skin right off your hands and soften baked-on grease marks off old Pyrex glass and newer Corningware (white with the cornflower pattern) so that they can be removed with a scrubbing pad (dollar store variety). President's Choice Green Multi-Purpose Cleaning Putty (which I got in a bag of full-sized freebies at the Green Living Show last spring) does a good job at polishing up chrome and stainless steel, as will a gentle scouring with baking soda on a damp cloth, plus I keep a handy suppy of elbow grease. I use wooden toothpicks for everything but my teeth---they are gentle yet firm when I need to reach into crevices to restore an item to a clean condition. I can't get away from the toxic copper cleaner, though---it does such a good job, and if you're not careful while polishing you'll return the patina to the copper surface (that's not a bad thing, always).

I found a genuine Oster spare glass jar and lid for my genuine Osterizer chrome beehive blender at a good price. However, there was no gasket, blade, or jar nut. Luckily some replacement parts are available. With the US exchange and shipping I figure I'll have a complete spare mixing jar for about $30 CA. Not bad. All the parts are genuine Oster...and I can return at least one of the parts if it doesn't fit.

I suppose my goal is to declutter the house of items that I don't use that are usable but that I don't want to drop back off to the thrift store where I got them. When I sold on eBay a few years ago the goal was to make some money for my kitchen reno (and, what the heck, to share some vintage items). I did OK. I hope to do some more OK stuff.

Speaking of vintage, I used a free download coupon to buy a Stan Rogers tune that's been running through my head. He was a great Canadian artist who can never be replaced. The song I bought was "The Mary Ellen Carter." Chills are still running down my spine.

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

2009-02-03T16:37:00.003-05:00

So I'm selling off my beloved coffeemaker collection. Here's the first one:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299101613

Hey, I don't buy junk...

I added a few more coffeemakers (see the labels); no bids yet but a couple of watchers. I should have mentioned that water from a bathroom leak is staining my kitchen ceiling, so I really need some money to spend on repair or renovation.

It pays to complain

2009-01-28T22:40:00.006-05:00

That's if you do it right.

Mostly I've written e-mails to companies to complain that their stores don't follow the Scanning Code of Practice (The Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code or "The Code"). I've used The Code over the past 11 or so years in grocery stores and pharmacies right at the time to get free groceries and health products for which the register prices were higher than the shelf prices. Probably a few hundred dollars in refunds and free products by now (I get the product for free [or the differential amount if the product is more than $10 CA] plus the refund). It's not necessary to claim the entitlement at the time; but you really need to produce the receipt right away or within a couple of days to get the entitlement, in case they have corrected the price database.

So after I complain in writing (e-mail) I usually get an e-mail back in a few days or weeks from the relevant Customer Service after claiming to them that the store wasn't honouring The Code.

This time, however, was a bit different. I bought wine from the LCBO that had a big-time AIR MILES reward bonus before Christmas (7+7+15) for buying two different products from the same Australian winery. Nice stuff, went down well. But when the AIR MILES were credited to my account (to the LCBO's credit, they do update my rewards within a few days after a purchase), I noticed that I was missing the 15 bonus reward points for buying the two different products at the same time. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! I fired off an e-mail mentioning this to Air Miles Inc. and THEN I checked my receipts. I had been charged for two bottles of the same wine, twice, at the same LCBO. While I got the 7+7 bonus, I missed out on the 15 bonus rewards---twice.

In terms of Air Miles rewards, 30 is not a big whoop. It might get you part way to the 401 in terms of a trip from Toronto to anywhere. And there are no gift cards worth anything for less than 85 (I only use my rewards for grocery certificates from Metro).

So I composed a one-page letter that I sent to LCBO, Air Miles, and Industry Canada. A nice lady from LCBO actually looked me up and phoned me at home to help me out (I still have her number). The next result was from Industry Canada, who returned my letter and photocopies and gave me an alternate address for recourse. Finally today I checked my account online and noted that 30 reward miles had been credited to my account from "SHOP 2 STORE BONUS."

My complaint process: tell them what I thought should have happened; tell them what DID happen; then tell what what I want to happen. This gives them an out or a way to negotiate. If you don't give them a way to satisfy your beef, how can they respond? "Sorry, that won't happen again, here's a free in-flight meal"?? Yeah, right.

A letter from a disgruntled passenger to India on Virgin airlines has been spiralling virally around the net for a bit. While the passenger amused himself mightly at the airline's expense (photos provided), I didn't notice him actually asking for anything in recompense. And I didn't notice whether he even got anything (regular English curry like we get at 'ome?). Silly git.

Eww, I just found a hair in my soup! Fire up the e-mail...oh, wait---it was one of mine.

Five HOURS for cardio tests

2009-01-26T19:14:00.014-05:00

Well, there's five hours gone from my life. And over 29 hours without coffee (from 9 am Sunday until nearly 3 pm Monday the 26th, though I ignored the cardio clinic's advice about not smoking on the day of.

The echo cardiogram was a bit of a bore. I've had several normal EKG tests---but it was the two atypical/abnormal ones in a row (in two days) late last fall that made my doctor order these.

As usual I didn't get information I needed -- if I had known I had to eat ANOTHER breakfast at 10 am ("have something fatty") (after being told to eat a light one, which I did at 7:30 am), and then a snack a couple of hours later (before? after? can no longer recall) the treadmill test, I would have brought proper food from home (and my meds; I told the office when I made the appointment that I am diabetic). I had to go next door to Tim Hortons, where everyone was lining up for coffee, and I couldn't have any!

Then I had an argument with the clerks about cheese (well, an orange-coloured processed cheese food slice that they kept calling"cheddar" that somehow landed on my breakfast bagel). I didn't want cheese, the description of the BELT (Bacon, egg, lettuce, and purported tomato) didn't include cheese, the picture didn't SHOW cheese, and how is the customer supposed to know to ask not to have cheese if she didn't know it was there in the first place?? With the bacon, butter, egg AND cheese, I probably had two days' worth of salt and cholesterol. It was skanky, but it was cheap and tasteless.

Most of the 5 hours was spent waiting, eating, and lying on my side or back getting scanned by small person or large machine, with electrodes attached to various parts of my upper anatomy. I also had one of those valve-type IVs inserted at my elbow through which the radioactive isotopes were injected (with saline). At one point, after I had been on the treadmill for about 10 minutes (speed and incline increasing every 3 minutes, and we were within a minute of the test ending), I had a tech on one side taking my blood pressure (now up to 150/80) and a tech on the other side injecting the second dose of isotopes. All the while I'm marching steadily uphill at a brisk pace.

Anyways, I was out of there by 2 pm and home brewing coffee by 2:30. It was too cold to walk home into the wind so I took the subway -- from Main Street to Woodbine (one stop)!

I get regular newsletters from MedScape, and this is a pretty good description of what I went through: http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/449505_1, except I am not a healthy-looking white guy, but I did have to keep my arms overhead like that for about 20 minutes for each scan. You can subscribe to this site to get weekly newsletters, which include a diabetes/endocrinology section.

...like pulling teeth

2009-01-23T15:30:00.005-05:00

I'm doing exactly what I am not supposed to do after a tooth extraction---smoking. "If you can avoid it for 24 hours that would be best," says my wonderful dentist Dr. T. I also have to avoid smoking on Monday (as well as no caffeine or pain killers for 24 hours before) to help me pass my cardio tests.

The freezing is coming out now after two hours and I just took a couple of generic arthritis-strength something-or-others (acetaminophen), which I bought when my right hip started acting up for some reason. It worked, when I remembered to take it.

My other painkiller is a nice Shiraz Merlot, which should probably be avoided as well. But I was told I could have a cool drink, so I am.

The extraction wasn't painful at all (I ask for and get plenty of numb-ers, since I have learned I am resistant to painkillers in general), and since the tooth was already loose all Dr. T. had to do was slide a probe around to loosen the remaining ligaments and then drag it out. But my heart was pounding and I'm sure my blood pressure shot up!

So I'll have a very unattactive gap there for at least 4 months. Unless I cave in to vanity and request a partial plate instead of waiting for the multiple implant procedures.

A year ago today...

2009-01-21T20:55:00.001-05:00

http://diabetes-cats.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-furs-are-such-pals.html

Ya know what? They keep me warm at night too.

Off day...

2009-01-21T18:32:00.007-05:00

Kind of a weird day for blood sugar. I don't test diligently, which is my habit because I don't want to see those high fasting values, but when I got up this morning I felt like I'd already had several cups of strong coffee. A low! Fasting BG was 3.9 (70.2 in American gallons). This is odd because around 6:45 pm last night I ate a huge plate of French fries next to a hot roast beef sandwich drenched in dark brown gravy on whole wheat bread, and a half cup of boiled mixed vegetables. I didn't take my dinner meds until I got home, and then I shot my usual night-time NPH, and worried a bit about the effect the fries would have on my FBG.

To back up a bit, the subway was taking a long time to get from station to station last night. About halfway through my 17-station east-bound trip we heard we'd go two more stations and then get off. So at Broadview station, like good Torontonians, we made like Burnham wood to Dunsinane and debarked. This was due to a "serious medical emergency" (jumper?) with police presence at a station about two more down the line. That didn't mean I could get off and walk a few blocks to the next working station in the cold, either. The next open station (Woodbine) was mine own, at least 45 minutes on foot.

So instead of taking a cab home I wandered down the main drag (Toronto has a few dozen main drags, but this is a MAIN main drag) looking in restaurant windows for a place to warm my feet (Blundstones, while waterproof and trendy, are not the warmest boots). I passed by Il Fornello (big glasses, little wine), Sher-E-Punjab (can't resist the naan, so didn't try), a few regular Greek, Italian, Thai, Japanese and other exotic places (did I mention that Danforth is a foodie's paradise?). I ended up at The Detroit Eatery (all-day breakfast; where the Wings are King). I didn't notice an entree over 9 bucks. I sat at the wooden counter and watched the evening news (first chance I'd had to watch the US inauguration stuff) on a big screen TV and sipped black coffee while the ice melted off my boots and my dinner was being prepared. And FUCK was it good.