Tuesday, July 29, 2008

So, I had seen a great apartment right downtown the other day. I didn't have high expectations because of the cost (cheap) in relation to the other one I had previously viewed, just a block over.
I was wrong - this place was fantastic and we went full steam ahead with the rental application.
I went to drop off my application today, expecting to maybe hear back in a few days. I ended up talking to the landlord, and even before handing over my application, he was convinced that I was the right tenant.
He promised to hold the apartment for us, and next Tuesday, my roommate A(u)nt will be coming into London; we will sign the lease and it will be ours.

I am very very very excited!

Work is also going very well. I keep selling things fairly consistently. It seems that I will keep my job for a while at least!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Over the last few weeks, I've been a busy little bee , buzzing around to all sorts of apartments. Somehow, I got looking at mostly apartments around a grand a month, and that was sorta stressing me out, cause I don't want to spend that much. Mostly it was the fact that they weren't as spectacular as that first one I went to; they were making me wonder if they were worth the money, or what I would expect for that amount.

Today I went to two apartments significantly cheaper than the others and, you know what? They were AOK. One of them was carpeted througout in pink, so I'm not sure how my roommate will feel about it. The other one was a little small, so I'll pass on it. The main thing is that they were no-where near as bad as I was expecting considering the price drop.
Tomorrow I see another one in my happy price range. I don't have terribly high expectations, but we'll see. It's in the same city block as the first awesome apartment I saw downtown, but at 70% the price, I'm not sure how it will compare!

Friday, July 25, 2008

About a year ago, I went for a dilated pupil exam at my optometrist. The experience left me feeling not so hot. He looked into my eyes and told me that I had some nonproliferative retinopathy. There was nothing that I could see or feel that was wrong, and the only thing I could do was to generally improve my control. He said it wasn't anything to worry about, but I had a hard time believing him.

This morning, I went for another checkup and things were a little different. They had special retinal imaging cameras, so I actually got to see what the optometrist was seeing at a really high resolution. She pointed out the one tiny hemorrhage I have, and she compared it to examples of problem eyes. She said it was the smallest hemorrhage possible, so she's not worried at all. Now I'm not worried at all.
She actually asked if my control was worse last year, because what she saw wouldn't even warrant diagnosing nonproliferative retinopathy. She said that good control can actually improve small hemorrhages, so that might have been what happened.

Better diabetes control is always my goal, so it almost goes without saying. The prospect of having a pump does two things: immediately, I'm going to tighten control so I have better ideas of my carb ratios, and once I get my pump I will tighten control even further.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

So, I'm oblivious to many things - but this one takes the cake.
Background... I've called my parents a fair number of times this last year, most of them at night, or late evening. I know my mom is a night owl, so I figured it wasn't all that bad. More than a few times, it's been 2am and I've called to chit-chat because I knew she'd still be up at midnight.
NEWSFLASH - there is only a ONE-hour time difference between London and Winnipeg!
Somehow, these times I've called at 1am just to gab, it's never come up...

Tonight however... I was thoroughly convinced that my work was greatly mistaken cause there must be a 3 hour time difference between London and Edmonton, based on my relation to Alberta based on Winnipeg. Anyway, I felt silly! Oh well... it's only been 10 months - now I know!
I can't remember the last time that I felt cool in my bedroom. I have my window open and there is a very nice cool sensation coming in. It's not breezy, just cool enough to be perfect.

After making two sales last night, I made another sale at work tonight. I'm not delusional enough to think that it's going to continue easily, but I'll admit it feels good to be doing well-ish at work.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Just in time - please don't tease me.

Read this, well mostly just the first paragraph.

Long story short, I might be getting an insulin pump. I'm in touch with my nurse/insulin pump supplier lady and she says that we'll know what we can do later this week.
This would be a wonderful birthday present!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Sometime in the last few days, I reached a decision that I've been pondering for a while - I am going to do doctoral studies after I finish my masters at Western.
While this might think like an early thought considering I've only half-finished my current degree, but applications for grad schools is December-ish.
Uh oh, I'm realizing that that is the same time as my tentative deadline for my un-orchestrated thesis.
Never mind, it will all get done, and done well!

This means lots of things: moving to somewhere new and exciting (a big city, perhaps), settling down for about 4 years (maybe being reunited with Perta, my long lost Czech lover), and who knows what else!
I've looked at a few schools; I'd like to avoid the GRE if possible, but I would like to apply at a few U.S. schools. I'm not going to think too much about it at the moment - lots to still do. Once I start meeting with my thesis adviser, I will also ask him for some thoughts/advice.

Friday, July 18, 2008

I hate this feeling I'm having right now. I can barely describe it, other than just extreme frustration. There's no logic or specific target, just irritation and frustration.

It's not uncommon. I either feel this way when my sugars are low, but not too low; or when I'm overly hot and humid.
I hate this weather.

It's currently causing me to be more passive-aggressive than normal. Now, more than any other time in my life, I'm exhibiting much caution in what I say/how I react to others.
Normally, I try to be fairly direct, but I know if I am direct while feeling this way, I will get myself in trouble.

I really really really want to bitch and tell someone off right now, but I'm biting my tongue. On one hand, it's better that I don't speak my mind because I might go overboard, but there's also the concern that I'm not speaking for my side of the problem...
I will find a way to speak my mind sometime this weekend while I'm in an air-conditioned room.


I think I was dehydrated this evening. I had a rare headache tonight - I say rare, because I can count on my hands the number of non diabetes-related headaches I've had in my life, and this was one of them.

Sprouting off of the good-news tree, I made another sale tonight! The new campaign was not so hot, but it will get better.
Speaking of work, I work tomorrow morning... Yuck, but fun!

God I hate this heat - it feels like 31 out, and there's no air conditioning/air circulation in my room.

In conclusion, I'm pissy, but not too badly.
Today, I will be adding a second campaign to my telephone job. Still to date, I've only made one sale.
Rather than just working 4-hour shifts, I will now be working 6 hour shifts - basically a 50% earnings increase. Plus, my theory is that the more I work, the more likely I am to make more sales.

In other news, it's damned hot outside; I dislike it immensely.

I double checked some deadlines for some of the summer projects I've taken on and it turns out to be some good news. One of them is nowhere near as pressing as I thought, so I will set it aside for the rest of the summer and I'll have more time for the other things.
While I'm still not getting things done, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting things done.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Apartment - Cleaned!
Because I know you're fascinated about details...
Living room - I moved my computer out and back into the bedroom. Also got rid of the general clutter.
Bedroom - filed everything! I organized all my paperwork, finances, compositions etc. from this year into appropriate places. I will be well organized for taxes next year.
Bathroom - it's never fun, but it's done.
Kitchen - the floor could use a wash-down, but let's not go overboard. I've also been using this as a quasi office, though it remains organized.

I sent out emails today in search of deadlines. I have quite a few projects on the go, and none of them are really moving forward because I don't really know when they need to be specifically finished. If I don't hear back in a few days, I'll set my own deadlines and get things done quickly. I do realize that I could have done that earlier, but [insert convincing justification here] - so there!

My plan is to have my thesis done (excluding orchestration) for around this time in December. That means I have 6 months left! So far, I have a pretty good plan of how I will approach and control the musical elements of the piece.
Here we go!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

I missed an important update - I made my first sale at work. I made a mistake, forgot to ask which day the subscription was for, but the main thing is that I made a sale!
I'm not too sure what the quota situation is, but I knew that if you didn't make a sale in your first two weeks, you would be fired. Luckily, I made mine shortly after one week. Now I feel work is getting better and easier. In all honesty, I quite enjoy the job - the people are great and the work isn't all that bad either.

Lately, I've had this sense of refreshment - that things are good.

Now I'm going to clean my apartment from head to toe!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Went to Toronto tonight.
This was the trip I thought I would be having all last year...

Went in for a friend's show.
Met another friend for coffee and random city wandering.
Had dinner in cafe with the friend who was doing the show - caught up, it was great. That friend is doing really well - busy with this show and Canada Council Grant next year - she is doing well!
The show was actually an exhibition - I made a new contact with one of the other artists at the show. Gave him a business card, maybe something cool with come of it.
Bus trip home - felt lame about leaving Toronto at 10:30 on a Friday night, but talked the entire ride home with 2 awesome ladies. Went for drinks in London with 2 awesome ladies. Gave out some business cards. As a result, I now have a new photographer friend in London, and a recording engineer in Toronto.

Anyway, before I left for the day, I had a viewing at a super awesome apartment. I showed pictures to my future roommate and we agree, we want it. Now we go ahead with securing the place, by any means necessary. The lowdown - it's beautiful, hardwood floors, right downtown, walk-in closet, all inclusive, air-conditioner included with remote control, keypad door entry, and a waiting room in the hallway for guests. Oh, wait... the kitchen appliances include - fridge, stove, dishwasher and... wait for it... a wine cooler. Oh ya, and the wood-burning stove adds a certain je ne sais comment dire que c'est le meilleur apartment dans le monde!!!...

ok, it's late and I work demain.
Bonne Nuit!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

the waning of originality

I just had a fleeting thought when I looked at msn and saw an interesting status that someone had written. Like in many other situations, my first thought was, "where is that from?"

Quoting movies and television shows is a very commonplace thing, but I long for originality - when I will be able to assume that what someone says is a golden bud of original thought.
I think it also goes the other way. I know I have shied away from saying things because they're not from a reputable source (according to popular culture).

Perhaps I'm taking this too far. It's usually fairly obvious when someone is quoting something in speech. On the internet, the distinction is becoming weaker and weaker : citation is rare, and even quotation marks are appearing less frequently. While this is a grammar issue on its own, it's the citation that bothers me most - not that I am fighting for the rights of the original authors, but by omission, quotation becomes a given and therefore, originality becomes something out of the ordinary.

I wish that originality was a way of life for more of the world.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Work is getting better. I am gaining confidence with the information and the script, so things are seeming to be going more smoothly. I still haven't sold anything, and I'm not going to jinx myself by saying tonight is going to be the night.

The apartment search was less than successful. My roommate could only come in for two days/afternoons. While I made the offer to make a bunch of appointments, a few people told me that it would be easier/better to just wander around and phone as we went. In the end, hours of walking around London in the heat led to only 2 apartment viewings - neither of which will we be taking. I will be going alone for a viewing on Friday, and a few people are hopefully going to call us back. The one on Friday sounds great; fingers will be crossed with high hopes!

It's been very hot lately; I was reminded of how much I dislike the heat while I've been wandering the streets of London, hunting for apartments.
Yuck!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Asking for help

All in all, diabetes and independence have been strongly linked in my mind and lifestyle. I have managed everything relating to my diabetes since my teenage years. While parental reminders to test sugars or make appointments were present at home, and help was always available if I asked for it, I can count on my left hand the number of times that someone else partook in my control.

When I moved to London, not much has changed. I told my friends that I am diabetic and gave my roommate a rundown on the basics - ie If I act out of the ordinary, give me juice; if I'm unconscious or violent, call an ambulance. Aside from seeing me take needles and a few initial conversations about diabetes in general, diabetes had has no present in how we relate.

Lows are always the thing to avoid in the short term, and so I have been very good at always carrying simple sugars or knowing that there would be some source from which I could buy.
I've had no major lows this year. A few close calls where I had to change up my plans to treat a low happened, but nothing major.

Tonight was a close call. My walk home tonight was about 5 kilometers, nearly an hour. I walked home with a friend - soon in, I could tell that my sugars were not going to stay happy with me. After about 20 minutes, I was getting worried - we would be parting ways soon and I still had another 30 minutes before I would be home; it's 1:30 on a Sunday night... I only had two lifesaver candies left - I would not make it home safely at this rate. I began thinking of the options which would allow me to save face:
-hail a cab once we parted ways and get home as fast as possible
-wander around for a vending machine

So, there weren't enough options that were reliable. Realizing that there was no shame to be had, I asked her if she had any juice or sugar. She looked in her purse and then replied, "no." Preparing myself to invite myself to her house so I could get some juice, I saw the saving grace.... 7-11!
I'm sure my friend thought nothing more of this than if I had asked for a bus ticket or something like that, but for me, it is a reminder of how no-one is completely independent - everyone needs help sometimes.
In action, this story ends with me remaining independent - we parted ways and I walked quickly to the 7-11 and bought myself a root beer which was a good friend for the next half hour. In thought, I know that my independence is limited. While this has given me a renewed sense of humility, I am reminded that there is no shame in asking for help.

Friday, July 04, 2008

so, I'm feeling very positive and motivated today
I've decided that I am going to sell my first subscription at work today!
It's a funny environment, whenever anyone makes a sale, they ring the bell and everyone apathetically yells 'yay'. The boss actually does get interested/excited and congratulates whoever it was. All in all it's a wholly delightful experience all around.
I could bitch for hours about the complications inherent from the process, but my computer was wiped and now it's running better and fresh and all that!
There are still a bunch of programs to reinstall, but I'm doing things slowly - one step at a time.

I've started my new job - so far so good. The people are great, so it's actually a really fun work environment! The job itself is a lot more information intensive than I expected, so I'm trying my best, but I can tell there's still a lot to learn.

I had a good meeting about the improv ensemble next year - things seem to be in the works. Nothing set in stone, but we'll see as the summer rolls on.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Happy Canada Day!

Let me start by saying that I am in London, not Winnipeg.

I am going to the Forks tonight to see the fireworks.

Let me repeat that I am in London, not Winnipeg.

London also has two rivers - the Thames and the North Thames - and they intersect at a place downtown that they call 'The Forks'.
It is smaller, lamer, and far less commercial than Winnipeg's noted landmark.

I think a few of us are going to go for dinner before the fireworks, but plans are slow in the making.

Today was the most social day I've had in a while - I hung out all afternoon with my friend Judy-o going for coffee, liquor mart, and I introduced her to the wonderful world of PDQ Bach.
I have plans that next year, there will be a moderate-to-large scale PDQ Bach concert, hopefully presenting a large, possibly staged opera/cantata/something in addition to solos and duets and whatnot.