Tuesday, September 30, 2008

PIANO!

When I got home from school today, the piano was already moved in! It now has several scores piled on it, and I've played a few pieces.
I'll post more about it once I play more on it, but I just wanted to post my excitement for now!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

I almost convinced myself to give up on OGS and SSHRC scholarship applications, but my roommate reminded me of my old friend... logic, but the real logic, not that made up Michael logic.
I need to finish up the writeup of my plan either tonight or tomorrow so that my references can read it.
Mostly, these applications are going to ruin my birthday, haha.
I am trying to avoid my birthday tomorrow. I don't dislike birthdays, but I just don't care.
I got a great care package from my parents with little things that are exactly what I needed - dishtowels, baked goods, teas, and a kilogram of jellybellies!

I'm very excited that my Chinese friend Jon is back in Canada! He's on the other side of the country, but at least I can call him long-distance for free now. Welcome back Jon!

The piano is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday. There is construction right in front of my apartment. If it interferes with the delivery, it will likely be weeks until we get it, but I'm avoiding that possibility - I will have a piano next week!!!

Monday, September 22, 2008

I think I'm comfortable with my new pace of blogging - a little less often than the once daily posting habit.  If anyone has objections, feel free to comment, HA!

A few days after my last post, I got a phone call from the diabetes clinic informing me that there is a doctor who takes in new patients much faster than the rest.  I got referred to him, so I'm hoping to shave a few months off of the timeline.

I can't believe the month of September is into its last week already, almost.  I'm still trying to wrap up stuff from the summer, but I really didn't do much over the summer, so the work needing still to be done adds up to something insurmountable when I have a thesis that I need to write.

I'll be having my quarter-century birthday next weekend, and I couldn't really care any less.  I've never really been a big birthday person, but it seems logically that this one should be more important than usual.  Oh well!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Patience Michael, Patience...

I should have switched over to Ontario health coverage long ago, but I didn't - that doesn't really make much of a difference to the story I'm telling, but it makes a little.
I really should have gotten in touch with an Endocrinologist a LONG time ago.  I am soon going to be on a 4-6 month waiting list to see any of the London specialists.

The ontario pump coverage program (Assistive Device Program) is quite picky about the things needing to be done - and rightfully so if they are going to pay out that amount of money.
I went to an information meeting tonight and they were telling people who were already in the process to be patient...  I am much further behind them all in this process.  
As I understand, here is what I still need to do:

1) Get a referral to an Endo - I thought I had done this, but a misunderstanding on both parts means that my doctor referred me to a diabetes education centre and not a specialist.
I called some different Endos today, and the wait time at all of them is about 5 months - and that's just for a first appointment, I'm not even sure if they'll do any referrals at that point.  The one I'm asking the Doc to refer me to is booking into December and January - I'm going to go onto a cancellation list, but I'm not counting on that.

2) Get my Endo to refer me to the Diabetes Education Centre - I've already started going to some things, but apparently I still need a referral for the red-tape's sake.

3) Pass their qualifications so that they can recommend me to the ADP.

4) Wait - they were saying tonight that it could be another 3 month process to get accepted, and then longer to get the actual cheque for monthly supplies.

When all is said and done, this insulin pump might end up being a nice graduation present - coming around March or April.

Happy Graduation!!

Friday, September 12, 2008

One of the few complaints I've had about the new apartment is that the laundry dryer wouldn't completely dry my clothes. I put my clothes in the dryer today before work and it wasn't done before I left for work. I just left, figuring that I could dry my still damp clothes later on.
That was at 3pm, I got home at 11:20 and the dryer was spinning... I'm not sure if maybe my roommate put in more money into the machine before going to bed....[not likely, how would he have known?!?] or if they were just drying for over 8 hours straight.
I'd say that 80% of my wardrobe was in that dryer, so I'm really hoping that it didn't shrink everything... Mostly, I'm glad that it didn't light the clothes, or building on fire!

I worked a long shift today - from 3-11:15 pm. I would say that 8 hours is too long for telephone sales. I work again tomorrow morning. I think I'll have to quit soon because of school and general life. I need to start waking up at a reasonable hour, reliably, and evening work isn't good for that.

Monday, September 08, 2008

some new developments

Things are going pretty well.

They have finally unleashed the information and details about the insulin pump coverage. There is no age restriction, so I will be getting one.  Now, I have to start jumping through the hoops.
I need to:
Get an Ontario Health Card
Get referred to the diabetes pump training centre(which I thought I had already done... since I had an appointment with them this morning)
Get referred to an Endocrinologist so that THEY can preperly refer me to the diabetes pump training centre (see above).
Go to dieticians and information sessions about insulin pumps so that they can qualify if I am a suitable candidate for insulin pump therapy.
And who knows what else they will see fit.  Once that stuff is done, they will help me to fill in the paper work for the funding.
The good thing is that I have a good deal of certainty that I will actually be getting a pump and there is no deadline I have to deal with.  I can proceed at my own speed.

As of today, I've officially dumped my original thesis project.
This is actually a big change.  I had been dwindling the idea for a while in my mind, but only on Friday did I acknowledge to myself that it's a real possibility to dump it.  I thought of it over the weekend and, having found a suitable replacement project, I'm super confident that I'm making the right decision.
This will give me an extra few months to get things together and it eliminates a lot of the technical glitches that would certainly have gotten in the way.
I still intend to collaborate with the choreohrapher and dancers while I'm here, but not as part of an academic project.  I think this will be better for everyone involved.

New Thesis - I'm writing a piano concerto.  I'm basing it on, surprise surprise, a text by Wallace Stevens, Peter Quince at the Clavier.  The text will be spoken by the pianist while or between playing the piano.  In addition to my enjoyment of spoken text, I like this because it necessarily changes the manner in which the pianist interacts with the audience and other players.
That's all I'll say for now.  I need to find a pianist - I need to get to know some more pianists at Western... or some of them at all...

Friday, September 05, 2008

I never pawned my keyboard.  I might still, but I put it up high, so I'd need to get on a chair or ladder to get it down.

We went and saw a piano that we're going to rent this year.  It has a fixed soundboard crack, and it wasn't completely put together, but that's ok.  For thirty-five dollars a month split in two, it's good enough!

I'm worried about the lack of progress on my thesis thus far, and I'm seriously rethinking some things.  I have a meeting with my advisor on Monday, so I'll post what comes of that.

Also on Monday, I have a meeting with pump specialists - I'm going to prod them for as much info as humanly possible about the funding.  I'm thinking it's time.  The referral came very quickly, so maybe that's a sign that it's the right approach.

Tomorrow I'm going to my Uncles to celebrate my Grand-dad's 88th birthday. I'm excited to see family, and the nice home-cooked meal will be nice.

Ick, I overate tonight at the pot-luck.  It was a wonderful social event, but wine and food enter my body in excess in these kind of situations.