Tues., Oct. 5, 2004
9:23 a.m.

Big trucks roll past our house every day; I assume they are working on what is to be a new road over the mountain. It would be a shortcut to Joan's, we figure.

In the meantime, it looks like a nice level place for me to walk, if my ankles can take it. Seems a bit bumpy at the moment. Not that I've gotten out there to take advantage of it. Hell no. I've been way too sedentary for several days.

Karen and I have caught up to the construction workers at the arena so have had today, yesterday, and Friday off. We don't mind, it's a needed rest.

Today she is starting a new job, four hours a day, as a companion to an 88-year-old lady who lives in a nursing home. It may be a good gig for her for the long term but right now it means we won't have much overlapping time to finish the rink job, and will end up working on our own most of the time. It will be lonely!

I babysat my niece yesterday afternoon so there were plenty of distractions, but I did manage to get some of my editing work done and plan to do the same today, as well as squeeze in a trip to Mom and Dad's.

Last night I skipped my tap-dancing class. I believe I would start enjoying it once I got somewhat competent, but in the meantime it was more stressful than fun, and I don't need more stress. One evening per week running out to a class is more than enough for me right now, and when it's a choice between the singing or the dancing, the singing is the one that gives me the most tension release and pleasure. Hands down. And it's easy to practise. I turn on the cassette player and sing along as I clean the kitchen counters, put food away, wash dishes, get out the ingredients to bake bran muffins.

I'll ask the dance instructor to let me know if she ever has a class for beginners when I can start at the same time as the rest of the beginners, not start out way behind the other students. That situation may have had something to do with my lack of satisfaction with the classes. I was by myself practising one or two new steps throughout the entire hour, while the other students practised other stuff together. Loud music, loud tapping, their tapping different than mine, plus I felt like a clumsy oaf taking forever to pick up what ought to be simple rhythm. I was self-conscious even though I joked and grinned my way through the classes, laughing at my own ineptitude.

My upstairs neighbour returned from Mexico yesterday, but without his wife and kids. "I told you they would stay in Vancouver for a couple weeks, remember?" he said to me when I remarked on their absence. I don't remember him telling me that, but he is sure he did.

***

The results of Mom's c.t. scan last week: the kidney tumour has not gotten larger, but hasn't shrunk either. Some lymph nodes are larger. This may mean her medical team may decide to stop the treatment with this experimental drug and try something else. We are waiting to hear. There was to be a phone call from the doctor yesterday, so I am going to call over there now and see if it came in.

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