An Abundance of Blog Fodder..

A few hours ago, I was prepared to sit down and write a post on a subject that's been on my mind of late. It'll have to wait (this might just be a multi-post evening!), a couple of other topics jumped the queue!

My Facebook friends know that I've had "neighbour challenges" to put it plainly. I suspect that these neighbours don't even know that they're causing a noise problem - although I have my suspicions that it's one of the reasons that the previous tenant made a move. It's that bad. And almost always during the night when I would rather be sleeping.

Which made the knock on the door a while ago especially appreciated. On the other side of me lives a couple, I'd met the husband last week. He's a pleasant British man and he was letting me know that I might want to don earplugs tomorrow. The tiles in the bathroom are to be pulled up and there's gonna be noise, and lots of it apparently. His gestures led me to believe he might be bringing in the pavement repair crew from the city with jackhammers and all. Those tiles must have threatened to not go without a fight! A kind thought to let me know what's on tap for tomorrow.

He might have wondered what I was doing in my pajamas at such an early hour (I hid as best I could behind the door), but the truth is the alternative would have been less neighbourly of me. It's difficult to tolerate even a slight touch against the radiation burns today, every turn in bed last night resulted in me waking up cursing the sheets against my legs.

Then came more fodder.

A friend emailed to let me know that it appeared that a message she'd sent this evening to a political figure voicing her displeasure showed my email address as the sender instead of her own. I don't disagree with my friend's thoughts on the matter and joked that as long as she visited me in jail after being arrested for speaking out against the government, all was good :-)

How did this happen? Months ago when I was left on my own at the old house, I quickly realized that I needed help (and lots of it) to get many household tasks and errands done. I did something that is quite uncharacteristic of me, I asked for the help I needed from friends who'd reached out in the months prior to offer their support and assistance. For me, that was a huge deal. I felt failure in being unable to do what seemed to me were basic tasks. Taking out the garbage, getting groceries, opening up jars whose lids wouldn't budge with the little strength I have left in my hands and arms.

It was likely the most humbling experience I've yet to go through, and not one of those friends I reached out to has ever made me feel anything other than they're glad to help. They know I had to reach deep down to find the courage to ask.

The need for assistance has only grown over time, and now the help of friends is supplemented by social services, the Canadian Cancer Society and other volunteers who give so generously of their time.

Back to asking for help. One clever friend thought up a solution to help match up the offers of assistance with the need; an on-line calendar. A group of friends gain access with a password, and can anytime check what appointments I have booked etc. (and any of these friends have permission to give me an earful at this moment, I realize that I've not updated the calendar in a number of weeks. Radiation has knocked my on my backside and I've taken a break from most of my regular appointments).

We surmised that she must have been checking my calendar and didn't realize that she was still logged in to my account when she wrote the email.

My friends find the most ingenious ways to entertain me. Intentionally or otherwise!

As a side note: it was mentioned to me that the email address I provided for private messaging is buried deep in a post from months ago. If you would like to contact me but prefer not to do so publicly please email me at sessa1@live.ca (the address is listed in the blog header now too).

My original subject matter will have to wait until another day, I've become very tired (and hopefully I'm exhausted enough to tune out all noise for the night!)