F 1 D 0 -- 02 04 13 at 00 45

What a week, Explained.

I've heard it is a sign of
insanity when I reply to 
the things I've said myself.

So be it.

>I wish I could take a lot of time to
>write you, but I'll have to summarize.

I'll take some of that time right
now, right here.

>I'm at my folk's place

Well, right now I'm at Ben and
Veronica's place. They live
in Elliot Lake. I'll endeavour
to share more.

>I'm at my folk's place, where they're
>showing me their new cockatoo. And I
>am reaquainting myself with the others
>of the flock here. 

Ah, the flock.

Baby, the red Lory. Baby knows
her name, and was able to mimic
anything on television when she
first moved in. She doesn't
do that so much now, but remains
a friendly smart active birdie.

Rocky, the Amazon. A talker who 
truly loves me.

Kira, formerly Houdini, the Cockatoo.
This was a gift from a folk dancer.
The bird didn't get along with all
of the human members of his family,
I'm told. Kira is about to be introduced
to a mate, Popeye. 

Popeye is new, but is a gentle sweetie.

Coco, the original Umbrella Cockatoo 
my folks acquired. Biig bird. Friendly.
It wishes it were an only-bird.

Coco-2, another one, very shy, very
skiddish around people. But knows its name.
They truly love me.

Sydney and Ninja, a pair of yellow
front Amazons. They hate everyone, 
but seem to like me.

A clutch of budgies. They like each
other. A clutch of cockatiels. They
also like each other. Oh, they're
gentle, but they would rather be in
the company of other birdies.

>I wanted to make sure Mom was able to
>come online to write me. She was having
>some trouble with her connection.
>It is working now, as you can see.

My folks use about 2h of internet time
a week, so they don't need too much.

I'm hoping mom will use the net for
the digital camera she got, and dad
will use it for the many watches he
wants to buy and sell. All in due time.
They're doing well with modern computing.

>I just came from Nathan's place, where
>I was able to load most, but not all,
>of the things I've stored there. I'll
>be back again for April 20 weekend. That
>is a good thing.

I was hoping to take my special mattress.
Also left at the folk's place were my bikes,
wooden shelving, and some wonderful stainless
steel shelves. 

>Yesterday I went to see Tom and Cindy, 
>who were storing some things for me, 
>such as my winter coat, and my leather
>jacket. They went to my old home to
>gather the old appliances. I'm glad they
>got them out.

I really should have taken the keyboard
stand with me from the old place. It was
used to hold the furnace together, but
weather here has been unseasonably warm.

The landlord took the time and money after
I moved away to do the pest control, the
roof and the insulation the place has needed
since the beginning. Grr. If he had done
it at the outset, my life there would have
been a lot more pleasant.

But in any case, he did not really need
the keyboard stand, if he was to fix the
furnace.

I got a note from Tom and Cindy- I managed
forgetting some things. A white shirt Ari
loaned me for the funeral, and a black jacket
I used as well. Sigh. April 20. See you then.

>We got to see Mark, who had also been
>holding things he picked out during 
>the same visit.

Mark saved some interesting software and
books for me. I had decided when packing
that they were going to be left behind, but
his keeping them safe for me changed their
value. I figured if he went to all of the 
trouble to do that for me, the least I could
do was give it a new lease on life.


>Yesterday was Tuesday, and it was a
>chance for English Dance.

We actually had a good crowd, all 
things considered. Christine was 
seated, protecting her knee, of course.
Torbin, Eldon, Dave, and John. Catherine,
Kathy, Ann and _______.

That is enough for us to do some
interesting sets. We tried a difficult
piece. These give Christine a challenge,
if only to see if the dance is viable
or not. Also the musicians sometimes get
a good laugh trying to decide if the music
or the musicians need some adjustment.

I like the chance to play with a fiddle
or two. That alone is worth the cost of 
admission sometimes.

>Day before was Monday, and I did Irish.

Pat Mahoney's Irish. We always
do the same sets. We always have
minimal cuing and teaching. So
why do I love it so? And why do
I have so much trouble remembering
a half dozen set dances?

Clare Lancers, Plain, Connemara, Cashel
... I forget the others we like to do.
Borland? Caledonian?  Visit www.set-dance.ca
to get the choreography for these. I'm
telling you, I should have them entirely
in memory by now.

I don't.

>Both were special- I got to dance
>with Ann. She's so good at this.
>But she is new- so she hurt herself.

It took a couple of days, and some
therapeutic touch from me to do the
fixing up. Irish has a move called
"Around the House" which is a polka
step in each of the four positions.
It is rushed, and can be strenuous.
We also did a tough hornpipe figure,
but that has more potential to hurt
the men, I think. I've had to learn
to do it gently.

>I've got my violin from Kevin!  So I'm
>able to do music with my own instrument 
>again.

Visiting with Kevin Budd is a pleasure.

He makes these Pan Flutes. One day,
as a lark, I'll prepare some bread
dough, and make a tuned set for artistic
purposes, and call them French Pain Flutes.

I suppose they should be cannelures de 
pain d'un certain Français according to
http://babelfish.altavista.com

He plays them like he's played
since forever. That could be true.


>Friday-Saturday-Sunday had the spring
>thaw weekend. This was all I'd been
>hoping it would be.

I hope I said that correctly. I loved
the festival. It was full of energy.
I danced with almost everyone there.
No injuries! No thefts! No sad times!

>I was here for Monday prior, where I
>did things for Sanderson Taylor.
>It had a happy ending, but it was
>very tense for me for a while.
>I have to wonder why I do this.
>For money I suppose.

Ah yes. Well, the pattern kind of
irritates me.

1. They need me, 
1a. They call me over.

2. I phone back, or write back.

3. I go over, and survey the
situation.

4. If I need to buy things, I 
buy them. Often they have me
spec out computer systems, and
go get them.

5. I install the stuff.

6. I take the night to remove
all of the things which make
Microsoft Operating Systems hell
on earth. Oh, I don't erase, but
I do adjust and simplify the registry.

7. I install their original hard
drive onto the new computer, and
load it all up onto a subdirectory.

8. I find the software they want
and put that onto their new computer.

9. Exhausted, early in the morning,
I go home, or somewhere, to sleep.

10. They call, furious, about something.

I'm serious. They are Never happy
the day after I've installed a new
computer. I know this, and no amount
of warning them that they have to use
it to tell me what the trouble will
be gets me off the hook. I get frantic
"I cannot find my _____! I need it.
Now, Dave. Now! Can't you please come
over right away? Why do we deal with
someone who can't do this right the
first time?..."

I got in trouble this time for leaving
all of the empty boxes where they had to
walk into them as they entered. This
was intentional, as I didn't have a clue
what to do with them.

Throw them out? Well, that is only
a good idea if you also want to discard
your warranty. Oh, you can get things
fixed anytime during the one-year period.

But if you get a lemon, you don't want it
fixed. You want the firm to take the old
hunko junk away, and provide a new one. They
need the box so they can return the old hunko
junk away to their supplier, and do the same
thing. I recommend boxes be kept a month.

Ah, the place is full.

Well, I'm just a technical guy. What do
you do with boxes?

I got an awful email from the most 
technical woman in the place. She's
not normally bad, but her venom sacs
are full, and she works for an office
of lawyers. 

I had to write back promptly. I don't
carry venom. It is toxic, and makes the
CD-R's all funny if it leaks in my Back
Pack.  It is hard to wash off my hands.

Paul Sanderson is a jewel among men.

I wanted to ask him if all would be
okay between me and his firm.

He covered his ears in his hands. "I don't
want to hear about this. You two make up. 
Play nice."

Truth be told, I dislike using venom.
It requires I get close enough to bite
someone and pierce the skin.  With my
fangs.  Yuck.

That's all I know.