April 3, 2006

I don't even feel like writing really I just want everyone in the loop. Lola is going blind. She tried to chase a garbage bag up a tree today. Or do what amounts to a chase for her now, since her two back legs seem to have given up the ghost. Oh yeah, and she has a bladder infection which may indicate something called Cushings disease.

The last time we spoke to the vet he actually sat down to talk to us. I am taking that as a bad sign.

I went to the bank to figure out why they had frozen all my bank accounts (it had to do with getting all my money from clients outside Quebec..) At some point during the conversation with Giselle Mangemesculottes the manager who refused to unfreeze even the Ontario cheques so I could pay for the dogs multiple blood tests and also eat, I believe I started to cry and then said in godawful french: "En fait mon chien est malade, j'ai trop sure mon carte de credit pour payer le veterinaire, en plus je peut pas acheter les nouriture! Qu'est ce que vous vont faire pour moi?"

I think the tears disarmed them and the manager left and came back and handed me three hundred dollars in cash, as if they were giving me an allowance. I told them I wasn't used to begging for my own money and biked up to the TD bank where an incredibly friendly investment counsellor named Nektarios gave me a cappucinno and agreed that the least they could of done was offer me a kleenex.

I almost wanted to date Nektarios. He laughed at all my jokes, made me feel safe and secure and had very nice hands. He also finally explained the mystery of GIC/mutual funds/ stocks and also your basic mortgage amount in about 15 minutes. I realize that this is all a ploy to get me to invest with TD, but hey, as Stevie Nicks would sing: " Tell me lies tell me sweet little lies... " Oh yeah did I mention he got me coffee.. I am such an easy touch.

At some point in our conversation, I distinctly remember saying "You are talking about people who feel like they have power over their money. I think I belong in the opposite group." He laughed really hard at that.

update

In "Everything is Illuminated" the Ukrainian tour guide Alex writes :

Mother is a humble woman. Very very humble. She toils at a small cafe one hour distance from our home. She presents food and drink to customers there, and says to me," I mount the autobus for an hour to work all day doing things I hate. You want to know why? It is for you, Alexi-stop-spleening-me! One day you will do things for me that you hate. That it what it means to be a family."

I would like to amend that quote to include. One day you will receive email forwards with pictures of puppies or boring knock-knock jokes which you hate, but you will read them anyways, that is what it means to be a family.

If my dad or my aunt read this I am totally getting disowned.

Continued from main page..