Autumn 2024 - Flu and COVID shots

 It is that time of the year where we will be getting our annual shots.

There were a few who told me it is a waste and I told them what I went through about 23 years ago.

I had influenza and it was hell.  I picked up a lung infection and as a result I was off work six weeks recovering.  I was hacking my lungs out and when I tried to lie down it felt like I was drowning and it felt like someone beat me with a 2x4 across my chest. I slept on the reclining couch maybe for one to two hours.  I don't remember Christmas that year as I was so damned sick and heavily medicated.  I was lucky that I didn't need hospitalization.  As a result I have a scar on my left lung and it showed up on a CT scan I had in January 2023.  Doctor came in with a concerned look and told me she saw something and asked for my medical history.  When I explained I had influenza you could see the relief in her face.  She explained that the scarring was probably from the lung infection and asked if I got flu shots.  I told her every year and she was happy.

This year I booked both, but the day before we received a text that they were out of the COVID shot and I opted just for the flu shot.  We booked our COVID shot for next week.

COVID Boosters

On Saturday (November 5, 2022) my wife and myself went to the closest clinic to get our latest COVID Booster.  It was a very pleasant experience.  Right at the door we were directed to the elevator (wife is in a wheelchair) with instructions on how to get to the clinic.  At the entrance two people were greeting everyone and asking questions about if you had COVID or exposed.  After that we were directed to the start of the process.  They took our health cards and pulled up our inoculation history and if we were there for the latest booster (yes). Once through they had a small waiting room until a station was free (they had 10 in operation).  The person who was doing our shots was pleasant and was very smooth with the needle (absolutely no discomfort).  After waiting 15 minutes we were free to leave.  At the exit they verified that we asked for electronic delivery of our COVID shot history (yes).  When we arrived home there was an email notification that our document was ready for download.  Two minutes later it was downloaded and saved in our medical folder and copies put on the cell phone just in case.  Ottawa Public Health runs a very smooth clinic.

Bathroom Reno - Part 4

We are now at the finish of the project.  The vanity is in place, toilet installed, everything painted and the contractor for the glass door has finished his work.

When the contractor finished the floor he redid the entrance threshold and matched the wood in our floors with a very nice threshold that is easy for a walker to go over.  I did ask for the threshold for accessibility, but, I didn't expect a perfect colour match! 

First time my wife took a shower it was without any assistance from me.  All I had to do was put in a small table for her shower supplies and put the shower head on it.  Dropped the seat, closed the doors and did something by herself she couldn't do since her stroke... Take a shower by herself!  All she asks now is for me to bring out new towels and face cloths for her and after to help dry her hair.  She is loving the independence that the shower gives her and my back is grateful every time.

The renovation itself was a bit costly, but, worth every penny.  We have a shower that is handicap accessible, has non-slip floors, good lighting and looks great.  We didn't skimp on the materials and with the cost of the contractors (part of the project we had a plumber and electrician along with the main contractor) the project was $21k (original guestimate by me was $20k so it was close).

Bathroom Reno - Part 3

We are now in the process of having the bathroom being rebuilt.  One thing I did was take pictures of the process, especially where the blocking was put in for the grab bar and seat.  This way we have pictures with measurements on where everything is if we need to do anything else, or, if we sell the new owners knows what is behind the tiles. 

One of the things the contractor wanted was concrete backer board and I fully agreed with him.  If water ever got through it would hold up a lot better than anything else. 

At this portion you need to exercise a lot of patience.  As we get one portion done it takes time for things to dry.

Blocking for the seat

Blocking for the grab bar and allowance if we want to add another

Starting to look like a shower

Start of the bed of the shower

Membrane and the tile with the concrete board

Tiling the walls and the new LED overhead light

The non-slip floor

Grab bar and seat installed.  Only thing we are waiting for is the glass door

Bathroom Reno - Part 2

In May we were able to restart the project and the team arrived to start demolishing the bathroom.  We did one change request to replace the toilet in the downstairs half bath to use the same toilet as we were installing upstairs.  This would be a good decision as both toilets were not comfortable for my wife and we found that the gasket on the downstairs and the mounting ring were both broken and leaking.

During the demo upstairs we found that there were leaks in the old tiles and about 15 cm (6 inches) of the tile around the tub was soaking wet and moldy.  Fortunately it didn't impact the studs.  We also found that there is a concrete wall between us and our neighbour.  We also found the duct from the downstairs batch went through the corner of the shower so we had to adjust the size to allow for a 8 cm (3 inch) adjustment to the plan as we couldn't move that.  The pipe also went overhead and that was the reason for the bulkhead so we left it in place.

During the demo they pointed out we really didn't need to remove the ceiling or the existing drywall outside the shower.  For the popcorn ceiling they installed a new drywall over it and the bonus is that it gave us more room when mounting the larger fan.

You can see the pipe venting the downstairs half bath.

Bathroom Reno - Part 1

When we bought our condo the bathroom was usable, but, not accessible.  The tub was just under 56 cm (22 inches) high and the rail for the glass door added another 4 cm (almost 2 inches).  When you cannot bend your leg getting in an out is a real challenge.  The glass door wasn't mounted correctly and after a lot of vulgar words I got that mounted properly so the door would work properly, but, it was an obstacle for my wife using the shower.  There also were no grab bars so every time she wanted a shower I mounted suction cup bars.  There was no seating for her so we used a temporary stool.  

Her showers were rather painful as I had to assist her getting in and out and the tiling on the floor wasn't non-slip and I had a few minor falls.  After several months I drew up a basic must-have list for a bathroom renovation.

• Everything was to be gutted back to the studs.  I wanted to see what was there and if there were any mold and structural issues.
• Non-slip tiles.  As I mentioned I had a few minor falls, fortunately it was just me and not my wife.
• Better toilet at a height the wife would find comfortable.
• Much improved lighting.  The bathroom was fairly dark and when in the shower it was difficult to see.
• Improved venting.  The old fan was way under sized and I wanted at least 100 cfm.
• Custom glass so that there was a door that would swing either direction.
• Shower with a minimal lip so that the wife can get in and out by herself.
• Improved vanity.  The old taps were much too low and too close to the back of the sink to be comfortable using.
• Grab bar anchored to the wall and a seat so that my wife can sit while showering.

With that list we visited Home Depot and had a discussion with them about the reno, materials and hiring a contractor.  They were excellent and had great suggestions on the tiles, grout, paints, fixtures and a contractor.  Unfortunately we then went into a lock down for COVID and the project was on hold.  Upside we were able to have the materials delivered and I stored it all in our basement.

Next up will be the gutting of the room.

Accessibility in the house

Last year we bought a new house to live in.  After decades of renting we had saved enough to put a rather substantial down payment on a condo.  When we looked at the place I went through the place and while not perfect, it was good enough and is very close to work.  With the way prices of houses are increasing in Ottawa we are glad we were able to buy before being priced out of the market.

Projects

After moving in we identified a number of projects that will aid my wife getting around as she has limited mobility due to a stroke.

• Bathroom
• The tub is about 56 cm (22 inches) with the railing for the glass doors adding another 5 cm (2 inches).  My wife cannot get in or out without help and the various options are just a band-aid solution.
• Tiles are not non-slip.
• Under sized fan.
• Dim lighting.
• Front entry
• No railing and when entering and exiting she needs someone to assist.
• Back entry
• This is an old concrete stair with two steps and barely in code.
• Kitchen
• Redo the kitchen faucet to one more friendly for a person who has problems using one arm.
• Later a complete paint with a much lighter colour.
• Ground floor half-bath
• Redo the half-bath.  It is functional, but, the tiling and vanity does need replacement and a small cabinet above the toilet so we can store extra towels, toilet paper and soap.
• Other
• Installation of railings for the stairs to the basement family room.
• New entry tile.  Right now it does get a bit slippery when wet and being white it shows all dirt quickly.
• New paint for all rooms.  The paint is OK, but, very dark and we prefer having lighter colours.

Bathroom Renovation - Project 1

We started with the bathroom renovation, but, it is on hold at this time due to the latest COVID lock-down.

• Replace all of the floor with a new tile. The tile is specifically for wet areas and is non-slip.  That is a good thing as I have fallen once and slipped several times when the current tiles get wet.
• Completely remove the bath, glass doors and false drop on the ceiling.  We are using the same tiles on the floor here and doing a walk in shower and a custom glass door.  The walls are being replaced with a new lighter coloured ceramic tile.  Ceiling will have an LED light as there is nothing there right now and the shower does get dark.  The walls will have blocking put in for two grab bars and a shower seat that can be raised and lowered.
• New LED lights to replace the inexpensive lights there.  The lights are functional, but, is a major pain to replace the bulbs.
• New fan. The current one is old and a 50 CFM model and the contractor indicated that it should be a minimum of 100 CFM.
• Lighter paint.  Current paint is a dark, rather ugly yellowish.  New paint is a light sandy colour with an eggshell finish.  I asked the contractor about the finish and he indicated that eggshell will hide any flaws in the current drywall.
• Redo the ceiling.  The bathroom has a popcorn finish and I am certain that it isn't a paint suited to a damp environment.
• New vanity and faucet.  We are going with faucets where the hot & cold water taps are paddles so that someone with limited arm use can easily use.  Also the current vanity you have to take out all of the drawers if you have to work on the water or drain lines.  The new vanity all plumbing is easily accessible.
• Replace the light switch with three switches.  One for vanity light, one for shower light and the third for the fan.
• New toilets.  The current ones are functional, but, for my wife they are not comfortable and it takes an effort getting up and down.  The half-bath toilet is also being replaced at the same time.

We are looking forward to the lock-down being lifted and getting a start date for the project.

Update on tiles 2021-04-23:

Found out from the contractor we need mosaic as there will be a slope and the 6x24 tiles won't work there as they have to be a max of 2x2.  Not a problem and I ordered some nice tiles after chatting with Home Depot.  They recommended one that the colours will complement the floor tiles and are also non-slip.  

Front entry Rails - Project 2

Once that is completed I will be doing the paper work for the condo board for railing installation on the front entry area.  

Back yard entrance - Project 3

The back yard entry will be a major project.  I was checking online for a ramp system, but, with a 1/12 slope most of the yard we have would be occupied by the ramp system.  If we go with where the top of the steps are (35 cm high) we are looking at 4.2 meters for a straight run and that won't fit in the yard.  If we put in one 90 it will be about 3 meters out and 3 meters after the 90 degree turn which will take up a huge portion of the back yard.  If we raise that up to just under the door threshold it will add at least 1.5 meters to the run.  It looks like some sort of custom mini-deck out the door with steps and railings.

Finish

The timing on this depends on how the first three projects goes and how much they cost in total.  The cost for the first is firm and includes the contractor, trades, materials I purchased and taxes.  The last two are rough estimates at this time.

• The bathroom renovation has a budget of $20k.
• Front railing at most is $1k.
• Back entry should be in the $5-6k range.

Six months and counting for working at home

 It is almost six months now for working at home and a few things I have learned about having to work at home.

• A separate room that is dedicated to working at home is necessary.  If you have the space then do this.  I had to work in the living room several times this year due to electrical issues and it wasn't the most comfortable spot for extended work due to the chair I had to use and distractions.
• A great chair.  I was lucky in that I purchased a great chair as I do work in the evenings and weekends at least once a month.
• A decent desk for the laptop.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but, a keyboard tray big enough to hold a good keyboard and a mouse.
• Lighting!  I have a task lamp beside the work machine and personal machine.  Both are adjustable so I can move them to highlight what I am working on.  The bulb wattage and colour was important too.  I found that warmer colour and lower wattage bulbs are actually easier on my eyes rather than a white light with the maximum wattage the lamp can take.  I went through about four different bulbs before I found what is comfortable for me.
• Location of the laptop matters too.  I have both machines placed where the office window doesn't shine directly on them.  Glare is a problem and location is critical.  I also have blinds and curtains so I can adjust the light levels during sunny days (my office has a south facing window).
• A great monitor attached to the laptops.  If I have to work for hours I want a large & clear screen for work.  I tried for a couple of months using the screen with the laptop and while it is fine after a few hours each day my eyes felt tired.
• Don't skimp on the keyboard or mouse.  I have to use wired keyboards and mice for the work machine as they don't allow wireless devices connected. I took time at Staples with various models seeing how the mouse fits in the hand and the keyboards for how they felt before buying.
• Printer and scanners.
• I am probably outside of the normal with what I have.  I have a flatbed scanner for over-sized prints, negatives and slides and document scanner for bulk photo/document scanning.  I do a lot of work scanning documents and photos for my archive of family documents/photos (over 25k images so far and at least 5k more to scan).
• I prefer a separate scanner rather than an all-in-one device.  For an all-in-one if one part breaks (or runs out of ink) the whole device is broken.
• We also have a laser printer and inkjet.  The monochrome laser is cheaper per page for simple stuff and the inkjet is used only for pictures or documents that we need colour for.  One other feature is duplex printing.  A printer that can do that doesn't cost much more and you quickly save paper costs.
• If you do buy an inkjet look for one with jumbo tanks that can be refilled or separate colour cartridges.  Our previous printer was all-in-one colour and that was rather expensive when just one colour ran out and we had to replace the cartridge.  Also, check the price of the cartridges as some printers are very expensive.  Personal preference here is Brother as they work well, easy to connect and cartridges don't cost a lot.
• The work laptop I use only for work related tasks!  If I have to do personal tasks I go to the other side of the office and use my personal laptop.
• Telephones with a hands free and mute option.  I spend a lot of time on the phone and being able to go hands free is a matter of comfort as after fifteen minutes it gets tiring holding the telephone, especially if I have to work on the computer at the same time.  For conference calls being able to go to mute helps so the noise doesn't bother others on the call.  I have a wired phone and wireless.  Most of the time I use the wireless model, but, if the conference calls last more than an hour I use the wired phone.
• For my network I have a DLINK router and I set up three SSIDs.  One is for personal, one for guests and one for work.  I have it set so that NO ONE can see what is running outside of that SSID. I also used the QoS option to give priority to the work machine.
• A coffee maker is a must for me in the office.  I like being able to quickly make a cup of coffee or tea without having to travel downstairs to the coffee maker there.  I have a Tassimo so I make just a single cup.  It is also on top of an inexpensive mini fridge where I can store my lunch and snacks.
• Shelving unit dedicated to work.  I store all my office supplies and books there.  I can keep track of what I use for work and keep it separate from what I use personally.

I treat working at home as if I am actually commuting to work.  I wake up at the same time as before (05:30), have my breakfast, make lunches, shower & shave and I dress as if I am going to work.  I start at the same time at home as if I was working at the office.  The wife also knows that when I am in the office I am not to be disturbed, especially if the door is closed as that indicates that I am on a conference call.  

Once I finish work for the day I turn off the work machine most of the time so I get time away to unwind.  I don't do that all the time, but, that is usually when something is being updated in the system or there is special processing and I will have the machine running in case of an emergency.

Week 8 of working at home

I am one of the lucky ones in that I have a job and that I can work at home via VPN.  There are a number of things that makes it work for me.

• A bedroom was redone some time ago as an office when our youngest moved out on her own.  This gives me a room that is dedicated as an office when I am working at home and the wife knows when I am in there to treat it as my work office.  The cat still doesn't get it when the door is closed and it will swat the door and call out to be let in.
• A good cordless phone.  It has a number of options like speaker phone so I can go hands free.  Two cordless phones are up here so that when one does run out of battery I can continue on the conference call.  The only downside to these phones as it does not support plugging in the hands free set so I have to put it on speaker phone.  I have an older phone hooked in that isn't cordless in case both phones run out of power.
• Cell phone.  I controlled who got my number and it is only members of the team and my bosses.  It does get used as there are days I am in conference calls and the team needs to contact me.  It also has WhatsApp for quick messaging for the team.
• A great chair.  If I have to work all day (with breaks to get up and move) a comfortable chair is a must.  The only downside of this one is that it is leather and it gets very hot after twenty to thirty minutes.  Upside of that is that it forces me to get up and move.
• A good table for the work laptop.  It is a must for me to have a dedicated table with the work machine so that it is physically separate from my personal machines.  Tables are not that expensive, I think I paid maybe $100 (Canadian) for the table.  It has a lower shelf where I can also store the work briefcase.
• Shelving to store materials needed for work.  You don't need to go overboard here.  I picked up an inexpensive wire shelving unit from Canadian Tire.  Pens, pencils, notepads, paper supplies and reference materials right beside the work desk.
• Lock for the laptop.  Just because it is at home doesn't mean you leave the machine unlocked.  Thieves can still take the machine if they want, but why make it easy for them.
• Good inexpensive printers.  I am lucky that I have both a laser and inkjet.  I use the laser for anything that is black and white as it is cheaper per page and it also supports duplex printing.  The Inkjet also has a scan option so I can scan documents for work.  I picked the Brother printer as the cartridges have a decent life (several hundred pages) and are inexpensive ($7 to $13 per cartridge).
• If I have a lot of scanning I have a document scanner hooked to my home machine.  It will handle a dozen or so pages at a time and is quick.  Epson makes a nice wireless model, runs fast and wasn't that expensive (around $300).
• Coffee machine.  With working at home I am drinking a lot more coffee and tea.  The brand depends on your personal preference.  For me as long as it works is good enough for me.
• Good task light.  The one I am using was a gift and is excellent.  It can swivel around to illuminate whatever I need to see.  The second lamp is beside my personal machine and throws off enough light so I can see and doesn't glare on the monitor.  Placement helped on the personal lamp as I moved the monitor and light so that the light is to the side and behind the monitor.
• Outside illumination.  I face south so the sun during the day can be an issue.  Blinds and drapes help with that and minimize glare and eye strain.
• Good monitors.  I have a 32 inch monitor hooked up to the personal laptop, unfortunately work does not allow us to look up anything that wasn't from DND so I am forced to use the laptop screen.  If work allows you to add an external monitor it really helps.

Every workday I follow the same routine as if I was traveling to the office for work. 

• Alarm clock is set to the same time before having to work at home.  
• I eat, shower, shave and dress as if I am going to work.  
• I start an hour earlier as I don't have to commute via public transit.
• The only difference is when I log in I check the network status and send an update that I am online, network is good, I have access to the mainframe, collaboration tools, office suite, email and everyone at home is healthy.  
• When it is lunch hour I lock the work machine and have lunch away from the work machine.  
• At the end of the workday I make sure that the daily tasks scheduled have been completed, email any updates to the team and then log out of the VPN and shut down the mail and any office applications that are open.  It is tempting to keep on working, but, I need time away from 'work' to rest and recover.

Some semi-random ramblings and observations on COVID.

There are others who are more articulate than me, but, here are a few things in my not-so-humble-opinion.

First I hear 'it is just like the flu'.  It isn't 'just like the flu'.  Seventeen years ago I had the misfortune to have influenza several days before I was scheduled to get my annual flu shot.  High fever, aches and pain and then the cough developed.  It turned out I picked up a major lung infection because of 'it is just the flu'.  The doctor prescribed a pain killer because I was coughing so hard every muscle in my chested was sore and tired.  Antibiotics for the infection.  Bronchial-dilator so I could breath and the last medicine was to help with the coughing.  The lung infection made it feel like I was drowning and I was lucky I didn't have to go to the hospital.  In total it took six weeks off work before I was able to go back and for weeks after that I was easily tired.  Ever since I have a cough that I cannot get rid of.  Part of the six weeks was Christmas and I don't remember celebrating it as I was on the La-Z-Boy semi-reclined sleeping most of the day.

For COVID-19 from what I see it is even worse than 'just the flu' and now I am seventeen years older and a diabetic too which puts me into a higher risk category.  So far we have been lucky and isolating ourselves now and I have been working at home.  When we do need supplies I am using a list of what is necessary prepared ahead of time to minimize the number of stores I have to go to and it is just me going to the store.  Hand-washing has always been practiced here and we just upped the frequency (whenever I walk out I wash my hands when I get back).  Paper towels by the sink for when we finish washing.  We do have a small supply of wipes, but, I have cleaners and Javex that works just as well cleaning surfaces.

For household supplies we didn't go into a panic like too many others.  For decades we always kept at least a two week supply of frozen, canned and dried goods in the house in the event of a weather emergency.  If we did lose hydro then a lot of using the BBQ for the frozen goods before it spoils.  BBQ always has two spare tanks so we can do three meals a day for a few weeks without a problem.  All we needed was only a minimal topping up there (milk, bread & butter).  Toilet paper and paper towels we tried to keep a four week supply and we were not worried when there were nothing in the stores.  We limit trips to the stores to only what is needed and kept our distance from all others to minimize our contacts with others.  We did have a small supply of cash, but, with COVID-19 we used credit cards for all payments.

People were rediscovering the joys of cooking, but, again panic buying of baking staples and hoarding meant many others were denied some staples.  Again, we were lucky as I do a lot of baking and had most staples on hand with the exception of a small quantity of yeast.  Hopefully people will keep on doing more home baking as there is nothing better than fresh baked goods over prepackaged items that may be high in sugar, fat, salt & preservatives.

It is sad and frustrating watching and reading the news about those who are ignoring best practices to try to minimize the spread.  Trolls are spreading conspiracy theories to get the people to fear the government and any possible medications or vaccines in the future.  People who have medical issues, the elderly, health care workers EMS and others pay the price of some members of society not trying to slow the spread by physical distancing and staying at home.  You want to be social?  Facebook, twitter, Skype, ZOOM, Messenger allows you to socialize with co-workers, friends and family without the chance of spreading the virus.

For politicians that are wanting to restart businesses as you are worried about the financial impact.  If people get sick and die because you opened earlier to 'save the economy' then who will make the products, who will deliver the products, who will buy the products as the people are sick or dead?

For politicians:

• We want you to be leaders;
• We want you not to point fingers;
• We want calm, clear communications and no political spin;
• The buck stops with you and if you don't do your job we can replace you at the next election;
• We want you to consult with and take the advice of experts;
• Not to pronounce that you know it all and know better than the experts;
• We want you to take responsibility of your actions or inaction and not to blame others;
• We want you to put aside partisanship and embrace co-operation with all parties to put the needs of the people and country first.

After the emergency

When it is all done and over with there must be a public formal review at the municipal, provincial (state), federal and international:

• What Worked and why;
• What needed improvement.  Action plan to improve things, assign people to the tasks, delivery dates and a schedule for updates until completed.
• Who should be responsible to set up a number of facilities for
• Critical medical supplies like gowns, masks, gloves, cleaners, essential medicines, testing kits, any specialized medical devices;
• A plan to keep it stocked and disposal of expired materials;
• A budget defined to keep the facilities operational;
• Regular reports to the government on the status of the facility;
• Who should be responsible for monitoring for potential outbreaks in the future and reporting to the various levels of government;
• Who should get the reports and the communication process;
• Who is responsible to take action on the reports;
• Who are critical personnel in various industries;
• Food supply and the supply chain;
• Doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire departments;
• Long term care homes;
• Communications;
• Utilities;
• Transportation;
• Communication plan so we know what position (not the person) will be the central point of contact;
• How is it communicated;
• How often will there be updates;
• Basic plan to define each stage of the emergency;
• What gets shut down and when will it restart;

Walk it back a bit people

This goes for all people in all counties.  Watching the TV, listening to the radio and reading (paper and online) is troubling.  Too many politicians, media and people in general have been using language that is extremely troubling.  The labels they apply to others they disagree with, the words all degrade people, delegitimize them as a people or what they believe in.

It is OK to disagree, but, point out where you don't agree and why and not use words that incite hatred and intolerance. Politicians should know the power of words as that is what they use to get into power and stay there.  They should use the language of inclusion and tolerance. 

Words like

• Classy
• Crooked {insert name here}
• Fake news (one of the ones I dislike a lot)
• Horrible person
• Loser 
• Pathetic
• Political correctness (another one where they use it to justify their hated)
• She/he is a great person.  Every time I hear that now it seems to be just before a certain person south of the border then goes nuclear on them.
• Stupid
• Swamp.  A swamp is a good place where nature does its magic.  What they should be using is cess pit.
• Weak

It isn't an all inclusive list, but, words/phrases above should not be a part of any speach given by a politician or business leader.

Break time for a caregiver

Last week I had my first vacation in over four years (after 1,496 days).  Most of my personal time off that is allowed and my vacation time have been spent looking after my wife.  Days she is sick and I am at home caring for her and the many medical appointments eat up the time I am allowed and each year I don't have any time (at best two days in my time bank) left over to take at least a one week vacation.  While she is able to do a number of things on her own it has been a bit stressful and not having time off to recharge has left me all too often feeling tired.

This year has been different.  Even with her having cataract surgery (11 appointments in total for both eyes) I have enough time accumulated that I could take a one week vacation.  We didn't do much other than my slowing down and relaxing.  Where I work knew how long it was since I had a vacation and they made it a point to ensure that I was not to be contacted while I was off.  Several days it was 'retail therapy' by going to malls she hasn't gone to for years.  One day there was really nice weather and I told her it was just for me.  I spent the day outside walking along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers with my camera and for four hours totally relaxed.  I don't know if it is a big deal for most people, but, for me it was a wonderful break.  For part of the day I could relax, enjoy the views and have a day to myself.

Before her stroke I tended to take vacation either in October or December.  I like October as the weather usually is still nice and fewer tourists out where I like to walk and take photos.  Christmas I used the time off to bake and finish off the buying/wrapping of presents.  For both it is a slower life and a time to forget about work and enjoy life.  I am looking forward to next year and see if there will be enough time for a two week vacation.

Who is running the circus?

It is a sad and scary thing watching the political turmoil south of the border.  The president says nice things only if the person agrees with POTUS 45.  Once they lose favour then the language changes and language of a bully is used to put down the person. His supporters will flood the media that they control and social media with half truths and complete lies and repeating it until the people start to think it may be true.

When he tries to pick a person for a high level job he expects them to swear personal loyalty to him and not to the constitution and the law.  If there is a person in a position that he can terminate he does so and demeans and puts the person down and then attempts to put a replacement in who will swear personal loyalty to him and put in effect what he wants (whatever that is as it changes).

Now he is trying to regulate social media to remove 'bias'.  They seem to think that when those on the right get banned for hatred, bigotry, sexist offensive language.  They want to use the power of government to dictate who gets to 'free speech' online, social media and traditional media which is the government interfering with the first amendment.  They believe in free speech only when it is their speech and anything else is to be shut down or regulated.  This sounds more like Russia, China and North Korea.

It is almost a daily event to see/hear what POTUS 45 or his minions will do.  They work for the rich, powerful and politically connected who agree with what he wants and will work to demean and destroy those who question his actions or disagree with him.

It will only get worse as the next election gets closer.  I foresee him using language that will incite incidents to intimidate anyone who does not support him or his supporters.  He will deny, lie and spin when confronted with that and claim that the ones questioning him are the ones who are spreading 'fake news'.  When he loses the election I see that he will dismiss the results claiming fraud, blaming illegal immigrants, 'fake news', and then invoking powers that he does not have to try to stay in office.  Those on the right will then start actions claiming to support the true president and a time of civil unrest will distract everyone and those who truly want this discord (Russia, China and North Korea) will take advantage of this to expand their control of those who cannot protect themselves.

Rambling thoughts on politicians

It is disappointing that elected governments think they have the right to do anything they want.  They vilify the policies and laws of the prior government and then dismantle them without any apparent reason other than the other party put it into place.  It does not matter the party (NDP, Liberal or Conservative), it is the policy, the services or the laws that does not fit their ideology and therefore must be chucked out no matter the price the people pay. 

When we question it they ignore us, phrase and twist words to make it look and sound better than it really is, or, try to make us think they know better than us and speak down to us in rather condescending words.  They forget that we elected them to represent us and that they are responsible and accountable for all their actions and inactions to us.  They need to remember that they must consult with us and to inform us of what they are going to do.

All too often large companies, the rich and well-funded special interests seem to be dictating to the politicians what they can and cannot do like the current federal scandal that has the appearance of businesses dictating the actions of politicians.  Politicians are more worried about losing votes and power rather than doing what is right and what the law says.

What can be done?  For starters we need legislation at the federal, provincial and local government level that allows the people to forward a petition for the recall of the politician.  Once a specified threshold has been met there is a special election.  There may be limits such as how long after an election before a petition can be issued and how many more months before the next election also.  There needs to be a threshold on the number of people required and they must reside where the politician is and must be an eligible voter.  It may not be a cure-all, but, if politicians know that if they do not work on our behalf we can turf them from office and replace them with a person who will work on our behalf.

Another thing is for us to stop being hyper-critical of anything they do.  That isn't easy, but, if we look rationally at what they are doing and ask why and ask them why, maybe we will be more understanding of what is being done.  Also when you are reading those 'articles' ask yourself where the information came from, are they checking their sources and do other news sites are reporting the same thing.  I have seen 'articles' and while they seemed reasonable something was off and when I dug a wee bit I found that the 'Canadian' article was actually written outside of Canada.

The next thing is to completely remove their being funded by organizations and the rich.  They need to have a hard dollar limit per person and only a real person can contribute.  This will minimize the influence the rich and corporations have and force the politicians to solicit funds directly from the voters.  It won't be perfect, but, if they can see in their pocket book the effect of not listening to us it may be another way to persuade them.  Personally I have stopped taking calls looking for money and turfing their physical mail and emails and let them know why I have stopped and what it will take before I start contributing.  Will it stop them?  Right now it is 'no', not many are doing it and the hit on their bank accounts is minimal.

When there is an election try to go to the 'meet the candidate' meetings and have a short list of questions prepared for the candidates on the topics that matter to you.  Ask the incumbent why did they do what they did, ask the other candidates on what they will do and let them know if they break their campaign promises it will cost them their job.  Read up on the platforms and be a knowledgeable voter.

The next big, very big thing is to vote.  I have voted in EVERY municipal, provincial and federal election since 1988.  If you don't vote then don't complain as you not voting indicated that anyone who gets voted in is fine by you! Not everyone who I voted for got into office.  All too many were a disappointment or their party was a disappointment.  When that happens I look at the next election as an opportunity to correct that. 

Participate in the process.  Decades ago I volunteered for a campaign and got an excellent education on what it takes a candidate to run for office.

Why the hatred? Why the fear?

A lot of people are talking about the various hate groups and are much more able to articulate the racism, hated, intolerance these groups stand for and how to counter them.  For a long time I keep reading and hearing to 'hold back, wait, don't say anything as it will get better'.  Well it has not gotten better, we are seeing more and more of those who spout hatred, commit murder, exhibit racism of the worst type and use fear to try to intimidate people into standing by and be quiet and accept their message of hatred.  Well guess what?  I am tired of holding my tongue (and keyboard) and I will be starting to speak out.  I suspect there will be a few who empathize with the hatred and will either 'unfriend' me or spout even more hatred in the hope that I will shut up and be quiet.  For those who 'unfriend' that is OK, you have a right to your opinion and I am sorry that my beliefs in tolerance, love, and respect somehow threatens you.  For those who try to shout me down or intimidate me, go ahead and try, you may silence one messenger, but, the message will still go out from others.


Growing up my parents and family taught us to:

• Do unto others as you would want done to yourself. 
• Treat everyone with respect and courtesy.
• To speak out when I see something wrong.
• To help those who need help.
• To listen first, then ask 'how can I help?'.
• Recognize and acknowledge that I am imperfect, but, to keep striving to be better and not make the same mistake twice.
• Not to hate those who hate, but, to hate what they stand for.
• Not to judge a person by their religion, language, skin colour, nationality or sexual orientation, but, to judge them by how they treat themselves and others.

Seeing the problems south of the border by neo-nazis, KKK and other racist domestic terrorist groups (that is what they are, domestic terrorists) and stop using that sanitized term 'alt-right'.  Domestic terrorists is an ugly term and it should be applied to the ugly beliefs that neo-nazis and the KKK are trying to make us believe, that somehow being white is better, being white is being oppressed, being a 'white Christian' somehow makes you better without truly understanding what it is to be Christian and the work involved to be a true Christian. 

As a society here in Canada we unfortunately do have those who preach the gospel of hatred, fear, violence, intolerance and racial supremacy that we see happening south of the border.  As a society we need to acknowledge that and to address it head on with love, tolerance, learning and respect. 

I was reading online about one of the groups in Quebec and that they say they are not 'racist', just against Islam.  Well if that isn't racism I don't know what is.  For the ones who were 'protesting' in Quebec, why are you hiding your faces?  Could it be you don't feel 'pride' in what you believe in?  You don't want it known that you are racist, bigoted, small minded?  You were trying to avoid taking responsibility for your violence?  Another person expressed that they were not happy eating halal, well if you don't like halal food don't eat it.  Quick explanation from a Christian reading up on what is Halal (and I may be wrong or over simplifying)... It is what is permissible for their diet.  Nothing fancy, just a set of rules defining what they consider 'permissible' to eat, how it is prepared and for meat what type it is and how it is slaughtered.  From what I read I don't have a problem with halal, it is just a set of rules for their diet.

Update 2020-06-07

Almost three years and it has gotten worse.   South of the border POTUS is acting nore and more as a dictator. Someone who who can say anything, do anything and those in power apologize, rationize or downplay his words, actions and inactions. 

A small, but, big victory

For many people they may not think the following is a big thing, but, for someone who had a stroke and their caregivers it is a wonderful thing.

For the last week Jane has improved her dexterity and strength in her left arm and hand such that she can easily clean and make a new pot of coffee and to unload the dishwasher.  The first is nice, but, the second is huge to us.  Her left side was impacted by the stroke and she has balance and mobility issues still.  She is doing exercises for the arm and leg and over time the strength, flexibility and balance has been coming back.  With the dishwasher she has to bend over to lift dishes and utensils from the bottom rack, pivot and walk across the kitchen to put away the clean dishes.  While the glasses are done right handed she is using the left hand to lift and store the plastic cups, small pots and the dishes.  The first time she did it she called me at work to let me know what she could do.  It was a huge psychological boost for her and she felt that she was contributing more to helping out around the house.

For some time now if I partially prepare the meal and place it in the refrigerator and have the slow cooker on the counter she can prepare simple hot dinners.  It is more than just making meals, cleaning up, she feels that she is contributing to the house work and not dependent on others for everything.

Sometimes it isn't the major things that is a major victory in your recovery, it is the smallest things we do used to do every day and have taken it for granted.  The stroke has taken being able to many simple things away from Jane like making a pot of coffee and doing dishes, but, slowly over time she has started doing those little tasks again.

Another brick in the immigrant wall, NOT!

This is a short one, but, asks something that I have not seen anyone address in Canada or the USA.  Trump and too many people are wanting to deport 'illegals' and down in the USA to build a wall to keep them out.  Even if they do build a wall they will find their way over, under, around or through the wall.

They are only treating the symptom and not the cause.  Until they address the cause it will never get better.  The question that they are not asking or probably not wanting to ask is why do people take the risk, travel to the USA (and Canada) as undocumented workers?
 
I suspect that once they ask that question they will get answers to that question that they don't want to hear.  It is probably many things why they come, but, the simple answer is that life here is a lot better than where they come from.  If they start to determine the root cause then maybe they can help address those issues.

The other problem is people keep saying 'they are stealing jobs'.  Well people, how many of you are willing to work the hours they work, in the conditions that they work in, for the pay they are making for little to no benefits and no pension?  I am willing to bet most people won't.  If they don't then guess what, the price of the things you buy will go up as they have to pay a lot more for labour, or, if you don't want to pay that price you will import more from countries with a lower wage.  Either way the regular person will pay the price.  The rich & powerful won't, they never have.

There will also be others that say it isn't our problem, I disagree, it is our problem.  The best quote that sums it up was by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol.  The section where Scrooge's partner Jacob Marley visited and when Scrooge said:

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” 

Those two short paragraphs sums up things on how we should be looking at this and helping out our fellow man.

Canada Post and community Mail boxes - Lock fix

Last year we were moved from door-to-door mail to using a community mailbox.  It wouldn't have been all that bad, but, the locks were NOT made for Canadian winters.  Any time we got precipitation that melted the water would get into the lock and then when it got colder it would freeze.  The lock would freeze so hard even lock deicer would not work the first time.  It would take three to four applications of the fluid and a lot of swearing before I could get into the lock.  It was so bad here in Ottawa it was difficult to find lock deicer as the stores would sell out in several minutes.  I went through several bottles and at times I would go a week before I could get access to my mail.  Canada Post finally acknowledged the issue and in the next several weeks they will be replacing the locks that "is less likely to freeze".  Still don't believe them until we get winter weather, rain and freezing rain and I can get into the mailbox.

Things I learned and still learning about being a caregiver.

This is just a short personal story of my being a caregiver for my wife. Nothing fancy or very organized, just a quick summary what we went through when my wife had a stroke.  A quick summary of the process and afterwards and the things I learned (some the hard way).

The Story

September 15th, 2015 at 07:00 she had a stroke.  She was lucky as both my daughter and myself were at home and we recognized the signs and called 911.  They did a quick assessment and then transported her to the Civic.  For the first week she was in the ICU and I was not totally sure if she would survive let alone how much function she would have afterwards. She lost the ability to speak or swallow and complete loss of voluntary movement on her left side.  For that period of time I was in the hospital with her almost 24 hours a day.  I was home only long enough for a shower, shave and change of clothes.  The staff at the Civic were great and had a chair that was fairly comfortable for me so I wasn't too far away and could nap at times.  When she was stable she was transferred up to the neurology floor for the next several weeks.  At that point I could go home for a few hours of sleep, do basic chores around the house (like getting meals for our teen-aged daughter).  I was still spending most of my time there.  I observed what the staff were doing, how they did it and why.  The staff were also willing to explain things to me as I was more than willing to learn.  With that information I was able to help assist my wife in the basics of recovering use of her hand, leg and voice.  I will admit it was long, frustrating at times and very tiring.  Most evenings I would go home barely able to walk and didn't think anything about that.

After almost a month she was transferred to the Bruyere hospital for rehab.  The staff there are great and pushed Jane and really encouraged Jane to push herself for recovering from the effects of the stroke.  At this point I was back at work and lunch hours I could walk to the hospital and then spend evenings there with her.  All that time I was helping her work on her various exercises she needed to do.  We also were able to go outside for short walks and the staff encouraged that.  At the end of the night I would take the bus home and like before I was so exhausted that I could barely walk.

On the 12th of November she was discharged as she could do a lot of basic tasks on her own without assistance.  They were little things like going up/down stairs, dressing herself and making a sandwich.  We then followed that up with several more months of physio therapy twice a week.  At that point I could work full time at work without worrying too much about her.  When I got home I would then prepare the meals, clean up the dishes, do some of the housework and other tasks.  Again, at the end of the night I was totally exhausted, but, I thought it was just the workload and stress.  Weekends were spent doing running around for food and other tasks that had to be done.  I also was taking time off during the weeks for all of her doctor appointments helping her get to where she had to be and then back home.

All through this I was going non-stop with no time off for myself.  Cooking, cleaning, shopping, helping her with the basic needs, doctor appointments.  My normal day started at about 06:00 and I was busy most days until 23:30 and on most nights 01:00 in the morning.  I thought I could do this, but, my body decided it had enough two weeks after she got home.  On a Saturday night I experienced chest pains that radiated out to both arms, sweating and nausea.  All the symptoms of a heart attack.  I did call 911 and the paramedics couldn't see anything on the monitors, but, when I explained my family history they quickly took me to the emergency room.  The doctors there are great and they had me wired up for just about everything.  It took a few hours, but, the figured out that it was just stress and one other problem that I didn't know I had and ignored the one sign.  The big clue was I was almost always tired.  Seems that my blood sugar when I was in emergency was way over 14, I was a diabetic and didn't know it.  I knew years before I had gout, arthritis and kidney stones and adjusted my diet and lifestyle for that.  My family doctor had more tests done and confirmed that I was diabetic.  He had a list of things for me.  Pills for the diabetes, lose more weight, eat a bit better and rest.  He explained that I needed to feel less guilty for taking some personal time off while caring for my wife.

That is the hardest thing for me to do.  I still feel guilty taking personal time off to watch a movie, read a book or check out what is on the internet, but, I am feeling a lot better now that I am getting proper breaks and rest.  I also learned to prioritize what is needed and what is nice-to-have.  The house isn't perfectly clean (like before), but, it is clean enough.  Laundry doesn't need to be washed, dried, folded and put away on the same night, it is OK to let the clean clothes sit in the bin for a day or two.  I don't have to cook massive gourmet meals every night of the week, some nights ordering out is a treat and I get to have a short break for meal preparation.

Another thing I learned is to keep track of what my wife can and cannot do.  When I see her doing something new I let her know and the positive feedback encourages her to keep working.  It is slow, but, even a simple thing like picking up a kleenex with her left hand was a major accomplishment.  Even after a year she quickly tires out, but, we are now going out once a week where she can walk 15-60 minutes and talk to people we know.  It is a small thing, but, she loves doing this and comes back home feeling accomplished.  There are those who don't quite understand and thinks she can go non-stop now for hours without a problem and is just faking it.  Trust me, it isn't faking, the last time we had a major outing (grandchildren bithday party) she forced herself for almost four hours and then was completely exhausted for the next two days.

Lessons I learned (some the hard way):

• Proper nutrition for the person who had a stroke, but, also for yourself as a caregiver.
• Time off to rest and recover.  If you don't take some time for rest your body will tell you enough and then you need a caregiver yourself.  It does not have to be a lot.  For me an hour or two most evenings helps with the rare day off.
• It is stressful, physically and emotionally.  You need hobbies and time to do the hobbies.
• Feeling guilty is normal.  It isn't selfish to want a bit of 'me' time.
• There are resources available, use them!  They are there for the stroke victim and for caregivers.
• Spread out the workload if you can.  You cannot be there 100% of the time.If friends and family want to help, and, can help let them!
• Be patient with the stroke victim.  It takes time for them to relearn how to make things work again.
• Be prepared for a lot of appointments.  Physiotherapy, family doctor, neurologists, eye specialists to name a few.  I was surprised by the number of appointments, usually 1-2 a week at the start and slowing down to 1-2 a month after about 6 months.
• Plan ahead.  For appointments have a plan on how the person gets to and from the appointment (even if it is just you).  Let the stroke victim know ahead of time so that they are not stressed about that portion of the appointment.  Ask them ahead of time if they have any questions, problems or concern and write them down for the doctor or physiotherapist.
• Track their medications.  Know what they are taking, dosage and when it needs to be taken.  Familiarize yourself with some of the side effects so you are aware of what they are and watch for them.  
• One of the things for medications is order my wife's refills a month before they run out.  It may be a bit ahead of time, but, things do happen and that way we don't panic as there are sufficient medications at all times.
• If the stroke patient was a smoker be prepared for the withdrawal.  My wife was a heavy smoker before her stroke and she is now smoke free.  The first few weeks in the hospital she was so heavily medicated that we were spared most of the symptoms.  After that she was moderately 'moody' for several weeks following that period.  For almost a year she was coughing up a lot as her lungs were cleaning out the crap that built up over the decades of smoking.  One of the benefits is that she now tastes food more and things she didn't like before she now likes!
• Never take anything for granted.  Every day is precious and should be enjoyed to the fullest.

Why do politicians think we serve them?

From the way politicians act and talk they "know" more than us and they are the only ones who have the only right answer.  If we disagree they tend to put us down or insult as we don't know better than them. They listen to 'elite' experts who advise them and then pompously inform us of what is right and what is wrong and things will go to hell if we don't follow them.

A good politician does not and should not use fear, hatred, intolerance to push society in the direction they want.  They should be leading by example, inspire us to be better, listen to ideas and opinions that differ and to help improve society as a whole.  Sometimes they need to tell us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear and not be afraid to tell us NO.

We need a way to make politicians accountable to the people again and make the people responsible to make informed choices and ensure that those we elect to make policies and laws that will do that and keep electing those who do so and to FIRE those who do not.  A start has been made by minimizing the role of money from businesses, the rich and unions.  Make the politicians go to the people to fund their campaigns by limiting how much each person can give.  Also limit the personal funds a politician can use as the ultra-rich can self fund their campaign and 'buy' their way to office.  Those with money, businesses, special interest groups and unions will scream that it is undemocratic and other bullshit reasons.  They will be afraid of losing their undue influence and control and let the ordinary citizen regain their rightful control of the process.

I am reading (and re-reading) the federalist papers.  Even after centuries the messages in the document is still relevant today.  This should be required reading by all politicians, even here in Canada as the ideas then still apply today.

At times I despair when seeing/reading about laws that politicians are wanting to enact.  I don't know if they are playing to fear or are ignorant about the constitution of this country, or the constitution of the country where they reside. Too many also display a lack of knowledge about basic economics.  Would it improve our politicians if they prove a basic knowledge about the constitution, economics, law, our political processes before running for office?  New citizens need to take a citizenship test and that would be a good starting point for politicians to demonstrate their basic knowledge of our country and political processes.