i have just gotten off the phone, talking to Namesake who is in Palm Springs (where the sun is shining). He is going to be in London when I am in London and at the very moment I am going to need some laughter and giggles. So it leads me to believe that the stars are in alignment .(whatever that many mean) Namesake and I end up in Victoria together (against all odds) and now in London together (sort of against all odds). We will be so jolly together. He gave me another new nickname – it is Maid Marion Meteorite because I give off sparks. Is not that cute? He also gave me the nickname of Delicious Goodness. Do not forget, B.A, Squared. At the moment Maid Marion Meteorite is my very favorite.
I am so getting ready for my trip to London. Yesterday it was mani and pedi; today it is packing day; tomorrow is blow dry; Monday is Hottie and facial; and then on Tuesday I will be up, up and away!!. I have plans for almost every day when i arrive in London, where I lived for two and a half years. I will get to meet with Chris Jackson my computer guru and blog genius; get my Tate books, go to the Rex Whistler for a marvelous Christmas dinner, go to the Car Boot Sale on Sunday. (conveniently located across the street from the hotel) i have been listening to podcasts about the God exhibit at the British Museum, I will be a prepared viewer, and my annual membership to the museum has not expired. The cheese, the food and the hammock will be in place. I suppose a red carpet is too much to ask but I had one of those at the Trump and once you have seen one red carpet you have seen them all. I am going to have the time of my life. I am, after all, seventy-four, so it is now or never. I feel I am returning to London triumphant – the blog is an unqualified success, the Tate book beautiful and almost accurate, I reside in the best apartment in the best city in the world (although it is a bit damp for my tastes). My knees are in shape and I have lost seven pounds since June. I do admit that I have not done that well in the boy-girl arena of life but REALLY I never have. It is a bit too late to start now.
So what to take? What to wear when I am in London? I think I am taking my ten pound car boot sale fur (but perhaps not wear it on the plane). My black shirt that I bought in Edmonton that is slit up to there (but I wear opaque hose with it). My turquoise knit dress with strange matching hose. I am going to have such fun trying everything on and matching the jewelry and all. Sometimes in life the anticipation is better than the actual event. But you had the anticipation. Now that is really quite profound.
I see Vancouver as a city of depressed people as there is an aura of numbness everywhere. People wander about not paying attention to anything or anybody. I think dogs are purchased by their owners to cheer up their sad existence. But it doesn’t work because dog owners have to go out in the bad weather and watch their dogs urinate and defecate. What fun is that? A recent Time article reported that 6.7% of USA people are depressed. Goodness knows what the Canadian percentage is. There was a maxim circulated back in 1967:(when I first went to live in the USA): Canadians are like Americans, only more depressed. Vancouverites seem to blame their sadness on seasonal attitudinal disorder, Although such a disorder does exist it is sued as a cover up. People cover over their depression during the summer, bringing it out in full force in the winter. Why? So they won’t have to do anything about their depression as it is beyond their control. Poor them. They do not have my sympathy. The Time article had suggestions for drug-free treatments backed by science. The first is exercise: “regular physical activities may lift mood in part by increasing certain neurotransmitters” Another is something called Behavior Activation Therapy which is a sophisticated way of saying that you get off your rear end and pretend you are not depressed rather than sitting around and wallowing it. I took antidepressants for about twenty-five years, developed an allergy to the medication, stopped taking it and found out I never should have been taking it in the first place. Moreover the drug stifled my creativity – I blossomed when I was weaned from it. Interesting story.
I was complaining about the blue sky and good weather the other day to my cousin Gail.
Me: I have everything all worked out, my rain gear is all in place and I know exactly what to wear and then blue sky appears. Now what am I supposed to do?
Gail: You should read the weather report and then you will know what is going on.
Me: I don’t do that, I never had to in California because it was always nice out. I don’t want to look at weather reports.
Gail: Then you will have to go back and live in California
Me: I don’t want to do that. I want to live here!.
I wonder if my cousin Gail is trying to get rid of me. Today she said that good weather is going to continue for two weeks.
Me: Wouldn’t you know. I go away to London and the weather clears up. That is not fair!
Gail: Maybe it will rain in London for you.
Me: I guess I better look up the long range weather forecast for London. It is always something.
I just looked it up. It is going to snow on Sunday. What?????? That is car boot sale day.
I am in the process of rewriting the About Me portion of the blog. The signature picture has changed and so have I. I will make a formal announcement in the blog when the new section is up and running.
The picture is of me and Aron. He works at Suki’s and has a laugh that is perhaps louder than mine. I was having my hair blown dry for the trip.
