January 16, 2005

January 16, 2005

C.A.R.E. Centre

DAY 212

 

Today was a bright, sunny day, a bit warmer than the last few days, but still a bit cool. I slept late, then started my day slowly. Made myself some café au lait, then took Bo for a long walk in the sunshine. I don't think I've been getting out in the sunshine enough lately. I have suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder for a number of years, living in Ottawa. I thought that I would be immune to it this year while travelling, away from winter, and especially Ottawa's cloudy, gloomy, freezing rain winters. But I still have been feeling a bit negative the last few days. I get up early, rush through morning chores ( walk Bo, feed Teddy and Bo, shower, dress, walk Ginger, bring Rain in from the truck, bring Rain's dishes and litter box in from the truck, feed Rain, clean Teddy's, Bo's, and Rain's eyes, open the blinds in the trailer, make the bed ... ), and rush off to "work". My current assigned task of taking inventory of all chemicals is mind numbing boredom. The days are still short, and I think I need to be out in the sun light more. After a long walk this morning in the bright sunshine, I felt great all day.

I spent the morning repairing the rips in Teddy's tent ( stupid, fat dog Cody ! ), and washing the last side of the trailer. Now all that's left of the trailer cleaning is the roof. I spent half the afternoon doing maintenance on a lawn tractor, and the other half continuing work on the chemical inventory taking < big sigh >. I like to "work" on Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoons while Joanne works in the kitchen. She is assigned to prepare weekend suppers. Working Saturday and Sunday afternoons allows me to avoid some of the petty politics and turf wars that are evident here Monday through Friday. It also entitles me to eat supper in the Centre with Joanne on the evenings when she's making supper. Volunteers are allowed to eat a meal in the Centre on each day that they "work". Tonight Joanne and Mary Lou made the best meal that I've had since we've been here.

A funny incident happened when I walked Bo after supper. He had been alone all afternoon, and so when I took him out, he was all cranked up and full of energy. He ran down the road in front of me, and yanked the retractable Flexi leash out of my hand. It made noise as it bounced down the road, slowly retracting toward him. He looked behind him to see what wasmaking the noise, and was startled by this thing "chasing" him down the road. He circled, looking over his shoulder at the Flexi "chasing" him, and the closer it got to him, the faster he ran back to me. He got back to me, and cowered behind my legs, just as the Flexi "caught" him. Poor Bo. I "saved" him from that mean old Flexi leash.

DSK