And When Things Go Wrong

No wonder they say when it rains it pours!! For once I am not talking about the BC weather—it has been quite good in general compared to the rest of the country. It’s just been one of those weeks that go on and on and on. My life is one step away from sounding like a country music song. You know the one with the twang that goes something like my dog died, my bf took my truck and my boots don’t fit? My one is more like my relatives are driving me insane, I wish my phone died, and I think I’m going slightly mad.

My better half P got a job with the temp agency, but as much as they loved him, they were not able to pay the temp agency to keep him on as a permanent feature. That was the supreme bummer of the week. It’s like being told you won the lottery, only for some guy in a suit to come to your front door and say they read the numbers incorrectly and now they have to give the million to someone else.

I got on the phone to check on the status of our 3 year old, Lanes’, PR card, for what must be the 131^st time, and each time I waited for ten minutes and was about to get a real live person on the phone, my phone died. No kidding. I am convinced that when P is not around, the phone is out to get me.

However, when my nutty sister or a telemarketer wants to call and nag me about something, the phone works just absolutely fantastically. Where’s the sense in that? There is no justice in the world!! So on the worst day of last week, I thought I’d lie down after making dinner since I had spent several nights with little or no sleep due to severe back pain.

But, no, what happens just as my weary head hits the pillow? I hear drilling. Nonstop, loud, annoying, wall shaking drilling. The patient Korean neighbors had a leak in their bathroom and they were trying to fix it. To make it worse, every time the drilling stopped, I swore I could hear the discombobulated voice of our neighbor, Aunty G (no doubt inspecting the repairs). Rest assured, I was getting no rest.

That night P came home, feeling blue about the job, although he was trying not to show it, and Lanes had got into the fridge and kept the chocolate milk sideways on the top most shelf. Milk had spilled into every nook and cranny of the fridge, let me tell you, it was in the drawers, in with the tomatoes, in the cheese, in anything and everything. When I opened the door, it looked like we had installed a chocolate milk fountain in there.

Between my lack of sleep, the general tone of the week, and my back aches, I just had to sit and have a good old fashioned cry. Of course P walks in and thinks I’m having a crazy hormonal moment since he had no idea how the day had gone—he figures how can someone have a bad day without leaving the house? Well, apparently, it is possible, and I’m the one to do it.

The building woes continue. We are currently on 24 hour Fire Watch. Whatever that means. If anyone knows, please tell me. It just doesn’t sound good. I asked management and they gave a little too quick slightly shifty response about some panels getting damaged after the great flood. We see firemen coming and checking in from time to time.

The good thing is that the fire department wants the laundry room door shut at all times during this ‘watch’ and some tenants take that to mean that the laundry is off limits so I no longer have to apply my ninja techniques in securing a machine.

Towards the end of the week, after waging war on the phone again (which means I just ferociously made sure it was actually charging), I finally got through to a real live person and found out that at least Lanes’ updated photos were received (obviously, I had to hand deliver them—another story for a better episode), so something is happening and it’s no longer in limbo. We hope.

This weekend was also crazy with the arrival of my sister and her crew and also my cousin from Nova Scotia is in town to visit his girlfriend. Everyone was fascinated by the ‘Fire Watch’. This apartment has become a great source of entertainment for them. Their visit even comes with tours like 'and this is the gaping hole where the ceiling leaked'.

And to make it that much better, that night my sister and her family went for a walk (to secure samosas after a fiasco with dinner--don't ask), and firemen were inspecting the building when they walked in!! It was almost like I planted them there on cue. Apparently, it was a routine check up (my sibling had to ask, the inquisitive so and so).

I annoy my cousin, so I’m assuming he is crazy silly about his girlfriend since he extended his stay by a week. I’m not so sure what I’m going to feed him. Hmm. P has a terrible habit of not responding to a question unless it’s asked 23 times, and my cousin doesn’t know this so he started yelling at me whenever I repeat a question to P. I can’t win I tell you. The week just gets better and better.

My sister, her family and my cousin are all bent on cheering P up because they feel bad about the job. Unfortunately, that means I get a lot of the flack. Ok so I’m a little moody, but I really could have skipped the lecture about producing a sibling for Lanes. Why doesn’t P get these talks? One would think he is supposed to be involved in this process.

Meanwhile, P the eternal optimist, is happy he has a recommendation under his belt after his stint and is hopeful for the future. Everyone seems to think that since I’m not in the job hunt, out of necessity, not choice, it’s all good for me.

Actually, it’s rather frustrating being the one who has to stay home and ensure everyone else has a life. I would love to zip around town and have a job of my own, but my priority right now is to get P and Lanes settled. I think when Lanes is big and she and P are doing their own thing, I’m going to start a club for the spouses of immigrants who have to stay home for their kids!! I hope they are a sarcastic bunch: )

At least Lanes loves me. She is wondering why her uncle and aunt (the girlfriend) are in her room. I noticed she is stealthily ferreting out her favorite toys from there and stashing them in my closet and under our bed. I think she thinks they are playing with them while she is sleeping or something. Who knows the true inner workings of the mind of a 3 year old?

The positive side to this week is that a.) P's temp job gave him some Canadian work experience b.) we now know Lanes’ PR card might materialize c.) the fridge got a good cleaning d.)my back is much better. Not so sure what the good side about the Fire Watch is. Seeing hot firemen I suppose, but I don’t think that does much for P. Next week I’m off to try to figure out taking part of a driving test. That should be very amusing!!