Friday the 8th

Well the week went OK. I am having trouble concentrating on work. I am easily distracted.

I went to the Doctor on Tuesday and we had a good chat. At the end though, as the depression thing isn't getting any better he asked about pills. The anti-depressant variety. I told him I couldn't commit to those. He said that I needed to do something. I was having trouble to committing to exercise, well not all exercise. I 50 pushups every morning, but they don't appear to be having an effect on the D. Prozac was mentioned, he did admit that he would have to test a couple. I same months of taking pills.

We discussed the fact the my mother was bi-polar and I asked it it was hereditary. He said it could be. I have always been cognizant of this and been pro-active. This the running, biking, swimming, weights etc.

I committed to doing exercise, to avoid the pills. The pills have side effects, libido is one of them. I have dated guys on pills, it is strange. There are issues, and they are not good ones; well in my opinion.

I am writing this at Starbucks. I left work early, I wanted to do some things before I headed to the city. 1/2 hour on a treadmill. I buzzed my hair. I packed a knapsack and took the long way into town. I was kind of hoping to drop the knapsack off at Thelma's, I may be staying there on the weekend.

This weekend it pretty busy, there is the Ride for Dad on Saturday. 12-1700 bike riders headed all over the place. It is to raise money for prostate cancer. When a woman at work hear I was doing it, she wanted to sponsor me. I made $130 in pledges in 20 minutes. Imagine if I had tried. That takes care of the cost of entering event, which I had already paid. I guess it is a donation.

Friday is the start of Pride Week in Edmonton. aka Gay Pride Week. Tonight there is a beer bash at The Junction. Thelma and I are going to it. I am leaving early though as I have to be up early for the bike ride.

Saturday is the Pride Parade, it is getting better every year. I am headed to it after the bike ride. There is a beer garden by city hall, this is always a fun event.

In the evening there is a big bash someplace. I am headed to it. It may sound manic, but after 4 out of 5 weekends with straight firefighters I need some me time.

Speaking of the firefighters....This week we had to do a Bingo. We volunteer to sell bingo cards etc. For this the Fire Department club get s money for equipment and training. The club wants to do it. It is a struggle to get guys to work.

The positions were all full. Tuesday night I had trouble sleeping, I got about 2 hours. I left work early and was sleeping when the phone buzzed. A guy wasn't showing up, he apparently made a physio appointment in the afternoon and decided not to go to bingo. He should find a replacement, he didn't. I would up doing it as no one else responded to my calls and emails.

I took the position that gets out early, I am the chair of bingo, I can do that.

On the weekend the female firefighter who was on the course was having issues. She arrived late at the meetup on Friday night, she managed to grab a mask that didn't fit her. This caused her endless amounts of problems on the weekend. The guys on her crew were not nice to her. She wound up crying. I gave the guys shit and asked them to lay off her, as there was nothing we / she could do. They did.

Bingo night she showed up 5 minutes late. She saw me sitting where she anticipated sitting; I knew as she had done that job for the previous 6 bingos.
I guess she was pissed off, she went to Tim Hortons for a coffee and probably3 or 4 cigarettes. We had to look for her when selling time came.

About 8 o'clock she starts freaking about her son, who she does not have custody of, being in the hospital. She wanted to see him. By 8:15 she was manic. She tried to get me to stay to cover for her. I said no. I don't say no easily, but I could see through this. There was no mention of this before 8.

The person in charge of the bingo, a staff position let her go as we had young guys who were on the ball working.

I would have kept her there, the hospital the kid was in is 40 miles away and visiting closes at 9. She lost custody of kid to her parents as she was unfit. The Deputy Chief watched her do this; the Chief will be informed. My main concern, this is the club and it represents how the public sees the Fire Department. The guy that didn't show and the woman do nothing to help the public's perception.

My bike got the worst gas mileage ever! Guess where I last filled up? At the Husky Station in The guy who owned the place, selling gas at $130.9, when it is $110.9 in Vegreville; was pissed that I was using debit card for under $10. He (in my learned opinion, a Korean) started to whine. Hardisty is the storage tanks for ALL the gas in Alberta. Why is it the most expensive place for gas? He is ripping everyone off. And his bathroom was out of order.

Rant off. I am declaring this a stress free weekend (let's see how long that lasts!). I will see Brendan on Sunday, I better anyway.