Victoria Day Weekend and Summer Sickness

It's been almost a month since I last updated.

I wanted to make a post to my reviews blog about the movie Avengers: Endgame, and I have written more than half of one, but I guess it's in my nature to wait until something is culturally irrelevant before I review it. I also decided to catch up on Game of Thrones before their series finale, which occurred last week. I could review that, too.

I haven't put in my garden this year, because things keep holding me back. Over the Victoria Day weekend, which is when I would usually get it started, I was in Guelph celebrating my mother's birthday and also Mother's Day. Those two things had actually happened a week prior on May 12th, but she was in Toronto that weekend so we celebrated the weekend after.

Got her a charcoal barbecue, same model as mine, with charcoal, lighter fluid, a barbecue lighter, and a pack of associated tools (tongs, spatula etc.)

It's funny, I felt pretty good about the longevity of my barbecue, but a brand new version of it looks a lot different. Lot of parts I forgot it initially had. For instance, I broke one of the legs on my barbeque so it can't stand up anymore. After singeing our backyard table, I found a slab of cement to rest it on. Her's has a second, smaller grill that sits on the inside of the shell, which you rest the coals on. Forgot about that piece, used to have one but never really understood why it was necessary. Don't know where it went, but I don't have it anymore. I just put the coals in the shell. Also, her's has a handle to carry it with. I thought that piece was stupid because it's not large enough to move over the handle that opens the shell, so I ditched it. Mom found out the reason for that piece though. The carrying handle clips onto the opening handle, which locks it shut. Then you can carry it around without worrying about the top opening up and spilling coals.

Almost makes me want to get a new charcoal grill and treat it proper.

We cooked sausages and corn on the cob and I stepped my mother and brother through the process.

Shortly after I came back, I got sick. Spent several days with fever, just laying in bed, sweating. Bad cough, splitting headache, congestion. Had something similar last year, right around this time of year. I hope this isn't a pattern. Took three days off work last week. First time I've ever missed consecutive days. Came in today but before lunch all my coworkers were telling me to go home, because I still have this heavy, phlegmy, full-body cough. Ugh. I hate it, but at least nobody can say I'm faking it. Hope I can go in tomorrow and stay. I'm feeling better and better, but I think I'm developing an ear infection.

I did manage to install my air conditioner while I was sick. I took it down during the winter because it didn't allow for good insulation during the colder months. I have to say though, it has always bothered me that having it installed feels like it compromises the security of the place. In the winter, my window locks. In the summer, I kind of have to rig up a makeshift piece of insulation around the AC, and what keeps the AC in place is largely gravity. Now, my room is on the second story, so a person wanting to break in would need a ladder, but other than that, the only thing protecting me from a potential intruder is two pizza boxes, a garbage bag and a ton of packing tape.

I have successfully managed to cancel one of my contracts and am in the process of "phasing out" two others. My Sundays are now free. Hopefully, my Saturdays and Friday evenings will be free soon enough, too.