Do you have more than one persona?

I think we all do. I have the face that I use when I have to deal with the public. You know the one, charming and pleasant, helpful, somewhat friendly. Well, that is my job, or at least part of it. I work in the rental office of my apt. complex and have to deal with my neighbours all of the time.

My other face is the one I try to portray here. I say try, because I am not a very good writer and don't know how well I do at conveying myself. I am friendly - to an extent. I am helpful when I can be. I do try to not be a bitch, but my that is hard sometimes! I don't really like a lot of people, I never have.

I was very hesitant taking the job, I don't really want to know all of my neighbours. I like to keep to myself and now, I may have to move! We'll see if this guy turns into a stalker, or if he takes the hint.

He is a new tenant that moved in a couple of months ago and up until two weeks ago, he had been dealing with the manager. Well, he came into the office while I was working one evening to get information and I was my usual charming self. Short of being rude, I couldn't get him to leave after I gave him the information. No big deal, the job is rarely busy enough that I can't chat for a few minutes.

He apparently spoke to the boss the next day and then came back the following evening to drop off the forms. Again, short of being downright rude, he wouldn't leave. He lives in my bldg - one floor up and one suite over from me!

Two days later, I am out with Sibu taking pictures and watering my pots (I have poppies that have re-seeded themselves) when he pops out on his balcony and starts to talk to me. Fine, he'll just say hello, how's it going and go away. No such luck. I was taking pictures and trying to ignore him and he just kept chattering along. He has a beautiful dark grey Persian cat, so I took a picture of it. Then made my escape inside.

The next day or so, I was working on the pictures and decided that I would see how this printer does printing out photos, by using his cat's photos. That way I wouldn't be as disappointed as if it were something I wanted for myself. Then, I made the mistake of giving them to him. Well, he had to come down and get them, rather than letting me hand them up over the balcony. That way, he could give me a hug. Remember when I said I don't like people? I really don't like touchy-feel-y people! Our family are not big huggers, I do hug family and some friends though. Then he had to touch my arm (the one in the lympho sleeve) to ask how it was. WTF?

I couldn't get rid of him, again! I thought, well, if I start digging weeds, he will go.....no, he had to get down beside me and help. So, then I had to offer him water, I think that is the first time water has passed his lips without scotch to chase in a long time. About this time, I am getting a bit beyond irritated, so I decide well, if I water my plants he will go. No, he had to stand right beside me, while I was watering, making silly remarks about how I had better not splash him. Then the dip-shit, because I hadn't taken him up on splashing him, decided he should get me wet. What, are you 12?

I was telling the boss this a few days later....she told me that he was asking her all kinds of questions about me and that he thought "we made a real connection". Oh GREAT! So, far, every time I have gone outside, he has popped up on his balcony, now if only I had a big stick, we could play "Whack-a-mole".

Seriously though, I don't want to spend my entire summer inside! I am going to have to make a roof/cover for my swing so I can at least sit out there without having him staring at me. I have ignored him twice now and if I have to I will just be rude. I think he was trying to get my attention last night when I was out talking to friends, by whistling, the short noise you would make when trying to get the dogs attention. Uh, if that was him, that is no way to get my attention, I am not a dog and do not respond to whistles. (I am too old to get many wolf whistles these days, so I just assume when I hear one that it is for some young person in the vicinity.)

If necessary, I will pull out the third persona, the one I try to keep buried very deeply. That is the one that can verbally tear you to pieces, make you wish you had never been born, let alone met me. The one that can wither all hope within a 40 miles radius. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate a bit, but, I can certainly make him wish he had chosen somewhere else to live.

I really hope it doesn't come to that, I don't like that I am capable of that kind of meanness. It is a weird kind of comfort knowing that I have that in my defense arsenal though.

I hope everyone has a good stalker free weekend.

Experiment

As some of you know, I am a breast cancer survivor. During the treatment, I took pictures of my lack of hair and the sparse growth and so on, with my really crappy web cam. (It has since gone to a very nice home at the eco-centre.) However, I have been playing with the pictures and since I got a proper camera have taken a photo of myself. This is rare, because I do not like to take pictures of myself, but as part of the learning about the camera, it had to be done. Besides, an Aunt wants a recent picture.

Then lo and behold, my sister The Bag Lady got tagged the other day to do a meme whereby "you describe your life with 6 words, or a photo or cartoon, then tag 6 other people". Well, she didn't tag anyone, she left it open and I thought, well, maybe I should put this composition out for people to have a look at. It only describes the most recent period of my life, but there it is.



So, there I am, from bald to now! Like Sis, I will not tag anyone, but if you feel like playing go right ahead.

Good afternoon.

Well, I finally did it!

I went and purchased a new camera! I have been playing with it since I got home last night and so far, I am very happy with it. It is an Olympus SP-550UZ, it has 7.1 Mp and 18 X Optical Zoom. Now, it is going to take me some time to figure out all that it can do, but here are a few of my first photos with it.

No flash, in my living room, with some zoom, last night.


Around noon, I stepped out onto my patio and zoomed all the way, then had to back off. I think it is about 20 feet to the tree.

Maximum zoom, click and see the craters! The little ones!

About 20.30 hrs looking West (duh) down my front road.


I had to climb to the third floor landing to get this shot, but I like how it turned out.


I tried to get another shot of the moon later, but it must have been possessed, all I got were these ghosts!



Note to self - buy a tripod.


Well, not bad for the first few shots! I hope to have a better grasp on it by Tuesday for the WWC. I know that it will take a lot longer than that to figure out the manual settings and all the other things it can do, but, I will be taking fabulous photos before you know it!

Good night all.

Lions & Tiger & Bears, Oh my!

I pulled this post from my original blog, because I thought I did a pretty good job of it. Original date: 07/09/11
Enjoy,
Reb

What a great day Monday was! We saw lions & tigers & bears & so many other things!

I have been wanting to get out of the city now for months, seems more like years! Odin, I hate not having a car! It's a good thing I have friends. Emily & Shayne & I went to Innisfail to see the Discovery Wildlife Park.

First off, I have to say I couldn't live in Innisfail, they have the Purina plant there and when we were there on Monday, I don't know what they were doing, but when you were downwind of it... yeesch! From what we overheard, that is not normal, but still, it was worse than P & G's pulp mill in G.P.

We went to the park in order to get there in the morning for the first show, only to find out that they were not working the cats Monday, as they had just been fed and they don't work well on full tummies. So, we went into town and had some lunch and killed some time and went back to see the bear show. Now, I said we had a good time, but, we also felt a bit cheated. Emily had phoned to make sure they were open still on Monday and was told that the small animal show would not be on, but the cats and bears would be. So, of course not getting the cat show was a bit disappointing. Well, we were early for the bear show and so, we wandered around and looked at the other animals. They have Monkeys, a Badger, a Beaver, a Racoon, a Porcupine (he was hiding, we couldn't see him), a Bobcat, an Alligator, Ostriches, Camels, Reahs (a relative of the Ostrich), Mule deer, Reindeer, Elk, a Bison, Lions, Tigers, Jaguars (one black, one spotted) and of course Bears. They have Black Bears, they have a Cinnamon Bear(a Black Bear of a different colour) & Kodiak Bears. On to the Bear show...these Bears have movie credits and the woman who has trained them gives the talk and has them show us what they can do on command. Of course on Monday, she had had dental surgery and couldn't speak clearly and being doped up only gave half a show (well, we assume half - she showed us three and pictures were taken with a fourth). Second disappointment. No, we didn't get pictures - are you nuts! I am not kissing a Grizzly and then paying $20.00!

We did have a good time, oh, there is also a reptile room and a room with cute rodents - hamsters & rats & what might have been chinchillas. Emily bought me a sweatshirt, in fact she paid my way for the whole day as an early birthday gift. On the way home we stopped at Rocky Mtn House, decided it was too early to eat, so went up to Crimson Lake and had a look around - very pretty and quiet on a Monday. We then went back to Rocky and had a pretty bad supper.

Ah well! In spite of everything we did have a pretty good day overall. It was relaxing and good company. I got to get out of the city.

Of course, as I was typing the list of animals, I realized that the potential is there for them to feed one to the other! I am pretty sure they don't, they are a zoo after all.

We thought we might like to go back again maybe next year when Emily's back is feeling better and maybe get the whole package, all three shows, maybe then we will get a picture - for sure a camel ride!

Good night.