a new week begins

Hello everyone. I feel very refreshed and awake this Monday morning. I'm pleased to report that having had good sleeps for the last four days, that I believe this latest long-running tussle with insomnia is at last behind me. I can't say I'll miss it at all and I know it'll doubtless come back sooner than I'd like. For now though, I can look forward to days lived within a more normal framework of time. The weekend was a most enjoyable one. Our neighbours held their Canada Day party on the American holiday. Dad and I went over and spent around four pleasant hours with them. I don't usually see this bunch of people anywhere other than these gatherings but still managed to have plenty of interesting conversation. The sunshine and fresh air has, I think, contributed to this victory over insomnia.

Yesterday was also very enjoyable. A large portion of the church congregation was away camping. However, the rest of us ended up going on a tour around Lake Wabukayne which is right near the church. I've gone on the tour once before but we had a different leader this time. Nikki Hall has been doing everything humanly possible to protect and foster the ecology which has developed around this man-made lake. It was very interesting to hear her take on things and some of her stories. She's clearly been at this a long time. The ducks are so familiar with her voice that as she talked, a bunch of them would swim to a point near where we stood and remain there quacking away until we moved on. It was remarkable to actually hear a relationship like that in action. True testament to the positive impact people can have on nature if they work at it. After this walk, I had a chance to talk with Nikki and get to know more about her life. She seems keen on keeping in touch with me. I think there's a possibility that some of the audio games made for blind people may be of interest to her daughter. However, I'd need a far better sense of where she is mentally and physically before I could be certain of that.

The barbecue we had after this unusual service was a very pleasant way of passing what would normally have been a slow and solitary Sunday afternoon. The food was good and so was the conversation. People who are close enough to visit are actually starting to get to know me more. A damned refreshing change from chatting and emailing people I'll in all liklihood never encounter in any other way. If I'm ever going to find an opportunity for employment or change my life circumstances in some other way for the better, it isn't going to be by sending resumes. I've lived too different a life for that. It's going to be because someone who has taken the time to get to know me is able to connect those dots and show me a place where I can truly fit in and have a meaningful impact.

On the dating front, things are getting a little more interesting. A lady in Niagara Falls seems interested in getting to know me as a friend. She's actually willing to drive all the way from there to meet with me. Another woman who is paralised from the waste down is also interested in meeting me. Apparently, something has come up for her which will prevent us from doing so tomorrow as we had initially hoped to do. However, she's actually taken the time to read some of my writing. The conversations we've had have also gone well. I think she'll turn out to be a good and interesting friend at the very least. Meanwhile, there are at least six hundred presumeably fully able women within ten square miles of me acording to Plenty of Fish. They could come around and take me out for a coffee or dinner on me without breaking a sweat. Nor would they have to bother dressing up for the occasion. None of them have shown the slightest interest in me. Go figure. Other factors seem to be well and truly trumping geographical proximity. eHarmony is showing yet more signs of having been a complete waste of cash. At one point, I had initiated communication with something like twenty-five matches whose profiles sounded quite promising despite hearing them in male British synthetic speech. All but five of them have found reasons to close off possible communication. I'll keep going through the motions but believe the next three months are going to pass without even one set of multiple guess questions coming my way. At least on Plenty of Fish, the forums provide for some honest open conversation. I don't feel like I'm getting absolutely nothing for my efforts. In contrast, eHarmony is already starting to feel too much like my years of job searching which have only served to give me a clear conscience about not doing that anymore.

Now then; I've been nibbling on some pecans while I've typed all this but it's past time I had the rest of my breakfast. There weren't too many podcasts this morning but there's the Big Ideas lecture awaiting my attention. The speaker's name rings a slight bell and if I'm right, the lecture ought to be interesting. After I take that in along with some food, it's time to take another crack at smashing through this writer's block. I suppose I've probably cheered some people up and helped a number of folks with technical troubles over the past while. However, I keenly miss being able to work on one or more of my writing projects. They haven't lost their sense of worthiness. If I manage to finally finish the game or autobiographical book, I know they'll have a positive impact. I haven't been getting anywhere with attempting to write short stories so I may actually try to kick-start work on the game again. There's also the small article for the church bulletin about my trip to Chicago. After the lecture and breakfast, that'll get my first attention. The latter part of this week is going to be more busy. I have a mobility lesson on wednesday. It's been two weeks since the last one and due to rain and insomnia, I haven't gotten any practice in. My grandmother is coming for a visit on Thursday. I know we're going to see some other family friends while she's here but can't quite remember who and when. Guess I'll find out.