In Which Noko Practices Being a Curmudgeon, Sort of in Everyday Ramblings

This is Heritage Tree #10; the white oak planted sometime around 1843 that is literally paces from Mrs. Sherlock’s house.

I walked past it yesterday morning when I took a break from work and walked over to see my former Zen teacher and therapist to talk about my plan to start teaching more spiritual content in designated classes and workshops.

His basic take on it, after telling me about the general gist of his teaching methodology (I would have loved to hear more detail on that), was for me to go forth and learn by doing. I did realize in a surprising way that I kind of was hoping he would give me permission to do this.

He did.

So there you go.

It was a beautiful morning and I very much enjoyed the walk but it did make for a long day. And today was another long one at work and then I walked over to the studio where no one showed up for class. Mrs. Sherlock herself was stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it back in time.

So here we are at the end of the quarter. I knew I was taking a financial risk moving to the studio in January and I cleared $16 over the rent in donations for classes the first quarter but this time I am $112 in the red.

This doesn’t surprise me as honestly as I had fewer students this time. Illness, travel, family difficulties, all the stuff of life seemed to be happening to the regular group of students, these wonderful wonderful students who teach me so much.

So we will see how it goes with charging more per class and tightening up how long a class card purchase is good for. This all starts after the holiday. So many folks are taking Monday off but not us.

Earlier in the week at noon there was a delivery truck parked in the bus zone in front of the Under Armor building. (They are building out the interior now). I called the number on the truck and gave the receptionist the truck number and explained the issue. I was going to the grocery. I was particularly annoyed with this truck because someone turning the corner almost hit me in the crosswalk with the light because he couldn’t see around it and didn’t expect a pedestrian.

The truck was still there when I got back from the store.

Today there another truck doing weird stuff and eventually parked in the same bus zone, which, I noted had three, not one but three brand new, no parking signs with a little bus icon on them. There was no phone number on the truck.

But! There was an email address. Once the bus picked me up having to angle in half in traffic to do so I emailed a random email on the website and when I got home the truck had moved to a legal spot out of the way.

I did mention I would be contacting the local authorities in my email. It was not angry, just expressing the facts.

Turns out I had emailed the president of the company and he had got on dispatch and told them to move!

Is that not cool?

I felt so empowered in a world where I don’t feel that very often these days.

I bought a new swimsuit this week, a simple straightforward classic tank. It is a little snug but wearable. My mission is to actually use it. I think the gym will be open on Tuesday and other than a world of chores and class and workshop design I don’t have plans.

Happy Canada Day! It turns out that now that Most Honorable has dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship I have a bona fide relationship with a Canadian citizen.

Has the world gone mad, or what?