January 20: The National on the CBC showed the following item by Mark Critch discussing the recent blizzard in Newfoundland. Perhaps I am a sentimental old goof, but I found it humorous and moving. Maybe we all need to be a bit more like our friends in Newfoundland.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/an-ode-to-the-newfoundland-storm-mark-critch-1.5434216
January 8: This morning I ran 5.4 km. It’s the fourth time I’ve run since Christmas and it’s not a lot when I consider that I was running 20 km a crack last year. But it’s a start back toward some level of fitness, and certainly better for me than an equal amount of time in front of the idiot box ( TV or computer – take your pick ). I ran through the cemetery as I frequently do. I find it quiet, safe and it provides a contemplative, if slightly melancholy place to reflect on things as I run. Mostly, though, it was just nice to have some time to myself to reflect on the chaos of the last few months.
Frequent reader(s) will know that I returned from Europe at the end of September. I had 4 days to pack the place up and get that moved to our new home just down the walk from my apartment. Kate was in a somewhat worse position because she had 20 years or so of accumulated possessions to sort through and decide whether to move them, store them, or recycle them. In the midst of that exercise, her time with the Ivey Foundation ended – something that we did not expect but which has worked out to be quite beneficial for both of us.
After she moved, there were many days spent “setting up house”. As anyone who has done this recently will tell you, it’s not as easy as it should be. Each of us is used to having certain things in certain places, and deviating from that means compromises or choices which need to be worked through. We spent a good long time doing this, and then realized that we still had to get ready for Christmas.
Kate is a shopper. I say that with some admiration because I am not. She enjoys thinking about what gift would be appropriate for each person on her list, and it can be a long list with sisters and in-laws and nieces and nephews and children. Then there is the process of tracking down the gift, getting it wrapped (also with great care and attention), and delivering it to the recipient. My aimless wandering through Winners and the LCBO, and stuffing the selected items in bags, are clearly not going to cut the mustard next year.
Our expanded circle of friends generated what was – to me at least – a lengthy list of social commitments in December which included a gala concert, three group get-togethers, four dinners at home and two at others’ homes, two full-on Christmas dinners (on the same day, of course), two brunches, one celebration of life out of town, and thankfully, one quiet New Year’s dinner at home. If there is an element of the holiday season that I enjoy more than any other it is the opportunity to get together with people to begin or reinforce friendship, and to share good-will and happiness. These events didn’t disappoint. That said, it was a bit daunting for me – a natural recluse – to be in so many social situations in such a short time.
And now things have begun to feel more “normal” – whatever that might be. Given everything that has happened over the last couple of months, it honestly feels like Kate and I have not really had a routine time since we moved. It feels like now is the right time to pay attention to our lives together and get back in the groove on enjoying each others’ company. Maybe even do some running in the cemetery….
January 2: As set out in the previous post, I had my credit cards and identity stolen in late November. In mid-December I received a letter from TD saying that they had received my “claim of disputed transactions” and that they had concluded their investigation. Regrettably, my claim had been denied….
I found this to be interesting for many reasons: Beyond speaking to their representative when the cards had been stolen, I’d not made any claim or disputed any transactions with them. Their rep said that the charges that had been processed would not be charged to me. They were obviously fraudulent. I did go to the Police of my own volition, but that report, to the best of my knowledge, had not been sent to TD, so I have no idea what their “investigation” included.
The TD letter invited me to call their customer service number if I was upset that my claim had been denied ( it did, seriously… ) or if I had further information that “you think we should be aware of….”. I called on 4 successive days and waited a total of 2 hours and 35 minutes without speaking to an actual human being. ( Cursing out the recorded voice saying that “your call is important to us”, doesn’t count…. ) I now see why their corporate identity includes a large green chair. You need one so you can wait comfortably for someone to pick up the phone. I finally resorted to writing a letter to the VP in charge and had the local branch FAX it to her office.
In reply, Stephanie from TD called me and we had a pleasant chat. She finally got the sort of detail I might have expected from an actual “investigation”: things like “Where were you when this happened…?” The jury is still out on what I will have to cover from the expenses racked up by the thieves. But the one thing she did say that I found truly surprising is that all of the purchases were made with my PIN. Whoever had the cards also had the ability to read them to extract the PIN and make purchases within minutes of having stolen them. The PIN was entered perfectly the first time….
Technology marches on, nowhere more so than in crime, I suspect. I was naïve to much of this sort of thing, so the whole process has been an education for me. I mention all of this not for sympathy (of course), but in the hope that you may avoid a similar fate in the new year.