April 18, 2009

Neurological mysteries


Today I found myself strolling around Chapters with my tall,mocha frappucino light in hand and I came upon a book that I must have read almost 30 years ago....no, that can't be right. Forget the time lapse. This must have been around the time (1990) of the release of the movie, "Awakenings" starring Robert deNiro and Robin Williams. It's based on a true story written by neurologist Oliver Sacks and Robin Williams' character is based on Sacks. If you haven't seen this movie, you should rent it. It is at once heartwarming and heartbreaking. It makes me cry every time I see an excerpt from the movie. OK, so I'm a big baby but I'll bet the majority of you out there will do the same.
Anyway, the book I picked up is a collection of short stories - actual cases - that are strange and mystifying. It is entitled "The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat". Now, that should grab your attention.

April 11, 2009

I did it again

Sure enough, it's April so I must be due to have a fall. Right on my face. The fellow walking towards me was so worried because I was gushing blood from somewhere and he wanted me to go straight to the hospital. He called upon the two women coming up behind me to pronounce their opinion concerning the forehead gash. One of them called her husband to come and drive me home. See, all the nice people are on Sheppard. To hell with the Yonge St. crowd.

At home, when I had a look at myself, I realized that these people were right. So I hopped a cab to the Urgent Care Centre at Branson Hospital. Several hours later, the doctor came in and revealed that there were areas in the wound that reached down to the frontal bone. OOOOOOh. This is somewhat significant, I think. So I now have an ugly forehead gash and a nose that is misshapen from the swelling and scraped up as well. Woe is me.

I have been trying to work on some fabric boxes but I'm having problems with motivation and concentration. I find myself doing bits on one and then putting it away and starting another. I think I'm creatively blocked.

April 2, 2009

Not another technological fiasco

I've just been bumming around on the computer and felt like listening to some itunes. Well, the program wouldn't open and the Task Manager didn't work. Probably at the One of a Kind Show checking out Carmi's cards. I couldn't turn off the computer, not even by pushing the button a hundred times. I finally unplugged it. I had the ipod connected to recharge it and I noticed the the screen was frozen on an image. It wouldn't budge. This is the exact same thing my last nano did before I declared it dead which was at least 2 and a half years after the purchase. This is only two months old and at least I had the foresight into buying a replacement warranty but I think it kicks in only after you send it off to Apple for an assessment. What am I going to do without it......

When I plugged in the tower, I had a message that Windows wouldn't start up but whoever is talking to me said it would find a way. Bless him. And so the startup was completed. Except that it won't recognize some of my programs. And I'm ignorant when it comes to analyzing anything on the computer. Might have to call Dell.

Thank god Amber seems much better. The virus clearly has been spreading around the apartment.