-22 Degrees this morning, errands to be run, break them up with frequent stops. Bank. Thrift Shop. Drugstore, do some grocery shopping (not going all the way to the supermarket today, thanks!), then again at the ethnic food store, which has an absolutely immense selection, although at substantially more $$ than you'd pay in the big city. I pick up some dried habanero peppers and a peculiar Mole sauce, which I'll figure out a use for.
It's cold enough, walking - I've dug out my big faux-fur Russian top helmet with ear-flaps - but I'm going to have to hunker in. Stop for coffee. The sun is warm through the coffee-house window, bathe in the sun. Every time the door opens there's a blast of freezing air, but the door's quick to spring closed.
After the coffee & sun to the pot shop, I'd received a gift of a vape a few years ago, only it wasn't working, I'd never used it, the oil had thickened too much. I've a mind to diversify my vices, gentrify even, after the local custom, having well and truly mastered alcohol it's time to try some other things.
And all these stops, they're made as soon as you're toes stop reporting, fortunately the town is small, you're never 2 minutes away from a pop-in.
Pot-shop done, now to the soup kitchen, it's cold enough I can foresee not going out the rest of the weekend, and if I'm to be cooking I'll take advantage while I can.
Soup Kitchen, today, on the menu, chicken alfredo (no, but I can't say anything), prawns (OK but Katsup isn't cocktail sauce), the standard.
It's not about the food, it's about filling in the cracks of my diet, the things I wouldn't cook for myself.
Then, home, warm up, check Facebook - wing-nut postings as always.
Notably, Cracky-McCrackhead Sara has not posted since moving to Newfoundland, whether she just blocked everyone who didn't support her go-fund-me to get there or just hasn't found an internet connection, who knows, she used to be good for posting 2, 3 times a day, always nonsense, but she's since disappeared. Maybe it's rehab, or some sort of familial imposed sobriety.
And there's the other, always posting, mentioned in the summer, recognizing her as homeless (as well) we'd hang out if we ran into one another. Facebook friend, but not one you'd make plans with, just the standard if you run into you say "hi" and grab a coffee.
Anyways, she's a big poster, trying to forever sell the same stuff, always grossly overpriced. She's got some issues. And there are the "Jesus" and "Satan" posts, and the "gratitude" posts, and the big thanks for the gift cards she was given and with she bought some beef and some lamb and...
She's living in a trailer in the valley. With 2 demon Chihuahuas. Her trailer needs work, lots of it, only she's unable to do it herself, she's just a girl...
She identifies as "disabled". So she doesn't work, collects whatever the government pays for that sort of stuff, and crowdsources the rest. Always a call-out to the friends that she needs this fixed in her trailer, or that, needs this appliance, or this heater/toilet/sink/shower fixed, insulated, what have you.
And gathering from the posts someone is always coming through because the next day it's the same; "Praise the Lord" and "Thank you Jesus" and "I am truly blessed" but there' s never a shout out to the person or friend that came through for her and did the work (for free!!). From which I gather if you wanted to witness the second coming of Jesus he's somewhere in the Valley doing trailer repairs and handing out gift cards...
This annoys me, though, the community is good at coming together for those in need, but - in doing so it doesn't seem to allow that the individual has some obligations to his/her self as well. By "Identifies" as disabled she claims disability - of some sort, it's not obvious, not, clearly, incapacitating, and as the nature of "work" can be varied - from construction to office - she has identified work in general as the one thing that she can't do - not the in-specific one particular sphere of work she can't do.
Anyways, done scrolling Facebook and now off to do some work. Inside. Thank God.