dewline: Exclamation: "Hear, Hear!" (celebration)
2025-06-10 04:14 pm

Health: Dental Milestone Made Official

I mentioned privately last week that I'd been accepted for enrolment into the Canadian Dental Insurance Plan. The one that our federal government hired Sun Life to administer for everyone earning less than C$90K/year and not already covered by their employer or their province?

That one.

I finally got the card in the papermail from Sun Life today.

Orange and pink and white plastic.

It's just hitting me now that, after over three decades of paying out of pocket by instalments for my dental health basics - exams, fillings and repairs of same, that sort of thing - I no longer have to worry about that part of my life's financial juggling. It's already covered through my federal income tax from now on unless I land a sufficiently lucrative job with its own coverage.

Hoping it all works out.
dewline: Text - "On the DEWLine" (Default)
2025-05-21 04:17 pm

Health: Dental Milestone

I filed my application for coverage under the federal dental insurance plan yesterday.

Finally.
dewline: Community is Real! (community)
2025-05-02 09:27 am

Seeking Help For Trek + Comics Writers

I've been reminded over on TrekBBS that there's ongoing medical fundraisers for two writers whose work on comic books and on Star Trek I've enjoyed reading and re-reading over the decades.

Mike W. Barr

Peter A. David
dewline: Text: Searching and Researching (research)
2025-04-18 08:52 pm
dewline: Art Against Bigotry and Fascism (artists vs fascism)
2025-02-02 01:55 pm
Entry tags:

Financial Complications

I am wondering after today...what happens to the banking connections. The main credit card companies operating in Canada are American-based. I have one of those. All our major banks - including the one I deal with - now have American operations. The Boston Bruins operate out of a rink with the Toronto-Dominion Bank brand all over it.
dewline: Text - "On the DEWLine" (Default)
2025-01-30 07:24 am
Entry tags:

Checking In - 30 January 2025

The next few days are going to be a bit of a roller-coaster ride in terms of local temperature and precipitation. As I type this, it's -26ºC and it's going to see-saw between there and up to +3ºC over the next week. Snow, maybe rain, too. Yes, I'm bundling up for my morning walk before work.

I had to get a wax build-up in my left ear cleared out last night. That got me out of the house for a bit in a way that wasn't visitation-related.

Another year around Sol over and done for me.

More later.
dewline: Text - "On the DEWLine" (Default)
2025-01-28 07:34 am

Checking In - 28 Jan 2025

I just self-tested again, and I still seem to be avoiding/delaying my second COVID-19 infection. So that's good news.

I'm scheduled to be laid off because end-of-contract on March 14th. This will have been a personal best at 15 months' steady work. That should improve the odds of being (re)hired somewhat.

The science-fiction club Zoom meeting last night fizzled due to various issues, so we're going to try again in two weeks.

I'm up to working on four map projects with the Tranquility Press fanfic collective.

More later.
dewline: "Aux armes pour les poches, tout le monde! (design)
2024-11-18 10:31 pm

Jacket Shopping 2024

Trying to shop for a 4XL winter jacket for myself without travelling too far out of my neighbourhood. My current jacket is about 10 years old, and the design works for my brain. Trouble is that retailers have their own ideas about what I should be able to buy these days.
No buttons in front, zippered pockets...these are features to my brain, not design errors.

Looking for recommendations, not financial support.
dewline: Virus Don't Care (coronavirus)
2024-10-18 08:23 pm
Entry tags:

Medical Stuff - Mid-October 2024

Dental checkup is done. No new work expected between now and May next year, by which point I expect to be signed up to the federal dental care insurance plan. Pre-paying for my dental care through my taxes will be somewhat easier than out-of-pocket payments, I expect.

What else?

Tomorrow, I get COVID vaccine dose # 9. I would like to have Novovax(?) for that, but Canada's not getting any of the newest formulation. I am unclear as to why none was ordered. So are a lot of other Canadians.

Also, I am getting my influenza vaccination in the same appointment. May as well, right?
dewline: Snoopy screaming in frustration (Augh)
2024-10-02 07:39 am

COVID-19 is Not Done With Us: Ford Nation Messes With Us More

The logic of Stephen Harper and Donald Trump is at work here. If you make sure that you can't look for it, you won't find it. If you don't find it, it doesn't exist as a problem. If it doesn't exist as a problem, it doesn't have to be solved.

Linking to tweets by GP and occasional CBC News commentator Dr. Iris Gorfinkel:

https://x.com/DrGorfinkel/status/1841225759681364201

https://x.com/DrGorfinkel/status/1841285113486671877
dewline: Logo for Can-Con (Can-Con)
2024-10-01 07:20 am

Can-Con 2024

Once again, I will not be attending Can-Con in person this year. This is due to my continuing efforts to reduce my risk of COVID-19 reinfection and the consequences of it for me and other people.

Even if Can-Con went back from "recommended" to "required" on its masking policy, OC Transpo isn't even being allowed to bother one way or the other. As the public transit system is my main way of getting around Ottawa, and Can-Con is something I want, rather than need, to attend, it's one more thing I will forego.

I'm sorry about this.
dewline: Text - "On the DEWLine" (Default)
2024-09-29 11:28 pm
Entry tags:

Checking In - 29 Sept 2024

I'm still here. Still working on the maps, still employed in the current day job, still hanging in here and elsewhere across sometimes-still-social media.
dewline: Art Against Bigotry and Fascism (artists vs fascism)
2024-09-13 12:29 pm

Noting This

Austerity is part of how fascism works to defeat us all.
dewline: Virus Don't Care (coronavirus)
2024-08-28 07:24 am

Letter to the Ottawa Citizen, Sent This Morning

As regards today's op-ed cartoon by Greg Perry...

Whatever his own opinion, the family he depicted have a legitimate reason for a long, loud cry of frustration: COVID-19 is still very much part of the picture. So long as we don't require masking up properly and good air-cleaning measures in our workplaces - including public transit to and from those spaces - and our various levels of government are not dealing with the pandemic still in progress in the proper ways otherwise, SARS-CoV-2 and its medical consequences will still plague us. Socially, economically, in every way possible. The vaccines we have are still not enough in and of themselves to end the pandemic.

Therefore, Dads and kids everywhere have every right to keep crying.
dewline: Text - "On the DEWLine" (Default)
2024-08-05 10:49 pm
Entry tags:

Checking In - 5 August 2024

Long weekend is over. Going back to work on the remote job in the morning. I have a process knowledge test at 10 AM.

Oh, the report on the shoulder x-rays came back earlier in the weekend. No problems they could detect with that equipment in the shoulder joints. Probably soft-tissue stuff, like pinching nerves and blood vessels.

OH well...
dewline: Facepalming upon learning bad news (bad news)
2024-07-29 07:43 pm

DIsability Pride Month

I get reminded that it's this month - July - just as it's ending.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_Pride_Month

Not feeling great about that for a number of reasons, some of which we've discussed here.
dewline: Interrobang symbol (astonishment)
2024-07-25 07:20 am

Yesterday Was What?

According to Shoppers Drug Mart's mailing list for customers, as well as last night's Caregivers' Support Group meeting, yesterday was National Self-Care Day?
dewline: Three question marks representing puzzlement (Puzzlement 2)
2024-06-04 09:27 pm

Broken Chair

I had a chair problem start on Sunday: two of the wheel assemblies in my office chair just snapped right under me. Bought the chair barely half a year ago because the older office chair was starting to lean a bit to one side.

Bought the chair from Jysk barely half a year ago because the older office chair was starting to lean a bit to one side.

In theory, I could find replacement parts and install them myself. I don't think I can find the right part(s), though. Not fast enough. The chair that broke is a Snertinge from Jysk. Bought it six months ago. I'm currently down to two options from Staples:

1) Serta Brinkley
2) Staples Turcotte Luxura

Recommendations, anyone?
dewline: Virus Don't Care (COVID-19)
2024-05-11 08:37 pm
Entry tags:

COVID-19 is Not Done With Us: Dose # 8

Got my eighth vaccination for COVID-19 today in my travels.

Screw it. I am not giving up or giving in on this.