A wet one

It's a true Vancouver day, complete with all the water sounds of a typical rain forest day: the slooshing and sloshing, the hiss and drip that sends chills down one's back if you let it. It's definitely the type of day brings out the isolation and loneliness. I have to get outside where the light is brighter, where the cool wet air is more inviting than it sounds.

I shuffled up the sidewalk to Shoppers Drug Mart to buy stamps and birthday cards for my brother and sister. "Water is Life" is the mantra I repeat over and over. It's not raining that hard, not enough to get me wet. I didn't even bother with an umbrella; just a cap and a waterproof rain shell. It's mild too, almost soothing, but I am restless.

Back home I try to keep busy, keep distracted. I don't want the loneliness to crystallize into depression. I invited Dennis to dinner last night but he didn't bother to respond, before or after. I wrote to Robert Golling to give him an update three days ago. He's the German couch surfer who Yves will host during the Olympics, which start in only 13 days. He hasn't responded. Rich and Luis were over last night for dinner and two games of Settlers of Catan. I'm not sure why I feel so lonely.

There is a lot of work to do at home today. I want to finish the second tulip window for Germen, do laundry and vacuum the place. I also want to see a couple plays in the coming week but I don't want to go alone. Not sure if I will if I can't find someone. The plays I want to see include "Beyond Eden" by Robert LePage, a play about William Duff and Bill Reid's trip to Haida Gwaii in the 50s to bring back totem poles to UBC, and Joni Mitchell dance theatre at the QE Theatre. There is also "Nevermore", the Edgar Allen Poe bio playing at the Granville Island Stage.

As long as I don't sit still I should be fine.