Dupont:

With some help from friends, I am over the shock phase and re-joining life. I felt like getting up this am and cooked BF for R and self then went off to cross the bridge to the city! An email to the grocer from which I have been purchasing a particular choc bar/with almonds, elicited info that they were de-listing it! So I went to the nearest of their shops (no one else carries it) and found 4 bars.

Then went to customer Service to find if there were any more. The candy person came out and told me "no but they would get more tomorrow!" I, then, wandered around this large, well, arranged store to see if there was anything else I wanted - yep! real oat flakes! Bought one each of two brands! Looked for pumpernickel bread but none better than what I order... BUT - over there, on a shelf with non-related foods, were five more of the choc bars! So a few weeks supply came home. I shall keep foraging; Go back. on Friday for more. AND maybe they will keep stocking them!

It was fun exploring a well-stocked - kind of - store. So I went to a dept store (Hudson Bay) and looked at sale clothes. The only thing at a kind of reasonable price, still cost more than the total cost of my attire. (All from thrift shops.) I left without bags. thought: If you buy stuff do you need your own bag? I would, of course, refuse a bag and just roll it up and throw it in the car.

That was enough exploring so I came home for lunch and emails and mudcat and exploring sites re APD and the brain. MIT is doing some interesting work.

A musician friend responded to my concern with one of his own: "the entire process of music and hearing is a scary mystery. when I have my headphones on (to help me cocoon and sleep) and I play guitar (to learn the feel of the instrument and of the vibrations in my chest) I am aware that my pitch awareness is radically diminished. everything sounds higher (or is it lower) than it actually is. certain frequency ranges affected more than others. the brain is a fragile and magnificent thing. get your hearing checked!"

I am not concerned about my hearing; I am concerned about the brain waves - where they go or don't go; how they work or do not work. The work at MIT ... Lots of people have these problems and the neuro-scientists seem to be starting to get a handle on them. I look at how shut out I have felt for 20 years and - How many other people? And what this does to our social fabric? How much of the violence is by people who feel isolated???

Robin took our guest to the Laurentiens yesterday thinking he would check on a property up there but he did not have the right key so he had a great day visiting Paul's friend who lives off the grid in a very impressive manner. All that fresh air brought him home early and asleep early!

Tomorrow we are going to the Yellow Door. I did not realize that Paul has been hearing about it 45 years but never been. Hope there are enough people in attendance...