Double d’lution…

He felt her presence,

but couldn’t see her…

He could hear her though,

as plainly as if she stood behind him…

‘Better look after that wound Torak,

she said in her wry,

gentle way,

‘Or it will go bad.’

“I put some willow leaves on it,’ he said…

‘It still hurts, doesn’t it???

Remember that healing spring on the north shore???

You go up there and bathe in it,

right now…’

— in Outcast by Michelle Paver

Yesterday,

I picked Starshine and Little Gem,

up from school,

for a shopping adventure,

at Metrotown Metropolis…

I had a tough time biting,

my tongue,

when young women,

emerged from behind,

closed doors,

asking each other,

What do you think???

Does this look good???

Little Gem,

kicked me in the shins,

each time,

I said,

To be honest,

it really doesn’t…

Suffering through,

80’s fashion,

once,

was bad enough,

the first time…

But to have to live it again,

through a daughter,

a second time around,

is like rubbing salt,

in an opened sore…

Out on the floor,

I saw a woman,

holding a purse,

asking her friend,

I can’t even tell anymore…

Is this ugly???

I didn’t waste a second,

with my sentence,

Yes, it is ugly…

Super ugly…

Don’t make that purchase…

Life is way too short,

for regret…

Little Gem grabbed my hand,

pulling me toward,

another rack,

of extra ugly,

lace,

floral,

and bat wings…

I nearly vomited,

in XXI Forever,

as she said,

Mama,

no one wants to know what you think,

about clothes…

I begged,

to differ,

Rompers were bad news in 1985,

and this time around,

the news is criminal activity…

We really should know better,

and I wasn’t raised,

to not say so…

Last week,

when Little Gem,

and I,

were doing some damage,

on Robson Street,

I asked a young man,

if my hair looked alright,

after my daughter said,

You CANNOT wear your hair like that…

If you don’t change it,

I’m going to walk away…

He said,

I can’t comment…

I was raised better than that…

Well,

in that XXI Forever change-room,

I saw someone with the exact same hair,

all twisted up,

on the very top of her head,

just like I used to do,

when I was thirteen,

and it was okay…

When we got home,

I heard the news,

about Aaron Rome’s suspension…

And because time isn’t linear,

and it’s definitely possible,

to be amazing,

at a lot of things,

I sent Aaron,

AND Nathan Horton,

a message,

of support,

Fed Ex,

simultaneously…

And I know,

they’ll be well,

received…

Because there will,

always be,

next year…

In my mind,

an 8-1 loss,

is far easier,

to stomach,

than going down,

4-0,

because from my own experiences,

after awhile,

in the extreme,

things do,

become comical…

And when you get,

to the point,

where you can,

make the,

necessary adjustments,

then throw you head back,

and laugh,

you know,

you’ve gotten to that place,

when interviewed,

which Alain Vigneault calls,

Real good…

Last night,

Little Gem,

expressed complaint,

about the feeling,

of a big gray rock,

in her tummy…

So when we were,

laying down,

in her bed,

we called in,

one of the cats,

for some green light…

After a few minutes,

of a tortoiseshell,

purring right into,

the belly,

her breathing changed,

and it all went away…