Current temperature: 13C Barometric pressure: 101.2 kPa and rising Humidity: 46%
Forecast high: Becoming cloudy this morning with 40% chance of showers this afternoon. Wind north 20 km/h gusting to 40. High 14.
Yesterday's official high: 25.4C
Seriously? I think someone made a mistake. No way did we reach 25C. 18C, yes. But 25C? No way.
A new day, the same migraine I've had for almost a week, now. Migraine, and dizziness. What a combo. I've tried everything I can think of to get the muscles in my neck to release, but nothing works. Not even ice packs. I have one more thing that I can try: water. Lots and lots of water. Just on the off chance that maybe I'm dehydrated and I don't know it. If it works, I'll know the next time this happens what to try first.
I thought I heard thunder yesterday. I got excited for a minute, thinking I might have my first storm chase of the year. But nothing came of it, and when I checked the clouds, I saw that even though they were dark and probably held enough water for a couple of minutes of rain, they weren't storm clouds.
Oh, well. That's okay. I know the right conditions will come together. I just have to be patient and wait. Don't fight nature; work
with it. When you work with it rather than against it, you have easier, quicker access to what you need or want. So many people spend so much time working against nature that it's no wonder there's so much negative energy in the world. Life is much more fulfilling, much calmer, much more peaceful when you learn how to work with the flow of nature. That's been my experience, anyway.
I took Glimmer out yesterday for a good, long walk. I put her new back-pack on her so she could get used to how it feels and learn how to walk with it. She had no issues at all with it. And when she shook herself - which she did more than once - the pack stayed in place. She had no trouble walking normally, and I also noticed that she wasn't arching her back in order to keep the pack in place. She was really happy about that, and so was I. It means that when I take her out for field-testing, we both can focus on the job at hand, and that is awesome.
Speaking of field-testing, I have a new assistant. Her name is Shelley. She understands that the work is strictly voluntary - that she isn't getting paid for her time - and she understands what her role will be. She contacted me about it earlier this week, saying she's very interested in both the concept itself, and in being part of something so new. After a lengthy phone discussion about the pros, cons, goals, and work involved, I decided to take her on.
Shelley asked about bringing her 15-year-old daughter, and I balked. I understand that, like most teenagers, her daughter is "into" anything related to the paranormal - what teenager isn't, considering all the shows on TV about it? - but at the same time, because she's a minor, I have to think about potential issues if something should happen. It's critical that anyone working with me understands that, as with any type of research, there are risks involved; allowing a minor to take part in this type of research could be a bad idea, regardless of the fact that her mother is with her.
In the end, after giving it a lot of thought, I told Shelley that her daughter could take part - on the condition that Shelley signs a waiver releasing me of any and all responsibility if something happens to her or her daughter while we're out. Shelley understood and agreed to the condition. When I pick her up for her first session with me and Glimmer (
she doesn't drive), she will have to sign the waiver
before we leave her house.
I have to thank all the people whose choices have put me in this position of requiring paperwork up the ying-yang. In spite of the fact that most people understand that being part of a paranormal team involves some pretty standard things (
like having the shit scared out of you because you got touched, or being seen on video, or being heard on audio, and etc.), apparently, the obvious has to be put in writing and agreed to by signatures of the people taking part. It seems rather ridiculous to me to have to do that - are people really that dense? I don't think so - but at the same time, I can appreciate the wisdom of having to do it, because, as I have learned, there
are people out there who
will try to make things difficult for you if you don't have that documentation. So, to all the people whose choices have made me become so wary that I want signed waivers from people working with me that absolves me of responsibility if they get so much as a mosquito bite while they're in the field with me.... Thank you. Really. I'm being quite sincere; I truly do appreciate what you've taught me.
I hope everyone has a great day today. Thanks for visiting, and take care.