My parents got their Covid shot this morning.
My mom only gets it because I practically begged her to keep getting it every year.
My dad only gets it if my mom brings him along.
They don’t even get any negative side effects like I do.
This year for whatever reason my dad declared he wouldn’t get the shot.

He is notorious for being contrary just because. Like a pouty toddler who just wants to say no.

You know what convinced him to get it?

My mom told him about the research she read that it can help ward off Alzheimer’s. His mother had Alzheimer’s so he’s seen first-hand what that looks like and he doesn’t want to experience it.

So if you know an elder who needs some selfish reason to get the Covid vaccine, that might convince them.

Her eyes are less murdery in the morning 😅

She’s wearing a coat of sunshine

#cats #Caturday

She’s starting to really creep me out with this staring. I think I’m being hunted 😅

#cats

I swear since I started wearing glasses Ava looks at me differently when I have them on. It’s like she’s not too sure what’s going with my face.
She stared at me like this for 5 minutes and said nothing.
For a chatty/whiney cat this is unusual quiet behaviour.
She doesn’t stare this hard when I’m not wearing glasses.
I asked her what was on her mind and usually she’ll chirp. She’s very much a voice-activated cat.
This time it was silence.

I then asked “why are you being creepy?” She then broke the eye contact and went to bed 😅

#cats

My neighbour brought back a big chocolate bar (really thick bar of dark chocolate with hazelnuts) from Switzerland earlier this month and I managed to make it last 17 days.

In the next couple of days we’ll find out if the Vancouver Rise even make it to the playoffs (their coach was fired in September - being successful in consecutive seasons is very hard in sports).
Right now Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal are the only teams to have secured their spot in the Northern Super League 2026 Playoffs.

Halifax Tides ended last in the standings in 2025 so it would be a massive feat if they can get in the playoffs this season considering their struggles (they don’t even know yet who their coach will be next season).

Currently, the Halifax Tides have that 4th spot only on goal difference. They have half the number of goals as the Vancouver Rise (who have the top goalscorer in the league but are in 5th place) but the Rise have the most goals scored against (even compared to last place Calgary Wild).

I love an underdog story (I know, I’m not original) so I’m hoping Halifax get in.

Vancouver play last place Calgary on Sunday and Halifax play third place Toronto on Monday.
On paper you would expect Vancouver to win but last place teams often play with nothing to lose and the power to ruin a team’s season. That might be motivation for an upset 😅

Toronto has been dominant both seasons as a Toronto sports team would be expected to do, so one might think Halifax Tides don’t stand a chance.
Toronto have zero pressure to win that game so that freedom might work in their favour.
If Vancouver win on Sunday, Halifax have to win their match the next day. That’s a lot of pressure.
If Vancouver tie vs Calgary, Halifax would also need a minimum tie on Monday to get that last playoff spot. If Vancouver lose then Halifax get into the playoffs for the first time.
I think Sunday will have lots of Halifax Tides fans cheering on the Calgary Wild.

#NSL

Last weekend of the #NSL regular season . The Montréal Roses and Ottawa Rapid were so close in the standings that a win by Ottawa would give them the Supporter Shield but a tie would go Montréal’s way.

It looked like it could go either way until the 80th minute when the Roses secured their win at home.

Second season of the Northern Super League. AFC Toronto won the shield in 2025 (Vancouver Rise won the playoff trophy) and the Montréal Roses win it in 2026.
As far as I know, midfielder Lisa Perchersky is currently the only player in the league to have won a trophy in both seasons (she was in Vancouver last year) and to have won both the NSL Supporter Shield and the Diana B Matheson trophy.

Former NWSL and current Montréal Roses forward Elyse Bennett is second only to Vancouver Rise’s Jessica de Filippo in the golden boot race.
A very successful season for the Roses and there’s still the playoffs to play.

#FediFC

So apparently the trick to minimal sleep interruption by kitty is to go to bed at 4am 😭

This was her face when she woke up today. Ava is not a morning person 🤣

#cats

I was looking through my Ava photos as I often do when I simply want to feel good and this one makes me smile because she still does this (photo is 3 years old) every day.
She sits on the moon as I ready myself to do my nightly stretches and she meows while looking up at me. Makes me laugh every time. I love her so much 🥹

#cats #Caturday

I usually avoid in-person anything or phone calls and usually love being able to book appointments online but this experience has brought out my curmudgeon side.

Tech people underestimate the bitterness of GenX folks who lived before the age of the internet. We understand how to use it and even enjoy many modern conveniences, but aren’t afraid to toss it, even if only out of pettiness.

I feel so annoyed right now.
I’m not due for a doctor’s appointment for another month but I might still trek an hour out to my doctor’s clinic just to get the vaccine there instead of the pharmacy that is only a 10 walk away.

The pharmacy I use for vaccines used to have an online booking system that was pretty quick.
This year they switched to an AI chat bot so you have to answer questions and it takes a while to “think” and then suggests Toronto locations even though I already selected the Ottawa one closest to me.

The prompt only says “ask a follow-up question” even though you’re answering a question.

It used to simply show the days and times it had available and I could pick one. Now I have to answer which range of times. I picked 12-5pm and I have to wait for the prompt for the specific time.

By the end it asked me to confirm if the info was correct but it says I booked “for someone else”. All they asked at the beginning was “how many people is this appointment for?”
I assume I can still show up without “someone else” but fucking hell this is so annoying and unnecessary.
I want this obsession with AI to die a swift death 😡

“When criticizing Israel, even when one chooses one’s words carefully as I would suggest Lewis did in his statement, those words can be twisted to mean something damning.
When those words, in their twisted form, are then used to potentially threaten the life of the speaker and their family, suddenly those supposedly so concerned about language fall all but silent.
Canadian media must do better.”

“A Big Newspaper Seemed to Menace Avi Lewis. Then, Media Crickets”
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026/10/13/Big-Newspaper-Seemed-Menace-Avi-Lewis/

#Canada #CanPol

In the game Assassins’ Creed Shadows I like to go along the rivers and watch the scenery. Occasionally the character Naoe sketches a bird or a little critter nearby.
I love these in-between moments in a game that has a lot of fighting.
The birds are amazingly detailed.
I believe this is a female Mandarin duck.
The floating woman can be seen in the background (as described in the previous post) 😄

#gaming #ACshadows

Sometimes game glitches are fun.
The woman is usually kneeling at the front of the boat as my character steers.
This time she was floating behind the boat and facing the opposite direction.
She stayed there the whole way down the river 😄

#gaming #ACshadows

It does not escape my notice that team Canada chose the progress Pride colours which includes trans and BIPOC queer folks. Most sports Pride numbers are only the traditional 6 colours.

Now *this* is what Pride colours are supposed to look like. Team Canada knows.

#CanWNT #NWSL #FediFC https://fandom.garden/@stephaniepixie/116665199226507752

I was taking photos of the changing colours in the trees and shrubs but I also love the little puffy cloud.