What's the Password?

            On Tuesday morning I memorized another eight lines of “Le bras méchanique” by Serge Gainsbourg.

            I worked on typing the final lecture notes that I’d made from the posted videos. While I was writing the opening music for “Dancing Queen” by Abba came into my head. Then suddenly one of the workmen downstairs turned their sound system on and it was the same music. The only logical explanation is that the music had already been playing at a low volume and my subconscious mind picked it up before the song was turned up.

            The crew downstairs had been off for a week but yesterday it sounded like there was one guy working. Today was the first day they had music playing but I didn't hear a single conversation. I think that because of the social distancing rules they might be forced to only work in groups of two.

            I steamed some broccoli for lunch and had it with the rest of the mustard dressing that I’d made the night before. It tasted even better this time.

            I went up the street to Freedom Mobile to pay for my phone service but found that they’ve shut that location down due to the coronavirus. The sign suggested paying by online banking so I went home and looked into it. My bank asked for a fourteen-digit password but I don’t recall having a password that long. Maybe they meant my bankcard number. I called Freedom and I was asked for four-digit pin. If I ever had one it’s been years since I’ve had to deal with customer service. The support person said he couldn’t help me because I answered his questions incorrectly. I asked to talk with a manager and the manager helped me. He said that if I paid with online banking then it would take about four days for Freedom to get the money and reactivate my account. He suggested that I use Interac through the Freedom website but when I did I found that Interac only deals with three banks and the Bank of Montreal is not one of them. I learned that the only Freedom store downtown is at Queen and Spadina and so I rode there. The clerk unlocked the door for me there but blocked the way and asked how I planned to pay. I told him I was paying in cash but he said that because of the virus they are not handling money. I said that I don’t have a credit card and that I’d ridden all the way there. He said they would make an exception just this time. I only had $20 bills and gave him two because the cost of my plan after tax is $28.25. He said he didn’t have the change and so he would charge me $30 and credit my account. But then they realized they didn’t have any $10 bills. One of the clerks asked if I had five $20s and I did, counting the two I’d handed to the other guy. I was given back my two $20s and then was asked for five $20s. I handed them to the clerk and he gave me two $50s. Then he asked for one of the $50s and gave me $20 back.

            If I'm going to pay by online banking next month I’ll have to do it a few days before the end of the month.

            When I got home I worked on typing my lecture notes and then getting caught up on my journal. I posted my blog before making dinner.

            I had guacamole with cilantro and spicy plantain chips while watching two episodes of Noggin the Nog. These were part 2 and 3 of the second set of stories called, “Noggin and the Ice Dragon”. A Scottish sounding man named Ronf has come to ask Noggin the help get rid of a dragon that is trampling his people’s crops in the Hot Water Valley. Noggin picks his best warrior, Thor Nogson and they travel north by dogsled with Graculas above acting as a guide through the forest of trees that change position. When they camp Graculas tells Noggin that this land seems very familiar to him but he doesn’t know why. Noggin asks him his origin and he says he doesn’t know because he was sold as an egg to the Nooks. But he happens to know there is a place in this land with a lake where he has never been and plans to fly to it the next day. They climb the mountains but when they reach the cave leading to the Hot Water Valley only Ronf can get through the entrance because the Nogs are too big. They see Graculas flying above and call to him. He lands but when they speak to him all he says is “Awk!” They realize that this bird is not Graculas when they look up and see a whole flock of similar birds, which all land in front of them and repeatedly say, “Awk!” Finally Graculas arrives and introduces them to his family. The birds work together to life Noggin and Thor over the mountains and into the Hot Water Valley. They hear the dragon stomping in their direction and hide in a trench. As the dragon passes it doesn’t seem all that menacing. It seems more worried and keeps saying, “There must be one somewhere, oh dear!” Then the dragon flies away into the mountains. Noggin and Thor follow the dragon up the mountain but at the top of a scaly peak they can’t see it anywhere. But we can see that they are actually on top of the dragon.

            After that the wifi was off and stayed off for the rest of the night. The network of the café asked for a password over and over again and so it seemed that someone had come to the café and changed it. I noticed there was a new sign on the front door giving phone number for deliveries so someone must have been in there. I figured that my days of free internet might be over for a while because even if the café reopens it would probably be for take-out only and so it would be awkward asking for coffee to go and asking for their password.