Nice night for a sail.

Although,  I don’t think it was a good night to own a variety store.

See,  I had left my water on the boat last week (thunderstorm,  remember?)  and so I needed a new bottle,  and thought I’d stop at “Ted’s Variety”  on the way.  Of course,  “Ted” hasn’t been the one behind the till there for a long time (either retired or dead,  not sure) and I’m pretty sure the present owners are Korean, not that it matters. 

Well,  there had been a little mishap earlier today,  when someone behind the wheel of a car mixed up their pedals.  Or something.

Lost their mind?

Take a look.

I *think* they might need a structural engineer at some point. There’ll need to be some serious shoring up to do.

Just my humble opinion.

 

But hey,  it was brisk on the water.  And we didn’t have enough bodies to fly spinnaker,  which meant we basically sucked.

There was some threatening weather,  but it went around us.

 

I think that’s about all I got.

We’re off to a cottage tomorrow in Wasaga,  where there is no connectivity, so we’ll be off the grid. 

I’m OK with that.

Maybe I’ll finally finish that 1000 page biography of Charles Dickens that I’ve been trying to get through for the last several months.

 

Oh,  and it’s our Anniversary.  25 years. 

We had pizza.

Isn’t that what you get for 25 years? 

I thought so.

 

Keep it between the ditches.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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You can never have too many nipples.

And I’m not referring to the dog that Daughter Number Two felt sorry for when we lived in Puerto Rico.  There were a lot of dogs running around,  and there was one who had many,  many large “protuberances”.

Poor “Nipples”.  I wonder how she’s doing.  Probably passed on by now.  She’d be over a hundred in doggy years I’m thinking.

But where was I?

 

Actually,  I’ve come up short in the nipple department.  And I have no desire to run back to Home Despot tonight.  It’s just not that important.

See,  I’ve been mucking about with my “air system” in the shop.  Er, garage.  Depending on whom you ask.  If you ask T.C.,   it’s a garage.  According to me,  it’s my shop.  My sanctum sanctorum.  The place where time evaporates like nobody’s business. 

No, really.  The “time” part I mean.

Hey, there’s a beer fridge. Coffee maker,  sink with hot and cold running water.  And in the wintertime,  it’s heated.  Oh ya, baby!

I seriously considered installing a urinal back in the early days,  but couldn’t quite work out the logistics.  Just needed a little bit more room.

That would have been awesome.  I’d never have to come back in!  Well, except for you know,  “the big one”.

We’re seriously slipping down a hole here. 

Pardon the pun.  Or,  terrible metaphor.  Whatever.

 

Today I received the two additional regulators that I ordered from Amazon.   I wanted to hook up at least one of them to make sure it would hold air.  Kind of important.

See,  they’re all made in China,  and these were just about half the cost of the ones offered at Home Despot.

Note:

Actually,  I stand corrected,  this one that I found on the HD website is made in Taiwan.   

Tomato, Tomahto.

Not sure what “Porter Cable” has to do with it.  Just a name.

 

I’m guessing the Sears models that I initially installed some twenty years ago were made offshore,  even though it clearly states “Made in USA” on the pressure gauge.

 

I have my doubts.  Maybe the paper on the label was made in the USA? 

 

Anyway,  as they are just about all the same,  I figured I could order two,  have them shipped directly to my front door for free,  and basically pay less than what I would at HD. 

Again, note:

 

But here’s the thing.

Wherever they come from (Whence they come?),  they still need to be put together.  And that’s where the nipples come in.

*That* is a nipple.  And oh look,  they even sell black pipe fittings on Amazon!

Unbelievable.

 

That’s kinda nuts.  I think I’d just as soon go and pick out my own nipples from the bin,  thank you very much.

Besides,  I need the teeny weeny nipples. 

Don’t even go there.

 

I guess I could have titled this “Much ado about nothing”,  but that one was taken.

I’ll see how it goes tomorrow.

 

Oh,  and I forgot to mention.  I think I need a big ole sign in the garden to remind me just how I should not be mumbling under my breath every time I have to water or weed.  Who me?  Complain?

 

Case in point:

Toasted tomato sandwiches.  Fresh from the garden.

“Vine ripened”.  And all that.

I don’t quite end up with canker sores in my mouth during tomato season,  but I’d do it.  I don’t care.  They’re that good. 

 

Keep your hoe in your row.

 

Thanks for looking.

Just a fabulous week.

And I’m not being in the least sarcastic.

Even though the days are getting shorter *sniff* and the nights are definitely cool,  the weather this week has be simply awesome.

No humidity to speak of, and temps right around “room temperature”.  You can interpret that any way you’d like.

Of course,  it did rain like crazy just in time for Tuesday nights sail.  Which did NOT happen.

You know, bolts of lightening,  big tall metal thingy on the boat?  Not a good combination.

There were three definite fronts that moved through,  the first of which had passed by around 5:30 p.m., and the second of which we could see was going to hit right around 6:30.  Normally the Committee Boat goes out around six,  but there was nary a sign of any Committee Boat. Or any other boats for that matter.

So fine,  we all went below,  ordered pizza and broke out the libations.  Taking cold beer TO the boat and then simply taking it back home again unopened?    That’s just crazy talk!

 

Plus,  I was introduced to something called a “Dark and Stormy”. 

 

Here’s the recipe, if you’re remotely interested.

Which was appropriate,  considering just how hard it rained.  We were pretty snug,  except for one tiny leak.  Directly over me, it just so happened.

And considering just how hard it rained,  that was more or less a reasonable expectation.  I don’t think I’ve ever been on a boat that would keep out all the water, whether from below or above.

The leak was a tad annoying for the Skipper,  as he and I had removed ALL the screws for the windows,  after which he had gone around and resealed them all, in addition to going around the parameter of each window with fresh caulking.  

It used to leak a whole lot worse.

But,  the leak was dutifully reported, and he says he’ll deal with it.  Best of luck, I say.

Anyway,  since I’m in the mood for posting pics of things that aren’t necessarily good for you,  I thought I’d put up the pic of the deep fried Mars Bar that the four of us shared the other night.   Not on the boat.  This was at a place in Oakville called,  The Gingerman.  

T.C. and I met up with Daughter Number Two and Hubby for dinner. 

Dinner was really great, and we don’t normally eat dessert,  but figured we’d splurge.

Trust me,  a deep fried Mars Bar needs to be shared four ways.  There’s no way I could have eating such a thing by myself.  Holy Moly!

And I’ve been known to wolf down copious amounts of things like Danishes and Sticky Buns, but not so much these days.  I must be getting old or something.

Or a little more sensible.  But that’s a stretch.

Of course,  silly me,  I didn’t get a picture until after it was cut up. 

Oh well.  I think you get the idea.

It was really good.  But my Gawd,  talk about rich!

 

We chose to dine with Daughter Number Two and Hubby.

Had a good time.  The food at this place is really great,  and these two are in there often enough that they know all the staff,  the owners,  and at least half of the patrons it seems.

It so happens that Daughter Number One is away at a cottage this week,  which of course means that our morning “garden duties” now consist of three different locations.  The Ponderosa here being one of them. 

Everyone is coming home this weekend,   so I’m looking forward to handing over the hose and the sprinkler,  let’s just say?

Mind you,  the tomatoes are looking mighty fine,  and the beans that we’ve been picking have been awesome.  Can’t complain.  Well,  not too much anyway.

But,  I’d just as soon not have to haul my lazy arse up the street every morning to try and drown 50 or a hunnert Japanese beetles,  and water a bunch of stuff. 

The novelty does wear off. 

At least I *think* I’m getting ahead of the beetles,  but that’s probably just wishful thinking.

 

Tomorrow it’s back to the Nephew’s place to finish off that kitchen.  They got the replacements to the broken cabinets the other day,  and I’ve been updated by way of text of the need to get things wrapped up in order to order the counter top.   Thankfully that’s where I step back from the precipice. 

I’ve installed “post form” countertops,  but it’s been a while.  I’ll just leave that one to the pros,  thank-you very much.

 

That’s it,  I’m out.

 

Thanks for stopping by and all that.

Not up to much.

Well, that might be not quite accurate.  There was a wedding, a road trip and then back to just doing “stuff”.

 

That picture doesn’t make a whole heap of sense,  but I’m actually in the process there of milling some quarter round out of some cedar piece that I couldn’t bear to throw out. 

Sometimes that works. 

Sometimes there’s firewood.

This is for the window I installed last year at my sister-in-law’s place.  She’s presently visiting in Slovenia,  and it’s finally cool enough out that I can actually do a little work without sweating buckets.

Unfortunately,  there was a wee gap on the inside after the window went in,  and I needed to make up some trim.  I guess I could have tried to simply buy something,  but you can’t get cedar quarter round.  Pine or oak, yes.  Cedar?  No.

 

The road trip was up to Ottawa and back. 

My sister has moved out of our basement.  She’s been hanging out with us since we got back from our cross country trip back in May.  Her son now lives there,  and it’s basically her old stomping grounds.

That’s her son Blaine on the left.  That’s Alice.  She’s a granny.  Hard to believe.

Blaine,  who lives about ten minutes away,  came by on Saturday night to help with the “move”.  I put move in quotation marks,  since there was only the items we were able to fit into our two cars.

So not a lot, actually.

That,  and she had had a few things shipped to Ottawa previously. 

Anyway,  I’D guess that it took us no longer than about an hour to cart everything in.  Not sure if she has a bed just yet.  She may be still hanging out at Blaine’s.

The only unfortunate part of the road trip was the bloody traffic!  I was reminded why we never ever go anywhere on a long weekend!  Holy Crap!   The traffic was bad all the way out past Port Hope.  And then not much better on the way back.  Thankfully we took the toll road coming back,  and that made for smooth sailing.  Nobody really wants to pay the price of going on that highway.  Those who do, like to drive a little fast,  so there’s no issues making time.

We went on to hang out with T.C.’s brother Saturday night.  It’s been a while since I’ve been there to visit, and he’s done a lot of work on their cute little house.

 

I think the last time we were there was in the motorhome. 

It’s basically a three acre wood lot.  Not even enough sunlight to grow a garden,  which is just the way he likes it.

He was ‘batching’ it that weekend,  as his wife was off to visit relations in Kingston. I suspect he was quite enjoying his solitude.  Until we showed up. 

Not unannounced,  mind you.  We wouldn’t do that.

And as these things go,  T.C. was quite struck with all the new doors he had installed.  (Along with the flooring,  new kitchen and on and on.)

So I suspect there will be some new doors in our future.  If we can find something similar locally.   These were from a company called Milette.  They’re out of Quebec.  Not sure if they have a distributor locally.

Anyhoodle,  we’ll cross that one when we come to it.

It’s always something.

 

Thanks for stopping by.