Big day today.

It's garbage day!   Whoohoo!

*snort*

And,  yard waste,  and recycling,  and well,  it's enough to get motivate me to get dressed this morning.

And,  and.

Well,  that's really the extent of it.

T.C. is making masks for members of the family.  I think she's up to around 25 or 30 by now,  most of which have been delivered.   She did get a request for masks from one of our nieces and her gang,  with the query as to "how much?"   But,  T.C. isn't doing this to make any money,  she's just making masks.  She has all kinds of material,  although we're waiting (and waiting) for more elastic to come from God knows where.  Had we known it was on a slow boat from China,  I suspect we might have tried to source some elsewhere. 

She can manage in the meanwhile.

I swear I see more delivery vehicles roaming around the neighbourhood than....anything.
And that's OK,  as I certainly don't miss all the Moms racing around the corner to get their kids to school on time.   I swear we could just take down the stop sign at the corner and nothing would change.

Of course there are the folks out walking their kids to try and either keep them occupied or at least burn off a little energy.   I'm sure many,  many folks with school aged kids have a new appreciation for the teachers in their kids lives.  Just a thought.


Of course,  there's the odd "Covidiot"  out and about. 

Now,  how do I know?   Well for example,  if the neighbour's "kid"  (he's probably in his twenties by now)  is heading out somewhere with his dirtbike on the back of his pick-up truck?   What kind of "essential service"  would he be performing?

Entertaining the medical staff in the parking lot of the local hospital? 

Right.

This was on the front of the local rag that arrived on our driveway yesterday.   And no,  this isn't the "propaganda" one.  Just the local offering that used to have way more flyers,  and now has been reduced to not much of anything.  The big change came after the shut down.

I actually liked the flyers.   But,  now all the stores have that sort of thing "on line". 
 

I didn't have to read the article to totally get the gist.  Of course we want to shop locally.  We (this household,  and the kids)  have been doing that for years.  Trouble is,  not everyone either can or is willing to go to the extra effort. 

And they say that the Farmer's Market might not reopen for quite some time.  Yikes.   That will suck.

I'd be willing to drive around the countryside seeking out all the farms that would have come to the market,  and doing some sort of "end of driveway"  thing.   I mean,  fuel costs wouldn't be a big deal. 

Anyhoo,  I'm still farting around with the table that I'm stripping.   Just not looking forward to sanding the bendy bits.

Had to take it apart to make it a bit easier to work on.

I do some as I feel like it.  It's not like the little project I had last year when I was "on the clock".   This is for my nephew and his wife.   He's the kind of fellow whom you can call for help,  and he'll be there.  Being as he's a fireman,  he was the guy to call to help with putting stain on the front of the house last summer,  way up there at the peak,  where Muggins here has very little desire to be.

Not only am I not crazy about heights,   but being that far up not just a scaffold,  but a step ladder ON TOP of the scaffold to boot. 

No sir.


Meanwhile,   T.C. tried her hand at making some treats for us. 

Because we're wasting away to nothing. 


Hope you are all well.

Thanks for stopping by.

And all the rest.

We don't have a bird cage.

There was a budgie here in the house when we moved here,  but it took no time to get rid of him.   He was "relocated".   And no,  that's not the same as,  "he went to the farm".  But,  whatever.
His owners came and took him away.

So no need to line the bird cage with newspaper.   We do however,  have a wood burning fireplace,  so I always make sure that I set aside a certain amount of newsprint that comes to the door for just that reason.  I've heard it said that, "print media is dead",  and if that's not quite the case,  then I suspect that it's been on life support for some time.  Just the same,  there is enough newsprint floating around that I can start a fire whenever my little heart desires.

And where the heck am I going with this?

Well,  a few days ago I guess it was,  there was a tiny segment on the Toronto news about folks being upset about getting this one particular publication in their mailboxes.   "It's Propaganda!"  was the mantra.

Of course somebody,  the News People maybe?  contacted the Post Office to enquire about just why this was being circulated,  to which the Post Office more or less said,  "Um, because they're paying us."

Which,  in consideration of the somewhat poor financial situation of our Canadian Postal Service,  is probably a good thing.

Well yes,  it is in fact,  "Propaganda",  but if you think in general terms about just what propaganda really is,  then most anything that you read that might have a particular slant could be considered propaganda. 

Oh and,  interesting little side snippet,  the German translation for "word of mouth" is "Mund Propaganda".  Literally,  "mouth propaganda". 

So,  here's the publication,  or at least part of the front page:

I had a couple thoughts when I noticed it in our mailbox: 
First of all,  "oooh...we got mail".  (Because we don't seem to get mail every day these days)  and then, "Oh look,  they're delivering this crap all the way out here.  Huh."

I'm pretty sure my next thought was, "Welp,  now I have enough newspaper to have a fire tonight if I want."   And that was about it.

No calls to the media,  or Canada Post.

Oh and,  they're trying to say that the Coronavirus was a huge Chinese plot of some sort.  Really,  I didn't read it,  so I have no clue.  And hey,  maybe it was?  We'll never really know.  Nor will these folks who pretend to know enough to put it in a "newspaper".

Now,  I will say this.   What ever numbers are coming out of places like China or Saudi Arabia in terms of the stats on the Virus?   Not credible.   And really,  until every single citizen in any country you can name has been tested,  none of the numbers are really believable. 
Having said that,  even if the numbers are off by a couple percentage points,  there's a helluva difference between having more dead than the Vietnam War and say,  3800 plus deaths in a country like for example,  Canada.

Meanwhile,  this past weekend,  Daughter Number One had a birthday. And I realise that, at a certain point in time in ones life, birthdays are maybe not the huge deal as when one was say,  a teenager?   Speaking for myself,  I'd just as soon let birthdays slip on by with very,  very little fanfare.

I'm sure however that there would have been at least some cake involved and a song if it weren't for the Pandemic.

Instead,  there was a stream of visitors at the front of their house,  with some presents to unwrap.   No singing though.

T.C. made her a "clutch purse":

Now,  I'll say this about that.

Prior to the whole Pandemic thing,  any time that a present was being prepared here at The Ponderosa,  there was always the concern that it would be discovered at some point during the process.  You know,  folks come over for dinner,  there might be some reason to go to the sewing room,  or out to the garage.  Like that.
 
At one point maybe a month ago,  T.C. caught herself about to say,  "Oh,  I'd better put that stuff away."  and then realised that,  nobody's coming into the house.  And nobody will be for quite some time.

We were having a little discussion about just how cautious is TOO cautious.   Um,  I'm kind of on the side of,  there is no such thing as too cautious? 

Even though I might have the right of way on a rural road where the vehicles coming up on my side have a stop sign,  do I just keep barrelling on through,  hoping that that transport truck is going to stop?  Or maybe I just might slow down a bit and keep an eye on him.   What if he doesn't see the stop sign?  By the way, I'm thinking of this particular example.

Anyhoo,  that's all of my ramblings for today,  and maybe for a few days.

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep your stick on the ice.  And wash your hands.

Dinner, wine, and a saxophone.

 So,  I had slapped a pic over on The Book of Face and thought,  "hm,  why not write up a few words here abouts?"

And here we are. 

Every so often ,  Travelling Companion gets these ideas,  that she wants to drop off dinner for the "kids".   I think the idea is,  when she was working, coming up with dinner every night was a wee bit of a chore.  (this would be 'sarcastic font',  by the way)  Of course,  the major difference was,  she had two kids,  a husband who,  at the time,  rarely got home before eight at night,  and was studying for her Honours Economics degree.
So ya,  not the easiest.

Admittedly,  back in the days when we were poor as church mice,  the kids did go without from time to time, but never offered a hint of a complaint.  To this day,  Daughter Number One never did get her "Green Machine",  and I'm sure has forgotten all about it.   Of course,  it still bugs her Mom that we couldn't afford a "green machine",  so she could be out there with the neighbourhood kids.

But hey,  that's the way it was.   We came out unscathed.  Although,  I think the lowest point was when we actually got a "care" package from the Church.   It's funny the things one remembers.  It wasn't the "best of times".  And let's just leave it at that.

Now,  in light of the whole "social distancing" thing,  we haven't seen much of the kids at all.  And in this case,  dropping off food basically means keeping our distance,  and just exchanging pleasantries.

We've done this before however,  this time around,  Daughter Number One asked if we could spare a bottle of wine,  and could she perhaps borrow my saxophone?   I figured,  what the hell.  I rarely pick the thing up,  so why not?  I doubt that she has any of her own reeds,  but I don't really care.  I'm sure she'll tire of it in a few days.   And yes,  I have a saxophone.  And no,  I won't be putting anything on YouTube.   I suck.
Once upon a time,  I was reasonably proficient,  if I do say so myself.   But not having picked the thing up for well over forty years can do a bit of a number on ones abilities?  Shall we say?

Please note the proper "social distancing".

Just wanted to point that out.

So,  Daughter Number One and hubby have been working from home for a few weeks now,  and it seems to be going OK.  She works in interior design,  and at the present time,  all construction has ceased in the Province of Ontario,  so she's going to find out at the end of the week whether or not she'll be getting laid off.  Getting "laid off"  here abouts means still getting some money,  depending on the number of years of service one has.  She's been at this same firm for over 10 years.   Seems to me,  that's one week of pay for every year of service.  You can correct me if you think you know better.

Either way,  they'll be fine.  She's quite looking forward to getting laid off,  but of course, with the Pandemic lurking about,  it doesn't mean she be gadding about any time soon.  So,  kind of a bummer.

Anyhoodle,  hope y'all are hanging in there. 

I'm not at the point yet where I'm yearning for the building supply stores to reopen,  although that day may come soon enough.

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep that stick on the ice.

And wash your hands.

We're saving money!

I mean,   what else can one say?

So far,  the hair salon and nail salon are missing a few bucks due to the Covid-19.   I shan't attempt to quantify just how much I mean by "a few bucks".   But let's just say,  with the money we've saved,   I'm thinking of buying yet another woodworking tool and having it shipped to the door.

Just a thought.   Thoughts are free.

Mostly.

Haven't quite figured out what I want to do today.   Might just futz around out in the "shop".   Seems the sensible thing to do.  I have enough material to make a couple more book cases for the downstairs,  so that might be an idea.

I haven't run out of material just yet,  although there are a couple other things in my pea brain that I wouldn't mind taking a stab at.   It mostly involves storage ideas.

Now,  speaking of things involving wood,  I did manage to (finally) finish a towel rack that T.C. had asked me to make some time *ahem* last year.   (These things can take time, after all)

Hard to get just the right angle.  I do appreciate that there are those woodworkers who have some sort of photo set-up,  but I have no intentions of selling stuff,  so I've never bothered.  That chest in the last two pics is a cherry blanket chest I made...some twenty years ago?  And the first pic has a bed that I made for Daughter Number Two some....twenty years ago.   I dunno.  Maybe that's a rough estimate.  Twenty,  twenty-five?   I suppose I should sign and date everything,  for posterity or something.


I do have one of those branding iron thingies,  with Handcrafted by....The Caretaker.  (no,  that last part isn't quite true,  but you get the idea)

I did get a call from the fellow who has the "make your own wine"  shop,  as I was due to go and bottle both a batch of red and a batch of white tomorrow (Wednesday)  but he's technically "closed"  due to Covid-19. 
Now,  considering that wine making involves being ultra sanitary,  I'm not sure just how he needs to be closed,  whereas the Beer Store and the L.C.B.O.  are considered "Essential Services"  here in Ontario. 
I mean,  I'm not complaining,  and I do buy beer at the L.C.B.O. instead of the Beer Store,  as then I do get a couple Air Miles to boot. 
But "essential"?   Not so sure.

Oh and,  for those who are reading from afar,  as good as our Health Care system might appear to be,  our "drinking system"  is from the Victorian era.   L.C.B.O. stands for "Liquor Control Board of Ontario",   and every province has their own little quirky system of regulating booze (and beer).

We can these days buy beer in the grocery stores,  but of course,  I never think to buy beer at the grocery store,  some sort of conditioning I suspect,  plus you don't get the variety that's available at either The Beer Store or the LCBO.

Anyhoodle,   T.C. is making Potica,  which is a type of Easter Bread,  although it looks like we may be having Easter by way of Zoom,  or some such internet thing.  Not sure how that will play out.


I was going to put in a link,  but you can Google Potica,  and see what I'm talking about.

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep your stick on the ice.

And wash your hands.

Time for that elusive update.

I didn't really broadcast it all that much,  but Travelling Companion and I just got back from a trip over to Europe.  Had a wonderfl time.  Saw some new countryside.  Also saw some familiar places and faces.
It's hard to know where to begin with the photos.  I took a shit load of them.  Like,  four or five hundred?   Wait,  actually,  I just looked.  634.   I think I have to do some sorting.
And no,  I'm not about to put them all up on The Book of Face.  Some folks do that,  and it's kind of like "Battle Fatigue",  only more like "Photo Fatigue".   No bueno.


The first stop was in Vienna,  where T.C. got wind of a ballet being performed at the State Opera.  Naturally,  we had to go.   It was "Schwannsee" or, for y'all what speaks English,  "Swan Lake".

I have to admit two things:  First of all,  I had never been to a ballet,  and secondly,  I quite enjoyed it.

No photos during the performance of course,  so I did snap a couple during the curtain calls.
If you're going to see a ballet,  and you've never seen one before,  I recommend going to see possibly one of the best ballet companies and orchestras on the planet.  I mean,  why see something that's half-assed?  Plus,  we were in like,  row six?   Go big or don't go I always say.


I'm not about to do a day by day kind of thing here,  so suffice to say that,  we headed back to the airport after a couple days in Vienna,  picked up a car and headed off to Slovenia.

This,  for any of you who have hanging around long enough know,  is a somewhat recurring theme.  When we lived in Vienna,  we figure we were in Slovenia about three times a year.  Summer,  winter,  fall.  Not just tourists,   ya know?

The car was a Nissan "Quasqai",  which looked suspiciously like a Murano,  or maybe a bigger better version of the "Rogue"?   Had a rogue last fall in Nova Scotia.  Didn't like it as much as the Quasqai.
Six speed manual.  Even Travelling Companion was somewhat smitten by it.   Maybe we'll trade the Merc?

Anyway,  I'll be adding some snippets over the next while.   Meanwhile,  I'm back to working on the bathroom.  Took me a couple days or more to get my head sorted out after some serious jet lag.
Needless to say,  I wasn't very peppy.   Managed to cut the grass this morning.  Been rooting around in the garden,  that kind of thing.

Tonight will be my first time on the water again since last fall.   I haven't had a chance to look,  but I suspect that the water level hasn't really gone down that much.  There was a whole bunch of more rain when we were away.

I took this a week before we left for Austria.   That's Lake Ontario.  Think about it.  Lake Ontario is bigger than Puerto Rico.   Dat's a lotta water.   Normally you step down about 10 inches to that floating slip.

At one point I read on the net (when we were overseas)  that the Town of Oakville had closed off some of the access to the walkways and such,  as there was a very real possibility of someone ending up in the drink.  Easily done if you misjudge the edge underwater there.


That's it for today.  (Hey,  I'm really dragging it here,  OK?)

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Came a knock at the door.

And I immediately think, "Gah,  somebody wanting to sell me something".  And good luck with that,  unless it were say,  Girl Guide cookies?  I'll admit,  I'm a sucker for cookies in general,  and Girl Guide cookies in particular.
You know,  "supporting the cause",  and all?

But NO,  it was my friendly neighbourhood postal delivery Dude,  who leaves the packages next to the front door,  knocks once,  and buggers off.
And that's OK really.  I'd sooner have that happen, than getting a "delivery" from the knobs at Purolator,  who then are obligated to leave a little card,  instructing me to drive half way across town to pick up the package they "couldn't deliver".
Dickheads.
And at that point of course,  I have to prove who I am.
What's the point of shopping on line,  if I then have to drive half way across town?
*grumble*

OK,  got that out of my system.

It never ceases to amaze me at just how quickly some items get delivered.  Well,  some others not quite so quickly,  Travelling Companion is still waiting for a pattern she ordered from the States.  Lord only knows where that thing is.  That whole cross border thing is a crap shoot.
But that's not my deal.

There's a bit of a theme going on here:

One of my sisters-in-law sent me a birthday card that was somewhat timely,  as we had not so long ago been "shoe shopping" in Bobcaygeon.

Well,  not me actually.  I looked.  Prices too high.  I left.

Pretty much spot on.

Mind you,  if there's a place to sit down,  I'm good.  Or,  I can wander outside and check out the boat traffic at the lock.  This last visit was Thanksgiving weekend of course,  so there was scarcely a boat in the water. So that back up plan was kind of a bust.



For a time now,  and by that I mean maybe a couple years?  I've been meaning to replace a pair of ageing sandals that I wear just about every day in the warmer weather.  I don't have a picture of them, as I don't want to upset your sensibilities.   They're just nasty.   They do stay on my feet though,  but are so worn,  that "staying on my feet"  on the fore-deck of the boat was getting to be a challenge.

So this (below) is my answer to "shoe shopping".

Yay!

Amazon.  Forty bucks.

Oh and,  just ignore the nose hair trimmer thing.  That was another thing that wore out and fell apart a few days ago.
In my estimation,  it's an appliance that ranks up there in importance with the coffee maker or the fridge.  No random hairs growing in places where I don't want them for me,  thanks.
That purchase was further precipitated by the sight a couple days ago, of a young man in a bathroom fixtures type of store who was in definite need of a good trim.

Like,  it was all I could look at.

And was the immediate topic of conversation in the car when we left.   The "post visit debriefing",  as I like to call it.

"Did you see that guy's nose hairs?"  

Um. Ya.

Let's move on.


So,  I tried them on.  I mean,  nothing beats trying things on in a sticks and bricks store,  but I'd like to refer you back to photo one.

Because even if it's ME looking for shoes or whatever?  Just not enthusiastic.

And no,  I don't wear sandals with socks.  Oh GAWD no.  
But trust me,  you don't really want to see my toes either.
Not that they're all gnarling or anything,  but men's toes?
No.
Just no.


In other "news",  we're off to Tobermory tomorrow to celebrate the completion of the Bruce Trail by one of our friends.   She and a hiking buddy have by now done most of the 840 kilometre trail,  and are wrapping it up this weekend.
With slightly better weather we hope.  
Just google "Bruce Trail" if you're unsure just what that is.
Now,  this wasn't a thing that they did all at once, (um, we're not kids anymore?)  but has been something they've been doing piecemeal for a couple summers now.
We've all booked rooms to stay for the night,  and will toast their final part of the journey at some point tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.

I'll take pictures.   I promise.

I think that's all I got in my pea brain for today.  Trying to be a little more "up to date" on the blogging end of things.  Not that there's all that much that's of interest,  but hopefully I can offer a chuckle from time to time.

No more pictures of feet.  And sure as hell no pictures of guys in need of a nose hair trimmer.


Thanks for stopping by.

.

  

It's been a good month.

Just realized how long it's been since I uttered a peep.   Erp.

It happens.

There's been sailing,  which is not that unusual,  along with a couple cottage visits,  which is also not that unusual.
One place on Sturgeon Lake,   the other in Wasaga,  on..... *thinks*  Georgian Bay.  Drew a blank for a second there...

Now,  don't misunderstand,  the place in Wasaga isn't really anywhere near where all the commotion is in the "downtown" area of Wasaga Beach,   We took a little drive down that way on one of the afternoons (it's all a blur)  and we were reminded of just why a fellow could be known as a "Wasaga Head".  There were some "sights",  let me tell ya!  But over on Shore Lane Drive,  it's a much more sedate sort of experience.  And that's quite alright with me.
This place is not on the beach side,  and that also fine,  as it's really only about a 50 meter walk to the beach by way of a right of way...

And I should mention that,  there are quite a few places that are a carry over from the days when a "cottage" was just that,  such as this place,  and then there are what I refer to as the "monstrosities".  One of these times I'll have to take photos to show a few examples.  One doesn't want to offend,  of course,  but there are a number of places that are truly big and hideous.  I'm of the opinion that the town/municipality/whatever allows this to happen,  as a way of extracting higher and higher property taxes from these people who have more money than taste.


My sister-in-law and hubby have made a couple minor changes in the last little while,  but they're not really looking to do anything to dispense with the rustic nature of the place.
Just a little paint.

I never in a million years would have figured that that shade of blue would go with that colour of siding,  but then again,  I have no skill when it comes to picking colours.

They're not going to bother with the frieze boards (up at the roof line there) until such time as they do the roof.  We got some heavy rain one evening when we were there and the roof doesn't leak,  so a new roof might not happen for a time.  There's more pressing talk of building a shed in the back,  which would later be added to in order to have a "bunky".    It's not a terribly big place,  and there were five of us,  which meant putting a mattress on the sectional seating area for two of the nights.  Not a terribly big deal,  but it's always nicer if a person has a place to keep their "stuff", instead of having to shuttle it from place to place, let's just say.

Anyhoodle,  as it always pays to be "handy",  (never short of invites to a cottage!)  we did install a couple extra electrical outlets while I was there.  It's a job that's usually always better done with two bodies,  and especially depending on ones skill set.

 I'm the one with the "skill" it so happens, (not that I have gobs of it or anything) so I elected to be not the one to crawl around under the cottage.   Plus,  I'm older.  And a guest,  and....OK, never mind.

They're planning on having a bit of counter space on the other side of the kitchen,  and also moving the fridge.   We just made sure we tied into the fridge circuit,  so that when they're not there in the summer and want to keep the fridge running,  it'll still be on the same circuit.

Never hurts to use a little bit of common sense.

And I only mention any of this since I remembered to take some pics.  Mostly I forget.



The other cottage that we went to a couple weeks ago is,  if you recall any of our Thanksgiving visits, on Sturgeon Lake.  There is a totally different "feel" to the place,  as I find that Sturgeon Lake can be rather rough at times.

Hence the reason for having a boat lift.

Anyway,  for that particular visit,  I had decided to take along a power planer (I don't have need to use it that often,  as it's rather aggressive)  and take about three eights of an inch off one corner of the bathroom door.   I didn't get a single picture,  but suffice to say,  the door finally closes now after I don't know how many years that it's bugged the hell out of me and everyone else.   One of those things where,  I keep meaning to "sort it out",  but then of course forget to take along the proper tools.
It's all about the "proper tools",  and I'm afraid that neither of the owners of these respective places have quite figured out the "proper tool" situation.

That's fine,  I got it covered.

Oh,  and of course there was a brief trip in to Bobcageon for a visit to Bigley shoes.

T.C. managed to find a couple items.  Like that's a stretch.
I have been passively looking for something to replace an aging pair of sandals,  but wasn't willing to pay over a hundred bucks for something that ultimately is going to get wet and abused on the boat,  among other places.   I'll eventually find something I would imagine.


Meh.  What else?

It's been bloody dry around here,  that's one thing.  We've had snippets of rain,  but we really need about a solid week at this point to get everything green again.
I mean,  we water the gardens and such,   but there are sections of the lawn that are parched.
No biggie.  It'll come back.  It always does.

I think that's about it.  I see you starting to glaze over.  I'll stop now.

Keep those sticks on the ice.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Canada Day!

And yes I know,  I haven't been around much.   Not much to say,  and anything that pops into my pea brain usually gets dismissed as just more drivel.   There's enough crap on line,  don't you think?

Anyway,  we're getting some much needed rain here today,  in spite of it being "Canada Day" and all. I'm pretty sure rain is not permitted,  but then again, it'll likely clear up by later tonight.
Just in time to scare the bejeepers out of all the dogs that can't quite tolerate loud far off unexplained noises.

Speaking of which,  Daughter Number Two and Son-in-law just so happened to have adopted another dog (yes,  they now have two),   and aptly named him "Pugsly".  
He's a pug/something or other mix, go figure.
It turns out that,  and they knew this going in,   Pugsly is as deaf as a post.   Seriously.  Unless he smells you coming,  a skill he has aptly demonstrated whenever food comes in the door,  chiefly in the form of take-out, he hasn't a clue if you're around or not.
Meanwhile their first dog Kermit has always been terrified of thunder.  To the point that,  they had to get him a "thunder shirt" to try and keep him from virtually shaking himself out of his skin.
Now here's something interesting.   Having endured at least a couple thunder storms since the arrival of Pugsly,  Kermit has now become much more tolerant/immune/whatever to thunder.
Seems that,  if your buddy sitting right next to you has absolutely no reaction whatsoever to all those loud noises outside?  Maybe you just need to quit being such a big ole scaredy-cat?  And calm the hell down!   So,  you can make any assumptions you'd like about "dog psychology",  but I just thought that was interesting.  

Don't you love these little tidbits?

Clearing up by later tonight will be a good thing,  as I'll be on the boat for the next three days.   Emphasis on days.  I don't do overnights on the boat.
Just well,  no desire.
It's an annual thing that's been going on for about eight years now, having to do with something called  GHYRA.
And in case you're reluctant to click on that link,  that stands for "Greater Hamilton Yacht Racing Association".    This event involves basically sailing for the next week to such exotic locals as Oakville and Youngstown, N.Y.   I'm only going to race the first two days,  and then hook up with the boat on Friday again to sail from Newport to Bronte.
Should be fun.  I did a couple days last year.  I find that a couple days out on the water is just about enough for me.  No matter how much sun block I slather on,  between the sun in the sky and the sun off the water,  I'm just a bit pooched after two days.  
Just the same,  I'll head back out on Friday.

Of course,  a lot of the participants simply live on their boats for the week,  which can be said of the skipper and one of the crew.  Like I said before,  I have very little desire. I guess I'm just at that point where,  I'd much prefer to sleep in me own bed.  Thanks.

Even when we had the RV,  I was still "sleeping in my own bed".   There's a lot to be said for that.

Speaking of sailing,  we're well into our Tuesday night outings.  We've pretty much sucked in terms of our performance on the race course,  but as was brought forth after our evening out this past week,  "we're getting a little bit too old for this".
Just the same,  I wear my knee pads and keep the Tylenol handy.  Not about to pack it in just yet.

(Of course,  most every Wednesday I wonder just why my knees are kinda hurtin'...)

I've only included this pic of one of our competitors sailing by before the start of the race to point out the colour of the sky there.
After the first leg I think it was,  we very quickly hauled out our foul weather gear,  since it proceeded to rain like crazy.   Of course,  even though we were relatively dry,  all the sails that we had up got soaked,  which means having to hoist everything up again once at the slip and wait patiently.
You might think that it was raining at the slip as well?   Well no.  Didn't get a drop on land,  where we needed it.

I guess that's all I got.   They're calling for good weather after today,  so that would be a good thing. Sailing in the rain is certainly do-able,  but just as happily avoided.
Hey,  who knows,  I might take some pictures?

Until next time.

Thanks for stopping by.

Seeing Sparks.

Once upon a time,  having bedding that was say,  “200 thread count”  was all hip and cool.  
Or something.  We had to have it, so I didn't argue.

These days,  it’s entirely possible to have sheets and such that are 1200 thread count.  And yes, this does seem like an odd thing for a guy to know, but unless you’re living in a hut somewhere and sleeping on a straw mat,  you know this.
Admit it. 

Besides,  if you’re living in a hut somewhere and sleeping on a straw mat,  I'm not entirely sure why you’d be spending your money on an internet connection instead of something half decent to sleep on. Get yourself a better bed!

Anyway,  on the very same night that the DVR for the security cameras crapped out,  Travelling Companion further added to my confusion by stating that she was seeing sparks come off the bed.
Huh?

Well,  unless you have a ground strap running from your big toe down to a water pipe somewhere in the basement,  you’re bound to create a whole heap of static electricity if you rub your hand across bed sheets that are 1200 count!   I kid you not!
And,  it’s a just a little bit odd.
I didn't really keep trying it until what’s left of my hair was standing on end, as I was more interested in going back to sleep,  but I was reminded yesterday morning of my lack of personal ground strap when I took the aforementioned fitted sheet off the bed.  Ouch!

Oh and,  even though I sort of "poo-pooed" the idea of 1200 count bedding,  between you and me,  it's really,  really nice.


Meanwhile,  the issue with the Lorex security camera DVR has been resolved.

A new DVR arrived Wednesday,  after I had called on Tuesday to enquire as to why I hadn’t received an email requesting a credit card number.  Seems it wasn’t necessary.

So the new DVR is up and running,  but then I had to spend some quality time (insert sarcastic font there) with a tech in order to be able to see the cameras on the PC.  I still haven’t set it up for T.C.’s Ipad,  but I’ll get there.

To be fair,  the tech was very pleasant,  and did an awesome job.

Considering that this device came in its own dedicated box,  I somehow suspect that replacing these things is maybe a bit commonplace??


Just a thought.

I managed to screw up the order of the cameras,  but it doesn't really matter.

Still haven’t heard anything from the good folks at Amazon.  I’ll not order a new unit for downstairs until they’ve put the money back on my card for the one I sent back.  I've been shopping for one for a couple years now,  so a few more weeks isn't going to make my head explode at this point.   Not going to “cross the streams”.

I think that’s all I have in my pea brain at the moment.


Thanks for stopping by.

Trying not to be smug.

I've compared it to having automotive insurance and never using it,  but that’s not quite the same.  I certainly wouldn't feel too hard done by if I never have a car accident after having paid all those premiums. 
Although,  let’s not talk about that.  That’s a subject that could develop from an ugly scab to a festering wound in no time flat.

However,  when the power goes out and you finally get to keep the lights on when the entire neighbourhood sits in the dark? 

Awesome.

See,  we had one rip snorter of a thunder storm last night, and man oh man did it ever rain.  That was another happy feeling too by the way,  since we now no longer have a roof/chimney/whatever the hell it was, that leaks.  I never did really pinpoint exactly where the water was coming in,  but I think it was because the chimney was basically crumbling,  but looked OK. 

Fooled me for a long time,  but let’s not go there either.

We had gone out last night,  but it eased up just enough for us to get ourselves into the house,  and then the skies opened up and it came down in buckets.  Sorry I haven’t any photographic evidence of this. 
Sometimes my pea brain slips into neutral.

Right along about ten p.m.,  sure enough,  there was one helluva crack,  and T.C. and I were sitting in the dark.

“What now?”  was her only response.

“Just wait a few seconds.”   And sure enough,  we had power.  No internet or phone mind you,  but that didn't matter.

And I suppose we could have sat there in the dark,  or rummaged around for some candles. It wasn't all that cold out,  so it wasn't like the house would have started to cool down quickly or anything. 
We do have boatloads of candles around here somewhere.  But I'm not overly keen on having a bunch of lit candles hanging around for some reason.  All that open flame.  Just makes me nervous.  I’d sooner listen to the din of the generator running out back as I read my paper and sift through the flyers.

Have to sift through them flyers!  It’s a weekly ritual.

It's a bit loud if you're right there,  sitting next to the thing,  but trust me, it's hardly noticeable when you're inside,  and trying not to feel at all smug or anything.

I took a random video a couple weeks ago,  knowing that it would fire up right at noon time to do its weekly test.

Starts around the 20 second mark.

So that was kinda cool.
Helped justify the cost and aggravation of getting the damned thing installed.  The primary concern was,  what might happen if we were to say,  go to a tropical destination for an entire month? 

You know,  just saying.

Turns out, we didn't need it for the month of February,  but now at least I'm doubly sure that there would have been no issues.  And really, I don't think I ever had any doubts,  but it's still comforting to know that the damned thing will do what it's supposed to do.

I think the power was out for maybe an hour.  I didn't really pay too much attention.  At one point I heard the transfer switch flip us back to the grid,  looked out and the lights were on in the 'hood. Other than that,  it's rather seamless.  The generator then does a "cool down",  which seemed like a rather long period of time,  (like at least 10 minutes maybe?)  and then it shut down.

And of course,  with just a bit of warmer weather and boatloads of rain, it looks like I’ll have to start cutting grass again in the not too distant future. 

All this “lawn care/fertilizing/whatever” business is a mixed blessing.




Thanks for stopping by.

And...we're back to this.

So much nicer to have a BBQ right outside the back door. 
Don’t get me wrong,  we had a wonderful time at the Condo in Maui that we rented,  but the situation was such that,  the BBQs were down by the pool.

And I like to BBQ.

They were awesome BBQs and all that,  but getting all your “stuff” down there,  all the while having to get through one of the locked gates,  (and you had to use the key to get out too…),  was a bit of a challenge.  “Have I got everything?”  was my mantra.  Oh,  and there was no glass or breakable dishware permitted either since well,  you are in the pool area. 

So convenient.

But,  here we are again,  back in the Great White North,  where it’s actually starting to get quite green.  Mind you,  we have had SNOW IN APRIL around here,  so even though spring is around the corner,   let’s not get too cocky.

Yesterday was one of those awesome days when the temps were up into shirt sleeve weather (well, for the average Canadian at least,  Floridians need not apply), but it was just a tease,  since today it’s quite cold again.  Above freezing,  but nothing that would encourage you to run out and bask in the sun.  Or roll around on the lawn.

Actually,  I’m sure it’s been a bloody long time since I’ve “rolled around on the lawn”.  Not really my “deal” for several decades at least.


To go along with the steaks, (and yes,  I realise they are small,  but they are “medallions”),  I had a hankering for some taters fried in onion. 

Maybe it takes me back to when my dear ole Ma would make “hash”,  but that’s chopped up more than this particular version.

And you’ll no doubt think this a bit odd,  but I recall that she used to use an old tin can (washed of course,  hello)  to chop up the potatoes in her cast iron frying pan.  The things you remember….
It looks somewhat bland in that photo,  but T.C. did make a salad to go along.  I don’t seem to recall such a thing as a “salad” when we had Mom’s hash. 

Salad? Did anyone eat salad back in the 50s 60s or 70s?
You just ate your vegetables.


Anyhoodle,  I’m mostly just checking here to say, “Hey,  I ain’t dead yet”,  although the blog is on the verge of being on life support. 
I’ll try and breathe some life into it from time to time. 

I promise.


Figured I should put in at least one pic from Maui.  This is my sister-in-law and I out on Maui Nui. 

I forgot to show T.C. how to zoom.

Keep those sticks on the ice.


Thanks for moving your eyes back and forth.

Back to the land of socks and sweaters.

And that’s not a terrible thing.  It’s fun to get away, but just as nice to get back home again.
It’s mostly the “getting” part that can be somewhat onerous,  especially when it comes to flying anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.  That’s just an arbitrary line by the way,  flights can be delayed most anywhere for any reason. 
Not sure how long we were holding over Calgary,  but the first reason given was that we were “early”, but when we got on the ground,  we could see that the plows had to be brought out to clear the runways.
But let’s not get all snippy about flying.  I could just go on and on.
Everything here at the Ponderosa was hunky dory.  A host of folks came ‘round to check,  pick up mail etc.  Didn’t miss any payments,  what with that whole “see my bill online” situation.  That internet can be handy thing.

Mostly.


I didn’t “blog from Maui”,  and not because I’m completely lazy or anything,  although that’s certainly a consideration.  It was more due to being away for an entire month.  I really didn’t want the entire world to know we were gone.  The neighbours knew,  but only the ones who came by to grab the mail.  We didn’t even tell the “paper boy”.  (It’s a free paper,  and mostly flyers)  They try and put the bite on anyone getting the paper once a month for a “contribution”.  I give them a few shekels.

I’ll let you use your imagination when it comes to staying in Maui for a month.  It’s not a hardship, tell you that much,  although things have gotten pretty pricey since the last time we were there.  (Like,  $5.99 for a loaf of bread??!) 

I did get a bit of a tan. Well, more like, tried not to get fried.  We tried to hit just about every single beach.  It was like T.C. was on a mission.  “OK,  today I think it’ll be….such and such.”   And off we’d go.   In the afternoons,  depending on how many annoying little ankle biters were around,  we’d toddle down to the pool to read and lounge.  We rented a condo.  Meh,  I liked the house situation from last time,  although the owner of that place was an el cheapo.

The car rental company (“Dollar”. And I think they’re just one step up from “Rent a Wreck”,  but that’s my opinion.)  didn’t have the model we requested (ooh,  surprise!)  but offered a mini-van at the same price.  That worked for me,  especially when there were times when there were seven of us.  I don’t mind being the chauffeur once in a while. 


Depending on the mood I’m in,  I might post the odd photo here and there.  I took a host of pictures and videos.   I’m really quite pleased with the Canon G16.  Takes HD videos.  Really nice.

This pretty much sums up my daily activity level.

Now,  having said that,  maybe I should have been practising some sort of “sand shovelling”,  since my back is a little tender after some *fun* I had this morning.

And it had warmed up just enough so all the fluffiness had gone.  I’m hoping that’s IT for March.
No mas!


Thanks for stopping by.

Moments of Clarity.

So we’re slowly getting ready for the Great Escape,  which will be… *thinks* in 12 days.  I think.  Can’t clutter up the brain with too much just yet.
There have been a few little things to sort out up to this point.  Wanted a micro SD card so I can transfer photos to my tablet.   Done.  Wanted some way of keeping an eye on the place when we’re away.  Done.
That one was a bit more involved. 
Just before Christmas,  while on a little shopping foray at Costco,  Travelling Companion and I picked up a Lorex camera/security system.  Or whatever you call it.
I’ve only been looking at them passively for a couple years now.  Couldn't seem to pull the trigger, and T.C. said, “Oh,  just get it!”. 
That’s usually good motivation.
The interface is a bit clunky,  and reminds me somewhat of the Honeywell system we had to endure once upon a time when I was more than just a “Caretaker” in name.  It was really not intuitive.  At least Lorex do have a support network,  and I was able to chat with two different technicians whilst trying to figure stuff out.
There’s an “app” for IPAD,  as well as a program for PC.  So I can sit here,  log in,  and not be bothered to get up off my lazy arse to see who’s at the door.  *snort*!

Oh,  and son-in-law and Daughter Number Two were over last night for dinner,  and he installed an app for the TV downstairs that allows me to see what’s going on without getting off my….OK,  never mind.

Hooking up the system involved running wires in conduit that I had installed (wait for it) back when we had new soffits installed in the summer of 2014.  I had a plan.
And yes I know, it takes me a while to do these “jobs”.  Did I not say I had been looking at systems?  Just couldn't decide.  Take it easy.
There are six cameras,  but eight channels.  Is that like the “hot dog vs bun count” thing?  Why not have eight cameras?   I might pick up one or two at some point if I feel the need.

Running the wires for the last camera on the west side of the house was a bit of a challenge, as I really wanted to run the wire through the narrow gap between the ceiling and the roof.  Damned near impossible really,  except that I had a moment of clarity.

I went to the table saw and made a “bobbin”  for the end of the fish tape,  which I was able to feed down through the rafters.    Or maybe it was more like a “shuttle”,  that you’d see being used by a weaver?  I don’t know.
Whatever you call it, (stick o’ wood?), it worked. 
Felt rather smug about that one.
Of course,  I also fished through a string to be left behind in case I want to pull another wire.  Just one of those things.  Really rather important.

So that’s about it.
T.C. and I are heading out today to drop a small bundle on proper footwear for our stay in Maui.  There’ll be a certain amount of walking I suspect.  My el-cheapo runners that I bought at Wal*Mart in Gillette,  Wyoming last June aren’t really suited for anything more than clambering about on the deck of a boat,  or maybe a brief hike off to the grocery store. 
You gets what you pays for. 

Thanks for stopping by.

And yes,  there’s ice to keep those sticks on.

Rode hard and put up wet.

Or at least that’s the way my shoulder has been feeling for the last week,  and I know it’s from getting slightly carried away on the boat a week ago.  Some sort of switch went off in my pea brain,  and I thought I had the upper body strength of a much younger and stronger guy. 

Turns out I didn’t.

I see I haven’t had too darned much to say for a bit.  Well, in trying to avoid that “one cactus looks like another” syndrome, I haven’t had much to say so as not to bore you. 

There, hope that makes it all better.

 

The sailing thing has switched to the “Fall Series”,  which means we go out on Sundays,  today being one of the exceptions,  for me at least.

This Sunday morning I spent with a host of other volunteers registering folks and taking their donations to the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. 

It was a good morning.  Not overly cool, but pleasant.  I could still feel my fingers by mid-morning,  so that’s always a good sign.  Last year it was just that much colder,  with a constant breeze off the lake.  I don’t remember much,  but I remember that.

More and more contributors are donating “on-line” these days,  which makes the job of sorting out their registration “stuff” all that much easier. 

That was especially appreciated,  as I was plunked in between two “newbies” since I was now “experienced”.    Note quotation marks. 

I have difficulty remembering what I did yesterday,  let alone the refresher we had a week ago.  But I managed.

The “newbies” were both very sharp young-uns who had total recall of all the tiny little nuances,  and I’m sure made far fewer little slip-ups than I.

Thankfully,  the “slip-ups”  don’t get past the rear guard,  and usually consist of forgetting to fill in one box or other.  I’m pretty sharp when it comes to counting the actual dough however, and making sure it all gets put into the bag.  No worries there.

I think that goes back my days of handling cash in the restaurant business.  Some things never seem to completely fade away.  Long term memory and all.

 

So,  I don’t really have any pictures,  since my picture taking has kinda sucked lately.  They’re pretty cringe worthy.  Trust me.

I’ve done something goofy to the settings on the camera,  and I don’t seem to see it until I put the pic up on the big screen.  May be time for a “re-boot”.

 

That’s about it.  Thanks for moving your eyes back and forth.

 

Keep that stick on the ice.

Haven’t had much to say.

We’re having another hot spell,  and I’m not referring to “raging hormones” or any such thing.  We’re past that. Thankfully.

We did manage to unpack the very last thing from the move home,  which was the outside table that we had on the patio in Vienna. 

I have to say,  the movers did a really good job of packing it up, which meant it wasn’t all that easy to unpack.   Not quite like the movers we had in Puerto Rico.  There were a few items that ended up getting scratched, mostly since they didn’t really have it all figured out. 

Water under the bridge at this point.

 

We’ve done without an outside table this summer,  mostly since the one that we had out there has been moved up into the “Veranda”.  It’s still basically a three season space,   and too hot to sit in today, that’s for sure.  Too hot to be anywhere outside, as far as I’m concerned.

 

Sailing has been a bit of a bust on the last two outings.  Hot humid air just hanging around makes for no wind.

So we drank beer instead.  Among other things.

 

There’s always a way to make the best of it.  I’ll be out again tomorrow night.  Here’s hoping for some wind.

 

Oh,  and I have to show this next picture to Travelling Companion.

I had her sew me up a pouch thingy for our reading glasses while on board.

 

As there are (at last count) three of us at any given time who need glasses at the nav station,  I got tired of trying to either fish my “cheaters” out of my sail bag,  or out of a pocket.  Keeping things in a pocket when  on the foredeck is never a good idea,  by the way.  Too easy to lose yer stuff.

So this works.  Get aboard.  Get squared away.  Put your particular version of “cheater” in a pouch.  And you’re ready.  It’s held in place with peal and stick Velcro,  so it could be removed over the winter if need be. 

Now I just have to figure out some sort of pouch arrangement for the camera.  That one is more of a challenge.   Might not happen until spring.  We’ll see.

I have the material from an old blue camp chair that I’m eyeing,  but T.C. says it’s too thick for her machine.  I might end up just hand sewing something. 

I’d have to figure it out first of course. 

That’s pretty much all I have in my pea brain.  Just thought I’d pipe up and say something.

 

Keep your oars in the water.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

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.

 

.

And here it is, Monday again.

It’s been a bit of a busy week,  I guess I could say.  T.C. is at the moment off to Grand Bend for a “Lady’s away”.  Can’t call it a “weekend”,  as none of the participants are working.  Why go on a weekend?  Every day is Saturday.

Anyhoo,  it’s just me here.  My sister is gone for the day for a bike ride.  Well,  sitting on the back of a Harley.  She won’t be back until late.

The first newsworthy thing is,  Eldest Brother came through his surgery just fine on Wednesday.  We went up to see him which of course, he didn’t remember.  If you’re not quite prepared for all the ways and means that a patient is hooked up,  it could be a bit disconcerting.  They did a quadruple by-pass.  In three hours!   They had said “four to six”,  which seemed reasonable.  St. Mary’s in Kitchener is known as a heart and stroke hospital.  I’m thinking they have it down pat.

 

We took a little ride up to Kitchener again yesterday to see him.  Huge difference.  In a room,  no longer in ICU, or CCU (chronic care unit?). He was sitting up when we saw him.  They give every heart patient a pillow to hold across ones chest in the event that you might have to cough.  There was coughing.  He’s hoping to be out tomorrow.   We’ll see.

Problem is of course,  he’ll need some help at home,  since his wife is not capable of dealing with any issues he might encounter.  It’s been his deal to look after her for the last twenty years or so. 

She has Scleroderma, which is basically a death sentence,  but she’s hanging in.   That’s a whole other story.

 

I did get out on the water on Sunday and Monday.

 

I only committed to two days of this week long sailing event put on by GHYRA.   The best we did was third,  and that was on the Tuesday I see.  I wasn’t on the boat.  All the better for them.

Anyway,  I put up that photo above,  since the first race on Sunday was “around the cans” in Hamilton Harbour,  and there was no way of knowing what the course was until it was posted on the transom of the committee boat.

 

 

Even then the wind was as dead as a fart, so they had to change it.  Which meant everyone had to file past the transom of the committee boat again.

The “SI’s” or Sailing Instructions for the week,  was like a small novel. 

 

There was also something to do with the judging of mermaids. 

 

I got nothing.

 

So, nothing much else too exciting.  I found the logistics of the race week a bit of a chore,  so that was the reason for only a couple days.  Plus,  no matter how much sunscreen I slather on,  after a couple days on the water I start looking too much like Lobster Boy. 

 

Evening sailing works better for me.  We’re back to our regular Tues and Thursday nights from here on in.  I’ll only be doing Tuesdays methinks,  as we’re hoping to free ourselves up for a couple visits here and there.  I only committed to Tuesdays,  but had been going out both nights to get schooled on the new boat.

 

That’s it.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Try to keep cool.  (it’s a tad warm here today)

May has been a bit busy.

This is the post I went to upload this morning,  and subsequently got the "blogger not found"  thingy.

Copying and pasting however,  is a complete pain in the ass..
Just saying.



Trying to tell myself on a daily basis that I have no deadlines.  It’s mostly working.
We’re currently in “speaks” when it comes to ordering the countertop for the cabinets.  I have the last one in the shop getting it’s final bits of stain. 
 Then finish. 
Then the door.

 OK never mind. There’s a ways to go on that one.



I did take a few minutes to check out a possible second set of wheels last week.   The truck itself was in pretty good shape.  Annoyingly, although it was a “one owner” truck and not a work truck,  the previous owner hadn’t bothered to rust proof it.  No rust on it just the same except for the frame,  even though it was an 07.   That seems old,  but it’s a Toyota.   I might still follow up on it.  If it’s sold,  then so be it.  T.C.  seemed to think it was too old for what was being asked,  but the value doesn’t seem to drop like a stone like other brands.  
Not mentioning any names.

But all of that is on hold for a few days,  as “the boys” and I are heading off to Grand Bend of a “Guy’s Weekend”.  
We’ll try to not overdo it.  There are hockey finals to watch.  Beer to consume.  Good eats.  Possibly golf.  
That last one is a bit iffy.  We’ve HAD a few days of warm weather,  but now it has cooled considerably.  I didn’t manage to get out to a driving range.  It could get ugly.
We’ll see.

Monday night will be day two of “training” on the new boat.  I’m away for the Sunday gathering.  I’m sure I can catch up.  We’ll be racing with the “big boats” now.  First start sequence.  There will be no more looking to see who started on what tack and how that’s working for them.  Should be interesting.

It’s still sitting on the hard.  Goes in the water this afternoon.

That’s it for this missive.  Things to pack.  Coolers to sort.  That kind of thing.
See you on the flip side.


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