Me , Me , Me ............

me , me

Its all about me.
Op Osm - get fit 101. Well , the fit part is doing good. the lose weight part suffered a set back. Yes , my weight is back to ,  ' I lost 10 # '. Up a pound and something from last week.
Lets have a report. I felt healthy and comfortable this week. Previous weeks , had me feeling drained and tired - just off , slightly.
This week , I had beer 4 times and tried dessert , 3 X ( apple rhubarb crisp which was very sweet ). As well , Saturday , we ate at the ' all you can eat ' Japanese buffet - the welcome lunch for the cousin.
I'm hoping to continue  , of course , recording this weight as a plateau , not a disaster. 

What did you do to - day. To begin , I uninstalled the anti - virus program called AVG free. The program is a good product. The free part ?. Normally to get the ' free ' , you struggle through this maze of windows and options. The upshot is along the way , you may give in / press the wrong button , and upgrade ( read : opt to pay for the service ). Assuming that you survive the maze , then you might find that a toolbar has been added to your screen and a program that creates ' pop ups ' . Annoying ' pop ups ' happen.
I then , downloaded a McAfee security package called ' good ' . Good , gets you basic anti - virus and browsing safety. McAfee does come free w/ the internet service.

Next. Our entertainment bundle from Bell of TV , internet and phone creeped over vaulted over the $200 mark to 206.
I chatted via internet w/ Cora , who explained why I should feel good about getting gouged. I called John at Bell who said that we could lower the service level and save  -- duh ,dude. He tried to connect me to Customer Loyalty or beg - a - rama. That call failed.
BTW - we are now at the 1hr mark of contact time. I call back and get Cathy at Customer Loyalty who had ' power '.
She worked out a deal - we volunteer to use Bell for Long Distance
instead of Yak ( discount long distance ) which includes free N American long distance , but overseas costs extra. If we agree to this switch , she could give us loyalty discounts.
In the end , all in , our next bill will be 182.80. yeah , 2 hrs and some but success.
OK - its not earth shattering but at least we got something.

World News : Nuts. Syria , how many displaced people , how poor they are and in big trouble.
The U.S. , who got shot by police and how does it break down racially. This is ugly. You guess how it comes out.

In Gaza , a report from an on the ground aid group pegs the damage to Gaza at a 20 year window to repair homes.As well, some 17 000 housing units are needed b/c of the past 3 months and before.

Thats my world report. Shoot me if I didn't give details - no , don't shoot , this is Canada.

Weather : Weatherboy has us at 80 F sun is in and out , WB has his brolley out. I haven't been out except for the paper , looks OK , out there.

On the computer front. The baby laptop is working good to very good. sometimes the renewal speed is slow but then it comes back and is extremely quick for the machine's history in the past.
Thus, no tablet for us , although everyone seems pleased w/ their i Pad whatever.
We're too cheap for our own good.

Thats it for the day. " sufficient for the day is the evil thereof "
The brothers at De La Salle used to use this - and I don't know what it means ?

A Sense of Scale

Avid readers will recognize that Ebola has been a thread on this blog.
From the early days , in W Africa , when the outbreak was first recognized , something like 10 dead , we have the reality of the present.
WHO has put in place a contingency plan for 20 000 affected patients. Not predicting that number but planning ' if '.
W/ a mortality of 60 - 70 % the magnitude of this event rises into the realm of catastrophe

Weather : dreary again. Temperature will climb to 80 + w/ the added humidity ( of T.O.  )

The day's biggie is a lunch for the visiting cousin ( New Mex ) and girlfriend significant other - they bought a house , a month ago.
She is from Portland Ore. and says ' pop ' for soft drink , not soda.
One of the earth shattering things we talked about , yesterday afternoon.
Just catching up w/ relatives.

On leaving the lawyers , we went to wait for my cousin to call back , we we're both downtown , our side did the usual and stopped at a pub.
This action is our fall back position , we don't know any better.
I examined the taps and found ' Innis and Gunn ' on offer. I/G is aged in oak , dunno , it tastes great.
Then in a moment of utter ..... something , we ordered poutine as a snack.
Poutine ??? ......   french fries layered w/ cheese curds and slathered in gravy. GG , what we're you doing , dunno
VG , BTW 
The call came , " we're at home and never went downtown "
Thus we jumped on the 'Red Rocket ' and went home.
Later , I drove over to where they we're staying , thus , the talk.

The lawyer's worked out great , EZ PZ as the kids say. In a week , we go and sign.
The lawyer is a boyhood friend and the wives know each other.
The upshot , 15 minutes lawyering and 1 hr catching up .... trips etc.
However , its been that way for the 30 years , that he's been a lawyer. Oh , the rates are very good as well... we get the family rate

We shall see said the Zen Master

The Weather

" In inclement weather , the people are fey
Ten thousand year stories as the night fades away
Remembering Fingle feels not far away
The Giant will rise w/ the moon "

Stan Rogers

The skies are ???? sunny / cloudy / dark
The temperature is cool

I'm in a contemplative mood
A cousin is visiting T.O. from New Mex. plus girlfriend / live - in ?
We will meet them somewhere and knosh
His family is here and it is his birthplace

I'm thinking about family
We go to set up new wills and power of attorney
Makes you think about connections and things to come

On the news , CBC , the  topic was ' off to post - secondary ' , and how the student and parents feel.
We've never done that of course , D.I.N.K s as we are
So , haven't a clue
however , that doesn't stop you pondering ( dark and dreary - if you're a Poe fan )

Goodness , we're slipping into the maudlin here

On the tech front
I convinced M to try forwarding her regular e - mail to a newly established g - mail address. We both have i Phones
Reader will have noted my diatribes on using the ' hotspot ' for e - mails and what Mb that the baby laptop uses up.

A summary , turn on the laptop and 10 Mb is used
Using the i phones and g - mail  , 10 e - mail checks = 1.8 Mb
Thats right we could check and use g - mail 100 X for the data that is needed for 1 ' turn - on' on the laptop.
The upshot : no tablet , probably

The pros : cheaper to stay w/ the baby laptop
most tablets don't allow hook ups USB etc

The cons : luddite city here I come

Besides , while seething at the controls of the baby laptop , I hit a button and a window pops up , ' do you want high performance setting ' YES
I've seen a button for higher but never ' HP '.
The laptop responded like a trooper
Next day seemed , a mite slower but not bad
High Performance where we're you before

So, no tablet , messages via i Phone and a faster laptop

The laptop allows me to download and edit camera and video sunglasses pictures

Alright , all right - I'm cheap , get over it

Coming to an End

Ah , the blog you thought ???
No , it seems our summer is evaporating
Mo - Tu , were warm and humid. We were on the 'bee and the breeze never let up , the temperature was 80 + outside but 77 in.
We even put up the shades to block the sun and the breeze still came through
Tu - We nights the temperature dropped.
This morning out fishing , I never took off my jacket
The wind was roaring out of the N - NW

The dermatitis gave up , no bumps in 2 days

I got a sore on the edge of the nail on my index finger. This kind of thing has happened before , it will go away. But in ' Woman's First '
under the topic of uses for Hydrogen Peroxide , they suggested HydPerox for acne. I said fights infections , try HydPerox , on the finger. That was Mo , to -day the swelling is minimal and the finger is not super sensitive to touch.
Oh , HydPerox can be added to the rinse compartment of a dishwasher to disinfect and deodorize. Freshens flowers , cleans grout - leaps tall buildings etc. I made up the ' leaps tall buildings ' bit. HydPerox removes stains from light coloured fabrics.

Fishing was poor or I'm poor , 2 bass , one each day. However , yesterday , I had 5 fish on , two jumped off and I had a bite through.
Set the hook and ........... gone. chewed through the line.

We had a visitor at the dock. Another island came to stay. This island was 16 ft in diameter. The island was heavy but floated off w / some encouragement. And was gone

Movie review : ' the Sorcerer's Apprentice ' , yes ,the Disney kind.
But this is a Blu Ray DVD starring Nicholas Cage ( he is a Coppola by birth )
Rating , 0.7 out of 1.0. Entertaining and moves right along
I say , Winner

Its Dreary , Out There

" There ain't no sunshine ,when she's gone " ???? , not me

Actually , I thought the weather dude said sun, and getting warmer
No Way Jose  !
It is warmish , so that part is right

Op Osm - Yes , Weigh in day is Sunday. No joy !
My weight is up almost a pound from last week. The total loss is 11.2 # , so I'm hovering.
Well , we said long term and I can tell , as previously commented , that I notice a difference in how I look at food ( type ) and eating ( the amount ) , both are drastically differently.
The up - side is yesterday , I wore shorts that have been out of bounds for over a year b/c the fit was way too tight for any level of comfort.
WE BATTLE on , troops

On the disease front. Dermatitis and me. Little bumps are still appearing. The itch is almost gone in all places.
Little things that I noticed. I mentioned that I could wear the terry cloth robe. As well, I normally use a back cloth ball or washer and I had given that up 4 weeks ago due to irritation. The last 3 - 4 days , I'm re - starting the back scrubbing routine, w/ no irritation.
Its embarrassing to say what the problem was and the effect - really , not life threatening but annoying 
I suppose dermatitis is not life ending --- yet.

The BD party report. Pleasant and welcoming. We did not fit in very well. We established a little group but we were not family and not especially close to anyone. We stayed an 1 1 / 2 - 2 hr and left when we saw an opening. I noticed someone else sliding out and we skiddaddled right behind.

I used to fish for steelhead ( lake run rainbow trout ) in the river - wading the shore of the Nottawasaga R. One of the regulars who still fishes up there ,wading ,  - poo - poo - ed my new fishing from a boat style. ' thats not fishing ! '.
Oh well , he's free to freeze and struggle in the Notty. No regrets here.

The world is not doing much better. On the ' overnight show ' called " Around Day 6 " on the CBC , a segment was on - how does the world news , mostly war etc affect a person who hears this news.
Not surprisingly , you can get depressed , listening to the news.
One interesting side light was that the Professor who was interviewed from the Univ of Texas , said that many people in their 20 - 30 s , report tuning out the news but they volunteer in the community. Sort of - ignore the world and let it unfold , locally , you help out. This tactic seemed , a reasonable response to untenable reportage and the volume of the reporting - mostly , all carnage.
I found that interview , a little uplifting.

I fell asleep w/ the ear buds in again , TG , its not work the next day.

Have a joyous day , you deserve it

Guardians

Nope. Not the Guardians of the Galaxy , but the ' Legends of the Guardians ' . This DVD is an animated job w/ very good graphics , meaning realistic.
LotG cost $ 4.99. I would rate LotG a pleasnnat diversion but really a childrens' thing. M said it figures that I would buy LotG.

This AM on CBC ' Freshair ' , the week end morning waker - upper , the topic was back to school electronics for the student. The focus was on the bare minimum a student needs based on age etc.
The show convinced me that a entry level tablet could easily replace this ' e - machine ' mini - laptop.
The show mentioned a Microsoft Surface 3 tablet and a Google based writing tablet for social needs in communication and some very basic internet capabilities in search.

It was inevitable but the Ebola adventure in W Africa did surpass the 1400 mark. 

Weather in sGWN , we experienced fog this AM , cloudy as well and starting to warm. Temperatures will start to rise and bring humidity over the next 3 - 4 days. So , summer conditions to end the August cool down.

Let's enjoy the life..... 

Apple blossom Time

... I used to have a Billy Vaughn album collection , and one of my favs was ' I'll be With You in Apple blossom Time '.
The Canadian Automobile Assn mag had a trivia piece on apples
As in 4 apples make a glass of cider
50 000 acres are under cultivation 

There are 50 apple varieties

Delicious , Cortland , Rome , Fuji , Mutsu , Granny S , Royal Gala
Snow , Mac Intosh , 

thats my list ( they didn't list them )

Apple sauce ( almost ). I enjoy apple crisp. However , as bought in the store ' apple crisp ' seems to be a whole lot of dough and not much apples. Apple sauce as bought in the store seems to be the equivalent of ' apple mush '. Occasionally , I find an apple sauce brand that is very good. Especially , in the States , at Cracker Barrel and in grocery stores.
In retaliation , I make my own apple ' sauce '.

Recipe , wash and slice the apple ( skin on )
Saute in a pan w/ butter
Add cinnamon and raisins.

This apple sauce is used as dessert / snack w/ yoghurt , almonds , Fibre 1 cereal. Alternately , I have apple sauce on toast w/ a layer of jam underneath the apples.
yes , the apples are stringy ( skin ) and sometimes closer to apple slices but 1) I know whats in the stuff     2 ) the cook is the consumer - he knows who to blame

On the Dr Oz front. M saw an add for a skin cream called ' Skinfix '
for itch and skin problems. Yes, I seem to have ongoing dermatitis.
Even , now , bumps are popping up. The bumps don't amount to much and are not really itchy but the bumps are there.
Lo and behold on the label   ' as recommended by Dr Oz '
Can't get away from that guy.

Weather in the sGWN : starting to feel muggy w/ cloudy periods and the sun is bright when available. Week end shaping up , just so - so.
Rain to come , maybe , on Sunday. Temps appear to be in the mid to hi 70 s.

We are off to a 93 rd BD do for a fishing friend. The politics of the family are not good. One estranged daughter , an elder son that is viewed as grafting and the middle child as the anchor of the whole schmozola. Watch you P s and Q s , here.

You Know....

.... that big old ball , the world keeps spinning.... even when you don't blog or thats been my experience
Was up on the 'bee trying to save MB s b/c I'm on a Hotspot plan that allows 200 MB per month. 
Starting up the baby laptop uses 9 MB and everything else that you do just adds to the total used

Well, Ebola has unofficially reached 1300 and is a tad away from becoming the worst outbreak in Ebola history , meaning that this one event is greater than the total for 30 yrs or so , in some 15 - 20 incidents.
Further , an American doctor brought home from W Africa w/ Ebola has been released. He was given the Ebola meds.

Fishing was poor or I was. 2 bass and some rock bass but I kept and filleted a perch for a light snack ( he wasn't that big that he'd be lunch )
The boat zoomed up and down the river and to those on shore , I may have looked like I knew what I was doing.

Weather : cool and rainy to - day and it stays around a bit

If you subscribe to the theory ' every cloud has a silver lining '
you'd be right about this winter / spring / summer. The water levels in the Great Lakes surpassed the seasonal mean highs for the first time in 7 years or so. L Ontario is the least susceptible to falling water level but Mich - Huron - Sup'r are considered to be one lake and the MHS is way above last year's mark

See you didn't miss much And NO , i'm not going to blog every 4 days when I can I'll blog daily.

We shall see said the Zen Master

The 5 th Week

... maybe. I cannot locate the original post and date of the Op Osm start.

However / whenever , this AM , I'm down 12 pounds .
, not British sterling but weight.
This event is about where in the ' Herbal Magic ' weight loss adds - I smile and say ' I've lost ____ pounds and I feel great '
Holy COAC.
I think that I look the same and feel the same - except for the deprived aura that marks my day.
On the up side , I'm wearing shorts that I haven't worn for 2 or 3 years. And I'm drinking beer , up to 4 bottles a week. I am trying to control that part a little better. But , hey , its summer

As well , I've marked down behaviours that are almost automatic.
For instance , this week , I ordered sausage and eggs.
I ate the toast and home fries and realized thats the pattern of eating that I used to use. I guess that should have chosen between the 2 carbs.
What has changed is , I'm eating less carbs for sure

So , lets keep it up. A lifestyle change doesn't happen overnight

That was me. How is it going down there in Norton , OH ??

Weather : Day broke sunny and should almost stay that way. Temperatures should be in the low 70 s at least til Wed. There is a slight possibility of rain , not much but the rain comes back on the Wed , in earnest

The World : 
shooting is minimal in the Gaza
Russia is thumbing its nose at the world
Ebola , well , its Ebola. cross your fingers

We shall see. from the Zen Master

It's Not Over.....

....  til its over
....... til the fat lady hums

The World News by the numbers :
Afghanistan , basically the dollars pour in
and
the facilities are shoddy
there is no oversight
the money cannot buy sufficient troops
the armaments exceed the manpower
heroin production is up

BTW - the numbers are huge , in billions

The dermatitis is on going , now in the 3 rd or 4 th week. Back to Benedryl and the cream. Bumps are small but new , and a little itchy
So , the Zen Master was right - you can never tell


Weather has settled down to cool ( 70 F ) and slight chance of rain
and the pattern holds for to - morrow , as well.


The CBC show , ' Freshair ' , had the trivia of new on line words for Webster's.
" mansplain ' how a man explains something to a woman
" humblebrag " - yes , exactly what you think it is
" hotmess "   - tricky and chaotic situation

Military Police

No , I got that wrong , the TorStar article is on the ' Militarization of the Police '.
This story is prompted by others like it originating in the U.S. especially evolving out of the crowd control problem in Ferguson , Mo ( ? )
On the surface the premise is laughable b/c the police are definitely military in style and demeanour to start. The police need that ' I'm in control ' mindset and work at it.
If the TorStar means better armed etc. well aren't the criminals better armed ?
Maybe , I should read the whole article , no , I'll get angry at the writer or article.

On the contact dermatitis front. I'm still having little bumps pop out. These latest blossomings don't amount to much but are a minor irritation both physically and mentally. Physically b/c they do make my skin sensitive and sometimes itchy. In fact , lately , say the last 4 or 5 days I can wear my terrycloth robe again.
Mentally , of course , b/c I keep thinking its over.

So , a 2sentsworth primer on contact dermatitis , based on personal experience and my investigations.
Many products or items can cause the dermatitis , chemicals etc.
For plant dermatitis , if your sensitive to plants wear long sleeves and pants. Wash any area that you think contacted the plant. In my case , the last bout could have been prevented b/c I felt the tingle or itchyness on contact.
Treat the localized area w/ a steroid skin cream and if possible and safe use an oral anti - histamine.
A doctor will be needed if the original area of irritation extends past the contact site. In my case the migration was into whole new areas and parts of the body.
typically , you get a stronger steroid cream and my doc prescribed Prednisone ( didn't like it much , myself )
Drink beer. It doesn't help the dermatitis but its better than nothing at taking your mind off the problem.
And be ready, 3 - 4 weeks is a good estimate of how long the irritation lasts.

Ebola is not under control in W. Africa. Estimates put the deaths at a 1 000 and number of patients infected is easily another 1 000.
W/ a mortality of 60 - 70 % the future is looking fairly bleak on that score.

We will see said the Zen Master

Oh , the Weather Outside is Frightful

.. not really but I froze in the car coming home - shorts and t - shirt.

Wud happend ?? The wind was roaring all day , to boot

Well , it was the well. We received a sub standard report on our well water up on the ' bee. Basically , not fit for anything but washing the car.
We finally , got around to shocking the well w/ chlorine bleach.
This shock treatment is fairly standard.
Job 1 , lift the well cap. Of course , 2 bolts are frozen on the lid. In an act of super intelligence , finally , I used a screwdriver to pry up the recalcitrant lid. Dumped in the chlorine and waited over night.
In the mean time beside calling a neighbour and the health dept , I decided that draining the hot water tank wasn't necessary this time. In the past , yes , I drained the 40 gallons of ' bad ' water , refilled w/ chlorine solution and re- drained and then re - filled the 40 gallons.
This group decision was , not to drain. TG

We are done , shocking the well. Hopefully , when we test , next week , we will get a satisfactory report. We still will take our own water to drink , its what we do every week , anyhow. I suppose its the satisfaction of knowing that the water is safe. In the long run , it would be good to know that the water can be made safe.

Fishing was so - so. Mon AM , in the first ten casts , I caught 1 largemouth bass ( 1 # ) and then an over-sized ( over the slot limit ) walleye , all on a spinnerbait. I'm actually getting quite good at using the spinnerbait when you consider my pat line was ' I can never tell if a fish is on the line w/ a spinnerbait ' . Turns out , that I was not using the spinnerbait correctly. I've changed , apparently.
Then NADA for 1 1/2 Hr. Oh well ,thats the way it is , in the fishing game.

World news. Lake Erie has dead zones again. The algae builds up caused predominantly by phosphate build up from run-off . On dying,  the rotting algae absorbs vast amounts of oxygen creating blocks of lake unable to support living organisms. This same phenomenon occurred back in the 70 s.

Canada is contributing to the medical emergency in W. Africa,
2 Canadian companies are sourcing Ebola medicines that could be used in combating the disease. 1 med is being used experimentally , despite lacking general FDA approval. The premise is that WHO decided anything beats nothing in W . Africa ,and WHO said the drug was OK for use.
The second Canadian drug is almost ready for trials but may be pushed along , as the 1 000 doses of drug 1 is all gone.
BTW - the research funding is primarily American.

The Panama Canal could become twins. A second parallel channel may soon be created - but bigger.
A man A plan A canal Panama   - its a palindrome ( same backward and forward )
Speaking palindromically , ( neat eh ? ) I was watching " NY Med " a reality TV doctor show that features , your fav doctor and mine ,  Mr. Probiotic himself , Dr Oz.   On this show , Dr Oz's daughter appears. Zoe is on TV , learning what surgeons do.
She  , her name is a palindrome too.  Zoe Oz , neat again   ??
Who names their daughter as a palindrome ?       Guess

Yes, I missed blogging about as much as you missed reading the daily entries

You did , didn't you ?????

We shall see said the Zen Master

Op Osm : 1 Month Review

Down 11.6 # , this is the end of the 4 th week. The goal was 10 #.

What did you learn :  Well , eating is automatic and eating lots is way more automatic
Poor choices seem everywhere ,  when you're trying to be careful and SMART 
What did you do that was important :
On a audiobook , I heard  a woman returning from a trip abroad , to Venice marvel at how the rest of the world eats. She was discussing England , in particular , and eating daily in restaurants. She walks down the street to the vendor and comes home with onion , tomato , garlic and fresh pasta. She quickly sautes the veg and cooks the pasta and throws the onion and tomato over the pasta.
On a cooking show , the host tossed spinach into the onion , garlic and tomato.
I've done this 4 to 5 times in the month. Sometimes over pasta and many times as a vegetable dish to replace a salad. I've started to use vermicelli as a carbohydrate base ( much lighter than pasta ) , even in salads( kinda like macaroni salad )
Fewer slices of bread of course , and to my credit , no french fries
... even when the waitress offered to make the side dish 1/ 2 fries and 1 / 2 salad (very nice of her  )but I said ' salad ' 
Lots of water during the day. I've tried to snack on pecans and once I tried dill pickles as a snack ( not my fav ) b/c Dr. Oz suggested substituting pickles for potato chips.
I've allowed myself , 90 cal ice cream bars , for a dessert. However , I've thawed blueberries almost every day so , blueberries and yogurt could be an emergency snack.

Now what happens. The experiment continues .. I mean lessons learned ... mistakes made... but results achieved. Thus Op Osm - the follow up will go on.

Weather : sunny , warm , going to almost hot ( 80????). And a dramatic drop in temperatures is expected in 2 days.

Shutters are a big success , so far. Attractive and useful.  We shall see said the Zen Master

In the world. There is shooting everywhere. Yeah , great report , hey , it is not my fault ... I'm not shooting.

Ebola has been imported to Atlanta and a suspected case turned up , west of Toronto in a visitor returning from Nigeria.
Nigeria has closed it's borders to neighbouring W. African countries in an effort to prevent Ebola cases entering Nigeria.

End of the Innocence

So , lay your head back on the ground
Let your hair fall all around you
Offer up your best defence
Cause this is the end of the innocence

As sung by Bruce Hornsby and Don Henley ( not Mc Lean , my error )

#2 on my list but at any time , it is the ' song ' .
Personally , I was at Koerner Hall , here in Toronto , at a Bruce Hornsby concert. An ultimate entertainer and wizard at the keyboard , Bruce put on a mesmerising show.

Weather : is summer perfect and will stay so for 3 days now ( long range predictions )

In case you missed the last blog , called ' Shudders ' , the blog is a picture of the blue grotto w/ shutters , go back and look

To - day , shapes up to be , nothing 
Tidy up a bit , and then ???????????????????

The day unfolds , as it will

BTW - plans are being fomented for the Can Nat'l Exhibition
or the ' EX ' as its known around S. On
We are saving TorStar medallions for discounts at the Ex and we have checked GO train schedules.
The GO is a urban train service for the commuter feed of T.O.
There is a station a $5 cab ride away and $8 on the GO - no parking hassles and traffic.
If your city is anything like T.O. and I doubt that. You have learned or discovered the fully 1 / 2 the major arterials downtown are closed or narrowed for construction. Thus GO makes sense

We shall see said the Zen Master

There Are Songs

.... that make you happy  , There are songs that make you blue
by ???????  Probably , Cole Porter

The Top 100 by me

All I Know                                      Art Garfunkel

End of the Innocence                 B Hornsby and Don Mclean

Touch the Hand of Love            R Fleming

Queen of the Slipstream           V Morrison

Every kind of People                  R Palmer

Right Before your Eyes              Ian Thomas  ( America ? )

The phone book                         Allison Krauss

Send in the Clowns                     B Dearie

Talk to Me of Mendocino          L Ronstadt  ( mc garrigles )

Heart Like A Wheel                     L Ronstadt

Voyage of the Moon                   Donovan

Jerusalem                                     Mary Hopkin

Streets of London                      Ralph McTell

Djobi Djoba                                  Gypsy Kings  or Jose Cruze & Dan Sistos

Kiss ( on my list )                          Hall and Oates

Bette Davis Eyes                         Kim Carnes

I Need a Hero                              Ella Mae Bowen

Bailero                                           Kate Royal

Sacrifice                                       Sinead O’Connor

Your Love                                    Once Upon a Time in the West – Dulce Pontes or Andre Vasary

First problem , there isn't 100 here

The idea started from a segment in a series called the ' Vinyl Cafe '

The VC is a radio series , recorded live across Canada and the U.S. featuring Stuart Mc Lean. A long running program , maybe 20 yrs or so.

The premise and name is that a ex - music type , a roadie for bands marries and settles down w/ record store as his livelihood.

One of his presents for a birthday is a gift certificate for 100 tunes from i - tunes.

I've tried numerous times to fill the list. Dave of the VC for instance chose 6 Beatles tunes etc

At this moment in time , Linda Ronstadt singing ' Heart Like a Wheel ' and ' Queen of the Slipstream ' , Van Morrison are at the top of my favourites list.

Oh , and in memoriam , ' Bille Jean ' and ' Barton Hollow ' by the Civil Wars.

I've found all of the songs listed above on YouTube , so in  a spare moment take a listen.

You know , I think I'll start at the top and tell you a story about each of these songs , what else have we to do ... I mean I'm always searching for blog filler material.

We shall see said the Zen Master

All I Know as sung by Art Garfunkel.

Writer , Paul Simon once said that as he heard the applause that Art garnered from singing this song , he would stand in the wings and think ' Author , Author '. Rendered by Art Garfunkel the song is bliss. BTW , Art Garfunkel said that pre - show he would listen to James Taylor sing b/c of JT s perfect pitch. Who knew ?

Shudders On

Well , except for paint blunders , to be remedied

Voila , c'est ici 

Good News

,, I wish. Thought that I would start w/ a hopeful banner lead in and pray that I really do deliver good news.

Well , lets try Obama and his ' we are on our way to help , Iraq '
Sort of good

This summer has produced quirky but grass growing conditions , thus even my lawn looks good

Weather : cool going to warmish and little chance of rain

Hey , the shudders come to -day. The ' window ' is 9:30 to 11 AM
A couple of hours , mostly spent , figuring how to make the shutters or shudders fit plane w/ the window jamb

Surgery in Ohio apparently went w / out a hitch
Speedy recovery ' Uncle ' You'll need to push the physio once you get into re - hab mode  It is rumoured that a good lager , once a day ramps up the healing process.

We will see said the Zen Master

Going ... going

.... no. Not Gone. However , all the bumps are fading and the worst of them ( on the off side arm , that didn't touch the plant ) is prominent but it's lost its redness.
An acquaintance mentioned hives that came and went over a year.
Same bumps and blisters as me , it seems.
No doctor ever ventured more than a guess of contact dermatitis
and ' Don't touch plants !!! '. Thats b/c I think that is what happened
On the net , contact dermatitis is the fall back for my bumps.

On CBC radio , one of the talk shows announced that " the Civil Wars " have broken up for good.
The ' Civil Wars ' was a duo of Joy Williams and J P White. They're style was ' Americana ' , a genre that sprung up around Nashville and spread far and wide. The music is folk , country , bluegrass and Jazz. 
I've mentioned the ' Tiny Desk ' concert series from NPR , available on YouTube.
The CWs was a group that I bumped into while watching the TD concerts. NPR described them as swooning , pure chemistry. I felt that they were close to sublime.
Entertainers , they swoozled their way into the audience's heart ... and they had them before they got on stage.
I've been listening to their version of MJ s ' Billie Jean ' , sweet lord of the Ever Ever , never thought that I was a MJ fan.

One of the comments on the NPR video was something like '  CW s if you ever get to - gether again ... I promise never to listen to crappy music  , please try !!!! '

There's pure art and unfortunately , fate , whatever , lead to Joy 's husband acting as manager. Added to this , was a situation where the Williams' could go on the road but the Whites' couldn't. These statements are speculation b/c the principals have been very discreet about revealing details.   Sound a little too                       Civil - (wars)-ilized ?
No one was talking trash but tried to put the differences in terms that at least gave a hint to the cause.

I don't want this to get maudlin but the synchrony of these two , went beyond just singing and  playing.
C'est dommage ... Mon Dieu .. but this world is a complicated place

Weather : sunny , cool , slight threat of rain but overall a great day
Temperatures will build over the course of the next 4 days and culminate in rain for a day or two. Not bad.

To - morrow , the finishing touches are applied to the bedroom or the ' blue grotto ' as friends have taken to naming it.
Shutters come in the morning , pictures to follow , natch.

Went out this morning on the 'bee. For the first time in 2 weeks ( dermatitis time ) and funny , I didn't get any better at fishing. 3 hits and 1 rock bass in 1  1 / 2 hrs. TG ,  its not my full time job
Still great to get out.  Boat ran fine and the trolley went up and down w/ out a clunk.... lots of little squeals and clicks but... no clunks. Clunks are not good.

BTW - I'm re-inventing the wheel again. The supports for the marine railway are supposed to be some sort of metal jack but mine didn't come w/ such. I've been using blocks and stone to support the railway. Yesterday , I purchased two deck blocks ( yep , the kind that you use to form the foundation for deck posts ). These devils are pyramid shaped and have cut outs to take a 4x4 upright and 2x4 cross ways. 
I'm hoping that the pyramids will allow me to support the rails but also introduce some possibilty of adjusting the height i.e. by using wood pieces on top of the pyramid - both cross ways and up and down
We shall see said the Zen Master

BTW - 2 .. this blog made passing reference to Ebola in W Africa 2 months ago and infrequently since. Somewhere around the 1400 death mark , this Ebola outbreak will surpass the combined total of deaths since 1976 , in some 20 or so different Ebola locales.
Readers should note W Africa was not a forseen possibility in the estimation of WHO , and is considered an anomaly right now.
Canada may play a large role in the control of Ebola virus w/ a drug being developed to combat Ebola.
The drug was in hold mode as the FDA monitored some unusual results from trials. There is a chance that rapid development of this drug may be needed.

We shall see said the Zen Master

( I know I'd better stop w/ the Zen thing )

We shall see said the Zen Master

I'm on ' Bennies '

Still taking the Benadryl ( bennies )for the blossoms. Sort of in a static situation as the bumps seem to be fading in some places

Weather is starting cooler than yesterday , w/ small chance of rain

There is good news in the world , Hamas and Israel have a truce thats lasted 2 days.

I'm watching ' Yukon Gold ' where people who can barely tolerate each other , go and dig for gold.
I like gold and traditionally, gold is sought as a hedge against inflation and banking problems.
I also subscribe to the ' land is not created , so own it ' theory of home ownership.  I am a dinosaur.

All the glitters , eh ?

Torrents Fell

Several areas of the Golden Horseshoe ( Niagara and Toronto area ) are cleaning up after localized flooding.
Weather : Buckets came down last night in two large dumps from 3 to 8 PM. Rain is likely to - day and slightly probable for 2 days.

In the world of disease , Ebola won't go away and my dermatitis has found new legs.
Ebola has now killed 900 in W Africa.
I'm taking Benadryl ( anti histamine ) to try and keep the allergic effects to a minimum. Not that many new bumps but some of the old ones seem to be hanging in like real troopers. Dangnabit ... ( I'm trying new language here )
We can't compare the 2 , but sometimes ... sometimes

I'm back to reading ' Tyranny of the Night '. This reading could be # 5 or something.
A new addition to the trilogy is out called ' Working the Gods' Mischief ' , Amazon wants $ 20 plus shipping. I'll wait . All things come to him who waits.... we hope

Called Ohio , yesterday , to let them know that I keep track of Ohio in the news. Also , my ' Uncle ' undergoes surgery to replace the knee joint.

OK Stay away from me and W Africa

Contact , Contact

Actually , that was the name of the allergic reaction that I had / have.Its called contact dermatitis. According to the pictures on the internet , mine was a minor case.  Except that the sun hurt the blisters even on Friday ( 1 week later ) , I got the burning sensation on my arms and to -day it is still itchy. 
Wear long sleeves , wear long sleeves Got it.

Weather : rain still possible but the day starts sunny gains heat and humidity and then...... cool ?  rain ?

We cooked a turkey , yesterday . M did all the trimmings which means at this house rice and mashed potatoes ,stuffing , sweet potatoes and gravy. We used every pot in the house.
Turkey stock is done and left-overs , well ,they're left over.

I will try to make this a normal week. I haven't been outside for chores for ten days. Chores. I sort of walk around and putter. There is always something , little this , little that. Mostly ,that.

Ohio news. The boys were golfing in Akron. Toledo needs drinking water. Ohio is not new to the ' need clean water ' club.

Bad Day in July

.... are the words from a Gordon Lightfoot song re: riots in Detroit.

Yesterday , was a sicky day for me ( Aug not July ). My stomach and head were off all day. Slightly , nauseous etc. Figure it was the prednisone kicking in.
Yes , the Doc has an expression that he uses for me , I'm                  ' pharmaceutically naive '. If you read the warnings on the medications you take , I'm the one that gets those side effects.
Dr G says that I'm inexperienced at taking meds and my body doesn't know what to do with the stuff.
Primarily , I think that it was lack of good sleep. For 2 nights , I can't really say what kind of sleep that I got. Sort of drowsing and in and out of wakefulness.
I don't do well on poor rest , in fact , I do lousy. So , thats what happened.

Movie review : the ' 47 Ronin '. Starring Keanu Reeves
A classic samurai revenge story , unregarded fighter rises up wins the love of the bosses daughter and they all die in the end.
Rating 0.6 / 1  ( Except that I paid $ 10 for this one )

Weather in the sGWN : Rainy looking and damp , rain fell over night and temperature should be high 70 s.

Op Osm : get in shape plan 101. The tale of the scale says 9.8 # down. This week is the end of the third week. The goal was 1 month and 10 #.
However , we were quick to point out that Op Osm has to be a longer term affair than 1 month. Op Osm kicks off and continues
to promote overall health and protect the knee ( less weight , less stress on the knee ...   ) anyway thats  the plan 

RE - Poopulate

That is a fecal transfer of good bacteria - primarily for someone afflicted w/ a bowel or stomach problem i.e. irritable bowel syndrome.
This morning on ' Fresh Air ' the CBC radio , early rising program , the researcher was explaining the ' probiotic ' nomenclature

The Good : the research and clinical trials have definitely shown that probiotic treatment works and may prove to be many times more important than the pharmaceutical landslide currently in vogue.
The range of problems may include Alzheimer's , heart disease and surely cancer.
The Bad : the term probiotic has become a buzz word and labels are misleading.
The Ugly : research , as in , you do the research.
TLC is the reminder

Type  -                 what is the name of the bacteria
Leverage -            what advantage occurs when you have this                                     bacteria in you
Concentration -      at least 1 billion ( added bacteria ) are needed                               to be of benefit and ten billion is desired

Study labels and go on line for names etc

BTW - eating fermented foods does provide a different bacterial environment. However , in general , the effects are so short term that these foods should not really be considered ' probiotic '

There will be more to follow  - my interest has been piqued
I will consult the I Ching   (  kidding , kidding ! )

Now , how to probiotic my way to less allergy rash
The situation has improved - burning was almost non - existent last night , a big improvement.
This morning , the pimples are reddish ( healing ) and smaller
The patient will live but is he any smarter ( Duh , doubt it )

To be fair , I've been wearing pants and long sleeves to garden and do yard work , honest !!!
Its , that one time , that I bent down to pull some weeds in the front walk garden and my forearm touched the plant leaves                    ( marigolds ? as in related to chrysanthemums  )

I WILL BE SMARTER , I WILL BE SMARTER

Weather : Rain came in buckets last night ,  along w/ thunder but we saw no lightning. We should be warmer and stickier but the slight chance of precipitation remains

This week end is a holiday , called Civic day or the Civic long week end
Civic Holiday , is the height of summer and says , its all down hill from here , summerwise

In Eastern Canada , school kids know that when the Canadian National Exhibition ( CNE or the ' Ex ' ) begins , its back to school time
The largest fair in Canada , the Ex runs for some 15 days in permanent buildings and temporary units on the Lakeshore in western Totonto.
M and I have never been to the Ex , as a couple
This year is it , apparently , we are going , somehow , someway

Stay tuned for details of the adventure

The I Ching

pronun : ee jing

The ancient and totally bewildering , Chinese method of divination

I tossed the coins and got Hexagram 39. This event was fascinating b/c my junk e-mail is freeline 39.
39 ? B/c many others were taken i.e. freeline 8 etc

The fates speak of standing firm - venturing forth will lead to great difficulty
Now , if this had been known to me  - then I could have avoided a whole whack of dismal goingforths. Now ! , it tells me tread carefully. Fat load of good it will do me 
The great follies of late middle age - middle spread and feet of clay

Right , right.

In the D. Adams book ' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency '
the namesake of the book finds an ' I Ching ' calculator.
Luckily , someone called ' thateden ' created one on the internet.
TG - I was getting lost in all the words in the I Ching prophesies.

Dirk Gently believes in the ' interconnectedness of all things '
Thus , to solve cases , he follows cars or people ' who look like they know where they are going '. 
Dirk surmises that ' he may not get to where he was going but wherever he ends up , is in all probability where he needed to be '

Unfortunately , this also seems to be my fate

Thus , I am left w/ the assumption despite all my bold actions and my fumblings in this life
I AM WHERE I WAS MEANT TO BE   COAC , guys

' thateden ' says that you should ponder and think hard on  your hexagram ( mine is kien / or kan and khan )
I think the Prednisone is affecting my I Ching.
I wonder what hexagram is Prednisone

Speaking of the drug : this is AM of Aug 1 and ' the bloom is off the rose '
Spots much diminished and itchiness seems to be falling off and is less persistent

The U.S. imports its first case of Ebola to - day. The hospital at Emory U , affiliated w/ the CDC is taking in an American affected by the disease. W Africa has 4 countries experiencing a fast spreading wave of Ebola. the death total is above 700 as of yesterday.