Fishing - What else could it be
The scene is a wide oxbow on the Nottawasaga R. The time is early September. Leaves aren't quite changing colour yet but you can tell the green isn't as sharp as the summer. We are fishing the cottage stretch or the ' white house ' run. We know that there is a slot or channel that cuts a little deeper , out about 25 ft from where we stand.
Our gear is waders and light jackets , just in case the mosquitoes come out to get us. The pickerel ( walleye ) have been persnickitty all day. The bite has been very light. We have the saying ' if rainbows ( trout ) are in there , they'll hit only to be nasty, pickerel could sit there all day and not budge '.
Well ,the pickerel had been sitting all day. The water levels were down and water clear. We adjusted by going to 4 lb test line and # 12 hooks. A #12 is the size of the nail on my baby finger and I have small hands. But when the pickerel get finicky , the lighter the drift , the better.
The technique that we use is bottom bouncing. The terminal gear is a small split shot or two ( called B s ) and the #12 hook - nothing else on the 4 lb test. The current is moving pretty good. We cast upstream of our position and let the line sink and swing in front of us. The weight will clatter along the bottom skimming rocks and branches ( you hope ). The bottom contact time is about 10 - 15 seconds. We wait for the swing to go past and retrieve the line.
The sun is setting at around 8 PM and we have approximately an 1 / 2 hr of fishing left.
To fool the fish , I am down to 1 / 2 a garden earthworm and drifting very light. I feel a touch and raise the rod up to set the hook.
My rod goes straight down. The reel starts to sing as line peels out
, my hand is shaking as I try to lift the rod to horizontal or higher
The line is headed upstream in a boil of thrashing water. This is some big pickerel , until we see the fin. A chinook salmon.
The salmon have been running the river since the U.S. states , such as Michigan , mainly , started stocking salmon in the late 70 s.
The salmon hunting for food find deeper water and food on the Canadian side of L. Huron.
The line is going out at an incredible rate. Suddenly , my brother yells ' turning fast , reel '. There I am barely holding on and cranking like crazy. I manage to get back 80 % of the line and in 15 seconds lose that and more as the fish heads downstream.
This change is not good , now the fish has the current working for him ( or her ). Since we were not expecting trout or slamon , we have been using 4 lb line on top of or regular 6 lb running line.
As the line had peeled out we noticed that I must have been adding line on top of line , all summer. As we watched the line go out , we saw 4 different colours and the corresponding 3 knots swaying back and forth as the line ran out. This is an Oops moment - more knots , more places for the line ( s ) to fail.
The sun is failing as it drops behind the sand hills. And I'm no closer to getting any line back or the fish. There comes a time in an event such as this , where the thought comes to you ' uh , oh ,never going to happen , is it ? '. My brother and I looked at each other in the dimming light. He shrugged and I started walking toward the pool where the fish had taken up station , just holding in the slightly wider deeper water.
Walking toward the fish isn't the best choice. The longer the line the stronger the line ( more stretch over the longer distance ). And I was shortening the line. As well , our biggest fear is slack line as this gives the fish a chance to throw the hook. However , after 40 minutes and fading light , there seemed , little choice.
I reached the pool and elevated the rod as much as possible and my brother waded out , knee deep with the net. I hear a scream ' charging me '. I reel and reel and I'm losing , I see the line get limp a bit ( slack line ). My brother is there with the net between his knees and yells ' got him' . The salmon had charged the shore and swam into the net , all 50 " of him. I ran to help my brother who is wrestling this flopping thing and we manage with very little finesse and a bunch of luck to throw the whole heaving mass of net and fish up on the shore.
OK. What in the world is this fish. The salmon was a chinook , in prime shape. The fish was silver and dark , dark back. A fresh run fish. After 2 - 3 weeks in the river , the chinook darken , go softer and males get a hook jaw. I latched onto a new fish , correspondingly ,full of fight.
The salmon weighed in at 19 lb 4 oz. When I could hold it up with 2 hands , the tail was bare inches from the floor. The line came off the spool like wet noodles , twisting and knotting as it came off.
Dead line.
Smoked and plated , the salmon was a feast. Oh, sorry if your a salmon , don't get caught by a hungry fisherman.
The weather is as cold as yesterday but we have bright sun flooding the south window. There is a slight warming due but cold is pretty much here.
Wednesday 31 December 2014
Tuesday 30 December 2014
" Hobbit " Pt 3
A movie review
Certainly , the movie was big
Loads of action
Loads of monsters ( most lacking any sort of conscious but they are dark creatures ) nothing like the cave Troll in LOTR
The battle scenes are roaring successes
And thank the lord that the eagles came
I hate to think we are talking American Eagle here , but if it sells ?
The cinematography was grand ( oh , it was 3D )
And they got the Bilbo part right. Martin Freeman does an outstanding job ' bringing the picture down to MiddleEarth and the Shire ' when all goes crazy , the Hobbit sensibly seeks peace and reconciliation - nicely donw
The story line developed quickly
- Dwarves have golden treasure , everyone wants a share , promises broken
The bad guys are coming b/c they are the bad guys
Galadriel , Elrond , Saruman and Sauron get cameo roles and for the first time that I can remember , I heard the name Morgoth
Morgoth is the alias for Melkor. Melkor is an original God of the world. Melkor took Elves and made them Orcs. the symbolism is that the Orcs are the image of Melkor as the Elves are the image of Iluvatar.
The above references are enough to form the bridge between the Hobbit trilogy and LOTR itself.
Accepting that everything above is a positive , are there con s
Well , on the bum numbness scale , this movie gets fairly high marks
It does hold your interest but barely
Weather : 27 F in the shade and the air is still
We have a skim of white on the ground
M's take on last night , Hobbit ans sushi ( dinner ) Wow !
Certainly , the movie was big
Loads of action
Loads of monsters ( most lacking any sort of conscious but they are dark creatures ) nothing like the cave Troll in LOTR
The battle scenes are roaring successes
And thank the lord that the eagles came
I hate to think we are talking American Eagle here , but if it sells ?
The cinematography was grand ( oh , it was 3D )
And they got the Bilbo part right. Martin Freeman does an outstanding job ' bringing the picture down to MiddleEarth and the Shire ' when all goes crazy , the Hobbit sensibly seeks peace and reconciliation - nicely donw
The story line developed quickly
- Dwarves have golden treasure , everyone wants a share , promises broken
The bad guys are coming b/c they are the bad guys
Galadriel , Elrond , Saruman and Sauron get cameo roles and for the first time that I can remember , I heard the name Morgoth
Morgoth is the alias for Melkor. Melkor is an original God of the world. Melkor took Elves and made them Orcs. the symbolism is that the Orcs are the image of Melkor as the Elves are the image of Iluvatar.
The above references are enough to form the bridge between the Hobbit trilogy and LOTR itself.
Accepting that everything above is a positive , are there con s
Well , on the bum numbness scale , this movie gets fairly high marks
It does hold your interest but barely
Weather : 27 F in the shade and the air is still
We have a skim of white on the ground
M's take on last night , Hobbit ans sushi ( dinner ) Wow !
Monday 29 December 2014
Trivial Trivia
Both the Hobbit / LOTR and Harry Pitiful , have set records for franchise gross sales.
To -day is H day , with ' explode - a - sound ' stereo and 3D glasses
Usually , I take off the glasses for bits and pieces to reduce the chance of nausea. Really not in to 3D
Weather : turned on us - temperatures fell below zero w/ a real bite to the air. A little breeze and blankets of cold air N of us , about 80 miles away
To -day is return day. M goes to Winners / Marshalls and I go to Home Depot - a very unusual situation that both of us return stuff
I took a real flyer and bought clothes - and struck out on both items
One was size and the other was look. Oops !
We are busy planning a trip to England. My goal is pick a place and stay - no schlepping luggage all over the UK. We've probably settled on Bath , Somerset. Bath is Georgian , bombed a little in WWII but restored and kept to the style. And yes , Bath is baths , thermal pools etc , still working.
And on to Cornwall , far south and west , to a town called Newquay. we will radiate out on day trips to all the famous places
- Land's End , Penzance etc. or maybe not , depending.
To get in the mood , I'm drinking or using ' Pimm's #1 '. A liqueur thingie , on a par w/ Angostura bitters plus alcohol , herbs and sweetners. Typically , a Pimms is chased w/ lemonade or ginger ale. I'm using a bit of sugar in water , squeezes of lemon , and Pimms over ice. A cocktail , low alcohol version.
The weight battle - over the ' bad week ' , dinner out and 2 Xmas dinners plus nuts and crap - I was up a pound.
I've set a record w/ 16 straight days of exercise. I figured on combatting over -eating before it started.
I normally , think in terms of 4 days on and 1 off. But I changed routines a touch and eased off on the elliptical ( lower and slower ). The knee has held up - very little icing and heating.
My instructions 15 - 18 yrs ago was movement ( elliptical preferred ) and back off - speed or length of time as needed.
In 2003 , I bought the elliptical , set a routine and a target of 2018
to be using the same routine. The emphasis was cardio and strength conditioning. Has it worked ??? dunno - what would I compare to ???? Thus , I keep trudging on and on and on...............................
Wear a scarf - the goal , keep the wind off your back and neck , that my theory on comfort
To -day is H day , with ' explode - a - sound ' stereo and 3D glasses
Usually , I take off the glasses for bits and pieces to reduce the chance of nausea. Really not in to 3D
Weather : turned on us - temperatures fell below zero w/ a real bite to the air. A little breeze and blankets of cold air N of us , about 80 miles away
To -day is return day. M goes to Winners / Marshalls and I go to Home Depot - a very unusual situation that both of us return stuff
I took a real flyer and bought clothes - and struck out on both items
One was size and the other was look. Oops !
We are busy planning a trip to England. My goal is pick a place and stay - no schlepping luggage all over the UK. We've probably settled on Bath , Somerset. Bath is Georgian , bombed a little in WWII but restored and kept to the style. And yes , Bath is baths , thermal pools etc , still working.
And on to Cornwall , far south and west , to a town called Newquay. we will radiate out on day trips to all the famous places
- Land's End , Penzance etc. or maybe not , depending.
To get in the mood , I'm drinking or using ' Pimm's #1 '. A liqueur thingie , on a par w/ Angostura bitters plus alcohol , herbs and sweetners. Typically , a Pimms is chased w/ lemonade or ginger ale. I'm using a bit of sugar in water , squeezes of lemon , and Pimms over ice. A cocktail , low alcohol version.
The weight battle - over the ' bad week ' , dinner out and 2 Xmas dinners plus nuts and crap - I was up a pound.
I've set a record w/ 16 straight days of exercise. I figured on combatting over -eating before it started.
I normally , think in terms of 4 days on and 1 off. But I changed routines a touch and eased off on the elliptical ( lower and slower ). The knee has held up - very little icing and heating.
My instructions 15 - 18 yrs ago was movement ( elliptical preferred ) and back off - speed or length of time as needed.
In 2003 , I bought the elliptical , set a routine and a target of 2018
to be using the same routine. The emphasis was cardio and strength conditioning. Has it worked ??? dunno - what would I compare to ???? Thus , I keep trudging on and on and on...............................
Wear a scarf - the goal , keep the wind off your back and neck , that my theory on comfort
Sunday 28 December 2014
Summing Up.....
...... the year.
Our travels :
Fla , check
Niagara - on - the - Lake , check
Salamanca , NY , check
Maumee Lodge , OH , check
Salamanca , snowed in , check
Las Vegas , check
QMH - maybe not as much as we could
Fishing - productive until Aug and then someone turned the taps off
the rating for the year , lousy , relieved by lousy
Still , lots of fresh air and out of M's hair for a bit
Health - minor misfortune , skin irritations galore , however , on discovery , many folks get the same things that I do - just not one person getting all these symptoms by themselves. I must be several
peoples , at least
How was your year ?
Weather : holding firm above freezing , dampish air , wind is up a bit to -day ( branches flicking and some trees swaying )
At the World Juniors in hockey. Team Canada is scaring the country, undefeated , unscored on - we are waiting for the bottom to fall out - remember this is Canadian - fourth is what we get
This morning was muffin day. Raisin bran muffins ala Me.
Whole bran , canola oil and Splenda brand brown sugar are substituted in. Raisins appear in 10 / 12 muffins , 2 sans , b/c M isn't a raisin fan. This baking is testament to the fact that I'm retired , now I did bake before , I retired , however , it is what it is.
Sum up your year , drop me a line
Our travels :
Fla , check
Niagara - on - the - Lake , check
Salamanca , NY , check
Maumee Lodge , OH , check
Salamanca , snowed in , check
Las Vegas , check
QMH - maybe not as much as we could
Fishing - productive until Aug and then someone turned the taps off
the rating for the year , lousy , relieved by lousy
Still , lots of fresh air and out of M's hair for a bit
Health - minor misfortune , skin irritations galore , however , on discovery , many folks get the same things that I do - just not one person getting all these symptoms by themselves. I must be several
peoples , at least
How was your year ?
Weather : holding firm above freezing , dampish air , wind is up a bit to -day ( branches flicking and some trees swaying )
At the World Juniors in hockey. Team Canada is scaring the country, undefeated , unscored on - we are waiting for the bottom to fall out - remember this is Canadian - fourth is what we get
This morning was muffin day. Raisin bran muffins ala Me.
Whole bran , canola oil and Splenda brand brown sugar are substituted in. Raisins appear in 10 / 12 muffins , 2 sans , b/c M isn't a raisin fan. This baking is testament to the fact that I'm retired , now I did bake before , I retired , however , it is what it is.
Sum up your year , drop me a line
Saturday 27 December 2014
The Let Down
... day or come down day , for us
Nothing on the calendar , TV , coffee .... catch up w/ things around the house
2 turkey dinners , sweets and nuts , done and one -- Terrif !
The News by the Numbers ?
Terrible and worse
Plastic , clogging the oceans. Estimates put the total mass of plastic floating out there in the millions of tons. Breakdown time , in decades , and some longer
The weather : dampish and colder than the past 3 days , rain , ?????? must be coming
Alright , here it goes. On YouTube , you type in ' Innova Irish Dance Co. ' select the window thats says Britains Got Talent or BGT ' and watch these girls go.
I want to say that there is not much in my life that gives me joy - but that is sooooo negative. Thus, I'll say , I'm sure all dancers love what they do. And are good at it.This group takes Irish dancing and modern music and put on a show. They look like they're having fun, I think I'm having fun
And isn't that what entertainment should be
I've watched the clip , at least 10 X - this section is the qualifying or prelim stages of BGT , that year.
Innova goes on to the semi s and meets Simon Cowell , nuff said , right. Still , a great run
Hope that you can ramp down , a little , and rest a bit
We don't start up again until New Years Day when we host.
Oops ! Hobbit Day is in there , too !
Nothing on the calendar , TV , coffee .... catch up w/ things around the house
2 turkey dinners , sweets and nuts , done and one -- Terrif !
The News by the Numbers ?
Terrible and worse
Plastic , clogging the oceans. Estimates put the total mass of plastic floating out there in the millions of tons. Breakdown time , in decades , and some longer
The weather : dampish and colder than the past 3 days , rain , ?????? must be coming
Alright , here it goes. On YouTube , you type in ' Innova Irish Dance Co. ' select the window thats says Britains Got Talent or BGT ' and watch these girls go.
I want to say that there is not much in my life that gives me joy - but that is sooooo negative. Thus, I'll say , I'm sure all dancers love what they do. And are good at it.This group takes Irish dancing and modern music and put on a show. They look like they're having fun, I think I'm having fun
And isn't that what entertainment should be
I've watched the clip , at least 10 X - this section is the qualifying or prelim stages of BGT , that year.
Innova goes on to the semi s and meets Simon Cowell , nuff said , right. Still , a great run
Hope that you can ramp down , a little , and rest a bit
We don't start up again until New Years Day when we host.
Oops ! Hobbit Day is in there , too !
Friday 26 December 2014
Something About a ...
.... squeaky wheel , and oil
Back to our squeaking bed
We have no neighbours underneath our bedroom
But the squeaks are annoying
We are not alone , on the internet , countless entries are devoted to the squeaking bed problem
A squeaking bed was rated somewhere between a barking dog and a dripping faucet for annoyance factor
We re -did our floors and installed hardwood boards. Beautiful
Bed goes back and ............ squeak - a - rama began
4 years down the line
after cloth under the footings
after coasters shoved anywhere wood touches wood
after slip padding between the wood of the foundation and the wood crosspiece that runs down the middle of the frame
To - day , we used washclothes layered where foundation touches the wood frame
Maybe , maybe , baby We'll see
So , how was your morning
Our weather is mild , meaning way above Dec average
Damp but no rain ,yet
Yesterday , at Xmas dinner which was excellent
2 sneezing and coughing kids and 1 mother just recovering from death
Our host is reportedly down w/ the ughs ,she is in contact w/ the kids a lot , Granny martyrdom , or the like
Folks are coldish , fluish and sickish in general
Take your echinacea , cranberries , orange juice
On the WestWing , the series , one recurring character was the oddball , Lord Marbury . British peer and liaison for world negotiations
Lord M is bantering back and forth w/ the 1 st Lady on the theme of cultural traditional cold remedies - acca root and fermented goat milk , the leaves of the cacabaca plant and rum , samdasda blossom marinated in a gin like liqueur.
The 1 st Lady ( a surgeon ) turns and says ' basically , you can drink the alcohol and forget the rest '
LM : ' yes , that about sums it up '
Ah , got it in one ( I may have made up those plant names , eh ? )
To -day , people will spend approx 1/3 of their holiday budget seeking bargains
We are taking back a couple of Xmas presents , wrong size and wrong cutting kit for a rotary tool
I have tools and accessories galore - which I organize and catalog
lose and rediscover constantly.
I have found nifty ways to store items in the workshop
Mostly , I can find anything that I need , many after the time was right and I could have used the sucker
However, the act of discovery is always joyous , not timely but joyous
Here's squeaking at you
Back to our squeaking bed
We have no neighbours underneath our bedroom
But the squeaks are annoying
We are not alone , on the internet , countless entries are devoted to the squeaking bed problem
A squeaking bed was rated somewhere between a barking dog and a dripping faucet for annoyance factor
We re -did our floors and installed hardwood boards. Beautiful
Bed goes back and ............ squeak - a - rama began
4 years down the line
after cloth under the footings
after coasters shoved anywhere wood touches wood
after slip padding between the wood of the foundation and the wood crosspiece that runs down the middle of the frame
To - day , we used washclothes layered where foundation touches the wood frame
Maybe , maybe , baby We'll see
So , how was your morning
Our weather is mild , meaning way above Dec average
Damp but no rain ,yet
Yesterday , at Xmas dinner which was excellent
2 sneezing and coughing kids and 1 mother just recovering from death
Our host is reportedly down w/ the ughs ,she is in contact w/ the kids a lot , Granny martyrdom , or the like
Folks are coldish , fluish and sickish in general
Take your echinacea , cranberries , orange juice
On the WestWing , the series , one recurring character was the oddball , Lord Marbury . British peer and liaison for world negotiations
Lord M is bantering back and forth w/ the 1 st Lady on the theme of cultural traditional cold remedies - acca root and fermented goat milk , the leaves of the cacabaca plant and rum , samdasda blossom marinated in a gin like liqueur.
The 1 st Lady ( a surgeon ) turns and says ' basically , you can drink the alcohol and forget the rest '
LM : ' yes , that about sums it up '
Ah , got it in one ( I may have made up those plant names , eh ? )
To -day , people will spend approx 1/3 of their holiday budget seeking bargains
We are taking back a couple of Xmas presents , wrong size and wrong cutting kit for a rotary tool
I have tools and accessories galore - which I organize and catalog
lose and rediscover constantly.
I have found nifty ways to store items in the workshop
Mostly , I can find anything that I need , many after the time was right and I could have used the sucker
However, the act of discovery is always joyous , not timely but joyous
Here's squeaking at you
Thursday 25 December 2014
Twice is ....
...... no accident
On ' Elementary ' Sherlock is fond of saying ' there are no coincidences ! '
On a food show , street food off the trucks , a big hit was a burger w/ deep fried chicken skins. The skin is dipped in egg and crumbs and into the fryer. Chicken bacon , to some
Many restaurants etc must be doing this
Ala Buffalo wings. There was a time when the wings were the basic ingredient in soup or chicken stock. Wings were almost throw away and the price reflected that . Then a craze started in Buffalo , the main culprit was the ' Anchor ' , and now , I bet wings are the standard go to , in most bars and pubs.
On ' Eat St ' , the food truck show , a venue made ' stuffed ' chicken wings. Stuffing was veg , cheese and meat , your choice
Presents were opened this morning and Santa was generous.
Hope you got good swag.
The greatest Xmas album ' Phil Spectors , Christmas Album '
OK , best out of 34 000 , not bad , maybe
Weather : The wind thundered last night and will continue to - day.
Rain pelted down and down. We are very mild for Dec 25. Our temperature is 10 - 12 degrees above average for the day.
Enjoy the day , y'all
On ' Elementary ' Sherlock is fond of saying ' there are no coincidences ! '
On a food show , street food off the trucks , a big hit was a burger w/ deep fried chicken skins. The skin is dipped in egg and crumbs and into the fryer. Chicken bacon , to some
Many restaurants etc must be doing this
Ala Buffalo wings. There was a time when the wings were the basic ingredient in soup or chicken stock. Wings were almost throw away and the price reflected that . Then a craze started in Buffalo , the main culprit was the ' Anchor ' , and now , I bet wings are the standard go to , in most bars and pubs.
On ' Eat St ' , the food truck show , a venue made ' stuffed ' chicken wings. Stuffing was veg , cheese and meat , your choice
Presents were opened this morning and Santa was generous.
Hope you got good swag.
The greatest Xmas album ' Phil Spectors , Christmas Album '
OK , best out of 34 000 , not bad , maybe
Weather : The wind thundered last night and will continue to - day.
Rain pelted down and down. We are very mild for Dec 25. Our temperature is 10 - 12 degrees above average for the day.
Enjoy the day , y'all
Wednesday 24 December 2014
Happiest of
Christmases and Enjoy the family times
Dinner went well last night. The ' Green Eggplant ' was the choice of venue. Angel hair pasta and jumbo shrimp was my selection. Angel hair / lobster & shrimp but in a al Fredo sauce and 2 chicken cutlet dinners were the others
The weather is dodgy. Damp looking and miserable right now.
The predictions are rain , thunderstorms and strong winds.
Its the winds that will do the damage
Xmas Eve dinner is a tradition here. Meals have varied from Courier du Bois ( Fr. meat roll ) , sausage rolls and clam chowder
, shrimp and pate avec crackers. However , we are falling back on an old favourite , tortiere , which is to say - meat pie - fancy , french but a meat pie. This would be b/c I love meat pies - one gigantic weakness of mine .... along w/ 15 others
Last year , trapped in the basement wrapped in blankets , we used the crank radio to listen to ' the Shepherd ' . Story line , post war , a fighter pilot headed home realizes that he is # 1 lost # 2 can't radio
#3 swimming in fog.
Rescue. An older fighter plane pops up and wags its wings. Following both sound and sight , our lost pilot finds the home runway.
Our pilot identifies the plane by call letters and finds..................
a fighter reported lost in action 3 years before ( war )
The Shepherd
Spooky stuff but nice
We just might listen again. The narrator is Allan Maitland. AM has been doing , this sort of narration for decades. Almost an institution in an organization known for institutions , the CBC , they breed them in that place
Hi to D , K , R and C in case your reading this , now that you know its me
OK go do your stuff , folks
Enjoy , soak it up
Don't drink and drive , please
Dinner went well last night. The ' Green Eggplant ' was the choice of venue. Angel hair pasta and jumbo shrimp was my selection. Angel hair / lobster & shrimp but in a al Fredo sauce and 2 chicken cutlet dinners were the others
The weather is dodgy. Damp looking and miserable right now.
The predictions are rain , thunderstorms and strong winds.
Its the winds that will do the damage
Xmas Eve dinner is a tradition here. Meals have varied from Courier du Bois ( Fr. meat roll ) , sausage rolls and clam chowder
, shrimp and pate avec crackers. However , we are falling back on an old favourite , tortiere , which is to say - meat pie - fancy , french but a meat pie. This would be b/c I love meat pies - one gigantic weakness of mine .... along w/ 15 others
Last year , trapped in the basement wrapped in blankets , we used the crank radio to listen to ' the Shepherd ' . Story line , post war , a fighter pilot headed home realizes that he is # 1 lost # 2 can't radio
#3 swimming in fog.
Rescue. An older fighter plane pops up and wags its wings. Following both sound and sight , our lost pilot finds the home runway.
Our pilot identifies the plane by call letters and finds..................
a fighter reported lost in action 3 years before ( war )
The Shepherd
Spooky stuff but nice
We just might listen again. The narrator is Allan Maitland. AM has been doing , this sort of narration for decades. Almost an institution in an organization known for institutions , the CBC , they breed them in that place
Hi to D , K , R and C in case your reading this , now that you know its me
OK go do your stuff , folks
Enjoy , soak it up
Don't drink and drive , please
Tuesday 23 December 2014
I'm hoping
... faint hope at that
Does everyone need to turn on the livingroom lamp to type on their laptop , cuz I do
Does everyone believe or are covered by the , 7 register theory
The 7 register theory states - that there are 7 registers or pigeon holes in your brain's memory circuit. Thus , you can recall 7 things easily , sort of , off the top of your head - but when # 8 comes along , as in bowling balls on the rack , one register must empty to make room for the new info
Does everyone believe that fat or thin that there are a fair number of grumpy people out there. I say fat or thin b/c on all the weight loss commercials the ' victim ' always says ' and I've never been so happy ' plus a lot of vanity crapola Really , really
Not so Joe or Jose or Josef
I'm running out for a last minute item ( s ) that need to be fresh for Xmas day or fresher
The weather is reasonable , 39 f on the deck in the shade which is a laugh b/c everywhere is in shade this morning. Wind looks still , I can see a forest from this window , nothing moving but the squirrels
and they are active this morning
Did you know that Stevie Wonder has at least 19 Grammys. The DVD was from 3 years ago.
And that Alison Krauss ( my dream girl ) has 20 Grammys ( at least )
For the pre - Xmas gift exchange that we do - an enamel plaque was wrapped it says " There is a fine line between a fisherman and just some idiot standing on the shore " Touche , mon ami , touche
One of you mentioned that you might not have the discipline to blog. well ,if thats the case , I mean the discipline thing - I must be doing this blog thingy , all wrong
This blogging is absolutely cathartic
BTW - the ' Hobbit' #3 , led the box office receipts , the past week
Did I already say H3 is being lauded as the best of the H series
Yeah ! cuz they left all the good stuff for this chunk.
Does everyone need to turn on the livingroom lamp to type on their laptop , cuz I do
Does everyone believe or are covered by the , 7 register theory
The 7 register theory states - that there are 7 registers or pigeon holes in your brain's memory circuit. Thus , you can recall 7 things easily , sort of , off the top of your head - but when # 8 comes along , as in bowling balls on the rack , one register must empty to make room for the new info
Does everyone believe that fat or thin that there are a fair number of grumpy people out there. I say fat or thin b/c on all the weight loss commercials the ' victim ' always says ' and I've never been so happy ' plus a lot of vanity crapola Really , really
Not so Joe or Jose or Josef
I'm running out for a last minute item ( s ) that need to be fresh for Xmas day or fresher
The weather is reasonable , 39 f on the deck in the shade which is a laugh b/c everywhere is in shade this morning. Wind looks still , I can see a forest from this window , nothing moving but the squirrels
and they are active this morning
Did you know that Stevie Wonder has at least 19 Grammys. The DVD was from 3 years ago.
And that Alison Krauss ( my dream girl ) has 20 Grammys ( at least )
For the pre - Xmas gift exchange that we do - an enamel plaque was wrapped it says " There is a fine line between a fisherman and just some idiot standing on the shore " Touche , mon ami , touche
One of you mentioned that you might not have the discipline to blog. well ,if thats the case , I mean the discipline thing - I must be doing this blog thingy , all wrong
This blogging is absolutely cathartic
BTW - the ' Hobbit' #3 , led the box office receipts , the past week
Did I already say H3 is being lauded as the best of the H series
Yeah ! cuz they left all the good stuff for this chunk.
Monday 22 December 2014
Trying on the Star
Its a short video of the LV star on our tree
I think that you'll need 'QuikTime ' to see the video
Last night on the buds :
A show about Xmas songs and carols. I know people who distinguish between carols ( religious ) and songs
Apparently , this kind of music ( either ) was not allowed in churches. The singing happened outside the church walls.
Xmas dates to the 700 s AD. And Xmas was cancelled in the 15 C
b/c it wasn't religious enough..... do tell
The CBC show was , ' Around Midnight , the Sunday Edition '
Robert Harris was the expert and Michael Enright , the host.
Facts : since 1960 , 34 000 Xmas albums were released
The vast majority of songs were penned in the 1940 s , coinciding w/ the war years and the peace. As well , the vast majority were penned by Jewish songsmiths e.g. Irving Berlin , the Gershwins and later Mel Torme who wrote 'the Christmas Song ' .. chestnuts etc
Rudolph comes to town
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer , was written in the late 40 s by a Jewish songwriter May. It was May's answer to the carols / songs that he heard. Rudolph was meant to be his interpretation of growing up a Jew in Christian America.
The lyrics tell of looking and feeling different and then accepting who you were. It spoke of equality of spirit and means
During the McCarthy years , singers and arrangers took out lines that were deemed Communist ( equality etc ).
The publishers offered the song to Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra and both said ' No '. Gene Autry turned the song down as well.
Gene's wife heard the song and said ' Gene do it ' . 4 million copies later , Gene said , ' I can do this '
Gene wrote ' Santa Comes to Town ' in response
The digital age in America. Newspapers and magazines are taking a beating trying to compete w/ digital media. Print books are holding out at 40 % of sales in the U.S. In Canada , 17 % of the book market is digital.
Prognosticators can see print books surviving
When polled , respondents cite the anonymity of digital devices.
Those polled , wanted others to know ( see ) when they were reading ' quality or important ' books
The fragrance industry is a $ 40 billion concern. The U.S. and Brazil are world leaders in consumption. Women spend 24 B$ , men 13 B$ and 3 B$ for non gender scents
Weather : near freezing and the air is damp. The day looks gray and ominous. The ' Santa ' bomb - gale winds and freezing rain , may not happen now. Temperatures are staying warmer than originally forecasted.
Last year , we spent Xmas in the basement around the gas fireplace minus electricity for 5 days.
Notice : Police and insurers are saying the 4 days running up to the 24 th are high in accidents. Drinking , stress and hurried moves cause large numbers of accidents
So , stay safe
Sunday 21 December 2014
The Roll Up
... to the social season. In preparation for the whirlwind of activity
for the next 2 weeks ,said tongue in cheek b/c our load is light ( no children , no siblings ) , we ( M ) made cornmeal surprises.
The surprise and it is , is a hotdog in the middle of a cornmeal cupcake.
I'm a Pogo fan , or a dog on a stick guy. Right , cornmeal coated , deep fried on a stick weiner. That are not good for me.
The Loop ( the homepage that I rag on b/c it is so useless ) had 20 recipes for the holiday season.
A cornmeal muffin avec ' dog ' bit was one. People have said w/ astonishment ' was there a hotdog in there ? " We should warn them, I suppose. Well , I love them. I suggested Xmas theme muffin papers and the little suckers are festive.
We had to buy mini muffin tins b/c these guys are one bite wonders but I would say a success.
I lied , our social season started w/ a cancellation as the other couple reported stomach trouble. The season starts to - day w/ a pre - Xmas present opening , its tradition.
We get 3 days off and then go Xmas dinner / Boxing Day 5 days off ( maybe ) and then New Years Day itself. That last one is traditional oriental type celebration.
I've been doing the NYD thing my whole life w/ 3 times off while away in the islands.
We cheat big time. We order in sushi and Chinese food. My Mom and aunts used to cook 2 days straight. My Mom might have 3 sittings during NYD.
I decided , nuts ! to cooking --- thats not fun
We do one sitting and keep the guest list small - ish. It expanded once and now has fallen off but will likely expand w/ significant others being added.
Weather : crisp and partly sunny , a pregnant lull , we are getting rain and wind in 2 days or so. Correction at 10:40 AM - its a great day out there.
Ran out for last minute entertaining thingies , moderate and mostly dry a little wind
Last night , on YouTube we watched ' flash mob ' ing around the world. E.g. in Sydney , Australia , a lone figure in black walks to the concourse centre of the train station - hops up on his toes and starts
hard shoe dancing. followed by ' strangers ' out of the throng and within 3 minutes , 200 dancers are flinging their feet to the strains of the themes from ' Riverdance ' , the Irish dance extravaganza. Minutes later , the dancers melt away into the audience.
Neato , eh , what ?
Happy winter Solstice - the longest night of the year. However , the days get longer from here on in ( official kick off is 6:03 PM EST )
for the next 2 weeks ,said tongue in cheek b/c our load is light ( no children , no siblings ) , we ( M ) made cornmeal surprises.
The surprise and it is , is a hotdog in the middle of a cornmeal cupcake.
I'm a Pogo fan , or a dog on a stick guy. Right , cornmeal coated , deep fried on a stick weiner. That are not good for me.
The Loop ( the homepage that I rag on b/c it is so useless ) had 20 recipes for the holiday season.
A cornmeal muffin avec ' dog ' bit was one. People have said w/ astonishment ' was there a hotdog in there ? " We should warn them, I suppose. Well , I love them. I suggested Xmas theme muffin papers and the little suckers are festive.
We had to buy mini muffin tins b/c these guys are one bite wonders but I would say a success.
I lied , our social season started w/ a cancellation as the other couple reported stomach trouble. The season starts to - day w/ a pre - Xmas present opening , its tradition.
We get 3 days off and then go Xmas dinner / Boxing Day 5 days off ( maybe ) and then New Years Day itself. That last one is traditional oriental type celebration.
I've been doing the NYD thing my whole life w/ 3 times off while away in the islands.
We cheat big time. We order in sushi and Chinese food. My Mom and aunts used to cook 2 days straight. My Mom might have 3 sittings during NYD.
I decided , nuts ! to cooking --- thats not fun
We do one sitting and keep the guest list small - ish. It expanded once and now has fallen off but will likely expand w/ significant others being added.
Weather : crisp and partly sunny , a pregnant lull , we are getting rain and wind in 2 days or so. Correction at 10:40 AM - its a great day out there.
Ran out for last minute entertaining thingies , moderate and mostly dry a little wind
Last night , on YouTube we watched ' flash mob ' ing around the world. E.g. in Sydney , Australia , a lone figure in black walks to the concourse centre of the train station - hops up on his toes and starts
hard shoe dancing. followed by ' strangers ' out of the throng and within 3 minutes , 200 dancers are flinging their feet to the strains of the themes from ' Riverdance ' , the Irish dance extravaganza. Minutes later , the dancers melt away into the audience.
Neato , eh , what ?
Happy winter Solstice - the longest night of the year. However , the days get longer from here on in ( official kick off is 6:03 PM EST )
Saturday 20 December 2014
On Learning
This morning , there was a special on the story of the ' Titanic '.
Her sister ship was the ' Olympic ' , an accident prone ship that whacked around other boats all over England.
Basically , the big T never slowed down even in reported ice fields , her wireless operator was fixed on sending passenger messages as priority items and big T was under supplied w/ lifeboats
No English person was charged or blamed in the inquiry which followed. The master of the ' California ' took the blame , as the closest ship and failing to respond.
Later , 20 years ago , salvage evidence showed the big T wasn't at her reported position.
The board of inquiry was staffed w/ the same people that certified her sea worthiness and preparedness. Any blame attributed to to the White Star Line or Titanic owners would rebound onto the entity that allowed Titanic to sail.
The Titanic story produced fame , as in the ' Unsinkable Molly Brown ' , a passenger
In reality , the White Star Co , never used the phrase , unsinkable , a reporter wrote , she is almost unsinkable.
More first class men escaped than children, B/c the yell , ' women and children first ' was a legacy of the Titanic legend
The biggest ship afloat , nope , as big as her sister Olympic.
Weather : marvy winter day , excuse me , late fall day , the shortest day of the year , is to - morrow. Bright sun and crisp air , that means you'll freeze your patoochies off , out there
Well ,she gets very little mention , my Mom is hanging in there.
Of course , our memories , are us. She is lost , pleasant and talkative but adrift. Does she have Alzheimers , I guess , but the spectrum of disablility is staggering on her floor , secure and for persons w/ intellectual diminished capacity. A nice lady.
Last night at cards , a rarity , these days , I mean playing , I gave ample evidence , on why , I should not gamble. I'm terrible at it
I spent the evening dodging disaster or running head long into trouble. Over three hours , I lost , probably , 70 something dollars.
Retribution came , when in the mad scramble which is called ' last game ' , yes , its like ' the last cast in fishing ' , goes on and on and on. The real difference is , about twice as much money is up for grabs. I won back the loss and came out up $ 5. Wow !
5
So what , 4 hours and a 5 dollar profit. But a swing of $ 150 , to the good
What did I hear , during that last 1/2 hr " You stayed with that ?"
Meaning , I should have known better and folded
didn't and didn't
The philosophy , good one , eh , philosophy , right. Desperation said ' try ' you sure can't win playing smart or whatever you were doing. It sure wasn't , rocket science.
Well , the key was , no one was going hungry if I lost and its fun - social and a relatively tame outlet for .... something
Her sister ship was the ' Olympic ' , an accident prone ship that whacked around other boats all over England.
Basically , the big T never slowed down even in reported ice fields , her wireless operator was fixed on sending passenger messages as priority items and big T was under supplied w/ lifeboats
No English person was charged or blamed in the inquiry which followed. The master of the ' California ' took the blame , as the closest ship and failing to respond.
Later , 20 years ago , salvage evidence showed the big T wasn't at her reported position.
The board of inquiry was staffed w/ the same people that certified her sea worthiness and preparedness. Any blame attributed to to the White Star Line or Titanic owners would rebound onto the entity that allowed Titanic to sail.
The Titanic story produced fame , as in the ' Unsinkable Molly Brown ' , a passenger
In reality , the White Star Co , never used the phrase , unsinkable , a reporter wrote , she is almost unsinkable.
More first class men escaped than children, B/c the yell , ' women and children first ' was a legacy of the Titanic legend
The biggest ship afloat , nope , as big as her sister Olympic.
Weather : marvy winter day , excuse me , late fall day , the shortest day of the year , is to - morrow. Bright sun and crisp air , that means you'll freeze your patoochies off , out there
Well ,she gets very little mention , my Mom is hanging in there.
Of course , our memories , are us. She is lost , pleasant and talkative but adrift. Does she have Alzheimers , I guess , but the spectrum of disablility is staggering on her floor , secure and for persons w/ intellectual diminished capacity. A nice lady.
Last night at cards , a rarity , these days , I mean playing , I gave ample evidence , on why , I should not gamble. I'm terrible at it
I spent the evening dodging disaster or running head long into trouble. Over three hours , I lost , probably , 70 something dollars.
Retribution came , when in the mad scramble which is called ' last game ' , yes , its like ' the last cast in fishing ' , goes on and on and on. The real difference is , about twice as much money is up for grabs. I won back the loss and came out up $ 5. Wow !
5
So what , 4 hours and a 5 dollar profit. But a swing of $ 150 , to the good
What did I hear , during that last 1/2 hr " You stayed with that ?"
Meaning , I should have known better and folded
didn't and didn't
The philosophy , good one , eh , philosophy , right. Desperation said ' try ' you sure can't win playing smart or whatever you were doing. It sure wasn't , rocket science.
Well , the key was , no one was going hungry if I lost and its fun - social and a relatively tame outlet for .... something
Friday 19 December 2014
Have You Seen....
... the _____bird - is a line from a poem or something , not me
In Vegas ,we saw Orientals using ' selfie ' sticks. Extension poles that allow the user to get a selfie w/ the background.
I'm in love, again. Yes , another one.
A new character this year in the series ' Elementary ' is , Kitty Winter. KW is Sherlock's protege from England. Sullen , less than sympatico at the beginning , KW is evolving into a foil for Watson and a further conscious for Sherlock
she is elfin and very co ordinated , supple. And really cute , of course.
I Googled her and found the headings ' Who the heck is Kitty Winter ? ' Not just me Her name is Ophelia Lovibond
Is there a Kitty Winter in Arthur Conan Doyle's writing ? Yes , I know the name , except I thought that she was client of SH.
Blogging is good for me. I knew that. The outside re - inforcement of that knowledge was enlightening.
Weather : Cold - 24 F on the back deck.The air is still. Rain / snow ? Can't tell , there was bright blue out there , earlier.
A reviewer on the CBC , this morning , analyzed the latest ' Hobbit ' installment and LOTR as a whole. Her take , a whole new world got created. The story line is stretched and pulled.... really stretched.
I know the material. I've read better than 70 % of Tolkien - alia.
I've found the alterations in story line and content - disquieting.
But for years , I waited for something better than the cartoon - anime or whatever its called , movies ... til the Peter Jackson genre began.
In other words , I got what I wanted.... ahem . what you want.
What is that saying.......
In honesty , I can take you back , to 1998 ( first installment of LOTR ? ). I told people the first scene of Gandalf riding his cart over the bridge into Hobbiton was the vision that I'd been wanting.
I could imagine battles and chases but the village... the way PJ envisioned the Shire.. a revelation
And the Elves in battle , never described or mentioned in the Tolkien writings except tangentially in the appendices. So crucial to the way that I see the ' creation called Middle Earth... via Tolkien and especially now Peter Jackson '.
In Vegas ,we saw Orientals using ' selfie ' sticks. Extension poles that allow the user to get a selfie w/ the background.
I'm in love, again. Yes , another one.
A new character this year in the series ' Elementary ' is , Kitty Winter. KW is Sherlock's protege from England. Sullen , less than sympatico at the beginning , KW is evolving into a foil for Watson and a further conscious for Sherlock
she is elfin and very co ordinated , supple. And really cute , of course.
I Googled her and found the headings ' Who the heck is Kitty Winter ? ' Not just me Her name is Ophelia Lovibond
Is there a Kitty Winter in Arthur Conan Doyle's writing ? Yes , I know the name , except I thought that she was client of SH.
Blogging is good for me. I knew that. The outside re - inforcement of that knowledge was enlightening.
Weather : Cold - 24 F on the back deck.The air is still. Rain / snow ? Can't tell , there was bright blue out there , earlier.
A reviewer on the CBC , this morning , analyzed the latest ' Hobbit ' installment and LOTR as a whole. Her take , a whole new world got created. The story line is stretched and pulled.... really stretched.
I know the material. I've read better than 70 % of Tolkien - alia.
I've found the alterations in story line and content - disquieting.
But for years , I waited for something better than the cartoon - anime or whatever its called , movies ... til the Peter Jackson genre began.
In other words , I got what I wanted.... ahem . what you want.
What is that saying.......
In honesty , I can take you back , to 1998 ( first installment of LOTR ? ). I told people the first scene of Gandalf riding his cart over the bridge into Hobbiton was the vision that I'd been wanting.
I could imagine battles and chases but the village... the way PJ envisioned the Shire.. a revelation
And the Elves in battle , never described or mentioned in the Tolkien writings except tangentially in the appendices. So crucial to the way that I see the ' creation called Middle Earth... via Tolkien and especially now Peter Jackson '.
Thursday 18 December 2014
Tangents to the Tangents
My root canal report
45 minutes w/ my mouth open wide and tented - discomfort
Dr P kept asking do I taste foul things , NO
I don't really need to freeze you but its psychology , you know
' Yours or mine ' I asked He chuckled !
So far , no pain , just a sore jaw ,or tender is the word.
XXXXXX those are my fingers
While , waiting for the barber and the dentist , reading produced these tidbits
1. People in the U.S. will buy - 42 million pieces of fit wear.
Fit wear is defined as technology that helps you record or monitor vitals while exercising. I use a chest band and watch , Polar fitness set , already
2. Staying young , remaining young is 30 % genetic and 70 % other factors. Exercise is good , what level , up in the air , right now.
Moving , may be the key.
As well ,mental activity is vital. Puzzles , conversation , thinking - really any stimuli increases your chances of staying engaged and healthy. Da , da , the article mentioned blogging !
Well ,you're waiting for my take on this.
Exercise - the key , ' Do you sweat ? '
Why ? The slow process of sweating in exercise , cleans your pores
and waste residue escapes.
I normally eschew saunas , cute but I don't get it. Or didn't get it
35 years ago in Chicago , while attending a conference , I missed my running workouts for 3 days. At the hotel , I had a chance to swim ( no , I don't sweat the right way , swimming ) and followed w/ a sauna. the light went on , sauna .... sweat ... clean pores. I felt rejuvenated after the sweat out ,,, I no longer eschew the sauna ... I simply take advantage when I need the sweat regime
Mental activity. The TV advantage. I have always believed that TV is an outstanding teaching tool. Never , truly used properly , in education.
Why ? How ? Do you use TV properly. The vistas that TV opens is phenomenal but you need a mind searching for those opportunities for it to work.
I want to use TV to take me where I can't or won't go - this is physically and culturally and educationally , all the " --- lly s "
I suppose that I'm saying LEARN from TV
OK , is this really what I do ??? Dunno , probably can't know ,
the conundrum , can the mind analyze itself
Dunno
No one listens to me anyway
Do you ?
Weather : Temperature has fallen for sure , its crisp out there
Clear but cold , dry ( I think )
45 minutes w/ my mouth open wide and tented - discomfort
Dr P kept asking do I taste foul things , NO
I don't really need to freeze you but its psychology , you know
' Yours or mine ' I asked He chuckled !
So far , no pain , just a sore jaw ,or tender is the word.
XXXXXX those are my fingers
While , waiting for the barber and the dentist , reading produced these tidbits
1. People in the U.S. will buy - 42 million pieces of fit wear.
Fit wear is defined as technology that helps you record or monitor vitals while exercising. I use a chest band and watch , Polar fitness set , already
2. Staying young , remaining young is 30 % genetic and 70 % other factors. Exercise is good , what level , up in the air , right now.
Moving , may be the key.
As well ,mental activity is vital. Puzzles , conversation , thinking - really any stimuli increases your chances of staying engaged and healthy. Da , da , the article mentioned blogging !
Well ,you're waiting for my take on this.
Exercise - the key , ' Do you sweat ? '
Why ? The slow process of sweating in exercise , cleans your pores
and waste residue escapes.
I normally eschew saunas , cute but I don't get it. Or didn't get it
35 years ago in Chicago , while attending a conference , I missed my running workouts for 3 days. At the hotel , I had a chance to swim ( no , I don't sweat the right way , swimming ) and followed w/ a sauna. the light went on , sauna .... sweat ... clean pores. I felt rejuvenated after the sweat out ,,, I no longer eschew the sauna ... I simply take advantage when I need the sweat regime
Mental activity. The TV advantage. I have always believed that TV is an outstanding teaching tool. Never , truly used properly , in education.
Why ? How ? Do you use TV properly. The vistas that TV opens is phenomenal but you need a mind searching for those opportunities for it to work.
I want to use TV to take me where I can't or won't go - this is physically and culturally and educationally , all the " --- lly s "
I suppose that I'm saying LEARN from TV
OK , is this really what I do ??? Dunno , probably can't know ,
the conundrum , can the mind analyze itself
Dunno
No one listens to me anyway
Do you ?
Weather : Temperature has fallen for sure , its crisp out there
Clear but cold , dry ( I think )
Wednesday 17 December 2014
Getting to the Root
Yepper , root canal day
The meds are bought for infection control
The highlight of the day , good grief , thats your highlight
Dr. P says , the abscess is draining , the tooth is likely dead
No probs
Weather : Gray , damp and drizzly ( I feel like a broken record )
A touch above freezing and going below to - night Some solid precipitation is due , during the night
Fell asleep w/ the buds on , agai....n Canada is 90 % cashless in terms of transactions. We are third in the world for cashless.
Except our TTC or pub transit. The ' red rocket ' is beginning to go cashless. We are apparently ,only 16 years behind Hong Kong.
However , we would point out that we are not shooting protestors in the street ( yet )
Around the house. The powder room sink was caulked but the bead never fit quite right. Water and then dirt and discoloration seemed to happen all the time. Yesterday , I got caulking tape and figured out how to lay it down. Looks good but one extreme edge seems to lift a bit. I'm taping it down as a clamp and hopefully , the sucker will stick. Best case , do the job again. The whole roll of tape was $ 5 , we can afford that.
The ' Hobbit Pt III ' opens to -day. Lord , I hope that I'm not buying another collector's cup w/ figurine. I have Gandalf from 2 years ago - certainly , thats good enough , one would think... isn't it ?
The meds are bought for infection control
The highlight of the day , good grief , thats your highlight
Dr. P says , the abscess is draining , the tooth is likely dead
No probs
Weather : Gray , damp and drizzly ( I feel like a broken record )
A touch above freezing and going below to - night Some solid precipitation is due , during the night
Fell asleep w/ the buds on , agai....n Canada is 90 % cashless in terms of transactions. We are third in the world for cashless.
Except our TTC or pub transit. The ' red rocket ' is beginning to go cashless. We are apparently ,only 16 years behind Hong Kong.
However , we would point out that we are not shooting protestors in the street ( yet )
Around the house. The powder room sink was caulked but the bead never fit quite right. Water and then dirt and discoloration seemed to happen all the time. Yesterday , I got caulking tape and figured out how to lay it down. Looks good but one extreme edge seems to lift a bit. I'm taping it down as a clamp and hopefully , the sucker will stick. Best case , do the job again. The whole roll of tape was $ 5 , we can afford that.
The ' Hobbit Pt III ' opens to -day. Lord , I hope that I'm not buying another collector's cup w/ figurine. I have Gandalf from 2 years ago - certainly , thats good enough , one would think... isn't it ?
Tuesday 16 December 2014
What ' 2 ' Can Do for You
No ,there is no ' Hobbit ' PtIII here. I'm not Peter Jackson. I mean stretching everything to 3
The upgrade in memory from 1 GB to 2 GB for the emachine , definitely worth the trouble and the cost was piddly.
The summary is , first , I engaged what is called ' high performance ' protocol for the emachine itself. The HP uses battery life like crazy. You need to be plugged in. I mean battery life was barely 2 hrs w/ energy save mode.
As well ,HP means that script and graphics are not 100 % solid pixels.
Next , the upgrade to 2 GB for the memory. The cost was $ 30 for a 2 GB DDR3 chip. Install charge was $ 10. Time , well, drive around was 1 / 2 hr ( 3 rd store was the charm ) and time on the internet 2 hr and the actual physical install was 15 min.
This emachine is now adequate for a typewriter and email provider.
The tablets that I looked at were $ 200 to 600 but I'd never spend the high end. The pros were fast processing for gamers. Not me.
MahJhongg is about it for us.
Thus , I'm pleased for now - this is a temporary state. I'm always looking and , well , looking
A friend gave us the password for consumers , so I'm looking at tablets. just , looking, thank ye ,very much
Weather : Rainy , at freezing and getting colder in 30 hr , or so
World news ? I'm not going there , bad things happened and are happening but you'll get no report here.
A Torontonian , has gained some traction w/ his photo layout of older dogs , dogs of character he says.
A young dog left out to freeze in Saskatchewan , trust me , you don't want to be left outside in Sask. , its Ma Nature's prairie icebox , lost both front legs to frostbite. Solution ? Artificial feet , so w/ his new prosthetics , Buster or Bongo , whatever , romps around in the snow. His new career is school and nursing home visitor.
So , go romp , Bongo does
The upgrade in memory from 1 GB to 2 GB for the emachine , definitely worth the trouble and the cost was piddly.
The summary is , first , I engaged what is called ' high performance ' protocol for the emachine itself. The HP uses battery life like crazy. You need to be plugged in. I mean battery life was barely 2 hrs w/ energy save mode.
As well ,HP means that script and graphics are not 100 % solid pixels.
Next , the upgrade to 2 GB for the memory. The cost was $ 30 for a 2 GB DDR3 chip. Install charge was $ 10. Time , well, drive around was 1 / 2 hr ( 3 rd store was the charm ) and time on the internet 2 hr and the actual physical install was 15 min.
This emachine is now adequate for a typewriter and email provider.
The tablets that I looked at were $ 200 to 600 but I'd never spend the high end. The pros were fast processing for gamers. Not me.
MahJhongg is about it for us.
Thus , I'm pleased for now - this is a temporary state. I'm always looking and , well , looking
A friend gave us the password for consumers , so I'm looking at tablets. just , looking, thank ye ,very much
Weather : Rainy , at freezing and getting colder in 30 hr , or so
World news ? I'm not going there , bad things happened and are happening but you'll get no report here.
A Torontonian , has gained some traction w/ his photo layout of older dogs , dogs of character he says.
A young dog left out to freeze in Saskatchewan , trust me , you don't want to be left outside in Sask. , its Ma Nature's prairie icebox , lost both front legs to frostbite. Solution ? Artificial feet , so w/ his new prosthetics , Buster or Bongo , whatever , romps around in the snow. His new career is school and nursing home visitor.
So , go romp , Bongo does
Monday 15 December 2014
What the Hobbit Experiences
Part II of ' the Hobbit '
Bilbo has left the Shire. In the ridiculous rush to reach the ' Green Dragon Pub ' rendezvous , Bilbo arrives w/ the clothes on his back.
He borrows everything else
1. The ' Last Homely House ' - is the abode of Elrond ' Half - Elven '. The travellers stop to get advice and rest
2. The Dwarves have trouble w/ 3 trolls and escape as a vigilant Gandalf bails them out. However ,the trolls have a hoard of food and stolen artifacts including Sting , the baby sword ( named by Bilbo ) and the legendary blades OrcCrist ( the Goblin Slayer ) and Glamdring ( the Foe Hammer , Gandalf's new weapon )
3. The company unwittingly encroaches on the Orc domain and are captured. Gandalf bails them out again but in the flight , Bilbo is lost.
4. In attempting to get out of the Orc domain , Bilbo bumbles into a ring ( yes , ' the ' ring ) and subsequently , Gollum. He gets away but leaves his ' name ' in Gollum's memory.
5. The company re - unites and is pursued by the Orcs riding Wargs
( big bad wolves )
6. The Eagles swoop down and carry the company to Carrock , the stone stairs , a high point in the landscape.
7. Gandalf leads the company to the home of Beorn , a skin changer. Beorn is a huge man and transforms into a giant Bear when angry. He befriends the Dwarves b/c they fought the Orcs
8. The company ( minus Gandalf , who is in conference ) is warned about travel in Mirkwood but what a waste - they go and do everything wrong. They are attacked by giant spiders and make the already crotchety Elves of Mirkwood , really mean.
9. Bilbo using the Ring , frees the Dwarves from the Elves.
This escape brings the company to Laketown ( home of Men ) and w/in sight of the Lonely Mountain ( former dwarf kingdom ).
P.S. here - Laketown is also called Dale , either before or after
10. Supplied and fed the Dwarves set off to the mountain. Using all the tricks , map , key and poem - they gain entry.
11. Mr Baggins , hired as the ' burglar ' is encouraged to make first contact w/ the dragon and the treasure
12. This attempt goes poorly and only enrages Smaug who goes off and attacks Laketown
13. Bard of Laketown , brings down Smaug and the town when the Dragon basically falls on Laketown while dying
14. The treasure is theirs. Except everyone ( Elves , Men etc ) want their share too ! ' No way , Jose ! ' is the Dwarve's reply. WAR.
15. The Battle of 5 Armies - what armies ? Everyone comes
There are the Dwarf companions and their cousins led by Daian of the Iron Mountains , the Elves of Mirkwood , Men of Laketown , Beorn and the Eagles. The bad guys send the Orcs and Wargs and Bats. This is tag team gone wild.
OK The good guys win
The weather : gray and damp close to freezing , rain is due
In the World : Nutso stuff
A neighbour switches furniture w/ the people next door assuming that they won't notice
The North pole belongs to Denmark says ' Denmark '. So , they're going to own the North Pole and those little butter cookie thingies
Remember ; keep your own furniture
Bilbo has left the Shire. In the ridiculous rush to reach the ' Green Dragon Pub ' rendezvous , Bilbo arrives w/ the clothes on his back.
He borrows everything else
1. The ' Last Homely House ' - is the abode of Elrond ' Half - Elven '. The travellers stop to get advice and rest
2. The Dwarves have trouble w/ 3 trolls and escape as a vigilant Gandalf bails them out. However ,the trolls have a hoard of food and stolen artifacts including Sting , the baby sword ( named by Bilbo ) and the legendary blades OrcCrist ( the Goblin Slayer ) and Glamdring ( the Foe Hammer , Gandalf's new weapon )
3. The company unwittingly encroaches on the Orc domain and are captured. Gandalf bails them out again but in the flight , Bilbo is lost.
4. In attempting to get out of the Orc domain , Bilbo bumbles into a ring ( yes , ' the ' ring ) and subsequently , Gollum. He gets away but leaves his ' name ' in Gollum's memory.
5. The company re - unites and is pursued by the Orcs riding Wargs
( big bad wolves )
6. The Eagles swoop down and carry the company to Carrock , the stone stairs , a high point in the landscape.
7. Gandalf leads the company to the home of Beorn , a skin changer. Beorn is a huge man and transforms into a giant Bear when angry. He befriends the Dwarves b/c they fought the Orcs
8. The company ( minus Gandalf , who is in conference ) is warned about travel in Mirkwood but what a waste - they go and do everything wrong. They are attacked by giant spiders and make the already crotchety Elves of Mirkwood , really mean.
9. Bilbo using the Ring , frees the Dwarves from the Elves.
This escape brings the company to Laketown ( home of Men ) and w/in sight of the Lonely Mountain ( former dwarf kingdom ).
P.S. here - Laketown is also called Dale , either before or after
10. Supplied and fed the Dwarves set off to the mountain. Using all the tricks , map , key and poem - they gain entry.
11. Mr Baggins , hired as the ' burglar ' is encouraged to make first contact w/ the dragon and the treasure
12. This attempt goes poorly and only enrages Smaug who goes off and attacks Laketown
13. Bard of Laketown , brings down Smaug and the town when the Dragon basically falls on Laketown while dying
14. The treasure is theirs. Except everyone ( Elves , Men etc ) want their share too ! ' No way , Jose ! ' is the Dwarve's reply. WAR.
15. The Battle of 5 Armies - what armies ? Everyone comes
There are the Dwarf companions and their cousins led by Daian of the Iron Mountains , the Elves of Mirkwood , Men of Laketown , Beorn and the Eagles. The bad guys send the Orcs and Wargs and Bats. This is tag team gone wild.
OK The good guys win
The weather : gray and damp close to freezing , rain is due
In the World : Nutso stuff
A neighbour switches furniture w/ the people next door assuming that they won't notice
The North pole belongs to Denmark says ' Denmark '. So , they're going to own the North Pole and those little butter cookie thingies
Remember ; keep your own furniture
Sunday 14 December 2014
A Hobbit Runs Off
The Hobbit , part something b/c it is not a 3 part movie , unless you're Peter J and can stretch anything to 8 1 / 2 h.
The adventure is an anomaly in the life of a hobbit. Rural , sedentary and quiet. Lovers of lore and family history , Lovers of good food , good beer and good times. Their history is uneventful other than wolves and the odd invader.
The hobbits have occupied their Homeland , the Shire , for generations. The story involves one hobbit , Bilbo Baggins , son of Bungo , and mother Belladona Took. Bilbo's Took ancestors were rumoured to have dealings w/ the Elves and high adventure in general.
Belladona was a mysterious and unusual hobbit. The acorn does not fall far from the tree , it seems.
Bilbo encounters a wizard outside his door. The wizard , Gandalf , is remembered for his fireworks at celebration times. In a series of bizarre verbal misunderstandings , Gandalf is invited for supper the next day. However ,before leaving Bilbo's door , he marks the round door w/ a cross.
The next day , the forgetful hobbit , suddenly realizes that he has forgotten his invitation to Gandalf. Racing around , he prepares Tea for two and its a good thing b/c - there will be 14 for dins.
Gandalf has been seeking a 14 th member of an expedition. He has agreed to help Thorin Oakenshield , son of Thrain , son of Thror , the last King Under Mountain. Thorin and 11 other dwarves are returning to reclaim their dwarvish ancestral home , in the Lonely mountain.
The Dwarves prospered long ago in the mountain and eventually attracted the attention of a dragon , Smaug. Smaug swooped down on civilization in the area and ravaged Human and Dwarf , taking the stronghold as his home. The displaced dwarves have roamed the years as itinerant , well , everythings but lords. They want back.
To aid the quest , Gandalf reveals a secret entry on a map and a key.
The tokens were given to Gandalf in the dungeons of the Necromancer where Thrain was imprisoned. Thrain asked that his son be given the tokens and a poem if Gandalf could manage it.
The hobbit is seduced by the siren call of adventure and just getting out there. In about the same way that Gandalf is invited for dinner , Bilbo sets off w/ the Dwarves.
Bilbo Baggins , the adventure begins
The adventure is an anomaly in the life of a hobbit. Rural , sedentary and quiet. Lovers of lore and family history , Lovers of good food , good beer and good times. Their history is uneventful other than wolves and the odd invader.
The hobbits have occupied their Homeland , the Shire , for generations. The story involves one hobbit , Bilbo Baggins , son of Bungo , and mother Belladona Took. Bilbo's Took ancestors were rumoured to have dealings w/ the Elves and high adventure in general.
Belladona was a mysterious and unusual hobbit. The acorn does not fall far from the tree , it seems.
Bilbo encounters a wizard outside his door. The wizard , Gandalf , is remembered for his fireworks at celebration times. In a series of bizarre verbal misunderstandings , Gandalf is invited for supper the next day. However ,before leaving Bilbo's door , he marks the round door w/ a cross.
The next day , the forgetful hobbit , suddenly realizes that he has forgotten his invitation to Gandalf. Racing around , he prepares Tea for two and its a good thing b/c - there will be 14 for dins.
Gandalf has been seeking a 14 th member of an expedition. He has agreed to help Thorin Oakenshield , son of Thrain , son of Thror , the last King Under Mountain. Thorin and 11 other dwarves are returning to reclaim their dwarvish ancestral home , in the Lonely mountain.
The Dwarves prospered long ago in the mountain and eventually attracted the attention of a dragon , Smaug. Smaug swooped down on civilization in the area and ravaged Human and Dwarf , taking the stronghold as his home. The displaced dwarves have roamed the years as itinerant , well , everythings but lords. They want back.
To aid the quest , Gandalf reveals a secret entry on a map and a key.
The tokens were given to Gandalf in the dungeons of the Necromancer where Thrain was imprisoned. Thrain asked that his son be given the tokens and a poem if Gandalf could manage it.
The hobbit is seduced by the siren call of adventure and just getting out there. In about the same way that Gandalf is invited for dinner , Bilbo sets off w/ the Dwarves.
Bilbo Baggins , the adventure begins
Saturday 13 December 2014
In Sequence
at he bottom of the computer screen , I see 13 / 12 / 2014
the way I write dates its 14 / 12 - 13
However ,some systems would have 12 / 13 /14 or a sequential date
Rare
Won't happen again for 20 something years
Well our country , is fumbling along. W/ falling oil prices , we fill up cheaper , but pay more for vacations i.e. in the States , but our products gain a competitive edge that boosts exports. Off set , of course , b/c oil isn't doing well , internationally.
In the news , fast food corps are having a problem. Even Mc D s is struggling for market share. Their latest attempt at connoisseur tastes is McCafe ( sold even in groceries ).
We don't have a pod coffee / drink maker. We ' ll undoubtedly be the last on the block to get one. M drinks , one cup a day , I drink the big C all day - even ice coffee , later in the day. I dilute the coffee anyway , so brown liquid is good or all right
In travel hints , Arthur Frommer of Frommer's Guides , uses a $ 200 laptop. Small , light and not a money worry even if stolen.
I wonder if he went 2 GB for the memory. He wanted a simple typewriter ( but w/ a keyboard , b/c he types so much )
Heck , all our laptop is - is a typewriter that sends messages , occasionally , OK it connects to search or somesuch. And as we've said previously , our phones are getting useful a message machines.
Backyard maintenance included snow re - positioning. The steel roof lets snow slide off. The build up happens under the back picture window but a shade zone even in the afternoon. If the snow isn't moved , the pile gets higher and less likely to melt.
I shift the pile out three feet to catch the sun. Then if the stuff does melt , at least , the run off goes ravine - ward not house - ward
Last year , in late Feb , the pile under the window was over my waist and 3 feet wide , at least. I'm guessing that I moved approx 3 driveway loads of snow at a 1 ft average depth and our driveway is an 8 car area.
In all this , I noticed that a condo that sold in the inner city , had the same taxes as our house and maintenance was $ 670 / mo.
Crikey. The condo had valet parking and a car wash bay.
We have the car wash bay and you park your own car.
the way I write dates its 14 / 12 - 13
However ,some systems would have 12 / 13 /14 or a sequential date
Rare
Won't happen again for 20 something years
Well our country , is fumbling along. W/ falling oil prices , we fill up cheaper , but pay more for vacations i.e. in the States , but our products gain a competitive edge that boosts exports. Off set , of course , b/c oil isn't doing well , internationally.
In the news , fast food corps are having a problem. Even Mc D s is struggling for market share. Their latest attempt at connoisseur tastes is McCafe ( sold even in groceries ).
We don't have a pod coffee / drink maker. We ' ll undoubtedly be the last on the block to get one. M drinks , one cup a day , I drink the big C all day - even ice coffee , later in the day. I dilute the coffee anyway , so brown liquid is good or all right
In travel hints , Arthur Frommer of Frommer's Guides , uses a $ 200 laptop. Small , light and not a money worry even if stolen.
I wonder if he went 2 GB for the memory. He wanted a simple typewriter ( but w/ a keyboard , b/c he types so much )
Heck , all our laptop is - is a typewriter that sends messages , occasionally , OK it connects to search or somesuch. And as we've said previously , our phones are getting useful a message machines.
Backyard maintenance included snow re - positioning. The steel roof lets snow slide off. The build up happens under the back picture window but a shade zone even in the afternoon. If the snow isn't moved , the pile gets higher and less likely to melt.
I shift the pile out three feet to catch the sun. Then if the stuff does melt , at least , the run off goes ravine - ward not house - ward
Last year , in late Feb , the pile under the window was over my waist and 3 feet wide , at least. I'm guessing that I moved approx 3 driveway loads of snow at a 1 ft average depth and our driveway is an 8 car area.
In all this , I noticed that a condo that sold in the inner city , had the same taxes as our house and maintenance was $ 670 / mo.
Crikey. The condo had valet parking and a car wash bay.
We have the car wash bay and you park your own car.
Friday 12 December 2014
The Totals
You've heard it before. Unbelievable snow fall , whatever
Well , you can trust me Buffalo's Nov snow was record breaking
and more
For T.O., yesterday or the 36 h that snow fell , wasn't unbelievable
But
if you add up the snow depth since Oct 2014 , so far we've had 1 / 3 of the seasonal average ,and this before winter technically starts
Our driveway or really the bird bath showed a depth of over 6 in
The bird bath obviously won't get wind drift snow only the stuff that fell
I didn't shovel a snowflake b/c the snow service came. And came back after the plow went through. That was unbelievable that the snow plow came. Our street seems to get forgot most times
The poker guys voted our house hardest to get to in winter.Windy streets w/ big dips and no plowing
On the buds , from 2 nights ago , yep , the stay awake all night night.
A National Geographic documentary contributor , is walking the human trail out of Africa. He is tracing the migration routes of humans radiating out of the Olduvai area of Africa in 7 years.
He noted the ' human deluge ' foaming out of Syria across the Turkish border. On a solitary trek , he found an ocean of people trudging from danger to anywhere less violent. BTW , he's now on pair of walking shoes # 3
On the show , ' You Gotta Eat Here ' or the Canadian 'Diners , Drive ins and Dives ' , ' Fancy Franks ' in Toronto is making ' Frankie Goes to Buffalo '
Frankie Buffalo ' is an all beef hot dog that tastes like chicken wings
How ? they use chicken bacon
Chicken bacon ?
Chicken skins deep fried and layered on deep friedhot dog
Yeah , chicken bacon - deep fried hot dogs
My heart stopped and re - started after watching the deep frying
extravangza
Well , you can trust me Buffalo's Nov snow was record breaking
and more
For T.O., yesterday or the 36 h that snow fell , wasn't unbelievable
But
if you add up the snow depth since Oct 2014 , so far we've had 1 / 3 of the seasonal average ,and this before winter technically starts
Our driveway or really the bird bath showed a depth of over 6 in
The bird bath obviously won't get wind drift snow only the stuff that fell
I didn't shovel a snowflake b/c the snow service came. And came back after the plow went through. That was unbelievable that the snow plow came. Our street seems to get forgot most times
The poker guys voted our house hardest to get to in winter.Windy streets w/ big dips and no plowing
On the buds , from 2 nights ago , yep , the stay awake all night night.
A National Geographic documentary contributor , is walking the human trail out of Africa. He is tracing the migration routes of humans radiating out of the Olduvai area of Africa in 7 years.
He noted the ' human deluge ' foaming out of Syria across the Turkish border. On a solitary trek , he found an ocean of people trudging from danger to anywhere less violent. BTW , he's now on pair of walking shoes # 3
On the show , ' You Gotta Eat Here ' or the Canadian 'Diners , Drive ins and Dives ' , ' Fancy Franks ' in Toronto is making ' Frankie Goes to Buffalo '
Frankie Buffalo ' is an all beef hot dog that tastes like chicken wings
How ? they use chicken bacon
Chicken bacon ?
Chicken skins deep fried and layered on deep friedhot dog
Yeah , chicken bacon - deep fried hot dogs
My heart stopped and re - started after watching the deep frying
extravangza
Thursday 11 December 2014
Careful....
what you wish for or don't
I'm not sure if I slept last night
Must have dropped of for moments
No coffee or stimulants
Took cold meds and............... I lay there thinking of really dumb stuff
Cowboy pictures and I mean photo albums , and I couldn't get the computer or whatever out of picture mode
Imagine !
We got snow about an 1 1/2 in but it stopped and started up again
Rather pretty in the backyard But I don't need to shovel the stuff
TV : I was critical of the series " Marvel Agents of SHIELD " earlier
The whole situation improved and I've been interested for the last 3 episodes , leading up to Tues when the ' winter finale ' ended
So , I'm apologizing to Phil Coulson and some of the others b/c I thought that they were ultra lame
And , the Captain America spin - off , Agent Carter starts in Jan
On the sicky front. Much better. Bit of a head cold , sniffles but over -all ( and not sleeping ) good
No wobbles or headaches ( well, a little hollowness in the head )
In N. Carolina , a small town sheriff was indicted for murder in the shooting of an unarmed citizen. The victim was black. There was a series of events which are stupid but basically , the victim was in his truck. The sheriff ordered him to stay and receive a warrant , the driver moved the truck back and the sheriff shot.
The defence was ' stand your ground ' b/c the sheriff felt threatened.No dice and the charge was laid
I'm not sure if I slept last night
Must have dropped of for moments
No coffee or stimulants
Took cold meds and............... I lay there thinking of really dumb stuff
Cowboy pictures and I mean photo albums , and I couldn't get the computer or whatever out of picture mode
Imagine !
We got snow about an 1 1/2 in but it stopped and started up again
Rather pretty in the backyard But I don't need to shovel the stuff
TV : I was critical of the series " Marvel Agents of SHIELD " earlier
The whole situation improved and I've been interested for the last 3 episodes , leading up to Tues when the ' winter finale ' ended
So , I'm apologizing to Phil Coulson and some of the others b/c I thought that they were ultra lame
And , the Captain America spin - off , Agent Carter starts in Jan
On the sicky front. Much better. Bit of a head cold , sniffles but over -all ( and not sleeping ) good
No wobbles or headaches ( well, a little hollowness in the head )
In N. Carolina , a small town sheriff was indicted for murder in the shooting of an unarmed citizen. The victim was black. There was a series of events which are stupid but basically , the victim was in his truck. The sheriff ordered him to stay and receive a warrant , the driver moved the truck back and the sheriff shot.
The defence was ' stand your ground ' b/c the sheriff felt threatened.No dice and the charge was laid
Wednesday 10 December 2014
In the Land of ....
.......living
Wasn't so sure all last night , it was miserable
This morning got of to a rocky start , wobbles and a throbbing head
By 11 ish , I was hungry and interested in things
Ran a fever in the afternoon but I'm drinking Pinot Noir and typing... I'm good
Snow is definitely coming but not the 30 something centimetres ( 1 foot , sorry there , boys ) promised for Eastern Ontario and Quebec and the unholy mess that hit the U.S. NE.
Again. I've started reading the " Tyranny of the Night ' Bk 1
I'm not sure , this could be number 5 re -read , probably 4.
And its still great , loving it - old friends
My favourite line ' in politics and war don't go looking for treachery and conspiracy if stupidity and incompetence will explain the situation '
Have a good night , I will
Wasn't so sure all last night , it was miserable
This morning got of to a rocky start , wobbles and a throbbing head
By 11 ish , I was hungry and interested in things
Ran a fever in the afternoon but I'm drinking Pinot Noir and typing... I'm good
Snow is definitely coming but not the 30 something centimetres ( 1 foot , sorry there , boys ) promised for Eastern Ontario and Quebec and the unholy mess that hit the U.S. NE.
Again. I've started reading the " Tyranny of the Night ' Bk 1
I'm not sure , this could be number 5 re -read , probably 4.
And its still great , loving it - old friends
My favourite line ' in politics and war don't go looking for treachery and conspiracy if stupidity and incompetence will explain the situation '
Have a good night , I will
Monday 8 December 2014
Under the Weather
I'm typing in bed on the little laptop - the one that got the 2 Gb memory boost
This morning , I went to 'computer ' info and noticed that it wanted to do a speed test b/c of the new memory.
The base speed went down 0.1 - great !
Overall , I think the emachine is faster switching screens
However , on start up , the emachine needs about 5 minutes to get its house in order , so to speak , and begin acting like a computer , which is how its always been
So ,I've got a cold. Past history says - sniffles , followed by sore throat then bodyaches and chills - yep ! the whole enchilada.
Whenever , I see those comparisons for ' cold v flu ' I look at both columns and pick and choose - crikey , no difference.
Then , there was the article on ' exercise and a cold '- if the cold stays in your head and doesn't involve your chest , you can continue to exercise.
Doesn't involve your chest ????? Since when ?
I figured it was a given , cold , sick and heavy chest
T.O. is an urban conglomerate , w/ massive transit woes.
Somehow , 400 000 people need to move around the downtown core. This means subways , streetcars and buses. And its barely working. Ridership is down overall but specific routes are clogged morning and night.
Our new mayor , yep , his name is John Tory , and no he won't be dancing on ' Jimmy Kimmel ' . Got started right away improving the most over loaded route - the King streetcar. Good for him.
The King route moves the population of small town each day.
We'll see how the changes work
The day is gray and cold - ish , w /windchill , maybe 26 F
We'll be close to freezing all week and perhaps above slightly
This is supposed to be a slow week for us.
M decorated the tree , last night. she did a great job. The tree and lights has been up for 2 weeks , letting the boughs drop down and get re - arranged. M thinks our star is sacrilegious. Its the ' Welcome to Las Vegas ' sign. The star flashes and the ' Welcome to Las Vegas ' is back lit.
So , our tree is a little commercial - its artificial anyway. We gave up hauling the cut tree across the park to the house.
This morning , I went to 'computer ' info and noticed that it wanted to do a speed test b/c of the new memory.
The base speed went down 0.1 - great !
Overall , I think the emachine is faster switching screens
However , on start up , the emachine needs about 5 minutes to get its house in order , so to speak , and begin acting like a computer , which is how its always been
So ,I've got a cold. Past history says - sniffles , followed by sore throat then bodyaches and chills - yep ! the whole enchilada.
Whenever , I see those comparisons for ' cold v flu ' I look at both columns and pick and choose - crikey , no difference.
Then , there was the article on ' exercise and a cold '- if the cold stays in your head and doesn't involve your chest , you can continue to exercise.
Doesn't involve your chest ????? Since when ?
I figured it was a given , cold , sick and heavy chest
T.O. is an urban conglomerate , w/ massive transit woes.
Somehow , 400 000 people need to move around the downtown core. This means subways , streetcars and buses. And its barely working. Ridership is down overall but specific routes are clogged morning and night.
Our new mayor , yep , his name is John Tory , and no he won't be dancing on ' Jimmy Kimmel ' . Got started right away improving the most over loaded route - the King streetcar. Good for him.
The King route moves the population of small town each day.
We'll see how the changes work
The day is gray and cold - ish , w /windchill , maybe 26 F
We'll be close to freezing all week and perhaps above slightly
This is supposed to be a slow week for us.
M decorated the tree , last night. she did a great job. The tree and lights has been up for 2 weeks , letting the boughs drop down and get re - arranged. M thinks our star is sacrilegious. Its the ' Welcome to Las Vegas ' sign. The star flashes and the ' Welcome to Las Vegas ' is back lit.
So , our tree is a little commercial - its artificial anyway. We gave up hauling the cut tree across the park to the house.
Sunday 7 December 2014
Pleasant Thoughts
A trend in vacations is ' wellness ' tourism.
Your trip is based on a spa or health treatment
Relax , unwind or detox
Maybe , I should try
In Fla , possibly a cleansing week
?????????????
No booze , well , not that extreme
Good food , Check
Massage or something or other
Who knows !
I mean in 6 weeks , we should manage something
To- day broke cold or colder than it has been - blue sky and dry air
temperatures should stay above freezing for a couple of days
World news is a downer again , I'm not doing it , sorry , TorStar
Your trip is based on a spa or health treatment
Relax , unwind or detox
Maybe , I should try
In Fla , possibly a cleansing week
?????????????
No booze , well , not that extreme
Good food , Check
Massage or something or other
Who knows !
I mean in 6 weeks , we should manage something
To- day broke cold or colder than it has been - blue sky and dry air
temperatures should stay above freezing for a couple of days
World news is a downer again , I'm not doing it , sorry , TorStar
Saturday 6 December 2014
We Went to Vegas
and didn't lose our shirts .... we broke even gambling
Thus , food , air and rooms added up to $700 for the week Mon to Fri
We both admitted that this was not the same as other LV trips.
We both had gambling over - load after being trapped in S. N.Y.
two weeks ago.
I don't think that we are real gamblers
Things that I learned a) craps is gambling b) its an interesting world out there c) stay home
What you needed to hear from a world traveller ? I know
Flying home , yesterday and it was fast - they fed us , I watched most of " How to Train Your Dragon 2 " and " Maze Runner " and bingo bango , Toronto. I kept saying " and you do this because ???? "
Such a wimp
Vegas. We had three days of overcast and spit w/ drizzle thrown in
Damp air and Xmas decorations everywhere.
Food is expensive in Vegas. You get a lot on your plate but the meals are usually $ 14. I suppose splitting is the best policy and we did on ' take out ' food. At the restaurant , harder to do.
We didn't take the baby laptop and that worked out b/c it is a pain hauling that thing through the airports for internet ( primarily ) use.
We used our iphones for messages ,maybe twice. I haven't figured out how to do searches w/ the iphone except w/ Siri.
So , no blogs..... ha , you got a rest from reading.
Nexus , the fast pass , worked out great. Except that I , apparently , missed the part about food. You must declare food that you are carrying.
You go to this automatic kiosk - read the questions and then answer.
You meet a customs guy - and I say " we are Nexus travellers money under 10 ,000 dollars , clothes and snack bars "
The customs guy says " you didn't declare the snack bars at the machine " Hands me a page which says somewhere , that you must declare food items. But I swear . it is not one of the qualifying statements on the machine. anyway , I got a warning.
And to top it all off , coming home - the machine was only interested in ' Ebola ' - contacts and travel to and from Ebola prone countries.
Criminy !
Have a good one
We are recuperating to -day and this week.
Thus , food , air and rooms added up to $700 for the week Mon to Fri
We both admitted that this was not the same as other LV trips.
We both had gambling over - load after being trapped in S. N.Y.
two weeks ago.
I don't think that we are real gamblers
Things that I learned a) craps is gambling b) its an interesting world out there c) stay home
What you needed to hear from a world traveller ? I know
Flying home , yesterday and it was fast - they fed us , I watched most of " How to Train Your Dragon 2 " and " Maze Runner " and bingo bango , Toronto. I kept saying " and you do this because ???? "
Such a wimp
Vegas. We had three days of overcast and spit w/ drizzle thrown in
Damp air and Xmas decorations everywhere.
Food is expensive in Vegas. You get a lot on your plate but the meals are usually $ 14. I suppose splitting is the best policy and we did on ' take out ' food. At the restaurant , harder to do.
We didn't take the baby laptop and that worked out b/c it is a pain hauling that thing through the airports for internet ( primarily ) use.
We used our iphones for messages ,maybe twice. I haven't figured out how to do searches w/ the iphone except w/ Siri.
So , no blogs..... ha , you got a rest from reading.
Nexus , the fast pass , worked out great. Except that I , apparently , missed the part about food. You must declare food that you are carrying.
You go to this automatic kiosk - read the questions and then answer.
You meet a customs guy - and I say " we are Nexus travellers money under 10 ,000 dollars , clothes and snack bars "
The customs guy says " you didn't declare the snack bars at the machine " Hands me a page which says somewhere , that you must declare food items. But I swear . it is not one of the qualifying statements on the machine. anyway , I got a warning.
And to top it all off , coming home - the machine was only interested in ' Ebola ' - contacts and travel to and from Ebola prone countries.
Criminy !
Have a good one
We are recuperating to -day and this week.
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