the morning of the night before

 a new year

dark and cold < ish > Circle of light is on for the neighbours - its barely a circle, more like a football standing. OK - what do you want for a garden hose frame !

The CV 19 news is worse. Our numbers are above the 7 day roling average. Not quite double, still discouraging. The pundits have proof, more people are moving than in the spring. If they look at phone data - people are out and about.

Over to CBC to scan the sections

Oh, sorry. I forgot yesterday s big news  ' C V 19 Vaccine - roll out is slow '

See thats not news. News is ' They got it right, finally. '

I called England, outside of London city centre by 20 miles. Shop lady said the streets are empty.

The circle of light went on at 6:30 
And got lowered to half mast at 9:30 AM / a symbolic lowering of the ball ala Dick Clark

The mis - shapen circle is getting worse -  plenty of sag

Hey ! just like 2020 - plenty of sag and going downhill from there

Highlights of the year for good or bad.

1. Fished almost every weekend June on til Oct 6

2. Finished the workroom after the flood and clear out of stuff. All storage returned to its hidey hole in the back closet. Where it will sit for another 24 years. One plus is that I didn't replace the mirror sliding doors. At least I'll be able to see inside better

3. A backyard Xmas tree beacon for 3 weeks and then 1 week in the front. Conversion to a ' football ' and symbolic lowering

Crikey ! thats the highlights of the year. Let s do it again

NO ........ NO ........ NO

pandemic worry ?

I couldn't get back to sleep at 4:30 / tried til 5:30 and 

Yes, typing, coffee and Bailey s    Cuz I won't be driving anywhere

M says blame the pandemic < sleep problems > 

Well, I'm all for blaming someone else

Oh, no - I've got trump- itis .......... Always someone else ' s fault. Lets shift the blame ....... shifty donald ( thats what they call him in the corporate world, likely )

Yesterday, I cleared the gutters of ice. In case, we get rain ...... silly, of course, we'll get rain. I never see anyone else doing this gutter de - ice. In fact, I've never heard anyone talk about doing de - icing < except planes and they don't have gutters >

Why ? There have been winter / springs when water has poured over the gutters - almost a flood. And at least three tradesmen have said that there is nothing wrong w/ the gutter system. That it looks normal.

You see the problem is these people don't watch the water gush out of the gutters. Well, it will be warm ish today and I may run heating cable for eaves in the gutter to keep them ice free for the rest of the winter / spring.

I've used roof de - icing cable before. And likely should do it every year. Why didn't I this year. Dunno

I did a sweep of CBC on line for news. This is my summary. European stocks rebounded b/c a Brexit deal is signed ( temporarily, at least ), the vaccines are rolling out and stimulus money is available.

Our Ontario Minister of Finance flew to St Barts island for a vacation despite travel warnings. But please don't leave the country - the party line.

When 42 F is the high

 you gotta feel grateful. But thats tomorrow. Today, a Westerly wind brings 27 F and a wind chill to 18 or so. We get to 30 F by afternoon

Then the warm up and back to 32 ish for several days < up and down >

To sum up this year, we can say ' blah ' . Life goes on.

Life happens.

Royalty named Wilhelmina

Let s face it, my major problem is how to build a ' ball of lights ' from the Xmas tree. No good ideas yet. Three mental stabs at it, failed. One required cutting the bottom out of a plastic wash basin. Wasteful and a little small. I'm figuring that I need about 2 1/2 ft across. And 3 would be better

A need for coffee got me up but my eyes were dry < always dry in waking >. I'm sitting in the spare bedroom typing away to you the " ether ".

Done. A circle of light < 1 1/2 ft across >

Looks small ish and not round maybe lop sided. But there " sufficient for the day is the evil thereof "
Haven't a clue what it means

the decision is in

I'm comfortable w/ the 11 inch Chromebook < Dell 5190 > w/ keyboard and WiFi mouse. Tablets are cute but I'm used to this little guy.

One charge and its 13 h < maximum > of internet life. Way more than I need.

And I do use the tablets upstairs. But the truth is our phones are so good at getting the internet - we gravitate to the phone, right away.

A cold stupid morning < spilled coffee already >. T.O. will be blustery, a 40 % chance of wet or white all day.

We won't cross the 4 C mark all day < 5 right now .

Over to CBC on line for the idiocy of the day

After that intro re: Chromebook love in, the Duet tablet went into denial mode. It started up / worked for three switches of websites and 

then  said " what do you want " in cyber, by stopping 

I tried to re - start / un - connect from WiFi etc NOPE !

The benefit of Chrome is ' powerwash ' for reset. If any program is compromising the system - powerwash returns the Duet to factory original BUT b/c of Chrome sync then everything except local storage  is there

So far, we have success

And still re - customizing the system - slow and slower

or dumb and dumber

step by step

Ernie Nevers

#2891 in the never ending story 

Say what >

A football player in the NFL scored 6 rushing TD s. Tying a record by Ernie Nevers

our weather will be up and down meaning both temperatures and precipitation for say a week. Predicted reading for today says 34 ish F.

Skipped over to CBC on line and did a quick run through - nada. Same old same old. Oh, different date

There was a Dutch Queen Wilhelmina, 

Summary : coffee in hand , sitting and typing < yes, there is Bailey s in the coffee >

On Xmas day, ' Wonderwoman 1984 ' opened in theatres. The reviews are mixed. One critic said that for a super hero type movie ' there wasn't much of a super hero to see '. I believe he thought more of ' wonderwoman ' in full battle dress was needed. Me. I think just looking at Gal Gadot is good enough. 

Overall, DC comics has garnered a reputation for doing spandex action movies - poorly. To be fair, Marvel has pretty much run out of creativity at this point. As far as I know or can tell ' Guardians of the Galaxy ' rather summed up the whole genre for Marvel.

Captain Marvel was average - y. Now, I thought the Brie Larson < Capt Mar - velle > sassy amnesiac was cute. And the by - play between Cpt Mar - velle and Fury was attention grabbing. But see, thats not the ' knock - em down spandex ' part of the movie either

Guardians was a retro music festival -  see not spandex super hero fight - y stuff - again. Thinking back - ' Dr Strange ' just might of been the mountain top. Wonderwoman was planting the flag, and Cpt Marvel was circling the top.

BTW, by accident, I got to watch ' King Kong ' w/ Brie Larson again. Cpt Marvel was a better movie for her. She had Samuel L for help in that one also. < no where near the same though >

Well, sun up in 20 minutes. But the Xmas tree beaacon is lit. You do know - that out front it can't be seen for 1/2 mile like it was in the backyard. However, I deemed that portability was a real plus for the Xmas tree. And of course, it was showing off to the neighbour s who have a ' zoo ' on their lawn in lights

In the back of my mind is a thought to turn the Xmas tree into a ball and have it descend from DE 29 to JA 1 down the pole.    

We shall see said the Zen Master

Out in the driveway, shovelling the margins to take back the whole driveway

Wakey, Wakey

 job 1 : light the beacon < everyone else is on timer for their lights >

job2 : turn up the thermostat, otherwise its 8 AM before night cycle is over

job 3 : grab a coffee < no Bailey s > , yet

M talked to England < meaning the cousins > and found them caring for K s mother who lives w/ them. The mother has some physical issues but cognitive dysfunction is occurring as well. To combat the stress, daughter and grand daughter are sitting down w/ a Bailey s at days end.

And K had Bailey s on her breakfast cereal, Christmas morning.

Job next : go over to CBC on line for some information re : weather then Science and Tech then Health then Business

P.S. please recall Brett Anderson has predicted mild changing to mild and wet for the week ending the 3 rd of Jan

I'm back from trolling the CBC. I'm reporting ' zero ' new ' news '. And segue - ing into a pet peeve - ' 24 hr news channels '. OR 24 hr re - cycled news and CNN which is like gossip central

CNN may soon become the longest running soap opera on TV. Sorry, I'm sure all the others are just as bad but M watches that particular one

BTW, M gets the TorStar daily. I read each section back to front. I figure front to back is how they want to read the paper

Thats it - off for Bailey s and a coffee warm up ! ( 6:50 AM )

A follow up. A load of wash went in.

Dishes got washed and I did breakfast

I'm sitting here typing. Fired off a 13 paragraph email to a cousin in law in Edmonton. Her fault she wrote first.

Sitting. I needed a break. Chill baby

Shoveled the drive

Slept

🏃 BOXING WEEK STARTS IN 3… 2… 1

 right. spend more

Fact : retail associations expect greater than ever Christmas returns b/c so much stuff was bought on line

I spent from 5:45 doing :

a) turn on the Xmas beacon Tree for the neighbours

b) coffee and Bailey s Irish Cream

c) a Xmas card for M, custom designed in 15 minutes

d) put Margaret s present under the table                              < tree is on top >

e) coffee and Bailey s

M feels Xmas is special so, I run round Xmas morning and do stuff

Yes, we got snow last night w/ more to come. How much is undetermined b/c it all depends on the moisture that blows over us. Cold enough for snow, obviously but will we catch the streamers off L. Erie or L Huron < Georgian Bay for us >. Turns out that we are just on the edge of 2 bands and will they wobble over us

Wow ! Bailey s at 6 AM. Neato 

it's 12:40 PM and full daylight is disappointing but no more snow

All went well re: Xmas morning

TG for that

2:20 PM and the sun broke through the clouds

a Power Glitch

b/c the neighbours needed an extension cord. I lent the one powering the Xmas tree.

I ran out this morning and hooked the tree back up for the morning - shine to fight the gray day ( P.S. Its 8 AM and still as dark as 7 AM despite sun up ) < P.P.S. 10:30 & dim goes on >

 Rain fell overnight 

Our window at night

Why  Because no one has been in the house since the stair lift repair guy. The dishwasher repair guy. The oven repair man. Hey, did I forget a repair guy ?????

 Thus, who could have seen this great set up

The Gadget Explosion or Tech ed to the gills

A PC tower and peripherals in the beginning, all hard wired

Then a Dell 19 inch laptop, portable and eventually to be the PC s replacement plugged in. Which truly did happen

A baby laptop, e Machine, b/c 19 inches of laptop is too much to haul to Florida, but wireless

A Chromebook laptop as the eMachine failed or couldn't cut it

The house goes wireless,  the modem powers TVS, phones and internet

Two G8 cell phones which are really micro tablets in disguise

A Chome Duet ( 1/2 laptop and 1/2 tablet )

And as a Xmas gift, a real tablet called Tab 10

The summary is that something is always charging in the house. However, the upside is all devices charge via Type C plugs - meaning 1 cord and power block could charge them all < separately of course >

AND in 10 days, the house goes all future - techie w/ central controlled alarm system and monitoring. The automated house begins. Alright, who is at the front door - 'we know ' or will in ten days. Spooky.

Whatever, happened to a baseball bat under the bed or tin can and string - Kittyhawk and gliding into the future

light the Beacon

since the day was so gray

turn on the Xmas tree.  ... recall it's new location   ..... the front

Lockdown foibles: fact #1 - medical facilities are strained.  Fact #2 - every day brings increases in CV 19 cases.
The question then becomes if you Lockdown why wait til Boxing Day?
Nothing changed b/c medical advice = lockdown now    ( Dec 21 )                                                              political advice = don't look bad by Cancelling Xmas

And the public interprets the decision ' oh, go ahead ' meet at Xmas ' after all if it was serious the government would make us not gather

I can sum up my day by saying ' an ice cream cone was lunch ', a choco cone < ah, but Canadian made >

The sunlight outside is no lighter and the wind is cold

Recommends : a George Clooney production called ' Midnight Sky ' bebuted around now. Starring, yes George and Felicity Jones. After the tolerable stuff that I've been watching MS is a change. High production values and a solid cast help. GC took some fairly standard world troubles and hopes and did not bad. Sorry George, others will need to over laud the effort.

Or, maybe another day, I could.

 

a Hacksaw and a Loaf

 oh,, yea - same to you. The combination was my Xmas gift to a friend LK. Approx 56 yrs ago, we started exchanging holiday presents. Thus, 2020 even w/ CV 19 was not an exception. The hacksaw came w/ 4 blades ( wood, metal, composite materials and fine ). The loaf was a Xmas stollen.

Lets tell a story < so whats new >. About three years ago, LK calls and says ' I need a hand '. The announcement is fraught w/ danger, trust me. Once, I ended up carting dirt from his backyard to a off ramp construction site < in summmer , in the heat >

This favour, move 40 boxes of hockey publications from the basement of his house to the garage and car. We're talking 4 guys and 3 hrs. Apparently, I missed the full order of business b/c after a pop break, LK says ' can we do the tree ? ' I must have looked stunned b//c someone goes ' sure '.

The tree, is a branch 15 ft up and the thickness of my thigh. The tree is on a slope and the ladder couldn't sit flat. I gawked as LK brings out a saw. The saw was our age at 60 something. Very fine teeth and rusted. It was as close to useless as you could get for the job. Thats when GI pops up and says ' I'll come back tomorrow and bring a proper saw '. Thus, the hacksaw b/c I know LK has never seen a saw like it <  I mean owned one >. A blade for every kind of household job - specialized for the task.

The stollen comes from a local bakery < expensive but excellent >. I wanted to buy from the bakery to help it stay in business.

A so - so day. The sun squeezes out every now and then w/ a cold breeze.

BTW - the boxes of hockey stuff. LK drove them to South Bend, Indiana to a hockey museum. Seriously, Indiana

darker Still

 alright who got up at 4:30 for a coffee.................... ME !

I lit the Xmas tree beacon, so if you're walking your dog in the ravine - the hill is marked for you.......... you're welcome

Part of the dark ....er, is our province wide lockdown that starts DE24. No.1 is we don't know exactly what the lockdown covers. No 2 is fundamentally un - enforceable anywhere rural < b/c the folks won't care >

Our biggest threat is lack of ICU space and a shortage of ventilators across the province. In fact some rural medical facilities wouldn't have a ventilator. Here in the big smoke, our ICU capacity is now limited and the reserve space is almost gone.

Long range weather for the Great Lakes, especially the Golden Horseshoe, calls for mild and slightly wet right into Jan 2 But the pattern could include some wet or white

Last evening, one of Santa's elves appeared at our door < my second cousin > w/ Xmas cookies. As she was leaving, she commented that our lights were very subdues < here read - tiny > compared w/ the neighbours to either side - namel the ' zoo ' to our West and the decorated shrubbery to our East.

Thus, this afternoon, I trnslocated the Xmas tree beacon < eight footer > to the front yard. W may not have the msot but it will be the tallest by a margin. Pictures to follow. My main worry is that the beacon will be mistaken for the great conjunction < Saturn meets Jupiter > which has closest approach tonight.

The tree goes on at 4:30 local time approx the 4 hours before the great conjunction. Don't be fooled, now that you are warned

See pix above

I got to see the ' beacon ' at night 🌃. Actually, it's impressive for home made. Baling wire and glue construction, after all.

P.S. I'm typing on a Lenovo Tab M tablet < a Xmas present >

Light and simple to use if your tablet trained which I'm still learning to fiddle w/

dark Still

 and like a beacon, the Xmas tree shines over the ravine - b/c I turned it on for the early walkers

This two days marks the longest nights of the year. We gain a little light from now. It is now almost 8 and the sun is up. Can't tell from here. We are overcast.

Thus, under the topic of Good News, Stay hydrated and  stay happy was an item. The survey found that those individuals tht drank 6 glasses of water per day, reported being more optimistic and awoke in better spirits than those that had 1 glass of water or so each day.

There were stories of people donating money, homes and organs. I think that the key is the giving.

However, the study found that drinking water at your favourite temperature makes a difference in how much water that you consume.

I favour ice in my water. Filtered water and filtered cubes. and conversely, I'll sometimes have boiled water thats cooled to lukewarm. Aha, I'll need to ensure that I drink water and take the effort to choose the temperature b/c it will make a difference.

I also have a soda stream - soda water maker. Apparently, I'm saving plastic < soda bottles > and using less cans < bubly soda >

11:15 AM and dark ish. Rain and other things predicted to fall

Ont C V 19 numbers are in the rolling average zone - not good but not altogether bad

the morning after

turkey day

a big success on the whole

and left overs for Xmas and beyond .... lets get real a 14 lb turkey for 2 .......... spells lots remaining

Well, came home errands < booze > and said ' job half done '

Took out the saw and after an anxious 10 min,  the stump is gone and just the bones lying on the ground < not really bones, but wood >

We have enough booze to last through lockdown w/ some rationing

Stuff fell - wet,snow, pellets etc. The wind was raw and meant to irritate your body

An Extension and ...........

 our lockdown which is not succeeding < notice that failure is never used by the Gov't > goes for another 3 weeks.

on the homefront, I kept looking at the pile of branches from the tree - bush that I hewed < love that word - hewed, always wanted to use it >. I had tossed them over the backdeck onto the yard and figured that sooner or later - I'd clean it up.

Yesterday, w/ the sun beaming despite the cold, yepper went out and did the deed. We have the ravine at our backs, meaning no neighbours < good, always > and if you're careful a place to recycle grass and cuttings.

Tremendous feeling to finish the clean up. One job left to ' hew ' the stump thats standing.

The days ahead spell warm up to above freezing but unsettled conditions apply.

Cold and Bright

 Ontario reports fewer cases of CV 19 but barely. Thus, the curve did not soar up and the rolling 7 day average didn't rise.

The numbers remain big and challenging - very obviously, folks gathered or forged on Lack Friday Weekend and even now are making too many contacts

Turkey in the oven, ready at 5:30 

R U coming over

DON'T listen to me - stay home

Latest scuttlebutt is that Ontario < the infected south > will enter the ' twilight zone ' on Dec26 w/ total shutdown for 3 weeks or so. We are imagining travel curfew and closed stores.

{ in the Bleak Midwinter } or getting there

its actually, not that cold      my bathroom thermostat still reads 66 0r 67    cuz when its real cold that reading is 62   I have a separate heater b/c the bathroom is not centrally heated     when we first got here, there was a radiant floor heater  but when they were going to re-do M s bathroom       I said ' can you put in a blower heater '

Genius level move.

I turned on the Xmas tree beacon, for the ravine people. I figured if your out walking at 7:30 then you can find your way home by the tree

P.S. I run a fan at floor level approx 6 hrs a day to dry out the bathroom or just move the air.

P.P.S. I run a baby fan in the lower hall to move the air. There is only 2 of us and I figure its good to circulate the air in the lower hall  < there is no vent for central heating >

Well, for 8 months, I've asked Rogers Telecommunications to allow me to see daily usage for internet. We are on primo service for primo price and the graph is there but blank. Two days ago after umpteen phone calls - bingo its there. And it says that we average between 4 - 6 Gb per day < our service is no cap internet > however, I think its good to know 

Thought I'd share. As well, I discovered a way to take screenshots w/ this laptop < Chromebook >. Some computers have a screenshot button not this baby - but I followed the description from a site AND yessiree there she is

Then its sad - how much we use. The story goes before primo service as today, we had a 50 Gb cap and then paid for overage < expensive b/c we went over once > When the girl sales rep said unlimited, I replied ' we really don't need unlimited b/c we could get by on 60 Gb ' Nope, that was the deal, unlimited. Oh, the 60 Gb cap cost $10 more w/out the intro deal.

Our record usage was last month when we blew by 150 Gb. BTW, this usage is all Netflix and Prime and YouTube. See sad. A dupe to the great god TV

the December Blues on cue

 I woke up at 6:45 A, a little groggy / tried to sleep / gave up and played Casino. W/ play money, I got a straight flush producing a 1745 play dollars win.     PLAY money ! Truth, with real money could never have bet $ 65 on a single play

The day will be a mixed bag of everything winter. Cold { 18 F and feels like 1 }, northerly winds, moisture < all kinds > STAY home kinda day. The tree stump can wait. To cheer up the neighbourhood - I turned on the ' beacon ' Xmas light tree in the backyard. Now relocated, I'm positive that the whole ravine can see the lights.

Think kind thoughts                                                           Do kind deeds                                                                    Be kind

From Harvey : Elwood, my mother always called me Elwood, in this world, you need to oh so smart, or oh so kind. I've tried smart, kind is better

I Googled ' American Pie ' by  Don McLean

When people ask Don McLean what does American Pie really mean, he likes to reply: "It means I never have to work again ' 

The song came out in 1971 and D McLean is 74 this year < 2020 > 

The day turned out as expected minus the white stuff. Something like little white balls fell - swirled a bit and streamers of white occassionally. That was it. However, this evening, we could get 2 inches of snow or hopefully not sleet < its very cold out there >

Our Ont C V 19 numbers are scary right now. We aren't surgung eponentially but the values are high .Our rolling 7 day average tends to rise slowly but surely

in Vain

the Province has had Toronto in a lockdown for 22 days .This included all personal services, and non essential retailers but the loopholes allowed Home Depot, Costco, Walmart and Canadian Tire < really Walmart w/ more auto related items minus groceries > to open.

the upshot : our numbers for C V 19 cases are as high as ever.             BUT the growth is not exponential or multiplying

What happens post Dec 21, the current lockdown release date ?   That will be announced this Friday, for Dec 22

The day is brightening and sun floods the tree tops w/ light winds b/c the tree limbs are still 

the news had the first six people to get innoculated highlighted, the rest of Canada will follow over the next decade

I remember a Sci Fi genre story where the Manufacturer made a vaccine and then invented the disease that would need the vaccine

Eerie, spooky that

Popped out to move the Xmas tree to a better anchor tree. Its 3 ft off the ground level on a mound. I'm sure low flying aircraft can use it as a beacon for landings. I noticed that branches distorted the light strings thus the move to a sapling kinda tree.

Speaking of tree limbs and we were - a tree came down at the edge of the drive, I sawed it down. The umbrella tree was hard to shape. Probably, I didn't trim and train the tree, very early on, in our tenancy. Its been 24 yrs. Gone wild is the phrase. I trimmed the side chunks, first and then went after the trunk. And discovered that this boy had some meat to him. The piece that went last, weighed in around 100 + lbs. Sugar, that was heavy.

The standing stump is 3 ft high. Someday it will come down.

the theme was ' in vain ', in fact it is almost appropriate

I mentioned the faact, that Google < my platform > is doing away w/ ' Cloud print '. Thus, I'm at the point where all 3 devices can reach the HP printer. Crap ! On DE 31, the last day of cloud print. I was concerned then relieved and now ..........................  mystified. I've worked out that ' yes ' the change affects me.

On YouTube, watching a few videos, it seems possible that the HP printer can still be used post- DE31. I am dubious b/c I don't really recall the ' printer set up ' window quite looking as presented in the video. Tomorrow, I will see if the tablet, Lenovo Chrome Duet can reach the printer w/out cloud print.

I would choose the tablet for 2 reasons, newer and the one device most likely to be upstairs. The sad part is that my phone doesn't seem to have a ' printer settings ' page or window < to adjust to print w/out cloud 

the big news

 the turkey is thawing......... the problem always is .............. how long will the sucker take to de-ice

we never know ........... 72 hrs is the advice everywhere ............ for our bird ...........                                                                                                          1 year

so we are going for the 17 th. Tues night at 7 P marks 48 hrs in the fridge

we shall see said the Zen Master

speaking of which < we weren't, right > I've had technical glitches

A) neither Chrome device, tablet < Duet > or Chromebook can reach  the HP printer. The Moto g8 can get the printer to work. I've tried changing IP destination etc. But this morning, on waking, the printer spews out about three tries worth of pages from yesterday. However, I have no idea which IP code did the trick

AND this morning, gmail flashed ' you may not be able to use Contacts ' AND YouTube went down ' Oops ! somethings wrong '

After an hour < and three shutdowns and clearing caches etc > Google is back in all its glory

I was going to say originally at 6:30AM " I'm up and drinking coffee "  but of course its still true at 8:15

Cool ish day to come. Rather gray out there.

Post Script info : it wasn't just me, Google services went down holus - bolus

In a spurt of genius, I moved the Chromebook beside the printer. The printer flashed ' device discovered ' for Wi Fi Direct ' which I don't use. But moments later, I hit print and it did print.
BAD was, the window noted ' this service is ending soon '

Thank you, Chrome. Chrome is changing service products incl printing straight from emails. To what, I don't know yet.
I have til Dec 31 to figure out what happens

Thus, one device to go for total printing

AND once that's done - figure out how to print w/out using cloud print.  I didn't know that was what the Chrome system was doing

The vaccine arrived in Canada, in Ontario. Our CV 19 numbers are w/in the rolling 7 day average < + / - >. Toronto has 7 days of lockdown left .......... Or so we think

Simple Living Sunday: Creative Ways to Celebrate Christmas 🎄

 this is the usual Sunday banner from Lehman s

a pattern ? skipped my evening coffee - couldn't fall sleep   however when you're retired and comfy

well, I can nap

I mentioned the ' sleep ' program from NOVA < PBS > and the importance of sleep. Sleep deprivation is an epidemic in the North America. A fortune is spent on sleep aids.

I've seen information that suggests A) regular habits re: sleep  B) avoid the cell phone or computer near bedtime

but surprisingly, the blue light from city light poles is detrimental to sleep, as well.

It all comes back to Paul Simon ' I don't expect to sleep through the night '

P.S. I don't do either A or B suggestions, well, poorly at best

Whats on tap for simple living Sunday ? Not much. The biggie is that the turkey comes out of deep freeze today. I came up w/ the brilliant plan of cooking the 14 lb-er on the 17 th, have a turkey dinner. Cool and freeze the rest.

In the past we've cooked the turkey the day before people are coming and cooled and refrigerated the meat. On the day of eating, we would flood the meat w/ chicken broth and heat in the oven. This plan gets us a dinner this week and a Xmas dinner < prepped in the main > for Dec 25.

Thus, the bulk of the work gets done before the 25 th. Unusual approach ? but could there be a more unusual year

Someone on CH_ _ - some FM station < b/c CBC had their music selection playing, yick ! > mentioned a Xmas YouTube video. Ready !

Normally, people can watch the 24 h Yule log in the fireplace on video. This year, the surprise hit on YouTube is the ' dumpster fire '

Really, someone started a fire in a dumpster and invited people to toss on objects from 2020 - kinda burning out the year. See. Not a normal year, not even close to anything normal. Thank goodness, I'm not too normal.     I'm a perfect fit for 2020

Had to happen

 this is hand written. Using a stylus. But its slow

Actually too slow

At 11:30, the day has turned wild. Damp and bone penetrating coolness

it was order in night, fish & chips from Duckworth's On Kingston Rd

buy local even if its 4 mi here

2 halibut/ chips 



Here is today's weather details from the Torstar < that is 46 F >

after today, the temperature will fall for 5 days - and bottom out around 28 F

Today

Cloudy with 30 percent chance of drizzle this morning. Rain beginning near noon. Fog patches dissipating early this morning. Wind east 30 km/h gusting to 50. High 8.

And now I'm stuck in this little box 

the Big Squeeze

- I've coined a new term. Its when the retailer has you between ' Black Friday Madness and Xmas desperation "

' not much between despair and esctacy ' from ' One Night in Bangkok '

The day here, cool -ish - in fact, one should expect a raw kind of feel. Damp and w/ winds

the CV 19 situation in Ont and really, Canada is dismal. The vaccine comes, but just in time to barley blunt the CV 19 wave that is crashing over the country.

To wit, Ontario has high numbers but a large population. Other provinces are barely below our totals w/ half the population.

Basically, Canadians haven't figured out : a ) the virus is there, meaning everywhere. b) if you make your own rules about your behaviour - you are wrong. Because you can't be right

And we got the proof - absolutely full ICU wards. In Peel, to our West, the health units are shifting patients based on priority

Wet and not too Wild

 mixed precipitation is on order ........ and winds might get swirling

I watched a ' NOVA ' special on " Sleep " last night.

Sleep is important. For all animals, except it happens differently. I believe that w/ age comes the change where neurons that normally fire or activate deep sleep are not roused as in youth

However, I'm retired and can nap. Napping can be very useful to the very young and the older types. I nap.

Day 18 of Lockdown. The numbers for CV19 dipped a tiny bit but rebounded big time. The rationale is simple. The pool of virus is large.
Canada is allowing Canadians to travel by air and return. Foreign visitors are landing in Canada 

' Have virus, will travel ' seems to be the motto .... And it works - we have proof

Weather is damp and not too windy. Bundled up and out of the wind, the day is tolerable

" and the times, they are - a - changin' " costs $300 million. Thats the guesstimate of the rights to the Bob Dylan song book.

Day 17 of Lockdown

 and the situation is not resolving quickly, here

small downward movements but hospitals are nearing the theorical limits

Snow is dropping from the branches. The snow is heavy w/ moisture

We got 2 inches, give or take

Officially, the values are down, slightly

Still not hopeful yet

05 : 07

 reads the time on Day 16 of Toronto lockdown

I am awake b/c I want to be. 
or so I'd want you to believe

Amazon Prime has a series called ' Carnival Row '. A fairy story w/ dark sub plots. I binge watched 2 episodes last night. Can 2 be binging ? The prodution values are movie grade and the smallest things seem well thought out

back deck was 19 F at 8:10 / a bitter edge to the wind.                             Tomorrow maybe 38 or so F

And our C V 19 cases are down ( barely ) but we are below the 7 day running average < now, no one said that but I think those are the numbers that we can use > However, < always, one of those > our City Medical Officer asked us not to gather over Christmas except for your regular household. And everyone will break the rule. We know for sure b/c the neighbours are already doing this - couple lives in the house, 3 sons live away and meet on the weekend , see, family but 3 different domiciles.

Whoa, Baby !

we set a new record for CV19 cases

best line I've heard yet ' here we are fighting a virus that can't move on its own and its everywhere in the country ' 

Got up for coffee. ............. there was a campaign at school, way back, reminding students to avoid drugs < narcotics etc > I changed mine from                                ' My Choice Drug Free ' to                                                                                             ' MY CHOICE DRUG caffeine.......................... b/c it is

I've been around the internet - my bookmark pages - CBC on line  / facebook   / Rogers ( internet services -which means everything for communication minus our cell phones ) ......... a morning routine

one bright spot is the number of students that take the time to pass along a kind word

on facebook, a lot  of the ' friends ' are former students

the sun came out and makes the day and view - heart warming - sun kissed tree boles and branches.  the wind is up tho', everything is in motion out there

by a round about way, Googling produced, ' wrap your feet in foil ' - to help relieve cold symptoms ( ???????? )

the raationale for feet wrapping ........ is warmth ?

Check Out These New Arrivals That We 💕 for December

 the Lehman s banner 

and #2868 posting

we have big sun and it felt cold reaching for the newspaper.   the view is half sun - half shade

C V 19 is not the headline in the Torstar.    One column 3/4 page on rapid testing and where RT could lead us. Now here is a wonder Slovakia tested almost it's entire population in a weekend.
That of course, raises a plethora of questions.
Such as how many troops gathered the testees in one huddle ?

And 2 weeks into lockdown and ' way hey and up she rises ' old sailing shanty to describe our C V 19 numbers

The Staple of Many Chefs 🍳 Discover the Perks of Using Cast Iron

 from Lehman s. 

Apparently, some chefs do not wash the cast iron pan. I saw that on ' Emily in Paris '

We will hover near freezing for the next 5 days. Very overcast as at now.

Recommend : Prime Video has ' the Only Living Boy in New York '. Cast has Pierce Brosnan, Kate Beckinsale, Cynthia Nixon and Jeff Bridges plus Paul Simon gets to sing his song

Oops ! Day 13  AND .................

the debate in Ontario, is this a crisis, our  CV19 situation,

 Premier says ' No ' and our cases per 100 000 is 6 th in the country

Health pundits say ' Yes ' Hospital ICU beds are full and ' last line of defense ' workers < medical personnel > are exhausted. Shortly, PPE will be hard to come by - again! Ah, everything old is nu again

the day is gray and breezy

Oh, a friend's Uncle < age 85, a cardiac specialist > succumbed to C V 19. Getting closer !

Baking Supplies We Can't Live Without 🍰

 from Lehman s

Day 12 and improvement re : CV 19 not evident. To wit, in Quebec a plan to allow social gatherings o 10 was kaiboshed by the Premier. No way Jose said Legault or  ' pas possible en francais '

Ontario is barely keeping numbers down. To be fair, the testing numbers are high, so maybe values are skewed slightly. But CV 19 is there - no doubt.
The alarming data is that ICU beds are past full. Thus, no wiggle room for hospitals. In the spring, elective surgeries were postponed but the backlog of surgical procedures is mammoth. 
Stuffed to the gills is the expression that applies. 

Surprise. Pfizer announces a delay. Yes, its coming but not as much as first estimated.

Snow started this hour, heavy at times. The ground is not white but these are big flakes, coming straight down. The temperature on the back deck is 32  - ish

Occasionally, I catch a talk bit on CBC, yesterday, the topic was nostalgia. Turns out everyone loves nostalgia. The guest admitted that no one actually wants to go back 30 yrs. They recognize that technology is different and we are addicted. Then what is w/ nostalgia ? 

The general conclusion is that nostalgia is a touch stone - our past. Is it still there ? Its where we are from, and of course, we can choose to remember ' good ' times without the baggage of today. A sort of purified experience and skip the bad parts.

Another contributor noted that we talk nostalgia but want the latest in electronics ' as in new is better and newer is the cats pajamas '

on the 11 th Day: Lehman s said

Wow, That's Clean! ✨ Find Our Time-Tested Cleaning Solutions 

the big gab in Canada is Rollout. We have not approved a drug for C V 19. We likely won't ge it for 2 months. But everyone is asking ' how will I get it ?

I feel that I should be next in line after the Premier for the vaccine. I figure that I am just about as useless as he is.

Thursday should be clear and cool not cold or as cold as its been

Morning summary. A trip out to :

DejaVu, used DVD s etc

Shoppers Drug Mart, it's Seniors Day ( 20 % off )

Hearth Bakery

Gas

Results - light rye is excellent

Dec 3 at 2 AM or as we say, 10 th DoLD

 and awake b/c ..............?????????????

awake

I'll nod off in a bit

How are you ?

Yep , fell asleep. OK then what kept you up.

Here in Toronto, 2 yrs ago, a young man drove a van onto the sidewalk and killed 10 people. He aimed at the groups that he hit. His defence is that b/c of autism and social awkwardness - he is not criminally reponsible for his acts. I couldn't stop thinking about the families of the victims. Oh, and 16 people were seriously injured as well.

Well, I agree. He is not criminally reponsible. So shoot him b/c he will never be any fitter to live in society.

I do try and be tolerant b/c it's right and M says so. But this guy burns my butt. He felt awkward w/ girls and girls didn't like him. Become a priest. Don' t run people over

Oh, today, cold to ' Holey Kamoley Batman, where's my long underwear ' w/ mega sun. The water ran off the roof into the gutters

I found this piece from Forbes < 2013 ?>
Gin is a drinker's drink, as unrepentant as a porterhouse steak, an advanced exercise in pleasure. Descended from alchemical origins, it was perfected in its familiar "dry" style during the British Empire and reflected an imperial power's taste for imported curiosities: cubeb berries, orris root, cassia bark. But in the postwar decades, gin's cerebral, old-school exoticism, unconcealable in any drink, slipped out of fashion. It was vodka--covert and undemanding--that the public craved, and the market poured its energy into creating ever more brands and brand extensions with ever more imperceptible distinctions. Only in recent years, with the rise of the cocktail culture, has gin come in for a jazzed-up rethink--new mixes of botanicals, new methods of distillation, new players puzzling out the range of notes and amplifying their complex harmonies. If you've never known how good gin can be, consider these drinks another of life's grown-up lessons: Sexy isn't always simple. --Richard Nalley

On the Nine - th Day of Lockdown or Post #2863

I was thinking < always dangerous > while drinking Drumshanbo Gin < gunpowder green tea flavoured gin >   That gin is a drink when you're alone. Whiskey, well, you sit back and contemplate - the day , life something. Rum is a party drink that you mix w/ fruit.

Gin can be a Collins or Martini or a tonic. However, nowadays, gin is a drink when you're alone. Thus, my philosophy of gin. But I checked on line, AND she beat me to it - w/ a whole book.

' the Philosophy of Gin ' is a history of gin and how it changed. Originally, a poor man's or drunkard's tipple, gin has metamorphosed into a sophisticated party alcohol.

So much for my - ' gin for when you're alone '.

Thus, I'll publish here.
 Whats new ! 
 My Gin Theory

I drink Drumshanbo w/ a drop of filtered water and a filtered ice cube. To be fair, we should ask ' do you contemplate life when having ' a gin moment ? ' For sure. But not a lot. 
Is TV on or other distractions going ? Maybe

did I mention the sculptured blue bottle < picture to follow > 

let me get this straight that you choose the gin b/c of the bottle - Yes

Drumshanbo distillery does this bottle for people such as I. Now, I also like gunpowder green tea. Gunpowder green tea is dried and slightly heated to curl into little balls of tea leaves. Then add hot water and watch the leaves unfurl. It's a multi sensory experience

Filtered water ? Yes, from the fridge dispenser. I listened to a coffee buyer who travelled world wide. The host asked you must really love coffee.     The answer  ' yes '

Host : how much coffee do you drink.                                                       Guest : 3 cups a week.                                                                               Host : 3 ! Why ?  Couldn't you have  coffee in every city                                                                              

Guest: I have to know where the water is sourced. I will not spend 5 dollars a cup for city water. Why buy the best coffee and brew that blend in inferior water

Give me a break 💔 5 dollars a cup

Well then my Gin is worth it 2

I ran out and  re - adjusted the light tree at 3 PM

5 PM report :   Repairs to the backyard Xmas light tree - a success. Looks better than before, before. The outline is very reminiscent of a classic pine tree or the standard decoration look of a Xmas tree.  

a Nu Day / Last Day and #8 ofLD

 couldn't sleep - what do you expect  early to bed        up at 6 ish                       playing w/ the Dell laptop

on the C V 19 front. In the UK, the regulator has been asked to verify the data from Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine trials. Some experts are even floating the possibility of a second round of trials to allay doubts. And a delay of 6 months which would still put the vaccine a year or two ahead of normal break in periods for a vaccine.

90 % ????????? what 90 %. The numbers are more like 50 - 60 % efficacy. Heck, this is in the range of Lotto Max

sorry got blown away by reality b/c our numbers in Ontario are rising like the tide Not a tsunami but steady Eddy. Where is King Canute < he's the one, I think >

our weather is cool / damp, your bones hurt and knees crack -  Hey, normal late fall.

I'm using the Duet in laptop mode for typing paragraphs - way better than tablet mode. Keyboard is small ish but so are my hands.

If your gutters are clear < yes ! > you'll be alright

I said weeks ago, don't rely on a vaccine to solve all C V 19 problems

Nothing will make the CV 19 virus go away - but infect fewer people

Rain is thrumming on the roof

My Xmas tree blew over, is now facing the mud

EEK !

I was moving glasses from cabinet to cabinet. Streamlining the kitchen shelves which are choc - a - bloc w/ accumulated dishes. I took a bunch of stuff downstairs < thats what packrats do > and moved some objects in a drawer. This hard item caught my attention.

" Preserve, Ken 1995 " was hand written on a hardcover notebook. The writing was my father's style < deceased > and ' Ken ' is my deceased brother. The entries were intermittent and finished almost the last week of his life.

Ken had viral cardiomyopathy or swollen heart disease. The enlarged heart fails as swelling impedes function.

Questions such as ' did you know about this diary ' etc drew blanks from me. 

We had the guests come to our house after the funeral service for Ken. Not very elaborate but there was sushi and sandwiches < standard fare when your Canadian Japanese >. A cousin helped my Mom < Alzheimer's patient > to the door. Mom turns to the cousin and says  ' they really don't know how to throw a party, do they ?  '

I slipped out and stood the Xmas light tree back up.

Day 7 Lockdown Status

 we had a food delivery from our chain grocer. Wine comes today.

The temperature will be around 50 F w/ some gusty winds.

Perhaps our favourite time of year starts now. The trees are denuded and we can see approx 3/4 mile North from our picture window. Apparently, someone has a Xmas tree in lights in their backyard < us ! >

All the C V 19 news is grouped into two bunches :        a) why are we 2 nd tier for vaccine delivery   

                    b) the numbers are not spiking but we have plateau - ed of sorts at a high number. The hope is that quarantine protocols will lower the rate of infection. Thus, we will wait for the numbers on or about the 10 th of Dec < approx 2 weeks after lockdown start >

Also, I just re - read the last 5 postings. I forgot to mention a crucial delivery. The printer cartridge came as promised by HP. And we are set to print.

And a recommend for Netflix, ' Secret, Dare to Dream '. Actually, I think the video is from the Hallmark Channel. Smaltzy. However, ' refreshing is the word ' that I would use. I watched two ' shoot em up ' videos and ***k was used as a noun, adverb, verb and adjective plus for swearing - ***k got worn out trying to fulfill all its roles

Another video is available on Netflix, ' the Current War ' the battle between Edison < DC supply > and Westinghouse < AC systems >. I mentioned this film last year b/c we saw it in England at Pinewood Studios.

Condition : Pack Rat - itis is an affliction where the person refuses to or doesn't toss stuff out  . GUILTY

Yesterday, I went to the neighbours w/ 2 Xmas decorations that plug in. A skating rink tableau and a chimney scene w/ falling snow were on offer. The second neighbour < small children > gladly said ' yes '.

Across the street, the long time neighbours are leaving in 45 days after their house closes sale. Yesterday, they were organizing and starting the packing up process. I donated 6 cardboard boxes and 3 large plastic totes w/ folding lids plus a collapsible trolley. The young lads called the dolly ' Primo ' < meaning good ? maybe >

All of the above, sat in the garage awaiting a move or a garbage disposal day  Who knows.

The neighbours to the right have a Xmas tree in their backyard. Bought and smaller than ours. Ours is ' primo '

6 th Day In

 of lockdown and we are here. As is our Amazon order. We tried the ear thermometer. The choice was forehead or ear thermometer. Ear thermometers have to be more accurate < in the ear not through 6 inches of air > And it is for the two of us.

OK, what were we using before today ? An oral one  < really old, say 20 yrs > This ear monitor can sing and dance < records data >

It was a Xmas present but there was no point in waiting b/c what if we needed it. Thus, set it up and be ready. We can put it under the tree or end table < tree on top - such a different Xmas >. We can take our temperature Xmas morning. 
P.S. my temperature was 97.8 F - yes I am usually under 98.6 by a degree but I'm breathing, 

45 degrees and bright sun Bonus b/c all chores are done.

OK, another one of my stories.You probably saw that I made a tablet stylus, that works < mostly >. For Xmas, I was allowed to pick a stylus. In my searching, 2 two types of stylus seemed available, passive < like my homemade pen > and active

The best of the active types are the newer USI kind. However, the USI ones are just coming out In fact, it seems buyers are grateful and settling for what is there. Thus, I decided to buy a passive stylus < cost $ 10 - 16 >. The $16 one had 2 ends, pointy and soft. When I saw the soft end ...... I said ' Crap, we have at least one of those, in the house '

We did. And they work just fine for what I need, now. We each have one. Of course, the soft stylus works w/ a cell phone, too.

Lockdown Day 5

 trouble in River City < from the Music Man >  The owner of Adamson s Ribs was arrested amid his supporters. The owner opened and served clients to defy the no ' eat in ' policy for Peel Region < W of T.O. > Yes, lockdown applies in Peel. 
Peel has 1/2 the population of T.O. and more cases. Plague zone reality

Basically, a no win situation. Owner upset, C V 19 den - iars upset and the police came w/ the mounted patrol unit. Public health padlocked the BBQ place. And I'm upset - love BBQ. What a lovely war

Dismal out there, cool but not cold

Alright, what was that photo, in yesterday's post. Well, my first photo using the tablet camera. Guess I'll need to practice. Plus, I tried the       ' copy image ' button. And the shot was taken through the picture window w/ the glare and reflection. For reference the light tree is 8 ft tall and 3 ft wide located 50 ft from the window.
The tree will be visible for 1/2 mile. How could you know ? I know ?
B/c 16 yrs ago, while buying gingerbread houses, Tony, the owner's husband mentioned where their old kitchen was when they sold from the house. Well, across the ravine. I said ' can you see my tree ? 🌴. Tony said ' yes, and you can see it from Brimley Rd. b/c I looked for it " After that, at 8 PM - I'd flick the tree ' off - on " and Tony flicked back w/ his back porch light

So good to reach via phone, especially, in these times

Thnx really enjoyed the moment.

Day was as advertised and a little less. Tolerable. The weekend will be very good for this time of year.

Amazon has us on speed dial now. We are trying to find local business places but its not that easy. We really don't normally shop that way. Except at Christmas, but now we can't or can't seem to

The Day 5 is closing. Our numbers for C V 19 have levelled off but this juncture would not be a good starting point. Any upward movement from today or the last 5 days would mean an explosion of cases < rapid doubling and an exponential surge >

Canada has no lab capacity for vaccine production and gets second tit in the vaccine roll out. The upside that no one talks about is that by the time all the bugs < lousy choice of phrase there > get wrung out of the vaccine protocol - well, it would be our turn.

And there will be setbacks. All the data so far, is as admitted by all specialists based on healthy test populations. And trust me that there is nothing especially healthy about what is out there at now.

M has a working watch. The batteries arrived by post, 6 of the suckers. Popped in the battery and success !

day 4 of Lockdown < what a crappy title >

 no signs of improvement in C V 19 numbers. we've been forewarned that any break or downward move in cases won't show for 2 weeks AND the values we see today for instance are representative of 2 weeks ago - when I was younger

Today, started w/ rain or drizzle and will clear before rain chance returns. An attempt at re - shaping the outside Xmas light tree was made. However, simply moving the tie downs on the side may not be enough

we shall see said the Zen Master

Our backyard Xmas light tree

Stocking Stuffers 🎄 Toys & Treats to Hang in Your Stocking with Care I

 Lehman s is finished doing Cyber, so the banner

Lockdown Day 3 or ' We've only just begun ..... ' the Carpenters

Rain is forecast and it's here. 

 The Ontario news is CV 19 - our bad and who did it to us.......... mostly us. Large gatherings and nursing homes are focal points. I passed on the Friday College Football viewing. Couldn't do it. Small gathering ( 4 b/c last year it was 3 )

A productive morning involved shopping. Replacing the sodastream cartridge, then buying an interruptor switch for a lamp cord and BOOZE.
I used YouTube to optimize procedure for sodastream and the switch. In fact, the instructions on the package said to cut the ends of the hot wire and strip the free ends. I couldn't figure out why you would need to strip the ends if the piercing prongs did the contacting inside the switch. Well, YouTube was right, don't strip the ends. However, it is a tight fit in the switch box thus maybe it's a size consideration.

Oh, we got booze < did I say that> not necessary but vital

And our Premier got a lambasting from the Provincial auditor especially about the early C V 19 steps

Lockdown Day 2

 I am counting up to Day 28 or ELD < end of lockdown > However, even w/ this isolation for the month length, advice is that large gatherings are not safe re: C V 19. Quebec is like us in lockdown but their Premier has said they will relax rules for Xmas. Four days and then back to C V 19 rules.
Could you guess Quebec leads Canada in all C V 19 categories.

A gray day so far and headed for 45 F but we will be up and down all week. We end w/ Thur and Fri above 50. It s damp but not cold and the air is still.

Printer trouble, as the new cartridge got rejected by the system. I mentioned < to the automated chat bot > that the cartridges came from the same box w/ different expiry dates. 
But the company HP, is sending a new signal cartridge to overcome the incompatibility issue.

In the meantime. You find the old " C " < cyan ? > cartridge and put it back in. AND, the printer flashes ' this is an original cartridge ' Yes, and '

Da da - it works. Now, it flashing " low ink " b/c its an used cartridge. However, it seems, the printer is willing to try. P.S. the catridges cost $10 less than the printer < black and 3-colour pack - sold separately >

#2855 is the Post

 lockdown can be a 4 letter word

Snow ! A winter wonderland out there

TG that I will not drive this morning b/c first snow or ice event drivers destroy their cars < and people, sadly >. Winter tires ? Nah, I'm OK - it's just a little snow then ' Wham, bang and thank you Ma'am '

The day was mild with a cool wind, damp as well.

M s watch died. I did a YouTube search and discovered what I knew already. The casing back is friction fit and you find the little notch along the seam. Right. If your eyesight is halfway decent. NOT. I didn't want to scratch the back all over praying the notch was there. 

Finally, after several seaches, it became evident only one place was indented < a little > compared to everywhere else. The video said to find a thin knife that was strong enough still to pry the back off. I tried a jeweller's screw driver and before I could twist, the backing slipped off. Hint : when the backing has been removed eight times - well. let s say it gets easier.                                                On Amazon, I found the battery. Oh, sorry, it took me 10 minutes to see the print on the battery. A thousand angels could dance on the battery but that print was small. OK. The battery ( ies ) were $6. The cost to replace the battery at the jewellers is $12. But you saw, its batteries. Yes, they come as a 6 pack.

Good deed, partly done. M needs her watch, I couldn't care less. There are clocks everywhere in the house plus cell phones and laptops.

Lockdown Tomorrow

 shopping today. I went early and got a turkey, in case, we'll ? Who knows

We managed earlier in the year, this bout should be more easily negotiated. However, the freezer is there. Thus, we stocked some variety.
Snowflakes and some accumulation. Funnily, for 2 days there was salt on the drive b/c of a possible ice event during the week. It will get used now

Salt is covered. The flurries turned into 2 inches and its still falling < at 3:30 PM >

There is a snowfall alert b/c the front hung around so long < yes, way over 2 inches  >

My latest project is a DIY stylus made from a metal pen tipped w/ a cotton swab fluffy end < moistened slightly >      Cost?   10 cents          Advantage, much finer tip that lets me touch individual letters and even the superscript numerals < for the first time >

Disadvantage is the tip dries out and loses contact w/ the metal b/c the screen responds to the change in electrical potential that your finger tip causes. The metal and moist fluffy cotton transmit the electrical potential of your finger by continuity.

Not Everyone

 is impressed w/ the Lenovo Duet.

 M s cousin in England has an iPad and says other seniors w/ different tablets ask her for help. She says it's incredible how complicated other brands can be

I did explain that the processor in the duet is ARM or Android specific and more like a cell phone but she is probably correct concerning other makes. " Chrome Unboxed " < the YouTube channel > has said before that previous tablet attempts for Chrome platforms had been fraught w/ inadequacies

Now, you heard it here first, the Xmas tree needs to move further away from the house. Too close for us to see while sitting. The extension cord can go another 10 ft at least. I'll post a final shot

We have relocation.
 Another 20 ft or so - as far as the electrical cord would go. A full test of the system is sheduled for 5 PM < sundown > , although its so overcast 4:30 would probably be about right

Test complete and voila - a mishapen lighted form of a pine tree is visible - there is a correction needed And C V 19 is giving me  4 weeks - I mean locked down

Its been just about decided for us - our presents are coming via Amazon etc. Technically, locksoen lifts on the 30 th of Dec < if numbers of C V 19 go down >

We shall see said the Zen Master

the Aftermath of a Flu Shot

 my arm was sore at injection site yesterday

today, I just took off the band aid and no problem

Today, lunch was a veal cutlet sandwich which is difficult to find in the U.S.. At Italian restuarants what you order is Veal Parnagiana on a bun and they can do that. Our choice is California Sandwiches which I believe started in Toronto.Who knows < might have been in the U.S. - in California >

I cobbled together a Xmas tree for outside from a bamboo pole and wood slats plus a string of  LED lights

Turn on time is 5 PM tonight. Whee golly gee !

And we go into lockdown on Monday for  < 4 weeks ? >   from the hints that popped out during the announcement.

No personal care

No reataurant dine in

Mostly, pick up service

Churches are linited to 10 persons < Father, Son, the Holy Ghost, priest > and 6 more.

Update : There is light in the backyard - and it is shaped much like a stereotypic Xmas tree. You cannot see the bamboo pole at all.

I was going to buy a $20 inflatable light up tree < 3 ft tall > but Home Depot was sold out.

Lets see - ours stands 7 ft and cost 0$ unless you count the $6 that I paid for the stringer of lights 5 yrs ago.

Flash Alert - Toronto is in C V 19 lockdown as mentioned above

getting Shot

 this is my flu shot day. I don't get the heavy hitter vaccine but the regular dowe

An unusual overnight weather fact, our temperature went up during the dark hours. We will reach 50 F or close. As at now, patchy sky through the trees. Of course, there is a 40 % view of the sky w/ no leaf cover.

" sing ' Ho ' for the life of a Hobbit " paraphrased from the original in the Red Book of Westmarch

11 AM - arrived early at Dr s and bango all done / but they make you wait 10 min for safety

I'm Saved

from my bank :

- enjoy Black Friday shopping with flexible payment terms at lower interest rates

Come on.

Enjoy

Borrow

Interest rate 

Oh, right, lets blend all those words into a life affirming sentence. Can you tell that I'm in a good mood.

I'll need a little more Anne Frank therapy

"  see the beauty around you  "  < paraphrased of course >

she was correct / is correct 

A cold biting wind was featured today. Broken sun and damp feeling were also prominent.

aColdddddd Day in Cottage Country

 the old cottage had a partial change of ownership - same mortgage holders < us >

and for peace of mind, the locks needed new keys 🔑

I went as company. Didn't do much but saved the day. "A " < the owner > was using smart lock which allows the owner to use any key and the lock will match tumblers to that key. " A " pulled the key out before the last tumbler clicked. Thus, the combination would be a hybrid of old and new keys." A " just assumed the lock was permanently mis - set.
But I refused to believe that there wasn't a failsafe mode.
There was - silly but available. Put in the new key and jiggle the key until the last tumbler resets itself.
" A " couldn't do it .......... but I got it

Da da! Success. When you're used to screwing up then you know there is always a " re-do " mode

At home, ' dear, a pot light is out in the bathroom '

I look up, E Z 'nuff. Loosen the bulb and.......... it won't clear the edge of the cabinet. Intelligence test ?  I fail. Grabbed a baby mallet and garbabe can - WHAM and poof. Glass flies everywhere but mostly in the garbage can. Screw in the new bulb, job done. When they ask do light bulbs grow into a bigger bulb ? Answer : yes.

Black Sunday

 or dinner by candlelight

big winds, as promised and our power went out - 2 hours and a bit. We were part of the 25 000 that lost electricity < as at 10 PM and the winds did not stop > We listened to weather and traffic and power outage reports.

Cable came back a little before 11.

Yes, I was up at 5:10 and drinking coffee. 

I suppose that every story has little details that are crucial but tell their own story.

I may have mentioned appreciating the original installer and the changes due to the pull out pantry ( ies ). However, I remarked to M how sad it was watching me trying to get off the floor after getting in that last screw dwon there.

Sad. roll to my knees and grab the pantry door. Really. Pathetic. And it still hurt.

On a brighter note, and nothing to do w/ yesterday. One of the upgrades that came with Generation 10 Android from Lenovo < finally > is that you can change cursor colour. Wow, big whoop ! Thats what I thought.                                                             But what a difference, magenta. So much easier to see < old eyes, need the colour >

Good news. The real stuff.

 " Work has begun on a graphene-based sieve that will produce drinking water from seawater "

Cyber ?

 " Cyber Monday Starts NOW! Save Up to 75% + $40 Free Shipping 😄 "

Lehman's is non - electrical

Can they be ' cyber '

Can I be cyber

this is a cyber blog or a cy - blog

Meaning : Cyber - : of, relating to, or involving computers or computer networks (such as the Internet) the cyber marketplace. cyber- combining form.

Hey, this writing is a cy - blog

reality comes home

Alabama, the Crimson Tide had it's LSU game postponed due to C V 19 exposure. Also, Nick Saban tested positive for C V 19

of course, ' cy - blog ' would be :

an  ' internet related ' - internet entry or essay '

sort of a homemade - homemade pancake

P.S. the leaves are doomed, The wind speed is forecast at 20 mph gusting to 35. Gonna be a massive leaf whoopin' all day

aha, gutters will need a final blowing out

Pax Vobiscum 

Pantry cupboard doors.No cussing,much grunting but done. Thus, you open upper and lower cupboard doors and the shelves slide out. And I now appreciate the guy that adapted the swing open doors that he attached to the sliding shelves. I screwed in 4 screws but he had 10 upper and worse 10 lower ones

Success

 it's hard sometimes to figure - does success have levels

for the donald, e.g. he got elected then the bottom fell out

for me

Originally < 14 yrs ago > we opted for pull out pantries by adapting the cupboards and the pantry closest to the fridge was always a sneak in kind of access. You could reach but not easily.

we bought a bigger fridge < last year >. This fridge is deeper and sticks out more from the counter. Effectively, blocking that pull out pantry - very effectively, I might add. Today, I dismantled the pull out pantry door arrangement that we've been dealing w/ Hopefully, to attach the doors back w/ traditional hinges.
Well, doors are off.

 Like I say, any idiot can take it apart.   
    back together again is a different story.
 So far, it looks doable.                 
    But I've been there before < many times before >

So success, has degrees and I'm at 30 %

but compared to the donald, I'm light years ahead

Grinding On

 Or somesuch

beware ' Departure ' a TV series. About a missing flight, sole survivor and shenanigans in high and low places. Hero, investigator for Transportation Safety in Britain battles personal and industrial distractions - and discovers that ' in politics and war < aviation > greed trumps all.
This show can really lower your already low opinion of the airline industry  - if it can get lower

Wanna fly ?

under the topic, really I didn't need to know that

My major daily medication is 1 tbsp of ground flax seed and 2 tbsp of bran swirled < sounds, romantic or exotic instead of the sludge that it is > in a glass of water The purpose is fibre and regularity.
You are what you poop 💩. That's me - regular. A morning dump.
I' ll stop now.

The wine man came. Our liquor prices are all govenrment controlled and taxed at 175 %. Thus, if you can get free delivery of what you would normally buy - why not - we did.

We stocked up for lockdown - the Province is getting ready for ' you MUST stay home rules ' its coming

like Xmas and snow

" Eta " - quette

 from our supermarket in Fla

With Storm Eta imminent, it’s important that you are prepared with the most up-to-date information. Please be aware that several of our stores in the affected area will be adjusting their hours for the storm. At Publix, it’s our goal to help keep you and your family safe and prepared. Click below to see your store’s updated hours.

And our SPB condo building is 6 - 10 ft above sea level. At highest tide ( winter ) I've seen the water 2 - 3 ft from breaking on the grass. Stories from the past, tell of water flowing across Gulf Blvd from Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico

The day is bright and still.           Blue sky, thus, we ask  ' Rain ? '

Torstar headline " Province acted too late to stop a C V 19 surge ". For Toronto, as at Nov 14, inside dining restricted. Stay home is the goal.

Well, I'm still going to the Tiger.

And what is hard for Canadians is the comparison w/ the un - United States. Our death toll is 10 685 < last night's # s > for 36 million. We cannot believe the deaths in the U.S.