Aha, Beat Lehman s Promo Email

a new record - maybe

Up and 4:15 AM
tried to get back to sleep
Nope
Coffee and typing

We holiday in Fla during the winter or did
I receive news blips from the TampaBay Times.
" Thousands Flock to Topicana Field
not baseball but Corona Virus Testing drive in.
The clinic begins at 7 AM - however, by 8 AM the line ups were already so long that the clinic stopped
allowing cars to line up

Here' s a classic. Our skylight in the kitchen has a rubber / plqstic strip hanging down. Likely, a gasket
The installer suggets that Velux the maker of the skylight won't have a part for replacement < not really their fault, its 18 yrs old >.
Solution : lets buy a new skylight
Duh ?

Happy Muundaag! Start Your Week off with Our Very Best 😄

this is the lazy bloggers - easy out
recopy the header from Lehman s

In my defense, the titles are upbeat and non -offensive
And I do no work.
Please note to credit Lehman s
And I love Lehman s

Knee / calf report. I believe fom now, the change will be incrementally small. Status : tingling and monor stiffness < but this is morning and usually the worst of the day >

' my problems are many, 
there as deep as a well
I swear there ain't no heaven
and I pray there ain't no hell '

Laura Nyro

Be Your Dairy Best + Tips for Making Homemade Butter 👍

and they mean it

Knee / calf, the improvement is real.
Minimal pain, stiffness and pins and needles
Pins and needles actually was the trigger to get me to Emergency. The numbness and tingling, while still able to feel touch and move the foot was worrying

The truth. I've backed off exercising for the last two workouts Jun 25 / 27
The program now, is to exercise weights every other day but cut out the elliptical and rowing. The workout is a little shorter but the calories burned is comparable
Thus, I might be down by 30 % in time but the calories burned is down only 15 %.

Jun 27     41:20 mins          533 Cal burned
Jun 25      38:11                  425   

Jun 23       51:02                  582 w/ elliptical
Jun 20        51:19                 603  w/ elliptical
I mean, I kept the elliptical settings at low resistance and keep the speed minimal. The workout then concentrates on the free weights anyway.
The elliptical workout day < alternate or rest day from weights > is rowing / elliptical / calisthenics.
I might be discovering a new pattern. B/c except for aerobics, I maybe don't need to rely on the elliptical machine b/c my knee was hurting after the normal workout w/ elliptical.
We shall see said the Zen Master

Days are sunny and hott- ish w/ slight humidity for discomfort

Check Out These New Arrivals That We 💕

we're talking shirt and lamp shades, here

Slept til 8 < yes, eight o'clock > the sandman visited no doubt

Knee / calf is giving minimal discomfort. If yesterday rated a 6 or 6.5, today is a 4 or 5

C V 19 # s approach critical throughout 18 states w/ some on the brink of critical care failure.
Exhausted nurses and doctors can only sigh and dig in
All their efforts are yielding staggering incoming patient numbers

The upshot of today has been an improvement in knee / calf discomfort

" We All Need a Hug

in the morning ' from Huggies II

or a cup of coffee

' Feeling groovy ' or nostalgia runs wild

Tonight, you can ask the trivia question from the novel " Lord of the Rings '
Name the first three elves that Frodo and Sam meet journeying from Hobbiton. < answer below >

Stephen Colbert is a LOTR nerd. I think they've basically given up trying to test him.   I haven't b/c      ' a fool can ask a question that even a wiseman cannot answer ' Wait ! that doesn't make me look good

Knee / calf report : improvement for sure. Residual stiffness and numbness after a rest period - sitting etc
but so much better






















Ans: Gildor Inglorion, Glorfindel and Elrond

Make Your Home Sparkle ✨

This could be a guilt thing by Lehman s

Most would look  around their house and gasp            < I did >
Big sun out there, and seasonal tmeperatures expected

Heat will build in for the weekend

The knee and calf situation - despite my doubts - there has been gradual improvement
in fact, last night < say about 6 or 7 PM > I thought that the knee / calf was pain free. However, that only lasted a few minutes

The U.S. appears to be headed for ' herd immunity ' from C V 19. That would mean 70 % + of the population had been infected < and / or vaccinated >
w/ a corresponding # of deaths approaching 1  1 / 2 million
Cases of C V 19 are blossoming in about 7 U.S. states and double that # are in serious trouble
Stay tune for more

A painless day almost. AND I won't exercise < elliptical at least > except for weights. Sort of take it easy tonight < which is rare for me, I mean - easy

Be Preapred

means ?
Dunno

But we learned camping skills etc. I earned my Pathfinders Badge for Queen s Scout. The evaluator said that I received the highest mark that he had ever given. 330.
Excspt he had a open end system. Yes, maybe the guy next to get evaluated got 331 etc.

Now, if you need a map drawn, you know who

Is that why I depend on my Garmin GPS or as in England ' Sat Nav ' for satellite navigation.
I'm icing and typing, ice for my knee which was aching in bed. The tingling aspect diminishes when I'm up

Its a mess

Be Ready for Anything ⚡💧❄🔥

a good thing ala
Boy Scouts ' Be Prepared '

Which in legend are the intials of Lord  ' Baden Powell '

Lehman s means A) a gravity powered light
B) a well dipper when power fails
etc

My knee is wonky again. Sore and stiff w/ overtones of tingling down the calf to the sole. I'm going to be the proverbial, paraphrased ' one arm paper hanger '

But accomplishments are important. You see, yesterday we < D and I > fiddled w/ the levelling of the trolley rail for the boat ramp - and achieved a smooth, event free retrieval. 
By comparison, a week ago, the trolley jumped the rail. This week, the trolley wobbled and threatened to re - jump the rail.

Thus, ' success is counted sweetest - by those that snatch victory from the jaws of oblivion - who ne'er succeed '
I ruined that paraphrase - 
to finish
' to comprehend the nectar
requires sorest need
Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag today
Can tell the defintion
of victory, as he defeated
Dying, on whose forbidden ear
The distant sounds of triumph
Break agonized and clear

E Dickenson

" and you read your Emily Dickenson and I, my Robert Frost " Simon, the Paul

Knee / leg update. Well,  ice and T.E.N. s stimulation resulted in comfort. Less pain and hobbling

Time for a beer

You Can Go

Fish !

We did. Visited the Quarter Mile House and launched the boat
Caught piddlers and BBQ ed out in the boat.
Afternoon session had humidity lower and then cool to cold breezes flew up the river from the lake.
Finally, D caught a largemouth bass < yes, one for the day >

I'm browner than this morning, and basically I'm glowing from the heat release

At 3:30 ?

what do you do
Go to Emergency. The tingling that was noted yesterday, didn't go away.
Woke up and said ' Nuts, lets see a doctor '

M drove me the 5 minutes. One patient, me, in reception
Young Dr tested the leg - not bad for your age
Take off the knee brace < it helped w/ support > its pinching or pinched a nerve. Your knee is too swollen for the brace - jiggers, that brace was good support
Done
Oh, take Tylenol over ibuprofen at your age   < my age ! >

Simple Living Sunday: Happy Father's Day! 😄

We have steady improvement all day re: knee + calf + tingling

There is a Cost

to fleshing out that ex-closet

My knee. Badly swollen and sore
Ooops ! too much bending ? Probably

Let s see how ice and ibuprofen can alter the situation
Oh, a drop of whiskey in the coffee

Improvement in the appendage is noted.
Less everything, except movement
Still stiff

I have a pending call from TeleHeatlth Ont which is a free reference service in lieu of visiting your doctor < almost impossible right now > or an Emergency Room visit, where they'll tell me to do what I'm doing now at home .

Amputation is not being considered at this time
except by M
She wants to start about neck level to get peace and quiet

I accessed TeleHealth Ontario, a phone in diagnostic service to triage callers. I gave my smptoms and the nurse asked questions. She said that I need to get checked out by a doctor.
Saturday at 3:30 P is not a good time to go looking for a doctor < walk in clinic, even >
However, the knee and calf are much improved w/ ice and ibuprofen

Fire Up the Flavor 👍

at Lehman s. Its a combo fire pit and BBQ

Warm ish day and humidity builds in

Down in the ex-closet, doing cosmetic prep. Cosmetic prep ?
Yes, what else would you call draping white tablecloth against a wall to hide cinder block
In my defence, the whole ex-closet will be chock-a-block w/ shelving or wall units
Aha, the trick - since the entrance will now be open - how to make whats visible < less ugly >
Hopefully, I'll find a compromise arrangement

Progress ?
Well, stuff < miscellany really > is in the ex-closet. Some shelving units fill the space. In reality, 1/3 of the contents of the workroom have re-located into the new space.
Bad. The view isn't pretty. Not horrible - just not pretty 

I decided that any improvement is noteworthy
The workroom is decluttered and transfered < I mean the clutter > to the ex-closet. There is an aisle to walk down and extra shelving stacked at the ends BUT articles are put away < almost by category >
Funny, miscellaneous seems rather a lot of stuff
Go figure

And I am stiff below the knees. Knee is semi-moveable but the calf on the right side is definitely sore. Age ! crap a doodle

A tough job is about 90 % done.

A hot bath and massage from the massage chair seemed to help quite a bit.
Used baking soda, in the bath water.

Don't Say

that this blog is out of date

Bringing you the latest in high demand product since toilet paper
Full face shields, for summer. Why ?
Dunno
I report 'em leaving the analysis up to you

Today is painting day, for that back ex- closet. A couple of problemos w/ that space.
Firstly, only one incoming vent for hot air etc in the whole room itself. Thus, w/ the mirror sliding doors across the double wide entrance - no air circulation back there. Next, it was purple, like the whole ex-bedroom now turned workroom.
Well, I repainted the workroom white < whew, what a relief that was > almost worth the mini-flood for that . And the ex-closet, now storage area will be white walled as well. I will not return the mirror doors but leave the opening as an opening. 
That creates a problem - as in how to hide the unfinished parts of the ex-closet < torn down to examine the wall behind >.
Several creative, read here ' cheap ' ways of doing that include storage shelves across the back of the closet to obscure the view.
We shall see said the Zen Master

And here is Lehman s banner of the day

 " Deliciously Homemade. Discover the Joys of Baking. " < looser, big time ! >

The walls < parts are cinder block chic > are white
Floor is blue

As We Open Up

from C V 19 restrictions

We are still in Phase 1 but surrounded by gov't - politico areas that are allowing restuarants etc.
Toronto and local area is a hotbed for C V 19 < as mentioned previously >
For me, I'm out a little more : Shoppers Drug Mart, Giant Tiger and fishing. My impression is that busineses are taking the threat seriously but individuals, well ............... not so much

And, we had a baby flood in the workroom about 15 months ago < I'm being generous to myself here >.
Yesterday, I decided that the back ' closet ' < in a former life > which is now storage doesn't need a restore to closethood.
I'm leaving the open walls < you can see cinder block
in about a 1/4 of the space > the way they are.

Paint the floor for neatness and shoving stuff back in there. The walls get a repaint < b/c they are purple > of basic white. In fact, I can't remember seeing the wall in 1/2 the space for shelves and cabinets.
AND there will be more going back then was originally, there.

Okay, so its taken you 15 months to get off your ***
Yepper. Sad. 
However, the front portion say 16  x 16 was done w/in 2 months of the ' accident '. Thats floor painted and walls done. Shelves < fewer than before > and cabinets and storage units back.
The space in question is 16 x 4 or a little less.
But my estimate was off - actually approx 1/2 the room has missing wall finish. Yet, the same principle applies - stuff going back will hide the concrete block.
Plus, I'm opting for hanging white curtain across the open spaces < missing drywall > by using table cloth cover from a roll. I'll tack the table cloth across the gap.

? We ask

what is a fishing adventure

or not
Yesterday, E. and I went fishing. E is younger approx half my age. Thats where the resemblance stops.
A summary, goes like this. I've likely fished 20 days, this year < many in Florida >. Well, E.  has fished more than that -locally < say, within 2 h of Toronto >.

Our day, began w/ a stop at McD s for coffee and a bite < drive thru >. An uneventful drive, smoothly and in sunshine to the Quarter Mile. 
We < E. really > removed and re - screwed the starting battery plastic holder base b/c I didn't find the original screws, last week. 
Last week, we < F actually > re-seated the battery holder base b/c the base needed an adjustment that was needed for a new battery.
Meanwhile, I screwed the storage bins upfront b/c last week, well, I couldn't find the screws for the bins  either.
Good, set to go. Turn the key. A cough, a brr sound and nothing Nope, won't start. After the several tries, I went to look at the battery. Touched the battery leads and they were hot but ........... loose. The connection wasn't tight. E. re-tightened the nuts and - try again.
A better cough but nope, no turn over.
Raise the boat and take out the battery and swap it out w/ a battery in the cottage. Then it dawned on me.
The battery that had been giving us trouble was a ' deep cycle battery ' meant for continuous draw not cranking a starting  motor. I suppose between the several attempts at starting and the loose connection we had drained the battery.
Thus, last week, the guys placed the ' deep cycle battery ' in the place where the starter battery went.
So, place the ' new ' battery in the holder.
Its too big. See, last week, the guys placed the battery by how it fit the holder and didn't look at the label.
How did it go, now. First crank and the engine burst into life. Da da ! Success.
Off to fish. Lots of rock bass were biting and we had a good time.
Came home. And raised the boat. Except. As the boat neared the boathouse, the trolley wheel jumped the track. Now, we are talking about 2 000 lbs of boat and equipment. This type of derailment has happened before. We jacked up the boat, levered the trolley higher and popped the wheel back in place.
See. What is a fishing adventure ? We had an adventure.
And it turns out that the ' deep cycle battery ' that we mis-used may need replacing b/c it is not charging correctly.
We shall see said the Zen Master

Look Good in Simplicity 👕

as in up-cycled military tents and sheets

Clothes and purses are made

Washday Helpers ✨

and they mean : hand spinning wet clothes and hanging pants dryers

Sunny here and a breeze moving the lower branches

For fun, I guess b/c the amount of work accomplished was minimal. I used the reciprocal saw and a special blade from Lee Valley tools. This blade is a tree pruning double tooth Japanese wonder. Aggressive teeth and curved to bite wood.
I had cut back the bushes but some roots still blocked
where I wanted to leave open ground.
Wondeful, watching a specialty blade function. 
And me !

Well, encore performance for the reicprocal.
This time - metal was the target a post. But this post was A ) in the middle of the front shrubs B ) carried the number of our house C) buried in the shrub.
I ascertained that the electrical was either burned out or not conducting right now < if ever >
So, cut, cut and gone.
What a machine, the reciprocal is. The cut was fine and straight < almost like someone knew what they were doing >
Now, the post and # sign are  out in the lawn.
Some sanding and painting and re - posting or insertion.
Why now ? We've only been here 24 years. We said that ' we are not moving ' but keep talking like we would.

Check Out These New Arrivals That We 💕 for June

from Lehman s email

Sunny and luscious

Working weather.

I did a little
broke out the reciprocal saw and chewed up some bush

A Workout Update

boring but like this blog
still going on

The pattern is 3 days on and one day off. Duration is 47 - 54 min. / workout.
Day 1 : is elliptical w/ free weights done in circuit                   fashion
Day 2 : is a aerobic centred effort w/ rowing plus                     elliptical and finishes w/ calisthenics
Day 3 : is a re - do of Day 1 but weights are done to 
             fatigue < turns out to be around 40 - 50 reps >
Rest

A trainer visiting my neighbour < paraplegic but needing his arm strentgh > advised on that day rest between weights < even relatively light weights b/c I'm curling approx. 25 # >.
burn burn.
I use a Wahoo Tickr which is a strap on HeartRate Monitor that links w/ my Moto G5 phone. Actually, the best HRM that I've owned. The data is limited b/c I don't have the appropriate peripherals that would yield distance travelled, pace and very accurate caloric < for bike, treadmill and running > 
Trust me the data that I get which is : duration, average HR , maximum HR, a graph and table of HR vs time for the duration, a breakdown of type of effort e.g. easy, fat burn, cardio and hard by %  - is plenty
I record each workout for the data given w/out graph.

Lehman s came : Food That Will Last 🍖
can your own meat or by their brand

Soothing Remedies 👍

Well, the Lehman s banner for today
Granted, not original
or
maybe it is

Slept late ish woke aroudn 7 AM in a daze
' where am I kinda fog '
Then it hit me

Isolation city. B/c the Golden Horshoe of Ontario is basically the last area to come out of lockdown. Its the cap of land around the West end of L. Ontario.

We had the highest everything here. 

We were blessed by a plethora of ethnic groups that travelled etc plus the greatest concentration of homes for the aged, and finally, the greatest concentration of condo dwellers in Ontario.

I ventured out to ' Harveys ' basically its ' Burger King ' Canada style.  We got a cheeseburger original < not to be confused w/ the ' unoriginal ' >, and Angus burger, fries and gravy.
This gravy is not the best BUT very good. 
For restaurant fare, top notch.

Wendnesday, is labelled ' Take Out Wednesday ' so like sheep , we did
Actually, its for the change in ' our daily routine '
Anything for a change

Today, outdoors. Weeded the vines but went subterrranean < hacked out the runners everywhere >
The underground runners.
I hosed down the skylights and bruhed and     squeegee - d AND they look good from inside

Cleared the eavestroughs of debris and there was - tons

Earned my 11 AM beer and lemon w/ a finger dab of salt < to replace minerals, of course >

It's Cherry Season!

and you can have your own ' free standing cherry pitter ' says  Lehman s

Alrighty, this is a record even for me. Eyes open at 4 AM, stare at the ceiling, check emails. Thats it ! Up at 5AM for coffee. Watched the re - opening of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Empty corridors. Every slot island had 2 seats vacant between active machines. Pool was open and the spas.

Got to read about the early days of C V 19 in Montreal, the dedicated C V 19 hospital. Its called flying by the seat of your pants. By now, of course, there is a protocol based on your severity of C V 19.
But at the beginning, a whole whack of methods and drugs were thrown at the infected.
Basically, its ' don't travel and don't mix w/ people '

Further reading on line at CBC, illicited the following ' was your hotel room vacant for 2 - 3 days before you get in ' otherwise a complete wipe down of common areas and equipment is needed. Eek ! Is this paranoia on my part. or Their part. Eek !

Hand-Powered Farm Tools 👍

or the ' old gray mare ain't what she used to be '

A trend:
2 days out doing stuff around the house perimeter
Mon : weeding the vines that pop up like grass - underground runners network through the soil and POP ! there's another one
 Tues: clean baking pans w/ Easy - Off < this is not recommended b/c the pans are aluminum- Tough ! doing it anyway >
Cleared the gutters and eaves
Weeded the vines in the front. But I was vicious - went after the root / underground shoots ' MURDER
s<he> Wrote '

The hear warnings are out re: temperature and humidity yepper, H H is back

Not as Limber

as you would hope

The other thing that I discovered while fishing on Sunday, I don't climb well. There was a gap of a foot and up about 3ft to the jetty where we launched the little boat AND thats was a long way up for my knees
, it seems
Oh well, hopefully we won't be going back - soon

Sunny days, this last bit - and warm ish.
Summer arrived again

Simple Living Sunday: Cherry Season is Here! 🍒

Wow ! Who wudda thunk - cherry season
Almost missed it

Recovering from the fishing trip
BTW, a brief recap, for 7 years I launched the bassboat by myself ( mainly ). And fought through all the problems................. what problems
My first attempt to lower the trolley to raise the boat, saw the trolley jam about 1/3 the way up. The cause was a bent rail caused by ice movement.
Over the years, I switched out the winch. I inherited 2 winches originally. One in the boathouse which burnt out the second year. And the current one that was heavier.
This winch has been recycled by an electrician.
The rail was prone to movement and often the trolley wheels jumped the rail. This event entailed raising the boat at 1700 lbs and readjusting the wheel ( s ).
And with the movement, quite often the wheels would jam. This solve was to bump the boat and trolley until the wheels lined up.
The trolley once jammed b/c a snail had died on the rail < a snail, A SNAIL stopped the boat >
And after the blossoming of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes, each year, and this one too, you take a scrub brush and clean the rails in the water.
Now, back to my story.
This year, as in most years, D the neighbour jumps in the water for me and cleans the rails. As well, since the ice incident, you need to run a block of wood the height of the wheels along the rail looking for bends and narrowings in the rail. Yes, D knows that he needs to do this.
This year, D and F both were there to launch the boat.
Thus, my usual estimates of a day to prep the boat and rail now means a 1 1/2 h ritual and fishing !
A. who now owns the cottage, saw a sale at Costco and bought a trio of batteries. Two for me.
I turned the key and that E Tec 75 HP burst into power. Love that motor.
Overall, I'm being spoilt by the help. And lest I forget, since the revamp of the waterfront and solidifying of the base. Both D and F re - formed the bed for the trolley rails.
Usually, ten minutes was spent re - adjusting the base after winter. This year, nope ! We launched the boat.
See !
I'm being spoilt by the help
And I'm getting old < er >

Time for Outdoor Fun! 😄

Indeed

Got out fishing but more importantly - the bassboat got wet.
Trolley hesitated 2 - 3 times but made it down. Now, to be fair the guys had the support ropes and probably made it easy- c.f. if by myself
Fishing, well, not so much a bunch of little guys

But we were out there 
Right

Garden Strong 🌿

Lehman s banner for the day

Summer type conditons - 80 + and humid
Clouding over during the lunch period

The First Born

from the hand of Illuvatar, the Elves
Thus, you can ask the trivia question : Name the first 3 Elves that Frodo and Sam meet in the ' Lord of the Rings ' Answer at the bottom

Sun is out and blazing. There will be warmth and humidity for 2 days.

Clean Your Clothes ✨

good idea
but Lehman s means w/ simple solutions

B/c Lehman s actually sells clothes wringers

We got rain and rain ........... and yes rain. Comes complete w/ thunder and lightening.

The sun blasted out and brought warm but it is humid

Big day, returned empties from our liquor fest during Isolation. This is the second day, b/c they limit amounts. Great to get out and do stuff

My plan is to smoke as in BBQ. I found or re - found a chimney smoker by Brinkman. This ' tower ' affair is a standard in the BBQ world. On line, there are videos on how to modify the Brinkman b/c it is deemed inadequate for proper smoking. The faults include air gaps and poor air flow where needed. Also, the original set up doesn't allow for ease of access.
So get this, the smoker costs approxiamtely $45 on sale. The ' mods ' cost $45 to 90.
I won't be spending anywhere close to that. I'll find left - over bits and bobs to do the job - naturally.
But then, I'm not a Smokin' fanatic. In fact, I had joined the ' Kansas City Barbecue Society ' at one time. But they got way to serious and devoted.

Simple Pest Control 🐞

from Lehman s

Stop using Twitter and Instagram appears to be the first move

Well, the decision is made. The dishwasher has a faulty ' motor drive ' but not what it sounds like. Thats the part name, what is wrong is that a trap door for the circulating pump doesn't always close. Of course, its a slow leak but looks worst. Real worst.
The repair guy wasn't even worried. Bet that he s seen it all.

Earlier than

the email from Lehman s

I'm up and not quite awake
Coffee and typing but groggy and have been groggy since 4:30 AM. We've been through this before - same old drill ' thinking or fretting ' same thing
Well, at least the blog is started. I mean - couldn't forget the blog

And for the second morning, water on the floor coming from under the dishwasher.
On line, the # 1 culprit is the valve for inlet water < locked open > #2 connection hose to drain leaking
#3 the sump pump is broken
Solution call appliance repair dude. We got a good one.
He couldn't do our fridge b/c it was Asian - his advice stick to American brands ( not LG, etc )
Our dishwasher is Whirlpool - yeah team !
This fellow does the repairs for our friend A. who is a real estate type