Wednesday, 31 August 2022

On This Day

 

Thus, the tally was 3 largemouth bass
TG, it was three b/c these fellows were not big

Problem. Mouse urine
Say what ! 

Last trip, I'd noticed shredded cardboard in a storage locker on the boat. Aha ! mouse or squirrel ?
I left out a mouse bait station [ see through kind ] and the mouse bait was nibbled. Mouse.
However, the smell was obnoxious. I dutifully, went back up and got scrubbing bubbles and used a long handled brush to soap and rinse the plastic bin.

But I swear, I smelled that mouse pee, all day.
The bass were not bothered

Another lucky day b/c I got to fish.

The world seems better today
Except, for Zombie ice ! Aha, Zombie ice you say.

Well, on or in the Greenland glacier, there is ice that is on its way to melting and the process cannot be stopped [ see Zombie ].
The prediction is that sea levels will rise several centimetres but this is on top of the already serious sea level increase.

If those Zombies don't get you on land ! Water, too !

Tuesday, 30 August 2022

👏 what is the sound of

 # 3 493 of 3 493

👏 when you're happy and you know it ' clap your hands '

A dreary day in the ' boro as rain splatters the deck. We stay unsettled and get the break in H / H come Thur. As predicted the grass is greening and growing like topsy

and what is the sound of one hand clapping ?

Data : on the 28 th of August this blog got 13 views - Thnx

you won't be able to tell but I'm in tablet mode

just trying 

not the easiest

rain off and on steady downpour at times

Education moments : the etymology of ' limousine ' - derives from Limousin [ or from Limoges, France ] Why ? dunno !

Monday, 29 August 2022

😅 Monday as the month Closes Out

😅 alrighty, we got the ' smiling face,open mouth and cold sweat

a picture is worth 7 words, it seems
As forecast, we get warm and unsettled. Definitely, H / H mode.

I put off fishing til Wed. The advantage is 10 degrees cooler and way less humidity. The downside is wind strength and direction. Plus, the return to high pressure often sends the fish into hiding.
We shall see said the Zen Master

I'm reporting that T.O. is in the midst of a biking problem. Two wheel cyclists are being criticized for racing, running stop signs etc. Called a menace by pedestrians, these cyclists defend themselves by saying motorists don't get the tickets or notoriety. 
The origin of this foo - fa - rah is High Park, a forested area surrounding a pond. The claim is that packs of cyclists, the peloton in racing terms, terrorize walkers. Other cyclists are doing what cyclists do worldwide which is disobey every law for vehicles ever invented. With much delight ! And insouciance.

Oh, we have shootings too. And bad car accidents. Monkeypox and    " Lord of the Rings : Rings of Power " is coming to Prime Video.
Say what ? how did the last sneak in there. Tough. 
I can forsee a tragedy

As I watch ' RoP ' and bemoan the cinematic licence that the director et al takes. Firstly, they invented characters. Secondly, they lie. Thirdly, they omit. 

But other than that, its entertainment

As advertised, a smoker of a day. A blanket of uncomfortable

Sunday, 28 August 2022

💨 - and I' ll huff and I'll puff

 💨 Wrongo ! this emoji thingy is the ' dash symbol '

So, now that I've told you, which is more accurate ' huff / puff ' 
or dash ?

Sunday is quiet. We had an afternoon sit w/ the neighbours event.
We got creative and served smoked salmon b/c we always seem the serve smoked salmon, cheese and bread. A veggie tray for balance.

A very casual dalliance to renew old ties and gossip.

The ties. D. the husband fishes and enjoys beer
D. has always ben willing to help when I need muscle or extra hands.
And we've gone on fishing road trips and flights.

Its been some 20 plus years.

More people viewed this blog than ever before 

Saturday, 27 August 2022

💩 what a cow leaves behind

💩 at least he s smilin'

or in the words of Forret Gump ' sh*t happens '

The humidity broke last night, cooler and dryer. We are expecting turmoil in the weather, Monday and Tuesday

From Accuweather
the LONG RANGE for fall courtesy Brett Anderson et al

Due to a ' la nina ' pattern, a warmer and dryer fall is predicted w/ possibly cool nights [ as ground is dry ]


Of course, I wonder how the warmish days will affect fishing
now, in truth, how can the fishng be worse.........

Friday, 26 August 2022

💀 I Play for Seasons

💀- the emoji of the day is the  ' skull ' !

I decided to take the advice of Georges Meredith

'I play for seasons not Eternities
so says Nature, laughing on her way '


 The wildflowers will be gone and we better enjoy the ' forest '
Now, supposedly, the wildflowers will be back

We shall see said the Zen Master
Weather: today is a mix andunsettled conditions hang around and then Mon real stormy weather approaches
Scanned the CBC online :
- five lined skink scurries in warehouse [ only native lizard in Ont ]
- the  ' permafrost ' is melting
I selected the most important stories. You can read more yourself.

A thought on change. I spent about an hour re - arranging storage. It all started when I saw the den / study. It s neither. It is a file room first and then a hold all for desks. That room had three desks. 

One medium computer station [ modified to be more rugged ]. The desk was bigger but surgry reduced it by about 1 / 3. The salvaged wood made of particle board became shelves. Further b/c we tend to lean on the keyboard shelf, I added legs to take the weight.

Plus a full size computer desk in melamine particle board, Ikea style.
This one had to go. It had become a flat surface to leave paper on. 

Lastly, a secretary desk w/ fold down leaf. The little cubbyholes are filled w/ staplers, stamps, tape and cheque books [ a real hold all ]. Originally, unpainted in 1975, I stained it and kept it.

Thus, I took apart the white desk hoping to salvage the pieces.    Check !
I have been using old speakers to act as end tables or supports for table tops. I brought two up from the basement and using the back of the former white computer desk, am making a table surface for M to write at. Less paper storage but a functional area nonetheless.
Why ? .... well, if you don't try you'll never know and things will go on and on magnifying inefficiency.

I went on an errand and picked up a DVD, the ' Monuments Men '. A hodge podge group of curators, artists and intellectuals in WW II is tasked w/ saving the great art of Europe. Hitler and Co. have a plan to hoard masterworks and fill thir homes and the' ' Fuhrer Musee '. I've been wathcing clips and forgot what a good flick it is. Starring, Matt Damon, George Clooney, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray and 2 others [ sorry guys ? ]
Alright, I cried a little. Crikey they saved the Bruges ' Madonna and Child ', the Ghent Altarpiece and Cezannes and Renoirs OMFL. They couldn't save Picasso s or Klee s b/c these were torched.
In the realm of ' unbelievable ' - why Americans need AK 47 s.
I'm watching a video ' Shooting Feral Hogs from the air '
You got it. A helicopter and pilot take you out to shoot hogs from the air. " I got 47 today " is the quote.
The ' hunter ' pays 4 2 400 [ all in, food, lodging and weapons ]. And I think even I could hit something [ maybe ]

Thursday, 25 August 2022

💭 ' and part of me knows

 💭 - ........... what you're thinking ' Yes, the thought balloon emoji

the lyrics are ' the Alan Parsons Project ' from their hit  " Eye in the Sky "
' I am the maker of rules .... ' sounds conspiratorial, eh ?

The day is off colour dull, boding rain. Guessing warm and humid, ah, but will it improve.

So, whatcha doin'. as in  ' Run around Sue ' ........ Tommy Shondelle ?
lunch is dim sum and then try to fix a day tank for a 1965 Mercury 9.9 HP engine.
We used 2, 9.9 s on L Chemung back then. In 2005, I gave the motor and an aluminum 14 ft to A. That guy.

A fixes up the aluminum and gets the motor cleaned out and running. However, all is not hunky - dorey ' in Mercuryland. 

Lat season, the 9.9, basically said ' do you know how old I am ? '
And balked at starting - sort of ran - but no.
Somehow, A. gets a friend to tinker w/ the 9.9 [ purely as a favour b/c there is no economic sense in fooling w/ it ]. 
Well, it runs. And then screams ' I need gas !!!! '
Our job is to hopefully, get a knew gas connecting line and fitting to correct the gas supply problem.
Logically, you should be thinking along the lines of flogging a dead horse etc. In our defence, a new 9.9 is in the $ 3500 - 37 range. I bought my first car for that

Oh, the sun popped out and went and hid again

How did it go ? the follow up

Rain - buckets and then buckets

Gas problem re: outboard. E Z P Z - everyone but me saw the problem. And thats good b/c I was clueless today

Fix : buy a new gas tank that comes w/ fittings. Total cost was $ 85
Now, come on ... who solves problems for $ 85

A needed to run by Costco - ' do you want to come ? ' Sure

Alright, $ 141 later we are out of Costco     Eek !
Now, several items were health related e.g. fibre drink and eye wipes
Cheese assortment, crackers and salmon are for entertaining Sunday.
Just need to explain the $ 12 grapefrut segments [ they looked cute ], the mega size nachos mix [ real bargain there ] and 8 packs of cookies in the fmily size container. Oh well.

Life, what can I say
well, Lou did or whatever his name was at Central Marine

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

💥 Guess ?

💥 - collision symbol or the ' Big Bang ' itself

Fishing day. Lots of hits and fish. Mainly, sunfish all over. No bass.

All round a pleasant day. Overcast w/ a breeze. If there were fish - bonus

On CBC radio, ' As It Happens ' , returned to a familair topic -
the ' Lord God Bird '. Huh ?
Yes, the nickname for the elusive, perhaps extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker. AIH, as it is called, has featured interviews w/ ornithologists, twitchers and poets. Poets ?
Apparently, the focus on the woodpecker, attracted the interest and inspiration for a poet and writer.

The title of the novella is, the ' Lord God Bird '. A Nova Scotian artist kept track of the interviews and created a story highlighting the LGB.

Lets summarize the day. I can still drive. There is a place to relax. My boat is stored inside. Boat ran like a charm.
OMFL. Tres lucky. Mon frere

Tuesday, 23 August 2022

💂 the Guardsman

💂 

Note : the ' guardsman ' or men or mice are my screensaver. Actually, on a birthday card [ from England ] three mice in ' beefeater ' kit are displayed. I took a photo and use it as wallpaper for my screen


A marvelous and fun reminder of M s relatives over 'ome

A dreary day ahead w/ rain chance very high. This period will be the greening of the lawns for the fall.

Off to scan CBC online

- B.C. scientists explore a way to prevent mite damage to honeybees
- choked up supply lines worldwide
- Covid fatigue is real

The last item was directed at vaccinations and the coming CV 19 variant specific treatments 
And CV 19 crept nearer to us as well. M s friend had a severed cough and cold after travelling to the Atlantic coast.

YouTube [ the morning ritual ] To live vicariously thru YouTube is sad - why arent't you out there doing it

I follow ' Travel Ruby ' as she highlights Las Vegas, all year. This latest blurb is ' the $ 65 dinner buffet at the Wynne '.

OK so, I' m watching as she selects at the buffet. 

She takes ' PIZZA ' !!!!! 65 samohlens and she takes PIZZA !
crab legs - sure
pasta - maybe
Oh My Freakin' Lord [ OMFL ] from now on

OMFL ..... she takes tacos from the taco station, made there  !!!!!!        ' great char on the meat  ', OMFL - tacos !!!!!!!!

And the ' tuna ' was OK

OMFL, she takes the fried rice !!!!!! and its ' super good '
I'm definitely, out of touch w/ the world
but you knew that, right !

A casual  lunch, the pizza from the Metro take away counter. A large [ in every sense of the word ] plus 3 toppings. Likely, the best deal  going in a pizza around here [ except for deepdish Canadian from Lil Ceasars ] and less greasy by far.

Warm and humid but a great cool breeze is flowing across the city 

Follow up. No Monarchs at the Wildflowers ' forest '. Really, I was hoping for 20 plants, wudda taken ten. A rough, rough count says just shy of a hundred plants under the bay window. 

Now, there are other pollinators that are important - but Monarchs are index species and in dwindling numbers

Monday, 22 August 2022

😏 ' sit down John Kelso

 😏 and tell me the story of your life " said Jim Williams to the protaganist of ' Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ' [ both book and film ]. ' Jim Williams ' BTW is played by Kevin Spacey

A while back, a temporary visitor left the comment that  'your blog needs more colour and / or pictures ' and I suppose the unwritten corollary to that comment was  ' and your blog will get more followers '  ..... well, more than 2 anyway

In my meager defence, I have written this blurb for multi years now and never received a death threat.

The weather, ' always take the weather w/ you ' 
source ???? is it a song
' everywhere you go ......... ' 
Today is fraught w/ rain or threat thereof
a soggy, grass watering kinda day

A sweep of the CBC online produced:

a study of brain worm in white tail deer

 "As people get richer, those who eat meat tend to buy less ground beef and more fancy, expensive cuts, like steak. In such a case, economists would refer to ground beef as an 'inferior good.' But when incomes fall, the process reverses "

this last is a quote from an article, ' buying power starts to fall '
Oops ! what happens when you prefer that hamburger ?

obviously, not the highlights here, but caught my eye

Netflix. I finished the ' Sandman ' or I ran out of episodes. " Dreams...... " Fleetwood Mac and the Sandman

I was checking the promotions on gmail and noticed that    ' Giant Tiger ' ad this week, featured Debbie Travis. Debbie Travis has a set of product lines for fashion and home decor.

Travis is quoted as saying that her purpose is trendy, useful items that ' are "  cheap as chips ". Don't think good ol'Deb has been eating out lately. I mean that we did order the house special from Halibut House but CHEAP ? not really. The going rate, I think

Sunday, 21 August 2022

💃 " Her name was Lola .....

💃  ....... she was dancer " [ showgirl but dnaced ]
Yes, the emoji for a danseuse [ en francais ]

A damp and humid day
but of course, I ventured out for yard work. Why, dunno - guilt b/c I kept saying get out there and lay down garden fabric over the tree island 

I edged the trees w/ leftover interlock from the front re - jigging of the landscape. Thus, it was time to clean up and block out the weeds         [ more  effectively ]. I had already cleared stumps and levelled the area. I also, burnt out some other weeds and growth w/ a grass torch.

However, the day was uncomfortable for slug work. Still, undaunted, I set about the job. The cloth is not pegged down but objects will keep it in palce for a while. The intent is to use limestone screenings as a weight.
The screenings move easily for re - adjustment and are neater than pegs [ and the pegs are expensive ]. The temporary placement will allow me to reorient the fabric as needed. Further the screenings are free [ recall the interlock removal ] plus they screenings themselves inhibit weeds.
Get the feeling that cheap is the word of the day
word of my life ?

Alrighty. Did my quick scan of CBC online
online fitness apps / sites / makers facing tough times
Cdn juniors win gold in hockey
a pod of dolphins is saved

I skipped all the really bad stuff - watch some useless, all news channel and you'll get your fill of the worst and the worster and worstest

And if you read my FB post and dropped by, thnx

" lunner "- early dinner / late lunch was takeout form Halibut House. We get the ' house platter ' w/ chips for many, 1 halibut, 3 shrimp, 3 scallops and onion rings. Greasy. real greasy. and greasy
We have leftovers for another meal


Saturday, 20 August 2022

💅 Brilliant that

💅 a rocket ship ?  shooting star ......   flicking out ......

the day will be warm..... sunny and we'll be staying in
OK

fingernail polish - doing ? or is that it

from the CBC, online [ my highlights from Science, Health, Business and weather ]

-   coastlines need natural shores to survive
-   Pearson Airport, oh ! , now only 2 nd worst in the world
-  our weather is unsettled as the new week approaches

I realize its not much, but maybe, that is all well and good

I've finished ' Mrs Bradley ...... '. My verdict. Very average, as stated, typical BritBox mystery
lady sleuth [ wealthy, divorced ], travels the country w/ a devoted and accomplice chauffeur. She solves crimes alongside a Detective Inspector. My take is that the photography is too good or the makeup people deficient. A glaring flaw if you want to enjoy the show. 
Then again, maybe, its nit picking b/c I didn't elevate the rating of the show.




Friday, 19 August 2022

💝Aha, guess - a - rama

 💝  ribbon around a heart emoji, Really, really

Some things are just that. Gonna have to find a place to use the             ' ribbon around a heart '

 day will be warm w/ threats of thunderstorms. the scenario world wide - buckets of rain in New Zealand, no water in parts of the UK

this is called ' extremes ' of weather. See, a name, a title but no explanation
sound like the ribbon around the heart ?

On the agenda for the day
nada
well, I need to re - jig the workout routine, blend in the new exercises, re - start the original or re - honed elements
however, the over - riding idea, is slowly begin the introduction of weights
this means going from 5 # hand weights to the barbell at 20 #

We shall see said the Zen Master

So, if you're reading this and going ' dull, dull or borderline dull ' 

" Welcome to my morning
I said welcome to my day " ala John Denver

Thus, we come to the  topic - ' what is on tap for the day ? '
OK Several years ago, I brought home a DVD from the UK. " Mrs Bradley Adventures " starring Diana Rigg w/ Neil Dudgeon.
Unbeknownst to me,   there are regional differences in formatting DVD s and regional DVD s cannot be played on non specific- regional DVD players
You got it. NO Mrs Bradley on Canadian machines.

Until. Wonnie [ name brand ] came along w/ unlimited playback. Wonnie is the Korean brand of DVD player from Amazon.
Advertised and able to cross DVD regional protocols, really.

Thus, I'm watching Mrs Bradley - oh ! after a two week search .... high and low and in between as it were. 

Today! Opened a drawer and out she popped. I had toyed w/ the idea that I tossed Mrs Bradley in a fit of despair

Nope. Safely ensconced in a file cabinet drawer w/ a stack of DVD s

So, how is it ? Old and very traditionally, English murder mystery genre

I truly hope that you like Diana Rigg and / or Neil Dudgeon
b/c this is slow, grinding on, formulaic BritBox mystery.


Thursday, 18 August 2022

💫 Let s Play - Guess the ' Emoji '

 💫 yes, a fun new trivia attempt

Well, I'll break the suspense b/c its only you reading the blog

💫 this is the dizzy symbol
which truly, asks the question ' if I need to identify it by name - what good is it

Unless, you happen to like looking at it OR a blogger needs it for colour

A mixed bag, today, weatherwise is in the offing. We heard thunder yesternoon hours. Thus,  a % rain chance kinda day.

Along w/ ' Extraordianry Attorney Woo ' , I've  been watching episodes [ 10 now ] of the " Sandman ". Yepper, the night visitor and maker of dreams. In fact, the personification of Dream is a rake thin dude dressed in Goth style black. Facially, very severe, brushcut. His siblings are Desire, Death, Despair ........ to name the ones so far, that have starred.
M only says ' why ' as I continue to watch

From our view approaching the house.




And I was wondering if the Wildflowers  would ever be visible.

Right!

And dental news. The implant site and extraction hole are healing on schedule. Last night, my tongue touched the area and there was some discomfort. Oops ! was the thought.
However, lady dentist removed the stitches pain free and pronounced a good situation. One month, another checkup.


Wednesday, 17 August 2022

💢 from the Waddell

💢 - the anger symbol

funny that

sort of brackets

Well, our second night on the banks of the Ganny. The nickname among fisherfolk for the Ganaraska is the Ganny. I've fished here a couple of times.
The technique. Some guys think that the salmon swim mouth open. Thus, when your line crosses in front of them the line can run through their mouths - hopefully the hook catches and then you set the hook.

M is still asleep and I am waking slowly to some semblance of alertness. I think that I'll need a Tim Horton s coffee.

Thus, I went down the road to the park and watched the fishing or lack thereof. Much less movement on the water was obvious. However, there were wakes running across the river.

Our trip home was E Z P Z, traffic was busy but moved quite easily. To complete the mini - holiday, we dropped off at an old haunt, called the ' Fox Goes Free '. 
The Fox is cosy, not big w/ a menu that tends to the British familiars. We had their pies, Chicken and I got Steak and Guiness. We both had no intention of cooking today.

The stay- cation. You should know that we watched Netflix all day, Tuesday. M really wasn't comfortable walking. However, it was not like being trapped. Big comfy room, so, we sat on the bed or couch as we needed. The benefit of getting a suite. Actually, people say that when they are on vacation that they are out so much the room isn't that important.

We never feel like that. We wnat the appointments that we got at the Waddell. In fact, M said that we should go back.

On the computer front. After much angst, and disappointment, I hope that I figured out the printing procedure, here.

You see the printer, [ thaat we ahve had for over a year
a) can be hooked up - hard wired. But w/ laptops, that can be a pain

b) the printer has a low power blue tooth system. not that useful

c) and the printer has its own Wi Fi network. It turns out that if you log in to the printer Wi Fi network - the laptop readily finds the printer.

The downside, is that if you want to change documents then you might need to switch networks

And the kicker is,
 that I kept bringing the laptop close to the printer [ b/c the bluetooth was low power ].
Today, I joined the printer Wi Fi and printed from a room away.

Of course, I'm still miffed b/c one reason for buying the ' Duet ' laptop was the claim  ' plug anything in,   thats what the machine was built for ' . And generally, the duet does a great job.
Standby for more printing news.

Now, exercise. You might be aware my finely honed exercise routine  [ every other day ] got sidetracked by a ' rotatorcuff  ' injury.
I'm healed says the physio lady. 
I was to start back using lighter weights but same routine. Also, she gave me specific exercises to target muscles individually.

I'm still using the new exercises and trying lighter weights for some of the original ones. I suppose that it will be a hodge podge integration for a while.
Ah, to quote Nigel Starling from the ' Ghost and the Darkness '
" the struggle is the glory "

Unfortunate that, because that quote might be the story of my life
You too !

Tuesday, 16 August 2022

😇 Swimming w/ the Fishes

 😇 - ah, smiley face w/ halo [ guess, you didn't need the words ]

Not as in the Godfather. On the banks of the Ganaraska R, outide the hotel patio and our terrace, slamon are charging up the stream. I mean stream b/c the water here is ankle deep. The stream is 20 ft across and the salmon's backs are exposed as they shimmy upstream.

I cuaght nothing. These salmon are in spawning mode and not eating. They lash out at - marshmallows, plastic eggs and spinners. They miss the hook quite a lot and then again really smash the bait and get hooked.

BUT the spectacle is a SPECTACLE. Actually, everyone says that the salmon are early by two weeks. TG, and we were here or are here.
Bonus, is all that I can say 


Birds of prey, follow the salmon looking for little fish that are scared or dead carcasses

Kidding. The city has kites flying from the lamposts on the riverside.

A review. Spacious [ for amber skies ] kidding ! The room is high ceilinged and decorated in plum [ maybe, b/c I suck at colours ]. There is a gas firelplace. The bed was comfy.
Downside. The street noise is prominent - trucks, cars and mtorbikes.

Dinner was burgers from ' Olympus ' - truly. We had the Zeus burger. Zeus is peameal, tomato, lettuce and secret sauce on a delicious patty.
" Hear the Thunder, the Explosion of Taste "

Location is everything. You see the Ganaraska Brewing Co. pub is across the street

Of course, we are watching Netflix- " WonderWoman, 1984 "Now, the ' Ninth Gate ' w/ Johnny Depp. Movie rama day. 

Lunch was pizza and insalata in the Trattoria Gusto. Plus a whole lot of booze.


Monday, 15 August 2022

😈 Aug 15, Wandering the # 401

  😈 - smiling face w/ horns

a cool day to begin and will warm as is its want

For a change, a) slept through the night

                       b) til 6:30 

Ah, forgot to mention. along w/ losing a DVD [ or securly placing the DVD ]. I couldn't find my house keys from the fishing trip last week.

A. was at the Q' and after a diligent search - success. First, I called the local gas bar, no keys were turned in. Second, A. was to examine the area around the aluminum boat where my knapsack tipped and I thought that I'd heard a clink sound [ I looked, at the time but Nada ]

A. was on the phone w/ me and I said ' I may have tossed my keys onto the boat seat ' [ Dumb, dumb ]. A. found the keys caught between the back and the seat.

Whew ! 

Great beginnings.
A. met me at Mc D s for coffee and the key return. Actually, one could question why there is a separate chain/ clip for 2 keys [ house and Q' ] plus some locker keys and barcodes [ PC points, gas loyalty etc ].  I suppose its for times such as this ......

we are at the stay - cation venue. No holds barred, b/c lunch, on the route in was $ 80 and the pre - check in tab was $ 27 for bar drinks.
Well. Worth it ?

This set up is a suite of rooms. Main bed and sitting, snack room          [ fridge and sink, coffee maker ], passageway to washroom and closet..... then entry to the TERRACE
a real terrace, likely 25 ft long overlooking the Ganaraska R.

OK. Let s be fair. Lunch was an entree of mushroom stuffed ravioli in a gravy - ish sauce /w vegetables for colour. Delish !!!!
Also, PEI [ the province ] mussels and frites. Now, frites often means french fries sneaking on to the plate w/ another name. Nope. The Social Club, organic / local produce eatery - does do ' frites ' ala francais. And as on the continent, ' frites ' has mayonnaise on the side
[ glad that I didn't ask for gravy - very N Americano ]

More to follow

The TV has Smart Plus from Samsung. We get 30 channels but so far Poker and Oldies but goldies [ Dick Van Dyke ]. We'll get by and see a bunch of Filmrise, ancient creations.

Overall, a comfortable bed w/ excellent climate control. And now, we know that we'd 80 % return. Likely, the rating will get higher.

Back to the key chain business, which really needs analysis. Of course, you never want to change your [ system ] bad habits or what yo're used to

We shall see said the Zen Master

Sunday, 14 August 2022

👹 adding a litttle colour

👹   the Japanese Ogre from the Emoji list

I'd noticed that the postings page has a character or photo or even a punctuation mark as the lead in...

I thought that an emoji might be the ticket

A cool morning then warming nicely
Ah, we have a visitor visitors today. She is a friend [ former student ] of long standing. Say, 35  20 yrs worth and her  husband

Say, what do you get for $ 120 Cdn in a DVD player, called ' Wonnie '

Wonnie is a winner. The major points : easy to use. it is plug and play, comes w/ remote control [ HDMI and RCA plugs ] also has Smart features

OK. You may be thinking ' these are selling points ? '.
In researching the reviews on Amazon, customers received DVD players that come w/out a remote, require the purchase of the HDMI cable and propietary sign ons related to the company.


Smart features include on screen access to Netflix etc [ called third party ]. Smart also means that the DVD player can use MP3 [ sound ] and MP4 [ video from internet etc ]

The downside. Not Wonnie s fault. Wonnie will play DVD s from other regions in the world which is not always true. I brought home a DVD from the UK.
No, our previous DVD players are limited to Zone 1 [ Canada e.g. ].

Well, I cannot find that UK origin DVD - lost !!! Come on, where did you put it * so frustrating *  

The downside of Wonnie. I needed my own batteries [ 2 AAA ]. That was a minor, miniscule, easily solved one

The visit went a treat. Very amiable, all together.

Saturday, 13 August 2022

💓 ' It s Saturday morning, I'm .....

💓  going away w/ my friends '   

the lyrics popped into my head 

do I really need 24 h news bringing me the worst of the day from anywhere on the globe

rhetorical disheartening

i'm going away w/ my friends .........

error, error ......
' come saturday morning,  I'm going away w/ my friend ' by the Sandpipers [ really, who wudda thunk it or know it ] featured in the movie ' the Sterile Cuckoo ' and this predates Trump 

this is Google at its best - the only good thing about G

Friday, 12 August 2022

👾 Not So Odd

👾 up at 5:30 - actually 4:30 and could not get back to sleep

Coffee and typing. And its cold coffee. W/ the implant site tender, I plain got used to cold coffee.
My solace is that this cold coffee is $ 3 at Tim Hortons Donuts.

Our weather for three days, will be warm an sunny. Dropping at hight to the mid 50 s and lower 

Excitement, is, a visit to Home Depot. Ooh ! or Oh.

That was a typical trip to HD. I went to get a downpipe diverter that fires the water from the eaves 6 ft from the house.
Well, the one model was for rectangular piping and mine is a squarish kind,
I settled for an elbow and w/ a spare piece of squarish pipe can get the water almost 4 ft out. I will start the searh for a squarish style diverter


Thursday, 11 August 2022

👺 a Real Oddity

👺 the Japanese goblin -- I slept til 9 AM [ did get water at 5 ] 

the sleep of the living dead

Sunny and its warm already

big day. The roofers come to fix the skylight leak [ work on it and then we will see said the Zen Master ]

Also, the TorStar has a piece on ' Northern Smokes ' a southern BBQ place that cooks Halal.   ?????????

Yes, we are going to try AND it was expensive BUT we both ate and THERE are leftovers.

Verdict. Yes, tastes terrific. The beans were 2 spicy for M.

I'll say what I always say after eating ' pit ' BBQ
My BBQ is almost as good NOT better
but close.

" amazonitis " in which one orders while sitting and typing. Are there better deals out there
dunno
BUT this was too handy. Yes, bought a BluRay DVD player from Amazon . Delivered 
tomorrow
Class A, suck out. Yepper, we get a ' Wonnie ' DVD player

And roofers weree called away. Some other time, I guess

Wednesday, 10 August 2022

a Fishing We Will Go

 and did

The bass were eager to play, TG !!!!

Pix tomorrow, after they are developed [ kidding.... ]

Lovely day, partly o/vcast, light breeze and FISH.


Follow up. The fish cooperated and fell for my standard stickbait routine. Toss a plastic worm / stick up against fallen trees, rocks and dark places at the bank. Often, an unforgiving tree or stump refuses to give back the stickbait [ you break off the line and re - tie ]. I hit or rather threw over top of three tree like objects but managed to get the plastic back. That is a good ratio. Sometimes, I'll lose 4 or 5 rigs to a bush, tree or stump and sometimes who knows what snages your line




Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Forecasting

 I would say that Brett Anderson [ Accuweather ] nailed the ' looking forward ' modelling for our weather

As far as I can tell, we are waiting for that cool down tho'. The air was still H / H last night. Sticky.

You're asking ' whats the excitement today ? '
Natch, the answer is NADA [ and that is not the space agency, either ]

Slang from TV:

' the Cafe ' [ British ]

- totes for totally
- laters for ' multiple ' later

' Rock Solid Builds ' Cdn

- delicious for good or alright

Well, the air is dryer and cooler - ah, pleasant is the word but way more o/vcast than I imagined

Bargain. What does that mean to you ?
 For me, its obvious. I drove M to the dentist. Returned mties to the beer store. 
Then, Kin Kin Chinese bakery had a sign ' buns mixed, $ 2.19 to $ 2.49 - 6 for $ 11 [ tax incl ]. 
Bargooon ! Yepper, bought the 6 w/  2 cheese and sausage [ weiners ], 2 custard and 2 chocolate.

At Walmart, clearance racks offered 50 % off - $ 28 was now 11 

plus the $ 20 was now $ 9.


 Bonus tho', one gray hoodie was S/S and had the logo " Stranger Things ". I thought, ' hey, just like the TV show '. NO, rather from the TV show, licensed by Netflix.

See. Did you need those hoodies ? No, maybe, no, sure.

Monday, 8 August 2022

Monarch - y

 have become the symbol of trouble in the insect world - as if bee decline were not enough

Monarch butterflies are colourful and seem to be the genus that everyone knows. Monarch numbers are in a nose dive.


Come to think of it - I can't name another butterfly around here except - maybe, ' cabbage butterfly ???? '.

The day supposedly brings gallons of rain all day, although its sunny right now.
The highlight of our day ..... Diabetes Canada is picking up donations

Yea, right. The highlight of our day. If that is not pathetic then I don't know what is. Of course, there is always ' whats for dinner ? ' b/c it seems fairly dramatic.

' most men lead lives of quiet desperation ' -

 I hope that includes women too ! Otherwise its not fair

Visited CBC online. Here is a recap for you. I look at Weather, Health, Science and business sections.
[ Quebec preps for another round of CV 19 vax s. Air Canada treats missed flights as ' safety related ' to avoid paying compensation. Perseids are coming - no, not an invasion but meteors. ]

Thats it. All that I remember. 

What a freaking boring country. Thank God !

Follow up - Diabetes came and went.

A truly successful morning 🤣.  This is sad 😂 folks 

Update : dinner was lunch, veal cutlet sandwich and lasagna. Plus a VQA blended wine 50 % merlot. Dry and good body





Sunday, 7 August 2022

Quiet Sunday s

 one can only hope

BTW. Recommends re: Netflix

A Korean [ English subtitles ] offering called " Extraordinary Attorney Woo ". This light drama [ or semi - comedy ] centres on a ' high functioning ' Autistic lady. Close to brilliant in legal knowledge, she is handicapped by the idiot ' normal ' people in her world and life in general.
I'm finding this piece quite the learning experience. M thinks that I exhibit more autistic signs than ' Woo ' - just by me, watching this series.

The day is the finale of H / H session. We start to draw rain in thunderstorms and cooler winds. Fairly unsettled til Wednesday. Wednesday, as at now, appears to present fine summer weather.

The wildflowers have reached the window of the bedroom. So, of course, I spent all of June wondering if the suckers would grow at all - now, are the wildflowers going to block the window.
The upside is that the wildflowers cover the area under the baywindow - entirely - you couldn't ask for better cover. Living and colourful. 



BTW, today, I read and discovered that the ordinary Monarch butterflies [ short - lived ] are about finished their lives. However, the migratory Monarchs are just now coming out of chrysalis stage to be adults. These fellows will be looking for food plants - maybe, mine.

I pondered if my patch would be obvious enough to attract Monarchs. Now, the information says that ' any small patch will be prime feeding area for Monarchs ' Yippee ! !


Saturday, 6 August 2022

Stay{ ing Home Va ) cation

 Posting # 3 469

Or a Stay-cation

We will mosey 1 h and 10 minutes down the road. And inhabit the Waddell Hotel. A boutique- y place w/ a Italian restaurant on the ground floor. There is a in - house bar [ yeah !]

The advantage : we go East not West. Thus, avoiding the QEW and travelling the wrong way at rush hour [ truth be told, there might not be a ' non rush ' hour ]. 
I Figure why suffer on a vacation. 

In our area and slightly beyond there is a curse name ' Salem Rd '.
The Hwy 401 [ think I - series in the U.S. ] narrows by a lane at Salem. The traffic responds by slowing down and halting [ mostly ]. Sadly, going East at 11:30 AM to 2 PM, Salem starts to slow. And of course, come 3 - 6 agony occurs, daily. Reverse the process Westbound in the morning.
Now, the question - if the Hwy narrows Eastbound but expands Westbound on 401 - how does the traffic bottleneck. Good one !

It does. Nightly. In fact, my ideal leaving time from the Q'  is 6 - 6:30 P. By then, westbound traffic has cleared Salem.
You got it. Going against the flow of outbound traffic to T.O. at evening, you wait til 7 or 7:30 for the mess to clear Salem.

Weather is H / H and followed by thunderstorms in a day or so. 

We shall see said the Zen Master

Follow up: Wildflowers, ala now.


However, no pollinators have arrived [ that we see ]. Of course, it could be a ' too ' small patch. On the upside, the wildflowers have done the job of filling the window area and adding colour.




Friday, 5 August 2022

Massive Soaking

 was the result of the thunderstorms from the last 2 days. So, good for the grass.

However, the way of the earth and people now - something bad happened b/c of the water.

Sorta, wait and see.

Reports : Implants. Dentist lady says ' A - Ok '

Physio lady sees an improvement in flexibility of the rotator cuff. Plus she doubled up the number of exercises. Also, the wieghts that I use migrate upwards from the 1 - 3 # that I was using to # 5 ers.
I will not start today tho'. Today will be light weight as I get sued to the new exercises.
Of course, for the past few weeks, I've curtailed free weights and stuck to mainly an elliptical session. Now, w/ the additional exercises from physio then I'll need to re - jig into a new routine.

My goals remain the same. 
1. get in a good sweat
2. an array of exercises for flexibility and movement
Unfortuantely, strength cannot be a goal. I mean that I'm starting w/ so little strength so its kinda hard to build up a lot.

A sultry day happened and a peaceful time. We had chili con carne for dins. I took the weed torch to the culprit plants [  perfect day, wet ground prevents the loose material from flaming ].

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Leftover Pizza

 yes, salmon to leftover pizza

5:00 AM and I was awake. Typing, and hoping that I get tired - and fall back to sleep.

Egads ! will this sleep thing, get worse
Up at 3:00 ?

The implant check up. The healing  process is on track. However, the instructions that I was given were for simpler jobs.

 I figured my case could not be typical. And, yes, I need to extend some care guidelines.
No biggie, really. B/c I knew it was coming - you know, I just felt that the instructions were for much less involved procedures.
In fact, Dentist lady was not surprised that I felt some discomfort after exercising, yesterday. She said ' take it easy, please ' BTW, nothing was written about exercising etc.

A hot / humid day coming followed by thunderstorms.

Skyland foodcourt takeout, from the Chinesse buffet - the usual suspects. BBQ ribs, S/S chicken and sushi

The deluge came. Bursts of storm for approx 3 or 4 hours. The humidity built right back in, as well.

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

Salmon ala ATK s

 that is not a weapon but America Test Kitchen [ PBS ]

How to pan fry salmon. Brine solution for 15 min. 1/4 C brine and 1 Qt water.

Dry.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the non skin side of the salmon fillet

Sprinkle coarse salt and pepper into a cold  pan.

Lay the salmon skin side down on the pan.

Turn on the heat to medium [ cook for 6 - 8 min ] The ' tell ' is the white colour climbing the sdie of the salmon. Flip the salmon onto the flesh side and cook another 2 - 3 minutes.

The review. Taste was good to very good. Some parts were slightly salty. M found the pepper made her cough a bit.
Upside, no oil was used in the making of this fish. 
Next time. Less salt on the flesh side pre - cooking. There was plenty of salt in the pan. Eat more rice [ to alleviate saltiness and b/c I'm Asian ]

Overall. Success. I ate the skin - fabulous !!!! Often, you can find salmon skin as an appetizer in a restaurant [ and not cheap either ]

One problem. Costco had whole salmon when A. took me. The price worked out ot $ 3 / lb. Great price but I've got salmon heads to eat. A. suggested fish head soup or broth. M. kinda looked at me asaknce when I repeated that

H / H today. Sky high humidity and heat. Recall, Brett Anderson said that the heat dome sitting out west was slipping over Aug 4 - 11.

As it turned out, quite pleasant all morning. Now, the skies have darkened and rain is coming - thunderstorms

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

" Whoa, Nelly Bell "

 4 AM and typing

couldn't get back to sleep

However, I dozed and was able to drive up to Q'

Event and actions went smoothly. No fish.
General Tso chicken dinner was better than expected.
No fish.

Did I say that I caught no bass. No bass.

A lovely day out.

Monday, 1 August 2022

On, Stuff

 actually, the title wa going to be random thoughts
rather stray thoughts

then
the words arrived in my head
' how is this different from any other post '

A young French girl at 13 y.o wrote a novel. The interviewers asked their trite questions i.e. ' Are you going to be able to keep writing as you get older ? '

Her reply, ' the great folly of grown ups, wanting to last and wanting things to last - two things last, shoes too small and foolishness '

Well. I am right on w/ # 2. And been there, done that for # 1

We have a big chance to clean out the house. Diabetes Canada is doing a household pick up. Clothes, phones and whatnots can be left at the door in the morning next week.

We shall see said the Zen Master

OK. Things that last. 

I was marvelling at our cell phones. The brand is Moto and a G 8 +. I took my first photo in Nov 2018. For older types, like us [ oh, bought 2 the same - one charger and easy to help M ] we don't need much. Still, for the price, G8 has been a marvelous addition. Yes, I want them to keep going and going - ' come on, Energizer bunny !!!!! '.


I figured spend a good buck and get quality. Right. The G8 was          $ 400 . THATS CALLED entry level. Crikey !. The kids are paying      $ 1 000 and changing up every two years.
To be fair, most get a FREE phone by signing up for a plan.

Somehow $ 50 a month doesn't seem to qualify as free.
Oh, add cheap to the list of things that last. M and I each pay approx  $ 80 a year [ no data ]. However, A. does let me tether to his phone when I need data.

The implant report. Again. I slept through to morning and missed my 3AM feeding of Aceto. A really slight discomfort and I'm guessing that I might get away w/ skipping the meds altogether. However, the dentist said ' don't let the pain start. Thus, one more day of meds and then I'll whittle down to ' as needed ' status for meds.