🔔 at the Buddhist Church, the congregation used to go to a big bell [5 ft tall ] somewhere to ring in the new year
I never went that I can remember
we have a school hand bell [ for recess, sort of bell ]
however, I have set up the kaleidoscope multi colour light to automatically turn on at dark
not exactly, Times Square, not even close
but I did make an effort
cold and damp and gloomy
ran out to the Tiger [ staff cannot wait for 1 PM b/c I think the store closes early [ TG ]
🎀 well, we are close
now to be honest, I'm not awake at midnight on the 31 st
my excuse is that Asians tend to think of New Years Day as the holiday time
besides, I fall asleep anyway
dark out there, I have my ginger / lemon and honey drink. The marmalade jar b/c thats what it looks like, is an almost gallon bottle. I use two teaspoons of the marmalade in hot water
you could also employ the goop as ' spread ' on toast OR marmalade
a basically,umcomfortable type of day
damp and biting wind
I lugged home a pizza from Real McCoy Burgers. Great choice - tasty, moist
so burgers as promised were delicious
pizza is a winner
🍕.... your eye
like a big pizza slice [ OK should have shown a full pie ]
alrighty, last of the warmish days. form tomorrow we get pretty much Scarberian winter temperatures
of course, we are ready .... haul out winter gear
already I discovered my insulated boots [what a difference ]
water resistant [ big time ] not super high - ankle height
for warmth, a puffer jacket as a liner
💁
for December, a mild day and very humid, as promised rain is in the offing for the week
BUT - regardez ! colder temperature is the expected trend, starting in two days. Yes, we go back to freezing point
I was thinking .... [ dangerous, dangerous ]
watching the TV spot for ' Barbie, the movie '
is the Barbie movie a sign of how desperate society is ?????
its a surprise SURPRISE hit
Crikey, mate ....... really desperate
add the ' Oppenheimer ..... ' A bomb [ atomic ]
I did go out and the wind was the feature problem
never bought baby bananas before, the bunch of ten was $ 3.
We shall see said the Zen Master
🚱 or its the XXVII of DEcember
and there are no songs about the 27 th
alright, weather is dull [ as am I ] not freezing cold but raw w/ significant wind
rain has been happening for several hours steady not torrential
for a duck, perfect
" and you got nothing to be guilt for
out on the street, everybody we meet
got a heartache of their own " BeeGees and sung by Barbra Streisand
🔮what did you get for Christmas
Amazon brought me :
a multi socket. this socket head has pins that retract independently. the socket pins then take the shape of the screw or bolt
Chromecast. this device replaces a HDMI cable that would go to your TV s HDMI port. Chromecast makes the connection wireless. the Chromecast plugs into the TV and your phone or laptop can ' cast ' the image [ s ] to the TV
and socks and underwear which is traditional here
firstly. the multi socket. I always collected tools. psychoanalysis would note that my father was the same. only he collected bigger tools, machines really
alright, do you use them. yes. but not often
however, you can note that the right tool at the right time is invaluable
hasn't exactly saved my life but there is satisfaction in what I can do
Chromecast. why not.
of course, the next step is that the TV becomes your laptop but I still haven't seen a control system for TV as good as a laptop
I think thats part of the reason for Chromecast
BTW, I'm hopin that Chromecast can do what I just explained
the test comes today
weather is in the 40 s w/ rain sprinkled through the day
tested out the Chromecast device [ even the laptop calls it ' device ' ]
several aborts but the system found a work around [ which in itself is impressive ]
in essence, Chromecast turns a TV w/HDMI access into a smart TV
the laptop will project onto the TV, wirelessly. Up til now, I was using a dongle w/ the HDMI running to the TV. then, its a shortcut w/ less hardware
on the downside, the cursor is lagging visibly, so you can see the after image as the cursor moves
and right now, we are returning nothing
🌟 merry Christmas
no rain but drear
we have had a fog since last night - warm air and moisture
the rest of the lyrics for
' River ' from Joni Mitchell
a Xmas song that needs a bit of reflection
not quite the ' holly jolly ' stuff that we usually associated w/ Yule
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on But it don't snow here It stays pretty green I'm going to make a lot of money Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river I could skate away on I wish I had a river so long I would teach my feet to fly Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
ah, not exactly, bliss and commercial Xmas
thus, how do I feel about Christmas
if anyone [ everyone ] feels a little more compassion actually feels anything and considers their neighbour, friend or other human w/ compassion then Christmas has done its job
Kudos. I did my usual exercise. 45 minutes on the elliptical plus free weights and calisthenics [ good boy ! ]
we got prezzies. different this year. we both went on Amazon and bought each other s wish list
🐼 is Xmas Eve ?
or real close to the symbol for Porter Airlines
yes, the eve of Christmas
and dreary and rain portends
however, 40 F is not Scarberian winter
we'll take dreary for comfortable temperatures
M .. was wathcing the local ' all news ' station and turned it off
b/c shootings and thuggings dominated the feed
a quiet day in the ' boro
mainly chores, wash and setting timers etc
🎄 bringing Peace and Joy
the actual lyrics ala Joni Mitchell
It's coming on ChristmasThey're cutting down treesThey're putting up reindeerAnd singing songs of joy and peaceOh, I wish I had a riverI could skate away onBut it don't snow hereIt stays pretty greenI'm going to make a lot of moneyThen I'm going to quit this crazy scene
perhaps the words most likely to be 20 th century accurate
our Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning for T.O.
then we warm up
Saturday the 23 rd will be 8 degrees warmer than yesterday ans still damp
we will be over 40 F on Xmas
and drizzly, uninviting conditions NO ice or snow [ TG ]
rain chance is 80 % for the duration of DE 23
🐧 the story :
I was in Walmart and saw 🐧🐧 the inflatable penguin was $ 20.
surrounding us on the street is a zoo and wildlife park in LED critters
we cannot compete or do not want to
but, one animule could be a start [ NOT ]
so far, the little guy pumps himself up ans stands at the doorway [ despite the cold]
our symbol of defiance in the midst of LED overload
the day is drear, 30 F and a wind chill yet a reprieve from yesterday s bitterness
warming trend to start Saturday and on
🐙 NOT but he was pink
we do not have little children in our lives
so, maybe, as we've gotten older - the magic of Xmas has faded
and as in many other households - CV 19 has altered our get togethers
cold is on the menu for this Thurs. Temperature predictions for the next week, say warming and high 40 s are in the realm of doable for the 25 th - rain is omnipresent for the next 7 days
you didn't know BUT I started internet surfing this morning about 4:30 AM
for the second night [ morning ] I saw the clock at 3:30
Crikey !
and a frigid day, to our embarrassment, it was really 30 F plus a degree of wind chill BUT that wind cut right through
clean bull of health at the dentist
cleaning w/ no gum bleed Kudos to you
🎺 the topic au jour is
Whatsapp or Neighbourhood watch
Item. Maybe, its only me. But the folks on the Watch are burning up the air waves
messages are flying back and forth
the main interest is the person s profile pix on message titles
after a flurry of messages
the fix was, to hit the profile image [ ghosted out template ], that will let you enter the profile page for the person and click on the real profile pix that the person offered
THEN, the two profile images - ghosted and personal picture MERGE or sync
best part is the cooperation shown for the group
at least they care
weather is blah !!! gray looking and threatening in a mild way
can't shake the feeling precipitation is waiting
however, a passable day
incongruities abound - we are going to see a warm up
w/ Xmas day over 40
b/c I picked up the snowblower this afternoon
a snowblower that we most likely will not need
we have the lawn service dudes
🎆 midwinter .....
thusly, its freezing out there, literally, b/c its 32 but not quite
the forecasted 1 inch or more is still sitting in the clouds
school buses out east were cancelled in our area
yet we have sun and light
our Xmas ritual lunch w/ M ... close friend got scrubbed
Reportage : I cooked pre - Xmas dinner
1. turkey
2. stuffing
3. gravy
a solo effort
result. a lot of cleaning to do after
alright but the meal ?
turkey was mostly a 8 of 10. Spatchcocking [ flattened bird ] turned out to save 30 min of cooking time
to be fair, instructions said ' a 425 F oven' temperature and half the time. I used 325 F or regular temperature.
On the plus side, the turkey was moist. The dark meat maybe on the stringy side.
Stuffing was a 8.5 of 10
Gravy tasted right, slightly thin
Summary. Do it again ? Spatchcocking, not a ton of effort, so maybe
Pluses. Taking out the back bone, meant that I could saute the backbone w/ veg and get stock before the bird was done.
I discovered that I was carving the turkey improperly. A great learning experience ..... b/c carving was and is a area where I feel inadequate. And really, I carve like crap
Lets get warm, now
Surprise ! friend A .. of M .. s brought the feast here, instead of us going [M .. wasn't up to it ]
called saving the day
a touch of difference and caring, for sure
the day is bright and crisp and inviting, basically everything that it was not going toward as of yesterday afternoon
📯 the ' big ' day
well. w/ the advent of Covid, our Xmas ' traditions have changed. AND M .. has had some issues around her health
thus, our ' newest ' tradition - buy three things from Amazon. you pick and the other person looks it up and buys the item
my idea. but a time saving and efficient way to get the job done
my latest worry is that there is light seeping through the front door - jamb junction. I weatherstripped the jamb w/ the correct style insulator. this type has a tongue of material that inserts into a groove in the jamb
I'll need to check if cold air is getting in. Maybe the material allows light but not cold
this is fairly pollyanna thinking. yet, modern materials often have some interesting variations
📛 and I know all the rules and
I know how the break them
from Air Supply
rainy and drear but wind is ruffling the leaves
Report :
' cocoa on the street ' reflections
all in all, 14 people showed
however, they were appreciative
the back story is two others attending had tried the neighbourhood watch concept but reception was poor
this cycle has 30 respondents and a fair degree of activity
you have seen my comments -lost cats generates the biggest buzz
after ' free ' pallets and stone
and the best of the afternoon - everyone appreciated the effort
🍫 ......" cocoa on the street " out of the garage
any doubts ....... YES who holds neighbourhood watch out of the garage
sort of comes as you are ???? or come see the minimum
we shall see said the Zen Master
cocoa al fresco
Alrighty !
A success in spades. Everyone who promised to come - did
Folks brought really dynamic cookies
Hot chocolate - EZ and a hit
and we found out who was who
㋋
b/c I am hosting ' cocoa on the street ' out of the garage for the local ' Neighbourhood Watch ' Sun is warm and inviting TODAY
tomorrow is ' cocoa day ' naturally
We shall see said the Zen Master !
ran around to the pharmacy and Chinese hot table + veggies b/c we re cooking our 7 lb turkey Sun or Mon [ thawing now, supposedly ]
We shall see said the Zen Master
Hear it here !!! exercise:
I am doing the usual but no goals except for 45 min
Sure. Likely story
and as advertised, exercise was ellipitical and free weights / stretches w/ no push - going along to do something / anything
sweat a little too !
how do I feel ? OK
🀩 ..... really only uncomfortable
we will be close to 40 [ little up / little down ]
again as in many previous Thursdays, A .. is meeting me for lunch
we are going to ' Magic Noodle '
A .. describes MN as more a cafeteria than restaurant
still might be worth the change from straight Dim Sum
... frosty winds do blow
Earth stood hard as iron
Water like a stone "
words by Christina Rosetti and music by Gustaf Holzst
originally, a commissioned piece for a prayer book, '' Bleak Midwinter " is now a staple in Church Yule music
Christina is the sister of Dante Aliegheri
Report: the Magic Noodle was
I wish to return
Then I was chauffeured hither and yon from Chinese grocery to Costco and back to Noodle 🍜
Spending $ 200 including a shower caddy, shrimp and veg
∄ ... that you love me now ... '
oldie lyrics from Petula Clark who lives in France [ she sang ' Downtown ' too ]
A cold day brewing and the likelyhood of snow flurries this AM despite the sun peeking through about now
so, two cousins have read this blog, Vancouver and Edmonton based [ although G .. could be in Calgary, now ]
however, B .. from Ohio reads and has read faithfully
but the premise remains - we blog to the ether for therapy
BTW
the symbol emoji that I chose is named " there does not exist "
OK, you can say it " what does that mean ???? " Dunno
it was offered and I clicked on the symbol
crawling into the new electronic world [ not even sure if that is the correct term ' electronic ' ? thats b/c I'm 7 yrs behind ]
I'm getting Chromecast for Xmas [ we ordered, all our presents to each other on Amazon ]
I've been on YouTube, watching ' How to Set Up Chromecast in 5 minutes '. Naturally, this is a proposed time for normal people. At lest, on the last video that guy paused to correct the set up
I'll be pausing that I'm sure of
4 🔝 s
from Vancouver, a cousin sent a Xmas email. A little news and info was included
the day : shows signs of brightness but through the clouds and it felt uncomfortable popping out to reach for the paper
the song "Reach Out, I'll Be There " was a Four Tops hit [ 70 s ??? ]
as well, the cousin that pumps out the comedic online quotes - sent the 'Wisdom of Will Rogers " or the poet lariat
I posted back some WR quotes. I have the album, a one man show the humour of Wii Rogers where James Whitmore Jr reprises the stage performances of Will Rogers
a man who shook hands w/ presidents, emperors and world leaders
Hey, cousin L .. from Vancouver visited the blog
thanx, L ..
the story : today, I dropped off the snowblower that my Dad bought in 1985 or so. He was so proud of that Toro. The big claim was the ability to throw snow over thirty feet away
it was used two or three times here and on loan for 6 yrs
while planning and expediting grass growing this fall, I went to Homeland variety [ really ] and saw that they also repair lawn and garden equipment
yepper, decided to fix the snowblower. My estimate was the Toro was worth a couple of hundred dollars. To find out that if you could even find one, new - the cost would be $ 1500 and used $ 900
most likely the smart move - let the junk man take it
couldn't
so, pay the $ 200 [ I pray ] and get a functioning snowblower
💃she was a showgirl
at the Copa, Copa Cabana [ sing it Barry .....]
day is beginning the sky out the den window is brightening, bit of wind
temperature today is 36 [ maybe ]
this is our week - the word is intermittent [ everything ]
OK shopping at Superstore : $ 100
but beer and wine plus a turkey
we will cook the bird on Dec 16 or so - freeze a bunch for Xmas day brunch
$ 28 for a baby Butterball, this sucker is 7 # thus $ 4 / lb
🌟🌟🌟 no but we have a semblance of sun [ the day is lit ] and no rain
Lets cheer the sunshine and relative warmth - won't last tho'
I'm offering ' cocoa on the street '. For about 4 months now, I've been connected to Neighbourhood Watch via WhatsApp. A little bit of watch and a bunch of lost cats and stuff to give away
' cocoa on the street ' is to be held in my garage - sort of a drop in event. Originally, I said 2 - 6 P but then thought ' kinda cold to be out 4 h.
I'm planning on heating the garage w/ a spaceheater [ actually , used in my unheated workroom in winter ].
of course, the hope is to put names to faces [ ???? ]
realizing that this could be a total flop, however, its a kind gesture for the street [ s ]
Sunday is Giant Tiger shopping time. Not much on the want list - that didn't stop me from filling a bag
next a stop at Shoppers Drug Mart was handy
all totalled, I spent 130 dollars.
☑✅❎➰ which can likely be translated by AI
last night, I cooked salmon for about the fifth time
why ? never really think of cooking salmon
I've caught salmon, maybe 15 times
but bought salmon ??? not that I recall
I do buy haddock and bluefish etc and recently bought sole [ fillets ]
however, salmon was flavourful and satisfying
the house is redolent w/ the fish smell [ yick ! ]
a mild, to very mild day today
and enjoy b/c the bottom drops out of the bucket tonight
32 F will be a dream temperature, cuz we won't get there
I posted on Facebook. I've mostly given up on FB. However, this post said:
THERE is a god, his name is YouTube !. Our fireplace Napoleon started the heating season by not responding to the remote. The advantage to the remote is setting the temperature and the automatic shutoff feature. Well, it wasn't working
Thus, 3 minutes in, ' How to Re - synchronize the remote. Bada Bing --- success
WAIT !!! how can a hoodie cost $ 80
where have I been ????????? [ on Amazon ]
Give me a break ----- $80
eighty like 4 x 20
its biblical, ' 4 score years '
actually, that s Lincoln, counting biblically
🍔 a beautiful thing ..... " is the jingle. Harvey s franchise has been a hallmark of ' burger - fries ' takeout in T.O. [ well, all of Ontario ]
Recently, we ordered an Angus burger a Junior burger from Harvey s. My Angus burger was ' day old ' or from the afternoon rush. Dried out and hard
Thus, I complained. Harvey s has the notation ' comment on our service ' on the receipt
I did. In return as a thankyou for responding, I got a voucher for a complimentary burger
BUT Real McCoy s was a real treat [ not the greatest but good ]
The big melt is on. Streets are black and damp. The air is damp and the mood is gray.
As well, a coyote ran through our backyard heading east. The neighbours are not best pleased w/ the numerous coyote sightings and mishaps.
🌨 more than a dusting overnight. The prediction is 1 inch all said and done
winter announced itself
very pretty and iconic
crap !!!!
and melted, by the afternoon [ still sloppy but drive-able ]
did my exercise program
went for Burgers and Chick Soulvaki at ' Real McCoy Burgers ', a legend in Scarborough.
for the weekend, a bit of a warm up and after 3 days - back to freezing temperatures, and that goes for the next period as well.
Real McCoy has solid food. Burgers are a touch above average. Fries better than reasonable. Gravy is amazing
🍞 or day old
a mixed day
dismal and windy changing to full sun [ clouds still ] but the wind kept up
finished as gray as the start [ sun is enlivening ]
we ventured into the realm of construction. for 12 yrs and seems like longer, the city has been building a crosstown Transit route.
this route is legendary, a) there is nothing there
b) the road is torn up and ' orange ' is the new orange - as in change lanes and squeeze a lot
the intersection for us was Midland and Eglinton. One way East and West on Eglinton and the junction is a catastrophe of large orange rectangles w/ cryptic symbols [ like runes ]
in essence, you can't there from here
we survived and told the tale. the trip was vital
🏾 oh, my
keep your spirits up anyway that you can
we have ' blah ' weather
I should be out skiing or snowshoeing to Nome
My latest, and ongoing kick is saving boxes and bottles. We have been ordering from Amazon [ hence boxes ] and I hate to toss them.
To wit, I have been turning boxes into shelf organizers wherever possible. I stack the boxes sideways and create storage compartments that can stack. I've hit some snags but usually find a way to increase storage
The real trick, keep less stuff. BUT I come by this collecting odds and sods from Dad.
And every now and then, voila, I have exactly what I need in a bin or box or a bin in a box.
Bottles. I mean glass. If I toss the glass, supposedly the glass gets melted down and turned into ladies underwear [ or whatever ]
I've noticed though that some liquids need glass storage. Mainly, solvents b/c I still run gas motors.
We watch ' Hoarders, Buried Alive ', reality TV. And, yes, I occasionally wince and grimace - oh, well.
On to health. At Costco, I spied a glass [ right ] large jar w/ marmalade inside. Nope. Well, mostly nope.
The product was, honey, ginger and citron paste or marmalade. The main use is dissolved in warm to hot water and taken as an anti - cold, cough or sickness preventative. Oh, spread on toast, too !
Right up my alley. I am always getting colds. Usually, miserable ones. M .. says ' man cold ! ' and that is not a compliment.
I've always believed in honey and ginger etc. Before the ' jar ' I often had lemon and honey in hot water at night
Now, a cuppa HGC in the morning too ! Colds !!! stay away
Oh, bought a mini massage gun for my thigh massage. This sucker fits in my hand unlike some larger models that are shaped like a gun or hairdryer. I figured smaller to put less strain on my wrists. I'm sure that I've arthritis in both wrists [ and probably a bunch of other places too ! ]. Right on !
the mini gun is easy to use and no strain on the wrists [ good call that ]
Honestly, I was worried that I bought a chunk of junk - low power, poor battery [ its rechargeable, everything is rechargeable, except me ]. Bonus, about $ 60 for the mini ] Small enough to travel w/ as well.
🥝 this GIF appeared on Chrome by using the ' everything key + shift and space
💭 What already !!!
been pretty dull out there, sun for 6 hrs today according to Michelle [ WeatherNetwork ]
ran out to Skyland for the weekly sushi and 2 combo platter + fried chicken wings and dim sum [ har gow ]
returned empties to the beer store
managed to change the batteries in our photocell floor light. M .. noticed that the baby flood light wasn't turning on. Done !
꫞ welcome to my morning
I say welcome to my day
rather dismal looking out there
and yes, rain is due Maybe, Monday is sunny but cloudy all week
and it poured for an hour over noon
I've been re - watching ' Star Trek - Strange New Worlds ', specifically " Tomorrow and Tomorrow ". Due to the Writers Strike, no new episodes of many series were possible.
I maintain that good television is rare. Very rare.
I'm in love w/ Laan Noonien Singh [ Christina Chong ]. Actually, Star Trek SNW, introduces several new characters that so far have no correpsondence w / future based Star Trek entities.
" penny bright " is Laan.
㋋
starting the month, a bit on the cool side
Went to CBC online
you don't need to know what I saw
this week will be above freezing w/ rain and slush
if your Canadian, this is what your built for
the predictions say that Ryan Y'All [ YouTube ] showed the correct trends - warmer than average Winter
this pattern doesn't mean ' no precipitation ' however warmer rather than colder
🔱 ancient symbol of the .......
the weather : cool and damp just like fall after the leaves are down
in a fit of ennui [ love that word ] or in need of retail therapy which is running riot in this house - I bought a self inflating lawn penguin. The perky fellow has taken up residence on the front step.
And NO, 'perky penguin ' doesn't get a friend - at least not this year
consider him a trial run. Recall our house is surrounded by forest and not so forest animals
we are not competing
a review : bit the bullet.
I ordered and received a ' mini ' massage gun. questions were based on small size and ability of battery to power the device over a reasonable time
can the mini gun do the job .... yes
battery life ..... don't know but so far - I've used it three times for short massages
but, I can say, " gives relief "
to wit. this morning. a) mini massage b) ice blue gel c) however, this is exercise day, thus I added 2 acetominophen
I figured if the mini massager works - it can travel [ approx # 1 ] and a neat additional therapy on the road
