Reporting From Princeton, West Virginia

 We had a good drive today.  Cold and blustery, but the snow was plowed from the roads and they were dry.  And the sun shone!

Mardi was obviously content with the quality of Ewen's driving.

My wings will be clipped when Mardi finds out that I've posted this picture to the blog!  Life was good while it lasted!  But I was past my "best before" date anyway😎.

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Did a shop at the Grove City Discount Mall.  Pants and shoes for me.  Sneakers for Mardi.

Otherwise just drove and filled the gas tank.

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Tomorrow - Florida!

Stay well.

On The Launching Pad

 Sadly, our Optimist Club has lost, at age 60, one of the best Presidents we have ever had.  Shelley D'Angelo was a non-stop community volunteer who somehow managed to keep our Club functioning at a high level despite the pandemic.  The Club and the community have lost someone special.  She will be missed.

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David and Sue invited us today for dinner and a birthday celebration for the twins.  Sarah-Jean attended virtually.

She even blew out the candles, with Ewen's help.

Their actual birthday is the 30th.  We'll have to do this again in Florida.

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Today seemed to last forever.  We are packed and impatiently waiting to get away. 

Stay warm and well.

A Waiting Game

Today is grandson Kyle's 31st birthday.  Haven't seen him for a few years - he went grandma's way when we split up.

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Last night we completed our travel insurance arrangements.  Total cost for the two of us is $5,810.30, which covers Covid and multiple 33 day trips and is a hell of a lot cheaper than Costco or CAA for similar coverage.  Got it through Medipac - thanks for the lead Wayne!

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Finally got the windshield chip repaired.  The main players were all booked up until February.  Found a little guy who did a good job.

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I'm going to wear my mask with Canadian flags on it, in the hope that it will start conversations where I can point out that we live four plus years longer than U.S. folks, and why.  

I hope that they aren't carrying guns which might spoil my longevity advantage!

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But, my arguments may fall on deaf ears.

It's more than a constant now.  It's pervasive!

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We're mostly packed.  Just a waiting game now.

Stay well.

Getting Ready

 Nice view this morning as the rising sun (behind us) lit up the western shore of the lake.

Afterwards, we saw six squirrels fighting over the nest in the top of the tree.  One protecting it and the other five challenging, but not winning.

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We took Mardi's plants to the greenhouse.  Sean has volunteered to look after them while we're away.

While we were there, I checked up on Monica's fern baskets.

Oops.  Wrong one.

These are better!  Trust me Monica!

They'll be blocking out the sun by the time they're ready to sell.

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They're redoing the trench under the door to the underground parking here and there will be no in/out access from 9 to 4 on Wednesday and again on Thursday.

So, we'll be parking above ground on Wednesday in case we need to do some last minute errands.  We'll pack the van Wednesday night and bring it back underground.  As long as we meet our plan to head out for Florida by 7 a.m. on Thursday we'll be OK - we'd better get up on time or we could be delayed by several hours.

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Just read that the most important sex organ is the brain.  At a certain age it's the only sex organ!

Smile, and stay well.

La Quinta

 Today is A.J.'s and Michelle's anniversary.  They have flown to Houston to celebrate the event with friends.  Best wishes!

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A quiet day today.  Got our golf clubs, luggage, cooler and "Florida box" (it contains kitchen knives, spices, and other necessities) out of storage.

Got the van washed and discovered a small chip in the windshield.  That will get looked after tomorrow.

And then we watched PGA golf, as I'm sure some of you folks did as well.  I actually played that beautiful La Quinta course many, many years ago when we were staying in Palm Springs.  It was in the middle of the summer and temperatures at that time were typically well over 100 degrees.  But they had a "cold spell" and it was only 94.  I had the course to myself for a very reasonable $42.

I got to the 17th island green and had a brain cramp.  All that I could see were the huge boulders in the water around the green.  So, naturally that's where my ball went.  Don't remember what my score was (none of my scores are very memorable) but it was a neat experience.

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Watching golf got Mardi's juices running.  So she got out the weighted practice club for a few swings.

Four days to go.  Stay well.

Moderna

 Some people are refusing Moderna shots because of concerns about side effects.  Interestingly, this comes just as studies show that Moderna provides better protection against breakthrough infection than Pfizer.

Mardi and I have both had three Moderna shots.  Plus I am pretty certain that she has had Covid and is a long haul victim of its symptoms.  So, we feel relatively safe for our trip to Florida.

Mardi needs to get away and get outside to build up her strength.  I need to get away because I'm tired of staying warm by standing in a 90 degree corner 😇.

We'll avoid crowds and continue to be Canadian cautious.  Because of Mardi's energy issues we won't be playing a lot of golf. Most likely spend time at the practice area, at least for the first while.  And for the first week, just making sure that Ewen has a good time while Mardi continues to mend.

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Yesterday I mentioned that I had hoped that Mardi would return to her "young" self.  And lo and behold, I got my wish!

Yeehaw!
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Matt and Maureen joined us for cards and dinner today.  Don't like to brag, but the champions had their picture taken.

Yeah, I know Sven.  You recognize the trophy.

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A day without laughter is a day wasted.  Charlie Chaplin.

Stay well.

Florida

 I'm glad to report that Mardi is back to feeling more like her old self (actually, I was hoping she would be back to her young self - a guy can dream can't he?).  She's still building up endurance and has her moments of discomfort, but she's progressing.

So we invited Sue and David for dinner last night.  As it turned out, Ewen was also able to join us.  Although his first semester at Guelph was academically good, his university experience was not.  He was staying off site, with on-line classes and little fraternizing.  He had planned to move into residence for this semester, but the university wouldn't allow anybody into residence when the semester started early this month.  So he is going to take a break from the program and hopefully go back next semester.

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Mardi and I have found a more reasonable travel insurance source and have decided to head for Florida for the last half of our original booking.  We had previously invited Sue and David to join us, but the week they chose was this week.  So we asked them if another week would work for them so they could still join us.

Unfortunately, Sue's very best friend is about to have major cancer related surgery.  Sue wants to be around to support her so she has begged off on the trip.

But, Mardi saw a light in Ewen's eyes and asked him if he would like to join us for a week or so and share the driving with me on the way down.  She has been concerned about her ability to share much driving although I told her it wasn't an issue.  Surprisingly, we got a positive response from Ewen 😀, so the plan is for the three of us to leave Thursday morning.

Don't know what is going to happen when his twin sister, Sarah-Jean, hears about this.  We may have two guests!

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Question of the day.  Will glass coffins become a success?  Remains to be seen.

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Keep your sense of humour.  Stay well.

The Trompers

 Back in 1984 I was invited by a group of coworkers to join them on a Bruce Trail hike.  We spent a July weekend hiking a northern section and ended at the Tobermory terminus of the trail.  That first trip was called the Tobermory Tromp and we became the Trompers.

Dave "Doc" Jewett (he got his nickname because he played the trumpet like Doc Severinson) was the organizer, alliterative name author, statistician, historian and lame joke teller of the group.  Gary "Andy" Parker (he wore short sleeved sweaters in high school and looked like Andy Hardy) was the other prime mover of the Trompers.

The next year the group did a canoe trip called the Seguin Safari.  I was fortunate to have broken my back earlier, so I didn't have to make the waterfall plunge like the others.  I just made a cameo appearance.

The following year we did a bicycle trip, the Seneca Cycle, and we alternated between biking and canoeing until 1991 when we got back to the Bruce Trail.  We took more bites out of it in following years when we weren't biking, canoeing, kayaking, or cross country skiing.  We also had many quoits matches, golf games and tennis matches.  And of course slide nights and planning nights, which were extra events held when we were thirsty.

Doc and Andy have subsequently completed the trail.  I'm at about 96% and I'm satisfied with that.  In the end, it didn't matter to me whether we completed the hikes or not.  The important things for me were climbing up the ski hill at Devil's Glen beside Peter Burton, three months after he had bypass surgery, and hiking with George Campbell after he had his spleen removed, and spending a day on the trail with the guys despite my back issues.  What made the Trompers so important to us was participating with a group of guys you love and sharing the laughs that go along with it. 

My grandson Yancy joined us for the Serendipity Cycle in 1988, Brother Roger has participated in several events, grandson Sean joined us for a Bruce Trail hike, and David has been on some of our bike trips.

We lost George Campbell to ALS, and Roy Mandy to a stroke.  The rest of us are nursing old age, knee or other physical ailments, but hopefully when the pandemic is behind us we will once again gather to at least reminisce about our adventures.

Hiking with the Trompers gave me the confidence to take on some hikes of my own.

When Sean turned twelve, he and I hiked 70 miles through the high Andes of Peru.  Our highest elevation was an oxygen scarce 16,000 feet on Salcantay Mountain.  Machu Picchu was our destination.

When it was Malcolm's turn, we hiked along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and down into a slot canyon.

And Ewen and I completed a 28 mile crossing of the Grand Canyon.

Thanks to my Tromper friends for inspiring those trips!

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Sorry to report that David had his ID stolen.  Now he's just Dav.

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Stay well.

A Good Day

 Folks seem to be concerned that I had a bad day yesterday:

Good morning partner,

Everyone’s entitled to a down day partner but we’re all concerned about the effect this period of low activity is having on you.  You’re still doing more than most of us right now but it’s clear you need more challenge.  

How about recapping your reflections and philosophical musings as published in the blog to create your story - the whole saga of your life.  You read the wonderful Eva Knapp story: Saskatunes And Gopher Tales; you could write your own version of that wonderful collection of memories.

I even have a title: ‘THE BEST OF BUD’!

Sven

And a follow-up by Barry:

You know, Sven might be on to something here.  I haven't read Gopher Tales but I have read  Nieczulice to Hamilton. It's the history of our family written by my brother on how we got here and what was happening in the world that impacted decisions and resulted in our existence in Canada. Not so much a family tree but more a compilation of stories we had been told or experienced over the years, starting with our grandparents.  It's a great keepsake for younger and future generations who may wonder just how they got to where they are. 

Bud...  

I think you would enjoy the process and I know you have many stories to tell. I'm also sure your children, grandchildren and siblings would both contribute to and treasure the result. Sounds like a great way to while away your no-golf hours. 

I'm sure Mardi would enjoy a respite from being a constant skip-bo victor. 

Stay well and sharpen that quill my friend.

...  Bar

Mardi NEVER tires of beating me at Skip-Bo Barry!

And, from Al:

That is a great idea Barry. I know my Mom's book is one of my prized possessions and it is something that relatives many years from now will read and learn a lot about what life was like in a bygone era.

Bud, I am thoroughly enjoying the glimpses into your life as a youngster and would love to hear more about your life journey. A summary of your life experiences would be a great gift for future Craig generations.

Truth is, I was just bored and going through some old computer files.  Came across "A Parable" and with some misgivings, decided to share it.  Maybe I had a down day ten years ago when I wrote the thing.  But not now.

Mardi also recommended the book writing thing to me a few days ago.  That sounded like a big job, so I decided to just put some anecdotes in the blog instead.  That will continue.

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I tend not to have down days.  I have a couple of philosophical cornerstones that keep me more positive.

Many years ago, I came across an old German proverb:

"You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it."  I interpret that as "Be the architect of your fate, not a victim".

And, I think after the death of my dad, I realized that you can't dwell on misfortune.  Deal with it, learn from it, and then move on.  Don't carry that weight around.

That part may be genetic.  I am regularly amazed when David deals with a disaster at the greenhouse that would destroy a lesser man and is able to move on.

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In that regard, I consider one major negative event in my life to have had a silver lining.

It was back in 1982 when daughter Jo-Ann and I were cross country skiing at King's Forest.  At one point we got off the groomed trails and I found myself heading downhill on an animal track with no room to spread the skiis and slow down.  At the bottom of the hill was a frozen creek bed.  I slammed my butt into the bank on the other side and broke my back.

Fortunately, they had a ski patrol on duty and I was put onto a backboard and transported to hospital.  I was shown the catscan later and my L-5 vertebrae, in the small of my back, had "burst".  I was looking at what appeared to be scattershot - dozens of little bits of bone.

I was given a choice - have a metal rod inserted and be back on my feet in two weeks, then come back in two years to have the rod removed, or, have the discipline to lie on my back for six weeks and let the fragments knit together.  I chose the latter (but you do lose any sense of modesty when nurses have to empty your bedpan and wash your private parts for six weeks!).

While I was there, I had lots of visitors.  Besides family, a lady at work was scheduling folks in to see me so that I had a visitor every day!  And I came to have a much better realization of what family and friends meant to me.

Although I have daily pain, and some nerve damage in my right leg, I look on that event as a positive moment in my life because of that realization. 

And then, you could look to this pandemic.  Staying connected to friends, finding time to go through old computer files and being reminded of what is important in life has been another silver lining.

Look at the sunny side of everything folks!

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And, as a follow-up to Bonnie's grocery aisle story, I went to the toy store and asked the assistant where the Schwarzenegger dolls are and he replied, “Aisle B Back.”

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We had a wonderful visit from Monica and Jim today.  

Another move back towards normalcy.

Stay well.

A Parable

 During yesterday's snow I had no interest in leaving the condo, and that situation continues so it's another slow news day.  Let's try something different.

I was doing an archeological dig through some old computer files and found the following gem that I wrote about ten years ago in an obvious moment of bored insanity when I was trying to get a better understanding of the universe.  It was written, saved and filed.  Never saw the light of day.  Hope that it doesn't offend too many people.

A PARABLE

 

Once upon a time, North America was inhabited by red skinned people who worshiped Mother Earth.  They killed their enemies and kidnapped their women, but they were environmentally friendly, so that was good.

 

Then white skinned people came and they worshipped God and Jesus Christ.  They bred like rabbits and took over the land.  They killed some of the red skinned people and chased the rest into refugee camps called Reserves.  They raped the women and sent the children to residential schools so that the Heathens could become Christians.  They also kidnapped and enslaved black skinned people and raped their women too.  All this they did in the name of their God and it was good.

 

Next came the brown skinned people and they worshipped the same God, but they didn’t think much of the man who could walk on water.  They had their own guy named Mohammad.  They too bred like rabbits and eventually took over the land.  They gave the Infidels the choice of converting to Islam or be killed.  They enslaved the women too since they had perfected this art centuries before.  They did all this in the name of their God and it was good.

 

In another part of the world lived the yellow skinned people and they worshipped Money.  They didn’t need to breed like rabbits since they already had an overwhelming population.  They just sat back and collected the world’s money which was sent to them from Dollar Stores.  And it was good.

 

Eventually, the Jews, Christians and Muslims, who all worshipped the same God, decided to duke it out to see who would be supreme.  So they started a nuclear war.  And the yellow skinned people became angry that their money supply was drying up so they joined in and it became a nuclear holocaust and mankind was eliminated, except for a handful of computer geeks who went to live on Mars.  But they each thought they were God and in their arrogance forgot to take along women.  And so they could not breed like rabbits and they too perished.

 

And it was Karma.  And it was good.  And the insects and the worms rejoiced.

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I'll try to be a better person tomorrow.  Stay well.

Employment Record

Definitely glad we came home yesterday after reading that people were shoveling snow on the 401!

Got a response from Wayne to one of my recent posts:

I often wondered what you were digging for out in your backyard, now after all these years the mystery is solved! I actually thought you were looking for buried treasure but Mr.Shuker came along and spoiled all that.

Wayne.

Mr. Shuker was the plumber who oversaw the septic project.

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To follow-up on my history project:

I got my first job when I was 12.  Bar-Don Lanes opened that year and I set pins four nights a week until I turned 17.  Did my homework in between bowlers.

After my dad died, the owner of the lanes, Wilf Barlow, became my surrogate father, as he was for several of the guys my age who had lost their fathers.  And he eventually invited some of us to join the Stoney Creek Optimist Club, where he was known as "Mr. Optimist".

In High School I added another job, helping the caretaker to clean the class rooms after school, five days a week.  Then home for a quick bite and on to the bowling alley.

And then I was recruited, by the student who had the job but was moving on, to work Friday nights and Saturdays at Clayton's Men's wear.  By now it's probably becoming clear why I never had the time or the interest to learn to cook!  And why I lost contact with Wayne.

The summer after my dad died I worked at Dofasco.  They closed their eyes to me being underage and gave me a job carrying maintenance requisitions around the plant to get Superintendent's signatures.  I did that job for two summers.

When I finished grade twelve, mom asked me to quit school and get a full time job (she obviously didn't ask me to learn how to cook).  I had a sister who was 10 when my dad died, a brother who was two, and a sister who was born four months after his death.  Mom was not a very confident person, had lost the love of her life, and was five months pregnant at the time.  I don't know how she held it all together!  The social safety net was non-existent in those days and mom needed money to support all of us.  And I had become a pseudo dad to my younger siblings.

So, I turned my part-time job at the men's wear store into full time.

A year later, the owner of the store, who had a pilot's license, got a job flying supplies into the north where Canada was building the Distant Early Warning System.  I was too young and inexperienced to run the store so he asked me to help an older man get up to speed.  He also advised that he couldn't afford to keep both of us on, so I was to be finished in three months.

I was offered employment by the owner of Lee's Hardware and by the Manager of the Royal Bank, but decided to go with the Dofasco family instead and got a night job in the Time Office.  

So, for three months I worked at the store during the day and at Dofasco at night.  My weight dropped 15 pounds in that time, but I was getting rich!  Making $35 a week at the store and $43 a week at Dofasco.  Mom was relieved.

My Dofasco time will come in a future instalment of the blog.  To be continued......

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Stay well.

Childhood Memories

 We're home from our Ottawa "staycation".  Other than the strip of 401 north of Toronto where all the idiot drivers live, the trip both ways was great.  Sunny, dry and relaxed.  Our timing was good - a major snow event is scheduled for tomorrow.

However, I must say that after two days where the high was -20 C, it's nice to be home at -2C and parked in the underground garage.

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After seeing Rowan I have changed my "50 Things To Do" list.  It now starts as follows:

1 - Stay alive for several more years.

2 - Be nice to Mardi - or else!

3 - When Rowan is big enough to participate, spend a day with her at Legoland in Florida.

Legoland is on the beautiful site of the former Cypress Gardens, it's designed especially for young kids, and the cost is a fraction of a Disney park.  Can't wait!

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Sister Judy is apparently uploading some of my childhood memories to a geneology site.  Don't know what the historians are going to think about that, but here is instalment two of my early history:

We moved to Fruitland when I was six, and that's when my memories started.  Wayne (oakennoggin) Hilts was my next door neighbour.  He was four and we became best friends.

Wayne's uncle Jud had a farm on the plateau, about a kilometre as the crow flies from our houses.  Often in the summer we would take off for the day, hike through the bush, orchards and graperies to the farm and then head on up DeWitt Road to make sure the natural gas flame was lit, activities that today's kids that age wouldn't be allowed to do.

We built a fort on the escarpment face and watched the Harvard trainers flying overhead, operated by young men heading to war.  We fantasized about finding German or Japanese soldiers (or them finding us).  Great times for young kids.

We also played baseball on a local diamond.  Twenty-one and In, just the two of us.  For hours.

Wayne's family was the first in the neighbourhood to have a TV and my dad and I were invited over on Saturday nights to watch the hockey game.  Wayne and I would watch a show that started a half hour before the game and overlapped another half hour.  If our dads were busy talking we sometimes got to watch the whole show.

We were both Glenn Miller fans and one night a week we would listen on the radio to a station from Fort Wayne, Indiana to hear their Miller recordings.

Being older, I went to high school before Wayne and started working part-time, so we drifted apart a bit and then he moved away.  But we reconnected in recent years and have visited each other.  Wayne lives in Sidney, B.C.

To be continued...............

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So far, we have cancelled our week in New Orleans and the first two weeks of our Florida booking.  But, the next week (Jan. 22-29) we have sold to a Canadian who is presently in Florida on his first vacation after retirement.

We're kind of determined to head south for the booking that starts on the 29th.  But, if not, he may get more weeks.  We'll see.

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I think of Novak Djokovic and wonder what's going through his feeble mind now that he can't play in the Australian Open.  Do you think he might have second thoughts?  Looks good on him though.

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Stay well.

Rowan

 We had an extraordinary day today!  I'm going to bore you all with pictures.

The star of the show!

Four generations.

Great Grands.

Lined up as we were in one of their wedding pictures, with an addition.

When you grow up in a happy home life is good.

Thank you to Barbara, Jo-Ann, Kayt, Yancy and Rowan for an awesome weekend!

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At one time during the day, I thought that Yancy should consider calling the police - Rowan was resisting a rest.  😍😍😍

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Stay well.

Ottawa Visit

I'd like to share this one.   

Blame Wayne.

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It was a nice sunny day for the drive to Ottawa.  Made it with no issues.  But as I write this it is -20C and heading lower.  Hope the van starts tomorrow.

We had a wonderful visit with the girls.  Cards, dinner and then more cards.

At one point, teammates Barbara and Mardi both were trying for a canasta in aces instead of cooperating with one.  When they noticed it Barbara made the profound statement "One of us did this".  Jo-Ann started laughing, and when I asked "Are you sure?" she completely collapsed.  In the picture below she has just finished drying her tears.

A typical night with my daughters.  Full of laughs.  A wonderful evening, the first in a too long a time.

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Mardi tells me that instead of talking about her all the time I should document some of my history for my grandkids (I think she wants them to have a better understanding of why I'm so screwed up).  So here goes issue one, which I'm guessing none of my readers, and certainly not my grandkids will be able to relate to.

From age six, when my memories start, until age fifteen we did not have indoor plumbing.  It was outhouse during the day and chamber pot at night.

When I was about 12, my dad built a garage onto the side of the house, and built an indoor outhouse there, with a pail that had to be emptied regularly.  My job was to dig the holes in the backyard and empty the pail.

Dad died two months before my 15th birthday.  His friends donated and installed the septic system for us shortly later.  Given a choice of those two events, I would still gladly empty the pails.

Sorry.  My future stories will hopefully get better!  To be continued.......

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Stay well.

Getting Out

 Mardi is feeling somewhat better - that's two days in a row!  

It could have been much worse - did you know that when you get a bladder infection urine real trouble?

Blame Steve.

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Stopped by the greenhouse today to pick up some Covid rapid tests from David before we head to Ottawa.  Mardi and I will be having dinner with Barbara and Jo-Ann Friday night and their health is compromised.   And on Saturday we'll be enjoying the company of baby Rowan, Kayt and Yancy as well.  Really looking forward to our first holiday in a long time!

While I was at the greenhouse, David was getting ready to flood the rink.

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The Queen has stripped Andrew of his Royal title and patronage appointments.  What took her so long?  I guess she was hoping that he would somehow squirm out of his problem and the world would just move on.

Now if only we could figure out a way to dump Charlie.

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Had a wonderful visit with Matt and Maureen for dinner and cards.  Another first in a long time!

Great friends.  Hope somehow we can all get to Florida for part of this winter.

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Take care.  Stay well.

Desperate

 Yesterday was not a good one for Mardi.  In contrast, today has been just fine!  It's the first time she's sounded positive in three weeks.  Let's hope that today's situation continues!

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Other than news about Mardi's health I didn't have much to talk about today in the blog.  So, in desperation I agreed to meet with Al Knapp in the Gage Park parking lot to have a coffee.  Yeah, I was really desperate!  Ron King can empathize I'm sure. 

OK, so Mardi and I met Al and Liz so that I could loan Al my Fishguts CD.  He loaned me a book in return and bought the coffee. Mardi took some of her fabulous date squares to share as well.

Someday, when Covid is over, we'll have to stop meeting like this.

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Unfortunately, I can't start to read Al's book just yet.  I'm in the middle of a book on anti-gravity and I can't put it down.

Thanks to Steve and Steamer for that one!

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Stay well.

Ho Hum

 Today's birthday wishes go out to Mardi's brother, Greg Lougheed.  All the best!

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Mardi was somewhat improved today.  Not a lot of energy but in good humour.  She let me win a hand at cards.

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Stay well.

Tests, Etc.

 We're going to want to be tested for Covid before we see my great granddaughter this weekend.  Mardi found an excellent test on Facebook.

You open a can of beer, smell it and taste it.  If you can smell and taste you don't have Covid. 

A word of warning:  if you take the test too many times you may end up with a headache and think you've got Covid - and need more tests.

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In another moment of sheer boredom, I got out the squeezebox again today.  My fingers seem drawn to Newfie songs, like Salt Water Joy, The Song of Newfoundland, and Peggy Gordon.

But I also played what, to my mind, is one of the most moving and haunting songs ever written; Ashokan Farewell, the theme song used in Ken Burns' Civil War series.  After I finished on the accordion, I played several versions of Jay Unger's masterpiece on the computer.  It sounds much better on a violin.  Awesome music!  

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We've gone back to online grocery shopping for our weekly supplies.  Once again at WalMart.

Place your order online, be given a time slot, show up and phone to let them know where you are parked, i.e. #7.  And, five minutes later you're on your way.  Easy breezy.  And they pick out good stuff.

Don't know if you folks saw the CBC Marketplace show about how Loblaws and Costco don't give you the in-store special prices and there are extra markups on a lot of items (if you opt for delivery).  But WalMart does give us the special pricing and no extra fees.  Total convenience, and no impulse buying.

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Mardi took another half step back today.  No energy at all.

Makes me go back to our theory that she has had Covid.  Mardi flew home from Florida in mid March 2020.  I stayed on for a few days before we guys scrubbed our planned golf stay.  During the time that she was isolating, Mardi had a cough for a couple of days, and then lost her sense of taste for about a year - everything tasted like copper.

Then, today I read that other symptoms of "long haul" Covid that may occur are shingles and fatigue!  Damn!

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Keep up the good fight.  Stay well.

She Got Out!

 When you hear that vaccinated people are being hospitalized with Covid you may start to wonder "why bother getting vaccinated?".  But the numbers are misleading.

For example 248 unvaccinated people in ICU's and 137 vaccinated people there too.  Sounds bad, but consider that about 4 out of 5 people are vaccinated.  If you work the percentages out, unvaccinated people are seven times more likely to end up in the ICU.  That's pretty good odds for getting vaccinated!

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Love the Australians!  Novak Djokovic is still languishing in the detention hotel, eating gruel.  Looks good on him.  His case will be heard tomorrow.

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Finally got Mardi outside today.  We took the Christmas decorations to her office for storage, picked up our small suitcases, and got Mardi a new case for her cell phone.

While we were out I cooked up some Wendy's chili for lunch😀.

With Mardi on the mend we were able to make plans to visit my new great granddaughter in Ottawa this coming weekend.  Can't wait!

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Stay well.

Going Nuts

 To follow up on yesterday, there are two reasons that I am pursuing the garden centre bench project.  First, I would like to have a prototype completed in case we are able to get away to Florida.  Then, when we return I could start to build however many David needs, without floundering around.

Second reason is to preserve what remains of my sanity.  If I don't have a project of some kind on my agenda I'll go completely nuts.  

And my nursing Mardi project appears, thankfully, to be nearing completion.  Nevertheless, she hasn't been away from our building since before Christmas and doesn't feel up to it today.  That's the next milestone we have to achieve.

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Another sign of what the unvaccinated are causing: a call in Ottawa for paramedics needed to be filled by an ambulance from Gananoque - two hours away.  The Ottawa ambulances were all tied up.

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Spent some time today taking down and putting away the Christmas tree and decorations.  Well, I took the wreath off the door and replaced the door knocker.  Mardi did most of the rest.

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Visited Peavey Mart as planned.  Found some options for the deck.  I'll review with David on Monday.

On the way out for that trip, I experienced one of the joys of living in an apartment.  Elevator limit remains one household at a time.  So, after four elevators showed up with other people aboard (about a ten minute wait) I decided to use the stairs.  But that requires going from the 4th floor to the 2nd via one set of stairs.  Then you have to exit and take the fancy stairs down to the lobby.  Then a third stairway to the parking garage.  Mardi loves this place - but it does have some drawbacks.

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Stay well.

Same Old, Same Old

 Nothing new to report.  Stay well.

A Foggy Day

 Canada has now had 30,452 deaths, and counting, from Covid.  The U.S. has roughly 10 times our population so you'd think that they should have 10 times our death count, around 300,000.  Instead, they have buried 853,452 victims, or 28 times as many as Canada.

As a result, we now live, on average, 5 years longer than the average American, i.e. 83 years versus 78.  Used to be 4 years longer, based on our better health system, but their response to Covid has cost them another year of life.

Their current average daily death rate is above 1,500 per day.  If this continues they'll add another half a million deaths in 2022 and further widen the longevity gap.

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Meanwhile, some positive news items for today:

- idiot tennis star Novak Djokovic was denied entry to Australia due to visa/vaccination issues.

- idiot folks from Canada who partied and vaped aboard a Sunwing charter flight to Mexico are not welcome on any flight home.  And some of them have contracted Covid.  Hope they enjoy their extended stay.  They'll likely be facing significant fines when they finally get back.

- after a slow start, I ended up winning the first Skip-Bo game of the year.  And I don't feel the least bit guilty about beating a foggy-minded invalid.

- said foggy-minded invalid had a much better day today.  Almost human once again😏.

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Stay well.

Progress

 Today's birthday wishes go to granddaughter Anna.  At age 26, she and her business partner in Germany have incorporated a company that designs computer games.  They  now have several employees and the company is doing really well.

Congratulations and best wishes Anna!  And good luck in your house hunt.

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Mardi has progressed from a) excruciating pain, to b) our definition of discomfort, i.e. pain you can live with, to c) the general definition of discomfort, i.e. physical uneasiness.  We're getting there!

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Cancelled the first two weeks of our planned Florida stay this morning.  We're still hopeful that we'll be able to head south by the end of the month though, in which case we'll need to be creative regarding travel insurance.

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Stay well.

Another Day

 Having found the Fishguts CD for Al, I read the cover sheet and thought it might be interesting to some of you.

Big Fishguts Debut

- Dedicated to the pursuit of good fun, good fishing and a little music along the way -

The purpose of recording this CD was to capture the essence of The Fishguts for posterity, so that future generations (children, grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren) will have a sense of part of their ancestry and possibly come to some understanding of why they're so screwed up!!

The band started to form in the late summer, early fall of 1999 from a common bond of friendship, fishing, laughter and music.

The inspiration for this CD was Wilf Craig (Bud & Roger's father) who recorded 78's with the Dofascoaires and Dofasco Humdingers in the late 40's, early 50's, which have been preserved through the years for future generations to hear.  Ridin' Down the Canyon, recorded by the Fishguts was one of those songs.

The Fishguts have no pretensions of who they are......, so sit back, put your feet up and hopefully enjoy The Big Fishguts Debut cause it's As Good as its Gonna Get..............

Yes, that was our BFD.

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Sometime during a sleepless night of discomfort, Mardi headed out to the living room.  When I got up at 8 a.m. she was sleeping on the recliner and didn't wake up until 11:15, in time to wave to Gary and Jill from the balcony as they delivered a Shepherd's Pie (they must think that I can't cook!).

Baked with love!  Angels of Mercy they are.  Nurse Dorsal says thanks!

We've also enjoyed a fruit "tree" from Maureen and Matt.

Please note:  We are not pleading for more stuff.  We're living with enough guilt already.  Mardi will get better.

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Escaped for an hour to visit the greenhouse.  The fresh air was a treat.

Kent and Donna are planting Geranium cuttings and have that under control, while David and the twins straighten the Easter Lilys.

Lifting and replacing the trays requires a lot of bending and twisting, so I'll leave that to the experts.  My next project, apparently, will be to build some more outdoor benches for the garden centre.

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Looks like we're in for a raging epidemic and many of us may end up infected.  Stay well if you can.  If not, please have a mild case.

Fishguts

 Some of you may be wondering what the "Fishguts" reference was all about yesterday.  It started years ago on a fishing trip when we all took our instruments along and made music by the campfire.  Brother Roger came up with the name of the group and we played together for several years.  Even cut a CD!

This picture was taken during a greenhouse "practix".  That's Roger on the left, Barry (he with the great voice) in the middle, Ed and Maurice.  

As the years went by, our get-togethers gradually had more chat and less music.  Then, Covid and some misunderstandings shut us down entirely.  

Yes Barry, those were fun times.

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Mardi took two steps forward on the weekend, but one step back today.  She's sleeping better, but still has jolts of pain.

So, the nurse will put off the greenhouse visit until tomorrow (but I did  make it to the LCBO - priorities you know!).

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The new round of Ontario closures includes theatres, at least until January 17.  We've got tickets to Theatre Aquarius for January 21.  We'll have to see what happens next.

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Stay positive.  Stay well.

Salt Water Joys

 So, it's starting.  An Alberta hospital has withdrawn maternity services due to a lack of staffing.  Root cause?  Unvaccinated assholes filling up the spaces and infecting staff (or stupid unvaccinated staff).

Why turn away pregnant women?  Why not sacrifice the anti-vaxxers?

If a wife or newborn child dies because of this, wouldn't that be manslaughter?  If only there was a way to deliver justice to the perpetrators.

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Mardi is moving better today.  It's been a real grind for her.  Hopefully, we're nearing the end of her ordeal.  She's back to being almost human 😍.

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Being my masochistic self, it's time to post the Skip-Bo results for 2021.  Somehow (maybe skill?) Mardi beat me 26 games to 14.  That's two years in a row that I've come up on the short end.

She's prepared to move on to a different game, but I'm too stubborn to give up.

And yes, so far I'm losing our first game of 2022😓.

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With Mardi feeling better and having less need for a nurse, I needed to find something else to do.  Decided to get the accordion (which is about 75 years old) out and touch the keys.  Haven't done that in about two years.

Interestingly, although I had no tune in mind, all of a sudden I started to play "Salt Water Joys", a song I had not even thought about for those two years.  The unconscious mind is an interesting and complex mechanism!

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Tomorrow, if Mardi continues to improve I'll drop by the greenhouse to see what's cooking.  Need to make a stop at the LCBO too - it's been a long weekend!

Stay well.

Polar Bears

 Today's birthday wishes go out to Mardi's New Year's baby.  Happy birthday Greg.

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Spent the day once again watching my love wince and groan from her ailment.

Instead, Monica thought that I should have gone for a dip today:

"Bud, in one of your blogs you said you were bored and lonely yet I didn’t see you down at the lake for the polar bear swim today! I am sure Mardi would gladly have left her sick bed to help you dress!!
Happy New Year!!"

What the hell, I could probably match that guy!

Monica, I promise to do a polar bear swim when climate change brings the January 1 water temperature in Lake Ontario up to 80F.

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Mardi spent part of the day awake, but she's still bent over in pain at times.  Hopefully, we'll see more improvement in the next couple of days.

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Stay well.