At home with The SAGES

30 Mar 16
14:00 hrs.

     Day 1
     The drive over to the mainland was routed through Horseshoe Bay as the earliest sailing through Tsawassenn wasn't until after 10:00 hrs and the thought of waiting until mid day before hitting The Lower Mainland would have placed too much traffic on the roads for my liking. The drive through the Coq was uneventful except for the idiots driving white cars with no lights on in the fog. Not good.

     Day 3.5
     The construction is now over. New deck boards have been installed, two sets of new steps have been built and new stepping stones were placed (and later adjusted to a Sage's wishes). For a bonus, four new solar lights, identical to those found at the Wayward Inn were mounted in the yard. The only thing left is for an anti critter barrier to be positioned on the lower portion of the deck.

     The growlies have been great as Mom likes cooking for her Sonny Boy. Mind you Chef Blaine did prepare a meal last night. Tonight Second Sister and Two-Bob are coming over for a roast beast dinner.  I can smell it cooking in the kitchen as I write this now. On Friday we're over to Unky Bob's for meat on the Flame Pit. 

     There have been some significant changes around the Old Hometown. A new Wally World with accompanying shops around it. New houses are cropping up faster than dandelions on a playground. My old Jr. High has expanded out to cover what used to be the parking lot and according to the signage it's also a french immersion school. Which is funny to think that when I attended that school french may have been taught there but since the October Crisis was less than a decade old the Western Collective was decidedly anti-Francophone.

Day 5
12:50 hrs.

     Emergency!
     The Schnauz tore a nail and was whisked to the vet. It's all good. The situation was rectified and the paw will be bandaged for several more days.

     While away from the Wayward Inn, my Lobster took the Oma and the Couch Monkeys to the Hub City to accomplish several tasks. Shoe shopping, book shopping and most importantly Loin Fruit #1 had an interview with VIU for the upcoming fall semester. We are all hopeful that he is accepted to start his chosen career path.

     I was able to touch base with a dear friend here in the Interior. He lives on the Island and suddenly pops up here. A quick coffee and then he was off. His agenda far more pressing than mine but we'll catch up some in the future. Maybe at the Wayward Inn. One never knows.

Day 6
09:25 hrs.

     I have been on the road since 04:30 hrs. and now the cacaphony of screaming shit hawks is assaulting my ears. I must be in Tsawassenn.  Hundreds of vehicles all lined up waiting to go to the Big Rock on the Left Coast.  What was it the band the Police said about "Packed like lemmings in shiny metal boxes". It's been too long since I've heard that song. (You can send me a post if you know what it is, Dear Reader. But I doubt if you will.) I took the Coq again. Another mind numbing float down the expressway at 120 kmh.  The only real excitement ways going over the remains of something large red and greasy in the left lane while eyeballing some pickup truck pulled over on the right.  As I went by their four ways went on. Well at that speed there was no stopping to if they needed help but I did call emergency services after I pulled over closer to Merritt.

     The Sage's weren't even up when I snuck out of the house. Probably still slumbering in the burger and tater salad induced coma brought about by the feed we all enjoyed at Unky Bob's. His Better Half laid on a bowl of tater Salas so large I was waiting for Richard Dreyfus to pop out and sculpt a mountain out of it. (Bonus points Dear Reader, if you can name the movie that scene was featured in. Again, I doubt if you with text me back.)

     I have no need to indulge on any growlies while sailing on the HMBC BATEAU as I still have one of two pastrami samiches created in the Sage's kitchen. We have been feeding on pastrami for a week as the senior Sage purchased 1.2 kg of the deli meat at the start of my visit. After pastrami samiches, subs and reubens there is still 200 g left in their ice box. As much as I love pastrami, it will be a month or more before I will look to have it again.

     Yes, it's back to the Wayward Inn where I will more than likely be firing up the Flame Pit to roast some pig parts for the rest of the Clan.  Tomorrow it's off to see the Travelling Relatives where a beef bourganion awaits. And then on the Monday,  I'll be back patrolling for dogs. Which is unlike going to the Five and Dive where one would Troll for Dogs.

Visitors and Visiting

24 Mar 16
07:40 hrs

     In a months time the Ohio Bigfoot Conference will be taking place. Unfortunately, yours truly is unable to attend. But, I did send several copies of "Wood Knocks and Tossed Rocks" to be drawn as door prizes in the hope that it will increase my circulation and sales. I did present copies (I had copies delivered on my behalf) to the entire Finding Bigfoot team in the hope that the Head MFWIC would place it on the BFRO website. No joy there. The end result was the entire book portion was removed from the website. Quite obviously someone doesn't like playing with others.

     The Oma has arrived!
     Originally, it was to be a planned trip for her and Opa but then it was suddenly decided by a Higher Authority that he wasn't going to play any more. Although the trip was long, Oma did quite well. And now she will be feasting on Chef Blaine's offerings from the Flame Pit.

     Speaking of visiting places...yours truly will be off in the next few days to visit the Sages. Li'l Sis will not be joining me from her place in Cow Town as she's going to visit them in April, just in time for a 75th Birthday celebration. My journey will not be a long the usual path of Duke Point to Tsawassenn. That particular BC FERRIES bateau is not sailing until 10:00 hrs. Too late for my taste. So, I am being forced to take the Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay route. Yes, it is a quicker crossing into Vancouver but I will have to traverse the city, including the toll bridge, which will actually take more time to get to a potential refuel point, say Chilliwack, than if I had taken the more southern route. I would also expend more fuel by having to deal with all of the stop lights. The only saving grace is that being O-Dark 30 there will be fewer travellers on the road.

     The warmer weather has boosted the construction around town. The new Crappy Tire location - the old Target/Zellers - is really moving along. It looks like up to ten vehicle bays including a RV bay. There is also an elevated platform at the front of the building. This will move all of the customer parking back into the parking lot. It appears to be ramped so handicapped drivers and passengers can be dropped off. There is also a permanent garden centre going in. I can't imagine what else it could be.

26 Mar 16
07:30 hrs.

     Keeping with the theme, my Better Half's Travelling Relatives will be joining us for Easter dinner. On the menu is a Costco pre-sliced ham, cruciferous vegetables, Shwartzies Hash browns,  glazed carrots, a salad and cheese bites. Chef Blaine and his Sous Minions will have their work cut out for them. But it will be sooooo good.

     I think once I get to the Interior I will gave the opportunity to look up some school daze chums. Some I haven't seen since I was in the RM RANGERS. Now, that's a long time ago.

     Speaking of passings, another friend of ours has passed. She was a bit of a philanthropist and an active member of her church. Kind to animals and kids. But in the end her frailty and mental health issues finally caught up to her. She will be missed.

    

Are you one of THOSE guys?

13 Mar 16
10:45 hrs.

     Are you the kind of person who wakes early, makes a pot of coffee and then stands guard so others can get their rest? This is often more evident when you are Out In The Weeds and you wake up to find a secure camp and hot coffee.

     Are you the person who preps some of the basics the night before (lunches, coffee machine, etc)?

     Are you the person who never gets sick and who maintains the flow in the house as everyone else withers around you?

     If so, why are you the one?

     No, seriously. Ask yourself, why are you the one? Is it because you ate dirt as a kid? That happens to be my most logical standby explanation as to why I don't get sick. Is it because of any previous life experiences or career training that drives you to watch over those in your care - health, safety, security? I have a military background and then there is my own upbringing that provides a basis for this behaviour as well.

     With all that you do, with the majority of it done quietly behind the scenes, I am sure that you do not want any recognition other than a "Thank You". If you are looking for a public celebration of your quiet dedication then you are that GUY!!!

      Are you paying attention to the growing list of performers for the Comox Valley Musicfest  2016? Well, you should be. The list of oustanding performers is growing. Not to mention the numerous eclectic musicians and multitude of granola folks from across the Left Coast who will pony up the fees to attend the festival. It will be well worth the admission to just go and people watch.

14 Mar 16
08:30 hrs.

     I am sure that a large number of you, my Dear Readers,  subscribe to Facebook and I don't know if it irks you but it really pissed me of when people posting messages blatantly display their inability to spell. Now, I am not talking about a misplaced comma or the over use of contractions as on Twitter,  due to the shortness of ur mssgs. I am talking about pure uneducated ignorance with no thought toward those who are trying to read the posts. I'm talking about grammar so bad that the autocorrect function would have a frickin meltdown trying to fix all the mistakes and you know you can't even attempt to help these people because they'll only get indignant about it. I ask that if you cannot read or comprehend any of my posts to please drop me a line so I can fix them.

     It is a gorgeous day here in the Valley.  The sun is shining. The snow on the mountains is positively glowing. There is none of the white shit down on the valley floor which is a good thing. In fact, any stuff that did fall was turned to slush in a very short time. Good. Shovelling snow is over rated.

     I noted that my friend the Big Swede is organizing the 2016 BFRO EXPEDITION. It will be in September this year which already promises to be a hell of a lot drier than it was last year. Of course, the location will be held as SQUIRREL SECRET until the week before the outing. Even yours truly will not be apprised of the base camp and even then I will only be told if I will be attending the event. I do know that it will be deep in The Weeds as a notation for the expedition states 4x4 is required and no (travel) trailers allowed. Good. It'll keep out the weenies and whiners.

Life continues to March Along

06 Mar 16
08:35 hrs.

     Two months have slipped passed since  New Years Eve and have you recovered from it yet? Leading sociologists say it takes two or three months to recover from our Holiday indulgences. Some of us may take longer than others.

     With the passing of a Brother in Arms, I contacted a number of individuals and we gathered at the Griffon Pub to raise a glass or two ...or three in his memory. It will be some time before I will be able to accept his passing. And if I haven't mentioned it, this has really struck me hard and the realization is I will probably be a total basket case when my immediate family members pass.

     Now, time for some Valley Updates.

     The Bridge Night Club has been in receivership for sometime now. Not that I would have noticed. It was renovated, re-vamped and re-branded about ten years ago. At that time it had been called Jiggers, which is a pretty good name for a bar and before that it was called the 5th Avenue Club (due it's physical location on 5th Ave.). That's the name I knew it as back when I was first stationed here in The Valley.

     The 5th Ave. had another name too. Unofficially, it was called the Five and Dive where the motto was Go Ugly ...Early! With the realization that if you couldn't get it at the 5th you couldn't get it anywhere the 5th was a stalking ground for all of life's pleasures. The washrooms were down a steep flight of stairs and the urinals were filled with ice to keep down the smell (and because the patrons would probably eat the deodorant puck). Coming back upstairs you had to be careful because there was always a lunatic at the bar waiting to throw a glass or a bottle down the stairs. It was mostly canned music. Loverboy,  Trooper, The Cars, Joan Jett, etc. Sometimes there was a band. Nothing big mind you as this was the Valley. It was a happening place that's for sure. There was even a series of wet t-shirt contests in the summer. Always a crowd pleaser for guys and gals.

09 Mar 16
06:50 hrs.

     One of my Loin Fruits informed me that there would be up to 100 mm of precipitation falling today. I doubt it. Sure the sky looks dark but 100 mm is a lot of rain.

15:30 hrs

     I'm waiting to pick the Yard Apes from school. It is is pissing rain. I guess I'm going to be wrong. It sure looks like there will be more than 100 mm and with 90 km plus winds it doesn't take long for a person to get soaked. Shitty day to be out on the streets. Which reminds me...so the City of Courtenay has bought The Bridge nightclub and is probably going to put up a stupid bicycle / pedestrian bridge at the cost of half a gazillion dollars. Why not skip the bridge and build some proper housing for the local street people. They need to be inside and not under a bridge like some troll. For God's sake treat these people with some dignity - they've been through enough shit in their lives. Give them some security - a room (even if it's temporary) that they can lock. Feed them, clean them, warm them, nurture them and protect them. It's called doing the right thing. Failure to do so makes you an ASSHOLE!!!