A huge wrap up!

22 Aug 16
08:50 hrs

     Well Dear Readers it has been quite a while. I should have jumped on this sooner but I doubt that you would have been reading my posts as there was so much media focused on the 2016 Rio-stats.

     Did you like the Olympics? All the hype?  The social contrast between the haves and those who live in Rio? How in the hell did Rio ever get the games in the first place? Did the IOC have its palm out while it's collective head was up its ass? I think so. There was supposed to be six water treatment plants built to handle the sewage dumping into the bay. One was built and was only working at half capacity. So, where did the rest of the monies go and now that the games are over will the other plants be built? Probably not. But it's okay they strung chain link fencing across the creeks and rivers to keep the trash from washing down stream. It doesn't stop faeces or urine or pesticides.

23 Aug 16
07:30 hrs.

     My Lobster and Loin Fruit #2 are away from the Wayward Inn leaving myself and the Senior Couch Monkey to fend for ourselves.  It's not a hardship and there hasn't been a lot of veggies either. The preparations for his departure to university continues. Both my Better Half and I are very proud of him wish him all the best. We both know that he will excel in his new endeavor. He is a smart lad.

    
     Have you been following the insanity South of the 49th? American politics are so vicious! And with the presidency being the greatest prize in the land it's no wonder the contest is a dirty backstabbing poisonous slugfest. Do you know how much is spent to win the seat?

     A BILLION DOLLARS!

     That's right. A billion clams. And that's just from one candidate. Totally it all up and you could purchase a small country for what you are spending. Well, actually you're buying a large country aren't you?

    
     The Valley is still growing. New houses are still cropping up like mushrooms. There is a development just past Costco. Another unlikely place but houses are being built everywhere but the noise from the commercial enterprise in the area would preclude me from living there. But some people will put up with anything. There is a development that was started a number of years ago. It never really took off despite being under the northern approach to Runway 30. I don't know why. Oh you can drive in and check it out. It's the first right past the Griffon Pub. A couple of houses and many empty lots which are probably going for cheap.

     The new hospital is well on its way. It's supposed to be up and running in about a year from now. There is also supposed to be a medical clinic built but I haven't seen the start of it. The new bridge over the Tsolum River has been finally started. The land at the north west corner of Headquarters and Piercy Rd is being cleared and the corridor to the Tsolum is being logged off. It's supposed to be done the same time as the hospital. Time will tell. The CVRD office is also scheduled to move to a location downtown by the school board office. Stay posted.

     I'm supposed be going to Rib Fest in mid September.  Rumour has it that the food is rather expensive. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 or more for a half rack of ribs. You can buy two full racks of baby backs at Costco for that price. Question is, can you cook them right? Chef Blaine can. It's debatable if I'll go.

     Work on my next book is going well. I still have to verify a couple of things for one particular incident. If I can't then I'll have to scrub that or modify the portion of that chapter. It should be good. It chronicles my service career. From basic training through trades training and the units I served in. Specific incidents. Both serious and funny. I'll be looking for an editor. Any takers?

    

    

There is no way I could make this up...

07 Aug 16
12:40 hrs.

     With the Loin Fruits off to work my Lobster and I attended the Comox Valley Garlic Festival north of town. A small venue, cramped parking, a large number of garlic vendors and a couple of food trucks. I really didn't know that there were so many kinds of garlic. Of course, we had to get some for Chef Blaine to try out.

     Now, inside the hall was even more vendors. 40 Knots winery had a table as well as a local distiller flogging garlic infused vodka and a local gin. Amazing!
When we were leaving my Better Half equated the event to the Grady Squash Festival from the movie Doc Hollywood. As an example of how Backwoods this event is I would like you to refer to my previous post where I wrote about Limmer hairs. Inside the hall was a sign saying Denman Island blackberry pies for sale. Either whole or by the slice.Mmm, a blackberry pie sounds pretty yummy. Then I looked at the seller. My Lord! One side of her head was shaved short the other side was long. No big deal. The hairs on her chin was the opposite with the left side trimmed short and the right side was braided long with beads strung on it.

     "Would you like some pie?"

     "Nope." I'm kinda allergic to muskrat whiskers.

    

Friends and Relatives

01 Aug 16
10:30 hrs.

     My attendance at a good friends nuptials required a road trip to the provincial capital. It also allowed me to spend time with my Cuz'n and her Lobster.

     I dropped the two Loin Fruits off at work and headed South for a quick three hour jaunt. My Cuz'n wasn't going to be able to hide as her address was logged into the Garmin. A funny thing happened on the way South. A envelope shaped icon appeared on my display. What the hell was that? I had never seen that before. I pulled over in Ladysmith to consult The Manual. Nope. No mention of an envelope icon. What the hell! And then, on ignition...The Message. You need an oil change. Amazing. A Beast that talks. Will wonders never cease.

     After leaving River City my Cuz'n and her Lobster secured residency in a wonderful two bedroom flat. Quiet neighbourhood. Nice neighbours. Close to work. Two thumbs up from Chef Blaine.

     While staying here my Better Half took out Out of Town guests to Saratoga Speedway to watch the Asphalt Insanity. It just so happens that my other Cuz'n is a owner/driver of one of these Crash to Pass cars. During his race I recieved a text from my Lobster saying that his ride had caught fire. He got out okay but not unscathed. He lost his eyelashes, hands were blistered and his leg scorched. The problem was the rescue response. There wasn't one. Well, not that one that you would call a rescue response. The fire crew was in a bobcat. A BOBCAT! How bloody fast is a bobcat? The EMT vehicle arrived before the fire crew and by then my Cuz'n was already out of the car beating down the flames off his body. Not only that but the fire crew isn't even qualified to fight a fire! What the owners/operators of Saratoga Speedway must do is invest in a truck, be it a Toyota or some other small pickup that can get on site with the appropriate gear and equipment.

       The main event went off without a hitch. Except for the happy couple. I was very impressed. The layout, the venue, the food, the wait staff. Everything was perfect. I was happy to attend and it was great to see my dear friends again.

03 Aug 16
16:00 hrs.

     The Junior Loin Fruit was sitting beside my Better Half and she noted that he had a couple of long scraggly hairs hanging off his face.
     "You have a Limmer hair!"
     "What's a Limmer hair?"
     "Well, the female relatives on my side of your bloodline come from good peasant stock and they have those wire hairs on their chins. They are called Limmer hairs because Oma's maiden name is Limmer. It's kinda like the Holfeld brow ridge."
     That's when I chimed in, "I'm actually surprised with the joining of our families that our kids don't have bolts in their necks!"