It's done!

29 Jun 18
19:45 hrs

     Well Nancy, we're done now!

     That's right!  The Junior Loin Fruit has graduated from high school and he did it with all of his Band of Miscreants. Each of them had made the grade as well. That in itself is pretty amazing there was a chance that one or two would not cross the stage. That was until the rest of them stepped up to make sure they had their ducks in a row. They got it done and they all graduated. My Lobster and I are proud of the whole bunch of them.

     Another project that is almost over is the completion of the Sr. Couch Monkey's bathroom. My Better Half is now doing the painting that and the half bath in the colour known as October Sky. Sounds nice and warm like a pumpkin pie.

     One more completion is my new book, "So, There I was. . . Tales from the Flight Line". My friend, Simon tackled the job of editing the work after my Better Half's Travelling Relatives turned down the job. Simple Simon is a professional contract writer of sorts - at least that's what he told me- and he completed the task with very little prodding. Hopefully, I can get my Lobster to peruse it beforec it goes to be uploaded to Amazon. 

     The weather this summer has not been the best here in the Valley or on the Island. Cool and drizzly which great to cut down on the forest fires but not so great for the beach goers.

30 Jun 18

06:15 hrs 

      My Lobster and I are taking a stand against the Tangerine Tyrant's tariffs. You can participate too by simply checking the origin of the products you are purchasing. You might have you look for options or do with out of some of the things you buy. We are out of pecans and as a matter of course I grabbed a Kirkland bag of pecans. After checking the source the bag went back on the shelf. Everyone has to do their part. If we stick together pressure will be brought to bear and the Tangerine Tyrant will have to cave in. I know that pressure that can apply will not be as great as what China is doing by specifically targeting the products manufactured in pro-Tangerine Tyrant states. But have you seen the new Walmart commercials? They are touting all the Canadian made products that they are carrying. Smart move.

17:00 hrs

     My Lobster and I, plus Elric the Stalwart, Miss Gail and The Sensei and his Better Half, headed to Saratoga Speedway to watch crazy Crash to Pass Boat Race. Pretty insane. On a wetted track, to pass the car in front you have to hit the scow being towed behind it. The winner of the race is the nutbar with the largest piece of boat still attached to the car. In a couple of weeks they are holding a car toss contest using self loading logging trucks. Current record is 75 feet.

01 July 18

     HAPPY CANADA DAY

     Last night Elric the Stalwart asked if we were going to the parade. Sure, why not? It beats sitting around the house picking your nose. He asked what the parade was like and I asked him if he had seen the movie "Doc Hollywood" because the parade here reminds us of the fictitious Squash Festival parade in the movie. Elric the Stalwart has never seen the movie.

     So sad.

          

Close...so Close

23 Jun 18
06:45 hrs

     I have just finished reading a new book.  "Heat" is a biography of the author's journey to learn about food. Specifically Italian food. More specifically, the Italian food that inspired world renowned Italian chef Mario Batali. The author winds up cooking in Batali's restaurant, Babbo, in New York city.  It's an interesting read if ypu like that sort of book, and I do, but I came away from it learning that Chef Mario Batali is an asshole. A rich asshole, but an asshole just the same. I know it's not my place but if I could switch Batali for Bourdain I would in a heartbeat.

     Speaking of assholes, have you seen the shite going on South of the 49th Parallel? How much more twisted shit are the voters going to take before they impeach the Tangerine Tyrant? Over the last couple of weeks his immigration/border policy, which appears to be taken right out of Mein Kampf. Of course the First Immigrant, Melania, is no better with her subtle 'it's not a political message' political message jacket which read "I don't really care. Do U?" that she wore when she went to see the detainee children that had been taken from their parents.

     Do they think the 'Merican public is that  stupid as to think the writing on her coat was not a political statement? Yes, they do. With the right spin, that is. At first, the First Immigrant's spokesperson said that it meant nothing but shortly thereafter the Tangerine Tyrant spoke up and said it was directed at the Fake News in that the First Immigrant does not really care about the Fake News. Let's hope cme November people will not have forgotten how this administration has alienated it constituents and persecuted those in need.

17:45 hrs

     We, my Lobster, The Sr. Loin Fruit and I just got home from a quick trip up to River City. First, we dumped the Jr. Couch Monkey off at his Main Squeeze's grad ceremony and then we booked it up Island. We were on a mission. Puzzle shop, log carving, bubble tea, library and a pub. You can guess which destination was mine. The beach carvings are pretty nice this year. My favorite is a full size replica of Tim the Enchanter. If you don't know who that is you can Google it or you can stop reading my blog. The pub is situated across from the tea shop. The Beach Fire Brewery on 11th Ave. is like a small open warehouse. The chef/owner says they have a lunch menu and an evening menu. While changing from one to the other the have a bar snack type menu - salsa & chips, fresh bread pretzels, bar nuts and a  cheese & meat charcuterie. Our timing sucked and we hit the transition menu. I will have to ensure that I time things better.

    

The End is Nigh

17 Jun 18
05:15 hrs

     Dear Readers, let's begin today's entry by saying Happy Father's Day to all fathers who may be reading this blog. Or to all of you have a father who should be reading this blog. It's a wee bit early to call mine but rest assured I'll give him a shout some time later on in the day. I know that my Lobster probably had plans for all of us to enjoy the day together but the Couch Monkeys threw a wrench into those plans. Mind you we are going out for brunch but afterwards the Junior Loin Fruit wants to ne dropped off to see his Main Squeeze and the Senior Couch Monkey is going to hang out with the Cohort later in the afternoon. That will leave us to our own devices for a few hours. I'll have to think of something to keep us occupied. Cribbage?

     A number of weeks ago the Young Lady, who resides over the fence from the Wayward Inn (she's in the same grad class as our Junior Loin Fruit but they are in much different social circles) threw a party for her friends while The parents were away. The party was fair sized but at least the cops didn't have to show up. In the end, the two day gathering was not authorized and her Parents found out. Subsequently, she was put on a short leash. Obviously, her leash wasn't short enough or maybe she thinks her parents are as dumb as a load of hay because last night her guests were at the house again. They were in the house, in the yard and around the corner of the house enjoying some fine BC HERB. This position put them in plain view from the Wayward Inn. Now,  as long as the house didn't burn down on the noise kept me up at night I didn't care too much. If the BC Ferryman asks me if his No. 1 Daughter had guests over the weekend I'll tell him the truth. I actually wanted to use the infrared video recorder (for use when I am Out in the Weeds) to capture some night time stills and video. The illuminator operates at the 940 nanometer wave length which is pretty much invisible to the human eye. However, my Lobster poo poohed the idea saying that it would be creepy to do so. Hey, I would only be taking pictures of tbe backyard and nothing of the second floor.

     My Better Half's Travelling Relatives came to visit yesterday and they brought morning glory muffins (so good!). We laid out a plethora of antipasto dishes. Cheeses, crisps, olives, meats, spreads and breads. All good. I had three Rickard beers, the Rickards White being one of my favorite summer beers. One of their three daughters is the chef at the Keystone Alley in Stratford Ontario. Check it out on Trip Advisor. If you are able to attend I am jealous already.

     The Junior Loin Fruit was awarded another bursary this past week bringing him up over 2K. That almost covers his entire first year of tuition minus the books of course. He also picked up a Bronze level award (GPA of 3 to 3.49), an award for the top history student in grade 12 and the best senior Improv team member. Congratulations. His graduation is in two weeks. His Main Squeeze graduates this coming week.

16:45 hrs

     Napping is a good thing and I am learning that I do not take enough naps. I always feel guilty about taking a nap. It's as if I'm shirking my duty of not being on guard while others in the household enjoy an hour or two of uninterrupted mid-day slumber. The only place where I could nap without feeling guilty was on the beach in Cuba.

18 Jun 18
05:45 hrs

     We have a tradesman coming to finish off the gyproc in the cheater ensuite.  Bruce is a full cooked Bruce and I wouldn't mess with him. I have the transition piece that has yet to be finished and I have to pick up the base boards. It will be done in short order.

     I now have all the pieces for the project at the Sage's residence. I'll be there after this year's Musicfest. This may be the last one that we attend. My Lobster is a coordinator for the vendors but it's a lot of work. Additionally,  the Head Musicfest Honcho is the sole arbiter of the performing acts. Now, I know that artists have their performances booked sometimes years in advance so there is some difficulty in coordinating appearances. But when the top billing is going to be Arlo Guthrie I'm just about ready to call it quits. In my opinion there are better acts available. There has to be.

     We are watching the new season of Alone. The contestants are in Mongolia. It's tough. Poisonous snakes and wolves and bears. Other than the vipers I still don't think it's as tough as the Left Coast. Time will tell.

Picked up another Stray!

13 Jun 18
06:45 hrs

     Two days ago I was on a routine patrol when I pulled into a rest stop to have lunch, water the horse and stretch my legs. A cyclist with a gear trailer pulled in as well. He was heading north. Always up for a chat I went over to say hi.

     Lanky, that's the name I have given him in keeping with no names and only descriptors, said he was cycling to a far north destination. The problem was the fact that his destination was on the Mainland and not on The Rock. We chatted for a bit. He said he was from the Fatherland and this was only the second time ha had visited the Great White North.  He had been to the Hugh-Ess forty-three times but under the current administration had decided to visit us instead. A wise decision. Lanky asked some pertinent questions about The Rock like distances, touristy things to do and the like. On this particular evening he was tenting at a local campground. I bid him farewell and headed off.

     When I finished my day, I told my Lobster about my chance meeting. Since Lanky had texted me, she suggested I ask him if you would like a quick tour of the Valley. The answer was a resounding yes, so the two of us headed out. We picked him up. Introductions were made and off we went. It was getting late and with the failing light there wasn't much to see except a multitude of roadside bambies that came close to getting smacked by the front of the Ram. We learned that Lanky was staying in the Valley for another day so we invited him for supper at the Wayward Inn.

     Supper was a "make your own pizza" affair. One of our faves. Toppings included pesto, Jesus sauce, various cheeses, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, bacon bits, onions (of course), peppers,  olives and, to my Better Half's disgust, smoked salmon and shrimp. The pizzas turned out great and between Lanky, my Sr. Loin Fruit and myself we consumed two bombers of fine ale.

     After our repast my Lobster took the Jr. Couch Monkey to the dojo while I dropped Lanky off at the cinema to watch Solo (he's a huge Star Wars fan). I then headed to the Orifice to complete some paper work. After the flic was over, I retrieved Lanky and dropped him off back at the campground.

     I know what you are thinking. How can we even entertain the notion of inviting this complete stranger into our home? He could have been some Euro mass murdering psycho seeking refuge in the wilds of the Left Coast. Hmmm...I don't think so. European psycho murderers often prefer to hide in plain site in a large population that offered more targets and having a piss poor police force like Portugal or the Balkan or Surrey.

     Today, Lanky is off on the next leg of his adventure cycling to River City and then farther north. We wish him well and safe travels.

    

Smooth Moves

07 Jun 18
19:55 hrs

     Have you ever known someone who you had looked up to or who you admired because you thought they were so smart and then, many years later, you realize something happened to their smart stuff. It must have leaked out of their head or something because now that person, that mentor, has the mental acuity of a small dirty soap dish. To put it bluntly, he's as smart as a bag of hammers. It's to the point that I might as well argue with a grilled cheese sandwich because the sandwich would know when to quit.

     To make matters worse...it's a relative.

     There have been some alterations made to the Wayward Inn. As some of our guests are elderly getting in and out of a bathtub can be difficult. As we had two bathtubs, and we really only needed one, we had the second one, in the cheater ensuite off of the Sr. Couch Monkey's room, removed and a shower pan installed. Along with the shower pan were new shower doors, a new set of fixtures and a fold down seat. Photos of the project done by a pair of professionals can be seen on the Comox Valley Views Facebook page. Take a look.

     There has been a changing of the guard in the country's most populous province. A FORD is now driving the bus. Let's hope that he doesn't drive it like his brother drove the bus for the Golden Horseshoe. He had gone off the rails and crack'd up. According to today's Globe and Mail, there were confirmed reports of this new FORD's drive-thru hashish sales operation.

     My friend from Over the Hump and I went out and drowned a dozen worms. We brought back our limit of fish. Some fine cutthroat trout. I only kept two and let him take two of mine. They're in the freezer and when I have an opportunity I'll smoke them in my L'il Chief smokehouse.

08 Jun 18
05:55 hrs

     I woke up this morning to the sad news that my favorite celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, was found dead in his hotel room in Paris. The cause is an apparent suicide by hanging. His body was discovered by his friend and Michelin chef, Eric Ripert.

     I know that his loss will be most felt by his family and closest friends and that it is sad that he had to take this route as a solution to his problems. I am sure that it will come out in the wash that he was probably suffering from depression. Looking from the outside you would think, "What the hell has he got to be depressed about?" Celebrity status, popular author, world traveller and an excellent chef. He had written that tv celebrity status comes with a price and the price is the fact that you have sold your soul to your fans and the producers. The drive to entertain your fans is constant and the push from the producers is more so. That each day in the production of a show can and will suck four times the life out of you.

     A friend of mine said that I should not hate him for taking this route. Maybe it was the only way he could remove the pain. With his status seeking clinical help would have ended his tv career but that would have removed the pressures too. 

     I'm angry that he wasn't strong enough to realize that his life was more important than any tv career or any career for that matter. Maybe he was seeking help, I don't know. What I do know that it is an ugly thing. I had a friend who did the very same thing for the very same reasons and he was found by another friend/co-worker. It affected us all. It was preventable. Our crew chiefs knew that he was suffering from depression and had checked into the hospital. The lied to us and said he had injured his back. Two weeks later he was out of the hospital and we were partying. At the end of the evening he went back to his room and ended it. If we had known what was up we would have surrounded him with care and protection. As much as I hated him for his actions I still hate my crew chief for his inaction.

     Here at the Wayward Inn the door is open. Come in. Relax. Take a load off. Laugh at the world. Laugh at yourself.  Enjoy our company and enjoy life.

     Take care of yourself.

Freedom 55

01 Jun 18
23:05 hrs.

     It's late. I'll start writing tomorrow.

02 Jun 18
06:00 hrs

    Yesterday my Lobster, The Junior Loin Fruit and I went to visit the Old Veteran. It was his birthday. Just 93 years young. I've written about him and his Better Half before. He served with tbe British Paras in WWII and had jumped into France to secure a bridge. The battle to take and hold the objective was referred to as the Pegasus Bridge. There is a movie about the battle coming out soon. The Old Veteran served as a consultant for the movie. Unfortunately, his health has declined to the point where I do not think he will be able to hear it and he may not be able to see it. The production has been delayed due to Brexit and if it is delayed any longer he may not be around to see it. If that happens I'll take the Jr. Loin Fruit to see it. He's a history buff and will really appreciate it.

     Seeing the Old Veteran reminds me of my own mortality.  Quite a few years ago the big banks had promoted the notion of retiring at the age of 55. The notion was that by this time your kids should be gone to college or working (not living in your basement), your house should be close to being paid off and you will be retiring with no real debts. Society was starting to change at this time and people were not working 30 years for the same company and then be pensioned off. Freedom 55 was a means to teach people to look ahead and save the funds themselves before they got to 55 years of age.

     In 2018 Freedom 55 is a myth. The kids are living in the basement with the - Nobody likes me and Nobody understands me- syndrome.

03 Jun 18
14:02 hrs

     The latest project at the Wayward Inn is nearly completed. Just waiting for the paint to dry on a stabilizing beam and then it can be bolted into position. When I was employed as an assembler I purchased a Rigid brand impact driver to do the job. Wrote it off on my taxes too. Wouldn't do without it.

     The Jr. Loin Fruit has invited his Main Squeeze over gor supper. We are having a pork loin roast with garlic and Chinese five spice seasoning, baby carrots, beet leaves and dough and roasted beets. I plan on hitting Costco tomorrow and buying a rack of ribs to make for myself. I don't know what anybody else is having. As we have to go to the Jr. Couch Monkey's bursary function I have no idea if the Better Half has made any plans for anything. I really hope that there is no surprises. I'm not really in the mood for any shenanigans.

     I just remembered that the Sr. Couch Monkey is off on Mondays.  I was planning on lazing about. Watch a movie, hit Costco, maybe play some World of Tanks and monitor the ribs as they progress to perfection. Of course, this would require beaucoup de bier. However, with him being home I may have to include him in my activities. Probably not, as he will probably just mushroom like a lot of his generation.

     Which brings me back to Freedom 55. I'm betting on maybe another 10 years and then I want to start spending a lot of time on a Caribbean beach. Now, I just saw a court case in the Hugh-Ess where this elderly couple had their 30 year old unemployed son hanging in their basement. They had to take him to court to get him to move our. The son lost and was given ten days to vacate. He's out. I wouldn't have gone to court I'd just sell the house and down size to something for my Lobster and I. The profits go to the pina colada fund.

     That's ten years for me to finish my books. They'll be on Amazon.