I made it.

21 Jun 21

05:00 hrs

     I'm awake. I shouldn't be but I am. I'm still tired and I should go back to bed but I won't. 

     I'm at the Sage's Place. I got here two days ago having left the Wayward Inn at Oh-Dark-30 for the Left Coast Navy terminal in Hub City. It was an easy drive with sporadic light rain. I checked in for my departure and went to the washroom to get decaffeinated. Beer Flu precautions were adhered to. I boarded the vessel and was parked up against a wall. It was time for a nap. When I woke up I discovered that my left hand hearing aid was missing. I felt around and even managed to squeeze out of the Ram to attempt looking under the seat. Nothing. 

     My next stop was to meet up with Sheldor. He's new to searching for our Big Eight-foot Tall Hairy Friends and he broadcasts a podcast that I had taken part in. I met him at a popular coffee shop which was a mistake. The service was the worst I've ever experienced on the Left Coast. I gave him some prezzies before pressing on to the Sage's. 

22 Jun 21

05:45 hrs

     Yesterday the Elder Sage and I took a quick road trip up the lake to see a mural of my Lobster's favourite singer. We found it and I took a couple of happy snaps. Later in the morning I headed to town to meet a long term friend and former crewmate. Mean Jean was a driving force on the crew. She's a Prairie Girl who works hard, enjoys her drink and calls them as she sees them. God Bless her. 

     I talked to my Lobster last night and she said the heat is expected to climb into the unbearable range at the Wayward Inn. 

25 Jun 21

04:15 hrs

     Every morning I have been awakened by some little bird singing his song just outside my window. It's no wonder why I'm napping by 10. As for the weather...I dont think I can remember heat this bad since I was in El Gorah or maybe The Peg. The entire Left Coast is under a heat dome and all I can say is to stay cool and stay hydrated. 

     I saw yesterday that a coworker's Lobster has now been given the clearance to head home from Pearl City on the mainland at the end of the month. He's been in recovery from a liver transplant. I'm sure everyone wants to see him home safe.

     I made Dragon Eggs for the first time. Now, the Sage's Flame Pit isn't the size of the one at the Wayward Inn but they turned out pretty good. I learned where the deficiency was and I'll correct for it next time. 

     News out of Sa-Hatchewan is the discovery of 715 potential graves at another First Nations Residential School. The shock of what has occurred to these Peoples across the Great White North is only going to get worse as more graves are found. The reaction by the Indigenous population has resulted in the burning of two churches and the removal of the national flag on some treaty lands. The situation has spread to the Hugh-ess where members of the House legislature have called for the investigation of their residential schools.

     And the crowds went wild in la Belle Province when the Habs beat the Kiniggets four games to two. Naturally, fans had to be quelled with tear gas. It could have happened on a worse day as yesterday was St. Jean Baptist Day - the patron saint of that province. In his name celebrations often get out of hand. In fact, in 1987 troops from a francophone TacHel unit station in El Gorah almost caused the removal of Great White North troops from the international peacekeeping force when their party got out of hand. The revelers had been tossing doors and furniture into the bonfire. 

     Well Kidlettes,  I shall draw this to a close more later.

Just stuff

15 Jun 21

06:30 hrs

     Good Morning Dear Readers!

     Today is the Ides of June and some of the Beer Flu restrictions have been lifted here on the Left Coast. One of the big restrictions to be lifted is the movement between health regions. In advance of today I had booked my boat ride to get off The Rock this coming Saturday so I could go see the Sages. It's been quite awhile since I've been to their place and the time is right to do so. I'm really happy that I booked my ride already because one of the lead news items this morning was how the Left Coast Boat Ride Company suffered a complete crash of their reservation system due to the crush of people trying to get off of or clamber onto The Rock. I have no idea why the herd waited so long up to the last moment to book their trip. It's pretty obvious that some people will not get the sailing time of their choice if at all. I'm heading out at Oh-Dark-30 and I'll be shocked if my vessel isn't full.

     The Big Giant Bookhouse is nearly completed and I'm getting stressed that it will not be completed before I leave. I even took components with me to work just so I could prep them for installation. My Better Half told yesterday, a that I should wait until I get back before we finish it and put it in place. Sound advice.

16 Jun 21

06:35 hrs

     Yesterday was another ten hour day. Come Saturday I am really going to be bagged. I'll have to get some sleep on the boat. After getting home I drained out the remnants from my travel coffee mug and opened my thermos. The mug is a Citgo mug from the Big Box Store with a lock for the drink trigger. I love it because it keeps my coffee hot for most of the day. Anyways,  I usually give the vessel and the lid a quick rinse and brush under running water and that is all it needs. Last week I found that I had to fight to get any liquid out so I tossed the lid into the dishwasher. This took care of the situation and the caffeinated elixir flowed freely once again. But yesterday I took a closer look inside the lid and I was shocked to see some kind of pale tan coloured crud coating all of the inner workings. I was thoroughly disgusted and even a little bit concerned that my constitution had not been overwhelmed. It took me thirty minutes to scrub, dig and brush out the gunk. The funny thing is my coffee never tasted any different. This morning when I was on my way to work my first sip provided a final minor chunk of crud that I promptly spit out. I need to pay more attention to my gear.

15:00 hrs

     I have to ask this question. 

     Do you read books for pleasure? I would really like to know. I just finished a series of wizarding books. I'm sure which ones I'm talking about. I had never read them. The last one, the thickest of them all took a little more than two and a half days. Now, my Better Half and I have our library of favourites and I will go through them and read some that I have read so many times that I have had to replace them with newer copies as the coversor pages are worn or torn. I remember reading Jaws while Grade 7 and let me tell you there are parts of that book that no elementary student should read. My copy of the book Alive dates back from that time frame as well. Crisis induced cannibalism. Now there is a topic for the playground. Regardless of the subject matter it is shocking to hear of people who have never read just for the pleasure of reading. Some never even read a newspaper. Fun with Dick and Jane, The Bobsey Twins, Hardy Boys these were all my primers that urged me on at a young age to delve into the mind of the author and immerse myself in the story being woven.

     We are now nearly two weeks since the bodies of 215 Indigenous children were discovered at a Residential School in the Interior. The flags are still at half mast at federal locations. This is longer than the passing of HRH Phillip. And there will be more to come. As I had mentioned before the First Nations bands across the country have been repeating this take over and over. And no one would believe them. That is to say the Feds wouldn't believe them. Maybe they didn't want to believe them because ultimately they are at fault. And you can't point a figure at any one political party of figure because they are all culpable. They either okayed it or they turned a blind eye. They didn't care because the victims weren't white.

17 Jun 21

07:15 hrs

     Work has begun. And it will be another hot day.

     Last night I got home and my Jr. Loin Fruit had all the members of his Band of Miscreants over for a get together. I don't think they have all been together since they graduated from high school. And they have changed a lot. Several are transitioning genders, one is gay and another is bi. None of this was really evident three years ago. And in truth it doesn't really matter. The Jr. Couch Monkey cooked meat lumps on the Flame Pit for them - something my Lobster believes that none of them may do in their own homes. They had a really good time. I spoke to one of the BOM and reiterated to him that he (and they) are welcome at the Wayward Inn at anytime.

     I had mentioned the weather earlier. Summer is upon us here on the Left Coast but there is still some snow on the Beauforts which makes the sight particularly pretty. I'm sure that by the time I return from the Sage's home there will be less of the white stuff.

     Did you catch the news last night? It would appear that the gauntlet has been dropped squarely at Vlad's feet after he was smacked in the puss by the Hugh-ess POTUS. First was the threat that Vlad's current political foe had better not die while in custody. And, in the discussion of Ruskie backed cyber attacks on the Hugh-ess infrastructure (which Vlad vehemently denied was his doing) the POTUS asked Vlad how he would feel if it was his oil and gas network that was cyber-bombed. After thoughtful pause, Vlad replied that he wouldn't like it at all. The UptoNogoodniks headquartered at Number 2 Dzerzhinsky Square are well aware that the Hugh-ess cyber capability outstrips their own by a thousand fold and that it has only been rumored to have been used. Couple this with the fact that 80% of the Ruskie economy is derived from the oil and gas industry that is owned solely by the oligarchs - who are politicall protected by Vlad (read the book Red Notice). In other words, anymore cyber attacks attributed to Vlad will likely result in a retaliation on a scale that would resemble the shock and awe of the First Gulf War.

18 Jun 21

06:30 hrs

     The week is almost done and I am pooched. I'm probably sitting at close to 100 hours for the past two weeks. Time for a break. I'll continue to keep you updated in the coming weeks.

Great Googly Mooglys

02 Jun 21

07:30 hrs

     I'm at work. Actually I'm waiting for the crew to arrive and I really hope that today will be a short day. And that's for several reasons:

1) Its another hot windless day here in the Valley and I really don't like the heat all that much.

2) I need to get more work done on the bookhouse. 

3) I have to assist Chef Blaine in prepping the pork roasts for pulled pork.

4) I have a head like five pound Smartie.

     

     Last night after work I was granted permission from my Lobster to go out to play. It doesn't happen very often so I took the opportunity by both reins took a shower and headed out. My mission was to meet up with a friend from a long long time ago - the Great Ghiz. I first met him when he was in Combat Arms stationed in the Fatherland and I met him again when I was sent to the Peg. By then he had changed trades and was working on a flight line. Over the years we have bumped into each other now and again and he was one of my two Best Men at my nuptials. We are and always will be Brothers in Arms and if the need arises we both know that all it takes is a phone call for help to arrive.

     So I met the Great Ghiz at his hotel where, Beer Flu restrictions be damned, it was maskless hugs all around. We dined, caught up on our current affairs and reminisced on the past. Much later, younger members of his crew showed up at the venue. We invited one of the puppies to join us as his cohort would let him join in on their Reindeer Games. My Lobster sent me a Derek Edward's text - 1,2,3,4,5... I only had 3 plus food so I was good to go. I left the Great Ghiz with a hug and a promise that we would reconvene on Thursday for Chef Blaine's pulled pork on Thursday. It will be part of my Birthday Extravaganza as my Friends from Over the Hump will be joining us at the Wayward Inn. My Lobster has given a set of steel cribbage pins and a bar of dark chocolate already. Life is good.