Are you ready for the Christmas Season?

25 Nov 22

06:00 hrs

     Good Morning Dear Readers, 

     And isn't it a lovely morning? Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't. Some of us may have to head into the Olde Mill and some of may be able to sit back sip hot cocoa while contemplating their navel as the world drifts slowly by outside the window. Navel contemplation, or even navel gazing for that matter, can be very cathartic and very Zen. If you haven't tried it maybe you should give it a shot. But, on to more pressing matters.

     Here at the Wayward Inn, we are slow in our Seasonal decorations this year. My Lobster has completed the annual Christmas letter (#28) but hasn't printed it yet. The tree is not up and to tell you the truth it may not go up this year as Mr. Wilson and Jack will most likely turn it into another play/Battle Cat War Zone. We will test their reactions by attempting to set up the tree with no decorations. I'm pretty sure that everyone in the house has completed purchasing their gifts. Everyone but myself that is. I'm hoping to take care of that today. I have ordered some gifts online but I need to go across the bridge to look for those special things that I want to give.

27 Nov 22

07:30 hrs

     Over the past couple of days our Sr. Loin Fruit assisted in putting up the start of our Christmas lights. If the weather holds I'll get more up today. Yesterday I was out at the Valley's tourist building looking for gifts and stuff. The merchandise has begun to focus on local artists. My Better Half contacted a friend,  an artist who lives south of us, to tell her to take some samples of her work for consideration. I offered copies of my two books and they said that they would get back to me. It would be great if they would carry my books. 

     Speaking of books, I'm going to have to put a limit on the number of recipes going into the cook book because I could keep adding and adding until it is more than anyone would want. I have to try and keep it focused on the target of assisting young adults to cook nutrious meals after the leave the parental nest.

     Seen any good movies lately? I watched Polar on Netflix. Be warned than it is graphically violent,  akin to the John Wick movies, but there is some humour as well and just enough plot twists to keep your mind guessing. As for books, I finished the Dr. Bindernagel bio and have moved on to a Robert Crais, a familiar and trusted read. We have always encouraged and promoted reading by gifting books to our boys at Christmas and their birthdays. I don't know what it is that sparks a child to read independently but we have seen first hand the difference in children who learn to read for pleasure and those who don't AND how that may be one of the factors that shapes their lives as an early adult. I have wondered if another possible factor is how these individuals, who may not read for pleasure, are so fully involved - nee addicted - to video games - because I have witnessed those who seem to have the drive to personally excel are readers and those who are consistently drifting through dead end positions would probably have to watch a YouTube video on how to make toast. Is it the parent's fault? What about the twelve plus years of teachers who supposedly taught the child? Someone dropped the ball. Hey, I realize that not all people like to read but I think successes in life requires some kind of drive and the desire to read new books may an indicator of that drive.

You know your old when...

08 Nov 22

07:45 hrs

     Good Morning Campers 

     The other day my Lobster had commented that, "You know you are old when you wear off your thumbprint scolling down your phone to locate your year of birth on a website." This morning I realized that I'm definitely in the Olde Boat" when, after coming home from work at 03:00 hrs and racking out four hours, I was up to feed our cats - we now have three, made tea and coffee, took out the garbage and headed out to pick up a lab req for a blood draw to have my blood sugar checked. It's that drive to get up and get going that I don't see in people half my age.

09 Nov 22

22:45 hrs

     Back at work. Graveyards. The one good thing is we have no wind tonight blowing over the airfield. And, once the runway lights are off it's kind of pretty with nothing but stars overhead. We have some high clouds tonight but some stars may be poking out. By the time I get home at 0dark30 I will not get to see the snow that has blanketed the Beauforts like a great emine cape. A couple of days ago my Lobster and I had to go to the other side of the bridge. As we were driving along the Duke I could see the accumulation of the white stuff. Really pretty. Just as it stays up there. If we get it down in the Valley it is best advised to stay off the roads because half of the drivers do not have winter tires on their vehicles and more than half have no clue as to operate said vehicle in the snow/slush/wet gunk. Sometimes when the mainland gets whacked with a ton of snow I wish I had the finances to own an apartment on top of a long steep hill where I could stand with a hot toddy and watch the traffic sliding past. I'm sure you've seen on the news these fair-weather drivers trying to negotiate the roads while at the mercy of the weather. Honey, pass the popcorn.

     My job is to safely escort contractors to and from high security locations while interacting with other stakeholders. Sometimes this means I must physically be in a room with them or sit in an overwatch position to simply monitor their work progress. For the most part those us doing this job work alone. This gives me plenty of time to read. I have often finished a Michael Connolly novel in two days. Last night I finished re-reading Peter Maas's 1973 book Serpico. If you are not Olde you probably wouldn't know what the book is about. Look it up. Last year was the 50th anniversary of Frank Serpico being shot while on the job. Time marches on. Tonight, I'm starting sasquatch Discovered - The biography of Dr. John Bindernagel. It was penned by John's friend Terrance James, PhD. John was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and wanted a legacy of his work to be recorded so the two of the met several times a week for talk with James taking notes. I'm really looking forward to the reading about John's life.

15 Nov 22

07:00 hrs

     It's really foggy out. Looking outside I can see about 200 feet at the most. I've seen it thicker where you can barely see your hand in front of your face. As long as the snow stays up on the mountains I'll be happy. 

     I made a stew last night.  We thought that the Jr. Loin Fruit had to go to the dojo and we rushed the meal to the table and as a result it wasn't as thick as I would have liked. Additionally, the taste was a bit short due to the lack of aromatic vegetables. In other words,  it was made Oma Friendly. No onions. No garlic. No leeks. No turnips. Nutritious, yes. Made with love? Sadly, no.

     I'm sure you've observed the midterm election in tbe Hugh-ess. I'm not too concerned. Power is now divided so neither party has real control so maybe some meaningful progress will be completed. But here in the Great White North two provinces are making a very bd stand against the Feds and the green  environmental hypocrisy that has been over taxing the producers and users of fossil fuels on the Left-side of the country while importing foreign oil to supply the Right-side of the country and then depositing the crippling carbon taxes into a general revenue slush fund instead of using it to invest in real green initiatives. 

     I'm still plugging away at the cookbook. I'm trying to add basic recipes that are tasty eat and fun to make. Hopefully I'll get it done early in the new year. I'll give a copy to each of the Couch Monkeys and for any parents or grandparents, whose grandmunchkins have a habit of burning water whenever they try to cook, you can contact me for a signed copy.

     Well Kidlettes, it's time to sign off. I've delayed getting this blog far too long. I must be getting old.