Road Trip - Day Three

13 May 19
22:00 hrs

     Today I finished off my chores for the Sages but hours before that L'il Sis departed at OhDark30 for Cowtown. After my chores I got cleaned up and headed for Camp V Town to check on an old friend. She's in a Seniors care facility and since I am not a blood relative if she were to pass away I wouldn't find out until I visited. She has a son but he's not talking to me and I doubt if he would even announce her passing in an obit column. Toad!

     This evening I spent time with my cadet alma mater. Had a great time. I helped out and shared some stories. Tomorrow I have to load the Ram, fuel the Ram and be on the road about nine-ish.

     My Better Half took a boat load of people and stuff to the beach for the first Weenies on the Beach foray. She reported that the Onion was as happy as a puppy. Good times were had by all.

Road Trip - Day Two

12 May 19
14:45 hrs

     HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

     Yes, it's a Happy Mother's Day to all those who qualify. For those moms in the Valley whose Kidlettes are enrolled in scouting it may be a great Mother's Day as your Couch Monkeys may be at the big Cub Scout Camp. This camp is held every year on the same weekend giving moms a weekend respite. How's that for a Mother's Day present?

     Other than two flats of canned salmon and a couple of old biblical tomes I am doing some Manual Labour at the Sage's residence. Don't mention Manual Labour to any millenial because they will probably think that he was a past president of some latino banana republic. I'm replacing half of the boards on they deck as they have rotted. So, with a pry bar and my impact driver I am removing the old ones and securing the new ones. Half of what needed to be done has been completed and the rest will be done on the morrow. The afternoon heat is too great so screw it.

     My Sister from Another Mother, with her Lobster, came over for brunch. Wife Saver casserole, a salad and crab cakes. Yummy. For supper I'll be cooking some AAA grade bovine on the Sage's Flame Pit. Their Flame Pit is smaller than mine (about a third of the size) as there is just the two of them. But, it's not the size of the Flame Pit that counts it's the grill master standing in front of it. I understand my Jr. Loin Fruit did an excellent job doing bbq'd burgers - both meat and veggie - at the Wayward Inn. Good stuff.

23:00 hrs.

     Everyone has gone to sleep. I too must rack out. L'il Sis will be heading to Cowtown in the morning. I'll finish my chores and then see what mischief I can avoid. I would like to donate a copy of my new book to the local library. Mind you I have sold two already which has made this part of my journey legit.

     A late night message from my Lobster says that our Jr. Loin Fruit has been accepted for housing at the university in Capital City.  Hazaah!

     Good night.

Road Trip - Day 1

11 May 19
04:09 hrs

     The timing was a good omen as 409 was my first squadron. I had little sleep because I was so anxious to start my journey. So, it was off to Timmies for a java and some sort of breakfast thing. Nothing heavy as I am to meet someone on the other side of the salt chuck.

     I selected a sausage English muffin and a toasted bagel for later on the road. It will be a long trip as i am initially headed to the Sage's home. Now, I have always liked the breakfast sandwich thing. In fact, I could eat an Egg McMuffin every day of the week. What I was handed was not an Egg McMuffin. It wasn't even close to being a poor copy. Timmies is all about speed. The more customers the more money so the toaster is dialed down to the point of being like warm. Things that go through a toaster is supposed to be toasted not like warm. It's supposed to have some hint of crunch when you bite into it. Hence the name - toast. Then there is the pre-formed egg product and the sausage (?) patty that has been sitting in a warm steamer which if the temperature dropped slightly lower would be nothing but a botulism incubator I'm sure. So, a non-crunchy english Muffin coupled with a flavourless moist mushy egg product topped with a highly suspicion meat disk. In all, I was not satisfied with the experience. A word of advice. If you wand an english muffin breakfast sandwich you should either go to - and I hate to say it - Mickey Dees or make it yourself in your own kitchen.

     On my departure out of the Valley there were three emergency vehicles near the top of the parkway. Two on my side and on facing me on the other. As I moved to the left hand lane and slowed I spotted an SUV that had departed the road and rolled up against big sand bank. There was no ambulance in attendance so I think the occupants had already been extracted. In the brief glimpse I could see the vehicle must have rolled several times as it was damaged and on its side.

     Approaching the gas station where the giant gnome used to live - he has found a new residence at a tourist trap down near Capital City - I saw the vehicle ahead of me slow right down and move way over to the left. So far over that he was into a left hand turn lane to cross the highway before cutting back to the right. There were two trucks parked just before the intersection with one numpty waving his arms in  what appeared to be a poor attempt to get airborne. Behind the parked vehicles was a light pole that had been stuck and was laying across both lanes of traffic. There were no emergency vehicles in attendance at this point but I was pretty sure they would reroute. I followed the vehicle ahead of me and skirted around the top of the pole hoping that my tire would survive the glass.

     I made it to Hub City and drove down to board the MV Rusted Hulk. The Ram has performed well so far. My only issue is my GPS mount has fallen off twice while reroute. If it happened again I'll permanently fix it will a little bit of epoxy. Never mess with an ex- aircraft technician.

08:45 hrs.

     I am sitting in the Knight Street Cafe awaiting my breakfast companion. I have never met this individual and to tell you the truth I am a bit nervous (really I am). No names. No pack drill.

     The menu looks good. I'll have the Benny please. No coffee thanks. Had lots. I decided on the orange juice. Could be a mistake. I think it must have been a frozen concentrate because the fluid had separated much like a oil slick on the ocean. The top part - the floating portion is foamy and the bottom part is murky. I mixed it together with the straw but it just split apart again. It would probably taste better with vodka or aquavit. I have the latter in the Ram but it's too early unless your Out In The Weeds with the PBR STREETGANG. Besides, I have to drive later.

21:00 hrs

     The mystery dining companion was my Neice. It was great to meet her and maybe someday she and her Better Half can make it to the Wayward Inn. 

     The rest of the trip was largely uneventful except a high proportion of the Queens's Cowboys picking off speeders. I recognized one pickup that had been stopped twice. L'il Sis is here at the Sage's as well. Its great to see her too. She is occupying the spare bedroom. I'm on my camp cot on the porch. It's like being Out in the Weeds with a roof over your head instead of a tent. I think I got the better end of the stick.

The Medium

06 May 19
06:15 hrs

     When was the last time you picked up a newspaper? Or actually watched the news on TV? Or listened to the news on the radio? Probably not lately. Our reliance on seeing the "facts" on our digital devices as quickly as they have occurred and as fast as they can be uploaded means that we, as consumers may not be - and probably are not - recieving all of the facts as the investigator had discovered or reported. Couple that with the erroneous spin from everyone in Twitterland it's truly amazing what people actually believe is real. Case in point is the scientific community stance on climate change, the intelligence community opinion of Russian hacking efforts and the reports of theft of intellectual property by China vs anything that comes out of the Tangerine Tyrant's mouth.

     Who are you going to believe?

     I suggest that you slow down. Pick up a newspaper. If you haven't read one in a while start with the local birdcage liner and move up from there. I prefer the National Post as it covers a broader spectrum that anything out of the Golden Horseshoe and it has none of the dozens of ad pages as from any of the Sun chain of papers. I like the crossword puzzle too.

     Being Canadian I do like to know what happening abroad and for that I do have the Guardian paper as an app on my phone as well as two CBC apps - news feed and radio. The Guardian covers Europe and the Middle East very well and there is very little of the "Hooray, let's wave the flag" bullshit you have with the Hugh-ess media.

06 May 19
19:55 hrs

     I really need to sleep. I'm back onto the airfield tonight. It will be the eighth night in a row and the novelty has worn off. My Better Half doesn't like it much either.

     I've been slowly packing the Ram with the necessary gear for the coming road trip. I still have to add the tools, a cooler, clothes, a pop up shelter - as the weather in Cowboy Land is looking to be shitty - and liquid refreshments. On my way to the Sage's I'm diverting into the Megatropolis to meet my niece for breakfast. It should prove to be interesting.

     The temperature here in the Valley is supposed to shoot through the roof so stay hydrated Kidlettes and keep you pets at home - NOT ON YOU VEHICLES!

Drip Drip Drip

03 May 19
05:00 hrs

     I just got home to the Wayward Inn. Working the graveyard out on the runway is cool but it really messes up the home life - the personal disconnect, but I digress. As soon as I got inside I spotted two concerns. One minor and one more of a pet peeve. The first thing I saw was the Sr. Couch Monkey's light was still on. Maybe he was getting up for early shift? Nope. I knocked. More answer so I opened the door to find him asleep with the lamp on. No big deal. The second issue was the sound I heard coming from the kitchen. A steady drip of the kitchen faucet. Now, our kitchen faucet is in good working order and yes even I have, on occasion, not pushed the handle down far enough which has allowed the water to continue to flow. Anyone could make the mistake but that being said i have a sneaking suspicion that the Onion is the culprit. It's no big deal either she'll just need a lesson in water conservation.

     I almost made a catastrophic mistake. In looking at the dates for my road trip I had erred in thinking the date of my depature was a week later than expected. That wouldn't have gone over well if I had shown up at the Sage's a full week after Mother's Day.

17:00 hrs

     I am awake again. My Jr. Loin Fruit called me looking for information and woke me from a REM sleep. Thanks. Thanks a lot!

     Have you notice that people in the Valley do not know how to park a vehicle? It shouldn't be a shock because most of them can't even drive a shopping cart. I stopped at The Sensei's house on an errand and shortly there after - at the next intersection - a lady driving a minivan was looking left as she drove straight through the intersection as I was turning left. I jammed the horn causing her to pin the brakes stopping two feet from the Ram. I bet that left a stain on her seat!

     My Lobster came home with another mason bee house. That makes two. Boosting the world bee population should be(e) everyone's concern. No bees, no crops, no survival. It's just that simple. And mason bees are great for any home - even ones with children and pets - as they have no stingers!

18:10 hrs

     I'm waiting for my Lobster and the Onion to come home. Then it's a light supper and back to the rack for another couple of hours of sleep. Graveyards are such a killer. In the meantime I am watching S1E8 of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown on Netflix. He was in Peru with Chef Eric Ripert - who found Tony nine years later hanging in his hotel in Paris.

04 May 19
06:45 hrs

     It was a long night and when I got home no sound of dripping taps was detected. Obviously, my little lesson to the Onion in basic kitchen mechanics worked. 

     May the Fourth be with you!
     And on that note, it was reported that Peter Mayhew, the actor who portrayed Chewbacca the Wookie, has passed away at age 74.

     The Snow Chickens are here for another week of multi-terrain training. I believe their show season starts sometime in June and goes through to September. They are a busy bunch. The question is what are going to be flying once the 50 year old CT-114 Tutor is finally retired. Knowing the Feds the Air Demonstration Team will soon be staffed by civilians as well.

Things you see and hear!

25 Apr 19
17:00 hrs

     Today I was working at the new traing centre at CFB. It's a huge building with a great number of classrooms, offices, a great lunch room over looking the main entrance and a Secret Squirrel Zone too. The construction site is festooned with trades people. Brick layers, glass specialists, electricians by the score and wall boarders by the dozen all working I  concert. It is pretty amazing. Have you ridden in an elevator? Sure you have. But have you ever seen one being built? I have. The Cajone Boys have done bang up job and along the way I've watched the put it together. Really cool stuff.

26 Apr 19
09:30 hrs

     I learned yesterday that a young girl was brutally attacked near a school here in the Valley. A group of cowardly individuals struck her from behind and physically assaulted her until she passed out. However, she was able to realize that there was a female and several males beating her up. A description of the pants and shoes - all distinctive - may be the clues needed for the local Constabulary to arrest the perps.

     The viciousness of the assault reminds me of the Reena Virk murder that took place nearly a generation ago in Capital City. Reena had been lured to an area by people she thought were friends. The beat her to the point of unconsciousness and then threw her into the water where she drowned. It also didn't help when the ring leader  - a girl by the name of Kelly Ellard - went back to repeatedly smash Reena's head with a rock. These were not adults. They were high school bullies.

     Bullies now adays are treated differently than in my day. Its kinder and gentler but bullies relish in delivering pain for their own pleasure and pain is all that they understand. I was bullied and to survive one one the Sages taught me to stand up and take them one at a time. Once done they never bothered me again. The other survival tactic I learned from my other Sage was to ignore it. To turn the other cheek and to stand resolute with other victims - strength in numbers. In my opinion the second lesson should be applied first but do not go down with out a fight. And remember, defending oneself from a bully does not make you a bully. And Avenging Angels are just bullies with scorched wings. It still doesn't make it right. My hope is that these bullies are caught soon.

27 Apr 19
16:15 hrs

     Work continues around the Wayward Inn. A sprinkler head was repositioned and a triplet of wind chimes were repaired, plants were planted, weeds pulled, the Jr. Couch Monkey's BOM is making a racket and so I am outside with my Lobster writing to you Dear Reader.

     I heard through the grapevine that my replacement in my former position has also been replaced. It seems he did not follow up on an incident and when asked if he had he lied saying that he had. Additionally, he altered documentation to show that had. However, a quick search revealed the inaccuracies. I did the job for five years. He barely lasted six months. Maybe, he really didn't want to do the job and was forced into it. If that's the case he should have spoken up because now his word is worthless. Would you trust him?

     Preparations continue for the Big Road Trip. Destinations are more or less set but the itinerary is not. It's best to stay fluid during all of this. There are a few musts that have to be completed but other than that it will be me in the Ram scooting down the road jamming to the tunes.

Happy Easter

21 Apr 19
07:10 hrs

     My Lobster and I fled the Valley with the Mobile Wayward Inn heading north to one of our favourite haunts. The site is about 1/3 full and we haven't had any rain so far but some is expected later today. Yesterday, we visited a cetacean interpretive centre at a nearby resort.

     I'm looking out the window and I can see a tugboat towing a barge through the strait between the islands. The barge is full of stuff needed for and by someone in the village across from us.

     Last week I made a purchase of a larger espresso maker that I can take out camping. This was necessary as my old percolator pot had developed a leak. This new one is identical to the one the Big Swede has but mine has a handle where he uses a pair of vice grips as a handle. It makes six espresso cups of eye opening road fuel which translates to two camp cups or one thermal coffee travel mug. I'm enjoying some this delicious elixir as I tap this out.

     We have neighbours across road from us in the camp site. My Better Half calls them: Cotton Eyed Joe. The four guys, all buddies from Hub City - which is an hour and a half farther away than we are - came up with two trailers, a camper and a big ass boat. They dropped prawn traps and had rigged crab pots - but didn't drop the pots. They pulled the boat out last night. I guess they must have to work on Monday. Too bad as the weather is perfect outside. The water is flat calm and the rain will hold off until this afternoon. I know that if it was my boat - and if I was qualified to operate a larger vessel - I'd be out trying to hook up with some big 'buts. I haven't fished for them and I would really like to. I may just have to tag onto a charter trip. The only issue is that I would be the only one enjoying the feast as my fish eating compatriot at the Wayward Inn is now munching on carrots instead of cod.

     The additional copies of my latest book  arrived last week. Just in time for The Road Trip. I also recieved the emergency led road flares. I first saw them at an accident scene that I attended as an Animal Control Officer. The RCMP constable took out this package of enlarged orange hockey pucks pressed a button to initiate the flashing led strobes and placed them across the roadway. I watched as approaching vehicles slowed when they saw them. Some even drove over them by accident. No problem.  The kept right on flashing. I found that Central Bandits carried them in their store for $20+. I picked them up on Amazon for less than half the price. Three per pack, they run on triple A batteries. They have a hook to hang up and a magnet to stick it on your car. I think they are a must need for your vehicle emergency kit.

08:05 hrs

     My Lobster is still dozing away and I heard a small drizzle of rain fall. There isn't supposed to be more than a couple of ml fall today. Tomorrow we are expecting a larger deluge. I'm hoping to see a whale or some orca in the strait. (Yes, an orca is a whale, a toothed whale but it is a whale.)

     I heard that on Thursday - or it could have been Friday - the ferry from the Island to the mainland had a four sailing wait. That's about six to eight hours depending if you are at the head or the tail of the pack. And for those of you who indulge there is no smoking on BC Ferries property which includes the parking lot. I'd like to see them try to police that with four boat loads of pissed off drivers jammed in the parking lot for a work day length of time.

22:20 hrs

     For supper I cooked up two steaks while my Better Half did up the veggies. We had purchased a table top Napolean grill. It does a mighty fine job.

     We'll be heading back to the Valley in the morning. Once we get back I'll have a couple of days to sort out the Mobile Wayward Inn before I head back to work.

22 Apr 19
18;30 hrs

     We are home from being away. Laundry is done. The Onion made supper which was really tasty despite not on piece of meat to be seen. Today is the Sr. Sages birthday we all called and wished him the best.