Closing

12 Ag 21

08:00 hrs

     Good morning Dear Readers, 

     So here we are at the Sage's.  I've been here since Monday and Li'l Sis got here late last evening. She was delayed several hours coming out of Cowtown due to a horrific accident about a half hour out of town. She, and all the other westbound traffic, was diverted down a secondary dirt road that added three hours of travel time. Needless to say she got in the house and within twenty minutes she was changed and ready to go to ground. Naturally, she was up when the local Trash Pandas were still prowling the neighbourhood. I ended up rolling out of the rack a half hour later ... at 04:30 hrs. After my morning walk we finalized the photos and music for the service on Saturday. We still have to meet with the funeral director to ensure he has the ability to play our program. Tomorrow, I'll head south to Lake Town to pick up my Better Half and the Loin Fruits at the airport. The forest fires in the area are still burning and depending on the wind direction it can get pretty smokey. 

     Here's something that I have noticed and I may have mentioned it already. The next time you use your debit card and when the prompt appears for which account you want to use take a close look at the spelling of the word "chequing". Sometimes you will see it spelled "checking". Now, as far as I know - and as far as I'm concerned - it should be spelled "chequing". A "cheque" is an instrument of monetary transfer whereas a "check" is means to mark or indicate or identify an item. So, are you transferring monies or are you identifying something? It's pure laziness and probably influence from the You-Alls. Home Despot is a company from the Hugh-ess so guess which one is on their pin pad.

18:00 hrs.

     I learned today that one of my Cuz'ns is a new father. Congrats. His parents will be travelling out to the Sages for the final goodbye to the Senior Sage which takes place on Saturday.

     Right now we are ready to watc the Lions and the Stamps hammer each other in a game of pass the pigskin. I don't normally watch sports at the Wayward Inn. Maybe I should.

13 Aug 21

05:45 hrs.

     My Lobster and the Couch Monkeys are are the move. Their current position is at the Valley airport and they'll soon be on their way. I only hope that the smoke from the forest fires in the Interior will not hamper their arrival. Overnight another community has been evacuated from the Interior all the way to the Coast. Come Sunday we will have to drive near the area. That particular fire has grown in size to rival the largest city in the Golden Horseshoe - 560 sq. kilometers. 

This will be my last entry for a while as I am going to be busy Dear Readers. Stay tuned.

At the Duck Pond

06 Aug 21

07:00 hrs

     It's a good place to take a short rest in the middle of my walk. I'm schlepping along to the soundtrack from the movie Heavy Metal. That's right. The animated movie taken from the pages of the semi-adult fantasy magazine that educated so many of the youth in my cohort. In the time it took to listen from the title track to the opening of Queen Bee - some forty minutes - I covered over 4600 steps. As my dad would say, Not bad for an old fart!"

     On my journey I went past the latest rabbit hutch. I'm sure the interior trades are now working like a colonyňfo of ants. Electricians, plumbers, wall boarders, flooring guys - they'll all be pretty busy going from unit to unit. My Better Half got a reply from an enquiry she had sent to the developers. In part is said the units - the four one bedroom condos and the fourteen two bedroom condos are scheduled for completion this coming Jan/Feb. The starting price for the for the one bedroom units will be around the upper 300k mark and the two bedroom units near the lower 400k point. There was no mention what the hundreds of rentals. From their website - 24 condos, 204 rental apartments,  22 affordable suites (government mandated lower price), 1050 solar panels generating 345 kW. All fairly interesting.

07 Aug 21

05:30 hrs

     Yes, I am up too damn early. I want to finish this book, go for my walk and then install the dash cam in my Lobster's car. As I had my, after the Jr. Loin Fruit's accident we decided to purchase and install dash cams in all of our vehicles. I did the Ram and the only issue I had is that I needed to full time 12v outlets. One for the camera and one for my beacon lights when I'm on the airfield.  Those lights must not be on the ignition side of the power source. Therefore, the installation in the Ram was a bit more involved. What wasn't involved were either one of my two Couch Monkeys who knew that I would be or was actually installing the device and did not take the slightest interest in seeing how to install the unit. My Lobster has said that I am to assist them in putting their camera in. Well, first of all when I was their age I was already twisting wrenches on multi-million dollar pieces of equipment, could do my own oil changes and had installed stereos, radar detectors, fog/driving lights on numerous vehicles. These two... not so much. I think it's their lack of interest in acquiring the knowledge and expanding their skill set for their own benefit plus the wilful blindness of what is happening around them - unless it is in their interest - that pisses me off the most.

     Again, why should I have to help someone who : 

A- should be capable of doing it themselves and, 

B - is apathetic to their surroundings.

08 Aug 21

05:30 hrs

     By this time tomorrow I'll be in the Ram headed for Hub City to grab a ride with the Left Coast navy. By supper time I'll be at the Sage's. Li'l Sis will be joining me on Wednesday and my Better Half along with the Couch Monkeys arrive on Friday. On Saturday the family will gather to say goodbye to the Elder Sage. It should be a gathering of epic proportions however I will be driving my branch of the clan back to the Wayward Inn on Sunday so I will not be saying goodbye to the extent that I would like to. I'm sure my Lobster will be counting....1..2..3..4..5! The only thing that really concerns me is the driving portion of the trip. Not so much the driving but the forest fire situation is jeopardizing some routes. Unlike some provinces, this one does not have a radio frequency that continually broadcasts road conditions.

09 Aug 21

07:00 hrs 

     I'm on the boat. I even made it upstairs for breakfast. What a disappointment! I suppose the lackluster food offering is due to the drive for efficiency and the Beer Flu. And I think the virus was the Golden opportunity for the contracted provider to cut costs. No longer is there a choice of how you want your eggs. Everyone gets scrambled which in itself is not bad. If they're done right scrambled eggs are a delight. In fact, my Lobster makes the best scrambled eggs that I have ever had. However, these particular should never have come out of the industrial size cardboard box that they arrived in. I may be old but I almost had a flashback to a point before I was born. A point when troops in the Kotean War were fed powdered scrambled eggs. Certainly an affront to chickens everywhere and any Chef who was told by managment to cook them should have walked off the job. No plate. All the components of the meal - the shitty eggs, toast, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage and salsa - was geometrically placed inside a waxed cardboard takeout box. I suppose this the new high dining experience on board the Left  Coast Navy. 

     Speaking of dining experiences,  yesterday my Better Half, the Oma-nator and I were out for a bit of an adventure so we decided to stop for brunch at a local diner. Again, due to the Beer Flu the menu was limited. I chose the Monte Cristo sandwich. When I ordered it I had noted that it came with a wild berry aioli.  Right from the start I knew that this was just plain wrong. A Monte Cristo sandwich is supposed to be savory but the waitress assured me that there was very little on the sandwich. In hindsight I should lied and said I was allergic to aioli. But it wasn't just the condiment that ruined the dish it was its very construction. A Monte Cristo sandwich is ham and turkey between two slices of swiss cheese that is place between two slices of bread which is then dipped in egg batter and then fried until the cheese just starts to melt out. Perfection. This hot mess was two slices of french toast onto which the innards were piled on and steamed until the cheese poured out. Instead of being gooey and drippy the cheese was a liquid schmear. Obviously,  the cook - there is no way I would call the individual a Chef - was cutting corners by pre-making french toast that could be used for several different dishes. For example,  the Oma-nator ordered stuffed french toast which was just fruit and whipped cream placed between two pieces of french toast. And speaking of fruit, my Better Half ordered a Blackstone Benny which arrived with two forkfuls of hashbrowns, hollandaise sauce that looked like it was poured out of a can and no fruit. 

     No excuse!

Henry is Missing

29 Jul 21

06:45 hrs

     On my walk this AM I saw a sign on a bench at the duck pond by the Rabbit Warren. 

     HENRY IS STILL MISSING.

     Last seen June 18.

     Of course, Henry is a brown/black striped tabby that doesn't wander from home and will not approach strangers. Which points out the problem - if he doesn't wander then he should be at home and if he is not approachable by strangers it is unlikely that someone scooped him. The note doesn't say how old Henry is but all pet owners know that if their animal feels like it's going to die it will seek out a quiet place. That being said I would surmise that Henry could be close to home but someplace that he felt really safe or if he did get out near the duck pond a hungry eagle may have picked him up for lunch.

03 Aug 21

06:00 hrs

     I know that I have been slacking off on my blogging but I have been busy doing stuff around the Wayward Inn. That plus the walking regimen is keeping things hopping. And that's a good thing as I am down five pounds but whose counting. It's more about health choices.

     The apple tree that had been up against our back fence for the past ten years finally broke its bonds and fell over. Many years ago it had been secured from falling over with some 100lb cordage. When that finally broke the weight of the apples was too much and the tree toppled onto the yard. Realistically, the planter box that it was in was too shallow. We are planning on using the box for other gardening ventures but I have been tasked at raising the box.

22:30 hrs

     If you have seen the news of late the new variant of the Beer Flu has struck the Hugh-ess with vengeance. Of course the politics of getting the shot and making is being pushed to the forefront. The end result is that more You-Alls are going to die.

04 Aug 21

17:00 hrs

     The heat here in the Valley is oppressive. Thank goodness we don't have the humidity like they do in the Golden Horseshoe. Down there you can shower at 06:00. Go for breakfast and by the time you get to work you need another shower. It's so humid you practically drink the air you breath. 

     My Better Half informed me that was a wild fire reported over on the Beauforts just about directly across the valley from us. The bush has been without precipitation for over a month. Hopefully, the forest service has a handle on it. I haven't seen a lot of smoke over that way so I'm sure it's under control. 

     The Ram has a dash cam. Eventually,  I'll get them installed in all of our vehicles. 

     The Oma-nator has made well over a dozen and a half dish cloths for me to take to the Interior. It gives her a purpose.

     With so little time left I've really enjoying not working. It's not that I don't want to work. It's that the project I was providing security for is on hold and the boss has nothing else for me. So tomorrow, after my morning walk I'll start getting my gear ready for after the trip to the Sage's. Tent, camp stove, kitchen, tarps, ropes, electronics and the like. I really should make a list.

Time ticks away

27 Jul 21

05:30 hrs

     Good morning Dear Readers!

     No, I am not getting ready for work. My project, rather the project i was assigned to provide security for, is temporarily on hold due to a miscalculation on the part of the engineers as to the number of components required. Once again technicians rule and engineers drool. The last piece of equipment is coming out of the Lone Star State so it might take a awhile. In the meantime my boss hasn't assigned me to anything in the interim. Since I am up early anyways I will be going for a walk around the neighborhood. This time of the morning is great as there is no one else out except other walkers. I'm not saying that I'm turning into a health nut but as my Lobster pointed out we are not getting any younger and if WE plan on spending some time lounging on a Caribbean beach at sometime down the road WE had Better be in shape to enjoy it. Yesterday was the start of the new regimen and the walking app said that I had trudged 3500 steps on my walk and 6900 by the end of the day. For the moment that's about as much as my joints can take. I bought my Better Half a set of hiking poles for when she goes on her walks. We would walk together but she  moves at a higher pace whereas I prefer a saunter. I also walk with a staff that the Elder Sage made. It makes me feel that he and are walking together.

     In another week or so I will be heading back to the Sage's. The Tribe will be gathering to pay their respects and for a private send off. A number of years ago we would all gather for a mighty shindig whenever a member reach their 50th birthday. It would be a long weekend of getting reacquainted and much testing of one's personal liver functions. 

06:30 hrs

     Out on my saunter I took some happy snaps of the four-plex rabbit hutch being built near the Wayward Inn. I will post them on the Comox Valley Views FB page. In one picture you will see that the buildings have underground parking but I don't think the Ram would fit through the entrance. Maybe, this particular rabbit hutch was designed so truck owners wouldn't live there? Stranger things have happened. My Lobster has a degree in such matters and knows about kinesiology stuff. She had informed me - years ago when she was managing the move to the new work site - that office equipment, its placement and even the design and structure of the building itself can make life better and enjoyable or the opposite for those who live, work or visit the premises. Think about it or better yet take a drive in your city. You have probably already seen the buildings that you wouldn't want to live or work in. Lots of cold concrete, small windows, towering so tall that only the upper floors recieve any natural light and not a blade of grass or a leafy tree for a country mile. Supposedly,  as I may have previously mentioned, these new rabbit hutches will have solar panels, a fenced dog run and other GREEN amenities. Of course, they will be cost prohibitive for anyone earning only a living wage. 

     Most of the new hutches in the Valley are like that. And there are many more going up but for the most part the are not affordable for those that need them. The government says that they are increasing the number of affordable housing - that which those only earning what is called a living wage.

28 Jul 21

05:45 hrs

     The obit for the Elder Sage has been posted on the web page for Fischer's Funeral Home. Just look for the one with my last name. The Younger Sage wrote it but I blame the typo on the business for not proof rading it.

     Later today the Jr. Couch Monkey and i will be doing a dump run. There is all sorts of crap that has to go. I got two bags of trash out of the garbage barrel from the shop alone. The problem with that is there was a fair amount of sawdust in there and by removing the trash the sawdust was swirling in the air. I'm paying for it this morning as sneezing over and over in an attempt to clear my teeny tiny sinuses.

     Can you believe that by the time I went to rack out I had walked over 10K steps? There are some who say to be healthy you gotta walk at least 5k steps and more than that if you wish to shed some poundage and shedding poundage is a good thing at my age. My Better Half signed both of us up for some university study in managing exercise and weight loss. I've put it off because in their description the coordinators were talking about exercising (raising your heart rate) by doing the step tests. That's the same method done while I served Queen and Country and with my knees it's not happening. Last night I received a call from one of the study coordinators asking why I haven't followed up with her messages - I guess that I'm a perfect specimen in their target group. I informed her that I will not do the step test and that I do not do ZOOM meetings. She said not to worry as her parents are not up on technology. 

     WTF!!!

     She explained that there was an alternative to the step test. Walking is an alternative to hammering you joints going up and down a set of stairs to music. What a fucking novel idea. Sounds like something I might have thought of.  Speaking of my walk. I have to get the garbage can out and start my trek. Take care.  I'll be back in a couple of days.

And then things went sideways!

17 Jul 21

05:10 hrs

     I have been back from the Sage's for little more two weeks. Well, maybe close to three. And since that time the situation at their place has rapidly changed. As I write this blog I do not know whether the Elder Sage is still with us or not. I am not being flippant. Last week he had an infection that made his condition worse. He had to be hospitalized and medicated. However, the infection went septic and a fever ensued. The fever has been treated but the meds to calm him have left him bedridden. The infection had also affected his mental and physical capability. The medical staff informed the younger Sage that the Elder's passing could be in hours or days but likely not weeks. You should know that the knowledge of what is surely to happen has shaken me to my core but I am coming to accept it as part of life.

19 Jul 21

07:45 hrs

     The Elder Sage passed away on Saturday morning. The Younger Sage was with him at the time. It was very peaceful. We are all progressing through our loss. The Younger Sage will be setting up the timing for the service. At this point I have no idea when that will take place.

     On to other things....

     I'm just about finished listening to that horrible audio book. As much as it pained me to listen to the persistent mispronunciation of common words and the horrendous inflection applied to the words spoke by a male character I toughed it out and now that the book is complete I can flush it from my jump drive and move on to something else that will hopefully be more enjoyable. I am also nearing the completion of Bourdain's book Medium Raw. If you are a foodie you have to get your own copy or at the very least check it out from the library. Be warned the book is raw in its language and chock full of F-bombs. 

     The monstrous book house has been completed and mounted in front of the Wayward Inn. I'm sure the locals will enjoy it. Now that this is completed I can push on to other projects. 

20 Jul 21

04:00 hrs

     What the hell is a rotator cuff?

     Well, whatever it is my left one snapped while I was helping Sensei move double sheets of sheet Rock out of the Ram. He had asked for help and I answered the call. My Lobster drove me to the hospital and after four hours (with no x-rays) I was cut loose with a script for a muscle relaxant cream. When it rains it pours.

Observances

07 Jul 21

10:00 hrs

     Hello Dear Readers, 

     Let's start off with some items of mutual concern, shall we? First off is the heat. Here in the Left Coast the heat has finally broken but there has been not precipitation in about a month. As a result the forest is as dry as a popcorn fart. There is a campfire ban in place and the usual summertime watering restrictions. I still say that if I was constructing a house I would have a huge underground tank buried in my yard that would collect all of the run off from my roof. This water would be plumbed for use to flush the toilets and to water the lawns which the two largest users of grey water. Figure it out. Even if you had older dunnies that used a gallon per flush and about 500 gallons for watering your garden. Of course, watering your garden can be curtailed to just the vegetables. So, a ten thousand gallon cistern would quite easily sustain a normal household during the summer months and if the level got too low alm you would need is a valve that would revert those two systems back to the regular water supply. Sounds like a good idea to me. You have to keep things simple because the more you overtake the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain. 

     Why not add a fire sprinkler system? When a house is being built it can be added for about 5K for the average 1800 square foot home. It would cost more than twice as much to retrofit a home once the wallboard is up. But when it comes to saving your house from a fire the cost would be worth it.

08 Jul 21

05:15 hrs.

     Here are some numbers that you may not know but you should contemplate - 

270 - the number of days for 1 million        people to die globally from the Beer Flu 

151 - the number of days for the Beer Flu death toll to pass 2 million

88 - the number of days for the Beer Flu death toll to pass 3 million

89 - the number of days for the Beer Flu death toll to pass 4 million

3 - fatalities in three countries make up 1/3 of all global Beer Flu deaths - Brazil, India and the Hugh-ess. Guess who the leader is?

606K+ - the number of people who have died from the Beer Flu in the Hugh-ess.

Here's another set of numbers for you - 

400 - the number of shootings in the Hugh-ess on July 4th

180 - the number of shooting deaths in the Hugh-ess on July 4th. 

     Pretty incredible isn't it? And scary too. Just think, 180 people shot and killed during the Hugh-ess Nation's birthday! Were they lined up against the wall and hosed by some deranged mass murderer? No. But I'm pretty sure some died as a dispute over the wearing of masks. 

     Do you want to see something incredibly funny (you may not think it's funny but I have a chuckle or two). Take a look on YouTube and search for "Karen" videos. I didn't know the term until my Couch Monkeys examined it. A "Karen" is typically a white woman, of privilege, who makes a scene in a public place often demanding that she is being oppressed or believes that by being white and rich allows her to ignore the law and common decency. Quite often she is blatantly racist. The funny part is these videos show the world how she truly is and how she was dealt with. 

09 Jul 21

07:30 hrs

     I have been listening to some audio books while driving the Ram - or as by Lobster calls it - The Franken-truck due to the add ins I have applied to it. Now, most of the readers are pretty good with one reader narrating the part of the character in the book that he portrays on the small screen. However, you would think that anyone reading for an audio book would know how to pronounce the written words. For example every one knows that the river flowing through the Hugh-ess capital is the Potomac which pronounced as pah toe mak not pot ah mak. And the horse name after a Hugh-ess First Nation is Arapahoe which is pronounced as ah rap ah hoe not air ah pay oh. I'm sure I will hear more mispronunciation which will drive me crazy. And you would think that sound editor would have spotted and corrected the mistakes before the pubic (sorry) public release.

     Yesterday, after I was finished in the Salt Mines, my Better Half informed me that we - she, me, the Jr. Loin Fruit and the Oma-nator - were taking a road trip to Hub City. There were several reasons for this. The Jr. Couch Monkey had to collect the stuff out of his destroyed automobile and we were going to assay a potential replacement. We would also take a look for anything interesting in the Big Book Store which is a place that has thousands of book titles but none of which is the one you are looking for. The Jr. Loin Fruit purchased four books and believe it or not I found a copy of a book from my favourite deceased chef that I did not have. The food court was blaise. The new car was not suitable and the trip home to the Wayward Inn uneventful except for the three dead and very bloated Bambi's seen on the side of the highway. 

     The left coast of the Rock hasn't felt rain in well over a month and is moving I to a Stage Four drought. Pretty soon all watering of lawns will cease. Vegetable gardens will be hand watering only. I'm just hoping that some precipitation will occur here and on the mainland soon or all activity Out in the Weeds will come to a grinding halt. Currently there are 219 wild fires here on the Left Coast. Be safe out there buckaroo. 

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.