Happy Thanksgiving!

08 Oct 22

13:45 hrs

     Happy Thanksgiving Dear Kidlettes!

     That's right it's that time to plan out your holiday feast. We are not having a whole turkey this year. We may be having some guests at the Wayward Inn but not enough to consume most of the bird and we really didn't want leftover turkey for the following fortnight. Instead we are having a small ham and a stuffed turkey breast. On the side there will be carrots, broccollini, two kinds of Schwartie hashbrowns (one of which was friendly to the Oma-nator), a casserole dish full of homemade stuffing and a pumpkin roll for dessert. The Sensei and his Lobster are attending as is the Jr. Loin Fruit's companion. It should be fun.

14 Oct 22

07:30 hrs.

     If you haven't been following the legal squeeze the Tangerine Tyrant is in? The Jan 6th Committee has reconvened and has issued a subpoena for the Orange Shit-gibbon to appear before the committee. If you think he's going to show up I've got a bridge to sell you. It will be cour challenge delays all the way to the Hugh-ess Supreme Court. I suppose they could issue a warrant for his arrest and drag his far ass in, which would be really nice to see but that would probably be the pre-emptive call to arms for all of his Sycophants. 

16:00 hrs.

     Well, the potatoes have been mashed and the onions have been sautéed avec ail. The beets have been peeled, diced and are waiting to be simmered. That's right! It's beet soup night. An acquired taste for sure but my family grew up with this. In fact, a couple of weeks ago my uncle posted a picture of the delicous bowl. It didn't take long for many family members to chime in saying that it has been far too long for them. What can I say, it's comfort food. Now normally there is bacon cooked with the onions but since the Jr. Couch Monkey is still a quasi-vegetarian the bacon was left out for his benefit. The Oma-nator will not be sampling the soup for two reasons. First, there are onions - so, she's out. Second, I don't think she has ever peeled, cooked or eaten a beet - either standard red or golden variety. My Lobster says beets taste like dirt. I actually enjoy eating beets. Washed, peeled, seasoned, wrapped in foil and roasted till soft on the Flame Pit....you can beat them.

     The weather on the Left Coast has been very dry. We have not had any appreciative precipitation for several months. There was some but it was up on the Beauforts which is good. The rain will be here soon enough.

16 Oct 22

07:31 hrs.

     The days are now much shorter and the nights are growing longer. The solar lights above the Flame Pit are no longer lit when I make coffee in the morning. And this morning the sky has an odd tinge to it. Not pink or red but a muted brown. There are forest fires over on the mainland. The cities there experiencing a spate of poor air quality rivaling Beijing or Delhi. That smoke may have been pushed over to The Rock causing the sky to look so weird.

     The leaves are changing colours now, as well. Here on the Left Coast we do not have the hardwoods like they do in Ontari-ari-ari-oh. Looking at the Beauforts there are splotches of colour showing the maples, aspens, alders and birches. Most of these also show where the rivers, creeks and lakes reside. It also shows where prior logging has occurred as these deciduous trees grow much more quickly than the replanted fir and spruce.

     The Jr. Couch Monkey has been writing his midterms and the results have been astounding. The Sr. Loin Fruit is still hopeful that he will find an apprenticeship. We are all hopeful because he needs to gain experience before he can attempt the next phase of his training. 

     My Lobster and I are taking a mini vay-cay. She has found a week of respite care for the Oma-nator who is concerned that they will be serving her onions with every meal. They won't, we have informed them of her dietary concerns. I'm sure that she is also worried that we will not retrieve her when we come home. Nothing is further from the truth.

     Have you seen Stanley Tucci's program on CNN Sunday evening? Food to die for. Basic food. Created in this manner for generations upon generations. It makes me think that we, North Americans, have forgotten what is good as we demand for all things, especially our food, to be over the top. Imagine a simple spaghetti dish made with only four components one of which is vegetable stock. Looks pretty damn good. And, one could easily substitute penne or spirals for the spaghetti eventhough those pasta shapes were designed to be accompanied with a type of sauce. This particular dish has no sauce. Just the four ingredients and some seasonings. Amazing. I'll have to get Chef Blaine give it a whirl. Come to think of it I should talk to my Better Half's Travelling Cuz'ns and see if they have had this dish before.

     I just say something on the news where in the Hugh-ess the food prices have risen so much over the past couple of years that a large number of people have been relying on food banks. In January 2020 one church in Atlanta they would aid thirty cars per week and now it's three thousand cars per week. And it's getting worse. Look after after your family and friends.

     

Holy Shit!

18 Sep 22

06:45 hrs

     Good Morning Dear Readers! As you may recall, I have had to radically change my diet and take a bunch of meds daily so I can tame The Beast. Well, things are really shaping up. My three month blood glucose test shows I am at 7.2, which is less than half of what it was when I started this journey, and last night when I was getting dressed  - we were going out to see a comedian, but more about that later - I decided to try on a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear for an extremely long time. They fit. I was absolutely stunned. I almost ran to the scales - well, I thought about it and decided not to - and weighed myself. Down another five pounds. Crazy!

20 Sep 22

08:30 hrs

     Unless you have been living in a cave this past week you will know that Her Maj has past away after 70 years on the throne. She was one of the longest, if not the longest, ruler of Britain and figure head of the Commonwealth. When I joined the service I swore my Oath of allegiance to Queen and Country so help me God. Why? Not just because I had to but because I was stating that I would do as I was asked/told or lawfully ordered to do by my Sovereign or Her representatives. In doing so I was putting my Faith in my leaders ability to do what was right. Yesterday Her Maj was laid to rest with all the pomp and Regal circumstance England could muster. I did note that the soldiers who were slow marching beside the casket were carrying arms. It is the SA80. A bullpup design where the magazine - the detachabke box that hold the bullets - is mounted behind the trigger group and not forward of it. This allows the weapon to be shorter and more maneuverable in tight places - ie buildings and vehicles. Unfortunately, the shorter length poses a unique problem in how to carry it during a ceremonial march. Normally, a long gun is carried over the shoulder as the 'Mericans do or it is tucked into the shoulder and held in ace by holding the pistol grip. The British soldiers were carrying their arms in their right hand reversed - butt forward, inverted - the magazine pointed up and gripping the muzzle with their left hand passing behind their back. Talk about super awkward. I'm sure that many of the troops, after slow marching five kilometers to Her final replace, were thinking, "Thank God this is over!" I know I would have been thinking it!

23 Sep 22

08:00 hrs

     I'm off today and so my Better Half and I are going to spend some time doing stuff today. I've been working non stop providing security assistance for contractors and she has been working non stop running the Wayward Inn and looking after the Oma-nator. So, this will be fun.

     It's an overcast day, which is nice since we have had little precipitation in the past couple of months. 

     On the international scene, Poo-tin is trying to round up 300K bodies to send to the war with Ukraine. Those in Russia who know the truth about the conflict do not support the war. Individuals who are protesting the conflict are being jailed. They're going to be underarmed and undertrained and when the face the Ukrainians they will be dead. In Iran at young lady was detained and died in the custody of the country's Morality Police for not properly wearing he hijab. Now millions of people are protesting in the streets, women are cutting their hair and burning their hijabs. 

     I have noticed that the new hotel being built by the casino is moving along nicely. What is needed is a hotel on our side of the bay. Sure, there are plenty of B&B's but there is only one motel here in Comox and often quite a few rooms are set aside as housing for substance abusers. I would like to see another place built here but the majority of the Valley's restaurants are not on this side of the bay.

24 Sep 22

05:15 hrs

     The autumn is here. The sun is slow to get out of bed and the leaves are turning colour. Here on the Left Coast we don't have the bright palette of the Eastern hardwoods but what we do have has quite the splash on the Beauforts. 

     I'm up to prep for work. The speed of the projects are accelerating. In a weeks time the work will continue through the night. Graveyard shift to be precise.

25 Sep 22

07:00 hrs

     Yesterday morning I was tossing out a heavy bag of garbage and I lifted the bag incorrectly straining my right rotator cuff. Having blown out the left one last year I knew how much this will pain me. I immediately began some remedial exercises. It was a short day and when I got home I doubled down on some meds and then racked out for three hours. After supper, a walk, a shower and more meds I racked out again. This morning my shoulder is still tender and I'll have to go easy on it for a few days.

     There's a rumour afoot that the Chinese leader Xi may be under house arrest and may be deposed. The country is in lockdown. Of course, being that this is China anything is possible. I'm sure the Western intelligence agencies are trying their best to have a peek behind the Great Wall. How much intel they are going to be able gather is up for debate as China has been a mosr secretive country since forever. I expect an announcement one way or another in the next week or so.

     In the past week I've noticed a few more restaurants have closed up shop. The shawarma shop is now shuttered as is the Cornerstone. The Cornerstone was a rather interesting spot with local musicians, interesting meals and numerous craft beers. I know that many restaurants, not just here but across the province and country, were tested by the Beer Flu. Many failed and closed up. Some did not. Maybe it wasn't the Beer Flu. Maybe the owners said screw it and closed up tossing their staff to the street. Some owners are assholes. I wouldn't be surprised.

     On a final note, our Jr. Loin Fruit has been graded again and he achieved the Second Dan (level) in karate. We are all very proud of him.

     

Rainbows and kitten kisses

30 Aug 22

19:45 hrs

     Well Kidlettes, it would seem that quite a number of my Dear Readers had read my previous blog and thought that I was depressed, hard done by or just plain sad. I hate to tell you this but I wasn't angry I was just saying that I'm getting older - who isn't  - and I was just mentioning things that irked me. That's all. So, to put everyone at ease I will endeavor to drop the negativity and try to look more on the positive side. How does that sound?

     The Valley is still looking for some precipitation. It rained for about twenty minutes last weekend. Certainly not enough to keep the forest wet by any means.

01 Sep 22

04:45 hrs

     Yes, I am awake. 

     And.....I'll be taking a travel mug of espresso to work.

     Everyone in the Valley - and probably the entire Great White North  - is looking forward to this holiday weekend. Children hate it because it marks the end of summer. Parents love it because it marks the start of start of the school year. Regardless of where you live please remember to check your speed when approaching, driving through and exiting school zones. I would suggest that when possible use alternative routes to avoid school zones altogether. The Jr. Loin Fruit will also be heading back to the local college for a fully loaded semester.

     The nights a growing longer and the daytime high temos are bleeding off some at night. Just enough to have dew forming every night. 

02 Sep 22

05:45 hrs

     I'm up at the crack of dawn. Only dawn hasn't arrived yet. The nights are getting longer and the sun will be rising as I'm driving into work. That's also when our local Bambi population is out on the roads too.

06:45 hrs

     I'm at work and the sun is just coming over the peaks of the coastal range mountains on the Other Side of the salt chuck. A huge orange ball. It cooled off enough last night that we have ground fog in the low areas of the runways. I would love to take a photo of it but photography is strictly Verboten. 

03 Sep 22

07:15 hrs

     Good Morning Campers. I trust you all had a good rest last night. I did. I finally got more than five hours of sleep  but I know it's not enough. I'll try to grab a nap later. 

     I have a couple of chores to do today. I have to finish remodeling the Princess Ensuite. The shower doors are coming off, the upper track will be removed and a regular shower curtain and rod will be installed. This is being done to make it easier for the Oma-nator to take a shower. I've asked the Couch Monkeys to give me a hand. Hopefully we can complete the task without too many complications. 

     Have you heard of the James Webb telescope? Many years ago the Space Guys in the Hugh-ess sent the Hubble telescope up into an Earth orbit. Free from the light and fossil fuel pollution Hubble gave us some amazing views of the stars. However, this new piece of kit is showing the world things that people have only dreamed of. The James Webb unit was designed to look for exo-planets. Exo-planets are those planets that are more likely to have some form of life on them. I guess we're tired of being alone. 

     I saw on the weather channel that after this weekend there will be a 24°C temperature drop in Cowtown. Once that happens summer will be definitely be over for my L'il Sis. 

04 Sep 22

07:30 hrs

     We had run last night with a promise of more rain today. My Lobster is ecstatic! When I had pulled the plug in the Peg I could have moved anywhere in the country. We discussed what our requirements would be post-service and one thing that stood out was that she wanted to move someplace where it rained a lot but got little snow. Having lived on The Rock earlier in my career I knew that it was the perfect spot for us. And here we are almost twenty years later.

     I made muffins this morning. They started out as coffee cake muffins but I added some grated carrot and chopped pecans and then I ran out of batter so I mixed up some basic muffin mix and added the rest of the filling mixture. Baking is supposed to be a science. Well, not today it isn't. If they turn out to be edible I'm calling them Everything but the Kitchen Sink muffins.

     I've been reading alot of books lately and not just my well thumbed old standbys. The Sage had given me a copy of Bill Browder's second book, Freezing Order. Bill Browder had brought high finance and world banking to Russia after The WALL fell in the early 90's. He made money. The Russians made money - lots of money. But, as everyone knows money is power and when combined together people will get greedy. As a result the oligarchs,  protected by Putin, began to cheat, rob, plunder and murder their way for greater acquisitions. Some their corporate takeovers were Browder's clients so he fought back - legally. This resulted in the Russians - Putin - going after him. Browder fled Russia and his Russian lawyer - Sergei Magnitsky - stayed to fight the cases. Sergei was jailed on some bogus charge. He was starved and eventually beaten to death in a Russian prison when he wouldn't sign a false confession. Browder's first book was Red Notice and it detailed most of what I just told you. The second book, Freezing Order, continues with the story of Putin's attempts to have Browder arrested and deported to Russia. Oh, and did I mention the hit squads? If you haven't read them I suggest you head to your local library or book store. Both are well worth the read.

     Another book that I have been slogging though is Stanley Tucci's book Taste. Tucci is an actor but he is a huge foodie. The big difference between him and me is that he has the means to live in England, travel the globe for work and dine on everything that simple or decadent or plain or extravagant. I, on the other hand, must be content with our own dining creations - and I am - and salivate when I read the gastronomic tomes.

17:30 hrs

     It's Greek night at the Wayward Inn.  The Jr. Loin Fruit is making homemade pita bread things, my Better Half has made a Greek salad, I have chicken stickits on tbe Flame Pit and I think there's some other stuff too. All in all it will be quite the feast. Tomorrow my Lobster and I will head up to Paradise Meadows for a walk in the woods. Watch for pictures.

Literally!?

16 Aug 22

09:45 hrs

     What the hell is going on? Over and over and over again I am hearing this word falling out of the mouths of everyone - "LITERALLY." As in - I literally crapped my pants when I saw the bus almost hit my car! Or, I literally died when I saw the cost off...  Sounds bullshit to me.

     When listening to this verbal diarrhea you have to ask the question - Did you really (actually) crap your pants? No? Would it not be better to state - "I nearly (but not quite) crapped my pants" - ? 

     And people from all walks of life fall back to the comforting embrace of the illiterate dullard. My Lobster and the Oma-nator were just watching some mindless talent spotting program, although not as entertaining as Spot the Brain Cell, where the host was talking about the next acts appearing on stage. By his verbiage I knew that he was using the Ebonics phrase of aksed (or axed) as in "He aksed me a question". Ah yes, Ebonics - the curriculum created by teachers who gave up on kids who couldn't read or speak English so everyone gets a pass.

17 Aug 22

20:30 hrs

     Our Jr. Couch Monkey headed to the gym on foot in +30°C weather. Crazy. When he returned to the Wayward Inn he told us that the air circulation was minimal at best and with all the 'roided up gym rats dripping of sweat the atmosphere was hanging like so much low fruit.

     I heard through the grapevine that my partner from my Dog Chasing days is in hospital in Hub City. I don't quite understand the issue is but he's been laid up for a while. He's a good guy, ex-Queen's Cowboy, and we had worked well together. I would only hope that he would be concerned if the roles were reversed.

28 Aug 22

10:30 hrs

     Nce again I've been remiss in my duties. I know I should be writing more often and I haven't been. I'll have to make a more concerted effort. 

     The summer is almost over and with all of the travelling and work I have not been out camping nor Out in the Weeds. My Friend from Over the Hump has been busy with his own issues so we have only been out a couple of times to drown some worms. I've asked Gordo if wants to go but he's about to head to the Family Hideaway which is somewhere near Lake Soup in Ontari-ari-ari-oh. He'll be gone a month and while he's gone I will be putting a lot of hours on the airfield. Gordo has the same quals that I do so we are often paired up on the larger jobs. Another workmate, who is just as qualified, has decided to pull the pin and move to the Interior. He will be hard to replace and he will be missed.

     My Lobster just mentioned that All Hallow's Eve is only two months away. For me it means that I have to pull out the buckets of decorations and set it up. 

     From the Lower Mainland some guy, Singh something or other, decided that he could ignore the fact that he needed to have a building permit. The city had ordered a cease and desist order but he ignored it and continued with the construction. Now, after losing the court case, he has been ordered to demolish all that had built, plant trees to replace those he had illegally cut down and pay a fine. Sucks to be him. In India, a developer was forced to implode two 300+ foot tall apartment towers that he had built because he did not have the necessary permits. Sucks to be him too.

     The cook book is progressing slowly. But, it is progressing. I'm adding some dessert recipes as well. Hopefully,  it will be ready by Christmas. 

     Well Dear Readers, that's about it for now. Take care. Drop me a line.

Back in the Valley

01 Aug 22

09:45 hrs

     Yes, I am back at the Wayward Inn. I've been back for a week. After a round trip of 2446 km the Ram's fuel mileage was 11.2 ltr/100km or 25 miles/imp gal. The best mileage I had was 10.4 ltr/100 km or 27miles per Imperial gal. I know that's crazy, right? But, the numbers don't lie.

     After the internment at the Grid Ref. everyone dispersed to the four points of the compass. The surviving Sage went east with her brother to The Peg and L'il Sis headed west for Cowtown at Oh-Dark-30. I was invited to my youngest uncle's summer residence on Lake Dief. I spent three nights there. I met a couple of his cohorts - The Mexican and Shrek - who are pretty good neighbour's. The last night there I caught two walleye. It had been years since I had fished for them. Pretty sweet. 

     On Thursday I drove from Lake Dief to St. Albert to see Slam and Em. I hadn't seen them since they surprised the crap out of me at the Sr. Sage's service last year. The rum was certainly flowing this year. I spent one night at their house and the one night at the Taj-ma-Trailer. Campfire, finger food, more rum. That's the life. The following morning I headed farther west along the Yellowhead to K'loops. I had arranged for a one night billet with an old family friend. She and her husband have the original Wayward Inn. For as long as I have known her - going on some 50 years - their house was always a safe and welcoming place for great many people from all walks of life. 

08 Aug 22

06:30 hrs

     Life has been a whirlwind at the Wayward Inn. The Couch Monkeys have been busy, my Better Half has been busy and yours truly has been busy too! Even the Oma-nator, in her own way, has been busy as well. 

     The new book - How to Cook your way Out of a Wet Paper Bag! - is coming  along fairly well. I'll keep plugging away at it. The Couch Monkeys and my Lobster have assisted me in suggesting additional recipes. Of course, all of the recipes, well most of them, will have to be tested for their accuracy and completeness. 

10 Aug 22

07:30 hrs.

     The other day our Sr. Loin Fruit recieved a letter from the college. After all of his exams it appears that he was the Top Dog and made the Dean's List. We are all so proud of him and I'm sure his accomplishment has been a real boost to his self confidence. Now he has to find a company to apprentice with before he goes back to school. He still has a few years of schooling to go but the rewards will be worth the hard work.

     Down in the Hugh-ess the Federales went to the Tangerine Tyrant's residence to retrieve documents that he was no longer authorized to retain. When he, the Orange Shit-gibbon, was ousted he felt that he was entitled to keep whatever he wanted. Nobody in his orbit would ever say that he couldn't eventhough they all knew it was illegal to do so. Well, the chickens have come home to roost and this will just add an additional criminal investigation into his actions. But, the interesting thing about all of this is if he is found guilty of not properly storing or destroying classified documents he could be barred from running for any political office. Not president, not postmaster,  not even dog catcher. 

     The grounds of the old hospital are still being transformed into a Dimentia Village. I don't recall how many patients it will house but the plan is to have an enclosed village where the patients can wander into shops and cafés and gathering places in complete safety. It's an impressive plan that has had success in other places. Completion date is farther down the road but it can't be soon enough. 

     That's about it Kidlettes. I'm sorry this has taken so long and I will endeavor to increase my scribbling.

The Road Trip continues...

15 Jul.22

10:45 hrs

     The Sage and I made it to Cowtown with few incidents and no fanfare. Spent the night at L'il Sis's place. Hotter than Hell here and the traffic is insane. Cowtown has 1.2 million residents and there are more moving here every day. Tomorrow we will head out to the Badlands where this rolling circus will add one more vehicle to the convoy.

16 Jul 22

06:45 hrs

     The Beast is hungry. I scoped out the continental breakfast selection yesterday and it is geared to send my numbers up so I'll have to be careful.

21:30 hrs

     The road trip from The Badlands to The Big Why was via Saskabush was a bit of a schmozzle. I was unable to keep tabs on L'il Sis as she weaved through traffic. The first time I was not given our destination address but was told to just follow me. Not that the address would have done me any good as it is a new build and the street isn't in Garmin's data base. The second time occurred coming into Saskabush. The game plan was to hit the first mall so the Sage could purchase some flowers. Not a problem. I was following a car, of the same make, model and colour as the Sage's,  and it turned into the first mall we came to. That's when my phone rang. I parked and answered Li'l Sis. Evidently, I drove right past them. I told them where I was and they came to meet me. I pointed out the stores where they may find flowers and I left.  I had the coordinates of our last destination plugged in so I headed off. I was done being the follower. 

     None of what happened needed to occur in the first place if the lead vehicle - the leader - had ensured that all the parties involved knew the destination and had driven in such a manner so the follower(s) would have no issue keeping track of the lead car - ie.  Don't continually pass the vehicles in front if the follower(s) can't maintain a position behind you. If you can't see the people you're leading they probably can't see you so pull over and wait for them to catch up.

     At the Big Why, everyone had discovered deficiencies in their rooms. It's plus 1000 degrees outside and the rooms prepped for us did not have the A/C running or the fridges cooled down. TV's don't work right, burned out bulbs and no batteries in some smoke detectors. This place will not fair well on trip advisor. And it's the best place in the Big Why.

Almost ready...

11 Jul 22

05:30 hrs

     It's the day before The Big Road Trip. I'm almost ready. The box has been built for the back of the Ram. I would say it's 85% complete. I have a couple of access doors and the top lid to complete when I get back and I have one light that's snagged. But, my electric cooler system works with power from either the STAB -srand alone battery or the Ram. I just have to mount the voltage regulator for the solar panel. It may not be pretty but it's functional. 

     I still have to pack. It won't take long. I was used to through clothes in a bag and heading out the door at moments notice. A lot of my coworkers used have an away bag packed at all times. Some people I know now have a bug out bag packed as well. One friend used to live in the Downtown Eastside and he kept a bag with enough clothes, food and equipment including a temporary shelter to last several days. Smart.

     I've been watching a program called Taboo on Netflix. Set in 1810 - give or take a few years - it revolves around the ownership of Nootka Sound - the Big Island on the Left Coast - and the settlement of the border between the Hugh-ess and the Great White North. Great acting, excellent costumes and rather riveting. 

12 Jul 22

05:25 hrs

     I am in Hub City. I left the Wayward Inn at about 04:00 hrs and cleared the Valley at 04:15 hrs. The power supply system for the cooler works great. Just to be on the safe side I had it plugged into shore power through the night. My Lobster rolled over as I departed and reminded me to unplug the system before I drove away. Good idea. 

     I had finished packing the Ram yesterday. The Oma-nator asked my Better Half if she had packed my suitcases. She's so cute. In all of our years together I don't remember if my Lobster had ever packed my luggage. Whenever tbe Oma-nator and her Better Half ever went on a trip it was her responsibility to pack everything and if anything was forgotten it fell on her head. There is a way to handle that. One man! One kit! You look after your own shit! 

14 Jul 22

05:00 hrs.

     I'm at the Sage's place and in the next couple of hours we will be departing for the next stop on the Grand Tour, Cowtown. I'll be driving the Ram and the Sage will be driving her own automobile. The plan is to stop someplace between here and there and have a packed lunch. We'll be staying at L'il Sis's place and then on Friday we're heading for the Hoodoo's where they, along with a passenger they're picking up enroute and some relatives dropping down from the Big Perogie, are going to the Passion Play. Not me! I'm going to look for dinosaurs. By the way, I have the honor of transporting the Senior Sage to his final resting place. 

     I'm tracking my fuel consumption for each leg of the trip and the overall distance. So far, from the Wayward Inn to here the Ram used 11.4 ltr/100km. That translates to 33.20 km/US gal or 20.63 m/US gal or 24.78 m/Imp gal. Impressive.