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.

Hello there...

25 Oct 22

06:45 hrs

     Good Morning Dear Readers, 

     It is is I, your faithful scribe, bringing you the news and views from the Left Coast. A bunch of stuff has happened in tbe past couple of weeks. So let's get to it, shall we?

     Last week my Lobster and I took a sojourn to the far side of The Rock for a much needed break. The two of us hadn't been away together, just the two of us, for several years and when the ability to do so appeared before us we jumped at the chance. My Better Half had learned that we could get respite care for the Oma-nator at a local facility where she had attended for a supper club and a day program. We, meaning she, talked it over with her and we, meaning the whole family, worked at alleviating her fears (primarily of what the menu would encompass). So, last Tuesday the Oma-nator was shown to her residence for the week and we boarded The Ram for our trip. First we drove Over the Hump, with a shopping stop at Goats on the Roof, to stay at our friends place. We stayed the night and late the following morning we wound our way through road construction and Sutton Pass to the far Left Coast. The trip was good with only a couple of minor delays due to the road construction. 

     Overall our trip was great. We walked trails, beaches and around the two towns that anchor the ends of the peninsula. The place we stayed at has a kitchen so we brought  some food and purchased some other stuff. And, we brought the crib board, naturally. Our trip home took just shy of three hours including a stop at the Port for some growlies. The following day we retrieved the Oma-nator and brought her home. She said her stay was enjoyable except for the food, which is not surprising but she was happy to be home.

26 Oct 22

23:00 hrs

     I'm back into work. Graveyards. Last night I did 11.5 hours and when I got back to the Wayward Inn it was time for a shower and bed. I got up at 19:00, ate supper, made a lunch, a pot of roof tar, played a game of crib with my Lobster,  got dressed and left at 22:00 to refuel the Ram and get into work. Two more nights. Tonight and tomorrow night. Friday I'm off. On Saturday my Friend from Over the Hump is joining my in attending the 1st Annual Bindercon. It is a sasquatch conference taking place here in the Valley to honor Dr. John Bindernagel, a biologist who had studied sasquatches for many many years who had passed away several years ago. He penned two books on the subject, the second of which was aimed directly at his peers who, like most scientists, refuse to give accreditation to the existence of such a creature. 

     John had attended the expedition I hosted in 2007. It was the first time I had met him. The expedition was successful with numerous Class B incidents. If you would like to learn what a Class A or B incident is you can go to www.bfro.net or read Wood Knocks and Tossed Rocks, available on Amazon. At the conference John's son will be bringing parts of his father's collection of footprint casts and there will be other guest speakers. I have not been invited to speak eventhough I have been an investigator since 2006. I believe the organizer does not know me. But,  I think there will be an open mic so I may have an opportunity to talk about the subject.

     Winter has arrived here in the Valley. While we were away the temperature dropped shocking the trees to start shedding their leaves. Now we are expecting not one but two atmospheric rivers to hit The Rock. We will receive a small amount of rain but other side of the Island is going to get 100+mm of the wet stuff. From the rain we have has over the past couple of nights the Beauforts have began gathering snow. The local ski hill, sitting at 5300 feet, has its first dusting but the glacier at 6430 feet is now covered in a brilliant white blanket. The word is this winter will be colder and wetter. I may have to invest in a snowblower because I'm not getting any younger and the Couch Monkeys will not be living with us forever and there goes my labour force. 

     Well Kidlettes, that's about all that have for you. If you have any comments or questions please drop me a line.

Spooky

16 Oct 22

09:30 hrs. 

     I don't know how many of you have ever seen the series "Dead Like Me". It was on in the early 2000's and starred Mandy Patinkin. The actors were portraying  people who had died and because they did not have enough "points" to get into Heaven they had to work as reapers - taking the soul of the newly dead and ensuring that it was on the right Path to the Pearly Gates. To perform this feat the Reaper mearly has to brush their hand on the soon to be departed arm or shoulder or body part that is convenient. Once the "accident" takes place the spirit arises and is directed in the right direction. It truly was an interesting series that unfortunately lasted only two seasons. 

     Anyways, when my Better Half and I play cribbage and I am cutting the deck for the turn card, she reaches across and runs her hand down my arm and over my hand that is cutting the deck. The question is twofold: Is she stroking my arm to impart some luck? Doubtful. Or, is she slowly reaping my soul one game of cribbage at a time?

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.