Time Flies

13 June 23

06:30 hrs

     Yes,  it has been a month since I have last written anything in the blog. And, it is not because nothing has happened at the Wayward Inn. Nor, has it been because I have been to busy to write. It's because I have been too lazy to write anything. For that, I am apologizing, yet again, to those of you who actually follow this diatribe.

     So, where are we?

     

     Well, my trip to the Interior was a success. The 1st Annual Nicola Valley Bigfoot Conference was great with old and new friends alike in attendance. I had a vendor's table and sold a bunch of books and crests. Next year I'll have more of a display. My next stop was at the Sage's place. I was there for Mother's Day and through the following week repairing stuff that needed some attention. I departed on the Saturday with a reservation for the BC Navy. This was the long weekend in May and if you didn't have a reservation to board the boat then too bad for you. Common Dog only goes so far.

14 Jun 24

10:10 hrs

     I'm in the Access Centre. It's mostly DMV so line ups are the norm. I have to drop of a form from my doctor saying it's okay for me to drive at night. When I had renewed my DL the clerk spotted my diabetes button so I had to get this form signed and then return it. Medical exam lasting 10 mikes - $225. Over a barrel.

     We had a water fountain that crapped put and I replaced the pump with a solar pump. I had removed the pump for the winter but the fountain itself had remained outside. Over the winter, minute cracks had developed and as hard as u tried I could not get it to stop leaking. So, Plan B. My Lobster and I found an interesting piece of driftwood and I am building a new water fountain. It'll be about four feet tall with water cascading through several small pails attached to the upright driftwood piece. There are some really interesting voids where roots had once been attached.  Those I am filling with epoxy. There is also an interesting twist, in what used to be the roots, that looks like an animal's head. I'm going to inset a coloured bead where the eye would have been. All of the wood will be coated in several coats of varathane. It's another project. 

     Last week my Better Half decided she wanted a storage shed for keeping the lawn mower and other stuff where she could access it. She was tired of digging it out of my shop. Or, The Death Trap, as she calls it. It was one of those pre-fab molded plastic units that is supposed to just snap together. Not. Three days of cursing and it was finished. Piece of Cake! Not!

     The family will be travelling to the Nation's Capital to intern the Oma-nator's ashes. There will be a mass followed by the placing of the urn. We'll be there for a week visiting relatives and seeing the sights. Both Couch Monkeys are coming. After the first week the Sr. Loin Fruit will fly home and the rest of us will travel via Via Rail to Q City to visit an old friend the we will double back to the Big Poutine for a few days before winging our way back to the Left Coast. Big adventures for all. And I believe that this will he the first time one of the boys will be travelling by themselves, at least for part of the journey. It's about bloody time.

     Have you heard of these idiots who call themselves Sovereign Citizens ?  These are almost always You-Alls but there are some clowns here in from Canuckistan that cotton to the notion as well. Plainly, these people have been drinking deep from the purple Kool-aid jug because they believe, strongly believe, that just because they divorce themselves from ALL government legislation and regulations they do not have to pay taxes, obtain licenses or insurance or obey the law. The problems usually start when Freeman Bubba Jim gets pulled over for making an illegal turn and when the the officer asks for ID the SovCit refuses to comply and starts spouting allow the conspiracy laden misinformation that he has consumed over the past twenty plus years of Fox New indoctrination. Non-compliance often leads to violence which leads to non-lethal electric immobilization and eventually incarceration. So, look these numpties up on  YouTube, grab yourself a bowl of popcorn and have a laugh.

19 Jun 23

08:15 hrs

     Yesterday was Father's Day.  My Lobster and the Loin Fruits took me out for brunch at a local spot. We've been there before and it's usually pretty good but yesterday the place was packed. As a result the kitchen staff was slammed and the quality of the food dropped immeasurably. Both myself and my Better Half ordered a Benny with mediun poached eggs. That's what a Benny is all about, to have that rich warm egg yolk run and mix with the sauce only to be sopped up by the English muffin. Both of us received hard poached eggs. Who in the hell orders a hard poached egg? No one, that's who. I couldn't finish mine and when we pointed out the issue and the server took my plate off the bill. Will go back? Sure, but not when it's is so busy. Some kitchen brigades just can't handle being crushed.

     Today, our Jr. Loin Fruit is having his grad ceremony. We already knew that he had great marks but just last week we also learned that he has made the Dean's List for the college. Outstanding! This afternoon we will assemble at a local civic theater and watch as he crosses the stage to receive his award.

     The Saskatoon berry's at the Wayward Inn have produced a huge crop. As they ripen I'm harvesting them and dropping them into the freezer. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough for a pie this year. I may have to share. And I guess that I should share as my doctor would not want me to eat all of that sugar. 

     The water fountain has been rebuilt but the pump, which had failed a few years back and that I had replace with a solar pump is not working. I'll try to de-snag it but if I can't then I'll buy a new one. They're pretty cheap on Amazon. 

     Well Kidlettes,  that's about it. Take care and if I'm dragging my heels again just give me a nudge.

Another Minor Road Trip

11 May 23

12:55 hrs

     I'm down in Capital City having driven the Jr. Loin Fruit to an appointment with the Recruiters. We departed the Wayward Inn at 07:00 and arrived at 09:30. That's just crazy timing and The Ram only used 1/4 of a tank. Jr. has gone to his appointment and I'm reading a novel. Therefore sense in driving to another location where thermal not be parking. It's better to stay put and feed the meter. Besides, he's young and can walk. 

     Have you seen the new colour of some of the vehicles on the road. My Lobster calls it putty and she's right. An awful sandy muddy brownish colour. Looks like something that fell out of the North end of a Dalmatian heading South. 

     Tomorrow I'm heading out on my other trip. Grabbing the boat to mainland and then a three hour drive to the Nicola Valley Bigfoot Conference. Then, on Mother's Day, I'll drive to the Sage's place for a week, or there abouts. 

     The cookbook is nearly done. Only a couple of recipes to input. My Better Half's Travelling Cuz'n gave up a classic puntenesca sauce which I'll include.

     Well Kidlettes,  this is just a short note.

Take care. More later.

A Minor Roadtrip

26 Apr 23

11:15 hrs

     With the Better Half not working due to the current federal job action it was decided that we would take a road trip to Hub City to see the Onion. We packed a lunch for the three of us. The trip down was good except the twenty plus minutes spent getting past the Nanoose choke point where construction had the traffic backed up. Construction that could have easily been done at night. Some companies will do such work at night but charge extra to do so. The question is do you pay the extra cash or piss off tens of thousands of drivers? 

27 Apr 23

10:15 hrs

     The trip back yesterday was uneventful. I noticed the traffic line up to get past the choke point on the other side of the freeway was even bigger when we had been in it. I would guesstimate it to be three or more kilometers long. And it wasn't moving. Heading North there's another section of road work that we had to detour around but we were nearly home by that point.

     Today, if I can get to it, I'll work on tbe Catio some more. I have one more platform and the sky walk to build. I need to get it done as I'll be tackling the Mobile Wayward Inn. It has to be cleaned, scrubbed and inspected. The last time it was used was when I hosted the 2020 BFRO Expedition.

01 May 23

08:00 hrs

     The PSAC strike is over. Now I have to wait until the contractors are scheduled to get back to work so I can get back to work. In the meantime the Catio is getting closer to being done and then my attention will move to the Mobile Wayward Inn as we are booked to head North for the beginning of June. Our Friends from Over the Hump will be joining us. The Loin Fruits will be staying home to look after the Beasts. 

     I have sixty copies of my book to take to Merritt. Hopefully, I sell them all. And maybe get some online sales as well. Wish me luck. 

     Well Campers,that's about it. Take care and have fun.

The Slide

08 Apr 23

08:45 hrs

     Happy Easter Campers!

     How do you celebrate Easter? Or do you celebrate Easter? I shouldn't be so pretentious as to think that Easter is the only celebration during this time frame as some of you may be celebrating Ramadan or Passover. Here at the Wayward Inn, Chef Blaine and Sous Irene like to cook a spiral ham and then use the leftover ham to make a couple of Wife Saver casseroles. Of course, the Holiday would not be complete without watching Charleton Heston in The Ten Commandments. It's one of my favourites. I don't know how many times I've watched it but I have my own Blu-ray copy just incase, which is good 

15:30 hrs

     The weather here in the Valley is quite horrible. Heavy winds and rain. We were driving downtown today and the smell of fresh seaweed thrown onto the shore was extremely strong. Strong enough for both of us to comment on it. 

     I'm going to work more on the Catio in the coming days as Mr. Wilson has taken to climbing the screen and that can be dangerous. If he was to fall with a paw still stuck in the screen it could easily result in a broken leg. Not good. So, I'll make some platforms, a ladder (of sorts) and a caged tunnel. That should keep them busy.

     The large housing project - duplexes and triplets - is nearing completion. Each unit is a town house. Two storeys and a basement. I have no idea what they'll be priced at but my Better Half, who has better realty sense than myself, thinks they'll be priced around 650K each. Yes, housing prices are still stupid. No wonder Couch Monkeys are hanging around for so long and it'll be awhile before they can afford their own place. 

09 Apr 23

14:45 hrs

     Today has been a crap day. Not just the weather,  which has Left Coast Liquid Sunshine falling in record amounts being driven in at a 35° angle, but the Oma-nator's health has taken a turn for the worse. It has always been slowly diminishing but on Friday, right after our three games of Trouble following breakfast, she said she was tired and wanted to lay down. She hasn't been up since. Everyone is pitching in. Medical staff has been in and out and will continue to do so until the end. Yes, it is sad and we will all grieve in our own way and in our own time. But, this is what she wanted...to pass away at home and not in a hospital hooked up to machines, being pestered by strangers, fed generic stuff that was not made with love and not having her family nearby.

     Oddly enough, the cats - both Jack and Mr. Wilson - have both been lying on her bed, which have never done.

19 Apr 23

07:00 hrs

     Hello Kidlettes!

     Today marks a week and a day since the Oma-nator left our family. My Lobster and myself were at her bedside at the Wayward Inn when she passed. As you can imagine it has been difficult for all of us. My Better Half has been doing all of the leg work that comes with a death in a family. The Loin Fruits and myself have been assisting as much as we can with anything she asks of us. We all miss her terribly and for myself I miss passing by her room and not seeing her sitting in her chair knitting another dish cloth or playing Trouble after a meal - we played about 6,500 games since she had moved in - or listening to her remind me that she doesn't want any onions in her food. I'm happy that she is no longer in pain and u will remember the joy that brought to all of us.

    

Things You Do....

04 Mar 23

18:15 hrs

     March has come in like a lion. Rain. Snow. Wind. And more snow. Li'l Sis says that Cowtown is supposed get another dump of the white stuff next week and to be honest I thought that we were done with it too. Nope. And at the same time we got word - and photos - of a big dump in our Nation's Capital and along Lake Ontari-ari-ari-oh. That's okay. It looks good on  them. 

     Our Jr. Couch Monkey has been house and cat sitting for Sensei as he and his Lobster had to return to Jolly Olde UK for some family business. This is an interesting experiment for both of us and him. Kind of like a window of what it will be like once he's gone for Boot Camp. His grades for his last two courses are into the 90's. We're pretty impressed. 

19:45 hrs.

     I just looked outside and tbe snow is getting deeper. It looks wet, heavy and sticky. Earlier today my Better Half and I had to carry out a friendship task. You know what that is, right? That's when a good friend asks you to assist or complete a job for them. And they have asked you because they know that you are capable of doing said job and they wouldn't have asked you if they didn't have to but they are so you have to stand up to be counted or else. Roles reversed they'd roll up their sleeves and pitch in. It's what real friends do. Our task was to move their travel trailer some 30km from where one of their Couch Monkeys was residing to a storage lot. Our friends reside in the Big Perogie otherwise they'd do the job themselves. They know that we have the Mobile Wayward Inn and therefore asked of we could help. Naturally, we would. Timings for the task were eventually set in place.

We knew that their trailer was 4 feet longer than ours and probably heavier than ours. But, by how much? We found out once we got hooked up. The nose of the Ram was sky high.

17 Mar 23

19:30 hrs

     And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

     I am such a shit. I've so busy trying to get work done, and cook book writing done, and the Honey-Do list tackled (including the Catio) and work on upcoming projects that I have not had time for you Dear Readers. I really have a list of stuff. So please bear with me.

24 Mar 23

21:25 hrs

     I feel like an errant parent. Neglecting those in my charge.

     The Catio is under construction. I can only work on it when the Oma-nator isn't napping. My Better Half and the Couch Monkeys have helped. I just have four cross members, the screening and the door to put on. Of course,  I'll have to build ramps, platforms and elevated walkways for the little furballs too. But, it'll be grand when I'm done. 

     Another month and the Jr. Loin Fruit will be done his schooling and will be off on his next big adventure. Good on him. Go see the world. Maybe by then the cookbook will be done. I've got a half dozen recipes to add and that'll be it. Something like sixty recipes, plus hints, plus kitchen education. May not be a best seller but I've enjoyed writing it.

     The Better Half has noticed more houses up for sale here in the Valley.  More specifically in our neighborhood. I wish the Albertans would move. Really can stand them.

27 Mar 23

09:00 hrs

     The Catio has been completed. Both Couch Monkeys and my Better Half assisted in the construction for which I am truly thankful. We let them,Mr. Wilson and Jack, out into the room. Wilson is interested but Jack is more hesitant. Once the weather gets nicer and we start sitting outside I'm sure Jack will be spending more time outside. He's really attached to my Lobster and accompanies her throughout the night when she checks in on the Oma-nator.

     So, what's the next project at the Wayward Inn? Taxes and the cookbook. 

     Our youngest had to replace his windshield wipers and was going to bookan appointment with a garage. I should have let him. It would have cost him over $150 just to replace the blades. I had to go out to get something so I went to Crappy Tire and picked up a set of blades for his car. Later I showed him how to install them. I only charged him for the blades and not the lesson 

     We haven't seen the Sensei and his Lobster since their return from overseas. It turns out that some horse's ass who went to the funeral wasn't vaccinated and eventhough our friends are they still caught the Beer Flu. They have quarantined themselves. It's been a couple of weeks so far and I have no idea how much longer it will last. 

     Our two Loin Fruits are both a bit under the weather so my Better Half wants me to make Man Cold Soup for them. I will also take a look for some chicken parts because I'll make creamed chicken tomorrow. 

     There has been a bit of a shake up at work. The Big Boss, aka The Olde Man, is cheaping out. Rumour has it that the company that I work for is giving everyone a raise but our client - CFB Lompoc - is trying save some monies by closing down three positions. The amount of money saved is less that what is spent on fuel for two days of flight training. And, the positions that are required. Well, there will be a huge shit show in the coming weeks and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

     That's about all the news there is for now. I'll try to be on top of this more.

And, Good Morning...

09 Feb 23

07:45 hrs

     Hello Kidlettes,

     How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Here on the Left Coast we have rain, which is to say, it's a typical winter day. Not having any precip would be both odd and a blessing. But, if the temp is cool enough (7°C or cooler) in the Valley then the Beauforts will continue to gather snow on their shoulders which means a much less chance of a forest fire in the summer. And you know it's kind of nice come June, July and sometimes into August to look up and still see pockets of snow hiding in the shadows. 

     We have some construction plans for the Wayward Inn. My Better Half has implored me to build a Catio onto the house. We hashed out some ideas and the simplest thing would be to screen in the back deck with another door to access the rest of the yard and the Flame Pit. We are also looking at extending the roof from above the back deck to cover a portion of the lower deck. This would provide some  additional shade in the backyard. The first project will not need a building permit. The second one will. Additional projects include some landscaping a repairing or replacing the back fence. 

     I think I have all of the recipes needed for the cookbook. I'm still working on the scratch copy and rough draft. I have no real time frame but I'm hoping to get it out sooner than later. There were two other book projects that I had initially started but I may have to drop. One was about the lessons learned from one's parents. It has been shelved as I couldn't any input from my relatives. The other has to be totally rewritten as a fictional book to appease the Powers that Be. There is no sense in getting sued when you don't have too. 

     My Lobster's BDay is this coming weekend. Awhile back I had asked her what she wanted and she replied that I had bought her a copy of the new book in the series that she likes and some of the scented soaps and lotions that she enjoys. I didn't know I was so dialed in. On another note it will be the Oma-nator's 90th BDay on the 24th of this month. My Lobster had sent out an appeal to all of the relatives and close FB friends to send a card. We are withholding the cards until the 23rd when we will give them all to her at once. There is also a plan to have a bit of a surprise party with people that she has known. 

23:30 hrs

     It's almost time to go to ground. The day has been productive. I made breakfast for the Elders of the House and a huge pot of banana rice pudding with cardamom. 

19 Feb 23

16:00 hrs

     Time to catch you all up. My Lobster had her 57th Bday last week. We all went out for brunch at the premier golf course. The two Couch Monkeys brought their Significant Others along and yours truly picked up the tab for the seven of us. It was nice. Not much better than what Chef Blaine can do with a good Sous running the kitchen at the Wayward Inn. 

     We are still prepping for the Oma-nator's 90th. We have received over a couple of dozen cards for her already. Some from the Nation's Capital and some from relatives overseas. She sure will be surprised. 

     There are some new accommodations being built a few streets over from us. At one time it was a single house on a REALLY BIG lot. Now, there are four multi-unit townhouses being built. One of the Loin commented that the developer will make out like a bandit. Even if the original plot of land cost $1m, after construction each individual unit will probably sell for $500k each or more and there has to be sixteen or twenty units. Not too shabby.

     We've had a pod of orca hanging around the coast line lately. These are transient orca who feed on seals, sea lions and dolphins. Our resident orca feed mostly on salmon. 

     I've been invited to speak at the Nicola Valley Bigfoot Conference. I feel kinda honored. I'll bring a whack of books to sell and some gear to display. I've contacted the Big Swede and Lance, from the PBR Streetgang, and asked if the would attend. I'm really hoping that this will be a good event. And after it's over I'll make my way to the Sage's place for a visit and to do some repairs for her.

20 Feb 23

08:15 hrs

     Yesterday my Better Half and I made some coconut macaroons and after they were chilled we dipped the base of each cookie in chocolate. They will not last long. As a twist, she had suggested putting a piece of fresh pineapple inside each cookie. It would kinda be like a Pina Collada cookie. It's something to think about. 

     I drove by the Dimentia Village the other day. It's still under construction. The facility is to be named "Providence Living Space, Together By The Sea". It will have twelve individual suites, one hundred fifty-five beds and thirty-two senior/junior day program interactive spots. My Lobster is wondering if she can reserve a spot for me now.

22 Feb 23

07:00 hrs

     It's cold out. Not 'Peg or Sa-hatchewan cold but cold for the Valley. It's winter's last chance at asserting some authority before spring bursts out. We could end up with some snow too. But, it'll melt so there is nothing to worry about. The mountain passes will take a hit. The Mainland is gonna get whacked too. This last storm system is so large that the Prairies and the Golden Horseshoe will feel it as well. Good. I love to hear people in Southern Ontari-ari-ari-oh bitch about the weather. It's like listening to a robin chirping in a tree. It's amusing for a while and you can simply close the window if it becomes annoying. Click.

     How's your health Dear Reader? Are you maintaining an even keel? Guard your health. Physical, mental and spiritual. If those three are doing well you have it made. And, I'm serious about this. If your not feeling right seek help. Don't let things fester because an illness can turn to rot and then you're hooped. See a doctor. Talk to a friend or a P-shrink. Clear your mind and see the world that surrounds you. 

Take care.

Watching and waiting.

22 Jan 23

15:45 hrs

     Have you had enough of the liquid sunshine? The month is not over and we have already had 16 days of precipitation.  Some days it's been just a misting of a couple of millimeters and other days you would dare to drive off of a hard surface because you would be up to your axles in mud.

23 Jan 23

07:30 hrs

     Back to the grind. 

     And, a Happy Lunar New Year!

     There has been another mass shooting in the Hugh-ess. Are you shocked? I'm not. I haven't checked the stats but they'll probably show that this year is no different than any other. I did see that there are now 120 guns for every 100 citizens in the Hugh-ess. Crazy. Now, here in the Great White North, the Feds are planning on banning certain guns (some types of shotguns and hunting rifles) simply because they are semiautomatic and could be loaded with a magazine that holds more than 5 rounds. Look, I can understand removing rifles, mostly military style of weapons, than can be modified to be selected for automatic fire. I can full appreciate this. There is no need for anyone, outside the police and the military, to own one of these. But, what makes these weapons a military style? I think that it may be a pistol grip type stock, which means that I may be screwed. Back when I first moved to The Peg I bought a semiautomatic hunting rifle and then I had a custom pistol grip stock built and mounted. Beautiful job. 

25 Jan 23

07:00 hrs

     Good Morning Campers, 

     Yesterday was the surviving Sage's birthday. Unfortunately,  neither myself or Li'l Sis were able to get to there for her birthday. However, I saw a lot of well wishes were sent on social media from friends and relatives. I had called her at ODark30 and my Better Half, along with the Couch Monkeys, talked to her before I got home from the salt mine. 

     I'm providing security on another portion of the massive infrastructure project at CFB Lompoc. It's now going into the 4th year of a three year project. I figure it will take another year before all of it is done. Maybe.

     There was yet another mass shooting in the Hugh-ess. Yes, you read that right. And, a recent study indicates that since 20+ years ago almost all of these incidents are carried out by individuals who are directly related to the victims.  Domestic violence and work place disagreements are the two main reasons. I would say that stupidity and the 2nd Ammendment are leading factors as well.

     So, enough of the doom, gloom and sadness. 

     We are gaining daylight Kidlettes. Enough that the solar yard lights at the Wayward Inn are operating again. Which is good, since it's dark when I'm going to work and dark when I head home. I remember when I was in the Peg and not only was it dark before and after work, I was working in a shop that was incased in concrete with no windows. So, if you wanted to see the sun you would have to go outside and with the daytime high averaging around -20C why in the hell would anyone do that?

     It's still the wet season here on the Left Coast. Alot of the ground is fully saturated. Going off of a hard surface is not advised even if you have 4 wheel drive. I watched a large front-end loader slowly sink into the soft soil and was just barely able to walk out of it. Kudos to the operator. I notice that the Golden Horseshoe is getting nailed with another winter storm. Good. Teaches them some tolerance. Many towns and cities use road salt to combat the ice and snow on the roads. In the GTA an average of 150,000 metric tonnes of salt is spread over 5,100 kilometers of roadways. Doing the math, that's about 29.5 tonnes per kilometer. Pretty crazy isn't it?

     The Sr. Loin Fruit has made some inroads into gaining his apprenticeship. A former classmate mentioned my son's name to his boss and a position may be in the offing. Fingers crossed. The Jr. Couch Monkey is still at the best Ramen shop in the Valley and completing his degree. Onward and upward. It would be great, and also a bit sad, if they could both launch by the end of the year. I say sad because, believe it or not, I will miss their presence at the Wayward Inn. I should ask the Sage how she felt when I departed for Basic Training. 

     Well Folkes, that's about it for now. Take care of yourself and in the immortal words of Dr. Sidney Friedman, "Have some fun. Just pull down your pants and slide on the ice!"