The Squamidian Report – April 8 / 06
Issue #201
Also in this issue:
Brubacher's (Warren, Janice, Jason and Becky) Settle West Coast
Hi All,
There is a guitar (and other stringed instruments) repair place in the basement of the Tom Lee Music store on Capilano Rd in North Van. I had taken my Aria 12-string there a few years ago to have it put back together after the neck pulled away from the body. It came back better than ever. Warren had taken his guitar there for a setup some time ago and it came back sounding like a new instrument. Back in January I dropped my Ovation 6-string off to be set up and adjusted. The guy that does the work is always swamped with instruments needing attention because he is very good at what he does. So when I dropped off the Ovation I had told him I’d be back in late Feb or early March for it. That gave him almost 2 months to get around to it.
Problem is, there are always people coming in needing a repair that are in a big hurry, needing their instrument fixed yesterday. And because he gives the rush jobs first priority, he never quite gets around to the not so rushed jobs. So in mid March I phoned to see if the guitar was ready. He had not gotten around to it yet and could not remember what was supposed to be done to it as he had misplaced the instruction tag. We went over the details again and decided on the last week of March for a pickup time. During the last week of March he phoned to ask which Ovation was mine as he had 3 of them in there now and hadn’t put tags on any of them. After describing my guitar he said he knew which one it was and would have it ready for the end of the week. He is not there on Saturdays but I can only get to the city on the weekends so I made arraignments to pick it up through the store. I wasn’t at all sure it would be ready, or even be the right instrument when we got there but it was and it has been set up beautifully. Plays and sounds great, which is why everyone takes their instruments there and he is so busy in the first place.
*
And now our on-going garage door opener saga. As you may recall, we purchased new garage door openers and had them installed. All went well and as planned until one of the unites started to act up. It would forget its codes and stop responding to the remotes. Once re-programmed it would work again but would require several tries with the remote before it would open the garage door. So we called Home Depot who arranged with the installers to replace the unit as it sounded like a problem with a circuit board. Because they want someone home when they come, I had to take a Friday afternoon off work. The installation company is from Burnaby so it is not all that easy to schedule the service call.
They got here when they said they would, but as soon as they began to get organized, they noticed that they had brought the wrong replacement unit. There was no choice but to abort the mission and try again another day. However, I could not take another afternoon off work. We would have to come up with another game plan. We decided that on the day of next attempt at replacing the opener, I would simply leave the garage door disconnected from the opener mechanism so the door could be opened just by lifting up on it. The installation company phoned a few days later to set up the new service call.
At the end of the day that they were scheduled to come I knew they had been here because my remote would not open the door. The new opener would have to be re-programmed to talk to our remotes. So I let myself in through the other garage door as our remotes have bottoms for each door. Once in I proceeded to program the opener but it would not respond to any of the methods in the manual. It would not respond to the remote keypad either. The little control light that should blink when it receives a signal was not responding. Then I noticed that instead of having an orange programming button it had a purple one. So I phoned the installation company to tell them that the new replacement opener would not program. They thought that I must be doing something wrong until I told them about the purple button. He then cursed and exclaimed that the new unit used a different frequency range; it was the wrong unit again. So at this point the only way to open the garage door was by the main, hard-wired controller inside the garage. We seem to be going backwards here.
Oh well, they are going to try again this coming week to replace it with the right one.
*
I heard a rumor that the 519 area of Southern Ontario is going to be going to the 10 digit dialing system this June. It is actually not so bad once you get used to it. We have to dial the full 10 digits here when we make phone calls. By including the area code in a given location, it lets the phone company duplicate all the existing phone numbers. Aside from some minor configuration problems with fax machines and dial-up Internet connections, the biggest problem most will have is that their dialing finger will get more of a workout.
doug
****
I thought it was time I get back to writing about Nova Scotia. I know I haven’t finished my Mexico story but maybe it’s just too long and I wouldn’t want to bore anyone. It really was a unique experience and I’m so happy our family could meet in such a far away place to spend time together. The last couple months have been spent looking after Dad’s needs in his own home. He has been doing great. The V.O.N. come every Tuesday, check on his blood pressure, heartbeat, wash his back or feet and see to any other needs he may have. We have been so lucky with the weather this winter. Hardly any snow and quite mild temperatures have made getting back and forth to Dad’s house a breeze. We have a short cut through the woods to his house from ours that I have been able to walk on all winter. Every morning before work I check on Dad. He usually has had his breakfast and coffee by the time I arrive. He takes many naps all day long and when I get off work I come and make him supper. He really appreciates all the attention. I feel much closer to him now. Lately he has been having some pain in his back making him quite uncomfortable. Our doctor has prescribed some pain pills to be taken when needed. They seem to do the trick. He went with our neighbour, Bob, to Pictou today to do some grocery shopping. He uses the electric wheelchair to get around the store and to be independent. Dad just loves grocery shopping since cooking was always one of his great interests. He has had to accept my cooking lately, not that it is so bad, but Dad’s was soooo good. He should have been a chef.
We have been quite busy at the shop too. One of my staff is off to Florida for a holiday with her family so I’m going it alone for about 10 days. I can’t complain I was away for two weeks and she had to hold down the fort. Kim, our aesthetician, had a weird experience last week. A man booked for a manicure, not that we aren’t open minded or anything but it is fairly unusual in our salon. As he was receiving his service he repeatedly asked for Kim’s phone number and said he and his girlfriend were having difficulties so he was looking for another friend and wondered if she was available. Kim kept her cool professional appearance and proceeded to tell him about her wonderful boyfriend whom she loves so much and will never leave. After the man left she let out her frustration saying who did he think he was and why would she be interested in someone so old (45-50 years old). She’s 28. This week this same man booked for a haircut. I told Kim he probably really needs a haircut and that he’s not likely going to hit on me. She said she wouldn’t put it past him. The haircut went as I expected only one thing seemed strange. He showed me a picture of a little boy he called his son. When I asked how old the boy was, he said 4 years old in the picture but he’s 19 years old now. I said don’t you have a more recent picture? Oh well, all in a days work!
I guess you heard all about the Junos. Halifax was just hopping with excitement. Of course Pamela Anderson was the big draw, or she was supposed to draw lots of attention. I’m not sure if anyone cared about her face. And her big cause, stopping the seal hunt. Paul McCartney and his wife were in the Maritimes recently for the same reason. I don’t like the idea of killing animals either but I’m not sure that it is right to stop someone from making a living, and destroying an economy. It’s all very controversial. The seals had a hard time this winter with so little ice around. They usually have their young on the ice but without it they had to go to shore. Pictou Island had thousands of seals all over their beaches. Then an unusual high tide swept all the babies out to sea drowning them and then washing them back to shore. It was a depressing sight, dead baby seals everywhere. Mother Nature is the cruelest of all but no one is protesting her.
Well I missed the 200th edition but better late than never. Until next time
****
December 10th 1990 we set off from our homestead in Nova Scotia for B.C.'s west coast.
Warren here, thought you'd like to get the details of our bus ride. She's a 1979 GMC Bluebird, full-size, 66 passenger, retired school bus. Of course we gutted out all the seats and built a wall behind the chesterfield, freezer and bunk which served as our living quarters up front. ( Thanks for all the help, brother Ward.)
We slept in the bus this night in our own yard as a test run before the big day. It was a good night for a trial as we had very cold temperatures down to minus 20 C., but our little ceramic, 2500watt, black box heater kept us overly warm. First thing Tuesday we gathered up the cats and Cody, our shepard and drove down to the neighbours ( Tim and Kaye ) for an early breakfast.
Some of the worst winter driving we had was from Lansdowne (our departure) to the Trans-Canada highway. Once over Mount Thom, we had dry pavement all the way to Ottawa. Edmunstun, New Brunswick the first night. It was a super cold night but again our electric heater kept us toasty. For $8.00 they let us park our bus in the motel yard for the night with the use of an outside receptacle.
Wednesday morning the bus started right up after that cold night and with no block heater. Thankyou Janice for your intuition about selecting this reliable, old bus. By 2:00 p.m. we motored through Montreal but missed our number 25 changeover. Instead, I stayed on #20, which took us through major spaghetti-junction where we had to make 2 highway changes to get back onto #40 to Ottawa. I thought we'd miss the rush hour traffic but it was thick and fast. The kids found out what I refer to as " star wars " driving. Somehow, we got pooped out the other side without any mishaps.
Let me tell you, Dad, there are advantages to winter travel, particularly around Christmas time. There is very little traffic, that is, if you don't get pulled into the big cities; very pretty scenery with the pure, sparkly snow; beautiful Christmas light displays to see and much greater chance to see lots of wildlife.
Wednesday evening late, we pulled off at a truck stop as we hit freezing rain just an hour or so from North Bay. (Mattawa) Next morning we had snow squalls to drive through and by 1:00 p.m. we victoriously pulled into Elliot Lake and into my aunt Mary and Oscars drive. They were so happy to see us and showed us so much hospitality. While Mary toured us about this retiree town, Oscar put on a huge batch of chile can carne. We had showers and a much needed rest. They wanted us to stay for a couple more days as the weather forecast was for heavy snow squalls and cold wave warnings. Friday morning it was extremely cold but clear so we said our goodbyes and were off early.
What an interesting drive this time of year along Lake Superior. Emerald green surf crashing along miles and miles of rocky shoreline. We had some hairy driving late this Friday evening in and around Wa Wa where we were lucky enough to find refuge from a snowstorm. The bus handled well in these parts where we had 8% grades to climb and descend. Much shifting and gearing down for the long grades. Unable to find parking in Terrace Bay we trudged on to Scheiller where it was much more sheltered anyway from the storm. Poor Janice was shaking for a spell after that part of the drive. I guess when you're busy concentrating on the wheel, you've no time to worry what could happen.
Once settled into our motel parking spot with cords plugged in for freezer and heater we put on supper and broke into our home-made chokecherry wine. I guess we felt like celebrating having slipped thru the worst stretch of North Ontario with Lake Superior's rugged coastline and blizzardy conditions. Wooo! Feel much better now, thankyou.
Saturday morn early we found the roads plowed and conditions fair. We passed through Nipigon next and by noon we were into Thunder Bay. We kept the kids occupied all the way by playing our old " beaver " game, you remember, just like when we were kids, moving once again and we would shout, " Beaver" !! Different color horses on a point system.
Well the kids soon tired of it after three provinces of horses so we changed the horses to different style school buses. This sparked new excitement enough for the kids well into Alberta. Satuday afternoon was a beautifull drive through Ontario's ' Lake of the Woods' region. Highway clear but very deep snow over shimmering white lakes. I was saddened to see a large forest fire had destroyed a good portion of this area. When we passed Kenora, now a complete bypass of this character town, we spotted half a dozen or more moose in a bog below the highway and the next thing ya know we were into the flatland of Manitoba. All right Janice, this is where you take the wheel.
Stay tuned for next weeks Squamidian : Part 2- The Other half of Canada ( brrrrrrrrrrr)
For this story with accompanying picture, click over to: trip
****
Hello all,
Here it is the middle of the night, and I've been invited to work some over time. My only official task is to baby sit a command script, which is already too much detail. This is the perfect chance to tell you about our Caribbean cruise! The rest of this letter is about my vacation, so if that is boring skip it now!
I'd never been anywhere like that before, but so many people like to go to those "warm countries" that I figured there must be something to it. Don't get me wrong, March in Toronto was pretty special too. The other reason that I went is that I've learned that if a nice lady invites me somewhere pleasant it's usually best to just go.
Everyone knows by now about how I can go on and on, so I'll avoid dwelling on all the details as much as possible. I won't tell you about all the trivial injuries, time constraints or paper work. To me the price was very reasonable for everything that we enjoyed. My logic was that if we got our bonus at work, then I should spend some of it on the vacation. It's a bonus, and I couldn't count on getting it anyway. I still saved some for more responsible things, and it was worth every penny.
Lynn (a.k.a. UU) and I left Toronto in the early morning of the last Sunday in March. We got back the evening of the following Sunday. Getting to Tampa wasn't bad, but there was a bit of a wait to get on board the Carnival cruise ship "Miracle." It isn't exactly miraculous or anything, but it's a very nice ship. It's large, but not gigantic. It's long and narrow, which allows 85% of the passenger rooms to have private balconies. I was very glad for ours right away. The length is 963' (the whole trip was in American), which is 293.5 m. One of the first things that I did when we got there was to call Grandpa (Lorne) to wish him a happy (belated) birthday, and to let him know that our room was well above the water line! But it was always busy, and soon we were out to sea. We did the mandatory abandon ship emergency drill, which was chilly but fine. I noticed some of the other passengers already had exotic drinks in their hands, and were dressed for weather about ten degrees (Celcius) warmer than what Tampa had to offer that evening.
Shortly after leaving port in Tampa, the ship listed to port noticeably. It felt like I was drunk while trying to walk down a corridor, but I hadn't had a drink yet. I learned that there was a dining area one deck above me by the sound of a huge number of dishes hitting the floor over my head. The other passengers were all mostly confused and just happy to aboard anyway. I went up the stairs and saw that half of the Lido deck restaurant was flooded on one side, with staff working to fix it. That banked corner had spilled a bunch of water out of three different pools, and soaked some guy's cell phone. I was in awe of the ship anyway. This is a plan of it: http://www.carnival.com/Deck_Plans.aspx?shipCode=MI
It was lots of fun just to watch the world go by from the balcony. The ports are interesting, with lots of different ships, boats and planes coming and going. When we were out at sea sometimes I'd just listen and watch the way the water would foam and crest in the ship's wake. None of the official on board entertainment topped that in my eyes. Before the sun set off the Florida shore I saw the flying fish I'd hoped for. I never saw them again. They weren't near the bow as I'd expected, but well off to the side in the foamy wake. They were a small school of fish that stayed above the water only a couple of seconds. They looked like big dragonflies from high up on the "Panorama Deck" where we were staying.
Up until this point the best view I ever had from a room was from a B&B in Banavie, Scotland. But I was sharing the room with my Dad, so what ever romance that the view had to offer was wasted! It was memorable though, but the ship was more fun. It's very exiting to look out at different views each time, especially when we were entering or leaving port. I never saw the sea like that before, with nothing but ocean as far as the eye can see. It's true what Doug was saying, most of the time we could see one or two other cruise ships way off in the distance. At night they look like birthday cakes all lit up on dark tables. Those ships are small mountains floating on endless blue plateaus. The scale of the ocean intimidates me sometimes, but it is certainly beautiful.
The first and last days of the cruise were spent entirely at sea, just relaxing on the ship. It was a little cooler than we'd hoped, but it was still great. I explored the ship, got a little sun, and had a drink. There was a lot to do, and I skipped most of it. It gave us a chance to unwind and to reserve some shore excursions. We also got to the gym, which was the only time for the whole cruise. Good thing we packed those gym cloths! It was a nice gym though, right at the front with a magnificent view ahead. We exercised just enough to get an appetite, which was worth it. The food was really good, and it was impossible not to overindulge.
Lynn and I woke up early the next morning in Grand Caymen. We were both excited about the adventures that we'd planned. I was happy that my cell phone was working and I reached Grandpa. Lynn and I actually went separate ways for the morning, but spent the afternoon together. That was my first time on a submarine, and I wasn't disappointed. The seats were a bit cramped, but 48 passengers and 2 crewmen went down to maximum 105' (32 m) to watch the coral reef. It was teeming with wonderfully colourful fish and coral. There was a manta ray, an octopus, schools of bright fish and I saw a 5 1/2' moray eel. It was green and actually very beautiful. It was a nice beginning to be able to look at all that stuff while being safely locked in the sub. I had no urge to swim with the creatures. Lynn on the other hand had the fish literally eating out of the palm of her hand. She was wearing a big helmet with an air hose attached. It gave her a slight earache, but she loved it. She was down maybe 30' (9.1 m).
Later we met up and went to the nearby beach before the ship left port late in the afternoon. It was a great beach, and I had nothing to compare it to. We met some more experienced people from the Gulf of Mexico, and they assured us that this would be the best beach we'd visit on our cruise, and they were right. On the sub I learned some things, and experienced them first hand at the beach. The sand there is different, it's both coarser and lighter than normal. Apparently 60% of the sand there was once parrot fish poop. Seriously! They eat the coral, digest the organic part, and let the rest go. The rest of it makes very nice coral sand. They've been doing that for a long, long time. One of the things that makes the water there very nice is that Grand Caymen has no rivers or streams. There is very little silt etc. washed in to the sea around the shores. The water is clear, and they've tried hard to keep it clean. It's their only asset. Lynn swam like a seal, I only went out over my head briefly. I was quite content to splash around with the Americans in water up to my chest. We didn't take any stones from the beach because apparently they're actually pieces of dead coral and it's illegal. I saw a quick little lizard scurry by the restaurant.
At first it was a bit weird for me to swim in the sea. I'm not used to anything like that, but I got over it fast. It was about 75 to 80°F (23 to 27°C) outside for most of the trip, which was perfect for me. Even with a cool breeze it felt great, and the water was only slightly cooler than the air. For me Grand Cayman set the bar for beaches. Even the people were friendly, and the area was clean, quiet and simple.
The next day was one of two stops on the Yuccatan peninsula in Mexico. Cozumel is an island in the west Caribbean. We planned to go biking for a while, then to the beach. This time we were ready for the slight delay getting on and off the ship. At each port we would board a "tender" which would ferry us to shore and back. There were always several coming and going, so it wasn't long, and the ride was fun too. When we arrived there was a little confusion about the specific excursion that we had booked. But it turned out that Lynn and I had our own tour guide for the morning! So we went biking along the shore, prepared for the intense sunshine. We even had a driver following us just to keep us safe from traffic and to carry our stuff! The destruction of last summer's hurricane was evident all around. They had all the tourist stuff up and running, but the forest was decimated. Every tree looked like standing driftwood, but they were coming back. Each tree had some branches that were green again. We saw iguanas, and some lovely coastline. We went as far as the road had survived the storm. The whole area must have been paradise before that hurricane. They say it rained salt water for 60 hours.
We hadn't planned to try snorkeling, I had no interest at all. But Chantel (our guide) coaxed us in to it, and we were really glad that we tried it. Lynn's mask kept getting too much water in it, but other than that it was very easy. The water was lovely again. It was excellent to float above the coral and look down at the fish. I was surprised that I wasn't scared at all. I guess because there were other people out there, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I saw a parrot fish, it made some coral sand when it saw me. Chantel would dive down and stir up a sting ray so that we could see it swim away. She also picked up a weird crab with very long skinny legs. The fish seemed brighter here because we were closer to the surface. From the beginning the scuba and snorkel people were very clear about being respectful of the environment, and I liked that. I didn't want to leave! But it's a good thing we did because I would have had a sun burn on my back if I'd stayed like that any longer.
We finished the day at another really good beach. At first I thought it might be too loud a beach when I heard the music and saw the girls doing body shots. But it was a good mix of people, and the music wasn't too loud. That was the second nicest beach that I've ever been to. We had a lovely lunch and fancy drinks.
Each night we'd dine with two other couples. They were very good company, and the food was always good. We'd trade stories, and so we felt like we experienced some of the adventures that we didn't have time to do. There were many people from the southern US on the ship, which I liked. I generally get along well with them, and we tend to like each other's accents. The people that we met on the ship were always laid back and seemed very warm.
The next morning we headed in to Belize, which everyone was looking forward to seeing. Here the tenders were smaller and very fast. The guys on board let us know what was what and were helpful and friendly. We arrived at Belize City and were quickly and efficiently moved to two buses. As we left, our guide Rosalea began to tell us all about Belize, and the trip was very interesting. It was the only time in the trip that I felt apart from the whole tourist view of the world. Belize is poor but beautiful. There are 280 000 people in the whole country. There are four traffic lights nation wide, and one of them they only use during hurricanes. They were devastated by a brutal hurricane in the 60's, but seem genuinely determined to build a successful and healthy independent nation. They were very serious about making sure that tourists really enjoy their visit, and see the country for what it is. The first thing that Rosalea did was thank us for being there, because they really rely on people visiting Belize. There seemed to be genuine respect both ways, which stood out.
We got the run down on the details of the day. We got changed, received our waterproof lights and inner tubes, and started our rain forest hike. That was another amazing first for me. We got to a lovely fresh water pool and went in. Everyone was confident because of earlier assurances about what was in the water, and again because there were other people. Off we floated down stream in the gentle current, in to the mouth of a huge cave. I had seen this one on TV and had to try it.
It was pretty amazing. Lynn and I separated for a bit, but found each other again in another part of the cave. A nice family floated together the whole way. Everyone was having a grand time in the cavernous rooms, and slipping through the narrows to get to the next one. There was a spot with light pouring in from above, with plants coming down and the sound of a water fall. It was strange in a way, but again I don't think anyone was afraid. The fast spots were the most fun. After an hour or so we floated out of the other end of the cave. Then for another half hour we floated down the open river. The whole thing was very real and natural, not like a ride at a theme park.
We had a good lunch of local food, and sampled some beer made in Belize which I liked. Eventually we made it back, and our story was the best one at the dinner table that night. One of the guys eating with us was Jerry. This guy is a character. The whole ship is cashless, other than maybe the odd unofficial tip. But this guy would pull out a wad of bills every time he used his ship card. He is one of those brash Americans that needs to be at the front of the line every time. He would always pay for the best in life, and bragged that he belonged to four country clubs. But we all liked him a lot, he was larger than life and made us laugh. That morning he and his lady Pattie had messed up the time change and missed their buss. They had planned a land rover excursion to a secluded beach. All the other tours had pulled out, except a bus tour of the area. They hoped it would be a way to see all the highlights so they went for it. Well it turned out to be more like a National Geographic type thing, and they learned all about poverty and cultural identity in this struggling land. There are beautiful estates on the outskirts, but for the most part Belize city is a slum. There is no middle class, and the high class area looks like Scarborough without any building codes. They drove through the narrow streets for half the day. Jerry was trapped there the whole time, he would have been nuts to get off the bus. He seemed genuinely affected by the experience. It didn't really change him of course, but I think he was a little humbled. I wondered if Pattie hadn't planned the whole thing.
The last excursion was to the Chacchoben Mayan ruins near the port of Costa Maya Mexico. It was nice to finish with something low key. The ruins were amazing, with lush plant life all around. There were a few mosquitoes, but nothing too terrible. This time the ship was actually docked, so we could go back afterwards which was nice. We still had time, so we checked out a local beach. Frankly, I would have preferred Grand Bend! It wasn't a bad place, but there was too much loud music, everyone was drunk, there were motor boats everywhere, and nothing was as good as the other beaches. It didn't bother us much though, we'd had our fill and this was just an extra anyway. If I were younger I might have loved that place. The one really good option on that beach was to get a massage, which we didn't! Live and learn.
The last day going back was getting cooler again. We took a good rest, and I got a little sun. I used SPF 45 the whole trip, so I just turned red anywhere that I missed, but only have a slight tan now. That night we dressed for dinner on the ship for the last time. We didn't want to go. After dinner the other lady at our table started asking Pattie about the ring on her finger. Jerry made light of it saying it was just jewelry. But she wouldn't let it go, and after a while she was nagging him. Eventually most of us were pressuring Jerry to get married that night right on the ship! The guy always talked about being a gambler, and so we talked him in to a coin toss. A $25 (US) casino token was given to him, as a present if he went through with it. On one side was a ship (representing sailing away to freedom, a single man), the other a dancing couple (marriage). After a lot of laughing and some extra deserts we talked him in to it. He tossed the coin and we all cheered loudly when it landed marriage side up!
Later they were informed that they would have needed a marriage certificate and a bunch of other crap, but he did actually try to marry her right then and there. The strange thing to me was that we weren't all trying to convince her to marry him! There were so many other funny things that happened, but this is another huge e-mail as it is.
Flying just after sunset was the perfect ending. We could see Toronto and the US side of the lake at the same time, the cities lit up gold. They always look nicest from far away. The silliest part is that Lynn has never seen a single episode of "The Love Boat"! But we had a great trip anyway. I thought of a few things that helped out, but she saved the day every day. She's a great date for a cruise, I must say. Some day I'll do something like that again.
Maybe to Bermuda next time!
Ewan
P.S. We took a lot of digital photos, and I'm sorry that the good ones are not on line yet. Anyone who is interested in seeing pictures of someone else's vacation will get the chance soon.
****
Hello everyone!
Man how
the weeks fly by! Time seems to be passing so quickly yet we’re still feeling
like we’re not quite out of winter. We awoke to a covering of snow on the
ground a few days ago and it took all the momentum out of that Spring feeling.
Carole
and I had spent a couple of days cleaning up the yard and getting the gardens
ready for the coming growing season. It was kind of sad to see everything
covered with snow once more. However, at this time of year all you have to do
is watch a movie to kill a couple of hours and the next time you look out the
window everything’s green again. I guess I can safely put the snow blower away
until next winter. I still have the big 10hp blower to sell so I’ll have to
come up with a creative way to do so in the warm weather. I said to Carole the
other day that I may just sell tickets like in a raffle to get rid of it. I
figure most people would be ok with paying $5.00 for a ticket that gives them a
1 in 100 chance to win such a fine machine as this. I’ll have to give some more
thought to this it just may work. What do you guys think? Would you buy a
ticket on something like this? Heck, I’ll even throw free delivery in with the
win! Uh……. Hmmmmmmm.. I guess I should qualify that last statement about the
delivery. I’m sorry but delivery to Sus, Karin, Doug or Ryan might just be out
of the question so I probably should restrict the raffle the Waterloo Region.
LOL! Hahahaaaaa….. more thought is required for sure as it just may backfire on
me! LOL!
*
Spring is
the time of year that most people tend to do their home improvement projects
and this year we’re no different. We’ve decided to replace our kitchen floor.
Carole has always wanted a tile floor in her kitchen. About a month ago we
decided to go ahead and shop for tile. After calling several companies in the
yellow pages we were amazed at the wide range of types of tile and price ranges
for having such a floor installed. We finally found a company in Waterloo that
gave us a reasonable price and the quality of tile we think will do a lifetime
job for us. The tile Carole chose comes from Italy (what a surprise) and is
natural and exactly the colour to match the rest of the kitchen. This is an
advantage because there’s no need to repaint the cupboards or walls to
accommodate matching the floor. We finally settled on a date for the work to be
done. They are starting the job this coming Monday the 10th and will
have it finished by Thursday. Luckily Adam will be here this weekend to help me
move all the heavy appliances out of the kitchen. The flooring company is
removing the old flooring including the sub floor and baseboards etc. It’s
quite a big job but they make it sound easy. In the old days, I might have
tackled this project myself but at this stage in our lives, we figured it best
to have it done professionally. Besides, the installer is Italian so, what can
I say, we’ve got the best so why make a mess! We’ll have to eat out for the
coming week but I don’t think Carole will mind not having to cook for a change.
I’ll just have to make sure we eat at the Casino at least once so, hopefully,
we’ll come home with enough winnings to pay for the new floor! LOL! I’m sure
we’ll have no problem enjoying the time away from home cooking. I’ll just tell
Adam he’ll have to fend for himself as well. There’s a Tai restaurant in
Waterloo that he likes to frequent. Being a vegetarian Asian food appeals to
him and he even got me to try that restaurant and I actually enjoyed it. Maybe
we’ll get Carole to join us for meal there too. Anyway, the coming week should
be interesting. We don’t have many projects or changes that we want to make to
the house anymore. We’ve got things pretty much finished around this house and
other than maybe changing the furnace to a high efficiency one before next heating
season the floor is the last for now.
*
Guess
that’s about it for this week!
Thanks
for tuning in and I look forward to talking to you all again next time in
The
Ontarion Report.
Bye for
now.. GREG.
PS:
Something To Think About>
I like
the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
Thomas
Jefferson
****
The Family and the Squamidian sites:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/ and http://www.thedougsite.ca
Have a good one..
the
doug
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