The Squamidian Report – Aug. 12 / 06
Issue #219
Also in this issue:
A Note From Carol
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Emergency response people have spent the week working on the cleanup of that oil spill I mentioned last week. Something over 50 tonnes of heavy bunker oil was released into the waters in front of Squamish when the container ship hit the dock and ripped open one of its fuel tanks. The waterfront and the estuary all took the brunt of the spill. The wind pushed the oil into the low marsh areas where the shore and water birds live. Then the wind and tide took oil out the Sound, almost as far as Anvil Island.
We drove into Vancouver last Saturday and could see oil slicks winding their way out on the water. Past Britannia, past Furry Creek, almost to Lions Bay. People in Britannia said the petroleum smell was overwhelming. There has been a lot of frustration locally with how fast and thorough the cleanup has proceeded. There has been no wildlife specialist around, no representatives from the shipping company and very little to be heard from the environmentalists. The official word is that the cleanup is proceeding well and is on schedule. I guess all we can do is take their word for it.
*
The reason we went into the city was because apparently I need a suit for Ryan’s wedding in September. Now, anyone who knows me knows I’m not much for getting dressed up let alone wearing an actual suit. Heck, I’m not even sure if I’ve ever even owned one before. And to make it worse, I apparently also needed a dress shirt, tie and shoes. Go figure. So off we went to Moore’s in North Van. Ryan came along because he had found his suit there and it was ready to be picked up. Turns out when you buy a suit it doesn’t matter that is doesn’t fit you. They just take some measurements and then make some adjustments to make it fit. Seems kind of silly to me.
It didn’t take the salesmen long to figure out that they needed to address their questions toward Sue, not at me. I was quickly reduced to a state of semi shock as they worked out what would look right and what would go with what. Before I had even figured out that none of this stuff looked at all comfortable, we were at the checkout counter being told to come back next week to pick the stuff up. Bewildered and confused, I staggered back to the car and we headed home. The only part of me that actually had to be there was my body so they could try things on it. The rest of me didn’t really have much to do with the process or even have to be there. However, I guess I have a suit now, or will once we pick it up. Maybe I can take it back after the wedding. I haven’t got a clue where I would ever wear it again.
*
Now this is cool. I can actually see both my computer keyboard AND the monitor at the same time now. I can see my hands, my fingers when I play an instrument. I can see my dinner when I’m eating it. For years I’ve needed reading glasses to read as my normal glasses just clear up distance vision. That left everything within the last several feet out of focus. Reading glasses fixed up the stuff really close by. Bi-focals still left that fuzzy zone and weren’t worth the trouble.
I had just replaced my normal worn out and out dated distance specs with new ones and the person at the optical place suggested a pair of glasses that would give near and intermediate vision for puttering around the house, sitting at the computer, that kind of thing. They sure work well, I never realized there was so much detail close by.
doug
****
A Note From Carol
Doug was so right last week
when he wrote about how quickly time goes the older we get. Al has been officially retired for 6 weeks
now and he hasn’t had time for the fact to sink in yet. We have been lucky enough to have the use of
our friend Dorothy’s cottage twice in that time. Al & I took Nicky, his other grandparents plus Jamie’s boys,
Cam & Duncan with us for 5gorgeous days at the beginning of the summer and,
as we have for the last few years, our family had the place for a week. For the first time Ewan & James made it
up this year. As usual Al, Nicky and I
were the first ones up and the last to leave.
Beth, Jamie, his boys, Dad, Mom & Gale all came and went at
different times (we were sorry Tara couldn’t make it and missed Sylvia and
Cindy this year). James pitched a tent
out side (despite knowing there was a bear on the property that day). It sounds more interesting than it was when
I tell you I spent much of the time in the water with 2 naked males. Since the naked males were Nicky and Duncan
(we have the makings of future nudists here) that wasn’t as tantalizing as it
sounds. When we weren’t swimming and eating we played cards, listened to Beth
entertaining us with her singing and guitar and generally relaxed. Dad and I even found wild blueberries to
pick. Jackie wasn’t able to make it
over this year but Beth, Nicky and I went to see her. We also dropped in on Beth’s Opa in Huntsville and saw Karin.
In between our 2 trips to the cottage we went down to my brother’s place in Blenheim (Tara’s folks) for a visit and Al spent over a week in Wiarton at his Mom’s place visiting and doing odd jobs for her. By the way Doug I picked blueberries while down at Tim’s and Dad, Cindy, Shirley & I went picking again earlier this week. We may not have them in our back yard but there are pick-your-own places as close as New Hamburg. Reality hit less then half an hour after getting home with 2 different people coming to the door with condo problems. I’ve also had 3 church meetings this week and Al one so I am temporally back in the swing of daily life. I say temporarily as we will be heading up to Jackie’s early next week to spend the night and bring Karin back to Kitchener with us. I want to invite all you Squids, again to come to the parents on the 19th and meet, or see again, our furthest a field contributor. Please let me know if you are able to come as I need to plan the barbecue. Once again it will be at 234 Old Chicopee around 4:00p.m.
****
Hello
everyone!
What a
summer this has been! The weather couldn’t have been better here in Southern
Ontario. It’s still looking better than that of many summers I’ve seen in the
past ten years. As far as motorcycling goes, I’ve seen more people taking
advantage of the sunny days than I think I’ve ever seen. It seems that
motorcycling has taken off this year. Everybody and his brother seems to have
purchased himself a Harley. Must be the “Toys for Retirement” syndrome that’s
starting to take hold. Although most of the people you see riding are not
likely of retirement age, they are for the most part either in or approaching
middle age. It’s no longer a young rebel’s mode of transportation. There are
however still tons of “Crotch Rockets” on the road but the touring style of
bike is really catching on. Every maker of motorcycle on the planet is
producing their own style of cruiser. They all seem to have taken their lead from
Harley though. After all, who can argue with someone that’s been in the
business for 103 years +. I myself can’t seem to justify spending $20,000.00 +
on a motorcycle to own a Harley when there are makers that out perform, out
“Quality” and out price them by a country mile. There is however something
about a Harley that intrigues me. I think it’s the fact that over the past 10
years they seem to have fixed their problem of dripping oil and mechanical
breakdowns. They used to say that if you owned a Harley, you should also own a
pickup truck or trailer so you can go get your bike when it broke down on most
outings. Seems to me that Harley has learned from their competition from Japan.
Although they now have a more reliable product it’s come with a price, a BIG
one and that scares many buyers off. When you can buy most other bikes with all
the features and looks of the Hog for half the price, why in the world would
you buy a Harley? I’ve asked many a Harley owner that and they all give the
same answer “Because only a Harley is a Harley”. I personally don’t understand
the logic but then I don’t own a Harley. There was a time when bikers were
“outlaws” and most of society avoided them like the plague. Now with it
becoming a status symbol to own and ride a motorcycle the “dangerous”
reputation that went along with being a biker is almost history. Heck anyone
can own and drive a motorcycle nowadays and even women are taking up the
activity. His and Hers Harleys are a big thing in today’s world and if it keeps
more marriages in the pink, I guess it’s a good thing. After all, adding a
fight over who gets the family motorcycles is just one more straw on the
camel’s back. I guess you can only ride one bike at a time so if there comes a
time in the marriage to say goodbye the dividing of the property is simpler
where the twin Hog’s are involved. At
least they will each have something to ride off into the sunset on!
With that
said, I think I’ll go for a motorcycle ride.
Thanks to
all 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>
If you
want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain.
****
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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