The
Squamidian Report – March 10 / 12
Issue #511
Including:
A Note From Carol & Al
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead tonight, as in the “spring forward” part of that reminder thing. Each year the clock change seems to get earlier in the spring. In fact, it has gotten so early in the spring that its now done in the winter. Spring doesn’t get here for another week yet. And it seems to get later in the fall as well. Seems there is no real reason to do it at all. The original reasons don’t exist any more and all it accomplishes now is to cause people to be even more tired and cranky than usual, and to up the collision rate on our highways. So, its good for the auto business but bad for everyone else.
I think ‘they’ (who ever ‘they’ are) should simply abandon the back-and-forth thing and leave the time on daylight savings time year round. It would make life a lot easier for everyone and probably avoid a lot of problems and trouble. But, ‘they’ won’t be listening to me so we will undoubtedly be switching back late next fall or early winter. Maybe the two switches will become so close together that they will both be done on the same night. That would be interesting. And the extra hour of sunlight every day would add to ‘global warming’ problem.
Well, I got tired of looking at the snow blower taking up space in the garage. The poor thing was only used 3 times all winter and was probably feeling unappreciated anyway. So, I fired her up and ran her down to the shed in the lower back yard where she can sleep the summer away, out of sight and out of mind. The funny thing is, although we had almost no snow on the coast and in the lower elevations of the coastal valleys, there was lots just slightly higher up. The North Shore ski hills are having one of their longest seasons on record. Their season started a month early back in November and is expected to run right into June. The first peak of the Chief has been snow-covered all winter and it is usually bare. Of course, putting the blower away is very similar to putting the snow shovels away. It just might jinx the whole thing and we could end up getting the dump we never got. Or, it could be like last year and never get around to warming up at all. That would be the pits. Last year’s riding season almost never happened, summer didn’t get here. Springtime allergy season never even happened last year.
I had intended to get the bike out right after I got back home from visiting Ontario. However, the usual sunny mild late February, early March weather has not materialized. They keep forecasting it but it somehow doesn’t turn up. At the last minute, the forecast changes back to cold and wet. So, the bike will stay out of sight and out of mind for another week or so until it hopefully warms a bit. And, just like last year at this time, there is no sight of the early pollen production. By early February the alders should have turned red and the pollen should have started. That’s nice for us who suffer the runny noses and itchy eyes, but not so nice for the natural order of things.
doug
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A Note From Carol & Al
Although the actual date of their wedding was March 5th, Evelyn and Ed are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary today and tomorrow. Today they are hosting an open house at their church, Faith Lutheran, from 2 to 5 and tomorrow there will be a family dinner. It is hard to believe they have been married for 60 years simply because they still act like newly weds. Actually I do not know any newly weds who flirt as much as those two, perhaps it would be better to compare them to a couple of randy teenagers. It is almost embarrassing that one is tempted to tell your aunt & uncle to "get a room" on occasion. It is wonderful to know that even after 60 years a couple can still not only love each other deeply but also still have that "in love" romantic excitement.
Congratulations Eve & Ed on celebrating 60 well lived years together. We love you both.
Carol & Al
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Hello everyone!
I’m sitting here in pain after spending the afternoon installing a new Central Vac system in our garage. Last weekend our vac system pooped out for the second time in two years. The last time I pulled the motor out of the canister and took it to Shiels Electric Motor Service down on Breithaupt and Lancaster Sts. I became friends with Ken Shiels the owner of the company way back when I first started in my Refrigeration apprenticeship with Zehr’s Markets in 1968. We used the talents of the electric motor specialists at Shiels whenever we had a motor burn out on one of our many refrigerated systems in the ZEHR’s stores we looked after. The entire staff of Shiels has since passed away (OOPS! Except for one) and he’s still working for the new owners. As I started to say, I had them fix the motor for me about a year and a half ago when it wouldn’t start unless I hit it with a hammer. After they fixed it the vacuum started like a new machine. That is, it started that way for about 10 months and then began to do the same thing. I always had a small sledge sitting on the garage floor next to the system so I could give it a whack whenever it refused to start. Last weekend it just would no longer respond to my delicate touch so we decided it was time for a new machine. At first I thought another trip to Shiels would be in order but after talking it over, we figured the old blister had sucked it’s last dust particle through its pipes! I started shopping around for a replacement for it and found that most systems sold nowadays were priced in the range anywhere from $599.00 to $1299.00. Just replacing the canister of the system was the cheapest way to go but once again, thinking it over we figured we deserved an entire new system with a full set of new attachments as well. After all, this system was in the house when we bought the place 14 years ago and it was probably 15 or so years old at that time! With the help of Carole’s brother, we procured a used power head and purchased a new hose way back when we moved into the place. So, this system really didn’t owe us anything! Carole found an Electrolux System on line at the Costco site and it included all the high end attachments for what turned out to be the lowest price we had found. Costco had it on sale for $499.00 which was $200.00 less than I had found it at different dealers around town. So, we ordered it on Tuesday evening on line. The ad said it would take anywhere from 10 to 15 working days to deliver it to our door. The shipping was also free so it was worth the wait for sure. Thursday at noon Carole spotted something on our front porch and when she opened the door, it was the new Electrolux Vacuum. What a speedy delivery that was! Only 2 days from order to arrival at our door. I got to work right away and had it installed and working before suppertime. I think I put in a total of 4 hours and we were back in action with our new vac! Man does it ever suck ……….. but in a good way! LOL!
Remember the old adage, “I used to sell vacuum cleaners, but that sucked!” Hahahaaa….. !
Anyway, the old one is out for the curbside schroungers to pick up and things are cleaner than ever in the Payne household! I vacuum once a week, usually on Thursdays and I like to see the difference in the rugs once they’re done. We have hardwood throughout the house but we have an area rug in our bedroom, just a small one and also one in the living room as well as one in the family room. These three rugs will look much better with this new system I’m sure! I ran the new vac over the rug in the family room and the living room after supper tonight just as a test run. WOW! Did that ever make them come back to life! Not that the old one didn’t clean them but I’m sure with the new one having twice the suction of the old system will make the rugs look that much better indeed!
I can’t wait to see them in the daylight to see the difference!
The old vacuum system had to have been at least 25 years old and was truly on its last legs! Just goes to show you that a new vacuum system really sucks but an old vacuum also “really sucked” if you know what I mean! LOL!
Hahahahahaa.a……..!
That’s it for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report/!
Bye for now … Greg
PS: Something To Think About>
The fattest knight at King Arthur’s “Round Table” was “Sir Cumference”. He acquired his size from too much pi.
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Have a good one..
the doug
The Fine Print!
The articles in these issues are the sole property of the persons writing them and should be respected as such.