Issue #938
Including:

From Russ
The Ontarion

Hi All,

We’ve all had adventures. We’ve all had misadventures. Adventures quite often are or can be fun. Misadventures not so much. I had an adventure of the ‘mis’ type that went on for several days and it was frustrating to say the least. My misadventure actually had it’s roots in early February when I took possession of a nice brand new Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Shiny, blue and full of those modern electronic gadgets and gizmos. My poor old Ford Ranger had reach the age where it was old enough to have it’s own driver’s license, and was starting to cost a bit too much to keep in good running order. So, I gave in and headed down to the local Toyota dealer where I traded my faithful old truck and drove away with a new one. Now, because I wasn’t real happy about giving up my old Ranger and buying something new, I was in a pretty good bargaining position. That’s a good thing when shopping for a vehicle because the buyer can’t be pressured into anything. One of the things I wanted different on the new truck was the tires. The stock, or OEM tires are ok, being Goodyear all terrain M&S tires. But I wanted tires with the mountain/snowflake symbols and a more rugged build and tread. So, the OEM tires were switched for a set of nice beefy truck tires. That’s how it was outfitted when we drove it off the lot. However, to my surprise and the cause of my misadventure, the OEM tires where in the truck box. I had thought they would be keeping them but they didn’t really want them either.

Fast forward to this week. Because we are coming into summer, and because the OEM tires were just sitting in the shed, I figured it might make sense to put them on for the summer rather than run the heavy tread tires on hot pavement. Might as well save them for winter conditions. To that end we made an appointment with Kal Tire to have them switched. So far so good. Once the job was done I drove away, turned around and headed straight back. The truck was bouncing and shaking. The tires were not balanced even though I’d been billed for balancing. They took it back in and balanced or re-balanced them depending on your veiwpoint. That was an improvement but the truck still shook and jittered way too much. Not wanting to do any more business with them I took it into the auto repair shop we normally deal with and had them balance them, on my dime of course. They said the tires were still definitely out of balance, they re-did the balancing but while they couldn’t quite get them totally correct, they got them close. I did a test drive and while greatly improved, still found too much jittering at various speeds to put up with in a new vehicle. After some discussion we figured the cause was probably that one of the tires was faulty or out of round. Problem was, it would not be easy to figure out which one and I wasn’t interested in spending much more money. You can balance a faulty or not round tire but it will still not roll smoothly. So, the only solution was to pull the bad tires back off and put the heavier tires back on. Those tires had rolled nice and smooth.

And that’s what we did, and, bingo, the truck rides like new again. Let me tell you, having a new vehicle that is suddenly almost un-drivable is most disturbing and disappointing. It eats at you. Given that we are all under all sorts of pressure and stress due to the virus situation, extra stress feels like a ton (or tonne if you speak metric) of bricks sitting on your head. So, my misadventure with tires is over. I’ll run my heavy tires until they are worn out which was my original intention anyway. Besides, the truck, a Tacoma TDR 4X4 Off Road sure looks better with those big heavy tread tires rather than the wimpy OEM tires that came with it.

doug

****

From Russ

Laments.

One week from today I will have reached my 91st – it’s not a milestone but maybe a “millstone”. I’ve heard it said, “Once you are in your 90’s, it’s all down hill from here on”. That’s good ‘cause I’m no good on ‘up-grades’. There are three sharp little hills on my daily rides around Point Clark which I try hard to climb without ‘de-biking’. I have the strength, but I’m hearing snapping and crunching sounds that may be I’m applying too much pressure on the pedals – afraid I’ll break something!

Hold on – these creepy, creaking sounds may be emanating from my 91 year-old ankles, knees, and hip-joints! I have no intention of quitting the biking, and I hope the bike has no such intention either – don’t know what I’d do if the 3-wheeler was beyond repair – or worse – if I were beyond repair! Fact is, I must ride for needed exercise.

Had a school teacher 80 years ago who used to say,

“There’s no such thing as ‘can’t, so stick with CAN”.

Can I run? No.

Can I jog? No.

Can I walk? No – only a few feet.

Can I push a wheelbarrow? No. Not unless I want to fall on my ass!

But Can I walk using canes? Yes.

Can I walk using a rollator? Yes.

Can I walk using a grocery cart? Yes.

Can I walk while furniture-surfing? Yes (but I shouldn’t)

OK, Madam Feasby – you were right! I’ll follow your philosophy and keep on walking as long as I can bear the pain of corns, blisters, pressure ulcers, and bleeding toe knuckles!

Since COVID – 19 lock-downs I haven’t been able to see my chiropodist for over two months. She tries to keep my diabetic feet in good shape – which they ain’t now!

I wallow in self-pity until I look around me and see a man confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. “Their, but for the grace of God, go I”

So, (and I hate this expression) “suck it up” Brubacher – be thankful for what you’ve got! There is always someone worse-off than me.

Your old Uncle Russ, who keeps on living and learning.

****

THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone!

It’s been one of those weeks where we can’t seem to get more than one or two days of sunshine in a row. However we managed to squeak two in a row out that enabled Adam and I to finish laying the new flagstone walkway around the side of the house. It was a lot of lifting and slugging of heavy angel stones and shoveling tiny crushed gravel to lay the bed for the walkway. It did finally turn out to be a spectacular walk once Adam finished laying the jigsaw puzzle of odd shaped stones! He did an amazing job of putting them down and now it looks amazing and finally level and comfortable to walk on. With no more grass or weeds growing up between the stones it’s much easier to walk on! It was hard on my chest and hard on Adam’s back for sure but worth it in the long run for sure! The best part of it all was the smile on Carole’s face when it was all finished! Should last another 20 years for sure! We also built a raised wooden vegetable bed out of wood so Carole won’t have to bend over so much to plant and harvest here veggies when they’re finally grown! She had an amazing garlic bed with about 35 good sized plants growing right beside the raised bed and we’re looking forward to sampling the home grown garlic this fall when it’s time to pick them! I think Carole would have made an amazing farmer if we’d thought to buy a rural property way back when! That’s ok though, that would have meant working 7 days a week for most of our lives and the one we chose was difficult enough to handle without doing that for 47 years! LOL! Just a small garden patch is fine indeed and Carole seems to have a knack for growing veggies in her small area. I’m sure this small patch will yield a good number of veggies this year and in years to come anyway!

*

During this pandemic time we tend to think back over the years and of course I’m no different than most people who have memories stirred by happenings these days. I have noticed the huge number of people that are walking their dogs around the block for exercise. I can’t help but wonder if they are recent acquisitions or long time family pets! The news each night has reported on the large number of people adopting and buying dogs just to occupy their time while this Covid 19 period is keeping them at home and mostly away from their workplaces. The Humane Society is hoping they won’t be overwhelmed with dogs being dropped off at their doorsteps once people go back to work and can’t be bothered looking after their newly acquired pets! I too, being a dog lover hope that isn’t the case! I thought about all the dogs I’ve had and loved over the years of my youth. I had a friend by the name of Tim Clark who lived on Blucher St just a few houses off Margaret Ave who had a very large Husky dog by the name of Chang! Chang was an amazing dog and had super strength! Tim’s house backed on to the old Breithaupt Estate that was on the curves on Margaret Avenue. During the winter we used to put a harness on Chang that Tim’s dad had made and Chang would pull us both on Tim’s toboggan up a very steep hill that was the back land mark of the Breithaupt property at the time. I couldn’t believe that he was able to pull us up that hill with the greatest of ease! I’ve never owned a dog that large or that strong but I’ve never forgotten Chang over all these years! I don’t know whatever happened to Tim either but when I think of dogs I think of Chang and of course remember Tim too! Tim’s dad was the manager of the BFGoodrich offices on Weber St in Kitchener beside Forbe’s Motors! Like many young friends we lost touch early in life and that was the end of that friendship. Oh well, stuff happens and this friendship was no different!

Speaking of large strong dogs, there is a couple that walk their Newfoundlander Dog by our house and this dog is the size of a small horse! He’s got to be at least 150 lbs in weight and could easily match the strength of Chang I’m sure! I can’t imagine the size of his droppings that his owners have to pick up when he stops to do his business! LOL! That is, IF they bother to clean up after him. Come to think of it, I’ve never even seen them carrying a bag for that purpose as they walk past the house! In fact, most dog walkers in our area don’t seem to be carrying a doggie bag at all! I guess most of them just walk their dogs down the Hydro right of way and most likely just leave their dogs droppings in the grass along the path so they don’t have to dispose of it once they arrive home wherever that is! Makes me wonder if they even bother to clean up their pets poop from their own back yards! Why bother when they can just walk their pets through our neighbourhood and leave their mess here? Oh well, there’s no accounting for people’s habits is there?

That’s about all that’s on my mind this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next time in The Ontarion Report!

Bye for now … Greg

PS: Something To Think About>
I came across this article on the net and I think Howard Stern hit the nail on the head with this statement!

Howard Stern Tells Trump Voters What The President Really Thinks Of Them

Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder support Johnny Depp in libel case

Radio host Howard Stern has a blunt message for supporters of President Donald Trump: He doesn’t like you.

“The oddity in all of this is the people Trump despises most love him the most,” Stern said on his SiriusXM radio show, according to the New York Daily News.

Trump, he said, loves celebrities ― not the masses.

“He wouldn’t even let them in a fucking hotel. He’d be disgusted by them,” Stern said, then challenged Trump supporters to visit the president’s most famous property to see for themselves.

“Go to Mar-a-Lago. See if there’s any people who look like you,” he said. “I’m talking to you in the audience.”

Trump was a frequent guest on Stern’s shows over the years, and the host has said the two were once friends.

Even now, Stern ― who endorsed Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton in 2016 ― said he doesn’t dislike the president.

“I don’t hate Donald,” Stern said, before unloading on the president’s supporters. “I hate you for voting for him, for not having intelligence.”

Stern in 2017 said he urged his onetime friend not to run for president.

“I told him that because I actually think this is something that is going to be detrimental to his mental health, too, because he wants to be liked, he wants to be loved. He wants people to cheer for him,” he said on his show at the time.

This week, he said the two could be friends once again ― if Trump committed to one “patriotic” act: resigning.

“I do think it would be extremely patriotic of Donald to say, ‘I’m in over my head and I don’t want to be president anymore,’” Stern said. “It’d be so patriotic that I’d hug him and then I’d go back to Mar-a-Lago and have a meal with him and feel good about him because it would be such an easy thing to do.”

Stern has also suggested that Trump quit before, saying in 2018 that the president should skip town.

“My advice would be, like, get the fuck out of there, man,” he said on his radio show. “Why do you need that for? Go back to Mar-a-Lago and hang.”

****