Saturday June 1, 2013

Saturday June 1, 2013  update #470

I needed that!  I forced myself to stay in bed for almost 12 hours and that has recharged my batteries.  Miraculously I did not even hear any noise from the annual Soap Box Derby happening on the hill below the house.  The humidifier that we use for white noise must be effective.

I did my email chores then set this computer for a needed Defrag.   It showed 43% defragmentation when it began, and 0% when it finished 5 hours later.

I decided that if the deer weren’t coming to me, I would go looking for them.   I drove down near the library and walked along the river, first east, where I didn’t see anything, then west where I managed to spot 3 different deer in 3 different areas. 

On the way back I stopped at the Okotoks Museum.  The next door there was an Art Show in front of the Station so I stopped in and happened to see Robyn Thibodeau, whose mother I know very well, and whose sister used to live next door to me in Glorond Place.  One Metis lady had some incredible metal art over top of stained glass that were just magnificent.  I couldn’t believe that she only wanted $52 for this great art and I was so sorry that I had no safe way to transport this to Ecuador.  Some artists just take your breath away with their talent and artworks.

I then actually took a drive around Glorond Place but it was pretty quiet.  My jungle of a backyard has been stripped away and there was no activity anywhere in the complex.

I came home and decided to check on my water barrel to see why it is not holding water.  Sure enough, there was water left in it over the winter and it froze up and cracked.   I am not a happy camper over that because I customized this barrel to grasp the maximum amount of drippage from above.   Maybe I will try gluing then duct-taping the crack when it dries up a little.

I did a little laundry while watching the third period of the Chicago-LA game, my first hockey action in many months.   It just isn’t interesting if Edmonton isn’t playing.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this new camera lens??  What a difference to have such good glass in front of your eye.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 31, 2013

Friday May 31, 2013  update #469

I tried out a curved memory foam pillow we had, higher and firmer than my normal pillow, but all that gave me was a sleepless night.  I got up at 3:15 and before sunrise had done my laundry and updated my Garmin Maps.  The sky and clouds were so tinged dark blue above the Rockies that I had to take a shot for you.  It is still drizzly and cool but it is always nice when we get a view of the mountains.

I also got into cleaning up this slow computer and in the process discovered a free VPN download via Cnet. 

I hoped like heck this would work well here but this computer is just too slow for any streaming content and I can’t stand a program that tries to take over everything, adding search tool-bars, etc.   I just wasted my time and uninstalled it.

About 9am I went and crashed until noon before getting up again and trying to feel somewhat reasonable.  I met Leonie at the Royal Bank and picked up some money to take to Mom.   Then I headed to the CIBC to throw some money on our credit card bill.

Next I stopped at Ardiel’s to see if I would be able to renew my Driver’s Licence which isn’t due Until January and I was surprised when they said yes…  Driver’s Licence pictures rank just a cut above passport photos, but not by much.   The say I should get the real thing in 2 weeks.

I still had some time to kill so I stopped in at McFarlane’s, my old job, but most of the main folks were not around.   I will stop in again when I get back from Edmonton.

Then it was off to shopping with our good friend Mavis at Costco.   I had mentally set myself a limit of $100 to spend there, so I was quite pleased with myself when the bill was $104, after the 5% GST!   I then stopped in at Safeway to pick up a couple of items for Bella before heading home.    

Mavis had done a few more shopping errands before coming to pick me up and take me for supper at the Duke, the hotel formerly known as the Willy.  Fish and Chips were the special and they did not disappoint.  That was one of the things on my Bucket List to do while in Canada and I hope to repeat that before I leave.

We returned home and paid a quick visit to Ted and Janet next door, the stalwarts of the neighbourhood, who both look tremendous for being in their late 80’s.  Mavis knows them well from all their church activities together.

Mavis then came in for a bit to chat while we played 3 hands of Cribbage.  I found it amusing that in her English upbringing they call the Crib “the box”, and instead of saying “go”, they say “no”.  Mavis is such delightful company and we also went through some of our photos since she was there in November, because I have brought my external hard drive with me.

Hope to hit the sack somewhat early tonight, but doubt that will happen.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 30, 2013

Thursday May 30, 2013  update #468

We all collapsed into bed last night after a very exhausting day but happy that Mom has reached another huge milestone in her life, 97 years on this planet and still looking very fit.

We had our alarms set for 7am as Lou was determined to be on the road by 9am.  I made a quick breakfast per their instructions and they managed to get away earlier as a result.  They are always gracious guests and we enjoy their company.   Time just kep escaping us since we only managed to play cards for about an hour one night.

One they left I decided to tackle cleaning out the garage of the winter dirt, etc.  I literally shoveled piles to the door, then swept and scooped it all up before firing up the pressure washer to complete the job.  Then I continued and washed down the front of the house.

The neighbours probably thought I was nuts, washing my car in the drizzle, but the car needed a quick wash and wipe down to remove a couple of years of grime.   There really was a white Buick under all that dirt!

I realized how much I really missed having the convenience of a vehicle, although I am really hesitant to drive far considering the gas prices are almost 4 times what they are in Ecuador.   I also rearranged a few things in the garage so I could get at my work bench.  I still know where everything is and managed to repair a few things, including the little wind sock that is attached to our tiny tree.  It is incredible to contemplate the amount of “stuff” we have spread throughout the house and garage.   I would love to bring so much “stuff” to Ecuador but we really don’t have room to put most of it.

We got news that Germain and family have made it home safely and we wish the same result for Lou and Yvette and Fern and Eileen as they have departed today.

Debbie stopped in to finish her packing to head to Hawaii with her family.   I am jealous because I have never been there.   Some day… Just add it to the list…

I decided to get out of the house and scout out a small boom-box for Mom that will play CD’s so she can listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell.   I didn’t see much at Canadian Tire so I went to The Source (Radio Shack) next and found exactly what I was seeking, and it was on sale so I grabbed it.  I also found an Epson printer/scanner on sale for $40 so I grabbed that too.  The darn cartridges are $60 so it is cheaper to buy the whole new unit!   Anyway, I was quite pleased with my outing and the new printer works really well.  I used it to make some simple instructions which I taped to the new boom-box.  

I then called Mom to see if it would be OK if I came in the morning but she said she preferred if I came tonight so I went right over.  I don’t think I could make anything any simpler for her, with no complicated electronics, and 3 simple instructions:  Install CD, Play, Stop…..   She is so resistant to anything new but I am hoping her desire to listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell will take precedence and she can just hit Play….

Her late husband’s son, Paul, came over for a delightful visit as well so it was a good evening overall.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 29, 2013

Wednesday May 29, 2013  update #467

This morning I got another Eleggant Hooks order ready for mailing and cleaned up our “production” area downstairs.   Now it will be easy to find everything we need to process orders.

Yvette asked me to doctor up one of the photos from the wedding with our attending family and spouses.  I did a few touch-ups, removing glare, etc and changing the sky from grey to blue. 

Then I had to try to make a nice birthday card for Mom using only my laser printer.   The result was actually pretty good using a photo of Mom taken only a few days ago.    If anyone wants my color HP printer just say the word, because it will be junked on the weekend.   I never did like that darn printer that was always trying to out-think me and wasted so much of my paper, ink, etc.!

The time went so quickly and we wanted to leave about 2pm so I could stop at the Post Office then go to Costco for gas.  Lou has a Costco card but they wouldn’t take my American cash so Lou took my $80 and put it on his American Express card.   He gains 4c on the transaction and I don’t lose about 6c on the usual exchange.  Lou and Yvette are headed home via the US in the morning anyway.   My gas gauge was on the red line and my tank is about 70 litres and the gas was$1.249 so I figured it would take $80 easily.   Well I squeezed in $79.97 and decided that was close enough.

We then headed in to spend some time with Mom before jumping in the Buick for the short trip to the Boston Pizza at Avenida.  Fern, Eileen and Leslie were already there and Leonie and Brian pulled in right behind us.  Karen joined us a few moments later so we were 10 around the table.   Mom had suggested Boston Pizza so she could have her favourite “Meateor” pizza.   A good time was had by all.

Happy 97^th Birthday Mom.   We are proud of you!

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday May 28, 2013

Tuesday May 28, 2013  update #466

After getting to bed at 2:30am I wasn’t too swift today but I still was determined to tackle a few chores delegated to me by Bella.   We needed to sort out a few matters for our Eleggant Hooks so we would have enough of everything to sell as we wind down the company.

There were about 1,000 hooks to be cut down to a proper length so I vised in one arm of my little bolt cutter and went to work.   That left my two arms free to feed the jaws with the left hand while I pushed the cutter with the other.   Once I got into the rhythm, and then got good at estimating the proper length required, it was moving quite quickly but my arm was sure tired by the time I finished.

By then Lou and Yvette had returned from lunch and Yvette came to help me rip apart a lot of the kits with odd-sized hooks that Bella had put together.   It broke my heart to undo all the many hours of work that poor Bella had invested in doing all these extra kits but the fact is we need those odd-sized hooks to sell on the website.  Without those extra sizes available our business would dwindle down to nothing. 

We took a break for an unusual Tuesday night Wing Night, this time at Original Joe’s.   The wings are just as good as at Foxy’s and are less money.  I really enjoy those weekly get-togethers with the old gang.

Once we got home Yvette and I got cracking again and then we drafted Lou into helping.   Debbie arrived home and she got drafted too.  Slave labour is necessary to get anything accomplished so they were grumbling that they wanted fifteen an hour for their hard work so I begrudgingly agreed to the fifteen cents per hour.

Anyway, we can hardly move, or see, late this evening but we finished the tasks and can breathe a lot easier now.  We have 2 boxes ready to go to our hideaway in Idaho and I have to now make arrangements with our “mules” to get them across the border.

Also I have to concentrate on getting a Birthday card ready for my Mom’s 97^th tomorrow and all I have available is my BW laser printer.  That should be a real challenge to get a decent result.    It is going to have to wait until the morning because I just couldn't do it any justice tonight.

I am going to junk my other GD HP color printer that dictates how often you have to buy their over-priced half-empty colour cartridges or the damned thing won't operate.   Somebody kick me if I ever buy another damn HP!  They are the biggest rip-off artists on the planet.

Anyway, I am tired and cranky and it is time to head for a soft bed.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  
Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 27, 2013

Monday May 27, 2013  update #465

I have been having a lot of trouble lately with friends not getting my emails.   I suddenly realized they all seem to be on Shaw.ca.   I Googled the Shaw site and it appears they have been having this problem all month (and I suspect a lot longer than that too) and they claim to have a solution, but obviously not…..  They admit to losing most incoming emails and are not overly apologetic about it either.   Good grief!   People are running businesses and need a reliable email provider.   If you are on Shaw, and are getting emails from me (or not!), please let me know.

I started off the morning by packaging a few orders for Eleggant Hooks and had to phone Bella for advice on how to replenish our optional hooks since a couple of the bins are empty after today’s orders.    Bella has sent me a long, convoluted way to do this so I will try to figure that out in the morning when my brain may be able to decipher the orders from headquarters.

Next I zipped in to Calgary to meet Bella’s brother Laurier’s wife Wendy at the Timmy’s at Avenida Shopping Center.  Gosh Wendy looked great.   I think I gained all the weight that she has lost.   We were having a lovely visit when I look up to see my brother Fern coming in the door.  Fern lives about 80 kms from Laurier and Wendy on Vancouver Island. 

We were trying to time everything so Fern and I could visit Mom at 3pm when she gets up from her rest.  Mom was waiting for us and almost broke down with tears of joy when we both came in.   Mom knew that Yvette, Lou and I were going to Leonie & Brian’s for supper so she hinted that she would like to come along.  My big Buick is her favorite because it is so easy for her to enter and exit and she doesn’t get out very often so we told her to get ready for the trip.   I called Leonie to give her a heads-up to add one more plate and off we went.  Yvette and Lou were sure surprised to hear that we had this extra special extra passenger.  We actually made it to Leonie’s, west of High River shortly after 5pm and there was one of those huge funnel-type rainstorm clouds hanging just in front of the Rockies.  Naturally the camera was out to record this along with all the neat things in Leonie’s yard.  I love going out there just for the sights.   I love the old stone shack on Ian Tyson’s property down the road where he goes to meditate and write songs.

Brian cooked up an enormous chicken feast (he usually does wild meat, deer, bear and the like) and we really enjoyed ourselves and overate like usual.  Nicole and Jeff and their three cute girls joined us and we had a lot of laughs.   Brian showed off the custom knives he made as wedding presents for Bryna and Dan.  I am a big fan of the Damascus steel blades that he fashions to a razor-sharp edge.

Mom was getting tired so we departed about 8pm and she commented on the long one-hour drive back.   I pointed out that dear Leonie makes that trek every Sunday to spend time with her but I am not sure that registered.  Mom is really tough on Leonie, who is the sole family member in the area now, and it really isn’t fair, but oncoming dementia signs are creeping in periodically.  On the good side, Mom had a wonderful outing, behaved herself, and she looks fabulous for being two days shy of age 97.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my new 15-85 lens?  This lens is incredible and doesn’t blow very many shots at all.

I was up until 2;30 processing the photos but didn’t have the stamina to stay up and finish the Blog, so my apologies for the lateness.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 26, 2013

Sunday May 26, 2013  update #464

We were up early today to run into Calgary to meet all the family for brunch at Swiss Chalet at 11am.   It sure was nice to see all the family except the youngest, Normand, who had work commitments in Saskatchewan.   Germain, Billy-Jo and Deanna were going to head towards Jasper and see if would be possible to camp around there, otherwise they would just head home to Saskatoon.  Laurent & Cathy had also intended to stay around for a day or so but their grand-daughter wasn’t going to make home until real late so they headed home to Medicine Hat.  Yvette & Lou, and fern & Eileen, are intending to depart on Thursday after we celebrate Mom’s 97^th on Wednesday.

After brunch we came back home and I immediately went to work on processing 152 photos.  I have save the RAW files for doing a proper job once I get back home but, for now, I have just worked on the JPG’s so everyone can see the photos.

Lou and Yvette and Fern went back to see mom at 3pm and apparently she was in a pretty good mood, so that is a positive.  Lou and Yvette returned with a few groceries to replenish what we have used of Debbie’s.

I am exhausted, so this will probably be a very early night.  

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 25, 2013 The wedding

Saturday May 25, 2013  update #463

I downloaded Picasa to see if I would be able to process the RAW shots but it is just terrible.   It is so slow and really has so few options that it was just wasting my time.

We stopped at Timmy’s for a quick bite before going to the wedding at St. Michael’s in Black Diamond.  Bryna was just radiant today, but then she always is with her ready smile and hearty laugh. 

Today, at age 30, she married long-time boyfriend Dan Ronald.   The priest was the same age as them, being a classmate of Dan’s at Holy Trinity, and he had us in stitches with his candour.   It is not often that you hear a priest admit that he has to work with folks sometimes that he doesn’t like!  Our little great-nieces Erin and Emma were a hit as the cute flowergirls.

The reception was at the beautiful Dewinton Community Hall and I shouldn’t have been surprised to find my old clients, Harry and Martina of Hansel & Gretel’s Catering, were there to serve the supper. 

The reception didn’t hold many surprises, but there was a great slideshow of both the bride and groom growing up which was a trip down memory lane.    The DJ was very good and the music was very loud as befits a crowd of young people.   My Mom didn’t feel up to coming to the wedding or reception and that is good, she would just have complained about the loudness.   As it was most of the older folks departed very early, even me, after I danced a couple of dances with my sister Leonie.

That was the day's excitement.   Cheers, Al    Please see all new photos at

http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/