Month: March 2016

Posted on

Visit with A Good Friend

Yesterday MY Jane and I took a spin up to Casino Rama in Orillia to meet up with my good friend, Jim Burd (Burdie) and his older brother, Ken. We didn’t do any gambling but we did enjoy a leisurely buffet which all of us quite enjoyed. We must do this again.

This morning my cousin, George picked me up with his pick-up truck and we went to Lowes to get some material to begin working on the Tansu Cabinet for our friends, Annemarie and Jim.
Unbeknownst to me, Jane took a few pictures and a video of me out in the garage/workshop
Posted on

Back Yard

Took a panoramic shot of our back garden this morning:

Lower photo is from August 30, 2015
The crocuses are just beginning to bloom and the daffodils are sprouting nicely. 

Posted on

Impaired Driving

Today is the day that a man found guilty of impaired driving resulting in the tragic deaths of three small children and their grandfather, will be sentenced. There has been a lot of discussion on what that sentence should be.

Regardless of what penalty the judge imposes, it will not bring back any of those people whose lives were snuffed out in such a senseless way. Nor will it ease the pain of the grieving family of the victims.
Many years ago, when I was a jail Superintendent, I wrote to the provincial Attorney General suggesting that, when the police stopped folks suspected of impaired driving, the police should be allowed to impound the vehicle immediately. 
I pointed out that, under the Game and Fish Act, a Game Warden had the authority to seize any and all equipment being used in the commission of an offence under that Act. I put forward the rationale, that if a Game Warden could do that for someone who was poaching, why couldn’t a Police Officer do the same in the case of impaired driving, i.e. seize the car. 
Charge the person with impaired driving and, after the court case, if found guilty, keep the car and auction it off using the proceeds for driver education and awareness. If not guilty, give the car back.
And it doesn’t matter who owns the vehicle. If the guy is driving a big semi tractor trailer, the same law applies even if that truck or vehicle is owned by someone else.
This would make vehicle owners part of the solution to the impaired driving problem. They would now have to decide whether their employee or friend or relative could be trusted to borrow their vehicle and not get stopped for impaired driving. After all, who wants to risk losing their vehicle.
The Government of Ontario Attorney General did not adopt my proposal, although they do now have impounds for short periods.
This idea would be a much more effective deterrent for impaired drivers than facing the inadequate sentences handed out by the courts these days.
What do you think?
Posted on

Memories of Temiscaming

One of the first things I do in the morning, after pouring myself a coffee, is check out Facebook. This morning I noticed that one of my Facebook friends had posted an aerial shot over the lower end of Lake Temiskaming which is where my hometown of Temiscaming, Quebec is situated.

What is striking about this photo is how clearly it depicts the “log booms” that were part of the pulp industry back in the 50’s and 60’s, during my childhood days in that Town.
The left side of the water is Ontario and the right side is Quebec and in the lower right of the picture is the “powerhouse” owned and operated at the time by Gatineau Power.
Just to the left of the powerhouse was a wooden boardwalk that was referred to as the waterfront where we would go swimming as kids. There were changerooms there as well as a diving board. In the summer, when it was really hot, we would swim in the cool (some say cold) Lake Temiskaming water and then dry off by laying on the rocks warmed by the sun.
Those log booms were floated down Lake Temiskaming from as far away as over a hundred miles. During that time, sometimes for as long as two years, the water would soften and remove most of  the bark. Whenever the current was too slow to move the logs, a tugboat, the P J Murer, would hook on and help pull them toward the “slasher” where they would be cut into four foot lengths and then floated in a huge flume toward the pulp mill site to be stored in huge piles to be processed into pulp. This is an example of a log flume:
Whenever the P J headed upstream to hook onto the booms, it would leave a big wake as it went past the waterfront and someone would always yell, “Let’s jump in for the waves!” And and all of us swimming down there would run off the end of the pier and jump in en masse like lemmings.
What great fun growing up in Temiscaming.
Posted on

Diamonds in the Snow

Another bright day! The rays of sun glisten on the ice laden branches of the tree limbs in our back yard.  And the surface of the snow looks like there are diamonds strewn all about. 

Tiny icicles line the fence top and have begun to drip, the temperature having risen almost seven degrees in the last two hours since I got up.
The bent over boughs, weighed down by the ice, should soon rebound back into position once the melting is done.
Luckily for us, none of the branches broke off. 
Today we will be having our Easter dinner because Chris & Tonya have to leave tomorrow afternoon. Steven and Ted will be here until Monday.

Posted on

Power Outage

Chris & Tonya and Steven arrived yesterday evening just before the worst of the frozen rain hit. Steven was concerned enough about the icy road conditions on the 400 that he got off to use a side road at the Cookstown Mall. Chris and Tonya had stopped at the LCBO to pick up some wine and beer but the power went out three times and they left without anything. Our house was not affected  at that time. Fortunately they all made it here safely.

Then the power went out again labout 11 PM, the first power outage since we moved to Barrie 4 years ago. It wasn’t too bad though, because the house was still warm and the fireplace in the Family Room was throwing off some heat, enough to keep the chill at bay. And we had already eaten dinner.
We lit a bunch of candles and continued with our socializing.
This morning it was easy to see why there were power outages. One look at the trees told the tale.
You can see how the accumulation of ice on the branches of our birch tree weighed them down. Imagine that much ice on power lines.
And look at how much the maple tree branches have splayed from the weight.
The power was restored at about 6 AM in our area.

Posted on

Tansu Cabinet Project

Yesterday’s little woodworking project with my cousin George was a lot of fun. Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, I am anxious to get out in the garage/workshop to begin another project. I volunteered to build a Tansu cabinet for our friends, Annemarie and Jim. In case you’re wondering, a Tansu cabinet looks like this:

The one I plan on making is not exactly like this but you get the idea.
So, after this Easter weekend, I will sit down and draw up a set of plans, get an estimate on the material cost and talk some more with Annemarie and Jim.
It’s going to be a lot of fun doing this one.

Posted on

Corner Shelf

My cousin, George, came over this morning to get my help making a corner shelf for his sister, Vanda. He had purchased the material and we worked together in my garage for about an hour to do the project. Here it is:

George had told me that, to buy a shelf like this would run in the neighbourhood of $400.
His sister plans on painting it to match her kitchen.

Posted on

Navigation App….Waze

This past Saturday, after attending the Leafs game at the ACC, we took a Uber Cab back to Steven’s place. The driver was a young lady who was using an App on her I Phone to help her navigate through the city. The App is called Waze and it’s free. 

This App relies on input from hundreds of other drivers (Wazers) using it to give you real time updates on traffic flow, construction, accidents etc. It also allows contacts who use the same app to see how your trip is progressing, I.e. Where you are and ETA (if you want to do that). 
I have downloaded it to my IPhone and will give it a try. I’ll give you more feedback after I’ve used it for a bit.

Posted on

Leafs Win

Last night Steven, Chris, Jim and I went to the Leafs game at the ACC. They were playing against the Buffalo Sabres.

Earlier in the day I had travelled from Barrie by GO bus and Steven picked me up at Union Station. We hung out at Steves place then were joined by Chris after he finished work.
We met up with Jim at the ACC. It was a good game….Leafs won 4-1 and a good day.

Posted on

Leafs Game Tonight

Yesterday, MY Jane and I had a great visit with our good friends, Annemarie and Jim. We went there yesterday so I could take some measurements and discuss a woodworking project that I have agreed to do for them.

Annemarie had put together a delicious lunch of homemade chilli along with a variety of scrumptious homemade cookies. We went for a nice walking tour of the town after lunch.
It’s a very historical little place with some great examples of original architecture.

Tonight I will be attending the Leafs game along with Steven and Chris. Jim has two season tickets and managed to get two more seats right next to his.
I’ll be staying at Steve’s tonight. I’m heading down to the big smoke on the GO bus. Jane and Minnie will be on their own for tonight.

Posted on

Elevator Problem at Ted’s

Yesterday, My Jane took Ted out so Ted could buy some things for a local women’s shelter. After Ted bought several things, mainly baby stuff, they both went to drop it off and Jane submitted her volunteer application at the same time. 

Now that she’s retired, she wants to give back something, so she’s going to try volunteering.
Earlier, while Jane was on the way to get her, Ted tried to call her to tell her that the elevator was out of service again. Her building has been experiencing issues because the two elevators are being retrofitted. 

Ted could not get hold of her, so she decided to walk down the 9 flights of stairs.
She had done this once before and we had suggested that it’s not a good idea for a 94 year old with some breathing issues to do this. She did it anyway. 
Fortunately, other than some shortness of breath, she was OK. We made her promise not to do that anymore.

So, Jane brought Ted back to our place for the night and we had a great visit. We’ll check on the elevator situation this morning.
Posted on

Doctors Appointment

Yesterday I went to a Doctors appointment. Just a checkup type thing to review blood sugar levels and  discuss medication. Turns out that he recommended reducing my diabetic medication which is a good thing. And, although my cholesterol level is fine, he suggested that I begin taking some cholesterol medication as a preventative measure against heart disease and heart attack. So that’s what I’m going to do. He was pleased at the weight I have lost since the last visit. I’ve dropped 20 lbs. just through portion control. So, the bottom line is, I’m in good health.
Then MY Jane and I did a few things around the house and later dropped into one of her favourite stores, Pier One. She was looking for a plate holder to display a birthday gift given her recently. Of course, the store had all kinds of Easter stuff on display and it was hard to resist. I consider it a successful trip, though, because we spent less than $50. That’s a first!

Today, Jane and I are heading up to the picturesque town of Penetanguishene to visit a boating friend and her husband. She’s been in the hospital for several weeks now and a previous planned visit had to be postponed.

Posted on

Nandos

Last night, I suggested to MY Jane that we try out the newly opened Nandos Restaurant here in Barrie.

We enjoyed the chicken very much. It’s marinated for 24 hrs and quite delicious. We would go again.

Today I have a Doctors appointment just for a regular check up. After that, I’ll probably do a few fix up things around the house like re-caulking some crown mouldings that’s settled.
Posted on

I’m Retired!

I’m usually up pretty early in the morning, but this morning I slept in. It’s almost 9AM. I had heard the coffee maker go off earlier- it’s one of those noisy bean grinder types- programmed for 6:30 AM, but I fell back to sleep.

I woke up at about 8:50 and gazed out the bedroom window where a squirrel was darting about foraging for food. It looked pretty dull and dreary with dark clouds moping overhead.
The aroma of coffee wafted about and was very tempting but it was just too comfortable to get up yet. As if reading my mind, Jane asked me if I would like her to bring me a coffee in bed. How could I say no? To do so would be so disappointing for her. I’m thoughtful that way.
So she brought me a nice coffee and, as I lay in bed sipping it, Minnie decided to join us.
She gave me this quizzical look as if to say, “What’s the matter with you?”
Well, Minnie – it’s like this:
I’m retired!

Posted on

What Would Jane Do?

One of the things I gave MY Jane for her birthday was a little book entitled What Would Jane Do? It was put together by Jane Austen. Tonya had pointed it out to me at a small bookstore when all of us were one day strolling along Queen Street in Toronto.

Here are some of the quips and quotes test Jane read out to me this morning:

Posted on

A Party Broke Out

Yesterday, Chris and Tonya arrived about 7 PM and about an hour and a half later, Steven arrived. They came up to help celebrate Jane’s birthday.

We sat around chatting and enjoying a libation or two. Needless to say, the music was quite good and as the evening went on, it seemed to get better.
By midnight, a full fledged party had broken out with lip syncing, singing and dancing.
You can get a bit more  of the flavour of the evening by checking out this video clip.

http://youtu.be/DSYD-npJFRE

As always, we have a great time when the younger ones are here!

Posted on

JELMAR10

Shortly after I met MY Jane I asked her what was behind her e-mail address, the beginning of which was JELMAR10. She told me that, when she was in Mimico High School, a schoolmate, Scott Irvine, had written a song for her by that title. I’m guessing that Scott may have had a bit of a crush on Jane back then.

She further explained that JEL were the initials of her full name – Jane Elizabeth Lack – and that March 10 represented her birthday of March 10th….hence Jelmar10.
At the time, I found that background information interesting, and simply filed it away in my mind.
This past January, while at dinner with our across-the-street neighbours, Allan & Jenny, the subject of JELMAR10 some how came up and, once again, Jane related the story of how Scott had composed the song for her by that name.
It was then that the notion struck me that wouldn’t it be fun if I could get hold of that song and give it to Jane on her birthday March 10. 
Jane had already told me a bit about Scott….the fact that he played in the Mimico High School Band, that he played the tuba, that he once went up to the family cottage on Whalens Island and played his tuba on the other side of island and also that he had founded a band called True North Brass.
So last January, I found the website for True North Brass and sent off a brief message to Scott explaining who I was and did he remember Jane Lack from his Mimico High School days. And I further went on to ask if he remembered writing this song for Jane. 
To be honest, I thought it was a long shot that I would even get a response. To my surprise and delight, Scott wrote back almost immediately. He said of course he remembered Jane. He also said that he didn’t have a copy of the song, but he was sure that if he put his mind to it, he could remember it and he’d get back to me.
I remember thinking at the time that this was not going to happen. He was just being polite.
But true to his word, a couple of days later, Scott sent me an MP3 version of the song along with the musical score to go with it. You see, Scott is an acclaimed composer and principal tuba player with the Canadian Opera Company as well as being one of the founders of True North Brass.
So with all that, I put together a little folder and last night, after coming back from a birthday dinner that her Mom, Ted, treated her to, I sat her down and played the song and gave her the package, including the little poem that I wrote.
Needless to say Jane’s reaction was more than I envisioned. There were some tears and it was clear that she was very moved. We talked for some time about her memories from back then like how she had wanted to fancy up her name by spelling it Jayne. 
Happy Birthday Jane.

Posted on

Jane’s Birthday Today

Yesterday, I saw the first robin of this year in our back yard and, for the first time in a long while, heard the chirping of songbirds outside. Even the mourning doves were cooing about the milder than normal temperature.

The back yard is now virtually free of snow. The light rain that began yesterday continues today and helped melt everything.
I sense Spring is just around the corner.
Today is MY Jane’s birthday and her Mom, Ted, is taking her to dinner tonight as a birthday treat. I’ll tag along as chauffeur. 
Yesterday, after their dress shopping trip to Toronto, Ted came back to our place and stayed the night. Both elevators in her apartment building were out of service and it would have been too much for her to walk up the nine flights of stairs.
Happy Birthday, Jane! Another celebration on the weekend when the guys and Tonya come up!
Posted on

Jane & Ted Go Dress Shopping

MY Jane and her Mom, Ted, are planning on taking a drive down to David’s Bridal shop in Toronto to have a look at dresses for Chris and Tonya’s upcoming wedding in June.

Jane had asked me yesterday to accompany her to a dress store in Georgian Mall here in Barrie because the staff there had called to tell her that a shipment of new dresses had just come in.
So we went up there to have a look. 
She tried on one dress that looked very nice and she came close to actually buying it. But she wants to have one last look at some dresses that she had already seen at David’s Bridal when she and our friend, Rita, had gone looking a few weeks ago.
Posted on

Browsing in Port Perry

Well, MY Jane and I did a trip to the pretty town of Port Perry. It was a nice sunny day, the roads were dry and traffic was light. It’s only about an hour and fifteen minutes from Barrie. 

We did some browsing in the quaint shops that line the main street and then had a light lunch in the Piano Cafe.
While enjoying our lunch, the owner, Christy Stone, stopped by our table to chat a bit.
After lunch, we continued browsing the stores along the street. It’s interesting because many of the stores, the ones adjacent to one another and sharing a common brick wall, have doorways installed between them so you can meander from one shop to the other without going outside.
And for rainy weather, they have an umbrella program where you can borrow one from one store, use it to get to another, then drop the umbrella off at the last one you go into.
We were gone most of the afternoon. All in all, it was another one of those pleasant days, the kind of days that make us happy to be retired.

Posted on

Port Perry

This morning, over breakfast, MY Jane asked me if I had anything in mind that I wanted to do today. When I responded, “No nothing on my mind at all” she suggested we take a drive somewhere.

Both of us have been pretty well housebound for a few days, so it took no coaxing at all for me to agree.
After some discussion, we agreed that a trip to Port Perry would be fun. They have all kinds of shops and boutiques there.

So we’re off to that little town to see what we will see.
Posted on

Day of Rest

We don’t have anything planned for today. It’s going to be one of those do-nothing days, one in which we just take it easy.

The truth of the matter is, I don’t really feel like doing anything anyway. Not right now, anyway. Later in the day, I’ll probably go out for a Timmys and maybe drive down to the waterfront and watch the ice fishermen.

It’s fun watching them unload all their gear, pack it on a sled and try out onto the ice of Kempenfelt Bay.
Yesterday there were dozens of them out there, some with portable tent ice huts and others just out in the open sitting on a lawn chair.
We’ll see what happens!
Posted on

Late Blog

Usually, I do my blog first thing in the morning while I’m having my coffee at the kitchen table. It’s not long after I get settled there that Minnie generally shows up wanting to be lifted up so she can have a look outside to see if the snow is gone. 

Lately she has not been seeing any encouraging signs. You see, Minnie is an outdoor cat, but she likes to be a comfortable outdoor cat. Cold weather is not comfortable in her view. So when she sees snow, it’s not long after that she goes back down to the Family Room beside the fireplace.
In away, Minnie showing up triggers my routine of starting my blog. But this morning, for some reason, Minnie didn’t show. Consequently, I never got started on it today. Next thing you know, Jane and I are into a marathon viewing of House of Cards and before I knew it, it was late afternoon. 
There you have it.

Posted on

Heads Up Game

Last night, we had our across the street neighbours, Jenny and Allan, over for dinner and drinks. After dinner, we played a game called Heads Up using an app on MY Jane’s I phone. 

You hold the I phone on your forehead and when the clue phrase or word shows up, the other players give you clues so you can guess the word. It’s a lot of fun, especially after the libations. 
Although we did not do it last night, the app has the capability to record the antics of everyone giving the clues and replay it later. It is one fun game!
As usual, Jane outdid herself once again with a delicious dinner and delightful dessert.
We always have fun with Jenny and Allan.

Posted on

Storage Containers

Have you ever had leftovers that you wanted to save? Of course you have. That’s when you go to the cupboard and look for a food saver container, right? So you grab the first appropriate sized container and put the leftover food into it. That was easy, wasn’t it? 

Not so fast! We need a lid. So you search around for the right sized lid. Guess what? After going through every lid in the place, there is not one that fits.      ?&$@ !
Well, we had enough of that nonsense, so we went to the local dollar store (by the way, almost everything costs more than a buck) to look at storage containers. We did this because in some stores food storage containers cost around $7 or $8.
Well, we now have the answer. We purchased these containers for a cost of 4 for $3 and they stack in the cupboard nicely with all the lids on top. No more problems finding the right fit. They are Rubbermaid and are dishwasher safe as long as you put them on the top rack.
They’re the ones with the red lids. They even have little measurement lines on the sides.
Problem solved.

Posted on

Basic Cable

A few months ago we decided to cancel our cable TV. We were paying $106 a month for the service with Rogers and realized that we very seldom watched regular TV anymore. Most of our television entertainment was and is with Netflix.

And with Apple TV, we can get tons of other stuff.
But we also have been missing up to date national news coverage, so now, with the introduction of basic TV, we have decided to sign up for that option with Rogers. It will cost $25 plus box rental of $13 for about $40 a month. This is better.

Today, I’m off to Rogers TV to do this.