PROJECTS.....AHHHHHHH

 You should see my living room!  As I think I mentioned I brought a couple of Rubbermaids and garbage bags full of April's clothes and footwear she needs to sell, home here.  There is no reason I can't do it for her. I have no life.  And so far it is going great!  I have met a lot of awesome locals and will be meeting more.  There is a pretty steady stream of people at my door.  This beats halloween all to hell and back!

Another project has cropped it's head up.  My guest room is full to the top.  It is my storage room.  Costco size tp and paper towels and boxes of Kleenex, a cooler full of crap to sort, two giant Rubbermaids full and overflowing, the bed has art prints, a printer, two boxes of crap and a ton of other stuff.  I have been waiting to hear that someone is coming to stay for a night or two, to offer up the opportunity to get me off my duff and clean the damn room.

Well opportunity knocked on my door this morning.  Graeme called and he and Levi are coming up for the weekend.  They will be here Friday night.  Ayayayay!!!  But I did tell him that they have to be out of the house by Sunday mid morning.  I have to do a colonoscopy prep and if you know anything about that, well, even Ange is going to be using Monte's bathroom and not coming upstairs.  But the relief I am going to feel about that room being cleaned is going to be the real gift of the week!!!!  I have put Monte on notice that he is going to have to do the lifting for me.  I am much better than I was but I am not quite there yet.

After I am finished selling April's stuff, and the colonoscopy is over my next project will be getting my clothes under control.  That is going to be a herculean job and I think it is going to be hard.  I have a real tough time getting rid of clothes.  Especially clothes that fit.  But they gotta go.

So I remember I was going to tell you about an event that happened before we left for Vancouver.

I was sitting in my chair staring out the window.  The lady across the street had just arrived home with her two girls, about 9 and 11.  They were standing at the door waiting for mom when suddenly this beautiful brindle pitty dashed across the street from our side, two houses over.  It made a beeline for the older girl who let out a screech and dropped her stuff and tried to stop it.  It latched onto her leg and would not let it go.  The guy next door to them came roaring out with some kind of implement and started bashing the dog on the head.  Meanwhile a lady standing by her car where apparently the dog had escaped from was hysterically calling the dog.  Suddenly the dog let go and dashed back to the car and leapt in.  Mom scooped up her kids into their van and roared off.

Meanwhile a number of people gathered at the dog car.  The woman was crying and wringing her hands.  Just then I saw Nicole next door go over to talk with them and just then a police car pulled up.  After a an hour or more of chat and talking and looking at the dog and more woman crying (if this had happened in Britain, someone would have pushed a cup of tea in the poor lady's hand) an SPCA van pulled up.  They had a pole loop and they snagged buster from the back seat and put him in the van and drove away.  About then mom and girls came back.  The older girl had a nice big bandage around her upper leg.  The crying lady dashed over, chit chat, and hugs all around.

I talked to Nicole later.  Apparently the dog did not belong to crying lady.  She was dog sitting her best friend's dog.  The dog was from Nanaimo.  The girl's leg only had surface owies.  Fortunately it didn't puncture the femoral artery.  The sad part is probably the dog will be put down and it was truly a magnificent looking dog.  This was a lot of excitement out my window to happen in the middle of my very humdrum life!!!!

Now that girl's house looks like Christmas vomited all over it!!!  Their dad is a tinkerer and boy did he ever tinker this year.  I thought last year was amazing but this year is over the top.  I will get pics and put them on here at some point.  As soon as I get April's stuff cleared out we will be putting up the puny little tree we own.  It may be puny but it is mighty!!!

Well it is time to go clean the kitchen.  Again.  Take care people, and enjoy the season.  It's a very happy time of the year.  TTYL

So I was looking for a quote about pit bulls.  And I found they were all terribly mean or unrealistically sweet.  No reality in that.  So I decided to put in a quote here made by one of my fave music makers, Pitbull.

'Every day above ground is a great day, remember that.'  Pitbull 

JEEZ!!! SEVEN DAYS...I GIVE UP

 I am so fed up with myself.  I should have posted two days ago!  And I could have if I had thought of it.  Grrrrr.....

We had a fantastic time in Vancouver.  I'm not even sure I mentioned that we were heading to Vancouver.  I gave Dorothy that other love seat, I do believe I did mention that.  I got all flustered and worried about how we were going to get it into the van.  Neither Ange nor I can lift, given our back situations.  But Monte just picked it up, got it outside, rolled end over end to the van then lifted it in.  Have I mentioned how handy it is to have a strong man in the house?

We got the one o'clock ferry on Sat.  He dropped me off at April's and then went on to Dorothy's and delivered the couch.  He spent one night at Graeme's and the next two at Emily's.

Meanwhile Chef April made a fantastic shepherd's pie for dinner whilst Myles and I had a fantastic visit.  I absolutely love hearing about his job and how it works and his stories.  It's always so interesting.  He is a longshoreman.  How often do you get the chance to learn about that??!!

The next day we just relaxed and the kids reorganized their spare room.  That sure brought back memories.  Hey, just a minute!  I need to reorganize my own.  I was thinking that that only happened yonks ago when I was in little apartments! Sigh.  Some things never change.

Later that afternoon we went to Baka's, Myles's gramma.  She is the sweetest strongest older lady I have ever met.  And incredibly interesting.  She is the same age Bill would be if he was still alive.  And she lives in a beautiful senior's high rise.  The amazing chef was putting on a deluxe buffet in honour of Remembrance Day and Baka, when she heard I was in town, invited me!

So down we went to the dining room and there was the most amazing delicious spread.  Giant med rare roast beef and jus, horseradish, Yorkshire puddings, potatoes, turnips, yams, delicious poached salmon, huge bowls or massive perfectly cooked prawns, cocktail sauce, three different salads and best, and I mean best, of all, were soft pillowy tomatoey, ravioli.  Stuffed as I was, I grabbed a dessert plate and went and got another helping of that ravioli!  And it all came with a delicious glass of red or white.  Incredible.

We then went back up to her apartment and stayed another hour or two and visited.  What a wonderful wonderful time we had.

The next day we headed back to the ferry and then a quick, yeah right, quick stop at Costco.  I have maybe four or five things on the list.  Well, five frigging hundred dollars later....we waddled out of there having made a stop for hot dogs, pizza, poutine and ice cream cone.  No wonder we are fat.  But boy it was good...and fun!

So now home and got projects on the go.  I am going to post on Sunday the twentieth.  Maybe something will happen worth reporting between now and then.  There was one incident that happened just before we left last week.  I will tell you about it on Sunday.  Take care people, stay safe, wear a mask if you can and TTYL

'Hunger gives flavour to food.'  Almit Kilmantri

THERE WE ARE, AFTER DINNER

FOOD EXHAUSTION!

INAPPROPRIATELY TICKED OFF

 I am going to sound like an awful person here but I don't care.  I got a GST cheque the other day.  A first.  It's a testament to how low my income has become.  I am now pulling in the belt and doing a little careful living.  I need to make it through ten more years, if I am lucky!

That being said I must admit that I am getting just a touch ticked off that the people on disability get sooooo many perks, for free.  And trust me, half this town is on disability.  And I question the qualification of some of them, present people in this house excepted.  It is disturbing how much they get for free.

Firstly my OAP is severely clawed back.  Joe Schmuck who never made any attempt to provide for himself gets half my pension.  They get not only all their meds paid for, but anything needed for mobility.  They get, or can if they wish, get boxes of food.  They are housed.  If you are a diabetic all your paraphernalia is paid for.  I pay ninety bucks a shot for my thingies that measure my blood.  The equipment was over 200.  The batteries are eight.  My taxes completely support them.  And today Monte got his GST supplement cheque.  Ange got hers a week ago.  The cheques were over 200 bucks. I got one!  It was 7 dollars.  Plus I have to keep this house going financially.  So I am whining.  I think I feel this way because it's super in my face here in Port.  

You know I don't want these people suffering.  Obviously.  But right now at this moment I am bitter.  It will pass by the time I get to the end of this post.

  I know I was on welfare for a long time.  I volunteered through most of it to make up for it.  But since then I added up what I took from welfare.  Then I added up the amount of income tax I have paid.  I would have had to be on welfare for a very very long time to even come close to equalling that number.  But I was very grateful for the help at the time.  Do I sound like a whiney little b**ch yet???  Lol!!!!

The rat lady has quit purveying in all things rodent.  So no trip to Comox today.  The only place here in Port charges 11 bucks per rat!!!!!  Eleven!!!!!  What a total rip off!  Everywhere else is five to eight bucks per frozen rat.  So typical of Port.  The only other place to get rats is in Victoria.  By the time we gas up there and back, the 11 bucks isn't looking so bad.

Okay I feel a whole lot better and actually I am happy to help out the less fortunate.  All that up there was yesterday.  I was going to delete it but then changed my mind.  On occasion I lose my mind.  And I think that was one of those occasions. 

 A doctor phone appointment this morning kind of helps my frame of mind.  My kidneys are doing fine and my potassium level is normal.  My A1C not so much.  So I can go back to low carbing it and get my blood sugar back under control and forget about potassium.  I just wish I could go back to eating spuds!!!  My desert island food for sure!  And as a last kick at the carb can I am making a complete roast chicken dinner tonite!  Yippeedoodle!!!!  And I am eating mashed potatoes!!!!  And candied yams.  And cranberry sauce.  I don't care!!!

Thats it folks.  Sorry about the victimy rant up there. Help a poor person out and stay safe.  TTYL

'The world does not benefit from self-centred people. Be a person who gives back to society.  Reach out and touch somebody, and help out whenever possible.'  Germany Kent. (advice I am going to heed and stop the whining)

MY THREE YR OLD ARNIE....PLAYTIME AT OMA'S

OUR HOMEMADE LOG HOUSE IN BAMFIELD..ONLY OUR ROOF WAS GREEN

I HAVE NO IDEA....I WOULD HAVE DELETED BUT THAT JUST TOTALLY SCREWS EVERYTHING UP ON THIS STUPID WEBSITE

THE BARN WE GREW UP WITH....WE HID LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER UP IN THAT THERE LOFT!!!

I DO BELIEVE THIS IS PINEAPPLE FIELDS IN MAUI

MY DAD CLEANING UP THE BOUNTY!!


SOME OF THESE PICS I HAVE PUT ON HERE BEFORE.  I JUST PUT ON WHATEVER THE WHEEL STOPS AT.

BUSY WEEK

 Lots going on this week.  Both Ange and I got our regular flu shots today.  Got my banking done.  Super sleepy today.  I didn't actually go to bed til four this morning.  Dummy!  Monte and his friend were out a distance on the road to Bamfield in the pitch dark waiting for the eclipse.

Tomorrow we are making a rat run.  Yes, a rat run.  The rats at our local pet store are horrendously expensive and there is a lady in Comox who sells them cheaper so we are going up there to buy a bunch.  Lucky Smooch!  She only eats one every two weeks.  Wish I only had to eat every two weeks.

As I have mentioned before, we live right beside, behindish a Quality Foods.  The place is too expensive for main shopping, that we get at Walmart curbside, but QF is good for one thing for sure.  Every 'cheque day' for disability peeps, and that is half this town it seems, they put on a meat sale that beats all meat sales.  They sell meat packages that are between six and nine dollars normally.  Turkey chunks, beef stew, beef stir fry strips, pork shoulder steaks, pork schnitzel, fake crab, chicken breasts, hamburger, chicken burger, turkey burger, chicken drumsticks, and a whole lot more I can't remember.  And they sell them five packages for twenty five bucks.  So guess whose new freezer is full to the top!  Then the following Friday they have a five dollar sale throughout everything in the store.  Makes up for the higher prices the rest of the time.  Actually it was a lot of fun buying a ton of meat!  They are a perfect size for Monte.

Now we still have forty pounds of apples.  I bought two apple corers and I have a peeler so it shouldn't be too big a job.  I made a little pot of applesauce to see if it was sweet enough etc. and how the apple broke down and all.  It was delicious and perfect.  Another thought I am entertaining is making a four jar batch of apple butter.  Gramma used to make it and its the best stuff on hot home made brown Graham flour bread!  Well...maybe her strawberry rhubarb jam was best.

Today I bought on Amazon a three tier electric steamer.  I have a stove top steamer pot but it just isn't big enough and I steam stuff all the time.  So I feel I am going to end up using that steamer more than any other appliance to date.  I know I would eat way more veggies if I could steam them.  Fish is good that way too.

And one last thing.  I mention this here to keep me accountable.  My bedroom.  There is a four foot high bunch of clothes on the armchair.  There's a four foot pile of clothes on the chair chair.  There is a four foot pile on the big rubbermaid in the middle of the room.  There are clothes on the floor in my big closet.  The wardrobe is plumb full of clothes.  There are stacks of clothes downstairs on the laundry room table.  There is a rubbermaid in the guest room closet full of clothes.  I have nowhere to put them permanently. It's like my house threw up clothes all over the corners of this house. 

 They have to go.  When I get back from Vancouver I am going to bring every last piece of clothing I own into the living room and separate thrift store, keep, throw.  And I AM going to  get rid of three quarters of them.  I used to play house all the time as a kid.  As an adult I am going to play hoarder...like you see on that awful show.

Now it feels like bedtime but it is only nine.  I do not like this time change.  I waaaaay prefer spring time time change.  You get tired too early and wake up way too early.  But now I am going to bounce, and get ready for bed...in two more hours.  Jeez!!  TTYL

'Not eating meat is a decision.  Eating meat is an instinct.'  Dennis Leery

Another roll the photo library dice post.

MY COUSIN AND I AND BABY APRIL

AHHHH...GAY PAREEEEE. IN AN AWESOME JEWISH BOULANGERIE

SMACK DOWN TIME...AT BREAKFAST IN MAUI

OUT IN THE BUSH SOMEWHERE

HOOOOOHAAAAAAW!!!!!

FAROE ISLANDS

EVERY TIME I SAY NEVER AGAIN

 I am talking about Chinese food.  Back in the day, every time, which was almost never, Bill would go away to Bamfield for the weekend by himself or with his brother, the minute the door closed on his butt, the family would order Chinese food.  He never ever ordered delivery. So ordering Chinese food was a big deal to us.

There are probably a few families out there that felt that 'difference' in the house when dad left the premises for a couple or more days.  I'm not saying it was not good when he was home, and I was always glad to see him get back, but whilst he was gone things were, just, well, more relaxed.

So soon there would be that knock at the door and in would come bags of deliciousness.  Luz and I would always order one whole crab each.  Hers was prepared in ginger onion and mine in some amazing creamy white sauce.  Oh Lordy!!!!  The kids got the usual noodles, sweet and sour and egg rolls and the obligatory chop suey (which would sit in the fridge til it got thrown out five days later).  We would sit at the table in the kitchen and joyfully slurp it back.

Ange and I did the same thing two nights ago.  I suggested to her that we order Chinese food right after Monte left.  The difference though is no crab and the bill went from 60 dollars to 154.

  Chinese food used to be the cheap alternative to pizza, one of the two late nite stand by snack meals.  Not anymore.  Pizza is still pretty reasonable but Chinese food has priced themselves out of the market.  It is stupid expensive.  A lot of money for slops, no matter how tasty.  Sushi is another expensive one. But sushi has always been expensive.

Anyway our food arrived an hour and a half later, hot and delicious.  We ate massive platefuls and created giant 'food baby' tummies.   Then, of course, I filled the fridge with six containers of leftovers.  The next morning I open the fridge and out wafts that smell.  Leftover Asian Cuisine.  And it just isn't all that appealing anymore.  But we ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We ate it till there was  mostly chop suey left.  Monte, bless him finished up the rest.  I haven't opened the fridge yet today.  Hopefully it is all gone!

Monte got back safe and sound.  Well maybe the sound part was a little shaky.  He mentally can only take so much before he has to quietly regroup somewhere.  On Saturday he has his first sword training class.  I think this will be good for him.  He will meet people and get some exercise.  I hope he stays as intensely interested in it as he is now.

Well that's it for today.  I am still sitting in my bed, Border Security on the tv, sipping my coffee and eating crackers.  Time to get moving!  Take care and stay healthy and safe.  TTYL

'Course rice to eat, water to drink, my bended arm for a pillow, therein is happiness.'  Confucius.

RANDOM PICS TODAY....I JUST BLINDLY ROLL THE PICS AND WHERE IT STOPS IS WHAT I PUT HERE...SO APOLOGIES AHEAD OF TIME.  I AM GOING TO DO FOUR.

 

 

QUICK CATCHUP

 And once again time gets away from me.  It's amazing how it feels like just a day or two ago I posted yet it's been almost ten days!  I think I will start a four day reminder.

Let's see.  What has happened since all those days ago.  One thing I did was crawl through my closets looking for stuff to give to a fellow that the local shelter is helping situate.  He apparently has nothing.  They bought one of the love seats, a matching one to the one that is going to Dorothy, from us for him.  And the lady told us that Pat, the fellow needs everything.

I managed to fill four boxes with food and dry goods for him.  Managed to get together towels, blankets, pillows, paper towel, toilet paper, canned goods  etc....Ange donated a stick vacuum.  Plus we donated a very squeaky old comfy recliner we had picked up second hand a while ago.

I bought a beautiful leather couch from Facebook marketplace. Cheap!!!!!   Pics below. It came with an even more beautiful love seat.  The matching one that I sold to the shelter was from Ange's place downstairs, being replaced with the way more comfortable and beautiful leather one.  Monte called up one of his band mates who happens to have a truck and they went and brought them home.  They are absolutely awesome.  Very very comfy and homey and wonderful.  I am super happy with that. 

Monte has gone to Victoria for a few days.  He is staying with Levi, Austin's brother.  They have a Spencer Krug, originally from Wolf Parade,  piano concert tomorrow night.  I am hoping they don't wander around the city on foot.  That town has become a sewer, a haven for bad guys, mentally ill and idiots.  It isn't safe there anymore.  Kinda like most cities these days.

Halloween was way busier this year than the last two!  Last year we had maybe five kids and the year before none.  This year we had between fifty and sixty at least.  The street was busy with little princesses and devils!  I think I went up and down my stairs to the front door at least forty times.  I thought I would be way more worn out but I did pretty good and my tailbone behaved itself admirably.  LOL!!!

Most of you have seen April's makeup job she did on herself and on Myles.  I am going to put a couple of pics below anyway.  That girl is so talented.  And Myles is the most patient person on the planet, I swear!!!  It looks like halloween was full blast party time with everyone this year.  And so far I am not seeing the awful covid raising its ugly head much!

Well I am setting a reminder.  Let's see how that goes!  Take care people, stay safe and help a newly ex-homeless person out.  It feels good.  TTYL

'The sofa is the enemy of productivity.'  Demetri Martin

THE COUCH SET I BOUGHT

THE LOVE SEAT FOR ANGE

APRIL'S MAKEUP

THE LAZY BOY LOVE SEAT THAT IS DESTINED FOR DOROTHY.  THE MATCHING ONE ANGE WAS USING WENT TO PAT AT THE SHELTER.