CAR MISHAPS

 Two of my children had car mishaps this week.  One I will talk about and one, out of respect, I won't.  Both are kinda sad and definitely embarrassing.

Monte.  He's the one I am going to talk about.  Around ten thirty last night Ange made her way up stairs for a last visit to the loo for the night.  She stopped for a moment to talk in the living room and as she looked out the front room window she noticed Monte's van was missing.  'Is Monte out?' she asked.  'No!' I answer, 'He went down to bed about an hour ago and he never goes out without telling me.'  'Well his van is gone.' she replies.  I hop up out of my chair, take a look and sure enough, it was not there.  It also wasn't in the back driveway.  I whipped downstairs and banged on his door.

He answered immediately and I asked him where his van was.  Outside he answers.  No it's not we both chimed out to him.  In a few seconds he says 'well it was stolen then!!!!'  There was no other possibility.  (shovel list). Ange mentioned a couple of times that maybe it was towed but that doesn't happen in this town and certainly not when it's parked where it should be parked.

So he did the only thing he could.  He phoned the non emergency number for the police.  They are closed on weekends.  In fact they weren't going to be open until Monday morning.  Seriously!  WTF!!!???

  'Phone 911,' I holler.  I mean you can't let a stolen vehicle go unreported that long.  I watch cop shows. Bad people do bad things in your stolen vehicle and the first thing a cop asks when you say you weren't driving, that the van was stolen, is, 'did you report it?'

So he did.  He called 911, talked to a cop, took forever, gave a description, address, plate number etc....  Thats all he could do really.

About fifteen minutes later he hollered up the stairs from his room, (at this point he hasn't got out of bed and has had some time to think) and asks me to do a favour.  Could we please go out on the back deck and look over the back alley, over the QF parking lot fence and see if there is a van over there.  Ange went, looked, and yelled, 'yes, there is one lonely van parked over there...all by itself.'

Hahahahahaha!!!!  He had gone to the store earlier.  He had debated about walking or driving.  He decided to drive, but after wandering around, perusing the goodies available and picking a few, he walked back home, completely forgetting he had driven.  OMG!!!!  In great relief and huge laughter, the poor guy had to phone the cops back and recant the stolen part and where we found it.  Hahahaha!!!! Alls well that ends well I say.  As he went out the door a few minutes ago to fetch the van back I asked him if he felt embarrassed, and he emphatically said a loud 'NO!!!'  I don't really believe him but then it IS Monte.  TTYL

'In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.'   Hunter S. Thompson     

AT THE BACK OF A SHOP ON FRONT STREET LAHAINA I BOUGHT AN ICED COFFEE AND SAT ALL BY MYSELF ON THE TINY BACK DECK FOR A PEACEFUL FEW MINUTES

AFTER HIKING THROUGH WHAT WE CALLED JURASSIC PARK WE CAME TO THE ROCKY PALM TREE BEACH AND I GOT ADVICE ON HOW TO COOK FISH FROM THIS LOCAL

ON THE SCARY BANANA BREAD TRAIL WE STOPPED AT LORRAINE'S HOUSE WHERE SHE SOLD BANANA CREAM PIE SLICES.  THEY GREW THE BANANAS ON THEIR PROPERTY AND WE SAT AT A PICNIC TABLE IN HER AMAZING BACK YARD OVERLOOKING THE OCEAN.

MONTE AND BILL SITTING ON A BENCH IN FRONT OF BUBBA GUMPS ON FRONT STREET, NOW GONE.  FORREST'S SUITCASE AND BOX OF CHOCOLATES AND HIS SHOES WERE PERMANENTLY THERE

I KNOW MANY PEOPLE ENJOYED OUR CONDO OVER THE YEARS THAT WE OWNED IT.  AND I KNOW EVERY ONE OF US IS GOING TO SORELY MISS THE OLD LAHAINA.

FEELING LIKE A FOOL

 There isn't much in this old world that I do expertly. I was a good mortgage broker.  I can play the piano, not expertly for sure but okay.  I can bake bread.  I can make a reasonably good turkey dinner.  I could fish back in the day when Bill was around.  But there is one thing I can definitely do expertly.  I can eat low carb, for long periods of time, no falling off the wagon, strong and true.  Until last night.  Big fail.

When I went to bed I checked my blood sugar level and it was 2.9ish.  When you hit those two's you know you have to do something.  So I ate some candy I keep beside my bed.  I didn't check again, I just presumed it would come up.  It didn't.

In fact it crashed.  I woke up around two in the morning unable to coordinate my movements.  I mean I couldn't move properly.  My brain was straight but my body did not respond properly.  Plus I became full of anxiety, something foreign to me and restless and I will admit it...terror.  I could NOT control any body movements.  I couldn't sit up.  I couldn't move my hands and arms properly.  I knew what was wrong, I just couldn't do anything about it.  It is the most terrifying awful feeling you can imagine.

I did finally manage to get my candy bowl by the bed and start eating candy.  One after the other, counting the carbs as I went.  At least twenty minutes went by and I was finally able to sit on the edge of the bed but there was absolutely no way could I stand up, let alone walk.  I did try at one point and came very close to pitching over.

Finally it dawned on me that I needed help.  I managed to hold my phone and poke a button or two to call Monte. He didn't answer.  I called over and over.  My next move was to throw things onto the floor.  He sleeps right under me and that always startles him awake.  Just as I was going to do just that I tried one more time and he answered!  I squeaked, I couldn't talk properly either, out that I needed help.

And speaking of people and their expertise, Monte is utterly amazing in an emergency.  He can think on his feet and take over and just do the right thing.  He came roaring upstairs and caught on immediately to what was happening.  He helped me up and hung on to me as I jerked my way out to my chair.  He got me a V8, gave me supreme shit the whole time for not eating enough carbs.  He had been after me for a few days for that.  And when I started to uncontrollably shake he grabbed his phone and phoned an ambulance, much to my chagrin.

In this town we only have two ambulances and they are pretty much always out and about dealing with overdoses.  The guy that answered was amazing.  It was a good twenty minutes before an ambulance came and he talked to Monte the whole time about almost everything from fishing to how long and where had Monte lived in this town.  He was truly amazing.  Poor Monte was so upset and that guy calmed him right down.  And in that time the carbs kicked in and I suddenly felt like my old self.  Whew!!!!  I don't ever want to feel that again.  It was truly awful and thank god I woke up.  No wonder people think those that are hypoglycaemic are drunk!!!

One good thing, the amazing ambulance attendants checked me completely and my vitals were perfect!!!  Blood pressure 120 over 55, oxygen level just under 100, blood sugar 7.9, heart rate 60.  Perfect.

So my expert low carbing kicked me in the butt.  I think when I mentioned to the dr. a month ago that I could super low carb, I have done this my entire life, I am pretty sure she didn't really realize that I really meant it or she probably would have told me at what point to cut back on the medication.  Which I am def going to do from this point on.

Monte went to McD's early this morning and got me a bacon McGriddle, hash brown, orange cranberry muffin and coffee!  I enjoyed every single bite.  But I will be back on the low carb train tomorrow, just ready to not take the medication when necessary.  And once again, in my life, Monte to the rescue.  And with huge help from Ange and EMT's.  I feel like a fool to be honest.  Poor Ange was awakened by bright ambulance lights pouring into her window. 

I need to take a moment here to mention how grateful I am to the people I live with.  They really look after me and I would be in a right sorry state if it weren't for them, not just in an emergency but every single day.  I love them.

So tomorrow is another day.  I am getting the top of my head re permed.  Makes doing my hair so much easier and I want easy when we go on our cruise.  The fifteenth is coming up fast.  Next post will be about a certain person in our family and her exciting news!!!!  Take care and TTYL

'I fought Sugar Ray Robinson so many times, it's a wonder I don't have diabetes.'  Jake LaMotta

My favourite quote:

'I think I can wipe out diabetes.'  Dr. R Atkins

What he didn't take into account was the complete lack of self discipline of people with the disease, otherwise he could have.

 

EIGHT DAYS.....JEEZ!!!!! I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ALL THAT BUSY!!!

 I apologize, yet again.  I just can't believe how fast the days go by when you are doing nothing, except for sweeping up one million maggots.  Our life is just too humdrum.  I hear about my sister, my kids, my friend, who just got back from Panama for heaven's sake, and all the activities they are all doing and I feel like such a slug.  I do nothing.  Nada. Diddlysquat.  I don't even do house chores.  Yet again it is proving to me that the less pressure you have the less you get done.  Everyone that was coming next week to visit, are not coming.  One due to money, the others due to unreliability of road openings.  Can't blame them.

Well I am finishing up the third week of no eating.  Well let me qualify that.  Almost no eating.  I have had two meals in the last three weeks but hardly any food the rest of the time.  I have kept my numbers below six and mostly in the fours.  For example, yesterday I didn't eat til around three.  I had a smallish bowl of lettuce with a dusting of raspberry dressing.  Then Monte and Ange ordered pizza and onion rings for dinner.  I took a pizza cutter and cut about one inch of veg pizza off a slice point and took a minuscule onion ring.  It was teeny tiny.  And that was it.  That is my typical  eating day.  I am determined, absolutely determined to make that goal of low enough A1c at the end of the month to get a six month prescription.  After the cruise I am going to eat a diabetic way of eating but not so severe.  This current way can't be healthy.  One thing though, I am dropping weight like crazy.  Of course I was so fat it doesn't show much yet, just a lot more wrinkles everywhere!  Lol!!!

Well since I started this post the housecleaner showed up and Ange and I dashed out to Nesgaards and bought a lovely on sale pot to transplant the hibiscus in.  She is so root bound you can't water her.  It just runs right out the bottom.  So tonight we are going to transplant her.  I think she will be a lot happier.  I got a reddish ceramic pot that kind of matches the flowers.

I got a call from Jeni, my brother's daughter.  She grew up here Port.  She is now in her late forties and a real spit fire!!!  Her boys are 15 and 13, the nicest kids you would ever meet.  She texted me to tell me she was in town visiting one of her best friends she knew from before.  I have mentioned her before as they have been to town a number of times.  They invited me over to Heather's place for a visit last night.

I always have 8" tin foil cake pans and Pilsbury brownie mix (I defy anyone to make better brownies than Pilsbury!).  I get both in bulk from the dollar store.  In half an hour you have brownies, with or without nuts (I always keep a bag in the freezer) with one egg, a bit of oil and water.  You can make a gift, dessert, forbidden snack etc...so easily.  Yesterday I made two pans...one with nuts and one with a peanut butter icing and took them with me.  I had the best best time!!!  Jeni is one of those magical people in my life that can actually outtalk me or keep up when I talk.  It is so relaxing to be with someone like that.  I don't have to keep self checking my talkitude level.  We talked steadily til ten thirty!!!!   It was wonderful...all the newsies catch up and all the kids, Heather has two beautiful 12 yr. old twins.  I loved the evening.  It was good to get out, something that rarely, if ever, happens.

April has a friend who has moved, with her squeeze, to Port Alberni.  They are the ones that in desperation April called on Mother's Day to ask if they knew any florist in town that delivered.  No, there isn't.  So bless their hearts, they went right out and bought two lovely hanging baskets and brought them over to the house.  Like who does that???!!!  I almost cried!!!!!

She, Oly, is the most amazing girl.  She is gifted!  Her wood working art is unbelievable.  I can't even describe it to you.  Plus she has a workshop and can build anything...furniture, stairs, boxes, whatever needed thats made out of wood.  And she gardens.  Like seriously gardens.  And there was a knock at the door the other day and who should it be but that awesome gal with a loaded box of apples, tomatoes, basil, zucchini, long beans, pea pods....unbelievable!  And she grew it all.  We were so excited!

I told her that we made apple butter and apparently she does too!  Later that day I got a message from April that said Oly had texted her to tell me that she had brought over a huge bag of apples she had gone and picked for us for our apple butter.  She could hear through my open window that I was on the phone so she just left it on the doorstep.  And yup! there it was.  Honestly, that is beyond thoughtful!!!!

Later Ange responded to an ad in marketplace that this fellow across town was selling pears for two bucks a pound.  So we hightailed it over there and bought twelve pounds of pears, he only charged for ten.  So this time we are going to make a half and half pear apple butter with chunks of candy ginger mixed through it.  Yummmmmmy!!!

That's it for today folks.  Enjoy the warmth out there, even in the smoke, cuz soon it will be freezing and snowy and dark outside.  TTYL

'No individual raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the flood.'  John Ruskin

THE BOX FROM OLY

SHE COULD NOW WRITE A COOKBOOK CALLED '300 WAYS TO COOK ZUCCHINI'

WARNING: GROSS STORY, FEEL FREE TO SKIP

 Don't say I didn't warn you!!!  I am pretty sure if I had normal filters I would not be telling you this.  But as you should know by now, I don't have proper filters, never did, much to my Mother's chagrin and not for her lack trying to get them into me.  Didn't work.

Yesterday morning, very very early, like six, I got up.  I couldn't sleep, my room was too hot and I remembered I had taken a bag of buns out of the freezer out on the deck and not brought them in.  Because there is the possibility of vermin being about, I got up and went out the sliding door on the deck to get them.

As I stepped out onto the door mat, I screeched to a stop.  There was rice spilled all over the deck.  It is a huge deck and there literally was white rice covering every inch of it.  Then I noticed the most horrific thing.  The rice was moving.  It was  ALL moving!!!!!  Upon closer observance it was maggots....millions and millions and millions of maggots.  How?  From where? OMG!!!  I know I am the queen of giant impossible messes but this was beyond even my experience.  Then I noticed where they were probably coming from.

We compost in this town.  I collect big amounts of paper bags, shopping paper bags.  And I fill one every two to three days.  The other evening there was one in the kitchen with salmon entrails and head in it.  It was smelling and I was in my pjs and it was super late.  So I popped it out onto the deck.  I put it over quite a ways away from the door, balanced on the arm of an Adirondack chair.  And promptly completely forgot about it, until yesterday.  Clearly the flies had gotten to it and done their nasty business.  How could they make that many babies all at once!!!!!????

I grabbed a garbage bag, broom and dust pan and out I went and started to sweep and make little piles ready for scooping.  I had made about five of them when I glance back and the damned piles were on the move, rapidly!  Those piles had basically disappeared.  Those little suckers can move!!!!

As I was revamping my plan of attack I hear 'Howdoodlydoo their neighbour!"  What?!!  And there was fricken Harry, standing on his deck next door, cup of coffee in hand.  "You are up early!" he yells.  Jeeeeeeezlyweezly!!!  There I am, again, in my ugly awful skivvies, hair straight up on my head, no teeth, and definitely NOT in the mood to chit chat with the talky talk neighbour.  He is a lovely man and all, but not at six in the morning when stinking maggots are faster than me.

So I swept and scooped, swept and scooped and swept and scooped til my back was screaming.  I pretty much got all of them.  I tied the garbage bag as tight as possible and into the garbage wheely outside.  Jeez!  What a way to wake up.

Later I took a look through the door to double check that there weren't a million that had snuck back. But there was something new on the deck. There were a ton of little starlings hopping around.  What the heck?  They were eating the escapees!!!!!  Cleaned the deck up right nicely!

A little later, in my comfy chair, feet up, sipping a hot coffee, I was reflecting on what a dilemma it would have been if I weren't the unfreakable type of person.  What if I was freaked out and couldn't go near them?  I know people like that.  Maggots, even the word, creates a very gross response.  We would have been in serious trouble if I had not found them so early and if I was one of those people that couldn't handle it.  You know I have always hated composting.

As I sit here now I see yesterdays hibiscus flower is no longer there and from the start of typing this, that big bud visibly started to seriously open up.  I can see it moving.  I am going to so love this thing.  I remember I loved Bill's that Kathy gave him.  It's a magic gift from nature.

Just a wee word on Smudge.  I do miss Gladys but I gotta say Smudge is a total dream car to drive.  Yesterday afternoon I had to run up to Walmart and then we, Ange and I, were going to run out to Theshat, the native store and gas station, for Cherry Dr. Pepper (it isn't Mountain Dew like I said) and cream soda.  We bought three each and by golly if it isn't the best damned pop we have ever drunk!  And the drive was dreamy!  No running over curbs, no turning corners and entering the oncoming traffic lane, no blind spots where I almost kill us and no white knuckle driving keeping her from heading for the rhubarb.  And it is super comfy.

Well I best get the day started.  I need to flatten boxes, put away a ton of stuff in the guest room (my temporary storage..shovel list) til I find somewhere to put it, and then of course there is always laundry to fill in the gaps.

Have a wonderful day and TTYL

'Maggots from meat,' quoted John, 'weevils from rye, dragons from stars in an empty sky.' Barbara Hambly

A PAINTING BY APRIL....THE BACKSIDE OF FRONT STREET IN LAHAINA....BURNED AND GONE FOREVER.

SIGNIFICANT DAY TODAY....TO ME FOR SOME REASON

It was 53 years ago today when I was an ignorant naive 18 year old, I met my first husband.  I was sitting on some wooden steps down a deserted lane of buildings out at UBC, waiting for a previous boyfriend, a true loser, who had all my worldly goods in the back seat of his bright red 1965 mustang.  I needed them.  I was going to transfer them to my mother's camero.  She was at the university for summer school courses and I had come down from Kamloops to visit her.  He never showed up.  Obviously he had hawked all my stuff.  He was poor.  After all he was a sewing machine repairman.  A mobile one.  Sigh.

I should have got up and left by this time.  It was two hours past meeting time and it was clear he wasn't going to show.  But something kept me there.

After a two hour fruitless waste of time, a motorcycle pulled up and parked over by the little parking lot.  A handsome dude got off, took off his helmet and shook out his very long down his back red hair, very Fabioesque like.  He glanced over at me and then walked up the other road and disappeared.  I still stayed.  Soon he came back and over to me and asked if I had the time.  No.  I didn't.  We briefly talked about nothing and then he asked if I wanted to go for a ride.  Sure!!! I recklessly answered!!!

I dashed into mom's dorm room and pulled on some impossibly tight jeans (jeans by intravenous) and dashed back out.  He was still there!!!  I hopped on, sans helmet, like I knew what I was doing.  I had no idea, I had never been on a bike, a Kawasaki 500.  And off we went.  It was beyond thrilling.  I loved it!

  We ended up at Queen Liz park where we sat and talked and talked and talked (about spirituality and Lobsang Rampa of course, it was the sixties after all).  We ended up down at Jericho Beach, eating Church's Fried Chicken til the wee hours.  I thought it sooooo romantic. 

 We were pretty much inseparable from that point on til we were no more.  The date was August 11 1969.  We only lasted long enough to produce two awesome kids and we had some amazing times in those few years.  It's a date I never forget for some reason.  I don't remember our wedding date, Feb. something.  But that day we met I always remember.  Every year!

Monte and I just took Smudge for a toodle about.  There is a native gas station and store a few miles away towards Uky.  It is the most unique store you will ever go into.

They import stuff that I guess us white peeps can't.  That has to be it.  The two things that stand out to me is their massive selection of Kool-ade and a very unusual selection of different pops, both diet and not diet.

I found a magical recipe for no carb popsicles and it calls for diet jello and flavoured Kool-ade.  So out we went, my mission to pick up weird Kool-ade.

Twelve packages:  watermelon, Jamaican, Pina colada, grape, strawberry kiwi, lilikoi, dragon fruit etc...  And I bought a cherry Mountain Dew with cream soda flavour!!!  I can honestly say it's the best flavoured pop I have ever drunk.  It's so much fun going out there.

We stopped at the farm nursery on the way home.  I picked up freshly grown, on their farm, strawberries and tomatoes and chard.  OMG!!!!  The strawberries are amazing!!!  On the way out the big door I noticed a beautiful four foot tall, strong, hibiscus bush.  It had a massive bloom, another one ready to pop tomorrow and a zillion tight buds.  Kathy gave Bill a smaller hibiscus one year and it stayed alive, producing a new flower every day, for years.  He taught me all about them.

  So, seeing as how money is short right now it isn't the right time to be buying a hibiscus.  But it reminded me so of Bill and our poor sad Maui.  I actually went to the car and put my bag into it and then made the decision if it was under sixty dollars, highly unlikely, I would buy it.  I marched back in, found the lady that works there, asked her what the price was and it was forty dollars!!!!  I sat it on the floor between my knees and managed it all the way home.  I will put pics below.  Now every time I search for the new flower of the day I will think of Spod and our beautiful Maui memories.

I am going to take Ange out to Teshat market tomorrow and buy her and myself a couple of cream soda cherry mountain dews!!!  And on the way back I am going to stop at Nesgaards and pick up more strawberries and a couple bags of beautiful carrots I saw.  We are so lucky to have them here in town.  

Next week we are going to use found coinage from all over the place and the cars and we are going to the Spice Hut.  I am having a massive craving for palak paneer.  That spinach dish is magical.  That will be the only over the carb limit meal of this whole month before my A1c is due the end of August.  I don't think it will be too awful.  Right now it has dropped to 2.8 and I don't feel great.  Time for a V8, a quick awesome carb fix.  Waaaay better than fruit juice.  We buy four cases of 24 every month from No Frills.  I put one whole case on the top shelf of the fridge.  There is nothing like an ice cold V8.  I can only have one thought when my blood sugar drops below three.

Well that's it for today.  It was a lovely lovely fun day today.  I am happy.  I weighed and am down twelve pounds.  I am soooo wrinkly it's funny!  I am going to go get a pic of our hibiscus now and post here,  TTYL

'I would rather live one day in Maui than a month in New York.'  Charles Lindbergh

OUR BEAUTIFUL HIBISCUS

THE FLOWER OF THE DAY

THE FLOWER OF TOMORROW

 

ANOTHER BORING ONE...FEEL FREE TO SKIP

 I was going to start off here about other things when there was a knock at the door.  It was Harry from next door.  He wanted to talk to Monte, who, of course, is sleeping.  I asked what he needed and what he needed was help with Amazon and his order!  I told him that I was quite cognizant when it comes to everything Amazon.  Oh, he says.  We are the same age so I didn't know for sure if you had a computer.  Ahem!!!!  Are you kidding?  So for the next few minutes I computer shamed him!!!

I then went on to solve his problem, and I tell ya I could not look worse than I do at the moment.  I might even be smelly.  My pj shorts are fuzzy and red plaid.  My slippers look like Santa's reindeer ran over them. No bra, but my teeth were in at least!!!!  And my hair at the back looks like I was whacked with a two by four.  Oh well.

After solving his problem, the biggest one being no computer or printer (he had his son order it) it was clear he was super reluctant to get one.   I told him I would be willing to teach him how to use it.  After all I very successfully taught Spod how to use one with nary a fight!

After all that we got talking about the sale of Gladys and I mentioned that we missed it most for trips to the dump.  He immediately offered to make dump runs with his truck or even his trailer should we like.  He said he was bored and would love to make trips to the dump for us!!!  He honestly is the kindest nicest neighbour.  Mr. Howdoyoudoodally.

I have been doing a deep dive into type 2 diabetes.  So interesting.  As I mentioned before it puzzles me that after spending a lifetime of lowcarbing except when holidaying or not at home, and in the last decade losing my appetite, how did I become diabetic...and fat!  And I have found out that they are just discovering that more and more it is genetic and it is a syndrome that involves other things.  There are lots of people that cause themselves that particular grief but there are a lot of us that haven't.  I know that both Grampa Graham had type two and  my mom. My brother has it.  My cousin was a type one diabetic.  I do believe I had help genetically developing this annoying illness.  It's a full time job keeping that blood sugar at five!!!

Skinny Puppy.  Some of you out there will know this band.  Some of us know them very very well!  They are a hard hitting rock band, not to everyone's taste.  I got introduced to them through Kevin,  many many years ago. He is a hard core fan.  And they are coming to Vancouver!!!!  Unheard of!!!!!  They are an old band, I didn't think they were even together anymore.  But near the end of Nov. they will be doing two nights at the Commodore.

Kevin is trying to figure out how to go.  So I have offered to go to Penticton and babysit.  If it snows I can take the bus.  After that white knuckle terrifying drive from Kamloops to Cache Creek in Tank I now have PTSD driving on snowy roads.  I would so love to spend time with the kids.  They are all coming over here the end of August and Tandy and Kevin are going to take off for a couple of nights so I am so looking forward to time with the kids.  We will take them swimming and a trip to Coombs and dinner out, sushi.  I can't wait!!!!  I don't get to play gramma very often.

Well thats it folks.  I think it is time to leave this house, if for no other reason than hoping something interesting happens that I can amuse you kind folks with.  Sigh.  TTYL

'Ugliness is in a way superior to beauty because it lasts.'  Serge Gainsbourg

HO HUM NOTHING BORING

 Well you can probably tell by the title this is going to be a short boring post.  I didn't realize that not being able to leave town has had such an effect on this household.  Even though we didn't go to Nanaimo too too often, we did get out of town now and then.  We would also go to Coombs occasionally.

The road is still a nightmare.  I have this awful feeling they aren't going to be done by the middle of August as promised.  And from what I am hearing and seeing on the news it hasn't exactly stopped the lemmings heading to Nirvana otherwise known as Tofino.

  The line ups at the alternating traffic spot is miles and miles long.  And the waits are hours and hours.  People can be so.....limited in their thinking.  All that traffic management makes it really hard on those guys trying to do the work.  And, actually this part would be gold if it happened...if the wind comes up like it has quite a few times, or if there is another rock fall, like it has happened several times, the road closes indefinitely for an unknown period of time, they would be hooped.  All those people, who were very thoroughly warned to stay away, would be trapped. 

The worst part though is the medical transports, the island bus, the people trying to make travel reservations etc...get stuck and not through.  

I am working really hard at keeping my blood sugar really low until the end of August.  I even put a countdown calendar on my computer to go look at when I am getting ready to chew my arm off from hunger.  I am eating but to keep my number between 4 and 5 is really really hard.  But if my A1c is under 7 at the end of this month the doctor will give me a six month prescription rather than a three month one.  The three month one is just annoying.

A side effect of this is weight loss.  Usually it's pretty hard due to my age and the type 2 syndrome to lose poundage.  But with such an extreme low carb/calorie diet the weight does come off.  I am not too sure I am happy about that.  It boils down to a choice between ....a) do I want to be skinnier but super wrinkly? or b) stay plumper but have higher blood sugar numbers and not so wrinkly?  A conundrum for sure.  (shovel list)

Well I told you this would be boring.  You know, honestly, when I know a post is going to be boring and pointless (another shovel list) I really debate about not posting at all.  But then I remember that you all have the power to push the off button.  I did warn you in the heading!!!  But for those that made it through....thank you!  TTYL

"A bored kid is a boring kid.  and, The dirtiest kid had the most fun."  Me!!!!!  Someone else in the world has said this I am sure but I didn't hear it.

Random pics today.....some I do believe you have seen.

A DEEP FRIED FISH WE HAD IN SINGAPORE

APRIL AT ABOUT 18 MONTHS....SHE LOVED MAKEUP AND EVEN TOOK A COURSE AT CASABLANCAS....SHE STARTED YOUNG

MOM AND BILL DRINKING BLUEBERRY JUICE

YOU MAY REMEMBER THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CHICKEN GRAVY I ORDERED BY MISTAKE FROM COSTCO...IT IS ACTUALLY GOING DOWN.  I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE KIDS WOULD INHERIT IT WHEN MY TIME COMES.

SOME OF MY FAMILY.  I WILL NAME THEM STARTING WITH APRIL AND I WILL GO DOWN THE LEFT SIDE AROUND AND BACK UP THE RIGHT.
APRIL. KATHY SISTER. STAN BROTHER. ANTONIA HIS WIFE. KERRY KATHY'S HUSBAND. MYLES. ARYN. ME. ANNE MY FRIEND. BRADLEY ARYN'S SQUEEZE. DOROTHY NIECE. JEREMY HUSBAND OF JENI. MATHEW THEIR KID. RANDOM PERSON. RANDOM PERSON. JENI MY BROTHER'S DAUGHTER. NATE THEIR OTHER KID.