November 1st

” Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 28 degrees  Calgary 7 degrees

Received a picture from our friends in Mesa already enjoying themselves in the sun. Bob & Pat, our next door neighbors and Gail our neighbour right across the street.These people are incredibly  friendly people and we are very lucky to have them as our neighbors. This community on the whole is a wonderful place with the friendliness, helpfulness and the overall feeling of community, it is amazing. Go for a walk and stop ten times to talk.  Two times stopped for happy hour.This picture is making me very jealous we aren’t there yet. LOL  18 more days before I leave to enjoy it again.

. Love the smiles !

This is the 4th pool complex in the park and is brand new. It looks fantastic and we can’t wait to try it.  Notice all of the new homes that are selling like mad behind the pool. Typically during peak season it is hard to find a lounge chair at the pools.Hopefully now with this 4th pool it will be a little less busy. There are cabana’s, fire pits and seating area’s  with lots of palm trees for shade. Very nice. Can’t wait until we get there to enjoy. As I said before I am going for two weeks in Nov with Fred and Mel to build a deck, enclose a patio, golf and relax. Then Jackie & I will go the first week of Jan and stay until April.

Had a early phone call from Kal Tire that my tire was ready on the one  that I picked up a nail. When I went to pay, the pleasant clerk informs me that it will be n/c . Fantastic service. If anyone wants a great place visit the KAL TIRE in Shawnessy.  The clerk gives me my n/c invoice and I pick up my tire. I install it back on the carrier but the low pressure sensor doesn’t go out. Sometimes they take a bit to reset so I drove around the Home Depot lot. Stopped back in and asked the front desk to double check the pressure as something isn’t working right. Instant friendly service and a young man and I checked each tire. Turns out the spare I put on was 2 pounds under the sensor trigger point. Filled all five tires to the correct pressure ( always check driver door for correct pressure) and started it up. Drove 5ft and the light goes off. Love Kal Tire in Shawnessy. And this service is with them going nuts putting on winter tires so you can imagine how well they treat customers other times.

Washed the Jeep again which was quite easy this time as any car when recently waxed the dirt just falls off. Last time I checked the oil I noticed the engine compartment was quite dusty. I washed the engine. Starting to use my shammy ( mine is a mountain goat skin) I noticed I just pushed the dirt from the engine to the Jeep so I had to stop and wash the Jeep again. But ! it is now very clean and looks great again.

Checked the internet on the operating procedures to open the back window with my soft top on. The UTUBE video made it look to easy. Mine isn’t. I will work on it.

I am hoping this year to head out into the desert to go exploring in the Jeep if I find anyone daring enough. I figure water, gas and a blanket I can live for a few days.

Went over to Audrey & Michael’s place to look at a shower head. Michael had a dentist appointment so I said I would look at and see if I can figure out what’s wrong as I have the correct tools for the job that he didn’t. The head in the shower was leaking bad and they had bought a new one. Getting this head off was not easy. It was one tight head to the extreme. These things are plastic. I finally was able to turn it with breaking anything. Installed the new head with pipe tape on the threads. Leaked !  Removed and installed it without tape as per instructions. Leaked !  Removed installed with two wraps of tape. Leaked !  Their unit is a very nice place but it is older. I can imagine that a head has been off and on this pipe 20 times over the years and a lot of the time turned too tight. Most of the new heads are plastic which only require finger tight as the threads are pointed back not to leak water through. But the old metal heads had to be put on tight. The threads over years spread due to over tightening and in this case they appeared to have a burr on them. So I removed the pipe from the wall and went to the Depot. I returned the head, exchanged for a new one as the old one leaked and bought a new piece of pipe. The Depot rep says plastic is the way their going today. I returned, taped the threads of the pipe to go into the wall and screwed on the pipe and head. Perfect no leaks. Plastic !  I am positive that the pipe into the shower is leak proof but I want to check it tomorrow as any leak would be hidden in the wall. if I pull back the escutcheon plate hopefully I can see as there is no access panel. ( should be code)

They bought a new kitchen faucet which  I will install tomorrow for them. My plumbers wrench is in Arizona so I will need a little  extra space to tighten the tap bolt. A little harder but not the first time doing it this way. Love the faucet as it is modern and cool looking. Typical tap install which should only take about an hour if everything goes good. You never know what fittings etc you need to make it all work so I didn’t want to start and not finish. 10 am in the morning and done by noon I am hoping.

Remember it is Movember Month. Interesting how this started up in Ontario by two young guys wanting to find a way to raise money for prostate cancer. Now they have raised 750 million and the focus is on Men’s Health. As you know men on average die 5-6 years earlier than women. May be the hormones, stress, doctor care, carelessness who knows but real so if they can find a way to even this out a bit I am sure the dance halls fanatics would be happy.

Most important, Remember to buy and wear your Red Poppy. It is such a small way to contribute and help out.  Lest we Forget !

This is a picture of Calgary’s Field of Crosses where they plant a named cross for every veteran killed in Southern Alberta. We have over 3200 crosses here. Fitting it is on Memorial Drive. Make Remembrance more than just a Day.  I can’t imagine the heart ache and bravery that was abundant world wide then.

Remembrance Day: Why it’s important. Armistice Day is on 11 November and is also known as Remembrance Day. It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, back in 1918. Nowadays people remember those who were lost in the war by holding a two minute silence, and by wearing a red poppy.

I checked into the centre color of our poppies and as per my memories the centre used to be green. 20 years they changed back to black to represent the kind of Poppy found in Flanders Field.  Funny how I remember the green centre.!

 

Now to the gym !

Thought of the Day

Sometimes I spell a word so bad even auto correct goes ” I have nothing man”

November 2nd

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 28 degrees  Calgary 12 degrees

Talk about a wonderful late October/November. We are supposed to hit over 18 degrees this weekend. We are going to have a quick trip to Lethbridge this weekend for a beauty treatment for Jackie. Hopefully a patio at a bar in the sun for supper.

I went to Audrey’s place to install a kitchen faucet.  Jackie and Audrey picked out a nice faucet with a extension which will look great and work well for them. First order of business trouble. The shutoff valves were seized. They may not have ever been moved in 30 years. I couldn’t move them. I finally took off one lever and normally they have a square shank behind the splined area for the lever part but these didn’t have that.  Sweated on shutoffs which mean having to cut the copper and install compression shutoffs. Problem 2 pops up. This older complex does not have a water turn off valve for the tenants to access. You have to phone the management company and they have a on call plumber come and turn of the water. $250.

So I needed a little creativity. I was able to remove one turn part of the valve and clamped my vise grips on the shaft and moved it back and forth a bit and finally it broke through. I turned it off and on numerous times to clean out the build up. Second one not so easy as the P trap was right in front of it so I couldn’t remove the turn lever. So clamp on the lever and do the same and it breaks loose. The lever is thin metal so is a bit squished but is still fine. Turned it back and forth to work it free. Finally able to work on the tap. Without my plumbers wrench getting the nuts off are difficult but managed to get it done. The counter is made out of particle board so over the years the water seepage has made around each opening a little rotten.  Went to install the new tap and they gave two systems depending on if you had a one hole or three hole. I had it in place then had to remove as the other option is what I needed. Finally got it all right and tightened the difficult nut to get at. I have it quite tight which is good as the wood is soft it will just push the wood around and not get any better. Finished all of the other hookups including making sure hot and cold water supplies are correct and done. Started up and NO LEAKS which is always nice the first go around. Got lucky , a half hour job took 2 hours but couldn’t have been 4 hours if I had to replace the shutoff valves. These older places with copper lines and plumbing are not the easiest to work with. In Audrey’s first place in this complex I removed everything under the sink and replaced it with braided and pvc p traps etc.  I am happy and hopefully they will enjoy their new tap. May the water run out of the right places only !

Whipped to the Shoe Company as I need a new pair of runners as mine were a little too small and my feet were hurting a bit on the treadmill. Picked up a pair of Sketchers size 12 E wide so I think I will ok. The only color choice with E wide though was white but I will live with that. I look at white sneakers and they just look odd to me but. I will wear them just for the treadmill. I have been attempting to wear sandals until I get to Mesa but the odd day it has been a little cool on my feet I have had to add socks to the sandals. In case anyone thinks that is odd remember every fashion trend has to have a leader.

Went to Dixon’s to met Jeff and we had a great table only a few meters away from a large screen. We had forgotten about the game. Can’t beat wings and beer along with sports.

Now wasn’t that a game. Game 7 extra inning and lots of back and forth all night. I never watch baseball unless it is the finals for the Jays or the world series games. The amount of strategy that the coaches use is amazing. Pitcher changes so often you don’t know is playing. A great game, a fun game to watch and in my opinion the right team won. The Cubs have an amazing following. And if Bill Murray is a fan how can I not cheer for them.

CMA awards also last night with some great performances. Beyoncé with the Dixie Chicks was great. They pulled every old country star out of the closet this time but ti made for an entertaining show.

Thought of the Day

Even the calendar after Tuesday goes WTF.

November 3rd

Lest we forget

“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 26 degrees Calgary 20 degrees

Wow what a fall day. Sun shining and warm. I was going to wear shorts today but decided to wait for a bit. Armed with only a regular golf shirt and a light golf over coat I headed to the course. The parking lot was only about 1/4 full which is great for us. Loaded up , warmed up on the range, met our golfing partners and headed to the first hole.  I can’t ever remember a November being this warm. I only wore my golf shirt all day. It was one of those hard fought days on the course where nothing seems to go perfect. Drives were average, irons were average and missed putts were average. Our two playing partners were great guys that made it a fun day. They both used the new XE1 wedge and it worked incredibly for them. I think I will order one when I get to Mesa after now seeing three people use it and three people swearing by it. These players golf midday then go to work at 4;30 to 1;30 am. That is amazing. I like the 65 degree XE1 one. It was a close match today with me winning the front nine and Larry winning the back nine. Coming into the 18th hole we were dead even. This is a par 5 hole so I am thinking just play smart and the game is yours. Wham I hit my drive and it goes miles high and only about 200 yards out. Larry hit a great drive. Ok second shot play smart and lay up. Hit it good but to the left. Only 100 yards left which is my favorite distance. Larry says it is very windy you should club up. I keep my original club selection and wouldn’t you know it I was short. Larry is on the green. I had to flop shot it over a bunker but it didn’t release off the edge and was still 20 ft away.  We were both putting and Larry says what are you laying. I think to myself. OK he is an amazing putter and could win it on this putt, he needs added pressure. I say shooting 5 with about 6 feet away. The pressure gets to him and he misses and ends up with a boogie. I miss and end up with a double. $2.00 lost and by one stroke. Darn but it sure was fun ending it like that. Larry laughing when I told him my score ( him thinking we were tied) says ok next game it’s on. I may try that move again. It didn’t work completely but it was fun.

This is why real handicaps work. If the handicap is true any two players can play together and have a shot at winning. Golf is the only game I can think of that makes this work perfect. What people need to do is enroll and submit their true golf numbers and then everyone can play with a shot at winning. In fact a mid range and especially a high capper has a lot more opportunity to win versus a low capper. Larry and I have a 4 cap difference now as mine has dropped.  He has to beat me by 5 stokes to win. I like a gross to gross win but I will take the net win anytime.

When we loaded up the car it was 20 degrees outside. Amazing. Can’t get my closet organizer started with those temperatures. Darn.  Right ?

I used my S Health and today I only made 8900 steps so on the treadmill tonight with my new shoes I will blast by the magic 10,000 step number. I have managed my weight exceptionally well by the moving and eating semi properly. What I really like is my blood pressure now with 40 pounds off and moving is staying around the 115/68 range which is great.( with pill help) Less stress on heart, veins, capillaries, liver, kidney etc. The saying everything in moderation is absolute. Nothing on the agenda tonight so it will be eat, exercise and TV then bed all ready for another wonderful day to begin.

Tomorrow is short day . Yes shorts in November. I will take a selfie of my wonderful sculptured legs tomorrow.

Off to Lethbridge this weekend were it will be even warmer.

Thought of the Day

Wearing shorts- If I cant feel my legs from the waist down who cares ?  I will look good and isn’t that what really matters on a golf course. And if I die from hypothermia please have that put on my tombstone  ‘HE SURE LOOKED GOOD IN HIS SHORTS IN THE WINTER ON THE GOLF COURSE”

November 4th

“Mercury Forecast”   Mesa 25 degrees  20 degrees

Not that many degrees different. You have to love Chinooks . Up this morning and it was beautiful. Sunny and warm. As I said short day. Getting to the course it was busy. Doesn’t anybody work anymore. Don’t they know week days are for retired people. LOL  Our partner today was a Valley Ridge member getting in his last day of golf.  Good golfer and fun . Even though the course was busy who cares when you are in the sun enjoying the day. If nothing else I think of it as mental and physical exercise.  Always close to 10k steps. The second nine I was happy with, the first nine not so much. Another off day. I didn’t golf that bad but just didn’t score well.  Lost the first nine and tied the second with overall losing by one net stroke. Next time.

Made $5.50 today on the side bets so golfing, sunshine, warmth, shorts , fun, heckling, sparring and income all in one day on Nov 4th in Calgary , who could ask for more.

Needed a light supper tonight as I had to have a hotdog for lunch which we all know isn’t the best for you but very tasty. I think we will just chill tonight and then head to Lethbridge in the morning. Most likely will not post until Sunday night.

Just think you could ski on Saturday in the mountains and then golf on Sunday as we have still 10 courses open city wide.

Thought of the Day

In golf, as in real life it’s the follow through that makes the difference.

November 5th-6th

“Mercury Forecast ”  Mesa  27 degrees  Calgary 16 degrees

I am cheering for the Edmonton Eskimo’s to win on Nov 13th. I want Edmonton to come out of the east as the winner. The league, the tv rights etc will be shaking in their boots if this happens but what a final it would be with Edmonton against Calgary. Fingers crossed.  I am surprised with the recent conversations about team names that the Eskimo’s aren’t under fire. Some may find this quite offensive.  I was thinking Edmonton Green Machine ( you know being all cozy with Notley up there. LOL)

Speaking of politics I am not a fan of Justin BUT he has done three good things. The trade agreement with the EU is good for all Canadians especially in our agricultural fields, the increase in CPP benefits to address pension inadequacies, and the extension of canola trade agreement with China. All good for us and nice to have something good from him that will help western Canada. Even though Harper should get the EU agreement credit.

News this morning stating Calgary unemployment just hit 10.2 % . That is scary. Interviewing people on the street I felt good with one younger lady saying she didn’t want to go on UI but has to do what she has to. She only just wants a job. The last few times out golfing every group I have been with has a laid of employee of some trade including engineers. I do believe it is going to get worse as the $15 min wage will make companies start to layoff some of the lower paying positions and make due with less employees.  Interesting stat on the news that Edmonton’s unemployment rate is only 6.9%. The biggest difference is the blue collar versus white collar positions with the management levels most often take the first hits. Also interesting is the fact that Edmonton’s vote was the catalyst that allowed the NDP to get into power. Large anti-NDP ralley’s this weekend in Calgary.  I can understand their frustration but these really won’t do anything. ( the anger against the farm bill did work a little bit) . What needs to and I am positive it will happen is a large voter turnout voting for a different government than NDP. The scary part is the split vote again between the PC’s and Wildrose if they don’t merge.

What a beautiful day for a drive. The sun was shining and warm, the traffic was light and it was a just a pleasant drive on HWY 2.  Looking at the snow capped mountains in the distance is amazing. It is a beautiful place we live in.

Arrived at Jessica’s and Pen’s house in perfect time. Penny was super busy with clients coming and going. We are so happy for them with their decision to open an in home salon. Not only does it look wonderful, I might add constructed wonderfully, it is also decorated gorgeous. They have an eye for making things look great.   When you have a super talented stylist in a great location and word of mouth gets around it will get busy. So remember if you need a style, cut, or dye Penny Hicken is who you should call. She does a wonderful job. Jackie’s prior haircuts have never been as nice.https://www.facebook.com/basementsalon/    When we were there I saw a lady booking two or three future appointments to get her hair done before Christmas parties, events or maintenance.

Jess & Pen have really done a lot of work on their place as of late. Beside the barnwood wall which I love they have phase one of their yard done. I cant wait until next year to start planting.

Here are some of my favorite plants to use  Barberry, Potentilla, Dwarf Burning Bush, Creeping Juniper, Calamagrostis Reed Grass, Flame Grass, Lavendula, Dwarf Fountain Grass, Cotoneaster,Cherry Plum Tree, Tiger Lilies, Spirea and Fire Weed to name a few. I love gardening so if they have the money next year I will camp at Park Lake for a week of so and work on the yard plus camp, golf and fish. Life is great.

They also want a pergola. I love pergola’s and a similar one to this over their backyard paver section will look fantastic.  This one has used the large overhead beams which just cost too much. A similar one with 6 x 6 posts and 2 x 8 and 2 x 6 rails will look the same at a lot less cost. The Deck Store here in Calgary carries all of the black attaching hardware I want to use as it makes the job easier and I think adds character. To secure the uprights requires two people so I will need to time it when Corey is free. A 8ft high 6 x 6 is heavy weighing about 70 pounds (est $80 ea)and having to hold it vertically plumb ( braced) until additional uprights are installed requires two. I plan to use black upright brackets installed into  10″ sonotube with a anchor bolt. The angle braces remove any sway out of the pergola and take up some of the tension off the anchoring spots. I could just bury them in the ground and they could last 10 years but this way they will last for 25 years or more.

Will be a fun project for next year.  Looking forward to it.

The main reason for our trek was to get a special beauty treatment for Jackie.  Her eyebrows over the years have started to wane so she decided to have a micro blade tattoo process. Expensive but after she had it done they look fantastic. Amazing difference really. She said it doesn’t hurt but I would be a little tentative. New woman with them brows they look fantastic. LOL

We went out for supper to the Firestone. This place is great. First the portion sizing is unbelievable and the quality is exceptional. I had the prime rib dinner which was just over $30 bucks but after having it, it was worth it. Now I have loved prime rib for years.  Things though have changed over the years.When  Al Martyszenko used to come into town years ago prime rib was one of his and my favorites to order.  Having appetizers, Caesar salad made at our table, the 24 oz end cut prime rib and then Crepe Suzette made at our table we were stuffed. I think back as to how much I used to eat. Hy’s Steak House was always incredible. I loved that place and always looked forward to Al coming to town.  My prime rib was not advertised as to the size but I am guessing 12 ounces which made me very full. The only thing missing was no Au Jux which I thought odd but the horse radish made up for it. Their Caesar’s didn’t have any celery but were very tasty. The pepper was excellent. I do have to remember being 40 pounds lighter you just cant eat that large anymore.

While Jackie was being made beautiful Jessica and I walked with August up and down the street. We stopped at the entrance of their sub division where they installed four new large black wolf statues so we had to have a picture with August. We all were thinking Nellie ?

A fun weekend.

Talking to Victoria our poor Jackson has an ear infection. Years ago in Penticton after swimming I got one and they are painful. You can not sleep that ear down and talking or swallowing is painful. Some how water gets trapped behind wax and causes the issue. Hopefully antibiotics will help him fast.

Our timing in Mesa wasn’t always in sync with Horst & Annette our neighbors right across the street from us so we never got to spend loads of time together but every time we did it was extremely informative and entertaining. Unfortunately we just learned Horst has passed away. Horst was one of those gentle giants. He wore size 15 shoes and had to be 6 ft 5 when he was younger. But what I loved about visiting with Horst & Annette was his stories. Escaping Nazi Germany and going to South Africa is amazingly interesting. Just talking to Horst you could tell he was a very brilliant man . We can understand how the two of them got together as Annette was the perfect match. Two brilliant minds together with unmatched social skills. The stories were so much fun to listen to. If I remember correct Annette was a teacher that is so passionate  about  teaching it is just fun to listen to her.  Horst loved to ride his bike in the park.  We will miss the stories.

Here is a picture from last year with a couple of neighbors Bob & Pat when we went out with Annette for supper. Horst wasn’t well enough last year to come as Annette was getting the place ready to sell.

Funny story here, as Annette was telling us story after story in the passionate way she does. the waiter had to keep coming back as she didn’t look at her menu until Bob says “Annette, the menu” She laughs as we all do.

Thought of the Day

Sometimes memories sneak out of our eyes and run down our cheeks.

November 7th

The day before the election.

Got up earlier than normal as we needed to take the Buick into the glass shop for a new windshield. I can’t figure how Jackie couldn’t have dodged that rock that she saw coming at her! Defence driving is key. LOL

Anyone notice I didn’t put the “mercury forecast ” in today. I am manipulating the numbers. The numbers don’t look as good today as a cold front is coming through and we don’t hit the 18 to 20 range again until Tuesday.  So tomorrow when I DO put them in the numbers will look better as a comparison Mesa to Calgary.

On the way this morning I noticed a lot of frost on the roofs of the houses. It looks like our golf tee time will be delayed by at least an hour or more. May go at our proper time and grab a soup and sandwich. Hopefully today is one of those good days. Two great nines !

Had a nice supper last night with Peter. He enjoys coming for supper. He still has that sharp sense of humour which is fun. He is quite weak which is unfortunate especially when it is mainly self induced. For anyone if you lay or sit your muscles lose their strength and it takes a long time to build them back up again. Lesson here for all of us, is that sitting and laying is bad for us. Even though pain, soreness etc may exist in order to maintain our flexibility and strength we need to be moving.  Simple walking is awesome.

Making fun of Jackie this morning was easy as she has to put coconut oil on her brows and this only adds to the darkness before they completely heal. A female Groucho Marx . LOL  I love the eyebrows though and it will only be a few days until they are “normal”.

About a 1/2 hour delay to our start. Just a wonderful fall day again golfing.  Dave golfed wonderfully today and made the most money taking about $5 from each Larry and I.  It was a good game overall with still the silly mistakes hurting the scorecard. I missed at least 4 birdie shots that were closer than 10 ft to the hole two of them being ringers.  It was a close call again with this time it ending in a net tie. I want the gross win next time. I am getting better at course management so hopefully on Wednesday all is good.  20 degrees on Wednesday. Have I said I love being retired.

The girls and Jackie are all heading for a Jan Arden concert in Lethbridge which will be fun for them. Jan is a great singer but her performance and interaction with the fans is brilliant and funny.

Election time tomorrow. I would like to have no fees as removing all of my money and putting into cash would be a good idea because if Trump wins the market will drop 400 points or more . If Hillary wins  I don’t believe we will see any upswing but we won’t experience a large drop.

Just sitting down typing while supper cooks. Mashed potatoes, sweet peas, chicken breasts and gravy. Yummy !

New windshield looks great so now just need to book the Wrangler in.

Thought of the Day

Even though there are days I wish I could change somethings that happened in the past, there is a  reason the rear view mirror is so small and the windshield is so big. Where you are headed is so much more important than were you have been.

November 8th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 32 degrees Calgary 22 degrees

Beautiful weather no matter where you are. Nothing big on the agenda today.  The closet organizer and tiling in Lethbridge both a few day jobs so will watch timing before I leave or will get it done when I get back. It looks like we need a new track lighting in the kitchen also which will go on this list.

Between the golfing, treadmill and eating good I set a new low record in weight this morning.  I also switched to Coke Life instead of Diet Pepsi as aspartame is right up there with Statins as far as fear of dementia causing agents. Coke life is made with a natural Stevia plant extract and still has calories but about 50 % less than real Coke. The taste is a little different but I as long as it is cold it is fine. As soon as we get to Mesa I can go back to Diet Pepsi as in the USA  Diet Pepsi is not made with aspartame .

On tonight’s agenda will be watching the election on TV. Fox news should be interesting as they are Hillary bias. I am torn as Hillary is the safe choice but Trump would shake up the government as nowadays they need. So many disgruntled provinces and countries hating the job the gov’t is doing. Iceland, Yukon, Briton, Ontario, Philippines, Korea and on.

On the golf course a few days back while discussing going south the discussion turned to cost and they were surprised at the $6000 usd per year HOA fee.  My answer to this is pretty easy. First if we removed any exchange that is typical of a condo unit in Calgary. Second the amenities are unequaled with 4 pools, 8 hot tubs, 2 golf courses, multiple tennis courts, pickle ball courts, firepits, electronic scoring baseball diamond, 100,000 sg ft dance hall, 20 table pool hall,many group activity rooms, organized trips, organized events, concerts on site, dances on site etc. But most importantly a two week vacation to anywhere nice for two people is close to $10,000. Two weeks and it is over where we can enjoy this for 6 months at the same cost. Most people then understand. One comment a lot of people make is “but you are going to the same place over and over ” That one is an individual thing. We enjoy the comfort as it is our second home, no unpacking every night, lots of things to see and do in a city of 6 million plus, and enjoy the people there. Ask anyone that owns a cabin on a lake if they regret having to go to the same spot all of the time, or a time share location, or a RV seasonally spot. Stability is comfort. While seeing new places is very exciting we chose to spend our money differently than others. We are heading to Europe in June of 2017 though just to add to our experiences.

What a beautiful day to sit on the deck and enjoy the sun. A little breezy with the chinook winds. Love it.  Washed the Jeep, cleaned the shower, loaded and started dishwasher, dumped bathroom baskets, took recycling downstairs along with the garbage, put new lights bulb in, cut nails and went to Depot for another light. Sat some more outside. Very enjoyable relaxing day. Booked possible last tee time on Thursday as they are closed Friday and tarping on the weekend. Checked out new spots to visit for next year while camping and fishing.

Thought of the Day

Elections ; The issue- I never vote for anybody, I always vote against

November 9th

“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 25 degrees Calgary 20 degrees

Well, Donald wins.  The issue here is exactly what happened in Alberta. People hating the status que and voting against it.  The unfortunate thing for Alberta our candidate is a socialist, environmentalist, and has no acumen for operating a large organization that requires cost cutting etc.   Donald for all of his inadequacies is smart, an expert negotiator, will use the best business minds in the USA and is saying things that a lot of Americans feel. Immigration vetting, companies moving over seas and losing jobs, protecting the world on their bill , trade deficits,all need to be fixed. I am thinking overall a good change but I can see a lot of nervous countries including Canada. I found over the years at my work , I would promote someone and have a certain expectation and then given ownership of the title and responsibility the person surprised everyone and excelled at the position. I believe Trump has the capacity to be a great President. I am positive if he can implement some of his platform ideas the USA will be a lot better off. Yes the deficit will go up on the tax coffers and military asset expenses but a lot of job can be created with his protection of industries in the States and tariffs on imported goods. No one can compete with the Chinese wages so a trade tariff to balance the market place is needed. Even Canada is guilty of depending on the USA to protect us instead of investing in our own forces so there will be a lot of countries scrambling to figure out what happens now.

It hit 22 degrees today on NOVEMBER 9th. It was like summer. Golfing in a golf shirt and shorts was wonderful. At about 3pm though a cold front blew in for a few holes and it was cold and windy. Made golf difficult for three holes. Larry won low gross, low net by one stroke , and one nine hole. I won one nine hole and for about the third time in the last week or so lost by one stroke on the net. I had two blow up holes that killed me. Poor drives today. It cost me $2 bucks today. I will make it up tomorrow which is my last game of the year in Canada. Although if I can complete my closet organizer this weekend I may look at Boulder Creek for Monday weather permitting. Fun year golfing and not one game over 100 for the first time ever and first time ever with double digit game scores below 80.  I still want, need to be, more consistent. I do believe for me 3 times maybe 4 out of 7 days is more than enough golf as my muscles start to tighten up.

Weigh in this morning set another low. The walking, golfing, treadmill and eating right really has been working and Jackie also is seeing great results. Now for all of those ” follow the rules people ” The BMI that a doctor is looking for isn’t really all that important at all.. The mathematical formula was invented in the 1830’s by a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist. BMI is said to estimate how fat you are by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.  BUT it is flawed as it doesn’t take in consideration, age, sex,muscle mass ( muscles weigh more than fat) and frame style as in being big boned.The current BMI formula leads to confusion and misinformation.The height² term divides the weight by too much when people are short, and by too little when they are tall. Short man syndrome is never entered into the equation.The result is short people being told they are thinner than they really are, while tall people are made to think that they are fatter than they are. The worst thing about BMI even though we all think it means we are healthy it is no indication of health what so ever. The only thing it does semi ok is tell certain people they are FAT which comes with repercussions.

Watched a few protests against Donald today. At least it is better having Hillary supporters protest versus Trump protestors as Clinton supports will be all nice, peaceful, and crying compared to the vigilante style that we may have seen. I hope as promised the Keystone project comes to fruition fast. Hate the fact that Notley will accept the credit but we need help in Alberta.

Thought of the Day

No illegals= no burritos or tacos. What are you thinking Donald ?    

November 10th

” Mercury Forecast’ Mesa 28 degrees Calgary 14 degrees

 Well another wonderful day in Calgary at 14 degrees in the sun. That is wonderfully warm for mid November.

Watched the news to see a little turmoil in the streets of the USA which doesn’t accomplish anything. Small turmoil versus if Donald would have lost. Obama and Trump meeting at the white house went quite well. Donald was very “Presidential. ”

Remembrance Day is hitting 19 degrees out so anyone wanting to see the parades etc it is going to be a great day.

Decided today will be the last day of golf in Canada this year. We have three decent days left but I am going to work on my closet organizer as I am leaving on Friday. We golfed with two great golfers a 5 and 10 handicapper. The young kid ( 20’s) could smack the ball unbelievably long but did have a tendency to not control it. They were father and son. The father was one of those perfect type looking and playing golfers. Larry and I both played quite well if you eliminate our few errors. Last day golfing and the net score ended up being a tie and I won $4.00 so all is good on the stroke holes. We will see how next year in the spring the money exchanges. I am hoping to get just a little better over the winter. I still have the occasional outing where I can’t control the slice.  Still unbelievable to be golfing in mid November.

Had a good supper and worked out in the gym. I am happy as my endurance every time is getting a little better. I am hoping to meet the USA Army 2 mile ( 3.2Kms) endurance minimum. I am a bit off as of it but am hoping to get close soon. I figure if I can meet the min requirements to join the army and they are 18 years old I should be doing well. I am surprised as I thought it would be more difficult. I could enter the senior Spartan race next year as long as they have a defibulator.  LOL

Thought of the Day

The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you’re not in shape for it, it’s too far to walk back.

November 11th  Remembrance Day

It was a wonderful Remembrance Day celebration in Ottawa to watch this year. I am very proud of how we honour our troops. Now, my Dad pictured above didn’t die in the war but was a veteran and lost a brother over seas. My Uncle Roy Willard even was awarded the Purple Heart. I can’t imagine being conscripted and having to go over seas as a young man knowing you may not come home. That degree of commitment is unbelievable. The pain of young men being torn from families to go fight leaving behind, wives mothers etc had to be unreal. I believe very strongly that every country NEEDS to make sure these people are taking care of,that survived. A full livable pension , free medical help and agencies to look after certain issues that my come up. I don’t think we have come close to looking after them the way we should and it is a shame. Instead of new solar power energy idea that costs billions spend OUR money on these guys. It is also important for everyone to remember to honor these people as the world would be a different place if they hadn’t given their lives and commitments. Thank you’s seem so small but I am sure just that, helps make the survivors feel good.

Luckily for us Home Depot was open today.  Today was starting the closet organizer. The home builder product they gave us failed miserably with a sag in the shelves of at least 1″ or more. One shelf even collapsed. So after a lot of research on different spans of different products we finally chose a route to go. Mdf only has a suitable span of 2 ft max, plywood 3ft, and it meant a lot of cutting and building boxes. No big deal but living in a condo it becomes difficult with placement of the table saw, gluing, air compressor etc. Thought of wire racking spanning the 8ft which will work with supports but decided due to weight etc we would buy more of an industrial storage concept. This steel shelving holds up to 3000 pounds so I think we are safe. No sagging, no painting, no dust or cutting so all is good. Jackie and I are very happy with the look and the usability we now have. I screwed them into studs and they are solid. Even had room for a vertical shoe rack. Love it and done in one day instead of three days.  Love it when a plan comes together.

As a treat after saving myself so much work and trouble we decided to have a fast food supper which we rarely have nowadays. Swiss Chalet I am heading your way !

Hey, a new study that just come out in England after a lot of research has concluded that playing regular golf can add 5 extra years to your life. That’s a lot of years. Mental stimulation, socializing, physical exercise, fresh air to name a few things that are contributors. Five years is a lot. !! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/06/playing-golf-can-add-five-years-to-your-life-according-to-resear/

I have to find a study that concludes the same for fishing. Solitude, reflectiveness, mediation,mental stimulation, socializing I am sure it will add another 5 years. I am going to live to be OLD.

Thought of the Day

Don’t worry. I won’t make any more age related jokes.  I genuinely feel bad how old YOU guys are.

November 12th

“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 28 degrees Calgary 18 degrees

Warm and sunny day again and especially for mid November. But our good luck is ending in the upcoming week. Down to zero by Thursday. No more Canadian golf.

Decided to fix the turn signal issue on the Cherokee. Looking at it and having no lights what so ever it had to be the flasher that was shot. These wear out and more so if pulling a trailer all of the time as the extra load burns them out.

I have changed previous flashers in vehicles and it should be a  5 to 10 min job. This one took 4 hours. First I feel sorry for mechanics as engineers only worry about their design and think about nothing if anything needs fixed. The design engineer should be made to do certain repairs or at least visit a shop to see the impact his design has on repair or maintenance. The fuse block was under the dash on the left side of the steering the wheel. Good place with easy access. But the section with the modules, relays and flasher is buried a way up in the dash. I had to remove the plastic dash cowl below the steering wheel. I then had to remove the plastic cowl above the steering wheel. Now I could see the modules. Try fitting a hand up to remove one. My hands are big not huge but to access and remove these electronics is ridiculous. Finally after a long time struggling I was able to get it out.

Took the part and headed to Dodge. NO STOCK and $125.00. In blunt words I said ”  You got to be kidding these things at normally 20 bucks or so.” Clerks response ” Sir you don’t have just a flasher as you say, you have a turn signal, hazard light electronic control modulator”  MODULATOR !  It is flasher.  I have replaced a few of these over the years 5 min and $20 bucks. Funny how things change. LOL  Off to Canadian Tire.  The clerk gave me one for $24.99. That is normal or so I thought. Hurried back and installed it which again due to tight spacing takes a lot time and effort. Light start flashing, no signal lights or hazard. Wrong one or defective. Turns out wrong one. No stock of the correct one. Headed to another Dodge dealership that the last part department said they had one in stock. Get there and they search. NO STOCK.  Head to Parts Source. NO stock. To another Canadian Tire store. NO STOCK. To Napa NO STOCK and only one place left Auto Value Village. The clerk is a young girl so I am a little worried when she asked me a few silly questions that really aren’t related. She says she has it and heads back and brings it up to me.  And only $93 Awesome  the correct one.  Went back to install and even more difficult as it is longer than the wrong one originally I tried to fit in. After numerous attempts finally got it in as it is in a very very difficult tight spot.Hooked up the battery and turned the key to check. Working Perfect !  Put all of the dash and parts back together.  Another project done. Started at noon and ended at 4pm for a flasher.

Thought I would check into the exhaust leak on the Dakota. Tightened the one side but when we went around to the drivers side it had two broken off manifolds bolts. At least it is the easy side to repair. Dakota V6’s have a notorious reputation of this happening. $4.00 worth of parts and a few hours worth of labour and difficult maneuvering. At a garage most likely $200 bucks. You have to remove the manifold , drop the cross over and then use an centre punch with drill and a screw extractor to remove the broken bolt. It is these times I wish we were in Edmonton as my Dad had and brother now have every tool needed to do this. I don’t want to buy an extractor set for one job plus the fact it will be a few hours and no garage to work in. It may also require a tap and die set depending on how easy the extraction goes. I think a mechanic could do this with the correct tools etc in about an hour or 2 max. I think the issue is Dodge using Grade 2 or 5 bolts instead of Grade 8 and having no issues. Engineers again.

Another day done. Another wonderful day.

Thought of the Day

Engineering-  If it is not broken fix it until it is  

November 13th

“Mercury Forecast ”  Mesa 29 degrees Calgary 14 degrees

Picking up Jackson and heading to Lethbridge to build some wainscoting in the salon downstairs. The waiting room chairs are scratching the wall so a chair rail wainscoting will cure the issue and look great. Need to do this today as the temperature drop it will be too cold to cut wood outside. I precut my one upright on the table saw so I wouldn’t need to bring it. Picked up the air compressor , nail gun, level, chop saw and assorted tools.  We stopped at Tim’s in Claresholm for Jackie to have a pee break and we picked up a small amount to eat.

Arrived and started to work away. Whoever built those walls in the basement should be proud as the corner was perfectly plumb and square which made the chair rail install easy.lol  Cut the chair rail pieces and then the uprights. I had to nip the ends of the uprights as they were about 1/8″ thicker than the baseboard and removing the base would have taken a long time and potentially caused a lot of touchup as they are all caulked to the wall. The nip just adds a little character and makes it look more intentional.  I finished everything relatively fast which was good. The chair rail was needed as the chairs were damaging the wall.

Jackson and August had a lot of fun playing with each other. Jackson received a haircut from Aunty Pen which he loves. Washing his hair and combing with a “look” is Jackson having fun. Penny did a quick touch up to my locks so all set for Arizona.

For lunch Penny and her friend made Caesar’s and tacos. Both were wonderful but especially the drink. They added a little bit of orange juice and with the spices it was wonderful. One of the best Caesars ever if only I had a celery or asparagus in it. LOL

Stopped for supper at Dairy Queen and had their special chicken fingers which were great. Jackson had a 45 min sleep in the backseat and was totally refreshed. His poor parents probably cant get him to sleep tonight fast anyways.

Fun day again. Great to see Jess, Pen and August. Wonderful watching Jackson and August running around the house. Nice to have a trim and haircut for Jackson and I and nice to have one more thing fixed up for the Basement Salon.

Visited with Corey a bit when we dropped off Jackson and looked at his work on two tables he is building. Awesome job and with every table learning new tricks of the trade making it easier and better. I love these tables and I am sure the new owners will enjoy them for many years.

Thought of the Day

If we had known Grand Kids were so amazing we would have had them first.

November 14th

Mercury Forecast Mesa 29 degrees Calgary 11 degrees

Another wonderful sunny fall day in Calgary. Fantastic looking chinook clouds today.

First thing on the agenda was to take back the incorrect FLASHER I received from Canadian Tire on Saturday. Very good service on the return with no issues. I do like Canadian Tire.

Stopped and checked my lotto tickets as I wanted to tag on with the recent winners but no such luck. LOL

Went downstairs and opened the storage locker up and removed all of the Christmas stuff to put up. Jessica & Penny got us motivated after seeing their place. It makes sense to put it up early to enjoy it and we will take it down Jan 3rd.  I am waiting to have Jackie’s help as it is an enjoyable thing to do together.

Had an email from APPLE INC today saying I purchased a IOS app from the Apple Store. I had to check with Tor in case she bought something as we gave her our Ipad years ago after I set it all up,but as thought she didn’t. These guys can’t even find the missing part of the Apple for their logo so you know you cant trust them. I checked the header and it is a non apple address and the guy is just phishing for information. Besides I NEVER leave my card with anyone including Paypal or any online store so it would be pretty hard for me to make a purchase. I do buy a lot of online stuff but I am choosing the site and always make sure it is a https site. Perhaps Apple is choking on the missing piece.

Cleaned out all of the extra cards I don’t need down south and removed  8 extra cards that I wont be using. Makes the wallet easier to sit on. LOL . Mesa market for a new wallet again this year. Speaking of Mesa market I need to pick up a RV mat for Larry G there this year also before we come back. Best pricing ever !

Sadly threw in the garbage my Tee Off book as golfing in Canada is over for 2016.  These are a great buy and saved me a lot of money golfing at different courses this year.  I am going to buy one again in the spring as anytime I don’t golf Heatherglen or Turner Valley hopefully the course will have a deal in it. This year it was used at Mckenzie, Crowsnest, Sparwood, Athabasca,Boulder Creek,Drayton Valley, and Pembina. I especially like the 2 for 1 deals and try for those but any deal is better than nothing.

Perhaps we have a market for our “good” coal by selling it to the USA. Trump is restarting their coal power generation ( which is smart)  and we will have loads of coal to move as our NDP government wants to backburner this. For everything dumb about Donald he does have some “normal” ideas.

We have the starting plans for our trip overseas. At the moment we are planning mid June along with Alan & Maryann to head to London UK. We plan to stay a bit in Brecon, Wales with Audrey & Michael and then take the train up to northern England to visit Jackie & Alan’s relatives. She has quite a few relatives to see. Two Uncles ( and wives) and one Aunt along with their kids. After a few days visit head back to London and take a flight or the Chunnel train to Paris for a bit. After my sitting on the street with a cool white wine, bread and cheese and seeing the few Paris must sees we are going to head to the Alps to see Switzerland. Looking forward to that as it should be a lot of fun. Beer in a metal stein and some short lederhosen should make for some great pictures and fun. And that is us just watching Alan. We are attempting to do this trip more by the seat of our pants than preplanned and as we have no real time frame so hopefully it will work out well as long we don’t have to sleep in a youth hostel or barn. Alan & Maryann are seasoned travellers and don’t stress much which is exactly how we would like to travel so we should have a wonderful time. They are both very easy going and don’t get moody which makes travelling easy. Although Alan does go very quiet every time I beat him at any game. Which is most games all of the time. Our plan is to pack light and buy a few things over there rather than lug a huge suitcase around. Marks & Spencer get the non wrinkle stuff out. Going back home doesn’t matter as the airport will always hold your case. We are planning a three week trip. Now one may ask what on earth makes you want to go to one of  coldest wettest countries on earth in June and you are right for asking but for family and adventure and a last time visit it will still be fun. Having said that now that we retired we don’t need that “hot” two week vacation as we get our 3-4 months of it in Arizona. I think I am the most excited about Switzerland. Lederhosen, take the Mount Pilatus sky tram, cheese, chocolate, train ride thru the mountains and you have to buy a watch and knife. The knife will have to be mailed home. LOL   In Paris, the tower, Louvre, Bastille, and most importantly the sidewalk wine tasting. I guess we can see another castle in England. Riding the train though is awesome and the double decker bus is great. We most likely will visit Robin Hoods bay, Whitby ( best fish and chips ever), York the walled city and the shambles.  Visit the ruins of Abbey where Bram Stoker based his novel Dracula meeting Lucy.  There are 199 steps up to the ruins. I thought 999 but I only 199. It seemed a like a lot.  My only request is I want to golf at least once in England just to say I did and experience the difference. Looking forward to the trip as I am sure Alan will love seeing his Uncle namesake and other relatives.

Next time we get such a big Super Moon is 2034 so we have something special to look for a few days. It is definitely brighter.

Since we are leaving right after Christmas and being inspired by Jess & Pen getting their tree up so quick we decided to get ours up also to enjoy it for the season. I love the look of Christmas in a house. I was going to shampoo the rugs before Christmas but will wait for spring as with company and the winter coming ( walkers and some shoes walking) it would only get dirty again.

Jackie loves fiddling around putting things out and moving them. I enjoy watching her as she is so intense in doing this. I laugh to myself and she moves to the next thing. The storage locker I built is working great keeping the dust off of our boxes. Makes it a lot less work in getting everything clean.  I love the Christmas season except for the gift buying. I don’t care so much about the money but it is trying to figure out what to get that is hard. Yet I love the tradition of opening gifts. ( even if you never would use it ) LOL  Everyone should make a list to help each other.

Thought of the Day

Dear Santa, I have been good this year, ok, most of the time. Once in awhile ?  Never mind I will buy my own present.

November 15th

“Mercury Forecast”   Mesa 30 degrees  Calgary 4 degrees

I mustache you how is the stache growing ?  Half way thru the month it should be more than stubble by now.

3 more sleeps until I leave this behind and hit the sun. 3 more !

Putting up a Christmas tree must be like washing your car. You wash your car  you know it is going to rain out right away. We put the Christmas tree up and it snows.

Thought I would try out my baking skills today again. And no I am not trying to make those stupid shortbread cookies that don’t work. Today is a Blueberry/Cherry Torte Pie with laced pie crusts. Looks good in the oven just need to see how it comes out. Cut the sugar down to very little but I am sure it will still be sweet enough.

Since the oven is hot ( not a bad thing as the water heating is turned off on our place by choice) I think I will bake stuffed chicken breasts with scalloped potatoes.  Carrots in brown sugar coating. Sweet peas topped with butter. Making me hungry already and the only thing I have started is the oven.

This will call for an extra 1 mile on the treadmill. I was weak tonight and did not complete my two miles in the a best time. Oh well next time perhaps.

I was just remembering when I worked I had one wonderful employee that every year brought me a nice Christmas fruit cake. His wife made it, and it was wonderful, and unique in the fact I think it had ju jubes in it. I checked into this and it was a traditional prairie thing. Our family always had one ( ours was the dark colored ) but with lots of maraschino cherries green and red. I always looked forward to that cake and now I have to go to Safeway to get one. Maybe when I get back before Christmas I will give that a go.

Thought of the Day

Work- don’t you just hate a meeting that someone called that could have accomplished the exact same thing in a simple email. People call meetings to feel important and hold power or in the belief employees will think I am doing good. Most meetings are never needed.  Companies require meetings to fix the perceived employee morale issue so it cant be said that they were not engaging their staff. It is a funny world .

November 16th

Up early to take in the Wrangler for a new windshield. It had  a crack right in the sight line. Wranglers are the worst vehicle for windshields as the glass is flat and has very little slope. The glass company laughed and said Jeeps are his best friend. Chinese glass for these are cheap though at $150 so not bad. Dropped it off and had Jackie pick me up. Another upset customer was in there right when I was. Sorry, but another woman complaining about getting poor service at another place and she wanted to make sure they had the right glass at this shop before she left. Hard to understand where peoples respect, manners and decency have gone. Demanding is a good word for this lady. Not to be judgemental but she was driving a Mercedes. Yet she didn’t get a factory installed unit. A want to be rich person. LOL

Paid some bills, signed up for the monthly payment plan for my golf course membership again as a restricted member ( we rarely golf weekends in Calgary)  and checked the internet out on a few things.

A while back I mentioned Aspartame as being one of those poisons our government overlooks. Statins number one but Aspartame  is a close second. Never mind that it also affects the brain big time it can cause a lot of other issues. It may never leave the body. It is additive. California is considering to ban it as a State even if it is FDA approved. Interesting to know that Japan has banned it in any product sold in Japan. Japan also has the second longest life span in world averaging close to 4 years longer than Canada. Diet has some bearing on this with the amount of fish they eat. Japan has also done a lot of research on Statins and their findings are quite contradictory to the pharmaceutical backed theories of the USA. https://healthimpactnews.com/2015/japanese-research-exposes-statin-scam-people-with-high-cholesterol-live-longer/

My individual stock investments are doing exceptional. I wish I would have had more dollars in this. A stock hint. Buy cement company stock in the lower US. They are going to need a lot of cement to build that wall. CEMEX ( CX) was my choice. First day after buying it lost a bit. But they are at a low after a accounting scandal so should increase dramatically soon.

Picked up my Jeep. Boy does a new windshield make a big difference. Never mind the lack of the crack but the overall clarity. It is amazing how a windshield can get pitted over the years. I was pretty lucky getting almost 5 years out of the one so no complaints. The Chinese glass does pit a bit more as it is softer but a way less money and due to the fact they don’t tint theirs around the border the view just seems so much bigger.

On the way home Jackie and I ( following) stopped at the Dentless Repair place in Douglasglen. It has been there for at least 10 years or more and now it is closed.  You add a very dumb minimum wage, slow economy due to layoffs, oil industry,carbon tax and WCB adjustments guess what, businesses close up. They figure over 7000 small business in Calgary alone in 2016 have or will be shuttered.  Notley Destroys Province is getting more real by the day. Now she is spending 20 million on a food program for school kids. First where are the parents ? That is not a school function.  Create jobs and wealth and people can feed their kids. The socialist side of the NDP is so far out of whack with reality it is amazing.  We are billions in debt and we are going to feed kids at school. If a kid comes to school and is considered to have severe hunger or malnourished call child welfare. We have enough social programs like food banks, social welfare etc to solve this issue and not have a government hand out more money and make the school system responsible for feeding kids. A hungry kid cant learn so get to the problem before they get to school.

Started packing my suitcase. It is a little difficult as I still need clothes when I get back to wear for 3 weeks before returning to Arizona. Golfing requires a fair amount of clothes as you can only wear once as you sweat in the heat. You also need pants as the desert cools off quite substantially at night. With airlines soaking passengers on baggage charges I think I can get away with a small overhead  satchel on the return trip.

I got lucky and was able to enter my men’s league golfing for the few weeks I am in Mesa. They hold this at the Whirlwind course which is a Troon course and is fantastic. It is a $100 plus green fee USD so I normally wouldn’t play but they get such a great deal and the guys are also fantastic. Again some amazing golfers being 70 years old and scoring in the 70’s.  I need to be at my best here to keep up. No slices and I can do well. If nothing else I can make them feel old by out driving them by 50- 100 yards. LOL  I like this course but it is much more difficult than say the Viewpoint course.

Looking forward to seeing the guys again and playing a first class course. Wouldn’t mind winning a bit of money though.  I need to golf the low 80’s to have  a chance. That’s not easy on this course as it plays long. I had a 84 last year that paid well so hopefully again. I also had a few games in the 90’s. Even at 84 I would net 69 which is a bit on the high side.

Thought of the Day

One putt after taking 6 shots to get to the green  # winning !!!

November 17th.

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 22 degrees Calgary  -1 degrees

Done, both Jackie and I ‘s suitcases are packed with clothes for three months. Last year we brought everything back to use for the summer. You know we all have our favorites. I am actually amazed I have tons of room. I could have fit everything in the Jeep without the cargo rack but I need the rack because if driving 3 or 4 people to golf the clubs need to go in there. But with just two no problem. I bought a real heavy gauge cover from a company that carries everything you can think of on storage solutions, racking, trailers etc called Etrailer. https://www.etrailer.com/

These guys are great and the “bag” is amazing. So all set to go. Need a bit of USD cash and gas and then off. I am meeting Fred & Mel in Great Falls.  If the roads aren’t slick the plan is to hook up behind Fred’s truck and pull it to Mesa. Fred has booked the hotels already so we are all set. I am going to stop at the Lethbridge’s Tim Hortons for a Ice Cap as I miss those when in the states. I will weigh myself and try to hold that weight to my return. In Arizona with the rums, beer and by myself sometimes the eating goes astray but I do have fun. Can’t miss burger night at Fat Willy’s.

“MY RANT”

I vacuumed the carpet today and starting to think to myself. Why is it that people think it is ok to walk on someone’s carpet in their house without taking their shoes off ? My parents taught us that, that is the first thing we do when we enter a home. I know certain areas of the world don’t but out of respect to the owners I believe it the courteous and polite thing to do. Jackie and I don’t even wear our outdoor shoes in our motorhome or trailer when we had it camping. I know our girls are very cognizant of making sure to take theirs off. There are exceptions and certain conditions ( like being so old it takes an hour to take them off and another two hours to put them on) but if that is the case make sure they are the cleanest as possible. Rub them on a entry carpet or better yet buy a pair of shoes that are slip on. Our main carpet is now 9 years old and is starting to look old and dirty. In retrospect it is embarrassing. It also has some packed spots where our (my) feet touch the ground in front of the couch. We have had it cleaned numerous times as wear and tear happens but today I wasn’t happy with the look. I will get it done professionally when we get back next year as doing it before Christmas is senseless. I want to replace it with an engineered flooring product( $8K at least)  but am afraid of the noise transfer between units and the cost is high. Jackie has to wear in house shoes anyways for her heels and a hard surface isn’t the best for that. I may look at asking for a favour and getting Keith to come down and lay a new carpet in a darker color most likely a Berber. Labour is equal or more than the product a lot of the time.  So this year when visiting friends, neighbors, events, TAKE OFF your shoes. BUT THAT’S JUST ME !

Just did a bit of research on carpets. It appears most manufactures believe the lifespan of a maintained carpet is 5-7 years. So I guess we have done ok. That brings up the cost issue. If you are replacing your carpet every 8 years at 3k why not pay the 8K and have engineered last 20 -30 years. Cost per year it lends itself to engineered. You would need to add the cost of throw rugs. LOL  Perhaps as a carpet ages and after being cleaned so many times it loses it’s ability to resist stains and marks up easier the older it gets even if it was taken care perfectly. If we get any kind of return on our deck assessment it will be engineered with a sound mat under it. Fingers crossed.

I am off travelling tomorrow morning so will enter as I can most likely not until we get to Arizona with updates. The park has changed internet servers so I am hoping it will get hooked up quick.

Thought of the Day

Never tell your problems to anybody. 20% don’t care and the other 80% will be glad you have them and they don’t . Remember life isn’t a fairy tale, you lose your shoe at night you are drunk.

November 18 to 20th

Road trip. Fred and Mel texted me when they were leaving Red Deer so I left about 1 hour ahead of them. I figured with my multiple gas stops due to a small tank and not driving at 140 on the Interstate as it is a Jeep and the wind noise with the soft top is quite loud they would catch me somewhere on the road. Turns out they didn’t as they stopped in Carstairs to drop off Mel’s truck and with their stops they ended up being just about an hour behind me. The sun was shining and it was a wonderful drive. We do live in a beautiful country.  Had to have a Tim’s Ice Cap before leaving Canada so I made an additional stop.There was a long wait at the  border crossing but arriving at the agent the gentleman was courteous and efficient with our time. It helps to cross a lot as they are more liberal knowing you are a frequent crosser. Into Montana a beautiful state. Like I said driving at 140 is a little too loud so I dropped it down to about 125 which was nice.  The Jeep is a fun vehicle to drive but not quite the luxury quiet ride of the Buick. I was extremely lucky that Sirrus radio was given free channels for the month of November so I had great music to listen to on the road. I arrived at the Best Western and checked in.  Nice hotel. Watched a bit of TV until Fred and Mel arrived. They delivered a cot for us to use. Mel offered for the first night to take the cot. Off to the bar for supper. Friday had to have Fish & Chips and they were good. The jugs of beer also were great as I hadn’t had a beer for quite a while. You get 3 guys 60 years old in the same room after drinking beer there is quite a parade to the washroom all night. I didn’t have what I would call a great sleep but that is sort of usual when out of town. They gave us a breakfast coupon as Fred is a platinum member of BW. The service in the USA as I have said before is unbelievable. You would have one drink out of your cup and it would be filled again. Problem is you don’t have a clue how much coffee you drank and you are hitting the road and don’t want to stop every few miles. Our second day was a 13 hour drive. Fred drove first, then Mel and I took the last turn. These guys are much older than me and maybe don’t like to drive in the dark. LOL  We all took turns paying for the gas at the stops. I forgot, we hooked up the Jeep in Great Falls and Fred pulled it. Fred’s truck drove like it didn’t even know it was behind even at the 80 miles per hour. It is also quite comfortable so the 13 hours didn’t seem to long. We arrived at the Eureka Casino in Mesquite our second night and walked across to the casino to eat and play. The portions in the USA are huge. My meal was excellent, a bit on the too large side but a way way too much white gravy. I forgot the Americans love their white gravy. Off to the Casino. We played their for about an hour but all three of us just put money in and nothing happening. No wonder they can give free drinks albeit very slow in coming to get a second one. I took the cot tonight. Nice enough mattress but the pillow. Not a good sleep again as the pillow was 1 foot thick and couldn’t be squished. Had to sleep on my arms so not a great sleep again but ok. Turns out everyone had the same issue with their pillows. Most good hotels offer different types of pillows but here everyone was like rock and thick.

We decided as our supper was large ( some of the sleep problem eating big and late)  we would just have a quick breakfast at the arches beside the gas station. Off on the road again. An amazing amount of cops on the roads handing out tickets. Great day for driving again with the temperature continuing to climb by the hour.  On that I15 highway some of the cities you pass thru are amazing with 8 or 10 lanes of traffic and busy. In the middle of our trip Terry phones Fred as Fred needs new shoes ( flip flops) and Terry is going to order them on line from BASS Pro as they are on sale for Black Friday. I ask an innocent question ” Terry what is the difference between flip flop, sandal, and thongs” Terry starts to explain that one has nothing between your toes and the other has a piece between your big toe and the rest  and Mel chips up ” And a thong causes Camel Toe”  It was funny. You may have had to be there. LOL I used my CFL app to track scores in the game. Edmonton your name is Eskimo’s why couldn’t you handle the cold and snow. I was hoping they would make it thru to have a great Grey Cup. After checking scores and watching my data usage I received a text stating they were going to charge me for roaming. I bought a add-plan on Friday before leaving but got the wrong plan so I phoned and corrected it and they gave a credit for the usage. Then on the Stamps game where we knew the outcome before starting. Too bad Edmonton didn’t make it. But Edmonton is used to disappointment in a lot of areas. They keep living in the past and hoping. We stopped in at Safeway to pick up some needed stuff before entering our homes. I went over to Fred’s place and visited, had a few beers and one stiff whiskey and a pizza from the place that screwed up last year and was to give us a free one. They gave Fred a good deal. While there we thought we would try to hook up the new internet. A easy simple system but after numerous tries ended up calling the provider. Turns out they don’t care that the billing address and location doesn’t match the card holders which is odd but finally we got it working. Fred’s place after our renovation looks fantastic. Now back to my own bed and pillow. Lovely ! It is nice to be home. I put away a few things but left most for the next day.

Thought of the Day

The greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination it is all of the fun stuff that happens on the way.

November 21st

After a great sleep I awoke and made myself breakfast. Started unpacking and hanging up the clothes. I am 100% positive I have more clothes here than in Calgary. The closet is full. I think I need to take a picture of what I leave here so not to bring so much. Jackie is a close second though. Two full suitcases take a while to hang and sort them out. Jackie will never find her clothes as they are in spots everywhere and anywhere I could find but they are hung, neat, and hopefully straight.  I whipped off to Safeway to get more food that I will need. Then I started fixing and cleaning up stuff. Power washed the siding and driveway. Power washed the windows and the outdoor carpet. Pulled out the furniture and started to organize everything. Sweep, moved, uncovered, and sweated.

Trimmed all of the trees, including the fruit trees. Having the landscaper trim them mid season was the best thing I have done in the 10 years we have owned our Mesa home. It only took me about 3 hours to completely trim and clean up the mess instead of a full day and two truck loads full.  I may look at having trimmed twice while we are gone. A few things to go out yet but some of them I will wait until we are here in January.

MY BBQ outdoor kitchen cover engineered design failed.  I originally thought after looking at it that the landscaper must have stepped on it or put weight on it put after observing and seeing it in the wind I realized it was my design that failed. The weight under wind load just couldn’t handle the pressure and it bent. I have a plan B that will work and will not fail but I HATE to have to fix something I originally thought was perfect. One of those lessons in life. I usually overbuild and thought I did this time with braces down to the ground but got fooled. On my to do list for this week sometime.

Fred’s block had a block party tonight and after eating at restaurants for the last few days rather than go for Burger Night at Fat Willy’s and after working all day we decided to just veg tonight. I took a chicken breast and stuffed it with a few pieces of asparagus and cheese and BBQ’d it. My battery in my temperature tester didn’t work so I cooked them a little longer to make sure but they turned out to be awesome. You know how big the chicken breasts here so I am full.

Snow in Northern Arizona today. Here it was only 22 degrees but that is the perfect temperature to work outside.  The temperatures for the next week is about 10 degrees cooler. They are sunny which is fantastic but only 22 to 25 degrees. Darn ! LOL   In Fahrenheit most of these numbers are still in the 70’s.

If anyone read the intro page of this blog they will know I strongly believe people should work to retire as soon as they can as one never knows how their health or even how long one has. The reason I bring this up again is our block is changing people mostly due to unfortunate reasons. Our neighbors home right across the street is for sale as Horst unfortunately passed away. Our next door neighbors to the east of us, home is for sale as Barb unfortunately has had open heart surgery and they don’t plan to come south anymore. A few homes east of us, home is for sale as Ray fights cancer. You just never know. These are all very nice people that luckily for them have been coming for years and have enjoyed the experience.  As I have said ” Don’t make dead your retirement age”

Thought of the Day

Have you ever been out for a late Autumn walk in the closing part of the afternoon, and suddenly looked up and realize that the leaves have practically all gone ? You hadn’t realized it. And you notice that the sun has set already, the day gone before you knew it- and with that a cold wind blows across the landscape . That’s retirement.

November 22nd

Busy day ahead of us today with a long list. We have loads of time but like to get things organized and done one by one. We picked up all of the beams we needed at Mobile Depot for Mel’s enclosure. We left the vented soffit as we thought the pricing was too high and a big box should be well below that. Off to the Home Depot to check. Here is where I am in disbelief. A big box store that doesn’t carry aluminum soffit or vented soffit. Unheard of. I showed the customer care lady the Home Depot web page but it was a special order only. Out to the truck and phoned Lowes with their SKU number. Real shocker as they don’t carry soffit either. Shocked. I phoned and checked a few local guys and same story or high priced. I have been in lumberyards my whole career and can’t believe a yard doesn’t carry it. I am going to start checking homes to see what system they use as it has to be different. So back to the Mobile Depot to pick some soffit and J channel up. Mel’s enclosure is most likely sitting around $400 for a wind break.  No vented soffit unbelievable.  Went to Safeway to pick up food for Thanksgiving dinner. First thing we did was to unload Fred’s material for the re decking. Nice stuff and will look super. Luckily the delivery man brought new clips back to us as the ones they gave were very odd. The new ones are the correct type.  Fred sat in the doctors office for at least 3 hours as Mel and I went store to store. Fred isn’t feeling well and it turned out he needs a strong antibiotic to get rid of sinusitis. He has been coughing and short of breath our whole trip so good that he got it looked at. Nice thing is his medical plan covered it and was easy to handle with the doctor. Nice to hear. Hopefully Fred is feeling better right away.  Not a nice thing to be feeling bad in the heat.

So we didn’t get much done other picked up everything which is always the time consuming thing. I have to golf in the morning so will get back to Fred’s place around 2 pm to help out. We have lots of time so hopefully Fred doesn’t push himself as Mel and I can get a lot done. We will see.

Thought of the Day

It takes 100’s of shots to gain confidence and only 1 to lose it.

November 22nd to 26th

We have had a hectic few days. Working long hours and only home to get to bed again so no time to update until tonight. First day was my golfing with the men’s league at Whirlwind Golf Club. I had three great partners and it ended up with my team winning $35.00.  The course is quite long so longer irons coming to the green instead of a wedge makes it a difficult course to score well on. Ended up I score 84 which I was happy with. The normal screw up holes and missed putts but I was happy with my score and happy as a team we did well. Great event again with some very nice guys and great golfers.

Arriving home Mel and Fred had most of the deck removed and we were ready to start laying boards. We moved over to Mel’s place and completed his patio enclosure to give him some shade. The project went quite well and we finished before dark. Moving a few days forward I was shocked in the length of time it took to complete the deck. But stairs, and more stairs and angles cause a lot of fitting issues. We got most of the perimeter done the first day.

Next morning we started the main decking and worked a good 8 hours or more. Amazed how long it takes.  Fred made a great lunch for us to give us a break. Back to work and more cutting. This resin based product creates a huge amount of shavings. We got a lot done today. The risers and the bedroom steps are left for another day. It sure does take time.

Had a fun golf game with Bob, his brother in law Harvey and friend Frank. We finished the course in a really fast time as it wasn’t busy. It was a shotgun start for Thanksgiving. We had a friendly game wager with it ending up as a tie. A fun time with some nice guys. I started off a little slow with a few poor hits but got better quickly and finished with a 84 which for this course I was disappointed in. But no complaints. I was a little surprized with the shape of course as I believe it is in the worst shape I have seen it in 10 years. GUR spots, rough spots in the greens and inconsistent speeds on the greens. The Bermuda grass clumps got me by surprise for a few holes but I adjusted quite well.  I had a few drinks and some delicious  hors d’oeuvres outside on the patio then headed to Fred’ place for more deck building.

Fred and Mel together cooked and prepared our Thanksgiving meal. It turned out wonderful with filet mignon steak, baked potato, salad, corn on the cob and garlic bread. Plus all of the fixings. A great day, wonderful meal and evening.

Arranged for the Critter Getter to come on Tuesday to spray. Started on the deck again. We worked all day again to completion. We used a different approach to the risers and instead of horizontal planks we went vertical. It both makes it easier due to not having to mitre corners but a lot lot more cutting. Took us all day to complete. I had some success in getting Fred to “fancy up” his deck with mitre corners and picture framing the steps. Not all but at least some. Overall I love the decks look with the boards lining up and moving over to the top. It has a good look about it. The new boards look great.

When I arrived home from Fred’s , the neighbor Bob knocks on my door and invited me over for turkey dinner leftovers. Pat is one of those amazing cooks and this meal was awesome. A full turkey Thanksgiving meal. Lucky me.

We delivered Fred’s old boards to Harvey in Johnson Ranch as he is going to build a base under his hot tub. They won’t rot, termites won’t eat them and it should look good. Harvey left Fred a bottle of Scotch and case of beer for the delivery. Awesome !

Booked a Tee time for Mel and I  and after, we will meet Fred at Fat Willy’s  for the upcoming week. On the agenda tomorrow is Mesa Market and Camper World after breakfast that Fred is preparing for us. Luckily it is arranged for later. I have been away from home  for a week and have been up a way earlier than normal everyday except for tomorrow.  Hooray !  We have only a few projects left. Mel’s shower curtain should take no more than hour, his cupboards should take 2 -3  hours and my BBQ cover about three hours.

I turned a corner and my clip on glasses went flying and now I cant find them. I need to search in every crack in the light to find them. I need to wash and wax my Jeep and vacuum out the interior. Then my work well be done. No pool time as the temperatures are predicted to only be 17 degrees as a high next week as a cold front comes in.

Thought of the Day

All of my muscles are sore today. Success !

November 27th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa weather 18 degrees  Calgary 3 degrees

The whole upcoming week with a cold front coming  in will keep the temperatures under 20 degrees. Still by any standard is nice and warm.

Yes, I got to sleep in today which was wonderful. I am not a early morning person. I went over to Fred’s place and he prepared for Mel and I a wonderful full breakfast at 10am. A Sunday brunch is a beautiful thing.

First stop was Mesa Market. We all bought a few things. I got a couple of small Christmas presents, and a fridge temperature gauge. Both Fred and Mel picked a few things. This was the least busy I have seen the huge mall. While great for us I am sure the vendors aren’t happy. A lot of different vendors and it just seemed a little less full of vendors. Some missing that we have seen for years.

Next stop was the car wash which turned out to be closed. Followed by Auto Zone  for a couple of LED lights. I couldn’t find my sunglasses in the Jeep with half the problem being the dome lights being so dim. They sell bright white replacement lights that Fred had installed into his truck and wow do they make a difference. I picked these up and they are wonderful !  We then headed to Campers World . I got some 303 protectant that I use to keep my Jeep fenders and tires protected and use on my motorhome for the last few years. It is not oil or silicone based so works on striping and tires without hurting them. We decided on our day of rest we may as well go out for supper. We ended up at the Golden Corral Buffet. If I said we all ate to much would you believe me ?  It is one amazing place with cut to order prime rib and turkey. I had pumpkin pie for desert which was good ( not as good as my grandma’s recipe but good)

Arriving at home after installing the lights I made arrangements to meet with Mel tomorrow to fix his kitchen. I decided to stay at home and watch the Grey Cup and let my liver heal. My big toe was starting to feel like gout was coming on and I don’t need that. Water and relaxation while cheering on the Stamps will work. Plus very full from the Corral. LOL

Tomorrow is sort of a mixed up day. Fred is getting his new windshield in. Fred & Mel have to make a couple of Poinsettias for their block Christmas decorations. Mel needs help to drill and install new cupboard hardware and shower hardware. I need to put up my Christmas decorations as I see others are moving fast on this. Fred has a garbage load to take to the dump. Mel & Fred have a block party to attend. We will see how much we get done.

A super Grey Cup game. Now the best team didn’t win but with any sport with a one game final surprises can happen. It was a nail biter to watch, it was a fun game to watch but unfortunately the Stamps were on the short end of the stick. Great season, great game .  NEXT YEAR

 

Thought of the Day

Healing of the liver today.  10 days straight isn’t good LOL

November 28th

A great day as I didn’t wake up until I was supposed to as I didn’t have to be anywhere early. I texted Mel to see about his timing to start his cabinet pulls.  He had sent a text earlier but for some reason don’t go thru but we finally connected. I got over there and after a discussion with Fred & Mel he was convinced to buy new pulls. His pulls he brought from Canada would have been a nightmare. There are times when money is secondary to labour and pain. He had started to fill holes ( two holes per door) and they were going to drill two new holes to make the pulls work. Convinced I took Mel to Lowes to check out the costs. We found a nice contemporary pull in a contractor pack for $2.00 a pull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my mind $60 well spend versus hours of drilling filling and sanding and still looking like it was patched.  I guess that is why I will never get rich but time and energy to me is worth a lot. We picked them up and started to install them while Fred washed his truck and started the Christmas lights. We needed a second run to the depot for washers as the screw threads were too long. We got it all done taking only a couple of hours and they look fantastic. Super fantastic versus the original option. LOL  We picked up water from the Depot for Fred and a silicone tube if Mel’s shower rod shows up. I left and started on some of my stuff.

I put up all of the Christmas decorations we have. I again go against the grain as I install my lighted reef the opposite way of the block. I think people should be looking at each individual place not just looking down the whole row. I am sure some of the old people will comment and I will just smile. Speaking of old people. Man is it different driving here in Mesa than Calgary. Old people drive so cautious and slow I fall to sleep and have to listen to music to keep from tailgating and passing quickly. We need a old person driving test every 6 months for anyone and everyone over 75 years old. If their reaction time or eyesight isn’t up to par remove them from the road.

I washed and polished the Jeep. I vacuumed and vacuumed but it is difficult to get everything out.  I removed my cargo carrier as I only need it if 4 people are travelling with me.Shined the boards and tire walls and removed the windows ready for desert heat. A good question would be “Where is the desert heat ?”

Thought of the Day

Christmas lights immediately make me feel like 8 years old again.

November 29th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 17 degrees  Calgary  1 degrees

The cold spell is hanging on and all week only 16-20 degrees. I have one 8 am tee time coming up so I will need to wear pants. Has to be the first time I have worn pants in AZ to golf ever.

Watching the news this morning and in Chicago this year so far they have had 624 murders . #1 city for murders. That quantity is astounding and they are not number one if we base it on a percentage of population. Over 14 thousand murders in 2016 for the USA and they think they think they don’t have a gun problem.  This is when I love being Canadian. Our gun regulations, our education levels and our societies generosity towards all kinds of people  makes a huge difference.

Stepped outside when my Critter Getter spray guy arrived. It is cold outside !!! My furnace actually kicked on last night which doesn’t happen very often. Still golfing in 16 degrees even though it feels cool is a lot better than what Alberta weather has to offer me. But I do miss not having Jackie here.

Had a wonderful sleep last night and as the pest control wasn’t arriving until 9am there was no rush this morning. I got to eat my breakfast and watch the news which was very nice. Mel and I have a golf game this afternoon which I believe is the only thing on the agenda unless his shower rod shows up and we remove the glass doors and silicone in the holes and install it.

Jackie’s Dad, Peter’s residence has a respiratory outbreak that  they are dealing with which it appears Peter has and is not feeling well. My Mom is still in the hospital with an episode that the doctors haven’t figured out what the cause is as of yet. Dizziness, high blood pressure, headache makes them have to count one thing out at a time. Hopefully she will be out today. Getting older seems like the best thing in the world when you are 6 or 10 or 17 but not so much later in life.

“MY RANT”

An observation and frustration with our corrupt medical system. Hey that sounds like Donald. LOL Most of us love the change of seasons, and if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, chances are you are enjoying the cool air and the fall colors. Then you start hearing it is time to get your FLU shot.

Undoubtedly, you can’t help but notice the widespread media coverage on the dangers of the “flu season”, especially now with the ongoing swine flu pandemic etc, urging everyone to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Local pharmacies, doctor’s offices and hospitals are pitching the flu shot as the only and best solution to prevent infection. But there is no mention of the ONE most important thing you can do to stay healthy during flu season, and it has to do with having a strong immune system.

It seems that any relevant discussion about the state of your immunity is a huge taboo, and this most critical component of health is NEVER discussed. Did you know that getting vaccinated could actually INCREASE your chances of catching the flu?  How many people do you know that sick after getting it ? Loads !

What I really hate is where a lady in a booth convincing a older person to take the seasonal flu shot.  It is so unethical to prey on the elderly with scare tactics about the flu, but  I also believe that these shots are toxic and actually may do more harm than good.

Here are the myths behind the flu shot.

Myth # 1: The flu needlessly claims tens of thousands of lives every year

The truth: In order to convince you to take the flu shot, your doctor might try to scare you saying that influenza is the most frequent cause of death from vaccine-preventable diseases in the world. Yes people die from the flu. It is a natural thing when someone has a weakened immune system and they get ill they could die. Remember Chicago has 624 murders this year in this one city and we had 103 flu deaths in all of Alberta last year.  Millions spent on the vaccine and advertising and labour. It doesn’t make any sense. We have approx. 300 vehicle deaths each year. It doesn’t make any sense other than to know that vaccines MAKE HUGE PROFITS.

What the Health organizations  fail to disclose is that there is no way of knowing how many people who died from underlying respiratory and circulatory problems actually had the influenza infection. Records simply do not disclose that information, making this an inaccurate number of deaths related to the flu and a monumental scare tactic.

Myth # 2: Getting the flu shot protects you from catching the flu

The truth: Scientists agree that what gets you sick is not the actual virus but the condition of your immune system. In other words, a weak immune system is what may let you catch the flu.

How can someone catch the flu from the shot? The common sense answer is that vaccines actually compromise the immune system. In other words, the flu shot keeps the immune system “busy” fighting what most of the time ends up being the wrong type of viruses.

The sad truth rarely mentioned in the mainstream media and by health practitioners is that the vaccines are manufactured one year in advance. So, aided by researchers, vaccine manufacturers have to guess one year in advance which viruses will strike the next flu season. That is why more often than not, the flu outbreaks involve strains that do not match the current flu shot. But the public is not informed of this mishap… Even so (and against all logic), the Health Organizations still maintain that the shot could provide cross-protection against the new variant.

Myth # 3: Flu shots contain safe ingredients

The truth: Flu shots have many toxic and potentially dangerous chemicals. Because the virus strains are bred in eggs, sheep guts, monkey brains or fetal diploid tissue, manufacturers have to use potent preservatives to prevent bacteria or fungus from contaminating the vaccine. Most of the preservatives used are known to be toxic and some are even recognized carcinogens listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, some flu shots contain live “attenuated” viruses, capable of actually causing side-effects identical to the flu.

Would You Put these Toxic Chemicals in Your Body?

Here are two popular flu shots with a scary list of stabilizers and preservatives used in them. Antibiotics also act as preservatives in the shots, which are marked them with an asterisk (*).

Below are the brand names and the preservatives used in each:

Fluvirin by Medeva Pharmaceuticals

Contains influenza virus, neomycin*, polymyxin*, beta-propiolactone, chick embryonic fluid.

Beta-propiolactone is a potent and toxic disinfectant used to sterilize blood plasma, shots, tissue grafts, surgical instruments, and enzymes. It is also “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen”, especially when injected into the bloodstream (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1999).

Flushield by Wyeth-Ayerst

Contains trivalent influenza virus, types A&B gentamicin sulphate*, formaldehyde, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80), chick embryonic fluid.

Formaldehyde: please refer to Formalin.

Thimerosal is a mercury derivative and a highly toxic heavy metal that attacks every organ and system in the body. Thimerosal is made of thiosalicylic acid and a form of mercury called ethyl mercury. When all is said and done, mercury is 49.59% of the weight of thimerosal. Researchers have confirmed that it’s unsafe to touch or swallow the mercury from a broken thermometer, yet health practitioners recommend that you inject the same poison directly into your body through a shot. Additionally, some studies have linked high levels of mercury to Alzheimer’s disease. Thimerosal is a registered pesticide with the Department of Pesticide Registration of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Polysorbate 80 (also known as Tween 80): Generally contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane, it has been shown to have estrogenic alterative effects and cause reproductive disturbances in rats.

The Baffling Shot Paradox

If vaccinations are really effective, then those who choose to get the flu shot should be immune to the disease. So why is there such a strong push to vaccinate as many people as possible? Aren’t those who get the shot protected anyways? And if this is true, we should ask doctors why, as statistics show, only 40% of health practitioners take the shot while practically 100% of doctors recommend the flu shot to their patients. Maybe they know something we don’t.

Boast your Immune System to avoid the shot and FLU !

So whether you decide to get vaccinated or not, here are ten suggestions to naturally boost your immune system.

1. Vitamin D

We all know that flu season hits in the winter, when – especially in cold climates – we typically get very little or no sun exposure. You might be surprised to know that we carry a variety of influenza viruses throughout the year, so something must happen in the winter. Realizing this, researches searched for the connection, and found a strong correlation between Vitamin D levels and immunity (Source: Cannell et.al., On the Epidemiology of Influenza. Virology Journal, 2008;5:29). Good levels of Vitamin D are crucial to help you fight against viruses and to keep you healthy year round. Make sure you take at least 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3 during the winter, regardless of sun exposure.

2. Aloe Vera

This multi-tasking plant believed to originate in Northern Africa, has long and thick leaves that contain a liquid gel, rich in valuable nutrients. Among other things, aloe gel contains high amounts of a long chain sugar called mucopolysaccharides which boost the immune modulators to fight off viruses and bacteria. They also penetrate all cell membranes and increase their fluidity and permeability, allowing toxins to flow out of the cell and nutrients to enter the cells. Drink 2 to 4 oz. of Aloe Vera juice, preferably cold-processed.

3. Mushroom Extracts (Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake)

these mushrooms have excellent immune-boosting properties. Shiitake mushrooms are an excellent source of lentinan, a polysaccharide that increases T-cell function and can be used for cooking. Reishi mushrooms contain immunologically active polysaccharides, mainly beta-D-glucan, that have potent immune-stimulating qualities. Maitake mushrooms are delicious and rich in a potent immune stimulant that enhances the activity of key immune cells. Try to incorporate these mushrooms in your daily menu and during the winter, take mushroom extract supplements.

4. Reduce Your Sugar Consumption

Table sugar and high fructose corn syrup raise your blood insulin levels, which in turn decreases the release of growth hormone and weakens your immune system. Glucose also competes with Vitamin C needed by white blood cells to kill viruses and bacteria. Scientific studies have shown that consuming 100 grams of sugar reduces the immune function by 50 percent within an hour. To give you an idea of what this measurement means, a level teaspoon of white sugar is 5 grams and about 20 teaspoons of sugar would amount to 100 grams. Sounds like a lot? Let’s do the math: one can of soda has the equivalent of 9 teaspoons of sugar, and a 20 oz. bottle of regular soda has the equivalent of 15 teaspoons. Stay away from foods or drinks that contain large amounts of sugar and instead, whenever possible, use stevia, a natural plant-derived sweetener.

5. Vitamin C

The “Old Faithful” of antioxidants, Vitamin C plays an important role in the prevention of colds and the flu. A study involving marathon runners, skiers and soldiers training in the Arctic showed that taking an average of 625 mg of Vitamin C a day decreased the incidence of colds by 50% (Source: Douglas RM, Hemila H, D’Souza R, Chalker EB, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004). Take 500 mg. of Vitamin C a day throughout the entire year to keep your immune system at optimum levels.

6. Garlic

This delicious culinary ingredient has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic properties, and has long been used to fight off and prevent colds and infections. The active ingredient is allicin, and it is present in both raw and cooked garlic. Try to eat two garlic cloves a day, and if you don’t want to have “garlic breath”, add two crushed cloves to your favorite recipe or take a garlic supplement.

7. Probiotics

Friendly intestinal bacteria play a key role in keeping the immune system functioning at optimal levels. They compete with pathogens for cellular nutrients, thereby inhibiting the “invader’s” growth. One type of probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, prevents allergens and pathogens from entering the bloodstream. An article published in Nutrition Research (2001) shows that taking L. rhamnosus results in increased levels of leucocyte phagocytosis, a marker of immune activity. My recommendation: eat at least 8 oz. of unsweetened plain yogurt each day as a natural source of probiotics. You can use stevia or honey as a sweetener, and sprinkle with granola for crunch. If you have taken antibiotics in the past, you should take a supplement for at least six months to bring your intestinal flora up to par, and then continue with the yogurt.

8. Zinc

This essential yet often ignored trace element helps support the immune system. A study in men and women aged 65 and over found that taking 25 mg/day of zinc a day for only three months increased levels of circulating immune cells known as CD4 T and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (Source: Fortes C, Forastiere F, Agabiti N, et al. The effect of zinc and vitamin A supplementation on immune response in an older population. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 1998). Make sure you take 25 mg. of zinc every day year-round, as it is also very important to your bone health. Chelated zinc is the best and most absorb-able form.

9. Vitamin E

This potent antioxidant is made up of four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-) and four tocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-). However, alpha-tocopherol is the most commonly form of vitamin E found in the blood and tissues. In fact, even though the main function of Vitamin E is that of an antioxidant, alpha-tocopherol in particular appears to have a beneficial effect on the molecules and enzymes in immune cells. Scientific studies show that as little as 200 IU of alpha-tocopherol can significantly increase immunity against a variety of respiratory infections (Source: Meydani SN, Leka LS, Fine BC, et al. Vitamin E and respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004). Since the flu typically attacks the respiratory tract, it is wise to take at least 200 IU of Vitamin E, and make sure that your supplement has alpha-tocopherol in it, should you decide to take a mixed tocopherol formula, which is also fine.

10. Rest

It’s especially important during the cold and flu season to keep from getting run down. Try to get at least 8 hours of quality sleep a night. Here’s one hint: if you are physically active during the day, you’ll be tired at bedtime. So avoid long hours of inactivity and keep moving as much as possible.

We as a society are like cattle going for a drink to the dugout. We follow in blind loyalty that the lead horse knows what they are doing. I just can’t figure out why our medical professional are the best cows. I can’t blame them as they are the students and only practising and presenting what they know and are told. We have to find a why to eliminate pharmaceutical companies profits out of the medical equation. They hold seminars, rebates, programs, media blitzes etc and the medical professionals tell us get our shots. We are being poisoned in the name of profits and it they the general public are relatively quite on the matter.

Having said this there are vaccines where I believe they do more good than harm. Polio, measles, mumps, are live savers and the immune system does get it’s boost to protect us. But not a yearly FLU shot ! We need a test to determine your immune system strength and only give this people the shot that need it. This would make sense. Beside I figure if these shots are so good and no one gets sick how can I then even without the shot.

BUT THAT’S JUST ME

Tried to get Mel’s internet to work to no avail. Hopefully a agent will arrive and figure out what the issue is. Helped Fred’s neighbor move a few things. Helped Mel’s neighbor with his louvres after installing lights and watched Fred figure out his neighbors electrically issue. Had a great supper at Fat Willy’s after playing golf. Another wonderful day in paradise.

Thought of the Day

Playing in the cold is different. No matter how many shots on the range you still will be stiff. Be prepared and set your goals a little different as it most likely will be a higher than normal score. I figure as I am younger and a little more fit than my competitors I should have a good day. These guys will struggle with lack of blood circulation and I will excel. Yahoo ! I will let you know. Ps I even brought my toque down from Calgary. They will be jealous.

November 30th

“Mercury Forecast ”  Mesa 16 degrees Calgary  -5 degrees

Up this morning and out of the house by 6:30am. And a good thing we left early as there was a 5 car pile up on the 202. We arrived at the clubhouse only to find out they have a 1.5 hour FROST delay. Frost delay in Arizona  !With the windows out and me driving Bob this morning I thought I had picked up the Michelin man with his layers of clothes. It was 3 degrees when we arrived at the course. And the drive with the heater on full blast wasn’t bad at all. Well I won money again so things didn’t go that bad at all. It wasn’t a stellar game for me caused by three holes taking two triples and a double. Any score in the 80’s I am ok with but need to get rid of these dumb mistakes. Lots of pars and chances for birdies but no luck. Bob played exceptionally well scoring a 34 on one nine. The temperature increased quite rapidly which helped. Another fun day in paradise.

Arrived at home and checked in with Fred & Mel. They spent 6 hours making Christmas decoration Poinsettias and they wouldn’t light. The circuit is broken on their lights somewhere and it is impossible to find. Can you imagine the frustration of 6 hours of works with sore fingers and back and failing. Hopefully tomorrow we can get at least one of them going which may mean buying a new string of lights. We also plan to redo my outdoor kitchen cover.

Fred bought a new pair of tires two years ago when down here for his truck. He took his truck to the dealer as they were getting worn out to see about a new pair. Unbelievable, here as Fred is getting 4 brand new tires for $ 8 bucks after using these tires for two years. The manufacture believes they should have lasted longer and wants to protect their name. Now that is lucky for Fred and as I have said before the Americans are exceptional and giving first class customer service.

I am going to assume you all have wonderful full bushy moustaches by now as the month is ending.

Thought of the Day

I would take heat rash over frost bite any day