February 1st.
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 27 degrees Calgary -12 degrees
Time is a flying. Second month of a new year. February is good month. MY BIRTHDAY falls in Feb. Groundhog day tells us spring is coming. Super Bowl is on. Mardi Gras is on. Waste Management happens, can’t forget Valentines Day, President Day sales and it is Black History month. All things good.
Hot and sunny for Jackie’s lady golf league today.
Budget day for input and numbers that I will complete in the next couple of days. I did the main numbers and due to the TSX tumble and taking a bit out more than normal the numbers are lower than hoped. Need the market to come back. These things happen but checking each month sure shows you the swings. Today’s drop the 4th in a row is the lowest in 8 weeks. Apple reporting and few other should bring it back up a bit.
Bumper sanding and painting day. I went with wet sanding 800 grit paper all over the bumper. Fred & I made sure to get every nook and cranny. Cleaned it with water than moved to 2000 grit wet sandpaper and worked away. After sanding and checking we sprayed it with a degreaser and wiped clean and washed. Next to our Dupli-Color Bumper and Trim paint which is a special paint made for plastic bumpers that has extra adhesive properties and flexibility with the contractions and expansions plus the movement on the truck. Dodge had three different bumpers designs which is odd. A chrome steel bumper with a grey fascia no matter what color truck, a complete color matched steel bumper and fascia and grill or a painted bumper color matched and grey fascia. Fred is like a master painter. He handled his aerosol like a professional painter. Not one missed spot or run. After two coats of clear coat we are done. For ease and looks I decided to paint the bumper and fascia the same color and have it match the truck canopy and the new racing stripe on the rear bed. The stripe will cover any poor body work I do on the large dent in the box. Polished the extremely foggy fog light lenses with my wet sanding and coated them with clear coat.
Bumper removed by Fred & I at the local auto wreckers and refurbished.
Racing stripe . I figure if my body work isn’t perfect this will cover it up perfectly.
I have everything to complete the Dakota except for the center console lid. I found one on EBay I may take a chance on.
Look at the temperature today. It is wonderful. Gauge is showing 98 degrees. Awesome. Remember it is a dry heat so doesn’t feel so bad.
98 degrees on the thermometer while we were working on the bumper.
We had Fred & Terry over for supper tonight. I marinaded the pork chops in brown sugar and burbon with some secret ingredients added. I thought everything turned out very well with mashed potatoes, gravy, green peas, salad and eclairs for desert. I turned on the patio heater just to take the chill off even though it was still about 15 degrees at 8 pm.
We started to play teams in Crib. AGAIN I am in disbelieve as Fred & I lost all night. The girls skunked us also. I have NEVER lost so many Crib games since the beginning of 2018. I used to love CRIB but am having a bad taste left in mouth with the continuous losses mounting up. The next time I HAVE to win.
A very productive day and fun night. I will get over my losses.
Thought of the Day
Winning is only half of it. The other half is having fun !
February 2nd Ground Hog Day
Feb 2nd and Balzac Billy is looking for shadow.
Predicts a early spring which I think most will be very happy about.
Had our block party planning session today with some great ideas coming out of it. All under control as it is a good group. Jackie will miss the party unfortunately. Nice sitting outside in the morning sun having a coffee and muffin.
Had our golf game set up with Bob & Pat today. Well some days is all I can say. No focus, no effort and not a good score. But it was a very fun enjoyable day in the hot sun with nice people so how can one complain.
A few drinks at Bob’s place with some great lines. One of funny things was one of Bob’s friend’s Ron drives a beautiful Robin’s egg blue Bentley convertible. Gorgeous car. Ron was telling us the special he gets at McDonald’s for breakfasts. Bob teased Ron saying it must look a little funny pulling into McDonald’s in your Bentley and asking for the breakfast special. Maybe that is why he is rich today. It was funny.
One of the other real funny comments was ” You know you are a redneck when your car is up on blocks and you house is on wheels”
Not happy with EBAY. In my opinion they suck. I found the part i want to buy. I reset my password and submitted an offer. Declined. I decided to buy now at full price as the part is rare. Error code. I phone EBAY and as usual you sit in the queue. I hate spending money on airtime for a companies issues. Finally talk to an agent and she can’t figure what is wrong. Tonite I try again and use a different card in case and again no luck. In the queue again with a expected 17 min wait. To provide such poor service then expect a customer to wait 17 min because you feel it isn’t needed to provide good service is a big irritant to me. Love Amazon hate EBAY. But I can’t order my part !!!!! Finally after talking to four different agents, spending at least 30 minutes on the phone I get to order my part. I was given an agent with the name KIM and she got the job done that three other’s couldn’t. 4 hours at least spent resetting billing, shipping, card numbers passwords, etc on Ebay to order one part. Maybe the next go around might be better.
Whipped to Depot and picked up my packing stuff for the bumper.All set to wrap tomorrow.
Thought of the Day
Golf is such an easy game just very hard to play.
February 3rd
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 25 degrees, Calgary – 21 degrees feel like -30 degrees
Where would you rather be ? I know where for me.
I whipped up to Fred’s place and wrapped my bumper in bubble wrap so it makes back in good shape. Mounted the fog lights and zip ties them in. I will use a bit of silicone on the lights as i need to be water proof or the bulbs won’t last very long.
Helped Fred reword his small miter saw work as a metal chop saw for the neighbors steel fencing project.
I printed off the Block Party invites and Jackie and I delivered the invites along with my updates of our block book. The block walk took an hour with the conversation at each unit. Everyone has their unique circumstances and story. That is why you get for sale signs popping up as someone gets ill, insurance gets to be too much or other. Life changes are not always what we waant.
Working on the January budget until my eyes got sore and taking a break for a bit and then will get back at it. Sitting outside on the patio in 25 degrees isn’t hard to take at all.
Saw video and pictures of Jackson with Corey & Victoria at the skills competition of the Oiler’s. Yes I know some of you are asking how can the Oiler’s hold a skills contest. I know. BUT they do have one player that can skate fast.
Bad weather in Alberta today as snow is falling in Edmonton and Calgary and I see on the news that the Deerfoot Trail is closed both ways due to multiple accidents.
A relaxing day today. Worked on my budget for a few hours. Sat on the back deck and enjoyed the sun.
Wished my sister a Happy Birthday and got a hold of her just as she was leaving to go for supper. She spent most of the day visiting with Mom who had to return to the hospital.
Saw video and pictures of Jackson with Corey & Victoria at the skills competition of the Oiler’s. Yes I know some of you are asking how can the Oiler’s hold a skills contest. I know. BUT they do have one player that can skate fast.
Thought of the Day
I always knew I would have good looking off spring but dam I impressed myself.
February 4th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 27 degrees Calgary -8 degrees with snow
Look at that. Another year older for me. Time goes by a way to fast.
Larry at One
Do you see me in August or Jackson ?
Larry at 13 The awkward years
Larry at 18. Hated the short hair but had to for the school grad picture
Larry 20
Larry at 32
Larry at 40
Larry 48 A good age
Larry 57 our retirement year
Larry at 61
Happy Birthday to me !!
Breakfast made for me this morning. Checking out the news. No big plans except to go out for supper with Fred & Terry to a family style Italian restaurant. Perhaps hit the Mesa market for a lot sign for our RV lot. Hot one again today hitting 27 above.
Before heading out Jackie gave me my presents and cards. Here is the card from Jackson that he gave to her to bring down. Love it !
Jackson’s card
My huge Cake !
Walked the entire Mesa Market Place and couldn’t find our stone engraving booth as we wanted a Lot sign for our RV lot. I will recheck one of the weekends coming up again to make sure as they are nice. Picked up a couple of things and headed home.
This the “Brand” of service station my Dad owned in Niton Junction and this was at the Mesa market.
Relaxed in the warmth on the patio and watched the Waste Management Open. Sitting outside having a cold drink and watching TV on the patio is wonderful.
The Super Bowl was just starting when Fred & Terry came to pick us up. Right as they pulled up there was a knock on the side door. I opened the door and two carolers starting singing ” Happy Birthday” . It surprised me. There standing were Bob & Pat singing away. Funny guys and then they leave. I will remember that.
Fred, Terry, Jackie and I head to Buca Di Beppo an authentic Italian restaurant. The decor is second to none. Absolutely wonderful. Every wall covered with pictures and roof painted. Love it. They serve all of their food family style with a small feeding 3 people and a large serves 5 people. Fred and I split the Homemade Meatballs with spaghetti while Jackie & Terry shared a pasta with a olive garlic dressing. Throw in a large Ceaser salad and it is meal. I was stuffed. The food is great not exceptional as i prefer western Italian like Boston Pizza or Olive Garden but very very good. The decor, service and atmosphere make the experience wonderful.
Fred & Terry at Buca. Large salad for all.
Enjoying the Italian atmosphere
Now that is an interior
Fred & Terry were toooo generous and paid for our supper. I will make this up to them. Too generous. Funny thing is I had the entire bill in my hand and he somehow has the waiter recreate it in secret to pay for it. I got caught !
After the wonderful meal we came home for a few drinks and decided to play crib. The unthinkable happened again. I don’t believe it. I love Crib. I rarely lose at crib. Fred and I lost 4 games to three against the girls. This doesn’t happen. Birthday gifts from Fred & Terry the board and cards were perfect. Fred and I’s hands not so much . Lost again.
Thought of the Day
Isn’t it funny the older you get the more like classic rock the elevator music sounds like
February 5th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 28 degrees Calgary -12 degrees
Slept in a bit today which was nice. After breakfast watched the news. The TSX drop is scary. That is a huge drop since Feb 1st. Not good at all. Nothing you can do but see a portion of your savings slip away. What goes up always comes down. At 30 or 40 years old I wouldn’t care as much.
Booked a tee time at Western Skies for Jackie & I. I am losing too many crib games and my golf game isn’t consistent either. What is going on ? I started off poorly and them played well for most of the game except for the last three holes. I learned a few things today which is good but not a great score. Waiting on every hole day didn’t help with it being over a 5 hour game makes you lose your mojo. Oh well a wonderful sunny fun day golfing with Jackie is always great. Courses are busy this week due to the vacationers that came for the Open wanting to stay a couple of days then golf.
We had such a huge meal for my birthday and didn’t get back to Viewpoint until 6:30 we decided not to for go Fat Willy’s and had leftovers at home tonight. Walking 10K steps doesn’t help if you eat to much. But a birthday only comes once a year.
Thought of the day
Life is a one time offer. Use it well.
February 6th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 25 degrees Calgary -13 degrees
Rob who lives near Lethbridge sent this to me.
Near Lethbridge
So I thought I would put this in here. NOT ONE DAY is it hitting 30 above. I hate it when it is cool like this.
Not one day is it hitting 30 above.
I have noticed that the forecasters are always low here. Yesterday we were 82 degrees. Very similar to how the Edmonton forecasters never say the real temperature in Calgary as they don’t want a mass exodus of Edmontonians leaving.
Helped Fred & Terry with painting their sliding doors. Lot’s of masking, taping and painting but they look awesome. As it is enamel they need at least 4 hours to dry to touch and 24 hrs to cure so I will help Fred install them tomorrow after golfing in my men’s league.
I was looking for a yard sign for our RV lot so checked with a few units on what they had. A couple of different ideas. During this conversation Fred mentioned he had a name picked out for his RV lot. I LOVE his name. I can’t tell anyone yet until he gets his sign so no one steal the clever punchline but it is GOOD ! I will need to think up a clever name instead of just the lot number.
Jackie has had a headache all day and is sleeping a bit so hopefully she feels better quickly.
Cellphone just gave me a “Winter Storm Warning” for Lethbridge and Calgary. Expect 20-35 cms of snow Wednesday thru Friday. Ouch!
Thought of the Day
You should always live within your income, even if you have to borrow to do so.
February 7th
“Mercury Forecast ” Mesa 27 degrees Calgary -10 with heavy snowfall warning up to 35 cms
Uber Sandy right on time. He says 7 am it is 7 am on the nose. Busier traffic than usual but still left us plenty of time to eat and driving range before our tee time. I was with a Calgary golfer ( Canyon Meadows Golf Club) and a gentleman from just outside Saskatoon. We had a ghost golfer today and when it was drawn he sucked. Not a good score today caused by dumb errors and unbelievable placing of the pins on every knoll of the greens. I had the best front nine of the group with a net 34 and the highest on the back nine. A beautiful sunny 80 degree on a first class group make it a wonderful day. Next time both nines.
Came home and had a short drink at Bob’s place.
Beer shots
Bob got this amazing deal on Ultra Beer. When he opened the case it was discovered these were beer shot cans. Great thing about them they make your hands appear big. Might be useful if we were single, young and in a bar.
Finally, I discovered my secret gift giver. Victoria & Corey. Fred even found a 20 ounce can of beer for the beer sleeve. Huge difference between the two beers. LOL
20 ounce beer sleeve
Thoughts of the Day
If you had small hands you maybe able to touch the bottom of a Pringles can.
February 9th-10th
“Mercury Forecast’ Mesa 28 degrees -13 degrees ( current -31 degrees)
Interesting article below:
Sidney Crosby: “I would never let my children play hockey. The risk of getting drafted by Edmonton is too high”
Sidney
EDMONTON – With a growing number of concerns about the dangers of playing hockey, several notable names are speaking out against the associated risks, including NHL superstar Sidney Crosby. When reached for comment on the issue, Crosby simply stated, “I would never let my children play hockey. The risk of getting drafted by Edmonton is too high. Any parent would be devastated to know there was something they could have done to prevent such a terrible fate.”
While the dream of playing in the NHL is the goal of hockey playing children everywhere, recent studies on the dangerous long term effects of playing the game have some parents reconsidering their children’s involvement in the sport.
“With all this new information about some players ending up with the Edmonton Oilers, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to encourage children to play hockey,” stated Dr. Patricia Rhond. “Increases in aggression, despair, a sense of failure, and lack of motivation are just some of the symptoms of this sort of condition. Even worse, we’ve found a direct correlation in that over 3% of players drafted to the NHL may fall victim to being selected by Edmonton, with that number rising to nearly 50% if the athlete has the misfortune of being a first overall pick.”
Concerns on the issue are resurfacing in recent years due to the unfortunate circumstance of superstar Connor McDavid’s legacy being potentially cut short after being drafted by the Oilers. Even with the NHL adding more teams to the league in an effort to mitigate damage done by Edmonton’s drafting, it may already be too late for many young athletes.
“Luckily for Connor, it’s not a total death sentence,” offered a sympathetic Crosby. “After all, Wayne Gretzky found success despite wearing the blue and orange which is of course why we call him ‘The Great One’. It’s truly his greatest accomplishment. But unfortunately for Connor things aren’t looking as good there now. At this point all the McDavid family can do now is pray for good health, good fortune, and that Edmonton’s GM trades him to an East coast team.”
You have to love the ribbing that is being put on Edmonton. Albert Einstein once said “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity” Yet the Oiler’s can’t figure this out. Bite the bullet. fire the coach, fire the GM, fire Lowe, fire Mctavish and Gretzky, trade Maroon and Strome for good players and they may make the playoffs in 2019. Maybe.
I ran another drip line to the trees in between Bob’s and our place as I am not sure they were getting enough water. The Hackberry tree was looking a little dry. I tested the line and we should no issue anymore if it was an issue or the tree is just very dormant this winter.
Moved Mel’s outdoor decorations and clothes from his house to Fred’s . Mel has decided to sell his place and look at new place in Alberta. Mel’s place is a very nice unit that is move in ready. It is one of the nicer units. Super location on a very social block at a very good price. This unit should sell quite quickly.
TSX ouch !
Trudeau ouch !
Notley ouch !
Worked about 6 hours installing a new patio/deck railing system at Dan & Jan’s place. Heavy gauge steel fencing. Everything worked out great with moving a post and using drive in pin anchors for the concrete posts. We rigged up a small miter saw with a cutoff blade and used it as a chop saw. Changed the sunshade curtains, installed a gate and we were done. The only thing left to do is the gate latch. The std latch sticks out too far so people will catch their legs on it . A top mounted barrel bolt will work the best.
Dan & Jan invited us all for supper and drinks. We had a wonderful BBQ burger, potato salad bean supper. A few neighbors joined us for a fun night including Lori which is Fred & Terry’s friend staying at their place as they go back to move out of their condo.
Picked up my new/used centre console lid. Like finding a needle in the haystack for this option of a split bench with a separating console. $60 for a lid that is used is ridiculous but one has no choice as rare as they are. The Ebay part sellers know this. Arrived in,as good as new shape, which is great.
Centre console lid
I hear and see how wonderful the snow is in Calgary. How pretty the snow is. While I respect anyone who looks at the positive side of things dealing with -30 degrees, car accidents, fear of driving on slippery roads, shoveling , frostbite, shivers, and being held hostage in their homes, a realist must look at the true picture. IT IS WINTER AND WINTER SUCKS.
While I agree we need to watch the 30 degree above weather here doesn’t over heat us, and we may get a color on and absorb too much Vit D but,there are no other issues than true appreciation of mother nature’s warmth and warming beauty.
Calgary
Mesa
Both great to look at but which would you rather be outside in.
Getting ready to take Jackie along with Fred & Terry to the airport in a bit.
Thought of the Day
Living a good great life is simple yet we always try to complicate it.
February 11th -12th
” Mercury Forecast” Current Temp Mesa 21 degrees Calgary -21 degrees
I visited the local Costco. Brought along my rebate cheque from our US purchases and forgot to pull it out of my pocket. Next time. LOL Busy as usual. Bought only one extra item a inwall usb charging plug. I changed the one in the kitchen out to plus my phone and watch in without having to use the chargers. I wanted to change one particular one out but it was GFI and the first one of the circuit ( i assume) so changed out one near it.
Put the top on the Jeep as we have a small chance of showers for the next couple of days even though the temperatures are staying in the low 20’s. Put didn’t want it to get soaked if golfing.
Spent a couple of hours at the pool swimming. Watched the PGA golf game. Worked on my BOM ( bill of materials) for our decks. Paid a few bills. Updated my excel spread sheets on budgets and days in the USA.
Cleaned up, swept and washed the patio. Washed the Jeep and wax and UV protected it.
Washed some clothes, swept the floor and cleaned the BBQ.
Golfing today at Viewpoint . I want to score less than 80 today !
Thought of the Day
Positive thinking doesn’t guarantee positive results but chances are you will do a lot better and feel a lot better.
February 13th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 21 degrees Calgary 8 degrees due to Chinook.
Our incredible Jan/Feb weather here in Mesa has a small hiccup for the next 7 days due to odd low and high pressure systems off the coast and pushing up to Canada. Today is overcast and only 21 degrees ( a hot Calgary summer day mind you) and the entire week is high teems or low 20’s with two days of possible rain. Wednesday and Thursday I don’t want rain. On Wed I have my men’s league at Whirlwind golfing ( perhaps rain might tighten up a few muscles of some of the old guys and make my score look better. LOL ) and on Thursday we have our block party Brunch outside under a carport. I have quite a few sausages to cook for this along with breakfast potatoes. Olive oil and parsley rubbed browned/ sliced mini potatoes. Hopefully the rain will stay away for both of these.
I cleaned up the patio and driveway from debris of the desert and washed the driveway due to Armorall stains.
I purchased new plastic shower rings to eliminate the noise from our back patio curtain and installed them. Covered up the furniture just in case rain does come in the back.
Picked up my Dakota decal at the post office. I have now everything I need to complete the Dakota project except tires. I should have brought my headache rack and threw them up top. I checked pricing everywhere and will look at Canadian Tire as they had the best price in Canada. Upping the size from 215/75r15 to 31 x 10.5 x 15 as they were the original tire size on the truck and look a lot better and can carry load over the car tires on it currently.
“MY RANT”
I have to be careful with my rants as some people are just too sensitive. That is what is going on in our society that is causing quite a turmoil worldwide. The younger generation are pushing a socialist, environmentalist , left wing , feminist, anti-male revolutionary agenda on the world.
Pot– legalization. Stupid. This is going to cause a huge amount of new issues for society. We are going to have a huge increase in automobile accidents, we are going to experience damaged babies from mothers smoking a legal substance, a massive increase in workplace deaths and injuries, a total lower IQ population as developing minds get warped from a damaging ingredient and a lethargic, lazy, non motivated generation of children years down the road. Decriminalize it yes. Do NOT make it legal though. All for the few dollars of taxes generated. Sad !
Gender Neutral – Changing the national anthem should be a charge of treason. Everyone knows sons is a generic term for mankind. YES man kind not people kind. This from someone that has possible brain damage from his Mom, Margaret smoking pot while pregnant. Funny thing is “In all thy sons command” isn’t sexist at all as it was a way of commemorating our young soldiers in WWI. Manholes gone. Man up can’t be used. Next they will want to rewrite the Bible.
Paying off Terrorist criminals- this one baffles me how anyone can think this is right. A known and verified, convicted terrorist receives from the gov’t a cheque for 10.5 million. Seeking money in a lawsuit from the Canadian taxpayer is a sign of the continuing contempt for the country that Khadr fought against. His father was a top Al-Qaeda commander that was killed in Pakistan.Where was the injustice that deserves any kind of money. He threw a hand grenade at a US soldier and killed him. He deserved to be in jail . Trudeau paid him even before a court decision. 31.3 million paid to three Syrian’s detainee’s only because he felt the RCMP may have given up information that would tie them to terrorism. Courts of law are supposed to determine that. Canada on the world stage is looking moronic. Some may even say worse than having Trump because at least Donald is doing something to make America Great Again while our pathetic liberal in the true sense speaks without thought and is such a pansy decision maker his only out is to throw money at it. I wonder what his hair cutting budget is a year ?
Indigenous issues- the case of Colten Boushie. First let me say the verdict was wrong. Stanley should have been charged with voluntary manslaughter. He killed the kid. But this is where the crown screwed up. They should have known a second degree murder charge wouldn’t stand up in court even though the condition of the murder and conditions are indicative of such a charge.He did not premeditate killing the kid. ( first degree) The defense was accidental all the way.People are jumping all over this with protests and marches before they even know all of the facts. Only Stanley and the witnesses know the facts. To have four drunk individuals of any race or nationality come onto your farm and attempt to steal quads, trucks etc would be a scary situation. His defense was a accidental death with a gun going off in error with no intent while reaching for the keys in the vehicle. All of the facts WE KNOW indicate they were up to no good. He fired warning shots and approached the vehicle with what he thought was a empty gun. When reaching to turn off the ignition his gun went off. Hang fire which if anyone knows gun can happen. The witnesses lied and changed their stories which causes doubt in any jury’s mind. If the people ( witnesses) who are telling the story are not believable or aspects of the version of events is not consistent the jury will have doubt. Admitting to drinking all day, attempting to steal property, on private property and the witnesses inconsistent stories all lead to not guilty. As I stated he should have been charged with manslaughter and most likely would have if the crown would have had reliable witnesses. There is nothing wrong with our justice system just a case that went wrong and is perceived as an injustice. We as a country really need to find a way to fix the Ingenious issues though as they are very prevalent in our society. Some say self induced but as a society we have to stick together to find a solution. To have Indigenous people selected to a jury doesn’t fix the issue. It does fix the perception though. Stanley still would have gotten away with killing the kid as they would have had a hung jury. A jury must determine the facts not say, not guilty, because they are the same race as you. This jury decided without prejudice the verdict based on the facts given to them and even though they themselves may not like the verdict it is correct.
Carbon tax- this one really irks me. We have the cleanest coal in the world and are lumped into the coal burning dirty grouping. Our Canadian coal due to the process of higher pressures and heat burns cleaner than in other areas. What most people forget is coal is actually plant based. It is formed from dead plant material and undergoes a chemical change with the heat and pressure. Our Alberta coal is mainly Bituminous which is one of the two best grades in the world. To hinder our economy, shut down our coal electrical plants is asinine while other jurisdictions are going full bore ahead with less costly energy, just as clean electricity and we sit stagnate due to political left wing nuts.
BUT THAT IS JUST ME !
“Memories “
At Henderson’s I had two Indigenous ( i don’t like that word , prefer Native ( original to the land) but would rather just say just two guys instead of having to define them) brothers I hired. I will say they were two of my best workers. Showed up everyday on time and worked hard. With training I was able to have them achieve success and work their way up to higher pay scale job duties. I enjoyed working with Bill Banks and his brother Dwayne. Good guys.
I played golf with Bob’s Saskatchewan buddies at Viewpoint. A little cooler 23 degrees with a little bit of wind but still a wonderful golf day. I like the group of people as they are very diverse in their personal life. A few of them having owned car dealerships, trucking companies etc and would be considered wealthy by most but everyone of them down to earth fun guys. Some very good golfers and some average golfers in the group. Each playing on the tee box that fits their level. Today I was playing with Merv & Bob as a threesome. We played a full handicap skin game. First couple of holes I thought it was going to be great day. Birdie putt 10 ft first hole , a miss. Birdie putt second hole 3 ft, a miss. Shooting 3, 30 yards off green on Par 5 with a wedge and skull shot happens. A double. Back to reality and so fast. LOL It still ended up good with Bob winning two ticks, Merv one tick and myself winning 4 ticks. Anytime you win money in golf it is a good day. Too many mistakes and two sliced golf balls caused a higher score than I like overall though. We went over to Kirk’s place for a replay of our game. Ended up being there a little long drinking and missed Fat Willy’s. Not a complaint but an observation. I can not drink with these boys as they have 3 to 4 days a week of drinking too much after golf. Fun to listen to the banter and teasing in the social gathering. Between my liver issues I had and kidney issues I can’t drink that often and risk it. I want to golf for at least 20 years yet. LOL
Had a salad and went into the fridge to get the celery. I read on line that wrapping celery in aluminum foil keeps it firm and makes it last a lot longer. I am here to say it WORKS. It works incredible with the life extended at least double and no more limp celery.
Thought of the Day
Beer, cause no good story ever starting by eating a salad !
February 14th
“Mercury Forecast ” Calgary -9 degrees Mesa 17 with light drizzle
Doesn’t rain often in Mesa but today we have a light drizzle. In 2018 the total amount of rain has been .32 of an inch with .23 of that one day in January. Amazing weather.
Up early and off to my men’s league. I had a wonderful group of guys. One guy from the states and two from Thunderbay. As usual the course was immaculate but the greens were noticeably slower. Add that to difficult greens the score can creep up, The putting and Par 5’s were my nemesis today. Finished the round with the same ball is a bonus but on the Par 5’s I tried to hit too hard and pulled them left and took a double on every Par 5 which normally are my possible birdie holes. Our low handicapper at 8 missed so many putts it was ridiculous. He was getting pretty heated and frustrated and we all felt his pain. I had 6 lip outs that would have not only lowered the score but some of them would have been birdies. That is the way of golf though. Our team did win some money so we can’t complain. I indicated it was the adverse weather conditions that caused the issue. It was lack of talent only. LOL Today in our groupings an old friend George Modzrjewski of Lealta Building played. He looked fantastic , younger and thinner and he scored very well. Fun day
Came home and set up for our Brunch block party. All the tables were moved, chairs placed, double checked settings and placements and I think we are all set to go. I will start cooking the sausages ( 10 pounds) and breakfast potatoes (6 pounds) a little earlier and just hold them hot until needed. Brunch is an unusual time as we have always had supper block parties and think people will like this and like the change.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Yes it is Valentines Day. Yes Jackie is not here. I guess I know where the priorities are. LOL I am not sure but I believe this is only the 2 second Valentines Day in 40 years we haven’t been together. Not quite the same being alone as I enjoy the dinner out with that someone special. It will be me and the Olympics tonight.
PENNYWISE TIP
Ask your financial planner but from a working guy without a defined pension you are a way better off to max out your TFSA each year over your RRSP especially if you are not a real high income earner. The TFSA max is now $57,500 retro active which is a lot of room for a couple of over 100K. I believe most people contribute to the RRSP first strictly due to marketing plus who doesn’t want a refund back. Best case max out TFSA and RRSP each year. But consider this you are fully taxed ( hopefully at a lower rate than when you were working) on your RRSP when you remove funds. TFSA’s are not as it is after tax money. The government at 71 years of age forces you to remove sums of money ( for wealthier people) money you may not need by cashing in, changing to annuity or putting it into a RRIF. Thinks about this, 6 years after you retire at 65 the government forces you remove funds so they get their taxes. On a TFSA there is no restriction. If i could do it again I would max the TFSA and then put as much as I have into the RRSP. At retirement remove RRSP money watching tax levels and input into a TFSA before 71. But that is just me !
Thought of the Day
I am going to spend Valentines Day with my true love. ME ! lol
February 15th
“Mercury Forecast ” Mesa 18 degrees Calgary -8 degrees
The sprinkling of rain last night was gone this morning until just about the end of our party then it spat a bit again. It was bright and sunny and nicely warm. Today was our block Brunch party . With prejudice I have to say it was a wonderful gathering. More people than expected and some amazing brunch items. Ton’s of food and great tasting food. I had a feeling people loved the change away from an afternoon event to a morning event and having it right on our block adds that extra comfort level. Our host group were amazing with everyone chipping in and working hard. Ian delivered the sausages to me last night. Started early as I can hold warm sausages for a long time and it was a good thing. I had the large turkey roaster in the oven full, I had two large frying pans full on the stove and I had a large foil pan full on the BBQ. I had to run back and forth turning them but starting early allowed me to cook them slowly. The oven ones turned out great and I just dropped them into the frying pan for a couple of minutes to “brown” them up. I also had a another large foil pan with 6 pounds of assorted small potatoes. Purple potatoes add a lot of color to the dish. Gave the older guys their dose of sea salt and pepper on them to spice them up and get the guys moving. I had them cooking everywhere also. It was a lot of fun ! Everything turned out wonderful. Pat & Gail “decorated” our room to look wonderful with blue tablecloths and bright Red Bougainvillea center pieces. All of the dishes were wonderful. Home made beans a great breakfast idea, quiche, tarts, pastry, crepes etc. I am sure no one went home to have lunch as everyone didn’t leave until after then anyways. Great group of nice people. We had everyone stand up and “present” themselves. One couple has been married longer than I have been alive ! One couple has 29 grand kids. I am sure glad that is not us or I would never see Jackie. Locomotive engineer, nuclear scientist, CSIS member, marine pilot, business owners, teachers, brokers, managers, etc our group has some one from every facet of life.
Pat & Gail our organizers that did a wonderful job.
looked wonderful with each table having a flower center piece
40 people fit perfectly. Nice and cozy , protected from the drizzle and any winds. Everyone loved it.
Tons of food
Some people had wonderful stories to tell about their lives. We needed an organizer for the parties and garage sales etc as our current lady is moving. A request for the volunteer went out and the group was quite silent. Jake stood up to stretch and Bob yells. Thank you Jake you will do a wonderful job. He only stood up to stretch. LOL Things have a way of working out.
Lots of cleaning pans to get rid of the sausage smell in the house. I have set the self clean oven to go and then everything will be back to semi normal. Sausage’s are quite fatty when cooking them. Great event !
If any knows me they know I love driving. I enjoy winter storms over dry pavement. I enjoy curving roads and I enjoy speed especially 0 -60 a way over high speed levels. I love the adrenaline rush of the Gforce. I absolutely loved the Bears Tooth Mountain pass below that I had my Jeep on but i have found the ultimate pass. I only need a few thousand bucks to travel to China and find a sports car ( not a ricksha) to drive it. One major problem is I have NO desire to go to China so it most likely will remain unfinished business.
Now this highway below would be awesome. Highway starts about 2:15 of the video. A once in a life time treat.
House with the stove on gets a little warm. I had to open a few windows. Man do some companies make their window products lousy. I get scared every time I open one it won’t close.The vertical slider uses a thin nylon cord attached to a metal sort of like a counter weight. Slide nice but the mechanism is far from heavy duty.
Tiger is golfing this weekend so I will watch a bit of that. Canada is doing awesome in the Olympics even though it is a little easier having Russia out of a lot of events.
Thought of the Day
A block party isn’t just a party it is a way of life !!
February 16th -19th
“Mercury Forecast ” Mesa 23 degrees Calgary -13 snow
Mesa 18 , Mesa 16 degrees
The cold front is still over Arizona with the last few days only hitting 20 to 23 degrees. Nice and warm but not the hot we are used to. The overcast sky is the reason the heat isn’t up.
I golfed with three great guys today. As a group we had a lot of fun. My partner and I had a combined handicap of 28 as did the other two we were playing against. The partnering worked out perfect. Well, today was just one of those days and it seems I am saying that too many times lately. Nothing seemed to work hence the 92 score. Drives, chips , putting nothing clicked. My partner experienced the exact same thing. We both thought for sure we lost a lot of holes and would end up costing us a few bucks. As luck would have it we stroked when needed and after 18 holes the card showed a tie. Nice to have a horrible game and not cost any money. I am going to take a few days off golfing and go to the driving range and reload my mental readiness.
A fun discussion after golf with a few drinks and another wonderful day came to an end.
A short time at the pool was nice as the water is so warm. Dries the skin out a bit but still very nice.
Trip to Safeway this morning as I was running out of food. Well food I like anyways. Stocked up and all set for another week. Checking flights for Jackie and they are expensive. I found one decent one but double what we usually pay due to spring break and baseball training. Hopefully Jackie finds one she likes at a decent price.
Hit Harbour Freight up on their President’s Sale and now have everything I need and wanted. Order the wood when back in Canada ( and galv spikes for my nailer) and I will start on the decks.
Had a nice visit with the neighbors across the street. Cleaned up the house. Sat on the patio and watched the Olympics. Organized a few things. Washed a few clothes and all set for the day.
Went up and watched a great baseball game. Lots of hits and great running along with a delicious $4.00 cheeseburger. Life is Good.
Drew up and listed the bill of materials on all the decks and priced them based on Depot pricing. Added the shed for Fred and will get a price from a couple of guys and will be asking for favors from some of the guys I know in the business.
Washed the Jeep again ! I walked the entire Mesa Market and our stone engraving booth is no longer there. I can get a wood yard sign but will wait until Jackie sees it as it will require a bit of maintenance which doesn’t make it my first choice.
I had a wonderful salad, BBQ’d sirloin steak and garlic toast supper last night. Yummy ! I trimmed the trees and swept out the patio. Every time I trim the trees I look like I had a major battle with scars all over my body from the thorns.Left the back cover on the patio set as there is still the chance of rain showers coming. Very windy today so no use going to the driving range as it won’t give me a good indicator of what is happening anyways. Wind in the desert means dust storm. Dirty Jeep again.
Removed the tree supports from Bob & Pats place with my new angle grinder which worked like a charm. Used up one blade though but $6 for 10 blades I am not going to complain. The trees look a lot better. The fancy curved aluminum was completely grown into the trunk of the trees. Ouch my arm hurts from the scratches. Thin blood isn’t a good thing.
Washed up all of the dishes and sweep the floors as for some reason I seem to drop crumbs. LOL
Sure we get sun but is there ever a lot of dust in the air in the desert. Who would have thought.
Watched the news tonight and we are going to blame Alberta. We have a week of 58 to 62 degrees all week. That is cold in Arizona.
Thought of the Day
Dear Mother Nature. Get back on your meds, pop open a bottle of wine, and start thinking warm thoughts. We are in a desert we are not supposed to feel cool.
February 20th -21st
‘Mercury Forecast” Mesa 14 degrees Calgary -11 degrees
3 more cool days until we get back to the high 70’s. It is winter in Arizona so it is to be expected. A cold front coming down from Canada has the entire west coast USA in a cold place. If I was working outside I would love it as it is that perfect temperature. Tomorrow’s tee time at 9 am will only be about 10 degrees which is getting on the cooler side to golf.
Went to Van’s Golf shop and bought a pack of new spikes for my golf shoes. Now either Black Widow ( the brand) is brilliant or very dumb. I buy the box and come home to change them out. I left them a little too long and getting them out is a real challenge. Needle nose pliers are required. I install them and guess what I am 2 short. My shoes take 20 and they are a 18 pack. The clerk didn’t say you need to buy two packs .I used two of the best old ones. If you buy two packs you will have 16 left and have to buy again next time. Like I said either brilliant or very dumb. I think dumb.
The marketing director of JELD-WEN of Canada left as of January 1st this year to start her own company. Now I have no way to get free JW golf balls. Talk about being unfair to the retirees! LOL . This is the lady that instilled in me to use capital letters when using the company name to present a consistent image of the company. Marketers ! LOL
Brrr it is cold outside. Getting ready to go to the driving range at 1 pm and it is only 13 degrees out. How fast we get used to warmth and then to have it snatched away from a Alberta Clipper sending it here. Oh well it means a light jacket. LOL No vest !
I hate golf and I love it. I was getting better and better at it. Handicap kept coming down and all of a sudden I am playing bad. Irons, chips and drives. I wanted a full season with no scores in the 90’s. My last two were 90 and 92. I went to the range and discovered nothing except inconsistency. I am hoping everything comes together tomorrow am. I am going to concentrate on every shot and hopefully a little luck will happen and I can get back to playing well. I am happy with low 80’s every day as there is the chance to be in the 70’s when that happens. Time well tell. The longer the poor play exists the harder it is to play well as you start to try to fix everything at once.
Here is hoping everyone had a wonderful Family Day yesterday. Always nice to get a day off work.
Up very early this morning at 6:20 am to get ready for golf. I checked the weather and went “What !” The high again today was only to be 14 degrees. Tee at 9 am was supposed to be a 7 degrees. I dressed warm and brought mitts and togue just in case. The weather people ( Trudeau made me say this instead of weatherman) seem to panic if it gets a little cool down here. We did have a frost delay as the greens were white for about 1 hour. It warmed up fast and I had to remove all of my extra gear before even starting. It got up to 17 degrees in the sun by the time we were done.
I had two Americans and gentleman from Victoria today in my group. Not the perfect score I wanted but I hit the ball well , long and straight today overall. Had plenty of birdie chances but ended up with only one. If not for three holes my score would have been awesome. Anytime low 80’s I am happy especially today as we played a different 18 holes. I hate hole #14 and have never did well and it came to bite me again. One desert shot needed also. One lost ball. It was a fun grouping ! And we won money again with a -8 on the middle segment with my birdie and two pars. Great meal, wonderful fellow golfers, and a warm enough day. Life is good.
Came home and was tired !! Thinking about golf.
Thought of the Day
Who ever said practice makes perfect, NEVER played golf !!
February 22nd
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 16 degrees Calgary -8 degrees
The women’s hockey was great. They played very well even though I would say the USA did outplay them a bit. Too bad about shootouts. I would prefer play until someone scores as shootouts seem a little too much based on luck and are one on one where hockey is a TEAM sport. Pretty awesome though 4 out of times with a gold. Game went until 12:30 am. Oh wait I don’t have to get up early. LOL
Penny’s birthday today so I get to bug her. I remember one time a few years ago I said something she didn’t like ( maybe about women drivers or something) and I could see the look on her face and she said ” I won’t say anything ” I smiled to myself knowing it was a weak spot for her. I think I enjoy the razing of people, and having a different point of view conversation more than anything. They are funny, amusing and entertaining. Back to her birthday. A few points to raise her blood pressure :She is getting so old she buys hair dye by the case now and says it is for her business. She buys glasses online, pairs at a time for different occasions and different lighting situations. Has anyone else noticed how straight Penny’s hair has become ? Even the curls are losing their strength as they age. The unique thing about someone with freckles is you can’t tell if they are age spots or freckles. Does someone’s laugh change as they age ? Do they make 1/2 ton truck seats move close enough for Penny to drive ? Her love of old barn wood is a metaphor for loving aging. How is it she is red head and doesn’t have a temper ? Happy Birthday Penny !!
August in April at Waterton
Penny Jessica & August
Penny Where is the curl ?
Penny Jackie Atticus
Tonight is ROUGHRIDER night in the Coyote’s Arena. They have a whole section saved for anyone wearing the green at special pricing, they all get to go down on the ice to have their picture taken and they get to meet & greet a few of the Roughrider team members. I was asked if I wanted to attend but me in red among the group of green would be like a large pimple on a beautiful ladies forehead. The special night is held when the Flames are in town as Calgary is Saskatchewan’s favorite NHL team. Knowing the Rider fans they should have a good time. Great for them also as everyone in the section will be a first or second cousin that haven’t seen each other for a while. Should be a fun night ! I hope the kiss cam concentrates on this section.
Roughriders
Went to the pool today but the wind and temperature made it a way to cool. Hot tub or stay in the pool and run to the dressing room. It only got to 15 degrees today but it was sunny and usually in the shelter from the wind it is very nice but the wind today had a bite to it.
Cleaned up a bit and washed a few clothes before Jackie’s arrival. Cheating tonight I think I will go out and get Arby’s and then watch the hockey game tonight and hopefully see some kissing cousins on the cam.
Thought of the Day
How many Oiler’s does it take to change a light bulb ?
They don’t, they just sit around and talk about how good the old one was.
February 23-24th
We finally have winter here in Arizona. We have about three days in the 60’s coming up. But with wind that can be cool especially if you aren’t used to it. And it was windy today. Three of the six guys golfing today wore shorts. But, a few of them were cold on the course. I didn’t find it that bad at all. I was golfing with two guys from Saskatoon. Both great golfers. Today was a good day and if I didn’t lose two balls I would have been under 80. A few missed putts but overall a good day striking the ball. On a 357 yard Par 4 hole I was 20 yards off the green. On another couple short Par 4’s I was using a sand wedge into the green with less than 50 yards. Missed to many birdie putts only getting one the whole game. No money game today but a fun game with great golfing partners. A few drinks and then headed home for a quick supper then headed to the airport for Jackie. Her flight was 45 mins late most likely due to the big storm in Montreal.
Very nice to have her here. Slept well after watching the Olympics.
Up in the morning and having a smoothie is wonderful. Besides being good for your self tastes well. This day is another cooler one supposedly only hitting 14 degrees and sunny. Nothing on the agenda today but to enjoy the sun, with a few clothes more than normal on, and relax. We went for a long walk around the park. Neat looking on everyone’s different ideas on fixing up their place. After hitting the ball long yesterday my sciatica nerve was bothering me. In fact while sleeping I couldn’t lie on my favorite side. I had to stop golf about two years ago for over a week while this healed. Not quite as bad this time but still painful. Jackie showed me an exercise to help stretch it and with Volteran hopefully it will get better soon.
Sitting outside watching the Honda Classic is always enjoyable. Not hot by any stretch but quite enjoyable. I think I will make a great chop, gravy potato , salad supper tonight.
Thought of the Day
Together is a great place to be.
February 25th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 18 degrees Calgary 2 degrees ( in the positive, good for them )
Last of the cool days with it only getting up to 18 degrees today. This is our normal high summer temp in Calgary so not complaining but it does feel cool compared to the 25 degrees we are used to. Good temperatures coming after a rain storm on Wednesday back to out high 70’s.
Up this morning and I couldn’t get my laptop to work. Tried everything, checked for tips on line etc and had to give up. I whipped in to the Geek Squad and it was fixed in 5 minutes. Turns out my charger calved in the night and no power was going thru the lines. A new charger and back to new. Lucky !! I will say that on both Asus products we have a tablet and laptop the power switch is not a good one. A simple push button on the keyboard would have been a lot better. While there I was feeling sorry for the clerks with the dumb questions some clients were asking. They say there are no dumb questions. I don’t think that is right.
Headed to Safeway for some groceries and free food from our Monopoly game. We had gravy, mix, tomato sauce, and a free doughnut.So not bad. I went thru the 15 or less express line with about 18 items and the old farts behind us didn’t like it much. Old people just like to complain !!
Bronze for Canadian hockey turned out ok. Canada on a whole did amazing. Second place in the world is something.
Had a wonderful golf game with Jackie on Viewpoint. It was 17 degrees but felt a little cooler. We started on super twilight so when the sun is dropping the heat goes fast. We were lucky enough to golf as a twosome which was nice. The course was full though with Sunday golfers.
“MY RANT”
Slow golfers. Again, today, a foursome of four old farts that have no consideration for others. Pace of play is simple. KEEP up to the group in FRONT of you. Viewpoint doesn’t have Marshall’s but needs them. These old farts where 2 holes behind. In front of us where 4 younger guys with long hits that had to wait and wait. Along with us. Waiting on every hole wrecks the game. And these guys are oblivious to their stupidity. Yak Yak. Walk at 1 mile per hour. Practice swing 10 times before hitting. Stand over the ball 5 mins before hitting. The group in front of us was smart and headed to replay the first nine.
Keep pace or play a mini golf course !
BUT THAT IS JUST ME!
Golf isn’t for slow people. Driving isn’t for slow people and this includes Safeway shopping cart drivers.
Thought of the Day
Two old people sitting on bench when one says the other. ” My butt feel asleep ” The other responds ” I know I heard it snore a couple of times”
February 26th -27th
“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 20 degrees Calgary 0 degress
Love the sun. Love having Jackie here but the time each stay seems so short. Her next flight back is March 7th which will come faster than we like. An important conference meeting on her Dad’s condition and care needs.
I am attending a snow bird meeting on Monday. They have fantastic US exchange rates but part of the program is depositing into a US bank the dollars. There also is a yearly membership and small transfer fee that has to be counted in. I will see the difference. It looks to me about $3 on each hundred as their rates are very good. I will check it out.
Jackie fired up her computer and started working today so headed out for a long walk around the park. Unbelievable how fast the new part is growing with the little bigger homes on it. They are selling like mad even though I did notice a lot of northern American plates in that section. A lot of new homes being put on lots were they pulled out older park models. The resort is looking good with all of changes to the pools and painting done. Nice to see our money at work. If I haven’t said before buying in Viewpoint is one of the best things we have done. We love it. Doesn’t matter if you are in a new cottage home, older park model, trailer or motor home everyone in the park is welcoming and enjoying the “good life”
Sat on the back patio and enjoyed the warm sun laying on the couch.
Great team destroyed by a very poor GM.
Peter Chiarelli makes another bad decision. Off goes the 4th highest scoring player on the team. A team that already is near the bottom in goals for in the league. Patrick Maroon’s gone and a third round pick with a prospect is all he got. Watch him and Taylor Hall light up scoreboard. Peter has to go down in history in destroying a team with a huge potential. Why they the Oiler’s don’t fire him is amazing. I can say though I love having him with the Oiler’s as they don’t have a hope to get better. I love it when I see all of the great players he traded away with no return do well. Go Taylor Hall, Go Patrick Maroon, Go Mark Letestu, Go Jordon Eberle, Go Jussi Jokinen, Nail Yakupov,. These are just a few I remember. And the return has been horrible. They will be in no better position fro next year at all and the fans continue to hope and dream with no outside chance what so ever of redemption. What was the worst thing was the excellent play even though it was a way over their heads of last years team as it gave the fans a glimmer of hope.
Jackie and I had another long walk around the park looking at some of the changes. Easy to make up 10,000 steps in the warmth. What is especially nice is seeing the friendly people all gathering or just saying hi as we walk. Some people have wonderful decorating ideas that is always nice to keep in the back of your mind for future projects.
Yes we watched the Bachelor. Hard to figure how a guy can be so “involved” with two ladies at the same time as one would think a favorite would be giving more attention yet we don,t see that on TV. Dumb show but it is “fun” to watch.
Picked up a new light bulb for the dining room ( old school halogen) for me. LOL Bought a furniture marker as a few of the cupboard doors had a bit if wear on them. This marker worked perfect and they are as good as new.
Video chatted with Jessica, August and Victoria and Jackson. Always nice to see them.
“MY RANT”
Crooked companies ! That sounds like Trump. Everyone that knows me knows there are few industries I don’t care for. The rip-off auto repair business, the rip off phone companies, the rip off cable companies and I will throw in the bullied kids in school that became traffic cops.
Today’s rant is on phone companies. This is an cost no one had 10 years ago. Today it is a huge expense. The thing about mobile phones is you can’t live without them today. No company is better than the other. They all operate under the same principle. Soak you as much as possible. Our carrier is Koodo. Nothing wrong with the service per say just the costing. This months bill was $312 dollars. The have a “Easy Roam” deal that we tried this time. DOES NOT WORK as you can tell by the expense. I have a few changes coming up when we return. I am dropping Koodo mobile and Telus internet and cable when we get back. I am thinking of going Shaw to use for the condo and motor home as they have satellite and the receiver is portable. I am thinking Telus mobile as they have a $10 per month US plan not a $7 per day Easy Roam. A few days of comparing and then I will decide. My history is I have always given my current provider first chance to respond to correct but this time it will be pull the plug. In Canada we get so ripped off by communication companies it is ridiculous. I tried to phone Koodo to clarify a few questions but the queue was 25 minutes. Brilliant move to hire no staff and make customers wait using up their airtime.
“BUT THAT’S JUST ME
A very nice long walk with Jackie today after work which was fantastic. The weather was awesome hitting 20 degrees and sunny. I loved relaxing in the backyard today. We decided not to go to billiards tonight and went for a wonderful BBQ 1″ thick pork chop with peas, potatoes and salad. The weather is getting colder tonight with the possible rain showers so golf at 8: 30 am maybe a little cool. Looking forward to my men’s league game. Skins game so I need a couple of birdies to win a nice chunk.Hope it is a good day.
Laughing with Jackie as she uses the “European ” method of eating. The fork in the left hand and knife in the right to cut and doesn’t switch. I find this odd looking. The “Canadian” version is fork in the right hand and switch to the left to only cut your food. It is much easier to collect your food and makes logical sense with the fork being used the bulk of the time eating and your right hand is more efficient at cutting.Make a meal last 2 hours can be the only reason for the “European” style. It also looks awkward. Much more difficult to capture your food. I emailed Jackie’s family to find out how deep this genetic defect goes in the family.
Turns out it is a prevalent idiosyncrasy that exists within this family. Some where trained as youngsters to eat incorrectly and passed on the tradition. One saving grace is the eldest child didn’t conform and uses the traditional,more effective American system.
Lots of American customs have invaded British culture over the past few decades, but I wouldn’t have bet on this one: apparently, British people have begun to brandish their forks in the American fashion.
In accordance with US “cut-and-switch” etiquette, diners begin with the fork in their left hand and the knife in their right, but after they’ve cut whatever it is they’re about to eat, the knife is put down and the fork is transferred to the right hand. According to a new survey, 23% of UK adults have forsaken the traditional European style – where the fork remains in the left hand – in favour of the American way. Up to a third of young Britons are said to have adopted the American-style fork-switching.
Fork-switching is said to have its origins in 19th-century France, but it fell out of fashion there more than 150 years ago. North America was, until recently, the only place where this “normal” way of managing cutlery clung on.
The fork is a relative latecomer to the place setting. Pronged implements had long been used as cooking utensils, but forks didn’t arrive on European tables until the 11th century, and for hundreds of years afterward were regarded by many as a decadent and vulgar extravagance. Knives and spoons were necessary tools; the fork was just a dainty substitute for one’s fingers. Apparently, Louis XIV forbade his children to eat with forks. It should perhaps come as no surprise that such an instrument would attract a bit of counterintuitive etiquette.
In fact, both styles of eating are now considered “correct” in North America and Europe.
Thought Of The Day
Good manners matter, Good looks are a bonus, but humor is a must.
February 28th Last day of the Month
Up at 6:30 to go golfing in my men’s league . This is at Whirlwind Golf which is as I have said before a wonderful course. Today was skins day so I had my hopes up. They fell quickly. LOL
Out of 52 players 39 today were over their handicap so I can take consolation in that. I always want my best game here on Wednesday but ended up being my worst of year. Funny thing is I didn’t golf bad. I had 6 greens that I 3 putted on ( take 6 to 12 strokes here off) and I had to take 5 penalty strokes. I hate scores in the 90’s but it is what it is. Next time i will do better. I did win money with our team on one leg so that is good. My birdies were halved so didn’t pay any money. Great group of guys and my captain was the low gross winner with a 73 score. This will raise my cap a bit. I wish I could be more consistent.
Came home a little tired as getting up that early isn’t fun. Sky is still a little overcast from last nights showers and a little cooler still but tomorrow is starting to warm up again. Maybe my golf will also.LOl
Larry & Jackie Willard's Retirement Adventure 