April 1st

WordPress is forcing me again to use their new system and it sucks. It is not near as good as the old classic system. I have avoided it and worked around it for months and months now but again for April they are forcing me. I haven’t decided what I will do. Plus raising their pricing for the yearly subscription. And this is no April fools joke.

I even tried to use their built in plugins but they have disabled those as they want you to buy a package. Oh well change is evitable and I will just need to work with this and see if I can learn to manipulate it to how I like. And I have never minded change but I hate to go backwards from a easy platform to a much more convoluted platform. I hate to give up an anything but I see no out.

Hopefully the changes don’t affect my pictures or paragraphs on the site.

I am continuing to try with this but as so many others state it is very very poor compared to the Classic Editor. I am not happy with WordPress.

It turned out to be semi ok day hitting 13 degrees but quite windy. I was booked to golf with my Turner Valley guys at Claresholm but the snow didn’t melt enough fast enough and the course was quite wet so they cancelled. We decided to go to Boulder now called The Track which was one of the few open. It was cart path only to save the fairways as the frost leaves. Any time out golfing is nice. The temperature was perfect, the wind at times caused issues with club selection and ball movement but a fun day. I was hoping for a great day score as this is an easier course but that didn’t happen. I had 2 shanks out of nowhere again, 1- 4 putt and 6- 3 putts and 2 lost balls. That is an easy 10 strokes. I hit the ball perfect but once on the greens it was bad. This was the first time with my new putter. That is an excuse but is a huge factor. So bad score, great drives and second shots only horrible putting. I will fix this. Different speed of greens and more practice with the new putter I should be ready to go. Hopefully as I had scores in the 90’s.

A fun day !

Thought of the Day

I never sliced one putt today. LOL Is it a bad putt if it doesn’t drop into the hole. I say yes when it happens 3 times.

April 2nd

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 34degrees, Edmonton 16 degrees, Calgary 18 degrees”

The temperatures are wonderful everywhere today. What the temperatures don’t tell you though is the true picture. While 18 above and in the full sun and protected it was warm the100kms per hour wind gusts today didn’t make it feel that warm. Today was our first try with our new VIP Golf program and it worked perfect. Saved $24 and no issues. Having said that though the wind was one big issue. Loved it when it behind us but from any other direction it was brutal. I would have died if not for my ear muffs to protect my ears from the wind. Thanks Jackie.

I had wonderful drives today, great second shots but still experienced two shanks. I haven’t figured out what happens with these as of yet. I do know when 50 yards off the green I am tentative which isn’t right. My putting was better today as I get a little used to the club but still had 3 -3 putts. Larry P’s tip helps a lot. I think I will whip down to Mackenzie and putt and putt and chip and chip and putt to fix these things.

We still had a lot of fun and it was nice to be out golfing. The scores were far from perfect and considering the conditions we did very well. Jeff played very well today. Any time in wind gusts and constant winds like we had and score in the low 90’s you can’t be too upset. One of Jeff’s drives I thought looked like a perfect drive and I followed with a perfect drive. I hit the sweet spot. Driving to our ball I measured the shot on my Garmin and Jeff with his driver went 85 yards and I carried a whopping 125 yards with our drivers. You just had to laugh.

Thought of the Day

I know I am getting better at golf as I am losing less balls

April 2nd/3rd

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 34 degrees, Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 18 degrees”

We had a little scare last night with Mom. Alfred had taken her to get her ankle checked out as it was continuing to swell. She was bed ridden for over two months and at 89 years old that takes it’s toll in itself as far as stamina and energy goes. She must have spent to much energy as when I phoned her around 7pm she could barely talk, was very incoherent, couldn’t put a sentence together or thought etc. I didn’t want to contact the front desk as they would only have called an ambulance and taken her to the emergency where it would have been a barrage of tests and no help after all of that. I phoned Darlene and luckily she was off work and was able to whip over to see Mom. She was very worried also but between us we thought we would see if Mom would feel better with some rest. Darlene stayed overnight and the next morning when I phoned Mom she was back to her normal self. A LOT scary and we are so lucky Darlene being a nurse was able to look after her. Unfortunately old parents are a worry and require a lot of attention. Amazing what sleep will do for you.

I am somewhat like my Mom as I refuse to ask for help in a lot of cases and will do without or make do. She was an extremely independent person even managing a 5 acre lot by herself for 5 years in her 80’s. Moving into her senior’s home which was the correct move she maintained that independence with her car and being able to do just about everything herself. It has only been since she has been unfortunate with her TIA’s that she now requires a lot of help. Yet still manages to attempt to do most things at her detriment. If she could have a few months of recovery without an incident I am sure she would gain enough mobility to grocery shop, laundry and use the facilities bus service as she used to. The wonderful thing about independent living homes is the option for meals, laundry, personal care, and bus service is all available. Plus most importantly the social interaction with like people with the option of taking it all in or choosing what you want to participate in.

Second year of a ruined Easter which sucks as Easter and Thanksgiving meals are my favorite. So we had to come up with a Plan B. We didn’t get to see Jessica for her birthday so we all decided to go to Raymond for Easter and have a BBQ outside. 10 of us total so following the rules plus with our own protocols in place.

Penny BBQ’d us some absolutely wonderful hamburgers and hotdogs for the boys. Along with salads and condiments it was delicious. She had cut up Jalapeño peppers and had them in vinegar and wow did that add to the tastes of the burgers. Daisy had a blast in the huge backyard playing with Olive and Hazel while Atti & Auggie enjoyed playing with Jackson all day.

It is just odd but Jessica, Penny, Jackie and Margie all went on a weight loss binge and all are looking wonderful. It is amazing how a few pounds can change one’s looks. Penny has lost over 30 pounds and Margie and Jackie must be close to that. They are all looking good. Penny even went one step further and became blonde. We didn’t need to show her how to start the BBQ so her genetic red hair must have been still dominate.

18 above, bright sun, no clouds and NO wind in Raymond is unheard of. It was the best day of 2021 so far. Victoria I am sure today is feeling the burn as she was turning pink quite fast. I know when we got home one side of my face was a little pink. Yes a bad thing but did it ever feel good. And it is Vitamin D.

Jackson even spent a lot of time in the hot tub under the deck which he loved.

Corey, Victoria, Jessica, Penny, Jackson, August, Atticus along with Jackie & I all enjoyed the warmth of the backyard, each others company and still were able to keep our distancing etc. A quick visit from Margy that just had surgery two days ago capped off the day. It was a pleasant, fun , semi normal Easter gathering but boy do I miss the turkey dinner.

We all made fun of Jackie as Penny let her wear one of her new hats and we thought Jackie was trying to be a Hollywood cool girl.

Getting home I turned on the TV to watch the Flames/Oilers game. We played well enough to win again but just are missing that little something some would call luck. McDavid gets a weak goal and everyone is excited. Please. It is not looking good for us to make the playoffs. I think there is only 19 games left so we most likely need at least 13 to 15 out of 19 to make it unless Montreal goes into a skid. I had great expectations at the beginning of the season as I believe player wise we are close to being a strong competitor.

Well after 3 days of struggling I have a decent handle on the new Word press Block Gutenberg Editor. I still prefer the Classic but am getting used to it. It has a few features that I like but I believe it is designed more for companies or professional marketing, editorial or for profit bloggers. Sometimes a forced change is good. LOL I can’t find a fix yet to centre print the verbiage under a picture.

I get lucky today as Jackie is going to buy a small turkey and I will make a small Easter supper on Sunday . Looking forward to it.

I am putting a material list together for the girls backyard planters and fire pit bench today. Wood is ridiculously priced right now and in short supply. I may need to look at different options and consider the longevity as i hate to build something by using spruce instead of PT just due to cost and have it only last 10 years.

Thought of the Day

I was thinking this Covid Virus shouldn’t last to much longer. As you know it was made in China.

April 4th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 35 degrees, Edmonton 9 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees”

Easter Sunday is a lot different AGAIN this year. As I previously said we are having a turkey dinner today which is my favorite meal of all. A 12 pound turkey was the smallest Jackie could find so we will have lots of left overs as Audrey will be the only person joining us.

Late yesterday afternoon was a real special day. My pharmacist phoned me which when I saw the number come up, thought, this was odd. She asked if I wanted a Covid Vaccine. My first response was ” What brand? ” She stated they are only giving out Pfizer. I immediately said “yes” and she stated I had to be at the store 3 hours later. I wasn’t on the wait list, did not register etc so the call was totally unexpected. I have no idea why me but I snapped up the opportunity . They were very organized. I was in and had the shot within ten minutes. I have to say I have had many needles over my lifetime but this extremely long needle where I feared it may pierce right thru my arm was so pain free I didn’t even think she poked me. Extremely friendly lady that gave me the shot. We had a lot of fun teasing and joking. I had to find wood to knock. As this was my first vaccine shot since a child I had to wait 30 minutes before they allowed me to leave. Years ago with my severe allergies when I was given a vaccine or even a penicillin shot I would only receive half doses. I have had some bad experiences with getting needles over the years. Numerous times giving blood they would miss the vein and have to use the other arm. Numerous times coming home with a black and blue arm and in some cases both arms black & blue and no blood drawn. I had a nurse BREAK a needle off in my arm and panic set in the room as they scrambled to find something to pull it out with blood splattering everywhere. During a allergy test I would say I received over 100 prick needles in the one day. Every Monday for close to year I had to have a full unit of blood drawn. The veins get sore, arms bruised and veins grizzled and they miss more often. I have an extremely high pain tolerance to most things but HATE needles. Ps I do not watch.

Now if we only can get Jackie done quickly.

I don’t care for the fact that due to Trudeau’s incompetence we are having to wait 16 weeks instead of the 4 weeks recommended by the manufacturer for the second dose and us being a science experiment. What if with the delay the vaccine does not reach it’s potency and we could have a 4 or 5th wave.

Jackie and I made a complete turkey dinner which is my favorite. 12 pound turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, honey brown sugar glazed carrots, dressing, roasted root vegetables and hot cross buns Not enough burners to have corn. Darn Add pumpkin pie with whipped cream and you have my favorite meal.

A great meal with Audrey over being our guest for the night. We even watched a Easter movie called HOP which was funny and well done.

Come on Flames we need a win !

Thought of the Day

Never put all of your eggs in one basket unless they are chocolate and it is my basket !

April 5th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 34 degrees, Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees “

The Flames are not going to make the playoffs unfortunately . We need to make a BIG trade which I would say could be Johnny, Monahan and Bennett. We need to do something big to make a difference. They have not played well, including our goalies not living up to expectation and the group overall does not have the talent to compete with the elite teams. It is too bad.

I made a late night turkey meal delivery to Corey to take to work today for lunch.

Holiday Monday for teachers but most others have to work so I am looking after Jackson today, Too bad it wasn’t warmer out. The dogs are loving it though running like made outside. Daisy takes a beating but loves it. Hazel ears are being constantly pulled.

Today Daisy & Hazel got to stay at home all by themselves for a couple of hours. First time we have done that and I was a little apprehensive as there was a large Easter Chocolate left on the table and Hazel is big enough to reach it. When we got home everything was wonderful. She is getting to be a big girl.

Jackson was promised by some Easter Bunny he could have Kontrol Freek add-ons for his XBox controller. I looked them up on the internet and they are an expensive gimmick add-on that will not last , won’t be used long and are priced three times more than what they are worth. We drove to Best Buy to pick up a set. After a search and talking to different reps the conclusion is they did not have any. Typical Best Buy as so many times they do not carry what you want. They try to drive everything to their webpage and when you do that why not just go with Amazon. I had the girl check inventory at every store in Calgary and only two had inventory one in the NE and the other in the NW. The NE is much closer so we headed to Sunridge. Getting to the store it was closed and had become a JYSK store. I had to check the internet and sure enough they moved about 10 blocks away. Jackson was a good navigator with my Google Maps on my phone. We get to the store and no stock. The young girl sale rep checked with another senior guy after me stating the webpage shows stock and I drove from another store over a 1/2hr away. The gentleman says he saw those in the back and sure enough they have one set left.

Jackson won a close one today in NHL 20.

On our drive I was witness to one very naïve young girl. This young girl was driving in the passing lane ( the fast lane) at exactly the speed limit with a car right behind her and myself behind him. She didn’t like the closeness and braked. Chain reaction for us which is a dangerous situation. Add the fact the guy in front gets upset and really gets close to her rear end until she moves over which was only about 10 minutes too late. Road rage can happen which the young girl should be aware of and poor driving judgment and skill is, in most cases the cause.

Thought of the Day

Customers long to interact -even relate to- employees that act like there is still a light on inside.

April 6th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 32 degrees, Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees “

What a beautiful sunny day. I had booked McKenzie Meadows Golf today for Jeff, Wendy and Larry P. Arriving at the course at 9:30 it was very quiet but wonderfully warm. Full sun and no wind. I had just a light summer coat for half the game and just my shirt for the balance. I was going to wear shorts and wished I did about half way done. I really like McKenzie and have a lot of scores here in the 70’s. I was hoping today would be one of those but reality ended up being different. I only had one poor drive today that resulted in a lost ball. That is great. Super second shots but chips and putting continues to kill me. Today again I had 5 – 3 putts, Going for a birdie and ending up with a boogie. I am not giving up on my new putter as I am getting more comfortable with it. There is 5 strokes to 10 depending I gave up. I am so tentative with shanking I am not getting the ball close to the pin on my chips. So a score in the higher 90’s hurts. I hate it when overall I wasn’t displeased.

I didn’t think Jeff & Wendy could golf they had so many clothes on but watching them especially Wendy they played well. Wendy for a first time out was amazing in fact out driving Jeff & Larry off the tee. Add some good putts in she would have had a decent game. Jeff had some great shots thrown in with some hiccups but not bad. Larry played well but also scored higher than he should have. It was a fun day. It was a really warm day. The course was in exceptional shape. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves which is what golf and getting out is about. Larry is 71 years old and walked the entire course which is awesome. If I could have a seat at each tee box to rest my back it would be an easy thing to do. I am going to walk our resort 9 hole every time and hopefully I can strengthen the back. Unlikely but is wishful thinking and on the nine hole the score doesn’t matter.

I enjoy conversing and witnessing different people’s perspective on things. The Grace’s both have medical issues they are dealing with so a vaccine for them should be a priority. But as the Pfizer and Moderna are Mrna vaccines, they want the AstraZeneca which is a viral vaccine. I don’t believe any vaccine is good for us especially when produced so fast but I would rather have a vaccine without the controversy of blood clotting, incompetent data keeping, multiple manufacturers change of direction to what age it should be for, and having an injection of another virus to help the immune system fight Covid. The Mrna vaccines which do not use a live virus actually teaches our immune system to create protein to fight the Covid. Neither affect our DNA.

I would like this Covid to just go away. But in the mean time we will continue to be as safe as possible and hope everyone we know remains the same. So far I know a lot of people with the vaccine shot which is good. I hope we get lucky with Jackie getting it asap. Most of my friends by May Long weekend will be semi safe with being given the jab.

What a wonderful, fun company of people and great golf course today. It felt NORMAL except for the distancing still required.

McKenzie Meadows is the most organized and Covid safe course I have played at last year and this year. I give them all the credit in the world. Great job.

Jeff & Wendy’s house should be all painted next time we visit them which will be nice for them as it just makes everything seem new again.

Flames suck ! I said it. Get rid of anyone you want. We need a competitive team. These guys just don’t have the needed skill and work ethic.

I watched the news tonight and am happy Premier Kenny is restricting things again. Having said that though not everyone will be ,NDP etc but it is a step in the right direction. I personally would have liked a even harder lock down to get this done and over with, but hopefully this will help a bit until we get a handle on it again. They should have closed schools and the malls though. With people BENDING the rules to their own liking, with family gatherings, thinking they are allowed people as a cohorts, sitting together at restaurants, driving in vehicles together, friend get togethers and not following the health protocols this could go on for a long time and KILL a lot more people. The slide showing how one infected person quickly becomes 35 infected people is an excellent demonstration of how easy it is to spread.

PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT LISTENING AND ARE GATHERING WITH PEOPLE AND PLACES WHERE THEY SHOULD NOT.

It is quite simple. Masks, hand washing, distance and no indoor gatherings and we will see a big drop.

Thought of the Day

We all have the power to move beyond our stress-induced physiological reactions and override our outdated instincts when dealing with Covid.

April 6th–7th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 32 degrees, Edmonton 15 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees”

The temperatures in Calgary looks fantastic but what is missing is the wind speed which cools it off big time. Today I was golfing in Claresholm and the winds were 50kms or more the whole time. I have golfed 6 times this year and have had winds that are not conducive to scoring in golf 4 times. Huge winds twice at Boulder, once at Picture Butte, and once now in Claresholm. Some people are relatively good with wind. I know when the pro’s have wind it hurts their scores big time and I have the same issues. Today it was a minimum of a three club wind. At least if not more. An excuse but reality. Four times with huge winds 4 times with high scores. It is practice and it is fun but I would love to have a few games with normal conditions. The one game in Calgary with normal conditions I still screwed up though. LOL Tough game this year on me.

A fun day but man it was windy !!

I sent this thru my joke distribution list but I have to add it here as it is just too funny.

Well with wind you know something will happen with the weather. We woke up this morning with very light snow flakes falling. Typical spring weather with warm then cold days. Todays high is only 5 degrees. That is a change.

First thing this morning I reserved a spot at Discovery Wildlife Park for the grandkids and one adult for the Walk with Wolf and Big Cat experience. Plus a picture with a real bear will be neat. I did this not only to save a spot but to make sure the kids get the full experience. I have said this numerous time before it drives me nuts when someone will fly 8 hours for instance and then not go on the zip line or visit a site as the price is too high. It doesn’t make sense to me. So to not only help our kids but to make sure the grand kids have a blast I wanted it booked. At $460.00 it is a lot of money but they will remember the experience for a lifetime hopefully.

I talked to Fred today and he is on the ball. Grass is raked, cut, and fertilized. Garden is roto-tilled and numerous other spring items accomplished. He definitely keeps busy and gets er done !

Cool day so a day to get some bills paid and watch a little of the Masters.

I sure hope I didn’t peak in my golfing skill and missed it as my scores seem to be consistently higher this year than for a long time. I do need to remember this is the first year in 7 years I didn’t golf all winter. Time flies being so lucky to enjoy 7 full winters and in fact owning our home in Mesa now 14 years. One of our most enjoyable experiences and we hope to be able to go south for another 25 years.

Last night I had the best after supper ever, I had a whole plate of Jumbo Shrimp with the best sauce I have had in a long time. Just the right amount of horse radish. I really enjoyed it and pretended to look out our living room window like it was the windows on a cruise ship. For 14 days or however long our cruise was I would have a shrimp cocktail for a appetizer every night. I love the Stage West raised leveled huge Shrimp bar. Yes !

April 9th

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 32 degrees, Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 12 degrees “

Today is my Mom’s 89th birthday.

Mom has had a very interesting life. 89 years is a long time. Mom was born in Fowley Timber near Niton Junction in a self made log cabin on the Dickson homestead. The chinking was cow manure, mud, lime and straw. She was born into a family of 8 children. Roy, Lil, Ethel, Frank, Ruth, George, Jean and Dorothy. Living on a farm without running water, no electricity, no heat other than a pot belly stove and an outhouse by todays standards would be an extremely difficult live. Just think no fridge how we would struggle .I know myself years and years later out at my Grandparents place they still did not have these “fancy” functions. That outhouse seat at Christmas time was brutal. A one room school for grades 1 to 9, all with one teacher. Wind blowing through the chinking of the log cabin as the logs shrank. Oil lantern for lights. Clearing land, looking after cows and pigs. Farming, it was a tough life. Mom lived her life as a farm girl until moving into Edmonton to start working. She married my Dad when she was just 20 years old and her life continued to be unique. They built a new house in Edmonton and became landlords renting out their basement suite. They built a new house and service station garage that they owned and operated for years. They build a new wonderful house on Osbourne Acres which was the final home and the one I lived in most of my life. The ladies in this family all have lost their husbands and all of the brothers have passed. Longevity on the female side with Aunt Lil being 95, Aunt Ethel 94, Mom 89, Aunt Jean 84 and Aunt Dorothy 83. I maybe off by one year or so. Being male is a shorter life. And they think child birth is hard. We just die.

With Covid we are very restricted in what we can and can’t do for Mom’s birthday and we will need to wait for her big 90th next year. Jackie & I are making a quick trip up to Edmonton to pick up her taxes, drop off a present and have distanced visit.

Happy 89th Birthday Mom.

Today after lunch Jackson and I sat down for an epic NHL 20 hockey game. He picks the Vegas Knights, runs into his room and puts on his Vegas jersey and we start to play. I score first which puts a damper on his spirits but that quickly changed as he killed me today. A score of 7 to 1 due to bad luck, a handkerchief over my goalie eyes and perhaps even a broken leg on my goalie. 7 to 1 is sick !!! Still loads of fun and good thing he won with all of the effort to wear his jersey. LOL I had fun with it and I know he sure did.

Watching the news tonight a couple of things come to mind. First Prince Phillip’s death. I liked this man. Great sense of humor, blunt, crass, and what I would describe as much more common and normal than royalty is supposed to be.

Here is the shocker. He is GREEK. He married his COUSIN who became the Queen.

I think we all know where I am going with this as inter-breeding has a drastic affect on future human generations. Just saying ! The scary part is I thought I maybe one of them. LOL

With that being said I had to relook at my DNA profile again today (changes a little as more connections are made) and I am extremely proud of the fact of being 98% PURE BRITISH which I refer to as being from the UK.( I was 92% as someone didn’t have the supportive information when first done) That is amazedly PURE which goes to show you what can happen if you make sure inter- breeding isn’t condoned. Having said this though I identify as a Canadian and all related to it without ever thinking about my pure background.

Watching the news about the Prince’s life, he was a unique character. I really liked his character, commitment, and loyalty to his wife and country. I am sure the Royal Family watchers will miss him. His popularity most likely is second to the Queen. He lead a good long live.

This dog of ours is a funny dog with some interesting personality quirks. Some annoying some funny some just weird but that all combined makes for a wonderful little fun dog.

She will sit like this for as long as it takes to get something if I am eating at the coffee table. The straightest back ever.

One the road again tomorrow.

Thought of the Day

If you remove the murders and mass shootings the USA really doesn’t have a gun problem.

April 10th

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 34 degrees, Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees”

Driving up to Edmonton is like old habit. Over the years I have had so many trips I couldn’t even guess the number. I do remember one time when I was supplying the doors and moldings to a new build townhouse that Audrey bought I left Calgary in the morning with a truckload of mouldings and delivered them to the house. Returned to Calgary and picked up a full load of doors and left again for Edmonton. For easy math it is 3 hrs each way so that is 12 hours of driving plus hours of loading and unloading. I think I know every corner and where the what to be cops hide for radar. Having said though over the years I have been caught a few times.

We experienced bright sun, cloudy overcast, snow, rain, and sleet on our drive back and forth.

We were in contact with Mary and Darlene before our arrival as we thought we would have a parking lot meeting as it was only 5 to 7 degrees out. On arrival I decided to see what the residence rules are now. They have the standard protocols of only two designated people allowed which Mom has Alfred & Darlene as her designated two. You know that saying ” You catch more flies with honey than vinegar ” is always true to my heart. I go to the check in center a younger lady meets me after buzzing me in thru the door. I announce I am here to see my Mom and get her taxes to do for her. She asks the room number and name. She then refers to her sheet and asks ” Are you Alfred? ” Without telling a lie I state ” I have been called that numerous times. ” We had a good laugh. She says since you came from Calgary I will let you go up but next time you have to have managements permission. ” No problem LOL ” I grabbed a shield which is mandatory and walked up. I later discover both Alfred & Darlene had to pay $5 for their face shield. Flies to honey !

After knocking I enter Mom’s room and she was very surprised to see me as I am not allowed access. Here she was talking to Jessica as Jess had made her a birthday call. Timing.

I have to say Mom’s ankle is extremely swollen and bruised. Still she gets up without aid and walks on it. I should have taken a picture as it is bad. Tough farm girl but scary she is walking without her walker in the house.

Darlene came to see us along with Kayla, Kari, Jim and Christian as they I believe were out at the farmers market. She phoned while I was visiting Mom upstairs to ask her to come out for a bit. Mom wanted to think about it as it was cold and she can’t walk very far. After a little conversation we were headed outside so we could meet Covid rules and Mom wanted to see everyone. Darlene parked her truck as a wind block and Jackie had chairs and blankets. I pushed Mom down in her walker which worked out good. I would say she stayed out over a 1/2hr and was so pleased to see everyone up close as she has been in isolation for months. It was a surprise and a nice visit even if on the cooler side.

You have to do what you need to, to be safe and still visit. It was cold outside, in fact snow drops were coming out of the sky but we still got to see and visit which was awesome.

A great quick drive home and a nice Saturday done. Take that Covid !

Thought of the Day

In our hearts we are thinking. How much more ? How much longer ? When will we see normal ?

April 11th

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 32 degrees , Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees “

The Flames KILLED the Oilers. Shutout !! I have said this before that Tippett is playing roulette using Leon and Connor to much as he will wear them out and I can say it looked bad. Now if only the Flames where going to make the playoffs I would have loved to bug the Oiler fans but I have to remain quiet until and or if that happens. But it sure was nice to have the shutout. Very nice !

With it being so cold outside it was a relax day all day. I priced out a few things for Lethbridge and watched the Masters which was fun. First time ever a Japanese player winning is something but it just seems odd with Dustin winning 20 under and this time missing the cut and the winner only making 11 under. Big difference !

Lots of bad news on Covid again which is unfortunate. Slow vaccine rollout, uptick in variants and people not following public health orders.

I would like each person just to think about the weekend. How many had a friend over, how many visited another group or person not from your household, how many didn’t mask up when they were supposed to, and how many didn’t wash their hands. I am going to bet tons and that is the reason why we haven’t got rid of this thing and it is growing.

• No indoor visitation with anyone outside your household
• 6 ft distance between individuals even outdoors
• 10 person max outdoor gathering with masks, distancing and sanitizing.

These three things are what is broken and is the reason for the spread and it is the younger population getting hit as the older generations get vaccinated.

I said I priced out a few items for Lethbridge and all I can say is WOW is wood ridiculously priced. I refuse to ” economize” quality for price which can be done by using 2 x 4’s instead of 2 x 6’s as an example but that just isn’t right.

We had to wear our winter coats for our walk to day with the Daisy.

Thought of the Day

Cheapen and to reduce standings in someone eyes or even your own is a discredit to the work and effort involved.

April 12th

“ Mercury forecast Mesa 31 degrees, Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 3 degrees”

I watched this morning news and this Covid is beginning to bug me. Here are my thoughts:

• You people not obeying public health orders are the reason it is spreading again
• You have people protesting and fighting back the restrictions
• You have the younger generation taking risks and now being caught in the crisis
• You have older people scared to leave their house
• You have families and friends told not to see each other
• You have less than 0.5 % death rate

It is a mixed up world. I find I agree with both sides. Never in history has the populations rights being taken away from them and no revolt. It is scary to think how we are NOW programmed to accept lockdowns, masks , vaccines and only a limited fight back. Think about if they force a vaccine passport on us which is forcing people again to do something against their will to be able to go to a store, concert or travel. IT IS SCARY THOUGHT how we are SO accepting of this.

Having said this and I think it is wrong what the governments are doing but we do have a real pandemic so people need to be protected from themselves. No matter what the death rate really is people are getting sick and the potential future medical crisis no one really knows yet.

So I am somewhat mixed up. I hate the freedoms taken away and I dislike people not following the health rules to finally get rid of this thing. It is a fine line we tow. I feel sorry for the businesses, workers trying to survive. I would be all for a Alberta TAX implemented one time and have all the money be given to any business that have drastic sales decreases. I also want all of the stay at home workers that are breaking the rules to stay at home and let me book any tee time I want. I don’t think that is too much to ask.

Just one other thing that is annoying is the news media and their anti- UCP agenda. We would be in so much trouble if the NDP had been in power our kids kids would paying the debt for ever. Mistakes were made as every country was going thru a crisis but overall a decent job done. Kenny’s hands are tied to the amount of vaccine we get. Also the unions just like to complain and will always. No school board should be allowed to not participate in the new K -6 curriculum. What does it really matter if Indigenous studies is grade 3 instead of grade 6 or grade 5. It is now added and can be build on. What they don’t look at is the great back to basics in general needed studies like literacy, numeracy, citizenship and practical skills. It has been needed for ever but they focus on one aspect. General feedback from everyone will result in the finalization of the details so go on line and take the survey. When doing it TAKE OUT the politics and focus on what is good for the kids. ACTUALLY READ the changes don’t go by what you have heard or listening to what union leaders are saying. I understand the first impulse of teachers saying they don’t like it as they have a whole new learning curve also but we are if we take as an example ranked 10th in world in math out of 65 countries. That is poor in my mind. Countries like Finland require all teachers to have a Masters Degree and it is harder to get into teaching than the medical facility it is such a respected career. So anything that promotes greater achievement levels and academic success should be applauded.

https://www.alberta.ca/curriculum-have-your-say.aspx

How is it fair to take a ownership stake into Air Canada and not help anyone else out. Why as a tax payer are we ok with this ? We used to own them years ago and now again ! Thanks Trudeau for wasting our money. He better give Westjet the same deal. Remember Westjet is no longer a western Canada company as Onex is out of Toronto. I would prefer money going to small business owners over publicly traded large corporations.

Thought of the Day

Funny how the government will bail out huge companies but don’t help the ma and pa stores very much. No help for us seniors. I think we need a Covid relief cheque

April 13th

Much better weather today. I think we hit 8 degrees but still on the cool side even if sunny.

First thing on the agenda was taking Daisy to her hairdresser. Today it took Sergi 2 hours as he wanted to slowly blow dry her and brush her out. She looked lovely when I picked her up. We went for a walk down in the ravine for her relief which after a haircut made her feel good. I love the look and smell of her after hairdressing. And so soft !!

Then off to look after Jackson. Daisy and Hazel had a great time playing together outside. I was talking to Corey when I was leaving for a bit then left. About 2 minutes away from my house I get a call from Corey asking me if I forgot anything. I didn’t think I did. It turns out they discover a small furry sister of Victoria’s still at their house. I forgot her. LOL

I ordered all of the material for Jessica’s shed tonight for delivery. Wow with the pricing. Corey has graciously offered his help so I think this weekend it should be up semi finished. I have some great ideas to make this look special. If someone walks into their backyard and doesn’t say Wow I love your shed I will be shocked. My Saloon and yard at Oasis we have had literally numerous numerous people stop, come up and discuss how much they like it. In fact in bugs our neighbors how many people stop by. My outdoor kitchen in Arizona is complimented on over and over again. Jacksons bedroom was hit. It is all in those little cool touches. Jessica & Penny house continually gets compliments and I need this shed to add to this. I want a wow out of someone.

Having Corey will be excellent as a skilled carpenter and hard worker we should be able to get a lot done and still have the runner in one of the girls to get us needed stuff. It should be a fun project. I have done a lot of projects with Corey and if I have to say myself they all turned out great.

• Hardwood flooring complete floor of Corey’s first home
• Two bedroom reno at the same house with Jackson’s room have wainscoting, coffered ceiling, library panel , crown etc
• Complete basement development at Tor’s home
• Garden door replacement for sliders
• Deck at first home
• Large garden shed
• New double stall garage build
• Complete basement development at Jess’s house
• Large cedar Pergola
• Multiple fences
• Huge composite deck at Corey’s new home
• Library walls, entire condo with crown

Thought of the Day

You know you are getting older when you are cautioned to slow down by your doctor instead of the police.

April 14th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 31 degrees, Edmonton 16 degrees, Calgary 12 degrees”

What a gorgeous day. We hit at least 15 degrees and NO WIND. Today I was golfing with my Turner Valley guys. Turns out Jim from our condo was a fill in. He is a single digit handicapper and makes golf look easy. To have such a nice day and not score well was disappointing. I had NINE pars, but a couple of blow up holes so high 80’s which should not happen. BUT I was happy with not one shank. I changed it a bit as a used my nine iron from 20 or 30 yards instead of a wedge only hit wedge when it was full distance. 2 only 3 putts so my new putter is starting to work. Overall I wasn’t upset just disappointed.

I repeat the day was awesome.

After supper we took Daisy for a walk and it was still warm out. Later Jackie was out doing things for Audrey with Daisy going along for a visit so I watched the last part of the Flames game. Great game but we need to win the next 10 games to get back into contention.

The weather is looking to make a turn for the worst on Sunday so hopefully we can a lot done Saturday. Plus Corey is booked to get his Covid Vaccine Pfizer which is wonderful news and timing as the variants increase on Sunday.

Thought of the Day

There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people !

April 15th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 27 degrees, Edmonton 15 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees”

First the world has really gone haywire. It appears Edmonton temperatures are higher than ours for about a week. How does that happen ?

Having said that today is beautiful. Warm sunny and no wind.

We had an earlier than normal wake this morning as Audrey’s fire alarms went off and Jackie whipped over to see what was happening. No burnt toast, no hot shower door opening but a defective alarm. And this is a new one that was replaced last year. Odd.

Out to the RV lot and I loved it. I loaded up my Jeep with tools for this weekend and I was able to fit everything in I wanted. I am full and loaded down.

• Table saw
• 12″ Compounds Miter saw
• 7″ Miter saw
• Reciprocating saw
• Jigsaw
• 7 1/4 Circular saw
• Air compressor
• Nail gun
• Finishing gun
• Osculating saw
• Clamps
• Level.
• Multiple hand tools
• Cords
• Table stands
• ETC ETC

I full truckload for sure. What I really enjoyed was the time out there in the quiet .

It took me quite awhile to get everything loaded and secured. Only a couple of items like my drills etc from the condo to add to the pile. With a packing job like that I could get a job at Amazon.

It is OPENING day at my golf course Turner Valley. The greens are green and in wonderful shape. The new putting green suffered a bit of damage but will be good to go in no time and lots of people out golfing today.

It is an enjoyable game that at times is frustrating but just to be outside, moving , and enjoying the sun and people makes it great.

We have a golf game with the Graces set up for tomorrow. We will have Jackson and Daisy along for the ride. Hopefully both behaved. LOL They are good. Jackson will get to drive when the clubhouse can’t see us and Daisy will get a walk about when we are far away from the clubhouse. Great weather. Shorts day !

April 17-18th

I will fill in the golf verbiage later when we get back. I have a premonition of a 70’s score, and a wonderful time with Jackson and Jeff & Wendy. First time for Jackie golfing this year and the second time as far as I know for Wendy. This on a tough course as it is long and has some difficult holes.

• 

Off to Lethbridge either after the golf or bright and early as we only have a full Saturday to get most of it done.

If the girls have the base runs dug out and filled for gravel I am thinking we should be able to get the base, walls and roof on. Hopefully.

I found the perfect video that describes an event that takes place in our house.

First the golfing with Jeff & Wendy. We dropped off Daisy with Audrey to look after while we were out. Daisy likes this and I think Audrey likes the company.

We picked Jackson up at school at noon then headed out to the course. Jackie made us roast chicken sandwiches which were excellent. We decided to use two different carts with Jackie by herself and Jackson & I together, Jeff & Wendy rode together.

This was Jackson’s fun day. He drove the cart for 17 of the holes. He loved this. He has driven a few times but never the whole course. I drove the first hole so the pro shop wouldn’t see us and we kept our eyes open for a Marshall or cart girl to do a few minute change of seats if needed. For anyone that knows Speargrass it has a few steep hills with curves. I wanted Jackson to drive these even though a little dangerous to add to his fun plus right beside him I could help if needed. He did extremely well including a U turn we had to make. I taught him to use his heel for the gas pedal and to use only one foot from gas to brake. He did absolutely perfect and was the perfect chauffeur.

It was a perfect day, sunny, no wind and warm reaching about 18. After the game we sat on the patio for a great meal. They have a wonderful chef . Jackson had a “create your own burger” and it was cute the way he ordered and he was so polite. ” I will have the beef burger. Lettuce, ketchup and bacon with cheese” The waitress liked his precision. During our conversation at the table I mentioned I was “baby sitting Jackson each day after school” Jackson pipes up ” Your not babysitting me” indignantly. Funny kid. Due to it being a long game we decided to eat after the game and get up early to drive to Lethbridge.

I was relatively happy with my golf. I know Jackie golfed exceptionally well being her first game of the year. I fun day spent golfing in the warmth, with friends and Jackson.

The next day was a day!

It turned out be a 19 hour day. I got up at 5:30 am and picked up Corey at 6 am. A quick stop at A &W on the highway and off to Lethbridge with a weighted down Jeep packed with tools. I have to say I like A&W coffee better than Tim’s. Plus their hash browns are less greasy.

We unloaded all of the tools and then started working. Jessica did a wonderful job digging out and filling in with gravel our three 14ft long trenches for the skids to sit on. We had to enlarge, move gravel around and level them . My blade on my 12″ mitre saw turned out to be dull after cutting 1200 sg ft of laminate plus all of the work out our lot. I will bring a new one down to Lethbridge to change it out. Mitred and PL400 each beam as Lowes did not have 14ft in stock.

The base didn’t take very long at all with the power nailer and ease. We had to square it off and sheath it which all went well.

Then off to framing. The first wall was our back one 8ft x 14ft with no openings. You get a wall sheathed that long it is heavy. Again no 14 ft stock of 2 x 4’s we had to splice which makes a weaker wall system until the top plate is installed.

Besides being out of certain sizing of wood what we did receive from Lowes was not the best. It is hard to work with warped boards especially huge crowns but even warped as if cut to size then straightened they become to long. I was disappointed in the quality of the product. Makes it worse when paying thru the nose for it.

While some worked some had a blast playing together.

Jessica supplied us all with Subway subs for lunch which was perfect. It was HOT out. It was 21 degrees and bright sun and we were in the full of it. Lots and lots of water and Diet Pepsi and not one pee run. It also is tiring.

We then worked on the end wall and finished that off. The shorter walls are so nice to lift compared to the larger ones. Then on to the front big wall which was 14 ft x 10ft . This wall took Penny, Jackie, Corey and I all we could handle to lift and place. We made one error which I will fix later in forgetting the 3 1/2″ over lap of siding on both ends on the shorter wall.

Penny made us an UNBELIEVABLY GOOD supper. We had ribeye steaks cooked to perfection, potatoes, mushrooms and fried onions plus a super salad. The steaks were perfect, we had sour cream for our potatoes and everything you could think of to put into a salad. One of the best meals in a long time.

Then off to the last wall. It was the easiest of the four to do and fit like a glove as we squared off the building.

By the time we did all of this it was starting to get darker so we started to clean up. It scares me a bit as the top plates are not on yet so fingers crossed no big winds until we can get the top plates on and then the rafters to tie it all together.

We moved all of the tools into the garage rather than haul back and forth and I will whip down a do a bit at a time to complete it. I honestly don’t know how I am going to finish off the roof by myself. I will see on this.

We decided since the weather was changing with no chance to work on Sunday we may as well come home which I would have rather stayed and got the roof part done. We arrive home at midnight. A day starting at 5:30am and ending at midnight is long.

It all takes time getting the beams down and level. Building walls and flooring and it is amazing how time flies. I would say in the 19 hour day minus the 4 hour drive we only had about 45 minutes of break of lunch and supper combined.

Daisy had a great day bugging Olive all day. No naps just running around and around and biting her neck and ears. I am sure she was exhausted.

I wish we would have had time to get the rafters up at least but we just ran out of time.

I am amazing. LOL A very very very hard work day with not a lot of activity the last month and this morning I feel pretty good. Subjective I guess though. Very pleased with that as it was not a easy day . Just a slight soreness but very minor. A natural athlete really.

Thought of the Day

We must embrace a pain and use it as fuel live your life.

April 18th–19th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 28 degrees, Edmonton 7 degrees, Calgary 2 degrees with snow”

How do you get 20 degrees and 24 hours later 2 degrees ? Our weather is amazing how we can change so fast.

It was a good decision to come home Saturday night as the weatherman was correct. We would not have accomplished anything today building.

I think though today will be a rest day, watch golf day and have a catnap. I rather enjoyed today looking at the cold and snow and resting. Neat to see an old guy win the PGA especially having a family member as your caddie.

Thought of the Day

Perhaps as we get older and start forgetting things it is only because our brain in full already.

Wouldn’t you know it on a night when you like to have a good sleep the little dog was upset. Jackie & I did not have a good sleep all night. Getting up early wasn’t in the cards so I didn’t leave Calgary until 9am.

I arrived in Raymond around 11am and decided to grab lunch before starting to work. I forgot how good a Burger Baron’s sauce is on their burgers. I started to work right away with my goal being having the roof on and most things done except trim and exterior openings plus the final roofing product. I have done quite a few sheds and every time the birds mouth cuts are a pain. A lot lot of math. I discovered ( a way too late when you consider how many times I have done these) a simple effective and extremely accurate way to do these. If you have build a square and plumb building the bird mouths can be an exact guide to that. So to have a perfect cut makes the squaring up so much easier. My bird mouths were perfection and each truss exact so if they didn’t line up the walls had to be out. I used my ratchet strap to square the building to perfection. The old method involves a way too much math and I found lacked accuracy. This will stay in my memory bank forever. This is one big shed/party shack.

I cut all of the remaining openings, nailed any loose sheets, put on the top plates, completed the missing siding and cut each rafter. My original plan was to install a centre support beam but after Googling I discovered a 2 x 6 with 12 inch on centre spacing has a span load of 12′ 6″ and we are only spanned 9’6″ so I am comfortable with getting no sag. I have a extra beam now to find a use for.

Another 8 hour work day. The meals that Penny has been making have been unbelievable. I mentioned the Rib Eye steak well tonight it was smoked BBQ ribs, brown beans with onions, salad and corn bread. Amazing meal again!

I planned to stay overnight as I was very fortunate that Jackie & Alan were whipping down to help out the following day. After a few beer and a wonderful meal and sitting around the fire I decided to go to bed earlier than I normally do after the poor prior sleep. I stayed out in the trailer due to Covid rules and it worked out perfect. A great unit and I even had Netflix. I watched a movie and fell to sleep. Working in warmth you don’t pee very often even drinking a fair amount of water. After that and the beer I was up at least 6 times in the night ! It was cold outside as I just moved to the back of the trailer as the I didn’t want to use the plumbing.

You basically are building a mini house so it takes a long time. With Alan’s help and Jackie’s I was happy with our progress. We got the roof completed. I used a ice dam to cover the OSB as we don’t know how long the metal roofing will take. This will be my first metal roofing job so it will be a learning curve.

Another full 8 hour work day broken up only by amazing food. Cold cut subs for lunch and a super Spaghetti supper.

I have been very fortunate in having Corey and Alan help me out as walls and roofs are heavy and not fun if alone as they become even more difficult. Next trip and according to the weather won’t be until mid week is some of the detail trim work and a couple of doors. A 40 year door guy and I used the wrong sized rough opening size on the man door so I need to find or make my own sized door. After the build when I measured I was in shock but that happens when a little tired. No big deal but I an odd mistake to make.

Thought of the Day

Facebooks new relationship status: “No longer able to interact with actual people”

April 23rd-25th

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 31 degrees, Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 4 degrees”

In other words COLD for spring weather. I grouped a few days together as not a lot going on with the weather. I have had three golf games cancelled now.

I paid some bills. Saw that our income tax came back which is good. I get to use my own money returned to me to pay a portion of the car. I looked after Jackson on Friday having a great Harvey’s burger, my favorite, and an epic hockey game of NHL 20. I will give him the win as the controllers ran out of battery power before we finished and just as I was starting to come back. A fun event.

On Saturday Jackie & I thought we would just whip over to Shoppers to check on their system as friends have said they may be experiencing issues. Jackie has a disorder that isn’t listed but it is crucial for her to get the Pfizer shot even though the AstraZeneca is the one being offered.

Honey attracts more bees than vinegar and timing is everything that came into play today. When Jackie asked the pharmacist about registering they had a cancellation right then and within 10 minutes Jackie received her shot. Wonderful as Jackie spends too much time in stores and this in a few days will be a little bit of insurance. Funny how a shot of unknown substance is a happy event and it is little bit of a worry reprieve. We just need Victoria now to get one as she qualifies but still needs to get it done. Today actually is my recommended second dose date yet I have another potential 3 month wait. Dumb ! Great day though.

We always watch the Oscars so tomorrow I think I will order from Boston Pizza for takeout for the event.

The weather causes difficulty in golfing or doing anything in fact. I LOVE golf but it is hard to fit it in with the other stuff I am doing. And too much of anything makes it a job. I have too much to do on my weekly list between, golf, shed building, lot preparation, and childcare. Trying to squeeze it all in is difficult. I am golfing three times, childcare two times, shed building one day this week coming up. It is too much golf and not enough shed building but the following week I will ensure I have time to get things done.

The Flames are hanging in there. One more win against the Habs on Monday we will have an outside chance. Great last two games.

Woke up this morning to more snow. I would say about an inch on the ground but melting on the pavement. It is a very odd year with the weather as one day being 20 above the next day -2 with snow. It is still early in the season, the farmers need the moisture, it is somewhat typical, so not complaining but would like it to heat up and stay consistent for a bit.

Laid back plans due to the weather. I will go out to the lot to get my 12″ new blade this morning for my mitre saw and then mostly relax. We are going for Boston Pizza takeout for the Oscar’s tonight. Too bad they don’t have take out Caesars. LOL

With the off and on again between school classes and online teaching we are going to have some poorly educated kids out there. I wouldn’t want a doctor or hire any professional that has a graduation certificate that states 2020 or 2021. I guarantee that a lot of them were JUST passed no matter what the grade. This pic may describe the situation accurately.

Another month or so when we get a good percentage of people vaccinated it will seem more normal. I have never had a flu shot in my life but with this Covid it makes sense to do it. Everyone ! If let loose we could have had another Black Plague so we are lucky to have maintained a bruised economy and have saved millions of lives.

One other thing. I rarely dislike people. I can tolerate just about anyone but every time I see or listen to Racheal Notley and her cohorts, I just about vomit. There is something about her that is grossly obscene, never mind the extreme lack of common sense. Her emotional intelligence is very high on the scale and she understands the buttons to push to excite and coerce union workers and the younger generation all with no regard to costs and reality. This is her only trait that I can see as being commendable. She screwed up our province so bad is such a short time and some agenda items can never be reversed. Here is hoping the public considers during this current crisis it is as a one of and out of the control for anyone to manage perfectly. Alberta has been very unlucky with three Premiers in a row that sucked. Stelmach was an idiot, Redford a crook and Notley a unionist and extreme socialist all causing chaos for Alberta. Kenny while far, far, far from being good at least is semi normal in his thinking. His issue is his concern over trying to please to many sectors. Stick with a plan right or wrong and move on. The NDP and union loyalists with their TV ads slowly have eroded Kenny’s base with continuous negativity. It is easy to dismiss a plan. As with anything stuff happens and we will need to live with it.

Even with all of the poor politicians ruining our lives, there are SO MANY great things that happen everyday to each of us that we need to be thankful for. I look outside and see the snow and smile knowing we have a wonderful week of weather ahead, some great times golfing, some driving on the highway and hands on building to do. Good health, family, friends, and enjoyment in life is a great thing.

Thought of the Day

There are many things we think impossible for as long as we don’t attempt to do them.

April 26th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 26 degrees, Edmonton 14 degrees Calgary 14 degrees”

We watched the Oscars last night. First was my pickup at Boston Pizza. I love Smoky Mountain Spaghetti. What are the odds of having two Larry W’s picking up at the same time. We had to check the receipts and phone numbers to make sure we each received the correct order. We both walked in for pickup with 1 minute of each other.

There appears to be a shortage of Pepsi in Calgary. Sobey’s was out of 2 liters and Mac’s was also. I had to buy the smaller sized ones.

The Oscars were odd. First I will say I sort of liked the format better as it was more intimate and informal. Not so much focus on ” And who are you wearing ? ” that drove me nuts. Did anyone notice not one speech was cut off by over playing music. I also was impressed that most winners did not use it as a pollical stage to spew their thoughts. It was a professional award show. The only question in my mind is ” Are there no white people left in Hollywood ?” A lot of the behind the scene awards were presented this year on stage which is odd as NO ONE EVER has seen one of these short or documentaries stories. I give the show overall a very high standing compared to years past.

Audrey and Jackie even dressed up for the occasion. A good night !

I have this week all planned out. Today is a full childcare day as the it is another PD day. Must be a lot of development required. LOL Tomorrow is a full day in Lethbridge building the shed. Wednesday is Bearspaw golfing with Jeff & Wendy , Thursday is golfing TV with my guys and Friday is golfing at The Track with Jeff & Wendy and Jackson. Then bad weather hits again.

I am just waiting to see if Cedar or Pine as I am trimming out the shed as much as I can in one day including doing the and door openings. The roof will have to wait perhaps until Saturday if nice.

Jackson and I went for a long walk with the dogs today. It was nice and warm. They loved it and were well behaved. It was also nice for us to get out. Hazel sure can pull but Jackson had complete control of her.

A little Fortnite, lots of Utube and throwing the football in the backyard filled the day plus eating the the Big M for lunch. A good day and even the dogs are resting now. Jackson can throw that football. He even puts the proper spin on it. Perhaps a little of my natural athletic skill was inherited

I don’t like to take pills of any kind. Rarely even Tylenol with a headache. I just don’t like them. I have never had the flu shot. I refused to take Lipitor. ( that is a whole page story) I bent a little with high blood pressure pills as that one I understood the negative impact if I didn’t but even that one is 75% less strength than what they wanted. I decided after a lot of thought to get the Covid shot.

So let see about this.

Astrazeneca can cause blood clots and has killed a few people but is very very rare. Johnson & Johnson can cause blood clots and has been put on hold as has Astra in different countries. NOW Pfizer has been linked to heart inflammation in rare cases. All of the incidences of every vaccine is minute, but do exist. You just can’t win putting foreign objects into your system. I don’t regret getting the shot as you can see what a huge impact it has on the Covid cases but I wish that we could get it 100% correct the first time. Having said I am now due for my second shot and have to wait. Life is a Ferris Wheel so hang on.

Thought of the Day

“You are a side effect of an evolutionary process that cares little for individual lives. You are a failed experiment in mutation.”

April 27th

First from yesterday. Trudeau survives another non-confidence vote on his budget. I thought as much. The speNDP as usual backed him up. I do understand not wanting an election during our pandemic but in my mind a non-confidence vote is better than him calling the election at his will and timing. His popularity should be low with the incompetency, corruption and scandals but somehow the east forgives him. I still think O’toole could win.

Premier Kenny surprised everyone today calling a media session and NOT tightening restrictions but loosening them in some cases. As usual he will get backlash but it is a common sense approach that is normal thinking and with compassion. Now if only we could get more vaccine into people arms.

Here is a quick reality check for people. I man had just bought a new Corvette when he was approached and told that the money used to buy his car could’ve fed thousands of less fortunate people. His response to this made him famous on the internet. He replied ” I’m not sure, it fed a lot of families in Bowling Green, Kentucky who built it, it fed the people who make the tires it fed the people who made the components that went into it, it fed the people in the copper mine who mined the copper for the wires, it fed people in at Caterpillar who make the trucks that haul the copper ore. It fed the trucking people who hauled it from the plant to the dealer and fed the people working at the dealership and their families. BUT,… I have to admit, I guess I really don’t know how many people it fed.”

That is the difference between capitalism and the welfare mentality. Socialism. When you buy something, you put money in people’s pockets and give them dignity for their skills. When you give someone something for nothing, you rob them of their dignity and self-worth. Capitalism is freely giving your money in exchange for something of value. Socialism is having the government take your money against your will and give it to someone else for doing nothing. This is why typically union loyalists vote for NDP.

Alan arrived bright and early around 7am and we headed. First stop was the A&W for coffee and breakfast. I have said before I like their breakfasts better then Tim’s and I prefer their coffee over Tim’s. A good drive and then a stop at Home Depot Lethbridge.

Once again WOW is wood expensive. I mean beyond expensive. Besides that the quality of lumber is the SHITS. I think the mills are behind and sending out wood with too high of moisture and they are warping like a bow. Cupping, bowed and warped to unusable. Lowes and Depot both have terrible wood. We loaded up the Jeep with a whack of wood another $400 .

It was a good day.

We finished off the fascia boards. We installed the T&G soffit. We finished off the siding gable ends. We installed the V Groove paneling as a high lite of two sides. We installed a header board for the barn door and over the door for the pergola. We got two sides edge trim installed. It is starting to take shape.

We got home after working a full 8 hour day around 10pm. Alan still had an additional 1/2 hr. It does get tiring after working a good day.

Thought of the Day

There is a saying “hard work never killed anyone”. Tell that to the guy after shoveling snow that dies from a heart attack.

April 28th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 26 degrees, Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 18 degree”

Muscles were a little tight after working especially up the air for most of the day so I had Jackie put some Volteran on my back. She applies it cold and it is worse than the back pain. Remember the video of the band aid. Overall with the consistent movement it has been pretty good.

Today was golfing with Jeff & Wendy at Bearspaw Golf & Country. This used to be a private club until they went broke. It was one of those elite courses with a huge membership fee attached to it but when their was a large assessment teh membership did not step up. It is an elite course still with Rack Rate Green fees of $109.

I smiled as I drove in the parking lot and parked my Jeep. The row of cars were Benz, BWM, Jag, Lexus. Still money there.

I have played this course a few times as we had the Canadian Tour tournament ATB that JW used to sponsor. I loved it then and I love it now. It is long and difficult which I knew going in. Having said though I was pleased in how I golfed. A few too many mistakes but overall well done. I know Jeff & Wendy really liked it and agree it is a hard course.

It was a fun day EXCEPT once again the wind. Not only making it feel cooler but causing havoc with the ball flight. I am positive the wind is much much more prevalent lately than ever before. I am beginning to dislike wind.

I see Premier Kenny has instituted a park fee for Kananaskis. This is needed with the search & rescue costs and maintenance of the park. USER PAY is a great way to cut costs if teh money collected goes directly back to the parks use. 4 million live in Alberta and how many actually use the park. We are all subsidizing the use of it by taxes and only a few take advantage of it. The potential for less cost to all by having the users actually help pay for it. As usual he will catch flack for a common sense idea. He is looking good and taking care of Covid hotspots with his targeted postal code idea versus age only criteria.

Another fun wonderful day completed with good weather, albeit windy ,and golfing with friends.

Thought of the Day

Everyday thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians. Help stop the violence. Eat Bacon !

April 29th 30th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 31 degrees, Edmonton 20 degrees, Calgary 23 degrees “

Today was my first day at Turner Valley. I golfed with two of my regular guys from my men’s league. I lost a couple of bucks but i was semi happy with how I played. I did not lose one ball and on this course that is remarkable. I just need to get better at chip and pitch shots to be closer to the hole as numerous times 60 yards off teh green and ending up with a plus one. It happened a way to many times. A little more luck in putting would also be nice. LOL

The one gentleman was so funny. He took 8 shots out of the sand and kept hitting the sand over and over again with the ball going nowhere. Out of frustration and anger. For sure it was entertaining.

It was a great win for the Flames. One step closer but still out of the playoffs by 4 points. We need to beat Edmonton again on Saturday. And we need the Habs to go on a losing streak. Mathematically possible for us but difficult.

Interesting article as once people get a shot they get complacent and that CANT happen. Effectiveness of either Pfizer or Moderna #COVID19 vaccine on hospitalization (for those over 65 years old): 1. ~94% following 2 doses 2. ~64% following 1 dose 1st dose is very helpful, but still need to maintain precautions. People need to be cautious and respect the rules just for another couple of months or so and we should be in a better place.

Today’s agenda is picking up Jackson at noon and golfing with Jeff & Wendy at Boulder along with Jackson. Daisy is being puppy sat by Audrey.

We know it is spring like in weather, we hope the wind remains calm and I hope to have a great score today. Is that asking too much ?

It turned out we had a full group today golfing with Jackson and Daisy. Both were exceptionally well behaved. Daisy sat on teh seat the entire 18 holes and watched every move. Jackson again was my chauffer and I have to say a very good one. Not one mistake. Besides driving he was golfed a few holes with us. This kid has power when he hits the ball with some exceptional hits. His first hole he had a 4 ft putt for PAR. That is amazing on a Par 4 being 340 yards. He pretty much nearly kept up to the girls in drives.

It was a fun day but the wind again was ridiculous. 50kms per hour gusts and steady all day. It is impossible to have a good game with those conditions so I stopped keeping score half way thru. This spring is the windiest ever. But to have 24 degrees, sunny and out in the sun having fun is just nice.

One one hole it was so funny watching Wendy get out of a deep bunker. She had to literally climb out of the hole. But later she had to top this. On the 17th hole she hot her ball and her club went 20 feet in teh air and sideways as it left her hands. This is not the first time so I think it is about time to bring our hardhat to the course.

Thought of the Day

Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die