May 1st -2nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 4 degrees”

Ok, spring is supposed to be here by now. Actually since March 21st. We have been home for a month and due to the weather have only been able to golf TWICE and only a few limited days able to work out at the lot. I don’t know if it the worst April we have had but I do know it has not been a very good one at all.

Today snow/rain mix.

I decided for an event and something to do for myself and Daisy I would drop off our paperwork with our travel agent who’s office is at Dalhousie for our cruise to Fiji. I figured I may as well fill up at Costco on my way. Most know Costco has good gas pricing, I believe due to them being on reserve land. With the bad weather everyone must be shopping today at Costco and filling up with gas as it was busy. I got to my pump and filled it to the brim.

Misconceptions are always interesting.

Three minutes away from our condo I filled the Flex up yesterday at Shell and with my deals I paid $1.35 a liter. Today at Costco with my expensive membership I filled up at $1.45 and had to drive 20 minutes and wait in line. Things are not always as they seem.

I was surprised as heading up north they actually had less snow than we had. It is odd sometimes how the flow of the wind and where a storm hits. BUT what they beat us with the amount of snow received they have to deal with the traffic levels in the north. Due to the road systems in that part of the city and the population density the traffic is like driving in Los Angeles versus driving in Canmore. We are so lucky to have chose to live in the south. While rare for them to have avoided the snow this time, the north overall receives a lot more bad weather occurrences than us.

Memories and dreams are a funny thing. Here is a couple of interesting memories.

The picture below is my grad night in late June 1975. My close friends Armand & Norman Begin, Mark Shubert and Hal Simmerson. I laughed to myself looking at this, as even then, I did not confirm to the “rules” of wearing a suit and tie. I chose a leisure suit. Years later when working as a sales rep with a company policy of having to wear a tie I would throw one on and wear to the office and then throw it in the backseat while I made my calls all day. Only once did my sales manager say something about it ( he knew) when he did an employee valuation. Funny thing is when he did the review he marked it in error on another sales reps evaluation form ( Bob KIndrachuk) who by the way was one of best dressed reps I ever worked with. It is amazing if your performance is good enough what you can get away with. LOL

I relate to when I worked at Henderson’s/JW and we moved to a business causal model and our competitor Sauder remained in stuffy suits. They were made fun of by customers and competitors.

Looking at this suit 50 years later I still love it. LOL Armand’s bow is cool. Perhaps this suit was the spark that created the idea for the adult comedy series called Leisure Suit Larry. I hope it wasn’t based on me. LOL

One week before this grad was a bad day. Jim Kruse, Gail, Lori Theisen and myself were out driving around. Lori asked to drive my beloved car and I was foolish enough to let her. She was speeding on a gravel road and we rolled three times over a steep cliff by Muir Lake, Luckily we all suffered with only minor injuries that included a few stitches, bad bruising, cuts etc. Dave Kruse drove us all to the hospital.

So going over one cliff, I lose a girlfriend , get stitches, and lose a beloved beautiful car and no money to buy a another at the time.. A yellow 1968 Dodge Dart GT with Cragar SS mags all around, white ” leather” interior buckets, Pioneer Stereo, that was the nicest car at Stony Plain High. It was totaled and we only pulled it home to get the rims and parts off it. We were EXTREMELY lucky not to get hurt.

50 years has gone by but you would think she would find me and pay me some money for it. LOL

The car gone, the girl gone, school done, I went to Household Finance and borrowed money and bought a 1969 White Dodge Dart GT. 10 days of owning it I roll it on Hwy 16 and write it off. They were paving the highway and had a uneven surface late at night, raining, speeding, and perhaps not as alert as should be and I flip it on it’s roof. A close friend was driving right by then and stopped, helping pick up some “stuff” from the car and an elderly couple drove me to the hospital. Next day the cops phone me at home and want to charge me with leaving the scene of an accident. Perhaps my first of many incidents of having to deal with overzealous traffic cops.

I drove a 1954 Chev 3100 for a couple of months while working and saving to get another ride that I would like. This time a beautiful 1969 Nova SS. If I had a 100 street races with this thing I may have lost three or four only. One to my brother. !! Low rear gears, a 350/300 hp light weight car that could do 0-60 in 5.5 secs and run the 1/4 mile in 14 seconds flat. Mine with gears and add-ons was faster. Just a beautiful good looking fast car. Adding the air shocks, wider rear tires and traction bars stepped up the look even more.

Stuck in the house you may as well eat well. Tonight I cooked a pork loin, baked potatoes loaded and sweet peas. Wonderful.

With food prices going thru the roof Jackie has made a couple of amazing buys. Last week we had two round steaks for less than $9 that were incredible, Tonight we had a pork loin roast enough for 4 people under $5 and was incredibly good. That is pretty cheap when you think a Big Mac is now over $6 for the burger alone.

An Oiler game on tonight !

Watching the snow still coming down.

Most of you know how much we love our Viewpoint Resort home in AZ, Sometimes you just take it for granted until you see it in a picture. A resident sent these pictures today. Beautiful.

I think this article described perfectly the difference between a socialist left leaning party like the Liberals and NDP versus a center right capitalist party like the Conservatives.

A man named Tom Nicholson posted on his Facebook account the sports car that he had just bought and how a man approached and told him that the money used to buy this car could’ve fed thousands of less fortunate people.

His response to this man made him famous on the internet. READ his story as stated on Facebook below:

A guy looked at my Corvette the other day and said,

“I wonder how many people could have been fed for the money that sports car cost?

I 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.

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.

Still winter outside. I got up, got dressed and then realized my golf course is closed due to the snow and cold so had to watch the news longer.

I watched the news in disgust with the protesters still active. They need to expel any student involved and send them home with a visa never to exist again for them. I am sure the Iranian government has seeded our countries with a underground army of people waiting for upheavals like this.

Little Atti has been sick and now the entire Hicken household. School is a breeding ground for illnesses. How many kids and parents get ill every year due to the enclosed system. The poor teachers are exposed to this everyday and I am really surprised there are not more subs being used, They build up a good immune system I guess.

Daisy has a new hairdresser to go to today. Hopefully Daisy and us both like her. We like the “at home” salons as she doesn’t have to wait for hours and it is much quicker in and out for her. We had an excellent one for years but he had to go over to Ukraine to fight or help out in some way.

We have a golf game booked for Monday but it looks like it is going to need to be cancelled also. Nuts.

Well the refs allow Edmonton to win the series. Three times in a row playing the Kings is odd. I thought Edmonton played quite well overall especially Zach and Leon. A good showing first round for Edmonton. Vancouver will be a different story and unfortunate that another Canadian team gets eliminated but it will be a good series.

It looks like the video game, Pac Man going to eat Edmonton . LOL

You know how you need to update or download everything today and I think this is what happened.

Wordle in TWO for Larry, Wordle in 4 for Jackie. YES !

A nice gathering and supper at Audrey’s with Alan & MaryAnn. Fun talking about things especially our cruise we booked. It looks like Ann & Derek maybe joining us so the more the merrier.

MaryAnn made a salad tonight I loved. It used a Dill sauce . I think Alan liked it to.

Daisy looks wonderful and is dead tired being awake all day. She is laid out flat smelling good and looking good.

Thought of the Day

When I think of salad it just reminds it is a food that my favorite food eats.

May 3rd

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary 12 degrees ”

Well today is one special day. It is odd as so many of my friends are hitting an age where they are literally in a different decade of life than I. It is rather odd to fathom saying my friend Fred Keys is 70 yrs old. I will say it for him as that will be easier than waiting for him to force it out. This may be the age that reality hits, sort of like the mid life crisis we hear about. Fred has made a lot of changes in the last couple of years working up  to this age so I will call it an old age crisis. 

So most likely today, he is not feeling super happy celebrating this.  Arthritis, cortisone shots,  sleeping gummies, sore feet, sore muscles everywhere, not sleeping and reading glasses is a daily circumstance now.

I will say this man is one of a kind though. He is the Fred of all Trades. Only guy I know that excels at electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cooking, painting and mechanical work and is a decent games player by himself and an awesome partner when as a team. 

We have known Fred since 1984 which is 40 years now and have had a lot of fun times together.

I can say Happy Birthday now to you Fred as at your age it is a way past time to tease you.

Plus here are three of my favorite photos ever after the collages.  

People say that 70 is the new 50. I don’t know as this picture may tell a different story.

I love the surprise on Fred’s face as this fish fights to get away. It is a just make you smile pic. It is the look I had on my face when Fred caught a 20 pound plus Pike and asked me to use his new cradle net.

A favorite memory. In 2006 and on a trip to Vegas. I convince Fred who really isn’t a ride person to go on this Nascar Roller coaster with me. I thought it being a Nascar themed hotel and roller it would just go around and around like a boring Nascar race. BUT this thing starts inside the hotel and takes off at a million miles an hour and then outside the building and straight up in the air taller than the hotel. I think the picture tells the story of who liked it and who didn’t.

A few years earlier he just closed his eyes. LOL I think you can tell by my expressions in both pics I enjoy the thrill.

The nice thing about Fred reaching this milestone is he can carve the way for us younger ones to see what he is experiencing. He did not want a big party so this small internet welcoming to old age will have to do.

It is a way past teasing age so I will wish Fred a very Happy Birthday .

I took the Flex and cleaned, washed and wiped the interior and exterior. I parked in the underground garage and two seconds later it started to rain sleet. Lucky the car is clean for a few hours anyways.

I was going thru pictures to organize them a bit as it was raining out and found this one that made me smile. My belief when on vacation is to make sure you experience as much as you want or need to and not to worry that much about the cost as you may never get back to where you are. Holidays are expensive but this picture made me smile. It was EXTREMELY difficult to find normal food or drinks in Europe. I never found normal coffee. But in Switzerland for breakfast this is what we got for $100 total.

Now while tasting good it was much different than I wanted and very expensive. Having said that when on holidays I think it is important to not compare to what we are familiar with and let the experience be new and try new things. Having said that I remember going to a McDonalds in Paris for a quick lunch and nothing on the menu was the same or even tasted the same. I will not convert to Europe’s coffee liking though. lol

What an exciting hockey game last night with Vancouver pulling off the win.

Wordle in 3 Jackie in 4 so my streak is carrying on.

Thought of the Day

It seems ageing is the only way to live longer

May 4th –5th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 14 degrees Calgary 14 degrees “

Finally a sunny day but yet feels very cool. We are in May which is sick. I BELEIVE next week three cooler wet days then off to spring weather hopefully.

MAY THE FORTH BE WITH YOU it is amazing how this line just lingers on. I think I ma getting a little tired of it.

Starting to close the long weekend so will work on getting everything ready for that plus the week after in K Country.

Wordle in 6 so I have my hopes Jackie has a hiccup. LOL

Daisy and I went to the driving range today as Jackie was busy. The “practice range” was very busy also. First I have to say I am impressed with the dedication to the game. Practice and trying new things is the only way to get better. I will say though that of the 20 stalls there were at least 15 very very poor golfers out there. Good for them. Ping fitting had a tent at the range and were letting people try out some clubs. The G430 Ping driver is amazing. Long and forgiving. If I was a rich man. Like the song LOL . The MSRP is $760. While super forgiving and nice just too expensive. My ball speed was down to 143 mph or their trackman off a bit. I must have been stiff or just older. LOL

Daisy just sits and watches. I can back up the truck right to the range and open the rear and lies and watches.

Three ladies were out for lessons. I would say not being helped. The coach was asking for too much. First thing they have to have the skill set to actually come into contact with the ball then you can work on things. So many people at the range just hit balls instead of using it as a learning time. Try different grips to see what happens, different backswing heights to distance levels, try to fade and draw the ball don’t just hit balls.

My gauge said 13 above but it was still cold out! My hands turned white. I will take all of the teasing there is but I am not meant for cold weather. Give me 30 plus and sunny and then I will be in heaven.

A full month of only limited activity and work done sucks. One gets a little out of shape and muscles ache a bit more not be constantly used. I will fix this starting Thursday. LOL

We went over to the Graces tonight for a games night. A fun night visiting , see info about their upcoming trip and playing Queens.

The boys played very well using skill, intuition, and a feeling to dominate the cards. Having won we only slightly embraced our win .

The second game solely based on luck the girls handily won. I have never seen such jubilation, rubbing it in, and over the top celebration. It must be the difference between winning only once in awhile compared to winning quite often. I will concede their win was decisive. Next time.

All of that joy just for a TIE. Funny girls or perhaps Mules were the cause.

Jeff & Wendy went to a Polish meat market and bought some wonderful tasting sausage. It is funny how there is Ukrainian meats, Polish meats and Italian meats all different but all great tasting.

Toronto losing must suck for the fans. They had a team ” bought” to win and just couldn’t make it happen with injuries.

Jackie and I headed out to the lot this morning to ready the motorhome for the drive into town for service. I change the oil every year even if we do not mile it to the required miles. I figure fresh oil easier on the rings and walls than perhaps oil with some moisture in it after winter.

So we got everything done that was needed. We sat done and had a nice dinner on the deck after our clean up.

I was going to hook up the Jeep but Jackie had some stuff for Jackson to take on his school campout so she just followed me into town. I had to follow a gravel truck albeit from a long ways back all the way as he was doing 58 mph and too many cars coming to pass. It is too bad we do not fine people for NOT doing the speed limit on the slow side.

It drove like a charm and nice to be on the road with it. I AM going to use it more this year and be gone from our lot more often. We have the May Long, we have a week the third week of May in Mt Kidd and we have a week in late June. I would like a trip to Radium again for the golf courses or even near Nakusp as it is beautiful there.

Thought of the Day

Say yes, and you’ll figure it out afterwards- perhaps one of the best saying ever.

May 6th

“Mercury Forecast – Edmonton 15 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees”

I hope people would describe me as a patient man, someone who does not get to excited about things, a very even tempered person overall. Today my blood pressure rose. I was sitting this morning looking at news and noticed a piece of paper on the windshield of my motorhome. Great, I thought the power seeking, tweep of a bylaw officer gave me a parking ticket and I have a chance to attend court again to have the ticket thrown out. I know the bylaws and follow them albeit bending them to my favor. In Calgary it is 36 hours which in reality itself is stupid as it takes longer than that to get ready for camping. That is another whole story. BUT IT WAS WORSE THAN THAT. Some no mind elderly person took the time, the negative energy, the cost of a paper and sleeve and actually typed out a complaint letter and stuck it on my windshield.

The explanation and rationale in itself is a tell tale sign of cognitive decline, a sign of a miserable old person that has no life and has too much time on their hands so they feel compelled to complain. I do not know the actual complainer as the potential is from about 6 units beside us. I would expect a newer resident as I have parked my motorhome on the street there for 17 years.

To break down and defend the letter and potential parking ticket as I am going golfing today is easy.

• “Terrible eyesore” – this is a $220,000 motorhome when first purchased far from a eyesore
• “Blocking our entire view of the street” – what a view to hide. Try using that to sell your property. There is a 6ft fence before the road
• ” Please move to your own property or park in front of your own home”— this is in front of our own home as the Silhouette complex stretches the entire block.
• “ Vehicles approaching stop sign can’t see it “– I legally only need to be 15ft back from the stop sign and this case I am back 80 ft.
• “ Vehicle has been reported to city parking and police” — police would never come to a parking issue and the city bylaw puppet/idiot has to come and mark the tires and come back in 36 hrs to see if I have moved the RV. It is supposed to remain off site for 48 hours but no way to verify that on their part so the hours can be pushed.
• ” We appreciate your compliance with this request” — the sentence structure indicates they expect obedience , thinks of themselves as the saving grace and are suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder along with a condescending attitude. If I were to guess it would be a elderly single women that is lonely and too much time on their hands. I would guess most men would have at least put a contact number on the letter. Ironic in a sense as we have one new neighbor a single elderly lady in her 80’s whose window is in line with the motorhome. I hope it isn’t her as she is nice lady to talk to.

I will say I rather enjoy the challenge to first find out who the person is, second see how long I can bother them and third to see if the bylaw officers do show up.

Luckily Wendy was able to change our tee time to 12:30 today. This is a tip for anyone booking. Mid morning tees are always the best. Around the 11 am mark the temperature has rising and the storm cells haven’t rolled in yet as in the late afternoon. Today if we hadn’t started early we wouldn’t had any golf. We managed to golf 14 holes and it was actually hot for a few of them.

Todays golfing was great. Wendy had some wonderful drives, Jeff drove his best and his second shots the best I have seen from him in a long time, plus Jackie drove the ball amazingly all day and had excellent second shots. I played ok. I topped a few drives but was able to get out of the hole with a par or bogie. If we extrapolate the scores based on the nine holes, Jackie would end up with a 98 and I would have a 80 which are very livable scores.

A fun day golfing ended by a downpour on the 14th hole. Notice the nice blue skies which were perfect until the storm cell blew in. lol Luckily we did not get the forecasted wind.

At the end of game Jackie & I packed up and headed to the clubhouse. The Graces wanted to go home and change out of wet clothes so we said we would wait for them. I don’t know how they got so wet when Jackie and I were barely moist. No more than 5 minutes later Jeff & Wendy came into the restaurant. Awesome they changed their minds. It was busy in there due to the rain. And it was pouring hard enough it would not be just a delay so people lingered.

We had an early supper. McKenzie has always had a great kitchen. I don’t remember a bad meal. Tonight Jackie had the Quesadilla which she thought was great and I had the house burger which was wonderful. My first burger in months and I have to say delicious. I like restaurant burgers where they provide condiments for you to put on yourself for individual tastes. I don’t want a burger without mustard and I like relish. Good meal !

Another fun golf day and only the second this year with the Graces with our ugly spring weather. One more left before they leave on vacation and we have a busy May/June with our May Long, K Country week and House boating week so most likely not a lot of golf until July . Having said that is pretty easy for me to give up on golf if we decide to go anywhere camping. The combo would be awesome.

We left Daisy at Audrey’s and I would say she loved it.

I got home and was “shocked” my motorhome was still there with no ticket or new note. LOL

Thought of the Day

One thing about golf is you don’t know why you play bad or why you play good.

May 7th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 9 degrees, Calgary 6 degrees”

Up early this morning and headed to take the motorhome in for service. I have used Fountain Tire since 2012 when we bought our first motorhome. They have been exceptional to me on both motorhomes with fair pricing, good service and honesty. I checked in and waited for Jackie and then we headed home. I took a different way there as I knew of the traffic tie ups due to construction on the Deerfoot and decided to go Barlow/ Glenmore which was a lot faster.

We stopped at Tim’s. Beside us a new Grand Wagoneer. Nice SUV with huge sizing and good styling. Subdued but attractive. The price is a killer though at $130K. It is a upscale product but that is high for any vehicle and it is a Jeep. Interior though is like a Bentley. I thought it was great marketing not to have Jeep’s name on it anywhere. Years ago the Grand Wagoneer was the elite SUV for high rollers until the Escalade took over.

Fountain Tire was done in 3 hours and everything checked out perfect except for one minor thing. Windshield spray was not spraying good. I don’t understand why they didn’t fix it but I will just unclog the holes that get jammed up with popular fuzz and pulp.

I always said the Edmonton road system sucked. Not only the layout and design of the main streets but the condition of them. I remember on White Mud freeway having to basically dodge huge holes to save the car. Potholes and Edmonton were synonymous.

I can no longer say that negatively about Edmonton as our road conditions in Calgary are abysmal. They are in fact dangerous with the size of the holes, the quantity and placement of them. Front end suspension repairs should be paid for by the city. In fact today on the news a garbage truck thru fell a sink hole on a main street. That is one huge pothole.

I don’t know if it is a coincidence or not but both cities have “GREEN” Mayors that are spending millions on LRT and bike paths and letting the road infrastructure decline. Not good !

Driving out to Oasis I barely touched the gas pedal. Coming back the Jeep was running at 4000 rpm’s when it is normally at 1.8K. I would estimate the wind at 60 to 80 kph and right into it. Sitting at a street light coming to the resort i could feel the motorhome sway in the wind.

That brings up a memory from years ago. We were in our motorhome coming back from a wonderful adventure in Yellowstone National Park and driving thru the mountains when Jackie got up to go to the washroom and right as she was walking back we went thru a space in the mountains that caused a wind burst and it literally threw the motorhome over one complete lane. I hear this big crash and our dog at the time Teddy comes running back to Jackie’s chair scared. I yelled with no answer. Jackie was thrown against the cupboards and hit her shoulder and elbow hard but didn’t make a sound. She went to the bathroom and came back injured. Funny, scary and a good memory. That Yellowstone Park for anyone that hasn’t been there is exceptional. We had a very good vacation that trip putting on a lot of miles and smiles. And I will never forget Bear Tooth Mountain highway. The Jeep was fun but in my Corvette there would have tires squealing.

On the way out to Oasis and there trees had fallen down on the road, tarps and property blown everywhere. I would say it is the windiest I have seen it for a long long time.

My temperature gauge read 4 degrees. This is MAY remember.

Jackson is out at K Country which is typically 3 to 5 degrees colder than us for his schools camp out week. I am sure he is learning real quick that rain, cold and wind isn’t fun to camp in. True camping.

We have had some cold weather camping over the years before we started glamping.

Jackie fixed Jackson all up with a duffle bag that was Peters army issue duffle bag from about 1954, a sleeping bag and my fishing rain suit so he should be fine. I also understand the list of clothing required is extensive. 3 days camping and 4 pair of underwear. LOL

Speaking of Jackie she loves this weather. Whenever she is walking outside she gets the chance to save a worms life. With the rain the worms get to high ground which in most cases is the sidewalk. Jackie picks them all up and drops them in a friendly earthy place like a garden bed. It is her good deed times ten everyday.

I was discussing speed limits with a friend the other day. As you all know I believe the limits are set ridiculously low. Here in Alberta they were 65 mph and we moved to metric changing them to 100kph which is actually 63 miles per hour. This was based on 1950 automobile technology and never considering the advancements we have made. Cars in 2024 have no comparison to those cars.

While this is a legit argument, it then dawned on me. The policy makers really do not want everyone to drive a 100 kph but because a portion and I will say large portion of dumb people and unskilled drivers are unable to drive at any speed higher than that, they left them there. It would be impossible to have a road sign say 120 kph for good or smart drivers and 80 kph for bad or dumb drivers, Perhaps with AI we might get to this point though.

Crazy how windy it is out.

Thought of the Day

There are two things no man will never admit he can not do well. Drive and making love.

May 8th–9th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees “

No rain today Yippie ! I like rain, we need rain but only once in awhile. Hopefully enough rain not to have a fire ban this year for May Long. Just a nice day !!

I went out the Dollar Store to get something I need for the games on May Long and I have to say those Dollar Rama stores are nice with some great deals.

Love how the PGA board does not want Rory back. You burn your bridges that is what happens. The best thing for the leprechaun to do is just be still and quiet for a few years or more and maybe just maybe some one may start liking you again. He is a good golfer, not as great as people thought he would be but like Phil spoke and thought, out of order. Even Tiger refused to vote him in which has to say something. I predict a rapid decline in world ranking for the Leprechaun as his feelings will be hurt and every time golfing he will feel NOT wanted. LOL

Love my ” homemade” Tim’s coffee each morning with a raisin cinnamon toasted bagels. I like my coffee which is Tim’s grinds much better than the stores. One thing is the heat. Tim’s makes it so hot you have to wait a 1/2 hour before you can sip it and then the cup lid evitable makes you spill. My coffee is right temped and a large cup with no spill.

My Mom is 92 yrs old and extremely hard to buy for for any occasion. She has everything she wants or needs. Has no real hobbies you can help with, doesn’t read books, is allergic to flowers, and has difficulties going places so it makes it hard to find a nice gift for Mothers Day.

Lots of hockey on including a double overtime game in NYC. That is a long game. Oilers and Canucks ( Canada’s team) are on tonight will be a good watch.

Great game between the Canucks and Oilers. Fun to watch.

What a gorgeous day FINALLY.

Today was my first game in my men’s league at Turner Valley, We play a gross and net game along with snips and deuces.

I started the game off quite well being the low gross and low net after the first nine holes. Then I had a blow up hole followed by two more and ended the game still low net but not gross so money in my pocket from my grouping and only a small amount from the league. I didn’t have any deuces and no snips so no real money. I did not lose any balls but the three holes just killed me. Finished 4th in my flight. A very fun day in the sun and warmth playing with some great guys.

I have been a member of the Turner Valley Golf Club for 14 years. Today I believe the course is in the best condition I have EVER seen it. The fairways and greens are spectacular. The new greens amazing. The holes that had renovations are just pretty holes and even better than ever. Nice ! I will say it is one challenging course compared to most.

I believe your thoughts are a huge factor in life. Hence I never admit aging a bit. I noticed today that my irons and drives overall were shorter than I remember. It is Turner so I have to control swing speed to direct the ball more than most courses but my PW used to be 145 yards and today I found 125 the number. I am thinking the golf balls I chose maybe a factor. I will work on this. One of my partners commented that I drove spectacular today and i will say I did not lose one ball but I wasn’t happy with the distance. Donn is the same age and I only out drove him 50% of the time. I will take shorter if straight but i do not like to be out driven. I am sure it is the ball.

Thought of the Day

Golf was once a rich man’s sport but now it has millions of poor players.

May 10th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 23 degrees, Calgary 25 degrees“

It amazes me how we can go from 7 degrees one day to 25 the next. Then I remember we live in Calgary,

Sunny and warm just like spring.

Jackie had another day helping Audrey so I took Daisy out for her morning walk. We walked just about the bug route that Jackie took. She loved the warmth, only met one dog and only met one person that wanted to talk.

We came home and I showered etc and did some internet work. We sat outside on the patio which was AMAZING. Her in one chair myself in the other and enjoyed the long waited for spring. It was nice.

Wordle in 3 so we will see how Jackie does today.

Daisy has a vet appointment today so I figured no RV lot I will ready everything on Monday. So we headed to the big dog park. If there were 50 dogs there 30 were small so Daisy had fun meeting lots of pups. She is funny though as she crouches down and then runs straight at them. Scares so of them. She only had one pup though that engaged her in chasing or running. The rest were nonchalant. We went around the entire park 1.5 times. Loads of friendly people.

But I should have worn sunglasses. The amount of young guys with no shirts and young women with tanks and shorts that GLEAMED in the light was amazing. It hurt my eyes and in reality it does look hilarious. White is not a good look.

Awhile ago I posted about the risk of missing out on things by being too frugal. Too many times I have seen where people will only stay on vacation for one week due to costs not really thinking about the true costs. The airfare is one of the most expensive parts of a vacation. Add on at least a week to your time which means a few more days at the resort or hotel and have a much more relaxing and enjoyable time. It takes one day arriving and one day packing out of a week leaving a way too small of time allotted to fun. Go to your vacation spot and if the admission seems high, you bite the bullet and experience it as you may never be back. It would be like buying a new car and hating to buy gas for it or use it. Take a simple number like $1000 for instance and pretend that was to take a train to the top of a mountain or to go to under ground caverns in a special spot, or walk the wall of China it is worth it if you are there. We have never been disappointed in our choices after the fact when paying what we thought was too much. Life is to live the short time we have.

I think this cartoon is the perfect meme to life and how not to let it end this way.

The young guy chasing the bucks having a hard time catching them ( raising kids, new career, home to pay for )

The middle aged guy still chasing but able to save money for the future.

Then the old guy ( where the bulk of my friends are at) . Lucky enough to be able to catch and save some bucks but right at the cliff of life and no where or time to spend it.

Don’t be that guy. FORGET what others have, what others think, and do you.

Thought of the Day

Being frugal doesn’t mean slashing your spending or depriving yourself of things that you enjoy. It means knowing the value of a dollar and making every effort to spend it wisely. So many confuse this with being cheap or poor. Wisely to one is different from others as long as common sense prevails.

May 10-13th

I am not putting the weather in for these three days as it was a basket of things. Heavy smoke, warm temperatures, rain and a couple hours of warmth. Our spring weather April 1st to now has been horrible.

Just north of Red Deer we started noticing the smoke and when we hit Edmonton it was limited visibility and heavy smoke.

We had a nice visit with Mom for Mothers Day and Alfred that dropped in. Jackie and I cleaned up Mom’s patio. It is amazing the amount of dirt, dust and debris a 4 story patio can collect. This amounted to scrubbing the deck with pails of water, cleaning the flowers, washing down the chairs and tables and mats. We then organized them to make room for Mom to be able to sit outside and get outside easy. It turned out very nice and i am sure she will use it and enjoy it.

We tried set her a/c but I am sure her thermostat needs to be replaced. It just isn’t working correctly. We reset and time will tell. It is not the best system for sure.

Alfred and i whipped over to the Brewhouse to pick up supper which was very good, They did make a mistake on Mom’s and give noodles rather than mashed potatoes. That happens when ever you are asking for special request. It is like ordering chicken at a burger place. Chances are it will not be perfect as that is not their specialty. Drives me nuts when someone say burger but please no lettuce, one pickle, no mustard, and light on the mayo. Order it like the store designed !! People are so fussy.

We had a good drive home with the smoke now all the way down to Calgary but only half as thick as Edmonton had it.

Mothers Day today. You got to hand it to Hallmark and their marketing people.

Now I would love to give Jackie a great breakfast in bed but as I said ” fussy” it is not possible so I let her stay in bed and I took the dog out for walk.

We went over to Audrey’s with Alan & Mary Ann coming over.

Jackie and I brought up all of the lawn furniture from the basement to put outside. Jackie cleaned the deck before placing the furniture and I have to say I have never seen stain not adhere to the wood like the product used on this deck. The stain would peel off in sections right down to the bare wood. Odd. Tons of sanding and primer will need to be used.

We got the umbrella and furniture all set up but with a hiccup.

Alan and I whipped over to the British Chippy for fish and chips. The old Haddock versus Cod scenario came up with us ordering three Haddocks and one Cod.

Cod has a more mild, clean taste. Haddock is much more flavorful and “fishy.” However, the difference between Cod and Haddock is more about shape and texture than taste. Cod fillets are thicker and firmer. Haddock fillets are thinner and more fragile. Both are white fish similar to halibut but vary quite differently in taste, texture and somewhat in health benefits.

Haddock is richer in vitamins  B12, B6, and B3, while the cod is higher in vitamins D, B1, and B5. On the other hand, cod is lower in cholesterol, sodium, and glycemic index.  

I like either one but as suspected looking at the two on the plates the Haddock fillets by far looked better and bigger.

For the Mother of my kids I bought her two pairs of pants. The first, a set of fleece lined pants for this cold weather which fit perfect, looked great and will work well. the second a pair of Helly Hanson yoga leggings. Jackie said the Helly sizing is sometimes on the small side as she was trying them on. Then she sees the tag. Turns out they are a new compression athletic leggings that promote blood circulation, and help build muscle

Not all work out leggings are created equal — and compression leggings are a prime example. This type of legging is designed to hug the body like a second skin to create slight constriction without affecting your movement. “Compression provides heat and stimulation to the muscle which increases blood flow and oxygenation to improve metabolism,” So I went from a great looking legging to buying Jackie medical pants. LOL

The refs have been blatant in their attempts to allow the Oilers to win. Tonight though they made calls on both teams. Great action with Kane being thrown into the players box . Mc Cry Baby did take a rough cross check to the back and face at the end of the game that was not needed.

May 14th to May 20th

” Mercury Forecast Alberta — cold, windy, rain, “

Well missed a few days with being busy and getting ready for the May Long.

Thursday was my men’s league at Turner Valley. I like this game and love the players I am with. It was an odd day for me. It is amazing how I feel I golfed quite well but I did not score well. I did not lose one ball and did not have a blow up hole but just couldn’t capitalize when needed. I used a different type and brand of ball and it confirms my thoughts with a HUGE difference. I am going to remember this. Today I drove the way and the distance I am accustomed to. That part was nice. The balance of the game not so much. Next time.

The course is looking beautiful.

Excellent time with my golfing partner Larry winning big. It cost me a few bucks today but next time it will be mine. LOL

I started finishing loading the motorhome. No issues with parking today. LOL

Jackie got most of the stuff ready for inside, finalized the food and we started off on the road for our annual May Long Weekend and after week with Alan & MaryAnn.

Lets start with me saying this May Long after camping for nearly 50 years was the most chaotic I have ever seen. Every year something happens but this year as no other multiple people were affected.

Jackie and I get on the Deerfoot and were just about out of town and the motorhome started acting up. It got down to 20kph and would go no faster which as you know is dangerous on this highway. I whipped to Fountain Tire which has excellent service and they had their mechanic look at it and it coded bad oxygen sensors. They reset them even though thought it odd that it would react this way. We took it for a test drive and it appeared normal. Yes !

We got on the Blackfoot and headed up on the Deerfoot again. Just about out of town again and the exact same thing happens. We knew Fountain couldn’t help us as they were extremely busy. Jackie got on the phone and Shaw GM was still open so we headed there. They couldn’t look at it until after the weekend. The service guy though was exceptional as it was near business closing and we arranged to have him wait while I headed to the condo to change out the Jeep for the Flex to fit everything in. Took me 35 minutes from Blackfoot 46ave home and back. Sped and lucky no traffic tie ups

I was thinking seriously of not going but Jackie thought we should. We decided to take the things out of the RV we needed and use the Flex as a sleeper RV. Now that it downsizing. We had enough food for a long weekend plus a week as we planned to camp with Alan & Maryann right after. Lots of food all moved to numerous units freezers and fridges. I would say over $500 of food as I stocked up the motorhome with stuff for the year like canned goods etc.

I will say I did not enjoy being homeless.

We filled everyone’s fridge or freezer with food but without easy access, not knowing what is where, and nothing to cook on or even utensils it was difficult. I will say we both lost weight as eating did not seem to be a priority for anyone or we just didn’t get the invites. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I didn’t see anyone cooking bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast which is meant for camping. I did get a bran muffin one day and an English Breakfast sandwich on another. Alan & MaryAnn feed us a wonderful Cottage Pie and salad supper one night but other than that it was like lent. It is not ” fun” being at the whim of others and not having the needed cooking needs, plates, utensils, cooking device, condiments etc. Just and odd awkward feeling !

Everything considered I am glad we went !

Everyone expected rain and other than the COLD and wind no real moisture. I think everyone was surprised and happy.

We were very fortunate that Keith & Jenny invited us to sleep in their unit instead of the Flex. In hindsight extremely fortunate with the cold. We slept on the pullout couch in Keith’s place and it was comfy enough. My feet did stick out past the end of the bed though. The first night we did freeze, complete with shivers. Jackie had the sleeping bags separate which did not allow body heat transfer. The next nights were fine as we had the bags joined and we were prepared to be cooler. Daisy for the first time in her life slept under the covers.

Oddities and circumstances that reflect Chaos.

• Larry’s motorhome breaks down on the way to camping and unable to attend with it.
• Corey’s truck fan clutch assembly blew up and unable to move on Highway 2. Very fortunate it did not destroy more. Kudo’s to AMA as they are awesome.
• Stewarts battery cables loose and unable to pump water. Fixed but battery due to furnace load was running dead and required generator to charge up each night.
• Dave’s rear awning slipped out of it’s bracket and had to be fixed. Not sure if permanent or not.
• Corey’s trailer battery not able to handle load and required generator to recharge daily.
• Larry’s Flex battery failed and would not start and had to be boosted by Alan. Condition set off engine check light. New battery hopefully corrects it or a service will be needed.
• Keith’s RV had the same battery issues and had to have a generator recharge each day.
• Keith when leaving the park backed into a picnic table with his truck.
• Keith at the golf course accidently left his window open and returned to close it and had ignition on accessory which after golfing required a battery boost to get back to the campsite
• Alan experienced the same issues with batteries both in his unit and truck requiring a boost and generator.
• Jessica’s unit required a recharge from the generator a couple of times also with the furnace running during the day and night. It got cold in there one night as the fan would not run.
• Jessica’s unit with no hot water with a heater leak.

Needless to say weather caused but next year for sure we will be booked into a spot with power for everyone.

We got Corey’s SUV towed back to Calgary and Corey & I used Jessica’s truck to pick up the trailer and deliver it to the campsite to use. The tow truck driver was a real red neck but funny and helpful. Corey later received a call that the fan clutch and belt to repair his unit was $700 and maybe ready by Tuesday. The plan was to use Jessica’s truck to deliver Corey’s trailer to his home and then back in time for Jessica to get home in a decent time as they have the longest trip

Our motorhome with it’s sensor issue could be $300 up to $3000K if cats are blocked. If the cats are blocked I will get them cut off and have cheater sensors installed. I have a guy !.

Dave broke in his new generator. He stated 20 hours but that number I believe to be incorrect. I could see 2 to 4 hours with an oil change or magnetic plug installed but a 20 hr break in is ridiculous. The important thing to remember is to use load factors and different speeds.

Nice that this year we could have a campfire. The diehards stayed up until 2 am and 5am as they were enjoying the luxury. Alan brought a full bag of cut offs from his neighbor which were awesome as they were hardwood and burned hot when added to the normal wood.

Justin cooked a “chicken sausage” which was very funny. It looked quite funny and was limp to start and slowly hardened. It was the perfect phallus looking sausage and was the topic of conversation for at least a hour with a lot of teasing. I do not think chicken and sausage should be used in the same sentence. The problem with chicken versus a beef sausage is to make sure it is cooked to avoid illness.

Justin and Danielle came out for one night which was great. They have the perfect set up in their truck bed. They said they were warm enough which I would have thought different but good on them.. Nice to have them visit us. Danielle could only stay one night unfortunately as she had a work commitment.

Dave & Erin left early staying two nights. I hope they enjoyed themselves and nice to have them along.

I have known for years the entire Huggett family ( other than Jackie) requires a lot of sleep. Alan and Dave had 10-12 plus hours of sleep per night. I think Stewart staying up late each night may have had 12 hours sleep the entire weekend.

This year we had 19 people that consisted of:

• Larry & Jackie
• Victoria & Corey, Jackson
• Jessica & Penny, Atti, Auggie
• Alan & MaryAnn
• David & Erin
• Danielle & Justin
• Stewart & Carrie
• Keith & Jenny

Less people than normal as Amanda & Justin with Parker went to Disneyland and Jason & Stephanie with their kids did not come. I missed Jason with his organizing skills and cooking skills.

We only had 5 dogs this year.

The Park Ranger came around as expected to collect any overage required. I had to pay an extra $84. Right out of school and no math skills he states it is $28 x 3 and he hates math. I gave him the answer in 2 secs and showed him the method. To calculate 28 x 3 isn’t easy in your head to do fast but by rounding it very easy. Round up to 30 x 3= 90 subtract the 6 and you get 84 in 2 secs. He liked the system and laughed. Newbie.

I will send out a message with the amount for e transfer for each unit tomorrow.

I bought toilet plungers from the Dollar Store and a few rolls of toilet paper for a new game this year. Turns out to be a hilarious game to watch. Thanks to Tor for organizing the teams and off to the competition we were set. Plunger roll game, cornhole and Frisby. FUN !

The winners this year who did awesome were Alan & Penny !!! Some teams were close but lost. Larry & Jenny had a strong team, Corey and the boys played well but we all did not match Alan & Penny’s luck. I was scared the entire time that Alan would injure himself with his record of injuries playing fun games.

The winners. They are they best toilet plunging people I know.

I tried a no theme potluck and it turned out to be one of the best. The Italian one was pretty good but this one, the selection and variety was awesome. I will try to list everything if my memory gets it right. We had:

• Loaded baked potatoes
• Garlic toast
• Greek Salad
• Prime shredded beef in sauce
• Taco seasoned chicken for fajitas or separate
• Ground beef for tacos, mini buns with condiments
• Scrambled eggs supreme with sausage and peppers.
• Marconi and potato salad
• Jumbo shrimp

Everything was wonderful and delicious and a lot of work by everyone.

Nothing like fresh air to watch a hockey game in. Having Stewart and Carrie getting the game for us is appreciated.

Considering the chaos and not so perfect weather and for us being homeless it was fun, enjoyable, tiring and a unique weekend. I couldn’t have anything to drink as I did not want to visit the washroom over and over again in the night.

National Caesar night and no one brings Caesars. Lots in my motorhome. LOL No wonder the younger generation is feeling lost when they don’t celebrate these little things.

I am sorry we could not get to the K Country reservation we had with Alan & MaryAnn as I hate cancellations, and I will miss the bike paths. Another time. They decided to head to Drumheller instead which is a lot warmer.

We got home unpacked and ordered take out from the bar to watch the Oiler game. I forgot to mention that Jackie and I had warm long showers first which were wonderful and Daisy is passed out in her bed.

I think everyone can guess Jackie’s order and I had the steak sandwich. Lots of food in the fridge but lazy and tired tonight. Looking forward to sleeping in our bed tonight.

The chaotic weekend I thought was over.

I phoned AMA for a new battery install and he arrives and I go downstairs and lo and behold the garage door is broke to the underground garage. A smile came to my face in disbelief. The guy from AMA was unbelievably great. A guy like that deserves a raise as he represents the company away over expectations. He carried the battery downstairs and fixed me all up again.

AMA is a great service company with a lot of perks. Their insurance side is bit pricy so I haven’t moved the Jeep or Flex over to them yet. Just the motorhome for the moment.

Removed the bikes and loaded them up on the storage cages. Moved everything from the Flex to the Jeep or house and done !

Finished getting everything done from the weekend and relaxed.

Thought of the Day

Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder.

May 22nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees”

Pouring rain so poor Daisy is not getting her normal walks. Rain up to 10mm all day today.

I forgot to mention on our walk yesterday we meet Jason Cameron our JW service manager. We have walked past his house not knowing it was his for years and then yesterday he is in the back yard. Great to see him again. Now I can bug him every time I walk by.

Paid a whack of bills and had to transfer money with some expensive items coming and happened. Great the TSX is doing well but still hurts.

It was a raining day relax day. I wanted to go cut the lawn and clean up but at 6 degrees and rain I said no thanks.

Survivor finale tonight which will be fun to watch. Hockey tomorrow night which will be a must watch. No golf as I was supposed ot be away camping with Alan & MaryAnn but just as well anyways with the weather forecast. I would have loved the camping.

ONE MORE TIME THE WEATHER SINCE APRIL 1ST HAS BEEN HORRIBLE.

I have only golfed 4 times in close to two months and i have only spent about 4 days out at Oasis. Golfing should have been around 12 times and at least that amount at Oasis to ready it for summer which is now away over due.

New dog rules for bringing your pet into the USA are going to be a pain in the ass. I hate restrictive rules with no logic.

I hope the plan to get signatures for the APP is a strong one as the condition to be met is high. I really don’t understand the hesitancy to want to better your benefits, better your kids future and help Alberta control it’s own destiny. If we could remove the unionist, socialist voter out of the equation it is a no brainer. People get so paranoid about government control and change.

Check engine light reset in the Flex so all set to go.

Thought of the Day

Dear paranoid people who check behind their shower curtains for murderers.  If you do find one, what’s your plan?

May 23rd/24th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 15 degrees Calgary 14 degrees and RAIN“

On the news they stated we have had 16 out of 22 days in May with rain/snow or showers. A horrible month for everyone except for firefighters and farmers

Golfing is not possible, camping is difficult, no one has planted flowers yet, and no warmth.

I went out to the lot in the rain and worked. Pulled together a couple bags of leaves and garbage.

I cut the grass as it was thick and long plus being wet wasn’t easy with my micro mower. The lot is looking pretty good but the rain keeps stopping me. I think if I could get one FULL day with no interruptions I could finish it. The irrigation spout isn’t placed yet so I can’t pressure wash the gazebo etc.

A worked a part day then game home for supper and to watch the game.

It was a good game with the Oilers winning. Mc Cry Baby screwed up very bad with a penalty in overtime which should not happen but he redeemed himself getting the winning goal. He played the whole game poorly though. On this penalty I think McCry Baby should get the 4 minutes but the other guy should have got 2 minutes for interference.

A fun game to watch and a close game going into second overtime period.

Early this morning Shaw GMC phoned. The motorhome is all fixed. I am skeptical.

I looked at the $700 bill and while not something Looking at the work done I can’t complain. They did a series of investigation to come to a conclusion.

As most of you know I dislike the auto industry business practices. In my mind it is the industry that has the most crooked people in it. I have good friends in it and i don’t see it but it is real.

After checking the injectors, the catalytic convertors, the oxygen sensors and the MAF it came down to a plugged blocked air filter.

The mechanic from the first shop literally lied to my face. It was in for an oil change and lube. When I asked him if he checked the air filter he said Yes. The filter was dirty and the foam was wet and blocked the air flow.

Shaw GMC service department lead was fantastic.

$700 later I jump into it and want to see the results. It ran like a top. I pushed it hard from every light and on the highway hit 80 miles per hour ( 130kph). It ran perfect. Happy Happy. and annoyed, ripped off and lied to again by a mechanic.

I worked between rain storms and in fact took two loads to the dump station.

I hooked up my new “free” $500 surge protector as I had the old one on and it was tripped as usual. Here is hoping the new one works perfect. I levelled and hooked up the water and internet. Pulled out the slides and ran out of time.

Doctors appointment and visit with Alan & MaryAnn after.

This is basically June 1st and my doctor is making another appointment July 1st. What I go thru for getting a prescription. In talking to her it was interesting a circumstance happened where the AHS fax system failed and they are converting to a intranet system. I was surprised but her suggestion that fax is really the only secure document transfer system.

We had a nice visit with Alan & MaryAnn and Audrey. I was glad they had a good time in Drumheller and it is too bad we weren’t with them.

Thought of the Day

The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.  

May 25th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees”

I had to check the date as I thought it maybe March 21st the first day of spring. Yes finally after being in Canada for 51 days, close to two months, a day that is nice. Sunny and warm. THEN WHAM a storm flies in making it cold and windy with a lot of rain again.

Jackie and i went out to the lot this morning. We worked all day until supper time then drove back to see the game.

I was very pleased with everything we got done today. The yard and backyard completely done, wheel covers on, organized a bunch of stuff and Jackie has the motorhome interior looking great. One small hiccup in that the irrigation which was supposed to be on wasn’t so I couldn’t clean and spray the curtains and screens yet. Supposed to be on tomorrow.

A fun and worthwhile accomplishments today.

We stopped at Sobeys on our way home and I had to laugh. Watching people run in the rain. Some literally ran, some enjoyed it and others thought the world was ending.

On our return I was going to BBQ and let me tell you. MY fingers turned white. Homemade hamburgers with toasted buns were awesome. Even Jackie liked them and ate one.

Now to the game.

Thought of the Day

For those of you that don’t want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversation, they are making a male version…it doesn’t listen to anything.

May 26th/ 27th

Jackie and I headed out to the lot and have everything just about ready. I only need the irrigation on so I can wash the curtains deck and motorhome. The shed is all cleaned out, the screens and curtains are hung. The lot is completely cleaned so all is good.

A very good day

This morning the nicest of 2024 so far. The sun is shining and the wind is nil and the temperature just may reach 20 degrees. That is perfect.

You know how some days are just wonderful, some pretty decent and the odd poor day thrown in, today is another wonderful awesome day.

The sun is shining, we are heading to Lethbridge as soon as Jackie finishes her commitment, we will be on the road to watch August play soccer. We may make it in time for his track and field day but we will see. The Oilers are playing tonight and hopefully get one game up in the series.

PLUS it is the 15th Anniversary of my first Hole in One at Speargrass Golf. I was golfing with Jeff which was perfect as he got so excited when it happened it just made it that much more memorable. The # 7 hole, 135 yards with a Pitching Wedge, bounced once before the hole and then drained. !! The first of many I thought but only one other since then and both at Speargrass albeit different holes.

The trophy was for my first one and the hole flag (cut backs LOL) was for my second one. It is a good feeling.

A great day ahead. Love the sun !

We arrive in time and head to August’s soccer game. I will start by saying I was very impressed with August’s soccer skills. He played defense and literally was involved with every play. I believe the coach has tried to instill positional play so they mid filed and defense don’t run up to the ball or carry it. Staying in your position is great but the kids need to know to “hog” the ball the odd time is ok. It was a great game to watch. I think most people know I hate participation medals and it will create adults without drive but it was hard to watch as the coach put a disabled youth in net for August team. It resulted in a loss as he didn’t even know where to go never mind stopping a ball. I love the fact of inclusion but not at the expense of a team winning. Winning and being competitive is absolutely needed for youth to excel in life.

It was a fun game to watch and brings back a lot of memories of watching the girls when they were young.

Dairy Queen for a late supper. Fast food is no longer cheap food.

Atticus was so funny as he asked for ONE fry only as a joke. He didn’t think I would ask for it. The drive though window girl was awesome and handed me a French fry in a napkin and Atti was shocked. He was so excited an couldn’t believe it.

Daisy had a blast fighting and playing with Rudy and Olive. Her kind of day and she was exhausted on the way home.

We stayed and watch the Oilers. The Oiler have issues, deep issues that have not been addressed and will bite them hard. It is scary as I don’t think they will past Dallas without changing something. The lack of effort, the lack of urgency and playing 4 players so much they have no energy left to do anything.

We didn’t get home until just before midnight.

I finally got a message and lets see if it comes to fruition but the resort is going to pick up some windows on Wednesday at 1:30pm

Thought of the Day

Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the ‘cool table’ in the cafeteria of a mental hospital. 

May 28th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 24 degrees, Calgary 23 degrees”

It appeared to be a summer like day. NOT

It started off being a nice day, sunny and warm with no wind.

I headed out to the lot early this morning to get started.

I stopped at Home Depot for plants. Wow, a pint geranium is $5.48 now when they used to be a $3 plant. I buy the small ones as I can get them large fast with fertilizer.

A hiccup. Can you imagine a ice cream shop running out of vanilla ice cream, well Home Depot ran of of Dracaena. Purple, green or variegated you need it for drama and height to your pots . While my pots look great no pics until I find it.

So started early I worked all day. I installed as many solar lights that still worked. I need to a few batteries replaced in others. I installed a new sign light on the front facade of the Saloon. Trimmed and cut all of the bushes. Cut the lawn and trimmed the neighbors lawn.

I put together my new Harbor Freight pressure ready to work and once AGAIN no irrigation. This is basically June 1st and still no irrigation water. If the system was winterized which in this case is blown out with pressured air it should never be an issue. Either someone doesn’t know what they are doing or the itself is so weak. Having said that though waiting until June is bad !

I had two loads to the dump but only enough time to take one.

I phoned my Mom while on the roof today. Nice view and as the saying goes timing is everything. Her complex is replacing her a/c unit which is great news as it wasn’t working right. When they took it out it appears they did not maintenance to it over the years

When I get a good day of work it is amazing how short the day is and never long enough. I was going to stay out at the lot but we have appointments, Lethbridge, and Oiler games to watch. Tomorrow the windows and Thursday my men’s league.

One my way home I experienced a Haboob which is a rare event in Alberta. The wind and rain came up from nowhere and the wind was so strong the rain was horizontal. The wipers could not keep up. There were two bikers on the highway that had to stop and turn around as the wind and rain was driving into their eyes. They would have had to wait at least 15 minutes. Although the wind kept up all evening turning over our chairs on our condo deck.

Thought of the Day

What did one tornado say to the other. Lets twist tonight like we did last summer.