Oct 1st-3rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees”

Another day of deception.

I get to the golf course and was super happy I wore pants. I have to say for at least 5 holes it was COLD. Arizona where are you ?

None of us packed enough clothes. We based our packing on what we thought the weather was supposed to be like. The temperature got up to about 14 degrees but had no warmth with the slight breeze. We are a lot closer to the mountains also at Turner Valley.

Golfing with Rick from men’s group and two others that he knows. Very nice guys and we had a great time golfing together.

I am sure the weather had it’s effect on us as everyone struggled a bit. I know I was not pleased at all. In fact I took a 9 on a hole that killed my score for the day.

Our one partner looked like a very good golfer and did quite well. He was a right hand driver iron guy but shot with a left handed putter. It was just odd to watch.

I have run into so many people lately with what appears to be too much money. LOL This gentleman has a big house in Palm Desert. He is building a new house in Okotoks and has a cabin at Fernie BC. Quite an athletic guy playing tennis, snow skiing and golf in his early 70’s. Plus just being a nice guy .

Having said that some wonderful shots though far from consistent and some horrible shots. It is a shame to say but at least everyone experienced the same today.

It was just a nice round of golf. I got to try a few different things. I watched some shots just get away on me. Not even my perfect driving of the last two games happened.

Great day

I watched the debate tonight. All I can say is it is a shame these two are not the people running for President. It was a great debate, cordial, polite and yet poignant. My take is JD won with only one stumble but Waltz presented himself very well. I could never vote Dems with their asinine policies if I had a vote.

I think this will help Trump a bit. Now to just hope for 30 days Trump doesn’t say or do something dumb or stupid like he normally does.

I like, expect, get and have given good if not great customer service over the years. The odd exception has been auto repair shops which for no other word are just plain liars and crooked. Today I did not.

I left the house early. I had an appointment with a RV tech to look at my roof. I made the appointment about a week and a half ago. When I sent a please confirm email for today, the response was an apology. It’s nice they apologized. Still, they charge for a service call. They didn’t mention a discount or break for making me go to the lot. They were a no-show. Seems pretty one sided. They are supposed to be there tomorrow. I don’t care for that lack of detail and commitment.

So I started to finish all of the winterizing needed. Plus, finish off a few outside things, Still took me a full day. I installed my center support beam for the gazebo. Then, I placed my mouse seed and traps in the shed and motorhome. It took the least amount of time in the last 9 years of this motorhome to finalize the antifreeze. I bought two jugs and managed to complete the process with only one. My cheat sheet worked well. I still have one bypass that isn’t working correct but it is safe and will not freeze anywhere. I removed all of the decor items and put them in the shed. Pulled in the slides and lifted the levelers. I charged both the engine battery and the carriage batteries. These batteries are 9 years old and still test 100%. I take good care of them. I make sure they are fully charged. I remove the draw for winter. I have a solar trickle charger for the engine battery and the rooftop solar charges the carriage batteries.

My homemade mouse traps work perfect. I have these installed around the motorhome and shed. I use rat poison pellets. I also use non-kill mouse traps. They will be dead by the time spring comes. For added protection, I use Bounce sheets.

The only fear I have with my traps is an owl catching and eating a mouse after digesting my poison.

RV TIP

This tip is for anyone that owns a car or RV. I have seen so people do this wrong and it scares me as not doing it right is dangerous. First always make sure the plates are covered with DISTILLED water only. Yes, regular water works but your battery will not last as long or deep charge. There are just too many contaminates in regular water. Now for the dangerous part, everyone needs to remember not to damage their vehicle’s electronics or not to blow up the battery.

When removing the battery cables to eliminate draw or just to remove the battery, ALWAYS remove the NEGATIVE side first. Then remove the POSITIVE. When re-installing the battery, it is the reverse. This is extremely important to remember as a battery can explode and throw acid everywhere.

The BIG QUESTION is – why connect the positive terminal first on the re-install? It is simply due to the safety it provides in the connection process.

Connecting the negative terminal first can trigger a spark. This happens through your spanner or wrench when tightening the positive cable. The spark occurs when it comes in contact with a metal surface on the car. To avoid sudden electrocution, carefully attach the positive cable to the positive terminal first. Then, fix the negative cable in place on the battery’s negative terminal.

So many do it wrong. It is common logic when you think about the rationale behind the series of events. Your entire car is actually a negative grounding post.

I used my Noco Genesis battery charger. It is the best charger I have ever bought. I fully charged all of the batteries. I left the two 6 volts in series and charged them as a 12 volt. This “little” charger is a new series of hi-tech chargers. They work fast, are small, and protect against overcharging. This means they can be used as a trickle charger. If your battery is quite low they will take awhile as mine is only a 2 amp. Sulphuration takes awhile.

I disconnected the battery and half way home remembered I forgot to to put my Stabil in so next time. Means having to hook up the battery again. LOL

I loaded my air compressor and my spare jug of antifreeze into the back of the Jeep. When I head to Lethbridge, I have will everything I need as long as they have some tools. Every unit is different and hopefully a bypass and pickup hose.

Due to the winter temperatures we are experiencing I had to put socks on with my sandals. And my RV tech changed the appointment to Friday. I am ok with this as sealant at warmer temperatures is better and he phoned me to let me know. That is great and livable.

I whipped to Canadian Tire this morning. Have I said I love these stores. I picked up my Stabil. The container size is enough for my tanks. Wow, it’s over $20 now! It’s a very needed item, so I had no choice.

I picked up my dehumidifier to put inside the RV, something that everyone should do reduce mold. For $15 they are worth it and collects moisture all winter. I just sit it on the table and let it do it’s thing. ( I have 20 pound bag of sodium chlorate but can’t use it the RV). They say they last 2 months but mine is in for at least months.

I bought a couple of packs of pocket warmers for my fingers, golfing also.

Jackie wanted a special knee brace they had in stock. She is starting to fall apart. LOL We all need to get into the medical supply business, $40 for a few pieces of straps and Velcro. Crazy but hopefully it works. I think bad knees must be a inherited thing as she wasn’t too sports oriented after getting married.

I see so many braces, tensor bands and complex braces in my men’s golfing group it is astounding. A little pain lets you know you are alive. However, I am lucky because today my knees are perfect. Also, my parents, both to 90, had good knees.

I hope it works.

I have three golf games booked for next week. We are going to Lethbridge at some point. And getting ready for Thanksgiving makes it a little busy.

This year we are having Thanksgiving at our Condo. Unfortunately not in the party room this time as it is booked. I am glad we decided not to have it at the lot. Looking ahead at the weather, Thanksgiving weekend is not looking great. Jackie had to buy two turkeys due to the poundage needed. Takes double the cooking time as both don’t fit in the oven. We will have the standard side dishes of dressing, ham, mashed potatoes, peas & carrots, gravy, and corn. We HAVE to have corn. There will also be Pumpkin pie and buns. We need two different types of pie as for some reason not everyone likes pumpkin. Unheard of. LOL

We are having our get together with about 16 people on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we head to Edmonton to gather at Kayla’s new home for another Thanksgiving dinner with 25 people. Family is getting too big.

I love turkey dinners. I love turkey dinners. I love turkey dinners.

I will go out on the limb here but I think my sister Darlene’s turkey dinners are the best ever. Love my Grandma’s stuffing recipe and Darlene makes the best gravy. She is a great cook and we will see how Kayla does with her Mom’s help. Also nice to see Kayla’s new home they bought.

I have started to use the AI help in WordPress and I have to say it is interesting. I would say 50% of the time I convert. It does not like long sentences. My passive voice writing confuses it. However, it is helpful overall. So if you notice shorter sentences it is the Artificial Intelligence influence. LOL

I talked to my Mom and I have to say she is one tough cookie. 6 teeth pulled with sedation only so she still knew what was going on. Having that many pulled at once can not be fun. She is on a liquid diet for the week until the stitches heal. She had abysses under two of them which maybe the culprit of her ear aches. Tough maybe a understatement. She has had multiple TIA strokes that have affected her, she broke her wrist and didn’t get it fixed so has no strength in it to get up from a chair, she broke her bicep tendon so has no strength in that arm, she fell and broke her ankle so was bed ridden for long time, she fell and broke her ribs which punctured her lungs but refused to go to the hospital until she absolutely had too. Amazing. She still remains positive but the real change I see is in her is isolation. She still has a large group of friends that she talks to and visits back and forth with. However, she now prefers to stay in her room. She avoids going downstairs for entertainment or functions now ,but does like to go down for meals as a way to break up the day. I see this behavior often among elderly people. I believe it is a mistake because socialization is extremely important. It’s crucial not to shrink your world.

I accumulate Lotto tickets and store then in my dash when filling up a station. Today I cashed them in. Big hopes crushed but I did win enough to afford the gas home so all is good. $32 if it only had about 3 to 5 zero’s after it. LOL

I dropped off some testing with the lab this afternoon. Either we are healthier or perfect timing as the lab only had two people in the waiting room. First time I have ever seen that as the Sundance Lab is usually packed with long waits.

On my way home I drove by the high school. High school for me was some of the best years of my life. Looking at the parking lot I felt sad for the kids of today, Honda, Toyota, and ugly. Not one NICE car that I saw. A few cheap BMW’s thrown in but not anything special.

Below is what our schools looked like and most of these are over 100K today to buy. I am positive a Civic will never reach that.

A short list of some of my friends cars in school.

• Jim Kruse 302 Boss Maverick
• Tim Weir 327 Chevelle
• Dave Kruse 302 Z28 Camaro, 1970 1/2 Camaro Z28
• Alfred Willard 1955 Chevy Belair 327 tri-power, 1967 Camaro
• Larry Willard 1963 Chevy Nova SS, 1968 Dodge Dart GTS
• Armand Begin 1967 Cougar
• Mark Shubert 1968 Mustang Fastback
• Falcons, Chevy 2, Fairlanes, Demon, Nova ,Cutlass in the mix

Plus many many more thrown in. Some wonderful and fast cars. Kids worked on their cars and were proud of their cars. All looked different not like the cookie cutter Japanese, Korean cars of today.

I am so happy I came from a mechanical family with a Dad that was unbelievable in his help. And a big brother that passed down parts to me.

Just a few of my favorites cars that I have owned.The yellow a 1968 Dart GTS, the blue one is a 1963 Nova SS, the green one is 1969 Nova SS, the black one is my 1977 Vette and the black with stripes is my favorite a 1967 Camaro RS/SS. My K5 CST, which is still top of the list for a truck. I also loved my 1952 5 window, and a 1970 and 71 Monte Carlo.

Big Brother was another good episode. I enjoy watching it. Then followed by Grey’s Anatomy which is always a special show. The producer is spectacular at creating tear jerking shows.

Tonight for supper we will have a real change. We are creating our version of a Cobb Salad or Chefs Salad with garlic toast. Yummy

Thought of the Day

Salad is the art of making a meal out of leaves

October 4th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary20 degrees, Mesa 41 degrees “

I am starting to put Mesa’s temperature on my sheets. I hear the warm air calling. “Come home Larry and let’s enjoy some warmth”.

That just made me think we will be in the USA on election day. Riots or parties I am not sure what will happen, but it will be interesting.

Up and out to the lot this morning to meet with my RV Tech today. I was on the roof and noticed a few cracks in some sealants around certain entry points. I did not know the type of caulk required. I also didn’t know the process needed. Since a new roof is $5 to 7K, I thought I would get the expert and learn. This company and I started off wrong but after the fact I am very pleased and will use them again.

They arrived and started right away. Two guys that have the skill, the right products, equipment and willing to teach me. I went up on the roof and we searched and studied the entire surface. I learned a lot, discovered the correct product and methodology behind the process. The timing was good because we did not sustain any real damage. We did, however, have a small leak where the front cap meets the roof line. I did not notice it on my inspection prior but did see evidence inside a front cabinet. Derrick pointed it out and other spots of concern. I decided to have a complete roof check and reseal. These two guys worked for close to two hours steady and used 12 tubes of caulk. I looked up the specialty caulk on Amazon and it was $20 a tube. A self leveling caulk designed to be overlapped when needed. It fills the cracks and spreads enough to guarantee a tight seal. They caulked every roof opening and took special care on the front and back caps to roof edge molding.

Total cost $750 which I am ok with considering the product has a 10 yr life span.

They did an awesome job with pretty sticky caulking. Looks great, done right and I will be prepared with the knowledge for next time. I would have missed the caps if they were not shown to me. I would not have had the knowledge to spread around each opening like they did. Next time if needed or one cracks I will know. Awesome.

It got pretty windy up there today for the guys as the Chinook winds were blowing hard. Great job Derrick Mobile RV Repair.

My rear ladder has one broken leg. It doesn’t get used much. I haven’t bothered to look for a replacement but I will now. I borrowed the ladder from our neighbor just to make it easier to access the roof.

If I can’t find a new leg, I’ll remove the old one. Then, I’ll look for a shop to weld thin gauge aluminum that is chrome plated.

I checked and for the one 7 ” leg to wall is $48. Nuts but no choice.

The frost last night took its toll on my flowers. I pulled out the dead ones. The great looking ones left are still fine.

First time in a long time I remember spending $750 and being semi happy about it. I am just glad I did it. Water penetration is an insidious thing. A dangerous thing and in most cases costly.

We bought our first hard side trailer new from Woody’s in 1994. From 1977 until then it was multiple tents and a popup tent trailer. When we went to trade our 1994 trailer in for another new one in 2006, they did their inspection. They discovered a soft spot in the floor. As a result, they reduced the trade-in value. They did ALL of the service work on this for the whole time we owned it. They discovered this hiccup only when we wanted a trade. I wasn’t happy and not right.

Speaking about insidious water. Our new shake roof in Shawnessy had a leak that drove me nuts to repair. Our AZ room in Mesa had a siding leak so I had to replace with a new piece of siding. Our AZ room had a leak in the roof. I had a local guy repair it and I repainted the entire ceiling. I replaced the front porch spindles in Mesa due to water penetration and rot. Water is very problematic

The RV lot is completely done for the year. I will need one visit to pick up a ton of leaves. I also need to pull out any dead flowers from the boxes.

Jackie was busy all day looking after her Mom. When she got home, I went all out making a delicious supper. All out. I buttered the crackers. I cut the cheese. I sliced the pickles. I even brought the can of soup up to the perfect temperature. All out. LOL Some would consider this a romantic meal.

We are trying to book flights, drive times, return times etc for Arizona. It becomes very convoluted. There are days allowed to be out of the country. You have days that you have medical coverage for. Consider prescription refills and new dog forms to be filled out. Also, timing with commitments must be taken into account. Why is Christmas in the middle of winter? I don’t like that we put a lot of emphasis on Christmas. It’s just one day of the year other than the religion significance. I know some people are not going back for Christmas and make it a new tradition. Change is inevitable and as the grand children get a little older Christmas can be changed.

The biggest obstacle is winter is too long.

Thought of the Day

I hate when I go into the kitchen to find food and only find ingredients.

October 5th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees Mesa 42”

2 degrees this morning for Daisy’s walk. Jackie had a long one due to the many stops chatting with other dog owners.

She doesn’t care for a big breakfast. I love them, so I had hash browns, toast, tomato slices, cheese slices, and two eggs over easy.

We got our airfare booked this morning which I am semi happy with. It saves me one extra flight home to renew my 90 days medical. However, I am stuck in Canada too long during Christmas. Also, I am coming home still too early. We arrive Dec 21st ( rush shopping required) and go back to AZ Jan 9th. This allows us to stay in AZ until April 9th. My preferred timing is April 15th but it saves a wasted travel day and $500. Now just to get my pills fixed up. Blood pressure pills that raise my blood pressure due to the hassle of getting them. Grrr !

The tickets were purchased but not without a hiccup. The auto fill used an incorrect name and to get it fixed required a lot of work.

The funniest thing happened today. We were working on the tickets, sitting on the couch. Suddenly, our door opened and an elderly couple entered our suite. It turns out it was the neighbor from the unit above us. He wanted to show off his place to another unit owner. He got mixed up on what floor he was on and walked right in. Daisy didn’t make a sound just ran up to see who is there and get petted. You know you are in a complex with a lot of old people when this kind of thing happens. Funny! Speaking of funny, here is another thing that comes to mind from our condo. The lady that parks next to us went to the Vet with her dog. She stepped on the gas instead of the brake pedal. She drove right into the Veterinarian’s office and wrote her car off with the extensive damage. Life is funny.

I put our internet at the RV lot on seasonal suspension which Xplornet makes easy. We need to finalize Jackie’s plans as Telus has that choice also even though more difficult to do.

Hockey season is about to start. I entered the pool again and hopefully with better results. I refuse to mark Oiler players down. It hurts my points a bit, but I have to stand behind my conviction. The Oiler’s learned a lesson last year. One or two players DO NOT make a team. I still should be ok without racking up McCry Baby’s points.

We headed out to PetSmart. We replaced a bag of dog treats we had bought that after opening, discovered they had mold.

Then off to Walmart and the Dollar Tree to pick up a few things. And wouldn’t you know it there was SportChek and Jackie needed a new pair of runners. She has very particular needs with shoes. We did find a nice pair. They were a little pricey due to Gel soles that are special that hopefully work out. I never heard of the brand ASICS shoes . I am lead to believe, very good especially for comfort and support, but time will tell.

Pedicures !! Root cause.

I need a new pair of golf shoes. I got sucked into a brand name shoe last year and NEVER again. Marketing is a powerful thing. I see loads of Birkenstock and SAS sandals on people. I am sure people are buying them like a Rolex watch as a fashion statement as they DO NOT have any other benefit for the ridiculous pricing. I buy an import sandal from Amazon. They are as comfortable as these brand names, if not more so, and cost 1/3rd of the brand names. I love them after being a SAS wearer for years. And I had to have my SAS fixed quite often to last as long as they did.

My weakness to the marketing guru’s brand name push was on a golf shoe from Sketchers. THEY SUCK with the heel wearing out and the toe coming apart. Less than ONE year and maybe 100 games. That is a joke in my mind. I had a pair of FREE Adidas leather golf shoes that lasted 10 years. However, I am not paying $300 for a pair of shoes to replace these. So once again I can get a perfect pair of golf shoes from Amazon ( hate to support China) for less than 50% of Golf Town or Sportchek’s on sale.

But I did get a pair of golf socks there. I misspoke. I wanted a pair and HAD to buy 3 pairs. I did NOT want 3 pairs but again marketing raised it’s ugly head. Golfing is the only time I wear socks so I guess the 3 pair will last a long time. I like the mid-rise socks better than the high or low-rise ones. Even though I had to buy more than I wanted, I am pleased.

A bit of running around during a nice fall day. Only 14 degrees but sunny and felt warm.

We were lazy tonight and picked up Swiss Chalet. I forget how good their chicken is. I also forgot how expensive it is. For the same price I could have two meals of pizza.

We watched a great movie on Prime so the end of another day comes to a close.

Thought of the Day

When there is no consequence for poor work ethic, no reward for good work ethic, there is no motivation.

October 6th

“ Mercury Forecast Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 18 degrees, Mesa 42 degrees“

A busy day on the brain. Viewpoint discontinued the free TV in our resort. Now everyone is trying to figure out what they are going to do. So many options. I did a survey among my golf friends and watched the Facebook groups. After considering everything, we just want TV at a reasonable price with the channels we want. I am going with a Firestick. I am going to download a Canadian VPN to access home channels. I will make sure to have all of my apps loaded to the stick.

So off to see an expert after doing my research. I will say BEST BUY does not have experts. I found a semi ok guy that I was happy with. I decided against but still may add a IPTV app but there is security risks with these as of now. Plus maybe decided as illegal by the CRTC. So far so good.

I picked two of them up and then headed over to Audrey’s to help Jackie put away the outdoor furniture. She had most of it cleaned by the time I got there. I moved all of the furniture to the front and we carried them downstairs together to avoid hitting any walls. It didn’t take that long, furniture away, rug put aside, deck swept and hoses put away for the year.

Then I started to work. I consider myself fairly good at technology even though it is changing rapidly. I do admit that I stay away from poor or antiquated technology like text messages or Facebook messenger. A smoke signal works just about as good. You can at least manipulate the smoke signal by blowing wind. Due to rapid change even the Best Buy guys are being experts at IPTV. I will say this caused me a slight headache. I thought I would load the VPN app on my desktop to transfer to the Firestick. I worked on that for about 2 hours doing many different things but to avail. So I unplugged my Smart TV and put in the Firestick and downloaded my Express VPN to the Firestick. I wanted to have my CTV and Global apps on the stick and set up. Quite a nightmare with verification’s, two step authentications and passwords etc. I had my laptop, my TV and my phone all working to get this done. Telus password failed after two attempts when you are supposed to get 5 and locked me out. So after about 4 hours I am about 3/4 ways done. The VPN app is loaded and working. Global and CTV apps are loaded but not working due to activation. I will get it done on a slow day. Then on to the other stick. Things should not be this difficult.

Boy I hate that my eyesight is not what it used to be. Makes it much more difficult to do a lot of things. Just a little less light or distance just not right and it is a struggle. Flashlight on phone and magnifying app on my phone is a godsend.

Thought of the Day

Don’t freak out about poorer eye sight as you age. It is natures way of protecting you from seeing what you really look like in the mirror.

October 7th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 22 degrees, Calgary 23 degrees, Mesa 41 degrees “

I AM SAFE !

Chewing food excessively may be a sign that men are at risk of dementia.

Men aged 60 and over who took 30 or more bites per mouthful had a 2.9-fold higher risk of developing the disease than those who took fewer than ten bites, a study found. 

An extra five bites was linked to a 16 per cent increased risk.

Results also shows that increased number of chews was associated with a smaller brain volume. 

I must have huge brain volume as I witnessed myself puking up a whole carrot without one bite mark. All right !

Today I am golfing with my best partners Daisy and Jackie. 23 degrees, shorts, and swinging free in the warmth. The winds are supposed to be Chinook like. They may keep it a little cooler. This could make golfing a little harder. Goal today is 78 and Jackie to break 100. It’s a longer course which will make it more difficult but the conditions are right. One extra back pill today to help my cause. Tylenol Back pills with the muscle relaxant built in are like a wonder drug. Any tightness just relaxes and lets you swing through the ball.

Ok a few things happened. First as usual the Chief Meteorologist at Global LIED. I don’t mind them being off a bit. BUT. A weatherman can say something else, and if it doesn’t happen, no one seems to care. They go to school and come out not having a clue. We were supposed to get 30 to 50 kph winds. However, we had nothing. It was 24 degrees out, sunny, and zero wind.

Jackie wore pants thinking the wind maybe cool. It was just a beautiful warm fall day hitting 24 degrees out.

I had goals but they were not met. Jackie fell apart a bit on the back nine and I had just a few two many mistakes. So no goals met. I will never complain about an 84 but it easily could have been 79. Jackie golfed quite well. Murray and Cynthia both golfed decent. I golfed pretty good overall except for the mistakes. Murray had some drives that came pretty close to mine. At every Par 3 where I had a prior HOLE IN ONE, the thought emerged. However, it did not come to fruition.

Daisy was just wonderful and did not make a single bark or noise for the full 18 holes. We actually finished 7 minutes ahead of schedule even with a full packed tee sheet.

We packed up and decided to eat at the clubhouse but arriving we remembered they closed the patio. So we ordered takeout and sat on the patio across the way. I had a wood knife to cut my steak. That was not the easiest. It is getting close to the end of the season and every clubhouse has limited stock left. I wanted a salad with my steak. They had no dressing left other than Caesar, which I did not want. So I had to change my order to fries. I laughed with the chef. I joked that I tried to eat healthy, and asked if he was trying to kill me. We still had a nice time. It was getting to be supper time. Driving 40 minutes to town seemed too long to wait.

We were the only people on the patio. Perhaps due to no cushions.

It was just one of those fun days I love.

Daisy is now passed out on the couch not getting any sleep all day. Jackie walked 11K steps today.

Thought of the Day

Now that I am older I can hit the ball out of sight !

October 8th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 23 degrees, Calgary 21 degrees, Mesa 41 degrees”

Will the weather forecast match reality. Doubt it but shorts and golf shirt day for me. I am playing with a group of guys from a Tuesday league that I have played with before. All nice guys so it will be a good day.

I will try to tackle Turner Valley with a good score. I have had only one game that I liked the score on this course this year. It just doesn’t work for me or fit my eye. Maybe that is why I like it so much.

ONCE again the weather people LIED. It was supposed to be 21 degrees. We started golfing, and it was only 13 degrees. It never warmed up until the 18th hole when the sun finally popped out. So a cooler golf day but still very nice.

It was one of those days that everyone played pretty good but funny things kept happening. Our one partner was under at least five trees and rimmed out numerous times. Roger played the best I have seen him. I had a chance to be under 80 after a good front nine. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes killed my score. Rick as always down the middle and in the hole ended up low net. So the final standings were I finished second in low net and second in low gross.

I golfed well but not the wonderful straight drives as today I had a power fade. No lost balls but tentative hitting it with the risks.

The course was spectacular and beautiful with the leaves not fallen yet and so green the grass it looked fake. Starting on Hole 10 without a warm up wasn’t ideal.

The clubhouse ran out of PBR beer ( our go to) so I tried their Caesars they bragged about. Out of 10 I would give them a solid 6. Good tasting, consistent as it is all premixed in gallons jugs but extremely weak in garnish. Good rimmer.

The fall colors and mountains in the distance create a stunning backdrop. The country quiet makes Turner Valley a great place to golf.

I never answer and usual have my phone on mute while golfing but today I didn’t and it rang. First of all, I hate phones on the course. They are disruptive. Addicted people like Jackie take calls or texts while golfing and lose focus completely. So I was surprised it rang and when I went to turn it off I saw Jackie’s name. It had to be important for her to phone me on the course. The Weiser Powerbolt on Audrey’s front door was acting up. I gave a few suggestions to try as Audrey was locked out. Luckily Jackie had a key. As thought it was due to a dead battery. These things are designed to give a low battery warning. Most units have a flashing color light or a beeping noise to warn users or both on certain models. Easy fix. It is like a fire alarm. You need to replace the battery every year, whether it needs it or not. Getting locked out isn’t fun.
Daisy was a good girl today. Her pee pad had towels on it. The towels were half folded and peed on. So she held her pee until I got home. She missed the paper as it wasn’t big enough for her. I knew as soon as I saw it, Jackie must have been side tracked and rushed out. She forgot her paper. It was confirmed when Jackie got home. LOL

So the end of another day and only one golf game left at Turner Valley this year. It has been a challenging course all year long. However, it has been a lot of fun with the golf group I play with. I made some good money with my Thursday group costing me only $1.30 to play

Thought of the Day

A 7000 step day golf game punctuated with disappointed and highlighted with joyful shots.

October 9th

Off to Raymond to watch August and Atti with Judo and football this evening. I plan to winterize their trailer and provide a step-by-step instruction. This way, they can get it done in the future. The cost now is about $100 for a service guy. They have experienced one incident of a freeze up and no one wants that. I will also blow out the lawn irrigation system.

It is a relatively nice day ahead and even Daisy will love it, getting to play with Rudy.

Dog pic of the day with Daisy protecting her squeaky.

There is a segment of the population usually older short men and hormonal imbalanced older women that join boards to power trip. Their cause in their mind is to “keep tenants” in check. All under the guise of “for the good of the owners”. While a few volunteer to these positions wanting to do right they get swallowed up in the stupidity and being over zealous in every issue. I have seen it with every board I have witnessed and in today’s world it is getting worse.

I was asked by the board to “fix ” this issue from our condo. I would have thought everyone in the world knows water and dust makes muddy dirt. You have moisture, heat, dust and mildew , algae it accumulates.

I risk my life reaching in the air to clean a plastic pipe because they don’t like the looks of it and for 17 years they allow a flower planter to look like shit right below it ! Karens and Kevins of this world must have their noses high in the air looking up for dirt instead of the whole world around them.

The first picture is the unsightly a/c line with dirt on on it. The second one is fixed after I clean it and the third is evidence the board members nose is looking to the heavens as they missed this ugly flower bed that has been this way for 17 years.

Now, the line will get dirty again. I think next year I may hire an HVAC guy. He will come with a ladder to remove the covers and install a new plastic line. Typically vinegar ran down the line fixes the issue but the access is cumbersome and difficult in this case.

The joys of communal living. I love the condo. It’s easy to leave, and there is no maintenance. However, I do not care for the idiosyncrasies of people. They leave notes, complain, and act as nosy busybodies.

What a wonderful day today. First the temperature turned out nice and second it was full of experiencing fun things to do and watch.

Such a nice and easy drive to Lethbridge. Tim’s stop and then on the road.

First thing on my agenda was blowing out the underground irrigation system. Again my hose blew on my compressor. Chinese products! I went to Home Hardware and picked up another brand new Benchmark brand made in China hose with 300 PSI rating. It blew after about 15 minutes. I reattached it again and completed my job. However, it is frustrating dealing with a bad product. It is a perfectly working compressor but I may have to buy a new one to fix the issue.

I got the irrigation system all blown out. Each line multiple times until no mist just air at all heads. I have one head to fix next year and I may look at moving or adding another head.

Then to show Jessica the how to winterize her unit. Getting someone do it is expensive and an easy task if you follow the instructions so it is worth learning. They paid for someone one year. I did it another year. They had a friend do it last year, which resulted in a cracked hot water heater.

I went thru each step. The steps are more difficult because this is a new trailer. Any professional nor I know where everything is, which is somewhat confusing.

I found the bypass under the side couch right side. Then discovered the pump on the left side of the couch with a pickup line already attached.

My system- relief valve, remove plug from hot water heater, open fresh water tank valve, open low point drains, turn bypass levers, turn pick up valve and place anti freeze with hose in it. Then pressure system up with antifreeze after turning pump on. Turn each faucet open until runs pink. Check for sprays and do the same along with shower taps and head. Open exterior shower and make sure running pink. Toilet runs until pink. Then put remaining antifreeze into each pee trap. Leave all taps open. Leave grey water gate valve open. Done And reverse in spring. I think I will help them this spring just for them to get the jest of it and I want to sanitize the tanks and lines with bleach and show them how.

Then off to the real fun things watching Atticus and August.

First stop was watching Atti, I think Judo is Atti’s sport. He loves it and is very good at it. He listens and does exactly what what his leader is saying. He was a little unlucky tonight with his pairings. His first partner was a young girl who had 20 pounds on him. His third partner was a young girl who was wild. I think she really liked Atti. He was supposed to hold her down for only 10 seconds. He made sure to hold her for at least 3 minutes. One time doing this special move he helicopter rode around over and over again. Jackie and I killed ourselves. He is very strong and with his work ethic he could go far.

He made a comment though he didn’t like the Sensei yelling him. Sensei demand respect and are strict which is good for every kid to experience.

Every exercise Atti excelled at.

Then off to see August playing flag football. Unfortunately, August wasn’t feeling well so he didn’t suit up tonight.

As I have said before Raymond sports facilities are first class. Electronic score board, artificial turf, and bleachers. Amazingly lucky for the families.

It was an easy drive home and a nice finish to a wonderful fun day !!

Thought of the Day

All of our grand children are brilliant and beautiful. They must have inherited that from their Papa.

October 10th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary 14 degrees, Mesa 40 degrees”

My last game today of 2024 at Turner Valley. You see the forecast and you dress warm. Jackie had bought me pair of lined pants which are fantastic. A couple layers of coats and I was all set. It was cool, not cold and decent to golf in. After a few holes with the sun, it was fine. Then a cloud head flowed in. The temperature dramatically dropped.

It was a good day golfing. All of us played quite well. BUT the greens were set up for a prior Iron Man tournament with very difficult hole placements. Many three putts.

How it ended you ask? I did well winning the overall and the back nine. Money in my pocket. I finished low gross and low net scoring with a mid eighties score only due to putting.

It was one of those fun days. Certain days are just fun and this was of them.

Thought of the Day

The difference between a good golf shot and a bad one is small.

October 11th Thanksgiving Weekend

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees, Mesa 39 degrees “

It is starting to cool down everywhere now. I am glad we chose to use the condo instead of the lot. It is just too cold at 13 or 14 degrees outside to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.

Wow busy and actually hard on the back. Up and out of the house by 9am and headed to Costco. Normally, I would not do this on a long weekend. But, we are bringing pies up to Edmonton. You can’t beat Costco for good and inexpensive Pumpkin Pie.

To say it was busy was a understatement. The parking lot, the line up for carts and the line at the tills were amazing. The amount of people in the store unbelievable. I will say this. I had the time of my life. A huge smile was on my face as I weaved up and down the aisles. One small clip of a old woman with a cane but no damage done. I was on the Daytona 500 and no stopping me. It was really a blast. I discovered Costco’s trick with pies. The pies are on a two tier table. The freshest baked ones are on the bottom. They are not meant for sale yet, but they are easily available.

Then I get to the self checkout. I have to say, as humans, there are a lot of dumb people out there. There was this senior not that old that could not figure out how to get the machine to work. It has PERFECT easy instructions. He kept trying to input his card and scan his card on the side debit machine. Finally an older guy behind him shows him how to scan it on the scanner and then the product. And I am going to say he was not the only one. Made me smile when the other showed him and it hit him how easy it was. Next time I hope he will not hold the line up.

I have to say once more the Daytona 500 with a grocery cart is fun. One close head-on event where we both laughed and had to serve.

I get home and get to work. We have a large group of 16+ people this year for Thanksgiving. In our condo, we hate the mess that happens in the kitchen when cooking such a large meal. We have chairs by the island that look right in, so as we have done before, we are going to prep everything we can, today. The open concept idea for a kitchen really doesn’t work in cases like this.

I would love a double oven and a 6 burner stove. It is not easy to have everything ready with limited space and not enough heating spots.

Cooking is fun but like doing any work the proper tools help tremendously. Taking on too big of a job is similar to cooking too big of meal. Most would agree a 10 person or so meal is easy. Once you hit 15 to 20 it becomes that much more complicated and difficult. But that is what happens as a family grows with additions of kids, boyfriends, husbands, wife’s etc.

My plan today includes cooking 2 full turkeys, which equals 25 pounds of meat. I will premake the dressing and prepare 10 pounds of potatoes. The turkey stays moist by tenting it in tinfoil and having the chicken broth steam the meat when reheating. The potatoes require a bit of caution but I add hot 50/50 cream and butter and stir lots while reheating. I will do this pan on the BBQ with one pan of turkey meat. I have all of the dressing in a tin foil pan ready to just reheat. If more moisture is needed broth works perfect. So tomorrow reheating, peas & carrots mixed, kernel corn, ham roast and buns.

Need two fridges. LOL

Carving a turkey is something I am not great at. I am perfect at extracting the white meat but the dark meat is a pain. I guess that defines me as a breast guy. Getting the knife into the joint in the correct spot, and hacking off the dark meat is difficult. I also don’t like seeing the hemoglobin. I know it is not blood, and the turkey is fully cooked, but I don’t care for it. Besides very few people actually eat dark meat. Did you know that dark meat has more iron in it? However, it also has more calories due to the extra amount of saturated fat.

As I write this, the second turkey is in the oven. I will make gravy when it is done. It will be reheated tomorrow. Now the traditionalists will complain it is not right out of the oven or fresh etc. My answer is: when you go to the fanciest of restaurants and order anything, do you really believe it is fresh? Is it right out of the oven? NEVER. It tastes just as good and one million times easier and allows some interaction with the group instead of stuck cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.

Jackie was busy all day with her Mom.

It took me 6 hours to complete the meal prep for tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and having a good Thanksgiving meal. I actually like Thanksgiving more than Christmas. It is more about the group, the food, and gathering. It is less focused on material things and decorations.

I had to bug my Oiler fans. They had a brutal start last season and an extremely disappointing ending to last year. There is a saying hit them while they are down. Well the first game of this season and the Oiler’s looked worse than last years first 20 games. I don’t care what excuse, what irrational thought process to defend this anyone uses, it was just bad. Mentally it HAS to affect the players and destroy their confidence. What was especially nice everyone in my pool will have Mc Cry Baby on their team and he added ZERO points.

This from a team that some experts say may make the finals again. 6-0 and not even an effort. Skinner the #1 goalie was horrible. Where were Mc CryBaby and Leon. Is this a sign of what is ahead for Edmonton this year. Time will tell but from my perspective it sure is fun to rub salt in the wounds.

The Flames ended last year tied with the Oiler’s winning no cup.

Thought of the Day

Starting slow is still a start. See Oiler fans I care and am here to support you .

October 12th -13th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 13 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees, Mesa 39 degrees”

Food galore for the next couple of days.

Big sports game this afternoon also. Elks versus Stamps. I need Calgary to win by more than 36 points. At the moment I owe Fred 36 beer and need that cut back or gone. AND then we decide to use our second string QB as we are out of the playoffs anyways. Doesn’t help my cause. LOL

Oilers and Flames are playing this weekend. I want a blow out loss for Edmonton and a great win for Calgary. Time will tell.

Looking at the weather it is looking like no more golf in Canada this year. I don’t need to play in 8 or 9 degree weather. In two weeks, I can golf in 39 degrees weather.

Soon the rush will start as people arrive and we get the food ready. So much easier the way we did again this year. And hopefully as good tasting.

Cutting to the chase. I maybe biased but I thought the meal was excellent. Just to recap what we cooked. We prepared 25 pounds of turkey with my secret 11 herb & spices. We also had 10 pounds of potatoes, 2 pounds of green peas, and 2 pounds of carrots. Additionally, there were 3 pounds of brown sugar glazed ham with pineapple. We also had 2 pounds of kernel corn and 1 pound of beets. There was at least 3 pounds of dressing. Finally, we served loads of gravy along with fresh buns. We had the oven, all four burners, and the BBQ going to get everything done.

If the guests did not witness us, they would never have guessed. Eighty percent of the work was done the day before.

Had to have pumpkin pie.

It’s so nice to not have a huge mess. The hectic pace and timing of getting it all ready can be overwhelming and this way it is easy.

Today we had Audrey, Penny, Jessica, Atticus, and August. Victoria, Corey, Jackson, and David were here, also. Alan, MaryAnn, Kennedy, and Chris joined us as well. Along with Jackie & I.

A couple of handouts of left overs but not a huge amount left so pretty good with the quantities.

A fun day with a birthday celebration for Dave included.

Just about had everyone. Danielle and Justin along with Erin, Kristin, Sheldon and Silas were the only ones missing.

To the sporting events today. Well the Stamps finished in last place after losing to the Elks. Not only losing hurts but I now owe Fred 41 beer to be paid in Mesa when we see him. Should I tip him 7 beer not to open a case ? Should we have a game night after payment and I drink 12 of his beer I gave him ? Options lol

The Oiler’s are playing and the Flames are playing. As I write everything is going well with Edmonton currently losing and us winning. Fingers crossed.

Up early tomorrow morning to get ready and head to Edmonton. I should pretend my car has auto drive. I know every bump on the Hwy 2 and drive with my eyes closed. There is nothing to look at. The average speed is only 110 kms per hour. One could fall asleep. The four lanes all the way make it a very boring drive. I hope I find a rabbit to bump up the speed and make it a quicker trip.

Thought of the Day

Remember as far as any outsider knows we are a average normal family.

October 14th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 24 degrees, Mesa 36 degrees “

Love Thanksgiving. As I said more than Christmas.

We were up early and out of the house by 8am. Our first stop was dropping off Daisy with Audrey. Audrey loves the company. Daisy also enjoys the company instead of being by herself the whole day. After the fact we could have brought her as Kayla has a wonderful large fenced in back yard.

Next stop at Victoria’s place. We needed to see how to split up the group. The number of people and dogs could not fit in one vehicle. It ended up the Hickens with kids and dogs in one and the Waldies and dog with us.

As usual a nice easy drive up the QE2. Except this time the cops had a blitz on as we saw at least 8 cop cars on the road or with stopped cars. It is a pain in the ass to drive so slow on such a straight highway. It means setting the cruise at 119 and letting it do it’s thing as there were no “rabbits” .

We eliminated photo radar on the provincial funded freeways Anthony and Stony, now we just need to raise the speed limit on the QE to 125 kms. There will NOT be ONE more accident on the road.

Christian and Kayla have a wonderful home on the south end of Edmonton. I did find it odd that every community in the area is Indigenous named. Bearpaw, Yellowbird and Erminskin

Fantastic community with loads of parks and easy access to Black Mud Creek Ravine. A nice two story with a large private backyard, a perfect place for a family. The house and community was an executive area in the 80’s. It hasn’t been renovated yet so loads of potential. It has been years since I have seen Ribbon Grain Mahogany doors with 356 Mahogany trim work. A spec home or standard home in the late 70’s or early 80’s featured Rotary Grain Mahogany. It also had #37 hospital Mahogany base instead of the 356 Trim. This home offers a great opportunity to make it your own. As an upscale home in the 80’s, it was built well.

It was a large “Willard” group this year and the first in many years where everyone was together. It is amazing to think two people Dad and Mom could “seed” the planet with such abundance.

Mom, Darlene, Jim, Kari, Kayla, Christian, Gabriel, Alfred, Mary, Graham, Miranda, Jessie, Gage, Destiny, Page, Garrett, Janet, Ainsley, Jackie Larry Jessica Penny August Atticus Victoria Corey Jackson . A cousin of Christian’s was there also Ray and Abby. Big gathering but loads of room in the house and backyard.

There were people in every room and outside enjoying their meal.

A few family pictures.

This first one is of Mom ( her fault over populating the world) with her 6 Great Grandsons.

This next pic is Mom’s Grandkids with their spouses ( missing Garrett’s family) and Miranda

The next one is of Mom and us kids with spouses .

And the last one with as many as were available at the time. We were so lucky with the weather.

It amazing how fast a family grows.

Synopsis:

A wonderful family gathering with everyone which is a rarity. I would love to have seen Cassie and her family come though. Kayla’s home worked out perfect especially with her backyard and as usual Darlene’s cooking skills were exceptional. Her turkey meals are my favorite. I might only prefer when Grandma used to cook on the farm for us our Christmas meal.

( Note: many of Grandma’s recipes are used by the family still today)

A easy drive home even with the highway a little more busy, so a little slower.

We watched the scoring of the Battle of Alberta in hockey. The Flames played a great game again. The Oilers had a typical game, thinking they are better than they really are and not even playing. Mc Cry Baby and Leon are non existent. 3 goals in three games for one of the top offensive teams. Are the players asking for another coach or GM change ? 16 goals for the Flames in 3 games.

Make no mistake here…where the Oilers find themselves is due to a totally inept management team of Jackson and Bowman .

They got a couple of perceived bad breaks — two disallowed goals, one obvious, one questionable — and the Oilers hung their heads. There were tears on the bench crying about it being unfair. Instead of owning it and accepting it they will blame it on Bettman.

And the Oscar goes to Skinner. The crying towel to Mc Cry Baby.

There aren’t any participation ribbons in the National Hockey League, and teams that average one goal per game — Edmonton’s average through three games — lose a lot more than they’ll ever win.

Calgary team versus the Edmonton team. A little different when you play for a roster spot instead of an overpaid contract, makes you hungry!!

Go Philly GO

Calgary hasn’t been in first place for a long time so I have to savor it. No matter how short lived it is. LOL

So ends another year of Thanksgiving. It was a very fun weekend. After three days of eating, I gained only 1.5 pounds. It’s pretty easy to bring that back by tomorrow or the next day.

Thought of the Day

The best times happen with a gathering of family or friends.

October 14th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 18 degrees, Calgary 24 degrees, Mesa 36 degrees”

The second last day of fall like weather until winter hits. It was beautiful today. We relaxed this morning. Then we packed up a lunch and picked up Audrey. We spent the bulk of the afternoon at Fish Creek Park and Annie’s. Absolutely lovely in the warmth and loads of fun people watching.

We had to have Fanny’s ice cream cones. I was much smarter this time and ordered it in a waffle cone. The scoops are so big in a regular cone they fall out.

We had the left overs for supper and you have to love turkey dinner warm ups. One turkey sandwich for tomorrow then no more turkey until the USA Thanksgiving.

Thought of the Day

Sunglasses allow you to stare at people without getting caught. It’s like Facebook in real life.

October 15th–16th

Mercury Forecast Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees and Mesa 35 degrees “

I worked on our cruise this morning. It took a bit to get this all fixed up for the excursions. We have used Princess on every cruise until this time. Princess did not have a good itinerary to the French Polynesian’s so we booked Norwegian. Getting a loyalty program, account for excursions, special, and deals all set up plus downloading the mobile app. I had to use the Chatbox ONLY because a middle name was not registered. Neither the agent nor I could figure out what was going on. He finally suggested using Chrome rather than Edge. I gave it one more try with my laptop Edge and noticed the middle name missing on the booking. YEA, it worked. 323 days until we leave. Booking excursions are opening. I will do a bit of investigating and see what Alan & MaryAnn are interested in. At this age, it is good to think outside of the box. We should experiment and make the vacation an unforgettable experience. I am considering mile high sky zip lines. Shark diving is another option. We could also try hill climbing like at Pen Y Fan in Wales instead of looking at majestic waterfalls or the rain forest.. For my part I will attempt to gag on sushi. I saw an interesting excursion. You visit a native home and enjoy a home-cooked meal and experience local traditions.

This will be our most expensive cruise. It is 14 days and includes a 15 hour flight. However, I think it will be our most exotic one. They like pigs and chicken in this region not all seafood and rice LOL

Only 323 days until paradise.

I whipped out to Oasis today and the lot & motorhome are completely done, ready for winter. I didn’t get a chance to talk to our neighbors but they have their new 5th wheel in place. A beautiful unit. I searched the manufacturer and they have very good reviews. Especially for a newer start up RV manufacturer. Exceptional in design. A little too fancy for me as I like “camping” not a show piece where you are afraid to “use it”

There are a lot of nervous people in Edmonton tonight not wanting 4 losses in a row. LOL

I emailed Keith. I told him NOT to take Jenny to the Oiler hockey game night. It would lead to a depressing evening so no reason to wreck their anniversary. I hope he heeds my advice.

The ugliness starts with knowing we are leaving soon. The weather is turning. There are not a lot of interesting things to do. I could not stay in Canada anymore during winter. Once I reach 80 maybe but for sure not now. And 80 is only 12 winters away so one has to be cognizant of that fact and make hay while you can.

I booked in the Flex for maintenance. It is time for a tranny and coolant change. I will say this for anyone getting these done. DO NOT allow the dealer or shop to flush the tranny or coolant. In the tranny all it does is stir up metal filings that could destroy your transmission or plug a relief hole causing shifting issues and with the coolant flush it can damage your radiator and heater core. Changing the fluid accomplishes everything needed for another 100K. In some cars the tranny is equipped with a magnetic drain plug to catch any debris. Speaking of trannys so many people do not understand the N neutral on their shifter. Heat build up is the killer of all fluids. If you are stopped at a light or construction for a long time, always put your car in neutral. The torque converter is a slip clutch per say and builds heat fast destroying the fluid. Not using your parking brake is another killer of trannies. It is a small pin the size of your finger nail that has to hold the complete weight of your car from rolling down an incline and people rely and expect the tranny to do this. It is just wrong. Hold the brake. Apply the emergency or parking brake, however you like to refer to it. Then, remove the brake pedal.

The Oiler’s did it and now have the monkey off their back. Darn! They are too good of a team not to win. It was fun for a while to see the panic.

But the Flames are playing incredible. Some may say over their heads but I contribute it to hard work. Hard work over skill can win a lot of games.

I am going to bring up the Christmas decorations tonight. If my parking spot rents, I will not have access. We arrive home on the 21st so we will set it up then.

YOU CAN NOT HAVE CHRISTMAS WITH A TREE AND DECOR

It is a pet peeve of mine when people don’t decorate. It is not a cost thing as it can cost very little if done right. Jackson & I picked out our Arizona tree and decorations from Walmart. Our condo tree is a bit on the large side but it is fun decorating it. I don’t care for the taking down as much but the place feels free, roomier and less cluttered when done. This year only up for 17 days but worth the effort.

I forgot to load this picture. The Tamarack trees we have in Alberta are beautiful. Most people don’t even know their name or that they are deciduous. They are mostly found in swamp or bogs but as long as wet enough grow anywhere. We had tons on our family acreage. Our golf course has a few of them and they are spectacular. While spruce, pine or fir are nice to add greenery nothing can compares to the Tamarack for golden color. Another week and it will be a Charlie Brown tree as it will lose all of it’s needles.

Daisy is off getting her Arizona hair do today so will need a jacket in the mornings.

Thought of the Day

Just remember you have been through a lot and most of it is not your fault.

October 17th-19th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 10 degrees, Calgary 11 degrees, Mesa 31 degrees”

I am combining a few days together as we enter the time of year I hate. Now and the days after Christmas before we fly back. I am looking forward to going to Mesa. I have just about everything done. I need to pack my suitcase and load up the car still.

I took the Flex to the car wash. Wow, Hazel is the sweetest dog I know. Such a gentle kind nice dog but does she ever SHED hair. Now I live with hair everywhere with Jackie. I love the long hair, so I never complain. Hazel’s hair though is unbelievable. The amount of hair in the back of the car in just 6 hours of driving is amazing. Cost me $9 worth of vacuuming at the car wash.

When I returned home I noticed the dreaded road grime was still present. I pulled into the car wash bay. I sprayed it all down. Then I used my new chamois to clean and dry. I finished it off with my Amorall tire shine and it is looking good. I should get the windows tinted asap. Every time I plan to do this, a big bill arrives for something else. I need to convince Jackie it is the right time to spend money on this, as she doesn’t want it. I KNOW it will add substantially to the overall looks of the car. All shined up !

It is funny how the new 2025 vehicles look is akin to our Flex. Both the new Santa Fe and Toyota Land Cruise have gone with the square look. I like the look.

I always kid I am bringing my own hearse with me. A fast hearse mind you.

Look at these numbers :

The 2019 Ford Flex Limited 3.5L EcoBoost, which was able to go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. It was able to reach the 1/4 mile in 14.2 seconds at 100 , according to Car and Driver.

Compare it to a car from the muscle car era or a current sports car type

1969 Camaro 350 6.76 sec 0-60 and the 1/4 mile at 14.72 .

Audi S5 3.0 turbo at 4.4 sec 0-60 and the 1/4 mile at 13.30

It is unbelievably quick and with a tune I have seen numbers as low as 13.2. Crazy but fun.

While cleaning the car I did notice something odd. The drivers seat floor, relatively clean, the passenger side dirty and the rear flooring quite dirty. I like clean cars. People often don’t think about quickly stomping their feet on the ground before entering a vehicle. This simple action removes a lot of dirt or mud from your shoes. During winter just about impossible and the reason we have Weathertech mats but still does help tremendously.

This made me think of homes. The North Americans wearing outdoor shoes in homes is dumb. Not too common but done too often in my mind. Asian and European cultures take it one step further. They consider it disrespectful and rude. Having said that, there are exceptions in England and France.

I suspect the real reason people don’t like to remove their shoes indoors is the fear of putting their feet on public display. Who knows what horrors will be revealed? Old socks with holes in them? Smelly feet or a smorgasbord of bunions verrucas and cracked heels? Oh, I don’t even want to imagine. Smelly feet are a result of not removing shoes often enough.

But think of it no matter where you live. You wore your shoes with dirt on them. You might have stepped in dog shit, mud, grass, etc. No matter the length of time, wiping them on a welcome mat does not help.

Jackie wears shoes indoors due to foot issues caused by pedicures but they are never worn outside. Dirt can be brought in. The smallest of pebbles stuck in the tread can destroy any hardwood flooring or laminate with deep scratches.

I know it was ingrained into us as kids and is habit. Mom had white carpets in our home in the country that always looked fantastic. First thing I do, no matter where I am at, is remove my shoes. The odd time I forget something I sneak into the living room with my sandals on and I feel guilty.

So for me it is simple. Stomp your feet before entering a car, remove your shoes before entering a home.

Paid a whack of bills today. I think in the spring I will go thru and chop everything back. The expenses are getting too high. I will go thru them like a P+L and reduce or eliminate as needed or can.

It has been close to 11 years now of retirement and so the money pot shrinks.

IE if you spend 75K a year @ 11 years amounts to $825K and that is after tax.. Without a defined pension the funds get depleted a little on the quick side.

Here is our Daisy with her new haircut.

We are biased but she is a beautiful little dog both in looks and personality. This will keep her a little cooler down south.

I was surprised Mckenzie Meadows wasn’t busier today. I believe they are closing after this weekend so you know Sat and Sunday it will be packed. It was odd as the driving range was moved forward to hit from grass rather than the mats. I like it this way anyways as it is more real using a standard tee and no mat. The course as usual is in perfect shape. I like the McKenzie course, I like the price thru VIP and I love the proximity to our home.

Having said that my membership at Turner Valley can be as low as $35.00 a round if you golfed it 60 times. A way more challenging course and a social experience as it is a club mentality. Plus a beautiful course that makes you feel like you are far away from anything. I did not break 80 once this year at Turner Valley. Next year !

Ever time I think it is my last game in Canada another opportunity to golf comes up. I am golfing with my Turner Valley guys on Sunday. I rarely golf on the weekends but it is a special circumstance. My one partner that introduced me to Turner phoned and said he wants to get one game in before winter. This is from a man who had a double hernia operation 4 weeks ago. He just had a cancer cell removed from his face 1 week ago with 4 stitches. He still has the big bandage on it. He is ready to golf. I had no choice.

For years though Larry and I along with Rick have squeezed in a last game. Last year, we played on October 16th, 2023, at the Bridges and on October 28th, 2021, at the Track. This year, we are playing on October 20th at the Bridges. Awesome

Then the weather changes to winter for a few days and remains cooler for the week.

I spent all morning fixing up my Firestick. I have the VPN working, but it’s odd that I have to use a Toronto server. Oh well, it’s close enough to being Canadian. My loaded apps Global, CTV, Prime and CBC GEM are all loaded and working. CTV has an issue though. I see many questions exactly like my issue asked on the internet. Everything works in the app except for live TV which says “check with provider” . I tried uninstalling and installing from the browser instead of the app store but to no avail. I think we will be ok as we still can catch the day prior shows. I am bringing my Magic Stick for the outside TV as we get 112 channels on it in Mesa. So we should be all fixed up for TV viewing in Arizona. I still liked the park cable but change is inevitable. We have a new way of watching TV. There is also a new internet provider that promises a much more consistent signal strength and speed. Albeit, it comes at a higher cost. And no land line at the house anymore.

I whipped out the lot to pick up my Magic Stick and Michelle happened to be there. I took a tour of their new unit. Beautiful is all I can say. High end looking and wonderful layout. As a non-mobile trailer it should last them years. Fun to see the excitement when someone gets something new and loves it. I still like to “camp” so enjoy the motorhome but do love the look and feel of this unit.

Lots of leaves now as the trees are 90 percent shed. I will leave mine until spring. It is my way of being a naturalist.

The place is looking wonderful . Fall is beautiful at Oasis.

Lets all have a moment of silence for all of those forced to winterize their campers.

It is difficult to find camping for long weekends especially the first one. So every year I start early and for some years have been lucky enough to book in the fall. A rarity. Our group has changed over the years but I have organized it for close to 20 yrs trying to make it a fun outing. Travel distance and activities the most important. It started off with Keith, Ron, and I with our spouses. It has evolved as new people joined and others left. Fred, Ron Keith and I with families for a few years and then evolved. The Keys, Bishops, Lavallee, Graces, Ralph & Tracy and Oshira-Kamaric families all having other plans. They either don’t have an RV or have other commitments for the last few years. We have added Stewart & Carrie and Jason & Stephanie along with Amanda & Justin and families. The Waldies, the Hickens, and the Huggett group with Alan & MaryAnn have also joined. Additionally, Danielle & Justin and Dave & Erin recently have attended.

What started as a golf outing grew and morphed into a camping family adventure with some golf thrown in. We have had some interesting experiences and locations. I am going to attempt to name a few of them not in order though. Raven Resort, Bashaw Golf Campground, Three Hills Golf campground, Trochu Golf campground, Red Lodge, Meadowlands Golf campground, Fawn Meadows golf campground, Last Hill Golf campground, Discovery Park, Silver Creek Golf campground, Coyote Creek Golf campground , Alix Lake Golf campground ,Whistlestop Golf Campground. We stayed twice at Canyon Creek and twice at Glennifer Lake.

Each time with some interesting and fun things happening. Raven with it’s smelly hotel room for a couple of guests, Raven with a hail storm, Raven with Jason’s truck not starting, Glennifer with everyone’s batteries dying and multiple breakdowns including our motorhome and Coreys truck, Bashaw with Ron’s awning getting ripped off with a snow storm, Fred getting a flat tire at Silverwood with a mobile AMA tire repair call, and Ron getting a flat tire at Canyon Creek. Many more just not coming to mind.

We have been so lucky with Stewart & Carrie being techno guys so we have managed to watch the NHL playoffs or Big Brother finale shows on site. At Whistle Stop we did watch the World Juniors in the clubhouse on their TV.

One of my favorite things about the get-together is the potluck suppers we have. Over the years, we have enjoyed some amazing meals based on a country theme that I pick. My favorite three were the Chili cook-off ,the Italian night, and the Mexican night. Fred won BEST Chili, Ralph & Tracy won Best Mexican supplying Margaritas, and Italian night the food from everyone and Keith’s Caesars. Jessica’s Baklava for Greece was awesome. Air fired chicken wings from Carrie were awesome for American Pub supper. I really liked Ron’s pig in a blankets for England night.

I haven’t decided on a theme for this year yet. Some great food over the years.

This picture is just wrong. I should not have to wear cold weather clothes.

I believe most would agree there are a lot of scams out there in every area. Scam might not be the correct word. However, a lot of moves have intentions to benefit someone else rather than ourselves.

The government along with the financial industry are one of the worst. They have done a remarkable job of convincing people to work until 65 so not to pay out pensions. Average lifespan in Canada for a male is 78 yrs old. Work, save and only collect for 13 years. Great deal for the government coffers and an excellent deal for the banks to hold a lot of working capital. Middle age is really 39 years old. The unfortunate part of all of this is we are extending people’s lives now with medication. No quality of life but living longer. More dollars for pharmaceutical company’s.

Today was just one of those fun days. Jackie actually had a chance to sleep in today which for her is rare but nice. I snuck out to watch the news and have breakfast.

Then we whipped over to meet Alan & MaryAnn at Fish Creek park memorial forest. They really should do a better job of marking a tree and by they I mean the park and the “owner”

On our way to the spot, we took the Deerfoot. One guy caused an accident. This made hundreds of people exercise patience and deal with the backup. Hence we were running a tight schedule as after this we were going to watch a hockey game of Jackson’s. I avoided the chaos. I went up 24th to Glenmore. Then I went back down Deerfoot to Bow Bottom. Was pretty quick but still later than we would have liked.

Alan & MaryAnn were already there and searching. We believe we found the correct tree and if not we claim it as ours. It was beautiful out with the warmth and sun. I nice short visit with the Huggetts.

Then off to the rink. We got there at the second period. The players did well but unfortunately they lost 10-0. The other team was quicker, first to the puck and made some nice plays. Jackson team though was dead tired as they were 4 players short. So quick shifts but it is just too hard to compete against fresh legs. Once the score started racking up, the desire to try hard disappeared. In fact, one young kid skated to the bench during play. He didn’t even notice the play beside him. This resulted in a breakaway for another goal.

We thought Jackson played quite well overall. He has improved so much in his skill level, It is fun to watch. Too bad about today as it was like watching the Oiler’s implode.

Fun though to be watching Jackson play again. Corey was helping out the coaching staff. So we had a very enjoyable day watching him play. I never care what the score is if people are trying hard.

Oh I forgot something so funny. As we enter the rink, we see Jackson. He sees us, but he tries so hard not to look our way. That happens when you are 13 yrs old. I think I may buy a megaphone and yell Go Jackson from the stands, LOL

Then off the Brick Warehouse for a pickup. Everything went well with the order processing, the loading and unloading.

The short lived win streak came to a sudden stop today with the Oiler’s losing soundly to the Stars. In a game and McCry Baby and Leon only had 3 shots on net each. I am glad I went with non-Oiler players in my pool.

We got home and we had a wonderful supper. Penne Rigatoni with a tomato sauce with Italian sausage, onion and red pepper. Include an awesome garden salad. You just can’t have a much better tasting supper.

A nice walk in the evening was great. Just long enough for Jackie to hit her 10k steps.

Thought of the Day

If you thought a hockey players attitude stinks you should smell his equipment bag

October 20th-23rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 0 degrees, Calgary 1 degrees, Mesa 30 degrees”

The weather above is for today. Yesterday we hit 20 degrees. Most of the golf courses are closed or closing but I managed to get one more game in, in Canada.

My friend, one tough guy, had a double hernia operation 4 weeks ago. He also had a melanoma spot removed from his face a few days ago. Despite this, he wanted to get one more game in before winter. We managed that.

I picked up Larry & Rick and we met Dale at Claresholm. As I said, it was like a chinook wind with 20 degrees temperatures. That same wind had a nip to it if the sun was behind a cloud. I am allowed to say that now ?

I will start by the ending. Money was jingling in my pocket. Now the scores were nothing to brag about as the wind played havoc. The greens were shaved and like greased lightning. So everyone experienced trouble. Having said that get that wind behind you and a heavenly shot would happen. One hole a 357 yard drive.

Besides having a blast playing with fun guys it was just nice to farewell game for the season. Our foursome played from 4 different tees today. Larry played from the red, Rick from the whites, myself from the blues and Dale from the black.

I can’t take too much pleasure in the win. Larry played injured, per se. Rick is 79 years old. Dale had an off day. But it was nice to put Twoonies in my pocket.

The Bridges is a nice course and looks easy until you play it. It is not. It is a fun course. I had only one bad drive on the 18th hole which was nice. I need to chip closer and putt better and my score and handicap will come a way down. I like it right now as I am in sweet spot to win.

We decided to have supper in Claresholm and stopped at the Casa Roma which always has had good food. Extremely good pizza.

Our waitress was a younger Filipino lady that was no more than 4′ 8″ if that and pregnant. It just looked funny. She did a great job of looking after us.

Woke up this morning and Weather Alerts of possible snow. I can see numerous people in Calgary questioning if they should leave the house. Dumb ! Unless it is a full out blizzard this kind of weather is an non issue. The weather people seed doubt and anxious people cringe. As I have said before a storm makes driving fun because you actually have to drive, think and judge. I love seeing a driving school out car during a blizzard teaching the kids. It is the proper thing to do.

This alert of freezing rain brings up a interesting memory.

” Memory”

A few years back, Jackie and I visited Lethbridge. On the way back, we encountered a storm of freezing rain and snow. There were numerous vehicles and I mean numerous semi’s etc in the ditch as the road was glare ice. Some decent drivers out there though which was good. We were doing about 60-80 kms per hour max. We were coming around a bend in the highway when a semi right in front of us lost control. It headed off into the ditch. Jackie this whole time was talking to her Mom on the phone as we were traveling. On the bend all four tires let loose on the Jeep. As everyone knows or SHOULD know you can NEVER touch the brake or you are gone. We were free sliding on the highway out of control with me whispering ” oh shit , oh shit “while trying to steer. I lightly touched the gas and we straighten right up and carried on after 3 or so minutes of having a raised heart beat. I brought it down to about 50 or 60km per hour as did everyone else. Jackie never missed a beat , she had to feel the truck completely loose on the highway and hear me, but she kept talking. I often wonder if we had hit the ditch would she have hung up.

BC Election too close to call sounds just like what the USA election will be like. I watched the news this morning. It is just sad to have Kamala and Donald as the leaders. They are better than Joe and Donald but they are so weak, pathetic, and horrible for the country. One is so far left, woke, and green that the USA and world will suffer. The other is so narcissistic, egotistical, and leans too far right and one may say stupid. Of the choices I think the USA, Canada especially, and the world would be better off if Trump wins. I think he will scare the leaders of the world them not knowing what he will do and perhaps help ease tensions in the wars around the world. He will embarrass everyone with his antics. However, he will save the USA from economic destruction. China is trying to be the dominant player and every country is falling into their supply chain trappings. The left has rung up such a debt load on idiotic policy like student loan forgiveness and climate incentives instead of growing the manufacturing sector and stopping illegal immigrants. Anti-oil, anti- big business, pro-union is deadly costly. Trump will get Nato countries to pay their share. Shame on Trudeau here.

He is the better of the two evils. There should be TWO good choices with good policies but that doesn’t happen anymore. It is pretty sad to say this about where politics are in today’s world.

He being better, I still think Harris will win as her tenure will be less dramatic and chaotic even if damaging to the USA and Canada.
I guess we should look at Harris as ambitious. She literally slept her way to the top. using Willie Brown to appoint her to political posts. Willy was 60 and Kamala only 29 when they were a couple. No one seems to think this is wrong ?

We will be in Mesa during the election so it will interesting no matter what party wins. The last episode like on Jan 6th better not happen as that is not North American or we better not become that. Win or lose it has to be taken for what it is.

Speaking of elections, like i just mentioned days after the BC election is still to close to call. Having said that though. What’s is for certain is that even in one of Canada’s most left-leaning provinces people have had enough of radical, left wing, woke ideologies that keep criminals on the streets, drugs in our neighbourhoods, more immigration than our schools and healthcare can handle and the dream of home ownership out of reach. This should be a stark lesson for the left in Canada that your days of governing are coming to an end. Nenshi must look at this and say what have I done. He doesn’t even have a seat yet. Yet Kamala has 50% of the vote, NDP won an election in Alberta , it just doesn’t make sense.

We are hanging in there. Go Flames Go

Jackie talked to a work lady from NW Calgary this morning. At 10 o’clock, they already had rain and flakes. Noon here at we are just looking grey but nothing yet.

Well I will say this one more time. the South part of Calgary is in a different zone than the North completely. Many times, hail storms, floods, and snow storms hit the north part of Calgary. We, living in the south, witness very little.

Again with this storm, 60 car accidents, accumulation of snow hit the north and left us pretty untouched.

In fact I drove my nice newly washed car for service this morning on dry roads.

I know the river is like the great divide. It is also weird how the city is divided into cultural zones with the north being the new Canadian landing spot. When we moved to Calgary 34 yrs ago now we chose the south due to the proximity of my work. Best decision ever ! Easy access to downtown with McLeod Trail and and easy access to anywhere with the Deerfoot and Stoney Trail. It always appears to be less congested in the south. However, I know the population is considerably higher. This is due to desirability, access, facilities, and new communities opening up.

Special day today with it being our good friends 65th birthday. Jennifer Judy Johnson ( Harry ) or J she should be called is reaching a major milestone. I believe I have known Jenny since she was 15 yrs old. Maybe 16 but at 15 it is knowing her for 50 years so we will go with that. We have had a lot of fun during our times together. It has been a blast. ( the only thing I will mention is she is the only person that scared me where I thought I might lose my life in a boating accident) and she has hit me with TWO golf balls.

Here are a few pics from the last ten years.

My brother in law Jim Alseth is hitting the same milestone. Boy are people getting old.

I am SO fortunate as a lot of my friends have to deal with age related issues. Knees, hips, diseases, limping, hernias, pain, rotary cuff, veins, neck pain, and arthritis. Jim and Keith are very similar to me. They have only limited issues. We need to find wood to knock on.

A lot self induced, some inherited, but most are just a case of luck gone sideways.

I took the Flex in as we are leaving right away for a full service. As most know the car industry is fraught with crooks. I found this auto repair years ago that has been overall wonderful. They were better when they were independent as they joined Napa but the manager is my kind of guy. I went to book it in last week and they had no openings. The manager Bruce overheard his service guy Tim talking to me when I said I understand, and I will get it done in Mesa when we arrive. Bruce tells Tim get Larry in on Tuesday.

I arrive with my list and expectations and Bruce laughed. “I know you Larry.” He put on the counter the OEM Ford filter ( not the normal Napa made in China filter) and OEM Ford ATF. I laughed. For those that are not aware if you use non OEM automatic tranny fluid it can void your warranty. And an OEM filter is made to spec for the PSI and seal fit. MORE money yes but worth it. Bruce remembers this from my thermostat issue OEM versus Napa. Love the guy. Then I ask for a coolant change no flush and along with the a no flush ATF change.

He laughed and agreed. A coolant flush can damage a heater core with the back pressure and can cause more harm than good. So many people have leaks not knowing the root cause or poor heat. A transmission flush is an absolute no no. You push metal flakes backs into the valve body. This action can cause early failure of your transmission. It also leads to poor shifting until it fails. The valve body has extremely small holes for oil. The oil is pushed through these holes. Small ball bearings have to move in the channels to direct fluid. Any blockage caused by the back pressured metal grinds is catastrophic.

I remember how much fun Dad had. This happened when I bought a new valve body with a shift kit for my 1969 Nova tranny. Man did that kit work great. Hard fast shifts that would squeal the tires no matter how slow you tried to go. With the 2500 rpm stall converter it was amazing.

So now I wait to see what my dollar amount is. I guess it’s around $600.But it will be good for another 100K miles.

It was ready for 1pm which is amazing. Car inspection was great. One minor rear axle seal leak and 40% left on brakes. The leak is really a sweat leak so maybe in 2 or 3 yrs it may need to be repaired. The brakes sooner but still a good 30K left. Brakes are wear indicative of the driver. Jackie is by far is best female driver I know. However, she comes in hard to a stop every time. I drive the opposite with lower speed to the stop and hard acceleration from the stop. Not the perfect way to drive either but it is my fun. If we get the 130kms on the brakes I will be happy.

The bill came in at $780. Things are a little more expensive now but I am not surprised. This $780 spent is about 1 1/2 mths payment on a new vehicle so getting off pretty cheap. It is an investment in maintenance to keep the car in perfect shape.

I was always a decent artist. Audrey is an excellent artist and our girls exceptional particularly Jessica being an artistic lefty. But last night we discovered Jackson is a fantastic artist. Just look at these pics. AMAZING !

I have a friend’s son that does artistry work on the side making caricature car portraits from photos . You can make great money on the side.

I am impressed by his skill !

Frozen Frenzy with all 32 NHL teams on tonight. Go Flames. Boo Oilers.

Funny story to me anyways. I have entered this hockey pool for the last three years that was introduced to me by Alfred’s girlfriend Mary. It is a fund raising event for an employee or family member that passed away from her insurance company. The organizer is one of the insurance sales agents. I may have overstated his job a bit as organizing has not been his strong suit. First year long delays but finally done. Second year he accepts the E-transfer right away but my team isn’t registered for more than a week after the pool opened. I am not positive if this miscounted the points. I did finish in last place. I was informed by finishing last I get a free buy in this year. I thought as it was a memorial event I would pay anyways. I entered and paid, and the e-transfer was accepted right away. Hockey pool up and running and guess what my team missing again. LOL I find it quite funny. I am thinking I sure wouldn’t want to buy insurance from this guy. Common logic must prevail. You register 20 teams at $20 per team and and you have $420 in the pool money, you would think it would trigger a reaction. I feel bad for Mary as she is such a nice person and wants to help but I am not going to respond to the organizer and do not expect her to. If anyone really knows me they know I am very patient, like to give allowances and second chances but I do not give third chances. It maybe a personality flaw. I would like the organizer to finally figure out his error on his own and correct it fully just so he can have a learning/teaching moment. I have no problem with my $20 donation to a good cause without the game as I am going to assume he won’t see his error as things should have been double checked before going live.

“Memories”

At Turner Valley Golf we had an assistant pro organizing the men’s league. I had joined the club and wanted to meet people so signed up and paid my dues for the league. I was excited for the first game. When I checked in, he made an error. As a new player, he forgot to enter me in the tee sheet. I had to play with non league members after the players all had teed off. Not ideal but ok. Second week go to check in and again he forgot to put my name on the list. I joined a men’s league and he had me golfing with two female members. After the round I went in and demanded my money back. I sent an email to a board member I knew. I suggested this pro needs help. Alternatively, someone else should run the league as it is above his skill set. The board member understood. He did a fantastic job connecting me with my current league. I have been with this league for 14 years now. It is run by a member that is exceptional.

14 years later there still is a coolness between the pro and myself. Very little interaction which is good. People make mistakes but it is how you correct them that matters.

A good night for the NHL. Flames WIN Oilers LOSE so it made the evening quite enjoyable.

Thought of the Day

Its not the team with the best players that wins it is the players with the best team that win.

** after thought This is so true and indicative of the Oiler’s and the Flames situation.

October 23rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 36 degrees”

It is like the weather is testing and teasing me.

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN 4 MORE DAYS till Mesa road trip.

I turned off the a/c last night the first time since April 6th this year.

WORDLE in two by Jackie and I the same day. Two days in a row for me. A fun simple game.

Up this morning and Jackie has been going every minute since getting out of bed. Phone calls, video meetings, and letter writing one after another. I would say extremely busy and hectic.

I got up and I started to prepare and clean up. Tonight we have a games night and we are preparing Cottage Pie, Garlic toast and Caesar Salad to eat.

It is funny how times flies. I boiled the potatoes, cooked the beef, sautéed the onions, sliced carrots, measured out the peas and started cooking. Man that smells good. Three quarter of the way in I discover we are out of Worcestershire Sauce. You can NOT have Shepherds or Cottage pie without it.

I let things slow cook and whipped to the store. A quick in and out or so I thought. A old woman same aisle and same bin deciding on sauce and not moving. I finally reach beside her to get mine just as she leaves. In the aisle way a cart coming and this lady going and no place for me to get around. Funny funny. I do a quick dart around to get to the checkout. I get in my Jeep and the same old lady walking right behind me and I can’t leave. This just made me laugh. It is funny how when you are in a hurry things happen and the lady is oblivious to the fact. It does make life interesting. Nothing feels better than to smile. You don’t want to push people or scare them to hurry. But, it is funny how as people age, they keep getting slower and slower. Nature taking its course but mostly self induced I believe. I think if they decided to consciously speed up each time, it would become more habitual. That would be healthier for all.

I got home. nothing burned and I carried on. I removed the corn from my pie this time on Jackie’s request. I prefer it in but not this time.

I misjudged the quantities a bit so I boiled and mashed more potatoes and made a second smaller pie.

Jackie headed out with her Mom for an appointment. I cleaned up and organized. I premade the salad without the dressing.

It was a fun night with the supper turning out good. I like Shepherds Pie with salad and toast. It is a relatively easy meal and tastes great.

It was a great conversational evening and great game night.

I lost the first game by two points. Leading the entire game and then losing out by two points on the last play. I just had a couple of bad cards on the King round that counted. Good showing thought but I think I could have been robbed. I think an audit or recount should have been done. My win was stolen !

Then on to 5 Crowns. I lead the entire game and was victorious in the end.

Playing the games is always fun but I don’t care what anyone says winning is juts more fun. LOL

A fun night

Thought of the Day

Game ON ! Play to win

October 24th-26th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees Calgary 9 degrees Mesa 34 degrees”

FINAL COUNT DOWN 3 DAYS TO GO if everything works out.

Nice day with bright sun but still very cool and with the slight breeze just a little cooler.

I talked to Fred today and they getting all settled in Mesa. He has a big job doing a renovation at Tim’s place. He says he has been extremely busy getting a lot of the neighbors places ready. He is going to miss that part when he is in Mexico.

I started packing my suitcase. It is so hard not to bring too much. I tried to keep it light but I am sure once again there will clothes I don’t ever wear. I think it is due to having favorites. I like clothes that accent my natural athletic body and still feel comfortable.

I have one load in the washer and then done. I still need to decide about my outfits for our 2 1/2 weeks at home during Christmas.

I will start packing the car this afternoon when Jackie gets home from taking her Mom to an appointment.

No rented my parking space this year yet. We will take a lot of food over to Victoria’s place when we clean the fridge out. I will turn off the water and get our neighbor to check on our unit while we are gone. Patio is all packed up. Not a lot more to do.

There is a saying about live for today, as tomorrow is not promised. Or life changes so much tomorrow is much different than you thought.

As one ages more and more friends, family and acquaintances experience different issues.

For years I have had so much fun on Wednesdays in Arizona with Bob Ferris and Sandy Sutherland. We golf in a men’s league organized by Bill Lewis out of Saskatoon. Unfortunately, we lost Bob to the group when he decided to sell and winter in different ways. George Derby become the surrogate for years and we carried on having a great time. Today I received a message from Sandy about some serious serious health issues. His ability to golf and even come south is in question. Two years ago he bought a brand new absolute beautiful home in Mesa. It is gorgeous with a unique pool. The saying about living for today is so true.

Cancer is very prevalent in today’s world. We have done some amazing work in managing it. Having said that we are losing the war on the number of cases.

In the last couple of years, so many close friends and family have been afflicted.

I so hope Sandy recovers quickly. I also hope he is able to golf early in the year or even later before we all have to come home as he loves golf. Sandy & Barb actually flew to Scotland to golf at St Andrews. We have had so much fun for at least 10 years. I now have to decide if I want to carry on with the league missing my buds.

This picture is one of our fun times. I ride with Sandy each week to our games. He always complained about not getting his Hole in One certificate when he registered it online. I had enough of the whining. LOL. I created one and presented it to him before heading to the Whirlwind Golf Club. Ps notice the awesome car Sandy used to drive. That is why I bought a Flex for Jackie.

Sandy is one of those guys that is just easy to like. He has an amazing sense of humor, very intelligent, excellent businessman and just a kind nice guy. Our talks over the years have been so wonderful, and I discover we have so much in common. Listening to him, I know he put customers first. He had a knack for reading people. I know he would have been an incredible salesman. Even though it was car sales and we know the rap they get. LOL But he ended up being a dealer owner. He would have been a great leader of his company.

Jackie worked very long hours and late into the night trying to get things done before we leave. Her leaving an year end at the time makes for a busy time.

Thought of the Day

Work remotely they said and it will be a better life to work balance. Jackie is an example of remote workers working extremely hard and long hours

October 25th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 7 degrees Mesa 36 degrees”

Wordle in TWO again. Unbelievable, Jackie has tied me twice and got it in four another time. Just a hot streak going on.

I sort of had fun this morning. The girls saga with their home is still continuing on and I offered to talk to the inspection company and building inspector on their behalf. I will say this. Most building inspectors are like our Alberta Sheriffs. These officers and bylaw officers are difficult to deal with and have a greater than thou attitude. A way Too much power and NOT enough training. 15 weeks to become a Sheriff is not right.

Having said that, today the inspector was intelligent, knowledgeable, and cordial. I think the southern Alberta inspectors are at a different level professionally than large urban ones. The last inspector in Lethbridge was excellent. He allowed me to photograph my fixes for his deficiency list. I repaired the list and sent it back to him. I was caught off guard with a code change to have arc breakers for every room. Some of the others were a backing plate behind a 4 gang box. One I thought was weird. I had to move the light switch out of the bathroom. It was only 4 inches too close to the bathtub. Picky but legit and him being a nice guy it was awesome to work with him. This was on the saloon in Lethbridge for Penny.

Now in Raymond, they have a SIP house. This type of home construction is very uncommon. Most inspectors are not familiar with it at all. It can be an issue for them without having the expertise. It is uniquely different but in my mind a better way to build that just never caught on. Unfortunately, for Jess & Pen, the home builder and the engineer went bankrupt right after the build. It has been a 6-year convoluted process for them navigating thru the bureaucracy. It has come down to the final inspection ( 6 yrs late) having 5 deficiencies left. Talking to the inspector we came to an agreement that 4 out of the 5 deficiencies have been corrected but we won’t sign off taking responsibility for something that we are not qualified to do. For the moment. It leaves one left which is requiring a sign off from a structural engineer. No engineer will sign off on something that is impossible to determine or know. The engineer from the build also has gone bankrupt which compounds the issue. And the original building inspector is no longer with this company, so another issue. My hopes are that the inspection company will just close the file.

It was actually a pleasure to talk to a professional. He is knowledgeable and nice, and wants to help his company. He aims to clear an outstanding file that he took over. He also wants to try to help us. So all is good.

Time will tell now what happens. Will the file be kept open without anyway to resolve or will be closed.

Got my new internet provider all fixed up and booked for Arizona. The line is dug. Airbeam only has to install the router connection. We will be running 500 MB download speed versus the 6 MB, if that, we were getting with Jabba. The account is all set and the install is scheduled for Nov 1st.

We had a fun night at Boston Pizza watching the Flames game. I was surprised the bar was quite empty but I think most of the younger crowd were at Halloween parties. We were loyal Boston goers for years. However, they kept changing the menu. We kept finding better places. Tonight though the food was excellent and the service remarkable. Our waitress made the night with her way with people. I was impressed with Jackie’s meal size and looks. Yep you guessed it. Chicken Caesar salad. Everyone’s food looked just as good. Fast service, drink specials and lots of TV’s. I did wake up with a stiff neck though. The TV’s are too high and, in my case, to the right. Give it a day and it will be perfect. The result of the game wasn’t what we wanted but the team played awesome so nothing to complain about. With the multiple screens we had the Flames, the Stamps and the Dodgers to watch all at the same time.

After the game they started a music bingo game which was ok. I think I like Trivia better but it still was fun with everyone winning prizes. Like participation medals really except for the poor couple a table down from us.

A fun night.

October 27th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 11 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 35 degrees”

2 Days to before Mesa

Out of bed a way to early for a Sunday. We whipped to Sobey’s and picked up a bunch of stuff. Then we headed to Audrey’s for breakfast. There, we visited Kirsten & Sheldon and especially Silas. Terrible twos they say but not yet. LOL

That kid is awesome. At 2 they are a fun age to play with and Silas is extra cute.

Sampha and Daisy had a blast playing with each other. Kristen was in Calgary for a wedding photo shoot thru her company so came over for a visit. It was nice to see them.

Jackie had a few more things to do for Audrey this afternoon and then off to Jackson’s hockey game.

I have to say this. This was the MOST interesting game for minors I have ever seen. The opposing team started off strong scoring 4 goals. The teams though played very similarly just a lot of luck, bad luck and mistakes happened. Our team had two goals. From my line of sight, they appeared to be in. The opposing team had one that could have been a goal. That isn’t the “interesting” thing about this game.

About 10 minutes are left in the game, with the score 4-3 for the opposing team. There is a whistle call. Their goalie heads to the bench, but then goes berserk and attacks one of our players in front of the bench. Prior to this the same goalie had headed to his bench for a temper crying spell after a goal. It was mass chaos with the young refs not knowing what to do, what to call etc. It ended up two penalties for them and one for us. This scenario took so long including another crying spell laying on the ice to add drama to it. It would have called a delay of game. It took so long they moved the time clock ahead by 8 minutes to 2 minutes left which gave Jackson’s team no chance to catch up.

Talking to Jackson after the game supposedly one of his team mates was chirping and called the goalie a

Now I do not condone bullying or harassment but if the goalie is that fragile as 13- 15 yr old and can get that upset he needs help. Maybe not play in a league sport. Jackson’s team was very sportsman like and didn’t continue to pester him. ( in competitive sports though you see a weakness you do need to use that to your advantage)

The opposing team must have had many 15-year-olds. They were huge compared to our team.

Jackie & I were sitting with the opposing teams parents and it is funny to hear the different perspectives.

It was a fun game to watch. Jackson and his entire team played very well. They had every chance to come out a winner.

Another fun day in the books.

About this situation here are my thoughts: The saying suck it up buttercup comes to mind. Is there ANYONE that hasn’t been bullied, harassed or called a name? Does it require action? Are you psychologically damaged by it? Are you not secure enough in yourself to know it’s usually an exercise to exploit your vulnerabilities, fears, or insecurities? Sometimes used to control and humiliate you. I think sport name calling is a tactic to reveal a mental weakness. It aims to unsettle your opponent. It works in most sports. It is called an advantage if you know it.

The tactic works in most situations. It just needs to be controlled and managed and strategically used.

IE :

• Show up for a job interview in a fancy suit and you don’t think the other applicants aren’t intimated.
• State proudly you are the Champion of a 1980 tournament and your opponent automatically assumes you are better than you actually are.
• Stare down, name calling has been done in most physical sports like WWE, MMA, boxing , judo, hockey, football etc.

Thought of the Day

Sport banter is sport warfare and is always done in the quest for dominance and victory.

October 28th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 9 degrees, Mesa 32 degrees,”

FINAL COUNT DOWN 1 DAY TO GO

We got just about everything done. The fridge and freezer cleaned out and hauled to Victoria’s. House is cleaned. Car is packed except for the final stuff. We are hauling less stuff this time which is good. We will be using the 12v cooler for pops, waters and lunchables again which works out great for us.

I filled and sent our CDC dog importation form and received my receipt of acceptance.

A quick haircut, pack the pills and load the dog and gone to Tim’s and then the highway. One quick stop at Jess’s and then Idaho Falls. I am not bringing my winter stuff this time as since 2007 the only time I have ever needed it was maybe twice. Keeps the weight down. Cornering at 89 mph is a little easier without weight transfer. Having said that the Flex is an excellent car for high speed cornering with it low center of gravity, wide tires and engine power that allows you to speed up after the apex.

I added up my points in the hockey pool that the organizer screwed up on and I would be in the center of the pack ,not a contender.

I picked up some golf balls for Jackie & I from Golf Town as they were on sale.

Booked our hotel in Idaho Falls. From the very first time we started traveling down to Arizona Best Western’s have been our choice. Both Fred & I had loyalty cards and accounts due to business travel and they are a mid priced, mid luxury chain that 9 out of 10 times are pretty good. Except for Tuscan AZ. NEVER stay at the Best Western there. Kissimmee FL wasn’t the greatest either.

Idaho Falls has two Best Westerners and we have stayed at both. The Driftwood is an older “motel” style but we prefer it for ease, and the dog. Normally it is about $30 bucks cheaper. But I did discover a new Best Western 30 miles further at Blackfoot that is even less. Looking at Washington we could take 59 to 89 and come in another route just to see something different. We will see.

Out on our walk tonight we saw this huge bunny. 75 % white already so you know the snow will not be far behind. I should have had my phone with me. Daisy was on her back feet as was the bunny. They were just staring at each other. Looked cute !

On our way first thing ! up at 5:30 am and out of the house at 6 am. It is amazing how dark it is at the time in the morning. A lot of traffic on the road which is surprising.

Up at 5:30 am and checked into our hotel at 5:30 pm. 12 hours total.

We had to have a quick Tim’s stop in Lethbridge. Breakfast was awesome even though my Ice Cap was only filled 3/4 full. I made a quick gas stop. I expect a long delay at the border. Snowbird renters want to get to warmth for the first of the month.

Then a quick visit with Jess & Pen with the boys. A nice short visit and good byes. I also checked out the needed deficiencies to be fixed. It should be down to a engineers assurance letter left.

Jessica had backed in her trailer for the winter and I have to say most impressed. It is a tight spot with very little room for error and she did PERFECT. Awesome !

Back on the road. We arrive near the border and I was shocked as it was most likely the shortest line we have seen. Perhaps 10 cars in front of us. Now I have to say our border agent was one of the most professional and friendly guys we have had. Questions done and off in about 5 minutes.

Interesting that with the media pushing the new CDC rules on importing dogs it wasn’t even mentioned. I think the Border Patrol thinks it is just another make work project with extra paperwork of no value.

On the I15 highway setting the cruise control at 89 mph the speed limit that should be on Hwy 2. Plenty of Alberta plates on the road. Only one dumb driver where I had to push them a bit to get back into the correct lane.

It was funny. We left Calgary at about 3 degrees and we ended up at 3 degrees. we had a high of 7 degrees and a low of -1 degree. We had sun, cloud, rain, sleet and loads of snow in the ditches in different spots along the way. 1000 kms south and the same temperature.

Montana’s beautiful fall scenery and Idaho with snow in the ditches and the mountains covered.

I think it was the second stop at a Loves Station which was awesome. They had a great dog park so Daisy got to run and play with another pup from Medicine Hat.

Gas is cheap this year at $3.15 a gallon. I filled in Lethbridge at $ 5.88 gallon. Even with exchange that is close to $2.00 a gallon cheaper.

Montana has such nice truck stops and many of them.

We landed in Idaho Falls exactly 12 hours later.

Fast food supper and Jackie took Daisy for a walk along the river.

We had our free breakfast which for me was a deluxe 2 egg omelet with toast, hashbrowns and sausage. Fantastic !

Jackie’s morning for Daisy walk but without success. So that meant a few extra stops on the way.

Today we land in Washington. Only a 7 hour drive and the final leg about 6 hours the following day. I think we are going to travel a different route on our final day.

The bed we had was incredible with the duvet and pillows amazing. We only lasted until about 9 :30- 10 pm then passed out. 5 am start and 12 hours of sitting tires you out.

A easy 7 hr trip taking a lot longer but still easy. We even managed to find our Sourdough stop that when the Waldies came down with us we stopped at. No mountain curves today, a lot heavier traffic including the 1.5 hrs to get thru Salt Lake. There is one section of freeway that is now 20 lanes wide. On the highway, though, with a lot of straight roads, we accelerated to about 95-98 mph. That was until we would get behind a slow poke. People just don’t get the fact to drive in the right lane if not keeping up with the traffic. Even if you are doing 10 mph over the limit but you have cars lining up behind you make sure to move over.

We did not get out of snow on the shoulders of the road until we got to Beaver. Then we warmed up a bit. At Washington when we stepped out it was 15 degrees but still felt cool to us. It is the furthest south I have seen snow on grass right beside us.

Jackie questioned my decision of the Best Western rather than our normal Holiday Inn Express in Washington. It was a lot less and on arrival a 5 star hotel. Amazing room and complex and I think it will be our go to on future trips. $30 to $75 a night less and of much higher accommodation levels. Great find and many restaurants within 5 minutes walking.

Finally, after a long walk at our hotel Daisy did her thing. I bet you she is glad and know we are.

Heading over the Black Bear Diner a special place with amazing food tonight that we discovered last trip thru. A huge family business log cabin place.

Tonight our greeter was awesome. The Mormons sure do know how to talk. This young lad spent 10 minutes telling us about his Halloween coming up. Angel, Nun he his two favorite costumes. He then makes a joke about his manager being a witch. The manager comes over and another 10 min discussion. I love it as it is fun. I order a Bud Light and then another 10 minutes discussing age limits, licensing etc. Our waitress is 21 but does haven’t her ticket yet. So no liquor. Diet Coke !

Two fantastic meals and a window seat to watch Daisy in the car was perfect.

Back to our 5 star hotel.

Jackie beat me at Wordle today 3 to 5. Darn !