May 1st

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 22 degrees, Calgary 20 degrees. Mesa 32 degrees”

The guys got it right today.

I got up early as Daisy needed a walk and Jackie ankle is swollen and bruised and she can’t put weight on it yet. It will take a few days.

Today was my first day with my group at Turner Valley. I love this course and never tire of playing it. As I have said I could save a lot of money if I played here all of the time but I would miss the fun of different courses and our golfing foursome of Jeff, Wendy and Jackie.

Today it was Larry, Larry, Rick and Peter. The course is looking wonderful especially with a lot of the willows being removed for aesthetics. Wonderful greens but longer and quite slow.

We all struggled with the putting. Hence not great scoring from anyone. Good golf and shots but the putting was hard. I never lost one ball of the tee box which for Turner is great. Even great second and third shots but putting killed me.

But a super fun day ! I did lose a couple of bucks.

Watching the Oiler game and they are flying tonight, The Maples and Oilers remain in the hunt so now we just the Jets to get to the second round.

Surprised that Edmonton won but they did well and being a Canadian team we want them to do well. A weird series, strange plays but a win

Thought of the Day

Winning is like finding that last parking spot , A small piece of joy.

May 2nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 27 degrees, Calgary 26 degrees Mesa 33 degrees”

Gorgeous summer like day. Funny how much a spring 26 degree days feels like compared to a 26 degree in AZ. Much cooler. But it was wonderful.

Golfing today with Daisy being looked after by Audrey.

As we were too late to cancel a tee time we had to pay for Jackie even though she couldn’t golf. So even as a gimp she was our caddie for the day driving the cart with Wendy and watching our balls. I think she still had an ok day.

Her ankle is starting to turn black/blue/yellow and is still swollen but it is getting better faster. She never complains and tries to most thing herself while being careful of her injury. As bad as it is I am thinking at least another two to three days before it is able to support weight.

I thought Jeff today played his best game in years. He is driving the ball long and straight with very few issues. Some errand shots and mistakes but overall extremely well played. Putting got to everyone today again. Wendy had some of her usual great drives and shots mixed with the bad ones that popped up. But to play with her hip as it is with bone on bone is remarkable.

Put two handicapped people in one cart one with a ankle, two knees, elbow and one with a hip and give them a handicap flag for their cart.

A nice golfing day capped off with a great supper on the deck. You got to love summer.

I talked to Mom today and she is doing quite well after her surgery. They fused a few spine joints. I am hoping this will result in less daily pain as her back is a mess. To have spontaneous fractures happening is horrible.

After golfing we went to pick up Daisy and Alan & MaryAnn were there. So we had a nice visit. The rear deck Alan painted looks great.

A fun summer like day comes to close.

Thought of the Day

I need six months of summer, twice a year

May 3rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 27 degrees, Calgary 28 , Mesa 34 degrees”

Wow ! The first time in a long long time I actually felt sweat no perspiration. It was supposed to be 28 and it got there if not more.

I took Daisy for a walk as Jackie’s ankle still is swollen. I think I remember a hereditary gene issue from the Craven side about swollen ankles. Crankles ?

I headed out to the lot first thing after a stop to get breakfast/lunch and started to work. As I said it was hot out. I finished off the water cleansing which included the water hose, the fresh water tank, every tap including shower and toilet spray. I back washed the hot water heater and installed a new anode rod. I installed a new particle 7 water filter. I had a hard time finding a #8 so this will work just fine. Lowered the levelers and adjusted them to absolute level. Pushed out the bedroom slide then main room slide. Threw away all of the rat poison and moved my auto catch mouse traps into position. Inspected all of the slide seals and lubricated them with spray silicone. Removed the cold return filters and cleaned them. I then started each appliance. Success on the stove, successful start with the furnace. A/C started up and cooled perfectly, Wi-Fi up and running, hot water started and worked on gas and electric, fridge took a bit but got both the electric and gas working perfect. Tires and fluids just left to do before our trip.

I cleaned out and organized my main storage bin and organized the BBQ bin and accessories.

I started to take off the tarps and unstrap everything. Cleaned up the leaves blown in the gazebo, put away my wood strips that were pin nailed to hold the tarps, placed the chairs, couch and bar into place. Cleaned up the kitchen and connected the power to the patio and Saloon.

I took a 15 minute rest to phone Mom. Turns out her a/c isn’t working and this is a brand new one. I am sure after talking to Darlene who is good with this type of thermostat that they technicians did not recharge it with refrigerant when they worked on it. I left a message with the home but knowing nothing can be done until Monday/Tuesday. And hopefully soon.

I did a few other things, like charged up my drill batteries. I installed my lanterns and installed my high pressure hose on my air compressor. Looked at my Clematis and am very happy.

A full day, a hot day Yahoo, a little sweat which is unusual.

I was just thinking about the work today and this resulted.

Thought of the Day

If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter.

May 4th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 16 degrees, Calgary 11 degrees, Mesa 26 degrees”

May the Force be with You.

Now this is a funny day. An unusual day as things like this happen only rarely to us.

I took the dog for a walk and Daisy had a wonderful poop. She came into the condo and I jumped into the shower and she had another poop on her pad. The smell got the cripple out of bed hopping on one leg. LOL

I whipped to Safeway and spent a whack of money and got nothing in my cart. I went to pay and reached for my wallet and no wallet. An awesome clerk as I said I would be back in 10 minutes and she rang it thru and stored it at the customer service center. I rushed home and back to pay.

Jackie limped to help me put away the groceries and when reaching into the fridge dropped the jam jar which shattered into a million pieces with glass everywhere and jam smashed all over the floor. Clean up aisle one required.

Right after lunch while sitting down I challenged Jackie to our Wordle game. I used the starter word forth for May 4th and guessed three right. Second attempt and got it !!. Now getting it in two is rare, hard and not done too often. Two minutes later Jackie gets its in two with getting 4 letters with her first word. Two people in Two is amazing but she to had steal my thunder. lol

Lousy picture but it is the weekend and cold outside so we look a little rough around the edges.

WORDLE IN TWO CHAMPIONS.

I haven’t used my “Dad” cup yet that I was given a gift of by Tor but today I filled it to the brim with coffee, Holds it hot and it is huge.

I sent out an update on our annual May Long campout. Should be fun and I always look forward to it. The fun of breaking in summer with a campfire, a Caesar as National Caesar Day falls on Saturday during the weekend and watching the Oilers on site in the playoffs. That last part hurt my finger to type. We play games, golf, and have a potluck. It is even easier now with the bulk of the kids getting a little older. Group sites like everything else have gone a way up in price. The deposit this year that you have to make was over $900. I decided with the games this year no participation medals as the kids are older now but perhaps one horses ass trophy for the loser.

Here is hoping for great weather and NO fire ban.

WHITEOUT !

What a game, First surprised St Louis was so good. They did win like 12 games in a row and Winnipeg was missing two important players but the series was dead even. To have it come down to 1.6 seconds left for the Jets to still play is amazing, The Jets out played them all night including the overtimes and it was anyone’s game as both team had excellent chances , Luckily the Jets prevailed so we have three Canadian teams still in the playoffs.

I love Winnipeg with its White Out theme. Some history here. The Jets were against the Calgary Flames in the playoff and needed some kind of marketing gimmick to counter the Flames super successful C of Red. So White Out it is and is great with lots of participations. That was in 1987 so like our C of Red has been very well accepted.

Thought of the Day

Overtime because we didn’t work hard enough during regulation time.

May 05-06th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 22 degrees, Calgary 20 degrees, Mesa 25 degrees”

I made lunch after taking Daisy for her walk. Jackie still can’t walk. Daisy sure is a social butterfly with everyone loving her.

I made a lunch and headed to the lot.

I had ten bags full of leaves to take to the dump so I loaded up my cargo carrier, This thing seems to get heavier every year. I loaded up the bags plus a bit of junk we had, tarped it all up and took it to the dump. I dumped the bags with 5 of them ripping as they had seen some moisture.

Back at the lot I filled the 5 bags and took another run with a bit more junk. Emptied them and on return racked and filled them one more time and done, the best I am going to do.

I painted my two cowboy figures just to spice them up. I used my saw horses and a nice gloss black paint. Turned out good as I want them to last. I would love to find turquoise bandana’s for them.

I pulled out all of the cushions and smacked them good to get rid of the dust and placed them on the couches. Swept more leaves away and covered them with my patio furniture cover. My decor is all set up so only three things left to do. I need to put up the curtains, sand and re-stain the deck plus repair/fix up my irrigation system.

I am waiting for permission to use recycled asphalt on our road way to get rid of the dust. I was hoping the manager would approve but it is has been elevated to the board to decide. For about $150 I can have a roadway with no DUST, it will pack down and harden with use and heat so it is nice alternative. The delivery is the expensive thing so if I can convince a few neighbors to go with it also it will reduce the pricing.

Another early morning walk for Daisy and I . Cool out but very nice. I am golfing with Jeff & Wendy today in high winds AGAIN. The winds are nuts.

A doctors appointment making miss part of the Oiler game tonight. Speaking of this appointment I will say this. We have one of the hardest working doctors EVER and wanting to go overboard on our care. A good thing but it is frustrating to have to see her just to get a prescription.

I believe it was a huge mistake of the AHS allowing people to see their lab results before even the doctor visit. People will misdiagnose, come to incorrect conclusions and fret and worry about nothing. A little knowledge is dangerous. I do like that I can use it as a report card though and make adjustments as needed. Everyone’s system is different so a number that may be considered normal for one person may be a way off for another. I have fours numbers I watch and adjust food and lifestyle around to make sure they are in the normal range. A1C, GFR, WBC, Cholesterol. One factor that I believe is incorrect is aging. The numbers need to be age adjusted and in most cases are not. My tests this time were perfect except for Cholesterol.

eGFR for sure should be age adjusted as everyone’s kidney ages and has a reduced filtering rate the older you are. Adding extra water makes a huge difference in this function.

A1C is a blood sugar rating over a two or three month period. Carb reduction, loss of weight and sweets elimination and getting up and exercising makes a huge difference.

WBC count is an odd one as mine has been on the low side for years. Usually caused by an infection and this time I had just had a cold a day or two before but I was in the green area. Albeit lower but all good.

My nemesis Cholesterol. These number have crept up again. So another long long long talk with my doctor. LOL

Most of you know my feelings on Statins. The biggest scam ever pulled on people by the big pharma. I could go on for pages as I have spent hours amounting to months of looking at every site possible and deciding for myself on these. For every page that is legit there are 20 that are conspiracy theorists or trying to sell their natural way to reduce numbers.

The data on this is so manipulated it is incredible. Bordering on insanity. Statins are the most controversial drug EVER. And it is the biggest seller ever with sales in 2024 at 16 billion dollars. No one will touch that golden egg.

Don’t fall for the propaganda! All drugs are by definition poisons. There are, by definition, no safe poisons. Statistics are numbers and susceptible to manipulation and interpretation. Statins, like all drugs, are poisons; they have to be detoxified by the liver, where they cost the body its precious nutritional resources, and that’s a fact.

Besides the manipulated data, the side affects are also a huge factor. I will tell you I experienced two years of hell due to “side affects” For me even though it is not proven or that I can find anyways is the risk of dementia associated with it. The brain is made up of 25% cholesterol and we are lowering it to stop plaque in the veins. So we can have a dementia patient that lives longer ?

Cholesterol’s impact on health is significant and is often recognized for its negative effects such as increasing risks for heart disease and stroke. But cholesterol isn’t all bad and is, in fact, an essential component in cell membranes and serves as a building block for sex and steroid hormones.

Is there a connection between the growth in Viagra and the statin usage ?

Just ask any relative, friend etc if they know of a dementia patient and if they were on a statin. I know lots of people relatives and friends where this was the case.

By 2030 over 1 million people in Canada will have dementia. !

If Statins are effective why hasn’t the life expectancy gone up exponentially with the usage levels we have. They have not increased hardly at all and I believe the infant mortality success rate, and cancer success we have have helped this number increase the little it did.

I did a bit more digging as I know I will have a hour long ” discussion” with my doctor again.

The organization that is a doctors “pay the bills life line” and has to be a trusted source of the general population, has this on their webpage. This is everyone’s Government of Alberta myhealth webpage.

Let’s use medium risk. If you believe you are at medium risk look at the stats provided by the Alberta Govt. A unbiased agency that’s mandate is protection and information of medical issues to the public.

Within ten years of moderate risk 10 out of 100 people potentially could have a heart attack without using statins. Use the statin, assume the risks and side affects and the rate is 8 out of 100 will have a heart attack. That is a 2% difference. I could manipulate the numbers to my advantage by saying 200 people with the difference of 2 only makes it 1 %. But let it stand at 2% for arguments sake.

Is it effective ? Is 2 % worth taking a life long drug ? Is it worth the side effects , muscle pain, liver damage, brain damage ‘fog” and the list goes on ?

As my example from the government webpage and let me say I am impressed they are giving facts here is one of a thousand articles demonstrating that manipulation I talked about.

“The supposed benefits of statins are based on a sneaky little statistical strategy called “relative risk reduction” which quote “amplifies the trivial beneficial effects of statins,” according to Diamond and Ravnskov. This little drug company’s statistical trick works like this: The chance of having a heart attack over a 5 year period without taking statins is 2%. By taking statin drugs, users reduce that risk from 2% to 1%. The “relative risk reduction” is the percentage difference between using a statin drug (1%) and not using using it (2%). Since a 1% risk reduction is half of 2%, they claim that statin drugs reduce heart attacks by a 50% reduction in risk. So, you might be told that a statin drug will reduce your risk of having a heart attack by 50%, when the actual reduction in risk is from 2 out of a hundred, to 1 out of a hundred. This practice involves some spurious sophistry that may sell drugs and persuade physicians into promoting them, but it does NOT help their patients.

My personal belief is that this drug should only be used on patients that have had a cardiovascular event. Everything I have read makes it appear it is a worthwhile medicine to take if you are unlucky to have had an episode.

Let me be clear that in fact Statins work lowering the LDL HDL numbers but to what benefit and risk?

As I have always said everyone has to be their own advocate and decide for themselves. We have people believing all types of things from wacky diets, CBD oils, melatonin, mediation, aging creams, vegetarian, celiac, lactose intolerance, allergies and the list goes on. Do what you think is right and worse case if it kills you, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Golfing today with Jeff & Wendy at Mackenzie Meadows. I love this course and can score low. NOT TODAY. The wind the entire day was blowing at 50 kph or more. Every game this year it seems the wind is brutal. There is no way you can score well when you are going one or two clubs or up one or two and having a side wind push your ball.

So needless to say the score was higher than wanted. Jeff though played extremely well ending up his low game of the year so if there had been no wind it would have been awesome. Nice to see him play well. Wendy had her usual great drives. Some amazingly long drives wind assisted but still have to wedge in and fly a way over the green is not good.

We had fun, it was sunny, the greens fast and wonderful but just WINDY.

I would love to play a game with no wind to see the results.

Oiler game tonight after my doctor visit.

Thought of the Day

It was a breezy day. I was feeling blown away.

May 7th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 25 degrees, Calgary 24 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees”

Okay a few thoughts on yesterday.

Yes I made my doctor mad again. I keep my statements and thoughts to myself overall except for when I am asked a question. We are very lucky to have her as she is a caring person but goes overboard on most things. Saying that though she is also a rule follower extreme. It is still wait in your car until she phones you to come in and then you have to put booties and a mask on. She has two masks and a face guard on, plus a gown and gloves.

Going in I knew the conversation ahead, as I said my numbers crept up a bit. It didn’t go well. She is known for a somewhat condescending attitude as she is a perfectionist and expects exact adherence to her ways. In our discussion ( and trust me I held back more than I ever have) she says ” So you think you know more than a cardiologist or doctor ?” My response was ” Never, but I do know what happened to me, I do know I have to be my own advocate for my body and with the information I know, true or false, I can not take a statin pill, put I will do my best to lower my numbers again ” It didn’t sit well and she gave me only 3 months of blood pressure pills and said maybe you think you don’t need these either. I smiled to myself and said nothing. I love her caring attitude, her making sure she looks at everything but dislike her people skills and dogmatism. I can and would change my mind if giving facts contrary to what I believe. Oh well she raised my blood pressure and I hers so I guess we are even.

I will see her in 3 months time again. LOL I should see if the Mexicans can produce my pills without a prescription.

All of this makes me think about people’s belief’s. If I took 10 doctors, salesmen etc into a room and invited a manufacture “expert” to talk about a widget ( a drug, door, widget, car etc) everyone would come out of the room believing what the guy said and in most cases never question the viability of his statements. A Liptor drug seminar held in Portugal with free time and classroom time with data, a doctor comes home ” selling” this drug. A general practice doctor never researches anything themselves as they are going by peer reports, manufacturing data and governing body directions. I might add in most cases for our good.

To the game. The Oilers played extremely well and it was a well deserved win. It was a fun game to watch. This will be a great series to watch as both teams played very well. Toronto wins and the Canes win so most series are going the way I like.

I went shopping for a few items today. 6 items in my cart and $100. NUTS !

After an exhausting search I found a vent with a damper that should work in Mom’s bedroom. I ordered it at a dumb price but if it works will be worth it. I will make a special trip up to install it with a few tools in case it needs a bit of tweaking.

Thought of the Day

I used to be able to buy a candy bar for a nickel. Now, I need to take out a mortgage.

May 8th–09th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 15 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 34 degrees”

Golf with my Turner Valley people today. This course in one of the best in the city and surrounding area. I have golfed a lot of courses near and in Calgary and this is one of the best. I love it. Difficult , fair and beautiful in the foothills.

Once again the wind was out. Why ? This year it has been ridiculous with every time golfing having to deal with it. I wore pants today even though a high of 17 predicted as I didn’t trust the weather guy and I was happy with my decision.

Just my feeling but it is the best I golfed overall this year in Canada. Not my best score but great golfing. I was the low gross and low net winner and anytime in the net 60’s it is a good day. Money in my pocket. Only one shot I would like back .

I have a lot of fun with this group and look forward to each Thursday. Rick played quite well and considering he is almost 80 and now with his lost weight he is golfing really well. Longer hits and a way more energy.

After golfing gathering we talked about Statins and my doctor experience. Two things. they couldn’t believe my doctors reaction and second Donn himself stopped taking his statins last year. He was experiencing peripheral neuropathy in his feet. He stopped his Statin and a few months his feet were perfect and his doctor understood. Small world.

Jackie’s foot/ankle still is not near par. She still struggles walking. Too bad.

Oiler game on !!

It is an odd time in ones life. No more weddings but lots of funerals. We have lost some great people in the last few years. Our friend Joe was a super nice guy that we had back and forth visits with at our homes and camping adventures with. A way too young. I loved his dry sense of humor. He was a true family man making them his priority and a very hard working guy. Smart, funny and good looking. Great cook as some of his meals were awesome. It is just sad as he had the potential for another 20 years. Joe made an impact on everyone he met and will be sadly missed.

https://www.choicememorial.com/obituaries/Joseph-Joe-Komaric?obId=42379758

Just a day ago I was sent my 50th high school reunion list and we have 24 known deceased from our class. Some close friends from high school that would have been cool to see.

Life is short and you never know what lies ahead so live it now.

Jackie’s foot is still not getting better unfortunately. So Jeff, Wendy and I went golfing at Lakeside in Chestermere. I like this course but once AGAIN a above average day of WIND. Come on already. It was an off day for all three of us. Wind, sanded and punched greens and indifference killed me. Mid 80’s which I can live with but not good. Jeff struggled not near as good as the last game and the exact same thing for Wendy,

Like the saying goes a bad day golfing is still better than work.

After golf I whipped and picked up Jackie and we met the Graces at Paul’s Pizza. A place with excellent food and a decent decor in the bar. We watched the hockey game while enjoying a very nice meal. I had the veal cutlets with a stuffed potato, veggies and a nice cold salad. I think we can guess what Jackie had.

I nice visit with the Grace’s after at their place to finish a full fun day.

Up early , in the sun and wind all day, a great meal ( veal cutlets) and the age shows by leaving early in the evening.

Thought of the Day

My age is just the number the world has enjoyed me !

May 10th-11th

Jackie’s ankle STILL is not healed. She sprained it bad.

Jackie’s knee wheeler sometimes in the way of watching TV. LOL

I whipped out to the lot and worked all day accomplishing and finishing a lot of things

I cleaned up inside, vacuumed the flooring, finished the tile edging, removed the tire covers and started the a/c compressor and checked plus filled each tire to spec. I inspected the tires for cracking or delam and they appear perfect. They are no date impacted but only about 30K kms on them. I checked the air suspension bags and filled them. I am trying about 10 to 15 pounds more this year. I will see how the ride is.

I cleaned out and organized two under bins. I threw a few things away and packed up the stuff I needed nicely. I have one big compartment still to do.

Moved things around in the extra shed and organized it a bit. I have to make room for a table saw soon.

I fertilized the lawn.

Came back into town, stopped at SportChek for a gift for Jackie. How is it I have to buy my wife who is not my mother, a gift for mothers day ? Good marketing and pressure.

Then off to Sobeys for some groceries and something for supper. I chose kabobs, pork and beef with corn on the cob. Yum !!

Oiler game tonight and it was a fun one to watch. The game was great, the playing was hard and to come down to 3 seconds left is amazing.

Mother’s Day today. One of the best marketing plays by Hallmark ever. It is a nice day for Mother’s to be appreciated as they are the glue to most families. The workload of men and women has changed dramatically over the last 50 years or so but when it comes to the family/household the mothers still bare the brunt of the workload.

So I love breakfasts but Jackie doesn’t so that makes it easy for me. Plus we are having an early lunch so no need for a big breakfast.

But I did give present her with her Mother’s Day gift in bed. Get your minds out of the gutter. I bought her a wonderful skort/shirt golf set with a darker olive green color I loved. Once again my sizing was perfect. Now Jackie is a beautiful lady and has a lady figure so it is a little easier but women’s clothes love S,M,L sizing instead of exact sizing so it make its a little more cumbersome. And we know each country has it’s own sizing also. Nike brand so North America sizing and once again the perfect fit. She looks great in it. Remind me again why I have to buy my wife a Mother’s Day gift ? I enjoy it.

We met the family that was available at Fish Creek Park for a picnic. A nice 18 degree day with no wind so it was pleasant and not too cool or warm. The event started off a little awkward trying to get everyone together with mis communication happening but we got it done. Plus it was funny watching the chaos.

You can’t go wrong with a KFC picnic. I have to say the chicken this time was even better than the normal KFC as it seemed less greasy. Fries with gravy you must have and the creme de la creme was the KFC coleslaw. As the unofficial 8th Wonder of the World, KFC’s coleslaw transcends time and shifts in fast food tastes to remain one of the most popular menu items of today. Like their chicken it has a special recipe that is secret yet often imitated on Reddit. Every company has a different taste of Slaw but KFC’s is the best. Coleslaw and a chicken breast is a treat.

Our group is such TINY eaters that not much was consumed. Food itself doesn’t cause weight. Lack of movement does. I had my share plus. The Tim’s doughnuts were really fresh also for dessert.

Trust me the temperature was not as cold as the clothing may suggest. You rock it Victoria knowing it is spring . LOL

Alan had a large tarp luckily to throw down as the popular buds were horrendous. They are so sticky. Kennedy had a small table with her that worked out perfect. We set the chairs around the outside of the tarp and had the food in the centre. Worked out perfect as the provincial park for some reason removed the picnic tables.

We ate, laughed, talked and had a nice gathering. We started to go on a walk but only got 100 yards before issues. Walking is like pedal biking. It takes very little effort to cover a lot of ground and is extremely good for you but you have to do it consistently. Motion is lotion.

The dogs had enough distance covered that they at least did their business. Jackie was willing and able using her knee stroller to go the distance which was awesome.

A friend stopped by on a just by chance meeting. Has the world changed this much ? On Mother’s Day I thought the premise was to enjoy the day with your kids. Mothers day, mother of the kids, not to have it as a alone day by yourself to get away from the kids. I guess I misunderstand the meaning. I know on Father’s Day I enjoy nothing more than being with the kids. Think about this. As a working Mom you are away from the kids for at least 10 hrs per day. That leaves just a few hours with them after work before bedtime and weekends. Is Mothers Day a day where the Mother is given privilege of alone time and if it is we should change the name. Perhaps on your Birthday as that is your day but not Mothers Day. It is a ME world today.

We came home and something happened which never happens. We both laid down on the couch and had a cat nap. I never allow that to happen but it was nice. I will need to remember this date as I do not want this to happen again for a long long time. Sleep is meant for night time in a bed.

We watched the hockey game and then watched episodes of our favorite Sullivans Crossing, Grey’s Anatomy and American Idol. Wonderful shows with amazing writers.

Rain all day today so a rushed walk with Daisy and she came in very wet. We didn’t get a downpour but a slight drizzle soaking everything.

At noon our RV lot got hit with a hail storm. Odd as very little heat lately but lots of hail anyways.

I managed to book golf for everyone having to pay for some and deposit on others that I will collect after camping and add it to the group site charge divided by the number of units.

I like to organize things. But it is difficult and frustrating with a lack of urgency from the participants. I am a very patient person but I will say a weakness of my personality is others lack of urgency, tardiness and lack of effort to accommodate. I had a lot of post meetings with staff when I was working over this. I organize a group of golfers in Arizona where I experience the same issues mostly due to older people not being tech enough. I experience it for our camping weekends and have experienced it on vacation planning. I can not figure out for the life of me why people do not respond in a timely matter or want to get things done and make up your mind. My patience allows for a lot of leniency but if three times to get something done my passive aggressive nature kicks in. A Facebook notice sounds on a phone I see people literally stop everything to look at it ( mostly memes) but a response to a request to get something done seems to be ignored.

“Memories”

As I indicated above I had numerous meetings over this issue in the workplace. I had to implement a program where the phone was only allowed to ring 4 times before being answered. My rationale was the phone caller can’t see you are busy but the client at the front desk knows, so pick up the phone and say I will be with you shortly. ( not in a minute as that is setting an expectation) I expected an answer on a email within a reasonable time as the request could be time sensitive. I used in the subject matter ” Action Required” to point to a level of importance and outlook allowed to tag a message as important . I still today, make every effort to respond asap and expect the same in return. I am never late for an appointment and in most cases cause myself angst by being early. My only nemesis is TEXT as this antiquated communication system needs to be removed out of existence. Facebook messenger is just about as bad.

I booked golf today and had to “guess” participants wishes. It really isn’t an issue other the responsibility is under my name and as today a large deposit or charge on my credit card.

With a long weekend getting golf is an issue due to over usage or days allowed to book before. So I have 8 tees booked early Sunday morning for 18 holes and 4 tees booked for 9 holes for later afternoon. The pricing on golf is getting expensive even in small towns.

I was talking to Jessica today as she ready’s her RV. I am MOST impressed how diligent she and Penny have been fixing things up. They needed a new battery as the old one would not hold charge. The dealer convinced them to go with 2- 12 volt parallel batteries. Doing it this way still gives you 12 volt but a lot of capacity. Not really needed unless you do a lot of camping without hookups but does come in handy on cold nights when not plugged in. They even bought 12 volt Deep Cell ( Cycle) which are a way better than a normal car battery as they have thick plates that allow them to discharge and recharge numerous times without issue. The most important thing that people forget is if you are dry camping for a weekend you HAVE to recharge your battery to 100% to keep the plates from sulfurizing. Easy to do as most units have a built in converter/charger, so get home and plug it in. Done. Your battery will last a long time. With their two battery set up they are golden for a week without issue.

Now comes an issue where I was impressed again by Jess & Pen. The wiring on their unit in my opinion is just dumb and extremely confusing, Luckily they were clever and registered what goes where. To tag a wire NEG and color it black but use a red end on it is asinine and dangerous. Vice versa on the positive side. I have only seen this once before on a older 5th wheel that Keith had. It is just wrong and I would love to know the rationale. Both of these wires get attached to the positive post.!!!

To compound the confusion someone thought it would be a good idea to make the screw posts different sizing. ( it is a good idea to save putting a wire on the wrong post) but the trailer still has same sized connectors. A fast simple fix to put on a new one but a task that should not happen and a hassle for the girls.

I was very impressed they noticed the red and black ends to coincide with what post. Clever girls. They will have it fixed and be set for the camping season.

Two 12 volt Deep Cell batteries wired in parallel will be the envy of the campground. In my motorhome I use 4- 6 volt batteries wired in a series to give me 12 volts. Same idea with extra capacity.

I hope the weather is good. Right now only a slight chance of rain on Saturday but we have the cookhouse.

Today is the first day Jackie is starting to walk semi normal. Still very lightly but improvement.

I see depending how the wins losses play out Game 6 and 7 we will be watching at the campground. It is always fun except the wrong Alberta team. LOL

Skinner did well proving the nay sayers wrong as he was fantastic. The entire team played very well and made a great team like Vegas look bad. It is like the Oilers are hitting their stride.

We finished off the night watching American idol which we like. Some ok performance some great ones and overall very good entertainers again this year.

Thought of the Day

The only drama I like is on my TV programs.

May 13th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 20 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 31 degrees”

Not my first choice for a week of weather. The shits really. Good thing we have a cook shack. For our trip after we for sure have to leave this area. It looks like south east is pretty good. Another not so perfect weather May Long but a lot better than some by far. Camping requires resilience.

Jessica got her unit batteries all hooked up. She had a mechanic look at it and as I stated early the wiring is very convoluted and confusing. He struggled with the wiring like I did looking at Jessica’s pictures. I am sure after what he did which I believe should be correct was the cause of a battery premature failure and as he stated lucky no fires. I remember this exact same situation with Keith’s 5th wheel. I am pleased they took and had it checked out. Now they only have to make sure their wheel bearings are ok.

Jackie did not have a good visit with the vet today. A new vet to the clinic and the commenting did not sit well with Jackie. I have no idea why the world is filling up with incompetent condescending people with attitudes. There is no other dog in the world that is looked after like Jackie does for Daisy. Brushing her teeth every morning, combing, checking her out and exercising. Listening to Jackie tell me about the experience I can see the emotion it raised in her. A quack of a vet trying to sell ADD-ONS and giving advise not welcomed or needed. If you get a vet wanting to massage your dog and give it chiropractic treatment run ! I smiled as Jackie did exit the clinic quickly and held her tongue.

I whipped to Shoppers to pick up my blood pressure pills. They would not release them to me as I was TWO days early of the insurance company approving the billing. I get high blood pressure TRYING to get my pills from my doctor. I get HIGH blood pressure trying to get my pills from the pharmacy. Don’t they realize i would NOT have HIGH blood pressure at all if they would just be normal. LOL It makes me smile and laugh to myself the lunacy of it all. I can say it does make everything interesting. LOL Beside a little drama spices up the day.

Compound this with the fact of having no water all day today as the hot water heater is being replaced. No shower or shave. LOL

Oh well onto the course in one hour and today below 80 is my target. I am not taking any pills today but feel fine and hopefully loose enough to have a great game.

I am sure glad I decided to wear pants today. It was supposed to be a high of 18 degrees but I would guess maybe a high of 14 with a cold breeze and one hole of drizzle. It was cold golfing . My fingers turned white with no feeling in them. All of us were up to 3 layers of clothing to beat the cold. I had a golf shirt, a light sweater, a light over jacket and covered by a wind proof rain jacket. Wendy and Jeff were as layered.

We finished in 3:45 minutes which is excellent with very very few waits. We were joined by a ex-cop from Winnipeg. A very nice guy but really quiet perhaps due to his hearing issues, He had aids but perhaps not turned up.

Other than the cold it was a fun day of golfing.

Just a over sight of today. Wendy had some awesome drives. Enough so that our playing partner even commented on them. Some great second shots also. Chipping and putting a little off. Jeff with the bulk of his drives rated awesome. Some good but with a few poor long iron shots thrown in. Chipping pretty decent. Two amazing long long putts drained were nice to see. Jeff years ago was one of the best putters I played with so hopefully working his way back.

I said 80 above as my goal and I accomplished that and if not for one triple boogie it would have been a 77 to 79. Luckily due to the handicapping rules of no more than a NET Double bogie it works out to be a 79. Just one of those days were Pars came freely and misses on the birdies often. Darn one hole mistake !!

I phoned Jackie and she met us at the clubhouse for supper. Chili and garlic toast was both of our requests. We had a waiter that has been there for years tonight who is not the brightest light bulb so a few errors and emissions but still great food and drinks thrown in with great company.

We tried to solve a lot of issues, to no avail, but we had fun trying it.

Another fun golf outing with the Graces.

Thought of the Day

Water hazards are no issue if they are covered with ice

May 14th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 20 degrees, Calgary 18 degrees, Mesa 29 degrees”

The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous start to the day. Up early and out walking with Daisy. She did not do her business. Funny as no more than 1/2 later she does it on her pad. I think she has it figured out Dad gives treats inside but not outside. She is a clever one.

First thing was a gas up and then headed out the lot.

Lots to do. I pulled back and tied the front curtains. I switched to fill the water tank which takes awhile as it is 84 gallons of water. That is 675 pounds of water which I normally drive 1/2 full and fill up on site but I decided to run full this trip. I unhooked the water and power and put away my surge protector. I then moved stuff around and brought in the main and bedroom slides. Started the process of storing the hydraulic levelling system jacks. I have said before I have one slow jack that I can “force” in or just have a lot of patience. All done. Packed up the leveler pads, hoses and electrical cord.

I pulled out of the lot and readied the Jeep to be towed. Hooked it all up and off to Calgary. As I said I set my air suspension with 40 pounds instead of my 20 I have been running. Between the higher psi on the suspension a 5 pounds less on the tires I am happy with how it rides. A little rough on frost break lines but much better on the corners and frost heaves.

I loaded my clothes, food from the fridge, and food from the cupboards. Blankets are loaded and all I can say is getting there.

I forgot to mention. As any RV’er knows absorption fridges need to be fairly level to work properly. For the die hard it is 3 degrees side to side and 6 degrees front to back max. I have a level app on my phone that use to measure. Where I am going with this is, it was unbelievable to me that the portion of the street that was the most level is exactly adjacent to the “Karen” that complained about my motorhome being parked on the street in front of her balcony. Karma, coincidence or a passive aggressive play but that is where I parked.

Jackie finished work so we whipped to the Dollar Store. Wow this store is neat, tidy , organized and some awesome deals. We bought some items we needed for the weekend and we will be back more often. As it was getting late we decided to pick up supper. Swiss Chalet chicken was our choice. I love the chicken and the meals. Does anyone like the sauce ? Unfortunately we will NEVER go back. Two 1/4 chickens, one with salad and that is it for $34. Ridiculous ! A full rotisserie chicken from Costco or Sobeys is $12. And the description alone doesn’t match the product. It should be called a BABY CHICK meal it was so small. The bun was bigger than the meat.

Big game tonight for Toronto. Come on Leafs. It has been too many years.

Thought of the Day

I am tired of hearing “we did it “from the Leafs when they win a face-off.

May 15th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 12 degrees, Calgary 11 degrees, Mesa 31 degrees”

Up early this morning as it is my Men’s league which I look forward to. Turner Valley Golf course of all the courses I play in Calgary by far is the nicest, fantastic scenery, tough course and great food in the clubhouse. The guys of about 40 in our group are all exceptional and fun.

My one playing partner that I have golfed with for at least 15 yrs when I texted him for pick up had some bad news. He was rushed to the hospital last weekend and is still in suffering from Sepsis. It is a scary infection as if not caught early enough can damage a lot of vital organs and even cause death, Luckily the antibiotics for him are working but it could be a slow recovery to gain strength and stamin again. It is a scary proposition as you need strong antibiotics but then they have to be careful of C Diff happening. I am hoping two weeks and he may be back. I like taking his money !

My other playing partners texted me and backed out of golf today. I was dressed, I bought new pocket warmers and could have played. About 10 guys carried on out of the 40. I am sort of glad as for some reason every muscle in my body hurts today from what I do not know. Cold and stiffness don’t work well with the cold. It was 5 degrees out to start but felt like 3 with the breeze.

I guess I have to talk about the Oiler game last night and the series. I will say I am surprised. Very. They won and are going to another western title game. the Flames not so much so I can’t say a lot. BUT I am sure there is a league directive to allow the Oilers to get this far for McDavids crowd drawing, money in the arena’s, and hockey promotion. Just look at when against the Kings the coach called a challenge after a review. This JUST DOES NOT happen in any ones normal reality. I just think in both series the league should not have made it so obvious. No Oiler’s this weekend which is unfortunate as the last few years it became a fun tradition to have happen.

Trips to Sobey’s and Walmart and the grocery bill explodes but a lot of stuff lasts for awhile and for the season. The motorhome is loaded and ready.

Weather is looking pretty decent and worst case scenario we have a cook shack to eat our potluck in. Listed below are weather related issues and just things that happen,

“Memories “

• Alan & MaryAnn at North Buck Lake when the girls were about 6 years old where we had a tent trailer. Cold, snow, we had tarps around a campfire for protection, a vapor barrier to close everything in.
• At Bashaw warm one day , lots of snow the next. Ron had his awning out and when trying to clear it of snow it snapped off.
• In Kananaskis it got so cold my propane tanks froze solid so no heat in the trailer and no stove to light. MaryAnn at the time was quite pregnant. Alan & i took the tanks to fill and thaw out.
• At Alder Flats a warm day and the next hail, lots of it and it bent my awning arms plsu other damage but just can’t remember.
• In Kananaskis when we had a tent trailer with the girls when they were about 9 yrs old we had snow and cold. So cold the water left in cups froze solid on the counter.
• In Rocky Mt House we were camped down in a big valley. Started off nice and then rain and lots of snow. We had our Paddy O Room attachment. In the morning not being familiar with snow load a good friend staying staying with us opened the door and with the drop due to the snow it ripped the awning. Numerous people were stuck not being able to get up the hill with the mud. Luckily I had a 4 x 4 Jeep.
• Three Hills – the entire Sunday with everyone staying in or going to check museums etc.
• At Wabamun Lake with Dave & Janet, Alan & MaryAnn the girls got quite muddy as girls even got stuck in quick sand and when they went to sit on Janet’s lap she panicked as they were dirty. LOL
• Dickson’s Dam weekend. Cold and issues. Every RV unit experienced dead batteries. Keith locked out of his truck, Corey’s truck broken down on the side of the highway and our motorhome broken down in Calgary and us not being able to use it.
• Bashaw – Fred needed AMA to repair a tire on his motorhome, Canyon Creek Rky Mt House, – Ron blew a tire with a golf tee thru the sidewall, Jessica brakes needed to be removed due to them being on while driving and seized.
• Glennifer Lake _ Keith’s hot water heater broke
• North Buck Lake arriving and no sites available with sleeping in tents on the side of the road
• Camrose Whistle Stop Campground with very cold weather, circled units as a wagon wheel to block winds, huddles together in gazebo tents with firepits for warmth and low voltage power which could have wrecked our electronics
• We have had some nice ones thrown in like the year were at Haunted Lakes, Delburne, Canyon Creek and even at the Discovery Park. It is hard to believe the good ones over the bad ones with the numbers,

I know the weather forecasters are rarely correct so here is hoping for a decent weekend. Right now it looks iffy for one day and off and on for the others.

May 16th to May 23rd MAY LONG WEEKEND

I won’t put the weather forecast but will state this. There were days a WAY better than forecast and days worse. It was though for May and very cold entire week. For the May Long part we were so lucky having the cook shack for suppers and TV Oiler games and gatherings.

We headed out about noon after picking up Jackson and hit the highway. First stop was Carstairs gas station just past Tim’s. We whip in and head to the Burger King . On the door a “Bankruptcy” notice so Jackson and I walk back to Tim’s. A very long line up in the store plus the drive thru. Funny thing is the store has had the same employee for at least 10 years plus and every time we stop it is a long wait. He is challenged person.

On arrival as usual Keith and Stewart are there before us and all set up.

It was a steady flow of arrivals. This year we had 9 units with Larry, Jackie, Corey, Victoria, Jackson, Jessica, Penny, Atticus, August, Keith, Jenny, Amanda, Justin, Parker, Carrie, Stewart, Alan & MaryAnn, Carmen, Patty, Dave, Erin, Stephanie, Jason, Ryley, and Brianne. We had ten power pedestals all around the permitter which was awesome. It left lots of green space for games and huge firepit in the center. Ironic that this is the first year in a few where we were allowed a fire and we had lots of wood but it just was too cold or wet to really enjoy it.

Everyone settled in and this year with very few issues. Jess’s unit had power trouble and here is where two minds are better than one came into play. Pen asked me over to take a look at it. My first thought and focus was on the battery set up as I previously stated is weird and odd thinking perhaps the converter due to this wasn’t working. Corey happened by and thought to check the pedestal and discovered the breaker on post was turned off. Easy fix and nice is wasn’t a real issue.

Alan’s motorhome had a broken GFCI plug which we could not fix but with a small extension cord we made a work around. So a pretty simple easy weekend that way.

Everyone made there own suppers and we gathered at the pit.

Next morning a cool day but NO rain and we went about setting up our May Long Olympics. Games this year were, Cornhole, Ladder Golf, Bocci Ball, Axe throwing, Kupp, and the plunger race.

Jason as a coach of soccer for years is excellent at setting up the round robin format for us. As usual it was a blast, a lot of fun and very competitive. Some funny things happened. No one or thing was injured. I have seen where a grown man can injure himself in Bocci Ball so I was relieved we finished the games without any injuries.

We had 8 teams, team won thru team 8, with Team Won being Jason & I which finished second. We were robbed due to our kindness. Team Waldie consisting of Corey, Jackson and Atticus won it all. Jason and I were in 4 finals but lost out. I want all of the teams to consider this. Team Waldie was the YOUNGEST team with Atticus being only 7 yrs old. All of you guys LOST to a 7 yr old,13 yr old and one grown man. Beaten by a kids team so next year you all better put on your game face.

I hate participation medals yet have handed them out in prior years as Keith, Alan and Corey really appreciate them. This year three medals only for first to third star awards. Atticus, Parker were awarded as was Patty from Ireland winning his gold medal in Canada.

Victoria was awesome decorating the hall with the Italian theme. Steward and Carrie once again brought us the hockey games to our campsite . Justin used his data for this which was much appreciated.

I believe everyone really enjoyed the games and had a great time.

Then it was pot luck Italy night. Talk about a spread. The food was amazing with everyone going all out. I can not list everything mostly due to the names but will give a few items I remember. We had two lasagnas, we had two rigatoni dishes, pasta salad, Caprese salad, Caprese style skewers, garlic toast, and many other dishes. I did miss the old favorite of spaghetti and meat sauce though. The desserts were something else. A whack of fancy and I assume expensive dishes that were incredible and all Italian. You just can’t can’t go wrong with Italian.

The cook shack for the games and meals was awesome. Two nights with losses though losing both Toronto and Winnipeg was not good but that happens. At least the Edmonton fans were happy.

I forgot to mention Keith supplied perfect Caesar drinks for everyone. I did struggle what team to put Keith on with his pink runners.

Here are a few random pics. The winning team of Corey, Jackson and Atticus, Atticus and Parker awarded MVP’s, Patty with a Gold Metal from Canada, Jackie’s sexy night wear, Hazel our Italian parade dog and Atticus practicing his cupping techniques.

Next morning was golf day. I booked the golf and found a sweet heart deal for a foursome and good pricing for the other 8 tee times we needed. One foursome had to pay $85 each and the deal was at $40. With a cart that is just sick but they only had four spots available. The girls were later in the afternoon.

My group was Keith, Alan and Jackson. Our group had a blast. Jackson golfed amazing and I was impressed with his shot making overall. On one hole he was about 5 yards less than Keith which hits a good ball. More practice he could be good. Alan as a one a year golfer always surprises me with his skill. He could be good with more outings.

Since we were not golfing together ( back to back tee times) I said to the other grouping on the first Par 5 check your GPS to center of green and we will see who was the longest drive. After golf when we compared I beat Jason by ONE YARD. Jason is a long hitter and always has been.

On the 10th hole the Marshall came up to us. I give this guy the Marshall of the Year award. Pleasant, engaging but after a bit I understood his approaching us. He didn’t want anyone under 18 driving their new carts. He was excellent in his approach and we complied instantly. I teased him saying Jackson has his license ( go cart license) but he reiterated 18 yrs old. Nice guy, super customer relationship building and nice to see and experience. Jackson got to drive 9 holes which was awesome. Watching later I think I was more worried with Alan driving for cart damage than Jackson.

Well the rain came and wrecked our parade. We got to the 13th hole and had to quit due to the thunder and heavy rain. The first group got to the 16th hole. The girls had to cancel.

It remained somewhat rainy and cold the entire day but some people managed to squeeze in a fire anyways plus walks and get togethers. Card games were thrown in.

Monday morning the dreaded pack up day. As Alan and us were camping longer we were not in a hurry. Most of the group were gone by noon. A park ranger does not come by to collect but they phoned to remind us to pay on leaving. They had an accurate list of the units on our site so I paid the additional $500. The site is a little higher than some others but with power, fire pit, washrooms, space and the amazing cook shack a great deal. I am going to book it again for next year.

Dump station for getting rid of waste and grey water and refilling the tanks and we would be on our way.

We decided to try to stay relatively close to Calgary due to a family issue so we decided on a nice spot only 1 1/2 hours away from Calgary in case we needed a quick escape.

Aspen Crossing is an amazing place. Beautiful campsites, pickleball, beach, train rides, very clean new washrooms showers and my favorite a pub on site. A place for beer, chicken wings and the Oiler game.

Alan & MaryAnn beat us there and booked two nice sites together. We all get set up and the place is perfect.

Tonight was a game night. Alan had a new game call Skip Bo. I will say interesting game. A game made for 7 yr old plus and us four adults struggled to figure it out. Sad ! We think we had it or some version of it. It could be a good game and perhaps in the future when they know the game it will great. Having said the WINNER was LARRY.

Then on to 5 Crowns. Now Alan & MaryAnn are new at this game but caught on to it right away. First I need to say i was ROBBED. I placed second to Alan by ONE point. No recount, no recourse and I accept the loss under duress. In my favor was a helping hand given to Alan by Jackie that stole my win away. New to the game I accept it. ONE POINT !! Even in federal elections they have a recount.

We had a lot of meals together with Alan & MaryAnn supplying some great food choices. Italian sausages, potato salad and coleslaw and pulled beef . Great tasting.

Todays adventure was to venture where no man has gone before. A nice drive to Vulcan and a visit to the StarTrek Centre. Amazing, wonderful place and well well done. Free but I did leave a donation of $20 as we need to keep these community and tourist attractions alive. It was more than worth it.

The pub was packed. Aspen had a Wine & Plant ladies night and the Oiler game on. Talk about being prepared. The amount of staff and hence the unmatched customer service was amazing. At least four “managers” checked in on us plus our amazing waitress. Add to that wonderful food and for tonight a nice TV.

I am sure no Oiler fan liked the outcome but it was a good game to watch. Still amazing that you could allow 5 goals in one period. Better do a lot better next game.

It was a fun night.

Jackie had a bit of work to do so the three of us played UNO. I am proud to announce that Larry UNO Willard successfully dominated this intense competitive card game. Double the amount of wins to the next competitor.

It was a little on the windy side so no chance for a pickleball game. I have heard even with this made for the elderly slow moving game people get injured. Similar to Bocci Ball the injury risk is huge. Too bad as my middle name used to be Tennis or Ping Pong so it would have been fun.

Nothing better than a cold evening, warm blankets and pitch black along with country quiet to create a perfect sleep.

Lots of walks, visits to the garden center, investigating the overall park, and watching the train.

We even squeezed in time to put in our favorites the excursions for our Polynesian Cruise we want to take. So far about $2.3 K but a few more to commit to. The beauty of this area is unmatched. In fact one lagoon is described as the most beautiful lagoon in the world. I am looking forward to this helmet diving amongst the sharks, fish, and rays. Even though Jackie is fearful of confined spaces I assured her that this will not be claustrophobic at all as we are only 10 ft deep and have crystal blue water all around us and she said Yes !

Dropped off the RV at the lot and headed home. I love camping and with the motorhome being warm and being able to shower any time you want it is pretty nice.

Thought of the Day

Camping like the sayings goes is where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 18 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 39 degrees”

Less than half of Mesa but it is the last cool wet day for about a week. So hoping to get a lot done as spring just hasn’t been nice as of yet and I am miles behind getting things done.

I have lots to do but between timing, weather, no irrigation, golfing etc it just hasn’t been done.

Our good friend Jenny Harry had her retirement party today in Edmonton. Jackie and I have known Jenny since 1975 or 1976. So close to if not 50 years. I used to work with Jenny when we both worked at Sterling Distributors. I know how hard she works and how good she is at getting things done. Having said that I am glad she pulled the plug as committed as she is I did not think she would. I know for a fact Play Works for sure will miss her. She now needs to pull Keith off the job site. Congratulations Jenny, well deserved and hopefully you have very enjoyable time of your life.

Great picture of Jenny at the party with Stewart and Carrie.

This event made me think. It should make EVERYONE think. I have been retired for 11 years now and it has flown by. I have 12 years only left before hitting 80 years of age which is the average life span of a Canadian male. That is scary !!

We must enjoy as much as possible as fast as possible. To be tied down with certain commitments takes away valuable time. There is nothing wrong with protecting your time. It is precious.

When I look at this time frame it eases my mind with the pocket book. I have no problem with going into a subsidized senior home because I spent all of my money. In fact I welcome it as these things are just nuts with the costs. If a person requires help to live, be it clothes, food, cleaning, bathing, diaper changing etc that is where they should be.

I spent 6 hours today working out at the lot. A mile long list accomplished. I levelled the motorhome and lubed the hydraulic rams. I installed my wheel covers to protect them from the sun. I installed my UV shades on the front windows. Brought out the slides. Hooked up the water supply and installed my surge protector. I will be glad even if it does cost 10K to get our new 50 amp power supply. It tripped again with a open ground fault.

I used the trimmer on both side neighbors yard plus trimmed and cut the lawn across the street after doing mine. I used the blower and blew all of the leaves, and stickies to the center of the road and picked them up. I fertilized the lawn and my wonderful growing Clematis after using my rain barrel rain to water it.

Cool spitting rain but a very productive day. I am going to try to sand the decks tomorrow if available. Weekend rentals I normally don’t do but I want it done ! Sand and stain will make me happy !

Oiler game tonight ! As i got home late we ordered Western Pizza. Awesome pizza. Round Up ( loaded) and Fetti and chicken for Jackie.

Skinner is just odd. 3 out of 4 last games a shut out and he sucks ? The Oilers played I think the best they have since the playoffs started. 3 more wins to beat the Stars and move on for another 3 wins only.

Up after a wonderful sleep and Jackie came with me out to the lot. Sanding two decks a 12 x 16 deck and a 8 x 12 deck and staining them was the plan.

I headed to the Depot and luckily they had a plate sander still available. The rental area was BUSY ! , I got my machine and loaded it up on the rack. NO ONE tried to help me and these things are heavy. I strapped it down and headed to Tim’s then to pick up Jackie. She dropped off Daisy at Audrey’s for the day as the noise and being stuck in the RV she wouldn’t like that much.

I unloaded it with Jackie’s help and started to hook up everything. Then I saw it. Either I didn’t get a dust bag or it blew off on the highway. The second option most likely. A $150 extra damage deposit possibly gone.

We started and worked for a full three hours leaving enough drive time to get it back to Depot. Without a catch bag it does create a fair amount of dust. I used 80 grit and ripped off the stain pretty easily. The sheets do fill quick though. I should have bought a couple more as 120 grit takes too long. Finished the bottom deck and started on the top one. While I using the plate sander Jackie used the orbital to get a missed spots and close to edges etc.

Let me say I m very impressed with Jackie today and the amount of work we accomplished.

Took both decks down to completely new wood. Stained both decks using a brush to work the penetrating stain in and back rolled it with the roller.

Love the color, the ease of the stain and hoping for at least 4 years. I FINALLY found a great stain that hasn’t been wrecked by the environmentalist. It is a PURE OIL based stain not a hybrid and not a water based product. A proper and great stain. It better hold up as i don’t want to eat my words.

Sanding on my deck is nice as when I build it I used the Camo gun and screws which have no surface screws showing. Not only great for looks but water doesn’t pool in the deck screw hole and rot the board out.

I rushed back to Depot not wanting any more charges. I got back right on time. I go up to the counter and talk to this guy that as soon as he said hello I knew he was from the East Coast. I checked in after joking with him and state I have an issue. I do not know whether I received no dust bag or it blew off on the highway but I am returning the sander without one. I had to when picking it up leave a $150 damage deposit. I fully expected to lose this. He looked at the sander and pondered and said to me ” I have to charge you for that 1147″ Shocked I said “I could buy the machine for that much money. ” He stated $11.47 for the bag” Shocked again I said THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!

Two times this year I have had the pleasure of dealing with rationale and understanding individuals. First to be forgiven a $300 speeding ticket and now to be forgiven a $150 damage deposit is unheard of. I am very appreciative.

I whipped back to the lot to check up on Jackie as she was finishing the orbital sanding. She had that thing so plugged with dust LOL . Later tonight she commented her lungs felt heavy. That happens.

We had supper out there and watched the stain dry.

Possible sore back for both of us in the morning but a great day had and as you know Motion is Lotion.

Down to only one family still to e-transfer for the long weekend. So collection went quite well as I had over $1500 on my card for camping alone.

Thought of the Day

What did you guys think about my unsolicited deck pics ?

May 25th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 27 degrees, Calgary 25 degrees, Mesa 36 degrees”

Yahoo finally spring has arrived with a whole week above 20 degrees.

The Stamps versus the Elk ending in a 31 to 4 win. If only it hadn’t been a preseason game as that would have been 27 beer ahead for me. But if this game is an indication of things to come Fred better rent a BUD LIGHT semi truck for my delivery.

I love the spin the Edmonton media put on this thrashing. It was just preseason and we want to see how our rookies are playing. Two things wrong with that statement. First losing sets a mindset and needs to be broken and second if these are your potential new players it was a bad selection. Edmonton has been a disaster for the last few years, since the name change, and this only accentuates the issue.

I am thinking big money paid in beer this year for sure.

We got up early this morning and headed to the Stampede grounds which is the finish line for the 1/2 marathon Corey was running in. He is in great shape but has had a bad cold for about a week so could be affected by that.

He ran it in 2 hrs 11 mins which is awesome considering everything. A way way out of my reach. His goal was under 2 hours but so close and considering his cold he did extremely well. I laughed when Corey said he bothered him when some fat or old person ran by him. Stamina and endurance is not relative to body shape or age.

Talk about a well organized event and thousands of on lookers. Loads of people, food trucks, music jockey, and directional helpers everywhere. Plus gorgeous weather.

Finding Tor and Jackson was interesting in the huge spacing and crowds but Jackson gave perfect directions.

THINK ABOUT THIS. Meant to be. How ironic is this ?

Corey raced and finished a 21.1 km race in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

I think this is the ONLY time where a Participation Medal is valid. This metal represents an accomplishment that 90% of us could not do.

A fun way to spend our early Sunday morning.

Head home relax for a bit and then watch the Oiler game. Should be a great game and either a close one. blow out or a shutout.

A wonderful warm evening to BBQ a burger and sit on the deck.

Thought of the Day

Pain is temporary, finish line photos are forever.

May 26th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 30 degrees, Calgary 27 degrees, Mesa 37 degrees”

You have to love summer like weather. And being here in Alberta our temperature hitting today at 31 degrees at the lot seemed just perfect.

I placed all of the furniture back on to the deck. I had to be a little careful as some of the top deck even after 48 hours had a spots that were not 100 % dry. I moved stuff around, swept, took cans to the recycle and garbage to the dump. I moved out golf clubs into the Jeep. Organized the fridge to take back a lot of perishables as we are being away this week more than not. Cleaned up the back space, picked weeds and raked the lawn again. I did need to have three bottles of water as one small drop of perspiration hit my forehead.

The deck looks great. The yard will closer to being done after the weekend with flowers, pressure washing etc.

Loaded up some tools, ( never what you need) and hope I have what I need to complete Mom’s vent replacement with a damper.

I decided to rework my bar and make it smaller, moveable and still use my Acacia top.

A nice enjoyable day.

Thought of the Day

It’s good to change your mind. It shows you are thinking.

May 28th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 28 degrees, Calgary 27 degrees, Mesa 38 degrees”

They forecast a nice day and we had a beautiful day. It hit 31 degrees on my gauge today.

Golfing, fishing or vacationing, and gardening makes me happy. It was the perfect day to work outside and enjoy the warmth.

I stopped at Home depot garden center. Yep just like everything else flowers are getting expensive. It usually take a couple of trips to figure out how many and of what species you want. Looking forward I was right I need a lot more. The medium sized Geraniums I thought at $ 8 were reasonable . Flowers and manicured landscaping exponentially increase the aesthetics of a place.

I spent all day and absolutely loved it. I planted the long flower box, two round pots, the planter box that has my Clematis in it, a perennial on the side of the motorhome and one in the box in front of the Saloon. I raked and laid top soil and new grass seed to fill in the lawn. I weeded and cut back some of the bushes.

After planting it was time to get my automatic sprinkler system up and running. With bad eyesight reading instructions for setting it was horrible. Why do we not make manufactures use a font size that is readable for most people?

I BELEIVE it is set for two zones with two different start times every 2nd day. I will not be there until next week so fingers crossed.

Time just goes by a way too fast. It took all day. A fun day, I looked at my watch and headed back with lots still to do but golf tomorrow so headed home.

A quick supper and relaxing.

Well the Panthers have done it again. Three years in a row in the Stanley Cup final. With a win and loss and now another attempt. There are only 6 teams ever that have won cups back to back. The Panthers are RED like the Flames. They have two of my favorite ex Flame players Mathew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. Two strong aggressive players with the talent to also score. Edmonton will have their hands full.

Thought of the Day

Indifference and neglect are two terms that do not coincide with flowers

May 29th

Mercury Forecast Edmonton 32 degrees, Calgary 31 degrees, Mesa 37 degrees”

All three locations are wonderful.

My men’s league today and with the weather hopefully a great day.

My one starting player is still out of sorts so just the three of us plus the other 40 we are competing against.

I am disappointed today with my overall play. That is golf. First nine quite good with a birdie and pars but the back nine killed me. I took a 10 on hole 15 which puts you out of the money.

A real fun day with good and some bad golf shots. I did not win money within our group within our group but did not lose either. In our snips game they usually pay out a small token for third but with this ending most likely not. That one ugly hole killed me as I was leading the whole tournament until then.

After golf we went for a quick beer and bite. That turned into a marathon as the place was unexpectedly hit with two large groups and only one waitress. Needless to say it took a long long time. We did solve a lot of our issues though.

A fun day and no money as my snip was stolen away. I thought the net eagle would stand but someone after me stole it. LOL

Well the Oilers did it. I have to say it is amazing to watch them as they are winning quite easily. Good goal keeping with the two best players in the league sure helps. How they are doing it though is baffling. Mc Cry Baby was awesome with his break away and overall game and Leon as always excellent. Even some blue liners stepping up to make it a great game.

What I didn’t like was the blatant favoritism of the Oilers by the refs. An inquiry by the league should be done. It is one thing to make a wrong call now and then but the continuous flagrant oversight of obvious penalties from one team and the enforcement of the rules to the extreme to the other should not happen. Take the two penalties in the first period against Dallas that allowed Edmonton to control the game.

Back to back Stanley Cup Finals for both teams is impressive. The two best players in the league against the two best ex Flame players will battle it out.

3 more wins for Edmonton and the cup will hoisted.

Thought of The Day

Golf is the only sport where the goal is to play less.

May 30th to June 1st

Off to Edmonton for my 50th Anniversary High School Reunion and a visit with a small repair at Mom’s place.

I will post on my return