Checkered Lounge Pants

“And there it was, gone!” was a line we used back in the day, when we had to do rush jobs in the shops. That seems to apply to Xmas 2007. It was a good one though, in spite of not being with family. Lots of Xmas cheer, great turkey dinner (why do people insist on canned cranberries, when the real thing makes the turkey and dressing scream out with festive flavour and blessed tasty delight?) and made my annual Xmas call to my aunt in California. I really must call her more often. Have you ever had an aunt that would smother you in hugs and kisses when you were a kid? That’s my Auntie Mary. Man o man, my brother and me had to spend hours washing off the lipstick smudges when Auntie Mary came to visit. She was going for chemotherapy when I called, but she sounded great. There was always a family debate between my mother and aunt Mary about the Winnipeg winters and the California earthquakes. The day I phoned, she said it was 30 F in Camarillo and it was 35 F in Windsor. Need I say more? T...

Hey yall, wassup?? Got all the Xmas shopping done? Good thing about living 1000 miles from home is no one knows the gifts were purchased at the Boxing Day sales. OOOOPs did I say that out loud. Yikes. Not to worry, better valued presents when the après madness prices are ticketed. I am streamlining my Xmas gift list this year. Everyone is past the kid stag e so it’s just the ritual gifts for Moms and Dads this year. My buddy Gar got right in the spirit this year. He teamed up with the Grinch and they Ho Ho Howd right through his workplace in Vancouver. What kind of Xmas is that with no snow (do they have snow in Vancouver????? no eh? just rain, eh?)? Anyhow, had to sign off for a spell and now I am back. We got snow. We got one heckuva dumping of snow. Had to shovel, we got so much snow. Had to follow the neighbour’s SUV trail to get out, we got so much snow. OY, we got snow. Going to plus 9 on the weekend though. Oh well, it looks like a green bloody Xmas, eh? My dad is back at home. ...

Its snowing its snowing the old man is…. errrr, in the hospital. Pops had to be taken to the hospital earlier this week. Test showed he had water on the lungs and he has to visit with the medical staff until it’s cleared up. I have to be there for work next week so he better up and about so we can hang for a spell. What with, the medical system being what it is, its good to be in the observation unit. I had cause to take my buddy Gar to the emergency in Surrey on a recent visit (not that recent) and we sat in the emergency room for hours…some emergency frequenters go to any lengths to get free dressings and aspirins rather than spend $5 in the pharmacy. Too bad it clogs it up for legitimate medical emergencies. Ohhhh well, the alternative to social medicare is not very appealing either. Nuff on my rambling...get well Pop. Lets get back to the snow. It snowed here last night (see the picture). I got up early to witness the white powder before it melts. Time to get the Xmas tree, now tha...

How was your week? I had an interesting workweek. I purposely do not post work stuff on my blog because I use the sight for my personal time. You see, I (and my beloved Val) moved here for work and most of my activities here are work related, so I use all the tools at my avail to make up some, for, lost quality time that I would have enjoyed had I never moved. This week however, I managed to make work a less professional schedule. I had some managers scheduled for meetings at my office, and, decided to include a Detroit flavour to the meetings. I took the Michigan I-94 route to a meeting we had scheduled at the Union facility in Port Elgin. We crossed the border at the Ambassador Bridge and proceeded to Sarnia to re-cross the border and slice an hour off (which back-fired on the return trip with a 1 hour wait at the Sarnia crossing, so we went the long way) our travel time. After all was said and done, we returned back to Windsor in the late evening and planned to regroup the next day ...

Greetings, time for me to get outside and rake leaves. Man o man this yard can generate some huge pile of leaves. Its nice to live on the lake and have the shade in the summer, though. I just cant get used to the cycle that this over-treed yard goes through. Thats a lie.....I am used to it, and I like living on the shore. I JUST DONT LIKE raking leaves. Is that an ironey....or a paradox?? What’s the definition of irony? (It’s a rhetorical question, eh!) How about an Arab gas station owner getting shot dead in America while America’s foreign affairs is commandeering oil in the Middle East. YIKES. Did you see the news (again rhetorical). Gas price war turns deadly in Detroit Owner of station killed rival who cut price by 3 cents a gallon, cops say. Norman Sinclair / The Detroit News DETROIT -- A price-cutting war over gasoline turned deadly Friday as the owner of a southwest Detroit station was shot dead during a brawl touched off after one station dropped its price 3 cents below that of...

Hi all, how you is?? Everyone seems fine on my end. No newz is good news, eh?? Ha Ha. Well, I never recovered from the mechanical woes that been haunting me since the summer. The car was retooled with an engine that was a few years newer than the host body. trying to fit the car and the computer seems to be like trying to slide a MAC program i n a MSN processor.......nuttin' happen in. Anyhoooooo, put that headache to rest with a new car. Just got a puddle jumper to fill in whilst my Olds is getting it all good. Called my mech-anic and told him to treat the Olds like a restoration now. Tride and true.....tried and true....tryed and true. The bike will have to get slid into the porch so I can do a tranny kit over the winter. Hey, did you know the guys who are preaching that global warming is not supported by facts are the same crew that worked for the tobacco companies in the 90s. Some public programming had the behavior psychologist that did all the spin doctoring for the elusiv...

BOOOOO. You are getting schleeepy, schleeepy. I'd like a cup of BLOOOOOOD. Trick or Treat. Ha Ha. All that stuff comes to mind when Halloween is right around the corner. Folks in this neck of the woods get right into it. Lots of pumpkin jack o lanterns, corn husks, straw scare-crows, ghosts and goblins and now, what with computers and lasers and all, there is some really ghouly light shows on garage doors and houses at night. We had the grandkids last year so we got a batch of pumpkins and gourds and watched the decorations appear. I dont think we have had on trick or treat since moving out to the solitude of the Erie Shores, and we used to stock up, only to munch on sweets and chocolate ourselves. NOT THIS YEAR. I am going to keep a bag of apples on hand, just in case, and itll be apple pie if no goblins come to call. Ha Ha. Not much to report this month. Amanda is still on the coast. I keep apprised of her progress via facebook. Val is still job searching and my Boyz are working ...

YOUCH…slid on my shoes for mountain biking this morning and by the time I went to lift my leg over the bar, there was a sharp pain shooting through my foot. Darn wasp was going el quaida (that should trigger some google hits, eh?) on my toes. He had smuggled himself into my shoe and…well, the rest is rhetorical. Neat ride, pedalling while those customary tingles, following a sting, shudder up my leg. YOUCH. Anyhow, all in all, it’s been a good week. Cam is still working, Kevin started work at a Union shop (CAW no less) and my beloved Val has been pounding the job market doors. I don’t know why, but a couple months ago I started having mood-altering anxiety attacks about nobody working after decades of abuses of excuses. It suddenly activated my own personal panic attacks that were forcing me to consider some form of sanity-saving isolation to survive the onslaughts. Anyhooooo…all seems redundant now. Face booked with Jeffy (my brother Dougie’s son) and he wants to go to his folks cabin...

Hi there, whats new with you. If you cant bear to hear someone vent, then skip this post. I read a post by a colleague on her blog and realized this might be an exercise of some value, blog venting, I mean. The months barely over half done since my last post and the more things are the same the more they change (or is that the other way around??). Mechanically, this month can pack up anytime and ride off into the sunset. My car (that I got for $1.....I know what yer gonna say about a $1 car and deserving what I pay for, so don't go there....I need to vent) blew a motor. So the buck I spent along with the $1000 to get safety and emission ed is a fart in a windstorm. My bike is giving me gas 2. I have replaced wiring harnesses, rewired ground connections, replaced spark plugs wires, coil and, STILL, I cant rid my self of the missing spark at cruising speed. The next move is stators and regulators and I cant afford that after losing my motor (which I cant afford either after covering ...

Hey there, where did the summer go......WOW. ScheeeeZam. Its gone. Holey Moley, never really gave it a second thought until deciding to do the blog. Labour day tomorrow and kids back to school on Tuesday (dont miss the school supply frenzy). I did have two weeks off, but I was working on a burn-out pace and the two weeks were consumed with fighting a horrendous cold. Cold-FX (Why does Don Cherry's face come to mind??) finally dissolved the last remnants of cough and wheez. Crummy vacation when health levels are to run-down to parrtayyy. Ohhh well, nuff bout dat. It was a full season. Suzanne (Joe and Karens daughter) graduated and starts university this fall. Lisanne (office staff) had a baby girl last month (another Leo). I did manage some putting on the bike while coughing and choking and toured the county under the Harvest Moon and an eclipse. I spent a weekend in St John's (even though it was work). The summer whirled by while my beloved Val cared for baby Haley in Winnipe...

Happy Happy.....to one and all that i missed on the august b-days. YOU know who you are. I spent my b-day working in Vancouver. I had to do meetings for contract negotiations and I spent my clicking over to double nickels at Gerry Desharnais (I crash there when working in Vancouver). He sprung for a birthday meal and mixed all my cocktails till midnite sharp, then I was on my own (n o biggy....fall asleep early at my age. Ha Ha). Did get to drop in to Winnipeg for a day and spent intense grandpa time with baby haley and my beloved Val (Val been staying with baby for a spell as reported in earlier post). Bolted to my nephews cabin and did some local stuff (see painted face from Forks museum). Dropped into home long enough to do laundry and some yard work and wash the bike. Off to more road work tomorrow. Ill send you a card from st. John's (the rock). send your postal code, K, eh?

Hey, I got a day off while wrapping up the bargaining work in Montreal and I walked to Old Montreal with a few workmates.Its a beautiful day and we sat on a sidewalk cafe and watched the people walk by. It was a great way to take the mind off the week of negotiations. We stopped in at the Notre Dame cathedral on the walk back to look at the stained glass and I lit a candle for my folks. I talked with my beloved Val and she is at Grand beach with baby and Kevin, and Gary (my brother) and Garys wife Joanne and Rachelle(my niece). Justin (my nephew) owns the cabin and he has the whole clan out there for watersports. They are all sore and stiff from tubing behind the boat. LOL. I am jealous of those beach bums. Well back to my day off. Later.

Well, how was your Canada Day long weekend?? Lots of Bar-B and beers?? Mine was unusually quiet in my pillared community.. Val left for Winnipeg to perform some child care duties and settle in with baby Haley for a spell. I had lots of chores to catch up on after being away for 10 days, and, a few new chores waiting. I also squeezed in some range time with my rescue club and 9 holes at the Oxley golf course down the road. Dont let me fool you into thinking it was all R&R....roof patching, tire fixing, kennel tending, mulching, weed tending, all found their way into my 3 day weekend (as well as a grey goose evening, for those of you who enjoy the fare). Meantime, Val has been saddled with caring for baby at her folks house (I digress, she doesnt consider it as chore by no means). She has started the potty training phase and I get regular reports of every successful mission that is completed (and, some missions that fail as well). She makes the rounds to the park, the farm as well....

So. like I took a week off work that was void of travel and spent the entire week enjoyng the outdoors. Weather was extremely warm and after doing the early mornin g yard chores, it was off to the recreation of the day (except for the 5am reverie onfishing day......) Mountain biked on Monday by the local B&Bs.. Fishing on Tuesday. Riding the Hawg to the beach on Wednesday. Golfing (swoosh, cussing) on Thursday. More golfing on Friday. Riding the hawg through the wine county on Saturday. Sucking up to Val on Sunday. OY. Its all good.

Hi there, how was your week? Have you been watching the weather reports across the country? It’s pretty unstable, eh? I was watching the news and the broadcaster announced that the G8 meetings in Europe was going to focus on the host countries (Germany) agenda to reduce greenhouse gases. “Good” I thought, “it’s about time”. The next news report announced that the goal was to reduce the greenhouse gases by 2050 to 50%. “Did I hear that right”, I mumbled, “that will make me, hum…..97 years old (or, better yet, try how old will the kids or grandkids be)….OY”. The next report announced that the US was blocking the hosts over anxious goal. “Get real”, is what came to my mind. The thoughts that followed are, well, lets just say disgust will sum it up. Anyhow, my week was akin to those stereo-typical country songs. On Monday, I went to get my bike from the shop and the bike wont start. I have to reroup and return tomorrow. Tuesday morning, my beloved Val left a message that she was ...

Way warm here today....gonna hit 30 and the humidex will go through the roof. I just got home last night. I picked up some virus while on the road in Toronto last week. Whoaa, shivers and such, for 48 hours, YIKES. It was all I had to make the 5 blocks from hotel to train station to catch my ride home. I wont share my flu bug with my staff so I am taking a sick day. Feelin slightly more human 2 day, but I woke up to an empty house and no car. The bike is still in the shop, so, I will have to bicycle down to Colchester to get supplies to make it through the heat. I will stop at the roadside stands and get some fresh fruit for lunch. Its all good. I was sequestered in bargaining for a week so I have not heard a peep from my Boyz and the text messenger has been quiet except for the odd note from the grandkids Mom. Kevin left for a job out West so I dont hear much about my grandchild and I dont care to be Mr. Inbetween, if you know what I mean. Too bad.....nuff said. Cam has decided not to...

I think I need a time out..........I hit the links and worked on my new golf swing (which is simply trying to acquire my old swing too get my lost distance, back) when I got my desired distance on my shots, but, now, I send the little white ball vaulting wildly in any god for saking direction. OY. I sat on the 19th hole, lost in despair and disappointment, when the bike shop called and said I better drive to the shop because John (the only harley mechanic left that remembers Evo motors) needs to show you how "deep" he has to tear down the bike to be able to complete the work. Ya see, I had taked the sled in to fix a small leak in a gear box seal, and ordered a long overdue maintenance check because I was planning to make one more trip to the Black Hills Rally, in Sturgis, this year. Anyhow, I better drive to the shop or I will be walking to Sturgis.

Spring has sprung, finally. Baby and Kevin visited for three weeks and we visited the Nations capital and toured the usual haunts. We stopped long enough and had a picnic outside the Ottawa hotel. They went home last week. The flowers are blooming in the yard. My beloved Val is nagging to get the yard presentable and I have even snuck in a few rounds of golf. Yahoo. This week is a travel week in Montreal and hopefully the weather will cooperate and chores will be all done soon after I get home.

It was my good friend Fuzzy’s birthday earlier this month. I sent an email telegram for the surprise party b ut I was a little tardy sending, in my usual way, so I just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAT FUZZY on the blog. Dave (hubby) sent some pics of the party and it looks like she had fun. Dave and Fuzzy used to invite everyone to their house in Winnipeg for Lobster deals and some of us stayed long after the markets were gone, for beers and Dave and Fuzzy’s hospitality in Winnipeg. We all moved eastward early in the new millennium, but I hear the lobster tradition lives on at Fuzzy’s old house. I was reading a news article the other day about a cricket coach being strangled in his hotel. It appears his team from Pakistan lost their world cup match to Ireland. I never thought of Ireland being a world class force in cricket? I believe golf, rugby, but cricket. Can you imagine?? It’s going to be a long flight home for the squad from Pakistan. It’s a whacky world. I also saw a doc...

Barb walked into my office and said I got myself a dilemma. How can I get a 55 inch TV from London to my living room. Huh, I said, what?? Where did you get a 55 incher?? Relatives upgraded their home entertainment and gave me their old 55 incher if I can transport it from their house in London, she reported. OY...when we get in a squeeze, its Joe to the rescue. Joe measured his van and its a tight fit. But its a fit. Face down after all the seats are removed, we can do 'er. Not face down someone advises. No Way do you move a new fangled flat panel TV anyway but upright. OY....plan B, Joe. We always got a plan B ( circa movie titled Rare Birds) when Joe is doing the rescue. Anyhow, cant tell you plan B cause Joes Ma took ill and he left fore Cape Breton to be with her before we could activate Plan B. Stay tuned.

"Jamaica!!! Jamaica!!!" I replied when my son Kevin called to say that Laura and he had booked a week all inclusive to Jamaica. "Yes" he said. "We went to see a travel agent about a vacation, and." he said, "after scouting a West Coast holiday, we decided it was much cheaper and more inviting to travel to Jamaica for a week". "Why not bring the kids here for a vacation?" I quizzed. Even though it hardly seems fair to make them revisit Colchester when there is a whole wide world out there to see, but what do I care about the wide world when I can arrange a chance to see the kids. Bullocks to the wide world, I say. OK OK OK.....how about a stopover in your flight and drop the kids off to babysit, I am now pulling out all the GranPa stops. "I dont think so Dad". Cheeky kid, I mumble to my self. Anyhow, Lorraine and Starla are babysitting in Brandon. Kev left the mobile phone with them so I have been text messaging with the girls...

Hi there, Not much to gab about this post. I will do a blurb to keep up my monthly blog diary. Worked a heckish schedule in December and January logging about 30K airmiles and weeks away from home I spent the majority of this month working out of the house when it was permitted by my admin. Did a lot of texting with the kids and d/l some swell pics of Baby Haley. My favourite is included (guess who's picture she's holding, eh?). Dont she deserve a big ole chomma? Mwaaaa. Cam's girlfriend Marie had her 23 birthday this weekend and my stepdaughter Amanda turned 25. March is just around the corner, but this month was nice and quiet, so far. Be well, all.

Hi All, Just a quick post to bring the gossip up to date. I spent Xmas at home with friends and family and even caught up on some long overdue commitments, eh Denny? I took my long lost colleague, Dennis, out for his retirement dinner and enjoyed the company of a few of my nearest and dearest Union friends at the same time. It was a gas. Also got to hi-jack my grand-daughter for a few days and she really plays strange with me. OUCH. It was a good thing my beloved Val had the good fortune of being the "maternal shoulder" in our breakaway with Baby Haley. She and Baby were inseparable until Mommy Laura could stand to be apart no l onger, and we had to return the little bundle of joy back to her Mom. My long-lost stepdaughter, Amanda, also was in touch. I was so overjoyed to hear from her. She works on a $40M yacht and was presently docked (I am struggling for the correct nautical terms, being, a railway man and all!) in Seattle with plans for exotic ports of call in the New Ye...