This and That and That and That....

Newsflash!! I feel good today! / tonight! It's a nice change because I haven't been very energetic lately. Part of might be that this 70+ hour work week will be over in a few hours. Hmmm.... could be.

The other thing might be that tonight Lynda and I laid eyes on one another for the first time this week. A sight for sore eyes, fer sure, even if it was for only an hour. I had everything on the go for our BBQ dinner by the time she got in from work - the grill warmed up; peppers, onions and garlic chopped and heating in the pan; potatoes peeled and on to boil. I think it was probably late November or early December the last time I fired up the grill; lord, I was ready for a good steak. And it turned out great! I wolfed mine down, grabbed my coat and keys and had to dash for work.

Quiet night here at work; I've been killing time roaming the blogs and firing off comments and emails.

Birthday greetings went out to two great ladies who both turned 50 this week; Lazy Buddhist on the 2nd and Lea Kelley yesterday on the 7th. Now the real fun starts girls!!

Kel at 'xfacta' was good enough to post an update about their local conditions in SE Australia where they are being plagued by wildfires. Put my mind at ease somewhat after seeing reports on the evening news. An incredible heatwave with sustained temps over 40C have left everything tinder dry.

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On another note entirely.... The counsellor I'm working with tonight gave me his copy of a book to check out through the night tonight. One I'd never seen before. It's re-written Bible which relates 12 step recovery directly to scripture and is chuck full of daily meditations and other resources. For a full description, for anyone interested or to pass along, see this link: http://www.amazon.com/Recovery-Devotional-Bible-Verne-Becker/dp/0310936756. There are times when I feel spiritually 'stuck' and this has come along at an appropriate time.

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A couple of posts ago I described my work schedule for this week..... besides that, when I get up early Sunday afternoon Lynda and I have a few hours of work to do during the afternoon. Dinner, relax, bed... then up for work Monday. After work Monday I'll have enough time to dash home, change and eat before going to set up my home group AA meeting. Home, bed and up for work Tuesday on into Wednesday. Get off work Wednesday morning, head home and collapse into bed for the day (I hope). Back to work Thursday. C'mon Friday!! Lynda and I are intent on keeping our dinner date but haven't decided whether to go out Friday or Saturday for Valentine's.

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It's 4 a.m. and it's a balmy +4C outside!! Positively short-sleeve shirt weather. Glorious!! I'm not sure how long it is supposed to last but I'm thoroughly relishing it while it's here.

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I have no clue as to when I'll be able to post again but I'll be checking in for comments when I can..... and roaming blogland looking in on the regular crew. Have a great week; mine is just about over. Toodles.

Looking Back

Wow!! Wednesday already so how about a little recap??

Sunday I was up early in the afternoon to help Lynda with 'that' job we do each weekend. She had some car trouble Saturday evening so there was some checking around to do with that and stewing because she has extra hours booked to work all week. We both crashed before 10 that night.

Monday was a steady go from 5 a.m. straight through until after 10 that night. If my A.A. home group wasn't so small I would have begged off but I felt obliged to show up - and did. During the day I got some household stuff cleared up, some running around town done picking up car parts and shopping. Plus, catching up on blog friends new posts. The car got fixed by a friend. By that evening I was exhausted and wound up spending 12 hours between the sheets without feeling the least bit guilty.

I got up Tuesday not feeling all that great - headache, heavy feeling in my chest and generally blah. The plan was to take it very easy and do not much of anything but all it took was an early call from my Mom to rouse me. As my sister is leaving on vacation (again!) and weather isn't supposed to be good for the rest of the week she thought she'd best get a few things from the grocery store. No problem Mom.

My stepson was called back to work from his layoff and started back Monday. Lynda drops him off on her way to work and I pick him up at days end. That has worked alright so far but I figure there are already 3-4 inches of snow on the ground now at 10 a.m.; there is plenty more forecast and there is quite a distance to travel and get him. Oh, joy.

Yeah, the weather. Friday we had a tease of mild stuff to come - we actually got up to freezing!! That night it dropped right back to -20C; I could have cried. There were a couple more cold days but as this storm system moved in it brought much milder temps. I think we're sitting at about -5C which is comfortable.

Lynda is doing her regular shift all week but T, W, & Thurs she is putting in an additional 4 hours on-call for another department. She goes back in Saturday for a super shift; 16 hours from 7 until 11. (Then we do that job on Sunday again and she's back at work Monday. Fun, eh?? She's definitely working way too much.)

What's my day hold?? Well, shovelling snow for sure while trying not to blow a gasket. That trip to get stepson #3 and then have dinner on the table for when Lynda gets home. Last night it was pork chops in mushroom soup, sherry and seasonings with rice. Tonight it is schnitzel with peppers, onions, roasted garlic and garlic mashes potatoes.

Y'all have a good day; that's my plan.

Coupla Things

I had a response from the customer service folks at Eagle Records advising me that the DVD release of Jeff Beck's latest has been delayed from Dec 08 or Jan 09 until April. Me not happy.... but I thanked them for the info anyway. Maybe they should just update their website???

On the sleep front - newsflash!!! Today I slept like a king and didn't get up until after Lynda had arrived home from work... and that NEVER happens. Ah, bliss. Praise the Lord, I was due.

Weather front - a high pressure system has pushed it's way into the area bringing clear skies and much colder temps. We're back down near -20 once again tonight. Unfortunately I was so late getting up I didn't get any photos taken of the snow. Maybe later today.

Beard update - I know everyone is breathlessly awaiting word on the latest developments here. Geez! For the last month I've let it grow on my cheeks to raise the line of it from running along the jaw line. Made it through the itchy stage last week without scratching myself up too badly. I think if I give it an overall trim today it should all be the same length and then I can start subtracting with the razor and figure out where I want it.

Once I was up for the day Lynda and I tuned in to CNN and caught the inauguration parade. Since getting to work I've viewed the actual swearing in ceremony and excerpts from Obama's speech. The satellite shot of the crowds before the White House was incredible - I haven't as yet heard any estimates of crowd size but it must be in excess of 2 million. I'm happy and relieved that everything went off according to plan and without incident. Blessings on Barack Obama and through you, to all your citizens.

Excuse me but I have to go view some WordPress tutorials now and consume a rather large bar of chocolate and almonds.

Baby It's Cold Outside

The weather is what everyone is talking about here these days. Today's high temp was -14C and we're heading down below -20C again tonight. Lots of cold associated accidents, fires, watermain breaks. Shelters are opening extra beds and doing more outreach trying to get the homeless to take shelter. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 or 15 minutes; less time if there is wind.

I had a bunch of running around to do today and everything went incredibly smooth, tickety-boo, no waiting. A doctors appt, haircut, oil change - nice not to have the frustration of having to hang around cooling my heels. Layer up and give the car plenty of time to warm up and off I went. Hah! Layering up - I had a ridiculous amount of clothes on today but I won't bore you with the details. Normally I look like a long, tall drink of water - today I was somewhat rotund and was restricted in movement by all I was wearing.

Unlikely to post during the day Friday as I had yet another call-in for work; this time just a dayshift. Ching-ching. The weekend will likely bring a visit from g'son Owen and his Mom - Dad is on a business trip in Australia. I'm hoping they stay Saturday into Sunday again. Sunday night I'm back into my regular series of night shifts.

BTW - My comments regarding the weather shouldn't be interpreted as complaints, though it may seem sometimes that is the spin on them. Walking out of doors in this sort of weather is bracing, exhilarating and life affirming. (Though daunting at times - must be mindful of inherent dangers and precautionary measures.) If you haven't experienced it I highly recommend it even if it's for a short time.

A Quicky For Now......

Being Tuesday I didn't have to be here at work until a little later but I still had my work out of the way in no time flat. I've been all round the web but haven't got around to my regular reads as yet. Soon..... well, later on anyway.

After a couple of high pressure, cold, clear skies days it has socked in again and is snowing steadily. The forecast is calling for a few inches of the white stuff, then a period of freezing rain, and switching back for more snow. It ought to be an interesting ride home come morning. C'est la vie.

There was a music group that formed back in '68, I believe in California, called Rhinoceros. It was the first of the super groups drawing it's members from a few different name bands including Iron Butterfly and the Mothers of Invention. Their first album, self titled, knocked a lot of people on their butts with it's blend of rock, R&B, blues and ballads. Woo-Hoo, I just found a website for them!! Turns out some of the members eventually settled in the Toronto area and are still playing. A little more searching ought to turn up some future gigs. In case you're interested here is a link: http://www.rhinoceros-group.com/index.html

Last night I watched a movie - 'Girl Interrupted' (1999) with Winona Ryder playing the lead. Angelina Jolie won a best supporting actor Oscar for her work. Good film; thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the counsellors I work with is a real film buff and this is one of three he loaned me. In a few minutes I'm going to watch 'My First Mister' (2001) which is directed by Christine Lahti. The other one is 'Cinema Paradiso' which I think is an Italian production and which Ken says is his favourite film of all time. High praise.... hope it's to my taste. Ciao.

Bits & Pieces....

I didn't post last night as I had a couple of very lengthy calls from people seeking treatment; lots of details to cover; lots of upset regarding needing help. Around the time those wrapped up I dashed off an email to Sarah cuz Tuesday Zeph turned 7 months old. She replied right back and then called me. We spent half an hour on the line; Sarah was feeling lonely because her Mom had returned home yesterday morning after spending a long weekend with them. Zeph was awake for part of the call and I was yipping away at him on speakerphone - he babbled back. Sarah says he is up to 18 pounds already!!! Hurry up June!! I can't wait to see him again! S & D get married on summer solstice and S asked if Lynda and I would look after Zeph on their wedding night. Hell, yes!

Weather: we had enjoyed a couple of milder days accompanied by a fair bit of rain. The groundcover of snow diminished quite a bit - lots of run-off plus the rain made for some localized flooding in low lying areas. It was cooling off when I got up for the day and overcast. After I arrived at work this evening the snow machine kicked into gear again and there is 3 to 4 inches of fresh white stuff blowing about and drifting. It started with huge flakes the size of sparrows, changed to much finer flakes, then to ice pellets and now freezing rain. Should be fun getting home.

I had a relaxing start to the day as I didn't have to be at work until a little later. One of the phone calls I made was to Mom as I hadn't checked in with her for several days. I was heading out food shopping and wanted to know if she needed anything. 'No, I don't need anything but I'm glad you called. Did your sister call and let you know she's out of town on holiday? She left for Cuba this morning.' {[>?^&*<]} could have called and ensured Mom was covered. Frustrating....


The shopping got done....when I got to the register I asked for cash back along with my purchases. I checked my bank after getting to work and realized the cashier ripped me off for $10. She must have been operating under the illusion I have money to burn or something.

Lynda and I have been enjoying some long, late night phone calls as she's doing another week of afternoon shifts. We look forward to our time together and miss one another when we're apart. I'm trying as best I can to help her through some stuff she's dealing with these days - some days are better than others. The multiple weeks of afternoon shifts are for Milo's benefit to ensure he has proper care early in the day when he is most active.

Cousin BJ forwarded some info last week about one of our cousin's kids. He's in a band that has been very busy writing, rehearsing, recording and touring. They were featured in a radio broadcast last Thursday night and that concert performance is now available as a 'Concert on Demand' right here. I happened to be out at a meeting Thursday night and missed all but their last song. I'm checking it out now and they are pretty good; no bias here, of course. The guy holding the acoustic bass is the spitting image of his father.

Wild & Wooly

First the music.

Weather-wise this last 24 hours has been nuts, lemme tellya. It started to snow heavily around 2 a.m. last night and by the time I was leaving at 5:30 there was already 4 inches of snow on the ground. I took it easy going home and it took about twice as long to get there compared to usual. Driving in this stuff doesn't bother me but some of the other drivers sure do. They seem to think that because they have powerful vehicles , SUV's or 4 wheel drive it somehow makes them immune to the laws of physics. Duh!

There was a lull through the day while I slept but part 2 of the storm began when I got up for the day. Getting back to work was worse and when I got here called the bus company to cancel our intended trip to an outside meeting. It was being held in a town north and east of here with a lot of twisty, hilly terrain between here and there. I don't think so.....

It was relatively mild earlier - around 0C - but has cooled off considerably now. The snow falls have been coming in waves; sometimes heavy, some light. We have about 10 inches now and drifting in spots to 18. There are a few hours to go before I leave for home so I'm hoping the plows get out, get busy and have the roads clear.

Sister Linda has a post-surgery appointment this morning that I was supposed to stay up and get her to. I think she may have to reschedule that one - it's too distant for these sorts of conditions. I'm regretting now having agreed to drop a client at the train station on my way home. Drat & curses.

Maybe I should go listen to Lena Horne sing some more....hmmm?

Topical / Semi Tropical.......

THE WEATHER!!!!!!

It's what eveyone is talking about. We've gone from the deep freeze a few days ago to shattering all standing records for the warmest temperatures on these dates; ever. +14C yesterday, same expected today with a possiblity of thundershowers this afternoon. Crazy, unheardof. Except where the snow had drifted high or plowed into piles, it is gonzo, nada, finito. Bottom line, I'm enjoying the respite from freezing and having to layer up to stay warm.


On another note (hiya Kel) I caught a 10 -15 minute docu on our national broadcast tv station - CBC - about the ongoing drought in Australia, its impacts and possible reasons for it. Very scary to have 2 years back to back - bad for the farmers, little or no crops = going slowly broke; bad at market, rising prices for what little produce there is. My memory is bad and I saw it a couple of weeks ago but it was shot at a place called (or similar to) Caraganal (?). The locals, as a gesture of defiance against the rain gods, built a lawn bowling green as a place to gather and socialize. Good on ya.


Yesterday I was to have been done and gone from work by 9 am but because of the variety, volume and nature of 'things' that had happened over the weekend our meeting ran way long and I wasn't away until 10:30. I stopped by Mom's for a quick visit on the way home - a cuppa and a chat - but I found as soon as I stopped moving I started fading. I jumped back into the car, came home and spent the afternoon on the couch listening to music and snoozing. There was an arranged appointment for the cable guy to come hook us up. Imagine having lived here for over 6 months without tv!!!! Haven't missed it one iota except the news. With my boarder here, Al, I figured I better get with it. Thing is the one outlet I wanted for certain to work - Al's - doesn't, and I have to have the tech come back. (Same company that screwed up my internet installation, btw.)


What to do today? Maybe a haircut; gettting shaggy. Clean up around here; sweep and wash some floors. Cook dinner and invite Lynda over - she's fine, thanks for asking. We may not see each other daily but at least talk a few times and email on those occassions when we can't be together. There's another session with my foster teen tonight - sure hope things are better for him this week. There are more things, software to be installed on this re-worked computer so it is fully functioning again. I haven't a lot of time here at home to fiddle and spend time on it.


Just had a call from work wondering if I can do another overnight shift to cover for a sick co-worker. Hurt me! I'll go attend to this and see how it all works out..............Later.

Seasonal Progression

This may read like a weather report but ...... today was the first day (in my waking hours) during the last three weeks that we've had temperatures above -10C. What a blessing to have a bit of relief from that and much, much colder temps (and wind). I'd been starting to feel like a house hermit - not wanting to go out unless necessary. We've just had what is supposed to be the last major cold front move through for the foreseeable future.

One unusual thing about this winter in this area is that we've been in a bubble where there hasn't been a major dumping of snow in a 60 km radius yet this season. Last week was the one storm where we had 4 -6 inches over a six hour period. Just on the other side of Lake Ontario in upper New York state a town called Mexico N.Y. had over 9 feet of snow fall as they got clobbered with one storm after another over the course of a week. That's one for their almanac. In any normal winter we usually have three or four major storms where we'd get 8 inches of snow or more at one shot - it just hasn't happened that way this year.

Another thing is that there has been a noticeable difference in the length of daylight hours lately. The eastern sky was starting to lighten as I was driving home this morning around six. It wasn't full dark until about 6:30 p.m. when I was arriving back at work. Come on Spring!!

Lynda and I have shelved our idea about a Caribbean vacation for now; we may do it in November instead. In the meantime we might just head off to the Carolinas or Florida for a week instead, toward the end of March or early April.

How cold is it ???

This in response to Kel's recent posts about high temps and bush fires in Oz and todays post by Michelle about the +40C temps in SA.

We're enjoying(?) a transpolar cold snap straight out of Siberia, across the North Pole and into the heart of east central Canada. I was just outside for a very brief smoke and the trees are snapping with the cold. Not breaking and falling down but popping like small arms fire as they contract. Tonight its about -15C/-5F and the high for tomorrow is to be -18C!!!

Michelle was describing the measures she is taking to get relief from the heat. Here is how I'm layering up to stay warm - socks & undies (natch), longjohns, T-shirt, pants, turtleneck, shirt. When I head outside I also put on a bulky cotton sweater, scarf, a thermal vest and my Aussie oilskin coat. With temps where they are and no wind you can be out for a fair while without problems but if the wind picks up there's a very real danger of frostbite which can occur within minutes.

(One of our clients right now lost most of his fingers and toes a few years ago when he sank his snowmobile; had to climb out of the lake, run about a kilometer in freezing temps to the nearest phone and wait for an ambulance outside.)

It's so cold that.....it kills your car battery and thickens the oil in the pan so much that the engine won't turn over. Take a spray bottle outside, give it a squirt and the water will hit the ground as ice pellets. Spend five minutes outside and your ears, nose and fingers are brilliant red, tingle and take half an hour to warm up. I hope these sorts of images cool you down just a little bit. Me, I'm enjoying the thought of 40+ - just for a minute to keep me warm.

***update*** - If it gets any colder the big hooded downfilled jacket (that makes me look like the Michelin Man) comes out of storage. We don't want to see that, do we?