Great Visit But Bad Hockey Day.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

It’s almost embarrassing to say that you get up before the sun even when you stayed up late watching a Christmas Special last night. That’s right we didn’t get to bed until 1:00 this morning and I was still up at 7:00. The sun only appeared at 7:40 and set by 5:00 this afternoon. 

 Since we’d finished our morning reading on the computers by 9:30 Kathy went to do some reading in the living room while I put on my workout clothes and started back to my exercise routine. For not having worked out since Thursday because I went to donate blood that afternoon I was still able to increase the number of reps that I had in my routine today.

 After enjoying chicken noodle soup for lunch Kathy and I washed the dishes before she returned to her reading and I finally went for a shower. We were on our way out the door by 2:00 headed for the New Belle River Arena to watch our grandson Tyler’s hockey team play. We did stop at Tim Horton’s on our way to get a couple of hot chocolates which even though it is full of caffeine helps to warm us up and calm us down. 

When we arrived at the arena we were surprised that we could not sit in the bleacher seats because the area was blocked off. The contractors that applied a sealer to the cement floors incorrectly mixed it and now two weeks later it is still not cured. The only way to watch the game was to sit out in the main corridor and watch through the windows or if you were taking pictures like I was you had to stand along the edge of the rink on the other side of the arena. 

Today Tyler’s team was matched against the only other team in their league that has beaten them once before even though they have met numerous times because most of their players are older and fairly large in size. Today was another fast action day with very few stops in the play. At the end of the day Tyler’s team was defeated 4 – 3. 

When we left the arena we took the expressway all the way across town to the Lauzon Parkway so we could stop at the Zehr’s grocery store. We needed a few supplies such as milk for the apartment but we also wanted to find a nice dessert to bring with us to supper. 

We had been invited to our friends Kathie and Ross’s for supper. Earlier this year after Ross’s heart attack we had helped out by driving Kathie to the hospital, helped bring Ross’s car home from Goderich and repaired a cupboard for them. This was their way of saying Thank You. We enjoyed our meal and had a great visit. We had the chance to find out more of what Ross’s doctor is doing to help him with some of his ongoing problems, about Kathie’s mom Theresa who is presently down in Florida. We also talked about their children and their jobs and finally about our upcoming travels and plans for the future. All-in-all it was a great visit and we’ll be seeing them again before we leave for Florida. 

With only 25 days left before we leave I have to get up early to bring the truck in for a front-end alignment for 8:00 tomorrow morning. I hate using the alarm clock but it sometimes has to be done. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Wife: "Let's go out and have some fun tonight."

Husband: "Okay, but if you get home before I do, leave the hallway light on."

Good Start Then Murphy Arrived.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

Things were really getting back to normal this morning. After a good night’s sleep I was up just before 7:00 and by the time I had the blinds open and everything ready to make breakfast Kathy was not that far behind me. Since the temperature was only sitting at the freezing mark this morning we busied ourselves on the computers before I gathered things to go to the trailer. Shortly after lunch I retrieved a few more of my tools from the trunk of the car before heading out. 

Kathy was going over to our daughter Karen’s for a short visit while I went to the trailer. She actually had a short visit with Karen, Greg, Tyler and Sanford before she had to leave. Karen was going out with her friend Sandy in an attempt to get some of her Christmas Shopping done. With only 26 days until Christmas day she thought that it would be a good idea to start getting ready. When Kathy returned to the apartment she started baking cookies and cupcakes to have on hand for a few desserts. 

When we left the apartment heading in different directions I suddenly realized that the remote gate opener to the storage yard was in the car so I also ended up driving over to Karen’s house to retrieve it. Nobody knew that I was outside and as soon as I had gotten the remote I headed for the storage yard. 

My goal was to get the bracket that I had made to hold our pinbox level mounted and to replace a floodlight that I had attached to the rear bumper as a reverse light. The temperature was supposed to be comfortable but as soon as I arrived at the trailer the wind started blowing making it bitterly cold. I started at the pinbox but for some reason I couldn’t find the nut-driver attachment for my drill. Looking where it should have been and all my other tool boxes it just wasn’t there. So I backed the truck as close to the trailer to see which light wasn’t working. Imagine my surprise when they were both working. 

I went back to the apartment to check the toolbox we have there with no luck. I ended up stopping at Princess Auto to replace my missing tool before returning to the trailer. Finally ready to work on the pinbox using the drill and our power inverter. Every time I used the drill was a gamble whether or not the inverter would trip out. To drive four self-drilling/tapping screws took about twelve attempts. One screw only went half way in and the last one snapped off. The bracket will not fall off but when the wind started carrying rain with it I chose to wait until we are in Florida to fix the problem. What should have been an easy job Murphy has made into a pain but we’ll survive. 

Tomorrow we have plans that won’t involve the trailer but that doesn’t mean we’re not getting ready to leave. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You've made more marriage proposals than business proposals.

Cleaning, Organizing and Relaxing

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

For some reason I had a restless night but only slept in until 7:30 this morning. After doing my usual prepping for breakfast and opening the drapes I managed a whole ten minutes on the computer before Kathy woke up. The Weather Channel confirmed that it was cold outside but we already knew that just by seeing the parking lot peoples breathes as they spoke to one another. The forecast for the day would not be improving so we planned on working around the apartment instead. 

It has been over a week since I’d done our laundry so today I rectified that problem. I had no problems getting the machines I needed when I needed them but with other tenants still learning how to use the new laundry card system that delayed our lunch by a half hour as I coached them on the process.   

While I had been gone downstairs Kathy was just attacking the newly formed dust bunnies that she had not gotten to since this past Monday. When I returned she was breathing easier even though there was no visible signs of mass casualties. 

While having lunch we started watching another Christmas Special on television. Watching all this television is totally out of character for us. We think it has to do with the cold and sometimes wet weather that is turning us into couch potatoes. We try to avoid going to stores at this time of year so we are not facing throngs of holiday shoppers. 

Following that program I managed to book an appointment at Windsor Spring and Alignment for the truck for next Monday at 8:00 in the morning. Since Jim at Windsor Gas and Diesel had replaced the Tie Rod End he recommended an alignment to be certain everything will run true. We spend more time on the computers where Kathy was able to find something else for us to do on our return trip home next April.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading to the trailer to cross a few things off my to-do list before we leave in 27 days. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

The early bird catches the worm.

Bad News and Another Gift of Life.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

Once again I was up at 7:00 this morning and had everything ready for breakfast as well as finished all my morning reading on the computers before Kathy got up at 8:00. She said she had trouble falling asleep last night so of course she slept later this morning. 

Before 9:00 this morning our friend Vera called to talk to Kathy. She had good news and bad that she had to tell Kathy. The good news was that she and Bill would be dropping off some freshly made Hungarian Hulka that we enjoy eating on occasion. The bad news was that Bill’s brother Alex was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and Bill was taking it very hard. The strange part is that Alex never smoked a day in his life. The family is in our thoughts and prayers. 

Since I didn’t get around to exercising for the last four days I decided I had to do it this morning because I wouldn’t be able to for the next couple of days. I managed to get a good workout in where I also increased my reps and sets to help hold me over. Vera called again just before 10:00 telling us she’d be here in ten minutes. Kathy met Vera and Bill downstairs but they were on the way to the hospital and didn’t have time to come in to visit. After my shower we had an early lunch. 

Kathy needed to go to Sears to buy new dress pants and since she always feels like she is imposing on me when I go with her and she rushes I suggested I’d drop her off and pick her up after my appointment. This was a great suggestion for her so she didn’t have to rush. 

My appointment was again with the Canadian Blood Services where every eight weeks I donate blood. There were a fair amount of people that were also there to make donations but truly not enough to match the need for the blood that is and will be needed throughout the holiday season. They were blaming it on the Black Friday Sales that were going on all over the city. Everyone there that knows Kathy and I travel wished us safe travels and said they’d see me again in the spring. My plans are to continue my blood donations while we are away this winter. 

Kathy and I had made arrangements where to meet inside the mall when I returned. She didn’t see me come in so I caught up to her and whispered from behind that somebody took our bench. She was impressed at my timing. 

We went over to the food court to each have a coffee and a small Cinnamon bun for a snack. While we were talking and people watching we were surprise when our friend Sheryl stopped by for a brief visit. She is doing better now that she has moved but is still adjusting to life without Ernie. Ernie and I served our apprenticeships together but unfortunately passed just before we got home in April after losing a battle with Stomach Cancer. We made arrangements to visit when we get back in town next spring. 

Our area will be having a warmer but rainy day on Sunday and even though we have dinner plans I’m hoping to get some work done on the trailer because in four weeks-time we’ll be on the road heading south for the winter. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Gain $ and Weight Working from Your Desk

A CareerBuilder survey found that 44 percent of workers report having gained weight while at their current jobs. It lists reasons that make sense: stress and sitting at a desk nearly all day.

Liz. Wolgermuth, U.S. News and World Report

Selective Shopping and Prepping.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

I was once again up by 7:00 this morning so I had a chance to get things ready for breakfast, opened the window blinds in the other rooms, watched the morning forecast on the Weather Channel and finished reading all the morning blogs before Kathy got up this morning. She didn’t sleep that well on Monday night so her body needed to make up for that loss of sleep by sleeping later this morning. 

Even after she got up there was no bright sunlight causing her any discomfort looking outside. The sky remained overcast again for the fourth day in a row which seems to drain our energy levels. Even the forecast for the next week shows only a couple of days where we can expect warmer temperatures but they will be cloud covered rainy days. 

After Kathy had completed her morning reading she started checking what food stocks she would need for us to make it through the weekend and making her list before doing any serious grocery shopping. We are now at the stage where we will not overstock the pantry or freezer with anything that we won’t be able to bring across the border with us. I kept busy by making certain our backup laptop computer was in good working order. 

Shortly after 11:00 we drove over to the Metro Grocery Store so we could get the things on Kathy’s list so that she’ll be able to get the cooking she wants to do accomplished. It also gave us a little walking exercise time before returning back to the apartment. 

It was nearly 1:00 by the time we had our purchases put away and sat down to have our lunch. The rest of the afternoon would be spent between watching another Christmas Special on television and working on our computers. 

Once supper and the dishes were done we were on our way to Amherstburg for our weekly visit with Kevin and Melissa. We thought taking the expressway would save us time but since there is construction where it meets 18 highway it creates a bottleneck which added to our travel time. 

Since I needed to find some bicycle supplies that we have stored in Kevin’s garage Kevin and I spent nearly an hour outside gathering them while Kathy visited with Melissa. Luckily the wind had calmed down so we weren’t too cold while we were outside but the hot tea that we had when we got back in the house took away any chills we had. We had another wonderful visit with the kids that always has us feeling good when we leave. 

Since tonight is four weeks to Christmas Eve we know our departure date is fast approaching and we’ll soon be heading south. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

The best men are but men at best.

Seasonal Weather.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

Even the weather guessers were off yesterday when they forecasted the high winds to end early in the evening. The windows continued to rattle way past the time that we went to bed last night. This was one time that we were really glad that we were in a rock solid building to ride out this storm. We’ve experienced less intense storms in the trailer and spent most of those nights being jolted awake from the trailer’s movements. 

Watching the Weather Channel this morning we witnessed scenes of mature trees that had been ripped from the ground at the roots or strings of Hydro poles that had been snapped like toothpicks putting entire communities in darkness. The forecasters also gave their opinions of what we could expect for this coming winter and they kept using the term Polar Vortex quite a bit. 

After eating breakfast and sitting at the computers we could still hear a slight whistle of the wind outside but it was far from the intensity that it held yesterday. We both had chores that we tried to get finished this morning since we are now only one month away from our departure south for the winter. A repair/replacement of the power cord on my electric drill couldn’t be done the way I wanted to due to its internal construction. At least I was able to clean a buildup of debris that had accumulated internally over years of use. 

We did get a big Thank You for having wrapped those Christmas gifts yesterday that weren’t ours. The 6 o’clock News showed more local damage that was brought on by yesterday’s high winds as well as erosion along the shores of the Great Lakes. They also showed how a lot of other people were helping one another out to deal with not only storm damage but acts of kindness for the upcoming season. 

The sky remained overcast throughout the day and we’re back into below normal temperatures for our region but there is a good chance that we might see the sun tomorrow. We again watched another Christmas Special on television tonight as a way to relax since there is not much we can do outside at this time. 

Kathy and I would like to welcome Dawn King as our newest blog follower. Unfortunately Dawn doesn’t have a blog listed at this time so if that changes in the future we’ll give it a Shout-Out for others to follow. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You use Gas-X more than Fed-Ex.

Solving Problems and Helping Out.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

When I looked at the clock this morning at 6:30 I thought I’d get an early start to my day but suddenly my eyes blinked. When my eyes once again opened they were looking at the darkness coming around the window drapes and 8:10 was now showing on the clock. Opening the drapes in the other rooms didn’t bring any more sunlight into the picture. The one thing that was normal was that minutes after I got up Kathy was joining me in the dining room. 

Looking out the balcony door the sky was still dark from the heavy cloud covering nearly convincing you that it was still the middle of the night. Only the odd line of thin clouds would brighten to indicate the sun was hidden behind their darkness. The Weather Channel confirmed that the temperatures were already dropping in our area and that we could expect on and off rain most of the day accompanied by near Gale-force winds. By 9:00 this morning the winds were beginning to rattle the windows in the apartment. 

After spending a short time reading the morning blogs (it seemed like nobody wrote last night) I readied myself to exercise while Kathy decided she’d install her new CPAP mask and hose on her machine. Something didn’t appear right and when she tried the mask she realized that it didn’t fit the way it should. Now we had a mission to get the problem rectified because they had not given her the right sized cushions for her mask. 

While I did my fitness routine Kathy busied herself wrapping some gifts. We know somebody that just couldn’t bring her Christmas gifts for her children home without the kids finding them. With only 31 days left before Christmas she also didn’t know when she’d get a chance to wrap the gifts. Since she also left the wrapping paper here and we have been long done with our own gift wrapping we volunteered to do her’s. 

When I was done my workout I washed up and went to help but Kathy wanted me to start chopping some vegetables for a few food dishes she wanted to make today. When it was time for lunch we both stopped what we were doing to enjoy a Salmon Pasta dish that Kathy created. 

Shortly after 1:00 we were on our way to VitalAire to get their mess straightened around for Kathy’s CPAP mask. It was a white knuckle drive because of wind gusts of 62.5 mph (100 kmh) broadsiding the car as we travelled down the Expressway. We made additional stops at the dollar store and Canadian Tire before finally getting back home. I dropped Kathy near the service entrance so she could check the mail while I parked the car. Imagine my surprise when the wind first pushed me against the car and then nearly knocked me over as I got closer to the building. 

Back in the apartment Kathy immediately had me chopping more vegetables for a ham and pea soup she was making while she continued wrapping gifts. Then I needed to make a box for one gift so that it could be wrapped. Kathy was still busy in the kitchen so I ended up wrapping that gift as well. Once she was done we both worked on wrapping the last gift because of its size and weight. 

We finally sat down to enjoy a wonderful Quiche that we made for supper at 6:00 so instead of watching the Weather Channel we watched the local news with our meal. The wind is still rattling the windows and any leaves that were still on the trees and shrubs yesterday are probably past Toronto as I write this post. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Husband: "this coffee isn't fit for a pig!"

Wife: "Well, let me go and make some that is."

Double Celebration.

Our Location today is Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.

Since we didn’t have anything planned until this afternoon I only got out of bed around 7:00 this morning. I also knew that Kathy could use extra rest in order to kick that bug she has been dealing with so I let her sleep until she woke on her own. Because she wasn’t feeling well last night she almost slept until 9:00 this morning.

Birds eye view of today's celebration.

As I mentioned recently there are still things we want to accomplish before we head south in 32 days but the weather hasn’t been co-operating. This morning was no exception with a steady flow of rain coming down. At least it wasn’t freezing like it did yesterday. We made a lazy morning of our time by watching a new Christmas special on television. 

Priest almost playing a game of The Price is Right
asking students questions about their faith.

After lunch while Kathy busied herself getting dressed up I took a quick shower and shave. We were getting ready to go to our grandson Tyler’s Confirmation when we realized that since we’ve been Snowbirding we very seldom get dressed up like this.

Tyler being administered his Confirmation.

Saint Anne’s church is only a few blocks up the road but since it was raining we drove the car. We arrived forty-five minutes before the service but since there were so many children being confirmed Kathy and I ended up sitting upstairs in the choir loft. The outside temperature reached 50 F (10 C) today but the heat in the church rose to make sitting in the loft almost unbearable. We survived! It was a great service but it has really changed since even our children took that leap of faith. 

Tyler second row, second from left.
Only half of the confirmation class.

It was nearly 4:00 by the time we got back to Karen and Greg’s where we congratulated Tyler and took additional pictures with all his grandparents and family. Shortly after we were all heading to Armando’s for a celebratory meal. 

Granddad Ray, Tyler and Grandmother Rose.

Myself, Tyler and Kathy.

Greg, Kylla, Tyler, Ashley and Karen.

The meal was actually a guise as Greg’s brothers and most of their families were all there waiting. Yesterday was (Greg’s Mother) Rose’s 85^th Birthday and they sprang a surprise celebration on her using Tyler’s confirmation as the excuse to go to the restaurant. The surprised worked great and was a pleasant surprise not only for Rose but Ray (Greg’s Father) as well. Kathy and I are often invited to some of their get-togethers and are almost considered part of their family. 

Rose surprised to see the rest of her family at the restaurant.

The room was filled with children and grandchildren.

Some that couldn't be here Face-Timed from B.C.

There were a number of other family celebrations going on in Armando’s and one was another birthday celebration that Mario a gentleman I worked with for 32 years was attending. As he and his wife were leaving just ahead of us I had a chance to introduce them to Kathy, Karen and Greg and Tyler. We had a brief visit with the promise to get together again soon. We made a quick stop at Karen’s where she gave me a memory stick so I can copy today’s photos over for her. 

Mario and his wife.

Tomorrow we’d better get our outside chores done in the morning as our weather will only be nice until around noon before it falls apart. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

Your doctor prescribes moonshine as a painkiller.