Nice Colours....But...

 

We have been sprucing up a tire shop this last week. Lots of prep, much more than actually painting. The guys who work there are helpful and co-operative, easy to please, and friendly. They do their business efficiently and with plenty of customer service and product knowledge. It is impressive.  What has been a huge challenge is working with their corporate colours and the Dulux Paint which they come in. The primary yellow and deep bright blues are transparent. It is frustrating and I will be relieved to get back to residential work where the environment is quiet and the colours are easier to work with. I am 'tired' of this nonsense. (pun intended)

A Seven Hour Project

 

I got a panic call from a guy who said he had been searching for a paper hanger forever. Two sources told him that I was the only guy in town. That may or may not be true, but I helped him out as soon as I could. He was ever so grateful.

 

The feature wall in the master bedroom had this antiqued washed look in the gold on green pattern. The light was bad for the photo, but it looked quite nice.

 

This is the media room in the bunker under the double garage. It is Martha Stewart paintable Anaglypta style wallpaper with a very nice pattern. It was excellent quality, easy to hang, and the finished product, painted a blue grey, was very nice with the indirect lighting in the coffered ceiling.

 

 

 

The main bathroom on the upper level was done in black and white, all the rage these days. Every corner was almost an inch out of square and we lost a lot of pattern as we went around the corners. Fortunately the pattern hid the crookedness.

 

The day I went to check out the job, I was walking up the poorly lit stair well and cracked my head really good on some scaffolding at the top of the stairs. Since then, I have had problems with my neck. I went to my UCCA (Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) doctor and he started treatments today. I will have not nearly made enough profit on this job to correct the damage I did before I even started it. My first treatment was $100.00!

Submarine Saga

 

This is a fascinating autobiography of a young crewman of one of the famous German U-boats of WWII. It is also a detailed history of the boat U505 and its ill fated missions and ultimate capture by the American Navy.

The book reads much like a good novel. We follow young Hans through his training as a master diesel mechanic and his selection as a crew member for the elite submariner fraternity. The workings of both crew and submarine are very interesting as this story comes from the memories of a crewman and not an officer.

A few aspects of this book that I found particularly engaging are life at sea, life on leave, the philosophy of a young man faced with death every day at sea, and the most intriguing of all, the sabotage that was going on at the dry docks where the submarines were being repaired after their missions. A constant theme running throughout the book is the importance of leadership and the effect it has on the crew and the mission.

Hans Goebeler is a proud man, and to the end, does not renounce his belief in the cause of Germany. He falls just short of not renouncing Nazism. He speaks of Germany's struggle against communism, and rails against the ethnic cleansing that took place immediately after the war, but never admits that the Allies were defending themselves against Hitler, the megalomaniac, or that the ultimate ethnic cleansing had been perpetrated against the Jews.

 

U505 was the first naval vessel to be captured since 1812 and today sits in a Chicago museum. Hans bemoans the fact that he was the last one out of the sub and his hasty attempt to scuttle the boat failed.

Although the book is a bit self-serving, it is well written, with suspense, action, and good characters, as well as being quite educational.

3 1/2 stars 

The Life and Times of Amaryllis

 

At Christmas time, we received a beautiful gift from a good friend. It was an Amaryllis bulb with a bit of potting soil. The bulb is the size of a tennis ball, and after soaking what looked like sawdust in a pot, we stuck the bulb into the soil and sat back. It did not take long for the birth announcement. It's twins!

 

 

One stalk was stronger than the other and spurted ahead.

 

Soon there were four elongated buds which grew very quickly and opened one morning, to our great delight.

 

One by one, the petals spread to seek the light, and soon all four were gracing our end table.

 

We turned the pot every day to keep the stems from leaning too far over as they sought the daylight.

 

A brilliant splash of red on a cold grey winter morning lifts the spirits.

 

And as the second stalk began to bloom ......

 

The flowers on the first one withered and died.

 

And there was the bonus! The runt of the two, actually had five blossoms instead of the usual four.

There are no insects, beating sun, or pounding rain to damage these exquisite blossoms. They are absolute perfection.

Thanks, Elma, for the gift that lasted so long and gave us so much pleasure.

A Road to Nowhere

 

I spent three years in Ocean Falls (see tags on the side bar) and had a lot of time on my hands. I suspected I would be married by the time I got back to civilization so I needed to develop a plan. I answered an ad in a magazine and subscribed to a correspondence course in business management. I spent my entire childhood helping my father in his retail grocery business and since being away from that for a few years, I began to realize that I had actually enjoyed it. When I got my first lesson, I suspected I had perhaps made a mistake. The course material was from the 1930's and had a very out-dated feel to it.

I continued on and found that book keeping, and management in general, does not change that much. Today it would be out of the question to take an outdated course in business because of the advancement in technology etc.

I aced the course and actually enjoyed it. There was no graduation, no ceremony, no gown and cap, only a big brown envelope in the mail one day. It was a feather in my hat, a notch in my belt, another line in my resume. Another old fashioned treasure that, together with $1.39 will get me a cup of coffee at Tim Horton's.

Banner Years

 

I am finding more dusty old memorabilia in the recesses of my closets. The first two photos are of the outside and then the inside of my grade 4 report card.

It helps to have a teacher who likes you. Miss Breadner was a young single gal who needed a ride to church every Sunday morning, an eight mile journey. She was in her first year of teaching and did not have a car. She would sit in the back seat with me and my three sisters, squeezed against the door with the window that I "owned". I did not appreciate it. But worse than that, she had the old fashioned train track braces on her teeth and I could see and smell what she had for breakfast every Sunday morning.

 

I do not know if I was good student or if she appreciated the ride, but she gave me straight A's that year.

 

Mrs. Vigoren was married but had no children of her own. She was one of my favourites. It was in 1964 that her and her husband, a grain buyer, purchased my father's business which allowed us as a family to make the move to BC. The Principal, Cecil Campbell, was new that year and hit on Miss Breadner. They became an item. He was much older than her and it was scandalous, as I recall.

 

Perhaps Mrs. Vigoren liked me too, or my dad and his store, because she was gracious enough to also give me straight A's. The 'R' was for Recommendation, a designation for top students that allowed them to be exempt from final exams. Note the comments on the back are always a simple "Terry does good work". What??  These days that would call for fireworks, scholarships, cars from parents, and other big rewards. Back then it was sort of expected.

When I look through all my other report cards, the subject I usually fell down in was English or Social Studies. Strange that today I love reading, writing, and politics.

Dumbing Down

 

Twice in one day! I could hardly believe it.

After several confirming phone calls, and assurances that there was enough wallpaper, we arrived on the job site today and discovered that there was about 56 sq. ft. of wallpaper to cover 165 sq. ft. of wall! 

We packed up and came home, the morning, plus gas, wasted. Then I got a call at noon from a new client who was desperate to have a wall of paper hung because his painter wanted to finish the house on Friday and the one wall of Anaglypta paintable wallpaper was holding him up. After great assurances that there was enough material, I went to the job, only to discover that there was only one double roll (56 sq. ft.) to cover a wall 20' x 8'. A very similar situation to the morning fiasco.

Now I don't know about you, but I was taught basic math in the single digit years, before I was 10 years old. How does one calculate area? Length times width! And if there is 25 sq. ft. of usable wallpaper in a single roll, one would divide the area by 25 to determine how many single rolls are required, right? Apparently this is beyond the comprehension of some people.

Looking at it another way, if you had a 20 ft. long wall, and you had one double roll of wallpaper in your hand, could you not guess that just by looking at the roll that there would not be enough paper?

I get the comment all the time, "Can't you make it go far enough?"

I reply, "If you don't mind 5 ft. gaps between strips of wallpaper, the the answer is yes."

In this age of smart phones and hand held devices, if there isn't an
AP for it, it ain't gonna' happen. Sad!

Celebrity Status

 

I was eight years old. Our school did a Christmas production in the Town Hall in a little prairie town called Lanigan. My friend Brett and I were chosen to sing a duet. How and why this came about is unknown to me, but the result of that chance occurrence will remain in my memory forever.

 

That spring, there was a very popular radio program coming to our town to do a live talent contest. It was called the A.C.T. CFQC Amateur Show. CFQC was the big Saskatoon radio and TV station at the time. (There was only one) The idea was to hold the live amateur contests in about dozen communities in the listening area, declare a winner in each show, and have a finale in the TV station at the end, to declare a winner and present a prize.

Brett's mother was the big push for the two of us to compete. I was compliant so I went along with it. The big night came and each contestant sang or played (it was all musical) two numbers. Brett and I sang "The Happy Wanderer" and some song about clouds and silver linings. What else? As I recall, we were even wearing 'lederhosen' and had these little back packs as if we were indeed, happy wanders. It was our signature song.

It was a blur of backstage rehearsing, Brett's mom coaching us on how to behave, a nice man who was the MC, and the crowds of people on the other side of a very big microphone. There was thunderous applause and then we were whisked off home and to bed.

The votes were tallied, a combination of phone in votes and audience votes, and the next morning we were informed that we had won, hands down.

Fast forward to the TV studio a few months later. That was nerve wracking as I recall and this time there was no big crowd, but many station technical people, very hot lights, and no familiar faces other than Brett's mom. By this time I was being a bit intimidated by her constant nagging. I had a sense that we did not do very well, but that is only a vague impression in my memory. I do remember watching some of the other talent numbers and thinking that we were out of our league. Indeed we were. We did not win, however, we received the above certificate for our participation.

We were home town celebrities for about two days, and then life returned to normal. My notoriety, however, in my extended family, lasted until the following Christmas when my Great Grandfather tried to talk me into singing for a very large family gathering at his home in Hague, Saskatchewan.

I begged off because, as I explained, we were a duet and my friend was not there. The two part harmonies would not work without him there. My smiling Great Grandfather would have no excuses and suggested that if I go out in the porch/sun room and just sang to myself, with the screen door closed, he and the relatives would just carry on their conversations and would probably not even listen. I sensed a con job, but what convinced me to concede, was the shiny silver dollar he held in his hand.

I went out there all alone, had trouble remembering all the words, but gave it my best. I returned to polite applause and back slaps, headed straight for my Great Grandfather, took the warm silver dollar from his hand, and went to play with cousins. My moment of fame was over. Thirty seven cents more and I could buy a Tim Horton's coffee.

 

 

Talent (Not)

 

I am finding all sorts of goodies as I clean out a corner of my closet. Here we have evidence of a large part of my childhood, one that I did not enjoy or appreciate. I wrote a piece about it here if you are interested in the historical background of this important set of documents. These first two images are of the report card that the Toronto Royal Conservatory examiner filled out as he tested my ability (or inability) to play the piano to a grade four level. He was kind and compassionate and gave me a 70, just barely good enough for an honours mark. If you can decipher his comments, they are basically saying that I am rigid and am not having fun. If you read the post I wrote on this subject here , you will understand why.

 

The long and short of it, is that I did get the diploma and made my parents proud. As for me, well, lets just say that like the high school diploma, that and $1.37 will get me a cup of Tim Horton's coffee.

Many Moons Ago

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. Every kid dreams of graduating and being done with 12 years of school. I had mixed feelings. I did not have a clue what I wanted to do with my life after graduation, so a blessing came my way.

In those days, grade thirteen was offered in a high school setting. It was, they said, equivalent to first year university. Those who were serious about their direction in life and knew they were going on to earn some sort of degree, jumped straight to university. I did not, so, in effect, my high school days were dragged out for one more year. My father paid the tuition, as it was a private school. Where he got the money, I have no idea. I think he was struggling at the time with his own financial challenges.

I have never needed to show this diploma, although on three occasions it was required of me for successful applications to various jobs. I simply said that I had graduated and that was that.

 

Now I am cleaning out a closet and there it is, for what it is worth. That, plus $1.37, will get me a cup of coffee for sure.  

Paperboy

 

I came to BC in 1964 and found, to my great delight, that there was a paper route up for grabs. I was 15 years old and needed a job and money. In those days, there was no allowance or any handouts from 'Daddy'. I had had a paper route in Saskatchewan, delivering the weekend edition of some big paper from back East.  It netted me about $5 a month, more than enough for spending, and starting a healthy savings account.

This new "Province" newspaper route was a daily route, except Sundays, and the catch was that the last paper had to be delivered by 7 am. That meant getting up at 5 am and getting back home just after 7 am. There was a probation period and I did not want to let down the company, the customers, or my cousin who had outgrown the route and just handed it to me by his strong recommendation to the Vancouver Province.

I purchased a reliable used bike with my savings, installed a huge rack on the rear fender, with a 'trap', and I was off. I started in the summer months so the early mornings were bright and sunny, a good chance to familiarize myself with the 110 addresses. 

 

The winter came and the darkness and rain settled in. It was then that I had to develop some endurance and also some techniques to keep the papers from getting soaked. 

The route supervisors were vigilant and after some time had passed, I began to be recognised for my dedication and hard work. The merit was based on accurate scheduling, collection, and recruiting new customers. After a year, I had grown the route to more than 125 paying customers and it was netting me about $25 per month. 

The biggest bonus for me was that I had all my evenings free because it was after I got home from my route that I would do my homework, before breakfast and heading off for school. There was also a few extra papers every day, so my dad got his newspaper to read with his breakfast every morning. 

 

The company treated us like the young independent businessmen that we were. It was great training. I had some adventures and many good memories to recall.    

Ice

 

Ice forming on the shores of Mill Lake

 

The ice remains as the temperature slowly creeps upward. It is in the shadows and sheltered bays, where the warming rays of the sun do not quite reach. Hovering around zero every morning, it just feels like I need to escape. It has been ten or more consecutive years now that we have gone south, far enough to forget the ice, and no longer feel the cold temperatures that spawn it. We have enjoyed and looked forward to each trip, and cherish the many memories. Many have asked why we are not going this year. A fair question. I have discussed with very few, our situation, but obviously, there is a reason we are not going.

 

Why would we not go? There are three things that enable a winter vacation to a sunny destination. Desire, time, and finances. We are in the midst of a rather large change in one of these areas. The seeds of change have been sewn in the last year, and soon the picture will become much more clear. "They" say that change is good. We will see about that.

Habitual

 

I was scrolling through the last few weeks of posts and concluded that this blog is becoming more of a movie and book review than I had intended. I have been taking some time off work, not always by choice, so have had the time and inclination to read more than usual. Also, a bit out of character, we have gone to more movies recently.

The photo above is of me on my favourite walk. (I have also been walking more than ever) There are three places I like to walk, one of them being strictly an errand based effort, and the other two, nature walks. Above, I am at Fish Trap Creek Park. I walk here several times a week. It is, from my doorstep, a round trip of about 5 Km. and just enough to tire me out a bit and get my circulation and heart rate up a tad.

One of the joys about going regularly, is that I see the subtle changes from one week to the next. The ice forming, the ice melting, the waterfowl congregating in the open water, the variety of winter water fowl visitors and the changing behaviour of the ducks as the weather changes.

Yesterday was sunny and relatively warm. The hundreds of Canada Geese were gathering on the nesting islands and were competing for nesting spots. There was a lot of squawking and jostling and I was thinking that it was too early for this and that they were being fooled by the warmth of the late January sunshine.

I spotted a pair of Bald Eagles in the top of one of the giant Cottonwoods and wondered how many of the small Buffleheads they had eaten in the last while. The numbers are definitely down. I would prefer they take out a goose or two as they are the nasty, noisy, messy birds. But, a Canada Goose is larger than an Eagle, pound for pound, so that will not happen.

I notice too, how the fluctuating water levels, due to hard rains, has cleansed the water. The levels are up and the grunge in the water seems to have disappeared.

 

Soon, the buds will be popping out, both leaves and Salmon Berry Blossoms, and then the Skunk
Cabbage spikes will push up through the dead fall of winter, adding splashes of bright green and yellow as the days become longer.

 

The changes are often subtle, and they are changes I would not see if I did not walk there regularly. Being aware of the changes and looking for them makes the walk an always interesting and worthwhile exercise.

It is even better walking with a friend.

Mystery in Seattle

The 'murder mystery' genre of literature is not something I am attracted to but that is what this book is. I decided to upload this Kindle book because of the premise and the promise of a good "hard to put down" read. 

The location is Seattle and the mystery revolves around a cache of gold that was buried in the suburbs in the mid eighteen hundreds. The burial site is now being disturbed by the construction of a huge underground tunnel that will carry light rapid transit into and out of the downtown area. 

What I like about this novel is how the main character's past is slowly revealed. At first I thought that there must be a prequel to this book, but eventually, all was revealed. The character is well developed and the plot moves along at a brisk speed, with just enough complicated twists and turns to keep me turning the pages. There is an abundance of action and suspense. The main character somehow manages to escape all sorts of calamity without being some kind of super human being. He is a regular guy who is highly motivated and has a great instinct for survival. Although the plot weakens just a wee bit near the end, the action picks up greatly and makes up for it.  

This is a very well written book and it gets 4 stars from me.     

CIA Persistence

Did I mention that there is a trend to ultra long movies these days? Is it a ploy to get the patron to buy more drinks and popcorn? Is it an excuse to raise prices? Whatever it is, I wish they would stop. 

What could have been a riveting and exciting movie, turned into an endurance test as we sat through almost three hours of false leads, extended dialogue, gruesome torture scenes, Pakistani street scenes, and endless CIA board room meetings. I knew they would eventually "get to the chase" and I could not wait. But I did, and the last half hour was almost worth the wait. 

So for those of you who do not know what this movie is about, I will tell you what I am talking about. 

For a decade after 9/11, there was a massive CIA hunt for Osama Bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind all the Islamic terrorist attacks around the world. A young lady is hired in the beginning of the hunt based on her intelligence (smarts) and her ability to sift through facts and come up with plausible scenarios. She is the one who, eventually, through her dogged persistence and tireless footwork, thinks she has found Bin Laden. She then has to convince her superiors that he is actually in the location that she has discovered, despite very little evidence. The mission is planned and the rest is history, or at least that part of history that the CIA is willing to divulge to the public. Another complaint I have is the profanity. Is it really necessary? Vulgarity is no substitute for wit, but the writers do not get that. 

I give this movie 3 stars, but only because there is some intrigue in the fact that it is based on true events.    

Thirteenth Amendment

I have had a ton of exposure to the mid nineteenth century in the last few weeks. First it was Charles Dickens "Great Expectations", and then it was the movie "Lincoln". Yes, the movie was very much about Abe Lincoln, but should really have been titled "The Thirteenth Amendment". It was not a biography of Lincoln, but a small chapter in his life during his second term of President, near the end of the Civil War. (1866) 

It is political intrigue at its finest. Although not entirely historically correct (every Hollywood movie has a bias) it is a fascinating and very well acted and scripted story. Daniel Day Lewis is absolutely superb as  Lincoln. His portrayal, even if it may or may not be  accurate, gives a wonderful sense of what the President may have been like and what is portrayed is very attractive and endearing.

It is a portrayal of Lincoln as president (Commander in Chief), father, husband, intellectual, philosopher, and leader. He is compassionate, passionate, humorous, shrewd, and a force to be reckoned with. A complex man for complex times. 

The story revolves around the Republican's (the ruling party at the time) efforts to ram through the 13th amendment before the truce was signed to end the civil war. The document had already been passed by the senate, but needed to get a majority in the house of representatives. The back room deals, the bribes, the promises, and the coercion, show that modern day politics are not that modern. There is palpable suspense,even though we already know from history what the final outcome will be. 

It is a fascinating look into the historical times, and the beginning of emancipation for the black slaves. In the context of the times and attitudes of the day, the debate of "created equal" vs. "created equal under the law" is a fascinating one. At one point, one of the speakers brings up the point that if the "Negroes" are freed, what will surely come next will be the right to vote. There were many aghast at this idea. Then he went on to say that "after that there will even be the vote for women!" This absolutely brought the entire house to utter pandemonium as such an idea should never even cross one's mind. We smile at the very thought, but it shows how far we have come in our understanding of 'equality'. 

I highly recommend this movie and give it a 5 star rating.        

What Was I Expecting?

Charles Dickens wrote this classic as a magazine series in 1860 - 1861 and it was published as a book a year later. 153 years later, I decide that I need to read it. It is a long book, and at times I got a little impatient with the Victorian language, but the plot would then thicken, or twist, or reveal, and I would be back with all my attention. 

Pip is a young lad who is being raised by his sister and her husband, Joe, a blacksmith. The story opens with a very scary encounter with an escaped convict in a church cemetery. As I read, I began to realize that everything that happens to Pip is to be remembered because there is a reason and an outcome. 

He is taken on, by a wealthy woman, to provide company for her and her adopted daughter. Pip is smitten, even at his young age, by the beauty of Estelle, the young lady. The woman also pays Joe to apprentice Pip as a blacksmith. 

One day, he is visited by a lawyer from London to inform him that he has a benefactor who will provide huge sums of money to make him a man of substance, and thus a young man of great expectations.  The person's identity is to be kept secret until such time that he/she reveals the reasons and substance of the undertaking. 

The plot takes interesting twists and turns, and startling revelations are gradually uncovered. It is a hugely enjoyable read and the themes of love, loyalty, and of course, evil vs. good are all very evident. 

The setting and time period is also intriguing as I assume that the societal expectations of the day are true to the times. Pip, the semi-orphan, suddenly, overnight, becomes "Sir". The class structure is evident in the plot as well as in the day to day descriptions of the characters as they play out the plot. 

As I read the book, I could not help but think that Winston Churchill must have been a Charles Dickens fan. His 'turn of phrase' is very reminiscent of  Dickens' writing, very clever, witty, and taking unexpected turns within the sentence. 

This book is free on Kindle. I give it 4 stars. 

My Little Superhero

My youngest grandson Liam had a sleepover here this week. The photo is of him fresh out of the bath tub and ready for bed. His Batman PJ's and 'Flame' housecoat are his pride and joy at bedtime. 

In the morning we had a "pancake party". We had a discussion about what the best topping on a pancake was. He was adamant that it was Maple Syrup and Maple Syrup only. He knows what he wants and is not easily persuaded, but after a 'reasoned' dialogue on trying new things, I got him to try Strawberry Jam on a small piece of pancake. I was surprised that his verdict was that Strawberry Jam was now his favourite pancake topping. 

I love it when kids are open minded and teachable. He can have whatever he wants on his pancakes, but at least he was willing to try something new. 

In The Winter Sunshine

When the sun came out this afternoon, I could not help but get out there and enjoy it. In the morning I walked to the mall and picked up a few things, invigorated by the long walk. After lunch, the sun was even brighter and I decided to go check out the beaver damage in the park. There were at least 6 more trees that had gone under the tooth and some were half eaten through. The resident beaver has been very busy this past week. 

I think this Mallard was looking for the Beaver too. 

Yes, I was at Fish Trap Creek park again. The north end of the lake was frozen over and I walked to the south end to find the birds. There are some unusual water fowl visiting this winter. They are very shy and I was lucky to get this close. 

These ducks are a nice change from the usual Mud Hens, Mallards and Canada Geese. The Teals whistle with a very high pitch and both of these birds are skittish. I had to sit very still for a long time to wait for these shots, and they are at the far end of my 200 mm zoom lens. But, I was sitting in the sun and even though it was only 2 C I could feel the warmth penetrating my jacket. 

A Bit of Nostalgia

The marching band performing in front of the BC Parliament buildings in Victoria BC

We attended a high school basketball game tonight, something I had not done in many years. It was at my old school so I had to make a decision. Would I cheer for the team from the school at the top of our street, or would I cheer for the the school that my grandsons attend. Actually, it was a 'no brainer'. 

The game was not as well attended as in the days of old. It could be because the school is now known more for volleyball than basketball, but in my day it was a basketball purist's school and the gym would be filled to capacity every game.  

Another motivator for going was that the MEI Marching Band, 'The Screaming Eagles' was going to be in attendance entertaining during 'time outs' and at half time. 

That was worth the price of admission for sure. My grandson Chad is in band at the school, playing the trombone, but wants to upgrade to saxophone eventually, and join in the marching band. It is a worthy goal. This band is sought after for various events and rightly so. They are precise, very musical, and the choreography, while marching and playing, is something to see. The drum corpse is particularly electrifying. 

One thing that has not changed at my old school, is the competitive spirit and the striving for excellence. It was good to be back.