Today was the final shift in another working year. Our calendars are such that we have any number of dates which must be respected: January 01, for another date change. April 30, for the fiscal reports. July 01 for the replenishment of sick days available, our birthdays, etc. Today is the start of vacation time.
posted in environment | Comments Off on As the wheel slows and stops | 244 words
In my youth, the dump was a large boxy structure across the road from the house, where we brought our bags (paper, not plastic in a truly biodegradable period). If it got too full, my father would set in on fire, until the necessary space was recovered. An early incinerator, I guess.
posted in environment | Comments Off on Not-so-scenic detour | 210 words
I am one of the fortunate generation that received an education which was based on a a mature curriculum. Yes, I studied Latin. Over a five year period, I mentally wrestled, in the finest Greco-Roman sense, with five (six!) noun declensions and four verb conjugations, plus irregularities, while carrying on my real career of adolescence. Just for the sake of it: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, ablative (let’s pretend the locative doesn’t exist)
My contact with Latin started very early, when a priest poured water on my head while praying softly for my soul. I learned my prayers in two languages, so that Vatican II did not mark me indelibly, as had baptism (’tis the truth; the nuns told us so) . By the time I arrived in Grade Nine, Latin was as familiar as …
posted in history | Comments Off on Magister, te saluto | 345 words
I’ve just got off the phone, where I had the opportunity to make a special offer, available for a short time only. Act now. You see, my sister is about to celebrate her birthday, in just a few short hours. I won’t cause any undue stress by saying how old she is going to be, but my offer went as follows:
posted in genealogy | Comments Off on Special offer, available now | 151 words
While removing yet another article from the dog’s jaws, I had one of those lateral thoughts, about taboo foods. You know, like why I shouldn’t just eat the dog and save a whole variety of household articles from an early demise. She’s safe, for now…
posted in pets | Comments Off on Hey, don’t eat THAT! | 320 words
Our various languages have developed an array of adjectives that can describe sentiments. We all use them, and if you hear or read the phrase that describes a particular one, such as sorrow or joy or whatever, you “get the idea”.
posted in pets | Comments Off on Ode to joy | 138 words
We’ve done it again. As the vacation season gears up, and we’ve considered the variations on a theme, we’ve added to our collection of tents.
posted in environment, technology | Comments Off on Our Portable Village | 331 words
This week is Festival d’Été here in Quebec City with a wealth of talent showcased on a number of stages around the city centre. Admittedly, not as rich in Celtic talent as a few years back, but Dublin wasn’t built in a day. Anyhow, I’ve not been up to the “real shows” given my advanced age and requirement that I show up at work each morning; too late for beauty sleep perhaps, but the alarm still rings whether I’m sufficiently rested.
posted in music | Comments Off on Check , un deux | 204 words
Synchronicity. Not just an album by the Police, or a term from a long since over psychology lecture. Rather, a moment when a number of people arrive at the same moment with the same idea. No, silly, not when the train comes in.
posted in computing | Comments Off on Virtually amazing | 252 words
I grew up in the land of single-channel TV, where shows were really sponsored and the best was saved for Sundays. To be precise, the Ed Sullivan Show.
posted in history | Comments Off on A pale facsimile | 294 words
