Dog math. That’s where two increases everything by much more than twice. Something as simple as going outside. A dog does prefer to be on the other side of any given door. Put two dogs together, and you may lose count of the number of times a door has to be opened. Just so you know.
posted in pets, Wx | Comments Off on Retelling the Parker-Barrow tale | 251 words
Six months since the last time, a heartfelt appeal, what else could I do? I cleaned up my cubicle in time for the holidays. Not such a big deal, really. After I hid the seven (obsolete, non-working, surplus to our cause) laptops in a big box under the wing of my desk, the rest took only minutes. Recycle some old magazines. Move the useful stuff into a corner. Square up the log pad and pen. Change the countdown calendar page.
posted in humour | Comments Off on Preparing to placekick | 259 words
Proof that the holiday season is here: we are seriously behind on the “task list” at work, and nobody seems to care. If an occasion to chatter idly presents itself, the work ethic suffers a wallop. I realize that it isn’t going to get done before tomorrow at leaving time, and it isn’t that important anyway. People have caught the rumour, and I’m starting to get not so subtle reminders that “this is your last time, isn’t it?” Things like eating pizza with the workgroup in a restaurant…
posted in health | Comments Off on The holiday blur | 264 words
With one irritated eye, my choices are limited. Either I keep the eye closed, which works but leaves others questioning my aim, or I can blink. Blinking hurts, so I try to lengthen the period. The other eye gets dry and blurs. Vicious cycle. Maybe I’ll skip life this evening and go straight to sleep.
posted in technology | Comments Off on Avoiding the blink reflex | 266 words
Time to study some history, so that I can separate the myth from the man.
Our neighbours adorn their pettiest of change with the profiles of the greatest of their leaders. We put intermarried cousins. Go figure (one cent at a time). While working through supper, and a quick lesson in Island history, the TV paused on Lincoln. Which I hadn’t seen, despite the awards. The story was familiar; Canada tends to soak up the neighbour’s tales of woe in a manner unequaled elsewhere.
posted in history | Comments Off on Separate the myth from the man | 258 words
In popular culture, hell is hot. Permit me to present an alternative take on things.
Public transit relies on two important parties; on the one side, the rider. On the other side, the bus. Do whatever it takes, but get the bus to the rider, at the appointed time, and take her where she wants to go. Otherwise, it’s all for naught. On Thursday, my bus didn’t come by. I waited thirty-five in -35, and then I took an alternate route. I called client service, and they were polite. Nothing more. Pass by Friday. Pass by a weekend. Start another week, and the same bus did not come by. Similar MO.
posted in travel | Comments Off on A slow and cold version of hell | 257 words
Perhaps I can adapt a small dragline shovel and harness it to the dog. Then, when he barrels out to bark at passersby, the driveway can be cleared at the same time. Too much energy on his side of the couch (and not enough on mine).
posted in technology, Wx | Comments Off on Could the dog tow a dragline? | 256 words
Now I remember why we all believed in the acoustic guitar, at a certain ago. Blame it on a generation of folk singers. The Kingston Trio. The Limelighters. The Everly Brothers. The Highwaymen. All before my time, barely. But I had TV. And radio. And family. The songs were perfect earworms, every one. Perfectly crafted versions of old folk songs. Right now, PBS is presenting one of their fundraisers, and I’m afraid that my fate is sealed.
posted in media, technology | Comments Off on Old songs and bulbs | 255 words
Dream big, and dream warm. After a dialogue this morning that started with “What does a tank of heating oil cost”, I’m distracted by the idea of surviving winter. Of course, a twenty-five minute wait for a bus at -25C tends to keep one on that topic. Others dream of a beach in the Caribbean. I dream of a house that isn’t “influenced” by a gale wind, or sub-zero readings on the weather station console.
posted in environment | Comments Off on Wanting to stay warm | 266 words
Write what you know. Frequent advice to anyone who wants to, well, write. In my case, I know about the weather and what’s on TV. Might not capture the heart of every reader, but until I make the leap to Astounding Tales Of Whatever, that’s where we will find ourselves. Day after day after day. Don’t be frightened.
posted in Wx | Comments Off on Cold distraction | 270 words
