This evening, while waiting for my soup (cream of chicken) to cool (just a little), I happened to read an article. Life’s too short to waste precious moments while the steam clears. Anyhow, this article discussed the basics of journaling (which has nothing to do with taking a backup of the payroll system).
posted in education | Comments Off on Are you with me? | 251 words
Did you know that coffee beans are due for a scientific experiment? After our recent freezer failure, I happened to have some older bags of beans. With a new shipment of fine Tarrrazu (brought back from our travels) ready to join the barista corner stocks, I decided to get rid of one of those older bags. Well, not “get rid of”; how about “use”, given the value.
posted in humour | Comments Off on New old beans | 259 words
I cannot tell a lie. At various times during the day, I sat in a comfortable chair, very quietly. And then I napped. I may have even snored, although I can’t claim to have heard anything that qualifies as evidence. No matter; my rest time was goal directed. This evening (again), I stepped outside my comfort zone.
posted in humour | Comments Off on Socially acceptable games | 283 words
Overnight, we received the first true taste of winter weather. The schools were delayed by an hour, but our lane was blown clean by daylight. Outside, a true “snowshoe paradise”, if anyone wondered. I had to get the shovel and remove a solid 30 cm from the deck; an excuse for exercise, and a bet against anything else coming down, wet or otherwise. The weight. Always about the weight.
posted in environment | Comments Off on Tracing the site lines | 266 words
In Canada, going to prison because you want some time alone just got harder. The courts (no link to that whole prison thing, apparently) has declared that unlimited solitary confinement is not allowed. Not only do you have to hang out in the crowbar hotel, but you have to mingle with the other guests.
posted in education, politics | Comments Off on Let the tolls go | 272 words
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time waiting for data to be backed up. Go all the way back to punch cards, when copying a single card took a measurable amount of time to be threaded through the teeth of the card reader. Move forward, through the cassette, to the floppy. Follow that with more tape, and the 1X CD burner. Keep on going.
posted in computing | Comments Off on Waiting to back up | 268 words
Sixty years ago, the railroad was important. Here, at least. The tracks ran from tip to tip to tip, and trains meandered from vale through vale to vale (we have very few hills here). I was part of all that. And no locomotive seemed more ubiquitous (from my shortsighted perspective) than the GE 70-tonner.
posted in history, photography, technology | Comments Off on A find from my childhood | 258 words
Time to prepare an explanation for my children. Something in the vein of “When did you realize that you were growing old?” They haven’t asked (yet); too polite, possibly. But, best to prepare, so that I don’t find myself nonplussed by the question.
posted in humour | Comments Off on Nailed it | 307 words
Outside, there wasn’t much to see. Heavy fog turned my world into a grey shadowy place. Didn’t matter, really. I knew where I wanted to go, and on a weekend, the traffic was minimal. Having got up early for the dog, I simply had an early breakfast before heading (off? up? down? unsure…) to town.
posted in education, Wx | Comments Off on A world in grey | 250 words
My job as a parent isn’t done yet. Not only do I have a long-term agreement to pamper the family dog, but I have to take care of the seasonal stuff. Just today, after reading weather forecasts from across the sphere of activity, I decided to send out personalized warnings about an impending snow storm; above all, to dress warmly and stock up on potato chips. MY parents never did that for me, but maybe I was better trained about the risks inherent in getting “storm-stayed”. As well, I had to check the car (here) to see if there were lights on inside. Now, that’s not exactly a tick on the parental checklist, but if any of the kids were living here I’d feel an obligation to verify the status of any car they drove. Part of the total care package.
posted in environment, Wx | Comments Off on Part of the parental checklist | 268 words
