The Sublime and the Cynical...
Sublime!
Laurie's 2nd year in a row with the Surrey Stake Cantata Choir!
Pretty good performance, all things considered. I got chills during "Hark the Herald Angels", I swear the entire chapel was vibrating. Mebbe less "inspirational messages", and more singing, ok?
The Cynical...
I made the mistake of listening to the 11PM news. Two stories caught my attention: Keiko the "Free Willy" Killer Whale finally kicked the bucket, but at least he did it with DIGNITY, back in the waters of his birth. Our main mammal K was a tank kept boyo for most of his life; so the BH's who got him paroled shouldn't feel too bad about his "failure to thrive". Any Parole Officer will tell you: long term imprisonment can destroy the will to survive, let alone any sort of relevant survival skills. Mebbe the BH's should have left well enough alone? I can't say for sure if Keiko would still be alive in a tank in Mexico with meals served daily and round-the-clock 'on call' veteranary care; but let's just say the odds were better and leave it at that...
St. Lazare, Quebec. A pleasant little bilingual town in La Belle Provence. The OLF has decided, in its infinite wisdom, that because St. Lazare isn't officially bilingual, the town isn't permitted to have any english whatsoever on a dozen or so 'welcome' signs around town. I may follow this one; I just wanna see what happens when the OLF starts in on the local businessmen!
Fer Cryin' Out Loud!!! St. Lazare is the embodiment of the Federaliste dream of a bilingual community. It sounds like the little town could teach the REST of La Belle Provence a thing or two about preserving languages and cultures - BOTH of them! The OLF, say the town citizens, "is just here to sow contention and prejudice". Of course they are, sweetheart, that's their JOB...
I have one more week slugging at work and then I am off for the rest of the YEAR...all eight days or so...
More Later.
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Saturday, December 06, 2003
I ought to post more often, the post page seems to change every time I'm here.
We didn't get the condo in Whistler.
We did have a very nice dinner date at the Keg here in Delta. Happy 10 years, honey!
The World Religion Day Presentation Choir performance went WELL, considering we got minimal practice. I am thinking of joining the Ward Choir on a more-or-less permanent basis after the Christmas Cantata Choir is all done. Laurie may also want to join the Ward Choir, but I don't think she should; she'll work herself into a coronary if she takes on any more "extracurricular activities".
To L's credit, I have not heard her ONCE complain about being TOO busy. She seems to sleep better at night, too.
I have done some further research on gut parasites, it seems you may actually NEED some of the little buggers in your system to keep down the toxins from the occasional bit of dead or diseased GI tract. As with everything else, it's a matter of balance: a small infestation does no harm, and may have some benefit; assuming you are well fed and in good physical shape. A LARGE infestation is a cause for concern: the risks definitely outweigh the possible benefits. Also, parasites in the body may not necessarily be multi-cellular in nature; yeasts and bacteria can wreak havoc in the gut AND the bloodstream, if they get out of hand.
However, no-where does it say that one cannot benefit from a periodic parasite cleanse; it's a kind of tonic, I guess.
I have not been riding to work all last month, and I only have about 2 weeks until I go for Xmas vacation. I ought to get the bikes tuned up and obtain my Waterproof Luggage (ie: PVC bucket) in order to resume the ride to work. That's on today's toodo list; along with writing the Sanderson Family Xmas letter. I have to wrap up Roy and Genie's present and L wants me to enclose a nice card too.
We have been BUSY: I wasn't able to show for the Mackerey's move and I have YET to go see Bro. Uy and his family, though John Merriman now has a regular schedule as one of Delta's Finest. Also, we're taking a special trip to Seattle this week: more on that later, I promise.
I finally called CPS and got my Savings Bonds sent off to me. Cheque should arrive next week, and I can then do my traditional LAST MINUTE Xmas shopping.
DVD set for L (chocolate for her stocking)
Mebbe some diamond jewelry.
She also wants me to track down a fragrance called "Freesia"
Keychain USB drive for Kevin.
New FD for the kid's computer (I can get that anytime, really)
New Double Bed for me.
Spend some C@$H fixing the leak in the Dynasty's trunk.
AND - we need new front brake pads.
The Weather this season has been downright WEIRD. The rains started early, just as the Almanac predicted. We were SUPPOSED to have a lot of SNOW by now, but the temperature hasn't been below zero with a co-incident rainfall to produce any snow. We've had winter storms: there were gusts up to 70km last night, but so far no blizzards. I am beginning to think there may be something to this Global Warming thing after all.
We have a new Bishopric in Delta Ward: Bro. Woolsey (Travis) is the new Bishop, with Bro. Umbach as 1st and Mel Lutz as 2nd councilors. Bro. Lutz has already touched base with me and will be expecting me to provide him with a report on the current state of the ward Sunday School; and what a sorry state she's in...I have GOT to get this done for tomorrow...
I OUGHT to get on the ball with my Book; I have almost 60 pages in articles so far. I could try self-publishing, but I think I need more research and a LOT more work towards finishing any sort of manuscript. Speaking of pending projects; I need to get that Laptop back to Gord Sanders (I WISH he would mention PAYMENT when he talks about needing to get that unit back from us). We also need to get together and get that training seminar set up. What are we doing wrong? Why can't we get clients who are happy to PAY us??? Why do we get all the Poor Mouth cases??? I have let Gord know that I (we) am not available until the 22nd of December. I need to contact him between now and then and lay it on the line: "Look Gord, this is what it's gonna cost and YOU are gonna pay for it, and if you don't think you want to, please feel free to look for a better deal ELSEWHERE; oh, and here's your laptop: that'll be 100$ please".
Gotta talk to KWY. Soon.
Amused to hear all last month about the WORST FLU SEASON IN YEARS!!!!!!!!
Uh huh, just like LAST season...
Now, of course, comes the hand wringing because the ad campaign has indeed convinced the lowing masses to go out in record numbers and get the Magic Flu Shot, and they've RUN OUT OF VACCINE!!!
What a Farce.
The TRUTH: Flu shot vaccine is a preparation of the Top Three strains based on LAST YEARS flu season. It represents the CDC (et al) BEST GUESS as to which strains will show up to make us miserable THIS year. As such, they are prepared months in advance (the vaccines are made from live viral cultures, and it takes some time to grow 'em). If the Medicos guess wrong, or not enough vaccine stock is prepared, you're out of luck.
Influenza is a persistent little critter. Common strains can usually be dealt with by a healthy immune system. BUT it takes time. Time for the infection to be recognized by the body, time for antibodies to be prepared and released in sufficient quantity to neutralize the remaining viral load and thereby render the individual immune to that particular strain. During this time, symptoms develop: bad symptoms, horrible symptoms, symptoms that make us wish we hadn't been born, sometimes...
But once the symptoms pass, that particular strain of Influenza is no longer a problem for you.
The risk lies in people who don't have a healthy immune system. Influenza moves FAST, and if your immune response isn't equally quick, you could die from those aforementioned symptoms. But enough about illness, yuck...
Work.
Canadian consumers have been generous this season: flinging their wallets wide and scorching their plastic to grab up the latest totems of conspicuous coolness. This has led HBC management to allow some modest expenditures for equipment and upkeep. We now have a full complement of replacement batteries for the Raymond fleet, and have been looking at leasing a clamp truck for offloading bulk/heavy materials on the Xdock. We really need to replace some of our older machines and buy a whole LOT more batteries, but we'll keep shuffling along, somehow. Meanwhile, traffic and output have dropped proportionately, and so has the payroll. I am taking vacation not just to use up my remaining days, but also because I will be hard pressed to find anything to DO for the last week of December.
We didn't get the condo in Whistler.
We did have a very nice dinner date at the Keg here in Delta. Happy 10 years, honey!
The World Religion Day Presentation Choir performance went WELL, considering we got minimal practice. I am thinking of joining the Ward Choir on a more-or-less permanent basis after the Christmas Cantata Choir is all done. Laurie may also want to join the Ward Choir, but I don't think she should; she'll work herself into a coronary if she takes on any more "extracurricular activities".
To L's credit, I have not heard her ONCE complain about being TOO busy. She seems to sleep better at night, too.
I have done some further research on gut parasites, it seems you may actually NEED some of the little buggers in your system to keep down the toxins from the occasional bit of dead or diseased GI tract. As with everything else, it's a matter of balance: a small infestation does no harm, and may have some benefit; assuming you are well fed and in good physical shape. A LARGE infestation is a cause for concern: the risks definitely outweigh the possible benefits. Also, parasites in the body may not necessarily be multi-cellular in nature; yeasts and bacteria can wreak havoc in the gut AND the bloodstream, if they get out of hand.
However, no-where does it say that one cannot benefit from a periodic parasite cleanse; it's a kind of tonic, I guess.
I have not been riding to work all last month, and I only have about 2 weeks until I go for Xmas vacation. I ought to get the bikes tuned up and obtain my Waterproof Luggage (ie: PVC bucket) in order to resume the ride to work. That's on today's toodo list; along with writing the Sanderson Family Xmas letter. I have to wrap up Roy and Genie's present and L wants me to enclose a nice card too.
We have been BUSY: I wasn't able to show for the Mackerey's move and I have YET to go see Bro. Uy and his family, though John Merriman now has a regular schedule as one of Delta's Finest. Also, we're taking a special trip to Seattle this week: more on that later, I promise.
I finally called CPS and got my Savings Bonds sent off to me. Cheque should arrive next week, and I can then do my traditional LAST MINUTE Xmas shopping.
DVD set for L (chocolate for her stocking)
Mebbe some diamond jewelry.
She also wants me to track down a fragrance called "Freesia"
Keychain USB drive for Kevin.
New FD for the kid's computer (I can get that anytime, really)
New Double Bed for me.
Spend some C@$H fixing the leak in the Dynasty's trunk.
AND - we need new front brake pads.
The Weather this season has been downright WEIRD. The rains started early, just as the Almanac predicted. We were SUPPOSED to have a lot of SNOW by now, but the temperature hasn't been below zero with a co-incident rainfall to produce any snow. We've had winter storms: there were gusts up to 70km last night, but so far no blizzards. I am beginning to think there may be something to this Global Warming thing after all.
We have a new Bishopric in Delta Ward: Bro. Woolsey (Travis) is the new Bishop, with Bro. Umbach as 1st and Mel Lutz as 2nd councilors. Bro. Lutz has already touched base with me and will be expecting me to provide him with a report on the current state of the ward Sunday School; and what a sorry state she's in...I have GOT to get this done for tomorrow...
I OUGHT to get on the ball with my Book; I have almost 60 pages in articles so far. I could try self-publishing, but I think I need more research and a LOT more work towards finishing any sort of manuscript. Speaking of pending projects; I need to get that Laptop back to Gord Sanders (I WISH he would mention PAYMENT when he talks about needing to get that unit back from us). We also need to get together and get that training seminar set up. What are we doing wrong? Why can't we get clients who are happy to PAY us??? Why do we get all the Poor Mouth cases??? I have let Gord know that I (we) am not available until the 22nd of December. I need to contact him between now and then and lay it on the line: "Look Gord, this is what it's gonna cost and YOU are gonna pay for it, and if you don't think you want to, please feel free to look for a better deal ELSEWHERE; oh, and here's your laptop: that'll be 100$ please".
Gotta talk to KWY. Soon.
Amused to hear all last month about the WORST FLU SEASON IN YEARS!!!!!!!!
Uh huh, just like LAST season...
Now, of course, comes the hand wringing because the ad campaign has indeed convinced the lowing masses to go out in record numbers and get the Magic Flu Shot, and they've RUN OUT OF VACCINE!!!
What a Farce.
The TRUTH: Flu shot vaccine is a preparation of the Top Three strains based on LAST YEARS flu season. It represents the CDC (et al) BEST GUESS as to which strains will show up to make us miserable THIS year. As such, they are prepared months in advance (the vaccines are made from live viral cultures, and it takes some time to grow 'em). If the Medicos guess wrong, or not enough vaccine stock is prepared, you're out of luck.
Influenza is a persistent little critter. Common strains can usually be dealt with by a healthy immune system. BUT it takes time. Time for the infection to be recognized by the body, time for antibodies to be prepared and released in sufficient quantity to neutralize the remaining viral load and thereby render the individual immune to that particular strain. During this time, symptoms develop: bad symptoms, horrible symptoms, symptoms that make us wish we hadn't been born, sometimes...
But once the symptoms pass, that particular strain of Influenza is no longer a problem for you.
The risk lies in people who don't have a healthy immune system. Influenza moves FAST, and if your immune response isn't equally quick, you could die from those aforementioned symptoms. But enough about illness, yuck...
Work.
Canadian consumers have been generous this season: flinging their wallets wide and scorching their plastic to grab up the latest totems of conspicuous coolness. This has led HBC management to allow some modest expenditures for equipment and upkeep. We now have a full complement of replacement batteries for the Raymond fleet, and have been looking at leasing a clamp truck for offloading bulk/heavy materials on the Xdock. We really need to replace some of our older machines and buy a whole LOT more batteries, but we'll keep shuffling along, somehow. Meanwhile, traffic and output have dropped proportionately, and so has the payroll. I am taking vacation not just to use up my remaining days, but also because I will be hard pressed to find anything to DO for the last week of December.