Leapyear and other good stuff

It's the 29th day of February today. I'm sure glad it isn't my birthday on this day, but then again I'd have to celebrate only every 4 years. It would make me four times younger than I am. Hmm.  Wouldn't be so bad either.
I went ice fishing on Saturday with my son and grandson north of Selkirk. Not far away from where I live. We fished in the Red River. I belong to the Seven Oaks Game and Fish and it was our yearly ice fishing outing. I didn't catch anything, but my son caught a Sauger (a relative of the Walleye). It  would have been nice to catch more fish, but it is not all about the fishing. To me it is the chance to spend some time with my son and grandson. We had a great time. First we drilled 3 holes through the ice with an auger and then we pulled our pop-up tent on top of the holes, set up the collapsible chairs, fired up the propane heater, and started fishing. At lunch we ate hot dogs and drank pop.  It doesn't get any better. Well, maybe it does a little...if we'd be able to drink a bottle of beer, but that is against the law now in Manitoba. There were just too many irresponsible idiots out there who had to get drunk in their fishing huts. Then they left all their garbage behind. They spoiled it for everyone.
It is amazing all the gear that is available for the hunter and angling enthusiast. Most people these days have a folding chair for outdoor activities. But whoever invented and designed these tents was a genius. The tent we had opens up into a structure about six feet by ten feet (I'm guessing now. There was lots of room inside). They are high enough to stand in. There are no screws, bolts, or poles to worry about. You just pull it open. It folds like an umbrella into a bundle that fits into a huge duffel-bag about six feet long. One person can easily handle it.
All in all, it was a great day. It was cold, but the sun was shining and it was warm and cozy inside the tent. We did spend some time outside, though. For a while we fished in the sunshine. When we got cold we went into the tent to warm up. We drilled another 3 holes outside the tent. With a motorized auger it doesn't take long to drill a hole through the ice. Another wonderful contraption, these augers. They are light and two people can work one without much difficulty. I drilled a couple of holes with my grandson who is ten years old. I remember drilling holes with a hand auger. Now that was work. By the time you were done you didn't feel like fishing anymore because you were too exhausted from the strain. Technology can be wonderful.
The winter isn't over yet and we want to go fishing again. To another place, though. Near the mouth of the river where it spills into Lake Winnipeg it is usually better. I can't wait.

The wait is over

Finally, the wait is over. We have our new granite counter top. And it looks good. Now we'll have to wait until the silicon dries and then I can connect the new sink. I checked it and my fears were confirmed: The draining holes on the new sink do not line up with the drain pipes. I have to get  new fittings and try to connect the drains. What am I saying? NOT TRY. I have to do it. The problem is that there is not much room to work with and the pipes don't bend. I also have to install and connect the faucets. The holes are drilled. The cook top is also in place and I will connect it maybe tomorrow or Sunday. It won't take long.
Here are a couple of pictures. One shows the kitchen with the new top and the other one after I removed the old counter top.

Where are gas prices going?

Yesterday morning the price of gas was $1.049. In the afternoon the price jumped to $1.179
Apparently the reason for that is the uncertainty with Iran. They've stopped selling oil to the European countries like France. What kind of BS is that again? France and other countries buy only a small percentage of oil from Iran. The oil companies are playing and screwing the consumer as usual!
I wish somebody would come out with an alternate and cheaper source to fuel the vehicles that need it. Electric cars are not the answer. They're a joke really. The Volt sells for $40,000.00. Who the hell wants to spend that kind of money to save on fuel? Where is the saving? How long does the battery last and how much is a replacement battery? Besides, you can't use a vehicle like that for long trips. Where will you charge the battery when it is empty? No, electric cars the way they are do not fit the bill.
Maybe we should all go back to horses and buggies.

What's up with these prices?

Good thing I waited. I filled up my gas tank Sunday afternoon because I had to. The car doesn't run on batteries or water. I paid $1.07. I'm not complaining about the drop in price, but how do the oil companies explain that? One day up, the next day down. I don't know what gas sells for today, haven't been outside. We are actually having a bit of a snowstorm. Not so bad north of Winnipeg, but I hear on the radio it is quite bad in the southern part of Manitoba. Many cars in the ditch, a number of accidents. Doesn't surprise me either. The idiots are on the road. They insist on speeding even when road conditions are treacherous, but Mother Nature takes care of them.
That is the nice thing about being retired. There are not many because it means you're usually old, but there are some. I don't have to leave the house if I don't have to or want to. It doesn't mean I'm sitting around watching the snow coming down or twiddling my thumbs out of boredom, because I'm busy anyway. We are doing a bit of re-modelling in the kitchen. We're putting a granite counter top on, which meant I had to rip off the old top. What a job and a half! Just to disconnect the sink and garburator took forever. Then the electric cook top, it had to be disconnected. I had to do disconnect the Dishwasher so I could remove the screws that held the old counter top secured to the bottom cabinets. After the top came off I discovered I had to put in some pieces of plywood at the top of the counter to strengthen the cabinet walls. Then I needed a piece of plywood to put in screws for the Dishwasher. You can't put any screws into the granite. It also meant doing some staining and varnishing. That is the thing when you do re-modelling. It is never straightforward. There always are those little time-consuming jobs that pop up. It also means going shopping and buying the pieces you need.
They're coming Friday to install the granite counter top. After that I have to hook up the new sink and I hope the drain pipes are in the right place. Also the new faucets need to be connected. I'm glad I'm not a plumber, because it is so cramped under that sink. Of course, I'm doing everything myself, so I'm the one with his head and arms twisted into pretzels wedged into the cavity under the sink wearing one of those LED headlamps than never aim at the spot where you need the light. I'll also have to connect the new cook top It is lucky, I am a retired Electrician. At least that job is not difficult for me...I hope.
It is funny how we are so spoiled and take everything for granted. We don't realize it until we have to do without certain things...like having no sink and running water in the kitchen. It is a nuisance to do dishes in the bathroom sink or in the laundry room in the basement. At least we still have hot and cold water, so it is not as bad as it sounds.
Since we live in the country we have our own well, which means hard water. We do have a water softener but we have a separate tap in the kitchen (not at the moment!) for drinking water, which doesn't run through the softener. There was no shut-off valve on the supply pipe so I installed one. Otherwise we would have had no water throughout the whole house. I bought one of those solder-less ones.Well, what fun! I tightened the pressure-nut as much as I could and then I turned on the water. The shut-off is in the back of the basement. My wife was watching  the new valve in case it leaked, but I didn't hear her screaming when the valve shot against the ceiling from the water pressure. By the time I was aware that something was wrong, water dripped all over the place in the basement...right through the ceiling tiles. Luckily we don't have drywall down there.
After mopping everything up I went and bought another valve...one that needs to be soldered onto the pipe. It held and now everything is fine.
I'm looking forward to next week when I have to hook up everything. There is still that little 'garage' that sits in the corner on top of the counter between the upper and lower cabinets. I already know it won't fit after the granite counter has been installed, because of the thickness of the stone. But I won't worry about that yet...

Screwed again

Well, they're at it again. I'm talking about the oil companies. Yesterday I wanted to get gas and discovered gas prices went up from 1.07 to 1.12. So I didn't fill up. I realized it was the long weekend. They're doing it every time. Last time I got gas I paid 1.18. The day before that prices had been 1.07. Before that 1.04. I missed it.  How can they justify an increase of 10 cents a liter in one day? The day after I filled up prices dropped to 1.11 or something like that. Can't remember anymore. My friend Don, who is in BC right now, left a comment on my last blog. According to his comment the gas prices in BC rose from 1.189 to 1.229. And apparently the prices for the summer are predicted to go up to 1.50 a liter. What the hell is going on? Then again...we all know what is going on. The oil companies are gouging us. And there is nothing we can do. Even the government is not interested in controlling the prices, and with good reason. The higher the prices the more money the government makes. There is another questions that pops up: Who controls the governments of this world? Look at the war in the Middle East. Sure, we're told it's all about terrorism. Is it? It is just strange that all the oil comes from that area on this planet. Just thinking aloud. Wouldn't want to call attention to myself. Paranoia can be fatal.
The consumers are constantly screwed around with. We go shopping at Extra Foods in Selkirk. Yesterday we bought 3 cans of beans, advertised in large letters as 60 cents a can. At the cashier we paid 80 cents. When I went back to check the price I read the small letters beside the price: in groups of 5, which means you need to buy five cans to get the sale price. This is the third time we got screwed like that. The first time was when we bought cough candies. You needed to buy 2 packages to get the price. We only bought one package. The second time we bought Tonic water, advertised as 80 cents per bottle. We paid 1.27 a bottle. Again...sale price only with groups of 5. The price is displayed in large letters, the groups of 5 in tiny letters easily overlooked. I call that deception. It's going on everywhere. Instead of $100.00 it is $99.99. That to me is a deception game. Messing around with my mind. Trying to make me believe the price is under $100.00. Actually, it is: one penny!
Before the groups of 5 it was Limit of 2 or Limit of 5, that's when you get the sale price. If you are over the limit you pay the full price, which is displayed in tiny letters. With the groups of 5 you pay more if you buy under the limit. Like I said: Deception.
I guess it is the old story: Buyer Beware. Read the small print.

Happy Valentine's Day

It is Valentine's Day today. My wife is making a duck. We eat duck every Valentine's Day. It's almost a tradition now. We love duck, with savoy cabbage, potatoes, and a bottle of Merlot. Ducks are quite greasy and it is important to let them broil for at least 2 1/2 hours to get rid of the fat and make the meat tender. We've eaten duck in restaurants but it was never as good as the way my wife makes it. Usually it is too greasy and the meat is tough. Anyway, that's what's on the menu in our house today and I'm looking forward to it.
Happy Valentine's Day.

A prayer for a friend

As I’m writing this one of my oldest friends is in the hospital having his foot amputated. It is going to be a six-hour operation and I hope everything will turn out well for him. After this will come the long period of adjustment and rehabilitation. He will need an artificial foot and will have to get used to walking with it. His body and his mind will have to adjust physically and mentally.

I have great confidence he will manage and overcome the challenge. He has always been physically active and has a strong personality who is not afraid of a challenge, and he is no stranger to walking with crutches. He’s been doing it for so long. I hope he will finally be without pain. It was the pain that made him make the decision to go through with this operation.

He injured his back so many years ago I don’t remember when. While swimming in the ocean in Mexico he was picked up by a giant wave and smashed into the hard sand. It injured his spine. He went through an operation but some of the nerves were damaged and he was limping with one leg. These last few years he had a few operations on his foot but it never healed. His body rejected metal pins and he was left with only one option: having the foot amputated. I’m sure he struggled with that decision but for him it was probably the right one. When I talked to him on Saturday he told me he can’t wait for it to be over. He’s waited for this a long time.

Good Luck, Rico.Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

It is cold out there

It's been cold the last few days. My wife had a cold for the last couple of weeks. I tried my best to keep from getting infected, but my body finally succumbed to the 'charms' of the little critters that cause the common cold. The coughing is the worst, especially at night. I've been doped up with cough syrup and Tylenol for three days now. Today I don't feel too bad. Wouldn't mind going for a walk, but I will resist the temptation. Even though the sun is shining it is still frisky out there.
The common cold has been with humanity probably since the first humans walked this Earth. I'm surprised nobody has discovered a cure yet. Maybe somebody has but the pharmaceutical companies would never allow it to be sold. Let's face, everyone makes money from sick people: the doctors, the drug companies, the pharmacies, the hospitals, the government... The list is endless. It even creates work. We can't have everyone being healthy. There is no money in it. 
Just like the gasoline and the gas-guzzling cars and trucks. Everything seems to be back to normal. People still buy the same cars, the buzz about gas-saving vehicles has died. The electric cars are too expensive to make them economical, even though they could be produced much cheaper.
Gas prices are high again. The oil companies are making money. It used to be that people got all up in arms when gas prices rose a couple of cents. Now, nobody mentions it anymore. Last week the prices jumped 10 cents (that's right: ten cents!) a liter overnight. It  seemed to have gone unnoticed. Yesterday I noticed prices have dropped again 3 cents. The oil companies are playing the consumers and it is a darn shame we can't do anything about it. Our governments are not interested in low gas prices. Why should they? The higher the prices the more money goes into the coffers to be wasted on high government salaries, high pensions, and on foreign aid to people who don't appreciate it anyway. They'll only ask for more. I wish somebody would design and produce an electric car cheap or a car with a motor that gets high gas mileage. All of the ads are misleading. The car companies are advertising cars that get 48 miles to the gallon when in reality all you get are possible 35 miles.
On a more lighter note: I've got three books coming out within the next few months. I have the covers already,. They are on my other blog Herbert's Place and can be viewed there. Check them out if you are interested.

Beauty and the Beast

Last Saturday we went to see the musical Beauty and the Beast in the Winnipeg Concert Hall. Wonderful show, relaxing music, great voices. We enjoyed it immensely. I wish though, they would have turned down the volume of the sound. The speakers sounded a bit distorted at times. The Concert Hall was designed for sound and there is no need to have the speakers blaring.
Blaring loudspeakers seem to be the problem with many concerts. Not that we're going to any of those concerts. Steel guitars, loud drums, and screaming voices is not my thing. I have difficulty hearing at the best of times, no need to damage my hearing any more.The last concert we went to was Andre Rieu in the MTS Center last year. It was great, but it would have been nice to see him in the Concert Hall. I don't like the MTS Center for concerts. We sat at the far end on one side. Even though we sat in the first row, we felt somewhat disconnected. Couldn't see the faces, unless you watched the big screens. I don't want to watch screens when I'm going to a concert. I might as well stay home and watch it on TV.  And the seats were terrible; broken and overused. Probably from all those big and heavy hockey players who sit in the first row. The seats need fixing already. They shouldn't even sell them. At least not as premium seats.
Beauty and the Beast reminded me very much of Cats, another great show. We saw it last year at Rainbow Stage. We'll try to get tickets again this year, it all depends what they are bringing.  The seats are not very comfortable, you have to bring a blanket  or a cushion to sit on, but the admission price is reasonable.
Those are the kind of shows we like. I wish they'd bring more of that caliber. Let the young people spend their money watching tattooed singers with crazy hair and rings in the most unlikely body parts jump around on the stage, like someone who drank too much coffee, screaming their lungs out. That way us old fogies don't have to fight for tickets to more relaxing, beautiful shows. It'll also keep the price down.

Hoarfrost on the trees

With this warm weather we’ve been having these last few days, the trees are covered with hoarfrost. It looks beautiful. More so if the sun shines the way it does today. Yesterday we also had fog and it looked dreary. Driving on the highway was no fun because of the fog and the slippery conditions in the morning. Even with the lousy visibility there are still the idiots on the roads who insist they have to drive fast. Many of those drivers drive trucks. Is it their mentality? Just because you drive a truck or a 4 wheel drive doesn’t mean you are safe on a slippery road. Sometimes I just can’t understand people. But nature is pretty fair that way. It gets rid of the idiots one way or another. Unfortunately, when they cause accidents, they also take careful drivers with them.

I snapped a few picture. The last one is from today. The sun is shining and it is plus 4 in our sun-room. We don’t sit in it in the winter. It is only a three-season room, but with this beautiful weather it sure pulls us into that room. We do have a heater in it, but it wouldn’t be very comfortable, because the furniture is still cold. We’ll have to wait until early April before we can use it again. Robby, our little canary, also looks longingly into the sun-room. He loves it in there. When we take him into it in the summer, he just perks up and doesn’t stop singing. Well…he’ll have to wait just like us. Spring is not far away.

What a difference the sun makes. Everything looks so much friendlier. Makes you want to go outside and take a walk.