It's Halloween Again

   And in years past, I've come as a Zombie news reader, and last year as an Aussie from the outback (complete with Lobster, not shrimp, on a Barbie, didgeridoo, "beer" and corked hat).
   This year, I've changed things up again, and came as a Zombie killer

   The "rifle" in question sends out a green zombie-zapping ray, which disintegrates them. The goggles and pith helmet are safety precautions, because it can get messy. Note the brain attached to my chair as an example. The skull necklace is there 'cause I like it
   After much internal debate, I decided my characters name this year would be Zombie Zapper Topershaw. But since that's a mouthful, just call me ZZ Top for short.
   And yes, I am already planning for next year!

TTFN, and Happy Halloween

Been Sick

   I hate being sick. Especially when I get the flu. Colds are bad enough, but there's been a very nasty bug going 'round recently. It hit my poor wife Saturday, and kept her in bed through to Tuesday. Which is the day I started getting ill.
   Normally, I try to "tough it out", but I was feeling so ill that I had no choice but to "pull the pin" just after 8:00 Tuesday morning. The rest of that day and yesterday have been lost somewhere in some kind of fog. I really don't remember much about either day, so I  must've been sick.
   Not only was I an idiot for coming in to work Tuesday, but I also likely put my co-workers at risk of getting whatever it was I had. But in this industry, playing hurt isn't unusual. I've seen many of my fellow staffers come in with bad colds, and even the flu. Just so long as they can talk! When it hits the voice, you can't work. Such was the case with me. I started getting hoarse Tuesday morning, along with being achy, queezy etc.
   But I'm back today, and while I feel 100% better than the past couple of days, I'm still not 100%. And damn! I hate being sick.

TTFN

I'm Ready

   Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, but that's not stopping staff here at the radio station from getting dressed up next Friday.
   We're encouraged to get into the Halloween "spirit" every year by either coming to work in costume or donning it once we get to the office. There are exceptions, of course. Anyone who will be out in the public has the option of dressing 'normally'. But by and large, we all get geared up for it.
   In the past, my get-ups have been a zombie news reader

   Which was a last minute thing I just literally threw together. That was 2013, and just about 6 weeks after I started here.
   Last year, I had time to prepare. In fact, I started thinking about what I was going to do about a year in advance. I came as an Aussie

   Complete with a didgeridoo I even learned how to play (even though I can't do the circular breathing needed to play well), a 'corked' outback hat, a beer, which was non-alcoholic, "lobster on a Barbie" (I couldn't find a shrimp) and even some Halloween treats I referred to as 'bush tucker', which I handed out to staff.
   This year, I'm going in a different direction. I'm not going to say anything which might give my costume/character away, other than to say I'll be wearing one of these

   A pith helmet. Don't ask why I've got one, I don't really know myself, but it's going to be a very integral part of my costume. And music lovers can take solace in this: I will NOT be playing an instrument this year. Probably. Maybe. We'll see when all is revealed next Friday.

TTFN

I Did NOT See This Coming

   And many other political watchers didn't either. Canadians went to the polls last night, and voted for change. And rather than elect a minority Conservative, Liberal or NDP government, they went with a Liberal majority under Justin Trudeau

   Mr. Trudeau's Liberals won a majority, and not with the 170 seats needed. They swept up 184 seats in total. It marks the return of a Trudeau to 24 Sussex Drive, some 35 years after his late father Pierre was Prime Minister of Canada. It also marked the first time in Canadian political history that a party in 3rd place in the Commons vaulted to form government in just 4 years.
   It also marked the end of the Conservative Party of Canada's grip on power under Stephan Harper

   The Conservatives went from 159 seats at dissolution in August to 99. And while Mr. Harper easily kept his seat in Calgary, he resigned as leader of the party shortly after it's electoral defeat.
   But the biggest losers last night were the NDP under Tom Mulcair

      The NDP were on the cusp of becoming the first NDP government in Canadian history. Voters, particularly in Quebec where they had a break-through in 2011, rejected them. The party had 95 seats going in to the election, 56 in Quebec. They were left with 44 after the ballots were cast, going from official opposition to 3rd party status in the process. Mr. Mulcair was re-elected
   Rounding things out: The Bloc Quebecois increased their seat count from 2 to 10, but leader Gilles Duceppe lost his riding. And Green party leader Elizabeth May was successful in her re-election bid, but the party held just the 1 seat.
   To say the winds of change were blowing Monday, October 19, 2015 is an understatement. It was a hurricane that devastated 2 political parties, and brought the Liberals back to power.
   Now it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks as Mr. Trudeau picks his cabinet, and the Conservatives look for a new leader.
   Finally, I'd like to congratulate all the winning candidates last night, regardless of political stripe. It takes a real sense of civic duty and a belief that you can change things for the better to run for public office, and suffer the barbs from your opponents both political and in society generally, because there are always some who are unhappy with any outcome. Thank you for your service to your community, your region and your country.

TTFN

I Voted

   Actually, both my wife and I cast ballots at an advance poll in Yorkton Thanksgiving Monday. And the polling place was a bit busier than I anticipated, given the low turnout in the last federal election in 2011.
   And we had a problem. Not with the ballot, or the people staffing the polling station we voted at. It was our voter registration cards. Our names were correct, but our address wasn't. The card gave our correct address, but instead of "way", the card said "street" (there are 2 roads with the same name in Yorkton, one 'way', the other 'street'), which caused some confusion. A quick trip to a different kiosk, and a change of address form later, and we did our civic duty.
   This isn't the first time the difference between "street" and "way" has caused problems, either. We're in a fairly new development (about 2 years old), and it wasn't until this year we even got a street sign. In fact, the road we're on apparently hasn't been mapped yet. It's certainly not on Google Map (when I use G.M to search destinations, it still comes up as "street"), and apparently not on any city map either. So, we've had "issues" like even getting a taxi, since our road isn't recognized.
   But rather than blame Elections Canada for the foul-up, I'm blaming myself. We assumed the information on our voter card was correct, and never glanced at it. Not even when we were standing in line waiting at the advance polling station. Had we done so, we would have caught the error, and done the change of information first. Not that it added much time to our wait.
   And it seems we weren't the only ones casting an early ballot. Elections Canada says for the first 3 days of advance polling, 2.4 million Canadians voted, with 767 thousand Sunday alone. Monday's numbers were not available at the time I posted this.
   Election day is next Monday, the 19th.

TTFN

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

   The Thanksgiving long weekend is once again upon us in Canada, as people will be preparing a gigantic meal with all the trimmings. An awful lot of folks will also be traveling home to see family and friends in what's likely the last snow-free long weekend of the year.
   Our family will be no different. Our "kids" will be coming up for a visit (and a home-cooked meal). But, as I believe I've stated in the past, we won't be tucking into a turkey this weekend. There's an enzyme in turkey that plays havoc with my digestive tract, and does lots of very unpleasant things. So, we'll forgo the gobbler, and just roast a couple of chickens instead. That still means stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy etc.
   As for dessert, my wife will probably make a nice apple pie, rather than pumpkin. She'd prefer pumpkin, but I can't stand the stuff, and firmly believe that this is how such oies are actually made:

   Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian viewers!

TTFN

I'm Glad It's Just An App

   GX94's Danny Ismond was 'celebrating' "Bald and Free" day by taking pictures of as many staff members as possible with a "bald app" he downloaded to his phone. That's what I'd look like with a "skullet" (minus the fringe that the app didn't manage to hide), not that I'd ever do that look.
   The response was, to me, a little surprising from listeners who clicked on our facebook page and app. One person responded by saying "bald suited me", while another said maybe I should go with it.
   I will categorically state here and now that I will not become a "chrome dome" by my own actions. If my hair falls out of it's own accord, so be it. Otherwise, forget about it. In fact, the last haircut I got was a little short for my liking. But at least it'll grow back.

TTFN

An Early Winter?

   My wife and I just happened to glance out of our kitchen window at the right time this past weekend to see someone in a pick-up, hauling a snowmobile down the street. And that got us wondering if we're in for an early winter.
   Already, there's been snow in Alberta, with our old hometown Calgary getting a big dump. And while we've had a little frost here, no sign of snow. And hopefully (at least from our perspective) it's still a long, long way off.
   We know the only way to avoid winter altogether is go to the tropics. Finances dictate we'll be staying very close to home. Again.
   And a few of the weather services we have in Canada also indicate a mild winter, with average snowfall.
   But, thanks to my co-worker Danny Ismond, our fears may have been allayed. At least for now. Danny pointed out (probably 100% rightly so) that the person must have just bought the machine, or had it serviced, and was simply transporting it home.
   But it was still a bit of a shock seeing it this early in the fall!
   Ah, well. Winter's going to hit no matter how much we wish it wouldn't. and for all those who have a snowmobile, safe and happy sledding this year!

TTFN

We Can See Outside Again

   That was my view for just over a month, as new windows were being installed in the building we work in. It's a process that has taken just over 4 weeks from when they removed the old, dirty, grimy, streaked ones. A few delays due to wrong size windows being ordered (or so I was told), we finally have them in.

   No more guessing what the weather's like. No more having to run down a hall or 2 to find out (even though I need the exercise). Just clear, clean vision. Until they start to weather on the outside, at any rate.
   So far, no one in the newsroom has started a pool to see when the first bird will hit them!

TTFN