A Bad Year In The Entertainment Industry

   The Grim Reaper's sharpened scythe did bite deep in 2016, taking quite a number of famous people from us.
   Probably the most tragic of all was the death yesterday of Debbie Reynolds at age 84. It's not the fact she was in her 80's that's tragic. It's the fact that her daughter, Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame, died a day before her after having a heart attack on a flight to L.A last week.
   And they, of course, aren't the only ones we lost this year. George Michael also passed away Christmas Day. The year got off to a seemingly rough start with the passing of  David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Glen Frey in January.
   Also leaving us, some far too soon, were Prince, Muhammad Ali, astronaut John Glen and Jean Alexander. A lot of you won't know who she was, but she was a long time fixture of the British drama "Coronation Street", playing Hilda Ogden.
   After all these celebrity passings, some people are saying 2016 was a bad year. I saw something on a Facebook page from a friend to put it in perspective. That post pointed out that 1665 was a truly bad year, as the bubonic plague struck London, England killing more than 350 thousand people.
   Still, it does seem that we've lost an inordinate number of luminaries this year. Let's just hope 2017 doesn't see a repeat.

TTFN, and Happy New Year!

Back At It

   I hope you all had a Merry Christmas (or Happy Holiday). I know I did. Having last week off was great, although I must admit I got quite lazy. Sleeping in until 6:00 A.M was a treat, and (I must admit) something I could get used to very quickly. As tradition seems to state, I again watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and basically lazed around the house getting fatter.
   But, all good things must come to an end, and I'm back at my desk this Boxing Day. Which really isn't a hardship. Christmas for us was good, only marred a bit by the fact our youngest decided against traveling from Regina to Yorkton due to a snowfall warning. We managed to dodge a weather bullet, getting just a few cm (inches) from a Colorado Low that's pounding parts of Manitoba, and even more so parts of the U.S Plain States.
   It also looks like 2016 is going to end the same way it began in the entertainment industry, with the death of George Michael

   Capping off a terrible year that saw David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Prince, among others pass away.
   Hopefully, 2017 won't be the same.

TTFN

Winter Vacation

   I will be taking next week off for my winter break. Everyone in our newsroom gets a full week off over the festive season, and mine just happens to be the week ahead of Christmas.
   My plans: Do as little as possible, aside from finishing off Christmas shopping etc. But that won't take long. Other than that, I'll probably continue my tradition of watching the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It's something I started doing in 2013 when we first got our house here in Yorkton. My wife was still living in Regina, waiting for our house to be sold, and I had to work Boxing Day (the 26th ). So, I binge-watched all 3 movies Christmas Day that year. I'll stretch it out over 3 days next week.
   I'll be back at it Monday the 26th, Boxing Day in Canada. Meantime, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and hope the festive season is a good one for you all!

TTFN

...And What A Delicious Meal It Was!

   Saturday, I blogged that I'd been given a recipe by GX94 mid-day host Tonya Cherry to prepare. It was a chop-suey, with my choice of meat. It was "pork day" at home, so that's what I did. She also wanted lots of pictures:

   Which I was happy to provide. My ever creative wife also suggested we do a "staged" one for show purposes. And. since she loves doing displays, I figured "what the hell":

   As for the meal, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. It really was that good! In fact, it's going into the stir-fry meal rotation.
   As for the recipe, here it is:

Chop Suey recipe from Florence Bodnarchuk of Canora:

Beef, chicken or pork thinly sliced.

Small onion, large dice.

3 stems Bok Choy, cut diagonally

1 to 2 celery sticks, cut diagonally

1 cup cabbage

1 can bean sprouts

1 can mushrooms

1 can bamboo shoots

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

**She says she uses whatever vegetables are available like peppers, carrots cauliflower etc.

Put 2 tbsp oil in a wok or skillet and heat. Add meat and cook until almost done. Add onion, soya sauce, sugar and the remaining vegetables and continue stir-frying. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (or chicken or beef stock) and cook for a few minutes. Add corn starch solution to thicken. Serve with your favourite rice or noodles.

   If you like stir-fry, this is definitely worth doing, and was scrumptious.

TTFN

I've Been Given A Task

   And it's from GX94's mid-day announcer Tonya Cherry. Regular viewers of this blog will know she puts out a cookbook every year, with proceeds going back into the community where they were sold. And that's in many locations right around the Parkland region. Regular viewers will also know I'm a bit of a dab-hand when it comes to cooking, and can knock off some great tasting meals.
   So what Tonya has asked me, and a few of the other on-air staff here, is to cook (or bake) a recipe to bring in for a taste-test. Not one from this years cookbook or others in the past, but recipes she gets sent in advance of next year's book. She's given me a stir-fry to do up. And wouldn't you know it, stir-fry is one of my specialities! She's also asked that I "document" the experiment (take photos), so she can up-load them to our station website and Facebook page. The chop suey recipe I'm doing calls for either beef, chicken or pork. I've made an editorial decision, and will go with pork.
   And that's where I'm going to leave this for now. I will, of course, update this forum (with pictures) once we've tasted the dish, likely Tuesday.

TTFN

"A Date Which Will Live In Infamy"

   It was a Sunday morning 75 years ago when Japanese carrier forces launched their strike against the U.S fleet at Pearl Harbour. 353 aircraft were involved. All 8 U.S battleships were damaged, other ships were also hit. In all, some 24 hundred people were killed, most of them servicemen.
   The attack also brought the U.S fully into World War II, although some historians say America would have entered the fray sooner or later. It was the next day, December 8th, then U.S president F.D Roosevelt spoke to his nation, saying it was a date which will live in infamy as he declared war on the Japanese Empire, and Nazi Germany.
   One of the most devastated capital ships, the USS Arizona:

   Still lies at the bottom of the harbour as a memorial and gravesite, since more than 11 hundred service personnel were killed on board that ship. To this day, oil from the fuel bunkers continues to escape, staining the water above.
   24 years and 1 day earlier, the port city of Halifax was devastated after 2 ships, one loaded with tons of munitions, collided in the harbour during World War I. Roughly 2 thousand people were killed, and 9 thousand injured. The explosion remained the most powerful non-natural blast until the first atom bomb test in 1945.
   Your history lesson for the day :)

TTFN

Is It Really 10 Years?

   It has in fact been a decade since these furry babies came to their forever home. We had to say "goodbye" to 2 other cats a few weeks earlier in November 2006 due to old age and illness, and there was a huge hole in the family we needed to fill. So, my eldest son and I braved a prairie blizzard and headed off to the Regina Humane Society. My wife had asked if we could find 2 female cats to adopt (her preference). But after a long search, hampered by the fact there was a disease running rampant which limited our choices, we "picked" these 2 boys.
   Actually, the tan one reached through his cage and grabbed onto my son, so we had to take him. The grey one was a different story. Rather than meow like the other prospective cat adoptees, he sat silently. Rather than paw at people walking by, he sat silently. I knew then and there we had to have him.
   So, packing them into carriers loaned by the Society, we set off into the blizzard again on the trek home. Which was accompanied by a lot of caterwauling from our 2 new family members. After showing both where the litter boxes and food were, we settled in to get used to each other. It did not take the grey one long to imprint onto me. He leaped up and perched on my left shoulder which, to this day, is his favourite place.

   We did add to our "family" 5 years after we got these 2, a little black and white female I saw on an adoption website.
   I mentioned earlier they have a "forever" home, and I meant it. All 3 came with us when we moved from Regina to Yorkton, and the 2 females who were part of our lives for 17 years came with us when we moved from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Regina back in '97.
   Can they be infuriating? Yes. Can they be insufferable at times? Yes. Are we glad we adopted them? Yes.

TTFN

No. Just No.

   Apparently, this is (or was) a real thing. A British company put this together for gamers, so they didn't have to leave their console/computer to cook a traditional Christmas dinner. There are 9 layers, each supposedly "locked" in gelatin. This was (again supposedly) put out in 2013 as a trial in one store. And, if what I read was right, it sold fairly well.
   I'm a gamer. In fact, I've been known to be "locked into" my computer concentrating on not getting ganked by the Horde in World of Warcraft. But I also dis-connect myself from it, and re-enter the "real world" occasionally. Especially if there's food involved.
   Not that I haven't been known to snack at the computer, but full meals require my full attention. And what's pictured above, at least for me, does not qualify as a "meal". Not that I haven't ingested some questionable food in the past. When I was starting my career in radio almost 38 years ago, I existed on canned stew (which I can't even look at even today).
   Not that I'm dissing canned food, far from it. But looking at the ingredients in the monstrosity above is almost enough to put me off my chow. And that takes some doing.
   And how do you eat it? Is it meant to be served cold? For obvious reasons, you don't want to mix it all together, so do you simply heat it in the tin in hot water? Oh, yeah. The cost for this Yule Time delicacy is 1 pound 99 (in British money), about $3.35 Canadian per tin.
   I'm just glad this isn't coming to Canada any time soon.

TTFN

Grey Cup Memories

   Rummaging through some old photos recently, and I found this, and thought since the Calgary Stampeders are back in the Grey Cup this weekend, why not. That was taken <gasp> 45 years ago in 1971, when the Stamps won it for just the 2nd time, beating Toronto 14-11. It was taken in the living room at a neighbour's house right across the street from where we lived in Calgary.
   If memory serves (and it usually doesn't) he was a high mucky-muck with the scouts, and finagled the cup for a troop meeting. My dad was a Stamps fan, so our neighbour he called us to say: "Get George over here, I've got the Grey Cup in my living room". Dad was working, but my sister and I went over.
   I was 15 at the time, my sister was younger. And didn't she look thrilled by it all?
   I bring this up because, as mentioned, the Stamps are playing in Sunday's Grey Cup in Toronto, when they take on the Ottawa Redblacks. Ottawa is back in the CFL final for a 2nd straight year, after losing to Edmonton in the 2015 Fall Classic.
   Since that picture was taken, the Stamps have won the cup, which is a lot bigger now (so am I),

   5 more times, most recently in 2014. Having grown up in Calgary, and despite the fact I'm decked out in Saskatchewan Roughrider green, I will be rooting for the Stamps come Sunday.

TTFN

Mooned!

   Seems everyone's been talking about the "supermoon" this week. Due to it's proximity to Earth, the moon appears to be some 23 to 30% larger and brighter. It certainly is close to us, just over 212 thousand miles away. In fact, it's the closest approach to Earth (if my sources are correct) since 1948. Supposedly, we won't have another "supermoon" like this until 2034 or so.
   And it was a talking point for myself and GX94 Morning Show host Danny Ismond this week. After going through the stats I mentioned above, I told him I thought while it was quite a spectacle, I didn't think it was all that super. Because the moon didn't have an "S" emblazoned on it.

   Danny wasn't about to take that lying down, so he posted his own version, clearly showing not only the "S", but the cape as well.

   I can only attribute the fact Danny's picture shows how "super" the moon was to the fact he's taller than me, and is therefore closer to the moon and able to see it clearer.

TTFN

Please Pause And Remember

   Tomorrow is November 11th. And at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, please pause for a minute or 2 to remember our fallen troops in all wars. Of course, November 11th marks the end of World War I, 98 years ago. But Remembrance Day isn't just for the fallen in that war, World War II or the Korean conflict. It's for all service members in all branches of the military who gave their lives in conflict.
   There are some who say Remembrance Day, and the U.S version, Veterans Day, glorifies war. It does not. It's meant as a time to pay silent tribute and give thanks to those who fought and died for their country. And, to me at least, it's also for veterans everywhere, regardless of whether they served in combat or not.
   I know I will pause at 11:00 on 11/11.

TTFN

America Voted

   And they gave Republican nominee Donald Trump more than the 270 votes needed in the electoral college to secure the Presidency of the United States. To many, Trump's win was startling, since Democrat Hillary Clinton lead polls almost the length of the campaign. Of course, the only poll that matters is the one on election day, and Mr. Trump won that.
   So, what happens now? Trump needs to put together a few teams. One is to oversee the transition from Barack Obama's administration to his. The second, and probably the most important, is for him to pick his cabinet. Trump is seen as a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants, shoot from the lip guy who ruffled a few of his own party's feathers with some of his statements and proclamations during the campaign. He needs an inner cadre of well heeled advisers to guide him for the next 4 years. And most importantly, Trump himself needs to listen to those advisers, take their counsel and act in a responsible manner.
   And even on a morning where the dust has yet to settle, reaction from the markets has been negative. World stock markets were down overnight, as was the U.S Greenback and Mexican Peso. And while they're congratulating him on his win, world leaders are keeping a wary eye on the "new kid in town" with a reputation of being brash, and even a bully.
   The divisive nature of the campaign is sure to stir up strong emotions on both sides. Here's hoping Mr. Trump is true to his word and starts a national healing process as one of his first acts after his inauguration in January.

TTFN

America Votes

   It is election day in the States, marking the end of one of the nastiest, and most divisive, campaigns on record. As stated in an earlier post, I'm not commenting on who I think would make the better President, be it either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Nor will I re-hash my thoughts on what the candidates should have focused on, rather than what they did.
   I will say this: As a Canadian, I think the U.S electoral system is completely screwed up. People don't actually vote for the President, they vote for the people who, in turn, elect the President. Not that our parliamentary system is much better, where the party with the most members to get elected, rather than who won the popular vote, forms government. And it's under the leadership of a person party members elect. But the U.S way of doing things is closer to the "one person, one vote" idea of democracy.
   And that had the old memory bells ringing, if only faintly. I recall reading a science fiction short story many, many years ago about the choice for President coming down to one persons vote. I can't for the life of me recall the name of the story, or the author (Isaac Asimov seems to come to mind, though), but the premise was simply this: That the decision rests with one man, who casts the only ballot of the election. Needless to say, the poor soul is beggared by all sides, trying to have him elect their candidate. And that's about where my memory ends. I can't remember how the story ends. If any viewers know who wrote it, or the title, I'd be interested to know.
   Anyway, Happy Election Day America!

TTFN

Cubs Win

   You will know by now that the Chicago Cubs are the 2016 World Series champions, after beating Cleveland 8-7 in an extra inning in the deciding game 7 of the series in Cleveland. A lot of folks had written the Cubs off after they trailed Cleveland 3-1 in the series. They came back. They also held off a late game charge by Cleveland, who forced the extra stanza. The 2 teams also dealt with a rain delay late in the game. But, in the end, the Cub prevailed.
   It was their 1st World Series win since 1908. 108 years ago.
   Lets take a moment to put that in perspective. The Ottoman Empire was still in existence. World War I had not started. The Model "T" was introduced. Mothers Day was celebrated for the first time, but women still did not have the right to vote, and the 1st boy-scout troop was organized by Robert Baden-Powell. And that's just a sample of some of the events back in 1908.
   As for Cleveland, they also have had a long championship drought, winning their last World series in 1948, 68 years ago, so whoever won would have had a long drought finally end.
   So, congratulations to the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs!

TTFN

I Won A Thing!

   And that's my prize. Turns out, my "Scrape" get-up (see my blog entry below) was picked as the top staff costume yesterday in our in-house competition.
   And there's a bonus, as well. Not only did I get the Pringles pack above, but we only had 8 or so kids for Halloween last night, which means we've got about 80 or so pieces of candy left over. Not including the ones I scarfed back last night.
   Diabetic coma, here I come!

TTFN: And Happy November.

It's Halloween!

   And I can finally take the wraps off my get-up for this year. Last week I blogged about having a lumberjack shirt and some kind of axe as part of my gear. Which is true! I do have a lumberjack shirt on, and I am carrying an axe of some kind:

   I decided to come as Slash's long lost relative who hasn't been lost long enough. And since the G&R and Velvet Revolver guitarist is a really good player (I think of his fingers slashing across the fretboard) and since I'm not, I decided to call myself "Scrape", the rocker who needs a walker.
   I also alluded to the possibility there may be singing this year. And, yes, despite the lack of talent when it comes to vocals, I did in fact "bust out a tune". I will say I'm an even worse singer than I am a guitarist. If that's even possible. I wasn't going to sing, but GX94 Morning man Danny Ismond "put the screws" to me, and I gave my rendition (live on the air) of the "Umm Game Song", the details of which I will not bore you with. There's an "in-house" competition for best costume again this year, but judging from what I've seen early this morning, I don't stand a chance.
   And, yes, I've already started thinking about next year. My wife (who dressed up as Miss Haversham from the Dickens novel "Great Expectations"):

   Suggested we do something as a pair. I thought we should go as a piece of bread, split in half. My side would be plain, hers covered in a churned dairy product. She could be my "butter half". Cue the agonized groans.
   Looking at my picture, something occurs to me. I think I look more like Ozzy Osbourne that Slash.
   Happy Halloween!

TTFN

I Know We Need Lights, But Really???

   We need lights to be safe. I understand that, and accept it. The pictures below were not taken in a commercial or industrial area, or in a prison yard. They were taken in the common parking area where we own our home, and were installed at the behest of our developer (I at least assume).
   To say they're bright is an understatement. I did not enhance or photoshop these, and they were taken on the crappy camera on my cell phone.

   You know they're bright when they start casting shadows from vehicles parked down the street. I noticed this a couple of mornings ago when I got up for work and looked out our bedroom window. I first thought it was a full moon reflecting on the paving. I was wrong.
   Again, I understand the need to have lights in common areas, but was it really necessary to install 23 gazillion candle-power spotlights? And whats next? Guard towers? Coils of electrified razor wire? Machine gun emplacements? It's almost like living next to the DMZ in Korea. Or along the Berlin Wall back in the '60's. Even my blackout drapes in our bedroom filter, not block, the light entirely.
   I guess we're lucky, though. All the master bedrooms in the development face the street, and we don't have one of these monstrosities beaming into ours.

TTFN

When In The Netherlands

   Have nachos. Our youngest is in the Netherlands for a heavy metal event in Rotterdam later this week. He landed in Amsterdam, and, rather than having a traditional Dutch meal like Hollandse Nieuwe Haring (raw herring), or Stroopwafels, a syrupy waffle. Instead, he opted for nachos.
   That's like going to Italy and not having pasta, or Germany and not having Bratwurst. Don't get me wrong, I'm not castigating our 2nd born. Far from it! It's just that he loves Mexican food, especially tacos and nachos. At least he's drinking a Dutch beer, so all is not lost.
   From Rotterdam, he's going to Belgium for a few days before flying back to Canada via Frankfurt.
   Am I a little jealous? Hell yes I am! We'd love to see both those countries, and are currently trying to scrape together the needed pennies (several million of them) to head off again. And yes, the Netherlands and Belgium are both on our radar screens. As is Iceland and other Nordic countries (perhaps even a return to Norway).
   At any rate, I hope he has a great trip. He deserves it.

TTFN

It's Almost That Time Of Year Again

   In fact, Halloween is now less than 2 weeks away. Am I ready? You bet I am! Regular readers of this blog will know I start preparations for next year's Halloween on November 1st, although I have actually started work on some ideas even before October 31st has arrived.
   In years past, I've shown up as a Zombie News Reader, an Aussie from the Outback (including "bush tucker", didgeridoo, and lobster on a Barbie) and a Zombie Hunter. This year...stay tuned. I never reveal what I'm going to do in advance. However, I will let a couple of visual clues slip. My get up will include a lumberjack shirt and an axe of some kind

   And that's ALL I'm going to say. Except, there may be (heaven help you all) singing this year. Oh, yeah. It might be a good idea to have a bandage on stand-by, 'cause there might be a scrape. But no "creepy clowns". That I promise.
   Other than that, you'll just have to wait for the 31st, which happens to be a Monday this year.

TTFN

A Few Thoughts About The U.S Election

   I'm lucky. I don't live in the States, so I don't have to make a choice between Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. However, I, and pretty much everyone else, will be impacted by whoever wins the election next month.
   I'm not enough of a political analyst to wade in with any pithy thoughts about the 2 contenders, and I'm certainly not about to say which one I endorse, even though it wouldn't matter since I live in Canada. I'm also not about to comment about the foibles and follies of the Republican or Democratic nominee. But I am going to chime in on the nastiness of this campaign, even if I forgo the details.
   Politics by it's very nature is (it seems) destined to troll up skeletons in closets, and bring mud-slinging to an almost Olympic sport level. The current U.S election campaign, and even last years Canadian one for that matter, have shown at times just how low people can go in attempts to tear down their opponent. I know, it's all part of the "game", but there are times I wonder "why".
   The constant sniping between candidates, the constant dredging up of incidents, sometimes 30 years in the past, the campaign staff trying as hard as they can to uncover that piece of information to damage the "other guy" have become too much a part of electioneering on both sides of the border, and I for just one of many are heartily sick and tired of it..
   So here's a radical thought. Rather that engaging in a prolonged mud-slinging and slagging match, why not focus not on your opponent and how bad that person will be if elected, but what you are going to do for your constituents if you are? Tell me why, and exactly how, a vote for you would benefit my constituency, province or state, and the nation, rather than the constant character attacks that now seem to dominate all but civic politics.
   It might be a way to engage voters, rather than turn them off. IMHO at any rate.

TTFN

I Thought This Was Apropos

   Especially given the early start to winter we had the past few days. Not a lot of snow in our area, but parts of Saskatchewan did get blanketed by up to 20 cm (8 inches) this past week. And even smaller amounts of the white stuff was enough to halt harvesting operations across the region, if not most of our province and Manitoba.
   I'm not exactly a picture of sartorial splendor at the best of times, nor will I ever be considered a fashion diva. But (aside from Saturdays, like today) I never wear t-shirts to work. Well, until last Thursday. And again, it was simply down to the weather. And my wife suggesting I do it:

   I got that shirt last month at the Saskatoon Comic-Con. And it does in fact say "Winter is here", referencing the HBO series "Game of Thrones" which, thanks to my wife, I started watching. Fans will know the Stark family was always saying "Winter is coming", but with the series now moving toward a conclusion, the Ice King

   Is marshaling his frozen, un-dead forces for the "final showdown". And if early indications prove correct, that battleground might well be in my region, since we're in store for a snowy, cold winter.
   All of which brings me back to my shirt. I think the expression on my face (along with the "thumbs down") pretty much sums up what an awful lot of people feel about the early start to winter.
   Anyone have any Valerian steel?

TTFN

Oh, Great

   Should this be happening in a 3 year old house? That's what greeted me when I got home yesterday afternoon. That's along one of the joists of the ceiling in our living room. In our 2 story house. That's not beneath a bathroom, either, but our master bedroom. Which was bone dry.
   So, what happened? To the best of our knowledge, wind blown rain. We had one hell of a storm Monday night, with heavy rain and a very strong, gusty wind. That's not to say we haven't had lots of storms with heavy rain and strong, gusty winds. It's just this one happened to be blowing from just the right direction. And we think the water got in here:

   The overhang on our porch. You can't see in this picture (at least not well), but the 'corrugations' on the bottom where it joins the house is where we think the leak is. Meaning the builders likely didn't do a good enough job sealing it off.
   As mentioned, the place is 3 years old, so I'm hoping the new home warranty will cover this. If I could find it. That's problem #2. We were not handed our copy of the warranty when we took possession. I've called the project developer. He said try the real estate agent. I did try them a while back, and, if memory serves, THEY told me to call the selling agency. And 'round and 'round we go.
   I also called the builder, but never heard back from them yesterday.
   So, I've got a lot of calls to make and places to visit today, trying to get this mess taken care of. And I also happened to notice while heading out the door for work this morning that there was a shadow along the other joist, meaning we've likely got water there, too. But at least those areas haven't spread, and there's no mould yet. Hopefully it won't take too long to get fixed. Or cost us too much. But that's what homeowners insurance is for.

TTFN

Goodbye September

   It's a little hard to believe the month is over, but it is. And what a month it's been! GX94's "Supper In The Field" really got rolling after starting the fall edition August 31st (August now seems such a long time ago), although I have yet to get "Craig in a Combine" this year. There's still one more fall supper to go, so I'm still holding out hope.
   We also made our annual trek to Saskatoon for the Exhibition and Comic Con. Not a huge success, given we usually manage to get our Christmas shopping started. But it was a chance to get away for a weekend, which was nice.
   Not as nice though, was the weather. We had some pretty heavy rain this month, which delayed harvest operations, along with some of the much needed roadwork projects going on in the city.
   Speaking of the weather, September (at least here) is "going out like a lamb", with near summer like conditions into tomorrow. Once we get into October, we really start to see a cool-down, with the mercury falling from 23 C tomorrow down to 7 Monday.
   On the up-side, October does bring with it Halloween. And, yes, I've been thinking and preparing for what I'm doing since about November 1st last year. What (or who) I'm going to be is, of course, a secret which will not be revealed until the 31st, which happens to be a Monday this year.
   Anyway, so-long September, and hello October!

TTFN

Cats!!

   More specifically, that cat. He's a character, to say the least, and his 'reputation' has grown once again. Regular readers will know we're owned by 3 cats, and we try to keep them healthy. As part of that, we have not one, not two, but three litter pans for them to use. My wife cleans them every day, and the litter is changed every 4. Not only that, but we also buy new cat pans every 6 months, since the old ones can get a little smelly, despite being cleaned so often.
   The maker of the non-clumping litter we used to buy is no longer in business, and we've been searching for an alternative. We've used other brands, but the dust from them is considerable. We even tried clumping litter, which did not go over well. They tracked that stuff through the house faster than regular non-clumping, and the stuff almost turns into cement when it gets wet. So, we still had half a box of the clumping in our basement.
   And that's where this little guy comes into play. As mentioned, we have THREE cat pans for their use. So, he decides to do his "business" in the half full, but fully open, box. My wife swears he perched on the arm of a couch we have in the basement, somehow managed to 'aim', and take care of business.
   My belief is that he simply jumped into the open box and used it. We're sure it's him, by the way. Our other male is just too lazy to jump, and our girl has (what my wife calls) "little poo's". Not that him going in the box was a big deal. It was going to get thrown out anyway. But still, it shows how 'inventive' he can be.

TTFN

Fall Has Arrived

   And Autumn officially arrived in Saskatchewan at 08:21 this morning, when the sun crossed the equator. It means equal day and night, at least for one day, before the march toward winter. In my neck of the woods, it also sees the acceleration of fall harvesting operations. And with that, an increase in sneezing by not only myself, but a few co-workers as all the dust and chaff gets into the air. But, luckily, that's a short-lived problem.
   Fall, at least here, seems to start about September 1st, even if the calendar says it arrived today. The "why" is easy enough. It just starts getting cooler. In fact, it's almost like a gigantic switch was thrown about the end of August. Sort of like re-setting the thermostat in your fridge to a colder level.
   Looking out of my office window, I can really see the leaves on trees have really started to change, even though we noticed some yellow and gold a while back. It's just another portent of the change in seasons
   And it will keep getting colder and colder as winter approaches. If stories I've seen (and read on the air) are an indication, it's going to be a brutally cold, snowy one. No El-Nino this year, darn it. As the Stark family in Game of Thrones says "Winter is Coming". In just 3 months, by the calendar, Winter will be here.
   On a positive note, it's just 6 months until the first day of Spring!

TTFN

Con..Gone

   That was a quick weekend! Left Yorkton just after 06:00 for Saskatoon and the Comic and Entertainment Expo. We got to the venue with just about 10 minutes to spare before it opened at 10:00. And are we glad we pre-purchased our tickets well in advance. It was our 3rd year attending, and the line ups were crazy. It stretched nearly the entire length of Prairieland Park's main exhibit hall. Luckily, it wasn't too chilly or raining, since we were all outdoors.
   Kudo's to the organizers, as they had us through the entry points and into the hall in less than 20 minutes. Once we got in, things progressed quickly enough. We saw all the vendors, trying to find something for one of our sons for Christmas. This year, however, no luck. We did spend a fair bit for my wife, though, as she saw an outfit she wanted. Price-tag be damned, I went ahead and bought it for her. She says it'll be her Christmas present. We'll see about that.
   The only real down-side to the event this year was a lack of Freaks and Geeks (see my post below), Cosplayers and LARPers. Maybe it was because we got there early, and not all those in costume had showed up yet.
   There was this woman, though:

   I have no idea who she was supposed to be, but the make-up was fantastic.
   And, after an overnight stay, it was "back home" Sunday. Now, I've just got to wait for that credit card bill :(

TTFN!

Con!!!!!

   It's that time of year again. This weekend, my wife and I will be Saskatoon bound for the annual Comic and Entertainment Expo. It's become one of the "must do" things on our yearly list. It's also a great chance for us to knock off some Christmas shopping, since the vast majority of vendors don't have outlets in Saskatchewan, although they do have on-line stores. Still, we're "old school" and like to physically see what we're buying.
   The trip also gives us a chance to check out some of the "freaks and geeks" who show up in full costume. And some are elaborate. These were taken last year

   No, we don't show up in costume for several reasons, the biggest is we don't have any. We also skip the fan meet and greet with stars from movies like the Lord Of The Rings Billy Boyd (Pippin), Steven Yeun from the Walking Dead, and Star Trek's William Shattner. This year, Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame will be at the fan-fest.
   It's not that we don't like them, it's just the fact I don't want to wait in line for upwards of an hour to have to pay for an autograph. Regardless, we'll have fun there.
   And this year, we've decided to make a weekend of the trip, since the round trip drive is about 6 hours. And since I don't do a lot of driving, I do tend to get a little tired behind the wheel.

TTFN

It's Just A Game

   And it's played every year. There's a tradition between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers that goes back quite a while. The 2 CFL teams play back-to-back home and home games in early September. The Riders host the Bombers in the Labour Day Classic, and the Bombers host the Green and White in the so-called "Banjo Bowl".
   As in any sport, there are rivalries. As in any sport there's some ribbing between fans of the 2 teams, usually in good spirited fun as the 2 teams trade shots with each other. But this crossed the line in my view, and a lot of other fans on both sides of the football.
   A 9 year old Winnipeg boy, Taylor, was taking in his 1st ever game this past weekend after he and his mom were gifted tickets to the big contest. The boy was wearing a sweater at the game, and that's when the trouble started. It was a green sweater. Green is the colour for the Riders, and in a lot of venues outside their home turf of Mosaic Stadium, it's like waving a red flag at a bull.
   In this case, it set off Bomber fans in the stands. The boys mother says he was sworn at, told to "go home", was told "you're a Rider fan. You stink" by a small girl, and allegedly had beer poured on him. The torment continued in the parking lot, and had the boy in tears. Mon says two Rider fans "saw what was happening, a woman comes up to me and she grabs my son and gives him a hug".
   To their eternal credit, the Bomber organization dropped off a gift basket for Taylor and is inviting the family to another game.
   Again, I know about sports rivalries. I know things get "heated" in the stands. I've even heard of scuffles among fans, and even beer throwing. I'm sure it's bad enough when your an adult, but to target a 9 year old boy just because he happened to be wearing a green sweater on a cool autumn day almost smacks of bullying. And it's just a game.
   This turned into a bit of a rant. Sorry.
   Oh, yeah. The Bombers won the Banjo Bowl 17-10.

TTFN

A Culinary First

   I've made no secret that I'm pretty handy when it comes to cooking. In fact, a lot of the meals in our house are prepared by me. Not Cordon Bleu, by anyone's standard, and I'll never get a Michelin rating, or make into Zagat's. But I'm a good enough cook to put together what I think is a 1st class meal.
   And while I've in the past done a full turkey dinner with trimmings (and apple pie for dessert), jambalaya, Cajun style hamburgers, and even Sauerbraten (a marinated German-style roast with ginger-snap gravy), there are still a few things I have not done in the kitchen.
   During my week off, I managed to accomplish something I never, EVER thought I'd do. I canned a batch of home-made salsa. Regular readers will know my wife is a great gardener, and for the 2nd year in a row grew tomato's, which I used in the recipe:

   It doesn't get much better than vine-ripened tomatoes from the garden. So, those, along with other ingredients, all went into my big stock pot for a simmer. And it looked pretty darn good while bubbling away, too: (Excuse the poor angle of the picture)

   The canning process wasn't that difficult, after a little instruction from my wife. and in the end, I finished with a dozen jars of my very own salsa!

   And it ain't half bad, either! I do need to add a little more 'heat' to it, and cut out some of the liquid that comes from the tomatoes, but we've already had a couple of jars. It will keep getting better the longer we leave it to set up.
   And, yes, I'm already looking at "tweaking" the recipe for the next batch, which will unfortunately not be made with our home grown, garden-fresh tomatoes. They all got used for this batch!

TTFN

Off Next Week

   I am, in fact, taking my final scheduled week of holidays next week, and will not be posting anything to this blog.
   I've got some things planned, including a trip to Regina this weekend so my wife can get her fall plants for the yard. I'm also going to do something I've never EVER done or even tried to do. I'm going to be canning some home-made salsa using the tomato's we have growing in the back yard.
   I'll also be making another trip to the Queen City to have a very minor problem with the car looked at (there's no Mitsubishi dealership in Yorkton).
   And I'll also continue planning what I'm doing for Halloween this year. I actually got things rolling round about November 1st last year. And as tradition states, I will not be letting any details out prior to October 31st. Other than to say, there will be a musical instrument involved.
   I'll be back after the Labour Day long weekend.
   Take care, stay safe and enjoy your long weekend as well.

TTFN

What A Croc!

   I happened upon this story yesterday, and thought it was quite funny. In Australia, police in the Northern Territory are looking for 4 masked men who smashed a door at a school administration office in a small town of 54 hundred, some 40 km southeast of Darwin. Surveillance video shows the crooks busting a window the door, forcing it open, then going on a rampage. They ripped out computers, and generally vandalized the place.
   But it's not so much what they took that was astounding. It's what they left behind.
   3 crocs:

   No, not the shoes, 3 actual live saltwater crocodiles

   The animals had their mouths taped shut, so they couldn't bite. Police brought in some park rangers, who got the critters out of the office. And apparently, they were not in the best of shape. They hadn't been in water for some time, and were quite thin from lack of food. They are now being cared for by officials, who hope to return them back to the wild. Police are still looking for the crooks.
   And the name of the small town where this happened (and I am not making this up: Google it yourself) is "Humpty-Doo".

TTFN