This Popped Up On Facebook

 

   And it was on a group I'm part of detailing the memories of Thunder Bay Ontario. The moderator has been running a series, "On The Air", featuring people who worked in media, mostly radio and T.V, on the Lakehead. I'll post the original caption, but there re some changes. True, I did do the last ever newscast on what was the CJLB in '95 or '96 when they shut the A.M transmitter off and went to F.M. But I didn't work there much until they amalgamated with CKPR Radio. I was with CKPR from 1989 to 97.

   Still, some 24 years after leaving, it's kinda nice to know I haven't been totally forgotten. Here's the original post:

In 1995, Craig Wallebeck does the last CJLB newscast before the station merges with CKPR. He is then on the air at CKPR as a broadcast journalist until 1997.

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Another Hearing Update

    Regular viewers will know I've been suffering hearing loss for some time, and a couple of years ago I got a hearing aid. After spending $1500.00 on it, I was less than impressed. so, back it went to the centre in Regina, where they persuaded me to spend another $1000.00 on an upgrade. That failed in July last year, but luckily it was under warranty, and they fixed it.

   Flash forward to last Friday (some 18 months later), and the damn thing died again! I think it's the same issue (the receiver), but it means another 4 hour round trip to spend 15 minutes or less in their office. I caught a break, though, as the thing is still under warranty until January. I also made sure to book a time on the same day I have to be in the Queen City for another appointment. The fly in the ointment is I'll need to make the trek again when it's fixed.

   So, why didn't I get one here in Yorkton to begin with? That's a long story, but the upshot is I eventually got it there. The thing still has feedback (eg: it whistles and screeches) from time to time, and honestly, I've been less than impressed with it from the get-go. So why put up with all the palaver? Because I've sunk $2500.00 into it. Had the thing not been under warranty, I think I would have pitched it in the garbage and got something from Amazon or another place. It's much, much cheaper, and the quality couldn't be that much worse than what I've had to put up with.

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Nostalgia

 

   Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Led Zeppelin released their 4th studio album. It didn't name the group, or have a title, bur what rapidly became known as Led Zeppelin 4 war released November 8, 1971.It's consistently voted as one of the top albums of rock history, In the U.S, it was the band's best selling album.

   IMHO, it's probably the best work the group ever did, and there's not one back track on it. It's also on my list of the 3 best albums in rock history, along with Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, and the Beatles Sgt. Peppers.

   Wonder whati 'm doing after work today.

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It Was A First

    As I blogged earlier this month, I was on the fence about getting a costume together ahead of Halloween on Sunday. I mentioned it would be the first time in my 8 years at GX94 I had not done so, since it is a tradition around here. After going through our stuff at home, I couldn't find anything even remotely suitable, and decided not to bother this year. And, yes, the pandemic did play a role in the decision. I'm going to plan something for next year, though.

   And while I wasn't the only one who didn't bring a costume this year, some did. GX94 morning show host Danny Ismond (with some help from his wife) came up with this beauty:

   Well done Danny!

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Rembrandt I'm Not

   GX94 mid-day host Tonnya  Cherry had me do some homework last night. She brought in a Paw Patrol colouring book, and has asked several staff members, me included, to do one. I obliged. My first instinct was to do what a normal child would do. Grab the  markers in one hand and start scribbling. I'm not normal. I told her I faced an almost insurmountable obstacle in that there were no numbers on the picture corresponding with the coloured markers. But I soldiered through, and after 45 minutes, I produced something.

   Yes, there's some areas where the marker bled through, and yes, I did go outside the lines a time or 3. But on the whole, not a bad effort. It will never hang in the Louvre, but I'm happy with it. And giiven the different coloured eyes, I've called him "David Bow-Wowie"

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Might Be A First

    Halloween is just 10 days from now. As regular followers are aware, I usually get costumed up for Halloween. In the past, I've been a zombie news reader, a "rock star" and a zombie hunter. But I think my all-time favorite was getting kitted out as an Australian, complete with didgeridoo, and even lobster on a Barbie

   This year, however, I'm in a bit of a bind.  I can't think of anything, and don't really want to recycle a look (like I did with the Australian). So, do I get in the spirit so to speak, or simply (for the first time since I've been here) not bother?

   With the pandemic continuing, I'm leaning toward the latter, although I'm not ruling anything out.

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Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

    And you home, and office, and car. It's late in the season, but smoke from forest fires north of us has been drifting into the region, making it a little difficult to breathe. And it's been unseasonably warm for this time of year, with highs in the upper 20's. A year or 2 ago, we were having snow at this time of year.

    Complicating things in the office is the indoor temperature. It was up to 28 Celsius (82 F) yesterday in the control rooms, and no one could figure out how to turn it down, even though they tried. Between the heat and smoke, I think I know what a brisket feels like being slow cooked. Luckily, the building maintenance crews seem to have it sorted out. I just hope it doesn't go the other way, and we start putting jackets on to keep warm. A mice happy medium would be good.

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Not Much Changed

    I don't usually venture into politics, but following Monday's federal election in Canada, I felt I had to. The governing liberals, though in a minority, sent us to the polls last month, in hopes of getting a majority. They didn't. In fact, when all the ballots were counted, the liberals gained 1 seat. They ended up with 158 in Parliament, where 170 is needed to form a majority. The opposition conservatives lost 2 seats, the NDP gained 4. Did I mention the election came about a year and a half after the last vote? And it cost $600 million?

   It begs the question why? Why send us to the polls during a pandemic, especially when the Liberals had the support of the NDP to govern? Why waste the money? Saskatchewan's premier may have summed it up best when he called it the most pointless election in Canadian history. We're right back where we started from. In fact, a lot of Canadians didn't think a call to tje polls was needed.

   One plus may be this: Unless the liberals really screw things up, don't expect any other party to bring them down and trigger another vote. The outrage would be massive. It's also a cautionary tale for the Liberals: Don't send us back to the ballot box until your mandate is over.

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Could Someone Turn The Heat On? Please??

    It's really cold in the office this morning. My fingers are chilly, I'm wearing a jacket, and there's a blast of Arctic air coming down from the A/V vent, which, luckily, is right over my head. This isn't the first time I've come in to a cold office. It's also not the first time I've had to wear a jacket whilst working. And the really sad thing is, this won't be the last.

   One of my co-workers also says it was frigid in the building the entire weekend, which begs the question: why is no one doing anything about it? The answer is simply, it was over the weekend, and ours is the only office even partly open then.

   But I do hope building maintenance will be in shorty and fix whatever needs fixing. It really is getting cold in here.

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And Back Again

    That was one heck of a month! Normally, I refuse to share personal details of my life on this venue, but feel some sort of explanation is due.

   I was off so I could get some needed surgery done (for what I'm keeping to myself). After having August off, I got clearance to return as of today, and am glad to be back. Things went very well, but I was getting very bored during my recovery. However, I'm back, and feeling fine.

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Going Away

    Back in May, I hinted I need some medical care for an unspecified reason. I also indicated I would need a further follow-up for the condition.

   That follow up will start tomorrow, and I'll be away for a few weeks. No, I will not divulge what the condition is. See you in a few!

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Baby, It's Cold Inside

    I don't know how high they've got the A/C cranked in our building today, but DAMN, it's chilly in the office this morning. For that matter, it was cold yesterday as well. Normally, I wouldn't complain, since I like it on the cool side. But I wish they'd cut it back a bit, since I'm forced to wear a jacket indoors.

   The oddest thing about this is we've just come out of a heat-wave, where the mercury soared to 36 Celsius. And the heat will return this weekend, with highs near 32 in store. That's when I'll appreciate having the A/C turned to the Max. Just not when my furnace came on at home this morning, and it was 5 Celsius when I rolled out the door.

   Long story short, I guess all I'm asking for is a little moderation so I can take my jacket off. At least I didn't wear shorts and a T-shirt, like one of my co-workers did this morning.

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I Don't Know About This

 

   An Ontario based distiller has decided to combine their whiskey with "a hint" of 12 year old Caribbean rum. Supposedly, it gives the whiskey a unique spicy taste. They don't say just how much "a hint" is, but it can't be much.

   I admit I used to enjoy a good 18 year old Canadian Rye from time to time, and my favourite rum drink was a "dark and stormy" (black rum and ginger beer). But mixing them together? I'm not sure. I know, people have been mixing booze for cocktails for a long, long time. Whiskey and sweet vermouth for a Manhattan, vodka, orange juice and Galliano for a Harvey Wallbanger, and the list goes on.

   I'll say my curiosity has been piqued by this, and if someone offered my a snort, I'd probably have one. But to go out and buy a bottle? The jury's still out. By the way, it rolls out in Ontario first, then the rest of Canada in a few months.

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Its Been Scorching Outside

    Heat warnings have been in effect most of this week, with temperatures in the mid to upper 30's. But the end is in sight, once we get through the weekend. It's supposed to hit 36 tomorrow, then 32 Sunday before a system rolls in, dropping the mercury to 25 Monday and 21 Tuesday.

   We've managed to keep cool in this blistering heat, with the A.C cranked and fans going. I shudder to think how hot it is for some of our neighbours who don't have air conditioning. And as bad as it is, this is nothing compared to parts of British Columbia, where it got up to 49 Celsius in a place called Lytton. Sadly, they also had a wildfire that ravaged the town, destroying 90% of the buildings there.

   And as bad as it is, you won't hear me complain too loudly. Despite the hot, hot heat, we'll look bacck on these days with some fondness in 6 months when it's -36.

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Hot Days Ahead

    In fact, there's a heat warning in place for most of my region, as temperatures will hit 34 Celsius tomorrow, and not drop below 30 for a high at least through the weekend. Overnight lows will only be in the mid-teens.

   Luckily, we have A/C at home (which is already cranked up), and I've got some cold-meal dishes planned to see us through. I'm not a fan (so to speak) of hot, hot heat like this, and would prefer temps in the upper teens. However, there's no change of snow, and it's not going to be -34, so I'll take some solace from that.

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Back. At Least For Now

    Been away from here since March 10th. Have been battling some health issues, NOT related to COVID, which meant my extended absence. And while I'm back, it's only going to be for a short time, since my issues will require another, hopefully shorter, absence from work. For obvious reasons, I will not divulge the nature of my complaint.

   Suffice it to say I'm very glad to be back behind my desk, even if it's just for a few weeks.

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Away Too Long Again

    In fact, it's been 9 days since I posted anything, and it's time for another excuse as to why. We've been extremely short staffed, and I've been extremely busy helping out in a couple of areas outside my normal duties. I'm not saying why we've been down in staff, other than 1 person was taking some much needed holidays. Suffice it to say, we were all helping as best as we could.

   Recently, we had a late winter storm roll through yesterday. And while it didn't drop as much snow as first forecast, we still got at least 10 cm, or 4 inches. I ended up having to shovel twice, and I know I tweaked a shoulder, and my back. The snow won't last long, as it's supposed to get up to 5 on the weekend.

   Hopefully Old Man Winter's done with us, and I can get the summer tires put on the car soon.

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Welcome March!

    And it looks like it'll come in like a lamb, rather than a lion. Although it was -22C this morning with a windchill of -33, the cold snap won't last long. In fact, the temperature is forecast to rise to zero overnight, and we're looking at single digit highs for the balance of the week.

   In fact, the next 2 weeks should see temperatures at or above zero. That likely will change as the month progresses, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we got another cold snap, and even a storm or 2. That said, it is March, the days are getting longer and spring is just around the corner.

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An Interesting Sunrise

 

  I managed to grab that shot just as the sun was peaking above the horizon. I don't know how well you'll be able to see it, but what caught my attention was the apparent beam of light shooting upward from the sun.

   I know, we've had literally billions of sunrises (and sunsets), and I've posted enough of them here and on social media. But again, it was that light-beam that caught my attention.

   Yes, I'm working this Saturday, it's my day to do so. Short post, I know, but I figured I'd better do something.

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The Things People Find

    In this case, a co-worker with my wife came across this rather interesting tit-bit whilst cleaning. She was going through some old papers and found it. And rather than toss it in the bin, she gave it to my wife to have me give it to management at our station. I did have to break one picture down into 2 parts to make it a bit clearer.

   My wife's friend says it goes back to the 1970's, but judging from one picture, it may be even older. Thanks Bev for giving us this.

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Staying Warm

    It's been brutally cold the past week or so, with windchills in the -50 Celsius range pretty much every day. And this morning, I did "dumb thing #2". Got in the car, scraped the windshield, got back in the car and started reversing out of my spot. And I forgot to unplug the block-heater and battery blanket. Luckily, the plug I lost was the battery blanket.

   All the cold has myself and my morning show host Danny in a culinary creative mood. We've been talking about food for some reason during our morning chats, and one thing that came up was soup as a warmer for the body and mind. I told him about one I do, chicken-chili, and he responded with a turkey-chili. Yesterday, he brought me in some, and it was delicious. This morning, I'm returning the favour with my soup.

   If you care to try it, here's the recipe:

1 can red kidney beans (drained)

1 can baked beans

1 can diced chili seasoned tomatoes

1 jar salsa

1 pack chili seasoning (pick your personal heat level. We prefer "mild")

1 box chicken stock

2 skinless-boneless chicken breasts

corn (optional)

Throw everything into a soup pot (crock pots work well too) and simmer for a couple hours. Remove chicken, shred and return to pot.

You could crush up some taco chips for a topping, or use sour cream.

   As with most soups, it's better on the 2nd day. And stay tuned! There could be more from Craig and Danny's Covid Kitchen in the future.

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January's Over

    And due to the milder weather, it didn't seem to drag on forever like it normally does. I know, January has 31 days, just like 6 other months, but with what's normally bitter cold for extended periods, it does seem time stretches out. Not this year. True, we did have a few extremely cold days, and true, we did get some snow. But not what I can remember from a "normal" year.

   And now February's here. Which can also be a brutal month for cold and snow. In fact, were going to get a shot of both by the time the week ends. Still, there are just 28 days in February, so it should go by fairly quickly. Then, there's March, which can also see some wicked winter weather. Still, the days are getting longer, and spring is only 47 days away. I'm just glad January went by in a flash.

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A Water Heater Update

    Yesterday, I blogged about our water heater failing, resulting in some very unwanted  water in our basement. We dodged a big bullet. Just 2 area rugs were saturated, and will likely need to be thrown out. There were also a few damp spots on the concrete, but I put a fan down there, and cranked the de-humidifier up to "max", which should get rid of it.

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It Could Have Been Worse

    My wife called me about 7:30 or so this morning to let me know the hot water tank in the basement failed. Not the news I wanted to hear less than half-way through my shift. I'm pretty much the only person in the newsroom for at least half my day, and can't leave. She says she heard a mechanical, grinding noise from the basement about 7:15, and when she checked, find it had failed. The plumber was there within 15 minutes, and had a new tank installed and connected by 9:00.

   That's all bad news. The good news is we have yet to develop the basement, meaning there were very few items down there. A couple of old carpets, a couch, my wife's flower pots and the cat pans. The carpets soaked up a lot of the water, and they'll need to be disposed of. I'm also going to get a wet-dry vacuum on the way home to get the water out of the rugs first. It's also a good idea to have one in the house anyway. She says the plumber managed to get a lot of the water down the floor drain, so there shouldn't be much damage. She'll also take a bucket of bleach water down and give the whole area a good sanitizing to try and keep any mold down.

   As for what it's going to cost: I have no idea. But I'll gladly pay it. Part of the joy of home ownership.

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Couple Of Things

    Seems like winter is finally here. It's been cooling off ever so slightly since I got in to the office this morning (my Saturday to work), and will continue to do so throughout the day. Tonight is when we get our blast of cold, with the mercury plunging to -33 C. Not much recovery from the cold until Wednesday, either. But we've managed to escape most of January without the extreme cold.

   And a sad note from the entertainment/news world today

   Veteran talk show host and broadcaster Larry King has died at 87. He'd battled heart attacks, lung cancer, diabetes and most recently the coronavirus. King was a late night staple in our household, as we watched his almost every evening. I certainly didn't agree with everything he said, but he was entertaining and informative. R.I.P Larry.

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Catching Up

    An interesting trek to the office this morning. I was just pulling in to the parking spot I use about 03:45, when I noticed some headlights also entering the lot. I was juggling keys, my mask, gloves and extension cord to plug the car in at the time. Thinking it was a co-worker, I closed my car door to let that person into the adjacent spot. But they never did! It was an RCMP member

   Checking to see what someone was doing in the parking lot of the building we share with the provincial court that early in the morning. The officer asked if I worked here, I told him I did, and where I worked. We each said a pleasant "good morning" to each other, and carried on with our day.

   In the 7+ years I've worked here, that is the 1st time ever anyone has checked on me. And I'm in rather august company! the gentleman who dies morning news on our sister FM station (and occasionally on ours some weekends) says he had a similar experience New Years Day when he arrived at 03:45!

   And this past weekend while out grocery shopping, I did the Dumb Thing. I was juggling keys, gloves and my mask as I was leaving the car. I hit the auto-door lock on the way out, and closed the door. With my keys still inside. A quick call to our automobile association, and a 30 minute wait, and all was okay. I hadn't locked my keys in a car for over a dozen years before this past weekend. Yes, it was embarrassing, but it happens all the time.

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Blizzard Over

    And now the clean-up is underway. I don't know how much snow we actually got, but it wasn't very much. As mentioned in yesterday's post, the wind was the big problem. But it had an unexpected benefit as well.

   I'm saying this ironically, because I'm totally out of shape, but the blizzard did result in me getting an unexpected 20 minute workout session yesterday. Some intense cardio, worked on the core and arms, and even got some leg reps in as well. The biggest benefit was I got my 2 parking stalls and sidewalk shoveled out!

   I also expect I'll have another, albeit shorter, session when I get home today. And I must get hold of our property manager to have him get our street cleared. On my way in this morning, I noticed someone's van got stuck a little further down from where I live. C'mon property manager, do your job!

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An Old Fashioned Prairie Blizzard

    You should hear the noise in our newsroom this morning! We're on the top floor of our building, and wind gusts to 80 km/h due to the blizzard are swirling around things like the air conditioning units and whatever else is up there. At times it almost sounds like a train horn blowing. We're not expecting much for snow from the Alberta Clipper rushing into Manitoba, but what there is is being blown around by that wind.

   As mentioned, we've had gusts of 80 km/h, but Regina recorded a gust of 126. And south of the provincial Capital, it was 144. Due to this, there are plenty of highway closures, mostly in central parts of our province, and central west parts of Manitoba. Schools in both provinces in our broadcast area have cancelled bus services for the day.

   I spoke with one of our weather gurus who says the snow will end by mid-morning, but the wind will continue howling until after midnight. I just hope my garbage can is still upright, and hasn't blown down the street by the time I get home.

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Battening Down The Hatches

    It could get very breezy around my part of the world in the next couple of days. A weather system, known as an "Alberta Clipper" due to it's rapid movement, is poised to roar over us in the next 48 hours. The wind is going to be the worst part of it, with gusts up to 80 km/h likely. Some areas could get gusts of 100 km/h.

   If that's not bad enough, we could see rain showers, freezing rain, and the potential of up to 10 cm of snow as well. Despite this, we can't complain. It is January, after all, and there are still months left in winter. Also, aside from one storm ion December, we really haven't had that bad a winter. It's been milder than usual, and we haven't had much in the way of snow. Still, I'll be happy when this season is over.

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A New Year. A New Look.

 

   Yup! That's me rockin' a new "do". Short, isn't it? Question is, why? Answer is easy-ish. First and foremost of course is the pandemic. With a new strain of the virus now showing up, but not here yet, I'm doubling down my efforts to avoid it until the vaccine arrives (another, future story). Secondly, I actually decided way before Christmas to get a set of clippers and lower my ears. Due, again in large part, to not wanting to wait until the new year to get in to see a stylist. Thirdly, it was simply time for another change, as the mop top was getting a little long, although, I did have hair past my shoulder up until 2017.

   It's easier to keep, and doesn't need combing in the morning. The only down-side is I went ahead and did it in winter. Meaning when it's even moderately cold, I need something on my head. Will I keep it like this? For the foreseeable future, yes. I've used the machine twice already, and another 2 times means it'll have paid for itself in the savings from going not to a stylist

   And a belated Happy New Year! May 2021 be a damn sight better than 2020.

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