Freezing

   That's yours truly. The picture was taken in our newsroom a little after 07:00 local time this (Friday, April 24) morning. Whey am I wearing a winter jacket inside at 07:00? Because it's absolutely freezing in here this morning. They've been doing some work on the roof of our building, possibly getting the A.C ready for summer. I have a vent directly over my work-station, so  I'm getting a blast of Arctic air right on me.
   And it's not just the newsroom, either. The entire top floor of our building is cold.In fact, my morning partner Danny Ismond has a space heater running in master control to boost the temperature. He's also been kind enough to let me use it in the news-booth to stay warm.
   I just hope building maintenance gets it fixed soon, and we can all stop shivering.
   ***Just a quick update,the heat was turned back on (or the A.C turned down) about 08:30.***

TTFN

A Tragic Weekend

   As you've no doubt heard, at least 17 people, including the gunman, were killed this past weekend in Nova Scotia. Police say the rampage started Saturday night, and only ended with the gunman apparently being killed in a shoot-out with the RCMP.
   Among the dead was a 23 year veteran of the Mounties, Constable Heidi Stevenson, who leaves behind a husband and children.
   The shooter (apparently) was at one point wearing a fake RCMP uniform, and had (apparently) disguised a vehicle to look like an RCMP cruiser. As well, there were 2 burned out vehicles and reports of fires in the small community where the rampage began.
   Time, and the length of what transpired, prevent me from getting any further in depth on this forum, and I will not be naming the suspected killer. This is the deadliest mass shooting in Canada in decades. The "why" will no doubt take a long time to determine.

TTFN

It's Monday, January 104th*

   Okay, it's really Monday, April 13th, but rolling into the office this morning is felt like January. It was -13, with a windchill of -20. And as I keyboard this entry in, it's snowing. Heck, some parts of our region had a windchill of -25. It's mid-April. Surely, we're going to get warmer. Right? Maybe Friday.

   Not to say we didn't have a brief warm spell last week. It got up to 15 Celsius. We even had a fly in the house. But the plug got pulled, and yesterday, Easter Sunday, was miserable with a high of -6, and windchill -12.

   I know I shouldn't complain, and it's not like we're going anywhere due to the coronavirus, but come on! I'm more than ready for spring to finally get sprung.

   And again, due to a very busy work schedule, I'm not able to post as often as I'd like. Thanks for staying tuned.

TTFN

* Made a huge math mistake earlier. Forgot to carry March into my date calculation, which, incorrectly, had it Monday January 73rd. Math was never my string suit in school.

Got Lucky

   And it's thanks to my friend and morning show host Danny Ismond. This Monday, he mentioned he was having his tires switched over from winter to 3-season radials, and suggested I may want to do the same. I called the place I have mine stored at, and they said "yes, but since we're not sure how long well be open, come in at 1:00". I did, and was told, due to the pandemic, I had to drop off the key, leave, and they'd call when it was done. They did, and I paid up, and went on my merry way.
   They do require that within a certain amount of mileage, you need to come back to have the lug-nuts tightened. As I drove up to have that done, I heard a service tech tell another customer that due to stricter regulations, they were only taking emergency calls like tire repairs, until further notice.
   Had Danny not suggested I do the switch when I did, I, like an awful lot of people, would be driving on my winter skins for who knows how long.

TTFN

Still Here

   And still very busy due to the pandemic. So far (touch wood) neither my wife (who's in retail), our son (now working from home), or myself (continuing at the office) have been sickened. Both my wife and I have been practicing, as best as possible, good hand sanitation, as I'm sure a lot of you are aes well.
   Yesterday though, I may have gone a little too far. I usually wash/sanitize at work at least 6 times, including using wipes to clean the phone, keyboard, mouse and audio mixer board both at my work station, and in the booth where I actually read the news.
   If I need to pick up a few essentials, I wipe the shopping cart down, grab the groceries, pay for them, then wipe a 2nd time as I'm leaving the store. When I get home, I dump everything on our island, wash my hands again, put everything away, and wash again.
   Normally that would be enough, but yesterday I got a package of much needed shaving supplies I ordered on-line delivered. Dealing with the shipping package and the contents added up to another 3 wash/sanitize cycles. Plus, a good disinfection of the island.
   I know by this point it may seem like I've gone a little OCD, but I haven't. Nor am I turning into a germophobe. I'm just taking precautions.
   Stay safe, make sure you wash your hands and practice social-distancing.

TTFN

Sorry, It's Been A While

   It has been ages since I posted something here, for which I apologize. The main reason you haven't seen much on this forum is down to the COVID-19 (or coronavirus). No, I have not, at least yet, been struck by it and have not had to self isolate, but the influx of stories on the pandemic has meant I've been very busy at work, which is where I blog from.
   And it's been getting steadily busier as time goes on, with more cases, more cancellations and more suspensions. It will level off, eventually, but if you don't see much from me here, you'll at least know why.
   Like millions of others, I have been practicing good hand sanitation, cough etiquette and social distancing. I've also (when able) been wiping down shopping cart handles with disinfectant provided at stores I frequent before using. Does all this mean I won't catch the bug? Almost certainly not. But it gives me a good chance at dodging it for now. Primarily, because there are no cases in my community. That will change as time goes on. If sick, I will self-isolate as required by my company.
   Remember, the best defense against the virus is you, and washing your hands frequently is the best way to at least slow it's spread.

TTFN

Time Change Weekend

   And it means people in most jurisdictions will lose an hours sleep when they set their clocks ahead an hour before going to bed tonight. It's the start of Daylight Saving Time, except in Saskatchewan and a few other places, where we don't make the seasonal adjustment.
   It's also the final time residents in Yukon will change their time, after the government decided to remain on DST year-round.
   And they could be joined by British Columbia, as that provincial government is also pondering scrapping the semi-annual time change.
   I've said many times in the past, I am not a fan of Daylight Saving Time. Never have been. While I did like getting an extra hour of sleep in the fall, I always hated losing  that hour in  the spring. And, honestly, with the hours I keep,  I really don't need the extra 60 minutes of daylight in the evenings. In fact, it tends to keep me awake when I need my sleep.
   Yes, I'm working this Saturday after drawing the short straw.

TTFN