TIME TO READ



12" snow on patio table!

 Well, it has been a week now since the snow started, and it has continued to fall. Snow is over a foot deep, and we have cold weather to go with it. As I write this it is -23C with a wind chill of -35C. Damn cold for sure.
Because of that, I am spending time getting cocooned and getting caught up on my reading. Some of my favourite authors are Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, John Grisham, and Nelson DeMille. What are yours? I'd be interested to know.
Right now I am reading a small book by a Canadian writer about his growing up in Saskatchewan. For anyone who grew up on the prairies during the '20's and '30's, it is a great read. It will evoke a lot of memories of dust storms, no running water, farm work, no electricity. It isn't Jason Bourne, but instead a very nice read on some Canadian history as it relates to a child of the prairies. It is an easy read at only 149 pages, and I don't know if it is still available. It was written in 1980, by Robert Collins, and is called "Butter down the well". The isbn # is 0-88833-130-4.

EMAIL PHISHING

I know we should all be aware by now of the dangers of some of the emails we get delivered into our email inbox. The people doing this are not your friends believe me. They want your information so that they can do very evil things to you, like take your bank account, log on to your computer and read your passwords, social security number, bank information, or even identity theft, where the literally "steal" your house. A worst case scenario.

Take the time to look at the link below to keep you aware of what these people are doing to relieve you of your hard earned money or worse.

http://www.50plus.com/money/goldhawk-fights-back-dont-open-that-email/93432/

HOME

Our kitchen reno has progressed nicely, with a few minor glitches. The counter top looks great, and the "anthracite" sink looks just great. Joan is very pleased with it. We are pleased as well that the dust is pretty well over, since all the drywall work is done.

The glitches mentioned are small but they have managed to extend the time to complete the job from a week approximately into almost 3 weeks at this point. We are awaiting the final replacement of 2 tiles that look very much out of place being much whiter than the rest. Unfortunately this was not picked up on until the back splash tiles were cemented in place and grouted.

When the thing is finally finished and everybody is happy with the results, I will include a picture of the after phase. I am afraid I don't have a "before shot".

WINTER IS HERE!

We were warned over the past few days that it would snow last night. It did! As I look out it is still snowing lightly and there is about 6 inches of the stuff on the grass and sidewalk. Where we live there is a 4 lane divided road on a hill. The traffic is lined up as far as one can see looking north. These are the people that want to turn east at 34th avenue.

The city has finally decided that they need to do something about snow removal, and so they have allocated an additional 10 million to the budget which should help. For the first time the city will also be plowing the snow on residential streets when it accumulates over an inch. How novel an idea is that!

Keep in mind that we are a city of 1.1 million, and have relied on the famous "Chinook Wind" to do our snow management for us. It hasn't worked. Streets are icy and rutted, some blocked entirely when we get a good wind with the snow. The snow budget on an annual basis has been under budgeted for years. This additional money put in this year will be a big help. It still amounts to only about $10.00 a person in increased spending or tax as the case may be.

Our condo complex is not plowed by the city, but is handled by a private company to whom we pay a good fee every year for snow management. I have been the "Snowman", a committee of one that has overseen this activity for the past few years but this year I passed the spear to another villa resident to look after. Tom will have his work cut out for him, since our snow plow company always misses some areas and have to be called back. This means that one has to put on the winter stuff and go out and see all the little out of the way places that were missed. Sometimes the snow is piled on an inappropriate place resulting a similar callback. As winter goes by and the snow accumulates, the snow left on some driveways gets to be a problem and again this results in a phone call or an email with pictures going out to the provider.

Ah the joys of condo living in the winter.

Cheerio, and I hope your day is snow free!

Newport Oregon

Sorry I have been busy with a few other things and didn't get around to doing the "blog" thing.

Well, If you ever decide to take the highway 101 trip, there are a few places you can stop along the way for some interesting sights. When we first took the drive in 1980, the accommodation was very limited, but over the years it has changed dramatically. Now there are places to stay and eat all along the route. Thirty years ago, the road followed the old coastline, and since then it has been straightened and widened and even bypassed. You can still access some of the old towns and coast, but it is slow going, all the roads will lead you back to the highway.

 Seaside is one place on the north part of Oregon that has grown with many new hotels and restaurants replacing old establishments. The beach is very wide and flat. During the day it is crowded but early in the morning it is almost uninhabited and very easy to walk on. The food in the town is very good I might add, and the hotels are reasonable when it is not a long weekend.



Yaquina Head lighthouse Newport



The next major town along the way south is Newport. Here there is a brand new Holiday Inn Express, that is quite reasonable. There is a Marine center here that is free. It is on the south side of town east of the highway, and is a very interesting place. A large aquarium is also located off this same road, but is somewhat expensive, and I don't think it compares at all with the smaller one at Honolulu, or the bigger one at Monterrey CA.

The Yaquina head lighthouse is one of 2 in Newport. Access to this one is from a side road leading west from Highway 101. There is an interpretive center there as well, describing how it was started and the way it is used today. It is still in service. There is another one right at the entrance to the river in Newport and this one can be accessed from the same road that takes you to the local seafood restaurants.

From the hotel is is a snap to get to the north side of the river where the fishing boats come in, and where fish processing takes place. Here you will find a number of stores selling the usual tourist stuff, a Ripley's Believe it or Not show, and undersea display, lots of good food and many Sea Lions. First the food, We have eaten any number of times at a place called "The Whale's Tale" where the food is just great. It is not the cheapest place around, and is low on glitzy decor, but the food is excellent. The decor is fisherman's village inside and out. In fact it is downright dingy, but it sure is good.


Sea lions at dock in Newport


Across the street is where you will find a walkway that lets you view the sea lions, doing what they do best. They are all males and are all bellowing and moving around, getting into and out of the water. They are fun to watch. In some places these animals are so numerous they will climb on to your small boat and if there are enough of them they can sink your boat. The cage in the lower right of the picture has a gate on it so that injured seals or those trapped with fish nets or the like can be isolated and treated. If they didn't have this the animals would simply swim away or disappear under the water when tranquilized. There are likely hundrds of these mammals in the bay.

LEST WE FORGET

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life..

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jim's and Johnny's,
Went to battle, but we know,

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."
ANON

REMBERING: LEST WE FORGET NOV. 11

Please Wear A Poppy  

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said

And held one forth, but I shook my head.

Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,

And her face was old and lined with care;

But beneath the scars the years had made

There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,

Bouncing along on care-free feet.

His smile was full of joy and fun,

"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"

When she's pinned it on he turned to say,

"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way

And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,

And the poppy there is the symbol for

The gallant men who died in war.

And because they did, you and I are free -

That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

"I had a boy about your size,

With golden hair and big blue eyes.

He loved to play and jump and shout,

Free as a bird he would race about.

As the years went by he learned and grew

And became a man - as you will, too.

"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,

But he'd seemed with us such a little while

When war broke out and he went away.

I still remember his face that day

When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,

I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.

"But the war went on and he had to stay,

And all I could do was wait and pray.

His letters told of the awful fight,

(I can see it still in my dreams at night),

With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,

And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

"Till at last, at last, the war was won-

And that's why we wear a poppy son."

The small boy turned as if to go,

Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.

That sure did sound like an awful fight,

But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded cheek;

She shook her head, but didn't speak.

I slunk away in a sort of shame,

And if you were me you'd have done the same;

For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,

Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so when we see a poppy worn,

Let us reflect on the burden borne,

By those who gave their very all

When asked to answer their country's call

That we at home in peace might live.

Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

                                          by Don Crawford

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Is it just me, or what? I have been putting my outside lights up when the first warm day of November comes along, and today was it. It got close to 70° today, making it a lot easier than trying to do it in blowing snow when the temperature is around the 0 mark! There they sit just waiting for the first of December so that they can be switched on.

Remember when the old lights had some light, and some colour to them? Remember chasing down the replacement lights for all the ones that for some mysterious reason died over the summer sitting quietly in their little box.

I followed the conventional thinking of the day, and got rid of all my old pretty sparkling lights and replaced them with the new and improved LED lights. They don't go bad over the summer, they were bad when you put them away! Have you ever seen such wimpy lights in your life? They are terrible, and about as cheerful as a morgue. A few lights come through with a bit of colour, like the yellow ones, something like white that has gotten yellow with age, but the reds, blues, and greens are just about dark, and when I looked at the new crop in the store, they were the same way! I suppose we should be happy keeping some worker in China busy making these things. We should also be happy for what we are doing to the environment by going green. Look at all the electricity we are saving! I would cheerfully spend a bit more for some lights that were brighter. Oh yes another "good" thing, these lights will never burn out! I get to look at them for the rest of my life.

In spite of all this, Christmas is definitely on the way, judging by all the store catalogues that came with the Herald today. We have already had 3 snowfalls, and Halloween, and the Canadian Thanksgiving. The stores will be happy, since they do the bulk of their business in the last two months of the year. Now if I can only find a place that sells some decent lights to make my December happier......

Sorry about the rant, but it just seemed appropriate some how. Don't forget to buy and wear a poppy for Remembrance Day!
RP.

Bill C-501. Continued.

I found a copy of the emai I got from our good old MP, and I include it for your review.

"

Thank you for your email which has been read by Rob Anders.  Below in Italics is his personal response from his blackberry.

Hancuffing companies seeking financing right now will only further strangle their ability to grow. Financiers are skittish right now. Adding new burdens to borrowing won't help the economy
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Sincerely,

Margaret Hoppe

Constituency Assistant

Rob Anders MP Calgary West

Tel: (403) 292-6666

Fax: (403) 292-6670

robanders@telus.net

From: rperigoe [mailto:rperigoe@telus.net]
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 2:26 PM
To: Rob Anders
Subject: Re: Bill C-501 - reforming Bankruptcy Insolvency Act

Good afternoon,

Does this reply mean that you will not be supporting Bill C-501?

Ross Perigoe, a General Motors of Canada Retiree aged 76"

Bill C-501

This is for all your retirees out there who should be very interested in what your Federal government is trying to do. They are trying via this bill to allow pensions that were promised to you, to be relegated to a subordinate claim against the company should that company go into bankruptcy. That means you will have little if any claim against your old employer! I should also point out that there are many underfunded pension plans in existence, and this was brought about by legislation that permitted this to happen!

I have included a copy of a letter for you to use should you feel so inclined, Simply copy the letter and create your own email to your MP in Ottawa. This is a time when "tonnage" will count. I have sent my letter and found out that our MP Rob Anders will be voting against the bill, and I have sent him a follow up email advising him that since he will not support this legislation, I will not be supporting him in the upcoming election. He likely doesn't give a hoot anyway, but it is worth a try. I also told him that I would be spreading his message along to as many of our 240 residents as possible.

You should be concerned, it can affect you!

"Dear _________,

It is my understanding that legislation to reform the Bankruptcy Insolvency Act (Bill C-501) has passed second reading and is ready to go into committee before going to third reading and then on to the Senate.

As you know, C-501 would give pension plans status in CCAA (Bankruptcy) as an unsecured creditor much like a supplier of goods and services. As a pension is a deferred payment for services provided in previous years of employment, it would seem logical and just that it be treated no differently than a supplier.

A study by the “World Economic Forum”published in the Toronto Star the week of September 6, 2010 showed the ranking of the ten top countries in the world for global competitiveness. They are in order Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, United States, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. All but Singapore, Netherlands and Canada have a similar preferred status of pension funds in bankruptcy or in the case of the United States, a pension insurance fund.

The above study would support a positive relationship between investment and pension protection in bankruptcy.

As my Member of Parliament I would expect you to support Bill C-501. Passing this bill would give Canadians the same pension protection status as most of the countries ahead of us in the global competitiveness study.

Bill C-501 will not only protect the pensions of Canada’s most vulnerable, the elderly, it will not cost the Canadian tax payers a dime.

I, along with my family, friends and all retirees look forward to the support from all concerned Members of Parliament to protect our pensions in the event of bankruptcy.

Yours sincerely,

_________________ "

I sincerely hope you will take your own future into your own hands!
Ross Perigoe