….and I am on my way to the Monteverde area for a check out of whats available. Stopped for breakfast in Tilaran, beautiful day out! Met a retired Dutch couple (accountant and she a social worker), assisted them in acquiring internet and coffees, etc, then gave directions to Fortuna. Feel like a local! LOL…..Woke up to the growling of Howler monkeys (bongos) right behind the cabina. Scary until you figure out they are in the trees and just passing through. Tons of birds singing as well. Anyway, still trying to add pics to this site……computer illiterate at times.
Arrived safe and sound, been to the west coast and up throught the central valley to Tilaran….out and about looking for food markets, banks, etc. All going well. 75 degrees and windy but clear.
ELVIS…….born today way back when….before my mother…. 1935.
I miss Tom Attridge’s shrine to Elvis! 🙂
I remember the “Aloha from Hawaii” T.V. special in the 70’s….watched it on the T.V.
My mom was going crazy……all I wanted to do was be with my friends. Couldn’t get the hype. Dad having a beer…. 🙂
My best memory of Elvis was the day that he died….I was hoeing weeds at Doug Lawton’s place. In the onion field. Went to the truck to get a drink of water and heard it on the radio… crushed. Mom cried….
So long ago… Listening to the I-tunes tonight of him.
Tomorrow, going to ‘Dover to help Mo interview potential renters for her cottage.
Bought a truck on New Year’s Day….a Ford Ranger. looking forward to getting it on the road. The Mini goes back to the dealer in March.
Getting excited about the trip to CR in Feb. I think almost all things are looked after…..wanna go fishing there, do some horseback, and just “chill”….
This year looks good. things are “moving” quick. New truck, trip, new M/C coming, and more.
Friday night and about 20 GREAT girls are having their annual Christmas party. Can’t imagine what the conversation is about…..
All I know is that they are good friends….and having a good time together. The group has been together for years and reciprocate with a party at Lisa’s in Port Dover in the summer. Good girls, all of them.
Here at my place…..a good movie and some decent wine.
Watched John Skow today at work…he is a good man. He puts his heart into his judgements… impresses me constantly.
Met Mike Barry at the Chapters store the other night. I think he is one of the best lawyers in the city….no doubt. A really NORMAL guy….and a professional as well. Inducted into the UWO sports “Hall of Fame” about a year or two ago. Impressive….
Tomorrow night is Steve Dubarry’s (probably spelled it wrong) Christmas party. I think that I will go with Mo, as my reasons for not going are weak. …..
Still up at 1:20 am….go figure.
Little bit ‘o snow on the ground…..not much.
Sad to see that Paul Carter died in the last few weeks….weird how you see someone every few days or so, and all of a sudden they are gone from the earth.
Listening to Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” right now…..1:30 am….
…trying to make some front page drive in news……
…livin by the sword….
……you get it.
Tomorrow gets me walking the dog…..in the sun. Good stuff. Fresh air, exercise and all that…..
Just a few more thing to get for Christmas…and then just the seasonal food things.
I’ve been looking for a netbook computer for a while. I think I need one for “the trip”. To do banking and e-mails and such. Isn’t it strange how we think we can’t get along in today’s world without all the “gadgets”? Just think….20 years ago (or whenever it was “pre-net”), you could go on a sojourn with just your back-pack full of clothes and such. And send a LETTER…. 🙂 Anyway, after a lot of comparison, I settled on an ASUS machine that has the latest wireless tech and “Windows 7”. Should do the trick. Spent this week loading pertinent software onto it to allow the day to day to occur. While I am on that bend…..I might have to change the look of the website to allow for blog updates. (as the blog is published on a Mac…..and the netbook is Windows based.) We’ll see.
Went to the annual “chili bash” at the Byron Legion last Saturday. Had fun, Mo entered a chili but didn’t take the trophy…. (Won a “Coor’s Light T shirt). 🙂
Almost forgot to include this pic of me and 2 great buddies….. The “Three Amigos”… someone said there was a resemblance…
Went on a “lightning” trip to ‘Dover tonight to get supplies for Mo’s Girls Christmas Party.
Plan on putting up the Christmas decorations tomorrow. With or without snow…..
Went out shopping today for Christmas stuff. Got a few things, still much to be found. Assisted Mo with her decorations outside and took Riley out for her constitutional. Solidified a few more details for the trip south, and began to look for a “netbook” computer, to allow me to communicate while I am there.
Met a guy today at Chapters who was riding a BMW 800 M/C. Asked him all kinds of questions, and he advised that he was “more than happy” with the bike as a “get around” cycle. Beee-utiful machine!
Great weather the last few days, nice if it would last into the New Year, but not likely.
Got the roof done (cedar)…..and the outside work finished prior to snowfall. Looking forward to the 2009 “Chili Cookoff” at the Byron Legion this month. Entering a crock of chili (actually Mo is) for the first time. See what happens. Should be fun.
Went over to Michigan shopping last weekend….
Port Huron, then Shelbyville, and finally Birch Run. had a nice night over, and came back with a bunch of stuff for Christmas. Had to pay sales tax at the Canadian border for the first time in a long while….
Hard to fathom the differences between Canada and the U.S. just a couple hours away….language differences, food, lifestyles….
Kind of a busy day, had a good Crown with me, and we got through the list in good time. The right people were “kept in” as it were. Bike still not home….maybe tomorrow. Love to go riding this weekend. Dream about it, really.
Lovely weather these last few days….should go right through the weekend. I hope so.
Out with the “bench” and a lawyer friend tomorrow for a pint…good friends, both of them.
Still not “right” these last few days….don’t know what’s up, but feeling “off”…. seasonal stuff…..
Talked to Amanda, she is already wanting to go back to Toronto… 🙂
Two more days til Labour day weekend. looking forward to that.
Everyone around me is sick of some description… cold, flu, whatever. Went to ‘Dover yesterday and stayed overnight. Mo was “under the weather” with the grippe, still, it was nice for us to get out of town for a bit. Better to be there than here, any day! I have just about finalized my work regarding the new bike and such…..should be riding a “new mount” soon! (you only live once, so they say). Thinking of several friends today….the Fields, Doug and Aileen, Jon and Vicci….all great people, miss them each day. Saw a nice calendar of the “Norfolk Volunteer Firefighters” today when at Roulston’s pharmacy. good photos, and a friend of Mo’s is pictured with the truck and others in a tobacco field. (great composition of picture)…
Pete (Mo’s bro-in law) is also under the weather with pneumonia, and after 3 weeks STILL isn’t right. Makes you feel good with being healthy. Hope he gets better soon, back to normal and active.
This month brings my annual “clean out” as it were… everything (and I mean everything) not used in the last year is going to the curb….recycled. Curbside recycling is the best….people that come along get to take what they need, no more, no less, and it all goes quite rapidly.
Got the bike back, and have been thinking of getting a new one. Ok, Ok….they said this would happen! 🙂 Had the “beater’ for a couple months, did some repairs, learned a few things….and now want to “graduate” to a new machine…
PTOOEY to Geoff Beasley! 🙂
I’ve been thinking of a couple bikes. Thought I might like a “Harley”. Talked to some friends, and they say that the ride is “not comfortable”. Given my age…..and the years are not going backwards….this is not good. Then I layed eyes on the Honda “Veradero”….. but the reviews nix this one.
Sooo….tonight I trekked to the BMW dealer. OK, OK….”upper end”, I know. BUT…..if I am gonna get a bike to do some travelling with, then maybe this is an option. I really think that for my size, skill and funds…..the 800 ST might be the “one”.
Another thing….I was gonna have to buy a vehicle in March after my lease runs out, and thought I might get a Ford “Ranger” pick up. (new). But after being “hooked” on the M/C thing……..maybe I should look at getting a new M/C, and a used truck. ??.
Dont know…
Also playing on my mind is the fact that there is a nice farm in CR for sale at a good price. Close to my friends in Monterrey. Do I go out on a limb and buy both? LOL…..
All I know….is that in the next year, things will change DRAMATICALLY!
This week has been a revelation for me. Each night without walking the dog is “killing” me, as we are all off doing other things. ( as I need the exercise) ….making me re-evaluate my situation. Looking at doing some house repairs, and cleaning up the yard, etc., renovating some rooms, reading a bit, (work…ugh) …filling my time” as it were.
…met an old friend the last couple nights at the coffee shop, and after talking with him, it becomes apparent that “life is short” …..and that I should take advantage of opportunities and capitalize on things as they present.
Sure hope the weather holds out for the next month…so I can ride!
A few steps closer to staying in CR in February for 6 weeks…just gotta find the right place to rent.
That would do me good…..clean out my head, let me find out if living there in the winter is gonna be good. Fishing, birding, horse back riding….maybe rent a M/C….
Anyway, to work in the A.M. Stopped on my route this morning by “crime scene tape”…due to a stabbing on the Queens Ave bridge. Had to ride the bike through a detour in a historic area on the way to work. NICE! have not gone that way before….hard to believe that a criminal act would lead me to a nice place like that. Hope the guy in hospital gets better, and that we catch the real bad guy.
Went to Leamington on Saturday. Saw workers harvesting Burley tobacco near Erieau. Looked like Cuba for a minute. Almost a lost farming practice in this country. Smoke barns all stoked up with sawdust and wood to cure the leaf. I wonder if the product is still sent to Montreal to manufacture cigars……or sent overseas. Had to marvel at the expansion of the glass houses in “Tomato Town”. The south coastline was calm, and almost always in view along route # 3.
I feel kind of “lost” this weekend, as everyone I know is “somewhere else”…..I hope they are safe and sound….
Currently making plans for my “13 weeks off” next year. (in the last year of work, you get 13 weeks all together as sort of a pre-retirement holiday). Several options are becoming apparent, just gotta figure out which one to take. My vehicle will be up for a change, as well….maybe a new Ford Ranger pickup, don’t know yet. (and possibly a Harley Davidson “nightster”)….
Amanda is moving back to London for a few months to save some money and will commute to Toronto to finish up her schooling. It will be nice to be able to see her more often, and “hang out”.
Thinking of Joe Mustos today for some reason. Been a couple of years since he died.
Friday was Hogies last day at work. I will miss that guy. Good sense of humour, and an honest and reliable friend. We took him to lunch at the Church Key, and the Honourable Skow paid for everything. I feel guilty on that account as he seems to constantly do that. Good people all around.
M/C is in the shop getting the brakes done and a tune up, so I hope to ride again after Monday. I suggested to Mo that we go to Point Pelee in the fall for a jaunt. The Monarch butterflies gather at the point in October prior to the flight to Mexico. Something to see, I am told.
Paul Marrinan got a new job, and will be leaving the office next week. Another guy I will miss. I was feeling “down” this week as a result of these guys going, both of them are great guys. the guys replacing them are reputed to be ok as well, so I guess a change occurs inevitably…..got to see the bright side.
The last few weeks have been somewhat anxious for me, and I don’t know why. I guess the fact that next year brings a massive change in my life might be partly the answer.
Life is so short…. and full of trepidation. I try to pull the “ripe leafs”, and make the best of each day as it comes to me. Always will.
