This post is a bit of an odds n ends post

as this weekend is has a bit of this and that. I'm not spending any money. Anyday I'm not spending money is a good day. Unless I'm paying bills. Or a birthday treat for myself. Or lodge/chapter dues. Thanks to a certain party, I'll have that covered.

John Lennon reported seeing a UFO from his New York balcony (1974), and Mars moved closest to the Earth since the 10th century, a mere 34.6 million miles away (1924). Perusing the record book for this date, Sylvia Brett, 80 years old, successfully parachuted ('86), Marie Ashton played the piano non-stop for 133 hours ('58), and the world's' largest frog was caught (7.28 lbs, Equatorial Guinea, 1960). Link from Coast to Coast. 

Not a lot going on this week. No birthdays, no outings, I have a project with my iPhone phone 11 as a webcam. The phone has 64Gb memory. I found Camo Studio last year but the cell phone I bought this year. Camo is a free service that aids in setting up a cell phone as a webcam. I want to use it with OBS and DuWan, my iPad screen sharing app. No watermarks on both apps. All using that and my wireless mic also connected to OBS. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, that's all for now.

The bgp meeting was really good

as we had ~ 12-15 members were in attendence. Also Rickies took our orders right where we were. I ordered the ham and egg omelette with cubed hash browns and coffee. Nathan had the same. We covered a lot of grownd and were done by 1pm. Our SD offered me a ride home, which was damn nice of him. It was a warm day out there heading to the SD truck. I showed him my building as we went by and asked him if he go a bit further to Bonny Doon mall. I thanked him on arrival.

I needed to have my cell phone account topped up as I can't recall how I did it online. The clerk @ Rogers got that set up for me. I asked about a cell phone upgrade as I'm using an iPhone 11. It might be running 3G which most serivice providers are retiering 3G soon. The recent iPhone has greater memory capacity, 5G and has a USB C port for charging etc. The cell phone is C $65 up from my. The difference is $28. Or $336/year.

Outside. by the South Entrance I saw some seniors waiting for a bus. I was fixiated on the #525 for some reason but there was a senior from our building as I coud tell by the blue entrance fob on her key chain. I called bus link #311 and my bus was an hour away. The lady said she was waiting for the #524. I decided to take the train home and as soon as I aproached the entrance here was the senior exiting off the bus waited the #524. Note to self: Get the #524 next time.

I'm taking the week off from outings this week. I'm going to call my Doctors office to see if I can book an appointment. I was given 2 forms to fill out but they had got lost in the move. I'm calling Friday for next week.. Anyway, that's all for now. 

The latest here in this

is the rial company known as CN went on strike Sunday. This could have far-reaching implications. I hope the Feds impose back-to-work legislation soon. Not good news.

As for me, I'm just taking it easy. I posted another video last week. Having fun making noise. As it is, I'm enjoying my time off.

The "big snowstorm" that was supposed to give us about 10cm, didn't amount to much around here. There were some white-out conditions on the highway. Lots of fender bangers. Nothing too serious.

My social media channels have been pretty quiet lately. I received a few nuisance calls this morning. We're expecting something from Amazon or rather Anne is. Other than following the results in Ukraine it's all quiet around here. Anyway that's all for now. 

If this is my summer all I can say

 is bring it. I hope everything remains status quo pension wise. I like the job I have because its casual and part time. I might have some work coming up next week but they have limited hours. I wont mind sitting this one out I'll know more about my pension status for 2022 at the end of this month.

Next week I'll be booking for my 2nd Covid Phizer. Most likely I'll get my shot by the end of the month. Same place, Northgate mall. Anne can book her's at the end of this month. Its all good.

At noon I'll be checking in on Apple's WWDC 21. I'm working on the finale touches of a video for upload this afternoon. I'm trying to do one video music sketch a week. Also, at 6 is game #4 Winnipeg/Montreal of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Habs could sweep the series tonight and move on to round 4. I'll be watching that this evening to round out my day. Anyway, that's all for now.

We're a tad on the cooler side of the

thermometer today, sitting at about +8 but feels like 6. Wind is NW at about 15. Nice day for walking except my legs are still getting used to these new compression stockings.

Its been 25 years or so that Edmonton Transit Service, (ets) did any kind of tweeking to its system. Until today. About 100 routes were eliminated. We used to have two Northgate buses that would drop us off right outside our building. Now they go to the West side of Clareview station. Not a big hardship but it is a pain in the butt. The #183 used to take us to Abbotsfield mall and I'd need to take a transfer to the #8 anyay to get to lodge. Our only bus that parks outside our place is the #104. The #104 stops running at 6pm on Sunday's. So much for lodge practice without a ride. I'm sure I'd get one though from some of the guys that live nearby. The #104 works great for me because it can take me right to lodge, and I get a ride back anyway. I wish I would have taken an interest in driving when I was growing up. The other thing about this new netork redesign is that local buses stop running just before 10pm weekdays.

Oilers hocky is back tomorrow night. I'll be able to watch that game and Wednesday's game. I'll miss the Oilers/Flames game Thusday as I'll be working Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I'll be able to watch Saturday's game after work. Other then that, we're all ok here. I'm hoping I have a full week of shifts for next week, as I want to save up enough to get the new 2021 iPad Pro 2Tb M1 iPad. I'm going to try and sell my new iPad pro locally, and include the magic keyboard as well. This device will be my last iPad (at my age) I'll be getting. Anyway, that's all for now.

I walked up to Belmont dental yesterday

for my 3pm. I got a filling, and impression for my upper denture. There was enough left in the insurance for that at least. The impression was the rough part. At first I felt like I was going to gag. The denture is (at this time) at the lab to be picked up at 9:45am tomorrow. I should be out of there by 11am for the walk home.

In all my married life, I have never been obsessed with anybody. As for putting YOU in a bad spot, its not like YOU didn't have a choice. YOU could have called for your ride to pick YOU up. Yes I lied to keep my friendship and marriage at the same time. I was not trying to hurt anyone. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. After the 3rd lunch "I never thought you would be interested in another woman." I wasn't. Talk about coming between a marriage. Real friends work out differences and challenges with each other. Real friends don't run away when the going gets tough. Real friends are in it for the long haul. So when things got rough YOU ran, leaving me with lose ends and more questions then answers. We've known each other for over 25 years and now YOU run away like a sniveling child. How "mature" of YOU.

Odds n' ends: What with all that walking yesterday there and back to the dental office, I did 9034/10000 step challenge. Which worked out to be just over 6.8K. That's been twice this year I reached that step milestone since I've been doing this, late 2019. In the Spring, I'm going to try and do that every day. Walk up to Belmont, get my morning coffee walk back. If I can do that every morning, that will never hurt me. I'm back at it tonight with work. My work schedule is tonight, Wed, Thur, Friday. Five hours each. I'll have my laptop open and set up for 4pm this afternoon. Anne and I are both working from home Thurs and Friday. Anyway, that's all for now.

And we're back

yes, yes. Over the weekend, I bought Morfverb. It was on sale at an introductory price. Then I got an upgrade for my Real LPC guitar emulation for $75 from Music labs. So I've been mucking around with those  working on a Dub Reggae truck I also bought a couple music apps as well.

In the odds 'n' ends department, I've been going out walking usually about 3-4k's worth of walking when the weather is good enough and of course chatting with my friend Frances. What is it with me and blondes, I have no idea. She's got a house in the West End with her and her 2 cats and a roommate.

Other then that not much going on. We're paying bills, keeping calm, practicing social distancing outside of the house. I haven't heard anything from work yet. We might have one more project before summer but I doubt it. Anyway, we're all ok around here. Anyway, stay safe everyone. I might have another  post on the weekend..

This week not much has been going

on. I went out Monday to buy my special order books at Audrey's. Tuesday was that disastrous Chicago/Oilers hockey game. Wednesday was a right off and last night I got out for lodge. I could have ventured out to another lodge in the same building Wednesday. I probably should have. And of course last night I'm out the Oilers win one in Minneapolis🙄. These guys win one lose 2. Yeesh. Also Wednesday night Anne and I watched the most recent Mission impossible movie MI 6 with Tom Cruise. We loved it. Even better because Telus gave it to us for free.

I've been using Maschine (by Native Instruments) off and on since 2011 but my old laptop just couldn't keep up. Now with a new computer I've had for 9 months I'm itching to get back into it. I hope to get the recent update to Maschine today just to add some new life into this old box. Plus I can take advantage of an expansion I won from a live stream from Accurate beats.

I haven't heard anything from work yet but I'm hoping by next Friday I'll be hearing something. I'm going to a meeting Thursday for Valentines day afternoon. After that I'm going to treat myself to a Wendy's. Other then last nights game, I missed I'm watching a lot of hockey, reading. I need more friends in my life but lately over the last several months my social life has been taken a nose dive since December. Anne and I want to go out to Albert's Londonderry Mall for Family day, so that should be ok. Anyway that's about all for now.

Looks like we're going to have a

nice (for me at least) couple of days here weather wise. I thought there were going to be a few 27 and 29 days in there. 25 and up are too hot by my standards. I'll take the 19-24's any day. Hopefully we'll get some rain. They really need it in BC, what with the massive forest fires there. Some are saying its global warming but it is summer. If the fires were happening in the middle of January, I might agree with that. We need a good couple of days worth of rain.

The other day while reviewing the Facebook Circuit owners group page, one of the posters provided me with a surprise solution to the woes I've been having, syncing my Circuit video/audio. I know about the clapping hands thing before a video. One of the guys suggested a product from Roland what's called the go mixer. Unbeknownst to me as of this last Sunday, the go mixer was apparently released at the last NAMM 17 show in January. If I would have known about this device (roughly the same price as the h1), I would have gone with the go mixer instead. The go mixer was aimed with the idea of using a cell phone/tablet to record audio/video together in a simple solution for uploading to You Tube etc. The go mixer is sold in blister packaging and my music store has them in stock, apparently. The cool thing about this device is it has 2 line in jacks. So, just now I called my music store and made arrangements to have the h1 returned for a the go mixer. They have a 30 day return policy. My local music store doesn't have any go mixer's in stock but their warehouse back east does. They ordered one for me. Sorry zoom but the h1 didn't work for me. I should have the go mixer in about 2 weeks for a in store pick up.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the forest fires in BC as I briefly made reference to above. The fires are destroying massive amounts of forest hectares. Whole towns have been evacuated and others on watch. People have been ordered to evacuate out of Williams lake as its like a ghost town with only essential services and police protection against looters remaining. Smoke can be seen right up to the Eastern Saskatchewan boarder. Air quality has suffered even here in Edmonton. I'm afraid its going to get worse before it gets better. 

I'm having a relaxing evening tonight. Not much is going on tonight. Tomorrow, one of the lodges that meet on a different night then us in our building is holding something called "Klondike lodge." Its a tradition for that lodge about this time of year. I've never been to Klondike lodge in all my 15 years in the craft. I've got nothing to do tomorrow night and its casual wear, why not? Thursday I'm going in for another blood test at the lab. They want to check for Hyperthyroid as a reason why I've gained 12 pounds since last spring. I'm now at 257. I'm about 80 lbs overweight. Not good. Other then the weight gain, I don't have Hyperthyroid symptoms, such as brittle nails, depression, etc. I'm going to do the lab thing Thursday before the Esks/Hamilton game that same evening. Friday its off to my music store on the way to work to get a small cheque and drop off the h1 and pay the $10 difference for the go mixer. It should be at the store in a couple of weeks. Anyway, that's all for now. 

Halloween weekend is in full swing as

there were lots of adult costumes at the "Roadhouse" last night a few doors down from Audrey's. The usual suspects were there, Storm Troopers, clowns, Batman, etc. I wonder if Audrey's books ever cringes when the adult Halloween party goers stagger out of the Roadhouse at 3am. They might fear the morning after to find their front window smashed. By the time I'm down that way to notice, wont be until this Friday anyway. 

I still hope to finish reading "Space Vulture" in November. It's not a bad read. Its my 8th book in my 10 book 2016 Goodreads book challenge. I might get to book 10 if I pick up a couple of Westerns and I can breeze through November and December if I'm without any drama in my life. I've been so busy struggling with 2 jobs, lodge, getting pension sorted out, Doctors appointments, that type of thing. Life in general.

I've got today and tomorrow night off but tonight, I'm missing the Sens/Oilers game at 7pm because I'll be at lodge leaving out of here at 6pm. I catch the #8 at Rexall to Abbottsfield and double back to get off just at lodge for 7pm. Its practice for step up night Thursday. I'll also be paying the balance of my 2016 lodge dues as well. Maybe I can get one of the brothers to give me a lift in tonight. I'm on his way. Nathan also a Oilers fan will have his cell with him and I'll get updates through out the night. I could work tomorrow at my market research job but I'd also like a night off. I might decide at the last minute to go in anyway. The only thing on tomorrow night is wrestling and I'm usually home in time to catch that after work. Otherwise its Tuesday, Wednesday at my South-side job. Thursday, I'm at lodge, Friday (if the project isn't done by then) I'll be at my market research job. If Saturday looks like its a short shift, I'll go to the South side job. I just might go into the West end job tomorrow for 5 hours and cancel Saturday there and do the South side job instead. Anne's making our Sunday brunch and its lodge tonight. I'll be out of here at 6pm tonight. That's my week ahead. Anyway, that's all for now.