Hello there 2020

and how are you today? I hope your going to be easier on me then your brother 2019 last year. What a disaster that was. There were few highlights and I need to realize with the good comes the bad. So here is a look back at what was 2019.  

Yes its a brand new year. Hard to believe I made it this far. I had a rough year last year, what with trying to cope with a friend that ran out on me. Last January, my wife and I went gambling at a local Casino. February: I attended "Band of Brothers." Its a men's bible study/breakfast every other Saturday at Freedom Centre church just down the block. I look forward to that every Saturday. March was my wife's birthday and hardly working at all. April I began going outside to get some exercise in around the block out here by Sifton school 3 times a week still trying to cope what happened and why my friend Mary just up and left me. May: I received GIS back pay plus I got an allowance of anything that's greater then rent. I rode a bike for the first time in like over 50 years and fell off it. I almost got the Nintendo Switch but I couldn't afford to keep it (just before my allowance) Bits and pieces of work here and there. Met Pastor Ian in an impromptu counselling session at Tim Horton's. June: Continued my walking. July, explored dental work at Belmont dental. August: I got my own Visa card, September: I got the iPod Touch 7th Gen. Tooth extractions. October: I lost the iPod after work on a Saturday. November: More work but slow. Got my upper denture. December: Staff Christmas party, I bought Komplete 12 Ultimate music software, my first Amazon order, we lost our cat Rusty as he died in his sleep Friday the 13th. Its been quite a year. I'm almost over losing Mary. I was never obsessed over Mary, when I invited her back into my life. I was over 25 years ago but people change. Why would I risk losing 18 years of marriage over a woman I hardly knew and there was gap of about 20 years in there where Mary was just an asterisk in my life. Why risk losing my marriage over something like that? As for putting her in a bad spot? Mary was complicit with me in everything. I lied to her yes because she wouldn't take the hint that going out for lunch once a month was compromising my marriage. I wanted to end the going out and chatting part of our friendship in August 2018 5 months into renewing our friendship. Mary would not take the hint. I had to take drastic action and even then, she still would not take the hint. She finally did when I sent to her roommate married couple living with her a private text. I wanted to partially end our friendship as well, However, not at the risk of still being on friendly terms, like calling each other on the phone after the going out part and chat part was over. And by calling each other on the phone would be once every couple of weeks, type thing. Best times for Mary to call when I' m not working is Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays after 3pm, when I have more privacy. And that's for any of my friends not just Mary.

Ok, enough of that. So that was 2019. I'm glad its over. I'm excited for 2020. I'm continuing with my "walking program." More videos to my Jim Shannon on Sounds You Tube channel, attending band of brothers, exploring SAGE and getting to know more seniors and people my own age. As for this week, I've got lodge tonight. I'm hoping to get a call from the office today or tomorrow that we have some work coming up. I've got some banking to do Friday, Saturday, I'm home working on a "Jammuary" upload to my channel, watch some hockey. Just hobbies around the apartment. Anyway, that's all for now.

Its been my experience that

anything can happen in life at anytime. I'm blessed with having a good life, even though its been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. When I get sad or lonely, I think about all that God has given me. I have regrets, yes. I think we all do but in the end at my age I'm in a good place. 

I finally have Streamlabs OBS more or less sorted out. How I got this far, I have no idea but at least its working for me. I want to put up a live stream today but at the same time I've got a phone call to make with Alberta seniors. Plus I want to get out there and do my 2k walk. I might have to do the live stream tomorrow. Or do 4k Saturday, idk. We'll see. 

Weather wise, we've been getting a nice mix of rain and sun for all of June and the trend continues into July. Most likely thought its going to get warm in August. Just as long as we  fon't get the smoke like we've had last year in August. The smoke got so thick it looked like LA smog in the 1970's.  Anyway, that's all for now. 

Anne went all the way out to the

airport to meet her sister in town for a couple of days but due to the weather fights have been delayed. It means she wont get in until about 8pm,so that ruins her day with her sister. Well one of her days.

By the end of this month we should be out of this cold snap. It means I'm during my commute tomorrow morning,I'm wearing my cleats.

I decided to change browsers and go with Chrome over Firefox because Google is retiring iGoogle after this November. I really liked iGoogle because everything was right there on the same page. I discovered the Google webpage similar to iGoogle where I have my email, Twitter, YouTube, Google maps, Docs and Drive on the same page and I can even put my blog header icon there as well. Google is also getting rid of it's news reader service. All I need now is a Facebook icon link on my Google page. My next step is to sync this with my mobile device and I'm good to go.

I was going to head out yesterday get my haircut, my book, some Tim's breakfast and over to LM and pay my bill and head for Lodge. That would have been a productive morning/afternoon but the weather kept me at bay. 

Nothing special going on this week. If the weather improves then I think I'll be able to get all the above done on this coming up Saturday anyway. 

In a couple of hours, it's Nashville at Edmonton. Should be a good one. Anyway that's about all for now.
  

This morning I opted out of going

to the preparing to be an officer course. I've held various chairs in my Lodge since 2007, and I've seen how the Lodge opens and closes and I have the work, I think I know how it's done after all these years. Based on that I opted out. I wish I knew about this Last week as I would have made it out to Commercial Lodge yesterday. March's meeting is penciled into my calendar. 

If Happy Harbor is open tomorrow, I'm considering heading over to pick up that Marvel Legends Iron Man action figure as I'm trying to build a Avengers assemble roll call of heroes. The 6 and 8" are to big for my display. Also, I can get some Chinese food from the place a few doors down from Happy Harbor. Sounds like a good plan. So I'm glad I didn't go to that officer's training thing this morning. Check out this guys set up:

Today is Random act's of kindness day. If you know this and have opportunity try and take advantage of this today. The world could use as much positive energy as possible. 

I'm not sure if Anne wants to go out today to Capital Pizza or do this tomorrow. If we go tomorrow ETS is running on Holiday scheduled. If we're going out later this afternoon then great. I prefer "Rose Bowl" Pizza but I'm not up to taking a bus a train and another bus on my Sunday afternoon. I think we go down to Clareview catch the #10 and out to 144th Ave. I can get myself a hamburger platter and a beer. In this strip mall, they also have Dairy Queen and "Giant Tiger." Giant Tiger is like a small department store but they have odd selections. I think they close at 6pm on Sunday's.

Hey, the Oiler's won a game last night! Wow. The best part about it was the game was a 6-4 comeback win. This win puts the Oiler's within striking range of the last playoff spot. If they can float around this area and near the end of the season and go on a wining streak and play meaningful games the 2nd half of April, they have a chance of making the playoffs. Anyway's that's all from me for today. 

That's over with,

finally. 

I had a rough sleep overnight as I had stuff to do this morning. I got out of the house shortly before 10am and headed to Clareview station and boarded my train for Corona station to pick up my last cheque. Sad. Then I walked heading East along the South side of Jasper Ave and ran into one of the recent employees I befriended. I gave him my email address and I had a brief chat and continued on my ay. It felt like Spring out there, mid March. I got to my bank and did my stuff and then something J said about a direct bank deposit so I went to the teller and got the form in an envelope and headed back to the office. There were a few business people there and some familiar faces. I got Warren's new phone number and I'll be calling him latter for tomorrow. So, I assume J will scan the form and payroll will get that today for Monday. If everything works out ok, I'll have the first severance pay cheque this coming up Friday. I have enough for my Telus bill and maybe enough left over for my "Space marine battles." Warhammer 40K book.  

I hope this all works out for tomorrow that we have a little get together I get my Warhammer 40K book and have a nice relaxing couple of days. I'm also hoping that my severance pay will be activated as a direct bank deposit, so this means that every Friday up until the last one will be in my account every Friday or until I get another job, which ever comes first.

Monday, I'm out again only this time to Canada Place/Service Canada to apply for my CPP and hopefully get that out for January 1st. Then in early January it's off to AW and set that up for some employment counseling. All my life I've had nothing but these minimum wage jobs. My last place of employment paid me a little better but not by much but still when the hours were added up at the end of the day I got a nice cheque every week. I was getting just for myself about $100/week as disposable income. I had quite a run. Now I'm existing on severance pay and I have a bit of spending cash after I pay my obligations and all, enough for my LM payment a pint or two and a Warhammer 40K book. Life is good. So I'll be ok for awhile. I can relax but not for long. But I'm also going to take my time and get a better paying job. I want a good job, $15-20hour. I'll settle for $10 only if there's nothing else out there. Anyway, that's about all for now.

 

Yeesh. That's about all I can say for now

I can't site any details but yesterday I lost  my job. I spent 12 years and 3 months at it. I was always on time for all my shifts. I did the best that I could. It's the end of an era. The worst part of all of this is I worked with some great people that I'm going to really miss. They were like my family. There's an empty feeling in my stomach right now. I'm not going to dwell upon it here as I can't say anything. Suffice to say I'm going to be ok, no need to panic or anything.

One thing is understood: I'm canceling my website until I can obtain something steady. My website saw me post 1723 blog posts. Many of those entries were excerpts out of my diary and or  copies from Blogger. Of course I'll keep my Blog open here. Maybe I'll come back to the website this time next year, we'll see. As for my 2Gb internet tablet at $37/month, I cancelled that yesterday afternoon. I'm back to the Flex plan at $5/month for 10Mb but I have wifi and my home internet. 

This morning I'm back in the office with some papers to sign and I'm picking up my last cheque on Friday. Next week, I'm applying for my CPP. I didn't want to do this so soon but it's necessary to get on it right away. I'll probably do this Thursday and next week I'm going to register for Alberta Works and get that thing going. 

I have 2 big bills to pay off, LM and my Lodge dues and also my current bill for my tablet. Not the $5 one.

One thing, I've got some time do get some reading done, that's for sure and maybe even go to Commercial next Saturday. I'm also learning the WM opening and closing charge, which is quite substantial but with all this on my mind it's going to be tough to sleep tonight. Anyway, that's about all for now.

Ahh, Fridays

the afternoon was ok but for the most part things went by really slow. One of the major obstacles in the political end of my calls I get about half of the customer at the other end when asked if they are a supporter for the party, the most common answer I get is "I don't disclose my political views over the phone. And when someone says "yes" chances are they're unemployed and or "I half to to talk with my other half," or they're unemployed. And of course there are lots of answering machines or screeners asking what the call  is about. I hang up on those and move on. I was doing really good on the OPC last week but this week I fizzeld out.

Apparently the next  playoff game wont be until Saturday night, which is OK by me. It seems this roundthey play 1 game and have 2 days off. So if LA keeps going the way they have been and sweep NJ the Stanley Cup game itself won't be until next Friday. If they sweep NJ in 4 games. So far they haven't lost in 9 games! That's a record.

Yesterday was Kevin Pereira's last ATOS and its a shame. He's going to be a really tough act to follow. I don't know who his knew replacement is but its sad to see him go. We'll see on Monday who they (if anyone).

I've got a full day today and its to my bank and home and one day and I've got 2 off but i'm trying to save up enough funds for Komplete 8 and I'm thinking if I can put every Monday night for 4 hours until about 1st week in July I'll have it.  

Anyway, that's about all I have for now.

Looks like a nice day

out there. 

Ok I really have to watch what I say around where I work. My big mouth could land me in hot water and yesterday almost did. I work with a pretty good bunch of people and I like what I do. My job and work I do is important to me and I don't want to say or do anything to jeopardize it, ok enough of that.

I've got a full day ahead of me. I had a good day yesterday and I hope better today with another full 8 hours ahead of me. By about 8pm though I'm rather wiped out. 

If all goes well I could have Cubase 6 by next weekend. The full version. I wish I could have picked it up on Saturday but I hope to go over to LM and pick it up next Saturday after work.

I'm currently in the middle of some heavy memory work for an upcoming EA degree in April. It's not a charge or anything but it's a substantial part just before the WT of the degree. It's going well, I'm about 25% into the work plus the FC exam part I'm doing next week and I'm comfortable in doing all of that. Anyway that's all for now.

I needed to be prompted a few times and

I missed a part about labor to refreshment, which I didn't even know was part of the degree. My bad and I broke the gavel as well. But others were had to be prompted as well.

I got the scores on the hockey game from a brother through out the night and wow, the Oiler's sure do have Chicago's number. Sam Gagnre had 4 goals! The Oiler's won 8-4! Wow, I'm sure the Rexall faithful appreciated the effort and the W. 

I was going to mention this from last night but most people around the night, already know about Facebook going public. I use Facebook maybe once a week, if that.

Despite screwing a few things up and my attention drifted when they called me "JW" a couple of times but earlier I did say how if "I tune out its I've been having a bad had cold with some bronchitis." It was fun but I was off my night all while we had somebody from Grand Lodge there and a few guests. I screw up but so did a lot of others as well. Next month is going to be an easy meeting so I'm going to feel a lot better.

Next week, I'm working, Monday 4 hours, Tuesday 8, Wednesday 8, Thursday 8, Friday 7.5, Saturday 6. That's going to be: 41.5 hours. 

Coast has had a couple of boring sows this week but tonight is on ancient astronauts, so at least this could be a good show. 

Work is has been going slow for me lately. I got $100 in sales all day Wednesday and $45 in sales for half a day yesterday. One of the main things I'm getting is the customer is asking for a website for further information and they can make donations online. I had about 8 of those in a 4 hour shift yesterday. I also get this a lot, "If you send out information, we'll take a look at it." Then my colleagues around me are getting huge sales. At least on this one I'm able to get a few  sales in a shift. On the other one, I've been 2-3 days without a sale. It's time to get out of there and I'd love to get something other then telemarketing. Monday Anne and I are going down to Alberta Works and put our name in. Anyway, that's all for now.

Today had its ups and downs

Yesterday when I got home and opened up the laptop I got the inspiration to checkout a piece of software I’ve been looking at for a long time. “Absynth.” What if this is available on “4 Shared. Absynth is kind of like Nexus it has a ton of presets. I opened 4 shared and typed in Absynth keeping my fingers crossed. It came up! So, I went through the motions and had it installed, opened FL Studio and refreshed the VST list and there it was. Now would it work. I opened up Absynth and there it was! I got the full working deal as well. Beauty. I tried for some other things that didn’t work out so well as this. “Real strat” did but I‘m kind of disappointed with it. I thought for sure I saw a key for sugar bytes guitarist. At work this morning I thought I saw the key on 4 shared for guitarist. Maybe I could even get Nexus 2. I downloaded the demo for guitarist but I haven’t had time to set up the midi part of this. The sounds from YouTube tutorials are the exact guitar sounds I need for my music. I need something like the rhythm guitar sounds of “The Clash,” “The Ramones” something with about half gain type thing where I can control chords and pitch bend from keyboard controller. The problem for me being on so low income and all, most of these programs I‘d have to save up months for. $250 for Sugar Bytes guitarist is a lot of money for me. Sugar bytes has some nice VST‘s so does Native Instruments but like I said, way to much money, which is why I have 4 share and Keith.

I set my alarm for 8:15am this morning and slowly got ready and headed out the door for work. I got to Tim’s (first time I’ve been in there on a Saturday morning since I think last June. I got a breakfast sausage egg on a biscuit and 2 hash browns and a medium size coffee. It was really good. Anne had wanted me to call her so she could go to Wendy‘s for me to get me a double bacon cheese burger and fries but I was so focused at work at 2pm when I got out of there I forgot to call her. I met Warren out there working his way up to Jasper and I asked him if I could use his cell phone but he was going to get some minutes on it. So much for that. So I hurried over to Corona LRT and was met by Tim. Tim is a drummer in his 50‘s and we had a nice chat on the train to Belvedere. He was drumming in 1978 but on the road so he never did play at the Embers. He knew of it though. Today he gives drum lessons and the odd gig. I was thinking of sampling his drums, Bryon‘s bass, Brent‘s guitar so I could put some names and faces to my virtual “band.” All 3 have totally different musical styles but Bryon‘s is close to what I need.

So I realized I needed to call Anne but I had no small change on me. I had to get some change from the Redi mart out of a scratch n‘ win ticket that didn’t pay anything for me. I called Anne who sounded frantic I didn’t call. I mean why do I need to call to go down and get me my dinner when I told her I‘d work until 2pm and was coming home by 3pm anyway? She hung up on me and I got the #183 bus which was a milk run all the way to my stop. Anne apparently had left but she had her work bags at the ready so I knew she was coming back. Sure enough she did and not very happy. She stormed out of here all pissed off and all saying how she was going to be late. Called me names and cursed at me and left. I enjoyed my lunch and she called shortly before 4 saying that her schedule was changed so (again) she was early. I was frustrated with this bus pass on Saturdays and tickets and “don’t spend $6 to work and back and her dictating to me, controlling my time. So what if I wanted to go get a bite to eat after work Friday. “Your working to 6pm, there lots a time on a Friday. She’s not listening to me. I’ve been saying these hours 9-6pm are not permanent hours so when do I get to go out and spend some of my money? So Saturdays I’ll leave the bus pass behind and pay my way in.

SoI gave Keith $30/50 as we kind f said something about this morning about meeting up his place taking over my laptop so he could install Finale/Notepad 2011 but when I called he wasn’t there. Most likely out drinking. I’d be doing the same if I was 20 something and not diabetic. He probably won’t call me tonight but I gave him $30 bucks for the job this morning for later.

So far I have a COH of $32. That was as of Friday‘s $100. God, where does it all go? I gave Anne $220 for her weekly household allowance and an extra $40. I think I spent $5 on my breakfast out of all of that and invested the $30 for my music. The idea was to put $100 of that in my Scotia bank and live off of the $20 for the week. Then Anne begins to complain about how expensive everything is and all. So I give her the $40 last night and when I saw or thought I saw the key on 4 shared for Sugar Bytes guitarist I thought, hey at least I can get my guitars. I still need my Vox Continental.

Yesterday I tried Tim‘s non ear bud headphones, and at full volume, they sound real nice and they of the are low end quality. My floaters were bad this morning due to the Sunlight and all. Not bad as in I couldn’t see or Cataracts bad. I could see good distances and all through the spotty floaters in my way. I‘m not blind or anything but my vision is compromised Anyway, that‘s about all for today.