damn hamburger bun

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I went to Safeway to get some cream for my coffee.  I’ve had milk in my coffee for four days now!  Imagine!  Gross.  It has a sickeningly sticky, hollow taste to it.  (Now enjoying a second cup mixed in with my first cup, with cream.  Much better.)

yesterday’s Lethbridge Herald

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van expenses

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I got my van back from Tom & Gerry’s.  I blew a radiator hose a few days ago, but while it was in the shop I asked them to look at why the steering is so stiff.  It turns out the entire rack and pinion steering system was worn out.  Total cost for replacing all those parts and repairing the cooling system: a little under $2000.00.

The steering is now a lot more responsive, easier to handle.  It was like a stubborn mule before, having to strong-arm it to turn.  Now, all is well.

overheated and stranded

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I was on my way to students’ house in Cardston when my van overheated.  So now I’m stuck out here waiting for a tow truck.  I left town at 2:30pm; now 4:20pm; still another 1 hour before the tow truck shows up.

In the mean time, I was kept company by about 4 or 5 dozen cattle.  One of them named Dolly (obviously a pet) ate grass from my hand.  I would like to have stayed out there, but it’s cold out.  Now that I’m sitting in the van, it’s colder in here than out there.  How’s that?  I could feel their collective heat.

Could this be my winter travel I was hoping could happen?  Considering the van now has an issue, this might be it!

 12/8/2024  3:15 PM      3800429 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_151517.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:16 PM      1313326 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_151620.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:25 PM      4961156 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152550.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:25 PM      5210336 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152554.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:26 PM     10425014 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152558.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:36 PM      2823603 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153654.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      2462500 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153827.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      3475047 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153829.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      1259535 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153844.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:41 PM      1694790 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_154111.jpg

soooo much snow

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I shovelled the driveway four times in the past 2 days.  The snow finally stopped.  We got about 20cm (8″) of it.

So, of course, I had to include a comic or two.

Mom’s ceramics

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We found Mom’s ceramics.  Two were in a cabinet in the living room, and one was stored away in a cabinet.  Here they are.

Long ago, when I was a kid living in BC, Mom went to a ceramics class.  She didn’t mould these.  They came pre-made.  But she painted them.

The salesperson represented Glenn who apparently, at the time, sold corn (or maybe eggs) along the street where we lived.  The musician represented me as I apparently had musical skills.  The girl in pink was to represent Angela who apparently had no qualities or talent aside from being a girl.  (A person cooking or dancing might have been more appropriate.)

I had no idea that Mom had painting talents.  I knew she wrote songs long ago and may have had them published and played professionally if the old man had shelled out a little to get it started.

So now they sit in our cabinet.

plugged up heat vent

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It all started when someone forgot to turn down the heat at night.  Usually Floyd does, but sometimes it is me.  I woke up with a headache.

The conversation turned to how cool it is in Floyd’s bedroom (the north end of the house).  Mom & Floyd had a dresser left over from another bedroom set.  Mom has been gone for a while now, but the cabinet remained there.  It had been reorganized a few times but essentially remained there.  The issue is, it covered a heat register.

I said, “Why don’t we just drill holes in the bottom of it to let some heat out?  So last night Floyd and I did that.

There are holes on the side, too, closer to the window.