Allan

MPE Link Pathway

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Apparently we Southern Albertans are getting another bike path, called MPE Link Pathway.  Did you know about this?  I just read about it in the Feb. 13 2024 Lethbridge Herald.  Yes, I know, I’m a bit behind.  I have a stack of newspapers to get through.  But this is one of the more interesting articles.  I wonder if any of it is complete yet.  See map.

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off to the coast

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I’m off again.  I’m headed to the coast again, this time Vancouver.  I’ll meet A&C there at a BnB.  I’ve got new winter tires, chains, winter gear, etc., everything I’ll need to get there.  Wish me luck.

vultures (or Rogers)

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So we’re back with Shaw / Rogers after a brief stint with TekSavvy.

A few weeks ago we had switched over to TekSavvy for internet, TV, and phone.  Then we got a bill from Rogers for S2477.86 – almost 25-hundred dollars – a cancellation fee.  We signed up a year ago to a faster service and, apparently, inadvertently, signed a 5-year agreement with them.

Fine, except that the 5-year agreement was a contract that, somewhere in fine print, stipulated a fee of 50% of the remaining contract if we cancel.  FT and I were on the phone for an hour trying to sort it out.  In the end, FT decided to reinstate the internet and cable TV so as to avoid paying that fine.

So, although TekSavvy seemed to be a good company with which to sign up, we are now stuck again with … Rogers <say it with disdain> … for another four years.  Vultures!

Veronica & Jane

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I just met a woman from Ireland named Veronica.  She was standing in the town square in Basingstoke, UK near a statue of Jane Austen.  How’s that?

I video called my sister via WhatsApp.  When she answers, she was talking to a friend of hers on the street and introduced me.  I showed Veronica the snowy landscape in Lethbridge, just outside my windows.  It just so happened that we’ve had about a foot (30cm) of snow.  She was quite amazed.  Aizlynn showed the town square, a quaint, picturesque place.  There is a statue of the writer, Jane Austen, nearby.  We read some plaques on the ground showing bits of into.

Aizlynn & Caleb were on their way out to supper, so off they went.

first day of Spring

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Happy First Day of Spring, everybody.

Actually, it doesn’t happen until 9:06pm this evening, so, technically, this is still winter until this evening.  But it got up to 21° yesterday here, so I’d say it’s already here.  The tulips are (were) coming up.  ‘Were’ because the deer ate all the heads off already before FT and I could put the fence up.  All the snow cover has melted away leaving random lumps of dirt and gravel all over the front lawn, but some green is already coming up. 

However, we’re in for some more snow in the next few days.  Phone:

Mary’s TD passbooks

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I wrote an email, last known address, to Mary telling her of my Mom’s TD account set up for her long ago.  The email bounced back.

Too many unfortunate events in the world, powered by lies, greed, pride, selfishness.

Sadness.

first scooter ride of the year

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I’m at Starbucks having a tall Pike.  I got here by scooter.  Yesterday was the first time this year being out on the scooter.  It’s still a little cool out – 10° today, 14° yesterday – but it was still a good ride.  The Harley riders and the diesel screamer pipe rednecks are out as well.  And I ride by with my silent but quick scooter.  Put that in your pipe.

idle chit-chat

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So I’m standing in line for 10 minutes or so at Walmart, waiting to pay for some jeans, and a guy comes comes up behind me.  He looks at the till next to us which just recently hung its ‘closed‘ sign up, and we both shrug.  “Six of one, six more of the other one,” I offer.  “Yup,”  He says.  “It’s like a zoo in here,” I say.  “Yah, not as bad as other places,” he says.  We both stand there and nod.

I comment on this because it just seems as though people in every society around the world are starved for friendship, idle chit-chat, hang-out time.  There’s this old guy behind me, looking like he’d just coming off a day’s work, so, for no other reason aside from to tell him that the world wishes to say ‘hello’, I opened my yap.

The guy at the till, a younger black guy, looked tired, sick, out of sorts, and out of place.  I said, “Hiya, friend.  How you doing”?  He looked at me with a pensive face as if to say, “Well let me tell you about my day.”  He said, “Not too good.”  <sigh>  I wish I could help out, friend.  Age, colour, stature, level of wealth … we’re all brothers and sisters, and we all need love.