general update

Philips L3G03T radio

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As payment for helping G&A with their computer, I was given a radio, the Philips L3G03T (“T303“), the latest item in my collection of old technology.

It was purchased in England in the 1960s before G&A travelled to Canada with their three kids.  It was kind of a major purchase back then for someone counting pennies (pence, actually) to immigrate to Canada.  The radio takes two type 276 9-volt batteries.  I can get them online for only … get this … $22 each! (plus $120 shipping), and All-Tra Batteries here in Lethbridge doesn’t carry them.  Too bad.  It also has a power input port, but I have no idea what voltage it would take.  The batteries are connected in series, making this an 18-VDC radio, but there is some circuitry between the batteries, so I don’t want to take any chances and blow the thing up.  So I’m guessing I won’t get to hear it play just yet.

Kia damage at mall

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I was at Centre Village Mall last Friday doing a CANstruction installation when mall security came around asking who owns a brown Kia.  Uh oh.  Now what?  Someone hit my car in the parking lot.  I went out and found a guy standing there waiting for me and my car’s front end sitting on the ground.  He backed into the stall next to mine, hit my car, decided to move forward, and pulled off the front end.  We talked with mall security and a witness from Save-On Foods then drove to what he thought was the accident reporting place.  Just as everyone had said, it’d moved to downtown to the main police station.  We went there, spent an hour reporting.  Police took pictures.  So now I’m waiting for his insurance company, Cooperators, to contact me to arrange repairs.

  3/1/2018  1:50 PM      1623152 Kia Soul 2012 parking lot accident 20180301_135006 e1.jpg
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last day of classes, mice, magazines, & banjos

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As the title of this journal entry states, today is the last day of classes for this term.  I did my final exams for STS-2260 Statistics / Applied Research I and EDD-2268 Architectural Design II.  The goofy thing is that I think I did much better in my weaker subject, Stats, than I did in the one that gets my blood going, Architecture.  But we shall see.  My other two classes – ENF-2250 Fluid Mechanics and EDD-2255 Process Design I.

I got a subscription at the suggestion of my Architecture prof – Fine Homebuilding.  I haven’t gotten my first issue yet, but they did offer a free two-week online subscription.  Nice, except that I can’t print, can’t store it for later, and can’t get past page 32 of the issue.  I also asked my prof about a magazine I read ages ago called Architectural Digest.  His idea is that it isn’t what it used to be but is still an interesting read about various architecture of well-to-do folk around the world.  But I’m more interested in ideas and such that will help me in the ordinary-folk architectural world.

I’m finding it hard to play the banjo and use a normal (i.e. cheap) mouse.  Why?  Ages ago, on my 16th birthday, I guy hit me and Ron Ripley while we were crossing the street on our bicycles.  His leg was broken and fingertip torn off, and my hand was broken.  To this day, my right ring finger bends somewhat toward my middle finger when curled.  I got a new mouse – the CAD Mouse from 3D Connexion – and even put racing stripes on it, allowing me to speed up my Revit, CAD, & Inventor use.  If only putting racing stripes on my banjo would help me play faster and better.

Sundry things:

Tomorrow I’m getting an oil change for my little Kia, pulling the forms off our experimental concrete blocks, and giving blood.

update

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I wrote to Phil Harder in MB in the summer.  I sent him a card with a “thank you” for helping Uncle Al so much and an apology that I couldn’t make it out that (last) summer.  It came back – twice! – with the wrong address.  As it turns out, Mom had his address in her ‘little black book’ all along.  He probably thought I’d forgotten about him.  Not the case.

Only two weeks of classes left.  I did an exam today in Process Design and got the mark back in record time.  75%.  Not bad.  Not as good as I was hoping.  I’m not so great with Statistics & Applied Research.  I’m watching YouTube videos like this one to bone up.  Pretty simplistic, I know, but I tend not to do well if the instructor teaches rapid-fire. That’s just me.  The Applied Research part of it is not bad.  The other two classes, Fluid Mechanics and Architectural Design II, are not bad.

I slipped on the ice on my way to classes a couple of weeks ago and bruised my hip.  For a good week (actually not a very good week) I’d been limping, but now it seems to be getting better.  It’s the same old injury in my hip that will likely never go away.  I’m working on improving it.  I saw the doc about it.  He didn’t seem to think it was much – just bruised muscles.  My treatment?  Aspirin.  Yup – just plain aspirin.  I slipped just a week before that, too, as I was shovelling snow off the apron leading from the street to the garage.  I just sat there on the ground for a few seconds to take stock.  No, no problem.  After I stopped tensing, all was fine.

Aizlynn, on the other hand, did not fare as well.  She slipped once a couple of weeks ago while she and Caleb were here and then again with much more serious results while visiting Caleb’s folks in BC.  She slipped on the steps of Caleb’s parents’ house and went down several steps on her butt.  Apparently she’s quite bruised.  While here, she used my ice cleats since she has no Canadian-style winter footwear.  This is why I wasn’t wearing them and went down.

The weather has been warm the past few days, but it comes at a cost – wind.  I had a headache today and took 2 1/2 Tylenol-3s during class.  It more-or-less got rid of my headache.  It’s still buzzing away in the background.  I would have stayed at school a bit longer except that a) I had a headache, b) my study-buddies (Tyson, Randy, Christopher, Chrystal, & others) either left or were on their way out, and c) my tutoring student scheduled for 8:30PM cancelled.  So … I’m at home, studying Stats.

There’s a Facebook page related to the college called LC Confessions.  I looked a few times but could find nothing that pertains to me except for two posts – one on how crappy instant noodles are and one on if someone were to disappear off of Facebook, would they be missed.

Mom is feeling pretty weak these days.  There are times when she’s on top of her game and others when she’s a rag doll in a chair.  She tends to try to do too much.  I just overheard her talking with Floyd, exhuming two examples from memory of being really tired – one of when she was made to walk along next to the horse-pulled wagon when she was a kid and one where Father made her work out in the rain.  Floyd came up with the idea that no one was making her do stuff she didn’t want to do now.  It’s all up to her.

Suppertime.  Catch you later.

father’s dirty long guns

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I took my first attempt at cleaning one of Father’s long guns – a 20-gauge single-shot shotgun.

I read my info about transporting it, checked the status of the gun, making sure the trigger lock was secure, put it into its bag, and went to Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters and got some advice, cleaning stuff, and ammo.  I came back home to do the deed.

Now the task of cleaning it.  I don’t think father has ever cleaned his guns.  Talk about grimy.

loss

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Since Father got sick until just a bit ago, things have been stressful for me.  I’m not great with expressing my most inner feelings.  I’m not altogether sure I believe they should be expressed.  As Stanislof once said, “I have religion – I just think it should be a private thing, not yelled out for everyone to hear.”  There are things I don’t really wish to blab, to discuss.  It obviously does many people a great deal of good to explore, voice, compare, listen, vent, etc.  Those people have a hard time understanding that many of us don’t wish to.  I want to just live my life, not talk about how it is lived.  Yes, I feel – I just don’t want to discuss it.  As Curly once said, “I crap bigger than you.”  Well, good for you.  But TMI.  Keep your crap to yourself.
So I lost a friend.  They were upset at me that I didn’t call after Father died.  I was busy talking with many people and dealing with many details.  (Still am.)  Three other friends whom I told next time I spoke with them didn’t get angry.  They instead knew that I needed time to myself.  Acceptance.

On to other things.  I notice that since my old blog, going back to October of 2014 of the Third Generation of the Ongoing Letter (sounds official, eh?), nothing has been said of many things.  So here goes – a kind of rapid-fire update.

The van, a.k.a. “38”, is gone.  I sold it to a young person in Coaldale.  He wanted to buy an older ‘collector’ (and, being older than 25 years, it was) to pimp it.  Last time I saw it, he took the toilet out of it and removed the rear bumper.  I wonder what became of it.  I just know it’s gone, along with the Fun Craft logos Glenn painted on it.

I’m not at Flexibility anymore.  I quit.  I gave my notice before summer began.  Almost six years is enough.  I still see students now and then – Mongali, for example – and I’m happy to see they’re doing well.  New country, new life, new future.  But I wanted to concentrate on my education at the college and my new career.  I have one tutor student at this time.  Not sure if I’ll have more.  I’ve taken down my teaching website but might resurrect it in its new form later on.  Hard to know.  But, for now, I’m done with teaching.

auto court in Cranbrook

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I’m at an auto court (motel) in Cranbrook, BC, heading back to Lethbridge.  For the first time in years – since before Glenn quit drinking – I’m having a drink.  I bought some expensive Kentucky bourbon and dribbled a somewhat healthy quantity of it with some organic Okanagan beer and am now sitting out here in the courtyard of the auto court.  Although it’s quite cold, it’s also pleasant.

I couldn’t leave Father’s house until about 10am and had been booting in the whole time, but I arrived at Cranbrook about 7pm and decided to take a motel room instead of pushing through.  Got a pain in my stomach, thirsty (didn’t pack water), hungry (forgot my Burger King burger in the fridge at Father’s), and been through hooplah for one week, so it’s probably time to just stop and sleep go again in the morning.

This morning I packed up a few of Father’s things, like his Eaton’s driving safety badges, some photos, Eaton’s blankets, jeans (he’s probably not coming’ back for ’em), and various other keepsakes.  Glenn still has some things in the house, so I’ll pick those things up later – or not.  The shop is full of Father’s machines and machining equipment (welder, spanners, collectible farm implements, and such) and Glenn’s Coca~Cola collectibles; I have a year or so to figure out what to do with them, as does nephew Les.  (Glenn left all his Coke collectibles to Les almost three years ago).

Laura will be living in Father’s house until the time comes to deal with it.  The house is in ‘probate’ until it’s cleared by the courts.  This will take up to one year.  In the mean time, nothing goes in or out without my say.  …  Funny that I’m not there to enforce this.  But Laura is there, and I trust her.

By the way – and this isn’t the Kentucky bourbon talking ’cause I’ve maintained this stance since day-one – if anyone has any problem with Laura’s involvement in this, you’re welcome to talk to me.  That should be clear enough for everyone.

Father has passed away

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Father has passed away.

I posted on his blog http://www.lesjohnston.ca/2017/09/11/father-has-passed-away/.  I got a message from Laura while in class today.  I knew it couldn’t be good.  It wasn’t.  She was in tears when I called her back.

I am wondering if I have to fly out there anytime soon.  More than $300 one-way.  In class right now, one class tomorrow, so there might be time.

update

I’m at a motel in Salmo, BC, on my way to Rosedale / Chilliwack.  Father’s viewing will be tomorrow 4pm sharp.

Laura is clearly upset.  She’s returned all his meds to the pharmacist / chemist / drug store so as not to have them just sitting around in the house; morphine, cancer drugs, sleep, mental stability, etc.  Best clear them out.  She’ll have a lot to think about with her life now.  Her power in the situation has just dropped out from under her.  She cannot be in charge of the house now that Father’s gone.  This must be quite unsettling for her.  I will give her how much time she needs to decide when to leave.  Or an arrangement otherwise.

Aizlynn (in England, on bike tour) spoke with me (driving Crow’s Nest Hwy 3 to Rosedale) re all this.  She’s of the mind that all legal things must be done soon, and I’m for sure the guy to get them done, so it’s the right thing to do, going out there.  No one else has that ability – only me.

Time for bed.  10:30pm MDT (9:30 PDT).  Long drive before me in the morning.

Thank you for everyone who has called, messaged, etc.  Thank you for your love and caring.

quips

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I renewed my license today.  It expires in a week (my birthday).  I just happened to notice the expiry date while doing some other paperwork.  Good thing – otherwise, I’d have never noticed.  There were about 20 people in line.  A woman said, after small talk about the lineup, “I thought I’d chosen a day that there wouldn’t be a crowd.”  I replied, “Maybe you did!”

This is the kind of thing I’d normally have an English lesson on, if I were still teaching ESL.

The true meaning of the end comment was:

  1. You came here before when there wasn’t a crowd, and now you’re back.
  2. There really aren’t many people here today.  This isn’t such a big crowd.
  3. I had no idea what to say, so I said something that makes no sense.  My bad!
  4. There may be not as many people today as on other days; this could be a slow day, comparatively.