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<title>Geoduck Letters RSS</title><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/index.html</link><description>Geoduck RSS</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright Douglas aalseth</dc:rights><dc:date>2010-05-30T18:12:51-07:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Mon, 2 Jan 2012 14:26:11 -0800</lastBuildDate><item><title>Mario&#x27;s Wedding</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-05-30T18:12:51-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c3a9fab0b9731f7684d15c03b0b37226-104.html#unique-entry-id-104</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c3a9fab0b9731f7684d15c03b0b37226-104.html#unique-entry-id-104</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I thought for a second and replied "Well it's not like a hobby or anything&hellip;" As it turned out she wanted me to start the bonfire. ...  But the wood was dry, I had one match and my pocket knife to split the logs, and soon had a merry blaze going (OK to be honest the logs were already split I just needed to make some shavings, and the 'one match' was one Bic lighter.)


...One ran a major theatrical troupe in Beijing China, gave it up to study in Paris for a couple of years, and on June 1st is leaving to go back to Beijing. ...  As nice as they all are, and they really are a great group of people, it's like being a water at the Algonquin Round Table. 

...It was planned as an outdoor backyard event, a gutsy move this time of year in BC, but the rain held off and it went without a hitch. ...  No this was not like ours in church, full mass, multi hour oh-and-in-the-middle-of-all-this-religion-someone-is-getting-married event.   No, we milled around for a little while before as final preparations were made, they had the wedding, we milled around for a little while as they signed paperwork and then we all went over to the Community Centre for the party. 

...The party wrapped up by midnight with the last of the cleaning done by 3:00 and by 8:00 the next morning the last of the cars left behind by those that decided it would be more prudent to cab were retrieved.&nbsp;
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>2009 In Review</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-01-03T18:29:11-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ba53b156138c3283325b3c9e3a2e3003-103.html#unique-entry-id-103</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ba53b156138c3283325b3c9e3a2e3003-103.html#unique-entry-id-103</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The biggest thing of course was our trip to China, Korea, and Japan to see a total solar eclipse. ...  Probably the most interesting thing we found was that airport security in the People's Republic of China is more polite, respectful, and competent than the US TSA. 

...I wasn't able to go because I started a new job and with the eclipse trip I didn't have any vacation time. ...  In another vein I also changed from hard contact lenses to glasses, a process that took over a month. 

...And then I guess we also did the laundry room; moved the water heater to the garage, stacked the washer and dryer, installed a new floor, paint, and lighting, (mind you, not necessarily in that order). &nbsp;  We also painted the guest bedroom, and the hallway and repositioned my office from the back bedroom to the living room.   Outside we moved a few dozen concrete blocks that were randomly scattered around the back yard to the front to make a pad to park our pickup truck. ...  Also in the yard we repainted the trim on the house a nice cinnamon, it looks so much better than its former greenish <gray> colour. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>My Toolbox</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-01-10T18:28:14-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/0e58f162c84de6c0ca4f4f52e466af6b-102.html#unique-entry-id-102</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/0e58f162c84de6c0ca4f4f52e466af6b-102.html#unique-entry-id-102</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[He wasn't one of those guys that had a painted outline of each tool so you would know where a particular tool went.   No, he had his tool box organized so precisely that if you took out a wrench the other wrenches would define a hole in the shape of the missing wrench.   Screwdrivers were laid out in the screwdriver drawer so that a missing screwdriver left a gap exactly the size and shape of the missing screwdriver to show you where it would go. 

...Over the years, I tried to keep my tools as neat and organized as Dad did, but that's just not me. ...  Believe me, I tried but they'd always end up a jumbled mess in the drawer. ...  After that, I tried even harder to keep my toolbox organized, because now some of them were 'Dad's Tools', but it didn't work.   I always ended up with a drawer or box of jumbled tools that I had to dig through to find whatever I needed, and that just didn't seem right. 

...This week I think I settled on a way to keep the tools organized, somewhat, but in a way that I can keep straight. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sports Car Dillusions</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-01-17T18:27:20-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c5180cf8475df80f3b2a80c675f8c30c-101.html#unique-entry-id-101</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c5180cf8475df80f3b2a80c675f8c30c-101.html#unique-entry-id-101</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I enjoyed zinging up to Parksville, it was the main reason I started taking the back way to Pacific Shores rather than the highway; it was twisty-er.   I just loved taking the Mini through freeway cloverleafs, pulling Gs around the loop, all four tires squealing as I drifted around sometimes at twice the posted speed. 

...Sure the gears don't click into place quite as precisely as they did on the Mini's BMW gearbox but it still has a clutch and 5 gears. ...  Seriously, if you think 'cool' and 'performance' you got to think of a Corvette, or a Ferrari California, and now you'll also think of a 1995 Mazda B3000. &nbsp;


Inside the cab the pickup is a two seater just like the Lotus Europa S, you can open the rear window just like the Porsche 912, and it has a split screen windshield just like a Bugatti SC Atlantic. ...  OK, the crack goes horizontally across the glass right at eye level, but the glass is in two parts and hey, that's what counts, right?). 

...She had talked to Dave, who she rents from and he brought a replacement, which really didn't work any better than her old one. ...  She now has our old fully working stove in her kitchen, and we got $200 from Dave. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Doug&#x27;s Sick&#x2c; So a Short Letter This Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-01-24T18:25:40-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/e0529742d318081e754cbc288a3ce51e-100.html#unique-entry-id-100</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/e0529742d318081e754cbc288a3ce51e-100.html#unique-entry-id-100</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[On Tuesday I was at Pacific Shores for another reason and found out that they were doing a complete remodelling of the Accounting office. 

...Where we were was not too bad, Nanaimo is in the lea of the mountains that run down the middle of the island.   We got a lot of rain, it was a bit gusty and there were some electrical outages, but nothing as severe as on the mainland. &nbsp;

...Monopoly is having a vote to see what Canadian cities makes it on their Canadian edition board game. &nbsp;

...The vote will determine the top 20 cities and the top 2 wildcard cities that will be the property spaces on the MONOPOLY Canada game board. 

...Every day you are able to vote for up to 3 of your favourite Canadian cities from our pre-selected list and to nominate one city not on the list as a wildcard.   To do so, select a city from the map and add to your cities, or enter your wildcard city in the designated area.   To keep the vote fair, you will be asked to register and to verify your email address via an email you will receive once your registration is received. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Animal Stories</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-01-31T18:24:37-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5679ba30fd8b5b72beddc536802683f9-99.html#unique-entry-id-99</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5679ba30fd8b5b72beddc536802683f9-99.html#unique-entry-id-99</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If I was still at the U of MN I wouldn't have even tried, but I work at home. ...  I struggled through the day until 1:00 and then sat down on the couch to have lunch. 

...Late in the week the cold had settled in my chest and every half an hour I'd have a coughing fit that caused me to bark like a rabid seal. ...  The cats that usually like to hang around me had by this point had given up completely and were nowhere to be found. 

...Though I thought of it as Slug Flu, Seal Flu, or Dog Flu it was just a cold. ...  At least then I could have had some bragging rights But no, it was just a cold, a really nasty cold.


...Normally I'd chase him off but I figured &nbsp;what the heck, I was about to clean the vanity anyway. ...  What is it about cats, they will drink out of the bowl we refresh every day but they'd rather drink from the shower or sink or flowerpots, or puddles on the garage floor. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Netti-Pot and Other Stories</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-02-07T18:23:52-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/d651408b67a08949129b14be7fc72dc3-98.html#unique-entry-id-98</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/d651408b67a08949129b14be7fc72dc3-98.html#unique-entry-id-98</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Curling is not one of the most exciting sports but it's really big up here. ...  Coming back from a commercial break they went to a slide that said WARNING: LANGUAGE, The voiceover then said "This Program may not be suitable for all audiences." ...  I can't imagine anyone that could possibly be offended by curling, but the CBC felt something was there worth warning us about. 

...What we found most interesting was not that it is possible to tell the colour of dinosaurs, the feathered ones at least.   What was most interesting was that many of them appear to have been white, black, and orange, just like Momiji. 

...Though Canada has hosted three Olympics, Montreal, Calgary, and now Vancouver, they are the only surviving host country not to win a Gold in an Olympics that they hosted. ...  However the most amazing part of this 'achievement' is when you look at who has hosted the games.   I mean the only other country to not win a Gold in an Olympics they hosted was Yugoslavia who doesn't even exist any more. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Flooring and Life Lessens</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-02-14T18:22:58-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/29fb4c9f408cc04bc07e4a13fc7ff9d2-97.html#unique-entry-id-97</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/29fb4c9f408cc04bc07e4a13fc7ff9d2-97.html#unique-entry-id-97</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It was well after lunch before we got the floor cleared, staples removed, all the dirt swept up and the place ready for the new floor. ...  By 4:00 we had two thirds of the new floor down and we could stop and put the bed and most of the furniture back. 

...Progress was much slower but we got the room itself done, just a few boards needed to be set in place in the back of the closet on Monday. ...  Also when you're putting in any kind of flooring you need to trim the last row for width.   They actually recommend that you trim the first and last row so you don't have one row an inch wide. 

...Earlier I'd checked the usual places, Home Depot and Slegg Lumber but they didn't have anything that I was happy with. ...  We'd never noticed it but there was a flyer in the paper this week that said they were located on Boban road. 

...We headed on up Bowen as I explained that Boban had to be just up here because we were near Boban Park. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Breaking Winter&#x27;s DarkHold</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-02-21T18:19:42-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/9ff757ad229f5160807c7721a458b1c0-96.html#unique-entry-id-96</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/9ff757ad229f5160807c7721a458b1c0-96.html#unique-entry-id-96</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It's strange, we're not that much further north than Minnesota but it seems like the deepest part of winter is a lot darker, with much less daylight than back there. 

...We're coming and going at all hours and they just have no idea what time it is, when they're going to get fed, when treats are.   They did figure out that I'm the one who usually feeds them and Marsha gives them the Friskies Treats. 


...A couple of weeks ago Marsha woke up at 1:00 and could't get back to sleep she got up and went into the other room to "not disturb us". 

...It was colder that day so I wore a nice fine knit dark blue pull over cotton sweater that I got for Christmas. ...  This is the same place I went to a few months ago with my shirt on inside out. 

...On a cold (it was just above freezing outside) dark winter night, chili and french bread is a great meal. 

...It was interesting that it had a large submersible on the back deck and was flying both the US and Canadian flags. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Olympic Craziness</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-02-28T06:12:48-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/798709200bd68a8fc03b30999a34365e-95.html#unique-entry-id-95</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/798709200bd68a8fc03b30999a34365e-95.html#unique-entry-id-95</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We were able to catch odd sports like Biathlon and Parallel slalom, which despite it's name is not one of those bizarre synchronized sports that have invaded the Summer Olympics. ...  The biggest question on Canadian minds during the game however, was "Why do they keep running taped stories when we KNOW there is live action going on somewhere?" 

...Finally they went to innsbruck Austria, mostly because Innsbruck had hosted them just few years before and had all the facilities in place. 


...http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/hockey/story/2010/02/25/spo-hockey-canada-usa.html


...http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/hockey/story/2010/02/26/sp-hockey-women-drinking.html


...There was some comment about one of the players being under age, but that was only because everywhere in Canada has the drinking age set at 18 while BC has it set at OVER 18. 

...Probably the most inspiring story was a young Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette whose mother passed away just after arriving in Vancouver to see her daughter compete. 

...http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2010/02/24/spo-flase-starts-s.html
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Getting All Thai-d Up At Lunch</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-03-07T06:11:59-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/fe69621ac91a65488522bc0815e639a6-94.html#unique-entry-id-94</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/fe69621ac91a65488522bc0815e639a6-94.html#unique-entry-id-94</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I discovered how bad habits can be this last week when we ran out to get Thai Takeout for lunch. ...  So this last Tuesday Marsha and I ran out there just after noon to pick up some more Spring Rolls and a couple of spicy dishes. ...  I don't know if things have changed back in the "Old Country" but here you almost never see checks. ...  We have a small number of checks for the very few situations that require them but that's very seldom. 

...You have a number pad, an OK button, a Cancel button, and a few buttons that change what they are depending on where you are in the transaction. 

...Then I started to enter my PIN only to discover it was asking me about a tip. ...  I'm sorry, but I've been using computers for so long I always expect to see an Undo button. &nbsp;...  She'd have to ring it up all over again it and she'd think I was some crazy absent minded old codger. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Monsters</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-03-14T06:11:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/30ae19d99dbcdb9189e9ae3d79226736-93.html#unique-entry-id-93</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/30ae19d99dbcdb9189e9ae3d79226736-93.html#unique-entry-id-93</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Then they ran The Monster That Challenged the World, (Giant snails from the Salton Sea try to kill everyone, or at least those that aren't very observant or can't move too fast.). ...  I watched the black and white goodness while Marsha watched Minnesota decisively dominate and stomp Michigan State in the Big 10 Tournament, (At least that's how she described it). 


...The Cane Toad was imported to Australia control something years ago and unfortunately it decided to eat everything BUT what it was imported to control.   The Cane Toad is now a huge pest and for decades Australians have been looking for a way to exterminate them. ...  They discovered that if they put bait, they used wet cat food, near rivers and lakes at the right time of year, giant indigenous meat eating ants would come out of the bush and congregate around the water only to discover the freshly hatched cane toads crawling onto land for the first time. ...  First this was a very clever way to just redirect something in the environment to solve the problem without causing any more than a minimal impact. ...  It would have been nice to see something along the lines of "Come to Australia and See the Giant Meat Eating Ants Devouring Everything in Their Path."   I know it's something I would like to know prior to taking a trip to Australia, (which is now looking less likely). 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fencing</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-03-21T06:10:45-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/e43a60d6422ebef7c705f502643a43d9-92.html#unique-entry-id-92</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/e43a60d6422ebef7c705f502643a43d9-92.html#unique-entry-id-92</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This fence actually had done quite well but what was once a four foot tall deterrent to the deer in the neighbourhood hand devolved into a 2 foot high inconvenience. ...  So over the last week we first ripped the old one out, not as easy as it sounds as the bottom foot was buried and the rest was tangled with blackberries and other nasty weeds. 

...The fabric stapled to the cables seven feet above the ground, and to the neighbouring fences for a foot beyond on either side and tied to the posts and the posts from the previous fence which I had left in place for this purpose.   At the bottom the fabric was held down with 30 two-foot long steel stakes driven into the ground so that nothing can burrow underneath. ...  I was outside the yard and the only way I could get back was to scramble over the low place in our neighbours fence that, ironically enough, I knew about because I had seen deer hopping over in that spot before.&nbsp;


...When I say we I mean that Marsha is doing all the real work while I hit myself with a mallet because I find it less painful than accounting.&nbsp;


...Marsha and I toasted the Gophers brief NCAA appearance with the tiny glasses and as I took a sip to my surprise she tossed back her whole glass. 

...After: The plants cleaned up, the old fence removed, the new one put in and bits of white ribbon tied here and there to let the deer know it's there, they cannot see black fabric very well.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>It Only Hurt When I Laughed</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-03-28T06:09:22-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/b9dce226f3830362e0cc24003c906938-91.html#unique-entry-id-91</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/b9dce226f3830362e0cc24003c906938-91.html#unique-entry-id-91</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I've done this before and if I get to it quickly and the flake fits back perfectly it's almost not noticeable if you don't wear your glasses.&nbsp;


...I prefer the backing sheets from peel and stick labels, They are made specifically so the label glue won't stick, and they are thicker than waxed paper so they hold up much better and nothing soaks through.   The other thing I've learned is that if super-glue gets on your skin it will bond it immediately so I wear latex gloves. 

...I probably used a bit more than I needed but I wanted to make sure I had enough and the tube was about out so I was planning on discarding it anyway. ...  Now I just had to hold it in place for a few minutes and then peel the glove off and let it set to dry. 

...I decided to grip the plate in my left hand and call up one of the episodes on my MacBook with my right. 

...So, I'm sitting there, my right hand stuck to the plate and the backing paper on the table, my left hand bonded in a speak-no-evil pose over my mouth and I couldn't get out. 

...As the latex glove had rolled off my hand it had picked up part of the beard and it was all caught in a knot over my lower lip. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Happy Easter</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-04-04T06:08:43-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/8862deb29a1d6026ce7e241e4789fc8e-90.html#unique-entry-id-90</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/8862deb29a1d6026ce7e241e4789fc8e-90.html#unique-entry-id-90</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Doug was suppose to have Friday and of course this weekend off, but Mother Nature apparently did not know or perhaps just did not care. &nbsp;  On Friday there was a big wind storm and it caused many electrical outages including both sites that Doug supports. &nbsp;...  He is off again this morning and we are hoping he will get things fixed in time to go to Barbara's for Easter dinner. &nbsp;

...Pipers Lagoon is one of our favourite places to walk along the ocean and we have included many pictures from there in prior emails.


...Last weekend, Doug and I went to a used booksale sponsored by the Friends of the Vancouver Island Library. &nbsp;...  So after the sale and running a few errands, we went home and I went to work in the garden. &nbsp; ...  I asked who it was and he said he had no idea because he could not find my phone in time to answer it, but they left a message. &nbsp;

...There are also a couple of pictures from the wedding shower Barbara and I attended on Sunday. &nbsp;]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Road Trip&#x21;&#x21;</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-04-11T06:07:57-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4f7ca1fb7c228f06bf7e0a07da729b02-89.html#unique-entry-id-89</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4f7ca1fb7c228f06bf7e0a07da729b02-89.html#unique-entry-id-89</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After the gonzo overtime needed to fix all the stuff that decided to break at the last minute and Marsha working every morning, we caught the 3:15 ferry out of Nanaimo and headed down the road.   We made it to Bellingham Washington the first night, then Klamath Falls Oregon the second and Carson City the next day about noon. 

...We ran across a Canby in Washington, Oregon and California in addition to the one in Minnesota. 

...The road to there went up a horrendously steep windy switchback that gained a couple thousand feet from the valley floor. 

...This was where a bunch of bands from the San Francisco area went after the end of the Haight Ashbury days in the '60s. 

...We've spent the last couple of days at Ruth's house, visiting, fixing what needs to be fixed, and sorting out computer problems. 

...While we were here Omar, a neighbour kid that Ruth has gotten to know well, came over to show off his new dog. ...  I made it a chew toy and we watched them playing with it for some time last night.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Road Trip Part Two</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-04-18T06:07:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2d61bb77f201ceb9cfeee10a9df6b6b8-88.html#unique-entry-id-88</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2d61bb77f201ceb9cfeee10a9df6b6b8-88.html#unique-entry-id-88</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As I mentioned in last weeks e-mail we took a road trip to visit Ruth in Carson City Nevada. ...  We recreated the list while we were on the road and my computer was missing a few addresses and had a few wrong ones.   I have that letter, along with this one and all previous letters out on our web site.&nbsp;


...The next day we drove on down I-5 through Seattle, Portland, and Eugene, before stopping in KlamathFalls. 

...The Prius is a real champ and doesn't show the 5 years and 50,000 miles we've put on it. 

...We cleared the border surprisingly quickly and made the 12:45 ferry which got us home a little after 3:00.   We were able to pick up Momiji and Geiger, unpack, run to the store for a couple items and get to sleep at a reasonable time. 

...It should be spectacular in a couple of weeks just like it was when we got here on the 30th of April in 2007. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Very Busy Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-04-25T06:06:20-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/53d76d2ebb11a4827bc4b27a858836d2-87.html#unique-entry-id-87</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/53d76d2ebb11a4827bc4b27a858836d2-87.html#unique-entry-id-87</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The next day in the Nanaimo Daily News was the headline "Lantzville Duo win Juno Award" along with a nice article about Bobs & Lolo and how they had won the award. 

...When we deposited it in the bank we also stopped and got half a yard of mulch for the back yard after stopping and picking a refill of a prescription. &nbsp;  Then we found out that the Windows we had ordered a few weeks ago were in and they would be out the next day to install them, then Zellers called and the gazebo/screen porch thing we had ordered was in.   So we got the porch, moved the mulch to the back yard, moved all the furniture away from the front of the living room so they could get at the windows. 

...I spent this week between other projects prepping it, pulling out the old giant drive, cleaning all data off the other two drives, and setting it up fresh. 

...After trying other colours we had left over from other projects I ran back to Home Depot, it was now ~8:00 Saturday night to get a quart of Shale Grey, a very pretty blue grey colour.   I placed the order, I think I was the only customer on the store and wandered around for a few minutes before heading back to the Paint counter.   The paint lady pulled the paint out and then realized that being it was the end of a long day she had mistakenly mixed a gallon. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Three Years</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-05-02T06:05:46-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/bd61d04dc7f0227ae79d830f0dc2ad4a-86.html#unique-entry-id-86</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/bd61d04dc7f0227ae79d830f0dc2ad4a-86.html#unique-entry-id-86</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I was painting the dining room so when the windows get installed tomorrow we'll be ready to move all the furniture back in. 

...On the other hand we moved, have had several jobs, bought a house, done significant remodelling to it, sold the Mini, sold one of the computers, gone on a trip to China and Japan for an eclipse, done a couple of trips back to Minnesota, and more. 

...We then had to reside in Canada for at least three of the next five years. ...  In the provence the big story is the Canucks beating the Blackhawks (hockey of course) and how scuba divers in Skaha Lake found a car that crashed in 1972 and solved a cold case disappearance. 

...A few years ago there was an ad on that summed it up called I Am Canadian


...It was wildly popular in Canada and the text can now be found on T-Shirts, posters, and a couple of Provinces put it in their official record.   I seem to remember some talk about making it the Canadian Pledge ofAllegiance, but that was considered a bit immodest so cooler heads prevailed.


...As I've been saying for a couple of years: We earn half of what we did in Minnesota and do it with one hundredth the stress. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Busy Week&#x2c; WWII&#x2c; and Canada</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-05-09T06:05:05-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c742005024cdfdd88dabb38d5cf21c89-85.html#unique-entry-id-85</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c742005024cdfdd88dabb38d5cf21c89-85.html#unique-entry-id-85</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The kind where the days go fast and you never have enough time for everything and yet you look around and say "I can't believe it's only Wednesday."? ...  They hadn't told us this but that's just one of the reasons we're less than impressed with this company. ...  They will have to come back for the half round window but all the regular ones are in so we could paint and start putting the living room back together. ...  The prepping and painting of the room was a lot of work but it did allow me to tell Marsha "Girls will talk smack-le about guys who can't spackle". 

...I may only be May but the snow pack on the mainland is so low, this morning we heard 65% of normal, that they are needing to conserve water now or they could be in serious trouble in August and September. 

...If you thought that Gordon Lightfoot, Celine Dion, Paul Anka, Michael Buble, Leonard Cohen, Percy Faith, Glenn Gould, K.D.Lang, Loreena McKennitt, Anne Murray, Paul Shaffer, Hank Snow, Shania Twain, Gino Vannelli, Rufus Wainright, and Neil Young were the only Canadians with musical talent this will change your mind.


...One part of the story that I hadn't known was that it was Canadian soldiers that were sent to liberate the Netherlands. 

...and as most of the Veterans are in their 80's and 90's it'll likely be the last big gathering to mark the event.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Oddities In The News</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-05-16T06:04:32-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ef21adc51e07a94e3ad32c21f79bfc86-84.html#unique-entry-id-84</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ef21adc51e07a94e3ad32c21f79bfc86-84.html#unique-entry-id-84</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Here's a quick tip: When IT says "We need three to five days to get a new user and workstation set up" don't tell us about it the day he starts and then pull an old system out of the closet and assume it will work. 

...Apparently the train was moving very slowly and he thought it would be cool to stick his face in between two of the cars as it crept by. 

...I'm sure all of you have been following the disaster off the coast of Louisiana with the collapses oil platform and the ongoing discharge of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf.   That problem won't be finally solved until they drill a relief well, which will take weeks, and then either divert the oil or pump in enough concrete to plug up the hole. ...  Because of this, as part of their permit to drill in the arctic, BP was asking for a waiver so they can wait as long as a year to cap a blowout well.   When the MPs (Members of Parliament) asked how they would control a runaway such as happened in the gulf until the relief well was drilled BP executives answered 'we don't know'.   Considering what is on the TV news every day this may not have been a good strategy to win over an already sceptical Parliament and Canadian public.&nbsp;


...A blind girl flying on United Airlines from BC (she's from Courtney here on the Island) to meet her fiance' in Florida ran into a bit of trouble. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Victoria Day Weekend</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-05-23T06:49:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/b58ef19b8c73d6d1273f9a1b56b538cf-83.html#unique-entry-id-83</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/b58ef19b8c73d6d1273f9a1b56b538cf-83.html#unique-entry-id-83</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[So I had pancakes and bacon waiting for her when she got home at 7:00 that morning. 

...We get a three day weekend a week earlier than those of you south of the border. ...  The last three day weekend here was when we had this huge rain and wind storm and I ended up working over 30 hours over the three days.   This time it looks like we're OK. We've had rain but overall it's not been too bad. ...  The north-eastern corner of BC, along the Peace River near the corner of Alberta got hammered with a late spring snowstorm.


...As I mentioned earlier it's been a rainy week and we know why. ...  The morning the first piece of lumber was nailed in place, raindrops started falling and for the rest of the week the harder the crew worked the harder it rained. ...  Finally at noon he called it off for the day and sent his crew home because it was just coming down so hard. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sentimental Accounting Dynamics</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-06-06T06:48:20-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/016dfed617025345ad48a11d849cf680-82.html#unique-entry-id-82</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/016dfed617025345ad48a11d849cf680-82.html#unique-entry-id-82</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[At the time I hadn't prepped it but here now is a link to a video of my cousin Mike playing and singing. ...  He has a full time job as a school teacher and does this evenings and weekends, (that is until next year when he retires and can play all he wants).


...We also got a couple of videos of Bobs and Lolo but performance is their business so I won't be posting them. 

...A couple of weeks ago I ran across an article about how to keep a relationship together that brought the whole subject into focus. 


...The conclusions for couple durability should remain valid in a less ideal scenario as long as the formulation of the second law (of thermodynamics) is considered valid. 

...I'm also thinking of sending this part of the article on a card to Mario and Robyn with all of our wedding pictures:&nbsp;


...When Marsha got inside (after stopping the bleeding that is) she found the two of them sitting in a corner licking and grooming each other only pausing to glare at her from time to time.   As aloof as cats are they do form bonds and we now know the bond between Geiger and Momiji is stronger than either of their bonds to us. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Random Vignettes from a Busy Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-06-13T06:47:24-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/87e965b7f39e4ba9c69f7aaf1ee2650a-81.html#unique-entry-id-81</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/87e965b7f39e4ba9c69f7aaf1ee2650a-81.html#unique-entry-id-81</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Rather than this being a disaster, my boss quite wisely saw this as an opportunity to pull the e-mail server out and take it to Victoria.   He'd been wanting to do this but didn't have an excuse for the e-mail system to be down for the day. ...  Once there we installed the server and Marsha and I had a few hours to wander around town before we needed to head back to Nanaimo.&nbsp;


...We started talking to him, he seemed to like to talk more than sell stuff, and when I mentioned I was really more of a fossil collector he pulled out his 'private stash'. 

...After that we headed back to Nanaimo and I worked into the evening bringing systems up at Nanaimo and making sure everything was working properly.&nbsp;


...At the end of the day though we had to take the cats into the vet for their annual check up and vaccinations. 

...Literally an hour after they got the last piece of sheathing on the roof it cleared off and has been beautiful ever since. 

...This evening I ran over to do some plumbing at Barbara's and then tonight we're going to crash early.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Gender Based Autoantonyms</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-06-20T06:46:40-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2065c29086a1d94d9b7a1561a26bc345-80.html#unique-entry-id-80</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2065c29086a1d94d9b7a1561a26bc345-80.html#unique-entry-id-80</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Apparently&nbsp;Winston Churchill once said "Americans and British are one people separated only by a common language" (though he may have been quoting Wilde or Shaw).&nbsp;...  Men and women have a different language, the words may be the same but the definitions can be different. 

...Felix walks by and says "I'm going to take a shower". 

...Jill walks by and says "I'm going to take a shower". ...  Jill hears "Oh my god, thank you, thank you, it's bloody well about time, the cat's eyes were beginning to water". ...  This is the first thing to remember in a relationship: When she gets mad at him, and she will, most of the time he won't have any idea why. 

...Of course Mary isn't OK but it's Jill's way of offering moral and spiritual support.&nbsp;


...This, in conclusion, is why when I drop a plastic fork on the kitchen floor and Marsha pipes up with "Honey, are you OK?" ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>An Eventful Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-06-27T06:46:02-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c3cec37c8da9b826e5adc543f9ea1a45-79.html#unique-entry-id-79</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/c3cec37c8da9b826e5adc543f9ea1a45-79.html#unique-entry-id-79</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In the closest town to the centre of the 'quake a hundred year old church lost its steeple and there was other damage but I don't believe anyone was hurt. 

...The show was in the Food Court of the mall so there weren't regular chairs in rows, more of a mob with people sitting and standing everywhere. 

...So Mike was at Barbara's house, that's where his boat is setting on a trailer, painting. ...  Then it's on the ground, often laying on his back with a brush in one hand and the paint tray setting next to him. ...  Then once that had dried he had to shift the boat in the trailer enough so he could paint the spots where the hull had been in contact with the trailer. 

...She ended up with a gallon of old fashioned be-careful-that-it-doesn't-dissolve-the-brush paint thinner. 


Ten minutes later out in the yard Barbara and Mike, well mostly Barbara, were using the thinner and a supply of paper towels and an old fine toothed comb to get the paint out of Mikes hair. ...  Barbara is wearing an apron, glasses, and rubber gloves, while she pours the noxious liquid ON MIKES HEAD. It looked a bit odd to say the least. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Marsha Puts Up With So Much</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-07-04T06:45:03-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/baaa2a16244a77383a8051579a57181a-78.html#unique-entry-id-78</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/baaa2a16244a77383a8051579a57181a-78.html#unique-entry-id-78</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[She mentioned that I shouldn't put the container back in the freezer with only a tablespoon of ice cream. 

...We've enjoyed the ones we have, one or two berries per day has been a nice treat, so why not some more.   So she prepped a space in the garden and we set out in search of some strawberries on clearance in the Superstore or Canadian Tire garden section. ...  Well, two doors down from her place, along the side of the road was a little table with some pots on it and a sign saying Free Strawberry Plants. 

...The trouble is that it's very very hard to write something Orwellian when it's sunny, fresh strawberries come in the door every day, birds are singing, bees are flying from flower to flower, and the cutest newborn fawn just sproinged across the front lawn. 

...Then each week some of the carpet would go into the trash, there's only two of us so we never seemed to fill up our container anyway. ...  Little by little, piece by piece week after week, I disposed of three rooms (living room, dining room, and we still had some left from the bedroom) of carpet. ...  What's even stranger is that I mentioned this saga to my mother and apparently back in the 1960's my dad did the same thing with an old sofa the trash man wouldn't take. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Visitors</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-07-11T06:38:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5617a30a0e506fa1e18258cf98a9dede-77.html#unique-entry-id-77</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5617a30a0e506fa1e18258cf98a9dede-77.html#unique-entry-id-77</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I worked a short day and Marsha went down to get them. ...  I got 6 hours in and knocked off at 11:00 when Paige and Allan finally woke up. ...  The idea of working at 5:00 am was not even something they could understand.   The rest of that day was nice except that it was HOT. Worst of all it was absolutely still. ...  It was nearly 11:00 that night by the time we got everyone to bed. ...  Dinner was pizza, Canadian TV, and free internet access for the kids while the adults went down to the pub for Fish & Chips and a pint.   (I of course being a Vegetarian and the designated driver had neither, opting for the traditional Vegetable-Hippi-Mix and a glass of seawater.) ...  We allowed a lot of extra time so we could wander around Chemainus and have lunch and then in Victoria took in the Harbour Craft Fair and Ska Festival. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Theatrical Musings</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-07-18T06:37:22-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/90d8e1e969f99b57d46caf03fdba1d61-76.html#unique-entry-id-76</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/90d8e1e969f99b57d46caf03fdba1d61-76.html#unique-entry-id-76</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What we found was a very nice small theatre, with a lobby, proper seats, ushers, very clever sets on a two level stage, professional actors, musicians, and dancers. ...  The play itself was very nicely done, singing, dancing, gambling, comedy, romance, misunderstandings, coincidences, everything you expect in a good musical comedy. 

...I've got a Horse Right Here (aka Fugue for Tinhorns), Luck Be a Lady, Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat, I knew them from when I was a kid. ...  I had to look up the musical (Best Foot Forward by the way, a show that I swear I'd never heard of) on Wikipedia.&nbsp;


...Despite that we knew the songs and used lines from South Pacific, Man from LaMancha, Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, Brigadoon, and on and on. ...  Oh we did have lots of music around the house Classical, Opera, Jazz, and Folk but no records of Broadway musicals. 

...The perspective, the lights at the top, the stairs at the bottom, the drop-shadows, the tree and planter, the curved wall, all are painted on this flat wall. 

...We don't know what it is but it cast a big shadow on the curtain, which is how we noticed it. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Suffering Saskatchewan</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-07-25T06:35:49-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/9ab94d2cf4f91b227401f46ecdd71f6c-75.html#unique-entry-id-75</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/9ab94d2cf4f91b227401f46ecdd71f6c-75.html#unique-entry-id-75</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Our neighbours, Penny and Dave were back there (they are from the area originally) and one of the kids (I use kids carefully as they are now in their 30s and have kids of their own) said to Penny "Oh I don't remember a lake on this side of town. ...  Some of you may remember the flooding in the upper Midwest in the mid 1990s when from space it looked like there was another Great Lake running from Southern Minnesota through Iowa, into Northern Missouri. ...  Penny said that in the two weeks they were there there were periods when it rained hard for several days at a stretch. 

...The reason our neighbours (Dave and Penny) were there was, and those of you that follow us on Facebook may remember me mentioning this, that Dave's dad had been washed away in the floods. ...  It did have a couple of inches of water over the road but it really didn't look too bad so they tried to ford it. ...  What they didn't know, because it was hidden by the muddy water, was the road had been washed out and where it looked like there was only a couple inches of water was actually a 30 foot gap where the water was 14-16 feet deep. 

...So our neighbours ended up in Yorkton with the rest of their family for nearly two weeks while they searched, and then made arrangements, and had the funeral. ...  Every Ukrainian Orthodox minister from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Manitoba was in Winnipeg and no provision for any 'fill in' staffing had been made. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Intruder Alert</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-08-01T07:22:09-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/1de014c0a539fea19970b630cef8a450-74.html#unique-entry-id-74</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/1de014c0a539fea19970b630cef8a450-74.html#unique-entry-id-74</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The first part went Ok. Then when I went to the LEFT hand side of the yard where I surprised a full grown deer. ...  When I went to open the south gate he assumed that both gates had people in front of them and ran to the back of the lot. 

...As far as damage was concerned Marsha and did notice some smashed shrubbery, hoof prints in the mulch, and most importantly, my tomato's were decapitated. 

...To digress a bit, at the same time as the tomatoes I also got a flat of bell pepper plants. ...  We did ask about what might have caused the problem with the peppers and tomatoes &nbsp;and the answer we got from one source was 'Too much nitrogen. ...  In college I raised a fair number of them (My gardening friends used to call me Agent Orange which I was told was quite a compliment). 

...Then that night I went in to get ready for bed, turned on the light, and jumped when I saw Dad staring at me out of the mirror.   OK Dad didn't have a beard and I'm a little thinner from the cheekbones down, but eyes, forehead ears and haircut was the image of my dad. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Hoisting a Pint at the Smoke &#x26; Foam</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-08-08T07:21:10-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/715dac22e71af723d111a08c0b623c87-73.html#unique-entry-id-73</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/715dac22e71af723d111a08c0b623c87-73.html#unique-entry-id-73</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If they find you with a camp fire everyone near the fire gets a ticket (that starts at $345 and goes up from there), not just the one who built it. 

...There have been no fires around us, but the smoke has been coming across the water and it's been like a bad day in LA. ...  A number of towns in the province have even been ordered to evacuate, and firefighters everywhere are on full alert, ready to jump at a moments notice. 

...One group though that likely won't be doing much is the fire department in the little town of Oliver in the Okanagan region of BC. ...  Whatever the reason, the 30 firefighters are now serving their suspension on a rotating basis with one being out each week till the end of the year.   This is, I suspect, both so the town is not without fire protection, and because if more than one of them are off at any one time they'll have a party.


...Compare this to Quebec where a pint may refer to what we'd call a quart, that is unless they decide to go metric on you when it means half a liter. 

...One thing I will say though is that a good pint of of whatever size really takes the smoke out of your throat, something we've sorely needed this week. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Good Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-08-15T07:20:28-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4f9eb7cc8808201ebbac11e8040f114f-72.html#unique-entry-id-72</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4f9eb7cc8808201ebbac11e8040f114f-72.html#unique-entry-id-72</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We've been getting ready for Rick, Jody, Jessica, and Jacob to visit, (Marsha's family) and the cool evenings have been wonderful for cleaning the house. 

...And with my new hours (I think I mentioned I moved my working hours from 9-5 to 7-3 so now I have a bunch of time off in the afternoons) I can go berry picking with Marsha. ...  I thought I'd lost my crop to the invader a couple of weeks back but they've been recovering nicely. 

...The up side of it is that they waved the charge for the dentist's exam and gave her a gift card for Tim Hortons which was nice I thought. 


...They had been a little iffy, dry rot, moisture damage, and general wear and tear from sitting around for almost two decades, so we had Dave, the handyman from next door come over. ...  He has a little pickup truck with SuperDave: Handyman on the side and he runs all over town doing carpentry, roofing, fencing, plumbing, locks, whatever needs done. ...  He removed the old posts and railings, set the glass panels to one side, made new parts out of treated lumber, reassembled the whole thing and once we paint it you won't be able to tell that we did anything whatsoever. 

...I've been jogging on the treadmill and apparently raising the time and speed over the last couple of weeks was too much. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Family Visiting</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-08-22T07:19:11-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2d3a19bbe8cf892a728941ab49793ce6-71.html#unique-entry-id-71</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2d3a19bbe8cf892a728941ab49793ce6-71.html#unique-entry-id-71</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What we didn't know however was that the city would be paving just down the block and Rutherford Road would be blocked off. ...  Apparently the city decided sometime late Friday that it would not be a good idea to close a major road (Hammond Bay) in time for Friday morning rush hour. ...  We let the flaggers know what was going on and they were really good about getting a mostly lost family in a Washington State rental car to where they needed to go. 

...So it was a quick trip to Canadian Tire for fishing licenses, run home for coats, and then back up to Nanoose to drop them off. 

...When they are doing 45 in a 70 zone and have a dozen or two cars backed up behind them they are supposed to take advantage of the passing lanes and slow vehicle turnouts. &nbsp;

...From Tofino we went up the road for a bit and then (after a bit of hunting around) found our way to a proper beach that faced the open Pacific. 

...The Mars is one of those planes that is so big that you don't know how big it is until you see it close up. 

...Not only did Rick find out about the house, he arranged for a friend to go over and run an extension cord from the shed to the freezer in the basement, got the insurance process going and found a place for them to rent while they were rebuilding. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fall and Claws in the Morning</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-08-29T07:18:13-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/84e112dbc31b52845fedb894607277e7-70.html#unique-entry-id-70</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/84e112dbc31b52845fedb894607277e7-70.html#unique-entry-id-70</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[You see Geiger really knows what time it is, (to answer the question put by the band Chicago, and yes he really cares). ...  More like about three and a half million year old memories of a morning in Africa when an Australopithecus was about to have a really bad, albeit a short, day. 


Anyway , so I was up at 5:00 this morning and as I staggered through the dark kitchen trying to not step on cats that decided that right now in the dark with a half asleep human crossing the room was the perfect time to flop over and beg for a belly rub, I glanced out the back window. ...  The fact that the Hallmark store has their entire Christmas collection on display and Zellers has started to refill the Back-to-School aisle with cases of gift wrap and heavy coats. 


...But these are few and far between and I just chalked them up to fatigue on the part of those that did the really hard and dirty work of climbing through the scorched and soggy mess that is the house, digging all the stuff out and writing it down.


...We had ordered the usual Veggie, Cheese, Meat, and Tuscan but when the pizza's arrived everyone was out on the deck and we hadn't told them what we'd ordered. 

...Soon the kids will be back in school and we'll need to watch for many more people walking up and down our hill. ...  Soon I will be wearing my coat again and for the first time in 4 months will finally have enough pockets for all the tools and phones I carry. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>I Can&#x27;t Believe You&#x27;re Leaving Me</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-09-06T07:16:06-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/8066a5eba9e2e643051690fec2d47f61-69.html#unique-entry-id-69</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/8066a5eba9e2e643051690fec2d47f61-69.html#unique-entry-id-69</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The other place is a townhouse with nearly twice the floor space, 3 bedrooms, nearly as much storage space as this house but inside, not underneath accessible only from the back yard. 

...They tend to be a bit more expensive than where we usually shop, except for once a year when they do their Caselot Sale. ...  With winter coming on it also seems like a good time to lay in a dozen cans of cream of mushroom soup, canned tomatoes, cereal, and tuna. 

...She would have to bundle up the cats and get out of the house without my help. ...  However, when we were in the cat food aisle (Friskies Temptations were also on sale) she started razzing me: "I can't believe you're leaving me". 

...As it turned out I was able to fix what I needed to fix at Pacific Shores fairly quickly and get back to the house by 1:20.   Martin, one our realtors, showed up at 2:00 and we were able to get out without too much effort. ...  We did ask the cats if they wanted a salmon or tuna flavoured blizzard but they were both quiet so they did not get a treat. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Random Silliness</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-09-12T07:15:18-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/fbbca04ce1d5a4b00a0e4cd18ff5104e-68.html#unique-entry-id-68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/fbbca04ce1d5a4b00a0e4cd18ff5104e-68.html#unique-entry-id-68</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The night before she had said she wanted to get going early to work on her list of goals for the day. 

...The best part was that she actually answered, "You ask a stupid question of course" not noticing the silly grin on my face. 

...What we heard from Dave, our agent, was that they said "We would never buy a house on the left side of the street." 

...It seems that between getting a new Controller, converting to a new payroll system, moving most Accounting functions to Victoria, and getting a bunch of new Accounting staff, paying the car insurance fell through the cracks.   Steven cooled his heels for a couple of hours in Uclulet (there are worse places to be stranded), before they got the insurance sorted out and documents faxed to him so he was legal to drive.


...And speaking of bears, (once you've looked at the previous link you'll see what I mean), there was this bear in Whistler BC that really liked tomatoes. ...  (Note to our friend Anita: We didn't want to tell you the BC bear stories before you visited and stayed in the tent in the back yard. 

...They replaced the side of the Y that went to our neighbour's house but not the side that went to ours. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Watching a Lightn Rain Fall at Three in the Morning</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-09-19T07:14:25-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/01c6448bf3dac44ecd0d128e41926dbc-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/01c6448bf3dac44ecd0d128e41926dbc-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Last weekend we noticed that the For Sale sign in the window of the townhouse we were interested in purchasing was no longer in the window.   We had our realtor, Dave, &nbsp;call the agent who said "No it's still on the market, the sign must have fallen down." 

...The trouble was that while they were able to log into the new server, they had written so many special scripts and jobs that assumed they were on the old server that they were crippled. 

...That would not have been a big deal except that the work disabled the phone system so I had to do it at 2:00 in the morning. ...  Everything is working better now, none of the other guests were any the wiser, &nbsp;and we got to stay in the resort for the night which was cool.&nbsp;


...While everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder and rushing toward the same goal there are always a few that go their own way. 

...So while everyone is rushing toward a common goal, fighting traffic, standing in line, pushing papers, doing their job, maybe it's time to stop and think. ...  Remember, like those raindrops rushing toward a common goal we all end up together...in the mud. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Memorable Views</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-09-26T07:13:14-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/0b4c95ebac01975e87d375f7969253db-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/0b4c95ebac01975e87d375f7969253db-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Then we went to an estate sale where we found a few more things including a beautiful walnut wardrobe we got for $75. 

...He was dressed from the chest down in (very) skin tight neoprene rubber, from the tips of his toes to the top of his chest, (the front was of course straining to contain his stomach). ...  He was beaming and his first words were, "These are so warm I don't even have to wear pants". 


...Whatever the reason, Mike was chattering about how he'd gotten these half off and they included the boots too, heavy hiking boots with half inch thick soles of white felt "so i won't slip when I step on the slime". 


...But just when it couldn't get any worse Mike walked over to me turned around and said "Ya wanna hitch me up a bit?"


..."You hold the back and I'll jump up and down to get it all the way on."


...He then proceeded to peel off the waders and put his pants back on right there in the living room while he talked to us about the great deal he'd gotten. 


Now I understand he was happy to get the waders, they were normally $300 plus the boots and he got them for $150 including the boots. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sage Advice and Pictures</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-10-03T09:54:03-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/6dec4caf2b7f8cf7324ca7183c8ec0fa-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/6dec4caf2b7f8cf7324ca7183c8ec0fa-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[One of the great philosophers of Canada, Red Green, once said that if you have nothing to say... 

...So after pondering this weeks letter for about an hour I realized that I have nothing to say.   It was a...week. ...  So I'm just doing pictures.   Even the pictures aren't from this week.   They are from a couple of weeks ago when we went down to the beach on a foggy morning.&nbsp;


Next week everyone is getting together at Barb's place for Thanksgiving.   Then I'll have something to say.&nbsp;
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Maceroni and Shreik</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-10-10T09:52:46-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ca9e40b4ca2363273530ce6800d42222-64.html#unique-entry-id-64</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/ca9e40b4ca2363273530ce6800d42222-64.html#unique-entry-id-64</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[OK, OK I can hear all of you out there saying "Well Duh", but no we aren't talking about the blue box. 

...It's like the difference between a McDonald hamburger and one you cooked on your own grill with real lean beef, fresh toppings, on a home made bun. 

...Real macaroni and cheese has good quality pasta, good cheese, a little milk to make the sauce, some spices, and is baked in a medium oven. ...  She kept trying and after three or four experiments it now has cheddar, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and parmesan, she uses cream instead of milk, and a few more spices. 

...Barbara has suggested there was something like a big dog or a racoon on the outside of the fence and he was reacting to that. 

...He runs from window to window, fur on end and tail as thick as a rolling pin searching for the intruder outside the windows. 

...He'll sometimes try to start playing with her, but to him playing is wrestling, and she sees that as a threat so she growls and hides. 

...Also the rains have hit so we likely won't be seeing much of Oscar or anyone else out back for a while. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Comedy of Errors</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-10-17T09:52:01-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/80cec584f1d0ff321cada2321b9eba76-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/80cec584f1d0ff321cada2321b9eba76-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In the years the Twins go to the playoffs, such as this one, and they meet New York, such as this one, they nearly always get eliminated by New York even if the Twins are the far better team.   This time the Twins got eliminated by New York in a three game sweep. 

...The announcer said that he'd never seen a team lining up to receive a kick-off right on their own goal line. 

...Friday there was the senior, well respected, news anchorman on CBC that was introducing a story on cricket farmers in BC, (They raise them to sell to pet stores as food for other critters.) ...  What came out was "Some may like them but others find nothing more annoying than the sound of a critic in the middle of the night". 

...This time I used a wonderful lemon basil linguini and figured that with olive oil italian seasoning and a bit of onion it would be good. 

...And in other odd news there was the guy who left his telescope out and it set his deck on fire


...Hope you all have a good week or at least better than the Twins, Lions, Gophers and Vikings.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Rules and Tribulations</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-10-24T09:50:58-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/07dfabc290ff204ea303845fd9e34a2b-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/07dfabc290ff204ea303845fd9e34a2b-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Pull out the window kit, put the double sided tape all around the frame, stretch the plastic film over the window and then use a hair dryer to shrink the plastic so all the wrinkles are gone. 

...Oh, they are hard to find, but there are usually some tucked away in the back of the closeout table behind a tattered box of Christmas lights and an ugly ceramic votive candle holder. ...  The guy had gotten low E, double glazed, IR coated, plastic framed, super efficient windows installed throughout his house and figured he wasn't going to need them any more. 

...We don't have three patio doors but when you do find these kits on the closeout table the First Rule is that you grab them, regardless of what size they are. 

...I won't be able to adjust them once the plastic goes on so the Third Rule is make sure the blinds are where you want. 

...On the other hand should you miss something by spring it might make an interesting science fair project for any middle school kids you've got hanging around the house.   I had just about gotten the plastic all shrunk up tight when I ran afoul of Rule Six, don't touch the plastic with your heat gun. 

...He flailed around, snagged on the curtain, and as I tried to catch him landed with a thud on the floor and looked up at me with an accusatory glare. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Home Made Stuff</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-10-31T09:50:07-07:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/31d2bce5e65a1a0bb7519e2be8e6013d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/31d2bce5e65a1a0bb7519e2be8e6013d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It came out great and the best part was the knowledge that I raised all the stuff with my own two hands. ...  <EDIT: In truth I did most of it, Marsh> &nbsp;It's been very satisfying and the chilli came out great!


...As many of you know I have made our Christmas Cards since the early '90s. 

...What most don't realize is that I create a lot of cards and then We** sort through them and decide on the one to use. 

...Somewhere out there on the Internet there may actually be an Eau 'd Tunafish and with my luck I'd end up with a bottle &nbsp;of the stuff this Christmas.


...was amusing but&nbsp;it might give the younger members of our audience (of which as far as I know we have none) bad ideas.


...**"We" is defined as when I show something to Marsha and the reaction is "Ha Ha Ha Ha, No, because....". 

...You also can see it on the Xmas Card Archive mentioned above, but I won't be putting it out there until mid December.&nbsp;
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>An Eventful Week</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-11-07T09:48:16-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5e84bfecc979512a6e2637eba900f84d-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/5e84bfecc979512a6e2637eba900f84d-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[While true, the article even mentions he has more hair and likely he also has more of his original teeth than Messier as well. 

...In a debate those of you in Minnesota will find very familiar they wanted to replace the roof with a retractible one. ...  However it came out this week now that the roof is half done, that he roof can be left either open or closed. 

...Sure the quality of BC Bud, as it's called, may have been better but they would have lost out to the cheap California weed. 

...Of course we not only live in BC, which to much of the rest of Canada is still the western fringe, in more than a few ways.   We live on an island off the coast of BC.This makes us particularly isolated from the centre of all things Canadian. ...  Even a special order part like this would &nbsp;arrive from anywhere in the US in just a day or two. 

...Another nice thing about here is that the city of Nanaimo really seems to care about those of us that live here. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>For Want of an Oven</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-11-14T09:47:26-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/7ab35712b902bb1901a4009cddbf72e9-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/7ab35712b902bb1901a4009cddbf72e9-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I've been amazed for the last couple of weeks how one appliance going out can impact so many other things. ...  What's more it's come to our attention that we use the oven a heck of a lot more than we thought. 

...Scrubbing is not our idea of fun so other than a few bits of bacon Marsha is a vegetarian for a while (not that this bothered me at all mind you.)


...It's one of the oddest methods I've run across but it always works perfectly, far better than any rice cooker we've ever used and a lot better than on the stovetop. 

...Oh sure we can make a blue box on the stove, but now that we've had the real stuff out of the oven, all gooey and crunchy, it's really not adequate. 

...I put a plate in an oven set to 175 and keep the cakes warm until all of them are done. 

...In a few minutes I can turn it over, and in a few more I have one humongous inch thick pancake that I cut in half. 

...So it's been soups and microwaved things out of the freezer, spaghetti, &nbsp;sandwiches, and pancakes for a couple of weeks. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Of Dime and Tide</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-11-21T09:46:24-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4235a931ef80fd00c536ede7aaa6c3f0-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/4235a931ef80fd00c536ede7aaa6c3f0-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Though originally from Ontario, he fell in love with the Maritimes and is best known for his songs set on the sea. 

...But as I said Stan Rogers is best known for his songs of the sea. ...  As he said in an interview he loved the great sea shanteys they sang in Newfoundland but didn't know them well enough to sing lead.   So he wrote his own so they HAD to let him sing lead and now it's better known than most of the classic ones. 

...This is the closing bit of the film One Warm Line, a biography of Stan Rogers that I've been trying to find, hence the credits, but the music is good.


...The difference is where The Edmund Fitzgerald is a sweeping song of immense scale, White Squall is a very personal piece as were most of Rogers works.


...His records are still available on CD and on iTunes , 27 years after his death in a flash fire aboard an Air Canada flight in Cincinnati. 

...(I found this interesting: The aircraft Rogers was killed on had a series of incidents prior to the fire, including an explosive decompression that required extensive repairs to the tail section. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Road Trip&#x2c; Snowfall&#x2c; thenDay After</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-11-28T09:44:07-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/dd747fb1a201e2ec8e2c4e6fde9a60ed-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/dd747fb1a201e2ec8e2c4e6fde9a60ed-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The thing was, we needed to mail them before the end of November to make sure they would get over the border and be delivered before Xmas. ...  You know the staff of life.) so we decided to take a couple of days, run down there, see the exhibit, and pick up what we can't get here. 

...You have to understand we're not a fan of Casinos, but this one is very nice and the restaurant we went to was wonderful. 

...At that point we realized we'd seen and picked up everything we wanted so there &nbsp;was no reason to stay another night.   It was only 4:30 so we made a run for the border and got on the the 8:15 ferry and were home and in bed by 11:00.&nbsp;

...This is something she's been trying to get going for at least a year and finally it's started. 

...After battling snow and ice (it lasted FOUR whole days but it's all gone now) we decided to sleep in a bit. 

...We had to hold her for a good half an hour before she calmed down but the rest of the day they voluntarily kept away from each other. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Get the Holiday Feeling. Trad Lightly</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-12-05T09:44:03-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2736694ccb931da54f243550c19e2b3f-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/2736694ccb931da54f243550c19e2b3f-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Those of you that know me will understand that I'm not so much into hanging gaudy things around the house as Marsha is.   Throughout the process of pulling boxes out, hanging stuff all over, putting together strings of lights, and replacing all of our perfectly serviceable decorations with the seasonal kind, one thought keeps going through my mind: In less than six weeks we have to undo all of it.   Indeed for many years my only contribution to holiday bric-a-brac was a pair of plastic trees that I would pull out on December first and put in the bathroom. 

...This year though I decided that as Marsha enjoyed it so much we'd do the whole thing, two trees, all the ornament collections, the wall hangings, the crockery, everything.   After about half an hour the family room was full of boxes and the cats, that we'd locked in the bedroom could be released. 


...For most of this week the cats were a bit spooky with all the boxes coming and going and finally the empties getting stacked in the garage. 

...Why do I have a aversion to decorating for the holidays, I mean other than because I know it has to come down again in the near future? 

...Apparently, I was in the other room and didn't actually see him do this, he jumped up and tried to grab the glittery thing. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Let It Snow</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-12-12T09:42:12-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/1c0007998bc3bc6386d272ea3a216998-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/1c0007998bc3bc6386d272ea3a216998-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A group of military personnel and scientists on an isolated base and James Arness as 'The Thing' an alien vampire sort of creature that they have to fight off. ...  It was good to see blowing and drifting snow and have them needing parkas. ...  Oh we did get a bit of snow a week or two ago, but it was gone in a day or two.   Since then it's been temps in the 50s, light winds and a mix of sun and showers. ...  You know I think I'll go to DQ and get me a Blizzard just to remind me of living in Minnesota. 


...Where the big tree in the living room is Campbell Soup and Hershey's ornaments. 

...I now have The Grinch staring at me at me all day when I'm at my desk.


...He loves to push small objects off of tables just to watch them fall to the floor. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Good Neighbours</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-12-18T09:31:03-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/55d91e7a1732af4ab485696d0bd92b38-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/55d91e7a1732af4ab485696d0bd92b38-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Now our friend runs a business out of her house and clients will stop by so there are cars that come and go. 

...He planted a row of trees on his side of the fence line but there are three trees behind our friend&rsquo;s house and only two behind Nutty's.   That our friend has more frontage on the neighbours lot is apparently not an issue and you'd think that Nutty would like the even number of trees behind her house. ...  Nutty has filed many complaints with the city over that and other things (reports are they have a file of her complaints two inches thick, and I believe she only moved in in September.)


...Our friend: "You hired someone I don't know to come in to do something I don't want done and you expect ME to pay for it??"


...She picks her fights and she makes sure going in that she will win so when she says something is or isn't going to happen that's the way it's going to be. 

...In the conversation with the guy from the city our friend did say "You know I think she'd be more sympathetic to someone that runs a business out of her house. 

...There was a bit of silence on the line and then the guy from the city said "Hmm, We don't have a business license for that address or that resident."
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Superfluous Packaging</title><dc:creator>Douglas Aalseth</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home Page</dc:subject><dc:date>2010-12-25T14:28:11-08:00</dc:date><link>http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/be8cae2e98b79ed2a9a96ead05f218df-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://douglas.aalseth.net/blog-2/blog-3/files/be8cae2e98b79ed2a9a96ead05f218df-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Sure if I got something at Best Buy I might be able to convince her that it was for work but this is tough to do when it's from a jewelry or lingerie store.   There have been times that I've gotten back from one of the sites, walked in the door and the first thing Marsha has said is "Thank you for fuelling the car."   She's that on top of the books which is great, but it does make surprising her for Christmas rather difficult. 

...A few weeks ago when Marsha was at work I dumped all the change into a canvas grocery bag and stashed it in the bottom of my tool box in the garage. 

...For the next week, every time Marsha was out of the house I grabbed the bag and worked on my stash. ...  They weren't worth the work to count and with a layer of Pennies in the jar if Marsha were to drop change in she's hear it hit coins rather than the clankaty clank of them landing in an empty glass jar.&nbsp;


...The case the Nano comes in is almost exactly the size and shape of a ring box, something I was counting on to further misdirect her. ...  I had planned this out carefully and so the Nano was put in additional layers of wrapping to further hide it's true identity and then I put the whole thing under the tree.&nbsp;
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