All is good ...

Christmas is good, although when I think about it, for me it is more like Thanksgiving.  I really have to be thankful for the life I have and the family members and friends who make it special.
I was pleased to get a call from Scott a few days ago informing me that although Jennifer was working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, it was decided to have a nice Christmas Eve dinner at the house in Val Caron. And so it was. The evening was nice. Jenn showed up just before 8 p.m. The boys were there with their girlfriends. We had food, drinks and a really nice night around the tree to open gifts. Jenn had to go to bed early but Scott and I enjoyed the better part of a bottle of Jameson Whiskey.

I was more than surprised when Scott and his family gave me the most unexpected gift; a photography drone. I was so surprised … and pleased. I truly would never has purchased one myself, but now that I have it, I like it. I have had a couple of hard landings but nothing serious :)

I am now in the process of teaching myself how to use it. I have not yet been outside with it, but I have had about 20 flights so far, in my apartment. I am, at the stage of where I can make it take off, hover, move up and down, forward and back and turn. I figure if I can figure out how to operate this thing within the confines of my living room, I should be able to control it better when I am outside. It takes a bit of concentration but I am enjoying it.
I was also pleased to create a Christmas gift this year. I took a photo of the three grandchildren -- Nathan, Victoria and Tyler -- when they were in Westree at Thanksgiving. It's not often the three kids get together so I wanted to be sure to grab a nice photo now that they are young adults. Then I photoshopped the picture for a watercolour effect. At the bottom, I did the Hallmark thing and added a verse from a famous Dolly Parton.  I gave a copy to Denise & Don, and Jennifer & Scott. I figure the message can be from the kids to the family, and also from the family to the kids.  I hope they like it. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)

Don't answer

I am not getting it. Yes, there is a definite increase in the number of scam calls people are getting on their phones. I feel terrible for people, mostly older folks, who have been ripped off by callers pretending to be from Canadian Revenue Agency.

At the risk of sounding preachy, there is a solution. Don’t answer the phone.

I am from the generation that had telephones fixed to the wall in the house. If there was a call, the phone rang and rang. If you got to the phone before the caller hung up, fine. If not, oh well. No big deal. If it was an emergency, they would call back. Calls that came during supper were not answered.

For some reason, people these days think they MUST answer their phone.

Even with Caller I.D. that shows an unfamiliar number, people will still answer. I don’t get it. Nothing is that urgent, especially when the number is not familiar.

And if you do answer the phone, thinking oh this could be a family emergency, well fine. But as soon as you find it is not an emergency, hang up.

The new toy ...

Well it was 10 years ago this week that I purchased the old Dodge Nitro 4X4. Now I have a new toy, a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.  It was about time to get a newer vehicle. The lady at the dealership had to spend 20 minutes teaching me about all the fancy features. I just wanted to know how to turn on the heated seats :)

My parka came back

Well I am pleased as I can be today. My parka was mailed back to me from Canada Goose. I sent it to Toronto ($23 by Canada Post) to have the fur around the hood replaced ($50). They did a nice job with that. Then they gave it a full inspection, checked it over and repaired all the tiny rips and loose threads from 12 years of use. Warranty - free of charge.  They also replaced the reflective tape. The return shipping was free and included a new heavy duty Canada Goose garment bag for storing the parka during the summer. I am impressed.

I figure the parka should be good for another five years. Which is interesting because my first winter parka, made by Woods, lasted for 17 years. Here is an old photo taken in December 1979 when I had that first Woods parka. This was taken in Greenland, following a trip to Baffin Island. Good times.