Ron is okay

I had an interesting, and lengthy, phone chat with Ronald yesterday. It was his birthday. But that's not interesting. He is doing well... and that is interesting because last week he had surgery for prostate cancer. That's probably why we spoke for more than half an hour. We never to do that. But it was good to catch up and find out about his episode with the Big "C". It turns out that he went for his yearly physical and they noticed that the PSA levels in his blood (prostate specific antigen) had spiked. So then he went for more tests and after a quick biopsy, it was determined Ron was positive for prostate cancer. He had the option of chemo, radiation or surgery. He chose the surgery. Good choice. He is now doing fine, but he has to walk around for a couple of weeks with a funny little bag to collect his urine. The things you gotta do to keep the doctors happy eh? So our conversation was partly about the fact that Cancer runs in our family. It killed our Dad, and several others. So that settles it. After the conversation with my little bro, I am determined to go for the PSA test. My next doc appointment is in December, so we'll take it from there. Good thing Ron has annual physicals. It's an army thing. I rarely go to see the doc unless something hurts. But in this case, I will make an exception. So if they find anything wrong with me... I will let you know, ... after the surgery. :)

Smells good eh?

Today was one of those days when I was inspired to do some winter cooking. I was shopping for fresh produce; lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers and such when I noticed the celery and remembered I still had plenty at home. The celery kicked off a memory of a friend who made a huge batch of chili in early September. Well, that did it. So I rushed around getting what I needed and now my kitchen smells fabulous. The only difference is that instead of ground beef, I bought ground chicken. So this will my first “chicken chili”. One other thing about shopping that grinds on me is that I have to buy smaller packages of things like bread and buns. Quite often I will open the bread or buns only to find little spots of mould. I just don’t eat it fast enough I guess. I notice that most of the bakery stuff I buy doesn’t last longer than a week before the mould happens. I guess that’s a good thing because there are fewer preservatives. I noticed one bag of bagels I bought lasted almost three weeks before I got tired of looking at them and tossed them out. They come six to a package and I had eaten only three or four, but they never got mouldy. The other thing to consider is that the bakery store is next to the liquor store. So if I don’t need to go to the liquor store, I don’t always get fresh bakery items. Maybe I should visit the liquor store more often. Ha ha.

Soup, soup, soup!

Oh yeah, today was a soup day! Woke up and there was snow on the truck and a bit of ice on the windshield. It was just chilly all day. Got home a bit early and was thinking about supper, when I noticed I had a couple of beef ribs in the fridge. Aha! Soup. Boil up them nice meaty ribs, a bit of pepper, couple chunks of celery, onion, a turnip, chopped up carrots, can of tomatoes, a small handful of pasta. Simmer, simmer, simmer. I had to run out to a photo shoot, but I got home just a while ago. Cut up some nice warm crusty bread, add a bit of butter and a chunk of cheddar. Yum, yum, yum. Suddenly everything is warm and the chill is gone! This calls for a wee glass of whiskey!

Reading something new ...

I got out of my comfort zone today of reading spy novels, techno thrillers and history. Like a lot of Canadians, I felt intense pride upon hearing that Alice Munro of Wingham, Ontario has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I don’t believe I have ever read her stories, but today I bought one of her books; The Moons Of Jupiter. If the reviews of thousands of others are any indication, I am confident I will enjoy reading Munro’s work. I have a good stock of wine and a nice rib-eye ready for the pan. I will let you know. But it’s not yet lunchtime and I have some housework to do.

What would Forrest Gump say?

I think I believe in creativity as much as the next guy, but Hollywood writers really suck these days. Yeah, I know they probably make tonnes of money, but they still suck. I am referring to all the movies and story-lines about vampires and zombies. Enough already! I guess they are responding to market demand, otherwise Hollywood wouldn’t spend the money to produce movies about such dumb things. I guess the real culprits are the movie fans who spend good money to see this crap. I wish I could find these people and tell them stupid stories and take their money. Like Forrest Gump said, stupid is as stupid does. We need more stories like Forrest Gump.

A really great weekend

Thanksgiving weekend was great. I am just back in Timmins this afternoon after spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Jenn and her men. I really enjoyed it. Totally relaxed. Jenn mentioned a couple of international news stories... and I had no idea what she was talking about. I zoned out and enjoyed three days of reading, a bit of TV and enjoying the company of the boys. Nathan and Tyler are both getting taller and a bit older. So I was able to share with them some funny stories of the silly things I did when I was their age. I really think the boys are enjoying a particularly good time in their lives right now. They're building friendships that will likely last a lifetime. And they're at that age where they can appreciate good times and fun without having to carry any responsibility. I envy them... a bit. It was busy enough too. Nathan had to go one hockey game in Saturday and Tyler had a game in Elliot Lake. So Ty, Jenn and myself drove over to Elliot (2 1/2 hours) for that game. Saturday was glorious with the sun shining and beautiful fall colors along the North Shore. The boys' teams both enjoyed wins. And then we sat down to watch the Leafs Saturday night, and that was another win for our favourite team. This is the first Thanksgiving dinner in several years that we didn't enjoy the company of Don and Denise, or Chris, Victoria and Demetrios. I know it will be nice to see them again at Christmas. Sunday we enjoyed a nice turkey with potatoes, turnips, carrots, stuffing and gravy. Jenn made a really nice strawberry/raspberry shortcake dessert with whipped cream too. One thing I did this for the first time this year was to buy a fresh turkey, instead of a frozen one (Jenn's suggestion). It was excellent (Thank you Mr. Butterball). Jenn had an even better week that expected since Neil was in Ontario for a few days to attend a wedding in Toronto last week. (Nooo! Not his wedding! LOL) and so he was able to scoot up to Sudbury for a couple of days. Jenn said it was a great visit and she was indeed happy to see him. I was stuck in Timmins working on deadline, and so couldn't get down to Sudbury on time. Neil continues to 'Live the Life' in Vancouver. I am sure I will have to make a another trip out there. I am happy for him. Jennifer's studies are going well and she said this coming week will be interesting. She will be on a nursing placement at a seniors' nursing home. She will spend several days looking after elderly patients, taking care of all their many needs. There are many un-glamourous things a nurse has to do looking after elderly folks, and so Jenn admits this will be something of a test for her.

I spent more time on dessert than making the dinner...

I put this on Facebook, but I thought I'd share it here also. This was a nice fall dessert on Sunday. Really intense flavours. Pears poached in red wine. The sauce was a reduction of the wine, a drool of maple syrup, a whisper of allspice, a slobber of strained puree of raspberries, the merest hint of dark chocolate and a splash of bourbon! I let the pears chill and the sauce was warm. The pears were cool, fruity and juicy and the sauce was incredibly tart, which I didn't expect. So it was nice.

Tea, tea and more tea

What's going on...? I have more coffee in this place than I can handle, but for the last three weeks I have been drinking nothing but tea. This morning I figured I might just fire up the Keurig and enjoy a quick coffee. For some reason I patiently boiled the water and waited for the tea to steep. In my mind, I find that coffee has been a bit too bitter lately. I have enjoyed a coffee while out on assignment lately, but at home when I want to relax or get ready for work, good old Red Rose has done the trick.

It's October alright.

In reference to my last posting here, I finished reading The Orenda by Joseph Boyden, a couple of weeks back. Yes, it was indeed a good read. I actually put off reading other books once I got into it. I enjoyed some "readers' guilt". I put aside everything else until I was finished the book... and several times a day, I would re-read a chapter, just to enjoy it more. Boyden is a great storyteller and the book is hard and gritty. I am tempted to go back and read some of his earlier books, knowing I will enjoy them more. Well Fall has certainly arrived in Timmins. We have some areas of nice colours but I am mildly disappointed with our weather. Last year at this time, we enjoyed some nice Indian Summer temperatures. Not this year. I found our summer months were too hot and September arrived with chilly temperatures just a bit too quickly. October reminds me too much of the passage of time. I find it goes too quickly. On the other hand, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving Dinner. The moose hunt is on here in the North and so I am putting out the word once again, that I so enjoy a nice tender steak. Here's a photo I shot last week. The lighting was good. I got lucky. I like the mix of colours.

Book signing

Okay, so maybe it was a bit of hero worship ... but I have never taken part in a book signing event before. I have seen them and covered them as news stories, but last night was the first time I bought the book and got it signed. The author was Joseph Boyden, who was in Timmins to spend some time with his sister Mary Boyden, who everyone seems to know well. Joseph was helping out at a fundraiser ... which just happens to be the same time as he is kicking off his national book tour for his newest novel, The Orenda. I have to say, this guy writes very well. I have read two of his first novels, Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce. Great story-teller. Oh by the way, he has won awards for both books. His last book won The Giller Prize. That should be enough to convince you to buy his books. I am reading two other books right now... but as soon as they're done, I will be reading The Orenda. I will be pleased to lend it out...

Space balloon!

Okay so I have always been fascinated by flight, and especially space flight. I was more than a bit excited this week when the first ever launch of a stratospheric space research balloon was launched in Timmins. For a whole bunch of scientific reasons, Timmins was chosen a year ago as the site of the balloon launch base by the Canadian Space Agency and the official space agency of France. The base has been built, the science people have moved in and the first launch ever from Timmins was held Thursday night. This balloon, nearly ten storeys high, can hold 100-thousand cubic metres of helium. Cool! The next launch, sometime in the next 72 hours, will have a balloon than can hold 800-cubic metres. Amazing or what... and the plastic is the same thickness (or THINness) of a dry cleaning bag.

Cleaning a fishy frying pan

I know there are some friends who will wonder how you can possibly clean a cast iron fry pan after you've fried fish in it. Of course, with cast iron, you never use soap. But you can get it clean. I just add some hot water and let it soak for a few minutes, and then I scrub it with a stiff dishwashing brush. I rinse it and pour the pan almost dry. Here's the good part. I throw in a tablespoon of baking soda and then scrub the pan again and let it soak for a few more minutes. The baking soda acts like an abrasive and it also removes any odors. I dry it with a paper towel, add a teaspoon of oil and rub it in. In five minutes the pan is like new!

Time passes, but life is good ...

I am not alone when I ask where has the year gone. I overheard some friends say the same thing earlier this week, when it was obvious that September had arrived. Perhaps we can be glad we all have so many things to do and keep us busy that we forget about the passing of time. I do know the summer was enjoyable. I saw my grandsons so often that I think I am getting new wrinkles from smiling and laughing so much. I saw the boys again just recently when I drove to Sudbury for the Labour Day long weekend. It was a nice time. Don and Denise were also in town briefly and it was nice to see them as well. We all headed out to the Ribfest downtown and that was a good way to spend a Sudbury Saturday night.
Back at work this week was a time for getting back in the groove as more and more newsy things are happening. Even today I will be out and about (That's oot and aboot for my American friends!)  to get some photos of things going on.
I am still enjoying the pleasant memory of a really tasty Friday night supper thanks to a few Westree pickerel fillets that made their way to my big cast iron frying pan. I didn't get fancy. Just dusted them with flour, added some fresh pepper, melted butter in the pan and within a few minutes, they were perfect. It doesn't get much than this ...

I also enjoyed a different beer. Wellington Special Pale Ale was new at the LCBO in Timmins this week,  so I grabbed some. It was great with supper. It was tasty and really crisp, not too hoppy, which is good. I cannot imagine enjoying fresh fish without a nice cold brew.

Steak

I recently finished reading a book about steak. It’s written by Globe and Mail columnist Mark Schatzker. I don’t usually write about what I have read unless I really, really enjoy it. Okay I really enjoy steak, but I found Schatzker’s book interesting, but not fulfilling. He travelled the world… from Toronto, to Texas to Argentina to Scotland to Japan, all in search of the perfect ribeye or strip loin. He was searching for the perfect beef flavour. In one sense I might have agreed with him. But it wasn’t until the very final pages of the book that he wrote about cooking the perfect steak. That’s what I wanted to read about. For all that I read, I am not changing my ways. I like my strip loin. I like it pan fried, cast iron, with a touch of olive oil for about eleven minutes. Then I let it rest for ten minutes. Sometimes I marinade, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I will really treat myself and get a ribeye. But the book has inspired me in the sense that I will try different cuts of steak, such as flank and maybe a T-bone (which I think are wayyyy overrated). I have had three steaks since I finished the book and each time I just added salt and pepper, nothing else, not even A1 Sauce or HP Sauce. All have been nice. Anyway, the book is okay. I wouldn’t buy my own copy, but the library should be helpful.

Such a nice visit...

Just noticed that I have a fridge full of healthy foods; things like fresh lettuce, broccoli, celery, carrots. I deliberately purchased this stuff because I know that Jennifer enjoys good fresh veggies and she likes to ensure the boys have them too. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, when Jenn and the boys came to visit Timmins this week our only nod toward really serious meal-taking involved some fabulous New York strip loin steaks we had Wednesday. Jennifer also made a salad that was so good we all had seconds on the salad. But after that, I enjoyed going off the garden path and into the land of chocolate-cake-breakfast, chips & poutine at Gillies Lake, and BBQ ribs at Auntie Sue’s place. We also went through three packages of Reese’s cups, Oh Henry’s and Hershey bars, not to mention the amazing cheese & onion potato chips. There was also the choco-banana milkshakes where we threw chocolate cookies into the blender with the swirling ice cream, just for fun. Those were so good. Well, I just checked the fridge and noticed that all I have to eat for the next week is good wholesome food. All the good junk is gone. I sure miss those boys!

Amazing Westree weekend ...

It was nice to enjoy another long weekend in Westree with the Alexander family. The big difference this weekend was getting to enjoy the time with just about everyone else in the community. It was the official celebration of Westree’s 100th anniversary as a community. I really enjoyed it. Aside from the amazingly clean fresh air, and the incredible peace and quiet, it was nice to chat with people at the Texas Horseshoes tournament. Another nice part was the release of the 100 anniversary book put together by Roger Latour and Denise Alexander. Unfortunately Roger died several weeks back and could not enjoy the event. Everyone seemed to agree though that Roger was there in spirit. The other good part of course was spending time with the Alexander household and enjoying Don and Denise’s hospitality. It was like Christmas all over again. I liked getting up early in the morning and enjoying the coffee and Bailey’s for breakfast… and then within a couple of hours, Denise would cook up and huge country breakfast. Another nice part was the fact that Demetrios brought his family to Westree. It was so nice meeting Nick and Helena, who were on their first ever visit to Northern Ontario. They’ll be spending a couple of weeks in the bush camping and fishing and I know they will sure have something new to talk about with all their friends in downtown Toronto.

Beat the parking ticket! Uh huh!

A good thing happened this week when I went to court. I won the case against my parking ticket. Yep, got the ticket back in May when I went to lunch downtown. Came out an hour later and saw the ticket. Wait a minute, I put money in the meter.

Sure enough there was still time on the meter. But this was no ordinary parking ticket… apparently, even though I paid the meter, I was getting in the way of daytime street sweeping. This was a $50 fine. Whoa! 50 buckaroos is a lot of money. So I challenged it, did some research and the court agreed. It seems the no-parking sign the city posted was an incorrect no-parking sign. So I was pleased I didn’t have to pay the $50. So were the four other people in traffic court who had the same tickets I did. I wonder how many people just paid the fine?

Work is noble ... Grandma said so.

I was just driving home from work, when I spotted a fellow on Cedar North, going door to door. He had one of those name tags for direct home sales and a clipboard. For an instant, I thought, ... just a pesky door to door sales guy. Then it hit me, words from my Grandma... All work is noble! Suddenly I empathized with the guy. He's young, clean cut, shirt and tie and it's 29 degrees out there. As I drove by I noticed that he seemed determined. It is certainly not a glamour job. Maybe he's a kid putting himself through university or college. The important thing is, he is working. There's a lot of people out there who act loud and proud and wouldn't do the work. That's too bad. Like Grandma said, work is noble. There is a good friend of mine in this town who had a very posh job a few years back. Suddenly, through no fault of his own, the job was eliminated. Sometime later, I ran into him ... he was working as a stock boy at Wal Mart. He was as cheerful as ever. I had to admire that. The guy picked up and kept working. And now he has another posh position... A government job no less(Ka-ching). So I have to remember that, work is noble. If somebody is working, they're doing their part to carry their load. They have my respect.

Good job Gillette!

It was last September I posted a note here singing the praises of the Gillette Fusion razor. And rightfully so. Since last July I have been shaving with Fusion blades and I have to say they are the best. Not only that, they're the most economical. Even though it costs $18 for a four-blade package, each blade lasts longer that a month... Usually five weeks. That is amazing. I am a fussy shaver. Not fuzzy! Fussy! If I don't get a clean shave I change blades right away. I can't believe how the Fusion blades stay so sharp for so long. Anyway, my first Fusion was a free sample give-away when I was on vacation in Toronto. So I tried it and liked it. Since then I have purchased three packages of blades, which have lasted more than a year. So with birthdays and Christmas still far off in the future, everyone knows now... watch for the sales! LOL

This is NOT a complaint

Living in Timmins, one learns not to 'complain' about warm weather. It's just one of those things. Winter here can be long and weary for some, so when the warm weather arrives most people embrace it. I do not. I hide. The heat just drives me down. I have been spending most of my days in the living room, perched in front of the fan, enjoying a book and a beverage. As a whiskey drinker, I have not been faithful. I think I might have had two glasses of whiskey in the past ten days. I have downed at least two litres of lemonade, a few more litres of iced tea and roughly one beer a day for the past two weeks. Beer just manages to quench a thirst like no other beverage. I also wake up earlier these days, have a cooling shower and rush in to work at about 6:45 or 7:00 a.m. I do get more work done, but then when I leave to go home, the heat is sweltering around 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. Oh well, just so you know, I am NOT complaining. : )