First ever southern vacation trip...

I have never been on a southern vacation before. It seems like such an ordeal to plan and carry it through, but now that I am here, it sure seems worth it.

 Wow, what a couple of crazy days we’ve had. The drive from Sudbury to Toronto Thursday afternoon was scary. We hit a bad snowstorm at Parry Sound and Scott had to follow a tractor trailer because he could barely see the highway. We got into Toronto around 9 p.m. We got the hotel room dumped our bags and then set off for dinner at a place called Jack Astor’s. It was nice and we were so glad to have a drink and relax.

Then we got back to the hotel, had another drink and decided to go to bed. Good thing. I think I had one whiskey too much. 3:00 a.m. and the hotel door opens. Hello Neil! My son was back from a rock concert and hanging out with friends and had to pay $50 in a cab to get from downtown Toronto to the airport Crown Plaza Hotel.

So we were all up and showering, shaving and re-packing the luggage at 5:30 a.m. Got down to the lobby by 6:07 a.m. to find a huge crowd of hotel guests all trying to catch the same shuttle to the airport as we were. So we were a bit disappointed for a minute. Then the drive came back into the lobby, saying he had room for four more! That was us. We were right at the front of the line for the next shuttle but he took us in the early shuttle. Lucky for us. We got into Pearson Airport just before 7:00 a.m. to find another crowd of Sunwing passengers all clamouring for registration. Well I bought the elite tickets so I got through quickly, but Neil, Scott and Jenn had to wait for the rest of famjam to show up to get through security together. That’s when the fun began. Sunwing originally sent us to gate B20, but because of the storm, some planes did not get back to Toronto on time, so they sent us to gate B27. The thing is, they would not admit there was going to be a delay, so we rushed like hell to the new gate. Then Sunwing announced a new gate again, this time gate C33. Again, more than 200 passengers rushed like hell to get to the new gate. Thank God for gray hair. As an almost senior citizen, they put me on one of those golf carts trolleys and gave me a free ride to the new gate. I gave the driver, a guy named Vincenze,  a five dollar tip!

So we all finally hook up at gate C33. All the family was there so we charge up our phones, grab some coffees, some bagel BLTs and have a nice little breakfast together. It was almost 9 a.m. and the flight was scheduled to leave at 9:15 a.m. Something told us this would not happen. The plane had not arrived at the gate, said the lady at the reception desk. Suddenly there was another announcement. All passengers with tickets for Sunwing Punta Cana please be advised of a gate change. This time we all rushed to gate B41 expecting to see our plane. No it was not there. So we sat for nearly three hours and finally we were able to board the plane just before noon. Once we got airborne, the flight was four hours to the Dominican Republic and then it was more than an hour getting through customs and immigration. There was also roughly an hour of sitting on the taxiway at Punta Cana airport waiting our turn to disembark I should have mentioned earlier.  By the time we got to the hotel for check-in it was close to 8 p.m. That’s okay, everyone showered, got fresh and we hit the dining room. OMG it was so good. Did I mention that Cesar, the hotel guy, gave us all a Presidenté Cervesas beer on the bus ride in from the airport.

Anyway, after supper, which included substantial amounts of seafood, salad, pasta, and sushi and more beer, we decided we needed a walk. But not before stopping at the bar in the main lobby where we all loaded up on some tropical cocktails… you know the type, double shots of rum and tequila and juice and fruity things. Well it was an excellent tropical evening with a soft breeze blowing in from the ocean.

So the boys had the bright idea of going down to watch the waves crashing in on the beach. It was excellent to stand there and watch the moon rise and smell the fresh salt air and the warm gentle wind.

I couldn’t take it. Took off the shoes and sock and decided to dance in the surf. It was a perfect day one of my first ever trip on a southern vacation. 

What can you believe

This is such an issue right now because so many “fake news” organizations are springing up on the 'net and people are posting fake news as a joke, or sometimes to deliberately spread misinformation. It drives us crazy at work because ordinary folks really have no idea of the work that goes into a story. They ask inane questions about how truthful the real news is. They have no idea that 75 per cent of our time is spent gathering information and fact checking. You can’t imagine how many times we have stopped a story because we cannot verify the information on time.  Of course if Justin Trudeau says something that isn’t true, we won’t call him a liar but we will present correct information and let people judge. We recently ran an environmental story where we presented numbers from an environmental report. One woman on Facebook said she disagreed with the numbers. That’s fine. That’s an issue between you and the environment ministry. So of course she goes on Facebook to say the story is wrong and that our reporting is wrong. OMG, this is not about winning a coffee shop argument. This is about facts. Somebody was obviously sniffing too many fumes in the hair salon. You almost wish her grade five teacher would show up at her doorstep, rap her knuckles and tell her smarten up.

I’ve got to write more later about disagreeing. Just because you disagree, doesn’t mean you’re right and the other guy is wrong, or that you’re a better person. It just mean’s you disagree. 

Breaking news. Really?

I am getting old. Maybe I am getting cranky. I heard a local news story this week described as “Breaking News!”  It wasn’t. Yeah it was local news, but breaking? Nahhhh. I remember when the term breaking news was something HUGE.  Everywhere you go now, everyone is talking breaking news.

We are only a few days away from November 22. That’s the anniversary of President Kennedy being shot to death. THAT was breaking news.

Last month we had the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war. I remember being in J-school and seeing the BULLETIN come across the wire. October 6, 1973. Back then the wire machine was a big Telex contraption. Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Holy crap. Five bells! It was the first time I had seen a bulletin coming in. OMG that was a word that gave goosebumps to news junkies. You knew some heavy shite was happening. Turns out that Israeli was inches away from being defeated by the Arab states. Israeli needed more jets and bombs to fight Egypt and Syria. They appealed to the U.S. for help. Nixon and Kissinger refused to help. Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir was tougher than both of them. She positioned an Israeli air force pilot into the cockpit of a jet fighter that sat on a runway ready to roll at a second’s notice. It was loaded with a nuclear bomb. Meir told the U.S. that if Israel came any closer to being defeated, she would destroy Egypt. The U.S. sent new jets.

THAT was breaking news. 

A nice tradition...

I was pleased to see a tradition continue this year in Timmins at the Cenotaph.  People who attended the Remembrance Day ceremony were placing their poppy on the steps of the cenotaph once the ceremony has ended. It’s a nice personal tribute I think. I am not sure how or when the tradition started. I first noticed it a few years ago and I am pleased that people do this. It was just as pleasing to see so many young people showing up at the ceremony, although it was cool with winds gusting up to 40 kilometres. Well done.

Tea is good eh

Okay, I am calm now. I can write about things without flipping out over the U.S. election results.

It was a good day. We’ve have had a couple of nice mild days in Timmins, a bit overcast, but the temps were warm, around 10 Celsius.

We have a few nice new coffee bars in the downtown area, which I think adds a pretty nice local flavour to our city. Yes, I still enjoy McDonald’s coffee and a Timmies dark roast, but today I got a nice cup of Red Rose for only 75-cents. That’s all they charge at the Coffee Warehouse, because you serve yourself. You can also pick and choose from a huge selection of Keurig coffee pods, and other tea-like infusions. 

They also have amazing muffins, cookies, sandwiches and other foods. I drive myself crazy walking by their pasta bar, it smells so incredibly good. The new shop is located in a former clothing shop, so the decor is pretty rich and upbeat. They kept a lot of the expensive wood paneling. Looks nice. 

So I think I have had only ten cups of coffee in the past month. I am definitely on the tea thing now. I don’t know if that is better for me or what, … but I don’t pee as much LOL. 

Fish and potatoes...

So we had a really nice supper Saturday of cod fish and potatoes, with some carrots and broccoli. I say nice because I was comfortable with eating the fish. In recent years, I have discovered that some of the traditional Canadian brands for fish are no longer Canadian. We were looking at buying some sole or haddock and there was that familiar picture of Captain Highliner on the label. But after reading the fine print, it revealed this fish was Product of China. So no, I will not eat fish from China. I do not trust their food industry at all. And why the hell is Highliner selling Chinese fish? We are being told, as older people, to eat more healthy foods. So I try, given that I usually like a healthy glass of whisky now and then.  After searching a bit more, we came across a European label that features fish caught wild in the North Atlantic near Norway. At least, that’s where the cod was caught. It is call Findus.

Well, let me tell you it tasted just like the nice Cod I used to eat when I was a kid. By the way, the potatoes were excellent. We mashed ‘em by using an electric mixer, the same kind you use when making cakes or muffins. Just add a bit of Philadelphia cream cheese and they taste fabulous. Just sayin’.

Could it really happen?

I think I am like a lot of folks these days, living in dread of whether Donald Trump will actually be elected to office. I don’t believe he is a stupid as he has been portrayed, but he is certainly not as smart as he might be. Certainly, he is not presidential in the sense that George Bush Sr. or JFK presented themselves. Mr. Trump is a disappointment, as is the Republican Party. 

What is truly disheartening is reading the stories in the U.S. media of how ordinary people seem so ready to accept this person and the things he stands for. I don’t see how people can overlook his obvious sins and be ready to vote for him. I think also there is an underlying current of people being against the idea of a woman being president. Come on. This is 2016. I also think there is a backlash against Obama. I think a lot of American citizens are still so upset at having had a black president, they will thumb their nose at the establishment by voting in Trump. And that’s fine. But I am still having a hard time accepting the level of popularity that Trump seems to be enjoying. I hope I am wrong.

Oh well, we will know by Tuesday night.

By the way, Tuesday is Ronald’s 60^th birthday. What a milestone for my little brother. No more war zones for that guy. Not unless somebody talks down about the Toronto Maple Leafs or Miller Genuine Draft.

And yes we are all getting older. Big brother Gary will be 65 in December.

Speaking of sports favourites, I can truly say I was more than pleased to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series. I was never a rabid Cubs fan, ever. But when Cleveland beat the the Blue Jays, I could not cheer for Cleveland so I figured I would have to cheer for Chicago. Ask Claudette. We sat in her living room on more than one occasion with the TV blaring and me shouting at the plays. 

On being civil ...

Okay this is a rant, but if you know me, it will be civilized. I hope. I have noticed in recent times, especially with social media, that there is a spirit of meanness that runs through a lot of the comments on things like Facebook and Twitter.

This is especially true in Timmins when people get upset by decisions made by city government. Okay, we get it, you are not happy.  But the constant whining and name-calling is really getting out of hand.

I am getting so tired of it that I am getting close to shutting down any participation in social media at all.

I have been blogging here now for more than 10 years, and I do try to present my own rants and points of view in a civil fashion, even though there are time I get peed off.

I just think that before people hit the “send” button, they should take a breath and reconsider their words.

The sound of jets...

I was not pleased recently to read of, and listen to, reports in the Toronto media of people being upset with the annual air show at the Canadian National Exhibition. Their contention is that the sound of military jets is the sound of oppression for many refugees. There are claims that the sound of jets is the sound of hell raining down on people who had experienced first hand the terror of living in a war zone. Okay, I can understand that. But welcome to Canada, the land of freedom and tolerance. This is where we choose to let others live and let live.  If you don’t like the sound of military jets, fine. Don’t listen. Tune it out. Ignore it. You’re in Canada. The chance of a military jet raining down terror on the population here is quite remote. If you want to live in Canada, get used to other people living their lives too. We Canadians are made of sterner stuff than getting upset at the sound of a military jet.

Besides, I come from a military family. I grew up with the sound of jets. I know that jets are also the sound of freedom, when those jets are deployed against tyrants in other parts of the world. Yes, Canadian warplanes have done their share of raining hell down on the bad guys. Sorry if that offends, but hey, you want to be a Canadian, then get used to other people having different opinion. Jets are the sound of redemption when our troops are pinned down or trapped by the enemy. When our jets are sent in on a ground support mission, it means our troops have a better chance of coming home from a dangerous mission.

I know some people might not like that, but here in Canada we have values that override your personal opinions. So maybe it’s time to consider how others think and learn to go along and get along.

Complaining, nicely

Sometimes you have to complain. I was paying my bills this morning when I noticed the cost of my digital subscription to the New York Times was more than $25! When I signed up last year, it was only $12.94 a month. I called the 800 number and was greeted by a pleasant customer service call-centre person. After a brief and good-natured chat, where I said I would have to quit the service. she offered to renew my digital subscription and chopped the price back down to about $10 a month for the next year.  Nice, very nice.

A perfect Northern Ontario weekend...

Well the Labour Day weekend was one of the best times so far this summer. Claudette and I drove down to Westree for a visit. Who knew that we would end up playing Texas Horseshoes?  It was more fun that I expected. I loved spending so much time with Tyler and Nathan, who haven’t yet learned how to stop growing tall!

Don, Jennifer and Scott got out to do some serious fishing. And I mean serious. Look at those pickerel. Jenn caught the five-pound monster on the right, out of Opikinimika Lake. We had an amazing fish fry at the camp Saturday night. Don and Denise were the usual masters of hospitality. Supper was excellent. An evening around the bonfire was perfect.

We also got a tour of Denise’s garden. I was impressed. Along with her many other talents, Denise has a green thumb. I was pleased as well when she donated a couple a fresh turnips. Claudette and I cooked them up with some mashed potatoes and cabbage rolls when we got back to Timmins Sunday night. Wow, I amazed at how often I forget how good it is to have real food, fresh food.

And I know Jennifer is reading, so here in the info on the wine. It’s a French Red and you will love it:

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/philippe-de-rothschild-pinot-noir-pays-d-oc/628289#.V82q8VsrLcs

Tragically Hip concert, so emotional ...

Still buzzing after last night’s concert performance by the Hip. It’s hard to say exactly how great it felt to be with friends to see the final show on CBC. Claudette and I had planned to go to the special concert broadcast in the park in Timmins, but we were at a family gathering of sorts at Marie and Moe’s place. Had a great dinner and then the rain came. It poured and poured. We all moved to the rec room. There was easily 30 people in the room and when the concert began, we were pumped. The concert was everything we expected and more. Especially when they opened with Fifty Mission Cap, the story of Timmins hockey great Bill Barilko.  When Gord Downie began singing Fiddler’s Green, I could barely believe it. Fiddler’s Green refers to folklore about a better life in the afterlife … like he was facing his own mortality and having the courage to sing about it. I was in tears! The best part was being in the room with people who truly enjoyed the concert. I will never forget last night. 

I use it every day!

At first glance, it looks like a cute little twin-lens reflex camera.  On closer inspection it is a very clever little pencil sharpener with a unique design. Jenn got this for me at Christmas and at first I thought it would be an ornament on my desk. I use pencils every day and I am fussy about them being sharp. So yes, I use this neat thingy every day and I am glad to have it. Who thinks up stuff like this?

In praise of home cooked food ...

We’ve had some hot weather in Timmins lately. Hot enough that it saps my appetite and I do indeed lose interest in cooking. It is so much easier to order a pizza or grab some take-out burgers. So it was quite a treat this weekend when Claudette outdid herself with a fabulous roast beef dinner. Potatoes, carrots, home bottled beets, fresh bread and even horse radish. (Wow, the beets were amazingly tasty.) It was made even better by a bottle of Pinot Noir. So of course we could not eat it all. Sunday night rolled around and the beef dinner became beef stew. How could I say no!

Just stuff...

The Olympics have become interesting to watch because so many Russian athletes have been banned from participating. I wonder if this will become an issue at some point in the future, when people claim that the games are no longer truly representative of the world’s best because so many missing athletes cannot compete. On the other hand, I wonder if the IOC will at some point declare all the Russian medals won at Sochi in 2014 to be null and void because of the doping scandal uncovered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

It is sad to think that this is what international sport has become.

I sat down last Friday and told myself how much I like Northern Ontario. That’s because I was with my friend Claudette at a pre-wedding celebration in Sudbury, sitting in a backyard, with several other folks just enjoying their company, although I had not met most of them before. I could have been in any backyard in Timmins or Kirkland Lake or Chapleau on a summer evening. I like to think that Northern Ontario folks are especially relaxed and welcoming. Anyway, the weather was warm, a light breeze kept the bugs away and the people were just so friendly.

I am getting more concerned about Donald Trump, his comments, his attitude and his seemingly unstable personality. I was especially disturbed by his comment that Second Amendment enthusiasts (right-to-bear-arms advocates) might to be able to take care of Hilary Clinton and her choice of Supreme Court judges. Wow, that is a bizarre comment. Absolutely bizarre.

The great forest fire of 1916

Canadians were shocked earlier this year to see the destruction of the forest fires in Fort McMurray. But it was 100 years ago this week that the worst ever forest fire in Canadian history burned in the area of Matheson, Nushka (Val Gagne), Porquis and Iroquois Falls, just east of Timmins. The difference back then is there was no early warning and when the flames did roar into these tiny settlements, the destruction was complete. There were no teams of firefighters in helicopters, no aerial water bombers, no modern evacuation procedures. The fire was half a million acres in size. The death toll is estimated at 223 persons, but it was likely higher than that. And yet these communities rose up after the fire and the people found the strength to carry on. I am always amazed when I read about things like that. We live in a fabulous country, but it is the people like this who have made it great.

YouTube is better than I ever expected

YouTube has become one of my favourite sources of entertainment these days if only because it offers some pretty interesting viewing choices. Jenn and Scott, and Santa Claus, got me a Roku video streaming box a couple of years ago and so I can enjoy watching YouTube on my big screen. Recently, I got a kick out of watching videos of the White House press dinners held in the past few years. Barack Obama has some pretty funny speech writers and in the past few years, he has done some pretty hip and funny joke routines. I also enjoy watching and listening to some amazing music videos. I dare say that almost any favourite song you have can be found on YouTube. It’s the same thing with movie clips. If there is a scene from a favourite movie you would like to see again, do a search on YouTube. I am pretty sure you will find it. Another thing is that some of the best Academy Award winning movies can also be found. I don’t how people manage to get all this stuff online, but I do enjoy seeing it. 

It is okay to be offended. Roll with it.

Yes, I know I am getting mellow in my older age (Notice I didn't write OLD age). I was going through the news websites this morning, getting caught up on all the stuff from the past week. I too am shocked, saddened and shaking my head about the terrorist attack in France. I clicked on one story only to discover if was a video of the truck in Nice. There was a warning that the video contained explicit images. I stopped watching. Then I realized that I had done something so simple, that I wish more people would do it. We often get complaints that our news images are too shocking. Well, yes, that might be. So if you don't like it, don't look. Don't try impose your views on everyone else and have the images removed. Stop looking. It's as easy as that. If you're offended, that's okay. You have the right to be offended. So, get over it. I have the right to be offended too, so I stop looking. But I do not have the right to stop you from looking at something in the news.

Yes, it is so good...

Summer is when I like to try new drinks. Okay, I lied. I drink new stuff all year round. But summer seems the time when they come up with some pretty nice new beverages. I was out stocking up this week when I saw the new Mill Street Brewery brand of root beer. It is made right in downtown Toronto and is a blend of Mill Street's vanilla porter and root beer, with hints of sassafras and licorice. It is just as yummy as the first time you tasted root beer when you were a kid. So of course, I cooked up a couple of hot dogs Friday night, (Yes, Debra, they were Schneiders!)  and washed 'em down with root beer. So, so good.

July is good

Enjoying July. Well most of it anyway. Had to drag myself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. today when the fire pager sounded for a structure fire in the city’s north end. I didn’t feel like it, but I peeked out the bedroom window. Yup, there was a big fire, flames and smoke roaring into the sky. Thank goodness the people got out safely.

I was planning to enjoy my Sunday morning with tea and a fresh pan of apple crisp for breakfast. I made it yesterday using Granny Smith apples. I was worried it would be too tart, but the Granny Smiths are just perfect. So I will remember that. I usually use McIntosh apples, which are almost as tasty.  I had the apple crisp later this morning when I got home from the fire call.

Now last week, I made another fruity crumble dish, but this time I used rhubarb and strawberries. It was SO good. I bought the rhubarb at the grocery store, where I was surprised to see it. The only problem was the rhubarb was $6.99 a pound and the strawberries were another $4. So that is a rather expensive dessert for this old man.

I spent Canada in Timmins and really enjoyed the perfect weather. It was about 20 Celsius and sunny with a light breeze. It was the perfect day for joining the annual Canada Day flag walk with Karl Habla. Karl is an immigrant who wastes no time telling everyone in Timmins how great his adopted country is. Every year, for more than 20 years, Karl has led hundreds of citizens on a two kilometre walk from city hall to the international flag park in Schumacher. I met a lot of folks there I have seen in past years. It was very nice.

Later in the evening, I sat on my balcony here in the north end and watched a really nice display of Canada Day fireworks. How cool is that?

Last Sunday I was pleased to be invited out to dinner to help Marie and Moe Maltais celebrate their 40^th anniversary. Can you believe it? I love those people. It was a nice dinner organized by their son Zacchary, as a surprise party… and it worked. Moe gave a nice speech during dinner where he said the first rule of a great marriage is to always do whatever she asks. Well that got a good laugh. Then he said the second rule is to be the best of friends. And then he gave Marie a big smooch. A lot of people got teary-eyed when that happened.

Time for another cup of tea …