Nice Easter weekend...

Had a nice time in Westree this weekend with Jenn and her men and visiting Denise and Don Alexander. As usual the hospitality and food was fabulous. But if you know Denise, you will have to ask her the story of how the spatula broke cutting the chocolate cream cake. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.  Oh by the way, the cake was for Tyler and myself as we celebrated our birthdays. Mine is March 31 and Tyler’s is April 1. So it was a great time. Jennifer said I am a difficult person to buy for in terms of gifts. So she opted for buying a bottle of whiskey. But WOW, what a bottle … A Glen Breton Rare 10-year old single malt Scotch.  It’s the only single malt made in Canada. It’s a special craft whisky. The bottles are filled by hand, not by machine. So this is a saver… I plan to crack it open on Christmas Eve. I can’t wait.

A well-known reviewer gave it a very nice recommendation on YouTube. 87 out of 100!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLOyNGiDg6U

The boys had more fun that you can imagine on the weekend, thanks in part to the amazing sunny weather. Tyler and Nathan got up on top of Granddad’s woodshed to enjoy the view and ended up tossing the football with Scott down below. The boys had a great time … especially when they missed the ball and had to jump off the roof into the waist deep snow.

The week was good in another way. I was told I have won a couple of national journalism awards. One is the top prize for a spot news photo and the other is the top prize for our coverage of the Timmins forest fire.  Competed against 250 other papers across Canada. Pleased

More political television ... love it!

There was an excellent TV show running a few years back, a drama that documented life behind the scenes at The White House. The show was called The West Wing, starring Martin Sheen. The show won all kinds of awards but the corporate folks canned it because it did not have high enough ratings. I hate it when they dumb-down television. It's one of the reasons I don't usually watch regular television. I do have Netflix though and this week I began watching a new political drama about the White House, starring Kevin Spacey. It's called House of Cards.

Oh yeah. It's good. As expected Spacey is excellent.  If you get the chance, sit down, pour yourself a drink or get some popcorn, and enjoy some good television.

She's kinda good lookin' if you ask me...

Feminine beauty. Okay, so this is something purely subjective, but over the years it seems feminine beauty has become manufactured.  For some of our lady Hollywood types, if you can’t buy it in a cosmetics shop or  get it from a doctor’s office, you just aren’t beautiful enough to make the grade. I noticed this on Saturday night when I was watching a movie… starring Ingrid Bergman, a true beauty who was also a fine actor. She won three Academy Awards during her acting career.

 I was watching the Hollywood version of For Whom The Bell Tolls and was amazed at Bergman’s beauty, even as she was presented in a plain jane fashion opposite Gary Cooper. It was 1943. She was 28. She even made the cover of TIME magazine that year. 

Reading Hemingway ... what a treat.

Okay, so I bought too many books this month for the e-reader. Not a big deal, except I imposed my own personal spending limit.   I looked through the Internet and was pleased to see there are several ‘classic’ books out there that are free, or cost only 49-cents or so. I downloaded Ernest Hemingway’s classic For Whom The Bell Tolls. I haven’t seen that book in like 40 years, but Wow! It is so much better to read it a second time.  I can’t tell you what a treat it is to read that kind of literature. It’s an amazing story about the Spanish Civil War, and members of the International Brigades who fought the fascists. Hemingway brings it totally to life as the guerrillas struggle day to day. You can feel the sweat dripping into your eyes as you trudge through the mountains and endure the cold fear of fighting against incredible odds. I am learning that it pays to be a bit discerning when seeking out something to read.

Fryin' pan man

It’s the simplest thing you can imagine, but I am feeling good about my latest purchase. I try to not to speak of things I buy because I would like to think I am not materialistic. I think I get things I know I will actually use. If I don’t use, or cannot use, something I throw it away or give it away. My parents were of that generation that saved everything, threw nothing away, thinking ‘I will need this someday’. I am at the point where if I don’t have what I need for that moment, I will do without. I have discovered that I usually manage to survive that terrible moment. As for getting rid of things I don’t need, I am lucky to live in a building that has a unique way to get rid of things. Bring ‘em to the laundry room.  In the laundry room you can leave books, teacups, pots, pans, sweatshirts and magazines … and voila, next day, they’re gone. Somebody can use whatever some one else has left. Just last month I felt smug satisfaction with myself as I delivered my last computer and a television set to the local homeless shelter. Imagine my surprise at seeing their TV was better than my NEW TV.

Anyway, getting back to my original thought… I have a new frying pan. A friend recently raved about cast iron frying pans on Facebook and attached a video, produced the by the Lodge company, which makes cast iron cookware in Tennessee. So I purchased a nice big Lodge cast iron fry pan.

Now I remember Mom and Dad singing the praises of cast iron years ago. But when I was a teenager, I was always the one doing the dishes and always got stuck doing the pots and pans. I remember having the scrub the big black frying pan. Well it turns out I was doing things wrong. One does not scrub a cast iron frying pan, or use things like SOS and Comet … like I used to do. Take a stiff brush, some hot water and clean the pan out and then wipe it dry with a paper towel. Apply a bit of new vegetable oil, a bit of heat, a dash of salt,  and the pan is ready to use again. That’s what YouTube has taught me. So from this point forward I plan to use my new pan for a variety of meals including an apple dessert recipe. 

It’s almost as big as a Dutch oven. Research tells me that cooking on low heat for longer periods is what makes the cast iron produce great results.

So I am planning stews, steaks and spaghetti sauces. Look out Gordon Ramsay!

Good things...

March has been good so far. Way better than I expected. For starters, Jennifer is advancing in her nursing studies… thanks of course to her smarts and hard work. There are only a limited number of students that can move forward in the program and Jenn is one of them. I’m happy for her, and proud too.

I found some new Miles Davis music… what I am saying, Miles has been dead for more than 20 years, but I discovered some of his amazing jazz albums that I had not heard before. So that’s good. Jazz makes me happy. I wish I knew more about it when I was younger, but it just evokes good emotions. I just watched a move that had Miles Davis and Bob Dylan on the soundtrack. Doesn’t get much better than that. By the way, if you feel like watching a 90s movie again, Jerry Maguire is a good choice.

Had a nice chat with Neil last weekend. Actually I waited until 2:00 p.m. to call him because it was 11:00 a.m. in Vancouver, and he works late. I felt a tiny bit guilty because I think my phone call woke him up.  He answered with a combined grunt, sigh and groan that sounded like "Hlo..hlooo." 
Anyway, he is liking the new pub he works in and he is happy. This week he is off to L.A. to spend time with friends. I always worry when he travels (Dads always worry about their kids) but he was telling me he and his friends know Los Angeles pretty well and they know how to be safe.
Wow, things don't get too much better eh. Both of my children are happy and healthy. I am blessed.

Work is good. I am lucky that I don’t find it be like, y’know, Work. Some mornings I have actually been getting up earlier because I want to get to work earlier.

The e-reader is amazing. I have been reading so much that the battery died today. The book said the battery is supposed to be good for two months before a re-charge. Not quite!

And next weekend is St. Paddy’s Day…. Some of the media gang reminded me that last year’s St. Paddy’s Day party, which I hosted,  was so good we should do it again. Hmmm… for some reason my memory of that wonderful event is still a bit blurry.  I think if somebody donates a bottle of whiskey I can be convinced to cook the dinner. We will let you know.

Whiskey ... is like art

I am pleased; so, so pleased to learn I like ORDINARY whiskey. I found a couple of websites where whiskey drinkers list their favourite brands and then describe in detail how much they enjoy the flavours.  There are things like hint of vanilla, smokey palette, and peaty nose! Then I started reading how different people rated some of the best known and most expensive brands. It was amazing to see that so many whiskey snobs have differing opinions on the SAME brands… the same EXPENSIVE brands. I’m talking about stuff that runs at $200 a bottle. I’ve never spent that much. I have purchased $100 whiskey… One was Oban and the other was Talisker. I have to admit I like the Oban better, even though the Talisker is made on Skye, close to my ancestral home.

Obviously everyone’s taste is so different. Just because one guy likes a single malt, it doesn’t mean EVERYONE is gong to like it.

So here’s the thing. I have tasted some brands that people just get all excited about and I think, blah. No big deal. I mean, some expensive whiskies are fabulous … while others are just ho-hum. That’s me and my taste. I don’t add anything… sometimes a piece of ice. But when I make ice I used filtered water.

Recently, a friend bought me a bottle of Ballantynes as a gift. Now this whiskey is an old favourite for so many people because it is a blended whiskey. It has been around for years. I wasn’t sure that I had tried it before, only because when I try something new, I like to try something a bit more expensive. The Ballantynes is always on the bottom shelf.

Well I finally the cracked the Ballantynes and I was absolutely delighted. The bottle design is a bit old-fashioned, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But this stuff is very nice, very smooth and I like the flavour, which is a tiny bit sweet, with honey and caramel. Of course, I had to have a second glass.    So, I guess whiskey is like art. To each his own.

Bored, disinterested maybe...

It can be annoying to read a book and come across a word that you’ve never seen before.

That happened today as I was reading Ken Follett’s novel, Fall of Giants. One of the characters, Maud, discovered that conversation was stultifying. Hmmm. As a popular novelist, Follett does not need to impress us with such big words. Ordinary people do not speak this way. I was not expecting to need them, but the e-reader includes several digital dictionaries. On the e-reader, you just touch the word and the dictionary comes to your aid. The first dictionary did not know the word. The Oxford Dictionary described stultifying as “cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive regime…” Blah, blah, blah. C’mon Follett, you can write better than that!
He could have written that Maud became bored or disinterested. Of course, now that I know the word, I can’t wait to use it among a group of writers at a meeting where we might be discussing the chances of Justin Trudeau becoming Liberal leader. |”Sorry fellas, but I find this whole topic …uh… stultifying!” Seriously though, a good writer doesn’t need to insert big words to get the message out to the reader. Indubitably.

I like my reader...

Well the verdict is in. I like the e-reader. Just finished reading Battle Cry, the classic book about the US Marines. The nice thing about that book is that I was so engrossed in the story, I barely noticed the function of using the e-reader. It just flows very easily by swiping a finger across the page, then the next page appears. I also like the fact that once I see a book I want, I click on it on the Internet page, and within 30 seconds I have paid for it and the book is downloaded onto my computer and onto the e-reader simultaneously. Instant gratification. I am thinking I had better be wary of the spending too much money, too easily. On the other hand, I have received an e-mail outlining how I can now borrow E-books from almost any public library in Ontario. Everything is online. How cool is that? So for the next week or so, I will be reading Ken Follett's Fall Of Giants. I just ripped through about 30 pages and it's a good read. So I have poured a glass of whiskey and now I am going back to the book...

I am so "with it" ...

Well I have finally gone and done it. After chatting with a co-worker about how much she enjoys her E-reader, I was convinced that I should get one … considering how much money I have been spending on books lately, I figured an E-reader was worth the investment. So as I began searching the net to get an idea about what was out there, I was suddenly reminded I had plenty of Airmiles. So I checked the Airmiles website and that solved that issue right away. It arrived today. My new SONY PRS-T2, which is even Wi-Fi certified. So I have signed up with the SONY reader service and I plan to buy a book or two this week. My plan is to buy something I really want to read so that I can convince myself I like this new device. If not, somebody is going to get a slightly used E-reader at Christmas! I will let you know what I think.

Yes, it was cold this morning...

Still in a bit of a cold snap in Timmins. It was minus 38 at eight oclock this morning. This was the view from my balcony. The overnight windchill was down to minus 53. My Nitro started just fine, even though I have never plugged it in. One of these days I will push my luck too far in that regard. Anyway, it was a less than pleasant thing to breathe this morning. Not because it was so cold. It was that all the car exhaust and fireplace smoke just hung in the morning air. It didn’t go away for awhile. The air didn’t taste so fresh. That’s what its like when it gets this cold.

Beef stew on the balcony ...

This is stew weather. I was pleased to have enjoyed a couple of large bowls of beef stew last night, complete with a fresh loaf of crusty bread and a nice bottle of Rothschild Pinot Noir ( really excellent red wine). The beef was wonderfully tender, with red potatoes, green beans, white turnip, onions and carrots. I am pleased to say the only flavouring I added was a chunk of garlic. The fun part was when I finished supper, I decided to put the leftover stew into three freezer containers for future meals. Instead of sticking them in the freezer right away, I put them on the balcony ... It was nearly minus 30 and so the leftovers were frozen solid in about 25 minutes. By the Way, the wine is only $11.95 at the LCBO and it is a real treat. I could have used a stronger flavour with the stew... but this stuff is just too good to ignore.

Perfect weather for reading

I am enjoying a great book this weekend that has an unexpected treat for me. Storm Warning by Jack Higgins is a great thriller-adventure story, but I was especially pleased to learn that much of the story takes place in the North Atlantic off the coast of Scotland. Many of the places in the novel such as Glasgow, Ben Nevis, Fort William, Mallaig and the Isle of Skye are all places I saw and visited a couple of years ago. The book even includes Morar, which is the ancestral home of the Cape Breton Gillis clan.
It is good weather for reading this weekend. We have had freezing cold temperatures in the past few days with the temperatures in the minus 30s and the windchill below minus 40. Good to put on the tea and snuggle up on the couch. I was out with friends Saturday to watch the hockey game, and I left the vehicle at home. It wasn't plugged in, but hey (knock on wood) it started just fine this morning. So right now it is minus 28 and Enviro Canada has issued an overnight windchill warning in the minus 40 range. 

Can always use socks ...

Timmins is one of those cities that is losing its Zellers store. The store closes on Monday. Like a lot of folks in town, I dropped by today to check out the real “going out of business sale”. Prices were 50 to 70 per cent off. As I walked around, I realized I really didn’t NEED anything.  There were hundreds of others there and I am sure most were in the same situation. Sure, there’s lots of stuff we might want, but really, we live in a pretty lush society here in Canada. I had a hard time finding anything I needed.  But since I was there, I picked up some nice dress socks and a roll of aluminum foil. 

Oh yeah, bumped into Ray and Diane at Zellers. Was nice to see them. Diane broke her foot recently, but she's doing okay now... She has a walking cast and a cane. Ray, of course, is just fine as usual. 

That don't impress me much ...

Another new year and all is well in Timmins. Well, almost. I was a bit shocked to learn that our local city council is planning to sell off the Shania Twain Centre to a local gold mining company. I don't mind the idea of selling the building, but I do find it concerning that the plan is to demolish the building to make way for the new gold mine. Hmmm... the building is still relatively new, only 11 years old. I know the architect. I wonder how he feels about it.
Now I know it's a polarizing issue, but the climate is indeed going wonky. Here's the thing. I am still NOT in the camp that says it is all global warming. That's because there is evidence that the warming trend actually began before the industrial revolution of the 1800s and all the carbon residue from burning fossil fuels, coal and oil etc.
I DO believe in climate change. That's pretty obvious. What is frustrating is the information overload from the science community. There is so much data to sift through.  What is infuriating is when people inject politics into science. I stop listening when politicians and activists start harping about the weather.  I was reading in a reputable science journal that there was a "mini" ice-age in North America and Europe as recently as 1850. And another one may be one the way in a few hundred years. Hmmm... have to do some more reading.

Moose steaks were awesome!

Long story short, the moose steaks were Grrrrreat! Here's what I did. After two days in the marinade, the steaks have to hang for about half an hour to remove excess marinade and come to room temperature. Enough time to slice up an onion, a green pepper, a potato and a carrot. I cooked them in a separate pan. 

 Then I heated the grill to 425 F. I put the first steak on for four minutes. It was done right through and amazingly tender and tasty. I let the second steak cook for only three minutes. It was just a bit pink inside and also very tender.

Next week I will enjoy the other steak, which is also big enough to slice into two steaks. Can't wait!

Moose steaks

 Scott was kind enough to hand me a couple of fresh moose steaks as I was leaving Sudbury today.  The nice moose meat is from his hunting trip this fall. Scott asked me to let him know how the steaks turn out, so I will be pleased to document this wonderful event. I plan to have them this weekend.

 First off, he gave me two massive steaks, which means I will get to will enjoy four normal-sized steaks.When I prepare beef, I marinade it in olive oil, pepsi and steak spice sauce. So that’s what I am doing with the moose steaks. First I pounded them with a tenderizer hammer, then I cut them in two.

I put them in a nice deep dish and poured the marinade on top; half a cup of olive oil, half a cup of Clubhouse marinade, one cup of pepsi, adding garlic, salt and pepper.

They will sit in the fridge for two days.

I will let you know how things turn out.

Christmas 2012 was excellent!

Another perfect Christmas celebration has come and gone. I am grateful for being a part of it. I drove to Jennifer and Scott’s place early Saturday, avoiding the storm that blew up late last week. It was just enough time to finish up the shopping and spend some great time with the boys.

I was just as glad to see that Don and Denise Alexander drove down from Westree, also to be with the family. They are Scott’s parents and they have perfected the art of hospitality. No wonder; Denise is originally from Timmins and Don is from Newfoundland. They can’t go wrong. 

Christine, Dimitrios and Victoria also arrived on Christmas Eve, making everything even nicer.

It was fun to see the boys since they have grown a lot since I saw them last, at Thanksgiving. I usually snap a photo of Vic, Tyler and Nathan every Christmas so it is fun to go back a few years to see how they’ve grown.

 Christmas morning was fun and it took no less than two hours to open all the gifts. I love see how much the kids still get excited by getting up before the adults and rushing to the living room to sneak a peek at the gifts.  I was pleased that Jennifer’s dog and cat, Buddy and Lucky, even managed to buy me a bottle of my favourite whiskey.

 Christmas Day was perfect; mild with a gentle snow fall. It was a nice lazy day (for me anyways). Denise and Jenn kept the kitchen going and we had a fabulous Christmas turkey dinner. We also enjoyed Denise’s clam chowder, with chunks of Atlantic codfish (that Don caught himself), scallops, shrimp, potato-codfish cakes, coconut shrimp, fried ravioli, lasagne roll-ups and mussels. Scott even had an amazingly good moosemeat chili con carne. To top it all off, we all spent the day eating the sweets and pastries made by Jennifer and Denise. Vic even went outside showing off her new Christmas pyjamas. The day got better for me when Neil called from Vancouver. How nice was that? He enjoyed the day with some friends on the west coast. He is working hard as usual, but it was just a perfect part of Christmas day to hear his voice.  We also enjoyed a full ping pong tournament in the garage that took up most of the afternoon and put a good dent in our beer stocks.  Tournament rules said if the other player hit your glass with the ping pong ball, you need to take a drink. Good thing we got some exercise!

Life doesn’t get much better eh?

Priorities ...

Last night, I was thirsty. I figured that a nice cold beer would hit the spot.

I didn’t have any at home. Just water, wine and whisky.

But I didn’t go out to get any beer. Water was fine.

This morning at breakfast, I noticed my groceries were getting a bit low.

No eggs, no bacon, no juice, no bread, no fruit. 

Oh well, it’s not like I’m starving.

Today was going to be a good day to veg out. Just stay home and relax.

Then I realized I had just finished reading a book

I bought three books three weeks ago. I finished the third one at lunchtime.

Hmmm…

I showered, shaved, got dressed and went out … to the book store.

By the way, I gassed up the truck, got some beer and picked up a steak.

It’s going to be a nice evening.

Good news eh ...

Every now and then I get to write a news story I feel really good about. This week it was the rescue of a dog that fell through the thin ice on the Mattagami River. Fellows from the fire department did the rescue.  It felt good to see the little pooch brought back to shore. I was lucky to be nearby to snap some pictures. We put the photos online Tuesday on our website, and on Facebook,  and the response has been amazing. I have to always remember that people like it when there are good news stories. I couldn't help but think how much Tyler and Nathan would have been pleased to see this.