I bought a book!

Not such a big deal... unless you consider I have been using an e-reader for a year now. I gave in, as a friend suggested would happen. He said sooner or later, I would go back to a book. So on Sunday, I bought VIMY by Pierre Berton. I like it; already half way through it. Pierre Berton would approve I think. I met him once and there was a bit of a falling out. He was speaking out against the logging situation in Temagami, Ontario back in the 1980s. I asked him if he had ever been to Temagami. He said no. I asked how he could form a valid opinion of the place if he had never visited. He was upset at my question and even more upset when I broadcast the interview. I was working for CBC Radio at the time. Oh well.

Unusual behavior... for a wild cat

One of my neighbours came over Friday night. He told me his wife's dog was killed by a lynx, while on the hiking trail near our homes. Everyone was quite upset. Maybe I could do something to publicize it, they suggested. Sunday morning I went out to the trail to check things out, not really expecting to find much. Imagine my surprise when I saw this lynx. I was able to get within a few metres of this cat before it began moving away. They're bigger than I expected and apparently not worried about contact with humans. The dog that was killed was still on a leash with the owner right there. I wasn't going to press my luck by stepping off the trail into the deep snow. But this is the first time I have seen a lynx, up close, in the wild.

What an incredible hockey game!

My own little tribute to Team Canada's women's Olympic hockey team... It was the best game I've seen in a long time.

House of Cards... again

I am such an addict. The House of Cards series returned to Netflix on Friday. Thirteen new episodes. I'm sorry, I can't help it. I have already watched the entire second season. I don't feel so bad. I have been meeting people all this week who also watched the second season, every episode. It is just the best television show out there right now. The only thing that really bothers me is that the main character, Frank Underwood, (played by Kevin Spacey) is just so evil. And I like him! This is so wrong! LOL No wonder his cufflinks have his initials... F U :)

New mine begins in Timmins ...

I am not fully acquainted with the video function on my little sony cam, but the noise in the background is the sound of my news cam clicking away, shooting still photos.

Timmins is changing

By this time tomorrow, things in Timmins will have changed significantly. Goldcorp is having the first blast for the new Hollinger open pit mine. This will be the newest gold mine in a city whose entire history is gold mining ... only this new mine is going to be in the heart of the city. It will be within half a kilometre of the downtown core. This means the company has to put up special signs all around the new pit advising when there will be blast. The sign in the photo is located across the street from the Food Basics grocery story, right next to the soccer field. The mine even has to notify the airport so that aircraft don't fly over the mine site when a blast is on. This will be the "new normal" in Timmins for the next ten years at least.  Interesting times eh?

Good things, bad things.

Good Thing. I confess I am now reading Alice Munro stories. I bought one of her books awhile ago and I think I mentioned here that I just couldn’t get into her writing. Well now this has changed. I finished another book awhile ago and because I had a collection of Munro stories, I picked it up and tried reading again. Somehow I got hooked. I can see why she became so popular. I am not thoroughly convinced she deserved the Nobel prize, but that is just my opinion.

Good Thing. The winter Olympics are on and I am enjoying them. I watch bits and pieces on the Internet. I like speedskating. The energy of those athletes is incredible. I also watched some luge events. I am amazed at how they can speed down that course on a couple of steel runners. I thought the opening ceremonies were boring ,..but I did like the way the torch lighting took place.

Bad Thing. I covered a fundraising dinner last week for a group of men raising awareness of sexual abuse of boys. It was uncomfortable to see two grown men, my age, telling their stories of what happened to them … it drove them to alcoholism, drugs and to the verge of suicide. Both men were sobbing with tears rolling down their cheeks.

It reminded me of an uncomfortable incident when I was a boy. I was an altar boy. The priest, who I thought was an okay guy, was always getting me to stay after mass to sweep the chapel or help put things away. I was good with that because he always gave me a quarter or two. My parents were okay with it because I was helping Father do chores. I guess they saw it as something good, because I was not really a good kid.

I was always getting into schoolyard fights and generally raising hell. I even began smoking when I was ten, stealing cigarettes from my parents.

So one summer night, Father invited me to his officer quarters … this was on the base at RCAF Downsview. He said he was moving or something, and needed help packing boxes. So I went. Once I was there, we did a few chores and then Father asked the strangest question to me. I was 12 or 13 at the time.

“Have you heard the word c**ksucker?” he asked.

Okay, so I am a bit shocked, but I answer “Yes Father. That’s a bad word.”

Suddenly something I had been told was making sense. One of the other altar boys, named Eddie, told me that Father had stroked his crotch one day. I thought that was the weirdest thing Eddie had ever said, and so I stopped talking to him.

But anyway, back to Father.

He said “Do you know what a c**cksucker does? Do you know what the word means?”

Okay, I thought, play innocent here. “No Father,” I said.

Then I thought if he tries to stroke my crotch, I am going to punch him. There is no way this pudgy old f**cker is going to touch me.

I was like that as a kid. Thanks to my Dad, I knew how to take a beating. I was a better than average scrapper for a kid that age. I guess I was angry.

So in those few micro-seconds that Father was staring at me, I figured I am going to punch him in the throat and the second punch will be in the nose and then I will run. A punch in the throat is always a shock punch because no one expects it and it hurts like hell. The punch in the nose always bleeds. There is blood and mucus going into your nose and mouth, making it hard to breathe,  and your eyes water making it hard to see.

For some reason Father didn’t ask me any more questions. And nothing happened. Maybe he sensed he had gone too far. Either way, I never said anything to anyone. Certainly not to my friends. And certainly not to any adults. This was stuff people just didn’t talk about. Besides, who would have believed me?

Thank You Logging Truck Man ...

It’s just one of those things. If you stray too far from the beaten path, you’re gonna get stuck. Sure enough I was out on a remote logging road south of Timmins Sunday morning, minus 36, following a photo opportunity where a road grader went off a bridge. Paramedics, police and fire crews were all there. I got within about 500 metres of the scene. A first responder said keep to the right of the road, because we can’t block the ambulance coming out. Keep to the right is a good idea until the side of the road suddenly disappears in the soft snow. My  vehicle got stuck real good. A team of six firefighters was not able to push it out. Luckily, there was a massive logging truck nearby with a nice big chain. Guy pulled me out in about 15 seconds.  He was a very nice fellow so I gave him 20 bucks for Timmies. I don’t feel too bad about the morning. A Timmins firetruck and a Timmins Police cruiser also went off the road at this call.

Yes, it sure is like January around here...

Holy crap, where has January gone? I said that at work the other day, only because I am always working ahead on the paper. Our next edition comes out on January 30th, so I think that is what prompted my question. I think it might have been more appropriate to ask where the time has gone in general. It was 40 years ago this week I arrived in Timmins as a young student reporter eager to prove myself in the news business. So I am still working on that.
Timmins is just one of the best places I can imagine. I have lived in other places, but Timmins seems to be the place where people are very welcoming. That has been my experience. I moved away for several years in the Eighties and Nineties, but I can tell you I was sure pleased to come back.  So that's a good thing.
The cold weather has continued throughout most of January. I don't mind that so much. There has been lots of snow this year as well, but people are grumbling about the poor level of snow removal. I can only say I am glad I drive only four-by-fours these days.
The cold weather has also prompted me to change my cooking habits. I have enjoyed several winter soup dishes these past few weeks. Also, while I have been trying to stay away from red meat, I enjoyed a wonderful ribeye on Saturday. I think that was the first steak I had since before Christmas... and oh it was so good. 
And for some reason this month, I haven't been eating much in the way of veggies, but I have indeed been packing away the fruit. I bought some pears this week and I love waiting until they're a bit overripe. Then I tear into it and just love how sweet, juicy and slurpy they get.
I was just going to sign off, but I should mention I went out this week and bought new skates. I haven't been skating for 20 years! But I was out taking pictures at a local rink and suddenly got the urge. I was worried a bit about my left foot, which I broke some years ago. The last time I was skating (in Sudbury) I remember the skate being very uncomfortable. I find the skates I purchased this week are wayyyy more comfortable.
I was going to go to the rink this morning, but the temperature was minus 36 so I will wait until this afternoon.

Cold enough for ya?

Cold snap continues in Timmins. I have to make a point these days of ensuring the vehicle is plugged in. Thursday morning the temperature was minus 41, with a windchill of minus 52. Cold like that gave people a lot to talk about in the line ups for coffee. I honestly don't mind the cold, as long as one is properly dressed for it. I was driving along Pine Street Thursday and saw a telephone company guy going up a ladder to work near the top of a utility pole. Now that has be a challenge. One doesn't see too many outdoor workers when the temperature hit minus 41. Apparently the cold snap will break this weekend, thanks to warmer weather moving in from the Prairies. Funny, some of my earliest memories of extreme cold came while I was living in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
I have to admit that with Christmas and New Years falling in the middle of the week, I find I am not yet in full back-to-work mode. I feel more like putting my feet up and daydreaming!
Had a nice chat with Debra a few days ago, now that she and her men are back home in Cambridge. They all took off to Disney World in Florida to celebrate their Christmas. Deb said they all had a great time, which is nice.
Jennifer and I shared a nice phone call to Neil on Boxing Day, so we could all get caught up on the family gossip. I felt terrible about not calling Neil on Christmas Day, but it was quickly forgiven. Neil had "an orphan's Christmas", getting together with several friends in Vancouver to celebrate. He also enjoyed telling us that the weather in Vancouver was so mild that some people were wearing shorts outside.

They're the best guys...

As a proud grandfather, I'd like to share the story of my Grandsons on Christmas Eve. After consulting with their mom and dad, it was decided both boys could have a fixed amount of money to pick out a gift for themselves from me, Papa. So off we went, first for a fabulous breakfast at a pancake house and then on to the mall. After hiking through the crowds for what seemed like hours, Tyler found the perfect hockey stick. It wasn’t as expensive as it might have been, so Tyler still had $30 to his credit. After much deliberation, Nathan said he’d like to buy a Sudbury Wolves hockey sweater. Luckily, there was a specialty shop that sold those sweaters. As we walked in, Nathan was obviously pleased. Looking at the big display, I asked him if he wanted the navy blue sweater, or the white sweater. He said neither and pointed at the retro-style green sweater worn by the Wolves in years past. Nathan was smiling. He was able to find the right size right away, but there was no price on it. We called the sales clerk over, who told us the price. It was $20 more than Nathan had to spend. Without a word, Nathan's face went blank. He turned to walk out of the store. But that’s when Tyler spoke up and said he would pay the difference for his little brother. Now, these guys scrap and argue like any other fellas, but when the time was right, a brother stepped up for his brother. I was so happy. I am sure my eyes got misty. And then on Christmas morning, I got an autographed photo of both of my favourite guys. Life doesn't get much better eh. Just sayin'.

Winter nights

One of the nice things about winter in Northern Ontario is just enjoying a nice winter night. That's how it was over Christmas at Jenn and Scott's place. We had time to enjoy a nice bonfire and the boys had fun on what they call the ODR (Out Door Rink). Scotty hung little frying pans on the goal net as puck targets, because the styrofoam targets you buy at the sports store get shredded quickly from all the practice shots.  Another fun thing that I enjoyed was actually shovelling all the snow off the rink. It was great exercise after enjoying all the food, the drink and the amazing christmas pastries and treats. This is also my first video on here. If people like it, I will post more.

Roku. It rocks.

Roku. I have no idea where the name came from, but I was introduced to my Roku-3 on Christmas morning. Thanks to Jennifer and Scott. It's an amazing little electronic device you hook up to your TV and it brings in hundreds and hundreds (not kidding here) of TV shows, movies, e-Games, and free music channels. You can also buy into some programs if you want. But already I have spent hours browsing the free stuff.  Basically it works to connect your big-screen television to your high-speed internet and is pre-programmed to bring in every FREE multi-media service in the world. It just made my DVD player obsolete. It's the best techie thing I've seen in years! Just sayin... :)
If you want you can Google it to see what the Tech magazines are saying, or check out the website here:   CLICK

Back on the bean!

Yup, having coffee again. I cannot say why or how, but for some reason I stopped drinking coffee -- about three months ago. I was on a tea thing only. Tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon and sometimes even tea with supper. I remember wondering why. I even told people I was going to donate my Keurig to the church thrift shop.  Then last week I was at an assignment around 2:00 p.m., when I was offered a cup of coffee. I took it. It was great. So now I am back on the bean! Can't tell you why or how... but it sure tastes great. And just in time too. Next Christmas morning at Jenn's place, it will coffee and Bailey's!!! Yum.

Minus 28

It was a bit cool today, but the sun was shining. I had to get out and get some fresh air. Oh it was fresh alright. Took a nice hike out at Hersey Lake. Lots of snow shoers on the trails. But the ground and the snow was solid enough that I didn't use the snow shoes. To be honest, I forgot to bring them. But it was a beautiful day and great way to spend a couple of hours relaxing. I was shooting photos and took my mitts off too much. My hands got so cold, I had to use a couple of those handwarmer packs. First time this winter... and they worked great. One of my cams froze up, or the battery died. Either way it did not work. That never happened with my film cameras. I remember being in the Arctic years ago, with my Nikon F2 slung around my neck all day, and it never froze. Digital cams are nice, but they're not always reliable.

C-c-c-cold these days in Timmins.

Timmins is in a cold snap these days. I don't mind it. For some reason, I find minus 38 weather to be re-assuring. It's how things should be in Timmins in December.  Crazy eh. I find that when I dress for the weather, I don't mind it. I am definitely going to get heated seats next time I get a new vehicle.
My Nitro seems just fine in the cold weather, otherwise. I think it's because the Jeep engine does not let one use heavy oil, never, ever. Also, I find that driving in second gear for the first 10 minutes in the morning is a good thing when it is this cold.
By the way, here is the photo I snapped Friday morning. This is a sun dog, caused by the ice crystals in the air.

No kidding eh?

Sometimes, the stuff people put on Facebook is so interesting.
So I stole this to re-post it here.
The following information will be appreciated by at least two people that I know... Jenn & Neil!

LIFE LESSONS YOU GET FROM WORKING IN A RESTAURANT:

1. If you don’t have a thick skin and complete abandonment of political correctness, don’t go near the kitchen. You will immediately learn there that what you consider to be off-limits is just the baseline of someone else’s sense of humor.
2. Bad tippers are the worst kinds of people, and are often terrible in many other ways than just being cheap.
3. Correction, the worst people are those who don’t tip or tip very badly, and accompany their financial insult with a snarky note left on the receipt.
4. The pain of a bad seating chart is a real one, and not a single customer will care or understand that you got slammed while someone else is totally dead.
5. The difference between the people who have never worked in food service, and the people who have, is always clearly visible. And a lot of time it has to do with the basic degree of respect they give to the people who are serving them.
6. Make back-of-house’s life easy, they will make yours easy. Working is always about scratching someone’s back so they’ll scratch yours, and you’d better not break that chain.
7. The only people you’re going to be able to hang out with — and often date — are by default going to be other people in the industry. So you better like the people you work with it, because no one else is going to be coming out with you at 1 AM.
8. There is absolutely zero shame in eating the plate that gets sent back barely-touched because someone either misunderstood what they were ordering or is incredibly fussy about their perfectly-good food. People who will judge you over shit like that are people who don’t know the joys of a pristine plate of onion rings coming back to you when you are starving.
9. The most important friend you will make is the one who will cover for you while you eat, crouched next to some appliance in the kitchen. True friendship is about taking the fall so someone can eat.
10. There are a lot of people who are going to look down on you for working a restaurant, and treat you with massive disrespect, and you just have to get over it and remind yourself to never be like that in your own life.
11. If you are good to your server, your experience will be about a thousand times better, and you might even get free stuff if you’re lucky.
12. There is nothing better than a chef who is currently trying out new stuff and has tons of excess food for everyone to try. The best friend anyone can have is a good chef.
13. Line cooks are some of the hardest-working, most humble and honest people in the working world. And many of them happen to be felons. And when you see them get off a 14-hour shift and still manage to make jokes with you at the end of it, you realize that every judgment we make about the guy with neck tattoos is completely off base.
14. If you’re a female waitress/hostess/bartender, some of the more drunk male customers will take it upon themselves to also designate you “professional receiver of gross comments and inappropriate touches.”
15. A good manager is the one who will shut shit like that down, because they would rather lose the money from that customer than have someone who mistreats their staff.
16. Even the best establishment can be run into the ground by a petty, spiteful manager.
17. There is no worse an experience on this planet than working a busy brunch shift when you are brutally hungover.
18. If you don’t make friends with the bartender from the get-go, your life is going to be difficult. And you quickly learn that this also applies to the places you don’t work at — treat your bartender well, reap the rewards.
19. The calm before the storm (also known as the rush) is one of the most precious, fleeting moments in life. And as soon as you see that first customer looking at the specials board just a little too long, you know that it’s already over.
20. Never be the person who comes in just as the kitchen’s closing and orders something really complicated. Just don’t be that person.
21. In the best restaurants, you’ll become like a little family, and live through several very important moments together (especially because you don’t get days off for normal, human things such as holidays or birthdays).
22. There will be one item on the menu that you fall in love with so much that you actually start having dreams about it, and go through withdrawal when you don’t have it for a long enough stretch of time. You can actually get that way over, say, a cream of crab soup. It’s like heroin.
23. Going back to a place you used to work and seeing all the old group — and getting to eat and drink all your favorites again — is one of the best feelings you can have.

Credit for this item goes to Brooklyn, NY writer Chelsea Fagan.

Just a chat

December is one of those months where you’re at work, and somebody suddenly blurts out “Oh my God, it’s December 6th… where did the year go.” Yup, that happened. So here we are with the new year just a few weeks away, but it is still a nice time of year. People are already going to Christmas parties. The media crowd here in Timmins had a party Friday night, but it wasn’t for Christmas. It was just a potluck thing because one person got a new apartment. So we went and carried on for four or five hours and it was nice.

  I noticed at the party that somebody would say something and I was struggling to hear it. I think my hearing is crapping out on me. Or maybe it’s because too many other people were talking. Then again, when I listen to my emergency scanner radio, I can immediately hear the message, despite any static or background noise. I’ve always been good at listening. You have to be when you’re a reporter. Listening and taking notes is essential. But now when I am in a courtroom or important meeting, I use an electronic recorder to get everything.

 Today is Sunday and I am moving quietly and gently. Had a few glasses of whiskey last night and I enjoyed much laughter. The event was the after – party for the annual Christmas Telethon in Timmins. I really hadn’t planned on going and helping out, but I knew I would feel guilty if I did not. So I showered, shaved, put on a fresh shirt and blazer and headed out to the TV station. It was nice. It’s one of the few places where I can relax and put my feet up because the folks there know me. The Telethon was a success and more than $80,000 was pledged to buy grocery vouchers for needy families.

Timmins is not in a slump economically, but it feels like it. Normally with the price of gold things are soaring and there is much excitement over mining exploration. The price of gold is hovering at about $1230 per ounce. A year ago, it was over $1800. So that means prospectors are having a hard time finding money from investors to go out in the field looking for prospects. That’s a big change. So the city continues to move forward, but just not with the hoopla that we’re used to. Also, there’s not as many players investing in the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) or the TSX venture exchange… just so you know, mining is still the biggest part of the TSX.

There is excitement though about a huge new mining venture north of here. It’s called the Ring of Fire. It’s a chromite prospect. You need chromite to make stainless steel. Stay tuned, this is going to be as big as the tar sands in Alberta.

 I am looking forward to Christmas. I will be joining Jennifer, Scott, Tyler and Nathan as usual, but I am looking forward to just unwinding and shutting down for a few days. The news game has been running in high gear for the past few weeks and I will be glad for the break.

 I had a very brief chat Friday with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne who was in Timmins with several of her cabinet ministers for a meeting with Northern leaders. I always like to meet with these people and offer them a genuine welcome when they come to Timmins. But it’s not the same as it used to be. Politicians now seem more on their guard than ever before when speaking with media. I always regarded such a chat as off the record and just like to just have a quick one-on-one chat about the weather, or the Maple Leafs, or whatever, just to be human for a few moments. I have met all the premiers since Bill Davis and interviewed five prime ministers. I was always relaxed and comfortable with it. Now it seems everyone is too worried about political correctness and everyone is just to tense. That’s discouraging.

Well, the elevator in our building has been acting up for a few weeks now, not working properly. Living on the third floor, I was annoyed at first. But now I am getting used to using the stairs. The elevator is partially back in service this past week, but it is still not fully repaired. So I will be getting a bit more exercise. That’s not a bad thing.

As a follow up to last month’s posting about Ron’s adventure with prostate cancer, I went to a doctor to get a referral for blood testing. So I will find time Monday to get bloodwork done. Will keep you posted.

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.