Post 1768 - An "Amazing" Night

You are looking at a really grainy picture of James Randi.  We saw him tonight.  But, I'm getting ahead of my story.

I sent a Facebook friend request to an actual friend this morning.  It was a guy from my Toastmasters club whose girlfriend is also in the club.  Jesse accepted the friend request within minutes, which gave me a chance to look at his FB page.

In doing so, I couldn't help but notice "The Evening with James Randi" happening this evening here in Halifax. I knew nothing about it.  Nothing.  And I was thrilled.  

Who is James Randi, you ask?

Randi is a professional magician of significant talent who turned his attention to the charlatans who try to bilk money from the gullible via junk science and even magic.  The so-called "psychics" who claim to be able to tell the future or to speak with those who have passed.  The faith healers who don't heal but take your money from you.  That kind of thing.

I have several, quite a few, of Randi's books in which he debunks these people.  His book on Nostradamus should be required reading for anyone who has an interest in learning the truth about this man and how people continue to interpret his quatrains however they find it most convenient.  

I'm a fan.  A big fan.

So, imagine my surprise when I learned this morning that he would be in Halifax tonight.  It would be the conclusion of a brief Canadian tour.  He would be talking about pseudo science, crap like homeopathy and chiropracty and divining rods that have cost the lives of soldiers in Afghanistan.  

I had to go.

I called Patricia, who agreed to attend, despite getting over a cold.  I felt myself coming down with something but didn't want to miss Mr. Randi.

After work, we got some dinner at Boneheads on Barrington Street.  From there we drove to Saint Mary's University in order to find where the lecture would be.

We got there around 5:35; the lecture would start at 6.

The line up to get was very long, but we managed to get 2 seats side-by-side.  

Randi was introduced by my friend Jesse.  Randi spoke about the things I mentioned, showed some clips of appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, performed some of his old magic effects to make a few points, and took questions from the audience.  After 2+ hours, he was over, and we all clapped and gave him a standing ovation.

I have a couple of comments.  These psychics?  I know what they say is crap.  You do, too.  But, I think of a friend of mine from junior high who never had the chance to get an education.  Suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, he died before even hit 40.  He could never hold down a regular job, so dependent was he on the drugs that kept him alive as long as they did.  His last few years, he lived under very reduced circumstances.  

I remain grateful for the day when he and I had a chat.  We talked about some of the kids who had tormented us at the school we attended together back in the day.  We mentioned some of the teachers who had looked the other way and watched these things happen.  It was a pleasant chat between two guys who hadn't seen each other in a long time, and who never saw each other again.  He died a few months later from complications of his CF.  I hope he's resting in peace.  He deserves that much, and a lot more.

Anyway, to make a few bucks for his family, he did psychic readings in the Valley at flea markets and any other place where he could get away with it.  He got a certain clientele of mostly women who wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.  Nobody was there who didn't want to be there.  I doubt if he charged much more than 10 dollars per reading.

What I'm trying to say is that there are reasons why some of these "psychics" do what they do.  And there are reasons why their clients seek their services.  It's not a black and white world.  If that small amount of money can provide comfort to a person who needs it, and that sum can buy food and help provide shelter for the person and his familiy, I am having a hard time seeing the harm that's caused by that.

Getting back to Randi, his attitude is that these charlatans are all crooks out to bilk the gullible.  He explained his position in a rational way and was often very funny.  Despite that he is 83 years old, he was spry and engaging.  Despite some recent health setbacks that he explained to us, and which I see no reason to divulge, he rambled about the lecture hall's "stage", keeping us all entertained and making us think.  

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to see James Randi this evening.  When he was in his prime, he must have been a fire cracker.  Even at 83, he remains a compelling presence.  If he comes back to Halifax, and I manage to find out about it, I will go see him.

After all, I have to see how he did those tricks.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1767 - Is It The Weekend Yet?

Had a long day at work.  Patricia has been off sick the last two days with a cold.  I am trying to avoid getting it, but my track record of doing so is poor.  This means I will be sick all weekend and return to work on Monday morning, feeling fit as a fiddle.  That's as axiomatic as two plus two equaling four.  

I transcribed a few more snippets in the Kate Milton interview during my lunch hour.  It is my hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks.  It is just as well because as things stand I will be sitting down with Jaclyn Irwin next week, and maybe Katey Day of LIte 92.9 the week after.  Jaclyn approached me after I spoke with Kate last week, and Katey saw some of my activity on Facebook today and piped in.  My dance card is filling up very quickly.  Of course, other people are waiting in the wings, to sit down with little old me.

Still blows me away that these radio people even want to talk to me.  I approach these interviews seriously.  I work frigging hard on them.  I speak to these folks as an adult and try to ask interesting questions.  One guy told me that he cited my interviews on his application to radio school.  That's gratifying, and a little scary.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the weekend.  I need these two days.  After all, I will have to fight this cold that I'm doubtless gonna get.

I'll get you for this, dear.

Bevboy

Post 1766 - Wednesday Was Better Again

Had a good day at work.  I was late for my coffee break and so was a buddy, so he and another co-worker took me to another coffee shop which had really good food and excellent coffee.  I may go back.  The place we usually go to gets very crowded when we're on break.  I can see why he'd want to check out other places.

Finally had a chance to begin transcribing the K8 interview today.  My plan is, as much as possible, to transcribe something every day.  I have already booked the next interview for Thursday the sixth.   I'm looking forward to it.  This is one of those interviews where the subject approached me, something that's happening more and more frequently.

After I finish these next two interviews, there is a whole list of folks who have agreed but have not been booked yet.   I will have enough work to keep me busy for months and months.  I will get to them all, I promise.

Had Toastmasters again this evening.  The room was full of folks.  I think we had a good half dozen guests, plus the Area Governor, plus the Division Governor.   Some of those guests have said they want to join the club.  We all had some good chuckles.  I may have made a few jokes that resulted in some of those chuckles.  Damned if I remember what any of those may have been.

Tomorrow is Thursday, which the last time I checked is one day closer to the weekend.  Looking forward to that.

You have a good evening, folks.  See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1765 - Tuesday Was Better

The highlight of my day was going to C100 and getting dozens of pictures of K8 and Deb Smith.  I booked an hour off work and walked there and back this afternoon.  Great time.  Oh, sorry.  Gr8 time!

After work, Patricia was taking a course downtown, so I drove to Chapters and browsed for a while.  I bought a cool Christmas or birthday present for Patricia, and a couple Max  Allan Collins novels for myself.  I have been reading his books for over 20 years, and his work has only improved with age.

When I did get home I washed the dishes.  There were many of these dishes to be done.  Long-time readers will recall that dishes are not a big priority with me.  I think I'd rather sew my fingers together with a rusty needle than wash dishes.  I think I'd rather lick every toilet at the Metro Centre than wash dishes.  I think I'd rather eat six donairs in one sitting than do the dishes.  You get the idea.  I don't like doing the dishes.

Tomorrow is Toastmasters night.  Yay.

See you on Wednesday.

Bevboy

Post 1764 - Monday Blahs

Just watched the pilot episode of "Terra Nova" on Fox.  I wish some of the money spent on special effects had been spent on a more compelling script.  And the future stuff seemed more interesting to where they moved back in time 85 million years.

Had to take a brief nap when I got home from work this evening.  That felt good, but it has thrown off my sleep pattern for the evening.  I will probably be awake until after midnight and then up again at 5:30.

We have decided to take a vacation day on Friday the 30th.  We plan to go on the Wolfville Ghost Walk on Thursday evening.  I have been raving about it to her ever since I went on the 15th.  She's psyched and wants to go.  She wants to see the various actors who play the characters from Wolfville's past.  I want to see it again.  Besides, Jeremy is a nice guy.

Tomorrow I'm taking an hour of personal time in the afternoon, an hour of vacation as it were.  I will be going to the radio station to get some pictures of Kate Milton to accompany the eventual interview that I will publish here.  It was too late last Thursday night to get pictures, and she's graciously giving me a few minutes at the top of her show for me to get those pictures and to shoot some video.   Thanks in advance, K8!

By the way, she discusses in the interview why she writes her name that way.  Watch for it.

Guess I'll go off to bed and count some sheep.  Sometimes, if I recite the legal call letters and frequencies of all the radio stations in Halifax, over and over, it makes me nod off.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1763 - A Quickie

I have had an obnoxiously long day, for reasons you don't want or need to hear about.  Suffice it to say that the business I had in the Annapolis Valley recently may not be concluded after all.   The next day or two will tell the tale.

I returned to the city mid-afternoon.  We watched last night's season open of SNL, and liked it enough not to have regretted seeing it, which is all you can expect out of that venerable program.  I think people watch it to see how bad it is, and to pine for the "good old days" of the show, only to forget that the show never really was that good.  Ah well.

We watched as well the pilot for "Revenge" a show about a young woman's desire for, well, revenge.  Watched it last night and again tonight.  I can see why she's pissed at the people who wrong her and her father.  I would want revenge, too.  i just wouldn't seek it in short dresses and high heels like she does.

As I stated before, it's been a long day, and tomorrow promises to be another one in the series.  Good thing I bought a new deodorant stick today.  I will need it.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1762 - A Busy Saturday

I somehow crawled out of bed before 6 this morning, despite lingering soreness from yesterday's Exile Island adventures, to drive to the Valley to take my mother shopping.

Long- time readers will recall that my mother enjoys shopping and wears me out every time I take her. Despite some recent serious health set backs, she did not disappoint. We tore a hole out of New Minas and Wolfville, visiting store after store, until I begged her for surcease. She just smiled and opened up her purse and revealed yet another sales flyer with a dozen things circled on it. Sigh.

We eventually returned to her house. I'd decided to install a second hard drive in an older computer and did so. The hard drive came from yet another computer given to me by a neighbour a few months ago. The machine is gone but the 60gb hard drive remains useful.

I copied most of the contents of my mp3 player to this drive and proceeded to listen to some tunes. There is a lot of life left in that machine and I'm holding on to it.

Mom and I watched the season opener of Dancing with the Stars this evening. It's now 11pm and I think I'll turn in. I've been up 17 hours and have earned a good night's rest.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1761 - Exile Island Day

First of all, I have added a new widget to the blog which shows you the most popular posts I have done.  It' s no surprise to me that they're all interviews.

I'm home from Exile Island.  I spent hours and hours there today involved in interesting challenges with other teams.  We did win for the most enthusiastic team.

Of course, we were all there to raise money for the Children's Wish Foundation.  We met our miracle child, Jordan.  I gave her, her mother, and her sister all a Bevboy's Blog business card.

I'll tell you about the challenges.  The first one we did involved putting our feet in slats and walk in groups of five.  We had to assemble a styrofoam wishing well and then raise money from people in downtown Halifax and return those funds to the "bank".  We raised about $125.  Five bucks of that came from a guy I work with who was having lunch with a friend of his.

The second challenge was about bungee cable and our attempts to throw a sponge ball into a basket. It all looks very easy, until you do it.  The cable was tied around our waists.  I was snapped back several times, falling flat on my rear each time and struggling to get back up again.  The 45 seconds seemed like 10 minutes.  Very happy when it was done.  The 4 balls I landed in the basket were  hard earned.

In between each challenge we were given time to do additional fund raising via our smart phones.

We also had to dress like a firefighter, run a maze and then roll up a fire hose and unroll it afterward.  Sounds easy.  It wasn't.

In between we had to do additional fund raising.   I think I said that already.  I'm too tired to check an earlier paragraph to see.

The final challenge?  We had to use dixie cups or wine cups to fill a water jug.  Another team cheated by filling their shoes with water.

After that was all over, we had a lobster dinner in the tent.  I hadn't had lobster in years.

I have heard this story before and told it in places other than this blog, but now I'll tell it here.  There was once a man named Charles Keating.  He eventually became a very wealthy man in Nova Scotia, but grew up exceptionally poor.  The time was, lobster was the type of seafood only consumed by poor people.  They were bottom dwellers, scavengers, and it was unsightly to eat them.  Keating once told the story of how he was so poor growing up, he would take lobster sandwiches to school.  The rich kids had baloney sandiches.

Keating, as I stated, eventually became very wealthy indeed.  He reached the point where he would go to parties which served, among other things, lobster sandwiches!  He'd come full circle, but not really.

I'm old enough to remember when lobster was a very cheap seafood, when chicken wings were parts of the bird nobody wanted, and when seafood chowder was something that poorer folk prepared and ate.

So, I had my first lobster tonight in many years.  I liked it.  I'll take out a second mortgage on my house and get some more sometime.

I had a great time.  Brad Dryden, my friend, you have been nicer to me than I deserve.  I thank you for thinking of me and inviting me to be on your team.  I enjoyed my day very much.  And I particularly enjoyed meeting Jordan, our miracle child.

I am tired tonight.  I am sore.  I can hardly walk.  And I broke the holster on my BlackBerry when the bungee cable decided to take me for a ride.  But I feel good that we raised as much money as we did, and I hope that I will have a chance to do this again sometime.

You all have a good night.

Bevboy

Post 1760 - The Latest Blog Interview

We just spent a delightful evening speaking with K8 and Deb Smith from C100.  Kate was great, er, gr8.  Patricia and I had a wonderful time.

Got home quite late.  It is  now past 11pm, and I have a busy day tomorrow.  Tomorrow is Exile Island Day, when I have to outwit and and outplay and out sponsor other people.  It should be a good time, and it is followed up by a lobster dinner.

Fear not, effendi. I will have many blog business cards to give away to the captains of industry I will meet tomorrow.  They will be dazzled by the cards and bored by the blog.  One can't have everything.

Time for bed.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1759 - Toastmasters Tonight

I attended my first Toastmasters meeting in a few months this evening.  I don't discuss TM here much on the blog because, well, I figure most of you don't give a crap about it. But, I have been in TM for very nearly 20 years now and it's a relatively big part of my life.

A long-term member  did a presentation about the roles we perform in the club.  Then, we did Table Topics.  TT is a section of the meeting in which you speak off the cuff with little or no preparation time, given an established theme.  Tonight's was book titles.  You were given a book title and you were the writer of the book in question.  You had to explain why your book was so awesome and why people should buy it.

I had "Curious Ricky and the High-Voltage Fence".  I explained that "Curious Ricky" was slang for a person in the armed forces and a "High-Voltage Fence" was just that.  Long-time readers will recall I am not very good at metaphors.

I went on to say that I had a yacht and three ex-wives.  The current yacht is too small to hold me and my children.  This book, should you purchase it, would be an agreeable enough time filler and if enough of you bought it, it would purchase that new yacht.  You'd be happy to have read the book.  I'd be happy with the yacht.  Everybody's happy.

I didn't win the competition.  Someone else did.  But at least I got to be a top selling writer for a few minutes.

Back to reality.  Back to the blog.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1758 – Wolfville Ghost Walk Pictures

Over dinner this evening, I told Patricia that I was going to write a blog post in which I uploaded some pictures of the Wolfville Ghost Walk.  Normally, she wouldn’t care; but this is on the computer that runs Windows Vista.  That OS is so flawed that half the time I use it, it goes into some crazy update mode it takes forever to recover from.  As I said to her, “My balls clench every time I sit down to this machine.”

She laughed.

I was being serious.

(They’re loosening up nicely now.  Thank you very much for your concern.)

These pictures were taken last Thursday night, the 15th of September.  It was half raining that evening, which added to the ambience. 

These 8 pictures are less than 25% of the ones I took that magical evening.  I don’t have room to show you the pictures of “Evangeline” or the ones of the first murder victim in Wolfville.  I am just trying to convey to you that this is the best, most elaborate, most interesting, even fascinating, ghost walk I have ever been on.

I am not paid to state these things.  Jeremy has proved to be nice to me in the last several days, but he knew me not before last week.

Let’s see.  Is there anything I can offer them by way of constructive criticism?  I suppose, if I had a gun held to my head, I’d say that, as a Wolfville Ghost Walk, why not focus nearly exclusively on stories from that great town?  They did talk a bit about Windsor, and I would have done away with that.  I understand discussing things like Hall’s Harbour and the drownings in other towns that affected folks from Wolfville.  But I recall that some of the Windsor tales were just Windsor tales.  Let them have their own darned Ghost Walk.

Jeremy and his colleagues have knocked this one out of the park.  I love the Wolfville Ghost Walk in the same way that I love vanilla ice cream and Just Us coffee. 

The next Ghost Walk is on September 29th.  As Hallowe’en approaches, more weekend performances will take place.  Tickets are a mere 12 dollars, and worth far more than that. 

Get your arse down to Wolfville and check them out. 

The Wolfville Ghost Walk has the much-desired, but seldom-awarded, Bevboy seal of approval!

 

See you tomorrow.

 

Boo!

Bevboy

Post 1757 - Dinner Dilemma

It was my first day back to work.  It was nice to get back to a routine.

On the way home this evening, we realized that we had nothing set aside for dinner.  Our American friends calling this process, "fixing dinner".  That, and referring to pop as "soda", makes them so endearing to us.  Oh, that and referring to the thing you get after you have dinner somewhere as "the check".  Of course, Canadians call it "the bill".   Those funny Americans.  Ha ha ha.

Anyway, we didn't have anything ready for dinner, nothing to fix, nothing prepared.  Patricia's clearly not earning her keep, is she, ladies and gentlemen?  I bring home the meat, and she damn well cooks it, I say.  But, no.  I have to bring it home, marinade it, saute it, cook it, let it rest on a plate while I prepare the vegetables, and present it on a dinner plate, only to have it spat upon because I forgot the damned parsley.

Ahem.

So, we didn't have any dinner ready.  I think I  mentioned that before.  We weren't sure what to do, so I casually stated that I had heard today that Wendy's was changing its menu and that we hadn't been to a Wendy's in some time.

Remember, we didn't have any dinner at home.  There was nothing prepared at my domicile for us to eat.  Wendy's seemed like a good option, so we went there, only to discover that the butter-on-the-bun hamburger wasn't up here yet; apparently, they are experimenting with these amazing burgers only in some U.S. Wendy's.  More's the pity.

I can't recall if I told you before, but there was no food prepared at the house for us to eat for dinner this evening.  That means that the burger and the chili had to do.  And, it did.  Patricia made do with her regular Baconater burger, which I gather has bacon in it.  I don't like to assume these things.  You know what happens when you assume things.  Yeah.  That.

I think the moral of tonight's story is that the next time there is nothing left to eat in the house for dinner on a given evening, I should get someone else to make it.

Or go to Burger King.

Bevboy

Post 1756 - Name This Post

I am back in the city after 11 days in the Valley.  My business there is... well, mostly concluded.  I'm sorry for being so enigmatic, but I am not at full liberty to discuss what happened and what required me to go down there unexpectedly.

It wasn't much of a vacation down there, but I did  manage to have a bit of fun in the last few days.  The Wolfville Ghost Walk, of course, was stellar; and I can't say enough good things about it. I will try to download the pics I took there the other night to my computer tomorrow night and put a few of them on the blog.  Jeremy from the Ghost Walk has asked me to send him a copy of the pictures I took the other night.  I will as soon as I can, buddy. And thanks for all the kind words about the blog.  Much appreciated.

Patricia joined me  in the Valley on Friday night. We had a busy evening then and an evening busier day Saturday, running here and there. She returned earlier than I did this afternoon, and took Newbie with her.  It was cool when I got home this afternoon and there was Newbie, looking out the door for me.  It's not quite like having a kid, but having a cat care enough to stand by the door waiting for you is kinda cool.   He actually made momentary eye contact with me.

It's back to work in the morning for me.  I'll keep my opinion about that to myself!

See you tomorrow, my lovelies.

Bevboy

Post 1755 - Saturday In The Valley

Ami McKay was excellent last night. She was even kind enough to accept one of my business cards.

Today, Patricia and I were busy. We attended the Wolfville Farmer's Market, and strolled over to EOS Fine Foods. Patricia got her hair done in New Minas. We went to Blomidon Nurseries in Greenwich. We came back to my mother's for a nap. We've spent the evening watching "Fawlty Towers".

A long day. An exhilerating day.

Time for sleep.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1754 - Ami McKay Tonight

These words come, yet again, from the Port William library.  Remind me to get an internet connection at my mother's some day.  Or not.  Probably not.

Patricia will be driving from the city right after work in order to be here for the Ami McKay presentation at 7pm.  McKay wrote a well-received novel called The Birth House a few years ago that Patricia read and enjoyed immensely.  I met McKay about 18 months ago when I drove through Canning and chanced upon the library when it was open.  Going inside, McKay was reading from her book, and there was cake to boot.  It's a nice little library there; I just wish it were open more often than it is.

Patricia has never met Ami McKay and wants to rectify that.  So, she'll come up here right after work and see her.  Tomorrow, we may go to the Wolfville Farmer's Market and then to Blomidon Nurseries before she returns to the city tomorrow night.  I return to the city on Sunday and to work on Monday.

Have been away from the city for a sudden vacation for 9 days now.  Except for my work and my friends and co-workers, I don't really miss it that much.  I spent nearly the first 24 years of my life in the Annapolis Valley, rarely leaving it, and got along fine.  I got along fine here the last 9 days.  This is a great place to live.

Off to start preparing dinner.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1753 - Wolfville Ghost Walk

I'm seldom in the Valley on a Thursday night, so when I was this evening, I had to go on the Wolfville Ghost Walk.

I think it's the best 12 bucks I've spent in a long time.

We met at the Wolfville town clock around 8:15. I forked over my cash. I made sure my camera was at the ready.

Jeremy led us through the main cemetery in Wolfville, regaling us with tales of some of the folks buried there. I learned a lot about my second favourite NS town (Port Williams is #1 of course). I saw and took pictures of some of those graves.

Jeremy had some friends. "Evangeline" told us about the Expulsion and Gabriel. "Isaac Chipman" spoke of some interesting Acadia University stories.

We made our way up town to Linden Avenue. Another actor told some tales in front of the house where her character had lived. Another spoke about Seminary House and its ghosts. A woman told us of a forerunner.

We ended up at a the Willowbank Cemetery. Jeremy spoke of George Lawrence Price, the last known Ally killed during World War One; I knew his nephew very well, by the way. A future edition of The Early Bevboy will be about him.

The final scene was at the grave of Mona Parsons, and Patricia will be so jealous of me as she reveres her.

My God, I enjoyed this evening's jaunt. I highly recommend it. The next ghost walk is on September 29th at 8:30. Go. Just go.

If I get a chance, I will post some pictures of this excursion here tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1752 - A Quiet Wednesday In The Valley

I write these humble, pathetic, sub-par words in the Port Williams library.  I am in the reading room, a room that contains nearly all of the paperbacks and graphic novels and reference materials for the library, along with the computers people use for the free internet.  I sit in an overstuffed, worn chair whose arms nearly surround me.  If I had the money, I'd replace all of the furniture with newer stuff manufactured after 1976.

Patricia doesn't get it, but I love this library.  I got my first membership card when I was 10 or 11, shortly after someone at my elementary school came to us and spoke to us about the value of having a library card.  I remember borrowing and reading the complete Sherlock Holmes via this library.  I was, uh, late in returning it.  Crazy ass late.  The librarian at the time was pretty sore at me.  I don't blame her.  I learned the importance of returning items that aren't mine on time and in good condition from that experience, if you want to know.

I visited the library as often as I could as a youngster.  But, they weren't open any evenings or weekends back then.  This meant I could mostly only come here in the summer months when I could ride my bike here from my parents' place.  As sad as this may sound, those are some of  my fondest memories of  my childhood: Riding my bike to the local museum, which had free admission back then, exploring it for the 200th time, and rounding about Starr's Point to the library, where I'd browse, return something, get something and return home for supper.  It was not a bad way to spend an afternoon back then.  It doesn't sound like a bad way to spend one now, except that the bike riding would probably kill me.

My father was hired, 20 years or so ago, to replace many of the shelves at the library.  I remember him complaining, "Why do they need so damn many books?"  I told him how many books I have.  He stopped mentioning the topic.  Those shelves are still here, and they're lovely.

I'm sorry to keep going on about this library.  You would likely not share my love for it.  Patricia sure doesn't.  But this place holds such nostalgia for me that it is hard not to wallow in it sometimes.  Certainly the chairs evoke that sense if nothing else.

I will be returning to work on Monday, unless circumstances prevent that from happening.  I hope they don't.  But, until then, I must purchase a few groceries to sustain me until I do return to the city.  I don't miss the traffic there.

You guys have a good day.  I will see you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1751 - Success!

Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, the shelving unit is in place. Took him mere minutes. He made it look easy. Two nails and two screw nails hold it in place.

It's about 2 feet away from the small work area Dad created for himself years ago. Over the years, more and more detritus got on that work area. Last year, as part of cleaning up this basement, I reclaimed this work area. Of course, I have a radio down here as well as another radio in the adjoining work shop.

The shelving unit, as you can see, is now full of useful tools that we can be use when necessary. The workshop has much more, of course.

Thank you, brother-in-law, for doing this and for NOT making fun of the job I did adding the backing board to the shelving unit.

See you tomorrow!

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1750 - Where Does It All Go?

These words come from my netbook, which in turn is at the Just Us in Wolfville.  I am enjoying a tasty beverage, an iced mochaccino.  Or is it mochachino?  Or perhaps mochaccinno?  Frig it.  it's cold and caffeinated!

I just went through $53 to get some cat food for Newbie.  We had tried both cats on a different type of dry food, but neither liked it.  Newbie would just push the kibble around with his nose and get to the wet food, which he continues to like.  So, I went back to the regular dry food this afternoon.  He will get some for dinner tonight.  Maybe, in gratitude (catitude?) he will momentarily make eye contact with me.  Or is that too much to ask for?  Yeah.  It probably is. He'll just sashay around the house like he used to date Mel Gibson or something and blithely ignore me until he feels it's time to be fed again.

I went to the hardware store in Wolfville this afternoon to pick up some things for my mother's house.  There are just a few spare fuses there, and there should be more, so I got some.  One type of fuse costs over $5 each.  Once again, there were no spares, so I got 4 of them.   They should last for a long time.  They'd better.

Still haven't got any further installing that shelving unit in the basement.  I'd need a third arm or a second ding dong in order to drill it into the beam I have in mind.  Neither option seems feasible, so I hope it will be my brother-in-law to the rescue.  If he has a second ding dong, I don't want to know about it.

Guess I'll go back to my mother's and prepare dinner.  I think it will be chicken tonight.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1749 - Not What You Think

Most Sunday night blog posts seem to be about my return to the city. This one isn't, as I remain at my mother's. I remain here on business, probably for a few more days.

I needed to take my mind off some stuff, so this morning I cut out some wood and stuck it on the back of a shelving unit we found among Dad's things last year. I've been wanting to put it in the back of the basement next to where Dad fashioned himself a work area years ago.

(Note that the basement was Dad's part of the house. Mom and I seldom went down there. We found quite a few things after he passed.)

Anyway, I used carpenter's glue to stick the backing board in place. Once that set, I used his smaller cordless drill (the one I managed to find the charger for!) to screw in some small screw nails. 16, to be exact. The backing board is firmly in place. It ain't coming off.

I found the spot where I wanted to put the shelf. However, no matter what, I could not figure out how to hold the unit in one hand and drill holes in the unit and the beam with the other. For that matter, the drill was too weak to pierce the beam. I guess 14 volts isn't enough.

I hope to get some help to install the unit some night this week. One of us will hold the shelving unit while the other uses a more powerful cordless drill.

I hope Dad would approve. I mean, he'd blanch at the quality of my sawing this morning, and laugh his ass off over the times I screwed the nails in the wrong location, but I hope he'd approve of the idea behind it.

Like I said, this was a way to kill a few hours today and get something nearly done that I'd long wanted to do. I'm here for personal reasons and need these diversions to deal with the importance of dealing with these issues. I hope to find something similar to do on Monday.

I think Dad would approve of that, too.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1748 - Making Himself at Home

Freakishly long day, but so far it's had a good resolution. The next day or two will tell the tale.

Needed a bit of levity. Thought I'd show you a pic of Newbie having a snack at 10:30 at night.

Time for bed. Like I said: A very long day.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1747 - A Friday Afternoon In The Valley

These humble, even-pathetic, words emanate from my netbook, which is linked to the the open wifi connection at the Port Williams library.

It has become a sunny and warm day.  When I return to my mother's I think I will mow her lawn.  It needs it.  I mean, it doesn't need it as much as my own lawn does in Halifax, but it's getting close.  The colony of pygmies that live in the brush behind my house are hearing rumours of a similar lawn in the Annapolis Valley, and are thinking of checking it out.  I want to forestall that from happening.

It has been a quiet few days here.  I had thought the excitement level would have reached its crescendo by now.  Unfortunately, that has not been the case and won't be the case today.  Let's hope for Saturday.

Newbie has been pissed at me since we arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  I had a heck of a hard time getting him into his carrier; he had hidden in such a way that it took me forever just to find him.  His lingering resentment made him decide to hide from me on Thursday for hours and hours as well.   He seems to have come around just a bit today,  but the day isn't over yet.  Who knows how he will react when I return to my mother's shortly.  Probably pacing back and forth and looking at his watch and mewling.  Sounds about right.

Guess I'll call it a day.  There's a lawn to mow!

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

Post 1746 - Thursday in The Valley

Spent a quiet day in anticipation of a really big day Friday. If this were a trilogy, today was like the second part of the Lord of the Rings where it seems not much happens even though stuff does take place. Clear as mud?

Was out this evening. Decided to get a slice and a beverage at the Jessy's Pizza in New Minas. It was all right, only all right.

As I mentioned earlier, Friday promises to be a really big day. I just hope we've dotted the i's and crossed the t's. If not, we could have a problem.

I'll tell you all about it when it's over.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1745 - A Valley Trip

I'm taking a few days of vacation at my mother's. I arrived here this afternoon and will remain here until at least Sunday.

Newbie! Grr! The little bastard somehow sensed I was planning a trip. He hid somewhere in the house. Nothing could smoke him out, not even the can of white tuna and the juice therefrom.

Finally found him under the guest bed. Managed to get out from under it via diabolical means I won't describe here. Suffice it to say he wasn't happy. Neither was I. The trip here was a pretty quiet one, with him avoiding eye contact with me. His carrier seemed like more of a prison to him than usual, I guess.

Frightfully long day. Guess I'll turn in.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1744 - Why, I Oughta!

Ha ha. Very funny.

Who put the "Because I Am A Girl" button on my desk?

I have a long memory, folks. I still remember vividly lending ten cents to Randy Miller in 1974 and not being paid back. I'll catch up to him some day, too.

Grr!

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1743 - Bread Upon The Waters

I am back in the city and have some pretty updates.

On Sunday afternoon, my BlackBerry buzzed with the news of a comment to a blog post written some 2 years ago, one that dealt with Norm Riley, the disk jockey who worked at CJCH many years ago, and who went on to manage a number of people in the music industry.

People in Norm Riley's family found that blog post over the weekend and left a message.  They have also found me on Facebook.  We have been corresponding.

Without spilling too many beans, I may soon have a great deal of information to share with my readers about Norm "Pearshape" Riley.  I very much look forward to getting this information and telling you all about it.

Once again, Facebook and this silly blog have helped me.  I have met so many people who have been helpful to me, and made many friends, real and virtual, who have assisted me in my quest to (gradually) document the history of radio broadcasting in Nova Scotia.  I will never finish this quest any more than a fella can complete a game of break out on a computer.  For one thing, much of this information is verbal and not written down.  For another, stories conflict and memories play tricks on a person.

Notice the "Norm_Riley" label.  I think you will see many  more posts with the label, and sooner than you think.

I'm so excited!!

Bevboy

Post 1742 - Last Day At The Cottage

It's Sunday night. The highlight of the day was mowing the lawn, which took over 2 hours on a lawn tractor.

For dinner Patricia prepared a salad. Tomorrow will be salmon, I hope.

Also tomorrow, it's back to the city for me. Patricia will hang back for a few more days. It's back to work for yours truly on Tuesday. Like I want to return to the city.

How long before I can retire again?

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1741 - A Long Day

It is 11:30 local time. Probably heading to bed soon.

We went to the Tatamagouche Farmer's Market this morning. We grabbed some lunch at Big Al's bar and grill there afterward. Al himself loved the Bevboy's Blog business card I gave him.

The only problem with the experience was that a woman in the next booth had apparently bathed in perfume this morning and wanted to share that scent with the world. We could barely breathe. We had to leave or die. So we left.

I went to the River john library long enough to send a couple of emails and to renew a book from the library.

After that, we returned to the cottage and took long naps.

This evening I cleaned out Newbie's carrier and washed the dishes. Then, we watched a couple hours of "America's Got Talent".

Tomorrow I really should mow the lawn here. After all, we don't want the long grass to inconvenience the trespassers who trek across the land, now, do we? It would be so rude.

Time for bed. See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1740 - Sleeping Sickness

Been one of those quiet days when not much happened. If my life were a 3 act play, today would be the middle, boring part that nobody remembered.

Patricia showed up here mid afternoon. She was as entranced as I was by the digital channels we get up here. It's just 3 of them, but now even Global is coming in fine. CBC looks really good, but is the weakest of the channels.

Watching these channels reminds me of the first time I saw colour television as a child. A neighbour in Port Williams had one so we went to visit them. So did lots of others. We'd never seen such a thing. It's kinda like that with this OTA digital stuff. Channels look and sound great. We're very pleased.

Tomorrow, we plan to go to Tatamagouche to the farmer's market. Or maybe we'll just nap for a long spell. Or watch some kid's show on the digital channels. Good times. Good times.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!

Post 1739 - A Very Long Day

It is now past 11pm. I got up some 18 hours ago. I worked all day, had dinner with Patricia at the Steak and Stein on Young Street (I also want to write it as #YoungStreet like I do on Twitter) and decided to drive to the cottage this evening.

I got here around 10:30. Newbie got sick in the car, which happens so often I am surprised when he doesn't.

A few minutes ago, I hooked up the digital to analog converter to the old tv in the living room. We have neither cable nor satellite here and no plans exist to get either. It has been spending the last 15 minutes or so finding all the digital channels within range. So far: 2. A whopping 2. I will soon see how well they come in.

I have never believed the statistic that 93% of Canadians have either cable or satellite. I know an awful lot of folks who have neither. I'm just your average blogger.

Some people can't afford it. Some don't want it because they go camping and speak to their spouses on a regular basis. Others make ample use of the internet and download stuff or stream Netflix. You can't tell me that only 7% of the population.

Anyway, one channel comes in very well. The other, CTV, pixellizes like crazy. Global doesn't exist.

I'm here through Monday. Expect a blog post every day.

See you tomorrow.

From Bevboy's BlackBerry to BevBoy's Blog!