Past 11:30.
We got home tonight from work and crashed. In that order. We didn't crash on the way home, or I'd have to fill out an insurance report and answer a long series of embarrassing questions. No. We got home, and then lay down for a few hours. Not sure what brought on my exhaustion, but Patricia had a migraine headache. I still get those from time to time. When I do, I am debilitated.
I hate to keep flogging this because it is unseemly, but my first true crime column appears in Frank Magazine, on Wednesday morning. Should hit newsstands around 10am. That's usually when I see it at the Superstore across from my work, should I happen to be over there getting something at that time of day.
I spent some time during my lunch hour today, taking notes for upcoming editions of my true crime column. They're about missing persons cases, but as I mentioned last night, I will also be looking at some unsolved murders. I remember one in particular from the early 1990's. An old man went out to his barn to clean the stalls or something. He got ambushed, and was killed. And so far as I know, nobody has ever been convicted of his murder, or held on suspicion of it. An unsolved murder that has had very little ink over the years. Let me see if I can do something about that.
I put it out to you now, then: if you know of any Nova Scotia-based unsolved murder, or missing persons case, or even some mysterious crime, let me know. Your best bet is to email me at Frank Magazine, or if you'd prefer, use the official Bevboy email address. Or message me on Facebook, or Tweet me, or even think about me hard. Any of those will work, just fine.
Missing persons cases and unsolved murders, especially ones in Nova Scotia, are an interest of mine, even a passion. Let's see if we can help solve some.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Post 3281 - Monday
Very long day.
Long day at work. Trying.
Frank Magazine is up, online. It has my two pieces in it. My media column, and my new missing persons column. That column will likely evolve into a general-purpose true crime column, where I discuss some Nova Scotia unsolved murders that haven't had nearly enough ink over the years. There is one unsolved murder going back to 1955, a grocer named Michael Resk. I want to look further into that, if I can.
There are other unsolved murders, unsolved crimes, and missing persons cases that I want to write about as well. The only provisos are that they must be Nova Scotia-based cases, and I'd prefer to write about ones that haven't had a lot of coverage.
Wish me luck.
After work, we went to dinner on Grafton Street, a place called The Stubborn Goat. Very interesting place! We had a vampire killer pizza, with lots of garlic on it, a mess of fries with everything possible on them, and a piece of ginger cake. Good food. We will be back.
After that, we waddled over to the library. There was a man giving a talk about the Gaelic language. Fascinating. And for the first time in many years, I heard more credence to the theory that maybe the term "mind your p's and q's" comes from the Celts, because there were p Celts and q Celts, each of which had its own dialect and its own very distinct way of pronouncing words.
Then, we walked back to the car and drove home. A quick check of my fitbit tells me that I got nearly 5000 steps in today, just trudging around the city. Imagine how many steps I could get if I went out on my lunch hour or something.
Yeah.
Right.
Let's do that.
You have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Long day at work. Trying.
Frank Magazine is up, online. It has my two pieces in it. My media column, and my new missing persons column. That column will likely evolve into a general-purpose true crime column, where I discuss some Nova Scotia unsolved murders that haven't had nearly enough ink over the years. There is one unsolved murder going back to 1955, a grocer named Michael Resk. I want to look further into that, if I can.
There are other unsolved murders, unsolved crimes, and missing persons cases that I want to write about as well. The only provisos are that they must be Nova Scotia-based cases, and I'd prefer to write about ones that haven't had a lot of coverage.
Wish me luck.
After work, we went to dinner on Grafton Street, a place called The Stubborn Goat. Very interesting place! We had a vampire killer pizza, with lots of garlic on it, a mess of fries with everything possible on them, and a piece of ginger cake. Good food. We will be back.
After that, we waddled over to the library. There was a man giving a talk about the Gaelic language. Fascinating. And for the first time in many years, I heard more credence to the theory that maybe the term "mind your p's and q's" comes from the Celts, because there were p Celts and q Celts, each of which had its own dialect and its own very distinct way of pronouncing words.
Then, we walked back to the car and drove home. A quick check of my fitbit tells me that I got nearly 5000 steps in today, just trudging around the city. Imagine how many steps I could get if I went out on my lunch hour or something.
Yeah.
Right.
Let's do that.
You have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Post 3280 - Sunday
Where did the day go? Even though I STILL haven't got my fitbit out of its packaging and synced and so on, I went for a nice walk anyway. Up the path between my house and the ballfield, right on the street to the trail, along the trail, to the entrance to my neighbourhood, and then home.
In between I was getting stuff ready to throw out in a week's time, re-arranging books in my home office, preparing another fish fry (a delish fish drish!).
After a hard day's labour, prior to returning to work, what does a Bevboy do? Why, he watches American Ninja Warriors, of course. After all, he trained some of them.
Or not.
Let's go with not.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
PS. The new Frank comes out tomorrow, with 2 articles by me in it! Two! Two, I tell you.
In between I was getting stuff ready to throw out in a week's time, re-arranging books in my home office, preparing another fish fry (a delish fish drish!).
After a hard day's labour, prior to returning to work, what does a Bevboy do? Why, he watches American Ninja Warriors, of course. After all, he trained some of them.
Or not.
Let's go with not.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
PS. The new Frank comes out tomorrow, with 2 articles by me in it! Two! Two, I tell you.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Post 3279 - Saturday
Past midnight. Technically, of course, it is Sunday.
I got my fitbit in the mail this week. I haven't hooked it up yet. But that didn't stop me from going for a long walk around 10:30 this morning, to check out yardsales. I went up Eisener to Brentwood. Around Yoon Court to Johnson and Dorothy Crescent, or Street, or Drive, or whatever it is. I bought a few books. I bought a cowboy hat for Patricia to wear in the garden. I bought a good pair of Sony headphones for dollar. I bought a drink cooler for a dollar. And, on the way back to the house, I bought a dozen eggs, which will come in handy when we do a Sunday afternoon fish fry.
Patricia had stepped out with a girlfriend this morning. Some stupid ponzi scheme whereby they "lend" you money to purchase American real estate. You pay them back, of course. It is impossible to lose money. Impossible. She and the gf walked out, got something to eat at the farmer's market, and had a decent day.
We watched a couple episodes of "12 Monkeys" today. My goodness, that show likes to jump around timelines, doesn't it? And, of course, they make little effort to keep the viewer appraised as to which year the characters are in. We saw 4 episodes today. Not sure if we will watch any more.
I have been down here in my home office for the last 90 minutes, rearranging some books. I have put some older mystery novels and short story collections on one shelf. These are vintage paperbacks that might be worth some money to someone somewhere, but nobody around here. Or where you are, either. I guarantee it.
I think I will turn in. Newbie is giving me that look. That come hither human look. You know what I mean.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I got my fitbit in the mail this week. I haven't hooked it up yet. But that didn't stop me from going for a long walk around 10:30 this morning, to check out yardsales. I went up Eisener to Brentwood. Around Yoon Court to Johnson and Dorothy Crescent, or Street, or Drive, or whatever it is. I bought a few books. I bought a cowboy hat for Patricia to wear in the garden. I bought a good pair of Sony headphones for dollar. I bought a drink cooler for a dollar. And, on the way back to the house, I bought a dozen eggs, which will come in handy when we do a Sunday afternoon fish fry.
Patricia had stepped out with a girlfriend this morning. Some stupid ponzi scheme whereby they "lend" you money to purchase American real estate. You pay them back, of course. It is impossible to lose money. Impossible. She and the gf walked out, got something to eat at the farmer's market, and had a decent day.
We watched a couple episodes of "12 Monkeys" today. My goodness, that show likes to jump around timelines, doesn't it? And, of course, they make little effort to keep the viewer appraised as to which year the characters are in. We saw 4 episodes today. Not sure if we will watch any more.
I have been down here in my home office for the last 90 minutes, rearranging some books. I have put some older mystery novels and short story collections on one shelf. These are vintage paperbacks that might be worth some money to someone somewhere, but nobody around here. Or where you are, either. I guarantee it.
I think I will turn in. Newbie is giving me that look. That come hither human look. You know what I mean.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Friday, May 27, 2016
Post 3278 - Friday
Weekend is here.
What a busy, four day week. I finished two deadlines for Frank. I have begun work on the next missing persons case file. And I am still rebuilding this stupid pc from the weekend.
Why do I like computers, again?
Let me get back to you on that?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
What a busy, four day week. I finished two deadlines for Frank. I have begun work on the next missing persons case file. And I am still rebuilding this stupid pc from the weekend.
Why do I like computers, again?
Let me get back to you on that?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Post 3277 - Special Announcement
At long last I can announce the following:
My missing persons blog series will be moving over to Frank Magazine.
The first in the series is about Mark Wayne Clarke, missing since February 4, 2013. The story hasn't had much ink since he went missing over 3 years ago. It's about time it got some.
I am already at work on the next couple of cases. The couple that I have written about here on the blog already, will remain here, but will be updated and expanded over in the pages of Frank.
I am not guaranteeing that there will be a missing persons case discussed in every issue of Frank going forward, until they ask me to stop, but that I will try to have one in every issue going forward.
These stories take a lot of time to research and write. The first one, published this coming Monday, was especially time consuming. My editor and I worked closely on it to get the right tone and to make sure that as much information could be provided to the reader as possible. I thank Andrew for that assistance.
I am excited about this news. I can never hope to get the kind of readership that Frank has. Already, I have had dealings with a police media liaison that would have been impossible if not for this affiliation. It's all good.
It does mean, however, that the missing persons cases will no longer be featured here. If you want to read this stuff, you will have to belly up to the bar and buy Frank Magazine at your fave newsstand, through subscribing to the print edition, or by purchasing a digital subscription. Go here to subscribe.
Nothing lasts forever, and neither will this. But I intend to make good use of this experience for as long as it does last.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
My missing persons blog series will be moving over to Frank Magazine.
The first in the series is about Mark Wayne Clarke, missing since February 4, 2013. The story hasn't had much ink since he went missing over 3 years ago. It's about time it got some.
I am already at work on the next couple of cases. The couple that I have written about here on the blog already, will remain here, but will be updated and expanded over in the pages of Frank.
I am not guaranteeing that there will be a missing persons case discussed in every issue of Frank going forward, until they ask me to stop, but that I will try to have one in every issue going forward.
These stories take a lot of time to research and write. The first one, published this coming Monday, was especially time consuming. My editor and I worked closely on it to get the right tone and to make sure that as much information could be provided to the reader as possible. I thank Andrew for that assistance.
I am excited about this news. I can never hope to get the kind of readership that Frank has. Already, I have had dealings with a police media liaison that would have been impossible if not for this affiliation. It's all good.
It does mean, however, that the missing persons cases will no longer be featured here. If you want to read this stuff, you will have to belly up to the bar and buy Frank Magazine at your fave newsstand, through subscribing to the print edition, or by purchasing a digital subscription. Go here to subscribe.
Nothing lasts forever, and neither will this. But I intend to make good use of this experience for as long as it does last.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Post 3276 - Wednesday
Past 10pm.
Another long day. I was up until past midnight this morning, and up just past 5:30. A long shower perked me up.
After work, we went to Costco. We returned home, and I was pleased to see that the young man down the street had mowed my lawn. I will pay him tomorrow. And since about 6:45, with nary a break, I have been down here in my home office working toward my latest deadline for a special project. It is the hardest I have worked on a writing assignment (outside of work stuff) probably since university. Many twists and turns. It has been an interesting process. I just hope that it meets the rigors it needs to, and passes the muster it ... uh, must.
Sorry for being so vague about this. I will tell you all about it when I can. I promise.
So, I did watch the season ender of The Flash last night. I managed to guess that the man in the iron mask was indeed the Earth (3) Jay Garrick. Zoom had appropriated his name. And, the coolest part of all is that this Jay Garrick is played by John Wesley Shipp. As many of you know, John Wesley Shipp played the Barry Allen Flash 25 years ago. In fact, that show ended in May of 1991. Pretty much exactly 25 years ago to the day, we see John Wesley Shipp playing another Flash, this time what's known as the Golden Age Flash. You have no idea, folks, what a cool thing this is. Here. Here's how he looked then.
And, this is John Wesley Shipp as Jay Garrick.
If you think he's too old to play the Flash, keep that information to yourself. The character of Jay Garrick is in his 90's, having been the Flash since World War II. Through some pseudo mumbo jumbo means, he has aged very slowly, looking more like a man in his 50's. Shipp is just past 60, and I think he can pass for someone in his 50's.
And, also in the season finale, the Barry Allen Flash went back in time to the point where his mother was about to be killed, prevented that murder, and now we have no idea what will happen next season. His father will never have been charged with (falsely) killing his mother, and there is likely no Flash in that timeline at all, because Barry will not have felt the need to become a police scientist in the first place, and therefore not have been exposed to the chemicals and the lightning that made him the Flash in the first place.
Hmm? What's that? Oh, you don't care!
Sorry.
A little spaced out from lack of sleep. I think I will do something about that.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Another long day. I was up until past midnight this morning, and up just past 5:30. A long shower perked me up.
After work, we went to Costco. We returned home, and I was pleased to see that the young man down the street had mowed my lawn. I will pay him tomorrow. And since about 6:45, with nary a break, I have been down here in my home office working toward my latest deadline for a special project. It is the hardest I have worked on a writing assignment (outside of work stuff) probably since university. Many twists and turns. It has been an interesting process. I just hope that it meets the rigors it needs to, and passes the muster it ... uh, must.
Sorry for being so vague about this. I will tell you all about it when I can. I promise.
So, I did watch the season ender of The Flash last night. I managed to guess that the man in the iron mask was indeed the Earth (3) Jay Garrick. Zoom had appropriated his name. And, the coolest part of all is that this Jay Garrick is played by John Wesley Shipp. As many of you know, John Wesley Shipp played the Barry Allen Flash 25 years ago. In fact, that show ended in May of 1991. Pretty much exactly 25 years ago to the day, we see John Wesley Shipp playing another Flash, this time what's known as the Golden Age Flash. You have no idea, folks, what a cool thing this is. Here. Here's how he looked then.
And, this is John Wesley Shipp as Jay Garrick.
If you think he's too old to play the Flash, keep that information to yourself. The character of Jay Garrick is in his 90's, having been the Flash since World War II. Through some pseudo mumbo jumbo means, he has aged very slowly, looking more like a man in his 50's. Shipp is just past 60, and I think he can pass for someone in his 50's.
And, also in the season finale, the Barry Allen Flash went back in time to the point where his mother was about to be killed, prevented that murder, and now we have no idea what will happen next season. His father will never have been charged with (falsely) killing his mother, and there is likely no Flash in that timeline at all, because Barry will not have felt the need to become a police scientist in the first place, and therefore not have been exposed to the chemicals and the lightning that made him the Flash in the first place.
Hmm? What's that? Oh, you don't care!
Sorry.
A little spaced out from lack of sleep. I think I will do something about that.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Post 3275 - Full Circle?
Past 11pm. Spent a few hours working on my column tonight. A second deadline for something else, will be worked on tomorrow night.
You'll know that I am a huge fan of the Flash tv show. If you are not watching it, you are really missing an excellent program. One of the major themes of the show is fatherhood, and how Barry sort of has 3 fathers on the program. Well, did, at least.
I lost my own father 6 years ago this month. I think of my father every day. If there is an afterlife, I hope he and my mother are in it, having a grand old time. I miss my mother like crazy, too.
Anyway, I went in to McDonald's this morning to get a coffee before I went to work. I scanned the restaurant while I was waiting for my coffee. I saw this man.
From a certain angle, the way the light hit his face, my god, I thought I was looking at my father. I went over and told him that he was the spitting image of my dad. He said, "How long has be been dead?", and chuckled. I told him, "Six years, sir."
We had a nice chat, he and I. He let me take the above picture. I gave him a blog business card. By that time, my coffee was ready, so I shook his hand, wished him a pleasant day, and took my leave.
It is weird how things work out sometimes. I was just thinking about my dad, and there he (sort of) was. Was it kismet? Was it... something else? Or does one's mind reach for coincidences and pat answers to things when none can or should exist? I don't know. I am just a big old dummy who's been up for 18 hours and needs to sleep.
I miss you, dad. Nice seeing you today, though.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
You'll know that I am a huge fan of the Flash tv show. If you are not watching it, you are really missing an excellent program. One of the major themes of the show is fatherhood, and how Barry sort of has 3 fathers on the program. Well, did, at least.
I lost my own father 6 years ago this month. I think of my father every day. If there is an afterlife, I hope he and my mother are in it, having a grand old time. I miss my mother like crazy, too.
Anyway, I went in to McDonald's this morning to get a coffee before I went to work. I scanned the restaurant while I was waiting for my coffee. I saw this man.
From a certain angle, the way the light hit his face, my god, I thought I was looking at my father. I went over and told him that he was the spitting image of my dad. He said, "How long has be been dead?", and chuckled. I told him, "Six years, sir."
We had a nice chat, he and I. He let me take the above picture. I gave him a blog business card. By that time, my coffee was ready, so I shook his hand, wished him a pleasant day, and took my leave.
It is weird how things work out sometimes. I was just thinking about my dad, and there he (sort of) was. Was it kismet? Was it... something else? Or does one's mind reach for coincidences and pat answers to things when none can or should exist? I don't know. I am just a big old dummy who's been up for 18 hours and needs to sleep.
I miss you, dad. Nice seeing you today, though.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, May 23, 2016
Post 3274 - Monday
Hello.
I didn't write yesterday because, gosh, my body shut down mid-afternoon. I woke long enough to eat dinner, watch a documentary about Vivian Meier, and then toddle off back to bed. I can only imagine I was so tired yesterday because of the weather and because I had expended so much mental energy on Saturday fiddling and farting around with this here computer.
Even now, I fear that this machine will give me a hard time the next time I have to boot it. The MBR,.the master boot record, and the GRUB menu boot loader, are not on the alternative hard drive I am running Linux Mint on. If I reboot, when I reboot, I will have to go to the BIOS level, and make sure that the boot menu specifies the correct hard drive. I know there is a way around it to getting it working the way I need it to, but honestly, farting around with this computer is not something I want to do right now. Sweet moses on a tart, computers can be frustrating sometimes.
I only got it a few months ago. It has 16GB of ram. I replaced the power supply. I have a few hard drives in it. It should bloody work, and run like the wind. It should not be busting my chops every few days with yet another thing to confound me and make me doubt my intelligence, to make the boys at work mock me for not "just knowing the answer". You understand. I have to keep up with the boys.
As it is, I had to re-install Plex on this machine. I am gradually adding back all the libraries that were here before. The music library is vast and has been indexing for hours. The James Bond library was re-created just now.
Ditto MST3K, and remind me to actually sit down and watch an episode of that cult show sometime. People have been going on about Mystery Science Theater 3000 for 25 years now. Because of Canadian copyright laws, it was hard to see the show up here. The old Sci Fi channel was something that Patricia's father illegally accessed on his old satellite dish, so I managed to see part of an episode of the show at the cottage one day, but the lawn beckoned, and by the time I got back from mowing it, the episode was long over. All I know is, the premise is about a guy who gets stuck on some kind of orbiting space ship. For reasons I do not know, he is obliged to watch crappy movies and comment on them, along with a robot and an alien. You now know as much about MST3K as I do. Congratulations.
(Oh, I did acquire some MST3K dvd's several years ago. Don't tell Patricia how much I paid for them, because it was nothing: I traded comic books for them. Tried to watch one of them once, and fell asleep. So, it doesn't count as having seen it.)
So, anyway, I am heading into another short work week. And a Frank deadline week, too. You can guess what I'll be doing every night this week. Well, besides that, of course. Silly you.
You have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I didn't write yesterday because, gosh, my body shut down mid-afternoon. I woke long enough to eat dinner, watch a documentary about Vivian Meier, and then toddle off back to bed. I can only imagine I was so tired yesterday because of the weather and because I had expended so much mental energy on Saturday fiddling and farting around with this here computer.
Even now, I fear that this machine will give me a hard time the next time I have to boot it. The MBR,.the master boot record, and the GRUB menu boot loader, are not on the alternative hard drive I am running Linux Mint on. If I reboot, when I reboot, I will have to go to the BIOS level, and make sure that the boot menu specifies the correct hard drive. I know there is a way around it to getting it working the way I need it to, but honestly, farting around with this computer is not something I want to do right now. Sweet moses on a tart, computers can be frustrating sometimes.
I only got it a few months ago. It has 16GB of ram. I replaced the power supply. I have a few hard drives in it. It should bloody work, and run like the wind. It should not be busting my chops every few days with yet another thing to confound me and make me doubt my intelligence, to make the boys at work mock me for not "just knowing the answer". You understand. I have to keep up with the boys.
As it is, I had to re-install Plex on this machine. I am gradually adding back all the libraries that were here before. The music library is vast and has been indexing for hours. The James Bond library was re-created just now.
Ditto MST3K, and remind me to actually sit down and watch an episode of that cult show sometime. People have been going on about Mystery Science Theater 3000 for 25 years now. Because of Canadian copyright laws, it was hard to see the show up here. The old Sci Fi channel was something that Patricia's father illegally accessed on his old satellite dish, so I managed to see part of an episode of the show at the cottage one day, but the lawn beckoned, and by the time I got back from mowing it, the episode was long over. All I know is, the premise is about a guy who gets stuck on some kind of orbiting space ship. For reasons I do not know, he is obliged to watch crappy movies and comment on them, along with a robot and an alien. You now know as much about MST3K as I do. Congratulations.
(Oh, I did acquire some MST3K dvd's several years ago. Don't tell Patricia how much I paid for them, because it was nothing: I traded comic books for them. Tried to watch one of them once, and fell asleep. So, it doesn't count as having seen it.)
So, anyway, I am heading into another short work week. And a Frank deadline week, too. You can guess what I'll be doing every night this week. Well, besides that, of course. Silly you.
You have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Post 3273 - Calm. Blue. OCEAN!!
Past midnight.
I have spent hours, and hours, and hours today trying to get this computer up and running again. I was having problems with Plex, yet again. It has been crashing all week. I kept shutting it down and restarting it. It would work for a few hours and then bomb again.
I finally diagnosed the problem. Somehow, the solid state drive was going into read only mode. When Plex tried to write something to the drive, it would stop working. So, I am now running Linux Mint on a second internal hard drive, and am slowly re-installing all the software that I like.
My god, this was a frustrating day. Patricia knew better than to bother me while I worked on this.
I paid really good money on that stupid solid state drive. Ironically enough, I bought it to make the computer performance that much faster. Instead, there has been problem after problem. I guess I will have to remove that hard drive, pound the heck out of it, and take it one of those recycling depots.
And, once again, I wonder how people who don't have my background with computers, cope with this crap. Do they just try to find someone like me to fix it for them, or do they throw up their hands and stick with Netflix? I don't know. And I am too tired and frustrated, and sober, to think about it.
I am going to turn in, before I throw this computer and all its hard drives, out the window.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I have spent hours, and hours, and hours today trying to get this computer up and running again. I was having problems with Plex, yet again. It has been crashing all week. I kept shutting it down and restarting it. It would work for a few hours and then bomb again.
I finally diagnosed the problem. Somehow, the solid state drive was going into read only mode. When Plex tried to write something to the drive, it would stop working. So, I am now running Linux Mint on a second internal hard drive, and am slowly re-installing all the software that I like.
My god, this was a frustrating day. Patricia knew better than to bother me while I worked on this.
I paid really good money on that stupid solid state drive. Ironically enough, I bought it to make the computer performance that much faster. Instead, there has been problem after problem. I guess I will have to remove that hard drive, pound the heck out of it, and take it one of those recycling depots.
And, once again, I wonder how people who don't have my background with computers, cope with this crap. Do they just try to find someone like me to fix it for them, or do they throw up their hands and stick with Netflix? I don't know. And I am too tired and frustrated, and sober, to think about it.
I am going to turn in, before I throw this computer and all its hard drives, out the window.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Friday, May 20, 2016
Post 3272 - Friday
A change of plans.
We are not going to the cottage this weekend. The reasons are several: I have a couple of writing deadlines, Patricia has lunch with a friend on Saturday, the weather at the cottage may not be conducive to mowing. There are other reasons, but you get the drift.
So, we are staying in town for the weekend. There is much to be done here. The question is, how much of that will be done by Monday evening as we face another work week?
This afternoon, we went to Value Village to drop off a bag of clothing we no longer wanted. I donated a scanner that I couldn't get working with either Windows or Linux, although I'm sure an enterprising-enough nerd can get it working. And we ended up by a fish monger, shortly before he wanted to shut down for the day. There were deals to be had. Normally 3 pounds of haddock are 20 bucks. Patricia got 2 pounds for 10. Normally, a 10 pound box of haddock is 60 dollars. She got the box for 50. So, 60 dollars yielded her 12 pounds of haddock, which is only the best-tasting white fish in the world if you know how to cook it, and I do. The two pound bag accommodated our dinners tonight very nicely, with a piece left over that we consumed this evening. The remaining ten pounds were decanted into freezer bags, a machine was used to suck the moisture out of the bags and seal them, before I put the bags in the big freezer in the kitchen. We will have many meals of yummy haddock in the coming weeks!
Tomorrow, whilst Patricia is having lunch with her lady friend, I will hang back here and clean out my car. It is long past the point where I should have done that job. The backseat is a sight. Don't ask me about the trunk. Just... don't!
You guys have a good night. See you tomorrow. Either keep smiling, or start smiling.
I am not going to finish this blog post until you start smiling.
I can wait.
All
Night
Long.
I can w....zzzzz
(Patricia, signing off for Bevboy)
We are not going to the cottage this weekend. The reasons are several: I have a couple of writing deadlines, Patricia has lunch with a friend on Saturday, the weather at the cottage may not be conducive to mowing. There are other reasons, but you get the drift.
So, we are staying in town for the weekend. There is much to be done here. The question is, how much of that will be done by Monday evening as we face another work week?
This afternoon, we went to Value Village to drop off a bag of clothing we no longer wanted. I donated a scanner that I couldn't get working with either Windows or Linux, although I'm sure an enterprising-enough nerd can get it working. And we ended up by a fish monger, shortly before he wanted to shut down for the day. There were deals to be had. Normally 3 pounds of haddock are 20 bucks. Patricia got 2 pounds for 10. Normally, a 10 pound box of haddock is 60 dollars. She got the box for 50. So, 60 dollars yielded her 12 pounds of haddock, which is only the best-tasting white fish in the world if you know how to cook it, and I do. The two pound bag accommodated our dinners tonight very nicely, with a piece left over that we consumed this evening. The remaining ten pounds were decanted into freezer bags, a machine was used to suck the moisture out of the bags and seal them, before I put the bags in the big freezer in the kitchen. We will have many meals of yummy haddock in the coming weeks!
Tomorrow, whilst Patricia is having lunch with her lady friend, I will hang back here and clean out my car. It is long past the point where I should have done that job. The backseat is a sight. Don't ask me about the trunk. Just... don't!
You guys have a good night. See you tomorrow. Either keep smiling, or start smiling.
I am not going to finish this blog post until you start smiling.
I can wait.
All
Night
Long.
I can w....zzzzz
(Patricia, signing off for Bevboy)
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Post 3271 - Thursday
Yes. The weekend is here.
I am off work until Tuesday. But that doesn't mean I won't be working. I have some work today and deadlines to meet. Plus, we may end up going to the cottage. If that happens I will be spending several hours on a lawn tractor mowing the lawn down there. When that's over, I will probably collapse into a heap and dream that I am still riding that damned lawn mower. You understand.
This is a quick one. The Blacklist starts in like 2 minutes. Gotta see if Liz lives.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I am off work until Tuesday. But that doesn't mean I won't be working. I have some work today and deadlines to meet. Plus, we may end up going to the cottage. If that happens I will be spending several hours on a lawn tractor mowing the lawn down there. When that's over, I will probably collapse into a heap and dream that I am still riding that damned lawn mower. You understand.
This is a quick one. The Blacklist starts in like 2 minutes. Gotta see if Liz lives.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Post 3270 - Wednesday
Is it Thursday yet?
No.
It's only Wednesday.
Rats.
The new Frank Magazine would have hit the stands today. It contains my first new column in 7 months. I eagerly anticipate Mike Cranston's feedback on it. Will he still find it to be "the personification of mind-numbing boredom", or will he perhaps not like it? I look forward to finding out.
I am making some progress on the secret project. And I pitched another project today, which may also go forward. Busy times, if these all happen.
I think the highlight for me today was my Toastmasters meeting. We had our club officer elections. They went, until the very end, when we had nominations for club president. I was nominated, and the nomination was seconded. People said nice things about me. And... I declined the nomination.
I was chairing that part of the meeting. I asked someone to take over the chair from me. Once recognized by the fill-in chair person, I nominated a long-standing female member. That nomination was seconded, and nomination speeches were welcomed. I praised her virtues, exclaimed hosannas from the highest, spoke mighty platitudes, all in an effort to persuade her to accept the nomination. Others followed suit.
She declined the nomination, too.
Undaunted, I nominated another woman in the club. Similar nice things were said.
Guess what? She declined the nomination.
Three up. Three down. I resumed the chair from Ryan. I said I would accept a nomination for the existing President. Such a nomination was made, and accepted. Nominations closed.
With some embarrassment, saying that he was the fourth in line, he accepted the nomination, and will be our president for the upcoming TM year, which commences on July 1st.
The elections took nearly a full hour this evening, but the time flew by. All the to'ing and fro'ing, the back and forth, the wheeling and dealing. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed an election cycle so much.
I joined TM nearly 25 years ago. When I explain what we do, I become bored, and I can only imagine how many people I have driven away from TM over the years. I joined to develop my public speaking skills. I have stayed because it is a social thing for us. We have fun. We often laugh our arses off. And as a happy by-product, we have have learned to speak more gooder in public.
Fun times. Next meeting is not for two weeks. I look forward to it.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
No.
It's only Wednesday.
Rats.
The new Frank Magazine would have hit the stands today. It contains my first new column in 7 months. I eagerly anticipate Mike Cranston's feedback on it. Will he still find it to be "the personification of mind-numbing boredom", or will he perhaps not like it? I look forward to finding out.
I am making some progress on the secret project. And I pitched another project today, which may also go forward. Busy times, if these all happen.
I think the highlight for me today was my Toastmasters meeting. We had our club officer elections. They went, until the very end, when we had nominations for club president. I was nominated, and the nomination was seconded. People said nice things about me. And... I declined the nomination.
I was chairing that part of the meeting. I asked someone to take over the chair from me. Once recognized by the fill-in chair person, I nominated a long-standing female member. That nomination was seconded, and nomination speeches were welcomed. I praised her virtues, exclaimed hosannas from the highest, spoke mighty platitudes, all in an effort to persuade her to accept the nomination. Others followed suit.
She declined the nomination, too.
Undaunted, I nominated another woman in the club. Similar nice things were said.
Guess what? She declined the nomination.
Three up. Three down. I resumed the chair from Ryan. I said I would accept a nomination for the existing President. Such a nomination was made, and accepted. Nominations closed.
With some embarrassment, saying that he was the fourth in line, he accepted the nomination, and will be our president for the upcoming TM year, which commences on July 1st.
The elections took nearly a full hour this evening, but the time flew by. All the to'ing and fro'ing, the back and forth, the wheeling and dealing. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed an election cycle so much.
I joined TM nearly 25 years ago. When I explain what we do, I become bored, and I can only imagine how many people I have driven away from TM over the years. I joined to develop my public speaking skills. I have stayed because it is a social thing for us. We have fun. We often laugh our arses off. And as a happy by-product, we have have learned to speak more gooder in public.
Fun times. Next meeting is not for two weeks. I look forward to it.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Post 3269 - Tuesday
My work week is half over. My work week is half over!
Two days from now, I will be able to bask in the glory of 4 days off work. But, fear not, effendi, as Stan Lee used to say all the time. I will still write blog posts for you, every stinking day. I will also chip away at my next Frank column and work more on that special project. While I will be away from my paying job for 4 days, I will not be away from work.
How was your day? The highlight of mine was getting those mystery magazines I ordered a few days ago. They are vintage issues from the 1980's and earlier. I have now pretty much doubled my Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine collection, to a whole 40 issues. That represents barely 10% of the entire run of the magazine. Good luck seeing me ever get every issue. A fella can dream. Not that it is something to dream about.
I also got a 1974 issue of Charlie Chan's Mystery Magazine. I noticed something quite unusual about it, something that makes me think I should get out a bit more. The cover is one that was used over and over again, by other magazines.
Let me prove it to you.
Here's what I got today. It is from 1974.
Here's an issue of Mike Shayne, from 1976. I do not have this issue, but grabbed the cover from a website that lists covers of such magazines.
From the same website, but I do have this issue in my collection. Had this issue for years.
Now, is this cheap, or is this cheap, to re-use the same cover? It seems 10x worse to use it on Mike Shayne, because people collected the magazine and subscribed to it. More than a few would have noticed that the cover from a 1976 issue was re-used less than 4 years later. But how many would have noticed that the cover goes back before '76, for a different magazine? For all I know, the cover on that old Charlie Chan was used yet again, somewhere else. And perhaps, even after 1980, it was used on some other magazine, perhaps a third issue of Mike Shayne. If I felt like it, I could look at all the other issues of Mike Shayne to see if they pulled this little stunt again.
I am not angry about it. It just seems cheap. I grant you, it's a dynamic cover, but do I need to see it over and over again?
This is worse, in my opinion, than what they did on Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine back in the day, when they would use the same picture of Hitch, color the background differently, and call it a new cover. This is the same damned drawing, used repeatedly.
Anyway, it's late, and you don't care about any of this. Just be happy for me that I have doubled my collection of MSMM, added 5 more issues to my EQMM collection, and got 11 more issues of AHMM, two of which have Jas. R. Petrin stories I didn't already have. It was a good day.
Except for the whole cover thing.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Two days from now, I will be able to bask in the glory of 4 days off work. But, fear not, effendi, as Stan Lee used to say all the time. I will still write blog posts for you, every stinking day. I will also chip away at my next Frank column and work more on that special project. While I will be away from my paying job for 4 days, I will not be away from work.
How was your day? The highlight of mine was getting those mystery magazines I ordered a few days ago. They are vintage issues from the 1980's and earlier. I have now pretty much doubled my Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine collection, to a whole 40 issues. That represents barely 10% of the entire run of the magazine. Good luck seeing me ever get every issue. A fella can dream. Not that it is something to dream about.
I also got a 1974 issue of Charlie Chan's Mystery Magazine. I noticed something quite unusual about it, something that makes me think I should get out a bit more. The cover is one that was used over and over again, by other magazines.
Let me prove it to you.
Here's what I got today. It is from 1974.
Here's an issue of Mike Shayne, from 1976. I do not have this issue, but grabbed the cover from a website that lists covers of such magazines.
From the same website, but I do have this issue in my collection. Had this issue for years.
Now, is this cheap, or is this cheap, to re-use the same cover? It seems 10x worse to use it on Mike Shayne, because people collected the magazine and subscribed to it. More than a few would have noticed that the cover from a 1976 issue was re-used less than 4 years later. But how many would have noticed that the cover goes back before '76, for a different magazine? For all I know, the cover on that old Charlie Chan was used yet again, somewhere else. And perhaps, even after 1980, it was used on some other magazine, perhaps a third issue of Mike Shayne. If I felt like it, I could look at all the other issues of Mike Shayne to see if they pulled this little stunt again.
I am not angry about it. It just seems cheap. I grant you, it's a dynamic cover, but do I need to see it over and over again?
This is worse, in my opinion, than what they did on Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine back in the day, when they would use the same picture of Hitch, color the background differently, and call it a new cover. This is the same damned drawing, used repeatedly.
Anyway, it's late, and you don't care about any of this. Just be happy for me that I have doubled my collection of MSMM, added 5 more issues to my EQMM collection, and got 11 more issues of AHMM, two of which have Jas. R. Petrin stories I didn't already have. It was a good day.
Except for the whole cover thing.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, May 16, 2016
Post 3268 - Monday
Well, it's up. My first column for Frank Magazine in 7 months is out there for your reading pleasure. It takes up a full two pages in the current issue. There is content there you will find nowhere else. I guarantee it.
I have only had one negative comment about the return. Someone asked me if I really write for "that rag". Yes. I do. Once again, it may only be for a few issues, so go to your newsagent, get a copy when it comes out on Wednesday, or subscribe online. Pick one.
I spent a bit of time working on the next assignment. I will not tell you what it is, yet. But I will tell you what it isn't. I am not doing any scab work for the Halifax Chronicle Herald. There is no way they would approach me, and there is no way I would approach them. Subject over.
I have two things tonight: 1. 3 more days in my work week; and 2. a headache tonight. Because of 2, I think I will turn in early. I will either watch the last episode ever of Castle tomorrow night or just read the recap in the morning to see if they "Caskett" make it out alive. It still amazes me that they would fire her, and the coroner, and then go through all the effort of signing Nathan Fillion and all the other actors to return for a proposed season 9, only to have the network cancel the show 4 days before the final episode airs. There is some politics behind that decision, and I hope we find out some day, what it is.
Anyway, think I will call it an early night. Long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
I have only had one negative comment about the return. Someone asked me if I really write for "that rag". Yes. I do. Once again, it may only be for a few issues, so go to your newsagent, get a copy when it comes out on Wednesday, or subscribe online. Pick one.
I spent a bit of time working on the next assignment. I will not tell you what it is, yet. But I will tell you what it isn't. I am not doing any scab work for the Halifax Chronicle Herald. There is no way they would approach me, and there is no way I would approach them. Subject over.
I have two things tonight: 1. 3 more days in my work week; and 2. a headache tonight. Because of 2, I think I will turn in early. I will either watch the last episode ever of Castle tomorrow night or just read the recap in the morning to see if they "Caskett" make it out alive. It still amazes me that they would fire her, and the coroner, and then go through all the effort of signing Nathan Fillion and all the other actors to return for a proposed season 9, only to have the network cancel the show 4 days before the final episode airs. There is some politics behind that decision, and I hope we find out some day, what it is.
Anyway, think I will call it an early night. Long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Post 3267 - Sunday
And, a day later, I have a very rough draft of my next project in to the person who will yay or nay it. If it is yay'd, and once it's finished, I will tell you all about it. Until then, suck it up, buttercup.
How was your day? When I wasn't working on the project, I was thinking about it, even when I was doing something else, like cleaning up in the kitchen. I still found time, though, to watch the first 3 episodes of "Chelsea" on Netflix. I have never been a big Chelsea fan (a "Chelsea Handler"?). I don't find her all that funny. I have a hard time finding women be funny at all. There are exceptions. Amy Schumer slays me. Rita Rudner is funny. I liked Phyllis Diller and "Moms" Mabley and a few others. But most female comedians of the current generation, just don't do it for me. Sorry.
We also watched last night's SNL, with co-host and musical guest Drake. Meh.
It is back to the grind stone after a 3 day weekend. How do I follow a 3 day weekend? Well, with a 4 day weekend, silly, which is what I will have in but 4 days! How do I survive, with all this damned excitement, anyway?
You guys have a good evening. Talk at ya tomorrow.
Bevboy
How was your day? When I wasn't working on the project, I was thinking about it, even when I was doing something else, like cleaning up in the kitchen. I still found time, though, to watch the first 3 episodes of "Chelsea" on Netflix. I have never been a big Chelsea fan (a "Chelsea Handler"?). I don't find her all that funny. I have a hard time finding women be funny at all. There are exceptions. Amy Schumer slays me. Rita Rudner is funny. I liked Phyllis Diller and "Moms" Mabley and a few others. But most female comedians of the current generation, just don't do it for me. Sorry.
We also watched last night's SNL, with co-host and musical guest Drake. Meh.
It is back to the grind stone after a 3 day weekend. How do I follow a 3 day weekend? Well, with a 4 day weekend, silly, which is what I will have in but 4 days! How do I survive, with all this damned excitement, anyway?
You guys have a good evening. Talk at ya tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Post 3266 - Saturday
Hi.
How was your day?
I am back in the city after a day and a half in the Valley. I mowed the lawn down at the house and got some work done on the special project I alluded to yesterday. Took 4 pages of notes. There are some other aspects I need to look into as well, and that will take place over the next few days. I look forward to sharing it with you.
I came back a bit early because I have plans for Sunday. So, I think I will turn in and get up early enough to get to those things.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
How was your day?
I am back in the city after a day and a half in the Valley. I mowed the lawn down at the house and got some work done on the special project I alluded to yesterday. Took 4 pages of notes. There are some other aspects I need to look into as well, and that will take place over the next few days. I look forward to sharing it with you.
I came back a bit early because I have plans for Sunday. So, I think I will turn in and get up early enough to get to those things.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Friday, May 13, 2016
Post 3265 - Friday
These humble, sub-par, pathetic, off-putting words, come to you from the family home in the Annapolis Valley. It is past 10pm.
I arrived here around 9:00. I spent the next few hours, off and on, mowing the lawn. The grass wasn't that tall or anything, but I wasn't that motivated to do the work. I got it done, and then dashed in to New Minas to run a couple of errands. I returned here, did a couple of things, and took a nap.
So, the lawn is done. But I am here for other things.
I can't really get into what those other things are, yet. Some things have to line up before I can really put my finger on it and get this done and behind me.
My, am I not enigmatic? Aren't you upset with me?
Tough!
As things stand, I will be here in the Valley until late Saturday afternoon, but perhaps I will remain here until Sunday morning. Depends on how the things I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, come in to play. But I have some other things here to do around the house, if nothing else.
I watched a movie through Plex this evening. It is the first Resident Evil movie, from way back in 2002. Based upon a game I have never played and never will. Movie wasn't bad. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. There are a few more in the series, and I am not sure if I will bother watching them. Milla Jovovich is a cutie, though.
I think I will turn in. Been a long day, and another one awaits.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I arrived here around 9:00. I spent the next few hours, off and on, mowing the lawn. The grass wasn't that tall or anything, but I wasn't that motivated to do the work. I got it done, and then dashed in to New Minas to run a couple of errands. I returned here, did a couple of things, and took a nap.
So, the lawn is done. But I am here for other things.
I can't really get into what those other things are, yet. Some things have to line up before I can really put my finger on it and get this done and behind me.
My, am I not enigmatic? Aren't you upset with me?
Tough!
As things stand, I will be here in the Valley until late Saturday afternoon, but perhaps I will remain here until Sunday morning. Depends on how the things I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, come in to play. But I have some other things here to do around the house, if nothing else.
I watched a movie through Plex this evening. It is the first Resident Evil movie, from way back in 2002. Based upon a game I have never played and never will. Movie wasn't bad. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. There are a few more in the series, and I am not sure if I will bother watching them. Milla Jovovich is a cutie, though.
I think I will turn in. Been a long day, and another one awaits.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Post 3264 - A Day Early
I was going to reveal this tomorrow, but the word has been getting out, so here goes:
My Frank Magazine column is coming back. The first column will be in the issue that goes out next week. The column, as far as I know, is only back for a few issues, depending on things out of my control like scheduling.
I have spent the last 3 nights working on the column. It contains exclusive information, which by definition you can't get anywhere else.
And, there is another piece of exciting news, but I feel I should keep that under my hat for the time being. I'll be working on that aspect of things over the weekend. Part of the reason I'll be taking a vacation day on Friday.
I'm excited to have my column back, if only for a spell, and especially excited by this other opportunity that came up this week, which I will share with you at a later date.
How enigmatic can a fella be, anyway? You'd think I was a girl or something.
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
My Frank Magazine column is coming back. The first column will be in the issue that goes out next week. The column, as far as I know, is only back for a few issues, depending on things out of my control like scheduling.
I have spent the last 3 nights working on the column. It contains exclusive information, which by definition you can't get anywhere else.
And, there is another piece of exciting news, but I feel I should keep that under my hat for the time being. I'll be working on that aspect of things over the weekend. Part of the reason I'll be taking a vacation day on Friday.
I'm excited to have my column back, if only for a spell, and especially excited by this other opportunity that came up this week, which I will share with you at a later date.
How enigmatic can a fella be, anyway? You'd think I was a girl or something.
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Post 3263 - Wednesday
10:30.
Spent the last few hours working on something that I will tell you about, soon. A few people know. They will tell two friends each, and before you know it, a shampoo commercial will break out. I promise I will announce the news here, and soon. I think you will be happy. I know I am. And it will be more than one announcement, about more than one topic.
Enough about that.
I have decided to take a vacation day on Friday. I will be out of town for at least that day, and possibly into Saturday. Patricia will stick around here and do some gardening and the like. I would tell her that she is just reinforcing stereotypes, but she would slap me silly if I did that, so I will keep my mouth shut. Good chance she will read this, anyway.
I will soon have two episodes of The Americans to watch. I haven't had a chance yet to watch the one from last week. Because of the extreme excitement which is my life, my jet setting, my running the roads, my carousing, I neglected to watch that show. I will have to slow down, smell the coffee, and watch the program. Would you care to join me? Can you bear the excitement?
I think I will dial down the sarcasm. Some people take it the wrong way.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Spent the last few hours working on something that I will tell you about, soon. A few people know. They will tell two friends each, and before you know it, a shampoo commercial will break out. I promise I will announce the news here, and soon. I think you will be happy. I know I am. And it will be more than one announcement, about more than one topic.
Enough about that.
I have decided to take a vacation day on Friday. I will be out of town for at least that day, and possibly into Saturday. Patricia will stick around here and do some gardening and the like. I would tell her that she is just reinforcing stereotypes, but she would slap me silly if I did that, so I will keep my mouth shut. Good chance she will read this, anyway.
I will soon have two episodes of The Americans to watch. I haven't had a chance yet to watch the one from last week. Because of the extreme excitement which is my life, my jet setting, my running the roads, my carousing, I neglected to watch that show. I will have to slow down, smell the coffee, and watch the program. Would you care to join me? Can you bear the excitement?
I think I will dial down the sarcasm. Some people take it the wrong way.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Post 3263 - Tuesday
Past 10pm.
Just watched this week's Flash. This episode was directed by Kevin Smith. Once again, I wonder at how they are able to put on a show like that on the budget that they evidently have. It's all up there on the screen. Once again, I wonder why they are bothering to make a Flash big budget movie, when the tv variety is perfectly fine. And, getting back to the tv show, I have no idea how The Flash will get out of the cliffhanger they set up this evening.
Been a long day. I would like to tell you the nifty news but I will hold on to it until the weekend. I know you hate me for it, but that's just too darned bad.
Had a lovely shave this evening. Those of you who spend all that money on those expensive cartridges, such as the Gillette Pro Glide III This Time It's Personal Mach IV Diesel Laser-Powered Five Joule AutoMax, you're missing out on a the simple pleasure of a safety razor and a cheap arse razor blade. Once again, I worry that the women at work will all rush up to me and note how clean shaven I am, making me feel like a bag of meat. Please help me through this.
Think I will turn in. Another long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Just watched this week's Flash. This episode was directed by Kevin Smith. Once again, I wonder at how they are able to put on a show like that on the budget that they evidently have. It's all up there on the screen. Once again, I wonder why they are bothering to make a Flash big budget movie, when the tv variety is perfectly fine. And, getting back to the tv show, I have no idea how The Flash will get out of the cliffhanger they set up this evening.
Been a long day. I would like to tell you the nifty news but I will hold on to it until the weekend. I know you hate me for it, but that's just too darned bad.
Had a lovely shave this evening. Those of you who spend all that money on those expensive cartridges, such as the Gillette Pro Glide III This Time It's Personal Mach IV Diesel Laser-Powered Five Joule AutoMax, you're missing out on a the simple pleasure of a safety razor and a cheap arse razor blade. Once again, I worry that the women at work will all rush up to me and note how clean shaven I am, making me feel like a bag of meat. Please help me through this.
Think I will turn in. Another long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Monday, May 9, 2016
Post 3262 - Monday
I swear, this time I do have a secret. I can't reveal it for a few days yet, but I am pretty excited about it.
How was your day? Mine was pretty good. The only downside was I forgot to call an Amherst-based bookstore this afternoon. So, the guy called me, a little perturbed. I can't say I blame him. He may be reading this post, so, Doug, sir, I apologize for not calling you today regarding those vintage mystery magazines. I will make it right, on Tuesday.
I am giving away or throwing out, tons of old magazines, but I am holding on to all of my mystery magazines, like Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Shayne, and others I can source at a good price, or even for free, as is the case with the gentleman in Dartmouth. I do not tire of reading crime fiction, and in particular, short crime fiction. If a writer can tell a complete story in 30 pages or less, containing a crime, a protagonist who solves the crime, the bad guy who commits the deed, then I am happy. There are endless variations of the themes to keep things interesting. And crime fiction doesn't have to have an actual murder mystery, or a mystery of any kind. It is just that: fiction in which a crime takes place.
I have loved the genre since I was 11 and my dad bought me the subscription to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. I still have every issue that I got from that original subscription, 40 years ago. They are in the bookcase, along with hundreds of others, above where I am typing these humble, sub-par, slightly pathetic words. I have issues of EQMM going back to 1945. Once I order these magazines tomorrow, and they arrive, I will have two more issues from the 1950's in my collection.
But I know you don't care. You just want to know about my secret. Sorry. It will have to wait a bit longer.
Newbie is next to me on the computer desk. I think he wants me to turn in. So, I will.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
How was your day? Mine was pretty good. The only downside was I forgot to call an Amherst-based bookstore this afternoon. So, the guy called me, a little perturbed. I can't say I blame him. He may be reading this post, so, Doug, sir, I apologize for not calling you today regarding those vintage mystery magazines. I will make it right, on Tuesday.
I am giving away or throwing out, tons of old magazines, but I am holding on to all of my mystery magazines, like Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Shayne, and others I can source at a good price, or even for free, as is the case with the gentleman in Dartmouth. I do not tire of reading crime fiction, and in particular, short crime fiction. If a writer can tell a complete story in 30 pages or less, containing a crime, a protagonist who solves the crime, the bad guy who commits the deed, then I am happy. There are endless variations of the themes to keep things interesting. And crime fiction doesn't have to have an actual murder mystery, or a mystery of any kind. It is just that: fiction in which a crime takes place.
I have loved the genre since I was 11 and my dad bought me the subscription to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. I still have every issue that I got from that original subscription, 40 years ago. They are in the bookcase, along with hundreds of others, above where I am typing these humble, sub-par, slightly pathetic words. I have issues of EQMM going back to 1945. Once I order these magazines tomorrow, and they arrive, I will have two more issues from the 1950's in my collection.
But I know you don't care. You just want to know about my secret. Sorry. It will have to wait a bit longer.
Newbie is next to me on the computer desk. I think he wants me to turn in. So, I will.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Post 3261 - Sunday
Well, I DID do some house work today. So there!
I spent a good 90 minutes this afternoon finding stuff to toss out of the middle bedroom upstairs. I found a lot. So far, I will have 4 large plastic bags to go out on Tuesday. I will try to fill another one on Monday night. According to the years I spent watching Sesame Street during misspent youth, that makes 5 large bags to go out with the recycling Tuesday morning.
Long time, weary readers will perhaps wonder just what in the name of frigmuffins went into that room. Well, 15 years ago, when I bought the house and was here by myself, I put aside that room as an ersatz library. I eventually got bookshelves added to my home office, two floors below, but the 7 book cases I had were up there, and I had them full of books. I also had the better part of 20 long boxes full of comics. Let's not get into the magazines.
In 2004, I decided to sell off the comics, at least as many as I could move. That was 1000's of them. The only problem was, I still had 1000's more. Let's not get into the magazines. Let's not mention the books.
In recent years, I dragged the book cases downstairs to my home office, and filled them with books. I continued to sell off comics. And I began to throw out magazines. Lots of them.
In recent months, I have begun throwing out actual books I no longer wanted. Books I would never read and could never sell because the after market for paper-based books is not good.
In recent weeks, I have bundled up a few hundred magazines, and delivered them to the nursing home my mother was living in until she died last year. I'm told they have all the magazines they will need, likely for a few years. They have a small library there, and the folks who are able to, like to read. Makes me feel good, knowing they went to a good home.
In recent days, I have been picking up small bits of paper that have accumulated in the middle bedroom, begun moving the stuff I'm gonna keep to one part of the room and putting the stuff I'm gonna toss, into one of the afore-mentioned plastic bags.
And tonight, I can look in to that room and see progress. But I am not done. Still so much to do.
Also tonight, we watched the last few episodes of Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". Season two was much more uneven than season one, which was laugh-out-loud funny. I know that there will be a season 3 in 2017. I hope it's better. The funniest line in season two, which I will share with you, was Kimmy commenting on someone's English. "Your English is very well", she said. I don't know why that line was never used by anyone anywhere over the years. I guess the obvious lines are not always so obvious.
So, that was my Sunday.
How was yours?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I spent a good 90 minutes this afternoon finding stuff to toss out of the middle bedroom upstairs. I found a lot. So far, I will have 4 large plastic bags to go out on Tuesday. I will try to fill another one on Monday night. According to the years I spent watching Sesame Street during misspent youth, that makes 5 large bags to go out with the recycling Tuesday morning.
Long time, weary readers will perhaps wonder just what in the name of frigmuffins went into that room. Well, 15 years ago, when I bought the house and was here by myself, I put aside that room as an ersatz library. I eventually got bookshelves added to my home office, two floors below, but the 7 book cases I had were up there, and I had them full of books. I also had the better part of 20 long boxes full of comics. Let's not get into the magazines.
In 2004, I decided to sell off the comics, at least as many as I could move. That was 1000's of them. The only problem was, I still had 1000's more. Let's not get into the magazines. Let's not mention the books.
In recent years, I dragged the book cases downstairs to my home office, and filled them with books. I continued to sell off comics. And I began to throw out magazines. Lots of them.
In recent months, I have begun throwing out actual books I no longer wanted. Books I would never read and could never sell because the after market for paper-based books is not good.
In recent weeks, I have bundled up a few hundred magazines, and delivered them to the nursing home my mother was living in until she died last year. I'm told they have all the magazines they will need, likely for a few years. They have a small library there, and the folks who are able to, like to read. Makes me feel good, knowing they went to a good home.
In recent days, I have been picking up small bits of paper that have accumulated in the middle bedroom, begun moving the stuff I'm gonna keep to one part of the room and putting the stuff I'm gonna toss, into one of the afore-mentioned plastic bags.
And tonight, I can look in to that room and see progress. But I am not done. Still so much to do.
Also tonight, we watched the last few episodes of Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". Season two was much more uneven than season one, which was laugh-out-loud funny. I know that there will be a season 3 in 2017. I hope it's better. The funniest line in season two, which I will share with you, was Kimmy commenting on someone's English. "Your English is very well", she said. I don't know why that line was never used by anyone anywhere over the years. I guess the obvious lines are not always so obvious.
So, that was my Sunday.
How was yours?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Post 3260 Saturday
Okay. I can now reveal that the last two nights that my blog posts were just things I wrote just so I could say I had written a post. I'm sorry about that. I have no major revelations to reveal. Maybe next time.
Friday was a very long and stressful day. Some work tasks came in fairly late on Friday afternoon and I wanted them to be done by the end of the work day so I could enjoy my weekend. One part of the task was something I had only done once before, and was a little tricky, so it took longer to do than I had anticipated. I got it done. The client is happy. And my brain was fried by the time I left work at 4:50.
We watched most of the first movie in the Prime Suspect series, the 1990's and early 2000's series starring Helen Mirren. I had never seen it, and we both like Helen Mirren, and we liked the show as a result. The U.K. has a funny idea of what a tv series is, and how many episodes constitute a season. Prime Suspect, spread out over the course of 15 years, only consists of 15 films. We watched a second edition today, so we have 13 more to go. We will try not to watch them sooner than over the course of 15 years. The hard drive holding them will likely fail long before that.
This afternoon we watched a film on Netflix starring Ricky Gervais. It is called "Special Correspondents". It was apparently made for Netflix. We had no idea that he had established an alliance with Netflix. Anyway, it co-starred Eric Bana. At one point, we see Gervais is interested in collecting superhero action figures. One of them is the Hulk. Of course, Eric Bana played the Hulk in 2003. No. I haven't seen that movie yet.
It has been a long day, and a long week. I think I should turn in. Maybe, just maybe, I will do some house work here tomorrow.
Ha.
You fool, you. Of course, I will not do any work around here tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Friday was a very long and stressful day. Some work tasks came in fairly late on Friday afternoon and I wanted them to be done by the end of the work day so I could enjoy my weekend. One part of the task was something I had only done once before, and was a little tricky, so it took longer to do than I had anticipated. I got it done. The client is happy. And my brain was fried by the time I left work at 4:50.
We watched most of the first movie in the Prime Suspect series, the 1990's and early 2000's series starring Helen Mirren. I had never seen it, and we both like Helen Mirren, and we liked the show as a result. The U.K. has a funny idea of what a tv series is, and how many episodes constitute a season. Prime Suspect, spread out over the course of 15 years, only consists of 15 films. We watched a second edition today, so we have 13 more to go. We will try not to watch them sooner than over the course of 15 years. The hard drive holding them will likely fail long before that.
This afternoon we watched a film on Netflix starring Ricky Gervais. It is called "Special Correspondents". It was apparently made for Netflix. We had no idea that he had established an alliance with Netflix. Anyway, it co-starred Eric Bana. At one point, we see Gervais is interested in collecting superhero action figures. One of them is the Hulk. Of course, Eric Bana played the Hulk in 2003. No. I haven't seen that movie yet.
It has been a long day, and a long week. I think I should turn in. Maybe, just maybe, I will do some house work here tomorrow.
Ha.
You fool, you. Of course, I will not do any work around here tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Friday, May 6, 2016
Post 3259 - Friday
No.
I've changed my mind.
I'll tell you about it, on Saturday.
See you then.
Bevboy
I've changed my mind.
I'll tell you about it, on Saturday.
See you then.
Bevboy
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Post 3258 - Thursday
Is it the weekend yet?
No. It's just Thursday, at least for another 45 minutes or so.
Crap.
Okay. Tomorrow, then. I'll tell you about it, then.
Bevboy
No. It's just Thursday, at least for another 45 minutes or so.
Crap.
Okay. Tomorrow, then. I'll tell you about it, then.
Bevboy
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Post 3257 - Radio News
Monday, May 9th, marks a change in the programming schedule at News 95.7.
My source tells me that the morning news wheel will remain unchanged, running from 5-9. At that time, Rick Howe's show starts, and will run until 12:30. At 12:30, we get Sheldon MacLeod's show, which will run until 3:30. At 3:30, there will be a newly-reinstated news wheel. I am guessing it will still run until 6pm.
You'll recall, if you listened to News 95.7 back when it first went on the air in 2005, that there was an afternoon news wheel. In fact, there was a noon news wheel. Rogers has been busy hiring new staff in recent months, and now we know what will be done with at least some of those new hires.
I haven't heard anything yet about weekend programming. We will still have Richard Zurawski's show 11am on Saturday, and Niki Jabbour's gardening show on Sunday mornings. Contact me if you hear anything about any weekend programming changes. As usual, you can trust me not to reveal your name if you tell me something on the sly.
These changes all take effect... Monday May 9th.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
My source tells me that the morning news wheel will remain unchanged, running from 5-9. At that time, Rick Howe's show starts, and will run until 12:30. At 12:30, we get Sheldon MacLeod's show, which will run until 3:30. At 3:30, there will be a newly-reinstated news wheel. I am guessing it will still run until 6pm.
You'll recall, if you listened to News 95.7 back when it first went on the air in 2005, that there was an afternoon news wheel. In fact, there was a noon news wheel. Rogers has been busy hiring new staff in recent months, and now we know what will be done with at least some of those new hires.
I haven't heard anything yet about weekend programming. We will still have Richard Zurawski's show 11am on Saturday, and Niki Jabbour's gardening show on Sunday mornings. Contact me if you hear anything about any weekend programming changes. As usual, you can trust me not to reveal your name if you tell me something on the sly.
These changes all take effect... Monday May 9th.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Post 3255 - My Donald Trump Comment
As I write this, Donald Trump has won the primary in Indiana, and Ted Cruz has dropped out of the race to be the Republican party candidate in the 2016 presidential election. John Kasich has got to be looking at himself in the mirror and asking himself why he is still in it, too. Barring some kind of weird deus ex machina, Trump will be that candidate against Hillary Clinton. Accept it.
As many of my fellow Canadians have ranted and railed about Donald Trump, I have been mostly quiet. It is not that I agreed with or supported Trump. I don't. But what I do know is that, ultimately, the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is none of my business. We have to live with the result of the election, like we always do.
It is the U.S.'s election. It is not ours. When Canadians, and other people from other countries, scream and bleat about Donald Trump, it is at best an impotent rage. Not being U.S. citizens, they can't vote against him in the election. By complaining, they are preaching only to those who have made up their minds not to support Trump. Those who are going to vote for him, will do so, in spite of, or maybe even because of, the people in their own country who hate Trump and what he stands for. They don't give a damn what people in other countries think.
Put the shoe on the other foot. What if Americans were telling us how to vote in our election? I wouldn't like it, and neither would you. I'd tolerate it up to a point and then tell my American friends to peddle their own papers, that I didn't need or want them meddling into our affairs. I am surprised that Americans haven't told us to mind our own business, yet. That day is coming, I fear.
What are your thoughts on this? Am I right, or am I... not right?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
As many of my fellow Canadians have ranted and railed about Donald Trump, I have been mostly quiet. It is not that I agreed with or supported Trump. I don't. But what I do know is that, ultimately, the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is none of my business. We have to live with the result of the election, like we always do.
It is the U.S.'s election. It is not ours. When Canadians, and other people from other countries, scream and bleat about Donald Trump, it is at best an impotent rage. Not being U.S. citizens, they can't vote against him in the election. By complaining, they are preaching only to those who have made up their minds not to support Trump. Those who are going to vote for him, will do so, in spite of, or maybe even because of, the people in their own country who hate Trump and what he stands for. They don't give a damn what people in other countries think.
Put the shoe on the other foot. What if Americans were telling us how to vote in our election? I wouldn't like it, and neither would you. I'd tolerate it up to a point and then tell my American friends to peddle their own papers, that I didn't need or want them meddling into our affairs. I am surprised that Americans haven't told us to mind our own business, yet. That day is coming, I fear.
What are your thoughts on this? Am I right, or am I... not right?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, May 2, 2016
Post 3254 - Monday
Past 9pm.
I am still raving about the shaves I get with the cheap ass razor blades. They came with the inexpensive safety razor I ordered a couple of months ago. I changed the blade Saturday night and used it for the first time this evening. An even closer, smoother shave was experienced by moi. The old blade was starting to catch on the whiskers. This was glide across my face, and now it is so smooth that I guarantee half the women at work tomorrow will ask to feel my cheeks.
The ones on my face, that is.
Say, I spread lime on the front lawn this evening. I don't know why, either, other than Patricia wanted some on it, and it seemed like less work that preparing dinner. After work, at the garden centre across from my work, I spent $5.75 on a bag. I used about half the bag on the aerated lawn. Now, it is raining, which I'm told is a good thing, as it will help the lime soak into the ground, which as I just stated, was aerated Sunday afternoon. In a day or two, we will put some lawn seed on the front lawn, and see what comes up. If it can choke the weeds, then I will be happy.
I put the lime on the lawn via a broadcast spreader I bought a few years ago. I have two of them. I bought the first one at a Port Williams yard sale likely close to 10 years ago. Dad actually used it once or twice. When he was still ambulatory, I bought this new one, kept it for myself, and gave him the old one. He never used it again. It is hanging in the garage down there. Nobody needs two broadcast spreaders. Nobody, anywhere, ever.
I am not sure why a person would buy a broadcast spreader, new. I think I paid a total of 12 dollars for both spreaders. A new one, along the lines of what I used this evening, would be a good 40 dollars at Kent or Home Depot. Silly. Why pay that much? Wait for a yard sale. Or steal the one down in the garage. I will not notice its absence. Because, like I just said, nobody will ever need two broadcast spreaders.
I think I will turn in. See if I can find someone to whom to give a broadcast spreader.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I am still raving about the shaves I get with the cheap ass razor blades. They came with the inexpensive safety razor I ordered a couple of months ago. I changed the blade Saturday night and used it for the first time this evening. An even closer, smoother shave was experienced by moi. The old blade was starting to catch on the whiskers. This was glide across my face, and now it is so smooth that I guarantee half the women at work tomorrow will ask to feel my cheeks.
The ones on my face, that is.
Say, I spread lime on the front lawn this evening. I don't know why, either, other than Patricia wanted some on it, and it seemed like less work that preparing dinner. After work, at the garden centre across from my work, I spent $5.75 on a bag. I used about half the bag on the aerated lawn. Now, it is raining, which I'm told is a good thing, as it will help the lime soak into the ground, which as I just stated, was aerated Sunday afternoon. In a day or two, we will put some lawn seed on the front lawn, and see what comes up. If it can choke the weeds, then I will be happy.
I put the lime on the lawn via a broadcast spreader I bought a few years ago. I have two of them. I bought the first one at a Port Williams yard sale likely close to 10 years ago. Dad actually used it once or twice. When he was still ambulatory, I bought this new one, kept it for myself, and gave him the old one. He never used it again. It is hanging in the garage down there. Nobody needs two broadcast spreaders. Nobody, anywhere, ever.
I am not sure why a person would buy a broadcast spreader, new. I think I paid a total of 12 dollars for both spreaders. A new one, along the lines of what I used this evening, would be a good 40 dollars at Kent or Home Depot. Silly. Why pay that much? Wait for a yard sale. Or steal the one down in the garage. I will not notice its absence. Because, like I just said, nobody will ever need two broadcast spreaders.
I think I will turn in. See if I can find someone to whom to give a broadcast spreader.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Post 3253 - Sunday
At last.
I did some damn work around the house.
I worked on the middle bedroom, slowly making it useful for human habitation. I have put aside back issues of a certain magazine, which I will be giving to the man who has given me all those back issues of EQMM and AHMM over the past year. Seriously, this man has like quadrupled my collection, as he downsizes his life. I am happy to upsize his life and see these magazines go to a good home. I have plenty more of those magazines in the Valley and will be bringing them back with, the next time I go up there. Like you care.
Meanwhile, I have other science fiction magazines from the 1980's through the early 00's. Analog and F&SF, mostly. Let me know if you want some or all of them, for free. Shipping costs if you are out of town.
Afterward, we were both outdoors. We decided that some lawn chairs are too far gone to keep, so they are at the curb, to go out with the garbage on Tuesday. Instead, there are some plastic lawn chairs that, once I hosed them down, should prove to be perfectly adequate for our use this summer. In fact, I sat in one on the back deck this afternoon for a good half hour, while I read part of a Jas. R. Petrin story. Yes, I am still reading Mr. Petrin's stories. The Chief Robideau's are pretty fun and are actually compelling murder mysteries.
I cooked dinner as well. More haddock. I make the best haddock around. Better than any fish and chips joint. Ask anybody.
Tonight, we watched a couple episodes of "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", on Netflix. The second season has been uneven, but once Tina Fey started showing up, it has picked up a lot. I haven't heard anything about a third season yet. I hope there is one.
Another long weekend down the terlet. Another work week beckons. Yippee.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I did some damn work around the house.
I worked on the middle bedroom, slowly making it useful for human habitation. I have put aside back issues of a certain magazine, which I will be giving to the man who has given me all those back issues of EQMM and AHMM over the past year. Seriously, this man has like quadrupled my collection, as he downsizes his life. I am happy to upsize his life and see these magazines go to a good home. I have plenty more of those magazines in the Valley and will be bringing them back with, the next time I go up there. Like you care.
Meanwhile, I have other science fiction magazines from the 1980's through the early 00's. Analog and F&SF, mostly. Let me know if you want some or all of them, for free. Shipping costs if you are out of town.
Afterward, we were both outdoors. We decided that some lawn chairs are too far gone to keep, so they are at the curb, to go out with the garbage on Tuesday. Instead, there are some plastic lawn chairs that, once I hosed them down, should prove to be perfectly adequate for our use this summer. In fact, I sat in one on the back deck this afternoon for a good half hour, while I read part of a Jas. R. Petrin story. Yes, I am still reading Mr. Petrin's stories. The Chief Robideau's are pretty fun and are actually compelling murder mysteries.
I cooked dinner as well. More haddock. I make the best haddock around. Better than any fish and chips joint. Ask anybody.
Tonight, we watched a couple episodes of "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", on Netflix. The second season has been uneven, but once Tina Fey started showing up, it has picked up a lot. I haven't heard anything about a third season yet. I hope there is one.
Another long weekend down the terlet. Another work week beckons. Yippee.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
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