Just past 10pm.
Sorry I didn't write last night. I wasn't feeling well. Just slept the night away.
The highlight today was the retirement lunch for a long-time co-worker, friend, and regular blog reader, Elliott. We went to the Steak and Stein in Halifax, across from our work.
It was a grant time. We talked about some of the strange people we have worked for over the years, laughed quite a bit, and realized that we are not going to see him that much going forward. It was a bitter sweet experience.
He told me his age. He is about six months away from being 55 years old. I will turn 53 in a few weeks. I am not far behind him at all. I have attended quite a few retirement parties for people, more so in recent months. They have always seemed like old, or even much older, people. Now, for the first time, I am seeing people leave who are just thismuch older than I am. I am not sure how I feel about it.
Anyway, Elliott, I know you will read this. You have been a good friend for years now. We go way back to the early 1990's. You sat on the selection committee for the job I got now. We have shared a lot. And, now, things change. Let us just hope it is good change.
Elliott tells me that he has a new job already. He is the kind of guy who has to keep working. Must have a mortgage and a wife or something. The nerve of that guy.
Enjoy your retirement, Elliott. And, I order you to keep in touch.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Post 3483 - Sunday
Nearly 10pm.
Do you watch The Big Bang Theory? There was that episode where Sheldon stayed home from some event so he could do a clean install of his computer's OS on his beloved laptop. The laugh track came on. Ha ha ha. Silly Sheldon.
Well, guess how I spent a few hours today?
I was running a very old flavour of Linux, called Easy Peasy. Went out of long term support in... 2014, I think it was. Never got around to refreshing it. It just worked, and I was happy with the interface. But, increasingly, I could do less and less with it. It was starting to slow down. Updates were impossible.
I had upgraded an old laptop over the weekend, in the Valley. I decided to upgrade this one, today. After an hour or so, I was running Linux Mint, a version that is maybe a year old, but which is long term support until 2020 or something. A by-product of the install was that the wireless stopped working, so I stuck a usb wireless adapter in, and that worked. After a couple of hours, installing the latest updates and bringing my dropbox online on that machine, I installed some broadcom adapters, and then, the internal wireless was working again, so I could discard the usb wireless adapter I had been using for a few hours.
I should have done this upgrade 18 months ago. Shame on me. But it is done now, and I should get another couple years out of that laptop.
I keep wondering, once again, how people who don't have my background cope with it. Do they keep running a feeble old OS on a computer, hoping against hope that it doesn't fall prey to a virus or the hard drive doesn't crash and they lose all their data or something? What do they do, other than hit on geeks like me, I mean?
What follows a three day weekend? A return to reality. First thing tomorrow morning, we are taking the car in to the shop again, to get that Aquapel treatment applied to the new windshield. Means getting up earlier than we'd like to drive in and try to beat traffic. Fun times!
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Do you watch The Big Bang Theory? There was that episode where Sheldon stayed home from some event so he could do a clean install of his computer's OS on his beloved laptop. The laugh track came on. Ha ha ha. Silly Sheldon.
Well, guess how I spent a few hours today?
I was running a very old flavour of Linux, called Easy Peasy. Went out of long term support in... 2014, I think it was. Never got around to refreshing it. It just worked, and I was happy with the interface. But, increasingly, I could do less and less with it. It was starting to slow down. Updates were impossible.
I had upgraded an old laptop over the weekend, in the Valley. I decided to upgrade this one, today. After an hour or so, I was running Linux Mint, a version that is maybe a year old, but which is long term support until 2020 or something. A by-product of the install was that the wireless stopped working, so I stuck a usb wireless adapter in, and that worked. After a couple of hours, installing the latest updates and bringing my dropbox online on that machine, I installed some broadcom adapters, and then, the internal wireless was working again, so I could discard the usb wireless adapter I had been using for a few hours.
I should have done this upgrade 18 months ago. Shame on me. But it is done now, and I should get another couple years out of that laptop.
I keep wondering, once again, how people who don't have my background cope with it. Do they keep running a feeble old OS on a computer, hoping against hope that it doesn't fall prey to a virus or the hard drive doesn't crash and they lose all their data or something? What do they do, other than hit on geeks like me, I mean?
What follows a three day weekend? A return to reality. First thing tomorrow morning, we are taking the car in to the shop again, to get that Aquapel treatment applied to the new windshield. Means getting up earlier than we'd like to drive in and try to beat traffic. Fun times!
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Post 3482 - Saturday
Back in the city.
I returned a few hours ago. The errands I needed to perform have been done. I went to Kentville, to the thrift store run by the Open Arms shelter, headed by John Andrew. I spoke to the lady who worked there, Becky, and asked if they might be interested in a donation of DVD's that I no longer want. She said sure.
So, if I can get up there some time when the damn store is actually open, I will take a bunch of DVD's in there. Assuming they sell, I will take more in.
On the way back to the city, I stopped off at the grocery store in Wolfville. They always have stuff marked down. I got two quiches for seven dollars. Not each. Both. A lemon dessert thingy was about $2.50. Some haddock trimmings. A couple of other things, and it all added up to less than $18.00.
I took the leisurely path back to the city. I decided to drive through Windsor. Found a used clothing store, and found the used bookstore in town, Reader's Haven. It was already closed for the day. I look forward to going there sometime when they are actually open.
Finally got back to the house around 5:30. Unloaded the car. Heated the quiches. And have been trying to find something on demand to watch that we might both like. I was enjoying Roast Battle II, but the crude humour turned Patricia off, so I will watch it on my own. Ash versus the Evil Dead was great fun, but she didn't like it either. The Young Pope was monotonous, and we bailed after about 25 minutes. We are now watching the HBO documentary about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. If they had not died, this film would be so much fun. But, now that they're both dead, and died within 24 hours of each other, it is just sad.
Tomorrow I will be doing some more Frank work. Fun times. Looking forward to that task.
I think I will turn in. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I returned a few hours ago. The errands I needed to perform have been done. I went to Kentville, to the thrift store run by the Open Arms shelter, headed by John Andrew. I spoke to the lady who worked there, Becky, and asked if they might be interested in a donation of DVD's that I no longer want. She said sure.
So, if I can get up there some time when the damn store is actually open, I will take a bunch of DVD's in there. Assuming they sell, I will take more in.
On the way back to the city, I stopped off at the grocery store in Wolfville. They always have stuff marked down. I got two quiches for seven dollars. Not each. Both. A lemon dessert thingy was about $2.50. Some haddock trimmings. A couple of other things, and it all added up to less than $18.00.
I took the leisurely path back to the city. I decided to drive through Windsor. Found a used clothing store, and found the used bookstore in town, Reader's Haven. It was already closed for the day. I look forward to going there sometime when they are actually open.
Finally got back to the house around 5:30. Unloaded the car. Heated the quiches. And have been trying to find something on demand to watch that we might both like. I was enjoying Roast Battle II, but the crude humour turned Patricia off, so I will watch it on my own. Ash versus the Evil Dead was great fun, but she didn't like it either. The Young Pope was monotonous, and we bailed after about 25 minutes. We are now watching the HBO documentary about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. If they had not died, this film would be so much fun. But, now that they're both dead, and died within 24 hours of each other, it is just sad.
Tomorrow I will be doing some more Frank work. Fun times. Looking forward to that task.
I think I will turn in. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Friday, January 27, 2017
Post 3481 - Friday
About 10:45.
I am in the Valley tonight. I drove up this afternoon. I paid the fine gentleman who plows the driveway down here. I ran a couple of errands. And tonight I am just kicking back and relaxing. I had a beer. Shh. Don't tell anyone.
We had a good day in the city. Patricia had a Pilates class in a Robie Street place. I stayed in the car for a little while and decided to walk a bit on Almon. There had been a thrift store up that way and wanted to know what had happened to it. On the window it stated they had moved up the street, so I found the new location.
Inside, I went to the section where they had books. My eyes alighted on a book that is long since out of print, and which I have stated will never be published again. It is worth a good 30 or 40 dollars because of its subject matter and the ongoing interest in the case. It cost me 50 cents. It is "On South Mountain: The Dark Secret of the Goler Clan".
I have written about the Golers before. It is a story of incest and poverty and how the upper crust in the Valley just wanted to ignore what was happening up there on South Mountain. When the story hit the news in 1984, it was a huge narrative, but then swept under the rug. In 1997, two people tracked down the Goler kids and wrote this book. I had a couple copies over the years. A year ago I exchanged my second copy of the book for breakfast with a friend, a regular reader of this blog. Hello, Ken. And, now, I have two copies again. Not sure what I will do with it, but it has found a good home.
They had other books there. I got a true crime compendium book by Max Haines, a tiresome writer of the genre whose appeal is lost on me. I got a second copy of Butter Box Babies by Bette Cahill. A 1980 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. A Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly. A book about weird stories of World War II. That book cost me a dollar because it was hard cover. The paperbacks were all 50 cents each.
After her class, I took Patricia to the store. She got a couple soup bowls for 25 cents each. Anne Frank's diary. One or two other things. I got another book, about Bruce Curtis, the 1980's teenager from around here who, along with a friend of his, killed his friend's parents. Another big story at the time. Do you remember it? As far as I know, Curtis still lives in Halifax, after his time in the New Jersey prison where he served quite a few years.
We drove through Fairview. Went into the Meteghan Frenchy's. Patricia got a couple blouses for two dollars each. I got a book about retirement living and how frigging awesome it is. That set me back nearly 4 dollars, which is a bit dear for a Frenchy's store to charge.
After that we returned home. We watched the pilot of Riverdale. It is so full of teenage angst that I am not sure if I will ever recover from it. One more episode and we are done. Should have known better. People were dreading this crime aspect of the Archie universe. I tried to have an open mind, but when I learned that the dreaded Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was the executive producer and would write some episodes, my heart sank. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was the guy who, probably 15 years ago now, was the inaugural writer on a second Fantastic Four comic book series. Overwrought, pretentious, monotonous twaddle. Now, for some reason, he has crawled up the patooties of the brain trust behind Archie comics.
After that, I loaded the car with my overnight bag and left the house. Patricia remains behind. As things stand I will go back to the city Saturday afternoon.
I think I will turn in. Been a long day. More fun times tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
I am in the Valley tonight. I drove up this afternoon. I paid the fine gentleman who plows the driveway down here. I ran a couple of errands. And tonight I am just kicking back and relaxing. I had a beer. Shh. Don't tell anyone.
We had a good day in the city. Patricia had a Pilates class in a Robie Street place. I stayed in the car for a little while and decided to walk a bit on Almon. There had been a thrift store up that way and wanted to know what had happened to it. On the window it stated they had moved up the street, so I found the new location.
Inside, I went to the section where they had books. My eyes alighted on a book that is long since out of print, and which I have stated will never be published again. It is worth a good 30 or 40 dollars because of its subject matter and the ongoing interest in the case. It cost me 50 cents. It is "On South Mountain: The Dark Secret of the Goler Clan".
I have written about the Golers before. It is a story of incest and poverty and how the upper crust in the Valley just wanted to ignore what was happening up there on South Mountain. When the story hit the news in 1984, it was a huge narrative, but then swept under the rug. In 1997, two people tracked down the Goler kids and wrote this book. I had a couple copies over the years. A year ago I exchanged my second copy of the book for breakfast with a friend, a regular reader of this blog. Hello, Ken. And, now, I have two copies again. Not sure what I will do with it, but it has found a good home.
They had other books there. I got a true crime compendium book by Max Haines, a tiresome writer of the genre whose appeal is lost on me. I got a second copy of Butter Box Babies by Bette Cahill. A 1980 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. A Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly. A book about weird stories of World War II. That book cost me a dollar because it was hard cover. The paperbacks were all 50 cents each.
After her class, I took Patricia to the store. She got a couple soup bowls for 25 cents each. Anne Frank's diary. One or two other things. I got another book, about Bruce Curtis, the 1980's teenager from around here who, along with a friend of his, killed his friend's parents. Another big story at the time. Do you remember it? As far as I know, Curtis still lives in Halifax, after his time in the New Jersey prison where he served quite a few years.
We drove through Fairview. Went into the Meteghan Frenchy's. Patricia got a couple blouses for two dollars each. I got a book about retirement living and how frigging awesome it is. That set me back nearly 4 dollars, which is a bit dear for a Frenchy's store to charge.
After that we returned home. We watched the pilot of Riverdale. It is so full of teenage angst that I am not sure if I will ever recover from it. One more episode and we are done. Should have known better. People were dreading this crime aspect of the Archie universe. I tried to have an open mind, but when I learned that the dreaded Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was the executive producer and would write some episodes, my heart sank. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was the guy who, probably 15 years ago now, was the inaugural writer on a second Fantastic Four comic book series. Overwrought, pretentious, monotonous twaddle. Now, for some reason, he has crawled up the patooties of the brain trust behind Archie comics.
After that, I loaded the car with my overnight bag and left the house. Patricia remains behind. As things stand I will go back to the city Saturday afternoon.
I think I will turn in. Been a long day. More fun times tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Post 3480 - Notice the Numbering
Dang. I just noticed that I messed up the numbering on these posts. Off by 100.
Sorry about that.
Not that you noticed.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sorry about that.
Not that you noticed.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Post 3379 - Lethal Weapon (#LethalWeapon for short)
As the title would suggest, this post is about Lethal Weapon. To be specific, the new show that's on Fox this season.
We love it. We watch the show with big grins on our faces. The interplay between Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford comes thisclose to making me forget about Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. The other characters are a delight to watch. I hope they are having as much fun shooting the program as we are watching it.
I tweeted just now about how much I liked the show. I used the #LethalWeapon hashtag. Within minutes two cast members of the show "liked" my tweet. I am now following Johnathan Fernandez (who plays the medical examiner Scorsese) and Keesha Sharp, who plays Trish Murtaugh. I think I have a crush on Keesha Sharp, by the way. My goodness, she is an attractive woman. Not as attractive as my hair, of course, but certainly in the same wheelhouse.
I am not sure if I have a point here. If I do, it's that back in the day, if I liked a show, I would just discuss it with some chums or keep that feeling to myself. I would never even think of writing the stars or the show itself as it seemed futile. Now, I can just write a tweet on my phone, and people from the show see it almost instantly.
Quite a world we live in. I think I will stick around a bit longer.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
We love it. We watch the show with big grins on our faces. The interplay between Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford comes thisclose to making me forget about Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. The other characters are a delight to watch. I hope they are having as much fun shooting the program as we are watching it.
I tweeted just now about how much I liked the show. I used the #LethalWeapon hashtag. Within minutes two cast members of the show "liked" my tweet. I am now following Johnathan Fernandez (who plays the medical examiner Scorsese) and Keesha Sharp, who plays Trish Murtaugh. I think I have a crush on Keesha Sharp, by the way. My goodness, she is an attractive woman. Not as attractive as my hair, of course, but certainly in the same wheelhouse.
I am not sure if I have a point here. If I do, it's that back in the day, if I liked a show, I would just discuss it with some chums or keep that feeling to myself. I would never even think of writing the stars or the show itself as it seemed futile. Now, I can just write a tweet on my phone, and people from the show see it almost instantly.
Quite a world we live in. I think I will stick around a bit longer.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Post 3378 - Fair Warning
Wasn't feeling well the last couple of nights. But I am back now.
I need to get something else off my chest. One of the reasons I wasn't feeling well was actually a source of upset for me. Increasingly, I am finding there is a shrill negativity online, and I am enjoying my time there less and less.
The current American political climate is so divisive that it is spilling over to this country. Those in favour of the Orange One are so strident in their comments that it is foolish to do anything to have a meaningful exchange with them, let alone try to persuade them to acknowledge another viewpoint. But those against Mr. Grump are equally as obnoxious, so out of joint about their feelings toward him that they feel that anyone who is not lockstep with them is this side of evil.
They miss the point that he is the president of the United States. No amount of bellyaching will change that. It will accomplish nothing at all, except alienate those who are not interested in a steady influx of that kind of diatribe. And if you are not American, and therefore cannot vote for or against him, then you are wasting your damn time.
Yesterday I saw a meme from a right wing looney tune about the women's march, showing discarded placards littered on the ground. That was my takeaway. How could these women (and some men) make their point about who the Pres is, and then turn around and litter like that? There was no need of it. They made a mess that people working for crap wages have to clean up. I thought it was shameful, and wrote something along those lines.
A long-time friend ripped into me about it, saying I was missing the point, which was about how POTUS's policies were destined to destroy the very fabric of North American society. Later, I saw him express a desire to punch someone. I can only wonder who.
Whatever.
There is the long term doctrine that one must accept the things in life that one cannot change, because if one doesn't, it will drive one mad. I have done my best to live my life via that rule because nothing good comes from jumping up and down and screaming about something that you cannot control or even influence. Like, if you have a job you hate, and work with people you cannot stand, complaining about said job and people endlessly accomplishes nothing. Try to get another job. Or accept that you have a job you don't like and can't stand certain people at that job and try to find the positives associated with that employment. Because there always are some.
The pro-Orange Dude people are just as annoying to me, by the way. I am not playing favourites. I am barely taking sides. Both sides get on my nerves.
Here's what will happen, going forward.
If you want to write something nice about the Pres, go ahead. I will ignore it. If you want to decry everything he does, go ahead. I will ignore that. But come after me, write something that causes me heartache and upset, about this or anything else, and I will block you on Facebook. Share one of your dumb ass comments on my Facebook, regarding something I don't like, and you're blocked as well. No warnings. No second chances. You're gone. I don't need your feces, or you, in my life. I have enough burdens on my mental health as it is without your drama and vituperation.
The new policy starts... NOW!
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I need to get something else off my chest. One of the reasons I wasn't feeling well was actually a source of upset for me. Increasingly, I am finding there is a shrill negativity online, and I am enjoying my time there less and less.
The current American political climate is so divisive that it is spilling over to this country. Those in favour of the Orange One are so strident in their comments that it is foolish to do anything to have a meaningful exchange with them, let alone try to persuade them to acknowledge another viewpoint. But those against Mr. Grump are equally as obnoxious, so out of joint about their feelings toward him that they feel that anyone who is not lockstep with them is this side of evil.
They miss the point that he is the president of the United States. No amount of bellyaching will change that. It will accomplish nothing at all, except alienate those who are not interested in a steady influx of that kind of diatribe. And if you are not American, and therefore cannot vote for or against him, then you are wasting your damn time.
Yesterday I saw a meme from a right wing looney tune about the women's march, showing discarded placards littered on the ground. That was my takeaway. How could these women (and some men) make their point about who the Pres is, and then turn around and litter like that? There was no need of it. They made a mess that people working for crap wages have to clean up. I thought it was shameful, and wrote something along those lines.
A long-time friend ripped into me about it, saying I was missing the point, which was about how POTUS's policies were destined to destroy the very fabric of North American society. Later, I saw him express a desire to punch someone. I can only wonder who.
Whatever.
There is the long term doctrine that one must accept the things in life that one cannot change, because if one doesn't, it will drive one mad. I have done my best to live my life via that rule because nothing good comes from jumping up and down and screaming about something that you cannot control or even influence. Like, if you have a job you hate, and work with people you cannot stand, complaining about said job and people endlessly accomplishes nothing. Try to get another job. Or accept that you have a job you don't like and can't stand certain people at that job and try to find the positives associated with that employment. Because there always are some.
The pro-Orange Dude people are just as annoying to me, by the way. I am not playing favourites. I am barely taking sides. Both sides get on my nerves.
Here's what will happen, going forward.
If you want to write something nice about the Pres, go ahead. I will ignore it. If you want to decry everything he does, go ahead. I will ignore that. But come after me, write something that causes me heartache and upset, about this or anything else, and I will block you on Facebook. Share one of your dumb ass comments on my Facebook, regarding something I don't like, and you're blocked as well. No warnings. No second chances. You're gone. I don't need your feces, or you, in my life. I have enough burdens on my mental health as it is without your drama and vituperation.
The new policy starts... NOW!
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Post 3377 - Saturday
Pushing 11pm.
I did manage to get up around 6:45 this morning. I left the house shortly after 7. Got some gas for the car. Ate something. And then drove to Dartmouth for that Toastmaster things.
I must state that this training session wasn't bad at all. There was a lot of good information, and some great truths were spoken, and agreed with. We spent some money last year advertising our club in the Coffee News, that free one pager circular that gets distributed throughout the downtown and larger urban and commercial areas. Never mind what we spent. We got exactly one email from one person who expressed a vague interest in coming to a meeting. Person never showed up. I related that anecdote, and heard a similar story from a woman in another club. Traditional forms of advertising do not work, it would seem.
They suggested other forms of advertising, and we will look into them in the coming months.
After it was over, I returned home. We watched some stuff on the PVR. I was nodding off so I took a long nap. Tonight we tried to watch Suicide Squad. My frig, what a piece of poo that movie is. The evidence of the massive reshoots was obvious, with characters coming and going willy nilly, characters just showing up out of the blue. One character is there for like 10 minutes before being killed off. We quit after less than an hour. Tell me, anyone reading this, that the film is worth seeing all the way through. I will need some strong convincing.
We also watched a couple episodes of Sneaky Pete, an Amazon series. I liked it more than Patricia did. I will watch it on my own. That happens from time to time. She likes to watch cooking shows, and I like to eat. Yin and yang.
I think I will turn in now. Quite a bit to do tomorrow around the house.
See you then.
Bevboy
I did manage to get up around 6:45 this morning. I left the house shortly after 7. Got some gas for the car. Ate something. And then drove to Dartmouth for that Toastmaster things.
I must state that this training session wasn't bad at all. There was a lot of good information, and some great truths were spoken, and agreed with. We spent some money last year advertising our club in the Coffee News, that free one pager circular that gets distributed throughout the downtown and larger urban and commercial areas. Never mind what we spent. We got exactly one email from one person who expressed a vague interest in coming to a meeting. Person never showed up. I related that anecdote, and heard a similar story from a woman in another club. Traditional forms of advertising do not work, it would seem.
They suggested other forms of advertising, and we will look into them in the coming months.
After it was over, I returned home. We watched some stuff on the PVR. I was nodding off so I took a long nap. Tonight we tried to watch Suicide Squad. My frig, what a piece of poo that movie is. The evidence of the massive reshoots was obvious, with characters coming and going willy nilly, characters just showing up out of the blue. One character is there for like 10 minutes before being killed off. We quit after less than an hour. Tell me, anyone reading this, that the film is worth seeing all the way through. I will need some strong convincing.
We also watched a couple episodes of Sneaky Pete, an Amazon series. I liked it more than Patricia did. I will watch it on my own. That happens from time to time. She likes to watch cooking shows, and I like to eat. Yin and yang.
I think I will turn in now. Quite a bit to do tomorrow around the house.
See you then.
Bevboy
Friday, January 20, 2017
Post 3376 - Friday
Around 10:16.
A very long week, and now the weekend is here. I have been nodding off in front of the tv most of the evening. I will be turning in shortly.
I wish I could sleep in on Saturday morning, but instead I have to get up by 6:30 or so and head over to Dartmouth, Flying Cloud Drive to be exact, for a Toastmasters training thingy. Well, I don't have to, have to. It is not a condition of my continued employment or anything. Nor does it have anything to do with community service or something. But I am obligated to chew up part of my Saturday with this process. Do it tomorrow, and then have it over and done with.
When I return to the house by 1 or so tomorrow, I have chores to do around here. I will do some of them, but then sleep. Like I said above, it has been a very long, very trying week.
I think I will turn in. 6:30 seems to come even earlier on a Saturday morning than it does during the week.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
A very long week, and now the weekend is here. I have been nodding off in front of the tv most of the evening. I will be turning in shortly.
I wish I could sleep in on Saturday morning, but instead I have to get up by 6:30 or so and head over to Dartmouth, Flying Cloud Drive to be exact, for a Toastmasters training thingy. Well, I don't have to, have to. It is not a condition of my continued employment or anything. Nor does it have anything to do with community service or something. But I am obligated to chew up part of my Saturday with this process. Do it tomorrow, and then have it over and done with.
When I return to the house by 1 or so tomorrow, I have chores to do around here. I will do some of them, but then sleep. Like I said above, it has been a very long, very trying week.
I think I will turn in. 6:30 seems to come even earlier on a Saturday morning than it does during the week.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Post 3375 - Zzzz
In case you hadn't noticed, one of my New Year's resolutions was to produce at least one blog post per day in 2017. Some of them will be quite brief, but I am determined you will have fresh Bevboy content for this year.
I will have two or three pages in the new Frank Magazine when it goes live on Monday morning. I will have both a media column and a true crime article. I hope you like them. Media news is still coming in. I will be writing a little something or other before the hard-and-fast Friday afternoon deadline, an addendum to the already-filed column. This kind of thing happens fairly often. I worry about how to find enough content to justify a full-length column, and at the proverbial last minute, stuff comes in that makes me have to cut other things I have already written.
Oh, on Wednesday, we got the windshield replace on the KIA Soul. Looks really nice. No cracks or anything. My confidence in the car has been restored.
Anyway, it has been a frightfully long day, after not much sleep Wednesday night. I am going to turn in. Another longish day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
I will have two or three pages in the new Frank Magazine when it goes live on Monday morning. I will have both a media column and a true crime article. I hope you like them. Media news is still coming in. I will be writing a little something or other before the hard-and-fast Friday afternoon deadline, an addendum to the already-filed column. This kind of thing happens fairly often. I worry about how to find enough content to justify a full-length column, and at the proverbial last minute, stuff comes in that makes me have to cut other things I have already written.
Oh, on Wednesday, we got the windshield replace on the KIA Soul. Looks really nice. No cracks or anything. My confidence in the car has been restored.
Anyway, it has been a frightfully long day, after not much sleep Wednesday night. I am going to turn in. Another longish day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Post 3374 - Wednesday
Midnight.
Spent the last few hours working on my media column for Frank. Just sent it in to my editor. I lost some time when I had to reboot my media server and then figure out why all the hard drives were not mounting. Got that working, but I lost a good 45 minutes of writing time.
Yeah, I know. You don't care.
I have to get up for work in less than five and a half hours, and Thursday promises to be another hectic work day, so I will call this short.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Spent the last few hours working on my media column for Frank. Just sent it in to my editor. I lost some time when I had to reboot my media server and then figure out why all the hard drives were not mounting. Got that working, but I lost a good 45 minutes of writing time.
Yeah, I know. You don't care.
I have to get up for work in less than five and a half hours, and Thursday promises to be another hectic work day, so I will call this short.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Post 3373 - Tuesday
About 9:45
One of those days when I would rather have stayed in bed.
Glad I got up, though. It wasn't a bad day at all. I got a phone call late this morning from the car dealership. The new windshield has been shipped and has arrived. I have made an appointment for Wednesday morning, early, to take the car in and drop it off. It will take about half a day. And the Perma-shine treatment that we had done to the original windshield, Aquapel, is being applied to this new windshield at no cost. No insurance, no nothing. Straight replacement. Aquapel, as you may have guessed, is the treatment that repels water from the windshield when it is raining. It just beads and falls off. You still need to use wipers, but not as much. My confidence in our new car has been restored.
I have another Toastmasters meeting tomorrow. The original plan was to have a meeting strictly for members, no guests. But at nearly the last minute, the speaker backed out. He has quit Toastmasters, full stop, and is not even returning our emails to find out what the frig happened. The thing we were gonna do last month will be rescheduled for a future meeting, likely next month. It sure was a surprise, though.
Since we have to get up so bloody early tomorrow morning, I need to get to bed a little earlier, so I will turn in now. You keep smiling. I will smile along with you. In fact, I will smile so hard, that the corners of my mouth will extend to behind my head, and the top of it will just fall off. Quite a sight, really.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
One of those days when I would rather have stayed in bed.
Glad I got up, though. It wasn't a bad day at all. I got a phone call late this morning from the car dealership. The new windshield has been shipped and has arrived. I have made an appointment for Wednesday morning, early, to take the car in and drop it off. It will take about half a day. And the Perma-shine treatment that we had done to the original windshield, Aquapel, is being applied to this new windshield at no cost. No insurance, no nothing. Straight replacement. Aquapel, as you may have guessed, is the treatment that repels water from the windshield when it is raining. It just beads and falls off. You still need to use wipers, but not as much. My confidence in our new car has been restored.
I have another Toastmasters meeting tomorrow. The original plan was to have a meeting strictly for members, no guests. But at nearly the last minute, the speaker backed out. He has quit Toastmasters, full stop, and is not even returning our emails to find out what the frig happened. The thing we were gonna do last month will be rescheduled for a future meeting, likely next month. It sure was a surprise, though.
Since we have to get up so bloody early tomorrow morning, I need to get to bed a little earlier, so I will turn in now. You keep smiling. I will smile along with you. In fact, I will smile so hard, that the corners of my mouth will extend to behind my head, and the top of it will just fall off. Quite a sight, really.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, January 16, 2017
Post 3372 - Monday
Nearly 9:30.
Not feeling well tonight. Patricia had the day off work. She made dinner. I barely touched the small bowl of home made soup. Then, she made these non-bread like bread sticks. They were really good, but I could only eat one of them.
I have been tired and logy all day. I'm glad Patricia picked me up at work and drove us home. Could get used to this.
I think I will turn in very early tonight.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Not feeling well tonight. Patricia had the day off work. She made dinner. I barely touched the small bowl of home made soup. Then, she made these non-bread like bread sticks. They were really good, but I could only eat one of them.
I have been tired and logy all day. I'm glad Patricia picked me up at work and drove us home. Could get used to this.
I think I will turn in very early tonight.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Post 3371 - Sunday
Past 10pm.
I love days like today. I never got out of my jammies. Never left the house. Did everything inside.
I spent several hours today doing that task I alluded to. Now, I have to concentrate on my media column, which is due Thursday.
Another work week awaits me. Where do the weekends go, anyway? Was it just Friday night, like, 10 minutes ago?
I think I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I love days like today. I never got out of my jammies. Never left the house. Did everything inside.
I spent several hours today doing that task I alluded to. Now, I have to concentrate on my media column, which is due Thursday.
Another work week awaits me. Where do the weekends go, anyway? Was it just Friday night, like, 10 minutes ago?
I think I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Post 3370 - Saturday
Well, today wasn't that fluid after all. I went out this morning to get take out at a local church's trucker-style breakfast. Lots of food, made by someone else.
We spent a bunch of the day watching the tube. I napped this afternoon. My sleep pattern is all a kilter because I napped Friday night and was therefore awake until like 3 this morning. I did manage to watch "A Street Cat Named Bob", though. Same guy directed "Turner and Hooch" many years ago.
I have a thing to do for Frank this weekend. But I needed a break from all that today. My mother died two years ago today, January 14, 2015. Her death was so sudden and unexpected that I had no time to prepare for it.
I think about her every day. I want to call her every day. And I think about the relatives who disrespected her even after her death, and I get angry all over again.
Sunday will be here in about 4 minutes. I will push through this. I will think about other things, like the Frank task I have to complete. I will cook haddock for dinner, because I make the best haddock dinners ever. And I will think about what I have, rather than what I don't, the things I had, rather than the things I didn't. Those thoughts will sustain me. They will keep me going.
Well, that, and my beautiful hair.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
We spent a bunch of the day watching the tube. I napped this afternoon. My sleep pattern is all a kilter because I napped Friday night and was therefore awake until like 3 this morning. I did manage to watch "A Street Cat Named Bob", though. Same guy directed "Turner and Hooch" many years ago.
I have a thing to do for Frank this weekend. But I needed a break from all that today. My mother died two years ago today, January 14, 2015. Her death was so sudden and unexpected that I had no time to prepare for it.
I think about her every day. I want to call her every day. And I think about the relatives who disrespected her even after her death, and I get angry all over again.
Sunday will be here in about 4 minutes. I will push through this. I will think about other things, like the Frank task I have to complete. I will cook haddock for dinner, because I make the best haddock dinners ever. And I will think about what I have, rather than what I don't, the things I had, rather than the things I didn't. Those thoughts will sustain me. They will keep me going.
Well, that, and my beautiful hair.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Friday, January 13, 2017
Post 3369 - Friday
The weekend is here. I got home from work and started nodding off during the evening news. I lay down, and then it was 10pm.
So, not much to talk about tonight.
Saturday's plans are fluid. I will tell you about what happens, tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
So, not much to talk about tonight.
Saturday's plans are fluid. I will tell you about what happens, tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Post 3368 - Thursday
Nearly 9:30.
I just sent off a draft of my latest true crime article to my Frank editor. A story with quite a few twists and turns. A little longer than normal. I may need to pare it back even more than I have already. We will see.
I have another special task to work on courtesy of my editor. He wants me to have it done by Monday. I should be able to get it to him sometime over the weekend instead.
Speaking of the weekend, Patricia wants to go to New Ross Farm on Saturday. Some kind of event going on there. We haven't been there in a few years. One time we went there, years before that, a free range chicken started chasing after her. Funniest thing ever.
The crack in the windshield has not expanded any further since we first discovered it on Tuesday morning. That is a blessing. I am crazy ticked that a two-month-old car would have this defect, but at least the cost of its replacement will be zero to us.
There is nothing else to report. So, I think I will brush my teeth and turn in. Nice to go to bed relatively early on a work night, for a change.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I just sent off a draft of my latest true crime article to my Frank editor. A story with quite a few twists and turns. A little longer than normal. I may need to pare it back even more than I have already. We will see.
I have another special task to work on courtesy of my editor. He wants me to have it done by Monday. I should be able to get it to him sometime over the weekend instead.
Speaking of the weekend, Patricia wants to go to New Ross Farm on Saturday. Some kind of event going on there. We haven't been there in a few years. One time we went there, years before that, a free range chicken started chasing after her. Funniest thing ever.
The crack in the windshield has not expanded any further since we first discovered it on Tuesday morning. That is a blessing. I am crazy ticked that a two-month-old car would have this defect, but at least the cost of its replacement will be zero to us.
There is nothing else to report. So, I think I will brush my teeth and turn in. Nice to go to bed relatively early on a work night, for a change.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Post 3367 - Good News!
Heard back from the KIA dealership today. They are ordering a new windshield for the Soul. They hope it will arrive next week. Assuming it is in tip top shape, they will install it, and it won't cost us anything.
The only thing is, we paid extra for the Permashine product. It repels water from the windshield, after a fashion. We paid for it, and we would like to have it on the "new" windshield. That should not cost us anything, either. But the service manager needs to talk to whomever to get approval. Sigh.
I just now finished transcribing the final audio file in the next true crime case I am working on. The next task is to take those 4700 words, select the most pertinent facts, and fashion an article out of them. None of these steps is easy. I fret over every comma. I re-write and revise a lot before I send the work to my editor. This is the "off" week, non deadline week, so if he asks for changes, I can do them myself. The luxury of time is a good one. If it were next week that I had finished it, we would not be able to do this.
Anyway, you don't care.
We spent a couple hours watching tv tonight, too. The new Match Game show hosted by Alec Baldwin has become appointment viewing for us. Following that was the new Lethal Weapon series, which improves every week. We have bailed on the other revival, MacGyver. Same crap every week. But Lethal Weapon holds our interest.
I think I will turn in. Lots to do tomorrow!
See you then.
Bevboy
The only thing is, we paid extra for the Permashine product. It repels water from the windshield, after a fashion. We paid for it, and we would like to have it on the "new" windshield. That should not cost us anything, either. But the service manager needs to talk to whomever to get approval. Sigh.
I just now finished transcribing the final audio file in the next true crime case I am working on. The next task is to take those 4700 words, select the most pertinent facts, and fashion an article out of them. None of these steps is easy. I fret over every comma. I re-write and revise a lot before I send the work to my editor. This is the "off" week, non deadline week, so if he asks for changes, I can do them myself. The luxury of time is a good one. If it were next week that I had finished it, we would not be able to do this.
Anyway, you don't care.
We spent a couple hours watching tv tonight, too. The new Match Game show hosted by Alec Baldwin has become appointment viewing for us. Following that was the new Lethal Weapon series, which improves every week. We have bailed on the other revival, MacGyver. Same crap every week. But Lethal Weapon holds our interest.
I think I will turn in. Lots to do tomorrow!
See you then.
Bevboy
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Post 3366 - An Unpleasant Surprise
We have had a terrible cold snap in Nova Scotia lately. Last week, by contrast, it was raining. Over the last couple of days, it has been too cold to snow.
These rapid to-and-fro took a toll on our car this morning. It was deeply cold this morning, something like -19C. I started the car, ran the heater. We left for work around 6:50. About a block from the house, I noticed something. It turned out to be a crack in the windshield!
We checked it out. It was maybe 2 inches long. We got to our destination to get some breakfast. Checked the windshield further. There was a crack all along the base of the windshield, from end to end. We had not noticed it before.
Worried, pissed off, stressed, while Patricia was ordering our food, I called the sales guy at the KIA dealership, and left a message. After I got to work, I called his cell. At lunch time I went to the dealership and was informed that they usually do not cover the cost of replacing a windshield under warranty. It's an insurance thing, most of the time.
He got the service manager to look at the car. He said it was a stress fracture, likely caused by the extreme changes in temperature in recent days. It would almost certainly be covered by KIA at no cost to us, but I am unhappy to the extreme that a car that is only a couple of months old would need to get a new windshield. My Grand Prix never needed that, and it suffered through colder Winters than this one has been.
I hope this is an anomaly. A freak occurrence. Never to happen again. But, I now have a nagging doubt about the car. I don't like that feeling one little bit.
Anyway, after work, and dinner, I came down here around 8pm and transcribed two more audio files. I would have done one during my lunch hour today, but that was taken up by the car. I have one more audio file to transcribe before I can attack the article. I want to have it in my editor's hand by Thursday, if at all possible. That way he can read it over and maybe ask for some changes and we can put the article to bed long before deadline day next week.
I think I will turn in. Been a trying day. Let's hope tomorrow is better.
See you then.
Bevboy
These rapid to-and-fro took a toll on our car this morning. It was deeply cold this morning, something like -19C. I started the car, ran the heater. We left for work around 6:50. About a block from the house, I noticed something. It turned out to be a crack in the windshield!
We checked it out. It was maybe 2 inches long. We got to our destination to get some breakfast. Checked the windshield further. There was a crack all along the base of the windshield, from end to end. We had not noticed it before.
Worried, pissed off, stressed, while Patricia was ordering our food, I called the sales guy at the KIA dealership, and left a message. After I got to work, I called his cell. At lunch time I went to the dealership and was informed that they usually do not cover the cost of replacing a windshield under warranty. It's an insurance thing, most of the time.
He got the service manager to look at the car. He said it was a stress fracture, likely caused by the extreme changes in temperature in recent days. It would almost certainly be covered by KIA at no cost to us, but I am unhappy to the extreme that a car that is only a couple of months old would need to get a new windshield. My Grand Prix never needed that, and it suffered through colder Winters than this one has been.
I hope this is an anomaly. A freak occurrence. Never to happen again. But, I now have a nagging doubt about the car. I don't like that feeling one little bit.
Anyway, after work, and dinner, I came down here around 8pm and transcribed two more audio files. I would have done one during my lunch hour today, but that was taken up by the car. I have one more audio file to transcribe before I can attack the article. I want to have it in my editor's hand by Thursday, if at all possible. That way he can read it over and maybe ask for some changes and we can put the article to bed long before deadline day next week.
I think I will turn in. Been a trying day. Let's hope tomorrow is better.
See you then.
Bevboy
Monday, January 9, 2017
Post 3365 - Monday
Nearly 10:30pm.
Spent the last couple hours transcribing a couple audio files in the latest true crime article I am working on. I hope to finish that task before I go to bed Tuesday night. 3 of those files left, so it is do-able.
I also downloaded from my Frank email address to my dropbox, the few pictures I have to work with of the subject of this true crime article. This guy was camera shy to say the least, and his death was long enough ago that it was before everybody walked around with a camera in their pocket. The few pics I have, are likely the only ones I will have.
I lost some productivity trying to access the network printer here in my home. It is a scant 1.5 meters from where I type these words, but it might as well be the distance between here and the sun. I managed, after 45 minutes, to be able to print from this machine to that printer, which is hooked up to another computer. It doesn't work consistently, and I hate inconsistency. It troubles and vexes me. It makes no sense. Which is why I hate it so much.
Anyway, it is late, and I need some shut eye. As long as today was, tomorrow will be longer.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Spent the last couple hours transcribing a couple audio files in the latest true crime article I am working on. I hope to finish that task before I go to bed Tuesday night. 3 of those files left, so it is do-able.
I also downloaded from my Frank email address to my dropbox, the few pictures I have to work with of the subject of this true crime article. This guy was camera shy to say the least, and his death was long enough ago that it was before everybody walked around with a camera in their pocket. The few pics I have, are likely the only ones I will have.
I lost some productivity trying to access the network printer here in my home. It is a scant 1.5 meters from where I type these words, but it might as well be the distance between here and the sun. I managed, after 45 minutes, to be able to print from this machine to that printer, which is hooked up to another computer. It doesn't work consistently, and I hate inconsistency. It troubles and vexes me. It makes no sense. Which is why I hate it so much.
Anyway, it is late, and I need some shut eye. As long as today was, tomorrow will be longer.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Post 3364 - Sunday
Nearly 10pm.
A day spent doing not much. I did transcribe three audio files (five longer ones to go!) in the next true crime article for Frank. Once they're done, I can write the actual article, later on this week.
I have to get something off my chest. People have asked me why I don't put those articles on my blog. I am paid by Frank Magazine to provide this content for them, and it is theirs to do with as they wish, not mine. I, of course, have a copy for my records, but am not at liberty to share it with anyone else. And I wouldn't share it with anyone else, because I am paid to produce this work. If you are too cheap to buy the magazine at newsstands every two weeks, you can save $ by subscribing. The annual subscription drive is on until the end of January. You can save even more $ by subscribing now.
You might think you have the right to have the news provided to you for free, but it doesn't work that way. I got into a near screaming match with someone about it last Summer. It was that jive turkey, Rob Wolfe, who started going on about it, if you must know. He somehow got it in that pretty little head of his that the good feelings I get from the people whose loved ones were murdered or who went missing, should be enough remuneration. That people have the right to this information, gratis.
Sure. Right. I will explain that to the people who hold my mortgage or who provide the crazy expensive insurance I have on two houses and a car. I will tell them that I get plenty of gratitude from people who are the loved ones for missing and murdered people, and can that cover my mortgage or insurance this month, please? They will look at me, smile, and write off this month's payments. In my dreams.
It took me many, many years to get to the point where I can sell some of my writing. If you are too F word cheap to purchase that work, don't come complaining to me or expecting me to fork it over to you at no cost, 'cuz I'm not gonna. Doesn't work that way. That which has no cost, often has no value.
(He said, blogging away...)
Oh, a couple other people have asked me why I don't collect these true crime articles and put them in a book. Well, once again, it is not my work to collect. AFAIK, it belongs to Frank Magazine in what is likely a work-for-hire model. But let's suppose for the sake of argument that the work reverts to me after a period of time. It doesn't, but let's pretend.
I would then have to interest a local publisher, such as Nimbus, that I have the Next Great Idea in Nova Scotia publishing, which is a collection of articles about missing and murdered Nova Scotians, which had already been published elsewhere. I can just imagine that pitch session. Once he had heard the relevant portion, the editor would stop the meeting, take off his glasses and summon the publisher. "Get in here now!", he would bellow. The publisher would run in breathlessly, catch the essence of my pitch; and once we had applied smelling salts to revive him from his dead faint, he would dash down the hall to the comptroller, who would cut me a cheque for a cool hall mill advance against future sales. I'd just dash off the typescript, update a few things here and there, maybe write an introduction, and spend that advance money on hookers and blow.
Yeah. That's exactly how it would work.
I know a few local writers. They all have to hold down full time jobs doing something else. Jodi DeLong, I think, writes full time, but she is literally the only local writer one I know whose primary income derives from writing. The rest of them, work a job and steal time from their families and other activities in order to produce the work they feel they must. They receive laughable advances, paltry royalties, and are expected to sell their own books as much as they can by going to every local bookstore, those that remain, where they are largely ignored by customers who don't know who they are, and don't care. Does that sound appealing to you? Me, neither.
I am content to do what I am doing for Frank. The true crime series gives me enormous satisfaction. I get some money for writing them. They are all a product of original research that I do entirely on my own, and I would not have it any other way. Buy it in Frank every two weeks, or don't. Up to you. But don't expect me to give it away to you for free. You insult me, and contribute to the ever-downward spiral of journalism where fewer and fewer can make a living at it.
Didn't mean to go on and on about this, but this has been brewing for a long time.
Thanks for listening.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
A day spent doing not much. I did transcribe three audio files (five longer ones to go!) in the next true crime article for Frank. Once they're done, I can write the actual article, later on this week.
I have to get something off my chest. People have asked me why I don't put those articles on my blog. I am paid by Frank Magazine to provide this content for them, and it is theirs to do with as they wish, not mine. I, of course, have a copy for my records, but am not at liberty to share it with anyone else. And I wouldn't share it with anyone else, because I am paid to produce this work. If you are too cheap to buy the magazine at newsstands every two weeks, you can save $ by subscribing. The annual subscription drive is on until the end of January. You can save even more $ by subscribing now.
You might think you have the right to have the news provided to you for free, but it doesn't work that way. I got into a near screaming match with someone about it last Summer. It was that jive turkey, Rob Wolfe, who started going on about it, if you must know. He somehow got it in that pretty little head of his that the good feelings I get from the people whose loved ones were murdered or who went missing, should be enough remuneration. That people have the right to this information, gratis.
Sure. Right. I will explain that to the people who hold my mortgage or who provide the crazy expensive insurance I have on two houses and a car. I will tell them that I get plenty of gratitude from people who are the loved ones for missing and murdered people, and can that cover my mortgage or insurance this month, please? They will look at me, smile, and write off this month's payments. In my dreams.
It took me many, many years to get to the point where I can sell some of my writing. If you are too F word cheap to purchase that work, don't come complaining to me or expecting me to fork it over to you at no cost, 'cuz I'm not gonna. Doesn't work that way. That which has no cost, often has no value.
(He said, blogging away...)
Oh, a couple other people have asked me why I don't collect these true crime articles and put them in a book. Well, once again, it is not my work to collect. AFAIK, it belongs to Frank Magazine in what is likely a work-for-hire model. But let's suppose for the sake of argument that the work reverts to me after a period of time. It doesn't, but let's pretend.
I would then have to interest a local publisher, such as Nimbus, that I have the Next Great Idea in Nova Scotia publishing, which is a collection of articles about missing and murdered Nova Scotians, which had already been published elsewhere. I can just imagine that pitch session. Once he had heard the relevant portion, the editor would stop the meeting, take off his glasses and summon the publisher. "Get in here now!", he would bellow. The publisher would run in breathlessly, catch the essence of my pitch; and once we had applied smelling salts to revive him from his dead faint, he would dash down the hall to the comptroller, who would cut me a cheque for a cool hall mill advance against future sales. I'd just dash off the typescript, update a few things here and there, maybe write an introduction, and spend that advance money on hookers and blow.
Yeah. That's exactly how it would work.
I know a few local writers. They all have to hold down full time jobs doing something else. Jodi DeLong, I think, writes full time, but she is literally the only local writer one I know whose primary income derives from writing. The rest of them, work a job and steal time from their families and other activities in order to produce the work they feel they must. They receive laughable advances, paltry royalties, and are expected to sell their own books as much as they can by going to every local bookstore, those that remain, where they are largely ignored by customers who don't know who they are, and don't care. Does that sound appealing to you? Me, neither.
I am content to do what I am doing for Frank. The true crime series gives me enormous satisfaction. I get some money for writing them. They are all a product of original research that I do entirely on my own, and I would not have it any other way. Buy it in Frank every two weeks, or don't. Up to you. But don't expect me to give it away to you for free. You insult me, and contribute to the ever-downward spiral of journalism where fewer and fewer can make a living at it.
Didn't mean to go on and on about this, but this has been brewing for a long time.
Thanks for listening.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Post 3363 - Saturday
Early Sunday morning.
Just finished watching "Django Unchained" on Netflix. First time I'd seen it. People keep wondering why I haven't seen this movie or that movie, or this tv show or that tv show. I keep telling them that there are only so many hours in the day, and I have only so much leisure time. I have a full time job, and a part time job that occupies quite a bit of time. I am in Toastmasters. I need to sleep and eat. There isn't that much time left over, really.
So, even though I like Tarantino a lot, I had never got around to watching "Django Unchained" until this evening. Loved it. Will watch it again.
We also watched episodes of "Rosewood" today, and some of the episodes of "Face Off" on the Space Channel. Amazing how addicting this competition show is.
Sunday is here. I must work on my next true crime article!
But, sleep first.
See you later, my friends.
Bevboy
Just finished watching "Django Unchained" on Netflix. First time I'd seen it. People keep wondering why I haven't seen this movie or that movie, or this tv show or that tv show. I keep telling them that there are only so many hours in the day, and I have only so much leisure time. I have a full time job, and a part time job that occupies quite a bit of time. I am in Toastmasters. I need to sleep and eat. There isn't that much time left over, really.
So, even though I like Tarantino a lot, I had never got around to watching "Django Unchained" until this evening. Loved it. Will watch it again.
We also watched episodes of "Rosewood" today, and some of the episodes of "Face Off" on the Space Channel. Amazing how addicting this competition show is.
Sunday is here. I must work on my next true crime article!
But, sleep first.
See you later, my friends.
Bevboy
Friday, January 6, 2017
Post 3362 - Friday
Past midnight. So, it's Saturday morning, technically.
The highlight of the day was driving out to Lower Sackville to the BFM thrift store. They seem to have a sale every day. I ended up getting 5 new-to-me dress shirts. Patricia paid for them. Less than 20 dollars for all of them.
I also got some books, including some long out-of-print things, for very little money. Some were reduced from their already-low price, by a further 25 or even 50%. I very nearly bought a flat screen computer monitor for 5 dollars. The computer monitor attached to this computer, 8 years old, seems to have crapped out. I had a back up monitor, which I pressed into service and am using now. But I don't have a backup to this backup monitor, so a second one would be nice to have. It is possible that the original can be revived, so I will try that route, one last time.
Patricia got a bunch of clothes as well.
From there, we went up the street to the Guy's Frenchy's outlet. You can tell it's a Guy's Frenchy's, not just because of the sign on the building, but because they give out that free one page stain removal guide like the Guy's Frenchy's in the Valley does. I bought another dress shirt there. Patricia got a few more things.
It was starting to get greasy out there by this point, so we retraced our steps to the house.
We spent time after dinner watching a few episodes of the Netflix remake of "One Day at at Time" with a nearly-all Latina cast. It was not very funny, so we moved on to The OA, a science-fiction series that debuted last month on Netflix as well. We have watched two episodes and will check out another one or two on Saturday.
But, now, we sleep.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
The highlight of the day was driving out to Lower Sackville to the BFM thrift store. They seem to have a sale every day. I ended up getting 5 new-to-me dress shirts. Patricia paid for them. Less than 20 dollars for all of them.
I also got some books, including some long out-of-print things, for very little money. Some were reduced from their already-low price, by a further 25 or even 50%. I very nearly bought a flat screen computer monitor for 5 dollars. The computer monitor attached to this computer, 8 years old, seems to have crapped out. I had a back up monitor, which I pressed into service and am using now. But I don't have a backup to this backup monitor, so a second one would be nice to have. It is possible that the original can be revived, so I will try that route, one last time.
Patricia got a bunch of clothes as well.
From there, we went up the street to the Guy's Frenchy's outlet. You can tell it's a Guy's Frenchy's, not just because of the sign on the building, but because they give out that free one page stain removal guide like the Guy's Frenchy's in the Valley does. I bought another dress shirt there. Patricia got a few more things.
It was starting to get greasy out there by this point, so we retraced our steps to the house.
We spent time after dinner watching a few episodes of the Netflix remake of "One Day at at Time" with a nearly-all Latina cast. It was not very funny, so we moved on to The OA, a science-fiction series that debuted last month on Netflix as well. We have watched two episodes and will check out another one or two on Saturday.
But, now, we sleep.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Post 3361 - Thursday
Hi. Pushing 10pm.
Been another long day. I did some extra Frank freelance work this evening. It was rewarding and fun. I am grateful that they gave me this opportunity.
I am off work on Friday. We plan to run the roads for a while, but I will also spend some time working on my next true crime article, which is about a man who was murdered in the province some time ago. I conducted the interview with the family members just before the holidays, but because of said holidays, and my desire for a break, I have done little with the story. It's about time I worked on it.
Patricia had a spa day today, and then Pilates tonight. She is resting on the couch while I type in the stuffy chair while my feet are on the ottoman. Newbie is on the living room floor between us. A rerun of "Face Off" is running on the Space channel. Can life get any better?
Well, a new laptop would be nice.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Been another long day. I did some extra Frank freelance work this evening. It was rewarding and fun. I am grateful that they gave me this opportunity.
I am off work on Friday. We plan to run the roads for a while, but I will also spend some time working on my next true crime article, which is about a man who was murdered in the province some time ago. I conducted the interview with the family members just before the holidays, but because of said holidays, and my desire for a break, I have done little with the story. It's about time I worked on it.
Patricia had a spa day today, and then Pilates tonight. She is resting on the couch while I type in the stuffy chair while my feet are on the ottoman. Newbie is on the living room floor between us. A rerun of "Face Off" is running on the Space channel. Can life get any better?
Well, a new laptop would be nice.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Post 3360 - Wednesday
Past 9:30.
Long, productive day. I just sent off my media column to my editor at Frank. Earlier this evening I had my first Toastmasters meeting of 2017. I chaired the meeting and conducted table topics, where people speak off the cuff with little or no preparation time. The subject consisted of corporate questions, which in retrospect was perhaps not as much fun as it could have been. The master evaluator chided me for that in his overall meeting comments. I will get over it.
Before that, of course, was my work day. Patricia is off work this week, so I left for work before 7am and got to work about 7:20. Frigging raining like a frigmuffin all the way to work. I don't usually start work early, but there was a client request waiting for me, so I decided to be a sport and do it early.
While driving to work, I listened to several different radio stations, which is my wont. I listened to the Q104 rant line again, which has become so repetitive that it is lost most of its entertainment value. The same people call in every day, which just encourages these dummies to call in the next day, and the day after.
I also listened to WCBS New York. 880 on the good ol' AM dial. I like to listen to Joe Connolly's business report at 6:55am. He has a droll delivery that I like a lot. We have exchanged a few tweets over the years. Connolly has family in Newfoundland. I should say hello to him again, and see if he remembers me.
I found time to listen to some Sirius XM radio, too. For some reason, I often listen to the Liquid Metal channel, which features death and black metal. I defy anyone to tell me what the damn lyrics are to any of the songs. I get a kick out of the band names. There is actually a death metal band called Ringworm. I am guessing that "Spastic Colon" was taken.
Tomorrow, Patricia has some kind of spa date in Bedford, and her usual Pilates class at 5:30. She will drive me in to work tomorrow after buying me breakfast at the Cora's in Clayton Park. The best part of Cora's is the fudge they offer at the cash registers. But Patricia is paying, so I will have some salmon eggs benny or something. After she drops me off to work, I am not sure what she will do. I will get the skinny tomorrow night.
There is not much else going on. Been a typical day. I think I have earned my nightly rest.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Long, productive day. I just sent off my media column to my editor at Frank. Earlier this evening I had my first Toastmasters meeting of 2017. I chaired the meeting and conducted table topics, where people speak off the cuff with little or no preparation time. The subject consisted of corporate questions, which in retrospect was perhaps not as much fun as it could have been. The master evaluator chided me for that in his overall meeting comments. I will get over it.
Before that, of course, was my work day. Patricia is off work this week, so I left for work before 7am and got to work about 7:20. Frigging raining like a frigmuffin all the way to work. I don't usually start work early, but there was a client request waiting for me, so I decided to be a sport and do it early.
While driving to work, I listened to several different radio stations, which is my wont. I listened to the Q104 rant line again, which has become so repetitive that it is lost most of its entertainment value. The same people call in every day, which just encourages these dummies to call in the next day, and the day after.
I also listened to WCBS New York. 880 on the good ol' AM dial. I like to listen to Joe Connolly's business report at 6:55am. He has a droll delivery that I like a lot. We have exchanged a few tweets over the years. Connolly has family in Newfoundland. I should say hello to him again, and see if he remembers me.
I found time to listen to some Sirius XM radio, too. For some reason, I often listen to the Liquid Metal channel, which features death and black metal. I defy anyone to tell me what the damn lyrics are to any of the songs. I get a kick out of the band names. There is actually a death metal band called Ringworm. I am guessing that "Spastic Colon" was taken.
Tomorrow, Patricia has some kind of spa date in Bedford, and her usual Pilates class at 5:30. She will drive me in to work tomorrow after buying me breakfast at the Cora's in Clayton Park. The best part of Cora's is the fudge they offer at the cash registers. But Patricia is paying, so I will have some salmon eggs benny or something. After she drops me off to work, I am not sure what she will do. I will get the skinny tomorrow night.
There is not much else going on. Been a typical day. I think I have earned my nightly rest.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Post 3359 - Tuesday
Close to 8:30.
First day back to work for 2017. And, tonight, I have a headache. I think I will turn in early as tomorrow will be a long day, what with working, and my first Toastmasters meeting of 2017.
Patricia is off on vacation this week, so I could leave for work earlier than usual. I got there around 7:30, a full 30 minutes before my usual start time.
I'm sorry. My head is frigging killing me. I am going to take a shower and turn in for the evening.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
First day back to work for 2017. And, tonight, I have a headache. I think I will turn in early as tomorrow will be a long day, what with working, and my first Toastmasters meeting of 2017.
Patricia is off on vacation this week, so I could leave for work earlier than usual. I got there around 7:30, a full 30 minutes before my usual start time.
I'm sorry. My head is frigging killing me. I am going to take a shower and turn in for the evening.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, January 2, 2017
Post 3358 - Monday
9:30pm.
One of those days when it is impossible to know what day of the week it is. January 2, 2017. Monday. At least, I think it is Monday.
It is back to work for me in the morning. I am not sure what to expect. Last week it was pretty much dead there. It will either be one of those weeks where things gradually ramp up, or one of those weeks when things will just take off all at once. I am taking bets on which.
I have a Frank deadline in the next couple of days. It is amazing how material just seems to come along in the last 24 hours, but how I have to beat the bushes to find that material before that.
I keep wondering how people do that every day. How they work at a paper or a magazine or something that has regular deadlines; and how they face a blank computer screen every day and have to fill it with some intelligent content. Scares the hell out of me.
I think I will calm down with an episode of The Man in the High Castle before I turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
One of those days when it is impossible to know what day of the week it is. January 2, 2017. Monday. At least, I think it is Monday.
It is back to work for me in the morning. I am not sure what to expect. Last week it was pretty much dead there. It will either be one of those weeks where things gradually ramp up, or one of those weeks when things will just take off all at once. I am taking bets on which.
I have a Frank deadline in the next couple of days. It is amazing how material just seems to come along in the last 24 hours, but how I have to beat the bushes to find that material before that.
I keep wondering how people do that every day. How they work at a paper or a magazine or something that has regular deadlines; and how they face a blank computer screen every day and have to fill it with some intelligent content. Scares the hell out of me.
I think I will calm down with an episode of The Man in the High Castle before I turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Post 3357 - New Year's Day
Past midnight. Into Monday.
Spent the day doing very, very little. We keep talking about going out to New Year's levee's, but we never do. People always seem to dress up for those things, and would likely not appreciate us showing up in our pajamas. So, we stayed home.
We never, ever watch the Comedy Network. Until today. They ran many editions of the Comedy Central Roast. Some, we had not seen. Then, at 8pm, they ran a Roast Battle, in which people squared off and insulted one another. Out of 16 contestants, there was a winner. Marvelously entertaining, if you're in a certain mood.
We get Monday off. Back to work on Tuesday. Frank deadline on Thursday. Will be a busy week.
Talk to you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Spent the day doing very, very little. We keep talking about going out to New Year's levee's, but we never do. People always seem to dress up for those things, and would likely not appreciate us showing up in our pajamas. So, we stayed home.
We never, ever watch the Comedy Network. Until today. They ran many editions of the Comedy Central Roast. Some, we had not seen. Then, at 8pm, they ran a Roast Battle, in which people squared off and insulted one another. Out of 16 contestants, there was a winner. Marvelously entertaining, if you're in a certain mood.
We get Monday off. Back to work on Tuesday. Frank deadline on Thursday. Will be a busy week.
Talk to you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)