Help me out here…

The original estimated cost of the 2010 games as forecast in 2004 was $1.354 billion. Actual costs are now estimated to be $6 billion with $580 million coming directly from taxpayers. Just for the fun of it I checked, and the number of Canadian taxpayers appears to be in the range of 22 million people who are of working age. This means that a whole $26.36 of my tax dollars went to pay for approximately 2,262 people to play games… competing for 86 gold medals in 15 categories.

(Actually $26.36 is a lot lower than I thought it would be and I guess I don’t mind making that token donation, but it would have been nice to have been asked first. I might have even donated more if I could get a receipt to claim at least a portion on my taxes. I can also think of many places I’d prefer my tax dollars to go like clean water or decent housing for a lot of the northern communities, or how about a cure for potholes! Why, a single tie-rod repair on my Jeep is about to cost me $360 so I’d be more than happy to donate to road repair if I knew it would save me more than that over a period of time. But I digress…)

So using the figures above the cost is about $400 million per category, or $2.65 million per athlete or about $428.5 million per gold medal won by Canada. These are just the costs to Canada… I wonder what the world wide cost comes to.

Alright, so maybe the Olympics make sense as a business proposition but I don’t see any other use for them, and it only benefits a very small location within the country. I wonder though, since the total revenue flowing into the Vancouver area is expected to come to around $10 billion… can I apply to them for my $26.36 refund?

In no particular order…

First fish
First bike
First lie
First death
First par
First strikeout
First strikeout
First loss
First solo
First win
First flight
First job
First alone
First responsibility
First kill
First award
First regret
First realization
First truth
First kiss
First base
First strikeout
First song
First love
First child
First car
First home
First business
First epiphany

Each one a chapter for the book, and so very many more to come… which will tomorrow bring, and what are yours?

Security Seeker or Fossil?

I was thinking today that it’s a little bit strange that I’ve worked for several of the oldest companies in the country.

I started in August of 1973 with the Hudson’s Bay Company which was chartered on May 2, 1670 making them 340 years old right now. The division of stores that I worked in was sold to a group of individuals and run under a couple different names until they finally rejuvenated The North West Company, which dates back to 1779 so they are 231 years old. TNWC was actually giving HBC a serious run for their money back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s because of a quicker transportation system and a head office that wasn’t located on the other side of the Atlantic and the two companies amalgamated in 1821 under the HBC name.

Before becoming an apprentice clerk with the Handsome Boy’s Club…. sorry, the Hudson’s Bay Company, I worked several summers in the pro shop of The Old Lennoxville Golf & Country Club which was founded in 1897 so is now 113 years old. By the way, this was and still is my favorite golf course in the country for a few reasons, most of which will have to wait for the book if I ever get up enough nerve to put it together. (Oops) I also worked part time for Canadian Pacific Express and as you know the good old CPR goes back almost as long as Canada does.

In my retirement years I’ve now become an Independent Associate with the Watkins Corporation dating back to 1868 which makes them 142 years young. Does devoting most of my life to these 826 years of combined retail history (plus the 129 years of CPR transportation) mean that I’m a security seeker? Or does it just show that I hate change or maybe have a fear of anything new?

Probably the latter as I refuse run out to buy the latest gadget as soon as it hits the market. I don't have a plasma or HDTV. I still have an Intellivision, Atari and even a Pong in the basement. My Palm Pilot was out of date several years ago. I drive a 2004 Jeep that I bought at least second hand. I still prefer books on paper to a Kindle. I smoked hand rolled cigarettes when I used to have time to smoke. My laptop is ancient by computer standards with the finish starting to get worn off, two of the keys missing and a couple more that stick half the time. I’ve only had a cell phone for about a year and that’s all it is… a phone, no fancy built in camera or web surfer or music or anything else. I needed a phone, not mindless entertainment.

I don’t even have an IPod as I see no use for them. I turn on the radio in the Jeep, but only for the news and information programs and I turn it off when music comes on… except for CBC Radio Two Jazz sometimes when I’m driving in the evenings. If I’m walking in the woods I want to hear the sounds of the outdoors, not canned music. If I’m walking down the street I want to hear the traffic and world coming at me, not that soulless hip-hop or crap music… oh well.

You can call me a fossil I guess… but they say in order to see the future you have to know the past which means I do serve a purpose so there, here’s to me!

The Grand Tour...

How do house wives do it? (Or is the term “house wife” still acceptable or even exist?) I’m slowly (quickly) going nuts around the house in my retirement years. I’ve got the Summit Group business and the Watkins business and the web page business and lots of little (neglected) chores that I get to very slowly but the routine of sweeping, dusting, cleaning and all the other little things are getting very monotonous. I’m glad we live where we do because if I was stuck in some little city apartment like this it would be very hard to handle. As it is here I can go sit on the deck and watch the wildlife or tour the largest fresh water island in the world. One of my goals is to eventually hit every little back road on the island and I add a few new ones whenever I can. Let me know when you want the grand tour. Hmmm….. maybe start a little tour business next summer?


Yes, a tour guide… pick-up at the various camps and lodges, or the ferry… do a morning tour and stop at one of the many local restaurants for lunch with a leisurely drive back to the places of origin late in the afternoon with pauses at various gift shops and sight-seeing spots? What do you think?

Late Night Ramblings...

It’s fun being me… is it fun being you? (Denny Crane – Boston Legal)

She makes my friend smile… that’s all that’s important. (Alan Shore – Boston Legal)

Sometimes you’ve got to do something bad… just to prove you’re alive. (Chris Stevens – Northern Exposure)

Time you enjoyed wasting, is not time wasted. (T.S. Eliot)

Midway this way of life we're bound upon I woke to find myself in a dark wood where the right road was wholly lost and gone. (Dante)

Had an epiphany the other day, what a rush… and relief. It’s nice to realize a truth. Have to put it in the book someday. Hmmm…. maybe not.

If the men on Biggest Loser have to take off their shirts for their weigh-in how come the women don’t ?

How many chickadees would I have to eat to offset the cost of the sunflower seeds I’ve been feeding them?

I defy anyone to drive under the speed limit while listening to Tom Cochrane playing “Life is a Highway” on the radio. How about Lighthouse and “One Fine Morning” or just about any Tiesto arrangement bouncing off the insides of your windows.

How can anyone who lived through the 60’s not like Jim Morrison? And didn’t the 60’s only last like 5 or 6 years anyway? At least, that seems to be about all I can remember of them... All hail Janis and Jimmy!

What idiot made the Blue Jay a protected bird?

Lord, what fools these mortals be… (Puck)

Another Old Timer Gone…

We lost a curling pin trading buddy this week. Lorne lived in the Ottawa area and used to travel to all the major bonspiels across the country. We knew him well from the Briers and I don’t know how many lapel pins he had altogether but he traveled with about 10,000 of them and set up his display with the permission and gratitude of the event committees. They knew that spectators would remember all the sparkles and rarities that Lorne would have on show and be the topic of many a conversation. He was also great publicity for whatever was going on and I can’t think of any time where he didn’t make the local newspaper with an article and photo of his displays as all the reporters knew what a treasure they had right there in front of them.

It didn’t matter what club or event you asked him about… he always knew exactly what the pin looked like and any variations that it may have. If you walked up with one of your own club pins, even a brand new one he would take a glance at it and say “Sure, I’ve got one of those” and walk you right over to the exact spot on his boards where it was displayed. I don’t know if anyone ever showed him a pin he didn’t already know about but I know I could never beat him, and I would have felt bad if I had.

Lorne, we’ll miss ‘ya buddy... and send me a pin from your new club, would you?

I admire you…

…who can blog each day. Oh I could easily write regularly but I think it would just be rambling, most of it negative (I call it reality) and I’m sure you don’t want to hear about it. However… since it’s been so long since I’ve posted you’ll just have to take what you get this time.

Have you ever noticed that you’ll find some of the worst car parkers in downtown Manitowaning? I’ve driven in places that have some crazy drivers…Toronto (get out of my way, I’m special), Montreal (Red lights? Hah! Pedestrians? Hah! Laws? Hah!), Saskatoon (very narrow streets with most of the signs hidden), Sudbury (What speed limit?), Sherbrooke (Montreal is just a bunch of pussies!). Anyway, parking… I’ve noticed it many times and just the other day four out of five cars at the Post Office were parked illegally… two facing the wrong way, one in the handicapped zone, one beside the fire hydrant with its butt sticking out into the side street. In front of the grocery store? Two out of four illegal… one beside the fire hydrant and one on the sidewalk. Ahh… what do I know.

Oh, and just to mention Sudbury again… I’ve decided never to go there again if I don’t really have to unless I can be absolutely certain that the painted lady from Canada’s Worst Driver has moved far, far away.

Everyone has been screaming about some adopted Canadian citizen who is sitting in a foreign jail. What’s the problem? If someone from the other side of the world committed a crime here would we not expect them to be subject to our laws? What’s the difference?

Now on a positive note… the sky is clear, no snow to shovel for several days now and Gloria made a big batch of butter tarts today… life is good.

Ain't that pretty?

Feel free to add your comments to this, one of the finer things in life.

I wasn't quick enough...

So I'm sitting here checking my emails and doing a little surfing and just happened to glance out the window. This is basically what I saw circling up the lake shore...


Unfortunately this isn't my photo as I wasn't quick enough to get out the door with my camera so I thank the photographer and you can find the original photo posted HERE under "Creative Commons" license at Flickr. Good thing the neighbors cats were under cover as one of them would have made a nice lunch for this fellow.

I haven't been pulled over in weeks...

And no, I don't mean for speeding (who, me?) or any other moving violation. Could it be that my Jeep is almost identical to some "vehicle of interest" to the local constabulary?

Since the day I got it last summer I have been regularly followed by both cruisers and unmarked cars, sometimes for miles. Now tell me... if you are driving the speed limit and a police car comes up behind you how long does he stay there? As soon as you hit the first straight stretch he's gone around you right? These guys would ride my back for the longest time and you could almost hear then calling in the plate number to check me out. By the way, this never happened with my previous vehicle so I can only assume they are not looking for me personally. :-)

The other day I saw this cruiser with a motorcycle pulled over beside the road and the officer is just getting back into his vehicle. I slowed way down and moved over into the other lane as is required and the officer waved me by. A couple miles farther down the road I see him coming up behind me and yup, the lights come on. Law abiding citizen that I am I immediately put on my blinker and moved to the side of the road. The nice officer comes up to my window and says "Oh, just wondered who was driving because we couldn't see through the tinted windows." It seems to me that if they were looking for someone else then running the plate would tell them it's my Jeep and not some other persons. There could also be other differences like no cover on my spare tire and there is on his?

Anyway, it's nice to see that the local force is out there doing it's job and I'm sure I'll see them again and that we'll still be on friendly terms. Yes sir, I'd be happy to buy two tickets to the policeman's ball and thank you very much!

PS: The person in town who has the almost identical vehicle to me was nice enough to say "Thank You" later on. Anytime buddy!

I've got to sell a lot of pepper...

It's been an expensive couple weeks. First there was putting the winter tires on the van for $72.00 Then the same for one of the SX2. Now I just put four new winter ones on the Jeep to the tune of $901.49 taxes, installation, balancing and the government imposed stewardship fee. At least I saved the $3.00 per tire disposal fee as I took them to our local tire dump instead for free. I could have gotten a better deal a week or two earlier but of course I left it just a couple days too long and the less expensive models were sold out.

Anyway, I’m sure it will be worth it as the summer tires that were on the Liberty when I bought it were getting pretty bald and lately I’ve been all over the place on the gravel road to the house. This new “Arctic Claw” rubber just refuses to spin or slide at all and they will for sure save me from a ditch or two or three that I would be in this winter without them.

No snow yet but most of the leaves are on the ground around the house and the bird population has changed. The Chickadees are staring in the window full time if I haven’t put the seed out yet. The Snowbirds are circling, a couple Sparrows I haven’t seen since last spring are back along with the Purple Finches, Juncos and a Cardinal spent the day today munching on the sunflower seed I put on the table out on the deck. Even "Woody" stopped by to see what I was offering!

Haven’t seen my families of Geese or Loons for a few weeks now… come to think of it I haven’t seen the Geese since hunting season. I miss my hunting days when I used to disappear after work or for entire weekends into the bush. Sometimes I’d hunt with the rifle or shotgun and sometimes just with the camera. I don’t even have a license anymore and it’s probably not worth the trouble of getting one again. A good “sakabaun” would be really great right now though and I can just see the fat dripping off the bird twirling on a string over the campfire. That’s it…. I’m hungry, guess I’ll settle for a peanut butter sandwich for now… sigh.

Time to let go you think?

I’ve now been retired for 1 year and 25 days and I still track the company aircraft on a daily basis, still keep in touch with former workmates, still say “we” when talking with pride about the people and stores… and still in my heart know that for a brief time (35 years, 10 days) I was a small part of this country’s history. I was an apprentice, a fur trader, carving buyer, manager, leader and a trainer of others in the oldest company in the country (dating back to May 2, 1670 to be exact)… and it’s still very hard to let go and move on.

Maybe it’s time I take down and burn that map that hangs above my desk serving as a reminder of it all… that map that I gaze at for a few minutes each day re-tracing the lines… remembering the sights and stories of each one of those communities…

Yes, I gave up many things when I headed north… but look at what I gained in return. From Mistassini and Chibougamau to Pangnirtung, Igloolik, Baker Lake, Old Crow, Yellowknife and dozens of others I’ve seen all three of Canada’s coasts many times, met thousands of people and learned a few words of Cree, Inuktitut, Dene and Odawa. I’m truly one lucky guy for having the life I’ve had and even with the occasional uncertainty, hassles and all that freight to move…I wouldn’t have traded one minute of it. Guess maybe it’s time to sit on the deck and get that book started…

Could it be a plot?

I don’t know about you but ever since grocery stores stopped giving out free bags at the checkout I’m shopping more often. I certainly don’t mind bringing my own bags and I admit that I always felt a little bit guilty about all the plastic I used and discarded before, but I can’t help but wonder if there is a hidden and secondary agenda to this growing practice.

Before now I would go to the store and fill up a cart with what we needed plus a couple of the special bargains and deals on display. We’d sail through the checkout and come out the other end with 10 or more bags and flimsy or not, they would still have a landfill, roadside or lakeside life of a thousand years or so. Now I go shopping with an idea of what I need to take us through the next couple days, trying to be careful to not pickup more than will fit into whatever cloth bags I have with me at the time. Of course I still check out and pick up a few of the extra sale items that we don’t necessarily need but are just priced too good to overlook.

There lies my suspicion… Before this I was only getting one or two sale items at a visit maybe once a week. Now that I am shopping every couple days I’m still picking up one or two sale items but you’ll note that it’s now maybe three times a week. So you’ll calculate that the two or three items we didn’t really need before have now become six or seven. It makes me wonder that since the stores know that we’re now shopping more frequently have they decided to take advantage of our thriftiness to tease us with all these extra sale items on display. It’s a plot, I tell you!

Seriously now… I don’t mind taking my own bags and I happy to not contribute to the landfills unnecessary plastic that will stay there just about forever. I also don’t truly think that the stores are in a conspiracy to push items on us that we don’t really need… or are they? 

PS: Ever start into the store and realize that you left your bags at home? Do the store managers giggle when they see shoppers enter without an armload of empty bags because they know we'll then have to add to their bottom line by purchasing even more? I wonder…

The news as I understood it this week...

The union that is on strike in Sudbury is accusing the company of stealing money from little old ladies.

As I understand the news reports... The company had very definite plans to double the xmas bonus to the widows of former workers. The company is now saying that they may not be able to do so because of lack of funds. They are NOT going to cancel or take away the existing bonus that has been paid for years which still stands and is guaranteed.

The reason that the company doesn't have the funds to help these people is that 3,000 workers went on strike (quit, if you ask me) and therefore there is not enough money coming into company coffers to pay out the additional bonus amount.

Doesn't it seem to you that it's the strikers and not the company that have caused the cash shortage? Do they expect the employer to just print out money whenever they need it like the Government does? If no funds are coming in how do they expect there to be anything to pay out? I wonder how they balance their personal cheque books with thinking like that? Perhaps if they don't want to do an honest days work they should go take a course in Accounting 101 and then maybe they'll understand cash flow a little bit better.

Yesterday the foolishness was continued... Since these strikers haven't gotten their way they have decided to act like spoiled brat children and not let anyone else play in their yard either. In other words they are now harassing workers of other local companies because these other companies are not helping the strikers hurt their employer and the entire community.

Grow up children! I bet you there's lots of people out there who would love to have a full time job. If you don't want to work get the hell out of the way of people that do.

Comments? I do love a good discussion...

My Political Comments, Continued...

I've had a suggestion that my recent Facebook entries be carried over to this blog so here goes, from the start...

ME: Political terms are supposed to be 4 years, right? I think anyone who wants to have an election at any other time in between should have to pay all the expenses for it themselves. How do these idiots think anything will ever get done when it all comes to a halt every few months? As long as there's nothing illegal going on let the term run it's course and stop whining.

MM: "likes this"

M: I asked my MP that years ago and was told I simply didn't understand partisan politics.

ME: So why does the 4 year term work in the US? If they want to play games they can use their own money to do it and not waste my tax dollars on their kids games. How about actually spending the cash on the people they are supposed to be serving and not on themselves. I think I'll continue this in my blog where I can rant properly. :-) Have a great day!

M: Did you ever ask a politician a question and get a sensible answer that wasn't loaded in their favor? Looking forward to reading your blog.

B: I hear ya, Murr! Apparently, politics is the 2nd-oldest profession in the history of man - and it closely resembles the 1st...

H: sorry but this will keep up until we get a majority gov. witch doesn't look likely this time. besides the other parties have a duty not to support a government that is not acting in the peoples best interests.

ME: Now how did I know I'd hear from you on this... great! :-) I agree that we need a majority under our present system but (as we've discussed before) we need a true Independent system where the elected can actually work for their areas and not have to grovel and follow direct orders of the head of the party who may not have the least idea (or care) what is happening anywhere but on Parliament Hill.

Now, to continue to try to get people riled up simply because I enjoy a good argument...

There is a great article in the National Post suggesting that at the recent meeting in Sudbury the mood was "near unanimous" AGAINST a fall election. It was even reported that one MP said "We might have well have stayed in bed" which implies to me that the leader wasn't the least bit interested in advice from those in the know but just wanted to get his name in the paper.

Just goes to prove my point that we'll never have an effective political system under a party system where the elected members are ordered to do, think and say whatever the head honcho orders under threat of expulsion. Who would dare try to do any good under those conditions.

By the way, did you see where the Conservatives are up 5 points in the polls since the Liberal leader announcement? Mr. Ignatieff... the people of Canada do NOT want an election at this time, especially not to blow close to $300 million in expenses to the taxpayers just to sooth your ego by making you feel important for a few weeks.

There... that's my rant for the day... I'll be the first to admit that I'm no political whiz kid but I hate to see taxpayer money that could better be used elsewhere wasted on childish games...comments are welcome everyone!

PS: I have to point out that if the party roles were reversed then I would still be saying the same thing. Let's not waste taxpayers money over and over again on the same ratings dog and pony show... It just seems like more outrageous reality TV with the same silly plots with the acting just as bad and I'm getting very tired of it.

I Am a Modern Day Gunslinger...

Along with a high percentage of the male population I carry my trusty cell phone on my belt. My own leather holster is suited for function more than quick draw and therefore fits my personality well.

Even back in my hunting days I very seldom made a snap shot as my preference was to properly identify my target, make certain of my surroundings (particularly the background) and only then ready the weapon for use. I always figured that if during those extra few seconds of contemplation the quarry disappeared then that was just the way it was meant to be and good luck to you my furred or feathery little buddy. (There was also that one time that Steve Day stood up suddenly in front of me in a goose blind and it would have been his own fault if I hadn't been double checking, right?)

Back to topic... do you remember the scene in Hook when Robin Williams is challenged by a co-worker to see who can get their cell phones out and fired up first? I enjoy this exchange of machismo as it conjures up thoughts and feelings of the "Battle" similar to Vinnie Barbarino (aka John Travolta) facing off against the bull in the movie Michael.

Anyway, in the absence of legitimate high noon type street duels this public display of cell phone use seems to keep civilized people content.

Hmmm... wonder how I can fit Bluetooth into this scenario?

Moonlight over Smith Bay…

I don’t think this photo needs any words to take away from the view off our deck this evening. Ain't life grand at times like this?

Voices From the Past...

This year seems to have a definite theme to it. In the past 12 months I've become reacquainted with a dozen or so people from my past. Old friends, school chums and even a cousin I haven't seen probably since the late 60's. A few days ago another one surfaced because of a blog entry I made many months ago.

Roddy was a young fellow from Oban, Scotland who had been brought over by the Hudson’s Bay Company as an apprentice contract clerk. When I was sent to my first posting with HBC it was to Mistassini and to fill the position left vacant by him when he went on to other things. (Roddy is the fellow in the back on the right in this photo but I have no idea who the long-haired gentleman wearing the tie in front of him is. Wish I could remember that party, looks like it must have been a good one).

(I just have to pause here for a moment to mention that Oban where Roddy was from produces one of the finest scotches in the world. Please try it if you ever get the chance.)

He must have been searching through the internet for some of his old locations and ran across my entry about Mistassini and my first Store Manager, Glen Speers.

Anyway, I've replied to his comments on my entry and I hope he gets back to me. For some reason the people I knew years ago are getting more and more important to me. A sign of old age, you think?

Late Evening Tones...

So I’m almost caught up on all my projects again and at the point where I can start thinking about this blog and of what could be posted here. After making 28 calls to prospects tonight and then sending them follow up emails I plugged the headphones into the laptop, cranked up my playlist and did a little web surfing.

During this vegetating process up popped the mellow sounds of Glenn Miller in my ears. What a talent and genius he was with musical arrangements and the smooth sounds of Moonlight Serenade reminded me of an old acquaintance of mine. I think he would have become a good friend had I remained in that area for very long but the whims of fate and life dictated otherwise. I’m told that he was passionate about the big band sound and would sit for the longest time directing orchestras playing over the radio or stereo and you know what? I used to do the same when no one was watching...haven’t we all?

Wise Old Curmdgeon...

I just found a great new web site called the Wise Old Curmdgeon with all kinds of advice, trivia and other goodies on it. Here is an example of what I'm talking about...

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.
One human hair can support 3kg (6.6 lb).
The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.
Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.
A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.
There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.
Women blink twice as often as men.
The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.
Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.
If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.
Women reading this will be finished now.
Men are still busy checking their thumbs.