Ian Abel

Chewsday already! Weekend was very busy. Friday evening entertaining friends and moving some of their patio furniture to our place - since they're moving to a condo no longer need it! We'll get the remainder when they finally move out, they're down to very little stuff to use right now so the remaining patio chairs are about the only remaining comfortable seating they have around! Saturday, VERY busy running errands for Trevor and Meagan ahead of their 5th Wedding Anniversary open house. Finally managed to get home around 9PM <YAWN> Sunday, off for brunch with Julies niece and partner, then entertaining next door neighbor to discuss some adjoining property projects related to drainage. All went very well and she has been considering some work herself as she also has some drainage issues to address. A win for us both probably. Yesterday, early AM "annual wellness check" appointment with the Dr. Seems I'm well, especially for my age 🤯 After that, the furnace project guys showed up and worked on that all day, all done and working well now. I/we sat and watched the EIIR funeral coverage most of the day. Weather over the weekend was very acceptable, today 17C first thing, partly cloudy some rain possible, high of 30C forecast. Carry on.

POETS - likely will participate 😃 Yesterday, nothing much during the day, then off to choir rehearsal. We had our first pre-rehearsal happy hour beer and pizza in a long while, good to get back to that! Little more known about our deceased choir member. Sadly, he was an only child, unmarried and no offspring. His emergency contact was a friend but not a relative so she was not allowed to be party to any details. All we know is that he was training (he was a barefoot water-skier as well as traditional) for an international competition, and the boat drive noticed he was "down", when they got to him, he was face down and not breathing. Without any next-of-kin currently available to be informed no knowledge as to whether he had a heart attack or what! 😪 We held a moment of silence for him. Today, we take "delivery" of some patio furniture from our friends who are downsizing, the Mrs decided ours needed upgrading and theirs fits the bill, both in comfort and more what she deems is better for our space. Terms unknown, the Mrs and friends' spouse managed all the negotiations! They will be here for dinner also. The weekend is BUSY! Tomorrow is Meagan and Trevor's' 5th wedding anniversary and there's an open house/party/gathering from 4-8pm, which we are also involved in prepping for earlier. Sunday we have a brunch with the Mrs niece and her partner then in the evening a get together with a neighbor. No rest for me looks like. Weather 17C first thing with some drizzle, supposed to have light rain off and on all day high 26C, rain clearing for tomorrow and Sunday with highs 23-26C Tally ho.

BIN day Yesterday Jemma and Whitney were over. Mrs and Jemma off for lunch somewhere, leaving yours truly to fend for himself, how is THAT reasonable?? Later, Mrs off to her book club and Jemma and I had dinner together, with Bob and Whitney, of course 😃 We then watched an ABC (TV) 20/20 special "Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Life". Overall a good summation of her life and all that went with her pre-monarchy and monarchy periods. Also, found out that one of our choir members had died in a water-skiing accident a few days ago (unclear when at present, expect it was over the weekend). He was an avid water-skier and had been involved in the sport for years. Particularly sad given we resume choir tonight. He was a choir friend and we enjoyed many post choir bar get togethers, he'll be missed. 😪 18C at BIN time, partly sunny, high of 29C forecast. Onward

Whilst I agree that it's unfortunate, surely those staff could have seen it coming in some way since he now has very different duties and requirement and won't be doing much of what kept them all working? Who know how exactly the royal household staff is organized but changes were inevitable, especially with him already stating he wanted to streamline and reduce the burden/cost to UK taxpayers, of the royal family/monarchy. No doubt I'd have not been happy were I in that position but seems to me he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. I bet all those clamoring for reduction in the costs will now turn around and berate him for putting people out of work! Can't win sometimes.

HUMP day arrives Nothing much to report from yesterday, all quiet, very pleasant. Today will be much of the same, though the Mrs has a book club meeting tonight so I'll see what mischief I can get upto while she's away 😂 11C first thing, partly cloudy with a light breeze, nice but we really need some rain <sigh>, high expected to reach 26 Onward.

Chewsday. Nothing much from yesterday AFTER spending more than an hour with the IT-Crowd trying to get my corporate laptop to allow me to change my password, so I could install their new VPN! Woman on the phone tried more than a dozen times and still ended up with the same "password incorrect" bollox before attempting some new/secretive/known only to IT workaround. During this time I did suggest the laptop could "accidentally fall on the floor" and they could just send me a new/working example. She laughed, until I said I was serious as the time being spent was probably ALREADY more in billing $$$ than a new laptop costs... THE special secret handshake finally worked and got us back in, but THEN, Microsoft Office insisted I didn't have a valid license 🤣 HER: Hmm, this will take a moment, it never happens so I'll have to go and find the key. ME: Trust me, can't say never, as I'm staring at exhibit "a" right now 🤪 Finally, was sorted and I'm now on the new VPN, woo hoo!! Mrs was busy baking bread, her great-great-grandmas Swedish Rye bread from a recipe dating back to before the invented ink and pens I think. The end product is VERY nice, and I'm partaking right now with a toasted offering with my cup of tea. Today will again be quiet it looks like. 10C first thing, sunny, 26C the expected high sunny all day. Carry on.

Morning. Quiet weekend was had here, dinner with Trevor and Meagan Saturday was the highlight, otherwise relaxing and a few errands. Some discussions as to a picture rail for the living room so the Mrs can hang/change out items at will, item required identified, ordered and will arrive in a few days. All that is needed then is yours truly to install and she'll be a happy camper. Week ahead looks peaceful, we start choir rehearsals Thursday so that'll be an uptick in activities Thursday evenings from now on. Weather over the weekend was generally very acceptable, not too hot during the day with cool evenings. Today, 9C first thing, 23C the expected high, sunny and a light breeze. Tally ho.

Interesting weather change here - especially since our furnace install won't happen until the 19th. It managed a high of only 18C with light rain on and off 🤯 Supposed to be 12C overnight!!!!

POETS... Well, yesterday was unique and will probably be one of those days that folks remember "where they were, what they were doing" when the news came. RIP HerM, and I think good luck to HisM, he has a tough act to follow. Much family business to handle and hopefully that will be sorted out with minimal casualties. I can't imagine having spent a lifetime preparing to do my "job" only to start it at 73 (same age as me). Even as prepared as he probably is, not exactly the age to have to take on such a significant 24/7 career! We were together with our travelling companions for dinner last night and raised a few glasses for both The Queen and King. Weekend looms with little in the way of plans - I can hear the Mrs now says "hold my beer (G&T in her case 😃)", as I ponder a simple relaxing couple of days. Weather today, cooler to start, 14C and overcast with light rain, only expecting 24C for the high. Rain off and on today and cooler tomorrow with low of 14C and high 21C forecast, more showers expected all weekend. POETS if you can 🤪

Morning, NOT BIN day as we had the Monday holiday. I only realised this after I'd dragged the first BIN to the street <sigh> Sounds rather grim for HM with all the family headed there. Hoping she's going to recover since I'm not keen on the next step. As Polly (I think) said, I remember the Coronation and not sure I'm ready to accept another in my lifetime. Oh well, it'll be whatever it is. Nothing here for yesterday and today is a total flustercuck given the mega-corp I work for are pushing out a new VPN. Following all the directions explicitly resulted in me being in a circular change-your-password-OKDone-loginAgain-fineButSaysCrcedentialsWrong-syasChangePassword ,_ rinse and repeat! I now have to hang on the IT line and get THEM to reset my password - how is THAT going to be any better I wonder 🤯🤯 oh well, waste more time... 19C at non-BIN time, sunny light breeze, expecting to get to 31C today. Onward.

How about living in "Nowthen", town (the actually call it a City!!, but I'm hard pressed to accept that as it's a population of 4,500), about 36 miles due north of me 🤪 Morning/afternoon. Busy holiday weekend, starting off with Trevor and myself heading to the cabin Friday to install the new roof on the shed. MY knees were killing me after that little episode, didn't help that it was 31-32C most of the time we were working on it. Rest of the weekend was a long string of relaxing, happy hour partying and a few walks with Whitney. Back working now, and of course the US has effectively declared the summer is OVER since Labor Day is some marker to decide it's all downhill from here. Schools are back in now, so seeing the school buses touring the neighborhood at newspaper time, and again at afternoon tea time. Good weather all weekend, and we had an unexpected and unexplained power outage Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours. Was a very large area, but rumor had it was some transformer breakdown. Luckily it wasn't hot and there was a nice breeze, so no-one suffered unduly, unlike those out to the west of the US. Today 18C first thing, 30C the expected high, sunny, not rain in sight. Carry on.

BIN day. Plenty of BINs and activity early today - maybe they are on an Autumn schedule now and are appearing earlier and noisier as a result?? Yesterday, install of the new furnace and a/c, well PARTIAL install anyway. They've got a slew of staff/technicians coming down again with the dreaded bug and calling in sick. The "crew" consisted of a single guy, Tad, who was IMHO a miracle worker given what he had to do. The goal around these parts, especially this time of year, is to rip everything out, and get the new a/c in and working, obvious reasons... He managed that, which includes getting the furnace located in the system since that unit/structure houses the circulation fan for both heat and a/c. So we have a/c in and running, and the humidifier/heating/furnace completion is scheduled for Sept. 19th. Slim chance, even in really COOL years, of needing heat around these parts by then. I include for interest/reference, comparison pictures of old and new units. Note, he was so quick, that by the time I decided to get some before-and-after shots he'd already disconnected and removed the old a/c unit from its position. A/C units old and new. Furnace old and new. There you have it 🤪 Not much else other than work done yesterday, except relaxing in the cool once the a/c was running again. Timely since the temp started to move into the high 20's C just as he was finishing up. Weather today, BIN time, 17C sunny heading for 30C for the high, no precip forecast. Carry on.

Thanks, you'd be AMAZED at the number of positive comments I get when I'm wearing it, more than any other shirt I've got in any design!!

I'm baaacckkk... 🤣 I'll be brief - otherwise no-one would want to read the drivel, and post a few pictures for the readers' interest/edification, ponder, respond, ignore as the mood takes you. Lovely week in Duluth, plenty of walking, visiting points of interest, eating and drinking. First up, departure of Viking Octanis, then a couple of inbound freighters,- a few of many ships we watched come and go. A favourite pastime of the Mrs. then on to the Glensheen Mansion, a location of some notoriety from the 1977 murders of family members there! Next up, Two Harbors, a major Mesaba iron ore port, featuring a museum piece DM & IR Mallet #229 and one of the loading docks there. Great meal at a local celebrated restaurant on the North Shore of Lake Superior, The New Scenic cafe. Items show are both to die for, Black Mission Figs with Danish Blue cheese, brown maple butter and toasted pecans, together with sashimi tuna tacos. Lastly, for those not already bored, a view from the lookout at Enger Park atop Duluth, of the harbor and city below. The weekend past was taken up with a lot of work related to finalizing the new furnace and air conditioning installation, including review by the installer company and us then moving a LOT of miscellaneous junk from around the area in the basement <phew> Couple of days working in ernest Monday and Tuesday, and here we are! Weather most all the time has been very acceptable, though we did have severe storms pass through at two separate times over the weekend. We missed the worst parts of it, fortunately. Today - furnace and a/c install is happening, Whitney is back with us and Jemma is off for a long trip to get all the various end-of-summer travelers hither and yon as it's the end-of-summer holiday weekend (Labor Day) this coming weekend. Right now - 26C and sunny with a light breeze, house thankfully cool as we are without services (a/c) for probably most of the day. Tally ho...

Indeed, we've toured it before. One reason we're going there again is it's a much loved spot of the Mrs, so we often go for a few days. Since the lurgy hit we've not been, this will be our first time back...

POETS, sure... Yesterday, an early friends Zoom was relaxing, enlightening and enjoyable. Later in the day we had another appointment with a purveyor of furnace and air conditioning clap-trap. More informative than the last one, more comprehensive, impressed the Mrs (only REAL factor always!!) and whilst we need to mull over the choices so far, this one looks like a sound investment. Stated as "investment" rather than "deal" since we're looking at $10,000 - $12,000 for this endeavor! 🤯 Evening meal with Jemma as she was over to drop off Whitney before heading out again on a 4-day trip. Today, supposed to go to an outdoor concert this evening - wouldn't you know it, after weeks of barely perceptible precipitation, we're getting rain, some heavy and looks like that'll continue into the evening! 🤪 Not sure what the "plan" is if it's raining, I've been told it's a rain-or-shine event, so I may be looking forward to a soaking and sitting in wet clothes for the evening, what joy... Weekend, no definite plans, but since we're spending 4 days away in Duluth next week for a short vacation, we do have to do some pre-trip planning as to what we want to do/see while gone. Duluth is the farthest western most point/port on the Great Lakes and has some interesting shipping movement that are fun to watch, their famous lift-bridge - traffic from around the world, we have a great location/view with a balcony watching out over the lake and port entrance as below; Given there's a railroad museum in Duluth, walking distance from the hotel, AND, in Two Harbors, 30 minutes up the north shore of Lake Superior, THIS; at the Two Harbors Depot Museum, I know a couple of items I have on the list 😀 Weather, rained overnight, heavy downpour as I was getting the newspaper in, 15C and overcast, with a forecast high of only 22C. Rain much of the day supposedly. Tally ho.

Excellent news @grandadbob. Congratulate Gemma. Happy birthday @BSW01 BIN day, all accomplished, except I DID see or neighbor across the street put some recycle in OUR BIN as his was full - captured on security cam, I'll rib him later 🤣🤣 Yesterday the Mrs spent some time with her great-niece, last time we'll see her for a while as she's off to Uni somewhere 3+ hours south in Iowa. Overnight showers, 18C at BIN time, more rain due with overcast skies, 27C the forecast high. Carry on.

HUMP day... Little to report from here. Yesterday managed a nice lunch out while the Mrs and her friends were ot some book club meeting. Put the world to "something", though didn't seem to really change. Weather has been goo here though no rain so still essentially drought conditions as much of the world appears to be, unless it's flooding! 17C first thing, sunny, high of 28C expected, maybe some rain late eveing. Onwards...

Morning... Another weekend "in the books". Friday evening family birthday for Trevor was fun and a great time with the BBQ going and everyone in great spirits. Saturday, weather was delightful, especially pleasing for Whitney, as we were able to take her to her favourite walkies location. Evening dinner with friends. Sunday, relaxing on the patio after another location walkies for Whitney - doesn't get any better, with the weather cooperating perfectly, sunny highs 23 both days. Today back working, Jemma comes in around noon or so to pick up Whitney, that's about the size of it! Weather today 14C overcast but no rain expected, high of 25C forecast. Tally ho.

POETS... already, time flies! Nothing notable yesterday. Today we're having an evening family gathering as it's Trevors' birthday today, 35 already, blimey!! BBQ planned, but that may mean simply yours-truly getting soaked for the effort. We've had a change of weather, with thunderstorms since early morning, and it's unclear weather it'll be dry this afternoon/evening, so I may be dodging lightning to do the BBQ! 🤪🤯 Weekend plans other than that are little other than a dinner with friends tomorrow - we know how that changes though... Raining hard first thing, 16C, 24 the expected high. Tally ho.

BINs at attention... Nothing to report from yesterday, talk about a quiet life! Today will be much of the same. Re: Naming of towns - well, apparently the town I grew up in was easy to name "Weybridge", named because there WAS and IS a bridge over, you guessed it, the river Wey 😃 Suitably noted in the Domesday book, so obviously they weren't much into using some ponce who ruled the roost to name it back then I guess! Weather at BIN time, 14 and sunny. Later expecting a high of 28, remaining sunny and clear, no rain forecast. Onward...

HUMP day... Yesterday highlight (sort of!!) we went to vote in the primary elections here. Judging by the lack of crowds, it's a typical turnout for a primary. If you don't at least go and vote you can't hold the rest of us liable for any miscreants that are elected. 🤯 Contractor finished the porch windows frame painting, looks nice now as it's contrasting. Today, work and nothing else of note. Weather, 17 and sunny first thing, no rain in sight and we need it, high of 29 later. Onward.

Chewsday... Nothing really to report from yesterday, what an exciting life! 😴 The contractor started work and has painted the front door and power washed the house... Today, some exterior painting by our contractor, some work by me, and voting in the primary elections here by us both. Weather a delightful 13C and sunny to start, clear skies and a high of 28C forecast for the day. Onward...

Monday... wait, where did the weekend go!?!??!?! Passably quiet on Friday, relaxed in the evening Saturday, dunno! Seemingly we did a bunch of to-do items and the evening we hosted a happy hour... well, happy 5 it seems, started at 6 and didn't end until gone 11! 🤯🤯 Sunday, recovering from Saturday, and getting paint for some exterior work being started today by our contractor. Mostly the front door needing a fresh coat and the window framing around the front and back floor to roof windows on the porch. Jemma returned from her trip and picked up Whitney in the evening, and that's about it. Had several storms over the weekend, but not a lot of rain in them, only about an inch or so tops in the rain gauge. Weather now, rather pleasant, with 12C and sunny first thing, 25 expected high and a chance of some shower activity later. Let's get the week started... I guess <yawn>

POETS... Re: Alex Jones/Infowars, a boil on the backside of the planet - and as rightly pointed out, punitive damages are to be determined today. Timely bankruptcy announcement but hopefully since he's now been found guilty once, more of his diarrhea spewing may find itself subject to more legal scrutiny and perhaps even slow him down a little?? Re: Policing, certainly the incident sounded over the top, but agree with @jamie92208 we weren't there/know the real circumstances. On the bright side, at least it wasn't the US typical response of "ready, shoot, aim..." that is the result in so many occasions here, especially when the incident subject happens to be non-sparkling white! Yesterday, mostly quiet work-wise, then off to the acrobatic/gymnastic show. Was, as always, an EXCELLENT performance by mostly teenage students of the arts - they also accept members up to 21-22 if they are in college. The only downside was the show went about 20 minutes longer than my arse could comfortably tolerate on the seats they have!! 🤯🤪 I was SO GLAD when I was able to finally stand up and walk back to the car... Today, not much, will POETS I think. Jemma over with Whitney for dinner then Jemma heads out on another 3 day trip. Since last evening went VERY LONG, and we weren't home until 11:30PM, tonight will be quiet I expect. Rest of the weekend, no plans, though as always, THAT is subject to an almost guaranteed change, to-do items will likely surface. I know at least we need to go buy paint for some outside door and window work being done next week by our contractor/handyman. Weather, 18C first thing, sunny, high of 33C expected. Weekend sees a high in the range ONLY, 24-26C with almost, according to the seaweed twirlers, a GUARANTEE of severe thunderstorms both days. Tally ho...