Tempus Fugit

Reflections
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo.

We’re at the lake this weekend and the weather is great. We’ve actually been suntanning on the dock! As you can see from the photo, there is no running water yet, just me, running for water.

After fetching some water, it was breakfast and then a couple of cup of coffee while I tried to make a router think it was a wireless router. Then some reading on the deck. I’m reading The DNA of Relationships, which I’d highly recommend for anyone. It’s all about taking responsibility for your self and how you think and feel.

Only a couple of time in the history of the cottage have we conducted a pre-opening before the May long weekend. May long weekend has always been in my family the weekend that we made the first trip of the year to the cottage and “opened up”. This mean things like getting the water running, putting in the boats, and doing a little spring cleaning. This year, while it’s quite warm this weekend, I won’t be turning on the water just yet. There is still lots of ice on the lake

Reflections
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo.

and temperatures are still going below zero over night. But, I’ve prepped the boats, re-connected most of the water system components, re-assembled the septic system where possible (the holding tanks are still frozen), and set out the chairs and loungers on the dock. Whew, all that work called for some lazing around on the dock, and lovely snack prepared by Shirley and a small cat nap.

It’s too nice to sleep the day away so I grab the camera and head out to the point to check out my trail and take some photos. As I emerged from the trail back on to the road I was greeted by two guys leaning on an ATV, and it seems like they were waiting to talk to me. It was quite interesting, ask me about it sometime.

Back at the ranch, somebody is sleeping. Zzzzzz,  Zzzzz, Zzzzz. The lake has a tendency to slow you down a little and make it seem quite exceptable to nap the late afternoon away.

It rained.

Last year I never rode in the rain all summer.

I was soaked but not too cold. The challenge will be to see how well my gear dries during the day and if I have to put on soggy cold clothes to ride home in. I hope not. Other that that, it was a great ride with no problems with the traffic. The Seine river was up from yesterday flooding a short section of the path which was easily circumvented by a bush trail. So far the bridge is still out of the water. If it comes up too much I’ll need to detour around that section completely.

Just came back from a solo ride along the traditional route out to Assiniboine Park and back for about 33km. I was a little tired along the second half and when you don’t have anybody riding with you it’s easy to slack off. There were a couple of challenges however. One guy pulling a trailer with a sleeping child in side gave me a run for my money. Good grief a guy with a trailer! Well, he did look a lot younger than me, but really a trailer! Then I was really slacking off when some smart guy came blasting by me. Well that was the final straw. Up put of the saddle and I was quickly riding his rear tire and he knew it!

I think I start the summer bike commute to work this Monday.

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I have not seen this movie so I have no idea just how disturbing it probably is, but here is what is really a little disturbing. We, that’s the royal “we” as in Canadians and Americans spent well over $92.4 million dollars in a single weekend, as this is just the top 10 at the box office, viewing mindless entertainment that well soon be forgotten.

So let’s round it up as bit to $100M/weekend, so that would be about $5.2 billion dollars a year. I wonder what else we could do with that kind of money?

‘Disturbia’ grabs movie-goers’ attention

1. “Disturbia,” $23 million. 2. “Blades of Glory,” $14.1 million. 3. “Meet the Robinsons,” $12.1 million. 4. “Perfect Stranger,” $11.5 million. 5. “Are We Done Yet?”, $9.2 million. 6. “Pathfinder,” $4.8 million. 7. “Wild Hogs,” $4.6 million. 8. “The Reaping,” $4.6 million. 9. “300,” $4.3 million. 10. “Grindhouse,” $4.2 million.

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So, this is Tempus Fugit, Time Flies in latin. Well today was another lesson in time flying by.

If you’ve been around for a while and I won’t define how long “a while” is you might remember getting your oil changed for $20 – $30 at a fast food of oil franchise. Well I hadn’t changed the oil in the van for some time and I was starting to feel guilty about it so I went to the local Mr. Lube.

Now I’m not unaware of their marketing strategies to up sell you on everything they can while your captive in the oil change bay, so I went in with my “no thanks” all ready to go. However, I must have been weak, or was it the nice your lady who was the supervisor of the motley oil change crew with the silver nail polish that swayed my judgment?

“Good afternoon Mr. Stewart” as I’ve barely rolled down the window. Darn those computers, they’ve run my plate and I’m a marked man. “Wow, your really over due for an oil change, you haven’t had it changed since 2005!”. Well I have been known to get my oil changed at other locations from time to time. “You should really consider an engine flush”. OK, I had gone a little long between changes, but not 2 years. “How much is that?”. “Just $19.95 and it does this that and the other thing and you really should do it”. (Not exact transcription). “OK”. What? Did I say that?

I’ve been given a newspaper, but I can’t get a chance to look at it with all the questions and turn you lights on, turnsignals, start your engine etc. Then the nice lady inform me that a hose on my PCV valve is loose and they will fix that. Next thing I know I’m looking at the PCV valve and being asked “When did you last change this? It look kind of old. The manufacture suggests every 40,000 km.”. How should I know, that’s a long time ago and I don’t have a photographic memory for all my van repair, of which there have been many, but that”s a different story. “How much is that?” I hear my self saying. “Just $12″. “OK.”. Did I do it again? Now I’m starting to hope I can get out of here for under $100!

A few minutes later, I pull away from Mr. Lube $109.58 lighter in the wallet, and they want me back in three months. Time flies.

Technorati Tags: oil, time, Mr Lube, maintenance

Robert Newman History of Oil, very clever and thought provoking.

Tony Campolo with Strombo on the Hour – HT to Bill. Wow, there is good programming on CBC TV.

From a Starbucks in Grand Forks.

We checked out a cool Swedish design furniture store across from the HoDo and then headed off to the Fargo Air Museum. Then it was off to Schells, a totally awesome sporting goods store and a stop at Cold Stone Creamery for a treat for the road as we drive back to Grand Forks for, you guessed it, more shopping!

More pictures of planes & Schells. Wakeboards for Dez?

More detail later, we’ve got to hit the road. 

The Donaldson Hotel
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo.

We’re taking a road trip to the US which is quite unusual for us. It’s the Easter long weekend and we headed south after making a Starbucks stop for a couple of ventis. The border crossing was backed up with travellers with the same idea at 9am but, thanks to Shirley’s skillful navigation we ended up in the fast lane and were quickly on our way after about a 15-20 minute delay.

The next stop was a rest stop, an impressive convenience in the US that Canada could do well to copy, assuming we had an interstate. Most amazing, besides the quality if the facility and it’s cleanliness was this. Only in America.

Back on the road it was a quite, sunny drive into Grand Forks for the real purpose of the trip, shop til’ you drop! We hit a few of the big box stores on the way to the Columbia Mall. We even bumped into some church friends doing the same thing. After cruising the mall and lunch at Applebees we were back on the road. Shirley had a nap and I listened to Maxwell on the iPod. Next stop, Fargo.

We checked into the HoDo and surveyed the room for a few minutes, then moved on to more shopping. West Acres for over 2 hours! I think I dropped after the first hour. Thanks to John Maxwell on the iPod and some comfy leather chairs the second hour was quite enjoyable. Dinner at Paradisio (mexican) and a litte sight seeing (Horbachers grocery store – wooo hooo!) we were back at the hotel, WOO HOO!!!

The hotel is very nice, quite artistic, but not very soundproof. The resturaunt had live jazz and the bar must have been busy, because there was quite a lot yelling and screaming. We’re also one block a way from a very active rail line in the heart og the city, which means a lot of whistle blowing. I slept through some of this but the 8am wakeup train could not be ignored.

Lots of wireless internet around besides the complementary hotel system, so that’s quite nice. We’re just enjoying the second cup and a snack from the complimentary breakfast and then we’ll be off for the day. More shopping, but a bit more of a focus on sight seeing, I’m hoping for the Air Museum.

p.s. – Scott, the Blue Man Group was in town yesterday, but we didn’t go (review).

Terrarium- Lizard shelter

Originally uploaded by Crystal Pistol.

Perhaps I’d just like one a little newer.