Sunday night, before zzzz time, update

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Lisa

This will be a quickie post because I’m getting sleepy and I’m afraid I’ll get too busy this week to update again.

Tropical storm Danny stopped by last night. Wow did it rain! Way more than Hurricane Bill Jeff said. Light rain started in the afternoon, and by 10 or so it was pouring as hard as possible. I stayed up until 2:30 this morning and it was still pouring.

The lake is up this morning and the rivers are high. Our driveway eroded a bit, but not too bad, just some channels in the gravel going down the hill.

Today was a gorgeous day, although kinda humid – but when isn’t it moist out here! Jeff and I put up our new tent on the front lawn to make sure it was ready for our camping trip to Newfoundland. It’s a nice size, and really tall, so we can stand up in the middle. There should be lots of room for our air mattress and for Monty to hopefully run around us, and not on us!

Alright, the rest of my tales will have to wait until another day. My pillow is calling me… or is that Jeff…. zzzz……………

Hurricane Bill has come and gone, is Danny next?

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Lisa

I sure was all psyched up for Hurricane Bill, especially since I was in Ontario and not home to watch the storm! Before the Verkley picnic we were all gathered around a monitor watching the webcam at Peggy’s Cove. Some of the waves that crashed against the rocks were higher than the lighthouse! The RCMP were shooing the people off the rocks, and awhile later the waves were cresting over ALL of the rocks up to the parking lot!

I called Jeff a few times for live Hurricane Bill updates, but there wasn’t much to report. Jeff had done all the preparations, getting extra gas for the little generator we have (usually used for the freezer), securing everything outside (removing bird feeders and tying garbage cans to the deck), filling the bathtub with water (so the toilets can be flushed when the power is out for days), and he even went to town for extra beer!

Jeff said we only got a couple inches of rain and the winds didn’t seem to go over 30 km/hr. We didn’t even lose power!

Today I see that the storm formation that formed off of Africa over the weekend (remember that one Brian?) is now tropical storm and has the potential to become a hurricane and will likely come to visit us on Sunday with at least a bit more rain.

Back in Nova Scotia, Stopped by Airport Security, and Talking to Strangers isn’t that Bad

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Lisa

I returned home to Nova Scotia on Monday afternoon/evening.

The trip was mostly uneventful – except for when I was refused entry through the security gates. Dumb me didn’t think that the homemade jar of strawberry jam my dad gave me would be considered a ‘liquid, gel, or cream’. My bag was already checked. They sent me back to see if they would fetch it for me. I saw them do it for other people but the line was rather long by the time I got there so they refused me. I phoned Dad and Julie and asked if they wanted to come back to the airport to get it, but Dad said to just throw it out

Stupid rules.

I made it through security the second time, but took a quick detour to the airport store on a pepto search. I don’t know if it was the smoked pork, the Lucky lager, or the very pink hamburger I ate two bites of in the airport restaurant before tossing it, but my gut was rumbling! (Pepto saved the day)

So anyway, I got on the plane with my WestJet headset in my hand ready to plug in, detach from life, and watch the TV on the back of the seat in front of me. Nothing is more uncomfortable than small talk with a stranger.

The plane was completely full because many people were bumped from Sunday’s flights due to Hurricane Bill. The guy in the seat beside me said ‘hi’ and I said ‘hi’ and he said ‘how are ya’ and in my head I started to scream because I didn’t want to talk to a stranger and he’s gone past the simple ‘hi’ rule, but I said ‘great, yourself?’ and he answered ‘oh ok I guess, I suppose, for being on a plane’. Oh no, not another scared passenger. Please don’t be pukey-scared.

Yes he was, terrified of flying, but not pukey, and his fright level had escalated on his flight a week ago with no one to talk to and nothing to hear but his terrifying thoughts. At some point a few minutes into our small talk he offered me gum and I said ‘sure’ and then my head was screaming inside again ‘you just took gum from a total stranger!’ but I chewed it anyway.

He moved from Ontario to Halifax a couple years ago too so we talked about our Nova Scotia impressions and made fun of the Nova Scotians who believe their winters are so horribly harsh and both agreed they must not travel the rest of the country much.

He chatted and joked his way right through the take-off and admitted after that it was way easier when he talked. I started telling him some good flight stories, taking off lakes, working in a helicopter, flying Bearskin with slush on the wings and watching the pilots take out the manuals, and he was game for listening until I asked him if he ever had any rough landings and he said ‘now isn’t the time for that story’.

It was a real moral dilemma – turn the guy into a crying, white-knuckled, pile of quivering flesh, or be a nice girl and help him through it.

So I never got to watch TV. We talked for two hours. Never exchanged names or anything, I was just a stranger who helped elevate a grown man’s fear of flying.

It is fascinating where his mind had gone. He really wanted to crash, but not too bad, so he could be the only survivor, and some year when he’s sitting in a board room, surrounded by strangers in suits, and everyone is asked to say something about themselves, he would have a fascinating story of survival.

He even had a plan that if he was ever diagnosed with a terminal disease, he would climb up Mount Everest because he wouldn’t have to climb back down, and his family would be saved from the burial costs.

He had done a lot of train travel back and forth across the country. He said, unlike plane travel, your vacation starts when you board the train. There are restaurant cars, and lookout cars, and you see the same people for a couple of days, the scenery is lovely, and everyone is having an enjoyable time. You can even book your own ‘room’ and there is a pet car for dogs to travel in!

After landing, and figuring out how to summon the Park and Fly bus (direct line phone), I made the 2 hour drive home to a wonderful steak dinner prepared by my husband. I know it was only 3 nights but I missed him so much and had to deliver all the hugs each of my family members asked me to give him.

I think I was dead asleep within 2 hours. I’m still tired. Must be jet lag from that hour-long time change

Saturday Morning, Eastern Time Zone

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Lisa

Well I’m sitting here at my Mom’s house, watching the weather channel, seeing them forecast 130km/hr winds and 150 mm of rain for my house and husband.

I forgot my watch is an hour ahead of everyone here, so it is 8:52am for me and I’m showered and dressed and have been up for an hour, but turns out it is really only 7:52am here and that is why I can still hear snoring.

My flight yesterday was pretty uneventful. There was only a 20 minute delay because the plane wasn’t there yet. Dad picked me up at the airport and I spent some time with him before I went to meet my mom at my Grandma’s house for dinner.

I bought Dad a big box of fresh Nova Scotia blueberries to bring home for him. I thought it was the best idea ever! What a treat! I bought a roll of duct tape so I could secure the box after the airport security checked it out.

By the time I got to the airport, the box was soggy and turning blue.

By the time I got into the airport, there was blue juice leaking into the bag.

At that point I thought about dumping the entire thing in the garbage, but that would have been such a waste!

So instead, I went to the fresh lobster and seafood counter and they took my soggy blue box and put it inside a lobster travel box with a frozen bag of peas! Only $7.50.

Except then everyone kept asking about my lobster dinner and wished me a delicious dinner. I even called Dad and told him not to get too excited when he saw me carrying a lobster box when he picked me up on the airport sidewalk. Luckily most of the berries were still good so Dad froze them all in smaller bags.

(Still, no one is up yet)

Uncle Bernie, Dona, and Meaghen are stopping by to visit this morning. Can’t wait!

Hurricane Bill – Early anxiety

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Lisa

I’m a huge hurricane fan.

Well maybe that is worded wrong. I don’t like death and destruction, but I get absolutely hooked on anchormen standing on the beach, waiting for the “outer bands” or the “eye wall” to come ashore.

I used to stay up as late as I could, and fall asleep on the couch with CNN on, so I wouldn’t miss any of the action.

Two years ago we got our first taste of a hurricane now that we live on the east coast. Hurricane Noel came to visit – or at least the tropical storm aftermath of Noel. Do a search on the side bar for Noel or Hurricane and you’ll get the gist of my hurricane obsession.

Hurricane Bill is days away but looks like it may hit Nova Scotia directly, or skim along the east coast. This is thrilling news to me, because it means days of watching it on the web, on tv, and talking about it to everyone I see.

Only there is the problem. Every time I mention a hurricane that is farther than 50 miles away, not a soul seems to have any idea what I’m talking about. They sure are laid back here.

Now there is also a second problem. I have a seat sale flight home for the weekend for the Verkley picnic. I’ve missed for too many Verkley picnics in my life. It’s the most fun with family, and this year a pig roast! and beer, and laughs, and cameras pointing at each other, and maybe even water balloons. The Verkley picnic was held each summer for my Grandma Verkley’s picnic and even though she isn’t with us anymore, we will gladly celebrate her birthday and her memory.

But now I face the chance of missing all the hurricane action, but possibly the chance of having to fly back in the midst of it! Even if I fly in okay to Halifax, I still have to drive all the way home! And how can I leave my husband and pets here to fend off Bill without me.

Oh woe is me.

Wood racks, twinkles, travel plans, and I still love my laptop

Posted on August 16, 2009 by Lisa

As I just wrote on Facebook, I’m sitting in our living room watching the lake twinkle in the sun between the trees, and I’m thinking about cutting down trees to give us a better view of the lake.

That is a bit of a double-edged sword because if we can see more of the lake, then everyone on the lake can see more of us, and then all our nudist parties wouldn’t be a secret anymore.

We were talking to our closest neighbour a couple of weeks ago and he said when this house was built 20 year ago, it was a small field up here and there were no trees in front of the house at all, just a little scrub. He said you could see our house completely from the lake and now it is almost hidden because all the trees have grown up.

Yes, I was kidding about the nudist parties. Sheesh, relax.

Oh and Dad, the neighbour did said there was a small house up there before so the ruins up in the woods are for the house. And the well was dug 20 years ago when the original owner was about to build this house, but he couldn’t keep the water in it, so he drilled the well down here. (I wonder if that means the house was going to be back up the hill farther? I don’t know.)

So today Jeff has been building some big wood racks in the basement. Last year he built short wood carrels but we had to throw more wood down every week in the winter. The more he talks to other wood burners, the more he realizes we should have more in the house. So one of the structures was built today, and was screwed into the wall studs, and into the concrete floor. Once we get them both built, we’ll throw a bunch of this year’s wood that was delivered into the basement and see how much we can store inside. We haven’t finished the outdoor wood shed yet, so depending how much we get inside, we might lower the roof a little on the wood shelter outside before we put an actual roof on it.

Tonight we are hoping to nail down our travel plans – to Newfoundland!! We might even skip the east side of Newfoundland and St. John’s and just go up to Gros Morne on the west and up to L’Anse Aux Meadows and maybe even over to Labrador on the ferry! Have you been to Newfoundland? What would you recommend? We will only have 8 days probably, in September, and we’re planning to camp every night.

Still love my laptop. I had to download an older version of the Synaptics driver that runs the touch pad because the scroll stopped working as the Windows updates installed, and my other downloaded programs. I remember having to do the same thing with Jeff’s Compaq laptop.

A new, unavoidable con to this new laptop – it attracts dog hair like crazy! Must have a bit of a static charge!

OH! I know what I neglected to mention yesterday – this new laptop has a finger print scanner which makes me feel like a secret spy. When I start the computer, I don’t have to type in a password. Instead I scan my finger print and it recognizes it as my own!

Tired of all my blogging yet? I just relocated outside to the porch swing – I’ll try out a snapshot from the built in webcam:

New Laptop!

Posted on August 15, 2009 by Lisa

I used to have a laptop years ago. I think it cost me almost $2500. The motherboard died once under warranty, and then a second time, shortly after the 1 year warranty expired. I loved having a laptop so I could watch TV at the same and I mourned its loss for years. (I actually still have it, just in case it could magically be repaired.) The power button had gone too and I had to use a metal paper clip in its place to make the electrical connection on the board beneath to make it power on.

My office in this house isn’t near the TV either so when I have to work at night, updating my websites and blogs and working for clients, I am in the other room and not near Jeff. I’m sure misses me when I’m in the other room, but likes having full control of the TV remote!

I’ve been saving up my business income so I could buy a laptop so I could blog more, and do some work while I’m watching TV in the evenings. But I wanted something smaller and lighter, more portable, so it would be easier to carry around.

I decided I wanted a little netbook about 6 weeks ago. I settled on the new HP Mini 5101 that just came out a couple weeks back. 10.5″ screen, fully portable, light, but little. I’ve tried to find it available to order in Canada and just haven’t had any luck.

But that gave me time to think more about it, and fiddle with the netbooks in the stores whenever I could. I decided that I wanted to go a little more full-sized, but not too big, since I have a really nice desktop computer with a great big screen now.

Today, since it was 33°C, we decided to go to air conditioned stores in our air conditioned car. We went to Futureshop in New Glasgow and I must have spent an hour fiddling with all the models and sizes. The best salesman ever, Don, helped me out. He reminded me a little of my godfather Rudy S. He was really knowledgeable (and patient) and even took me to other places in the store to teach me about more recent developments in computer technology and explain how they worked.

I finally settled on this one. It is a 13.3″ HP Pavilion dv3. (see specs – http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10125650&catid=25313#MoreInfo) The 13.3″ screen is more than big enough, and it is a backlit LED display rather than the traditional LCD. Don explained the difference and turns out it will be easier on the battery life. It seems very sharp and bright.

My only complaint so far is the left shift key seems like it is one shift too left compared to what my fingers are used to – but true enough my other two keyboards and ergonomic and split so I just have to retrain my fingers.

It feels really good that all the annoying extra work I do online was able to allow me this luxury.

As much as I hate spending any extra money, I did stay true to the promise I made myself years ago – next time I buy a laptop – buy the extra warranty. It always feels like a rip-off, but if I had it last time, I would have had a laptop for longer. (Plus I have a long history of dead hard drives and mechanical failures). Hopefully Don got a good commission.

Now are you all ready for more regular blog posts? Can you keep up?

The 2009 Truck and Tractor Pull !!!

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Lisa

We were all pumped for the Truck and Tractor pull tonight! Well, when I say ‘we’, I probably mean ‘me’, because Jeff seems to do a lot of eye rolling when I get all excited for loud tractors, firey trucks, smoke clouds, and mud.

This year the 2 day event was moved out of town to the Riverside International Speedway just out of town in James River. The traditional site of the pull was on the fairgrounds but the noise by-law was a problem. The spectators were also really close to the track so safety was issue.

This year we were prepared. I had a noise reducing headset and Jeff had a pair of ear plugs. We brought the camera and lens and we were all fired up (again, when I say ‘we’, I probably just mean ‘me’).

The grounds opened at 5 but we figured we’d still get a good seat if we waited until closer to the starting time at 6:30 to arrive.

We opted for the 1 night only pass since tomorrow’s forecast is 34°C and I would way rather sit in our house relaxing by the window air conditioning (actually that time I could have said ‘we’).

So we get to the speedway and pick out a comfortable (and when I say comfortable I really mean stiff, hard, not meant for aging cool people like ourselves) spot on the wooden, no-backed bleachers.

It seemed they were just getting the track ready. The announcer came on and said we were close to start time, and there would just a little delay to get the track perfect.

They had machinery going back and forth on the dirt track they set out in the middle of the 1/4 mile stock car race track. It looked like they hauled in some dirt for the occasion.

Truck and Tractor Pull

They seemed close to ready, and then they brought out a farmer’s plow and churned the entire track back up!

Truck and Tractor Pull

The clock was ticking past 6:30 and headed to 7:00pm. They kept working on the track, back and forth. The announcer said they had a delay getting water for the track in the afternoon but it would soon be ready.

I pointed the camera around to see the sights. We have never gone to a car race at this track but it seems like a really nice facility. I noticed they even have their own ambulance!

Truck and Tractor Pull

Woo hoo! Maybe we’ll have some firey pulls like last year! Nothing like something in the engine blowing to stop a pull.

Back to the track facility – I noticed that they had really good lights – but they were all pointing at the main car track. There wasn’t a single light post facing the middle of the track. I wondered if the organizers thought of this – last year they pulled until after 11.

By 7:20 they were starting to bring the first tractor class in for weighing while they were still working on the track.

Truck and Tractor Pull

The track still wasn’t marked by 8pm. Usually they put a white chalk line along the edges to show the out-of-bounds line, and hammer in distance signs. A full pull is 310 feet!

Instead of marking the track, they instead decided to run a test pull with the first tractor in the first class. It was a nice big green John Deere. Not a really impressive pull, but it was a start! Woo hooo!

Only the pull truck weight thingy didn’t move.

It was ground down into the dirt.

Truck and Tractor Pull

We thought it was stuck.

Not good – maybe they’d have to keep working on the track more. Maybe it was too soft.

A few men starting poking around, trying to figure out the problem.

Truck and Tractor Pull

More men joined them.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Even the flag man.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Then a man got a toolbox.

Truck and Tractor Pull

And the men moved inside for a closer inspection.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Soon, another toolbox arrived.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Meanwhile the announcer kept reminding the growing crowd that there was so much excitement coming tonight and there would just be a little delay while the men adjusted the drag.

Truck and Tractor Pull

More men decided they needed to take a look.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Then a truck pulled up with a Liquid Air sign on some equipment in the back. A man pulled hoses out of the back of the truck.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Soon there were sparks flying as the men grinded away.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Around 8:30 they found a way to lift the drag up and out of the dirt, and reversed the machine back behind the start line. The announcer said they were going to switch the program around a little and run the modified 1200lb class lawn tractor class first instead. “Lots of excitement coming up folks!”

And THEN they started marking the track with the chalk line, and putting out the measuring stakes.

(And oh-my-gawd we’re not built for wooden bleachers anymore)

Closer to 9 they started the lawn tractor class. In the dark.

Rather anti-climatic when were had been hearing the throttle revving of all the big modified trucks and tractors in the starting gates.

Truck and Tractor Pull

Meanwhile, 40+ men continue to circle the drag machine thingy with their tools.

Even a big welder truck joined the crowd.

Truck and Tractor Pull

By 9:30 the lawn tractor class was over. None of the pulls were memorable. By this point we were just waiting for them to draw the 50-50 ticket already so we could collect our $1120 and get out of there.

Then they started letting the lawn tractors run for fun with less drag, just to see if they could get past the 310 feet line.

Truck and Tractor Pull

They didn’t.

In fact I’m not sure anyone of them made it past the 200 foot line.

Anyway, by 10pm they found the winning 50-50 ticket holder and it wasn’t us so we headed out the gates and back to the car.

I wonder if they will offer a refund.

The last thing we heard as we neared the car was the announcer still telling everyone “Folks, there is a lot of excitement still to come tonight….”

Think Jeff will agree to go again next year???

Here are our photos from last year’s pull: http://lisaschuyler.com/index.php/2008/08/truck-and-tractor-pull

Lettuce, Newfoundland, busy, piles of wood, and a snake

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Lisa

Quick update:

-planning a trip to Newfoundland, camping, in September. Maybe we should call it our Honeymoon? Or will that Christmas we spent in a small hotel room in Quebec with a frozen ham, 2 dogs, and a cat when the truck broke down forever be our honeymoon story?
-super busy at work, but happy about it
-got 3 loads of firewood delivered to the back yard.
-no, it is not stacked yet
-building a wood lean-to around the wood pile to keep it drier
-had to come in the front door yesterday after work because there was a snake on the bottom step up to the porch
-harvested our first food from our sad, stunted little garden – we had lettuce and chives!

Trooper

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Lisa

Trooper

After a incredible 14 years of life, Trooper passed away on Thursday.

Trooper was Jeff’s first and only dog, a chocolate lab, a great companion and friend.

I only knew Trooper during the second half of his life, but I have many great memories. Him grabbing my sleeve, humping Jeff when he was picked up from my house, the first seizure he had in my care (he was epileptic), his intolerance for Zeus, his puzzlement at Sally, the way he folded his front paws, his drool, his insistence on opening the bathroom door everytime I was peeing so he could get to his waterbowl for a drink, the tooth marks he left in my metal spray nozzle on my garden hose, and his love for noisey toys.

It is hard to watch a dog get old. I watched Winger and Surf get sick and pass away relatively quickly. It hasn’t been easy watching Trooper slow down, grey, and age these last few years. I hope his spirit has now been rejuvenated and he finds his old buddies Winger and Surf in whatever afterlife awaits us.

Here are a few memories of Trooper:

Trooper