2022 Retrospective

Some of my own stuff I found interesting over the past year that I posted on this blog.

In no particular order. 

Shellbrook, Saskatchewan elevator post from Dale Redekopp

Shellbrook is forty-five kilometres west of Prince Albert with about 1,500 people.

De Winton, Alberta elevator from Dale Redekopp

De Winton is a hamlet south of Calgary. The elevators are on private property. One of them was once home to a furniture enterprise. 

Summer Canola post - Leduc County, Alberta, July 2022

Back to the regular Wednesday Cpt Mo post

Turkey hangover

December 23 I picked up mom and moved her into the retirement home. There were a few trips back and forth to the hospital to pick up her belongings. I was not able to stuff a wheelchair and a walker in the vehicle in one trip. I dropped in on her condo to make sure everything was in order and spent most of the day with mom. It is a little over an hour drive one way from where I live.

December 24 I spent the day with mom. I missed a few items setting up her place and quickly picked up some items from a store and a few items from her condo. It is bit of an adjustment for mom. The staff there have been fantastic. The residents I have encountered have all been really friendly and wanted to meet mom.

Christmas Day I spent the morning with mom. I think she was a little less interested to see me. She has been mingling and has remarked how good the food is there. She wears a call button and is getting used to the fact that if she needs help with anything someone will cater to her. This is good. I know she is in a place where she will get good care and I can worry about her a little less.

Three days of driving back and forth and moving things again has me tired and hurting all over. Today is my day to run a few neglected personal errands and have some down time. I had my turkey on the 24th and have been snacking on it ever since. That and a few drinks later on will be a good way to close out the day.

I might be able to get back to taking some photos.

Merry Christmas

We know what this day is about.

 

Joy To The World - Merry Christmas to one and all!

 

Christmas Must Be Tonight

This cannot be right

My dishwasher arrived yesterday after 4:00pm. It was the right colour. It was installed right. It seems to work perfectly and is quite quiet. Maybe the rest of the week will go well.

Currently in the midst of a nasty cold snap that will break by Friday. Temperatures around -35C are never fun.

How was your weekend?

Saturday I moved furniture from my mother's condo to her new residence in a retirement home in -25C weather.

Sunday I stocked her new digs with her clothes, her toaster and her kettle for her instant coffee, towels, and various odds and ends for her new place. The furniture got arranged, she can have me change it later if she does not like it. Her phone and cable is being set up. The whole building seems very friendly, the residents that I ask say they like it there. The dining area is nice. If all goes according to plan we have a move in date of December 23.

The real test of how well things are going in my life is tomorrow. Tuesday is the day I supposedly get my dishwasher. If that works out it just might be a Merry Christmas.

The only good Christmas song

The dishwasher chronicles

Just received word that my dishwasher that was supposed to be delivered today is not being delivered today. I bought the dishwasher from Rona. I got one of those robo-calls yesterday telling me my dishwasher was to be delivered between 2:50pm and 5:50pm today. Why not just say between three and six? I got a phone call this afternoon from an actual person telling me the dishwasher was not going to be delivered, and neither was anyone else's that was scheduled for today. Maybe they should not use a third party company to serve their customers.

I was informed another delivery service is going to be used and they will refund part of my purchase. The amount that they are refunding will be sufficient to buy a nice bottle of port. Next Tuesday is the next delivery date and next instalment of this saga. 

Friday elevator post - Tim Lockhart

Stettler, Alberta.

"From anywhere . . . to anyone" - Canada Post's motto

Off to drive the hour and ten minutes to see mom after work. I went to see mom in the hospital to tell her in person that we had a move in date for the retirement community.

The date is next week when we have a forecasted daytime high of -30C. The move in date is short notice. This weekend I will be moving stuff from her condo into her new place and trying to arrange a landline and cable television. She can move in before Christmas, I am not sure if this can done by then. I discussed this with her and she is fine if we cannot make it work right away. Days before Christmas is not a great time to get things done.

After my visit I drove to her condo to make sure there was heat. On the way out I checked her box on the main floor. It was stuffed with flyers, a phone bill, and a letter. The letter was addressed to "Kay Gilgan". Her letter got delivered to my mother's mailbox by mistake. The address was for Drayton Valley, basically the other side of town. It was from somewhere in England, the handwriting was not the best. Her address was not even close to mom's address other than the town being the same. Canada Post delivered from anywhere but not to the right person.

I was going to throw her letter into a mailbox and let Canada Post fix their mistake. Drayton Valley is not big. I looked up the street address on Google Maps and saw her place was five minutes away. What the hell, I will personally make sure she gets her letter. It might be important. If I left this up to the post office she might never see it.

Her building was a three storey condo building. I buzzed her unit, someone answered, and I asked if this was Kay Gilgan. I was told no. The person said what unit she was in which was the unit I buzzed. I said I would try again. Punched the numbers on the keypad and got the same person. Something is wrong with the directory. I explained that I was trying to deliver a letter to Kay Gilgan that was delivered to the wrong address. She said she would let me in and I could slip it under the door. Then she hung up on me. I tried the keypad again, got her again, asked if she was coming down to get the letter or letting me in. She said "Oh, right" then let me in.

I walked in, found Kay's unit, knocked on her door. There was a brief pause, the door opened. The occupant was an elderly lady. I handed her the letter, said I was visiting my mother in the hospital, picked up my mother's mail, noticed the letter, and thought I would deliver it to her on my way out of town. I said it was from someone in England. She looked a little puzzled, like she did not know anyone there. I told her I just wanted to make sure she got it and wished her a Merry Christmas. She was pleased and thanked me for doing this for her.

Good to know I accomplished something concrete.

Alberta summer backroad

Time for a summer photo - courtesy of Dale Redekopp.

Wednesday morning Cpt Mo post

Busy, busy, busy

Friday December 9, 2022 was mom's birthday. She is now eighty-one. I had arranged weeks ago to have the day off.

On Thursday afternoon the day prior I received an email that there was a placement available at a senior residence in Drayton Valley. I had an appointment booked at 10:00am Friday morning just to see the place. I was able to change it to a meeting to discuss a placement.

Friday morning I met with the coordinator at the senior housing building and took the grand tour. Nice place, I am sure she will like it. I said we would take it. They gave me a package of paperwork to sign which I offered to sign then and there. No can do, you have to make a separate appointment to sign paperwork. Bureaucracy is just grand. They want me to come in on Tuesday. I am not sure if I can swing the time off. 

Onward to the hospital to see mom for a quick visit. Then off to meet my sister who was meeting me at mom's place. Quick lunch with my sister then back to the hospital. Earlier in the week I had ordered two chocolate cakes with chocolate icing filling. I brought those, as well as some brownies, with some Sprite to the hospital. One cake got dropped off at the nursing station. I said it was my mom's birthday and we would like them to have cake on us.

Cake was served to mom and her roommate. I did not have any, anything really sweet bothers me and rarely eat anything sugary. Everyone said it was a good cake. About a quarter of the cake got eaten, the rest was left at the nursing station. They made out well. My sister and I ended up staying overnight at mom's condo doing some cleaning.

The next day after multiple delays my cousin's daughter showed up to take the couch and love seat. She ended up taking some more stuff. I asked her if she was bringing some help. She did, I still ended up helping to schlep the couch, love seat, end tables, a cabinet, and boxes of dishes. I have not had to move furniture out of place, into an elevator, and into a truck in years.

After they left I made three trips to take garbage from the condo to the bin. Then I moved a piece of furniture into my vehicle, then a visit to the hospital, then home. Sunday I spent doing nothing except making a run to the liquor store to stock up on some Merlot and Pinot Noir for Christmas. Later I will track down some Port. Priorities.

The Dishwasher Chronicles - Part Two

Friday December 9, 2022 my dishwasher was delivered. I was out of  town and had someone waiting at my place for the delivery. This is the second time that they delivered a stainless steel one when I ordered a black one. I had it sent back. I phoned the store and left a message on a voicemail.

Saturday I get a call from the store. The guy apologized. I said you did not have the decency to phone be back on the day the screw up occurred. I was fine until the last mistake because I realize that mistakes happen. This time I said with the latest incident that maybe the reason is that they do not care, are incompetent, or the actions are deliberate. If it is not right the next time they should owe me a dishwasher for free. Additionally I said this is in no way funny and I was out of town, which I was, and I cannot keep trying to arrange for someone to babysit my place for a dishwasher delivery.

I was told I will have it December 16 and it will be right. It should have been right the first time.

Elevator Friday by Dale Redekopp

Major, Saskatchewan is a hamlet west of Kerrobert on Highway 51 near the Alberta border with less than fifty people. There are two elevators and street signs that go with the town's name.

 

Quick Cpt Mo post

The dishwasher chronicles

Bought a dishwasher last month.

November 29th it was supposed to be delivered. Received a phone call before eight in the morning that they did not have a truck available. They can deliver it on December 5.

It is December 5th and my dishwasher was supposed to be delivered this morning. Got a call that the truck was loaded in the wrong order so where I was to be first on the list I was now close to last on the list as my dishwasher was in the back of the truck. Fine, not a big deal.

This afternoon they deliver my dishwasher. It is has a stainless steel finish. I ordered black, my other appliances are black. I politely told them to take it back and bring me a black one. I await an update as to when I can get my black dishwasher.

The saga continues.

Once Upon a Time...

. . . there was a fairy tale house. Enjoy!

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Four slices of bacon to go

Over my past few visits to see mom in the hospital she had a specific request.

Mom wanted bacon.

The hospital sometimes serves eggs for breakfast but they do not serve bacon. Perfectly understandable, bacon is not exactly healthy, and she was in a hospital. Mom wanted me to get bacon for her and her roommate. I checked with the nursing station on my visit a week ago and there were no dietary restrictions, they both could have bacon. Therefore I agreed to supply bacon.

Yesterday morning I stopped for breakfast in Drayton Valley and when I finished I ordered four slices of bacon to go. Straight to the hospital to deliver two slices of bacon each to mom and her roommate. I would have got them more except that is all they wanted. It was a big hit. When I left the hospital there were two deer on the front lawn of a house across the street.

Other than that I got nothing accomplished. Mom was the most confused of any visit so far. The person who was supposed to pick up the couch and love seat from mom's condo canceled on me, her kids were sick. My sister who was to meet me never came as her, her husband, and her son all have some nasty illness like the flu and they sound like they are on the verge of death.

I drove home in the dark and did not encounter any suicidal deer. They are a menace. I will run out for another visit after work sometime this week and then for mom's birthday on Friday.

Elevator Friday with bonus plumbing business photo

A few minutes in Killam, Alberta from Dale Redekopp.

Time for a bit of summer

Where I live we are entering a short cold snap. It will hit -30C and then warm up next week.

I usually try to take some summer photos and stockpile them for the winter months. I never take enough. Still, it is a reminder of what we have to look forward to.

Near Dalum, Alberta, July 2022.

State of the blog address

I consider November 30 to be the anniversary date of this blog. Or at least the date I picked to be the anniversary date.

Every year I think I will never find anything interesting or have any good road trips. Every year I manage to prove that wrong.

I have been busy lately and posting has taken a hit. Well, my contributions to this blog have taken a hit. I appreciate and thank people I know for allowing me to post some of their stuff. I have been so busy lately I have had not had to time to use the new camera I bought a few months ago. If interested, I bought a Nikon Coolpix P950. I have yet to take a photo with it.

Mom is still in the hospital. She will not be moving back home. She is at the point where she has to move into assisted living. She is still recovering from breaking her hip. She cannot get around without a walker and I very recently found out she has cognitive issues. I am going to have to look after more of her affairs. She understands she cannot live on her own and that we have to sell her condo. I am trying to get appointments with senior living facilities.

I made a few calls to relatives to see if anyone would be interested in a few items of hers. I have to clean out her place so it can be sold. I thought it would have taken me a bit of time to get rid of the bigger items like her couch and love seat. I lucked out and got someone to take it off my hands. It is going a bit better than I thought.

The placement staff at the hospital appear to be a lot of help so far and I think I can get her placed in Drayton Valley, which is what she wants.

I now have her 2013 Kia Soul that looks like it rolled off the showroom floor and only has 55,000km on it. I now have three vehicles so I will have to reduce the fleet. I am keeping the Soul, it is cheaper on gas than my other vehicles.

Just to make my life more inconvenient my dishwasher died about five or six months ago. I finally bought a new one ten days ago. I got a Bosch on sale, bought new hoses, paid for installation, and for them to remove the old dishwasher. I had someone disconnect the old one (my new one was being delivered a week later). Everything was dry, a day later a valve in the line connecting the dishwasher chose to fail and a small amount of water was on my kitchen floor. Unfortunately there was just enough water that leaked somewhere and caused the ceiling in the condo unit below me to have a water stain on the ceiling. I called my insurance company to report a possible insurance claim and got a plumber in to check everything so that I do not have any leaks anywhere. There looks to be very little damage to the unit below. Of course my dishwasher delivery got bumped to December 5. Maybe I will get it in time for Christmas.

The blog has been a bit of a challenge this year. I still enjoy doing it, finding the time has been a challenge. There are unique benefits, people discover me and send me questions about posts from the past. This is always fun. Sometimes I get to meet people online and in person through this blog. The blog also lets me express what little creativity I possess.

Have some fun and get out and explore when you can.

Winter by Cpt Mo

I am a fan of minimalism. Sometimes less is more.

It's Hard To Get Good Help These Days

Spotted this past fall near Togo, Saskatchewan.

- Michael Truman

Past Presence Website

Ozark School - Courtesy of Jenn Tanaka

This old school is east of Big Valley, Alberta. This is a place that I have been to many times. A lot of people have sites that they will drive by if they are in the area to see how they are holding on. Jenn sent me these photos this weekend to give me an update on its condition and graciously let me post them. The roof has fallen in. It will not last much longer now.

Another one will be lost to history.

Elevator Friday - Courtesy of Dale Redekopp

Kelvington, Saskatchewan.