Time Flies (when you are having fun)

Well, looks like another summer has come and gone. And what a wonderful summer it was. Thoroughly enjoyed the weather - hot and sunny, with most of what little rainfall we got coming overnight. Unfortunately didn't get to the trailer as much as we wanted to, due to the wife's shifts, but the time we did spend there was thoroughly enjoyable. Most of the time we were there mid-week, which was nice as it was quiet, with all the weekend warriors back home.

Imagine ..... just another 11 days and it will be Halloween - with all the little ghosts and goblins and whatnots running around yelling "trick or treat". If you are driving, keep this in mind and be extra careful out there. Nothing ruins a childs evening worse than being hit by a car. And imagine what it does to the candy bars lol. Seriously though, hard to believe the year is quickly drawing to a close. It will be 3 years this December that I retired and I am still trying to figure out where the time went. When I first retired, I had some great plans to do various things around the house and trailer. Needless to say, not much got done lol. I think I actually finished one project and barely started a second. Time just seems to slip away way too quick. Was talking to my father the other day and he was mentioning that it has been 30+ years since he retired. WOW !

Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, not much is new so will close for now. I will try to be a little more diligent and write a bit more, especially before Christmas. Until then, be safe and enjoy the remainder of fall ........

Grandpa out ......

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

WOW ! Just noticed that the last time I wrote anything was January. Like the title says ... time flies. Guess some of you are wondering what's new. Not a heck of a lot. We survived winter okay ... not as much snow as in years past (yeaaa!) and the temperatures were slightly milder also .... only froze every second day, rather than every day lol. We had a real early spring, with the temps in the mid teens in late March, early April. That was definitely strange, but not entirely unheard of. I enjoyed it nonetheless. May 8th and 9th we had snow - not much, but enough to cover the ground and for Mother Nature to let us know she is still fickle when it comes to weather.

Had some great news about our eldest granddaughter, Keari. She had applied to the University of Toronto, York University and Trent University and was accepted at all three!!! WAY TO GO KEARI - WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU !

Our oldest grandchildren - Keari and Jessie









Now she has to determine which one best suits her needs for what she wants to do - I think it is Early Childhood Education that she is interested in and they all have good programs, but she is very particular, so will have to sit down and decide which one to go to. My wife is still working and enjoying her job, which is a good thing .... really don't need her grumpy and ticked off lol. And yes, before anyone asks, I am doing the "house husband" routine; you know, laundry, etc etc. Guess that serves me right for retiring - and here I thought that once I retired, I could relax at the trailer all day and go pick her up at the end of the day. NOT !

Speaking of the trailer, we are both looking forward to a great summer there. Hopefully the weather cooperates a little more than last year. It was so crappy weather-wise last year, we really didn't get to enjoy it as much as we normally do. At least we only live 15 minutes away, so if the weather turns nasty, we can always go home lol. After all, if we are going to be cooped up inside, better at the townhouse where we have some room, than in the trailer. I also get to put up a new gazebo this year - the one we had finally rusted out and collapsed over the winter so we went out and got a new one on sale. Same size, but it looks a little sturdier.

Talk about blasts from the past. We had some very good friends that we met at the trailer park years ago and got to know quite well. Well, they moved out west to B.C. about 5 years or so ago and we lost touch with them, as they moved and we didn't have the forwarding address. Well, I was on Facebook (yes, I fill some of my time in on the computer lol) the other day and lo and behold, but what should appear? A suggestion for a friend with the same name as our friends. When I clicked on their profile, it was the same people ! Talk about coincidences, karma, whatever. Needless to say, I sent a message and as a result we have gotten back in touch with them and are in the midst of catching up on goings-on over the intervening years. We still miss them being at the park - we used to have some good times visiting each other (our trailers were only 50 feet apart).

Well, not much else I can think of to say at present. If all things go well with the weather, I probably won't be back on until the fall, when we close up. So with that, I will sign off for now. Have a safe and happy summer and we will see you later ...................

Grandpa out ......

As You Get Older ...

WOW !!!! Hard to believe it is now the year 2010. I just looked back in my posts and noticed that I hadn't been on here since July last year. I apologize for that - things kinda got away from me for a bit and time slipped by faster than I would have thought. Well, first things first ....

May your days be sunny, your nights calm and all your dreams come true.

Well, we had a relatively uneventful year. My wife got laid off from her job in August and was called back in October, so she is quite happy to be working again. The poor cat (Pookie) wasn't too sure what was going on, as he was used to seeing the two of us off and then just myself returning for the better part of the day. With Mom home, he really wasn't too sure lol. The summer of course was the craps ..... we had cooler weather and more rain than usual, which really didn't bode well for time at the trailer. One of our weather gurus down in Toronto is forecasting a normal to above normal summer this year .... will have to wait and see I guess.

Our Christmas was nice. Gail had Christmas and the next two days off, so we went down and saw our two daughters and their respective families and spent some time with the grandkids. It is amazing how fast they grow up - I still think of them as little lol. Overall, the holidays were nice .... sure missed going to a friend's place for Christmas Eve though - been kind of a tradition for quite a few years, however they went to New Zealand this year to see their relatives there so I hope they had a great time.

Well, as you can tell, there wasn't a lot of anything happening over the last 5 or so months with us, so I will leave you with a few ways to cope with life's stresses:

: Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

: Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

: Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

: Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

and finally,

: A truly happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have a safe and happy year, and I promise (nooo - not a resolution) to try and write more sooner, rather than later ..........

Grandpa out ...........

As Time Slips By

WOW ! Where does the time go? Seems like I was just mentioning that I had the trailer open and here it is almost August already. Mind you, haven't been able to use the trailer as much as I want or enjoy it like we usually do, due in part to the crappy weather we have been experiencing lately. Seems every weather forecast I have seen for the last month (on a daily basis no less) calls for more "unsettled weather" with sun, clouds and intermittent showers. Well, someone should tell the weatherman that intermittent means once in awhile, not dang near all day lol. Anyways, enough whining about that - not a heck of a lot we can do about the weather, other than put up with it. Soooo ........ rather than whine and complain about the weather (or lack of it), I will try and bring a little smile to everyone's faces for a change. Therefore, for your reading pleasure, I present the following:

USELESS FACTS:

The average Canadian eats about 11.9 lbs of cereal per year.
The average Canadian drinks about 600 sodas per year (at the same time as eating cereal?)
A recent Gallup poll shows that 69 percent of Americans believe they will go somewhere after death (my guess? - a cemetery)
Since 1978, at least 37 people have died as a result of shaking vending machines, in an attempt to get free merchandise. More than 100 have been injured.
The first toothbrushes were invented in China around 1500 and did not differ much from their modern day counterparts.
Forty percent of the American population has never visited a dentist (what, they don't have teeth?)
Average life span of a major league baseball is seven pitches (does that include being hit by the bat?)
Debra Winger was the voice of E.T.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times (go ahead - try it - I'll wait)
Canadian car horns beep in the tone of F (wonder if that is for "get the F*&%# out of my way?)
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigleys gum.

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES (that you may have missed)

Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, expert says (now you know why he is an expert)

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

War Dims Hope for Peace

Local Couple Slain, Police Suspect Homicide

Red Tape Holds Up New Construction

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery, Hundreds Dead

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Hospitals Are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Crack Found in Man's buttocks

Army Vehicle Disappears After Being Painted With Camouflage

Larger Kangaroos Leap Farther, Researchers Find

One Handed Man Applauds the Kindness of Strangers (what? with his feet?)

Study finds Sex, Pregnancy Link

Man Shoots Neighbour with Machete (wonder what caliber it was?)

Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop and Find Weapons (as opposed to???)

Poison Control Centre Reminds Everyone Not to Take Poison (and if your wife makes the meal?)

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

And finally, I will leave you with this little tidbit from Dr. Seuss on the Golden Years:

"I can not see, I can not pee. My memory shrinks, my hearing stinks. No sense of smell, I look like hell. My body's drooping, I have trouble pooping. The Golden Years have come at last, the Golden Years can kiss my *&%$#@ !"

Grandpa out ........

Where does the time go?
It seems like just yesterday and I was wishing the snow would disappear so I could open the trailer. Well, the trailer is open, and although we have had some weird weather on weekends for the last few weekends, the last weekend was great! (American Memorial Weekend - wife works for an American company so we got 3 days at the trailer - as opposed to the May 24 weekend that she only had the two days). Lots of sun, weather actually pretty decent in temperature and several great meals to boot - who could ask for anything more?

The question about time not only applies to the trailer, but also to our personal life. Again it seems like just yesterday that we were saying our "I do's" in front of the minister and this past weekend we celebrated our 40th anniversary. WOW! Hard to believe that Gail has put up with me for this long. Granted, there have been a few rocky patches in the road over the years, but through it all, the underlying love and understanding is what has gotten us through it all. Not sure if we will make another 40 years (after all, I am getting older lol) but will give it the old college try.

My oldest daughter was up at her trailer on the weekend as well and invited us for dinner. She had done up potatoes, steak, salad and a large cake for dessert. In addition, some beautiful cards from all the kids and family, a mini-statuette for our trailer of a boy and girl under an umbrella and we also got a diamond shaped crystal with the #40 engraved in it. Again, to all - many thanks. Unfortunately, our youngest daughter seems to have forgotten our anniversary all together - not a card or note or phone call or anything. Oh well, not surprised - just very disappointed, but enough about that. Not going to dwell on it - been this way for too many years to count.

Now that the half decent weather has arrived, I am sure looking forward to spending a lot more time at the trailer. Funny how I feel so much more relaxed there than I do otherwise - must be something in the air? Anyways, I may even get around to power cleaning the deck soon too, as winter has left it's usual grime and crap all over it. Will have to sit back with my coffee and think about that - after all, it is called "work" lol. Don't want to start any bad habits now, do we?

Anyhoo, not much else to mention at present, so with that, will leave this for now ..........


Grandpa out .........

Easter Already?

Well, it is that time of the year when that cwazy wabbit comes around, leaving little piles of chocolate hidden in places for kiddies to find - oh my! The sugar rush that will result !! LOL. Sure glad I am well past that stage of my life, although I still enjoy chocolate now and then. Anyways, to all and sundry, HAPPY EASTER ! May the blessings of Easter bring joy to your household.

As noted in my previous post, a friend's dog was preggers - well, she had two pups in total and they are quite cute - one is almost black and the other is brownish - they are both males and have been named Diablo (darker one) and Waffles (brownish one, named by Nick lol). It was thought she might have more, but that was it. Sure glad it won't be me having to clean up after them as they get their eyes open and start wandering around - good luck on that Tammy lol.

Hard to believe that it is only two more weeks before our trailer park opens officially for another season. I would sure like to know where the time goes - hardly seems like a year + since I retired. Well, not much else is new right now, so gonna run and start thinking about getting the turkey ready for the oven.

Enjoy Easter everyone ....................

Grandpa out ......

This, That and Some Other Things

Well, here we are, officially into spring, with the weather turning nicer every day (although there are still some cold nights) So, what's new? Well, to start with, my niece got engaged recently. Mandy and Tyler have apparently decided to wait for a couple of years before tying the knot, which is a good thing. That time will allow them to objectively determine their course of action in planning their lives together. Congratulations to them both.

St. Paddy's day passed uneventfully at our place. Neither my wife or I celebrate it (was a workday anyways, lol) and neither of us are into green beer. However, for those that enjoy this type of thing, I hope the day was all you wished it to be. My youngest daughter just sent a picture of our youngest grandson wearing his new glasses. He actually looks good in them and apparently picked out the frames all by himself, lol. Guess that is the curse of the Smith family hitting home again; sooner or later everyone will need glasses (whether or not they wear them is another matter, lol). Oh well, I just put my reason down to old age ha ha.

A good friend of ours mentioned that her dog is pregnant and due to deliver around Easter. Talk about "goodies" in your easter basket, lol. Her dog is a cross between a mini-pincer and a Jack Russell, and apparently mated with a Shih Tzu. That should prove to be interesting as to what the pups will look like - little puffs of fur with teeth and attitude? Too funny. Actually, this may work out quite well - our oldest daughter lost her cat recently and she has been thinking of getting a dog for the kids, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. With Bootsie being on the small side, the pups shouldn't be too big either, which would fit in well for the girls - that way the dog is not yanking them all over the place lol.

A month today, we open the trailer for the season. I am soooo looking forward to it. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate this year and give us a good camping season - last year was more rain than not and it is not that enjoyable when you are cooped up inside most of the time. If I wanted to be cooped up, I would sell the trailer and stay home - that way I wouldn't have the expense of the trailer fees every year. I know, I know, that is all part of camping and I agree, however you soon tire of all the rain and soggy ground. Oh well, will have to wait and see. Our weather guru at Environment Canada has predicted a warmer and sunnier summer, however he also predicted lower than normal snowfalls for winter and we set records for the level received, so you know how much faith I have in his forecasts!

Speaking of Easter, it is coming up fast - less than a month away. Mmmmm ..... chocolate! Although I can't have a lot due to my diabetes, I will have a bit. However, my wife will probably drive me nuts wanting more, so will have to make sure there is enough in the house for both of us lol. I noticed the other day when we were shopping that she stuck a couple of bags of chocolate eggs in the cart, lol. And so it starts. Oh well, you know the old saying; "happy wife, happy life". Tax time is also coming up fast. I did my taxes the other week and am not happy with the results. Oh well, what to do? Like the old saying goes, the only two things that are a constant in life are death and taxes.

I have been soooo bad this year! I had great plans to do several things over the winter and didn't accomplish a bloody thing. I more or less vegged out all winter, other than clearing snow, and really didn't do a thing that I wanted to do. Ah well, there is always next year, lol. The beauty of retirement is that there is no rush to do anything - it gets done when it gets done.

Well, can't think of much else to write on at this point. All the salient points have been covered and anything else would be idle chit-chat, lol. So, for the time being, will leave it here. Have a great day everybody........

Grandpa out ..............