Journal:Bits and pieces

I returned from seeing my brother and sister in law and nephews, sailing on lake Ontario, being surrounded by 3 cockapoos, Pepper, Eva and Gilbert and motorcycling around the Greater Napanee area. It was a fine time.  I felt wholly different when I returned to work.  When I’d left I was feeling really overwhelmed, mostly struggling with the burden of an ongoing threat against my life and my dogs life.  It seemed like a  straw that broke the camel’s back, the lack of consideration of the authorities for it’s citizens, as evidenced at this microcosm level and the macrocosm level of Justin Trudeau.
Back at work I enjoyed seeing patients again. Loved seeing my colleagues and staff.  The fish had survived surprisingly.  Even riding the Miata back from the airport was fine. The weather wasn’t. I find the sunshine, which we’re having today, makes all the difference.  We had grey sky last week and drizzle then torrential rain at night.
Gilbert was so pleased to see all his toys. We both loved visiting Laura and walking over to Max’s for a sidewalk dinner.  There are good routines that are a joy to revisit.
Tom and I had another delicious meal at Vasili , the Greek restaurant on Kingsway with the red ferrari parked outside. A beautiful Kurdish waitress made the experience enjoyable.  Tom didn’t know about the Kurdish Women Fighting Brigade that’s been winning against ISIS. Canada had provided them air cover until ‘feminist’ Justin Trudeau withdrew Canada’s support.  Our waitress was proud of the success of the Kurdish women and happy when I noted it.  The lamb and calamari were excellent.  Tom and I talked about sailing, religion, politics and family as usual.
We’d been at Honda Centre where Lee and Lorry work.  I’d traded in the Yamaha 450 ATV for a new Honda 500 Pioneer Side by Side.  Tom was with me when we first came across it at the Sportsman Show.  It’s attraction over other side by sides is that it will fit in the box of the truck.  Since Gilbert hurt his back last year I can’t have him jumping up and down on the ATV so with this one he’ll be able to step up and down just like a car.  Besides neither Tom or I wanted to ride in the ‘bitch’ seat on the ATV when we were hunting together so this allows up both to be ready for game when we’re out hunting. Alone the ATV was a joy but I’m hunting more with Tom or taking another along when I’m hunting now as I get older or accept the lesson of when I rolled the Polaris and was injured so far from help after shooting the elk on Vancouver Island.  I’m just generally more cautious.  The roll bars on the Honda Pioneer are another attraction.  I’ve added the roof and windshield and door accessory as well as the winch and got the whole thing in camo colour. The roof and doors and windshield are rather ‘luxurious’. No more riding about exposed to rain and snow.  Laura looks forward to booting about the back woods with Gilbert and I.  Tom and I were celebrating the trade in and discussing weekend trips in the fall.
I was really happy to get on the Harley Davidson yesterday after the rain stopped. I’d been enjoying the Yamaha 250 out east. Gilbert met with Emory and Dave said ‘riding a 250 must have been like riding a scooter compared to your big bike’.  Good to see him and talk bikes. The dogs are best of friends too.  We think they’re wrestling.
My friends Aim and Alyson are pregnant and that’s just the best news!
Gilbert and I were up early this morning and walked the length of the river walk and back.  I got a picture of a bee in a flower.  Was taking the picture of the flower when the bee suddenly came out.
Watched the movie, Whiskey Foxtrot Tango (what the fuck) with Tina Rey and enjoyed it. I’ve been watching another season of Last Ship and can’t wait for next instalment.
I’ve just completed a few hours of ‘take home ‘work, which I try to avoid though can’t seem too. Patients have been calling all hours and I’m disappointed by the lack of resources.  It’s difficult for my patients and I see their plights in comparison with the propaganda of ‘perfect Canada’.
The Black Lives Matter did their grandstanding disruptive bit at the Pride Parade in Toronto. The shootings at the Gay Club in Orlando and then the sniper fire on the cops in Texas. They say there was just one shooter but it sure seemed like there were more than one.
Difficult and confusing times. Brexit in England and the Gotthard Tunnel horny goat celebration suggest strange times. Meanwhile the UN and Trudeau and Obama continue to lie about Climate Change and the scientific illiteracy is so profound that people don’t realize ‘carbon’ tax is breathing tax. They would I suspect, if someone said O2 tax but the level of stupidity politically and scientifically in this country these days has me wanting to say ‘beam me up, scotty, there’s no intelligent life here.’ The sad part is it’s just corruption all over.
Trump and Hillary are running for the American president and I’ve really been interested in politics for the first time, seriously , in almost a decade.  The last excitement was the Wall Street ‘rip off’.  Strange times.  I can’t help but remember that Freud when the Nazi’s were at the door and he was escaping said, “the paranoids were right’.  Given the politics of the day, the psychotics seem less crazy and indeed the paranoids might well be right.
Justin Trudeau seems to be doing everything in his power to have the greatest number of people stoned with his marijuana legalization and all these supervised injections sites for opiate abusers.  The message this gives to the kids is ‘drop out’.  We had that in the counter culture in the 60’s, a minority position, but now it’s mainstream.  Obama using cocaine and Justin Trudeau wine and pot affacionda.
Being ‘clean and sober’ I’m frowned upon because it really does give a ‘clarity’ that the abusers don’t like.  Not that i feel like I’ve any great insight right now. I’m just looking forward to getting out in the woods and enjoying wilderness. I also look forward to sailing again before the summer and fall are over.  Every year I just try to get enough good times to be able to survive the increasingly frightening winter months. This year 2 people died, one murdered and the other suicided. Last year it was a hanging and three overdose deaths.  I blame myself and don’t but I try my hardest to do the best.
I felt for my patient when he said “I just want to make a difference’.  His life had been one of service and care for family and others.  I feel irrelevant  We’re yesterdays news.  This aging process is physically disturbing but psychologically and intellectually it’s a challenge too.  I just want to sit in churches and pray or sit on the sides of mountains and mediate.
But there’s work to be done.  Thank you Jesus for the good times.



God bless.