R & R Day

I”ve been lying on the couch reading. I woke at 530 dreaming a mix of scenarios.  One was the  washroom at the group home where the toilet seat had been pissed on. I had to sit and found paper towel and cleaned it.  Another was the truck in the mountains.  I let Madigan out to pee then lay down on the couch and thought I’d just sleep.  On a work day I’d meditate and exercise but yesterday we slept in. Laura enjoyed sleeping in. Madigan had gone back lie beside her. I thought not to wake her. She was enjoying the fresh sheets and pillow cases I put on the bed last night.   I was fine on the couch once I added the second blanket . It was chilly in the morning.

830 I woke after more dreams, positive, this time.  I was kind of hung over and depressed the way one gets after over sleeping. Yet I felt it was good. I’m a human ‘doing’ and sleeping was good.  

I had roasted Ethiopian Sidano beans yesterday to perfection.  I enjoyed making coffee, grinding the beans from the expresso machine, adding cream and honey.   I had one ready for Laura when she appeared and brewed another for myself.  Madigan was excited with the day.  It took 2 cups and then Madigan went ballistic. He heard Bella, the little havanese bark. His girlfriend.  He was barking and whining and yes he deserved a walk and hopefully we’d meet with Peter, Bella and Luka.

What a fantastic day it was outside!  Canada Day Weekend. Sunshine.  Fresh air. Others’ have the woodsmoke from climatic change cult arsonists, the domestic terrorists that have abounded these last few years.  No one talks now about the 70 plus churches burnt to the ground last year. I drove through the town of Lytton which was burnt to the ground by fanatics.  We’ve had lightning fires in the past but these are different.  Premeditated. 

I like the fresh air this morning. We do meet up with Peter, Bella’s high pitched bark triggers Madigan to almost drag me throug the air to get to her. She immediately bellies up. We laugh.  Helena is there to and greets the puppies. She’s a dog person. We chat a bit.  Several busses are leaving. Mack says hello to Madigan. Peter and I continue the walk round the park.  The Black and White Gang.  Little dogs and their owners on patrol.

I discussed hamburger with Peter. He’s really into cooking and reads recipe books daily.  His discussion of hamburgers inspired my making them again. I’d not done it since the last deer I shot 5 years ago.  I used to get ground back from the butcher and use it in chilli’s and hash and burgers.  Laura loved the burger I made yesterday.  I learned more from Peter about spices.  Gave him some beans I’d just roasted thanking him for the inspiration and remembering the cupcakes he shared last year.  Laura noted he was baking bread yesterday.  We were returning from having pedicures and manicures with Vietnamese girls in the mall’s professional nails.

Laura was still raading when I returned.  I microwaved back bacon and used the new microwave dish for poaching eggs I served on toast for her.  Now we’re sated and I’m lying on the couch reading the latest Baldacci.  I’m also reading a history of the civil war having just finished reading a book about the fall of Berlin and Eisenhower letting Stalin take the city against the wishes of Churchill probably because Roosevelt was more focused on his UN for future peace.  Churchill of course was right and the Cold War began immediately.  I want to read about the airlift next.  I realize today that to me all this was yesterday in my lifetime but the young don’t know history.  It’s obvious given they’ve collectively forgotten the mess Trudeau’s father made of the country with his Communist ideas and hatred of England and America and love of Cuba, Russia and China.  Here we are today repeating history with more debt and higher cost of living all the same as what followed the father.  The hope is we can dig ourself out of the hole though it’s going to be a struggle. You can vote yourself into Communism but you can only fight your way out.  

I’ve been lying on the couch reading and remembering as a child loving this.  Mom says,g “Billy, stop reading and go outside and play.’  Here I am reading. I feel guilty as I really could be outside lying in the sun in a lawn chair. I could be riding my motorcycle. We could go to an off leash dog park. We could go for a long walk by the lake or river. We could set up the inversion table. Just take it away from the wall and open the base so it can allow inversion. It’s not like I have to put it together. I ‘ve had another coffee.  I’m muddled a bit and almost feel I could sleep more.  I’ll go back to reading. I’m at an international conference this week and have work tomorrow. It’s a holiday so I can’t get the lift for the harley to mount on the front of the truck. The bits for the Starlink to be carried on the camper arrive next week.  I’ll have a trial of that while Laura is house sitting. I’ve to notify the office that I’ll be working virtual and want to make sure this is all copacetic as I’m planning to be dependent on the Starlink for virtual work from the camper. The plan is to be by a lake off grid and work 6 hours a day but go swimming and fishing daily, getting more exercise.  I hope to have the harley with me then or I could pull the ATV.  I have to find a lake with no tree obstruction to block the satellites from the satellite dish.  It will be like my Osprey lake vacation but this time I’ll keep working Iike I did the year before at Horse Lake.  The big advantage is lake swimming and off sleash for Madigan and evenings of motorcycle or ATV with Madigan rather than tv.  More summer wilderness holiday.

I phoned an RV park to book the week in Zone 2 in Sept and we’re planning an Oct hunt too in Princeton or Clinton area.  I always like the grouse hunting but do hope to get a deer this year.  I’d really like to have more barbecue venison and venison stews.  I would love to shoot a moose too but he work of getting it back is unfathonable.  A deer is as much as I can handle feeling out of shape as I am.

I’ve gained weight since covid and really must face it. Maybe OA .  We’ll see.  I usually lose weight in Summer and the injuries last year didn’t help exercise any.  

I am blessed and thank God for this day.  We watched John Wick Chapeter 4 and Hi God this is Margaret the last couple of evenings.  It’s a pleasant routine.  Thank you Jesus.