Laugh With Me, Please

Friday March 9

Laugh with me on this one please. Just got back from a $500 grocery shopping spree. It's been six weeks since I shopped. Visited Wal-Mart—the evil empire; The LCBO—wine is a grocery (?); The Bulk Barn; and Longos. Also checked out Best Buy but as usual they didn't have what I wanted in stock. I've just finished putting it all away except a few fiddly non-perishable things from the Bulk Barn. I hadn't driven since I got home from work three weeks ago today at noon. For the ten days I was in Nova Scotia and carried no keys—I took with me only the key to my front door—less for airport security to ponder. For the last ten days I've been looking out at the cold, ice and snow banks. So, when I went down to go shopping at noon today I forgot my car keys! The good news is that the car started after all that time. The bad news is that gas on Trafalgar Rd here in Oakville is $ 104.9/L. I've no idea whether or not the apprehended gas shortage in the wake of the refinery fire at Nanticoke exists; but I'm under no doubt that the oil companies are taking full advantage of the shortage scare. Luckily my tank is ¾ full—in this case definitely not ¼ empty.

I've just finished a three minute pour of Guinness—yes, I know it should have had more than two hours to settle and chill. Some time I must watch to see how they put the shamrock on top at East Side Mario's. Among other things I found some fat and gristle free stewing beef with which to make slow cooked stew and the vegetables to go with it so I know what I'll be doing tomorrow. No, I haven't made it to my favourite picture framers but that will wait. In the meantime I get to look at my new prints.

The sun actually came out today and the temperature got above freezing. In the elevator met a Sheridan student dressed in shirt sleeves for the dash across the road. Tomorrow threatens rain but Sunday will live up to its name and the remainder of the week will be balmy, if wet.

(And I didn't get back to this until Sunday the 11^th.)

The sun did come out today and as the above picture proves the Silver Maple outside my balcony window is starting to show signs of swelling buds. The sap is definitely running today. Is the return of skate boarders to the parking lot across the way a sign of spring?

In the kitchen my slow-cooked stew is starting to emit pleasant odours. I made spinach salad yesterday and have decided I'll be sticking with Oscar Meyer Bacon Bits in future for the same reason I never ordered bacon on my pizza at the Organ Grinder in Toronto—both they and the makers of Hormel Bacon Bits put their bacon through the meat grinder; real, indeed.

Last evening I spent too much time attempting to reconcile Windows XP to the driver for my ViewSonic VP930b Pivoting Computer Screen. ViewSonic is only one of the world's pre-eminent producers of computer screens—that from someone who didn't have them to sell—so why should they pay Microsoft to endorse their drivers? It therefore follows that my Windows XP Device Manager has issues with my screen's driver. It works just fine—its just that ViewSonic didn't choose to line Billy Gates pockets.

Does anyone out there know who Honus Wagner was or why his fading image on a cheap scrap of cardboard should be worth over $1,000,000? If Gretsky needs the money then his accountants should be taken out and shot or else Janet's one fantastic spendthrift! Was listening to a podcast yesterday that listed the four secrets to financial security:

1. Earn a good income
2. Spend less than you earn
3. Invest your savings wisely
4. Make sure its protected

If it were really that easy everyone would be rich.

And CBC's Quirks and Quarks talked to scientists about the epidemic of obesity in North America. Seems a virus that colonizes our gut may be responsible for more efficiently digesting the food we eat and making us feel hungry and another facilitates the creation of fat cells. Everything from our diet, lack of exercise, sagging muscle mass, transit systems, and heated homes contributes to the problem but in the end it still boils down to eating more calories than we expend. Finally brought a pair of dumbbells down to my work-station so I can do sets while I wait for websites to load. Every little bit helps. I need to increase my own muscle mass to give my metabolic rate a boost. Those days when I couldn't gain an ounce no matter how much I ate seem to be history. The other day I looked at the cinched in waist of a young lad in the produce department at Longos and tried to remember when mine looked like that. Those were the days my friend.