be boo baw

Yes, I experienced yet another SLI event during my walk this afternoon/evening.

The Grammys are on tonight, I will watch at least part of it. I am always on the look out for a breath taking performance. The one that comes to mind was Pink's Glitter in the Air that opened up this show back 2010. I still get goosebumps when I watch it on yTube.

In other news, a sock went after a doughnut and found itself wringed out.

At work, finally, the schedule has been updated to give each of us specific times of day that we are to be responding solely to emails, or, responding solely to phone calls. I had been doing phone calls only over the last two weeks, as we enter into our busiest time of year, and would get call after call while I see most of my team mates are on email only, not knowing if they are actually working or absconding. For each of us it has been scheduled to be roughly half of the day on one and then the other half on the other.

If I was a pie plate, I wouldn't know how many fractions I'd be beholding to for the contents of said pie plate as the person about to divide it considers. If I was the person considering how to divide the contents of said pie plate, undoubtedly I would use sevenths as the fraction. Certainly the pie content of said pie plate would be easier to divide into sevenths as compared to a dodecahedron plate.

I have been in touch (by email) with the city council person who represents my district to discuss the impending transit oriented development (TOD) with my city as the REM eventually comes into service. The city council meetings are recorded, so I watched the one that took place in January and felt compelled to respond to it to someone and felt that my local councilor was the one with whom to do so. I am of the mind that the greatest number of residential units possible in a mixed use development abutted to the REM station would be ideal, especially if at least some of them are 'affordable' and perhaps at least one building is fully rental units while all of the rest of the development would likely be condos. Having excessively high density within easy walking distance of the REM station could make it that many of the new residents can be carless, which is a boon for both the local environment, and local traffic concerns.

Other residents are pulling their NIMBY card and are concerned for the future 'lifestyle' of our town; that adding so many new residents all at once could severely change how the town is. I am of the opinion that it is very well known there is a housing crisis across this country, and anything we can do to ease that, ought to be done. Also, high density living brings the city more residential tax income without requiring nearly as much infrastructure as compared to sprawl development. This savings on infrastructure and increase in municipal tax income could help to improve services.

I have a lot more to say about this.

making light of lite

A couple of days ago I encountered two instances of SLI on the walk home from wherever I had been.

I am very much enjoying playing table-tennis three times weekly. I get joy from playing and get exercise at the same time.

I have wanted to stop buying granola bars that are each individually packaged and so I found this recipe. I've made it twice now and am quite pleased with it. It won't work for the kids school lunches as it isn't nut-free, however, it means now that while at home we won't eat the individually nut-free packaged ones.

I've been making use of my local library in a more significant way in the last month. I've got a mix of fiction and non-fiction books on my 'To Read' list on the library's website. Last week, among others, I read two Hank Green books (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor) and this week I will have read two John Scalzi books (Lock In and Head On). The next one I'll read is 'I overcame my autism: and all I got was this lousy anxiety disorder - a memoir' by Sarah Kurchak.

Resources

So, a friend of mine introduced me to the Resources mobile device game. I have been playing for four or five days now and so far haven't lost interest. I have played other games in the past that I would play for a certain amount of time, and then I'd lose interest and delete the game. We'll see how far this one goes.

One issue is that the game involves being connected while being out and about. I have only a 1GB data plan as up until playing this game, I had no reason for excessive out-and-about data usage considering I have wifi both at home and at work.

Fortunately, after having gone out and about, another facet of the game can be played at home, so that part of it I use my wifi.

Last night during my out and about part of the game I encountered two instances of SLI. Of course, it helps that we are in the part of the year that the dark hours exceed the light hours.

This coming weekend is when here we change our clocks to 'Fall Back' one hour, returning us to Standard time from Daylight Savings time. I would be content with sticking with either of these, year round; I do not see it serving a purpose in this modern age to change times like this.

This weekend is also the weekend that immediately precedes the presidential election in the United States that is pitting incumbent Donald Trump vs the other septuagenarian Joe Biden. Biden has committed to making significant infrastructural changes in the name of climate change and social justice and to better manage the pandemic.

This weekend is also Halloween. It isn't clear at all how my own kids will be spending it, with the pandemic and the current lockdown rules, I'm not certain that they even have costumes. It is definitely a trying time to be a kid during this pandemic.

brocoli and the next nearest

So yes, I experienced yet another instance of SLI this morning.

The new NAFTA, or the USMCA, or the CUSMA; or the MCUSA... whatever it will be called, looks like it will be ratified within the next three to twelve months by the three participating governments.

I got to watch the Canadiens play last night against the Penguins. The first period was unmotivated by both teams, though Pittsburgh got a goal. The Canadiens came out roaring in the second and scored three goals. In the final period Gallagher got an empty netter to have the Habs win 4-1.

After this week I have one more before I get to have two weeks off. This is good; though, I haven't really any plans to take advantage of the time off.

SLI and the underworld

So, yes, a number of instances of SLI have occurred in the last few days. For sure, the shorter day light hours per day makes it a more frequent occurrence.

I'm in my new department and things are moving slowly, for now. I am confident this will change in time.

There are plans afoot to decide what temperature gauge to use to decipher the best aptitude that would apply towards knowing the course of action that would lead to the least interrupted path towards a solution that relegates the inconsequential and advocates for the existential. I should know.

Bending until broken, spending until spent, losing until lost and wailing until weary. That the couch stains do not get removed by the centenarian is doubtful as a solution. Tend it twice.

stock brokers who lose at chess

Over the past few days I've had almost half a dozen instances of SLI take place. The wiki article indicates there is no scientific evidence for this, and while I agree without scientific evidence there is no rational or reasonable explanation, however, my own experience tells me that there is some causality that is not presently explainable.

I will be building the top half of the boiler that will be used as the high efficiency furnace to turn fuel into steam.


From Kijiji I'll be getting a three foot long 16" sonotube that will mimic the 15" tube of the top of the boiler. On top of the sonotube I need to make the funnel that is six inches wider than the tube. Then I'll bring this to the lab where the robot is being built and they can make use of it for target testing.

A simulacrum of a doughnut made of

It boggles the mind, those things that are made of boggle.

I had another instance of SLI last night; these things tend to happen more in the winter when the night hours are longer.

Today, for example, the sun will rise at 7h18 and will set at 16h11. This leaves plenty of darkness hours for SLI to take place.

I bring it up occasionally as something that happens to me with a non-zero frequency and as yet I have still only come across one other person who has indicated that it happens to them too.

In any case, it is the fourth of December today; only twenty days or so until Christmas.

going boxing with boxes

Stevie Nix, Tom Selleck and Selena Gomez are three people I have never had over for tea and scones.

Do racketeers specialize in rackets?

The building I work in has fourteen levels. There is a basement, a ground floor which is two levels tall, floors one through ten and then using a stair case one can climb to the top floor above the tenth. I work on the fifth floor. On Wednesday I climbed the steps to the top of the building and then came down one floor (to the tenth) to take the elevator to the basement and then walked up to the fifth floor. I repeated this exercise yesterday.

There isn't any broccoli in my spare set of sneakers. I know because I checked this morning before leaving for work.

It is always a great day when it is both a Friday and the date is a prime number. I should know.

This weekend is made up of plans to do things, the consuming of edible goods and some somnolence. If I'm lucky, there may also be some instances of SLI.

Mr. T, Prince and Madonna are three additional people I have never had over for tea and scones.

In sports, baseball players swung their bats as hockey players took shots.

Jump when you know it

My blogging frequency is really going down the tubes. I've got to figure out a way to get back into it.

I've watched a few youtube videos from 'Wicked Salty' - especially their boating ones. They aren't the best in terms of productions, but I'm intrigued in some of the videos about their experiences.

Over this past weekend I winterized the yard, this was made up of:
1. Mowing the front lawn
2. Deweeding the raised beds, well, a lot of it, anyhow, I haven't finished this part
3. Disassembling the swing; it is one of those with a canopy that is about as long as a sofa; I disassemble it and store it in the shed
4. Disassemble the trampoline and store it in the shed
5. Move the older patio set into the shed, that's a large glass table and six chairs
6. Move the bistro set into the shed, that's a small round table with two chairs
7. Move the newer patio set into the garage, that's a large table and eight chairs
8. Empty the rain barrels, which I didn't need this summer as we had plenty of rain
9. Move the play picnic table and play slide up on to the deck
10. Mow the back lawn

I still have to put a garden hose away and to continue deweeding the raised beds. There is no hurry for either of these as the hose has been drained, so even in a frost it would be okay, and there is at least a month before the ground is too cold to deweed it.

I used the bag on the lawn mower as the leaves have just started to fall. Ended up bagging them in four bags.

This past weekend's leaf bag count: 4 bags
Total Leaf Bag Count for Fall 2015: 4 bags.

In other news, this summer/fall we finally filed our income taxes for tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014. We were behind. We ended up getting quite a bit back of refunds and in a few cases had to pay some penalties for being late. Fortunately, the penalties were quite reasonably low and the highest of the three we paid was about 90$.

I know Canadian Politics doesn't interest you much, but at least the election is now only about six days away, so soon it will be over. I wonder how different my Twitter feed will be once the election is done. Will Trudeau and Mulcair still be tweeting as much as they have been?

My manager asked me off handedly what I was doing in the first week or two of November; I mentioned that I hadn't any specific plans. My company organizes three customer conferences each year; there was one in Louisville in July, the next one is in Dubai in November and the last is in Melbourne in April. It is possible I will get sent to Dubai at the beginning of November to attend as an employee the client conference. That would be quite the trip as I've never been. I should know more tomorrow as I need to find out soon so that my family can make the appropriate arrangements.

The laundry buzzer just buzzed so I have to go flip it (put into the dryer what was in the washer, and put into the washer the next load). I expect to be up for quite a bit this evening so I am doing the standard three loads of laundry that I do whenever I do the laundry, which is about twice a week.

Oh, as the days get shorter there is more driving at night and I encountered two episodes of SLI in the last two days.

I hope you are having a good week!

being coy about koi

This time of year makes the SLI super power work even better as I am driving around picking up the kids at the end of the day, or dropping them off at the beginning of the day when the street lights are either going on for the night, or going off for the day, so whole strings of lights are changing as I pass under them.

I gave my 70th lifetime blood donation yesterday by way of apheresis. My blood pressure was 117/78, my pulse 81, my temperature 36.7C and my weight at 68.4Kg. They also measure my platelet count but I didn't catch the number this time; usually it is between 170 to 180 x10^9 per liter. The normal range of platelet counts are between 150-400, so I'm on the low end, but still high enough to be able to donate.

poke, said the peek

Another instance of SLI last night.

It felt colder this morning as the humidity was higher and still it was -21C.

There is something to be said about herring. I should know.

being hungry while looking at a dime

The best thing about artichoke is that you don't choke while creating art.

Volvo brand underwear is not generally available. Who knew?

When people's pets become u-tube stars due to their filmed shenanigans, do those people end up catching herpes?

The left most decision that a person would make when rendering a collapsed yuletide carol into a bowl of extremely dusty tooth-paste.

Dancing at night while wearing opaque sunglasses in a room that is poorly lit reminded Ben of his period of inexistentialism.

I experience inexistentialism every night; it usually happens when I am unconscious.

Oh, and about SLI, I experienced three SLI events on Friday night last week with two witnesses each time. On Saturday night, one more, though, as usual, I was the only one to notice.