footwear - again?!

Yep, again. You bet your boots. Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaa. I kill me.

Those fallschirmjäger boots I mentioned in the last post, I forgot. I bought them a long time ago. Before my last growth spurt. I had a couple of growth cycles in my late youth. Once, when I was about eighteen/nineteen, when I grew about six inches in height. The second one was a few years later, after I bought these boots. My foot grew a full size on that one.

So, the jump boots are snug. They fit, but I cannot use my insoles. I have flat feet so I have special insoles made to provide support. I put them on with the insoles today and as I was driving out to the trailhead, I thought my feet were going to explode. I took them out and hiked the loop. It was okay, my feet survived, but these boots are very close fitting. I think they are made that way to provide support. Remember, these boots are made for guys that jump out of perfectly good aeroplanes. After that, their main means of transportation is hoofing it.

When I got home, I soaked them in hot water and have been wearing them ever since. They really will not stretch much, but it will help them conform to my feet more. It is just the nature of the design of these boots. I will do a few more hikes with them anyway, so as to get them to mold to my feet even more. Then, I will just use them as truck boots. They will come in handy if ever I have a breakdown and am wearing "silly-shiny-sissy shoes" or have an unexpected opportunity for a hike. Good thing they have a built-in foot bed.

Once I am done with further breaking in and they are dry, I will put them through the clean, oil, and buff process. Then, in the back of the truck they go.

My alpine boots are coming along nicely. Cleaned and oiled. Once the oil fully soaks in, I will apply that non-greasy dubbin to the leather and I will silicone the welts as well. I am just hoping this flipping snow goes away and they will become my main boots for hiking for now. The ground is thawing and the snow and ice are melting, but we keep getting dustings of snow. It really blows, because the rest of nature is moving into lenten mode.

Then I remembered about my everyday boots. A pair of oxblood, greased leather, Doc Martens, ankle boots. They have been cleaned and oiled. I will apply some oxblood polish, then the Leatherall 365 to "re-grease" them. Sometimes, it is a four or five step process.

The boy's boots are doing well too. I swapped out the newspaper inside and in a another day they will be fully dry and ready to use. They look almost new, except for a few scuffs on the rough leather. Good thing he has a pair of blue (one of the original colours), eight-hole, Doc Martens boots. These ones actually have a hiking tread as opposed to the usual, mostly flat one on most Docs.

Tonight I will stuff the jump boots with newspaper to draw out the water and in a couple of days I will clean, oil, and buff. Man, I love polishing boots and shoes. It is very meditative for me.

footwear maintenance

I have always taken care of my footwear. My father taught me how to clean and polish my shoes. I then honed my skills in the army. Finally, I refined my technique as I learnt about other shoe care products.

It is really quite easy to take care of leather footwear. An application brush, polish, and a buffing brush. Those are the basics. You can also use various cleaners, my preferred choice is saddle soap. There are various waterproofing agents, many synthetic. The best are mink oil, neatsfoot oil, and silicone derivatives. With these products a cloth is best. Shoe cloths are what I normally use, but an old flannel shirt works just as well.

So, why do I see so many people with horrible footwear. Scuffed all up and the toes bare of any protection, worn rough. In the winter or early spring, stained with salt and you can see the leather suffering.

Why? Because people are either uniformed at how easy it is or just plain lazy. Again why? Because people obviously would prefer to just toss their footwear after abusing it and getting another pair to start the process all over again.

Well, I am no millionaire, but I am a cheapskate. A good cheapskate knows when they need to spend a few bucks to save a lot of bucks. My leather footwear lasts and lasts. I still have a pair of shoes from over twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the soles are synthetic and cannot be repaired or replaced and I have finally worn them out. Being a cheapskate, and a bit of a hoarder, I am saving them. I actually have a plan for them to use on a trip as a backup pair that I can leave behind to make room for whatever I acquire on that journey.

Back to footwear care. So, I have several pairs of boots. I have been a bit derelict in keeping them clean and tidy. However, I have gotten back on track. It started in the Hammer. The boots I had been hiking with since the beginning of March had lost their waterproofing and the toes were scuffed up. I cleaned them with saddle soap, rubbed in liquid mink oil (there are paste and spray varieties too), then, after drying, polish is applied and then buffed. Easy peasy.

Yesterday, our Scout Troop was at a Sugar Shack (others often use the term Sugar Bush which is not quite correct and makes many people giggle), and it was quite muddy. I got my boots cleaned of mud easily, but the boys boots were something else. His boots are roughed out leather and cordura nylon. A different animal from all leather boots. I had to scrub them with a brush under running water to clean them. After rinsing them, I stuffed them with crumpled newspaper. A trick I learnt in the army. It helps them dry faster without heat, which can ruin leather, and to also keep their shape.

I also cleaned, and oiled my second pair of boots. I will apply polish and buff later tonight. That leaves me with two other pairs of boots I need to take care of right now. One, a traditional, climbing the Alps type, pair of boots. These will not get polish but something called: Leatherall 365. It is similar to dubbin, but actually will soak in to the boots as opposed to being greasy all the time.

The second pair are German paratrooper boots. I will wear them a bit on the trail to field test them. I have not hiked in them before. After a bit, I will go through my three stages of clean, oil , buff.

It really is so easy. I take my footwear seriously, so I do more than most people, but I do not need to constantly replace my footwear. I really do not understand why people want to waste money. If you have a pair of footwear you really like, spend a couple of shekels and take care of them. Even synthetics can be taken care of. They tend to not last as long as proper leather shoes and boots, but keep them clean, when necessary, run them under water and scrub and stuff with newspaper. They will be kind back to you.

Now, if they are getting stinky, fear not. You can apply various foot powders and antifungals to the boots to kill the smell and keep them fresh. I usually use Tinactin, but I am going to try a spray made for sporting equipment. My friend Denis uses it for his boy's hockey gear. If it works as well as it does on that stinky stuff as on the boots, oh momma.

One thing to remember, do not do this on the couch or where you have carpet. You may spill mink oil and when you apply polish and buff, little bits go flying. Oh yeah, do not wear your Sunday best for the same reasons.

So, save those boots or shoes you love. You can get what you need at any decent shoe store, cobbler, and even at most grocery stores. Step on it. Ha, ha, ha, ha ,haaaa.

tools of the shoe care trade

the zombie apocalypse is upon us

Yes. I am not delusional. I saw it today. And all those movies and television shows that depict it starting at a hospital are right.

I was at the hospital today with the boy for some tests and we were in the waiting area. There were about eighteen of us and all but two of us were obviously affected. Even the boy and I were temporarily seized. The two that were not, were very quiet, they obviously knew that avoiding loud noises and minimising movement would help avoid becoming zombies.

Of those affected, they were all on tablets or mobile phones, oblivious to the reality around us. I remember hearing that using cell phones too much could lead to brain cancer. Oh, so close. It leads to zombiefication.

is this you? (courtesy dreamstime.com)

Fortunately, it is reversible. The boy ran his tablet's battery down and I had a book that I gave to him. He fired through eighteen pages in no time and it appeared that the zombie curse was reversed. At least for now.

We both seemed normal afterwards and even had a lengthy conversation in the truck when I took him back to school. For now, we are safe. Yet, I worry for all those people that are unable to reverse the effects. How many times have we seen someone walk into a door or wall or post while being engrossed in their tablet or phone.

calling for zombie reinforcements? (courtesy dreamstime.com)

The wife told me about a close call once on an elevator. Two phone zombies were on with her and they rode right past their floor. Fortunately for her, they got back on the elevator while she made it to the safety of her car.

I used to be immune to the effects of technology zombiefication. I would always have a book wherever I went and would read. Failing that, I would rifle through a notebook and go over tasks completed or to do. I still carry them, but the hold of the table and phone can be quite strong.

For the sake of humanity, I have to leave my tablet at home from now on and limit my mobile phone use. I recommend everyone carry a book or bring their to-do list with them when they know they are going to be waiting somewhere. The human race could depend on it.

Now, with that taken care of, I need to find that soylent green factory and destroy it. blbbl

the source of my next mission (courtesy pinterest.com)

nyepi - bali's day of silence

I wish I had known about this sooner. Now I do.

I will do my best to respect this interesting festival from Bali of Nyepi today as an opportunity for reflection.

Now to observe a "Day of Silence" as best, as a Westerner, as I can.

ogoh-ogoh (courtesy bali.com)

"there's something on the wing!"

In the immortal words of William Shatner and later John Lithgow, "There's something on the wing!" Yet, my nightmare is not at 20,000 feet.

I was in the garage earlier and I heard some really funky sounds that sounded like they were on the roof or in the attic. I figured snow sliding off the roof.

Then I was in the basement, I heard it again, and it sounded like it was in the walls. Definitely not snow.

I heard some weird noises again later. I will keep my eyes and ears peeled as the weather is really crap right now and I am losing light.

I hope it is just clumsy parkour kung fu nobs. That would be easy to deal with.

What with gnomes stealing my stuff and moving my keys all the time, I certainly do not need to deal with gremlins in the walls. Besides, with the racket I heard next door today, I think the neighbour is battling trolls in his garage.

Well, I am off to dig out my WWII Japanese Army sword and get the son to grab his poleaxe and sort these wieners out, whoever they are. Oh yeah, and make sure the neighbours have not been eaten by trolls.

i would rather deal with this guy (courtesy uciki.com)

than this guy (courtesy glitchsgarage.com)

or this guy (courtesy youtube)

these jerks just keep moving my keys and stealing stuff (courtesy trollhunters wikia)

all gremlins are evil, even these ones (not so much of a courtesy from pinterest)

dog poop

There are many people who do not deserve to have a dog. These are the people who let their dogs crap on someone else's lawn and walk away. They are the people who fail to train their dogs in any way and then get mad at other people because they cannot control the dog. These people are morons. This is not a goldfish, it is a dog. Recognise the difference.

The biggest peeve I have about dogs, other than people not training the heir dogs and not taking any responsibility, not cleaning up their crap. No one likes to clean up any crap. Yet, it has to be done. So, do it!

There used to be a moron here in town who let their dog take a dump on the sidewalk leading up to the elementary school. They knew their dog was crapping. By the pattern of the crap, they dragged the dog along while they did it. No effort to clean it up and almost everyday, some kid's shoe print would be in it. This dog crapped in the same stretch of sidewalk everyday. The person attached to the dog was an inconsiderate moron.

I love when people are walking their dogs, have their dog drop a loaf on a lawn and then look all sheepish and say they forgot their bags. Yeah right. You just do not want to pick it up. If you are that lazy, stupid, and inconsiderate, then do not get a dog. You are a selfish, arrogant, moron.

My brother used to try to get me to walk his dog when I visited. I told him, no, as I do not clean up other people's dog's crap. (Unless of course, I am taking care of that dog temporarily.) He would say, they dog will go in the yard and then will not go again. Foolishly, as he was my brother, I trusted him. I finally agreed to take the dog for a walk, but asked for a couple of bags in case it did go. He said no need. Again, I believed him. I liked the dog. It was awesome, unlike its owner. 

Well, the dog, took a huge, messy dump in someone's ditch. And they were there and saw the whole thing. I had to ask for some bags and clean it up. It was a short walk. I told my brother I would walk his dog again, if he got off his lazy ass and walked it too. Moron.

Today, and not for the first time, there was dog crap on the trail where I hike. Largely not a big deal. However, does it need to dump in the middle of the path? Probably not. Pull the dog to the side. Better yet, teach it to drop its load in the bush, you lazy, inconsiderate moron.

The best though, on the way back, there was a bag of dog crap on the trail. So, you clean it up, but then leave it. I have seen this many times. I knew someone who told me they did it too. Really? Yeah, I pick it up on my way out. Really? Well, I mean to, I usually forget. Yeah, right. Moron.

In the spring, I will see bags and bags of dog crap that have been hibernating under the snow in the parking lot of the trailhead. These morons are probably the worst. They actually bag it, carry it out, but then dump it in the parking lot. Probably the same people that leave Tim Horton's coffee cups in the parking lot. Well, they are paper. These are the "thoughtful" morons.

Listen. If you have a dog and you actually take it out in public, wherever that may be, and it takes a dump; please please, please, clean up after it and actually clean up. Do not bag it and throw it on the ground. That is not cleaning up. If you go out on to trails and the like. Clean up after the dog and pack it out, all the way out. Or teach it to crap in the woods, off the trail. If a bear can do it, so can a dog. No need to throw bags in to the bush.

Do not be a moron. Thank-you in advance for you cooperation and consideration. See you on the trail.

conversations with total strangers

I took the boy to his HEMA training this afternoon and then I went to run a couple of errands. One of them was a trip to the LCBO. I was looking at the Canadian whisk(e)y that was available at this particular branch.

There was also another fellow who was in the aisle and he was sort of in front of the shelf I was trying to look at. No big deal. Yet, he apologised and got out of the way. We then got a little bit in the way of each other a couple of times. We were looking at the same products, so it was inevitable.

Me, I am usually the kind of guy who keeps to himself. This guy, he was somewhat more outgoing. He tentatively asked me a question about the Canuckian brown liquor. I answered honestly. We then proceeded to talk about whiskies for over twenty minutes as if we were old friends.

It was one of those unexpected pleasant moments. It was funny though, he was very interested in my opinion, or at least he was definitely very good at making a show of it. He also knew more about whiskies than he let on. To me, it appeared he wanted to learn about what other people thought. Then, it is often best to act more like a novice. 

Anyway, we talked and talked about various whiskies, Canadian, Scottish, American, and were having a good time. Then he suddenly apologised for taking up my time. Apparently, as he said, he does not have many opportunities to discuss whisk(e)y with others. Well, neither do I and I understood his position. And there was definitely nothing to apologise for.

We even talked about Davin de Kergommeaux and his book, Canadian Whisky, The Portable Expert. I have never been able to talk to anyone about this book. It is a fantastic addition to anyone's library, be it their interest lies in whisk(e)y, Canadian or otherwise, history, or just the arcane.

In the end, I steered him to buy a certain tipple and he me. We shook hands and parted ways. I have no idea who he was and I will likely never see him again. Yet, I count him amongst those friends made in the most unusual circumstances, usually linked by an unexpected commonality. I cherish these rare moments of serendipity, whenever and however they occur.

rideau trail - canada 150 challenge

I am very excited.

The Rideau Trail Association has put out a a challenge as part of this year's sesquicentennial celebrations of Canadian Confederation.

It is called the Rideau Trail Canada 150 Challenge. Basically, you need to hike a total of 150 km (93 mi.) over the course of 2017. You can hike any portion of the 387 km (240 mi.) Rideau Trail, including the so-called blue side trails, like the Cedar Grove Trail I hike in the Marlborough Forest. You can also hike the same sections multiple times; which I am currently doing.

When you complete it and submit your logs to the Association, they send you a special crest and a free one year membership in the Association.

This is awesome.

Not only can I shoot for my century goal for hiking the Rideau Trail-Cedar Grove loop, which I will make some time in June of this year, I can complete this challenge and celebrate this great nation at the same time.

As of today, I have already completed 54.57 km. One third completed. By the end of this month, if I do not miss any days and still maintain at least 4 km a day, I will have at least 82 km. Over half done. If I maintain the daily hikes of at least 4 km for each outing, I will complete this challenge by the middle of April of this year. 

The boy is keen to participate in the challenge as well. It will take him longer, as he cannot go out every day like me, but he will get it done before the end of the year for sure. An added bonus, our Scouting Area has our own annual Rideau Challenge. It has three levels: Bronze, normally about 10 km, done in one day. Silver, normally about 15 km, done with an overnight portion. Gold, more than 20 km, overnight and completely self-contained. The boy is doing the Silver level this year, his second year doing the challenge. So, that one event will complete at least ten percent of the 150 Challenge for the boy. Hopefully, the rest of the Scout Troop will be interested in participating in the 150 Challenge as well.

I highly recommend participating in this event if you live near the trail or plan to visit anywhere near the trail. Even if you cannot complete the challenge, you can still win by being in the outdoors, being healthy, and enjoying everything nature has to offer. Who knows, you may even run in to me. That is the best bonus of all. I do not think you even have to be Canadian to do it either, so this gives any visitors to the Great White North a very intimate way to celebrate with us and, as far as I am concerned, makes you an honourary Canadian.

I checked if the Bruce Trail Conservancy, in Southern Ontario, is doing their own version of the challenge. Alas, it appears not to be. I cannot find any information online that they are participating in any such events. Too bad, I logged 30.28 km (18.81 mi.), twenty percent of a 150 challenge, when I was just down there this month.

Oh boy, I cannot wait to go out tomorrow and get even closer to both my goals. See you on the trail.

are you going to be nearby? take the challenge (courtesy rideautrail.org)

to check out some great free maps, with side trails too, click this)

i am liquefying

That is correct. I am dissolving as you read this. I saw my dentist about my tooth that hates me. It is infected and it needs to come out. He said my roots and the bone my teeth sit in are actually vanishing. What, like liquefying?! Yes. Super.

That explains my freakishly strong ankles. All the calcium is pooling in my feet and reforming into super-bones. It actually takes a lot for me to twist, sprain, or otherwise do any damage to my ankles. When I do, that means I did something really bad. We are talking ankle breaking, relearn how to walk type injuries. They leave me with sprains of varying degrees. I now know why, I have beefed up bones, which I already knew and have confirmed with medical professionals, surrounded by liquid bone armour. So, I guess those guys in grade nine were right. I am a freak. That freakishness is pretty flipping cool though.

What is not cool, is that I am running out teeth and bone to hold the teeth in place. The dentist still is not keen on pulling all my upper teeth and giving me a denture plate. We discussed prosthetics. He suggested putting in two prosthetics, one for each molar he wants to replace side-by-each. But first, we need to rebuild bone, then put the prosthetics in. How long will this take. About a year. Crap! How much will it cost? About ten grand. Double crap!! Oh, yeah. We need to do the other side as well the same way. Twenty grand! Triple crap!!!

How much would it cost to pull all my upper teeth and give me dentures. Less. Can we do that? Rather not. Crap! Oh, wait. There is another option. Place small prosthetics that, as I understand it, work like a place-holder, then I would get a partial denture prosthetic thingy that pops in and takes care of both sides. How much? Less than fourteen grand all in and all done. Crap, still.

Well, hook me up with a dental surgeon for a consultation. Good, he may have other options. Yeah, like pulling my teeth and giving me a dental plate. Well, a dental plate is still not cheap and you need to get it refitted or replaced every few years. And you are still looking at at least a couple of grand for dentures, on top of all the preliminary work, another couple of grand. Oh yeah, you may very well break the dentures from your grinding and will have to replace them sooner. For a couple of grand. They do not cost that much at flea markets. (Insert funny looks at this point.) Hey, I am a cheapskate.

So, he keeps bandying about option two, the place-holder do both sides at once pop-in thingy. Sorry to be so technical. Then he tell me, after looking at some x-rays, I am losing bone and roots on the bottom teeth too. Super. So, why do we not pull all my teeth? At least the top ones. He continues to talk about my liquefaction. He tells me that he has no other patients like me, in that I am losing bone and roots and grinding the hell out of my teeth. I have broken my hard night guard in fact. So, basically, my liquid armoured ankles and my liquefying mouth are what my mutant, or freakish if you will, abilities are.

I asked for a prescription for filet mignon as it is the most tender cut of steak and should minimise the impact on my rapidly vanishing mouth. He laughed. Okay, he says, what kind of personality do you like? Pardon? For the surgeon I am going to refer you too. Oh, I want a good one that will get the job done right. Well, they all are good and will do it right. Oh, okay. Do you want someone who is quiet and reserved or a yahoo? (Yes, the dentist said yahoo.) Oh, I want a yahoo, lunatic madman. Why? Well, he may come up with some crazy cheap option, or pull my teeth.

He booked me a quiet guy. I asked if he keeps bourbon in his office. Why? You know, to kill the pain. He was not sure. I better do some shopping before I see this guy.

Sadly, I will probably continue to lose teeth until the only option is an upper denture. I do not have upwards of ten to twenty grand to spend just so I can chew my food. Besides, I already have a blender.

highway to hull - aka: trip to the planet hull

This story is based on a night out with some friends many years ago. The facts have been changed to protect the innocent and to make the story more interesting.


The principles:

Me: I will be played by Lee Majors as he appeared in The Fall Guy as Colt Seavers.

My truck: played by The Truck from The Fall Guy.

Haji D. Robertus (my best friend, who does not want his real name ever used on my blog, so he provided me with this nom de guerre, or "nom de blogue" if you will): Played by Kiefer Sutherland as David from The Lost Boys.

R. W.: play by Donny Most as Ralph Malph from Happy Days.

Filler characters:

Buddy: played by Buddy Hackett as performed in the role of Benjy Benjamin from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Guy (pronounced like "why", not "we"): played by Don Johnson as performed in the role of Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice.

Pally: played by Dean Martin as performed in the role of Matt Helm, U.S. government counter-agent, from a series of spy-spoof films.

Special guest appearance by Labatt the Golden Retriever.


The Story

Haji came to Ottawa for the weekend and was visiting with friends when he called up another friend, me, and invited me over to join them for pizza and a beer.

haji d. robertus (courtesy villains.wikia.com)

I went to their ground floor apartment and was introduced to everyone, some of the guys, like R.W. and Buddy I already knew, Guy and Pally I met for the first time.

r.w. (courtesy wikipedia)

We had some barley pops and and peeled back slices from the cheese wheel. We were talking about what there was to do in Ottawa, which at the time was not much. There used to be a joke that you had to get home by 8:00 at night because they rolled up the streets to keep them tidy for the next day.

While we were jabbering, the neighbour's golden retriever, Labatt, came over. He loved beer and pizza and apparently he would come over whenever they were indulging. Pally poured some beer in to a bowl and Guy threw Labatt a slice. He lived up to his name, as Labatt is one of the major breweries we Canucks have. He could not get enough beer.

labatt (courtesy wikipedia)

It was decided after we finished up the pizza to hit the Market, which had several watering holes. As The Truck only had seating for three or four across the bench seat, Haji and R.W. jumped in the cab with me and Buddy, Guy, and Pally got in to the truck bed, a common practice at the time for transporting excess people in a pick-up. Labatt did not come with us and he seemed somewhat disappointed when he had to go home.

the truck (courtesy pinterest.com)

The drive in to town was pretty uneventful except to tell the guys in the truck bed to stop being boneheads and to just sit still. Common practice or not, I could still get a ticket or worse. We pulled in to a parking lot and everyone dismounted. Haji, who was not known to be too graceful dismounting from trucks in the army, practically fell out of the cab of the truck and twisted his ankle and proceeded to upchuck on my front fender. Not an auspicious start to a night on the town and one I hoped would not set the tone for the evening.

We proceeded to some long forgotten bar which no longer exists and it was pretty dead. It was early yet, about 8:30. The guys had a beer and then we proceeded to make our way through several pubs and taverns. Everything was very quiet up until then. Suddenly, Pally said he remembered a bar that was usually hopping and the crowd was often entertaining. We made our way there and it was the first joint with some activity.

pally (courtesy counter-currents.com)

Me, Haji, and R.W. hung off the bar rail and Guy, Pally, and Buddy hit the dance floor to try and impress some maidens. They were not successful and some beer was spilt on to the dance floor. A few more buckets of suds for the boys and further unsuccessful attempts with mating rituals on the dance floor. R.W. and I were discussing blowing this popsicle stand, when two young women came up to us. I knew one of them, but not the other. It was someone I knew from the Hammer. Well, the guys were like clumsy lions on the Serengeti.

Not smooth operators to say the least. A round of drinks for the ladies, and themselves. They were chatting the girls up and talking about other placing to go around the market when one of the lasses said that things were more lively on the other side of the river in Hull, Quebec.

Yes, it was definitely more lively across the river. Cheap beer, fist fights in the bars and in the streets, bouncers with chips on their shoulders, police with chips on their shoulders. I had not mentioned it at all in the hopes no one would think of going there for "some action". Well, of course, the lads were all for it. I reminded them that half of them had ridden in the truck bed to get to the Market. No problem, the girls can ride up front with me and they all would pile in the back. I advised the ladies to ignore the vomit on my fender.

on our way to hull (courtesy rodauthority.com)

Off we went. Of course, as we are crossing over the bridge in to La belle province, Guy tries to stand up and starts whooping and hollering. He was obviously enjoying himself and wanted everyone to know. Luckily the guys pulled him down before anything unfortunate occurred. I asked the gals if they were sure they wanted to hang out with us. They said they were game enough to risk a foolish evening.

guy, luckily he was not armed that evening (courtesy wikipedia)

We parked the truck on a back street that I knew was safe. Never park on the main strip in Hull. You are bound to get a dent or two. We hit a couple of bars after standing in line for way too long each time. More suds for the boys and complimentary drinks for the girls. Now, it is creeping up on about midnight and the town is starting to rock. But the guys want more action. My friend's friend mentions there is a place called The Thunderdome. Like Mad Max? Sure, I guess; who's Max and why is he mad? Never mind.

entrance to the thunderdome (courtesy flickr.com)

We leave the joint we are in and head over to The Thunderdome. We wait some in line, then one of our gracious bouncers at the door notices the ladies. He gives them a pass. Only them. To their credit, they tell the bouncer, that us fine fellows are with them. Including Buddy, who at this point is starting to lose some cohesion. To the bouncer's credit, he acquiesces and lets us all in.

buddy, just how he looked waiting in line at the thunderdome (courtesy wikipedia)

This place was something else. It was large. It was loud. It was ludicrous. There were women dancing in leather undergarments. R.W. was particularly fascinated by this. Another round of drinks for the boys and complimentaries for the gals. At some point I am alone. I have no idea where anyone is. 

Then Haji comes up to me from I do not know where and tells me to get the truck and park it by the side emergency exit. Why? R.W. and Buddy, of all people, found an errant beer keg, that is full, and are wheeling it over there as we speak. What? Yeah, that whole area is deserted. Um, okay; let me know when they get it out the door, then I will get the truck. I know full well that there is no way that they are going to get a full beer keg out of this place without anyone catching on.

Then R.W. and Buddy drift on over. Hey, you get that keg outside? No, the exit is chained shut. Buddy chimes in that that is a fire code violation. Yeah, no kidding. Maybe we should get out of this fire trap then. I am left standing there while they all go off to find everybody in our party. Eventually, everybody drifts over to where I am in ones and twos. Where are the girls? On the dance floor. Pally says he will go get them. No, I will. I go off and bring them back to the boys.

Where are are Pally and Buddy? They went to the can. Criminy! R.W. and Guy go off to get them. While they go off to find them, the first two come back. Criminy!! Haji goes off to get the other two. Criminy!!! Fortunately Haji actually comes back with them. Now where is Pally. Buddy tells me he went to get another beer. What?! Criminy!!!! There he is. R.W. snags him and reels him in. By the time they rejoin the group, Pally is done the beer.

Okay, let us all go now before someone else peels out from the group. We make it outside. It is all I can do to herd these guys back to the truck. The ladies get in the cab. The five caballeros get in the back. As I turn into the main road, I see a cruiser. Criminy!!!!! Guy is sitting up waving to them. For the love of all that is sacred and good in this world!

getting pulled over (courtesy avclub.com)

I tell them to dummy up and let me talk to them, especially since I am the only sober one in the group. Fortunately, these guys were in a pretty good mood, the cops that is, not the guys, the guys were in a fantastic mood. They tell me that maybe I can drive around with a bunch of winos in the back of my truck in Ontario, but this is Quebec. All I think is: Yeah right, Quebec pioneered driving around with winos in the back of trucks. However, all I say is: Sorry officer, just heading home and to bed. All good and well, but they cannot ride in the back. Okay. 

The guys jump out and I make eye contact with Haji and R.W., the two most coherent of the group. I drive off slowly, but the cops are watching me to make sure I actually drive away. Well, I make a turn as if I am going to a different bridge and then drive off . I make a series of turns to bring me back out to the road I left the guys on and they are making for the corner at the bridge to meet me for the ride home.

As they are running diagonally across the intersection, several hundred mice come out of nowhere and run across their path and appear to be making for the river. Buddy stops and starts naming the mice. Mickey, Minnie, Fred, Tammy, one that is apparently passing a bunch of them: Speedy Gonzales. R.W. grabs him and gives him a friendly, yet stern, smack upside the head and they continue to the rendezvous.

turning around to get the guys (courtesy pinterest.com)

We all take a look around, in case those cops were a lot more sly and sneaky than we originally thought. Coast is clear, they all jump in. Except Haji, he gets in carefully in order to avoid another twisted ankle and puking session. We make across the bridge and those guys are laughing their asses off at I do not know what. All I can think is that I should have stayed home and had a bubble bath.

We drop the ladies off at a taxi and send them home, I think. Haji and R.W. get back in the cab and I remind those fools in the back to keep down and keep their mouths shut. It is past 2:00 in the morning. We get back to their place. I see them in to make sure no one wanders off between the road and the door. Labatt is outside and follows us in and some of the guys actually grab beers and Pally pours some in the bowl for Labatt and Guy throws him some pizza bones. I ask them if they are sure this dog is not theirs. Nope, he just likes it here. Yeah, because he is an alcoholic and you guys are enabling him.

I say my good-byes and tell Haji to call me whenever he wakes up. My drive home is uneventful and I make a note to myself that I need to hose off the vomit and double-check the truck bed for any flotsam and debris. I pull up to my place and I am very grateful no one was killed, maimed, or arrested in the course of the evenings events. It is past three bloody a.m. in the morning.

sitting and reviewing the night's events (courtesy pinterest.com)

The next day Haji called me at about 3:00 in the afternoon. He only got up about an hour ago. I ask him how everyone is doing. Well, everyone is hurting. Even Labatt, he does not seem to be too lively outside. Wow! I have been up since about 8:00 and washed my truck and got some chores done. What are you doing tonight? Oh, well, just going to rent a movie and stay in. Okay, let me know if you wan tot get together later in the week.

Did these events happen as told above? Well, Haji did come to Ottawa. I did go over to R.W.'s place and have some pizza and a beer. There was a beer drinking dog. And yes, we went to the Market and we even went to The Thunderdome. Finally, there were some mice. The rest you need to figure out for yourself.

wishing i had stayed home and had a bubble bath (courtesy fansshare.com)

a long contemplative drive home

After completing my hike very early this morning and running some errands in Hamilton, including getting a paddling knife from a local camping store, I had another long contemplative drive. This time, back home. I also went out to a place in the Kawarthas to pick up a really good and well priced PFD for the boy. Alas, that store was closed for the season, contrary to what google maps told me. I should have been smarter and phoned first. No biggie, but lesson learnt.

While driving I started listening to an audio book entitled The Hoarder in You. Now, I am not a real hoarder, but after listening to the first four chapters so far, I see signs of a very cluttered path I could go down. If you have too much stuff, or conversely too little space, you may want to read or listen to this book.

So, to continue with my pledge to get my act together, which also includes cleaning up my crap, this book, so far, has "scared me straight". Even though I will soon have to start getting my vegetable garden expanded and started, amongst some landscaping I want to do as well, I will, as of tomorrow, dedicate at least one to two hours per day cleaning my stuff up and disposing of many unneeded and unwanted items.

When my efforts begin to flag, as they always do, I will enlist the wife to crack the whip. She does not really, but has a way to keep me going at it, if I do not resist, and helps me set reasonable goals that do not scare me off from working at my junk.

So, the drive was not as good as the one to Hamilton, but it was still better than the usual mad dashes to and from the Hammer. There were a few more knuckleheads this time, mostly people who turned into the road way too close to approaching traffic and several people who could not maintain a steady speed, those I call yo-yo drivers.

Still, the drive let me work out some details in my mind with the garden and the landscaping. The landscaping I want to do will be perennial edible plants, shrubs, and trees. I also have been thinking about getting a dog and I thought about what type of dog I want. It will most likely be a rescue or at least from the SPCA, but I still have a type I am thinking about. Finally, I rolled in my mind about sorting all my stuff, especially after starting to listen to that audio book. Long drives are awesome.

So glad to be home though. The boy came out right away and helped me bring all my stuff in and the wife had dinner ready. It was a great welcome home. They also got me an audio disc: Wolf Sounds of Haliburton Forest. When they were at the cottage, they also went to the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve . So, that was cool. I am listening to it right now, good stuff.

So anyway, I am beat and I still have to finish unpacking. The wife graciously took the boy to his HEMA training. The least I could do is clean up the crap I just brought in to the house.

steel city surplus - hamilton

Steel City Surplus is awesome. I try to visit it at least once whenever I am in Hamilton. This is a terrific place for cheapskates like me.

the front door

They have all kinds of items for sale. Toiletries, school supplies, plumbing, electrical, automotive, various hardware, rope, workwear and some regular clothing, flags, mobile phone gadgets, fishing and camping gear. Currently, they even have some dehydrated camping food too. They also have seasonal items.

I know some of you are thinking it kind of sounds like a dollar store. It is not. It is better. Not everything is top-of-the-line and yes they do have some cheaper quality goods, but most everything is of reasonable to excellent quality. The cheap stuff is cheaply priced. Everything else, at least what I am interested in, is reasonably priced or better. Normally, when the whole family goes in we can be in there for half an hour or longer. Today, I was in there for about fifteen minutes.

I love checking out the fishing and camping section. They have mostly cheaper fishing gear, but when one forgets their tackle box or rod and needs a few lures and line to tide them over, one usually gets stuff to just fill in. This place is perfect for that.

The same goes for camping gear. They have little odds and ends, tent pegs, cheap walking sticks, even mosquito gear. I love the cast iron cookware. They have pans, griddles, and dutch ovens. Honestly, if I were camping in the area and I forgot to bring something or needed to add something to my gear, I would go here before Canadian Tire or a camping store.

Items that the family or I have purchased in the past include:

quality brand polarfleece toque
lures
cast iron griddle
camp lantern hanger
firestarter tabs (for emergency kits), super cheap
lip balm
dettol soap
rope, made in the USA
school supplies
mobile phone gadgets
lip balm
and so much more

Today I bought some more rope, to make painter lines for my canoes, some thinner rope for utility purposes, tarred nylon twisted dropline on a flat spool (unfortunately, they only had one at this time), a moleskin foot care kit (made in the USA), tent screen repair kit (I foolishly put a hole in one of my screens on one of my tents), a cheap knife for whittling for the boy (until I can refurbish one I got for him from a yard sale), a tailor's tape which is perfect for camping gear (there are many times I want to measure stuff in the bush, I do not know why), and some flagging tape as I cannot find the three or four rolls I have. I meant to grab a roll of duct tape, but forgot when I checked out.

my purchases today

This is another place to check out if you are ever in the area or need something cheap, but not cheap quality. And they are open seven days a week. They appear to be associated with K-W Surplus. They even have their own Facebook page. Check it out.

a one story unobtrusive building

thrift shops - hamilton & burlington

Another short post. Need to make supper, plus it is Sunday.

First, compared to Ottawa, the thrift shops in Hamilton and Burlington are left wanting. To be fair, I have not hit every single one, but most of them and there is a general trend. That being said, the thrift shops are better in Burlington than Hamilton. Plus with Burlington, there are six of them in an easy to do loop. And, you can hit Sail and Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) if you like quite easily.

Hawaiian shirts are way over priced in Hamilton, and they are generally not genuine ones, so to me, really overpriced. Burlington has more reasonable pricing on them and more of them too.

As to housewares, if you are in to a lot of glass, Hamilton is your town. If you want decent pots and pans, it seems to be Burlington. I came across a couple of really good stainless steel stock pots, but they had no lids. Otherwise, they would be sitting in the back of my truck right now.

There is one gem in Hamilton. It is not so much of a thrift shop as it is a vintage shop. His prices are better than other vintage shops I have been to. The store is Deja Vu. I got a bit of a bargain there. I went in and found what I thought were early Vietnam or post Korea US military field pants. 

They looked like paratrooper jump pants. 25 bones plus tax. They could use a bit of stitching at the bottom hem of the pant legs, but it is not critical. When I got them back to my friend's place, I took a closer look at them. They are not military, but they were good enough to fool me. High quality fabric, high quality construction, they even have buttons for suspenders.

The best part of it, some guy was in the day before and thought they were too expensive and said he would come back in a couple of days to look at them again. Too bad sucker! I have them now. Even for a civilian copy, they were a deal, especially considering the high quality of the fabric and construction and attention to detail. They will be great for hiking.

If you are ever in the area, I recommend checking out Deja Vu. Free street parking around the corner too, great for a cheapskate like me. He has a lot in there, even leather jackets and some vintage college leather which I hear is all the rage in Japan. I was probably in there last about fifteen--twenty years ago. The place has been open for thirty-three years and is still run by the same person, Louie (sp.?).

That is it for me, time to fry up some onions, mushrooms, and Italian sausage for pasta tonight.

Cheers!