Three Years Later...

HUH! So this is what my blog looks like.

Almost three and a half years have passed since my last blog post and so much has happened since then I could probably type for ages but I won't bore you. I'll save that for another post that I hope will happen a lot sooner.

Just briefly since my last entry, I'm still with my Sweetie and we're coming up on nine years together.
How she has put up with my wacky ways I'll never know but I'm very happy and grateful for her love and support.

My father passed away in September 2020 and that has been difficult to deal with. We were so close and he was my best friend for so long.

I might touch on that more later.

We survived the pandemic which is more than so many others could say. I still wear a mask inside grocery stores and the like. There continues to be variants popping up and probably will be the rest of my life. Honestly, it's not a big deal to mask up but to listen to others, having a cover on your face is an attack on their freedom. Clearly we have different ideas of what freedom means. So we'll continue to do what we feel is right and stick our hidden tongues out at the selfish and uneducated people.

I just wanted to pop on here say hello and give a quick post. I always enjoyed sharing my thoughts on pretty much everything. Nobody has ever been forced to agree with them but having a creative outlet is cathartic. I hope I used that word properly. LOL

That's it for now on this Labour Day Monday.

What Day Is It?

Seriously! Does anyone know what day it is or how long we've been cooped up in our homes trying to avoid the Covid19 pandemic?

Life has been anything but normal and I think most will agree that this really sucks.

I know in the grand scheme of things I have it pretty good right now with a roof over my head and high speed Internet to stream Netflix. As good as that is, I still miss so many other things we used to take for granted.

The nicer weather has started to show signs of returning as the days get longer and warmer. I might even take my snow tires off the car this week. This change that we'd normally be happy about isn't being met with the same enthusiasm as it would have had 2020 gone as planned.

Everything is pretty much shutdown or closed to try and keep people safe, although it seems some selfish morons are still trying to do things they shouldn't. These mental defective numbskulls aside, most people are making an effort to keep themselves and the most vulnerable in our communities as safe as possible.

Here it is the end of April. What things would I be doing at this time of the year that I can't now. Obviously the first thing I think of is spending quality time with my Fiancée. We don't live together and therefore are not allowed to get close to each other. Are either of us carrying the virus? Probably not but that doesn't mean we can risk it for her health or mine. We'll make up for lost cuddle time when this is all over.

The snow is gone so clearly I'd love to put my golf clubs in the car and head to the course to shake the rust off my swing after a long winter.

Not to mention carrying my clubs around the course chasing the ball for exercise. As of right now, all golf courses are closed and our leagues will have to wait to begin, if we ever get them started this year.

I'm not alone in wanting the option to do other things like go to restaurants, walks in Provincial Parks, going to the gym and most importantly, gathering together in person with family and friends.

All we can do right now is put everybody's health first. That is more important than standing outside Tim Hortons having a smoke with your buddies drinking coffee. It's more important than taking kids to play on the swings at the park with their friends. It's more important than getting into arguments and fights with store staff or other people because you had to wait in a line to get groceries. Use the common sense you were born with and do what HAS to be done and not what you WANT to do.

Stay safe and let's take care of all of us.

Self-Quarantine TV Shows

Sitting here late on a Saturday night self-distancing and doing laundry, I flipped on the TV and realized with no hockey and mostly Big Bang Theory reruns on, watching the tube is getting old quickly during this crazy time we find ourselves working through.

During the week there are still some shows bringing out new programming and while watching the news is important, it can also be depressing and it's nice to escape with some pointless television fluff.

Everyone has their thing when it comes to the TV shows (not movies) we enjoy. Some people don't like Reality TV programs and in this day and age, that shrinks your options significantly. We can all use a laugh but oddly enough, some folks don't see the humour in Comedies. For me personally, I used to enjoy Cop and Lawyer programs but I can't think of any that are on now that interest me.

So what I thought I'd do, because what else do I have to do approaching midnight during a pandemic, is just share with you some of the shows I enjoy or enjoyed watching. Some you may have watched already and others you might not. This may include regular broadcast television, Netflix and other streaming services and programs found online.

So in no particular order, here we go with Dramas and Comedies:

The Crown (Netflix)
This is a historical drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. I was hesitant to watch this but once I started I couldn't stop. There have been three seasons so far and you can binge watch them all right now.

Homeland (Showtime)
This is an American spy thriller currently in its Eighth season. While the main character can sometime be a bit annoying with her story line, this final season has been amazing so far.

GLOW (Netflix)
This is a comedy-drama set in the 80's based on the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Once again, I didn't think I would enjoy this but so far I've watched all three seasons and look forward to the next.

The Goldbergs (ABC)
How did I not give this show a chance long ago? A comedy set in the 80's now in it's seventh season. Lee and I just started watching this program and catching up on all the seasons this year. The writing is smart and funny and for those of us who lived the greatest decade, it transforms us back every episode.

Hunters (Amazon Prime)

With only one season so far, this series has been excellent. Nazi hunters discover high ranking Nazi officials and search them out to bring them the justice they deserve while stopping their plans to continue where they left off at the end of WWII.

The Mandalorian (Disney +)
If you love Star Wars, you'll love this show as well. Set five years after The Return of the Jedi, a bounty hunter becomes the one hunted after he fails to turnover a very special bounty.

Game of Thrones (HBO)
I know some of you haven't watched this series yet and you are really missing out. It's a fantasy drama with several interesting plot lines and characters. It really is as good as the hype surrounding it. Plus, how can you not want to see dragons. By far the best show on TV in the last 10 years in my opinion.

There are so many more dramas and comedies worth watching if you haven't seen them that I could mention here. Peaky Blinders, Mindhunter, Sex Education and Black Mirror all on Netflix to name a few.

When it comes to Reality TV, we watch a wide range of these shows and honestly, there are way too many to mention them all so I'll just give you a few of our favourites.

Gogglebox (Britain and Australia)
Picture a camera in your living room pointed at you capturing your reactions and commentary on the shows we watch and news of the day.

The program shows clips from the shows they watch and edit in the comments they make. It can be hilarious. This is a really fun show and I would love to see a similar program on Canadian television.

Survivor (USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa)
I'm sure everyone in North America is familiar with the American and original version of the show but other countries have their own versions as well. To be honest, it's only in its seventh season but the Australian Survivor has been the most entertaining of them all and the competitions are a lot more intense and difficult.

Love Island (UK and Australia)
Ya I know. What the heck am I watching this drivel for? I don't know why but this show about finding love while competing to win cash has been fun to watch the last couple of years. The only downside is avoiding spoilers because the show airs hours ahead of our time zone.

Cooking Shows (Various)
This is more of Lee's thing but I have enjoyed several of these cooking competitions as well. Among my favourites would be Top Chef, MasterChef, Hell's Kitchen and Chopped.

First Dates (UK and Australia)

Singles of all ages are set up on blind dates in the First Dates Restaurant and we get to listen in to the conversations. This is like being a fly on the wall and if you're someone who wants to know what you should or shouldn't do on a date, you can learn a lot here and have a laugh as well.

Again, there are so many shows in this genre that can help pass the time. A few others we enjoy include Vanderpump Rules, Real Housewives, Married at First Sight (U.S. and Australia), 90 Day Fiance and Big Brother.

If you have any shows you enjoy that you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment. If you don't like the shows mentioned here, that's okay as well. Just find something that helps you and your loved one's get through these tough times and if all else fails, turn off the TV and try playing a board game.

Get Away From Me!

It doesn't take much to realize our world today is much different than it was a few months ago. Everything was holly jolly at Christmas but little did we know how quickly the normal day to day routine would change.

This COVID19 outbreak has turned the world and our lives upside down. If it hasn't for you, then I fear you're either part of the continuing problem or you'll have a serious wake up call before too long.

For some I'm sure self-quarantining is no big deal. If you rarely ever leave your home and interact with people in your normal lives, you likely aren't being too inconvenienced.

For someone like me, I prefer to be on the go either shopping or chatting with people here and there.

I don't mind being inside doing stuff but I can get the "Jimmy Legs" after a while and really desire an escape to the outdoors. Of course, being outdoors isn't really an issue, it's being around other people that is to be avoided as much as possible.

I think we've done a pretty solid job of that so far. I've quarantined my parents and I'm hoping their friends call rather than visit. Lee and I also limit our trips as much as possible. I encourage her to stay in and I volunteer to do all the shopping for us and my parents and when I return home I hose myself down with soap and hot water.

Yesterday when I was out to pick up a few things I couldn't help noticing how little traffic was on the roads. The fact so many places are closed likely has much to do with that.

It was also nice to see most people practicing self-distancing. Well, until they got in line at the checkouts. I was shocked at first to see how bunched together people were waiting to purchase their supplies. Do they think this is smart?

I tried my best to set a proper example but that went horribly. Standing in line at Dollarama I made sure to leave six feet between me and the man in front of me.

I thought this was going well until a woman moved in behind me and was about an arms length away and to make matters worse, she had a cough. I covered my mouth and kept my back to her to shield me from any possible sputum and also so she couldn't hear me cursing her under my breath.

It baffles me how inconsiderate or unaware some people are. I realize there are people who don't follow the news and don't care to be informed. Any other time I couldn't give two shits but when people's lives are at risk, your ignorance is not only embarrassing but it could also be deadly to someone. I won't be so nice next time.

COVID 19 Anxiety

I can't help but wonder if all generations go through something traumatic and scary that has us praying for the best resolution possible.

My Great-Grandparents had the Flu Pandemic that killed 20-50 million people worldwide. My parents and Grandparents had the Asian Flu that killed two million. My parents and others my age have lived in fear with the HIV/AIDS Pandemic that took 36 million lives. Most recently the SARS epidemic in 2003 struck fear in all of us and the threat of an Ebola pandemic still can't be ruled out entirely as parts of Africa continue to deal with that.

In war time, at least traditional war, you knew your enemy. Often you had to see them to defeat them. Our ancestors fought bravely in WWI & WWII and of course the many smaller wars in various parts of the world since then. Fighting a war with a microscopic virus is a different battle altogether and very unsettling.

As of my writing this, the COVID19 virus or Coronavirus has no known cure and many parts of the world are seeing significant infections and deaths. Here in Canada we have 424 confirmed cases and there have been several deaths. World wide the numbers continue to grow.

I don't need to sit here and spout numbers. Just turn on the TV and you'll have numbers thrown at you constantly. What I set out to do by writing this and bringing my old blog back to life was to share my own personal concerns.

First and foremost the biggest concern is the health of my family and friends. My Fiancée Lee and I have been doing our best to limit our contact with others. We haven't self quarantined at this point but we are staying home as much as we can. When I go out I try to follow the guidelines on how to reduce the chances of contracting COVID19. Hand washing has never been more important and while I've always considered myself to be hygienic, I've certainly upped my hand washing frequency.

My parents are my biggest concern. They are the most vulnerable being 82 and 79 and both diabetic. To make matters worse for my father, he is also on oxygen with diminished lung function due to severe pulmonary fibrosis. And if that wasn't enough, he's been fighting stage four renal cell carcinoma since 2014.

They are essentially under self quarantine until things improve. I'm pretty sure I've convinced them to not leave the house or at the very least, not spend time with others.

This is not an easy task for my mother who, let's be honest, has a gift for the gab and a need to converse with everyone she knows. Hopefully she can fulfil that need by telephone only for the time being. Dad, well, he's a home body and is quite content for the most part although the lack of televised sports will cause some discomfort to him.

I've decided that I or Lee and I will do all of their shopping until this passes. Mom loves to shop and this will be another tough pill to swallow for her but it's for the best. My only fear is that, despite my best efforts, I might get the virus and pass it on to them. So when I do go out I will try to practice safe shopping habits by distancing myself from others, avoiding human contact physically and by limiting my trips to stores to a minimum.

It's my hope that others will do the same and together by being smart about the whole thing we can come out the other side healthy and wiser.