Like most folks who use Spotify- this year’s Wrapped is out. Mine was to be expected. I knew which songs I enjoyed tremendously. I was rather surprised what my top song is. A saxophone style piece with no lyrics by Trey Magnifique. It is an amazing song.
I always put on music when doing chores, making rugs or lounging at the pool. I had an 80’s playlist going, and 2 of the top songs were from that list. I actually thought Cory Hart was going to be my top song.
For the second year in a row, Timecop1983 is my top artist. This New Wave group is right up there for the most relaxing style of background music ever. I have gotten coworkers into putting this band on at work. Such a great sound.
I got home after a chilly outdoor nightshift. I was looking forward to climbing into bed and getting all cozy and comfy. However, our middle teenager had fallen asleep on my side of the bed last night while watching tv with my wife.
All I had to do was wait until 7am when their alarm for school went off. Then they vacated the bed and I crawled in. The bed was already warmed up! Boy was that a nice surprise.
Mind you, I still put our fireplace on because I really enjoy being warm when I sleep. The added warmth given from my teenager does help though. Maybe it’s time to get an electric blanket… I remember my mother having one in the early 80’s and it was awesome. I wonder how well it would work with our weighted blanket.
Now it’s time to get some sleep before my last shift of the week later tonight. I’m all cozy and warm. Perfection.
I was talking to a coworker the other day about when we were kids and growing up in the 80’s. I’m sure you’ve seen those Gen X TikTok videos about our generation growing up… But the one thing that has really changed is how the kids can goof off.
There are cameras and cellphones everywhere being used to share videos freely on the internet. This has taken away from the anonymous nature of being dumb and getting away with it. Even innocent hi-jinx.
I’m talking about “Nicky Nicky nine door” or some call it “ding-dong ditch”. Kids can’t really do this anymore. With Ring cameras and surveillance equipment on most homes- the kids will get caught.
I played it in my childhood neighborhoods. As a kid, it was a feeling of rebellion. But the people who answered the doors seeing no one there- they seriously didn’t care. There was no repercussion. No videos shared on Facebook groups. Just a glance around, a shrug and close the door, while my friends and I giggled behind a fence or nearby bush. A small spike of adrenaline rush. Then we were bored and off to do something else.
Nowadays young kids who do this are treated like mini criminals. So most don’t go and have fun like that. Instead kids stare at their phones mindlessly. Is that the reminiscing story they will share one day? Too bad. I do hope that kids are finding some harmless rebellious fun.
On Saturday I chose to remove my beard. I had been growing it out since the middle of September. It looked pretty good on me- as it always does. I really do look like my father when I sport a full beard.
I like the look of having facial hair for small bursts in my life. I’m not really a “grow the beard and keep it for years” kind of person. Making myself look older and distinguished for a brief moment is great. It surprises people at first when they see me. But I like the drastic change in appearance that occurs when I shave.
I look like two very different people because of facial hair. Although I am a few dozen different forms of the same man depending who is meeting me or observing my mannerisms. I’ll continue to grow and shave my beard until one day it’s either all or nothing. My genetics will play a pivotal role in the future of my hair.
Which version of Joe do you like better? Hairless Joe or Bearded Joe?
Yesterday I spent thinking about my father. I did my best to recall the good times. One of the greatest things about my father was his ability to cook. So I made one of his signature meals- schnitzel.
I cooked up the schnitzel in an old electric frying pan that I believe to be from the 70’s. This one was from my wife’s parents, but my father would use the same style of pan back in the 80’s/early 90’s to make his schnitzel.
While making dinner I also put on some Elvis. I haven’t listened to The King in years. His music really isn’t my style, but I knew each and every song. Elvis was something my dad enjoyed, or at least I think he did. It was the only English records that he owned.
Dinner turned out wonderfully. I‘m glad that I have perfected the recipe over the years. I have also passed on the art of making schnitzel to my youngest. It’s one of the dinners that he really enjoys to make and takes great pride in doing so. He has offered to make schnitzels for our Christmas dinner. I shall happily given him the chance to prove his cooking skills for the family.
Using food is a great way to remember the good times in life. Dinner brought me joy yesterday. Schnitzel will always be a staple in the happy memories of my father for me.
Fort Langley Cemetery Langley Township, British Columbia
GPS: 49.167777, -122.583284
23105 St. Andrews Ave. Langley Township, BC, V1M 2S6 Canada
HAVELKA, Josef, Sr., b. 1942-09-19, d. 2000-11-25, Range: TE, Walk: 0, Block: 000, Plot: 0001, Grave: 0005
This is the location and data which you can find online of my father and where he was put to rest. Those numbers mean nothing to almost everyone in the world, albeit a select few family members. I am heading there today in memory of his passing on November 25, 2000.
My father wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t a celebrity. He didn’t live a long, fulfilling life. The people who remembered him at his funeral have long since passed on or forgotten him. He touched people at one point in their lives. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse; either way- a small glimpse of who my father was- entered into the lives of people around the world.
I am here to keep the thought of him alive. One day it will be my children who recall some of the stories I told of who my father was. The generation after will likely not know of him. That is his life. That is the truth of the matter for many of us. And yet I continue to share stories. Some good, some not so good, but stories nonetheless that now and forever- shall enter the ether of the internet.
On his final birthday, my father thanked me with hardly a breath to give. He was sitting in his recliner just weeks before they amputated his leg due to getting gangrene from his chemotherapy. I was on the floor setting up his stereo beside the television for him so he could listen to records and cassettes one last time. From his eyes and vantage point- I must have still looked like the young boy he always saw playing on the living room carpet while he looked past me and watched his golf on television.
That was our relationship all my life. Me just being in the room on the floor playing with Lego or Transformers while he paid more attention to the television than wanting to be a part of my life. Why should it have changed even in his final months on this planet? It’s the relationship he created with me; and it’s exactly how it ended as well.
Only on that day, something was different. On that day from his recliner and my back towards him- he whispered that he loved me.
This year for Black Friday, my wife and I agreed to not spend too much money.. So what did we do?
We lowered the cost of our cellphone plans. We are now saving $100/month on five phones and getting more data. It may only be 4G, but we don’t use our phones off Wifi very often. Not a bad deal for savings. I did spend about three hours online trying to complete the change, but ended up having to go into a store to change it.
However, hitting the mall meant we also went shopping. Amazon even got the best of us. So did the mall. We spent more than expected, but we won’t have to buy anything else for Christmas. Maybe some food and ingredients. But the gift aspect is over!
Did you have some good savings this year? or do you avoid Black Friday shopping.
I have always promoted quality family time. In our household- we had family dinners almost every night, weekly movie nights, game time, and family vacations. Holidays were also spent together. Birthdays, Halloween and Christmas were always important.
My wife and I have instilled the best attributes of family values that we can muster on our kids. As they grow older, we realize that they will move on in their lives away from us. As much as this may hurt my wife and I, we know that our kids will create their own values moving forward.
This upcoming Christmas season is a prime example of the challenges we now face with adult children. Scheduling conflicts have arisen. Starting on Winter Solstice and going until New Year’s Eve, we are having trouble trying to commit to a day or two where all of us can celebrate together.
This won’t stop how much my wife and I love our kids. I’m hoping this year we can find a date that works for all of us. There may come a time that we have to have separate celebrations with each kid. As long as our children know that we care and love them, I’ll be okay with whatever works for their lives.
Our youngest child keeps giving me candy. He has always done this and even at age 17- continues to do so.
I’m not sure why.
Recently he gave me a couple packets of rockets and Lotsa Fizz. I like both of these types of candy and remember them from my youth.
The first time I tried a Fizz was back in 1981. I was about five years old. A friend’s older sister gave me one and was excited to see my reaction. The Fizz candy did exactly that- it fizzed once my saliva hit the inside of the candy ball. I became obsessed with them and always made sure to buy some at the corner store for years to come.
Fizz and Pop Rocks made it feel like my mouth was doing a science experiment attempting to explode my head. It’s only when my son gives me a random candy like this that I pull back those memories of my childhood.
I don’t tend to buy candy myself anymore. I do kind of miss it periodically. The problem I have is that I look at value for my buck. So a large bag of Gummy Bears from Costco will win out over a small packet of Pop Rocks. Perhaps Santa will fill my stocking this year with candy if my youth. I think I’ve been a good boy this year.
Do you have memories of candy as a child? Any favorites that you still consume?
I’m only 40% of the way through five weeks of night shifts. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do this many in a row. During winter months, it’s difficult to enjoy life when you work in the dark and sleep during what little daylight remains.
I can officially say that my poolside tan has all but disappeared now. I am slowly digressing back into my former “Goth Phase” and becoming a pasty white dude. I never thought I’d say that I miss the sun.
Sleeping during the day isn’t really that difficult. The sky lately is kind of bleak and cloudy, so I’m not missing much. I see it a bit as I roll over to make sure I haven’t slept in. As well, the fact that the earth’s axis is tilted during this time of year means that any sun that does come over our home is a bit further off and not directly overhead.
Shift work is something I have always done, so this isn’t new to me. One day when I retire, I hope to be sleeping a normal schedule and wake up as the sun rises. Until that time, I have to make due with dimly lit offices and my blinds down allowing the night to suck my life force out of me.
So I finished making the resin crystal formation yesterday. It printed successfully and looks neat. Here is the finished product:
The blue looked fairly good when it first came out. However, after putting it under the UV light to cure the resin- it tended to add a bit of a green hue and some white spots here and there. The white may have been due to the cold in the garage, but the change from clear blue to a more aquamarine kind of bugs me.
The crystal is also a rather heavy paperweight to be honest- it’s about the size of a baby’s fist. I did not expect it to be solid all the way through. I was sure that I had adjusted it to remain hollow inside. That being said, it used pretty much all of my clear blue resin. I only had a little bit remaining after. So my Jurassic Park vials got made.
Will I use the clear blue again in the future? Not likely. I may try a clear red at some point if I want fire prints or perhaps a green for types or emeralds. For the time being though- the solid grey is the most practical cost and I prefer being able to paint that myself afterwards.
Have you used a resin printer? Any advice on using a clear resin that perhaps I missed? Let me know in the comments.
I spent Sunday morning by myself at home. My wife and kids all went to speed skating practice, leaving me to sleep in. Instead of doing chores or anything of that sort- I decided to play around with some designs for the resin printer.
I sat in our living room and fiddled with Chitubox. I had downloaded some files from Thingiverse that I thought would be neat to try out. I needed to slice them for our printer and also wanted to change some settings. I adjusted the size of one file, ensured another was hollow, and added supports to another. Then saved to a Zip drive.
Recently I picked up a clear blue resin liquid for the printer. I always wanted to see how it would turn out. Some of the designs I am toying with are crystals, ornaments, and fake glass vials. I’m not quite sure if the blue will be a true blue or more just a clear look with some tint.
I hope they turn out. I do like resin printing more than the 3D printing I tried a couple years ago. I find the details in these prints are more intricate. I can’t wait to see the final results.
We bought a parlor grand piano fifteen years ago. For the next decade, our kids learned piano. They practiced regularly, had recitals, and entered the Fine Arts School with a music background.
One year, I attempted to learn piano. I took lessons, practiced, performed at a recital, and had a tough time learning this new skill. I gave up after my first year. Now my kids don’t play the piano and it sits as a furniture piece in our home.
I plan on “tickling the ivories” once more before the new year begins. I’m going to play for fun and try to hone my skills by watching tutorials online. I am also going to download “PianoVision” on the Oculus VR. Utilizing technology in this fashion is more my style. I tend to prefer being “self taught” so to speak. Generally I do a bunch of research and get things done on my own.
I’m hoping that by my birthday I will have more confidence than I have in the past when playing an instrument. This is just one more hobby that I am adding to my already extensive skill sets I have acquired over the years. I’d say I’ve never perfected anything- but I do enjoy learning and know quite a bit of the basics of many hobbies which I start.
My longest running hobby is my blog. Second most is tufting- and that is less than a year old. I have tried other hobbies in the past- my train garden, creating cosplay, leatherwork, perler beads, painting (which I still love and need to make more time for that), and my most recent hobby- pinball. I’m sure there is others, but I’m starting to think I should focus on only a couple things and get better. Since I love music- I really need to experience the joy of performing for myself.
Do you try new hobbies frequently? Ever try learning an instrument as an adult in your 30’s/40’s or 50’s? How did it go?
Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about positive or negative experiences.
About a month ago our 19 year old got into a Fender Bender with a pillar in a parking garage. Last week, we got the car back looking great. But with a shiny new bumper and driver’s side headlight, something was off.
The passenger side headlight housing was faded and dull. The car really didn’t look right. So I went on YouTube and watched a tutorial about how to change one out and it seemed fairly easy. So onto Amazon I went and bought a pair of new headlights for only $167. They arrived earlier this week. I told my 17 year old son that we can put in the new headlights on Saturday.
Turned out our youngest had different plans.
Last night, after everyone went to bed, he went out into the driveway and changed the headlights himself. It took him about two hours. Did I mention it was a school night? Yeah, he finished around 1am. I woke up around when he finished and checked the security cameras because I heard something. I approached him about it in the morning.
The new headlights I bought had a blackout behind them. Our son was eager to put them in the car. He too watched the same video I had about how to change them out. Beside the fact that he did it so late at night, I am impressed with his ambition and skills to get it done. He is very hands on and enjoys having this car that he shares with his older sister. He is taking great pride in ownership.
I have a feeling this will lead to late night car repairs with friends as he gets older. Which is always pretty cool. I know he can hold his own and get the job done right.
Over the last couple of days I have been sick. It hit me fast with a head cold, sweats, and burned me out, The only thing I wanted was liquids.
Yesterday and today I have spent just laying on the couch watching television. I ate a pot of chicken noodle soup to myself and loads of tea. My comfort was slowly turning to excessive discomfort laying on the couch. So I moved to my bed. There I got to enjoy sweating out all the fluids I just put in.
Trying to sleep was difficult. For two days I have also been going through tissues like nobody’s business. My nose is raw and sore. It’s funny how I haven’t used many tissues since moving here. My allergies have all but disappeared since moving away from our previous forested property.
I’m hoping that tomorrow I feel at least 80% normal. I don’t want to waste my days off from work by laying in bed or on my couch. But who knows. Being sick is gross. I’m gross. Gross is gross.
This prompt appeared the same day we lost our cat Boba. Kind of ironic, but sometimes the universe has a twisted sense of purpose. Reflecting on having pets made me realize how lucky we are to have them in our lives.
Growing up, I have been more of a dog person. I can’t remember a time that a pooch or two was in my life. Dogs have a way of just being there for you. They lay at your feet, or beside you on the couch, and just create a loving environment. Dogs can be playful and endearing. The loss of a dog is always the hardest part of having one as a pet.
I have had cats as well. My sister brought home a cat one day and Heidi lived for ever. Super sweet and calm. Boba was very similar. Although Boba definitely intruded on your personal space always jumping on your lap- but he just wanted love. And he purred and meowed with contentment all the time. Neither cat was mischievous or cruel.
We also had guinea pigs at one point when our kids were little. First was Punky- that was the first loss of a pet for our kids. Then we had Mischief and Mayhem. Once one passed away, the other soon followed. I enjoyed hearing their little squeaks and nibbles in our home. Those were great pets to teach the kids how to be calm and caring for them.
In conclusion, pets are wonderful. They are always there for you. Some I find myself talking to our pets like they were people. That helps sometimes, especially when people aren’t always easy to talk to.
When we bought this house, it came with something unique. The previous owners.
Boba soaking up the sun last summer.
They lived in our basement suite for a little over a year. During which time we got to know them, and their cat- Buddy. When they moved out, they asked if we would want to keep the cat because our middle had created a bond with him. Against my wife and I’s initial rule of NO CATS, we allowed it. Buddy became a part of our family over the next year and a bit. He was rechristened as BOBA.
Boba in sticker form.
Darwin loved this cat. She spent numerous days outside with him in the summer sun. She spent countless hours watching television with Boba on her lap. Darwin dressed him up and made various TikTok videos with him. Even our oldest drew art and created stickers of Boba. This cat was surprisingly well behaved of any cat I have ever met- he was purrfect for our family.
Today, our nineteen year old lost her furry friend. Boba’s health started to decline about a week ago. He was having difficulty walking and paying attention to his surroundings. Then he slowed down on his eating and drinking. Over the last couple of days, he stopped eating all together. We knew the end was coming.
Boba passed away today in our daughter’s arms. Darwin spent the final night with Boba and held him for pretty much the last 24 hours. He slipped away this morning being loved by the one person who gave him the most attention I have ever seen someone give a pet. My heart goes out to Darwin at this time at the loss of her pet.
But rest assured, Boba knew that he was loved and cared for all the way until his final breath.
Today we had a bit of sunshine after some heavy rain over the weekend. Naturally, what little bit of lawn we have is now overgrown. It’s also far greener than it was at the end of summer.
We had our son go out and give the grass a trim. That way our dog will have a place to do her business instead of on our deck. She doesn’t seem to like the tall grass on her legs and paws.
This is probably the last mow of the season. This portion of our yard is generally shady and frosty for most of the day now leading into winter. Besides one last mow, later this week (weather permitting) I have some weeds to pull from our flowerbeds. There’s also the leaves from our Japanese maples that are starting to fall. That mess will need a bit of a rake up.
Beyond that- we don’t have much more left to do in the outdoors and will relegate our free time to staying warm and cozy inside.
I have been obsessing about buying another pinball game since July. That was when I bought my one and only pinball machine. I keep looking online for what I’d like to pick up as my next game. I guess I talk so much about pinball that my coworkers and friends are sharing links to games available nearby. That’s really nice of them, but oftentimes the games available aren’t quite what I’m looking for.
My next game has been limited to checking my finances (obviously) and timing. I want to enjoy my first game for as long as possible before I start to give myself options of what to play. Instead of buying just any old game, I am on the hunt for specific games. My list is currently limited to three pins at this time. Hopefully I will own all three one day.
Twilight Zone
Godzilla Premium
Medieval Madness
It’s Me
The cost of owning and maintaining these games is higher than I’d like to admit. But I see them as a fun filled activity and hobby. I really enjoy pinball and find it therapeutic and relaxing- even when a game goes poorly. I try and play every other day at this time. Always attempting to beat my previous score.
If by chance you know someone selling one of my top three games- let me know. I am interested in expanding my collection. Maybe one day I’ll buy games for the sake of buying them. But for now- I am working on the hunt for my top choices.
Last night it was just my wife and I hanging out. Our kids were out of the house, so we had time to ourselves. It was an unplanned date night, so we had some childish fun.
We had an early dinner at 5pm. Then we baked some brownies and watched tv. When the brownies were done- we decided to rip into them like animals instead of cutting them up nicely. We sat on the couch and ate until our stomachs hurt.
That’s what you can do on a date night as an adult. No need to be romantic or go out on the town. Just a night at home enjoying each others company being silly and eating junk food. The sugar crash was pretty intense mind you. Our kids were none to happy to see the brownies desecrated they way they were. But that didn’t stop our kids from finishing off the tray.
No, my wife and I were not high eating and acting the way we did. Just feeling youthful. We needed it.
Man, drains are helpful. I appreciate them when they work. Draining water down the shower or sink comes naturally. Until it doesn’t.
I was taking my shower today when I noticed the water was pooling and slowly draining. Clearly a clog. After my shower, I dug out the largest clog I have ever seen. 🤮
Maintenance like this is something that I forget to do until I notice a slight issue. Then I jump right in before real problems show up. Such is life.
Tomorrow I can shower happily knowing that the water will go down the drain smoothly.
Over the years, there are very few shows that I find I can rewatch after the first time. Not every tv show has re-watchability.
Firefly is always top on my list of shows to rewatch. With only a half season and one movie- watching this series is quick and is nearly perfect in its story.
Lost is one of my favorite shows. The only thing that I do not like is how the series ended. Aside from that- right from the start and throughout the various seasons- this show was well written and the characters were creative.
Recently, I took to watching Futurama again. I never actually finished this series the first time around. That was due to it jumping from channel to channel when it came out the first time. Now that it is on Disney+ I have taken the past few weeks to enjoy the series from start to finish.
Even as my work is getting chaotic and busy, I try and admire the beauty that can be found all around me.
I still love seeing graffiti on railcars. Many of these artists use vibrant colours and imagery to tell a story. I do my best to capture these images when I can. Sometimes I get lucky and the cars are in a good spot where the background is magnificent.
Recently I saw an image and tag that I have not seen before. A simple word- BORN with the image of a dragons head beside it. I’m not sure what the artist was trying to portray, but I like it. The contrasting colours with good fade and artwork make it stand out. At quick glance, you know what it says and what the picture is. Having a grey “canvas” railcar really helps to draw your attention to the image.
I wish I could create art like this. But I also love to see the creativity out there. Some people are just born to be good at it.
Every day that I come home from work, I change my clothes. Usually within the first few minutes of arriving at home. I remember my father would always do that as well. He’d get home from work and change out of his suit. He always put on jogging pants and a sweat shirt. Side note- I don’t think my father owned a pair of jeans in his life.
I get home and go straight to putting on my pajamas. I wear my housecoat and slippers as well. Then I curl up on the couch with a blanket and put on the fire. Sometimes I’ll have a hot chocolate or a cup of tea. Especially after a long day at work- I find this comfortable and relaxing.
How do you relax after a day at work? Fo you get cozy and comfortable immediately or closer to when you are going to bed?
On the weekend I put out some Christmas decorations throughout our home. Don’t judge me! As I mentioned the other day, we like to change where everything is placed throughout our house.
We have a set of three sterling silver angel candle holders that we have owned for around twenty years. We had a beautiful spot in our former house that had them on display in a light box inside our living room wall. In our new home, we have tried to find a good spot over the last couple of years. This year I placed them on the upper window ledge of our living room window. During the day, they look like angels with a lovely sky and cloud backdrop.
However, as the sun begins to set, their shadows display something else. They look like they could be in the old video from “Lonely Island ft. Justin Timberlake”. My angels are posing like they have a “D*ck In A Box.“
I find this too amusing and do not have any plans to change it. In fact, I’ll probably keep the angels where they are each and every year from now on.
Making It Up As I Go 