The Cabin Fever Rant n Rave.

Dear Joe:

Today, I am getting some cabin fever. Not that the winter has been too long, it’s just I not getting into it this year. As you know my wife and I are raising our ten year old grandson and he is getting smarter by the day as I seem to be going in the opposite direction. The wife is not having this problem. Why is that?

Gravity is the answer. I am on the slippery slope and seem to be picking up speed. That is scary. Yes, I have turned a milestone year in my life according to the experts in the Family. I was always blessed with a lot of smart people in my life aka “know-it-alls”. So, you know you are automatically stupid as soon as they are in our house.

I usually call it our Home, but they quickly reduce this to a house and I want them out-ta my house. Furthermore as much as I try to love them, I don’t like them. Know, whom I am speaking about? The, pain-in-da-butts, but that is not nearly an accurate description.

Shit, they have an opinion about everything including my recent operation to “parts unknown” and they know all about it. How in the hell did you find all this out? I have not said a word other than it was a “mannish problem”. Well, if they got paid for all this knowledge and shared that with me, I would be well off and a free man.

Next, I don’t want all the advice, I rather learn on the run. And, assuming they never had, what I had, I don’t want to know what the worst case scenario might look like. That is scary enough knowing they know, what I don’t know, you know?

What’s, worst, they think I am the salt of the earth and they love me and profess this to me constantly. Wtf, am I doing wrong? I treat them nicely because I don’t to embarrass the Family and this makes me a saint. “They”, say Karma pay-back is a bitch. Seems, I need to examine my soul and find out where on the road I fell off.

Well, its ten o’clock somewhere, I need to have some red wine, which I keep hid behind the computer monitor, camouflaged  and I drink this from a 500 mL chili sauce jar ; will that will throw them off? Aka, why is poppa so happy?

So, what the hell was I talking about? Another sip of the golden nectar will surely make me recall. You have noticed that I have successfully rambled on about nothing and you have learned that growing older gracefully can’t happen to everyone.  Everybody is nutsy and you tell them that and they laugh. I, guess they know already.

Sorry, I better close off before this becomes well-worn. I have just aged to the 70 year plateau, which means goose egg to me, but everyone else is celebrating. I always thought they were nuts and this proves my case. Well, thanks for enduring this and you should be on your second 500 ml jar half-full of wine by now.

Thanks for fixing the snow blower, be sure to drop in soon and we can have some distilled mosquito bite to ward off the cold.

Yours humble-bull-lee,

 Bruce

How I met my friend Joe

In the younger days of my youth I would ride to the BMW rallies when they were within a days ride or 10 hours. At this point of my life I was a owner of a metric bike and that was fine because I could afford it. Sometimes the Family would go and other just myself.

This machine was easy on the pocket book and therefore since I was raising up a Family of teenagers, my budget was controlled by this fact. So, I had to save just like everyone else and buy a used machine. So, it came down to “how much”?.

I bought a 1983 Honda 750 c.c. black and no extras on it. It was a good bike and I enjoyed many miles on it. I would ride to these rallies with my buddies whom had moved to Beemer’s now and that was their interest and I was invited to go.

So, our first rally was only a 8 hours away and that was perfect. Only problem was these guys now rode at 120 klicks and I was left behind. And because the bike I rode was not fuel efficient at higher speeds, I had poor gas mileage so I stopped more. So, I decided to ride at my own level of comfort, aka “see you when I get there”.

As luck would have it there was a small pack of riders that were riding at the legal limit and I fell in behind them. When we pulled in for gas, guess what,they were women. I asked if they minded if I rode with them and I was ok with being the tail gunner,(last rider). No problem and that was the best ride ever, no hurries, no worries.

The only problem I had was keeping my mind on the ride, I was thinking its time for a Beemer as all these gals were riding them expect one. Anyway we made it and the guys were waiting and they were not laughing when, I pulled up with a posse of gals.(These gals were nurses, First Aid, no problem ??)

Sure I got ribbed that was ok because it was a the spirit of the ride and now there was a story to be told and retold. The women were camped close by, so I asked to help them set up only if that was ok. A Boy Scout always ask,"hey you all need help"?.

Then I smelled gas, somebody was leaking.

It turns out it was my bike, and it was a seam separation in the front, small but still not tolerable. So, I had to go look for a shop to fix it. Saturday is a rough day to find a garage to help. I was given directions to Joe’s Shop because he was always open and he says come back on Monday.??,wth??

I had to explain that was “not from here” and I needed to have repairs done soon, because this was all the wheels I had. Well, ok, but you have to get the tank off yourself and then I will repair it. So, I parked the bike in the shade and it was already 90 in the shade and humid. It was off in a hurry and then we boiled the tank in hot water and it scratched my tank, Joe said this could happen.

So, while we were doing this I had to help him with a Dodge camper and remove the rad on it and then reinstall it. It was a hot and dirty job and I was not expecting this to happen. Then the gals came over to see if they could help and Joe says, No, thank you, but come over for lunch.

Soon all repairs are done and its 4 in the afternoon and we finally had lunch. The gals didn’t stay because of shopping but wanted to be sure the bike was ok. So, we had a nice chat Joe and I and he was going to get a bike too. He needed a new hobby. He was working too much. I mentioned my Family, he didn’t say anything about his.

When it came to pay he didn’t want anything. I said we should a cold beer and I went to get some, his friends came over and they had beer too. They never really closed the shop that day, The fact that he could help and I was appreciative was enough for them. I said I needed a calendar so I could send me a thank you card for his help and he wanted to know I got home ok.

Joe is now 80 yrs younger and has decided to put on sidecar on the Harley, his legs are getting weak. Well, the boys at the Hog shop aren't making any light bikes, so you have to adapt. Our youth has passed again.!!





This women’s lovely face.

Hi Joe:

As I was looking for a piece of paper to do with my passport app and a picture fell into my lap. The picture ended face up and I gazed at this women’s lovely face and I wondered whom she was.

Slowly I turned the picture over as our eyes seemed to be fixed in a stare that I can call curious, why are you here.? Then I read her name, it’s the same name as my wife’s name.

How could this be, was it indeed the Grandmother I heard about for over 45 years.

I called out and asked if the name meant I had found the long lost picture of Grandma on her fathers side.? Well. that was a sudden change in plans, my quest was to find out whom I had found. Suddenly that little file cabinet had a lot traffic.

Sure enough after a few moments it was verified that indeed  this picture was of her and nobody knew where it came from. I had an idea so I voiced it and it was for me to search and report back and everyone went back to the important stuff of the day.

So, to make a short story, this picture was in a box that came from her Dads estate along with a Family bible full of dates of marriages, births and deaths. And it was put in the steel filing cabinet to be sorted thru later. So, its now years later,  this picture had worked its self to the top the pile and made its appearance.

This picture along with some other cards was sealed in a zip locked bag, so how did it get out.? , did someone look thru the pictures and forget to reseal it?. Who knows, but in this bag were other pictures of people that are related thru marriage and many post cards.

Cards were cheaper than paper letters so these were sent more often. These cards were from 1900’s and the postage was 1 cent and not much of an address, but they got thru.

If fact some these cards were please read and write back letters and poems.

I sorted thru them and placed them in a photo album and then all can see them and they were protected. For the age of them these are in “mint” condition. Luckily, Grandpa wrote on the back of the cards so you knew whom the picture was of and then you marvel at the person.

A lot of history, soldiers from the  WW 1, early Canadian farmers, young children, babies all unknown and now mostly forgotten and no body to continue the search of the ancestry, for now, maybe somebody later. The majority of these people are deceased and all there is, are pictures and letters. The Grandkids are in their 60’s, so what’s the chance they might have an interest.?.

We are here because you cared enough.!

I found a old picture from public school

Hi Joe;

I found a old picture from public school and as I was looking at all those kids in their final year of care free living as a kid and taking a step into their own future, my mind began to turn and generate all kinds of scenarios that they could have chosen or befallen them in the next 50 years.

Of course I am in this picture as well and you know I feel like an ageless wizard,  that as I  look at these faces I see their life’s flash before my eyes. I know everything about them, all the joys, the achievements, the sadness and in some cases some of them pass before their time as their faces fade away from view while others remain.

 I get this theory from my life as it has unfolded and developed and so using this same analogy I presume they had similar paths.

 As I gaze at all these fresh young faces I wonder,

 maybe you have been thru a lot ,

and now some of you have your grandchildren in your custody.

 You are separated from your spouse,

You are remarried and a new set of kids,

Your spouse is still your best friend,

You and your spouse lead separate lives,my money,your money,

You are living alone, happy about,

You are living alone and not happy,

You are living in group home,

you are living with your kids,

your kids and their kids are living with you,(because you need each other),

 you are living with your parents and caring for them,

your parents are living and caring for you, (happens), of course,

 you are candidate for a nursing home,

you are on welfare or supported income,

you have a winter home and go there for 6 months ,

you haven’t retired, you work at a fast food place,

you are retired and own half of your home town,

you drive a exclusive SUV its new,its black,

or you drive a heap, its older and rusting,

or you don’t own a car, you lost your license, 

your kids don’t care about you and you don’t care a shit about them,

 your best friend is the pet cat or dog,

you love your grandchildren, no conditions,

you are glad to be alive and still able face each day with a smile

 what you did all night, takes all night to do and in your dreams,.

you will drink a glass of wine and enjoy it for its character, at any time..

 You enjoy watching the BBQ shows on YouTube ,……well, ??

You are glad about all lot of things, especially, that you can write this to share.

Thanks, call you later,

Happy or what ??