A bad truck accident!

 

A truck carrying thousands of copies of thesauruses overturned this morning. Onlookers were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.

Monday laughs to start out the week

 

I'm glad my next trip doesn't require a flight!!!

7 MORE SLEEPS

War ravaged Portland, Oregon?  Who knew?   Glad we aren't going there.  I love Portland.  No state tax and awesome people.

Ten Things You Can Do This Week

1.     Listen without distraction — attention is the purest form of respect.

2.     Write one thank-you note — gratitude multiplies dignity.

3.     Repair instead of replace — teach patience, save waste.

4.     Visit the forgotten — presence is medicine.

5.     Mentor someone younger — legacy lives in people, not possessions.

6.     Plant something — what you grow outlives you.

7.     Give practical help — meals, rides, small tasks matter.

8.     Defend someone’s dignity — silence helps the cruel.

9.     Share stories — memory anchors meaning.

10.Create something tangible — a trace that you cared, built, lived.

It's Oktoberfest!

It's also our neighbours birthday so again this year we went to Uli's in White Rock. The restaurant has been in the same location for 30 years.  We've been there many times and always enjoyed it.  It's a beautiful setting and the weather was warm and nice for the end of September.

This accordion player comes every year and he's very enjoyable!  Lots of people were singing and he was dancing with one of the waitresses!  He's got a great personality.

The company was great and we had a good conversation.  Two of the guys ordered the ham hock!  They were huge and they couldn't eat it all!   I guess some split pea soup will be coming soon.

All the women and Cec had the schnitzel.  They offer forester, neptune and vienna schnitzel.  We've had schnitzel here before and it has been very good.  However, last night it was overcooked, tough and not great!  We never complained as it was Don's birthday and my thoughts are, don't go back.  We won't.  Overpriced, overcooked and parking was $14.90!  No wonder so many restaurants are closing in White Rock.  I am very sad to see The Boathouse close.

Travel Insurance

When we retired, we joined our company retirement travel insurance provider.  We've always read all the terms and conditions, and especially the items they don't cover.  Fortunately we've never had to claim.

Travel Insurance doesn't cover any condition that is not deemed as stable three months (some are six months) before travel.  It also says "any change in medication".  You really need to read your travel insurance to see what it covers and what it excludes.  Most travel insurance excludes "extreme sports" e.g. ATV's, Zip Lines, mountain climbing, hang gliding and so on.  Always check your insurance before you book any of these activities.

If you are relying on your credit card for travel insurance, read it carefully!  If you plan on travelling outside your province, you need travel insurance.  When you leave your province, if you have a medical emergency, you may not have sufficient coverage!

This traveller called the insurance provider, who didn't give her the right information!  You should understand your own policy!

1.  

0.  

Whoops

 

Costco Business Center

New Westminster is getting it's first Costco Business Center.  It's where the old Lowes store was in Queensborough.  It opens in November.  If you want to know what you can purchase in a business Costco, check out this You Tube.  It's pretty long, but you can fast forward.  Andy Shen visits Costco's and posts online what is new and what is on sale.  If it interests you, follow him on Facebook.

Jimmy Kimmel is Back!

I've watched Jimmy Kimmel since 1999 when he hosted "The Man Show".  Cec and Cheryl's then boyfriend now husband David both loved it.  Jimmy Kimmel's personality and humour is wonderful.  I am thrilled last night we were able to watch him at 8:35 PM Pacific Time from Detroit.  We have time shift with our cable provider.  

Even before the show was over, the monologue was on You Tube.  If you missed it or are in an area where it wasn't shown, here it is:

Shame on you KOMO Channel 4 Seattle for not broadcasting Jimmy Kimmel last night at 11:35 PM.  Thankfully Canadians on the west coast that don't have time shift can watch it on City TV!  I hope City TV is available in Western Washington!

It worked!

For everyone who cancelled Disney + and Hulu and those who protested, it worked!  Free speech is still acceptable!  I hope they publicize the 38 stations that still refuse to air his show.  If you don't like his show, don't watch it.  I for one am looking forward to his monologue!   

Cruise ship gratuities

I am not a fan of prepaid tips.  I have never asked for them to be removed, but I like to give my room steward and dining room waiter and assistant waiter, a tip envelope with a nice message and well earned tip.  I would always tip more than what the cruise ship takes off.  I will always give ship employees an additional tip when it's earned!  I had a friend who always tipped the room steward on day 1.  He always received fabulous service!  Always read your receipts for spa or a service as the usually automatically add 18% and then have a line in small print, for an additional tip!   

Here are 10 specific tipping mistakes to avoid on a cruise:

1. Forgetting to Budget for Automatic Gratuities: 

   Most cruise lines charge a daily gratuity, which should be factored into your overall budget. 
2. Paying Extra When Service Charges Are Included: 

   You are typically charged an 18% gratuity on drinks and spa services, so avoid paying another tip unless it's for truly exceptional service. 
3. Tipping the Wrong People: 

   Avoid tipping ship officers or entertainment staff, as they are not part of the tipping pool and receiving a tip may be awkward. 
4. Inconsistent Tipping: 

   Don't leave a blank line on your receipt for the daily gratuity and sign without reading carefully, as you may inadvertently double-tip. 
5. Giving Gifts Instead of Cash: 

   Cash tips are more practical and useful for crew members than gifts like trinkets or mugs, though a nice note of thanks is always appreciated. 
6. Not Tipping for Port Day Services: 

   Be prepared to tip shore excursion tour guides, drivers, and baggage handlers at the port for their services. 
7. Ignoring Special Service Requests: 

   While you're not obligated to tip for minor requests, cash tips are a great way to show appreciation for outstanding service that goes above and beyond. 
8. Expecting to Tip the Same Way Everywhere: 

   Tipping customs can vary; be aware that daily charges may not cover specific services like specialty coffee or ice cream. 
9. Not Tipping for Exceptional Service: 

   Even if you've paid daily gratuities, a cash tip for a crew member who has provided truly exceptional service is always appropriate. 
10. Tipping with Large Bills: 

    Make sure to have smaller bills on hand for cash tips, as it can be awkward for a crew member to provide change for a large denomination. 

Martin Couney

 

In 1903, when premature babies were left to die in hospital corridors, Martin Couney had an audacious plan. He'd smuggle life-saving technology into America disguised as entertainment.

Couney set up his "Infantorium" at Coney Island, where rows of glass incubators held the tiniest fighters you'd ever seen. These babies were so small they wore doll clothes because no store made human garments tiny enough.

The sign read "All the World Loves a Baby" and visitors paid 25 cents to peek inside. Critics called it exploitation. Parents called it salvation.

What the crowds didn't realize was they were witnessing a medical revolution. Every nickel and dime funded round-the-clock nursing care, specialized feeding, and temperature-controlled environments that hospitals refused to provide.

Couney encouraged his nurses to hold and cuddle the babies in front of audiences, proving these weren't specimens but precious children deserving love and care.

For four decades, desperate families brought their smallest miracles to a man who promised what doctors wouldn't: hope. By the time Couney's exhibits ended, he had welcomed over 8,000 babies and sent 6,500 of them home alive.

The "fake" doctor's carnival sideshow became the blueprint for modern neonatal intensive care units. Sometimes the greatest medical breakthroughs happen not in sterile hospitals, but in the hands of someone brave enough to care when the world has given up.

Martin Couney never earned a medical degree. But he earned something far greater—the gratitude of thousands of families and a legacy that still saves lives today.

Alberta Teachers

I wasn't a teacher.  I have a few friends who taught school and university.  They all talked about the lack of funding and cut backs and that was years ago in British Columbia.  Alberta is threatening a teachers strike.  I read this article and I hope they don't strike but can negotiate a fair wage, workplace improvements and benefits settlement.

Teachers shape the future of this province. They have given everything to their students, schools, and communities, yet their pay has fallen far behind, their workloads have soared, and their classrooms are bursting at the seams without the resources they need to do their job.

Teachers have sounded the alarm for years about the chronic underfunding but little has been done to address the issues. Teachers are tired of band aid solutions.

Public education in Alberta is in crisis—full stop. Whether the government chooses to acknowledge it or not, the reality is undeniable: our students are being shortchanged, and our teachers are being pushed to the brink.

Without bold, immediate, and sustained intervention from the government, the situation will only deteriorate further. The time for half-measures and political deflection is over—our kids deserve better, and so do the people who teach them.

Today, we are announcing that if a negotiated settlement is not achieved through bargaining, we will commence strike action on Monday, October 6.

We have heard the concerns of parents, students, and our members. They want clarity about what the future could potentially hold, and we are here today to give them that.

Teachers and parents are partners in education, and we respect the need you have to make plans. At the same time, the ATA will meet government at the table. They can now do the right thing and give teachers the fair deal they deserve. Our intent is to get to a negotiated settlement.

What teachers want is simple: classrooms that are properly funded, respect for the work they do, and wages that reflect their value to Alberta’s future. For the government to state that teachers would sacrifice their students’ learning conditions for salary is insulting. Teachers should not have to choose one or the other.

Alberta spends the least amount of money per student in the country. Teachers have put forward real solutions to address class size and complexity in classrooms. The government cannot continue to ignore the crisis in public education and then try to blame the very people who have been holding the system together for years.

Adding 3,000 teachers over the next three years is a start, but it doesn’t even begin to meet the needs created by years of neglect and record enrollment growth. The reality is this: teachers have received only a 5.75 per cent salary increase in the last decade—far below inflation.

A fair wage is not just about money; it is about respecting the value of teachers and ensuring Alberta can attract and retain them. When half of new teachers leave the profession within five years, it’s a clear sign the system is broken and unsustainable.

Teachers have taken bargaining seriously. As bargaining drags on, they continue to show up every day for students in good faith.

They are tired. They are tired of being disrespected and vilified by this government, tired of distractions that downplay the real issues, and tired of being asked to do more with less. Teachers’ patience has run out.

It is hypocritical for this government to claim it values education while spending the least in Canada. It’s time for this government to truly step up with a fair deal. We are ready to be at the table, and they’ve been invited to join us.

But let me be clear--October 6 is coming quickly. The choice is theirs: solve this dispute now or face a province-wide teachers’ strike.

Because a fair deal for teachers means stronger classrooms for kids

Numbers you should know

Battle of the jam! Meghan Markel vs David Beckham

So, apparently Meghan Markle is probably sitting in Montecito right now, clutching her overpriced fruit spread and screaming into the void because David Beckham just turned his kitchen into the stage for the greatest trolling of the year. Sir David casually filmed himself making actual plum jam—the kind with fruit in it—and the internet immediately clocked the shade.

Now, let’s be real. Beckham’s video wasn’t just about jam. Oh no, this was layered. First, there’s Brooklyn Beckham, who recently gave the world a jam tutorial that looked like it belonged in the culinary hall of cringe. Enter dad David, swooping in with a tutorial that actually worked.

Then there’s Meghan Markle, who’s been trying to make fruit spread happen with her As Ever brand. Except—plot twist—her jars aren’t even homemade. They’re churned out by a factory in Illinois. Meanwhile, David is literally growing plums in his Cotswolds garden, bottling honey from his bees (which he once gifted to King Charles, mind you), juicing his own apples, and flexing potatoes on Instagram. He’s living the sustainable dream. Meghan? She’s relabeling syrupy fruit goo and pretending it came from her home kitchen. One is authenticity; the other is Instagram theater. Guess which one audiences prefer.

Victoria Beckham filmed David’s jam session while making cheeky jokes about his juicy plums. And when David proudly unveiled his jar labeled David Beck Jam—iconic—the internet practically crowned him Sir Jamsalot on the spot. Even critics are saying Beckham just made jam for an afternoon and was instantly more watchable than Meghan and Harry’s entire With Love lifestyle campaign.

And let’s not ignore the delicious irony. Meghan tried to position her marmalade and raspberry spread as a symbol of chic domestic goddess vibes. But when the Mail revealed her jars are mass-produced, that illusion popped faster than one of Harry’s polo balls. Compare that to Beckham, who’s been keeping bees since the pandemic and never bragged—just quietly built a hobby into something wholesome. If this is a battle of who’s more relatable, David wins without even breaking a sweat or a jam jar..

Now, here’s the kicker: people actually want to buy Beck Jam. Like, for real—Twitter is begging him to launch a line. Imagine the chaos if he does. Montecito might never recover. The shrieks from Meghan’s mansion would register on the Richter scale. Because while she’s busy rebranding jam as fruit spread and pricing it like it’s liquid gold, David could sell out jars in five minutes, donate proceeds to charity, and look like a national treasure while doing it. That’s Checkmate—Jam Edition.

The funniest part? David and Victoria didn’t even have to say Meghan’s name. Just by existing with actual talent, actual humor, and actual jam, they managed to highlight everything phony about the Sussex PR machine. And honestly, the timing couldn’t be better. The Beckhams have already distanced themselves from Meghan and Harry after that messy fallout. This video feels like their playful, classy way of saying: We’re good without you. Thanks.

So Meghan can keep her As Ever brand of relabeled goo and curated illusions. Because over in the Cotswolds, Sir David Beckham is bottling authenticity, humor, and yes—plums. Forget Hollywood lifestyle grifts. The people have spoken. Give us Beck Jam. Give us real fruit on real toast.

And if Meghan’s really watching from Montecito? Well—this is how you make jam, darling. Take notes.

Hank Aaron

 

Take a moment to look closely at this young man. It’s 1952, and he’s 18 years old, standing at a train station in Mobile, Alabama. In his pocket: $1.50. By his foot: a bag with two changes of clothes and, if his mama packed it right, maybe a sandwich or two for the journey ahead.

He was headed north, to Indiana, chasing a dream bigger than himself—a job playing baseball for the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro Leagues. He had talent, yes, but more than that, he had fire.

Two years later, the Milwaukee Braves signed him. And from that moment, Hank Aaron became a name no one would forget.

He crushed home runs with quiet dignity. He faced racism with strength and grace. And on April 8, 1974, he stepped up to the plate and hit home run #715, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record—a mark that had stood for 33 years.

Hank Aaron retired as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he never left it. He stayed with the Braves as a senior vice president, mentoring new players and shaping the future of the sport.

He passed away in 2021, but his number—44—still hangs in Atlanta. Not just for the home runs he hit, but for the walls he broke down. From a dirt field in Alabama to the top of the baseball world, Hank Aaron’s story is one of courage, legacy, and quiet power.

Horse racing is back!

My brother-n-law and his friends bought another horse.  He had his very first race at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto yesterday!  His name is "B the King".  We were thrilled at the outcome:

 

B the King (ON)

TB, CH, C, foaled February 13, 2023

Happy 60th wedding anniversary Dawn and Larry!

We moved to Richmond in 1969 and met Dawn and Larry.  They had two little boys and Larry loved to fish.  They had another son shortly thereafter and have a beautiful family.  We've been good friends all these years.  It's not difficult to remember their anniversary, September 11th.  All the sons have wonderful partners. They have seven grandchildren and one great grandson.  

We received an invitation to a 60th Anniversary lunch from their children.  It was in Maple Ridge as it was half way for the family that stretches from Chilliwack to Richmond.

Beautifully decorated by their family!   Every seat had a picture of their 60 years.

Lots of family pictures and a gorgeous cake made by daughter-in-law Betty!

A delicious lunch buffet

A wonderful afternoon with a beautiful family!