DO YOU NEED SOME INSPIRATION AND ADVICE TODAY?

DO YOU NEED SOME INSPIRATION AND ADVICE TODAY?

If you are in self-isolation with your family, your spouse or are by yourself, I would like to share some inspirational thoughts and ideas that I have stolen from the Internet, that might add a smile to your day. I think it is important to maintain a sense of humour and shift our thoughts into different directions during tough times. For example:

• Your secrets are safe with me… I wasn’t even listening.
• There are so many times I made you angry, upset, irritated and tired. Today I just wanted to say that I’m going to continue.
• I’m having people over to stare at their phones later, if you want to come by.
• If we were on a sinking ship, and there was only one life vest… I would miss you so much.
• Why must I prove that I am me when I pay bills over the phone? Did some one else call to pay my bills, and if they did, why don’t you let them?
• My silence spoke a thousand words, but you never heard them.
• Modern Intelligence : if all bathrooms in the house are taken, turn off the internet.
• I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.
• I always knew I’d get old. How fast it happened was a bit of a surprise though.
• Dear auto-correct, that’s not what I was trying to say. I’m getting tired of your shirt.
• It doesn’t make a difference what temperature a room is, it’s always room temperature.
• I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.
• I don’t understand, but I also don’t care… so it works out OK.
• Dear phone, if you didn’t light up so many times to tell me you had a low battery, you wouldn’t have died so quickly!
• In filling out an application, where it says, “In case of emergency notify,” I put “Doctor.”
• I’m not being smart, I’m just a skilled trained professional in pointing out the obvious.
• If you die in an elevator make sure you push the “up” button.
• If Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly, then why did it fall off?
• Those who think they know it all are very annoying to those of us who actually do.
• If it’s free it’s advice; if you pay for it, it’s counselling; if you can use either one, it’s a miracle.
• Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.
• Yes officer I saw the speed limit, I just didn’t see your car.
• Just got 30 minutes of cardio trying to pick up an ice cube from the kitchen floor.
• Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
• Just once I’d like to read a medication label that says: Warning, may cause permanent weight loss, increased energy and wrinkle removal.
• Always run away from temptations, but slowly… so they can catch up to you.

Hope you at least had one chuckle, one giggle and one “That’s for sure”. Keep on isolating and stay away from the fridge! I guess I could add that bit of advice to the above list as well.

DO YOU NEED SOME GUIDANCE IN MOVIE SELECTIONS?

DO YOU NEED SOME GUIDANCE IN MOVIE SELECTIONS?

My recent blog that listed some of my favourite movies was such an overwhelming success (thank you both) that I decided to venture further into the field of movie viewing. If you do not subscribe to Netflix, or Crave, or the movie packages provided by your TV server, you will be stuck with just watching whatever the networks provide. However, if you are one of those who spends more time scrolling through screen after screen of movie options on Netflix for example, I think I can help you in making your selections. Here are some of my criteria for choosing a worthwhile movie:

• If the movie has a number after it eg. Rocky 8, or Halloween 13 or Fast and Furious 99, avoid them at all costs. These “movies” are actually assembled from the film clips cut out of earlier releases and were not deemed worth showing. However, during desperate times producers have stitched together reams of rejected footing, attached a number and tossed it into the Pile of the Pathetic! At least that is my interpretation. Beware!
• If you watch the trailer of the movie and it includes a series of explosions, car chases, squealing tires and cars flipping over on their roofs, you can eliminate it from your list. You have already seen one of the movies distant cousins, but the flips, booms, fireworks, and crashes are just shown in a different order. I’m sure!
• If in the first few minutes of the movie or in the previews you are inundated by any combination of numbers or letters that imply some secretive government agency or project, stay clear. When a KGB agent meets with an MI5 informant regarding Project XX94 in a safe house called 34S21 during the third phase of implementing the MasterPlan, you know that you will never be able to follow the plot without an exclusive decoder ring of your own. You will go crazy!
• If any of the main characters are attempting to play a character with a different nationality than their own, think twice. Is there anything more annoying than an American trying to portray a British gentleman or vice versa? How about a German portraying a Hawaiian or a blonde Swede attempting to be an Aussie. Or Jennifer Lawrence from California playing a Russian agent as in Red Sparrow? Has anything been more painful to watch?
• If the movie features any of the following elements please go for a walk instead of watching the movie: zombies, werewolves, walking dead, psychos, serial killers, aliens, time-travellers, superheroes, vampires, ghouls, President Trump, gorillas, or humans switching bodies with someone else. If this is your cup of tea, don’t invite me over for a drink! Please.
• If a movie glamorizes some historic or disastrous event, skip it. Generally, I do not want to watch a war movie of any kind. In most cases, they depict horrible events that have occurred in our past and I do not feel they need to be relived on the screen. Human brutality, death, dismemberment and mental breakdowns associated with war are all tragic and I don’t accept it as entertainment, even if it is attempting to present a sympathetic viewpoint or acknowledge some bravery or heroism. I prefer not to watch it.
• If any of the following are stars in the movie, think twice. Al Pacino - only plays Al Pacino - all his roles seem to me to be the same. Sandra Bullock - since her massive facial botox makeover, I have trouble watching her plastic face speak without moving its lips!  Ditto Renee Zellweger. I bet you didn’t know the Steven Seagal, Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Jason Statham are all the same person! They simply don different bodysuits to become different action characters. Watch all four of them if you dare and see if I’m not right!

Hopefully, my few criteria will help you become more efficient in selecting your movies in the future. When I was a kid, it was much easier to pick a winning movie because we had such stalwart movie stars as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, The Bowery Boys, and Abbot and Costello. Yes, siree, them were the good old days! 

WHAT HAS TWO WEEKS IN SELF-ISOLATION TAUGHT ME?

WHAT HAS TWO WEEKS IN SELF-ISOLATION TAUGHT ME?

Today will be the final day of our 14-day self-isolation since our return from Mexico on March 14. It has not been as difficult for me as it may be for others. I have always managed to find ways to occupy my time no matter the circumstances. As a child, I grew up with only my Mom and Dad, as my brother and sister had moved away. Every summer, I had to practice fending for myself in terms of spending two months of school vacation relatively alone. Growing up in a small town with only a few friends living nearby we had to entertain ourselves without any assistance or any real resources. As a result, I feel my current situation is not a lot different. Little did I realize I had apprenticed for today’s self-isolation so many years ago. 

I think that it is important to try to establish some kind of routine to shape each day with some semblance of order and consistency. Without it, I know that I would be more frustrated and walking around in circles, both on the floor and in my mind. Routine provides some stability to me. My daily routine consists of the following: get up about 6 am (set by my senior biological clock), make coffee, have breakfast, then computer time, watch 15 minutes max of the 8 am news, shower, dress, read or write until 10, then Darlene and I play 3 games of backgammon, chores or a simple task ( clean a drawer), lunch, watch 10 minutes of noon news, at 2 pm go for an hour walk, then maybe a quick snooze, phone friends or read, help with supper, clean up, again read, computer or phone, around 7:30 watch something on TV for two hours, then unwind on the computer or in a book until bedtime at 10:30. As mundane as this routine sounds, I have found that it has worked so far for me. I do feel that I am going to need to introduce some more variety and some more challenging activities soon, but with the restrictions of isolation, they will probably be generated by the computer, a “new” hobby, or more outdoor time. At the moment I am mulling between three options: learning to tap dance, play the banjo, or crochet doilies! 

With a lot of free time, I have had a lot of time to reflect on our current situation and I believe that:

• we are fortunate to be retired and not have to face the added pressures of going to work or being laid off or unemployed.
• the surreal nature of the pandemic is highlighted when I look out my window at the river and the valley and nothing has visibly changed. Invisibly, our world has really changed forever.
• I only watch any news for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. I don’t think a constant and continuous barrage of Covid-19 news is good for our mental health or our stress level. Important news and issues will be at the top of any newscast or article and that’s enough.
• talking with friends by phone or FaceTime is more important than ever, as it the only social interaction we can have and it is so vital.
• the crisis has definitely caused us to consider and reflect upon what is really important in our lives. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to slow us down and force us to smell the roses. In the long term, we may become better people.
• one of the positive aspects of our crisis is when you now phone a friend you know that they will be home and answer the phone. If they have caller ID and don’t answer then you have learned something else.
• I have a real concern for those who will be financially devastated by the pandemic. I feel it will take years for our economy to rebound and return to any semblance of our past prosperity. Sadly, a lot of people will suffer in the meanwhile.
• the emergencies that we are facing may spawn a host of new and creative ideas and inventions that fulfill the notion that “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” Many among us will respond to the challenge in surprisingly positive and beneficial ways. That is something to look forward to!

Of course, nothing above is that intriguing, but I felt that if I shared my past two weeks of self-isolation, it would bring everyone up to date. Let’s see if the next two weeks present any new routines or insights!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT TODAY?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT TODAY?

Yahoo! One of my favourite days of the year has finally arrived. I have been patiently waiting for March 26 since last October. Yes, today is the Opening Day for Major League Baseball. I know that you are just as excited as I am! On the first day of the season, all thirty big-league baseball teams practice getting comfortable in the starting blocks, ready for the race to the finish. All teams are equal, no one has lost a game yet and optimism runs as rampantly as a first-time buyer of a lottery ticket. But, of course, we know that because of the invasion by the little Corona Bugstard, the season opener has been postponed indefinitely. Despite this major disappointment, I began to visualize what the game would look like if they did start playing baseball today. Let me share my vision!

The stadium would be half-filled with fans wearing face masks and wearing rubber gloves, each fan sitting with two seats between themselves and their partner. If two seats did not provide six feet of separation perhaps three seats would be needed. Because the players could not all be crammed into one dugout they would be seated on folding chairs at appropriate distances around the inside of the park. Vendors in hazmat suits would only be selling bottled or canned beverages, and popcorn and peanuts would be in sanitized boxes.

After a virtual first pitch, only shown on the massive scoreboard, by a local doctor, not a sitting president or politician, the game would begin. Players would trot out to their positions in their new uniforms closely resembling a hospital worker in scrubs and with a plastic face guard over their white mask. They would wear blue plastic covers over their cleats and their gloves would have been wiped carefully before the game with bleach. The home plate umpire would be housed in a small plastic-enclosed sentry box behind the catcher, who would have to be stationed at least six feet behind home plate. 

Once the game began the baseball would be wiped with disinfectant between each pitch. A large plastic bottle of hand sanitizer would be located beside home plate and near every base as a precaution. Each time the players came onto or off the field, they would treat their hands to a squirt of sanitizer as a precaution.

The game would progress more slowly than usual, but safety would be the primary concern. Players would not be allowed to slide into a base for fear of spreading a virus. If any players or fans coughed during the contest they would be instantly removed from the park. At the conclusion of the game, fans would have to depart in single file in an orderly fashion. Can you just imagine the fun it would have been to go to an Opening Day game today? That is why we are going to have to wait.

Nervous owners, general managers, and players are all anxious to again get started, but I don’t think it is going to happen this year. One optimistic GM thinks the regular 162 game schedule would be possible if each team committed to playing at least a dozen double headers, comprising only seven-inning games. Another baseball guru thinks that the season can start around the beginning of August and run through December. All November and December games would be played in cities in the US south or in domed parks. He envisioned the possible seventh game of the World Series being played on Boxing Day, December 16. Something tells me his vision is being driven by dollar signs, rather than any kind of common sense or intelligence.

As a small consolation, my subscription to mlb.com allows me to watch any baseball game that was played during the past 2019 season for any team. If I don’t check the actual final scores and watch a game that has already been played I might be able to get my fix until we really hear the Play Ball call ring out again. Maybe.

WHAT MOVIES DO YOU WANT TO WATCH DURING ISOLATION?

WHAT MOVIES DO YOU WANT TO WATCH DURING ISOLATION?

As we look for ways to spend our increased leisure time indoors during self-isolation I decided to compile MY list of movies that I would love to watch again. I have always been a movie buff beginning with attending the matinee at the Napier Theatre in Drumheller every Saturday where I grew up as a child. Fifteen cents for admission and ten cents for popcorn - a quarter well spent. My love of movies has continued all of my life. Today, I will present my list of movies that I have already watched several times over or movies that had a significant impact upon me when I first watched them. Have some fun and come up with your own list. I would really be happy if you shared your list via email with me as well. So, let the games begin. 

My all-time top two favourite movies were musicals, believe it or not, West Side Story and Chicago. Although I personally can only play the kazoo and the radio, I loved the upbeat music and energy of both of these movies. West Side Story is the modern version of Romeo and Juliet and is set in the gang-dominated streets of Manhattan during the 1960s. It fascinated me as a university freshman. Chicago takes place during prohibition and was a very original musical with a gangland setting and clever lyrics and tempo. I think I would say it ranks #1 on my list.

Two baseball movies (surprise) that I will always stop and watch are Major League and The Sandlot. The first chronicles the pathetic Cleveland Indians baseball team as they surprisingly become contenders with a misfit collection of quirky players. I have always dreamed that this fantasy might actually become a reality for the real team someday, but I am still waiting. Sandlot is a nostalgic story of a group of kids from the ‘50s playing sandlot baseball and their encounter with assorted challenges. It always makes me laugh and reminds me of my childhood!

In recent years I have really enjoyed Clint Eastwood’s movie GranTorino where Eastwood portrays a crusty old senior who is cynically trying to understand the modern world, including immigrants and gangs, that now surround his family home. Perhaps because I can relate to his feelings in so many ways I liked the movie. 

Three other movies that I really enjoyed were The Shawshank Redemption with Tim Robbins, which tops many favourite movie lists with its “redemption” theme and strong performances. Adrian Brody was outstanding in the Polanski film, The Pianist (not to be confused with The Piano) set in wartime Poland and I thought Russell Crowe was superb in A Beautiful Mind.

Most of the movies I enjoyed either showcased an incredible performance by the stars or I could relate to some aspects of it in my own life. Some of my favourite Olden Goldies include:

• Midnight Cowboy - Jon Voigt and Dustin Hoffman
• The Sting - Robert Redford and Paul Newman
• Taxi Driver - Robert de Niro and a teenage Jodie Foster
• The Deer Hunter - Robert de Niro again
• Rainman - Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman again

There are a few actors whose movies I will watch at the drop of a hat. Some of them are Tom Hanks ( Apollo 13, Marooned, Forrest Gump) and Joaquin Phoenix ( Joker, Walk the Line, Gladiator), and Robert de Niro (Godfather2, Raging Bull, Awakenings) and Kevin Costner ( Bull Durham, JFK, The Untouchables). I could go on but you have probably already lost interest. That’s OK.

Take up the challenge! If you have time, and who doesn’t, send me a list or email of some of your favourite movies. It will be fun to share and compare.

WANT TO HEAR MY COVID-19 CONFESSION?

WANT TO HEAR MY COVID-19 CONFESSION?

During our self-isolation, I am having a tough time coming up with new blogs that aren’t virus related. The other day I thought that because I now had even more spare time in my laidback life, that I could whip up an interesting blog every day. Well, the truth is that it is harder than I thought. When our entire world and my own mind are consumed with the unfolding pandemic, everything else seems so irrelevant in comparison. Does anyone want to read some trite missive about my feelings about pets or free speech or thin thinking? I doubt it. That doesn’t mean these topics won’t in desperation soon appear on your desktop but I confess that I am having difficulty with finding topics that are not related to the pandemic and all of its side stories. 

So for today, let me just ramble on about some of the things that I am wondering about or reflecting upon.

• I don’t know how long our social distancing is going to last but I am guessing at least 3-4 months and possibly all year. The longer it is in place will it become harder or easier? I don’t know, but I am expecting more people to become edgy, upset, and cranky and that is not a good thing.
• I feel that our good friends to the south are in for a massive medical and economic tragedy that is going to be hard to imagine at this time. Whether we like it or not, as the US goes, so goes Canada. We are so dependent on much of our food supply and other life essentials that we are going to also suffer from their hard times. 
• While many countries have become “toilet paper” obsessed, I have heard reports out of many US states that one of the shortages that they are concerned about is bullets, handguns, and rifles. It would never have entered my mind to stock up on bullets. Have you?
• I sometimes wonder how major sports will be able to revive after at least a year of little or no competition. The canceling of the Olympics was a no-brainer although I do empathize with the athletes who have devoted their young lives to their training. How will pro athletes rebound? Will they initially be playing to empty parks and stadiums, with no spectators? 
• Because of the self-isolation and confinement of millions, our television has become the primary source of entertainment for many. The Internet and books provide some with diversion as well, but daily TV viewing will do nothing but increase. When the crisis is over, will people return to movie theatres again or are they going to become a permanent casualty of the pandemic?
• Albertans have been offered a flu vaccination every fall for at least the past ten years to combat annual winter flu viruses. This year’s Covid-19 strain has no vaccine yet and we are feeling its impact. I keep wondering if we are experiencing a once in a lifetime virus or can we expect to have to face annual threats from new strains that are all going to be as potent as corona? I certainly hope not!
• No matter the issue, we are always over-exposed to the opinions and messages of politicians who are not experts or particularly knowledgeable on either the medical or economic issues facing us. Get the politicians off the stage and off the TV and leave the experts - in the medical and economic fields - present us with the facts and recommendations for containment and prevention. eg Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. For once leave politics out of it!

For my senior blog followers, I am going to sign off with the closing that Porky Pig uttered at the end of the Looney Tunes cartoons of yesteryear, “Th-th-th-that’s all folks!” A thumbs up to those of you can visualize that memory! Have a nice day!

A GOOD IDEA? A BAD IDEA? OR NO IDEA?

A GOOD IDEA? A BAD IDEA? OR NO IDEA?

As I continue to self-isolate, I will probably find myself blogging more than usual. If that is terrifying news to you, I always remind you of the delete key. Today, I would like to share three separate topics that I hope you may find of some interest. I think one could be a good idea, one is a ridiculous idea and the third one is actually a response to my “egg” blog of yesterday. Read on or delete, I’ll never know!

Good idea? We are a very competitive society in Canada. At this time of the global pandemic, our competitive nature might be a definite asset. For example, Calgary Stampeder football fans always take great delight in beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders team and their exuberant fans. Ditto Flames hockey fans versus Oilers fans. 

Could we elevate this heightened level of competition to the Covid-19 pandemic? Could we compete on a national scale to see which province can reduce the number of infections on a per capita basis, and thus deaths by practicing more self-isolation and social-distancing than the other provinces and territories? Albertans take great satisfaction from outperforming mighty Ontario and who in the west wouldn’t want to be more successful than Quebec? If we need more incentive, how about the elimination of personal income tax for the “winning” province for 2020? It wouldn’t be any more expensive than the billions the federal government is planning to throw at the problem now? I think in this competition everyone wins! What do you think?

Bad idea? As households continue to stock up on toilet paper -- emptying shelves across the country -- a new website is attempting to answer the question: How much TP do we really need? The tool calculates just how long your stash of TP will last you during a quarantine. Users enter how many rolls of toilet paper they have and how many times they visit the loo. You can really get detailed, customizing the average number of wipes per trip, the number of sheets per wipe, sheets on the roll, and people in the house. More than 2 million people have used the tool, the website says, and the average user has a whopping 500% more toilet paper than they need. I can’t believe that people need an app and a program to help them figure out their toilet paper needs. Are we really that incompetent?

No idea? My friend Peter commented on my “egg” blog and I felt his response might add a smile to your day at a time when we are certainly in need of something to smile about!

“Hi Ken,  A few other kwestions to konsider...

Does the nutritional value of an egg depend on what the hen has been eating? If eggs can affect our health then surely a hen's food can affect its health. Grain-fed cows produce quite different beef to grass-fed and so it's reasonable to assume that an egg-laying hen's diet might also affect the nutritional content of an egg. 

You know when a recipe says, 'add three eggs', how big should the eggs be? Shouldn't a recipe say 'add 200 grams of egg'?

Are boiled eggs healthier than fried, poached, or scrambled eggs? 

Should you fry eggs in butter, olive oil, or mutton fat? 

When you make an omelet, should you separate the yolk and white and whisk the whites and fold it carefully into the beaten yolks and is the final product worth the French faffing about? 

Is it an omelet if there's no cheese in it? Or is that going too far down the soufflé route?

What is that muck that hotels serve in the breakfast buffet and call scrambled eggs?

And when you're in Leh, in North India at 3500 metres above sea level, gasping for oxygen and arguing with a still seriously somersaulting stomach from 2 days in Delhi, is curried eggs a good way to start the day? ( PS Peter works in neighbouring Pakistan)

And lastly, should you ever try to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs? (And what does that even mean?)”

ARE YOU READY FOR SOMETHING EGGSEPTIONAL?

ARE YOU READY FOR SOMETHING EGGSEPTIONAL?    

This is a test of your ability to persevere during a time when your mind is no doubt flying in every direction. We need to get away from the beer-virus for a few moments and focus on a different kind of question. Thus I have decided to share with you a less serious but important quandary about “eggs”! You must read through to the end to make your decision! Hang in there!

I just read an article that dealt with the above question. Is eating eggs on a regular basis a good thing or a bad thing? I am just providing quotes from the article that attempted to answer the question. I leave it to my astute readers to decide: are eggs good for you or bad for you? Read on and try to extract an answer - unless you have something more meaningful to do - like sleep or watch TV.

• For decades, eating eggs has also been controversial due to their high cholesterol content – which some studies have linked to an increased risk of heart disease. One egg yolk contains around 185 milligrams of cholesterol, which is more than half of the 300mg daily amount of cholesterol that the US dietary guidelines recommended until recently.  Does that mean eggs, rather than an ideal food, might actually be doing us harm?

• Researchers haven’t definitively linked the consumption of cholesterol to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As a result, US dietary guidelines no longer have a cholesterol restriction; nor does the UK.

• Maria Luz Fernandez, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Connecticut in the US, whose latest research found no relationship between eating eggs and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

• In a 2015 review of 40 studies, Johnson and a team of researchers couldn’t find any conclusive evidence on the relationship between dietary cholesterol and heart disease.

• Some cholesterol may actually be good for us. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol travels to the liver, where it’s broken down and removed from the body. HDL is thought to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease by preventing cholesterol from building up in the blood.

• Researchers looked at data from 30,000 adults followed for an average of 17 years and found that each additional half an egg per day was significantly linked to a higher risk of heart disease and death. (They controlled for the subjects’ diet patterns, overall health, and physical activity to try to isolate the effects of eggs.)

• Numerous studies suggest eggs are good for heart health. One previous analysis of half a million adults in China, published in 2018, even found that egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Those who ate eggs every day had an 18% lower risk of death from heart disease and 28% lower risk of stroke death compared to those who didn’t eat eggs.

• We do know some ways in which eggs could affect our risk of disease. One way is through a compound in eggs called choline, which may help protect us against Alzheimer’s disease. It also protects the liver.

• Meanwhile, scientists are beginning to understand other health benefits of eggs. Egg yolks are one of the best sources of lutein, a pigment that has been linked to better eyesight and lower risk of eye disease, for example.

So what is the answer, Yay or Nay? I am personally quite confused! 

                   

HAS THE WORLD YOU’VE KNOWN ENDED FOREVER?

HAS THE WORLD YOU’VE KNOWN ENDED FOREVER?

My answer is “yes”! I don’t wish to be morbid or fatalistic, but rather realistic and possibly logical. Today, the first day of Spring 2020, might in the future acquire the designation of 19-03-20 as the tipping point in our world as we have known it. With the invasion of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, most of the world has started to accept the reality that the tumultuous events reshaping our world are of major significance and are not just a temporary event that will move on and we will return to the lifestyle and standard we have grown accustomed to. Our “new world” calendar may well begin today!

Like most people, I first assumed that the coronavirus was just another of the latest strains, that after a couple of weeks would be over and we would forget about it as we have done in the past. I now understand how wrong I was. Its impact on Canada only became headline news about two weeks ago and now we are being informed that the precautions to contain it and prevent its spread will continue for at least six weeks or up to two or three months. And that is just an educated guess!

Most of us are already trying to comply with the directions of the medical profession to wash hands regularly, avoid any crowds and impose self-isolation whenever we display any signs of the disease or return from overseas travel. Numbers of infected and dying continue to rise and we are a long way from containment.

The more impactful effect is the collapse of our economic system as we have grown to know it. The stock market collapse, massive job layoffs, store closings, small business destruction, border closures, school closures, and the elimination of all group activities are cumulative and impact everyone to different degrees. As these conditions continue to grow, the familiar world we have all recently enjoyed is no more. Kids can’t go to school, movies and sporting events are canceled, libraries are closed, churches aren’t open for services, and a nice meal in a restaurant is just a memory. 

All of the above life changes and more will probably last minimally for at least six months. If that optimistic prediction is accurate, the recovery may not begin until late summer. Although recovery is a very uplifting sensation, the reality is that what has collapsed in a matter of a couple of weeks will probably take a couple of years to rebound. The turnaround will be slow and gradual. Don’t expect a miracle recovery.

So much for the depressing reality of our new world! There are however some silver linings in the clouds if we choose to search. With massive social distancing, families will spend much more time together and hopefully will take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their relationships. All of us are now forced to find more ways than just the Internet and TV to pass the many additional hours we have been awarded. A lot of new skills and hobbies may begin to develop if we work at it. We need to be flexible, accepting of change and willing to act in a positive manner. Our new world will be what we make it. 

In the future, most of us will be impacted negatively by changing economic factors and forced to live a far more simple life. The massive consumer culture that has evolved over the past decades will be forced to find other simpler diversions beyond exotic cars, 100 inch TVs, international weekend vacations, and imported food and wines. Although our travel may be restricted we may instead begin to enjoy local sites and parks. It may also lead to a less stressful, slower-paced, and more enjoyable life. Who knows!

Of utmost importance is that we keep in touch with family and friends more regularly than usual. A human voice or connection can go a long way to alleviate some of the stress and distress of this incredible time. Connect with someone now! You will both benefit!

WHAT CAN YOU DO DURING YOUR SELF-ISOLATION?

WHAT CAN YOU DO DURING YOUR SELF-ISOLATION?

When life deals you a bag of lemons don’t lament, make lemonade. Or so the expression goes. Well, when the current pandemic deals you a 14-day quarantine or two weeks of self-isolation, transform it into an opportunity. Take advantage of your sentence in solitary to do all of the things that you didn’t have time or the inclination to do when you were operating in your busy-mode. To assist you I am providing my list of some opportunities for the oppressed! 

• Start your own blog! It is not hard and there are Youtube videos to walk you through the process.
• You might just want to start a journal of how you are feeling and what you are doing during your fourteen-day exile. It doesn’t need to be creative or fancy, just honest and open.
• Time for a clothes closet cull. Go through all of your clothes and start to graduate old favourites to the thrift store bag and take the tags off the five shirts that you have hung up to acclimatize in your closet from two years ago.
• After the cull, hang all of your shirts, sweaters, T-shirts by colour like in a fashionable men’s (lady’s) store. 
• When was the last time all of your shoes received a good polish and shine? Have you something better to do?
• If you get on a roll, you can also address cleaning and reorganizing of the pantry, pots and pans drawer, towels and bedding shelves, the medicine cabinet and the junk drawer. 
• Now is the time to clean the “out-of-sight” locations in the house. eg under the rugs, behind the couch, under the couch cushions, behind the bed. Have you washed your lightbulbs lately? (I am really digging deep here!)
• Search for two new websites every day that you have never been on before and explore them in some depth.
• Watch a complete program on two TV channels that you never watch and see what you can discover.
• Go through your contact or telephone directory and every day make a point of phoning or face-timing at least one or two different people that you haven’t been in touch with lately. Now is the time when you can talk and talk - take advantage of it.
• Start to learn a new skill by exploring the YouTube world where there are lessons on everything from learning Spanish, to painting with watercolours, to playing guitar, to making soup. Learn something new.
• If you are in self-isolation it is still OK to go for a walk outdoors and still avoid any social contact under six feet. Wear gloves and walk in the park or around the block or in the backyard. Keep moving!
• Lots of time now to sort through old photo albums or organize your computer photo files. It will provide a great distraction.
• Of course, you can always read a book. It may be time to learn how to download books from the public library for free if you haven’t already done so.

And I have saved my number one suggestion for last. If you are searching for something interesting or stimulating to do with your time, you can always phone (403 - 474 -7520), email or FaceTime ME! That will not only help you pass the time but it will help make my days of isolation much more enjoyable! Thanks, in advance!

HOW CAN TWO DAYS BE SO DIFFERENT?

HOW CAN TWO DAYS BE SO DIFFERENT?

What a difference a day makes! Friday was our last day to enjoy our Mazatlan winter vacation and Sunday we were back home in Calgary.

FRIDAY was a typical day, similar to so many of the 65 days we spent in Mexico. I was awakened about 6 a.m. by the cooing of the local doves or pigeons and then the morning symphony of a dozen yapping and barking dogs announcing their importance. I turned off the air conditioner and made a small pot of coffee to help me navigate through my daily computer ritual of emails, favourite websites and a variety of newspaper online pages. In an hour, I donned my daily wardrobe of a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals and headed off for my morning walk around the neighbourhood. The sun was just beginning to burn the night chill away and businesses were setting up for the day. Restaurants were filling with tourists and locals all leisurely enjoying a typical breakfast. The main street beside our condo was humming with buses, taxis, motorbikes, and cars as everyone was scurrying to get to work. As I often did, I wandered over to the beach, a block away, to check on the tides and just watch the magic of wave after wave rolling in. In a park beside our beach, dozens of men were erecting a stage for a musical performance later in the day and dozens of others were erecting beer and food tents. A concert, beer fest, and truck show would be attended by hundreds that evening to celebrate as only Mexicans can. I happily wandered home to plot out the rest of my activities for our last day. 

SATURDAY was a travel day when we returned home.

SUNDAY was a day of total contrasts. I awoke at about 7 a.m. as I had set my internal alarm the night before, knowing that the nearest Safeway store opened at 7. On any other Sunday that would be insignificant, but today I was strongly motivated to refill our fridge and pantry because we had emptied them before we left for vacation. Of course, the coronavirus crises was the primary reason. I wanted to do our essential shopping before there were many people around as I was supposed to self isolate, but … I would only do it once! I donned my required warm sweater, jacket, and boots in order to face the minus 19 Centigrade temperatures and headed off. The streets were vacant except for a few cars and even the Safeway, which was surprisingly well-stocked, had few customers - just as I had hoped. The people I encountered were quiet and appeared quite serious. There was no joyful atmosphere in evidence. I shopped as quickly as possible, headed home and only then did I begin my daily ritual of reading the news, especially about the pandemic. The newspaper, the online editions and the TV newscasts devoted almost all of their time to the crisis and the daily updates. Unlike the Mexico that I knew from two days earlier, I didn’t observe any quiet restaurant breakfasts, busy streets or plans for a big party Sunday night. Instead of watching the waves this morning, I watched the white clouds of smoke and condensation rising over a snow-covered, frigid, Calgary landscape.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!

It is hard to believe that two days could be so totally different. In Calgary, there is a quiet caution and an edge of panic, but that is to be expected with all of the daily news updates. We are living in a very serious period of human history. It does not appear to me that the Mexicans have yet reached this degree of awareness, understanding or concern. And that is very concerning in itself. I am sure that it won’t be long before it happens, but in the meantime, the contagion clock is ticking. I think we all need to say a prayer or three for all of us!

WHY ARE WE MOVING TO MEXICO YOU ASK?

WHY ARE WE MOVING TO MEXICO YOU ASK?

The decision to move to Mexico took some deliberation, but in the end, the positives far outweighed the negatives. Some may consider it foolish or even dangerous to actually move to Mexico, but let me elaborate on the three primary reasons - the weather, the people and amenities, and the cost of living. 

Alberta means snow and cold, Mazatlan means sunshine and warm. After years of dressing like Nanook of the North for five months a year, it is wonderful to get up each morning and pull on a pair of shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals and feel completely dressed. Even if it is cloudy it is warm and there is no need to check the weather forecast every day. I have always felt that it could never be too hot, but it can without a doubt be too damn cold - even in spring and summer at home. So reason number one is pretty compelling.

Reason two is the easygoing lifestyle that exists here on the Sea of Cortez. Whether at home or here, we establish routines to carry us through the days and weeks. One of my favourite factors is not having to drive a car daily. We can ride the bus for 75 cents or take a nice taxi or pulmonia for less than five dollars anytime we want. We spend more on gas for our cars at home than we do on transportation here. We have excellent internet service, television options and the incredible telephone system is almost free, compared to the offerings by Telus or Shaw at home. 

The people are also very friendly. At any time of day when you pass a Mexican walking on the street, they invariably say Buenos Dias or Buenos Noches, and they don’t know you from Adam. It is just courtesy. At home, people on the street routinely avoid eye contact, keep their heads down and generally are focussed on their cellphone. Not in Mexico! Waiters, clerks, and service people are adept at being pleasant and happy to serve. And they don’t annoyingly tell me that their name is Pedro and they are going to be my waiter. They just do their job, quietly and efficiently.

The third major reason for moving to Mexico is the much lower cost of living. We can rent a new fully furnished and modern condo or apartment for half the price of Calgary. As a renter, we don’t need to pay for utilities, internet, maintenance, or taxes. Add those little expenses up! Everything is cheaper. Some other examples:

• a movie costs $2.50 and some days it is two for one
• a dental check-up, x-ray, and cleaning will cost you $20
• ten beer costs $7
• vegetables of every kind are usually less than a dollar a pound
• giant shrimp are $7 a pound and fresh from the boat
• restaurant meals are less than half the cost at home

I could ramble on endlessly but I will resist. The cost of living, and living well, is much cheaper. At the same time we have access to all of the amenities of modern grocery chains, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Home Depot. Medical and dental services are cheap and top quality, while pharmacies often don’t even require prescriptions. The list goes on and on, but I am not here to recruit, just to explain.

In addition to the top three reasons, we are two blocks from the ocean and the beach. Regular excursions to sit and watch the waves rolling endlessly in, or read a book, or watch the passing parade of beach walkers starts any day off on the right foot. I hate to admit it but it even beats my regular walks into Edworthy Park and along the Bow River. And that is very hard to do. 

That is a synopsis of the rationale for moving to Mexico. I hope that it will be a sufficient explanation and you will not miss us too much when we move. The last and final step in my plan is to convince Darlene that it is a good idea. Wish me luck!

PS We return home Saturday so I have at least nine months to try to sell my plan before we return next January!