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A Commitment to Celibacy...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
- Hits: 562
So, something to look forward later in the week, Wednesday night, a date.
And the best of intentions - as too often is the case, are derailed by Jr. popping into town on Tuesday night and wanting to tie one on. Which we do, hitting half a dozen bars and ordering doubles at every one becoming in gradual and quick increments every shade of possible annoying. This doesn't particularly matter as few of these bars are worth hanging out in, and I'm not a "bar" guy, but by the last one we're barred from having drinks (reasonably enough). Eventually I pack him into a taxi and send him off.
Phew.
I did not need that.
Wednesday day is devoted to recovery; and so finding myself a nice park bench across from Oso to enjoy the sun and lie down for a long nap to recover. A long nap. A few hours, the sun is perfect, hot, I even manage a sunburn. Slowly I'm recombobulating.
Wednesday night, 8:00 PM, date shows, she's a beautiful elegant European, we drink sparkling water and chat and I'm impressed, and she's laughing a charming laugh and pulls out her phone and she happened to be out for a walk today and took this picture and isn't it funny and .... there I am, on the bench, out like a light.
And I realize that I've taken this celibacy thing a little bit far, doubled down on it, made my bed as it were and I should have left myself an opening, allowed for the possibility that I might change my mind....
Drink your sparkling water, chat (as well as I am able, which is not so...), and that's that and it has become painfully apparent that it's time I do some serious reforming of my lifestyle...
The Black Screen of Death
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 904
Now this laptop, it's due dire death, overdue, nigh-on-useless, so - unfolding it at the café I'm not surprised to get the black screen of death. Not the blue screen, merely a black screen that doesn't tell me if it's on or off or what the fuck is up...
I'm ok with the computer dying, only I have a lot of documents on it. Text files. Writing. Projects. And so I need to find someway get it to work, if only to back it up...
So, troubleshooting possible problems with the internet on my phone (an infinitely more useful computer, if only it had a proper keypad...), googling "Black Screen HP Stream" and I get a few troubleshooting guides - hard reboot, (tried 5 times, no luck), unplug (tried), various other methods, all to no avail. And then the methods become preposterous - "Control-Alt-Delete", and you try it, but the screen is still blank and so I can't resort to the task-manager which would supposedly help me to cure the black screen if only I could see the task manager.
These articles, they're mostly written by tech-shamans, just propose anything and eventually if it works they can take the credit...like "hold it under running water" or "take it to an expert"...the same tech-support strategies practiced by Shaw Cable, absolute bullshit. The situation is growing desperate...
I undertake the tap, bang, nudge and shake philosophy, to no effect. The screen is still black. Increase the violence. Turn off and on again. No luck. I'm beginning to suspect a hardware failure.
Eventually I find the solution - hold down on the Windows+B key and perform a hard reboot.
This solves it. An actual tech article written by somebody who's solved the issue. This is about as rare as finding a fact on Facebook. Now to back-up my computer...
The Restaurant, Now Open
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 843
Saturday, up early to catch the bus. Go for a coffee, enjoy it because the next few days I'll be couch surfing out in Balfour, and nothing makes you appreciate town like a few days in the country.
Only I've read the bus schedule wrong, missed it by perhaps 10 minutes, and am stuck for an hour and a quarter beside the highway hitchhiking for a ride.
This is a new record.
Eventually, Wayne from ********* picks me up, heading with his kids to Ainsworth to pass the day - local, it's always the locals, if you see an Alberta plate don't even bother putting out your thumb.
Wayne proves an interesting fellow, with a temperament that reminds me somewhat of Wayne from "Wayne's World".
Customers, a few regulars - R****, an older guy, maybe in his 70's, a certain fame or notoriety depending on who you speak to, hopping in on one leg (he carries his prosthetic under his arm or over his shoulder and has been noted on occasion to even wear it), he sits at the bar, JR. serves.
Other customers have told me tales about him, about how when he was younger he would hide in the trees to drop upon the logging trucks, he's one of the local activists. A proper sort of Kootenay Character, the kind that are too regular lost to grasping landlords and gentrification.
+++++
Dag's in, she's found a ride, "my neighbor, he's stoned 24/7; a real pothead..." she tells me. "Soulmate, perhaps?" I enquire. She laughs.
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The Menu, revised to reflect the increases in costs, restaurants, they're a dying breed. Ours has seen increases in the round of 20% over the year before. Last year they revised the menu again and prices went up 20%. We were always expensive, now we're prohibitive.
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The owners, they're showing it to potential buyers. They're older, they look to be retired, and I'm wondering what could induce people with the kind of money needed to buy this place to consider sacrificing a peaceful retirement for the "investment" opportunity afforded by this restaurant. After they've left the the owner is explaining to me that the wife is "healing" via "Quantum...." and she can't remember the word. I know what she's talking about. "Quantum Jumping" I say.
Sr. is shaking his head. I explain, because I get these video "recommendations" all of the time on YouTube, and have succumbed to most of the rabbit holes.
"Imagine that there existed somewhere in the infinite multiverse an intelligent, good looking, successful version of yourself...now, imagine harder and pray and maybe you can become that person....", he's baffled, his wife is laughing, I clarify to her later: "Yeah, I visited all the multiverses, there was no multiverse where he was both good looking and intelligent, you have to choose...".
In absence of our trusty scapegoat I've assigned our chef - S*** - the role of Ken, and have begun ascribing Ken's backstory to S*** with all the new employees. I don't think S***'s impressed, but - this restaurant needs a Ken like every trashcan needs an "Oscar the Grouch" and until I find another he's it.
+++++
The weekend passes. One young couple, up from Idaho, chatty, here for the hot springs, they're having a great time, loving it, going to make it a yearly thing. So I make my recommendations as to the sights in the area, and, now back in the restaurant they're breathlessly telling me that they got engaged. And she shows me her diamond ring, very pretty, diamonds all round the band and they're both over the moon and more than a little tipsy. Their Facebook is blowing up, and they're soon busy answering all their messages.
Even at our prices there are still customers, although a lot of them are getting in the habit of splitting burgers and appetizers, I can't blame them, we've gotten too bloody expensive.
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In town, checking town prices, The Main St. Diner, good food, similarly vast menu, 35% cheaper. With the 25% tipping "option", which I find annoying, but at our prices we're in no position to be slinging mud.
The Trier Gold Hoard
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Found
- Hits: 819
Over 2500 Gold Coins with a combined weight of almost 20 KG found during construction in Germany, 1993.
Note the paltry payoff given to the man who recovered the bulk of the treasure - a mere 20, 000 DM. No wonder the vast majority of ancient treasures get melted down - the law actively discourages the finding of treasure.
This was the largest Roman Era gold hoard ever discovered.
Regardless of the gold value, the historical value is priceless, and this is precisely what is lost when things go onto the black market.
Link: Wikipedia on Trier Gold Hoard
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