Yesterday afternoon

after I locked everything up and waited for my bus, I felt ok and got to Clairview station. A brief wait. I got to read for a bit and we were underway. However just before the train crossed the Yellowhead highway it stalled saying there is some kind of situation ahead on the line causing LRT delay. We waited there for about 20 minutes. I cracked open a can of diet pop and read my book. When the driver said we were allowed to proceed the train limped along to Rexall, then Stadium. Just after Stadium crossing I think 92nd the Police had a large area of track tapped off and a squad car. When we got underground we sped up normally and I missed my stop and got off at Grandin. I called My Supervisor at the Office and said to Moe that I’d be detained. I ended up getting in at 5:15pm. First time I’ve ever been late. I ended up with $350 as we weren’t doing Magic. Thank God. I had a pretty good night pulling in a $10 bonus.

I woke up around 11pm figuring I’ll sleep until about 12:20pm and catch how the afternoon markets are doing since the new US bail out plan was accepted-first part. But when I woke up it was 2pm! Yikes, I didn’t mean to sleep in this late. So I fixed a coffee. Anne’s off today as well and since she figured I’m not at lodge tonight, there goes my $5 and I won’t get a full pay cheque Friday for missing last Monday. However we have just enough to keep things going month-by-month but next week Anne is going to be applying for rental subsidy. Even though we don’t have rent controls here in Alberta like they do in other Provinces, we have subsidy. It works out to be about 30% of ones income up to $33K/year. We might get $500 extra a month. Hopefully we’ll get that going this fall. We’ve got the paper work, we just need to fill out a few things and we’re ready to go with it.

I told Moe I wouldn’t be in for tonight because of the Lodge meeting. I’m calling Nathan to let him know I’m not feeling well and I’d like a night off. He doesn’t need to know that last part. I read a bit while waiting for my train. Two cars meant no Oiler home game. I was able to read on the way home and I got my #183 and got off at Sifton school and walked home. Anne tried calling but my cell phone had been reduced to about 2% battery so we got cut off.

Over the past several days I’ve discovered a nice series of piano tutorials. Very generous ones as well that explained Major, Minor diminished and augmented chords and show how to build them and various scales as well. There’s about 69 individual lessons.

Work last night wasn’t so bad. I ended up sharing top total with Melody who doesn’t use the disclaimer. As she left for the elevator Moe gave her a thumbs up and mentioned what a great job she did (never mind me that had the same total. I’m just glad I have a day off today even though it’s a payday. I get my cheque on Friday and October’s rent is paid, I got my insulin for the month and our transit passes. The cable/Internet bill is all paid up. I’m broke with barely $7 to my name but that’s ok. Anne mentioned that we will be getting our GST cheque this month. Probably next week. In which case I need to get some Provincial ID at the registry where we got our marriage license. With the ID I can get secured Visa.

If, Lord forbid, Canadians elect Dion, goes to show me Canadians are idiots. Fortunately, I have enough faith in my fellow Canadians to reelect (PC) Harper. Dion’s platform is the (Liberal) Green shaft. This screws all Canadians. Jack Layton wants a cap and trade and this screws Alberta.

The Green party of course, well they don’t count. I don’t know what I’m going to do if Dion is elected. Maybe Keith has some room on that island property he wants to by and we can all weather the storm on it together.

So it seems now that some scientists and AGW people are saying that methane trapped as solids on the ocean floor in the artic might be responsible for global warming. So it looks like the environmentalists are about to change their “It’s all mankind’s fault,” tune. Yet at the same time in the news there is supposed to be a large pile of floating garbage the size of the state of Texas looming about a hundred miles off the coast of Hawaii. Don’t get me wrong folks, I’m not against “saving the planet.” I just don’t think we need to save the planet at the expense of losing jobs and carbon taxes and other social engineering schemes wont save the planet either. We need to develop alternative energy sources but not at the expense of the economy and jobs. Oil isn’t going to be around forever and 80 years worth of oil before its gone is just around the corner. I believe were sitting on some technology that will allow for unlimited energy. But the LHC isn’t going to be the be end all scenario that will save us. Yeesh, they can barely get this thing to work.

Speaking about the LHC after hearing how China's space program acllerating and their plans for landing a man on the moon, I thought wouldn't that be funny if the LHC finds traversable worm holes at the same time the Chinese begin to land on the moon and out walks onto the lunar surface from a wormhole in preasure suits someone from Nasa, Canada, Europe and waves at the Chinese team as they are getting off their lunar lander. That'd be funny.

Apparently the reason for the big tie-up on the LRT yesterday causing me to be late for work was somebody walked into the oncoming train on 95th street about 20 meters before the tracks go underground. Someone committing suicide in other words. Something like this happens every couple of years. I feel sorry for the driver who most likely is in shock over something like this.

We’re enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon and an evening off. Our birds are chirping away on our balcony. All thins considered, we’re not doing to bad. I just wish there was an Oiler hockey game on but next one is tomorrow. Sigh. They’ve hired to waivers a Steve McIntyre as a bit of an “enforcer” just to let other teams know that they can’t take liberties with our skilled players.

Unfortunately because tomorrow is my pay cheque day, I wont be able to get my SFF book for Friday night. Instead I’ll go to Audrey’s on Saturday afternoon and pick up something. There have been a few Nancy Kress books I want to pick up and other books on Ebay “Forgotten Realms” etc. Kind of a long entry for me today, but you might not get anything from me until maybe Saturday or Sunday, we’ll see.

Anyway Bloggers, that‘s all for now

e. Jim