AlanBrand.com

After officially taking early retirement in January, I found that my life began to lack structure. In a move designed to get me out of bed in the morning and to earn a fluid income - gas and oil for Grace and various tasty brews for me (coffee, that is) - I’ve taken on a new career.

Following a great deal of classroom and on-road training, I passed by B class driving test last week, and soon will be found manoeuvering a 40 foot school bus and occupants around town.

It’s surprising how small the road becomes when you shift from a car to a school bus - especially when making turns!

I test drove my route this morning and was only cut off once - by a lady in a black Mitsubishi Lancer (BJFM 673) who dived in front of me from the right lane to beat a couple of cars only to hold me up half a block later when she decidided to make a right turn and stopped in the left lane with her turn signal on until traffic cleared in the lane she’d recently abandoned. Idiot!

Warning to drivers in Owen Sound: I do take notes and I will out you, so please drive carefully near a school bus in case it’s mine!

Amy had her best ever game yesterday at the Special Olympics 5 pin bowling in Owen Sound.

Four strikes in a row, a “four-pack”, contributed to a record score of 184. All the lanes came to a complete stop as she was inundated with cheers & high fives, a donut, a chocolate bar, chips (crisps), and even cash by the staff, parents and her team-mates. Sadly, I’d gone home to bed after dropping her at the bowling alley (nursing a cold) and missed the whole thing. B*ggeration.

I’ve ordered a commemorative mug from Zazzle with the above image to celebrate the event.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Canada great. Not to imply that Canada is necessarily greater than any other country. Please know this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

I’ve been away from the Blog for a few weeks, but now I’m back. My absence was mostly the result of a cold that turned into a nasty bacterial infection that has attacked my ears, sinuses, throat and chest and left me in no fit state to do much of anything. I don’t recommend it.

The next few entries will be catch-up, and may be old news as I post them now.

NASA is offering a chance for everybody to become an astronaut on the next Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, though in name only.

Participants can submit their information at lro.jhuapl.edu/NameToMoon/, print a certificate and have their name entered into a database. The database will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft.

I signed Amy up and surprised her with the Certificate … she’s thrilled, and says it’s “very cool”.

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a lot quieter than last year’s bonanza event when there was a “surprise” party attended by lots of friends and family. After a pleasant morning drive on snow-free back roads for a car club meeting, this year was spent watching the NFL playoff games on TV, playing Quiddler with Jan & Amy, phone calls from Mum, Terry, Alexa, & Leah, and pigging out on a splendid curry dinner prepared by Jan … a wonderful day. The crowning touch was the perfect gifts that I received … Mickey Mouse playing cards and The Guinness Drinking Companion from my Big Girls and families, and a 5 dvd collection of Ealing comedies from Jan & Amy.
Family, friends, old cars, games, Guinness, books, movies, and a couple of hours in the car listening to early R&B and Soul music … I seem to have covered just about all the bases. Lucky me.

It was Doreen, Henry, Elizabeth and Matthew’s turn to come up from the Big City, and they managed to visit from last Saturday evening until this morning. They brought us a surprise family Christmas present … our very own clay poker chips in an aluminium case, so much nicer than the cheap plastic ones we had been using! Much playing of Rumolli, teaching of chess, making of snow angels and eating of good food was enjoyed, and the weather behaved itself for their traveling.

Once again the house feels empty when guests have left.

Jamie & Alexa, and Leah & Grant came up from the Big City on Friday evening for an early Christmas with us. We exchanged presents and had good times, good food, drink, a couple of games of Scene It and a marathon game of Rumolli. Jamie managed to find time to make a few snow angels and a snowman on Saturday afternoon, before they made their way home late Saturday evening.

When we got up this morning the house felt very empty. When we looked outside, the garden looked pretty empty too, as the snowman had also gone. For once, the weather co-operated and gave them a minor thaw for their travel … we now have Flash Freeze, Snowsquall and High Winds weather warnings, in addition to the expected overnight flurries. Let’s hope that Doreen, Henry, Elizabeth and Matthew have the same “good” weather next weekend for Part II.

Top Gear … The Stig … Boardgame … Driving …

That adds up to a great way to spend a winter evening, and only £21.23. I’m buying a TopGear Race The Stig Game just as soon as they’re back in stock.

Use your cash strategically to build the best car possible. Answer trivia questions, test your luck on the chance cards and try to set the fastest possible lap time in this electronic, interactive board game.