Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Lost Time

Today marks the third anniversary since we took delivery of our 2019 Kia Niro, though it doesn't seem that long ago. Time became really wonky after the pandemic arrived and February 28, 2020 seems like a year ago.

Our odometer also lends itself to having me believe that we haven't had our hybrid crossover vehicle for that long, as the meter shows just over 50,000 kilometres, a milestone that would normally have been surpassed in under two years. We have made several trips to the GTA, for Kid 1 and Kid 2, but because I now work from home and the car leaves the garage only a couple of times a week, our hybrid automobile is getting even better mileage.

It even runs well when DW and I have our kayaks strapped to the roof and the trunk packed with paddling and camping gear. And there's something about cruising in rush-hour traffic on battery power, watching the range of the car increase, that gives us satisfaction.

While I wasn't crazy about the look of the Niro when we first purchased it, the large grill and pulled-back headlamps have grown on me. I get excited when I see another one on the road (we don't see many in Ontario but we did see quite a few of them in Portugal).

Both DW and I love this vehicle. We enjoy it way more than we ever thought possible. When we lived in South Korea, Kia made flimsy cars: their fit and finish was terrible and they ran rough. I had had the opportunity to drive a few of them in the two years that we lived in Chŏnju, and considered them one of the lamest of vehicles of which I've ever found myself behind the wheel.

The idea of ever owning one would make me laugh.

But when Hyundai absorbed Kia, the quality in both vehicles dramatically improved. The Niro is a solid car, handles well, has some pep, and is quiet (something that could not be said of the Kias of the late 1990s). The fit and finish is well-done, and there are more comforts and useful gadgets than on any car I've ever owned.

I would seriously consider buying another Kia in the future.

Of course, this Niro is only starting its fourth year, and we aim to have it for at least 10. Let's see how it ages.

But I wish my hybrid car a happy third anniversary, though time seems to have been lost and it seems like only yesterday when we left our Ford Focus at the dealership and drove you off the lot. May you continue to run smoothly.

Monday, February 27, 2023

My 2023 Reading List

It's a modest list. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I'm still trying to get back into the habit of reading before going to bed. I have to tell myself to put my smartphone down for the evening and leave it there. But I'm getting better.

I haven't purchased a new book in years because the ones that I did buy have been collecting dust, their covers never cracked open. And so I've made those books a priority this year.

As I said, it's a modest reading list. If I get through them, I'll add more. I have plenty of unread novels on my book shelves. But here it is, including the book I've already read:

  • The Lonely Hearts Hotel, by Heather O'Neill (finished): I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
  • Hungry Ghosts, by Peggy Blair (in progress): Peggy is a friend of mine and she gave me this copy of her novel some years ago. I've already read her first two Inspector Ramirez novels and so far, this one seems to be the best one.
  • A Song For The Dark Times
    , by Ian Rankin: Ian is one of my favourite authors and I've met him a few times (he even recommended a whisky to me and it's now one of my favourites). I will never tire of Scottish crime novels and Rankin's John Rebus stories are addictive.
  • A Heart Full Of Headstones, also by Ian Rankin: Kid 1 gave Rankin's latest Rebus novel to me for Christmas, but because the Rebus stories are chronological, I have to start with A Song For The Dark Times first. I imagine these books will be read in quick succession.
  • The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt.
  • The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson.
  • My Name is Red, by Orhan Pamuk.
  • American War, by Omar El Akkad.

The final four novels were given to me many Christmases ago but all they've done is collect dust on a bookshelf. It's not a huge list, but given that I haven't done much reading at all over the past several years, it's a good start.

If I finish these books before 2023 has come to a close, I can certainly add more titles to my list. After all, there are so many books in our house that I haven't touched. This is just a start.

And as soon as I finish these books, I'll likely pass most of them on. Last year, I complained that I've collected so many books that I could start my own small library. I need to let most of them go, but like my reading habits, that task fell by the wayside.

Wish me luck.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Upgrade

I always buy my own gifts. At least, my own Christmas and birthday gifts, when I know exactly what I want.

There's no room for error, no way that I'm given something that's similar but not exactly the same thing. Coming from DW, the money's coming from our joint account, so the gift is being funded from the same source.

And I don't need to wait for the exact date, be it December 25 or the first week in March.

If I want it, I get it, and attribute the gift to that special occasion.

I've wanted this device since it first came out, late last summer. I was thinking that it would have been nice to take with us to Portugal, but I couldn't justify the cost on top of the price for our vacation, so I decided to wait. If there was a sale price at Christmas, it would be the gift to myself.

It didn't go on sale. Not for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, nor Boxing Day.

I really wanted to have it for our trip to Mexico, but again, I couldn't justify the full price. Come my birthday, I said, I'll get it, no matter if it's on sale or not. Because I received no gifts for Christmas, save a book from Kid 1, I could say that it would be a combination of Christmas and birthday gift, to myself.

The last time I ordered a video camera from Insta360, it took nearly two weeks. I wanted to have it in time for my birthday, so I ordered the Insta360 X3 camera last Friday.

On Sunday, I received a notification that the camera had shipped, and that I would receive it on February 23 (yesterday). Only six days. Excellent.

But on Tuesday, I received another notification that the camera was out for delivery and would arrive that day. I was excited, and looked out the window to my home office every time I heard a vehicle roll down our street. I was like a kid, on Christmas Eve, waiting by the fireplace, waiting for Santa to come down the chimney.

It arrived just over an hour after my delivery notification.


I know: I have two Insta360 cameras already. I received my first camera, the One X, just before DW and I left for Mexico, in 2019, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. And I took it with me to South Korea in May of that same year.

In the summer of 2020, Insta360 came out with the One R, a modular camera that allowed you to change the lenses from a 360-degree module to a single, 4K lens, to a lens with a one-inch sensor. I continued to use my One X for underwater video and as a backup, and I used the One R for most of my kayaking videos.

(I'm actually on my second One R, having pooched my first one in an underwater mishap while kayaking.)

In 2021, when the X2 came out, it was touted as the successor to the One X. It had a touch screen (though small) and could go underwater without the dive case that the One X required. At first, it attracted me as an upgrade to my first camera, but after watching a couple of reviews on YouTube, I learned that the video quality was not much of an upgrade and it didn't have any features that I didn't already have with my One R.

If I had the One R, said one reliable YouTuber that I follow, it wasn't worth putting out the money for the X2.

And so I waited.

Insta360 came out with three new cameras in 2022: the one-inch One R edition, the One RS, which was a slight upgrade to the One R, and the X3. The one-inch One R was slightly attractive but it was much more expensive than my budget would allow. The One RS was only slightly better than the One R, but the X3 was much improved from the One X.

Better resolution, more features, could go underwater, up to 10 metres, without a case, and had a large touch screen that is only slightly smaller than my first smartphone. I wanted it but would have to wait.

The waiting is over.



My One X still captures decent video, including underwater, and so I'm going to continue to use it with its dive case when I go snorkelling. It's a good backup camera.

I'll continue to use my One R, as the interchangeable lenses make it quite versatile. On our recent trip to Mexico, I used the One R with the 4K module for all of the underwater footage that I captured in Akumal Bay.

But the X3 is now my main video camera and I can't wait to attach it to the deck of my kayak or clamp it onto my bicycle. For the next few months, while we still have snow, I'll be putting it through its paces, getting to know it.

It's also supposed to be good as a digital camera, capturing images at 72 megapixels.

I've promised myself that this will be the last 360 camera I buy until it wears out. With my three video cameras, I don't think I could justify owning a fourth while any of these three are still going strong.

That's the plan, anyway. Stay tuned.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Beer O'Clock: Organic Hazy IPA

It appears that my past few beer reviews have been about breweries that are located in Southern Ontario, and that's entirely a fluke. When I choose a beer to review, I'm either captured by the funky label or I'm in a particular mood for a certain style of brew, and seek it out in something I've never had before.

When I focus in on a can or bottle, I may recognize the brewer. If it's a brewery with which I'm familiar but I don't recognize the beer, I tend to pick it up if I like that brewery. If I don't recognize the brewer but am still attracted to the style of beer and the packaging, I'll take it home and learn more about the brewery there.

Such is the case with the past new brews that I've reviewed. I didn't discover the location of the brewery until after I brought the can home and after I've tried the contents therein. (I try not to read a label too much because I don't want to be influenced by any descriptions.)

The label on this can was pretty obvious about where the beer was from. Larger than the name of this IPA—I was in the mood for a juicy, hazy IPA—was the word 'London.' For all I knew, this brew was made in the UK, but I had my doubts. I've never had a hazy IPA from the birthplace of IPAs.

And it wasn't until I sat down to try this ale that it dawned on me that my past several reviews have come from Southern Ontario: Sarnia, Hamilton, Burlington, and Toronto. And now, London.

There are so many breweries from this part of the province that it's no surprise that I would stumble onto a few. So how does this cooperative, organic ale go down? Let's take a look.

Organic Hazy IPA (6.5% ABV)
London Brewing
London ON

Appearance: when the contents of the can moved into the glass, it appeared clearer than I had imagined; but after it hit the glass and the effervescence kicked in, it grew to a cloudy, pale apricot with a foamy, white head that left a thin but solid cap that remained in place.

Nose: tropical notes of pineapple and lime led the way to guava and a touch of lychee. The aromas, themselves are deliciously intoxicating and inviting.

Palate: more tropical flavours and a touch of pine and cantaloupe. There's a bitterness in the mouth that isn't overpowering but does slightly upstage the fruit. On subsequent sips, those bitter hops blend with the guava and pineapple, and grows to a more balanced finish.

The ale took some time for my mouth to adjust to everything.

Overall impression: this is a good hazy IPA and was just what I was looking for. Though not quite as juicy as I've had in other hazy IPAs, it didn't disappoint me at all. It's easy to drink, and though it boasts a higher alcohol level, the alcohol does not stand out. I would happily reach for another.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

Organic Hazy IPA can be found in the LCBO and you can order directly from London Brewing—a $10 delivery fee to anywhere in Ontario is well worth it.

I'll try to branch out from Southern Ontario for my next review but I won't promise anything. For the most part, I've been impressed with the brews I've tried and there are oh so many more breweries from which to sample.

Cheers!

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Welcome to Paradise

On Sunday, DW and I were out, running errands and taking time for a walk through one of the nature trails around Ottawa (see tomorrow's Wordless Wednesday), and at one point my brain wandered and I thought, once this is done, let's head to the buffet at Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort, and have a bite to eat.

Of course, we weren't in Mexico.

I really missed our stay at the resort and wished that we were still there, even though it had been just over two weeks since we had been there.

On Saturday, I sifted through the video footage that I had captured during our stay and had put together a short video, which I uploaded to my YouTube channel. And boy, did I wish we were still there.

I left a lot of clips on the editing floor, so to speak, but I'm happy with the snippets that I compiled to make my latest memories of our trip. Here's the video of our resort, mixed with a walk along a trail that follows the coastline and a journey into the beach part of Akumal town, as well as a peek into the older, less touristy part of Akumal.

Take a break and have a look.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, February 20, 2023

Way Off the Wagon

The jury's in: sugar is my kryptonite.

Going dry is not a problem. Going without the savory goodness of potato chips is not my weakness.

It's sugar. Something that I don't tend to crave, but if placed before me, I crumble.

DW's to blame: she baked brownies; she allowed cake in the house. And yet, I resisted.

She stopped in Costco, eyeing the cinnamon buns, and I said a loud and resounding "No!"

At the same Costco visit, she picked up a bag of Chicago Mix—a combination of both caramel and cheesy popcorn, and I wavered. "You eat the caramel, and I'll have the cheese popcorn."

"No way," she said. "You pour a bowl, and you eat what you get."

For days, I resisted. I don't really care for the caramel popcorn, even when I'm avoiding sugar, which I've been doing for the past two weeks, when we returned from Mexico. I had consumed a lot of sugary cocktails and I had wanted to take a break from processed sugar, for at least until the end of the month, or hopefully until my birthday.

My parents had come to our house with a cake and I resisted. DW baked a batch of brownies, and I resisted. She bought Cadbury Easter Cream Eggs, and I was strong.

But the Chicago mix was my weakness.

I shook the bag, hoping that the heavier caramel would sink to the bottom. When I poured the bag into a bowl, the cheesy popcorn fell from the bag, and I was relieved. But then the caramel kernels escaped. I stopped pouring but it was too late.

As is my habit, I ate all of the caramel pieces before devouring my desired cheesy bits.

I had no regrets.

The next day, DW opened the bag of Easter Cream Eggs. I had one. My fast was over.

That afternoon, at a stop to Farm Boy, to pick up a red pepper for the evening's dinner, DW nabbed a box of iced brownie squares (she had devoured the ones that she had baked, and wanted something for when my parents were coming over for a night of The Crown).

I ate one and a half of them.

I went two weeks without eating sugar. I had seemingly lost the fat that I had gained while in Mexico.

I don't want a cake for my birthday. That's my punishment.

Ugh.

Tell me to stop drinking, and I can do it without batting an eye. Ask me to forego potato chips for a month, and it's no problem, though I will miss them.

Ask me to go without a sugary treat? Apparently, that's where the cookie crumbles.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Catouflage

Cece will sleep anywhere.

We have cat beds throughout the house and cat trees on the main and top floors. And, of course, we have three human beds and several sofas on all levels of the house.

But no, she'll choose a laundry basket that's filled with freshly folded clothes, still warm from the drier. She'll curl up in a box that was just unpacked with something from Amazon, or some other online shopping site.

And recently, after we pulled a basket filled with stuffed animals from Kid 2's closet, from which our daughter picked a toy to re-gift, Cece wasted no time in making herself comfortable.

With her black, white, and orange fur, she had no difficulty blending in with the fake furry friends. I say that Cece is purrfectly catouflaged.


Happy Friday!

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Beer O'Clock: Chocolate Milk Peanut Butter Porter

As much as I love my classic stouts and porters, every once and a while I like to try those that have been flavoured, be it vanilla, raspberry, or pretzel. Some brewers like to add extra sweetness to make the stout or porter more like a dessert, like Souther Tier's Crème Brulée Stout (which is no longer available on their Web site) or some of the crazy flavoured brews from Rogue Brewery (again, no longer available on their Web site).

I absolutely love when a brewer adds some lactose to a stout or porter, giving it a milky creaminess that makes me think of chocolate chip cookies. Some of my favourite additions to these dark ales include vanilla, chocolate, and (lately) peanut butter.

Some time back, I reviewed a peanut butter and raspberry milkshake stout that had me wanting to try peanut butter in my stout again, and on my last visit to my friendly neighbourhood LCBO, I spied a porter that was displayed at the checkout, as I was purchasing a bottle of wine to give a friend for his birthday.

I added two cans to my purchase.

I didn't recognize the brewery and noticed that it is located in Sarnia, Ontario. As far as I can remember, I've never had beer from this Southern Ontario city before, either. So it was time to give city, brewery, and brew a try.

Chocolate Milk Peanut Butter Porter (6.2 % ABV; 30 IBUs)
Imperial City Brew House
Sarnia ON

Appearance: pours a dark walnut with a foamy taupe head that risked overflowing in the glass but eventually settled to a solid cap.

Nose: peanut butter permeates the room—you don't need to stick your nose into the glass. But when you do stick your nose in and give a sniff, you can cut through the peanut butter and capture aromas of creamy milk chocolate.

Palate: I thought that the peanut butter would lead the way but it's the chocolate that I detected first. The peanut butter comes up on the porter's flanks and carry the brew to a perfect marriage of chocolate and peanut butter. In the lengthy finish left me with the slightly bitter taste of peanut skins and made me wonder if the brewer shelled the legumes and threw both peanuts and skins into the mash. The peanut flavour seems to only give the impression of peanut butter because of the creamy lactose.

There are no nuts used in the making of this porter, nor is there even any chocolate. The ingredients list boasts both natural and artificial flavour, and as disappointing as that sounded to me, I was glad that this brew wasn't going to turn away those who had nut allergies.

Overall impression: this is a nice flavoured porter that falls squarely in the dessert category. It filled me up after lunch and left me feeling satisfied. Despite the lack of actual peanut butter or chocolate, it tastes like the real thing and the balance of both flavours makes for a satisfying bevvy. If you like flavoured ales and like the combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter (think Reese), you'll like this porter.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺 + .5

You can find Imperial City's porter in the LCBO. Pick up some while it lasts.

Cheers!

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Under the Sea

One of the most rewarding things to come out of my YouTube videos was a comment from a viewer who told me that because of one of my Akumal Bay videos, his or her family (no name given) was heading there for vacation. As it turned out, they were going to be at the resort at the same time as DW and myself.

"If you see me," I replied, "please come and say 'hello.'"

We never met. It's a small resort but big enough to miss one another.

An even bigger reward came, while DW and I were there, when we met a very nice couple from Montreal. In one of our conversations, one of them told me that she watches YouTube more than network or cable television.

"Maybe you can take a look at my channel," I suggested.

The very next day, our new friend told me that she had checked out our channel, and said, "When we were researching this resort, we had already watched one of your videos." It helped them make the final decision to book.

I'm honoured.

This weekend, I finally put together a short video that captures DW's and my time in the bay, exploring the myriad sea life and searching for turtles. On one of our outings, our Montreal friends came with us (though, you won't see them in this video: perhaps, in the next one).

It's only two-and-a-half minutes: give yourself a break (I suppose you're already on one if you're reading this post).

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Ten Best

Meh.
"Just pick your best 10, Ross." Or something to that effect.

Easier said than done.

A couple of months ago, a friend reached out to me with an invitation. His small town was organizing a show at their art gallery, whereby photographers from Eastern Ontario and the surrounding regions would be displaying some photographs, and he thought that my photos should be included in the show.

He was a friend to the gallery and would also be displaying some of his work. "If I can sell even one of my photos, you'll be able to sell all of yours," he told me. I was humbled by his praise and accepted the invitation.

All I had to do, he said, was to select 10 of my photos. There is no theme for the show, as of yet. "We'll come up with one once we've seen all the entries."

There were a couple of photos that immediately came to mind, and my friend even suggested one of those images. "I know exactly where we'd hang it in the gallery. It's sort of the place of honour."

Again, I was humbled.

Very few of my photos have been printed. In our house, there are only so many walls upon which we can hang a print. A couple of years ago, when DW and I were converting Kid 1's room into a study—after she had moved out—we printed a half dozen or so of my photos, most of which took up the walls in this room; one, that adorns the hallway on our second floor; and another that we've hung over our bed.

A lot of those photos have meaning for us but when I look at them with a more critical eye, I wonder if they have any kind of market appeal?

Some, no.

So, in early January and over this past weekend, I started going through all of my photos with one question in mind: would a stranger find any of my photos good enough to want to hang on their walls? It's one of the hardest questions I can put to myself because I'm extremely critical of my photos. There are perhaps only a handful of them that I feel are good enough to hang in a gallery.

I say I've started going through all of my photos, but that's a gross over-exaggeration. Going back more than 40 years, I've taken tens of thousands of photos. Years ago, I had purchased a scanner to transform my 35mm negatives and slides into digital files, and I've only scanned a small fraction of them, yet still have a digital file folder that is holding thousands of these converted image files.

My thousands of 35mm photos, in of themselves, make only a small fraction of photos I've shot, as the digital age allowed me (and every other photographer) to shoot countless shots, not having to worry about film.

It's a blessing and a curse, am I right?

I like to think that I've digitized the best of my old photos, so I've sorted which of those I'm considering for the exhibit. There are only two of those, and one, I've already printed on a 24" x 36" canvas. The other shot is in a file folder with other images that I've looked at and have considered potential for printing.

DW, who is unapologetically my biggest critic, has already pointed to some of the photos on our walls and has said, "That one would sell." I've shown her some of my unprinted images, to which she's said "Meh," or "Maybe," or "Nope."

DW liked this photo until I said the sky was fake: she then gave it a hard "Nope!"

So the search is on for my 10 best photos of all time. And once that search is over, the next step will be to decide the size that I want to print that image, what frame I want to place it in, and (most difficultly) how much to charge for each print.

I still have plenty of time: the show will be held in July. But knowing my penchant for procrastination, the months could go by in no time. I've given myself until the end of February to choose the 10 images and until the end of March to decide the size, mat, and frame.

If you've been following The Brown Knowser for a while and have seen my end-of-year, favourite-photos posts or if you've encountered a photo in any of my other posts and think it's worthy of exhibiting (Wordless Wednesday, Photo Friday), let me know in the Comments section, below.

I'll provide more information about the show when a firm date is set. It is likely to run from a couple of weeks to a month, depending on the interest. If you're in the Eastern Ontario region, or nearby, I'd love to see you there.

Stay tuned.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Book Lists

I used to be an avid reader.

Years ago, I'd create a list in December of the books that I planned to read in the following year, and often I would exceed that list. I'd often read between 20 and 24 books each year.

And then I got busy in the evenings and I didn't read as much. And, over the years, I seemingly stopped reading altogether, being lucky to even read one book over the course of a year.

I stopped making reading lists in 2013.

Pretty sad for a writer to give up reading books.

The last time I picked up a book was in December, 2021. I had purchased a copy of Montreal author extraordinaire Heather O'Neill's novel, The Lonely Hearts Hotel, and was determined to read it while DW and I were vacationing in Cuba. I only got about two-thirds of the way through the book by the time our vacation was over.

As much as I had been enjoying the book, when I returned home I slipped into my regular evening routine, and even though the novel was on my bedside table, I never picked it up again. The indigo cover gathered dust for more than a year.

Last month, however, when DW and I were packing for our trip to Mexico, I saw the book and told myself that on this vacation, I was going to finish this book. I also had other books that were collecting dust on my bookshelves that I hadn't cracked open, and for Christmas, Kid 1 had given me a book by one of my favourite authors, Ian Rankin.

I had to get back to reading. And so, Heather O'Neill was coming with me.

Because I wanted to refresh myself with The Lonely Hearts Hotel, I started reading it from the beginning, even though I had a bookmark in Chapter 50, where I had left off. But to speed up the reading of the first two-thirds of the book, I downloaded the audio version of the novel and played it at 1.25 times the normal speed, which I later learned is much slower than my actual reading speed.

When I reached Chapter 50, I picked up the paper copy and started reading; only, because I had become accustomed to the narrator's voice, I continued to play the audio version, bumping up the speed to 1.5 times the normal speed.

I finished the book on our flight from Cancun to Toronto, otherwise known as the first leg in our journey through Hell. (The book is amazing, by the way. I highly recommend it.)

I have two more books that I've stacked on my bedside table and I have promised myself that I'd start reading them, starting immediately. However, because one of the novels is the Ian Rankin book that Kid 1 gave me and there are a couple of Rankin's books on which I'm behind, I'll have to get to those ones first.

But I'm back to creating a reading list—the first one in a decade. Have you any recommendations? Leave them in the Comments, below.

I'll post my 2023 list in the coming days.

Friday, February 10, 2023

Impending Storm

We didn't get a lot of rain while we were in Mexico, but when it came, it came in earnest.

It fell heavily and it was always more than those brief Caribbean showers that we've had in the past, where they were over before you were able to take shelter. These showers lasted all night or all morning.

This particular Friday called for a substantial risk of rain in the afternoon, so DW and I grabbed our snorkel gear in the morning and headed out to the bay, in search of sea turtles. Because there were scattered clouds in the morning sky, fewer people were in the water than usual.

We saw lots of sea life but no turtles.

After nearly an hour of swimming around the bay, DW and I decided to make our way to shore to change into dry clothes and grab a drink before lunch. I made a straight line for the beach, taking me to the area in front of our neighbouring resort, Secrets Akumal, while DW took a diagonal approach, swimming toward our resort. As a result, I made it to shore first and started walking on the beach while I kept an eye on DW.

Turning to look back out to Akumal Bay, I was surprised to see the sky so dark in the distance. Storm clouds were already headed our way and looked menacing. There were people on paddleboards who also seemed to see the blackened sky and started making their way back to shore.

I pulled my smartphone from the small dive bag that I keep around my neck and snapped this photo.


The rain came down just as DW and I made it back to our room. We'd spend the rest of the afternoon indoors, at the buffet, and at the lobby bar.

But not necessarily dry, if you know what I mean.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Framed

This post is an appeal for information: something that I don't do often, as few readers leave me any comments. But I need your help.

I'm mainly looking for help in the Ottawa area but will also take suggestions by anyone in Canada or the United States, within reason.

I'm looking for picture frames: frames that would fit a 16" x 9" photo, preferably with a mat. The frame would preferably be black but I would also consider white or silver.

I'm looking to print some of my photos and I've cropped some of them to this dimension. I've looked on Amazon for frames with this dimension but I'm often reluctant to use Amazon and, anyway, I haven't seen anything that matches what I need.

An example of what I want to print.

I've started looking into custom frame shops, and after I got over initial sticker shock, I'm still pursuing this line but I'm looking for recommendations.

I don't know if soliciting help through my blog site is the best avenue but I thought I'd cast a wide net. Or put multiple irons in the fire. Or put my eggs in different baskets.

Whatever.

I have shopped at IKEA for most of my picture frames but they don't seem to make frames in this dimension. The frame could even be 32 x 18 or anywhere in between that size and 16 x 9, but I need that dimension.

If you have a good suggestion, please leave it in the Comments section. If you don't want to leave it there, please e-mail me at brownknowser@gmail.com. Or you can reach out to me directly if you know any of my other means of communication.

Getting prints of my photos to match those dimensions is another challenge but I think I can handle that one.

Thanks in advance.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

No Sweets? No Sweat!

I should have waited a bit longer to quit.

"Surprise me," I told the bartender.
Over the course of our stay in Mexico, I ate and drank a lot. And why shouldn't I? I was on vacation, and the food and drinks were plentiful and delicious. I was at a beach resort where I was totally committed to a period of pure leisure, and I was going to enjoy myself.

I did make some dietary decisions, though: I refused any bread that was offered at the restaurants and with the exception of the first and last days, I had no dessert. I was reserving my caloric intake for the myriad cocktails that were in endless supply.

I gained weight on this vacation.

But upon my return to Ottawa, I resolved to avoid any processed sugar for at least the end of February or perhaps at least until my birthday, in early March. (If someone wanted to bake me a cake, I'd hardly say no.)

I've also avoided alcohol since my return. That's not a difficult thing to do, as it's only been since Saturday. I can go for long periods without consuming beer or wine, and while I haven't set any moratorium on alcohol, I'm in no rush to have a glass of anything.

I certainly had more than my fair share of margaritas, piña coladas, beer, wine, and more in Akumal Bay.

Avoiding sugar isn't much of a challenge for me but it is more challenging than giving up booze. If there are sweets in the house, I'll usually seek them out, especially in the afternoon, when I'm looking for a snack. And we have plenty of sugary treats in the house.

Over the Christmas break, we had lots of candy in the house. My mom gave us a large tin of the Quality Street confections. We had boxes of Turtles for everyone. Our stockings were filled with assorted treats from Purdy's. And I had given DW a box of Pot of Gold chocolates.

Even in February, we still have lots of sweets in the house. And I walk past them every day.

DW has an even bigger sweet tooth than I have, and if there isn't something sugary in the house, she'll bake something. Something irresistible.

But I'm going to be strong. I'm going to resist temptation. February is a short month. My birthday is less than a month away.

I can do this.

And man, can I not wait until bike season returns.

Wish me luck.

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

The Hell We Endure

I used to love flying.

I'd become excited as my trip approached, wouldn't be able to sleep, the night before. I loved looking out the window and the ground disappeared below, as my familiar landscape was left behind and I saw the world from a new perspective.

As I approached my destination, I'd look for famous landmarks, would wonder at how foreign people lived in the cities and towns above which I'd soar. I loved seeing the ground rush toward me as the plane came in to land.

I loved flying.

Now, flying—in fact, airports, airlines, and airplanes—are the depths of Hell that we must endure to reach paradise and to get back home.

Last year, when DW and I booked our vacation to Mexico, we arranged to fly directly from Ottawa to Cancun. We wanted to avoid larger airports like Montreal and especially Toronto. Lester B. Pearson International Airport is huge, crowded, and the lines are insane. Add to the fact that you have to walk great distances, between terminals, to get from one gate to the next.

But with less than a month before our departure, our airline, Air Canada, cancelled the direct flight from Ottawa and had us fly from Ottawa to Toronto, and then onward, to Cancun. The airline left us with few options: we could cancel our flight or accept the change.

A month after we returned from our vacation, DW found a deal for the same resort, also through Air Canada Vacations, whereby we could stay at the resort for nine nights, for the price of seven, in January of 2023. We loved the resort so much that we took the deal, which also promised a direct flight from Ottawa to Cancun.

A couple of months before our departure, Air Canada repeated the bait-and-switch routine, cancelling the direct flight and routing us through Toronto.

That's fraud, isn't it? When you offer a product but don't deliver it? There was no apparent reason to cancel a direct flight so far in advance. And just as we discovered, last year, when we called ACV to get more information about the flight changes, the wait times to speak to a representative was at least two hours. On two attempts, the call was dropped after being on hold for two hours.

We weren't able to do anything about the cancelled direct flight but at least this time we didn't have a long wait between flights, like the four hours we had in 2022. At least, that's what we thought.

On the morning of our departure, we were awake at 2 AM and were at the Ottawa airport for 3:30, to make our 5:30 flight to Toronto. Our connecting flight was scheduled for just after 8 and we were scheduled to arrive in Cancun for 12:25. We expected to be at the resort no later than 3.

When we arrived at Pearson airport, we learned that there was an unscheduled maintenance that was being performed on our plane, and that our departure was delayed by an hour. That delay became three hours, then five-and-a-half hours, then six hours, and then seven hours. No other explanation was provided.

For our troubles, Air Canada gave us $20 vouchers for food, which could be used anywhere inside the airport. I had a beer and two slices of pizza.

Our time in  the airplane wasn't great. It seems that every time we board an airplane, people cram the overhead compartments with more belongings than are accepted. I always have to pull down a backpack or handbag and ask for the owner, only to find that the person who claims it has not put anything under the seat in front of them, as they should.

Selfish. Thoughtless.

It seems that every year, the seats seem to be more and more cramped, as though the airline has maximized capacity at the cost of minimizing passenger comfort. As soon as I sit in my seat, I can't wait to get out of it and off the plane.

DW and I have opted for aisle seats, unless there are only two seats per side of the aircraft. We don't want to climb over strangers if we have to use the washrooms. I'm barely interested in looking out a window.

And although the mask mandates are not required, I wish they were. Countless unmasked people are coughing without covering their mouths. I wear a mask from the moment that I enter an airport until I arrive at my final destination. I don't want to pick up any germs from strangers and I don't know if I've caught anything while on my vacation, and don't wish to risk spreading it to others.

I really dislike flying.

By the time we arrived at our resort, it was 10:30. We were exhausted and famished. And we had lost the late afternoon and evening of unwinding, comfortably, after our flight.

I can't blame the airline for the delay in leaving Cancun, on our way home: the airport had some delay in fueling the plane, and a storm hit as we were taxiing on the tarmac, resulting in nearly an hour's delay before we could finally take off.

By our calculations, our connection in Toronto was at risk but not impossible. We had 35 minutes to make it between gates. But when we landed at Pearson, we had to hold still on the tarmac as air-traffic control freed up some congestion.

We waited for more than 20 minutes.

But there was some relief, as we learned that our connecting flight to Ottawa was delayed for half an hour. We had, overall, a little more time to get from one gate to the next.

Or so we thought.

Still in the plane from Cancun and pulling up to the gate, we had to stop about 100 metres short because there was no ground crew available to secure us, and then there was no one to open the door and let us out of the plane. By the time we were inside the terminal, our flight to Ottawa was gone.

DW found another plane that was leaving in an hour, and saw that while economy was full, there were seats available in business class. Surely, the airline would rather see seats filled up than go vacant.

But at the airline counter, the computer would not let us get boarding passes. The agent's hands were tied. DW and I would not be allowed on the last flight to leave Toronto, for Ottawa, that night.

We were issued $20 food vouchers, again, to be used inside the airport, and were also given a hotel voucher and limousine passes to and from the hotel. We were booked on the first flight to Ottawa, the next day.

By the time we were settled in the hotel, we were starving, and we ordered in food. By the time we had eaten, it was 1:30 in the morning. We had only four hours to sleep before we'd have to wake up, order a limo ride, and make our way back to Pearson.

Of course, the flight was delayed.

By the time we landed in Ottawa, we were more than nine-and-a-half hours later than we would have been, had we made our original connection. And, of course, we had lost even more time than we would have, had Air Canada honoured our original direct flights.

Yes, we had a wonderful time in Mexico. The resort was every bit as excellent as we had remembered, if not more so, now that even more restrictions have been lifted (the buffet seemed more abundant and offered more selection than last year). Akumal Bay is nothing short of paradise.

But we had to endure the depths of Hell to get there. And we had to endure even worse in getting home.

I'm not about to give up travel because airlines and airports can't get their shit together and seem to have lost any regard for making passengers comfortable. It's what we must endure to get to where we want to be.

God, how I hate to fly.

Monday, February 6, 2023

Missed

I didn't miss the snow. Not by a long shot.

I feared the snow, feared that it would fall in great, heavy amounts while DW and I soaked in the sun and warmth on a beach in the Mexican, Mayan Riviera. And my fears were warranted.

Ottawa received a lot of snow while we were away: more than 30 centimetres had accumulated over the 10 days of our absence. I received notifications that our security cameras had detected motion, and that motion was blowing snow.

My parents were looking after our house while we were away. They checked in on our cats, making sure that Camille, Cece, and Finn had plenty of food and water, and that their litter boxes were kept fresh.

My folks don't have the strength or endurance to shovel my driveway and I didn't expect them to tackle the snow. We kept in touch and I told them that if the snow was bad, that we'd order a service to clear the snow from our lane.

My neighbour from across the street beat me to the punch. Talking to him when we returned, the said that he didn't know that we were away, but something made him wonder when, after the first small snowfall, I wasn't out to shovel the driveway.

He knows that I always keep the driveway pristine.

After a big snowfall of about 25 cm had fallen, and an entire day had elapsed, he figured that we were probably away. Either that, or I was dead, he said.

He only planned to clear out the end of the driveway, which had been sealed in by a snowplow. But once he had done that, he figured he'd continue and finish the job.

My doorbell camera alerted me while he was clearing our porch.

When we returned from Akumal Bay, on Saturday morning, the driveway had been shovelled again; this time, only a narrow path had been cleared to allow my car to pull out of the garage and onto the street, unobstructed. The pathway to the front door was also cleared.

According to my neighbour, my father had done that work.

So I was out, on Sunday, to widen my driveway and clear the thin covering of snow that fell later, on Saturday. That's when I thanked my neighbour with a bottle of tequila and another, of Mexican vanilla.

It's good to be home. I had missed my cats and my own bed.

I don't miss the snow. I don't miss shovelling.

Now that I'm back, now that I've worked up a sweat in the cold, throwing snow onto a bank that reaches over my head, I miss that sunny beach, miss watching the warm sun rise over the Caribbean Sea every morning.

I missed home while I was away: I miss Mexico, now that I'm home.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Dry February??

A few years ago, I decided to join in on the popular challenge of abstaining from alcohol over the month of January. I had my last sip of sparkling wine before the stroke of midnight, just to make everything above board.

I mean, if I had taken that sip as everyone was cheering, "HAPPY NEW YEAR," I would have lost that challenge just as it was supposed to start.

I can see why they didn't propose December as the month to go without: too many holiday parties, and there are some relatives that you just can't spend time with while sober. January is a relatively quiet month, and going 31 days without a drink is a good period of time.

But for me, in 2020, Dry January was really not much of a challenge and it gave me a good excuse to sample some non-alcoholic brews for Beer O'Clock. I finished that Dry January like a champ: in fact, it was a couple of days into February before I had my first alcoholic bevvy.

I wasn't desperate for a drink.

Because I felt that there was no big challenge to going all of January without any alcohol, I decided to bump the challenge up a notch and do a Dry July. Like January, there are 31 days in the month. But July is one of the hottest months of the year and in Ottawa, we're in peak patio season.

DW and I visited friends, and I stuck to alcohol-free drinks. We went camping and only DW had any alcohol (and I need alcohol to enjoy camping!).

I'm not going to lie: Dry July was tough but not impossible. I got through it and decided that the challenge was met but likely wouldn't be repeated.

This month, the Canadian Cancer Society is encouraging people to go all of February without a drink. They also want to raise money for their great cause.

I'm all for supporting the Cancer Society and have given them money many times. But I find the challenge to be a bit strange, considering that Dry January is already a well-established event. Does the CSC expect those who have just gotten through January to continue going dry for four more weeks? Why not choose another month? Why pick the shortest month?

I could very easily go 28 days without any alcohol. I mean, I won't, this year, because I'm still in Mexico and those mango margaritas aren't going to drink themselves. I skipped Dry January, this year, because I was spending the last week of the month in Mexico, and I fully expected to take advantage of the all-inclusive bar.

(Seriously, please drink responsibly.)

Plus, I've done Dry January before and have nothing to prove. I've done Dry July—much more challenging but absolutely doable. If I was going to take a break from booze, July or August pose the biggest challenges, so that's what I'd go for.

How about you? Are you taking the Dry Feb challenge?

Leave me a comment. And good luck!