June 3 - on the road again

That's not the first time that I've used this title. This time we're not driving ... yet. This time I'm just out for a ride.

It was semi-cool, wind from the northwest so naturally I rode west and then north. Actually I've only ridden east a couple of times. I'm worried about what their efforts to 4-lane highway 69 might bring, as in no-bikes-allowed. In general (and probably in total) bikes & pedestrians, scooters and other manner of slower traffic, are not allowed on the 400-series highways which are the equivalent to the U.S. Interstates. It's a long way east to highway 11 on 522 and the road is even crappier east of here, if that's possible. Oh well ... perhaps it will be time to get a mountain bike.

I put up the grid in the ceiling of the darkroom and late in the day, after my ride, installed a light junction box using 2x4's to show through a ceiling tile in the middle of the room. I'd decided to save the money and go with plain old bare bulbs for the closet and the darkroom. I can always put some sort of fixture in later, or for that matter, a recessed fixture, if I so choose. It's more work to do it this way but free.

when I got home from my ride, Lynn and Karen were here (nee Robinson), visiting with Sandy and reporting on their mom. Dolores is supposed to be released today so they'll go to Sudbury and bring her back to the cottage, overnight here and then take her down to Toronto with them tomorrow. Lynn is anticipating that she'll bring her back up in a couple of weeks time when she's recovered because "more people are around then" ... hmmm ... that's not exactly true ... she's been listening to her mom. Stan and Cathy will be here (no, they don't spend much time up here); Dennis and Raylene will be here (no, Raylene only comes up for a couple of weekends and usually two weeks in August). Whatever.

I went fishing last night and caught a rock bass. I tried my crappy spot ... and it was crappy. I practically needed hearing protection from the buzzing black flies. Amazing. The boat was covered with them; the motor (nice and warm) was covered with them; a huge cloud buzzed around my head but there were none on my gloves or pants due to the use of deet. I don't like them crawling on my pants because they'll find their way into my boots or up under the bug jacket, likewise my gloves. I hate bug repellent but it's ok when sprayed onto clothing. My pants and gloves might get cancer ...

... and that was the day.

Sandy goes into Sudbury today for physio again, her last appointment for a while due to our travels. Tomorrow we head down to Toronto; Saturday I have my ride / Sandy has hair and ballet; Sunday Lauren will be baptized and we'll head back up here; Monday ... well, Monday we'll pack; Tuesday we're off to Leesburg etc.

I was thinking about what I wrote yesterday regarding fear of failure. Fear is the wrong word or maybe it's the right word but has the wrong emphasis. I don't like failure. I don't like to fail. I don't do what I don't think I'm capable of; I don't do what I don't think I'll be good at ... like golf ! ... or what I might not have the patience for ... like golf !. Fear is the wrong word ... dislike might be better. I'm very competitive -- with myself -- and yet in many of aspects of life it's not about "winning" per se, it's about not losing. Take my upcoming 1200 ride -- in this situation winning = completing; losing = not-completing, not completing what I set out to do.

Anyway, I may be retired but I'm not mellow yet. Sandy says that I'm mellower than I used to be but I'm hardly mellow.

It's time to go downstairs and finish that ceiling. A bit of wiring; a few ceiling tiles and the darkroom will be finished. Then I have the closets to do ... which I might have left until "later" if it weren't for the fact that I have all this construction material lying around that needs to be dealt with. I may also have one extra box of ceiling tiles that can be returned and I may run short of wall edging. I haven't done a final count yet.

Onward.