Oct 30 - lost without checklists

Before I forget, though, I just heard from Jeffrey's Sara that she has had H1N1. The following in from her email:

Too late for me! I just got over it. I was completely fine last Wednesday and then all of a sudden I got hit with a bad headache, sore throat and sneezing. By that evening, I was much worse. Went to the doctor the next morning and tested positive for h1n1. I was bedridden for about a week and then when I wasn't getting better, went back to the doctor the past Wednesday. Now I have a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection from the swine flu since I have asthma.

Still getting better but it's been a long, rough road.

... not something that I'd wish on anyone. It sounds like Jeffrey might have dodged the bullet and Emma's pediatrician put her on a dose of Tamiflu and use of the nebulizer kept things at bay -- Emma is high risk too since she has athsma. Sandy and I will be getting the vaccine as soon as it's available in FL ... don't want to put a crimp in our boating and my biking schedule.

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Checklists ... ah yes, checklists ...

I have checklists for many things. When I go to the grocery store I bring a checklist if I need more than one item. I have checklists for cottage and Florida close-up. How useful are they ? Well, I guess that the easiest way to measure that is what happens when I DO NOT use the checklist. Like earlier this week when we left for Stef's ...

We got back yesterday and I found that:

1) I had not turned off the gas at the valve at the barbecue (pretty minor)
2) I had not turned off the three ceiling fans -- great room, kitchen, loft (more-or-less minor since they're on 24/7 normally anyway
3) I had not turned off the master bath floor heater which is set to 70F during the day and 78F at night ... ends up running flat out while we're not here when it's cold out since the rest of the house is cooler

I think that there was something else but since I didn't make a list, I forget :).

I did do some things on the checklist -- turn off the water, turn off some circuit breakers, lock doors and garage and barn, pull up the whaler, and of course I've been doing winter close-up items. Basically we did the "gone for the day" mental checklist, vs the "gone for the season" paper checklist. It should have been closer to the latter.

I need another checklist with one item -- "do checklist". Ha.

The trip back yesterday was wet but uneventful. We stopped in Barrie for gas and in Parry Sound at the Canadian Tire for a couple of things -- silicone ignition spray for the three wheeler and "quick start" for small engines.

When we got here the inside temperature was 60F in spite of the fact that it was set to 50F (that's another thing that I forgot, but since I was going to set it to 60F it wouldn't have made any difference). It did not take long to get the house up to 68F-70F between the furnace and wood stove. In the winter it takes a long time because of course the entire house is down to 50F and it's cooollllddd outside. The outside temperature here was over 60F ! This in late October !

On the way up I'd resolved to buy a new car. The outside thermometer in the car was stuck at 53F. I cannot live without an outside thermometer. It was 53F from Stef's until almost 522 and then changed to 54F. I've never seen such consistency. However, once it changed I decided to spare it ... a reprieve ...

... oh, and the odometer hit 150,000 on the way up. That is miles, of course, almost 250,000 kms.

The day before the trip went quite well. We left Stef's at 7:30; were down to Sandy's 9am hair appointment by 8:45; I parked and wandered around the market but didn't buy anything; I then went to the Green Beanery at Bloor and Bathurst for coffee beans; went back to the parking by the market; went inside and met Sandy; we had lunch -- she some pasta and me a peameal bacon sandwich; we got up here by 3:30 pm.

Today ... I have to go into Loring to pick up my deer license. I talked to Alex yesterday who confirmed that he is coming tomorrow. I told him that if he didn't I'd shoot him, since I'd be buying the deer license for nothing. I'll have to visit the ATM in Loring as well since they only take cash for the license and will pick up the mail while in there.

It's still blowing like crazy outside. It's just light enough that I can see clouds racing across the sky. I took a walk around the neighbours' yesterday and all was well.

Onward !