Jun 5 - misc

It was a misc kind of day.  I went to Mass and then into Port Loring as there was a package awaiting me at Buchanan's.  As expected, it was a new Shaw Direct (used to be Starchoice) satellite receiver.  We have two of the old ones and now two of the new version.  We do not have a recorder ...

Once you're used to the new one, the old is ... well ... old.  The new version has a better guide display and, as an option, will only show subscribed channels.  The latter is key.  It's much more customizable.

It was fussy to get connected.  I thought that I might have a dud as it wouldn't hold a satellite signal but I think that the real issue is that it needed to be authorized at Shaw BEFORE turning it on.  This one was destined for the loft and I even swapped the loft for the den, trying to get it working and then lo and behold, in the second location it worked - likely because by then it had been authorized by online chat with Shaw.

I then moved the old, big unit and the Panasonic DVR to the den so I've got two receivers in there.  I guess that's effectively the same as having the one satellite DVR with two tuners, except that the Panasonic unit will also allow me to transcribe recordings to DVD.  The Panasonic has enough DRM smarts to not work with the new receiver, but works fine with the old.

Anyway ... that was the "major" project for the day.  We got a lot of rain, so there was no outside work.  There was a break later in the day and I took Cassie for a short ride.  She didn't get any swimming in that day.

The water temp was up to 76F but probably lower now with wind and cool weather.  I'll try and do some weed-whacking today.  The mosquitoes are fierce, so that will be with a bug jacket.  The bug collector is doing a good job but there are more bugs than it could possibly catch. 

I got caught up on banking and Randonneur stuff, submitting results from our brevet week and updating membership lists etc.  I've also been playing around with routers.  The Fortinet wifi isn't doing all that well.  It's been in the exact same place all the time but I'm getting inconsistent results / dropped internet connections.  So ... I've got an old dlink operating as an access point and it's rock solid.  It won't support enough simultaneous connections once more people are here so I've ordered another Netgear to try.  Reviews are all over the map on these things though.  There are always a number of people who have dropped connections, regular reboots etc. even for the higher priced models.  Why can't someone make something that just works ?

I've got bicycle work to do on both the Litespeed (getting it ready to ride) and the True North - cleanup etc..  I'll shortly have to decouple and pack it for the trip to Seattle next week ... yes, it's just next week.

Sandy goes to Toronto on Wednesday and will back on Friday.  Hair, Joyce, ballet, teeth - she's got a schedule worth of something that I'd put together.  If I arranged it, she'd say it's too complicated.  If she arranges it ... that's a different matter :).  It's funny how that goes !

I've got a new valve cover gasket to install in her car; perhaps I'll tackle that today.  It should be easy but nothing is ever easy.  I've also got some hull repairs to do on the little fiberglass boat before I get the old Merc running.  I picked up some resin at Canadian Tire on my travels last week and will use some of the fiberglass cloth that my Dad had lying around.  I need a dry day for that work or I could move that boat inside, but that ain't going to happen !

We heard from Julie that Mary Kennedy passed away on Friday.  When they visited us in Florida, she was doing well with her Parkinson's.  Shortly afterwards, some minor surgery and anesthetic triggered major deterioration.  She's been in a care facility ever since, not at all happy, and a week ago had a major stroke.  It seems trite to say "she's in a better place" but I'm quoting Julie, who had to deal with her Mom's frustration.  I talked to John a few months ago, who visited her daily and would deal with the pain of watching her active mind cooped up in an uncooperative body.  I guess in some ways that's worse than Alzheimer's where the mind goes first.     I guess. 

I heart that one of the Florida bike riders doing a Maine to Florida ride (eight in the group) had an accident.  This is someone that I've ridden with quite a bit.  There were no details on Facebook but I heard back from someone else, after my query -- "No one saw him fall. He was last in the group descending. They think he fell in a patch of gravel. He had a crushed pelvis, broken ribs, collapsed lung & bleeding in his brain. They is much concern for the bleeding & brain swelling. He is not fully cognitive. The hope is his brain will heal & we get the big guy back. This will be a long recovery. Bones heal. We can repair the lung. Prayers are for his brain. They have not operated on his pelvis yet due to the brain injuries.".

There have been too many accidents this year  I guess the only consolation, if you call it that, is that he wasn't hit by a car.  Most of this year's injuries have been car-related.   

Anyway, too many sour notes yesterday with Mary's passing and Don's accident.  It makes you pause and reflect.  

I called my Aunt Ruth to let her know about Mary and passed along John's snail-mail address.  She relayed that Michael and Karen are both retiring this month as well as Anne and her Paul.  Anne & Paul will live at their cottage for the summer and Florida for the winter.  Perhaps we'll finally get some of that Thompson crowd to come and visit us !  

Onward ...