Sure am enjoying these cooler temperatures & I sure did enjoy getting a good night's sleep last night. My Nurse Practitioner prescribed some mild sleeping pills back in May & fortunately they have been a big help in restoring my sleep patterns.....when I can remember to take them. The night before I had forgot to take one of the pills & spent most of the night awake which course really trashed the entire following day for me. I don't like the idea of having to take a pill to help me sleep but when I compare the difference in myself the following day it is like I am two different people. No sleep makes me irritable, grouchy & dungeon like. A good night's sleep can sometimes set me right on top of the rainbow itself. Guess you have all noticed those two types of personalities writing my posts from time to time eh. Think I will just have to accept the fact it is better for my overall well being, both mentally & physically to do as the Doc says for a change.
SPOTTED THIS FELLOW & HIS DOG FISHING IN THE MAITLAND RIVER MONDAY MORNING
Had a surprise phone call from my Nurse Practitioner's office this morning. It was only yesterday (Monday) morning that I had given blood at the Med Clinic for my 2nd Crestor cholesterol check so I was surprised to receive the results so fast. For the first time in memory, my tests results were excellent. Both good & bad cholesterol levels were not only at acceptable levels but they were beyond that & the Nurse who phoned was very pleased at those results. Tests also showed there was no ill effects on my liver etc from the Crestor drug. Now, I should add that there has been another factor at work here as well. About a month & a half ago I made some serious changes to my eating habits & have been able to drop 9 pounds so far. No burgs or fries & in fact, nothing fried whatsoever. Cut my milk consumption by about 90% & no pastries aside from maybe half a dozen sandwiches in all that time. Other major changes as well but I'm thinking everything has worked together with the Crestor drug & made this unbelievable change to my cholesterol levels possible. Never thought that would ever happen.
I JUST LOVE MY COUNTRY ROAD DRIVES HERE IN ONTARIO’S RURAL FARMLAND
Hadn't made it down to see Uncle Harry last week but Kelly had today off so we loaded up Pheebs & headed for Mitchell. Weather was nice & we were able to take Harry outside in his wheelchair. He really enjoyed watching Pheebe racing around the lawn. He is still holding his own but we both did think he seemed a bit frailer.
Wednesday afternoon we are off to the Grand Bend Playhouse to see, 'Big Band Legends'. We generally try to take in one musical performance every summer. Last year was a tribute to Elvis Presley. Excellent. Year before was a 'Musical Tribute to The Beatles'. Excellent. Year before that was, 'The Golden Age of Rock & Roll'. Again, totally excellent. Year before that we saw musical plays about Buddy Holly & Patsy Cline. Excellent again. Love the sound of 'live music' professionally done:))))))
A LITTLE ONE ROOM MENNONITE SCHOOLHOUSE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Well, it's time for me to deal with a long ongoing problem I have been having with a fellow Blogger. I have been silent about this for nearly a year & half now & have not directly responded to this fellow out of respect for my fellow Bloggers & Blogland itself. However, I see it has now degraded to the point of name calling so it's time to speak up. It is time for me to respond to Mr. Rick Doyle.
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I am informed periodically by blogging friends when Rick uses his blog or comments to negatively speak of me or my blog. I stopped reading his blog way back in early Spring 2011. Had an email this morning informing me Rick had referred to me this time as 'Sunshine AL.' Must say I had a little chuckle over this one even knowing he was being his usual sarcastic self. However, I take it as a back handed compliment & today I actually see that Sunshine reference as a positive step forward. Despite all the criticism levelled at me personally over the last year & a half I have to consider where it is coming from & why. Especially the why part. Shortly after that email this morning I was again informed by another source of another probable reference in his latest post. I didn't go & read it but I understand it had something to do with ‘windbags’ & ‘old bags’. Well, knowing my old arch enemy I can only assume that is another passing reference to me. Nothing to do with Paranoia & everything to do with simple fact. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to put these things together.
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Now, having read the above paragraph I'm sure some are thinking, 'oh no, these two guys are headed for a flame war." Normally in cases like this that is exactly what happens. I have seen it tear forums apart before. 50+ was a good example of that years ago. Aside from alluding to Rick in the past as my 'old arch enemy' & 'Mr. Sourgrapes Anonymous' I had chosen not to name him for reasons previously stated. Respect for my fellow Bloggers & Blogland. I chose to stay on the high road with all this & keep my anger & frustrations to myself. Until today that is, & no, there will be no flame war because I intend to only publicly mention this problem one time in my blog.
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First, let me tell you a little bit about Rick & I. Would you believe we were once good blogging Buddies. We even met each other on a cold blustery Sunday afternoon in Borrego Springs California years ago. Even had our picture taken together. I know this might come as quite a surprise to many newer readers but older blogging friends will remember our friendship well because we both had a habit of trying to help fellow Bloggers with a few problems. I knew a little bit about the photography end of things & Rick new a whole lot about the computer end of things. I will give credit where credit is due & say, Rick has gone out of his way to help folks with their computer problems over the years.
YES, I KNOW THIS WILL COME AS A GREAT SURPRISE TO SOME OF YOU, BUT RICK & I WERE ONCE UPON FRIENDS:))
Rick & I used to email each other different times discussing various things such as fellow Bloggers & Blogland itself. We commented on each others blogs daily & agreed on a number of things. Yep, it's true, Rick & I did agree on some things amazingly enough back then. But, somewhere along the line this friendship train began to wobble & sourly ran off the tracks. As I see it, it all began when Kelly & I were camped in the Kofa Mountains near Quartzsite Arizona about 3 years or so ago. Received a surprisingly critical & totally unexpected email from my friend Rick after Kelly & I had hosted a get together for a bunch of RV friends we knew to be in the area. I had a habit of sometimes making references & comparisons about the boondocking lifestyle as opposed to the RV Park lifestyle, Motorhomes as opposed to 5th wheels, etc. Let's just say I was freer, looser & not quite as bright with my opinions in those days. Rick took great offence to my opinions & made it quite clear in his comment that night. Rick had some good points & I immediately apologized. Rick either emailed or commented an apology back about some of the things he had said as well. The troubled waters were quickly calmed, right? Afraid not.
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I did email Rick several times after that suggesting that if we had any differences between us in the future we should email each other & work out our problems that way. I felt, out of respect for Blogland & our mutual friends we should not drag our differences into the forum. All was reasonably well for quite awhile & Rick & I continued to remain friends, exchanged a few emails & continued to comment on each others blogs. All appeared well again, or so I thought.
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It started slowly at first but the shaky friendship train hit a few new bumps & snags along the way & it wasn't long until it was off the tracks for a second time. Unnecessary & uncalled for negative comments began appearing on my blog again. I often referred to these comments as rude & sarcastic. Some comments came with Rick's name on them & some came from a so called....'Anonymous.’ Damage was done & there was no turning back. It was obvious we had opposing personalities & the friendship was not going to work. Rick chose to level his sights on me & I chose to stop reading his posts in hopes of ignoring him. And that, brings us up to today.
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It is time for me to draw a line in the sand. Enough is enough of all this because I can see where it is effecting our mutual blogging friends & readers. It is easy to put 2 & 2 together & know who he is referring to in his latest 'windbag' & 'old bag' comments. And, in Rick's own words....you can take that to the bank. I will give Rick the 'Windbag' one though because my style of blogging lends itself to long winded posts sometimes & I have often referred to my own self as Mr. Blabberfingers. I have always been open & honest with feelings in my blog & that of course opens me up wide to anyone’s criticism. But, Rick is right, I can be quite a Windbag alright. But, I hasten to add….and honest Windbag. It is just my way of writing. But, I do not want to dwell on the negative side of all this. There is another side to every coin.
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I did go & have a look at Rick's second last post, the 'Sunshine AL' one & I was encouraged by a little something he said when he referred to himself as maybe needing a 'personality upgrade.' In my opinion there is not one single person on this planet who could not use a personality upgrade or a tweak of some sort. Not one. We all have our faults, shortcomings & character defects. All of us, & you sure have heard more than enough about all of mine over these past 5 years. Yes, he’s definitely right about that Windbag part:))
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I don't know where this is all going or even if it will go anywhere, but I just felt it was time that I responded to & said something about this festering open wound. I don't know if there is any hope of Rick Doyle & I ever being friends again but I do feel it is time to stop the bickering & pettiness. Blogland, fellow Bloggers, & readers do not deserve this. If my blog & I bother you so much, I ask that you just simply stop reading it. Maybe not exactly offering an Olive branch here Rick, but if you feel there is any way or any interest to resolve our differences, I then again suggest to you, just as I did years ago, lets open up a communication dialogue between the two of us via email because this will be my only public response to you.
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In conclusion, I have said a few things in this post tonight which I would rather not have said, but considering what has been coming from the other side for so long, I just felt it was time for me to speak up. I see us having 3 options. Firstly, we can agree to disagree, have ourselves a cyber handshake & try to tolerate each other & maybe even open up some kind of civilized dialogue in hopes of resolving some of these issues. Or secondly, you can take your sights off me & my blog & move on. Or thirdly, nothing changes. You just keep on being you & will have no choice but to carry on trying to ignore your jabs & barbs. But, at least now, our mutual friends & readers will have a better idea of what has been, & what is presently going on here…………………
GROANER'S CORNER:)) A self-righteous man went to the doctor for a check-up. He said, "Doc, I feel terrible. Please examine me and tell me what is wrong." "Let's begin with a few questions," said the doctor, "Do you drink alcohol?" "Alcohol!!" said the man. "I'm a teetotaller. Never touch a drop." "How about smoking?" asked the doctor. "Never," replied the man. "Tobacco is bad, and I have strong principles against it." "Well, uh." asked the doctor, "do you have a sex life?" "Oh, no," said the man. "Sex is sin. I'm in bed by 10:30 every night and I always have been."
The doctor paused, looked at the man hard, and asked, "Well, do you have pains in your head?" "Yes," said the man. "I have terrible pains in my head." "O.K.," said the doctor. "That's your trouble. Your halo is on too tight"!!
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com