Building a Royal Outhouse in Alberta

I was flipping through a book, The Great Canadian Bucket List, and in the section on Alberta was a sidebar, The Royal Throne, which I found humorous. It told the story of the preparations for the 2011 honeymoon of Prince William and the now titled, Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge, who we all refer to as Kate, at Skoki Lodge in the Rockies.

The lodge is located in Banff National Park on an eleven kilometre trail from lake Louise. In fact, hiking the trail is usually the only way to reach the cabin. The lodge has no indoor plumbing, phone reception or electricity. Guests had to hike to an outdoor outhouse to conduct their business.

All of that, of course, had to change for the royal couple. The cabin was completely outfitted for the couples one night stay away from the paparazzi.

And that included building a royal bathroom. According to the British news outlet, Daily Mail,

"The log cabin, built in 1931, has no indoor plumbing. Guests have to use an outhouse bracing bears and clouds of even more fearsome mosquitoes. By the time the Duke and Duchess arrived by helicopter on Wednesday, however, a fully fitted bathroom had been installed, flown up by helicopter. 

The highlight was a 'tacky' $3,000 bath with painted bronze claw feet, a red, glass-frosted shower door, a glass sink described as 'dark and mottled, almost granite like' and a cast iron fireplace.

One fellow guest, Dennis Garnhum, told the Calgary Herald that he discovered a group of six builders working frantically on the bathroom just before the couple arrived.

'We're like, they're building a bathroom in a back county lodge?' He said. 'But the thing that made it super weird was when they six, seven people working were done they popped a bottle of champagne. They were all standing around taking pictures."

A new gas heater was also installed. Oh, and forget the hike from Lake Louise. The couple were flown in by helicopter.

Their stay was less than twenty-four hours and as soon as they flew off, the bathroom was quickly demolished, the tub and toilet destroyed and the area put back to it's original condition.

Now that I'm older, I'm very much the same as them. I need an indoor bathroom when I travel, especially for those midnight trips.

Lithops

I am not much of a gardener. In fact, I hate gardening. For some reason, though, I have always enjoyed having cactus and succulents. Perhaps it's because they thrive on neglect. If you give them too much love, water them too much, they will turn to mush and die.

Maybe that's why I like them so much. There's very little work to them.

What is the difference between a succulent and a cactus? Succulents are plants that store water in leaves, stems, or sometimes both. This means that a cactus is a succulent. The difference is that cacti grow thorns, spikes or needles to protect itself.

A long time ago I managed to own a couple of Lithops which are hard to come by in Canada. Unfortunately, I over watered and, of course, they died.

Lithops are native to South Africa. Also known as living stones, they survive in the wild by growing among real stones. This matter of camouflage keeps them hidden from hungry or thirsty predators and sometimes, even experts miss finding them. They get their moisture from mist and fog and can survive for many months without rain.

The above lithop has sprouted. Originally, it had only looked like the two centre pieces but smaller and without the shriveled leaf on each side. When it sprouts, the new growth rises through the middle of the plant from the inside. This splits the two outer bumps (leaves). As it is growing, it draws water from the original leaves, which dry up and whither away. You can see this from the picture above and below.

These two plants I found at Dynasty, a flower shop on Queen Street West. Lithops leaves can have many different designs and colour patterns on them. After the new growth comes in, they apparently flower. I can't wait for this to happen and will post pictures, if and when it happens.

My New Fidgets from Fidgetland

The other night Teena and I were watching Shark Tank and Jason Burns the owner of Fidgetland came on to make his pitch. he accepted Shark Barbara Corcoran's offer of 20% for $50,000.

All of our fidgets are made with the same purpose: to improve people’s lives by stimulating their mind and absorbing excess energy. Evidence has shown us that fidgeting is an effective way to decrease anxiety and help maintain focus. Our adult fidgets are designed for larger hands and like all of our fidgets are discreet and durable, making them ideal for meeting and classroom settings.

In addition, our customers have had success using our fidgets to overcome or cope with symptoms associated with: ADD, ADHD, ASD, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Sensory Integration, Trichotillomania, SPD, Nail Biting, Thumb Sucking, Anxiety, Stress, Hair Twirling and many others.

I have a terribly bad habit of biting my nails and thought this would help so I ordered the Noah and Noah Jumbo. It's the first time I have ordered an item that I have seen on this show.

Noah is the ultimate fidget toy and was the first in our line of fidgets. Like most of our products Noah has two interlocking rings, but what makes Noah different is the large silicone band in the center that rolls back and forth like a treadmill for your fingers. Noah was designed to be used in the classroom and in meetings; it's discreet, durable and awesome! Noah is available in regular and Jumbo.

As there was a small confusion with my order they also threw in their Chaney: A small chain that fits in the palm of your hand, great for playing and creating different shapes. Good for the office or studying. It can be a bit noisy so we don't suggest for use in the classroom or meetings. Like all our fidgets, Chaney helps reduce stress and anxiety while increasing focus and attention, can't get better than that!

Oh, my hands aren't usually this wrinkled. I had just finished washing the dishes when the delivery came!

I have already been using them and think they will be a big help to me. The jumbo I'll use while watching TV, the smaller Noah I will carry with me and Chaney is now siting beside my laptop and I have used it a few times while doing up this post.

The customer service was great and the fidgets are very well made and look to be quite durable. I wish Mr. Burns the best of luck with his company.

New Fridge = Big Mess!

Our 16 year old fridge started to die late last week. Nothing in the fridge was keeping cold and in the freezer section, meat was thawing and even the ice cubes were not freezing. I put a thermometer inside the freezer and it was 10C (50F).

So we ordered a new Frigidaire fridge for delivery today from the Brick.

There had to be room to wheel in the fridge which meant the shelving unit that holds our glasses, plates, and cookbooks had to be moved. That meant cleaning it off, which means a huge mess around the house.

How could one shelf unit could hold so much! It didn't help that Teena is away on business and I have bronchitis. The puffer I got for it yesterday sure helped.

Of course it has to all be washed before being put away. Yes it was a long day but now we have a fridge that works.

Donating My 1966 "Esso Hockey Talks" Toronto Maple Leaf Collection

In 1966, Esso had a promotion. Fill up your car with Esso gas and receive a Hockey Talks record featuring a different Toronto Maple Leaf every week.

So every week when my dad would go out to get gas, I would go with him, to ensure I got that week's record. The first thing my dad would ask the attendant (no self-serve back then) was if they had the latest records. I remember a couple of times being told no, my heart would stop. My dad would then just say thanks and drive off to the next station.

One side of each flimsy record was about five minutes of the Leaf giving advice on how to play their position, stay in shape, etc, and the other was Ward Cornell or Jack Dennett, the voices of Hockey Night in Canada at the time, give the biography of the player which included Foster Hewitt giving a reenactment of the call of their first goal or big moment of their first game.

Here's a sample of George Armstrong.

I had the whole collection, all ten, stored away for many years, never knowing what to do with them. Throwing them out or selling them was out of the question.

Then at the end of March, I had an opportunity with Heritage Toronto, to take a tour of the City of Toronto Museum Collections. They had some cool Toronto Maple Leaf items in storage which gave me an idea. Why not donate the collection?

I emailed Alex, who had given the tour, and attached the pictures and, yes, they wanted the collection. Apparently the Chief Curator called the collection "amazing"! This evening I took them over and made the donation. Here I am with Alex with the records.

The records are going to have a good home here. Apparently there is going to be a showing of Toronto Maple Leaf items next year tentatively to be called Maple Leafs Forever. They are already considering using one or more or the records from this set.

Alex is very friendly and outgoing and gave Teena and I a quick tour of one of the floors, including the spot where my (theirs) collection will rest.

I feel really good in being able to do this but admittedly a little old knowing I am donating a piece of Toronto's past that is almost 60 years old that I got new in my lifetime.

Floating at Float Toronto

Last weekend Teena went for a walk around the neighborhood and discovered a place called Float Toronto on Queen St West by Gladstone. So what is floating?

Floatation therapy, also known as floating, floatation, sensory deprivation, or R.E.S.T (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy) involves lying in a salt-water solution in a spacious tank. It is one of the most effective means of stress relief and relaxation available. Now widely accepted as a legitimate therapy, floatation is also used to treat a wide range of ailments and conditions and has been proven to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone). The term sensory deprivation is often used as the environment is designed to limit sensory input and allow your body to fully relax. – 

Your ears (with earplugs in) stay just below the water; the tanks are insulated against sound leaving you in peaceful silence. After you shut the door and turn off the light, you float in total darkness you won’t notice a difference between keeping your eyes open or closed. (You’re free to keep the door open and the light on until you grow accustomed to this unique environment.) 

Inside the tank you’ll find 10 inches of water and 900 lbs. of dissolved Epsom salts - a solution that allows you to float effortlessly. The water and air are both kept at 34.1 degrees Celsius - this is skin-receptor neutral, which means that when you fully relax, you lose track of where your body ends and the water or air begins. 

Sounds relaxing. Floating is supposed to ease back, neck pain and pain from arthritis. I am hoping for it to help my shoulders. It is also supposed to increase blood circulation and floating in a pool of Epsom salts helps to draw out toxins and lactic acid buildup in the body.

Teena and I arrived a few minutes early. Misha showed us around and described the process. She was very helpful.

 

 

Yes, bags of salt are set out for ambiance and it works. 

 

My room, complete with a shower which you use before going into the tank and again when you get out. When the session is over and you are out of the tank, the filter to the left kicks on and filters, and reheats the water.

Earplugs are important as you ears are submerged. There is an ear flush available for after the float.

The sensation is quite interesting. I spent the first fifteen minutes just discovering what I was feeling. The water and air are the same temperature and except for my hands, I had very little idea of where the water ended and the air started. It was a weird sensation at first, just floating without any assistance.

I could hear/feel my heartbeat for the first few minutes, which is something I have rarely experienced. I was quite aware of the sound of my breathing.

Being suspended like that was wonderful. It was much like space would be like. Every action caused a reaction and if I gently moved an arm or leg, the motion would send me slowly over to the other side of the 8 x 4 tank where I would gently bump the side.

After the first fifteen minutes, I just relaxed and enjoyed. I believe I drifted off to sleep a couple of times, as I had some of the same kind of dreams as when I sleep.

Whether my eyes were open or closed, this is what I saw.

When the hour is up, music is gently piped in. I must have been asleep as although I had been told before getting in that this would happen, I was confused by the sound and then came to realize where I was.

So, how did I feel afterwards?

Very relaxed, both in mind and body. My muscles were soothed as if I had just had a massage but without the lingering pain. For a body that had just spent an hour floating and doing nothing, I was also starving, even though I had a light breakfast an hour before. Teena was too so we hit the Gladstone Hotel for brunch.

Not only would Teena and I both do it again but we've already bought a three pack pass each.

Birkenstocks = No More Foot Pain!

For years my feet have given me a lot of grief.

I enjoy walking and walk 3.5km to work and home each day but always with great pain. When I walk, the outside of my feet, especially the right one, becomes extremely painful as I have a tendency to walk on the outside of my feet which is called supination. I have tried orthodics, larger shoes, putting in insoles, taking out the insoles to remove the support ... basically everything.

Two weeks ago, I went into research mode and read everything online about my issue. I had thought about going to a place in Mississauga to have shoes made for me but then came across the Birkenstock Store website and started reading.

 

It all made sense. Birkenstocks have deep heel cups and are designed to have your feet land properly so Teena and I headed up to their store on Yonge Street at Summerhill. The store was the first Birkenstock store in Canada and Peter, who owns the store with his wife, really knew his stuff. I believe he has a chiropodist background and pushed areas on my right leg that he thought was likely painful from the way I walked. Yes, he was right and yes, those spots hurt.

Here is a shoe insert he built and designed back in the 1950s.

I was there for more than a couple of hours trying on shoes and doing lots of walking around the store until I finally selected this pair.

There was one spot that was rubbing the side of my right foot so I left the shoe with him to have the toe box stretched out. I picked up the shoe on Friday and wore them all weekend.

Today, though, was the big test! Three and a half kilometers to work and five kilometers home (I had an errand to run). Wow! It was all pain-free!. After all these years, I can now walk and be comfortable.

Now I can't see myself wearing anything but Birkenstocks for normal everyday use. I plan to go and buy some Birkenstock boots for the winter and will be back again for their sandals in the spring.

There is a saying on their website ... "If your feet are not becoming to you, then your feet should be coming to us".

I'm glad mine did!

Consumer Demographics on Diaper Trends

This chart shows the trend in U.S. diaper sales since 2009. Baby diapers are dropping. Adult diapers are rising. So, what does this say about the boomers aging and youngsters having babies?

Hat Repair at Lilliput Hat Shop

Those that know me know that I am a hat guy.

For a couple of years now I have been looking for a great summer hat. I have a wide brimmed Tilley, which is great for hiking and walks but needed a good everyday summer hat. On Saturday Teena and I were at the Pan American Food Festival and it was there that I finally found it. The perfect summer hat! Of course, I bought it with no hesitation!

There was a problem, though. The black hat band was not glued or sewed on, so it fell off and was lost the very next day! The owner of Aborigen, the company I bought the hat from, was quite cooperative saying that if I could not get to his store in Woodbridge that he comes downtown a few times a week and would call me the next time and let me choose from a variety of headband.

I don't have a cellphone and am tied to my desk most of the day so instead after work I dropped into Lilliput Hats on College Street by Bathurst. It was a typical old fashioned hat shop with hats on display at the front and hat blocks and sewing machines out in the open at the back. I loved the atmosphere!

(bottom photo from the Lilliput website)

Instead of just buying a hatband, I was presented with materials of different colours and widths to choose from, plus asked how I would like the band finished, bow (no), folded or pinned. I chose folded and the size of the fold. They said it would be ready in two days and be properly sewn to the hat. 

The very next afternoon there was a message on my phone that it was ready. I picked up the hate last night and it looked great, plus the band is very secure.  Now that's service!

Lilliput not only sells and repairs hats but they will make a custom hat from scratch. This is something I have to do!

3 Books and a Video on Confederation

I enjoy reading about Canadian history and recently three out of my last four books have looked at the Canada's Confederation from different angles.

Blood and Daring was about Canadians and the American Civil War but the last few chapters was about how and why Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia became the country of Canada and why this took place so fast.

Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont, although it was the story of the North-West Rebellion, was also about bringing Manitoba into confederation.

Don't Tell the Newfoundlanders told the behinds the scenes story about Newfoundland's entry into Canadian confederation.

All are excellent books told from different perspectives than the usual books about Canada's creation. And what about Saskatchewan's entry into Canada? Well, Jeremy Hotz explains this quite well.

 Many people think that Canadian history is boring. It's only boring the way they teach it in school!

A Different Type of Christmas Tree

This was put up on King Street West just west of Spadina. I like it!

Metrolinx Union Pearson All Night Construction Racket!

Metrolinx construction of the much hyped Union Pearson Express line must be way behind schedule. Why else would they be working 24 hours a day on it?

The conversation at our TTC stop every morning is how loud the noise was all night long. Many of us along the street are not getting much sleep since construction is happening only 30 meters (100 feet) outside our home.

Last night was the last straw. All night long till 5am or later, we heard the constant beeping of trucks backing up, cement pouring and the general banging, shouting and noise that comes from a construction site. We got very little sleep because of it and I am quite cranky about it.

So first thing this morning, I sent an email to Toronto Councilor Mike Layton, our MPP Rosario Marchese and Metrolinx. Teena tweeted to Mike Layton, Metrolinx and CP24 News, and I have contacted CTV News.

I have also sent a noise complaint to the City of Toronto to have them charged against bylaw 591-1

Funny but it is all quiet out there now!

Yes, I'm tired and quite pissed off about this.

I will update with any relies I receive from the people I contacted to see if anyone cares!

We have a right to sleep!

Showing Some Altitude ... Doing the Corporate CN Tower Stair Climb!

This evening my department participated in the 2013 Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way and I was part of the team. It is 144 floors, 1,776 stairs from the base to to the top. Let's just say, it's not easy.

First the excuses. I am still getting treatment for a bad ankle and worse, I had the cold just this past weekend,  OK and I'm fifty-nine and a half. Let's throw all the excuses in there. Still, I felt I could give it a good shot.

My team was mostly runners and young, and they just bolted on up. I will see them tomorrow!

Me, I admit I labored much of the way up. There were maybe a dozen of us from different teams that were on the same pace and supporting each other.

Around the hundredth floor, a woman that was stopped with three or four of us, took out a few pages of something and fanned her friends. Then she turned and fanned me.

"I love you!" I told her. She turned to fan her friends but when she heard this, turned back and fanned me again. It felt good. Sorry, Teena. I only strayed a little!

A couple of quick notes. It's a 5 minute walk from check-in to the CN Tower and then two flights of stairs before you time-in (the yellow strap in the picture). When you are finally done ... you're not! There still are 8 or 9 more shorter flights to go before you reach the top. It's quite cruel!

Lots of volunteers are at the bottom and top to cheer all the participants, and medics are stationed around every 15 floors.

My time as you see was 42 minutes and 41 seconds. Good for the way I felt. Next year I will feel better and do better!