Life is so unpredictable...

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Saturday April 10, 2010

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Had a fairly successful ' work week ' friends and now it is time for amusement once again. I guess when you think about things that is what each of us as humans do. We get what we can out of life and enjoy ourselves in the best way that we know how. We do what is right for us, when we want and how we want to. For me, satisfying my enjoyment needs includes a day at the races. Harness racing in fact is what it is all about for me. This activity is the thing that brings it all together and warms up my heart at the end of every week. And, I am sure that each and everyone of you has your own special thing that you do that makes life meaningful for you as well. And, that could be just about any kind of human activity that you could imagine. Well, I am sure you get my drift.

.So, today's focus is on harness racing at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. This really is a top notch harness track you know and I cannot imagine myself straying from this track too much at all. When things are going well in the racing business this is the kind of track that you want to be investing your time and money in. I grabbed a racing form after work yesterday and I just started to check things out. The first few races do not look that exciting and there are some fairly cheap races in there. Oh well, maybe things will improve as the night progresses. The thing about racing is that you can never predict with any kind of accuracy whatsoever just how the session will wind up. Things might look bad on paper, but you might have a surprisingly good night. And, the reverse is true as well. You might think that you are going to have a fabulous night they way the races look and then you might fall flat on your face and come out one big time loser. You just never know about racing and how things will pan out. It is kind of like living your life from one day to the next I suppose. You just don't know what is going to come your way. It is either good luck or bad depending on the circumstances of the day. And, that is the way you should approach racing as well. Just learn to take the good with the bad and you will be a very happy person indeed.

.It was another beautiful day at work and I wanted to take a few more snaps for you, but I was quite busy actually and I could not find the time to do so. I made it out to Chilliwack and the day was productive and it went by quickly too. Now that is what I mean about life and work. You just don't know what to expect. Just like me. Now, I keep asking my friends and relatives and acquaintances to get their act together and make it out to the races one of these days. Well, maybe all of the important people in my life will do that one day. That is why life is so interesting sometimes. Because it surprises you, just like a big, unexpected win at the track. See you out there if you are coming or need a ride. Post time is 1600 hrs. Bye for now.

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The snow, the boots, and other things....

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Friday April 9, 2010

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Finally made it to the last day on the job. Fridays are always great days friends, especially when you are a worker. But, then I suppose all of you guys know that anyway. For myself, it was a short and productive, three day work week. I hope you don't think that I am abusing the term ' work week ' by telling you that my work week consists of only three days. Well, in my world friends that is what a work week means to me so I hope you are not going to hold that against me.

.I have a few snaps down below from work yesterday, but first just a short note about racing tomorrow. That's right, tomorrow is Saturday and it is a racing day. I am sure that you are all aware by now that my life revolves around making it from one week to the next so that I can enjoy myself at the track and hopefully pick up a couple of bucks and have a good time as well. So, just a further reminder to my friends, relatives, and acquaintances about the racetrack. If you are popping into town and want to go you know how to contact me. And, if you are coming alone post time is 1600 hrs local time. See you there if you are coming. And, now for some pics from work yesterday....

.I knew that I just had to get a couple of photos of the fresh snow on the North Shore mountains. It was simply a gorgeous day, especially in the morning. The sun was shining brightly and those beautiful mountains to the north were simply fabulous. Now, why couldn't this type of snow make its appearance during the Olympics when it counted eh? Well, you know how the snow gods work. They do what they want and when they want. Our job of course is simply to appreciate their work when they feel like performing. And, perform they did indeed yesterday.

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The other thing that I wanted to show you was my new boots. These are ' Billy's Boots ' if you may recall, named in honor of Bill one of our courier comrades who recently passed away. Now, these are high quality work boots let me tell you. I mean, steel toes and the whole nine yards. You feel like a real worker when you are wearing a piece of rubber like these babies. ..


And, finally friends here is a picture of an ' XLERATOR ' dryer. You may recall that I did a post sometime back on these high quality dryers. I stumbled upon one at an ICBC office during my travels last year. ICBC is our public automobile insurance company here in British Columbia. The gist of my post was that the reason why public auto insurance is better that private insurance is because these institutions know how to treat their customers. They respect them and this treatment of their clientele shows up in the type of dryer that they use in their washrooms. Now, I was also critical of the McDonald's Corporation by not getting with it and using these types of dryers in their, sometimes, mediocre bathroom facilities. Well, I am happy to report that McDonald's now has one of these dryers in one of their stores. Perhaps they read my post and followed my advice on how to treat their customers. Friends, rest assured that McDonald's is not going to be outclassed when it comes to taking care of their customers. Below is a picture of an XLERATOR dryer in an actual McDonald's restaurant. Well done McDonald's and keep up the good work and may you find time to install one of these babies in all of your stores here in the Lower Mainland Region.




Talk to you guys later and see you at the track tomorrow if you are coming. .....

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Lastly, here is a really fine article explaining why it is not much fun being an American nowadays. The following piece was written by an American for Americans:

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America: The Grim Truth

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Another day for the living....

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Thursday April 8, 2010

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It felt pretty good to be back in action once again. Business wise, things were quite brisk in the morning, but then everything petered out in the afternoon. Oh well, one cannot expect miracles when you are dealing with people and how they spend their money. You just have to go with the flow and take whatever comes your way, and when it comes your way. It is the same in all kinds of businesses I suspect; it is the nature of the beast.

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And, speaking of the beast, just what do you think is going to happen in the stock market? Watching and being invested in the market can be a tough game sometimes, especially when the market is seemingly going nowhere quickly. Most of us small players are on the long side of things of course and we just want some extra income for our retirement. We are not professionals and we are not market manipulators and we do not have much control over the market and its gyrations at all. These are the domains of the big players and all of the combinations of politics and other things that control our markets. So, that means that most of us are simply spectators in the machinations of the financial world. And, that is what I am, just a small player, a guy who wants to wind up with some extra dough after all is said and done.

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I wore my new black boots to work yesterday and they reminded me of Billy most of the day of course. And, that is what they are meant to do as you might expect. Some of the guys are still talking about Bill's death of course since it is still fresh on all of our minds. Sudden and unexpected deaths are like that as you are probably already aware. They have a tendency to jolt us and to face reality a little more squarely. Deaths make us appreciate our very own mortality and the fact that we are still alive. That is what death does. It just reminds us what the whole thing is all about. Life is about living and dying and nothing more than that. So, thanks for reading and have a nice day.

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Billy's black boots....

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Wednesday April 7, 2010

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Back in action once again folks. That's right, right back into the thick of things in the courier business. Bill is now dead, but I am still alive. Now, let that be a lesson to you all. I have been talking about the very fragility of life on these very pages. I have told you what I think about life and how precious it is. It is so precious that you just don't know when it is going to end. And, as Bill's parting demonstrates, none of us knows when our number is going to come up. I am still typing away here and communicating with you all. But, will that be the case tomorrow morning? Will I get through the day in one piece and get to live and breath again for one more day? Well. What do you think about that?

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Went shopping again yesterday and I bought myself some new work pants and a really nice pair of work boots. I guess these will be the Billy's boots that I mentioned a while back. Something to remind me of Bill when I am on the job if you know what I mean. Yup, they were pretty expensive and they are black. They have a steel toe and they are oil resistant. And, they have Goodyear rubber on them as well. They will definitely be good in the rain and especially good for the muddy job sites that I pick up from every once in a while. So, these will be a pair of real professional work boots for a real professional courier. I suspect that if I will last as long as these boots then I will really be doing something.

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Did you notice that there was yet another major earthquake the other day? A 7.8 reading or something? Friends, I have lost track of how many of these things there have been in the last little while. Remember Haiti? A big one right and a lot of deaths. But, don't you suspect that there is something a little strange about these quakes? Strange in the sense that they are suddenly cropping up and the fact that they are all major earthquakes, like over 7 on the Richter scale. Very strange indeed. I mean, you most likely are aware of the HAARP project up in Alaska ( there is Alaska again ). Well, they have the capability with that program to cause these quakes you know. I know it sounds sinister but I am afraid that at this point in the game you can bet your bottom dollar that the government ( or elements of the government ) is capable of doing anything it wants to achieve its ends. Now, how about a few more huge quakes and then all of a sudden one happens to hit Iran? Remember, Iran is public enemy number one right now. And, Iran is earthquake country and that would sure mean something if a major strike was to occur there now wouldn't it? I mean, no need for invasion to cause turmoil in the country. Why spend all that money on lives and armaments when a single quake strike could do the trick? Isn't modern technology wonderful?

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Also, don't forget that racing is just around the corner as well. Saturday at 1600 hrs is post time here for harness racing. So, if you want to go and you are my friend or acquaintance then you know how to contact me. I will be wearing my new black shoes that I bought as well. I guess everything that I am buying these days is going to be black. Where did this black business come from anyway? Why does death have to be represented by the color black? Black robes for this or for that. The clergy wears black and the judges wear black. I guess black is the in colour for those events that are so meaningful for us all

What would Linda do?

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Linda

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The 1967 Year Book .
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Good Morning Friends

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today is Tuesday April 6, 2010

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. Another day and another Linda to highlight on my blog. Well, yes indeed, Linda looks to be a pretty common name as far as I can tell. And, I know that there will be more of them coming and making an appearance on my blog. So, just what would this Linda do in the face of all of this competition regarding her name? Well, probably not much as you might expect. Most likely she would just grin and bear it because there is simply not much else for her to do. That is just the way things are.

.And, speaking of the way things are, one of my associates passed on just recently. His name was " Bill " and he was a good man and another courier like myself. That's right, he did the same job as me and held the same kinds of concerns that other couriers have. He was one of us. I got the phone calls right away from a couple of other former and present work mates of Bill. That is how the news spread when you are dealing with a fallen comrade. We all liked Bill and he was a great guy. Nobody knows yet how he died, but it could have been something like a heart attack. That was my first impression without knowing any further details on the matter. Bill was about 65 or so and he wanted to work part time just like myself. Unfortunately, Bill was still working full time when he died. That is what he kept talking about when we were together. He was tired of the business and all the hassle. He wanted to slow down just like me and enjoy the rest of his life. May Bill rest in peace now that this part of his life has now come to an end. Nobody I know had anything bad to say about Bill.

.I went shopping right after I heard about Bill's death. I decided that I needed some new shoes so I went to one of our local malls to check things out. While I was there another comrade phoned me to let me know about Bill's death. Strange as this may seem this comrade was in the same store at the very same time as myself. He was with his family on his day off. We made a meet and he helped me pick out my new shoes. I was having trouble deciding what to buy anyway so I appreciated this much needed support in this matter. I got a nice pair of black shoes that I can use for work and play. The price was a little more than I usually pay for shoes, but they had some discounts and the final price was not that bad after all was said and done. I am thinking of going back to the same store this morning and buy another set of boots for work and play as well. I was thinking of something sturdy and waterproof, something really good for work. Something that looks like a hiking boot. I might even buy a new pair of work pants too since my current ones seem to be on their last legs. So, that is the potential plan for my day right now.

.It was fairly pleasant driving about yesterday as well. There was a hint of sun, but it was still mostly cloudy and cool. There looks like a lot of fresh snow in the mountains. Good for the skiers I guess. Too bad that I am not a skier. Actually, I am not much into sports at all if you want the truth of the matter. Just horse racing, harness racing that is all. That is what I consider to be my main sports activity. Does that count? Well, I think it does even if you do not. Here is a great little article that I just finished reading. I think it might be written by an Israeli, but I am not sure about that. It is a terrific and common sense article. It is kind of how I think. Iran should have the bomb for its own protection and Israel should make a deal with its neighbours. That is how simple things can be if you want them to be, in my opinion of course. Article here:

“HOLD ME back!” is a part of Israeli folklore. It reminds us of our childhood.

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Talk to you all later and have a nice day!

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What would Linda do?

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Linda
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The 1967 Year Book
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Good Morning Friends
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today is Monday April 5, 2010
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Looks like another moody Monday friends, from where I am sitting anyway. Just finished reading an article about Ralph Nader over on Truthdig. See article here:

How the Corporations Broke Ralph Nader and America, Too

.This article just expresses things which I have been saying for a long time. The corporations and the media control America. The media destroyed Ralph Nader and his message by not getting the word out. Plain old censorship is what it is all about friends. Leaving something out or just not talking about is what the media does best nowadays. And, in the modern context, that means not talking about something like 9/11. I am sure that many of you aware by now why the media will not discuss 9/11 in any great detail. I mean, I hope I don't have to spell it out for you at this late stage in the game.

.I kind of like Ralph Nader and I can certainly relate to him and his personality. He is a fighter and he is out to do good for society. The only problem is of course that when you are trying to do good for society certain people will not like that and that is why Nader has been marginalized and all of his thoughts and good ideas are suppressed. Can you imagine Ralph Nader as President of the United States? How about you Linda, just what would you do if Ralph was the prez? Hmmm?

.Well, I think America would be a much different place that is for sure. Maybe it would even be on track to being a civilized country again and the power would be restored to the people where it belongs. I am just a dreamer of course and things are not likely going to change very soon at all. The corporations and the media are the current rulers of the land. You know what Linda? I used to use a little example of how powerful the corporations are by telling my readers about the baseball cap scenario. Remember when the young guys started to wear their baseball caps backwards as a sign of protest? Rebellious youth and all that. You know, they were fighting the system in their own way by simply mocking it. And, what did the corporations and the powers that be do in response? Well, they turned the backwards baseball cap practice into a marketing tool and marginalized the dissenters, that is what they did. They made it cool to wear a baseball cap the wrong way. And, they did it through the media and advertising. I guess that will teach you to be a dissenter eh? The system is very devious and very powerful friends, so just keep that in mind should you ever decide to become a dissenter or progressive or a liberal or other such thing. You will certainly have your hands full that is for sure.

.So, just what would you do Linda? I know what I would do and I am doing it right now. I am at least talking about it. I am not censoring it or many other things for that matter. And, then I have this other problem as well. This seemingly perpetual problem of mine. And, that involves my dream girl of course. I wonder if she is ever going to come to her senses and just phone me so that I can live the rest of my life in heavenly bliss. You know, make my remaining years the best that they can be. Is it possible Linda? Or, is it just another senseless dream, kind of like the dreams that Ralph Nader has? You know, good-intentioned ideas that are just almost impossible to execute. Is life really that tough? And, if it is what can one person do about it anyway? Oh well. what else are you going to talk about on a moody Monday anyway? Easter Monday. Well, maybe thinking about the Pope will make us feel better. I mean, just look at all the problems that the Catholic Church has. And, how do they handle such things? Why they just call them common gossip of the day that is all. There you go. That is how easy it is dismiss a problem and a criticism out of hand. You just call it something else and eventually the people might come to believe what you are saying. Maybe Hitler was right. Just keep telling lies and the bigger they are the more believable they will be. Simple. Have a nice day friends. I don't know what you are going to do about these kinds of things Linda, but you can see what I just did.

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What would Jo-Anne do?

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Jo-Anne

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The 1967 Year Book

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Good Morning Friends

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today is Sunday April 4, 2010

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Welcome to Sunday and hopefully better weather days. But, don't hold your breath because it is still quite cool and unsettled out. I heard they got a bunch of snow on the local mountains and even Cypress Mountain. That is the one with no snow during the Big Event. It certainly was too bad it couldn't of snowed a bit more during the Olympics. That would have added an even better feel to the events taking place. Well, no sense in crying over spilled milk eh? And, besides, from all accounts the Games were a roaring success anyway in spite of the lack of an abundance of snow. Who needs Mother Nature anyway when you can make your own eh? Hope she is not listening otherwise I could be in a lot of trouble.

.I certainly don't know what Jo-Anne in the picture above would do, but I know what I am going to do. Had a nice little win at the track yesterday, so I will probably do a bit of shopping today. I was lucky because the win came in the second race. I won just over 500 dollars for a one dollar triactor bet. So, that set me up for the night as you can imagine and the pressure was off. I pulled out rather early actually as I wanted to savour my wins during the course of the week, which is starting right now. I stopped betting at the 7th race which I lost and I would have lost all the races after that so it is a good thing that I closed up shop and went home. I didn't even bet my regular amount of money. I just knew that I had to get out of there if I was not able to get another win after my one and only win. Check out below the Meadowlands website for the results of the races last night. There were quite a few good payoffs, in the order of thousands of dollars actually. Like, how does a 10,000 dollar win sound for ten cents? That was the payoff in one of the Superfectas. ( picking the first four horses in a race ) See race 13 below, for example. And, there was also a 12,000 dollar triactor ( two dollar bet ) in a previous race as well.

Race results below:

Race results for the Meadowlands: Saturday April 3, 2010

.So, like I said above I will buy myself a little something today on account of my good fortunes yesterday. Now, if my dream girl was in attendance yesterday I could have bought her a nice dinner and a present as well. She was not there so that will have to wait for some future time I suppose. You can be sure that I was thinking about her when I won and hoping she was there. Maybe she was giving me good luck just by thinking about her. Who knows for sure eh? Well, thems the racing gods for you. They sure work in strange and lovely ways eh?

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