Apparently I have no future running for politics.  As I have pointed out in an earlier blog, with all the detailed study of internet activity I suspect no one can have a clean history.

While there are no videos of me peeing into a client’s cup that I am aware of (although there were a couple of sales calls I made where this might have been very nice) an in-depth review of my internet messages over the years could lead to a problem.

First the good part, there are no pedophile activities and any searches I may have done in the past for pictures of naked people, they were always of women over the age of 18, and of course I never did that.

But there are three major reasons why I cannot run for office

1.  A search of my blogs and emails may represent me as a major misogynist.  For example my earlier blog about my perfect wife defined perfect as a woman that would watch my TV programs and then there are the many references in my blogs about me writing a blog while the wife did wifely clean up duties.  I can expect this  alone would lose me the female vote immediately.
2. I suspect I would be goaded into tirade opinions in the live debates.  While I would love the opportunity to tell everyone what is right, it may not always work out.
3. It is no use running for office on Vancouver Island because all they vote for is NDP

So I suspect my future will remain the best model ship builder in the Valley.

I have finished the model of The Mathew.

Now this is a significant event in my life when I declare a model complete.  A fundamental step when I take down the plans and drawings from the wall in my workshop and roll them up.

Yesterday I was completing the ratlines when I realized that this was the end.

I have to admit that this is probably the best set of ratlines I have ever done.  Fine lines to scale with tiny knots that look like the real thing.

But when I finished the last set, I realized I was finished.  Granted there were a few details like the mounting of the anchors, and ordering a name plate. but I was done.

For the first time in many years I do not have a next project under way.

When I started The Mathew I was still working on The Victory and before that The Juno keel was laid when I was still on the rigging.

Today I had this shock that I do not have a new model in the works.  Granted I have some projects like refinishing Monique’s birdhouse, etc. but where is my future life???

Anyway here are a couple of pictures.  As I have realized, photos do not capture the beauty of my models.  I know Ryan and Corrie will appreciate this.

Almost 35 years ago, when we were living in Calgary, I discovered that was then, and remains today, my favourite TV program.  This Old House on PBS.

I loved it so much at the time that when the local PBS station was fund raising I sent money and to this day have a Measure Twice, Cut Once coffee mug that I think cost me $50.  In those days the host was Bob Villa but they have gone through many since then.  They take older houses and repair, replace or just upgrade.

I love this program.  It has grown to include Ask This Old House and New Yankee Workshop but This Old House remains my go-to TV program.  From this program I have learned to understand PEX water systems and tankless water heaters which we agreed to include in our new home.

Unfortunately the local PBS station in Seattle no longer carries This Old House.  I have been going through withdrawal.

But recently I discovered that the Apple TV device that we bought (so we could watch You Tube videos on the main TV) could be connected to our IPad and I could download full episodes from the past for This Old House from the internet.

I have been sneaking these programs in while Pat was busy elsewhere, but she spotted one show under way, joined me and said this we must share.  While she prefers the room design aspects while I like the technical framing details we seem to enjoy the programs.

Regardless, there is not a wife in 10,000 that would share enthusiasm for This Old House episodes with her husband.  …. A perfect wife….

It is the time of year where Pat is involved with the annual Christ the King parish (Comox Valley) Catholic Women’s League  (CWL)  fall bazaar.
This is where the many women in the CWL donate things and have a sale in the church hall to raise funds for the following year.

Think of a flea market, attic treasures,  knitting and needle point, a book sale and lots of baking with a tea lunch and a silent auction for whatever can be donated.

For some reason they make many thousands of dollars each year (granted as I have written in the past lots of it is Mabel selling to Mildred.

Pat is the treasurer and must be in a locked room where they bring in the cash for counting.  Think of the lock up cash room at a casino.

This is an all day commitment for 3 days.  I had pre arranged that if I really needed her during this time I could get into her secure room.

I would tell you the secret knock code…. but this is a public blog.

So this afternoon Pat was calling me from her lockup to see what the Jays were doing (that is another blog).  I awaited her coming home to tell her the bad news.

But over supper I love to hear her stories of the bazaar.  Ladies that donate paintings they think should sell for $100s and go for $10.  Ladies that spend hours on jams and preserves only to see them sell for less than cost of the ingredients.  But that is the norm for a social benefit at the church, and to be expected.

What was unusual were the two people that showed up with only $100 bills to buy stuff where the average price was $0.25.  Who, outside of drug dealers, walks around with $100 bills.

Fortunately Pat had the cash but they had to get into the secret cash room.

I wonder if this is not a set up.  Tomorrow is Sunday and maybe I take my Brett Lawrie baseball bat and sit in the cash room tomorrow morning to protect the bride.

Anyone that thinks Baseball is boring compared to, say, basketball should have watched today’s game where the Jays won the series against the Rangers.  Granted I would not be writing this blog if they had lost, but that would not have changed the fact that the game was exciting.

I think it is proof that my heart is healthy (despite the little condition I have), because I made it through the game alive.  Can you believe that weird run that the Ranger’s got at the top of the 7th?

And starting Friday another series.  Life is good.

Pat and I went to see The Martian yesterday in a late matinee at the local theatre.  In 3D which cost more.

Fabulous movie.  I had been waiting since early summer when I heard the movie was in production and to see it.

Last year James sent me the e book of The Martian by Andy Weir.  He said “Dad I think you will like this book”.

I had not heard of it before and have not been a fan of Science Fiction in years, but my son recommended it so I read it.

Now I read about 40 books a year and have some opinions on what is a good book.  The Martian turned out to be the best book I read in 2014.  I could not stop reading it.  This guy marooned on Mars was me.  Handy, resourceful and yet amusing.

You have to see this movie.

Now Pat and I do not go to the theatre very often these days and yet a week before we went to see Everest.  Another great movie that has to be viewed on the big screen.  Two good movies in a week although the Martian was better.

This was a book and a movie that I will read and watch again.

Just a disclaimer… no reward or payment has been made to the author of this blog for this review (although if there is a payment available, I would gladly accept)

Fall and winter are on us on so The Bride is starting off with her many nights out.

Through the summer we spent the evenings after supper walking the dogs and watching taped TV movies together.  True relationship time.

Now it is the fall and Pat is off on her many evening adventures.

Tonight she is attending the monthly CWL general meeting where she remains the person presenting the financial reports and runs the computer projector for the other speakers….  or so she claims.  Granted she did leave with a big briefcase and our laptop which she spent the afternoon on preparing a spreadsheet, and she was not particularly fancy dressed, but for all I know she has a fancy outfit in her briefcase and is off to meet a guy.   Tomorrow night she is off playing cards with some other ladies.

I wanted to take her to see the movie The Martian this week and she had to check her calendar to fit me in.

All I know is that tonight I had to prepare the supper (a Thai Chicken stir fry), police the area and load the dishwasher.  It is 6:30 and I have the house to myself.  Even if I had the inclination to meet a single lady to spend these lonely evenings with, they all belong to the various clubs with Pat and there is no way I could get away with it.

Maybe I will slip on some tidy whities and dance to Old Time Rock and Roll.

Or maybe I will just watch a movie.

When we drive to Calgary from Paradise to visit the kids, we have to take the Coquihalla highway through the Rockies.  Great highway.  However we started to watch a reality show on Discovery called Highway Thru Hell about the operations of a heavy duty tow truck/ recovery company that handles accidents on that highway.  The show is Canadian originally based on a reality show that featured accidents in the winter on the I 80 which is the infamous DONNER PASS.    Turns out these California accidents were trivial compared to those on THE COQUIHALLA.

The program Highway Thru Hell is in its third season and is so scary with the snow conditions we will not drive The Coquihalla from October until May, which isolates us from our kids in Calgary.

I am beginning to suspect that West Jet finances the program.

Pat and I went to spend a brief holiday with our friends Wayne and Terry.  I say brief because despite the fact that we can almost see their house on the mainland from the coast nearby, it takes almost 8 hours of various ferries and driving to get there.  From their deck you can see the lights of Nanaimo and the highway heading north to Courtenay.

Anyway, while we were visiting the subject came up about the Game of Thrones series on TV/Cable.

I admitted that I had read the first of the books and felt an abhorrence to the… well I guess you could say.. the deflowering of 13 year old girls that was a key part of the story.  As a father of 3 daughters and 2 grand daughters, this bothered me so much I did not continue reading the books and had no interest in the TV series.

Somehow they convinced us to watch the first two episodes, and they were pretty fascinating.  So much so, we came home with the DVD series of the first year.

Strange how your morals become insensitive as more and more violence and depravity becomes normal fare on TV.    Still, pretty good cinematography.