Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[tolmij]

This quote for some reason has just appeared, used to be able to do stuff to a quote on my iPad but now it will not let me touch it. This is now getting beyond a joke.????????????????????????

[tolmij]

For around 10 years now we have had a set of three very long stemmed glasses that DW uses as a decoration we also use them as a Christmas decoration and the stand on a side board in our dining room

 

Today the kitten jumped up onto said side board And cleared them off onto the floor where they were promptly destroyed. Kitten is now in the dog house, the dogs are not happy and the kitten does not appear to mind his punishment. DW is currently looking to purchase some more, but the shop they were purchased has been out of. Business for a long time. First world problems.

[scomac2002]

Round two of winter began yesterday with several hours of freezing rain. It could have been much worse than it was because the temperature rose enough to turn the freezing rain into straight rain by mid afternoon, so that helped with getting ice off the trees and cars and buildings. Still that didn't stop the idiots from having to go out and travel around leading to several collisions, a number of them big enough to close a couple of the major highways! That also marked the start of a series of power outages that went on all night long. We awoke around 5 am absolutely freezing as the power had been off for over 2 hours and we keep the house cool at night anyway.

DW is working today, so I got up with her and went out to switch the cars to find about an inch of wet snow on the ground, so I cleaned off my car and got hers out of the garage. Off she went and then I finished with my car before shoveling. Hey, wait a minute... Didn't I buy a snowblower? I guess I should call the dealer about that as It hasn't made its way down here yet. Not to worry. I wouldn't have bothered with a power tool for that amount of snow. Damn stuff was heavy though. This living next to the lake has its downside too...

Tomorrow we are off to Penticton to see the kids for Christmas. I'm really looking forward to visiting my home away from home. The weather will be typical for this time of year, a bit dreary and damp, but that describes winter in the Okanagan. There aren't any tourists this time of year so it's more like being a resident, at least that's how the business owners treat us. We have a pretty solid routine where we get up and then walk about a half hour to our favourite coffee shop for breakfast. We then head back through town to browse the shops or pick up anything we might need for the evening meal. I suspect that DW will do some Christmas baking for the kids and then we'll hit a winery or two. I think she wants to join the wine club for Township 7 where son works. Apparently they've solved the shipping issues out of province -- stupid antiquated liquor laws that were written in prohibition times and have never been modernized! Just what is it that gov't does anyway besides waste our hard earned money?

[tolmij]

In Australia each state has its own laws regarding the sale of booze, our state QUEENSLAND is the only one where you cannot purchase in a major store, have to go to a dedicated outlet. This means that the stores that do not have a dedicated store do not sell it and some do not ship it so we miss out in some of the best and cheapest wine available, outdated laws by outdated self serving political parties.

 

as a continuation, they cannot sell any in store yet all the major supermarkets have a dedicated booze store that is actually next door to the supermarket, and all major shopping centres have several dotted around. I cannot see the difference the only place you cannot buy is in store but walk literally five yards out of store and the supply is unlimited and nearly always discounted but normally do not sell top of the range.

 

have one on me.????????

[tolmij]

Sco tried to quote you a second time but quote is not playing fair.

 

So annoying that you need the blower and it is still in transit, we always find the bits you want urgently take their time and those purchased on line as a back up arrive the next day, why. ❓

[scomac2002]

to be honest @tolmij I wouldn't have bothered to start the blower for what I did today even if it was here and a brand new toy to play with. If all I ever had to deal with was 2"-4" per snowfall, I wouldn't have bought the blower in the first place, but it's those 12" storms or the week when you have to shovel a couple of times a day for a week straight that are what the power equipment is for. They didn't even bother to plow the street; all they did was put a bit of salt down to deal with the ice and the traffic will look after the rest.

[tolmij]

Know what you mean, not playing with your new toys. Five weeks ago we purchased a 1.8kw electric chainsaw, same size as my motorised one, have plenty to do with it but have not been tempted as yet, have to try it out soon on several large branches that have come down in the high winds.

What the heck is going on, no chain saw emoji, have a hammer instead.??

[tolmij]

Finally after many moons I have finished a painting.

This one has special significance as it is my sons cat who died six months ago, and this painting is part of his Christmas present, finished it today, has to be varnished when the paint is harder.

 

[scomac2002]

Dang, that's a good one @tolmij
You've got a gift when it comes to livestock!

[tolmij]

The cat was called Quasimodo after the hunchback of NotreDame, I think that’s the spelling, a red Burmese with attitude, lovely personality and was 16 when he passed.

[SixtySomePing]

Wow, picture Purrrr-fect! I don't know how you do it but each one is very unique and tells its own story. They are more than paintings, they are truly moments of life on canvas...bravo!

[Conrad1953]

Tol, that is going to be a wonderful Christmas present!

[tolmij]

PThank you for the kind comments, animals are more expressive than most realise, you have to get inside their heads and try to determine what they are thinking, then you have the start of a relationship required to interpret what they should look like, then the painting looks after itself. With any art, golf included most of the results are determined by the state of mind of the player or artist towards the subject, look at a golf ball the wrong way and it will usually end up wet or going bush, paintings are the same. Get in the zone and it works.

[tolmij]

Temperature ramping up, 98 today, over 100 for the next week, fires still running amok some of them have been going for three months, around 200 in total Australia wide. Locally we have been lucky, several started but put out quickly. Still catching idiots staring fires, three 12 year olds that will only have a slap on the wrist and one adult lighting fireworks and throwing them into the bush., he will also have a mental disorder and get off lightly, me, I would lock all of them up for life.

[tolmij]

To put it in perspective, this mornings fire map of Australia.

 

[scomac2002]

Nicely nestled in with the kids and critters here in Penticton, BC.

Just back from taking #2 son to work. DW is busy with her Christmas baking.

Shopped for the baked goods yesterday. Today we'll be back out getting supplies for short ribs including a magnum of good Okanagan red!??

It's funny how the days fill up even though there are never any plans when we arrive. ?

[tolmij]

Sounds as if you will have a nice long family holiday for Christmas, we are not anywhere near ready as yet, DW is still stocking the freezers, no idea where we will put the new stuff as we have two fridge freezers and a dedicated freezer all three of which are full, and I mean full. I am not exaggerating when I say we could cater for 50 people with what we have in the freezers at this moment, we had many years in our early years if married life where 1lb of minced meat lasted a full week for the two of us, that has always stuck in her head and there is no way now she will ever let us go without, makes life interesting at least, I think.

Have a wonderful time with family, eat drink and be merry, ??????????????

[tolmij]

Not far from us today is the place we first lived when we came to Australia in 1981 and the temperature will be 114’, they say this is global warming and in some ways they may be correct, but, we travelled by air from England, it was 55’ the day we left, arrived in Australia after the flight to a temperature of 114’, I was dressed for an English winter, nice warm coat, long warm pants and went into an immediate sweat. The point I am making is this was a cyclic event that has happened twice since being here, this year will be number three. Global warming has to be taken seriously but the natural cyclic weather also has to be taken into account. From scientific studies it has been determined there was a global warming event millions of years ago when humans were not invented. Sometimes things happen and we have no answers.

[tolmij]

Wow, just looked up Penticton, nice position for wine lovers?????????

[tolmij]

The Grille is lonely, just had excellent service from two underworked ladies and a chef, too full to stay here now, going home to sleep it off, only mid afternoon but stuffed already, temp is now going down, just under 90’. Stay safe Grillers.

[Conrad1953]

Anyone gonna watch the President's Cup next week? After all, it's in the land of Tol.

I'll try to watch some of it if it's not on too late at night.......or watch replays of it. It's

somewhat of a yawn I suppose despite the efforts to hype it up as some sorta rematch

between Tiger and Ernie.

[tolmij]

At present watching the Australian open, some brilliant golf and some rubbish golf. Second round today, some good players missed the cut.

[scomac2002]

Well yes, it is a great location for wine lovers as there are over 300 wineries in the valley.

Having said that, I'm noticing a trend towards ever increasing prices once a bit of a reputation is established. Being a value conscious buyer I'm finding that I'm increasingly priced out of the BC wine market. So many of these places are about pretense and catering to those who want that sort of experience. In fact we were at a place yesterday where I found the shtick off-putting when the server conveniently ignored that we had just picked up a$60 wine order and he tried to sell us a couple of $18 tasting packages. We refused and that winery is now firmly on my sh*t list.!

[billh17]

@ Conrad: i may catch a little of it, between the "Honey-Do" shopping excursions. But to be honest,

i look at it as being the way the Ryder was before it went to the Euro format.

Had the Tiger tourney on yesterday afternoon. He seemed to be doing ok. Reed is in a zone !

Tol: You're right about some good golf being played there. I do like that more and more of the shots are

being followed with the tracer. Sure makes it more interesting.

 

[scomac2002]

 

Winter in the Okanagan Valley.

[billh17]

Beautiful pic Sco !

[tolmij]

Just bad manners Sco, fortunately we do not have that problem. All the wine outlet’s we use accept you want what you ask for. We were on holiday two years ago and went to a winery that produced from a variety of fruits, they had a tasting bar, let you choose which you wanted to taste and then left you alone to decide, no pressure even if you did not want to purchase any. We had six bottles mailed home arrived the day after we got back. Mostly in Australia the wine industry is fairly laidback.

[tolmij]

Nice location sco.

[scomac2002]

Curled last night with the kids at the Penticton Curling Club. It was a fun night. Nice club. A serious club as it's the home of many high level competitive teams including the current BC Mens Champions and the BC Sr. Women's Champions. In fact the skip of said women's team just happens to convene the league that the kids play in. Really nice lady. Her and her SO both play on provincial teams and yet they are so down to earth. I think that's what I like about curling is that even the best are ordinary folks just like you and me.

[scomac2002]

One thing that's taking some getting used to is the kids keeping their house so cold. It's 16°C at night and 19°C during the daytime. That's 3° cooler than we keep our place! That's a lot for a couple of old beggars!

I suppose it's for the benefit of the animals as Border Collies don't do well in the heat. Millie is always laying in water during the summer and sometimes it's not the cleanest either! Ah, the lengths we go to for our loved ones...❤??