My Brother the Walker

Last night's bedtime was a bit past 9:30 p.m. when I heard my younger brother entering the house. At the time, I was here at my computer which I keep in my bedroom, and my wife was next door in her bedroom watching entertainment on her smartphone, so I quickly let her know that I was going to bed.

I supposedly set my cellphone alarm for 1:30 a.m. so that I could get up to ready for a five-mile+ walk, and I would be doing my best to leave here ahead of 2 a.m.

Well, a point arrived when I had just assumed a new position to facilitate further sleep when it occurred to me that I should perhaps have a peek at the time in case it was close enough to 1:30 a.m. that I should just get up.

To my near incredulity, it was 1:29 a.m., so I hustled up to cancel the alarm before it could sound. But I was in for a second big surprise ─ I had originally stupidly set the alarm for 1:45 a.m. Had I not risen until then, it would have been virtually impossible for me to be away on my walk even by 2 a.m., and this would have been most discouraging.

An online check for the temperature hereabouts yielded the claim of 6.8° Celsius (44.24° F.). I remembered to do that, but even though I went to the bathroom to weigh myself just before I left so that I would know my fully clothed weight, I utterly forgot ─ I got sidetracked by a final pee.

I also forgot to take my brother's monthly expenses reconciliation cheque to deposit that he had written out on the 1st ─ I never even thought of that until at least late into the morning.

Once I was outside and on my way, it was 1:54 a.m., and it seemed very mild out. The street pavement was damp from earlier rain, but the overcast sky only seemed to have quite light and broken cloud cover.

When I got to the elementary school playground three or four blocks from here to tackle a half dozen sets of pull-ups and chin-ups, the equipment was wet, but I opted to exercise bare-handed without wiping off the metal bars that I would be using.

I knew I was likely at least 190 pounds in overall weight because my gold wedding band did not easily come off my ring finger ─ I was retaining some fluid.

Nevertheless, I managed three and then two pull-ups in the first two sets, the same numbers in the next two sets of chin-ups, and then two pull-ups between a pair of bars in both of the final two sets. I held the very last pull-up for a 15-count.

I also performed 11 slow full-range push-ups in a declined posture on a cement ramp.

Due to the mild temperature there seemed to be more night people abroad, and once I lost considerable time in a detour to avoid one of these aimless souls.

Along one ¾-mile stretch of a forested avenue, whenever there was none of the sparse vehicular traffic using it at that time, I did some slow 'old man' jogging to try and make up some time. Apparently I succeeded, for it was 3:47 a.m. once I was back home ─ seven minutes under two hours is pretty darned good time.

And then came yet another surprise ─ my brother's van was not here.

Was it present when I left? I never paid heed, oddly enough.

Upon coming into the house I soon enough found that his bedroom door was still pulled tight, an indication that he was inhabiting the bedroom and had not risen for some peculiar reason and left on some errand.

So either his van had been stolen; or much more likely, he had been nicked for drunk driving.

I cannot say if I was back to bed ahead of 5 a.m., but I was to remain there until a time check around 9:10 a.m. got me up for the morning. My brother was downstairs watching T.V.

When I joined him, he soon enough spilled the beans. He did indeed get a 72-hour roadside suspension ─ but it was by transit police, of all things! Since when do these guys police our streets?

Regardless, he believes that he can probably reclaim his van on Sunday if only he can get a ride and also have someone with him who would be free to drive it back here.

But as for getting back his licence, we checked online in the hope of setting up an appointment, but no times were available with the nearest ICBC centre until December 15.

He has a three-day suspension ─ not one exceeding a week!

So his only option is to show up as early as possible on Monday ─ it is closed on Sunday, but opens at 8:30 a.m. on Monday ─ and hope that the lineup of walk-ins is not too insane.

With that more or less determined, I put our Android TV Box to work and we started watching some videos on T.V.

Initially I tried a couple that I forthwith backed out of because they just did not appeal.

I then tuned in a very short (and the latest) video at Rumble's WTFLouie channel, another even shorter one at Rumble's ProgressiveTruthSeekers channel, and then a fairly short current addition to YouTube's Redacted channel.

There were other shorts that I am not going to bother mentioning, but I will mention a 13-minute (13:53) upload from January 29 of 2022 to YouTube's Dates and Dead Guys channel: The Battle of Ramree: Were 1,000 Japanese soldiers killed by crocodiles during World War II?

Back in the later stages of WWII there have always been rumors in regard to what happened to the Japanese soldiers when they retreated from the British on the swamps of Ramree Island. In this episode I examine the claim around the evidence and try to determine what actually happened. Were 1,000 Japanese soldiers killed by saltwater crocodiles during World War II?

Also on YouTube, we watched a 44-minute (44:233) video uploaded on May 5, 2016, to the Real Stories channel: Interview With A Serial Killer | Real Stories.

There is no doubt that Arthur Shawcross is a psychopath. Found guilty of killing 2 children and 11 prostitutes his tales of cannibalism and mutilation have made him one of America's most notorious serial killers. That he killed 13 people by asphyxiation is certain.

The final video worth mention was added to BitChute's bluedemon218 channel on August 14, 2020: The Turpin 13.

The Turpin family came to the attention of the police and public in 2018 as a severe case of child maltreatment. On January 14, a Turpin child escaped from the home of David and Louise Turpin in Perris, California and contacted police who then raided the house and found disturbing evidence of prolonged abuse and torturous living conditions. Given the number of dependents involved, 13 siblings, the degree of abuse and the protracted nature occurring over decades, the story garnered significant national and international interest in the press. Experts in family abuse considered the case to be "extraordinary" for a number of reasons.

In February 2019 both parents pleaded guilty on 14 felony counts, including cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture and false imprisonment. In April they were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

It was at least 12:20 p.m. before my brother finally decided on some bed rest. I had not eaten, but I decided that I would attempt to nap because my wife had newly risen and I felt too in need of some more sleep ─ I was concerned that she would enlist me in some errand or project. But she was curious about my brother and his absent van, so I quietly filled her in.

It was around 2 p.m. when I rose again, having had much trouble slipping into sleep. By this time my wife and brother were conversing about his experience, so she was getting first hand description.

She was to anon be leaving for work at the Thai restaurant where she is employed part-time (the restaurant reopens at 4:30 p.m. following a 1½-hour daily mid-afternoon break), so she offered to drive him somewhere. He accepted.

First, though, he queried her eldest son on whether he might be available on Sunday to help fetch my brother's van. Alas, the lad has a 12-hour day shift that day (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.), and the impound facility closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

So something alternative must be arranged.

Anyway, apart from some light late-afternoon exercising, I indulged myself in the early evening with some T.V. while having some supper, a can of Cariboo Malt (8% alcohol), and a shot of Kraken Black Spiced Rum (47% alcohol).

My T.V. entertainment ─ through the liberty of our Android TV Box ─ led off with an episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow. This was season six's episode 12 ("Bored on Board Onboard"). I am now very pleased that gorgeous actress Aliyah O'Brien has returned as humanized alien Kayla.

With a little time to spare, I also watched an episode of Cybill ─ this time, season three's episode nine ("Going to Hell in a Limo: Part 2"). I absolutely must say here that Cybill's best physical feature are NOT her legs ─ not to me, anyhow.

I have another wee a.m. walk that I intend to be rising at 1:30 a.m. to ready for, so since it is now after 9:30 p.m., I must close the blogging shop for today and start readying for some sleep in the meantime.