X (or Twitter): Liz Crokin
My cellphone alarm was set for 3 p.m. last night, but I had become sufficiently awake that I made a time check at 2:52 a.m. and rose from bed then.
No one else was up, and I saw that my wife was home because her bedroom door was pulled shut.
It has been a few days since I last had a walk ─ a heavy snowfall kiboshed the activity; so I could only hope that this outing would not prove unduly punishing. I might even find myself forced to truncate my usual five miles plus.
It was around 3:30 p.m. before I managed to be on my way. I was warmly dressed, but as yet conditions were not freezing, so everything was wet and not icy. The sky was overcast, but there was no threat felt of any rain.
I abandoned stopping at the nearby elementary school playground for any pull-ups and chin-ups because I was disinclined to potentially having to walk in any untrodden deep snow. Also, I did not know what lay ahead, so I wished to focus on the journey before me.
Main sidewalks tended to have been cleared, but due to infrequent street traffic, I did not have to ever use any for long that were troublesome.
One exception was when I was travelling 100th Avenue from 144th Street (Google Map) to 148th Street where I would be turning right. To avoid the risk of having some Good Samaritan stop and offer me a ride, I had taken to the avenue's north sidewalk (the 'upper' side of the avenue as you look at that map).
Fortunately, even though it was snow-covered, it had been quite well used, so a nice trail had been created in the snow ─ which was not too deep anyway due to considerable sheltering from trees.
About two-thirds of my way along that route, I was to encounter someone else coming from the opposite direction. The way was not wide enough for two, and I had intended to make way for him when we got nearer one another, but he took the initiative while still some distance from me.
So I undertook a bit of a jog, at which he called out not to take such a risk and to go slowly. By his voice, I could tell that he was European-raised ─ possibly Eastern Europe.
When I reached him we exchanged some quick laughing banter without me stopping, and I clapped the gent on the shoulder in camaraderie, to which he similarly gestured in kindred spirit.
The encounter left me feeling remarkably good. I would have enjoyed knowing this man, I believe.
It bothers me that I do not have people like him in my life. I am mainly surrounded by South Asians, and rarely hear English being spoken around me.
The only other incident I care to mention was seeing a raccoon. I was on the Fraser Highway ─ the north sidewalk again ─ and had just crossed 140th Street (Google Map), and was advancing in front of the 7-Eleven that is there. I was bound for King George Boulevard.
There is a stretch of elevated sidewalk just past the 7-Eleven, and I intended to take to it; but then I saw the raccoon at that spot. It was making as if it would cross the highway if I continued my approach, so I opted to not molest its peace and instead I crossed the highway.
I was to notice as I continued my trek that several times the raccoon would stand up on its hind legs ─ perhaps to better see above the surrounding snow. I cannot recall ever seeing a raccoon in the wild do that.
Anyway, I was back home by 5:35 a.m. or so, so I had fared well. I did do some light jogging when I was using streets anytime a sidewalk was basically impassible.
I think that it might have been in the neighbourhood of 7:15 - 7:20 a.m. by the time I was back to bed, and for a change it did not take too very long to get to sleep.
When I later checked the time out of curiosity, it was maybe 9:45 - 9:50 a.m., and I correctly believed that I might be hearing the television on downstairs. In my haste to join my brother, I failed to notice that my wife's bedroom door was open ─ she was not home.
I was to later learn from my brother that she had left maybe 20 minutes before I came downstairs.
She did return a while later, though ─ apparently she had just gone out to do some grocery shopping. At the time, my brother and I were watching T.V., so she and I said nothing to one another.
As for what my brother and I were to watch, I believe that I led us off with two recent videos posted to Dr. William Makis's Substack:
Thereafter I believe that I just played three recent short videos from Rumble's ConstitutionalConventions channel.
My brother had earlier left around 10:15 a.m. to pick up his girlfriend Bev two miles away in order to drive her to work, but I never took the opportunity for any exercising out in the backyard tool shed. It was too soon after I had gotten up; but I was also undergoing my Sabbath fast and felt too weak from abstention from my usual coffee with the works.
Anyway, after the final video, my brother sought bed rest before leaving for the day to socialize. I was in bed napping when he left.
Before I did return to bed, I considered presenting myself to my wife in case she had anything she wanted to tell me (she had been busy in the kitchen cooking after she got back from shopping), but I decided better of it ─ she might want money from me.
Besides, she seems intent on remaining distant from me, so I am perfectly able to play her game.
I expect that she had to work in the latter afternoon today. When I rose from my nap shortly after 3 p.m., only her two sons were home. I think that I had probably been in bed nigh three hours, so clearly I did require further sleep.
Still, it does bother me that my wife seems to want our relationship to be as it is. I am not expecting that she will return home after she finishes work later this evening. There is somewhere in Vancouver that she will often stay.
I find myself inclined for a Christmas movie now that dark has set in at 5:47 p.m. as I type these words, so I am going to break now and locate one on T.V. via our Android TV Box. Obviously, some drink is going to be involved ─ even before I eat a supper.
By the way, I weighed myself before it was yet dark. Somewhat surprisingly in view of not walking anywhere the previous couple or so days, entirely naked I weighed no more than 177 pounds. In fact, I may have been nearer 176 pounds.
My Christmas movie selection was 2017's Christmas in Evergreen.
Honestly, I enjoyed it, but I seem to have lost my needy cling to Christmas that I have to go through every darned year after Christmas ends.
I drank a Cariboo Malt (8% alcohol) during the movie, and then had some supper comprised of my wife's earlier efforts. Then I had a shot of Kraken Black Spiced Rum (47% alcohol); before the movie ended and I had begun another can of beer.
I very much enjoyed the movie, and I was even teary-eyed often enough. Lead actress Ashley Williams was exceptionally beguiling. She may have hit her 39th birthday before the movie was filmed and released, but likely she was still 38 during production.
I was certain I have seen her before in a probable Christmas movie, but nothing crops up that is any more recent than 2013, so that is unlikely. Nevertheless, she was extremely familiar.
Initially I thought that it was because I could see some Amy Acker in her smile, but there is also another actress whom I cannot now recall who looks similarly. Probably Summer Grau ─ yes, in fact, more likely Summer.
But there were a few times when that full, toothy smile ─ and the voice ─ reminded me of someone else. It took some struggling for a time, but then it dawned ─ Cybill Shepherd back in her Cybill years.
I am certain that I have seen child actress Jaeda Lily Miller in another recent Christmas movie ─ she is truly adorable. But I cannot identify anything.
Maybe I am going to have to completely wean myself of Christmas sentimentality for this Winter, for the enormity that I felt two evenings ago was just not present, despite some heartfelt tears.
Should anyone care to give the movie a test, I can currently recommend this link at HuraMovies.to.
When the movie was done, I was so 'normalized' that I decided to watch an episode of FBI: Most Wanted ─ episode 22 ("A Man Without a Country") of season three. This choice was remarkable because I always seem to need further Christmas fare ─ even just music videos ─ with which to continue the emotion and mood.
Not only did I easily move on from Christmas, I even turned off the four sets of Christmas lights that I had set ablaze here within the house for the Christmas movie.
Of course this evening may have been aberrant, and the next time I will find myself once again gripped with my Christmas passion. We can but wait and see.
Incidentally, I started that FBI: Most Wanted episode with most of a second can of beer to drink. Generally, I would have wolfed it down during a Christmas movie under the grip of the emotion such movies rouse within me.
Only my youngest stepson had been home when I commenced the movie, but he left early enough into it that I had no further distractions. My brother was to finally arrive home maybe just after 9:30 p.m.
That was my cue to hide away here in my bedroom where I keep this computer.
I hope to do some early morning grocery shopping ─ and the goodly hike that goes with it. To that end, I will have my cellphone alarm set for 4 a.m. with the plan in mind to try and be away comfortably ahead of 6 a.m. so that maybe I can have some exercise at that elementary school playground if it isn't raining.
My bedtime is probably going to be soon after 10 p.m.
And that is my final word for today.
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