Donstar

Good grief, Charlie Brown! I went to Lowe's yesterday to buy a bag of potting soil and had to pass Christmas displays to get to the garden centre! We're experiencing August weather c/w watering restrictions in the middle of October! The past few years have exposed us to a variety of extremes and unpredicted events. Covid has taught me to be more prepared than ever before. Yesterday my shopping list also included buying gas for my snow thrower. Just because I'm working in the garden wearing a t-shirt this week doesn't guarantee no snow for next week!

In the '70's my wife and I were about 50/50 with the domestic stuff. We both lived on our own prior to marriage and were both capable of all the common household tasks. Funny, over the decades our chosen duties have taken on somewhat of a traditional/stereotypical appearance, but we don't feel one contributes more than the other. Our kids grew up knowing which parent typically does their laundry or who will likely fix their bike but never associated gender to a chore

The elastic laces you find in shoe or sports stores work well for me. They make all my shoes slip-ons!

This is our Thanksgiving weekend when we typically stay home and cook a turkey to share with family and/or friends. Last night we decided to go to a local restaurant for their turkey dinner. We took a friend along whose family dinner plans were dashed by the host getting covid. A part of me missed the chaos of coordinating a big meal but there was a lot of positives sitting at a table being served. No stress and no mess! The time saved in preparation and cleanup was spent having quality time with each other!

Funny. I wouldn't have considered if this vehicle was gas, electric or hybrid. Are you sure it was gas? Transit vans are available in electric from aftermarket companies. I find it easy to spot Mach e's, Lightening's and Tesla's but there are also so many other models offering electric power. I often drive by the many charging stations in our area and the diversity of vehicles tethered to a plug is surprising. I suspect we're 5 minutes away from Ford offering optional electric power in these vans!

I grew up in the city before it was common for dog owner to pick up after their pets. We always played outside and were adept at cleaning dog crap off of our shoes. A couple of swipes at the curb and a few slides on somebody's lawn had you ready for the next encounter!

Do they have future (prototypes) trucks on display? I am curious if GM is going to respond to the Ford Maverick. These small trucks and all EV's are very popular here. I believe the demand differs based on fuel prices. We are currently paying about the same for a liter of gas as you're paying for a gallon!

True. Whether human baby or fur baby yours is the best! This is a good thing! When we take our dog to the vet, we feel like the entire staff are excited to see our baby and that she is extra special. This in turn makes us feel respected and continue as loyal customers. The same applies with people. When I worked in the school system, I learned early on about mama bear and papa bear. Once a parent thinks you don't like their child, they won't like you! Conversely, the more good stuff you say about their child, the more good they'll say about you!

As you suggest, there are exceptions. This dog is an extraordinarily good traveler and we don't take her where she is not welcome. The diversity in dogs behavior can be profound and we know we got very lucky with this one. We thought she may give us a challenge when we started giving her a needle after her meals. However, after the first day she voluntarily comes to us when she's finished eating, sits, and waits patiently for her insulin!

I don't do stairs well either. Carrying a dog while doing so would have disastrous consequences!

Our post covid road trip plans are delayed largely due to the added burden of travelling with an old dog. She doesn't do stairs and can't go through the night without one or more trips outside. This is problematic when staying in motels or other people's homes. We recently discovered our furry friend is diabetic and we now give her two injections per day. (Years ago, I would've called anyone nuts for doing this, especially for an older dog.) We discovered she was diabetic while she was being tested in preparation for oral surgery. Keeping the diabetes managed makes her much more energetic as well a sleeping through the night. Ironically, she is now fit for a road trip but our travel budget will now be going to fund her vet's holiday plans!

Your deal is sound but not easily kept! Twenty years ago we agreed to no more pets because of the tough times when the end is part of the discussion. This agreement didn't last long and here we are again! My default position is Princess wants to live and money will not unduly influence this position.

Our dog has caught up to us in age. Her age-related aches and pains are expensive and creates a huge pain in our budget! Don't forget Princess when planning future activities. You may be tough, but a loyal and loving pet in their time of need can have you spending a lot of money in medical care!

I turned on the television this morning to watch the Queen's funeral. I thought it would serve as background but it is hard to take my eyes off this event! It is incredible spectacle and a most fitting tribute. There are a few historic events that will be permanently etched in my memory, and this will be one of them!

I agree with your comments but it's nice to have people like picture #2. My grandson may not be able to identify 3/4 of the tools in my shop, but he can make my phone and laptop do things I didn't know were possible!

A fatal crash occurred a couple of blocks from home when I was a child. I remember this because of my father saying, "Now they'll put up a stop sign." He was right. Sixty years later road signage overall has improved but signs are useless when ignored. I find it particularly sad when you come to an intersection c/w every sign you'd find in a Driving manual including,

I'd prefer a pre-EFI base model truck c/w manual transmission as a daily-driver and I spend a lot of my screen time looking for such a gem! However, searching is a catch and release activity. Mrs. Donstar is fine with me doing the driving but wants to be able to take over if necessary. Her memories of "rowing the boat" combined with "armstrong steering" are not fondly remembered like mine!

I like old original trucks and prefer patina over a high maintenance paint job! It sounds like you have a gem!

A few days ago I had a longish wait in a medical lab to have a blood test. I was seated right next to reception so it was hard to avoid hearing people providing their date of birth. There are some very old looking 40 year old's and youthful looking 70 year old's! On the news last night an 80 year old health store owner was asked what her secret was to staying so youthful looking. Her response was, "Never seeing a Doctor". I thought this was a terrible message to give. Today my brother would be alive to celebrate his Sept. 14th birthday if he'd simply gone for a checkup! Health issues, like the pandemic, can hit unexpectedly but many surprises are avoidable. Don't wait until something hurts or doesn't work before having a checkup by a doctor.

Funny my research on the Lightening last night sparked quite a negative response from my wife! I was just reading about "range extenders". I shared this must have option with Mrs Donstar when/if the time comes. She shifted from polite engagement in my interests to her not so friendly lecture on how we can't afford a new vehicle. Apparently, I passed the threshold of sounding interested to actually shopping.....

Our schools opens the day after Labour Day. I worked in the public school system and after 12 years of retirement I still get anxious on this day! Last night on the news it was reported that this could be the first normal school year for the younger students. This was followed by a report on teacher shortages and the state of teacher contract negotiations. Oh, and we also had an update from public health. We may be dealing with Covid differently, but it hasn't gone away. There are also heightened safety protocols resulting from the far too many school tragedies. This undoubtedly must create abnormal stress for school based staff and for parents sending their children to school. I'd like to hear how a young student would describe a "normal" school year! It may be a normal school year to them but not how I remember normal!

Yes, currently the range and re-charge time of an EV could slow down those who need to travel long distances in a day on a frequent basis. My brother's Lightening is rated at 320 miles which wouldn't be an issue for me. I can't foresee a road trip that would find me driving more than 250 miles in a day. I do hope to make a road trip to your neck of the woods but plans include overnight stays at several points of interest along the way. Fuel or re-charge will be part of the planning process.

No solutions are required or asked for in this thread. The fact is there are many SUV EV's on the road and now full sized pickups are being added. This trend is getting real for me as my brother recently brought home a F150 Lightening. I'd like to hear from others on this forum who have experience with the transition to EV's. Maybe the experience of others will help us to be better informed. I remember how conflicted I felt buying my '78 Fairmont because it took "unleaded fuel only". Horrible things could happen if you put leaded gas in an unleaded car or visa versa. (The environmental concerns were also debated) This analogy may seem weak but this leaded/unleaded issue was big and time/experience has rendered it insignificant. Last night my brother described how he is setting up his two houses to accommodate his Lightening. He previously owned a plug-in Hybrid so he has wiring in place.. He will be upgrading to better meet the needs of his F150. Of note, my brother needs his vehicle for work. He is in it most of the day. He also has a "beach house" that is rural. He originally bought a hybrid but after six months saw no practical advantage over all electric.

I believe doing something is the answer. A solution that doesn't spark opposition or upset or problems won't happen and I plan to go EV for my next vehicle. Time will tell if I've helped make a positive change. I actually have more confidence in a future supply of electricity than gas. Of course people in other environments who have no predictable or reliable source of electricity think differently. There are some options, albeit costly, to generate some or all of my personal home electrical needs but I can't say this for gas. I am hoping to hear more from others who have gone EV, preferably full sized pickup! My brother's report last night was about the frunk on his new Lightening....

My mom passed away almost 10 years ago and I've held on to her two mobility scooters with thoughts of refurbishing them for my future use. All through my Covid declutter I came up with excuses to leave the chairs gathering dust and taking up space. I decided several weeks ago to advertise them online as a package deal for a good price. The batteries and tires need replacing and I'm still fine on my own power. I quickly discovered that people who are looking for a cheap mobility scooter typically don't have the ability or finances to "refurbish" such a device. It was actually quite an "eye-opener" to discover so many people homebound simply because they can't afford assistance to get out and about. I have now taken a new direction and have decided to refurbish these chairs and sell for my cost to those in need. This could develop into a no cost, spare-time, feel good hobby!