After two and a half years, and 231 posts I have decided to call an end to The Palmer Project. Everything has a life span, and it's time to bid adieu to my blog. I want to thank all of those who took the time to read what I had to say. I hope you were entertained along the way. Writing the blog has been an enjoyable experience for me.
I'm not one to "never say never", so I will leave the door slightly ajar to maybe one day start up the blog again. For the time being The Palmer Project is on hiatus.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Hope Santa was good to everyone, and may you find yourself surrounded by family and friends on this Christmas day. I am working (once again), but am comforted with the memories of past Christmas celebrations.
Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy 2009 to all!!!!
Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy 2009 to all!!!!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Heavy Metal Music Soothing!!??
Apparently "zookeepers looking after a trio of African elephants are playing them heavy metal music to improve their behavior.
Staff at West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK say the troublesome teenage giants are instantly calmed down when they hear the twangs of rock legends such as BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA and DEF LEPPARD.
But turn off the anthems during their morning eating and bathing ritual and stroppy adolescents Jack, Lataba and Five throw tantrums and start pacing.
'The elephants love it. It's just such a good distraction for them and a good way to keep them calm,' said keeper Bob Lawrence."
Who knew that heavy metal music could calm the soul?
Staff at West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK say the troublesome teenage giants are instantly calmed down when they hear the twangs of rock legends such as BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA and DEF LEPPARD.
But turn off the anthems during their morning eating and bathing ritual and stroppy adolescents Jack, Lataba and Five throw tantrums and start pacing.
'The elephants love it. It's just such a good distraction for them and a good way to keep them calm,' said keeper Bob Lawrence."
Who knew that heavy metal music could calm the soul?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Happy Birthday & The Decline of Customer Service
This past weekend was very eventful....Friday night Connie and I secured some last minute hockey tickets to catch the London Knights play host to the Peterborough Pete's. There was no contest as the Knights beat the Pete's 5 - 1. You can always count on the Ontario Hockey League to provide good hockey to watch. We had no intention of attending the game. We actually went to grab a bite to eat at the Alibi restaurant. While enjoying a beverage and waiting for our food the bartender came over and offered us a pair of free tickets. It turns out they were the owners seasons tickets, but he was out of town and not able to attend, so we gladly took the tickets.
Saturday Connie was busy in the morning volunteering with some of her fellow co-workers at the Food Bank sorting donations. In the afternoon we headed over to Jay and Heather's place to celebrate their daughter Ava's first birthday. Ava didn't have her daily nap, but still was in good spirits. It was entertaining to watch her tear into a piece of cake. There was icing and cake everywhere!!! I don't think she knows what to make of her Uncle Troy, as she always just stares at my beard whenever I hold her. At least she doesn't get freaked out by it and start crying!
Saturday evening was uneventful.....it was a night to just chill out at home where I watched the hockey game and Connie did her best to stay awake.
We were both up bright and early on Sunday to head to the town of Exeter. There were many preparations that needed to be done as we were celebrating Connie's mothers 80th birthday. A small hall was rented, so a bunch of family showed up and started decorating with streamers, balloons and happy birthday signs. I helped inflate some balloons and set up some tables, then off I went to pick up the birthday girl. It was a good day for travelling and I delivered the guest of honour on time to the venue. The women already had the ham in the oven and were getting other grub ready to feed the masses. The birthday party was a success with approximately 50 or so immediate family members in attendance. No one walked away hungry...there was plenty of food to go around. Happy Birthday to Eleanor!!! She was all played out by the time I drove her back home with her gifts in tow. The day couldn't have happened without the planning, and hard work of Connie, and her sisters Kathy, and Sandra,(I'm probably forgetting some others, my apologies if I did.)as well as the other family members that brought food/supplies. You only turn 80 once, so it was great to ring in the birthday surrounded by family.
In the days leading up to the birthday bash, numerous orders were placed for this and that in preparation. I am convinced that customer service has gone down the toilet. For instance, Connie had pre-ordered a few large hams from our local grocery store. Sunday morning there we are at the grocery store, and lo and behold, they didn't set aside our order. They had the order written down, but it wasn't filled. They know how to take the order, they just don't know how to fill the order. It's a good thing they had just enough in the meat section, so we took what they had leaving them with nothing. We also rented a helium canister to fill up the balloons. Connie had called in well ahead of time to reserve it. Once again we arrive to pick up our reserved item and they had no record of the order. To add insult to injury the woman who was "helping" us (and I use that term lightly) was snarky. I didn't take kindly to her attitude so I spoke up loud enough for other customers to hear that the order was placed by phone and obviously one of their employees dropped the ball, not us. It's a good thing they had one left to rent or I'm sure we all would have had headaches from blowing up those balloons. Those are just two examples of customer service letting the customer down. Is it now mandatory to place your order ahead of time, then call the day before you need it to make sure it's reserved for you? It seems to me that nobody gives a shit anymore. Obviously it all worked out in the end, but it really creates more stress for the customer as they now have to worry if the store will actually have what you pre-ordered when it comes time to pick it up. Accountability is nowhere to be found anymore.
Saturday Connie was busy in the morning volunteering with some of her fellow co-workers at the Food Bank sorting donations. In the afternoon we headed over to Jay and Heather's place to celebrate their daughter Ava's first birthday. Ava didn't have her daily nap, but still was in good spirits. It was entertaining to watch her tear into a piece of cake. There was icing and cake everywhere!!! I don't think she knows what to make of her Uncle Troy, as she always just stares at my beard whenever I hold her. At least she doesn't get freaked out by it and start crying!
Saturday evening was uneventful.....it was a night to just chill out at home where I watched the hockey game and Connie did her best to stay awake.
We were both up bright and early on Sunday to head to the town of Exeter. There were many preparations that needed to be done as we were celebrating Connie's mothers 80th birthday. A small hall was rented, so a bunch of family showed up and started decorating with streamers, balloons and happy birthday signs. I helped inflate some balloons and set up some tables, then off I went to pick up the birthday girl. It was a good day for travelling and I delivered the guest of honour on time to the venue. The women already had the ham in the oven and were getting other grub ready to feed the masses. The birthday party was a success with approximately 50 or so immediate family members in attendance. No one walked away hungry...there was plenty of food to go around. Happy Birthday to Eleanor!!! She was all played out by the time I drove her back home with her gifts in tow. The day couldn't have happened without the planning, and hard work of Connie, and her sisters Kathy, and Sandra,(I'm probably forgetting some others, my apologies if I did.)as well as the other family members that brought food/supplies. You only turn 80 once, so it was great to ring in the birthday surrounded by family.
In the days leading up to the birthday bash, numerous orders were placed for this and that in preparation. I am convinced that customer service has gone down the toilet. For instance, Connie had pre-ordered a few large hams from our local grocery store. Sunday morning there we are at the grocery store, and lo and behold, they didn't set aside our order. They had the order written down, but it wasn't filled. They know how to take the order, they just don't know how to fill the order. It's a good thing they had just enough in the meat section, so we took what they had leaving them with nothing. We also rented a helium canister to fill up the balloons. Connie had called in well ahead of time to reserve it. Once again we arrive to pick up our reserved item and they had no record of the order. To add insult to injury the woman who was "helping" us (and I use that term lightly) was snarky. I didn't take kindly to her attitude so I spoke up loud enough for other customers to hear that the order was placed by phone and obviously one of their employees dropped the ball, not us. It's a good thing they had one left to rent or I'm sure we all would have had headaches from blowing up those balloons. Those are just two examples of customer service letting the customer down. Is it now mandatory to place your order ahead of time, then call the day before you need it to make sure it's reserved for you? It seems to me that nobody gives a shit anymore. Obviously it all worked out in the end, but it really creates more stress for the customer as they now have to worry if the store will actually have what you pre-ordered when it comes time to pick it up. Accountability is nowhere to be found anymore.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Blue Road
I recently picked up a copy of Blue Rodeo's latest release entitled "Blue Road". It is a CD/DVD package recorded at Massey Hall when the band performed there earlier this year. The performances captured for this release are all pretty much acoustic numbers. No new songs were added.
I found the name "Blue Road" to be an odd title.......is there a hidden meaning behind it, or do the boys like the similarity to the name of the band? Whatever reason, the CD/DVD shows Blue Rodeo doing what they do best......performing live. I have had the pleasure of seeing them numerous times in concert......I think at last count I've seen them 13 times, give or take a show. They never disappoint, and have a huge catalogue of songs to draw from to entertain the masses. It's quite an achievement for Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor (who are the two lead vocalists/guitarists/songwriters) to still be going strong after all these years. I'm sure they couldn't imagine the longevity they would have when they released their first album "Outskirts" in 1987.
Acoustic guitars have always been an integral part of Blue Rodeo's sound throughout the years. They have many songs and some albums that feature a more aggressive rockin' groove with electric guitars, but they always come back to the acoustic sound. "Blue Road" gives the listener a front row seat to the acoustic magic that is prevalent in many Blue Rodeo songs.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Painting
For those of you who have been to my humble abode, you are aware that the main floor doesn't have any colour......everything is white. From the walls, to the trim, to the ceiling, white is everywhere. Connie and I have painted rooms downstairs and upstairs over the years from the white that permeated every room, but have been reluctant to finish off the main floor for one main reason....namely what colour do you paint an open concept main floor? We finally decided to go ahead and add some colour so a couple of weeks ago we grabbed some brushes and rollers and went at the walls.
The colour we picked is kind of hard to explain, but it is a greenish colour. Not too dark, and not some bright fluorescent green.....it actually looks really warm on the walls. Prior to slapping the paint on, I patched some small holes that were left from the previous owners and some that we had created. It's amazing how many imperfections you can find in a house that was built in 1941. I put a lot of time and effort in to make everything right. On one wall alone I filled 40 imperfections! Once the holes were filled, sanded, and washed we got to painting. I took care of edging and Connie took care of rolling. We worked well as a team. The only area that I was concerned with painting was the stairwell going upstairs. It's 18 feet from the bottom step with a wall that goes straight up to the ceiling upstairs. I was able to set up my extension ladder braced on one of the steps while the top leaned against the wall in question. The only hiccup was how I was going to edge the two walls on either side of that. I couldn't reach the top to edge it. Once again I rigged the ladder to act as scaffolding in an "L" shape, and I then was able to walk on it to do the edging. Thank god Connie was there to hold the ladder as it was wobbly and I probably would have taken a header down the stairs. I'm happy to report there were no injuries!!
We applied two coats and it looks great. We decided (for now) to keep the trim around the doorways and windows white. It looks crisp and clean, and if we want to add some more colour we can easily paint the trim somewhere down the road. The only area now that is in need of some paint is the kitchen and stairwell leading downstairs. I'm just waiting for my buddy Rob to finish taping and mudding an area of drywall that I'm not proficient at. I suppose the main floor bathroom and or kitchen will be the next to get some make over treatments.
Painting kind of sucks, but it looks great now. The time and energy spent was well worth the effort.
Technical Difficulties?
I think Blogger was having some technical difficulties as I haven't been able to access my blog or any other blog that is hosted by Blogger for four days. I wonder what the problem was......? I actually wanted to post a blog, but for the life of me I can't remember what the topic was.
Tonight all the little witches, ghouls and ghosts will be going door to door saying "trick or treat". It's cute to see the kids in their costumes, but it seems the older ones hardly try. Last year some teenagers came to the door not even dressed up! Of course you have to give them candy as the little bastards will probably vandalize your property if you decline. You can't trust those teenagers!!!
I borrowed my buddy's chain saw to cut up some tree limbs that came down in the back yard from the dumping of heavy snow we received yesterday. That was quite the snow fall.....Wortley Village looked like a war zone with limbs down all over the place and bushes flattened. Every street was a mess....to get anywhere you had to continually slalom around the devastation. We lucked out with no damage, but a lot of limbs that need to be cleaned up in the backyard. I was thinking I should grab my old goalie hockey mask (the one that Jason Vorhees wears in the Friday The 13th movies), grab the chain saw, and scare the be-jesus out of any kid who approaches our property. I'm sure the sound of the revving chain saw and my "Jason look" would do the trick! Happy Halloween!!!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cellphone Ban
So I read in today's paper how the government will be imposing a ban in the coming days on cell phone use while driving a motor vehicle. Passengers are exempt as are those who use hands free technology. I for one have been guilty of using my phone while driving for one reason or another, as I'm sure most people have as well. Police can charge a person with careless driving if caught. A conviction can result in the loss of six demerit points and fines of up to $1,000, a jail term of six months and suspension of a driver's licence.
Here's some questions that occurred to me. Working on the front line of policing we receive a large amount of calls (namely traffic complaints/motor vehicle collisions/etc.) from cell callers who are driving their vehicles. It should be safe to assume that most are not using hands free technology. The people who call for assistance or to report an occurrence technically will be breaking the law. Can and will police enforce the new law on those who need help or are being a good samaritan? If they do will cell phone records be subpoenaed to establish proof that the law was broken? Will this discourage the general public from calling emergency services on behalf of themselves or others in need? Seconds count when a life hangs in the balance, so will some people take the extra 30 or so seconds to hook up their hands free accessory prior to calling 911, or take the extra time to safely pull off on to the side of the road which could contribute to a delay in service? What about a rolling domestic, a hit and run accident, or a break and enter in progress that is being reported by a caller who is driving? Are they in the wrong to call while operating their vehicle?
I believe someone won't be charged if using their cell phone to call for help, but the law should be clearly defined. From my experience emergency situations escalate very quickly, and because of this most folks won't have the time to follow the rules.
Here's some questions that occurred to me. Working on the front line of policing we receive a large amount of calls (namely traffic complaints/motor vehicle collisions/etc.) from cell callers who are driving their vehicles. It should be safe to assume that most are not using hands free technology. The people who call for assistance or to report an occurrence technically will be breaking the law. Can and will police enforce the new law on those who need help or are being a good samaritan? If they do will cell phone records be subpoenaed to establish proof that the law was broken? Will this discourage the general public from calling emergency services on behalf of themselves or others in need? Seconds count when a life hangs in the balance, so will some people take the extra 30 or so seconds to hook up their hands free accessory prior to calling 911, or take the extra time to safely pull off on to the side of the road which could contribute to a delay in service? What about a rolling domestic, a hit and run accident, or a break and enter in progress that is being reported by a caller who is driving? Are they in the wrong to call while operating their vehicle?
I believe someone won't be charged if using their cell phone to call for help, but the law should be clearly defined. From my experience emergency situations escalate very quickly, and because of this most folks won't have the time to follow the rules.
