So I settle any confusing…Captain Caveman is now my main blog! I will keep this one to post some of my photography and art, but that will only be on a non regular basis. My daily rantings will be on Captain Caveman.
Now a favor…This will be my last move so if everyone who has me blogrolled could change my link to http://captaincaveman.wordpress.com/
Thanks!
All in all I had a good holiday. I accomplished what I mainly set out to do. I visited my mother, sister and friend. That was my intent. I will talk about the bars shortly. Last Thursday I left before lunch to start my 3 ½ hour drive to my mothers. Once there, the usual traditions started to happen. Mudder opened the front door and let Titan (her dog…see the pic to the side) out. He ran to the van and hopped in and started licking me to welcome me home. Once in the house, the food started to flow. On the living room table was a huge container of jujubes and a box of chocolate sticks. We had the usual talk about how school is going and then it was time for supper. She had cooked a full roast beef supper and my aunt came over to share the meal. The rest of the evening was talking and watching survivor. The next morning I was off to Halifax (another 2 hour drive) for the weekend to visit Elaine and go to the bars.
Yes, Bars!!! I went online before I went and discovered that another bar had opened and also a bath house!!! I was amazed! First, I got to Elaine’s and her twins are now walking around. They were both sick with a stomach bug when I got there, so they were not very active. Elaine was not feeling the best either, so I did what I could to give her a bit of a break. We talked for awhile and then I got ready to go out. The bars are about a half hour drive from where Elaine lives so her husband (Blah) gave me a drive over and dropped me off on a corner to find the bars. After I walked for about 10 minutes, I found one of them. Along the way, I stumbled across the bath house as well and was not impressed so I went on. I got to the bar and ordered a drink from a hot bartender. The Bar had a very small dance floor and an area around the bar with high tables and stools. That is where I was for most of the time there. A guy came over almost as soon as I sat down and started to chat me up. He was in his late 50’s and was a shoe salesman. (why those two pieces of information seem so important for people to tell I have no idea) He was more or less in the closet and a lot of out discussion was around that. We had a few drinks together and he suggested that we go to the other bar to play some pool. It was around midnight and about 15 people were at this bar. We got up and went. On the way out I had to go downstairs to get my jacket in the coat check. The washrooms were down there as well and I decided that I should go before I left. In the way down the hall, this guy cruised me and said, “Can I come and watch?” I kept stride as if I never heard him. I went into the washroom and locked the door. When I came out he was waiting in the doorway, blocking it. I was startled first and then said “Excuse me” and he slowly moved out of my way. He had very creepy eyes!
Once we got to the other bar, there were even less people. Get got some more drinks and played pool for the rest of the night. After the first couple of games 2 guys came over and asked if we would like to play doubles. One guy was in his 40’s and the other in his early 30’s. We played about 10 games together. During the game, all three guys were doing some heavy duty flirting with me. My ass has not had that many hands on it since the bath house in Ohio. I was getting compliments all night about the way I looked, smelled, talked and how good I looked when I spread myself over the pool table to make a shot.
Closing time came pretty fast and I was starting to feel the alcohol. I made a choice then that I was not going to go with any of then. My logic was to return on Saturday night to see if they were still interested. I told them all one at a time that I would be back the next night and began to leave. I should also tell you that the weird bathroom guy followed us and everytime I went to the bathroom he would come in. He did say that all he wanted was to watch me piss, nothing more. Having a shy bladder, I knew that it was not gonna happen.
One guy offered me a drive back home and said that it would be just a drive, nothing more. He kept his word. As I was in bed, I felt great. The whole experience was great for my esteem. I have not been out in a bar in a long time so I did not know if I still had “it” or not. (what ever “it” is?).
Tomorrow I will write the last part of my holiday…..
It was 15 years ago today that I said my final good-bye to my Dad. My father was a very private man so I am not going to write too much about him as my tiny sign of respect. I will say that he was a good man, a good father, a good husband, and a good role model. He was and still is the smartest man that I have ever known. During the last few years of his life, we became very close and saw eye to eye on a lot of things and the year before he died, he said “I love you” to me for the first time in his life. He died very sudden and I never had the opportunity to say good-bye to him face to face or tell him that I loved him, but he knew. Even more powerful than that was when his old boss told me that he was always saying how proud he was of me…and that reveals my driving force (again something I prefer to keep quiet). So on this 15th anniversary…I love you Dad and I am so proud to call you MY DAD!!!
I got home a short while ago and I had a good holiday. I will write about it later this week. I am still on break till monday, but I have some writing to get done for school. I am going to read a pile of blogs today once I get back from an appointment I have this afternoon at school. I have a lot of catching up to do!! It was good to see my family and friends this week, but I did miss all my blogging pals and my BB Friend.
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I have been visiting the sea quite a bit lately as you all have probably noticed. There is a reason for that. I have great respect for the power of the sea. Twenty-five years ago to this date, I woke up to hear of a great tragedy at sea that changed the lives of thousands of people for ever more. It was the result of the fury of the sea. On February 14, 1982 an off shore oil rig called The Ocean Ranger went down off the coast of Newfoundland and all 84 men lost their lives. A powerful storm that started in the Gulf of Mexico traveled up the coast of North America and hit the Ocean Ranger with hurricane force winds and 27 meter high waves (The same as a 5 story building).
Why is this tragedy important to me? At that time I was 17 years old and my best friend at the time just happened to be the step daughter of the man who owned the Ocean Ranger. I stood at his wedding to her mother and I was at their house almost everyday. While at the wedding, I met a large number of the guys that worked on the rig. They were always at their house and we had many many meals together. I remember thanksgiving dinner. There was this huge honey glazed ham and all the salads you could imagine! Their gigantic house was full of people and we all had a great time sharing stories and parts of our lives. I got to know a lot of these guys and their families from hangin at the house and I was treated like a member of the family. When I heard the news, I immediately hopped on the bus and headed for their house. When I got there, the front snow covered lawn was full of reporters wanting a comment. I pushed my way past them all and eventually got let into the house when a teary eyed friend saw me fighting my way through and let me in the side door. The house was eerily quiet with only sobs and questioning of how this could happen. Her Stepfather was not there at the time, but I did get a chance to talk to him for a minute between talking to his wife and stepdaughters on the phone. He was crushed. As things started to sink in, I realized that I knew some of these people. There was a list of names on the counter and I, timidly, picked it up and it was then that I realized that I had known 14 individuals on the list. My knees gave way and was caught by this lady when she saw me begin to fall.
I will not go into detail about all the stuff that went on behind the scenes because they are private moments. For the next week, I traveled with the family to all the events and when it was time for the memorial service, the families asked me to sit with them. I was out of contact with my own family during this time and they were frantically trying to get hold of me. I did not think about myself for a second during this time and never thought about phoning home. My family knew that I was doing what I had to do when they saw me on TV sitting with my friend’s family in the Basilica. Most of the guys that I knew were from the United States and I never got to attend any of their funerals for the ones where the bodies were found.
I am writing this post as a tribute to the friends that I lost that day and to all the families and friends that were affected by this tragedy. Twenty-five years ago on Valentine’s Day the sea took the lives of 84 men. They are remembered and are missed!
I have often talked about being alone…well, there are actually times when I do want to be alone!When I go for my walks, I like to either be alone or with a friend. I do enjoy the alone time while I walk or explore. It gives me a chance to think about my TO DO list for the day and also reflect on what is happening in my life. It is my time for meta-cognition. Before I started walking, I use to do this at night when I was lying in bed. Not a good idea!!! It keeps you up and starts the adrenaline pumping and the neurons firing. I say to myself, leave it till tomorrow and most times I am fine.
Sorry… Back to what I was saying!
I like the alone time and this morning, it was interrupted by some guy who was out for his walk. I usually can avoid someone by just nodding hello and swiftly moving on. Not this morning!! He started to talk to me and as I walked away, he walked with me. I sped up a little while listening to his rambles about having to get out of the house to “Blow the stink off”. He sped up! Now I use to be a speed walker when I was much younger, so I can walk pretty fast. As I sped up even more, he still never got the idea. He kept talking even though I was now about 10 feet in front of him. I eventually said to him to “have a good day” and then put it in high gear. I eventually got far enough away that he got the idea. When people are out for a walk, what is it with some strangers that insist on having a chat as you are huffin and puffin from the exercise? I realize that some people are lonely, but as a person is exercising it is not the time for chatting about nothing!
Today is all about writing! I have to get some papers done today and out of the way. My semester break starts on Wednesday and I plan on going away for a week to visit my family and friends and to go out to the Bar to see what is going on. This means that I will not be around for a week! I want to get a couple of posts ready for when I am gone because there are a few events that had happened years ago in my life that I want to share with you. They were both life changing events for me and I want to celebrate all the people involved. They are tragic stories, but important ones in my life. So today, I will be in front of my computer for most of the day pounding on the keys to get my thoughts out and papers done!
For the next week, I will probably not be commenting much on blogs, but rest assured that I will be reading and checking in from time to time to see what is going on. If I do get a chance or something eventful happens on my break, I will try and let everyone know.
I have pictures of lighthouses all over my apartment from my travels and from my fathers travels. That is one thing that we shared. An appreciation for what lighthouses represents. With today’s technology, lighthouses are pretty much obsolete for safe navigation. They have been replaced by GPS, radar and 24 hour up-to-date weather forecasting. A lot of the old lighthouses are now destroyed, but historical societies keep trying to preserve the traditional lighthouses.
If you ask any fisherman who operates a small boat, he would tell you stories of how the lighthouse is a source of comfort for them when they are out to sea. It is like having an old friend with them saying hello every few seconds by lighting up the sky.
When I think of a lighthouse, I think of a safe place; a beacon; a light in the dark; and going in the right direction away from dangers you can not see. It will guide you when you are lost and during the darkest times.
When I was a kid growing up, my mother use to sing this song around the house. Not because she was religious, but because it showed a lot of respect for the women who use to have to sit and worry in the kitchen window, overlooking the bay, waiting and praying for their husbands and sons to make it back home safely. At times the lighthouse was the guiding hand that brought the fishermen back home.
When the little boats go out to sea,
From the shores of Newfoundland,
God, do me a favour and guide them with your hand;
Protect them from the dangers and fury of the sea,
‘Cause those little boats of Newfoundland mean the world to me.
Spoken:
My Mama told me stories when I was just a little boy,
About the little boats of Newfoundland that sometimes made me cry;
Ah, she’d tell me of the dangers and the fury of the sea,
That will remain until the day I die in my memory.
Spoken:
Brave men, she said, is what they are,
Those who face the icy wind;
Knowing as they leave their sheltered coves,
They may never come back again.
And then as the teardrops filled my eyes,
She’d hold my tiny hand;
And say, son, the proudest things on Earth,
Are those little boats of Newfoundland.
When the little boats go out to sea,
From the shores of Newfoundland;
God, do me a favour and guide them with your hand.
Protect them from the dangers and fury of the sea,
‘Cause those little boats of Newfoundland mean the world to me;
Yes, those little boats of Newfoundland mean the world to me.
Roy Payne
While I was visiting the lighthouse, I could get a really good view of the pack ice. From there, you could see how the different sheets of ice travel together. No, I did not venture out, it was too dangerous.
I was also lucky enough to catch one of the Coast Guards Ice Breakers going by at the same time. I just love this picture.
This is for Scott, who like the pic from yesterday. He said it looked like marshmallows, so here is a lot of them lol
It was still cold here yesterday, but the wind had died down and the sun was shining. I decided that I wanted to go and visit the Pack Ice once again before it left for good. I did not go to my usual place that is within walking distance. I hopped in the car and drove up the shore a little ways. I could get a better view of the Highlands and the cliffs ending at the ocean. These are the same Highlands that travel down into the States. It is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The same ones that go down to my BB friends in Pennsylvania.
I am not too familiar with this area so I decided to just turn off of the road when I thought that I would be close enough and where there might be a bit of a beach. I was in luck. I could see the highlands and the beach was full of pack ice. I was in heaven as I walked.
I occurred to me that many of you may not even know what pack ice is. I will put this link to a site that explains it better than I could http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-ice-pack.htm
I have walked on pack ice before, many years ago and yesterday I felt quite daring so I decided that I would venture out on a piece. It took a little while to get my courage up, but after going over some of the stuff my father taught me when I was a kid about safety on the ice, I went for it! I saw a piece that was wedged into the shore in shallow water.
I walked along the beach till I reached it and stepped on. I had a stick in my hand so I kept jabbing it to make sure that where I stepped was safe. As I went farther out onto it, my heart raced more, but I could feel the ice bobbing up and down under me and it was a nice weird kinda feeling.
The ocean was calm yesterday so I was pretty safe that it would not all of a sudden start to drift again. On the edge of the piece was a little pond filled with crystal clear water. The pictures do not do it justice. It had the prettiest blue and green colours.
Not being the bravest person in the world, I decided that I would get off before I lost myself in the experience and before I would know it be in Florida somewhere stranded on an ice cube lol.
I wanted to go back to my usual beach and take a look to see what was happening there. I drove to my spot and all the pack ice was already heading down the shore, but it did leave behind small traced of itself on the shore just to tease. It was beautiful to see the clear water flowing over the ice the pack left behind.
On my journey I saw a lighthouse (it is in one of the pictures) and that is where I am headed this afternoon to see if I can find a road or path that will lead up to it. (I love lighthouses.) Wish me luck!!
Last night, as usual, as I am cooking supper I turned on CNN to hear the latest biased news to have a chuckle and I heard some awful news. Anna Nicole Smith Dead, was the headline. I listened for a few seconds and ran to my computer to send Scott an IM to let him know. We had discussed her a while ago and we both loved her attitude and realness. He was of doing his stuff, so I just sat in front of the TV in amazement. She was so young and had been through so much in her short life. I have been following her life ever since I saw her in all those Guess ads many years ago. I still can remember those black and white photos. She was a beautiful woman. Sure, she had a roller-coaster time with her weight, but what other person does not? Why should she be held at a different standard? If any person was put through stress like she was, would have had some sort of issue. I admired her courage and zest for life. She was all about fun and having a good time regardless. I like that! I will miss you Vicky Lynn Hogan!!! I hope you find peace where ever you are, you have earned it over and over again!
Today I got bundled up to go for my walk and as I was on my way out the door, I happen to get a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked just like a South Park character. I had to laugh as I saw myself and could think of nothing but sliding along and wobbling as I walked like the characters do. (yes I did it in the mirror lol) I had to snap a picture!
As I was walking along with my M3 player loudly playing in my ears, a dog sneaked up behind be and latched into the back of my jogging pants. I looked around and he began to pull on the leg. I yelled at him and he let go. He backed up a few feet and we stared each other down for a sec and he proceeded on up the road. I had won this battle. I knew he was someone’s pet because he still has his chain and rope attached. He was probably just as scared as I was. I continues along on my walk. It was not an ideal way to get my heart rate up, but it worked and I have no wounds so all is good.
BB Friend Scott at TIOF recent posts
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