I'm a Deaf vagabond currently living on Vancouver Island. Bicycles dominate my life, but I also make time for climbing, hiking, camping, and cats. And if I have time left over after all that, I write about it.
Its girthiness is typical of that carrot variety (Kuroda, maybe?), but I’m easily impressed these days. With the latest travel restrictions, my world is limited to eating, sleeping, and playing on the island. But my interest in oversized vegetables started when Zoée shared with me a video featuring her friend’s butternut squash. Zoée did an artful slow pan of the seemingly never-ending squash, which was at least five feet long…. maybe ten? I was already shocked by its length when I realized that I was only halfway through the video. I was inspired to look up vegetable world records.
Years ago, when I was at the climbing gym with a friend, they suggested that I do an overhanging route next. I tried avoiding it using the excuse, “I’m terrible at those.”
“And that is why you should do them,” was their response. Wow, and I thought my excuse was solid!
Completing an overhanging route at a grade below what I’m typically capable of doing doesn’t fuel my ego in the same way. It’s still fun, but it’s a bonus when you get to be good at something you enjoy doing. I’m not the only one who feels this way; otherwise, competitive sports wouldn’t be a thing. Alas, I am too old and injury-prone to add more awards to my box of equestrian ribbons. I also can’t be spending all my free time training as I sometimes need to use my day off to do things such as visit a Canadian Tire store for some diatomaceous earth and jute, which I did last week.
As much as I mostly enjoy living alone, I’m still finding it challenging to spend the whole day without company. So, the Calgary-based Gator accompanied me to the pest control aisle via WhatsApp. I took photos of some of Canadian Tire’s merchandise and sent it to her, such as a tub of diatomaceous earth. Riveting. A few minutes later, I sent her the squeeze bottle version. I also sent her a photo of one of Canadian Tire’s end caps that displayed bandanas, cowboy hats, and koozies.
I may have crossed a line when I referred to them as Calgary Supplies.
Wait until I tell you guys stories about growing up in Langley, BC.
Isolation has been my motivator for sending my friends photos of the following things:
I made the mistake of forgetting to go into Incognito mode when I visited The Bradford Exchange. Now everywhere I go online, ads for The Bradford Exchange trail me.
If you’re not familiar with The Bradford Exchange, it’s a company that makes things exclusively for middle-aged small-town housewives (and their “hubbies”). It’s for people who require that their timepiece be encompassed by no fewer than five eagles. It’s for ladies who want the birthstones of all seven kids crammed onto one ring. It’s for men who idolize Elvis so much that they’d hang an Elvis-shaped wall sculpture featuring a montage of Elvises within the cape. Elvis to the power of Elvis.
Baby the hell out of your chain, because it’ll be the only one you’ll have this year. The ETA for 11 speed chains is for 2022!
Oil your baby. Keep your baby clean. Downshift when you come to a stop to avoid applying excessive torque to the cranks once you get going again.
With that said, wow, the timing of my bike frame’s arrival was fortunate. I got the last 11-speed chain that was available in the bike shop at the time. There were only two components that I wanted that I could not get. I was fairly flexible on the rest of the build.
Companies not affiliated with Jesus or eggs should not be allowed to hold Easter sales.
If you’ve come here for financial advice (I know… I know…): ignore sales, specials, blowouts, or two-for-ones. Sales don’t exist to save you money: they exist to make the company more money. If you buy something only when it goes on sale, then you don’t need it.
My neighbour did not need this:
I guess external Easter decorations are a thing now.
As long as they did not buy the inflatable bunny because it was on sale, I won’t yuck their yum.
For a deaf lady, I sure give sound financial advice! The biggest purchase I’ve made since my last post was this:
