Cyril O

Jan

2011

Road Manners

I have mentioned more than once in different places the wisdom of staying to the right on a highway or thoroughfare unless passing. (It speeds up traffic.) My youngest son passed his driver test the other day and in the days previous to that I was out with him and noticed then and since people uncertainties in certain situations on the road. Here are a couple and the right way to behave:

1. At a four-way stop the person on the right has the right of way. For example if two of you come up to the corner at the same time and you are right angles to each other, then the person on the right goes first.

2. Coming in the opposite way to stop signs or lights, the person making the right hand turn has the right of way. If you are making the left into the same lane or double lane with someone making the right into the same one(having come from the opposite direction) they go first. Unless of course you have an Advanced Green light and they are at a red light. Then the person coming through the light has the right of way.

More to come…

Dec

2010

Vacation in Clearwater, Florida

Some photos of Clearwater Beach:

Clearwater Beach – Pier 60

The umbrellas are not just to look pretty – they protect the vendors from the wind on cool or windy days. And it was cool yesterday although you wouldn’t know it from looking at some of the people on the beach:

Clearwater Beach

Can you tell who the tourists are?

Couldn’t pass up photographing the girls frolicking on the beach – Shot from Pier 60.

Frenchy’s Cafe

Above is the original Frenchy’s – there are 2-3 more on the beach.

If you get lost:

Dec

2010

The School Board of Calgary doesn’t want you to help kids anymore…

I chatted with a fellow today that had been driving school bus for the City of Calgary/School Board, I think it was. He told me an interesting story:

About seven or eight weeks ago during our cold snap a young girl about 7 years old got in a scuffle with another child and the sleeve of her coat was torn from shoulder to wrist. She came each day for several days like this and he said to her on Friday that if it wasn’t fixed by Monday he would take care of it for her. I believe he said that she lived in a home. Monday morning she came with the coat wrapped for him. He took it and had it sewn up that evening and gave it back to her the next day. A few days later a young boy got on the bus with his lunch and books in a plastic bag. The driver, (the fellow that told me these stories) said that he had some extra back packs that he gotten give to him at the Stampede. So, he gave one of them to
this young boy who happily accepted it. A few weeks go by and he has completely forgotten about these incidents until a few days ago he is called in for a meeting. In the meeting on one side is him and the other are five people from various sections of the School Board and City.

It was the inquisition all over again for him. One of the questions was “What were his intentions?”: What are they, the “Thought Police”? Both of the above incidents were mentioned in the report that was presented to him. The basic idea of the meeting was that what he did was wrong and that he must have had some weird intention for doing these things with these children.

He told me that he told this committee in no uncertain terms what he thought of them. So, Friday he got laid off. But he’s happy he isn’t working for them anymore.

Me, I’m of a different mind – I just see it as the bad guys having won.

I really, really feel that one of the main purposes of life is to help – just that: to help. If you see an opportunity to do so please don’t falter. And if someone attacks you for doing something good, realize it is their problem, not yours and go do some more good.

Some of the specific facts of the story may not be perfect – it is second hand – but the main points can be verified. I do know the fellow’s name.

Dec

2010

Ace Curries to Go – Vancouver, Canada

We have been using some great spices that I got at the PNE last summer in Vancouver, Canada. At the PNE they were doing some taste-testing and they were wonderful so I purchased a few. They have these small jars with the spices already mixed for certain recipes, like curry, chicken korma and others. There is no MSG and no preservatives added. We like to cook in rather than go out and we love these spices for lots of different recipes.

You can check out their website here: Ace Curries to Go

Aug

2010

Manners and Your Other Half

OK boys – here are a few pointers from the old man.

I hopefully have learned a few things from my various mistakes and falterings. One thing is manners (mostly learned from me mum) and how they help you grant importance to the person that you are with.

1. Always allow her to go first when the path narrows – unless of course there may be danger and then you should make sure that it is safe.
2. If you are driving and both going in the same car then open her side and let her in the car first at least 50% of the time.
3. Buy her flowers (flowers that she likes – ask her silly!) once in a while. This doesn’t have to be all the time – do it in such a way that it means something.
4. Help her on with her coat.
5. Hold the chair for her in a restaurant.
6. Wait until she starts eating before you do.
7. Listen – let her finish saying what she has to say. (Oh yeah – be honestly interested – that really helps!)
8. Never be mean and if you are (by mistake) always apologize. There is absolutely no percentage in being mean – ever!
9. Be romantic. It’s ok – you can still be the tough guy. For example, go to a chic flick and enjoy it. (Then go home and eat a steak.)
10. Notice things about her – new dress, haircut. Even if there is nothing new – tell her how beautiful she is – from the heart.
11. Which leads to the next one: never fail to communicate your undying love.
12. Do things with her that you both like. This can be a date at a nice restaurant, a coffee shop or a walk in the park. Even better is to go for a bike ride or go-karting or exploring or sailing or – well, something where you are doing something together. Not necessarily a movie – it is difficult to ‘be together’ at a movie. Do something like this without other friends. Just the two of you. Do this often.

Love,
Dad