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Thursday, hot. Hot hot hot, the murderous "heat dome" is soon to arrive.
I need to feel the wind in my hair, get out of town, it's my day off.
And so, climb that hill and find my car. It's a little stale, dusty inside, but - damn, for better or for worse it's still there.
So I call the BCAA, ask for a boost. 90 minutes.
I daren't walk down to Baker and grab a soft drink, although very badly I need one, merely find some shade and wait for the boost.
They take the full 90 minutes and then some to arrive. Then, just like that, "boof" and it's running. A little rough, old gas, oil probably settled in the pan, but - hey, and I get the driver to drop my hood and I'm going to make a break for it...
Only there isn't enough room, and the transmission's slipping and I come to a halt half in the roadway and an inch from the truck in front of me's bumper...
There's no chance it'll slip into reverse without rolling forward and hitting the bumper of the truck.
So let's look at the truck.
I'm an inch away. Not 2 inches, not 4, literally a single inch.
The truck, brand new, lifted, brand new off-road tires, boilerplate splash guards for their oversized lifted tires, immaculate paint job, black, not a scratch on the thing. I doubt very much this thing has ever even jumped a curb, let alone been off-road. Somebodies' pride and joy. And so I go knocking at the neighbors, somebody has to move their truck, please, only nobody knows who's truck it is...
After an hour or so I give it up. The car, angled into the road, will have to remain that way.
Later that evening I go back, the truck is gone, probably they saw my bumper right up next to theirs and realized what a close call they'd had. Noteworthy, the car's been parked, been meaning to take it to the wreckers, hence no insurance.
***
I head back a few hours later, the truck is gone, but my battery is still dead, nonetheless slip it into neutral, roll it forward, park, I'll need another boost, not today, but it's close enough now to the intersection that no one can park in front of me, and next-boost, that will be the one that takes me places...
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And today, July the 4th, a stray day off in the week. Yesterday, work, slow.
This restaurant, it's not going to make it, he's too far off the beaten path. The product is good, the decor - while not my cup of tea, lots of the customers like, but...
I feel for the owner, although he's from a family that clearly has deep pockets and (I suspect) there might be other reasons for him owning a restaurant than to make money. But this is just speculation.
Last night we closed at 8:30. First time he's closed the place up early. We had a few tables in the early afternoon, all were gone by 5:30, afterwards only tumbleweeds, and the weather, next few days heating up, temperatures climbing to a predicted 37 degrees.
The patio that he's put $20, 000 into building, late, has so far seen not even $500 in gross revenue.
The streets of Nelson, surprisingly dead. Talking with shop owners, some who claim to have recorded 0$ sales in a day. The Alberta plates just aren't here. Baker is busy, in the 3 block section spanning the Cantina to the Royal, but everywhere else is dead.
Now to make some breakfast, head off, find the car, see if I can get a boost, add some gas and go for a drive. Maybe to the wreckers, maybe...?
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I pay as much attention to US politics as I do our own, more even, for while we have problems (and, boy, do we ever) it does set a body's mind at ease to see they're general to the world. France, for example. And the UK, for a very long time.
And now the USA.
Biden should step down. He was necessary, to defeat Trump, but as long as we thought he had a fighting chance we'd turn a blind eye to his age. But, given his debate performance, we can't turn a blind eye any longer.
He should step down. He's far too old for this. The fact that he's not stepping down is proof of his unfitness to govern. His own interests aside, for the sake of his party, for the sake of the country, he should step down.
Just as there are limits to how old you must be to run for president - minimum age 35 I believe, there should be a maximum age - probably best set as no more than 60, or more ideally, 50.
This is no longer about the Democrats vs Republicans, it's now about democracy vs dictatorship. And - as he's made very clear - not a benevolent dictatorship, dictatorship more along the lines of Putin or Xi.
Biden should step down. There is no shortage of skilled leaders within the party, leaders that would have no problem rallying the masses behind them. His unwillingness to cede the reins, call it a day, is exactly why he should cede the reins, call it a day, it's no longer about him, his fitness to govern, both of which we have good reason to question. It's about maintaining the vaguest semblance of democracy that once gone will be very hard to restore.
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This morning, up and at-em, after a fashion, brunch with a friend.
On Baker St, a Canada Day breakfast put on by the Lions' Club, half tempted to grab some but a 2 block long line puts me off. It's put off even the junkies and the homeless, who you see clearing the neighborhood for more peaceful circumstance.
Sitting, having a coffee, another acquaintance spots me and joins. Only by this time my belly is beginning to announce a bit of dissatisfaction with my previous few days diet of Vodka and Hot Sauce.
Inside, the key to the bathroom is gone, damned fucking tourists, and I sit on the steps to wait...
Eventually, when the second of her twins has been safely delivered and flushed the tourist exits, I snatch the key from her and admit myself...
There is somewhat an air of desperation to this, my belly is in full rebellion, the Canada Day fireworks are an easy 13 hours too early...
Lunch is cancelled, make my way home, my digestion, entirely off, I should have considered my diet before challenging the streets and public places, at home, a few more eruptions and I think the danger has passed, there can be nothing left in me...
Still, now, time to go to work and fingers crossed there's no more nonsense...
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Spotted this on Facebook Marketplace:
I mean, what can I say? I can imagine finding and giving a heart shaped rock to a loved one.
But I can't imagine this, buying a vaguely heart shaped rock off Facebook Marketplace for $20 and giving it to a loved one. If someone tried this with me - and I knew what transpired - bloody hell!
I imagine someone in Salmo, with a great line of credit borrowed against their heart-shaped rock, drinking up a storm in the local pub..."When it sells...we'll all be rich!!!"