Sunday September 6, 2026 Elation

 

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Sunday September 6, 2026

 OMG, a whole week of no Blog, no photography, no sun, just cool air and hibernation beginnings....

This week, I had been eating much too well and the weigh scale was scowling at me....  So I determined to eat more of my own targeted cooking, starting last Thursday, and I am already pleased with the results...  I am determined to reach my target weights in stages, hopefully before I leave Dec 1 for Colombia....

Monday, I got tagged to help Don move out (evicted) and we filled his Toyota van to the rooftop.  The man is still a hoarder and will be filling his one-room apartment at Holden, Alberta to the ceiling again, no doubt... 

Tuesday, with the refund from RedBubble, I re-ordered the 10 stickers I had ordered of one of my favourite pictures of me and Cristina...  @ hours later, the original order finally arrived....  Isn't that always the way it happens???

Wednesday, I ordered more clothing from Temu at Cristina's request. 

The good news this week is that our Great-nephew Lochlan found a deceased donor match for his liver transplant and is doing well after the surgery so far...  Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes.

Thursday, Cristina took our newest dog, Muneca) to our vet John to get fixed...  Now we only have paraplegic Tommy to get snipped and all our pets will be safe.

I think I fixed my car remote, able to start to warning klaxon from my window....   

And I chased away a prowler at midnight in the next parking lot with my loud hailer.

Friday, I heard that the management here cleared out much of hoarder Don's apartment, a full truck load... I had texted Don to ask permission to salvage his books, cameras, tools etc....  It is such a waste to see useful items just carted off to the garbage heap...  He didn't respond, and I didn't expect him to,.. it being his last "stick it" to Roch, the Manager...

Saturday, I cooked a big pot of meat and pasta stew, enough for 5 meals.  Because it was overly cloudy and only 14C I gave a pass to our Member Of Parliament's afternoon Barbeque...  

And I ordered some herbal pain remedy from AliExpress called Palmitoiletanolamida PEA to help control her migraines.  They were way cheaper than any other source so I ordered a 2-year supply. 

Today was a red-letter day.  I not only got my back GIS payments in my bank account, but I also got the refund from the Chinese outfit trying to sell Bluetooth headphones as hearing aids on Facebook, then sending me only 2 of the 3 I had ordered.... Beware of ordering anything off of Facebook, it is riddled with Chinese con artists... 

That was the week’s excitement.

Al

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© All my work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.  

If you want to borrow a picture to share with family and friends, Facebook or whatever, at least PLEASE give me credit for the photo.

NOTE  that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

Sunday August 30, 2026 Flights +

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Older Blog:  https://cuencaupdates.blogspot.com/ 

Please see my best artworks for sale at my websites:

 http://souvenirphotostudio.neocities.org/

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******

Sunday August 30, 2026

 I was so stressed from yesterday's debacles trying to book my flights that I slept in 13 hours!  

I also decided to skip going out to the Chinatown Festival and the Alberta days happenings today... 

The good news is that, the flights are booked and, once I spotted that Avianca had again changed the booking code,... I was able to get on their site and grab front extra space seats for all 4 of their flights....

And, I was able to use the same booking code for the 2 Air Canada Edmonton<>Toronto flights and book the nearest front seats there too, temporarily I hope, because only the standard space seats were offered...  I contacted Avianca to try to straighten out to extra space seating on those flights too because I had paid for the extra FLEX option that gives me those extras, supposedly on ALL those flights...  I am not holding out much hope though, but it is always worth asking....

So, here are the details, December 1/26 to February 24/27... : 

Also, I decided to move money from US Dollars to Canadian dollars electronically via eBanking to enable me to survive until the GIS fiasco is sorted out.  That enabled me to cancel my Bank appointment for tomorrow.  Another problem solved...

 

Dawn spoils me so much.  She bought all the fixings to make nachos and it was my job to throw everything together in layers and do the cooking.  We fed 4 people and still had leftovers...  I am soooooo stuffed!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures above.  That was the day’s excitement.

Al

******

© All my work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.  

If you want to borrow a picture to share with family and friends, Facebook or whatever, at least PLEASE give me credit for the photo.

NOTE  that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

Saturday August 29, 2026 Flights

 

PLEASE bookmark this page and check daily.

Older Blog:  https://cuencaupdates.blogspot.com/ 

Please see my best artworks for sale at my websites:

 http://souvenirphotostudio.neocities.org/

or https://pixels.com/profiles/al-bourassa

******

Saturday August 29, 2026

 Yesterday was a beautiful 24C but the humidity was not transferring into the suite so I spent all day distilling water for the humidifier...

In the evening I started checking out cheaper flights to Colombia for the winter.

I spoke to my friend David about trying to lose weight and he suggested cutting off all food intake at least 3 hours before bedtime...  It appears to be helping me off the 205 plateau I have been stuck on. 

This morning I decided to take advantage of the cheap flights I did find, but what a schemozzle dealing with Avianca's website!!!  First, it wouldn't let me book the flights, then it crazily balked at letting me pay...!!!  I had to phone and get a link from them which allowed me to pay only have the idiots at CIBC refuse the payment, even though I did the confirmation code things....  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr  

So, another hour on the phone with CIBC to get the charges pre-approved, then another 2 hours dropping calls with Avianca to actually re-book the flights, and accept the payment, only to have a problem with the site to fully confirm the booking and payment to allow me to choose my seating, etc....

I am still waiting for the email from Avianca... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

I was intending to go to the Legislature at 1pm to mingle with the Alberta Separatists and learn more, but never got there because of the flight issues.  Grrrrr

I did manage to go check out friend Braden Gates, the fiddler, at a block party on Ada Boulevard which turned out to be some kind of fundraiser, so I didn't stay.

Since my GIS has been cut off, my monthly funds are low so I have an appointment Monday at the bank to move some coin around... Grrrrrr

So, tentatively, I leave here early morning December 1 to Toronto-Bogota-Cali, and return Feb 24th, 2027.  Once all is confirmed, I will let family know the exact details.... 

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  That was the day’s excitement.  Grrrrrrr

Al

******

© All my work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.  

If you want to borrow a picture to share with family and friends, Facebook or whatever, at least PLEASE give me credit for the photo.

NOTE  that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

 

Block Party on ritzy Ada Boulevard

Braden Gates performing

Our lovely city

through my dirty windshield