Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Saturday March 22, 2025 More

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

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Saturday March 22, 2025

Again Wednesday, this continuous, mind-boggling crap from RedBubble is part of the reason I no longer upload to those spineless idiots, and I let them know that in no uncertain terms...

A person can't even number a photo without RB sticking their nose in things that make zero sense, but they force ME to respond, and then, if Levi Strauss don't contest my rebuttal in 2 weeks, then it is ME who has to request reinstatement of this old artwork.... What a bunch of losers!

I have been in contact with Nikon who are advertising a new P1100 camera with an incredible zoom that I am interested in, but the dummies don't even have any stock.... Grrrrr They are supposed to notify me by email withing 1-2 weeks when they expect to have stock again... I have bitten the bullet and already ordered necessary peripherals on Amazon and Temu.

I have put my fancy Nikon D850 for sale again. I spent a ton of money on it and then found it was way too heavy and didn't operate the way I expected... so I was very disappointed. This is supposed to be one of the 10 best all-time great cameras.. The whole package I am selling is basically brand new...

I made a short trip to Dollarama and actually came home with a pet mat that will serve as a nice, secure base for the air-conditioner when I place it on that used cabinet I found. It bothered me that the unit might roll off on its own. The window vent is all set up too, but there is no use connecting everything too far in advance.

Thursday, I started to read a new Jack Reacher book and it took me about 80 pages to confirm that I had read it before... Silly me.

Our teams lost in hockey, but we have followed the women's curling all week, regardless of late times to watch direct from Korea (in the town where the MASH series was supposed to be situated)...

Friday I took the LRT to the Library and exchanged books.

The Manager here gave me a letter to contact Telus in Montreal directly whenever I encountered trouble with poor wifi, which has been happening much too regularly all week... So I called them and they reset the router outside my door remotely and the service is better again. That number is now in my phone and they can expect to hear from me often... I have a mad on for both Telus and Rogers and the outrageous prices they charge for lousy service.

Don wanted to order special pinhole sunglasses and a bookstand for reading like mine, so I put in the order without telling him,... yet. He and Bob have no Internet service, so I do a lot of ordering for them. I actually paid a small fortune to get a large container of Salad Supreme, a cheesy mixture that I cannot find in stores here any more..., but is great for unusual spicing additions while cooking, as well as for salads.

Canada's Team Homan lost 2 games during the week to Scotland and Korea, so they were forced to play in an extra playoff qualification game at 7pm our time, again against Scotland, and Canada won 10-4 easily.

Then they had a semi-final game at 1am our time against Korea and I stayed up to watch it after an attempt at a late nap. The skip, Rachel Homan struggled for much of the game but came through big-time when the chips were down, winning 6-5. Korea played amazing all week in front of their home country fans and is a genuine force to be reckoned with....

TSN showed an amazing statistic that, other than Canada, in the 28 championships played in other countries, NONE of the host countries has ever won....

So now, today, at 7pm Korea will play the surprising team from China for the bronze medal, while Canada will play Switzerland again for Gold at 1am.. This is a repeat of last year's matchup.

Bob and Don got strangely cut off in mid-conversation and then neither of us could raise Bob, so I took the Gio out at 7C weather to make sure he was OK, which he was, just surviving more payment misunderstandings with Rogers Communications. The Gio ran well which made me very pleased.

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

******

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.

Still boiling water to boost the humidity for breathing..

A shot looking west today from near the LeMarchand Mansion

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Tuesday March 18, 2025 Helping 2

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

******

Tuesday March 18, 2025

I shock myself when I see that I have not done a Blog for yet another week, hemmed in by more snow and wind... Sorry.

Last Tuesday night, I broke down and ordered the XL Meat Lovers Plus pizza, which I ration to 2 pieces a day for 4 days. I was trying to stretch the time I needed before having to go for groceries again, not wanting to make the Regal work hard in the cold wind.

Wednesday, it snowed again. So I worked on photos most of the day.

I had ordered 2 walking canes that have an integral seat from a Facebook ad back in January, and the tracking kept showing it like it was on a slow boat from China. I started to chase them about it and the cheats said it was delivered February 14th! What BS, so now I am REALLY on their case. Remind me to NEVER buy anything from an ad on Facebook again, it is always a nightmare....

In the evening, I was invited to join a group again downstairs to play cribbage, so I donated the new board and cards that I had sitting on my kitchen table for over a year...

Thursday, there was more snow but I had committed to help Bob to go for an interview with Seniors' Housing about getting in line for a new apartment. The apartment he is in is large, uninsulated, and very cold if there is any wind with the huge, leaky, single-pane ground floor windows.

Then I took him to pick up a food hamper from one of his monthly charities.

Friday was cold again, -16C, and I decided to put my name in for a new Nikon P1100, 28-1200mm, which is a monster zoom they are bragging about. It is only 16MP but hopefully will provide more range for me. The cameras are currently out of stock, but I took the initiative to order filters and batteries and remotes that I would want.

And we played cribbage again downstairs, (on my new board), before watching 2 Womens' World Championship Curling games at 11pm and 4am...

Saturday, I cut my hair short again, puttzed around all day and watched curling at 11pm again.

Sunday, we played afternoon cribbage again. It is a welcome diversion once in a while. Then I watched curling at 11pm again.

Monday, I broke down and spent $260+ on groceries....

Today, after a restless sleep, I took Bob to his foot doctor and had a snack at Tim Horton's while waiting. Given the climate of "Canada First" these days, it was interesting to notice that Tim's, which is now American-owned, seemed exempt from the boycotts.

I came back and signed up for a field trip from our building to the Muttart Conservatory Mar 27. Because I have the "Leisure Pass", admission will be free for me, I just pay $5 toward the bus ride.

I finished the book "Pope Joan" and recalled seeing the movie many years ago. Don had passed this to me to read. Apparently she did exist and became Pope John VIII in the 9th Century, disguised as a man, which the Catholic Church did its utmost to hide and obliterate the record. The Dark Ages indeed...

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

******

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.

A squirrel climing the wall of the next building...

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Tuesday March 11, 2025 Helping

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

******

Tuesday March 11, 2025

You folks must think I am lost or lazy,... or maybe a little of both, and you would be correct....

Last Friday, I was up early to take Don for his second cataract surgery in the Fort Saskatchewan Hospital. Then later, I had to take him for the requisite post-surgery eye exam in the afternoon.

In between, I took Bob to an interview at TD Bank to fill out paperwork for his approved bank loan.

Saturday, I was so tuckered from the day before that I didn't do much. Don came over to watch some sports in the evening but he did not last long, .. too much eye strain yet...

Then I slept 11 hours, still recuperating from Thursday, and the Sunday time change to DST happened of course. At least I was prepared.

We had sleet almost all day and I watched the curling semi-finals and final games of the Brier. My guys, Team Canada, the Gushue team choked in the important games. The only saving grace is that the Jacobs team from Alberta won it all on a last rock miss by Dunstone from Manitoba. So many games were decided on the very last rock...

I worked on photos Sunday and Monday, and watched a lot of old classic movies while reading a newer Tom Clancy book. Some of the movies were Gunfight At The OK Corral, The Magnificent 7, The Searchers, and an all-time fave Big Jake....

Monday we had more snow, and we are supposed to get a big dump later this week.

Today, I took Bob for his next-to-last hearing test for his free hearing aids. We have 2 other appointments for him to attend for Thursday, possibly a new apartment, and then pick up a food hamper for him.

The pictures today are again from my Serbian buddy, Igor Djokovich, who has finished his little African safari.

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

******

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.