Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Wednesday October 22, 2025 KJ

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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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Wednesday October 22, 2025

The other day, when I called friends about the passing of Keith Keers, I made sure to call Ken Johnston (KJ) as well. He asked me to pop out for another visit, so today I did.

He is 87 years old and starved for company, so I say nothing when he repeats the same stories over and over. He is very happy where he is and wins nickels at cards, bingo and shuffleboard. But I do get some up-to-date news about his 3 kids, which is nice.

I saw the gas prices were much less in Gibbons than in the city, so I gassed up, even though $1.239 for unleaded is still a rip-off.

We checked out a couple of places to have an early supper and he suggested Dairy Queen, so we ordered there. Because he cannot feel what he is eating with his dentures, he eats without his teeth, and the chicken strips he ordered were almost wasted. I didn't enjoy my meal much either...

But it was nice sunny and breezy day for a ride. Coming back during rush hour on my usual route was not too bad except for the last few blocks near the High Level Bridge. It is always a remembrance when I pass the apartment at 97 Ave and 106 St where I lived for a year 1969-1970 and where Wayne Topp roomed with me for a bit.

I checked on my birdfeeder, but it hardly looks like it has been touched yet. I am sure it will attract some attention once we have some snow on the ground...

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

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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.

DQ meals

KJ struggling to extract the white meat

Returning to the city skyline

Closer

Almost downtown

Our apartment was center left

Bad rush hour near the Legislature

Birdfeeder looks untouched

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Tuesday October 21, 2025 Bob Dental

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 October 21, 2025

I am tired now. I had to be up early to drive Bob to an appointment for what he thought would be restorative dental surgery because he has bleeding gums and possible residual broken tooth fragments...

As usual, he had all the facts wrong, the address wrong, and... it was only for a consultation first! I had to fill out 4 pages of information for him, scarily outlining all his medical problems and medications. He got called in and then I waited almost an hour for him to return.

The bill was $325 (for which I contributed $25) and they gave us a dental claim form to copy and submit hopefully online to get around $179 reimbursement from Alberta Blue Cross... They said we would not need to submit a copy of the receipt so I only brought the claim form home with me to copy, etc... He now has a surgery appointment for Nov 4.

Again, bad information was given to us as I went to the Alberta Blue Cross website to find that Bob would need an online account (and he has no computer) and they DID need a copy of the receipt! I called ABC to confirm all of this and to confirm where I could manually drop off the forms..

So, I drove back to Bob's, gave him copies of the claim form and retrieved the actual receipt. I then returned home, made copies, and addressed one of my envelopes to ABC.

Since the ABC building is only 3+ blocks away, I decided that I needed the exercise, so I just walked it over. It is a lovely fall day but the brisk wind makes it a bit uncomfortable at only 10C.

And, ....while I was waiting in the dental office, I saw that the Montreal Canadiens would be here Thursday to play our Oilers. Bob is a big Canadiens fan, so I emailed the Oilers about disabled senior tickets availability. After I got home from dropping off the dental forms I had a reply from the Oilers that EACH ticket would be $485.25 !!!! I emailed them back to see if they had lost their minds....

Any government that subsidizes sports teams that charge outrageous prices and also pay millions to athletes should be voted out by taxpayers.... Grrrrrrrr

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.

Blue Cross building

St Joachim church close to our building

My suite, 2 buildings away

My place