Top of the evening everyone...
The mayor's brother reported today that the mayor may be back on the job in four-five weeks. I have some concerns.
It is possible that a man who said that 'rehab is great' might not be getting the full benefits.
As well, he just loaned his car to someone who got pulled over for a DUI. It suggests to me that he has not shifted his circle of friends to a more appropriate crowd. The mayor has been heard to say, correctly, that he is the mayor for all Torontonians. That does not mean that he has to be friends with all Torontonians. That does not mean that he must spend his free time with some of the dregs of society. Failure to shift his circle of friends to people who will discourage his continued addictive behaviour will only lead him back down a dark path.
These two points need attention.
I hope further that the rehab centre is also teaching him the after-plan, in which he learns how to avoid his triggers and in which he attends meetings with addicts (heck, the people who go to AA meetings are also Torontonians).
There are numerous good reasons that addicts are taught to think of themselves as addicts forever. To see oneself in that light means that the recovering addict will always be careful about threats to the recovery.
I wish him all good health and recovery.
Good night.
R/SCG
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Beer and Wings Redux
Top of the evening all...
A couple of months ago, I wrote an entry called Beer and Wings. It was about a manly evening of household repairs with Jesse. Once we had finished fixing the dishwasher, it really seemed as though beer and wings were in order.
So last week, Jennifer and the other two kids were away for Shabbat. Jesse and I nicknamed it 'Shabbat beer and wings.' I got some wings and a six-pack of beer. He had a sip. It is not his thing.
We had a great night. We had Shabbat dinner. We played some ping pong. The next morning after services, we came home for lunch, played some more ping pong, and then headed south to where Jennifer was. That was a two-hour walk.
I like to have the five of us at the Shabbat table. Jesse is a year shy of finishing high school. The nest is going to start emptying, as it should. Still, when any one of us is gone, it changes the dynamic. I like that change also.
Here's to Shabbat with my son.
Good night all.
R/SCG
A couple of months ago, I wrote an entry called Beer and Wings. It was about a manly evening of household repairs with Jesse. Once we had finished fixing the dishwasher, it really seemed as though beer and wings were in order.
So last week, Jennifer and the other two kids were away for Shabbat. Jesse and I nicknamed it 'Shabbat beer and wings.' I got some wings and a six-pack of beer. He had a sip. It is not his thing.
We had a great night. We had Shabbat dinner. We played some ping pong. The next morning after services, we came home for lunch, played some more ping pong, and then headed south to where Jennifer was. That was a two-hour walk.
I like to have the five of us at the Shabbat table. Jesse is a year shy of finishing high school. The nest is going to start emptying, as it should. Still, when any one of us is gone, it changes the dynamic. I like that change also.
Here's to Shabbat with my son.
Good night all.
R/SCG
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Channeling Dad...
Top of the evening everyone...
Some years back, Gavi was walking through the house with a screwdriver. It never really occurred to me to ask him why. That was Gavi. I told him to be sure to put the screwdriver back in the same spot in toolbox. Yikes...that is precisely what Dad has said more times than he cares to count.
On Friday, the dryer decided to take a vacation. In a house with five people, this can be a problem. Worse, it was Good Friday. Nothing was open.
On Sunday, google was open. I was able to figure out that it was the door switch. The dryer will not work if it thinks that the door is open. It was, of course, Easter Sunday.
As it turns out, Sears is available even on Easter Sunday. I ordered the correct part. It came today.
So tonight, I took the dryer apart. The problem is that for some dumb reason, I did not have a 1/4 inch socket. I had to undo everything with a pair of pliers. That is much slower. Dad always told me to use the right tool for the right job. He was right. Anyhow, I got to the switch. Jennifer was able to get her hands in to detach it in a way that I could not. She also attached the new one.
I found the 1/4 inch socket in the nut driver box. Putting the dryer back together was much faster as a result. Dad was really right.
One thing Dad never told me: do not drop the ratchet and socket behind the dryer when putting it all back together. I do not know why he did not tell me that. I wish he had.
Oh well. The dryer works. I got the socket and ratchet out from behind the dryer and put all the tools back in their appointed place in the toolbox. Lots of money was saved in not having a repairperson come to the house.
Have a good evening everyone.
R/SCG
Some years back, Gavi was walking through the house with a screwdriver. It never really occurred to me to ask him why. That was Gavi. I told him to be sure to put the screwdriver back in the same spot in toolbox. Yikes...that is precisely what Dad has said more times than he cares to count.
On Friday, the dryer decided to take a vacation. In a house with five people, this can be a problem. Worse, it was Good Friday. Nothing was open.
On Sunday, google was open. I was able to figure out that it was the door switch. The dryer will not work if it thinks that the door is open. It was, of course, Easter Sunday.
As it turns out, Sears is available even on Easter Sunday. I ordered the correct part. It came today.
So tonight, I took the dryer apart. The problem is that for some dumb reason, I did not have a 1/4 inch socket. I had to undo everything with a pair of pliers. That is much slower. Dad always told me to use the right tool for the right job. He was right. Anyhow, I got to the switch. Jennifer was able to get her hands in to detach it in a way that I could not. She also attached the new one.
I found the 1/4 inch socket in the nut driver box. Putting the dryer back together was much faster as a result. Dad was really right.
One thing Dad never told me: do not drop the ratchet and socket behind the dryer when putting it all back together. I do not know why he did not tell me that. I wish he had.
Oh well. The dryer works. I got the socket and ratchet out from behind the dryer and put all the tools back in their appointed place in the toolbox. Lots of money was saved in not having a repairperson come to the house.
Have a good evening everyone.
R/SCG
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The Time of Our Redemption...
Top of the evening all...
Pesach is over. I thought you should all know.
As you are all aware, I have been undergoing physical therapy for my injured shoulder. It is progressing well. For all daily intents and purposes, I am 100% functional. There is some residual pain from time to time, but it is truly minor.
This has allowed me to resume playing ping pong with the kids. I have to consider very carefully as to whether or not a forehand slam is worth the price. Even if it gets the point, it is still a painful endeavour.
I would like to state for the record though that I defeated Jesse twice today. It will not continue. He is clearly the better player. Still, it was a matter of personal redemption.
Have a great evening.
R/SCG
Pesach is over. I thought you should all know.
As you are all aware, I have been undergoing physical therapy for my injured shoulder. It is progressing well. For all daily intents and purposes, I am 100% functional. There is some residual pain from time to time, but it is truly minor.
This has allowed me to resume playing ping pong with the kids. I have to consider very carefully as to whether or not a forehand slam is worth the price. Even if it gets the point, it is still a painful endeavour.
I would like to state for the record though that I defeated Jesse twice today. It will not continue. He is clearly the better player. Still, it was a matter of personal redemption.
Have a great evening.
R/SCG
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Cutting the Mustard...
Top of the evening to all...
Pesach (Passover) is right around the corner. As most of you are aware, it brings with it a whole bunch of food concerns. One of those is mustard.
Many Jews of Eastern European descent do not eat real mustard at this time of year. As such, it is often difficult to find, especially in the United States. The rabbinate in the US has always been very Eastern European in its outlook and approach. Instead, there is a mustard substitute.
I do not permit this mustard. It is too expensive. It is made with cottonseed oil, which is remarkably bad for you. There is no need.
Luckily, I live in Canada. Here, we can get real mustard, marked for Pesach. A friend of mine and I both like to purchase it. For starters, it is a wonderful, sinus-clearing, dijon mustard. Beyond that, we can. And last, I think both of us like to take any opportunity to snub an overzealous rabbinate run amok.
Have a good evening all.
R/SCG
Pesach (Passover) is right around the corner. As most of you are aware, it brings with it a whole bunch of food concerns. One of those is mustard.
Many Jews of Eastern European descent do not eat real mustard at this time of year. As such, it is often difficult to find, especially in the United States. The rabbinate in the US has always been very Eastern European in its outlook and approach. Instead, there is a mustard substitute.
I do not permit this mustard. It is too expensive. It is made with cottonseed oil, which is remarkably bad for you. There is no need.
Luckily, I live in Canada. Here, we can get real mustard, marked for Pesach. A friend of mine and I both like to purchase it. For starters, it is a wonderful, sinus-clearing, dijon mustard. Beyond that, we can. And last, I think both of us like to take any opportunity to snub an overzealous rabbinate run amok.
Have a good evening all.
R/SCG
Monday, April 7, 2014
Notre Chere Pauline...
Notre Chere Pauline...
Le bureau d'emploi (Service Canada) se trouve a 541 rue de St-Etienne, La Malbaie, QC, a près de votre bureau. Le bureau est ouvert lundi-vendredi, 0830-1600. On y parle français. Je crois qu'on y parle anglais aussi. Dommage.
On y porte des chapeaux, des kippas, des turbans, et des niqabs. On n'enlèvera pas, parce qu'il ne faut pas les enlever au Canada.
Le Rabbin Sean Gorman
I have issues with mean-spirited bigotry.
Le bureau d'emploi (Service Canada) se trouve a 541 rue de St-Etienne, La Malbaie, QC, a près de votre bureau. Le bureau est ouvert lundi-vendredi, 0830-1600. On y parle français. Je crois qu'on y parle anglais aussi. Dommage.
On y porte des chapeaux, des kippas, des turbans, et des niqabs. On n'enlèvera pas, parce qu'il ne faut pas les enlever au Canada.
Le Rabbin Sean Gorman
I have issues with mean-spirited bigotry.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Squeaky Wheels...
Top of the evening everyone...
As you all know, I like to ride my bicycle. Between the lousy weather and my shoulder, I have not really been out since early December. It is nice to be back out. The shoulder is by no means fully healed, but you would not know that from my daily living.
Many of the riders in Toronto give cyclists everywhere a bad name. I have seen and heard of many who flaunt the rules of traffic, who communicate with drivers using digital communication (the middle digit, to be precise), and who otherwise cause mayhem and discontent whenever and wherever they ride.
It was with the image of those riders in mind that I decided anyway to attend the annual meeting of the city cyclists' union. I am glad I went, and not just because of the wonderful beer that I had (Flying Monkeys Smashbomb IPA). It is a reminder not to pre-judge a situation. The people there were an eclectic bunch of highly educated and accomplished folks. Amongst many others, there was the person who started Ticketmaster in Canada. There was an MPP (also a member of the union - does not own a car). People running for the executive committee included an environmental lawyer as well as a graduate from the London School of Economics. The folks there were not the squeaky wheels who give us a bad name.
It is my hope and goal to get two things accomplished out here.
1. Construct a safe north-south route from out here to the downtown core
I have tried to ride south during rush hour several times. It is scary. There is no room to maneuver. The potholes are terrible. Going under the 401 is dangerous.
2. Build a bridge over the reservoir in G. Ross Lord Park
Going through the park is not safe. There are blind spots. The walking paths are well used. Many of the walkers do not have great hearing, great reflexes, or great balance. I do not like to ride in there. There is another path that goes to the dam at Wilmington (SW corner of the park). The path that goes through the park is on the other side of the reservoir, maybe 150 metres away. A bridge there would make the east-west route complete, and make the part safer for all.
Spring may finally be here. Enjoy the nicer weather. It may yet get warm.
Good night all.
R/SCG
As you all know, I like to ride my bicycle. Between the lousy weather and my shoulder, I have not really been out since early December. It is nice to be back out. The shoulder is by no means fully healed, but you would not know that from my daily living.
Many of the riders in Toronto give cyclists everywhere a bad name. I have seen and heard of many who flaunt the rules of traffic, who communicate with drivers using digital communication (the middle digit, to be precise), and who otherwise cause mayhem and discontent whenever and wherever they ride.
It was with the image of those riders in mind that I decided anyway to attend the annual meeting of the city cyclists' union. I am glad I went, and not just because of the wonderful beer that I had (Flying Monkeys Smashbomb IPA). It is a reminder not to pre-judge a situation. The people there were an eclectic bunch of highly educated and accomplished folks. Amongst many others, there was the person who started Ticketmaster in Canada. There was an MPP (also a member of the union - does not own a car). People running for the executive committee included an environmental lawyer as well as a graduate from the London School of Economics. The folks there were not the squeaky wheels who give us a bad name.
It is my hope and goal to get two things accomplished out here.
1. Construct a safe north-south route from out here to the downtown core
I have tried to ride south during rush hour several times. It is scary. There is no room to maneuver. The potholes are terrible. Going under the 401 is dangerous.
2. Build a bridge over the reservoir in G. Ross Lord Park
Going through the park is not safe. There are blind spots. The walking paths are well used. Many of the walkers do not have great hearing, great reflexes, or great balance. I do not like to ride in there. There is another path that goes to the dam at Wilmington (SW corner of the park). The path that goes through the park is on the other side of the reservoir, maybe 150 metres away. A bridge there would make the east-west route complete, and make the part safer for all.
Spring may finally be here. Enjoy the nicer weather. It may yet get warm.
Good night all.
R/SCG
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