A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

There are just too many things to learn and I fear there's not enough time!

I was channel surfing in the evening and happened to pause on the WWE Pay-For-View preview. A new wrestler was introduced as having the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

I did not know the reference. How can I have lived so long and learned so little?

My computer is always on and thankfully because of DSL always on the net, so it was very quick search. Do you know the story? It attempts to convince us that the rich and powerful aren't necessarily better off than ordinary folk.

In 1985, I was not the man I am now. As simple proof, this picture was taken 40 kilograms ago! Note the Saudi Arabian plates on the Pontiac. It was a car I had when working in Taif. It had a 'history' and was probably one of the only cars in the Kingdom that didn't have factory-installed air conditioning; it didn't have any! On the day of the photo, Jay and I were exploring the empty beaches south of Jeddah. On another trip, I think I burnt out the engine ...

Labels: cars, Saudi Arabia

I had to drive over the Queensborough Bridge to say I'd been at the grand opening of our new Wal-Mart. It is not really much closer than the one at Lougheed Centre. Yet, because the new one is actually in New Westminster --- I'll probably head that way more often.

It all smelled so new and there surely were a lot of people there!

Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer. Will this now affect the uptown Zeller's which quite often seems like a ghost town?

Labels: New Westminster, Walmart

Yesterday's talk of luxury motorhomes reminded me of a scanned picture I thought I could find. Here's Joel and Lynne. Always the builder, the camper shell was a 'custom, Joel job'. I'm sure the truck was the means of transportation to the west, wasn't it? Hum ... I'd not venture to guess the year but I bet we'd have been more likely to have had The Police on the radio than in the rear-view mirror.


If I eventually find an email comment, then I'll know they read this blog!

Labels: Joel

----- Original Message -----

From: Don
To: Dennis
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 9:53 AM

Talk about killing time on the Internet - I actually opened www.buysell.com (from today's previous entry). I read some of the ads for motor homes. There was even one advertised with a basement for godsake. At the reunion this summer, my friend took me out to show me their "Mo Ho" parked in the back of their house - a $94,000 wonder with a/c and extendable sides which double the size of the living room and the bedroom. I wonder if mo ho bedrooms really need a king size bed or a recliner in the living room. It was so luxurious; it even has a dishwasher and a dash monitor for backing up (one would need it as it is as long as a tractor trailer). They spend all winter driving throughout the US in it. I wouldn't mind that but I'd want a chauffeur.


----- Response -----

A chauffeur would be a good idea. Unfortunately, 4/5's of the drivers of those monster mobile apartments couldn't pass a vision or hearing test. They're generally so old, that they shouldn't be trusted in a Civic. And ... someday ... I hope to be one of them! (Full-blown, permanent retirement is still a far piece down the road ... so to speak.)

Labels: Don

There are so many ways to waste time on the Internet: BuySell.com BC Classified Ads.

Labels: Internet

Due to yesterday's holiday, my class will meet on Friday this week. (Generally, we have class just Mondays through Thursdays.)

It's Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the US.

Although the hike mentioned in Monday's entry is difficult, a person is rewarded with amazing views from the top.

After living in the area for seven years, it was about time to take on the Grind. Some locals do it every weekend and try to best their time to the top of Grouse Mountain. There are real fanatics so some even use an electronic pass system to time their accent to the exact second. The ultimate goal is to 'do it' in under a half hour. In July, I tried a leisurely climb while hauling up myself and my extra 50 lbs. The ordeal took closer to two and a half hours! I think Jay was bored while I stood around gasping for air. Grouse Mountain is a ski area so if you punish yourself by walking up, you can get a cheap, one-way ticket down on the gondola.


Sometimes quite crowded, the last third of the walk seems vertical!

Labels: places, Vancouver

This link will take you to a picture that's been sitting on my web server since the days I used to run a web cam on my balcony. It is an aerial photo of a big chunk of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The Fraser River and the SkyTrain bridge appear along the bottom of the picture. The camera is pointing north and west toward Burnaby and Metrotown. Downtown Vancouver, although twelve miles away, is visible too.

View Large Image in New Window

I cannot remember where the original came from. I modified the image to include a green arrow at the bottom center which points to my apartment building. Since the picture is 1024 X 768, you may have to use your scroll bars to view the entire panorama. The file is nearly 400K and may take several moments to load depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

Labels: camera, Fraser River, transit, Vancouver