I think I am corrupted. At least my computer is. Can’t get on the (%$!*@ blog! This is being written from Sal’s. She’s able to access MY blog. But I can’t! I mean, I know everyone likes her better but this is ridiculous! Now my computer prefers Sal!?

But that’s the least of it……..Seems I am regarded as a bit odd in the eyes of the neighbours these days anyway. And that is some standard to violate, believe me!

I have always asserted that I am normal and sane. In fact, I asserted that even when acting somewhat eccentric in the moment. The rationale: ‘people who don’t act a bit abnormal now and then aren’t normal!’

The argument has it’s weaknesses. I admit that. I may be demonstrating one as I write this. Ya see, I have a bad case of winches (sounds a bit like a skin disease, don’t you think?). It should be so simple. No, I have winches. Literally. And it is a bit embarrassing.

I have my main funicular winch. Then I have my secondary funicular winch. Plus I have the ol’ ‘pull-toy’, the chainsaw winch that no longer works. I also have the Xmas winch, the one I just used to haul logs this week. It was great!

But, it looks weird and I wasn’t sure it was going to be all that great so I went looking for another (words I remember hearing once from an old girlfriend when she dumped me for another. She was talking about me!).

Anyway, I found one. It looked good. I made an offer. He said no. So, I kept looking. Found another and sent my friend to go see it. He liked it and bought it for me. In the meantime – while the friend was awy – the other guy called back and said, “I’ll take it, after all.”

So, I bought that one at the same time my friend was buying me the other one.

Now I have winches up the ying yang. Five tons of winches up the yin yang, and that is just counting the marvelous Marpole Mohawk Bulldog winch that garners admiring glances from all the old guys around here.

The other one is no puffter, either. “Got yer winch — it looks like a “ballbreaker.” Glad I’m not planning on dragging around what you want to play with!!!. That guy runs a tugboat. Honest!

Other guys: “Great winch! Use ’em on the government wharves. Ya can still get parts f’er them babies. Ol’ Beebe in Seattle copied them, ya know. Great winch. Pretty sure I got one back in an old shed someplace. One on the beach in front of Gary’s ya know. Great winch. Bit rusty, tho.”

“Wow! You got one? Gary’s beach has one?! These puppies are hard to find. Aren’t they?”

“Nah. Not really. Hard to find ’cause no one is lookin’ too hard for ’em eh? I mean, there all over but they weigh a hunert pounds and waddya going to use them for, anyway? An anchor? Hah hah hah!”

“No. Going to pull up logs. Get an electric motor and pull up logs. You know?”

“Thought you had a winch that just did that?”

“Yeah, well, I got me another. Seemed like good insurance.”

“Pretty strange, Dave. Guy’s gotta working winch and gets one he don’t need. Sounds a bit odd to me.”

Yeah, well, let me tell you about the third one I just got yesterday.”

A man has to be known for something and, it seems I am well on my way to making a name for myself in the old winch market. Kinda odd, don’t ya think?