Cougar Sal and Dave were planning to risk it all on a one-day delivery turnaround down in the Big Smoke. Deliver moho, throw the keys at buddy and jump in the still-running Pathfinder to go home. Move fast. Carry little. Only sandwiches, masks, gloves and a thermos of tea. Kiss no one. It’s the simple plans that have a chance. Throw in a wrinkle and all progress stops. It’s the Canadian way.
And what simpler wrinkle can there be than they stopped the ferries?!
That’s right. The route we take (Departure Bay to West Van) wasn’t just cut back, it was eliminated! Nada. Zip. And it is gone, gone, gone for 60 days! Virtually no notice. Which, since we were leaving early Monday, could have caught us ‘outed’ on the highway but (whew) it did not. I am sure some poor saps coming down from Up Island for a Saturday crossing are pretty ticked but there it is. Live on an island and die by the ferry.
Such drama is NOT quite true. There are still some limited sailings from other terminals and they would work as long as Murphy doesn’t mess with us. But add a Murphy wrinkle and the whole schedule falls apart. No flexibility.
Bottom line: we don’t go. Not yet, anyway.
“I called my nearest island neighbour. “Good news and bad news, J. Which do you want first?”
“Gimme the bad news.”
“Bad news is that Sal and I are staying here with you and Jo on the island. Not going!”
“Yikes! That’s horrible news. Can’t you go somewhere else for awhile? So, what’s the good news?”
“Good news is that Sal and I are staying here with you and Jo on the island. We can go fishing.”
“Yippee! That’s great news!”
C-19 is putting some pretty major dents in the system. Things you might expect (airline stoppage, lay-offs, illnesses, deaths, shortages, etc) and some you don’t (our cell phone service has been poor, we can’t go on the ferry, no whales sighted yet). This is a time of major change and no one saw it coming. Which kinda proves my theory that you cannot really plan for an emergency because emergencies, by definition, are surprises. C-19 is proving surprising if nothing else.
Or is it? Surprising, I mean? Our Covfefe (Circle of very fine entertaining friends and eccentrics) includes more than just a few conspiracy theorists. They send me stuff. And they posit that C-19 was all a plot by either the USA, Russia, the Queen, China, the CDC, WHO, Tom Brady or maybe even the Guess Who. The motive is anything from making Trump look good to making Trump look bad, getting Putin appointed cheese-for-life, getting revenge on the Patriots or even just patriots, teaching Harry and Megan a lesson and on and on and on. Conspiracy types are usually strong on suspicion and extremely creative in weaving unrelated ‘facts’ together.
The latest one was based on the fact that the CDC recently posted a number of jobs available for pandemic management. They advertised those positions in November of 2019 and, by doing so, PROVED that they knew what was coming. Furthermore, they KNEW what was coming because they, themselves, released the virus in order to (see list of motives above).
“I saw a posting for a seismologist. Does that mean the US Geological Survey Department or maybe the National Geographic magazine or maybe the US Fracking Agency or maybe the Saudis are planning an earthquake?”
“Wow. I never thought of that. I better get on that, man. “
Nothing like a pandemic to bring out the best in us.
Our Off the Grid Home 
Low information types abound.(LIT). As you point out their memes come from all points of the political spectrum. The obdurate positions of the LITs can not bear any criticisms however mild. For many a challenge of an idea is taken as a personal attack upon them. An attack upon their silo of though. It is worth noting that many of the hot issues of a few weeks age have evaporated into a pool of drivel. Canada is hopefully refocusing on ideas that are vital. Let’s build not tear down. Dave lots of time to hit Moho’s destination.
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Lots of time? Sid, I am getting old. I told my buddy, “You may never see your moho again!”
OK, I am inclined to exaggeration now and then but really? The moho is sitting on another friend’s lawn. One guy wants it, the other guy wants it gone. I have pressures.
But, to be fair, both guys have said “NO PRESSURE whatsoever. Just be safe. Worry about the moho some other time.”
The news today has even Spain and Italy claiming some headway. But, of course, Trump-led US is failing badly. C-19 may be (probably is) recyclable. It may come back and back and back…..
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Germany had its order of 200,000 surgical masks ordered from 3M China, pirated, lost, interdicted, empirously preempted and they blame Trump. How can we doubt them?
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Trump is outdoing himself. He claims on the one-hand to be a ‘Wartime’ president and then, a few seconds later, “We are not the leads on this, the states are. We are just back-up.” Then he follows that up by telling 3M NOT to sell masks to Canada (like a bastard wartime president) and then, when Pence speaks, he says, “We have provided 200,000 masks to NY hospitals. Help is coming!” But then it turns out the masks went into the ‘commercial supply chain’ and are sitting in a warehouse awaiting bids. Some GOP contributor is selling masks to NY hospitals and the WH spokesman said, “Well, that is how we do things and we do not want to interfere with the supply chains.”
So, exactly how are Trump and Pence war-time?
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Dave I read your horoscope and it said,”You will be spending a great deal of time at home.”
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Seems we all will be. According to Ontario Health, 18 to 24 months. That’s harsh. Imprison the population that long and at the very least, you’ll get a baby boom set amongst squalor and violence. Already domestic violence is up in Europe. Imagine ‘mericans…..guns, booze, bugs and Bubbas makes the apocalypse a lot more likely.
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In America the gun sales are up. The prepares must be salivating at the chance to prove their apocalypse theories justified. But wait till the conspiracy theorists predicted UN arrival occurs to take their guns away. Check and mate!
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As Stephen Stills once said “Paranoia runs deep. Into your heart it will creep!”
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“stills once said” probably his most famous song
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Buffalo Springfield “For what it’s worth.”
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Yessir written and performed by Steven Stills
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Doing nothing (staying home) is actually doing something, Dave. It is probably for the best for you, Sal and your community. Gallantry gets you nowhere. Just ask all those health professionals who have died from this virus.
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Happy fishing. Save some of the spoils for me. I’m counting on the Corona virus ending soonish.
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THEY are saying this could last 24 months. If that’s the case, then the world will have changed by then……
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