Year 3 Week 10

August 20 to 26, 2006

Steinbach, Manitoba

Year 3 week 10

 

Sunday ; Today was sunny, hot, and windy. Too windy to do outdoor work, which is what I had planned for today. It started to rain about supper time.

So, since I couldn't work outside as I had planned, I spent much of the day reading. In the afternoon, I updated my investment files with data I had downloaded on Friday. The stock market has slowly recovered a bit over the last month or so, but it's still below where it was in April. Nevertheless, after being on the road for 26 months, including paying for a new truck, we have about the same amount of money that we started with in June, 2004. So ... not bad at all !

I spent quite a bit of time trying to convince my digital camera to work. When I tried to use it yesterday in Gardenton, it wouldn't work. Today I had to reluctantly conclude that it's finished ! Maybe leaving it inside the truck fried it ? The interior of Lanoire gets extremely hot, because she's black on the inside and outside. Remind me not to buy another totally black vehicle !

There was a storm warning in the evening, with damaging winds and heavy hail, but it seemed to pass a bit south of us. We just got a brief period of heavy rain. I opened and dealt with the batch of incoming mail we picked up on Friday. We watched a documentary video Sharon gave Joanne, on the relationship between breast cancer and toxins in the environment.

 

Monday ; Today was sunny and warm.

This morning Joanne helped me mask the side of the trailer, in preparation for painting the entire lower side panel. I started to paint, and quickly stopped. The brand of paint I was using, which was different than the brand I used a week ago when I painted just the repaired area, was unsatisfactory < sigh >. I should have known ! You get what you pay for ! The paint I used a week ago was a high quality automotive spray paint. Today I started using a Wal-Mart generic brand. It wouldn't adhere, and ran in streaks down the side of the panel. Yuck ! It seems as if every time I'm half a step away from finishing this repair and paint job, I take 2 steps backward.

While I read a book after lunch, Joanne went shopping in Steinbach. After she returned I spent the rest of the afternoon washing the truck. Remind me not to buy another black vehicle ! After supper I completed the working draft copyof the corporate provincial income tax return.

 

Tuesday ; Today was sunny and very warm.

This morning we headed for Winnipeg, to do some Wal-Martin'. I got a refund on the cheap paint that was unsatisfactory, and purchased a couple of cans of the good quality automotive spray paint. After we finished shopping, we headed to the Carlson's to have lunch and visit with Lorri and the girls. While there, I got online, sent and retrieved e-mail, updated my blog, retrieved my MasterCard statement, and ordered a new digital camera from Air Miles. Lorri took Madeleine for a doctor's appointment, and we looked after Amelia. Joanne read a story to her while I was online, then I watched her outside while she rode her bicycle.

I spent the evening painting the lower side panel of the trailer. I applied 4 lightly sprayed coats and by the time I applied the last coat, it was almost dark. Too dark for me to be able to assess the results. I'm eager to see it by the light of day tomorrow morning.

 

Wednesday ; Today was sunny and warm.

This morning I "unveiled" the side panel paint job. From a distance of 6 inches I can see imperfections. From a distance of 5 feet, it looks excellent ! The end result is much better than I had hoped for. Nice work, Daniel ! In 5 days, after the new paint has cured, all I have to do to finish up this job is reinstall the mouldings I removed.

This afternoon we gave Bo a bath, then trimmed his and Teddy's claws. I reviewed and responded to Friday's and yesterday's e-mails. After supper we drove into Steinbach for some quick grocery shopping. We took Bo along. He's suffering "drivey" deficiency. HA HA HA ! I completed the submission copy of the provincial corporate income tax return.

Woo-Hoo ! ! ! My main objectives for this summer were to complete our personal income tax returns, prepare the corporate fiscal year end accounting, prepare and submit the federal and provincial corporate income tax returns, and repair and paint the damaged lower side panel of the trailer. I'm finished !

 

Thursday ; Today was overcast and warm.

This morning I reconciled the MasterCard statement, then administered heartworm, and flea and tick treatment to Bo. We seem to be out of cat flea and tick treatment. Hmph ! Guess we forgot to buy more last month. We went to PET VALU in Steinbach for flea and tick treatment. They didn't have what I wanted. It reminded me that pet supply stores here in Manitoba don't have much selection of flea and tick products. There's not much of a flea problem here in Manitoba.

As pre-arranged, we met Sharon and Bud at the Farmer's Market at the Clearspring Mall in Steinbach. We all bought fresh produce, then they followed us back to our campground. We had a nice barbecue supper and they visited with us for the afternoon and evening. Bo escaped while we were having a tennis ball play session, and I couldn't catch him. What a bad, bad, little dog ! Finally, Bud walked over to the golf course adjacent to our campground where I was trying unsuccessfully to catch Bo, and Bud captured him.

 

Friday ; This morning I headed into Steinbach. First stop was South-East Veterinary Clinic. I had to pick up a prescription renewal for Teddy's thyroid medication. I was displeased that there was a $14 charge for having the prescription written. I told the vet that I thought that was outrageous. His response was flippant. Okay, Dr. Hamilton ... you just lost a customer. Not because of the charge for the prescription, but for the poor response to my complaint. Part of being in business is being able to handle customer complaints professionally. Either shut up and smile, or politely explain your perspective to the customer, but don't be a smart ass !

Next stop was the Post Office, then I couldn't resist stopping at Steinbach Dodge when I saw that they had about a dozen new duallies in stock. Three or four 2006's, and more than half a dozen 2004's and 2005's. Wow ! I guess they're stocking up on big trucks because the local farmers are finished harvesting, and the crops are great. I guess there's going to be a lot of grain farmers spending big bucks soon.

I drove just out of Steinbach to the south, to Steinbach South Airport. At Harv's Air Service, the local flight training school, I arranged to go flying next Tuesday evening. I think I want to fly from Steinbach to St. Andrews and back. I did my flight training at St. Andrews 21 years ago. I'm going to start my flight in daylight, and end in darkness. I'm really looking forward to going flying. My last flight was 2½ years ago. I wonder how rusty my flying skills are ? ! ?

I stopped at Clearspring Mall and bought a card to send to the woman who bought our PET VALU store in the Westgate Shopping Centre. We just found out her young son has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. I stopped at an RV dealer, looking for a part. They didn't have what I needed. I stopped at a commercial truck stop to check out their truck weigh scale. I think when we leave here in a couple of weeks, I'm going to stop there and get weights on the truck and trailer.

 

Saturday ; Today was sunny and very warm. The weather certainly has been nice here in Manitoba this summer.

Today I went to do a minor repair on a section of moulding on the front corner of the trailer, and discovered a much larger problem than just a loose piece of moulding. I discovered some hidden dampness, and some dry rot. I removed some sections of moulding, and lowered a fibreglass panel underneath the front overhang of the bedroom section of the trailer. Water has been seeping in. I will have to let the area dry out completely, then clean and reseal the panel and the mouldings. Lots of old, dirty silicone caulking to remove ! Just when I thought my maintenance projects were over for the summer ! I shouldn't be too surprised. I have suspected this problem for about a year and a half.

Joanne went into Steinbach to do some shopping. I worked on reviewing a small batch of mail Sharon brought over the other day. In the batch of mail were assessments by Revenue Canada of our personal income tax returns I recently submitted. My income tax return was accepted as filed. Joanne's was assessed as having an error, and an additional $550 owing. For crying out loud ! I prepared both income tax returns the same way. Both of us had similar incomes, from the same sources. Our income tax returns are almost mirror images of one another. How could one return be correct, and the other have errors requiring another $550 ? ? ? ! ! ! Does Revenue Canada just make up the rules as they go along ? ? ? ! ! !

DSK