What A Week (Week of Jan 15)….
for ‘Rotzy Style’ Fitness: For those who may be unaware, my ‘exercise’ during the winter months….all 8 or 9 of them….comes in the form of snow removal. And a ‘workout’ can involve any number of different pieces of equipment, including a windshield brush, sweep/corn broom, push broom, as well as an assortment of various shovels. The latter is by far my most favourite ‘workout’, and surely the most beneficial to my health. I always end up with the one with a two foot green plastic blade on it and a green plastic ‘D’ handle to grip. (*Hint….I removed the sharp metal strip from along the bottom of the blade two years ago, as it was ‘removing’ the stain from our deck!) Anyway, to see the olde guy operating this thing must really be something else….not likely unlike watching ‘a man possessed’, or the likes. And my favourite ‘maneuvre’ by a long shot is the ‘one-hand-push-and-phling! Not bragging here but I can do either hand….right or left….one as well as the other, and I would defy anybody to look at the pile and tell me which hand I used! So, the sheer/unbridled joy I felt last week as Nakina received about TWELVE! inches of snow over Wed and Thurs! I ‘don’t do metric’ but I would guess it’s probably 100 to 150cm….you think? I kept on saying (to myself) ”Hey Toad, your level of cardiovascular fitness when you see Dr Zee at the end of the month is gonna be something else”!! Or something like that. The strange thing is that a couple short years ago, I totally HATED shovelling snow….even the thought of it was repulsive!! Then I had a dream one night that Miz. Jo and I had moved to Costa Rica….or was it Key West?….no matter, the point is there was NO SNOW THERE…..EVER! Can you even imagine such a nightmare! Well folks, it was kinda like a ‘Dr Phil Life-Changing Moment’, hence it’s been ‘me and my shovel’ ever since. And just like McDonalds, ‘I’m lovin it’!!!
Enjoyed The Interview….
….with Councillor Matt last mid-week on CFNO News! He spoke about ‘changes for the better’ (*see below) in and around Nakina as he picks up students in his school bus bound for GCHS in the early morning hours. Lites on in the houses, people up and about, vehicles warming up in the driveways, etc. Actual signs of a town ‘coming to life’….no pun intended. Well, two months ago I doubt Matt would have seen that picture….nor would anybody else who happened to be awake shortly after 7:00AM. The ‘changes for the better’ (*see above) are a direct result of The Mill re-opening here in town! The former NFP is now known as Nakina Lumber Inc and will shortly be employing 70 or 80 people on a one-shift operation. Rotzy saw a picture of the FIRST bundle of 2×4’s roll out the door last week. Actually, we had made some mention of the mill re-opening in this space last week, but it was great to hear Matt put such a positive spin on it on the radio!!
Really???
The “From Nakina” News Hound came up with this item middle of last week. We were wondering if it was a cruel hoax? however, in checking things Miz. Jo seemed to think it’s on the ‘up and up’, so if you hadn’t heard, CNR has said that it WILL be making repairs to ‘The Rail Crossing From Hell’ on Hwy #584!! Now, they didn’t exactly say WHEN, other than ‘sometyme in 2018’. It says here that ‘sooner would be much better than later’ as it’s been ‘The Crossing From Hell’ for about two years. Being that it’s on the main CN East West line I’m guessing they will do the rail work and paving as quickly as possible….perhaps half/one side at a tyme? The Olde Guy went over it last week in Norm The Truck on my Dump Run and I must’ve exceeded my ‘normal’ speed of 1 to 1.5 mph, causing an immediate ‘re-work’ on my ‘neck issues’. Wow! Sure got Rotzy’s attention. *note to CNR….how about the second week in February?!
Funn Facts
This item comes from Miz. Jo’s “F/N” Humour Dept….check it out for yourself. 1/ You can’t wash your eyes with soap. 2/ You can’t count your hair. 3/ You can’t breathe through your mouth with your tongue out. 4/ You just tried no. 3. 6/ When you did no. 3, you realized it’s possible, but you look like a dog. 7/ You’re smiling right now, because you were fooled. 8/ You skipped no. 5. 9/ You just checked to see if there IS a no. 5. 10/ You’re still wondering whether to try no. 1 and no. 2. They are NOT recommended but good luck if you do!
Here We Go Again (*see below)
I borrowed a copy of the Northern Ontario Business newspaper from a reader for Jan 2018 to get some info in the Mining Section in regard to De Beers Diamond Mine up at Attawapiskat….the one that has been producing for ten years and is scheduled for closure/phasing out completely. A complex process that will take some three to five years to finish. After checking and re-checking that article, Rotzy came upon another one that grabbed my attention/made me wonder if it was deja vu all over again, then made me say ”tsk, tsk, tsk”….with an added chuckle or three. The story was about The Ring Of Fire and how Noront (currently the key player in the RoF) is hosting ‘The New Smelter Sweepstakes…The Sequel’ (*see above) and they have sent official ‘invites’ out to Thunder Bay, Timmins, Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie to become the ‘new’ home for processing ferrochrome. I don’t know what the braintrust (Pres/CEO Al Coutts) at Noront is thinking?….or, if they’re thinking at all??….but the first thing on their check list MIGHT be to ‘see what Cliffs Inc did first tyme around’. Then trash that idea toute suite! But as I see it, they’re doing the same damn thing and making it a ‘contest’. I haven’t spoken to Mayor Hobbsy yet on it, but I will when he reads this….because he knows better. However, Christian Provenzano, the Mayor of the Sault, sounds like he’s new to RoF stuff and he’s all gung-ho with his Economic Development Corporation people, and working on their ‘bid/presentation’ like there’s no tomorrow. Well Mr. Mayor, there are/will be a whole lot of tomorrows before this stagnant mega-mess project ever gets the green light….and believe me, there are a lot of green lights to get. I would suggest not laying out a lot of money on smelters….seeing as there is no mine yet, no road, no railroad, no power. Oh yes, and no money….just a handful of people making mega-bucks for ‘jobs with big names’. *memo to Al Coutts….It’s been said here before the phatt guy will be looking UP at the lawn when things DO actually start to happen…but if you care to surprise me by getting shovels in the ground…..well I’d certainly apologize. Yes indeed I would!!!
*Thought Of The Day…The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread. (Steven Wright)
