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One Three Ton Challenge

Posted on September 4, 2007 by Jorge

Getting Our Feet Wet

Earlier this year, our basement gave us a wonderful present in the form of several litres of water which took up residence in our carpet.

While generous of our basement to do this, we really don’t like that sort of gift. Unfortunately, there was no gift receipt, so we had to get rid of the water using a friend’s dehumdifier and a bunch of fans.

We determined that the problem was because of the weirdo-thaw we had at the time, and matters weren’t helped by the strange layout of the asphalt in our backyard.

It sloped towards the house, and ended at the gate to the front of the house, due to some previous owner paving on top of the asphalt that was already there, causing a lip to form, which acts as a dam.

So Mrs. J and I decided to landscape…



Bin busy…
Click to enlarge…



Don’t Like It? JunkIt!

Over the summer, I took time here and there to wield a sledgehammer against the forces of asphalt, cracking it and prying it up in large chunks.

Since there was so much of it – and since it’s not environmentally friendly to dump it – I asked around my circle about disposal companies.

Since Mrs. J and Little J were heading out to Mrs. J’s Grandpa’s cottage over the long weekend, I called JunkIt to rent a five-cubic-yard bin for hauling concrete and stone.

I figured that it would be a good time for me to take care of the asphalt on my own. It was much cheaper than getting other people to do it. It would also be great exercise.



The spade broke on the last ten square feet…
Click to enlarge…



Hauling Ash

So that’s how I spent the majority of my long weekend.

I discovered that the “rugged” plastic wheelbarrow was beginning to crack under the strain of the rubble I was filling it with, so I moved the pile one shovelful at a time.

It certainly was time consuming, but now the section of backyard beside the house is now asphalt-free!

And was it a good workout?

Hell yeah! Everything is so much lighter after you move around heavy debris!

Next year we will be making a nice path and a garden along the side of the house, along with an enclosure for the garbage/recycling bins. Perhaps even a nice sandbox for Little J.

Mrs. J was kind enough to snap these photos of the result of my weekend Labour (go figure it was Labour Day weekend)…



A job well done…
Click to enlarge…





UPDATE: One of the fine folks from Junk It just left a comment informing us that the capacity of this bin is much higher than I thought. Awesome.

Filed under: Anecdotes, General Dialogue | 12 Comments »

Here a Wedding, There a Wedding…

Posted on August 21, 2007 by Jorge

The Summer of Weddings

It has been a marathon summer of weddings. It’s incredible.

Not that I mind weddings. I actually really like them! It would be an amazing thing to have these events all the time.



A Quick Shout Out

I recently attended my cousin’s wedding.

The ceremony was amazing. It was held outdoors at A’s parents place in the middle of the country. The garden and grounds are incredible. The weather was great, and dragonflies were flitting about, touching down here and there, their wings shining in the afternoon light. The words spoken were warm and Mrs J and I got to do a reading while little J was being looked after by Mrs J’s mum.



A looked A-Mazing.
Click to enlarge…


After a brief mixer at A’s parents’ place, we headed over to a local hall where the rest of the festivities were waiting to be, um, festivitied.

There was music, dancing and amazing speeches. The reception was a hit with everyone.



Here I am. Putting on the Handsome Man™ smile with the newlyweds.
Click to enlarge…


When a couple is really in love, the wedding seems altogether sweeter. The day that A&D got married was a grand one.

Congrats, guys!

Filed under: Anecdotes, Friends, Special Events | 3 Comments »

Friday Night Madness

Posted on July 22, 2007 by Jorge

Things I Didn’t Expect to be Doing on Friday Night

Breaking pine boards with my head.


So much fun!

🙂

Filed under: Anecdotes, General Dialogue, Interest | 6 Comments »

They Say It Changes You. They’re Right.

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Jorge

Exceeding Expectations

What a rollercoaster week it has been.

It started off as a fast (yet controlled) car trip to a hospital, and is now an ongoing adventure.

A good portion of my life before this point has been spent thinking about this very thing.

But no matter how much you read about it, or mentally prepare for it, I belive there is a part of it that you will never, ever be able to understand until long after it has happened.

That path to that understanding is an adventure.



You Think You Know Someone…

I am immensely proud of Mrs. J.

I am in awe of what she did and consequently, have even more respect for all of my female friends who have kids.

I could take all of the pain I’ve ever had in my life, and wrap it all into one moment, and I doubt that it is interest on the tax of the pain that my wife went through.


But if you ask her for her opinion, she would tell you that it was all worth it.

Filed under: Anecdotes, General Dialogue | 7 Comments »

Reality Check

Posted on March 19, 2007 by Jorge

I Know Something You Don’t Know
Please note. There are quite a few expletives contained. This is, however, critical to the accurate telling of this story…

After an appointment I had today, I decided to walk home.

My normal walk home is about twenty-five minutes. Today, though, I decided to take a long way home, on account of me feeling sluggish and also feeling the need for exercise.

It’s a good thing I decided to do this, because I ended up meeting a very interesting character on the way home…


[Jorge is walking down the street and sees an older gentleman approaching. The elderly man is probably in his seventies, and shuffling along slowly. Jorge smiles at the man.]
Jorge: Good evening!
Old Man: [With a slightly Slavic accent.] It is indeed! Can you believe how warm it is?
J: It has been a pretty mild winter.
OM: But can you believe it? The snow is almost gone!
J: I heard that tomorrow’s temperature is supposedly going to be in the double digits!
OM: What wonderful news! It reminds me of the story of Noah.
J: Really?
OM: Oh yes! Forty days and forty nights of rain, and then the thing came back with something in their mouth!
J: You mean the Doves carrying the Olive branches?
OM: Exactly. You learned that in school, yes?
J: Yes.
OM: Me too. Listen, were you raised a Christian?
J: I went to Catholic school.
[The Old Man puts one hand on Jorge’s shoulder and clasps both of Jorge’s hands in the other. He looks into Jorge’s eyes imploringly.]
OM: Can I talk to you for five minutes?
J: Uh, sure.
OM: There is a lot wrong in the world today.
J :Definitely.
OM: I know why that is.
J: Why?
OM: I watch TV every night. EVERY NIGHT.
J: And what do you see?
OM: I watch TV every night. The other night I saw they’d discovered where Jesus Christ is buried, and they found a box full of his bones!
J: Oh yeah. I read about that. The ossuaries.
OM: Those guys who discovered these bones are full of shit.
J: You think so?
OM: [Clearly becoming agitated. He’s not even really looking at Jorge anymore.] They are all fucking bastards!
J: Well then…
OM: Oh yes! This is the truth my friend! [Makes a fist and smacks it into his other open palm.]
J: [Nods.]
OM: Seriously. It’s unbelievable. These fucking bastards are all lying! Jesus would never have bones!
J: So they say.
OM: Oh yes. He wouldn’t have bones because he’s the fucking son of God. He’s [Really loudly.] Divinity! The guy in the box is not Jesus Christ. And the Anti-Christ is here!
J: I see…
OM: The fucking Anti-Christ is here! Those are his bones. Those aren’t Jesus’ fucking bones! Do you know why Jesus is divinity?
J: No, why?
OM: Because he was born to a woman who never slept with anyone. She never fucked anyone! Now that’s divinity. The Anti-Christ, he doesn’t have this.
J: Ah. Well. I guess he doesn’t.
[Reaches forward and shakes Jorge’s hand.]
OM: I am a Hungarian and Yugoslavian. And now? A Canadian! What do you think about that?
J: I think that’s just great. Ah well, I need to go now.
OM: Me too. [Noticably calmer.] I need to get moving. [Begins to slowly shuffle away.]
J: [Waving as he heads off in the opposite direction, and shouts over his shoulder.] See you around! You might want to buy a canoe! You never know when that next flood will happen!
OM: HA HA!

I swear that is exactly how that conversation went down.

My discomfort at the subject matter was offset by my amusment at a very old man swearing like a sailor.

Filed under: Anecdotes | Tagged: , | 15 Comments »

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