George was kind enough to pick me up last night about 6:45pm. We got to the Lodge and I helped to set things up with the guys already doing this in progress. Reg gave a paper and we had somebody from the Yellowhead District Masonic Foundation Association give a bit of a talk. They mentioned Camp He Ho ha. I had to smile at that reference. The festive board wasn’t all that great but I got myself a diet Coke and I saved $6. Guy (bar) was mentioning about a 26’er bottle of Scotch is $52/ bottle. Wow. Dale was mentioning that he was out drinking Scotch last night at $20/ounce. I can handle the odd bit of beer once in a while but $20 an ounce for a shot? George drove me back home and I’ll see Dale August 22nd at Ft Edmonton Park. I’ll be in the thick of learning the memory work for the FC exam.

When I got home I undressed out of my suit and checked for the score on the hockey game. The Pens have tied the series 2-2. No surprise there. This series will go 7 games. Next up is in Detroit on Saturday. I can’t wait since this will most likely be the last NHL game I can watch for the 2008-09 season. By this time next week the NHL Playoffs will all be but over. The trade madness begins in the off season and that’s always a good time.

My friends over there at SF Signal are talking about 5 reasons why you should read a Warhammer 40K novel. Makes sense to me. See my Reading Next section……….. 12:45pm> On this date June 6th in 1980, Ellen and I were shopping at Westmount. She was looking for a Birthday gift for Richard and she found a plant vase made out of red clay or something. I recall shortly after that I ended up accidentally breaking it before it even got to her place. I went home after as she said she had to get ready for Richards place for a "private birthday" celebration. I was on the sidelines anyway back then as Ellen was infatuated with Richard. My small basement bedroom was waiting for me at the Meyers during this time. This was the last time Ellen and I were kind of going together before she broke up with me the following Saturday morning. I even recall that time heading over to her place thinking something big must be up if she wants to see me at such an early hour. I was getting excited on the way to her place on the bus that morning with the promise of a good day with her until everything fell apart. It must have been about 11pm. She menttioned years later (July 1992) how she felt bad about that.

I can’t recall even how I got the message she needed to see me. I was working from a pay phone a lot in the early 1980’s before I moved in with Theresa a year later.

It’s finally raining out there even if it’s a light rain. We need the moisture that’s for sure.

Nobody won the $4M Wednesday and the jackpot is now valued at $9M for Saturdays draw. But I have a few bucks with me for a ticket for Saturdays draw. In the US they have their Powerball Lottery but the odds of us winning the 6/49 are greater because our population is lower. Somebody in Iowa won $200M recently.

On the topic of money (my favorite subject ;-)) The markets are steady but a little quiet. Our dollar is around $89 more closer to $90. Economists here in Canada were saying that a higher dollar could slow down our economic recovery. Others are saying on Ched news lat night that our economic recovery could be only a matter of a few months away. There’s lots of oil in the US reserves, it’s just speculators driving up the cost of oil and gas.

As far as local finances and stuff goes, I’m kind of anxious to see if I still have a job this evening. Also anxious to see if I got my vacation pay and my stat pay from Victoria day on my pay cheque. If not then I’m going to cash in on my other options. One being Alberta Employment Standards and I have some contact phone numbers I’ll be calling Monday. I just have this sickening feeling inside that all that’s going to be on my pay cheque is 23 hours. No vacation pay nothing.