The Beautiful Winter of Alberta, again

The temperature has not gone up -15 ℃ (5 ℉), maximum, in the past few days and I'm really glad that I don't have to go to work today, although it will be mostly boring and waste of time but I get paid for it! Driving is not so bad as soon as I leave my street! The roads here are covered with a sheet of ice and now it's -24 ℃ (-11.2 ℉). If you think you can drive without winter tires, think of jumping in the pool and not getting wet! 

I have my winter tires on but my vehicle isn't in such a good shape. It's losing oil or perhaps I should say it's burning oil. I went to a close Toyota dealership to see what they can do. Here is what they said: $200 for diagnosis! And here's my answer to them: Shove it! Purchasing a new vehicle, no matter how good it is, without winter tires, is like having a wife to starts and raise of family without being intimate! My car has been sitting in the garage for the past month of so and the price of, not so excellent, two pair or winter tires plus the cost of installation is nearly $1800. So I decided not to buy it and instead rely on my old one, until, perhaps in a little more than a year from now, I buy another one: A vehicle for winter and a vehicle for summer. That's how you beat these guys who charge tremendously for their services. You don't have to book an appointment to change your tires. You don't have to change them back to regular one when summer ends and this last you many long years. My  goal is to buy an electric car so I can skip the damn time-wasting and expensive oil change as well. I will work hard and will reach that goal. 

Accidents were really bad on Q. E. II last week, on Thu. There was a big pile up in southbound close to Airdrie. When I reach there I saw tankers and semitrucks on their sides, pick up trucks in the ditch. It was really bad. I heard between 80 and 100 vehicles were involved. Northbound was not that bad. It was slow and blocked and then, happily, when I reached where I needed to take an exit, it had been opened. 

(Photo: I couldn't stop to take pictures but saw these two cars being taken by a tow truck in the city during late evening)

Mindless Retards at Work (1): You Tell 'em!

I used to have posts called Workplace Stories. I stopped about a year and a half ago. I have decided to restart that this time under a new title called Mindless Retards at Work, as we have plenty here and there! I tell the story and you are the judge:
One of the things you observe a lot in workplaces is that the majority of the people get their jobs based on their relationships or as they like to call it networking. What it means that you have lots of incompetent, pretentious, mindless losers appointed to positions. Companies do that because they don't have to pay a lot to a qualified and experienced and knowledgeable person.  
Here at work we have a so-called Safety Officer who is occupied by a sort of aid. A couple of lazy retards, I should say. You barely see any of them in the working area, sitting on their asses most of the day. 
There were a number of visitors last week whom I directed them to the work area. We were having conversations and all of a sudden I saw the " officer " show up! She turns to me and goes: One of the guys doesn't have his ear plugs in. This is his second violation. Tell him if he repeats it, he would be banned from this work area! This is how a lazy and stupid tries to prove that she's working! 
First of all this is your job to tell them. Not me! Secondly, they are the people who have placed an order with us. They have given us a business and we must have done something good to build a reputation and get the order. We simply cannot ban them from our company for a freaking earplug! Turn your brain on! 
I, often, ignore ignorance! So I told her that I would tell them and walk away! The idiot went back to her cave! Now imagine how much money the company spends on people like these every year! They have a silly monthly Safety Meeting once a month and while the main person talks, mostly nonsense  for nearly 45 minutes, the other ass, just sits and stares at the people! I'm sick of these idiots.

(Photo: These are not different types and sizes of condoms. These are earplugs to help people to protect ears from excessive noise)

The Supervised Consumption Sites!

I used to go Sheldon M. Chumir clinic when I lived in Downtown Calgary. Good service, most of the time. Long wait times which is normal everywhere in Canada these days. It's because of the sudden explosion of population without having the infrastructure available. Stupid or most likely careless Government of Canada! 

Going back to that clinic, I saw addicts, drunks and homeless poor people, from time to time. All around the clinic and the nearby streets and at time inside, escaping from the cold or simply hanging out. I also knew there was a Safe Supervised Consumption existed there! If you're not from Canada and don't know what that means, I can tell you it's the stupidest idea ever, in the entire world! The idea behind that is people can go register and get the doze of drugs they need from a clinic and consume it! These guys are so stupid and clueless that it's not easy to simply start to fathom what really their goal was by starting such a sick program! You basically tell the addicted people that hey don't worry about what has happened to you and now you're hooked up on this drug. We will provide you and even, in places, in British Columbia, provide you with clean facilities to do your drug of choice in a very relaxed environment! 

The result has been a total failure in British Columbia and everywhere else in a way that now they're going to close this place in Calgary! The fact is these guys don't think and plan for their action and use the society as a lab rat! The society is not the place for your Trail & Error games, assholes. Think. 

You dignify and glamorize the consumption of harmful substances instead of cutting the roots. One should ask if you're helping the addicted perhaps you should help the ones who seek prostitution by doing what the State of Nevada has been doing for such a long time! Is this not worse than legal prostitution?! You legalized consumption of alcohol and marijuana! Is prostitution not the same or is it less harmful to the society?! 

(Photo: An opium den in old China, circa, 19 century from the time consumption was legal. Canada is back to that time of the history)

How Long to Save to Buy a New Vehicle?

I've kept my old Toyota after buying a new one. They are nearly 15 years apart, in terms of age! The old one was purchased in Sep.2009 but is a 2010 model, Corolla Standard CE and the new one in Aug.2025. I kept the Corolla because it has two pairs of almost new Michelin X-Ice tires and you can't travel anywhere without those in Alberta in winter. It doesn't matter how cold it is. It could be a very dangerous road even if it's only -1 ℃ (~ 32℉). For that I haven't taken the new car out. Then it hit me: I'm a loser who has nothing in life. Would this not be better to save and buy another new one just for winter? I can order it with winter tires only. I then would donate the Corolla or sell it.

What would be a good vehicle for the tough winter of Alberta? That's the question. Many might say an SUV or a pickup truck. Some might suggest an electric truck, such as Lightning. I have nothing against SUVs and trucks but I always try to minimize my costs. So I would go with something like a Tesla Model 3 or something less expensive within the next two years of so and I have to consider that:

1) I will have the same income, if not higher,

2) There will not be such a significant increase in my expenses, and

3) I remain relatively healthy to operate a motor vehicle! 

How long would it take to purchase a new Tesla Model 3 or a less expensive model, if it comes to the market as it has been the plan, in cash? If I consider the price $70,000, it would be a minimum of 23 months to make it happen, considering all the above!

I also wanted to move to a new place. This is quite big and spacious for me but I'm looking for a better place, in a better neighbourhood.

It's funny how we all plan for the things we like and I think it's good to be positive and think and plan for the things you like to do and hope with dedication and hard work we achieve it but the interesting thing is that if I was in a serious relationship, none of them would've not even come to mind or if they did, would've never been accepted my partner but she had a major say.

(Photo: One of the many amazing old vehicles displayed in the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya, Japan. Unfortunately I don't know the brand but it's not hard to find. Look how spacious it is. Lovely!)

24 Years and Counting

I thought of something special for the 24th anniversary of my arrival in Canada but nothing came to mind! It was the 29th of the last month but I have been so tired that I couldn't write a damn thing. Not that anyone was waiting for it! Couples might go for a nice meal. Not many options for singles! So I decided to go for a massage on Sat. night. What a waste of dollars and time it was! It could have been a much better experience, had I selected the right person! I don't wanna even write about it! 

Then I thought to myself: There's nothing to celebrate. I haven't achieved anything. In fact I haven't reached my goals. I, have always been a failure. In fact this word could be used as my middle name! The only good thing was that a cousin of mine who lives in L. A. was here to enjoy skiing. I had not seen him for probably 25 years, perhaps one year or more before I left the old country for Canada. We all had a meal in a local restaurant and then he and his family headed to Banff National Park area. I joined them later just to hang out with them, not to ski! I'm not a skier. That was the only highlight of the last week. 

We went up to Sulfur Mountain by gondola, of course. That was my third ride, each 10 years or more apart! It was a pleasant experience. Then we had dinner at Sky Bistro which was really good. The views up there are really amazing and they have added lots of stuff to make it memorable and interesting for visitors, including fire pits, igloos(!), fur blankets and indigenous traditional music and displays and translated to English. They liked it very much. It's a one of a kind experience which you cannot get anywhere else in the world and I must admit that if I was Canadian, I'd be really proud of my country. I'm not Canadian and I'm proud that I was able to show them something that they like a lot.

I didn't pay much attention to the cost. It's a cost that you pay once in your life. Besides the cousin had already taken us to dinner and brought us all gifts. He even paid for the dinner there which was not cheap, believe me but I think the gondola ride was around $280 and it's not important at all. I don't know when if I ever meet this people. Family and friends is all you have in life and if you don't have a good one, you have nothing. For me it's over. I can't have a family now. My family is my Mom and my siblings and a few relatives I have here and there but I also keep my distance to make sure I don't with their family life. All the money, best cars, good job. Nothing could make for a good and lovely family.

(Photo: People go inside these igloos on the top of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy themselves)