Category: Uncategorized

Now that the majority of the carpet in my apartment has been ripped up, I am visiting a flooring showroom/contractor tomorrow. Earlier in the summer, I visited a “discount” flooring retailer but I didn’t get a good vibe from them. I have no doubt this new place will cost more but they have really great online reviews and the two times I’ve talked to them, they seem friendly, eager to listen to what I want, and have asked great questions.

This place is also about a ten minute walk from my place, so I’ll go visit at my lunch hour. I am looking forward to looking at their product and discussing installation.

It rained heavily on Saturday. It wasn’t just a light rain, it was a heavy and sustained rain. The type of rain that would soak a person if they just spent a few seconds out in the open. Not only was it wet, it felt cold to be outside. All of this was just a few days removed from the end of August.

Of course today, it was sunny and the sun felt hot on my skin, a completely different day compared to Saturday. I’m not sure if September will bring us an easy transition into fall or if it will be an abrupt one like Saturday proved it can be.

So I found this website while exploring the Internet. I’m not saying anyone should be deriving any pleasure from reading it. It should be used to inform yourself and to expand your knowledge. Whatever feelings of satisfaction you might get as you read it is not my fault.

Last evening I went to the Pacific National Exhibition, which is a local fair that has rides, food vendors, a marketplace, and an animal exhibit (featuring mostly farm animals). In 2020, the PNE was not held because of the pandemic. This year, it is proceeding but with a smaller scale and limited capacity.

I’d say that 90% of the fair is outdoors, so it’s fairly safe thing to go to. When I arrived, I was pleased to see the crowds were very reasonable. In past years, PNE organizers were able to cram so many people in that it would be wall-to-wall people on the fairgrounds, the exact opposite of what you want during a pandemic. This was not the case last night. It was very easy to social distance and many people were wearing masks, even outdoors. It felt very comfortable.

I went mostly for the food and by the end of the evening, I bought a bucket of mini-doughnuts for the trip home. Now this wasn’t the first time I’ve brought home mini-doughnuts. From past experience, I know that these doughnuts taste great when fresh. They are warm, moist, and soft, a sugary delight for all. When you take them home, however, they get hard and dry. The next day, the easiest thing to do to warm them up is to either microwave them or bake them in the toaster oven. While this might get them warm again, it just makes them even drier.

This year, I was determined to keep them delicious, even on the next day. To start, I stored them in a airtight container. I have these plastic containers that I can use a hand pump on that removes all the air from inside. I am able to keep food much longer using these containers. Storing the doughnuts prevents them from drying out too much.

Ok, so sure, they won’t be that dry the next day but how do I heat them up again? I can go the oven or microwave route but both those solutions involves drying out the doughnuts. I settled on steam, it can heat but not dry out the food you’re trying to heat. The only problem was how to let the steam heat the doughnuts but not get them excessively wet. When I steam stuff, I use a medium-sized pot, throw my food into a bowl, and put the bowl into the pot. Condensation forms on bottom of the pot lid and drips into the bowl. This might be ok for dumplings and stuff but having water drip onto the doughnuts would just make them soggy.

So how do I allow the steam to circulate around the doughnuts in the bowl but not get them showered with water? I immediately thought of cheesecloth but I didn’t have any. I settled on a sheet of paper towel on top of the bowl, sealed into place with a rubber band. This worked flawlessly. I steamed the doughnuts for about five minutes. The paper towel absorbed all the excess water but still allowed the steam to heat and moisturize the doughnuts. They tasted just like they did last night.

I did all that work to get more fat.

I’ve been lounging around in my home every night in just a t-shirt since about late May or early June but tonight, I felt like putting on a light hoodie because it was so cold. The low tonight is just 10 degrees Celsius. We’re almost down to single digit lows again.

I was also outside this evening and I wore a light jacket over a t-shirt. I felt ok but I definitely also felt a chill in the air as well. I don’t think it’s coincidence that we’re into September now and the weather has seemingly changed overnight.

Next up is the closing of the windows.

https://youtu.be/S5kHCruroFk

It’s a long weekend next week and I am looking forward to it. I don’t know if it’s the pandemic or something else, but as soon as one long weekend is over, I am looking to see when the next one is.

In mid-August, I had a four-day long weekend because our team at work decided to just give everyone Thursday and Friday off. It was wonderful but as soon as that weekend was over, I felt like I wanted another long weekend.

I think people are tired, nervous, and have lots on their mind, all while trying to navigate this long pandemic. Well, at least it’s gonna be rainy, cloudy, and grey for next six month after this weekend.

It’s been a very hot and dry summer but today it was cloudy, grey, and more importantly rainy. It rained for most of the day and along with the rain, came cooler temperatures. Dare I even say it felt almost like autumn today?

It’s the end of August and Labour Day next week and unofficially, that’s when I consider summer to be over. In a few weeks, there won’t be any talks of wildfires anymore and the clouds and rain will make a regular appearance once again.

The seasons maybe changing but the pandemic remains.