next 2023/02 ― Raymond drinks an ethnic tea called “mate” from a Mafalda cup, while sporting the blue and white soccer shirt with number 10. Those are the colors of the Argentinian flag and that is the number for the soccer superstar Lionel Messi who just helped win the third world cup for Argentina. The […]
Blog
Feeling Claustrophobic
next 2023/01 ― What kind of contraption is Raymond in now? Could it be a stand-up bed? Perhaps it is a coffin which is far too short for an adult occupant? You’ll have to think outside of the box to figure this one out. It is actually an ancient one-person wooden sauna. It was used […]
Winter Skipping
next 2022/12 ― It’s December, it’s warm enough to go out without a jacket, and there isn’t a snowflake in sight. That’s enough to make me jump with joy. If it were up to me, I would skip winter altogether.
Flags
next 2022/11 ― At my house, the flags of Ukraine and Taiwan flow freely in the wind. On the other side of the world, Ukraine and Taiwan must fight against their oppressive neighbors to try to retain their freedom. How disappointing it is that Russia and China are led by tyrants!
Pinned Knight
next 2022/10 ― Ray dusted off his vintage Sensory Chess Challenger 9 which he bought way back in the ’70s when he used to play a lot. Well, the machine still worked perfectly and it certainly was challenging. It pinned my knight and it even attacked my queen. I just wouldn’t have any of that!
Asian Food
next 2022/09 ― Raymond has a sweet spot for Asian food. He finds that eating is more of an experience than a necessity when the dishes are Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, hotpot, do-it-yourself rice paper wraps, sushi, dim sum, or gogi gui. Initially, he might forget his manners in the excitement by spinning the Lazy Susan […]
Human Anatomy
next 2022/08 ― I had the pleasure to visit what is arguably the oldest university in the world. It is the University of Bologna, which was founded in 1088. I was in the room where medical students used to sit on the benches around a table on which the medieval teacher dissected corpses that had […]
Vroom! Vroom!
next 2022/07 ― Vroom is the sound that this 74 Plymouth ‘Cuda made when I stepped on the gas. This model is super cool and I must say, it really blew my hair back. My brother Yvon, the owner, insisted that it had a 360 V8, bored and stroked to a 410 with an aggressive […]
Bike Ride
next 2022/06 ― Raymond hopped on his bicycle and went for a ride. Usually, he follows the Rideau canal, locks the bike at the Rideau Center and goes for a walk around the Byward Market.
Getting the Swing of it
next 2022/05 ― I’m starting to get the swing of this retirement life. My new favorite hangout is in the backyard where there are recently laid patio stones, a new deck and this freshly-assembled four-seater swing set. Here I am resting with a beer in hand after watering the grass.