Dog On A Root

  -  jim Young “I feel like I’m waiting for something that isn’t going to happen.” - anon The Ontario government is considering scrapping renewal fees for Ontario license plates and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean I’m always happy to save a buck wherever I can, but sometimes it seems like I’m always getting the short end of the stick. You see, I retired in Northern Ontario a few years ago and was quite happy to discover that my license plate renewals were ½ the price of the fees in Southern Ontario. So these savings on what I have paid for license renewals for most of my adult life will be gone. I shouldn’t be surprised though. The government has been jerking me around with my license plates all my life. When I was a young, new driver the only cars could afford were old worn out clunkers that someone was getting rid of. I was at the mercy of whatever was available that was cheap. Ontario license renewal fees at the time were priced according to the number of cylinde...

Like most happily married couples, one of the things that make My Shirley and I “work” is the many things we have in common.  Crispy Buffalo & Teriyaki Chicken Breasts served with Stuffed BBQ Potatoes NOTE: If the picture looks a little different from your creation it’s probably because I substituted Rice Krispies as we didn’t have any Corn Flakes on hand. We did have Frosted Flakes however, and I considered licking the sugar off the Frosted Flakes and using them but I was worried the “flakes” would be too soggy.   The other thing that makes us work is our differences. We have more in common than not, but our differences can also be a strength. I am weak in areas where My Shirley is strong. My Shirley will push while I pull. When my head is in the clouds, My Shirley remains grounded. She is Yin to my Yang. Just as in everything else, My Shirley and I are pretty much on the same page when it comes to food. Pretty much, but not everything.  “She likes potato while I ...

An open letter sent to Bell's Executive Office/Client Relations on Feb-13-2023.   Dear Sir or Madam, Can you please explain to me why, after many requests made on my behalf over the past 6 years, this issue has still not been resolved? Bell Canada is one of the largest communication companies in the world and yet I seem to have difficulty communicating with Bell Canada on this issue. I simply cannot fathom that, what should be the simplest of tasks should require so much energy on my part without realizing any resolution to date. I have simply been asking for an address change.  Attached please find a screenshot of our Billing Profile captured as of today.  Our profile on the Bell Canada Website shows our correct mailing address. I draw your attention to the Billing Address which is recorded in YOUR database and showing in our profile at My Bell as: 11869 Hwy 522 P.O. Box 49 LORING Ontario P0H1S0 Attached also please find a mailing from Bell Canada we received last Decemb...

About the easiest thing you can cook on your barbecue (or in the kitchen for that matter) is the baked potato. All you have to do is throw it on the barbie and wait for it to cook.  It’s just that easy. That’s just ONE simple step. If you don’t count lighting the barbecue. Okay, so it’s TWO steps. Of course you’ll probably want to wash your potato first. But there’s nothing to that even if it makes BBQ Potatoes a  three step process. Some people like to use a fork to poke holes in the skin just to let the steam out and prevent the potato from exploding, while others will also wrap the potato in aluminum foil.  So that’s, what? Four? No, five steps. Well, hell! If you’re going to all the work to wrap the potato in aluminum foil anyway, you might as well add some flavour to it. What’s a few more easy steps?  Stuff You’ll Need: 2 large potatoes Onion, finely chopped Bacon, cooked and crumbled Salt Pepper Garlic powder Cheddar Cheese, shredded Butter or margarine, melte...

The number of pleats in a chef's hat, officially called a "Toque", is said to determine the number of different ways the chef knows how to cook an egg. The most expert of chefs would wear a Toque with 100 pleats. However the potato is a very versatile food source as well and it has been claimed there are 63 different ways to cook a potato. That doesn’t even include my favourite method of enjoying potatoes as… Vodka! You can have your potatoes boiled, broiled, roasted, broasted, fried, mashed, scalloped, baked, au gratin or served up any number of other ways including, but not limited to, as a snack in the form of potato chips. Whenever My Shirley asks me if I want a vegetable with my dinner I inevitably reply, “I’m having a vegetable - potatoes.” As a habit from our days of living hand-to-mouth we usually make extra potatoes for dinner however we may be preparing them. Potatoes are comparatively cheaper than most foods and enjoyed by the majority of people we know, so we ...