Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in hofdave's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, April 26th, 2007
1:59 pm	Volunteering - Part 2 Last week was volunteer week in Hamilton - and subsequently there were ads in the paper for volunteers. Even though I knew I wanted to help out the Bruce Trail Association I figured I had some more time available so I contacted the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre and had an interview with them on Monday. Neighbour to Neighbour: run a food bank - 1000 clients who can use the service once a month; offer resource counseling; have self-help programs; read to kids in the school; and have a used bookstore. The interview went well and the coordinator asked that since I had an interest in books and had been involved with taking money in my capacity as Treasurer of many volunteer groups would I like to work in the bookstore as they needed help there. I agreed - they only require a minimum of one 3 hour shift a week - but I can work others or in the food bank warehouse if I want to. I had an orientation this morning. Duties will include: sort book donations into whether they are even saleable due to physical condition; sort by possible value for sale - someone else decides whether what we have put into this category should be and they price (and this group is kept separate from the rest); sort balance into fiction and non-fiction for both kids and adult books; sort further by type - i.e. SF, mystery, history, sports etc. and put these in the applicable bins; put on shelves if room - various people are responsible for certain types (sections) and they fill the shelves and move old stock to the reduced section; take cash from those who buy books; take phone queries regarding donations including giving the caller an alternate outlet for their donation if we don't need them i.e. things we don't sell like clothes. My first shift in next Wed. from 9:30 to 12:30. I don't have a section to shelve and look after yet but since I noticed that the hard-cover fiction is not in alpha order I asked that if I had time could I work on that and was told yes as the person who is in charge of that section has not been in much. I will let you know how this progresses and I do more things there. Current Mood: pleased (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
3:08 pm	Being a volunteer - part 1 I have posted before about retirement and trying to find a part-time job while Judith is still working. I have decided that in the mean-time, along with the e-Bay stuff I am doing, that it is now the time to start volunteering. We love the chance to hike along the Bruce Trail - and the Bruce Trail Association (BTA) is always looking for volunteers. The Bruce Trail is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. It covers 840 km of main trail and has 440 km of connecting trails. It is broken up into sections and the one we live in is the "Iroquoia Club". Through the Iroquoia web-site I contacted them and let them know that I would like to help in some way - especially with trail maintenance. Anyone who has walked the Bruce Trail or any "managed" recognized trail know how much, as hikers, we appreciate that the trail is safe and enjoyable - and most of these would not exist without members wanting to volunteer. I was finally able to connect with someone late Monday evening and met with a dedicated work party of 13 others to do trail maintenance Tuesday morning (they do a work party on Tues. and Thurs.). The supplies needed to do this work are either donated from outside the BTA or paid from the association itself. All labour is done by volunteers. Each work assignment, has been prioritized as to what needs to be covered. Our job on Tuesday was to cover a certain amount of trail to cut up trees that had fallen over the trail or cut down trees that are dead, or are beside the trail and may fall down at any time. I was the newest to the group (ages between 55-70). As I found out, there is a core group in the weekly work parties, of what they call "Trail Captains" who are appointed to ensure that for their assigned section, the safety of anyone - whether a BTA paid member or not, can safely enjoy the trail. Some of them have been doing this for 15 years. Some of them are "experts" in their previous work-life. Of the 14, I was 1 of 3 who was not a Trail Captain. We split went in different sections of the same trail from where we parked - this was mainly to cut up and remove trees that had fallen over the trail. We then moved to another section where we had the same type of trees but, also those dead trees still standing close to the trail, that could pose a danger. Even though the trails are walked weekly, there is always new trees, tree roots etc. that due to weather conditions, need attention. We took with us (other than our own needs): 2 chain saws and the gas and oil they need, hammers and shims to work with what the person sawing needs, 2 pry bars (about 7 ft. in length), 2 "peveys" (if you have ever seen a TV program where they show loggers rotating logs - that is a pevey), 2 rope/pulley systems. Whenever a tree was being cut, a member of the group would go a certain distance beyond each end of the cut - to ensure anyone coming along the trial would know what was going on. I was new to the group - I helped as much as I could. These are volunteers - when someone gets tired, someone else steps in. People as for advice. It was fun - I met another "tribe", I walked 8000 steps and I did something useful to ensure that the BTA can continue. For now, I told them that I will be there on Tuesday mornings. And after tomorrow I will be able to post, Part 2 Current Mood: satisfied (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 28th, 2007
12:20 am	Filk Hall of Fame The Jury has made their choices and the Inductees have been chosen. The Inductees have been phoned and the Jury has been told who will be inducted. I want to first thank all those who nominated and secondly the Jury for being part of this - without nominations and a Jury to be part of the selection process, the Filk Hall of Fame would not exist. Those attending the FKO banquet will learn who the Inductees are and the rest of the con membership after that, on the Saturday evening. I will post to here, after the con and the web-site will be updated with the names sometime after FKO. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007
5:59 pm	Filk Hall of Fame Nominations have closed for possible induction at FKO17. The nominating file has been sent to the members of the Jury. I want to thank all those who sent in a nomination this year. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007
6:55 pm	Filk Hall of Fame Just a reminder that nominations for the Filk Hall of Fame for induction at FKO17 close on Jan. 15. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007
10:26 pm	David Alway We have known David for a long time. My last memory of him was this past Sunday at GAFilk when he gave to me, for Interfilk, the proceeds for his sale of Filkhaven buttons. We had a big hug and a "see you at Confusion and FKO". To Peter and the family all I can say is hugs and to David we will all miss you. Current Mood: depressed (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006
5:57 pm	Filk Hall of Fame Just a reminder that nominations, for induction at FKO17, close on January 15. Thank you Allison for you post today regarding the DUH! Awards. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 9th, 2006
9:20 pm	Dinner with those I used to work with Last night I went to a "holiday season" dinner with my recently previous fellow workmates. It was great getting together with them. This group of people, that I worked with, for less than 2 years, gave to me the best 'work perk' of enjoying going to work for the "those who I work with" job satisfaction. The group was composed of a lot of us old folks, someone who had previously worked a long time for another company and had been laid off, before joining us and a group of new young employees. We did lunches together (including driving to a great spot to "walk" along Hamilton's harbor area), going for previous holiday season dinners, celebrating birthdays with a cake, including items that I, and others were able to eat - with dietary restrictions. We had "fun" working together - and other departments commented on such things as "they actually all went to dinner together". So, yes, I am glad that I was able to retire. But I really do miss those that I worked with. (Comment on this)
8:54 pm	Books by Jim Butcher At FilkContinental, at one of our many wonderful meals in the company of Teddy and Tom, we discussed (and this should come as no surprise) books and the authors we liked. When we talked about Tanya, it was suggested that we should try a series that Judith and I had not read. This was called "The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher. When we got back, I bought the first one in the series, titled "Storm Front" for her birthday. She has not yet had a chance to read it - so I started it late this week and stayed up way late last night to finish it (not my usual pattern in book reading). So thanks Teddy and Tom for your suggestion - now I need to get the 2nd in the series. (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 7th, 2006
8:06 pm	To read list I have just finished "Master of Life and Death" by Robert Silverberg. It was one that was picked up last year after FKO when Joey and I went to Kitchener. I have been a Silverberg fan since Judith first introduced me to SF - many, many years ago. I had never read it before, but enjoyed it very much. Have you read it? Do you like Silverberg? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 30th, 2006
8:36 pm	Culling stuff and e-Bay As you know, we have been trying to cull out of our home stuff we no longer need. We have given some books/movies to friends or Interfilk and used Freecycle a lot. We have a lot of things that we thought we should try to sell on e-Bay - which we have bought on, but never sold on. So I have been putting together stuff to sell and waited until the next "do it cheap" happened - which was last week. I actually sold our first item and have received payment via Paypal on it. We have a lot of things related to our SF and especially Star Trek fandom - like comics, Starlogs, TV Guides, other magazines, a few cards, a few "toys", etc. that we no longer want. We also have some old Atari 2600 games and some Encyclopaedia Britannica Year Books and the Science and the Future Year Books and Medical and Future Year Books. It was actually an old (used) Star Trek calendar that I sold. So if you have thought about trying e-Bay - do it!!! Current Mood: happy (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 18th, 2006
9:20 pm	Books to read pile and I wish I had read sooner I am posing two questions. First - do you have a "to read" pile and what form does it take and what books are in it - naming the max of 6 (split between fiction and non-fiction) Second - have you read, in the "Critical Lives" series (Alpha) J.R.R. Tolkein by Michael White (published in 2002). And what did you think of it? ( comment or read on ) Current Music: Willie howling (21 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 31st, 2006
12:05 pm	I am starting to put together the e-mail list for FilKONtario's PR to be sent as a .pdf at the end of the year. If you received one last year, you are still on the list - if you did not and want one - please send an e-mail to me at dhayman@mountaincable.net (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, October 28th, 2006
7:39 pm	FKO PR list and Hall of Fame nominations I know it is only the end of October - but this is just a reminder that we will be sending out the FKO17 PR at the end of the year and that nominations for the Filk Hall of Fame inductions at FKO17 close on Jan. 15. So - if you want to ensure you get the PR or if you want to make a nomination, please send to me at dhayman@mountaincable.net (Comment on this)
7:22 pm	Support for Whither Go and FKO - nMC I want to thank those who were at OVFF who purchased Judith's new CD "Whither Go" either directly or through the dealer's room. And a second thankyou for buying t-shirts to support our fundraising for bringing nMC to FilKONtario in 2007. And then there were those who donated and bid on items for FKO bringing nMC at the Interfilk auction. Wow to all above. We will be attending GAFilk - so if you want a t-shirt let me know, so we can bring some for you. We will also have the newish nMC buttons. And I will be bringing more "Whither Go" for the dealer's who have asked us. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 11th, 2006
8:49 pm	Monday and Tuesday Both days I caught some of the tour. Looking forward to the mountain stages starting tomorrow. Yesterday was spent mainly getting ready to paint Richard's old bedroom (for those who have been here, the smallest of the bedrooms). This involved moving a lot of stuff. Last night (as Judith had already posted) I had my 2nd sleep study with the CPAP machine. Not a good night - could not settle down to sleep (I remember seeing 1:30 am on my watch - and then being woke up around 3:00 as the CPAP was working but not showing on the computer - many techs (3) off and on to finally decide to replace the CPAP with another one. And of course I was awakened at 5:45 am. I finished getting ready for painting tomorrow (ceiling) including filling in all the holes in the wall from shelves as I felt I should sand, vacuum and then paint. And late this afternoon I set up an RRSP for the 2nd part of my severance (I had to go to a specific financial management company. Hopefully I will sleep tonight. Current Mood: optimistic Current Music: BAB5, year 3, 2nd to last episode (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 6th, 2006
8:40 pm	Another day Judith is teaching a pre-natal class as I write this - so this means that she was home for the morning. As you know, we have doing a lot around the house and spent time this morning going through papers to get rid of and books to cull. Of course we were watching the "Tour". We took down a not used shelf in the Kitchen/computer area and brought down a bookshelf from Richard's old bedroom, that I had emptied the other day (it had fiction overflow/books not read yet and beading books on it). This means that we now have a good size bookcase to use in an area that needs it. We want to do a different thing with Richard's old room - including taking the on the wall bookshelves down and replacing them with more. This of course meant moving the many books first. So I spent a lot of the afternoon getting boxes and filling them, first noting what was in them (non-fiction, but tried to keep each classification separate). 18 boxes later, I was finished. So I did some vacuuming, and dishes, watered the plants and garden and of course played with Willie. Tonight I have been on-line looking at resumes and getting information about what jobs might be out there - including Non-Profit organizations. Tomorrow I do the actual pension sign-up. Current Mood: determined Current Music: PA sounds as I watch the Tiger-cats play football (Comment on this)
8:17 pm	Mill Race Folk Festival We received in the mail yesterday the line-up for the Mill Race Folk Festival in Camebridge - about 40 minutes from here. It is a free festival, that we, and many others in our filk community attend. The venue is great. 3 main stages and a couple of others, plus some craft and food vendors. The main act this year is Archie Fisher. We saw him (with Garnet Rogers) a couple of years ago, after FKO and with Dave Clement. If the name sounds familiar he is the one who wrote, amomg other things "Witch of the Westmorland". There are a lot of other acts - and they always birng in a good selection of musicians. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
7:43 pm	Day 2 My goal is to keep busy and doing things around the house and working on getting a resume ready. After Jude left for work, I started moving furniture in the Living and Dining rooms to finally finish painting the base boards and patio door frame. Had the "Tour" on (and is taping so we can both watch it detail tonight). As Judith has posted, we have been using Freecycle to get rid of some of the things we have and send them to a new home. Judith saw a post where someone wanted a small bed - and as we were going to post Jenn's old day bed on Freecyle soon, Judith contacted the person last night and she replied that she wanted it. So after cleaning up from painting and having some lunch, I dismantled the bed. I took downstairs the pieces I could easily do - not wanting to hurt myself or scratch our newly painted walls. I ran a quick errand and got back in time to watch the soccer game - and worked on my resume. The game ended just after Judith got home. And of course Willie was let in and out many times and got lots of play time and scritches. Oh, I am still not sleeping very well. Current Mood: content (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 4th, 2006
7:51 pm	Retirement In my thoughts, today was my first day of retirement. My last day worked was Thursday (as Friday was a STAT holiday. Since Judith took off Monday - it seems natural that today was my first. Other than when I stayed home because I was sick, I can't remember when I did not go to work when Judith did. And I am talking many years. When working, I got up first and Judith later. I also left before she did. I actually stayed in bed until Judith was finished in the shower. It was very strange to know that she was going to work and I was not. Before she left, I went up to have my shower and get dressed. I am really glad that the Tour de France. I had breakfast and started the laundry. So while I watched it, I went on line to look at some sites for possible employment. I registered and received confirmation. I HAVE NEVER in my employment life needed a resume. Since I need one, I spent time going over the nearly 34 years at Stelco, putting down in a file, where I worked when. From this I will add what I did and then use this a part of my "job history". After the "Tour" was over, I left to run some errands - to a bead shop for Judith, to a computer shop to take Judith's laptop in, as it is not feeling well, to the place where we bought our dining room light fixture - the bowl of which cracked and broke last night. I then went to have my hair cut - I have had the same barber since we moved back up to Hamilton "mountain" in 1974. He is Italian, and it was funny as he said Italy would win 2-0 in the World Cup. I came back home, had lunch and spent time with Willie. Then I went out the back to sweep the leaves from our tree (which is having a real bad summer). I put on the soccer, went upstairs and boxed some books from the bookcase in Richard's old room as we want this somewhere else. As I watched the soccer, I went through my file of my job reviews to get details of what I did, and what I responsible for - this will be added to the file I started this morning. I continued to watch Germany vs. Italy after Judith came home. It was VERY STRANGE not being at "WORK" today. I am still not sleeping much. Time will help. (4 Comments |Comment on this)