Let Me Show You the Waze

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Dale | 100 Comments

I was watching Chicago Med the other day (what can I say? I enjoy the three Chicagos, Med, PD and especially Fire). Anyway, Dr. Crockett Marcel uses this AI O.R. 2.0. It is a very advanced way of doing surgery. The 2.0 is programmed to let you know when you can or cannot do something, give you best options, or even let you know if you are too tired to operate. They had this very weird scenario where, to save a hand until it can be reconnected (due to infection), they do what is called ectopic banking, which is basically to plant an amputated member onto another part of the body (in this case, the hand to the leg) to keep it properly perfused and prevent the member from dying until it can be reattached. The 2.0 has no record of how to do this but it can keep tabs on the perfusion.

After they successfully do this operation (of course), Crockett then chooses to use a regular OR for some other procedure. When asked why? He responds: “Do you ever go anywhere without using your GPS?” The person responds, “No, why should I? It’s there, might as well use it.” His answer to that is: “Well, I have the need to make sure I can still find my way without this type of technology.”

This brought me to a discussion with B about the very same thing. How once upon a time, I would have just looked up the road to take (or asked directions) and taken it. I could possibly hit construction detours, but hey, I would have figured it out in the end. Now? I use the damn thing to go to places I know off by heart! Why? Simply to see if there is traffic to avoid. It’s a good justification, right? Maybe…

Besides the traffic pitfalls to avoid (or the least painful ones), Waze (I choose over Google Maps) gives me some interesting routes. It rarely screws up, either.

I have used it almost every day since Monday, visiting my daughter at the clinic where she is recuperating from elective surgery. What you might not be able to see on the image at left is that where she is, is at the very top part of the island of Montreal. You see I have to cross one bridge, drive across and through to the other side. So far to the “top” that it is right beside one of the many bridges to cross over into the Island of Laval. There are a few options to cross but all depend on which way the traffic stalls. Ugh.

What does not help is visiting hours at the centre are from 2 pm to 8 pm. I figure most of her friends would only be able to visit after work so I leave the evenings for them (we can only visit one at a time, anyway).

Wednesday, I took pity on her and brought her a good pillow. I figured I’d get there for 2 and leave by 3:30, latest, getting just the beginning of traffic. HAH! Jokes on me.

Well now, while the drive took me almost an hour, it was a surprising and rather enjoyable one. Instead of sending me over to the Champlain bridge, or to the tunnel (which I avoid like the plague since they are redoing the damn thing), it took me to the Jacques-Cartier bridge. Hmmm. This meant going through boroughs and along streets I was not expecting (nor familiar with, at least not this far north).

It took everything in my power NOT to pull over and take a bunch of pictures. Though I will admit to taking quick pics at stop signs and stop lights… ahem.

I am determined, now, to take a day (I would have today but with yesterday’s snowfall? The street, and especially parking, will be hell.

See that slushy mess? And the ploughs pass when they do and you get snowed in. It’s gross and unpleasant. I shall see what the deal is shortly!

Now I just have to remember where I saw the following mural – taken through my dirty window while at a red light (I’m not that foolish!)

Maybe GPS is not so bad after all, eh?

For Our Lovely Sorceress, Resa

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Dale | 77 Comments

Little birdies know this that month is the one when our Sensational Sorceress of Silk, our Goddess of the Graffiti, our friend and fellow blogger was brought into the world. The exact date remains unknown so our little group made up of Gigi, from Rethinking Life, Beth from I didn’t have my glasses on…, Holly, from House of Heart and me decided that we would celebrate our friend today. Mid-month should keep us safe, right?

Resa brings nothing but joy to us all through her blogs Graffiti, Lux Art and More, as well as her impossibly beautiful gowns at Art Gowns. She has made us all gorgeous as her AGM models and created wondrous stories to go with her wonderful drawings.

She adds sparkle to the world and I could not think of any better image to represent her than fireworks!

My dear Sorceress, from me all of us, we wish you a most wonderful and happy birthday! (Not your AGMs, but hey, this is my bouquet to you!)

Lotsa love,

Thunder

xoxoxo💞💞💞💞💞xoxoxo

Tunnel Gift

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Dale | 127 Comments

I haven’t written anything since the FF two Wednesdays ago. I dunno what’s up… I was looking at my blog and found that I had twenty-one (yes, 21!) drafts! Seriously? I do this to myself like all. the. time. I start something, get side-tracked, go back, don’t feel it, put it aside and next thing I know the story is too old. I decided I’d do a clean-up but not before getting my steps in, which, being a non-running day, can prove difficult.

For those who don’t know it, I have challenged myself to do 10,000K steps per day for a whole year. 82 days left to completion! (And I cannot wait for that day to arrive without making time go any faster, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

I finally convinced myself that I could sacrifice an hour of my time (on a beautiful day, no less) to “git ‘er done”. I made the decision to walk towards a park that I thought was not too far. Right. Wasn’t too far by bicycle! No matter. I wanted a new path today because no matter how much joy I find in taking the same path over and over again and discovering something new, today was not that day.

I walk past the golf course and know that soon, I will be off this loud and noisy and dirty boulevard.

I see there is graffiti in the tunnel and decide to go take a closer look-see. This is where part of this post turned into an hommage to Resa’s Graffiti Lux Art & More blog. What a find! It started off with a quote that translates to mean: “Yesterdays follow me and ressemble me less and less”.

A lovely and colourful ’50’s style scene unfolds. The first frame feels like it doesn’t belong and was created by a totally different person. Or actually, like a commercial before the main event.

First one side:

And, then, the other side:

Truly amazing work. It took me three tries to film this without interruption from cyclists and golf cart drivers. It finally worked when I went backwards. Apologies for the movement. It’s hard to walk and hold a phone!

Time to keep moving as my destination was still a ways away. I went another block or so and turned onto a street, getting away from the boulevard. At the end of the street, I looked left and ta-dah! I could see the park. Two blocks away. Finally. I couldn’t find an entrance so I cut in, knowing I would eventually catch up with one of the many trails within. I chose one that is used for mountain bikes in summer and snowshoes in the winter (note to self: definitely must come back with snowshoes this winter). I had lost interest in exploring this park more fully (Michel-Chartrand) knowing I had a good trek back. I shall definitely return but will take my car to get there and give myself that two hours completely in the park instead of wasting most of it on a sidewalk.

FYI, I totally busted my goal, getting over 13K steps. Woot!

Redecorating – Crimson’s Creative Challenge #71

A little light-hearted take on Crispina’s excellent challenge. I played a bit by putting my picture first coz, well, I can and I felt it needed to be 😉 Plus, Crispina is so very generous and open-minded about these things…

Stay safe out there!

Redecorating

Querido, I was thinking of redecorating. This place needs a good paint job to go with this upgrade of yours, don’t you think? I mean, it’s great that you have built this wonderful porch with a roof so we can sit outside protected from both sun and rain. The colours are just so drab and the rust is coming through. It’s ugly.

What are you planning, Corazón? Any particular colour scheme in mind?

The other day I was taking a walk on the beach, I saw this little shed-like thing. That’s what I want!

Uhhh…. Seriously? A little garish, no?

The Walls Have It!

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Dale | 80 Comments

Yesterday I “regaled” you with my evening at the Montreal Symphony House on Tuesday and promised you another post on all the wonderful graffiti/wall art I encountered on my walkabout before the show.

Today is the day, folks! Now, I mentioned I had to let my inner Resa out because she is the Queen of Graffiti finds. Just check out her site right here. The only bummer was that I was not prepared for such a ‘happening’, so to speak, so I had no camera, just my phone – which, it turned out, was not so bad after all.

I mentioned that I had spotted one mural yesterday that I had to go back to see once I parked my car, and on my way east along Ste-Catherine Street – I did say we can walk right in the middle of the street in this part of the island and they have removed the asphalt and replace with lovely, bricks? or tiles? Whatever…

Ste-Catherine Street

Bright colour caught my eye on my right and I felt compelled to go investigate. It is a street but feels more like an alleyway – plus, as you can see, this one is a certain kind of colourful 😉

As you can see the sun (yay! the sun!!) was shining in such a way that it was difficult to capture properly. I kinda wish I had taken a few more but, one must be reasonable…

Stepping back onto Ste-Catherine Street, I realised I was right in front of Foufounes Électriques – or as we like to call it, Les Foufs (translation: Electric Buns (or Butt, or Tush or… you get it…). It’s a three-story bar/show venue. The times I’ve gone there, the show going on upstairs was lots of noise being enjoyed by peeps in all manners of tatts and piercings and hair of every imaginary colour. Not trying to say I’m too old for the joint… but maybe I’ll just stay downstairs at the bar. Or in the courtyard. I dunno know why I just took just a shot of the entrance to the courtyard and not more of it. How I roll. Don’t think, just do. Ah well. An excuse to go back, right?

I walk past Les Foufs and turn into the alleyway/street just east of the building, figuring I was getting closer to the aforementioned mural I wanted to capture.

Whoa. Along Les Foufs east wall, I found this:

Trying to get it all

Close-up of left

Under

Pressure

I turned around and the other building had this:

Trying to get it all

Right

I keep walking and get to the back wall of Les Foufs… Jeez Louise…

Trying to get it all

Creator?

What does this say?

And then, on the wall to the right, was this.

Is that a bright little neck of the woods, or what?

So, I end up at yesterday’s mural, take a few pics of which I shared that one yesterday and keep on walking. Well. Guess what? There was more!

Rub the lamp?

Cease Fire

A closer view

Feeling properly satisfied with my discoveries, I continue to make my way back and discover this bedazzled by mosaic balcony… who does that?

Shake my head, grinning, turn the corner. And.

Floating

Love the jellyfish

Wow. Can you believe all that art in less than one square mile?

I was practically skipping my way back to Ste-Catherine Street to find me some grub.

Our Hydro-Quebec is one of the sponsors of the “Quartier des Spectacles” (Entertainment or Performance Quarter) and has these whimsical statues, if you will, placed here and there. How fun (never mind just how much it costs me per month in hydro bills…)