Today, we went out to eat. This is not a rare occurrence, but this one is one worth noting.
We went to a little seafood restaurant called Comeau's. They have the best seafood. It is small, intimate, yet very casual. The food is amazing. Due to the distance we have to travel to get there, we only go very rarely, but it is well worth the trip. There always people coming as it is quite popular and we are not the only people who travel to get there. The prices are reasonable as well.
I ordered the fish and chips, Breanna ordered her favourite Poutine (French Fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy, definitely an artery clogger, but it does taste great) and Marshall ordered the clams. We were having some laughs and then our supper arrived. We still chat but not as much as when you are waiting for the food...Kinda hard to talk when you are trying to eat... that is while maintaining some proper meal etiquette.
I noticed in the table kitty corner to ours, a small family, a man, woman and two children one appeared to be Breanna's age but was a boy and then an adorable little girl (toddler) in a high chair. They had placed their order. Usually I don't overhear other peoples conversations, but in a small restaurant like this one, it can't be avoided. The entire family ordered the fish and chips and the mother ordered macaroni and cheese for the little one. I overheard the mother order a side of gravy...I am assuming for her french fries...Everyone eats fries and gravy it seems. Anyway, as time went on their order came to the table. I overheard the woman say to her husband that is her gravy on his plate. (It was placed in a small cup on the side of his plate). He yelled back at her that it was not hers, and told her that she did not order the gravy. I was upset as I know she had....I overheard it and I wanted to say something...but it is not my place and well why make a scene and embarrass my family defending her.....Though I really wanted to as I knew she was being accused of not ordering something she did.
Enough of what I thought, here is what transpired. She vehemently exclaimed that she did order gravy as she requested it to be placed on her fries and the waitress advised it is served in a small cup. Her husband/boyfriend/ignoramus told her she did not order gravy that it was the last time they were there that she did and she is mistaken...with that the son piped up and told his mother that she is crazy and she did not order gravy. The woman sat with a look on her face part embarrassment and part shame/sadness. Two people were telling her she was wrong....I was getting ready to step over there (a big two steps away) and defend this poor woman. All of a sudden in a stern yet not very loud voice she told them the following " I am not crazy, do not try and tell me what I know to be true, don't try and make me out to be insane." WOW....Not really what I was expecting, but I felt very proud for standing her ground. With that statement her husband pushed his food away and told her to stop her behaviour or he was leaving. She told him to leave... she was not going to have someone accuse her of not saying something she knew she had said. Her son kept up telling her she was wrong, repeatedly. The husband gave her the gravy cup and told her that "she can have it anyway". This woman ate her meal in tears in this restaurant. I so badly wanted to tell her I heard her...but then I thought, maybe I shouldn't get involved.
You see her husband was a large man, and he appeared quite angry (male PMS or something), her son appeared to have a little chip on his shoulder. If I spoke up, perhaps this woman would be made to feel worse....and I could clearly see she was already in a great deal of emotional pain. I said a silent prayer for her at the table. Just then the waitress came up and asked if everything were ok with the meal, the lady looked up and asked the lady if she could remember who ordered the gravy, as she has issues with her memory slipping...(I personally suffer from short term memory loss...so I know all about memory slippage, I could relate, LOL). The waitress looked at her order pad and stated "Yes, you ordered the gravy because you asked if you could have the gravy on the fries and I told you it came in a cup." She said "Dear, did you not want the gravy, I won't charge you for it if you didn't want it." The lady said "I thought so." Smiled and then added the gravy to her french fries.
For the rest of our dinner until the check was paid, no one uttered a word at that table...Not even one word of apology...All I could think of was that poor woman...made to feel bad...and then when she was vindicated no one spoke up to apologize.
I felt two things at that point. I felt both very sorry for that woman, but pleased that she spoke up. I know my prayer was answered to have a waitress with such a great memory vindicate this poor woman. I felt her pain as a similar occurrence happened to me many years ago. I know the shame, and embarrassment. I know that sting of pain when people make you feel small and insignificant as to attempt to humiliate you publicly.
I hope for her sake this was an isolated incident. If not, I hope she keeps that strength and determination that caused her to find out the truth. She was not crazy, far from it, although, I have my doubts about her husband and son....I hope the little one has more respect for her mother as she gets older.
Never a dull moment.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck...?
Wood. Our main source of heat for the Winter. Yes, I do have alternate sources for heat, Kerosene heater, Electric baseboards, but my wood stove, OH, how I love my WOOD STOVE!!! Last Winter, we were caught somewhat unprepared. Our wood was cut and split, but not seasoned. Seasoned for anyone not familiar with this rustic ritual of wood stove heating, is when the wood has time to age and dry up. The perfect fire is attained by having perfectly seasoned wood. We were late obtaining our wood last Winter. So it takes forever to burn and get to a decent heating temperature, not to mention the added chance of creosote buildup in the chimney that can lead to chimney fires, and worse.
We get permits from the Ranger stations and therefore are allowed to go on Crown Land and take dead and/or dying trees, as well as trees that have already fallen. This wood is plentiful in the Crown Land that is used for clear cutting. The companies that clear cut are mainly interested in the softwood, i.e. (Conifers) Spruce, Pine, Cedar. What we use for a longer burn is hardwood, i.e. Maple, Birch, Oak, etc. Clear cutters cut the hardwood to get to the softwood, but leave the hardwood where they land. This is where people like us come in, we obtain this wood, that is no longer living and we use it for fuel wood. We truck it home saw it in chunks and split is so it fits in our little (but yet packs quite the heat) Wood stove.
I understand that Wood stoves do generate some pollutants into the air, then again so does the coal powered generating station outside of Saint John. I am not sure where my power for my house is obtained, either from the Nuclear Plant near my house, the Coal Generated, or the Hydro-electric facility in Saint John. I do believe it is a shame and a waste to cut down a perfectly good hardwood tree to obtain only softwood. The Rangers agree with this as well, as the removal of fallen trees allow for new growth to emerge from the soil the fallen trees had covered.
This brings me to another love, my love for the forest and the natural beauty within it. I love driving the trails that were cleared by loggers, I take pictures of what I find so beautiful in this world. We are cautious to not go outside the path already created, so not to disturb any flora or fauna.
As we obtained this years permit, we sought out the woodlots that our permit cover, so we can get some wood. Since the leaves have not yet come in we were able to see a sight that we have missed before. Without the hindrances of leaves and grass, etc, we were able to get a good clear picture of the destruction that lies after clear cutters have taken from the land. Don't get me wrong, I am not a true 'tree hugger' but there was a definite sadness to the barren woods. All that could be seen were stumps and countless white birch that was fallen in order for a 'skidder' (the machinery that tramples through the woods cutting everything in its wake) to get the much desired softwood.
There is no speed limit in the woods, we prefer about 5 Km/hr. Why race through such beauty and/or sadness, depending on what area you travel? Not only do we get an amazing sight to see (negative or positive), but also we can reflect on nature in all it's glory. We also have time to discuss issues that come about and most recently it was waste. Wood waste. Everyone talks about plastic bags, ok, so they don't compost and take forever to degrade, and all the needless packaging filling up our landfills, etc. But yet, wood can be mulched, not often enough do you see these people do this. Not everyone has access to a mulching machine. I know I don't.
There are bins for plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. Nothing for garbage wood. Wood will degrade in time, sure, and it will fill up our landfills just as much as any other substance. In the future, it will probably be the one of the few things in a landfill that was able to degrade.
While going around to various establishments, Marshall and I noted all the pallets that are sitting in or near dumpsters, and/or fields behind these shops. I did some research and there are pallet recyclers around, but not here. Not enough business in this neck of the woods. We decided to talk to some of these businesses about their intentions with the pallets. Most do not recycle, not cost effective enough to do so, there is no establishment here that recycles them. When asked what they do with the old pallets they stated "we dump them", they put them in the dumpsters and then once full are taken to the landfill with the rest of the commercial waste.
BRAIN STORM. We need wood, pallets are made of untreated wood, mostly hardwood. We decided to ask about obtaining these pallets, and they told us we would be doing them a favour taking them away, as it would lower their dump fees, etc. "GOOD ENOUGH!" Some places were able to keep some as some smaller establishments recycle only their own pallets and the rest are scrap. They are in perfect shape...well, that is for as perfect as a pallet could be.
We figure, well, as best as I can hope, that we would be doing a service to recycle these pallets into fuel wood. We need wood and this wood is going to waste literally. So for the past week and a half, Marshall has been going around to these various establishment asking about the pallets that are left behind and forgotten. Some have even been left in fields not even good enough to burn, but yet still intact and taking up space.
In a week and a half, he was able to collect over 180 pallets, with many more places to go, but we have run out of room in our front yard. Even my father-in-law's yard is full. Marshall decides to be a 'squirrel' and collect his 'nuts' for the Winter coming assuring me that he will not be caught off guard this Winter. Marshall, his dad, his nephew, Breanna and I have all taken to task the dismantling of these pallets. Once they are disassembled they are cut to fit our wood stove. I have included pictures of our wood pile.
I do not condone anyone reading this and/or stealing pallets from establishments. We spoke with the establishments for the gathering of these pallets. We respect their decisions if they state they keep them or recycle them; although it was almost disturbing the amount of places that state they 'dump them'.
I wanted to share my experience, in some very small way, of helping the recycling movement. I know it will be turned into pollutants, but the way I see it, is if I am not using electricity that is generated in a coal generated power plant, then wood combustion is far less harmful to the environment than coal combustion.
So, there is my reasoning. Ok...and I am cheap....it costs $200 plus delivery (up to $80) for one cord of wood. It costs a tank of gas at most to collect and transfer all those pallets to my house (They equal two cord of wood). It takes time to disassemble and saw the wood, but we need the exercise anyway. My power bill running off just electricity costs $300 in the dead of Winter. So, yeah, wherever I can cut a corner to save a few pennies, I do so.
I am at work today, It is Memorial Day in the US. Even though we are a global company, a good majority of our clients are in North America, so it is quite slow today. To all my American readers: I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day. Today I not only thought of wood, but of my cousin Steve who is the in the US Army. He is a medic and overseas in Iraq. I think not only of those who have lost their lives, also of those still fighting for ours. God Bless!!!!
We get permits from the Ranger stations and therefore are allowed to go on Crown Land and take dead and/or dying trees, as well as trees that have already fallen. This wood is plentiful in the Crown Land that is used for clear cutting. The companies that clear cut are mainly interested in the softwood, i.e. (Conifers) Spruce, Pine, Cedar. What we use for a longer burn is hardwood, i.e. Maple, Birch, Oak, etc. Clear cutters cut the hardwood to get to the softwood, but leave the hardwood where they land. This is where people like us come in, we obtain this wood, that is no longer living and we use it for fuel wood. We truck it home saw it in chunks and split is so it fits in our little (but yet packs quite the heat) Wood stove.
I understand that Wood stoves do generate some pollutants into the air, then again so does the coal powered generating station outside of Saint John. I am not sure where my power for my house is obtained, either from the Nuclear Plant near my house, the Coal Generated, or the Hydro-electric facility in Saint John. I do believe it is a shame and a waste to cut down a perfectly good hardwood tree to obtain only softwood. The Rangers agree with this as well, as the removal of fallen trees allow for new growth to emerge from the soil the fallen trees had covered.
This brings me to another love, my love for the forest and the natural beauty within it. I love driving the trails that were cleared by loggers, I take pictures of what I find so beautiful in this world. We are cautious to not go outside the path already created, so not to disturb any flora or fauna.
As we obtained this years permit, we sought out the woodlots that our permit cover, so we can get some wood. Since the leaves have not yet come in we were able to see a sight that we have missed before. Without the hindrances of leaves and grass, etc, we were able to get a good clear picture of the destruction that lies after clear cutters have taken from the land. Don't get me wrong, I am not a true 'tree hugger' but there was a definite sadness to the barren woods. All that could be seen were stumps and countless white birch that was fallen in order for a 'skidder' (the machinery that tramples through the woods cutting everything in its wake) to get the much desired softwood.
There is no speed limit in the woods, we prefer about 5 Km/hr. Why race through such beauty and/or sadness, depending on what area you travel? Not only do we get an amazing sight to see (negative or positive), but also we can reflect on nature in all it's glory. We also have time to discuss issues that come about and most recently it was waste. Wood waste. Everyone talks about plastic bags, ok, so they don't compost and take forever to degrade, and all the needless packaging filling up our landfills, etc. But yet, wood can be mulched, not often enough do you see these people do this. Not everyone has access to a mulching machine. I know I don't.
There are bins for plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. Nothing for garbage wood. Wood will degrade in time, sure, and it will fill up our landfills just as much as any other substance. In the future, it will probably be the one of the few things in a landfill that was able to degrade.
While going around to various establishments, Marshall and I noted all the pallets that are sitting in or near dumpsters, and/or fields behind these shops. I did some research and there are pallet recyclers around, but not here. Not enough business in this neck of the woods. We decided to talk to some of these businesses about their intentions with the pallets. Most do not recycle, not cost effective enough to do so, there is no establishment here that recycles them. When asked what they do with the old pallets they stated "we dump them", they put them in the dumpsters and then once full are taken to the landfill with the rest of the commercial waste.
BRAIN STORM. We need wood, pallets are made of untreated wood, mostly hardwood. We decided to ask about obtaining these pallets, and they told us we would be doing them a favour taking them away, as it would lower their dump fees, etc. "GOOD ENOUGH!" Some places were able to keep some as some smaller establishments recycle only their own pallets and the rest are scrap. They are in perfect shape...well, that is for as perfect as a pallet could be.
We figure, well, as best as I can hope, that we would be doing a service to recycle these pallets into fuel wood. We need wood and this wood is going to waste literally. So for the past week and a half, Marshall has been going around to these various establishment asking about the pallets that are left behind and forgotten. Some have even been left in fields not even good enough to burn, but yet still intact and taking up space.
In a week and a half, he was able to collect over 180 pallets, with many more places to go, but we have run out of room in our front yard. Even my father-in-law's yard is full. Marshall decides to be a 'squirrel' and collect his 'nuts' for the Winter coming assuring me that he will not be caught off guard this Winter. Marshall, his dad, his nephew, Breanna and I have all taken to task the dismantling of these pallets. Once they are disassembled they are cut to fit our wood stove. I have included pictures of our wood pile.
I do not condone anyone reading this and/or stealing pallets from establishments. We spoke with the establishments for the gathering of these pallets. We respect their decisions if they state they keep them or recycle them; although it was almost disturbing the amount of places that state they 'dump them'.
I wanted to share my experience, in some very small way, of helping the recycling movement. I know it will be turned into pollutants, but the way I see it, is if I am not using electricity that is generated in a coal generated power plant, then wood combustion is far less harmful to the environment than coal combustion.
So, there is my reasoning. Ok...and I am cheap....it costs $200 plus delivery (up to $80) for one cord of wood. It costs a tank of gas at most to collect and transfer all those pallets to my house (They equal two cord of wood). It takes time to disassemble and saw the wood, but we need the exercise anyway. My power bill running off just electricity costs $300 in the dead of Winter. So, yeah, wherever I can cut a corner to save a few pennies, I do so.
I am at work today, It is Memorial Day in the US. Even though we are a global company, a good majority of our clients are in North America, so it is quite slow today. To all my American readers: I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day. Today I not only thought of wood, but of my cousin Steve who is the in the US Army. He is a medic and overseas in Iraq. I think not only of those who have lost their lives, also of those still fighting for ours. God Bless!!!!
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