I’ve been thinking . . .
Making 15 trips back-and-forth from Abbotsford to the Shuswap every summer really cuts into one’s time for writing.
But not for thinking.
(For those of you who don’t know, I have a houseboat that gets rented out once or twice a week from its base in Sicamous, and I have to be there to orientate each departing group. So, I’m in Sicamous virtually every Monday and Friday throughout the summer season.)
What have I been thinking about? Well, lots of things, some of them things that could make life simpler or business more efficient, plus many other random thoughts.
Some of you will, I’m sure, disagree with some of these; others will, likely identify with those same ones.
So, in no particular order:
1. There should be personal drones that would carry me back and forth between Abby and Sicamous. Pre-program them to fly the route, and let me nap, or read, take photos or write blog posts along the way.
2. Why is there such a demand for housing right now? I thought covid19 was supposed to be slowing the economy. I guess that doesn’t apply to housing, or rent 2 own, for that matter.
3. There is no requirement that a text message must be answered within 2 minutes—or 30 minutes—or 2 hours! And if you want me to reply to a text message that takes more than 20 or 30 words, supply me an email address, and wait until I’m back on my laptop.
4. It should not be legal to do business transactions with photos. Scan and send a pdf (via email, not text message).
5. I’m not sure about the best invention ever, but I think it might have been the wheel. I am certain, though, about the worst one ever—and (before you start screaming at me for this one, which I’m sure many of you will), my son, who’s 27 years younger than me, agrees: it’s Facebook.
6. E-transfers might be a close second to the wheel.
7. If you don’t leave me a voicemail message, then clearly your call is not worth me responding to. I won’t call a number just because I saw that someone had called me. Same goes the other way: if I don’t leave a VM message, I don’t expect you to return my call, either.
8. Will the Americans ever earn back the respect of Canadians—and Europeans—and, indeed most of the world after the mess they’ve made with this pandemic (and other things over the last few years), or has their ship sailed for good?
9. It’s kind of fun writing this blog post from a picnic table under the tall cedars around me.
10. The old Highway 5A between Kamloops and Merritt has to be one of the most beautiful drives in all of BC, especially in the direction from Kamloops to Merritt.
11. Would someone please invent a covid mask that doesn’t muffle speech so badly?
12. Will a Canadian team finally win a Stanley Cup? I think the odds of the Raptors repeating as NBA champs are higher.
13. How many scandals can Justin Trudeau survive? How many cabinet positions are still left for Chrystia Freeland to try? Surely, she’s got enough experience by now to replace her scandal-prone boss.
14. There must be someone out there who would enjoy running a thriving houseboat rental business, who either wouldn’t mind 15 trips up a season, or lives much closer to the Houseboat Capital of Canada, or would be able to stay in the Shuswap for the season.
