An excellent day of work yesterday completing all of the K's and starting L's today. A total of 42 matches have been put into my holding file in particular because they do not increase my knowledge on particular chromosomes.
I also did some work on the yard and the huge maple tree at the back (my husband and eldest daughter planted that tree when she was eight years of age so it is now 43 years old). A huge branch came off that I managed to break down a little with the axe so that it can go out to the street. A lot of branches down but that is usual after the long winter. There are still a lot up there!
Eggs, toast, boiled frozen peas and a part of a tomato for dinner last night. It was my usual egg night and I do love them hard boiled. Boiled two extra to have as egg salad for a couple of days. Although I would never have admitted it as a child peanut butter every day can perhaps get a bit boring (although I suspect it is a cheap lunch). I do love peanut butter though but a change is also good probably. I especially like it with a banana. My food hasn't gone up particularly lately. In general I spend about $150 every three weeks and then every week other than that I spend about $25 to $30. I eat well but I do not buy extras like alcohol or baked goods or packaged items. It is mostly fresh (stored) vegetables, fresh fruit and meat is a big portion but $35 in chicken thighs last three weeks as I freeze two portions and a piece of salmon does me two dinners and then there is eggs and my meat is complete for the week. I do not eat red meat normally. But I am not a foodie for sure; I like food simple and recognizable. I seldom buy processed food except crackers since I gave up my American cookies. I buy frozen vegetables (Canadian) and my only real American item is my cranberry juice which I am looking to replace with a Canadian substitute but I tend to buy it ahead and I am just using up the last ones these days. So it would look like I spend $200 every three weeks and in a year that would be $3500. Since my taxes are much higher than that I do not see it as a really big price. I am a thin person though and perhaps I eat less than other people. I have eaten in restaurants enough to last me a lifetime mostly but I do go out with my family on occasion. Edward loved to eat in restaurants although he got so he really liked cooking which was nice as I get tired of restaurants quickly. I am probably not really very good for the economy as I am not a shopper but will make an effort to always buy Canadian until we are re-established with our businesses that got bought up during NAFTA and inter-provincial trade is more the rule than cross border trading. Although I suspect we will still have some cross border trading. That is really up to our good friends and neighbours to the south. I think most Canadians are really missing American food and other items especially in the winter.
I do know though that if the American brand cars are not made in Canada that are sold here we probably will buy otherwise since we have many car manufacturers from other countries producing cars here in Canada employing Canadians and Canadian material (we bought a Toyota during the last trade debacle over car manufacture in Canada by American companies (withdrawal is not an option if you want to sell cars here)). The American companies could split and incorporate here and become Canadian companies and alter their way of doing business but it would be the pits for them and likely costly (but either way they stand to lose money - tariffs can be painful to business). The loss of a market of 41 million people would likely hurt the bottom line of American companies (for a small country we buy a lot of cars as it is a rite of passage for young people here to get their driver's license and buy a car at 16 and the laneways show that as they tend to stay home longer here) plus we are a rapidly growing country so could actually see 100 million by 2050 as mentioned. Since we plan to put a lot of industry into growing the economy once the election is completed that also grows the population.
Just three more days of campaigning here and the polls are interesting. I would like to see a majority government just slightly more than is needed (perhaps in the low to mid 170s would be nice). I would like the opposition to be strong not lower than the low to mid 120s so as to hold the government to their promises (and that will be very important this time around although the program promised by both of the main parties is very similar just a slightly different approach) and there will always be the Bloc generally in the 20s or 30s and the NDP and Green. I do not see a value in the NDP federally to be honest as they are just far left liberals and in a minority government NDP helping them to survive does not serve the country overall well in my humble opinion. Better to have an election and hash it out on the campaign trail. I do understand the need for the Bloc in order for Quebec (french-speaking) to have a voice devoted to their needs (but when one travels in Canada you discover that French is spoken a lot in Northern/Eastern Ontario, in northern and even southern New Brunswick so not having this a more national party decreases their impact somewhat). Quebec's needs are guaranteed in the BNA act but still a voice in Parliament is a good idea as it lets their difficulties come to the surface on a federal level which is always good. The Green Party is a self supporting party that does keep us aware and up to date on Climate Change which is important. Still not sure in my mind which will be better - Experience or Youth - both are needed and in good amounts. One has to think of jobs and who fills them in this case I think but I voted as I voted but as always stand behind the will of the people once the election is complete.
That is a democracy for sure and one can understand Ukraine's desire to be free of the satanic despotic nazi leader Putin in Russia. That war needs to end as it is killing children in particular - children do not create wars but they suffer the most. Hamas too needs to get out of Gaza (the children pay the price there as well; the adults chose their path the children did not). Free the hostages Hamas; you Hamas are disgusting and satanic and it is hard to actually see you as human because of your barbaric attack on Israel 7 Oct 2023 murdering children/infants, old people and others and then murdering two little boys when they were hostages. How disgusting Hamas is. If Turkey wants us to see Hamas otherwise they need to get Hamas out of Gaza and free the hostages.
Early today, up at 5 a.m. but more time to work on the matches. They are calming my mind slowly but surely. It has been somewhat erratic the last six to eight weeks. Looking after the dogs had a calming effect for sure as well. The calming effect of writing is actually really good for an old person I think. Plus it keeps my arthritic fingers busy typing during the winter months especially. I keep the heat around 19 to 20 degrees celsius which is on the cooler side but I like that as I exercise at least four times a day with running, weight lifting/walking, rowing, biking, calisthenics, yoga and just plain walking and a cooler house suits that type of life style. I can always bundle up at the computer. Plus my FitBit tells me every hour to get up and walk 250 steps minimum.
Tomorrow is large garbage day and so will break up all those tree branches into bags to put out to the pickup. Another project for the day along with my matches. I still need to extract matches from FT DNA, Living DNA and GedMatch. Five years has passed so very quickly since I last worked on my matches - amazing really.
Teatime completed and solitaire next.