I enjoy walking my neighbor's dog. I don't have a lot of social media I don't have tiktok so I often enjoy my walks head up. I got real lucky this day. Or maybe my ankles or my neighbor's dog's legs got lucky I was head up this day LOL.
4000 km is the amount of kilometers I rode my e-bike to work and back this summer. I rode my eBike on the shoulder of the highway to the beach where I worked this summer. Shout out to Jim at the Shallow Lake service center and a couple of neighbors I stopped at on my ride to work for spray for my chain or a fill up on my tire shout out to you too. And to the two different people who built houses on the highway to the beach with their bare hands this summer I watched you do it all summer Bravo congratulations!!! . I am a licensed driver I could have chose to get a car it was my personal choice to get the e-bike instead. And I just want to say this is all confusing for everybody and I can see that from both perspectives.
In my honest opinion I believe that the lack of regulation supporting what an e-bike should have to make it road-worthy, and driver safe really contributes to the growing frustration on the road. Also everybody driving an e-bike in the a car Lane in town in my opinion must have a driver's license.
If I need to use the left hand turning lane and I am using a car Lane I must have a driver's license. So that everyone knows that I understand the rules of the road what the lights mean when I have the right away.
Before I even started driving around town on my e-bike I got a tail light I have a brake light I have signal lights I have a headlight. I believe e bikes should have all of these things if you're going to drive them within town and not just on trails. Also be driven by a licensed driver. I've encountered many e-bike drivers I'm sorry to say that can't have driver's license because they have too many DUIs I do not want these individuals riding an e-bike around town either I'm with everyone on that.
I am terribly sorry for the lack of consideration for vehicles. And I am terribly sorry that you have to deal with people on scooters with motors dodging in and out of car Lanes people without licenses riding motorized bikes through intersections and in busy areas it frustrates me as well.
I truly personally go out of my way to try to avoid busy roads. If I'm going to Walmart I will ride past the Bayshore and come up the back way so that I don't have to navigate all the busy intersections it would take me to get there. It's confusing for everybody.
But with my apology I ask that you only try to be aware that there are people in town who are genuinely trying to respect drivers and not cause drivers panic or anxiety or confusion while they're trying to navigate the roads. People who have their driver's licenses and are considerate of vehicles on the road while they're on their e bikes like myself. We are just receiving no end of aggression and hate and frustration from drivers. Legitimately I had a guy in a Yukon yell at me that I wasn't allowed to be on the road and then literally tried to sideswipe me out of the lane onto the shoulder while I was riding my e-bike with my grocery bag. I had to report that because he almost killed me. I had a man in his mid to late seventies on a Sunday make it a point to speed up to a stoplight to pull up beside me at a light when I was on my way to work and yell at me that I wasn't allowed to be in the road. I didn't yell back I simply said I'm aware of the rules I need to follow thank you and have a blessed Sunday and I put my earbud back in.
These things are not acceptable either. Many people on their e-bikes are genuinely just trying to get around town as you know there is a lot of hills in Owen sound. They actually make it possible for people to work or see family or get their own groceries when otherwise they probably couldn't do those things on their own.
I don't know what the answer is here. I hope we can come to some kind of solution so that I don't fear drivers using their vehicles as weapons to lash out at me when I'm simply trying to get my groceries or get to work.
But I also don't want people on e-bikes whipping in and out of traffic not using their hand signals at least and just having absolutely zero consideration for anybody around them. People who are modifying their e-bikes in town so that they're not e-bikes anymore there's something else I don't know what you would call it. But stop doing that. We have something good here with the e-bikes, please don't let just generally disrespectful inconsiderate people riding e-bikes ruin that. Also my e bike's name is Ruby shoes because she always gets me home. Lol
I think I was the only one that seen it.
Spotted this, what I'm sure is a snapping turtle, walking my neighbor's dog. I only spotted it because I was enjoying the tiktok of nature instead of looking at my phone. Since it was gone when I walked back I think I might have been the only person that seen it.
Good deeds create Good Karma because I just got off the phone with the Georgian triangle humane society in Collingwood and they are going to take all of Ron's cats I cried immediately I'm choked up now. They're going to take five a week starting on the 19th of August. I don't have five cat carriers and I still have to arrange drivers to Collingwood for the cats to be surrendered so if that's something you're interested in let me know I will even cover the gas. I'm also contributing to the surrender fees but if you also want to thank the Georgian triangle humane society for taking 17 cats from Stone tree I would say please do. Not only are they taking these cats but they also offer a low-cost spay neuter program affordable on any income.
Anyways
Another neighbourly story out of Owen Sound
Thank you to everybody who read my story about how I earned an e-bike by doing something for nothing. Well it's been 2 months and I paid the whole thing off I'm so mindblown.
But now that it's paid off I'm going to take that money, that I'm making by being able to bike to my job, and I'm going to pass it forward.
Ron, is a discount taxi driver in town. And if you've been driven by Ron no doubt you have a super friendly super nice Ron story. Literally a guy who has barely anything and gives everything he has to everything else. Well he's not doing that great he's actually not doing that great at all he's hoping to get out of the hospital the next day or two but his diagnosis is not great. Recently his hospital stay was due to a blood infection. Ron lives at Stone tree. If any of you are familiar with stone tree I'm sure you would understand that there's quite a collection of abandoned domestic cats and kittens there. Ron has taken it upon himself to be the caregiver the best he could for them mostly outdoors as obviously he cannot fit that many cats in a room at Stone tree. It's about 17 cats that he selflessly tries to save or just not abandon. After his recent hospital stay and the warnings that he's been given the situation has become very problematic. I've emailed some SPCA shelters already I've had one shelter response so far. The grey bruce animal shelter. I know all the shelters are busy this time of year and I really appreciate it how quickly they returned my email. Of course I wasn't expecting any one place to be able to take all the cats which of course is the situation with them but they are willing to try to help with a few once they have some space open up. So now that I have a free paycheck I'm going to pay the surrender fees for those cats, . So I can pass the good fortune that I have received, and if I'm fortunate enough to receive space in another shelter my next paycheck will be for those cats.
Because he is my neighbour and there isn't a better way, to me, then to spend a paycheck on saving animals and giving a super great person some peace of mind when they're going through super tough times. the kind of tough times you need help you wish you didn't have to ask for...
Just another neighbourly story.
Hi trying to have custom prints put on t shirts. Doesn't have to be a business if someone has the capability at home. It's a new business I'm trying to create some product to exhibit and this a paid job. Only 3 -5 shirts to start. Thanks in advance
He's home thank you for caring I felt better knowing people cared to respond or look for him. He showed up at 6:00 a.m. I suspect he was in the garage and probably came home when that person went to work. I closed the windows today lol.
Struggling with boredom I spontaneously took a flying lesson at the former Billy Bishop airport, now meaford airport, in February I got to fly the plane in the sky the first lesson. I didn't get to take off or land but that was a good thing because my first bank turn had me a limp noodle hanging out the window and my instructor had to take over. Lol this is a short video of my first flight over Owen sound. It actually wasn't that expensive I rented a plane and a man for 3 hours. I totally recommend it. Sorry I don't have more video but I really wanted to focus on the lesson and the flying.
I've been back in owen sound a year and a half. Last year it took me a minute to get situated, that's not really what the story is about so we won't get into that part, but what's important to know is I'm a 46 year old woman with no children.
Productivity is the resolution to death I feel at this point because boredom feels like death. Because of that I started gardening and landscaping the front of my building I created a walkway, my neighbor downstairs rode around collecting the stones for it, it's beautiful. I noticed my neighbor who has a very busy family household had an overgrown Garden so I just went over and weeded and dug out her garden for her just because I'm her neighbor and because I have time. This created a bit of a domino effect on my street. And I was more than happy to go around assisting my neighbors with the yard work they needed done just because I was their neighbor.
Ultimately this did get me some paid gardening jobs. what I do know about Owen sound people is that they always appreciate a hard worker. If you show that you are a hard worker you are almost guaranteed somebody is going to stop and offer you a paid job of sorts because people need a hand. So now I'm gardening across town for my neighbor's friends and for my neighbors around the corner. I have a license but I don't have a car right now. Increasing the radius in which I could commute to work more than doubled the possible places I can apply to work for the summer.
.I went to my neighbor for some advice on whether or not I should consider getting into some kind of high interest car loan just so that I could seek employment a little out of town. I'm actually going to cry telling you the next part because this is so kind, but my neighbor said to me" I always see you trying to do the right thing it's okay that somebody does something nice for you". So he and his wife offered to loan me interest-free a little money to get a car so that I can get to work and back and I wouldn't be locked in to paying double the amount of the car.
The amount of money I wanted to commit too would likely mean I could spend probably the next 6 to 12 months trying to find a car that is going to be reliable and in that price range. So I decided to apply that to an E bike. It's expensive because it's for commuting but it was cheaper than the car. So my neighbor took me to bike face and bought me ( as a loan) my bike and helmet and mirror that cost 3 months worth of my rent. And everyday I have to work I ride that bike to Sauble Beach from Owen sound. I'll be honest part of me feels like a little of that child like Spirit we lose has returned each time I take it for a ride. The bike has already almost paid for itself I have half way paid him back, and with motivation and a lot of peddling LOL I intend to have it paid off by the end of July.
This amazing thing started because instead of sitting inside all day on my phone or whatever else kept me indoors I went outside and did productive things not because I expected anything back just because we should be neighbors to each other, somebody recognized that and now my life is that much easier for me to make it that much better, if you live in town you probably have seen me feel free to wave. And you'll be happy to know that I have ordered signal lights for the bike.
Anyway there's always so many crappy stories I just thought I would share this one and maybe it'll motivate somebody else to just do something for nothing cuz it might just come back to you.
My New philosophy is honey not vinegar.
5 plus years ago I would have been prepared with every word weapon I had before I got on that call that's the truth.
Now I start every customer care call with this sentence
" You are a lovely person and don't let anybody make you question your self-worth because of their phone bill ( sub company lol) at the end of your shift and nothing that we're going to discuss is your fault and I understand that we are both just rats trying to figure out how to get out of this maze and neither of us really have much more information than the other so let's just try to help each other get through the day and this call."
And I was the one surprised by the response people were so grateful and appreciative and some got a little emotional. That made me really sad because that means they deal with so much anger all day that just receiving a call that starts with hey this isn't your fault is just such a blessing to them. Do we want to yell at the waitress before she brings the food if there's something wrong with the food was it the waitress that cooked it and even if she did could it have just been a mistake.
Aside from making that person feel seen and valuable before you ask them to help you with something....
I feel good every time I hang up and I've made customer service person laugh or tell me that they enjoyed this call.
Because let's face it do we want our customer care people replaced with AI, I don't. So let's take care of our customer service Representatives so that they can stay around and we can still have people on the other end of the line. And no I don't work in customer care. But I do work in humanity care. Lol
Happy thoughts by me
My New philosophy is honey not vinegar.
5 plus years ago I would have been prepared with every word weapon I had before I got on that call that's the truth.
Now I start every customer care call with this sentence
" You are a lovely person and don't let anybody make you question your self-worth because of their phone bill ( sub company lol) at the end of your shift and nothing that we're going to discuss is your fault and I understand that we are both just rats trying to figure out how to get out of this maze and neither of us really have much more information than the other so let's just try to help each other get through the day and this call."
And I was the one surprised by the response people were so grateful and appreciative and some got a little emotional. That made me really sad because that means they deal with so much anger all day that just receiving a call that starts with hey this isn't your fault is just such a blessing to them. Do we want to yell at the waitress before she brings the food if there's something wrong with the food was it the waitress that cooked it and even if she did could it have just been a mistake.
Aside from making that person feel seen and valuable before you ask them to help you with something....
I feel good every time I hang up and I've made customer service person laugh or tell me that they enjoyed this call.
Because let's face it do we want our customer care people replaced with AI, I don't. So let's take care of our customer service Representatives so that they can stay around and we can still have people on the other end of the line. And no I don't work in customer care. But I do work in humanity care. Lol
Happy thoughts by me
My New philosophy is honey not vinegar.
5 plus years ago I would have been prepared with every word weapon I had before I got on that call that's the truth.
Now I start every customer care call with these words
" You are a lovely person and don't let anybody make you question your self-worth because of their phone bill ( sub company lol) at the end of your shift and nothing that we're going to discuss is your fault and I understand that we are both just rats trying to figure out how to get out of this maze and neither of us really have much more information than the other so let's just try to help each other get through the day and this call."
And I was the one surprised by the response people were so grateful and appreciative and some got a little emotional. That made me really sad because that means they deal with so much anger all day that just receiving a call that starts with hey this isn't your fault is just such a blessing to them. Do we want to yell at the waitress before she brings the food if there's something wrong with the food was it the waitress that cooked it and even if she did could it have just been a mistake.
Aside from making that person feel seen and valuable before you ask them to help you with something....
I feel good every time I hang up and I've made customer service person laugh or tell me that they enjoyed this call.
Because let's face it do we want our customer care people replaced with AI, I don't. So let's take care of our customer service Representatives so that they can stay around and we can still have people on the other end of the line. And no I don't work in customer care. But I do work in humanity care. Lol
Happy thoughts by me
I've been back in owen sound a year and a half. Last year it took me a minute to get situated, that's not really what the story is about so we won't get into that part, but what's important to know is I'm a 46 year old woman with no children.
Productivity is the resolution to death I feel at this point because boredom feels like death. Because of that I started gardening and landscaping the front of my building I created a walkway, my neighbor downstairs rode around collecting the stones for it, it's beautiful. I noticed my neighbor who has a very busy family household had an overgrown Garden so I just went over and weeded and dug out her garden for her just because I'm her neighbor and because I have time. This created a bit of a domino effect on my street. And I was more than happy to go around assisting my neighbors with the yard work they needed done just because I was their neighbor.
Ultimately this did get me some paid gardening jobs. what I do know about Owen sound people is that they always appreciate a hard worker. If you show that you are a hard worker you are almost guaranteed somebody is going to stop and offer you a paid job of sorts because people need a hand. So now I'm gardening across town for my neighbor's friends and for my neighbors around the corner. I have a license but I don't have a car right now. Increasing the radius in which I could commute to work more than doubled the possible places I can apply to work for the summer.
.I went to my neighbor for some advice on whether or not I should consider getting into some kind of high interest car loan just so that I could seek employment a little out of town. I'm actually going to cry telling you the next part because this is so kind, but my neighbor said to me" I always see you trying to do the right thing it's okay that somebody does something nice for you". So he and his wife offered to loan me interest-free a little money to get a car so that I can get to work and back and I wouldn't be locked in to paying double the amount of the car.
The amount of money I wanted to commit too would likely mean I could spend probably the next 6 to 12 months trying to find a car that is going to be reliable and in that price range. So I decided to apply that to an E bike. It's expensive because it's for commuting but it was cheaper than the car. So my neighbor took me to bike face and bought me ( as a loan) my bike and helmet and mirror that cost 3 months worth of my rent. And everyday I have to work I ride that bike to Sauble Beach from Owen sound. I'll be honest part of me feels like a little of that child like Spirit we lose has returned each time I take it for a ride. The bike has already almost paid for itself I have half way paid him back, and with motivation and a lot of peddling LOL I intend to have it paid off by the end of July.
This amazing thing started because instead of sitting inside all day on my phone or whatever else kept me indoors I went outside and did productive things not because I expected anything back just because we should be neighbors to each other, somebody recognized that and now my life is that much easier for me to make it that much better, if you live in town you probably have seen me feel free to wave. And you'll be happy to know that I have ordered signal lights for the bike.
Anyway there's always so many crappy stories I just thought I would share this one and maybe it'll motivate somebody else to just do something for nothing cuz it might just come back to you.
I've been back in owen sound a year and a half. Last year it took me a minute to get situated, that's not really what the story is about so we won't get into that part, but what's important to know is I'm a 46 year old woman with no children.
Productivity is the resolution to death I feel at this point because boredom feels like death. Because of that I started gardening and landscaping the front of my building I created a walkway, my neighbor downstairs rode around collecting the stones for it, it's beautiful. I noticed my neighbor who has a very busy family household had an overgrown Garden so I just went over and weeded and dug out her garden for her just because I'm her neighbor and because I have time. This created a bit of a domino effect on my street. And I was more than happy to go around assisting my neighbors with the yard work they needed done just because I was their neighbor. Ultimately this did get me some paid gardening jobs. what I do know about Owen sound people is that they always appreciate a hard worker. If you show that you are a hard worker you are almost guaranteed somebody is going to stop and offer you a paid job of sorts because people need a hand. So now I'm gardening across town for my neighbor's friends and for my neighbors around the corner. I have a license but I don't have a car right now. Increasing the radius in which I could commute to work more than doubled the possible places I can apply to work for the summer. .I went to my neighbor for some advice on whether or not I should consider getting into some kind of high interest car loan just so that I could seek employment a little out of town. I'm actually going to cry telling you the next part because this is so kind, but my neighbor said to me" I always see you trying to do the right thing it's okay that somebody does something nice for you". So he and his wife offered to loan me interest-free a little money to get a car so that I can get to work and back and I wouldn't be locked in to paying double the amount of the car. The amount of money I wanted to commit too would likely mean I could spend probably the next 6 to 12 months trying to find a car that is going to be reliable and in that price range. So I decided to apply that to an E bike. It's expensive because it's for commuting but it was cheaper than the car. So my neighbor took me to bike face and bought me ( as a loan) my bike and helmet and mirror that cost 3 months worth of my rent. And everyday I have to work I ride that bike to Sauble Beach from Owen sound. I'll be honest part of me feels like a little of that child like Spirit we lose has returned each time I take it for a ride. The bike has already almost paid for itself I have half way paid him back, and with motivation and a lot of peddling LOL I intend to have it paid off by the end of July. This amazing thing started because instead of sitting inside all day on my phone or whatever else kept me indoors I went outside and did productive things not because I expected anything back just because we should be neighbors to each other, somebody recognized that and now my life is that much easier for me to make it that much better, if you live in town you probably have seen me feel free to wave. And you'll be happy to know that I have ordered signal lights for the bike.
Anyway there's always so many crappy stories I just thought I would share this one and maybe it'll motivate somebody else to just do something for nothing cuz it might just come back to you.
I've been back in owen sound a year and a half. Last year it took me a minute to get situated, that's not really what the story is about so we won't get into that part, but what's important to know is I'm a 46 year old woman with no children.
Productivity is the resolution to death I feel at this point because boredom feels like death. Because of that I started gardening and landscaping the front of my building I created a walkway, my neighbor downstairs rode around collecting the stones for it, it's beautiful. I noticed my neighbor who has a very busy family household had an overgrown Garden so I just went over and weeded and dug out her garden for her just because I'm her neighbor and because I have time. This created a bit of a domino effect on my street. And I was more than happy to go around assisting my neighbors with the yard work they needed done just because I was their neighbor. Ultimately this did get me some paid gardening jobs. what I do know about Owen sound people is that they always appreciate a hard worker. If you show that you are a hard worker you are almost guaranteed somebody is going to stop and offer you a paid job of sorts because people need a hand. So now I'm gardening across town from my neighbor's friends and for my neighbors around the corner. I have a license but I don't have a car right now. Increasing the radius in which I could commute to work more than doubled the possible places I can apply to work for the summer. I went to my neighbor for some advice on whether or not I should consider getting into some kind of high interest car loan just so that I could seek employment a little out of town. I'm actually going to cry telling you the next part because this is so kind, but my neighbor said to me" I always see you trying to do the right thing it's okay that somebody does something nice for you". So he and his wife offered to loan me interest-free a little money to get a car so that I can get to work and back and I wouldn't be lockrd in to paying double the amount of the car. The amount of money I wanted to commit too would likely mean I could spend probably the next 6 to 12 months trying to find a car that is going to be reliable and in that price range. So I decided to apply that to an E bike. It's expensive because it's for commuting but it was cheaper than the car. So my neighbor took me to bike face and bought me ( as a loan) my bike and helmet and mirror that cost 3 months worth of my rent. And everyday I have to work I ride that bike to Sauble Beach from Owen sound. I'll be honest part of me feels like a little of that child like Spirit we lose has returned each time I take it for a ride. The bike has already almost paid for itself I have half way paid him back, and with motivation and a lot of peddling LOL I intend to have it paid off by the end of July. This amazing thing started because instead of sitting inside all day on my phone or whatever else kept me indoors I went outside and did productive things not because I expected anything back just because we should be neighbors to each other, somebody recognized that and now my life is that much easier for me to make it that much better, if you live in town you probably have seen me feel free to wave. And you'll be happy to know that I have ordered signal lights for the bike.
Anyway there's always so many crappy stories I just thought I would share this one and maybe it'll motivate somebody else to just do something for nothing cuz it might just come back to you.