Well, now I know Spring is here ..........RC is posting those beautiful pics again.

I live in Toronto, Canada. Unfortunately, we are one of the 10,000 residents selected to "test" the new "smart meter" - which means we are billed at different rates than the next door neighbours for using electricity at the same time of day or night. They have divided the 24 hours in the day into periods of low, medium and high energy use - and based the charges for those with smart meters on a sliding scale. So basically if I run my dishwasher and dryer from midnight to 7:00 a.m. I will be charged much less than say if I run it at noon. Yet our neighbours - with 6 people in the house - as opposed to the 2 of us plus dog - and no smart meter - can run their appliances at noon and be charged far less than we are. There is something wrong with this scenario. I have spoken with Hydro and the person I spoke with agreed, no way would he go to bed - or leave the house - with appliances such as these running. The ONLY good thing going for me at the moment is that I am on a fixed electricity rate for 5 years - which while sadly costs more per kw hour than the rate the NON smart meter people are using - I can run my appliances when I want and it will cost me less than adhering to the new rules imposed on me. But, when my term ends I don't know if I will be allowed to renew. The local firemen buy their firehouse food supplies where I shop and I asked for their opinions and they agree with me - and so did the dishwasher and dryer repairman who was here last week. What really scares me about the dryer is the lint/dust/hair you name it build-up in the drum. We needed new bearings and while I keep the lint trap and hose as clean as possible. I can't remove the drum since I can't re-balance it - the repair man confirmed that the average Joe can't do this - but he sure cleans his a lot at home. I cleaned it as fast as I could while he was working on fitting in parts - otherwise he would have had to stick in back in as is. When we are away I unplug everything I can - not the fridge though - but I think I will start turning off the washer hoses. Our insurance INSISTS that our outside water tap be turned off when we are away - too many instances of vandals breaking windows, tossing hoses inside and turning them on. Should this happen we would not be covered - not a risk I am about to take. When I call to tell them we will be away (a requirement) the first thing they say is to remember to turn off the outside hose - and forget timers. It is hard without family - and we don't have a trusted neighbour. But of course there are those who do have trusted neighbours, who unfortunately have "trusted" kids, with "trusted friends" and in the end a whole slew of people know your alarm code, things go missing, parties are held with underage teens etc. etc. I envy those with the true trusted neighbour! I missed the finale of Boston Legal because I wouldn't leave the VCR plugged in and set. Annoying.

I would like to see a Carol Burnett marathon on some station. I'd be glued to my seat all day and night, and so would DH. The skits with Burnett, Conway, and Korman were priceless. And the time Carol basically dared a young man from the audience to come up and sing, and he did, and did a WONDERFUL job with "What I did for love." And the time Carol had Beverly Sills on the show, and sang with her. Chills! A locked chord whenever I hear it still gives chills! As a kid, we didn't have TV. But later, I remember George Goeble's gentle humor, and Tennessee Ernie, and Perry Como. Yes, I miss the variety shows. Who knows what we'd see if that format was brought back? I don't even want to think about it.

I never saw Andy Griffith when the show was new, but I'm enjoying it now. So sweet and comforting. I think I'll move to Mayberry and marry Sheriff Andy Taylor--providing Aunt Bee agrees to stay on as housekeeper and cook. I may have to make a few menu changes, though. But just think . . . Opie will grow up to become a famous Hollywood director and take good care of us in our old age. :-) PS: Frances Bavier, who played Aunt Bee, died a week before her 87th birthday. That surprised me. It was also a nice surprise to learn that she went to Columbia, intending to become a teacher, and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. No marriage or children though.