Public

Book Two

by Bob Unembellished

Entries 129

Page 1 of 6

1 day ago

mud volcano, check

It’s been a full day and it’s only 2pm. I suppose that happens when you get up at 4. I have this rule, I mentioned it before. So I found myself at 興隆居 having breakfast at about 5:30. There were ...


Today was much better. I woke up at 5:30. Originally, I woke up at 2:30 and I thought ‘oh oh, it’s going to be a long day.’ I put on a podcast and zzzzzzz. Anytime after 4am is a fine time to ...


This one is really off the cuff. I’m back in Taiwan. I got here this morning at about 4:30, almost exactly 12 hours ago. And naturally, I am discombobulated and out of sorts in all kinds of ways...


November 21, 2025

Old dog

I’ve come to think of my time on earth (or wherever this is) in terms of dog years. Next year, I will be 9 and starting another 7-year cycle. My golden doodle (Cheech) lived to be 16. My goal is...


November 10, 2025

Kaohsiung

Snow and -2C back home in Ontario. 10C clear and bright here in the Okanagan. 23C with light drizzle in Kaohsiung. My thoughts are on Kaohsiung. Less than 3 weeks now and I will be back the...


November 08, 2025

Bad place to lose a needle

The drive across the country was beautiful, quiet and uneventful. I talked to a guy in Northern Ontario that said everyone went home after Thanksgiving. The roads were open and free of RVs and o...


November 08, 2025

One month

Ho hey. It’s been a month since I’ve been here and wow and well, I’m half way across the country. It took five days and four nights to drive west and west and west and west into the warm embrac...


October 08, 2025

8 more days

I’ve been sitting around here since May. I am so ready to go. And go I will. Eight days, 8 more days till I start the road trip west to BC. And then after about a month there, setting up the new...


October 07, 2025

Stuff

I truly don’t need much. Access is more important than ownership. We’ve got the back of the truck half loaded. Two bed platforms and some Ikea chairs that have been taken apart. On the weekend...


October 06, 2025

Blissfully unaware

Sometimes the most reasonable explanation is conspiracy. Like there is a conspiracy for the New York Yankees to lose to the Blue Jays in the devision finals. Like there is a conspiracy for the A...


October 05, 2025

Evening and before that

I took a late afternoon nap and then barbecued hamburgers and sitting on the gossip bench, had a big glass of dark beer. The sun had set and the patio lights clicked on and I thought, “it is get...


September 30, 2025

H factor

The problem with some people is that they have high expectations. If you keep your expectations low, you’re easily satisfied. If your standards are high, normal people and normal services cannot...


September 26, 2025

Four hours in Mississauga

A perfect Autumn day today after yesterday’s day of intermittent showers. I sit on the front porch in my hoodie and crocs and watch all the neighbours walk by with their dogs, one after another....


September 22, 2025

Small section of a Venn

I had coffee yesterday with a new friend. We talked about living in Taiwan, the Taiwanese, retirement, Youtube and things related. I realized recently that all of all of my friends are new frien...


September 20, 2025

The two Joes

I heard from my friend Joe. He says he’s finally settling into his retired life. I think I know what he means. But I would like to hear it from him. Does it mean that he does not care about the ...


September 18, 2025

A new puppy

I made a long list of all the things I don’t miss about working now that I am retired. It was a satisfying exercise. My neighbour Mary has a new puppy. I confirmed that fact yesterday morning ...


September 17, 2025

Day 35

It looks like my neighbour Mary has a new puppy. She is leash training it in front of her house across the street. That makes me feel a little sad and envious. I really would like to have a dog....


September 16, 2025

Local colour

In most towns I’ve lived in there always seems to be the local character or characters that you always see around. In this town it is Tina the Hunchback. She’s awful. She’s not a character as mu...


September 15, 2025

Unsatisfied

And now it is the middle of the month and we are still waiting to hear from the builder about the completion date. So much waiting. Originally we were going to be spending the summer in BC, now ...


September 13, 2025

Day 2

It is so great having the whole house to myself. I just do what I want, when I want. If it wasn’t for the cat, I’d be completely free. The cat got into bed with me at 8 o’clock today. That’s a...


September 12, 2025

mini-vacation

With the ladies away for a couple of days, it’s just me and the cat at home. And we are both going feral. Despite my urgings at 9pm and again at 10:30pm the cat did not come home. She stayed out...


September 11, 2025

Bordering on lunacy

I am happy that no one that I can see from looking at the front page here is taking about Charlie Kirk. We have Facebook and Youtube for that. Podcasts too. And you know me, I’m Canadian and I’m...


September 10, 2025

Running uphill

The goal is to write here every day. Just three or four paragraphs. One topic. Sometimes two. It is a good intellectual exercise, getting thoughts down on paper. Writing here also has the qualit...


September 09, 2025

5 pillars of a happy day

It is weird that I have been retired for more than a year (maybe longer) and still I am not sure what retirement is all about. As such, I have recently been watching ‘retirement’ videos again. I...


September 07, 2025

The best kind of remote

We met for coffee at my favourite hotel coffee shop. It’s been more than a year since I’ve been there. I used to meet all of my real estate clients there. The Huether Hotel. A long and varied hi...


Book Description

This is a restart