Al Zylstra

Covid-19 Update

Pandemic Re-Play!

So, here it is, July 4th weekend and I am getting geared up to go back to work. Hooray! Working from home has been great, but, I miss my desk and my office. It will be good to get back to a regular routine.

Tomorrow, I plan on carting back all my plants and my aquarium to the office, get them all set up so I can hit the ground running come Monday. I have so much to do with a number of projects, I don’t want to waste any time.

Yesterday was an especially fun day for me. I worked on a play back in 2012 called “The Underpants”. It was put on by a group of friends who met during the very first play I worked on at the Metro.

“The Underpants” was adapted by Steve Martin from a farce by Carl Sternheim.
Synopsis: It’s 1910, and newly married Louise is bored with her demanding and uptight bureaucrat husband. Then one day at the royal parade, she jumps up on a bench to see the king go by, and oops — her bloomers come loose and fall down around her ankles. Her husband is frantic that her faux pas will cost him his job and reputation. But suddenly the room they’ve been trying to rent out has plenty of takers, and it just might have something to do with … the underpants.

What an amazing group of talented people

We had three hours of laughing and joy reading this play. I truly hope that we can all work together again soon.

I never got to see this until last night. It encapsulates the joy and laughter I had working on this production.

Mom and Dad’s Wedding

So, June 8 was my parents’ 71st Wedding Anniversary. Just wanted to show you pictures of that day. Enjoy!

Covid-19 Update. Week – does it really matter?

Here we are: almost the middle of June and I have been working from home since the middle of March. It has been a long slog but, I am happy to report that I will be able to go back to work at IRIS starting July 6! Yay!

Don’t get me wrong. I have enjoyed spending the time with Alex and our menagerie of critters but, I miss my desk and my office. I will probably go in a couple of days beforehand to bring back my plants and set up my aquarium. I can then also take my computer in and get it all set up so that when I get to work on July 6, all I need to do is get into my office, fire up the computer and start working.

I have been continuing my daily walks and I try to take the boys a different route every day and I have managed to collect more bottles and cans.

But, it is not the main reason to walk – the little bit of extra cash is just a bonus.

These are just a few of the reasons that I do the walks

Covid-19 update – week 5,240

I know that is a bit of an exaggeration but, it is starting to feel like this quarantine has been going on FOREVER! Not that I am complaining. I am so fortunate that I can work from home and that I have a space that I can work at.

My work station where all the magic happens

My daily walks have increased dramatically in how long I am out with the boys and the results are becoming obvious to me (if no one else)

I am quite pleased with my results thus far.

Since I started walking which is almost two years ago, I noticed a lot of things when I was walking. I was astounded at the number of empty bottles and cans that I saw. I never did anything about them, though. That was until last week when I decided that leaving those empties on the ground was a waste of money. So, I started collecting them. Every morning, I grab a bag and me and the boys head off. We go a different route every day so as to not get the boys bored and to make sure that we find as many empties as possible.

I don’t expect to make a lot of money doing this, but, it certainly does help. The funds that I earn from this venture are going into a savings account and I will use the proceeds to buy books! A win/win if I do say so myself.

My walks also allow me to find some pretty cool stuff. I found these this morning:

I love these! Alex is going to clean them up and put them in our garden

To close off this week’s update, here are my boys who are kind of annoyed with me.

Covid-19 – Week (wtf!!!!)

I have no idea how many weeks it has been now but, I gotta tell you, it is way too many. I know that we are getting this pandemic under control slowly but, there are times…… *sigh

Found this app online that converts your picture to a work of art…. I dunno…..

It rained quite heavily on Sunday and so when it was time to take the boys for their morning walk, they let me put their harnesses on and out the door we went. We didn’t even make it past the carport when both of them slammed on the brakes and looked at me like I was insane. No matter how much I tried, they absolutely REFUSED to put one paw down on the wet pavement. I am sad to report that both of my dogs have me wrapped around their unopposable thumbs….

I relented and let them go back in the house. I took off their harnesses and both of them made a beeline for the bedroom. They jumped on the bed and then proceeded to burrow under the duvet so that they couldn’t be seen by me.

I, on the other hand, am not made of sugar. So, out the door, I went. Close to home is Bear Creek Park- https://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/2083.aspx. Check it out. It is actually quite nice. As a result of my being solo that morning, I was able to walk through the park and take in all the sights and sounds without having two dogs trying to chase squirrels, rabbits and various other fauna.

I think that there may have been 10 or 12 other people in the park so it was serene, peaceful and oh so quiet.

It is days like this that I am so glad that I live where I do.

I swear this tree is flipping me many, many birds

Final observation: I was contacted last week by a cast member of one of my all-time favourite plays: Fawlty Towers. She invited me to be part of a Zoom Meeting where the cast would reassemble for a reading. I jumped at the opportunity and as a result, had one of the most enjoyable evenings that I have had in months.

Fawlty Towers cast and crew – Thank you!

It’s a dog’s world

Beau found something that he DESPERATELY wanted to roll in and wouldn’t leave until I literally dragged him away from it.

Covid-19 – Week 6

As things slowly get back to a degree of normality for me and Alex, I have been able to accomplish a lot for work. I have updated a number of my corporate accounts with information that will allow me to develop a more concise action plan to get more activity from them. That was no mean feat, let me tell you. Going through 350+ corporate accounts and trying to figure out ways to work them more effectively is not as easy as it sounds. But, I learned so much from this process.

I have also been developing an online “toolbox” for each of the IRIS locations in Western Canada. Each toolbox contains information that they can use to reach out to the corporate accounts in their area.

I know, I know; it all sounds kinda dry, but, I have to tell you that this has been a great learning experience for me. I have found out information on many of the corporate accounts that I didn’t know before. It has also allowed me to develop concise marketing strategies and that, gentle readers, is real cool!

On the home front, all is going well. Alex leaves me to my work while he continues working in the yard cleaning, clearing, planting, weeding, re-potting and generally puttering around outside. He is in his glory!

Today, however, he did receive some sad news. When Alex was trying to launch his tailoring company, one of his first clients was a lovely woman, Claudia Savage. She was funny, sassy, ballsy and quite brash. Alex LOVED her from the first time he met her. They bonded so quickly that you would have thought that they had been friends for decades.

Sadly, Claudia passed away on Saturday, May 9. She left this world peacefully in her sleep. She will be missed.

Today, barring Claudia’s passing has been a good day. I tried on a bunch of pants that I had outgrown last year and lo and behold, many of them fit again. I am overjoyed. That means that I have lost over 3 inches on my waist. I haven’t weighed myself and I don’t plan on it because I have found that weighing myself merely causes me a great deal of consternation.

I also discovered a new walking path with the boys this morning quite by accident.

Last week, I found a few new interesting photos to take, too.

Last week, we found another place to explore. I am thrilled that there are so many walking paths so close to home. The boys seem to love them, too.

Morning Perambulations

This morning, the boys got me up a little bit earlier than usual. Before we got hit with this quarantine scenario, I was getting up at 6:00 am, grabbing the boys and out the door we would go. We walk for about 90 minutes and every day, I would try for a different route. My boys are very bright and I want to make sure that they get plenty of visual and olfactory stimulations.

So, I would led Beau or Phantom, usually Beau decide where we went. Beau would put on the brakes if he felt that I was taking him on a route that wasn’t to his liking.

Since I have been working from home, I have allowed them (and myself) the luxury of sleeping in a bit. Instead of getting up at 6:00 am, we get up at 7:00 am. Today was one of those days.

We started on our regular route to the park across the street where they both peed on everything. Beau then decided it was time to go. We walked along one of our regular routes on King George Boulevard. Once we hit Bear Creek Park, I assumed that he would want to head home, but, no way! He carried on straight along King George Boulevard until we found a new path. I tried walking past it but, both he and Phantom had other thoughts. I was unprepared to argue with them both, so down the path we went.

After a lengthy trip along this beautiful path, we came back out on King George Boulevard. Time to head home. On our trip home, we came across a very sad sight. Someone had decided that their pet rock had grown too big for them to care for. They stuffed it in a pet carrier and left it on the side of the road. As much as I was tempted to rescue it, I just couldn’t find a way to carry him home. Hopefully, he will be rescued by someone soon.

Covid-19 Update – Week 5

At least I think it is week 4…. Things have been improving slowly. I am back at work and have been handling a number of projects. I have to tell you that it feels pretty good getting back to doing productive stuff. I was starting to get a little bored. Case in point, see below:

My daily walks with the two boys are still producing some interesting pictures.