Go Unstuck Yourself

For my first Speech from the Toastmasters humorous speaking series I share the following Speech Delivered Jan 31,2013

Go Unstuck yourself

If you were to wonder out to the edge of Beaver county where I live, and were come up to the road near my house, you would find a polished and slick road, that slopes down toward my driveway and the deep ditches on each side.

On many days I’ll be sitting in my home when Ill hear a car spinning across that intersection,  sometimes a scraping noise can be heard, or cursing from within the car, followed closely by a noticeable “Whummphh!”   I’ll sit and chuckle as I hear spinning ties, more cursing and then a humbled knocking at my door.

Without cell coverage in the area, and light traffic, many drivers will come to my place looking on a way to get out of the ditch.  For a few buck I’ll start up my 4x4 and go pull out who ever comes by.

Just yesterday I had a well dressed business man requesting help with his Beamer.  So as I pull him out and we are standing on the road, he hands me $40 bucks as we watch another car go sliding down the hill and into the ditch where his car just sat.

“Wow” - says the man “with conditions like this, you must be busy day and night hauling cars!’

“Day! - Yes”   I say
“Night ? - I’m too busy hauling water……”

Good Morning Toastmasters, My name is Blaine Zuk, and I’m going to share with you a few tips on how to ‘Unstuck’ yourself if you find yourself stuck in a ditch, or other similar situation.

I have three tips that are key to keeping you mobile.
Tip #1
Stay out of the ditch! - One of the keys to staying mobile is to ensure you do not hit the ditch in the first place.   When you find yourself sliding towards a ditch, it is critical to keeping your steering operations.  This means that you must keep your wheel rolling, and avoid locking up the wheels.  Rather than applying the breaks allow your wheels to roll and help steer in the direction you want to go.  With a front wheel drive, you can even accelerate into the direction you wish to go.  A locked wheel will act like a ski, and simple slide straight forward, so remember to keep the wheels rolling.

Oh and while I’m taking about staying out of the ditch, it is important to remember to focus on where you want to be rather that what you are trying to avoid.  Keep your eyes to where you want to be up on the road, and the rest of your system will kick in to guide you there.   Focus on where you want to be!

Tip #2
Traction is your friend
Unless you can grip the ground, your car isn’t going anyway.  That one reason why I always carry a good shovel and traction plates in my car.  Snow jambbed up under the wheels will prevent you from getting solid pressure on the ground, so Its important to dig a ‘runway’  once you start moving.  Steer the wheels left and right to clear snow, and move anything that might be holding the car up a bit.

The traction can also be achieved with gravel, kitty litter floor mats, sticks, and twigs, or anything else that will help move you along, my personal preference is the steel traction plates.

Rocking your car forward and back will also give you an opportunity to clear snow, or apply a traction method. It may be 1 inch forward, and then 2 back, but slowly you will get a solid grip and start moving.  Its OK to help somebody if you see them ricking the car forward and back , by pushing on the vehicle as it goes. But if you see the car rocking side to side, the patrons most likely do not want your help……

And Tip #3 -  The third item I carry is a good tow rope.  Another car with solid traction will do more for you that rocking a car, or getting a bunch of kids to push.  It does not even have to be a very heavy rope in most cases, 200l0b rating should be fine for most light pulls.  What is important in knowing where you can hook on to both your own, and the tow vehicle.  I have seem plastic body panels get broken, and suspension bent up by hooking on Th. The wrong spot.  But having and knowing how to use a tow rope will get you out of many sticky situations.

Like the cars who often slide into my driveway, I use a tow rope to help pull them out.

Last week, I did not have my truck running, but even a little donkey, can pull enough to extract a vehicle.  When the last car was stuck, I hitched my blind but strong miniature donkey Knickers up to do some pulling.  He’s small, but tough as a tractor.
I got him all hitched up to the car and yelled “common Whisky - lets GO!” - but Knickers just stood still
Then I hollered “OK, Jake, your turn lets go, Come-ON!..”  - The patron was looking at me like I was an idiot that didn’t know my animals name.
Then I shouted out “ Come now Knickers - you can do IT !…”
Sure enough slow and steady Knickers popped the car right out and back up on the road.
As the driver was paying me he asked if I had forgotten my donkeys name? “Oh That!’ - I said.. “ No, you see, Knickers is blind, and he thinks I have a whole team helping out.. - If thought he was alone, he would not even try…

Back to you Mr. Toastmaster.

Now go out and make it a great day,
Keep your eyes on the road,
and a grip on the ground.

Blaine

Berries

September is one of my favorite months of the years.  Cooler nights allow one to work out in the yard, bugs are gone, and the falling leaves open the landscape through the bush, allowing me to see a lot further down the trail and go about enjoying Gods great creations.  As I walk and enjoy the landscape I make a point of spotting and stopping at the last few berry bushes before they are gone for the year.

Throughout the year I was blessed with a bounty of various berries not seen in such full fruit for many years.  The rains and hot days yielded a harvest of raspberries throughout most of the summer, Always a treat when working out in the yard.  I would walk behind the garage and disappear for an extended time while filling up on fruit from the wild bushes along the fence.

Wild Strawberries filled the South pasture with large plump fruit that pucker the cheeks, but added such rich tastes to my cereal in the morning.  My nieces came out and fought off the summer bugs to fill themselves up with berries and watch frogs in the pond. Tiny in size but full of flavor! (the berries)
Saskatoon berries, heavy on the branches were easy picking into fall, and when the Raspberries started drying up, I simply went further down the yard and stretched up to the high branches heavy with the big fruit and picked and ate these berries to ward off hunger once more.

Vivian got her buckets of low-bush blue berries west of the beaver dam, and together we pulled enough pin-cherries to make jellies for all the relatives.  I found many of the hazelnut bushes along the paths that I walk, but the squirrels had beaten me to most of the seeds.  Chokecherries, and crab-apples filled in for any other taste sensations I might be missing.

With a rainbow of colors and flavors, wild from the earth I had to stop and give thanks for such a fruitful and flavorful year.  Although I am sorry to see the season pass, I know I will appreciate this all the more because I enjoyed it while it was here.

Now go out and MAKE it a great day.
Appreciate the flavors you tasted today
Give thanks for variety, and savor their return

Blaine

Visite à mon fils française

When my son Dustin moved out to Montreal in 2008, we understood this was going to be a life shifting decision.  His prior years of schooling in Calgary establish a certain amount of separation from home.  We could easily drive out to help him move, or send him on a bus home for weekends and holidays.  Now that he was 3,600 km away routine visits would become more difficult.

In October of 2009, Vivian and I went on a three day ‘whirlwind’ trip to visit Dustin in his new home.  His girlfriend Pascale and he shared a place across the road of University of Montreal, and together with her parents we spent 3 fast days checking out the area, going out to her home in Grandby, and visiting Quebec City.  It was a fast paced visit, and we promised to return one summer and spend a little more time together.

This month we upheld that promise to return, and we set aside 6 days for visiting and site seeing.  Dustin planned a full itinerary of activities that would include many of his favorite stops and activities.  From taking us cycling through the streets of Mont-Royal, to picking up wood fired bagels, and feasting at la resto Banquise, his favorite 24 hour poutine stop.  We spend time watching jugglers and musicians in Parc du Mont-Royal in what is a festive gathering of self induced dance, drumbeats and laughter that put my son at home with his community.  We toured his school campuses of McGill and Concordia, for which he spends such a significant part of his days, and took in many of the local wines and cheese that makes up Quebec culture.

The three days we spent touring Ottawa and camping at Gatineau Park was a time to share new experiences together and enjoy the warm (Misquote free) weather.  We loaded Dustin up with a few new camping tools to accommodate our two nights in the bush, saved on hotel costs, and I got to chuckle at the excitement that Raccoons can bring to a campsite of young girls that leave food scattered about!   A tour around Ottawa and the Canadian War Museum, raised my awareness of Canadian culture. Seeing the history of our solders, touring the Parliament buildings, walking along the Rideau canal, and observing the changing of the guard at the war memorial touched my heart and opened my understanding of the nation's capital.

We made a quick visit through Grandby and shared a wonderful fondue dinner with Pascale's parents. The time went quickly and I cherished every moment together.  I thank Dustin and Pascale for being such wonderful hosts on our visit. I look forward to returning again soon and will always remain attentive to keep my French son close in my Alberta heart

Now go out and make it a great day,
Make time for things that matter,
And build memories with those you love

Blaine