Daytripping Winter 2020-21 Issue

Like it or not, we are living in the computer
age. I knew when I first sat down in front of
a computer, nervous and a bit scared, that a
lot of things were about to change. That was
25 years ago. I needed to learn that new skill
in order to start Daytripping and it’s been a
love-hate relationship ever since.
Right now I’m particularly upset at all
the passwords I now need to know. They
started simply enough, I just needed to
choose 4 digits. Too easy! I was born in
1965, so 1965 it is. Or was. It wasn’t long
before I needed a password for something
else and obviously wanted to use the same
one so that I could easily remember it. Too
easy, or so I thought, until my computer
told me that it was exactly that... it was
too easy! My computer informed me that
someone might guess my password because
it’s the year I was born. Well I’m a trusting
soul and couldn’t understand why anyone
would want to infiltrate my computer, but I
desperately wanted to play Space Invaders
and needed a new four digit password so
I went with 5691 (don’t tell anyone) and it
tricked the computer (It’s really just the year
I was born backward!)
I’m sure all of us will agree that things
have gotten a wee bit more complicated over
time. Like the time I wanted to order tickets
to the ninth and final Star Wars movie (still
can’t believe I waited 42 years for them to blow
it). I assumed it was my usual password,
which by this time had to be between 8
and 20 characters, include a capital letter, a
number and a special symbol, so I entered
Justinbieber#1. However, my password
wouldn’t work. It said the password was
incorrect. Then it dawned on me that I’ve
had to change the password at various times
on some of the 82 things I need passwords
for, so I typed in my next go-to combination
— Mariahcarey#1 — but it didn’t work
either. Then my computer threatened that
I had only one more chance, and that it
would force me to choose a new password
if I got it wrong a third time. Of course I
have all 82 passwords safely stored away
in my computer (and password protected)
but I was being lazy and thought for sure
that it had to be my super-secret one...
Trump4moreyears$. That didn’t work
either. So then I had to reset my password,
which took forever. I ended up with tickets in
the fourth row (which is not ideal at a movie)
and my password is now MiddleFinger3*#
So that’s what I like, and mostly don’t like,
about passwords.
The other thing I’m having a wee issue
with these days is human interaction. Not all
that long ago there were three primary ways
to interact with other people. We would go
visit them, we would mail them a letter, or
we would call them on the telephone. That’s
become far more complicated as well. I have
no desire to go back to the days when the
rotary dial telephone chained us to the walls
of our kitchens as our primary method of
communication, however, it’s getting to be
a bit much.
Case in point. Someone had left me a
message the other day, but for the life of
me I couldn’t recall who it was or by what
method he contacted me. I knew it was a
man. It could’ve been a phone call, in which
case it should’ve been stored in the messages
on my iPhone, or in Daytripping’s messages.
Of course it could be in my personal email
account, or in my work email account, or in
that other email account I rarely use, or in
TOWN NAME, TOWN NAME and another awesome TOWN NAME
I got your message, I just can’t find it!
in Southwestern Ontario
that other, other one that I never use.
Oh, maybe it was a text message I
received and it’s still in that part of my
phone. If only I could remember if it made a
ding sound when I first received it, because
my incoming texts make a ding sound. Or
it could’ve been sent through the WhatsApp
app on my phone, which makes more of a
droop sound.
While we’re talking about sounds and
notifications, I might add that my work
alert is a dog barking, my wife calling me
is a typical telephone sound and there’s
a resounding swoosh noise anytime CNN
wants to inform me that President Trump
has done something stupid. I don’t think
there’s a sound for when he does something
wise. If there is, I haven’t heard it (I was just
kidding about that password).
Yesterday my phone vibrated and sort
of went k-dangle and I was mystified. It
yurned out to be someone reaching out to
me through Kijiji. Maybe that’s where my
missing message was hiding. The Weather
Network notifies me with a bloop if it’s going
to rain, as if they have the ability to foretell
such a thing. The office fax machine rarely
comes to life but when it does it’s with that
familiar ratatat-tat. The occasional Amber
alert scares the Bejeezus out of me.
Let’s not forget about Facebook
messenger. I had to shut the audio alerts
off of this one and it’s a bit creepy. It knows
when I’m looking at it and so do other
people. Anytime I’m using it I get hugs and
kisses and heart emojis from a female staff
member I met at a resort in Cuba where my
wife and I stayed. I think someone wants to
visit Canada, and stay forever! She can see
when I’m on the app... it’s kind of like when
you Google adult diapers and ads for casinos
start popping up on your computer screen,
not that I would know.
My Instagram doesn’t make any noises...
it just sits there politely on my phone’s
screen with an icon that tells me that I’ve
ignored the last 13 notifications. Twitter
begs me every day to look at it, so it doesn’t
get to make a noise either. TSN werps me
to pass along any prominent sports news,
the calendar on my phone blips me so that I
don’t forget important events, and… I think
that might be it. These may be the only ways
that I can be reached, for now, but I still have
my Boy Scout handbook in case you’d like to
use Morse code. Oh, I forgot about LinkedIn
(or maybe that’s just wishful thinking).
It wasn’t that long ago that I only reached
my customers by their business phone,
mail, email, or in person. Now I have many
of their cell phone numbers and we can
communicate by any number of these other
mediums. Many of my younger customers
don’t expect me to call and are quite
surprised when I actually go to their place
of business.
So, getting back to the missing message,
after scouring my email accounts, combing
through the past couple weeks of texts
and checking all my other apps I finally
remembered where it was saved. It turns
out that he had called me and I answered
the phone. We actually spoke to each other
and I wrote the message down on a piece of
paper. How primitive!
Have a safe and wonderful Christmas and a
better new year than 2020 was.
Thanks for reading!
Mark Moran, Publisher
November - February 2021
This issue is dedicated to... Miles Caskie
Daytripping Features
Daytripper’s Directory Pullout Map..........35-38
“Where You Should Eat” List...........................39
Tourism Contact Information..........................37
2020 Photo Contest Winners............................2
S.W. Ontario’s (Largest?) EVENTS List.............. 46
Antique Tours..............................................24,48
Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Farm Markets...........12,13
Recipes........................................................28,29
Corkscrews & Craft Brews................................34
Tidbits & Tales..................................................11
On The Covers
1) “One Stop Shopping” by John Sloane
2) “Photo Contest Winners - See page 2
Your Contributors
John Sloane, Barb Wilbur & Brenda Bratt, Ruth Sharon, Vicki
Hornick, Agnes Burroughs, Susan Iedema, Maryleah Otto, Laurie
Dunbar, Carrie Durance, Stan Scizlowski, Helen Lammers-Helps,
Victoria Stirling, Judy Lenting, Deborah Jantzi, Jeanette Paddon,
Jacoba Bos, Mary MacVicar, Randy Goudeseune, Maria Figuerdo
and Jeff Gallant, Marney Cloutier, Paul and Anita VanAdrichem,
Laurie Burrows-Breakey, Betty Popelier, Dale and Michele Docker,
Esther Meerschaut, Sam and Sandy Wallis, Jon and Kendra
Palumbo, Sandra deBruyne, Marjorie Martens, Nella deBruyne,
Harrison Plain and Bella Joseph-Plain, LeeAnn Welch, Heather
Pollard, Lauri Ryan, Robin Lansue, Richard Hain, Dave Steadman,
Paul Schneider, Stan & Clare Champ, Jim Ryan, Debbie McCormick,
Dave McClure, John & Nancy Van Geel, Dave Brown, Tim Beaudette,
Dorothy Debruin, Rick Wismer, Barbara Perrin, that persnickety,
elusive unknown author, numerous graphic designers and printing
firms, and the outstanding Daytripping office, sales and delivery
staff have been instrumental in helping us create this issue. Printed
with pride by the good people (Julli, Devin, Chris, Peter, Janet and
so many more) at Huron Web, Wyoming, Ontario, Canada.
Your Tour Guides
Mark Moran ........................ Publisher, Advertising Sales & Design
Carrie Ann Timm .................................. Graphics / Office Manager
Laurie Dunlop ..................................................... Advertising Sales
Rhonda Long .............................. Advertising Sales & Social Media
Carla Mejia ............................................................ Graphic Design
Angela Lyon ............................................ Editing & Graphic Design
Ben & Dylan Moran .................................. Research & Distribution
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DESTINATIONS TO EXPLORE
BF = See our Buy Fresh Pages
CC = Craft Brews & Corkscrews Pages
Alvinston 15,BF,CC
Arva
28, BF
Aylmer
41,42,BF
Baden 23
Bayfield
BF
Birr 24
Blyth
CC
Bothwell
7,BF
Brantford 45,48,BF
Brigden 10
Brights Grove 10
Burlington 46
Cainsville 48
Cambridge 48
Cayuga 48
Central Huron 28
Chatham 6,7
Clinton 28
Copenhagen 42
Courtland 48
Dashwood
BF
Delaware 24
Delhi
48,BF,CC
Dresden 8,24
Dundas 46,47
Dutton
32,BF
Embro 27
Essex 4,5
Forest 11,16,17,BF,CC
Goderich 19
Grand Bend 11,18,24,BF
Hamilton 46,47
Harriston 20
Harrow 4,5
Hensall
28,BF
Ilderton
BF
Ingersoll 27,48
Kent Bridge 6
Kettle & Stony Point FN 16
Kincardine
19,BF
Kingsville 5
La Salette
CC
Lambton Shores 16-18,BF
Leamington 5
Listowel 20
London 30,31,24,BF
Melbourne
BF
Millbank
21,BF
Morpeth 7
Mount Brydges 29
New Hamburg 23,BF
New Sarum 41
Norwich 42
Palmyra 7
Paris 45
Parkhill 29
Petrolia 11,14,15,BF
Point Edward 9,11
Port Dover 44
Port Franks 16,17
Port Rowan 48
Port Stanley 33,BF
Princeton 27
Reeces Corners BF
Ridgetown 6,7,BF
Rodney 32
Ruthven 5
St. Clements 21
St. George 45
St. Jacobs 23
St. Marys 26
St. Thomas 33,24,BF,CC
Sarnia 9,10,11,24
Scotland
BF
Shakespeare 22,BF
Simcoe
BF,CC
Sparta 1,40
Stratford
48,CC
Strathroy 28,29
Talbotville
BF
Tavistock 22
Thamesville 7,24,BF
Thedford
17,CC
Tillsonburg
43,BF
Union
BF
Vanessa 48
Vittoria 44
Waterford 44,48
Waterloo 22,23
West Lorne 32
Wheatley 5
Windham Centre 48
Woodstock 27,BF
Wyoming 15
Zurich
28,BF
Winter 2020/21 not a restaurant was open, not a school-bus was found.
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