2020-12-01

Lemon Tea ~ happy to resolved data consolidation by SQL

I am delighted that when I resolved the query in this way. Finally, I understand that I can add a null column when I combine tables if there is no data in one of them. I can apply multiple filters to make the query more accurate. 

I can validate the data directly, and the numbers look so good. 





Coffee time ~ Snowy days

In the morning, when we wake up and see the world in white, I feel calm. Really want to treat me a freshly brewed coffee with my favourite biscuits. 

We've been in this city more than ten years now, but in love with the first snow day. 






Lemon Tea ~ appreciate those deliver in grocery services

These grocery service guys resolve a big problem for us during the pandemic. Since we worried about going out and bring anything back home. We tried our best to stay home and call those delivery services. Lucky that we are located in the central area, almost every delivery service is available. 

I tried several providers, now I only keep three to four of them. We were impressed by their on-time delivery, good communication and easy payment methods. And most of it, the product quality has remained. 

When people asked me how I supported the small business during the difficult times, I would always mention these grocery delivery guys and their contribution to the local communities. 




2020-10-29

Taste a life in the wild ~ Fall and woodstove

When the temperature drops, stay at the site, we feel much colder than the city. Since September, each time when we arrive, we need to light a fire inside the woodstove. I've learned how to maintain a good "hot spot."

We will collect a small bunch of dry leaves or tree branches, make them into a smaller handful brunch and put inside the stove, light up a small fire with a lighter. Keep collecting small dry tree branches and keep adding to until we see the stable flame. Then we usually add a bigger chop wood, about an arm's length and wide. It will keep us warm for at least 2 hours.

Louie told me that's why a man will work hard in the countryside since summer to collect the wood until winter. Otherwise, like himself, he needs to purchase a lot of $500 worth of dry wood, which can only support his living for one winter. 

Wow, we need to chop more wood; then, I realized that we only have no more than 15 big wood left in the hunting tab!




Taste a life in the wild ~ work hard, play hard

Uncle and aunt love fishing. This becomes the most relaxing activity after a day's hard work at the site. They will carry all the food and a bag of food to the dear lock lake. 

They've tried several spots and stick to one. This location is a downstream poon from a large lake,  most fishes gather here for the food. When a good time comes, they can easily catch one every 5 minutes. 

Fish either come out for food in the early morning or before sunset. So sometimes our uncle and his friends will fish until fully dark. 

For them, add several fish to the dish is one of the happiest things during the day. Especially our aunt is so good at cooking. With limited cooking utensils we can install at the moment, she still can make us a good fish soup and steam fish!



Taste a life in the wild ~ Let's hiking

For us, this is a huge advantage, let's go hiking whenever we like. This is private property. When we are hiking, there should only be us in the wood. 

Each time we visit the wood, we try to walk slightly differently to explore more areas. This place is so big, about 200 acres, we can only visit a small palm every time. I can not walk into the wood during summertime. The mosquitoes will carry me away! Spring and Fall, maybe the best seasons. Early winter maybe still ok. The previous owner is a hunter himself. He said early winter is a good time to explore the deep areas too. Because when there is snow, you can trace the footprint. 

Now we are used to 2 to 3 hours walking per visit. Sometimes our friend Louie will come and walk with us. He can not bring his two dogs, he is afraid that they will get lost in the deep wood. But when we visit his own farm, he will call his dogs to come along with us. Lucky and Charlie (the two dogs) very happy to come with us each time, they will run around the hills and bug at the small animals. 




Taste a life in the wild ~ Village team

The investment group decided to clean the site. We need to build the septic, and we don't have any experience. Sam called the local business guy, and they agreed to have an onsite visit. 

When we arrived, our neighbour came over, they have a big farm just next hill. Done came down of her pickup and said hi. We had a phone chat before winter. It was the time that we bought the property. The previous owner said that Dona and Glen are nice neighbours, their cows need some hay, so they will come to cut the grass. We told them to continue what they used to do. We are glad that someone will come to the site from time to time.

We had a great conversation then we saw the septic guy arrived. What a small world, he and Dona are relative. Then we saw Glen drove his big truck arrived too. Now a whole team was chatting about how to clean the bushes and where we should build our septic and the well. 







Taste a life in the wild ~ site visits in June

When the pandemic begins, we stay home.  We keep our habit of casual walking, at least 2 times a day, to refresh our minds. We think this way will keep our mental health. 

One day, the uncle called, "We should go to visit our land...". I was a little hesitant to go on the trip. I understood that we should visit there a long time ago, but right now is pandemic,  should we just stay inside our homes?

While never say ever, we made our first trip when the pandemic peak was a little slopped. I packed all types of PPE products in the car, and I told us not to touch anything uncertain along the trip. The first visit was a short one; we looked around the property and planned what to do next. 

The site is lacking maintenance, not very pleasant at the first look. The hunting tab needs a good cleaning, full of damp old wood smell. 

Although the shield looks bad, the nature scenery earns the points. We walked inside the woods, trees, lakes and watersides. We were all impressed. 




2020-06-05

~ Black coffee ~ What a great learning and practice experience !


A friend's LinkedIn post caught my eyes, I thought this course is very close to what I am looking for. Build and develop financial models via Excel. Great. 

I enrolled in the program in Late FEB. I was thinking that it may take me almost a year to complete all 18 modules. The situation changed quickly, a month later, we all then work from home. In the first couple of weeks, I spent a lot of effort to accommodate working schedules and a little behind. When we entered into MAY, I felt my pace has caught up, and a little spare time available. To take advantage of the gap, I fill every gap by learning and practice the modules. Because of this action, I was able to complete all modules yesterday. What a great experience!



2020-05-13

~~coffee time~~ up and down site of working from home~

Do you have the same feeling also? Working from home makes me busier than working in the office.  Why?

It's so convenient, the first thing I get up from my bed is to turn on my notebook and sign into company VPN. After a quick breakfast, I will begin a long day of work. The lunch break becomes shorter and shorter. Work becomes my entertainment. I can work 10 hours straight now. Base on the fact that we don't need to dress up, makeup and drive to and back from office. No other interruptions, even my parents sometimes come along and ask for something. 

Am I ready for this general living style? I am not sure...




~~lemon tea~~Spring is here, summer is not far away

I broke my record, it's been almost 2 months in total, I did not go out. I am surprised by myself. Except for working, cooking, eating and bathing, I did some reading, some online courses and listening to my music.

Finally, spring is here, the temperature is going up daily. My flowers are growing very well!






2020-02-05

Black Coffee~~ Dynamic Financial Analysis

I've made a decision and moved into the current work of life. I was inspired by a consultant's class the last summer. David has shown us how Excel can make a visualization report as amazing as Power BI or other BI tools.

It was an eye-opening and brainwashing class. I knew I was shocked, after that, I continued took his next dynamic and data modelling seminars.

like lighting up a campfire, I was not sure what would drive me to, but one thing I was sure that I was looking for a change.

Yes, it had been 6 months now since the seminar. I am able to practice and build my own dynamic spreadsheet too.




2020-01-16

The black 🐈

We heard about this little cat when we visited our neighbour. She told us that the cat was caught by another neighbour, he has been sent to the wild animal's vet,  It was confirmed that he is a boy, very healthy. They will send him to a home.

So happy to know that he got a place to stay warm in the winter. Just we missed him so much.



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