So for the last few days and the next several, it's going to be crazy cold here in North Central Alberta. I know that might seem a bit random. however, during this time, I'll be staying inside, working on the course content. During breaks, I'll be tending the wood stove that we use as our main heat source. I have to be honest, there is something special about pausing to think and hearing the crackle of a fire in the background. It brings a kind of peace to the process of creating. I'm curious, when the weather is miserable and cold, what do each of you do to pass the time?

It's official, I've started working on the first community course. The course will be going live early January 2026, likely the start of the second week of the month. I'm doing it this way so I can factor in Holiday time with family. I'll keep posting updates as well as the release format every couple days. Stay tuned, this course could impact your finances dramatically!

I'm wondering, if I could show you something which would you prefer to see? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

In our household, we consume a lot of milk. From breakfast cereals to egg wash for French toast and cream soup bases, we can use as much as 12 Litres or 3 gallons a week. It all depends on the season and what the meal plans are for that week. Because of this, I often kid around, saying we should get our own dairy cow. However, since a dairy cow in our current location is an impossibility, we have taken to buying our milk "en masse". Basically, when we get low, during our next shopping trip, we will purchase as many as six 4L /1-gallon jugs. Since we live in a rural area (A small hamlet with zero legitimate grocery services), doing this ensures we don't have to visit a store for milk every 2-3 days. This saves us making a roughly 100 km (60 mi) round trip, an hour and a half of our time, and about $10 to $15 in fuel costs, just for milk. When we get home, we simply open each jug, pour out 2 cups of milk from each one into the currently open jug, recap them, and put them in the freezer. This helps keep the milk past the expiry date in case any of the jugs were getting close. When we get down to approximately one-third of a jug of milk remaining in the refrigerator, we remove a jug from the freezer, place it in a large bowl to catch any condensation (and possible milk spillage), then wait roughly 24 hours for the milk to thaw. When the milk has thawed completely, we give the jug a good shake and bingo, good to go! Now I cannot stress enough how important it is to remove those 2 cups of milk from each jug. If you do not do this, when the milk freezes, it will expand. This expansion can and has caused the jugs to split and crack. IF a split or crack occurs, you may not notice it initially, but as the milk thaws, the jug will leak. Hence, the large bowl when thawing. Now I know this tip may not seem helpful for everyone, but keep in mind that unless you are within walking distance of a grocery store, any reduction in trips that require the use of a vehicle will save you money and time.

Who's got interesting Saturday plans? On my end I am taking some time to make up a shopping list for some recipes I want to cover in the community then, weather permitting I'll be off with a fellow Ham to go do some repeater work and swap over an antenna to hopefully increase repeater range and output quality. After that it will probably be some quality time with my lady while she's got a day off from work.