Here are some entries that JRB wrote before, on, and after various Grey Cup game days and his Birthdays - not necessarily in order.
Saturday November 24, 1956 cloudy mild
temp at noon + 30 F
up at 8am, dressed, breakfast, talked, got ready, out in car, Rhoda, Linda, Chris, Gerry, downtown on Donald St to Eatons, looked at Toyland and Eaton's windows til 10:45am, out to car, got a parking ticket, home by 11:15am, ate, then out and over to Art's to watch the Grey Cup Game on TV; score Montreal 27 Edmonton 50 - so Edmonton ties with Queens University, Toronto in winning 3 Grey Cups in a row. Home by 3:30pm, then went shopping to the new Shop Easy on Watt near Melrose, home, put groc's away, put car in, read, supper, played crib with Rhoda, I won 3 games, had something to eat, then bed.
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Friday, November 29, 1957 cold and partly cloudy
temp at noon +8F
up at 7am, dressed, shaved, washed and had tea, talked, KR, out in the car to the clinic with Bett, then to work via Sargent. did a few orders til 10am, coffee, then orders til 11:15, out in car to cleaners, picked up things, then home, lunch, talked, left, back to work. Bryan's afternoon off, talked, did different things, swept floor, washed car, put milk and bread in car, then left. Home, in, talked, had a bath, changed, shaved, got ready by 6. Jack went in my car and got girls. Left Rhoda and I at St. Johns Church on Cathedral Dr. Saw Bryan Andrews married, then home, Gail Stuart with us, picked up Bett, back to reception in hall at Seven Oaks on North Main St. found place and parked behind the hall. Met B.Woods that runs the place, nice meal, had beer and danced, had a purty good time. Left at 12, over to Rose's place and stayed there after I took Bett and Dave home, stayed at Rose's til about 2am, out in car and home by 2:30am, in, locked up, bed.
Saturday, November 30, 1957 cloudy and cold
temp at noon +2F
up at 9:30am, got a headache, dressed, breakfast, talked, took a 222, laid down and slept til 11:30am. Up, watched Grey Cup Parade on TV, headache gone, feel better, watched Grey Cup Game on TV, score Winnipeg 7 Hamilton 32 They lost but played a wonderful game in their condition, fumbles cost them the game. Talked, took Rhoda downtown with Linda, Chris, and Gerry, to bakery and Shop Easy, then to drugstore and home. put groc's away, read paper, Rhoda phoned about 6, downtown to pick her up, then home, helped get supper ready, ate, watched TV all night til 11pm, Bed.
Sunday December 1, 1957 cloudy and cold
temp at noon +2 F
up at 9am, dressed, tea, breakfast, fooled around down basement for awhile, out and shovelled snow from driveway and sidewalk til 11am, sat around til lunch, laid down & slept til 3:30pm. up and watched TV til 5:30pm supper. Dave here, had birthday cake & pie and the usual vegetables & meat, talked and sat around, watched TV til 8:30pm the Dave, Bett, Jack, Joan, Linda and myself played PIT til about 11:30pm, ate & bed by 12:15.
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Saturday November 30, 1968 sun mild temp at noon +38F
up twice in the night to the bathroom, slept on & off til 8am. up dressed, tea, washed, breakfast, read, talked, Rhoda gone to work in car at 9am, did writing, did a few things til 11:30am, watched football on TV. Grey Cup, won by Ottawa 24 Calgary 21, I won $25 on 3rd quarter score, made and had lunch, laid down after I phoned Rhoda, slept til 3:30pm, repair man here and fixed the stereo, also Watkins agent. read paper til Rhoda got home at 5:45, talked, supper, sat around talking. Linda and George here, talked, played records, then Joan, Jack, Randy and Bett here. We talked about ways and means for Xmas buying and came out to an understanding. Also I received socks from Linda, a watch strap from the boys, gloves from Rhoda, aftershave from Bett. Randy got a car from us and a boat from Linda. They are all gone by 12:30am, I am kinda peeved about the whole business, why couldn't they leave it the way it was, to bed, Rhoda came, cuddled a bit, never felt like it so she got mad & went to sleep & then I did.
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Sunday November 30, 1969 cloudy mild temp at noon +32F
up at 6:30 am, to bathroom, back to bed, slept til 9:45am, up, dressed, washed, breakfast, talked, read, started laundry. Bett, Dave and kids here, talked, they left a present for me, they left at 11:30am, continued laundry til 12, then watched football game til 3pm, had lunch at 1/2 time, score Ottawa 29 Regina 11, so the Grey Cup stays east for another year. Put lid on one record box and wheels on it. did writing til 4:30pm. I begun today to take high blood pressure pills 3 times a day, got the pills yesterday at the drugstore for $1.70. Rhoda and I talked, supper, cleared table and washed dishes, then Rhoda and I worked on toys til 11pm, I started to feel dizzy so quit for awhile, had tea and bread and went to bed.
Monday December 1, 1969 sunny mild
temp at noon +40F
My Birthday, 60 years young - up at 6:45am, dressed and shaved, washed, breakfast, talked listened to radio out and started the car, back in, KR, left to P.O. and to work, orders til 10:30, tea and then orders til 12, out in car, home, read, lunch talked with Rhoda, KR, left to work, orders til 3:30, tea, orders til 4:30, out in car and home, talked, read paper, supper, had raisen pie with candles on it, blue them out, rec'd cars from Chris and Jack, socks and nail clippers from Bett, after shave and lotion fro Linda and bowling shoes from Rhoda, but they are too tight, Linda and George here, played with George, finally got ready to go to bowling alley, avg 205, home at 11:45, read, talked, bed, slept.
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Saturday November 30, 1963 clear and cold
temp at noon +19F
up at 8:10am dressed, washed and breakfast, talked, did writing til 9am, did a few clean up things, out with Rhoda in the car to A&P store, did shopping, to bakery, bread, then home, put stuff away, Rhoda went out making calls for AVON, watched Grey Cup Parade from Vancouver til 12:45pm, Rhoda home, lunch, talked, watched Grey Cup Game, score Hamilton 21 BC Lions 10, I don't think I won anything on the tickets, so now the East has won the Grey Cup 25 times and the West 11 since I been keeping track. Norman was here to watch the game and stayed for supper. talked then went down to basement and played curling with hockey pucks til 11:30, ate, Norman gone, to bed, slept.
Sunday December 1, 1963 clear & cold temp at noon +5F
up at 9am dressed, washed, breakfast, talked, worked on cabinet until 1pm. lunch, laid down slept til 4pm. putting wire through floor for TV in basement, got a spike stuck in a hole and had a heck of a time getting it out, finally did after fooling around a bit, connected up everything and TV works, so watched TV. cleaned and washed. Rec'd card from Rhoda, Sweater from Linda and Boys -- although I thought Rhoda would do better than just a sentimental card, but I won't say anything about it. Supper, TV, had a birthday cake, TV til 9pm, out in car and took Linda to Nurse's Res, back home, in, read, did some writing, ate, bed at 11pm, slept.
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Friday December 1, 1972 clear & cold temp at noon - 10 F
up at 3am, to bathroom, back to bed, slept to 7am, dressed - My birthday, now 63 - shave washe an breakfast, talked, read, Birthday kisses from Rhoda, KR, out in car at 8am, to work, duties switched around, I'm doing trailers and the repacks, tea at 10:30, same til 12 noon, out in car, home, read, lunch, talked with Rhoda, KR, left to work, did trailer til 3, trailer finished, tea, orders done, checked everything, locked up, in car, home, talked, supper. Rec'd from Rhoda & Gerry, bowling shoes, Chris, two beer glasses, cards from Lil and Jessie, opened gifts, talked, Rhoda gone to work with Gerry in his new Dodge Dart, sat in chair, slept til 6, changed, talked with Chris on the phone, read paper, out in car to bowling alley, tried out new shoes, not bad, fit well, rolled 600, avg 194, out in car to Simpson Sears, waited til 9:35, got Rhoda, home, talked about Xmas, etc. Had hot chocolate and birthday cake, bed, slept.
Saturday December 2, 1972 clear & cold temp at noon -10F
up about 3, to bathroom, back to bed slept til 8:30am, dressed, washed, breakfast, read, sat around, talked, made groc's list, out and started car, in, Rhoda took Gerry's car out for a drive and back, then we left to service station for gas, and Safeway, got groc's, then I was feeling bad, out to car, got groc's and Rhoda home, put groc's in, sat around, talked, Gerry gone out after having tea, took Rhoda to S Sears, took two asprins, laid down, slept. Jack phoned at 3:35, up, Rhoda home, don't feel good, haven't been all day, Rhoda wants me to go to a house warming, sat in chair, dog tired, finally got ready, out at 7:45 to Joyce and Andy's, had a beer, talked, watched hockey game down basement, had 2 beers with Carol, Lois & others til about 11, ate, left there at 12:30 am home 1am, bed.
Sunday December 3, 1972 clear and cold temp at noon -10F
up twice in the night to bathroom, slept til 9am, dressed, washed, breakfast, read, talked, and did a few house cleaning things all morning, lunch, watched Grey Cup, score Saskatchewan 10, Hamilton 13, Grey Cup stays in the east again. laid down between 3:30 and 4:30pm, up talked read paper, supper, dozed in chair, watched tv, Phil, Linda and Phil's mother and the boys are here, talked awhile, then Phil showed us slides of his trip to China, finished at 11, had tea and cookies, talked, loaned Phil my battery charger and Linda borrowed my book, The Good Earth, they left, went to bed, argued, then went to sleep.
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Saturday, November 29, 1958 clear and cold
temp at noon -16F
up at 9am, decided to get up, did so, back still hurts but I guess I can get over it, talked, did a few things around the house, played with kids, out to throw the ball a bit, then got settled on chesterfield to watch the Grey Cup Parade and hilites of other games, Parade was not bad, took an hour to watch on TV, watched other things til game started, What a game, I think that Hamilton played pretty dirty football, although Wpg did some too, they really gave it to Hamilton. Spotted them 14 points through their own errors, but they sure made up for it score wise, Winnipeg 35 Hamilton 28, so Grey Cup comes to Winnipeg again, last time was 1941. Laid down because of headache, Art phoned, so got up, Jack took Rhoda shopping then went up town and wasn't back til 6pm, supper, read paper dozed, Jack to Rhoda to work at 8:30pm, I watched TV all evening til 12:30 am, Jack went to get Rhoda, they are back, tea, bed.
Monday, December 1, 1958 clear and cold temp at noon -3F
My Birthday - 49 years young
up at 7am, dressed shaved, washed, talked, KR, out in car to Notre Dame, left Jack at work, to work, talked, did a few orders til 10, tea and more orders til 12, sat around ate lunch, dozed and other things til 1:30, orders til 3pm, tea and more orders til 5pm, out in car, took Bryan to Portage, went and got Jack, home, in, read paper, supper, Rhoda gone to work by bus, talked, laid down, slept til 8:30pm, up, but did not do much as back still bothers me, watched TV til 10:30pm, out in car to downtown, got Rhoda, home, talked, bed. slept.
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Sunday, November 27, 1977 cloudy and mild
temp at noon +4C
Barbie's birthday.
up at 7am, dressed, washed, breakfast, still mad at Rhoda, read, then got ready, out in car at 9:40 am to bowling alley - Golden Age Rec Centre Tournament, my scores were 141- 136- 158, pretty bad for me, waited til they made the draw for the hamper, of course we never won, talked to Eleanor, left, home, light rain, watched the last of the Grey Cup game, Edmonton disgraced the west, Score was Edmonton 6 Montreal 41, so cup stays East. Had lunch laid down til 2:30pm, up, talked, watched TV, did writing until 3:30pm, read, supper, TV, dozed then did copying til 7pm, ran out of black ink so will switch to blue. talked awhile, had tea and bread, TV til 11:30, locked up and so to bed, everything the same so slept.
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Saturday November 29, 1947 cold temp at noon -2F
up 6:40 am dressed, lit fire, made tea, Rhoda got up, shaved washed, tea, KR, left to corner and caught streetcar to Garage, truck to work talked, read, truck to cafe, coffee and toast, 8:20, left for St. Boniface and St Vital deliveries, back at 11:10am, cashed in, talked left for Kildonan, Bill Woods with me, took truck to garage then 2 bowling alley, Bowled terrible 557, Pins 6838, Games average 36 games, 189.34, out to Warehouse, to garage, got truck, took Joe C. home, then home, in, ate then listened to football game on the radio til 3pm. Score Toronto Argos 10 Winnipegs 9, out in truck, Betty Ann and Jack with me to St. Vital, then took truck to garage, walked to Hudson Bay store and got Jack some felt boot liners, then we visited ToyLand for awhile, walked to Donald St and caught streetcar home, talked, played, supper, read paper, listened to radio, then got coal in, bed.
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Sunday November 25, 1973 cloudy and mild
temp at noon +24F
up once to bathroom in the night, slept til about 9am, dressed, washed, breakfast, read, didn't talk much, dozed, NORMAN, up, watched Grey Cup stuff on TV til 12, lunch then watched Grey Cup game til 3:30 pm Score Ottawa 22 Edmonton 18, Norman and Rhoda got ready and went to nursing home, gosh knows when they will be back, out to store for cigs, back, did writing, i guess I will have a sleep, time 4:10pm, slept, got up Rhoda and Norman back, Rhoda made and we ate supper, talked then she left with Norman, read, watched TV, they are back, they said Mom doing OK, talked and TV til 11pm, Rhoda gone to bed, so I had tea and a bun, Norman went out to A&W to get a nip, then we went to bed, slept.
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Saturday November 27, 1965 colder - snowing
temp at noon +5F
up at 8:10am dressed, snowing and blowing out bad, breakfast, watched Grey Cup Parade, did writing, watched other football things on TV, then TV Blacked OUT, and phone a couple of places, one came so cancelled call to other place, TV okay, he's gone, told me what tubes it could be, watched football game, Grey Cup, til 12:45, then too Rhoda to work, stopped at service station to get gas, home, watched rest of football game. Score Winnipeg 16 Hamilton 22, Grey Cup goes east. Took Linda to Nurses Residence, Gerry with us. home. Wheel of car was rubbing, had to clean snow out it was packed in the wheel well, in, ate, slept til 4. up, read paper and did things, out at 6:55 to bakery, got Rhoda, to Deer Lodge, then got some groc's, got stuck in snow, gave a guy a ride to Cavalier Dr because he helped us, home, in, supper, watched Hockey on TV, Bed 11:30.
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Saturday November 28, 1953 partly cloudy
temp at noon +26F
up at 9:40am, breakfast, talked, fixed fire, got ready, out to Shop Easy store on Kelvin - did shopping, home, had lunch, listened to Rugby game til 2:30pm Grey Cup Final score, Winnipeg 6 Hamilton 12 talked, fooled around, read, dozed, supper, washed and shaved, out with Rhoda to garage, left car to be fixed as it is losing anti freeze, to Roxy Theater on Main and saw Abbot and Costello in Jack and the Beanstalk and a submarine picture, out at 11, to garage, got car but its still leaking, home just a pan under car to catch anti freeze. ate and talked Bed.
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Chris says this entry has an error in it, can you find it?
Sunday November 28, 1976 partly cloudy and cool,
temp at noon +3C
46th day living in Vernon
up at 7:40am, to bathroom, then watched Grey Cup Festivities on TV in Toronto, then game until 12:40pm Score Saskatoon 20 Ottawa 23, cup goes east, won in the last minute, too bad, then had lunch, laid down, can't sleep, up at 2pm, talked, Eleanor on phone, then Rhoda left to go there at 3pm, made out checks for payments and ready for mailing, watched TV, Rhoda phoned at 4:10 pm. Key is jammed in ignition, talked with Pat, then he got a neighbour to come get me, key jammed but with a little oil and perseverance got it out, it was turned in wrong, talked, then left, home read, watched TV supper, did writing, time 7:35pm, read, then Rhoda and I wrote out Xmas cards and wrote letters, had tea and cookies then bed at 11:30pm, slept.
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Sunday November 23, 1975 clear and cold
temp at noon -27F
up at 2:40am to bathroom, slept after taking 2 asprins, up at 7:15am, back to bed and dozed til 8:30am, dressed, washed, breakfast, read, sat awhile, then down, Rhoda doing a wah, finished putting the shelving together, played with cat, did some more on ceiling til 11:30am, TV, lunch, read, then finally the Grey Cup game on, til 5:30pm Won by Edmonton 9 Montreal 8, a close fought game so the cup comes west for a change. Supper, TV til 7pm, did writing and watched TV til 11pm, had tea and bread, talked read, KR, bed, slept.
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Saturday November 26, 1966 partly cloudy and mild
temp at noon +25F
up at 7am, dressed washed, breakfast, talked, out, started car, in, Rhoda gone in car at 7:45 to work, laid down and slept til 9, up and had tea and toast, washed dishes then did writing ti 12:30, had lunch, laid down til 1:30pm, up, read and did a few odd things around the house til 2:50pm, watched Grey Cup Game, won by Sask Rough Riders 29 Ottawa 16, Sask has won a Grey cup for the first time after umpteen trys, helped Rhoda bring groc's in, talked, read paper, had supper, dozed, then went with Rhoda to K-mart with Gerry in car to get hockey helmet, wrapping paper for Xmas, and such. home, Jack and Joan here, talked and watched slides, ate and talked more backed car out so they could pull out, plugged in car, talked, bed.
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Saturday, November 29, 1941 cloudy temp at noon +9F
up at 6:55am, dressed, tea, feel rotten and how, ready, got water in, truck to Bob R's place, to Erzinger's in, cashed in, orders out, 3 pickups, back, short trip, back again, lunch, out to St Boniface, back in, stocktaking til 5:30pm, took Bob to Lily's, got groc's, home, put groc's in. To garage, left truck, home, supper, feel rotten , laid down, slept, up, talked, walked to store and back, brought coal and wood in, got water in, read diary. Radio reports Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated Ottawa by 18 - 16 winning Dominion Rugby title of 1941. Mileage on truck 5548.