Cambridge Ontario - Jasper's Birthday Party

Rabbit, rabbit. An reminder that another month of my life has slipped away. They go so fast these days.

The hotel has a fine breakfast buffet but they charge $12.00 for it. Buffets are my enemy these days anyway, so we slipped out and stopped at the Golden Arches to pick up the usual to munch on while we made the short journey to Woodstock to greet the Birthday Boy.

Jasper was his usual cheery self. We played with him for a while as Tom loaded all the things for the party in their Caravan. I wish we had Stow And Go seats when we had our minivans.

Jasper James in his natural habitat

No doubt about whose big day it is

We left for Cambridge a little after noon. The party was being held in the hall above the Duncan McIntosh Arena in Churchill Park. The rental was supposed to start at 1:00, but no one was there when we arrived to unlock the place for us. The lady showed up a few minutes later because she realized on her way over that she had forgotten the keys, and had to go back. Then there was a question about whether we would be upstairs or downstairs. The downstairs hall was cavernous, big enough for a party of 500 and lacking the warmth of the better appointed upstairs area. After a phone conversation with the boss, upstairs it was.

We set the tables and chairs up and laid out the food before waiting for the rest of the assorted family to show up.

All we need now are guests

Some of the food

Nice defensive move against the balloon attack

The guests started to arrive about 2:00. Another grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. The kids played while the adults talked. At this point, there are no teenagers. The cake was interesting. Tom had taken a couple of Jasper's toys and had them replicated in a very rich confection complete with a marshmallow fondant icing. It was impressive, although the icing raised my blood sugar just looking at it. Jasper took it all in without comment.

Socializing

The gift table runneth over

Dad and Jolene

An unusual cake

Jasper is happy as usual

Cutting the cake

Robyn needs to work on her camera face

Jolene was in eating mode

Soon he won't need the lion

Dentally challenged in the short term

As the party wound down,we stowed the tables and chairs away where we found them and generally rendered the hall back to the same condition we found it. There were too many gifts to all fit in Tom and Heather's Caravan, so we loaded the overflow in the Avalanche and followed them back to Woodstock.

At the Flying J in Ayr, I fueled the truck at some very slow pumps. I scraped the salt build-up off the windows and headlights as well. It was a thick layer in some places. Then we visited in Woodstock for a while before heading back to our hotel in Cambridge about 7:15. The roads were now wet and the moisture in the air soaked up the headlight beams, but we made it without incident.

Once again, without the computer, it was an early night. I read some more on the Kindle but it was lights out before I got too far.

Sudbury Ontario to Cambridge Ontario

I got up after my second alarm went off at 7:00 AM. I guess I must have hit the kill button when the first alarm went off an hour earlier, no surprise since I think I finally got to sleep about 4:30. This wasn't the way to start off a day of driving, and I would have grabbed another hour except that I had a breakfast meeting with some MS Society people at 8:00.

Sandy and I would be heading south today to participate in the first birthday celebration for grandson Jasper tomorrow in Cambridge. Normally we would have gone down yesterday but a Symposium that our MS Society chapter was hosting today had some out of town folks attending. Although we would miss the presentations, the early meeting had been scheduled to discuss some inter-chapter business.

Despite never having any spectacularly cold days, the fact that we didn't have any warm ones either has made this the coldest February on record. Ever. Since they began keeping records. Let's hear it for Global Warming. It was -23C as we headed over to the Tim Horton's where we planned to meet the folks from North Bay and our Regional Director from Thunder Bay.

By the time the meeting was over and we had stopped by the Rona Ramsey MS Centre of Hope to look after a little paperwork, it was 9:50. The temperature was rising fast, all the way up to -12 as we turned our way south in the trusty Avalanche.

The trip was uneventful. Sandy didn't even take any pictures. We stopped in Parry Sound and grabbed a quick McDonald's lunch to go. It was probably the lack of sleep that threw me off south of there. I suddenly got choppy in the curves, something that happens more on the bike than when I'm piloting four wheels. As before, I noted that I was fixating on the centre line way to close ahead of us, so I  forced myself to unlock my eyeballs. Things got better after that. Driving is so natural to me that when I slip out of the zone, it scares me.

I mentioned how the trusty Garmin Zumo 550 GPS had been giving me some problems, not the least of which was a missing button. I recently found out that Garmin was no longer selling refurbished 550 units to people with problems. It was time for an upgrade and I had been doing some research. I played a bit with Stewey's Zumo 665 in Arkansas last year. It looked like it would do everything I had learned how to do with the 550, albeit sometimes a little differently, and more. Except for the XM radio, which I never used on the 550 and could not make a good enough case for now. So the Zumo 660 was my choice. Allowing for exchange rates (which will hurt us this summer), the price at Radioworld in Toronto was about the best around. Be advised that specialized motorcycle GPS units are not cheap.

We were north of Barrie when I called Radioworld. They had 660's in stock but they closed at 2:00 PM. It was 1:00 when I made the call and we still had about 55 miles of highway and Toronto traffic to deal with, so I poured on the coals a little bit more and we arrived in the parking lot with ten minutes to spare. I bought a new 660 and, as I was sitting in the truck figuring out how to install the battery in my new precision instrument (or toy, take your pick), the Closed sign lit up in the store window.

I called The Mighty Stonewall in Woodbridge to see if he was available for coffee. I thought we might meet him Monday, but our big city chore was now out of the way and I wasn't coming back to Hogtown during the Monday morning rush. Unfortunately, Gord was getting ready for his brother's wedding so we had to put off getting together until next time.

Comparisons are fun. I mounted the new unit next to the trusty old one and we set out for Cambridge on the 401. I know that texting and driving isn't safe. It probably isn't safe to be experimenting with a new GPS either while barreling down the busiest highway in North America, but we arrived in one piece. I'm going to like this new device. It did everything I wanted plus had lane assist and let me decide what readouts to keep on the screen. Things I had to flip to other screens for on the 550, like altitude, average speed and a host of other measurements. Any four, take your pick. Plus, any time we approached a major exit, it would flash up a picture of the route sign for a few seconds to augment the lane assist. The only down side will be that, while all the wires and plugs are the same, the configuration is a bit different. I have some cabling work to do to get this functioning on the bike.

We pulled into the lot at the Cambridge Hotel and Conference Centre at about 3:00 PM (which was, coincidentally, check in time). I wasn't that impressed with the Super 8 next door the last time we came down, so I figured we'd give this place a shot. Good choice. The room was nice and they gave us the WiFi password. It was right about then that I realized my computer was all packed up and sitting next to our coffee table back in Sudbury. I'm lucky that my head is screwed on!

We called Kim and Mike and dropped over to visit them. As usual, the granddaughters were either happy to see it or are on the road to becoming great actresses. We had a supper of chicken and salad, played with the girls and watched some TV before heading back to the hotel a little after 10:00.

We stopped at a convenience store along the way and a lady in a car approached us and said she was lost. This was at the corner of Myer and Water St and she was looking for the 401. I told her that we were heading to our hotel which was right beside the 401 on ramp, so she followed us up Hespeler Road to the interchange. She pulled up beside me at the last traffic light and told me she had a camp near Shawanaga. Almost Northern Ontario. And she knew someone that played hockey for the Sudbury Wolves. Too bad I don't follow hockey.

In the room with no computer, I read a bit on my Kindle. "Nature's God - the heretical origins of the American Republic". Nice light reading before going to sleep. At least it is for a Deist who studies the American Constitution:-) Soon it was time to roll over and go to sleep.

Today's Route (281 Avalanche miles):

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2015 Outlook

Happy New Year. Our travels in 2014 were limited for several reasons. We missed a few gatherings that we normally do like SEVROC and Solvang. We hope to fix this in the upcoming season.

The Texas Hill Country Rally, rejuvenated last year by Grandpa D, is going ahead again Fredericksburg in April. It will be a long trip for a short time stay, but we haven't ridden in the Lone Star State for a few years and I would really like to get down there and shake the winter cobwebs out. The bike will need new tires and some maintenance before we go.

We are booked into SEVROC in Maggie Valley again in May. We will head out right after the annual MS Carnation Campaign is over and get there a couple of days early to do some exploring.

June will see the Freedom Riders President's Ride, four days to check out the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We may continue on from there to Boscobel, Wisconsin for the 18th Annual Midwest Great River Run. It has been a while since we've been there as well.

July should see us on our way to the Aebleskiver Rally in Solvang, California. It would be nice if we could leave the truck in Denver for a couple of days and take the train to Salt Lake City and back. The ride through the canyons and over the mountains should be spectacular. From Solvang, we will head north to enjoy the Wolfman's Wandering Rally 9 in Mountain Home, Idaho. On the way home, it would be nice to spend a few days in the Black Hills if we can.

The 22nd Annual Freedom Rally takes place on the Civic Holiday Weekend in Sudbury. The Interlochen Rally in Michigan is two weeks later and I would like to slip a trip back to North Carolina in there somewhere, taking any Freedom Riders who would like to go along with us.

September, of course, will see us heading back to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the VROC fall wind-up gathering.

This is an ambitious schedule and there are a few issues that could get in our way. But it is doable and we are going to give it our very best effort.

Holiday Doings

The year 2014 is drawing to a close.

December was busy. After we got back from Cambridge, I developed a nasty cold that turned into bronchitis. This put a crimp into some of my holiday festivities and tasks. By mid-month, I was back in gear. I worked a number of Red Nose shifts and tried to catch up on other chores.

Christmas was quiet. Sandy and I had her mother Jan over for the day, but that was about it. That changed soon after. Kim, Mike and the girls arrived on Saturday the 27th for a few days. They got a room at the Towne Place Suites and we all went to MIC Restaurant for supper.

Supper at MIC

The girls seem to be enjoying themselves

After supper, I headed out to do a Red Nose shift. This started about 8:00 PM and I got home, as usual, about 4:30 AM Sunday morning. While I was out, Sandy called to say that Heather, Tom and Jasper had arrived. That put my mind at ease because I always worry when family is on the road on a winter night.

The next morning, we enjoyed having everyone home for a bit. Kim and Mike headed home on Monday, but Heather and Tom would be spending a week. Jasper has to be the best behaved baby I have ever met and it was good to get to know him better.

 Jasper

Tonight, Tom will be working the Red Nose New Year's Eve shift with me. This is a hard night to get volunteers but the Freedom Riders have come through again with a few teams. Secretary Sue will be acting as our navigator tonight. They will take calls for an extra hour, closing the phones at 4:00 AM.

So, with best wishes to all for a Happy New Year, we're out of here.

Cambridge Ontario to Sudbury Ontario

Rabbit, rabbit. A new month dawns.

We were up and rolling by 7:20 AM. It was Monday morning and you couldn't pay me enough to go anywhere near Toronto, so we started heading northeast on Highway 24, or what remains of it after it was segmented by one of the more senseless acts of Mike Harris' Common Sense Revolution.

Reaching Guelph, we found they had torn up Wellington Street again. This was just ripped nine ways from Sunday a couple of years ago and here its was shredded one more time. I navigated some back streets to get to McDonald's for breakfast to go. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Mickey D's had been remodeled for the better. Same footprint, different innards.

The route continued up 24 all the way to Airport Road without incident, and then we made a short hop north to Highway 9. The winds were blowing strongly out of the north, which was probably fair in someone's eyes since they had been largely out of the south on our way down. Overall, the percentage of time I am pushing a headwind is vastly greater than random chance or prevailing winds should allow.

Continuing east on Highway 9, we once again noted some confused Canada geese flying north near Schomberg. The nebulous "they" almost got me as I merged from 9 onto Highway 400 North. A highway maintenance vehicle was blocking part of the merge lane and, although he had a couple of orange traffic cones deployed right at the truck, there was no advance warning. I was glad that the right travel lane was empty or it could have been nasty.

The fuel stop and bathroom break at the Barrie Service Centre was brief. They don't seem to have very many gas pumps here and the layout is less than optimal. But then what would I expect from a brand new facility designed by the government? And the exit where Highway 11 splits from Highway 400 is still under construction. I expect there is some young MTO engineer who expects to work on this project until he retires.

As we moved on towards Parry Sound, we got fog and then snow. By Horseshoe Lake Road, it had started to accumulate on the road surface, causing me to slow down a bit. In Parry Sound, we encountered some squalls verging on whiteout conditions and then we moved from squall to blue sky and back most of the rest of the way.

First the light fog

Then the flurries

Pointe Au Baril

Clouds over Sudbury

When we got back to town, I went straight to the MS Society building where I was going to park the trailer for the winter. I got the lock to the gate on the side yard open but wasn't able to lock it again after I dropped the trailer because it was frozen. Not having any de-icer nor a blow dryer, I took one of the padlocks off the trailer ramp and used that to secure the compound, leaving one of my keys on the ring in the office.

When we got home, we found that all the snow had melted. Again. It looks like it is going to be an interesting winter.

Today's Route (280 Avalanche miles):

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Birthday Party in Aylmer Ontario

Woke up at 6:00 AM. Wasn't successful so I woke up again at 7:00 AM. Still no dice. My feet hit the floor about 8:00. There was no Email that needed to be dealt with so Sandy and I showered and headed down to the motel office for Raisin Bran, toast and coffee.

After breakfast, we headed over to Kim and Mike's. Everyone was getting ready to leave for Aylmer for the party. We put Jolene's booster seat in the Avalanche so she could travel with us and headed out about 11:30. Heather and Tom had taken Jasper to Kingston for a getaway and would be coming straight back to Aylmer from there.

A little after 12:30, we arrived at Cy's Bowling Lanes and Lounge in Aylmer. Many of my police friends know Cy's because the Ontario Police College is in Aylmer and Cy's is one of the few places in town to get a beer. The back room was already set up for us. Before long, Mike's parents Gail and Peter arrived as did his sister and brothers and their offspring. Tom, Heather and Jasper appeared soon after.

 Cy's Bowling Lanes and Lounge - Aylmer Ontario

Gail and Peter at the head of the table

Mom and Dad look relaxed

The first order of business was, naturally, bowling. The last time I bowled, I injured my knee so I just watched. Some of the children were so small that it took all they had to get the ball to the end of the alley. But there was a lot of laughing and I think everybody had a good time.

Jolene getting ready to roll

Robyn keeping her eye on the ball

Happy smiles

Jolene keeping cousin Jasper entertained

More of the bowlers

After bowling, Cy's kitchen sent out the food.  We had wings, chips and mozzarella sticks. I tried to watch what I ate. Always watch what I eat. Then I eat it, which is probably why I don't seem to be able to lose weight. It's the old seafood diet. See food, eat food!

After the food, the party moved on to cake and gifts. There was a lot of both.

The gift table was full

Waiting for the cake

It was a nice cake

 

My law enforcement friends will understand this

As it wound down, we took the gifts out to Mike's van. We were the last to leave, following Heather and Tom back to Woodstock so I could get Tom's Operation Red Nose application. I needed to get it to Sudbury so his background check could be finished before he came up to work with me on New Years Eve.

We arrived at their house about 4:20. I was impressed with their new concrete driveway. It makes the house look finished. About 5:30, we headed back to Cambridge in the dark. It was raining lightly, the kind that soaks up the headlights and limits visibility, so I took it easy. At Kim and Mike's I hooked up the trailer we watched a little TV. The girls had gotten Nerf guns but unlike the soft Nerf bullets, these had some substance to them. I wouldn't want to get shot with one.

Afterwards, we hauled the trailer back to the motel for an early getaway in the morning. There was a suitable space next to our building where I parked it. It was almost 9:30, typical On-The-Road bedtime, so I read some more on the Kindle before going to sleep. This is great because we can turn off the TV and all the lights so Sandy can sleep and I can still read as much as I want. When I've had enough, all I need to do is close the cover and roll over.

Today's Route (139 Avalanche miles):

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Sudbury Ontario to Cambridge Ontario

Today was another one of those days when I would have liked to be in two places at once. Tonight was the first night for the Action Sudbury/Impact 621/Freedom Riders team to work for Operation Red Nose, plus I was supposed to do the newby orientation again. The team lists had been drawn up and submitted and Tom, a longstanding Red Nose volunteer, would cover my training responsibilities. It would have been nice to be, there but a granddaughter's birthday party comes first. Since it was going to be a double party (Robyn was born in October and Jolene in December but Kim and Mike hold one official party so people can travel and celebrate both), that is twice the reason to head south.

Before we could leave, there were a couple of chores that needed doing. First off, there is a sump along the outside wall inside the garage. It is almost six feet deep and handles drainage from weeping tiles along that wall by means of a submersible pump. For the last few days, the float switch on the pump has been sticking, causing it to continue running after the sump is dry. This is a surefire way to chew up a lot of electricity and, before long, burn out the pump. I thought I had it fixed but the switch failed again so I headed over to Lowes and bought a replacement. And a spare. Climbing down in the sump is a nasty job but I have a system now and had the switch changed in about ten minutes. It looks like the service life of the magnetic switch is about two years.

I checked the oil in the truck, topped up one tire with a slow leak and hooked up the trailer. The trailer ramp padlocks were frozen so I attacked them with a blow dryer. That did the trick in short order. I dropped the ramp, loaded the old (OK, it is 2012 vintage so I guess I should say "older") snow blower and tied it down. We were almost ready to go. Then I hooked up the GPS and found that the car mount wasn't getting any power. Murphy was in high gear today. No big deal, I knew my way.

We were on our way south at 10:28 AM. It was -2C under grey skies and the roads were slippery due to lightly falling snow, but the forecast in Cambridge was for 10C so I expected that conditions would improve somewhere down the road. I am not a big fan of towing on slick surfaces, but I put the truck in 4WD Auto and third gear and let it roll along while avoiding making any sudden moves.

Traffic was light as we moved along carefully. We were listening to the Red Neck Comedy Channel on XM and I made note of two things that resonated. The first was a comedian named Henrickson who was talking about erectile dysfunction. He described it as trying to stuff a marshmallow into a piggy bank. The second item was a few words of wisdom from the late Brother Dave: "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." Sounds close to my own philosophy.

I gave the GPS another try around Still River and, wonder of wonders, it worked. This car mount has been a little flaky since North Carolina in August and, now that one of the button has fallen off the actual GPS, I will need to consider replacing it with a refurbished Zumo 550 (if they are still available) or perhaps an upgraded unit of some kind. Another winter project.

We stopped for McNuggets in Parry Sound and Sandy got a smoothie to wash hers down. South of Waubaushene, the temperature moved above freezing but the winds got stronger. On the plus side, the roads were clear. There were skiers on the hill at Mt. St. Louis but the snow looked pretty thin. Still, this was an early start for them so they must have been smiling. South of Barrie, we noted that the southbound service centre that had been closed at Highway 89 was not being rebuilt at that location. Instead, an On Route facility was being constructed on open ground a few miles north. This looks like a good spot and stopping won't run afoul of the interchange traffic.

It was off again at the King Service Centre for fuel. I scoped out the trailer parking in the back and determined you can't really get there from the pumps. No problem because we weren't stopping but it was still confusing. North of Toronto, I decided to splurge and take the 407 Toll Road. This is outrageously expensive but, with the trailer, it is the easiest route. When we turned west, the tail wind pushed the fuel mileage from 10 MP(US)G to 14. There was no snow down here.

Strange clouds and no snow near Toronto

Near Milton, we saw some confused Canada geese flying north. I wasn't sure what this meant. The rest of the trip was uneventful. Upon arriving in Cambridge, I noted that the gas price at the Shell on Franklin was $1.089 per liter, compared to the $1.136 we had paid in Sudbury. Still, both prices were a welcome relief from the $1.35 range we had grown accustomed to. I know this international price war is going to hurt our economy but, in the short term, it was sure helping my wallet.

We arrived at Kim and Mike's at 4:25 PM. I unloaded the snowblower and fired it up, giving Mike a crash course on the basics of its operation. Then I backed the trailer into their driveway and unhooked it. We visited for a while and then decided to go to Lone Star for supper. Sandy and I stopped by the Super 8 to register and get our keys on the way. While we were there, Kim called to say that Lone Star was too busy and we should meet them at the Thai Coconut Island on Hespeler Road instead. I have never had Thai food before so this would be a new experience.

We were the only customers at the Thai Island. I had Pad Thai with beef and found it quite tasty. The had several types of Koi in a tank, which kept the girls amused while we waited for our food. Our server took a photo so, for once, I got to be in one of my pictures.

Coconut Thai Palace - Cambridge Ontario

When we finished supper, we headed back to the house and I had the pleasure of reading Dr. Seuss to the kids. The Cat In The Hat Came Back, to be precise. I love the rhythm that the good doctor used in his stories. About 10:00 PM, Sandy and I headed back to the Super 8. I had reserved a suite which turned out to be two rooms where the wall between them had been knocked down. It was an odd setup and I wasn't too impressed with the accommodations. Still, it was a bed. I read a book on my Kindle until I ran out of steam and finally went to sleep.

Today's Route (281 Avalanche miles):

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Busy November

November has been busy so far despite the fact that we haven't gone anywhere yet. Halloween brought our first serious snow storm. Then it melted. Then we got another dump. And it melted. And again and still again it melted. Three days ago, we got our fourth fall of heavy, wet snow. I went out and bought a new snowblower, a Cub Cadet 26" three-stage HD model. The 13 HP engine handles both heavy, wet snow and the Northern Life newspaper with ease.

Wet snow three days ago

On the 20th and again yesterday, I volunteered a couple of hours to represent the OPP Veterans Association ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at the doors of Costco. Our chapter covers two days for this worthwhile purpose. My Deist views don't square with the religious bent of the Sally Ann but I respect the work they do and consider this time well spent.

 The bells, the bells......

On the 22nd, the local Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol unit volunteered once again to assist with security and crowd control for the Sudbury Santa Claus Parade. As an alumnus/retiree, I am usually pressed into service for this event. I spent the duration of the parade keeping kids off the streets at the corner of Elgin and Durham Streets along with two volunteers from our Citizens On Patrol program. At least, nobody was sitting on the curbs thanks to wet snowfall number three.

After the parade, the team adjourned to The Doghouse for wings and beer (Diet Coke in my case).

The Freedom Riders also had a float in the parade. It was a very good float if I do say so myself.

Special Constable Chuck heading for his assigned spot

Getting located

Kids building a snowman by the Inukshuk

This morning, Action Sudbury - Citizens Against Impaired Driving kicked off its Annual Red Ribbon Campaign at the Travelodge to promote safe and sober driving through the holiday season. We had to set up early today since the hall had been in use last night.I learned that when you borrow a projector from Normie, make sure that all the cords are in the case before you pick it up. Luckily, the hotel IT folks loaned us what we needed to get by.

Action Sudbury Chair Ron and member Norm

These kids just sat there

This was why

Moment of silence

Amazing Grace

Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas

Outgoing Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuck

Sudbury Deputy Police Chief Al Lekun

OPP Inspector Mark Andrews

Ron, Brenda Stankiewicz and Rolly Mousseau preparing to announce the winner of the Rolly Mousseau Award

 Rollie Mousseau Award winner Norm McIntosh of the Evolutionary Band

Ron and Norm - two leaders in the fight against impaired driving

The kickoff went well. After it was done, Ron and I delivered the displays back to the Action Sudbury storage locker in the Sudbury Trail Plan offices in Garson. Norm L. and Dave D. delivered Red Ribbon Coin Boxes to the Post Offices through the City of Greater Sudbury. The City is so large that the shortest route I can find for this task is 120 miles. I will be picking them up in the New Year when Ron is in South Carolina and Norm is in Arizona.

One additional task got added to my plate this month. As I have for the last two years, I coordinated a team effort to support Operation Red Nose here. This program fields teams of volunteers throughout the city to get people and their vehicles home from their social engagements if they feel they shouldn't be driving. My efforts coordinate participation by volunteers from Action Sudbury, The Impact 6/21 Foundation and the Freedom Riders for two specific nights, the first being tomorrow. The new task is thanks to Lesli Green, founder and president of Operation Red Nose Sudbury, who lost her trainer and approached me about taking on the role. I sat with her and we worked out a syllabus to orientate new volunteers. I gave my first training session last night and will do another this evening.

Tomorrow, Sandy and I will head for Cambridge for the nominal joint birthday party for granddaughters Jolene and Robyn on Sunday. I will be towing our trailer with our old snowblower for son-in-law Mike, who bought it from me when I acquired the new cadet.