Travellers!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been somewhat cooler, but we've still managed to get out for our walks and bike rides. Spring construction projects in the area sometimes provide the extra impetus to wander over and supervise! This week, we're watching a neighbour's installation of a recycled asphalt driveway. We had not heard of that before, but with the reduced cost both to the environment and the pocketbook, we're interested in seeing how it turns out! Our own driveway is deteriorating over time with the uneven support of the muskeg under it, so we're thinking it will need repair or replacement some year soon. Our big project this year is the replacement of the furnace, so I've been collecting bids for that job.

Focaccia

I made my first batch of focaccia bread this week following Joanna's recipe—it turned out great, but it stuck to the pan a bit. Modified plans are in place for my next try!

Florida Travellers

Travis and Joanna, along with Erin and Kristian are off to Florida today. They met up in Toronto and arrived in Tampa Bay this afternoon. We have their cars in our driveway, and are caring for one dog (Minnie) for part of the time they're away. I have my outside lights working as planned on an automatic schedule matched with sunset times here. Wendy is still wanting an outlet added to the closet by the side entry—I have it planned! My back is doing great, I work my golf swing each day and have raised my walking/cycling goal to 20 km per week. I found the weight/twist exercises to raise some aches and discomfort, so I've reduced that until I meet with the physiotherapist next week. Wendy keeps very busy with her choral work, and we also have the Silver Sound choir rehearsals as we prepare for our Spring Concert on May 10th. The markets were dismal again this week with the USA economy leading the world. This strengthens the USA dollar which serves as a bit of a brake on the economy, but also lessens the likelihood of rate cuts—we market-players want rate cuts! The regular season in the NHL has come to an end, and sadly, the Penguins fell one game short of making the playoffs. Leafs enter their series against Boston with a lot of trepidation! My Oilers take on Los Angeles in their first round series. I'm sticking with the favourites in most series, but since there always seems to be an upset—why can't it be on behalf of the longsuffering Leaf fans?! So, that's my set: Canes, Leafs, Panthers, Rangers in the east. Jets, Oilers, Canucks, Stars in the west. The Blue Jays are doing just okay in the early season action of baseball. Starting pitching is looking good, hitting is not meeting my expectations! The Players' Championship ended on Sunday with Tirinzoni and Gushue winning the respective sides. Now, curling is into the off-season and already we're seeing some drama as one of the top teams in the world (#4-Bottcher) fired their skip and replaced him with Brad Jacobs from the #11 team! There are more brooms to fall on this story! 

Erica writes, "We received a large dump of snow this week and are now looking forward to second spring. We are hoping to make some progress on a garage. We have a quote and are waiting for a second. Other than that, it’s just been a busy week."

Erin and Kristian had a difficult week as Kristian's skin issues erupted and he needed a trip to Emergency followed up by a visit with his skin specialist. The new meds worked effectively, and his symptoms improved quickly. They were able to head out for a week in Florida beginning today. 

Travis has been enjoying extra Bucket Decal orders from Lacrosse an Baseball teams. This is good, but it was a bit of extra pressure getting things out the door so they were ready to take two weeks vacation in Florida. 

And that's enough for this week! 

Beautiful Weather!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been great, and we've been getting out regularly for bike rides. I've also been working on my exercises and my golf swing. The driving ranges and some golf courses have opened here, but I'm not quite ready for that. I had another meeting with my physiotherapist this week, and he has raised my lift limit to 10 kg, and placed no other restrictions on my activity. I have been working on electrical improvements in the house and garage. Wendy is very busy with chorus management for the Sweet Adelines as they have an international competition coming up in Rochester MN. The major USA jobs production met with an increase in inflation this week, and that combined to convince investors that rate cuts were not in the offing, and may not happen this year at all. This led to a massive sell-off in the markets and all indices are in the red for the first half of this month. The NHL is down to the last few regular season games. My Oilers are in a battle for first place in their division but with the loss to the first place Canucks tonight that's likely over. Leafs are playing out the string as they have their playoff position pretty much locked in. Pens are in a battle to make the playoffs and are currently sitting in the final spot. My main attention this week has been on the Players Championship being played in Toronto, involving the top 12 teams in the world on both the men's and women's sides. My teams, #10-Kevin Koe and #7-Kerri Einarson, both failed to qualify for the playoff round, but I'm enjoying some great curling all the same. It'll be #2-Silvana Tirinzoni vs #9-Isabella Wranå in the women's final. #4-Brad Gushue plays #1-Joel Retornaz in the men's final. 

With the arrival of Spring, Eric and Erica are reawakening work on the development of the back yard. They would like to have a storage shed installed, so they are checking on costs for that. We will follow any progress with interest as the city has shown great reluctance to allow any improvements back there. Erica is pleased to report that Eric has returned from his Family Therapists' conference. It was a very positive learning experience last weekend and through the week. After fulfilling some other requirements, he will be able to add a new credential to his lengthy list! 

Kristian has been having only half days at school, so we're glad to see the government back to the negotiation table, and a return of his support worker in the afternoons. Yesterday, Kristian had a flare-up of some skin issues on his arms, so Erin has taken him to emergency to see if he can get some relief. They felt it was just some further irritation from his eczema, and advised the use of lotions. We hope they are correct! 

Travis keeps busy with the steady work on Bucket Decals orders.

Here's one he's fulfilling for a Florida team call the Iguanas! Gives you an idea of the kind of work he does with that aspect of his business. Joanna is busy with work, and she produced another bread recipe this week as well. Last week, we enjoyed the focaccia bread she made for our Easter feast. 

And that's enough for this week. 

Spring has Returned!

The Gathering!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my home town. The wintry weather of last week has given way to sunshine and warm weather so the snow has disappeared once again. We've been enjoying getting out for bike rides as the trails have dried up again. Wendy prepared a roast turkey with all the trimmings for our Easter Feast, but that was delayed until Travis recovered from his bout with Covid. Our regular schedules were revised by Easter Monday, so Wendy's choir practice was on Wednesday evening, and then we both had choir practice on Thursday morning. It's only a month until our Spring Concert, so rehearsals are taking on an extra urgency, but we're also having a lot of fun with it. I had another physio appointment on Tuesday, and he was well-pleased with my development. He increased my workouts, and set the next follow-up as three weeks ahead. I am pretty much restriction-free except for lifting heavy stuff. It is very encouraging. The markets were not so encouraging as strong economic data in the USA led some FED speakers to muse about the possibility of no rate cuts this year! However, when the USA jobs came in with a big beat, investors could no longer deny the reality of economic strength and they bought strongly to end the week—thanks Uncle Joe. Our jobs data was dismal—c'mon Justin, get things going! At least with our economic circumstances, we should get a rate cut! The world of sports remains busy this time of year. MLB has begun their regular season. Jays started on the road and are doing okay at about .500, but with a noticeable lack of hitting. NHL is down to the final handful of games in the regular season. Leafs and Oilers have nailed down playoff spots, and Penguins are refusing to die—they're tied for the final playoff spot themselves! In World Curling, the Gushue team had a great week, and have advanced to the Gold medal game tomorrow against Sweden's Edin. 

Turkey ready for the oven!

Erica writes, "We are into busy season, so longer days are the norm. Eric finished teaching his class at the University of Saskatchewan, and only has the exam left. This weekend, he is in Kelowna speaking at the Canadian Association of Marriage and Family Therapy AGM and conference and next week he is in Saskatoon getting trained on Eye Movement Desensitization. I’m batching it for the week, so today I got a large pizza and that should last me for awhile. I’m also going to try to get taxes done while he’s gone. On Monday, Haaken and I have a meeting with Community Living British Columbia."

Erin and Kristian are welcoming Spring to Regina. Kristian had the week off school due to Easter holidays, and reports staying up too late, and sleeping in! However, he did keep up with his chores, so all was not lost. He had a dermatologist's appointment, and is being recommended for a new drug therapy that may (hopefully will) alleviate his skin issues. Erin had her first month-end at Volkswagen which was a good learning session. She also helped back at Toyota as her replacement works through month-end there. 

Travis has been recovering from Covid most of the week. He finally tested clear on Wednesday, and we enjoyed having a belated Easter feast with them this evening. Andrew, Rosie and Max joined in as well. Trav is celebrating the resurgence of his Penguins into the playoff race—another Peng-Win! Joanna has had a busy week with her sick boy at home along with her usual duties. It was good to see them all this evening. 

And that's enough for this week. 

He is Risen, Indeed!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. March appears to be exiting like a lamb just as it entered some weeks ago. However, the first few days of this week were far from lamb-like! A Colorado low moved through the region in leisurely fashion, unleashing high winds and a great deal of snow upon our previously dry landscape. I left for Winnipeg on Monday morning, so I missed out on some of the storm, but I surveyed the changed circumstances on the highway there and back, and on our driveway and lawns when I got back on Wednesday evening. We are glad to have the snow for the forests and lakes here in northern Ontario. Wendy was not nearly so glad to have the snow on our driveway! She cleared it before we left on Monday, and then multiple times more before we returned to a clean driveway on Wednesday. She even phoned to get instructions on operating the snowblower! Travis had previously got us tickets to see Connor McDavid in Minnesota when the Oilers played the Wild, but Connor was injured and did not play that game, so, for Christmas, he bought tickets to the Oilers game in Winnipeg which took place on Tuesday. We drove up through the storm on Monday, breaking out of the snowy conditions near Dryden. It was snowy all the way on Wednesday as we returned home. We were hosted graciously during our sojourn by Tom & Mariette, even though Mariette has not been feeling well for the last week or so! Thanks folks!

Connor McDavid

Connor was there this time, and played great in the Oiler win! Thanks Travis for this memory! It was another good week in the markets to close off a great month and great first quarter of the year. In the world of sports, Rachel Homan completed the World Championships with the gold medal for Canada. Today, the Men's World Championships began with Brad Gushue representing us; he is one of the favourites. In the NHL, the Oilers and Leafs are doing well, as both are on winning streaks, but it may be too late for the Pens. March Madness continues with the usual wild games, upsets and thrilling finishes. I have transferred my cheering since the Jayhawks lost out, and I am now aligned behind UConn. 

Erica writes, "It has been a busy week with work and evening meetings. We are glad for the long weekend. Eric and I both had doctor appointments. I got the prescription to get a pneumatic pump! Eric has been informed he is officially old. He has arthritis in his hand and gout in his toe, adding in his eye problems and I am thinking I should send him in for some warranty work. Today, I ran out to get last minute groceries for Easter Dinner—potatoes and yams, and experienced an interesting pop in my calf muscle. A quick call to Dr. Erin and we have tentatively diagnosed it as a minor tear. I’m resting it and letting it experience frozen riced cauliflower. Haaken has an appointment with BC Community Living in a week. We hope that the programming now includes support for higher level job opportunities. There is nothing to add from Liam or Greg."

Erin and Kristian survived a snowstorm in Regina as well, although it was a different system than the one that hit us. Kristian has received notification about graduation, so he's getting ready for that. Erin is enjoying her new work at VW; she's currently moving into her first month end there, so that's a bit extra on the learning curve. She had a flat on her RAV4, so that was another hassle, HOWEVER, everything takes a back seat because the Baseball Season has begun, and her beloved Jays are on TV! 

Joanna has been busy at work all week while Travis and I were gallivanting to Winnipeg. Travis fell ill after we got back, and a test yesterday revealed that he has covid. We don't have a very good idea where he may have contracted it. Wendy and I tested today and were relieved with a negative test. It's still too early to know for sure, so we'll continue to monitor the situation. And, we're hoping to get together for an Easter feast at some point over the next week! 

And that's enough for this week! 

Spring!

Another week has passed and Spring has officially arrived on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. However, the weather has taken a turn for the worse, and we haven't felt comfortable making bike rides for most of this week! Now, they're threatening us with snow! I have continued with my exercise program and am able to complete that without discomfort. I'm considering exchanging my resistance band for a higher rating. We enjoy our choir rehearsals with Silver Sound, and Wendy keeps very busy with the management of the Sweet Adelines group.

The doubly lucky lady!

This week, the children conspired to provide her a new iPad for her birthday and Mother's Day. It has considerably more room for her photo collection! I have puttered around a bit with some electrical projects in the house. I am in the midst of exchanging and programming some switches to manage the outdoor lights. It is not going according to plan as the first switch is not responding as promised! I am in communication with the manufacturer, and they are even able to find my switch on-line, but they can't get it to perform either! We are working our way through their procedures to try to get it working, or at least to determine what is wrong, and whether they should be replacing it! The markets were upbeat this week, and the month is going well for me. The FED announced that, yes, indeed, they are looking to make three rate cuts this year, and the Swiss surprised the markets by actually making a rate cut! The ever elusive soft landing is starting to find believers. My sporting world has focused all week on the Women's World championships. Our team, Homan, has played great and secured first place in the standings as they move into the playoffs. They played Korea, this evening, in the semi-final, and have moved on to the medal game tomorrow. March Madness erupted on Thursday, with the first round games featuring their plague of upsets. Fortunately, my #4-Jayhawks survived and moved to the round of 32 today, but that was the end of the line. The gutsy play, the upsets, the surges of momentum combine to make this a special feature of the sporting calendar for me. In hockey, my Oilers continue to thrive. The Leafs are doing well, also, while the Pens are nearing elimination from playoff contention. 

Erica has been ill for part of the week, but is starting to feel better now. Eric is consulting over his eye issues and also about gout! I told you this getting old is a challenging enterprise! Other than that, life and work continues much as per usual. Erica greatly enjoyed the celebrations surrounding her 50th Birthday, and acknowledged it officially on Monday. 

Kristian had another day off school during the week as the Teachers Federation struggles to get the government to the bargaining table. He's suffering from a headache this weekend, and he's not even old, yet! Erin is working and learning at Volkswagen. This week, the lady she is replacing was away, so she got to work through things on her own, which was very helpful—it's going well. 

Travis make a quick trip to Toronto to take in another AEW event. I did check out a bit of the video, but didn't find him in the crowd or the ring! Joanna continues with work as per usual. They came over for supper and FastTrack on Tuesday night—as they say fun and games! Travis and I are finalizing our plans for a trip to Winnipeg next week to see the Oilers play the Jets. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Cycling!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be beautiful, and we have got the bikes out and enjoyed touring around the area. As we've passed the middle of March, it will soon be officially Spring, so we're hoping that we have indeed escaped with a very easy Winter. I had another Physio session on Monday, and will now continue on my own for a few weeks since things are going so well. I have a series of stretches and resistance exercises that I cycle through each day. It is very encouraging! Wendy keeps busy with her chorus management, and with rehearsing for both choruses. We're enjoying learning the eleven new songs for the Spring Concert with the Silver Sound group. The markets were troubled this week with inflation data from CPI and PPI both coming in hotter than expected. That has resulted in the TSX outperforming the USA indices so far this month for the first time this year. In the NHL, the Pens are playing out the string and suffering the prospect of neither making the playoffs, nor getting a high draft choice—sigh! Oilers and Leafs are sitting well into playoff positions. In Basketball, the #16-Jayhawks are suffering with injuries and failure to shoot well, as they suffered another loss. Now, it's time to be ready for March Madness, and they do not seem ready! They usually take their #1 seeding in the tournament as a given, but this year, I'm expecting a 5 or 6 seed—embarrassing! The Brier ended last Sunday with Gushue defeating McEwen for his sixth championship—a record! Today, the Women's World championship launched and our team Homan opened with wins over Sweden and Denmark. 

A life worth celebrating!

50th Celebration!

Erica reports, "On Monday I turn 50. Eric arranged a special celebration on Friday night in recognition of my half century. It took the form of a surprise party for me with our friends and some friends from work. He booked a room and hired a caterer to provide Appies. Guido made a red velvet cake. Tina borrowed a Karaoke machine. It was a fun night! Liam came home to provide some extra joy to the occasion. Liam had a recent appointment with his specialist. His weight is healthy, his inflammation is normal, blood count is normal, vitamin D is normal. It’s hard to believe. When we first went to the specialist, Liam was so sick it didn’t seem like he would ever be healthy. It’s good to see him so much better!"

Erin is working through on-the-job training at Volkswagen. While the accounting principles are the same, this franchise uses different software so there are many subtle differences to be accommodated. Kristian is well into his final semester of high school and is looking forward to graduation in June. 

Travis remains surprisingly busy with hockey production this late in the local season. Joanna is busy at work as financial year-end finds many organizations seeking to complete their budgeted purchases. Today, Joanna and Wendy went on a shopping excursion. They enjoyed that—I enjoyed not doing that! 

And that's enough for this week. 

Like a Lamb!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. March came in like a lamb, and has remained lamb-like ever since. We're enjoying positive temperatures each day, and I've been able to get out for my walks very comfortably.

Front Lawn last year/this year

I had a second appointment with my physiotherapist on Monday, and am scheduled to continue that routine for two more Mondays. After that, and in consideration of my progress, we may continue with longer breaks in between. He added more exercises and some resistance exercises to my regime this week, and I may have overdone it on Wednesday, as I had a tender back, and had to forego resistance training on Thursday and Friday. Still, both he and I report being well encouraged by how things are going! I was able to get down on the floor and clean the flame sensor on the water heater this morning—progress! Wendy celebrated her birthday today, and we enjoyed a family gathering here this evening around Chinese food and Turtle Cheesecake. The markets have continued to be volatile; this week's irritants were the FED chair testifying before Congress, and jobs data. You never know what Powell might say, nor how it will be interpreted by investors. The jobs data on Friday was blow-away good, and that scared investors since it might cause a further delay in interest rate cuts. My main activity of the week was the Brier. My guy, Kevin Koe, performed very poorly and did not make the playoffs. I picked the exact names for the six qualifiers, but it was Kevin's brother, Jamie, who carried the Koe name forward. We are down to the final three teams now: Gushue, Bottcher and McEwen. I am cheering for McEwen, although he is the lowest ranked of the three. The NHL had a breathless week with Trade Deadline, where contenders tried to add the players to get them to the Cup, and pundits filled the airwaves with "Breaking News!" Leafs and Oilers added to their lineups, while Pens management decided it was time to sell, sigh! Only the Leafs won tonight. In Basketball, #14-Jayhawks were dropped hard, and responded with a big win over K-State, but faced #1-Houston today and that was a different story—ugly road loss!

Erica writes, "We got our winters worth of snow on Monday and Tuesday, and the snowmobilers are delighted! Eric had a specialist appointment this week concerning his vision, and has a diagnosis of Keratoconus. He is being referred to a surgeon. We are heading down to Regina this weekend. Eric and I are attending the CPA convocation celebration and I’m joining the Lipedema ladies at a booth to share with people about Lipedema. We hope to fit in a quick visit with Erin and Kristian. I got a quote for a medical grade lymph pump. Our provincial healthcare will cover 40% of the cost. Not sure exactly why it doesn’t cover all the cost. I blame the SaskParty."

with Matt Dunstone

Kristian got to go the Brier on Thursday (lucky duck!), and enjoyed that. He got pictures with several of the players. Erin finally started at VW on Tuesday. It's a much longer drive out to the east of the city to the dealership, and takes extra time depending on traffic and trains. VW and Audi use different management software, so she's having to familiarize with that aspect. Then, her furnace went down this week, so that took some extra running around as well. 

Celebratory Cheesecake

Celebratory Meal

Travis and Joanna keep busy, however, we did have one games night early in the week. This evening they, along with Andrew & Rosie, joined us for a very Wendy birthday celebration. She made her own cake, while they brought food and good cheer!

And that's enough for this week!