News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been great, and I've managed to catch up, and keep on schedule with my lawn-mowing business. Still no frost here, so the trees are still looking pretty green. We've completed electrical repairs, added backing for the new shower and applied the gyproc in the basement bathroom. My assessment was, "A good taper will get that!" Unfortunately, we don't have a good taper, we just have me, so I've begun the taping and mudding. This time there's a ceiling to do, and I hate drywalling ceilings; I mean, it's in the name, you shouldn't be drywalling up there! Maybe it should be dry-ceiling, but with the mud falling down on my face, it was not any kind of a dry experience! September markets have continued to be volatile, but we did get some green after the Fed decided not to increase interest rates, and I had a good green week. It remains for me to catch up for the decidedly non-green first few weeks of the month. The Blue Jays are in the homestretch, and it appears they are in a fight for the wildcard spot now as Boston has pulled out in front. Let's Go, BlueJays, let's play ball! The Riders won their game over Edmonton on Sunday afternoon! Yay Riders! They played Hamilton this evening and continued to look much improved as they won again! Yay! Yay! Riders! World Cup of Hockey has entered the playoff round. Canada beat Russia in the semi-final this evening and have advanced to the final series next week against Sweden or Europe. 

The Baileys continue to work through their initiation to the empty nest. Trust me, it's not such a great thing—we miss our children. They've decided to get help in organizing and dealing with their stuff, so they've asked a friend to help. Hopefully, she'll neither be scared off or permanently scarred by the experience! Haaken is working through is first month at University, and reports that it's going well. Liam is doing a time-management project at school. One aspect is regular calls home, so they're enjoying that. It's homecoming weekend at Caronport, and Liam is involved in some of those activities as well. Eric volunteered at the Saskatoon fan and comic expo, so he got free admission for the day he wasn't working. On the day he did work, he was playing board games with people—tough job! On Friday, Eric had a meeting in Saskatoon, so Erica went along and worked out of the Saskatoon office of Deloitte. They enjoyed dinner out at the Grazing Goat. 

Erin, Kristian and cousin Haaken are taking care of business in Regina. It was picture day for Kristian this week and he chose the bow-tie look! Fall weather has arrived in Saskatchewan, and the leaves are turning and falling. Haaken took Kristian out to Timmie's for his birthday—Haaken had a long john, Kristian had a chocolate dip! 

Trav & Joanna are busy. PuckShots photography for hockey teams is already underway, and BucketDecals is still going strong as well. This year's edition of Team Red Pants aka Westfort Rangers has now been drafted, and practices are underway. Trav's initial blog of the season describes the draft experience and assesses the team members. Sans Gemma, the family was over for supper this evening—we enjoyed that. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather has continued to be warm, but with too many showers for me to keep up with my lawn mowing responsibilities this week. The trees are starting to turn to the autumn colours, but we haven't had frost yet, so they're mostly green. My potatoes are still growing, but it's about time to dig them up and see how we've done. The markets have continued to be volatile, but I only had two green days, and they weren't enough, so I was left in the red for the week. Wendy has determined we should do the bathroom first, so we've been working on that. We bought a shower unit. I have the new tile floor installed, and we're about ready to apply the drywall. As usual we've been hit with more surprises as we took off the old wall covering and found a mess of electrical wiring hiding there. In this case it was the 220 volt wiring for the sauna—sigh! So, I'll have to reroute that, and put it in a proper box. The Jays have fallen into a losing pattern, and as a result have fallen out of first place. Let's go Blue Jays! The Riders play tomorrow afternoon against Edmonton. We're hoping for a win! Go Riders, Go! The World Cup of Hockey has started. Canada won their opener over the Czechs. 

The Bailey's have been busy with meetings and work at home. Haaken continues to report that he enjoys university. He claims that his assignments are only medium hard! Liam is doing okay at school. He's had a few rough days with Celiac's, but he's getting better again. Erica had a fun work day on Friday; they went to a local paintball, laser tag and corn maze—for work! It was a fun and social event. Instead of joining in that activity, Eric painted his office—he knows how to have a good time!

Happy 11th at Montanas!

It's been a big week for Kristian as he turned 11; he celebrated that most of the week and into the weekend. Grandma got it started by announcing his birthday one day early! He had his birthday party on Friday night at Montanas, so he got to wear the big horns! For gifts, he scored more Lego sets, along with a flying drone. They're having trouble controlling it in flight! 

Trav & Joanna continue to be busy with work, especially Bucket Decals, and I'm sure that's a good thing. They continue to develop their new place as well. Joanna has convinced Wendy to join her for swimming and Aqua Zumba! Trav is scouting possible players for his team this season. The draft is set for next Tuesday. Gemma and Andrew keep busy with school and friends. They both scored great in recent Math tests—congrats! 

And that's about it for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be nice, but we've had a few showers, and I've had a hard time keeping up with my lawn mowing schedule. However, after cutting three today, I'm caught up again! September market madness arrived this week as a variety of Federal Bank speakers roiled the markets with their musings, and I suffered four red days—sigh! Wendy held a sales party on Thursday evening, so we took advantage of the motivation to get some more finishing work done upstairs. The place is looking pretty good! We're started on more renos downstairs, but a bit stymied as we can't decide whether to complete the bathroom, or begin the kitchenette! We brought home a load of drywall, and Trav helped me haul it downstairs, so that part is ready to go at least. The Riders lost the Labour Day game on a last play field goal, and also lost today's game by a late touchdown—that hurts. Overall, I have to say they're playing better, and we're hoping the rebuild is beginning to take shape. Go Riders, Go! The Jays have not been playing well since we left Toronto, and they've fallen one game back in the AL East. Let's go Blue Jays! World Cup Hockey has begun. There are only exhibition games so far, but it's been pretty entertaining all the same. 

All is calm; all is bright? The Bailey house is pretty quiet this week as Haaken and Liam are away at school. Liam has had a busy time participating in student leadership, but they did spring him from campus to take in the Labour Day classic in Regina. Eric/A, Erin and Liam enjoyed a good portion of that game—the final Labour Day classic at Taylor Field, as they move into the new stadium next season. Haaken reports that he is enjoying his classes, even his 3-hour evening Math class. The textbook arrived in the bookstore, so now he can work on his assignments! He is enjoying the new living arrangements and getting to know Auntie Erin, and cousin Kristian a bit better. The Labour Day weekend was spent in Regina, and I emphasize spent—they made a significant contribution to the economy! This weekend, Eric/A are busy with their church's fall carnival. 

Erin and Kristian are working through the new arrangements with Haaken living there. Meal time is a much bigger deal, and scheduling must take into account another schedule and evening classes. It has been discovered that Kristian's growth over the summer has pushed him into new sizes, and in the need of new clothes! Shawn helped remove the control board from the oven, so Erin was able to take it to the shop to be resoldered. Once she reinstalled it, the oven works perfectly once again! Kristian is liking his new teacher and new class. He's also getting his work done at school. Good job! 

Trav and Joanna are keeping busy with work. Gemma and Andrew are busy with school. Things continue to develop at the house, and they've added some capacity to the kitchen. They're currently shopping for a dishwasher as well, so we'll see how soon that arrives. The dining room table continues to be an issue; they've currently taken two home, but both have proven unsatisfactory. Hockey has begun again, and the young players are already having their conditioning and evaluation practices. On a crazy note, the league has decided to bring the Westfort Rangers back to life, so Trav gets to coach his old team again—quelle surprise! 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. I began the week on the shore of Lake Ontario as we enjoyed a three-game series with the Blue Jays. They generously won all three games; we were delighted! Then, on Sunday evening, Erin & Kristian took flight to Regina, and I flew up to Thunder Bay. It has been a good week here. The weather has been nice, and we've been enjoying some progress on our projects. I have begun the lawn care business again as my buddy, Bill, is off for a month of holidays. The markets continued to run in fear of the Fed most of the week, but then weaker than expected economic data in the US made them think that the Fed would not be raising interest rates any time soon, so the markets took off again! I had a good week, and including Thursday and Friday, I am now at quota to the end of August. September is historically the worst month for the markets, so I'm trying to be careful. Wendy has been painting outside. She has scraped, sanded, repaired and primed the front window frames. Now she's trying to choose the appropriate colours to paint them. I have begun some more renos downstairs since our suite is unoccupied, and mostly empty. I have some plumbing, electrical, and drywall planned, but Wendy has called a pause as she reconsiders the plan! The biggest game of this season for the Riders is this weekend as they host Winnipeg in the annual Labour Day weekend match. If they can win that on Sunday, it will take considerable sting out of the otherwise dismal results so far this season! Go Riders, Go! 

The Baileys are in Regina this weekend. They are also looking forward to cheering the Riders to victory over the Bombers. They are helping Haaken settle into his accommodations for the year at Auntie Erin's. He is beginning his university program at the University of Regina. Eric was informed this week that he is THE marriage counsellor—nice! Erica has moved into the office of the future; it's bright, spacious and open concept. It's pretty amazing how white noise works! Liam had an abdominal scan in Saskatoon before making the move to Caronport for this grade 10 year. We hope the former is uneventful, so the latter can be full of fun events! 

Erin and Kristian enjoyed the Blue Jay weekend in Toronto before flying home Sunday evening into Monday morning. Erin had Monday and Tuesday off work, so they were able to get resettled, and get Kristian ready for school. He has now begun the new school year, and reports that it's going well. Erin notes that he's excited to go, and that's a good step forward all by itself. The stove is not repaired yet, but she does have a plan to get it done, not it's just to do it! This weekend, she's hosting the Baileys, and getting her new boarder, Haaken, settled in to his room. 

Trav and Joanna and the crew got back on Tuesday night from Toronto. They continue to work on moving their stuff from here and establishing it in the new place. Gemma and Andrew are back at school; I'm certain they are enjoying it a great deal! One of their businesses, BucketDecals is very busy. They got one order this week for 62 teams! Soon, it will be time to push forward on preparations for another season of coaching hockey. Time presses forward, and puts pressure on most of us! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, but I am no longer there! I'm on the shore of Lake Ontario in a town I would never wish to call home! The weather has continued quite hot, and we've been living under the comfortable umbrella of the air conditioner. Erin arrived on Wednesday so we enjoyed a few days with her, and then Kristian, Erin and I flew down to Toronto on Friday to enjoy a weekend with the Blue Jays. They have cooperated by winning the first two games, and we hope for more of the same tomorrow. Then, they'll be heading for Regina, while I fly back to TBay alone. It's been a good summer with Kristian, and we wish him well as he heads back to school. 

It must be dangerous to have a floor this clean!

Wendy has been taking care of all the critters while Trav & crew are away. She has also been cleaning and polishing while the rest of us are out of the way, so the kitchen and dining room are back to spic and span condition! The markets began in rally mode, but then fear of the Fed set in, and Thursday and Friday were deep red for me. Still, I had a great week, and have gained my monthly quota, and am nearly caught up to the YTD quota. As mentioned, the Jays continue to thrive and are in first place in their division. The Riders continue to not thrive! They put up a good fight against Edmonton, but still fell short. Let's go, Riders! 

Keeping a close eye on the Jays!

Erica's office is moving to a new location, to an office of the future—the future being Monday, I guess! They toured the new facility this week. It was very bright with high ceilings and minimalist furnishings—nice! The move included letting old stuff go! Erica managed to scoop some golf balls to share with yours truly—very nice! This is the final week for the whole family to be home for a while. Liam returns to Caronport on Monday. Haaken continues his preparations for his move to Regina. He has prepared a schedule for Auntie Erin, so they can plan meals and other things. Eric's work is also making changes and renovations; there are exciting times ahead. He had his yearly review and it was very positive! 

Erin worked Monday and Tuesday, and then flew down to Thunder Bay to catch up with Kristian and us. After a couple of days there, she and Kristian flew to Toronto with me for a special vacation-ending trip. We're enjoying several special experiences in Toronto along with watching the Blue Jays. Kristian even managed to score a baseball during batting practice, but nothing for Grandpa yet! They head home to Regina after tomorrow's game, and we will certainly find the house empty. 

Kristian and his baseball!

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew are also in the Toronto area. They flew down on Wednesday to visit and celebrate her dad's 80th birthday. I'm sure they all had a good time. Tomorrow they plan to take in the Jays game with us. They're planning to fly back to TBay some day next week as Gemma and Andrew begin another year of school soon. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It was hot this week, but it has turned cooler with showers for the weekend. I got out to practice golf a couple of times. It's been fairly quiet around the house. I got the new basketball backboard installed on the garage; Kristian really likes that since it can be adjusted down to a more suitable height for him than the old one. He's been shooting lots of baskets. He continues to work through his touch-typing lessons and is making good progress, but time is running out! I have begun work on the kitchenette downstairs; that will take a while! Now that I have located the drain connection, Wendy wants me to add a vanity in that bedroom—sigh! The markets ran well at the start of the week, but turned down after the FOMC minutes were released, and various Fed Reserve speakers made hawkish sounds! As a result, the week was not up to quota, but I remain on quota to this point in the month at least. Wendy has  been busy redoing the bedrooms to her new purposes. The upstairs room has been revamped for Kristian. One downstairs bedroom has been cleaned out, but now I've created a construction site in there. Come September, we're expecting Travis to set up his office in the other downstairs bedroom. The Jays continue to thrive, battling with Baltimore and Boston for the division lead. The Riders continue to disappoint, losing big to Hamilton today. 

The Bailey's got some answers over Liam's stomach pain. He has been diagnosed with Celiac's disease. So, they are into gluten-free food. After two years of braces, Liam is relieved to know that popcorn is gluten-free! The rest of the family are suffering with summer colds, so it's been pretty quiet this week other than the coughing. The house-sitting gig has come to an end, so they're all back in the apartment. It's nice to spend some time together before the boys head off to school.

Erin got older this week! A happy birthday was enjoyed. This weekend she and Sadie are enjoying a Bourne Marathon. Her oven remains out of commission, but a solution is anticipated, and, in the meantime, she can at least use the stove top. We look forward to her arrival down here next week. 

Travis and Joanna continue to work on setting up their new place. They've assembled two new dining room tables, but both have proved unsatisfactory, and thus had to be returned. They are at least getting to be expert at assembly of that design! Gemma and Andrew are getting their rooms established to their preferences—not necessarily in line with the preferences of the local adults! Minnie has established a safe corner in the new living room. The Bucket Decal business is quite active already this season. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Canadian Lakehead Exhibition!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It has been a rainy week, and I have struggled to find opportunity to get my lawn mowing done. I got one cut on Tuesday evening, and then got 3 done yesterday and another 4 today; so, I only have one left. With the rains, and my busyness, I have not managed to get out golfing this week—maybe tomorrow. I was back to the doctor on Wednesday. As it happened, I was suffering my first severe gout attack since I started my new meds. She confirmed that my uric acid levels are still too high, so she has doubled my allopurinol dose. She also checked out a sore on my face, and decided it should be removed and checked, so I've been referred to a plastic surgeon for that procedure. We went to the Exhibition with Kristian on Friday evening; that was fun, although the large crowds made for lineups at the rides. The markets were good all week, until weak retail sales data on the US side turned the markets into a tizzy on Friday. Still, I managed a great week. Kristian has completed his typing lessons, but still needs to pass his final test. He's doing well. He has also been improving his bike-riding, and enjoys shooting baskets in the driveway. Wendy has been busy with cleaning and rearranging our living quarters subsequent to Trav, Joanna and crew moving out. We are also preparing the next renovation plans; it'll be another busy time! We want to get the kitchenette done downstairs for the in-law suite. The Jays have continued to play well, and are in the picture for first place in the division. The Riders played the second-half of the home & home with the first place Calgary Stampeders. It was encouraging, but still too much of a challenge for the rebuilding Riders as they lost 19-10. I have also watched some of the coverage from the Olympics. 

The Bailey clan hung out in Calgary this week. Erica was in training at the Deloitte office. Eric, Haaken and Liam went to the zoo one day and threw balls at animals, but Haaken refused to play PokemonGo! Erica encountered a man carrying a Pokemon one day as she was walking back to the hotel. She would have captured it, but the man looked a bit scary! She didn't have any balls to throw at him anyway! They enjoyed two trips up the Calgary Tower, once to stand on the glass floor, the other to enjoy dinner in the rotating restaurant. Eric and boys did lots of walking, shopping and riding the C-train. This weekend they're taking the long way home through the mountains—a good week, a good trip! 

Erin has been having a pretty routine week. She and Kristian FaceTime regularly. She has continued to follow-up on her stove issues. Shawn checked the electronics on the control board, and it's dead, so she'll have to order a replacement. She ordered new shock-proof cases for her iPhone and for Kristian's iPad. They were delivered here, so Kristian got his installed already. 

This was the week when Travis, Joanna, Gemma, Andrew and the menagerie moved to their new digs. It's pretty empty here since they all left, but they still have plenty of things to move, so we see them each day for another load. I am not missing the birds, but Kristian is sure missing Minnie. We all are missing the family. 

And that's about it for this week.