News Update

Another week has passed here on the shore of Lake Superior. We started off with excellent weather (+20, sunny) and ran down hill all week! Here we are on Saturday about +5 and rainy. April showers shouldn't be allowed to start until tomorrow!

I have been working around the home office this week; I get back on the road next week. I get a bit more work done on the renovations downstairs. I get the new screen and projector installed at the church. I get finalization on the project budget in time for the government fiscal year end. I finally manage to get settled on a appointment with my urologist. He has another clinic elsewhere for about a week every month, so with my travelling, it hasn't been easy to make the connection. However, we now have a date of April 24th. I have an appointment on Friday with an allergy doctor. He recommends getting a series of needles to try to alleviate my seasonal hay fever. I'll make a decision on that this coming week.

Wendy is busy with her startup on the church finances, having budget meetings, and getting her operational protocols in order.

Erin is completing another term of work on her courses, so spends some extra time on assignments and exams. Kristian has a sick day, throwing up spontaneously from time to time, but mostly carrying on as if nothing is the matter. He'll just be playing along, stop to throw up, and then continue playing. The only telling characteristic of his illness appears to be his loss of appetite.

Travis & Sylvia are also completing a semester of work and classes. Trav is looking toward his summer work and is also doing more website work on the side. They are over for supper one evening—we're all just too busy, I guess.

And that's the kind of week it's been.

News Update

We've had a strange week of weather here on the shore of Lake Superior. We started off the week with a snow storm that interrupted the homeward trip of Eric and the boys to Kenora. Then that melted off and by this weekend we're back in the teens and the snow is but a memory.

Erica stayed with us for the first few days of the week as she tried to complete some business here in TBay after celebrating her birthday on Sunday. However, all did not go well. Apparently some bug is making the rounds, and after celebrating with Trav & Syl Sunday evening, they got sick and then on Tuesday Erica was sick. Wendy came down with it on Wednesday and I did on Thursday. I didn't get the full double-edged force of the bug, so I was still able to head to TO for Thursday and Friday.

Our MISA meeting was okay, although I was a little under the weather. There has started to be talk of a fourth year of MISA, so that was interesting.

Erin & Kristian managed to escape the flu bug, and continue to recover from coughs. Kristian is doing well, and moved up to a tricycle this weekend; he really enjoys it. We enjoy watching him.

And that's the kind of week we've had here in TBay.

News Update

Another week sails by here on Lake Superior. The weather is stunningly beautiful and warm at the start of the week and our snow melts away. Then colder weather descends for a couple of days, and finally the week ends at expected temperatures around melting.

The schools are closed this week, so I take care of a little business around the home office and do a little bit of renovation downstairs here in the house. I am redoing the closets in the large bedroom downstairs to make the room more useful. I also add an electric baseboard heater to the room along with its own thermostat. There is always much more time needed for finishing on any project like this, so it moves forward slowly. I'm off to Toronto next week, but I hope to get some of the drywalling done as time permits.

Eric, Erica and the boys arrive Thursday evening for the weekend. We celebrate Erica's birthday on Saturday evening. She will be thirty-three tomorrow! I am reminded of my last visit with mom on this day thirty-three years ago.

Kristian has recovered from his cold and is a going concern once again. Erin gradually improves throughout the week and is pretty much over the coughing now.

Wendy has kept busy with both Mary Kay and Party-Lite, and is also applying for other jobs.

And that's the kind of week it's been.

The Brier

The men's curling championship of Canada ends today with Glen Howard and his Ontario team defeating Brad Gushue and his Newfoundland team. It's been a fun week of curling, although the ice conditions have not been good.

My guy, Kevin Martin, lost in the first round of the playoffs, but I was impressed with the new team he has put together—three new players and they managed to win Alberta and tie for second at the Brier. Jeff Stoughton of Manitoba has also rebuilt his team with two new players, and was similarly successful. In fact, it seems likely that but for two poor strategy decisions he could have been in the final against Gushue. Then there is my sentimental favourites from Saskatchewan, Pat Simmons and his team. They also achieved a good result, but ended up one game short of the playoffs. The Territories team from Yellowknife also did well, ending up with a winning record of 6-5, but were two games out of the playoffs.

All competitive teams are pointing toward the Olympics in 2010 where Canada will be a strong favourite to repeat as Gold Medalists.

News Update

It looks like winter came and went last weekend, and now spring is here. We are experiencing above zero temperatures each day, and the snow is disappearing. Daylight saving time comes tonight; it's time to dust off the golf clubs!

I work around the home office the first couple of days, and then I head up to Armstrong on Wednesday. I'm working on the library program and the report card program with the student management system. That all goes well. The library tech is particularly amusing—she's been doing circulation by recording (longhand) all transactions for the students. She is just tickled with this 'scan the kid's barcode, scan the book barcode, next...' process. We drive back to TBay on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, I have a meeting with the Supervisory Officers. That also goes well as they approve the spending plans.

Friday brings a special day as we celebrate Wendy's birthday. She is once again a year older than I—and I don't let her forget it! It seems to make her look forward to my birthday in July! We go out with Erin & Kristian and Travis & Sylvia for Chinese food. It's very good! Then we retire to the house for ice cream cake—also very good!

Erin has the week off babysitting and is catching up on homework. Kristian is getting over his cold, having passed it along to his mother!

I have completed my course of antibiotics and had more blood work done. My PSA level is still elevated, so I'm headed for a highly anticipated appointment with my urologist! We'll see what he has next on my agenda.

And that's the kind of week it's been.

News Update

We start off the week by heading east on Sunday afternoon. As we leave Regina it is starting to snow, and soon we are in a full-fledged winter storm that has the highway heavy in drifted snow and many vehicles in the ditches. By the time we get to Winnipeg it is improving so we carry on to Kenora and spend the night there with Eric and the boys (Erica is off to Toronto for a conference.). And the week ends with our most significant snowfall of the winter, so finds us busily engaged in shovelling snow today!

I get some good news on Tuesday as the Ministry confirms that we qualify for the full bonus funding for having 100% completion on OnSIS reporting. Now I need to work with the schools to find a way to spend the additional 25% to the annual budget. They start off by giving me 13% extra, so that's nice! Now I have to decide if that should include a new laptop or golf membership, or both!!

I take a five-hour drive to Hornepayne (one of my schools) on Wednesday afternoon and spend Thursday and Friday working there before driving home in a snowstorm on Friday afternoon.

Erin is doing fine, babysitting and working on her courses. She's particularly enjoying one on taxation this term! Kristian is suffering with a cold and thus is not sleeping well. He still seems quite energetic every day! His mother—slightly less so!

And that's the kind of week it's been.