News Update

Another week passes on the shore of Lake Superior. There was violent weather in the area, but not like the tornadoes they experienced in Manitoba! Some buildings were de-roofed in Ignace and a semi-trailer was blown over by the wind.

I have now played thirteen golf games this season, but this week was a downturn as far as consistency is concerned. I started off the week with a game up in Red Lake—a tough course to be sure. I followed up that 87 with an 81 & 82 back at my home course in TBay.

My work is completely dedicated to getting those reports in to the Ministry of Education. OnSIS keeps changing the rules, so that doesn't help. This week I managed to get a ruling in writing, so we hope they'll stick to that for at least a term!

The container garden is doing well, although Kristian is helping with the weeding from time to time and that spells danger for my seedlings! Wendy got into the planting this week, as she is gradually improving in her shoulder and back issues. I managed to do my part by cleaning up as much poppy seed sheet cake as possible!

Today we drove down to Grand Portage Casino where they were featuring a 50's & 60's weekend. Wendy wanted to see Gary Lewis & the Playboys, and I wanted to see the cars. Too bad we didn't have the '67 Cougar to show off! By the time we'd toured the car show and taken in Elvis, Patsy Cline, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Connie Francis... (well, too many tribute singers!) Wendy's shoulder was getting too bothersome and we drove back without even seeing the real band!

Erin has been busy with babysitting and homework this week, but is now off baby sitting for a couple of weeks. Kristian continues to delight, amaze and frustrate—often in the same minute!

Travis & Sylvia keep busy with their work and home. They celebrate their first anniversary tomorrow! And, as somebody sang, "The first year is the worst year, you'll get used to it!"

And thus another week passes.

Medical Update

Today was my long awaited return visit to my doctor to get the results of the biopsies. He explained that none of the samples showed any cancerous cells, so I'm clean for now. He also concluded that the elevated PSA levels are caused by chronic inflammation of the prostate. As a result, they will no longer be able to rely on the PSA levels as a useful test about my prostate health. They will have to rely more on DRE's (wonderful) and when changes are detected, with more biopsies!! (hurray!)

At any rate, this qualifies as good news, and a relief. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

News Update

Another week passes on the shore of Lake Superior. The weather was a little unsettled, but I still managed three games of golf between my bouts with OnSIS.

My golf game continues to come around. I have now played ten games this season, and I'm starting to see some improvement in consistency. This week I managed three scores 87, 83 & 80—definitely the kind of trend I like! I still snap hook occasionally, and on a tighter course that could spell bigger trouble.

Work is almost totally dedicated to termly reports to the Ministry—OnSIS as its known. Five of my schools are still lagging, and I'm struggling to help them get caught up. They, of course, have a lot of competing agendas this time of year, so it's hard to get them to focus on this one for very long.

My container garden is doing well. The photo shows about half of the boxes—I'm following a strategy called "Square Foot Gardening" so each of the small squares is that size, and we have twenty-six of them. I have also built them on raised platforms to be easy on our creaky backs! I'll keep reporting on how it goes—it's our first try at something like this.

Wendy continues to suffer with her shoulder, arm and back pain, although there is clear improvement this week. She even managed to do some baking today—poppy seed sheet cake, yum, yum!

Erin is keeping busy with babysitting and homework all week. Kristian keeps himself and the rest of us busy without even having a portfolio!

Travis & Sylvia keep busy with their work and home. They just finished buying a deep freeze, so that must signal another level of domesticity!

And thus another week passes.

News Update

And a beautiful week passes on the serene shore of Lake Superior.

As alluded to, we are experiencing beautiful spring weather, and have been blissfully free of bugs as well. I got out golfing several times to practise and also managed two games. I played with my friend John on Monday up at Strathcona, and today, I went for a game on my home course. The scores were only satisfactory (88, 87), but I am making a lot of good shots as my new swing continues to grow in consistency. I continue to be blessed with at least a half dozen totally useless shots each round—they don't get me a stroke closer to the hole; they sometimes don't even let me change clubs!

I continue to work sporadically on the Ministry reporting for our schools. We're now up to having nine of the fourteen current with their reporting. I am struggling to get the remainder caught up as the next round is scheduled to open July 2nd.

I have finished building our "Square-foot Gardens", and we have most of them planted. I built them raised off the ground for easier maintenance and use. This is our first try at intensive gardening.

Wendy has continued to struggle with her sore left wing for another week. She's haunting medical and chiropractic doctors, clinics, pharmacies and friends in search of relief. Part way through the week she began wearing my tennis elbow brace and that seems to be helping.

Erin has continued with babysitting all week and also with her studies. Kristian enjoys the time with the kids at the sitting assignment, and really enjoys the outdoors, the playgrounds and the pools. He's now started pedaling his tricycle and especially enjoys that on our newly repaved street.

Today, Eric/A and the boys arrived from Kenora, so we're enjoying them for the weekend.

News Update

Another week passes on the lovely shore of Lake Superior.

There has been some progress at work. The Ministry has announced year three funding, so that's good. They've added a caveat that 50% of the funding is dependent on our progress with OnSIS, so that's not good! OnSIS has allowed that it may have manuals and training materials ready next week for their June Reports that they demand we complete on time... and what about their getting the things ready on time? Don't ask! So, I don't although I do register a complaint with them. Then, I'm back at it with my schools trying to get them successfully through March Reports for OnSIS—we have three main reporting periods to the Ministry: October, March & June. To this point, only five of my fourteen schools have completed March, and the Ministry wants June done on time! Yikes! Well, at least we got them to extend the deadline to September 30th.

I managed another golf game—it was not good—a lot of hooks and snap hooks, accompanied by a collection of pulls and quackers. This all added up to 87, also not good. But I had fun anyway. More practice is in order on this new swing.

Wendy has continued to suffer with her problematic left shoulder. The doctors remain unsure about how serious it is, but have prescribed some medication and some painkillers. Neither seem adequate to the task!

Back yard work continues. I got some of the container gardening operational, and all of the material cut for the project. It should be all in operation next week. I got the pool set up and filled—one small leak is troubling, and remains to be found!

Erin continues with her classes and her babysitting. Kristian continues with his growing and climbing—what are you doing on top of the piano?!

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

News Update

It's been quite a week here on the shore of Lake Superior.

Of course I didn't spend the whole week here. On Monday and Tuesday I visited Collins. That was a good trip. On Thursday, I had my prostate biopsy; that was not a good trip! The rest of Thursday and Friday I didn't feel very well, but I'm back to about 80% today.

So, I finally got in another golf game this afternoon. It wasn't smooth, but there were signs of good things happening. The drives were mostly good; the approach shots were mostly bad! The chipping was pretty good, and the putting was mediocre! It all added up to 88, a score I no longer find acceptable. However, it was fun anyway!

Wendy was quite busy Sunday through Wednesday, but then she hurt herself. Somehow she pulled something in her left shoulder, so she was in great pain Thursday and Friday, and is only starting to come around today.

Erin is hitting the books on her new set of classes. That's going well. Kristian is entertaining us and exasperating his mother! We think he's moved into the terrible two's a bit early!

Sylvia began her new job officially on Friday as she is now in charge of her section at the University. Trav is back at his fuller schedule of work for the summer, and is also doing some extra contracts in graphical design on the side.

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

Two Blue Moons in the Sky

Obviously what is rarer than a blue moon is two of them! And the Blue Jays produced a baseball feat that is so rare as to have never been done before—they won a game without having a baserunner! Last night they beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on the strength of two home runs and no one else got on base... no walks, no reaching by error, no hit by pitch, nothing. Pity poor Mark Buerle (the Chicago pitcher) who faced two over the minimum number of batters; he never pitched out of the stretch all night. Toronto had no base runners. Aaron Hill and Frank Thomas got the only hits for the Jays, both homers to support the shutout pitching of Roy Halladay, but the wonder was winning without baserunners. It had never been done before. And that, as I said, doesn't even happen once in a blue moon!