News Update

Another year has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. This weekend has found us on the shore of Lake Okanagan graciously hosted by John & Marion—thanks guys! It's been a great week and year, and we are feeling abundantly blessed. This week we enjoyed Christmas events with the family in Regina. Enjoyable memories were created and not a few invented! Helicopters flew around the living room, and sometimes made successful landings. Shopping, gifting, Boxing Day, and returns were completed. Then, on Friday, we packed up the Sorento, added Kristian to the back seat, and headed west. We look to complete the trip to Parksville tomorrow. The holidays have cut the business week to just three days, but Friday was a good one, providing a full week's quota all by itself, so I still have a chance of making my monthly quota. American football is running out the regular schedule this weekend and there are a few interesting stories there that I will be following.

Haaken and Liam have enjoyed the week off from school, but that may not have been the highlight of their week: at their request Eric/A kept Christmas morning as a quiet family time. They were very pleased to receive several items on their wish list, and one thing that wasn't—iPhones. Now they are learning that with great iPhones comes great responsibility—like answering texts from mom and dad! Something that came off well was Haaken and Liam picking out their own gifts for Mom and Dad. It was very sweet, and Eric/A enjoyed watching them watch the opening of their picks. The whole crew got together with Eric's family for Christmas dinner. They had thoughts of a quick trip to the States since they had time for it, but they found out that the ferries from Victoria to Port Angeles were fully booked. In hind sight, they could have crossed to Tsawwassen, but they didn't have that thought in time to take advantage of it. The highlight was time spent in prayer with friends and family in honour of their 20th wedding anniversary. It was a very special time. Eric put together some last minute planning for their anniversary at the Tigh Na Mara resort. Now they're madly preparing for our arrival!

We enjoyed our reunion with Erin & Kristian this week. We had an extended-family celebration at Rich & Sue's on Sunday afternoon. Thank you, Ashley, for hosting that! Kristian has enjoyed learning to fly his helicopter. Kristian scored many more gifts on Christmas day, so he's been busy just getting most of them opened! Erin had to head back to work on Friday, but Kristian is travelling with us.

Travis & Joanna keep in contact with us through texting and FaceTime. They are also taking care of the house while we're away. Thanks guys! They had some sad news this week as their rat died. Not everyone misses it equally!! Otherwise, helicopters and the conure try to peacefully co-exist!

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have travelled from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown to the shore of Lake Wascana in the Queen City. The final day of classes was Thursday; bus driving was completed well, and I enjoyed collecting gifts from my students. Especially touching was the number of high school riders who paused to shake my hand and thank me for how I treated them. I may get the run back when I return in March, but that is not assured. On Friday we drove up to Winnipeg and were graciously hosted by Mike, Peggy and Talitha; thanks guys! This morning, we packed Eric/A's newly obtained sled-bed into the Sorento and completed the drive to Regina where we are being graciously hosted by Dad and Dave; thanks guys! The weather became colder as we headed west. Some of my fellow bus drivers made fun of us trying to get away from the Thunder Bay Winter by spending three months in Regina! The markets have continued to whipsaw; the big news this week was the Fed beginning to taper their bond and mortgage purchases. Then, the US jobs data and GDP were upside surprises as well. Unfortunately, our economy is not keeping up, so the TSX is lagging badly. The DOW has gained three times (24% vs 8%) as much as we have this year. However, I shouldn't complain, I had another good week, but still need to recover from last week! There is nothing in particular that I'm following in sports just now. 

Eric/A and the boys are preparing for the holiday break and putting on the Bethlehem Walk. 

Erin tells us that Kristian has been eagerly anticipating our arrival all week; well, so have we. What a delight to get to spend some time with them again! Grandma and Kristian were into a Lego project already this evening! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew hosted our Christmas celebration for the Thunder Bay group, and we enjoyed a few good-bye gatherings with them before we left. 

And that's about enough for this week! Merry Christmas to all. 

News Update

We've had a week of cold weather on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. My bus has succumbed to the cold, and now gets plugged in each night. It was struggling to start at zero, so it is not a surprise that -20 proved too much! We've not had much more snow, but some is falling today. The markets have continued to be troubled; this week the decline is blamed on the government—who knew they could actually get together and accomplish a two-year spending plan?! That was too much for investors to digest and they went into a selling mode! So, I experienced the pain of a losing week. The week started with a big win by Brad Jacobs in the Olympic Curling trials. He will now be our representative in Sochi, and I'm expecting a medal for sure—hope it's gold!

Eric seems to be suffering from education withdrawal; he applied for and has been accepted to Penn State for a Post Bachelor Certificate in Autism. Fortunately he can do this on-line and work at the same time.

Bethlehem Walk

Eric, Haaken and Liam have been preparing for Bethlehem Walk this week. The church is expecting 10,000 visitors. Wow! Eric has had several practices this week, and the boys have made some really great drawings. Erica is amazed at their talent and how their styles are so different. Haaken sees things from such interesting angles and Liam is just so meticulous in his art. Both amazing! Erica has continued to have meetings every night this week. The Facilities Review continues with reports due earlier, meetings held earlier, and work having to be done earlier in preparation for the Christmas break. She's really looking forward to the break!

Erin and Kristian have FaceTimed several times. Kristian has had a haircut to match with Sadie! They seem to be getting ready for Christmas, but Erin has also suffered some ill health that has interfered with some of her planned activities. We look forward to seeing them at the end of another week. 

On Friday evening, we had a combination celebration for Andrew's Birthday and Christmas with Trav, Joanna and crew. We chose the traditional all-you-can-eat buffet at the China House; it was very good! Wendy scored a lovely iPad mini courtesy her children; she was surprised and delighted! I got some great gifts as well. Thank you guys! Best of all, we had an occasion together, complete with duelling helicopters, and nothing beats that!

And that's about it for this week! 

Happy Birthday, Carolyn!

Carole and Carolyn

Aunt Carole was a mentor, music teacher, sister, friend and employee! We drove to her front door in  Yellowknife at about 2am in late July 1977. We were welcomed, cared for, accommodated. This conviviality continued as she worked with me and for me during the eighteen years we lived in Yellowknife. Among many other things, Carole was a driving force in the development of a new school in Frame Lake South subdivision of Yellowknife. I became the first principal of that school as she brought me on board her vision of a community school, and I supplied the expertise and positional authority that came from my training and experience as an educational administrator and teacher. She worked for me there as an educational assistant. When I moved on to start another school in Range Lake North subdivision, she would have come along, but the superintendent refused to allow both Carole and her son to work in the new school, so she remained at NJMacpherson. Her multi-year influence on me through the church, the family and school were earnest, effective and important. She remains one of the most important shapers of my life. 

Carolyn Joy, her daughter, although arriving to our consciousness on this date some years ago as "Carole and boy", has benefitted from the years of an even more intimate relationship. She became a beautiful young woman who accorded me the honour of officiating at her marriage; she has remained a friend and supporter all the while growing a loving home with Rick, and growing two fine young men. She embodies so many of the values that I admire in her mother. 

Carole was taken from us much too early by cancer, but her life, efforts and influence live on in her family, her friends, her community; these are her legacy. Now Carolyn has determined to memorialize her mother and honour her brave fight against cancer. She writes, "Many of you know that while in Regina (2008) I lost my mom to cancer. It was definitely during that time that I had some of my darkest moments as well as richest.  Life is funny – we all know that curve balls come from all directions. We learn so many lessons through the tough times! One of the lessons that mom left with me was to live life intentionally.  I have decided to sign up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer 2014 and make this ride about my Mom’s journey. Maybe in some small way I can make a difference. During this season of giving if you can make even a small donation towards my donation goal I would really appreciate it. I've committed to riding 200km and raising critical funds to support the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and I need your help. Please be a part of my journey and make a donation today."

Rick and Carolyn are both planning to take part in this effort. Please support them by following their respective links:
Rick
Carolyn
Thank you in advance for your generosity! 

News Update

We've had a cold and snowy week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Winter has arrived in earnest, and we've had several deposits of snow. I have finally had to get the snowblower out as I cleared the driveway. We even had a snow day on Thursday as the rural roads were so treacherous they cancelled the buses. Wendy has received disquieting news that her employer, Big Lots Canada, is shutting down. Perhaps it should not have been a surprising move seeing how disorganized they are, but they just spent big money completely refurbishing the store here and had a grand opening about a month ago! Sigh! Better economic data out of the US has hit the markets this week. Investors are afraid it means the end of easy money, so they sold most of the week. Finally, on Friday the news was so good on jobs both sides of the border and increased GDP in the US, that investors became afraid of missing out and began buying, so we got some recovery. I'm hoping it leads to a year-end rally! All markets were down about 1.5 to 2% for the week, but I was blessed with an excellent week and an above-quota gain—thank you, Lord! The Olympic curling trials in Winnipeg have drawn my attention all week. This afternoon, my favourite, Kevin Martin, lost in the men's semi-final. I'll be cheering for Brad Jacobs in the final tomorrow. This evening, Jennifer Jones won the women's final and will represent us well in Sochi.

Haaken and Liam are involved in Bethlehem Walk, an annual production of the church that draws tens of thousands from the Island and mainland. They are playing artists in Bethlehem who specialize in illustrating Old Testament stories, and featuring a few drawings inspired by an unusually large star that has appeared lately. Liam got new shoes; he's moved from size 9 to size 10.5 since the start of the school year—yikes! Haaken has been experimenting with voice-overs on the computer. Eric is playing a Rabbi in Bethlehem Walk. He is already demanding script rewrites and his own trailer. Erica is busy with school closure meetings most evenings. She'll be glad when that is over. She awarded herself a trip to the spa for a facial and an evening of relaxation on Friday, and has decided she needs to negotiate that into her next contract! 

Erin and Kristian are enduring some nasty winter weather in Regina. She has her winter tires installed, got a new battery and is installing a remote starter for her car as well. Sadie had a hair cut, so she's ready for indoor weather only! Erin has been called for jury duty, so we'll see how that develops. 

Trav got winter tires for his car this week. He's enjoying the improved traction! He and Joanna are keeping very busy; I guess that's good. Andrew is having a birthday, so we look forward to celebrating with them all. 

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It began with the glorious victory by the Riders in the Grey Cup game! There were some down times during the season, to be sure, but the Riders were dominant during the playoffs and the championship game was an impressive win featuring a record-breaking rushing performance by Kory Sheets. The week also opened with our first snow, so we had Green and White simultaneously! Go Riders! Bus driving has faced a few extra challenges with the snow creating slippery conditions and resulting in several spectacular accidents that closed streets and impaired traffic flow. Some of our buses got stuck after sliding off rural roads. The markets have continued to be inconsistent with the American holiday causing a lot of distraction and low volume. Despite TSX being up only 0.27% for the month, my portfolio did well gaining above quota both this week and for the month. I am feeling very blessed—thank you, Lord! However, I would need a spectacular December to make my annual quota. Football is over, but the Olympic Curling trials start tomorrow, so I'll be fully occupied with that in the coming week. Wendy has kept busy at the Big Lots store; the shifts remain irregular—they often call for her to start earlier and usually ask her to stay longer than scheduled. Is this a system?

Eric/A and the boys have had a busy week. Erica's was consumed in meetings and music practice. They broke out the Christmas stuff and decorated the tree as you can see. The family enjoyed the new Hunger Games movie. Eric is really enjoying his work, now through two weeks! He is getting more and more clients. Liam has a break from hockey compared to last week when he had three practices—one at 5:44am! 

Erica is experimenting with gluten-free cinnamon buns with little success. When Eric asked what was needed to fix that batch, she replied, "Gluten!" Haaken had a good week. He's enjoying borrowing movies from the small group host—they have a good selection of The Simpsons and Monty Python.

Erin and Kristian seem to be doing well. Erin has a cute new hairstyle courtesy of a friend who needed a subject for her journeyman's (Watch for a new gender-neutral version of this term!) test in hairdressing! Last evening they joined us via FaceTime to sing Happy Birthday to Travis. 

Travis, Joanna and crew continue their busy lives. Here's the report on a recent hockey game. Hockey photography has occupied a lot of their time and efforts. We celebrated Trav's birthday Friday evening with a steak and pasta supper here. Wendy prepared a gluten-free cake; it looked great, but the taste did not match up! 

And that's about it for this week.

Paraprosdokians

Paraprosdokians (Winston Churchill loved them)

Thanks to my brother Jim for passing these along.

#5 is one of my favourites. 

They are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. Enjoy!

1. Where there's a will, —I want to be in it.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, —but it's still on my list.

3. Since light travels faster than sound, —some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, —we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, —we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right, —only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, —wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism, —to steal from many is research.
9. I didn't say it was your fault, —I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify: —I put 'DOCTOR'.

11. Women will never be equal to men —until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

12. You do not need a parachute to skydive, —you only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive, —now I'm not so sure.

14. To be sure of hitting the target, —shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, — any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to learn —something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders, —but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Go Riders Go!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It began with a thrilling victory by the Riders in the West final, and thus we look forward to the Grey Cup game tomorrow afternoon! Go Riders Go! The markets continue to roil—the first three days were down, and I didn't quite recover on the final two. Still I remain above quota for the month and have one more week! The weather is colder, and they continue to threaten snow. Wendy has had regular shifts, and a few additional shifts as well. At least they're allowing her time off for our months in Regina, which Walmart would not.

Eric has started his new job. Erica and the boys continue with their work, school and other activities. They were also delighted with the Riders victory. 

Erin and Kristian have FaceTimed with us a few times. Erin got her hair cut quite a bit shorter, and had it re-styled; we like it, and I think she does as well. Kristian continues to progress in grade three. It's cold in Regina, but it is expected to warm to above zero tomorrow for the game tomorrow. The city, of course, has been green crazy all week!

Trav & Joanna are very busy with their various work assignments. Trav's hockey team is on a bit of a winning streak. He is not only coaching, he is also playing some hockey this season. The new bird seems to be settling in well. Gemma and Andrew are doing fine.

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 turned colder, and some days even remained below zero. We're being threatened with snow, but so far we've escaped that. Today, I roto-tilled the garden area, so that's ready for winter. I thought I was finished with trying to turn muskeg into soil when we left YK, but it's a big issue here as well. Wendy has been working all week at Big Lots; that's going fine, but she is continually frustrated by the level of disorganization there. Investors are struggling with record levels on the US indexes; some fear a "correction" while others fear missing out on the rally! Public comments by the incoming Fed chair got them back in a buying mood this week, and I had a great week raising me to above quota for the month already. Now, I need to make up for some months that fell far short! The Riders thrilled us with a win on Sunday over BC; they are set to play the west final tomorrow in Calgary—Go Riders! The Canadian Open of curling is the big event this week. Two of my favourites, Koe & Stoughton, are in the semi-finals tonight, but only Kevin Koe advanced to the final. 

Eric had his interview for the Parksville job on Tuesday, was offered the position, and accepted it. So, he's begun his work as Marriage & Family Therapist; he's in Vancouver this weekend for a conference. Erica is busy with a facilities review, enrolment forecasts, and financial forecasts at work. Liam is back into hockey as he recovered from lower body injuries. Erica and the boys had dental checkups; Erica has a clean record, but must brush less vigorously. Haaken has a couple of small cavities; Liam will be getting to know the dentist rather well in the next while! Eric will get his dental checkup next week. They're hoping for some R & R and a Riders win this weekend!

Erin & Kristian are coping in snowy Regina. Her work at Taylor Motors continues to be rewarding and fulfilling to her. Kristian continues to progress at school, and enjoys his friends. Things work out well for after school care, so that's good. Erin still hasn't put the snow tires on her car, so it must not be too wintry yet! 

Trav & Joanna have been busy with hockey team photography by Puckshots, along with their regular work. Trav's hockey team continues to thrive in league action, and played a tournament last weekend. Beaker continues to mature and brighten in colour. Gemma and Andrew are progressing well at school.

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 remained nice although the big game hunters are crying for some snow! I've done some more work in the garden getting the composting material refreshed—hmm, refreshed somehow doesn't seem like the right word for compost! Bus driving is going well. We settled our contract, so I got my back pay. They provided flu shots on Friday, so I was glad to avail myself of that. The markets have been riled once again. Good economic news concerned the investors as they worried the Fed might start tapering earlier, then we got even better news on the jobs front on Friday, and investors decided things were going so well, not even the Fed could mess it up! I had a good week and remain above quota so far this month. Next week will, I'm sure, be yet another story! Football playoffs start this weekend. The Riders host BC for the west semi-final tomorrow—Go Riders! Pre-Olympic Trials are on in curling, so I've been watching that this week. Wendy has kept busy at Big Lots Canada. Today, she must have found the shift dragging so she left an hour early! Actually, she had forgotten to update her wrist watch last weekend, so she skipped out—at least that's her story! 

Eric/A have been considering, debating, questioning, researching and praying over the big decision on Eric's job offer in Dease Lake. Finally, they have come to a decision and Eric has accepted the position as Child & Family Mental Health Clinician.  This process now complete, he has received an invitation to interview on a job in Parksville! Yikes! Haaken is setting up a visit with North Island College to spend a day experiencing college classes and see what that is like. Liam, having recovered from his "lower body injury" is back at hockey, however, his visit to the dentist this week has him looking at some further dental work. This weekend the crew is in Victoria to visit Eric's family and enjoy playoff football. 

Erin & Kristian chatted with us a couple of times this week. Everything seems to be progressing well for them in Regina. Kristian completed and presented his book report to the class—that seemed to go well. Their early snows have melted, but more is promised! Kristian had the day off school yesterday due to a PD day; he spent the day at the Y. 

Trav is keeping busy with work and coaching. His Elks won their game over Nipigon and remain just one point out of first place in the tightly contested league. The family rejoiced over the addition of a new member this week. Beaker, a Crimson-Bellied Conure is the newest arrival!

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another fine week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been mild, with a few showers. Wendy has kept busy at Big Lots, working pretty much a regular shift this week. The markets have continued to be volatile as investors try to decipher whether good news is good, or whether it may indicate the impending end of stimulus. However, I was blessed with excellent gains and was able to complete the month above quota, and get a good start on November. I had my regularly scheduled check up with my oncologist. He was pleased with my PSA levels, and after many years of six-month checkups, has agreed that once a year will our new schedule. I enjoyed a sibling conference call this week in celebration of Viggo's sixty-fifth birthday—another one on the pension! The World Series came to a conclusion with my Boston Red Sox winning it all. The Riders played out the string against Edmonton this evening, and is set to host BC in the West division semi-final next Sunday. Go Riders! This week, I've been enjoying watching the Masters, the first big tournament of the curling season. My long time favourite, Kevin Martin, beat another of my teams, Kevin Koe, this afternoon. He is into the final against Glenn Howard tomorrow. 

Eric/A and the boys started the week at Tony & Lisa's. This visit was featured in their family update as the Salsa Files! Eric and Erica continue to ponder their future. Eric has won a position in Dease Lake, but opportunities  up there for the rest of them look less clear. They were blessed with a nice payout on the transfer of Erica's pension from Ontario which gives them some relief on the financial side. 

Kristian scored a big haul on Hallowe'en; now we'll see how long it lasts. If he's like his mother, he'll still have some next October! We enjoyed FaceTiming with them about their adventures this week. 

We get back and forth with Trav, Joanna and crew and that's nice. Trav keeps busy with work and hockey. They lost their most recent game, and fell to three wins, three losses on the season so far. 

Well, that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

We've had a cool week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. After picking my tomatoes last Saturday, we had frost on Sunday, just like it was waiting for me to get ready! We've had regular frosty nights since, and most trees have now turned, and many have lost their leaves onto my lawn! I cut the lawns on Thursday for what I think is the final time for this cycle. The markets have been volatile, but overall they were up this week. However, I must have made the wrong choices, because my picks were down, and I'll need four above average days next week to make my monthly quota. Work has been going fine. We had a union meeting to day to vote on the latest offer from the company; that narrowly passed. The World Series has begun, and my team has fallen behind 2-1 with a loss this evening. It's on the PVR for later viewing as the Riders played this evening as well. Riders lost a tight game in Calgary, so they will have to settle for second place. They will play BC in the semi-finals in two weeks. Go Riders! Wendy has been putting in a lot of hours at Big Lots; they had their grand opening yesterday. I stopped in for their door opening specials, however, seeing the crowds, they had opened early and I missed out! 

Liam had his toe surgery and treatment, now we await the recovery. He, Haaken and Erica travelled to Vancouver on Wednesday evening, as Erica had a conference, and the boys had days off due to PD days. The boys rested, relaxed and chilled out on Thursday—with a nap time in there somewhere. Then the crew went exploring Vancouver streets; Erica was pleased the boys could find their way back afterwards. Eric planned to join them for supper, but the float plane was fogged in, so he came later via ferry. Eric and the boys toured Emily Carr University on Friday. Haaken thinks it's pretty cool; Liam doesn't want to think about the future! They also visited the Aquarium, and took a ride on the Haunted Hallowe'en train through Stanley Park. They're spending the weekend with Tony & Lisa—thanks, guys! 

Erin & Kristian are also busy with Hallowe'en activities. Kristian is dressing as some kind of a warrior! 

Trav has updated his hockey blog to include all five games played this season. His team is now at 3-2 overall. He blew out another tire on his car. He's finding that the combination of low-profile tires and potholes is not a good mix! Joanna keeps busy in her new job. Gemma scored one of those new coloured iPhones, a product of her summer job.

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Another beautiful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The long weekend favoured us as the fine weather held. This week has been cooler, and once again we're threatened with frost. I decided to pick the tomatoes today, so we have two boxes of ripening tomatoes to care for! My back is healing nicely; I am scheduled for suture removal next Tuesday. The markets started the week very troubled, and I reduced my holdings. However, the Republicans relented, and passed measures to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling and the markets pushed forward again. As a result, I got back into buying and was blessed with an excellent week that overcame the shortfalls of the last two weeks and has me back on quota for the month—thank you, Lord! Wendy has continued to pick up extra shifts, so she is too busy, and somewhat over-extended. Renovation projects continue to move slowly forward. Wendy is painting in the office, and then I'll finish the casing and baseboard there. We enjoyed company midweek as Vern and Linda stopped in on their way to Regina. We expect them again on the way back. Baseball playoffs continue with one of my picks being knocked off by St. Louis, but Boston advanced to play the Cardinals in the World Series. The Riders played this evening against BC needing a win to guarantee a home playoff game. It was a bit encouraging to see their performance! Go Riders! 

Eric has been offered a job in northern BC. That is not ideal, so they're still hoping for a better option. Otherwise life in Parksville continues as per usual with Liam rehabbing his hockey injuries and Haaken working his school assignments and the film project. Erica completed five reports this week, and successfully argued for a new hire in her office. She located a missing piece of her bedroom suite in Winnipeg, so we may be called on to help get it relocated to BC. 

Erin and Kristian are doing well in Regina. They continue their preparations for Hallowe'en. Erin scored a new vacuum cleaner; Kristian enjoyed helping her clean the apartment. 

Joanna is enjoying her new job. Trav keeps busy at the various aspects of his business. We were up to see his new workspace last evening. Gemma and Andrew keep busy with school and friends. I even got to bus them to school one day as they had missed their own bus. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Happy Thanksgiving! It's been another beautiful week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been lovely all week, but they're threatening showery weather over the rest of the long weekend. The beets continue to develop and the tomatoes continue to produce as frost has been delayed past Thanksgiving; we expect it by Labour Day. I had a holiday Friday for Professional Development day in the schools, so it's an extra long weekend for me. I had my surgery on Tuesday. The lump was about the size and shape of an almond with shell on. The doctor is confident it was simply a sweat gland that became plugged and filled up. I have three stitches closing the incision, and it's healing nicely. Wendy has been working all week, except when she took off time on Tuesday to accompany me to the hospital. She has found some gluten-free pasta and we've really been enjoying that. The markets started off terribly as fears over the US government shut down and failure to raise the debt ceiling roiled investors. Toward the end of the week, we got a relief rally as it appeared the Republicans were going to reopen government and extend the debt limit, but today, they've changed their minds again and refused to allow votes on either! You can't beat crazy! Anyway, I managed a small gain, but not up to my quota. Baseball has advanced to the semi-finals and both of my picks (Dodgers & Red Sox) are still in it. The Riders won an uninspiring game today, but it counts the same! Hockey has started, but there's a long season ahead, and the next serious hockey will be at the Olympics. 

Liam awaits surgery on his toe and has also suffered a bruised or chipped tailbone in a fall last Sunday. He's on the injured list for another week or so. Haaken is holding off production of the ending to the haunted house story. He's working on the script, and is enjoying school. Eric had an interview and they've called for references, so that's a good sign. He's applied on a position as Spiritual Counsellor in Duncan. We hope something works out. Erica continues with her work. She's enjoying being on the worship team again. She's feeling a bit rusty on the keyboard, but it's coming back to her. They're celebrating Thanksgiving with the Bailey family in Victoria. They were glad to have a visit and some great conversation with Grandpa K and Uncle Dave this week. 

Kristian and Erin are doing just fine in Regina. We're glad to be able to video chat with them regularly. Kristian is working on his first book report from one of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Otherwise school and work are going well. They've been shopping for a hallowe'en costume, but apparently no candy yet! 

Joanna has completed one job, and begun another one. So far it feels much more comfortable. Trav had car troubles as a tire failed, and then the remote starter malfunctioned again. They thought they had it solved, but on Friday it was back to refusing to stop! He got a new tire, and is now working on getting a full set of winter tires. This weekend the whole crew has gone to Minneapolis, and we're dog sitting Mini. We expect them back Monday evening. 

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 been beautiful all week, although it's turned cool and rainy today. I've taken a final harvest and pulled the beans, although we haven't had frost yet. The tomatoes continue to develop; I picked some more of the riper ones. I have puttered around sealing and trimming out the new patio door. Wendy helped me run some strips to fir out the frame a bit. We enjoyed a lovely evening out last night with Gord & Nora at a fund-raiser for MEMO that has been upgrading medical equipment in Cuba, and has set a new target for similar work in El Salvador. The US government shut down (thanks Teahadists!) has caused a decline in the markets this week, but I still managed a small gain. I have reduced my holdings to protect my portfolio a little, but really, I just hope that it gets settled soon. Bus driving has continued to go well. Wendy has been working all week at the new Big Lots store, but she's not having a lot of fun. The work is physically demanding, and the organization is frustratingly disorganized. Baseball has moved into the playoffs; I am following it with some interest. I am cheering for Boston and Los Angeles to advance to the final, but that's still a couple of rounds away. The Riders provided some relief last evening by taking a win in Vancouver and moving back into second place. 

Eric had another job interview, so we wait and hope for a positive outcome. Liam has been complaining of a sore big toe. This week he was diagnosed within an in-grown toenail, so he's scheduled for surgery next week. They had an adventure midweek as they headed over to Vancouver to a Bon Jovi concert. They missed the ferry sailing, so they took the float plane instead. That was fun, and they enjoyed the concert. The next morning, they missed the ferry again, but not wanting to pay for another float plane ride, they took a later ferry. Eric didn't have work that day, and the boys were off school both Thursday and Friday, but Erica needed to get back to complete and give a presentation—it all worked out fine. They also hit a deer on Thursday night; the car seemed undamaged, and they didn't check the deer closely! The film project continues. Erica is in the midst of strategic planning with the Board, so that has involved some extra work and evening meetings.

Erin and Kristian continue to thrive in Regina. Kristian used some of this birthday bonuses to take his mom out to dinner. We enjoyed chatting with them via FaceTime a couple of times. The weather in Regina has already turned colder with some hard frosts.

Trav picked up a nice contract with the University. Joanna has a new job in a different store, but is also doing her old jobs. Gemma and Andrew are enjoying good health and school. They're especially enjoying the end of the paper delivery project! Trav's hockey team won their second preseason game and will now head into the regular season.

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another beautiful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. School bus driving is going fine, and I had a couple of charters this week. The weather has remained lovely, and the garden has continued to produce as we continue to await our first frost. I was picking beans and tomatoes today—what a great flavour when you get a tomato that has ripened on the vine! I've tried to clean up on the Swiss chard, as we still have beet greens to harvest. The markets have not gone well as the Tea Party Terrorists have sabotaged the US markets and that seems to play even worse up here. I was down again this week, and will almost certainly end up down for the month as well. Sigh! The Jays are playing meaningful baseball in their final series as they've taken two games from Tampa and injected themselves into the pennant race. The Riders played another poor game on Sunday and have fallen into a second place tie. They will need to win tomorrow, or they'll drop into third place. C'mon guys! Wendy has been busy all week at work. She only had a couple of scheduled shifts, but they keep calling her in for extra work. She's finding it fairly tiring, made more so by the level of disorganization she's finding there! We got our new patio doors delivered on Tuesday, so I pulled out the old set and installed the new ones; some hours of trim work remains. And to cap things off, we got hacked on our gmail address, and sent out a spam email to Wendy's entire address book. Sorry about that!

Erica enjoyed a trip to Hornby Island to their outdoor education centre. It was rainy and miserable, but a lousy day on Hornby beats a day in the office! Liam continues with hockey and school. He had one interesting day where he got two wasp stings and came home early from school. Haaken is working on school and the movie project. Eric has started his temp job at Nanaimo Association for Community Living. He also got a call for an interview on another job with actual counselling hours, so we are praying that works out. The whole crew is in Victoria this weekend as Erica has a trustees conference. They are enjoying a stay at Bear Mountain resort. 

Erin and Kristian completed birthday celebrations and continue with work and school. Kristian has decided not to do tae kwon do. He is now enrolled for indoor soccer. He had an encouraging audiology examination and report. He has experienced no further hearing loss, and his hearing aids are functioning well. It is almost time to be considering replacement of the hearing aids, but it seems the prices have come down a lot since he got these about five years ago.

Trav has worked his new hockey team through preparations for the new season. They had two exhibition games this week, winning the first 2-0, and are playing again tonight. Joanna is very busy at work; she is also working with Trav on Ulrichdesign jobs and then there's being a mom—that's about three full-time jobs! Gemma has been ill this week. 

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It's been a busy week. Wendy, who was supposed to have two shifts, has been called in everyday. I've had a plague of meetings and a doctor's visit to add to my usual schedule. Being retired is not so easy; I don't know how I ever got things done while I was working! The visit to the surgeon did not go as planned. The plan was for freezing and doing office surgery, but after he examined the cyst growing on my back, he decided to reschedule me to an operating theatre at the hospital, so that's now set for October 8th. Along with the school bus driving, I've had some other work-related meetings this week, and then there's the markets! Investors have struggled to figure out which way to send values, and I've struggled to figure out which way they will jump next! As a result, it's been a down week for me, so I'll have to work on recovery next week. The Riders also had a down week after falling out of first place. We hope they begin a new winning streak against BC tomorrow. Baseball is playing out the regular season and there are some interesting playoff races attracting my attention. Golf is in the final playoff tournament; I'm enjoying watching that. 

Liam is completing the preseason with his hockey team; we're hoping he manages his first goal soon. Haaken has been reworking the story boards for the movie. The production meeting with the family will consider his progress. Both boys are back in youth group activities. Eric completed his pre-employment activities with a pass on his TB test. He starts on Monday with the Nanaimo Association for Community Living. Erica met a couple of Danish ladies on her seaplane ride back from the Education Law Conference meeting. They tried to help her pronounce Ulrich and Krogsgaard!

Erin and Kristian celebrated his birthday this week; and it has taken a week, from his actual birthday on Monday to his bowling event this weekend! Kristian also lost an eighth tooth, on his eighth birthday! Otherwise it's been a good week at home, school and tae kwon do. Kristian is giving that a try this year. 

Trav added a new gold iPhone to his business this week! He's been very busy drafting his hockey team for the new season. Joanna continues to be too busy at work. Gemma and Andrew are beginning well at school. 

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

We've had a cool and rainy week here on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The sun shone today, so I got in a golf game (41-44–85). I am scheduled for surgery to remove a growth on my back next week, so I may not be swinging a club for a while. The markets have veered wildly this week with fears of Syrian fighting, offset by better economic data out of the US, leading to worries about what the Fed may do next week! Thursday was particularly red for me, so while I managed a gain, it was not up to my quota or expectations. Wendy has completed her night shifts and will be taking additional training with a view to working as a cashier at Big Lots Canada (the new name for Liquidation World). The Riders opened the week with a disappointing effort in Winnipeg that resulted in a loss. They closed the week with a turnover plagued two-point loss to Toronto, and have fallen into second place in their division. 

Liam was placed on a hockey team; they played and lost their first exhibition game. The family continues to work on the film; it may not ever get produced, but the fun is in the getting there! Haaken and Eric met with the school counselor; after being informed of Haaken's interests, his schedule has been adjusted to include an animation course next semester. Eric continues his job search and practice development; this week ferried across to the mainland for a pre-interview assessment over in Burnaby. However, he also found it the job is not as a counselor, so... He has started a blog on parenting. Erica has been busy with school start up, and has also joined the worship ministry at church in Parksville; she found her keyboarding skills a bit rusty, but it's coming back.

Erin & Kristian have Facetimed with us a couple of times. Things seem to be going satisfactorily there with school, work and home. 

Trav is amping up his hockey preparations. This brings opportunities for team photos as part of his work. Joanna keeps very busy (too busy) with her work. She also likes to participate in some of Trav's work, but there are only so many hours in the week, and there's still Gemma and Andrew's activities at school and home.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another beautiful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. School has started for another year, and I'm back in the bus driving routine. I've managed a bit of golf practice and enjoying it a great deal. The garden is producing and we're enjoying eating beans, Swiss chard, beet greens and tomatoes. The markets are volatile, but gained a little value this week, so I'm hoping the correction is over and we can resume more normal activity. I had a small gain, but not enough to reach my quota. Of course, September and October are usually the most difficult months on the markets, but we're hoping they got those ideas out of their minds during the bad months we've already had! The TSX is only up 3% for the year, but then again, our economy is not doing well, so maybe I'm expecting too much. The Riders continued their winning ways beating Winnipeg in the Labour Day game, and will try to beat them again tomorrow in the return engagement. I am also enjoying watching the golf playoffs. 

Eric has obtained some part-time work; he continues to look for work in his career field. The boys are back to school and Erica is back at work at the school board office. Liam is taking an extended hockey assessment prior to the regular season. The family has decided to capitalize on the movie-making prowess of the boys to produce a family movie. It's been fun so far! They enjoyed hosting Tanis & Tom (friends from Kenora) as they visited on the Island.

Kristian is enjoying grade 3 so far. He has lost another tooth this week, so his economy has improved! Erin has secured a good short-term arrangement for after school care. We hope that may continue for the longer term as well. 

Trav & Joanna are hard at work. Joanna is getting more work than she likes! Gemma and Andrew have started back to school. 

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another beautiful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Wendy has cleaned the pool in anticipation of us taking it down and putting it away after the long weekend. We have started up the hot tub, and enjoyed using it a bit. I keep practising golf, but haven't played a round this week. The hydro people came by and announced they were taking down two more trees along our back fence that are under the line—where were they when I needed them to take down the first thirteen?! Anyway, those trees are gone, and I have a few yards of mulch to use along the cedars. The markets have continued their troubled ways, with DOW down 5% for the month, but TSX was up 1.3% and I'm over quota for the last two months now. I've begun preparations for school to start next week, driving my bus route on Wednesday to re-familiarize myself. Wendy started work at Liquidation World; she seems to be enjoying it. The Riders play their traditional Labour Day game against Winnipeg tomorrow afternoon. The Jays keep entertaining us, but they are not doing a lot of winning! I am enjoying watching the playoffs in golf.

Eric/A enjoyed hosting their friends from Kenora this week. 

Erin and Kristian flew home on Sunday to Regina. Kristian is enjoying camp/day care this week, while Erin gets caught up on things at work. 

Trav & Joanna keep very busy with work. Trav is also preparing for the hockey season, both for work and play. Gemma and Andrew are ready for school; they will be together at the same school this year. 

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another beautiful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We have enjoyed a great week with Erin and Kristian. We celebrated Erin's birthday on Monday, and just enjoyed having them around all week. It's been a pleasure having Kristian with us most of the summer. The markets have been troubled, and they, in turn, troubled my portfolio! The Riders pulled off another win to improve to 7 and 1, and remain alone in first place. The Jays are just playing out the string in baseball, and aren't even doing that well! The new pool filter pump has performed well, although it's taken most of the week to get caught up with the appropriate chemical balance. We've enjoyed being able to take a break in the pool! Wendy has accepted a job at Liquidation World; she starts on Monday.

Haaken has spent the week on Galiano Island learning about 3D film-making. Eric/A went over there today to pick him up and take in a screening of the movie. Eric had an interview on Thursday for a job in Port Hardy—that would be quite a commute! He has applied on more jobs, and continues to press forward on his own counselling practice as well. Liam is working on football while rollerblading to build up his skating and balance! He and Eric have also enjoyed more games of Settlers of Catan and Risk. Liam is working on his French with a view to making a good start to the school year. Erica received an encouraging visit from an ADM and Superintendent from the Ministry of Education—her friends back in Kenora were shocked that the Ministry would visit; they would never have believed the encouraging part! 

Erin spent a relaxing week here in TBay. She and Kristian will be heading back to Regina early in the morning. 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew got over on several occasions. We also spent time over there, including a nice supper with them this evening. I was able to assist Trav in assembling their new BBQ.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another wonderful week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been beautiful and we've enjoyed yard, garden and golf! Kristian, Wendy and I were able to golf together yesterday; that already makes it a highlight, then, Kristian added to it by scoring his first par ever! The filter pump for the pool broke down, and we are loath to replace it for how little time is left in the pool season. This afternoon, Wendy found a second-hand filter pump on Kijiji—we're swimming! The TSX was volatile this week, but it was up a little and I was blessed with above quota gains. The US markets turned downward, but they still remain up 16% on the year, while we've only managed 2.4%. I passed my bus driver medical this week, so I guess I'll give that another go. Wendy is applying on several jobs as well as selling off extra stuff that we've been storing around here. The Riders played this afternoon at home and knocked off the Montreal Alouettes on the final play to improve to 6-1 in first place. After BC beat Calgary tonight, we're all alone in first place.

Eric continues to apply for jobs and work on his counselling practice. They've run into some snags, and face some deadlines like the end of EI, so we (and by we, I mean Eric/A!) hope some income begins to be generated soon! Haaken is off to camp this week, looking forward to learning more about 3D animation and Maya. Liam is rollerblading to build up his skating legs in preparation for hockey; he reports sore knees. The family is enjoying family game nights—Liam is becoming an adept Settler of Catan. The boys are beginning the adjustment to school mode by getting dressed before noon! Erica is back to work; she has a new office with a nice view of the fountain and the ocean, and hope it includes an improved outlook!

Erin is beginning a holiday break and is set to fly down here on Monday. We look forward to the week, but not to the imminent departure of Kristian! Her work is going well. She and Kristian now text each other as well as the usual evening FaceTime. 

Trav has spun off several businesses as part of his work. Please check them out: HockeyTees, Stickerz, PuckShots. He and Joanna enjoyed a trip to Toronto last week and took in a Blue Jay game on Monday. Joanna continues to be very busy at work but is enjoying it and learning a great deal about the business. Gemma and Andrew should be completing summer activities and be back home soon. 

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 very comfortable and we've enjoyed the outdoors. I managed to get out to practise golf a few times, and to golf once. That was an interesting experience as I joined up with a group that turned out to be an Alzheimer's victim and his caddie. The TSX suffered through another mixed week, and ended a bit down, however, I was blessed with a good week of earnings. The garden is beginning to produce. It seems to have grown lots of plant and not much food, but now we're seeing spinach, beets, beans and tomatoes. The radishes are finished, and the rhubarb continues about as usual. Wendy has been considering and even applying for local positions. She and Kristian went to the local exhibition on Thursday—lots of crazy rides and bad food choices there! The Blue Jays continue their uneven performance; they're in a bit of a homestand just now. The Riders lost on Friday evening to drop to 5-1 on the season. They had plenty of offense, but gave up some turnovers and some big, untimely penalties that turned the game in Calgary's favour.

We haven't heard much from Eric/A and crew, but life seems to be continuing about the same out there as Eric is trying to develop his counselling practice and Erica is continuing with work. The boys are relaxing their way through summer. 

Erin calls regularly for FaceTime with Kristian. We look forward to her visit later this month. 

Trav & Joanna get back and forth with us for meals and outings. We had a good hike with them out to the Cascades early in the week. On Thursday, they hosted us for Thai Wraps which have become a favourite of ours. They left for Toronto today where Travis has some business meetings. They plan to take in a Blue Jay game on Monday. 

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 been favourable and I enjoyed getting in some golf. Wendy has pursued the weeds with vigour and the backyard is looking good. The pool is operating well; Kristian and grandma have enjoyed that. The markets have continued to be troubled and the TSX was down again this week, however, I was blessed to complete the month above quota and with a good first week to this new month as well. The Jays have been on an extended road trip and are not doing well. The Riders have the week off; I'm sure they're relishing their 5-0 start, but I hope they don't get over-confident. 

Erica started the week in Washington, meeting up with friends from Twilighting days and touring Forks. A highlight was touring the mill there and seeing a huge forklift pick up an entire semi-load of logs at once. Wow! Another highlight was meeting a lady from England with whom she's been emailing for several years. Eric is setting up his office, and has booked his first client. He has foregone the self-employment program as too time-consuming and tedious. He wants to get at it! For now his earnings will go against his EI. Liam had a lot of stories from his time at camp. He had fun and made some new friends. Haaken is looking forward to his camp later this month. In the meantime, they're practising being teenagers—staying up late and sleeping until noon! 

We get frequent conversations with Erin as she keeps up with Kristian. She's doing well in Regina. It's annual review time, and she received superior ratings and a nice raise—all of us are proud!

Travis, Kristian and I played a game of golf, in honour of my birthday, at the nearby par 3 course. That was a lot of fun. Trav & Joanna joined us for birthday supper on Tuesday. 

It has been a good week!

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We enjoyed friends, food and fellowship in Dauphin on Sunday, and drove home on Monday. Thanks to Bob & Linda for hosting us. We've been trying to catch up on things here all week. The lawns are trimmed, the rhubarb is picked, cut and packaged, but the weeds continue to fight! I've been to the chiropractor—good progress was noted. I've had the Sorento in for the recall order; it was a brake switch malfunction which interfered with the push-button starting. The TSX was up a bit on Monday, but then descended the rest of the week, ending down, however, I am feeling well-blessed with another good week of gains and am now over my quota for the month. We'll see if I can hold it this time! Sadly, the Jays have continued their poor play. The Riders had a home and home with Hamilton; they demolished them 37-0 on Sunday, and tonight they served up another win behind the back-up quarterback to reach 5-0. Wendy keeps busy with Kristian; there is always an excuse to buy him another toy! 

Eric/A and the boys are settling into summer activities on the Island. Liam is off to film camp, and Haaken looks forward to his camp later in the summer. Eric pursues a position in keeping with his new qualifications, and Erica is back at work at the school board. 

Erin and Sadie continue their adventures in Regina. There have been several more severe storms blowing through there. Kristian is here with us; he maintains a daily schedule of Math and Reading along with lots of play. He was glad to have Andrew and Gemma visit this week prior to their summer trip to Burlington. Tonight, as he brushed his teeth before bed time, he dislodged another of his front lower teeth. He hopes the tooth-fairy can find him here!

Trav and Joanna have been by a couple of times. He had a good offer on the truck, so we hope that sale is soon completed. Gemma and Andrew left this morning for southern Ontario to spend part of the summer with their grandparents. Joanna accompanied them, but she plans to return on Tuesday.

And that's about it for this week.