Happy New Year!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, and we find ourselves at the end of another year. We enjoyed a family Christmas celebration here. We wish you all well for each day, and of course for the New Year! The weather has turned very cold suddenly, and we've already enjoyed all of that we can stand. The forecasters are threatening continued cold weather over this weekend before it moderates. I even broke down and plugged the car in overnight! I haven't been feeling well this week; I seem to have come down with a cold, and I think it invaded my right eye, but it's getting better. Anyway, I didn't feel up to much production this week, and the kitchenette continues to wait. I did get some electrical work done at least. Wendy has broken out jigsaw puzzles; one is done, another well under way! The markets were only open three days, and it was just as well, as they did not help! I finished the year short of quota, but my accounts grew a bit despite us withdrawing funds each month for our needs—so that part was good. I'll be spending time over this long weekend analyzing the situation, and planning changes to my investment strategies. I try to do that several times each year, a bit each weekend, and even more so on long weekends. It's a job! Regular league play continues in the NHL, and I have to admit the Oilers are picking it up a bit. I'm not seeing improvement in the Pens; they seem unable to produce except on the power play, so they may need to make some changes, and perhaps even bring in some fresh talent. The Jayhawks opened league play with a road win over Texas—that was encouraging. They've been elevated to #11, and further changes will be seen in the next rankings as #1 Duke went down to defeat this week. The big event on now is the Junior Hockey World Championships. We lost one game to the US in a shoot-out, but have prevailed to win our pool, and now move on to the medal round. Go Canada, Go!

The Baileys spent the week in Victoria where they enjoyed the reunion with Haaken and a week of visiting with the Victoria Baileys! On the way out, they just made it to the ferry ahead of the bad weather. Christmas was very generous to all of them, but their greatest pleasure was seeing the boys feel the joy of watching others receive. They enjoyed a family trip to see the latest Star Wars. Haaken is enjoying school; he has been getting good grades. Hopefully, this will result in employment possibilities. They concluded the week celebrating the wedding of Tamara Jacobs, a friend from high school. This beautiful event took place at the Mann farm today. They plan to begin the drive back tomorrow, Sunday, the 31st.

Erin's week was marked by vehicle issues. Cold weather invaded Regina, and her car refused to start. It turned out the alternator was defunct. After it was rebuilt, and a new serpentine belt installed, Shawn also felt the battery had been compromised by operating at low charge in extremely cold weather, so the battery was replaced as well. As it turned out the battery was replaced under warranty, and the alternator was rebuilt, so the costs were kept remarkably low—a blessing all on its own! However, in today's cold snap, the car refused to start once again. Maybe it requires being plugged in under these conditions!

Building Lego keeps him warm!

Sadie requires a fur coat and sweater!

Travis and Joanna have been putting in long days this week. Joanna had extra work with her catering side, and they both had lots to do for Puckshots and Stickerz. Anyhow, we enjoyed Christmas together. We took in the latest Star Wars edition, and then we celebrated around a turkey dinner, and a Christmas jigsaw puzzle. They've both had nagging car issues, and finally bit the bullet and purchased a new battery for each of their vehicles. It improved to -15 today, and their cars were running well.

And that's about enough for this week and this year! 

Merry Christmas!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been mild, but we've had a few flurries along with that change. I've cleared the driveway a couple of times, and didn't enjoy it at all! Wendy has been busy with preparations for Christmas, and has also continued with her refreshment to the office and living room. I've continued with the kitchenette, but she has come up with some additions needed upstairs, so I'm wiring in two more electrical outlets up here. It's always a challenge adding electrical after the fact! I hope the mudding is done in the kitchenette, but we'll see what it looks like after the primer coat goes on. I've bought some LED strip lighting, so we'll see how that goes under the upper cupboards down there. If it's approved, we'll be adding some to the kitchen later. I've a couple of weeks with the compression stocking and I'm seeing improvements. There is less discolouration in the lower leg, and a lot less fluid build up each day. It's been a poor week in the markets with thin trading as we approach yearend. I only have three trading days left, and I don't expect much from those. Oilers have had a good week, and a playoff spot is at least becoming a possibility for them. Penguins are also close to a playoff spot, and there are rumours they'll be trying to improve their lineup through a trade. Jayhawks came back with a couple of wins this week, and should see some improvement from their current #14 ranking.

Eric, Erica and Liam are on the way to the Island today. The last report this evening had them on the 10PM ferry. Haaken awaits, along with the extended Bailey family, so we're wishing them a Merry Christmas out there! From the photos they've sent our way, it appears they got the bedroom floor ready for stain and polyurethane before they headed west—good job! 

Erin and Kristian seem to be all ready for Christmas in Regina, with several festive meals being organized. They're expecting cold weather there, so we wish them a Merry and warm Christmas! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew are celebrating Christmas with us here in Thunder Bay. We're planning to take in the latest Star Wars film as our traditional Christmas movie. Merry Christmas, and May God bless us, everyone! 

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 cold, and we've had a little bit more snow. We're promised melting temperatures over the next few days, so I'm hoping it doesn't bring snow with it! We drove some of the back roads on Sunday afternoon until we found a likely-looking tree, and brought that home with us. Wendy has busily dug out lights and decorations and hung more than the tree can hold! Lots of memories in those items! My fancy $200 compression stockings have arrived, so I struggle into one of them each morning. I've continued work on the mudding downstairs. It's getting close! Wendy has continued with her painting on the main floor. She completed the living room, again, and, put another coat of paint in the office walls. The markets have been whipsawing, and the TSX has returned to red for the month, but I've had another green week, so I feel well blessed. I got out for curling again on Wednesday, and have agreed to play with a team for the month of January on a regular basis. The Olympic Trials ended on Sunday with my guy, Kevin Koe, winning on the men's side, and Rachel Homan winning the women's side, so they'll be our representatives at the Winter Olympics. In hockey, Oilers and Penguins are improving, but there's more needed! Leafs suffered a significant injury, and have been having a tough time while Matthews is out. Jayhawks fell to #13 in the basketball rankings, and didn't look impressive in their win over Nebraska this evening—Rock Chalk boys!

NOEL

O Christmas Tree!

There's only one week until the Baileys have Christmas break! They scored themselves some early Christmas presents as they picked up a new palm sander and also some sand paper for their pole sanders—they surely know how to have a good time! They hope to refinish the floor in the master bedroom this weekend. Of course, with this being the opening weekend for Star Wars, there are competing priorities! Liam is spending the weekend with his Auntie Erin and doing some Christmas shopping. They are looking forward to the break, but still have a week of work to go!

Congrats Eric!

Erin and Kristian have had a good week. Kristian's bowling league had their Christmas party today, so the bowling was just for the fun of it. Kristian scored a nice remote-controlled truck at the Taylor Christmas party last weekend. They keep pretty busy with Christmas preparations.

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew enjoyed last weekend in Minneapolis, and returned home on Monday. Minnie and Beaker stayed with us while they were away. This week they were hard at work, trying to get as much as possible done in time for Christmas. Gemma and Andrew are closing out their school activities before the break.

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. I flew back into town Sunday evening after the bonspiel in Toronto. I have now informed one of the local leagues that I'm available for curling as a spare. I'll also continue practicing, as I've been away from regular curling for 12 seasons until this year, and there's plenty of rust! Winter arrived Monday night after a day of rain, so it was a slushy mess on the driveway on Tuesday. Wendy and I spent a few hours working on that and finally got it cleared away. Wendy is painting this week in the living room and office. This weekend, we inherited the animals from Travis & Joanna, as they're off with Gemma and Andrew for a weekend in Minneapolis. Lucky them! I've continued to work on the kitchenette, and we're slowly making headway. The markets enjoyed solid economic data and, except for the Nasdaq, have progressed into the green for the month. I had another great week and am back on quota. Sports this week has been pretty much full-time curling with the Olympic Trials on for both men and women. Kevin Koe has advanced to the final tomorrow where he'll play Mike McEwen. On the women's side, it'll be Chelsea Carey against Rachel Homan. Lots of great curling all week long. Jayhawks lost to an unranked team, and are bound to tumble from their lofty #2 ranking. The #1 ranked Blue Devils also lost, so there will be a substantial reshuffle. Oilers are showing a bit of progress, but are still playing substantially below expectations. Pens are pretty much in the same category, just unable to make much headway in the standings.

Eric got confirmation of his certification as a Clinical Fellow, congratulations! Otherwise, it was a pretty quiet week, nothing much going on except getting ready for Christmas. Well, Erica did set up a fund-raising site so everyone would have an opportunity to support her upcoming surgeries. Here's the link.

Kristian put up good bowling scores again this week, and may have raised his average again. Good work, buddy! Erin scored a used computer from work, just needed to replace the hard drive, so Kristian now has a computer for his room as well as the laptop. Christmas has come early!

Trav & Joanna put in lots of time and effort getting product out the door this week. Then, they took off for the weekend excursion this morning. They're just relaxing in Minneapolis, but I'm sure they'll have fun. Gemma and Andrew are off with them, while we try to take care of things back here. We got notification that they'd arrived safely in Minnie—we wish them a good and safe trip!

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, but I have ended the week on the shore of Lake Ontario. To make a long story short, I accepted an invitation to curl in a bonspiel in Toronto and I have enjoyed it a great deal. A team from Dallas/Fort Worth was one player short, and Viggo mentioned it, and I bit! So, I've been practicing for the last month, and am starting to get comfortable playing again. We played three games here in two days, and that was a bit much, but I also saw progress in my play, so it's encouraging. I intend to keep playing back in Thunder Bay, and also when we travel out to Regina later in the winter. Viggo has another crew wanting to come to Thunder Bay at some point for a spiel, so I'll be working to try to set that up. Otherwise it was a busy week, as the appointments for investigative work on my DVTs have continued with blood work and a lung scan. I've never had a lung scan before. First they had me breathe in some radioactive gases, and then they took a series of shots with an Xray machine working in a circular path around me for about 20 minutes. After that, I was injected with some radioactive fluid, and then had another 20 minutes of Xrays. Finally, I headed to another Xray room, and had some regular Xrays taken. Apparently this allows them to see the extent of air penetration of my lungs, and also of blood circulation. It should also help them determine whether I've had any damage from a pulmonary embolism. The search continues! I got a bit more work done on the kitchenette, the taping is complete, but further mud remains to be applied. After I took off for Toronto on Thursday, Wendy started to work on the living room wall. I thought that wall was already finished, but apparently there were some imperfections, so it's being fixed! The markets ran well to end November, and I've almost got back to quota. December didn't start well, but it's only one day. The week began with an exciting Grey Cup game in snowy Ottawa; I was delighted to watch Toronto win it. NHL play finds the Pens playing better, the Oilers playing better, and the Leafs near the top of the league. KU Jayhawks continued their winning ways, and have been raised to #2 nationally.

Eric had some exciting news. He is now, officially, a clinical member. It says so right on the AAMFT site! He is so pleased to be done. We are pleased to congratulate him on this accomplishment! Erica got her new compression “fancy pants” and recalled what it was like when she got her first ones. When the therapist took her measurements a few weeks back, he commented that there were some big changes. Here's some pics to make the comparison. The bulge out just before the knee is now a curve inward. And there's a knee gap!

From left to right, top to bottom:
April 2017 when she got her first pair of compression,
July 2017, right before surgery,
July 2018, 10 days after surgery,
November 2017, new compression.

Haaken continues to enjoy school and living on the coast. They are still working on jumping through the hoops for student loans—was it always this difficult?! Liam is doing well at school and is making the most of his grade 12 year.

Erin and Kristian are doing well in Regina. Kristian had a big game of 216 in bowling today, and raised his average to 137! Wowsers! Well done, buddy! He has also been emailing me more about his book. It's been a fun experience for me. We've decided that we're now email pals!

We enjoyed celebration Trav's birthday last weekend, but then it was back to work. Travis and Joanna continue to be very busy with Puckshots and Stickerz work. Joanna has determined to stop doing her contract work as a phlebotomist for now. Perhaps she'll pick that up later. She's enjoying her work at Fox on the Run, and we all benefit with some good eats from there as well.

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 nice, and the yard and driveway have cleared off again. Wendy has continued to work on the clearing and cleaning. She's almost done the office now, and she's continuing to dispose of stuff as she digs it out. I continue to apply mud to the kitchenette, but there's a lot of work to do there yet, but bit by bit, we're making progress. Wendy has completed research on insurance for the house and vehicles, so that's behind us for another year. We did change companies, so I was glad of that. The markets were thin this week as the US Thanksgiving interrupted trading, and many traders took extended time off. However, I was able to have a good week, and am back on quota for this quarter at least. I've kept working at getting back into curling. I've been added to the sublist at one club, and invited to join several teams, but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. At present, I'm just trying to get ready for a spiel next weekend in Toronto. This weekend is Grey Cup weekend, and the Riders are not playing. They lost a tight game to Toronto last Sunday, so it'll be Toronto vs Calgary in the Final tomorrow. I'll be cheering for Toronto, but expecting Calgary to win. My hockey season is not going satisfactorily—the Oilers are playing much below expectations, the Penguins are playing below expectations. Of the teams I follow, only the Leafs are performing well. Maybe I should start cheering for the Jets; they're playing well! The Jayhawks rolled off two easy wins this week in college basketball. 

Not much news from Prince Albert this week. Eric/A are continuing with work. Haaken and Liam are continuing with school. They're making plans to enjoy the holidays together in Victoria next month. They made some progress with the renovations. Eric finished priming, so now they can apply the final coats of paint. Progress is slow, but there is progress! Eric has finished the required hours for clinical status—yay! Congratulations! He submitted his paperwork the next day to AAMFT, only to realize that everything south of the border was closed for four days over Thanksgiving.

Every great condo has a tree, and a dog!

Erin and Kristian are continuing to get ready for the holidays by dressing up their condo. This week, they decorated the tree—looks good, doesn't it? Kristian did not make it to bowling today; that will not help his results! He's enjoying reading and researching around a new book: Ryan and Jimmy And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together. It sounds very interesting. 

Kristian's new book

Travis and Joanna put in long days these weeks as their busy season continues for hockey pictures. They try to get as much done and out the door in time for Christmas presents. This weekend, we'll be celebrating Trav's birthday. Happy Birthday, son! 

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 had remained mild, but showery, so it has not been pleasant to be outside. On Thursday and Friday we got some snow, but with temperatures climbing above zero, it's turned to a slushy mess. We scraped off the driveway on Friday, but we didn't get enough sun to dry it away today. More snow is predicted, but we hope things dry up and freeze first! Wendy has continued with house-clearing—she's moving out stuff that has been stored for many years, and eliminating some of it. She has also increased my reno project downstairs, so I've purchased and applied more gyproc, and I am back to the taping and mudding. We also bought some LED pot-light replacements for the family room. They installed easily, but were too bright, so we got a dimmer switch installed and now they look great. We got my electrical work inspected, and the guy was very complimentary of my work—thanks Uncle Rob! So, that issue is behind us once again. We're shopping for house and vehicle insurance, and hoping to change companies after what they put us through. Both the electrician and the inspector told us the re-inspection was bogus and a waste of time and money—our time and money! The markets have remained volatile, and I had some big days in both directions, leaving me about flat for the week, and still in the red for the month. C'mon man! The Riders scored an impressive win over Ottawa on Sunday to advance to the East Final against Toronto tomorrow. Go Riders, Go! Hockey continues to produce some interesting storylines and some very entertaining games. Oilers are starting to score more, but are still inconsistent, and lost ground this week. Leafs are playing solidly. Pens still struggling to score, but playing mostly winning hockey all the same. It's Grand Slam curling, again, with the National event this week. My guy, Kevin Koe, has qualified as usual, so I've been enjoying watching the action. I got out for curling a couple of times myself, and have decided to accept an invitation to curl in Toronto the first weekend of December! Special thank you to my children for the early Christmas gift to fund that trip! The Jayhawks continue to develop well in the early going of the college basketball season. I'm having trouble with my site that affords me the opportunity to watch them, but was able to make it work again this week—Rock Chalk! 

The Baileys only had to cook one meal this week. Nice! However, not quite as nice as having a live in Mom though! Liam was home last weekend and had some doctors' appointments on Monday. The doctors now think he has Colitis and maybe not Celiacs disease, after all. He is on medication for Colitis while still avoiding gluten for now, but his test results are showing improvement so that’s good. Eric is down to two hours of supervision left, which he should complete this coming week. It has been a long road and they are looking forward to the day when he has his Clinical status. They got the dining room and bedroom primed and picked up the paint for the bedroom. So, soon, they hope to have both rooms done. 

Liam percussing at the Cheesecake Cafe!

Merry Christmas!

Tree's Up!

Erin and Kristian are continuing with work and school, and with preparations for Christmas. Kristian got a set of novels in the school book fair and just can't put them down, even for bowling! (It's great to see his love of reading blossom!) Erin scored a new Android box for her TV, so she's arranging to get that set up with her desired apps, and anticipating more hours of comfortable winter time napping! 

Bowling? What bowling?

Trav & Joanna are working through their busy time, printing lots of product, and getting it out the door. Gemma has made application to a University of British Columbia pre-med program in Kelowna, so we're cheering for her on that one, although mom may not be ready for her little girl to leave home! (Where 'may' means 'is definitely'!) 

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 cool, even cold, and showery, and today we're getting some snow. The forecasters predict the next week of above zero temperatures, so we'll see whether the snow can survive that! I busied myself with electrical repairs early in the week, and completed the marrette replacement program on Tuesday. Now, we wait for the inspector to check it over again. I've also begun the mudding and taping in the kitchenette; slowly, but surely, we're making progress on the renovations. I've continued to practice curling, and also played two games this week. The leg is accepting the extra activity well. Wendy has been catching up with some painting, and also doing some general clean up and clean out of several rooms. We've also been going through the rooms and upgrading the bulbs from CFL to LED. It's now brighter; we old folks need it bright! The markets have been terrible this week. Investors have become frustrated over Trump's inability to get anything done in the US congress. It was further exacerbated by the tax plans that have come out showing ballooning deficits and no tax breaks for the middle class, sigh! As a result, it was a losing week for me as well—c'mon man! Sports stories continue to attract some of our interest. The Riders play the Eastern Conference Semi-final tomorrow—Go Riders! I've taken time for several hockey games this week: Leafs are doing well, Pens and Oilers are not quite measuring up to my expectations. NCAA basketball has started, and I got to watch the Jayhawks run off an easy win last evening. It's interesting to see the new personnel each season and to contemplate how Coach Self will develop them as the season progresses. Baseball had a sad story this week as historical Blue Jay favourite, Roy Halladay, died in a plane accident. Curling has begun the Olympic Qualification round, so I've been keeping up with that.

Liam is home for the long weekend. The Baileys are moving around the furniture to take advantage of the opening provided by the installation of the washer/dryer in the new laundry room. So, the living room is actually starting to take its final shape, although there's a lot of demolition and construction still in the plans for that area. 

Erin and Kristian are facing winter in Regina. Kristian got his school photos back—handsome dude, isn't he? He had bowling today, and maintained his average over 100. 

Grade 6 Scholar!

Trav & Joanna continue to be busy with photos, sometimes even busier than they expected as an extra team may decide it's time for pictures. Joanna is also busy with her two other full-time jobs! Gemma has been accepted to Lakehead University. She has also applied to other schools out-of-province, so we're waiting to see what comes of that. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We've had a good week, managing to get renovations going again here. We've completed the hanging of the drywall, and now I need to get to taping, mudding and finishing it so Wendy can paint. But, that plan has been interrupted by the electrical issues. This house was built in the 1970's, and was wired with aluminum wire. That was later determined to be a potential problem, so, Eric/A were required to get it fixed. That fix amounted to the electrician's application of penetrox on each connection, before fastening the wire-nut (marrette). That was ten years ago, it was inspected and approved. But, our insurance company has decided that it must be reinspected. So, we applied for that, paid $300+ for the privilege, and were further dismayed to have the inspector tell us the job was unsatisfactory! His story is that the marrettes used were not the approved ones, even though the installation was inspected and approved! The electrician's story is that the code has changed! Our story is we can't get insurance without a certificate! Yikes! After some discussion, the electrician has agreed to supply us with the marrettes, the inspector has approved the marrettes, and all that remains is for yours truly to open all the boxes and replace the non-approved ones! Sigh! According to the invoice of the earlier work, it took the electrician 11 hours to do the job, so I'll be at this awhile. I have now completed all the switch boxes, and began work on the receptacles today. Good economic data this week both sides of the border should have buoyed the markets, but the TSX demurred! However, I was blessed with quota, so I won't complain. The World Series was very entertaining, even strange, baseball, and it went the full seven games. In the final analysis, the Astros won two games in Los Angeles, so you have to give them credit for the victory. Hockey continues to entertain as well, my highlight was a game between the Pens and the Oilers—very exciting, even though my team lost! There was another enjoyable game between the Pens and Canucks tonight. The Riders completed the regular season this evening with a meaningless loss to Edmonton. Now they move on to the conference semi-final next weekend against Ottawa. Go Riders, Go! I managed to get out for curling practice a couple of times, and even played a bit this evening. I am delighted with how it's going!

Eric is getting excited to be near the end of his qualifying hours for Clinical counsellor status. If everything goes according to plan, he should be done by end of November! His current count is 9 hours of supervision left! Liam was diagnosed with Whooping cough this week. He thought it was a made up sickness. Now he is on medication for that. Poor kid! He just wants to be healthy. Haaken started some new classes this week. His school is designed to do fewer, more concentrated classes at a time. He is enjoying his time there. On the renovation front, the washing machine was reinstalled, minus the Teflon tape. They did a test run, it worked and there is no leaking! They also picked up some primer last weekend so they can finish their painting duties.

Yeah, I didn't recognize him!

Don't know this guy, either!

Kristian had a busy week with Trick 'r Treating early in the week and bowling this weekend. On Hallowe'en, he enjoyed both going out for treats, and being able to hand out treats at home, so he was multi-tasking that night. His first game of bowling did not go well, but games 2 & 3 were good and pushed his average back over 100. Maybe warmups are a good strategy, hey, buddy?! Otherwise, they're hunkering down and enjoying their refurbished home out of the winter weather in Regina.

Brrrrr!

Trav & Joanna are busy with hockey photography this time of year. We were glad to find time to have them all over for supper on Friday evening. It was also great to catch up with Gemma and Andrew. He is about a head taller than the last time we saw him in June before we headed west. Gemma is in the process of filling out applications for university—how did that come about so soon!

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we have returned to the shore of Lake Superior and our hometown. We drove over to Winnipeg on Sunday afternoon, and spent the evening and night with Dean, Kelly and family. We're discussing the chance to make a trip to Mexico with True North Helping Hands next summer, so we were glad to get a chance to discuss that with them. The weather was beautiful for our drive down to TBay on Monday, but has turned cool, rainy and even snowy over the rest of the week here. We've been taking it easy all week, but, yesterday, we started back into the renovations here. We got a bit of a surprise as we had the electrical inspector in to check our aluminum wiring, and he informed us that the electrician hired to fix this ten years ago didn't do a proper job, so we'll be looking into that next week, sigh! The markets continued to push forward this month, and I had another great week. TSX posted another all-time high on Friday. I've been suffering with a cold all week, and we both felt a little run down, so the relaxation was welcome. I had an appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday; it went as per usual. My PSA remains elevated, but we feel it is simply a chronic inflammation. We were finally able to check the progress on our Keto way of eating effects. I have now lost 43 pounds, while Wendy has lost 30 since May. I'm at the target weight chosen by my doctor, so we'll see what she advises when I see her next month. The World Series is underway, but my Dodgers lost one at home, so it was great to see them take one in Houston, tonight. The CFL has one week remaining; the Riders beat Montreal decisively last evening, but still don't know who their playoff partner will be. The early season continues in the NHL; Oilers, Pens and Leafs all continue to play pretty well, although all of them lost tonight! The Masters event is on in Slam Curling, and my guy, Koe, made the playoffs, but he lost the semi-final to Gushue this evening.

The Baileys report that renovation work has mysteriously slowed to a crawl this week. They’re not sure why! The washer and dryer did get moved into the laundry room, but the washer needs a bit of adjustment. They discovered that to run the dryer, they also need to run the bathroom fan, otherwise the moisture builds up in the area. Liam returned to school after a week at home and various medical appointments. He is suffering from the resulting backlog of school work, but is otherwise okay. Haaken reports he is doing great. Eric and Erica are spending part of the weekend in Saskatoon, picking up renovation supplies and attending to various meetings and appointments. Eric also needs to write a sermon as he is on for preaching this Sunday (and he says he’s already used both his good ones).

Washer-Dryer in place

Erin and Kristian hosted us Saturday and Sunday, and then sent us on our way east. Thanks! Kristian had a Hallowe'en fun day instead of regular league bowling, today. Although most players were in costume, they were at least able to have fun, and get in their three games with some novelty play. Kristian's team won a prize for the bingo bowling game.

How can you bowl in that outfit?!

Trav and Joanna welcomed us home on Monday evening. They've had a busy week with appliance moving as their newly purchased washer/dryer were delivered. They got them assembled, hooked up and working in short order. We look forward to catching up with Gemma and Andrew soon as well.

New Washer/Dryer

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have begun the trip home. We drove down to Regina this evening, and we plan to drive to Winnipeg tomorrow to overnight with Dean & Kelly, and then continue to Thunder Bay on Monday. We both have appointments on Tuesday morning, so we've pushed it as far as we could, and now we have to hurry home. We were already two weeks overdue on our schedule, and it would have taken another week yet to complete all we had planned to do. However, we did come in under budget!! This week we completed work on the laundry room by refinishing the floor. That was a first for us, but it worked out fine. 

Refinishing the floor

We also had our share of surprises as we opened another partition while doing electrical work and found some knob and tube! 

Knob & Tube

Anyway, we'll leave the renovations with them for the winter, and see how that goes. It's been a good two months there. The markets ran well again this week and I made quota again. I still need a lot of catch up, but it all helps. The baseball playoffs have moved to the final series, and my Yankees did not make it. So, it'll be Houston vs the Dodgers. I'm picking the Dodgers to prevail. Meanwhile the Riders pulled off a big upset last evening, beating Calgary in Calgary! This assures them a playoff berth, so we'll be looking forward to that in a few weeks. Go Riders, Go! 

Eric and Erica were joined by Liam for the week as he was off school. Along with everything else, he had some medical work to take care of. The doctor had some new ideas about Liam's medical issues, so we hope some improvement will come from that. Haaken reports that coursework is going well in Victoria. We left Erica painting in the Master Bedroom, but she ran out of paint! 

We arrived at Erin and Kristian's this evening. Kristian has lost another tooth, an eye tooth this time. He had bowling today as well, and averaged over 100 once again, but not as high as last time. Then, they went to a movie: Lego Ninjago. When we arrived he was building a Lego project! What a guy!

Trav and Joanna had a busy week. Work is busy, and then this week they had the issue of Sears bankruptcy to deal with. They had bought some new appliances and purchased warranty coverage last year, but now with the impending bankruptcy, the warranty would be cancelled, so they went about getting vouchers to get some value out of it at least. That was a time-consuming and frustrating activity, but Joanna persisted! They are ensuring everything is ready for our arrival. Thanks guys! 

And that's enough for this week. 

News Update

We began the week in Regina where we scored two Thanksgiving dinners on Sunday! Thanks, Alicia and Erin; the ham and the ribs were both yummy centre-pieces to excellent meals. Then, we returned to Prince Albert, where we enjoyed a turkey-centred Thanksgiving meal on Monday! Thank you Erica and friends! It was difficult to remain in ketosis through all that! Work has continued on the renos. We have completed the bathroom, and almost finished the laundry room. The master bedroom is taking on mud, so we're getting close there as well. It is almost time to leave for home, so we'll see how much more gets completed before we leave. We bought stain and polyurethane today, and look forward to trying it on the laundry room hardwood soon. I have yet to cut in the hot air vent and the dryer vent holes into that floor. Markets were troubled all week; my winning streak broke after ten straight green days, but I'm on quota for the month so far. The baseball playoffs continue. My teams have all won so far, but now it gets tougher. The Yankees are playing Houston who are already up 2-0 on them. The Dodgers are playing the defending champs from Chicago. The two teams I didn't want to win have already lost out, so I won't be too upset no matter how it goes, but I'm still hoping for that Yankees-Dodgers World Series. The Riders continued to play uninspired ball, and were upset by Ottawa last night. A win would have clinched a playoff spot—C'mon Riders! The hockey season is underway, but my Oilers seem to be asleep with only one win! Let's go Oil! At least the Pens and the Leafs are showing progress.

She's high on paint!

Vanity added to new half-bath

New Kitchen Window is good for tomatoes!

Eric & Erica keep busy with their work, but still find time to help out with renos. Liam drove home Friday afternoon, so he got involved in house repairs today as well. It has been good spending the time here, but we need to get away in the coming week, and I'm afraid we won't get everything done that we had planned to do. I guess we'll have to plan another visit next year! 

Erin and Kristian keep busy with work and school activities. Kristian had a school outing to Fort Qu'Appelle on Friday, and his regular league bowling today. He kept his average over 100—good bowling, buddy! They also enjoyed an evening Oktoberkinderfest at the German club this afternoon. Shawn is always good at finding special activities for the kids on the weekends. 

The boy doesn't look well! 

Trav & Joanna FaceTimed on Thanksgiving. It was good to catch up with them. Then, with Sears closing, Joanna scored payouts for their warranties which will be ending, so they are shopping for new appliances before the credits are cancelled. Otherwise, they're keeping busy. We look forward to seeing them in another week. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed; we have driven down from the shore of the South Saskatchewan, to the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. We are taking advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend to spend some family time in Regina. That, as you may notice, includes multiple Thanksgiving feast opportunities! We've enjoyed fine Autumn weather all week, and glad to see the contractor take advantage to get the upstairs windows installed. That done, we've been making steady progress on our two rooms, and paying some attention to a few of the other renovation projects. I'm nearly finished in the bathroom/laundry room—hoping to get Wendy painting on Monday! I'm also hoping to complete the drywall application in the Master Bedroom on Monday, and then our assignment will be truly in the final days. The markets were pretty good this week until weak jobs' data in the US sent a tremor through on Friday. However, I was blessed with my first all green week of the year, so I'm very thankful. The Riders continued their winning ways today against the Argos. The backup QB came in and played very well, so that was encouraging. Early games in the NHL have played out with some surprising results. Long-suffering Leaf fans are delighted with their two-win opening week. The baseball playoffs have begun; this is the time of year when everyone starts to pay attention to baseball. I'm picking the Dodgers to win it all, and also cheering for the Yankees. If we could have a Yankee-Dodger World Series, it would harken back to my initial cheering as a child when I cheered for the Yanks, and Mom cheered for the Dodgers! However, it's not looking too good for the Yankees as they're down two games in their series against Cleveland. 

Glad it's not me!

Eric is travelling this week. He's down in Atlanta at a conference. We expect him back on Sunday. Erica and Liam are off this weekend to a wedding in Estevan. They should return to their usual locations tomorrow as well. Then, we have another Thanksgiving dinner celebration planned in PA! 

Erin is preparing a rib feast for the Family Thanksgiving feature. We're looking forward to that. Kristian had to bowl six games today to make up for missing league action last week. He scored well, but not up to his usual performance, so his average should remain about the same as a result. 

Trav & Joanna had an excellent month of business in September, and that has continued into the first week of October. Trav has been distracted by the opening of the NHL season as he has to get his Penguins into the win column. 

And that's enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of the South Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies. The weather has been very nice, but threatens to turn more Fall-like in the next few days. I got the window installed in the kitchen, and now the other windows have arrived; we picked them up today. We have contracted a guy to install those. I will assist by getting the rough openings prepared for his crew. I spent more time on the laundry room and bathroom downstairs this week. It is coming together nicely; our washing machine test went well. I have cleaned up the electrical connections in the dining room, and reinstalled the ceiling fan on an embossed ceiling tile. We're planning to do both the living room and the dining room with embossed ceiling tiles. The markets were supportive this week, and I was able to finish September on quota for the moth. The Jays complete their season tomorrow and it's on to the playoffs for ten teams. The Riders played an encouraging game against Calgary on Sunday, even though they lost. Then, Friday evening, they played poorly against Ottawa, but still managed to win; they are currently in a playoff position with five games remaining. NHL preseason is ending and the new season is commencing. 

One embossed tile in place! 

Eric and Erica both had assignments for work in Saskatoon this week, so we were even left without company two evenings. Everybody's back home now, and we put in a good day of work today. 

Erin and Kristian played out their usual roles at home, school and work. This weekend, Kristian stayed with Astrid and Liam at their grandma's place while Shawn and Erin attended a wedding. It was quite an experience—Asian, with a 12-course meal! Erin does not eat seafood, and there was plenty of it! She did try the crab and prawns, but demurred on the fish, lobster and fish gut soup! 

Travis and Joanna are busy with their PuckShots in the early stages of the new hockey season. Gemma is making good progress with recovery of her arm burn. It appears that it will heal well, and not leave a scar. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we continue our sojourn on the shore of the South Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies. The weather has continued to be seasonable, and we continue to find that quite cool. There have been threats of frost in the area, but I don't know whether we've experienced any yet. We've had a few showery days, but overall, it's still quite nice to be out without a jacket. We continue with work on the house. This week I've focused on the Master Bedroom renovations. I was able to pull in the new wiring, and have the room pretty much ready for drywall. We are still delayed by the windows, so we can't finish that wall. Wendy has completed plastering the one wall, and gave it a coat of primer today. I followed Uncle Rob's advice and kept fixing the electrical connections, box by box, until the deficient neutral disappeared—thanks! I've now managed that on two circuits—the other was even more troubling as it had a hot neutral, and that gave me a bit of a lift! Two of the windows arrived on Friday; I got one of those installed today in the laundry room. The other is for the kitchen, but there's no rush on that one since we aren't renovating the kitchen this year. We're still waiting for the upstairs windows, but at list in that case, we have contracted someone else to actually install them. The TSX had a good week and so did I. The US markets struggled as the economic data down there has softened. The Jays are playing out the string, with their final home series this weekend. The Riders face a stern test this week against first place, Calgary, but at least our QB is back. Go Riders, Go! The NHL has begun preseason play, and we're paying scant attention! 

Master Bedroom

Eric and Erica continue with their usual work, and also help out with renos. Erica had a recruiting day in Saskatoon on Wednesday, so that was a late day. Eric usually (always?) works late on Thursday. We on the other hand usually start late, and make up for it by quitting early! Haaken reports progress in college in Victoria, while Liam continues with grade 12 at Caronport. 

Erin and Kristian had a few special events to close out his birthday week, and begin the bowling season. In his league games today, he raised his average once again, sporting a 60 pin increase in his average over what we observed last season—great play, buddy! This evening, they're out at the centre of the arts to the symphony. Tonight's event features a deaf percussionist—apparently, she goes barefoot to feel the music through the floor! Kristian is beginning band this year, and is also taking percussion, so it was a special treat for him. 

Trav and Joanna are busy with hockey pictures already. Trav is also negotiating to do the marketing for one of the AAA teams this season. Gemma's arm is healing nicely, and it appears it will gradually fade from significance—good to hear! They had a meeting with Lakehead University this week to open discussion on Gemma's educational options. We are looking forward to how it all unfolds. Andrew continues with his regular school activities as well. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of the South Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies. The weather has returned to seasonal norms, and we're finding it too cool! There were showers in the area, although we didn't get much rain. We hope the forest fires across the north were held back somewhat. We still experience some smoky days. We continue to make slow progress on the renovations. This week was a big push on the bathroom/laundry room on the main floor. We got the plumbing and electrical completed, the ceiling redone, and the shower installed. We hope to complete more drywall next week, but we're held up as we wait for the windows to arrive. Wendy has been working on wall repair in the Master Bedroom, and is almost ready for paint there. I still have two other walls to build there. NAmerican markets were all in the green this week, and I had a great week, earning a week and a half quota, so that gives me some recovery. The Riders won in Hamilton this week despite having their starting QB on the injury list. Yay Riders! The Jays have been playing better lately, and are managing to cause trouble for some teams that are actually in the playoff races!

Wendy's Wall Repair

Shower Area

Laundry

Eric and Erica have their regular work to deal with each day. They also got some bad news as the sunroof on their CRV shattered for no known reason, so they'll have to get that fixed. They also pitch in on the renovations as time and energy permit. Today, they laid the interlocking tile floor for the new bathroom—looks good! Haaken reports that things are going well at college in Victoria, and that he's getting around well. Liam is getting into his graduation year at Caronport. 

Kristian is celebrating his 12th birthday today. He started off with league bowling this morning, and has raised his average by about 20 points since last season—good improvement, buddy! His birthday celebration continued all day long with food, shopping and a movie! Erin had a bad week as she fell ill with was eventually called gastro-enteritis. She experienced a lot of pain and missed a couple of days of work, but seems to be on the mend now. 

Trav & Joanna, along with Gemma and Andrew seem to be keeping busy and doing fine. We're waiting for an update on Gemma's arm—we hope that is healing well. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of the South Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies. The weather has continued to be about 10 degrees hotter than average, and that's not comfortable for me. Today, Eric and I played in a golf outing, and our team won! But it was over 30°, and that's too hot for me to enjoy the out-of-doors! Smoke from forest fires in northern Saskatchewan have been bothering us as well. We've continued our work on the house all week, and made some progress. All the new windows are now ordered, and we have a guy contracted to install the upstairs ones. We'll do the downstairs windows ourselves. We'll also do the interior finishing of all windows. We had a sinking adventure this week as we tried to assess and solve a plumbing problem. It has left us using a 20 litre pail to catch the drain from that sink as we wait for a plumber to replace the drain line. Progress is slow, but we're making headway. I hope to complete the downstairs bathroom and laundry room next week. Wendy assists with the work, manages the laundry and meals, and keeps us moving forward. They've ordered LED potlights, and I'm really impressed with how nicely they work. Roiled by Trump and other disasters, NAmerican markets were all red for the week, and so was I—sigh! In sports, the Riders came off their impressive Labour Day win, with a not-so-impressive Banjo Bowl loss. Go Riders, Go! The Jays are playing out the string now in the final weeks of the season during which they never managed to get to .500! 

1.5" iron drain pipe was not flowing well!

Box Spring couldn't make the stairs!

Eric and Erica were back to work after enjoying the Labour Day weekend. On Wednesday, Liam drove the Jetta to Caronport to begin his grade 12 year. Eric rode along with him on the bike, and returned home that evening. Erica has come down with a bit of cold, so we hope that gets better soon. They also help with renovations, after work and on the weekends. We got the hardwood flooring sanded out upstairs and in the laundry room last week. 

Erin and Kristian had a busy week as he started school again. He came up on the limp as he sprained his ankle on the first day of classes. However, he was feeling a bit better by today, and gamely threw three games of bowling with above average scores—good job, buddy! It is his right foot, so at least doesn't interfere with his slide step as he delivers. They've also been shopping for school supplies, school clothes and new blinds. 

Trav & Joanna attended the U-18 World Baseball Cup today. Canada won over Cuba, and now plays Japan for the bronze medal. Well done, boys! They're seeing business pick up again, and looking forward to a good month. This week they got an order from Kerrobert Tigers! Word gets around! Gemma and Andrew are back at school. We hope Gemma is healing well from her burnt arm. 

And that's enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of the South Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies, and we continue to enjoy summer weather here in Prince Albert, about 10 degrees above average. Progress on the house renovations continues slowly, but about as fast as we can work! For sure, there are delays from the lack of available materials, especially windows, but, truly, we have plenty more to do than we can manage in any given day. This week we have moved on to stripping and sanding the wood floors in the bedrooms and hallway upstairs. We have a sander rented for the weekend, and are making good progress. We anticipate having the floors ready for refinishing in the next couple of days. We continue to solicit quotes on the window replacements in the second floor; as a result, those windows have not been ordered yet. We have decided to do the window replacements for the ground floor, ourselves, and those windows have now been ordered. The new shower, vanity and fixtures have been purchased or ordered for the downstairs bathroom. We still need floor covering decisions there. The laundry room fixtures are now bought, but remain to be installed. We also have to move a heating vent in that room. Wendy keeps up with the shopping for these items, as well as working on wall stripping of old wallpaper in preparation for glazing and painting. Most days, she is also involved in preparing supper. All NAmerican markets were up a bit this week, and that helped me have a good week, but I did not make quota for the month. The Riders are prepared for the Labour Day matchup with Winnipeg—we'll be cheering! The Jays have slipped into the role of spoilers, and have managed a couple of wins from the Orioles this week. 

Concerning the Bailey household, Erica writes: The big news here was Liam's successful completion of his driver's exam! Beware! Progress continues on the home renovations, thanks to our special consultants. Who says consultants cost a lot and do little? These two are worth their weight in gold! The city fixed the pipe in front of our house on Wednesday. We celebrated with the flushing of toilets, baths, showers, laundry and then, oops—sewage was backing up again! In comes Roto Rooter and they discovered a grease clog in the city pipe past the section they just fixed. So now we are recovering from PP PTSD and learning to trust the plumbing again. This weekend we've rented a sander and are putting Liam to work refinishing the floors. Also on Wednesday, an article was published on my Lipedema story in the local paper. We hope that it helps other women and, hopefully, doctors, recognize the disease! We also found out how that we've received $3305 in donations against the costs of my surgeries from family and friends! Thank you so much. What a blessing! 

Erin and Kristian continued preparations for another school year. This week, Erin was back to work, so Shawn pitched in to help with daycare—thanks man! Kristian reports a good week, and doing some outside stuff! 

Trav & Joanna did not have a routine week! Gemma had an accident with a cup of very hot tea last weekend and suffered second-degree burns to her left forearm. We've seen the pictures—it's ugly! She continues to resolve the pain issues with T3's and is under the care of a plastic surgeon for repairs to her arm. She has quit one of her jobs, but she and Andrew continue to work for the next while and prepare for school opening next week. We wish her the best as she recovers, and also for the peace of mind for Trav & Joanna. They've had a good month at Ulrich Design, and look forward to continued revival from the summer low period. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we remain on the shore of the North Saskatchewan at the top of the prairies. We are helping with Eric/A and Liam in the renovation of their new home in Prince Albert. The weather remains hot, and we find that a bit difficult, but at least there's a small air conditioner, and it does cool down nicely overnight. First on the agenda, the master bedroom: we commenced by dismantling a pair of the old double hung window units, so we could see what we're dealing with, and inspect the condition of the framing. It turned out the framing was rotten, so we're back to the rough opening where the material is sound. Then, I turned to the electrical problems which are many. Our electrician came by and is working to replace and upgrade the panel; he hopes the service is sufficient, but has a fall back for that as well. We'll see how that all works out. The main issue for me to solve was how to get wiring through the lath/plaster walls to the second floor bedrooms. Two days of drilling, fishing, and trying a different route was marked by way too many tours from basement to top floor, but eventually we got a fishing line set ready to pull the new lines. What a relief! Aside from the demolition, we've been shopping windows all week, and finally feel that we are near a solution. Windows, especially custom windows, are an important (expensive) aspect of a house. Wendy has been busy with me, but also busy at cooking, cleaning and rearranging boxes so we have room to work. The plumbing will remain problematic until the city clears the sewer line completely. Wendy is able to do a load of laundry if she manages the pump out to keep the sewer from backing up—fun! NOT! Eric/A are working each day, but Liam provides able assistance, and the whole crew gets involved in the evenings. Trump continues his turbulent way, and the markets whipsaw with the sentiment. Overall, NAmerican markets were up a bit this week, and I had a good week, but did not make quota. I only have four days left to catch up! The Blue Jays continue their up and down action as well, but at least they ended the week with a win. The Riders came back from bye week, put up a good showing against the league-leaders in Edmonton, and came away with a comfortable win. Go Riders, Go! 

Aside from their respective careers, and working on house renovations with us, Eric/A are monitoring Haaken's preparations for school in Victoria, and assisting with that. He's working on student loans and the practical issues of getting around Victoria on his own. 

Erin and Kristian have enjoyed a week of holidays together. This is a rarity for them, and they found they liked it a great deal! Sadie got a haircut. Kristian is getting down to the crunch on his preparations for another year of school. Erin has continued with decorations and development of her condo. She has enjoyed a well-earned week of relaxation! 

Travis and Joanna have been available for a chat, so we were able to catch up with them. The lawns are slowing down, so that helps. Work remains steady for them, and they continue to find new prospects. Gemma and Andrew are near to winding up their summer work, and getting ready for the school year as well. It's grade 12 for Gemma, and her plans for the future are developing more solidly. We're looking forward to watching and cheering! Andrew is going into grade 11; he is also a solid student. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we have spent part of it on the shore of the North Saskatchewan, then several days on the bank of the Souris, and ended the week on the bank of the Wascana—all in the middle of the prairies! The weather has been very nice in support of our various activities. We drove from PA down to Regina on Sunday evening, moving in with Erin & Kristian once again—thanks! On Monday, we drove down to Weyburn to celebrate the 50th reunion of the class of '67. We were the under-classmates of these folks and it was great to see them again and catch up on their stories. Dave & Heather did a great job of organizing the activities and preparing the menu. I even managed some golf at the Weyburn Golf Club—home course of Graham DeLaet. It is somewhat improved from my recollections of five decades ago, and I enjoyed the round with Brian and Waverly. We returned to Regina and closed out the week here. The markets were in turmoil of Trump and his support of the white supremacists, and all ended the week in the red. I feel blessed to have had a good week in such circumstances and am on quota for the month so far. Wendy and I helped in a support-role for the reunion, and then she took the lead in preparing a birthday supper for Erin on Friday. It was a keto feast! The Riders won their game last Sunday! They have this week off. The Jays are playing a bit better, but need to go on a winning streak to get back in the playoff picture.

The Baileys are running a little behind schedule, but they are now moved out of the apartment and all their stuff is in the house with very little rhyme or reason to its placement. Now they need to renovate and organize, and we're heading that way to complicate the issue and provide something in the way of assistance. In the meantime, Erica is laid up with a very painful knee. So this weekend she's taking a break sitting it out with her legs up. Liam has continued to work on renovations, while Eric/A call contractors and suppliers and get various quotes. Haaken is settling in at the Baileys in Victoria. He met with his school this week and got fully registered for classes. He's now applying for student loans.

Happy Birthday Erin!

Erin and Kristian did the daycare transitions with Alicia while we were in Weyburn then we took over for Thursday and Friday. It was Erin's birthday on Friday; Wendy supervised a feast of roasted vegies, chicken fettuccini alfredo and two kinds of homemade ice cream: peanut butter, and blueberry. It was delicious, and all keto-friendly, although the peanut butter ice cream was pushing the envelope! Erin has the next week off; she's looking forward to that.

Travis & Joanna are back to holding down the fort in Thunder Bay while Gemma and Andrew are back at their summer jobs. Some contracts are coming in, and they continue to complete those and push them out the door.

And that's about enough for this week.