News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather has continued to be very hot, and there are heating warnings posted each day. I did get out for golfing on Wednesday morning, but mostly we just stayed indoors. The golf continues to be a bit better, but now I'm no longer satisfied with mid-eighties! Wendy has continued to push the paint program at Erin's and, today, she completed the main level which was her objective for this trip. We're preparing to head east next week, so we've been trying to complete our various projects. I've had two electrical surprises, so those jobs are on hiatus while I study each situation further. An electronic ballast seems to have failed in Dad's shop, but continuity tests were positive, so why is the light not working? At Erin's I'm planning to add another light and another switch to her basement lighting, turning a three-way, into a four-way. Among other things, I still need to buy some 14/3 wire, and a four-way switch, but there are a lot of ways to wire a three-way, so I decided I would investigate that first and see what the previous homeowner did when he installed it. My research indicated that there were only 9 ways to wire a three-way circuit, but it didn't take too much digging to discover that this guy may have #10! Following the lead from the downstairs switch box led me into the ceiling and a hidden junction box! Always there are surprises! The markets continued to be no good, very bad and ugly! The TSX was red for June, and remains red for the year. I not only failed to make quota, I lost money for the month—that won't do! Baby needs new shoes! The Blue Jays continue to falter their way through the season in last place. However, the Riders put up an inspiring performance tonight to earn a win over Toronto—yay Riders! 

Eric and Erica continued their sojourn in Bonn, where Erica convalesced and healed from her surgery. Finally, she got her stitches out, her next surgeries scheduled, and headed back to Canada. They landed in Saskatoon this evening, and are planning to pick up Haaken and drive down for a brief visit around my birthday celebration tomorrow. This will also allow them to pick up Liam who has been staying at Erin's place. 

Erin and Kristian have enjoyed hosting us, along with Liam for another week. Erin is not looking forward to all our departures, along with Kristian, next week. Her newly painted place will be vacant except for Sadie! Kristian and Liam got haircuts this week; I need one, but the prices are too high here. I need my senior and my volume discounts! The boys have done a bit of bike riding and playing catch, but it's been just too hot, especially by the time they drag out of bed! 

Travis, Joanna and crew are keeping relatively busy in Thunder Bay. Joanna and Gemma had a bunch of weddings to decorate for last weekend. The weather has been warm and wet down there, so the lawns have been keeping them busy as well. Trav is doing off-season maintenance of his programming, spin-offs and assorted websites. He continues to get some contracts for his various businesses. Gemma and Andrew also continue with their summer jobs. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather was very comfortable early in the week, but has warmed to difficult levels once again. I was away to Dauphin, Thursday through Saturday, and escaped some of the hot weather. We are continuing our stay with Dad, while enjoying his hospitality—thanks! We got to celebrate David's 65th birthday with him this week—first birthday I've seen celebrated around a Saskatoon pie! The work at Erin's is mostly on hiatus, but we intend to get back to that next week. Bernard and Alicia returned from their holiday tour this evening, so we have relocated to Erin's basement. Golf featured prominently in my activities this week. I had a round with Rich and Dale on Tuesday—that was a lot of fun! On Thursday, I drove over to Dauphin for the annual golf outing with my old contacts from Dauphin days. We played two rounds on Friday, and they played another two rounds on Saturday, but I skipped out on the Saturday play, and headed back to Regina. It was raining Saturday morning, and I'd already had more than enough exercise on my gimpy leg. The markets were horrible again, and I continue to suffer losses. Wendy did some painting at Erin's, but mostly she's been working around Dad's place, watering the garden daily, and assisting him in the shop with his woodworking projects. I did some electrical repairs in the shop, but more remain to be done as two of the fluorescent fixtures have failed. New ballasts are prohibitively expensive, so I've replaced the one fixture, and am considering upgrading the other one to LED tubes as they don't require a ballast. The sad-sack Jays seem unable to win a series these days, which prevents any progress in their division. The Riders played Calgary tonight, and were overmatched at this point in the rebuilding efforts. Go Riders! 

Eric and Erica spent the week in Europe. Her surgery was completed; she has now been discharged from the hospital, but her recovery and rehabilitation will continue for some time. She is looking toward scheduling her second surgery of the series; that won't be for some months it seems. Liam has been staying with us in Regina. Haaken is holding down the fort in PA. 

Kristian has also spent many days with us this week. He, Liam and I got out for some golf practice one day. Both grandsons demonstrated considerable proficiency at hitting the ball. I hope both will continue to take an interest in it. 

Travis and Joanna keep busy with their various work efforts, and also in taking care of our house and yard, as well as their house and yard. The rains have been plentiful in TBay, so this has not been a small assignment. Thanks again. We look toward returning to TBay in August and taking over these tasks for a short time before our next trip! LOL

And that's about enough for this week. 

Golf post-DVTs

As the year began, I was unable to walk without pain, and feared my golfing days were behind me. I had developed Deep Vein Thromboses (DVTs) in December 2016, and even with gritted teeth was unable to walk more than 50 metres at a time. I began treatment with a blood thinner in January, and my doctor encouraged me to push my leg recovery as hard as I wished. She assured me that the Rivaroxaban would protect me against further damage from the clots, and left me with the watch words, "Elevate or Activate!" So, Wendy and I began a program of walking and, later, cycling to push the circulation in my leg. 

It was not easy, as the failure to circulate blood efficiently left my calf muscle, in particular, screaming for oxygen. The leg achieved ominous discolouration and swelling each day, but partially receded each night. My range gradually improved, and by May I had achieved over 5km of continuous walking which was my target for a round of golf. In June, we headed west, and I tried my first golf in Winnipeg, managing to walk 9 holes with few complaints and lots of swings! Then, situated in Regina, I managed 18 holes on an executive length course. My leg complained some, and the golf was just as poor, but I was encouraged. I have kept it up, playing one round a week, along with practice and a par 3 course with Kristian, and hallelujah, today I'm in Dauphin, preparing for my favourite golf event of the year with my friends from my Dauphin days! Many good golfers are playing the Open this week, so I feel I will be able to perform adequately against this lesser field!! 

I feel very blessed by the improvement in my mobility, and I'm now hoping for my golf game to pick up as well! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather has continued to be very hot; several storms have thrashed their ways across the plains, and some places have received heavy deluges, hail and even tornadoes. We have seen none of the above here in Regina, but would enjoy seeing some rain if it should develop. I got out golfing on Tuesday with Garnet and Dale. While there were some positive signs, and my leg held up just fine, the score remained solidly in the 90's. I also got out to practice on Thursday, and was joined by a coach who stopped by while I was on the range and offered a few tips. (That should add a few strokes to my score!) On Friday, we drove up to Saskatoon to see Eric and Erica off to Europe, and to pick up Liam who is staying in Regina while they're gone. Wendy has continued painting at Erin's as time permits, and also spends extra time learning and using new recipes in our keto diet plan—very tasty! We're staying at Dad's and enjoying the air-conditioned protection from the heat. Thanks! The markets have remained troubled, but I did have three green days, and a positive week. TSX remains red for the month and the year. The Jays had most of the week off during the All-Star break, but have begun the second half with a series in Detroit—one win, one loss so far. The Riders have the bye this week; they should be rested and ready for a big challenge in Calgary next week. 

The Baileys have made some progress on demolition in the new house. They are down to the hardwood on the stairs and in the master bedroom; it looks pretty good! After a bit more work, they should have some nice looking floors. They've also torn down the t-bar in the dining and living rooms; this revealed some interesting looking electrical developments! The work will be on hiatus for the next two weeks while they're away to Europe for Erica's first lipedema surgery. Air travel often has its own tensions; I'll let Erica describe the opening issues of their trip: "Today, Eric and I head to Germany for surgery. We started with a bit of excitement. Though the line was fairly short at security, we were still in line when pre-boarding was called—no problem. We were close to the front and it usually takes awhile to get through all the various classes of elite and super elite status people, people with young children, etc. Except—no, we are on WestJet. So, very soon general boarding is called as I place my items in the plastic bin, pull out my laptop and complete the rest of the routine. Good thing this is a small airport. Eric and I are four people from the metal detector when final boarding is called. It's then we discover the bottleneck. There is one security person (yes, one) working the metal detector and he's currently doing a pat down, so nobody can continue through. I'm only mildly comforted by the murmuring around me indicating there are several of us on the flight. Finally the pat down is over and a few more people make it through before another beep! and the line comes to a halt. Thankfully another security person is pulled from somewhere and the line starts moving. Finally Eric goes through and collects his bags. Then me and beep! I look at the security guy and he reassures me it's just a random selection, I don't have any metal. Before he finishes talking I head for the scan machine and assume the position. He does the scan. Apparently I have questionable areas on my hips and between my knees. I want to tell him it's only fat! He decides to scan again, still the scanner says there is a problem. (I know! This is why I'm going to Germany for surgery, assuming I haven't missed my flight due to this comedy of errors!) At this point I notice Eric waiting for me. I tell him to go hold the plane while I wait for the pat down by the single female security guard on duty, who also happens to be waaaaay at the beginning of the security process. I'm just about to tell the nearest security guard to pat away when I see her running down. I pass the pat down and turn to get my stuff, but it's behind the plexiglass partition! I guess random means the full meal deal as someone has to test my bag for residues. Only nobody is manning the residue testing station. I turn to one of the security guys and say, "I passed the pat down, can I go?" He finds someone to check my bags and finally I'm free. I power walk as fast as I can possibly power walk with these legs of mine and arrive to hear the agent explaining to Eric and some other passenger that they are not holding the plane any longer. I fish out my ID and make it into my seat. Exciting! Hopefully the rest of the trip will be less eventful. (For the record—50 minutes to get through security and the security area was only a quarter full! Geez people, get a system!)" Haaken is at home in PA, while Liam waits out the duration here in Regina.

Kristian has spent most of the week with us, even choosing to have sleepovers for several nights. There is a wedding in Shawn's family today, Shawn is a groomsman, so Erin is in charge of the children's preparation and wedding participation—busy times! I managed to get the new fan installed in Kristian's room. Of course, the original light fixture installation was not up to holding a fan, so I had to install some backing to make a more substantial fitting. Always there are surprises!

Travis and Joanna have been occupied this week with the Staal Brothers golf tournament. It is a fund-raiser for their foundation, and an event on the CPGA tour. So, they also got to hob-nob with the celebrities and the golf pros who are on hand. They are struggling to keep the lawns mowed between the ample rains they've been experiencing in TBay. Thanks for your work! Gemma and Andrew continue their summer jobs, but Gemma had a break to enjoy the removal of her wisdom teeth—sorry about that!

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather has been hot and we've been enjoying the air-conditioned comfort at Erin's place. Kristian and I got out for golf on Monday; that was a lot of fun! As he grows, his game is steadily developing. It appears he'll need to upgrade to a longer set of clubs by next summer! On Wednesday, we drove up to Prince Albert to see the Baileys and check out their new house. They have begun the demolition with a view to the renovations to come! On Thursday, we attended the funeral of a longtime friend, Anne Marie, in Saskatoon, and then drove back to Regina. Wendy has continued to push the painting at Erin's but much remains to be done, and now we've moved over to Dad's for the next weeks while Bern & Alicia are on a vacation trip. I have more electrical work at Erin's as well, so we'll get back over there as time permits to continue our assignments. The markets have continued to struggle; TSX was red for the week and remains red for the year. I was blessed with a good week, and am on quota, so I'm thankful. The Jays have picked up the pace lately, winning 5 out of 6, but they remain well off the pace. The Riders have played three games and could have won all three, but it took them until tonight to finally put it all together for a win over Hamilton. Yay Riders! 

The Baileys have begun the transition to their new place, and are involved in many different aspects of that. Erica had a Lipedemia conference in Calgary on Tuesday, but before she could take that in, she had to bring Liam to Regina for orthodontist appointment. So, it was a few days with lots of driving to start the week. Liam got a new retainer that fits better, then, he stayed with us until we returned him to PA on Thursday. Haaken continues to work on arrangements and preparation for college in Victoria. The Baileys have received approval from their church to receipt donations towards Erica's medical costs, so that's good news. They have completed arrangements for travel and accommodation for the first trip starting next Friday. If you are able to assist in funding this, you make direct inquiries or funds to:
Erica Bailey Surgeries Project
First Baptist Church Prince Albert
1351-28th Street East
Prince Albert, SK S6V 6T4

Erin and Kristian continue to host us this week until we moved over to Dad's today. She is collaborating with us on the keto diet, and has found it beneficial for herself as well. Kristian lost another tooth this week, so he's trying to score with the tooth-fairy on that front. 

Travis and Joanna are celebrating their 8th anniversary this weekend. Congratulations! They received a particular honour this week when they discovered that Matt Murray, Stanley Cup winning goaltender, and Upper Deck had used two of their photos on the front and back of Matt's hockey card. Otherwise work continues although it's quite slow this time of year. 

And that's about it for this week. 

Happy Canada Day!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. This weekend we are celebrating the 150th birthday of Canada. Tom & Mariette passed along a link to an orchestral, vocal and video celebration of the country—enjoy! We've had a full week. I walked an 18-hole regulation course without undue pain in my leg. The golf was not great: 47-48—95, but I will carry on and put more practice into my golfing, now that I know I can manage the walk. The markets were terrible once again; both TSX and Nasdaq were red for the month, and TSX is red for the year so far. I failed to make quota in June, and I'm now running about 1 month behind for the year—may have to go on short rations! We've begun painting at Erin's place. The colours have been selected, although that doesn't mean that debating the choices is over! Walls have been patched, and some of the painting is complete. Wendy and Erin do the painting; I work on aspects that cannot be seen on the surface! On Friday, we had an Earl Grey School reunion. We enjoyed trying to figure out who all those old people were since we left there 40 years ago. The Riders played their first home game in their new stadium, but the result was just as disappointing as an OT-FG-failure left them on the losing end once again. The Blue Jays are in a drought as well, and have fallen off the pace in their division. C'mon man! 

The Baileys got a house and a gramma! Gramma Bailey is visiting this week. It has been great to have her; the boys have been keeping her company during the day. They got possession of their new house on Friday and enjoyed their first supper in it. They have taken measurements, and now to have decide what improvements they can afford, and what will have to wait. With surgeries coming up, Haaken off to college, and Liam back to Caronport, some things, like new kitchen appliances, will have to wait. Eric is working with the marriage and family therapists' association (MFT) on regulations for mental health work in Saskatchewan. That includes some meetings with political people!

Supervisor-Cyclist!

Erin had Friday off work in lieu of the July 1st holiday, so we're all getting an extra long weekend. Kristian completed grade 5 on Thursday, and is now on summer vacation. Today, he graduated his cycling trials, and is now a full-fledged cyclist! Otherwise most of the week has been consumed with the turmoil of moving furniture, repairing walls and painting! 

Travis & Joanna have also seen the completion of another school year for Gemma and Andrew. Both are good students; Gemma is even a great student! They have completed grades 11 and 9, respectively. Both are now hard at their summer jobs. Well done, team! 

And that's about enough for this week.