News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather is nice, and we're enjoying that. It is forecast to be around freezing for the next week. Wendy returned from her Moose Jaw weekend with a nasty cold and has been suffering with it all week. She has recovered most of her voice now, and was even able to get out for some shopping! On Friday we drove down to Weyburn to visit with Kerry and LaVonne, and buy a complete set of tires for the Sorento. It was a good time. It's been a discouraging week with my leg, as it doesn't appear to be gaining circulation. I have increased my walks to 2.0km, and my leg feels better through the workout, but it is still infused with fluids by the end of the day. The stretched skin on the calf is very itchy, and after scratching, my thinned blood flows more than I'm used it—sigh! I had a couple of webinars this week, and a good week on the markets. US markets made a big jump on Wednesday after the Trumpster seemed almost sane in his big speech Tuesday evening, but then investors realized he had provided no details on policy, and the US markets went flat. There was good economic data both sides of the border, and with the prospects of a FED rate hike in the US, the banks made good gains, and I have a few of them! The Scotties ended on Sunday with Rachel Homan claiming the national championship in an extra end. The Brier started today. I'll be cheering for Kevin Koe. Other strong favourites are expected to be Brad Jacobs (NO), Brad Gushue (NL) and Mike McEwen (MB). Kansas was elevated to the #1 ranking in basketball; they won another couple of games this week. I'm not entirely sold on their quality, but they go into March Madness on a high all the same. NHL hockey is nearing the playoffs. Several teams added talent for the playoff run. Pens and Oilers remain in second place in their divisions. 

Liam has returned to school, more energized and well fed. His recovering appetite is evident when he turns down junk food for gluten-free spaghetti! Haaken continues with some projects. He completed one animation this week and expects to have it posted soon. Erica was up on LaRonge this week for work, supposedly for the week, but managed to complete her assignment and get home Wednesday evening—that was a treat! She has found a consulting surgeon in the Netherlands on Lipedema. He has cautioned her to continue her current eating and exercise program. He advised her to continue with Complete Decompression Therapy (CDT) which is starting next week. She is waiting for a proposed treatment plan including cost estimates to discuss with her doctor. Then, if she decides to go with that, she can begin the battle with Sask Health to cover the expense! She already has one request for $2K for the initial round of CDT, but she's been advised not to hold her breath. She has yet to hear of anyone in Canada who has succeeded in getting funding to fight Lipedema. Perhaps when she wins the lottery she can set up a foundation to help people with the disease. She sometimes wonders and wishes doctors had figured this out back when she first became afflicted in high school, sigh! Eric is enjoying his Apple Watch, an early birthday gift. A friend was selling their used one, so Eric was the fortunate recipient. I has a Mickey Mouse setting complete with Mickey Mouse voice alarms. Erica thinks he should use that as the signal to end a counselling session!

Erin and Kristian have continued with their usual program of work and school except that Erin came down with something and even lost a day of work to that early in the week. Kristian had his usual bowling practice and bowling league. He bowled a 184 today in the league! His average will be jumping from his current 78. Erin picked up some new furnishings including an entertainment centre—some assembly required! So, Kristian and I built that today and it looks good in the family room. 

Some assembly required!

Trav and Joanna continue to fight the snow in Thunder Bay. We're hoping it's all cleared away before we head that way in another week. Trav's team is in the second round of the playoffs—the semi-finals. They are continuing to play comeback hockey—I don't recommend that! Gemma and Andrew continue with school, and by all reports are thriving. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we remain on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. Wendy is off this weekend to the Sisters Triangle gathering at Temple Gardens in Moose Jaw. The weather has turned cooler, but there's barely any snow left by now. Many people are reporting the return of the geese from their wintering grounds. My leg seems to be making some progress. This week, I upgraded my walks to 1.5km. Now, I only have to quadruple that to match the requirements of a round of golf! The markets are troubled, US bonds are recognizing that the economy is now a risky bet, and they are taking a beating once again. Stocks fluctuated this week; the TSX took a beating and administered one to me! At least I remain on pace for the month so far, and have only two days left. Perhaps things will settle over the weekend. We're running down to our final weeks here, and expect to be back in Thunder Bay the second week of March. Curling was the big draw this week, with the Scotties play-downs. It'll be Michelle Englot of Manitoba (Saskatchewan) facing Rachel Homan of Ontario in the gold medal game, while Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay plays Chelsea Carey of Alberta (Manitoba) in bronze medal action. New rules provide for greater flexibility of players to move around the country, so we see skips moving to differing provinces and achieving success. NHL teams are negotiating player deals as they consider their respective situations and decide if they are buyers or sellers! Oilers and Penguins remain well-placed in their divisions. Jayhawks won another pair of games this week and clinched a 13th straight conference championship tying John Wooden's record that he achieved in the 60's and 70's. However, no one has been able to approach his record of ten national championships in twelve years! 

Erica is also in Moose Jaw this weekend, and is undoubtedly the central reason why Wendy is there. The Baileys had the family together this week as Liam was off school. However, work continued as usual for Eric and Erica. Eric was the featured preacher on Sunday in Prince Albert; we're sure he acquitted himself well. 

Erin and Kristian continue to host us well here in Regina. Kristian was off school this week, so we enjoyed the extra time with him. He took us bowling one day; that was fun, and a good test for my leg. Erin has enjoyed the curling coverage with me, and this weekend we're anticipating the opening of the baseball season with the first spring training games. 

Travis and Joanna along with Gemma and Andrew continue their usual duties at home in Thunder Bay. Puckshots was awarded the role of exclusive photographers at the all-Ontario AAA Bantam level hockey tournament—quite a coup to be sure. Trav's team has begun defence of their city championship by sweeping the first round of the playoffs. The final game was a memorable comeback from a 4-0 deficit to win it in overtime. 

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 beautiful with lots of melting all week. I've been enjoying getting out for walks, but my leg is not getting good circulation, so it tires quickly; I estimate I can make 500m now. Wendy spent a couple of days over with Dad while Alicia worked; I went along with her some of the time. Otherwise, she keeps checking out as many of the local stores as she can, and drags me along when I'm having a weak moment! I had my followup with an internist on Wednesday over my DVT. It was not very encouraging. He said the clots should be dissolved by the end of the three-month prescription, but he extended it to six months anyway. He noted that full circulation might not come back ever, and that I will remain at risk for further clots. I have now completed my first three weeks into my prescription of Rivaroxaban. The doctor assured me that the blood clots would be gone at the end of three months. However, he noted that scarification of the sites often occurs, and that such scarification may prevent circulation from ever getting back to normal. He noted that the long delay in getting to a doctor with this was a negative factor on my chances of complete remediation. If only someone had suggested back in December that I should go to a doctor!! Mea culpa: I have no one to blame for this but myself. My daughter insisted I get to the doctor back in December. She is wagging her finger at me once again, sigh! The markets turned upward this week until Friday. I hope they were just holding their cash ahead of the long weekend, and not reacting to the train-wreck of a presser by Die Twittermaus! In any case, I had a good week despite losing some dough on Friday. Sports watching is coming into busy season. The Scotties started today; it's almost full-time just keeping up with that. NHL is getting down to serious season and the playoff hunt is heating up. Edmonton and Pittsburgh have improved to second place in their respective divisions. March Madness is just around the corner in basketball. My Jayhawks won two tough games this week by staging unbelievable comebacks. Rock Chalk boys! 

Eric, Erica had busy weeks. Eric has completed revisions on his final paper, and has received word that he has completed this course. Another course on the way to supervisor status. Erica is in busy season, so she's had some later evenings. She also had another appointment with her doctor; they now have a course of treatment on the lipedema. She will start a round of comprehensive decompression therapy in March to bring down the edema aspect of her lipedema. After that she will begin wearing compression garments. Liam had been sick this week, but recovered enough for Youth Quake, a youth rally at school. He comes home tomorrow for a week long break. Haaken continues to help around the house, and work with the Association for Community Living in search of work. He has also submitted some of his work to various studios. 

Erin and Kristian continue to host us, and we are thankful for that. Kristian recovered quickly after his illness on the weekend. He had a follow-up with the ophthalmologist on Monday. He approved of how Kristian's eyes were improving, but wants him to continue as a patient. Of course it was Valentine's this week, and Erin scored several bouquets, while Kristian enjoyed lots of treats from school. This morning was bowling league, and Kristian raised his average once again. 

Travis and Joanna are doing well. Trav's team lost the final in Superior last Sunday, but it served as a good preparation for the City Championships coming soon. On Monday, when they went over to the office at our house, they were delighted to find that the neighbours had cleared the driveway! It's nice to have folks like that around. It's nice to have Trav & Joanna looking after the place as well. 

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairie. We had a cold snap mid-week, but we're back looking at melting temperatures once again this weekend. My leg does not appear to be improving. I'm scheduled to see the specialist on Wednesday, so I look forward to an explanation of what I should be expecting—I hope it's not what I'm experiencing! I had a great week in the markets as the TSX rose to a new record high, finally surpassing September 2014. It has been a long 2.5 years of going sideways. And already we have pundits calling for a "correction", sigh! Wendy spent a couple of days over at her Dad's as Alicia was working—both were subbing! I got to go along one of the days. Kristian had a school holiday on Friday, but spent it being sick! That's no way to spend any day, and especially not a holiday. As a result, he and Erin did not come along with us to Caronport on Friday evening to see Liam in the school play. That was a nice outing, featuring a good job on Our Miss Brooks by the cast and crew. We got to enjoy it in special seats, complete with treats, and accompanied by Eric and Erica. Sports continues to make its way through the set schedules. Curling lineups are set for Scotties and Brier—that will consume some time in the next month! NHL hockey is pressing up to trade deadline, so the excited pundits are demanding our attention to every potential lineup change! Pittsburgh and Edmonton both hold down playoff positions, but only as third place teams in their respective divisions. NCAA Basketball moves ever closer to March Madness; this week Kansas was installed as the top seed in their bracket. However after two scrappy wins this week, over teams they should have beaten easily, it remains to be seen whether they will remain there. 

Eric completed all assignments as expected, and now works on edits and adjustments. Haaken is working through his assisted employment program. Erica's work progresses as usual. On Friday they drove down to Caronport to enjoy Liam's play with us. They subsequently took Liam to Moose Jaw to celebrate his performance, and still later returned him to Caronport and drove back home! Craziness abounds! 

Liam, with Our Miss Brooks!

Erin has been managing the department at work as her boss has been on medical leave, and only making sporadic visits to the shop. Kristian had a bad return with his eye infection, so he started the week in emergency, and is now back on antibiotics and hot compresses to his eyes. Then, on Friday he came down with fever and coughing. He's feeling quite a bit better today. 

We enjoyed a FaceTime visit with Trav, Joanna and Gemma the other night. Gemma aced her driver's exam, achieved her driver's licence, and is now licensed to drive! Trav and Gemma travelled with the hockey team to Superior, Wisconsin this weekend. The guys are 3-0 in preliminary action and are in the semi-final tomorrow. 

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 prairie! The weather was very nice at the start of the week, but it has turned colder again. Uncle Bordie, Howard and Diane have remained here until today, so we've enjoyed extra visiting with them to make up for not getting to see them in BC. I'm on medication for the clots in my leg, but I haven't noted any particular improvement yet—soon, I hope! This weekend we celebrated both Liam and Haaken's birthdays. Liam's birthday was today, and we enjoyed a special supper, birthday cake, a movie and a bowling adventure with them. We plan to celebrate Haaken's birthday tomorrow with a dinner out. We've enjoyed another week with Erin and Kristian—thanks for hosting us! The markets have been crazy again this week, but a final month of Obama's jobs' numbers turned Friday into a big payoff and almost got me to quota for the week. I've been getting promising results paper-trading a new strategy, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger and put any money into it just yet. The NHL has returned to action after the all-star break, and Pittsburgh has returned strongly to action, while Edmonton has dropped a couple. The Jayhawks won a big game against Baylor early in the week, and then inexplicably dropped a game to Iowa State today. C'mon guys—Rock, chalk! 

As mentioned, the Baileys were here to celebrate Liam's birthday. He has been practicing for his school play that hits the boards next week, so he has practices this weekend as well. It was a struggle to fit in his birthday celebrations! The performance is next weekend, and we hope to take in the Friday evening showing. Haaken continues with his program for employment assistance. He is also helping out with cooking supper, and has been putting together pitches for stories. Eric is down to crunch time on his counselling supervision course. All assignments are due early this month, so there's a bit of extra pressure there. Erica is in busy season at work as well, and is working some evenings. What a fun life! 

Erin keeps busy with Kristian's schedule of school and bowling, and then there's her house guests to manage as well. Kristian is having eye issues again, so he's on medication for that. He has bowling league each Saturday morning, and bowling practice on Monday evenings. He's enjoying it, and beat his average each game again this morning. 

Trav & Joanna and crew are taking care of things at home. His team lost the championship game in the tournament last weekend. They continue to play well, and even better in tournaments. Gemma and Andrew are into second semester at school. 

And that's about it for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed, and, we are, once again, sojourning on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairie. We started the week in the Okanagan as we enjoyed our visit with John. He is struggling through his new life circumstances, and we have no way of really understanding all of what he is going through. However, we were also able to have our good times together, and gain the sense that he is, indeed, working through things. We completed our visit there in a luncheon at the seniors' complex in Winfield. It was a good meal, as always, and also reminiscent of our last visit with Marion as it also featured a meal there! Thanks for a good week, John! We drove as far as Canmore on Tuesday. We visited with Gary and Barb on Wednesday, and then continued on to Medicine Hat where we stayed with Jim and Carol—no wait a minute, I'm living in the past—we stayed at a motel. On Thursday, we stopped in at Caronport and Moose Jaw, where we coffeed with Grace, Kris and Paul, and finally completed the trip to Regina. We have moved into Erin's basement and are enjoying having some time with them. Thanks for hosting us! Erica was here when we arrived, so we even got in a brief visit with her. I finally responded to Erin's urging and went to the doctor about my sore leg on Friday morning. One event led into another and eventually I found myself in Emergency at the Pasqua Hospital where they confirmed a diagnosis of DVT, and put me on blood-thinning Rivaroxaban for the next three months. Since the symptoms first appeared before Christmas, it has become clear I've been living in denial and at risk for the last month. Thankfully, things are okay, and I'm on the road to healing. Markets continue to be troubled, but the TSX showed another small gain while US indices were up over 1%. I am on quota for the month with two trading days left. NHL teams are off for All-Star weekend; Penguins are 7 points out of the lead in their division, while the Oilers are tied for first place in theirs. My Jayhawks went down to a discouraging defeat in WV on Tuesday, but put up a thrilling comeback win at Kentucky today. Rock Chalk, boys! 

Erica visited with Erin and Kristian while working on a audit in Regina most of the week; she headed home on Friday in their newly repaired CRV. Haaken met with the employment support program for Autism; he has another meeting this week. He is working through his options and immediate plans at home in Prince Albert. Liam enjoyed another edition of Grandma's care package that we dropped off for him in Caronport. He is continuing his preparations for his play that hits the boards in February. Eric continued his work in Prince Albert. 

Erin continues her family-hosting business. Erica was there part of the week and now we have moved in! Kristian had Friday off school, so we took care of him. He was ill this morning, and did not make it to his regular bowling league games. He seems to be getting better by this evening. 

Travis and Joanna remain in contact via text, phone or FaceTime. They've had some decent weather there, but plenty enough of winter to suit their fancy. Gemma and Andrew are doing fine, relaxing as they have completed exams and a new semester is beginning. Work is going well, and Trav's hockey team is progressing well—this week they're 4-0 and into the semi-final tomorrow. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have moved on once again. This time we're situated on the shore of Lake Okanagan, far from the middle of the prairies! We left Regina on Tuesday, driving north and west to Sylvan Lake where we were graciously hosted by Jim and Carol. Thanks folks! On Wednesday we drove out to the Okanagan to visit John. The trip was terrible, easily the worst trip I've taken through the mountains. We were stopped several times while the crews cleared avalanches and plowed clearance on the highway. It was a long day on slushy roads; we took 12 hours to make 700 km. However, we finally made it and are enjoying our time with John here on the lake. We've also managed to fit in a couple of visits and meals with Warren and Evelyn—thanks for some great eating and reminiscing! We also managed a trip over to Salmon Arm today where we caught up with Lyndon and Janelle, and even more eating! It's been a good and useful time with lots of catching-up and not-a-few tears. The markets have continued their volatility in these troubled times as investors try to figure out what Die Tweetermaus will do. All US indices were red for the week, and the TSX was only moderately green as we are reluctant to make any move without big brother coming along. I managed a small gain, but nowhere close to my expectations or needs for the week. The NHL season plods along, and my teams (Oilers, Penguins) are just back of the lead in their respective conferences. The Jayhawks remain at #2, but reeled off two more wins this week. Now they head into a tougher part of the schedule and will need to be at their best—Rock Chalk, Jayhawks! 

The Baileys are playing to a full house once again. Haaken moved back home, where he is putting together a plan for next steps toward his dream of becoming an animator. We look forward to seeing those next steps. Liam is home for the weekend and a final appointment about his toe. It is now healed and though he will never be a foot model with his partially removed nail, he is enjoying the lack of pain. They have both vehicles back in running order. The CRV was repaired and ready for pick up in Edmonton on Monday, and since friends were driving up on Tuesday, they were able to coordinate to get to Edmonton and bring it home. Erica had a consultation with a specialist in the US who confirmed she likely has Lipedema and is starting to get Lymphedema in her legs and arms. She has further appointments with a therapist in Prince Albert and a doctor in Saskatoon. Treatment options include compression therapy, manual lymphatic drainage massage, wearing compression garments, anti-inflammatory eating, and surgery. 

Erin and Kristian have the place to themselves at least briefly, as Haaken has completed his paperwork at the university and moved home. They worked through some issues at school for Kristian and progress seems to have been made. 

Trav & Joanna have returned from Punta Cana and are enjoying winter in Thunder Bay! They keep in touch via text and FaceTime. We are thankful to have them there taking care of things, so we can travel without that concern. Thanks guys! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Elvin and the Women of his family!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairie. It's been cold most of the week, but the weather has broken and we're looking toward above zero temperatures and melting off the roads. I finally got the lab report from my surgery on Tuesday. It was a squamous cell carcinoma, and the surgeon reasserted his confidence that he had got it all, and that no further therapies were needed. On Wednesday, we had the bittersweet experience of attending the memorial service for cousin Elvin. It was good to catch up with many relatives and friends, as we remarked on a life effectively lived. The markets started off well, but a wild press conference by Herr Tweetermaus turned investors twitchy, and the DOW ended up losing value for the week. TSX was flat, but I had a good week, so I feel well-blessed. This marks the end of our time in Regina this trip, as we plan to head west next week. Wendy keeps busy taking care of us. Dad keeps busy with Crosswords, Sudoku and Jumbles! Hockey continues, and we've been able to help Dad cheer on his beloved Maple Leafs to a couple more victories this week. Pittsburgh and Edmonton have both fallen off the pace again. Let's get it going guys! KU won a couple more conference games this week, and I expect them to be raised to #1 this weekend; Rock Chalk, Jayhawks! 

Erica was in LaRonge and Saskatoon for work this week. She made a presentation to a school board conference and enjoyed that. Eric is in Saskatoon today playing card hockey in a league with his brother. Liam is hard at it in school. We delivered a care package to him on Wednesday. I hope he was able to protect it from the foragers in the dorm! Haaken is reconsidering the situation. He has decided the program at University in Regina was not suitable, so he's cancelled those classes. Now, he's reassessed long, medium and short term goals and next steps. Growing up is hard! They got the Jetta repaired—it need a new starter. The CRV remains in the shop getting repaired after being rear-ended in Edmonton. The Transit Authority has agreed to pay all related costs, including getting them back to Edmonton to pick it up when it's ready. 

Erin has also had car troubles that showed up with the cold weather. She got a new battery and a replacement cord for the block heater, and the car seems to be performing again. We attended Kristian's bowling league again this morning. He was able to beat his average again, but, of course, as you keep beating your average, it keeps getting harder! It's nice to see his enjoyment of the game as well as the improvement in his performance. 

Travis and Joanna have spent the week at Punta Cana DR. We enjoyed their pictures of enjoying the tropical paradise. Now they're back to wintry reality in Thunder Bay, but hopefully re-energized to get back to work. For sure they are enjoying being reunited with family and animals! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairie. The weather has turned cold, so it has made it uncomfortable for outdoor activities. Wendy did get out for skating with Kristian, but it was a short-lived outing. Dad continues to progress well, and is getting around nicely with his crutches now. He even does some experimentation with walking! Wendy keeps busy shopping and housekeeping so we all are well-cared for. The Markets got a late start due to the holiday, but were buoyed by continued strong economic data that pushed the DOW within a half-point of 20K. I was able to make quota, so a nice start to 2017. I have a couple new strategies in my paper-trading portfolios; we'll see how those work out. Bern, Alicia and Logan arrived early Thursday morning as they were all back to school and work Thursday. Today, we drove over to Moose Jaw for a visit with Elvin and Grace. As it turned out all the girls were home, so that was a special bonus for us. Elvin was failing quickly, and Karen informed us of his passing at 6:30 this evening! Our condolences to Grace and the families of the girls, as well as his many friends through his work with the Lions, and because of all the community involvement and development over a productive lifetime. The Junior Hockey World Championships were completed this week. USA beat Canada in overtime in the gold medal game. It was very entertaining even though we were cheering for the opposite outcome. We now return our attention to the regularly scheduled NHL season! Tonight, I watched my Jayhawks take Texas Tech down in a regular season game. 

The Baileys continue to live an "interesting" 2017. On their way home from Victoria, they decided to visit Edmonton and take in another viewing of Rogue One. However... the start of many a story, tall tale and poem! Erica feels a Dr. Seuss treatment of the week would be most appropriate. As they waited to make a left turn, a city bus decided not to wait! So, they had to work at finding transportation and repair solutions on a holiday in Edmonton. Eventually they made their way home in a rental van, leaving their CRV to an uncertain fate! The insurance company for the bus company soon informed them that they were accepting full blame for the accident, but demurred on accepting the full cost of such consequences! They were refusing to cover the rental van! So, Eric/A drove to Edmonton yesterday in two vehicles to return the van. This morning, their Jetta refused to start. They're staying another night in Edmonton! The rest of the week was pretty inconsequential, it seems! 

Erin has welcomed her boarder back, as Haaken started his second semester of university. Kristian was also back to school on Thursday, but we got in some more days with him before that occurrence. Friday night, Erin and Kristian hosted us for supper and a movie. Kristian and I also took the time to assemble their new trolley unit. This morning, Kristian had league bowling; we enjoyed watching that. He bested his average each of the three games. 

Trav didn't get a good start to the new year either. He separated ribs while coughing, and is still feeling pretty tender. That pain was eased by Andrew's operation of the snowblower, and by their current locale—Punta Cana, DR! We are officially no longer feeling sorry for him! Grandma has come up from TO to stay with Gemma and Andrew while Trav & Joanna laze in the sun! 

And that's about enough for this week! 

Happy New Year!

Another year has passed and we've enjoyed a remarkable journey along the way! We mourn the passing of loved ones who graduated to a higher existence during this year. It has been a remarkable treat for us to spend time with you along life's pathway. We are thankful for the blessings of being with so many precious friends at various times and in various places! We wish all people a peaceful and healthful 2017! We have spent this week in Regina. The weather has been mild, but we've been hit by a number of dumps of snow. I've managed to handle the shovel and snowblower as necessary, so it has not been too much of a struggle. Dad has continued to make great progress, and is mostly getting around with his crutches now. This is more convenient for him as the wheelchair makes maneuvering tedious sometimes. Wendy has provided great care for us all. Kristian has spent the week with us, so we've enjoyed time with him and extra time with Erin as she often joined us after work. The markets were only open for three days here, but they were very bad, no good days, so it's just as well. I did not manage to make quota for December or the year, but at least we gained more than we took out, so we're okay so far. The NHL season ended the year with the Penguins securing an overtime win, while the Oilers suffered an overtime loss. Both continue to do well, so I'm encouraged. The Jayhawks are retooling to make up for the loss of their starting centre, but their winning streak continues as they've moved into conference play. Rock Chalk! The World Junior Hockey Championships are underway in eastern Canada; we've been watching quite a bit of hockey as a result. The preliminaries are over, and the playoffs begin tomorrow. Canada has advanced to the medal round. I was also delighted to see Denmark advance to the medal round! 

The Baileys spent most of the holidays on Vancouver Island, and began the trip home today. They enjoyed Christmas with the Bailey family of Victoria. It was a good and relaxing day punctuated by good fellowship, turkey and ham! Eric/A celebrated their 23rd Anniversary on Tuesday taking in Passengers (movie) and dinner out at Montana's. They also scored a set of motorcycle bags on sale to add to their travelling utilities. They rounded out the week with an encounter at Victoria Escape Games. They tried to solve the puzzles, but ended up being killed by poison gas! They wish to give it another try, as it was a lot of fun—I guess, except for the dying part!

Time for another run! 

Erin was back at work for Wednesday through Friday, but still managed to spend time each evening with us, so that was great. Shawn has been suffering with back issues, but assures us that he's making progress on that, even while continuing to work! Astrid and Liam were also under the weather for part of the week, but seem much recovered today. Kristian got out sledding and skating several times this week. 

Trav, Joanna and crew are holding down the fort in Thunder Bay. Trav facetimed me one day to show me the snowfall that was accumulating and get some help with the snowblower. I hope it worked well for them, and that they can avoid too much snowfall. We're surely thankful to have them taking care of things while we're away. It gives us much freedom in our scheduling! Thanks! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Merry Christmas!

Digital Cosmetics courtesy of Travis! 

Merry Christmas! We are spending the festive season on the shore of Lake Wascana in Regina. We drove up here on Sunday, and have had a busy week here. The weather has been very nice, even above zero several days. It has turned colder this weekend, and we even got some fresh snow today. We drove over to Caronport on Tuesday to pick up Liam to begin his holidays. On Tuesday evening, it was Kristian's Christmas Concert at school; we enjoyed it a great deal. On Wednesday evening, we had our Christmas celebration with the Baileys, as they were heading west on Thursday. We took care of Kristian on Thursday and Friday as he was off school, and Erin was still working. The big news of the week here was that Dad was released from William Booth, and is now back home and getting on just fine here. It was a special Christmas present for all of us to have him home. On Friday morning, I was up early (4am) to drive Bern, Alicia and Logan to the airport and the beginning of their trip to Mexico. They arrived there Friday evening and are renewing acquaintances there—Feliz Navidad! Today has been fairly quiet, but Wendy has begun preparations for Christmas dinner that we're expecting tomorrow afternoon. The markets have been troubled this week. After a rally on Monday, they pretty much ran down the rest of the week. I was blessed with a good gain, and stand at quota so far this month, but only have three trading days left this year due to the market holidays on Monday and Tuesday next week. Kansas Jayhawks suffered a big loss as their young 7' centre experienced a season-ending injury. Still, they have continued their winning streak—Rock Chalk! The NHL is on Christmas break; Pittsburgh and Edmonton both sit one point out of first in their respective conferences. 

Kristian and group signing the ASL for their song!

Travis & Joanna are completing preparations and closing up shop for a holiday break. They were down to Minneapolis last weekend for a hockey tournament, and that was a good experience for all, even though they did not win the tournament. We enjoyed celebrating Christmas with them last week. Working life around everyone's schedules is complicated, but we're fortunate to have flexible schedules ourselves. 

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Pretty much healed up—still no hair! 

We've had a cold week here on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The cold weather is set to move out this weekend, and along with mild temperatures, they are predicting snow, so, they can at least have a white Christmas here. I'm sure Travis would cheerfully skip that! We're set to leave tomorrow, heading west, so it will be left to Trav and crew to take care of the place and keep the snow cleared. The markets were confusing this week. We've known for some time that there was going to be a rate increase by the US Feds, but somehow investors were still able to act surprised and all indices took a dive! I was able to clear a small gain, but not up to quota. Only two weeks are left in the year, and there are two market holidays after Christmas, so I will need to work harder! I was back to my doctor on Wednesday. My uric acid levels have dropped nicely, so she has reduced my dosage of allopurinol. The pathology report is not back from my surgery, so I'll have to keep waiting on that. In the meantime, I rely on the surgeon's analysis that it was squamous cell carcinoma and that he got all of it! My teams continue to do well in hockey, although Edmonton has fallen back a bit. Pittsburgh in at the top of their division, and the top of the league, although they dropped one tonight to the Leafs! The Jayhawks continue to thrive in NCAA basketball, rattling off another couple of wins this week. 

Erica started the week running Haaken back to Regina for his exams. He wrote Film Studies on Tuesday, and Math today. English and History exams are set for next Tuesday. He is looking forward to the break. Next semester he is only taking three courses, and plans to pick up 2 more over the summer. Liam finished classes this week. He turned in his assignments one day early, with one gift-wrapped for his teacher—literally! Erica picked him up Thursday night so he could make it to the specialist appointment on Friday in Saskatoon. Erica has not seen much of PA this week! The Baileys are planning to see Rogue One this weekend with friends in PA. Erica is dressing as Mon Mothma—that requires a white sheet with rope accents! There's no Han Solo in this one, so Eric is trying to figure out his costume. It appears the rebels all dress like Han Solo, so maybe he won't have to make much of an effort! 

Erin and Kristian have been busy with Christmas activities and preparations. Kristian has been shopping for gifts for his teachers. We look forward to seeing them soon! It has been a difficult week for Shawn; his mother is very ill in hospital and has now been diagnosed with cancer. We have not heard about any treatment options yet. It certainly adds pressure and emotion to a season many already find difficult.

Trav & Joanna have been extra busy trying to complete as many pre-Christmas projects and get the orders delivered. The whole crew is off to Minneapolis this weekend where Trav's hockey team has a tournament and the rest are enjoying the event and the shopping. We had Christmas with them last Sunday—thanks guys! This weekend we're watching over their house, and taking care of the bird and the dog—coulda done without the bird! 

That's about enough for this week! 

News Update

A heart tattoo will clean this up! 

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has turned colder, but we're still waiting for the snow. I got my stitches out on Friday, but there's still a bit of healing left to accomplish. I hope to get the pathology results from my own doctor next Wednesday. When I discussed it with the surgeon on Friday, he was pretty sure it was squamous cell carcinoma, which he's been consistently calling it, so, we'll see. I've been suffering with a cold this week, and it's not loosening its grip on me yet. We remain out of renovation mode, just enjoying living in the house for now. I did add a wireless doorbell for Travis to his office downstairs. The markets are back into rally mode, and I had a good week; I'm back on quota for the month. Wendy has continued to pile up the Christmas baking; I can hardly wait to get at it! I've been watching the National in curling this week. My guy, Kevin Koe, made the playoffs, but lost out. It'll be Reid Carruthers vs Brad Jacobs in the final tomorrow. On the women's side it'll be the Swiss team, Silvana Tirinzoni vs Kerri Einarson. Hockey situations have improved as Oilers and Penguins are back atop their divisions, but there are several other teams challenging them. 

Haaken completed his coursework, and rode home on the bus. He's been studying and preparing for exams which start next week. Liam's toe is improving. He's working through a bunch of assignments due at semester end. Eric continues with work, volunteer boards and busyness. He's feeling a little over committed. Friends are looking for ways to get him kicked off boards, but, so far, they've been unsuccessful! Erica continues to enjoy her work with Deloitte. There are many additional events to attend this time of year. She has been working on a proposal for work; now we're waiting to see if they win the contract. 

Kristian has been working very diligently at his school while he tries to convince his mom that he should get a special Christmas present. I hope he realizes what he's capable of doing all the time and keeps it up as the year progresses. He is having renewed problems evidenced by redness in his eye; we certainly hope that clears up quickly. Haaken has completed classes and is preparing for exams from home in PA. Erin has her work schedule for the holiday period, so we'll try to work our plans around that! Shawn's mom is not doing well, and is in the hospital. Erin is helping out where she can. 

Trav & Joanna are very busy with hockey team pictures and production related to that. This week they took photos of their 87th team of the season! We are planning our Christmas celebration with them tomorrow, featuring the traditional Chinese food dinner! During the week, we moved the treadmill over to the new house. That was quite an effort, but Gemma is now enjoying being able to work out. We're also celebrating Andrew's birthday tomorrow. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

My question!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We started the week with torrential rainfall (78mm on Monday alone) that washed the snow away—pretty strange way to end November! I have continued to convalesce with my post-surgery healing process. It is going well; I was back to the surgeon on Thursday for a follow-up. He thinks it's healing well, and has scheduled me for next Friday to remove the stitches. I have an appointment with my own doctor on the 14th, at which time, I hope to get the pathology results. We haven't really gotten back into the renovation groove. I have contracted a plumber to arrange for the replacement of our main shut-off valve on the water mainline. He's promised to get that done before we have to leave for Regina. We've also begun clearing out some extra furniture downstairs. Today, we hauled a couch to the Restore. The markets have been bad this week, and while I completed November on quota, I am in the red for December so far. Wendy has been working on a few small cleanup projects. We've thought about getting back into drywalling, but even the thought makes us tired! The week began with the Grey Cup game and Ottawa surprised most of the country, including me, and especially Calgary, by winning the game! This week has been the Canada Cup of curling, so I've been busy keeping track of that. My guy, Kevin Koe, did not make the playoffs. It'll be Gushue vs Carruthers on the men's side, and Jones vs Homan on the women's side. The championship games go tomorrow. The Jayhawks are playing some decent basketball in this early season and I expect them to be elevated to #2 in the NCAA rankings. NHL play is starting to create more interest, although Oilers and Penguins have both fallen back a bit in their divisional standings. 

Eric and Liam made a trip to the podiatrist on Monday. Liam's toe has now been fixed! Eric returned him to school on Monday. Erica had a trip to Toronto for training at Deloitte University. She took the opportunity to take in the Raptors game against the 76ers; the Raptors put on a good show. Erica had a good seat to enjoy it. Haaken is almost finished semester classes. He finishes on Tuesday, and then he'll need to prepare for exams. This weekend they're back in Regina to pick up Liam for the follow-up appointment on his toe. These folks do not spend much time at home!

Erin scored a new iPhone as well. Hers is a rose-gold colour, and Wendy is looking forward to the hand-me-down! Kristian is enjoying his bowling practice and games. He also scored a coup in Math this week, as he showed initiative, did the extra work, and was rewarded with a high grade—congratulations Kristian! 

Trav & Joanna continue to be very busy—too busy! They're trying to get caught up with all the pre-Christmas business; it's a good problem to have! The whole crew had us over for a pizza/birthday celebration on Sunday for Trav's birthday—that was nice! They've also made it out for a couple of movie nights with the whole crew; Wendy joined them to see Moana! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

El Question-O! 

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We completed our tour by driving back to Thunder Bay from Duluth. It is nice to be home, despite the snow. It's a far cry from a week ago when Wendy and I were golfing in Lawrence, and frankly, that was even nicer! Travis had the snowblower running, so he had the driveway blown out, however the arrival of the rain, snow, and cold weather meant we're still working to eliminate the build up. The weather has turned warmer, so we're making good progress on that! The big event of the week for me was surgery to remove a squamous cell carcinoma from my cheek. It's left me with a lovely bit of stitching, and my new name of El Question-O! Erica calls me Scarface! We're awaiting the pathology report, then, we'll see how it turns out. Wendy has been busy catching up on the household books, and this evening is busy decorating a cake for Trav's birthday. We also had a meeting with the loans officer at the bank, and have locked in our mortgage for the next five years at 2.44%. The markets have continued to react in fear to the uncertainty of the Trump election, and bonds are selling off badly. Of course, that money has to go somewhere, and I'm glad to see it moving into equities rather than gold! As a result, I've had another good week, and am on quota for the month so far. The Grey Cup game is tomorrow, and I'm picking Calgary to win. Edmonton let me down last week, so I didn't get my all-Alberta final. The NHL is a quarter through the season now, and I'm glad to see my Oilers at the top of their division. The Penguins are right up there in their division as well. College basketball is underway; it appears my Jayhawks have assembled a good team once again—we'll see once March rolls around. Wendy is back to swimming with Joanna; she only got one day in this week. 

Erica was in La Ronge for work this week. It's a nice little northern town in the Canadian Shield, and offered plenty of reminders of Yellowknife. A good week, but she's glad to get home. The apartment is being appraised by the landlord; they're not sure what that's all about, perhaps it's being sold! Eric spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing, so it's looking pretty good. Eric headed to Regina for the meeting of the SKMFT (Sask Marriage and Family Therapists). Liam has continued to cough, so he visited the doctor and has been diagnosed with bronchitis. He's come home with Eric for the weekend, and for a specialist appointment with the toe doctor over his problematic in-grown toenail, sigh! Haaken continues with his studies in Regina. All we hear from him is that everything is great! 

Of course, that's all we've been hearing from Kristian about his school, too. However, this week was report card and parent-teacher meetings, so we got an update! For sure there are areas that need improvement, so we'll look forward to that. Kristian has joined a bowling league. They play each Saturday, and also have a practice time on Monday after school. Erin is upgrading her cell phone and Wendy is eagerly awaiting benefitting from that upgrade as well! Tonight they're out with Shawn, Astrid and Liam for a movie—fun! 

Trav and Joanna are very busy with work. Gemma is almost complete her driving lessons, and ready to graduate to a driver's licence. We're scheduled for Trav's birthday celebration tomorrow, so we'll check out their house improvements as well. Lately, they've been trapping and removing little furry rodents in their house—didn't need that! Trav's team continues to do well in league play, winning 7-2 this week. Trav and Joanna have also upgraded their cell phones; I've benefited by Trav's cast-off of an iPhone 6+. It's great! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we have returned to the shore of Lake Superior, however, we're in Duluth MN. We are still a fair distance from my hometown, however we are not far from Lake Wobegon, where the women are strong, the men are handsome, and all the children are above average! Wendy's dad continues to be in hospital. He has clearly been making progress with his rehab. He got his staples out this week as well, and the healing seems to be going well. However, some other health issues remain, and the doctors keep working on solutions. We hope they get some progress in those areas as well. It has been another full week. We enjoyed a fulsome family experience on Sunday including lots of eating and a family worship period. Most of the family then dispersed, but some of us remained for a couple more days. Tom, Viggo, Jonathan, Jennifer and I got out golfing on Monday at Waterview. That was fun, and my score of 87 is pretty reflective of my game these days. On Tuesday, Viggo arranged for a new windshield on the Sorento. Then, we packed up and headed north. We spent the rest of the week in Lawrence with Aunt Helen and Cousin Marti. I began a new experience which I am not enjoying—Oak Leaf Mites! Those nasty little guys attacked my neck leaving itchy welts, yikes! A Colorado Clipper brought the first winter storm (Argos, it's called Argos! They have names for winter storms now!) across our path and slowed our travel plans, so we didn't get away until this morning. We drove up to Duluth, running into snow just north of Minneapolis. Apparently, there is more snow awaiting us in TBay. We hope to complete the drive tomorrow. I managed another round of golf in Lawrence with Larry. That went pretty well also although I only hit one fairway! The markets continue to be volatile, but I had a great week, and am now on quota for the month. I haven't been keeping track of sports much while we've travelling. The Oilers are tied for first place in their division; the Penguins are one point out of first in their division. Both of my picks prevailed in the CFL semi-finals. I'm picking Calgary and Edmonton to win the division finals and set up an all-Alberta Grey Cup game. 

Eric/A and Liam made the drive-through trip to get to the family reunion last week. Then, starting Sunday afternoon, the returned home via another drive-through! A couple of long hauls there. I'm sure they're needing some extra rest this week. Liam is back at school, of course. Haaken continues with his university work in Regina. 

We were able to have a communal FaceTime chat with Erin and Kristian while we were at the reunion. It was good to visit with them. 

We used FaceTime to visit with Trav & Joanna as well. They keep busy with their work, but were not so pleased with the arrival of snow! We look forward to seeing them tomorrow. Trav's team prevailed to win their home tournament last weekend. Congrats all around! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we are far from our hometown on the shore of Lake Superior. We struggled to get a few final errands out of the way at Bern & Alicia's place. We headed south early Monday morning. We spent that night at Norfolk NE. On Tuesday, we continued to Stillwater OK where we enjoyed a reunion with Jack & Joanne Bayles, and watched the US election results with a measure of horror! We completed the trip to Rowlett TX on Wednesday and are enjoying the fellowship of family and friends here since then. The weather has been great, and I've got out golfing a couple of times. I played better than usual the first time (85), and about my usual (90) today. I even managed to work in a curling game one evening; it was an amazing experience: the hockey game ended; they flooded the ice; they installed hacks; a splash of pebble, et voilà, we are ready! The rocks are kept in a cooler, but it's not cool enough, so they leave melt-marks on the ice. The ice was terrible, but the enthusiasm for the game was heartening. It's been great to spend these days with family at my brother Viggo & Nancy's house. As usual, we've had too much to eat, along with many laughs and a few tears. The markets have been in turmoil, and I've had big winning days and big losing days, however, in the end, I had a good week and cleared more than a week's quota. Not too much happening on the part of the sports scene that I follow. NHL hockey continues in the early stages of its long, long season. College basketball dribbles toward the regular season—Rock Chalk, Jayhawks! CFL playoffs begin tomorrow with conference semi-finals in Hamilton and Vancouver—I'm picking Edmonton to prevail over Hamilton and BC to defeat Winnipeg. 

Eric, Erica and Liam also travelled down here for the reunion, but their trip was in no way straight-forward. They gathered in Regina to get a jump start on the trip only to discover that a passport was back in Prince Albert, so, it fell to Eric to round-trip PA before they could even start. They drove straight through, arriving here on Friday evening very tired. They seem quite a bit revived tonight as we gathered for an evening of feasting, visiting and singing. 

Erin & Kristian did not make this reunion as they took care of business and schooling. Haaken, also, remained in Regina to attend to his university coursework. We miss them! 

Travis, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew have likewise attended to their lives in Thunder Bay; we miss them, too. Joanna made a trip to Toronto to care for her mother through surgery. That seems to have gone well. We're relieved. Trav has posted another hockey game write-up! 

And that's about all I could handle this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed and we're on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairie. We completed the drive up from Thunder Bay on Sunday evening. We checked in at Erin's once we got to town, and then we checked into our lodgings at 55 Laird. Thank you Bern, Alicia and Logan for putting us up so well. The weather has been beautiful with daytime highs touching 20 degrees in the sunshine. I went by the golf course, but it was already closed for the season. We've spent most evenings over at Erin's to catch up with them, and Wendy has spent most days up at the hospital. Dad was admitted for further surgery to replace the prosthetic spike from his knee down into his tibia. That was done Tuesday, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing since then, either. The surgery seems to have gone well, but he's been working through the after-effects, including low hemoglobin, since. Bern and Alicia have kept me busy with a couple of projects. We've redone the flooring in dad's room and the hallways with laminate. I also added an electrical outlet for dad's keyboard. Wendy has been repairing drywall that was damaged in that effort, and also touching up a few other spots. It has been a no good, very bad start to the month on the markets as fear of Trump is holding sway and driving the markets down, so I had a red week. We certainly hope things improve after Tuesday! The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit to overcome the curse and win the world series for me! Now, we can have some other story for the reporters to rave about! The Riders played out the season tonight, falling to BC Lions to finish at 5-13—not the 9-9 I was hoping for! Oilers continue to impress in the young hockey season. Tonight we celebrated Rich's birthday around delicious bbq and saskatoon crisp! 

Eric was the featured speaker in North Battleford on Sunday, while I was doing the same in Brandon. Otherwise they seem to have spent a quiet week. Erica has been working on our mortgage renewal process—that seems ready to go now. Liam is home this weekend for an appointment with a specialist. He and Eric took in a Dr. Strange movie tonight. They are glad to find a gluten-free restaurant in Saskatoon for Liam—they've been there twice already. Haaken remains pretty quiet, but when he's asked, he says everything is great! 

It turns out our assumptions were incorrect—things were not going well for Erin. She was sick all last week, and missed a couple of days of work. She was still sick when we arrived on Sunday evening. However, she's getting better and did not miss any work this week. Kristian is doing well. He enjoyed a good haul of treats accompanied by Grandma on Monday evening. Their laptop hard drive failed, so I got that replaced with a used one for minimal cost. That's about the last repair I can rationalize on that 10-year old computer. 

Joanna readies the next target!

Travis, Joanna and crew are keeping things going in Thunder Bay. We hear from them from time to time. His hockey team won another, and seems to be developing well. He wrote up the latest game with a Hallowe'en Theme—what a fun coach! Meanwhile they continue to be busy and effective in their work. Gemma and Andrew are doing well also. 

And that's about it for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, but we're not there! We headed west this morning, and made it as far as Brandon where we're enjoying a visit with Bonnie and Charlie! Along the way, we stopped in to greet Tom & Mariette and offer condolences and comfort over the loss of her brother this past week. Although brief, it was a nice visit—they're very busy with family activities around the memorial, as well as dealing with lots of feelings, memories and grief. It's been a busy week as we've finished up the bathroom project and tidied up whatever we could in anticipation of our being away for a few weeks. The weather has been mild, but a bit rainy, so we only got out to the driving range once. The markets continue to be troubled and I struggled to make any money this week—only one day left to make quota for the month! The Cubs are faltering in the World Series; Cleveland won again tonight to take a 3-1 lead. The Riders played their final game in the old Taylor Field; alas, they didn't close it out with a win. Hockey is beginning to capture more interest, as my old favourite, the Oilers, look rejuvenated. 

Erica was in Saskatoon this week for work. She was able to enjoy some good restaurants and reconnect with the city. It holds many memories from her university days. Eric had meetings on Friday, so he made his way down to Saskatoon on Thursday evening, and, since they were in Saskatoon, Liam found a ride up, and is home for the weekend. They enjoyed supper at Leyda's restaurant ( a gluten-free place) in Saskatoon before heading back to PA. Haaken decided he'd rather stay in Regina; he must really be enjoying it down there! Eric is preaching on Sunday. You can catch it live-streamed on-line. 

Erin and Kristian are doing just fine as far as we know, but we're headed there to find out for sure!! 

Trav and Joanna continue to be very busy with Puck Shots and Bucket Decals. Still they found time to take us out of supper last evening—thanks guys! They have their office downstairs, so they'll maintain stewardship over the house while we're away. That is a comfort to us. Trav's hockey team has now played five games. You can catch up on his write-ups in the blog. 

And that's all for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather was cooler this week, but still very nice, and I got out to the golf course twice with Wendy. Her game has improved so much this year; I wish I could say the same about mine! Work has continued on the downstairs bathroom and it's looking great. Wendy got the painting completed, so, I have been able to install the electrical and plumbing fixtures. I still need to complete the shower stall. Work has stalled in the kitchenette; it will wait for us to return after the family reunion in Dallas. Wendy has also had two days of babysitting this week. The markets have continued to be difficult, and all US indices remain in the red for the month, however at least this week they were all a bit green, and I had a good week making quota again. I am on pace for quota this month, so I hope that I can finish it off well. Baseball playoffs have moved on to the World Series. My Blue Jays failed to get their bats going, and lost to Cleveland in five games, so that's over. Chicago Cubs advanced over the Dodgers in the National League. All told, my picks won the two wild card games; three of four in the division series, and one of two in the championship series—that's a good percentage, but I'd give up all the others if only the Blue Jays could have moved forward! I am picking the Cubs to win it all, and also cheering for them to do so. I assess them as having the best manager (Maddon) in the game, but Francona is great as well, so it should be an entertaining battle. Go Cubbies! The Riders are playing out the string, and broke their winning streak to Montreal in a dreary, rain-soaked Taylor Field, today. 

Liam went to a student leadership conference where he had to carry a log for over one km! Not to sure what the point was, but I'm guessing there was one! He also got a new laptop this week as his old one (a hand-me-down) has been problematic. Not much news coming from Haaken, so we assume school continues to preoccupy his time. Eric/A have made some progress on the downsizing and reorganization front. They've gone through the Tupperware, and cut their investment there in half! Eric made some progress in reorganizing one of the boy's bedrooms into a music room. 

Look fierce—can't hit anything!

Kristian has lost another tooth, the stomach tooth on the other side. So, he has a matched set of gaps now! Armed with his new knowledge he bypassed the tooth fairy protocol and went straight to the banker to arrange financing on his Hallowe'en costume! Erin is feeling much improved, but still needs work to get her neck in better condition. 

Trav and Joanna are over here most days to work in the office downstairs. They also continue to move stuff to the new house bit by bit. They've also enjoyed visits from two grandmothers this week! Sunday, they were out to Nipigon to photograph 22 hockey teams! And the printer keeps spitting out more bucket decals—a licence to print money! 

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We awoke to a frosty Sunday morning, so we have that out of the way, finally, but otherwise, the weather has continued to be very nice. I managed to get out to the golf course twice between work on the projects downstairs. Wendy is now painting the bathroom. She has it primed, and it's looking pretty good. I've solved my electrical issues; now, I'm looking to add some outlets for the kitchenette area. I have the plumbing plan ready—I'm using PEX this time. I had a bit of practice using PEX on Erin's place, so I've decided to go with that. The drain plan is ready as well, and I have bought the materials, but there will be lots of work getting that in place. I've decided that renovations are much harder than building from scratch! With the holiday on Monday, we only had four market days this week, and the markets were not good, but I was relieved to have a great week on my stuff. The baseball playoffs have moved into the league championship level. Three of my four picks are surviving, and I will stick with my choices of Jays vs Dodgers in the Series. Jays are in tough against Cleveland, and have lost the first two games. Our pitchers have certainly performed well giving up just two runs in each game, but the hitters?! Or should I say the swingers, 'cause they weren't hitting much?! Okay! Blue Jays! Let's play ball! The Riders smashed the Argos this afternoon for their fourth straight win! Wow Riders! 

Eric returned the boys to their respective school—since then, it's been pretty quiet. He had a busy week with meetings in the evenings, teaching a course on anger management, and a conference through work. He's decided he might have too much going on, but isn't sure how to fix it. Liam is practising drums. There is an upcoming performance night called Cheesecake Cafe, and he is thinking about performing there. Haaken is back enjoying school again. He seems very happy in his courses. 

Erin and Kristian had a really good Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Shawn's nephews cooked; there were 19 people. They had another good Thanksgiving at Aunty Alicia's on Monday. Erin ordered some new glasses. When she woke up this morning, she wasn't able to get out of bed for a while. The pain in her neck and shoulder was so intense, she got sick. So, she's running on Advil now. The Jays lost again today—more bad news! Kristian has another loose tooth. Erin made a big batch of taco soup today; it was a hit with both boys. They'll be eating it all week! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew were here for Thanksgiving turkey on Monday. They continue to be busy with bucket decals and the printer downstairs keeps chugging them out! They're also getting lots of bookings for hockey team pictures. I guess when you have a business, it's hard to complain about being busy! Trav has set up his production office downstairs now, so we see them most days. Trav's hockey team has opened the season with a couple of wins. Game 1, Game 2. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We awoke to a frosty Sunday morning, so we have that out of the way, finally, but otherwise, the weather has continued to be very nice. I managed to get out to the golf course twice between work on the projects downstairs. Wendy is now painting the bathroom. She has it primed, and it's looking pretty good. I've solved my electrical issues; now, I'm looking to add some outlets for the kitchenette area. I have the plumbing plan ready—I'm using PEX this time. I had a bit of practice using PEX on Erin's place, so I've decided to go with that. The drain plan is ready as well, and I have bought the materials, but there will be lots of work getting that in place. I've decided that renovations are much harder than building from scratch! With the holiday on Monday, we only had four market days this week, and the markets were not good, but I was relieved to have a great week on my stuff. The baseball playoffs have moved into the league championship level. Three of my four picks are surviving, and I will stick with my choices of Jays vs Dodgers in the Series. Jays are in tough against Cleveland, and have lost the first two games. Our pitchers have certainly performed well giving up just two runs in each game, but the hitters?! Or should I say the swingers, 'cause they weren't hitting much?! Okay! Blue Jays! Let's play ball! The Riders smashed the Argos this afternoon for their fourth straight win! Wow Riders! 

Eric returned the boys to their respective school—since then, it's been pretty quiet. He had a busy week with meetings in the evenings, teaching a course on anger management, and a conference through work. He's decided he might have too much going on, but isn't sure how to fix it. Liam is practising drums. There is an upcoming performance night called Cheesecake Cafe, and he is thinking about performing there. Haaken is back enjoying school again. He seems very happy in his courses. 

Erin and Kristian had a really good Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Shawn's nephews cooked; there were 19 people. They had another good Thanksgiving at Aunty Alicia's on Monday. Erin ordered some new glasses. When she woke up this morning, she wasn't able to get out of bed for a while. The pain in her neck and shoulder was so intense, she got sick. So, she's running on Advil now. The Jays lost again today—not good news! Kristian has another loose tooth. Erin made a big batch of taco soup today; it was a hit with both boys. They'll be eating it all week! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew were here for Thanksgiving turkey on Monday. They continue to be busy with bucket decals and the printer downstairs keeps chugging them out! They're also getting lots of bookings for hockey team pictures. I guess when you have a business, it's hard to complain about being busy! Trav has set up his production office downstairs now, so we see them most days. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has was nice early in the week, but has turned cool and damp this weekend. They're threatening frost tonight, so this may finally be it for our first frost. We hope there's enough time left for some improved leaf colours before they all fall off! I only got out golfing one day, but I've managed good progress on the downstairs bathroom, and I've now turned it over to the painter. I'm sure she can cover over the imperfections I left there! But that will have to wait a bit since she is under the weather. Wendy fell sick early in the week and eventually had to give in and go to the doctor who confirmed she has strep. So, she's on antibiotics and is taking it easy for a couple of days at least. I've now started on the kitchenette. The first challenge there is electrical. Once again there's a surprise to clean up, and then some more outlets to install. It gives us something to do, and it's rather rewarding to see the improved house we have here. After this there is really only one big project and that's the kitchen/dining room—we'll have to save up before launching that one! The markets seem to have not realized the bad month is over; they are continuing to lag. The Blue Jays won the top Wild Card seed, and beat Baltimore in that game to advance to the Divisional Series against Texas Rangers. The have won the first two games, but they still need to win one more. Okay! Blue Jays! Let's Play Ball! My picks are Jays over Boston in the American League, and Cubs over Dodgers in the National League; we'll see how that plays out. The Riders played Ottawa on Friday night, and reeled off their third consecutive win! Yay Riders! Keep it going. 

The boys have returned to the Bailey nest in Prince Albert, and they're thankful to have the family together for the weekend. Liam's doctor's appointment provided positive news. His blood work indicates that he's on the mend. Haaken returned from Regina on the bus, and it was quite an adventure! Earlier in the day the bus depot in Regina was evacuated over a suspicious package, and riders were advised to use alternate locations to catch the bus. However, when he got to the new location he was informed that the threat had been cleared and he should go to the bus depot-downtown- in rush hour traffic! He got there, only to find the bus was full. Fortunately, and overflow bus was brought and he was able to make it to Saskatoon. Whew!

Erin and Kristian have the place to themselves this weekend and they're having a relaxing weekend. They enjoyed a date night this week as well—a special time for mom and son. Kristian lost another tooth, one of his stomach teeth, and was unhappy when the tooth fairy didn't come across with the usual pay off! The discussion that ensued allowed him to figure out the identity of the tooth fairy, so he was able to address his complaint more directly! They will enjoy several Thanksgiving meals this weekend as well. 

Trav and Joanna keep busy. Trav has moved his office into one of the rooms downstairs here. We're glad to have him around, although our renovations make it a bit more difficult for him. They're doing a lot of stencil work for Bucket Decals, but they expect that to slow down a bit. They're taking lots of hockey team pictures already, and also added a high school football team. Some developments at the house saw the successful arrival of the replacement dining room table, and the arrival and installation of the dishwasher—progress! They celebrated a Chinese food thanksgiving supper on Friday evening, and I enjoyed that with them. We're planning our turkey dinner with them on Monday. 

And that's enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather was showery early in the week, but turned nice starting on Wednesday. My friend, Bill, has returned from Europe, so he's relieved me of my lawn-cutting duties. We still have not had a frost, so we're not getting the showy display of Fall colours that we love to enjoy. Wendy and I went golfing for nine holes on Wednesday, and I went for 18 holes on Friday. That was fun, but I've been suffering some gout in my left foot this week, so I'm back on Colchicine. And, it made it a challenging hike on Friday. I have continued to work on the mudding of the downstairs bathroom, and it's just about ready for the painter to take over. The markets have completed a typically dismal September, and I ended up red for the month, sigh! The Jays continue their September slide, but with tonight's win over Boston, at least they will make the playoffs! Let's go Blue Jays! The Riders had the bye this week, so that makes three straight weeks undefeated! Go Riders, Go! Canada completed their World Cup championship this week with a two-game sweep of Europe. Oh Canada! The Ryder Cup is on; it's my favourite golf event to follow. 

The Bailey big news this week was a promotion—Erica was promoted to Manager at Deloitte! Congratulations! Ironically, she had just completed Assistant Manager training in Toronto, but surely that training will come in handy anyhow! Haaken continues studies at U of R. He seems to be enjoying it a great deal, because he doesn't even have time to reply to texts! Liam calls each night, and Eric/A are glad of the connection. He went for further blood work this week, and will follow up with the doctor next week. We hope the tests will show an improvement in his red cell level, as that would indicate that the gluten-free diet was having a beneficial effect. He made a few trips to town to resupply his stash of gluten-free snacks at the dorm. He was very hungry when he ran out last Saturday! Fortunately, old friends from high school (Paul & Crystal Quilliams) came to the rescue with some provisions. It's wonderful how friends help each other out! Eric is teaching a course on anger management to teens; he also presented the church budget as Stewardship Elder at the business meeting. He's not sure which task was more daunting!

Not much to report from Erin's place in Regina. Things seem to be going well for them, including their boarder, Haaken! Kristian has been learning lots of sign language at school as his class has determined to learn American Sign Language this year. Erin says he teaches her some new signing each day. 

Trav & Joanna are very busy as hockey team photography is ramping up, and then Trav came down with a sore and stiff neck this week. He's not sure how it happened, but he was surely crippled up with it, and missed time from work. However, he seems to be getting better. This morning he helped me take out a section of their kitchen cupboards in anticipation of their new dishwasher. It's supposed to arrive on Wednesday, so I see another project on the horizon. Joanna has been taking Wendy swimming, and now she's added Gemma and Andrew to the swimming program. It makes me tired to just hear about it. 

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 great, and I've managed to catch up, and keep on schedule with my lawn-mowing business. Still no frost here, so the trees are still looking pretty green. We've completed electrical repairs, added backing for the new shower and applied the gyproc in the basement bathroom. My assessment was, "A good taper will get that!" Unfortunately, we don't have a good taper, we just have me, so I've begun the taping and mudding. This time there's a ceiling to do, and I hate drywalling ceilings; I mean, it's in the name, you shouldn't be drywalling up there! Maybe it should be dry-ceiling, but with the mud falling down on my face, it was not any kind of a dry experience! September markets have continued to be volatile, but we did get some green after the Fed decided not to increase interest rates, and I had a good green week. It remains for me to catch up for the decidedly non-green first few weeks of the month. The Blue Jays are in the homestretch, and it appears they are in a fight for the wildcard spot now as Boston has pulled out in front. Let's Go, BlueJays, let's play ball! The Riders won their game over Edmonton on Sunday afternoon! Yay Riders! They played Hamilton this evening and continued to look much improved as they won again! Yay! Yay! Riders! World Cup of Hockey has entered the playoff round. Canada beat Russia in the semi-final this evening and have advanced to the final series next week against Sweden or Europe. 

The Baileys continue to work through their initiation to the empty nest. Trust me, it's not such a great thing—we miss our children. They've decided to get help in organizing and dealing with their stuff, so they've asked a friend to help. Hopefully, she'll neither be scared off or permanently scarred by the experience! Haaken is working through is first month at University, and reports that it's going well. Liam is doing a time-management project at school. One aspect is regular calls home, so they're enjoying that. It's homecoming weekend at Caronport, and Liam is involved in some of those activities as well. Eric volunteered at the Saskatoon fan and comic expo, so he got free admission for the day he wasn't working. On the day he did work, he was playing board games with people—tough job! On Friday, Eric had a meeting in Saskatoon, so Erica went along and worked out of the Saskatoon office of Deloitte. They enjoyed dinner out at the Grazing Goat. 

Erin, Kristian and cousin Haaken are taking care of business in Regina. It was picture day for Kristian this week and he chose the bow-tie look! Fall weather has arrived in Saskatchewan, and the leaves are turning and falling. Haaken took Kristian out to Timmie's for his birthday—Haaken had a long john, Kristian had a chocolate dip! 

Trav & Joanna are busy. PuckShots photography for hockey teams is already underway, and BucketDecals is still going strong as well. This year's edition of Team Red Pants aka Westfort Rangers has now been drafted, and practices are underway. Trav's initial blog of the season describes the draft experience and assesses the team members. Sans Gemma, the family was over for supper this evening—we enjoyed that. 

And that's about enough for this week.