Florida

World Golf Hall of Fame

Another week has passed; it finds us on the shore of the Atlantic, far from my hometown. The markets were up this week, and, while I haven't been as active as I could have been while we've been travelling, I still managed a good gain. We started south on Monday, driving down to Duluth. On Tuesday we flew to Orlando, picked up our rental car, a VW Passat, and drove over to our timeshare at Ormond Beach. We have enjoyed nice weather here with golf, sightseeing and walks on the beach. We drove up to the World Golf Hall of Fame on Friday, that was a highlight for sure! We played 18 holes there on their grass putt-putt, and we took the challenge of hitting the replica of the Island Green. One of us hit the green, the other hit the water! Today, I found a Bridgestone Challenge site and had my ball-striking analyzed and a golf ball recommended. That was interesting. I've been to the range and practice area a couple of times, but it's been too windy for me to enjoy golf. The weather has been warm, and getting warmer, but nearly always windy. We eased into it at 20 degrees, and have worked our way up to 25—very nice! Tomorrow we check out of here and check in for a cruise. We're looking forward to that. 

Hitting to the Island Green

Wendy has been enjoying the sightseeing as well. She even climbed up the highest lighthouse on the coast. Her legs did not enjoy that! We catch up with Erin & Kristian via FaceTime most days. We'll miss that in the next week, as we expect to be out of internet reach while asea. It sounds like they're doing fine, and the weather has been cooperating so she hasn't had to deal with snow since we left. 

We've also had email contact with Trav & Joanna. All seems to be going as per usual there except that his hockey team finally lost a game, so they're 11-1 on the season now. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather turned nice during the week and the snow disappeared, but it's baaaack! We got up this morning to a fresh blanket of the white stuff. So, I was back to the driveway scraping program once again. I've been feeling poorly most of the week, a touch of flu, I think. Erin was also sick, but more severely, with flu-like symptoms, so I think that maybe my flu shot kept me from getting it worse. Anyway, I've been feeling achy all over, like I was taken apart and put together wrong! I'm guessing today's snow work won't ease the situation, and I'm glad Mark helped out with the shovelling. Markets have continued very bad, with the US recording its worst Thanksgiving week since 1932. TSX is down over 15% again on the year, so while I've taken a small loss again, I am reconfirmed in the signals that keep me out of the market at this time. If I didn't have a few small buy & hold accounts (Not recommended by my investment training!), I wouldn't have recorded any losses at all! BC and Winnipeg won their divisions and have advanced to the Grey Cup tomorrow in Vancouver. I really enjoyed the Vanier Cup (university football) game last night. I drove bus on Friday as a spare. 

Wendy had a senior moment early in the week. She was commenting, "One of the old ladies at Walmart got a permanent position; well, actually, she's not that old. She's younger than I am." I probably laughed too long when she said that, because by the time I stopped there was a noticeable chill in the air! She finished her Walmart work on Friday, and celebrated by buying two more TVs; that woman is a TV-buying machine! 

Erin has had a good week except for the illness. She got good news that Kristian has been readmitted to Speech Therapy. And she's enjoying company this weekend. She is owner of one of the new TVs. 

Travis is the owner of the other new TV. He keeps busy with hockey and work. His Elks are still undefeated in league play. He's celebrating the return of Crosby to the Penguins; Sid returned impressively with great play and scoring. He's also celebrating a birthday this weekend; Mark has arrived to help celebrate, I guess, although he doesn't seem to be spending any time with Trav! Anyway, we had a big party here tonight in recognition of the occasion. Joanna, Gemma and Andrew, along with assorted other friends helped make it a nice time. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have returned to the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. We enjoyed spending the weekend in Lawrence, especially the featured sing-song Sunday evening—thank you, Helen & Marti. On Monday we drove back as far as Duluth, and we completed the trip on Tuesday. The weather has turned snowy at the end of the week, and I even did some driveway scraping today. The markets have continued to be troubled; I can't seem to trust either fundamentals or technicals, as the markets seem driven by headline and rumour! Next week features the US Super Committee, so it is unlikely to get better! Hamilton and Edmonton won their semi-final games last Sunday and will travel to Winnipeg and Vancouver, respectively, for the conference finals tomorrow. I have been offered a school bus run, but with our impending trip to Florida, that will have to wait until January. I've been following the President's Cup golf tournament this week from Australia; that was completed this evening. 

Wendy got right back to Walmart upon our return and has put in several shifts there. She also completed her teeth cleaning appointments, so I'm thinking we're all ready to head out again! 

Erin has made progress with Kristian's speech therapist issues. He is now moved to the top of the list, so we're relieved with that. He's making good progress in school, but it was frustrating to contemplate the idea that he would receive no additional help to improve his language skills. His social skills are doing well, also, and he has birthday parties both today and tomorrow. 

Trav's hockey team has continued its winning ways, and his Penguins are doing great as well. Work seems to be continuing apace for both Trav & Joanna. We haven't caught up on Gemma and Andrew this week; their grandma was up from southern Ontario. Wendy enjoyed lunch one day with Joanna and her mom. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

We have travelled far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown; we are down in the land of Dorothy, the Tin Woodsman and friends. We're having a fine time—thank you Helen & Marti! I saw a good joke about Oz: Dorothy asks, "No brain, no heart, no courage? Are you guys in politics?" It has been a busy week. Wendy worked and we both rushed to complete our teeth cleaning sessions, so we could pull out on Wednesday morning. We drove down to Minneapolis-St.Paul that day and enjoyed some time in the Apple Store, Legoland, Lindt Chocolates. We spent the night there in our usual Days Inn at the junction of the interstate, but it was a bad night, especially for me. The thermostat didn't work, so it was just blasting heat as I kept adjusting the thermostat lower and lower. At 12:30 I could take it no more; I turned off the heater, opened the window and the hallway door and cooled off the room to a livable temperature. Then, I went to bed. By 5:30, it was freezing cold, so I scrambled out to turn the heat back on. By 6:30 we were roasting again. I turned the heat off, and struggled to get some more rest, but ultimately we gave up, got up, had breakfast and prepared to continue the trip. Stepping out into the parking lot and seeing the flakes coming down from the sky, it was hard to even be surprised. We just felt that it confirmed that we were indeed on our way to Kansas. It always seems to be a snowstorm on this trip. By the time we got to Des Moines, we could tell the ploughs had been out and the ridges of snow were on the side of the highway, but apparently that had happened the day before as the road was bare and dry with good driving conditions. On Friday night, Marti had arranged for us to attend a Jayhawks game. Since this is where Naismith came to develop the game he had invented, it almost seemed a Canadian rite of passage to attend my first college basketball game here. The Jayhawks dutifully slaughtered their season-opener lambs, and we enjoyed the spectacle with 16 thousand crazed fans. The markets have continued to be crazy and I've been able to develop my animosity towards the Greeks to include the Italians! I managed to get through the week with only a small loss. The first round of football playoffs is tomorrow, but the Riders are just spectators. 

Wendy has turned in her resignation from Walmart, but will need to put in a few more days before that becomes official. They have expressed an interest in having her come back after our travels, but I'm hoping she moves on to something else. She is enjoying our trip for now, and looking forward to our flights to Florida and the time there in December. 

Erin and Kristian are doing fine. Kristian is doing well at school; we are glad to see the improvement. Erin is persisting in pushing for his speech therapy to be reinstated. We are encouraging her to keep after them. Sadly, if parents do not advocate strongly for their children, it is too easy for them to fall through the cracks. 

Trav is completing the busy hockey time. The team continues to do excellently, so he is very pleased and proud of them. Joanna and the kids are settling into their new home. They have much more room there. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been very nice, and I even got out to the golf course on Thursday; they haven't covered the greens yet, but they have pulled the flags, so I just played three holes for the fun of it, and packed it in. The Riders played out their final game last evening—another loss to first-place Edmonton. Hockey season is well underway, so that will be attracting our attention soon. It was a down week in the markets. I took some losses. It was not too bad, however, I am developing some bias against Greeks! Bus driving ended on Monday, so I've done a bit more backyard work here. From now on, it'll be a matter of what the weather allows. We're into November now, so snow could come anytime. I got my flu shot yesterday, so I should be good to go now! 

Wendy continues with Walmart work on an irregular schedule. She seems to have everything arranged for our Fall trips that begin next week. She's also practised on a new pumpkin cheesecake recipe, and it's a winner! She continues to work on Kristian's Lego sorting. I'm not sure she's staying ahead of Kristian. 

Erin keeps busy; she's been bothered with headaches lately. She has an eye exam scheduled, and is looking forward to getting new glasses. Perhaps that will help. I'm recommending Lasik! Kristian had a short shift of treat collection on Hallowe'en. We had a pretty good number of kids collecting here for a change. Kristian continues to have a few issues at school. We're working on it, and we're seeing improvement. 

Trav has been busy to the extreme with hockey—nine games and two practices in ten days! He and Joanna have also been busy setting up the new apartment. We may even get some of our excess furniture relocated! Joanna is busy with work, moving, renovating and decorating. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been fine, Fall weather, and we've been enjoying the colours. We've had a few showery days, so I haven't been out golfing, but I'm hoping for at least one more round before the end of the season. The World Series ended in disappointing fashion and we're into the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" season. Rangers surely shoulda and coulda won the series in game six! The Riders continue playing out the string; they handily beat one of the playoff teams this afternoon. We have to enjoy what little victories we can get. It's been a good week on the markets. We hope this is the start of a multi-month rally to close the year. I've almost finished my bus-driving stint; I was informed that the regular driver will return on Monday. It's been a good run. 

Wendy continues with Walmart. She has completed arrangements for our Fall travels, I think. She has continued to work on Kristian's Lego collection; I'm guessing she plans to buy more when we get to Legoworld at the Mall in Minneapolis. That's fine, because I know there's an Apple store just across the hallway! 

Erin has been working on Kristian's Speech Therapy issues. She's making limited progress so far, and she continues to work on it. She's in contact with an advocacy group called VOICE. It's a busy time with Hallowe'en activities. We were out pumpkin hunting last night, and we are planning on pumpkin carving tomorrow afternoon! Kristian's doing better at school after a few heart-to-heart discussions about his responsibilities. 

Trav is busy with hockey and work. The team he coaches remains undefeated, and his Penguins are in first place in their division of the NHL, so hockey is going well. He's finding his work pretty busy and pretty successful as well. He's even thinking about adding some office staff, and I've made a recommendation! Joanna is moving this week, so she and Trav have been pretty busy doing that. She is looking forward to having more room; Andrew and Gemma are looking forward to having their own rooms. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been cool and rainy most of the week, but has turned beautiful for the weekend! The Riders continue to play out the string, losing last night to Calgary. The World Series continues with St. Louis up a game over my Rangers after blitzing them tonight. I'm still driving the school bus; management asked me if I've heard from the driver I'm replacing about when she's returning, but I haven't. I'll just keep on driving until she returns, or until it's time for us to head south. She was supposed to return the day after Thanksgiving, but we're still waiting! I've had another above average week on the markets, so I continue to recover. TSX is still off over 11% for the year, so I hope it can continue to gain value for the rest of the year. I haven't been out golfing, although today was a good day for it. I've given some deep watering to the cedars and got the lines blown out and put away for winter. I picked the final batch of beet greens, so the garden is done for the year. 

Wendy has kept busy at Walmart, but has also been working on final arrangements for our trip. Then, she got notification of auto insurance renewals, so that took some time as well. She will be retiring from Walmart as we head out on our holidays. I hope that if she wants to continue working after we get back, she finds a different job. 

Erin continues with her work and motherhood. She's been frustrated this week with issues over Kristian's speech therapy. That has changed since he turned six, and not for the better! Kristian has also been giving her a struggle over his lack of cooperation at school. Children make life so interesting! 

Trav's hockey team continues to be undefeated in the early season. His Penguins are doing well also, and are tied for first place in their division of the NHL. Work continues to develop on his own business, and somedays he finds it a bit overwhelming as the wheels of progress seem to turn very slowly. Joanna, Gemma and Andrew all joined us for supper and the evening yesterday. That was nice. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We had gorgeous weather for the Thanksgiving weekend, such that we almost were able to accept the dismal Rider performance on Monday. What a sad football season they are having! It's been a good week on the markets such that even though it was just four days, I gained more than I expect to get in a month. I am thankful for that since it's been nothing but decline since May. Bus driving has continued to go well. I keep expecting that one of these days the actual driver will be back, but so far, so good! I have started another round of teeth cleaning at the college. We have student dental hygienists work on us as part of their training (and part of our penny-pinching!) so it takes several hours. It also includes a checkup with a dentist there, so it works out well for us. The weather has turned windy, wet, and cool toward the end of the week, but I did get out for a round of golf with Erin on Thanksgiving. It was her first round on a full course, and we just played nine holes. I was no longer playing excellently, but it went fine and I was +5 for the nine holes which is about what I feel is a satisfactory level for me. In the last couple of years, it has been closer to +9 for nine holes until I had that unexpected result two weeks ago. Another remarkable part of that result was 12 greens in regulation, whereas this week I hit one out of nine—more like the real Bill, I'm afraid! Baseball continues to demand attention, as I have one of my picks, the Rangers, into the final with their win tonight, and tomorrow we'll see if the Cardinals can join them. I had a small disaster with my old Cougar this week; I was driving it back from my dental cleaning when something went wrong under the hood, and it was on fire. I cruised to a stop about a block from home and opened the hood. I was trying to smother it out with some rags from the trunk while someone called the fire department and another ran to get me a pitcher of water. Once the water arrived, the fire was soon out, although the firefighters insisted on tearing the insulative blanket off the hood and dousing it with water as well. It appears it started as an electrical fire above the distributor, so we'll see how long it takes me to get her running again. 

Wendy has continued with irregular shifts at Walmart, and cleanup around the house. This week, she is specializing in Lego. She has managed to rebuild several of Kristian's projects, and continues to work on and enjoy that. She has begun the teeth cleaning as well. 

Erin and Kristian continue with work, school and day care. Kristian has been pushing buttons at both school and home, testing out the limits and having a lot of fun doing it. I always say there's a problem when the teachers are unhappy and the parents are unhappy, but the child is happy! I recommend that they maximize their efforts to change that last condition! 

Trav's team has started the regular season in hockey now. They won their game the other night 2-0, so that was good, although Trav wanted them to score more! His Penguins are also doing well despite missing their captain. Crosby has now been cleared to practise with contact, so, we are hopeful he will return to action soon. Work is going well for Trav in his own business, except that his phone is not working consistently—must be time for a new iPhone 4S. Joanna continues to be busy with her blood-letting! The children are busy in school. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather is unexpectedly warm, even hot. After that one hard frost last Saturday morning, we've returned to summery weather with frequent morning fogs. Work has been going fine, but I don't know how much longer it will last. When it started, the expectation was one month of recovery time after the knee surgery and that's almost run out, so we'll see how much longer she is off work. This week I finally have the entire route learned; I'm still working on names. The markets have continued their crazy ways, but I've managed some good recovery this week. The Riders don't play until Thanksgiving Monday; we can only hope it'll be something to be thankful for! Baseball completed the first round of playoffs and I picked three of the four winners. Now we're down to the final four. That round started this evening with a big win by my favoured Rangers. I got the garden shed cleaned out and repaired; we're getting stuff put away for the winter. I was back to my oncologist this week. He affirmed that my PSA levels have improved, but that they're still elevated against what's considered normal. Then again, we've also heard this week that checking of PSA levels is useless! Who knew? 

Wendy has been busy this week preparing pumpkin pies, pumpkin loaves and zucchini cake. Thanksgiving dinner is planned for Sunday afternoon. Regular and irregular shifts (7AM? Give me a break!) at Walmart have continued. She also worked the polls on election day. 

Erin is enjoying her new work, and getting fully into it. We're planning to go golfing sometime this weekend. Kristian was down with a cold one day and missed school, but he's been working to catch up since. We had the wrong spelling list for this week, so his practice time was not effective. We were able to recognize the test words in his attempts! 

Trav continues with his new business. He has picked up a few more good contracts this week with Deepak something or other—nope, not Chopra! He continues to work with his hockey team as they prepare for the season. Joanna and Andrew were over Friday evening, and we expect the whole crew for Thanksgiving dinner. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We've had nice weather the first half of the week, but it's turned chilly lately. It finally froze last night, so we have a batch of green tomatoes trying to ripen in the kitchen now. Work has been going well, and I have the routes pretty well learned. I started the week with a memorable game of golf; now I'm afraid to go out again in case I return to reality! The Riders played this afternoon against arch-rival Calgary and it wasn't pretty! I think that moves us into next year country. Baseball has started the playoffs, so that attracts a lot of our attention for the next while. The markets have continued to be in turmoil from one day to the next. I managed a small gain this week, but sustained a loss for the month. 

Wendy continues to be busy with Walmart, but she is also into Spring cleaning this Fall! She's been trying to get things developed downstairs for Kristian's room in her spare time! 

Erin has now switched over to her new job, and she's liking it. It gives her more comfortable hours, so she gets more time with Kristian in the evenings. He's busy learning sight words, practising for spelling tests; it is hard to imagine how quickly he is growing up! 

Trav is busy with his work in his new office. He's also begun the hockey season and his team had a very impressive 7-1 win this week. Joanna must be too busy, because we haven't seen much of her this week, but we do get to talk on the phone from time to time, and she joined us for dinner today—a nice family potluck as they brought rice, salad and veggies to go with Wendy's chicken parmigiana. 

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

World Serious

It is that time of year again, when the world gets serious about baseball. Late last evening, the regular season ended with some tremendously exciting games to establish the complete list of playoff contenders for this year. I was delighted with the results yesterday. After Boston had been anointed the champs even before the season began, I was glad to see them not even make the playoffs. It was particularly heartening to see Tampa Bay make it in, since they are a franchise that I feel is doing it the right way, with drafts and development and a few strategic trades while fielding a lineup that many evenings comes in at less than A-Rod's salary! 

On the American league side, I am most impressed with the Texas Rangers. After the heat of the summer, they seem to have recovered to playing the great baseball they were playing about the time of the All-Star break, so they are my pick as Junior league champs. In the Senior circuit, I am picking and will be cheering for the Philadelphia Phillies. The much-loved pitcher, Roy Halladay (formerly with the Jays), was traded there, and we'd love to see him claim a championship. 

There is a lot of baseball left, and if last night's heart-stopping action is a prelude, we're in for a treat. 

Great Golf!

Perhaps it wasn't great golf, but it was certainly great golf for me. Fundamentally, that's what matters about golf (probably about most things in life), that I am able to do a "personal best" without too much worry about comparison with others. Last evening I managed a personal best in golf. I scored +2 on my usual course here in Thunder Bay. I did score a +4 there a couple of years ago, but I haven't broken 80 either last year or this year, so it was quite a surprise to score 73. I had only one birdie, on my 12th hole, but ended with one over on each nine. I am left to enjoy the experience, and wonder why it happened! The lack of soreness in my hands, arms and shoulders tells me that I played much more relaxed than usual. Maybe all the recent golfing with Kristian, Erin and Wendy on par three courses has sharpened my approach shots and my short game. Maybe I'm finally getting used to playing with my new clubs. Maybe I just had a sustained period of good luck! I know I took practice swings before every shot. I know I was able to stay focused on each shot despite the impending good score. But now, I'm afraid to go out again! After all, my 15 handicap didn't arrive by accident, and I'm afraid it may still be there when I return to the course!

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather has been rainy, but it has turned nice for the weekend—a nice switch! I was able to get out golfing today; that was enjoyable. The markets were very bad this week; the TSX crashed 6.5% in just this one week, and we're now down over 15% for the year. I'm only 25% in the market, but even that amount produced painful losses this week. The bus driving has been going well; I've learned my high school run, and I'm getting better on the elementary run. The garden is still producing, but is clearly getting to the end, as we're almost a month after frost might be expected. We've been checking out more potential replacement vehicles. We haven't found the one we like just yet, but we're looking at a variety of small SUV's called cross-overs. The Riders got slaughtered today by BC; that leaves them four points out of the last playoff spot. 

On the Zambian news front, it was interesting to watch as The Cobra, Michael Sata, won election to the presidency that he's been seeking for at least ten years. This will bring an era of change to the country, but who knows whether it will be a positive change! 

Wendy has been busy with work and birthday cake! The delayed Yoda cake won't make itself! Today was Kristian's birthday party. Erin took him and his friends to the Lion King movie, and afterwards they hit McDonalds. And next... Yoda cake and ice cream. Yummy! She also has been making all the arrangements for our Fall tour. I'm seeing plans for a trip down to Florida including a cruise out to the Bahamas. This will be only slightly after the end of official hurricane season, so, I hope the hurricanes know that! 

Erin is completing her two-week notice with Budget; she should complete that on next Wednesday. She is looking forward to her new work, and has been doing some training on the software already. 

Travis continues to develop his own business. Recently he's been shopping for business insurance. He and his fellow coaches completed the draft for this year's hockey team. The new-look Elks are described in his blog. Joanna continues to be very busy with her work and children. Happily, we get to see them all from time to time. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and finds us once again on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The week began with another Rider victory, as they took the back-to-back games from Winnipeg. It was reassuring to see their improved performance. Then, today, they scored another victory against Toronto. Still, a lot of work remains for them to gain a playoff spot. The weather has turned decidedly fall-like and we've even seen the threat of frost, but so far so good and the garden continues to flourish. I'm particularly enjoying the tomatoes and wish for even more of those before we return to the low-taste store-bought variety. The markets have continued their troubled ways, but I've managed to have a better-than-average week, so I'm grateful for that. We drove home on Sunday afternoon from Kenora. We enjoyed the CX-7; we found the fuel consumption very similar to what we've enjoyed in our car, but we did find the compartment a little cramped. We shall continue looking at the alternatives; the local Chrysler dealer has a couple of Journeys on the used vehicle lot. I started driving the bus route on my own this week. It was quite a challenge to learn all the twists and turns, but I'm gradually improving my times. I didn't get out golfing until today, but that went fine at least. 

Wendy has continued to be busy with Walmart and taking care of the rest of us. This week was a little bit extra as we began the celebrations of Kristian's birthday. That was officially on Friday, but she remains committed to making a Yoda cake, so the extended celebrations may last another week or so! 

Kristian turned six yesterday. He got a lot of nice gifts from his teachers and his educational aid as well as from friends and family. The central feature this year is Star Wars, especially Yoda. Erin is back at work, but not for long at this job. She has been offered an accounting position with CarStar, the body shop owned by Halfway Motors, the dealer for Nissan; she'll be glad for that promotion. 

Trav continues to be busy setting up his office. He has ended his employment with Impact Promotions, and has taken a service contract with them for his new business, so that transition has gone well. Today was the first draft day for hockey players, then, he'll calculate who is left for them to pick from. Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew joined us for a birthday celebration last evening complete with DQ Ice Cream cake. Thanks guys! 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

The week started with a great bang as the Riders took it to the first-place Bombers. It was a delightful surprise. Tomorrow is the rematch—that'll be the true test of whether these guys have actually turned the corner. The end of this week finds us on the road. We drove up to Dauphin on Friday, took part in Mal's memorial today, and then cruised back to Kenora to ease the drive home, and to apply the chainsaw to a couple of trees. We've had another week of beautiful weather—unseasonably hot, actually, but we're expecting to get back to more comfortable temperatures next week. The markets have been terrible again, and I've given back almost all I gained last week. The Labour Day Monday holiday allowed the family to get out for a round of golf. It was Wendy's first golf of the year, but by wearing two gloves to accommodate her arthritic fingers, she was able to do fine. Erin and Kristian enjoyed the golf as well. And I enjoyed the family experience. I started my new bus run on Wednesday; it is very complex with a lot of twists and turns. I'll be some time learning it! I start driving on my own next Thursday. The garden is continuing to produce, and I'm delaying digging the potatoes until after the first frost.

Wendy is back to work at Walmart. Along with getting the yard cleaned up for Fall, and putting the pool away, she has been busy.

Erin arranged for us to rent a Mazda CX-7 for the weekend, so we're enjoying trying that out. She's been extra busy this week as Kristian has started grade 1. He seems to be doing well in the new situation. He is eagerly looking forward to his birthday, and is prompting grandma with lots of suggestions on how she can make his Yoda cake!

Trav is establishing his own business office. He has begun hockey for another season, and is currently scouting prospects in anticipation of the draft. Joanna keeps busy with her work, and with the kids starting school.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We've had pretty good weather, but a couple of raucous thunderstorms accompanied by hail have made unexpected visits for this time of year. I've been continuing the battle with the weeds; I don't expect a final victory to be accomplished. I have drained the pool—all 36,000 litres—on to the front lawn. It seems amazing that all that water can just sink into the ground and never even make it to the curb. The garden is continuing to produce, so we enjoy that. I suppose I should be thinking of digging the potatoes soon; it'll be my first successful experiment with the potato box and I'm curious to see how much it has produced. The markets have continued to be difficult, but I've been blessed with another excellent week even though I'm only 25% invested; maybe it's because I'm only 25% invested! I had a bus drivers meeting this week, and have now been informed that I will have at least a short term driving assignment beginning next week. I've met with my denturist and he is preparing a new partial plate for me; it should be ready after about a month of construction and adjustments. The Riders play their traditional Labour Day game against Winnipeg this weekend; it's quite a challenge for the 1-7 Riders against the 7-1 Bombers this year! They did get some good news this week as one of our veteran receivers was cut by the Chicago Bears and will be returning to the Riders, but not in time for this game.

Wendy has been busy with cleaning up the pool for several days this week. She has also taken her regular shifts at Walmart along with medical, eye and hair appointments. It makes for a busy week.

Erin has Kristian back into schedule as he gets ready to start grade one next Wednesday. The hailstorms have brought extra work for her car rental business. She has continued to practice golf a bit, but we didn't get out for a game until today.

Trav has chosen his office, and is working to establish further work contracts. We celebrated his new business with a party last evening at Joanna's. I was one of Joanna's clients this week as she drew my blood samples for my semi-annual PSA checkup. Gemma and Andrew are also getting ready for the new school year, and seem excited to see what it will be like.

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

News Update

It has been a week of grieving in Canada as we lost a fine political leader, a man widely respected by citizens of all backgrounds. So much so, that the Prime Minister accorded the unprecedented honour of a state funeral for Jack Layton. Jack's closing remarks to Canadians are remembered on the photo: "Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic, and we'll change the world."

Finally, we are back on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We passed the week here after driving down from Kenora on Monday. I've been catching up on garden and lawns; the weeds have taken advantage of my absence to grow in a wide variety of locations and at a prodigious rate. I've been battling them all week—taking no prisoners, but like the Gaddafi loyalists, there still remain many to root out! The back lawn will take a few cuts to get back in shape, while the front one is pretty much the right length already—thank you, Travis. The garden is producing tomatoes, beet greens, beans and spinach—thank you, Erin. I've managed a a couple of sessions of golf practice during the week with Erin & Kristian. The markets have remained pretty crazy, but I managed to have a great week and recover a bit from the earlier losses. I am hoping that things settle down for the remainder of the year so I will be able to predict things better. Riders took advantage of the week off to fire two of their coaches. We hope they will also use the time to learn how to play football!

Wendy returned to work at Wal-Mart; she definitely found the full shifts on her feet to make for a long day. She has also been catching up on paperwork over household finances as well as the church books. Still, we did manage to get out for a breakfast date yesterday—a nice treat.

Erin celebrated her birthday last week with her first set of golf clubs. She played a few times in Regina, and really enjoyed it, so she was glad to get the set for her birthday and has been practicing and playing this week. Kristian enjoys that as well.

Trav has been working to establish an office for his newly funded business venture. He has picked out a location, and will now continue with the selection of furnishings and equipment. Joanna continues to be busy, but we did enjoy having them over last evening along with Andrew.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed and finds us on the shore of Winnipeg River in Kenora. We are enjoying a few days with Eric/A and the boys as we wend our way homewards. We have enjoyed a good week with family and friends. Tonight we enjoyed a games evening of Settlers of Catan, and Mexican Train. I got out golfing with Rick & Carolyn last Sunday, and again with Kerry on Wednesday. Then we drove to Kenora on Thursday. The markets have continued to be in crash mode, so it's been a tough week there, and I've 'enjoyed' further losses. I keep thinking and hoping that it's going to turn around, but it's been heading downward since the end of March, so the guys who follow the nostrum, "Sell in May and go away," have been the winners this year. Some progress was made at 55 Laird as the excavation dirt was hauled away, and fresh fill was delivered. Then it was time to call upon Tim and the handy Bobcat—they made short work of filling the trench. Tim also re-landscaped along the back wall to direct water away from there.

Wendy keeps busy where ever she is. Today she's pruning trees and engaging in her ongoing war with the Kenora thistles (not those Kenora Thistles!).

Kristian was the highlight of most occasions in Regina. Now he's having a great time playing with his cousins here. He continues to video chat effectively with his mom back home and even remembered to wish her a happy birthday this week. All too soon, the trip will be over. We have enjoyed having him travel with us. Erin is taking care of things back home since she flew back on Sunday. She has been picking beans and tomatoes as they are ready in the garden.

Trav & Joanna supplied the celebratory birthday pizza (Tropical Chicken from BP) for Erin on Thursday evening. I'm guessing that Trav will try to catch up with lawn mowing this weekend in anticipation of our arrival!!

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana. We began the week with sad news as we learned of the passing of our friend, Mal, in Dauphin; the memorial service is scheduled for Sept 10th, and we plan to attend. This was compounded as we learned of the marriage breakup of dear friends. The weather has continued to be very nice, and I've been able to get out golfing with Erin & Kristian a couple of times. The markets have been incredibly volatile, and even set a record for gains and losses on consecutive days. I managed to make a good gain overall, although I have two-thirds in cash in view of the difficult markets. The Riders lost another game last evening, and to add to the pain it was at home against Calgary! We keep waiting for changes to be made in hopes of an improvement—after all, at 1-6 there's not too much worse to anticipate! Work has continued on the repairs at Dad's house, and the basement wall is looking great with its new coating, weeping tile and sump pump. Backfill will probably happen next week. We enjoyed nice evenings out at Bernard & Joan's, Barb & Ed's and at Rick & Carolyn's; it was good go visit with them and catch up on their lives. This evening we enjoyed the Canadian wedding reception for cousin Jesse and his new bride, Carly, down in Milestone.

Wendy keeps busy with housework, shopping and visiting. She also has been renegotiating her work shifts as we look to begin the trip home next week.

Erin & Kristian are both with us, although Erin is scheduled to fly back to TBay tomorrow. They have been enjoying getting out golfing, as well as spending time with the family and friends in Regina.

Trav is back home, taking care of the dog, house, garden and lawns. In his spare time, he's also continuing his work and developing the plan for his own business now that funding has been approved. Joanna is keeping busy with her work this week. She's been trying to cut back a bit on hours to get a bit of a rest break as well. We've been able to video chat with them a couple of times.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the Queen City of the Prairies. We are continuing our sojourn at Wendy's dad's place. It's been a good week. The weather has been lovely, and when it got too hot we just stayed indoors in air-conditioned comfort. The markets have continued to flounder, although I, unfortunately, jumped on the first positive move after the debt ceiling was adjusted and got tagged with some losses. I need to make some recovery of my own now. It's been a tough time as the markets have headed steadily downward since April, and this week they've been accelerating the losses with multiple hundreds of points in the red! This weekend we've been excavating one basement wall on Dad's house to replace the weeping tile and get rid of the clay that's been forcing that wall to crack. I'm feeling tired and sore tonight. The Riders had a game last night, but it was a poor showing as they lost to the BC Lions and fell to 1 and 5. I think it may be time to bring in some different players who know how to play this game!

Wendy has been occupied all week with feeding the crew that has included Erica and the boys since they got in Wednesday night. One of the motorbikes packed it in about three hours west of here, so Erica & Liam arrived on the bus. Then Eric took the other bike home and has now returned with a truck to haul the other one and the rest of the family home. Dave arrived home Friday night, so it's a full house.

Erin has been taking care of things back home in TBay, but she arrived about noon today, so Trav & Joanna are taking care of Sadie and the house, and (I hope) the lawns. My information is that the lawns were not mown when Erin left this morning, so I hope that got done today. Kristian has been with us all week, but has maintained regular and frequent contact with mom via his iPod Touch! He really communicates well using that medium. He went golfing with me one day. His first action on an actual golf course. We did nine holes on the putting green, but when I asked him if he wanted to go on the course, he said he did. I didn't know how much he'd play before he got tired of carrying clubs and making many hits per hole! But he persisted through every stroke of nine holes with no gimmies. And he wanted to do another nine holes on the putting green on the way out! So, we did that too!

Trav was here at the start of the week, and when it came time to head home, his flight was delayed so he was able to spend another night with us all here. He's now back at work and taking care of things in TBay. He also got a positive response to his grant application, so that was great news as he begins to set up his business later this year.

And that's about enough for this week.