News Update

Another week has passed and we have completed our trip with a wonderful visit in Dallas with my brothers and their families. Then on the last three days, we drove home. We love traveling, but we also love getting home! On Sunday, we completed our visit with the Calders, and drove down to Dallas where we enjoyed the hosting of Viggo and Nancy—thanks a lot folks! Family gathered on Monday evening, so we got to catch up with many of them. However, it was a short stay, so we didn't even manage to catch up with all our family—another time! The Sorento needed new rear brakes and rotors, so we planned to get that done while in Dallas. Then, on the way down, a passing motorist decided we should also get a new windshield! So, thanks to Viggo's contacts we were able to get that accomplished on Monday, and at a very favourable price! I also manage golf games on Monday and Tuesday before the thunderstorms moved in. Both games were similar in that I played poorly on the 1st nine, and then markedly better on the 2nd. It was 49-41 on Monday, and 50-42 on Tuesday. On Wednesday we went out to lunch with Verner & Linda and then returned to their place for some karaoke. Sadly for my comfort, Wendy had passed along the cold by then, so, my singing was limited, and the drive home was also a bit of a burden. We enjoyed the hospitality of Aunt Helen on Thursday evening (thank you!), and then with thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes threatened we hurried north on Friday, stopping for the night in Minneapolis. We completed the drive on Saturday, arriving on the shore of Lake Superior at about 6pm. The markets have played dismally for me all week, so I'm down again. I'll need to have some special days next week if I'm to catch up! Hockey playoffs are proceeding and some first round series are already over. My two picks survived the first round. 

The big news for the Baileys was the release of Haaken's grade 12 provincial exam in English—he got 81%—well done, Haaken! This was the last outstanding requirement for graduation, so he has his gown and commencement tickets on order. Erica is working on year end at the University. She is feeling blessed to have only a few extra hours of work and not the very long days she's become accustomed to in the past. This weekend they are in Regina. Liam is taking LST Young Friends training. Eric and Haaken are going to a fan expo—Margot Kidder will be there! This evening they're enjoying birthday cake for Eric, and suffering through the Canucks season-ending loss to the Flames. 

Erin and Kristian are doing well. Erin had her annual accounting department supper at a fancy restaurant to celebrate the year end—appears she's one ahead of big sister on that front! She's also started work with a mortgage broker and viewed three townhouses so far. On Friday evening they had a big Spring party at school until 9pm. This evening they're celebrating and commiserating with Eric! They've been upgrading Kristian's hearing aides as well as moving up to a better situation for his audiologist. He still has another tube to replace next week. Kristian has been working his new bike, and that's going well. 

As we drove home, we met Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew at Two Harbors MN at noon. They were on their way for a day in Duluth, and we were on the final leg home. It was good to see them again! Hockey playoffs are proceeding and Travis proved to be a reluctant prophet as his Pens lost in five. Joanna's Jets also lost out, so they'll both have to look for new teams to cheer for. Now we're home taking care of the menagerie and we had good news on the lizard front, or should I say rear! Zed has been suffering with constipation, but there was a major movement on that file! 

And that's about it for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed and we continue our sojourn in the middle of the prairie, far from Lake Superior and my hometown. We completed a wonderful visit with Shepherd, Ruhtt, Miguel, Melina and Manuel Mbumwae. We enjoyed our time with Matthew and Tamara and Marti, and of course we basked in the hosting and apple pie making of Aunt Helen! We were able to renew acquaintances with many others in Lawrence whom we met on previous trips. I even got to golf with Larry on Tuesday! He tried it tell me it was his first golf in three years, but I think he was sandbagging! On Wednesday, we drove down to Stillwater and enjoyed catching up with Jack and Joann. We shared many remembrances of Zambia and developed more solutions to problems there. We grieved that the solutions are unlikely to be tried, and that the problems may not even be addressed. On Friday, we moved on to Shattuck in western Oklahoma near the panhandles of both Texas and Oklahoma. While there we caught up briefly with Matthew and Tamara again, and enjoyed the hosting of Rod & Sue along with Josh and Emily. We have been threatened the last three evenings with tornado, lightning and hail, but so far we only been hit with rain. The markets have been very bad this week, and I have taken losses and fallen back from my quota. I will need to work harder—or at least smarter! The Hockey season has ended and all playoff series have begun. I await the upsets! The first upset has already been recorded as the Edmonton Oilers won the draft lottery! The Blue Jays have begun the baseball season, but with mixed results so far. We live in hope! Brad Jacobs and Eve Muirhead won their respective events in the season-ending Players Championship of Curling. 

Eric/A and crew are on the mend with only an occasional cough to be heard—must be holidays that make them sick! Liam got into Drivers Education—watch out world! Haaken made significant progress on his History class, and also a bit on his Mathematics. He continues to apply for jobs and wait to hear on his college application. Erica is back to work, and with yearend approaching there is a bit more to do. At least she gets to bank overtime! She was featured in the recent Financial Management Division newsletter—very nice! Due to programming changes and school reconfiguration, Eric's job will look a bit different next year, but at least with his full time status with seniority, his employment status is secure. They are enjoying a quiet weekend. 

Erin and Kristian had a nice outing to the Science Centre and the Mall. They are enjoying the fine Spring weather on those days that it makes an appearance. Kristian got a new bike, so they went bike riding this afternoon. Erin also tries to keep up with the Blue Jays. 

Gemma's birthday celebration was a main feature this week. The actual date was Wednesday, but the celebration continues! Otherwise Travis and Joanna keep up with work. Travis keeps a faint hope for some good results for his Pens, while Joanna cheers for her, ah, Jets! 

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

News Update

Another week has passed and we have journeyed south from the shore of Lake Superior. We are currently enjoying staying with Aunt Helen in Lawrence KS. If this is not the middle of the prairie, you must be able to see it from here! We have enjoyed a good week with family visiting until Thursday, whereupon we also headed out. Our first incident was having a passing vehicle throw a rock at us. It has ruined the windshield, so we'll try to get that replaced somewhere along the trip. We stopped the first night just south of Minneapolis in a blinding snowstorm. Fortunately, it had cleared by morning, so while we saw lots of evidence of vehicles in the median and the ditches, we had a good trip the rest of the way south. The markets have been good, and I have caught up to my first quarter quota, and am in pretty good shape toward the quota for this month. I plan to check with the bus people when I get back from the States and see what they have to offer me. The world championships of curling ended with Pat Simmons gaining a bronze medal, but, of course, that is never good enough for us! This weekend they're playing the Players Championship in curling, so I'll monitor that. It's Masters week in golf, and I'm enjoying watching Jordan Spieth; I hope he can finish it off tomorrow. Baseball has started, and Erin is keeping me updated on the Jays games—thanks! Hockey season has ended and five Canadian teams made the playoffs, which is quite an improvement over recent years. Boston and Philadelphia did not make it, so at this point, I don't even have anyone to cheer against! I'll be hoping our Canadian teams do well, while picking NYRangers and Chicago Black Hawks as the favourites to win their divisions. 

Eric/A and the boys started the week with us; we were very glad to have some time with them although they all suffered a bit with coughs. Haaken felt it was a no good, very bad week! However, they were glad to catch up with many friends both in Thunder Bay and Kenora. On Monday they arranged an Easter Egg treasure hunt for Haaken, Liam, Gemma and Andrew. They stopped by the board office in Kenora where Erica used to work, and enjoyed catching up on things there, including a tour of a school addition that had been completed after Erica left. By the time they got back to Regina, they were glad to greet Bern, Alicia and Logan returning from Mexico, and then retreat to Rich and Sue's house for a sick day! 

Erin and Kristian had a good weekend in Medicine Hat. Kristian is enjoying his spring break at the Y day care. Erin is enjoying the beginning of baseball season. I enjoy being able to chat with her about how her beloved Blue Jays are doing. Today they took advantage of the great weather to go on an outing to the park where Kristian did a lot of rollerblading. 

Travis and Joanna picked up some bonus work with Puck Shots, so that was a nice surprise. Joanna and Gemma also picked up another wedding set up. Andrew and Gemma did not have a spring break, so after Easter Monday, they were back to school. This weekend, Gemma is enjoying doing a spring cleaning of her room and closet! A lot of stuff got purged! 

And that's about it for this week. 

Happy Easter!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be nice, with Thursday being especially warm. The fairways are once again visible, but frozen and soggy; the greens are still covered with tarps. It has been a choppy week in the markets with two days to end last month, two days to start this month, and a holiday! I ended March short of quota, but had two good days to end the first week of April over quota, so that was encouraging. I've been busy with curling all week as Pat Simmons and crew had a good round-robin, but lost the first playoff game. They played Sweden in the semi-final tonight and lost that, so they'll try to beat Finland tomorrow in the bronze medal game. NHL season is drawing to a close with a few playoff spots still available; then, we finally get down to the serious half of the hockey season! Baseball is ending spring training, and the regular season is beginning, and all teams still have dreams of a championship! NCAA basketball concludes on Monday with Wisconsin and Duke fighting it out. I'll be happy with either one; I'm just glad the one-and-done Kentucky program did not succeed!  

Eric/A have had a short week of work. They drove down to Caronport on Thursday to pick up Liam, and then headed east. Next week is a school break for Eric and Liam, so they've decided to make a family road trip. This weekend they're in Kenora enjoying the hospitality of friends there, and catching up with Greg & Jaz. They plan to complete the trip to TBay on Sunday, and spend some time with us. Eric/A have both been fighting colds/flu off and on; maybe they're giving it to each other! Unfortunately, that puts a bit of damper on visiting. Haaken continues to update his portfolio for reconsideration of Capilano. He is also continuing to work on his history and math courses on line. 

Erin and Kristian are also taking advantage of the Easter weekend holidays to travel. They've driven west to Medicine Hat to visit family there. 

Travis and Joanna continue to be busy with work. Trav's hockey season ended on Monday as his team lost the deciding game in the semi-final series. Now he can focus on his playoff bracket in the NHL! Gemma and Andrew are enjoying the long weekend from school. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been cooler, but warmed up a bit today. We've enjoyed a quiet week. I thought about doing a bit of bus driving, but they've given away my old route, and I'm not eager for the frustrations of subbing on several runs for the short time we have before heading south. The markets have continued to be very volatile and posted wide variations this week before settling for losses. I had a good day Friday and managed to turn in an overall gain for the week, but it has left me far short of my quota for the month and with only two market days left! On Friday, we learned of the passing of one of our long time Thunder Bay friends, so, that was a sad note. In curling, Mike McEwen won the Elite 10, and the Swiss beat Jennifer Jones to win the women's world championship. Today, the men's world championship began with Pat Simmons beating US in their opening draw—Go Canada, Go! Kansas lost out in NCAA basketball, so that eases that part of my schedule. I'll cheer for Gonzaga for so long as they last. Baseball is almost ready to start their season, while hockey is ending the regular season. It's a busy time of the year to be a sports fanatic! And, I have to give a nod to my friend Philip as his team faces the Aussies in the World Cup final in cricket! 

Eric/A and Haaken had a quiet week after returning Liam to school on Sunday. This weekend they're all together in Regina again. Liam is training for Young Friends/LST trip to Estonia; Eric is enjoying Spring Renewal; Erica and Haaken are along for the ride! They enjoyed a nice visit with Erin and Kristian today. There was good news and not-so-good news on Haaken's post-secondary applications. He has received acceptance into the Summer program at Capilano University, but he did not get early acceptance into the Fall 2D program. However, he can apply again during the next round in April. We pray he will find success there. 

Erin and Kristian are working to overcome his latest illness and make better progress on his school work. They had parent-teacher conferencing this week and are considering options for getting Kristian an improved placement for the rest of the year and next year. This weekend, they're enjoying Spring Renewal and the many family and friends who have gathered in Regina. 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew have returned from holidays and are back to their regular activities. Trav's hockey team lost the first two games of the semi-final series and are now on the comeback trail. Andrew had a wrestling tournament on Thursday where he won two matches. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be lovely, and the lawns are showing up once again. We did not have nearly as much snow here this winter, so I did not have to shovel off the trampoline, and it's now ready for action. The deck has cleared, and we celebrated the arrival of Spring with our first barbecue last evening. The markets have continued to be in turmoil. Our poor economic picture left the TSX down 2% for the month, while US indices are celebrating all time highs. It was a better week, and markets surged after the US Fed announcement on rates, so I had another good week, and am almost at quota. I'm having an overload of sports: World Curling is coming to an end with Canada (Jones) playing for gold tomorrow; March Madness is underway with Kansas getting a #2 seed, and winning their first game, while one of the #1 seeds has been knocked out; Elite 10 is running on the curling tour with Koe losing in the semi-final this evening up in Fort McMurray—McEwen plays Edin in the final. We've also been working on renovations. I've installed the electrical and water lines for the fridge downstairs and reinstalled the ceiling tiles. 

Haaken has begun work on another animation project. He is also preparing a production schedule for completing his school work and also looking for a job. Eric and Erica celebrated her birthday on Wednesday with a dinner at a local fancy restaurant. Then, they enjoyed a birthday cake back home with Haaken. Eric made a presentation to a class on arguing. He enjoyed it and thinks it went well. Liam made a surprise visit home on Friday. It is great to have the whole family under one roof! 

Kristian has suffered some more health issues as he took ill at school on Thursday and had to be taken home. He seems to be doing better this weekend and even recorded a song for us today. 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew have been away all week in the Toronto area. We expect them home tomorrow evening. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have returned to the shore of Lake Superior where the women are strong, the men are handsome, and all the children are above average! After enjoying the generous hosting at Dad's, we set out on Thursday and drove across the prairies and into northern Ontario. The roads and weather were favourable, and we rolled into our own driveway about 1am Friday morning to a warm welcome from the family and menagerie here! There's a new bird since we left, a yellow budgie that chirps in a friendly manner—a marked contrast to the screeching of the scarlet conure when she wants our attention! The markets have continued to be volatile, and all North American indices are down 2% or worse this month. I was blessed with a great week, recovering from the mess of the first week of March, but I'm still below quota for the month. The Brier ended on Sunday, and I delighted in the win by Pat Simmons. Today, the women's world championships began with a win over Finland. I'll be following that this week. US college basketball teams were making their final pleas in conference tournaments. Sadly, my Jayhawks did not finish on a high note, losing the championship game to Iowa State. Now, I'll be watching to see how the brackets fill out. I'm expecting the Jayhawks to be a #3 seed. 

Eric/A, Haaken and Liam were with us on Sunday, but then headed out to deliver Liam to Caronport, and return home to Prince Albert. They're back at work and school now. Haaken continues to work on two on-line courses. 

We enjoyed spending time with Erin and Kristian while we were in Regina. This week, Kristian was back at school, but we still were able to enjoy evening visits. 

Trav, Joanna and the crew flew out Friday morning to spend time over the March break with family in the Toronto area. Trav's team won their opening round of the playoffs in straight games, so they have a bit of break now before the semi-final round. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

We started the week on the shore of Lake Okanagan with John & Marion—thanks again! We enjoyed reunion with several friends at church in Vernon, and then headed east. After stopping over night in Canmore, we completed the trip to Regina on Monday! The weather continually degraded as we journeyed east, and the highway was slippery in drifting snow between Swift Current and Regina. Several semis and other vehicles were in the ditches. We have endured sufficient winter weather already, and are glad to see it break and are enjoying above zero temperatures this weekend. We are also enjoying the warm hospitality of Uncle Dave and Dad—thanks a lot! Today marked Dad's 90th birthday, and there was a large family gathering to celebrate the occasion. We also noted Wendy's 65th birthday (Monday), and Erica's birthday (March 18th).  Strong economic data out of the US has convinced investors that the stimulus tap will be turned off, so the markets have been terrible this week. All indices are down, and so am I. Brier Curling has been running all week, and I've been enjoying that. My favourite, Kevin Koe, did not make the playoffs, but my sentimental favourite, Saskatchewan's Steve Laycock, did. He will play in the bronze medal game tomorrow morning, while another Saskatchewan native, Pat Simmons, playing as Team Canada, will tangle with Brad Jacobs in the final. I'll be cheering for Pat, but I expect Brad to win it all once again. 

We brought Haaken back with us from BC. Eric/A and Liam joined us here this weekend to take part in the birthday celebrations, so the family is together again. Tomorrow they will drop off Liam at Caronport and return with Haaken to Prince Albert. It has been good to spend these two months with Haaken. 

Kristian spent most of the week with us as he recovered from Chicken Pox. He has been vaccinated against it, but it seems a new strain is out there, so the Health people asked for him to come in and donate some blood so the could study this new variant. Erin got back to work after spending Monday at home with Kristian, and spent most of her off-work hours over here, so we've enjoyed catching up. 

Travis, Joanna and crew are definitely looking forward to the end of winter. The weather has broken there as well, and we hope it will continue to be mild and the snow will be melting away. This evening they joined in the birthday celebrations via FaceTime; it was good to talk with them. Trav's team ended the season tied for first place, and now begins the playoff run. We hope it goes well! Andrew is in wrestling now, and looks forward to his first tournament. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have left the shore of the Pacific and are headed home. Tonight finds us on the shore of Lake Okanagan enjoying the gracious hospitality of John & Marion—thanks guys! We've enjoyed another fabulous week on the Island, and are definitely sorry to see it in our rearview mirror. I've been out golfing a few more times, but now look to be on hiatus for a few months! All told, I played 14 rounds at Qualicum ranging from 78 to 88. It was an easy course, par 70, slope 111, so my goal is +9, but I managed to make that only twice. The markets were difficult this week, and I lost value, but the month overall was great, and I'm on quota for the month and the year to date. I started the week watching the Scotties final, where my pick, Val Sweeting, once of Maryfield, lost to Manitoba's Jennifer Jones. The week ends with the opening of the Brier, so I'll be busy again next week! We are bringing Haaken back to Saskatchewan to reunite him with his parents. 

Eric/A started the week with a quick trip to Saskatoon for church and Costco. They enjoyed connecting with old friends. This weekend, Erica is pretending to be a lady and joining a ladies' retreat in Moose Jaw. So Eric is picking up Liam and heading to Regina for a men's retreat with Uncle Dave and Grandpa. Eric is exploring work opportunities in Saskatoon; meanwhile, new and interesting opportunities are proposed as part of his current employment. Liam is doing well at Caronport. They are glad to hear from him regularly. Haaken has completed his graduation requirements. His new computer arrived, and he is heading home while he waits to hear on his post-secondary applications. We pray he will soon get a response from Capilano University inviting him for an entrance interview. 

Erin and Kristian continue an overly exciting time in Regina. This morning she called with the latest story and video of Kristian's back covered with red spots—chicken pox?! Maybe. We're looking forward to catching up with them next week. 

Trav, Joanna and the crew are continuing to suffer through a bitter winter in TBay. Trav's hockey team won their final game and remain in first place, but other teams still have games to play so it's not assured yet. Otherwise they are all keeping warm and busy, and looking forward to our return so they can take off for a break! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed in Qualicum Beach on the shore of the Pacific! The weather continues to be beautiful and I have managed to get out golfing most days this week. The markets have continued to be volatile with Grecian Flu, but that seems to have been settled on Friday, so I ended the week with a good payday, and remain on quota for the month and the year. This week marked the opening of Grease. Eric arrived on Wednesday evening; we went to see Haaken perform on the second night of Grease—it was a treat! Haaken did a great job in his role as the coach. Then Eric flew back out on Friday. We have Haaken's laptop back, and after reinstalling his programs it seems to be working great once again. Haaken has supplemented his English homework with Art classes and his web portfolio is taking shape nicely. I've been watching curling all week with the Scotties playing out. This morning my favourite team from SK beat out my pick to win it all (Team Canada), but then lost to AB this afternoon. I'll be cheering for AB (Sweeting) to win it all tomorrow. The NHL is starting to define its playoff teams, so things are getting interesting there. 

Eric/A, Haaken and Liam were all together in Regina at the start of the week visiting Erin, Kristian and Grandpa. Erica did some pickin' and grinnin' with Uncle Rich, and finalized some songs to play at Ladies' Retreat at the end of the month. Haaken flew back to Qualicum Beach on Monday. Eric/A visited with Neil and Darcy while checking out the Jetta they had for sale. On Tuesday, they got the official notification that the Corolla was a write-off, so they took the rental back and are now the proud owners of a 2008 VW Jetta. Eric took Liam back to Regina where he waited and then enjoyed his orthodontist appointment on Friday. Eric flew out to BC to see Haaken in Grease, and returned on Saturday. Erica wishes she could have traveled out to see Grease as well. Another complicated week in the Bailey family! 

Erin and Kristian also worked through an unusual week, as it was February break in the Saskatchewan schools. Kristian enjoyed Y Day-Camp activities all week, and is ready to head back to school. They were glad to be able to spend some time with Eric/A and the cousins. 

Trav and Joanna have suffered through another cold and snowy week in TBay, but they're doing fine anyway. Trav's hockey team has continued their good play of late and have pulled into a first place tie in the league with playoffs just around the corner. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed in Qualicum Beach on the shore of the Pacific. The weather has been nice, and I've been out golfing again. I now have eight rounds in out here, and have a range of scores from 78 to 88. My leg continues to have some pain and swelling, but Ibuprofen and Rub A-535 keep me going. The markets had another volatile week with the Grecian politics and economics causing turmoil world-wide. At least I had another good week, and remain on quota for the month and the year to date. Wendy continues to operate the taxi service as although Haaken has been doing his school work from home, he still has drama practice, art classes and counselling appointments. This weekend he has flown out to Saskatchewan to spend time with his family and celebrate birthdays for both boys. Meanwhile, we got his computer back yesterday, and it seems to be running fine; fortunately, Apple took care of the related costs! How and Di have come over to visit us here, so we're enjoying spending time with them, visiting the places they are familiar with from their years in Nanaimo and Alberni. Curling starts again this weekend as the Scotties begins in Moose Jaw; I'll be following that closely! 

Eric/A are reassembling their family for Family Day! Haaken flew out on Friday which raised their ratio to 0.75 of the family together. That rounds up to 1.0, so maybe that was a full family already. Today they drove through a Snowado to Regina on their way to pick up Liam. He's attending Youth Quake, but then has most of next week off, so when they pick him up tomorrow their empty nest will be full again. On the car front, they have heard, unofficially, that it is a write-off! It will remain unofficial until they can make contact with the adjuster. They have a rental for now, so at least they have transportation. If the write-off happens it will mark an exceptionally short career for that car! At least the rental has Bluetooth, so they're enjoying that! 

Erin and Kristian are pushing through another snowy week in Regina. It's Valentine's week, so Kristian has prepared sixty cards for his classmates and teachers—that's a lot of "Dear..." "From Kristian"! Today they've enjoyed spending the day at Papa's house visiting with Eric, Erica and Haaken. 

Travis, Joanna and crew are also fighting snow in TBay. His hockey team is pushing toward first place in the league as they have put together a good streak of games including the tournament win. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed here on Vancouver Island on the shore of the Pacific. This weekend finds us in Victoria as we've come down to celebrate Haaken's birthday with his island relatives. I'm afraid I overused my damaged leg last week, and it was pretty sore in the early part of this week. I have not been golfing, but did get out to practice a couple of times. The markets have continued to be volatile, but we've made some gains and I'm back on quota after an excellent week of gains. The jobs data on Friday were positive in both Canada and the US, but investors seemed to have thought this was too much good news and might signal the US Fed to raise interest rates, so they turned red on Friday—sigh! Dave stopped by one day, with Rick, and we toured the Cathedral Grove with them, so I got my walking in. Yesterday, we drove down to Victoria, and took opportunity to greet Steve & Joan before they headed for Zambia. We're staying with Andrew, Aura and the crew until Monday. We thank them very much for hosting us. Haaken has begun his online course work this week, but it is not progressing well, so he'll be spending some quality time with Grandpa until he gets back on schedule. 

Eric/A had some unwelcome excitement this week as Erica was involved in an accident as she drove to Saskatoon. Some dim bulb decided he had enough time to cruise across the four-lane, and although Erica hit the binders, he didn't! Fortunately, she didn't T-bone him, just caught near the rear bumper, but at highway speeds, even after braking, it made quite an impact. The Corolla has minor damage, but even that adds up to a lot of insurance company dough! At least Erica is okay, and we're grateful for that. 

Erin and Kristian also started the week with some excitement as there was a fire alarm in their building. Then there was the usual week of work and school. This weekend they've had out of town visitors as Aunt Terry along with three cousins were in town for a funeral. They spent some time visiting with them.

Trav's team won the tournament last weekend, yay team! Otherwise work, school, and life continue apace in Thunder Bay. We are blessed to have them taking care of the place! 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week of our sojourn in Qualicum Beach on the shore of the Pacific has been completed. We continue to enjoy the weather and our time here very much. I made a misstep on Sunday evening while walking over to Dairy Queen, and sustained a small tear in the calf of my left leg. I have decided it is in the soleus muscle (somewhere under the main muscle group) which I also tore about twenty years ago. My prior experience, and the advice of long-time friend Dr. Ice (thanks Dick!) resounded in my memory—RICE. Fortunately, DQ came across with a bag of ice in short order, and I applied that immediately. Then, the store where we were working supplied a tensor bandage, so I soon had my leg at Rest, Iced, Compressed and Elevated! I believe this has allowed me to suffer minimal debilitation. I'm still limping quite a bit as my left leg doesn't like stretching out, but I managed to golf W, Th and F, walking the 9-hole course each day. My golf is improving! After six rounds, I have now parred every hole except #2, a 200 yard par 3. The markets have continued their troubled ways. TSX was green for the month by 0.28%, but the US indices were red. I had a good week and month, but not quite up to quota. Wendy keeps busy managing the rest of us, and Dave was also here most of the week, so it's been a full schedule. Junior nationals are concluding this weekend in curling, so I'm watching those. Alberta won the women's; Manitoba plays New Brunswick or Saskatchewan in the men's. There's something about a self-cleaning toilet (Super Bowl) on tomorrow, but I won't bother to watch that. I have been following the Aussie Open in tennis—some entertaining play there! I am also watching the Phoenix Open in golf. Busy times!!

With Erica driving the Corolla back and forth to Saskatoon this week, they've learned that it saves them about $5 a day in gasoline costs as compared to the CRV. This weekend, Eric/A are enjoying a surprise visit with Liam. Friday was a PD day at school, and after a few phone calls, Liam was able to catch a ride to Saskatoon where he met up with Erica for the ride home to PA. Haaken is concluding his high school career; Friday was his last day of classes, although he has an exam on Monday morning. He plans to take two correspondence courses to meet some college entrance requirements. He hopes to have his application ready for Capilano University this weekend. We pray it will be well received. Eric and Erica are both enjoying their jobs and getting positive feedback! 

Congratulations! 

We've had a couple of lovely FaceTime chats with Erin and Kristian. It's been a special week for them as Kristian won the Academic Award in his class for reading growth this month. That was presented at the school assembly on Thursday. He enjoyed a full day at the Y on Friday as his school also had a PD day. 

Trav and Joanna remain pretty busy with PuckShots photography even as the season is beginning to wane. Their great quality work and customer service have accorded them a large market share for this business in TBay. We are very proud of them! Gemma is into semester-end exams, doing great, and obsessing only a little too much! Andrew is back into wrestling, and enjoying that once again. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we continue our stay in Qualicum Beach on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. The weather has been very nice, although it turned wet toward the weekend and I missed my planned golf game on Friday. I did enjoy two games, but my play continues to be discouragingly poor. Wendy says I need to go more often!! My handicap is rising, and I see that my next two games will cause the last two of my games in the seventies to drop off the bottom—sigh! The markets have continued to be volatile, but the Bank of Canada finally relented to reality and added some stimulus mid-week so the TSX and my holdings took off! As a result, I'm nearly back to quota on the month; that's a relief. Wendy is very busy with support of Haaken's schedule, and we added to that this week when his computer went down. Trying to get that fixed has taken us up to Courtenay a couple of times and then down to Nanaimo, and we're still waiting for the completion of this story! Brad Jacobs and Rachel Homan won their respective skins games in curling; that was fun to watch. Golf season is starting up again, and I always take an interest in that. Today we've picked up work for all three of us doing inventory at one of the local stores. That got to be old quite quickly! So, that's why I stayed in school!!

All Growed Up!

Eric/A have enjoyed a quiet week in Prince Albert. Eric has been driving the Corolla around town, while Erica drives the CRV back and forth to Saskatoon. They'll exchange next week and then make a determination of which is the better way to go. Liam is into his second semester at Caronport. He has a fundraiser involving the cleanup of Moose Jaw in support of a camping trip later in the Spring. Apparently the main effort on that cleanup will be the weekend of Feb 20th. Haaken is working to complete his semester and prepare for his English exam. Uncle Travis has Haaken's website ready to go, and Erica is taking a tutorial on adding pictures to it. Haaken also got his hair cut today; he's donating the shorn locks to cancer patients, and is now ready for his grad pictures and his performance in Grease.

Erin & Kristian are doing well. We enjoy some FaceTime chatting with them each week, but it's never enough.

Travis & Joanna continue to be very busy with the business—that's a good thing! Trav has a new co-op student who is proving to be very helpful. He has had some trouble with the snow blower, so we tried to problem-solve from afar. Hope he gets it performing again; it was very helpful for pumping the snow up onto the lawn after the drive way has been cleared.

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed and we continue our sojourn on the shore of the Pacific, far from our hometown! The weather has continued to be beautiful, and we're enjoying getting out to enjoy it. Dave has been with us most of the week; it's been great to have him around. I've managed more golf practice and finally my first game of the winter on Friday. The game revealed many shortcomings, so more practice and play are in order! It's been a terrible, no good, bad week in the markets. The Saudi oil glut, the French turmoil and the Swiss central bankers have destabilized investors. The TSX fell to 4% in the red on the month before getting some recovery on Friday. I have suffered big losses as well; I have declined from being at quota after week 1 to being in the red after week 2—sigh! More practice and work are in order! Wendy keeps very busy supporting Haaken's schedule! She has added to it by establishing some sketching lessons for him. He has completed one sketch already; we thought it was striking! In sports, Canada completed a dominating win in the Continental Cup of curling. This weekend is the Curling Skins game; I'm enjoying that as well, even though my guy, Kevin Koe got knocked out this morning. It will be Brad Jacobs versus John Morris in the final. Ohio State earned an impressive victory in the first US University Football championship. The NFL playoffs featured the elimination of Peyton Manning, and also of the Dallas Cowboys, so I won't be paying attention to that any longer. Today, we made a short trip up island for a visit with long time friends. It was good to reconnect with Tim & Shirley of Yellowknife by way of Zambia, and also with Kathy, not only a long time friend, but also a relative. 

Haaken's latest Sketch

Eric/A continue to adapt to the life with an empty nest. Erica's car pool to Saskatoon is disappearing, so they've spent some effort looking for a second vehicle. They also test drove a Prius, but decided on a Toyota Corolla. We hope it serves them well. Liam was on hand to watch the finals of his school's gotcha tournament, and elastic band contest. He also dug his skates for the first time this season. Grandma has arranged art tutoring to help Haaken fill out his portfolio, and they were blown away by his newest effort. 

We haven't heard much from Erin and Kristian this week, just the regular school and work activities. Erin tried selling her sister a car, but she is glad they decided on the Corolla they found in PA. Kristian got a fresh haircut—I did, too, but I'm understanding his involved a lot more cutting! Kristian went swimming last evening on the event of his friend Zachary's birthday party. 

Trav and Joanna have a big hockey tournament this week in TBay. They are working PuckShots photography there, and Trav is also running hot tweets on the results. Joanna checked out the security system on the house. It works, and she also learned how to disable it! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, far from my hometown! The weather has been comfortable, mostly in a tight range from 4 to 10 degrees, so we've been enjoying getting out in that! Most days have had some periods of rain, and plenty of clouds and fog. We saw some sunshine on Thursday only, so we miss that. We started the week in Nanaimo, sitting in our lovely green chairs, and being able to sing for the first time in months as my cough has pretty much disappeared! There are plenty of nice golf courses nearby, and I've visited five so far. One is closed for renovations and green repairs for the month of January, but the others all have nice practice areas as well. I've enjoyed working a bit on my short game, but my rib injury from all the coughing earlier still prevent me from making a comfortable full swing. One nearby club offers month-long memberships during the winter months, so I'm hoping to take advantage of that during February. The markets have opened the year very troubled by the falling Oil price, and the political turmoil in Greece. As a result, all indices are in the red for the month, but I've been fortunate to have made a nice gain, almost up to quota. I continue to hold most of my accounts in cash as I wait for the charts to look more promising. I am not enjoying the 6:30AM market opening out here! The Junior team closed out the World Championships with an exciting win over Russia; that was great! Curling is my main focus this week as the Continental Cup is being contested between Canada and Europe. Canada has built up a comfortable lead, but like the Ryder Cup, there are a lot of points up for grabs on the final day (tomorrow), so it's not over yet. 

Erica has completed her first week at the University of Saskatchewan. She found it nostalgic to be back on campus. The job is good, and the commute is going fine. Eric/A are enjoying the empty nest as Liam is at Briercrest and Haaken back in Qualicum Beach with us. They are trying to get Haaken's website active again as part of his professional portfolio for university; Travis has been helpful on this aspect. Haaken needs to beef up his life drawing and is working on that. Grandma has put in his name for taking inventory, so he may have some extra work later this month. Liam had an orthodontist appointment on Friday, so he's enjoying a long weekend with Papa, Auntie Sue and Uncle Richard. Eric/A headed down to Regina on Friday for a short visit, dropped Liam back at school today, and headed back to Saskatoon to spend some time with Chris and Shelley! A busy weekend! 

Erin and Kristian continue their fight with health issues and winter. In the bitter cold this week, Erin  even found her car refusing to start one morning! We still manage to keep up with them from time to time on FaceTime which is nice. 

Trav's team had a successful weekend in Superior, Wisconsin, returning with the third place trophy. They also keep busy taking care of things in Thunder Bay, in their business and other work. Gemma and Andrew are pushing toward completion of the term at school. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Happy New Year!

Another year has passed, and the new year finds us far from Lake Superior, on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed a wonderful time at Dad's in Regina where we enjoyed the gracious hosting of Bern & Alicia; thank you all very much. The big event of the week was New Year's Day where thanks to Alicia's careful management and the preparation and participation of many, we enjoyed a delicious meal, and wonderful company of family and friends. On Friday, we turned the Sorento westward, and accompanied by Dave in his Caravan, we drove out to Golden BC. It was fortunate that we had planned to stop there, and that Wendy had reserved a room because the Trans-Canada was closed west of Golden, and the town was full of truckers and other unexpected travellers. On Saturday, we continued the trip to Victoria where we were hosted by Andrew and Aura; thank you so much. Now we're on the Island, and we have voted not to leave until March! Also on the plus side of the ledger: it's -31 in Prince Albert; -34 in Regina; -26 in Thunder Bay, but +6 in Victoria! Finally, we seem to have made a correct decision! The markets have continued to be volatile, but I had a good week, making quota, and also completing the month and the quarter at quota, so it was reassuring. I did not make quota for the year as I only managed 12.9%, and needed about 17% to make quota with my portfolio size. I shall have to work smarter! The Junior Hockey Championships have been enjoyable so far. We delighted in Denmark's first ever qualification for the medal round, and watched with mixed emotions as they were thrashed by our boys in the playoffs. Now Canada is in the semi-finals tomorrow, so we'll continue to follow that. NCAA football playoffs began perfectly with the overly touted SEC teams being defeated—I didn't think they were the best choices in the first place! Now I don't care whether the Ducks or the Buckeyes win the final—I'm good either way! 

Eric/A, Haaken & Liam left after Christmas and drove out to the Island where they left Haaken with his uncle in Victoria. We have now met up with him and he will be part of our household for the next two months while he completes grade 12. Eric/A and Liam have returned to Saskatchewan. We met them near Calgary as they headed east. They've had a whirlwind (blizzard?) tour of western Canada! Now they look forward to the resumption of school and work, and the beginning of a new job for Erica. 

We spent most of the week with Kristian as Erin returned to work. That was a delight! Now they carry on with work and school in Regina, and we wish them well in 2015! 

Travis and Joanna continue to be very busy with work right through the holiday season. I guess that's good news as well as exhausting. Trav is off with his hockey team to a tournament in Minnesota. They're doing well, and play in the bronze medal game tomorrow. Gemma and Andrew are eagerly awaiting the return to school on Monday! Repeat after me, "I am eagerly awaiting the return to school on Monday!" 

And that's about enough to start off a new year! 

News Update

Another week has passed and we have wandered from the shore of Lake Superior to the shore of Lake Wascana to the shore of the North Saskatchewan River. Thus when I awoke on Boxing Day, I took note of the temperatures: Prince Albert -31; Regina -21; Thunder Bay -1. Hmm, as Haaken observed once, "I think we've made a mistake!" Today we began retracing our steps and are now in Regina with Dad & Dave. Bern, Alicia & Logan are here. Rich was here when we arrived, so the complete set of siblings was together for a nice moment! Christmas was wonderful—I have tried to teach my children that generosity is an expression of faith and an example of Godliness. So, it is heartening to note and experience their generosity to me, to each other and to their friends and neighbours! Thank you, my children! The markets were only open part time this week, but the US markets pushed dramatically forward to record levels, and the TSX made some gains, although it remains in the red for the month. I was able to make quota this week, so that's encouraging. Sport's brains are dedicated to hockey during the break as we focus on the World Junior Hockey Championships. Canada is always one of the favourites, but hasn't won the gold in about five years. Go Canada, Go! 

Eric/A and boys hosted us for Christmas dinner in Prince Albert. It was good to see the Bailey family all together in one place. It was good to be with them. The turkey dinner with all the fixings was delicious. Time over games, puzzles and other entertainment was precious. They still have some activities to undertake during the break, including a trip to BC. 

Erin, Kristian & Sadie were also up in Prince Albert for Christmas, so we enjoyed time with them. They rode back to Regina with us. Now we look forward to some time with them before we head west.

Christmas season started with Travis, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew in TBay. Given the mild weather it was easy to accommodate our standard steak barbecue for Christmas dinner. We also enjoyed gift exchange and the unusual generosity I've noted already. Now they remain in place to continue with their work and school and to care for the place while we're away over the next several months. 

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another week of comfortable temperatures on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It's reached above zero most days, and we've only had a little precipitation in the forms of rain and snow. I continue to cough; my latest theory is that I've suffered three separate cold infections. I was feeling quite well this week, and then I noticed I was sneezing—the harbinger of an oncoming cold for me. I vaguely recall this happening about two weeks ago as well, so I'm blaming my little ankle-biters on the school bus for infecting me multiple times! On the other hand, they came across with a nice haul of goodies and Tim's cards this week, so that counts for something! The markets have been volatile, and although I was ready to start buying on Wednesday, the rapid increases in value made it difficult for me to get in, so I only have a small amount in the market at this time, but I was at least able to make quota for the week. All indices remain red for the month despite the record recovery experienced this week. The Canadian Open ended on Sunday with Brad Gushue winning his second slam event of the season, and Eve Muirhead winning the women's side. I continue to watch Jayhawk college basketball—they're winning! I'm also paying a bit of attention to college football this year as they have a partial playoff system. Hockey, especially the Junior World Championship, will be a focus over the Christmas holidays. The NHL season is not really far enough along to capture much attention yet. 

Bus Driver Bill scores!

Erica has completed her work in Parksville; she and Haaken are flying to Saskatchewan today. Liam is out of school for the break, and has been hanging out with Kristian the last few days. We're looking forward to our reunion with them all, and checking out their new digs in Prince Albert. They have accepted an offer on the Kenora house, so we wait, thankfully, for that to be completed in due course. 

Erin and Kristian have been keeping a busy schedule with Christmas activities and various ailments. At the end of the week they are also hosting cousin Liam. Kristian is on his school break now; we hope he gets rested up and healthy over the break. We look forward to seeing them soon! 

Trav, Joanna and Gemma have been putting in extra hours getting orders filled and delivered this week. Now, that school's out, they've headed down to Minneapolis for the protest at Mall of America! They plan to get home on Tuesday, which coincides with when we plan to head west! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

We've enjoyed great weather this week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Above freezing temperatures for another week have surely taken a bite out of winter, and we're glad of that. My cough continues; I was to the doctor on Tuesday, but he noted as I suspected, "You've had a cold, now you need to get the collection of gunk coughed out." He prescribed a bronchial dilator to help with the airways, but otherwise the hacking continues! The markets have been terrible, no good, and bad. The TSX has now lost over 7% of its value this month, and barely lists into the green for the year. I was not able to avoid taking some losses this week, and have sold more holdings as well as they hit stops. I need this to turn around! Events are counting down at school as we have only one more week of classes, and there are many special events. Wendy has been waiting all week for a trip down to the border store to get her puzzle order, so we did that today. We tied in a trip to the casino for their seafood buffet, and enjoyed the outing. We managed to fuel up the vehicle at 73 cents a litre, so that was a bit of a treat! Curling continues this week with the Canadian Open in Yorkton. Sweeting and McEwen won the Canada Cup prizes last week. My man, Kevin Koe, made the playoffs this time, so I'm enjoying that. But he lost in the semi-final tonight to Brad Gushue. Gushue will play Saskatchewan's Steve Haycock in the final tomorrow. On the women's side, Andrea Muirhead of Scotland will play Canadian champ Rachel Homan. 

The Baileys are playing out the final days of the BC/Sask split! They are looking forward to that ending and the next chapter beginning. They has some good news of interest in the Kenora house, which has gone so far as to produce a favourable offer, so we certainly hope that will all play out successfully. 

Santa

Kristian continues to work through his eye issues and got some good news this week. The vision in his affected eye has improved, and a definite plan of action has been developed for further therapy and eventual surgery. So, while that's serious, it's also encouraging. He drew Santa-in-the-off-season as a rosy-cheeked golfer. I like that! 

Trav and Joanna continue to be swamped with work orders, but that's also a good thing. We're celebrating Andrew's 13th birthday this weekend—it's a multi-day affair. Trav's hockey team has had mixed results lately, but we're not hearing of any coaches getting fired! 

And that's about enough for this week.