Dirt Tracking - TKP

So most of you know that I have my motorcycle license and a Honda street bike, but I got to do something today that I have never done before - thanks to my buddy Erin, I got to go rip around on a dirt bike.

Now I have to admit, I was a little concerned about it - street bikes and dirt bikes are completely different animals.... but as you can see in the picture below - I think I got the hang of it quite quickly!


Ok - so maybe that isn't a picture of me - and maybe that is not "exactly" how I was riding - and maybe it did hurt my feelings just a little bit when that little four year old girl went flying past me on her motorcycle (the language kids use these days - it is shocking!) - but I still had a good time.

Earlier in the day at church, Erin was telling me that riding a dirt bike is really tiring and made him sore - I can see why now! (Well - not that I was going fast enough to be sore - but some of those other guys..... not to mention that little girl!)

But I did get some air - plowed through a ton of mud - dumped the bike (twice) - it was great! The best part was that in the end I handed all the muddy, soaking wet gear (not to mention the incredibly muddy motorcycle) back to Erin and he was stuck cleaning it all up! :)

It was a great way to spend a beautiful, 25 degree, sunny Sunday afternoon!


PS. A month ago or so I said that I would give $5 to anyone who could do the rap part from the BNL song "One week" (they had to do it as fast as Ed does and not mess it up - not even one little mistake). Eric Bailey wrote back and said that is wife, Erica, could do it. I said that she would have to prove it before I would send the money. Guess who was in church this morning all the way from Kenora, Ontario. And guess who showed off her "One week" rapping talent (unaccompanied, I might add). I was truly impressed! Unfortunately, I did not have the $5 on me, so .... the cheque is in the mail, Erica. No really - it is! :)

Birthday Girl???

Birthdays now a days have really changed. I don't ever recall being crowned with moose antlers and having strange people sing songs that really don't even resemble "Happy Birthday" to me all while trying to avoid slapping one of them silly with the horns as I spin around trying to decide where to look. This was the end of a crazy day spent in Regina with four pre teen gals who think they are 22. Now there were only four of them but it was all a small nigling (sp) reminder that I have lost a tiny bit of my screaming like a little girl faze somewhere along the way. We went shopping and to the science centre and to the Imax and to Ruckers(arcade) and then out for supper followed by a stop at Starbucks and home again all in the span of about 8 hours. It was the best birthday party I have ever planned and mostly because I didn't plan it. The girls did all that and we were tired, but really sold on the idea of doing something together being more important than getting presents and eating too much cake...don't get me wrong we did eat, the birthday girl even had ribs, all her own, for the first time. We had a blast and we're pretty sure the moose hat trend is catching on in Europe so it won't be long until everyone will be wearing them. A great excuse to whack someone by "accident" if they ruin your party. :)

Dreams Do Come True - an inspirational story by TKP

I am not a very sentimental guy most of the time - but once in a while something happens that just makes you stop and think, "Wow! Am I ever lucky!" Friday, I had just such an experience.

Rather than tell you about it, though, I think I will just show you - they say, "A Picture is worth a 1000 words" so here are a couple of thousand words for you.....



YEP - I BOUGHT A NEW SLEDGEHAMMER!!! Not just any old sledgehammer though - this is one of those fancy "Imported" ones (I did not buy it in Estevan but rather I "imported" it from the very exotic Weyburn Canadian Tire!)

The handle is 100% hickory, so your hands smell like Southern BBQ when you are done using it and it was on sale - 1/2 price!

I went with the 12 pounder. I tried the 10 and it was ok, but - call me crazy - the 12 pounder just seemed to whisper "Hit something" in a way that the 10 pounder just couldn't (Kinda the difference between a "Tough Guy" movie starring Sylvester Stallone as compared to Matthew McConaughey - if you know what I mean).

I just thought that this story was too good to keep to myself. It is just proof that - if you hold on - good things do happen to good people!!! (Sniff, sniff) - sorry! It just moves me so much!!!

Speaking of moving things - if you need something "smacked" really hard with a 12 pound sledgehammer - I am your guy!!!! :)

PS. I hope y'all realize that this is a joke. I just did not have anything really exciting to talk about (Sari already has dibs on all the interesting stories in our life) and I was getting desperate for something to write about.

The sad part is that I am thinking that some of you took me seriously - that I would get that excited about a new sledgehammer. Don't get me wrong - 1/2 price for a 12 pound smashing hammer did make me happy - but how boring would my life have to be before this would be a serious post?????

Now I am sad! MY LIFE IS A DISGRACE!!!!! :(

I think I am going to go smash something! :)

Dog Gone!!!!

If you follow this blog at all you will know that we have on occasion looked after our neighbors dogs as entertainment for Murphy(our dog) and as great foot warmers for us on cold nights. I was getting everything together for my favorite time of the year when the tax man cometh.... and I thought I would check up on the dogs. They are normally chasing each other around like their tails are on fire and the yard seemed pretty quiet. Well it only took a few seconds to realize that the neighbors dog Cody was missing. Cody had never escaped here before but had made several break outs in past yards. To make a long afternoon of worry short, she headed out on an adventure that only she knows about and was later found. Even after thinking like a dog for the afternoon, with my animal rescue crazy kids, I am sure Cody will come over again and maybe even try the Great Escape II. Who really knows what compels a dog to sneak through a hole a quarter of its body size....maybe her and Murph finally had the big fight and she was headed out to find Mr. Right?!?!??! Maybe the grass really is greener across the street. Who knows! Maybe she just wanted a holiday and doesn't know about Expedia or how much fun a cruise of the tropics can be. There really are so many things you can learn from a dog about how to escape a boring Monday afternoon .

Gone Home

Life is never more in sharp focus than when you lose someone. Especially someone who is terribly kind hearted. As was the case with Tom. This past week I headed home to Manitoba to visit with my friend Laura. In this past year the vivid importance of people has been a real lesson in how little time you really have to make superb memories with people. I am not talking about glamorous memories, I am talking about times that you will forever think of and smile. It was a weekend generous with laughter and stories about the past. I intended to go and somehow help them through a bit of a really hard time and instead I came away feeling like they had given me so much. There is nothing like an old friend and goofy memories to fill you up for whatever life has planned. It seems cliche to say things like "don't wait to say how you really feel" but it is easier to take the advise than learn the hard way. Life this year with my own dad has taught me so much about loving when you have the chance. So don't wait ... you won't regret it.

There are two ways to do things: the right way... and this other way

On Saturday we went out to play in the snow in the badlands behind our house. The snow was so deep that we decided to do some "Cliff jumping". It is hard to tell, but I was flying about 15 feet down the hill. Katelyn, as you will soon see, did not fly quite as far - but she did it in a much more spectacular fashion (Note the point when her feet are completely over her head).

We were sort of scared at the time (there are lots of rocks on this hill etc), but since she was fine, I figured that there is no point in wasting a good video! :)

Just for the record, I blame Sari for all of this. She was there. She was taking the video. She is supposed to be the "Voice of Reason" in our family!!! She is supposed to talk us out of stupidity like this!! I just hope that she has learned her lesson! ;)

(PS. You have to watch the videos in order to get the full effect)