Just like when I was a kid (10 of 30)

One of my good memories of being a little kid is going to my grand-parent's house and playing crokinole. We spent a lot of time and had lots of laughs playing together.

Somehow, when my Grandma moved out of her apartment a few years ago, I ended up with her old crokinole board.

So, more than 30 years after I played my first game on that board, with those pieces - Sari, the girls and I sat down tonight and played several games on it together. It was a nice night - it brought back nice memories - it made new memories..... and it made me look like a "Crokinole Pro" (is there such a thing) because I had 30 more years of experience on that board than anyone else (There is nothing wrong with a little "Home field advantage", is there?) :)

We we plan to keep playing for the rest of the winter - and years to come. Who knows - maybe someday my grandkids will learn to play on it too.

Some Christmas Pics (9 of 30)

I figured it was time I put up some pictures on this thing (and it has been a month since Christmas so if I don't post them soon......)

One Pippus Christmas tradition is to go skating at the skating oval - even if (like this year) it is -25. So here are some pics of........

My mommy and me

Katie, Debbie (my sister) and Megan


Kurt (my Brother - aka "Lenny"), Debbie and me



Megan and cousin Emily

Bowling is another Christmas tradition

If you look closely, Katie won on the left lane - Sari on the right (and I came in second - with the name "Tina" - apparently the guy at the bowling alley could not read what Sari wrote on the card, or..... well - I would rather not think about any other reasons why some random dude would call me "Tina")

Sari's dad in his new jacket(Her parents were able to come and spend some time with us at New Years)

Christmas Girls

Sledding Girls (back in Estevan)

More pictures later.

Fb Wisdom (8 of 30)

Those of you who know me, know that I HATE Facebook!

Because of Facebook, hardly anyone blogs anymore. Because of Facebook everyone thinks that they are keeping up with their friends, when they really are not connected to them at all. Because of Facebook, people even think that they have 496 friends when (in fact) they would hide behind a rack of clothes if they saw most of those people live, in person, coming toward them in the mall. Because of Facebook, everyone thinks that every stupid, little random thought that goes through their head is worth sharing and is somehow interesting to the entire world (much like reading this blog - only status lines are shorter than my blog).


However, because no one knows how to communicate anymore - people like me are forced to "lurk" (or as I was informed recently - it is actually called "creeping") on their wife's Facebook account to see what one earth is going on...... and you know what?????? Over the last few days I have found a few people who are "Upping" their status line games..... in other words, people are actually posting things worth reading and thinking about.


So, without further ado..... some wisdom that I have gleaned from Facebook in the past 2 days of being a creeper.
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The only reasons some people get lost in thought is because its unfamiliar territory. - Paul Fix.

"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man." - C.S. Lewis

"Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only his child redeemed by Christ." - Thomas Merton

All my life, I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize that I should have been more specific.

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Now if you will excuse me....... I have to check Facebook before I got to bed! :)

There goes the environment (7 of 30)

So I am taking my class of Grade 8 boys to the radio station for a tour today (If you do not know why I have a class of Grade 8 boys to take anywhere - see the "Man Stuff" blog entry below. If you don't know why I would take them to tour a radio station.... you don't live in a small town) and the school has "transportation issues".


First I can't get a bus..... too expensive and my class outings were not budgeted for. Second, I can't throw them all in my truck or the van because in order to take other people's kids from school in your vehicle you have to have approximately enough insurance to finance a small middle east country (or at least the war that is taking place in the small middle east country).


So I got to borrow a vehicle from one of the teachers - she has the required $85789437658347869 in insurance - on her new "H3 Hummer"!!!!


Now I used to think that Hummers were stupid vehicles driven by environmentally unconscious people (mostly men) who were trying to prove how tough they were...... and basically I was right!!! Seriously, even with the really nice seat warmers (I mean really nice - they worked well - it is like 8 hours later and I can still feel the heat) you do feel tough in a hummer. In fact, you feel like running over everything... Other cars.... sidewalks.... 18 foot snow drifts - just because you can. The thing even sounds tough..... the engine has this really low growling sound - something like a cross between a diesel engine and a fighter jet. And it feels like a fighter jet.... there are nav screens all over the place - computer readouts on the dash that monitor everything (including the temp of the seat warmer) - it was just bizarre. And I am not sure why you need a nav screen because you don't even have to follow the roads - that is the whole point - IT IS A HUMMER!!!!


So - I am not sure how the radio tour went - I just threw the boys out and kept driving..... but I am sure it worked out well - I guess.


PS. My birthday is in May.... I like black! :)

48 Million South Koreans can't be Wrong (6 of 30)

I live in a very small world. That is what I have decided after visiting with my friend Juyon (pronounced "Jew-won").

I met Juyon when I started doing "FriendSpeak" (an "English as a Second Language" course). He is from South Korea and - to be honest - before I met him, I knew nothing about South Korea and (frankly) I didn't care and was not interested.

Over the past six months, though, he and I have become buddies (I even took him to his first live hockey game before Christmas) and I have to say that I have been blessed by getting to know him (and the others in the group). I really admire them - leaving everything that they know - everything that is familiar - just to come here because they think it will be a better life for their family.

Juyon was feeling badly about his English skills (he is actually an excellent reader), so I have been having him teach me Korean - one word every week. I now know.... jib (house).... guk (soup)..... tone (bowl).... nun (snow or tear)...... and (for some odd reason) he laughs at me every time I try to say the words. :)

Anyway - tonight we did not read - in fact he taught me. He brought 141 pictures on his computer and showed me around Korea with them.... Korean houses, beaches, mountains, markets, highways and food (The food one was the funniest! He showed me several things and then came a picture of an Octopus. I asked, "How do you cook it?" He said, "You don't. It wiggles - you chop - eat. Wiggle - chop - eat!" Then he showed me - using charades - that the sucker on the tentacle sometimes gets stuck on your tongue. Yum!)

Anyway.... it was not a good night for reading English, but it was a great night for conversation and sharing...... and a good night for reminding me that my way is not the only way. It is a good lesson to learn (even if it is just a start)

Vaguely Familiar (5 of 30)

So this story does not describe my girls (they are not snotty or "girly girls") but there is something vaguely familiar (and foreboding) about this article. It comes from one of my favorite writers (see the credit and the link below) - not his best one - but good none-the-less (I especially like the daughter's line near then end that starts ""If a boat were sinking an inch a minute..." As I said, strangely foreboding). Enjoy! :)

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THE BOAT RIDE
By W. Bruce Cameron
www.wbrucecameron.com

I am a member of that nearly extinct generation of Americans which actually thinks it possible to enjoy a vacation without hours and hours of cable television. I believe that a lake can be fun even if you don't rent jet skis and blast around at high speed, and when I come up with a list of exciting things to do on a trip, "go to the mall" is not likely to be on it, even if they do have factory-outlet stores.

Because of my antediluvian attitude, I have forced my children to suffer through several "horrible vacations," including one just this summer in which my younger teenage daughter "almost drowned."

She didn't almost anything. I took her out in a rowboat by promising her an opportunity for one-on-one quality time with her father, during which the two of us could talk intimately about anything she wanted and then I would pay her twenty dollars.

I know it sounds as if I were bribing her to spend time with me, but in my view, she was going to get the money out of me anyway, "borrowing" it so that she could go shopping later. This loan would join all the others in a non-interest-bearing note which even Enron's accountants would have ethical trouble calling an asset.

Okay, maybe not "ethical" trouble.

At any rate, we rowed along for awhile, enjoying a silence disturbed only by the occasional gurgle when my oar dipped into the water. Then she took me up on my offer to discuss anything she had on her mind, which turned out to be this:

"Can we go back now?"

"We've only been out for five minutes; let's drift for a bit," I suggested.

"I can't believe this boat doesn't have a motor."

"I don't mind rowing. Do you want to try it? It's a lot of fun," I offered seductively.

"No."

"I brought a rod; do you want to try to catch a fish?"

"No."

"What do you want to do?"

"Go back."

"Wouldn't you rather be out here on the lake?"

"No."

It was, I reflected, one of our more pleasant conversations.

"Dad, what's with the water?" She pointed at my feet.

I frowned. A steadily growing pool of water was forming on the bottom of the boat. As a sailor of considerable experience, I immediately recognized we were in the nautical condition known as "sinking."

"The plug fell out," I noted.

"Oh no!" my daughter shrieked.

"Don't be afraid. We won't drown," I assured her.

"These are new shoes!"

"Just put on a life vest." I held one out to her.

She glanced at it disdainfully. "Could they pick a more hideous color?"

"I'll get us back to the dock." I began heaving on the oars, but the boat had gained considerable weight and responded sluggishly. Not wanting my daughter to panic, I decided to distract her with a question. "Well, we seem to be taking on about a gallon a minute.

With every gallon, our speed slows down by about one percent. Our current rate of travel is around a foot a second, and we have a hundred yards to go. How long will it take us to get to shore?"

Her eyes bulged. "The boat is sinking and you want me to do math?

"It's an interesting problem, don't you think?"

"You're making me nauseated."

"You could take that coffee can and bail."

She gingerly picked up a rusting can. "It has dirt in it."

"Right, that's where they keep the earthworms."

She dropped the can. "Ew!"

"But if you bailed a quart of water every ten seconds..."

"If a boat were sinking an inch a minute, how long would it take my dad to realize he's a complete dork?" she wondered out loud.

We didn't sink, but by the time I got us to shore a considerable amount of lake had joined us in the boat. Our pants were soaked, and my daughter couldn't wait to tell her siblings that in the midst of drowning, I insisted on torturing her with algebra.

Also, her shoes were "ruined," so the twenty dollars I gave her would go toward a replacement pair.

She borrowed the rest.

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>From The Cameron Column, a free Internet newsletter:
http://www.wbrucecameron.com/

Copyright 2007 W. Bruce Cameron. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

More Random thoughts (4 of 30)

I like living in a small town. I like going to the Leisure Centre and the girl at the desk knows who I am and why I am there. I like going to Peavey Mart and having the manager say, "Tim, don't buy that this week - it is going on sale on Saturday". I like going to the hockey game and seeing people I know every 5 feet.

Living in a small town is nice..... you should try it. I have a garage you can live in (Seriously, there is not place to live here - they are bringing in trailers and setting them up in an industrial area just so 196 workers have a place to live) - there is nothing to rent and every hotel is full. Estevan is the place to be! (I will even hook you up with a nice group of people to go to church with)

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I also like the fact that Paul did not try to break my thumb at squash tonight. Last week, he grabbed my racquet and yelled, "You stupid jerk" - then before I could let go he bent the racquet and my thumb backwards so hard I heard it (my thumb) pop. Then he looked out through the back glass wall - saw some little kid looking at him - opened the door and started chasing the kid down the hall way - I think it was "Roid rage" or something. (At least that is the way I remember it happening! :)

I did almost break my thumb when my racquet hit Paul in the back - it was all swollen and blue - Paul is mean sometimes (I know you all think is he nice, but.......) :)

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And lastly tonight, something educational. I can't remember whether I have posted it before or not, but if I have - it bears repeating. Watch and learn.......

I like winter (3 of 30)

It is -10 outside (-21 with the wind chill). I just got back from walking the dog around the mile long loop in our neighbourhood. The storm is still on. Wind is blowing snow around. The streets are so slippery and full of snow that it is hard to walk. My face is stinging and my legs feel a little numb from being frozen...... and I LOVE IT!!!

Seriously.... I would not trade winter for another 6 months of summer. I love summer, the beach, 40 degree heat, etc (I really do - it can't be too hot for me)....... but winter is a challenge! It is like survival and there is something about that challenge that I like.

When I was a kid, I used to dream about being an "Arctic explorer". Clomping through the snow and ice - your eye lids frosting shut - that would be fun!!!

So - to all of you who are hating the weather right now - Sorry - but as long as my truck does not get stuck - b/c I REALLY hate that - some of us are actually enjoying it (except is was not cold enough tonight to freeze my eye lids shut - oh well - can't have everything right?) :)


PS. Dear NFL.... Please return the 6 hours of my life that you stole from me today. Neither team that I was cheering for is going to the Super Bowl! I know it is likely going to be a good game with the Colts and the Saints - but I really don't like either team - so now who do I cheer for????? And what was Brett Favre doing throwing that pass at the end of the game??? Ugh!

Random Thoughts (2 of 30)

Some random thoughts on a Saturday night......


- The new snow is beautiful. Seriously - it is really nice. The kids had fun building igloos and forts in the front yard today


- Katie and I ate an entire package of bacon today at brunch.... just the two of us.... is that wrong??? Discuss (PS. It did not feel wrong..... mmmmm bacon!!!)


- Snow blowers are just about the perfect tool ever made.... useful and fun.... what more could you want????


- Sari works too hard doing lots of things that no one ever really sees. She spent a good share of this day (and many days before this and will for many after I am sure) working on stuff for the "Sister Triangle Ladies Retreat". She makes me tired just watching her.... so I usually just leave the room. Discuss


- At noon hockey yesterday, we did not have a goalie - so the the plan is to try to hit the posts of the net. After missing several times, I got to within a couple of feet of the post, shot the puck and I hit it hard...... Loud "Ding"..... then a loud "clunk"....... the puck came back and hit me right in the head. It came back so quickly that I did not even have time to move. Right between the eyes - off the visor. The other guys thought that I had knocked my teeth out. Question: Am I talented for being able to hit the post hard, or untalented for hitting myself in the head? Unlucky to get a puck in the head or lucky that it did knock my teeth out? (I was not wearing my mouth guard at the time) Discuss.


- I am starting a new class at church tomorrow..... I am calling it "Contact! Reconnecting with God, Your Faith and others". I am really excited.... all about "making our faith fly"...... Come on down if you like (and I may be persuaded to send out "class notes" if you are interested - let me know)


Ok - there you go..... have a good night. See you tomorrow. :)

The Mind is an Amazing thing (1 of 30)

The Mind is an incredible thing..... all you have to do is focus a little and you start to see amazing results. That is part of why I am writing "30 blogs in 30 days". That pressure to see and recognize things (so that I have something to write about) often causes me to see things I have never seen before.


For instance, I had an epiphany while watching the news tonight.


They were talking about the The Olympic torch again and they were showing the route that it took today. That got me thinking...... they unloaded the Torch in Victoria about a month ago - only a few Kms from the site of the games.... and somehow, two days later, it is in the YUKON. Then 2 weeks later it was in New Brunswick of all places


And have you seen the the way it zig-zagged all over the road???? In Saskatchewan it was doing well going down the Trans-Canada at Moosomin, but then veered north to Yorkton, back southwest to Regina, to Moose Jaw and Swift Current (on the Trans-Canada again - almost out of the province.... but no), straight north to Rosetown, the NorthEAST (of all things) back to Saskatoon, then even further NorthEAST to Prince Albert, then finally (after backtracking 1/2 the province) it made a run for the border again going west to Lloydminster (with one more hundred km detour to the south thrown in just for fun) and finally into Alberta.


So I realized...... the Olympic torch is a WOMAN!!!!! She is completely lost!!!!! Can't read the map maybe?????? (She reminds me of a bunch of mini-vans that I have seen driving around in East Regina trying to get from Wal-mart to "Michaels")


Anyway...... try writing on your blog every day and you can have sintilating insights like this as well!


OOOOOhhh (another epiphany)..... maybe the Torch is REALLY a man...... and he is just too embarrassed to ask for directions! :) (Lets put it to a vote - comment below)


(A whole month of this stuff - aren't you excited????? ) :)

Its On!!! (30 in 30)

Its bbbaaaaacccckkkkk!!!!! 30 blogs in 30 days..... the most entertaining.... enthralling..... encapsulating...... exoskeleton (sorry - Meggie has been studying for a science test and that word was in there and I just needed another "e" word) absolutely free (remember that part - you get what you pay for) account of whatever boring thing we are doing for a given month of time that you will find on the internet.


Stories (some of them true even)..... pictures (No not the "peeping Tom" type - sickos!)..... and whatever else I can desperately throw together just to keep my pathetic "blogging every day" record intact so that I feel like I can accomplish something.


So check back often (like once a day would seem appropriate) - strap in and enjoy the ride (I am pretty certain that makes it sound like a lot more fun than it is going to be, but...... at least- if I bore people long enough - maybe they will stop bugging me about not writing, right?) :)


This big extravaganza starts tonight (or later this afternoon - or possibly tomorrow - we will see)


PS. Offer subject to conditions. Must 18 or over. Side effects could include dizziness, confusion, boredom, head shaking and saying "Tsk, tsk, tsk" in my general direction. If this persists....... Suck it up, Sally!!!!! It is just a blog!!!! Get over yourself!!!) :)

"Man stuff"

So I started my "Junior High School Teaching" career yesterday.


The grade 8 girls at Hillcrest (the kid's school and the one where Sari works) are doing a "self-esteem class" (no I am not teaching that one). However, there was nothing for the boys to do (apparently they don't need self-esteem), so they were just going to be sent to study hall.


Then last week the principle came to Sara and said, "Do you think that Tim would do something with the boys?" Since there was no restriction on what I could do with them (other than "don't kill them") I suggested that maybe I could take them over to my garage (it is only 2 blocks away) and we could do "Man stuff"...... learn about how engines work..... tear apart an old lawn mower ..... do some electricity experiments ..... make circuits and learn how to solder .... learn to change oil in a vehicle...... you know - fun, useful stuff!!


Everyone thought that would be a great idea (including about 1/2 the girls who lobbied to get out of their class and come to mine..... sadly they were not allowed to choose and now they have to have "self-esteem" instead of greasy hands and dirty finger nails). :(


My first class was good. The boys are interested... and, if nothing else, they realize that no matter how boring it is, at least they aren't in study hall. :)


So I am enjoying this "being a teacher" thing. I can't wait to get my 2 months off in the summer too!!!!! (I am not sure the church will like that, but it is in the "Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation" contract right?????) :)


PS. Sari just informed me that the word "honorarium" is not a foreign word for "Big money". In fact, she is also doubtful as to my getting the summer off. On the good side though, she did say they may buy me a "Tim Horton's card" to say "thanks" - so that is close enough I guess. :)

Some Gold Medal Thinking

So I have to make a confession - one that may not make me popular with many.......

I HATE THE OLYMPICS! (Stay with me here - read to the end)

I know - I know..... pride in the country, spirit of sport, etc, etc. COME ON!!!! It is all about advertising - politics - money..... the cash that has been spent on getting ready, running the torch, etc could make a real difference in the world.


Not to mention the fact that it is just another week for these guys (in reality) - I mean it is not like ancient times when they got together only once every 4 years..... these guys compete against each other every week. The only difference is that this week they call it the "Olympics" and make a big deal about it (Who watches ski racing any other weekend???? Got if PVRed???? Why not? B/c it is not the "Olympics"! Who cares? It is the same bunch of guys)


Fortunately - I have been giving this problem some thought and I have come up with a way to make the Olympics not only a TV spectacle, but also an interesting sporting event.........


Combine some of the Sports! Think about it........

-Put "Weight lifting" and swimming together. Think about it - all the swimmers line up and think "How much weight can I carry across the pool?" They load up with a couple of hundred pounds, get on the podium, gun goes off, they jump in and immediately sink to the bottom of the pool. Now it is a real "life and death struggle" (as opposed to those stupid metaphorical ones). First one to get to the other end carrying the most weight without drowning wins! I would watch that! :)

- Save money: Instead of building separate "Bobsled/luge" runs and "ski jumping" venues, put them together. I admit - it would not effect the the ski jumpers that much maybe but wouldn't it be fun watching those "Bobsledders" and "Lugers" trying to land those babies a hundred meters down the hill???? I would cheer for that!

- How about putting indoor and outdoor sports together..... like "Downhill skiing" and "Fencing". Two dudes racing downhill with swords and masks..... one dude going backwards at 150 km/h........ it is sport made for TSN!

- For you traditionalists who never want to see real changes...... just re-do some of the sports that already exist. For example, Biathlon (You know - the one where you ski forever and then shoot targets). What if they gave them rubber bullets (so no one got really hurt) and let them shoot their competitors???? Imagine..... "Ole Swenson is in the lead, followed by Lars Lingren...... oh Lingren pulls out the rifle..... BOOM...... oh Swenson is down..... Lingren is catching him..... Swenson gets up...... Boom"...... an all out "turf war" would make some of those boring alpine events really interesting.

- Have figure skating and men's hockey going on in the same arena at the same time. Every time one of the "enforcers" on Team Canada goes by one of the "frilly - silly costumed - gold sequined" men's figure skaters he gets to punch him in the face! "Oooh - that had to hurt..... lets see if he can complete the triple salchow with a broken nose now!"


I am sure there are many other possibilities (List some if you like - I may post some more in a while) but wouldn't that be fun? You could complete the whole thing in 1/2 the time by combining the events - save money - TV ratings would be up - surviving and earning a medal would really mean something.


I can hear the IOC calling me now... I have saved the Olympics!!!!! Wooo hoo!!!!!! :)

Update on New Year's Day

We had one of the nicest "Moose Jaw Christmas" times ever (at least in our opinions). Not sure what was different.... everyone just seemed happy and relaxed...... it was nice. Lenny and I got to go to a couple of "World Junior Hockey" games (on in MJ and one in Regina) - that was fun. We went skating at the Speed Skating oval in MJ (outdoors - really nice) and we went bowling one night too. Lots of food - lots of visiting - it was cold for a few days but it was really nice! (Sari will post pictures sometime soon)


We spent NY's eve out at Bill and Mary Muirhead's (as we have for uncountable NY's eves previously). Again, good food, visiting and Karaoke (which is always funny!) We stayed out there until about 2 am - it was a good time.


Sari's parents also came last night, so we will have "Muller Christmas" with them over the next few days - and again lots of good food and visiting etc. It will be fun!


S0 "Happy New Year" to all. :)