Halloween (Blog 7 of 30)

Many times I think, "I wish I still had little kids".  I miss the girls a lot..... but today is not one of those days!!!

It is Halloween and it is raining!!!  Like cold rain!  Like, "I am sure glad that I don't have to go out trick or treating with little kids" sort of rain!  :)

As I remember it, we never did trick or treat in the rain (Sara says she remembers taking an umbrella with her one year - though maybe that was during her "Mary Poppins" phase and she is just confused).

But, on the other hand, rain isn't so bad.   At least it is not snow.  We had that couple of times when I was a kid.

One year I had the coolest looking pirate costume.  I had a plastic mask, a hook for your hand and a plastic costume sort thing (It was like a poncho that went over your clothes).  The problem was it was -40 outside so the mask froze to my face, the plastic poncho thing became so brittle that it was breaking off in chunks and the wind was howling down Caribou street in Moose Jaw so hard that it almost blew us to Regina.

On the upside I think we got more candy at each stop that year because (A) They thought we deserved more for being so brave and going out in the cold and (B) The faster that people could unload all their candy the faster they could turn out the lights and not have to open the door to the cold anymore ("Here, Kid, open your bag..... you just hit the jackpot!"..... Swoosh!!!)

So now we are sitting in our warm house watching other people get wet and freeze with their little kids...... and I still miss it!!  (sniff)  :)
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One of the teachers at Sara's school had the fun idea of getting the staff to dress up like "The Price is Right".  She made name tags, money total boards, the principle was Drew Carey.... it was hilarious!  The kids were invited down to the office to play "Higher or Lower" and other games.  They gave out prizes and I think someone is even going to win a trip (A trip to 7-11... but a trip none the less).

And here is a "Pumpkin Sampler" courtesy of Sara.

Really???? (Blog 6 of 30)

I understand that life gets busy at times.  In fact, I have had a super busy day today myself.  However, I don't think that I have ever been this busy.

This is what we found in the parking lot at "No Frills" (a grocery store - for those who don't live here) yesterday.

What is it?  It is the plastic top that you find on the inside of a stick of deodorant.

How much of a hurry do you have to be in that - as soon as you get to your car - you have to grab your newly purchased deodorant, rip the top off, fling it on the ground and then race off to your next appointment????  I am just guessing here, but I would say that if you find yourself in that situation, you may be a little over-scheduled.

Of course I could be completely wrong about the scenario.... maybe someone was "power shopping" so hard for their groceries that by the time they got to the car and unloaded everything, they were a completely sweaty mess.  Maybe the deodorant had less to do with being in a hurry and more to do with "self-defense" (so to speak).... some of those cars are really small ya know?  Get trapped in there without some help and things could get ugly fast.

Either way.... They should have remembered what Smokey the Bear says, "It is never ok to litter" (or something like that)  :)

The Decorating Challenge (Blog 5 of 30)

Sara has an eye for design.  For example, take a look at what she has done with our guest bedroom....

Quite homey, no?   I think she should call it "Urban Hoarder" (the bed is under there somewhere)

So, what is actually going on?  Well, as you may know, we just got Megan's bedroom back together, so now we are charging on to the next project..... the living room.  All that stuff in the bedroom came from the living room as you can see here.



Over the next couple of weeks we should have painted walls, new flooring, new baseboards, etc.

New house guests are unlikely though. :)

Sunday Oct 30th Stuff (Bonus post)

A Day (or at least part of it) in Pictures (Blog 4 of 30)

That is what I woke up to this morning. 

Then it was so nice after work that Sari and I went for a walk out by Rafferty Dam.  Here are some pictures from both of us (If you are really brave, try to guess who took what!)

 

What a Stupid Election!!! (Blog 3 of 30)

So election day has come and gone...... and ONCE AGAIN I DID NOT GET ELECTED AS MAYOR!!!!!

I know what is going on here.....  it is RIGGED!!!!  The whole thing is rigged!!!!!  The polls..... the media...... the entire thing is against me!!!!!!

I am so mad..... next time I may actually run for something!  :)

PS.  Congrats to all who got in!  You will do a great job and I look forward to seeing what you can do for the city.

Two Observations (Blog 2 of 30)

This picture of my garage door was composed by me (as you can probably tell from the artistic lighting, the fact that I have used the "thirds" principle to compose it and the fact that I used the word "composed" instead of saying - "This picture I took".... all of which are things I have overheard Sara and her camera-nerd buddies say to one another - but did not really pay any attention to because I did not care).  Anyway, this beautifully composed picture will illustrate two stunning truths that I have discovered in the past 24 hours.

1.  A person uses their refrigerator way more often than they realize.  As some of you may have read yesterday (click here), our fridge died and we are now getting by with my garage's mini-fridge. 

It has been a weird experience!  For example, today at lunch Sara turned and went to put the sandwich meat back in the dead fridge that is still sitting in its old spot.  Old habits are hard to break.

I dare you!  Count how many times you go to your perfect, cold, lovely, working fridge in a day.  I guarantee you will be shocked!!!

Which leads to the next observation.....

2.  My garage is farther away than it seems.  This is relevant because the aforementioned mini-fridge FROM my garage is still IN my garage!!!!  

Now you may be asking yourself, "Why did you not bring the portable, little mini-fridge into the house?"  My answer would be, "Ask Sara!"  :)

Actually, I think I may know the real answer...... We have not moved it into the house because she said that she thought that we did not need to and now - whether I was right or not - she cannot go back on her proclamation.  :)

Now, I must say that I am quite proud of the fact that she has been making the trek the out there 46748967894769456959 times per day (including this morning at 7 am in the frosty morning breeze) without complaining one bit, but come on!!  Who else has to put their shoes on to go to the fridge???  Anyone?????   Show of hands.   I didn't think so! 

There is one up side to all of this though.  She is not going to get a chance to read this blog before I post it and if she happens to not see the humour in it....   at least I will have access to a fridge full of food when I am forced to sleep in the garage tonight!  :)

Time to Say Goodbye (Blog 1 of 30)

I had not planned to start blogging again this soon, but sometimes circumstances force you to respond.... and this is one of those times.

Today, we said goodbye to a loyal friend....... our old refrigerator!

Fridgy, as we called her, (Actually she did not have a name....  We only name cars, trucks and motorcycles..... we aren't freaks, ya know!) came to us 18 years ago as part of a farm auction package deal that mom and Laurie found for us.  Fridge, stove, washer and dryer all for $500.  As of today, the stove is the last piece standing (though not for long). 

Fridgy had a full life before she came to us and in the intervening years she began to show her age.  A little duct tape here, a missing chrome piece there and some very strange gurgling sounds at night may have bothered other people, but not us!  Fridgy kept most things cold (or sometimes frozen solid if she was having a little fit) and just did her job year after year. 

When Sara got up this morning and found warm butter in Fridgy's door, we knew she was gone.  Of course, we pulled her out into the middle of the floor and hit her re-set button frantically trying to bring her back...... but when her compressor softly squeaked and quit again, we knew that her time had come.

I blame myself, though.  This past weekend, as I was killing time at the mall in Moose Jaw, I stopped in at Sears and began looking at new refrigerators.  I even said to Sara, "Maybe it is time to swap that old one out.  But it seems a little silly to get rid of something that is still working"..... now we don't have to worry about that part! (sniff!).

So...... we went shopping after work and we will have her replaced in about a week. No sense crying over warm milk, right?  :)

Here is what is happening at church - Sunday Oct 23

That's all folks! (Blog 30 of 30)

So it ended up taking a little longer than 30 days, but this is it.  The end of the line for another 30 blogs.

It is also the end of the line (mostly) for another project - Megan's downstairs bedroom.  It only took about 6 months to recover from the flood damage (we didn't do a thing to it over the summer - there were too many other fun things to be doing outside) but it went from this......

To this.....

It still needs curtains, some stuff on the walls and a Megan, but other than that it is ready to go again.

So there you go!  The end of the basement project and the end of the blog (for a while).  I write this blog to share some of our pictures and to let people know what we are up to..... but mostly I write it because it is fun!  I like the challenge of having to come up with something new, weird or interesting every day.

Jerry Seinfeld once said that "Having fun is a particular skill and not many people have it".  If he is right (and I think he is) then that is sort of sad.  Be serious when you need to be, but if you are going to survive, you better be able to laugh and have some fun too.

Anyway, I am taking about a week off (Exhaustion is the enemy of creativity, ya know) and then I will likely start another "30 blogs" - just for fun.  I will let you know when that happens.

One last thing - I am old enough to remember when TV stations used to sign off for the night by playing the national anthem.  Since I am signing off for a while, I thought I should play something appropriate, but since the anthem has been used I chose this.  Enjoy!  (Listen to at least the 50 second mark when the drums come in - it is very cool..... in a Scottish sort of way!)  :)

Why are there people on my food (29 of 30)

Without a doubt, the all-time best food in the world is...... the potato.

Mashed.  Fried.  Baked.  French fried.  Some even like them raw (but they are freaks! Who eats raw potatoes?????).  You simply cannot go wrong.

Unless......

The other day, as I was peeling potatoes, I noticed something odd.  Something on the package.

For some strange reason, the potato people think that I want to see who grew my potatoes.

Why do I care?  

I WANT TO EAT THE POTATOES..... NOT MEET THEIR FOSTER PARENTS!!!!!!

Then the next day I was helping with supper (because I was told to - not because I am trying to portray myself as some master chef here. My idea of high cuisine is not burning my store bought meat pie!)........ Anyway, I was washing up some cherry tomatoes and on the inside of the package.....

Three tomato dudes!

I don't get it!  Are they supposed to taste better because I now know that they were "lovingly picked by Todd, Ralph and Herbert"????? (Those are not their real names.... they just look like Todd, Ralph and Herbert to me).

I DON'T CARE!!!!!  SAVE THE MARKETING MONEY THAT IT TOOK TO GET TODD, RALPH AND HERBERT TO POSE FOR THIS PICTURE AND MAKE MY MINUSCULE CONTAINER OF TOMATOES COST LESS THAN $28.99!!!!   HOW ABOUT THAT, RALPH, TODD AND HERBERT?????   THAT WOULD MAKE ME LIKE YOU GUYS A LOT MORE!!!!

It is getting a little creepy, don't you think???  What if they did that for all products that we buy???  Step into the shower..... look at the bar of soap..... picture of some long haired high school dude on it..... he is pointing and winking at you and under his picture it says...... "Lovingly crafted by Doug".

From now on I am only buying orphan foods.... ones that do not have a clue who their family was!
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This rant reminds me of a joke that I heard one time from a stand-up comic named "Danny Bhoy".  He said.....

"I was in a restaurant the other day and saw the most ridiculous thing in my life.  The menu said, 'Corn fed, farm reared breast of chicken'.  And I thought.....

I don't care about its childhood!  I am going to eat it not interview it!"   :)

A Beautiful Day (Blog 28 of 30)

We have been working hard on the basement (still trying to get it back in shape from the summer flood), but then we decided to take a break and go out and enjoy the beautiful day and each other's company.

Sunday stuff (Bonus post)

Here is what we are talking about at church this Sunday......

Sara on the United Way Telethon (Blog 27 of 30)

Sara's Breakfast program at Hillcrest school gets a large portion of its funding from the "Estevan United Way" and so, every year during their telethon they have Sara come down and explain what the program is all about. 

In past years, this used to freak her out!  She did not like the idea of being on centre stage, being interviewed, etc.

Then last year, she realized that she just needed to talk about how excited she is about the whole thing.  She loves the kids and she loves her job and she just needed to let other people feel that passion and love too.

All that to say, she knocked her interview out of the park this year!  She was charming and excited and even made a joke about me (which wasn't very nice - but she owes me a few from the many sermons where I made jokes at her expense).  :)

Great job Sari!  We are proud of you!

Thanksgiving leftovers (Blog 26 of 30)

Ok - so I took a few days off over the Thanksgiving long weekend and I have to admit that I am not really back into the swing of things yet. 

So I don't have any really interesting stories to tell unless you want to hear about how I mudded Megan's room.... then sanded half of it off.... then put more on.... then sanded.... then put too much on.... then sanded....... if this was a union job, I would have never ending job security here. 

Speaking of the room, we did get it painted this weekend (pics to come) and Sari put baseboards back on all around the family room and the bathroom.  In other words, we are 80% recovered from the flood, so we can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel which is a good thing.

So - for your thought of the day - I have this:   An article about Genetically Modified Foods.  It seems that most Canadians are COMPLETELY against them and, yet, at the same time know absolutely nothing about what they are or how they are created.

This just adds to my theory that most people do not take the time or have enough information to think deeply about things.  They simply see or hear something that says, "Such and such is bad" and from then on their minds are made up.

Read the article by clicking here and see what you think (and I mean actually think for yourself - not just what you are told to think)

Sunday Stuff (Bonus post)

Hey guys!  I called this the bonus post but actually this is all you are getting today.  Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are looking for a place to go to church tomorrow, come join us!  This is what we are talking about.....

A Question and a Quote (Blog 25 of 30)

While working on my 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger (see here) and changing the oil on my motorcycle for the last time this year, I was reminded of a favorite question of mine and a favorite quote from someone else (I can't remember who).

First, the question (which I may have offered on the blog a while ago)......

"What do you do just for fun?"

Not "What do you do that makes money.... gets you noticed by others.... makes you look cool.... puts you in or out of a certain group"..... but rather "What do you do just because you like to do it?"

My observation (based on many suddenly awkward conversations) is that most people do not have an answer for that question..... and I think that is sad!

I love tinkering on things in my garage.  In fact, building a garage was the best "keep Tim sane" (or as close to sane as he can be) moves ever!!  It is good to have a distraction from your everyday world.  It is fun to learn new things and new skills.  It is good to get off the couch, shut the TV off and go do something useful.

Which leads me to the quote part of this post.  Someone once observed.....

"We used to be known for what we produced and now we like to be known for what we consume".

The blacksmith (for example) used to be respected because he could make anything you needed (well, anything out of iron..... you may not have wanted him to bake you a cake).  People earned respect as craftsmen or for making farm implements or clothing or........  now we brag about what we bought, got to go watch or where we have been

Don't get me wrong, I am all for entertainment and having a good time - I just think it is healthy to be able to get to the end of the day and say, "I did ___________" whatever that blank is (That is why I write this blog.  It keeps family and friends up to date with our lives but it is fun too - especially the stupid and silly stuff.  I like the challenge of coming up with stuff, seeing stuff differently etc).

So, let me ask you.....

What do you do for fun?

What are you making today?

If the answers to those two questions come to mind quickly, I would say that you are well on your way.

Everything is Bad for You!!!! (Blog 24 of 30)

You may remember that a few weeks ago I ranted about how, if you believed all the studies, everything is cancer causing and everything is bad for you..... including household dust (to review that rant, click here).

Today I came across an article detailing five things that dentists do not recommend.  You can read that article here, but let me summarize for you.  They do not like.....

- Dark soft drinks (think "Coke")
- Hard candy
- Juices (especially apple and orange - too acidic)
- Ice (changing temps between teeth and fillings causes fillings to pop out.... and never chew it!!!!)
- Vinegar

So that begs the question, "What on earth is left??????"   Or more accurately, "What would they recommend for drinks and snacks?"   Well, you can read that article here, but in summary they liked......

- Plain milk and buttermilk
- Fruit and raw vegetables
- Plain yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese
- Hard boiled or devilled eggs
- Nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- Melba toast
- Salads

Oh - ya - I can see that..... (sitting at the hockey game)  "Hey Tim, I am going to the concession.  Do you want anything?"

"No thanks!  I brought some Melba toast and some buttermilk!" (Crunch.... crunch.... crunch)

Pass the Coke!  :)

Have you ever noticed..... ??? (Blog 23 of 30)

We saw Seinfeld in 2011 and he was great!  Clean, funny - it was a good night!  I am really looking forward to seeing him again.

Just to get in the mood, here is a random Seinfeld joke for you.....

 Bozo the Clown. Do we really need "the Clown"? Are we going to confuse him with Bozo the Tax Attorney? Bozo the Pope?  :)

Do you have what it takes (Blog 22 of 30)

In honour of the fact that I am done riding my motorcycle for the year (I got 6800 and some kms on this year - about average), I thought I would create a self-test designed to see if you are a closet motorcyclist and simply do not know it yet.

Keep track of your answers and I will tell you what it all means at the end.

1.  When you go on a three week vacation, do you like to pack (a) everything that you might ever possibly have the urge to wear - including your winter parka even though it is June, (b) So many shoes that it would make Imelda Marcos blush (c) Two shirts and a extra pair of jeans.

2.  When driving in a torrential rainstorm, do you (a) Pull over to the side of the road until you can see more than 1/2 a mile (b) turn your windshield wipers to "high" and keep going (c) think things are going really well as long as you can see 10 feet ahead and only half of your shirt is soaked from water getting through your jacket zipper

3.  Which of these names sound the best to you:  (a) Taurus (b) Grand Am (c) Hayabusa

4.  When on the road, you like to eat (a) at high end restaurants with names that no one can pronounce (b) fast food (c) whatever is left over on the shelves of the gas station convenience store (or if it is a special night, a pink hot dog from the never ending hot dog roller in the gas station convenience store)

5.  Bugs make you smile most when (a) they are outside and you are inside (b) they are dead (c) they are splattered all over your helmet, jacket and pants

6.  When choosing a vehicle,  you value (a) comfort (b) affordability (c) outrageous insurance prices and costly parts that come with not being bored on the road

7.  Which of these guys is cooler (a) Donald Trump (b) Bill Gates (c) Arthur Herbert Fonzerelli (aka "The Fonz")

8.  You think the best way to hit is the road is (a) in a minivan with every friend you have ever had (b) in a pickup truck with a couple of buddies (c) all alone with no one to tell you that when to stop or what you should go see or not see

9.  When in Regina, you find yourself drawn to (a) the symphony (b) Value Village (c) All Sport Sales, Prairie Harley-Davidson and Reed Leisure centre

10.  Your favorite smell in all the world is (a) French perfume (b) Food cooking in the kitchen (c) the smell of a leather motorcycle jacket

So there you have it.  If you answered "c" to any of these, give me a call.  I have a couple of "winter project" motorcycles with your name on them.  :)

A Simple Thought (Blog 21 of 30)

It was a Wednesday night in December 1992.  I had just finished teaching Bible class and at about 8:30 that night I jumped in my car and headed to Moose Jaw.  I was going home for Christmas.

I remember that trip for three reasons..... 1. I was worn out and was really looking forward to being at home and having some fun.... 2. Some friends from church (Dana and LaWanda to be exact) had given me a Christmas present - a cassette tape (yes - a cassette) of the soundtrack to the movie "Pure Country" - so I listened to George Strait all the way home ...... 3. It was a clear, moonlit, freezing cold night.

That last detail is the one I remembered first tonight. 

You see, as I drove through the black and the cold I thought about how cool it was that I was taking my own little comfy climate with me.  What I mean is that I was sitting in the driver's seat wearing a t-shirt with the heat cranked and the tunes blasting.  Without the car and the micro-climate it created for me, I would be frozen and miserable - but I was toasty and happy.

Why did I think about that tonight?

Well, I went to a speedway meeting and as I ran from the door of the Beefeater to my truck I got completely soaked.  Like it was raining hard.... pounding down.... super cold..... and I thought, "Boy am I ever glad to have a nice, dry, warm house tonight".

Can you imagine living on the prairies back in the settler days when all you had was a one room sod shack and maybe some sort of wood burning stove in the corner to keep you warm.  On a night like this, you would be cold and damp all night (and that is if the rain stayed out - which it likely wouldn't) and this was the nice weather.... in a few months it will be much worse.

Here is the deal:  Every once in while I am prone to pouting about what I don't have.  But you know what?  Even the simplest blessings are a huge deal if you take the time to stop and think about them.

Thanksgiving is coming up - so have a look around - you likely have a lot more to be thankful for than you have to gripe about.

Sunday stuff (Bonus post)

Because my mommy asked about it.  :)

The Last Ride of the Summer??? (Blog 20 of 30)

There is just something that seems right about riding a motorcycle to a stock car race.  Maybe it just the connection between the crude nature of race cars and motorcycles.  Maybe it has to do with the grunginess of some (note - Some) of the people who do each of these things.  Maybe it is just that you get to wear a helmet for both of them.  I don't know.  I just know it feels different when you arrive at the track in your minivan (That being said, though, if the choice is minivan or stay home - take the minivan - But maybe pass on wearing the helmet).

So when I heard a few weeks ago that the little town of Flaxton, North Dakota (just over 1/2 hour from home) was holding a race today, I determined to go.  The fact that it was a beautiful fall day made it that much better!

Now, this was not a world class event.  It will never be on "Wide World of Sports" (if that still existed) but it had a certain old school charm about it.  In fact, it reminded me a lot of the race track that I went to as a kid in Moose Jaw.  Old cars of all makes.... mostly just out there for fun.

Anyway, if this was my last ride of the summer, it was a good one.  A warm, sunny day....  good highway..... a fun destination to ride to (not to mention - no storms or being blown off the highway in torrential rain - as was the theme of the year).

All in all - a great day!