Sunday Nov 12

Murphy

We got Murphy 14 years ago.... and we said goodbye to him today. He was a good puppy!

 

Sunday Stuff for Sept 24

Sunday Sept 17th

Sunday Aug 20

Sunday morning stuff (July 30)

I finally feel like a Pippus

I have always harboured a secret jealousy against those who know their family tree.  Or those who know where their great-great-grandparents lived.  Or those who actually have family reunions (Ok - I realize that last one may be more fun in my head than in real life - but go with me here).

Through a series of odd events (mostly screaming, yelling fist fights) I know very little about the Pippus side of my family. In fact, I still have cousins all around Moose Jaw and I never see them and would not know most of them if you introduced me to them.

However, today I did something that makes my kinship with the Pippus side feel stronger than it ever has before...... I got fingerprinted!

It all started last week when I went to get a criminal record check done so that I could volunteer at the church's "Vacation Bible School".  I filled out the form, waited more than the suggested five days and went to pick it up today.

However, the officer could not find it.  She found Sara's right away and asked, "Did you come in at the same time as her?"   When I told her it was the same day, but a different time she seemed even more confused.

After about 15 minutes, several discussions that I could not quite overhear and some strange looks from the other officers, she finally announced that she had finally found my form..... and that I had been selected for fingerprinting. 

"It sometimes happens as a random thing.... like getting pulled out of line at the airport for extra screening" she said sort of unconvincingly.

The officer asked me to follow her and led me down a long hallway, around one corner, around another one and down another long hall.  As we went, the décor changed from nice, modern office to stark, Communist cell block. 

Then she took me into a room...... in fact, it was THE ROOM where they take people to be identified by others.  You know what I mean...... lines on the wall to show how tall you are..... numbers under which you can stand so that the identifier can say "It was number 3"....... the one way mirror so that they can see you but you can't see them, etc.

Then the officer said, "Sometimes, if your name is like someone else's name, you will get flagged".... and then it all made sense!  Our family joke (one of them anyway) is that there is almost always a "Pippus" on the court docket in Moose Jaw either because (a) my brother - who works with young offenders - has a client there or (b) one of my cousins has been charged with something.   "B" was starting to make a lot of sense.

(Side note:  My other favorite family joke - that I made up is..... "The Pippus side of my family does not do family reunions.... unless you count everyone getting together for the parole hearings!"....... Of course, I am just joking.  No one ever attends the parole hearings!)

The other thing that I noticed was that the longer I sat there, the more comfortable I felt.  It was not a nice place.... very stark.... great big lights ready to shine on each suspect in the line-up..... but I felt very calm.   Maybe not on the surface..... but at some deep, genetic level this place seemed very familiar!  Long, lost memories of "Pippus jail nights past"?   I am not sure, but something made me feel like I was at home.

Anyway, we filled out some forms and the officer said, "I need to take your picture.  Please step up to this line"..... it was the "Mug shot" line!!!

And here is the best part...... I had not seen a mirror since I entered the place, but I had been riding my motorcycle, so when I took my helmet off, it messed up my hair really badly.  When the camera went "zit" and the picture came up on the screen, here I am standing there in my leather jacket with my hair all over the place like Einstein or Carrot Top!!!   I looked like I just crawled out of a dumpster!!!!

"Oh ya" the cop says, "that looks good!"

LOOKS GOOD???!!!!  FOR WHAT???????  A ONE WAY TICKET TO THE POKEY??????

Anyway, then they took my prints (they do that digitally now - not with the old ink blotter method.... that is for all y'alls that have never been "on the inside" like me!) and that was about it.  They led me to the door, thanked me for my co-operation and told me that the results should be back in about 5 weeks.

5 weeks!!!!!   VBS starts mid-August!

Oh well - at least I got a good mug shot on file now!

(This post is dedicated to my mom who - when I told her this story this afternoon - could not stop laughing)  :)

Sunday the 23rd

A Cheer

One of our local newspapers carries a "Cheers and Jeers" section where people can write in and cheer about something in town or complain about something.

Look at what appeared in the last row of the "Cheers" section this week.

The Curse Continues

I wish my first big motorcycle trip had been a complete disaster.  That way, I would have just quit right then and there and saved myself a lot of misery.

The first year my brother "Lenny" and I went to the Black Hills and it was great!  Perfect weather.  Perfect roads.  Tons of fun.  Since then we have endured eight days of rain in BC, freezing temperatures in Montana, more cold and a tornado warning in the Black Hills (part 2), and broken tent poles and being blown off the road in North Dakota.

This year had to be better, right?

Nope!

This time we thought we had a really good plan which was - no plan at all! We really had nothing to see or do, so we dubbed it the "Anything can happen tour".  We should have been more specific and called it the "Anything GOOD can happen tour".  In short, we rode for seven days in Northern Sask/Alberta and got rained on for six of them.

We even tried chasing the sun, to no avail.  In Meadow Lake, we looked at the forecast that said it was going to rain in Prince Albert, but be sunny in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.  Since we did not have a plan and since we knew there was a really good car museum in Wetaskiwin, we decided to head west toward the sunshine.

Half way there it started to rain a little.  About an hour out of Viking, Alberta it rained A LOT!!!  One hour to the east - nothing!  One hour to the west - nothing!  Where we were, where it was supposed to be sunny, 2 inches of rain.

When we got to Wetaskiwin, we found out that the hotel we booked was over a liquor store.  We asked if we could check in early and they said we could, but we would have to pay the hourly rate which was $10/hour.  Interesting that they knew the hourly rate right off the top of their head.  We stay in classy places!

The next day it was still raining, so we looked at the forecast and it said that "Cypress Hills Provincial Park" was in for four days of sunshine.  Decision made and we rode through decent weather all the way to the park..... where it was really cold and wet.  We woke up the next morning to the sound of rain pounding on the tents.

Last stop on this misery tour was a show and shine car show in Weyburn- one of my favorite events of the year.  Usually lots of cars, lots of people, lots of food and just a good time.   But it was raining so we had less cars, less people, no food and not much fun.  So I headed home, only to be caught in the worst rain storm of the entire trip!

I am not sure which one of us is doing something wrong, but which ever one of us it is, he needs to stop it!  I can't take the punishment any more!

It wasn't a total loss though.  We did manage to share some of our joy with others.  For example, as we came out of our hotel in Viking, this man approached us and asked if we were riding those motorcycles, where we were going, etc - standard stuff.   He then said that he was a farmer and that he did not mind the rain.  In fact, they needed it.  We told him that anytime he needed more, he could call as it seemed to be following us around.

As we walked away, an RCMP cruiser pulled into the parking lot, drove up to our farmer friend, grabbed him and tossed him in the back and took off.  The next morning, his vehicle was right where he left it the night before.

We thought about going to the jailhouse to apologize to the poor guy, but we thought that maybe he would get a life sentence if he had any more contact with us.

If anyone knows how to remove a curse, please write to me..... preferably before our next bike tour!

The Perfect Ending to the Perfect Week!

This past week was the 6th edition of the Pippus Motorcycle tour with my brother "Lenny".  We were gone for 7 days..... and we got rained on for 6 of them (and that is the best part of the week..... stories and details to follow.  Check back in coming days).

However, tonight we went to the fair.   I like the fair!  I like walking around and visiting with people. I like watching the little kids laughing and having fun.  I like the small town feel of the whole thing.

Most of all though.... I like caramel apples.

As usual, I waited until the very end to get one.  In fact, the girls actually stood in line and got it for me - and I was so happy!!

Then - I went to take my first bite....... I put it up to my mouth..... and the stick broke!!!!

My precious apple treat fell in the dirt and rolled 5 feet down a hill.  I just stood there in disbelief.

I WAITED ALL YEAR FOR THE FAIR TO COME TO TOWN SO I COULD GET A CARAMEL APPLE AND ALL I GOT TO DO WAS LICK THE STUPID THING!!!!

Sara offered to get me another one, but that seemed silly.

Besides, it was the perfect ending to my bike tour week!

Umm - what now?

Preparing for an upcoming camping trip, I went to Canadian Tire where I saw this.....

It is a package of sticks!!! And look at the price tag above it......

1. Compare the size of that little tag to that bundle of sticks and you will realize that the bundle is not very big and ......

2.  Someone is making a killing on sticks!   $9.49 for a pile of sticks that is smaller than what falls off my tree in the front yard on any given night???  What sort of tree-less concrete jungle do you live in if you can't find a handful of sticks outside????   For that matter, where are you going camping that you can't find kindling and have to buy it at Canadian Tire??????

Then I thought that there must be something special about these sticks.... that they had been doused in some chemical to make them burn better or something.  NOPE!  The side of the box actually says, "All natural fire starters!" 

So here is what I am gonna do..... I am going to stand in Canadian tire - right beside this display - with a slightly bigger bundle of sticks and sell them for $8.

I may have just found my retirement fund!

SundayStuff

You don't know what you got

We have a water cooler at our house, which means that every couple of weeks I have to go to the store and fill the water jugs. 

Every time I do this, I think to myself, "My Grandfather - and certainly my great-grandfather - would think I am a total moron right now!"  You see, they had to haul water all the time and they dreamed of living in a house with running water.  Now I do live in a house with running water and I am still hauling water.

The reality of how nice it is to have hot and cold running water came home to us in a different way yesterday when the main water line for our entire subdivision broke yesterday afternoon.  About a hundred houses and a school were left without water.

It is shocking how many times we turn on a tap in a day.  This really comes home to you when - for the 4869784397389th time - you have turned on a tap that does nothing but gurgle at you.

However, all is well this morning.  We woke up to running water again and we were super happy to have it.  If you did too, you may want to take a second to think about how even the little things that you take for granted are very nice. 

Sometimes, you don't what you got until it is gone.

Observations from a Motorcycle

It is motorcycle season again (yaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!!) and in honour of this I would like to share some observations that I have made over almost 70 000 kms of riding.

1.  Everyone waves at you when you ride a motorcycle.  Little kids..... older men.... babies who are asleep in their mother's arms..... everyone waves at bikers.  Bikers even have a secret "biker wave" that they do when they see each other (I would tell you what this is..... but then I would have to kill you).

2.  Everyone wants to talk to you when you are on a bike.  Pull into a gas station in says Butte, Montana driving a minivan - no one says a word to you.  Drive in on a bike and you will have at least three guys talking to you about where you are from, where you are going, what you are riding, telling you how many bikes they have in the garage, etc.  This actually happened to Lenny and me in Butte.... and it happens all the time everywhere.

Both of those things are sort of nice.  Especially the people talking to you.  I really enjoy that part.

The other interesting thing is that the waves and the conversations are different based on gender.  For example......

1.  Men wave at you in a "Hey, buddy!!!!  I wish I was riding a bike!!!   Rock on, dude!!!!!" (Or whatever it is that the cool kids say now) sort of way.

Women, on the other hand, wave at you in the same way that they might wave at someone walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls or at a lion tamer in a cage.  It is sort of a "Ummm - golly - I am glad you think that is fun, but I don't so I hope you don't hurt yourself" sort of way.

Editor's note:  All kids,  regardless of gender, wave like the guys do..... they are just happy to see someone doing something that looks like fun.  Maybe there is a lesson there too.

2.  Men, as noted, talk about things like where you are headed, what you are riding, how long you have been on the road, etc.

Women talk about the weather..... EXCLUSIVELY!!  I was sitting at a gas station in Brandon, Manitoba when out of the blue this very nice lady walked up to me and asked, "You aren't going to Winnipeg are you?"   When I told her that I was turning north and going to Dauphin she replied, "Oh good!  There is a huge storm outside of Winnipeg!" and then she went on her merry way.

Now, what does all of this mean?  Well, a smart people would realize that one ought to pay more attention to the ladies than the men.  The ladies seem to have your best interest at heart (even if they do not know you at all) while the men just seem to be saying "Have at 'er, dude!!!"

Unfortunately, I am a dude so.........Rock on!  (Or something like that)

One small step for a man........

(Estevan, Sask)  Auto repair history was made last night when Tim Pippus performed the world's first known "mirror-ectomy".

      (Pictured above:  The donor mirror on the left and the newly replaced mirror, ready for install on the right)

"Hero is probably too strong a word", Pippus said.  "People throw that term around way too loosely in my opinion,  I will let history decide how it wants to remember me. I think a statue would allow people to gaze on it and come up with their own words" he mused.

"I have to give a lot of the credit to my father-in-law, to be honest. Many times, when he was faced with difficult situation, he would quote a co-worker who liked to say 'God hates a coward!' Those words of semi-wisdom kept ringing in my head and - in the end - it all worked out".

The procedure involved taking a rearview mirror from a parts car and replacing the actual mirror in it with the mirror from another one that was found in the project car.

"I looked at it several times and determined that the mirrors were exactly the same shape.  Having never heard of this procedure before, I was unsure whether it would work, but my team and I just took it step by step".

The procedure became necessary when Pippus determined that the mirror from the parts car part was too far gone.  "The silver was coming off the back making a bunch of lines across the field of vision.  I am getting old and my hair is getting a little thin, so I did not want to look in that mirror and see a bunch of lines on my face too" Pippus said.  "I had to do something!"

Working with very small screwdrivers, Pippus carefully rolled back the plastic edge on the found mirror and then worked to pry it off the plastic backing.  "It was glued pretty good.  I wasn't sure I was going to get it out without breaking it", he said.

Once it was out, he moved on to the mirror from the parts car.  "This one was glued in a lot tighter, so I worked even more carefully with it...... until I realized that I did not need this one at all.....  and then I grabbed a hammer and smashed it into millions of pieces..... most of which ended up in my hands!"

The next step - after First Aid - was to take the good mirror and wedge it into the frame of the one from the parts car. 

"This part went fairly well.  Truth be told, I thought about the fact that I had just smashed a mirror which some say should bring me 7 years bad luck and I was prepared to see the entire endeavor end in failure, but, fortunately, I dodged that bullet".

Summing up this momentous event, Pippus mused, "Some may read this and think, 'What a cheapskate!!!! Just go buy a new mirror!!!!!  There are like 9438678468765 of them on Ebay!!!.......  but my response is, 'Where is the adventure in that?  How does the science of car repair get advanced with that attitude?  What if Sir Edmund Hillary looked at Mount Everest and said - Bah!  Who cares?  I took a risk here and I think it paid off.......... beside, I am a cheapskate!"  :)

Pippus noted that he has cleared his entire weekend calendar to accommodate the media frenzy that he expects to erupt now that the story has been confirmed.   "I thought Jimmy Fallon had called this morning..... but it turned out to be someone asking if I wanted my furnace cleaned.  His name was James - which is a form of Jimmy - so, clearly, it is just a matter of time!"

A Day of Firsts

Recently, some friends of ours (Darren and Sandra) bought a couple of kayaks.  As we talked about that one day Darren said, "You guys kayak and canoe on the Souris once in a while, right?  We should go together some time".  That sounded like fun, so I told him to pick a day.

Well, today was "sometime" and the maiden voyage for them.  Sadly, Sara was away, so she had to miss out on this one.

As you can tell from the pictures, it was sort of cloudy and a little breezy, but all in all, it was a lot of fun.
 

As we were going along, Darren said, "Look at that guy!" and here is what we saw......



Its a huge snapping turtle.  It was about the size of a basketball (or bigger) and it had a spikey tail (you can see that in the picture) and huge claws.  We always see tons of little turtles when we are down there.  They are always out sitting on the fallen trees in the sun, but this is the first time I have seen a big guy like this.

At first I thought it was dead because it was just laying there, but it turns out that he was just cold.  Darren gave it a poke with his paddle and it started moving very slowly.  I challenged Darren to pick it up and cuddle it until it got warm - just to see what would happen..... but he refused.  Chicken!  :)

As I said, it was a little windy but a good first day on the water. Darren and Sandra had a good time too and so I am sure that the four of us (and anyone else who wants to come) will be doing this a lot more this summer. 

It is always fun to be on the river.  :)

One man's junked car is another man's treasure

Those of you who religiously follow this blog (and why wouldn't you?) will remember that my buddy Nathan rounded up a parts car for my 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger project.  The parts car looked like this......

Well, today Nathan and I went out and starting gathering things I could use from that car and ended up with this pile (and a bunch more stuff in the box that I was just too lazy to display or that just did not make it in the picture)

A perfect grill, signal light lenses, a gauge cluster, rearview mirror, all kinds of trim pieces (inside and out), tail light lenses, a steering wheel and a bunch of other odds and ends that I need now or could possibly use later.

And - the best part - this is just the first go-around.  There is a lot more good stuff out there.

Proving once again - one man's junk is another man's treasure.

Or it proves that it is good to know a guy who knows a guy who has what you need.

Or it is good to have a buddy like Nathan.  :)

Sunday Stuff

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

I (Tim) turned 48 today. 

I do not tell you that so that you will wish me a happy birthday or tell me how great I am (though the comments section is open below - just saying), but I point that out to say this...... I enjoyed my birthday this year!

In the past, I have not paid any attention to birthdays.  In fact, I normally ask, "Why would you give me gifts on my birthday?  You should be giving stuff to my mom as she is the one that did all the work.  I didn't even get dressed for the occasion!"

But I enjoyed today.

It started with nice cards from my three girls...... then I had a really enjoyable visit with my mommy on the phone..... it continued with one of my church buddies bringing me a Strawberry Sundae as an afternoon snack...... then a supper out (which my future son in law secretly paid for)..... back home for cake and a very nice gift...... I got a small portable battery charger/battery booster that I can throw in my saddlebags and use on bike trips.  I have thought for a long time that I would like to have one.... now I do!

I was going to post some pictures but our email account is having issues for some reason so I can't send them to the computer - but I will post some again tomorrow.

So the Happiness lesson for the day..... enjoy the blessings and the kind, thoughtful people in your life - not just on your birthday, but everyday.

Turns out, birthdays are not so bad after all. 

Old Photos of Estevan

I love old photos, so when I came across a site that had some old shots of Estevan, I thought I would share it.  Click here.   Enjoy!

Mother's Day/Pictures/The Happiness Project #26

It is "Mother's Day".   Around our house, we normally do not do much for either this day or "Father's Day" (cards with mushy stuff written in them etc) but I just wanted to say that Sara and I are super thankful for our mothers and all they have done for us.... and I am really thankful for Sara and all wonderful things she brings to our family. 

I hope you had a good mother, or found someone to step into that role for you, because they make a tremendous difference not just when you are a kid but all through life.

Anyway - we basically hung out this afternoon and so Sara got her camera out and took a few pictures.  I think (if I remember right) the yellow birds are Golden Finches - I think they are beautiful.  The one with the red on him is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak - just so you know.

I never really noticed birds till Sara started pointing them out to me - but they are cool (PS.  The first picture contains only flowers - no birds - so don't strain yourself trying to find one)



As I said yesterday, it is our own little "Wild Kingdom" in the backyard.  You should hear it at night.  Beautiful!

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The Happiness Project:  Use Ambition Wisely

C S Lewis once said, "Ambition! If it means the desire to get ahead of other people…then it is bad. If it means simply wanting to do a thing well, then it is good".

Happy people are not in constant competition.  (And I bet that I am the first one to post that today!  Wooooooooo!!!!!!!....... see what I did there?  I turned a quote about not trying to beat everyone into a....... oh never mind!)  :)



A Quick Update/The Happiness Project Reminder #25

Just a quick weekend update for all y'alls.......

Sara spent most of the last two days working in the yard.  You should see it...... it is beautiful.  Come on down and sit in a our backyard for a while and listen to the 9679376376897 birds she has drawn in back there.  It is really nice.

Speaking of birds, Megan took some pictures of some beautiful yellow finches..... I will try to get those downloaded and posted tomorrow.

Megan is enjoying her last few days of freedom before she starts work on Tuesday so she had a buddy over for a sleepover/hangout last night.

Katie and Kendall went to Regina today as they had a bunch of running around to get done (some wedding related - some not).

Sara and the three kids all went to garage sales last night.  I was going to go, but then I remembered that I sort of hate garage sales.   In fact, I went the week before and half way through, I walked home. I like swap meets where you may see some automotive stuff or some antique interesting stuff..... driving around town to look at a bunch of stuff that should have been thrown out is not that appealing to me (though I will say they did come home with some interesting things).

And me - well I spent most of the weekend working on my project car.  In fact, I cut and welded up my exhaust system up to the muffler  (I still need to buy a tail pipe for it yet - or build one) and installed it.

Then, today, I was out there and I thought, "I wonder how it sounds now" so I dumped some gas in it and ........ it was so nice!!!   In fact, hearing it has made me want to get the thing on the road as soon as possible (not that I wasn't working toward that - but you know).  Anyway, it was nice to see things coming together and feel like there may be a reward coming.

Then I did a bunch of small jobs for Sara - things that she has wanted done but I had not had time to do until now.... and that was most of the day.

It is fun to get away and see new things, but sometimes it is just fun to be home and get stuff done!
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The Happiness Project:  Reminder #25

Someone I follow on twitter posted this from "Life Advice".  If everyone did these 7 things, we would be a long way to something better.

Habits of happy people: 1 don't show off 2 talk less 3 learn daily 4 help less fortunate 5 laugh more 6 ignore nonsense 7 no entitlement

What to Expect this Sunday morning

Beautiful Day for a Ride

Turn it UP!

A fun, summer-ish sort of song. Enjoy! :)

Ba Ha HA!!!!!!

Katelyn had said "goodnight" and headed downstairs to get ready for bed, when she returned with this weird look on her face.

"Megan" she said. "I have a confession to make.... I just used your toothbrush!!!  And not just a little bit - I full on brushed everything - even my tongue!"

At which point, Megan made a sound as if she had just been kicked in the gut!

Then they both stood there shaking their arms going "Oooooh..... eeeewwwww" and stuff like that.

Then Megan proclaimed. "Its like you just made out with me!" - which made them both say "Eeeewwwww!" even more.

The moral of this story is many fold.....

A.  Sleep deprivation is real and dangerous.  Katelyn has been getting up very early lately.

B.  If you share a bathroom with someone and use the same brand of toothbrush, it is best not to leave them side by side.

C.  Having kids is the best thing sometimes!

D.  (According to Megan tonight) It is better to go to bed without brushing your teeth than to brush your teeth with a toothbrush that you and your sister have both used!

They are sweet girls..... bless their hearts! (As Sara's southern aunties would say when they want to say something rude but are stopping themselves)   :)

Weekend report/The Happiness Project #24

A warm weekend meant a lot of activities.....

- I plated my motorcycle on Friday so I took it for a ride around town and then out to Oxbow with a buddy for ice cream

- Sara got out in the yard and cleaned up a bunch of stuff.  We also built some trellises for some vines to grow on

- We had a couple of bon fires

- And the first races at Estevan Motor Speedway took place.  My brother (aka Lenny) came down for them and here a few pictures courtesy of him.

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The Happiness Project Reminder

Sara has this on our wall - I thought I would share it:  

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude - Denis Waitley



Sunday Stuff

Here is what we are talking about tomorrow.  Come on out....

A Scientific Discovery/The Happiness Project #23

Some of the most exciting scientific discoveries have been pursued.  Take Pierre and Marie Curie, for example.  They chased after an understanding of radiation until the effects of it actually killed them.

Other discoveries are more or less stumbled over.  That is what happened to me last night.

I rode my mountain bike to the church building.  Last summer, I did not ride this bike at all because any day that was nice enough to ride the bike was also nice enough to ride my motorcycle.  Not much of a contest there.

Then this past winter, I hurt my shoulder and for the first time in more than 28 years I did not play hockey (In fact, I am certain that I have been on skates every year for the last 44 or 45 until this past winter too). 

All that to say - I was feeling lazy and out of shape and I thought that riding my bike would be a good way to get back into the swing of things.

And then it happened!  You have heard of "Continental Drift" (the scientific theory that states that earth used to be one big land mass that broke into chunks and moved away from one another).......

Well - last night.....  I discovered "Estevan Drift".

Our house is definitely much, much farther away from the church building than it used to be!!!

I used to be able to bike over there without breaking a sweat.  Last night I was puffing and straining and thinking about how much nicer it was when these two locations were closer together.  My legs were sore and rubbery.  I was really tired.  It was bizarre!  Even more strange is the fact that no one else has noticed this yet, but I can't come up with any other explanation.

So there you go!  Sometimes you chase great discoveries and other times they find you!  :)
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The Happiness Project:  Think in Concrete Terms

We need to be able to measure our progress.  You can't accomplish an abstract goal.  Saying, "I want to be a better parent" or "a better worker" or "a better friend" is almost useless because it is too vague.

To be motivating and bring real improvement, our goals must be specific.  Without this you will always be frustrated.  How would you know if you were a better worker or not? 

A better way to think is to say, "I want to finish this task in half the time".  That way you can tell if you are improving.  You will find out if your goal is realistic or not.  It will give you something to work on.

Happy people think in real, not abstract, terms.

So this Happened/The Happiness Project #22

So most of you have heard this by now, but this happened this past weekend.

I think Katie was a little concerned that we were not a lot more excited when they called to say "We are engaged" (they were in Ontario at the time), but we were/are excited/happy/thrilled/etc.

However, it is not a huge surprise.  They have been dating "FOREVER!!!!" (in her words) and he asked our permission when he was here over winter break, so it is the obvious next step.

It is sort of like...... if you survive basic training you gotta expect that you are gonna be thrown into the war soon, right? (Maybe I should have come up with a different analogy there......)  :)

Anyway, we did not say anything till they told people, but now it is on Facebook so now everyone knows (including some kid in Bolivia who has never met us - that is how the internet works right?)
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The Happiness Project Reminder:  Our lives are very easy (Generally speaking)

One of the phrases I have used a lot lately is "Our forefathers would kick us in the backside".  Usually this is said when people start complaining about stupid things.

For example, whining about having to drive to Regina for something.  I get that it is inconvenient sometimes and that you may have better things to do...... but the trip from Estevan to Regina used to be a two week trip not that long ago.  Riding a horse is fun for an hour..... it is not so much fun when you have to cross half a province on one.

Or when people complain about the taste of tap water.  My Grandfather used to dream of the day that he would own a house that had hot and cold running water.  Only the super rich in some big city somewhere else had that luxury (Mind you, in spite of the fact that I have running water in my house.  I still haul water from the grocery store every week ..... and if anyone is standing near-by I often say, "You know, if my Grandfather could see me he would kick my backside")   :)

I very clearly understand that there are real problems that real people really need to deal with - and I am willing to listen to those and help any way I can.

But most of us are way more spoiled than we know and it would do us good to see our blessings and not just our "problems".  It is a much happier way to be....  and it may avoid your butt getting kicked!

Signs of Spring/The Happiness Project: Reminder #21

It is a little known fact that the ancient Aztecs (or some old-timey group of people somewhere that people often refer to when they want to talk about history), watched for four infallible signs of spring.  They are.....

1.  The appearance of the Majestics Car Show.  In this yearly ritual, colorful automobiles of all varieties gather in one large group in Regina, Saskatchewan.  This gathering is quickly joined by the species "Mechanicus Oilius".  They are easily recognized by their long beards, hot rod shirts and general grease smell.

This gathering, happily, took place this past weekend.

2.  The first sighting of "Motorcycle Experience".  This TV show can be found on TSN and it fills the gap between the time when the weather warms up almost enough to ride and actually plating the bike and hitting the road.  Sitting in the basement and watching other people ride and talk about riding is enough to tide one over till the real thing happens.

I have watched three of them now.

3.  The mountain bike cleanse.  In this ritual, our four mountain bikes are freed from their winter hiding, given a once over and test ridden,

This happened today..

4.  Lastly, the re-birth of the Estevan Motor Speedway.  The lilting sounds of V-8 engines screaming in the cold night air and the intoxicating smell of burnt racing fuel make this the pinnacle of the seasonal celebration.

This glorious event takes place this coming Saturday at 5 pm and lasts throughout the warm summer months.

So there you have it.  Irrefutable proof that spring has surely arrived.  Ask any Aztec.... they know..
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Happiness Project Reminder #21:  You (or I) do not have to have an opinion about everything

Over the past week, I have started saying, "I do not have an opinion to share about that".

Now..... you will note that this phrase allows that I may actually have an opinion - in fact as a breathing, thinking person, I likely do - but here is the cool bit....... I don't have to share it.

In other words, I don't have to tell you what I think about what you choose to do..... I do not have to comment on how you spend your time or your money..... I don't have to have input on how you raise your kids, or what you think about the government or whether you like Taylor Swift or not!

"I do not have an opinion to share about that" keeps me out of needless arguments and out of commenting on situations where I have no influence anyway.   In other words, it keeps me from thinking or talking about things that make me angry or frustrated.

Now, if you start doing something that is actually going to harm you in some serious way, of course I am going to speak up.  However, if you decide to wrap yourself in velvet and wear a fez on your head...... well, actually I may say something about that too.

In general, the less I concern myself with things that have nothing to do with me, the happier I am.

Give it a try  I bet it works for you too!

Beauty is where you find it/The Happiness Project #20

Some do not realize that there is a waterfall in Estevan...... well, ok, it is not a waterfall.... it is more of a weir.... or a small dam..... or a spot that a little water tumbles a short distance. 

However, if you look at it the right way, it is beautiful..... as Megan shows in this picture that she took yesterday when we went for a walk in Woodlawn on Sunday

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The Happiness Project:  Be a Peacemaker

Tonight, we were recounting the numerous times that I have "lost my nut" on someone in the past.  In my experience, it has rarely turned out to be good thing.  In fact it most often just results in more mess.

My happiness book says.... "If your friends and family are upset with one another, or you, then you we feel it.  Try to be a peacemaker.  Be the voice of reconciliation and reason.

That really is a good idea.

Majestics car show/The Happiness Project #19

I went to the Majestics car show in Regina on Saturday. I did not want to spend the whole day taking pictures, so here are just a few to give you a taste.

Sara likes VWs so I took a picture of this one for her.  She would actually drive this one - even with the paint like this

I liked the colour of this one.... it was different but nice

This was the only Dodge Dart Swinger that was there (This is a 71 I think and mine is a 73).  I got in a big conversation with the owner and even asked if I could look under in it because I wanted to see how the exhaust was routed etc.  

Here are two old Triumphs that I liked

A 1925 Henderson..... very rare

I always say that Majestics is the first real sign of spring - so yaaaaaayyyy!!!!! :) ________________________
The Happiness Project:  Try to think Less about the people and the things that bother you

There are an infinite number of things that you could spend your time thinking about, but many of us concentrate great attention on those things that we find the most upsetting.  Don't ignore the things that bother you, but don't focus on them to the exclusion of the things that bring you happiness and joy.

Sunday morning stuff

It is a gift/The Happiness Project #18

I feel sorry for most of you.  You lead such boring lives!

Katelyn and I, on the other hand, get special attention wherever we go.

Megan and Sara go through the border - nothing!  No one hardly pays attention to them.

Me - I go through screening at the airport..... "Sir, you have been chosen for extra screening.  Would you like the pat down here or in that room over there with extra personnel provided?" (I took my pat down in broad daylight right there in front of everyone - it was fun!)  :)

Yesterday, Katelyn drove to Ontario.  To get there, she had to cross into the States.  Border guard asked her where she was going and why.

She told him "Rainy River, Ontario to see my boyfriend".

He asked her some more questions and then said that "the computer" had randomly chosen her for extra screening (Right!) and that she needed to proceed to door C.

Once inside, they asked her several more times where she was going, where she was stopping in the States (no where other than to get gas 1/2 way there), who she was going to see in the States (no one).... where are you going again?????  Etc.  They even made her write out her story and then searched the SUV.

In the end, they said, "Have a nice day" as they always do to me too.  She was there an extra 20 minutes or so.

My conclusion:  I think that we must have something special about us.  People are just attracted to us and want to spend more time with us than they do with most other people - but of course they are too embarrassed to say that out loud - so they "detain" us and ask us to sign things so that they have our autograph to remember the day by.

It is hard being so popular.

Or maybe it has something to do with the lengthy criminal records that my uncles and cousins have.  Either way - we get to visit with way more people than most!  :)
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The Happiness Project:  Reminder #18 -  Most of the time it is not what happened but how you think about what happened

There is no objective way to tell whether you have had a good life, a good year, a good month, a good day or a good hour.  In most circumstances, things are what you choose to call them.  What one person may see as something bad, the other sees as something good.

The golfer who wants to play on the weekend hates seeing the rain while the farmer suffering through a drought is overjoyed.

Therefore, because you get to decide how you want to see the events of your life, you get to choose your story.  Happy people don't always get what they want, but they look for the good until they want what they have.

Kid Report/Happiness Project Reminder #17

Megan finished up her last final exam today and so her first year of university is officially in the books.  She came home this afternoon and it is nice to have everyone under the same roof again.

A few years ago I posted this picture of Megan learning to change the oil in her truck, Fonzi.

Today, it was Katie's turn to learn on their SUV.

I like that my kids want to know and try things.  It is very cool!  (And it may get me out of doing all the oil changes someday!)  :)
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The Happiness Project #17:   Volunteer

Every community has countless opportunities to give and help someone else.  You could teach English to those who are new to our country.  You could help out at your local school.  Libraries are often short staffed and looking for help.  In fact, every service group I know of is looking for people to join in and help out.

One of the best decisions that I have made during my time in Estevan was to volunteer at the "Estevan Motor Speedway".  Not only does it allow me to be around cars and mechanical stuff, which I love, but it has opened up an entirely new group of people to get to know.  Also, unlike most of the other things that I am involved with, I do not run things at the speedway.  I have a couple of specific jobs to do, which I think are fun, and that is it.  The big responsibilities belong to someone else, but they are glad that I am there to help out.

If you are interested in something, chances are there is a group in your town that is interested in it too and they are probably looking for help to do it.

Volunteers have a sense of purpose, they feel appreciated and they are less likely to be bored or dissatisfied with their lives.

It is hard to be unhappy when you are connected to other people, doing something you like and are contributing to something bigger than yourself.

A Couple of Random things/The Happiness Project #17

First this.......

I don't know why I thought this was funny when I saw it..... maybe it just seems like they are struggling to make it sound interesting or important or something.....


"Question Period is the top program on TV!"

"Well,  ok, it is the top program on CTV at least" (We are not talking about those US stations.  They have a lot of shows that are better than Question Period, obviously!).

"Come to think of it, even CTV has shows that are much better than Question Period, so I guess we could say that it is the top political program on CTV!"

"Then again, there is that show on Thursday from Ottawa.  It is really good..... so let's say that Question Period is the top political program on CTV on Sunday!"

"You know, though, that Ottawa show only runs every other week, so let's point out that Question Period is the top weekly Sunday Political show"

"You are kidding me!??  There is a higher rated political show on CTV on Sunday night????  Well, fine, just write that we are Canada's top weekly political show on Sunday morning"

In fact I think they were going to go with....  

"Question Period:  Canada's top weekly Sunday morning political program that does not have a dog on it but does have two guys named Doug - which gets sort of confusing sometimes - that is shot with more than two cameras but less than five in a room that is 20 degrees Celsius or less" - but they ran out of room.
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We will now also ask that you rise, remove your hats and observe a moment of silence for the Toronto Maple Leafs who played a very fun style of hockey and ran the best team in the league to 6 games before running out of gas and getting bounced from the playoffs tonight (sniff, sniff!)

Oh well!  At least now I will get back a huge part of my life.  I have sat on the couch watching hockey so much lately, I almost got enfolded into it.

Oh - wait - the Oilers are still playing right?????  :)
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The Happiness Project: Reminder #17   Don't think "What if"

Spending your time imagining what would have been if you had changed various decisions that you made in your life is counterproductive and only leaves you unhappy.  We need to learn from our past, but it is more important to dwell on what you can do to make the future better.  Don't waste your present days thinking about how you could have changed the past.

However you got to this point, you are where you are and all you can do now is choose where you want to end up.

Happy people think about what can be changed and made better, not that which is done and gone.

Picture this/The Happiness Project #16

Sari is home from a short trip to Manitoba to see her friend Laura and so I will post some of her pictures on here maybe today or tomorrow.

However, speaking of pictures makes me think of a quote I saw recently....

"Fun is what people have between taking pictures".

I am not saying that I do not like having pictures of things.  For example, the other day I went back and looked at a bunch of pictures and videos from the motorcycle trips my brother "Lenny" and I have been on and they made me smile.

On the other hand, though, I there is a big part of me that hates carrying a cell phone and an even larger part that says "Put that stupid phone away and just enjoy where you are and what you are doing!".  

So, over the past few days, we have gone on walks, spent a whole day cleaning up the yard, we had a bonfire and a bunch of other stuff, but we have no pictures to post at all.

Reminder #16:  Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just enjoy the thing that you are doing!

The Secret to Home Cooking/The Happiness Project #15

Some of you may not know this, but I (Tim) consider my self something of a food expert.... a "foodie" if you will.

So when Katelyn asked me to divulge the secrets to my culinary success..... well, it was only natural of me to.........  wait........ what?????  

Oh ya!  That is right!!!!   I am not a foodie at all!!!!   In fact, I hate that term so much that I just punched myself in the head for using it!!!

To me, food and eating are just about survival.  So, with Sara away, Katie and I decided that we ought to BBQ some burgers.  She had never done this before so I showed her how.

We did not blow ourselves up..... and (as far as we know so far) we did not give ourselves food poisoning.

That is about as foodie as I can get!  :)
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Happiness reminder #15:  Satisfaction is Relative

Your happiness is relative to a scale you yourself have created. 

If your measure your happiness right now against the two or three greatest moments in your life, you will be unhappy because those moments can never be duplicated.  If, on the other hand, you measure today against some of the toughest days you have had, you have all the reason in the world to appreciate this point in time.

The same goes for comparing your life to others.  It is completely pointless!  You are not the same as anyone else.  You did not have the same experiences growing up.  Even children from the same family had different advantages and disadvantages from one another just based on when they were born.

You can look at someone else and think, "Their life is so much better because they have ____________" (fill in the blank) and yet it quite possible that someone else (or maybe that same person) is looking at you and saying "Their life looks so good because________" (some other thing).

Here is the thing:  There is no objective definition of success.  Success and happiness are judgment calls - and you are the one that has to make those calls for yourself.

So - are you happy?  Content?  Do you feel like your life is being spent well?

If not, what will you change?

NHL Playoffs/The Happiness Project (Reminder #14)

I love the first round of the NHL playoffs!

I love that the players actually care about winning (rather than a game in say February where they often float around like it does not matter what happens).

I love "sudden death overtime" and staying up half the night wondering what will happen.

I love the upsets that always come along with the first round.  For example, no one gave the Maple Leafs much hope of making the playoffs this year.  Then, when they did, they had to play Washington who had the best record in the regular season and no one gave them much hope of winning a game much less the series.  Now, after three straight overtime games, the Leafs are up 2-1 and are playing a really fast and fun to watch style of hockey.  For a guy who has cheered for them since he was 6 years old, it is nice to have something to cheer about.

I still wish that the playoffs would start earlier in the year and be done about now.  There is no way I am going to care much about it past this round because it will be too nice outside to waste nice. hot summer days sitting inside watching guys play a winter sport..... but I still love the first round.

So if you see me at the office or around town and I look a little sleepy..... maybe I have been up watching hockey till all hours of the morning..... but even if I am sleepy, I will likely be happy!  :)
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Happiness reminder #14:   Happy people realize that they don't have to do anything

Do you realize that unless you are in prison, you do not have to do anything?

I said that to someone recently and they said, "I have to go to work!"

Well, no you don't!

You choose to go to work, but you don't have to.  You could sell everything and live in a cardboard box if you wanted to.  Granted, most people don't want to do that so they choose to go to work.  But that is still a choice.

Speaking of choices, you certainly do not have to work where you work.  Again, that is a choice.  You could change jobs and do something else if you really wanted, but you choose to work where you do.

You do not have to live the lifestyle you have right now.  You have chosen that too.  People all over the world live with more or less than what you have - you have chosen what you wanted and the payments and obligations that you now have reflect those choices - but you still chose it and you could "unchoose" it by selling everything and downsizing if you really wanted.

Here is the point: When we make ourselves victims.... when we act as if everything in life is out of our control.....we will be unhappy.  No other outcome is possible!

Truth is that there will be some things that you can do nothing about, but the majority of the things in your life are there because you have consciously or unconsciously chosen them - therefore you have the power to change them, make them better or choose something else.

You are not powerless.  Life doesn't just happen to you.

Happy people spend their time doing what is important and valuable to them so that at the end of the day, or the end of their life, they can look back and say "That was worth doing!"

What is important enough to spend your life on?

Editor's note:  This thought was inspired by an article that was written by a junior hockey coach.  Have a look here......

https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/confessions-of-a-junior-hockey-coach-why-do-you-play-2/

The Happiness Project (Reminder #13)

Those of you who watch the "Canadian Football League" will know the name Henry Burris.  He played quarterback for the Riders, the Stamps, the Tiger cats and the Redblacks.  In fact, he won the Grey Cup with the Redblacks and then retired last year.

He is now starting a career in television.

In a recent interview, he was asked about how his new career was going and what the learning curve was like and he said...... "Playing in the world of football has prepared me for the pressures and the stress you have to deal with. That’s allowed me not to get caught up in the moment and make things bigger than they are."

I love the last part of that quote!  

Happy people are even-keeled.  Happy people don't blow things out of proportion.  They don't get overly excited..... overly hopeful..... or overly down.  

That is not to say that you go through life stoically not feeling anything, but it does mean that it is likely best to avoid the extremes.   

Building things up to be better than they are is only a recipe for disappointment.

Wallowing in your own misery is just a good way to waste your potential.

Therefore, be happy about good things..... be sad when it is appropriate..... and keep things in perspective.  

Doing so not only levels things out, but it allows you to learn new things from everything that you go through whether good or bad.

And - for the times when you cannot fix or get around something - here is some good musical advice from Canadian singer/song writer Sarah Slean.

Have a good week!

Victoria, BC (Pictures and video)

This past week, one of our former church members passed away and his family graciously asked if I would come to Victoria and do his funeral service for him.  I had a really nice time with this family (in many ways, they are like family to Sara and me) and I was really glad to be there.

While it was not at all the point of the trip, there was a little bit of time to go sightseeing.  As well, one of the family members organized a whale watching touring for about 20 of them, so I got in on that too.

Here are a few pictures and some video of the trip.

The view out my hotel room window on the only day we saw the sun (and that was only for about an hour- it was cold!!!)

Walking along the shore

Down in the harbour

I liked the floating houses.  Even stopped and talked about them with a lady who was out painting her flower boxes (They are on city water and sewer - just in case you were interested as I was)

We had some visitors

On the whale watching boat.  This is part of the cabin.  You could watch from inside or walk all the way around the outside on the deck

Sea lions in the sun (or what there was for sun)

The top boat was the one we were on

And some short videos 

I was treated really well and was very glad that I not only got to participate in the service and be with the family, but most of all, to have just been part of their lives.  Over the years, they blessed my family more than they know.

Sunday stuff

A Cool Idea/The Happiness Project (Reminder #12)

What you see about is a cool fundraising idea at Sara's school.  A person from the art gallery came over and had each child do a painting.  The paintings were then framed and put on display during parent/teacher conferences and the parents were given the opportunity to purchase their child's picture.  After two nights, the public was invited to come and buy the remaining works.

This cool idea raised about $2000 that will go to new playground equipment.

I just thought it was a creative way to do things and that it looked very nice!  Well done!  I am sure other schools will copy this in the future.
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Tell someone how important they are to you (Reminder #12)

I am getting ready to do a funeral next week and it has made think once again about the fact that we often do not say nice things about people until they are gone.  We may think those things.... we may really appreciate people..... but we never it.

So, why not change that?   Call someone, write them an email or just sit someone down and tell them what you like about them.  It will make both you and them happy.