Closing Ceremonies and a few other things (25 of 30)

So the "Festival du Lennys" closing ceremony has taken place. It began (as it started) with the traditional "eating of Bacon" (with this being part of both the opening and the closing ceremonies - we don't expect the Festival participants to make it past the age of 55 - but we will have enjoyed our time anyway)... then the Lennymobile was boarded and all that was left was the dream of next year's Festival.

We had thought that we were going to get to drown our sorrows with a visit from "Cirque du Mooneys" - but unfortunately our tickets got cancelled (apparently a few of the performers needed naps, etc)...... so we made up for that by doing something that I have wanted to do for a long time..... we went and played hockey at our local outdoor rink.

It was great! A beautiful day... Nice sunshine... The sound of skates cutting ice and sticks hitting pucks... Us laughing and having a good time.... And I ended up with way better looking "hockey buddies" than I get when I go play rec hockey. :)


A few pictures to remember the day by......

Here is Megan getting ready to high stick anyone who takes the puck from her

Katie showing that she can be equally as intimidating

Sari looking happy about getting ready to "high stick" me

The action was intense

The "before" shot.....

Then the violence started (what is a hockey game without a good scrap?)

Sari during a break

A "team picture"

Post game in the locker room - waiting for the TSN interviews.

PS. When trying to show off to your girls it would be wise to check the ice for various cracks, holes, etc. I was showing them how fast I could skate with the puck - then I passed it off to Megan - turned to see what happened - caught an edge in a crack - fell and smashed my elbow into the ice and bent my wrist back really badly. Some may say that I should be smarter than that now that I am over 40 - but I did the same thing on an outdoor rink when I was 28 (ish).... only that time I banged the back of my head on the ice too. Oh well - as the song says, "The Chicks Dig it!" :)

Festival du Lennys - Day 2 (24 of 30)

It was a treacherous day....

The traditional "Festival du Lennys" includes several events including... going to a Bruins game, tobogganing and watching the Daytona 500.

We took care of the Bruins game last night.

This afternoon, in spite of -25 wind chills, we went on to the tobogganing event (sponsored by the "Estevan Chiropractic Centre" - or at least it should have been). Both of those things were great fun..... it was the 500 that caused us trouble.

I "PVR"ed the race - so went we got back from sledding, Lenny I sat down to watch it. To make a long story short, the PVR crashed at lap 63 out of 200..... so I reset it and tried again - crashed. Again... crashed. That is when I called the Sasktel help line.

Now, I have to start this section of the story by apologizing to "Neil the Help Desk dude".... he was nice and tried to help. Did a disc check over the phone and he said that they were able to find a fault on the hard drive, so they fixed it. Then he said, "That may allow you to watch the end of the race.... but maybe not".

By the way he said "Maybe not" I knew that he meant, "Not a chance - but I am going to get you to hang up with some hope so that you do not get mad at me" - that didn't work out so well for him!

I launched off (nicely) into a description of how "disappointed" I was at the fact that the ONLY THING THIS PVR IS DESIGNED TO DO IS TO FLAWLESSLY RECORD IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THE DAYTONA 500... and how I was pretty sure that BELL (Yes I did - I said the "B" word to a Sasktel guy) would be glad to prove to me that their system actually works..... "So how are you going to compensate me for this?" (or something like that) was my last question (I did not yell at poor Neil - in fact I told him that I would not yell at him and that I knew it was not his fault - but he was left with the impression - in no uncertain terms - of how serious it is to mess with the events of the "Festival du Lennys"!! (Ya don't want to try swimming in cement shoes - If you know what I mean)

Anyway - that recording was lost - but fortunately the race ran overtime and I had thought ahead and recorded whatever was on after the race - just in case it did go over time.... so in the end we got to see the last 78 laps, we saw the winner's interview (which was really nice - google it - it was cool) and got in all we needed to see.... with 14 minutes to spare on the recording!

So "All's well that ends well" - except for Sasktel who may owe me a month of free programing (and a different PVR) - don't mess with the "Festival" people... we are not known as the most "even keeled" family in the world! :)

Festival du Lennys - Day one (23 of 30)

Day one is complete... here is a review of the events.....

- Cook and eat 30 pounds of Bacon for brunch (mmmm - bacon)

- Watch some of the Olympics - make rude comments about athletes who could kick our cans without even having to stretch first (and those are just the girls)

- Go to Peavey Mart and receive free gifts from my manager buddy (Seriously - hats and shirts... why???? Just because.... )

- Out to Adam and Trinda's new house, run into him on the road - get grand tour

- Back home and watch the Nationwide stock car race from Daytona

- To the Bruins' game with all the kids - were given spongy pucks (would rather have won the $529 dollar 50/50 draw - but spongy pucks are fun too)

- Back home - more Olympics

- Stay up till 1:15 watching truck race from Daytona (this decision may come back to haunt me tomorrow morning if my brain refuses to work in any coherent fashion)


So every time Lenny comes we get free stuff - hockey tickets, toques, pucks and shirts one year - spongy pucks and hats and shirts today..... I can hardly wait for tomorrow (NEW MOTORCYCLE.... NEW MOTORCYCLE.... NEW MOTORCYCLE!!!) :)

A totally different Festival (22 of 30)

So Sari and Katie are home from the "Festival du Voyageur" in Winnipeg.... and now we are just starting the "Festival du Lennys". My brother Kurt (aka Lenny) and his family have made a tradition of coming to see us on the "Family day long weekend". We will likely go sledding - we are planning to go to a hockey game - we will watch lots of racing from Daytona..... I will keep you all updated - but I am looking forward to it lots! :)

Me, Mumpy and some other stuff (21 of 30)

Katelyn and Sari are in Winnipeg tonight - the french club from school went to the "Festival du Voyageur" (Sari is chaperoning) - so that just leaves Me and Mumpy (Megan).

Every February Sari goes to a Ladies' retreat thing and in the past couple of years Katie has gone with her - leaving just Me and Mumpy...... and I really look forward to that.

Don't get me wrong - I miss the other two (that sounded sincere hey.... "I miss the other two - whatever their names are") - but normally Mumpy is a little more quiet - a little more reserved - a little more in the background. However, for one weekend each year (and this year it has become two weekends in a row because of the Winnipeg trip) it is just me and her..... and you can guess who is in charge.

Tonight we went for supper at Boston Pizza - it was a really nice and fun date. Everyday I get to hear a lot about what is going on at school etc, but it is really nice to have just that "one on one" time. We went shopping for some Valentine's Day stuff for a friend of her's that is feeling lonely (don't worry - the friend is not a boy - that would be a whole other thing).

She could go to the retreat this year too - but she is choosing to stay home - partially because she thinks that the talks would be boring, but also because she wants to hang out with me (she already has swimming, bowling and more eating out on the sched).

Every year at this time I think that I need to individually date my girls more - someone hold me to that and remind me that I think that is a good idea. Thanks!


PS. I don't want to be too overly dramatic here (because we all know that is not my style).... but I think Sari is trying to assassinate me!!! I felt like was going to die last night!!! My head hurt - my body ached - I could not sleep - my nose was running..... and then Sari leaves town so that she is not here when they find the body (less suspicious that way right?) So I sent her a text today and told her not to spend the life insurance check just yet because I think that I may just pull through. She called me tonight and asked "How are you feeling?"..... I think she sounded a little disappointed when I said "better". I am not accusing her of poisoning my food last night or anything, I am just saying.... if something bad happens to me, make sure her next husband doesn't waste all my money going to Starbucks - I HATE STARBUCKS!!!! A Venti latte ...... it is a "Large" you idiot!!! And no coffee should cost $4.75.... I am not interested in making all the payments on some jerk owner's BMW here - I just want a coffee!!!! OK??????


PPS. I am deeply disappointed that no one has watched and commented on the video below - you are missing out (though thanks for the "Oasis" responses).

Simon Cowell/American Idol Judge - Part 3 (20 of 30)

This was so much fun the first few times, I have another video for you to watch and rate (American Idol style). This one is "Valentine's Day" themed too - so have a look and fire away with the reviews including a "number out of 10" rating (Please also note how much of the video that you watched - I am betting most people will not make it past the one minute and 23 seconds mark - nothing special happens at that point - it is just a guess) :)

PS. See the "Oasis" post below and add your comments there too if you like - I think that is interesting.

My Oasis (19 of 30)

So I am not feeling well tonight. I am tired - a little achy - I have the sniffles - and I am wrung out. Out of ideas for sermons and classes. Out of energy for people and problems - I am just "blah".

So it was almost time to go to bed when I switched the TV to Sari's favorite channel "Oasis" and a show called "My Oasis" came on. The premise.... people from all over Canada talk about their favorite place to "get away" or to get "recharged". A guy in Quebec City talked about sitting on the roof of a museum above the crowded streets below. A girl in Northern BC took us skiing in deep powder on a mountain. A guy in New Brunswick talked about fly fishing on a river. A man from Tofino likes to kayak to the adjacent islands. A computer geek in Ottawa has a home observatory where he spends countless hours looking at the stars. (I noticed that for some reason they kept skipping over Estevan. What's up with that????)

So - that got me thinking.... Where would you take that show? What is "Your Oasis"? What is the best place on the planet to you and why? Give me one specific spot. I think that would be interesting - so give it a shot.

Me - I would choose..... one of three....

1. Crescent Park (in Moose Jaw) A little bit of nature right in the city - ducks in the creek - flowers, trees and green grass everywhere - people walking together on a nice summer night

2. Buffalo Pound Provincial Park (20 minutes from MJ). That was the place my family (mom, brother, sister, grandparents, uncles, everyone) went camping every summer. We climbed hills - played in the ravine - swam in the lake got lost in the trees - play football on the grass - went to the store (that is still there) for fudge sickles. I bet I have a story about almost every inch of that park.

3. Kenosee Lake (North east of Estevan where our Bible camp is) I used to associate Kenosee with work - we have spent many Saturdays building and repairing things at the camp - but I also associate it with tons of stars in the sky while canoeing across the lake at midnight (just for fun) - quiet trails - nights around the campfire. Not the best lake - but a nice place.

Back to the TV show..... One guy was from Orillia, Ontario and he had a rustic cabin right on the shores of Lake Simco. I could have gone there right now. Quiet, secluded, water lapping the shore - wow!

The other day I saw pictures of the newest national park (it is in Labrador)... big lakes, mountains, trees and nothingness. That would be nice too.

Take me somewhere where I can climb, canoe and see the stars - that would be a good start!

What about you? Do you have an Oasis?????

A More Serious Thought (18 of 30)

(Just to prove I can think more deeply than what this blog mostly portrays)

It has been an odd day.... a day that was full of reminders to me. It has been a day where I spent some time with two grown men whose dad passed away suddenly last week. Even though these guys are in their 40s and their Dad was in his 80's, he was still their Dad. They are handling things very well, but they were close to him and nothing is quite the same now. I am going to the funeral tomorrow because I know the boys, one of the sisters, a grand daughter, a couple of the great grand-daughters and I knew the man himself. He was fun! Always had a story to tell - many about riding motorcycles. In fact, he just bought a 3 wheeled motorcycle last fall. It was always fun to run into Manfred in the coffee shop and I will miss seeing him.

When I left those boys, I went to the hospital where my step-dad's brother is awaiting a room in nursing home. Diagnosed with cancer last fall, Albert has been in and out of hospital in Regina and here for the past several months. I was not sure that he would remember me, but when I woke him up he knew who I was and started talking my ear off! It was nice. He told me not to live to 85 years because that is too old.... but he said it with a smile (as he teased the nurses and acted just maybe a little worse off than he was - he got a little more attention that way). Albert looked better than I thought he might, more lively and more - well - like Albert - and that was good.

I came home thinking about those two visits and (not to get too melodramatic) how lucky I am to be right here, right now. We are in a good place. There are no big threats to our health and happiness. Everything is good - maybe not perfect - but good.

One day we will look back on today and wish we could live it again. Today reminded me that I better live it now - even (or maybe "especially") if that means just appreciating the little blessings that I enjoy - because it may not be this way forever.

The Non-Super Bore and an Olympic note (17 of 30)

So that was may be one of the most fun Super Bowl nights that I can remember. Interesting game - I didn't really care who won - back and forth play - down to the last minutes to decide it - more than 28 points scored (all I was hoping for was more than 28 points - I did not want to see a 6 - 3 game like some years)..... it was good.

My buddies Matt and Shady Shane came over. We had wings and chili and chips and cake and coke and popcorn and candies.... and sugar rushes. Lots of laughs - lots of fun - it was a good night.
____
From Sportsnet.ca .... check this out.... "A view of the non-Olympic competition side of the Cypress Mountain ski fields, beside where the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Winter Olympic events will be held north of Vancouver"



Isn't that bizarre? It looks more like an Olympic mountain biking course than a ski hill. Good thing they have been making (and piling) snow further up the mountain (they are going to push it down onto the course just before competition starts).

I think they should hold the Alpine events in Estevan..... we have tons of real snow here - no meed to waste time and money making it - think of the money they would save (Mind you - most of those savings would be spent on building a mountain - but our governments have made sillier decisions).

Can you hear it???? (16 of 30)

Speedweeks has started in Daytona! The "Shootout" tonight.... the Duel 150 qualifying races on Thursday... truck race Friday night.... Nationwide cars on Saturday.... and the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

The family du Lenny (or is it "de Lenny".... "le Lenny".... "La Lenny"???? I don't know) are coming next weekend for their annual "Family day weekend/Bruins' game/Watch the Daytona 500 together" trip.... so I am really looking forward to that.

Cars on the track in Florida also means that it will not be that long until cars are on the "Estevan Motor Speedway" too (OK - it is actually several months and several feet of snow away - but a guy can dream right??? I am even wearing my "EMSpeedway" coat as I type this).

Anyway - tons of racing this week. What fun! (If you can't find me in the office this week, I may be at home....... sick!) ;)

Simon Cowell Part 2 - too funny! (15 of 30)

I had so much fun with "SC part 1" that I thought I would do it again. Same deal... watch this video - rate it out of 10 and explain why you rated it as you did (and if you have not watched and rated the "Our Lady Peace" video you are welcome to scroll down and get in on that one too)

Whatever you do though - don't skip this one. :)

Your chance to be Simon Cowell (14 of 30)

I heard this song on the radio today. It is not new, but I finally really listened to the lyrics. I can take or leave the verses, but I really like some of the phrases in the chorus ("Pulled me out of that flat line" - for one). I think it is interesting.


Have a listen and play Simon Cowell for me - give it a rating out of 10 (and add an explanation if you like - why you rated it as you did).


PS. I held my 4th "Grade 8 boys tear apart the lawn mower engine" class today. When we started I did a review by holding up various parts and asking them what they were - they knew every one of them. Then I pulled a new part out of the engine and said, "Ok smart guys.... what is this?" Several of them answered at once and said, "A camshaft". I asked them how they knew that (b/c they knew nothing before we started) and they said, "You told us that last week". I thought about it foer a second and remembered that I had pointed to it and said, "That is the camshaft - we will deal with it next week" - and that was it. They are listening - how cool is that! :)

Here you go...... rant away...... 1 being "So horrible you want to vomit stuff you have not even eaten yet" and 10 being "As perfect as my wife Sara" (She reads this thing once in a while and I figure that will score me some points! Gotta think ahead right?) Ok - vote please.

It happened again (13 of 30)

Every year I think.... "That is so boring. Only old people watch that. I would rather poke my eyes out than watch that!"

No I am not talking about "Reba" (though that certainly does apply)...... I am talking about curling. The "Scotties Tournament of Hearts" is on and I have been sucked in again.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE curling - playing it anyway. Where else can you yell "Sssswwwwweeeeeppppp.... huuuurrrryyyy hhhharrrdddd" at your friends - in public - and not get odd looks???? (The yelling is my favorite part).

I don't like watching it in person (I went to the Provincial women's playdowns when they were held here one year) that is super boring!!! You can't tell who has shot rock - the players stand in the way of your view (phhttt - jerks!) - and no one wanted to take advice from me (I wasn't stalking that girl - I was just giving her curling advice...... that is what my lawyer told me to say and I am sticking to it).

But it is on TV now - and that is fun. We (meaning all of us but Megan - she is somehow immune to curling's pull just yet) sit on the couch and debate everything from shot strategy to the intricate details of each curler's hair-do ("I think she would look better with long hair" - that is my standard line - it is good advice in "curling" and "Non-curling" situations) :)

The only thing that would make it better....... cat-fights!

Come on - admit it...... one girl makes a really good shot - someone from the other team pulls her hair - they start slapping, clawing, swinging brooms at one another...... wouldn't that be just as interesting as "Who has shot rock?" TSN's ratings would be through the roof!

Maybe I should be the President of the Canadian Women's Curling Federation......

This could be a problem (12 of 30)

In my job, I read quite a bit, so you would think that I have a huge book budget every year - but I don't - for a few reasons......

1. Most popular Christian books are stupid! (Ok - let me rephrase that) Christian books are plagued with the same thing that movies are..... almost everything looks good when you see the commercial for it. The reality, though, is that many (if not most) movies and Christian books do not live up to the hype. So I usually only buy a book if people are still talking about it a year after it first came out - then it likely has something to say.

2. I have a stack of books to read already. Oddly, between writing classes, writing newspaper articles, doing radio stuff, visiting with people and napping (what????? Pretend that you did not read that last one!) I don't get a lot of time to read in the office. It is a sad but true fact. And people give me a lot of stuff to read too - for which I am thankful (most of the time) :|

3. We do not have a Christian bookstore (or any book store) in town right now. Several have opened and closed over the years - (insert joke about oil rig guys not being able to read or something like "Maybe a colouring book store would work") - so that makes it harder to get things, right?

Well - that last statement was true - until today. Today I signed in to "Amazon.ca" for the first time (seriously) and it was ........ amazing!!! I have bought books online before from other places and it was ok - I mean they usually had what I wanted - but I really paid for it (like full price plus a ton of shipping) - so much so that it was not that attractive.

The book I ordered today is less than a year old, on for like 40% off and with shipping in it is still less than what I have paid for books in Regina (and I did not have to spend the time and money to drive there). And they claim that it will be here by the end of the week (we will see on that one - but even if it is next week - who cares?)

This may be bad!

Good thing I hacked into Scott Wade's Amazon account - this new discovery had the potential to cost me a fortune otherwise! :)

Do You..... SESPU????

For almost 20 years, I have!!!! SESPU stands for the "South East Saskatchewan Preacher's Union" and that is our name for the group of guys that preach for the church in this area. SESPU is meant to be a place where guys who are doing the same job can get together to talk, encourage, share ideas/books, etc. One of the best parts of it is that we are all from very different places (large congregations, smaller ones, rural settings, medium sized cities and larger ones), so there is no comparison and competition (preacher's get-togethers are notoriously bad for that - believe it or not they are not always positive).

SESPU is nothing but positive and it was good to be there today. So if you are "card carrying Sespuer" - thanks for being there. I appreciate you guys lots.

If you don't have a group of buddies like this, you should look into forming one. Everyone should "SESPU" once in a while. :)

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.
-----

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! :)

_____

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)

------

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. :)

Answer to Holiday train question and such

So - not a lot of response from people who found us in the "Holiday Train" crowd (though by looking at the web site stats I can see that some clicked on the picture and tried to find us).... not surprising that you could not see us because that picture was from the stop in London, Ontario (I took it off the web site). You didn't really think I was going to risk $20 on nothing did you? :)

So Sari and the kids had today off - I had to work but I am on holidays now. Let the fun begin! :)

Wooo - that is good stuff!!! :) (Click on them to enlarge)

"Poking her carrot in" - I am going to use that. :)

Holiday train

The CPR Holiday Train rolled into town tonight, so we went and checked it out (I will give $20 to anyone who can point us out in this photo). It was fun - nice night outside - ran into a lot of people we know - went for supper with some friends.... good times!

Sari and the kids are free - on holidays - I have to preach Sunday and then I am in the office on Monday and that is it for me too. Looking forward to going to seeing family - hanging out - sledding - skating - going to World Junior games - just having fun!!!! :)

PS. Check back tomorrow to see if you were right about where we are in the picture - seriously - $20 to the first one who spots us. Merry Christmas)

Christmas shopping

Is it a bad thing that I just started Christmas shopping tonight??????

Now - granted - it is not as bad as it sounds..... I mean Sari is great at the Christmas thing (If the elves ever go on strike - she could replace 98690348690368 of them - she would have gifts flying out of the North Pole like sixty) - so I don't have to worry about 99.9999999 % of it..... but I do have to get a few things.

Sari's gift is easy this year - she bought it for herself (ask her about it if you are curious) but I still had to get her a couple of things, right? As well, I had to get the kids a gift from their Dad (Sari accused me of buying a gift "for Dad" instead of a gift "from Dad" - I told her that it was going to be a Father/daughters bonding experience thing....... can I help it if they like the same things I like???? Gifts don't have to make the giver miserable do they?)

Anyway - there were a fair number of guys wandering around Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire tonight.... most were just "scouting still" - I mean, come on, we still have like a week left don't we? :)

Christmas on the road

Sunday after church we loaded into the van (at -32) and headed for Regina. Sari's mom had purchased tickets for us to see Steve Bell (a Christian singer from Winnipeg) that evening. The place was packed - we saw a lot of people that we knew - and had a nice night.

We then combined this event with our "Mooney Christmas". Sari and the kids took the day off school, Justin took the day off work and I moved my day off so that we could hang out there until Monday. It was really nice. The triplets are growing and changing rapidly, Caden told us lots of stories and we stayed up til 2 am visiting with Jen and Justin. It was very nice and relaxing and fun.

So - a few more things on the schedule this week - it is like the 12 days of Christmas (minus the "swans a-swimming" and the dancing girls) :(

Even more Christmasy stuff

So tonight we went to my "Office Christmas Party". Since I work alone (at the office anyway - other people work very hard - just not there), my party is really supper out with the elders and their wives.

It is a very nice tradition that has been going on for several years now and I really appreciate it. I do not know any other preachers in our churches that get an "Christmas party" so I consider myself lucky.

A nice supper, great friends, family, people who care about us..... a nice reminder of some of reasons we have been here so long.

More Christmas stuff to come.... stay tuned! :)

More Christmas.... it just keeps coming

Today is one of my favorite school days....... Christmas lunch!!!! Turkey.... ham.... mashed potatoes.... veggies...... coffee...... maybe even pie!!!! The school's "Spirit Club" puts it on and parents are invited. We all have to pay our own way though, so I intend to defend my "That guy just ate his own body weight in food" title (It is a real hit with the kids - not so much with the organizers though) :)


So I am off! More Christmasy stuff tomorrow and the next day and the day after that..... oh and I may even start shopping sometime in there too. :)

Christmas fun rolls on

Christmas tree decorated tonight - music - pictures - lights - nice! :)

The Start of Christmas Fun!

So we have officially started out Christmas season.... we went to see Stuart McLean in Regina (The dude pictured above) on Monday night. He is a storyteller who has a program on CBC radio and every year he goes on tour doing a "Christmas show" (Tells stories, brings musical guests, etc).

The thing that I really think is interesting about him is that (as you can see above) he just comes out on stage with a music stand, a microphone and a bunch of stories and mesmerizes people for hours at a time (who says the spoken word - including preaching - has no power or attraction any more?????)

This year we took the kids with us (normally it is just a "Sari and Me" thing). Over the years of listening to his CDs and things, they have come to like him too - so we included them.

We hit the road after school on Monday (at -25). Ate supper at Tony Roma's (yummmm). Went to the show (the girls had never been in the "Centre of the Arts" before..... yes I am aware that they call it the "Conexus Arts Centre" now but since I am sort of "anti-corporate naming rights" it is still the "Centre of the Arts" to me). Left the show at about 10:30 (after lost of laughs, good music and nice stuff) and headed home. Stopped in Weyburn at midnight (at -35) for snacks and finally got in bed around 1:15.

Mom and Dad made it to work the next day..... the kids slept in till 11:30 (but that will be part of the "nice memory" too, right?)

This now kicks off a ton of "Christmasy stuff" - I will keep you posted as we go.

PS. If you have not checked out Stuart Mclean before - you should. Maybe you will like him too.... click here.

Like some beautiful dream

It is a night that will live on in my memory forever....... the sights..... the sounds..... the colours...... the discounts!!!!!

Peavey Mart held their "Friends and Family" evening tonight and I was a "Friend" (at least I think that the manager is my "friend" and not a long lost cousin or something..... maybe that was his subtle way of breaking it to me... hmmm. Anyway.......)

You have to have a secret pass to get in(just like a secret agent - only instead of going to some foreign country you get to buy things from foreign countries - just about the same thing)...... and then the best words in retail.... "Employee pricing!!!!"

I saw grown men wandering around with their tongues hanging out as they tried to calculate (in their heads) what "20% off the last ticketed price" on that Plasma cutter is....... "Hmmm - 9 carry the 7........ well - it is cheaper than the rest of the year" - that is about all we needed to know.

So - I ran into several buddies over there and tried to talk them into buying some big ticket items based on the logic that....

1) When it is a percentage sale, the more you spend the more you save (so it is only smart to spend more) and

2) I may need to know someone who has that tool so that I can borrow it in the future (though that fact did not really seem to sway many of them one way or the other for some reason).

So in the end they had to pull most of us out of there kicking and screaming and holding onto the door jams (some ridiculous thing about the workers needing to go home to their families... or something).

So at the end of this most glorious night, I spent a lot of money....... but think about how much I saved by getting it on sale (isn't that what the women say all the time?????)

Wa?????

So I am playing squash with Paul Quilliams at the Leisure Centre tonight and I break my racquet. Now, this is a cheap old thing that I have had for probably 3 or more years. It has all kinds of dents and scrapes in it, the head is all bent out of shape and the grip is well worn out. Tonight several of the strings broke.

So I run into the locker room, throw the old racquet in the garbage can, get the other racquet that I have been carrying around forever (just in case this happened) and head back out to finish our game.

When I came back into the locker room, I look and someone took my old racquet!!!! Right out of the garbage can!!!! Wa????? I mean, it wasn't worth re-stringing (it would cost more to re-string it than replace it) and it had of no value at all.

The only logical explanation is that someone took it because it used to belong to me!!!!!

Maybe I have a stalker who was just waiting to go through the trash to pick up whatever worn out, broken, stinky thing that I throw away next!!!! I mean, I can see a whole new income stream here....... orange peels, old shoes, receipts from the gas station (those actually have my name on them even!!!!)..... the list of things is virtually endless. Maybe I should start putting towels around my neck and throwing them into the crowd like Elvis used to do (I wonder how much people would pay for a sweat soaked towel from me??????)

Anyway - if you are my stalker - this note is for you.......... send me an email listing the sorts of items that you are really interested in and I will send you a price list. If you act quickly (because I can't do this all day), I may even autograph a few of the items for you.

(I wonder if I should be investing in some "people" - you know like "I will have my people call your people" sort of thing. I have always wanted to have "people" or a "posse" or some "homeboys" or even a few "hangers on"........ that might be fun! Send your resume today! Space is filling fast!) :)

Not that Blogworthy

I bet that title really has you excited to read this, huh? However, that is the truth. Things are great! Life is good - just not really worth typing out for you. We have just been doing normal family stuff (as in "stuff families normally do".... I am not calling our family normal) :)


Katie had a V-ball tourney this weekend, so we spent some time over there (V-ball is done now - I may post pics sometime). Sari has been scrapbooking, to a card making thing and a craft show in town. Megan has been hanging out with buddies. I went to Weyburn for a hockey game last week, then I ended up taking my Korean buddy to his first hockey game last week (that was fun!).


I am loving having a heated garage to work in..... changed oil in the motorcycle today and put it away, tore the snow blower apart, just generally goofed around out there all day.


See - just not that interesting, but that is good. I was thinking today about how nice it is to have a family to hang out with on a Saturday. When I first moved here, I would go coach hockey at 8 in the morning and then just hang out by myself all day - just killing time. It is nice not to have to kill time waiting for something to happen, because - even if it makes sort of boring reading - it is still fun. Little things are the big things, right?

Deep thoughts (Part 0943946)

Confidence is that feeling you have just before you fully understand the situation.

Some Halloween pics

Jasmine picture

Here is a picture of Jasmine receiving her award from the premier. More pics to follow (maybe).

Supper with the Premier

Given my extended family's run-ins with the law... a date with a government official is usually not a good thing - but last night it was for me. I was invited to have supper with the Premier (and others) at Government House in Regina.


Jasmine Erickson, a young lady who grew up in our church, was one of five recipients of the "Saskatchewan Youth Award" this year and so she was invited to a presentation ceremony and supper. What does that have to do with me?


Well, when the selection committee was talking about the supper, they were wondering who they should have come and say "grace" before the meal - then they noticed that Jasmine had been really involved in her local church, so they called her and asked if she would like her minister to be part of the evening. Graciously, she said, "sure" so the Premier's Protocol Office called and asked if I would be interested in participating in the evening.


It was very cool - for many reasons. First of all, I have known Jasmine since she was a year old (she has graduated from a performing arts college now - so that is a while). She is very special to us.


Secondly, it was nice to meet the Premier, Brad Wall. He was very humble and warm and engaging. When he first came up to us, I was prepared to address him as "Mr. Premier" (as one should) and then he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I am Brad!" When he heard my name he said, "Oh, you are the one saying grace tonight. Do you know the Pastor of the Church of God in Estevan? He was my counselor at camp when I was a kid"...... he was very impressive in that he did not think he was impressive (I even emailed him today to tell him how nice the evening was and he wrote back to me two hours later - remembered our conversation, remembered that I was with Jasmine's group - very impressive)


Anyway, the Honourable Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan was there - he was very nice too. It was interesting to watch all the "pomp" surrounding him - he did not carry the book with his speech in it (an attendant did), we stood until he was seated, he left the room before the rest of us, we could not sing during the playing of "O Canada/God save the Queen" when he entered - but we were encouraged to sing later - all very interesting.


Other MLAs were there - the leader of the Opposition (Dwain Lingenfelter) - the Chief Justice of Saskatchewan (he and his wife were at our table) - the speaker of the house, etc, etc.


The banquet hall at Government house only seats about 80 people - so it was a rather small crowd - everyone included (dignitaries and guests) - so we really got a chance to visit.


And the food..... Yyyyyyuuuummmmmm!!!!! Butter nut squash soup, Beef Bourguignon, Roasted potatoes, asparagus.... gingerbread and raspberries for desert!! If you ever get invited - go hungry! :)


Anyway - I said my prayer and I got to meet and talk to some very interesting people. Most of all, though, I was proud to be there with Brent, Angel, Norma and Jasmine. What a great memory and what a blessing to be included in the lives of people that we love. It was wonderful!


I did not take a camera with me, but several in our group did, so I will post some pictures later.

Grandpa McMillan

Willie McMillan passed away today. He was 95 years old.


Thinking about him today, I am glad that I knew him. He was kind and gentle. Always friendly. Always ready to beat you at a game of horseshoes (and he did that a lot). He always went out of his way to say "hi" to me and to encourage me. He was always there doing his part - often in the background - but you could count on him.


Someone today called him a great "Christian warrior". Many have mentioned how much his example meant to them and how he encouraged others just by the way he lived.


I never heard "Grandpa" give a sermon (not that I remember anyway) - but just knowing him and even thinking about him today has taught me some valuable lessons.


A man named Eugene Peterson once wrote a book called "A long Obedience in the same Direction". That would be a good title for Willie McMillan's biography. Not flashy - not loud - just quietly going the right way - for a long, long time.


I am glad that I got to walk alongside of him for a while.

Is this a bad thing?

I decided to go to noon hockey today - for the first time in about a year. On the way over to the rink I see a hockey buddy named "Larry" and he tells me that we are playing at the "Civic" today - so I turn around and follow him over there.

Larry was saying that lots of guys had been showing up - so I was ready to go - but when we got to rink there was no one there. Undeterred, we went out and just skated around while we waited for the other guys to show up..... and we waited.... and waited..... and waited. Finally I got bored and left.

Turns out that we were at the wrong rink! After I left a rink rat dude asked Larry what he was doing out on the ice - we were supposed to be at the other rink (where - by the way - six other guys were waiting for us to show up)

Nice security there hey? Two guys walk in - open a change room - skate around the ice shooting pucks for most of an hour and finally someone decides to come out and see what on earth is going on. "City employees care!" - I think that should be their motto. :)

Possible bad thing #1 from this mix-up..... in spite of the fact that I was skating alone (basically) and just shooting pucks around - I was tired and sweating after only 15 minutes. So either it was really hot in there - or taking almost a year off is not the best thing for your hockey career.

Possible bad thing #2..... Sari has outlawed my hockey equipment! It is sitting in a room in the basement of the house drying out and she claims that she can smell it upstairs! In fact, I have been told that I have to take it out to the garage - now is that fair? Do I make her take her scrap-booking stuff to the garage? Do I? NO! (Granted - it may not smell quite as bad as the hockey equipment but the point remains).

Just because I literally have not washed any of it (not even the shirt I wear underneath it) in about 10 years is no reason to get all picky! Think of it as being "Environmentally friendly" - think of all the water I am saving by not washing it!!!

Women - they just don't understand. :)

From the "Better late than Never" file

So - I got it wrong! The Pro-life ladies weren't being rude..... they were just delaying their "Thank you".


They came by with a card, some dish soap, some paper towels (to replace what they used - even though I told them that they did not need to do that) and took out an ad in the paper thanking us for the use of the building. Seems they were just "focused" on that Wednesday. :)


It was nice of them though. I guess I should have waited before slandering them on this blog (good thing not too many people read it). :)


Stay tuned for another story where I learned something I needed to - the hard way -coming tomorrow (Or maybe in a day or two. The plague is sweeping through our household - I am the only one left standing so far - so we will see).

A life lesson learned

So I learned something yesterday......


Do not leave fifteen 65 year old Pro-life women standing outside your church building in the rain. In fact, if you have done that, it may be best not to stop to let them in - just keep driving right by the building and pretend that you do not see them. Trust me, it is for your own good!


We agreed to host the "Pro-life Soup and Sandwich Fund-raising lunch" yesterday, so I told the ladies that I would be here at 8:30 to let them in the building. Well, I got caught behind a train, so I did not show up until 8:40....... you should have seen it!!! Here are all these old ladies running all over the place - trying every door on the building - looking up and down the street - shaking their heads...... I thought they were going to start smashing the windows and lighting bonfires or something.... they were worked up!!!! :)


Anyway - I opened the door and it was like opening the flood gates on a dam.... they went rushing in like I had just pulled the plug in a sink! They ran all over the place - charged into my office and took it over with their coats, purses, boxes.... it was completely bizarre!


Then they started making sandwiches and they were scrapping and arguing with one another ("No that is too much mayonnaise!"... "That coffee is too strong", etc, etc).


After the lunch - they just bailed out. No "Thank you" no "It was very nice of you to allow us to use your building" - nothing! They just left..... it was sort of like a big snowstorm that just rolled in and then rolled out and was gone.


I survived the storm though. Good thing they are "Pro-life" - I may have been in real trouble otherwise! :)