Stuff

So here is a bunch of random stuff from the past few weeks

First, Megan's school play (entitled "Sam Spud Private Eye").  She played "Junior" and did a really good job..... here she is in all her Junior glory.....

Then we had Megan's birthday party.... a day at the beach.... movies.... hanging out with these guys...

 And then the singing group that Katie is in at school had a concert and they were singing 80s songs, so they all decided to dress up "80s-ish"... and here are some of the results.  They sounded really good and actually looked like kids should dress (shouldn't all kids dress in 80s style??? I think so)

And then there was a "Cops and Kids" basketball game at Hillcrest.... I am neither a cop nor a kid but I got invited to play anyway.  Here is a shot from that with both me and Megan looking like we are doing something.....

And lastly, the high school awards night was last Wednesday and Katie got an award for having one of the top 10 averages in her grade (top 10 out of 200+ students)..... here she is on stage....

And lastly, we have a new baby around here.... a woodpecker baby.  It is in an old tree in our backyard and it chirps incessantly!  Sari loved it at first ("Oh it is so cute.... nature in our backyard").... now she is like "Look you stupid whiny baby.... SHUT UP!!!!" (She HATES repetitive noises and this thing - seriously - does not stop from sun up till sun down).  It is cute though....

And - sadly - in over 178 pictures there is not one of Sari in this go round (when you are behind the camera taking the pictures it is hard to be in front too).  She is as cute as ever too.... even cuter than a woodpecker baby.  :)

Ok - so things do come in three

If you read the last post, you will know that I was waiting for my third encounter with the police in as many days.... and then it happened.

I got invited to play in a "Kids vs the police (and a few other dudes from the community)" basketball game at Hillcrest today.  It was a lot of fun especially because I know a lot of the kids and because it was non-competitive (or so they said.... though a few dudes were taking it sort of seriously).

I said to one of them before we started, "This is a really good idea!  The kids get to see the police in a different light and they get to learn CPR when one of us collapses", but fortunately that did not happen.

I was hoping that the cop that flashed his lights at me yesterday was there because I was going to give him the gears about picking on a minister.... but he chickened out.

All in all it was a fun event.... and now, hopefully, "The fuzz" will leave me alone.  :)

Trouble with "The Man" and a significant event

It has happened twice and, if things come in threes, I may be in trouble!

What am I talking about?  "The Man" is after me..... you know "The Man".... the fuzz.... the coppers.... Barney....  the County Mountie..... the Doughnut Patrol.... Flatfoots.... The Heat.... The Law.... you know...... and they want to send me to the pokey..... the hoosegow (yes that is the correct spelling).... the crowbar hotel..... the big house.... the  ...... (Ok - is that enough?  You get the picture?  We will move on then)

And here is the thing..... I was obeying the law (Mostly!) at the time.

The first incident happened last night.  As noted in an earlier post, I am trying to sell my old motorcycle "Hannah the Honda" (if you are interested, she is still available), so I decided to start her up and see how she was running.  Started like "a boss" (my kids use that expression - I am not sure what it means.  I argued that it should be "the boss" - like the guy in charge or even like Springsteen - but they tell me that "the boss" is wrong and the only acceptable term is "a boss").  So then I decided that the only way to really make sure it was running well was to pound it down the back alley with dust and gravel flying everywhere (just to make sure it can still do that) and then - just as I hit the brakes at the end of the alley - I saw him.... the fuss (or "a fuzz" possibly).   Since Hannah does not have a license on her at the moment and since the cloud of dust seemed to attract the attention of "the Man" (or "a man") I slowly turned around (making sure to keep the front of the bike to the policeman) and started back to my garage.  He did not come over to talk, but he drove rather slowly until he saw me turn back into my garage...... I think I will plating Hannah tomorrow.

Then today I am riding my Suzuki around town (her name is "Miranda" b/c she is an "M50") and I see Crystal Quilliams walking across the street near her house, so I stop in the street to talk to her.  Within seconds, what do I see in my rear-view mirror..... A cop car with its lights on!!!   I am thinking, "What?  How can this be?  I have never been given a speeding ticket in Canada (I got one in North Dakota years ago) and now the police are all over me?????  What is going on????"   Turns out this cop knew Crystal and he thought that I was Paul (he knows that Paul has a bike) so he was just goofing around.  When he found out that I was not Paul, he asked, "Well who is it then?" and Crystal said "The minister from my church".   The cop then said "D'oh!" (or something like that) and then, "Ah... tell him he has a nice bike" and then drove away.

So I am not sure what I am going to do if this harassment doesn't stop.  I have always respected the Police, but if this keeps up......  

At least now I know how my cousins feel!  :)

PS.  And the significant event.... Sari posted something to the blog yesterday!!  The "rules" post below... first time in 5 years that she has posted anything.  Maybe you will actually get to hear her perspective on our life if this keeps up!!!

PPS.  I have pics from Megan's play and Katie's singing group from this past week.... I will post them in the next few days.

There are lots of 'rules'....most of them i hate...these i like because they motivate and don't restrict.

A Birthday present from the Birthday Girl

Fourteen years ago, we were blessed with Megan.  Having already been given one sweet little girl, we now had two... and both of them have changed our lives in ways that have been nothing but good.

For her birthday, Megs wanted us to eat Chinese food and watch a sappy chick flick that she had picked out.  I somewhat reluctantly agreed (what am I going to do?  I was outnumbered and it was her birthday) and am I ever glad I did!

In the movie, a Dad who was estranged from his daughter gets to spend the summer with her... she is mad and predictably pouty.... then she meets a boy (who is "dreamy" apparently)... she opens up... starts to live and love.... blah blah blah (you can fill in the "Chick flick standard form" here).

Anyway - at the end of the summer (and the movie) the Dad gets cancer and dies (Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a good funeral film.... am I right?).

The good part:  watching this Dad and his daughter say "good-bye" made me think about my life and how blessed I am..... a beautiful and wonderful wife.... two lovely, funny young ladies for daughters.... I have a job that I love (99 days out of 100).... I have good friends.... I am close to my family (on both sides).... I live 5 miles from a stock car track (A strange thing to include on this list I know, but a little perk in my book .... and if it ever stops raining I may even get to see them race this year).... I am going on a week long motorcycle trip with my brother and then when I get home - a week later - I get to go on vacation with my family (Even when we had very little money... every summer of our marriage we have gone somewhere and done something for at least a few weeks.  Some of the cheapest trips have been some of the most fun).... I could go on and on and on.

I guess watching this on screen Dad have to say good-bye and leave all the stuff he loved made me think (once again) about living in and loving all the blessing that I have right now - because I will not have them forever.

Surprisingly, the movie did not make me cry (one of the reasons I don't watch many movies is that I am a "soft soap sap head" that cries when (a) someone has to say good-bye to someone they love and (b) music is playing (music is the Kryptonite.... I can't take the two in combination)

Anyway - long story short.... I love my life.... I love my family (both immediate and extended)... I love being in Estevan (I had a dream a few weeks ago that I was forced to leave Estevan and I was really sad about it.... Imagine my joy when I woke up and realized I was still here.... I may have been the first person ever to be happy to wake up in Estevan).... I have more than I need (in every way you can honestly think about it)..... life is good and I was reminded to enjoy every blessing in it.

So, in the end - on this her birthday - it was Megan that gave me the present!

Hannah the Honda :(

So I finally did it.... I put "Hannah the Honda" up for sale. It is a sad, sad day!  :(

I remember the first time I met her..... she started up without a hiccup and that first ride round the block.... well, it was heavenly!  I had never ridden a bike so nice and comfortable and cheap (that last part was the best part). 

We had lots of good times like....

- Riding to Newtown, North Dakota with Paul (and whatever he calls his bike) twice
 - Going to Moose Jaw to meet my brother and sister to go to a NHL game (It was in the fall not in the middle of winter.... Hannah was amazing but not that amazing)
- Coming home on that same trip and seeing the speedometer at 100 mph (I am not sure how that happened - just in case any policemen are reading - but let me tell you, it feels A LOT faster than that when you are on a 30 year old motorcycle that could fall apart at any minute)
- Lots of nights cruising around the streets of Estevan just enjoying the evening.

I AM GOING TO MISS HER!!!!  (sniff, sniff)   But we do not have room to keep her and owning two motorcycles is just a little silly (nice - but sort of silly).

So if you know anyone who would like to get into biking - give me a call.

The fortunate thing:  My wife told me to price it so high that I may get to keep her anyway!  :)

A Fun Fundraiser

Our church hosted a fundraiser for Clearview Christian Camp tonight and it was a good time.  We did a "Loonie Auction" and thanks to a bunch of stuff donated by church people and by local businesses, as well as the generous ticket buying of those who attended, we raised over $2000.

I am always impressed with the generosity of our church.  Not just in the way they support the camp (both tonight and all year long) but in little things too.  Many of the prizes that were won ended up being carried out of the building by someone else.  A older guy would win a toy car and give it to a little kid who was really hoping to get it.... or one of the kids would win something and then realize that one of their friends really liked it, so they would give it away.... necklaces were won and then passed on.... some people kept what they won, but much of it (including a lot of the baking - cookies, pies, etc) was shared around between friends.

It was a fun and entertaining night that raised some money for a good cause, but it was also a good "family night" - a church family night.

Anyone have a safe they want opened?

So those of you who read this thing once in a while will remember my heartbreaking story about the bike lock that I was going to use to lock my motorcycle helmet to the bike (if you don't know the tragic details, stop, read the post below and come back).

Anyway - tonight I went and got the lock and in less than 5 minutes I picked it..... and guess what???!!!   The word that I was trying to use and thought was right.... wasn't even close!!   Not one letter was right.  Not one!!!

I think what happened is that I was going to buy a lock with a certain word as the combination and then I ended up leaving it there.  When I went back, it was gone and so I was stuck with a different word... but I still remembered the first word (Is this all making sense???  Do you even care????)

All that to say this.....

   1.  I saved myself $8 (because I do not have to buy a new lock).... EIGHT BUCKS!!!

   2.  I am now 2 for 2 picking bike locks (the one from when I was a kid and now this one)

Apparently it is good to have some criminal genes in your past after all.  :)

PS. I know what you are thinking.... if YOU picked the lock in 5 minutes how secure is anything that you lock to your bike (like a helmet or a coat) going to be????   Well, I figure most people aren't going to stand there trying to pick a lock in broad daylight with a bunch of people watching them.... and if they do, well... meh.... you can have it.

PPS.  There are actual important and maybe even interesting things happening in our lives (beyond motorcycle related bike locks).... I promise I will report some of those thing soon.... stay tuned!

A bike lock and a four letter word

When I put saddlebags on my motorcycle last year, it created one little problem... my helmet lock is now inaccessible.  Most of the time, this does not matter because I just leave my helmet hanging on the handlebars, but I got thinking about what I would do if I wanted to lock the helmet to the bike so that no one could steal it.

My solution: a simple bike lock.  Wrap it around a bar of my bike, around the helmet and "Tada" - problem solved - so I went in search of a lock.

When I got to Canadian Tire I realized that one of my options was a "word lock" (Like the combination lock above but with words rather than numbers).  I thought, "Well a word must be easier to remember than a number" so I purchased a "word lock".  That was last summer. 

I did not use the lock all summer, but in the fall I dug it out and tried it - just to make sure I still remembered the word.  Then (in my brilliant thinking) I left it unlocked so that I would have to have the proper word in order to lock it... or, if I somehow forgot the word, I could simply look down the empty barrel, spin the letters until it was unlocked and then read the word that the letters spelled.  Perfect!  Brilliant!  Foolproof!

That is until some pinhead (me) locked the lock last fall because he was sure that he knew the word.  I tried that word today.... nothing!  I spun the dial and tried it again.... nothing!   I tried similar words... nothing!  I asked Katelyn what my word was because she was with me when I bought the lock.... nothing!  I looked for the little word tag.... nothing!

So I tried for an hour to pick the lock (I actually did that with a bike lock when I was a kid.... I found one at the bike racks at our swimming pool.... a 5 digit combination and I cracked it and used the lock forever).... nothing!

So I am down now to a few choices.....
    a.  Continue trying the word that I am sure is right but is not working
    b.  Spend hours and hours trying to pick the lock
    c.  Blame Katelyn because she does not remember the word - take the money for a new one out of her allowance (if we gave her an allowance)
     d.  Do surgery on the lock just to see if I have the right word but it is just malfunctioning for some reason (This will destroy the lock but it will give me the peace of mind of knowing what the word was supposed to be)

I think I am going to go with "b" for a while... then "a" again.... then "c" just to make myself feel better... and then I will definitely have to do "d" just to satisfy my curiosity. 

Anyone know any good four letter words?????

On second thought, never mind!  :)

PS.  I told this whole thing to Sari and concluded it by saying, "Now I have to go spend another $8 to buy another lock"...... she just about came across the room at me.  "I thought you were talking about some specialty motorcycle lock that you spent a fortune on.... not some dumb kid's lock for $8.   Why would you even waste your time, or mine for that matter in telling me this story, for $8??????"

Girls.... go figure!  :)

A Birthday rainout

Have you ever had your birthday rained out? 

Well, more specifically, have you ever had the one present that you wanted for your birthday rained out?

All week long I have been watching the weather forecast because I have been looking forward to going to the stock car races tonight.   It did not rain on Wednesday when it was supposed to.... or on Thursday... we missed the big downpour that was threatened for this morning and then again this afternoon..... so things were looking good as we headed out to the track tonight and then.......

We ended up at Tim Horton's an hour later - soaked and cold - not having seen any racing at all.

I hope that this is not an indication of how my year is going to go.

Maybe a rained out birthday present is like rain on your wedding day..... it is supposed to be good luck right?

Ya - I don't believe that either.  :(

D'oh (times 2)

So, after less than a week of "new to us" vehicle ownership, our Acadia is headed to the Car Hospital because it is hemorrhaging anti-freeze.

I think the technical term for it is that it has "puked a water pump".

The good news is that the dudes who sold it to us said, "Get it fixed and send us the bill" so she goes in tomorrow morning. 

That is d'oh #1.
_______
D'oh #2.......

I was sitting in my office today when the phone rang (shaking me into a state of consciousness so suddenly that I almost fell out of my chair).  The voice on the other end of the line got my attention very quickly.

"Hey Tim, this is Tammy from Dr. Blischak's office" (my dentist).

"Aaaaacccckkkkkkk!" I screamed, but she did not react, so I asked, "Did I just scream 'Aaaaaackkkk' in your ear?"

"No"

"Whew!"  Then I thought, "What is the deal here?????  My dentist is tracking me down at my office????  What sort of crazy, psycho, bird dog tracking guy is this?????   Is he gonna start following me around???? Am I going to have to check behind the shower curtain to make sure he is not hiding in there waiting to jump out, grab me and drag me off for my yearly check-up???????  IF I WANT TO HIDE FROM YOU PAIN INDUCING, DRILL-WIELDING CRAZY PEOPLE.... I SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO!!!!!!"  (Fortunately, most of that I kept to myself).

"Tim, could you guys at your church use a big box of toothpaste?", Tammy asked.

I was wondering where this was going..... and who in the congregation had bad enough breath that the local dentist was offering to send free toothpaste over (Though I had a few guesses).  "Maybe I should see if they have any free deodorant too", I thought (but that is a completely different rant having nothing to do with the church).

"I was told that you guys give stuff away at your church and I was wondering if you would be interested in giving away free toothpaste.  If you want some, come by the office and I will give you a big box full".

So, in the end it turned out that the dentist was being super nice and he was not out to hurt me, make me cry or terrify me.   Imagine that!  

But the words, "Hey Tim, this is Tammy from Dr. Blischak's office" still make me shudder.  :)

Hippie, Dippy or Cute?

 So it was "Would you still be my friend if I wore this?" day at school today and Sari went like this.....

The funny thing is that she had several people tell her that it was actually a really good look for her.  She got the same comment when they had "70's days" at the school (as in the 1970s not "act like a 70 year old".... that is a completely different look).  In fact, a local business owner came to the school today and when Sara finally said, "You have not commented once on my hair" his response was, "Well - what do I know? Women are always changing their hairstyles... it looks good".

So the question:  Should Sara go "Full-time hippie"?

And if so, what would her hippie name be?

The Clip-on Sunglasses Fiasco

So I came home today wearing these........

And my wife and oldest daughter LAUGHED at me!!!! (The younger one was not around at the time)

When I explained that because I wear prescription glasses these were the only real option for me, they LAUGHED even more!!!

I began to get really mad when they said that it made me look like an old man! 

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked.  "The sun is really bright and this is the only way I can wear sunglasses"...  but my anger only increased their laughter.

This would have been really upsetting if I had been serious.  In fact, I got a new windshield put in the Alero today and the installer must have found these things stuck between the windshield and the dashboard, because when I got in the car they were sitting on the passenger's seat along with a parking lot ticket and some other junk.... so of course I had to put them on and make the girls think I had lost my mind - which, apparently, would be quite funny to them.

So now.... the big question:  In light of the fact that they did not know any better (I could have been totally serious) and yet they laughed at me any way..... how would you interpret their actions?

    A.  I should be happy to know that they love me enough to be honest - even if it hurts my feelings.

    B.  They are mean and sadistic people who like to laugh at my expense whenever they can.

   C.  They knew that I was too hip and cool to be serious about clip-on sunglasses in the first place.

   D.  Some other fourth thing.

Me.... I am hoping for "C"..... but it is likely "A"..... though I would not bet against at least a little bit of "B" thrown in there too.   :)

Our new wheels

Hey all.... I am only posting this just to complete the cycle... I told you that we wrecked Van-essa, so here is the replacement.... a 2007 GMC Acadia.  We have not named her yet.... suggestions????

Bugs on the Visor :)

After church today, my buddy Paul said to me, "Hey, I am riding my motorcycle out to Bengough to see my uncle.... wanna come?"

I was non-committal.

He left and then came back and said, "I am going and your wife said that you should go with me".

So I knocked my chair over and I ran to Paul's truck.  He gave me a ride home so that I could change, get the bike and get on the road.

It was great!  It was a beautiful day.  We stopped and looked around in several small towns.  We soaked in the sunshine on the deck in his uncle's back yard and drank cokes.  We stopped in Weyburn at Tim Horton's.  It was spontaneous, silly and a lot of fun.

You know that you have had a good day (and that you have a very nice wife) when, at the end of the day, you look at your motorcycle jacket and your helmet and they are covered with bugs!
  :)

PS.  We may have sorted out our "we need a replacement for 'Van-essa'" situation.... stay tuned.

The Girls' new ride

Well - we are starting to sort out some of our vehicle troubles.  We bought the kids a 2004 Olds Alero last night.  It is a newer car than what we were originally looking for, but we thought that maybe it would serve as a decently reliable back-up if we needed a car again.  It has a little 4 cylinder engine (so it should be good on fuel), it is sporty looking (it even has a sunroof) and it won't be embarrassing to drive (which, apparently, matters to some girls).

So there you go.... step one is done.  Now we just need to find something to replace our van.

Good-bye Van-essa

I think it has come time to say "Good-bye" to our dear friend, Van-essa. 

She has been part of our family for almost 10 years and almost 200 000 kms.  I still remember the day we saw her on the lot at "Carlyle Motor Products".  We had said, "If we could find a van like....." and there she was... honestly, just what we were looking for.  We test drove a few other ones, but as soon as we drove her onto the highway, we looked at each other and said, "Ok - this is it!"

We have been through a lot together from trips to see family, to the kid's first drive-in movie, to going up the mountain in Montana to Sari's aunt's cabin, to trips to the beach, to being lost in the tri-cities area of Washington looking for a restaurant, to Katie learning to drive in it, to going to Oregon last summer (Her last big hurrah!).

However, last Thursday night, a lady missed a stop sign and plowed into the driver's door and now I am afraid that Van-essa is not long for this world (We had her in at SGI today and the prognosis was not good).  
 
So we are preparing to say good-bye.  She was a good old girl and  fun while she lasted (Well - other than that really annoying and super expensive transmission problem and the fact that we froze to death in her for a few winters until we got that problem fixed and the leaky intake manifold gasket and the power sliding door that did not always work right and the door locks that would not lock and the front end work that needs to be done now..... hmmm - now that I think about it - maybe I am not so sad to see her go after all). 

Thanks for the memories, the fun and the miles, Van-essa!  :)

(Knock, knock) Penny .... (Knock knock) Penny...... (Knock knock)Penny

So the girls (all three) went to see "The Hunger Games" the other night. 

When they got home, they got into this intense discussion that used English words, but made no sense to me.   I remember hearing things like: "Tributes..... Capital ..... Katnip..... Peta (I am not sure what "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" has to do with it. Maybe they sponsored the show)...... Rude" and a bunch of other stuff that I do not remember, get or (honestly) care about.

As I sat there listening to all of this, I thought to myself, "This is my 'Penny' moment.  I AM Penny from the TV show 'The Big Bang Theory'!"  (Though I am not so sure I would look as good in her "Cheesecake Factory" dress..... yellow is not my colour)

For those who may not know.... On the show, Penny is a girl who lives across the hall from two physicists. The guys have a tendency to get into these huge, convoluted discussions that Penny neither understands or cares about, so she often just rolls her eyes and leaves.

Therefore, since my house has now been invaded by a group of "Hunger games physicist nerds", I am rolling my eyes and leaving.   I will be across the hall if anyone wants to talk about something real.... something interesting and important........ like Motorcycles!  :)

PS.  As an aside.... I may have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating:  Because of Sari's employment at the school, my kids have a very different view of their teachers than I ever had.  For example, my kids went to the movie with their current and former teachers.... saw them in a social setting.... talked to them like real people.... maybe even threw popcorn at them when they weren't looking (That is an unconfirmed.... actually - totally made up report.  It did not happen... but it could have).  

Me..... I assumed that my teachers lived at the school and had no other interests outside of teaching since I never saw them anywhere other than at the school.  They certainly were not "real people" that one could get to know or converse with (maybe you could throw popcorn at them.... whether you should is another discussion).  It is just weird!   I like that my kids like and know their teachers...... but where is the fear????   The intimidation????  Where is the kid standing in the coat room crying because he is so scared of his teacher that he doesn't want to go into the classroom????? (Not that I ever did that.... but I.... ummm..... heard about it... once).  There is no trauma inflicted anymore (except maybe the trauma inflicted by the kids on the teachers.... but that is another story).  

Apparently, the "Good old days" are gone!  :)

Baaaaa Haaaa Haaaaa!!!

So Sari is away this weekend at some little homecoming thing (there are like 904368390486904386 people going to WCC's homecoming this weekend..... it would have been 904368390386904387 if I went, but.... that is a completely different story)

Anyway, since she is away, I took two really cute girls out for supper. 

I ordered "Ribs and Chicken Wings" (a "Heart Healthy" choice, right?) and when it came, I challenged each of the girls to eat a "suicide wing" as fast as they could.... no water.... no stopping.

BAAAAAA  HAAAAAA HAAAAA!!!!!   It was great!!!!!   They looked like this......

And then the best part..... one of them somehow got suicide wing sauce up her nose!!!! (Lets just say that Megan thought that was really funny!!!)  Here is a hint for future reference.... if it burns your lips and makes you actually wish that they would fall off..... putting it up your nose is not a good idea!

I hope Sari comes home soon..... I miss her and the girls may not survive.

Just for fun

I know that I have posted this before, but I was going through a bunch of old emails and found it again, so I am re-posting it..... enjoy and learn something useful.  :)

If you get a chance

Brent Butt was in town last night.  We were lucky enough to have been given tickets as a Christmas present and so we got to enjoy a night out for nothing.  It was really good.... funny..... tons of people (they sold every ticket and filled the auditorium).... talked to tons of people (Everyone we know was there.... it was like we were being stalked... or we were stalking them)..... it was a good time. 

If you ever get a chance to see Brent, I would recommend it.  He was 98% clean (and for stand-up that is great) and he used mostly new material.  Good stuff.

PS.  The other thing is that it really made me want to run away and do stand-up.... woudln't that be fun????  So if I am not there on Sunday.........   :)

If you really knew me.....

Hey, if you have a few minutes, watch this video.  Sari and I were privileged to get to participate in a self-esteem building/anti-bullying program at the high school today.  It is called "Challenge Day" and this will give you a quick look at it.

We really enjoyed hanging out with the students, teacher and other adult volunteers.  It was a day of laughing, tears, apologies and hugs...... not to mention that I got to break out all the dance moves that the girls won't let me do in public (We were told to dance badly.... I was complimented for my bad dancing.... is that good or bad?????)

The title of this post was one of the themes of the day..... "If you really knew me would you know"..... and then we had to fill in the blank in small groups.  It was a very powerful day of people talking about their struggles, their fears and their hopes.   To be honest, it was a lot of what church ought to be like.

Anyway, if you are ever offered a chance to go and assist with this program, to send your child to it, or to bring it to your town.... jump on it.  It was great!!!!  (Just make sure you get lots of rest first..... and practice your dance moves!)   :)

Three planets for the price of ..... nothing!

So I came out of the leisure centre tonight after playing squash with Paul and I saw these two very bright "stars" in the western sky.  I figured that they had to be planets but I did not know which ones so I looked them up and they are Jupiter and Venus. 

For the month of March they are visible in the western sky for at least four hours after sundown and look like this.......

As an added bonus..... turn to the southeast portion of the sky and you can see a big red dot.... that is Mars.

It is just cool to me that you can easily pick out three planets like that.... they look like nothing else up there.... you cannot miss them.

Ooooh.... then lLook down and you will see one more planet.... earth.... unless it is too dark. :)

Go have a look.... this will not happen for a while again.  If you would like to know more, google a sky chart for your area or read about it here

Random thoughts and real news

Is it a bad sign when your dentist knows you by your first name?  I don't mean like when you are in his office and he looks at your chart and says, "Ok Tim, how are you today?"   I mean like when you are at the hockey game and he walks by you at the concession and says, "Hi Tim".

Now don't get me wrong.... my dentist is a nice enough guy, but we are not buddies or anything.  And, to be fair, it is a small town and there are not that many preachers in it, so people tend to at least sort of know who I am.

But this was just a little weird!  I mean, I think I saw him wink when he said, "Hi Tim"..... you know that wink that says, "I am looking at buying a new boat this summer and I think you are going to make that a little easier on me".   In other words, he seemed just a little too happy to see me.  It was as if he had just seen his personal cash cow!!!  D'oh!

And then - after he left - I got the chills...... it was sort of like seeing the Grim Reaper and living to tell about it.  Good think I actually don't mind the guy.... think what it would be like if I didn't.
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On the way to the office today, I heard a story on the CBC about a curling bonspiel that is for preachers only.  It is called "The Friar's Brier".  The story went on to talk about the fact that it gets guys together from all over the country, that it is good for making new friends across denominational lines and that it gives the guys a fun event to look forward to.  That is all great..... but I think that they missed the best line of the whole story.

They should have pointed out that they all WALK ON WATER!!!  Bah ha ha!!!!   Get it????? Water.... curling ice...... preachers...... Jesus........  Hello????  Is this on?????  Hello???????? (tap tap)

Oh never mind!
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On to real news.....

- We celebrated a 16th birthday in our house this past weekend.  As I said to Katelyn on Saturday.... "I remember the day you were born.  I came home to our old house after a long night at the hospital and crashed on the couch.  I hit the stereo and a song called 'God has smiled on me' came on"...... at that point in my story I got at little teary eyed and choked up..... so I turned to her and said, with choking voice..... "I really miss that couch!"....... We both laughed for 10 minutes straight!  :)

- Sadly, Megan's B-ball season has come to an end.  It was a lot of fun watching her play and improve so much over the past few years.  I am going to miss going to the games and I am going to miss having kids that wear the "Hillcrest" uniform, but it was fun while it lasted.

So there you go...... some things to think about or to try to forget.  Have a good week!

I just got back from Ladies Retreat

Ok - so I did not actually go to ladies retreat (though I have been lobbying to be the guest speaker there sometime..... If they don't give in soon I am going to take them to court for discrimination.... you cannot ban someone from an event based on race, colour or gender!!!   Right????  Why should I miss out on a weekend away just because I am a man, huh????  It is wrong I tell ya!!!!).

Anyway - what was I ranting about before I started ranting.... oh ya.... I just got the minute by minute replay from the daughters.  I am serious... it took like 2 hours to tell me all about the three days..... 2 hours (literally!).

I am not sure where they got their "detail oriented story-telling" from....their mom maybe?  :)

Actually, it is sort of funny.... before the kids started going to this event, Sari would come home and I would ask, "So how was it?  What happened?"...... now that the kids go, I don't have to ask that question any more.


I am glad that they (all 3) had a really good weekend and I enjoyed hearing about it.  It was a nice weekend for me too.  I am enough of a hermit that I don't mind a few days by myself and I had enough outside activities (hockey game, work day remodeling the old kitchen in the church building, a few stock car races on TV) to keep me from going stir crazy. All in all - a good weekend.

But, mark my words..... I am going to the retreat next year!!!   I am going to be the "Jackie Robinson" of Ladies retreat (Jackie broke the colour barrier in Major league baseball). One day they will make a movie of my life.... I will be a national hero!!!!  They will build a statue of me outside the Kenosee Inn to commemorate the spot where I stood up for the rights of men everywhere. My dream is that it will no longer be referred to as "ladies retreat" - it will just be "retreat".

Or maybe I will just go to Daytona for the 500 instead.

For my "Word Nerd" friends

Flipping around the stations last night, I saw a guy doing a stand-up routine.  Most of it was not that funny or interesting, but I liked this part.....

I hate spelling.  In fact, I really hate the word "doubt".  It has a silent "b" in it and I always look at that word and think, "Did I spell that correctly?"..... and that makes you actually experience the feeling that the word is meant to convey.

Wouldn't it be cool if other words worked the same way? 

I mean.... what if the spelling of "random" just had an "x" thrown in there for no reason?

Or what if you spelled "Stutter" with like 18 "T"s...... "Stutttttttttttttter"

That would make a lot of sense to me.  :)

Doing the right thing

Left alone, I don't know how much longer he would have lasted.... it is hard to say.  When we found him he was shivering in a tarp garage alone behind this guy's house.  He was cold... there was no heat.  He was in the dark.... no windows or lights.  It was easy to tell - just by looking at him - that he was being neglected.... abused even. 

When we asked the owner about the poor little guy, he said that he had checked in on him the previous day, but I was not sure that was true.  Then, as the guy talked, he revealed that frustration had set in recently, causing him to just give up on the little guy.  It was sad, but it happens.   I am just glad that we got there when we did.

As we got closer, it was obvious that all the little guy wanted was someone to love him and care for him..... you could see it in his headlight.  He just wanted someone to take him for a run out on the open road, so he could feel the wind through his spokes one more time.

It is not every day that you get to rescue a motorcycle from neglect, but yesterday was one of those gloriously good days!

My friend Dennis and I went to Weyburn, found a 1984 Honda Magna V45 (750 cc) and rescued it.  In fact, we got 3/4s of another bike thrown in for nothing (a frame, various wiring parts and an engine that was spread out in 4 different totes and literally a thousand pieces).  

Dennis was looking for a project bike.  Something that he could make into a "bobber".... and he found it and bought it.

Some may say we are heroes for what we did.... but I don't see it that way.  We just did what any other red blooded, thinking male would have done for a motorcycle in distress.

Sometimes the right thing to do is the easiest thing to do.   :)

(Ps.  The funniest part of the transaction was when the gruff 24 year old oilfield worker who was selling the bike said.... "I don't know.... this is hard.... it is like selling your girlfriend!"  :)   I am not exactly sure how it feels to "sell your girlfriend" but Dennis and I both understood...... and Dennis gave him an extra $100)  

A Valentine's day commentary

This is not a Valentine's Day rant.... even though that is sort of the popular thing to do these days.  I sort of like the idea of Valentine's Day.  I don't like all the commercialism but the basic premise is good. 

So, these are simply a couple of observations and questions related to the day.......

1.  I was shocked again this year at how many "To my Wife" cards start with a line that sounds something like, "I know that our lives are so busy that we hardly get to spend any time together any more" or "I know that I don't say things like 'I love you' as much as I should" and then go on to say something like "I hope this card helps you to know what you mean to me". 

Really??? Is this what we have come to as a society???  Neglect your wife most of the year and then buy her a $4 card and that makes up for the whole thing????    Isn't that like burning your neighbour's house down and then going to the house warming party for their new place and saying, "Here - I bought you a pineapple... I hope we are good!"  

2.  Men are funny when they buy Valentine's day cards.  First, there are the "on fire" guys.  Those who race in, grab the first card they can find, make sure it has hearts on it and does not say "To my dear husband"... they then spin around, run to the checkout and out the door as if they are spies about to be caught and tortured by the KGB. I literally saw one guy come in, barely stop walking, grab a card and go in less than 15 seconds.  Hopefully, he had spent so much time over the past few weeks looking at cards but not buying that he knew exactly where the absolutely perfect card was on the rack so that he did not have to look any more... he just grab it and went based on hours of research.  I would not bet the farm on that one though.

The other type of guys that are funny are the "deer in the headlight" guys.  They wander in as if they have never seen a Valentine's Day card before and have no clue as to what is expected of them.  They stand there forever as if the perfect card is going to jump off the shelf and into their hands.  The fear of process totally incapacitates them to the point that they cannot function.  Eventually, they end up buying the card they buy because it is the most sparkly.


3.  I heard on the news tonight that the average Canadian spends $126 on Valentine's day and that Saskatchewan residents spend the most.  Were you higher or lower than the average? (Full disclosure... I was lower and I bought for 3 girls)

4.  A survey on the news stated that 75% of people (or something in that range) do not look forward to Valentine's Day.  That sort of shocked me.  If the 75% are saying that b/c they do not like the commercial garbage and the pressure - then good.... I could be with them.  Otherwise, if it is a vote on whether it is a nice idea or not to have a special day, then I will go with the 25%.   You?????

So there you have it.  Not a rant.... not a ringing endorsement.... just some things to think about.

Very cool

This video was taken by the crew of Expedition 30 on board the International Space Station. The sequence of shots was taken January 30, 2012 from 06:13:36 to 06:23:09 GMT, on a pass from northern Mexico to northwest New Brunswick. This video begins looking northeast over Texas, where cities like San Antonio, Houston, and the Dallas/Fort Worth area can be seen. Continuing northeast over the Great Plains states, cities like Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and St. Louis can be easily distinguished. The pass continues over the familiar shape of the Michigan Peninsula, with Chicago at the south edge of Lake Michigan. As the ISS continues northeast, the Aurora Borealis can be seen over Canada.

I am going to miss Estevan

After 22 years in the same place, you make a lot friends and become comfortable doing the things you always do.  I like going to the hockey game or to to the mall and running into people and chatting. Small town life has been great.... and I am going to miss it.

Where am I going?  Well - I am not completely sure yet.  I think I am just going to take all the offers, look them over and decide from there. 

You see, I officially start my "Basketball coaching career" tomorrow and who knows where it will take me?  Right now I am helping coach the "Hillcrest School Grade 7 and 8 Boy's" team, but after the tournament this weekend, who knows? 

Do I know anything about basketball????  Well, check out the picture at the top of this blog.... does that look like I know what I am doing? (What do you mean that doesn't look like me?  After 22 years of living near a coal mine your skin darkens up a bit)

Anyway, it is not all about my skill.... but my brain.  You see, I am going to have ONE KID on the bench at all times.... so I am really going to have to manage the game and make sure everyone gets playing time and that no one gets lost in the shuffle.   And then there are the water bottles..... SIX of them!   And they have to be cold (I once threw a bottle across the gym because it was warm..... I still have flashbacks about that). 

I am not sure who TSN is sending to cover the event, but I have written up some questions for them to ask me just so that they don't look dumb.  Things like this can be intimidating.

I'm sure going to miss Estevan...... but you can't stop your destiny!

I think we have a misunderstanding here

"No, I didn't watch the Super Bowl".......  What???

 Super Bowl Sunday is not about the game... whether you are interested or not.... or even like football or not.

Super Bowl Sunday is all about the Super Bowl party.

It is about getting together with almost everyone you know.

It is about having tables of junk food stacked so high that you cannot see over the pile to the other side of the room.

It is about eating Louisiana style chicken wings until it feels like your mouth is going to burn off and it feels like you have a lump of lead in your stomach.

It is about watching the commercials (or at least it would be if Sasktel allowed us to see the US feed instead of the CTV one on every channel)

It is about rating the halftime show (Our crew gave Madonna an average of 4.5 out of 10...... And then agreed that Tom Petty, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen have been among the best halftime shows ever.....  Paul McCartney =  the worst..... "Time for bed Grandpa!")

It is about challenging the teenage sons of your buddies to see how many gummie bears they can put in their mouth at one time

It is about drinking so much Coke and eating so much cake that you can't sleep for a week afterwards

Oh - and occasionally - like yesterday, the game turns out to be really good too

So for all of you who missed out yesterday, let me just say that you are all invited to my place next year (Maybe just let me know an hour or two before you show up so I can tell Sari..... That is sort of what happened this year - "Hey Sari, I invited half the church over for supper and to watch the game" - it was great fun after she calmed down)

So I am serious... Consider yourself invited.... But please do not bring anything - we still have 456654556 bags of chips left over from this party

Something fun and something new (and also fun)

Megan is currently in the middle of her school basketball season. The city tournament went last night and today and here are some shots from it......

She enjoys playing, it is fun to watch and the kids that she plays with are really nice.... what could be better?

Katie had something new and unique happen to her today too..... here is a hint:

Well - the "monkey" part is just for me (I love monkeys), but the fancy "froo froo" coffee part is the hint.... she worked her first day of her first real job at a very nice coffee shop in town. 

I was trying to convince her to work at Peavey Mart, because...
(a) she would not spend all her money on stuff from the store (like she would if she worked in a clothing store) and....
(b) I would get a discount.

In the end, though, she thought that the coffee shop would be a better fit.  She likes her boss, her co-workers and the atmosphere and I like the fact that not many guys go in there (the only male presence seems to be married guys with their wives)..... so everyone is happy!

A good weekend so far.

Well - it has been awkward!

I found the "Creepiest place on earth" this past week. 

Surprisingly, it was in the "Dakota Square Mall" in Minot, North Dakota. Even more surprisingly, it was NOT "Bath and Body Works" (if you ever go to Minot, you likely know what that means).

The most creepy place on earth is "Scheels Sporting Goods".

Now, normally, that is the first place I go.  In the sea of girly, smelly, "pretty" stuff that is any modern mall, Scheels is a manly, hairy, haven of guy-ness...... but it was weird this time.

It was like the staff had been taken over by zombies.  They were all wandering around like they had lost the will to live (Not that unusual when you see teenagers working retail) and if I got within 10 feet of one of them they would ask (with no enthusiasm), "Can I help you?" (Again, not that weird).

But then it got worse!  As I kept walking past the various staff people, the questions increased and became more personal..... "Can I help you?...... Do you need help finding something?..... Have you seen our new shoe line?...... How are you doing today??......  Have you called your mother lately??...... Are you getting enough fiber in your diet??"    It was getting creepy (and sort of personal) so I ran away.   I think they must have been bored.

(Ok - that may have been exaggerated a little.... but this part is 100% true).....  As I am running away from the creepy sales people, I head for the front door.  Now, Scheels has cash registers on each side as you go out (about 4 per side) and there were literally 2-3 people standing at each one..... so I am running away and I hear......

"Have a nice day" - so I turn left and say "thanks". 

Then I hear, "Thanks for coming" so I turn right and say "Thanks!" (Why I thanked them for thanking me is beyond me - it is a Canadian thing).  

Then "Come again" from the left......

"Have a good day" from the right.......

"auf Wiedersehen" from the left (to which I replied "Wienerschnitzel"..... it is the only other German-ish word I know)

It was bizarre!!!!  It was like being in a shooting gallery, or on the red carpet at a movie premiere (Mr. Pippus..... Mr. Pippus - over here!!" .....Click)

I may have been safer in "Bath and Body"
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Speaking of odd things in Scheels.......  I saw two bizarre products in there:

1.  A tennis ball air preserver.  Apparently, tennis balls are supposed to have 14 psi of air in them.  However, over time the air leaks out, so this company sells a container that holds the air inside the tennis ball, or (in serious cases) will re-inflate the ball (but this process takes a month).  You put the balls in this long container and then twist it down to about 1/2 its size.  This, supposedly, compresses the air around the tennis balls and - ta da - now air cannot escape.   Seriously????  Those of you who play tennis.... have you seen this thing?   Do you use one????  Is the loss of a quarter pound of air really the world tragedy that this product's packaging described?????   Help me out here.

2.  I saw a "Frisbee golf set" that had three Frisbees in it:  One "Distance driver", one for "Medium range" shots and one "Short range putter"...... all for the low low price of $43.99.   So this gets me thinking... "Why not just buy a $10 Frisbee and NOT THROW IT AS FAR?????? .......  "Oh look - my 'Long range driver' just turned into a 'Medium range putter' (all for 10 bucks instead of 43).    In fact, if you don't throw it at all, it turns into a really big coaster to set your coffee cup on...... it is magical!

I must be missing something here.  

It is hard to be a modern Dad

 I am an old fashioned sort of guy... I like working on vehicles and getting my hands dirty... I get my hair cut at a "barber" not at a "salon" (well - actually Sari cuts my hair but that is beside the point).... and the thought of going for a massage makes my skin crawl (In fact, I gave myself the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it).

Some things about being a Dad and husband have not changed over the years.  For example, the need for Dad to be an "awe inspiring example of awesomeness" has not gone out of style.  People need someone to look up to.... someone to idolize.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard my kids say, "I wish I was as cool as my Daddy" (Ok.... most of the time I have supplied that voice for the girls.... and it was only heard in my own head..... but I could see it in their eyes!)


However, some things are different in this modern age.  I live with three females (and a very girly dog - even though he should not be) and I recognize that they need me to be more sympathetic to their "feelings" and other silly things like that.... so I work very hard at this aspect of "fathering" and "husbanding" (Is that really a word?  I think I am thinking of "husbandry" which means "to grow a crop"..... ah well - close enough).

For example, when the kids or Sari get sick (which it seems they often do - sniffles and such), I try to be supportive..... empathetic..... sympathetic..... and other "etic" things.  

I also try to offer them some good advice (distilled from my years of experience, knowledge and logic).   Helpful things like....... "GET AN IMMUNE SYSTEM!!!!"

So what happens when this sympathetic, caring, kind, modern "feeling" Dad gets sick ONCE in like 10 years?????  These sweet kind girls that I live with (including their mother to some extent) come to my death bed (which I valiantly fought back from mind you) and say...........

"Oh you look sick!  Are you sick?  You are looking a little half dead.  Are you sure that you are not dying?......  GET AN IMMUNE SYSTEM!!!!!"

I am telling you..... it is hard to be a modern, nice Dad.

Good thing I don't live with really bad kids!  :)

Single-handedly saving the internet and a dream comes true

Many months ago, I declared that I was done with blogging.  "Bah!" I could be quoted as saying (I like saying "Bah!" especially out of context...... "So what are you doing next weekend?"...... "Bah!" ... I find that and a crazy look in your eyes generally stops useless "chit-chatty"conversations).

Anyway.... I had decided that "Facebook" had killed blogging.  No one reads blogs any more because they are wasting all their time on Facebook. Facebook status lines have reduced people's attention spans to the point that no one has time to think about, write or read anything if it is more than 10 words words long. Fortunately, though, it is mostly important, earth shattering stuff like "I just opened a can of soup" .......or "I am really enjoying this tomato".

Well here is the thing..... I DON'T CARE WHAT TV SHOW YOU ARE CURRENTLY WATCHING, NOR DO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT SOME ACTRESS WORE ON THE RED CARPET LAST NIGHT AND IF I WANT TO BE ANNOYED BY SOMEONE I WILL DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY...... BY ACTUALLY FINDING SOMEONE TO TALK TO.... NOT BY READING THE LAMEST THOUGHTS THAT 200 OF MY "FRIENDS" CAN COME UP WITH WHILE PLAYING "FARMVILLE".

BAH!

Ok that rant is over.... though I will say that this advice posted below is really good.....

I think I would wear out the "You're an idiot" button though.

So, with all that being said, I decided not to let Facebook take out all the bloggers in the world.  Along with my vast collection of readers (which from the survey that I just completed seems to be 4 real people and two cats....), I have decided that I will be the last blogger standing (if necessary).  I am not promising a blog per day, but I promise that if you keep coming by there will be something to read (whether it is worth reading or not is another discussion).

So - in an effort to combat the Facebook drivel and in an attempt to inspire.... I have a story about dreams coming true......

When I was 20 years old, I attended a curling bonspiel in Langbank, Saskatchewan (near Moose Mountain Provincial Park).  Since that time, I have played in that bonspiel almost every year (always losing.... no matter what. In fact one year I loaded up our rink... I was convinced that I was finally going to win..... and then we were beaten by a 45 year old man and three 10 year old girls....... but that is a story for another day).

Along the way, over the last 20 years, I thought to myself, "It would be fun to curl with my own family someday".  Well, this year it happened... and I hope it was the first of many more.

And I am happy to say that we did not lose to a bunch of 10 year olds this year..... we did, however, lose to a team of seniors - one of whom could not remember which foot to put his slider on (I thought he was going to break a hip several times).

The point:  It may have been a little dream, but it eventually came true..... and to me it was a big dream!  It was fun.  It was with my three girls.  We all made a shot or two and best of all..... no one could check Facebook all day!  :)

Thanks for coming by......

Maaayyybe!!!???

Hey all (if there are any "all"s that still come by here)

I have a bunch of funny (to me anyway) stories to tell.... some pictures to share.... some observations to - umm - observe (I didn't really know where I was going there)...... but I want to know if anyone is still checking this thing..... so here is the deal.......

If you read this, please sign in.  If I get 5 people on board.... away we go!  :)

Final Blog Post (30 of 30)

So some of you have noticed that I did not really finish my "30 blogs in 30 days" thing.... but as the 29th post title says, "We gots furniture!" (I don't know why that has a "hillybilly accent" to it with the "gots" part... it just does).

Anyway, the last many nights have been all about carting furniture home from Sears, decoding the very confusing instructions ("Honey, have you seen the piece of the coffee table that looks like Cambodia?   What do you mean, 'What do you mean Cambodia?'   Look at the the drawing in the instructions.... clearly the top of the table attaches to Cambodia.... it says so right here"), setting things up, moving things in from the garage, taking hundreds of pounds of cardboard boxes in for recycling etc, etc, etc.   However, we are almost done and almost have our basement back.  The girls are back in their bedrooms.... all is good.

So - to end the blog run for now..... two short video clips that I came across today.  Enjoy!

PS.  No one answered my questions about your first concert, first record, etc (see post below).  Does that mean you are too shy to respond, too embarrassed that you bought "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees (don't be - I like the Bee Gees) or that no one reads this thing?

I would take another run at blogging a bunch of stuff if I knew someone was reading.  Check in and comment if you are around here in the next week or so (just to prove you passed by)..... if no one comments, I will mothball the blog (Yes that is a threat!!!!)   :)

We have furniture (29 of 30)

Thanks to my friend Shane (who helped me load and unload 11 separate pieces today), we now once again have (some) furniture in the basement again.

I am thankful and happy to get the space back, but I HATE putting the furniture together.  Any furniture.... take the piece that in the diagram looks like an elephant's trunk and then stick it (somehow) into the other piece that looks somewhat like a stop sign on its side while holding the screwdriver and the hammer that you will need.  Oh and by the way, the stuff is made so that no screw will actually (a) fit or (b) stay.   ENJOY!!!!

As a comedian I heard one time said, "I hate IKEA furniture.... and I hate working with my wife to put it together.  We always fight... no one can understand the instructions.... someone is always crying at the end.  IKEA's slogan should be 'Hope your marriage is stronger than our furniture!'"   :)

Anyway - with any luck the kids will be downstairs again in a week or so (we are waiting on a few more pieces) and maybe the family room will be ready for a "Grey Cup party".  
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Hey - since I got no response to this, I am posting it again (I will not argue, laugh or criticize.... or even use anything you say in a sermon.... I am just curious:

1.  How many movies do you watch on average (either per month or per year)?

2.  What was the first record/CD/Album/8-track/45 (whatever era you are from) that you ever bought?

3.  What was the first real concert you attended?
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T-shirt.....

Goodnight!

Three questions, a T-shirt and a story (28 of 30)

Every Wednesday night I read English with people who are new to Canada.  Normally, I read with a very nice guy from Korea, but he could not be there tonight.  Fortunately, there was a new "nice guy from Korea" there, so I sat down and asked him to read a portion of the book of Luke (we use the Bible as an English text).

When he finished I said, "Wow!  You read really well!  Very clear... easy to understand...very good!"

He said, "My English is not good.  I can read, but I do not understand.  I have been here 2 years and I am very bad at English".

I said, "Come on!  You are doing great!  Look, you just read a whole paragraph to me.  Not only that, you are carrying on a conversation with me. My other friend has been trying to teach me Korean  for 2 years and I only know one word, so you are doing well".

"What Korean word do you know?" he asked.

I said my word.... and he just stared at me.  So apparently I don't even know one word!

Then - to make matters worse - I went and told this story to a friend of mine who was visiting with a lady from Germany.  When she heard this story, she said, "Well, you still remember the German I taught you, right?"

I said that I did.  In fact, I said that I remembered several words.  Then I proceeded to mash some of them together into a nice sounding phrase.


The lady started laughing at me and would not stop.  When I asked her why she was laughing she said, "You just said, 'I will crazy'".


So maybe my career as a translator will have to be put on hold for now.  :)

But, as the German's say, "Egal" (that is the only other German word I know.... it really means something.... look it up)
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Three questions......


1.  How many movies do you watch on average (either per month or per year)?

2.  What was the first record/CD/Album/8-track/45 (whatever era you are from) that you ever bought?


3.  What was the first real concert you attended?


(I will give my answers in the coming days - comment below)
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T-shirt of the day (in honour of my language confusion.....)

Have a good week.  Hug the ones you love just b/c they are there!

Some silly and some sad (27 of 30)

Life here is always a mix of good and bad... happy and sad.... and this post reflects this truth today.  First some happy/fun things.....

A buddy of mine had this video on his blog.  It is pretty good.  Have a look.....

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Maybe Megan has found her calling.... .she helped me put put up new lights in the basement tonight.  She is a good little electrician.  Shocking, hey? (Get it..... "shocking" .... electrician)  :)
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T-shirt of the day.....

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And the sad part......

If you have been around Megan at all, I am sure you would have heard about her buddy Tess.  Tess was one of her best friends all through younger years at school.  Even after her family moved across town and "Tessica" (as I called her) started going to another school, they kept in touch.  Megan used to go to sleepovers and hung out there a bunch.

Her parents, Carmon and Debbie, were very, very nice people.  They were kind, giving and fun.  They were involved in lots of things - most of which involved their kids (such as coaching soccer and basketball and going to cheer their kids on when they played anything).

I enjoyed visiting with them.  They always had stories to tell and were interested in what you were doing too.  As well, they were believers and, so hardly a conversation went by (especially with Debbie) where we did not talk about spiritual things.  They raised nice kids and were simply really good people to know.

A while ago, Debbie was diagnosed with cancer.  A few months ago Sari ran into her and asked how she was doing and her reply was, "Well we have gone from Hope to Faith now".  Sadly, for those left behind, Debbie died this morning.


So we have spent much of the day thinking about and praying for Carmon and the kids (and if you pray I would ask you to add this family to your list too).


And I thought a lot about the brevity of life.  Debbie was about our age and was (like us all) looking forward to lots of good years... watching her kids grow up and get married.... enjoying retirement someday..... etc, etc. 

The Bible says, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14) and that is true.  No matter how long our life is, it is short compared to eternity, so we better be ready.

Anyway.... hug your loved ones, tell them how much you care..... you do not know what will happen tomorrow so value the blessings in your life while you have them.