It is getting CRAZY out there

What happens when you get 20 cm (8 inches) of snow that shuts the city down for a few days and throws people's schedules off????   People become morons - that is what!

I drove the kids to school again because there was no way their little car would make it through the drifts.  As I was going down Kensington by Wal-mart, the light turns red, so I stop...... and then all I hear behind me is.....

"HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKKKK!!!!"

I look in the review mirror and see is this semi loaded with pipe flying toward us (doing maybe 60 km/h in town on an icy road that is normally marked 50 km/h) and there is no way he is stopping.  Good thing there was another lane because did not touch the brake as he raced past us, through the red light and just kept going.

Thing is ..... it wasn't even close!!   I mean, he was probably a block away from the light when he hit the horn...... we sat there a good 4 seconds before he came barrelling through.  Thankfully everyone got the message and waited because if anyone had pulled out (on their green light) they would have got plowed.   Or if we had been in his lane, he would have punted us all the way to the high school.

As little snow, a few delays, people getting off schedule and frustrated = brains shutting off.


That is an equation I don't really want to see again.

Just so you know/Cool :)

Comet making closest approach ever of Earth, finally becoming visible in Northern Hemisphere

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
Tue, 5 Mar 2013 14:01:00 CST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A recently discovered comet is closer than it's ever been to Earth, and stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere finally get to see it.

Called Pan-STARRS, the comet passed within 100 million miles (160 million kilometres) of Earth on Tuesday, its closest approach in its first-ever cruise through the inner solar system. The ice ball will get even nearer the sun this weekend — just 28 million miles (45 million kilometres) from the sun and within the orbit of Mercury.

The comet has been visible for weeks from the Southern Hemisphere. Now the top half of the world gets a glimpse as well.

The best viewing days should be next Tuesday and Wednesday, when Pan-STARRS appears next to a crescent moon at dusk in the western sky. Until then, glare from the sun will obscure the comet.
California astronomer Tony Phillips said the comet's proximity to the moon will make it easier for novice sky watchers to find it. Binoculars likely will be needed for the best viewing, he said, warning onlookers to avoid pointing them at the setting sun.

"Wait until the sun is fully below the horizon to scan for the comet in the darkening twilight," Phillips advised in an email sent from his home and observatory in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Pan-STARRS' name is actually an acronym for the Hawaiian telescope used to spot it two years ago: the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System. The volcano-top telescope is on constant prowl for dangerous asteroids and comets that might be headed our way.

Thought to be billions of years old, the comet originated in the distant Oort cloud — a cloud of icy bodies well beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto — and somehow got propelled toward the inner solar system.

It's never passed by Earth before, Phillips said.

A much brighter comet show, meanwhile, is on the way.

Comet ISON may come close to outshining the moon in November. It was discovered last September by Russian astronomers and got its acronym name from the International Scientific Optical Network.

Neither Pan-STARRS nor ISON pose a threat to Earth, according to scientists.

Snow Day!!!!

So I was supposed to be going to Regina today, however it looks like this out there.....

When we went out to the garage to get the SUV out, we found snow drifts 4 feet high.  The girls stayed home from school too.... 3 inches of clearance on the front of their car is not likely going to work on these streets.   Why go out just to get stuck, right?

Anyway, this has delayed some on my motorcycle dreams.... but on the good side it gives the rest of you more time to raise the $14000 it is going to take to buy me that Concours from the post below.  :)

Anyway, stay in if you can and if you need a push - call us..... the kids aren't doing anything. 

The Happiest Place on earth

Sari and the girls are away and so I decided to visit the happiest place on earth.

No, this place has nothing to do with gigantic, fake mice or princesses.  The happiest place on earth (around these parts anyway) is the motorcycle shop.

And guess what?????   They have one of these sitting in there......



That, my friends, is a Kawasaki Concours 14.... and here is the best part.... it is on sale for the low, low price of $13 999 (What is the line the girls always use on me when shopping in Minot???  Oh ya.... "I could have spent  _____ but I got this for WAY cheaper!")

Anyway, before I went to look around, Sari texted me and said "behave"..... which I interpret to mean "Don't even think about it bozo"..... but I have a plan.

If 1000 of you chipped in $14 each......... think of it this way... when was the last time you bought me a birthday present????  Here is your chance to make up for that oversight.  Even if you bought me a present recently, this is a cheaper option than buying me another shirt or something.

It could be your chance to help out an oppressed guy who lives in a house of females who think clothes and food are more important than motorcycles (Girls!  Pphhhffttt!!!) 

What is that?  You say I am lucky I have a wife that is nice enough to let me have ANY motorcycle much less the really nice one I currently have???   Many wives would not even consider that and Sari almost forced me to buy a good one???? 

True.... that makes her truly a spectacular wife(not to mention "odd" - in the best sort of way). 

However, think how much better that story would be if I had a brand new Concours to brag about.  Huh????  THAT would be a real story!!!!

Sari?????  Honey?????   HELLO???????  :)

That isn't funny!

 

An era has ended.  For more than 4 four years I have set my PVR to record the "Just for Laughs" comedy festival any time it was on.  I love watching "stand up".  It is amazing to me that a person can go on stage with nothing more than words and ideas and make a living... that is cool.  Sometimes it is vulgar and gets the quick "fast forward" button, but lots of times it is witty, insightful and just plain funny.

For example, one of my favorite guys, Greg Giraldo (who unfortunately died in 2010 and was a Harvard graduate) had this to say about 9/11......

"I live in New York and it is scary.  I mean.... every day my boy comes up to me and says, 'Daddy, why do the bad men hate us????  Why do the bad men hate us????'   That is sad isn't it...... because my son is 23 years old!!!!  I'm like.... 'I don't know... why don't you read a paper and form your own opinions!' What kind of a moron am I raising here?"  :)

Anyway, I have now recorded and re-record every "Just for laughs" ever made (5 times over) and so, the other day, I made the hard decision to set the PVR to "First run only".  No more reruns.... only new stuff.... and who knows when that will ever come out.

But the good news is that I have about 10 hours of really funny stuff saved up...... if you are ever bored and need a laugh.... I've got you covered.

Is that really necessary?

 

When doing the weather for Saskatchewan, is it really necessary to have forecasts for Regina, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Weyburn and Estevan?

Seriously, I was watching the news at noon and they spent 5 minutes talking about the weather tomorrow and each of the places I mentioned were within 2 degrees of each other and they were within 20% in terms of "Probability of precipitation".

I mean, it is not as if the "coastal mountains" between here and Weyburn are going to drastically alter that weather patterns are they?

Or maybe they have to give such a detailed account because of the vast inland sea that we live beside.... there is a good chance of "Lake effect snow" when you get close to "Old Wives Lake" I am sure! (Or is that just Alkali blowing off the "lake"?  Either way, it is white I guess)

Wouldn't it be easier and more straight forward to say, "If you are in southern Sask, it is going to be about -15 and sunny" and just leave it at that???   I don't think I am repacking the SUV because it is going to be -14 when I leave Estevan BUT -16 when I get to Weyburn!!!!

What is JC Garden's phone number????  I think I can cut his work load down by about 95% here.  :)

PS.  Did I mention that all the girls are out of town and the only one I have to talk to is the dog.... and he doesn't want to be in the house with me?????  

Dads

My kids thought that this was funny - so I am posting it for them.  Enjoy!

PS.  "30 blogs in 30 days" is making its return this weekend (I think).  Check back for more.... ummm... stuff.  :)

Is it 1937??????

The Canadian government is funding research into its latest and greatest idea.......




Yep - a blimp!   Read about it here.

Now, before you right to me and tell me how stupid I am.... I do get the idea. The north is hard to get to and there are very few landing strips, so blimps make a lot of sense.  They can also haul very heavy loads very cheaply.

But still..... doesn't it sound sort of funny????  

"Yes, Prime Minister, we are looking into blimps.  Of course, we will not be able to complete those until we have looked into other important advances for Canadians such as the "voice to voice telegraph", the "Moving picture box" and the "Horseless carriage" - but once we have a handle on those things we will advance to the blimp!"

Ah the government..... 100 years behind the times and dropping like a rock!  :)

Seems about right

Hey y'all I have not given up on the blog. It is just that (as they say in the hood where I grew up).... "Stuff has been going down!" (or something similar to that).  :)

Anyway, sorry for not writing during the last week (I will explain someday - maybe).

For now, here is a video that my brother sent to me last week.... I had forgotten all about about the movie and this scene, but I like it - so here ya go. Enjoy! And thanks for coming back to read the silliness that is on here...... There is more to come! :)

Captain Kirk calls Chris Hadfield on the ISS

I heard a portion of this interview on the CBC when I was driving home at lunch.  If you have about 13 minutes, you should watch it.  Hadfield has some cool things to say about handling fear, doing something worthwhile and about the experience of being in space and seeing what he is seeing. 

Have a look!

Nice night (Day 29)

Tonight Hillcrest School held a "Sleigh ride/family night" and it was lots of fun. 

Horses.... fire pit.... coffee/hot chocolate/etc.... lots of families.... skate give away.... skating at the rink.... beautiful night.... did I mention a big fire (I got to be the one in charge of that.... starting fires on the school grounds - legally this time!!!!!  Woo hoo!!!!)  :)   

Good job Sari and all!


We have pics coming. I will post them tomorrow.

Ha Ha

I can hear my girls saying "Ahhhh" already

Baby animal pics..... here

This makes me want to go to New York - Anyone???

 

Grand Central Terminal (not "Station".... it is a terminal because it is the end of the line) is turning 100 years old.  Who wants to check it out????? 

Until then, check out these pictures.

A Childhood hero, a story and a complaint (Day 28)

Think back to your childhood heroes.  People you thought were simply "cool". 

Have any of you every had the chance, later in life, to meet one of your heroes?

I did.... just last week.

When Lenny (aka my brother Kurt) and I were kids, if you wanted to find us on a Sunday afternoon in the summer, all you would have to do is go to the exhibition grounds in Moose Jaw.  Why?  Because that is where the stock car races were held.

The stock car guys were our heroes... we knew all there was to know about their cars, their crews... we even rode our ten speeds all over town going to get to the houses or shops where the cars were stored just to see if we could tell what had been done to them that week (New motor?  New paint??). 

In fact, I even remember jumping through the windows of a few of those cars and pretending that I was driving (all the while watching for the owner who likely would not have been as excited about that as I was).

Looking back on it, I realize now that the cars they ran in Moose Jaw were sort of junky.  In fact, they would not be much better than a "bomber class" or "Enduro car" at most race tracks now.   They were just old cars with the windows kicked out and a roll cage welded in. 

However, there was one guy who had the craziest car we had ever seen.  I mean, this thing was super fast!!  It was loud!!!  The team was so cool that they even had a real car hauler and matching team jackets!!!   They did not race in Moose Jaw very often, but when they did, it was a show!

That team..... Jim Barnstable's team from Estevan, Saskatchewan.

Now, some of you are thinking "Wa?" because you don't have a clue - nor do you care - who Jim Barnstable is..... and others of you are thinking "Wa?" because you do know who Jim Barnstable is and you are thinking "He was your hero???"

Well, hero may be a strong word.... but to a 14 year old kid, dude was cool.

So imagine my surprise when several years ago, guess who moves into the house across the street from the church building..... one Mr. Jim Barnstable.

I often thought, "I should go over there, introduce myself and tell him my story of watching him race when I was a kid".   But then I thought, "Bah!  Why would he care that some preacher watched him race 25 years ago?"

Then, last week, I was outside shoveling the walk and guess who drives up to the church building with a load of clothes for our free clothing outlet.  So I introduced myself and told him my story and he was thrilled!!! 

In fact, he told me that he had this scrapbook of all his old race cars and newspaper clippings and stuff.... it was over at his machine shop and he said that I should come by and look at it sometime.  There was even stuff in there about Moose Jaw.  I told him I would do that.

Then.....

On Wednesday I am sitting in my office when I hear someone banging around in the building.  I get up to go see who it is and, lo and behold, it is Jim..... and he has the scrapbook with him.  "I just thought I would drop by and show this to you."

And so he did.... for the next half hour or more.  Then he said, "There is a ton of stuff in there to read.  Why don't you just take it home and look it over.  Keep it as long as you want and just bring it back when you are done".

Sometimes, when you are a kid, you build people up in your mind to the point that there is no way that they could ever be that nice.... so when you really do meet them it is a let down.

Not this time.  Jim could not have been nicer.  And I think I made his day too.  It is nice to be remembered, right?

 ___________
 So, for the first time in a year, I decided to go to "Noon Hockey" today.  It turned out well.  I am sore and tired, but it was a ton of fun.... all except for one thing.

When I went to look over my stuff last night to make sure nothing was missing, I noticed that someone (Sari) had put "Bounce fabric softener" sheets all through my hockey bag.

I was expecting to smell "Hockey dressing room" and what I got was "Spring flower tulip".

What is she trying to do?????  Get me beat up?????  Cause that is what happens to guys at hockey who smell too nice!!!!  

I almost beat myself up just on the principle of the thing!!!

I spent years getting that stuff to smell that bad!!!   I (literally) have not washed the shirt that goes under my shoulder pads in 10 years or more.  10 YEARS!!!!! 

Bounce sheets!!!!!!   Brother!!!  :(
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One last thought......

I am not the most "Politically Correct" guy.  Sometimes I think that stuff goes a little overboard.

However, the other day I heard something that did offend me and I can't believe that it has not been changed in all these years.

I asked Megan, "So what did you do in gym class today?"

Her response... "We played British Bulldog!"

Now come on!!!

Why is that not..... "Monarch ruled, island dwelling, North Sea, Anglo Saxon Male of the species Bos Taurus canine?"

"British Bulldog" indeed! 

I am writing to somebody about this, you know????!!!!  :)

You have to watch this

I know nothing about this guy... no idea who he is or what his story is (I may look him up later if I get a moment).... but I stumbled across this today and just had to share it.  Dude has something to say.

Some good news and some good advice (Day 27)

My "Cycle World" motorcycle magazine came today and that is good news for several people....

1. Me (For obvious reasons)

2. Dennis (As he gets to read them after I am done with them)

3. Sari (Because she no longer has to listen to me whine... "Where is my 'Cycle World'?" every day)

4.  The mailman/woman/person (I was about to start frisking the letter carriers to see if they were hiding my magazine from me - and that may have been a little awkward)

5.  Katelyn and Megan (Because it may be hard for them to survive without their Dad being around during their teenage years because he is locked up as a result of the fight that would have most certainly broken out after the "frisking" bit).

So - as you can see - it is a good thing the magazine showed up today.  The entire course of our collective lives my have been changed had it not.
___________
I was not going to share this bit of good advice.  In fact, it is completely against my better judgment.  However, Sari said I ought to blog it as it may help others.  So, feel free to take the advice and try the idea.  Results may vary.....

Sari was sitting on the couch at lunch and she could not stop coughing.  She asked if we had any "Halls" or something (as if I would know).

I said, "No, but I saw a stand-up comic one time who recommended taking laxative``.

"Why?  What good will that do?" she asked.

"Well", I replied, "His theory was that if you took enough of it you would be too scared to cough".  :)
 __________
See - better judgment should have ruled there.  Oh well!  Have a good night!  :)

Huh! (Day 26)

So Megan and I were the only ones going to church from our house this morning.  Katie was at a sleepover and was driving herself to church from there and Sari was down and out with a head cold thing that she has been fighting for over a week.

So Megs and I got out to the garage..... I go to the driver's side.... she goes to the passenger's..... I open the middle row door of the SUV just as she opens the one on her side.... I throw some stuff on the seat at the exact same time as she throws stuff on the other seat...... we close both doors at the exact same milli-second....... then we both open the front doors at the same time.... jump in and slam them at exactly the same time.

Megan says, "THAT WAS FREAKY!"

I say, "Naaaaa naaa naaaaa naaaa naaaa..... you are just like your Daddy!!!!!"

To which she replies, "Or you are just like a teenage girl!!"

Where do kids get this stuff and why are they so mean and hurtful???????  

I blame her mother!  :)

Megan goes Crazy... a Road Rage incident... And the day I almost started a fight at a Junior High Basketball tournament (Day 25)

 

Megan is very nice..... too nice sometimes.... at least when it comes to basketball.  Sometimes she is so nice that she allows girls on the other team to take the ball right past her and shoot until they score.  She does not want to upset someone by fighting for the ball.

So before her last game of the day in Weyburn we told her that she had to get a foul....  at least one.... that fouls are not all bad.... that you are allowed 5 in a game because it is assumed that if you are trying you are going to run into people... you are going to grab their arm instead of the ball once in a while..... and generally you cannot be super nice and win.  Not that we wanted her to be mean.  We just wanted her to compete.

So - whether it was our talk or her own competitiveness coming out.... she went nuts!  She pushed people around on defense..... she rebounded and fought for the ball.... and she ended up with three fouls.  We created a Monster!!!

It was great!

That was her best game ever!  She competed for the ball and it was good to see.

Way to go Megan!!!!
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On the way home, we look up and there is some bonehead passing a semi, but he does not have enough time, so he is in our lane - coming right at us - and there is no way he is going to make it.

I slow down a little bit to give him a second or two more to complete the pass and he just barely gets back into his lane just in front of the semi and just before we crunch him, so as he went by I laid on the horn..........

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNKKKKK!!!!!!!

 I hope he hears that sound in his ears all night.

 It is no wonder people die on highway 39 every other month..... no patience, no judgement and everyone has to get to where they are going RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

HHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKK!!!!!
_________________
With a few minutes left in the last game today, one of the girls from the Yorkton team had a hissy right on the court and right in the middle of the game.  She was trying to dribble and just screeched at one of our girls,"Watch your hands!"

It was very unsportsmanlike - especially considering the fact that our girl was not called for a foul.  This other girl just did not like being guarded so closely.

Anyway, the play went to the other end and then came back right in front of us when.... "TWEET!!!"......  the "screechy girl" got called for "reaching in". 

Without even thinking (which can be a problem for me sometimes) I yell at her.....

"WATCH YOUR HANDS!"   :)

Now I am not normally one to heckle opposing teams - especially 14 year old girls..... and apparently Sari and Katie thought it was a little odd because both of them looked at me like I had just kicked a puppy across the court.

Katie turned to me and said, "YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!"

"Why not?" I asked.  "I am just repeating what she said.  It is good advice!"

Then I started thinking, "Hmmm.... I wonder if this is going to start a 'Brazilian Soccer Brawl'"..... but, unfortunately, it didn't.   :(

I was ready though..... I am pretty sure that I could have taken that kid!  :)

Don't throw that away!! (Day 24)

Thursday is the start of my weekend (I can hear it now.... "How do you preachers know when your weekend starts when you only work one day a week?"   Ah ha ha!!!) 

Actually, come to think of it, I have only rarely heard that comment in this church and that was many years ago (Which just proves my theory..... If someone makes a stupid comment like that.... then they suddenly go missing.... it deters similar comments).

Anyway.... my self-imposed rule is that all sermons and classes MUST be written and done by the time I leave the office on Thursday.  Two good reasons for this......

    1.  Finishing early gives me at least a couple of days to roll the ideas around in my own mind.  This helps to clarify them even more before I have to try to communicate them and it helps with transitions between points/smoothness of delivery etc.

     2.  More selfishly, if I don't get them done during "office hours" then I have to work on them on my own time - which I do not want to do.

Why am I telling you all of this?   Well, I had blocked off most of this afternoon for a "Webinar" (a web-based seminar) that I had signed up for and when it was done a little early I had nothing pressing to do because I was already ready for Sunday. 

So, as I was going to check the mail, I walked past one of the vacuum cleaners in the back room.  When I saw it, I remembered someone telling me that there was something wrong with it.  The strange thing was that it was almost brand new, but it did not work at all.  So I decided to take a look at it ("Household appliance repair" is not something you are taught in Bible, but maybe it should be as I have fixed a lot of stuff around there.  Bible colleges should also include classes too about furniture moving and roof shingling as I have done a lot of those activities too).

Anyway, I took the thing apart and, after checking a few things, I suspected there was a blockage somewhere.  Took out three screws.... took the hose off.... tried to blow through it.... nothing!   Took a broom handle..... tried to run it through the hose..... would not go!   Started beating the hose against the floor while trying to push the broom handle through it..... and suddenly this huge, hairy mass of stuff comes out.  It looked like at rat!(It wasn't, of course, but it was about that size and shape).

Put it all back together and it works like a charm.

Now, I am not telling you this to brag (who can't take a hose off of a vacuum cleaner and beat a furry mess out of it?), or to say, "Oooh - look at what I can do" (Because, it is not that impressive.  Ok - it is not impressive at all).   But here is my point......

People give up too easily!  

That vacuum had been sitting there for more than a month.... and it likely was not working that well before it was finally "parked".   All it took was ten minutes, a screwdriver and a broom handle to fix it and yet there it sat.  (By the way - this is not a shot at the "Maintenance people" at the church.... they would have fixed it had they known about it... they do lots of good work and I don't want to get on their bad side).

One time a guy gave me a VCR and asked if I would take a look at it and see what was wrong.  I took the top off and there was about 16 inches of tape wrapped around the play head.  I pulled the tape out, put the top back on.... in three minutes it was fixed.

Another time a guy gave me a lawn mower that would not start. When I got it home, I decided to check the spark plug and see what it looked like.... the spark plug was so loose it almost fell out in my hands.   Tightened it up and it ran like brand new. 

So, here is the thing..... if it is broken already, why not try to fix it???   You can't make it worse and, sometimes, you may end up actually figuring out what was wrong. 

As one of my buddies likes to say, "I can wreck a lot of things for the cost of paying someone else to fix it!"  :)
_______________
So - one more day of finals...... and everyone will be glad when it is done.  It will be nice for the kids to have finals behind them.  It will be nice to get out from the pressure of having to study.  It will be nice for the parents to not have to re-learn all this stuff so we can help them study.... it will just be nice.

Ok - more pics and stuff to come.... but for now I am done.  Thanks for reading!

If you like hockey (day 23)

Generally speaking, I do not like Rogers Sportsnet.  Too gimmicky.... too weird.... too much basketball..... etc, etc.  In fact, I don't watch it at all, because I like TSN so much better.

However, I may have just found a new favourite show - and it just so happens to be on Sportsnet.

It is called "On the Edge: the road to the Mastercard Memorial Cup" and it is a behind the scenes look at the Western Hockey League`s Saskatoon Blades.

Now I will warn you, the language is not great (as you may expect in a behind the scenes look at a hockey team).... there are lots of ``beeps`` per show..... but if you have ever wondered what life is like as a junior hockey player - this is your chance to find out.

I have only seen one show so far, but if you like hockey at all, I think you will like this show.  Check it out.
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As well - day 1 of ``Finals`` is in the books.  Kids both feel like they did well on their exams today and are working hard on the upcoming stuff. 

Whoa!! We are in High School again (Day 22)

Dude!  Not only are the girls doing finals this week, so are Sari and I.

Tonight saw both of us studying with the kids.  As we did last night.... and the night before that.... and the night......

I don't think I studied this much when I was IN school.

Who said that you would never use Grade 9 algebra again?????  :)

A Question... a Review... a Story (Day 21)

So the NHL is back.  Are you watching or boycotting? (Or did you not care or watch before the lockout?)

I have to say that I did not think I cared whether they came back or not.  I kept saying that I did not miss it..... but I also have to say that I really enjoyed watching the Leaf game last night.  I watched a bit of the Canucks/Oilers game tonight too..... I am glad that they are back. 

I am not going to spend several hundred dollars to go to a game,but I would rather see hockey on TSN instead of Poker!
______________
Today was a good day at church.  Good discussion in class.... everyone seemed very "visity" and in good moods.... I thought the sermon went well..... but the best part was that this was the Sunday for our "Annual General Meeting".

Using the AGM is terribly uninteresting.... mostly a legal requirement to go through the budget and vote on it.  Sometimes there are a few questions.... a few suggestions.... a couple of years (long ago) there was some "heated discussion" about whether to support this or not support that..... but over the last few years there has been very little discussion.

So what made the "AGM" so good this year?

Some brainy person decided that we were going to have a hot turkey lunch because it was AGM Sunday.  It was like Christmas dinner there today.... Yummmmm!!!!! 

After the budget was presented, I made a motion that we have a huge turkey dinner every Sunday... How much work could it be????  I mean, I contributed this time by taking a bag of frozen peas to the church building and sticking them in the freezer...... if I can do my part certainly others can slave away cooking turkeys, making stuffing, etc, etc, right?

I am going to start looking for more "legal requirements" that we have to fulfill!   :)
 _____________
Other other day, Sari and I were coming home from somewhere and we heard on the radio that 1 in 5 people sleep-walk.

Do you believe that?  1 in 5????  Doesn't that seem high?

I guess maybe not..... the stat in our house is at least 1 in 4.

When I used to play Rec hockey and come home at 12:30 or 1 am, Sari used to wake up freaking out.... like screaming as if someone was trying to kill her.  Of course, her screaming in the dark house would freak me out.... then I am screaming..... it was a mess.

Other times she will jump out of bed and end up 1/2 way down the hall before she wakes up.  When I ask what she is doing she just says, "Shut up!"  :)

So the other night, I decide to roll over.  As I do, Sari sits straight up in bed and practically yells, "ARE YOU ALRIGHT??????"

I reply, "Yes..... well other than the fact that my ear drums are broken now".

To which she says, "WHAT????"

Thinking, "Well she is awake now" I ask..... "Hey did you turn off the space heater downstairs?" (We have a little heater in the family room downstairs and I could not remember if I had left it on, so I wondered if she got it).

She replies, "WHAT?????"

"Did you turn off the space heater?"

"Space heater??????  What is a space heater?????"

I say, "You know.... little oil heater.... in the basement...."

"WHAT?????"

"It is white..... throws heat.... space heater.... basement..... YOU bought the thing, remember?????"

"WHAT?????"

"Sari...... the space heater in the basement.... did you turn it off?"

Suddenly, she comes to and it all makes sense to her......... "SHUT UP!!!!!"

Be glad if you don't have a "1 out of 5" in your house!   :)

Basketball (Day 20)

We spent a good share of this weekend at the gym.  Junior girl's tourney at the school.  I have more pics to post, but I have not had time to download them yet, so I am borrowing these from a friend (Thanks!  The cheque is in the mail)  :)

Megan's team came in third, but more importantly she had a great weekend hanging out with some good buddies (and so did we).

 There are two "freshmen/junior" teams this year..... here is a combined photo.

 Best buddies for a long time and still.  :)

A Smashing Day... and a terribly Gut-wrenching movie (Day 19)

As many of you will know, Sari and I have had a couple unfortunate incidents with the city backing raw sewage up into our basement (If you do not know these stories... use your imagination.... make it 10 times worse.... then double that.... and you will be getting close).

In light of this, our insurance company sent us a letter say that we had to put a "backwater check valve" in our main sewer line... which means chopping up the floor.  I have been putting this job off for a long time, but today was the day.  With the help of my good buddy Dennis, a jackhammer and a sledge hammer we now have several big holes down there (We roughed in where a future bathroom would go as well.... since we had the jackhammer all day anyway, why not right?)

Anyway, I am glad that part is over and I will try to post some pictures tomorrow (Pictures of holes in my basement.... this is quality entertainment here right kids?)

As well... we went and saw Megan play her first high school basketball game today too.  They won and Megs scored the first basket and several others as well.  It was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to tomorrow's games.

Lastly..... until tonight I had never seen "Braveheart".  I know.... how did that happen?  Well.... I am not sure.  However, we sat down and watching it tonight (with a couple of "ff" episodes) and you know what........ I HATED IT!!!!

How on earth could anyone have liked this movie??????  I will give you that (a) it was really well shot.. the filming of the battle scenes in particular was really well done and (b) it was somewhat real-life (with some alterations to the facts to make it more cinematic I am sure)...... but YIKES what a depressing movie!!!  I would not that stupid show again if you paid me!!!  Good thing I never remember movies..... I can't wait for that one to fall out of my memory banks. 

Usually I am all into history and what-not.... maybe it was a bad night/wrong mood..... but I was not happy about it at all.

So there you go.... two thumbs down on that one from me.

Other than that.... it has been a great day.  See you tomorrow.

BLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH (Day 18)

No that is not how I feel tonight...... it is what I just heard outside.

I was walking Murphy and I kept hearing something that sounded like the word above.  I thought, "That sounds like a Moose!" so I went to the edge of the valley to investigate.  

I could not see him, but I heard him over and over again.

Came home, went on the internet and listened to recordings of moose calls and guess what.... exactly the same sound!

I have seen and heard a lot of weird things in this town..... a moose is a first though.

So it is no wild 50 foot Chicken..... but pretty impressive none the less, no?

Wa? I think I am in trouble (Day 17)

To those who live in larger centers, this is going to sound stupid but to us prairie bumpkins it is weird. 

We are getting a 2nd area code.

Not only will Sask be "306", it will also now be "639".

So, I was wondering how they are going to do that... will they split the province into north and south regions and then assign one area code to each? 

Nope!

From the Sasktel web site........
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Who gets the new 639 area code?

Once 639 is introduced, the 306 and 639 area codes will be assigned to new phone numbers interchangeably throughout the province. (For example, a customer's home phone number may have a 306 area code but that customer's new cell phone number may have the 639 area code. Or a customer's new next door neighbour may have a different area code.)
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That  does not sound confusing does it?????  Why create two zones so that you know that when you are calling Moose Jaw it has to be a "306" number?????  Why not make it as random and as confusing as possible????

Here is the thing:  I have "Phone Number Remembering Deficiency" (PNRD).   My PNRD is only somewhat rivaled by inability to remember anything from most any movie I have ever seen (Sari and I can watch a movie and the next day I can't remember the lead character's name.... meanwhile the girls are quoting 3/4 of the lines verbatim). 

My PNRD is so bad that there are some people who I call almost every week.... who have been here since day one of my time in Estevan (22 years +).... and I still have to look up their number or ask Sari every week. 

In fact, sadly, I have no idea what my daughters' numbers are.  If they were not in my "contacts list" on my phone, I would be hooped. 

(Oddly, though, if you and I have had a conversation - whether on the phone or in person - in the last year, chances are that I remember most of it.  Thus, Sari and I could be a new "Super hero team".... she dials and I talk and remember...... we would be invincible!!!   Now we just have to come up with a cool name..... suggestions??????)

So what I am saying is this..... When the new calling system comes into effect this spring, you will likely never hear from me again. 

Or, maybe you will hear from me more as I randomly dial numbers and just talk to whoever answers the phone.  :)
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Two more things.....

1.  I had a super funny story to tell you today.  I was composing it while driving down King street at about 4 pm..... and now I can`t remember a word of it. (See I should have told it to someone and then I could have remembered the conversation).

This is a problem all writers have (so I am told).  You get a good idea.  You think, ``I will never forget that`` and then you promptly forget it.  Good writers (so I am told) carry a small notebook and pen for just such occasions.  I carry one.... it is filled with sermon ideas and illustrations, but no ``Funny`` stories.

So - you have to supply your own for tonight........  (Please place story here)...... (laugh now)...... Thank you!   Come again!   :)

2.  To SRL (in the comments on yesterday`s post).... I did see the sunrise today and it really was beautiful.   Much more so than a 50 foot chicken.
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Ok - that is all for tonight.  

Interesting (Day 16)

Longer post coming soon, but for now have a look at this interesting video.  Caption says.....

" A solar ballet of sorts is captured by NASA. The four-hour eruption on New Year's Eve extended roughly 20 times the diameter of Earth".

Impressive that stuff like this is going on all the time all over the universe and we see only a very small part of it.

Think about that!  :)
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More personal stories about our "exciting" lives coming in the next few days (even if I have to start making stuff up.... Did I tell you about the 50 foot tall Chicken that I saw out by Boundary Dam????).  Please keep checking back.  

A Cold Winter Saturday = reading (Day 14)

So it was cold today and that meant that we were mostly huddled up inside the house (I did get out for a while snowblowing but that was about it).

So I was reading and I thought I would pass on two things to you.

1.  I just finished reading this......



I have been looking for an old bike to restore and this book has helped tremendously.  In fact, it has given me a step-by-step procedure to follow......

   a.  Talk to everyone you meet and mention to them that you are looking for an old motorcycle
   b.  Go look at every old bike that you hear about, even if the guy says, "It is in really bad shape" (you may find something rare and collectible)
   c.  (Now here is where I start to get confused).... Take out a big pile of cash and give it to the owner of the bike.  Even if the bike is rusty and crusty and only about 1/905885 there, he will want a lot for it, so be prepared to pay.
   d.  Then take your "new bike" to some other dude and pay him an even larger pile of cash to do all the work for you (even more confusing)
   e.  Wait about six months to a year until you get a phone call to say that the bike is finished.
   f.  Collect said bike and then brag about how "you" restored it from a barn find, rusty mess to this beautiful work of art (even though you have no idea even where the air filter is located).

Don't get me wrong, it was a fun read.... I liked the stories.... I liked reading about the bikes.... it was inspirational and made me really want to find a bike to work on...... BUT I think these dudes are a little out of my league cash-wise. 

In fact, my real plan of attack looks more like......

   a.  Talk about old bikes to everyone I know
   b.  If I hear about one, go look at it and beg the guy to just give it to me (b/c I can't afford to buy the bike and restore it as well).  Maybe play the "preacher card"... I am a nice guy.... it is cool that a preacher rides a motorcycle and is interested in working on an old one.... cry if I have to!!!
   c.  Take bike home and spend years saving money to do anything with it until Sari becomes so fed up with my cheapness that she ups my allowance and tells me to stop being such a penny-pincher and buy what I need.  I then proceed to buy only what I can't reused, remake, rewire or do myself.
    d.  Ride my "sort of restored" bike around town.... and if someone says, "Dude that thing looks like it was painted by a chimp that  has no  thumbs" reply.... "Well, I found it in a barn!"  (As if  that somehow explains something) and then ride away before they can get an even closer look at it.

So..... anyone know where I can find an old bike - cheap?????  :)
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On a more serious note.......

I was also reading an article today by a lady named "Bronnie Ware" (yes "Bronnie" is the proper spelling - add that to your list of future baby names).  She wrote a book called, "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying- A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing".   It is a memoir of her work doing palliative care and what she learned/observed.   The top five regrets.......

1.  I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
2.  I wish I didn't work so hard
3.  I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
4.  I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
5.  I wish that I had let myself be happier

So there you go.  Something to think about while you can do something about it. 

Who would have thought that you would get something serious to think about on this blog, hey?  Don't worry.  It likely will not happen often.  :)

Some Pictures Day 13

Thanks to sister-in-law Amy, here is what it looks like when we go for a sleigh ride at -25 (with a wind chill of -35) in Dauphin....... 

It was cold, but fun!

And here are some tobogganing pictures - just for fun

A good time was had by all.... 

Mailing it in on Day 12

I have done "30 blogs in 30 days" before and I realize that there are days when blogging just does not come to the top of the list.... so you need to be able to "mail one in".... in other words, post something sort of interesting that does not take a lot of time.

Did you know that a Canadian is in charge of the International Space Station????  Chris Hadfield also likes taking pictures.....  enjoy some of his shots here and  here.

See you tomorrow!  :)

This is worth a minute of your time (Day 11)

I don't even have anything to say about this...... :)

Being a Preacher is No Joke... but it sort of is too (Day 10)

Sari sent me a link to this video today and I thought it was interesting because there are lots of parallels to preaching.

Watch the video and I will comment more on it below......

A couple of interesting things......

1.  I like how he talks about working to get just the right phrasing.  A couple of years ago, I saw a documentary about how he comes up with new material and he will literally work on one joke for months.  He will walk into comedy clubs and ask for 5 minutes to try out some new material.  If it does not go quite the way he wants, he will shave a word out here or there, or he will reverse the order of things until it "feels" right.   If you are creative at all, you will get that idea of something "feeling" right.  You just know it when you have got something.  Preaching is a little like that.  I don't work from a manuscript, but I always try to have a couple of phrases that everything else hinges on.... and, somehow, you know when you have them.

2.  I like that he writes all his jokes by hand and with the same kind of pen.  Odd fact:  Did you know that every sermon that I have written in my 23 years in Estevan has been written by hand with the exact same mechanical pencil??????   There is something about writing out an outline that makes it stick in my mind better than when I type it out.   Why the mechanical pencil???  I am not sure.  :)

3.  I like how he talks about doing most of his stuff "behind the scenes" and that it much of it looks like "nothing" to people.  Preachers always get the "Must be nice to work only one hour a week" thing (though I have not heard that in years), but no one sees the hours of study, discussions etc.  And - here is the best part - whether it is a comedy routine or a sermon - if it comes off looking "easy" and "like nothing" then you know that you have done your "behind the scenes" work well.  It should look "easy" if you actually have created something worth saying.

We saw Jerry in Regina last year and I was impressed with his ability to walk on stage with nothing but ideas and hold an audience for over an hour.

The good news in preaching is that you actually get to talk about important things instead of just stupid things.... and if you are lucky, you get to be a little funny at the same time.

The creative process.... it is fun!  :) 
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In other news, there really is no other news.  It was a normal day, doing normal things.  A good day, but not a blog-worthy one (At least there was not anything interesting enough to spend the time making a good story out of it so.........).

Come back soon and I will fulfill my promise to tell the story of how I know that anti-freeze is both sweet and toxic.

I am still working on some of the phrasing for that one so........  :)

Good night!

Blogger day 9

Well, this is one of those days where there is not much to report..... lots went on.... I got lots done on newspaper articles and classes.... the kids and Sari had good days at school..... it was a good day, just nothing much to report.

Since it seems that no one is going to guess the Dempster's commercial song (at least not in the comments section - I did get a right response via text), I will give you the answer......

It is "Sweet City Woman" by "The Stampeders" (They are originally from Calgary ya know?).

And what was weird about the way they played the song?????? 

The lead instrument is a banjo (no surprise if you listen to the lyrics of the song), but the interesting thing is that they don't "pick" the strings (as you usually do with the banjo).... instead they "strum" it like a guitar. 

Since no one got the answer - no one gets the prize.

Ok - I got Sari hooked on the BCS College Football game between Norte Dame and Alabama and we have to watch the end of it.   See you tomorrow!

A fun day 8

Until today - strangely enough - our kids had never heard of the "Harlem Globetrotters".... knew nothing about them! How did that happen???? I sort of thought that was impossible... like not knowing about trees or something. Everyone has heard of the Globetrotters, right? Well, the girls know about them now. Thanks to a nice Christmas gift, Sari and I took the kids to see them at Spectra Place today and I have to say.... it was fun! 

 Of course, it was corny. Some of the stuff was old (I had seen many of the routines on TV), but it was still a good time. I mean, part of the fun is knowing that this group has been around for 86 years doing these same things. The tradition of it is sort of the cool part. Not to mention the fact that they are amazing! Our seats were close enough to get a good look (In fact, Sari got such a good look at a couple of the guys that I almost had to hold her back... they were pretty!) and seeing what they can do, in person, makes you really appreciate their skill. What a fun afternoon... thanks for the gift (You know who you are!) :)

PS.  They had a dude who was 7'8''... he almost hit his head on the backboard.... weirdly.

The other thing that made this day nice was that the elders and their wives took my family out for my "office Christmas party" tonight (Since I am the only one that works at my office, it is not hard to schedule). They took us out for supper, gave us some cards and said some really nice things... but mostly just treated us like their family (Oddly - a rare thing in churches where preachers often just get treated like the "hireling" or "jerks"). Anyway, a nice reminder of why we are still here... appreciation and love that goes both ways. A rare thing to find.

As well - the Seahawks won so that is good. That means another 3 hours spent on the couch next weekend :)

And lastly.... the song challenge from yesterday: Someone sent me a private message and identified the song and group (I will not reveal it until someone posts it in the comments section though so go listen to it if you have not already).... However, no one has identified what is "Unique" about the way the song is played.

Let me know if you think you know.

Ok - that is it! Have a great week!!

An update... a test.... a continuing discussion (Blogging day 7)

Today was a relatively slow day..... we slept in.... cleaned the church building (everyone volunteers for a month - this is ours).... goofed off a bit.

One highlight:  We got to use one of the best inventions EVER..... the "Dog wash" at the "car wash".

Now, if you have never had to try to wash a dog the size of Murphy (especially during the winter - in the house) this may not seem like such a great thing..... but believe me - it is!  It cost us $6 and was worth every penny!

I am not sure why he smelled so bad.  I suggested that possibly his brain was rotting in his head (That is also why he is so stupid)... but that only got me dirty looks from the females in the house.

Anyway - what a great thing the dog wash is..... heated, easy to use, all industrial so there is nothing to wreck (Murphy shook the water off of himself at the end - no harm done), all the hair clogs their drain instead of ours...... oh - and the dog does not smell like he is dead anymore..... perfect!  :)
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Ok - here is your test for the day.  Watch the commercial below and tell me (a) What song is playing and (b) who is singing it.   Bonus marks for just knowing the answer and not using Google (Please indicate how you came up with the answer when you comment).  

I saw this commercial the other day and immediately I was like 4 years old, standing in the kitchen at home listening to this song on the radio.... very weird.

Someone else HAS to recognize it...... give it a listen (Why Dempster's pulled a song from 1971 for their new ad is another question.... one to which I have no answer)

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One last thing:  From the 6 or so responses I have received (both public and private) so far to yesterday's "Would you accept an offer of help from a stranger in a parking lot?" question....... it seems that the answer is a solid "no" - mostly based on the fact that we (as a society) do not trust one another enough. 

That is sad!  I would have been happier if people simply said that they were too proud to accept help (I get that).... but to be too afraid (or at least cautious) is unfortunate.

Now, I am not saying that the ladies who answered that way are "wrong".... not at all (in fact, it is likely the right answer).   I just think that says something bad about us in general.

Anyway, if you missed the original discussion, please see the post below and please feel free to add to the discussion.  I think it is interesting.

Have a great day!   :)   And don't forget to listen to the song and see if you know it (Even if someone else comes up with the right answer first - let me know if you knew it).

Bonus question: (There is a prize for this one)   What is odd about the way the song is played?  There is something unusual..... what is it???????   :)

Make $400 the easy way.... People are odd (Part 1)...... People are odd (Part 2) and a Question

Would you like to earn $400 for about 45 minutes work?  Have I got a money-making scheme for you.....

1.  Buy and drive a 16 year old truck that has lots of random problems (like a heater fan that quits at -22 and forces you to tear your dashboard apart in the parking lot of Sobey's while your children sit there in stunned horror wondering if you are actually trying to fix the thing or destroy it)

2.  Wait for something to go wrong (this will not take long)

3.  Diagnose the problem

4.  Spend a bunch of time on the Internet doing research to figure out how to fix said problem

5.  Ask a bunch of people whether you should attempt to fix it yourself or pay a garage to do it

6.  Ignore the overwhelming advice that says "Pay someone else"

7.  Buy the parts that you need

8.  Heat up your garage

9.  Fix the problem in under an hour (tops)

10. Calculate how much money you saved when you consider that garages charge $110 + per hour around here.  Add in their various other charges:  parts, taxes and the ubiquitous "Shop supplies" (whatever that means).

Within the last month I have fixed my windshield wipers (literally a 3 minute job.... for which the shop would have charged out the whole hour) and today I replaced the block heater.

I was a little concerned re. the heater because these things can be corroded in and hard to get out, but this one practically fell out.  Not hard at all.  In fact, start to finish, maybe 3 hours of total work (getting supplies, finding tools, etc) but actual work..... 40 minutes tops.

So I am thinking I just made myself about $400.  Maybe I should open a repair shop.

 And I barely got upset and hardly threw any tools this time, so I am getting better!  :)
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People are Odd (Part 1)

When I was done with the block heater project, I had about 8 liters of used anti-freeze to get rid of and since I did not want to kill every cat in the neighbourhood (anti-freeze is very sweet and very toxic.... I will tell you a story tomorrow about how I know that personally) I decided to recycle it.

Here, then, is my conversation with the dude at Canadian Tire.....

Me:  "Hey, I have about 8 liters of anti-freeze to recycle.  Do you guys take it?" (I knew they did, but I thought I would be considerate and ask rather than just walk in, throw it on the counter and leave)

Dude:  "No!  In fact I don't know anyone in Western Canada who recycles anti-freeze"

M:  "Really?  Because when I changed the radiator in my truck a year ago (another money saving day) you guys took it"

D:  "Oh we take it.  We just don't recycle it"

Now, does that seems odd to anyone else?

I mean, Buddy, I don't care what you do with the stuff..... you can take it and bathe in it if you like..... I just want to get rid of it.

Literal people!  Yeesh! (And "yes" I recognize the irony in me complaining about "literal people" - but this guy was just being stupid)  :)
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People are odd (Part 2) and a Question

So I am at the Co-op getting water the other day.  It  had just snowed and the parking lot was really messy making it very difficult to push the shopping cart to my truck.  In fact, I ended up having to drag it from the front because pushing it, while loaded with three full water jugs, was virtually impossible.

After unloading my cart and returning it to the cart corral thing, I look up and see this woman coming across the parking lot.  She is carrying this super cute little baby with one arm and trying to push her cart with her free hand.

So I ask, "Would you like some help with your cart?" and she immediately says, "No thanks!  I can do it!"

Here is the thing..... she needed the help!!!!  She just about killed herself trying to get to her car.   So what is going on here????

      A.  Was she just too proud to accept help? (A curse of our society these days.... we don't let people help us even when we need it)

      B.  Was she creeped out that some random guy talked to her and offered to help? (People are so worried about people having ulterior motives these days it is ridiculous.  For example, I think it is stupid that you can't say, "Hey you look really good today!" to someone without being afraid of getting slapped - either literally or with a harassment complaint)

      C.  People are just weird!

I will note that she was nice about it.  She was not snotty or anything.  Maybe just trying to be self-reliant?  I don't know.... please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Related to that.... ladies.....  What would you have done if a stranger offered to help you?   Would you have accepted or said "No thank you"?   Please leave your answer in the comments section as well...... I am confused.

Ok - that is it for the day!  Have a good one!  :)

Everyone needs a favorite web site (Blogging day 5)

Well, it was back to school for the three girls today and back to work for me, so tonight's report is going to be somewhat short. I am sure I could tell you about the 9 hours I sat in my office writing lessons for this coming weekend, but I am not sure it is quite as exciting as it sounds.  Maybe it is best to just wait for the movie version to come out.

How uninteresting was my day?  Well, we got new photocopy paper today!  Two boxes!!!!  (That was the highlight).

Actually, that is not true.  Dennis stopped by (which is always fun) as did Larry, so it was nice to catch up with them..... and I am super excited about the lessons I wrote for the weekend (Maybe you should come hear them.... Sunday at 10 am.... all are welcome!).  It is just that the writing process does not yield much in terms of storytelling.

However, in the process of looking things up today, I did get to go to one of my favorite places on the web.....  The "Meriam-Webster Online" video section.  Here you will find an assortment of two minute videos, presented by the associate editors, covering a range of topics.  It is really interesting. 

Seriously.... click here to find out why adverbs do not have to end in "ly" (They are called "flat adverbs".... Controversial stuff, I know, but true), or here to find out why we pronounce things the way we do ("Spoken language is primary, not written language" - good point! Though I still hate it when people say "Li-berry")

Or - if you like animals - see this.

Honestly, stuff like this makes me smile. 

Go watch a few.

You feel smarter already, don't you?  :)

Musical selection of the day (bonus post)

Sari has been playing this song a lot, so I thought I would share it with you.  It is sung by a girl named "Megan Smith". 

It is no "Thank God and Greyhound", but it is quite good.  Enjoy!  :)

Can you spell "Competitive"? (Because it is worth a lot of points) :) Blogging day 4

So what happens when you put two competitive "first children" in the same room and make them play "Scrabble" against one another night after night all the while keeping the "Season Series Score" so that someone has bragging rights at the end of the winter?  Well, I am not sure what would "normally" happen, but around here..........

1.  Sari cheats!  Now she will deny this (In fact, she will say, "I didn't mean to cheat, so it is not cheating") however the facts are......

(a) Three games ago I happened to glance at the score sheet (or as she would say, "You were so scared that you were losing really badly that you looked to see how many points you had to try to make up") and one line of Sari's accounting looked a little off.  When questioned about it (and accused of cheating) she suddenly dropped the score by 10 points ("I forgot that I was not carrying a one") and then I was given a helpful suggestion from her ("Shut up!" I think it was). 

(b)  Then two games ago, near the end, Sari played a word with a blank tile and started to count her points.   I looked around the board and realized that there were three "blanks" on the board.... all played by Sari.  Normally this would not be a problem except for the fact that the game only contains TWO BLANKS!!   As it turns out, at about the third word of the entire game, Sari had "Accidentally"(and therefore not cheatingly) turned an "i" over and used it as a blank...... again proclaiming her innocence.

I find it odd that in a game consisting only of words she continues to debate the definition of "cheating".  Good thing you only have to spell the words and not define then or live by them, I guess.  :)

2.  Beyond the cheating, another factor that comes into play is our (notice the plural) ignorant playing style.  "Ignorant" as in "too stubborn to play any word that may give the other person even the least little bit of an advantage or even hope that the game may ever actually end".   We both avoid opening up "Double letter/word scores" like the plague and have been known to forgo playing a very good word in order to play something like "at" in a really confined space in the hopes that our opening up nothing makes the other person suffer even more badly.   The "United Nations" or "Hippy love convention" it is not!  The odd thing here is that I am not at all surprised that I act this way (The Pippus name has long been associated with Ignorance and Stupidity) but from Sari..... tsk, tsk, tsk.

3.  Sari plays so SLOWLY that it forces me to be somewhat whiny.  Mind you, I guess I am also sort of whiny when she plays very quickly and gets a good score too.... but the point still is that my whining is still actually Sari's fault.... and yet, somehow, I am the one who gets told to "Grow up!" (See how unfair this is?????)

4.  Neither one of us  is overly happy when we win.  In fact, the end of the game is less like Paul Henderson's series winning goal against the Russians in 1972 (sticks being thrown in the air and grown men jumping up and down hugging each other and crying) and more like the end of a heavy weight prize fight where the two completely battered, bloody, tired dudes look at one another and say "meh" .... neither one knowing or caring whether they won or not..... they are just happy that the beating has ended.

Currently the series is something like 5-4 for me (Sari cleaned my clock for two games - without too much cheating - and I eked out a one point win in the last game) and the battle rages on.

"If it is so horrible and painful, why don't you just stop playing Scrabble?" you ask.

What?  And miss all the fun?  :)

(PS.  Watch the comments section below for Sari's rebuttal as I am sure she will think that I somehow changed some of the facts here... but if I have "cheated" with the truth a bit - the good news is that I did not mean to so........)   ;)
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A couple of other things.....

1.  I will post pictures soon (this weekend hopefully) of sleigh rides, skating, etc, etc..... so if you like pics better than wading through all these words - stay tuned.

2.  I wrote this blog while eating gingerbread men from "Dutch Bakery" in MJ (Courtesy of my sister).  Mmmmmmm!!!!   When we were kids, mom used to take us in there to get gingerbread men and all sorts of other yummy stuff and - let me say - though I am not a "food guy" at all..... this is one place that would be on my "All-star list" (if I had such a thing for food/restaurants/etc).  If you are ever in MJ, you MUST go to "Dutch Bakery".  It is just south of the spa and (to me) it is one of the highlights of MJ.  Say "hi" to Robin and tell her that Debbie sent you (It likely will not get you a discount or anything, but she will think it is funny!)  Mention the name "Pippus" and you may get a discount.... sort of a "protection" thing, right?  But that may lead to jail time too so........  Either way - Yum!  :)

The Moose Jaw Loop (blogging day 3)

We just got home (like 19 minutes ago) from our "New Year's Eve Freeze Your Feet Off While Skating at the Outdoor Speed Skating Oval at -25 with a Wind Chill of -35 in Moose Jaw with the Pippus Family" Festival (We considered changing the name of the 'NYEFYFOWSOSSOWCMJPF"to something shorter, but then Lenny got the t-shirts printed so......).

A grand time was had by all (At least, we think we had a grand time. Most of it is a blur due to a lack of sleep and an over abundance of sugar-laced snacks in the past week).  Here is the quick recap.....

- We visited with Mom and Laurie (he gave me a tour of his newly renovated shop.... very nice).

- We went skating at the oval and it was really, really cold.  Like so cold that we were the only ones there.  Like so cold that Laurie started a fire in the outdoor fireplace and everyone stood so close to it that our clothes were smoking..... and it felt good.... seriously!)

- We visited with the Quilliams family in their new home......  "Stupid Paul!" :)  (If you don't know what that means and want to.... ask)

- We saw the Lenny crew:  Lenny, Mrs Lenny and all the assorted little Lennys.

- And Debbie bought me this.......

I have decided that it will be awarded to the winner of our Winter Scrabble tournament.  That is if our marriage survives playing Scrabble for the rest of the winter.  Tune in tomorrow for more details on that and other stories......  really, this blog will become more interesting soon - I promise! :)

Have a good one!