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

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

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

To this.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unless......

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

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

Why do I care?  

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

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

Three tomato dudes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Beautiful Day (Blog 28 of 30)

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

Sunday stuff (Bonus post)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great job Sari!  We are proud of you!

Thanksgiving leftovers (Blog 26 of 30)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Stuff (Bonus post)

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

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

A Question and a Quote (Blog 25 of 30)

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

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

"What do you do just for fun?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, let me ask you.....

What do you do for fun?

What are you making today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass the Coke!  :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Simple Thought (Blog 21 of 30)

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

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

That last detail is the one I remembered first tonight. 

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

Why did I think about that tonight?

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

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

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

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

Sunday stuff (Bonus post)

Because my mommy asked about it.  :)

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

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

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

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

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

All in all - a great day!



A Million Dollar Idea (Blog 19 of 30)

So I was Peavey Mart today and there at the end of the counter was the new "Fireman's Calendar".

Oddly, no one seems to have an issue with this.  I am a little shocked that in our politically correct/"we should not put people on display and judge them by their looks" society this still happily happens.  Maybe it is because it exploiting men that no one says anything, or maybe it is because the proceeds go to the Children's Hospital or something (I was mostly averting my eyes so I am not really sure).

Either way - I am not here to protest.  I don't really care.  In fact, I think I have an even better idea.

It all started when I wondered "Why do they always use firefighters for those calendars?" 

I suppose it is because they are assumed to have certain qualities.  Like......

1.  They are brave (they run into the building when everyone else is running out)

2.  They are strong

3.  They have a "living on the edge"/dangerous mystique to them.

Fair enough - but here is my suggestion.  Instead of using firefighters (everyone does that) why not use....... "Septic tank dudes"????

Think about it......

1.  They are certainly brave (Most people run from the stuff that they move toward)

2. They are strong (Have you ever tried to lift one of those sucker hoses that they put in the tank????  Well, me neither, but they look heavy!!!  At least as heavy as a fire hose if not more)

3.  And talk about living dangerously.  Think about what they haul EVERY DAY (By the way, most firefighters sit in the fire hall for weeks at a time and do nothing)..... one bad leak into the cab of their truck and ...... well....... I don't even want to think about it!!! 

Every little kid likes to play with fire.  There is nothing odd about that.  In fact, people are drawn to fires (think campfires, fireplaces, etc).

Who is drawn to a septic lagoon???? 

I am telling you, these guys are the real heroes!!!!

I am guessing that they work cheap, they would bring a uniform (don't stand too close to them) and they would be glad to help (I mean - look at how far they go to helpful in their real job as it is.... having someone take a few pictures of them would be a walk in the park).

I even have a title for the calendar.... "Honey Wagon Hotties!" 

Someone needs to get on this!!

PS.  If you use this idea, write to me and I will tell you where to send my royalty cheque! :)

Excuses and a request (Blog 18 of 30)

So you may have noticed that I did not write last night.  No I did not get called up by the Maple Leafs (Stupid Brendan Shanahan!!!!  I am not going to wait forever, ya know?).

No, the fact of the matter is........

A.  The well ran dry!   I didn't have anything smart, funny, mildly stupid or really annoying to say last night - and I don't really right now either.  Don't worry - I will get back on it.  It is just that I am having to write four lessons per week at work lately (from scratch) and I am out of creativity at the moment.

B.  I have been working on the basement instead of blogging.  Progress so far....

So that is the "excuses" part.

Now the "request" - I have heard from a few people that they are having trouble commenting on the blog lately.  I have changed one of the settings to see if that makes a difference.  If it doesn't, I have another fix but why not try the easiest one first, right?

So if you have a second, please try to comment on this post - even just write "test" or "hi" so I can see if I have fixed it or not (Mom ..... Lenny....  Debbie....  Girls.... I am looking at you).

Ok - ready - go!

It is so sad when they Leaf (Blog 17 of 30)

So everyone keeps asking, "Is the house really quiet with the girls gone?  How are you doing?"

Truth be told, I miss having them around.  Some days more than others.  Take today for example.

When I got home, Sari had raked all the leaves in the front yard into several large piles. It was then my job to come along with the leaf blower, suck them all up, put the mulched remains in bags and tote them away.

As I stood there looking at the leaf piles, I got thinking about the girls.  I remember the first time I piled up a big bunch of leaves and told them to jump into it.  At first they did not want to, but after a while they thought it was a hoot.

In fact, they had so much fun that, in later years, they would help rake the leaves in a pile just so that they could jump in it.

Then, a few more years after that, they would actually go out and rake all the leaves themselves just so they could jump in them.

So, with all that in mind today I could not stop thinking...... 

"You gotta love kids!!  They are so easy to trick!  Who on earth really thinks that jumping in leaves is fun?  And now they are off enjoying themselves and  I am stuck here doing all this boring work myself!"

Sometimes I really miss them!  (Sniff)  :)

My Streak Continues (Blog 16 of 30)

For the past few days, my neck has been really sore!  Like.... "REALLY SORE"!!!!

I knew I had a problem when I couldn't turn my head from side to side or move it up and down (I am so in tune with my body that I pick up on subtle clues like that.... I am smart that way!)

Now, I have a high pain threshold.  I honestly can't remember the last time I took pain medication for anything.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I took a pill of any kind.  I just don't like pills.

However, I was starting to consider taking something on Sunday morning when lifting my head off the pillow hurt so much I almost threw up!

Then Sari said something so crazy that I looked at her like she was speaking Swahili......  "Why don't you go to the chiropractor?"

Pppppffffffftttttt!!!!!!!   Chiropractor!!!!   What is he gonna do for a sore neck or vertebrae that are out of place???????!!!!  

Then she said something even more ridiculous...... "You are scared to go the chiropractor aren't you?"

I turned to look at her (well - actually I turned my entire body because if I turned my head I would cry) and said....... "NO!  I am not scared!!!!   I just have never been to one before and I don't know what happens and feel a little uncomfortable and worried about it..... But I am not SCARED!"

Many years ago, I was playing hockey and crashed into the end boards so hard that my ribs hurt for a month and I could not move my head for 2 weeks!  Did I go to the chiropractor then?  NO!   And that hurt way worse than this, so why would I go now? (Am I right?)

So - You will be proud (?) to know that I stood my ground against all this chiropractor silliness!

It only took like 5 days of excruciating pain (sometimes it shot right down my right arm).... being unable to shoulder check while driving (sorry if you got cut off by a little Ford Ranger - Ooops!).... and not being able to sleep at night (I haven't been able to sleep past 5 am for the past 2 days because my neck seized up like a pretzel) ...... but today I feel great!  I can even turn my head (approximately 17 degrees) and I can almost look up (kinda - if I lean back a bit)!

The important thing here is that my streak is still alive.  What streak is that you ask?  Well, it all depends.  It is either....

a.  My streak of being being able to tough out any kind of pain until it ends

b.  My streak of never having been to a chiropractor in my life

c.  My streak of being completely stupid in such a way that causes me to put up with a lot of unnecessarily bad circumstances that could be fixed in a very short time - if I wasn't so stubborn

You choose!  (I'll give you one guess which one Sari voted for)  :(

Some Fall Colour (Blog 15 of 30)

We had a really busy weekend of work, but we did manage to wedge in a wee drive in the country.  Sara took her camera and here is just a sample of the light playing on some of the fall colours.

And so it begins.... again (Blog 14 of 30)

As some of you know, in July Estevan received 5 inches of rain in less than an hour.  That rain turned our street and yard into a lake costing us two good friends:  Katie's car "Carla" and my truck "Summer".

As well, that rain also turned our basement into a swimming pool (or maybe a waterfall.... something bad anyway).  Water came in all the basement windows and made a mess of everything.

As previously reported, thanks to Sari, the girls and a bunch of good friends, they cleaned everything up as quickly as possible and then we ran dehumidifiers and fans forever! 

In the end, we save most of it.  I say "most" because Megan's bedroom was not so likely.  There was water behind the gyprock and so we ripped out what we had to and then said, "Ya know, there are more fun things to do in the summer than work on a basement" so we moved Megan to the upstairs guest room and said, "We will get to this later".

Today is "later".  Here is today's prep work (Maybe you should not look, Megs).

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward.  I will post the progress as it proceeds.

Sunday Stuff (Bonus post)

If any of this sounds interesting, come check it out!

"Start the Car!!!!" (Blog 13 of 30)

Generally speaking, I HATE garage sales.  Specifically speaking, I hate them for two reasons:

(a) Most of the stuff that people haul out to sell on their front lawn should have been dragged (in the garbage bin) another 20 feet to the curb.

(b) I feel badly when I walk through said pile of junk and don't buy anything.  I know that the poor seller is standing there with a calm and pleasant smile on his face but inside he is thinking "Oh PLEASE buy some of this trash!!!!  I don't want to have to move it again!!!  PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE!!!!!"  Often I feel so bad for the poor slob that I end up buying something that I don't need....... or I just avoid eye contact for as long as I can and then run away like a scared cat.  Neither of which makes me feel very good.

On the other hand, I LOVE garage sales because....

(a) Everything is dirt cheap!  It is almost like most of the junk has no value at all!!! And.....

(b) Every once in a while, you find a gem.  Just like I did today.

More than 20 years ago, just after I moved to Estevan, I bought a brand new set of golf clubs from Woolco in the mall (The name Woolco should tell you how long ago that was).  Over the years, I have got a lot of use out of them.  Back when I was still single, my buddy Ian and I played almost every day.

In fact, I played so much that I kept getting better and better until I kinda peaked.  At that point, I either had to (a) golf a lot more to get marginally better, (b) keep playing and being frustrated that I was getting no better or (c) quit.

Since I did not have the time to play more and I had tons of other, cheaper, ways to become frustrated.... I quit.

Since then I have only played a couple of times a year at the most.

Then, last summer, I was out with my buddy Shady Shane and I almost decapitated him with my 4 iron.  The head of the club just went flying off.  Since that time, I have continued to use to the club (Don't worry thought - Shady is tough - if he gets hit in the back of the head with the club he will just shake it off.....probably!  In any case, it is flying away from me so.......) but I have been looking for a replacement 4 iron.

After a year of searching, today I found this.......

A nice bag and 9 left-handed clubs (which are hard to find) including a very nice feeling 4 iron for.......  $5

FIVE DOLLARS!!!!!   NINE CLUBS!!!!!   AND A BAG!!!!!!

Most new clubs are in the $50 - 75 range and even used clubs are usually $15 -25 each.

FIVE DOLLARS!!!!!!

Garage sales!  Just goes to show that, once in a while, one man's junk is another man's treasure!  :)

Not going pro any time soon (Blog 12 of 30)

Every once in a while Sari says, "Ya know.... maybe it is time for something new.  Maybe we should just quit our jobs and move somewhere".

To which I usually say, "Hhhhhhmmmmmm!!!"

(I will give you two guesses with one of us is the dreamer and which one of us is the plough horse that just keeps ploughing the field until told to stop)

However, we did find one thing that we can agree on...... we are not going to become professional bowlers.

This is partially because neither one of us drinks beer and we do not like shirts with our names on them.... two requirements for serious bowlers  (At least from what I can tell as I flip channels past bowling on TSN)

Oh..... and then there is the fact that we both stink at it too!

Sara's staff from school held a bowling party tonight and it was tons of fun.  It really was!  We laughed and ate pizza and have a great time.

And we even bowled a perfect 300 game (If you added our scores from two games together)  :(

So if we ever decide to just throw everything away and go make a living in another way - at least we have eliminated one possible occupation from the list.

On the upside though, Sari did find a ball that went really nicely with her hair.  She was pleased about that.  :)

Sing along Time (Blog 11 of 30)

I heard this as I was driving around Regina the other day. Granted, it sounds like every other Bon Jovi song ever produced, but I think that is a good thing.  :)

And it has a cool car in it to boot.  Looks like about a 1974 Monte Carlo.  I used to love those cars!  A guy raced one at the speedway in Moose Jaw.  He called it "Beverly II" (I don't know what happened to "Beverly I" - you can use your own imagination to fill in that gap).

Enjoy!  :)

A couple of observations (Blog 10 of 30)

Something occurred to me the other day...... I went a whole summer without using my baseball glove.

This is the first summer I can ever remember when that has happened.

To make matters worse, other than the little loop I did behind the house to make sure it was ready to go, I did not ride my mountain bike at all this summer either.  Like - not - once!

There was a time in my life that if I did not play baseball or ride my bike it would have meant that I was dead!

When I was in my early 20s., I remember watching older guys who said things like, "I used to play ball but....." and think "What on earth is wrong with you????"  

AND NOW I AM ONE OF THE OLD GUYS!!!!  A geezer!!!!   A gummer!!!!  (Sniff, sniff!!!)

So here is my plan....... I am going into training!!   I am going to run 10 kms/day..... ride my bike for another 7...... then play squash...... three rounds of Frisbee golf (All summer I kept saying I was going to go play on Estevan's new Frisbee golf park but no one would go with me)..... and I am going to walk the dog three times per day.

Then again, all this typing has made me sort of tired.  I think I will just go and watch some TV.  I don't want to over do it.  I am getting old, ya know?  :)

On a serious note:  If you are interested in playing squash this winter, let me know.  All my squash buddies moved away and I am looking to start playing again.  

PS.  I am a very gracious winner...... I may need to work on the losing part some.  :)

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Hey - you likely saw this on the internet somewhere already, but I am re-posting it just in case you missed it.  

To be clear, I am not a Jimmy Kimmel fan.  In fact, I never watch talk shows at all.  However, I think this is interesting.  

It says something about wanting to belong, or the power of suggestion or something.   Have a look.

Bring out the Bubble Wrap! (Blog 9 of 30)

Today has been a busy day.  I taught three classes at church and had several good visits with people.  The I went out to the speedway and helped with the annual enduro (an endurance race with what amounts to demolition derby cars - it is a good time!).

Sadly I left my phone at home so I have no enduro pics to share.

So let me share this with you.

By nature, I am not an alarmist.  I am not normally a "The sky is falling!" sort of dude.  That especially applies to the studies that say, "This product (whatever it is) can give you cancer!"

Every other day some new study comes out that tells you to avoid things like: white bread, sugar, fat, barbecued meat and guys named Sven - to name only a few.

Now, it is not that I don't believe the reports.  In fact, it is likely true that some of those things are bad for you in many ways.  It is just that I figure that if you were to avoid everything that you were ever told to avoid then you would do nothing and go nowhere.  We are so overly safety conscious that if we were to listen to all the warming it would be impossible to live.

Take for instance this study that has concluded that "household dust" is cancer causing.  Apparently, toxic chemicals leach out of the air and settle in the dust on your piano and if you lick the piano long enough you will die!

Maybe now you will think twice before using an unprotected finger to write "Dust me" on your favorite piece of furniture!

Kayaking on the Souris (Blog 8 of 30)

So I continued working on my car today and then I went for a motorcycle ride..... not that interesting.... so I told Sara that it was up to her to fill the blog today (She still lives here after all)  :)

She and a buddy, whom we shall call "Mr. E" (get it - "mystery" b/c you don't know who it is.... though that is sort of stupid too because she is not a "Mr" so....... anyway why I am wasting my time explaining this????  I am not even supposed to be doing this tonight!!!!!)...... Ok - where were we????

Oh ya - Sara and Mr. E went kayaking on the Souris for a good part of the day.  As I have said many times, when you are on the river you would have no idea that you were in Estevan.  It is a whole different world - as you can see for yourself.

Sunday Stuff (Bonus Post)

Ever wonder what people talk about in church Sunday after Sunday?

Well, here is what we are doing this week.  If it sounds interesting, you would be more than welcome to come and check it out.

A Beginning (Blog 7 of 30)

I spent all day in the garage today - which was lot of fun!

First, I changed oil in the Acadia.  

Then I checked all the brakes on Fonzi (our little Ford Ranger) and decided to change the front ones. 

And then I did this.....

I put my 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger in the garage and started to work on it,  I bought this car a year ago and I brought it home in the spring, but I haven`t really had time to do much with it until now.

I had so much fun that I may even break my own rule that says, "Garages are keeping good cars in.  Why would you store your nice vehicle outside and then leave a piece of junk sitting inside?"

However, I may just leave this in the garage for most of the winter and tear it apart so it is somewhat ready to run in the spring.  We will see.

So, if you are looking for me about mid-December,  you know where I will be.  :)

Canmore/Banff (Blog 6 of 30)

Contrary to last night's post, not everything this past summer was terrible.  In fact, we spent a week in the area around Banff and Canmore and we had a great time.

We saw some friends we had not seen in a while.... we hiked.... we went up mountains..... and down by rivers.  It was really nice!

So, tonight I said to Sari, "Pick about 8-10 pictures that I can put on the blog" so here is what she chose (out of the thousands the girls took).

PS.  You may get some more later on in the month.  We will see.

Downtown Canmore...

Stand by the "self-portrait" they said..... (Ha! Ha!) 

A couple of river shots in Canmore.....

Going up the Gondola in Banff.....

View from the top.....

Parks Canada puts red chairs in selected places in the national parks.  These were on the top of the mountain.....

Gondola coming in at the top....

The Banff Springs hotel.....

Small waterfall in Banff....

More to come another day!  :)

Ready to Rent (Blog 5 of 30)

I do not believe in good luck.... bad luck.... curses..... Voo doo.... hexes..... all that stuff is hooey to me.

However, I will admit that at the end of July - when the highlights of the month were camping in torrential rain storms.... broken tent poles....  ruined holidays.... and three inches of flood water in my basement - I actually said, "Ok!  I don't know who has done what that was wrong, but it is time to stop!"  Someone was obviously being punished for something!

Now - other than the time that our transmission went out on our SUV in the middle of our family holiday - most of my misfortune has happened during times that I have been with my aforementioned brother "Lenny"..... mostly on bike trips.

The rest of the time, my life is pretty good - and I am generally a very nice guy - so it was an easy deduction that Lenny was the issue!

I was wrong!  It is me!

The final piece of proof came today.

For several years, I have been planning to go to the stock car races in Williston, North Dakota.  Not a real lofty goal or grand dream, I will admit.  Not much of a stretch.  They race every other week.  Williston is only an hour and half from my house.  No big deal.

So, at our speedway meeting Monday night, someone mentioned that they were racing in Williston this weekend and I thought, "I should go!"

I checked their schedule and it was a double-header (Friday/Saturday) and I thought, "I should go!"

I checked the weather and it is going to be beautiful and I thought, "I should go!"

I mentioned it to Sara and she said, "You should go!"

I called my buddy Shady Shane to see if he was interested and he said, "We should go!"

So I decided "I am going!"

I was really looking forward to it.  After a fair amount of frustration this summer, this was going to be a fun night!

Then - today - I checked the Williston Basin Speedway Facebook page and see a note that says, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are cancelling the double-header races this weekend!"

The Williston Basin Speedway has been running races every other Saturday night since the earth was cooling with no issues or problems........ BUT ON THE ONE NIGHT OUT OF THE 26 YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED HERE THAT I DECIDE TO GO TO THEIR RACES - THEY CANCEL!!!!

Obviously I am the problem!

So, rather than fight it..... I am going to offer my services to others.

Have an old boyfriend who was a jerk and you want to get revenge?  Hire me to become his buddy and watch his life fall apart!

A business partner rip you off?  Pay me to go hang around over at his place (Just keep the fire department on speed dial - if you get my drift).

Want to see a neighboring town's rodeo rained out?  Send me!

It's either that or I need to figure out what I have done wrong and stop it!  :)

A Grand New Tradition (Blog 4 of 30)

Working moms have a bad deal.  Take Sara for instance.  She works all day like I do, but then she comes home and does all the cooking and a majority of the other stuff that keeps our house going.

Now, it is not like I don't help.  I do dishes and I take the garbage and the recycling out.

And it is not like I am even trying to be unhelpful.  For example, I don't mind doing laundry.  Its just that I never notice the fact that laundry basket is overflowing with dirty clothes.  In fact, I only usually start to notice when I run out of socks or something and by then Sara is all over it.

I feel bad that she is so much more in tune than I am.  As I said,....it is a bad deal.

So when I heard that she was scheduled to have after school meetings almost every Tuesday this coming school year, I thought, "Here is my chance to be helpful!  I will make supper every Tuesday" (Actually, I think I was TOLD that I would be making supper every Tuesday...... but in my defense, I agreed that it was a good idea - reluctantly).

So here we are after our first Tuesday meetingsupper assignment and I gotta say...... I am beat!!!  I really get what Sara is talking about with this "Running the house is like another full-time job" stuff.  It is really time consuming.

Take tonight for example.....  I didn't actually cook..... but my good buddy, Nathan, is in the same boat that I am because Melanie works with Sara and is going to the same meetings.  He also received the "suggestion" that he ought to cook on Tuesdays as well, so - being the smart man that he is - he suggested that we ought to all go out for supper together.

So he and I texted back and forth....... and we debated where we ought to go..... we thought about what time would work best...... and then we decided ..... we ought to let the girls decide all of this because we were going to get shot down anyway.

But I mean we texted a lot!!!   My eyes are sore from looking at the screen.  My head hurts from trying to remember all the restaurants in town.  I can't even tell you what it was like trying to calculate how much time Sari would need to do her hair before supper!!

She is right...... looking after everything is tough!!!!

Good thing I don't have to look after supper again till next Tuesday!  :)
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On a serious note - this is the start of a new weekly tradition...... the "Eat your way around Estevan" tour.  It should be a lot of fun.... especially since I don't have to cook!

A Balanced Diet (Blog 3 of 30)

I am the furthest thing from a "foodie" that you will ever meet (In fact, even using the word "foodie" makes me want to punch myself).

However, after this summer I have determined that I may need a balance when it comes to my food intake on vacation.

On the one hand, I go on bike trips with my brother (whom I will call "Lenny" - to protect the innocent).  Our bike trip rules are these...... get up in the morning and eat a big breakfast..... ride all day and do whatever you do..... then eat a big supper...... and that is it.

This time honoured tradition has worked for 6 years now and resulted in me losing 10 pounds on every trip and only feeling dizzy and hallucinating once in while.  We budget $16 for food for the entire week.  :)

The issue that I have with the Lenny menu is that he is addicted to Gas Station Hot Dogs.  Like the kind that are so bright pink inside that they seem radioactive and can be seen from 100 miles away.  

Maybe Lenny is not addicted to these things, but it has become a midnight tradition on our trips.  One that I have not been brave enough to join him in.  In fact, one night he ate a hot dog that had been on the rolling warmer so long that I am sure it had made more rotations than the earth has in the entire span of history.  "Its not bad if you put enough ketchup on it" Lenny was heard to say - just before the cramps set in!

On the other hand, I go on family vacations where the goal seems to be "Find the weirdest, most expensive place we can and see if we can make that 'Where have you taken me?' look cross Dad's face".  They succeeded this year in Canmore, Alberta.

We went to what can only be described as a "Hippy/hipster/granola/weirdo lounge" (Well, maybe I am the only one to describe it that way - but that is all I got!).  It was like nothing I had ever seen before!!!  PEOPLE WERE LAYING ON COUCHES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RESTAURANT!!!!  COUCHES!!!!  It looked like the living room at a college dorm.

Then I looked at the menu and thought that I had been transported to another country.  The words were English words (I think) but they made no sense at all!   The only thing I understood was  the word "Chicken", so I ordered that.

When it came, to my surprise, I had a sandwich that I could have eaten in one bite...... and a side order of popcorn!  POPCORN!!!!  SEA SALT POPCORN!!!!  WHAT????????     I love popcorn!  In fact, I probably eat my body weight in popcorn every year...... BUT NOT WITH MY CHICKEN WHATEVER IT IS SANDWICH!!!!

The girls tried to reassure me that this was great because the place was locally owned (not a big faceless corporation) and that they source all the food from local farmers.  In fact, I think they were told that the chicken I was eating was named "Walter".  I think they were even been offered a picture of him so that I could feel at one with my meal.

POPCORN!!!!

In all fairness it was not the worst meal I have ever had...... and I really did not want to retire before I was 80 years old anyway so the bill did not hurt that much.  Ok - it actually hurt A LOT!!!!!   POPCORN!!!!!  Apparently, sea salt is super expensive.

So - there you go.  As I said, I don't care about food.  Eating is just a necessity most of the time.  I never even think about it.  

However, I now have at least one clear opinion about food.......  I need an option that is somewhere between Gas Station Hot Dogs and Hippies.

Almost like Moose Jaw (Blog 2 of 30)

Growing up in Moose Jaw meant growing up near the "Canadian Forces Base" and that meant going to lots of airshows and seeing lots of airplanes overhead.

Another Moose Jaw memory is of going to parades and hearing bagpipes.

Therefore, yesterday seemed a lot like being in Moose Jaw.  

The town dedicated a new war memorial (you can read about that here) and as part of that they had a parade and, in particular, bagpipers.

As well, they had two vintage airplanes doing flyovers.  One was a "Spitfire" and the other was a training plane called a "Harvard".  The Harvards have a very distinct sound - one that I heard lots as a kid.

Here is a bit of what all that was like......

The Empty Nest Files (Blog 1 of 30)

It has happened!  As of September, Sara and I are officially "Empty Nesters"!!!!

I know what you are thinking..... we are too young..... too full of life..... too good looking for our kids to be grown and gone - but the universe is full of mystery!  :)

So, since we don't have the money for a mid-life crisis...... divorce would be super messy..... and there is no way Sari could do hard time in prison for murdering me (I am pretty certain that they don't sever Chai Lattes in the slammer.... or is it the big house???..... the pokey????  What is the current term these days???) I think we are going to have to stay together and try to manage without the kids.

While we all still really enjoy hanging out together, truth be told, I think that the kids actually enjoy living in the big city and acting like adults.   There is a certain freedom in being able to go to some snobby restaurant where you pay five times as much for half the food that you would get at the Husky in Estevan.

And - from our side - it is interesting to have the house to ourselves ("Interesting" as in I came home the other day and told Sari that we had to turn the radio on because it was like a morgue around here).

Actually, one day Sari did say, "Don't tell the kids, but not having them around all the time makes me feel like we are teenagers again!"   

I think what she meant was that we are broke and I get all awkward and nervous when I am alone with her.  :)

We have never been parents that have said, "We can't wait till the kids are gone".  In fact, we have always said that every stage along the way has been fun and I expect this one will be too.

Here, then, are the first ever "first day of school" pictures that were not taken in our back yard.

We love you girls!  Have a great year! (And bring mom a $10 chai latte sometime when you come home)

We are Baaaaaccccckkkkkk!!!! (30 blogs in 30 days)

Hey y'all......  I gotta tell you that I am REALLY excited about summer!!!   I am gonna......... huh....... WHAT?????   SEPTEMBER!!!!!!!

YOU'VE..... GOT..... TO..... BE...... KIDDING!!!!  :(

Ok - obviously I missed the entire summer when it comes to blogging - but it isn't like our summer was super boring.  Would you like to hear about......

- Megan's graduation????

- Kendall moving out here for the summer and hanging out with Katie for more than 10 days in a row (which is a first)?

- My COMPLETE DISASTER of a motorcycle trip which involved tenting in hurricane force storms, broken tent poles and us being blown right off the highway in North Dakota??

- The indoor pool that we had in our basement because water flooded in through our basement windows.  Sari and the girls were the heroes of that story

- Our family trip to Canmore/Banff which was actually a ton of fun (I say "actually" because our family trips lately have had several elements of disaster in them)

- The kids going to university and us being "empty nesters" for the first time (that will be a long discussion - maybe)  :)

Those are some of your options - so write in and make your requests now.

I am going to post a bunch of "summer stuff" pictures - just for the fun of it and so that we can catch up.

30 blogs in 30 days starts tomorrow!!!   Please check in (and comment) lots!  :)

Coming Soon!!!!!!

30 Blogs in 30 days!!!!!

Keep watching...... It's gonna happen!!!!  :)