Re-load

We are home again after a very nice Christmas and wedding in Manitoba.... now we are re-loading and heading to Moose Jaw!!

Thanks for the fun Mullers! :)


PS. You will notice that I stopped numbering my posts - after 60 + consecutive days of blogging my streak was broken. But do not fear, I will start again in the New Year.

Our own private Hotel (64 of 33)

So on the way over here, Sari and I were discussing that there may not be many people in the hotel in Steinbach - I mean - it is off the Trans-Canada - if you are coming here you are probably coming to see family and don't need a hotel, etc (for the record we are here for Sari's brother's wedding)

Well - apparently - this is the night to be in the Days Inn in Steinbach. It is us and one other family (and they are on the floor above us and down at the other end). We had the pool and water slide to ourselves. The hot tub was empty. It was great! It was like being rich. :)

So we head out to the Bed and Breakfast place with the rest of the family tomorrow - but tonight we have a whole hotel to ourselves!!!

I don't think we will have to get up early to beat the line at the continental breakfast in the morning. We could probably go in our PJs since we will be there by ourselves.

It is like a Christmas miracle! :)

Can you Believe that (63 of 33)

Sari took Murphy to the "doggie resort" as they like to call it these days (otherwise known as the kennel) because all our usual dog sitters are going to be away this year. This has caused a little bit of stress because, as some of you know, Murphy isn't exactly the friendliest dog on the planet - at least with strangers - so we have been wondering how he was going to do.

When Sari got home, I asked her a pile of questions.....

"How did it go?"

"Good"

"Did he bark or growl at anyone?"

"Nope!"

"Not at all?"

"No! There was another dog there and he played with it a bit and then just went and got in the kennel - no big deal"

"Really?"

"Yep! Why are you asking me so many questions about this?"

"Well, you know Murphy. He barks at everything"

"Well, that is just around here when he thinks has to protect the yard"

"Really?"

"Oh ya! He is just a grouch at home - out in public he is happy and as nice as can be"

To which Katelyn yells from the other room, "He is just like you, Dad!"

Can you believe that? I think that she is lucky that we had "early Christmas" today - she may have had a few less presents if it were tomorrow! :)

Wow (62 of 33)

So today was like "mini-Christmas" for us.

Many preachers complain about how their congregations treat them, about how they have no real friends in the church and how they have to fight for everything they get. That is not true here.

The church is not just where I work, they are our family in Estevan. They love us and look after us and spoil us. That was evident again over the past week or so in the cards, gifts and nice things that have been done or given.

We know how fortunate we are to be here.

Only in Canada (61 of 33)

The girls and I have been to lots of Estevan Bruin hockey games this year. Katie likes the game and Megan likes the snacks! :) (Actually Meggie is more and more interested in the hockey part too now). I enjoy going just b/c I like hockey, it is something to do (support things happening in your home town right?) and it is like a mini-reunion. I see guys from hockey. I talk to a guy who works at the funeral home. I visit with the guy from whom I bought my truck. Living in a small town means that you cannot go anywhere without running into people that you know.

We had an added bonus to tonight's game (several actually). The Bruin's played the top team in the league and almost won (lost in a shootout - really good game). Santa was there which meant that we got gift bags (they were supposed to just be for the kids but it was so cold out that the crowd was small so we all got them). Then, even more odd than seeing Santa at the game, we saw Sari there too. I think it would be fair to say that Sari goes to hockey games just b/c I like to have her go with us once in a while - and it was nice.

So there you go. - 29 (-42 with the wind chill) and we pay to go and sit in a hockey rink for 3 hours - only in Canada! :)

Have I got a workout for you (60 of 33)

So have I got a deal for you. A whole new workout thing. Forget all that other junk you have been doing - here is the hottest thing going.

Here is what you do..... get up and go out to your garage (or mine if you do not have one - I don't mind sitting out so that you can try this). Set up a bunch of ladders and junk. Find some sheets of OSB and then spend the next 3 hours climbing up and down the ladders putting the OSB on the walls.

Then go to noon hockey and skate for an hour with a bunch of guys that played junior hockey. Guys who have been playing all year - are 15 years younger than you - and have 39592359253 times more skill than you.

Then come back and spend 6 more hours climbing up and down the ladders 904359028359083259 times while you finishing the sheeting in your shop (Oh did I mention that it had to be -10 inside the garage at the time?) Drag yourself into the house - eat supper - go back out and spend other hour finishing up.

I guarantee that this workout will do things no other one has ever done (Have you ever had so much sawdust in your eyes that they crunch when you blink after going to the gym???? I did not think so!)

So - give me a call - I am not charge a lot for this experience (an introductory special - this month only). Do not worry about the fact that the garage is now done, I have LOTS of other good ideas for you. :)

PS. Christmas holidays officially started for everyone else but me today (I still have to teach and preach on Sunday) - and I think that they all miss school! Can you believe that???? Even Sari mentioned (Twice) how much she is going to miss her friends at school! Can you believe that? I hope the withdrawal is not too hard on them. :)

Holiday Party (59 of 33)

It was Sari's staff party tonight and it was lots of fun.

Good food! Good company! Good laughs! Potatoes! :) It was great!

It's getting closer (58 off 33)

I am starting to feel it. People are getting happier. Talking like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Holidays are coming!!!! :)

I have one more day in the office (tomorrow) and then we go to Sari's first ever "Office Christmas supper" tomorrow night. Kids and Sari are done school at 1:30 on Friday. I preach Sunday and then it is Christmas on Monday (We are not going to be here for real Christmas so we are opening our stuff early so that we do not have to take it with us).

I am not really worn out - but I am looking forward to the break - to getting my girls back and just hanging out. Oh - and eating lots! Don't forget eating. And the World Junior Hockey Championship. And skating at the oval in Moose Jaw. And sledding. And........ :)

Dude (57 of 33)

So did you like know that it is a lot warmer working in a garage than working outside? Dude! (Not sure what the surfer thing is about - sorry!)

While the girls and Sari carried on their baking extravaganza..... I went out to the garage and replaced a connector that went to one of my headlights (it shorted and burnt off). It was nice to have a place to go - no tools in the snow etc. It will be even more fun if my plumber shows up and puts the furnace in sometime - the space heater is ok but.....

So we are getting excited about holidays. It is going to be nice to have some time to just hang out as a family. No where to be in the morning. Eating a bunch! Playing games (that will be fun if everyone lets me win - otherwise........) :) Three more days for all of us (I am in the office for two more but preach Sunday - Sari and the kids are done Friday)

Life is good! :)

The first time ever (56 of 33)

For the first time ever, both of my vehicles are in the garage tonight.

Now you may say, "So what?" Blogging that you have both of your vehicles in a garage is like blogging that you watched the news tonight or that you bought new socks - big deal - who cares?

But I care.

It may sound stupid if you do not know me that well, but because I grew up without a lot of stuff, I appreciate a lot of things that some people take for granted. I know lots of guys who bought houses that had garages..... they neither care nor appreciate the fact that they have one. In fact, some of them never even use them - they are just full of junk. I have literally waited years and years and years to build one - changed oil and worked on vehicles in the snow winter after winter - and tonight is the first night I am really using my new garage - and I appreciate having it.

One other thing that makes it even nicer is that I will always remember Bob, Mel, Skip, John, Margaret, Miles, Adam, Jurgen, Pia, Paul, Shady (not to mention Sari and the kids) who helped me build it (either physically or with advice when I needed it).

So on this cold, windy, -40 degree night, I am thankful for having something as common as a garage. What about you? Can you see your blessings?

Sunday (55 of 33)

So what do you do when it is -29 out and the wind chill is at -40 something? Well if you have a snow blower that you have never used before........ :)

I bundled up - went out and cleaned up my garage a bit and then got thinking, "I bet that there is enough snow in the back alley to try out that snow blower" - so I filled her up - set the choke - pulled the rope and away she went (not on one pull like it did back in Sept when it was 10 degrees outside, but it started) - so I went and threw snow all over the place for a while. It is the best free, 30 yr old snow blower that I have ever been given. :)

Sari and the kids did Christmas baking this afternoon. I did my part too (my part being "eat at least 8 balls of uncooked cookie dough" - mmmmmmm - raw eggs and flour!!!!!) I was waiting for Sari to slap my hand and tell me to go away - but she didn't (somehow I think this has something to do with all the extra life insurance that she now has on me - hoping I would get some "Chicken disease" or something from the raw eggs and then she would be rich. But.... HA!... I don't die that easily) :)

Then we wrapped up the day of happiness by renting "Fred Claus". Yes, it is as predictable as you think it might be (go ahead - imagine what you think the plot is....... yep you are right!). However, as family movies go, it was nice and fun. The kids liked it, so that was worth it.

That is it. Hope you have a good week. Let me know if you need some snow blowing done, cause I am ready!!!!! :)

A day of Friends (54 of 33)

So today was a day filled with friends.....

First Jen and Justin came over with their 4 (count them 4) boys. We had fun holding 3 of them... somehow the 2 yr old did not want to be held that much - the triplets were super cute though. However, we decided that Jen and Justin should have had quadruplets so that Sari, the kids and I could each have one and then we would not have to share. Next time, right guys? :)

Then we went over to Rose and Shady Shane's for supper and gift exchange. We all got very nice stuff, but I think they spoiled Sari in particular. She was piled under so many presents that you could barely see her - not that that is a bad thing - just observing.

Then Shady, his kids, my kids and I, met Justin and a new friend (Andrew) at the Bruin's game - and the home team won 9-3.

So on a cold and windy day we were warmed with the warmth of friendship ("Warmth of friendship" was a little over the top hey - doesn't really sound like me does it? Well, you get the idea anyway!) :)

Christmas Supper (53 of 33)

We had a nice night tonight at our church's Christmas supper. We really did not do anything that special - all we did was hang out (oh - we also ate - we ate a lot - at least I did). Hanging out, though, was the special part. Many of those people have been around as long as I have been here (18 yrs) and some of them have been going to church together for over 40 yrs now. There are some newcomers too and all of that together makes for a lot of shared memories.

We also spent some time reflecting on the past year too. I do not know what the coming year will hold, but I am glad that I have his group of people to go through it with me. :)

Nice Night (52 of 33)

So I had a nice night tonight.... I got to hang out with a cute blonde girl!!!


My two other cuties went to a mother/daughter pot luck at the school, so that left Mumpy and me alone. Rather than sitting at home watching TV or just doing nothing, I decided to take her out for supper - and it was a lot of fun! Sometimes she does not get to talk quite as much as the rest of us (she is by nature a little more quiet), but get her by herself and she does not stop talking (she is my girl after all) :)


So we went for supper and then Christmas shopping. She led me all over the place showing me things that she thought were interesting, or things that she thought that Sara would like - it was fun to see things through her eyes.


I have done some of this in the past, but I likely have not done it as often as I should. That is going to change though. I am going to take each of them (including their momma) out for more coffee dates, suppers, etc, because I think they need that one on one time. I know I do. :)


Besides, I am not going to have the chance to do that someday, right?

Garage Pictures (51 of 33)

I know that all you "Garage Addicts" are waiting, waiting, waiting for pictures - so, tonight is the the night. Hard to do it justice b/c it is a work in progress (ignore the ladders, saws, motorcycle and see it for what it will be).

I decided to put OSB (Oriented Strand Board - just in case you are curious) in there just b/c it is stronger, will not be as affected by the cold if I do not keep the place heated all the time (unlike gyprock which needs heat or it can crack the mud etc) and (as a bonus) it was a little cheaper too.

It is very dark in there right now, but it will be better when it is painted a bright white. One or two more days and this part will be done. Then put up the door openers and get using the thing.

There is also the little matter of waiting for my plumber to come back to put the furnace in - he is MIA at the moment - but we must have done a decent insulating job. When it is -10 out, I can easily get it up to +15 in there with a little space heater - so it has not been bad working out there yet. Anyway - here are the pictures.....

Here is the northwest corner - North wall was the first one done....
South wall......
A little bit of the east wall (easiest and therefore the last one I will do - tough stuff first) and a bit of the ceiling which was done before any of the walls

No way! Very cool (50 of 33)

Do you remember hearing a while ago that an astronaut lost their tool box on a space walk? It just floated away.

Did you know that you can see that tool box crossing the sky at night right now? A pair of binoculars and an idea of where to look will yield this view.



If you would like more info about how to see it for yourself, click here.

Just for Laughs (49 0f 33)

I had nothing to say tonight - then I cruised to my buddy Jason's blog and he had come across this and posted it - I thought he was funny so I am passing it on. (That and the fact that Sari LOVES Scottish accents - she will like it just b/c of that)

PS. I love the bagpipes - just for the record. Seriously I do! :)

The Final answer (48 of 33)

So I know that many of you have been losing sleep waiting to find out whether, in 1974, KC and the Sunshine Band sang.....

"That's the way! I like it" (Two phrases repeating the same idea)

0r....

"That's the way I like it" (One complete statement interrupted by an "Ah huh" or two)


And the answer is.......


I am not sure. The evidence is inconclusive (go watch the video posted in the like below and see for yourself).


1. In favor of the "two separate statements" are the following:

- The title of the song is "That's the way" with "I like it" in brackets - which would seem to indicate that the song is called "That's the way"

- In the lyrics on the official band site - the two phrases have an apostrophe between them most of the time

- The song sounds like it is two statements - the "ah huh" splits them up


2. In favor of the "One whole phrase" camp.....

- Checking the lyrics again, the entire phrase is used - no apostrophe - all one sentence

- The lyrics make more sense when the "one phrase" thing is used. For example: he sings "When you take me by the hand, tell me I'm your loving man" - then it would make sense that he would say "That's the way I like it"

- The title of the song on the lyrics page of the official web site calls it "That's the way I like it" (Right under the "KCSB lyrics page" title)

- At the end of the Youtube video he sings the whole phrase several times

- His biography was entitled "That's the way I like it"


So - if I had a gun to my head I would go with the "one phrase" crowd. Call me crazy, but there it is. :)

Now - the really important news..... KC and the Sunshine Band are touring again - they did lots of dates last year..... who wants to go with me???? I would go - I think it would be fun - but there is one stipulation - you all have to dress like the horn players in the video (or as they appear in this picture)
Why just you and not me????? Well, I am planning the thing so I get to make the rules. :) Who wants to go?????? I know some of you would like to wear the 70's stuff just once. :)

PS. On a more real note: we set up our Christmas tree tonight - it went super fast this year - older kids help a lot - it looks nice. Maybe pictures of it and the garage progress tomorrow - or maybe pictures of the Christmas tree in the garage!

Random thoughts (47 of 33)

Just some thoughts on a Saturday night.....

1. Sari and the kids are over at Katelyn's teacher's place watching a movie. Why do I mention that? Well, since Sari started working at the school, the kids are getting to see teachers in a way completely foreign to me when I was a kid.

When I was a kid, teachers could have been like aliens for all I knew. I mean, I never saw them outside of school. Maybe they didn't actually live in Moose Jaw. Maybe, every day at 4 pm (we had to got to school till 4 - unlike these wimpy kids today who get out at 3:15) the teachers got back into their spaceship and went home (wherever that was). Maybe they lived at the school 24 hours a day (that was the only place I saw them). I don't even think that they had first names (we never knew them anyway).

Now my kids are going to "Melanie's" house - watching movies - eating snacks (SNACKS I TELL YOU) - there is no separation - no intimidation - where is the "other-worldliness" of the "teacher - student relationship"????

Gone - that is where it is!!!!

I think I am going to have to get "Melanie" to give both of the girls detention for no reason - just to balance things out. :)


2. So I went to the hockey game tonight (alone - did I mention that the kids and Sari were at their teacher's house????? They chose hanging out with their teacher over going to the hockey game with their Dad!!! Can you believe that???? I even offered to double their "concession allowance" tonight, but NOOOOOOO!!!! No Shady Shane tonight either - I don't know why he did not show up - maybe he went watching girlie movies over at "Melanie's" too) and I go to buy my ticket. I say "One please" and the teen-age kid asks me "Is that an adult ticket?" So for the second time this season I could have got in as a student apparently (the first time the girl just charged me as a student). I am still a young pup - contrary to what Sari said (see yesterday's post)


3. That #2 thing reminds me a of funny t-shirt saying that I say today (I have seen it before but was reminded today)...... "You are only young once, but immaturity can last forever". I think I am going to put that on my business cards. :)


4. Puctiontion blog answer # 2 - re. Phil Collins "You can't hurry Love" (See post below). I think that this one is pretty simple - it is "You can't hurry love" (Love cannot be rushed). I think it is funny to think that his momma is calling him "love" in the song - like "You can't hurry, Lenny" - but that is not right. It means what it means - check it out for yourself and see if you agree. (It is a fun video to watch one way or the other - I wish I could have a couple of extra of me to sing and dance with - that would be cool!) :)


Tomorrow - the hardest answer of all - the KC and the sunshine band one - check it out too and let me know what you think - two phrases or one? (See blog below for this too and check the link - I have a couple of comments about this video for tomorrow too) :)

Could it be? (46 of 33)

So I spent all morning sheeting the inside of my garage and then I went to noon hockey. There were not a lot of guys there, so that meant lots of skating - and I was wiped out afterwards!! It was hard to go back to the garage after lunch and I can still feel it in my legs and lungs. Maybe Sari is right - she told me that maybe (just maybe) I am getting old. :)

Could it be that I am not going to make the NHL????? But I reaaaaaaallllllyyyyyy want to. :(


PS. The first answer to the "Punctuation blog" below...... the right answer is "God rest ye merry, Gentlemen". The blessing was "God rest ye merry" (may God bring things that make you happy) and it was addressed to a group of "gentlemen". So there you go - next time you need an old time blessing, you can say, "God rest ye merry, Lenny" (or whomever).

Answer to the punctuation of the second song tomorrow.