IT`S ALIVE!!!!!!!! (ish)

So I took a wee break from blogging. Ok, it was more than a wee break. In fact, it was more like a "jail break"..... but, I am back by popular demand ("Popular demand" in this case consisted of one person writing to ask if I had died or something.... but that made me more popular than I normally am, so......).  The funny thing is that I looked at my bookmarks today and thought, "I should just delete that blog... no one wants to read it anyway", so the blog received its death row pardon just in time.

Actually, I enjoy writing the blog because it forces me to pay attention to what is going on around me during the day (I know that I will have to write about something, so I have to think about things and notice details), so I am going to start again. However, the blog is always much more fun when you know that at least a few people are reading it.... and it is even more fun when they comment (the conversation is the best part).

So, if for some reason you have continued to check this blog even though nothing has been posted for like the last four months.... I am very proud of you for carrying on with your life - such as it is. :)

Here is the deal.... I am going to begin another round of "30 blogs in 30 (ish) days" starting this weekend. If you come across this site before then, please leave a comment. It will encourage me to write.... and it will help me make sure that I do not tell a story about you (unless it is a good one..... if you don`t sign in though, all bets are off).

Thanks! See you in a few days!

There are no stupid questions..... or are there?

So I am having a busy week. I am arranging a funeral for one the elderly ladies from church... she hasn't died yet - but if she criticizing my sermons.... (ba dump bump! Thank you... I am here until Tuesday) :)

No - actually I really am doing a funeral tomorrow. It will be an easy one (if there is such a thing) because this lady left lots of nice things to say about her.... but the week is busy - and lonely. Sari and the kids are in Dauphin. I was too until Saturday when I came back to the camp so that I could speak at Clearview's 50th anniversary party. I rode my motorcycle up to Dauphin and back... beautiful weather..... 987 kms..... it was great! But none of that is the purpose of this post.

The reason I am writing this is to share with you what was possibly the most stupid conversation I have ever heard. It went like this.....

I was sitting outside of "Subway" at Clear Lake waiting for Sari and girls to come out. In front of me at one of the picnic tables sat a man and a woman - both of whom in the 40ish age group. She is telling some story about some friend of hers (I know this because I am "evestroughing" - as Ian Muirhead used to say). His contribution to the conversation is laughing like "Butthead" (or was it "Beavis" - I don't know... I never watched that show) from "Beavis and Butthead". Seriously, every three seconds - no matter if what she said was funny or not - "huh huh huh" (or some sound like that.... insert the stupidest laugh you have ever heard right here).

Anyway - after she is done regaling him with this story about her friend's new perm - he looks around and (in a sufficiently "Beavis" sounding voice) asks, "Which way is north? I am always confused when I am here." The wife/girlfriend/whatever says, "I don't know. I never know my directions anywhere" (SURPRISE!!!!)

By now the approximately twenty year old apparent daughter of the wife/girlfriend has arrived and has heard the question and says, "Well it is just after noon and the sun is over there (pointing at the sun)..... so that is south. That means that (pointing east) is east and that (pointing west) is west and so that (you guessed it) is north"

Then Beavishead asks the question of the day..... "Ah ..... Huh huh.... like ok... the sun is in the south.... but how do you know that (pointing east) is east? I mean.... how do you know whether the sun started over there (pointing east) and is going over there (pointing west) or whether it started over there (west) and is heading that way (east)?"

Now I am no astronomy major or anything.... but I am pretty sure that UNLESS YOU HAVE ACCIDENTALLY CHANGED HEMISPHERES the sun generally moves from your left to your right when you are looking at it!!!!!

I am not sure how he even found his way to Clear Lake much less the "Subway" (maybe he came on one of the tour buses - Thus begging the question "How did he find the tour bus?" .... but that becomes a entirely different discussion).

I kept waiting for him to poke himself in the eye with his sub while trying to eat it (I would have put money on that happening next), but to my dismay they left before that happened.

Just goes to show that you can be entertained anywhere as long as you learn to be a discreet evestrougher.

Whew!

Hey everybody... good news.... the town did not get washed away in the flood, but we did get 477 mm of rain in three minutes.... the dam at Rafferty was so close to breaking open that it was bowing in the middle and had actually moved 17.2 feet down stream... fortunately it didn't burst but that was only thanks to the 50 holes where the water broke through.... those holes would have been a huge problem except Rafferty has these big fish in it (something about water from Boundary being pumped in there and we all know that Boundary Dam contaminates that water so it creates mutant fish that are the size of Cadillacs) and the fish plugged the holes as they were getting sucked through thus preventing the rushing water from eroding the dam too much.... then someone saw Godzilla knocking over the smoke stacks at the power station while King Kong attacked from the north and climbed the water tower... fortunately they were both stopped by the alien invasion that took place at 3 pm.

Ok - you may have figured out that the truthful part of this report ended at the "but" in the second line. However, the paragraph above does give you a sense of the conversations that have been taking place around town this past week regarding the flood. Every story is bigger and better (which actually means "worse" in this case) than the last.

Now, don't get me wrong, the flood has been terrible for some... many people have lost their homes completely (water right up to the eavestroughs and higher in some cases) but the thing is.... most of us haven't lost anything (or very little by comparison)... yet people are losing their minds!!!!! It has been absolutely bizarre to watch. Normally rational people have said and done some very odd things in the last week.

Anyway - the good news - outflows from the dams are down - the water is receding and there is at least some hope that this will end soon.

As long as there are no "Sasquatch" sightings in the next few days I think we will be fine!

A Dream come True - sort of

Be careful what you wish for.

For years I have been saying that I would like to get the experience of "sandbagging". I am not sure why.... I understand that sandbagging means you are in big trouble... but none the less it looked like something that would be.... memorable. Part of the team holding back the water, etc.

It is not so much fun after all!

I got to experience it today and it was simply a lot of hard, wet work. Don't get me wrong. I was glad to do it. It was fun being "part of the team" - but after more than a month of flooding.... we have all just about had enough now thank you!

I can't even describe what it is like.... my garage has about 10 feet of available space as we have stuff from 3 families (Including most of our basement stuff) out there. I am not complaining.... just stating the facts and how things are.

I said something to one of the guys about the rain suit he was wearing this morning and he replied, "I think I have been working in this thing all month" and I believe him.

Everything is good overall.... no one has been hurt... things can be replaced... but especially for those who homes have been completely flooded - it is hard.

Who woulda thought?

Flood Update

Joel and Amy are now living at our house after they and everyone else in "Willow Park Greens" were evacuated late last night. Flowed from the dams are reported to be at 650 cubic meters/sec and may still increase. Highways 18 and 47 on the south side of the city are closed. It is unreal.

So we are going back to pioneer days..... now that we do not have a basement to use we have two families (not to mention a dog and a cat) all living in 900 square - and sharing one bathroom. It is like camping.... only not. :)

I am not complaining, it is just absolutely bizarre. I just hope the water plant, the sewage plant and the power plant (they are getting low on coal b/c they cannot haul any to the plant) keep going. Things would be a lot worse if we lost one of those.... oh - and more rain on the way.

And I am not writing this to be a "fear monger" - it is just unbelievable - that is all.

Water Wa?

We live in on the dry dusty prairies. I count on summers filled with 40 + temperatures, blazing sunshine that will burn your skin in 23 seconds and wind so dry that you only have to mow your lawn once all year.... in the spring right after the snow melts.... a week later it is so hot that it all turns brown and your mowing days are over.

So what is up with this???????


That is what 400 cubic meters of water per second (twice the previous high amount) being released from Rafferty Dam looks like (these pics are from Paul Quilliams.... he Dennis Jocelyn and I rode motorcycles to Weyburn to a car show and stopped at the dam on the way home. I have some video that I may post tomorrow so you get the sound).

The valley that was flooded is super flooding now. The trailer court in town is on evacuation alert. The village of Roche Percee has been evacuated (from what I hear) and Minot, North Dakota is not going to be pleased about this (They are flooding already). In Weyburn, we saw manhole covers being held down with sandbags as water shot out of them like a fountain.

And the worst part.... rain water is still flowing in and the dam is right at the top.... who knows what will happen next.

Dry prairies, right?

A quick catch up

So it has been a while.... lets see - what has happened......

- On Saturday June 4th we had a memorial service for my Grandma who died in December. I was really close to her so I thought that the day would be hard when it came - but it wasn't. In fact, it was a nice celebration and a good time with the people that she loved. It was a good day after all.

- And now for something completely different: We had the city back sewage up into our basement again (2nd time in 8 years). Lift station quit again (2nd time in 8 years) and now we have to completely redo the basement (2nd time in 8 years). It is not all bad - insurance pays for everything - but, believe me, that is not the way you want to get a new basement.

- As a side note, both times it happened we were away at church. Kinda makes me wonder if it is a sign that we should stop going. :)

- The girls (including Sari) are counting down the last days of school (I keep reminding them that not everyone gets the entire summer off and that - for the good of their health - they should curb their enthusiasm - but they don't listen) :( Year end exams and reviews are part of the household right now

- We are planning a trip to Dauphin as soon as school is out to see Sari's parents and siblings (most of whom will be home - sorry Joel - but we see you all the time anyway). That will be fun. Hoping for nice weather and a good Canada Day at Clear Lake

- Then (if we ever get all the little things fixed on the van) we are planning to head to Oregon for 10 days or so. Why Oregon? Why not? Actually the kids have never seen the ocean - we have never been to Oregon - so that is why. And besides, if the van is going to break down why not be in a foreign country several thousand miles from home, right?

- We may be purchasing a new vehicle (see above)

- Speaking of new vehicles, I have put almost a 1000 kms on my new bike in the last couple of weeks. Ordered saddlebags for it last night. Should be fun for a trip (Speaking of that - Jeremy - how did your Newtown ride/sleeping in the field behind the Casino go? I have been wondering) :)

- In between storms (meaning for about 5 minutes in the last 6 months) Sari got out in the yard, planted flowers, etc. She should get a summer job doing that - I don't think she is ever more happy than when playing in the dirt.

- Sari has a new job in fall. She will be at the same school but she will not be the secretary anymore... she is becoming the "School and Community coordinator". It is a new position designed to support the kids, promote stronger families, give kids the skills to use their talents, etc, etc (Basically - she gets to make it up as she goes - just anything to help the kids be more confident and stronger). She was not technically qualified for the position (as per the job description) but her boss told her to apply b/c she loves the kids so much and was already doing the things that the job would require anyway. Being the "Mommy of Hillcrest" has become not only her mission but her paid job now - so that is exciting for her.

- Katie continues driving lessons... you have been warned.

- Megan has begun drawing everything in sight. She gets that from her mom - I can't draw anything - but she is getting really good.

Ok - that is a bit of an update. I will try to be more consistent about writing here..... if the city keeps it lift station working I may have more time. :)

I have an incredibly nice and understanding wife

I know that you likely know that already (She would have to be to put up with me, right?), but that was proven even more this past weekend when she let me go out and buy this....

That is a 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M50 (an 800 cc bike - for those who care). Shaft drive, fuel injected, all blacked out... I looked and looked and finally decided that is what I wanted and she was nice enough to say "Go buy one".

Well - she actually said, "If you don't stop talking about buying a bike and just go do it, I am going to kill you!!!"

One of my buddies pointed out that I am the only guy he knows who had to buy a bike to save his marriage. :)

I was looking for something that would dependable and have low kms and this fits the bill. My brother (aka "Lenny") is wanting us to go on a big trip sometime next summer - so "Miranda" (as I am calling here - or "Mandy" for short.... it is an "M" 50, right?) will eventually get saddlebags and a windshield etc.

A nice, light bike that is fun to ride around town, easy to move around the garage and yet big enough to hit the highway..... look what you get when you marry well! :)

This last pic is not of me (of course) - but it gives you the idea.

My Weekend

So here is what I did with my weekend.... what did you do with yours?



Ok - that isn't me.... but that is insane.

Anyway - I did do something bike related this weekend... I bought a 2008 Suzuki Boulevard M50 (an 800 cc motorcycle). I will post pics and tell the story (b/c there is a story) later, but not now.... I am working here!! :)

A Day at the Farm

About a month ago we had a chance to go to Mom and Laurie's farm. As part of that, we were got to help with the calves... tagging, immunizing and "ringing"... MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! (Sound effects are free... you have to imagine the smell yourself)

Here are a few, non-graphic, photos.

Megan holding a rope that is holding a cow
Megan and me (I am wearing - "Fashion du Lenny"... in other words - my brother's work clothes. I did not wash them, but I am sure that stuff will come off when they dry).
Sari taking a well deserved break (She smiled like this most of the day.... happiest I have seen her in a long time... you can take the girl off the farm but......)
Grandpa Laurie with his groupies
Grandma Farmer (she really is a farm wife now... I am completely and totally impressed - she was telling me about farm things all day).... You can also see Sari working in this one too (at the right of the pic)

All in all - a very fun day (except for the "baby boy cows" - but we will not think too much about that.... MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!) :)

Rafferty Water Release

I have never seen these outlets used and the field that is full of water is usually dry as a bone. At one point they were letting 200 cubic meters of water out of the dam every second.

Some Gravelbourg Pics

The crew of kids

Something we had never tried before.....

A description of it is here (read down the wikipedia page to the picture of the pan that is used)... and here we are doing it..... mmmmm!!!!

The Divas... as Jeff called them
I am not sure this is her having fun... or how she got through the weekend (it is only punch by the way)

A Nice Long Weekend

Ah - what a nice weekend!

On Friday night we headed out to Gravelbourg to spend the weekend with Jenn and Jeff Jacobs (and their kids). It was really nice! Not really enough sleep... but tons of laughs, good food, fun, a trip to the "Snack Shack" for ice cream and rain (Ok - maybe we could have done without that last part - especially after getting caught in two huge storms while walking downtown after Jenn said, "It is really nice outside".... but those will be good stories later too).

It was also a "preacher swap" so I got to preach there. If you would like to be encouraged about a congregation in a small town that is bucking the trend of churches that are getting smaller and closing shop.... check these guys out. They have not only expanded their building but are welcoming all kinds of new people. It was a fun morning. My mom and Laurie came to church too (their farm is not that far from G'bourg) so they got invited to Sunday lunch at the Jacob's home too. We came home Sunday night, but wished we could have stayed longer.

Today we worked in the yard (first time this year we have had a chance between doing other things and rain), so that was nice too. Ended the night with a BBQ and a drive.

All in all - tons of fun! We will definitely do the "drive to the end of the world" (as Sari calls the trip to Gravelbourg) again soon.

(Pics to follow.... and I mean it this time. Check back for those)

Ok - I know.......

Ok - "30 blogs in 30 days" did not really work.... and neither has posting pictures of Crunchy's play etc.... but I have some good excuses!

1. I am not allowed to touch Sari's camera without permission (that is somewhat true) so she is going to have to post the pics.

2. We have been busy/away....
a. We went to MJ for Easter. Actually first we went to my mom's farm and played with the cows (ear tags and some other - more nasty - things)

b. Then we we went to MJ and hang out. I preached there on Sunday... we had a picnic in Crescent Park and then walked around Wakamow with most of the family - went and watched hockey at my brother's.

c. Then we came home - got the van fixed (no big deal) - and headed for Minot. We had a really nice time (After we got through the "Hotel reno"... that resulted in a new room and a discount of about 1/2 price - so that worked out). The girls went shopping on day one.... we had a "Tim Day" on day 2 (Went to motorcycle shops, went for a drive, walked around a park, played catch with a football, it was beautiful outside - like 22 degrees... I had to rescue a soccer ball from the river after SOMEONE kicked it in there - had to tightrope walk out on a fallen tree to retrieve it). Came home after a couple of nights and several hundred dollars spent.

So now we are enduring the worst snow storm of the year (believe it or not). Seven inches of really heavy and wet snow... not sure how we will get to church tomorrow... we will see I guess.

So there you go. A quick update. Hopefully pictures soon. Thanks for reading. I promise I will write more consistently - I hope. :)

Cars, concerts and Crunchy (27 of 30)

So I have not blogged lately b/c we have been a little busy. Here is a quick recap (in reverse chronological order).....

Today (Saturday) I went with Dennis Jocelyn to the Majestics Car Show in Regina. After that was over, we toured every motorcycle shop in the city, sat on and drooled over bikes for a while and came home. It was fun!

Last night (Friday) Sari and I went to the Grand Opening concert at our new hockey rink in town. The acts were Tom Cochrane and Kim Mitchell... neither of which are my favourite dudes in the world... but it was a live concert in our town and if you don't support what comes maybe nothing comes, right? It was ok... fun to be out with Sari, fun to run into people that we know, but it will not go down as the greatest concert in the history of the world (at least not in my books anyway). Good crowd though - and a really nice rink (I had not been in it before that)

The night before (Thursday night) was Megan's (One of her nicknames is Crunchy - just in case you were wondering what the title of this thing meant) yearly school play. It was fun to see her in that and nice again to see and visit with a bunch of people. Hopefully by tomorrow we will have some pictures up.

So there you go.... more updates to follow.

"Brothers from Different Mothers" (the dudes we saw last night)

A fun night out (26 of 30)

Sari, the kids and I had a fun night tonight.... we saw a couple of guys who call themselves "Brothers from Different Mothers". They juggle and do comedy.... they were here as part of the "Koncerts for Kids" series, but it was a good show for the adults too.

I would embed some video on here but the best video had its code removed... so if you want to see a bit of what they do click here.

They are touring through our area.... if you get the chance, go and see them. You will be glad you did.

PS. Thanks for the tickets Mariann! :)

You know you live in Saskatchewan when.... (25 of 30)

You go to the beach and then head home to shovel the rest of the snow off of your front yard. :(

That was our experience this afternoon.... Katie wanted to go for a drive (hence the beach.... but it was not swimming weather for sure)..... then a drive through the valley and back home to get the remnants of the snow fort spread around the yard so that it is not there until July.

Spring is coming right?

Well it was like a homecoming (24 of 30)

So we just got back from Regina and Sari's "something more than 6 year homecoming" (ok - 6 plus 14 or so - just in case anyone is trying to guess..... I was trying to be discreet there but you would have guessed anyway). She went over and made an appearance on Friday night and got to see most of the people who were coming (missed a few who did not show up until today).

The girls and I did not go to the school, we just hung out at the Mooney's place.... but when you think about it that is like "Homecoming" for us (we have spent so much time with them over the years that we have joked about buying a house together so....). It was fun to see them, play with the boys, stay up too late, go for a walk this afternoon..... it was the best homecoming ever! :)

And why didn't somebody tell me? (23 of 30)

How did I miss out on this?