Saturday, March 30, 2013

Happy Easter


The Cousins!!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

travel

I always forget to check the blog unless someone reminds me. Usually Steph, who will call to tell me what is up with my family. Anyway, I am very excited about the upcoming Badgers influx and even more excited about heading to the UK tomorrow (although kinda stressed - I am going to try and take transit to the airport, after my horrible experience with the shuttle last time. I hope it works out).

I will get in early on Good Friday and Del is picking me up at the airport - at 6.30am! Now that is a good fiance. Then we will head to London on the weekend (Here is Del's idea of the best thing to do on Sunday!) and I will work from "home" next week. My supervisor didn't seem thrilled with the idea, but I've got big plans to get a bunch of writing done and hopefully some data analysis, so hopefully that make him more likely to approve this sort of thing!

Then the week after we go to Belfast and north. Have a look at the hostel Del's uni friends have booked! Looks amazing... can't wait. We fly back to Birmingham on the Monday and then I fly out Tuesday morning. We are planning to go visit Granny and Liam and Frances as well. Luckily N. Ireland is small, because the hostel is way on the North coast.

I'm a little nervous about how long things will take in the airport with this sequestration thing, but fingers crossed all will go well...

Not much else new. Work is going decently well. Having trouble getting enough participants in and my primary analysis technique is not working out, but have found a bunch of other stuff I can try in order to hopefully pump out a few more publications this year. We'll see. Everything goes SO slow. But it will be nice to get away and see Del for a bit, and then exciting company in May!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Nothing as exciting

as new cupboards, weddings or babies, but I did have a lot going on last week.

Tuesday night I had supper with some friends, who are going on a river cruise from Paris to Prague, and wondered if I would be interested in going along.  They left me a brochure, and it sure looks cool, I thing I might be tempted.

Wednesday night Jim arrived, I greeted him, and promptly said goodbye, as I was on my way to see the Oilers play San Jose. My team lost, though it was exciting, It went to a shoot out, at least they got one point.

Thursday, Laura was supposed to be in at 8 in the morning, but had a phone call to say the flight was cancelled so she would be coming in around 4.  Jim and I visited, for awhile, then I braved the snow, and went out to get some new printer ink, so I could secure an apartment for our trip to NYC.  It just kept snowing and snowing all day.  Around 3:30 we jumped in Jim's truck and headed out to the airport, it was still snowing and we saw so many vehicles in the ditch.  But we made it to the airport before Laura's plane landed so all was good.  A bit of a delay in the baggage getting there, but finally all in the truck going back to my place.  Once got here we would have just enough time to eat supper and leave for Rexall and Bob Seger, but he cancelled.  We spent the evening listening to the remastered Live Bob Seger album.  Not quite the same as the real thing, but you gotta make do.

Friday we headed to the deDutch for pancakes and to meet Allison for breakfast.  After breakfast, Laura, Jim and I walked to the Store and them Jim left us there and headed for Red Deer.  Laura did some shopping and came out with some good buys.  When we got home, I continued my search for the NY apartment, and think I have one, sent a wire transfer with the deposit Friday afternoon.  Laura and I shopped a bit more, had supper at Doans, and came home and watched Zero Dark Thirty on TV.

Saturday Allison came over with pastries from the Italian Market, and we had some coffee.  She drove Laura to the airport and I tried to print the tickets for the Matinee performance of Billy Elliott.  No internet connection (damn Telus).  I was starting to panic, then thought I could go downtown to the ticket master outlet and get them to print them for me.  No luck, I no longer have the credit card I charged them to (decided to give up my amex card at the end of Feb) and I did not have the order number.  waaaa, In the end the wonderful person at Tix on The Square, let me connect on the internet, to Ticketmaster and print them, life saver.  then hop on the train and meet my friend Karen for the performance.  The show was fantastic, highly recommend it.

Bob Seger has rescheduled for May 11, the day we all get back from NYC.

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Couple of Items...

Not trying to overshadow the new cupboards or anything..

Anyway, a couple of items that are rather large from our end of the world. First off, Court and I found out a few months ago that we are going to be new parents! Not exactly a planned event, but we are both very excited. The preliminary ultrasound came back with really good results and everything is looking normal and healthy on all counts, we are hoping to get another booked in the next couple of weeks so that we can find out gender. I had kind of debated whether I wanted to find out or not, but I have decided that knowing will be better/more convenient. Due date is July 21.

Also, as most know, we went on a little trip to Hawaii back in February. I brought a ring with me and popped the question on our day trip to Maui.  She said yes, so that's gonna be a thing. Oct 18, 2014 is the (not so) tentative date.

Apologies that this is all coming out a little late, but I really wanted to tell Grandma first. Now that i have exchanged e-mails with her, nothing can hold me back!


More posts to follow, including Hawaii summary and potentially some videos of Kane for those who are interested. I just wanted to get the news out first.  

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Before and after






This project is taking longer than we thought it would, but we are near the end. We (mostly I) keep thinking of details to add to it. But the main part is done and I have got most things back in the cupboards.


In other news, I booked the flights to New York for Geoff, Grace and me. And Jude has found a good apt for us. Lisa, you will love New York. I was also apprehensive the first time I went and now look, this is my third trip.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Garden and Other Inconsequential Things

Not that there is much new but thought I'd write a little note anyway.
We went to the Greenery and bought pansies and primulas to plant. It was cold today (well, not compared to AB, but it had been 14 here, so 8 felt cold). Got them all planted.
Then took down Christmas lights.
We have some little daffodils blooming right now.
Also did housecleaning. A productive Sunday.

I am excited about April and May-not only trip to Oregon with RW, but also trip to New York. Flights look cheap. 600 return! Richard and I want to get to the Redwoods.

My course is almost done- we hand in paper on Tuesday and do presentation. Person who wanted to do all the editing sent it out, and I reedited. I can't help it. People use extra words. Less is more with words, I have found.

Did I mention I submitted a paper to journal? Prof for course last winter and I did it. It was my paper for her course, she did the abstract and reviewed it. No idea whether it would be accepted or not, but going through process was good.

I had 3 people all lined up for my thesis committee, and then 1 prof left university and is now working at UVic-she says she is still happy to sit on committee-which is good-she is excellent. Other prof now says she can't do it. I need another person-so am waiting to hear back from the master's program-I need 3rd member. And I don't want a drip.

Clem sat onc ouch with me the other day! After 10 years, she finally accepts me!



Tuesday, March 12, 2013

For all the Kane fans

I think Tim and Court probably have some good ones too and they should post.

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Monday, March 11, 2013

kaff kaff


I have a gross head cold. It's been a while since I felt this yicky. Drinking gingery tea with lemon and honey helps the throat some.

I feel pretty certain that I can go to NYC with the badgers! It seems I have enough air miles and lots of flexibility with dates. What are the dates you are going?

I don't have much to say. Working on my proposal for school lately. Went to Calgary for a couple of days last week to see some friends -- was glad to come home to much-less-snowy Edmonton. But I think maybe the trip was the one that got me sick? I didn't sleep so well in Calgary; or last night, for that matter. It seems that regardless of whether I really have to work on a Monday or not, I sleep poorly on a Sunday night.

Taking an indoor cycle class which is very. hard. Also trying to lift weights with my friend Diane a couple of days a week.

More Kane, please

There's not much new out on the West Coast.  I've been busy getting ready for Easter at work.  I don't think I posted here about my new floors, which is the most exciting thing since Christmas.  A few weeks ago the buildings and grounds team was going to replace my living room carpet.  I was happy about this, as the carpet that I've been living with for over a year was covered in glue from old pieces of tape that someone had used to secure cords.  So they were in here ripping up the carpet (to Patches' horror) and underneath the carpet was really beautiful hardwood floors!  The floors were pine, probably from the forties when this place was build, and didn't look like they had ever been refinished.  As soon as I saw those, I told them to forget the carpet!  We hired a guy to come in and refinish the floors and they look great.  I had to move out for a week, since you can't walk across the half refinished floors.  I went to Jeff and Kirsten's, and I sent Patches to another friend's place, where she apparently spent the week hiding under the bed.  We were both glad to move back into the cottage, though she seems less taken with the new floors than I am! 

I'm really just posting to ask for more videos of Kane.  I've watched the one of him colouring over and over again, but it's time for something new. Mom and Dad and Jude- I'm sure all of you have tons of videos!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Sun

It was sunny today and yesterday. I had to write part of a paper, but managed to get outside and do some pruning of the apricot tree.
Our crocuses are blooming and the other bulbs are moving along too.
We went to see Jack the Giant Killer. Partway through the movie Richard said, 'hey isn't that the kid from About a Boy?' Indeed it was.
He has a keen eye for things.
I have redone the entire group program for the unit. I have to work from home to do that sort of thing. Work interferes with work. I am very productive from home, but I couldn't do it full time. I would end up a hermit. The more I am home, the less I want to leave it.
I am reading Far From the Tree by Andrew Soloman-great book. It is about parents of unusual kids-chapters on dwarfism, deaf, schizophrenia, prodigies etc. He must have interviewed 100's of people. Where does some one find the time for that?
I had a bag of birdseed sitting on the sidewalk. We watched as slowly over a couple weeks, it disappeared. The squirrels were at it. We should have moved it, but I felt happy knowing that they were getting lots of food.
Cats laid in the sun all afternoon.

Saturday, March 09, 2013

We just back from Vegas yesterday.  The vacation was good, stayed at a very nice hotel called the VDARA not on the strip but behind the Belaggio.  Non smoking hotel, no casino, suites with full kitchen, bathroom as large as our bedroom at home, felt like the lap of luxory.  We did not go to many shows, just Jersey Boys, which I really enjoued, the singers were amazing.  We did do a lot of walking and eating, some shopping.  Ally stayed at our house and looked after it, Henry only got home on Thursday from camp.  They picked us up at the airport so that was very nice to have some one meet us. 

Our holiday started off not so great, snow storm in Calgary delayed our flight from GP for 7 hours but we had an amazing woman from West Jet look after us after we missed our flight to Vegas that night, she arranged for hotel, taxi's meal vouchers and a new flight out the next morning, all worked out well in the end, got to Vegas relatively relaxed. 

 me with the canoe sulpture
One of the bviews from our hotel room.  All in all a successfull vacation. 

Thursday, March 07, 2013

kitchen

Here are before and during pictures. Right now, I wonder if there will ever be an after one. Because this is a long process, when the guy in the video did it, it looked so much faster. It's not difficult, just time-consuming because we have so many cupboards and there is drying time to consider after each step. And the longer it takes the more doubts I have about how it will look. I do see that there is going to have to be other painting once this is done because some things do not look right with this colour of cupboard. Also my imperfectionism is coming into play. I keep thinking "This is good enough," then have to stop and consider whether I would get annoyed at myself every time I looked at the spot that wasn't quite right. Then I sigh and do it properly. Even so, anyone who delights in the mistakes of others will have to come and have a look, I'm sure they will feel quite happy to see my messes. Geoff is being a trooper, especially because he didn't really get why we are doing this.

Not too much to say

But thought I should post anyway.

Last night I went to visit G&K for a bit.  George is not doing so good.  Nothing major but he has had a hard couple of months.  He was sick for most of January, flue Kay thinks, and so was sleeping a lot and not getting out too much.  Then in February, he had a fender bender, so that made him feel really bad too.  It was his fault which was even worse.  Then he was fixing a chair in and took a fall and bruised his tailbone, so it is hard to move around now.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and he would feel better.  Even with all that I had a good visit with them.  Sure hope things get improve soon.

Just saw an obit in the paper of a woman I worked with at IBM, she passed away on Saturday, only 62.  This really reinforced to me that I made the right decision to retire.  Life is too short!!

Found a great place to stay in New York, near the top end of Central Park.  The Ferrey's Allison and I are thinking about going at the beginning of May, any other badgers interested?  A good time will be had by all.

I am very excited about Ramona's babies, they look so cute.  I am planning to visit around Easter and give her a bit of a hand, cooking and cleaning so she can hang out with the girls. 

Only a couple of weeks until Laura and Jim come for the Bob Seger concert, Hurray!!

Sunday, March 03, 2013

Well, it's a very snowy Sunday, a good day to stay in, have a nap and maybe start a knitting project.

We had Booboo for a sleepover last night and took him to church this morning. He likes church, he was dancing to the music and greeting everyone. There was supposed to be a sleigh ride after church and we were going to take Kane, but this is no weather to be driving in. Hope it will happen next Sunday.

I am on holidays for a week! I am going to redo the kitchen cupboards and countertop. A new look. We have a work experience girl at the office for a month which gets pretty boring for Caitie, my coworker, since her job is the one the students experience. So Caitie can do my job and I will get lots done here. Will post before and after pics.

We had a really good time with Kane while Tim and Courtney were gone. That kid is just so cute. I am finding that everything people say about being grandparents is true.

Geoff still hasn't gone to work. The longer he stays away the less he wants to go.

I am also hoping to read a book on my time off. Just can't seem to settle down and focus during a normal week.