2023 Sam's Year in Review

 Holidays

2023 was a low-key year compared to 2022 on this front. We visited friends in Calgary in March and drove out to Kananaskis for some hiking in Grotto Canyon, and went to Jasper Park Lodge in late March as part of Nancy's work retreat (for some reason, they pay for families to go and I've been there half a dozen times or so over the years. I'm more a fixture at the thing than most of the staff.) Her company has become so large that 2023 is probably the last trip of that kind so I took extra time to enjoy it. 

I visited Rocky in the summer for a visit with friends (and parents/aunt) and then at Christmas
for a week. Wingspan was a hit at Christmas (thanks Jude!)

We went camping twice in the summer, once to Nordegg for a couple days (completed Tuff Puff, Kinglet Lake, and Mt. Ernest Ross hikes) and once to Waterton, which we hadn't visited since 2016 (Avion Ridge, Bertha Lake, Goat Haunt, Rowe Lakes/Lineham Ridge hikes) for a few days. We stayed at a private campground that is very close to the park and had showers - decent overall. Had very good weather except for the last day, when we had to pack up wet.

At Nordegg, we stayed at Thompson Creek instead of the usual 2'o Clock Creek. I think 2 'o Clock is still better. They are no longer including firewood in the camping fee - inflation claims another victim - but I brought my own. It also rained the last night here, and again we had to pack up wet. Bucky came along for this trip. I did most of the hiking while Nancy hung out at Siffleur with the dog.

We had an adventure on the way from Waterton back trying to go to Head Smashed In - Google Maps took us on a disused road and must have got some grass or dirt in the car as it sounded horrible and squeaked constantly. We stopped for a car wash on the underside of the car and haven't really had issues since, but was mentally preparing for a tow! Never did make it to Head-Smashed In.

We also went up to Slave Lake for a weekend in June with no real agenda. Essentially we had some hotel credits that were expiring so we decided to go somewhere close. We had a good time at the bird sanctuary, hiking and going to the beach (which was windy but still decently warm). Definitely the nicest beach I've been to in Canada.

My passport got damaged when in Waterton and I had to get a new one. They don't let you keep your old one if it is damaged - so report it stolen if you want to keep it! I lost all my stamps from central Asia, our last Mexico trip, Africa, and the self-stamping from hiking into the US while in Waterton.

We had Nancy's family and mine over for a "garden party". We might make this an annual event. This marks the first meeting between our families even though Nancy and I have been together for over a decade. Happy to get everyone together including Laura, Jude, Mom, Allison, Henry & Allyshea & Jack, Will & Ally & Simeon & Owen, Nancy's sister Linda, her husband Rich, and kids Xavier and Tycho. Will came the next morning to bless the house with a pine branch I cut out of the park behind the house, which Nancy had been wanting since we moved in. She was also pleased that Bucky got sprinkled too even if it was incidental.

Transportation

It was a rough year on the transportation front. I had a bike accident at Easter that took me out of commission for  a while, then had an at-fault car accident at the end of August. I was turning left, signalled, the other guy was signalling right but drove right through the intersection and into me. With no collision coverage, that was a pricy few seconds. 

Then in November, Nancy was rear-ended by a bad driver on the way to work while waiting for a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Still waiting to get that repaired but not at fault for that one.

I park on the street in Chinatown when I drive to work. Some idiot smashed the rear car window and had to get that fixed. They didn't steal anything though.

Then we had the aforementioned excitement coming back from Waterton. Not great overall for us and wheeled machines.

Saying goodbye

It was a tough year from this perspective. Laura had her illness and death in December, and just before that, Nancy's aunt from Vietnam died. In addition, Bucky had not been doing well and he was euthanized at home in December as well. When I got back to work in January after the holidays, I found that a co-worker had got Strep A pnemonia and died in the hospital, and he was only 41 and in decent health otherwise, which shocked everyone.

Also, the cabin was knocked down in the summer - coincidentally the same days we were in Nordegg. Sadly we missed it.

House

Our last energy efficiency upgrade was finished in August - solar panels. They are kind of cool and the government paid for most of them so it's going well so far.

Bought hopefully the last couple pieces of furniture for the house - a custom leather recliner for the front living room, and a hall tree for the front entry.

Got the property tax assessment lowered again.

Dad came and helped with getting a new fencepost put in to replace a rotting one - much appreciated!

Got the driveway foamjacked and the cracks sealed. Hopefully it lasts.

Got the grading on the east side of the house fixed so water doesn't flow towards the house anymore. Opted not to fix some hairline vertical foundation cracks which have not been a problem so far.

Had to get two lombardy poplars removed as they are dying. Will hopefully replace in 2024 as we miss the trees.

Added some metal garden boxes to the backyard for planting in 2024.

Replaced part of eavestroughs as they were very leaky.

Put metal capping on gas fireplace chimney as the wood was decaying.

Sealed air supply ducts.

Hobbies

I finished a paint-by-numbers of a house by a mountain, and near the back end of the year got an urge to start writing for business cards again, so got caught up writing to all the bishop appointments since 2021, as well as key Canadian military leadership changes.

I biked almost 2,500 km despite my accident earlier in the year. I had done some cardio at the gym over the winter and it really helped getting up to speed quickly. Usually I completely neglect cardio in the winter but tried to be more balanced in 2023. 

Work

There was a reorg at work in August and I got put in a new job looking after financial systems and automation. Not my cup of tea but I spent most of the rest of the year finishing up my old job anyway. I now have no staff to look after, which you can hardly argue about for the same pay. Don't really like the job though, will see what happens in 2024. We have a hiring freeze on but there are always exceptions.

Other

Went to K-Days

Went to a country music + symphony concert at the Winspear with Grace and Dallyn.

Went to a "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" production at the Winspear, and also Beethoven's 9th. The last 30 seconds or so of that symphony is my favourite in all of classical music. It's quite a production live.

Went to the opera for the first time (Carmen) with some friends. It had subtitles, though Nancy (who is still learning Spanish) told me they weren't that accurate.

Went to the Edmonton air show and saw the snowbirds and CF-18 demo pilot!

Went to a Bach organ concert at the Winspear.

Things to look forward to (or not) for 2024: Mexico, camping, likely gum grafts, planning a larger trip for 2025 but not sure what yet, full year of solar panel production, potentially changes in job at work (TBD), trying out new garden beds, maybe new yard trees, maybe make some progress on front yard redesign (Nancy's project - she wants to get rid of the grass), continue biking, complete a very difficult paint-by-numbers, potentially go to either or both of Metallica and Pink, who are coming to the Commonwealth Stadium in August.