Selection: General

The first thunderstorm and spring rains are here.

Like Good Friday and Easter promise a new beginning, I see a new beginning not just in nature, but also in my life.  Resurrection power!

Today truly is Good Friday. Not only do we celebrate the sacrifice made by God to set us free forever, but I personally celebrate another sacrifice. My dear friend Joy has resigned her job to come to Edmonton to be with me. Her marriage over, her job finished, I look forward to us making a new life for ourselves.

Now it's time to tell the family.

This Earth Hour I turned off all my non-essential electric stuff. Sad to see I was the only one in my apartment complex...

Next year I hope to promote everybody make love to their partner for an hour!

A very happy new year to all of my friends and family!!!

To all my friends, a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous 2009.

There is one thing to be said for lower prices at Ikea, but has one ever counted (and priced out) the hours involved in collecting your own product in the warehouse and then assembling anything from a bed to a frying pan?

I wonder who is making the money... :)

Bought a new camera, a Nikon D700. A little over a year ago I got the D200 and 3 weeks later the D300 was announced. I determined to skip the D300 and wait for the next model, and this is it.

Went to Elk Island national Park and you can judge the results for yourself.

Haven't posted for some time... Not much to say. Had a nice time is the Canadian Rockies in May, spring is almost done...

For the rest, not much news! 

Went to the post office to pick up the new edition of the RHS lily register that was sent to me as a complimentary copy for having the online lily register.

A massive work of 948 pages. Nice to see some recognition...

If all goes well, next week will be the end of my physio treatments.

I can walk again!!!

I have not seen the movie yet, but the description and the trailers have already spoken to me. Especially those 4 words "you live, you die" made an impact on me.

A long time ago, Carter Chambers' (Morgan Freeman) freshman year philosophy professor suggested that his students compose a "bucket list," a collection of all the things they wanted to do, see and experience in life before they kicked the bucket.

But while Carter was still trying to define his private dreams and plans, reality intruded. Marriage, children, myriad responsibilities and, ultimately, a 46-year job as an auto mechanic gradually turned his concept of a bucket list into little more than a bittersweet memory of lost opportunities and a mental exercise he occasionally thought about to pass the time while working under the hood of a car.

Meanwhile, corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) never saw a list without a bottom line. He was always too busy making money and building an empire to think about what his deeper needs might be beyond the next big acquisition or cup of gourmet coffee.

Then life delivered an urgent and unexpected wake-up call to both of them.

Carter and Edward found themselves sharing a hospital room with plenty of time to think about what might happen next--and about how much of that was in their hands. For all their apparent differences, they soon discovered they had two very important things in common: an unrealized need to come to terms with who they were and the choices they'd made, and a pressing desire to spend the time they had left doing everything they ever wanted to do.

The list wasn't just a mental exercise anymore. It was an agenda.

So, against doctor's orders and all good sense, these two virtual strangers check themselves out of the hospital and hit the road together for the adventure of a lifetime--from the Taj Mahal to the Serengeti, the finest restaurants to the seediest tattoo parlors, the cockpit of vintage race cars to the open door of a prop plane--with just a sheet of paper and their passion for life to guide them.

Adding and crossing items off their list while taking in the grandeur and beauty of the world, they will grapple with the difficult questions and the even more difficult answers that plague all of us. And, without even realizing it, become true friends. With humor, insight, heart...and a fair amount of attitude.

Sometimes you just need a deadline to get your life in gear.    "You live, you die…"
 
http://imdb.com/title/tt0825232/
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OltHNarHA9A
 

Not really a fan of politics, but I do vote. On March 3rd we go to the polls for a provincial election.

A friend is running as a Liberal candidate. See http://www.dawitisaac.com/ for his website. 

Looking back over the past year(s) I must say I have seen a bit of a health setback with my hips, yet generally speaking, 2007 has been good to me. Both cancer and heart problems are under control. Just one more CEA test, and the regular tests are over. I am so happy!

The highlight of the summer was of course the North American Lily Show, in which I won 3 ribbons. Met many great friends that I have known for years through the www.

December has brought me much joy from an unexpected source, half a world away, bringing encouragement to document my life's journey as inspiration for others. The account will be largely fictional or it would not have an end. We'll see where I go with it, but the prospect is refreshing.

To all my friends, a very happy and healthy 2008.

Thanks to Cecile's niece, I am now a "hyves" junkie. Hyves is the Dutch equivalent of Facebook and equally time-wasting.

Nevertheless, it's one way to keep in touch with family, and possibly friends of the old days. 

These last couple of weeks have marked one of the highlights of the year for our company. Next to Capital EX in July, the Canadian Finals Rodeo and FarmFair International are two simultaneous major events we host.

Unfortunately, with turning the AgriCom into a huge barn, the temperature is kept lower to accommodate the animals. That means us humans are not comfortable in our offices. The office environment is aggravated with airborne dust and animal dander.

This morning I felt the effects of 4 days in an under-cooled and dirty office. I did not sleep well and my bowels started to react rather violently. Not to speak of my throat being sore.

Next year I will need to make a move to a different building for the 2 weeks of FFI and CFR. 

The last couple of week I've been having problems with my hip. The doctor thinks it's burcitis but I'm not sure. Today it's not too painful, but I'll keep bugging the doc till I get some real answers.

Happy week, y'all... 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in Canada, time to reflect, time to be thankful for blessings received.

I don't want to be philosophical about this, but realistic. I cannot begin to try to be all inclusive, so I'll just highlight a few items that I am thankful for.

CHEMO - my last chemo treatment was almost 3 years ago. My family doctor considers the result of my quarterly CEA tests good. I am thankful for the availability of treatment and the medical staff to apply it.

FAMILY - sure, one is always thankful for family, but let me single out the love of my life, my wife of 37 years, Cecile. We have not always agreed on everything, and I'm sure that we never will be in 100% agreement. Yet, if I'm honest, I would not have it any other way. We are two unique individuals, bound in marriage but bound in a good way. I am thankful that Cecile has always stood beside me during medical challenges and otherwise.

FAMILY - my sons, their wives, and grandchildren are just perfect. I hope to see all tomorrow at Duncan's for Thanksgiving dinner.

FRIENDS - too many to mention.  I count more friends in the last few years that have supported me during my challenges than I counted before. It seems that during difficult times, friends "just show up." This includes friends I have never met, other than via email. Some of those friends are still battling cancer and I am especially thankful for them.

Finally, my HEALTH is something to be thankful for. I have been able to finish painting the fence in my backyard (today), and the trim around the back window and door. I am able to climb ladders and stairs to get on the AgriCom roof to take photos. Sure there are some "issues" but overall, I like the view of the grass from the top much better than from the bottom, if you know what I mean.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends. My US buddies will just have to wait.

This week I am off work to do garden work and paint the fence.

While those primary tasks need attention, I took some time yesterday to enjoy the beautiful fall colours in the river valley before they are all gone. You can enjoy the photos on Webshots in my Fall 2007 album.

Got a 1.7x teleconverter for my 70-200mm lens, making it a 120-340mm lens. I don't think it will get a lot of use because of the 120mm at the wide angle side, but it did a good job on the squirrel shot. I imagine it will work better with a tripod. The monopod was useless because it stopped up and down motion, but exaggerated a side-to-side swing. And would you believe it, the tripod I ordered over a month ago, finally showed up today. I think a trial of all the new equipment is needed sometime this week.

Last night we had a major thunder storm over our part of the city. Lots of lights and lots of noise. I was trying to get some lightning shots with the new D200, but I was not organized enough, plus I did not have rain protection for the camera.

Speaking of camera, I truly enjoy the D200. The D100 grew on me but there was a learning curve. This time there is not that much new to learn. After supper, I will put my expensive lens on the camera to try out. Perhaps there will be another light show tonight... 

Started Capital EX great yesterday, with a back pain that would not quit.

Day 2, the back pain was less.

End of day 2, I'm sitting in the backyard watching the beauty of my lilies, and even smelling some of them. I'm glad I have lilies to escape to.

Defeat is not bitter, unless you swallow it...

So I am getting the bathtub and shower renovated by Bathfitter. They must be very popular, because they have a 12-16 week wait after the estimate is done (and that took 6 weeks).

Anyway, we started looking at this project because we're starting to have plumbing "issues." So far two taps and a toilet have been replaced. The bath is project #4 because the hot tap is leaking and there is a rust spot in the tub (made worse by the leaking tap). While both can be fixed, the reno is a better longterm solution. The immediate problem is (was) the long waiting period for Bathfitter to come and do the work. The hot water leak seemed to be getting worse daily.

Time to do something about that leak. Last night we had a plumber in to install shutoff valves to both hot and cold taps. Now we just shut off the hot water after taking a shower so it does not run 24/7. Should see a difference on the water and gas bills.

Can't wait for Bathfitter, so I can do some other remodeling in that bathroom.

Northlands' construction project "Evolution.09" is now in full swing, literally. The wrecking ball has helped demolish the concrete of the south plaza by the AgriCom.

On the photo you see what's left of the AgriCom south entrance. A ramp was built this week so that equipment can tear down the left stairwell. The right one stays and will be used again once phase 1 is complete.

This week I was allowed into the "pit" that is to become the basement and kitchen of the new building. So, donned in hardhat, steel-toed boots and reflective vest, I went places that few of our staff get to go. Shortly some of my photos will be featured in our corporate newsletters.

No, for a change not the personal plumbing, but the household plumbing...

Had the toilet upstairs and the bathroom faucet in the downstairs bathroom replaced. The appointment was for 8AM but the plumber did not show up until 2:30. He had an emergency to attend to before he came to see us.

The faucet took the longest. Thirty-year old taps seem to have a mind of their own, especially when you have to crawl in a cupboard under the sink... Poor fellow was moaning and groaning and sweating buckets. Compared to that the toilet was easy, although some parts were missing from the box and he had to run out and get them.

Three and a half hours later we can now flush again. Almost a shame I have a colostomy bag. LOL

Finished my taxes today. Both Cecile and I are getting money back.

My refund will go toward renovating the plumbing in our house. We have leaky taps in the bath and the downstairs bathroom, and the upstairs toilet leaks when it's flushed. The house is about 30 years old, so some fix-ups are needed. 

Wonderful spring-like weather is a welcome break from the cold. My back especially appreciates it.

I'm sure we'll get some cold weather yet, but I'm not complaining. Every day I don't need to take painkillers is a wonderful day! 

Dutch gym to introduce "Naked Sunday" for naturists

Self-conscious about what you wear while working out? A Dutch gym plans to introduce "Naked Sunday" for people who like to huff and puff in the buff.

Patrick de Man, owner of Fitworld gym in the town of Heteren, said he got the idea in part from two of his customers who are avid nudists.

"I heard that some other gyms are offering courses on 'pole-dancing' as a sport, so I thought: Why not bring something new to the market?" de Man said.

He said the response had been overwhelming - positive and negative.

Read more...

On October 30th last year, I reported a disturbing, threatening phone call.

Today I found out that the suspect making the call, has been apprehended by the FBI and charged with terrorism. He has been denied bail and remains in custody.

He victimized Northlands' staff from September 9th to December 11th, 2006 with 18 reported threatening calls.

This information came to us via the Edmonton Police Service.

What can I say, watching this brings back many bad memories.

Do we really need "entertainment" this bad?

IMDB: imdb.com

I wish everyone a happy 2007. Personally, I look forward to an un-eventful year. No medical issues, please.

This is also to inform my audience that my interbaun.com email address will be shut down. Use gmail instead, please.

Gotta keep giving spam a moving target.

Just thinking about Christmas during my youth...

I remember the Christmas tree in our "special" room. Today it would be called the living room, but we did not live there. We lived in the kitchen/dining area because each room was heated separately. During the Christmas and New Years celebrations, the Living Room was heated. We did not have electric lights or the tree, so every candle was real (and a real fire hazard). The ornaments were made of glass and either hung from or clipped to a branch.

We always had a special Sunday School celebration. Perhaps not much by today's expectations, but it was special for us. I don't recall the SS program being part of the church service. Perhaps it was. I do recall sitting in the church pews (real dark olive green) and receiving the SS presents/awards. For your last year in SS, you received a Bible in addition to the other "stuff".

The other Sunday School "stuff" included chocolates and mandarin oranges, yet there was one coveted item that was included: a book. The thickness of the book depended on the number of classes attended.

On this Christmas Eve, I wish everyone the blessings of the season. And I don't mean to offend anyone.

I have just done my second to last quarterly cancer blood test and am certain that it's ok. The last one is scheduled for March.

A Christmas tree has been ordered out of a downtown Toronto courthouse lobby by its judge, citing Christmas trees as "inappropriate" in a multi-cultural society.

Justice Marion Cohen said in an explanatory letter to employees that the tree, which had stood in the lobby for years, made non-Christian visitors feel "they are not part of this institution".

The move upset many staff members and public figures, who criticized the move as taking political correctness too far.

All Headline News

What a knee-jerk reaction. Had the judge done some investigation, she would have known that Christmas trees are pagan symbols. And will she give Santa the boot? Not all cultures subscribe to Santa Claus...

My rant for the day! 

This evening we had coffee with Brenda and Doug.

For some background, Brenda is the sister to the HR manager at work. Through Lorraine, we took Doug and Brenda's timeshare at Fairmont (BC) in March 2003. I wasn't really aware of the circumstances why they could not go, but we loved the break.

In April 2005 we got the opportunity to go again, and we took Vincent and his family. A wonderful week.

By that time I had finished my cancer treatment and was not shy asking questions. It turned out that Brenda was scheduled for a lung transplant. Both her sons were donors.

Can you imagine Doug's feelings? Your wife and two only sons going into the OR and wondering how many, if any, will come out alive?

I am looking forward to a long friendship with people I feel comfortable with.

Sinterklaas, the Dutch name for Saint Nicolas, is known to bring gifts to all boys and girls who have behaved well the past year.

Although my kids were born in Canada, they are at least familiar with the candy treats for this festive season.

I always liked the December 5th gift giving instead of Christmas with my birthday on Dec 26th... I know, I'm selfish...

At least this year I am receiving a Sinterklaas gift. My new computer is to be delivered today.

Sitting here looking outside at the gently falling snow, and a woodpecker visiting one of the bird feeders, there is a sense of peace. I almost feel like going out and putting up Christmas lights, but since the cancer and heart issues, I have not bothered. I am conserving mental and physical energy for those things that are really worthwhile.

Like the dinner we had at church last night. Pastor Morris is leaving for Vancouver after 10 years of dedicated service, so the dinner was in his and his wife Lucinda's honour. We shared a table with a lady from South Africa with such an engaging smile, as well as a young woman who spent years all over the world, lately in Israel. She's been here in Canada for two months and she misses the desert.

A message was left on voice mail at work on Saturday, October 28, indicating that "[I] will be in a cemetery by tomorrow or the next couple of days."

The caller was not very clear spoken and gave me the impression of intoxication. Apparently I am a target by the Lutheran church in Hamburg and something about building some gigantic seafood establishment in the fatherland.

I was about to dismiss this as a crank call, but one of my co-workers indicated that more people at Northlands have received these kinds of calls, so I called Security and am saving a recording of the voice message for further investigation.

The call came from a cell phone in Chico California, according to a White Pages (www.whitepages.com) reverse phone lookup, and our security staff is in contact with California detectives, who are trying to track this nut down.

A .wav recording of the message will be attached in a comment later today.

While a weather change was predicted, it still "hits you in the face" when it does happen.

This morning we woke up to several cm of snow (a bit more than an inch). We were not expecting snow until this evening, but now (11PM) it is coming down hard.

I guess gardening is done for the next six months... More time to spend on other things, such as websites...

Daylight Saving Time was first observed in the United States during World War I and then again during World War II. The time change was enacted to provide more light in the evening hours.

Since 1987, Daylight Saving Time has begun at 2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in April and has ended at 2:00 A.M. on the last Sunday in October. Be aware, there will be a change next year. Daylight Saving Time will start on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November.

Change your clock this coming Sunday!

North Korea going nuclear does not bother me much. What bothers me is that nobody in North Korea is allowed to know the truth.

According to reports, North Koreans are denied cell phone traffic and Internet access. Now THAT and nuclear power is a dangerous combination, in my not so humble opinion...

What does one do when a certain person gets under your skin? Always needling, trying to destroy what you do because of whatever motives...

We had our first frost of the season. The trees has already started to turn colour, but now it's for real: winter is on it's way...

During lunch hour, I went to buy a blood pressure monitor at London Drugs on doctor's recommendation. On the way home and back to work, I witnessed a fire truck, an ambulance, a funeral procession, a woman dumping a cup of water (or who knows what???) on pedestrians below, a bus shelter's glass all over the place, and from a neighbour heard that two homes in our complex were broken into.

This has got to be one of the craziest lunch hours in a long time...

Remembering 9/11 is a painful experience, even for a Canadian. I remember watching the morning news five years ago with astonishment and disbelief. I was in shock most of that day.

In the days that followed, I cried on many occasions, for the helplessness I felt, and out of frustration that this could happen in the first place. My heart went out to those who lost family and friends.

Five years have passed, and how are things different? Osama is still out there, and we have seen a variety of terrorist actions during this period. The Bush administration is still here, for better or worse.

Has anything changed? Have these people died in vain?

I don't enjoy dwelling on this, as a matter of fact, I turned programs off this past week because I still felt the pain.

Yet I get ticked off thinking there was no progress... 

A perfect day. Sun, 28°C (high 80's F), the laptop in the backyard, a glass (or two) of port, birds visiting the feeder (3-4 feet away).

When you see chickadees close-up, they look so tiny. Imagine them without their feathers. They are very tame. A bird feeder with me sitting 3-4 ft away does not bother them at all.

Perfect also, are the lily pods ripening. To tell the truth, I don't know what to do with over 40 pods of potential seedlengs.

Enjoying life till it hurts... After yesterday's garden work, my back aches like I'm an old man. Maybe I am...

Sitting in the backyard with the laptop, enjoying the nice weather, cooling off from the 30°C we had today. It's 9:15PM and just the occasional mosquito is buzzing me. Temps have dropped to a non-sweating level.

Had a mouse "buzz" me today. Was pulling weeds out of the flower box and here this mouse runs right in front of me. I pounded the soil where it disappeared but that likely did not do much. Gotta set more traps. Perhaps some poison... 

No noises, no cops...

Sorry, neighbours, not talking about "global peace"... 

Indeed, the past week has been quiet. Just this morning at 3:30 a bunch of ignorant young people made their way through our complex, yelling and screaming. They were moving too fast for a 911 call and I think they knew it. 

Today the cops were not out for a crime, but for an accident. A semi was unloading its cargo at Safeway across the road, had unhooked the trailer and left the truck in gear and not put on the brakes.

It seems only logical that the truck cab went for "a stroll"... It ended up in our complex rear-ending a truck, pushing it right into the house.

Things could have been a lot worse as the truck that was hit had a propane tank in the back, and the natural gas meter was just a few feet away.

Interestingly, I heard the noise of the impact, but thought it was the neighbours making noise. I guess not... 

Well, Capital EX is half way over. I am glad I was not working the 3 days with over 30 degree temperatures, yet I had to endure them at home. It seems that 20-25 degree temps bring the best crowds.

Canada Day vs. Dominion Day is much like Klondike Days vs. Capital EX. But at least the Klondike Days vs. Capital EX issue should not be an issue next year.

With Capital EX now underway, people find it necessary to complain about the new name for Edmonton's largest summer event. Why do they complain? They don't like the name...

Major blame is given to Northlands' marketing department for picking a stupid name. However, they pretty much stayed out of the renaming. It was done by independent brand specialists who collected input from the community. The same with changing Northlands PARK to just Northlands.

People assume it was the marketing department without knowing the facts, even though it has been explained at press conferences.

I guess journalists don't report facts anymore, just what they think they hear...

It was a full moon 10 days ago, so that's not it... What am I babbling about?

Yesterday when I came home from work, there were 2 police cruisers with lights on parked a block away. Seems they had stopped a blue car after a chase.

Then at about 3:30 this morning, I woke up due to a bunch of young people (I'm guessing 10 or 12) yapping away in the playground 2 houses away. Even after putting in earplugs, I could still hear them. Looked like they had been drinking or doing drugs. About 4AM a police cruiser showed up. It seems my neighbour had gotten ticked off and taken the purse of one of the girls. What was she thinking? One of those kids had a sword on them. After another neighbour came out with a baseball bat they had all taken off toward the freeway. The police helicopter was quickly on the scene and about an hour later, 5 young people were in custody. Police dogs are great. That animal was so pumped, everybody was told to back up when they let him out of the car. The cops had to run when that dog caught the trail.

The only damage done was when one of these "kids" popped the back window in a neighbour's van. 

Had police cars along with a fire engine and an ambulance just north of our complex after 10PM. Two cars were totalled and it's not clear if this was a high-speed chase.

When I went home from work on Wednesday, the temperature in the van registered 39°C (over 100F). Of course the sun was radiating off the parking lot, but when I got home it was still 37°C. I don't recall ever seeing temperatures this high.

Yesterday it seemed we were going to get a lot of rain, which we did around lunch time. At 4:30 everything was bone dry again. 

Today was windy and only 25, but around 8PM we got a thunderstorm with a tropical downpour. Now, at 8:40, it's all sunny again...

Enjoyed my "un-official" birthday lounging in the backyard, reading my new martagon book by Eugene Fox, sipping iced tea. As I'm still under rest orders from the doctor, we did not invite anybody. Nevertheless, it was much better to sit outside with +30 Celcius, than inside on December 26th.

"Da nose" seems to be holding. I just keep lubing it, and run the humidifier at night, even on hot nights...

Too bad the Oilers did not come home with the Stanley Cup. They did however do one heck of a job getting to game 7. Go Oilers!

Despite feeling crappy with a packed nose and a bit of a fever, I enjoyed tonight's Oilers game against the Hurricanes. A 4-0 victory now ties the Stanley Cup finals. Monday will be the deciding game.

Go Oilers...

Had a busy day yesterday, getting wallpaper for all our computers organized, among other things. Seems so trivial, but a great deal to our marketing department. Human Resources thought I would convert all their documents for the new intranet. Doh!

A lot of positive comments on the new intranet. A lot of suggestions too. I'll be busy for quite some time.

Northlands Park has become Northlands. We have worked hard at re-branding the company and the new look was revealed to staff yesterday. New logo, new colours, including a new website. It's amazing where logos are put that have to be removed and/or replaced. Lots of work still ahead. I will be rolling out our new corporate intranet today.

After last year's massive celebration (1945-2005), this year seems an anti-climax.

Wind scared the bejeebers out of me just now. Probably the precursor to the rain but still. Sounded like someone was banging on the door...

There had to be something more than keeping my salary when I switched jobs. It seems I'm not getting any increase, not even cost of living, until I retire.

Happy Easter to all. Signs of life all over the garden, despite the snow we woke up to. A robin was singing his heart out 5AM, well before light and well before the snow started. That sure cooled him off.

It rained most of the night and much of the morning. Even in the shady areas, there are few remnants of snow left. Saw the first juncos today. Such cute little birds. Surely another sign of spring.

Well, starting tomorrow morning after breakfast, there's a 48-hour fast ahead of me for the colonoscopy on Monday. Ought to be interesting through the stoma...

The last few days have been nice and warm, about 5 degrees above average. Snow is melting and the soil is slowly thawing out. I'll be looking for plants coming up soon. YES!

Saturday morning after 2PM it started snowing in earnest. Got more than 13 inches/33 cm in about 12 hours.

Barely got out of the driveway and got stuck in the condo road. Too much snow on top of ice. Drove out on the highway to lose some snow off the car, got back into town, filled up with gas and barely made it back into my driveway. I hope the condo road gets cleared tonight or I may have to stay home tomorrow. Seems the neighbours are shovelling their snow onto the road...

I was sent a link to some cheesy music videos. One I have to share. It's by Gunther from Germany. He sings in English, "you touch my tralala..."

This week has not been too bad at work. Trying to figure out which Linux distro will run our intranet server. Looks like Suse 9 is the winner.

Exercise is going ok too. Got the bike delivered on Tuesday and used it that day and Thursday. Wed/Friday were exercise sessions at the Glenrose. All in all, got quite a bit of exercise done this week.

 Had quite a lot of snow this week. More than Dec-Feb put together. Great for the gardens. Just sloppy on the roads.

Saw an email today that went like this: "the shortest book in the Bible is Palms 117; the longest is Psalms 119; the middle book is Psalms 118; 594 chapters before and after Psalms 118; 594+594=1188; that's 118:8. Psalms 118:8 reads "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

All good and well, but checking verse counts, shows that (depending on version) the centre verse of the Bible is Psalms 103:1... NOT 118:8!

This email has gone around for a while, and as a Christian, I need to debunk this untruth. 

Now we're talking snow... 8 inches/20cm in 24 hours. And more is forecasted for the weekend. The nice dry snow was light enough for me to shovel so I had a bit of a workout this morning, before I went for rehab exercise.

Went to check out Uden's municipal website and checked lost and found. Items are listed by week, and EVERY week, keys and rings were turned in. I guess a lot of people don't lock their doors and gents take their rings off.

http://www.uden.nl/content.jsp?objectid=77

The lease for my Dodge Caravan is up in a few months. Been thinking about what to get next. A Durango kinda catches my attention. Not a cheap choice, but I don't drive many miles/kms so any vehicle should last me until I retire in 2012. After that, we'll see again.

What do you think? 

Finally, my order from December 8 from Holland at Home arrived today. So our Valentine's dinner was "boerenkool stamppot" (kale with potatoes and sausage). Included were also some items not available here in the Dutch stores. Yummy!
Holland at Home also has an English section.

Happy 30th birthday, Vincent. :)

Rather gripping documentary "Murder Unveiled" this evening on CBC. The movie was inspired by the real-life events surrounding the murder of Jaswinder (Jassi) Kaur Sidhu. Last October, the courts in India convicted seven men of her murder. The RCMP is still investigating the Canadian connection. CBC Television's the fifth estate covered the story when it first broke and recently returned to India to find out what happened to Jassi's killers, as well as to Mithu, Jassi's husband. They also confronted her family in Canada - asking them to explain the 147 phone calls made by her uncle to the men who murdered her.

More on www.cbc.ca/fifth/murderedbride.

To my sister, Leni, who turned 50 this year. :)

Every Saturday morning we enjoy Dutch radio on 101.7 World FM. While you can't catch it live on the Internet, you can listen to the Audio Archive when it suits you. Between it and Uden Centraal I get quite a bit of Dutch programming.

We broke records again today. I noted a 10 degree Celcius temperature around 4pm. I sure hope we get some snow before we get that inevitable cold snap.

Found out about a new hobby from Marcel on UC radio, called spotting. Marcel explained his interest is in capturing conversations between F16 pilots.

What is spotting? I think it has to do with collecting aircraft, military and civil, both as a tail number entry in a log, as on film/slide/negative. A pretty wide definition, but I believe that everyone who has a more than average interest in at least one of those activities has the right to call himself a spotter. Only the details differ for each person.
Arnold Ten Pas

Do a Google search on "plane spotting" and you will find information on this new hobby.

I can remember when the police band on the radio was exciting...

Interesting to see it's colder in Holland than here in Edmonton... I'm NOT complaining! :)

We have a new government, a Conservative one this time, with Steven Harper as the new prime minister. It may be a minority government, but at least it's not Liberal. Just my opinion... :)

I am just curious what all the cheering for the NDP is for... Jack Layton is sure taking up a lot of air time... I guess he will be making up the extra seats in a minority government.

The car trouble turned out to be a faulty cell in the battery. The AMA driver put a new battery in, tested it, and everything is back to normal.

Could not get the dang van going this evening. Shoot...

Uden Centraal has a chat line too. Very nice people to chat with.
Put in some requests and they were played within several minutes... Cool!!!

This past week I've been busy excercising, mucking with my new web server, talking to my doctor and insurance adjuster, and listening to Dutch radio on the Internet (thanks Phil).
I even went to the office to help a co-worker with a programming project.
I have been doing a lot of learning about various aspects of running a web server. I have gotten brave and started doing "dangerous stuff" and promptly got myself into trouble. Ran out of disk space during a backup and locked the server up tight. Good thing my son was around to bail me out.

Must be snow coming or something, my back's been aching all day...
Spoke with Chad from ManuLife this morning. He finally got around to my email from last week Monday. After the routine interrogation, he said he was going to get back to me today about extending benefits. So far he hasn't...

Spent the afternoon shopping with Janet. We both could do with a diversion, so we went to Van's for some Dutch treats, then to the Italian store, across the river to a German store, and finally a Chinese store. Found edible lilies at the Chinese store. They are called Lanzhou Lilies, which are Lilium Davidii Var. Unicolor (hoog) Cotton and are grown in the Gansu province of north central China.

Spent a lot of time chasing people for illegal use of a photo from my website. Canadian Auto Press licenses material to various websites and newspapers. A photo I took in October 2002 ended up in one of their articles in 2003. Found it on two sites and they both implicated CAP. They have since apologized and pulled it from the sites.

We were over at Vincent and Angela's this afternoon and evening to celebrate Christmas and my birthday. Even Alicia could make it, so the whole family was together. We had a nice relaxing visit and a great dinner. To top it off, it was warm enough to go in just a sweater, no coat needed.

After the blood tests at the lab, I went to Northlands for some Christmas cheer. Spent about an hour chatting to various friends. Received a birthday card and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon from Technology Services and Purchasing. Thanks, guys!

Tried this bizarre recipe today:

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into a quart-size ziploc freezer bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.
Add a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc., to the bag and shake it.
Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.
Place the bag into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bag and the omelet will roll out easily.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake.

Turned out quite nice. A bit lumpy, but no oil or butter. Do I dare say a "healthy omelet?"

I'm glad to see my haircut looks like David's. :)

Andr? Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra were fantastic this evening. Good to enjoy a fellow Dutchman do such a world class job of entertaining us with light classical music, Christmas songs, and a touch of humour. I was especially touched that he included some Christian Christmas songs, like Silent Night, O Holy Night and Mary's Boy Child. His closing song "King of Kings, Lord of Lords" was special to me. Andr? said "I don't know what bad things you experienced this past year, but this song will give you hope..."

He'll be back on October 26, 2006 in Edmonton. Highly recommended.

Today my daughter-in-law was in a car accident. The front end of the 3-month old vehicle is a mess, but Angela is OK, just shook up a bit. Fortunately, Jayden was not in the car at the time. Not quite the aggavation one needs...

Andr? Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra are coming to Edmonton, I have 2 tickets (at least $60 each, courtesy of my employer), and my ticker is doing good. I am looking forward to Wednesday's concert.

Cecile finally made it home. The flight left Chicago 15 minutes late, but arrived 25 minutes early. However... Coming through Customs, they checked all her luggage, well not all of it, fortunately. She had shared a room with 2 other ladies and I was going to give them a ride. The 2 women came out, but no Cecile. She spent a cozy 30 minutes with the Customs agent...

First had lunch with Susan and Kevin. They came over and picked up something to eat on the way. Spent a very nice hour chatting.
Then coffee with Bob and Bertha at the Drake, and just as I walked in the door, Ed called that he had sold my fish tank for me. So over to the office to pick up the money.
I think I'll have a nap before I go out to pick up Cecile...

18 Degrees yesterday, 16 degrees today. And another two days like it. In about a week we're supposed to go down to MINUS 15 degrees for a day-time high.

Tried Heather's recipe for ribs in the oven today and they were delicious. I'll tweak it a bit (less salt) and try the other 2 pieces tomorrow. Total cooking time was 2 hours today, but I'll add 15 minutes tomorrow and see if I can crisp up the thicker piece a bit.
Ed stopped by after work and we had a couple of pleasant hours of shooting the breeze. Nice way to have a few glasses of port.

Went out for supper with Paul to Applebee's then we picked up a bottle of port and had a few glasses while chit-chatting. That was the best three and a half hours in the last week and a half. Thanks, Paul.

Happy birthday, my sweetheart. Even though you're thousands of miles away in Holland, we will celebrate with you. Paul may be a poor substitute, but we're going out and have dinner at the Korean Village. We'll drink to your health.

I'm glad to live in Alberta. It may be -10C but we don't have tornadoes like in Iowa. It's supposed to warm up to +6C in a few days, not bad for November.

A Time To Remember
More than 100,000 Canadians gave their lives in the wars of the 20th century. Millions stood beside them in personal sacrifice and loss, in the service of Canada, and the world. Commemorate the veterans who fought and gave their lives in wars past and the peacekeepers who continue to serve around the world at this year's Remembrance Day services.

John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" is very appropriate:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Had a great visit with Paul today. We talked about the job he did not get and the one I gave up. Both will in the long run be better for us, less stress.
After Paul left, I noticed it was warm outside (18C), so I went for a drive to Greenland to get some 6" plant saucers. They said the saucers were seasonal. Geez, nobody transplants during the winter? Salisbury had plenty. I had them load up a bag of peat for me. The next person to visit me can haul it to the backyard for me. :-)

I feel rather stupid. After leaving the doctor's office, I did not find my keys in my pocket. Went back and no keys anywhere.
When I came home, no keys in the door, nor was the door unlocked. Fortunately my neighbour had a key and she was home. Haven't locked myself out for 20 years, but it had to happen when Cecile was not going to be back for two and a half weeks. Curiously, I had mentioned to the GP that I lacked concentration lately, probably because I was not sleeping well. He agreed that due to lack of sleep, one's IQ and other brain functions decline. I guess I proved him right...

Got a letter today that I won an Apple iPod mini. Never having won anything useful in a lottery, this is a first.

Friday night Cecile and I went out for dinner at La Boheme restaurant. Very enjoyable but when looking out the window, there was a bit of snow. This was gone the next morning.
Now we are getting more snow, and I am to drive Cecile to the airport early tomorrow morning. I hope the roads are not too slick.
Cecile is going to Holland for 3 weeks. They're celebrating 3 birthdays, including Cecile's 56th. More about that later, I'm sure.

We've been cleaning house this week. Well, mostly Cecile has been cleaning... Our washing machine broke earlier this week and today a new one will be delivered. To allow the old machine to be removed, and the new one installed, a lot of junk had to be moved out of the way. Fortunately, some junk even went in the garbage... :)

Went to take my insurance forms to Human Resources today. Had a nice visit with Julie, then an imprompty chat with Murray . Had coffee with Opal, after which I went to see my team. Good thing it was nice and sunny outside so we just stood and chatted in the sun, and I did not have to go up the stairs.

Went to the Ellerslie Gift and Garden Centre Annual Autumn Tea to meet some people from the Alberta Regional Lily Society (ARLS). Met Marilyn M, Sharon, Lil, Laurie, Dianne, Kathy, Maureen, and Fred Tarlton. Too bad I missed Shauna.
After that, I went to Hermitage Park to take some Fall photos. Took a shot of a tree trunk laying in the water and when I came home, I discovered a heron in that photo as well. Nice bonus.
Did some putzing in the garden, wanting to start Fall cleaning but a lot of flowers still look nice enough that I don't want to cut them off. Pruned the Black Beauty lily though. It wasn't looking very nice anymore...

Where does time go? I find it increasingly difficult to keep up with email. Does this mean I have more friends, or do I get more spam? Haven't had time to figure that out yet...

I am ashamed of my government, and of the US government. I don't care about higher gas prices. I *DO* care about people who live in this so-called civilization who are not helped. George Bush and Paul Martin should go off somewhere and not return. In my opinion, neither has proved to be a leader to those in need. One of the anchor people on a local tv station suggested donating to the US government for aid to those in need. A financial advisor scoffed at that, saying the Red Cross is in a better situation to use your funds appropriately.
The Bible says that the earth will not again be destroyed by a flood. Indeed Katrina has not caused a global flood. Yet I see many Bible believing Christians sitting back as if it's the end of the world, rather than reaching out to help those whom Christ would help.

Weather has been strange. The past few weeks we've had rain and it has been cool. It felt like October. Today was warmer, and tomorrow it's supposed to go up to 29C.
My final lily seedling opened two days ago and it's lovely.
See http://www.lily-gallery.com/h/div1sdlg/div1_us08.php

Not only are the temps high, but my OT's (oriental trumpets) are blooming and they smell SO nice. And now we are getting rain...
Klondike Days has set a few attandance records, which is surprising, considering the weather. Just is a testament to the quality of the show we put on. My opinion...

Well, Klondike Days 2005 kicked off yesterday with the president's reception. Some 2,000 people attended for a preview of the entertainment, feature show, and food and drink. Met up with a lot of old friends. A new 50c stamp was also unveiled, to commemorate Alberta's centennial celebration.
Today at noon the 10-day fair opened and it promises to be another 10 fun-filled, noisy days.

At 10:30 last night I went to check again, and everyone was gone, everything was quiet as if nothing has ever happened.
They were looking for Damien Opio, murder suspect from last week's shooting-stabbing. As of today, he's still at large.

Last week Thursday there was a shooting-stabbing a few blocks west from my home, north of Abbottsfield Mall. Today there was a stand-off a couple of blocks north from me. Apparently there was a tip that one of the perps from last week was holed up there. About 2 hours later, 2 people had come out. Then the cops told us to back up, well out of range, and they went in with stun grenades or something. Now, 4 hours later they're still at it. Just saw a tactical units van go by with reinforcements.

I see it's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted something here. Thanks for the reminder, Phil. What have I been up to? Between work, enjoying my garden, and taking photos, I've been pretty busy.

Our annual summer fair, Klondike Days, is almost upon us, so we're getting all the computer systems ready for that.

A few weeks ago I took a few ladies to Parkland Perennials to check out the peonies. Very enjoyable.

Between the shootings, stabbings, stand-offs and cats, it seems like my neighbourhood is going to hell in a hand-basket. At least the girls nextdoor don't seem asw noisy this year. Perhaps they've given up pot.

My lilies are doing nice, and although I can see results of late frosts, it is not as bad as last year. Just some deformities. I have started taking photos in RAW format and underexposing them a bit. Then I use Nikon Capture Editor to make the photos look as realistic as possible. You'll see some of that in my Jasper photos once I have all of them up.

Took today off, even though it rained most of the day. All of my christmas, spring, and orchid cacti went outside today.

As of today, I am an on-line storekeeper at CafePress selling various merchandise with lily images. If this takes off, I will put up other items with varying lily images. Perhaps I can turn my photos into money yet...

In my May 27 log I mentioned that I would like to meet Olivia Butti someday. Well, today was the day. We had a job fair to hire staff for Klondike Days and when we went for a sandwich, there she was. Very nice chatting with her for a bit.

It seems so young, a province only 100 years old. Goes to show how recent even I am in this province. 32 years out of a hundred makes me feel old, yet significant. What other place on earth can you say you've been a part of it for a third of its existance?

EDMONTON - In every career, there are moments to dream about, moments that are the culmination of years of hard work and preparation.
For an athlete, it might be the chance to compete in the Olympics. For a lawyer, it might be the chance to argue a case before the Supreme Court of Canada. For a person who plans big events, it's hosting a royal banquet.
"My heart was kind of bouncing out of my chest," says Leanne Smoliak, a senior manager at Northlands Park. "It felt very surreal."
It's Smoliak's job to make sure the AgriCom at Northlands Park is in perfect shape for the Queen and Prince Philip, when they arrive Tuesday for a black-tie banquet organized by the federal government.
But how do you turn the AgriCom -- home of everything from the Motorshow to high school rodeo -- into a royal dining room?
First, bring in lots of carpeting (about 70,000 square feet), fabrics and floor-length linens to soften the concrete floors and walls.
Then decorate with a veritable greenhouse of flowers and plants, both for colour and scent.
"We're going to be using a lot of local greenery," Smoliak says.
Inside the banquet room, special spotlights will ensure an elegant feel and should obscure the exposed AgriCom ceiling. No detail is being spared in the preparations. It is, after all, a dinner for the Queen.
"Nobody has done an event like this in the city, since she was here for the Commonwealth Games," Smoliak said.
The focus of the banquet room will be two head tables, one for the Queen and one for the Duke of Edinburgh. Those tables will be the most elegant, with complete sets of Royal Doulton china, crystal stemware and polished silverware.
While Northlands is well equipped for such dinners (it hosts about 40 every year with as many as 1,000 guests each), there will be a few special touches brought in for the occasion. The silk for the head tables will come from New York and the chairs from Montreal or Los Angeles. The china, crystal and silverware are all from local sources.
Northlands serving staff will get a full briefing about royal protocol.
One of the complications of serving the Queen is security. As a result, Northlands has to be extremely secretive about what is happening on May 24th. That means the menu, the guest list, the security details, the layout of the room, the costs and just about anything else not mentioned in this article are top secret.
Not to worry, though; you can be sure Smoliak and her crew will be ready. "This isn't something you do halfway," she says. "You either do it perfectly or not at all."

--The Edmonton Journal

Very curious that part of the network at Northlands went haywire over the weekend and that my webserver is also acting up...
Auroras in Nebraska? California? Arizona? Believe it. On Saturday night, May 14th, Northern Lights rippled across the United States during an intense geomagnetic storm. The display was triggered by a solar coronal mass ejection (CME) hitting Earth's magnetic field.
January 2005, November 2004 and October 2003 also had higher solar activity... Hmmm... Gotta check those logs...
Perhaps already marginal equipment is affected so that it fails...
Looking for comments...

I was going to spend the day gardening in lovely 26C weather, but it wasn't to be.
A week ago a hard drive crashed in one of my systems. My photos, some web site data, install files, development files, and a lot of history seemed lost. After mucking with various Windows systems, I had no luck and I was thinking of how I could use various old backups to get some of those files back. Which brings me to today. My son the genious had mentioned that he might be able to recover files using his Linux systems and network. Turned out he had the solution so that turned out to be the project for today. Then we had to go shopping for a new hard drive to put the data on. Ended up with a 320 gig LACIE big disk. I was home at 10PM with the files I wanted to keep. A hard drive crash is a great way to clean up... ;-)

My son, who is a perfectionist, much like I was at his age, has created a distro called Annvix (annvix.com), a secure, server-oriented distro based on Mandrakelinux. Annvix is now starting to get some publicity. Try a Google search.

I think it is kinda cool for one's son to follow in his footsteps. :-)

60 Years ago the Canadian armed forces liberated Holland, my home country. 7,600 Canadians gave their lives in that effort. CBC created a 1-hour documentary which was very emotional for me. My dad was one of the young men hiding from the Germans so he would not have to work in German factories. I hope CBC will put this documentary on DVD as part of their "History of Canada" series.

THANK YOU, CANADIAN VETS, AND FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES.

Cecile and I attended an all-day retirement planning seminar, presented by Rein Selles.
While finances are a major part, lifestyle choices can make a big difference in how much money you need... Recommended.

After a day of rain and wet snow, today was beautiful. Sunny and about 12 degrees. I took today off, as Cecile and I have a retirement planning session all day tomorrow. I don't feel ready yet to do six full days in a row. So I mucked around a bit in the backyard. Quackgrass is always keeping me busy... A few martagon lilies are coming up. Puschkinias are looking lovely also.

I am trying to tie a calendar into my forum pages. It's going to be a bit of work to get it going and then fine-tune it. Check progress on the forum.

A cyber-friend has started his own blog, Pumps' Perplexities takes a look at what we consider "ordinary" things and gives his observations and opinions. Worth checking out.

Today we (Northlands senior management team) went out for lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant to celebrate Opal's (my boss) 25th anniversary working at Northlands Park.
I don't know if I ever shared this... The longest I have worked anywhere (not including 6 years of self-employment) was 4 years. I am now 14 years with Northlands Park.

Today felt like spring. I was about 6 degrees Celsius with snow melting all over the place. Last night the snow plough and bobcat were working hard to clear snow and ice from the road through our condo complex, which left some ice chunks pushed on our driveway. Pushing those chunks back on the road in 6 degree weather was a welcome exercise. No coat was needed as there was no wind. And as the days get longer (5PM and still sunshine) there is less of that winter depression feeling. Don't know about you, but I love long days with lots of sunshine.
Did something stupid this afternoon. Put a frying pan in the oven, took it out with oven mitts, but five minutes later I grabbed the handle and now I have blisters on three fingers... Doh...

"Dying is..." is the name of a blog that was sent to me today. "Soon, I will be dead. I have a recalcitrant tumour in the neck, and it's a real pain. It's given me plenty of time to prepare for my death, and now it's finally going for the kill. I am completely powerless in the face of it. My only option is to flee to my mind, where I have so, so much to say and tell... but I have no one to tell it to. This is the loneliness of death." writes Grace Chow. Grace passed away December 6, 2004. In my opinion, Grace was a brave lady, yet I am saddened that she was not a Christian. THAT is the loneliness of death...

Check Grace's blog.

Well, I paid for the spicy food yesterday with an irritated stoma and diarrhea. Woke up at 3:30 this morning and did not go back to bed until 6am. I hope I sleep better tonight...

Tonight was a great experience. We had the whole management team together in the AgriCom kitchen (we can feed a few thousand out of that kitchen), cook a southern style meal together (under supervision of a professional chef) and then eat together. This was not a mickey mouse meal. There was salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, jambalaya with rice, gumbo, Cajun cornbread, and for desert bread pudding with espresso caramel sauce. Chef Brad made sure we stayed with the program, but it was up to us to do the cooking. Afterward we just kept talking, joking around, telling stories and trying to figure out Ken's party tricks. Good thing there was no lamb on the menu, considering the sheep jokes... :-)
All in all, an evening worth repeating.

Spent the day building and testing a new chat room.

Got a visit from Bob and Bertha, so now I can start work on the Parkland Perennials 2005 catalog. That'll keep me busy for a while.

Today was only a half day at work, but very nice. There was even a birthday cake for me, the first one ever at work. Cheesecake with fresh fruit (that does not make it a fruitcake!) That was an even greater surprise now that I've decided to celebrate my birthday on June 26 instead of December 26. Gotta love my team for the gesture. Thanks, guys.

Then we went to the SportEx (a different building) for some Christmas cheer at the invitation of our general manager. Nice to exchange so many Christmas hugs.

Well, I'm off work until January 4th, then four half days and then fulltime. It will be interesting to see how well I cope working full days. It will be good to develop a regular routine again, even if I run out of steam and have to pick scheduled down times. Working two afternoons, a morning, then two more afternoons was not conducive to developing a routine, especially with tests and doctors visits along the way.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Do you appreciate classical music? If you do, you should really check out André Rieu's website. I had heard of him before but did not realize until today that he is a fellow-Dutchman as old as I am. PBS in Detroit were doing a special on him, so it pays to channel-surf...

Speaking of André, (or Andrew), our financial software consultant Andrew is back with us for the rest of the week. He flew in this afternoon so we had our kick-off meeting at the end of the afternoon. This is going to be an intense week for me, especially when juggling my tests on Wednesday.

Submitted my budget changes today. We'll see what questions come out of that.

Northlands Park, my employer, exists for 125 years. That makes us older than the city of Edmonton, and older than the province of Alberta. Last night we had a gala evening for staff and volunteers. Over 2,000 people were in attendance. There were speeches by the mayor and deputy premier, among others. Chef Adel and his staff outdid themselves with a most extensive buffet, which included prime rib, chicken, salmon, sushi, a variety of salads and veggies. This evening won't be forgotten soon.

Committee to Save Merry Christmas is an organization that takes offence to the generic "Happy Holidays" that many stores are now using. I support this initiative. I am proud to celebrate Christmas. I realize we live in a multicultural society, but let's not forget that people from non-Christian persuasions celebrate their own holidays or holy days. Are we witnessing a marketing ploy or a watering down/commercializing of Christmas?

Last Friday it was ten degrees Celsius, and tonight we're going down to minus thirty degrees Celsius... Yikes! Fortunately by the end of the week we'll warm up again. Then again, this is Alberta Canada, so these "surprises" are not that surprising--just annoying. No wonder my back is acting up...

TGIF... Started to do some more of my regular work, including going over budget submissions. I got 3 versions, so now I need to figure out what is what.

It's snowing today, and much colder than the past week. Time to get straw on the garden, but my back is sore. I'll just do a little today, and see how I feel tomorrow.

Two more weeks to go for my tests, hopefully the last in a while.

Attended the first managers meeting today, so I'm getting back into a routine of sorts.

So far the weather has been unseasonably warm, but that's about to change over the weekend. We're looking at -20°C next week...

Well, I finished one week back at work. Even though it was only for half days, I found it very demanding, not just physically, but also mentally. I know it will get better over time, but I was sure glad when the weekend came.

The garden has started to dry out the last few weeks, so I watered for a few hours today. And some of my lily seeds are coming up. They're inside, of course...

Last night my back was very stiff. It's snowing a bit today, so that could be the reason, but I expect sitting too long yesterday. We'll see how things go with three meetings today.

Spoke to the insurance rep and now that I earn a partial paycheck, my benefits will obviously be lower. She was not sure if the reduction would affect the November benefits or if it would be deducted in December.

First Day Back in the Office. It was a bit strange being back at work, even though I've dropped in for visits before. I'm sharing an office for now with Ed and it's full of laptops. I got a laptop also, but need to get files off my old machine before I give it up...

This first day was not too bad at all. The bottom feels pretty good, but we'll see at the end of the week. Let's see if I fall asleep after supper.

These last few days have been good. Thursday we had a management lunch to celebrate Rey's 25 years at Northlands. Very enjoyable time with my colleagues. Afterward I visited with Ed to talk about what was going to be on my plate on Monday.

I've been cooking meals while I was home these past months, and yesterday I tried a stew cooked in wine. Turned out not bad, except I added the potatoes and veggies too early. A lesson for next time.

I guess I'm mentally working up to re-enter a life of work routine the past couple of days. I've been getting up earlier, but as a result, I'm napping again after supper. That's not so bad, I think.

Continuing prayers are needed for friends. Jake saw his doctor today and is now on a priority list for heart surgery. Sheila is having trouble with her eyes just after starting new cancer drugs. Perhaps it's related... When you're praying, don't forget the spouses (or is that spice?).

Today was another great day, well above seasonal temperatures, and to my surprise all my snow is gone, even in the north-facing garden. I thought it would be spring before all the snow would be gone, but perhaps it's that infamous greenhouse effect.

With the prospect of going back to work next week, I figured I would do some more cooking for Cecile this week. Last night I prepared salmon, Brussels sprouts, and stuffed baked potato.

Eva is in the hospital with apparent neurological problem. Prognosis is that she won't make it till Christmas. Eva is a friend from way back when we took the Bethel Bible Series together. Unfortunately we lost touch years ago, and the family is restricting visits.

Jake is another friend from some 30 years ago who is having heart problems. He is waiting for his doctor to have a stint put in. Even a few minutes on the phone has him out of breath...

When I think of these and other people with problems, I thank God for His mercy. My colon cancer with the accompanying radiation, chemo, and surgery, does not seem as bad as some other people's ordeals.

Tonight we're going back to Mountain Standard Time (MST). Tomorrow it will be dark at 5PM. Really depressing if you ask me...

It was a balmy 8 degrees Celsius today and some snow was melting, even in the shade. I helped things along with the hose... The extra water is good for the trees, but what about the lilies?

I'm starting to feel a bit better, I think, unless I have relapses. I'm slowly going to go back to my pre-treatment diet so I can lose some weight. Got about 20 pounds to lose...

Today is municipal voting day, so Edmontonians, cast your vote. Don't let the snow stop you!

Still feeling crappy (no pun intended)...

Some good news. Friends of ours are grandparents again of a baby girl. Congratulations!!!

And a concern about another friend, Paul. His PSA levels are elevated so he needs to go for a prostate biopsy. Good thing he went for a check-up. As they say in the commercial, "check up or check out."

Did some clean-up in the front garden, since it was sunny. A bit cool, but not too bad.

Starting to get a cold. Cecile came home with it first, so now it's my turn.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. How about you folks out there?

Cold and cloudy today. Was in the garden only for about half an hour.

Had coffee with Wes K. That's always a good time.

Nice weather, but not very sunny. Still got some clean-up done in the garden.

Edmonton is celebrating its 100th birthday. Quite young when compared to my home city of over 700 years old.

The woman I mentioned yesterday, with the ruptured bowel, passed away early this morning. Now she can be at peace.

All my Christmas cacti are blooming: red, pink, orange, yellow, white...

My Valley K lily order came today. Last lily order for this year. There were only 3 bulbs to plant, so it did not take much time. Left me some time to go for a walk in Rundle Park. Too bad it's windy, most of the autumn leaves have dropped off already.

Received a peace-inspiring poem today. Thanks, Helen, and may God give you peace in your life's journey.

The weather was mixed clouds with occasional sunshine. Vincent and I went to Elk Island Park to take pictures of the fall colours and bison.

Met up with Phil, who was painting by the side of the road. This trip was a great diversion to feeling crappy.

Taking it easy today. Slept from 10pm last night to 10am, had breakfast and promptly up-chucked it.

In the afternoon I went for a walk in Rundle Park to take in some of the fall colours. Fall has that pungent smell, that I really like.

Got a furry rat (squirrel) in the backyard, looking for (food) bulbs for his winter supply, no doubt. Now where is my shotgun?...

What a sham about putting a thief in jail for 7 years (Nick Lysyk, who has admitted to defrauding the Bank of Montreal of $16 million) when killing babies (abortion) is legal. Where are society's morals going?

Interesting observation was sent to me: Put the Glass Down. Worth reading!

A teacher was giving a lecture to his students on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?"

The students' answers ranged from 2 ounces to a half pound.

His reply was, "It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is OK. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, because the burden becomes too heavy."

"You have to put the glass down, and rest for a while before holding it up again. We have to put our burdens down periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. So before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow."

"Whatever burden you have now on your shoulders, let it down for a while if you can. Pick it up again later when you have rested..."

Rest and relax.

Life is short, enjoy it!

SNOW... 2am finds me moving my tomato plant to protect it from snow. Yuck!

Power outage took all my computers down, including the web server.

Surprised the team at work by showing up at the staff meeting this morning. No way I'm getting into the garden anyway. Was pooped by lunch time, but it was good to see everybody.

Thanks, Deb, for the reminder how much I owe you/Northlands. Will have to work that into my budget.

Cold, miserable weather kept me out of the garden.

Went camera shopping with Vincent. Another Nikon Coolpix 8700 owner...

Took it easy today, pretty low on energy... Yesterday I made pasta sauce from tomatoes bought last week, and today made tomato juice with the rest. Spaghetti tasted good today.

A little more than six weeks of treatment left. Then we'll have to see how long it takes to get my strength and stamina back.

Not feeling too bad today. Had lunch with Ed to discuss next year's budgets.

After that, did some more work on the new lily bed, but then I was pooped...

Glad we planted those lilies yesterday. Rainy, cold weather would not make it a pleasure today... Still stiff and sore from yesterday...

Did some weeding today.

Cecile is digging up her potatoes, seems somebody is trying to steal them.

A neighbour's car was noticed across the medium, stereo ripped out... What's this world coming to?

Looking like another fine day. Forecast of 30°C, so I'll be outside again! :)

Had a very nice lunch with Leslie. Thanks, girl.

Vincent and I went to Elk Island Park today. Never saw so many bison on a single day.

Attended the wedding ceremony of Dirk Apon this afternoon. We've known Dirk since he was born to very good friends of ours.

Congratulations Dirk and Amber. May God be your guide on your journey! Wasn't up to the reception, dinner, and dance festivities.

Slept fitfully, turning over every half hour or so. My back and hips are bothering me more than usual.

Hardly any mosquitoes this afternoon. I could even barbecue without bug spray.

My granddaughter Alicia slept over last night so she could join us at Northlands' staff Klondike Days breakfast. She had lots of fun. She had her face painted with a butterfly on one cheek and a fancy sun on the other. Two balloon butterflies, ice-cream, being on stage with Klondike Kate in addition to the breakfast. Afterward I went home for a nap, but Cecile took Alicia to Bonanza Park for a train ride and some gold panning.

During the afternoon the bowels decided to move all the contents out, at first really solid but getter looser as time went on. Took an Imodium at 11:30pm. What a cheerful note to end the month of July...

All things considered, July was not a bad month. Enjoyed the lilies although bug spray was often need the last few weeks. I just keep focusing on the enjoyable things in life so the not-so-pleasant don't seem so bad.

Man, I'm stiff today. Not used to all that walking anymore. At least I slept like a baby for five hours.

Spent mostly inside as it's over 30°C outside. The bum wound hurts, probably because of the heat.

Good day today. Went shopping for a new orchid cactus at the forget-me-not greenhouse, west of Stony Plain. Found a yellow and a white one I just needed to take home.

In the evening Cecile and I attended the opening ceremonies of Klondike Days. I actually spent more time than I thought I would, but it was so nice to meet with staff and former staff.

It rained much of the day, so I had time to check out a friend's computer. Expecting a virus, all it was was a dead keyboard.

Way too warm to do much of anything. Even beer did not taste good. Need to water some flowers, but tomorrow morning will have to do.

The mosquitoes are getting pretty hungry. Don't need that West Nile virus.

Beautiful day, 28°C. Had lunch with the department and Opal. Very nice to feel part of the "gang" even if only for an hour and a half.

Checked if there were any lilies I liked at Greenland and Salisbury. There were two, but I got to see if I'm buying unknowns again first. One is called "Yelloween" and is labelled as an oriental, but I suspect it's an OT. The other is called "LA Iceberg" but I can't find anything on the internet to validate that name. Perhaps it's not registered.

Happy birthday, Hans.

Cool weather, no sun, not much energy, good day for movies in my housecoat. And of course the European final soccer match. Greece played Portugal at home and won the Euro2004 cup. There was something like 80 to 1 odds that Portugal would win... Well played match and Greece was the better team.

Quote from today's Hour Of Power, "Though we do not know WHAT the future holds, we do know WHO holds the future!" I noticed a few small brown spots on my forehead last night, but remembering Who is in control, keeps me from panicking. Could be a reaction to the chemo, or sun damage.

Beautiful day today. We got at least up to 25°C (still, at 8pm) and temperatures are gradually getting higher the next few days. Thank you to all who came to help celebrate my 54th birthday at the open house. Even though it was only a few hours, I had a blast having an outdoor party for the first time. It was also great to meet a new face, Marilyn from Devon, whom I know from the ColdZoneGardens email group. Thanks, Marilyn, much appreciated.

It's 9pm and still warm, no wind, hardly any mosquitoes, so I'm still outside with the laptop. Hans noticed a mouse in the garden yesterday, and I've seen the fat bugger run all over the backyard most of today. He/she is fast though, and I cannot detect a particular trail so I don't know where to set the traps yet. Maybe I should not be chasing cats out of my yard. Should not have mentioned the mosquitoes, there are hordes now, just 10 minutes later.

Was up at 4am to clean out the sh!t bag. Then I woke up again at 5am and the bag felt like it was full of air and I was just letting air escape. My mistake to assume... It was full of that other stuff. So here I am, cleaning up in the middle of the night. Another lesson learned.

As I was up early anyway, I was watching a James Robison show with Kathy Troccoli & Georgina Godfrey. Georgina had survived breast cancer but has now passed away. Very powerful testimony. You can watch the show on-line on Life Outreach International's website under Life Today TV.

Hans & Leni are back from their trip into the Rockies. They had a real enjoyable time, and we had a very nice visit in the afternoon, supper, more visiting...

After everybody had left, I created a photo cd of Hans & Leni's photos, and I made a web page too...

Pity for Paul, England lost against Portugal in the Euro 2004 (UEFA) games, but given the 29°C temperature and 50% humidity, and playing against a team on their home turf, I think they did an excellent job losing 6-5 during penalty shots. If Holland beats Sweden in the quarter finals on Saturday, they will play Portugal.

For those who wonder who Paul is, Paul is a fellow manager at Northlands [Park] and a great friend. Like today, when we get together, we can just enjoy a game, without having to discuss cancer or other issues. We do anyway, but we just don't have to. I love the friendship Paul offers and I hope I am worthy of his friendship.

BTW, Paul looks after producing Klondike Days which is one of our major events. If you're in Edmonton the second half of July, you owe it to yourself to visit our major tourist attraction.

Sears' shipping company again confirmed the lounge chair for tomorrow. I have not seen such customer service in a long time, and those who know me, know that I'm not easily impressed.

Yikes, more blood when I pulled the packing out this morning. At least it stopped fairly quickly. The rash is a bit better but not gone yet.

Julie & Deb (mom) visited and they brought some ginger beef lunch. Thanks, ladies, very tasty. Thanks also to the HR department for the birthday card.

Holland beat Latvia 3-0 today in the European soccer championship, UEFA Euro 2004. We'll see how England does tomorrow, Paul...

I was just watching an interview of Julie Gregory on Discovery Health channel that shocked me. Julie is a victim of MBP, Munchausen by Proxy, who has written a book "Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood."

One reviewer says: A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor's examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she's tall, skinny, and weak. It's four o'clock, and she hasn't been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.
As a child, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on - in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother's mind. Her mother - a former carnival cowgirl - invented or caused symptoms, starved her, and shuffled her from doctor to doctor, reveling in hospital visits and the attention of medical professionals. Her goal: open heart surgery for Julie to "get to the bottom of this." Many victims of Munchausen by proxy die, but Julie Gregory not only survived, she escaped the powerful orbit of her mother's madness and rebuilt her identity as a vibrant, healthy young woman. Punctuated with Julie's genuine medical records, Sickened evokes the parallel universe she inhabited in prose of scathing beauty and dark humor. Isolated in their double-wide trailer, her bizarre pastel-clad, church-going, gun-waving, child-abusing family is worthy of the fiction of Stephen King. But this is also a story of hope, of courageous understanding and deep compassion - and the preservation of a woman's soul.

Well, perhaps the brain was too busy... 4am up, 6am back to bed, until Home Care called at 8:30 for a 9am appt.

Got an S-Video cable to display my laptop screen on the TV, but so far it's not working...

Leni and Hans arrive from Holland at 2pm. Picking them up from the airport will be my longest car trip since the operation. I hope I can manage it, but I'm taking the rubber donut, the foam piece and a pillow to be sure, especially since Home Care ran out of my regular dressing and used a thicker pad... I'll have to rely on Someone else to keep me comfortable: "Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10.

The above quote was appropriate, as I backed into a light post getting out of our driveway. Thank the codeine for that...

I guess measuring a wound is not a precise science. June 2nd it was 5.25cm deep and now it's 5.5cm. Length of the wound is now 4.5cm, less than 2 inches.

All in all had a busy day. First we picked up my sister and her husband, Leni & Hans, from the airport. Had supper with them and Duncan and Monica. Vincent, Ang and Jayden dropped in before that. Opal stopped in as everybody was leaving. I think I'll sleep well tonight.

Watched a few good movies, John Q (Denzel Washington: indictment of the state of the U.S. health care system) and Stolen Summer (Two boys, one Jewish and one Catholic, team up to find a guaranteed way to get into heaven; then they discover that one of them is dying of leukemia).

Cleaned up a bit outside so it won't look like a total disaster zone when my sister comes tomorrow.

Had my buddy Paul over for a visit. Sounds like Klondike Days' feature show, Africa, could be quite a challenge, but also very exciting.

Until I can get someone's attention at 3roos.com, I'm playing with their minds... ;-)

Some beautiful birds have been visiting my garden the last few days. A pair of American Goldfinches, and a dozen or so cedar waxwings.

Managed to sit on a lawn chair for a few minutes without the rubber donut, foam, or pillows...

One more week, and my sister will be here. Woohoo...

Did some planting and seeding in the front, but I may have overdone it a bit, because I ended up with a 37.9°C temperature. Oh well, early to bed for me...

Got an email today from Jim Reynolds, a well-known painter of almost 80 years. He's interested in buying some of my photos. I looked up some of his paintings and he's really good.

It was pretty windy outside, so I only did a little bit in the garden, mainly pulled some quack grass, not that anyone would notice...

Another beautiful day. Not even noon and already too hot for me in the sun. Amazing how the heat can sap your energy. But sitting in the shade on my rubber donut and a cup of coffee is very refreshing. It's finally starting to look and feel like summer.

Took some of my extra plants (the ones I've grown from seed indoors) to Vincent after lunch and supervised him doing the planting. While there, we got a very cute photo of Jayden.

After supper I planted some pansies and then sat on my donut and enjoyed being outside.

At 8pm I went inside to watch Bruce Almighty, one of Jim Carey's best movies, in my opinion...

May seems to have gone by in a flash. Sitting at home, with one day flowing into the next, I seem to lose my sense of time. No project deadlines, no meetings to prepare for. Good thing my computer has a calendar...

Watched The Hour Of Power this morning, and surfed their Canadian site later on where I found an interesting message, "Courage: The Big C."

Very cool. While I'm up early, I may as well play a bit, right? So this update is facilitated by a "VNC" connection from the laptop to my desktop computer which does all the work. VNC is a remote control program that allows one computer to take over another. We use it at work to support our users. The advantage? I don't have to buy MS Office for the laptop... This only works when I'm close to my wireless access point, though.

After almost five hours in the hospital, and having had breakfast at 5AM, I was ready for some fine lunching, so Cecile and I went to La Boheme and I had a nice arctic char plate. It will be a while before we go out for lunch or dinner again, so why not treat ourselves? I can heartily recommend this restaurant. Too bad they only serve lunch on Fridays, but it's only $10.95, choice of three courses. And if you happen to see some crazy guy doing tango steps while you enjoy your food, that'll be Ernst, the proprietor, a very cool dude! :)

Just some comparison with the CCI and the Alex, I find the CCI in a much better position to deal with people in my situation. I wish they surgery was at the CCI, but that can't be helped. In general, at the Alex half the people were rather business oriented, where the staff at CCI was totally people oriented. I'm sure both facilities feel the funding crunch, but why are they so different when it comes to patient treatment?

And more tulips are blooming... Check them out.

Still pretty cool outside, although I did take the seedlings out for some fresh air. The wind keeps mold from growing, so that works for me, and the stems should be getting stronger too.

Figured is was time to do my taxes (why wait till Friday!), so fired up QuickTax and net-filed both returns.

Started adding some more photos to my photo site last night. These are from Vancouver, BC. I'm by no means done. Next will be more photos for the Vancouver Island page.

Cold and windy, so I did not take the seedlings outside today, but my mystery bud is doing real good.

Still waiting for the laptop. According to the tracking site, it's been in production since the 16th. Too bad the site does not give more detail, like waiting for parts, backlogged, or something...

Had a freak wind storm this evening, and when the sky grew dark, there was tornado talk among the neighbours. Wind gusts were reportedly up to 100km/hour. There are a lot of leaves I don't have to bother raking.

Had a great lunch with Paul. Got a bit caught up with the business side of Northlands, and also had a great time just being with a good friend. On the way home Paul related how he almost drowned a month ago, trying to save his dogs. Talk about a close call...

Spent the afternoon cleaning up some more in the yard. And afterward spent time watching birds. Tough to catch them on camera...

If you have sent an email recently, please be patient for a reply. I have a lot to catch up with.

It was pointed out that the gland men have is called the prostate. "Prostrate" is an adjective meaning "lying face downward." Oops...

Dell is weird. While I was paying my payroll deductions at Northlands, Purolator was at the door delivering a surge protector for the laptop. Why don't they do just a single shipment? I ordered four accessories and one is here in town, the second one is on the way, and no status on the other two. Now I have to be home for five individual deliveries. Good thing Dell is paying for the shipping!

Started transplanting some seedlings from the jiffy peat pots to a bit larger pot. I noticed mold developing under the nylon container. Hopefully I can contain that now with nodamp.

Snow is not expected to be melting in a hurry without sun and a high of -1�C, but I was surprised that the few sunny breaks we had, worked wonders.

Had a follow-up call from Frank Roper at Dell this morning. Frank got the laptop order rolling again, and took $300 off the price for inconveniencing me. I am revising my opinion of Dell's customer service!

Woke up to a winter wonderland, and watched an all-day wet snow storm... Received a total of 20cm (8") of the white stuff. Good for garden moisture, I guess. Pond looks so pristine... Good day to watch movies.

Hank sent me a cute poem, called God's Boxes. Thanks, my friend.

A little bit of snow fell overnight, but most of it is melting. More wet snow during the day. High of only 1°C.

If you have time to kill, check out eBaum's World for a lot of nonsensical fun...

Changed the water in the pond. Almost ready for the waterlilies...

Went to A&B Sound to check out some of there new recording devices. I'm looking for a unit that records my favourite shows to a hard drive, can copy my old VHS tapes to DVD, etc. They had none in stock but the new 120 gig Panasonic model is expected in May. Very cool technology.

Placed my order for a laptop today. ETA is April 15th...
Time for some more ice removal...24?C! Made quite a bit of progress, but too pooped to continue.
I think mice are eating my bulbs, the buggers...
Well, time to watch Dutch soccer, Ajax is playing Alkmaar. Saw Chelsea make a very nice win this week too. Paul should be pleased. :)

A wonderful friend and neighbour returned from a few months in Mexico a few days ago and stopped in this evening to visit. Welcome home, Gabriella!

Did some ice removal from the pond today. Before and after shots don't show much progress, but I sure worked up a sweat...

Pain is more bearable today, and I slept a four hour stretch last night, something that does not happen often.

So much for spring. Woke up to -14? Celsius with wind chills to -30... Thanks for sending your arctic high, Darm! ;-)
Spent the afternoon at Northlands. Staff are getting pumped about hosting the Juno Awards next week.
Finally got my Critical Illness insurance cheque today. Took two months to get it. What if a person has only that long to live?
Cecile and I went out for a very nice dinner at La Boheme. The bison steak was excellent!

Been watching the "CANADA - A People's History" documentary series over the last few days. Very, very insightful. I never knew that the US had tried to invade Canada on several occasions, but never succeeded. I am also more sympathetic to the original French settlers. They at least sought the Indians out as partners in trade. All the English wanted was to eradicate them because they stood in the way. I'll be looking for episode 6 onward now, because all I got was episode 1 through 5.

Today was a lovely spring day, 14? Celsius in my backyard. Cleaned out a lot of ice and snow, and even started on removing some straw and leaves. The beginning of next week is supposed to be even warmer... I like!
Planted a lily bulb (two, actually, but I think only one will make it) from Kathleen Mingl (Chianti X Ventoux) in a 4" pot. These bulbs arrived after the ground had already frozen, so they spent the winter in the fridge in a tupperware container. One bulb felt a bit mushy and was brown, but the smaller one seems to have survived. So we'll see soon enough.
Went to Hole's to get out of the house on such a fine day, and to see what they had already brought in for spring planting.

Is it SPRING yet? Still getting snow this morning...

Went and drooled over Vincent's new G5 dual CPU Apple computer. Nice engineering job. First time I walked over since before treatments started. I was rather pooped, but proud it took only 17 minutes. My last record was 20 minutes...
Surprise when I picked up the van from the dealer (oil change, etc.) this afternoon. They could not find the keys. Turns out somebody was washing it and vacuuming also. They can do that every time. :)

First full day of freedom from the PICC line and chemo pump.
Went to Lee Valley this afternoon, just to browse. Then on my way to CompuSmart, I noticed Nature's Everblooming Garden Centre. I had seen it before, but never made the time to stop in. This time, I'm glad I did. Nice to just browse around. Really enjoyed the afternoon just driving around in the sunshine.

Lost my buddy "Alfred" today, but I'm sure he will make new friends soon enough. Alfred replaced Betsy on February 14th with much better results.
Removing the PICC line did not take long and was not painful, although I could feel something being pulled out. The nurse applying pressure on the exit hole was the most painful.
That first shower in a month felt so good, hard to describe...
Thank you, Pat, for an appropriate reflection message today.

As Cecile's mother was buried today, we heard the wonderful news of a new baby girl born to one of our friends. I am reminded of the Lion King's "Circle of Life." God is good. Congratulations to Alida and Brooker and the proud Apon grandparents.

As I was looking through old photos, I found a poem called To My Grown-Up Son. I clipped this out 15 or 20 years ago, yet was impressed by it's timeliness. Life is short, and we don't get a second chance--we need to do it right the first time!

New TV was delivered today. I like! We took the old one over to Duncan's.