Visiting the cheiftains

So Dean hadn't had the real opportunity to meet the band chieftains yet, so Mandy and I made it a point last sunday to do just that.

 

The hope was get out early, before lunch, then visit Rod & Louise, then Al & Muriel after lunch... Dean had other arrangements set up.  It must have been roughly 1:30 or so before we were out the door to visit Al.  And probably after 6 or so by the time we left Rod's.

 

It was a great visit.  Al showed me a set of 'small pipes' in his basement, and said if I could get 'em working I could have 'em (still havn't quite figured them out -  check the photos and tell me what you think).  I was able to get Al his copy of Edinburgh's 2007 video back, and borrowed the 2006 that Rod lent him.  Rod and Louise had a whole spread out for us as well - excellent sticky buns Louise.  And Dean got a new book... as well as 2 poopy diapers.

 

It was a great visit, and good to see the chieftains looking so well.  They ain't spring chickens.  Really helped me to appreciate the band's heritage more.  Keeps me motivated to keep teaching the students.

May long = days of blisters

So here I am on the "may 2-4" and what am I spending my time doing?

 

well, so far I've:

 

• staked in the solar patio lights (thanks Greg!)
  
• edged the garden
  
• mixed in the composted manure
  
• mowed the lawn
  
• finished the patio furniture
  
• hooked up the hose

I'm tired already and it's only Saturday afternoon.  Thankfully there's a relaxing barbecue tomorrow at Kartanson's.  Cindy's in town too, so she can get to visit everybody.

Mandy still wants to paint... dunno about this weekend.  We'll see.  Then the new blinds come in, which means we can install the A/C unit... not that we even come close to needing to use it yet - the temp hasn't really raised above 10 lately.  We had some AWESOME weather a few weeks back, then really bad, now it's just windy and almost rainy. 

So long as it isn't snowing, I'm happy, and then I can bike to work.

Pictures of the garden are forthcoming.

 

playing ketchup... it's all i seem to do.

So much more to catch everybody up on.  (get it... ketchup / catch up)

 

Since when did weekends become 'extra work days'?  Last weekend I spent several hours just doing house stuff.  The garden needed to be extended, the patio set put together, more laundry sorting and dishes...  I have to use these days Mandy's house sitting to relax.  Now we've got more stuff to do for this weekend, and I still haven't even started to make calls about the front steps.  Having a house is fun.

 

Oh, well.

 

Biking's been really good.  Really tiring though.  Burger barn's open, so I definitely need to kick the biking up a notch.  Stupid good fries.  And to further tempt me to not drive is my dad.  He means the best, I know... but now I have 2 of his old vehicles at my house.  The truck hiding in the back lane, and now the car advertising in the front driveway.  I drove the truck once, then kinda remembered dad didn't keep the insurance on it... woopsie.  Now I have the car... and it's just taunting me to drive to work.  I shouldn't, but on the other hand it would give the car more exposure, and hopefully help him sell it... mmm the dilemnas.

 

Okay, back to my wild and crazy party.  It's the last day of my bach-ing it.

My boy truly is growing

It's really awe inspiring.  Just scrolling through some of the pics of dean thus far.

As much as I know he's growing, it's amazing to see how much he's grown really when you compare.

It's hard to look at some of the first pics when he came home and not be moved by it all.

Dad's retirement survival kit

So I mentioned in the last blog about my dad's retirement... and if you look in the pics, you'll see his gift basket we put together with his survival kit.  Here's what it contained:

• Scissors
  o To cut up all your ties
• Sanity preservation parcel
  o Flip flops
  o Gardening tools
  o Patio light (to garden at night)
• Chocolate
  o To help keep your energy up
• Home repairs book
  o To keep yourself feeling useful
• Retirement Income Program (see manual)
  o   1 cup
  o 10 pencils
  o 1 pair of dark glasses
  o 1 cane
• New jogging shorts
  o The neighbourhood all helped pitch in for these
• Glossette Peanuts
  o Those peanuts you’ve been working for, for all these years
• Rechargeable batteries
  o To help photograph all the places you’ll visit

---

Retirement Income Program Plan
1. Find a nice street corner (the busier the better)
2. Put pencils in to the mug
3. Put sunglasses on
4. Rattle mug as people pass you by
5. Use cane to help increase sympathy
6. Say “God bless” as coins are dropped in
7. Refill pencils as needed

Hint:
The shabbier your clothes are, the better

holy crap... sorry ... almost a full month

Almost a solid month has gone by and not even a new picture.  Sorry people.  So what has happened in this new family's life?  A lot... well, nothing major, just enough to keep me busy as all heck.

So, I'll try to go backwards... hmmm

 

Been biking alot lately to work.  With gas being $1.30/litre, it's easy to see the benefits, besides my 5 lbs lost (so far).  The stretch to work is one big long NORTH and then EAST... which is ok... coming home is WEST then SOUTH.  and typically the heavy winds have been coming from the SW.  So I have never been sweatier lately.  Good thing I buy those quick dry clothes.  Now with the heavy rain, it's not been so easy, I've whmped out and drove.

 

I realize what kinda guy I am lately... I'm a dad.  SO much so that I

a) don't mind the spit up and soaked shoulders from Dean hanging out on my arm so much (or the immense pain in my shoulder from just holding him for so long)

b) I 'accidentally sang along to one of those Baby Einstein songs.  Ick.  I put a random selection of music on a USB key for the car's mp3 player... and it picked one of those songs from dean's music.

 

Got a visit from Rob and Lindsay AND BEN!  It was great.  It really put Dean in to perspective.  Seeing Ben has made Dean jump in size.  Rob also dropped off the groomsmen gift for me, a marble decanter set from a market in Afghanistan.  It's wicked cool!

 

Let's see... My dad retired!  now he has golf clubs!  And driving my mom nuts!  At least he's now picked the car he wants to buy.  A Toyota Avalon.  He and Greg will drive to the border to pick it up.  It'll give Greg a chance to test out his new GPS!

 

Ah, to be retired and having fun with toys. now that i've got dean i guess i don't need any new toys... well, I still WANT new toys, just no time or $ for 'em.  Not that I'm complaining.  Being a dad has been awesome.  And Dean's an awesome son.  He's really getting interactive... babbling, smiling etc... just what the doctor ordered after a rough day.

 

Speaking of rough days.  So I found out how much I'll be losing when Rain comes back... it was a real kick in the pants.  Not only did I not know i would be losing anything, but to find out how much... ouch.  PLUS I found out that I did NOT make it to the pool hiring this year.  That's a real punch to the groin... 6 years of 'no problem' to 'sorry you're not good enough'.  You don't even want to know th erigamarole I went through to try to find out why... and even then it didn't even clarify.  ugh

well, enjoy the new pics of dean... i'll try to et some video going.

 

Sore as heck

So I've found out what else raising a child includes - a sore left hand side and bad back.

 

Dean's a cuddler, which means that he just likes to be held - sometimes the only way to calm him down is to just hold him and pat his back.

 

Wlel last night was such a case... and it's my own fault, but it ended up being like 2-3 hours or so, and my arm is just burning this morning, locked in that holding position.  Then feeding him, required holding him with that arm and me hunched over... so my back is all crunched up...

 

Dean's aged me like 50 years already  - owza.

 

So here I sit with an advil in my system and an ice pack over my shoulder... all ready for the next 'shift'.