Holiday Greetings or O come Emmanuel?

So this is Christmas...the song lyrics say, but what is it really? In this country it used to be a celebration of Jesus Christ's birthday. Now it would seem that has gone by the wayside, to our detriment. Yes, we Christians fool ourselves by thinking we celebrate in our churches and among other friends we greet each other with "Merry Christmas" thinking that it is the birthday we are celebrating. Yes the odd school still promotes Christs's birthday but they are becoming rare. On the radio the other day was a discussion on one school, not wanting to offend anyone had a "summer concert" rather than a Christmas concert. Trying to find meaningful Christmas cards this year was next to impossible at least in the chain stores. Most of what was available was "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" or Santa themed cards. Imagine what it will be like in another generation. Will there be anyone of the general population who will remember it is Christs' Birthday? Emmanuel - God is with us? The Word made Flesh? The birth of our Saviour? The birth of God's Son Jesus Christ?

It would seem the secularization of our society is nearly complete. The north pole has replaced the manager. The Christmas lights were to remind us of the light of the world that has come, a "Joy to the World", yet for many they are simply a way to make Santa, the reindeer or Charlie Brown light up. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the lights too but where are the manager scenes in the store fronts?

For those who continue to celebrate Christmas as Christs' birthday I commend you. For those of other faiths who have come up to me and wished me a Merry Christmas knowing full well I celebrate His Birthday I say "Peace and Goodwill to you". Let us be not afraid, the "Light of the World has come"! Let us celebrate, and so in that vain I wish all of you a "Merry Christmas"

PotashCorp vs BHP Billiton

I began my career in Lanigan when when the mine there was Alwinsal Potash. I was around when the government of the day, the NDP, nationalized the mine. I worked with the PCS in the '80's, and have stayed in touch with some working there since. There is no doubt Potash sits deep in the hearts & minds of Saskatchewan. I think it is as strong in our provincial sentiment as Agriculture does, perhaps more so.

I did not agree with the nationalization way back when and still don't. If the government then wanted to build a mine from scratch, go for it. To walk in and take over someone else's hard work I thought was wrong. If they could take over that, what else could they take over? The same thinking applies for me today with the current debate. I realize though,takeovers are a fact of life in the business. The one issue that looms in my mind though I do not recall being discussed is the size and global influence BHP has. This corporation is simply put, way to large. To gain control of a major global requirement in the fertilizer industry is to much global influence. I think there is to much at stake here on a global scale to allow this to pass, it goes way past any lost tax revenue.

Yes I stand on the side of right wing spectrum but I agree with Brad Wall, our Premier, this is a Saskatchewan resource and we deserve a say in how this plays out and therefore the answer to this particular takeover should be NO.

I have always said, how pleasant it would be if the opposition parties would stand in agreement of each other. In this situation Brad Wall consulted 4 previous premiers and Alberta which deals with giant corporations on a regular basis. I commend Brad Wall for this, and I commend the the others for offering their opinions and for standing in support of the government. Now if only they would cooperate on other things.

Getting back to business

Since April I have been applying the weight watcher plan to my life. It has worked out pretty well, dropping about 15% of my original weight. Over the summer wasn't to bad as I was quite active with the renovations. The last 6 weeks though has been weird. A total fall back in behaviour. Why? That is the real question. I feel pretty good. After all I lost a lot of weight, but now its like the same issue a smoker who has quitting has: I haven't smoked for awhile so I should be able to have just one. Ah the lament of an addict.

It boils down to making a decision. So why can't I?

Edmonton ... downtown

I have spent the past few days in Edmonton with some work colleagues and colleagues from across Westren Canada at WCUPPA. It has been a very good learning experience. I did not get an opportunity to really see much of U of A or Edmonton for that metter. What I can say though is the hospitality of those in the city, both from the University through to the sponsors and to the people we met downtown and on the LRT has been fantastic. I really tip my hat to to the city. For sure they will be a great host to the Grey Cup this year.

As we rode the LRT I wondered how far Saskatoon was away from a similar system. A long way I know, it will be a discussion with those of my children's age, for sure. Still I am sure someone in the city is planning for it. I wondered as well  about the effort that went in to the conference. Somehow these organizers who do similar work to me and others there were able to do their jobs and organize all of this. A Herculean task for sure.

One of the things I will be pondering for sure in the coming days will be the words of Walter Bond the motivational speaker we were fortunate to be able to attend.

Lastly its Alexander Keith's Birthday! Have a good one!

CFL Refereeing

Some faulty calls in the Rider Hamilton game and the Blue Bombers robbed. What is going on?

So the Bombers desperately needing a win recover a fumble in the last minute of the game which would have been the win. However the refs in Toronto ruled it an incomplete pass and Montreal went on to win the game. The guy caught the ball had it secured and got 1 1/2 strides when he got hit. What are the requirements?

In the Rider game we called for offsides on the goal line, and they were infringing on the one yard zone.  Yet only a minute later the camera shows the TigerCats doing exactly the same and its not called. Where is the consistency?

I really thought the refereeing has improved but I am beginning to have doubts. I do not want the Riders to lose a game because of a bad call.

The long gun registry

So the by the narrowest of margins our elected officials decided to keep the registry.Let me first say I do not own a gun of any sort. Though I would like to go hunting occasionally, without a rifle its a little difficult. That said what burns a hole in me is the cost of this registry. Isn't it something like $2 billion / year? How many police officers with boots on the ground would that cover? Let's say it costs $200000 / year / officer, including training, infrastructure, equipment etc. to have a an officer on active duty. So using simple math that would be 10000 officers available to tackle some real issues like gangs, drugs, violence or even the small things like crime perpetrated on the internet. Maybe I'm just a simple guy from a small city but wouldn't that be money well spent? According to StatsCan in '09 there was 67000+ police in this country. Adding 10000 would be a 15% increase. Thats huge. Wouldn't that make a bigger dent than a registry? How come no one suggested that as a compromise to getting rid of it?

Sports commentary - The Saskatchewan Roughriders

Saskatchewan Roughriders: Regina, Sask.

I wasn't at the game and in some ways I'm glad I wasn't. I would have no voice today from being horse from the game. I could have been OK until the last 5 minutes of the game when yelling and screaming and cheering would have been mandatory for all. With only 3 seconds on the clock I'm afraid I really would have went horse yelling at Coach Miller: "NO, don't do it!". The big question in Saskatchewan today and last night for those driving home last night would have been "What was he thinking?"

My bet is he was thinking if Congi misses the 35 yd field goal (unlikely) we will lose when they run it back  for a touchdown. This is more likely since we aren't great at stopping those runbacks. Johnson of course was kicking great all night, had the wind at his back, so he should be able to do the the 55 yards. What else ould he be thinking? What he should have thinking though was how great Congi is. He is quickly earning the nickname Robokicker II. How many games have we won based on a field goal in the last three seconds. More than I care to remember.

I can't help but wonder though if it was Daley who suggested this insane approach to a win. His offensive play calling has been suspect lately.

Then there is the O-line who was practically flawless last night. What happened? I can only guess it was playing with intensity, at home. What we saw Durant and the receivers do last night is what happens when the O-line is playing as it should. Now the next worry - the D-line.

Some questions?

Why are the Chilean Miners communications being censored?

How is it the Saskatchewan Roughriders are lack lustre on offensive (mostly the O-line) then suddenly they are able to put together a drive that scores as easy as a hot knife through butter?

Got an NDP thing in the mail, I LOL with the negativity and the apparent false statements. Saskatchewan to perform worst. Yet the economy is predicted to grow 5 - 6%. Why do they do that?

Curling is to start October 1. Wow, what happened to summer?

So, the (sing along) Victoria Bridge in Saskatoon is falling down, falling down, why not just build a new one?

Did you know there was actually a guy named "O. Henry"?

Roughriders and Durant...

OK this is a few days late and I have had some time to settle down from our loss to the Eskimos. One thing for sure is cut Durant some slack. It is insane in my view to be ready to diss Durant after a few interceptions. Yes they dash our hope, but surely we must remember he is still a young quarterback and even more so we have to remember he remains THE best upcoming QB in the league. When he plays I find the games exciting. The potential and hope is tremendous as is the disappointment. Therein lies the problem with being so emotionally tied to a sports team.

But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Chilean miners

I cannot imagine both the dread these miners must face for their immediate future vs the elation that have been found and will be rescued, albeit 3-4 mos. in the future. In the meantime they have to live together in a small area and almost no services. For sure I will be praying for them as I am sure most who follow this story will be. While rescue is in their future it will be an a miracle for them to go through this ordeal intact. The mental stress, well, I ca't begin to understand what a toll that will have. May God bless them and the rescuers and their families in the coming months.

Finishing up

Back to work and its great. Problem is the reno is in limbo with only a couple hours a day to do anything.  That may be just as well though because in the finishing side of things there is a lot of starting and stopping. Paint then wait to dry then pint again being the most prevalent of items at this point. I wonder if there is a way to speed it up? None that I can think of. Only one way works: keep plugging away. In that plugging I have to wonder when exactly the end of the reno will happen or will it?

Vacation - where did you go?

Three weeks have passed and its back to regular work tomorrow, or work for pay as some refer to it. I have mixed emotions about it. On the downside I am disappointed na sad I was not able to complete the renos I have begun.  A lot was accomplished to the detriment of R&R but as I watch the news at any time I am reminded life could be worse. On the plus side I love my work so I am excited to return and rejoin the great people I work beside.

Nurses OT pay...

In Saskatoon it was reported one nurse made nearly $250000. I can't but help wade into this one.

The numbers:
1.  I believe there were only just a few nurses with the "excessive pay". What about the other thousands of nurses? Perhaps these few could be considered "workaholics"?
2. The top earner apparently averaged 72 hrs / week. Thats about 75% more than the 40 hrs / week. So at $88000+ 75% of 88000 his actual OT pay is actually only making an additional $66000. OOOO we should watch that money disappear when it could really be used in the healthcare system! Get real...that is a drop in the bucket!
3. He works too many hours, is not attentive etc. was a comment on the Gormley show. I bet you think  nothing of hopping aboard a flight where the pilot and stewardess's have worked 12 hours or more straight.
4. He said 5 years to get his degree followed by 6 years to get to the top scale.  Sounds about right. In any workplace that is the timeline for most any University graduate. $88000 is not at all to much to pay for one who could accidentally kill you by making a mistake.
5. Nurses I know are stressed to the max and really do not want a lot of OT. They do go in when needed and sometimes even because the 2x pay looks attractive. There are every number of reasons why the OT happens.
6. The final number: ONE should be careful about making broad assumptions about health care givers based on one or two "excessive earners".

Oak - where does it come from?

Ok, some smarty pants is going to say trees. Duh! Of course, the only reason I recognize that is it would likely be me were this be someone else's post. I digress. I just finished sanding the oak floors for the renovation. Sanding for a better part of 24 hours caused me to wonder, where does all the oak wood come from. Spruce and fir and poplar and Bamboo I get,: there are forests of them. But oak? I have no recollection of an oak forest anywhere. Is there? Maybe you can enlighten me., cause I have no clue.

I am tired

Heading into a renovation where you have three weeks to complete it it is a daunting task. Being about half way through I am approaching burnout. Thanks for those who have been helping out, it has made a big difference. Its hard to stay focussed when like this. It's easy to waste time and spent more time looking for stuff like tools. Of course as things go back together many things are time dependent on something else, meaning there can be down times too. I wonder what I feel like in a week!

One week has past

I am well into the renos now, I had better be with 1/3 of allotted time behind me. So far though its been pretty good. All electrical is complete the bathroom is on the mend as I begin mudding today. We have a plan for the kitchen cupboards and countertop. As the mud dries I move onto painting and lifting the kitchen floor followed by a new subfloor. injuries? Wel so far nothing major. Skin off a couple knuckles that keep getting re-injured is the worse so far, but could be worse! A bit of a late start today though.

We went to Cirque de Solie - Allegria last night - those performers are amazing. As they all came up for their bow at the end (30 maybe) I couldn't help wonder though how many more were behind the scenes and deserve as much of the applause. To all who put it on - well done.

Am I injury prone?

Ever since I can remember, if there was away to hurt myself I could do it. I remember after many trips to the dentist how he remarked that I must be injury prone. Yesterday as I began my reno I thought it would be interesting to see how long it would be before I injured myself. It took about an hour. Nothing serious, but in my present work an incident report would be required.

Speaking of my present work I must say my safety awareness has increased immensely. I may be injury prone but at least it took an hour and not 15 minutes! Not only that I worked very hard at keeping my work area clean, watched for tripping hazards, and nails in boards. If I could pat myself on the back I think I would.

The reno begins

Well today is the day. 3 weeks of intensive labour into a 950 ft2 place. Blood, sweat and tears...yes there will be all three!  Bathroom, kitchen, floors, walls, ceilings, basement and landscaping all to be done. I know you may want hot summer weather but I am sure hoping for a moderate 22 or so. (that's about 72 for my US visitors). Unfortunately its supposed to be about 30 today and muggy. So first item on the agenda is self preservation: an air conditioner! Time to get to work.  Oh, anybody who knows me will be aware I accept gifts of ice cold beer at my work location. :)

Are we crazy???

Are we crazy???

From RandomHistory.com and Refdesk.com :

"The Mines of South Africa can descend as far as 12,000 feet and reach temperatures of 130 degrees. To produce an ounce of gold requires 38 man hours, 1400 gallons of water, enough electricity to run a large house for ten days, and chemicals such as cyanide, acids, lead, borax, and lime. In order to extract South Africa's yearly output of 500 tons of gold, nearly 70 million tons of earth are raised and milled."

Clocks everywhere...

Who was it that got the idea clocks and timepieces are needed in everything you buy? It seems like everything electric or electronic has either a light or clock or both. In my kitchen the stove, microwave, coffee maker and phone all have a digital clock. In the dining room / living room is the DVD player, TV, and 2 wall clocks. It goes on and on. With all of these clocks why am I often late?

Managing three computers

Trying to manage 3 computers is an interesting experience.
1. I am switching from a PC to a MAC, sort of. I am using Parallels software to run windows stuff on my Mac. So far so good. It is confusing though trying to sort the minefield of new messages and mouse actions, network hookups etc.
2. The new Windows is Windows 7 - 64 bit.
3. I still want access to my windows software, so how to transfer it? Still working on that. Any advice.
4. I need to retire my old laptop and return it to from once it came, but can't do that until I am satisfied the new one works well and files are safe.
5. Trying to accomplish between renovating, Riders games and regular home stuff, work, sleep etc.
I think I need a time manager and an IT guy. Suggestions?

Fertilizer and lawns!

I don't think there is a man alive who as he is mowing wonders why he fertilized. None of us really enjoy mowing, we only like the look after we have mowed. In fertilizing we have guaranteed mowing every 2-3 days instead of once per week. Yes, we all like the dark green, but what about using paint? Yeah, I know thats just plain stupid. So scrap that. I guess I'll just enjoy the green and healthy lawn look and accept I have to mow more often.

Speaking of being stupid, I bought a used rotary fertilizer spreader. I filled it up checked the settings and proceeded to fertilize. It all seemed to be going well until I realized that in about 10 feet I had used half of my fertilizer! Apparently the setting wheel read opposite of what I thought it should. So, I after a few choice words I adjusted the outlet and proceeded for the next 20 ft. to apply at an amount that would have me mowing every 4 hours. After several attempts I finally got it it reduced to where it should be. So I now have a nice dark lawn in some places growing at a rapid pace, a normal green lawn for most of the area and 3 galaxy shaped locations that are brown! :( Good thing I can laugh at myself!

Trying to get motivated

So here I am 10 days away from a major renovation. I could have been doing some stuff tonight but I can't get into it. I think it may have something to do with being "overwhelmed". Either that or I haven't got over "vacation lost". That sounds like it could be a Jim Carrey movie. :) Maybe they will pay me for the idea. LOL

I woke up at 3 am worrying about it. finally back to sleep at 6AM, then the radio started up 1 hr later. Yawn. Of course a nap tonight should guarantee that I'll be way out of whack. Oh well this too shall pass...

What is it...answered..maybe..

So on my drive to and from Meadow Lake I saw many possible explanations for the image I left on my previous post. The most likely is a tire tread. However if you zoom in on the thing you will notice web feet and a bill and what looks like wings. Not a dead one mind you but one that flew up beside their vehicle when they went by. So, as I don't know how the Google camera works I am going to go with a tire tread . What do you think?

With all the rain we have had here the countryside is greener than I have ever seen it. I could also see water laying in the fields to. I also seven deer, five alive and two dead. So as for driving it was a good trip with lots to see.

Leaving on a Penske truck...

So my daughter is moving home this weekend. I am heading out with a Penske rental truck. I am only hoping she has found help or its going to be a very long day. Anyway, I used Google Maps to check out some roads and various routes to take. I was looking at highway 55 and thought I would try "street view". It was pretty cool, showing me the type and condition of the road. As panned around though something caught my eye. I have no idea what it is. I wonder what it could be? A dead duck? some sort of weird shadow. I haven't a clue. But here's the link if you want check it out:

How to connect a MAC to a PC???

I am trying to connect a MAC to my PC so the MAC can use the PC's printer. Ugh!! I wonder how to do it? If you can help please let me know.

If I search on google I find a hundred different ways to do it and none of them work. Robin is getting frustrated!

Debt - Oh how I do not like it...

"Debt is the worst poverty." - Thomas Fuller

I came across the above while looking at RefDesk.com. Thought I would put in a little rant. I hate debt. To be clear debt that buys you only things rot, wear out, or get eaten is the worst in the whole world! Debt for buying a home or something with lasting value is good debt. The trouble with debt is it seems you can never pay it off. It's like a mosquito bite that never goes away. Enough said - stay out of debt as best you can.

Hmmm, I wonder where I left my credit card, I would sure like to buy that....

Ants in my ...

My office now has an ant infestation. I suppose its more of a "bunch" rather than an infestation. Still they are annoying. Crawling on the desk, into my lunch bag, just all over the place. It does happen in this building as do some other rodents from time to time. Maybe its all the rain, we have been the recipients of. Next door to me a lady spilled some Pepsi. Unbeknown to her a couple splashes were not cleaned up. The ants found them and the little puddles, looking to be so promising, ended up being their death knell. I wonder what is in that Pepsi? The other ant traps were not working as well as Pepsi was. Perhaps Pepsi should try a new marketing strategy??

Disappearing holidays

For many years I have looked forward to summer holidays, the getting away, going camping, sight seeing, whatever. It seems though every year something seems to take precedence. This year is no exception. Things were looking good until June 30th, when a tenant decided she was vacating her place. We have known that when that happened we would need to do a reno, but were oping it would be a couple years away.In an instant I saw vacation disappear and again it would be a working summer. Change is as good as a rest they say. Sometimes I know this is true, and have experienced it. This time though, as much as I enjoy renovations this one will likely be a bit hard to swallow. 


It could be worse though right? I have holidays to do this. I have the capabilities. I have great support in my family. My tenant is letting us start before the end of the month. The reno is almost identical to last years so I know what to do. Yes, I guess it will be alright. :)

A true story....

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, Toronto scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.


Not to be outdone by the Ontarian's, in the weeks that followed, a Vancouver archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story published in the Vancouver Province: "BC archaeologists, finding traces of 130-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network 30 years earlier than Ontario".

One week later, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix in Saskatoon, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Leask, Saskatchewan, Murray Kasun, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely f*** all. Murray has therefore concluded that 150 years ago, Saskatchewan had already gone wireless."

Just makes you bloody proud to be from Saskatchewan!


Seriously I have no idea who to credit for this little "true story" but I love it! 

The Saskatchewan Roughriders!

Well, have no doubt as to whom I cheer for! As for prognostications though I have to go with Riders in 2nd place this year under Calgary. They will defeat Edmonton in Western final in Regina. Why? We have a great receiving core, but I am concerned about the offensive line this year and the defensive line. I see both of these as weaknesses. Consequently both Charles and Cates will not be making as much yardage as we would like them too. Still the thirteenth man has got a little smarter from last years fiasco and will add dimension the other teams can only dream of. Combine good old grit and determination as well with Durant and that should be enough to capture 2nd place. Still it won't be easy. The West division never is.

Making a list...checking...it...twice

Made a list today...checked it twice...then checked it again. Then I got to work. Lists are great, they really help me to get clear in my head what I have to do, when, what do I need to prepare and so on. I had to check this one multiple times because there was so much on it! Wow, my days will be full in weeks to come. Inside the house like sorting (cleaning up from painting), hanging pictures, not to mention the usual household stuff. Outside like shingles, fence gate, garage cleaning, eaves-troughs to hang ( now that it has stopped raining).

Whats on your list?

Time to relax...

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." - Sydney J. Harris

Now THAT sounds like my summers! We seem to enjoy the fruits of our labours, but often those labours can get a bit excessive leading to the quote above. I am sure every reader of this "has been there". Here is another twist: being so tired you can't relax. Time always seems limited so we rush around trying to get as much done as we can. Did they (whoever they is?) find that workers got more accomplished by taking a a coffee break every 2 hours? I tend not to do that though. The older my body gets, I find if I stop to relax I cannot get going again. Ahh but once again it all comes down to "balance".

Large family benefits

I have a very large family, at least by today's standards. Of course 50 years ago that would have been different. But, I digress. I must say raising a large family was not always easy, fun, or inexpensive. What it was though was relationship building, life giving, and supportive. The family creates a dynamic that is very difficult to break. When there is an occasion like Father's day or Mothers day or some other holiday it always involves much organization, and effort to get everything in place. When that social situation is set though and the kids and grandkids get together it can and usually is a wonderful thing.

Thanks to my wife and children for making yesterday special.

Getting rid of stuff...

Its just before we head out the door to look for more stuff. Why? Supposedly to make our life more comfortable. Oddly we are taking a break from sorting and deciding what to keep and what to give away as we clean up from our painting journey and fiasco. Ah, the simple life sometimes seems so attractive, yet I wonder if I could handle it. Why am i so lucky and blessed to be fortunate with so much wealth compared to those in third world countries? That leaves one with a lot of responsibilities doesn't it?


I sure am philosophical these days!

Email Apnea??? - check it out!

So apparently there is this thing coming to be recognized as email apnea. Sounds strange but when go to and read this link you may recognize that you hold your breath or shallow breath when at the computer. I had to admit that I do many times and even more so now that I am aware.


Check it out: http://lindastone.net/2009/11/30/diagnosis-email-apnea/

Kijiji No-Shows

OK, I've got a bit of a beef: Why is it that people who want to buy something on Kijiji don't show up to buy it?

I've got several items listed right now. Within an hour I had several emails asking questions, which I answered promptly. Then some phone calls and emails saying they would come in the evening. Guess what? They don't show up! Hey, if they found something else or decided against what I offer is it that much to ask to send an email or call back and say "I won't be coming" or " I've changed my mind"? Frikkin' annoying is what it is.

There I feel better now....comment with your beef, you might feel better too.

Painting a house - the real cost

There are more hazards and costs to painting an interior of house than one might realize. They could easily include martial  issues, safety issues, health issues, sanity issues and so on. When painting our basement over the past weeks (one of the reasons for the few number of blog entries) I had to wonder the real cost of painting.

Of course there is the paint and supplies, thats easy and definable. Well, it should be. Of course when you decide to change the colour after you have already bought the paint, well that can be a little costly. That aside though there are less definable costs. For example: the cost where painting a room leads to painting another room, which leads to a carpet change which leads to ???. Or another cost where, with all the junk moved around and furniture jammed into other rooms or into the garage can create a tripping hazard causing injury. Fortunately this wasn't the case this go round but it sure could have been. Then there is this one that did happen: I was painting a small access door on the dining room table late one evening. On the VERY LAST stroke of the brush, the stroke that would define completion of all tasks, I knocked over the gallon of paint. It hit the dining room floor with such a force paint splashed into the living room onto carpet, and furniture! We did manage to clean it up in about an hours worth of scrubbing and carpet cleaning with only a few spots still visible. So the cost in this case was possibly a new chair and about four hours of sleep as I was so wound up I could sleep.

So what really is the true cost of doing your own painting? Will I do it all over again? Yes likely. :)

Saskatchewan - the prairies transformed to the rainforest.

Well, well, well, we have certainly broke the records for rainfall here. The forecast more showers and rain. I thought global warming - oh excuse me - global change was to turn us into a desert? I wonder when?

America's got Talent

I love this show for the wide range of talent ( I use the term loosely) that is on the show. The thrill of seeing one that is truly talented. What I have to wonder though is does not America have judges? Two brits and a Canadian sit on the panel. Perhaps Howie has dual citizenship, still it seems odd two have judges from other countries. When Britain runs there show there is only British judges. I wonder what Canada will do when they run their version this year. By the way I am still waiting to see the one I think could all the way, at least by British and Canadian standards.

Brad Wall - the rainmaker

I am pretty sure we can blame Brad Wall for all the rain we've been getting. Of course that includes the flooded basements and mucky back alleys. That includes too the soaked farmers fields, so saturated they can't get the equipment on them, much less seed. It doesn't matter what happens - we HAVE to blame the politician(s) in charge. They are high and mighty after all, couldn't they have done something??

In the gulf its Obama's fault the oil is rolling up on the shores. In greece its the government too. Shouldn't they have known that all those benefits, like retirement in your early 50's, and bonuses to show up to work on time, would bankrupt the country?  Well in that case they should have known. You know what I mean though. We always look for someone to blame.

What I wrote is tongue in cheek but you can be sure someone somewhere is going to blame Brad Wall for all of this rain.

Time flies - don't it?

The interesting thing about time is you really don't notice it unless its in relation to something else; a start and end point. Here it is May 28th and a whole week has past since my last blog post. Probably the world, or your world didn't stop, I know mine didn't! I guess that is what busyness or other factors come into play and propel us from one point in time to another. Whether one is wanting it or not time just keeps pushing us to the next point where we say "what time is it?" or, "oh its that time!" or "where did the time go?" 


I couldn't help notice a Facebook friend who is their own world of time: early rises, rushing to one thing from another, yet all needing to be done. In the end they will probably have some thought to themselves like, "What happened?". I guess thats when each of us wonder if all the time consuming things we do is worth it. If it involves people and relationships it usually is.

Grey's Anatomy finale

Here's what I wonder - what were the producers thinking? If they came up with a plot even I could guess, (see my prognostication post) then I'm thinking they were just plain lazy. The finale was so unbelievable I hate to say it but it compared with "Mercy". Really, could SWAT really have shot the guy and then lost him? Would they have only hit him in the shoulder? Come on! Would they really lock down the hospital and leave people to die? Couldn't Maranda use the phone and call for help??

I have to give the actors credit though they at least did their part fairly realistically. How would I know I have to wonder - I have never been shot nor have I been in such a stressful situation. Oh wait... I was at work this week!

Thought questions

Now here's a website I can endorse: http://thoughtquestions.com/. It fits right in with me wondering about things. Things like: "Where would you most like to go and why?"

Parent again...

Being a grandparent is a job that is so much fun. However, the next week should be interesting as we look after ou little 2 year old for a week or so. One thing I do not wonder about is why babies are usually reserved for the young. It is a busy job and tiring. But she smiles once and its all OK again. Gotta love it.

I have a cold...but its warm out!

I know this happens to everyone but how and why? Its 25C here, a beautiful day and yet I catch a cold! Shouldn't one get a cold when it's cold out? Why call it a cold in the first place? If its Coughing, RUnny nose, Sneezing, and all round feeling Terrible, why not call it CRUST? Oh no I caught a CRUST! It makes as much sense as calling it a "cold". Cold implies you get it when its cold out. And why do we say "I caught a cold?", when clearly the cold virus caught us? Some things I will never understand, maybe you can clear it up for me.

The Saskatchewan Legislature....

The Saskatchewan legislature I believe, next to the Canadian Parliament is probably the most raucous around. It has been that way for years with the exception of perhaps 2006-2009. The biggest problem seems to be the return of Dwain Lingenfelter to politics as leader of the Negative, oops, pardon me..the New Democratic Party. Every party in power has slip ups, changes and problems that need to be worked through but I wonder does the NDP need to resort to personal attacks. Where is respect? I remember speaking to an NDP individual and expressing my view, and I think most Saskatchewan people, that a more cooperative approach to government is needed. Criticism is OK but solely to bring down the government in order to raise your stature is the expression of a school yard bully. I am sorry but thats the way I see Mr. Lingenfelter at this point.

Cluster map

I thought it might be fun to add the cluster map to my page. It is on the right part way down. its to bad I hadn't added earlier with the visits from the States, Brazil, and Russia. Oh well. It has caused me to wonder why I write this. Truth is I am not sure I have an answer. I enjoy writing, I also get a smile seeing where people are coming from to view this sight. I do wish comments would be left but oh well, mostly I write for myself. One day at a time. It has given a bit to ponder about the struggle journalists go through when they need to write everyday for a job. I don't have to so I don't worry about it. It would be difficult though.

Season finales prognostications...

OK, so its that time of year again where the main TV dramas leave us gasping for air and wondering how the season will end. Who will be back? Who dies and who survives another season. So heres a some of mine:
Grey's Anatomy: I suspect the guy on this weeks show who is so angry at Derek for "killing" his wife will will continue to escalate his anger. In the last show Derek will be shot and everyone will be left for the summer wondering if he survives. 
NCIS: Its time for the director Vance to be put off so he will somehow be entangled in something that involves him and Ducky. Only Vance though is expendable as the rest of the cast is to good together.
Mercy: Well, its got so many holes in it I'm not sure if anyone is safe. I think this one will evolve it something akin to Glee. Speaking of Glee, may the TV gods kill this before all the networks are creating musicals for the next decade!
House: I still watch this waiting for House to make a turn-around but its the same old house. No real nice guy at all. 


How about you? Care to leave a comment with your prognostications?

The fight between winter and summer

I just noticed there have been some people from Moscow and Quebec reading my blog. So I know they can appreciate this entry. Every year in the spring we endure the fight between winter and summer. Yesterday was a nice day, 16C and the sun was shining for part of the day. Then the clouds came in and it rained all night. Coming to work this morning - snow. Then its supposed to get nice again by Thursday. It just seems like you never know what exactly is going to be the conditions. Even the weather channels change forecasts almost hourly. There have also been some visitors from Beunos Aires. I am pretty sure they don't have to deal with this. Oh well summer WILL win!

My son's birthday...

So many memories, good and bad. Who doesn't have the bad ones, everybody does but everybody's good ones are unique to them. Like when he was born and we named him Jonathan meaning: "God's gift". When he was about 4 and got himself dressed up as a hockey goalie. How about dancing in grade 5 to music, I can't remember the group but they were the ones from the 90's that could canned for lip syncing. Playing soccer for 10-12 years, watched 90% of them and cheered him on. Then onto football with HCHS, then Vancouver, then Winnipeg then Chilliwack. Seeing him play his cousin and being named MVP for Winnipeg. So man times too seeing his kindness to others helping when he can. Where did all the time go?

Retiring

Today I helped send off to retirement an old friend. It was bittersweet. While he worked at my workplace for 38 years, I had known him for only 10. A quarter of his work life. It isn't often you come across a man like he is. Kind, humble, thoughtful, generous and on and on. I am sure he will stop in from time to time but I will miss him. It got me thinking and wondering what my retirement will look like. What will it feel like to be saying goodbye to friends and co-workers you have spent 1/4 to 1/3 of your life with. It has to leave a hole.

Dancing with the Stars

I love this show. I love to dance but can't so I guess I live out my wishes through them. I am impressed by some how quickly they pick up the moves, then there are others who like me who can't get it together at all. Sometimes I am sad to see them go home because they provide an element of laughter to the show. What I can't figure out though is how 3 judges, looking at the same dance can come up with different scores so far apart. last night for example where, if I remember correctly, Len went to a 7 the other two were 9 and 10. How is that really possible?

Friends & Family

The other day my daughter had some car trouble. Fortunately it stalled in a town where her Uncles live. With a combination of friends and family she continued on her journey. Not only that but they had her car towed and fixed and gave her ride back ( 2 hours worth) to retrieve her car. This isn't so much about wonderment but rather about being awestruck at kindness and love. Thanks to all.

Starting to renovate....again

If I could get my butt off the couch I could get started. What I wonder about today is how I've done it so many times in the past. Some say I am always renovating, yet I really haven't done anything at home for awhile now. Other places, or outside, yes. Still it seems onerous to start. Maybe its just that I'm getting older. Who knows? I don't. The only real way to get it done is to start. Put a hole in the wall, Fill the basement with furniture from the reno room, etc. That way there is always a reminder to get at it. What holds you back?

This makes me angry!!

It has come to my attention through an email subscription "windows secrets"  that Windows Live (used to be messenger and MSN) http://home.live.com/ is somehow getting information on us and sharing it with anyone who wants to see it, through the "What's new" portion of your home page of Windows Live. I believe everyone had to upgrade in order to continue using MSN. I wonder where and how they are getting the information from? PLEASE, if you are using Windows Live go to your home page and see the "What's New" section. If there is information on your friends there, you can be guaranteed they are seeing information about you. Information from Facebook or other social sites. NEXT go to your permissions page and with much labor set each one as suits you. The default is PUBLIC for EVERYONE to view.

If anyone is interested in viewing the article please leave me a comment with your email addy. I won't publish it. I can then send you a copy.

Here is a quote I can get into...

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?
  - Laurence J. Peter

Volunteers

I had the privilege to observe and be served by volunteers in the medical profession lately. It was incredibly good. They brought coffee around, answered questions and generally just made life a great experience. I wonder what their motivation could have been. Was it just the goodness of their hearts or were they affected by something in their lives which motivated them to help out? In case I thank all of them. they do more than can one can ever thank them for.

Focus - wonderful when attained

I am sure we all have had days when you need to get 2 days of work done in 1/2 the time or less. One suddenly is able to focus with extreme acuity on the tasks ahead. It is an absolutely fabulous moment in time as tasks are completed, and decisions made. Then I wonder why isn't it like this all the time or at least more of the time? Is it the deadlines or something else? Answers anyone?

Does anybody care?

I was asked this morning if I think that anybody reads this blog. Good question to wonder about. I know there are some who stop in - family, friends and few others who stumble across it. Of course there are always those blogs and websites that have many faithful followers. So far mine is not one of them but thats OK, I'm just starting. Besides I have enjoyed putting my musings out there. I am hoping that others might get involved and check off the boxes below or leave a comment, but whatever. For now I am just putting my ramblings out there for all to see. In the future - who knows?

Cleaning the garage

Don't give me a flat surface or I will fill it full of stuff. Then when the stuff starts to fall off I stop everything and clean it up. Thats been my MO for as long as I can remember. Which really isn't so bad. The problem though began a week ago when I decided to install a door in the basement. Of course it didn't fit so I had to cut it down. Without thinking I fired up the saw in the garage and .... anybody know what interior doors are made of ... what a mess! The finest sawdust one could imagine all over the garage. Well, what's a little more right? About half a dozen cuts later the door finally fit.  The garage though, is, or at least was covered with this awful fine layer of dust. It's in every drawer, on every tool, every possible crack and cranny. So today, this afternoon, all afternoon, I spent vacuuming, sweeping, washing, blowing dust off things, then more vacuuming till finally I could claim my garage back. I wonder what the odds are I'll saw in the garage again?

Big Mac

No not MacDonalds; rather a MAC computer. I have just started using one and I am frankly quite surprised. I like it. I never thought thta would be so. I like the speed, and the simplicity. I am still learning but it seemed to go pretty good. Like all things it helps to just start clicking on everything and using all the mouse clicks to see what happens. Ummm I wonder what happens when I click here...

Rumors

I had a really good laugh yesterday. I was asked about a heated argument I supposedly had with a co-worker. Never happened! I then was asked about me having to buy two hearing aids! I am wondering if someone is trying an old form of practical joke on me! Maybe the alleged argument is about me not hearing someone and therefore I need two hearing aids. I still am grinning about these two.

Some days are like this....

I was expecting this morning to be one where I could could get some of my own work done, you know, the stuff that needs to get for your position. Instead my office took on the revolving door syndrome with literally people standing in line to discuss something. Phew! Thats OK though, my other stuff will get down eventually on a weekend or whenever. I tip my hat to all those who are in similiar situations. Personally, I love it. It makes for a very interesting day, a day when you are fully engaged. My interuptions are typically from those within my office. I do wonder how those who deal with interuptions that come from within their workplace and without the workspace, manage to juggle it all (nurses, trades supervisors, etc.)?

Communication

I suppose we are guilty of failing to communicate. When failed communication has very dire consequences one would think there would be protocol in place to ensure the failure doesn't happen. Apparently though for my situation it doesn't exist. All I can do is be angry and complain. It just doesn't seem fair. It does really make me wonder how often these screw ups happen.

Divine Mercy Sunday

I sure do need it today. Faith the size of mustard seed; thats not very big but at times even that seems huge. How does one even get it to that size?

Up to down can leave you feeling like crap

I have often thought it would be cool to bungee jump but have always been to scared to. You can put me in a plane and and do dives and rolls and sharp banks, but don't put me in a roll coaster or ferris wheel!. I also don't like going from an emotional high to an emotional low. Why does life do that to us? I guess I only have to look at my Good Friday post.

World Curling Championships

With curling so popular in Canada, why isn't TSN or Sportsnet providing TV coverage? One can get some of the games via broadband on TSN.ca, but the quality isn't very good. It is a bit disappointing.

I am not the only wonderer..

I am not the only one who wonders about a lot of things. Pat Katz of www.patkatz.com also wonders. Hers is mostly about life and work. I highly recommend her ezine or blog. You can click on the title above to get there from here. Her latest ezine, or newsletter states: "I found myself wondering, "Could making your mark on the world really be that easy?" It really did make me "pause" and think about things. Thanks Pat.

Saskatchewan Jobs on the rise

Once again our jobs here on the rise (click on title above). I wonder if we'll be on CNN again?

These guys are good

These are old but hilarious satirical interviews. Click on the title for their website. I highly recommend the "the front fell off 1991". I find it amazing and wonder how some people have a mind that can put this kind of thing together, keep a straight face and get away with it. Rick Mercer and his 22 minutes company fit in the same group.

Christ is risen...

Christ is Risen...easy to wonder about that.

And so we wait...

Easter - we know the start and we know the finish. It's the part in the middle that seems so ominous and and so full of wonder.

Christ has died....

People say after a personal or global disaster: Why does God allow this to happen? Yet we celebrate Christ's death because He died for us. The shame is why we question God in our suffering, yet the perfect sinless lamb willingly suffered and died for us. The real question to wonder about is Why God allowed that to happen?

Didi Benami

I am really disappointed Didi got voted out of American idol tonight. I wonder how it was that Teflon Tim didn't. Probably the teen vote. Good Luck Didi

Why not erase those numbers?

When in a local building recently, with exposed steel beams, I noticed numbers written on the beams. I know why they were there. It has to do with the construction process, sort of like assembly instructions. What I wondered about was why some one did not remove the numbers. They are exposed to view and are rather unsightly. Just a little thing of course, but it make me wonder why the people doing the construction or those checking the installation would not have had them removed as part of their quality control. Nobody is perfect I guess.

Nice People

It is always amazing when people that you don't know do something nice for you. Kinda like the movie "Pay it Forward". Definitely something to practice. Anyone care to join me? :)

Getting Started

I thought I would have a simple "I wonder" blog. So far though just getting started seems daunting.