Fifty Ain't so Bad, Damn it!

Show Me Your Greeeel! See all the pretty smiles? Smile, pretty people, smile. See Michelle's new car? Smile, pretty people, smile. BTW She is standing on her toes in this picture.

Speak no evil, Hear no evil, See no evil. We went to Edmonton for the Alan's birthday. Now, before we get any further, for all of you who are still shy of the old landmark birthday (30), just get on your smug 'tude and think how much better you are than the geezer. If you do nothing else this year other than remember one rambling message from a guy with one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel, then strain real hard to make this the second thing you remember: 50 feels alot like 30, or 20 for that matter.

I can still ride a bicycle, camp, play hockey and basketball, work, have sex (which i could not do at 20, hadn't learned how to do it yet), and few other main activities. I still get up in the morning, and when I quit doing that, then I will be old. Until then I will only be a tad bit older than the some of you, and a tad bit younger than the rest of you, but I will still be cooler than ___(your name here)___. This is where you chuckle and think: Yeah right old fool. As my mother said the other night, she has children that are older than she is, and that would be me.

Now back to the narrative: We went to Edmonton to have Mexican food for dinner. We arrived, checked into a nice hotel, got an address from the front desk of a well respected restaurant in the city, and took off on the next part of the adventure. We got to the address, and the place was closed. Out of business. Kaput. Bummer. We went to the next best thing, Chili's, which was close by. The food was good, but the service was not. We saw a bakery that looked like it had promise, so we returned in the morning - more on that below. Then it was off to the mall for some birthday presents. We started with a Mani/pedi for Michelle, then we went to a music store for a CD that the boys would like to listen to. Then is was time to stop at the local bookstore for some leisure reading material. We finally settled on a biography. After the mall closed, it was back to the hotel for a little ... and a movie.

The next morning, back at the bakery, we met the Canadian version of Tim Taylor from the future. Actually it is Luc. He runs the bakery in West Edmonton. This was a great find, and the bread was great too. Then back tot he mall for the rest of the gifts for the Party, Samuel got shoes, then Joseph got shoes, then Michelle got shoes. Little do they realise that their birthdays are coming, and the pay back is too.

Since there was no Mexican food for the celebration, we brought the party back to Fort Mac, after a stop at Costco. We had Posole, a traditional soup, for the adults and quesadillas for the youngsters. And then to top it all off, Texas Sheet Cake for desert. For those of you who remember the Cub Scout Fund Raiser in Concord when we first moved there, this is the cake Alan and Jacob made for the bake sale. Yes the one Alan paid $41 for , just to make sure he got his pan back, well this is the same pan, and the cake just keeps getting better and better. When Amy came for a visit a few months ago, she sent a small canister of scharfenberger cocoa powder. The taste is fantastic!! Try it.

How does this look for a fruit salad? It tastes better than it looks.

Sam and Lock at the end of the night. Before we left Edmonton, a young boy of about 4 or 5 saw the tuque (hat) and wanted to get a closer look, The boy could not be deterred until he talked with Samuel about the monkey on his head. Lock loves the Panda and tells his father every night upon his father's return home from work: Show me what you got old man!

Small Things

Just when you think you can't take it any more, along comes a blessing.

It has been between 38 and 48 degrees ABOVE zero here for almost a week! (+3 to +8 degrees C)

It may get colder soon, but we have had a very nice weekend to take care of some things around the house.

Dia de los Reyes

A big part of Dia de los Reyes, is to receive presents in early January (generally on the 6th). Dia de los Reyes is a part of traditional Christmas celebrations in Latin American countries. It is the time when the kings from the east visited the new born Christ and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It also takes some of the crazy greed out of Christmas Day and lets families concentrate on the spirit of the holiday. We did not have hopes of such kingly gifts, and were very pleased when we received a package this week from Amy. Amy sent a package with goodies for everyone. Samuel really likes his book and it should help him keep up on American history, politics, etc.

Joseph shouted when he opened the present with the tee shirt. He loves all things Star Wars. I'm sure we have all recognized the similarities between the cranes at the Port of Oakland and the AT-AT walkers of the Imperial Forces. We have to pry him out of two shirts, this one and his San Jose Sharks jersey.

I have been listening to the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" since college days at A&M. I have always enjoyed the stories about Lake Wobegon, and the tag line now proudly displayed in our foyer. Michelle likes the mat because now I don't leave a wet mess on the floor when I remove my snowy boots at the end of the day.

I lost a trusted old friend in the move to Fort McMurray, my black hat was missing for months and months. We finally discovered it a couple of weeks ago crammed in a box where it was crushed. So my lovely wife conspired with her sister to replace the hat, and they out did themselves. The new hat is crushable felt, so no more worries about the shape of the crown or the brim. I am so pleased with the new version.

A little snow is just an annoyance to youth that really want to play hockey. It warmed up the other day to -18 C or so, so all the boys from the ward hit the local outdoor rink for a bit of "shinny" hockey. First you have to understand that even though the sky is as dark as midnight, it is really only about 5 pm. Everyone gets a chance to play snow plow with the rink shovel. the only real problem with the snow on the ice is that the puck slows to a stop so quick.

Everyone has hats and gloves, coats on coats on coats, and a favorite jersey. Samuel loves his new monkey hat and Leafs jersey.

What I Did on My Christmas Vacation

After the celebration died down, we got ready to say good bye to Jacob. He has been here since July, getting ready to continue his college education. He is off to BYU-I to study Business Communications, and if all goes according to current plans, from there on to Law School. W enjoyed the time he was home, and we are grateful for the opportunities he will have to Date, and study, and Date, and learn, and Date, and get a job, and Date, and do other things, like Date. Not that we are pressuring him, we just want him to date a little before he starts to seriously look for a wife. So, Jacob, wherever you are, ask someone (a girl) out on a date, and pay for it, and enjoy the time you have to socialize.

We were so sad at Jacobs departure, that we went on vacation to Banff. Check out www.skiBanff.com. We stayed in Canmore and met a man from New York, and his wife (originally from Atlanta) who were there for the sights. He said they lived above a Deli, and I'm going to guess that they own and operate the place. We took their picture, and they took ours.

Canmore is a very old town, and it looks very much like down town Danville. The biggest thing to happen in Canmore was the 1988 Olympic Nordic Skiing events. Joseph got to ski some of the trails there, and watch a few racers, some preparing for the 2010 Games in Vancouver, that were there for a weekend of races. This is the same course that Joseph will ski on for the Provincial Biathlon event in March.

We were encouraged to ride the gondola to the top of a mountain in Banff from which you can see for miles and miles up and down the Bow River Valley. The view was breathtaking, as was the temperature. Think cold, as in relaxing in a tub of ice water. That would have been warmer than the top of the mountain.

On Saturday Joseph and Samuel enrolled in Ski School. Joseph learned to Alpine (down hill) ski, and Samuel learned how to board better. At the end of the day, after the lesson, Samuel said, "I think I will be able to carve the turkey next Thanksgiving, that is how good I am now." (carve, as in turn and cut on one's snowboard gracefully and without injury)

The boys did not want to let Michelle choose the restaurant for dinner that night since she chose Thai the night before. We found out about this little place, "The Eddie" from the owner of a local business, "Three Wild Women." TWW is a boutique that caters to the eccentric and whimsical in clothing and accessories. But they were right about the burgers - absolutely great! Joseph ordered sliders, 3 small burgers any way you want. Joseph tried Alberta Beef (really good), Lamb (also from Alberta), and Kobe Beef. Michelle tried the Buffalo, and I had the 1/2 Kobe on a brioche roll.

On the way to Canmore, we saw the Olympic Ski Jumping "hill" from the Calgary Games in '88. On the way home, we stopped. On certain winter weekends, you can actually get a ride on a bobsleigh on the track of "Cool Runnings" fame. Now there is a half pipe, and a bunch of other winter sports areas. The ski hills were not open yet due to a lack of snow in the landing zones. The track is open, and for a mere $165 you can enjoy the rush and ride. Unfortunately, the track did not open for 3 more hours on that particular day. Maybe next time...

Here is a better look at Samuel's hat. It didn't come with a tail.

There is a tape loop playing all the normal sounds of the Olympic games at the top of the hill. It was amazing how hard the boys had to concentrate pick out the starter over the other distracting sounds.

On the way back to the frozen north, where temps hovered around -35 waiting for us to get home so they could drop to -45, Michelle was a bit sad, and wishing she had some good New Mexico chili. Lo and Behold, the next day, here comes a box from her friend, Diane, in Albuquerque, NM with green chili, tortillas, Biscochos, and red chili powder. It was fantastic, and a perfect end to a long weekend.

Happy New Year everyone.

Hugs and Kisses,

Alan and Michelle

Boxing Day and Beyond

In Canada, the traditional Christmas Day celebration centered around the family and the religious obligations of the season. Gifts were simple and were exchanged in the early morning before services. All the gifts were then put back in the boxes so the family could attend to the duties of the day, church meetings, service opportunities, etc. The following day, Boxing Day, the gifts were again removed from the boxes and the toys could be played with, the clothes worn to parties, etc. Now it seems about half of Canada enjoys he additional time with family, and the other half enjoys the many end-of-season sales. There are still many many parties to attend, and we were invited to several.
Jacob always seems to attract the attention of the locals. It must be the Jo Malone.

As he was packing for his next transfer (back to school in Rexburg) he was cleaning out his closet, and was prompted for a quick stroll down memory lane. We laughed at some of the stories this little pose conjured up, including one or two about a former football player for the Minutemen who was still bragging abut his glory days on the grid iron from the days when Amy and Ashley were still in school. We all had a good time.

"Look, they did not kill Kenny!"

This is a self portrait after a quick run in the late afternoon because the gym was closed for Boxing Day.

We did manage to get conned for another gift or two. Jacob and Sam wanted NHL jerseys for the daily shinny game (hockey without pads) Jacob wanted an Oilers Jersey, and Samuel wanted a Maple Leafs one. Joseph already has 2 jerseys, including his trademark Sharks.

At the game. It looks late, but it is really only about 4 pm. Joseph is sporting his new gloves (in lieu of another jersey) We also had skates sharpened today, and the guy who owns the sporting good place, Bob, is a good friend of mine. He was teasing Joseph about how big his size 13 skates are. You need to know that Bob is all of 5'-5" and weighs 110 pounds and wears a size 6.

If you look closely you can find all three boys in this shot. The worst part about outdoor hockey is not the cold, because today we enjoyed a high of -6, about 20 to 25 degrees C higher than normal for this time of year. No, the worst part is the noise. Because of the blowing snow, and the fact that the snow here is very small flakes, it sounds like everyone is skating on Styrofoam. The squeaking is very distracting. In today's game, Joseph scored a goal with assists from Samuel and Jacob. It was too much fun.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Videos

A few clips from the great white north:

Samuel and Joseph on snow shoes in the local park.



The Yetti approaches, and lucky for the lone traveler, Yettis are nearly blind.




Northern Canada Ballet Company. The Bolshoi need not fear the "competition."



This was the highlight of the day for Joseph and Samuel. They pooled their money and bought the Romo Jersey. Hit that one right on the head I think.

Christmas Celebration in Canada

This is the first year we have not had extended family at our house for the Christmas Holiday. We also did not have a Ward Dinner to help out at, so we went to Saint John the Baptist Church this morning to help with the Holiday Meal for men that are far from home and did not have any other place to go for the day. We, along with about 30 other volunteers from across the community, showed up early to start preparing the hall and the meal.

First order of business? Peel, wash and cut 300 pounds of potatoes for later. These ladies were sharing stories about "home", which for each of them was no where near Fort Mac. We talked to people form Vancouver, Toronto, Indonesia, Africa, the Philippines, Prince Edward Island, New Found Land,and the US. It almost felt like Girl's Camp, except that it was -30 degrees C outside.

Dawson, Jacob and I peeled and cut potatoes and talked about work, school, the holiday, and hockey.

Samuel made a total of 10 gallons of juice for the volunteers. His favorite thing was the commercial faucet. He later admitted to having to fight the temptation to squirt Jacob and I with the hand held sprayer. We let him ride home in the cab of the truck because he resisted so well.

Compton and Ashley helped with the decorations. He is from Kenya and really gets a kick out of the snow.

Joseph knows Shelby from school. They have a couple of classes together.

Michelle making bows for tree decorations and table decorations. There were about 25 people setting up and decorating the trees, including Joseph and Michelle.

Alex and Gord are two of the chefs at one of our favorite restaurants here in town, The Fish Place. Believe it or not, it is a Mexican Place. Just kidding. And wishing too.

One finished project.

We enlisted Ashley to stand in for both girls because we could not find another Amy for our "family" photo. She is a Peace Officer here in town (by the way, you need to realize that Alberta is about the same size as the state of Texas, and Fort McMurray is part of the regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which is about the same size as the State of West Virginia) I kept trying to get her to run a check on Joseph or Jacob, but she wouldn't play along.

As we were leaving, Bob showed up to be part of the entertainment for the day, and was struggling to carry all his equipment. Joseph jumped right in to help, buying himself some much needed points for the day.

After our service in the morning, we returned home for the traditional family activities, starting with Stockings. Ashley sent things, which we thought was way cool of her. This is a great way to start off the gifts. I guess we were all good and bad this year since we all got some Callebaut chocolates and some "Coal" from Santa too.

Sam scored big time in his stocking. He loves his newest monkey.

Santa brought Jacob a piece of the official Canadian national luggage, the hockey bag. He loves it.

He also got his own personal Big Ben. This is the ultimate watch for him. I think he might be loosing his eyesight and does not want to have to strain to see the time. The watch, from his Aunt Tante Nina Yvette (being translated as Aunt Aunt Aunt Yvette) and includes important information for a young man going to school in Idaho, like High and Low Tide times.

She also bought Samuel and Joseph snow shoes. they however do not come with built in Tide info. So sad.

And this year's winner is...Joseph!! That is right, he won the Yellow Calzones this year. He almost screamed when he opened the box. Hooting and Hollering, and dancing around, he could not get them on his booty fast enough. Bad luck for him though, the movie theater in town was closed today, so he could not wear them to a show.

Hoo ray!!

Sam, or old-whats-his-name from Star Wars Cloud City scenes (the dude with the head band that followed Billy Dee Williams around all the time), posing for the camera. This is his "can you see me now?" shirt, and he thinks is really makes the outfit with his flannels PJ britches.

Looking like Mr. Incredible, Jacob strikes a pose for the ladies, and fear in the hearts of the family. He strutted around for about 20 minutes showing off his new long handles. Note the California socks. He whined about being cold all day, but refused to put on real socks.

After the trial run in the snow shoes, the boys pose one more time for the camera. We shot video of them. Samuel says it is fun, but is "quite the workout" trying to catch his breath. Joseph looked like a cat with tape on his paws,walking very tentatively in the snow at the local neighborhood park. At -24 degrees, they did not want to stay out too long, and the batteries in the camera did not want to either.