Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Mr. Peanut Is Staring...
I've got a special edition jar of dry roasted Planters peanuts in my office. It's special because it is a glass jar labeled to look like Mr. Peanut (the Planters peanut mascot). The jar has a black top hat for a lid and the label has a big Mr. Peanut face smiling while looking through his monocle. Now, maybe it's because Halloween is around the corner, but Mr. Peanut is looking especially eerie today. Squinting through the monocle. Smiling manaically.
I guess I'd be a little off too if someone had ripped my top off and was happily crunching away on my guts. Mmm, dry roasted goodness! I need some fava beans and a nice chianti....
I guess I'd be a little off too if someone had ripped my top off and was happily crunching away on my guts. Mmm, dry roasted goodness! I need some fava beans and a nice chianti....
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Halifax And Back...
My week at the Pastor's Conference:
Tue, Oct 18
- Left Vancouver for Halifax on Westjet - very cool built-in TV sets in each chair with different channels to surf, including a real time flight path by MapQuest
- Arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia at approx 10:30pm local time (4 time zones away from Van)
- Settled in at the Dartmouth Holiday Inn by midnight
- In bed, twiddling my thumbs staring at the ceiling at 1:30am (it was only 9:30 back home)
Wed, Oct 19
- Woke up at 9:30am (5:30am at home... my body is not liking this)
- Decided to take a walk and check out my surroundings
- Asked the front desk if there was an internet cafe nearby - they said there was a public library "up over the hill" (I informed them that I was from out of town and that "up over the hill" wasn't too helpful, they said to go outside and then walk "up over the hill" looking for a building with a pink roof - apparently I couldn't miss it)
- Almost 2 hours later, I failed to find any kind of internet access (although I did observe 3 Tim Hortons, all less than a 5 min walk from the hotel)
- One direction I went, "up over the hill", I found an old cemetery - the very first grave marker I read was for Mona PETERS (no relation)! I asked God what He was trying to tell me, but all I heard was a chuckle
- McDonald's for lunch and then back to the hotel for a worship team practice - I would be playing in the morning sessions
- I drummed on a chair while we practised because the main conference room wasn't set up yet (I was getting good at playing the chair and wondered how they were going to mic it...)
- Registration and the first conference session in the evening - to bed and staring at the ceiling again after watching some hockey highlights on TSN (If the Canucks were playing, the game would have begun at 11pm, Halifax time - yikes)
Thu Oct 20
- Main morning session and then I attended 2 breakout sessions, one by Tom G and another one by Corey K (on "Tweens" - very good stuff)
- Met Gord D and Val B at 3:00 and we went across the 2nd largest natural harbour in the world (the largest being Sidney, Australia) into downtown Halifax
- Saw the Marine Museum (Halifax was the closest city to the Titanic disaster, so lots of artifacts and intriguing information there), Theodore Tugboat (if you don't know, don't ask), and then went to a fancy-schmancy restaurant for steak and lobster
- Since I don't love bottom-feeding, refuse-sucking mollusks and shell creatures, I had the steak (Gord and Val had the lobster, which was $64 for 2 -- they each had 2)
- Evening session and then bed
Fri Oct 21
- Annual General Meeting. Long. Need I say more?
- Harbour Tour and barbeque for everyone in the afternoon - it was a nice paddle wheeler-type boat with an outside deck and a lower inside deck
- Saw two of Canada's four new submarines that we got from the British Navy (y'know, the ones that didn't work?) One floated by us and the other was in dry dock. No one could see where the other 2 were, but, well, they are submarines
- Evening session (got to play drums at the end a bit after the other drummer had to leave) It went pretty long, then bedtime
Sat Oct 22
- Morning session, brunch all together, and then saying goodbye to people
- Went to Shoppers Drugmart and Dollarama to get gifts for the family back home (yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking - but I'm NOT cheap, it's just that there weren't any malls or good stores around this place! And Jayce liked her sticker books and Halifax t-shirt, so there)
- Caught Air Canada at 5:30pm Halifax time and arrived back in Vancouver at 9:00 pm (after the lady beside me threw up in her barf bag twice while watching Batman Begins - it's a better movie than that...)
Nova Scotia is a very nice province, in a Murder She Wrote picturesque kind of way. The place reminded me so much of small town coastal USA, that I expected Angela Lansbury to show up any minute to interrogate the local fishermen about something fishy going on down at the old cannery. And I have never been called "dear" and "honey" by old ladies working the register at McDonald's so often in my life. They really are a friendly bunch over there on the right coast. It's no wonder the scowling, tatooed girl behind the counter of the used CD store can co-exist with the shop owner selling brooms, rocks, and other curling equipment out of a back room in the same location....
Tue, Oct 18
- Left Vancouver for Halifax on Westjet - very cool built-in TV sets in each chair with different channels to surf, including a real time flight path by MapQuest
- Arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia at approx 10:30pm local time (4 time zones away from Van)
- Settled in at the Dartmouth Holiday Inn by midnight
- In bed, twiddling my thumbs staring at the ceiling at 1:30am (it was only 9:30 back home)
Wed, Oct 19
- Woke up at 9:30am (5:30am at home... my body is not liking this)
- Decided to take a walk and check out my surroundings
- Asked the front desk if there was an internet cafe nearby - they said there was a public library "up over the hill" (I informed them that I was from out of town and that "up over the hill" wasn't too helpful, they said to go outside and then walk "up over the hill" looking for a building with a pink roof - apparently I couldn't miss it)
- Almost 2 hours later, I failed to find any kind of internet access (although I did observe 3 Tim Hortons, all less than a 5 min walk from the hotel)
- One direction I went, "up over the hill", I found an old cemetery - the very first grave marker I read was for Mona PETERS (no relation)! I asked God what He was trying to tell me, but all I heard was a chuckle
- McDonald's for lunch and then back to the hotel for a worship team practice - I would be playing in the morning sessions
- I drummed on a chair while we practised because the main conference room wasn't set up yet (I was getting good at playing the chair and wondered how they were going to mic it...)
- Registration and the first conference session in the evening - to bed and staring at the ceiling again after watching some hockey highlights on TSN (If the Canucks were playing, the game would have begun at 11pm, Halifax time - yikes)
Thu Oct 20
- Main morning session and then I attended 2 breakout sessions, one by Tom G and another one by Corey K (on "Tweens" - very good stuff)
- Met Gord D and Val B at 3:00 and we went across the 2nd largest natural harbour in the world (the largest being Sidney, Australia) into downtown Halifax
- Saw the Marine Museum (Halifax was the closest city to the Titanic disaster, so lots of artifacts and intriguing information there), Theodore Tugboat (if you don't know, don't ask), and then went to a fancy-schmancy restaurant for steak and lobster
- Since I don't love bottom-feeding, refuse-sucking mollusks and shell creatures, I had the steak (Gord and Val had the lobster, which was $64 for 2 -- they each had 2)
- Evening session and then bed
Fri Oct 21
- Annual General Meeting. Long. Need I say more?
- Harbour Tour and barbeque for everyone in the afternoon - it was a nice paddle wheeler-type boat with an outside deck and a lower inside deck
- Saw two of Canada's four new submarines that we got from the British Navy (y'know, the ones that didn't work?) One floated by us and the other was in dry dock. No one could see where the other 2 were, but, well, they are submarines
- Evening session (got to play drums at the end a bit after the other drummer had to leave) It went pretty long, then bedtime
Sat Oct 22
- Morning session, brunch all together, and then saying goodbye to people
- Went to Shoppers Drugmart and Dollarama to get gifts for the family back home (yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking - but I'm NOT cheap, it's just that there weren't any malls or good stores around this place! And Jayce liked her sticker books and Halifax t-shirt, so there)
- Caught Air Canada at 5:30pm Halifax time and arrived back in Vancouver at 9:00 pm (after the lady beside me threw up in her barf bag twice while watching Batman Begins - it's a better movie than that...)
Nova Scotia is a very nice province, in a Murder She Wrote picturesque kind of way. The place reminded me so much of small town coastal USA, that I expected Angela Lansbury to show up any minute to interrogate the local fishermen about something fishy going on down at the old cannery. And I have never been called "dear" and "honey" by old ladies working the register at McDonald's so often in my life. They really are a friendly bunch over there on the right coast. It's no wonder the scowling, tatooed girl behind the counter of the used CD store can co-exist with the shop owner selling brooms, rocks, and other curling equipment out of a back room in the same location....
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Wanted...
Has anybody seen this bottle of Jones Soda yet? I've looked, but haven't been able to find it anywhere. It's a picture of my son, Kylan, on the day he was born (July/04). Please keep your eyes peeled for his pic on the Sugar Free Ginger Ale bottles, and if you see him, buy him for me, k? Thanks.
Today I am rolling coins. Pennies, nickels and dimes, mostly. Not nearly as much fun as rolling toonies and loonies, but still a necessary fact of life for those of us who can't bear parting with change. Actually, I'm getting better at that. Those little cans and jars at McDonalds and the bank that collect for important causes (like the blind or deaf, animals being abandoned, kids with the fear of Barney) are becoming my dropping point for much of my small change. I don't want to sound petty, but it's better in their hands than in my pocket.
I also have different places in my car for different denominations of coins. The ashtray between the seats is for nickels and dimes (parking meter food), the ashtray up front is for quarters (payphone change - yeah, I'm the only guy in the world without a cell phone), and there is a hidden compartment for my loons and toons. Anybody else want pennies to disappear from our society? Don't be shy, raise your hand. Apparently it's already happened in Australia (lucky ducks... or platypuses or whatever), and maybe if we just continue to pay our taxes in pennies, the Canadian government will do the same thing.
What, you're not all paying your taxes in pennies? Why am I rolling these things then....
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Canadian Thanksgiving...
"Mmmm, I love the smell of farmer sausage in the morning!" OK, that doesn't quite have the same ring to it as the line from Apocalypse Now, but I bet it smells better. We had Thanksgiving BREAKFAST at my parents' place this year. It's a lot less work apparently, so the whole family (except my sister's family in Kelowna, a niece in China, and a sister-in-law out shopping) got together yesterday at 9am. About 65 crépes later (mom made 100!), all 21 of us were stuffed with fruit and whipped cream and farmer sausage and ham and cinnamon buns.
Initially, I wondered about having a Thanksgiving breakfast. It just didn't seem right. I mean, those turkeys had given their very lives for families like us to go out there, buy them, cook them, stuff them, and eat them. I suppose the ham wasn't pleased about it, too. But it turned out really nice.
Then, needless to say, the boys all got together and did an impromptu hockey pool. It should be a tradition in every Canadian household. You know the saying, "The family that pools together..." um... er, well... I'm not sure of the rest, but believe me it's a good saying.
In other news, we have duplicate copies of my wife and I living under our house. Well, according to our 5 year old daughter, that is.
Lately, Jayce has been saying, "You're the best daddy/mommy I ever had!" depending on which parental unit she was addressing. So I've been responding, "Well thanks, but I'm the ONLY daddy you've ever had." Until a couple days ago when I asked her how many other daddies have you had?
She hesitated for a second, then replied "six." Six??? "Yes, they live underground, below the house, and I visit them sometimes when I go downstairs to see grandpa." LOL She went on to describe them as being very nice, looking just like me, and each one has a little girl living there too. Then she said the same thing about Beth (there are a half dozen "Beth" doppelgangers too, each with a little boy). It's a Twilight Zone-Brady Bunch thing going on somewhere in a bunker below our house!
Oh well, it's nice to know we are still her favourites. Excuse me while I go stick the hose under the porch and let the water run all day....
Initially, I wondered about having a Thanksgiving breakfast. It just didn't seem right. I mean, those turkeys had given their very lives for families like us to go out there, buy them, cook them, stuff them, and eat them. I suppose the ham wasn't pleased about it, too. But it turned out really nice.
Then, needless to say, the boys all got together and did an impromptu hockey pool. It should be a tradition in every Canadian household. You know the saying, "The family that pools together..." um... er, well... I'm not sure of the rest, but believe me it's a good saying.
In other news, we have duplicate copies of my wife and I living under our house. Well, according to our 5 year old daughter, that is.
Lately, Jayce has been saying, "You're the best daddy/mommy I ever had!" depending on which parental unit she was addressing. So I've been responding, "Well thanks, but I'm the ONLY daddy you've ever had." Until a couple days ago when I asked her how many other daddies have you had?
She hesitated for a second, then replied "six." Six??? "Yes, they live underground, below the house, and I visit them sometimes when I go downstairs to see grandpa." LOL She went on to describe them as being very nice, looking just like me, and each one has a little girl living there too. Then she said the same thing about Beth (there are a half dozen "Beth" doppelgangers too, each with a little boy). It's a Twilight Zone-Brady Bunch thing going on somewhere in a bunker below our house!
Oh well, it's nice to know we are still her favourites. Excuse me while I go stick the hose under the porch and let the water run all day....
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Ode To Hockey Season...
Hockey season, Hockey season
Everybody cheer
A toast to you from everyone
Raise your glass of ... cola.
The sights, the smells, the hockey players
All down at GM Place
They grab their sticks, their pucks, their gloves
And tie up each skate ... string.
The cost to buy a ticket
Makes you stop and think
But that all changes to a smile
When you enter the ice ... arena.
The excitement builds as you watch the game
There's something in the air
Turns out it's a puck flying at your face
While you're sitting in your ... seat.
You wake up in the hospital
A little blood upon your chin
But doctors know it's hockey season
'Cuz your toothless, goofy ... smile.
Everybody cheer
A toast to you from everyone
Raise your glass of ... cola.
The sights, the smells, the hockey players
All down at GM Place
They grab their sticks, their pucks, their gloves
And tie up each skate ... string.
The cost to buy a ticket
Makes you stop and think
But that all changes to a smile
When you enter the ice ... arena.
The excitement builds as you watch the game
There's something in the air
Turns out it's a puck flying at your face
While you're sitting in your ... seat.
You wake up in the hospital
A little blood upon your chin
But doctors know it's hockey season
'Cuz your toothless, goofy ... smile.
