More Murray Madness...

Both Karine & Peter's teams are KICKING BUTT! Check out the results from today (yesterday..er, tomorrow?) Whatever! They are doing great!!

Murray Madness

Last year at this time, Daryl and I were on our belated honeymoon Down Under, cheering on Jacquie, Karine & Peter as they paddled in the Murray River Marathon. We wish them good luck, and wish that we could be there again, as the crazy Canadians that cook hotdogs on the manifolds of the car!
It was so blazing hot last year, that the asphalt was melting off the roads in Swan Hill! You have no idea...

For race results...

Karine (WOODLEIGH WATER RATZ boat #422) is in the TK2/OSR Double Touring Kayak - Open School Relay (kicked butt at the Barwon Mini)
Their arch-nemesis is CAMBERWELL GRAMMAR (10 minutes off the pace after day 1) and we hope their boat sinks! (bad voodoo from Canada!)
Peter (POWWR TEAM boat # 331) is in the TK1/OR Single Touring Kayak - Open Relay
Jacqueline was home from 6 months in Africa only a few days before the start of the race...so perhaps she isn't racing. I will keep my eyes open for her! Otherwise, she is one of the support crew working the shores - Helene is there too I'm sure!

T'were the Days After Christmas

For those close by, you may notice that the boat is missing from our driveway. Daryl is nuts, and wanted to go wake-boarding today. I can't believe I'm back at work. Christmas and the days surrounding were wonderful, spent with family and friends in Kelowna and down on the coast. We had 6cm of fresh snow fall overnight, which will hopefully continue for the next few days until Nadia and family arrive! That's right! Colin was apparently so appalled with the COMPLETE lack of snow back east (dry land training and cancelled lessons) that they decided to have a spontaneous ski vacation with us in the Loops! We could not be happier, as they have yet to visit us in our new home, and were so happy when they decided to come to Sun Peaks and not head to the Big White-Out! I wish I had vacation days. I might talk to my supervisor and see what I can do about next week, as the gang arrives on Friday and stays for 6 days.
Everyone was too generous with the gifts this year, we thank you all for opening your doors and hearts to us, and we apologize for the quick visits everywhere. We spent less than 24 hours with my parents...it was freaky fast!
Oh, just to clarify, Daryl is not out on the river today, he is up at Harper Mountain with the neighbours...the boat is in the garage thawing (for tomorrow?)

Daryl's favourite joke...I don't think it's funny

So this baby seal walks into a club..

and gets hammered!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Daryl is home, safe and sound. He arrived last night at 7pm and you would have thought that he was away from home for years. I think just coming home was more exciting than the pending present pandemonium!
Then there is the chow. I can’t begin to explain the excitement and psychopathic enthusiasm that oozed from every hair on his furry body. Fletcher was just twitching and spinning when he saw Daryl. I wish I had a camera. He hasn’t left his side, slept by Daryl on the floor on his side of the bed, and today I can only imagine what those two are up to! Super-chow reigns supreme? Some things are better left behind closed doors.
The cats are also very happy to have someone who will actually pick them up and play with them (and not just with the laser pointer)
The next few days are going to be nuts, with visiting family and friends and spreading the holiday cheer and spirit. I am back to work on the 27th, so expect a full update on the activities at that time.

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for this holiday season!

My Rant About Country

I like country music. While talking on the phone to a friend from back east, they mentioned that they could hear what sounded like country music in the background. I replied that, yes, indeed, it was country music. Silence. Then “what?” was his only question.

When I was growing up, I listened to classical music & knew all about DiscDrive with Jurgen Gothe before I could say my own name. When it was deemed appropriate, I could tune into the local “easy listening” station while being chauffeured by my parents, provided the volume was kept under control. When I became the rebel, and perhaps gained more bravery, I would automatically tune the car radio to CHOM, the quintessential rock station in Montreal of the time. With my father rolling his eyes, and protesting “not CHOM!” we would make our weekend trek to the cottage. I was satisfied.

Satisfied until I moved to Vancouver. Coming from a society where if you weren’t running you were going to slow, where driving without road-rage caused you stress, and eye-twitches were the norm to a place where people actually walked on their lunch breaks and stopped to smell the cherry blossoms in the spring. To those who have not experienced the marvelous pace of leisurely life in Vancouver, you have no idea what I’m talking about. (take that and multiply that ten fold to feel what its like in a small town! But that’s another story)

Life seems easier out west. People are more friendly, more approachable, and you just get the feeling that life is great, almost everyday. This feeling is reflected and manifested in the lyrics to most country music songs. One of my all time favourite lyrics in a song is It’s a Great Day to Be Alive by Travis Tritt. It isn’t the best song, but the lyrics can’t help but make you feel good and want to smile.

There is something so simple, and easygoing about the lyrics in country songs. You can relate to almost every story, be it a slow, broken hearted drawl about the loss of a great horse, or an energetic fireball of a song enlightening us on the intrinsic worth of owning a Dodge. Perhaps that is why we have a Dodge in the driveway.

So, to all who have dared to ask, I like country music. I would even go so far as to say that there are some songs that I love. At our wedding, our second dance was Forever and Ever, Amen. For those skeptics out there still set against country (you know who you are) take a minute and read these lyrics and tell me you still don’t believe in country love!

Daryl comes home today. I don't know how I am going to function for the next 8 hours, but at least he will be out of contact...I think it makes it easier. Fletcher and I will go to the airport for his arrival and both probably pee ourselves!

I don't know why, but I can't get Phoebe's song "Smelly Cat" out of my head!

Salute to a Brave & Modest Nation

A friend sent this to me the other day...it was a bit long on the blog, but worth the read. Really makes you stop and think about what and why Canada's military forces are still going to bat for our neighbours to the south.

http://www.canmilair.com/tribute.htm

I'm the WINNER!!

We had a fund-raiser at work today by selling tickets to win one of 6 booze baskets. Guess what? I WON! A 6 pack of Corona and a beach chair (complete with pink flip flops and hat)! Merry early Christmas to ME!

Baking, NOT Bacon!

This past weekend I was overwhelmingly possessed by the Christmas Baking Bug. Saturday I was out shopping, helping Santa of course, then proceeded home to make 180 ginger snaps. That wasn't enough...Sunday I invaded the neighbour's house and we dipped 8 dozen biscotti cookies made by Nona, 3 sheets of almond rocca, and began the process of making cranberry and white chocolate chip cookies. It was amazing how little I snacked, cause EVERYTHING SEEMS TO INVOLVE CHOCOLATE.
Liar! my mother is a LIAR! I guess that's why I can wear the same pair of pants I bought in September 1996 with Stacy when we went shopping at the Eaton Centre in Toronto. They are actually big on me now! Reverse metabolism? I won't complain!
I am eating a ginger snap right now (chocolate-free) and they are YUMMY! Want one?

OH! The Weather Outside is
FRIGHTFUL!

BC is getting walloped by yet another winter storm. We had about 5" of snow last night in the Loops, and already this morning over 1" has fallen. It is wet, fat snow, falling in huge clump-like flakes that makes your mascara run. Not that I wear mascara, but some lady walking down the street looked like she had just left the set of a horror movie! It was AWESOME!
This is a photo of the Coquihalla highway just past the snowshed, taken about 15 minutes ago. This is NOTHING compared to the hell that I drove through 3 weeks ago to come home! Anyhow, we are bunkering down for another great winter storm. I've got lots of fire wood, rum & egg nog so we should be just fine!

Holiday Visit

To all our friends in Kelowna, Darly and I will be in town for a brief but distinctive visit from the 23rd to the 25th. We will simply not have time to drive and visit everyone that we want to see, especially with the traffic situation in Kelowna! So Twyla has graciously opened her home on Saturday (23rd) afternoon for one and all to come on by. We are giving you plenty of warning, compared to other visits we've made, so there are no excuses, unless you're in Mexico (damn you Marci!)
We hope to see you there, please pass the word on to others who may not know what a blog is!

New Rule for Me

Cats love laser pointers, and if you spin them around enough, they will walk into walls and puke.
Opps!

Cats now have a new rule...

Do not try to drink from Fletcher's dish, you will be chased.
Run kitty! RUN!!

Chow has a new rule...

The cats are NOT squeeky toys to play with.
'Nuf said

Better in the Land Down-Under

It is a tragic day...when Daryl and I were in Australia last year...at this time, we purchased some consumer products that we can't find in the Northern hemisphere, like Australian Heinz ketchup, 25lb cray-fish, digeredoos, and YUMMY FLAVOURED NESTLE QUICK! I don't really enjoy chocolate, or chocolate milk...some of you know why. Anyhow, the powder in these little cans make milk taste SO GOOD! But I'm all out of the vanilla, and no matter where I look, I can't find it anywhere! Oh well, time for another trip to Oz!

STELLA's BACK!

So just when Fletcher thought it was safe to go outside...well, inside, actually. Roxy went back to animal control yesterday after a GREAT, fun-filled weekend with us. I miss her already, but do enjoy my time alone with the Chow! Just when things were back to normal, there was peace and quiet in the house, along came the cats!
Marci's last day with PCL was Friday, and to celebrate this joyous occasion she is off to Mexico for a month! MUST BE NICE!! So Fletcher and I are kitty sitting STELLA and her sister Delilah until early January. So far, so good...they won't come out of the laundry room! Crazy cats! I don't think they will cause as much heart-ache to Chow as Roxy.

The two friends playing in the snow! Fletcher has been so patient!
Fletcher thought that if he behaves, he might get a cookie!
If Fletcher could have puppies...this is what they would look like!
Two cute bums!

Sleeping angel...
Little devil!!

Passed out on a soft rug!
SMILE!!
Decorated for Christmas!
Roxy attacking the EVIL tree...I had to move all the lower ornaments up!

WHY MAMA? WHY? Can the puppy go now?