Summer of 2008...at least July

The summer of 2008

After the disappointment that Bette was not coming to Beijing to watch the games with me, we decided it was not to be, with us…a disappointment of major proportions…..ah well, such is life.

Headed home to enjoy some time with family and friends….met Jan and Tony and Steve and Shelly and family at the Calgary airport on the way home…will be heading out to Moncton to see the Eagles and CCRevisited, KT Tunstall at Magnetic Hill…this came about because I changed my flight to Beijing so that Jennifer and I could fly together….bad news in July was that Doug was not able to come to Beijing with us…

Spent a few days getting my stuff from our house sale sorted out…as well as some personal stuff that had to be put away or given away…

Damn cell phone doesn’t work here…Jennifer got me their old phone working and Jack got my license for my Honda…624,000 kms and counting…put on about 2000 in 2 weeks

Up to Saskatoon…met with Jerry Demeria and he said I should run the Greece marathon if you are looking for emotion…then a golf game with Waylon from Investors…not much even with my good clubs but the weather was nice and did have a couple of good holes….then met Marlene and Norm Paproski at Elbow for a visit…set them up with Skype…now can talk to them from Beijing

Went to Black Diamond to Janet and Tony..what a beautiful yard they have…..spent a few days there ……Shelly and Steve, Nolan and Keslyn came down for a visit after we had a game on the golf course near Didsbury …golfed with Tony and Scott in Black Diamond….Tony crushed a few balls …seems to do a lot more with his new clubs…I had a reasonable game….what a gorgeous night for the game… …got to remember to get Kes some bling for school….on the way back babysat for Jaxon and Jada for a day…fixed Jaxon’s flat tire on his bike….

Kenzie is getting used to here Grandpa and we are starting to bond…..spent the weekend at Craven watching and listening…Sara Evans and Paul Brandt and Toby Keith were the main one…..a couple of great evenings of music…plus one with rain….next year George Strait is the main headliner…will I return here….don’t know….

Got to pay taxes…a bummer…now have to get my health insurance for the next year and have been doing some research…and have been doing some reserving for the trip to Xian and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and some other things that we will be doing when the Olympics are on….

Went to Chaplin for a few days to help Jack and the CFL put up some buildings….was able to help with the tin at Gerbrandts, McInnis’s and the rafters at Mackies…..spent 1 1/2 days at Barry Sims’ putting up his garage extension on his house…got to spend some time with Mom…showed the pictures from Asia to several people….lots of laughter and fun and information that everyone seemed to enjoy…was terribly disappointed when I went over to the schoold to get some stuff from the teacher’s resource section…someone from the office has gutted the area and thrown out some of the best material for teaching….just goes to show you what the administration does NOT know about teaching ….especially those guys with mailed in PhD’s…I guess I am showing my bias..while there, Jack and I went up to Riverhurst to golf with the Seniors there.....are we getting there or are we there already ....actually shot a round of 46 there....used an old driver and kept the ball on the fairway for the most part...guess that helps

Returned to Jays on Friday night and spent a relaxing night there…off to the football game with Scott Oscmachenko…friend from Zone 3 Sports Council…met in front of the stadium so that we could watch the warm up…it poured prior to the game….they delayed it for 50 minutes…we stood and drank under the stadium…I filled out a credit card from and got a Riders blanket…Scott says he has 5 or 6 of them…..the game was fantastic…Riders won 41-33 and it was as exciting as it gets…..people don’t understand the loyalty and dedication and love that Sask has for its Riders…..saw a couple of friends while I was there…it was a trip back to the past…..being at Taylor Field with the excitement that the Riders can generate…after the rain it was one of the best evenings of football ever…..

Have been trying to get and keep up to date with some of the emails and skyping…made some contact with friends from Moncton so that I have a place to stay while I am there…also finally got all my household articles out of my storage unit in Moose Jaw and now only have Jennifer as my storage place.....don't know where it will end up...

Will be going to Redcliff for a week and then for Jaxon's 5th birthday....then will fly east....The Medicine Hat Stampede is on this week so will have a few evenings at the grounds to wal;k around and see if I can recognize anyone there

Am babysitting Kenzie while Jay is in Regina practicing softball…she is playing in the Nationals in Calgary the weekend that I am in the maritimes….Kenzie will be staying with Auntie Janet and Tony….Jay may be able to watch a CFL game in Calgary….the Riders play there and she is going to try to get some tickets and see if some other team members will be going…

Tammy has had her birth date moved up to August 7th instead of later in the month…I hope to be there…..but Jay and I leave for Beijing on the 9th so it could be tight….That is all for now I will not have any photos…cannot get the pictures off my new phone……YET

See Ya in a Month or So....probably after the Olympics