The end of 2008

So in 2009 I will start a new blog as this one really suffered as the year went on. I don't really know why, I just didn't feel like writing anything. After winning the Year of Disappointment award at Festivus for having the worst year it's time for a fresh start. So for all 0 people that read this a new blog is on the way. Don't know what i'll call it but there will be something...

A lot of Golf

As I become an old, slow man and having lost my ability to play any sport that requires running in any way I have taken to golf. Growing up I played a lot because it was something to do but I never really got that good at it. Being the competitive person that I am I have been looking for something to challenge me. Golf is that thing. Its great because its something you can play by yourself and still be challenged. To anyone looking for a challenge I recommend golf. Even if you start out brutal, that one great shot will keep you coming back again and again. This year I started in the low nineties but have broken the 80 barrier three times now. Love the golf and looking forward to a few more great rounds this year.

The Music in You

Do you ever feel in a funk, like you just aren't yourself? I have lately and I haven't been able to pin it down as to why. Life always has its ups and downs, personally and professionally. Even though lately things have been improving for me in both areas something has still felt a little off. As I was driving around the other day it finally hit me. The MUSIC!! The CD player in my truck has been malfunctioning for the past few weeks, almost a month now, and I have been unable to listen to the songs that I want to. I have been at the mercy of the radio, which frankly just doesn't cut it. I find I can often get through things or enjoy things more if I am able to listen to certain songs. I like to sing along and just enjoy the music whether I'm in a good mood to start with or not. Usually by the end of a good listen I feel much better about whatever it was that I was thinking about. I think I really need to get that thing replaced, but at least I have figured out what it was that was getting me down.

More Decks

Here are a few more decks we have done. Many more to come this summer!!

Deck Season

It's been a busy few weeks as our company has rolled into deck season. I have to say it is easily the most enjoyable thing we do. There is a certain sense of accomplishment when you build something. We have begun to do composite decks as well as all wood decks. If you know anyone looking for a deck feel free to send them my way. All these pictures are of decks we have done, I will add more as the summer goes along

We also build garages too!!



www.kpdevelopments.ca
(780) 953-5731

The Southside Ain't What It Used To Be

Summer is finally here. Yeah!! I really do love summers in Edmonton, winters not so much, but summer is great. Lots to do, perfect temperature, long days...all that good stuff. I also like to enjoy a Slurpee in the summer as well. So, on the way home from work the other day I decided to stop and grab one. I pulled into the Petro Canada on 106th and 51st and parked next to this small red car. J and Dave didn't want one so they hung back in the truck. As I got out I noticed the two guys in the car next to us had a large semi-automatic rifle. Needless to say I didn't make eye contact and got out of sight quickly. Upon returning to the truck with my delicious Pina Colada Slurpee , I come to learn that J and Dave were offered some weapons for "hunting" at a reasonable price. After politely declining the guy asked if he could have 35 cents to make a call. Of course you can have 35 cents if you have assault rifles. J tried calling the police but there switchboard was down...how convenient.

I have always felt like I lived in a safe place on the southwest side of Edmonton. Evidentially, not as safe as I thought.

Not The Biggest Spider I Have Ever Seen But...

So, this house continues to be a gong show of bugs and I continue to be a wuss. This time I got a video to show how bad these things are...but it seems to take more than a day to load so I'm not going to put it on here. I don't really have much else to say about other than I can't wait until we are done this house so I don't have to deal them anymore.

The Biggest Bee I Have Ever Seen

So lets face it, I'm a huge wimp and scared of most bugs. I don't like to get stung, bitten, eaten or whatever they do. So, Jay and I go to the house we are working at right now to get started on the next part of the project only to be greeted by a flying rat with a stinger and a temper.

I choose to camp out down the stairway to avoid any possible contact with this monstrous bug, while Jay sneeks back outside to try to open a window to let it out...he was unsuccessful.

We managed to snap a few pics of this "thing" before it disappeared and we could find it.

Needless to say we got the heck out of there for the day. I don't get paid enough to try to fight this thing off. Call me a panzy, but that thing was huge. As a kid I was stung 20 times at once, I guess that might be where my fear comes from, but anyways I guess I still and a wimp.

A Smokie and a Story

As summer finally seems to have arrived, one activity that I hope will become a regular is the bonfire. We have had a few so far, and I have enjoyed every one. Honestly I could do it every night this summer. It relaxes the mind and soothes the body. Not to mention the delicious 'dogs, smokies and s'mores.

What's most important is that it's almost everything that I want. I've come to learn that you can't have everything that you want, but good friends, some smoky fresh air, tasty treats and a laugh or two...I really can't ask for more.

Tonight's festivities started at 5 and just ended 15 minutes ago. 15 minutes ago being 1:15 in the morning. MB and I went and picked up Dave just before 5 and then hit the grocery store to grab some smokies, buns and beverage and then got to the backyard where we found Hersch lying in the hammock, enjoying the beautiful afternoon. T then dropped me line looking for some eats, well timed on her part, as the fire just started roaring and was ready for some cooking. We enjoyed some delectable three cheese jalapeno and honey garlic smokies...so good, perhaps the greatest smokie flavors ever. Often jalapeno can overpower the flavor of food, but not these, they were the perfect balance of cheese, jalapeno and meat. Hersch stepped out for a bit, but returned with some chocolate ice cream to top off the meal. Taren also joined us to enjoy the evening.
I picked up this hammock last time I was in Mexico which was a year and a half ago and haven't had a place to set it up until now...man am I loving this backyard!!


Conversation was and is always interesting. Covering such topics as what super powers we would want, what our super raft should be made, what we would do for each other if we won the lottery and just how great it is to be outside and be content.
One of the other favorite fire time activities is heating up the roasting sticks until they are red hot and then branding the wood with them. Tonight I decided to take it to the next level and make myself a little name plate. It's hard to do O's but I think it worked out alright.

I also realized that I don't use my camera enough. If I had to put together a slide show of my life it would be some pictures from when I was a cute kid, some sports pics, some mission pics and maybe some of the work we do at our company...pretty lame, I'm going to try to have some more visual evidence that I exist.Dave always enjoys a good story and often has one to tell. Tonight he had a beauty that someone should really write into a screen play...now if I told you that I had a project that would be more compelling than Blood Diamond and more stunning than No Country for Old Men and would win more Oscars...now is that something you might be interested in?

Honestly, I just like this picture. If you look carefully you can see Taren through the flames. I thought that it was cool that the second I took the picture the fire flared up like that.

Anyways, it was a great night, one of the many this summer. When the world isn't perfect, there is always the backyard, our own little piece of paradise. And since the world is never perfect expect to see me in the backyard more often than not this summer. Feel free to come by, bring a smokie and a story, but leave your problems at the door. The backyard is all about the here and now, so enjoy yourself, take a load off and just think about how good it is to have the simple things in life.

Dinner time on Whyte

After a long day its nice to unwind with a good meal. MB met me down on Whyte and we hit up Da-de-o's for some good southern food. A little catfish, some Po' Boys and bread pudding. We beat the dinner rush which is always good and got a chance to watch out the window as the world went by.

There were another 2 fellas sitting a little closer to the window doing much the same as us, just enjoying the evening...or so we thought.

The parking space right in front of the restaurant opened up and one of those "smart" cars was trying to pull into the space. I won't go on my rant about smart cars...ok maybe I will...I hate them. I think they are the dumbest innovation in automotive technology ever. Why would I want to drive around the box my stove came in with a hole cut in the front for a windshield? I bet if I ran down the street with nothing but the clothes on my back and had a head on collision with a smart car I would win. They are stupid, unsafe and can't go faster than 80. I'd rather drive a golf cart around town. It's probably safer.

Anyways back to the real story. The smart car guy wedges the thing back and forth until he gets it right against the curb. Since it has snowed over a foot here in the past few days there was a small snow bank on the curb which made it hard to open the passenger door to open. So smart car's girlfriend is trying to get out and is having a hard time because of the snow. Smart car runs around to help her out and after a few slips she gets to the sidewalk safely.

Then they come into Da-de-o's....

The guy sitting right next to MB shouts out "hey, nice park job dillhole!!" To which smart car replies "what?" the guy responds with "yeah, you really didn't account for your girlfriend getting out with her little sneakers there did you?" Smart car says"well I came around and helped her.."
Guy follows that up with "your a schmuck!" Smart car is speechless at this point and just goes and sits at his table.

Now, my question is...who is the dillhole/schmuck?

Perhaps it wasn't smart car?

In 20 Years....

I was out for dinner last night with Hersch and MB at our usual watering hole. It was an interesting night in that normal you don't have to wait for a table but on this night we waited for over a half hour and how glad were we that we did. As we sat and conversed at our table another patron strolled into the restaurant and sat at the table next to us.

Hersch noticed some striking similarities between me and the man who just sat down. He was my height, with blonde hair and similar build. Upon looking at the table further there were 2 other men at the table. The first was another tall man with a lack of salad on top and a slender build...and the other was a slightly shorter man who seemed to captivate the attention of the other 2. They only difference between them and us was that they were about 20 years older.

The only logical explanation for all of this was that these 3 were Hersch, MB and myself 20 years in the future and had been sent to us as a sign of things to come. We made it our mission to find out as much about these guys as we could. It seemed that I spent a lot if time in Hawaii and perhaps even lived there. I was married and seemed very at ease with life. Hersch was also married and seemed like he spent a lot of quality time with the family...siblings, nieces, nephews and all. MB seemed like he had stories to tell of his adventures and was also married.

Most importantly, it seemed like we were all very happy. That we were content with life and happy with where we were. It was good to know that we could still get together like old times and have a laugh.

Of course I realize that none of this is real and that we can come back and visit ourselves in the past. But it is good to know that good friends can stay friends and that the things that are are important in life don't have to change. That the people who are there for you now can be there for you in 20 years.

That's one of the few things that I want...to have the important people around for a long time

Too much to say...

Its been awhile since my last entry and for good reason. Life has taken many twists and turns that have cause rational and creative thought to totally escape me. I will never go into personal things on my blog but I can't help but think that if I let something out it could help.

The past 8 weeks have been an experience that I never thought I would go through. Not in that it would never or couldn't happen to me but the way that life has gone has been something that I was not prepared for nor could I ever have been. Whatever happens out of all of it I know that I can be better for the experience. However, I know that it is up to me what I do with what I have learned. It has always seemed to me that everything takes a lot long to happen for me than everyone else and it seems like that is not going to change anytime soon. I also know that I have reached a critical point in my life, a quarter-life crisis some might say. I have important decisions to make, things that I want and need to know, hopes and dreams that I want to realize and so on. On the flip side, I also know that I need to be prepared to be disappointed, to struggle, to be stressed, to be alone. I know that there are at least two sides to every situation and even more possible outcomes. Sometimes I'm scared for anything to change and sometimes I want to change everything. Sometimes I worry that I've boxed myself into a life that I can't change and sometimes I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything with life.

I know most of us would enjoy knowing how certain things in our lives will turn out, but at the same time still hoping for a little adventure and surprise. I've also realized that often there is very little I can do to affect certain things and that so much depends on other people.

I guess what I'm trying to say in all my rambling is that I really kind of feel lost in my own life right now and trying to figure out something, anything, just to know how one part of my life is going to turn out...

Guess all I can do is take it one day at a time and see what happens...

Here's hopin"!!

Pizza Delivery/WTF???

So my roommate Kevin got home tonight and was suffering from a severe charlie horse and wanted to kick back and take it easy, maybe watch some basketball, you know regular stuff. He thought it would be a good idea if we got some pizza and took 'er easy, and I didn't think that, that was too bad of an idea, so we ordered some pizza...

Now what comes next is a little interesting, and I know that pizza delivery dudes are working for the good tip, but I didn't know we had to dive this deep in the attempt to do so.

So the "dude" comes to the door with the pizza, and we will refer to him as a "dude", cause he was. "Here's your pizza, 29.55 please" so I get out the bank card, and start to pay. "Hey, is there a game on?" the dude says, and I'm like "yeah, just a little basketball". Dude's like " sweet, sounds like a good night, a little basketball, some pizza, just chillin', maybe a BJ you know? Got a girlfriend?", so I was like "oh yeah, actually just got engaged" (feeling beyond uncomfortable at this point), to which the dude says "oh snap man, you'd better get that in while you can cause it's about to go way down hill, like bad!"

Not wanting to explain my personal stance on life at this point I just take my receipt and close the door, stunned beyond belief that a pizza dude would actually say that at a random persons door!

Can you believe that?

Also I realize that the grammar of this post is substandard but I really wanted to convey how much of a "dude" this guy was, not to mention his poofy afro!

Some people's kids!!

So the other day, I'm working hard with Jay trying to advertise and promote our business in some very specific locations to target people who are still in need of decks in newer communities. We were putting up flyers on mailboxes to do so, when this lady pulls of behind us. She proceeds to tell Jay that what we are doing is illegal and that they will be taken down within 48 hours.

Now, if this is so illegal how come so many mail boxes are covered with flyers and ads that have obviously been there for more than 48 hours. The mail carries sure aren't taking them down, so what is this lady's deal?

As we pull away I look in the rear view mirror to see her taking down the flyer herself!! Unbelievable!! We continued to post them on the next mailbox we saw and then went around the corner to look for more boxes. As we came back down the street we came in on, we noticed that she had followed us to the next box and taken those down too!! I couldn't believe it.

Why won't she just let people try to grow their business is beyond me?!?

Anyways, if you know anyone looking to have a deck built, let me know, we do a great job!!

Playoffs?!?! That Really Escalated Quickly....

One of the most intense finishes, that I have ever been a part of, maybe too big of a part of, took place last night.

It was an intense playoff game between the Concordia Thunder (who I coach) and the Red Deer Kings. A poorly officiated yet hard fought game all the way. Coming to down to the wire in the fourth quarter, things started to get out of hand. Some missed and poor calls led to our coach getting a technical foul and as we attempted to keep it close we could hit enough shots and ended up losing by a score of 78-68. Down the stretch, as tie up between one of their big men and ours took place ending up with a bloody nose on our sideline. Words were said which won't be repeated as I attempt to keep this blog family friendly. As the final horn sounded, one of the Red Deer players found the need to taunt our bench and after the undesirable "good" game hand shakes couldn't keep his mouth shut and continued to taunt, of all people, our head coach who responded by letting the other coach know that he should tell his players to keep their mouths shut. This escalated for no reason into some four letter words being returned in jest back to Coach Sir. This is when I stepped in and "kindly" asked...What did you say? Upon which one of their players, in fact the same one who delivered the bloody nose bumped me, so I returned the favor with a space providing shove as he was a little sweaty and didn't want that excessive moisture on my shirt. I was "politely" asked not to touch their player. I was finally pulled away by Coach Sir.

And you'd think it was over....

As we were trying to exit the gym I was again asked if I would like to "dance"? I could only respond by asking who it was that wanted to "dance"? He returned the question, and I had to wonder who would ask me to "dance" if they didn't know who I was. Very odd. Coach Sir kindly told the gentleman that he should go pass some classes. I was unaware that my dance partner was a former player who flunked out the previous semester. I well placed cut.

Tonight, we get to renew hostilities on our home court. Should be a good one!!

Getting LOST again!

Another great season of Lost has begun and two episodes in I am as hooked as ever. The people that have arrived to "rescue" the survivors of 815 are certainly an interesting group. The ghostbuster Miles definitely rubs me the wrong way. The other 3 seem harmless, except they are all there for the same purpose. I do wonder why it is that they want Ben? The very evident cover up by Oceanic Airlines of the 815 crash raises many questions. Who is this "lawyer" that supposedly work for Oceanic? Why is he the one who recruited Naomi to lead this group to the island?

I'm still waiting for the first appearance of Richard Alpert. I know he's key, just can't wait to find out why.

One thing that has been discussed among my viewing group is the possibility multiple time lines. I'm not convinced. I think we're dealing with real time, however the discovery of the Dharma collar in the Tunisian desert is interesting. I think that it is merely another Dharma Initaitive location that they took polar bears to, to test them out of their natural habitat. It still really does not make sense why there were/are polar bears on the island...only time will tell.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard the writers strike is over? I hope so, so that we are not left hanging on episode 8. We've all waited long enough for this season of Lost, I don't know if I can wait any longer.

!NAMASTE!

The sun WILL rise in Phoenix!!

A knee jerk reaction, a bad fit, too old, too slow, injured...at first I had to agree, but after listening to the Big Aristotle I am sold on the Shaq/Marion trade. The Diesel is a proven winner and an MVP. Nash's window to win a championship is closing and with Shaq on board and the cancerous Marion gone, the Suns can expect a solid playoff run with at least an appearance in the Finals. If Shaq can stay healthy as well as the rest of the cast, the Suns should be able to secure a top two seed in the west. I hope that D'Antoni will use the bench a little more post all-star break, keeping the aging legs fresh and the young-ins on the squad can gain some valuable experience so that if they are needed in an important moment in the playoffs they will be ready. I really like Alondo Tucker and D.J. Strawberry as future contributors on this team and hopefully the future is sooner than later. If the Suns can go a little deeper off the bench, as well as using The Man of Steel effectively, they can be unstoppable.

If I have to not watch another NBA Finals because it features the Spurs and Pistons, I'm going to be sick! I am a big fan of the fundamentals of the game, and feel that they are necessary to win, but at the NBA level we need a little excitement to sell the product. I'm hoping for a Suns/Raptors final or if I have to...a Suns/Celtics final. And will some one please remind Kevin McHale that he is no longer in Boston and doesn't work for the Celtics...poor Timberwolves fans, I feel for you.

An even more random aside than the Kevin McHale rant, I would just like to say that Tom is the luckiest punk alive. He somehow lucked out and ended up at the Suns/Hornets game last Tuesday. Not knowing that Shaq had been traded that day and not knowing he was about to see the game of the year up to this point...I don't know what to say, sometimes the sun shines on a dogs ass! (no pun intended)

So...Go Suns!! Go Raps!! Make all my basketball dreams come true!!

a SUPER bowl

As a die hard Colts fan it is always tough to watch anyone but them take home the Lombardi Trophy, tonight though, I'm doing all right. When the Patriots scored with 2:42 to go in the 4th quarter, my heart sank a little, as we the Colts fans of the world and fans of any other team for that matter, were beginning to prepare for the arrogant celebration of Patriot nation. Alas Peyton's little brother did not let us down. Escaping a sure sack on 3rd and 5, completing an amazing 40 yard pass, Eli stepped out of big brothers shadow and now stands along side as a Super Bowl Champion and MVP. Watching the Colts fall to San Diego was terrible, but I feel a small sense of redemption, know that the '72 Dolphins stand alone, as arrogant as they are, at least they are the only ones we have to listen to about perfection.

In a few minutes the joy of watching the Patriots lose will wear off, so I thought I'd get this down in writing that I was a Giants fan for 4 hours today...but so was Peyton Manning, so I guess it's OK.

2008 is still going to be the Year of the Colts. With Dungy back, a new stadium and the sting of a lackluster playoff loss, the Colts will be back with a vengence.


Man, you gotta love sports!!!

Global Warming? I think they're making it up!

Since last Saturday, I have not wanted to leave the house. It has been so cold that I am beyond all metaphors to describe it. If this whole global warming thing is as real as we're being told...it can start anytime now. I can't remember the last time it was ever this cold here. It's very sad when -18 is a relief and you feel like you might not need a jacket 'cause it's so balmy out there at -18! Brutal!!

This is a very pointless blog entry except to express my extreme displeasure with the weather. That is all.

The Joy and Agony of Sports

I have had the pleasure of being an assistant coach at Concordia University for Men's Basketball for the 2007-2008 season. It's been an up and down year to say the least. We currently sit at 12-8, 3rd place in the ACAC North Division.

I have played basketball since I was 6 years old and now not being able to physically play anymore, have found great joy in coaching.

(Rick Majerus in action, one of my favorite coaches to watch)

This past weekend we traveled to Grande Prairie for a two game set against the GPRC Wolves. A key match up in our season as they sat in 4th place, 10 points behind us but with a chance to catch us if we were unable to win another game during the regular season.

Friday night we came out flat and disinterested and were blown out by 25 points...not much you can do about a 45-17 half time deficit except get get ready for the next game. Today we came out more ready to play, but only half the team. It puts a lot pressure on those who are ready to play when they know they aren't getting any help from the bench. It was hard fought, back and forth game. At the final buzzer it was a 64-64 tie, so we would play another 5 to decide this one. We continued to play well and with 12 seconds left and down by one, we had the ball out of bounds with a chance to win. I got the opportunity to draw up a play for the win. I went to my favorite sideline out of bounds play and with 6 seconds to go we were looking at a wide open lay-up for the win....and a miss! We had to foul and hope for another shot at the hoop, there were only 2 seconds left at this point...our desperation heave missed and we left Grande Prairie 0-2.

In my playing days, I was fortunate to play on some good teams. I have never lost 8 games in a season as a player or a coach until now. However, I have never appreciated the fight as much as I do right now. We still control our fate and have the opportunity to reach our goal of a National Championship, it's going to take some work, but I know we can do it.

As we prepare for our final 4 regular season games I am excited for what can happen. I hope that the players have learned from the experience of this past weekend...I know I have.

Is Everyone Ready for LOST?

The long awaited day is almost upon us. Only 9 days till the return of LOST. I don't watch many shows that are currently in production, but LOST happens to be one of them.

I think that we are about to get some questions answered but in true J.J. Abrams fashion even when this is all done I think we will all be left hanging. It will be interesting to see who goes and who stays, how honest Ben has been, what the smoke monster is...so many questions! There are so many tie ins regarding the links between Mittelos Bioscience, the Dharma Initiative, the Hanso Foundation, the Widmore Corporation...I can't wait. I am most intrigued by Richard Alpert. I think that he is the source of information regarding the island. I hope that he plays a major role in the upcoming season.

Anyways, in my opinion, LOST is the most intelligent and entertaining show currently on TV and I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming season!

Quite the Day

Today was full of interesting events. Perhaps not all the best Sunday activities but nevertheless they make for some good stories...

So I get up and leave to go to Calgary for the day with my friend Tom. The purpose of the trip is two fold; first to visit a friend that is leaving for Australia for a year and second to see some MMA fights one of which featured someone we actually know.

We left a little late to make it to Calgary in time for church, so Tom is going a little quick down the road and gets pulled over for speeding, not a bad ticket but there is never a good one. Not 5 minutes later we hear a loud noise coming from the rear of the car. We pull over to see what happened...flat tire. We are in dress clothes and so we decide to call AMA for a tow into Red Deer to get a new tire. After some contemplation we decide to change the tire ourselves and put on the "donut" size spare. So we change into our casual clothes on the side of the road, now remember that it is mid-January in Northern Canada which means -17 centigrade...kinda chilly. We get the tire on, I should say I got the tire on (Tom is not one for the mechanical endeavors), and limp it into the Red Deer Canadian Tire. We sit there for a couple hours while the tire gets fixed, mind you we could have been out of there sooner if the tires weren't on sale so Tom couldn't resist getting a deal. So instead of one replaced we got two done. Even the guy at Canadian Tire didn't want to do it.

We finally made it to Calgary at 2:30. We left Edmonton at 8:30, so a trip that should have taken 2 hours took 6. Anyways, we get to enjoy a lovely dinner with friends while taking the jeers for planning to attend an MMA event on Sunday, notwithstanding a great afternoon. Lots of laughs and great food.

On to the fights. If you imagined that semi-pro UFC style fights in northern Canada are not held at the classiest joints, you would be right. An interesting crowd to say the least. Some great fights though and the guy we came to see won via the choke out.

The drive home was uneventful, but that's what you want when it's dark and cold out.

People with Poor Driving Habits

I don't have many pet peeves, but one area of life/society that does get my ire up is poor drivers. Today, and I guess I missed the memo, was drive slow in the fast lane day. And not just a little slow, like 20 under the speed limit. I realize that winter in Edmonton can produce less than quality driving conditions, but c'mon 20 under? I don't think so.

My two other primary driving pet peeves are first, people who flick cigarette butts out their windows and second, people who refuse to acknowledge a poor driving move. I make just as many goofs on the road as the next guy, just be willing to own up to it.

First and foremost...

So I have wanted to have a blog for a long time and have only recently (today) learned how to do it as I am a little technologically impaired. You'd never know it by how many electronic devices I have, it's just a miracle that they all still work.

I will discuss many topics on my blog from sports to TV shows to the most random thoughts that pop into my head. I will try to make 2 entries a week at a minimum and grow it from there. Lets see what happens.