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Thursday, May 18, 2006
Down To Wire
Today's the day! We are off to the airport this evening to start our little trip. I'm sitting at work at the moment and the minutes till the end of the shift seem to be dragging by interminably. We have a bit of final packing to do when we get home which shouldn't take long and then we'll be ready to go. So the excitement builds and hopefully everything will go well with the flights. Edmonton was a scene of celebration last night as the Oilers cemented their victory over San Jose in a bit of a squeaker game. Quite exciting to watch. Fan spirit has peaked quite a bit here in Edmonton over the last few weeks as the Oilers head for their first chance at the cup in quite a few years. Everyone is sporting Oiler flags on their vehicles and there have been several fan rallies around town. Now that we are in the finals the excitement will intensify, I'm sure. Hopefully we will be able to catch a bit of the action if only online from a cyber cafe from the swamps of Florida. Tuesday, May 16, 2006
All Packed Up
Had a chance to pack our bags on the weekend, the challenge being to get everything we need for two weeks into one suitcase and two backpacks. With a little effort and some creative packaging we were able to do it with a little room to spare. We found a great little section at Zellers that sells all this neat stuff like deodorant and hair spray in little travel sized containers. So we are maximizing our available room quite efficiently. Dianne is having a little trouble not being able to pack as many clothes as she would like but is being a great sport about it and has vowed to hit the nearest Wal Mart the minute we are off the ship. We will have the extra suitcase coming home for extra stuff, of course, but the trick is to pack light for the cruise and, more importantly, pack for the possibility of losing our checked baggage on the flight down. So while we were packing on Sunday evening, the Oilers went ahead and trounced San Jose again so we are down to the possibility of wrapping up this series tomorrow night. Then the next round will be played, unfortunately, while we are away. But I'm sure we'll find ways of getting the latest scores while on the road. We went for a nice, long bike ride on Sunday evening and had a chance to really try out the new bikes, which performed extremely well. We are very happy with our decision to purchase them. Thursday, May 11, 2006
Getting Excited
Well here we are one week away from our departure for our trip and it seems to be taking an eternity. The days are going by so slowly as I grind out each shift at work. Having to spend a lot of those shifts training someone doesn't help either. I think we are going to try and get most things packed this weekend so that we won't be rushing around at the last minute trying to get things we need. We both work days Monday to Thursday next week so that only leaves the evenings to finish up and I'm sure there'll be a few things to do. A long day on Thursday as we leave for Toronto in the evening after working all day. Then an all night flight which is never fun. But by Friday evening we hope to be relaxing with rum swizzles on board the Legacy, and the wait will be over. I think the jury is still out on whether these new contacts are a go. Some days they work fine and others are a bit of a challenge. I realize that you have to allow a certain amount of time for your eyes to readjust to new conditions but I'm thinking I might take my old ones along on the trip just in case. We stayed up till almost 1:00am last witing for the Oilers to squeak by San Jose in the third overtime period. But the Oil still have to pull up their bootstraps if they want to stay in this thing. Tuesday, May 09, 2006
New Bikes
Dianne and I went out on Saturday and bought ourselves a pair of matching Kuwahara mountain bikes. After doing a bit of phoning around during the week to various bike shops for prices we decided to drive around and check some out in person. Our first stop was at a small local shop in the neighborhood where we spotted the Kuwaharas. They looked pretty good and after a quick road test found that they rode great. The best part was that they were on sale for less than $500 each and the owner offered to knock of $40 per bike if we bought the pair. So after a quick deliberation in the car we decided to go ahead without even looking anywhere else. So on Sunday, which was a bit nicer weatherwise, we went for our first ride. The bikes work well but will need a bit of adjustment to get the brake and shifter levers in the right position. So now I am keeping the other bike on the trainer in the basement for working out. We still have not come up with a solution to the problem with Chris' car. Looks like it may need a clutch job which will cost around $800. Not sure it's worth it. So for now the car sits in front of the house. We have the suitcases and back packs out and are starting to organize and pack our stuff for the trip. The swim fins are a little bigger than I thought and are going to pose a challenge getting them in the suitcase. Dianne and I both got fitted for new contact lenses on Friday. Dianne wanted some she could wear comfortably and see underwater while snorkeling and my old ones were in need of replacement. I'm not sure about these new ones, however, as they are soft and are taking a bit of getting used to. We both have the disposable ones that you toss after two weeks and put in a new pair. I'll see how things feel next week when I go back to get them checked out. It's been cold and blustery here for the past couple of days and we have had some rain which is good for the lawn. But it sure isn't very inviting for biking. Thursday, May 04, 2006
Stops & Starts
Looks like it maybe a clutch problem on Chris' car which is strange because it was working fine before the timing belt broke. As it is, we are at a standstill because there's no way I'm going to attempt a clutch job. I can't do too much more today as I have to drive to the west end to have my teeth cleaned by my favorite hygienist. Wednesday, May 03, 2006
If It's Not One Thing It's Another
Well, I spent most of the day finishing up the repairs I started on Chris' Acura last week. Had to leave it for a few days as duty called. After cleaning things up a bit and reinstalling the distributor, plugs and wires I made the supreme test. Lo and behold the thing started up with the first crack and ran like a charm. Now it just needs to be timed. It looks like nothing was damaged when the belt broke. But just when I was feeling pleased with myself and as I was trying to drive the car out of the garage I discovered that the clutch was not disengaging, so now it's back to troubleshooting that tomorrow. With a couple of weeks to go before our trip I guess we better start doing some packing and organizing our essentials for the carry on luggage. We want to make sure we can get by if our checked luggage gets lost. Monday, May 01, 2006
Go Oilers Go!
So the Oilers pulled it out of the fire at the last minute tonight winning the first round playoff spot to the Redwings. Good on ya guys! Now let's hope they can be as productive for the next two rounds. As it was there was pandemonium in downtown Edmonton this evening. Traffic was backed up along Whyte ave as I was trying to get home from a meeting. Sandi started her new summer job today. She is working at Fort Edmonton Park as an interpretive guide. She portrays an early 20th century worker and has to wear a costume cira 1910. The standing joke around the house is that she will be churning butter all summer. There's darkling clouds on the horizon and the temperature has taken a dip. They are forecasting the possibility of flurries for the next couple of days and I can't say that I am surprised. People are always lulled into a false sense of security this time of year and just as they get out to do yard work or other summery things we are hit with a spring storm as winter lashes out one more time before settling down for the summer.
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