Since coming back to China, Magnus has struggled a little with settling back into his normal routine. So, in order to try and tucker him out we take him for an evening trike ride, and then, get him going with a good old fashioned pillow fight. He loves it, the harder you throw the more fun it is, and then restful nights back in his bed.
This is me in 1978, I am 6 years old and this was my cool hand-me-down bike from my brother, Jim. This picture was taken just after the year end sports days event at Columbia elementary school in Penticton (please notice the jazzy styling effects I took hours to prepare). Now, one thing many of you probably do not know about me is that I was the ’slow bike’ champion of champions at Columbia elementary school. For the three years I attended Columbia, when it came to the slow bike race, I was untouchable. In fact, I am sure my 19.5 record still stands to this day and will remain one of those records that “cannot” be broken in the annals of Columbia elementary school records; and I bet the teachers today look up at my retired red championship ribbon hanging from the rafters and wonder, “how could a young man have set such a high standard to one of the most gruelling events at a sports day event.” Yes, I don’t know what it was, but me and that bike were just tuned into each other and had the right stuff to get the job done - it’s just too bad I was not able to perfect that damn egg toss!! Oh, the good old days.
Well, after a wonderful seven week holiday we are officially back to work today. The next couple of days are casual ‘pro-d’ days, but, work none the less - official classes begin on Friday. This year I am teaching English 12 and Creative Writing 12, and Kristin is teaching Communications 12 and Social Studies 10. So, holidays are great but I am excited (not too sure about Kristin) to get back in the classroom and continue the process of warping the minds of the next generation(s).
Ohhh, the debate over censorship and rock music has been a nasty one through the ages, and I don’t really ever see it changing. Does filthy music lyrics lead children down a dark path??? Should the government censor “damaging” music?? Well, this is a great little clip from way back when where Frank Zappa went on Crossfire to debate just that. This discussion gets very heated and I am amazed how composed Frank is able to remain. It’s a long clip, but well worth it - enjoy!
Have you ever sat down and wondered about how much progress the great city of Vancouver has done from the year 1976 to 2003? Well, if you have, you are in luck because Darren Brown @ Madness in the Middle Kingdom has just sent me a link that focuses on just that! So, if you want to see for yourself, then click here to see some pretty cool pictures of the downtown core and just how it has changed through time.
P.S. - This only works on Internet Explorer, sorry.
Well, after a long and arduous journey courtesy of Japan Airlines, we are home! All in all, the flight back (while very long and extremely boring) went according to plan; Magnus was great and no turbulence. As for our state right now, this picture above describes exactly how we all feel. Hopefully the jetlag will subside soon and we can get back to normal. Until then, talk to you soon.
Well, today is the day we leave for China. It has been an absolutely wonderful holiday and we are most sad to leave our family, friends and Canada; this was without a doubt our best holiday yet. We will see everyone again very soon - so, this is not goodbye, only so long! Thank you to everyone for their wonderful hospitality and memories! We will miss you all.
love,
Craig, Kristin, Magnus and #2
Here’s a little something nice for you to enjoy until our next post in a few days. Enjoy!
God, I have gained, at least, 10+ pounds this vacation. I feel, at least, 30+ pounds heavier, and just feel gross. Get me home right now!!
On a beautiful sunny day in the middle of summer, there is no better place than Victoria, BC. Wow, since we have been here the weather has been absolutely fantastic. Magnus has had a great time swinging on swings, riding on boats, playing in parks and soaking in everything else Victoria has to offer. I wouldn’t want to live here, but we love the fact that Joe and Judy are here so we can come and visit. Goodbye Victoria!!
Whew! Just in time, this baby is done! All in all , I am very happy with this piece and hope it gets put to good use by the kids back at Maple Leaf School. This is now my fifth piece of bone art completed and the feeling is always the same once I am finished: the end result is great, but it is the process that I love more. There were many hours spent out on the back porch reminiscing with Joe (where I believe we did solve all of the world’s problems), many hours listening to great music on Pandora music radio, many rum and cokes consumed, and many hours listening to CBC Radio 1 - it was an absolutely fantastic escape, and I thank all of the aforementioned for their help. It was also a lot of fun showing you the process as well, to which I hope you all enjoyed. So, with that said, this project is officially completed. Thanks for watching.
May not be the same context, but this is my job in a nutshell! The countdown is officially ON - work is looming large!
Here’s what the side-wing rib bones looked like after I painted them up - combining the best of all cultures, that is the Maple Leaf spirit.
A tough looking shot on the Empress grounds
Yesterday, my good friend Simon Kissinger came to Victoria for the day, to which we were able to sneak in a couple of quick games of bocce. The first game was played at the parliament building where Engleson came away with a 21-14 victory; a tight battle with many momentum shifts throughout play. Then Simon and I shifted our sights to the pristine and maticulous grounds of the Empress Hotel for game #2 - a beautiful setting, which offered many wonderful bocce scenarios. Here, Engleson was again lucky to squeak out another victory (21-19) to seal the parliamentary sweep. All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic afternoon spent with a great friend. Loved playing bocce and catching up with Simon after a years time. Thanks for coming by buddy and I hope we can do this again next year!!
Simon pacing out a possible deuce at Parliament hill
