The Engleson Files

So far this holiday Svea has been an absolute dream. Everyday she just continues to be a happy, content girl who loves to hang out outside and enjoy everything it has to offer; we hope this trend continues as she grows older.

Well, today my Dad, my brother and I met up with my Uncle Case up at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Course in Kelowna at 6:45am to get in a round. Now for those of you who do not know, Gallagher’s is an absolutely fantastic golf course which usualy costs $120+ a round, but here’s the secret, get out before 7:00am and it only costs $50. Anyways, it is a spectacular course and was a great day out with family. I ended up shooting a 93, my brother a 91, my Dad a 94 and my uncle a 99. Then, Case and Aunt Joan had us all over to their gorgeous house (which is located on the 14th hole of the golf course) for a fatastic meal and non-stop wine - it was just a fantatic day. Thanks guys! Here’s hoping we can get out again on Friday.

Wow! What a wonderful experience I had last night at the BC Hockey Hall of Fame Ceremony. Last night Brett Hull, Dennis Kearns, Bob Hall and Brian Burke were inducted into the Hall, and luckily for all of us Mr. Burke brought along the Stanley Cup for all to enjoy. Now, I have seen the Cup once before but it was only for a few brief seconds before they whisped me away to keep the line moving along; but last night was a totally different expereince. For $20, which all proceeds went to Canuck Place, I was able to hang out with Cup for, at least, 45 minutes to an hour (alone) and was able to just look, touch and revel in all that it had to offer - it was absolutely fantastic! In looking at the Stanley Cup, the real charm of the trophy is in all its imperfections throughout. From afar it looks perfect, but close up you can see all the scrapes, knicks, dents and spelling mistakes that cover it; and in my opinion, is where the real beauty is hidden. There is definitely something magical about the Stanley Cup and I was like a kid in a candy store last night that couldn’t get enough.

Did you know…

- It takes 14 bottles of beer to fill up the Stanley Cup.
- The 1980/81 New York Islanders are, in fact, spelled - Ilanders
- The Stanley Cup actually claims that Vancouver has won it twice - 1915 and 1917
- 14 teams can fit on one ring of the Stanley Cup, and no more rings will be added to it. When one ring is finished, the upper one is removed and then placed into the Hockey Hall of Fame; therefore, the Anaheim Ducks will remain on the Stanley Cup for another 63 years.

As for the ceremony, it too was fantastic. Big Pat Quinn was there and many told some very funny stories about him and his time in the game, and others like Ken Hitchcock, Dave Nonis and Brian Burke also gave some wonderful, funny insight into the game that we all love. This event is a highlight on my yearly calendar and last night did not disappoint at all.

Well, for those of you who remember, last year at the Hall of Fame ceremony I had a bit of an awkward moment with the Ducks general manager and vowed to myself to rectify this this year. All year, I kept thinking of something to say to him and thankfully to Oilers GM Kevin Lowe I had an in. So, while loitering around the Stanley Cup, Mr. Burke happened to walk by with his baby daughter in hand. I stretched out my hand, congratulated him on his victory and thanked him for bringing the Cup to Penticton for all of us to enjoy. Then, I asked if he was ready to kill Kevin Lowe over what he had just done with Dustin Penner. Burke shot me a condescending look and then replied, “wouldn’t you?!” and then walked away. So, after 2 years, the score is Brian Burke 2 - Craig Engleson 0. Damn him! I knew I should have stayed my Getzlaf zinger!!

Click here to see why Burke responded the way he did.

A new advancement with Magnus this year has been his promotion to Captain on Dad’s boat. Everytime we go out on it now, Magnus insists on driving/steering the boat all by himself (all the while sitting on Grandpa’s lap, of course). Again, he takes his job very seriously when driving and is always asking if everyone is doing “okay”. He has already logged 2+ hours of driving and has easily drove 20+ kilometers in distance on Okanagan Lake - we now just need to get him to drive in a straight line!

While her big brother has been getting into every mess possible, Svea has simply been having a great time on the beach in the sunny Okanagan. She tolerates riding in the boat, kinda likes going into the water but loves hanging out and playing in the beautiful Okanagan fresh air.

Well, today was the 6th day of Magnus’s stitches, which meant it was the day to take them out. Now, one way we could have taken them out would have been to go back to the hospital or a walk-in clinic and pay the $80 to have them removed, or, phone some friends who can do the job for us for free - we chose option B. So, my Mom phoned a friend who is a retired dentist and quite efficient with stitch removal to come to our home and snip away here. Expecting the worse, I thought Magnus was going to kick and scream but he was quite calm and did exactly what he was told to do in order to get the job done. Well done Magnus, you earned your green popsicle magificiently!

Earlier today down at Okanagan Lake, Magnus and I stumbled upon (made) one of the greatest historical artifacts that has survived the test of time in the Okanagan Valley: The Great Temples of Okanagan Wat. In accordance with the cosmic symbolism of these great temples, legend has it that the great warrior chief, O-kun-o-Gun, built his central temple on a low plain just on the shores of the great lake to ensure proper economic viability and to maintain a strategical military stronghold throughout the valley. Over the next 300 years, between 900 and 1200 AD, the O-kun-o-Gun empire produced some of the world’s most magnificent architectural masterpieces, and today, some 72 major temples or other buildings still dot the area.

**Stay tuned for other great historical landmarks the two eager archeologists will uncover…

Wow, it’s over. Last night I just got back from a four day whirlwind tour of British Columbia’s central interior, or more specifically, Prince George. I am sorry for the lack of posts lately - I promise to be back on our regular routine from here on in. Now, for the past 4.5 years Kristin and I have had all of our household ’stuff’ in storage in PG and it was about time to go up and deal with it so we did not continue to waste $1000 a year anymore. All in all, the trip was very successful: I did what was needed to be done, I was able to catch up with some old friends and share a few pints with them and was able to see my buddy, Mr. PG, again. A great time was had!

Well, on the very first night that I travelled up to Prince George, Magnus had quite the adventure down at my parents house in Penticton. It seemed that moments before he was supposed to go to bed, Magnus was jumping on the bed and having a grand ol’ time. Now, right next to the bed on the floor was his newly inflated air mattress. So, here is the chronology of events: Magnus bounced off the bed, landed on the air mattress, bounced off that and then plowed right into Mom and Dad’s wooden dresser - yes, four stitches on the forehead ladies and gentlemen. The family had to stay at the hospital for 3+ hours until the stitches could be administered, and the whole ordeal cost us roughly $700 since we are no longer Canadian residents. Ouch! Magnus is doing very well, I hear he cried a lot at first but was calm, cool and collected later on. As I watch him run around the house now and jump off stairs and other household objects, I have to question if he has learned any lessons at all - ahhh, to be 3 again!

Well, the eighth book in the No. 1 Ladies detective Agency is out and I am already 6 chapters in. I have grown to love these charming little books about the inner workings of Botswana’s only detective agency. In this episode, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, the real husband of Zebra Drive, is about to investigate his first case, but is troubled about how to tell his wife about the assignment. Mma Ramotswe’s capable assistant, Grace Makutsi, is troubled about several things, including a date for her wedding to Phuti Radiphuti, and is also concerned about her future at the agency itself. She’s been working for Mma Ramotswe for quite sometime without a promotion and feels she should be doing better (after all, she is a 97-percent graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College.) The agency investigates a wayward husband and three unexpected, mysterious deaths at the local hospital. How will it all turn out? You will have to read for yourself, but one thing is for sure, Mma Ramotswe is back on the case!

**Look for the first book in this series to be out on the silver screen sometime in 2008!

So far this summer Svea has been having a wonderful time in Canada and has melted the hearts of all. She is just such a happy young girl who has thoroughly enjoyed meeting her new family. Sorry the picture is out of focus, but here is a nice, happy shot of the girl.

With the hot weather taking us over these days, one of the most tasty and refreshing drinks around is good old fashioned lemonade. But, here’s the thing, for whatever reason I have always found myself enjoying pink lemonade over the traditional lemon colored lemonade. Why? What is in the pink that makes it better? A close comparison of the ingredients shows little, or no, difference at all, but time and time again I still find myself drawn to the pink version. So, what about you, what lemonade do you prefer?

Summertime Drink

What is the better, more refreshing drink? Pink Lemonade Lemonade Current Results

35 (thirty-five) is the natural number following 34 and preceding 36, it can be divided equally by 7 or 5, and is the sum of the first five triangular numbers making it a tetrahedral number - and today I have officially turned this number. So, what is in a number, or more importantly, what is in the number 35? Well, the crack staff here at The Engleson Files have found some very interesting factoids about the number 35 and its importance in our daily lives. Stay tuned, ladies and gentlemen, this is riveting stuff:

Tony Esposito was the first goalie to ever wear the number 35.

In the field of astronomy, the Saros 35 solar eclipse series began on July 25th, 1870 BC and ended on January 9, 373 BC. The duration of Saros 35 eclipse was 1496.5 years, and it contained 84 solar eclipses. Also, the Messier object (M35), is a magnitude 5.5 open cluster in the constellation Gemini.

In 35 AD, Tiridates III becomes king of Parthia after he violently overthrew King Jiahida of Sisak; and in 35 BC, Illyria became a Roman province due to the fact that Pannonia was attacked by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.

In years of marriage, the 35th wedding anniversary is known as the coral wedding anniversary, and, 35 is the minimum age (in years) that one must be in order to be a candidate for election to the position of President in Ireland and/or Poland.

So, there you have it folks - the number 35.