The Engleson Files

Last night Gramma Judy, Magnus and I went down to the IMAX Theatre and watched the 2009 version of Star Trek. First off, it was pretty cool to watch a movie such as this with great visuals on the big, big screen; and the movie itself I enjoyed a lot. While I certainly cannot call myself a huge Star Trek fan, the series was certainly a large part of my youth and I am familiar with the storyline - I mean, who can forget the Wrath of Khan! I came away from this movie very impressed with how well they casted all the new characters and also how well those people performed to the standards of the old, classic characters. It was great to hear the new McCoy and Scotty belt out a few of their old lines. It definitely seemed as though the creators of this new movie were fans of the old and wanted to maintain the standards that were already forged. Not too sure if Magnus got the bug like he did with Star Wars, his only comment through the movie was, “Why are they on the spaceship all day?” Oh well, I enjoyed it thoroughly and if you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend that you do.

When I got up this morning I had no idea how monumental of a day it was going to be. For years I have been under a spell that has left me paralyzed in sea of ignorance and corporate coercion - I was brainwashed and no amount of reasoning could sway my allegiance. For as long as I can remember I have always worn Levi’s jeans and have never given one thought about changing brands. “Nope, Levi’s is all I wear,” would be common phrases I would say. Why such devotion? I have no idea. Growing up in Princeton certainly played a factor because during my high school years wearing anything else would have been grounds for a good beating - I can remember getting laughed out of the school for just wearing orange tabs! But today, for whatever reason, Levi Strauss’s 20+ year stranglehold over my choice of jeans has come to an end. Today I went down to Simpson Sears to go shopping and went right to the Levi’s section like a zombie but then something changed. My mind expanded to whole new levels of consciousness and I looked over at another section of jeans. I may never know why I decided to go over to that new section and try on a different brand but I did and I am happy for doing it. The new jeans fit great and when driving home it was as though I was seeing the world again for the first time - the birds were signing beautiful tunes, the sky was a spectacular blue and the trees were all stunningly green. I have finally grown up and I am taking my new jeans with me!

Today (thanks to Gramma Judy who scooped us some freebie tickets) Magnus and I were able to go down to the local ballpark and watch the newly acquired Victoria Seals play a game of baseball. The opponents were the dreaded Calgary Vipers, and both of us had a great afternoon down at the park. Once Magnus was fully dialed in with who the “bad guys” were versus the “good guys” he actually retained great interest for the game for two solid innings (which I think is pretty good!); he asked many questions and generally seemed to enjoy himself. The game was 6-1 for the Seals after the 6th inning but then allowed the bad guys to hit 8 runs in the 7th to continue their losing ways. The game was 3 hours long after 7 and Magnus had had enough sitting around by then; but for the price of admission it was a great day down at the ballpark watching some great (well, maybe good) baseball. Go Seals!

I have said it before and I will say it again: I like baseball but I am not a huge fan - it’s too long of a season but come October the game is as good as it gets. But, as I sat and watched the Seals game live I realized that I like baseball more than I thought I did; being outdoors, the sound of the wood striking the ball, the heckling fans, the manager kicking dirt at the umpire - it’s great! And as I contemplated my enjoyment for the game I realized that I do not have a true team that I cheer for in the Majors. As a kid I liked the Expos, jumped on the Blue Jays wagon in their glory years and will always have a soft spot for my geographic brethren in Seattle - but for a long time I have been searching for a team that I can get on board with for life - my team, but I have not found one that has solidified itself yet. So, this is where all of you come in - I want you to help me find my team. I have a very strict set criteria that I want you incorporated into your research and see if you can find me my team - this criteria is set in stone and is non-negotiable.

Here is my criteria:

- The team must be in the NL - no stupid AL designated hitter crap!
- The team must have traditional roots - we’re talkin’ 80+ years in the league here people.
- The team doesn’t necessarily have to be good, or even have a winning tradition.
- And, the back catcher on my team cannot wear the new stupid mask - it has to be old school - even this preferably!

So, there you have it folks. Your job now is to take all of these factors and find me a team that I will cheer for for life - this is serious business! I will get the hat, research the team’s history, learn everything I can and get on board! Good luck!

In the Gordon Head area where we are staying in Victoria the deer have gone absolutely nuts and are taking over the place. While the area is close to parkland, it is very developed but on a daily basis you can see 5-10 deer casing out the joint and eating everyone’s flowers. Papers warn of heads (or tails) to roll, so if I were a deer in the Gordon Head area I would get the you-know-what out of town!

Caught wind of this a few months ago from Mr. Brown but have only just recently explored the depths of what he was talking about: and that is the website to the National Film Board of Canada. On this site you can explore the many ranges of short films, animations and documentaries that have been produced over the years that explore our wonderful country of Canada. One thing Canada is not noted for is our film industry, but this definitely does not mean we do nothing of value. The NFB is totally underfunded and people always have (and continue to do) interesting and thoughtful projects that encapsulates all that is Canada - take some time and see what is out there…

The family has arrived back in the Province’s capital and are ready to relax, visit family and get prepared for the final push back to China.

Well, sadly another summer in Penticton has come and gone; the entire Engleson clan had a fantastic time in the scorching Okanagan heat and only hours removed we miss it dearly. Highlights include: visiting family, picking cherries with Svea, Magnus’s first hockey game, afternoon’s on the boat, visiting wineries, Apex hike, Engleson’s championship croquet game and happy hour on the back patio - you name it we did it all. Just want to thank Mom and Dad for all their wonderful hospitality and we all miss you guys dearly. Thanks!

Love,

Craig, Kristin, Magnus and Svea

This week the annual Peachfest festival is in full swing and today the Snowbirds came to start things off. I have seen the Snowbirds a handfull of times now but still get a rush from watching them. Unfortunately, though, due to the increasing haze from all the forest fires the show was cut short and no real stunts were done. While this was a dissapointment it was certainly most understandable. Oh well, hopefully they will be back again next year and all will be well for another great show!

The bombers have been racing in and out of the Penticton airport for days now; the fires raging in the Okanagan have certainly been felt during our stay here this year. Hats off to all of those fighting the blazes in this scorching Okanagan heat - and thanks to the pilots for giving me so many opportunities to watch the Bombers in action!

Well, another summer season is coming to an end here in the Okanagan and, once again, Kristin has loved every minute of it. Whether it has been going to the wineries, lounging on the beach, picking cherries, swimming on the boat - you name it Kristin has done it and has had a blast!

First thing you need to fully understand when it comes to waterskiing is that I suck! As a kid I never did it and have only taken it up since Mom and Dad have moved to Penticton and bought the boat; so I am now 37 years old and in my 4th year of learning - the same goes for my brother. So, a couple of years ago I was happy to just get up and ski behind the wake with two skis, and this year, thanks to Jim (I can’t have him be that much better than me!) I have attempted to drop a ski and try to weave in and out of the wake. As you can clearly see in the pictures, my brother has much sharper form than me and can control himself on one ski far better than I; however, I have been able to drop one ski and did get outside of the wake to which I am very happy about! So I continue my journey of progression with waterskiing and love getting out on the boat and ripping it up - or at least have the water rip me apart!