17-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Ladies' Aid Block
Finished size: 9"

Introducing ... LUCY!

I was looking on Kijiji the other day and found this ad for beagle puppies:

Our gorgeous beagle puppies are nearly ready to go to their new homes.

Hailey and Jones, our purebred CKC registered beagles' litter was born on Dec 2nd 2009 and so they will be 8 weeks old and ready to go on Jan 27th.

We have 9 in total, 5 girls and 4 boys.

All of them are mostly black and white, with some brown markings. No two are the same!

They are weaned, eating puppy kibble, and playing. All are healthy.

The puppies will have had their first shots and be dewormed before they leave us, and come with a health guarantee.

Mom and Dad are both on site and can be viewed.

I checked on the location and it was in Crossfield - the same town I got Snoopy, but not the same breeder.

So Mom, Jacki & I took a roadtrip up to the Green Acre Kennels in Crossfield. There was only 4 females left so we took a look at them. They were all cute and cuddly but something about one of them caught my attention. Yes she is the smallest in the bunch but I could tell she had a personality. She seems to be independent but a cuddler as well. After spending a lot of time with each I finally made the decision to get her.

So I put a deposit on and will be picking her up on January 30th. Introducing a new member to my pack - LUCY.

This it the money shot!

Me and Lucy

Please take me home now!

Lucy looking around to see why everyone else is sleeping.

16-Jan Quilt Block

Thanks to mom for helping out on this block. She did the appliqué for me.

Block name: Indiana Puzzle Variation
Finished size: 12"

15-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Birthday Cake

Finished size: 12"

14-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Hayes Corner

Finished size: 12"

13-Jan Quit Block

Block name: Greek Cross

Finished size: 9"

12-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Gamecocks

Finished size: 15"

11-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Four Crowns

Finished size: 12"

Happy 12th Birthday Snoopy!

Today is Snoopy's 12th birthday. I can't believe I've had her for 12 years now. It just seems like yesterday that mom & I were driving up to Crossfield to look at beagle puppies, not really expecting to bring one home. She took me by storm my little monster. The only puppy who came and sat at my feet as if to introduce herself and then run off to play with her siblings. Then after rough housing, she came back & sat at my feet looking up at me. She definitely picked me that day.

We have been through a lot together the two of us. From multiple moves, Cali's health issues and growing old together. She is still as independent as always, stubborn and loving. She is a unique dog.

She was a great companion to many when I managed two call centres. She and Cali were great riding the elevator, checking from crumbs in the kitchen and greeting all staff when they were working. If Snoopy could have 1 job, it would have to be a Walmart greeter as she loves people.

Coincidentally my picture from Las Vegas showed up today. So I had to get a picture of my two favourite Snoopys!

10-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Five Spot

Finished size: 18"

Comedy Show

Last night mom, dad & I celebrated my friend Sheila's birthday. Her birthday is actually New Year's eve but her husband John didn't want to go out that evening as it is usually a zoo. So he arranged for everyone to go for dinner and then the comedy show afterwards.

We went to the Blackfoot Inn, the same place that my 40th birthday party was held. Back then it was still Yuk Yuk's. It has now changed to the Laugh Shop.

Dinner was buffet which was good for me as I was still able to stick to my diet plan. They had a good selection and I was good and kept to what I could eat. Overall everyone enjoyed the meal.

We then hit the comedy show afterwards. The comics were really good and this time they were all enjoyable. I've been before where 1 or 2 are good and the rest suck. We all laughed really hard.

The evening was a success and really enjoyable. Happy Belated Birthday Sheila!

09-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Duck and Ducklings

Finished size: 10"

08-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Double Arrow

Finished size: 12"

07-Jan Quilt Block

Mom picked the colours on this one.

Block name: Facets of Color
Finished size: 9"

06-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Prairie Flower

Finished size: 8"

05-Jan Quilt Block

Block name: Capital T

Finished size: 6"

04-Jan Quilt Block

Ya! it is a nice block.

Block name: Black and White

Finished size: 12"

03-Jan Quilt Block

Another appliqué.

Block name: Bay Leaf Corners

Finished size: 9"

02-Jan Quilt Block

This sucker too me all day because it is appliqué..... I don't like applique.

Block name: Four Leaf Clover

Finished size: 9"

01-Jan Quilt Block

Here is the first of 366 quilt blocks for the year.

Block name: Happy New Year

Finished size: 9"

Happy New Year!

Welcome to a New Year. I'm not sure why, but I know 2010 will be a great year.

It might have started with me getting healthy. No this is not a New Years Resolution as I break those like most people. This actually started in December. You wouldn't know it to see me but I can feel it. In the month of December I lost 14.4 lbs - even with Christmas in there. But I didn't go hog wild during the Christmas holidays. I limited myself to 1 treat.

I had a scare with my last doctor's visit saying that I'm borderline diabetic so she sent me to a diabetic counceller and have cut sweets and carbs completely out of my diet. This is not forever, but until I get my weight under control and know how to eat healthier. I can have those again but will have to limit them as those are bad for me.

Enough about weight! I've got a few projects on the horizon for this year. First will be my Dear Jane quilt that I'm starting this month. I can't wait for my first package to arrive so I can start. This is a 2 year project ... well getting all the blocks at least.

Also I bought a 2010 quilt calendar so with my 1930s reproduction fabric I will be making 365 blocks. Yes this includes stupid appliqué (can you tell I don't like this). So by the end of this year I will have my 2010 quilt blocks completed.

I've been busy with quilts and have quite a few tops done.... now I just have to finish them. That's the part I hate.

So I'm looking forward to this upcoming year with vim and vigor!

Merry Christmas

Today was a nice day. Rod & Dana came over with Dana's parents and we had a nice afternoon/evening together. Dinner was good. Nothing major to report other than a nice family get together. We did miss Uncle Ken this year. He left for New Zealand and won't be back until April sometime.

Dad took this picture of me, mom & Jacki before our guests arrived.

Snoopy decided to crawl under the tree and sleep. She has never done anything like this before. I was sitting in the chair beside the tree and she likes to be close, so this is the spot she chose. Best present anyone could ever ask for (even though she gets fussy at times)!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Today was dad’s 76th birthday and he hasn’t changed a bit. He is still the sweet, crazy guy that we all know and love. He still looks fantastic and is still as nutty as always. He came up with a new saying today “only 24 more years and I’ll be 100!”…. only he would think of things like that. Gotta love him!!

We didn’t really do anything special for him but he didn’t want anything. Grump! Mom made him a raisin pie, which I thought he would eat in one sitting. The weather wasn’t the greatest so it was best we didn’t go out much. I had to drive Jacki home and she had a few errands. Dad came with us to get out of the house as I believe he was getting cabin fever from being cooped up due to the weather.

I have bought him some hard to find books he was reading and wished they would all be here for his birthday, but not yet. Hopefully they’ll at least arrive before Christmas.

Here’s to 76 years and to another 76! Love ya papa!!

Goodbye Las Vegas

I couldn’t sleep as I was unsure if our alarm would go off, so I tossed and turned all night. Every couple of hours I’d wake to check the time.

The room beside us started making noise around 4:30am so both mom & I tossed until mom finally got up at 5:15am.

Showered, packed and ready to go we went down and had some breakfast. After losing again at the slots we went back to our room and got our stuff so we could check out. The taxi was quick and we got to the airport in good time.

After checking in we went thru security. They had one of those machines that you stood in and it scanned you like an X-ray machine. We made it to the gate and waited for our plane to come in.

Both mom & I were tired and slept on the plane home. Thankfully it was only a 2.5 hour ride as I don’t think I could have stood any more. I was very glad to be home even though it was -16C.

Overall it was a great trip – the concert and quilt tour were well worth it. I won’t miss the cigarette smoke (my throat is just burning) NOR the porn card guys. Gambling isn’t my thing so I won’t miss that either. The shopping was fun and I wished we’d have been able to go into all the hotels but oh well. I was successful in getting my Tom Everhart lithograph and posters, so that makes me very, very happy.

It is good to be home, Snoopy was excited to see me and I missed her. Even though every night before I got into bed I would say “move over Snoopy” just as if we were home! Yes I am such a weirdo.

Would I go back to Las Vegas? I’m not sure. I guess if there was a concert that I really, really wanted to see and could stay for just 2 days maybe.

Quilt Tour in Vegas

Tired from the shopping all day and the concert last night, we drug our sorry butts out of bed early as we were being picked up between 8:30 and 9 am for the quilt tour.

Breakfast over we went to the lobby and waited for the white van with a quilt on the side to drive up.

Our guide – Sue – drove up and we were on our way. We signed up for a 4 shop tour along with lunch. We spent the morning going to 3 different shops and spent a good 45 minutes in each. We visited:

Nancy’s Quilt Shop
Christmas Goose
Fabric Boutique

We drove all the way down to Henderson and went to a very good soup and salad bar buffet. I think that was the best meal we have had all the time in Vegas. It was nice and relaxing and the food was really good – all made from scratch each day.

The final quilt shop was called – Quiltique. If I would have known, I would have saved my money and done all my shopping here. They had a lot of 1930s Reproduction fabric.

Overall the quilt tour was a huge success. On the way back to our hotel Sue drove past Wayne Newton’s estate and up to the famous Las Vegas welcome sign.

We got back to our hotel and sorted our piles of fabric. Thank goodness we came down with very light or empty suitcases as we fill both of ours with the material. Here’s hoping we aren’t overweight when we check in tomorrow!

After a little bit I asked mom if she wanted to go down to the strip the other way before we called it a night. I was getting tired and if I stopped now I would not have wanted to continue on. So out we went again, this time down the strip the other way.

We went into New York, New York and went through the casino. It was busier than ours but not by much. Continuing on we next hit Excalibur. This hotel is very family oriented and there were a TON of kids everywhere – even in the casino! We found mom’s favourite thing, the moving sidewalks and continued on. We wanted to continue onto the Luxor but got lost as the signs weren’t the greatest.

Cutting through the Luxor’s casino we continued onto the Mandalay Bay. We only got in a few shops when I saw another Jack Gallery. Of course I had to go in and I bought another poster but this time for only $20. What a price difference! The poster is called Boom Shaka Laka Laka.

Mom was getting sore with blisters and her hips and I was getting tired. So we turned around and started back. Once outside the Excalibur we crossed the street and started looking for someplace to have dinner.

We slowly made our way and stopped in at the M&M shop. It is 4 floors of everything M&Ms. From t-shirts to candy to towels to mugs. Quickly going thru the Coke shop we finally decided on dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. We had a good meal and went back to our hotel.

While mom was in the restroom I started playing a penny slot machine. She came out and found me so sat down beside me and plugged the machine. Mom eventually won $13 and I had lost $2. Overall our gambling I think I lost about $10 but that is all I really played. I could not understand how the slots worked.

We found out that there was a marathon tomorrow morning that would close down Las Vegas Boulevard so had to get up early (YET AGAIN!) so we could catch a taxi to the airport. So we went to bed early after packing our suitcases.

Total walking distance today: 2 miles

Full Shopping Day in Vegas!

Today we got up relatively early, went for breakfast and then headed out. I wanted to go shopping at the Venetian shops and over to the Forums at Caesar’s Palace. The Venetian is about 1.5 miles one way, past the Flamingo but if we go slow and take our time we should be fine.

We crossed the street from our hotel and started going thru some of the touristy shops. The t-shirts they were selling weren’t the greatest quality and were very, very thin. We walked thru the Hawaiian Market but half the booths weren’t open yet. It was nice not to see the guys with their porn cards today. They were getting annoying last night.

We were going to go into the Miracle Mile mall, but we got stopped at the entrance with people wanting us to do the “timeshare” thing. Mom got ticked so we left and continued our way up the strip. We walked by the Paris and I’m not sure why we didn’t go into it but we kept on going. It wasn’t until we got to the Venetian that we went in.

Our first real stop was at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I wasn’t too impressed. Some of the “people” looked strange and they really didn’t have that many figures. I thought there would have been a few more than what they had. I’m not sure how long we were there, but I bet it wasn’t 20 minutes.

Now onto SHOPPING! I had done some research beforehand and found that there was an art gallery that sold Tom Everhart paintings. I knew I couldn’t afford one but they also sold posters so I wanted to see what they had and would be happy with that. We went through some shops and stopped to get something to drink and sit down for a bit.

Mom had a bathroom break so I was looking at purses. Purses are a huge thing for me. I would have 100s if I could. I just love them. Anyways yes I bought one and when mom came out she got one as well. Now we had new purses for the concert tonight.

We finally made it to the Jack Gallery and I fell in love with the place immediately. The whole one side of the gallery was dedicated to Tom Everhart. His lithographs were all over the walls and there even was an original painting there. It was only $45,000 but it was magnificent. Mom sat down while I looked around and drooled at the pictures. I did find the posters in the back and picked up two – No Way Out and Dog Breath. Plus they were only $35 each so I could afford that.

Rocky, the art dealer, was a hoot. He was a huge Peanuts fan too and we got talking. He didn’t have to work hard to convince me to purchase Salute, an inexpensive lithograph. The painting was finished the day AFTER Charles Schultz died. Rocky threw in one of the posters because I bought the in-expensive lithograph. It is being shipped home as it is framed and I can’t wait for it to arrive.

You weren’t allowed to take pictures in the gallery but Rocky took our picture with the new lithograph that came in – Crashing the Party. I’d given anything to have this painting but will settle for the photograph. One day I’ll own an original Tom Everhart painting. I’d have to have a huge wall as he only does huge wall sized paintings.

On a high, we continued on in the Venetian and then made our way over to the Forums at Caesars Palace. I really liked Caesars as it was very lavish. We didn’t buy anything but enjoyed looking at the shops. It was starting to get late so we started to head back to our hotel so we could get ready for the concert tonight.

Distance walking today during our shopping trip: 3 miles

After getting back to our hotel and changed we then started the trek back up the strip to the Flamingo. We would walk until we found a place to go eat. Well we got to the Flamingo and found a burger joint in the hotel. It was not that bad and afterwards we went to the hotel shop that sold the Donny & Marie paraphernalia. They didn’t really have that much and I was really disappointed. They had a few t-shirts, but not a very large selection. Also a few mugs, but no little trinkets. We bought our t-shirts and went to the showroom. Beside the showroom was a wall display of items you could buy (they had a better selection), but there was no one there to sell anything.

We had really good seats for the concert. We both faced the stage which was nice. The concert was awesome!! We really enjoyed it and Donny was a hoot. The brother/sister banter was so funny. I am so glad that we made the trip down there. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I bought a $19 Pina Colada in the commemorative glass and mom paid $12 for her coke in her commemorative glass.

On the walk back to our hotel, we both were tired. Mom’s legs and hips were sore and I developed a blister from the high heeled shoes I was wearing for the concert. We walked another 2 miles back and forth from the concert.

Total walking distance for the day: 5 miles

Off to Las Vegas!

Well today Mom & I are off to Las Vegas! I heard that Donny & Marie were only playing until the end of the year and wanted to go see them. So about 2 weeks ago we made reservations to fly down and catch the concert on Friday. I also did some research and found a quilt tour of various shops around Las Vegas. The tour is on Saturday and it will be a whole day including lunch. I can’t wait!

We got to the airport 3 hours early as per normal, but then to find out that we can’t go through customs to the US until 2 hours before the flight. It was sure nice for them to give us notice on these things. So we sat around people watching until we could check in.

We had to remove almost EVERYTHING to get through customs - shoes, jackets, sweaters, etc. Finally we made it just to sit around for another 2 hours. Oh the fun!

Landed in Vegas and waiting for our luggage. We took the shuttle to our hotel – Monte Carlo – got checked in and then went to get something to eat. We thought we’d try the buffet in the hotel and it was a disappointment. We paid $20 each and filled out plates. The desserts were OK, but nothing really to write home about. I thought the food was supposed to be good.

I suggested to mom that we try to walk down to the Flamingo so we could pick up our tickets for the concert tomorrow night. I said we could try to go but if we didn’t make it, we still had all day tomorrow to pick them up. We’d walk to see how far we got.

It was a cool night but it was an enjoyable walk…. Until we hit the guys handing out the porno cards. These guys are on every street corner flicking their cards and trying to hand them out to people. They have no respect and hand it out to everyone – old, young, male, female. Plus the cards are lying all over the sidewalk and street.

I was playing Japanese tourist and taking pictures of everything. We saw the fountains at the Bellagio and decided to walk on the other side of the street on the way back. We did eventually make it to pick up our tickets that evening. We watched the fountain show a couple of times.

We walked through the new shopping plaza on the strip and went into Tiffany’s. The jewelry was not very nice but the diamonds sure did sparkle!

We made it back to our hotel and went up to our room. The casino wasn’t all that busy but it was not as smoky as the casino in the Flamingo. I forgot about that – smoking allowed in the casinos…… I hope I last.

Distance from our hotel – Monte Carlo – to the Flamingo and back – 2 miles total.

Dueling Pianos

Last nights work event went off great. This was the first year that I actually had a good time. Besides having to smile all night and having sore cheeks this morning, the event was a huge success.

Previously the event was in one room at the Palliser with the food in the middle of the room and a smaller presentation room to the side. Everyone hated having to squish into the smaller room for the 20 minute presentation. Most people were just there to drink and have a good time. If you wanted to get at the food, you had to get there quickly as if you did not get in line and continually walk around the tables in the centre of the room you would not get any food. Also there was never any entertainment.

Last night was different, which is mainly due to the new Sales Director. He did a great job of changing things up and making the event successful. I over heard him say he was tired of the comments “that is how we have always done it” and changed things up. We still had the same rooms as always, but the food was in the two smaller rooms off the main room. Besides being able to access both sides of the tables in these rooms, the food was different in each room. Also I’m not sure what changed but the food was a lot better. Plus it was stocked all night so you didn’t have to fill your plate and hope to get more later on. They had a hot plate in the back of each room – one was making filet mignon on a bun (like beef on a bun but more high class) and the other room had flaming shrimp. Both were really good. Also there was sushi in the one room and seafood – shrimp, crab, and escargots – in the other.

This left the main room for mingling with clients. There was tables’ setup around the room so you could stand and drink/eat while having a conversation. Also in the main room they had two pianos on a raised stage. The entertainers had put pieces of paper on each table where you could write down the song/artist you wanted them to play. It was a lot of fun trying to stump the piano players and they did an awesome job. I don’t think they did NOT play anything that was requested. Songs from Sonny & Cher to Ozzy Osbourne were requested – they played them all. It was very entertaining and they got the crowd singing along with them.

I think the best part of the evening was NOT having the 20 minute presentation. There was a short speech by the President/CEO but nothing long winded as in the past.

There was an after party at a local pub afterwards but I did not go to that. I’m not a drinker and it is just a big drunkfest. Plus I’m tired from my late night classes and needing to catch up with my sleep.

I do have a sore throat this morning, but that is from a lot of loud talking due to the amount of people in the room last night. I do feel like I was out drinking but didn’t touch a drop! The event cost about $65K but we had sponsors from various hardware and software companies sponsor us so I’m not sure what we actually paid.

Everyone I talked to last night really enjoyed the evening – myself included!

Busy couple of weeks

The start of my busy weeks has started. I am taking a Project Management course at Mount Royal University. This is just the introduction course but it is also the first course I’ve taken in over 10 years. YIKES! We’ll see how well I do, or more specifically how long my attention span is for taking the remaining courses. It will take about 2 years but I’ll then have a certificate in Project Management.

This introduction course is only 4 classes, but they are from 6-10pm Mondays and Wednesdays. The instructor seems nice and the first class wasn’t that bad. We’ll see how it goes after I’m finished. I was exhausted Tuesday morning. People at work even commented how tired I looked.

This week I have my two classes – Monday & Wednesday – and then at work we have the Customer Appreciation Event. This is the 27th Annual event and it is mandatory to attend. So I have to dress up fancy like and mingle with the mucky mucks. The event is being held in the Fairmont Palliser Hotel and it includes an after party at a local pub. There have been many stories about these parties so it should be interesting. I attended my first year working for Metafore and remembered having a blast. But I was a lonely worker bee, not in the higher profile position I’m in now.

This Saturday, Jacki & I are going to a Tibetan bazaar. That should be interesting.

Next week I have my two final classes and then on Thursday, mom, dad & I are going over to John & Sheila’s for US Thanksgiving dinner. Sheila is going to teach mom how to make real gravy in a skillet.

Next Saturday is the final wrestling event for the year.

Cali's Remembrance Day

Today was a year since Cali had gone over to the Rainbow Bridge. People who don't have pets do not understand the bond we have with our pets. The bond is very strong.

Snoopy and I went to Fish Creek - Hull Woods for a nice walk to remember Cali. We had gone here once with Cali before and I thought it would be a nice change for the both of us. Even though Snoopy had to be on-leash, I let her pick the way. She took us along a creek to the river and along the riverbank. It was a very nice day for our walk. It was a little cold but we were thankful there was no snow.

I took some pictures of our adventure today.

Creek that was frozen over but it was cracking and starting to melt.

Snoopy loves logs, so I was able to get a picture of her checking things out.

Here is a Spooky tree we came upon the final leg of our walk.

A few comments made from people about Cali today:

Sheila Pinkney - "Have a nice day today. Don't cry to much. I know that is impossible, but do try. Remember the good times and all the love Cali gave you. I smile when I think of her looking up at me through the glass table wanting to be fed."

Jacki Jenkins - "Hey there. Just wanted to wish you a day of good memories & Cali licks. You know the ones where she uses her entire tongue. Don't cry its a great memory I cherish. Makes me miss her but brings her close. Feels that tongue licking & I smile."

Linda Jetty - "((hugs)) to you my friend. Cali was with you in spirit on the walk."

Ross Lemon - "We didn't loose a puppy, we gained an angel. Cali is always with us :)"

Chef William D. Jenkins

We were talking about dinner and I asked dad when he is going to cook for mom & me. He asked what we wanted to have for dinner so I suggested chicken, green beans and either couscous or potatoes. So tonight when I came home for work, mom was down in the basement in her quilt room and dad was busy in the kitchen. I got mobbed by Snoopy & Paige as per normal, put my coat away and mom was coming up the stairs. I went up to the kitchen and here dad is cooking away.

Well guess what we had for dinner! Chicken – mom had to show dad how to do it but she left him so he had to watch it, green beans (he said it took him forever! to prepare them) and potatoes. It was a very nice surprise. He had also spent the afternoon making oatmeal raisin cookies. He is becoming a good cookie maker.

Dad also has a habit about not helping with the dishes as he seems to “disappear” with a million & one excuses – “I’ve got to brush my teeth”, “I’ve got to wash my hands”, etc. etc. By the time he comes back from WHATEVER he does, the dishes are done. So I told mom that we are going to have to cook, use every dish, pot, pan & utensil and then quickly leave so dad has to clean up.

After tonight’s dinner though I think I’ll let the dishes slide as he did a really good job with dinner & cookies for desert too!

Happy 70th Birthday / Halloween

Today was mom’s 70th birthday. For turning 70, she sure looks and acts great! She is like she is in her second childhood, which is a good thing!!

Jacki & I took mom shopping today, for nothing in specific just to spend time together. I was able to get a good haircut today and to top it off it only cost me $16.80!

Last night dad took the family – mom, Jacki, Rod & myself out for mom’s birthday dinner at this hole in the wall Chinese Restaurant. This was a last minute thing so Uncle Ken couldn’t make it. Dana has been sick so she was at home. So it was a wonderful family dinner with just the 5 of us. We all had a good time and went to Jacki’s afterwards. It was just a short walk to/from Jacki’s place.

Mom wanted an ice cream cake from Marble Slab and has been talking about it all week. She pouted that she didn’t get one Friday night after dinner but she didn’t know I had bought one and it was in the freezer at home.

My friends John & Sheila came over Saturday to surprise mom with a gift and we had the cake then. Sheila has adopted mom & dad because she is an orphan. So mom’s OTHER daughter got her a nice table centerpiece with candles on it.

Halloween was very slow and we only had maybe 30 kids. Normally there are a ton of kids around but tonight it was dismal. I shut the door and turned the light off at 7:30pm.

I watched The Rocky Horror Picture show in full (I’ve always only seen parts of it) and was disappointed. I guess my tastes have changed or it wasn’t what I expected.

My dad the groupie

So Theron Fleury wrote a book and there was his book signing today at one of the Chapters in town. Dad knew about it for a week now and today he was humming and hawing about going. I went over to Jacki's so we could do some shopping. We called home to mom to see if she wanted to come with us but she didn't. She did mention that dad was going to go to Chapters to get Fleury to sign his book. This was at 2:30pm.

We dropped him off and warned me before hand that he might have to stand in line for a while as the signing started at 2pm.

At 3:30pm, he called Jacki and told us Fleury just finished his speech and was starting to sign books.... plus there were about 400 people in front of him!

Around 5pm Jacki & I went to Chapters to see how far long dad was and he was still WAY back in line. We went to get him some water and told him to call us when he was done as he didn't want to leave now.

Well around 7pm I called him again and he indicated he was about 25 people from Fleury. So I drove to pick him up and as I got into the store he had just finished getting his signature.

So dad waiting in line for 5 hours to get Theron Fleury's autograph. I guess Fleury said that he would stay there all night to sign autographs as he didn't want to miss anyone.

Dad also said that the employees from Chapters thought there were about 600 to 1,000 people at the signing - the biggest they have ever had!

So my dad was a groupie today and has a story to tell for a little while now.

Boring October

So there really hasn't been much going on this month. I tried to arrange an outing to the local corn maze (I've never been) but the weather turned crappy and then it closed. Next year I'm gonna go in August!

Thanksgiving came and went. My friends John & Sheila & Jaime came over and we all had a good time. It was nice to have the family (included adopted Pinkneys!) to dinner.

I've been sick lately and am finally going to see the doctor this Thursday. I've had all my bloodwork, etc done so I'll see what she says then. If I don't go bald beforehand! I've been losing my hair in clumps and it is getting really, really thin.

Went to wrestling last night and it was ok. I have been in a kind of funk and don't know how to explain it but live goes on.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Wow, what an event. The Dalai Lama is the most profound speaker I’ve ever had the opportunity to listen to. He had such calmness about him and I had such a relaxed, peaceful feeling after the event.

Jacki texted me around 9:30 saying she was heading home to get ready for the event. I had taken a ½ day vacation but couldn’t leave that early. I informed her that I would let her know when I was on my way to pick her up.

After talking with my boss, I let Jacki know that I was on my way to pick her up. This was around 11 am. I met her at Starbucks (seems that we hit Starbucks before we do anything!), picked up a coffee and drove down to the grounds. I’m saying we got to the grounds at 11:15 and I am glad we did.

Walking up to the Saddledome, we saw a huge line up to get into the building. Also there were tents around and a lot of security people and volunteers. One volunteer stopped us to tell us that we could not take our drinks inside and asked if we had any cameras. Cameras were not allowed into the event. I wished I would have known that beforehand as we had to check our cameras. I hoped we would get them back. They also checked my purse as it had to be a certain size to be let in otherwise you had to check that as well. I was safe.

So cameras checked we got into the long line-up. The doors didn’t open until 11:30 and we chatted with a couple of ladies in front of us who had come in from Cochrane. We waited what seemed to be a long time and the line was moving horribly slow. Not until we got just to the doors did we see what the hold up was. Every person was being scanned with the security wands and purses/bags searched.

Finally we made it thru security, had our tickets scanned and were in the building! There were table’s setup around the concourse where you could purchase T-shirts and bags. Various tables had Tibetan items you could purchase as well – it depended on the vendor. Jacki bought me a nice Yak blanket and herself a shawl. The vendor kept telling everyone “Wash cold water, little soap and dry 5 minutes”.

With items in hand we walked the concourse. There were a few nice items and Jacki bought a couple of T-shirts. While walking around the concourse I saw a monk so I walked right by him and accidently (intentionally) bumped into him (so now I’m really blessed!). Of course I said excuse me. We weren’t hungry but went and stood in line to get to the washroom. Lucky we did this as again the lines were starting to get busy!

So bladders emptied, items in hand we found our seats. We were on the lower bowl right beside the stage. We weren’t sure where he was going to give his speech as the stage was full of chairs/stands for an orchestra. There was a little raised stage at the back and we were hoping that is where he would be.

On the back of each of the seats in the Saddledome were white scarves. The white scarves (or kata) are a traditional Tibetan greeting that symbolizes purity of intention.

An orchestra came out at 1pm and played for about ½ an hour. Following that, Mark Tewksbury came out and was the Emcee for the event. He along with Sandra Oh (from Grey’s Anatomy) did a good job. There were a few performances – school children putting on a mini-play and light show, Tibetan singers/dancers and finally a 200 person choir.

Once the choir completed, the lucky kids got to sit on the stage. The UofC made a presentation to give the Dalai Lama an honorary Doctorate in Law. Then the Dalai Lama came out. The whole crowd stood and gave him a standing ovation. Of course at that time everyone was in their seats and the place was packed. All you could see was a sea of white scarves.

The UofC presentation over, the Dalai Lama started thanking them for the honorary degree and said that it is amazing he got that as he was the laziest student there ever was. Unbeknownst to him everyone in the crowd was still standing and he talked for a good 5 minutes before one of his entourage came and whispered that we were still standing. At that point he told everyone to sit down.

He spoke for a good hour talking about peace, compassion (how everyone is born with this and seems to lose it along the way), science and the youth. He was very awe inspiring to listen to. At the end he asked for questions and Mark Tewksbury came out with a list of them. Of course he answered them with dignity.

Leaving the Saddledome there was such a feeling of calm and peacefulness. He indicated he had no magic powers, but his presence was magical. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event and I am sure glad I went. If everyone in the world could be 1/16th as compassionate as him I’m sure we’d all be in a better place. I’m just hoping the youth who attended got his message and will make the next generation a generation of Peace and not death.

Black Ants

I had this very strange dream last night. I was somewhere in the jungle and then in the desert after getting off a sailboat and submarine. All I can really remember is having these huge black ants crawling all over me and having a hard time trying to get them off. You really had to knock them off with force and then step on them as they would start crawling all over you again. The ant looked exactly like the following picture and was about 3 inches long.

It was weird and I woke up kicking. Poor Snoopy, she has to deal with my freaky dreams.

Quilting and Wrestling

Well I would never have thought that quilting and wrestling would be such a match but it seems so today. Mom & I went to the Creative Stitches craft show today. I spent more money than I intended but it was a good show. I wasn't really going to get anything special, maybe some reproduction 1930s material to add to my stash. But I bought 48 fat quarters of 1800 type material and the Jane Stickle quilt CD.

I first saw the Jane Stickle quilt when I took some quilts in to be long arm quilted. The lady had a framed poster of this quilt and I immediately fell in love with it. She showed me a few pieces she was working on but I never thought much of it again. Mom just recently got a few quilts back from her and I went with her to pick them up. This time I took a picture of the quilt and was going to do some research on it when I had time at work.

This quilt was made by a lady named Jane Stickle in the 1800s. She finished this quilt that is currently in a museum in 1863. It has become a mecca for quilters and very popular. There are 225 blocks and over 5000 pieces in this quilt.

This is what the original quilt looks like and I'm hoping whenever I get my quilt done it will be similar:

I am also going to blog about the quilt as it is a long journey and something many people have done. It won't be for a while as I have a few other projects I want to get out of the way first but stay tuned.

So what does quilting have to do with wrestling you ask? Well tonight I went to wrestling. It is the old style wrestling matches like the Stampede wrestling when I was growing up. Growing up I had two substitute teachers who eventually became wrestling gods - Brett & Owen Hart. It is a lot of laughs for only $20.

Tonight standing in line waiting to get in we all see the wrestlers leave and go to another part of the building. We are all wondering what is going on as the ring it all setup and are confused. I saw my friend from Junior High who works with the wrestling association and he told me that the room the wrestlers normally use was already taken up..... by a QUILTING BEE! I thought that was funny!

The events tonight were good with a few new characters and a mixed match (man & woman team). The crowd was strange tonight as they were not paying attention half the time and the wrestlers couldn't get them going. But all in all it was a fun evening.

I took some pictures to post. My camera is slowly dying and it needs to be replaced but I was able to capture a few pics.

This "BUTT" shot was at the end of one match. I don't think the wrestler realized that half his cheek was showing.

This is Ravenous Randy.... he was supposed to have made it to the big league but something happened and he is back. He is a tremendously gifted athlete and a crowd favourite. It was nice to seem him back tonight.

Finally we have "M" who is a bad guy. Looks like he has his Halloween costume already!

September is Almost Gone

Well this month has been a whirlwind of activity, starting the month off with the closing of the WorldSkills competition project. Working the 1 day down at the grounds was a lot of fun. The project completed with a lot of success. This was my first major project of any substance. Needless to say we were able to bill this out at over $100K! Too bad I don’t get a commission for running it successfully.

Unfortunately because I worked September 5th, I did not get to enjoy the LONG weekend. Monday was nice to have off though. John & Sheila came over, we made perogies and we watched the Stampeders game. We had a nice meal and day.

I did go to Sheila’s on Friday September 11th and we girls had pizza and watched the Stampeders game. John was out of town but luckily he made it in time to watch the game with us. His business is starting to take off and I am so excited for them both. It will be interesting in a couple of years to say “I knew John when he was first starting out!”….. That is when he is a multi-millionaire, which I know IS going to happen.

Sheila & John had a birthday dinner and a movie on Saturday for me. Sheila cooked another great meal with corn pasta. It was really good. We then went and saw Inglorious Basterds which I loved. It was kinda gory but I really enjoyed it. Quentin Taratino is one of my favourite movie makers.

I did take my birthday off – September 14th – but really didn’t do anything special. It was a hard day for me. That day a year ago was the first day that Cali started to go downhill. That was the day that she fell over when I took her outside to do her business. I don’t think my birthday will be special for me anymore, just a very sad reminder.

I had cashed in some of my air miles points and got 2 tickets to the Flames pre-season game. I took Dad (of course!) and I think he had a good time. The unfortunate part was that we were in the nose bleed section – 5 rows from the TOP of the Saddledome.

On Thursday I was lucky to get 2 prime tickets to the Flames game. Again this was a pre-season game but it was also the game where Theoren Fleury made his debut back with the NHL. He didn’t play the greatest during the regular game, but got the winning goal in the shoot out. The crowd loved him and kept cheering for him. Dad and I sat right on the centre line on the first balcony. The seats were AWESOME – they should be for $295 each! Thank goodness I got them for free.

Last Saturday was the Corporate Challenge Volleyball Tournament. This year we made it into the challenge and since I love volleyball I joined up for the company’s team. There were only 2 girls – myself and another – so there were no substitutions. We played two sets only. We lost the first set and won the second. The team we beat had to win over the team we lost to for us to go on. That didn’t happen so I was home early. It was a lot of fun and we are looking at joining a league to play in the winter.

I started to go to Yoga at work Tuesdays. It is during the lunch hour and has been really relaxing so far. We go until the middle of November so I should be very flexible by then.

This Saturday Mom and I are going to the Creative Stitches event down at the Stampede grounds. There should be a lot of quilting supplies and material to be bought! I also am going to wrestling Saturday night so I’m gonna be tired Sunday.

Next Wednesday, Jacki & I are going to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Saddledome. I am very excited to see and hear him speak. It will be a once in a lifetime experience.

In October I’m organizing a trip to a local corn maze and we’re also gonna be picking pumpkins!

Big Toe Dream

Ok here is another classic weird Valerie dream. Only I can have such vivid dreams. This was a short dream so this will be a short post. Plus I have to get up early and work tomorrow morning (ug! a Saturday on a long weekend!).

I had stubbed my toe the other day on my bed and it has been a little sore. Last night I a dream that my toe started to swell. It was very uncomfortable and I was lying down but couldn't get to relax or comfortable. I did wake up a few times in a fitful sleep trying to get comfortable. The dream goes on and the toe starts to get bigger and bigger when it finally is the size of a large grapefruit. It was so huge and I couldn't get comfortable. I woke with a start and had to turn on the lights to see if my toe indeed was huge but it wasn't. It still took me what seemed like forever to get back to sleep as I couldn't get comfortable.

I woke this morning with a normal size toe and a beagle sleeping with her head on the pillow snoring beside me. What more can a person ask for!

Nothing new going on here lately so nothing really to write about. Once this WorldSkills is complete I'll be able to have some adventures and stories to write about.