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Tragically Hip Live

August 9, 2016

It’s hard to (say it’s sad but true) believe that I may have seen the Tragically Hip Live (between us) for the last time this summer (is killing me).

In an effort to truly appreciate and retain this notion Shan and I bought tickets in both Calgary and Winnipeg. It would be futile to discuss which was the better show because they were both brilliant performances. Everything from the outfits to the playlists. Both performances from the heart and genuine like only Gord and the boys could deliver.

For the Winnipeg show we had some shirts made each with our favorite quotes on them. All 20 or so of us met before the concert at a restaurant and looking around that room at my friends with these shirts on flooded my thoughts with memories of the Hip. Camping with Al, Another Roadside Attractions, looking for Gord with Timmy in the Keystone Centre, Pigeon Camera 20 times at Boston Pizza, that blizzard, the countless concerts with the boys, and skating our hearts out as Three Pistols.

Standing beside Ratte at this one when “Ahead by a Century” came on thinking about how many times I drunk dialed that song for him at concerts when we were apart. In fact I remember when the internet was still a mystery and using Ponch’s 56K modem to download that song when it was brand new so that I could play it back for Ratte over the phone. It took like 9 hours but I stayed up.

On my other side; arm in arm with Shannon swaying back and forth to “Wheat Kings” and singing along. Thoughts of our wedding and how we had to have “Are we Family” as our exit song. Tonight her shirt reads “If a song can’t save us, then nothing can” and tonight I believe that.

Watching Gord, Shan said it felt like she didn’t want to take anymore from him. Like he was giving us what we needed in spite of himself. But I also saw a man doing what he loves to do and in the process saying goodbye to the fans who truly adore him. Imagine being diagnosed with terminal cancer and deciding it was time for one more trip across Canada. It’s pretty amazing really and I’m truly richer for having seen them this summer. When Gord stayed out and waved goodbye to the crowd I felt as if I got to say goodbye too.

Hey can we get a little New Orleans is sinking for Paul Ratte? It’s his birthday!

Blue Lake 2016

July 23, 2016

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Travel, Yada, Yada, Yada

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Last year we camped at Blue Lake on the way to Thunder Bay and the kids loved it. This year we asked the Ratte’s and Morrison’s to meet us there for what would be the most epic camping trip to date!

We were supposed to leave on Sunday but I received a text from Paul letting me know that they were going up Friday. I looked online and could not get the site I booked early so I figured I would just stick to the Sunday departure time. After talking with Shan we decided to pick up a different site for the extra couple of days and we rushed to get packed and ready to leave Friday morning. Seven days is officially the longest we have been camping as a family to date.

Now camping with friends makes it all worthwhile. The kids just entertained themselves it seemed. Lexi was gone from the moment we stepped outside until bedtime. She played with Alyssa, did hand knitting, played games, and read her chapter book by the fire. Ashlyn has become such a swimmer this year it was hard to keep her out of the water. She also kept busy collecting worms, teasing the boys, and playing with her babues. She also loves to play with Haddon so when he arrived she was in heaven. It was such a nice trip.

More Photos

Camping tips for Blue Lake:

Firewood: The first night we arrived I bought firewood at the park like a dummy. I spent $21.00 on 3 tiny bundles that we burnt through sparingly between 6pm and midnight. I like to have fire in the morning sometimes as well so you figure at least 4 bundles a day at $7 each will add another $170 to the fire over the 6 days there. On top of the $300 we paid for the site that adds up. On the second day Paul and I drove to Oxdrift Country Store (about 20 mins past Vermillion Bay). There we met a nice lady who was selling 3 larger bundles of wood for $10. She ended up giving us 12 bundles for $35 which we burnt constantly at $3.00/bundle. Feel free to call ahead to make sure she has stock 1 (807) 937-4052.

The Poopers: At first I always liked Blue Lake for it’s flush toilets. It added that taste of home just in case you wanted to rough it and still have the dignity that comes with a flushable toilet. Of course you must bring your own toilet paper from home. This year I found it much better in the “plop toilets”. My reasoning for this is simply for the privacy it provides and the accessibility. I found myself competing for the flushers too often. Walking toward them with my toilet paper in hand and making eye contact with another camper who also has toilet paper in hand…both our pace quickening…butt cheeks clenched in anticipation just to be elbow to elbow in those tiny stalls! Not me, this year I went plopper. Just me and the clicking the of the automated light timer. Use as much toilet paper as you like in there as well because you’re not going to bung anything up.

Dogs: Bring em. There are lot’s of dogs here and as long as you keep them off the beach nobody complains. There is basically a “no dogs past this point” line on the beach but it’s reasonably close so you can bring your dog to the beach and sit a little further back with your pet and still go in the water. I also noticed several spots for them to swim off the hiking trails so that is nice too.

Busters BBQ: Just because you are camping doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself! “Busters” is a five minute drive from your campsite and guess what? It’s air-conditioned and there are no bugs inside. It was super nice on our last night to break away from cooking and eating in the heat and covered in bugs. Make a reservation though (1-807-227-5256) because we went on a Wednesday night and it was packed.

Busters BBQ

July 23, 2016

peever

Food, Meat

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Address: 177 Highway 17 VERMILION BAY, ON
Phone: 1-807-227-5256
Menu: bustersbbq.com

We were camping at Blue Lake again this year and it’s hard not to notice Busters BBQ on the way in. Years ago Paul bought me some of their Blueberry BBQ Sauce and I remember it being a commodity back then and I also saw it on “You Gotta Eat Here” so we decided to make a reservation one night to go and try it out.

We went on a Wednesday night and this place was packed. Nothing happened fast here but the staff was extra nice so it hardly even mattered. Al and I decided on splitting some wings to start because they were $14 and I had to see what that was about. 1LB of wings for $14 is robbery if you ask me. Wing night at “Upstairs in the Village” I usually take down 3LBS and an iced tea for under $13 so paying $14 for a pound is a stretch. To top it off I asked if we could split the flavours up and try a couple and she said “no it’s too busy”. Anyway, it turns out the wings were just wings. No gold dust, no special crisp, just regular wings with the Blueberry Chipotle sauce. Plus we got one of those “defect” wings that is a cross between a wing and a drum – I hate that.

$14 Wings

For dinner the menu specified a few items that were featured on “You Gotta Eat Here”, so I tried the Beef Bacon Cheddar sandwich and it was pretty dry. Ratte had the ribs and he said they were “pretty good” but he also ended up asking for a side of sauce. Dry seemed to be a common theme which is odd for a place known for it’s BBQ sauce. I think we all wanted the sauce to really stand out. What did stand out for me was the sweet potato fries with a side of cajun mayo. The fries were so good that I called back the morning we were leaving so that I could pick some up for the road home.

The next time we are at Blue Lake I will go back just for the sweet potato fries and end up trying something else with that hard to come by sauce.

Fruits and Veggies

July 8, 2016

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Food, Lexi & Ashlyn

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We went strawberry picking at Boonstra Farms this afternoon and got to taste what strawberries taste like when they move across plants and not trucks. We filled 2 baskets while Ashlyn filled her face. It was a great day just to be hanging outside really. We did the petting zoo before we left and then stopped for ice cream on the way home. We tried to hit up the “Spotted Cow” on North Main but was surprised to find out it isn’t even there anymore? So we hit “Scoops” on Main where Ashlyn discovered “Tiger, Tiger” for the first time!

OK, everybody knows I am not a huge fan of the fruits and vegetables food groups. Sometimes I will set a good example for the kiddies at dinner time but it’s not uncommon for me to skip the greens when making my plate. The kids have called me on it before asking mommy “why doesn’t daddy have to eat the vegetables?”. That’s when I tell them a little story about when I was their age…

Well you see children, when I was just a little boy growing up I ate soooooooooo many vegetables that when I got older I didn’t need to eat them as much. If you eat all your vegetables now you can be the same as daddy.

I truly believe that. But I also know that my body needs that green rodent food to function so this year we planted a garden! There is something wonderful about eating food you grew yourself. It tastes so much better. So I built these garden boxes, shoveled a bunch of soil, and Shan planted us some seeds. We went to Mandy’s Greenhouse for our seeds and plants because she is one of my favorite people, and because I made her website many years ago. She gave us so much awesome info while we were there too.

BEFORE

AFTER

Now I have been fussing over these plants for months now and tonight we got our first taste of the lettuce we planted. We made this awesome garden salad and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed watching the girls eat it too, seeing as they don’t usually touch leafy greens. I think they wanted to try it too, mainly because we grew it ourselves. I can hardly wait to try the rest of what we planted. What have I become?

You don’t make friends with salad.

Hip Summer

July 4, 2016

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Yada, Yada, Yada

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Summer holidays have officially started.

This summer is being dubbed the summer of the Hip. When the fan club pre-sale started we were all online trying our best to get tickets and luckily I think we got everyone covered one way or another. While I was trying for Winnipeg, Shan was getting seats in Calgary. Looking forward to taking in that show with Tim and Les and then following the band back to Winnipeg for likely the last time we will ever see them live. Pretty sad to think about really.

Brey had the great idea to get some shirts made up with our favorite Hip quotes as a tribute. This inspired me to really listen to some Hip in the past couple weeks and memories flooded in. I also realized I hardly ever really listen to music anymore. I mean, it’s on in the car and in the kitchen when I’m making dinner or cleaning up. It’s on my computer right now but I’m not really listening am I? One night last week I slept in the basement and just put the Hip on random and really listened. I forgot what that was like to be honest and vowed to do more headphones this summer.

If a song can’t save us then nothing can

I am looking forward to a slow paced summer of camping, good friends, and really listening to The Tragically Hip.

Bisita

June 26, 2016

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Food, Meat

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Address: 637 Corydon Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3M 0W3
Phone: (204) 615-7423
Menu: bisita.ca/

Managed to pop in to Bisita this weekend to see my buddy Rod. He owns the “Pimp my Rice” food truck you have likely seen around the city has parlayed that into a restaurant. It’s called Bisita meaning: guest, visitor.

It’s a great little spot on Corydon with a nice little patio (for the freaks who like to eat outside) and the food is amazing. Roddy started us off with a little “Lumpia Shanghai” which I highly recommend. Basically a Filipino-style spring rolls filled with minced pork and mixed vegetables, drizzled with sweet soy. We also had another version of this with a sriracha mayo that was also delicious with a bit more heat (shown above).

Shan ordered “Okoy” which is Deep-fried shrimp, kamote (sweet potato), and bean sprout fritters, served on a bed of leafy greens. It was really good too and another person at our table commented that she “doesn’t usually like this type of thing, but this one is good”. I tried a little and it was yummy but I usually stay away from shrimp. Of course I had to try the “Adobo chicken wings” and found them to be a nice change from the usual. So good.

Bisita Adobo Chicken Wings

We finished with the “Lechon Kawali” – A 24-hour brined pork belly is braised then fried. This was my attempt at something adventurous. It was good I’m the guy who peels all the fat from a slice of prime rib. The others liked it, but again not my taste.

I am not an expert on authentic Filipino cuisine but it was damn good. A solid 9/10 for me and we will certainly be back. Also it was great to see one of the original Gwoods so happy and doing so well for himself. Nice to see you old friend you cook something fierce.

Cibo Waterfront Cafe

June 19, 2016

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Food, Meat

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Address: 339 Waterfront Dr, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0G8
Phone: (204) 594-0339
Menu: cibowaterfrontcafe.com

Had a really good meal at Cibo on Waterfront Dr. Yes, I know parking sucks down there and the nice man in the suit pants made that clear when he told us we couldn’t park in the nice little parking lot next to the restaurant; “it’s for hotel guests only!”. I’m sure he gets sick of telling people that and my response “hotel? What hotel” I am sure aged him a little.

I dropped off the girls and went to find parking. On my way in I saw our party on the patio and my first response was “nice patio” and “I don’t eat outside”. Big thanks to Mike for making the reservation though because this place was packed and it was all they had. I sucked it up.

Menu was reasonably priced. We ordered some wine and our meals right away because Mike and the ladies needed to make the Garth Brooks concert. I ordered “The Strip” (shown above), basically a steak sandwich with a mushroom sauce on top. I also ordered the side Caesar salad because the menu made me think it would be really good.

Right after ordering the wind picked up and things were flying all over the place. People food as it was coming out the door was being blown off the plates and water glasses spilling on tables (another reason besides bugs, sun, heat, and smokers why I don’t eat outside). We tried moving to another location outside but it wasn’t before long our waitress offered us a table inside with the smart people.

The restaurant is a really cool old pump station on the Red. If I knew I was going to write about it I would have took more pictures. It would be a really cool place to have an event like a wedding reception or something like that. The food was really good. The steak was surprisingly nice. The red wine mushroom sauce on top seemed really overpowering at first but combined with the bread and the steak really went nice. Not impressed with the Caesar though. I like a nice creamy homemade dressing and this one was very vinegar based. Tara seemed to like it though so I will chalk it up to taste.

No time for dessert on this night out, maybe next time.

Goodbye Grandma

May 20, 2016

peever

People Props

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“You are loved.”

That is what I wish I could have said to you before you left us. Before you were taken from us again. I hope that the love a person gives to others in their own life comes back to them tenfold. That way I can be sure your jar is full, that you’re taken care of. I don’t know anyone who has loved more than you. I hope you know how much your love meant to me.

The time we spent as kids at grandma’s house will be with me forever. I loved nothing more than falling asleep on your living room floor watching “Matt Houston”, “Knot’s Landing” and staying up late enough to see who shot J.R. on “Dallas”. In the morning we made cinnamon buns and drank the weird tasting orange juice you always had in the fridge. In the summer it was Pic-A-Pop and you took us to the pool and “Pete’s” for a special treat. In the winter you tied my skates and warmed me up with kid tea after a full day of hockey on the outside rink. I’m pretty sure I ate your spaghetti 1400 times over countless weekends and each time you seemed more happy to see us. Not just me…but Marcy, Tracy, Kristy, and Jody. But I was always your favorite grandson.

When Mom was sick you were there to take care of us. I remember you walking me to birthday parties and breaking up street hockey games to get me in for dinner.

Once I was old enough I started riding my bike to the Dudley house. Mostly just to get a reaction out of you and chat over tea. Not long after that I was mobile and we could go to lunch, shopping, and take in the odd movie here and there. Erin came into my life and you were like a second grandma for her. I loved seeing you with her.

Every person who came into my life got to meet you. Al especially, he loved that you always him David from “Roseanne”.

If you would have asked me what I wanted to be back when I was a little boy running around eating dandelions and turning off grandpa’s TV I probably would have said “hockey player” or something like that. Instead today I find myself helping kids working as an EA just like you did at Grosvenor School all those years ago. I’m a lot like you and for that I can’t thank you enough.

You always had a special love for Shannon and my girls. Words cannot express how grateful I am that Lexi and Ashlyn got to spend even a short time with you. They love their great granny very much.

You will be missed dearly.

MALEFACTOR

March 27, 2016

peever

Yada, Yada, Yada

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mal·e·fac·tor

a person who commits a crime or some other wrong.

synonyms: wrongdoer, miscreant, offender, criminal, culprit, villain, lawbreaker, felon, evildoer, delinquent, hooligan, hoodlum;

It’s OK to be a man. Not all men are bad, or have done bad things. It’s OK to love women, to think they can be smart, beautiful, and strong all at the same time. All the while, still a man.

My feelings on this sparked during a family life class for grade nine boys. I was an adult in the class working with a specific student and they had split the class into boys and girls. Each group watched this video that basically showed the many ways in which men objectify women. It was a good hour and thirty minutes long of this is how men treat and think about women.

I think not. At the end of the video I had male students approach me wondering if anyone really thinks like this anymore. It was as if they felt bad for being male. A malefactor perhaps. Like they were already guilty of treating women poorly by association and still only in grade nine. I wasn’t privy to the girls class but I am sure it made them feel victimized and a second class gender. A seed planted that men are the enemy and a progressive chip placed on their shoulder they will need to work harder than most men to shake off.

It also made me really question gender politics in my own life. I always knew women had it rough in some cultures but surely in Canada and the US women and men are treated fairly. I hate to say equal because, let’s face it, men and women are not equal biologically and for that reason there will always be inequality. I thought that feminism started as a movement toward equality and found that today it’s more of a right wing turn toward demonizing the male gender.

I came across this article on Buzzfeed Canada about the Jian Ghomeshi verdict titled I Hope The Ghomeshi Verdict Makes You Fucking Furious. It’s written by female writer Scaachi Koul and it really made me wonder how many women in Canada and the US really feel a deep rooted resentment toward males. Let me preface this by saying I didn’t follow all of this in the news. From what I understand of it the ruling was based on lack luster evidence and the word of the girls against Ghomeshi. I have no sympathy for Ghomeshi and if he hurt any of those women in any way I hope he gets his. Thankfully it’s not up to me and thankfully it’s not up to Scaachi Koul because it’s evident throughout the article that she’s on a manhunt for not just Ghomeshi, but men in general.

First she attacked the judge claiming that women knew what the verdict was going to be right from the start “because the (justice) system wasn’t built for us (women). It was built for the men it protects, the ones we try to expose.” She refers to the judge as “a cartoon sheriff from the ‘50s”.

Huh? Currently in the US 93% of incarcerated inmates are male. To further those stats I looked at the offenses committed and sex offenses ranked 4th on the list of reason convicted out of 13 possible offenses.

Although my favorite quote, and the whole reason I am writing my thoughts on all of this, just so I won’t forget this beauty of a statement…

Let your body crack wide open and fill the world with your anger because anger gets shit done. Male anger is turned against women and our heads are smashed against walls and our bodies are shaken and bruised; female anger activates and shoots up into the sun and forces change.

Yes, let’s promote anger instead of truth and rationale! Not Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails, kind of anger but sugar and spice and all things nice kind of anger because that’s what little girls are made of.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

You can also read a more unbiased report on the verdict.

Winter Update

February 10, 2016

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Lexi & Ashlyn, Yada, Yada, Yada

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Ok, we have been hiding from you winter.

The kids have been busy with school and activities. Lexi is doing gymnastics (at Panthers) and dance this year. She is built for gymnastics and I am always impressed at her strength and natural ability. She tries hard and has fun there so what else can you ask for. I sometimes think she needs to be challenged more and the instructors look like they would rather be texting but I know I have a knack for the negative so I look past. Friday nights after a long week topped off with gymnastics Lexi looks forward to what I like to call “Foot Rub Fridays” before bed. Lex is also losing teeth like mad. Four this year already and one more on the way so that is exciting for her. I can’t stand watching Shan wiggle them out for her.

We just celebrated Lexi’s 7th birthday and this year she chose Montana’s for her family dinner. It was a good time watching her stand on her chair with the horns on and I got to pack in the all-you-can-eat ribs. Nolan also showed up and brought the birthday bacon too! Win win.

For the friend birthday we decided on a pool party so we booked the Canad-inns a little late and had all the girls out. Last year one of Lexi’s besties had to move and I was able to track her down for the party. It was really cool to see Lexi’s face when she saw her…and the hug, it was one of the best hugs I have ever seen. Big thanks to everyone who helped out that day and Michelle for doing all the hair after!

Ashlyn is busy dancing and back in swimming. We called last minute for the swimming and ended up at Bernie Wolf pool. I’m not a fan but Shan says we are just there for a few months and it’s better than nothing. The instructors there make Lexi’s instructors look like Richard Simmons. I do see improvements in the pool though. At Lexi’s party Ash was fearless on the water slide.

Ashlyn is also adjusting to the morning routine much better now. I think pre-school is making her less anxious and daycare this year is gold. We love her there. Saying that though next year we will have just one drop off and pick up at the school and that will be so much easier. After playing most of the day Ashlyn likes to come home and have some alone time. She takes care of her babies still and has been getting into the lego lots lately. She also loves coming for walk with Penny and I which usually turns into her climbing up and down the snow banks filling her boots with snow!

I am ashamed at how long it’s been since I have written. My new years resolution was to “do what I want” as much as possible. I know that sounds selfish but mostly it means to find time to do things I enjoy like writing and listening to music. I don’t mean the kind of listening you do in the car or while your cleaning the house. I mean really listening. I think it also goes hand in hand with not putting up with unacceptable shit and giving zero fucks. Wouldn’t you know just like every other get ripped NY resolution I have had it’s February and I’m just getting started!

Shan and I have been walking the dog lots. She does the morning and I go in the evening. It’s one of those things that is hard to get up for and hard to keep your pants on for at night. Between dinner, and getting the kids to bed there is no down time until 8pm. Penny is a high energy breed (we have decided part Ridge Back) and really needs to get out and run when she can. She is really turning into an awesome dog. She still has her things (like jumping up) but she is really good off the leash now and can chill out a little more at night now. She is a champ at the dog park and sometimes at night we meet up in the field to play with her friend Eva. So nice that she is so awesome with other dogs.

Shan and I are getting away usually once a week too. Shan is playing soccer and I have the usual Nolan’s Hockey Sunday nights. Missed 14 weeks this year already with a pulled groin but have been playing the last 4 games and feeling much better out there. We are also both really involved in the Parent Council at Lexi’s school and taken on roles in the new inclusive playground development project. It’s another thing to add to the pile but we really love this community and want the best for all the kids who go to school here.

We did some really cool stuff this winter on skates and toboggans but now it’s time for the snow to go away. The kids are already talking about camping and we are already making plans and dreaming about what a summer might look like without house painting to do! Can’t wait, and I promise to post again before the snow comes back!