"You pack up those Things and you take them away"

Packing up today. Going to be ready to hit the road tomorrow. Looking at the temperatures it looks grim (90s-100s) all the way to Oklahoma. "But look a ray of hope" ... we may have some rain on the way. While I don't particularly like driving in rain I'm hoping that it and the cloud cover will keep us all cool.

Still a lot more to see and do here in Kitchener area and Ontario. Took this picture of something I always thought was just a lamp post, but it was actually some eerie statue.. Thought I'd share.


"you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"

---Dr. Seuss

Soon to Leave

One more day of class. Finally getting a factory tour of Raytheon Canada. Then going to pack our books (whole lotta paper!!), and then celebrate.

Am going to miss Canada. Pretty nice area... wouldn't mind living there in Kitchener, or there abouts. Lots of camping to drive to. Big city nearby. And am 'pleased as punch' about the sidewalks that span everywhere (ie I can walk to neighboring towns with them!)


Not up to too much. Hanging out. reading stuff from savedisney.com and some ESD reading from Douglas Smith. Learning about simulating lightning strikes, and about ESD from jingling change!
Oh and am helping in the name of science


more later

*SNARF*

Looks like the family will be able to visit us out here in Kitchener. woohoo. Maybe catch the farmer's market or park, etc.

Was reading the USA Today...today, and several stories caught my eye.

Interview w/ Steven Spielberg
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-06-23-spielberg_x.htm

Talks about how his films are usually involving a family "a family divided, a family united," Spielberg acknowledges.

And I didn't know that that his dad was an electrical engineer whose job caused them to move across the country frequently....hmmmm.

But he also mentioned that Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a movie he wouldn't have made later in his career. Being young and single it was easy for him to make the father abandon his wife and kids for a trip across the galaxy, but that is totally opposite from his later movies.

"Indiana Jones, for example, was estranged from his Holy Grail-chasing father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Cruise's futuristic investigator in Minority Report is haunted by his failure to protect a dead son. The robot boy in A.I. Artificial Intelligence was searching for a connection with his creator "father." And a fussy, grown-up Peter Pan in Hook neglected his children until they were snatched away to Never Land, where he rediscovers his better nature."

Female Action stars
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-06-23-tough-chicks-main_x.htm

This is basically about how female action heros aren't what they used to be and some high hopes they have for upcoming movie heroines... there is an adjoining story that talks about Sigourney Weaver being the ultimate heroine. This is in contrast to the new action heroines "Consider the cartoony capers of Angelina Jolie as video-game vixen Lara Croft, and Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz as the jiggly gigglers from Charlie's Angels. Their idea of empowerment? Exploiting their own sexuality."


And the final one
About the court case with people losing their land.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-23-scotus-property_x.htm

Yeah .. this just ticked me off. So now if some private investor can promise the city they will make more money for them now the city can seize property so these private companies can "upgrade" it. BLAH




Oh and that 80 year old KKK member turning himself in and serving time for something that happened 40 years ago? That's one way to get your health care paid for by the state!

Some more fun reading
USA popularity

Change of Modes

SO in the class that I am attending in Canada... yes there is a reason I am here... we've changed classroom modes.

"She's gone from suck to blow."
Rather than lecture based learning we are now changing gears and getting some applied learning. I like it much better. When I feel involved and can have feedback to get caught up I get a lot more out of it!!

Anyway... just another week to go. Then it's back home to see our cats!
"What about ohana?"

Still thinking about weekend plans. It will come to me soon.

Made it back

Went down and visited the family. It's great to have a place where so many family members are. It brings back memories of having loads of cousins and uncles and aunts in one place at one time. I really miss that sense of family... people would just stop by and we would go see them. :(

We went just to hang out and that's what we did. Went over and played at my cousin's house around the corner. Another cousin came by. My Aunt had dinner with us. Then another uncle and cousin came by for a swim. Great to see every one!!

It was short and the weather could have been better ( still amazed Billy actually swam with all the cloud cover!!), but all in all a good trip.


It's also very fun to see what is lying around the house. I've decided I would like to sort through all the swarms of Scout memorabilia at that house so that someone could have some record of what there is... maybe get it to a museum where it belongs!


On a different note been back climbing. Feel like a jellyfish trying to climb... been away a while. My fingers are getting new caluses on them. Finally did a climb I have been trying for a while.. see this link and watch the "Bloc de Vice" movie to see what type of move it was. Involved the heel hook... fun stuff.

"... a race of atomic supermen which will conquer the world!!"

Fun in the Sun

Decided to take a day off and enjoy the park with my family and a friend of Rose's. So we got our two kids and her friend brought her 3 and we spent the day at Victoria Park. Note: the images I have linked to are the park itself... but we spent most of our time in the HUGE playground area and the EXCITING water mini park. Hard to find photos of each.. I'll try to post some later.

The water park was full of buttons to push that set off sprinklers and stuff around the area. Misters, Things that squirted water and spun... a splashing fountain that had water jets.... even a periscope equiped with a strong water jet so you could zero in on your unsuspecting friends (friends before you blasted them with water). It sure was an exciting time. All these kids and parents and teens wandering around and when they LEAST SUSPECTED IT Some sprayer or fountain would blast them!!

When I finally got Cian to leave the playground and go find mom and Jamie and the other crew, I got there just in time to see Jamie ... having avoided being wet... stand right where there was a mister which got her drenched!


Also made an interesting discovery. We have been watching a show called 'The Big Comfy Couch' with Alyson Court as the clown 'Lunette'


After visiting the imdb.com I found she's been in a lot of stuff!! Care Bear Movie II, Follow that Bird, Emily from Clifford the Big Red Dog..
voiced Jubilee in the X-men TV show


... And even Claire Redfield from the Resident Evil game I've been playing (thanks James)

I suppose on a Connections sort of level you could link Clowns to Violence!!

Takin' it Easy

Had a nice and slow weekend this weekend. Taking stuff to the recycle bins, walking around apt, walking at the river, walkin downtown, watchin some hockey.

On Saturday went by the Grand River a couple of times.
It's really good to get outside... been a while since my days of hiking for 50 miles and climbing mountains.

Throwing stones in the river, watching blue herons, jumping around on the floating dock...
getting lost in some overgrown trails...

good stuff

Took part of the afternoon today to see Paul(coworker) play some ice hockey.
Number 47 that's him



They were doing pretty good when we came .. and when we left. We ended up seeing Dustin(coworker) and Andrea(climbing guru from Higher Ground) there watching the game.


Left a little early... ok really early. We should have thought to dress a little warmer.... it is ice hockey after all!! Our shorts were no match for the well airconditioned rink.

Thought about swimming downstairs, but Cian fell asleep on way home.. maybe later.

Into the groove of things

Starting my routine all over again. Before I was reunited with the fam my evenings were a no brainer. 'Whatcha gonna do to tonight'... Same thing I do everynight.... Try to climb another wall!!

But so far haven't been back to do any climbing. Maybe will go back next week before my month membership runs out. I've already got my money's worth for sure. I'll look forward to the kids being older and maybe then the whole family can climb. Until then it's to the parks we go, and the occasional shopping trip.

The kids are really surprising me when they sing along to their songs in the car.. and count the elevator numbers ( and in Cian's case start reciting the alphabet instead of the numbers ).

Rose took a trip with the kids today. Can't wait to see the pictures. She went to visit a friend who lives in Canada near Hamilton. Very impressed with her. Sounds like they had all sorts of fun... swimming and walking etc.. I know Hamilton because there is a steam engine museum... looks really cool. HUGE steam engine from turn of the century. Ornate building. Was the pride of the city in 1859!

Not sure what we'll do this weekend. Possibly one of the markets to get some fresh food. Kitchener Market, or maybe St Jacob's.

Maybe a children's museum or zoo... or maybe even Niagara. don't know. Maybe even a walk down the river. We shall see.

Made it back

Flying down and driving back was a good thing. The family again is reunited. I'm glad to have them back.

Going back to spend more time with them. Adios

Coming to America

Today I Going to fly down to Chattanooga. Meeting Rose and the kids, and then Sat/Sun we're going to drive back up here. Flight leaves at noon and doesn't get in until 9:40!!!! Mainly that has to do with being in Memphis for 3 hours before the plane takes off... ugh.

I will be very glad that I am only taking a carryon!! Just put it on the belt and take the shoes off... about as minimalist as you can get with security.

and thank goodness for half days. Raytheon Canada has a 'leave at noonish' policy on Fridays. Gotta like that.


Will see if the fam approves of the pad when we get here.
ttfn