The Gillespie Family

Latest Updates

2010-04-25T07:46:00.004-06:00

Well, it has been a while since our last postings.
Not much new has been happening though.

Samantha is growing like a weed and is now almost 10 pounds. She has gone for one test in Saskatoon to see about her one kidney and it went well, but she wiggled a lot through the test (can you blame her) so she will have to go again in May.
We also got her Dedicated at our church at the end of March. It is like being baptized, but without the water.

Anisha is going to be three soon. She is doing awesome and is always active. Not much new from her end of things. She is staying home a few days a week with Alison and will be going to Daycare part-time in May and June since Alison is home alot.

Ali is still busy as Guiding Commissioner but loving the extra work. She is having a blast at home with Samantha and Anisha and attends Mom's Morning Out on Tuesdays to get connected with other Mom's in town.

School is going well with me, no word on a job for the fall yet, but I still have a couple of months left to hear. I recently got certified in teaching Math with Sylvan Learning thus becoming one of FOUR officially certified in Sylvan in Canada. I was in the paper and I got a letter from our MP thanking me.

Upcoming events:
Anisha's third B-day on May 2. Both sets of parents should be up for it.

We are all going to see Robert Munsch in concert at the end of May. He is coming to PA to do a read of his books, so we are taking Anisha to that.

At the end of June, I have tickets to go see Star Wars in Concert. Still don't have a date to go with me, but I think I can find someone soon.

We are planning on spending most of July in Alberta camping with Ali's parents at their lake lot.

At the end of July, the whole family is also planning on attending the Kamp Kadesh Family Church camp just north of PA here. I think it will be an awesome experience.

So, that is it for now. Here are some pics on Facebook as to latest events (Click each pic to take you to a different album):

Samantha not to happy.

Anisha likes playing in her baskets... I guess she is a basket case .

Smiling at her daddy...

My girls on Easter Sunday. Nanny sent up the matching Dresses.

The girls enjoying a story at bedtime.

Birth Announcement

2010-02-13T12:12:00.008-06:00

Here is the link to the birth announcement for Samantha Breanne!
Click these lines, or the title of this post to see the posting.

More of new Baby

2010-02-01T19:41:00.007-06:00

So,Baby Samantha came home on January 25th and started gaining weight. She is now 6bs 4oz. Today, Monday February 1st was a heavy feeding day for her: She ate ALOT.
She sleeps good and wakes about every 2-3 hours for feeding. Ali and I are getting good sleep with her and Ali is catching up on her Friends TV show again. Anisha is good with Samantha, but doesn't seem to be too much into her. I think that will change when Samantha is older and wants to play with Anisha's toys.

Cick this line or the pictures below for the Facebook gallery of recent pics.

Welcome Samantha Breanne Gillespie

2010-01-20T20:22:00.004-06:00

Born at 1:53pm, 6 lbs 12 oz, 20.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine.

Click this line to follow link to Facebook Gallery!

Christmas Day (The Morning)

2009-12-25T13:56:00.007-06:00

Click this line or the picture below to follow a link to the facebook gallery of Christmas Morning here in Prince Albert.

Some Gift highlights:

Alison got a moving wolf picture from me, a painting done by her mother, Harry Potter 6 and a huge Stockpot
Ali and I gave each other the new computer which you may have seen in another posting.
I got some tools, a bunch of movies, Settlers of Catan game, a GPS and a Bluetooth device for driving.
Anisha got a car (which you can see above), a dolly in a stroller, a doll house, some movies and books, and many puzzles.
My mom got clothes and a new phone.
My Dad got a Rona gift card and some clothes as well.

All in all a Good Christmas morning.

Just before Xmas

2009-12-23T09:54:00.006-06:00

Many people often complain that calling it Xmas is taking Christ out of Christmas. In fact, The "X" in Xmas is from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of Χριστός, Christ in Greek.

That being said, what can I comment on?

1. School has been going well for me. Teaching Science 10 has been a wonderful challenge. I thought I would HATE the chemistry unit, but I LOVED it! I will have to re-plan the physics unit because I spent too much time on it, but that is what learning a new subject is all about! I am squishing the weather unit in right now, but the students never see that stuff again in the rest of their High Schooling.
Math 10 went as usual, but I spent extra time on Slope and had to get rid of a few projects to ensure they got the concepts. I have found out my new schedule next semester (In the order of the daily schedule): Prep, Math 20, Math 10, Math 20, Science 10. Oddly, I am the ONLY teacher teaching Science 10 next term and it is the Provincial Assessment For Learning exam in June for all Grade 10s! For those of you who forget, I have a Drama teaching degree, so of course I am the best person to do this. lol.
I'll make it work, I have awesome coworkers!

2. Anisha was a puppy again this year for Halloween. We actually took her out Trick-or-Treating in the snow to our friend's places and she had a blast. The funniest moment was visiting a coworker of Alison's whose husband was out in his backyard chopping down a tree with a chainsaw and when Anisha heard it, she looked at Alison with fear and said, "Mommy, we need to go back to the car now!"
Click this line or the pic below to go to our Facebook Gallery of the pics:

3. Anisha and I enjoyed a weekend together without Alison in mid November. Ali went to Regina for a guiding conference and so Anisha and I took Saturday and went to Saskatoon. I took her to her first movie in a movie theatre. We went and saw Planet 51, but missed 1/2 an hour of it because we were stuck in the popcorn line with people there to see New Moon. Who cares, we had a blast.

4. For my Birthday, Alison had to go to a meeting in Birch Hills (20 minutes south of PA), so I stayed home with Anisha and put up my Xmas penguin that Alison gave me. Very awesome.

5. There were a good number of Xmas parties and Anisha came to most of them. She was always excited to go see Santa and get a present, but as soon as the jolly fellow came in, Anisha freaked out and wouldn't go near him. It was cute. She eventually got brave enough to give Santa a hug at my work's family Xmas party at Dolly's fun house. Anisha also liked putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it. She decided she and mommy should wear the stockings. Very cute.
Click this line or either of the two pics below to link to the Facebook Gallery of our Xmas pics.
6. Anisha's Daycare was scheduled to sing at Prince Albert City Hall. Ali and I were able to go see her sing and "perform" and it was very awesome to see. She knew most of the words, but realised Ali and I were there and "performed" for us.
Click on this line to our Facebook gallery of Anisha's City Hall pics and some pics of the presents we have already received for Xmas.
7. My parents are up for Xmas until just after New Years. Then they will be back by the end of January and the birth of the new baby. Alison is doing well with her pregnancy. Everything is flowing the same as last time with no surprises or pregnancy issues. Ali gets tired easily and has a bad back, but that is nothing out of the ordinary for her pregnancy. We still don't know the gender, we want to be surprised.
Her doctors want to induce her Jan 21, but that is right at the end of my Final Exams, so we are gonna ask for the next day or the week after. Nothing set in stone yet, but we will keep you all informed.

That is it for here. All the best this Christmas and Happy New Years!

Lots of things to talk about

2009-10-17T08:25:00.006-06:00

It has been over two months since my last update, so lets get going:

1. The big news is that Alison is pregnant! We found out at the end of July and were planning to keep it quiet until October or November, but at the end of August, Ali had her 1st appointment with the OBGYN and discovered that she wasn't a month pregnant, but almost 4 months pregnant! Our new baby is due February 4, 2010! YAY!!!

2. The 2nd big news is that I have a new job! I spent a good amount of time in the spring time subbing at the local high school, Carlton, for a teacher who was pregnant. She went on Mat leave in June. I got a call near the end of August asking me if I would like to cover her Mat leave at Carlton. I instantly said yes! I am now teaching full time, teaching Math 10 and Science 10. The science classes are a challenge, but I am really enjoying all the support I am getting there and the kids are great. This contract is for the full school year. Who knows what the next year will hold, I will just try and get by this year.

3. Along with Ali being pregnant, both of us became Aunts and Uncles again when Lindsey gave birth Thanksgiving weekend to baby Jaelynn Mackenzie, their 1st girl. She was a little smaller than Anisha at 6lbs 10oz, but she looks healthy and at latest report, mom and baby are doing just fine! (You can click on Lindsey and Matthew's blog link on the right to see when they get the pics up)

4. Our housewarming party went fine. A number of people couldn't attend due to last minute in-law visits, but it was great to have by who came by.

5. At the end of August, I was baptized by my church at a local lake. It was a great experience and I was proud to display my love and commitment to my faith and God. Click this line or the picture below to see the Facebook gallery of the pics of the housewarming and Baptism.

6. Anisha has been doing well. She is talking in full sentences more and slowing increasing her potty training. The other day she did #2 in the potty which was VERY exciting. We gave her a nice haircut to rid her of her crazy bangs. Not much else new from her. Here are some pics from recent time:

Anisha helping Mommy with Thanksgiving potatoes!
Notice Mommy's Baby tummy! (As Anisha says!)

Anisha sporting her new hair cut!

Swinging in the near twilight!

Slick hair from Mommy!

Lounging with Daxx one morning (before the hair cut!)

That's all. I will try and update more often, but no promises!

More summer of fun

2009-08-09T08:53:00.003-06:00

Just some quick updates to our local happenings.

1. When it's hot, Anisha likes to play in her toddler pool and we place the slide in it so she has her own personal waterslide. Click the picture for a link to the facebook gallery.

2. The Prince Albert Exhibition came at the end of July. We went to the parade in the evening and Anisha REALLY didn't like the loud noises from the bagpipe bands and trucks. A few days later, we went to the Exhibition and it was awesome that Anisha could ride a good number of the rides herself. She had a blast. Click the pic below to the Facebook gallery.
3. We just came back from our vacation. On the long weekend, we went to Saskatoon so that I could partake in the Saskatoon Fringe festival. It was great. We stayed at Ali's friend's place in S'toon and it was a wonderful visit. From Tues-Sat, we went camping at Struther's Lake Regional Park with Robin and Margaret, Alison's parents. It was a great time camping with pretty good weather. Anisha loved to play in the local playground and REALLY enjoyed sliding down the HUGE waterslide in the park. Click the pic below for the Facebook Gallery.
That's it for now. Have a great next few weeks everyone.

Summer time and we're too hot

2009-07-24T10:11:00.003-06:00

HOLY COW!!!

Our last posting was back in early June. Tsk tsk on me. Might as well update:

1. Well, subbing slowed down considerably at the start of June, so I took a one week temporary position at Canada Post as a volume counter. That was pretty interesting to see the inside workings of Canada Post. It was only morning shifts, but that gave me the afternoons to work on my Calculus or chores at home. Now that summer is in full swing, I am working Mon-Thurs at Sylvan Learning tutoring kids who are SO HAPPY to be in a school-like setting over summer. hehehe.

2. Prince Albert had its street fair and Ali had to work the Guiding cookie table so Anisha and I patrolled the fair. It was pretty good. There was an inflatable jumpy castle for her but when I put her in, she cried and cried and cried and just sat in the entrance. That was a flop. However, the next day was Father's Day and our church had its usual Father's Day pancake breakfast and Car show. They brought a jumpy castle for the kids, and this time Anisha loved it. It was a rainy Father's day, but I really liked it alot.

Click this line or the pics below to see the Facebook Gallery of the PA fair and Father's Day.

Anisha in the Jumpy Castle at the Father's Day celebration at our church

Anisha and at the fountain at the PA Street Fair

3. Speaking of Alison and Guiding, Alison is now the district commissioner for the Prince Albert/La Ronge/Shellbrook/Birch Hills region. Its a wonderful opportunity for her. The previous comissioner has been in that role for over 10 years and things needed to be changed and "shook-up" so to speak. So Alison stepped up and volunteered and got the position for the new year. It will be a steep learning curve not only for her but for the region as well as the same lady has done the role for so long.

4. We also visited a camp site near here named Stuther's Campsite. We will be camping there with Alison's parents the week after the long weekend in August. It is a nice little campground with a waterslide off the splash park that flows down to Struther's Lake. Really cool place. I can't wait to go there. Speaking of camping, before we head to Struther's, we will be spending August Long weekend at Ali's friend's place in Saskatoon and taking in the Saskatoon Fringe Festival. I am very excited to go.

Anisha soaked after running through the waterpark at Stuthers

5. In Prince Albert is the Kinsmen Water Park, a large outdoor waterpark facility that has slides, a pool and a kiddie pool area as well as a playground. Now, to those local Prince Albertonians who have been going to it all their life, it must get boring. However, Ali, Anisha and I LOVED the water park. It was a great place and the water was surprisingly very warm. It has two regular water slides and one watertube waterslide. Both are great. There is even a small waterslides for toddlers. Anisha goes down it multiple times in her lifejacket with very little help from Ali or I. I don't have a picture of that slide, but I have pics of the other fun at the park.

Anisha at the Kinsmen Waterpark

6. Anisha also attended her first B-Day party for a friend we met through the church. It was the girl's 3rd birthday and Anisha had so much fun and got so wet. (When you see the pictures you will understand)

To see pics of the Water park, the Birthday party, and Stuthers Lake, click this line or the picture below.

Anisha soaking the Birthday Girl

7. It is very warm here in Prince Albert. It has been so warm, I have slept downstairs most nights in the last week and I haven't slept in the same bed as Alison. I miss that, but it is too hot and humid here. I can't wait for the fall and winter.

8. My parents came to visit July 7-12 and brought along my cousin Sarah. It was great for their visit. While they were here, Ali and I offered my parents the opportunity to take Anisha back to Sherwood Park with them for a few days and we would pick her up again on Friday. It was an awesome time for Alison and I to be alone for a few days. We went to movies (Harry Potter 6, which was awesome), out to dinner and got to have some marriage time for ourselves. We picked up Anisha on Friday afternoon and brought her home. That is when we realised that for the two weeks she was out of daycare (one week here with my parents and one week in Alberta with them), she had very little structure and discipline. Now, we are busy shocking Anisha back to the rules, structure and discipline at home. Today was actually the first day back at childcare for her this week where she DIDN'T cry after I dropped her off.

Well, that seems to be all the news from here in Prince Albert. What is coming up?:

Prince Albert Exhibition
Saskatoon Fringe
Camping at Struthers
Housewarming Party
School Starts at the end of August (No job yet, just subbing as far as I know)

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Many weeks, busy, yet not...

2009-06-02T20:01:00.003-06:00

It has been almost a month since my last post. Wow, what has happened?

1. My subbing has been average in May. It has picked up a bit in the last week with Track and Field, so that is all good.

2. My parents left the day after Anisha's B-Day and Alison's parents left the Monday after. Then, a week and a half later, my Aunt and Uncle from Ft. MacMurray came down to visit and get their dog's teeth cleaned. It turns out that it is WAY cheaper in Saskatchewan to get a dog's teeth cleaned. To drive from Ft. Mac to Prince Albert and get their TWO dog's teeth cleaned, one tooth extraction, AT THE WRONG VET, cost my aunt and uncle just over $500. Canine teeth cleaning STARTS around $600 PER DOG (if it's small) in Alberta. Crazy. It was great for them to visit. They also got us a gift card to Zellers which we used to get a nice umbrella and umbrella base. Click this line or the picture of the umbrella below to see more pics of their visit.

Open...

Closed...

3. We have been doing a lot of garage sales lately, mostly for Anisha (books and some shoes), but we also lucked out last time and found a nice Palliser arm chair for the upstairs living room.

4. Anisha has been doing very well lately. Her vocabulary has increased quite a bit. She loves to sing and often searches for School Busses and Garbage Trucks whilst on the way to daycare. While Alison was at a garage sale last weekend, she picked up a Dora the Explorer plug in video game. Anisha has no clue on how to play it, but often randomly presses buttons and ends up doing well since the game doesn't let kids lose. Here is a picture.

5. Alison's Sparks/Guides work is increasing with it being the end of the year. There have been lots of cookouts. This weekend, Ali heads to the Brownie camp as a First Aider so Anisha and I will be having a weekend party! Alison has also put her name forward to be the local guiding commissioner which she will find out more about in the near future. Then some final outings with the Sparks and summer off!

6. I have recently decided to commit myself more to faith, Jesus and God. I guess it is like being saved, but I just decided to develop a stronger relationship with God. I have been reading lots lately (subbing allows for that opportunity) and many of the things I have been reading have been full of the questions about faith, God, Jesus, religion and the Bible that I have had myself. I have found a lot of comfort in these readings and since pledging my life to God, I have felt nothing but joy and comfort. I am not becoming one of those Jesus freaks that forces his beliefs on others because I find it uncomfortable when someone does it to me. I will not judge other people because it is only God who can judge. However, I feel compelled to continue on this faith journey that gives me such calm, peace and joy. I am for sure NOT religious. Religion is flawed because man is flawed (taken nicely from "Angels and Demons"), so I am more focussing on faith and God. I hope all of you support this journey with me, and yes, I will still tell off colour jokes and have my pet peeves, but I will approach life calmer and with more peace.

Weighing in on a 2nd Birthday and SNOW!

2009-05-07T07:32:00.002-06:00

1. So, no weight loss or gain this past week or so. Staying the same is good.

2. Alison's show went well. She was worried just before it opened since her co-actor (there was only two actors in the show) was struggling with his lines. He managed to pull it together and both of them out on a great show. Ali was wonderful. It was fascinating to see her act and look completely different. Click this line to see some photos from her show and cast party.

3. Alison's parents came up on May 2nd, Anisha's B-Day. So we had both sets of in-laws here. Anisha had a good birthday party, turning the big 2! Ali and I gave her a Tricycle, some toys and books. My parents gave her a bicycle helmet, clothes and DVDs. Ali's parents gave her a sand/water table. Uncle Matthew, Auntie Lindsey and Conner gave her some clothes and an Adarondak toddler patio set. Click this line, or the photos below to see more pics from her Birthday.

Anisha riding on the bike attachment for Ali's bike.

Blowing out candles on her B-Day!

4. So, on Tuesday, it was 23 degrees here in Prince Albert. We came home from work and had a BBQ out in the back and ate supper on our new patio set we got from Ali's parents in the backyard. Then we went to the local park and played for a while. The next day was dreary and Ali stayed home with her cold. After a while, we went back upstairs and saw the following in our backyard:

SNOW!!! Holy crap. It was 3 degrees and snowing heavily. I know the picture doesn't show the actual snowing, but it was SOOOO heavy that none of the pictures turned out any good. This picture was the aftermath. What odd weather.

Nothing else new here. Anisha LOVES to watch me play Super Nintendo; especially Super Mario World, so she can shout out "Get the Dinosaur!" [AKA, Yoshi].

We are now almost 100% settled into our place. Our garage is organized and so is the basement. There are some odd little things to touch up, but all unpacked. Our next guests will be my aunt and uncle from Ft. McMurray near the end of the month.

Weighing in on new goals, big girl beds, and the new house

2009-04-22T08:54:00.005-06:00

So, it has been a busy few weeks here in the Gillespie household...

1. My parents arrived on April 8th and have helped us greatly getting the house prepared for the move in. All the rooms got painted and almost all of the baseboards have been done as of today. It looks really nice. They are staying here until just after Anisha's birthday on May 2 and while here, will help to maintain the house and do some final touch ups. Alison, Anisha and I are very thankful for all their help.

2. Easter came and Anisha went egg hunting. She knew all about finding the eggs, but as to why we look for them, she had no clue. She knew of the Easter Bunny, but I can't say she was 100% clear as to what the whole deal with him is. Here is a pic of Anisha finding an egg at the old house on Easter morning.
3. The Wednesday and Thursday after Easter was my Colonoscopy adventure. I started Wednesday with my Pico Salax, which is known as a mega laxative. I was warned to get some magazines and not make any plans. While the Salax did it's job very well, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Consuming lots of water, 7-up, and chicken broth wasn't fun. In fact, I think the prep for the procedure was the worst. I was quite hungry that night.

The day of the procedure was just fine, actually. I didn't wake hungry. I got down to the hospital, checked in and then got "dressed" in one of those great gowns that opens at the back for the procedure. Alison came with me and stayed in the room the whole time I went through it. Once the doctor came in, he asked my why I was actually getting this test so young. I told him it was a proactive procedure and that all my relatives, including my parents, have gotten it, so I figured I should too, just in case. Soon after, he gave me the hallucinogen to help me forget the procedure, and that was the best part of it all. I don't really remember much after he gave me the drugs. I do recall seeing a bit of my colon on the tv monitor which I was facing, but that is about it. Later, Alison told me I made the comment that "I have a pretty colon" and that "I have seen this procedure before on the Dr. House show on tv." I had quite the hearty laugh about that. I apparently mumbled incoherently a lot throughout the procedure. Once the procedure was done, I slept like a baby, giving Alison the chance to visit her work for a bit. I woke up dopey about 20 minutes later, but I felt fine. My first meal after that was a wonderful Texas Skillet at Humpty's Restaurant. I was quite tired for most of the rest of the day and wasn't allowed to drive anywhere.
Overall, the procedure went well and I feel great. The results were very positive: nothing to report/clean bill of health, and I don't have to get another one for 10 years. Which is good, because the prep for it sucks a lot!

4. Once we got into the new house on Friday, it became the first night for Anisha to sleep in her new Big Girl Bed. It is a toddler bed so it uses the same mattress as her crib. We also found wonderful sheets at a store in Calgary when we were there in February, so my parents bought them for us. Anisha didn't like or understand the bed the first night. She missed her old room, crib and house. She did a lot of crying as we put her to bed. Then she got up and bashed on the door to her room so Ali went in and put her back in the bed. Eventually she went to sleep. After that, she has done very well in her big girl bed. She has always been a good sleeper, and the transition went well. It is funny: when we go to get her in the morning, she is awake and still in bed, not realizing that she can easily get out of bed and wander around the room or read if she likes. Here is the bed, sheets and her newly set up room and paint job (which I did myself):

Anisha sleeping in her bed at nap time after Church on Sunday.

5. So, moving and getting a colonoscopy does well for my weight. I dropped down to 335 lbs again. I am quite happy with this and, after talking with Alison, I have come up with a new plan for my weight loss. The problem was that denying myself movies wasn't working anymore. I needed something new. Alison recommended just rewarding myself and not depriving. So, what I came up with is that for every 5 pounds lost, I can either a) buy myself a new season of a tv show I want to watch on DVD, or b) purchase a DVD of one of the many VHS tapes I still have to help finalize my conversion of all my movies to DVD. As well, if I can get down to somewhere between 250 and 275 lbs, I will be able to get a big, flat screen tv. No deprivation this time. I can watch movies again, YAY!

6. Alison's show opens this Friday. She is finding it a challenge seeing as how she hasn't acted in years, plus her co-actor is struggling with some of his many monologues, and on the weekend, the lighting board for the show crapped out (which isn't really her worry), so it makes for some extra stress before the show opens. In my history of doing many shows, I think it will all work out in the end and come together; it usually does. I will be seeing her show on Saturday night with a bunch of her co-workers, so I can report on how it will turn out next blog entry.

That is about it for here in Prince Albert. Other than Anisha's birthday and Alison's show, nothing too major is coming up. Have a good one everyone.

Here are some pics of rest of the house (mostly unpacked and set up)

Basement facing Anisha's play area

The living room in the basement.

Our VERY open living room upstairs.

Weighing in on my colon and our house!

2009-04-08T08:44:00.006-06:00

Wow, it has been a few weeks since we last talked... what has happened:

1. I subbed a bunch at the end of March for a teacher I usually sub for. Her daughter got an eye infection, then her son got sick, so I was there most of that week.

2. We took possession of our house on April 1st. Very exciting. We have already done some renovations and cleaning, but it was pretty clean to begin with anyways. The big project I did was to remove the sliding door entry to the bathtub in the main bathroom so it will be easier to bathe Anisha. We have also moved in a number of boxes and what not. Its all very exciting.
Click this line or the picture to link to the Facebook gallery of the house.

3. My parents arrive tonight for a while. They will help us paint the house and do some more reno. Then they will be here for the official move on April 17, when the movers come to move the big stuff like couches and what not. They will also stay up until Anisha's B-Day on May 2nd.

4. The weekend after we got possession, Ali, Anisha and I went to Saskatoon for a Physiotherapy conference. Ali has been looking forward to this conference for a while and seemed to REALLY like it. Whilst she was away, Anisha and I explored Saskatoon. We went to The Fun Factory (an indoor playground), The Saskatoon Zoo (very low maintenance, kinda weak for a zoo), and to a children's dinner theatre production of The Jungle Book. Anisha was scared most of the time, at the play, and clung to me and whimpered. I guess that idea flopped. Anisha also loved riding the huge waterslide at the hotel. It started about two storeys up and winded down slowly to the pool. She had a blast on that and wanted to ride it over and over. We also bought her a PFD with Dora on it so she can be safe in the water. We have no pictures from the pool. However, you can link to the Facebook gallery by clicking this line or the GREAT pic of Anisha enjoying her dessert pudding from Tony Roma's on Friday night.
5. I weighed myself today and I am down to 340 lbs. That is definately going in the right directions, but I don't think I will lose that 15 lbs needed to go see Star Trek in May. Another goal lost. Oh well.

6. Alison's rehearsals for her show are getting busier and she is getting anxious for the show which runs April 24 - May 2. She knows almost all her lines, but her co-star is struggling with his couple of HUGE monologues. I don't envy their work, but I think the show will come together nicely.

7. Well, not necessarily in response to Lindsey's post on rectal screening for cancer, I have a Colonoscopy coming up on April 16, the day before we do the official move. My Mom's side of the family has a history of cancer and all my aunts, the one uncle, and my mom, have all had the "poop-shoot" investigation. I figure, I should get inspected as well. I put in my request in November of last year, and they finally booked me in. I am a little nervous about it, not because I think they will find anything, but I am very picky about that area being an "out-hole". I know it is necessary given my family history, and I am happy to get screened early, but I have to admit that there is damn near no enjoyment going to happen that day. I have received my confirmation letter with all the prep I need to do, so I am ready, willing, but I won't enjoy it.
(On a side note, I also learned from a source that the doctor doing my colonoscopy was a woman who had a sex change to become a man, so I am a little leary about being anal probed my a former transvestite.)

8. I have also become more in tune and appreciative with my faith. I have recently finished reading the Old Testament in my Bible and I am now reading, and REALLY enjoying, my journey through the New Testament. I have always wanted some comfort and clarity in my beliefs and I think I am finding them. It is an exciting for me. I am more at ease with the world and I love the message the Bible teaches. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I know he dies in the end, but the journey is the most important.

That's it for us here. You can follow this link to Facebook for Anisha puddle jumping or click the picture.

Have a great Easter everyone!

Weighing in on another slow week

2009-03-20T08:54:00.004-06:00

So, it was not a good week for subbing again. Monday and Tuesday were Teachers' Convention so no subbing needed those days, and no calls Wednesday to Friday. Oh well.

Teachers' Convention was ok. The two keynote speakers were awesome. The first guy was a 25 year old named Craig who started a humanitarian organization at the age of 12 and in the last 13 years has developed this group into an international humanitarian group that builds schools and communities in developing countries. He has met the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa and Desmond Tutu. He was a great inspiration. He wrote a great book called Me to We about doing our part to change the world. His message wasn't about always doing something worldwide, but we can do our part around here and that teachers are the ones who gave him his inspiration. Click this line to visit his website: metowe.com
The second speaker worked for the STF and talked about inspiring our youth to be the best they can. He related it all to Dr. Seuss and his stories and was very funny. He often showed clips from a website that is part of a think-tank like group of scientists that hold a convention showing their developing projects in science, entertainment and technology. He talked about Stem Cell research, robotics innovations, and all the cool inventions that could not be possible if teachers didn't inspire kids to think beyond the classroom curriculum. Click this line to the wicked website he talked about: http://www.ted.com/

I lost one more pound which is good. 341 lbs is heading in the right direction.

I have done a lot of packing and things are pretty "boxed" up downstairs in our basement.

Nothing new with Alison - Still rehearsing for her show at the end of April and doing Sparks.
Nothing new with Anisha - Still growing like a weed and talking more and more everyday. She really likes it when I read her the greatest Dr. Seuss book EVER: Yertle the Turtle.

Nothing major happening next week. Hopefully more Sub work will be great.

I have been trying to get a good shot of Anisha's new hair cut. This is the best I can get her to pose for me. I like it, but Ali says it sometimes makes her look like a boy.
Hamming it up for the camera

Wrestling with Mom in the living room one afternoon

In her Upsy Daisy PJs before bed. Or was it one morning? The PJs are still big on her. There have been a few occurances where I come in at night or in the morning and find her trapped in her PJs because she has pulled her arm out of the sleeve and trapped it in the body of the PJ.

Silly Anisha

Click this line to link to more photos on Facebook. (Some are old, some are new)

Weighing in on slow weeks

2009-03-13T10:54:00.003-06:00

So, I haven't been subbing much; only twice in the last two weeks. What a let down... And February went so well. Teachers' Convention is Monday and Tuesday next week, so that will be neat to attend.

I have gained some weight, 7 lbs to be exact. I am up to 342 lbs. It is a bit of a shocker to balloon up again, but it definitely has to do with lack of working out. I find that if I get more shifts working, the less time I have to laze around the house and be a lump, thus motivating me to work out. No shifts sucks.

I did a CTV interview on March 2nd to promote the Free Math Seminar for Parents at Sylvan. I can't upload videos anymore, so it really sucks not being able to show you videos of me or Anisha.

Speaking of Anisha, she got her hair cut again, but just a trim of her bangs and the back. It cost a whole dollar to do it! Who says the economy is suffering? Not much else new from her, still talking alot and her sentences are becoming clearer most of the time. She likes to sing alot and often asks us to sing the same song over and over. We recently took in an evening at Dolly's Fun House one Friday. We wanted to go bowling, but all the lanes were booked up, so we went to Dolly's instead. Here are some pics.

We have finally signed all the lawyers papers for our new house, as well as getting our insurance set up. Now all we have to do is get the keys on posession day... YAY!!! I am very anxious about moving and can't wait to get into the new house. Most of our basement is packed up for moving, but not upstairs so much.

Just after posession day Alison has her conference in Saskatoon. While Ali is at the conference, Anisha and I will be exploring the Saskatoon Zoo, Children's Theatre, and Fun House. I think it will be a blast. When booking for this conference, Alison was told that the organizers worked out a deal to block book a number of rooms at a nearby hotel. I called to book and discovered that there was an error. The conference runs all day Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday. The rooms block booked at the hotel were for Thurday and Friday night, no Saturday. That means I tried to scramble to find a new hotel for Saturday night because the rest of the hotel was block booked for another convention running Saturday and Sunday. What kind of idiots plan a convention for 3 days and hotel rooms for two of them? The I became the idiot when Alison asked why I didn't just book 3 nights at a different hotel so we wouldn't have to move? DUH! So I called around and found that the Travelodge had everything we needed. It was however $214 per night. I asked about a Saskatchewan Teachers Federation discount and they told me there was a price reduction... DOWN TO $99 PER NIGHT!!! That is one hell of a savings. We said yes and now we are booked in AND we can bring Daxx!

Alison's rehearsals seem to be going well. The line memorization is going good, but she is a little worried about her acting ability since it has been so long since she last acted on stage... I think she will do very well.

Thats about it for here. Have a great week everyone!

Anisha says hello too!

Weighing in on the Calgary Trip!

2009-02-26T11:56:00.004-06:00

So, What has happened since we have been gone?

1. Saturday before we left, Alison and I attended "Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun," the most recent play put on by my theatre group, Odyssey. It was a great show and a good meal.

2. We flew out on Sunday at 11:00am and it was a good flight. Anisha had fun on the way there, got to see the cockpit of the plane, and then, once in Calgary, she had fun at the park with Uncle Ashley. Click on this line or the following picture to see Day 1.

3. Monday was family day, so we all went to the Calgary Space Science Centre where they have a kids Zone. Ashley and Lynn came as well which was great to have them have a day off. Again, click this line or the pic below to see more pictures of Day 2:

4. On Tuesday, Ashley and Lynn went back to work so Ali, Anisha and I went to Ikea for toddler desk shopping and then to the Calgary Zoo to see which animals were still alive. lol. We lucked out as many of the animals were out and about frolicking and Anisha loved that! Except the Koalas... they were sleeping. Click here for Part one of the Zoo Picks.

Click this line or the pic below for the 2nd part of the Zoo pics.

5. Wednesday, we went to Chinook Mall in Calgary and Anisha loved being on the Merry-go-round in the food court. We also had the opportunity to visit with the ladies and toddlers from the baby group we were a part of when Anisha was born. Wednesday night, Anisha, Alison, Ashley and I went swimming at a local wave pool and had a great time!

6. Thursday started off with laundry, then we went out to Cochrane, NW of Calgary. There we had lunch with some of my old students who I used to teach Drama to. It was great to see them again. Thursday night, my parents came up so they took Anisha so Ashley, Alison and I could go for supper to Red Lobster. Yummm...

7. Friday we spent all day with my parents. We started off swimming at the pool in their hotel. We then took off shopping for bedding for when Anisha moves into her big-girl bed in the new house. We were unsuccessful, despite the fact that we found a great bedding in a store, but it was for a toddler bed and we have a twin futon for Anisha.

8. Saturday morning, we woke up early and flew back to Saskatoon and then drove home to a happy puppy named Daxx. She was well taken care of while we were gone. You can see all the pics of the last 3 -4 days by clicking this line or the picture below:

9. Once back in Prince Albert, we went bedding shopping again and still couldn't find anything. BUT, we saw a toddler bed on sale, so we decided to bite the bullet and buy the toddler bed and get my parents to get us the same bedding we liked in Calgary. So, the big-girl bed for Anisha is solved once we move into our new place.

10. Sunday had the auditions for the next Odyssey Show "Letters in War Time". It is a tough drama about a young soldier leaving his love interest back home as he heads off to fight in WWII. It is a two person show so there are lots of lines and monologues to memorize. Ali wanted to audition, so she did early in the day so she could go to a Guiding event. I returned for the actual auditions later. In the end, ALISON got the female lead. I wasn't cast! So Ali now has the script and begins rehersals next week. Her show goes up at the end of April, when we finally move out of this house. lol. I will post times and what not later.

11. I am back to subbing... Ali is back to work... and Anisha is back to Daycare. I weighed myself on Wednesday to find I am down to 335lbs. That means I can go see a movie! I will be seeing Friday the 13th with a friend of mine on Friday night. Alison calls it a Man-date. I call it two guys going to see blood, guts and nudity! LOL.

Thats it for here. Have a great week everyone!

Weighing in on FRIDAY THE 13th!!!

2009-02-13T13:47:00.003-06:00

So, what is new this week:

1. I lost a pound, so I am now down to 336lbs. I know I can have that one pound gone by the week of the 23rd of February so I can go see Friday the 13th remake in theatres.

2. The house buying is finalized! We had mortgage approval last week, and this week we had a great home inspection. Nothing came up that made us worry and we learned alot. So, we removed the conditions and now that house is sold to us! YAY!!! Now is all the packing and lawyer work. woo-hoo...

3. I got my results back from my Statistics correspondence course I was taking. I received 95% on my final exam, and my final mark in the class will be 95% as well. YAY ME!!! I am now s..l..o..w..l..y trudging through Calculus II and finding it a tough go, but I think I will do ok.

4. Ali's conference went well and so did her Sparks Sleepover. I don't know how she survived being in charge of a sleep over with 27 4-5 year olds, or why she would want to on a Friday night.

5. Anisha is doing well. She likes to sing lots of songs now and is having a blast at the childcare. Below are some pics of her helping me bake Valentine Day cookies for her to take today to childcare. Just click this line or the pic to see more:
6. On Sunday, Alison, Anisha and I will be flying to Calgary to visit family and friends and maybe even go to the Calgary Zoo (and see whatever animals haven't died... sheesh). So there will not be an update next week, but when I get back, I'll be sure to try and put one up right away.

Have a great week all and enjoy family day!

Mortgages and Weight

2009-02-04T14:43:00.002-06:00

Well buying a house is a busy bit of work. We have been busily working with the mortgage people to get that financing in order. We have been finally approved, now we just need to find "everyone's friend": a lawyer. The home inspection is tentatively next Tuesday morning, but Ali has an important meeting that day and I have been pre-booked in to sub that morning. I may be able to swing the afternoon because I would love to go around with the inspector to see what this all entails. Most of our family has been recommending we go around seeing as its our first house, but if the schedule won't let us be there, so be it.

I weighed myself this morning and lost 3 pounds. I am now down to 337 lbs. So far I am on the right track for losing weight. I try and work out by doing cardio every day, but that isn't always possible.

I am subbing a lot more now. One of the math teachers at the local high school that I have been subbing for a lot is pregnant and will go on Maternity leave by the end of the school year, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that if I sub for her enough times, I can get my foot in the door to cover her math classes when she goes on leave. She has been sick a lot lately, that is why I have been covering her work. Who knows... this may work in my favour.

Nothing else new here. We leave for Calgary on the 15th of February and are really looking forward to the trip.

All the best everyone!

New House & Blog comments

2009-01-31T14:09:00.002-06:00

So, the big news this week so far is that Alison and I have bought a house!

We put in the offer Friday morning and that night we got a counter offer. The sellers basically accepted our offer, but changed one bit of wording since they didn't have the ORIGINAL Surveyors certificate, but a photocopy. Since that is fine and dandy by our standards, we accepted the counter offer late last night.

We have to get the home inspection done by February 12th. Alison and I were pre-approved for a mortgage so we just have to finalize all those details on Monday when the banks are open. The possession date will be April 1st.

We are quite excited and look forward to getting all this work done for our new housing adventure. YAY us!

Click here for the link to a printable version of the MLS listing.

On another note, I have decided to follow Lindsey's lead and screen the comments on my blog. I have only had one or two negative comments on it in the past, but I figure I would nip this in the butt right now before it gets out of hand. There was a comment recently on my blog that was negatively critiquing my weight loss challenge and how I should watch the Biggest Loser to help me.
OH NO, I was insulted and made fun of about my weight! boohoohoo.
What kind of a loser takes the time to critique a personal challenge that I am on? Yes, I know that I am overweight/obese, but losing any weight for someone who has struggled to lose weight all their life is ALWAYS a good thing. I wonder if that person thought they were being funny with their comments, or for that fact: helpful? I don't think so. My ego/self esteem is too big to be insulted by that. In fact, it is almost a challenge against me to rage against that other person. But, I have no time to battle wits with those unarmed against me, so whoever made the comment: thank you. I have watched The Biggest Loser before and I am proud of those people AND I am proud of my accomplishments and challenges. Next time, if you want to insult me, have the guts to make it a good insult and not coat it with sarcasm. Otherwise, piss off and waste your internet time elsewhere.

A new year, a new challenge and changes

2009-01-28T11:35:00.003-06:00

Wow, lots to talk about this week

1. It has been officially 1 year for my weight loss and with the December/January gain, I officially lost 21 lbs in one year. Not bad I think. But now I need a new goal, or goals...

I will lose 15 lbs by May 8th or I will not be allowed to see the new Star Trek movie. (It's a reboot of the original series)
I will lose 25 lbs by July 17th so I can see Harry Potter 6. Similar to my Dark Knight goal of last year.
I will keep the usual 5 lbs lost per new movie viewing plan and see how it all goes.

2. I am officially done teaching at St Mary High School. My last day was Monday. I went back on Tuesday for their official goodbye to me where they said some nice words about me and gave me a waterbottle as a thank you. Its good to not be lesson planning, etc, but it also sucks that I don't have my own class now. I am back to subbing and hopefully I will get lots of calls.

3. I can't upload video to the blog anymore and I can't link you to any videos we take of Anisha, so you will have to live with pictures of her for now. :)

Click here or on the pictures to link to our Facebook page with pics of Anisha at Melfort Pool a week or two ago:

Anisha's hair in a pony tail

4. Speaking of Anisha, she is doing well and still enjoying Daycare. She still loves to read books and keep us busy. Nothing really new with her, just that she is doing well.

5. Alison has a busy few weeks ahead of her. This weekend she and her fellow Guide/Sparks leader are going to Saskatoon for a Guiding conference. Then Monday is Ali's Birthday... she turns the big 29! The next weekend is her Sparks group's sleepover, then the following weekend Ali, Anisha and I fly to Calgary for a week.

6. So, for the February week off, Ali, Anisha and I are flying to Calgary for a week visit. We will be staying with Ashley and Lynn and catching up with some of our old friends, especially those in the Pre-post-natal baby group who haven't seen Anisha since September 2007 . The shocking thing about booking the whole trip is that if we rented a car from the airport, there are almost $80-100 extra in fees. Therefore we are going to rent a car from downtown Calgary. Much cheaper.

7. Ali and I have also started house hunting. We have met with our real estate agent, gone over the paperwork, and are now seeing houses with him in the evenings and weekends. We hope to buy our first house within 3-6 months. With the market a little low and the tough economic times in Saskatchewan (1500 people were laid off work from large mineral companies within the last month), we are seeing a price drop that will work to our favour. We will keep you all informed about our progress.

Thats it for here. Have a great week all!

Weighing in on Chistmas

2009-01-09T09:31:00.005-06:00

Well, it has been a busy Christmas Season. It was so busy that I never got the chance to write anything in my blog.

1. To start, I gained weight over Xmas. I gained up to 334 lbs, so that isn't good. I am now fighting my way back down again so I will have to come up with a new goal for this new year.

2. I have been having issues with my back molar cap falling off. I finally got my act together and got the work done to get a new cap. I had a Temp-cap on my tooth over Christmas, but it really hurt for the most part. I was on lots of advil. Now, I finally have my new cap and it doesn't hurt so much anymore. In a few days, it should be back to normal and I will be able to eat anything again, yay!

3. So, for Christmas, Ali and I drove to Camrose on Christmas Eve and spent that night, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day with Alison's parents. We had lots of fun there and Anisha really liked picking at their Christmas Tree. Anisha even got presents from her relatives overseas from England: pyjamas I do believe. We then drove to Sherwood Park to spend time with my parents. We opened more presents on Dec 27 morn when we arrived. After, we trekked over to Matthew and Lindsey's to open presents there with them. Anisha's big present this year stayed in Prince Albert: a potty. We'll talk more about that later.

To see pictures of Christmas in Alberta, click this line or the picture below:

4. Alison had to work on Dec 29, Monday, so she drove back to Prince Albert on Sunday and Anisha and I stayed in Sherwood Park all week, over New Years. I got to visit with some old friends from the YMCA which was fun and I got to see some movies (yeah, I broke my movie plan because it was Christmas). I also got to take Anisha to West Edmonton Mall and we saw the Underground caves, PJ's Pets, and play in the Galaxyland Kids Park. She LOVED the Merry-go-round and playing in the ball pit. When the week was through, Anisha and I flew back to Saskatoon from Edmonton via the best airline the world: WESTJET! Alison met us in Saskatoon on Saturday and said that of all the flights landing in Saskatoon that morning, only WestJet was arriving on time. Air Canada was all delayed. It was great to get back home and be with Alison. Anisha and I had a good visit with my mom and my own Nanny, who is 81!

To see pictures of Anisha's adventures at West Edmonton mall, click this line or the picture below:

5. My contract with St. Mary High School ends on Jan 26th and then I head back to subbing. I actually have a full week of subbing in the morning booked for February which is awesome.

6. Alison will be putting on a Winter carnival for her Guiding division soon and will be interviewed by the local CTV news about it and Guiding in general on Tuesday, so I will try and get a copy of her interview for everyone to see.

7. Anisha is speaking a lot more now, or at least parroting what we say to her. She likes to ask to watch Barney, Dora or Elmo. Her interest in "In the Night Garden" is beginning to weaken.

8. As mentioned earlier, Ali and I bought Anisha a potty for Christmas. We showed her how to sit on it and ask. At her childcare, they put her on it from time to time when she asks. She never does anything in the potty, but its great to introduce it to her now so she gets comfy with it. She already often lets Ali and I know when she has done business in her diaper. Last night, Anisha asked to sit on the potty. I put her on and after about 12 seconds, she stood up again. I got her diaper back on and she stood by the potty and looked at it. When I asked her what was wrong, she pointed into the potty and I looked. Anisha had ACTUALLY peed in the potty. I was SOOOOO happy. I took the potty with Anisha and we flushed her pee down the toilet together. I told her she was a big girl and gave her lots of praise. YAY ANISHA!!!

That seems to be it for here in Prince Albert. Have a great week everyone!

Weighing in on Christmas Tree

2008-12-16T20:18:00.009-06:00

So, a better week for my weight. I dropped 1 pound, so its not all that bad. I am now at 324 lbs.

School is going pretty good. My classes just finished their Trigonometry Exam and one of them had a class average of 91%. It was pretty awesome. School ends on Friday and then I have two weeks off until the grand return in January for the last review before the final.

Ali and I worked out tonight for the first time in a while and I think we will both be sore tomorrow.

The church Kids Xmas pageant went well. The kids sang awesome and the highlight of the night was the nativity scene put on by the Preschoolers where the boy playing Joseph cried to break his heart the whole time he was up there (and Mary was by him "consoling" him from arm's length).

We finally have our Christmas Tree up, in our basement. Anisha is known for being a troublemaker, so we put it up downstairs to keep it out of her "curious" hands. She helped to decorate it, as well as take off ornaments that we put up. See pics below.

Plus a cute video of Anisha blowing bubbles in the bath.

Have a great week all!

The bare tree

Anisha helping with the ornaments

Helping mommy decorate

Trying to figure out which ornament mommy wants next.

The finished project (After Anisha went to bed)

And now, the bubble blowing in bath video:

Weighing in on my B-Day and a goal missed

2008-12-07T20:37:00.005-06:00

So, with every challenge, there can be a loss. I challenged myself to lose more weight by my B-Day on Sunday last weekend, and I didn't make it. I basically almost stayed the same for a month, so maybe it wasn't all that bad. I am now at 325 lbs. A very slight increase.

My Birthday went well. I went to church to start, then I had an afternoon show which went well, then I came home and had some BPs ordered in and spent the night with my family. I received the movie "The Mist" from Anisha and my POWER tie I wanted from Tip Top Tailors from Alison, plus an Advent calendar. Anisha helped pick out an ice cream cake for my B-day and it was Dora the Explorer.

The Dora Cake for my B-Day
(Click the picture for more on Facebook)

The rest of the run of my show went great. The usual odd line mess up, but nothing ever serious happened for the rest of the run. The cast party on Saturday night was great. The cast gave Layla (the director) and myself the posters from the wall of the show that were used as templates for the "Self-Help" books in the show... or vice versa. Either way, they were wicked posters and I got one. It was very nice of them. Since it was the last show, we got to partake of the excellent food from Farm Flavour Catering that catered our dinner show and OH MY GOD was it amazing. The chicken almost melted in my mouth, the salmon was soooooooo succulent, and the spinach salad had rose petals in it which was a unique and yummy touch.

The only definite drama I am in now is helping our church with their Xmas show next weekend. Very easy stuff.

Thats about it for here. Below is a picture of Anisha reading to Ali and I along with a short video of her reading to us.

Weighing in on poisoning, plays and parties

2008-11-28T09:26:00.004-06:00

So, it has been a while since my last posting. What has happened? A couple of minor things:

1. My show opens tonight and runs until next Saturday. It is looking very good. I screwed up on a couple of sound/light issues during the dress rehearsal, but they can be fixed.

2. I did gain some weight back, but I am now back down to 324 lbs. Partly due to our food poisoning yesterday. On Wednesday night, we had perogies and sausages. Apparently the sausages were a little 'suspect' but tasted ok. Anisha wouldn't eat any of the sausages and probably for good reason. She was the smarter of us three because Ali and I got the food poisoning. Around midnight that night, both Ali and I were afflicted with projectile vommiting and terrible Montezuma's revenge. We were up all night with it, with me throwing up 4 times and Ali almost twice an hour until about 5am. We took Thursday off to recuperate and sleep. We didn't eat much, just drink flat ginger ale. I took today off as well since I am run down from the busy rehearsal week and weak from yesterday's "adventures"

3. Anisha has been doing well at Daycare. She has made some great crafts that I will post once I get them home and scanned. They say she is one of their best eaters there. That is great to hear, but why is it that when she comes home, she fusses about what we feed her and often feeds Daxx? Silly girl.

4. I got the news that my contract with the Catholic School board will not be renewed in January, that means that I am back to subbing again for February to June, unless another job opens up.

5. With Christmas fast approaching, it is interesting to see people panic about prepping for it. Other than lightly decorating our house, I don't plan to do much more. I won't do a lot of baking, if any, and I know what presents I want and I have a good budget for it. I think that is why so many people freak out about the holidays and can't enjoy it, they place too much pressure on the presentation of the holiday rather than the meaning of fellowship, family and togetherness. Sure, its great to entertain people, and God knows I would love to entertain if my house had the room, but enjoying the company should be of the utmost importance. I find the whole presentation thing very shallow. The holidays are about giving unto others with love and caring. So, handmade decorations from your child are way better than $50 ones from JYSK. Showing up to a party which is potluck with light snacks (cheese, crackers, etc) , rather than hosting a dinner gala of sorts, makes the evening that much more fun. And spending time with your family, or giving gifts that allow the family to spend time together, is much better than the gifts themselves.

I read online through the CTV newssite that the average person spends almost $450 on each person for holiday shopping. That is sickening. Sure, we have a lot of gifts for Anisha this year, but they may total $75, including all the clothes. No wonder people are stressed at the holidays: Have to get the best, most expensive gift for people... OR... I spend so much I am in terrible debt... OR... I have to spend a lot getting ready for everyone coming over to make a nice impression.

All this stress to make a good impression rather than just being with people. I vow to try and not be that way, and hopefully many of you can do that too. I am not looking for the perfect gift, just the gift of you being there to share the fun of the holiday with me. Thats the best gift. We are always so busy in life, I love just spending time with those who I consider friends or family.

Have a happy week all.

Self Help

2008-11-11T20:35:00.004-06:00

Here is the advertisement for the Odyssey Show that I am stage managing:

Weighing in on haircuts, robberies and other stuff

2008-11-10T12:31:00.007-06:00

So, a few busy things this past week:

1. I didn't lose any weight, but I was able to get a FINAL evaluation on my weight. I officially weighed myself at the doctor's office when I took Anisha in for her 18 month check up and confirmed that my scale at home is 5 lbs above where it should be. I am still at 324 lbs.

2. Anisha got her first haircut this past Thursday. She didn't really have long hair, but her bangs kept falling in front of her eyes alot and so we got it trimmed. She didn't like the whole procedure. She cried all through it, mostly because she couldn't suck her thumb for comfort. But, her crying soon stopped when the hair care lady gave Anisha her 1st sucker, and she REALLY loved that.

Anisha Before

Anisha during (doesn't like it much)

Anisha After
And finally, calmed down with a sucker

3. We were robbed again! Some dastardly criminal came and took... THE BOTTLES off our deck. SERIOUSLY! I went to put out some pop bottles the other day and noticed that the big black garbage bag they are usually in was gone. I asked my parents, who were up visiting, if they put it elsewhere in their cleaning and they said no. We checked around the whole house and outside and nothing. So, someone decided to take the hard earned, and drunken, $2-$3 we collected for their own use. While I am thankful nothing more expensive was taken (like our $350 baby stroller which was right beside it), I was wondering how petty people in this area of town REALLY are. Sad, sad...

4. Our car now has a remote car starter in it, so no more going out in the cold mornings to start it for Alison and Anisha. I can do that from inside the comfort of our kitchen.

5. I survived Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews last Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday was VERY slow for me: 3 parents in 3 hours. I got a lot of work done that night. Thursday was a different story: 13 parents! Busy night that night. Of course, as per usual, the parents that I DID want to show up never did. Such is life. After Thursday's Interviews, the teachers gathered in the lounge for some beer and nachos. I was surprised to learn that the school is licensed to serve alcohol. Then I realized that it is a Catholic school across from a Catholic church... after funerals or weddings at the church, the school is rented out for the fellowship/wake after and them Catholics like their wine and beer.

6. My parents came up on Monday last week and seemed to enjoy themselves whilst being here. However, as per every other time they have come up, my mom got sick again so they went back a little early. Dad was looking like he was getting sick to, but he got over it, I think. It was nice to have them up to see how big Anisha had grown.

7. Speaking of Anisha, she is now 18 months old, 24 lbs 5.5 oz, and 31.5 inches long. Almost perfect height and weight for her age. At her new childcare, they tell us she eats VERY well. I wish she would do that at home instead of trying to feed Daxx. lol. But she does eat good here too; in fact, Ali or I cannot enjoy a meal without her begging for a bit. Funny baby. She had a few days stint last week where she would wake up at 3:30am or 4:30am and want to get up. With how busy Ali and I were last week, Anisha fouling up our sleep patterns didn't help with our resistance to sickness, so Ali and I were feeling a little under the weather at the end of the week. Anisha seems to be back to full night sleeping again, thank goodness we have a good sleeper, generally. But man, those 6am weekend wakeup calls are not always fun... lol

8. Ali's brother Matthew and his bride-to-be, Lindsey, are in Mexico right now, getting married on Thursday. The rest of the family is there too. Hopefully they won't get caught in any tropical storms. We wish we could have gone, but we can't. We are saving up for our 1st house and downpayments aren't cheap.

9. My play, Self-Help, that I am stage managing, opens up on November 28th and it is looking VERY good. Such a funny, funny play with LOTS of inuendo and quick humour.

Wow, thats a lot to talk about. Have a great week everyone and take it easy!

Anisha and her winter get up for the cold. Cutie!

Weighing in on Halloween

2008-11-02T20:57:00.005-06:00

I didn't realize that I haven't posted in a while.

1. My weight went up a couple of pounds and then back down to 324 lbs on hallowe'en. All things still looking good. My reward movie in the theatres was Passchendaele. It was a good movie, one of the best Canadian Made movies I have seen in a while. Great story. Go see it.

2. Anisha dressed as a puppy for Halloween. We figured that since she calls everything else a puppy (Cats, rabbits, us...) we would dress her as a puppy. We didn't take her out Trick-or-treating since she doesn't understand it anyway. Plus, the first candy she gave out she freaked out about thinking that she lost her favorite thing in the world. Click on the picture below for my facebook album with more pics:

3. My parents are coming up for a visit tomorrow. It will be nice to see them and for them to see how big Anisha is.

4. Anisha is doing well. She seems to have a mild allergy to something in her right eye. I know, a very odd place for it to spring up, but we will look into it. Once in a while, her eye will puff up from something and then disappear after a couple of days. Doctors here say its an allergy. It must come from her rubbing something in her eye.

5. Alison is doing well still and always busy with Sparks and Guides. Tonight was their Chili meal fundraiser and it went very well. Anisha and I had some and it was yummy. But Anisha was a little bit of a grumpus since she had been at the hall with Ali for a while and wanted to go home.

Thats it for us here. I will try and post more often in the future, I promise. Have a great week all!

Weighing in on Thanksgiving

2008-10-18T11:54:00.006-06:00

So, Thanksgiving went well here. It was just Ali, Anisha and I and we had a blast that day. It was a yummy turkey with dressing, potatoes, veggies, doughboys (A Newfoundland pastry-thing), and of course gravy. It ended with Lemon Meringue Pie, which I successfully made for the first time. I usually screw up on the meringue.

The Family at Thanksgiving.

The meal...
Click this line to visit my facebook album to see more pics of Thanksgiving.

No weight loss this week. I stayed the same: 325 lbs.

Ali and I finally got a night out last night. We went out to dinner at BPs (ok, so that restaurant is nothing too special), but then we went to the Arrogant Worms Concert. I laughed myself stupid many times. It was a great night out for us and Anisha did well with our sitter as usual (We've always used the same sitter with Anisha).

Work is going well for both Alison and I. There are some frustrating days for us, but such is the pathos of work, right?

Our new family photos are in! You can click the picture below to visit my facebook album to see them all. I think they turned out great... And yes, all of our family members will be getting copies. Be patient whilst we organize them.

Weighing in the Night Garden

2008-10-10T10:02:00.003-06:00

So, Anisha is really addicted to the show In the Night Garden which can be seen on the Treehouse tv station. She really gets into it and gets excited to see the characters, especially the Ninky Nonk (The Train). She will sit in her chair and zone out watching it. Funny stuff. Although I must say, they never show the Wottingers too much since we started watching it. They are the small creatures that are neighbours to the Pontipines and look exactly alike, except they wear blue and the Pontipines wear red. I think the show is racist against blue people.

Anisha watching and enjoying the Pinky Ponk (Above) and the Tombliboos (below)

Anisha is also showing off her inherited temper from me. When she gets hungry, she gets REALLY mad and stomps around the house and cries. She also throws a fit and then gets into one of those states where she makes herself so upset, she can't remember why and thus can't calm down when we do feed her. Silly girl.

I am home sick today. My throat is quite sore and I am run down. This sickness has been with me a few weeks now. The doctor said the recent fatigue and illness is probably due to a post-nasal drip that is keeping the bacteria around and is thus not letting me fight it properly. Apparently, I was colonizing bacteria back there. Yicht.

On the plus side, I lost more weight. I am now down to 325 lbs. I guess being sick, and a full time job are good for me. I still haven't seen a movie from my last weight loss, but now, with 2 more pounds gone, I can see 2. I will definately try and see one this weekend. I guess it will have to be a rental since our babysitter has gone to Alberta for Thanksgiving.

It is snowing up here today and feels alot like fall. YAY! I am happy for fall... AND for turkey dinner on Monday!

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Weighing in on Odd events

2008-10-03T08:24:00.002-06:00

So a number of odd things happened this last week:

1. Early Sunday morning, Sept 28, at 2:25AM, we got a call at our house. I was sleeping upstairs by myself because I was feeling sick with a cold and whenever one of us gets sick, the other sleeps downstairs so the sick one gets a good night sleep. I got up and answered the phone. Still groggy, I swore the phone said that Trent Gillespie was calling. I answered to hear "Good morning", then a hang up. I shook the cobwebs out of my head and checked caller ID and sure enough, my cell phone called me. I couldn't put two and two together because for all knew, my cell phone was in the car. I went out and looked in my driveway to see my car door open. I went out to the car to see everything inside strewn about; we were robbed.
I woke Alison then called my cell phone back; the buggers answered! I told them I was calling the cops on them and they said to go ahead and hung up again. I went and grabbed Ali's wallet that had been thrown around in the car, searched it to see no VISA so we quickly cancelled Ali's VISA. I also called and blocked my cell phone. We called the cops, who came and took a statement from us. In the end, the only thing taken from my car was my cell phone. We found Ali's VISA in the house, so no loss there in the end.
Since all they took was the cell phone, it leads me to believe it was just a bunch of drunk, stupid kids, or adults. It turns out that we didn't lock the car door after we got home Saturday evening, which is odd because we usually do. I guess we were distracted and forgot. I REALLY liked that cell phone... but I am thankful that was all that was missing.

2. Later that day we went to Saskatoon and got Anisha some new board books, a couple of "In The Night Garden" toys from Toys R Us, and we had a great lunch at Fuddruckers. Before we left, I got a new phone, a Motorolla Krazor. It's very sleek and shiny.

3. So, I have found another great way to lose weight: sweating. At St. Mary High School where I teach, I cannot wear jeans or shorts; Khakis and dress pants are good. Many of my classes overheat fast so I sweat ALOT! I weighed myself this morning to see that I dropped 5 pounds! Holy crap! I am now at 327lbs. I guess there is a bonus to working here and wearing long pants all day. I guess I will watch a movie this weekend. Who know what I will watch.

4. Anisha is doing well, still a busy, cranky girl who likes to throw a mild fit when she can't get her way. Alison is good too. Her Sparks group is working with their division this weekend to hold a garage sale in their hall to raise funds. That will be our Saturday.

That's all that is new. Have a great weekend all!

Down with the sickness...

2008-09-26T15:58:00.002-06:00

So, I have recently been reminded of the pathos of working with grubby kids... I can get sick quicker. I am already feeling roughed up in the head and throat from a slight cold or flu. Plus, Anisha was a little ill earlier this week and woke up in the middle of the night a couple of nights, so both Ali and I lost some sleep and thus, lowered our defenses to illness. Ali is getting better, but I am now just getting it.

I've been so busy with school, rehearsals, and Sylvan, its hard to find time to work out. So I gained a pound again and now I am up to 332 lbs. Now that I am a little sick, this may affect me even more to not work out due to no energy, but I will see what I can muster.

Athabasca University FINALLY marked my Calculus final and posted my mark. I am not overly pleased with the mark I got on the final, which was a 55.6%, BUT, when calculated into my overall final mark, I finish the course with a 70.71%, which is about a 2.8 GPA, or a B- for those of the old school persuasion. I also wrote my Statistics Midterm today which went very well. Only one question really gave me a hard time, but that was only because I had two possible choices of formulas to use and the question wasn't clear enough as to which one to use, so I wrote both and then wrote a note (which is Athabasca U's exam policy).

Anisha is well. Her Daycare has told us that there is a Chicken Pox case at the Daycare so be warned. I say good... kids need to get that over and done with quickly in life. Other than that, Anisha is great and is feeling much better than earlier in the week.

Alison is also getting better from her flash illness earlier this week. Her Sparks group is keeping her busy with all the planned events.

This weekend, all of us are going to Saskatoon on Sunday to explore the big city! Have a great weekend everyone!

Fall is here...

2008-09-21T07:27:00.007-06:00

Well, my first official week at school was busy. I have most of my work setup for the whole year except tests of course. I am still trying to understand my Math Drop-in class and how I am grading them, if at all. Plus, my large class after lunch are filled with yahoos and I freaked out at them on Thursday for cheering that some of them failed the test. Boy did that anger me. Other than that, school is going great and I am 80% organized now. I also lost a pound so I am now at 331lbs.

I worked the Mom's Morning Out Children's toy and clothing sale on Friday night as security which means I got to pre-shop. I found Anisha a cute Elmo chair (like her cousin Connor has), a wonderful snow suit and boots, some board books, a couple other outfits (the selection was weak this fall), a ball popper pusher (you can see below in the video) and two new stuffed toys you can see above: a tiger and a duck. Anisha really likes the popper-thing.

Here is Anisha sporting the poncho top Grandma got her at the Reynold's Alberta Museum when we visited over Labour Day long weekend.

Anisha is doing well, still growing lots of teeth, up to 10 or 11 now. This does mean some NASTY bum rashes that almost bleed which really hurt her, but such is the pathos of being a toddler.
Alison had a nasty bug hit her early in the week which gave her a wicked fever and nausia and had her stay home Monday and Tuesday. She was all better, but still tired for the rest of the week.

So, what's coming up for us:
I am trying to get my but in gear and get our family booked in for some family photos, but I keep forgetting to book it. My rehearsals start next week for my show I am stage managing and I have my Stats Midterm on Friday afternoon. Still no word on my Calculus final. Athabasca University is slow I guess. Ali's Sparks group has started and is still in full swing with a couple of special events coming up.

Thats about it. Here are a couple more photos of Anisha recently and a video of her with her new toys Daddy picked up at the sale on Friday. Have a great week all!

You can find more pics by clicking this line to my Facebook album.

Weighing in on busy weeks

2008-09-12T08:36:00.003-06:00

So after my parents left, Alison and I took off to Camrose to visit Robin and Margaret and then to Sherwood Park for Connor's 2nd B-Day. It was a ton of fun. Anisha had a blast too even if the picture below doesn't show that.

Once we got back, it was auditions for my show that I will be stage managing. Lots of great people auditioned and the director chose a great cast. We have our first read through next week.

I gained some weight while I was away and went up to 337 lbs, but because this week has been busy and I have been eating less and walking more with my new job, I am back down to a nice 332 lbs. Still one pound heavier than I was a few weeks ago, but that's ok.

So some of you are asking, what new job? Well, I got interviewed for a teaching position with the Catholic School board and I got a job teaching!!! I am teaching 4 classes of Math 10 at the local Catholic High School, St. Mary. I will be getting a 5th class shortly, they just need to organize the schedule a bit more. Due to the large number of kids registered in Grade 10, they needed a new teacher. So, yay me!

Anisha is doing well. Not much new with her. Still a busy girl. Alison starts Sparks next week and is really busy planning that.

Have a great week all!

Busy week

2008-08-29T21:07:00.002-06:00

Well, I only have a little to say and no pictures to post.

I weighed myself today to see that I have remained the same weight, 331 lbs.

I started back to subbing again this week with the local school board. I couldn't believe I got called in so soon after school started. 2 days at Wesmor school near where we live and today I went to West Central school. The teacher I subbed for at Wesmor was away because her parent's farm was hit by the tornado that hit north of PA on Tuesday and today's teacher had a funeral. I don't expect many shifts next week, but hey, you never know...
Also, I finished my Calculus on Sunday! YAY!!! Now I only have the final to worry about on September 12th.

My parents went back to Sherwood Park after a nice visit. We did get some pictures, but my camera has been acting up lately, so I will try and get some on later. Ali and Anisha are still doing well. Anisha is a very busy and active girl as of late. Now she is starting to repeat what we say to learn English. It's very cute when she says "Uh-Oh!" or even "No". Of course, I may not find the latter so cute later on.

Thats about it here. Have a great weekend everyone!

Altered weight

2008-08-22T10:48:00.013-06:00

Anisha hamming it up for Nanny and Poppy's camera.
So, my parents came up last night in their huge camper van. It drinks gas like we breathe air, so you can tell how old it is. Actually, it's older than me, made in 1976.

They also brought up their weigh scale which is exactly like mine, a Weight Watchers scale. I used it to compare and have discovered the following: my scale was overweighing me by about 5 lbs. So this morning, I stepped on my scale to see 336 lbs. Then I went to my parent's scale to see 331 lbs. Therefore, my investigation was right... my scale is wrong/inproperly programmed. Despite my attempts to reprogram my scale, it still weighs me more. Heck, the scale at the gym says I'm 227 lbs, so, on average, my offical weight is less that my scale tells me. So, I will be adjusting my weight as I go. With my parents up and my movie secret shop due, I think Dad and I will go see Tropic Thunder.

Anisha was a little scared to see my parents, but soon warmed up to them. I came home this morning from working out to see Anisha and my mom dancing Newfoundland Jigs in the kitchen. Here is the video with a watermark on it because I had to convert it to a smaller file to upload it...

Campfire Fun and Correspondence update

2008-08-18T13:14:00.003-06:00

Well the BBQ went great. We had about 9 people show up, most of them Ali's co-workers. We had some great food (Cara's potatoes rocked and April was the star by bringing ice cream and popsicles), and good laughs. At about 9:30, it began to drizzle, so we called it a night and everyone went their separate ways. Ali and I were exhausted prepping for the party by mowing the lawn and cutting wood. Our forearms were screaming aches and pains.Everyone at the Party in the backyard

Anisha kept grabbing Trent's empties and lugging them around...
Trent was the other Trent in my show back in May...
I don't really address myself in the third person

All the wood we got free from Ali's work

You can see all the rest of the pics and a couple of cute Anisha shots by clicking this line to my facebook album.

Some of you may know that I am taking Math correspondence courses from the Athabasca University to upgrade my teaching degree. Well, actually, Sask learning doesn't recognize my ESL teaching minor, so I have to take 4-5 courses anyways within the next few years. Anyhoo, I am just about done my Calculus course and about 25% done my Statistics course. Here are my standings thus far:

Math 265 - Calculus I
Assignment #1 - 90.9%
Assignment #2 - 91%
Midterm - 83.5%
Assignment #3 - 69.5 %

Despite my lower Assignment #3 mark, I am sitting at a nice 82.94% going into the last assignment and final for Calculus.

Math 215 - Statistics
Assignment #1 - 100%
Assignment #2 - 92%

Although I am only 2 Assignments in, I am sitting at a great 96% in Statistics.

Other than my parents, Ross and Colleen, are coming up for a visit at the end of the week, not much else new. Have a great week all!

Calm before the storm... OF FUN!!! and adapted goal... stupid movie studios...

2008-08-14T20:08:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update today. With the BBQ/Campfire party I am hosting on Saturday, I won't post much here and wait until new pics are done.

- I really don't like my bathroom scale. It must have a programming issue as I first weighed myself today to a jump to 351 lbs. 10 minutes later... 343 lbs. Finally, it leveled out at 337 lbs. A one pound loss, but I don't really trust it all that much. The night before, I weighed at the gym on their scale at 324 lbs. I don't know what my real weight is anymore and the company that made the scale isn't helping me fix/look into the issue. I will try to find the time to do Matthew's recommendation and go weigh myself at the doctor's office...

Also, it was just announced that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been pushed back until Summer 2009... So what the hell will my goal be then...

I've got it: A loss of 20 lbs by November 30 (My B-day) and I will be allowed to see Quantum of Solace. (For those who don't know, its the new James Bond film)
- Ali is good. Nothing new with her, really. Her mom's B-day was today, Thursday, and her parent's wedding anniversary was last week... but other than that, nothing new.

- I really love Anisha, but she is driving me absolutely batty as she opens damn near EVERY drawer in the house and takes out everything, grabs EVERYTHING in sight and runs away with it with a squeal, and really just doesn't listen to what I or Alison say... But hey, that's what having a toddler is all about. I am in the thick of it now. lol.

Have a great weekend everyone. Will post pics of the BBQ/Campfire later....

Strange weight

2008-08-08T12:07:00.002-06:00

So, not much new here in PA:
-I'm still working at Sylvan with a mix of want-to-learn and why-am-I-here kids. I weighed myself yesterday to find that I dropped to 338 lbs. Its good, bit a strange thing happened at the gym. I weighed myself on their machine to see that I am... GHASP... 329 lbs. So something is afoot, and it's with my scale I think. Logic dictates that if Robin and Margaret's scale, my parent's scale, AND the scale at the gym are nearly the same, and mine says differently, then something is wrong with my scale. I will look into this and let you all know.

- Alison is still doing well at work. Nothing really new there. I did mention in an earlier post that Ali was approved for a convention/seminar in Regina through her work, but I had the date wrong. I had said it was this fall, but it is actually next spring, 2009. Ali also returned in fine form to Ultimate frisbee on Wednesday and left aching like I usually do.

- Anisha is still growing like a weed. She says four words now: Ma-ma, Da-da, Daxx and Baby. She also likes to repeat what we say. She's not fluent in English yet, but getting better. Childcare is going well and she is walking, and sometimes running, better than ever.

For those of you on the Facebook-cult, you know that I have gotten a new firepit. Ali and I (mostly me) are hosting a campfire/BBQ/potluck party on Saturday, August 16th. Its BYO-BMCE (Beverages, meat, chairs, everything else you need). It's gonna be fun!

Click this line to link to pictures of the new campfire and pics of our trip to the Saskatoon Fringe over the long weekend!

A new goal...

2008-08-01T12:34:00.007-06:00

So, I weighed myself today and I went back up to 340 lbs. I have been stuck at this weight for about a month now. While I shouldn't get discouraged, I have been thinking about how I can jump start my weight loss again. Finally it occurred to me: I need a new goal to achieve. Sure, I said the 300 lbs mark was good, but that was too great a goal in the short run. I need a SMART goal. Those in business know that SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. My 300lbs goal was SMA, but not RT. So here is my new goal:

I want to lose 20 lbs by my birthday, November 30, and I will be allowed to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which comes out November 21.

Onto other things: The Prince Albert Exhibition was this week. Ali, Anisha and I went Tuesday night and it was good, but we were tired from all the walking. The parade for the exhibition was on Monday and was almost ruined by a freak rainstorm which pelted parade watchers.

You can check out the photos of the parade and the exhibition by clicking this line to my Facebook gallery.

Not much else is new here. Everything seems to be going swimmingly for all of us now that the summer is half over.
Oh, in Lindsey's blog she ranted about hypoallergenic dogs. Its funny how people believe that the term hypoallergenic means anyone with allergies can still own one. I do believe the term means that it doesn't shed so mildly allergic people (like Alison) can still own one. People, like Lindsey, with stronger allergies, will still react to dogs because the dog still sheds skin (like humans) and drools. Its too bad she will have to lose out on the fun of a pet, but it is a cheaper alternative. In the end, we should all go back to owning rocks. Easy to care for, non-allergenic, and if you don't like it, just throw it away...
Have a great week everyone!

Surprise Vacation and odd weight

2008-07-25T08:23:00.007-06:00

So, to start, the reason there has been a two week absence on my blog is because Ali, Anisha and I took a "surprise" vacation to Alberta to visit our families (The surprise was on my mom who had no clue we were coming). It was a great time away and lots to tell:

1. An interesting thing occurred in Alberta, I weighed less. I was 340 when I left, and in Alberta I was 331. Since Alberta has a higher altitude, gravity is working a little less there, so I was lighter. Now, for those in science, you know my mass never changed. So what is my real mass then? Hmmm, I dunno... In any event, my weight has really fluctuated since we got back on Wednesday, so I averaged it out to 339 lbs.

2. We started our trip in Camrose with Ali's parents and had a great time there. We went garage sale shopping, took in a farmer's market, watched the F1 race (which was boring until the wicked crash near the end, then it got good), and I learned how to play two new board games (a horse racing game and some card game like Rummoli). We also went and visited Miquelon Lake provincial park to see their upgrades. I used to camp there with my folks when I was younger, so was good to go back and see the sights. Anisha loved playing in the sand at the beach and then wading into the shallow lake and getting soaked. lol. It was a great visit.Anisha playing with Buffy and Daxx at the off-leash park in Camrose

Anisha hanging out with Grandpa watching golf in the morning

With Grandma and Grandpa just before we left.

3. We then drove up to Sherwood Park and surprised my mom with a visit (Dad knew we were coming so as to make sure they stayed home). Monday was my Dad's 62nd B-Day, so it was nice to be there for that. On Monday, Ali got a haircut, then we went to the YMCA I used to work at to visit, and then we went to the Royal Alex Hospital so Ali could visit her old friends. In the later afternoon, we met up with Lindsey and Connor at Millenium Place in Sherwood Park to swim in their wave pool. Connor loved to jump off the edge into Lindsey's arms, but was hesitant to climb the huge train-water-fountain thing. Anisha eventually got a little braver and was all over that train-water-fountain thing, climbing in the tunnels and loving the spray water.

Walking to the park in the area where Nanny and Poppy live.

At Millenium Place in Sherwood Park.

4. Tuesday brought forth something I have been waiting for for a while. I got to see The Dark Knight, finally. It was outstanding, mostly because of Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. I didn't really like how they ended the movie with Two-Face, but Heath's Joker was phenomenal. 9.9999/10 (Doesn't get a 1o because of the Two-Face ending). It was well worth the wait and weight loss! (Get the joke? hehehe) After the movie, Ali, my dad and I took in Taste of Edmonton which was much better than it used to be. Favorite food: The Kung Pow Chicken and Dry Spicy Chicken from the new Chinese restaurant, Lingnan. Top notch. In the evening, Ali came up with a last minute activity and we went to see Body Worlds at the Telus World of Science. For those who don't know, it's a travelling world exhibition of preserved bodies and body parts that are prepared using a technique called plastination to reveal inner anatomical structures. They have everything from bodies in different poses (including a pregnant woman) to body slices, parts and organs. Although creepy at first, it was facinating to see the insides of us and how our bodies are made up.

5. We came home on Wednesday to a muggy Prince Albert and a lawn that desperately needs to be cut this weekend. Yesterday, Thursday, we took in Taste of Prince Albert. While not as large as Taste of Edmonton and with less variety, the portions were HUGE and Ali, Anisha and I had our fill.

Click this line to look at more pictures of our trip on Facebook.

That's about it here. Have a great weekend everyone

Our Little Picaso

2008-07-14T09:04:00.007-06:00

Anisha gets dropped off at Childcare around 8:15 AM and is the only one in her age group (0-24 mos) until 10 or 11 am (The rest of the kids in her room are on subsidy so have shorter hours). While she waits for the other kids to show, she hangs out with the older kids. Last week, the older kids were doing a craft, so the caregivers decided to include Anisha instead of having her sit out or do something else. They traced her hands and arm, made copies, gave it to Anisha to color on and then made a tree. It is her 1st craft ever and it looks gorgeous!

When we went grocery shopping, we picked up some crayons and paper to try this at home. She doodled for a few seconds, then decided to try and eat the crayons, throw them, and then play her new game of put everything in the crayon box. Below are some pics of the fun:

So we also went garage sale shopping this past weekend and bought Anisha 6 pairs of shoes including a pair of rubber boots, all for $10. Then we found a place selling toys and Anisha LOVED the Popple stuffed animal that we found. Does anyone else our age (25-35) remember these toys? Anisha loved it and giggles when we pop it open for her:

Weighing in on random things

2008-07-11T10:31:00.004-06:00

Ok, not too much exciting to report, so I will list a few things of noting that may or may not interest you:
1. Slight setback with my weight. I gained 3/4 of a pound. OH NO!!! lol. Well, it's not all that bad I guess. My weigh scale gives your weight with decimals, so last week I was 340.8, this week I am 341.5 lbs. Again, not a full pound, but, whatever. We all have setbacks once in a while. Hell, I did pretty damn good almost constantly losing for 5.5 months!

2. I am really liking my statistics correspondence course, but I fear it may mean I slack off on Calculus, so I am trying to find the happy medium. Still no word on my Mid-term mark for my Calculus.

3. Ali is still doing well, however, she is suffering a bit from a pulled/knotty trapezius muscle (for those anatomically challenged, it's the muscle that runs from your neck to your shoulder and a bit into your upper back). She has done massage from both me and other physios she works with as well as some acupuncture from another rehab staff she works with who is getting trained in acupuncture. She gets some relief, but it comes back. No idea how it happened. It may have been from a bad sleep position one night, or from working out on Tuesday... I lean on the former to be honest.

4. Anisha is still doing well. Other than walking constantly, the only new thing with her is that she likes me to chase her down (saying, "Daddy's gonna getcha!) and her sqealling in delight, and sometimes doing a poor version of Riverdance on the spot when hearing music on TV and getting excited. I have tried to capture video of this dance she does, but once I get the camera out, she stops and does other things.

So, thats it for here. Have a great weekend everyone.

Anti-Calgary Flame

2008-07-08T08:24:00.003-06:00

So, as many people know, I am a huge Oilers fan. Always have... always will be. I have enjoyed the great Alberta rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton. I used to respect Calgary for their fan loyalty, great hockey prowess and hey, they have a St.Albert native on their team: Jarome Iginla. I used to say Calgary sucks, but only in fun. I still silently rooted for them in the playoffs. The more Canadian teams going for the Stanley Cup, the better. I mean, it's a hockey game. It's all in fun.

This morning, that fun rivalry turned to disgust when I heard that the Calgary Flames signed Todd Bertuzzi for next season. For those who don't know, Todd Bertuzzi was the idiot player from Vancouver who sucker punched, then face planted Steve Moore (playing for Colorado) into the ice for an attack on a fellow player from a previous game. While Moore is not without sin here (he hurt Markus Naslund in a previous game), Bertuzzi had no right to injure Moore that way. A simple hockey fight would have done fine. To date, Moore has never played in the NHL since the attack and most likely never will. While Bertuzzi has had suspensions, numerous fines and salary cuts, and endorsement cancellations, he is still allowed to play hockey. Is that real punishment?

No. I just read a book about reality discipline for children (where children are disciplined according to the real world, as adults are) and this goes against it. If you can't play fair, and the other person can't play the game either because of your action, than neither should you. Some people may argue that he apologized. I accept his apology. I do think he felt remorse and he understood that he crossed the line. But, he shouldn't be allowed to play again.

Sure, maybe his is a good player. However, that will not stop me from being truly disgusted with Calgary for signing him. And if any of you are wondering what I would do if Edmonton signed Bertuzzi (which they never will because he's too damn expensive), I would stop cheering for the Oilers, never wear their jersey or follow their games until Betuzzi left the team.
So, that's it. My rant against Bertuzzi and the Calgary Flames. I hope Calgary loses all their games this season, season ticket sales drastically decline and many Calgary fans show some common sense and not go to the games whilst Bertuzzi plays for your team.

Weighing in on Waskesiu and Canada Day

2008-07-04T08:30:00.009-06:00

It seems as if I will now be weighing on on Fridays as that is when I finally have time to do it and update our blog. Last week I reached my 1st major weight loss goal, this week, I reached my next usual goal. I am now 340 lbs, down 5 lbs and I can go watch a regular movie. Will all the fun summer movies out, who knows what I will watch.

Camping at Waskesiu was fun, but buggy. The Horse Flies (which I have never seen before) are HUGE and numerous. Despite using up ALL our bug spray, Ali had the least bites (must be a Webster thing), Anisha had a few more, and I had the most. My legs look like they're infested with bugs, and it is soooo itchy. We had some great weather and got to go to the beach a couple of times, but Anisha didn't like the cold lake water. We didn't get to spend a lot of time with Matthew and Lindsey, but we did play cards one night, until the break-dancing bug ruined our fun. As Lindsey said in her blog, you had to have been there to get the craziness of the bug. In all, it was great to get away and camp outside.

Canada Day was pretty good too. We started with a Pancake Breakfast in Waskesiu, then Anisha fell asleep so we came back to PA and unpacked and started all our laundry (which, by the way, we just finished last night, Thursday... thats 7 loads of laundry between the three of us!). We then took in some of the festivities at the local Kinsmen Park and down by the riverside. Then we came home and went to bed. So tired...

On a quick side note, what is with some parents of kids these days? There were two idiot kids (about 9-12 years old) in the playground, hanging out on the toddler section (where Anisha likes to slide) with realistic looking toy guns, aiming them at kids Anisha's age to 4 and talking about "bustin' a cap in their asses" and how they are "gangstas." (By they way, they were WHITE kids, not black, or latino, or native, as some regular PA gangs are with their ethnic memberships). Those kids pissed me off, so I gave them a talking to and told them to leave or I will go get the patrolling cops. Sheesh! On Canada Day even! Stupid parents allowing their kids to go to a public place with realistic looking toy guns. Keep those things at home! Those kids could have been charged, arrested, or worse, injured if the cops thought they were real guns.

Other than the fact that I have begun my Statistics correspondence course now (which is ridiculously easier that Calculus), nothing else new.
Here are some pics from Camping, plus a link to more, and a video of Anisha on Waskesiu beach. Have a great weekend all!

Anisha eating Breakfast in her new Dora the Explorer Camping chair...
A gift from Uncle Matthew, Auntie Lindsey and Cousin Connor. Thank you!

Relaxing at the beach in Waskesiu with mommy. Very nice sunny day...

Anisha got quite dirty at one point, so we gave her an emergency bath in our wash basin... with no baby soap, we just used dish detergent. You can see she didn't like it.

Anisha (still in her PJs) having fun with cousin Connor as
Matthew and Lindsey pack up to leave

Anisha dancing away at the Canada Day celebrations by the waterfront in PA.

You can find more pictures of our trip by clicking this sentence.

Here is a short video of Anisha playing with sand at the beach in Waskesiu:

Weighing in on my Midterm and a goal reached!!!

2008-06-27T10:08:00.003-06:00

Well, it has finally come to pass: As of this morning, I have reached my 1st goal of weight loss and I am allowed to see "The Dark Knight" when it comes out at the end of July. I officially weigh 341 lbs. I was worried because I weighed myself yesterday to discover I may have gained 2 lbs, but I weighed myself this morning so I can update my blog and found I have dropped! I am very proud of myself and I can no go for my next major goal of 300 lbs where I can watch movies anytime I want. That's a 41 lbs goal... I can do it! And hey, I am only 1 lbs away from seeing a regular movie in theatres...
But I won't have time right now. This afternoon is my Calculus midterm for my correspondence course. My last two assignments have been 90.9% and 91%, so I am hoping to get a good mark today as well. Then, this long weekend, Matthew and Lindsey and Conner come up from Sherwood Park and camp with us at Beaver Glen Park in Waskesiu. I will post pictures after we return.
And Lindsey, as for your post, I am sooooo anti-political correctness, so I know where you are coming from sister! Hell, I used to listen to the late George Carlin (RIP) and I often used sexist segregation in my Drama class for no real reason other than to break down the politically correct nature of schools and social settings.
Have a great Canada Day long weekend everyone!

Weighing in on Anisha's 1st day at DAYCARE!!! and other stuff

2008-06-19T09:18:00.008-06:00

So the big news this week here in Prince Albert is that Anisha started Daycare. For the last two months, she had been going part-time to full time at a local Dayhome with a lady in the east end of town. I always wondered what would have happened if the Dayhome lady got sick. Then, on Tuesday, we got a call from the Daycare, that was our 1st choice for Anisha, to say that there was an opening for her. She had been on their wait-list for about two months. Alison and I were so excited. Getting into a Daycare is very hard in Canada, and most of the wait-lists Anisha was on here in Prince Albert were about 2 or more pages long (6 months to 2 years long) and she was at the end of the list.
The Daycare is called Dayspring and it is run out of the Prince Albert Family church near downtown. They have a VERY clean place, lots of great staff, a cook that makes all the meals, and they promote good Christian values in their Daycare (after all, it is run by the church). This is not the church we attend, but it is great to know that not only will Anisha have more kids to interact with, a set "schedule" (loosely used as she is still 13.5 months old and can't follow a structured schedule), and well documented reports on her daily activities, she will also get some religious/Christian basis to all the activities, themes and interactions.
No, they are not a cult or prone to brainwashing children as my mom might suggest, but, especially with the older kids, their games and activities are based on Christian values and the kids learn to pray and are prayed for. The only thing about this Daycare which is different is that they don't celebrate Halloween. It is, apparently, against Christian values for them. I can see and respect that. That's ok. We'll still celebrate Halloween at home.

You can see from the pics above that is is a nice looking place and that Anisha is having fun.

As for Alison and I:

Ali is still working hard at the hospital and trudging through her new Hip and Knee clinic she helps to run once a week. Tonight is the new Rehab staff BBQ at Little Red River Park for the new staff and family. This weekend, Ali and Anisha go with Ali's Spark group to Prince Albert National Park in near Waskesiu for a day hike. I will be working at Sylvan while they are gone.

As for me, Subbing work is slowing down with the end of the year and finals. I only get 2-3 calls a week now, if that. I had a wickedly good game of Ultimate Frisbee with Ali's work group last night. I helped get two "goals" and did some awesome moves. I did however stretch my hip flexor so now I limp a wee bit. I did lose another pound which is great so I am now down to 343 lbs and only 2 pounds away from my goal.

I apparently touched some nerves with my last post. I know I have a natural gift to push buttons, but I just wanted to state my experiences and that was it. Those were my views and I stick to them.
The anonymous poster from yesterday made a comment about the male/female differences in planning. That got me reflecting a bit on my experiences as a Stay-at-home-Dad.

I am a HUGE advocate for men and their role in their family and get royally pissed off when people say that the role men play in the family cannot compare to the women. Other than breastfeeding, ANY man can be just as nurturing as a woman in caring for their child. Not all men are, but for the few who do step up, I think a little respect is deserved.
I was a stay-at-home dad for almost 9 months here and while I thoroughly LOVED it, I often was seen as a novelty and approached in a demeaning manner. I would often get comments like, "Oh how nice to see a man involved," or, "Good for you." While I am sure that these people were sincere in their comments, I felt like a number of the people who said them said it with the undertone you would give a child who told you a something that was nonsensical and your response was, "Oh that's nice." (Yes, I am guilty of that too with some elementary kids I teach who insist on non stop blabbering about stories that go no where and take up class time)
So while the role of a mom who stays home with the kids gets little fanfare at times, the role of the dad who stays home gets even less. You see it from the strong support of Mother's day and the toned down Father's day. They say that everyone has a mother. Well, everyone needs a father figure and I am proud to be one to Anisha. No woman, in their right mind, can raise their child alone without a male presence. ALL children need a male and female presence in their lives.

No, I am not searching for sympathy, compassion or a "woe is me" feel for what I wrote. I am a big boy who feels EXTREMELY proud to have been home with Anisha and I wanted to bring my experiences as a stay-at-home dad to those who may not understand what we men go through who stay home. I am proud to say I had, and still have, a great dad who took care of me and I hope to be at least half the father to Anisha what my dad was to me.

So maybe this is my Father's day rant. I really go off topic when I rant and end up somewhere else from where I started. How odd. Maybe that's why I can't write a book. lol.

Have a good week everyone!

It's ALL vacation with little ones!

2008-06-18T11:38:00.002-06:00

Lindsey's rant on her blog makes me want to respond: (To see her blog entry, follow the link to their blog on the right)

To start, I COMPLETELY disagree with that whole entry, and can barely relate. No, we are not lying nor are we kidding ourselves.

When Ali and I were in Hawaii, we did think, "Should we be lazy here, at the pool, or on the beach with Anisha." We knew that we could nap when Anisha napped. We took pictures of the sunset, drank on the sunset cruise and Luau, and we didn't want to come back. As for sex, well, as any new parents can attest, it decreases with kids, BUT, you can find the time for that intimacy if you look for the opportunities.
Anisha did wake at 5:30 am, but that was because of the time difference. Hell, so did Ali and I, but I am an early riser anyways, so maybe that doesn't count. ANY restaurant can be child-friendly. We don't have the luxury of eating at the $50/person restaurants, and, quite frankly, we don't want to. We want to enjoy our meal and have fun. Travel is expensive enough as it is. In the end, Ali and I have NEVER asked ourselves if it was a good idea or not.
Anisha sleeps in a playpen and I sleep with Ali. Intimacy happens on a case by case basis. (As I always say, if something is important to you, or you think if should be important, you MAKE time for it).

I am a parent now and I don't want to be up all night drinking and partying. In fact, I was never for that lifestyle. Now that we have Anisha, we are thrilled to go out with her and be back at a reasonable hour to reflect on the day.

Our Hawaii vacation was great: It was both a trip and a vacation. Sure, we had people to watch Anisha when we wanted alone time, but many resorts/vacation spots in the world offer hourly childcare. (Yes, you have to use your best judgment with that, but that goes without saying, doesn't it.) And, when you are with your child, you get to see them experience life anew, and that is what vacations are all about: seeing them have fun and you enjoying it with them.

When I grew up, our "vacations" were always planned and stressful for my mom. She always came back home and wanted another vacation to relax. I never understood that. Maybe because I was a kid then, but even now, I don't really understand. My planning for a vacation is to know where we are going, what OPTIONS there are for activities, and we plan them on the moment, or a little before hand should the need arise. To this day, I have NEVER come back from a vacation, or trip, and felt stressed out.

Maybe I've just never taken life that seriously. I just know to enjoy myself and be serious when situations demand.

In the end:
1. All vacations can be great if you learn to RELAX!!! (I mean, isn't that the key?)
2. If something is important to you, make time for it to happen!
3. My tenant in life: I don't blame people for their problems, I only ask that they deal with them.

Weighing in for June 12

2008-06-12T09:39:00.004-06:00

Not much new and exciting here.

Trent - Subbing is slowing down due to the end of the school year and beginning of exams. No word on my audition yet, but they said that they would let me know by the end of this week. My Calculus correspondence midterm is coming up at the end of the month, so I am busy getting ready for that. My weight stayed the same this week. 344 lbs.

Ali - She is busy with the new hip and knee clinic at her work. Work is still going well. She recently found out that she is going to be attending a Physiotherapy conference/convention that she has been trying to attend since she left university. I am not 100% sure when it is, but I think it is in the fall and will be in Regina, if I am not mistaken.

Anisha - She is up and walking around everywhere now, mostly. She is becoming more adventurous with her standing and walking and it's fun to watch. She also fed herself for the first time on Monday. She used her left hand, like her Poppy (my father), so she may turn out to me a lefty, but I think its too early to tell. She like to "read" her books by opening them and turning the pages. Follow this link to see more pictures of her:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124006&l=46261&id=842200243

Here is a short video or two of her recent accomplishments:

Weighing in on Ultimate Frisbee

2008-06-05T15:46:00.004-06:00

So, today's weigh in was good. I dropped another pound to 344 lbs. Only 3 more pounds to go until I have lost 25 lbs. Yay me!

In other news (of sorts), Alison and I play Ultimate Frisbee every Wednesday with a group from Ali's work. Ali and I are two of the worst players, especially me with the weight on, but we have fun anyways. I made a really good interception last night, but ended up stretching my left hamstring, so I am limping quite a bit today. Such is life for the overweight and out-of-shape. All things considered, I am doing well.

Have a great week all!
Here are some pics of Anisha. The one outside is of her talking to a tree at Little Red River park last Saturday at the Guiding Jamboree. Ali sat Anisha down near a tree and when she looked back, Anisha was babbling to the tree, stopping as if to listen to the tree's response, then start back up again; like she was having a conversation with it. I wasn't there to see this, but it apparently went on for 10 minutes.

Here also are a couple with Anisha taking ALL the books off her bookshelf and placing them on the floor. She really likes that game. And then she tries to read the books.

Weighing in on Lost

2008-05-31T09:27:00.003-06:00

So, the Lost season finale was this week and it was great to finally see who was in the coffin (from Season 3 season finale). For those who didn't catch it, it was John Locke. It opens up more questions, but thats ok. I like trying to guess what is gonna happen next. The stupid writers strike but a wierd hitch on these last few episodes of Lost, and other tv shows I think, that did some catch up episodes to end the season. They rushed plot lines and they didn't add up to the calibre of the earlier part of the season. Oh well, I hope they can make it up next season, and deal with the query: Where the hell is the island now? Where did it move to?

Busy week for Alison and I. Ali has had a lot of events with her Sparks group and I have been busy subbing. Due to our busy schedules, we haven't worked out a lot. But I managed to shave off just one more pound to reach my next goal. I was 345 lbs on Thursday. I only have 4 more pounds to go until I am allowed to see "The Dark Knight" in July. My parents are back from their trip tonight, so they are taking care of Anisha while Ali and I have a night away to go to dinner (as our über-belated anniversary dinner), a movie (a reward for me losing 5 pounds), and stay in a local hotel (more extended away time from Anisha, as a thank you for taking care of their dogs).

Anisha is doing well. She is taking more steps, but not fully walking yet. Sometimes she won't walk at all, and sometimes she will leave the living room and walk to the kitchen to play in the dog's water bowl. She's almost ready for that next step. She also eats like a horse! For example, today for breakfast, I had two pieces of sourdough bread toasted with some margarine, Ali had a banana and 1/4 of a cup of left over Kraft Dinner, and Anisha had a full banana, just over half a cup of Kraft Dinner and 4 oz of Homo milk. She was munching on a cookie when I left her and Alison at the local park for the Guiding Jambouree! I cannot believe how much Anisha eats! More than me sometimes!

Have a good week all!

Weighing in on camping UPDATED

2008-05-22T14:19:00.007-06:00

Not much new this week.

1. Ali's brother Matthew is getting married to Lindsey! They got engaged last weekend in Banff. You can read about the cute proposal by following the link posted on the right in my blog to their blog. We don't know when the wedding is, but they want it to be sometime before the end of this year.

2. Even though I was able to work out this past week, I still didn't lose any weight. I am still at 346 lbs. It may have to do with my meals over the long weekend... I will endeavor to lose more soon so I can see a movie. I've got my Cineplex secret shopper form, so I have to do it soon.

3. Over the long weekend, Ali, Anisha and I drove to Candle, Emma and Anglin Lakes to see their campgrounds, as well as Beaver Glen campground in Waskesiu in the Prince Albert National Park. Matthew, Lindsey and Conner are coming to visit us the Canada Day long weekend, so we did some campground investigations.

We cooked some hot dogs over the fire both days we traveled, so it wasn't the healthiest trip we took. lol.
You can see the pics here on facebook using the public access link.

UPDATE (5/23): Here is a video of Anisha feeding herself tonight and falling asleep while doing it. lol. Also one of her clapping.

Weighing in on teaching

2008-05-15T15:02:00.003-06:00

So, its good to be back in the classroom again. I like subbing, and I have had the opportunity to sub at the two biggest high schools in Prince Albert: Carlton (teaching Math) and St. Mary's (teaching music [??] and Christian Ethics [?!?!?!?]). However, I often leave the school a little depressed... I want my own class again. I want to lesson plan and what not. I miss that.

So, despite not working out over the past week, I still lost a pound. I am now at 346 lbs. One more pound and then a movie! Hmmmmm... "Prince Caspian" and "Indiana Jones 4" come out soon... which shall I see?

Have a great long weekend all!

Random Anisha Fun

2008-05-13T10:20:00.006-06:00

Here are some recent pics, a link to more pics, and a video or two of Anisha recently in Prince Albert. Enjoy all:

First the pictures from recent days can be seen here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115601&l=8f647&id=842200243

Here are some others:

The fence my Dad, Alison and I built to keep the dogs in the backyard.

Anisha smiling from her new Snugli Backpack that she got from my parents for her Birthday.

Here she is sharing Alison's Rice Bowl from Wrapper Jacks in the Park

Here are some videos of Anisha from the past little bit:

Weighing in on Subbing

2008-05-09T20:31:00.003-06:00

Sorry I am late on this one. I have been subbing on Thursday and Friday with the local Public School board. Yesterday I was all over one school covering for the assistant Principal. Today I was at another school with Grade 7 & 8s, and I was supposed to see Cats at the local theatre in the afternoon with the kids, but they kept me at the school in a Grade 1 class, which I didn't much enjoy. lol.

No change in weight this last week. I am still 347 lbs. I haven't worked out a lot and have been busy getting over the show. Plus Mom's morning out had a party as did my cast for the show, so that didn't help. But now that I am teaching, I don't have time to snack, but I also don't have time to work out alot, so I will see what I can do to remedy it all. No big news here other than me starting subbing.

Anisha is good and feeling better. Alison is good too. We are looking after my parents' dogs while my folks head off across Canada for a month. Have a great weekend all!

Anisha's 1st Birthday!

2008-05-03T10:12:00.006-06:00

Well, it was a busy Friday. Anisha's Birthday and my play that Ali and her parents attended. The show went very well, I really felt on my game that day.

As for Anisha's Birthday, it was great. Here is the link to all the pictures from that day on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112813&l=aa973&id=842200243

Here are some videos too:

Weighing in

2008-05-01T09:18:00.002-06:00

Just a short one today.
Anisha's 1st B-day is tomorrow, so I will post all the pictures from that later in the weekend.
It was a good week. I lost 2 pounds. Must be all the energy I put into my show, it leaves me exhausted. I now weigh 347 lbs.
The show is doing great. Last night's show, the first back after two days off, was a little rough however. But, the crowds are receptive and we are getting some great feedback.
Have a great week everyone.

PA Herald Interview

2008-04-28T15:25:00.002-06:00

Weekend Comedy - OPENS TONIGHT!!! YAY!!!

2008-04-25T11:11:00.005-06:00

An aged me and Wendy, who plays my wife, in the show.
What an interesting expression I have.
Below is the writeup...

If you click on it, it will zoom in for you to read.
If you can't read the text that well, try this link. You may have to squint to read it:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=110710&l=4f48c&id=842200243

Weighing in on various other things in life.

2008-04-21T13:15:00.005-06:00

1. So the movie I chose to watch for losing weight last week was "Juno." A great little flick that was wonderfully written and a great watch for Alison and I. Very funny and witty. A great date movie. It's nice to see new movies again.

2. With the busy week it has been, I haven't been working out as much. In the play I have to eat some bacon and eggs, so that may mess up my cholesterol level, seeing as how I am eating the equivalent of one egg and 3-4 strips of bacon each night for my show. But, they are eggbeaters and turkey bacon, so its not that bad. I weighed myself today and I stayed the same at 349 lbs.

3. My car should be fixed by Friday this week, all things being equal. We had a PT Cruiser loaned to us in the mean time.

4. Tuesday night was our media show for our play. They taped a segment for CTV news. When it airs, I will get a copy of it on here and on Facebook for all to see. Also, the local paper was there and interviewed me, so when that comes out in the paper, I will post that too. AS WELL, the lady who interviewed me for the show mentioned that I was from Alberta to another reporter, who then called me for ANOTHER interview. I will be featured in Monday's Prince Albert Herald in their weekly feature where they profile a local citizen who is from somewhere else in Canada, or the world, and chose to make Prince Albert their home. So, I am a busy media person as of late.

5. Anisha is doing well in her dayhome and I am eagerly anticipating my certificate from Saskatchewan Learning, who are now swamped with new grads applying as well. I called to talk to the certification director directly and, well, as the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. They processed my certificate yesterday and mailed it out to me. YAY!!

That's about it for me here. I will be posting reviews of my play and other fun stuff this weekend, when I find the time. My show opens tomorrow! I will leave you with two videos of Anisha; one of her playing a surprise game with Ali and I, the other of her standing on her own and walking a bit.

Weighing in on breaking the law

2008-04-17T09:36:00.003-06:00

So, Daxx has a tendency to run away when we let her outside. She does come back, but if we leave her out there too long, she runs away to explore the neighbourhood. With the warm weather, we took down the ski-fence barrier and connected Daxx to her tie-on, which we paid good money for, and she used to be ok with that. Last night, however, she escaped, even though she was clipped in. It was as if she unhooked herself and went for a stroll. We didn't notice she was gone until the phone rang and it was the local pound calling to say that they picked up Daxx wandering a few blocks away. She had only been outside for 10 minutes. The pound picked her up and brought her back. Thank god we have our contact number and license on her collar. He gave us a stern warning seeing as how he deemed us responsible dog owners whose little one just happened to escape. If he wanted to, he could have fined us $80 for a dog on the loose; 2nd offense is $110 and the 3rd is $350. Needless to say, Alison and I were not too pleased with Daxx last night. So now, Daxx has to wear her collar and harness at all times and when going outside to do her business, we clip her onto her rope which is shorter and she clearly doesn't like it. Too bad on her, bad dog... but we still love her.

On the plus side, I have lost some more weight and have surpassed my 2nd goal and I now weigh 349 lbs. I will now start from 350 and work with even/easy numbers because we math people are lazy; 5 pounds a movie still. So I am 1 lb closer to my next movie, and only 8 pounds away from reaching my goal to see "The Dark Knight"; YAY!!. To celebrate my reaching 350 lbs, and beyond, I will see another movie. I think Alison and I will rent one this weekend seeing as how there isn't really any movies in the theaters that Alison wants to see... I however would like to see "21", or "88 minutes", or "Forbidden Kingdom". Then again, my show opens next week, and I have busy, busy rehearsals, so going out to a movie is gonna be hard, so we'll rent I think.

Anisha had a great 1st day at her Dayhome yesterday. I dropped her off around 8:30am and picked her up at 4:15ish. The lady in charge said that Anisha is very easy to care for and had a lot of fun. Her own 15 month old son kept trying to kiss Anisha all day, and when he tries to kiss her, he almost tackles her. The other girls she cares for at her place kept calling Anisha and the ladies son "Romeo and Juliet". Here's to their relationship ending better than the play. lol.
I had a good, if yet nervous, day away from Anisha. I got my hair cut/styled for my play (very short and thinning), worked out and had a long interview at the local Sylvan.

So it's all pretty good here. Have a great week everyone.

Unscheduled Weighing in on good weather

2008-04-14T11:57:00.009-06:00

Well, I did a mid-week weigh on Sunday and discovered that I had reached my 5 pound loss goal so Alison and I watched Harry Potter 5 that I got her for her B-day in February. It was nice to see a movie again. Now, I have only one more pound to go until I hit the 350 lbs mark and then I will celebrate with a movie in a theatre. Then it's back to 5 pounds a movie. Go me Go! Now I am at 351 lbs!

Lately, Prince Albert has had some great weather, so we took Anisha out in it. We tried to find some toddler swings in local parks and drove almost half an hour around PA looking for one. Finally we found one in a school playground on the other end of town, and it was a little broken anyways, but we pushed her in the swing none the less. Here is the video:

We also took her out for a walk where she used her walker to get around. Here is some video of that too:

And finally, some random pics of both events, AND her sleeper after a strawberry attack!

Weighing in on the week...

2008-04-07T12:56:00.005-06:00

This has been quite the busy week:

1. Well first of all, I am a day late with the weigh in for a couple of reasons you will see below. But I weighed myself today and I am now down to 352 lbs.

2. One of the reason's I am a day late is that Anisha and I went to Saskatoon yesterday because I had a specialist appointment for my Carpal Tunnel syndrome issues from last summer. I got assessed and I have mild to moderate carpal tunnel in my left hand and mild in my right. Since I have no pain with the numbness I get, I don't need surgery right now. Maybe down the road, but for now I just wear splints to bed to keep my wrists straight.

3. We are now getting into the full-length rehearsals for our play. It looks real good, but I am still a little rough in some parts with my lines. Lots of people from Alison's work are going to see my play which is awesome. I have got the tickets for my parents and in-laws who will be up near the end of the run for Anisha's 1 year birthday.

4. Speaking of Anisha, we have finally found a dayhome for her for the time being. Since I have been accepted to start subbing for both the local public and catholic school board, I need a dayhome for Anisha. We found a great lady on the East end of the city in a nice neighbourhood, near a park and playground. I think it's gonna be great. Although, I will be sad the first day since I have been spending so many months with Anisha, but, such is life.

5. Here is another pet peeve of mine: when people "steal your stop" at a stop sign. You stop at an intersection at the stop sign sign, then the person behind you follows you through the intersection without stopping as well. It's as if your stop at the sign was good enough for them too. I notice it more when you are turning in the intersection rather than going straight through.

Here are some recent pictures of Anisha. She tried eating a strawberry the other day with Alison and it was quite cute. Plus here are a couple of pics of her with me in Saskatoon at the hospital and in the neat glass elevator.

Anisha in the tub and my CTV interview

2008-04-05T19:49:00.006-06:00

Here is a short video of Anisha splashing away in the tub and flooding damn near the whole bathroom. Crazy girl:

If you have access to Facebook, you can see my CTV interview about my upcoming play Weekend Comedy. Just visit my profile to see the interview. It was captured on my camera while I played it on the VCR, so the quality is a little low.

Weighing in on good turns in life...

2008-04-03T10:47:00.003-06:00

So things are slowing going in a positive light:

1. I have had 2 interviews with local school boards and the public board has agreed to put me on their Substitute teacher list. I just have to get all the paperwork together for them: Police security check, teaching certificate, past experience from my past teaching work, etc. So I won't be starting until the end of April I think.

2. My car is gonna be fixed on April 16-19. I will be getting a rented car from SGI to still run around. No cost to me whatsoever, other than time maybe.

3. Some financial relief has come our way with our moving bonus, so that is all good. I will still owe money on our taxes, but Ali gets some back, so it all comes out in the wash.

4. Today I received my course materials for my Math upgrading, so I can get started on that. However, my course doesn't officially start until May, so I won't be able to get a hold of my tutor before then.

5. I weighed myself today, and I was a little worried about not losing any as I haven't been to the gym this week because Anisha has been sick with a chest cough. But I did lose one pound, so now I am at 353 lbs. I am thinking I will try and get to an even 350 lbs before I see my next movie so I can work with a nice round number. We math people are lazy, aren't we. lol

6. Finally, Anisha turned 11 months old yesterday, April 2nd. One more month until the big 1 year! No, were are not having a huge party like some crazy parents have. She won't understand the who hoopla, may probably get overwhelmed, and will just wanna play with the boxes. Nope, a nice simple party for her. My parents and Ali's parents should be up, and that will be excitement enough for her. Also, Anisha now weighs 20 lbs! What a big girl.

Here are some pics of her on her 11 month B-day and how she has turned to gnawing on her crib from time to time:

Crib Gnawing and her innocent look so as to say "What did I do wrong?"
Happy 11 month old! (Even if she is a little sick)
A big girl at 27.5" tall and 20.4 lbs!

Newfoundland Princess

2008-03-30T18:01:00.004-06:00

I know she doesn't look good in these shots, but she is still feeling blah from a small sickness. Here is Anisha dressed for church today in her Newfoundland Tartan skirt given to her by her Nanny and Poppy.

Sitting in the Dark about returning to University with Anisha's new shoes...

2008-03-30T08:46:00.004-06:00

Yay creative titles!

So, Alison and I had a great Earth Hour Saturday night (Anisha had gone to bed by then). Did any of you turn your lights out for an hour? We sat in the dark with 4 candles, no TV on or anything and did some of our Marriage Class homework of sorts, talking about stuff. At 9pm, we then kept the lights off and the candles lit and watched Edmonton beat Calgary to stay in the playoff race for a little bit. GO OILERS!

As some of you may know I have a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree with a Drama Major and ESL Minor. And some of you may know I am very good at Math. But, I need math in my repitoire to teach it and I don't have many University Math courses. So, I have enrolled at Distance Education at Athabasca Unversity and I am beginning to take some Math Courses to "upgrade" my teaching degree. My first one is Intro Calculus that starts around the beginning of May. Now I have taken Calculus before, but I didn't get a very good mark in it, so I will take it again. I have also taken Linear Algebra and Statistics, both of which I did pretty good in, at least better than Calculus.

I also want to add one more pet peeve about the gym. I really find it annoying when some of these men (almost always men) like to take up 2-3 machines at a time when working out. I think you are done, so I go to use it and you freak out on me. ONE MACHINE AT A TIME!!! Let others work out too!

Finally, Here are some pics of Anisha wearing some of the gifts bought for her by Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Ashley and Auntie Lynn:

(The shoes are from Grandma and Grandpa for Easter... The winter jacket is from Auntie Lynn and Uncle Ashley from Xmas - which she can finally fit into, now that it's spring... lol)

I really like the runners... they are very shiny!

Weighing in on jobs, more pet peeves, and Earth Day

2008-03-27T22:33:00.006-06:00

I know it's late, but I have had a busy day, so here are my updates:

Today's weigh in was good again. I dropped another pound: 354lbs. 3 more pounds to go until my movie!

I had a good interview with SRSD, the local public school division, today and they want to add me to their sub list. So, I now have a couple of weeks to get my stuff in order and find Childcare for Anisha.

Speaking of Childcare, it is very disappointing that the vast majority, save for a few, of the childcare facilities here in PA only accept 18-24 months and up.

On March 29, 2008, at 8pm, all around the world, millions of people are going to switch off all their lights for one earth hour. This is an event created and endorsed by the WWF and I think its a neat idea. It was started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and it was started to help make a statement about Global Warming. I'm not usually one to jump on this bandwagon, but after seeing Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, it made me think more about how important this Earth Hour 2008 really is. It is important to make a statement and care about the environment. Check out: http://www.earthhour.org/

Finally, a couple more of my pet peeves:

- When people who work in an office, at a desk the vast majority of the time, and don't return your phone calls or emails. Also, they can't be reached whenever you call; it's like they are always away from their desk.

- People who don't have an answering service, like voice mail or an answering machine. Come on people, its 2008! You can get one for $15 at Wal-mart, or a similar store. The same holds true with kids I used to teach math to who claimed that they can't afford a calculator. I saw a scientific calculator that does trig and stats at Zellers for $10 the other day. That's all you need for school. Graphing calculators have to be provided by the schools themselves.

- Women, and some men, who put on WAY too much perfume/cologne, at the gym, especially before they work out. Hey, some of us have to breath as we exercise and we don't want your noxious fumes impeding that intake. God, you all stink to high heaven, it's distracting and it affects even my breathing and I'm not asthmatic. Hey, if anyone from California Fitness in Prince Albert is reading this blog entry, step up and tell your patrons to knock off the scents. That type of over scenting is banned in many fitness facilities, like the YMCA, and ALL hospitals for medical reasons.

There, now I feel better. lol. Have a great weekend everyone!

Anisha Easter and possible first word?

2008-03-25T10:10:00.008-06:00

So, Anisha did get an Easter Basket for Easter, thanks to Alison. Here is a picture of it and what was in it, as well as what she wore for Easter church service:

The basket wasn't hid really, just placed in front of her once filled. lol
On her way to Easter service at church.

Here is a video of all that was put in the basket:

And it seems that Anisha is trying to say her first word: Daxx. She likes to stick her tongue out when she talks lately, so it's always slurred speach. However, this morning, whilst playing with Daxx, she let the dog take back its tug-a-war rope and she turned to me when I asked what Daxx did. She responded with "Dath!" It was quite slurred, but she then turned and motioned to the dog and said "Dath!" again; a few times actually. I think that cute little Daxx may be her first word. I will try and catch it on video for you to see.

Happy Cheese and Soup Day!

2008-03-22T11:52:00.006-06:00

Well, I mean Easter. It's also the end of Lent, and therefore, Alison and I can have the things we gave up: Soup and Cheese, respectively. And what better way than with a Cheesy Mushroom Soup recipe that we LOVE from the Cooking for the Rushed cookbook we got from Matthew and Lindsey at Xmas!

Some people have asked me if I am going to do an easter egg hunt on Sunday morning, but I was thinking: WHY!??? Anisha is not even a year old and she doesn't understand what Easter is. She can't have chocolate. Hell, she gets excited playing with the inserts in our local newspaper because it sounds neat. So, no, there will be no Easter hunt.

But we did get her a neat little Easter gift. It's a ball popper device that shoots plastic balls into the air. You can see it here in the video below that she does enjoy it a bit. I also included a short video of Anisha pulling herself up to standing. Happy Easter all!

Weighing in on Pet Peeves and shootings...

2008-03-20T10:49:00.003-06:00

Well it has been a whole week with not much happening until recently.

So today, I went back the correct way for my weight and I am back to 355 lbs. Only 4 more pounds to go until my next movie!

So, a few of you may have heard about a shooting here in Prince Albert in the West Flat area on Tuesday; it was on CTV Newsnet. It was the first Police related shooting death in, I think, 15 years here in Prince Albert. Well, it happened at the end of our block just as I was out picking up Alison at 5pm-ish. We saw all the police and ambulance vehicles as we arrived home. I didn't know what the deal was until the next morning at the gym, when I was watching CTV Newsnet and made the connection. So, no, I don't know anything about it, just that it happened on our block, which is 99% quiet the vast majority of the time. I find out more information as quickly as many of you do.

So, I was doodling the other day and I started writing down some pet peeves of mine:
1. When you ask a person a choice of A or B (such as "do you want to eat pizza or steak?"), and they respond "Yes"; therefore, not one of the choices. That really frustrates me.
2. Adults who naturally talk like 5 year olds with a lisp and a somewhat cutesy accent. Mostly women do this. Now, I know it is very likely a speech impediment, or what not, but it drives me batty!
3. People who shake your hand with a weak grip or a floppy hand. Mostly women do this, and this has to be the biggest pet peeve that I have. If you see the recent Buyers Direct commercial, it shows a saleswoman doing this to a couple who enter her department.

I know I have more, so I will add them later for everyone's enjoyment. Alison and I are taking the Alpha Marriage course at our church and so far, after only one session, it seems kinda neat.

My rehearsals are going well. I have almost all of Act 1 memorized and learned. Alison is doing good as well. She works this Saturday of the Easter Long Weekend, but she also has Monday off.
Anisha is doing very well too. She is pulling herself up to standing alot and slowing beginning to cruise around the furniture as her confidence grows. Have a good Easter everyone!

Anisha found one of Alison's headbands, so we put it on her one morning.

I think she looks alot like Gloria Swanson from Sunset Boulevard.
And finally, our little Irish Princess on St. Patrick's Day!

Weighing in...

2008-03-13T10:42:00.003-06:00

So, now that my sickness has gone, my body decided that it should reset itself and not let me lose weight, but even gain some. Well only a pound. 356 lbs as of today.

I don't have much to rant about today. I recently was able to download the version of The Beatles tune "I wanna hold your hand" from the recent movie musical Across the Universe, that came out in late 2007. It is such an awesome take on the song. In the movie, the woman singing it is longing for the head cheerleader who doesn't feel the same way back to her. A great moment. I also really liked how American Idol did some Lennon/McCartney songbook tunes this last week. Carly Smithson and David Cook did the best with their spectacular renditions of Come Together and Elenor Rigby, respectively.

Anisha Fun

2008-03-09T22:03:00.006-06:00

Here are some funny Anisha Pics and a video for your enjoyment from the last week. Cute stuff I say.

Anisha likes watching "Fawlty Towers" with me.
Whoops! Indecent Moment? Anisha standing and anxiously waiting for her bath time.
Lindsey and Conner will remember this similar picture.

Anisha fooing around with her bubbles in the tub.

Anisha walking with her walker by herself.

Weighing in on my reward movie, F1 and other things...

2008-03-05T10:30:00.007-06:00

So, I now feel pretty much 100% better. Yesterday's workout went very well and I could do all of it with the usual amount of fatigue.

On Tuesday night, Alison and I went to see my reward movie: Vantage Point, with Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whitaker. It was quite good despite the reviews and I never once found it confusing. Nice twists, great action scenes, and good intensity. 8/10. I wanted to watch "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that I gave Alison for her B-day in Feb, but she said that I shouldn't waste my reward movie on staying home. Maybe my next one will be the movie I gave her then.

After quite a short visit, my parents headed back home on Wednesday. My mom's Sjogrens Syndrome complications caused her to quickly catch the flu/cold symptoms Ali, Anisha and I had and she got quite sick and went back to Sherwood Park to be closer to her family doctor in case the sickness gets worse. We loved having her and my father here, but we wish they could have stayed longer.

So, I weighed myself today and I have stayed the same since Monday, 355lbs.

As per tradition, the Webster family, Alison's family, have begun their F1 racing pics for the new season which starts next weekend. My team for this year is Force India for the constructor, my pick from last year Nick Heildfeld, and my new pick is his team mate Robert Kubica. I will still secretly cheer for Lewis Hamilton because he rocks! To be honest, I don't know alot about F1 racing, other than I think its pretty neat. Sorry all, but NASCAR bites the big one, and nothing you can say can change that. NASCAR is sooooooo boring and the crashes are weak.

Have a good rest of the week everyone. Anisha, the now 10 month and 18lbs 10 oz, standing in her crib eating machine, says hello!

The Ultimate Weight Loss solution!

2008-03-03T10:36:00.003-06:00

So, sickness is the best way to lose weight. Being so close to my 1st goal, I weighed myself this morning. I know I shouldn't have and that I should only weigh myself once a week for more accurate results. But, I am anxious for a movie, so I did anyway and I now weigh 355lbs! That means I have lost 11 lbs since I started this challenge and I can now see a movie! YAY!!!

On that note, I am altering the rules a bit now. I am still trying to lose weight, but now, for every 5 pounds I lose, I can see a movie. 10 was a bit to hard for me, although being sick helped me achieve the goal. As before, I am still trying to lose 25 lbs by the time The Dark Knight comes out. And here will be my new goal as well: I will be allowed to see movies any time I want, whenever I want, like before, no weight goal setting, once I get down to 300 lbs.

I tried working out today after missing it for 2 weeks due to my sickness and did pretty well. However, my throat is still sore and I am not 100%, so I only did 2 of my 3 reps for each set and I had a hard time breathing during my cardio, so I only did 16 minutes of the 30 I usually do at the end of my work out session.

And what was with the person commenting on my Sjogren syndrome stuff in the last post? I think I am well advised enough at how my sinus infections relate to Sjogren's syndrome and my mother and her dealings with it. So there. meh.

Lastly, rehearsals are going well... I've only had one really, but I am off book for what I was rehearsing. lol. Have a great week all!

Weighing in on my car, more sickness and stuff

2008-02-28T13:06:00.003-06:00

So, we finally paid off the lease on our car and now, we officially own it! Yay! Of course, it's still banged up from a few weeks ago, but that's ok. I found out that to fix it, they will have to order a new hood and front grill, and to take off the grill, they have to remove the front bumper and replace it. Of course, the manufacturer or supplier of said new bumper is behind in his/her shipping due to the large number of idiots rolling their cars in this weather around PA and Saskatoon, so it looks like it won't get fixed for at least a month. But, the car still runs well and we've had no problems with it since the fender bender.

In other news, I thought I was getting better with this sickness, but it decided to attack me yet again! Now I can barely talk in the morning and at night. This is all due to my old nemesis, the sinus infection. My nasal drip takes the infection to my chest and throat. I gloriously inherited this recurring illness from my mother, whose constant sinus infections led to her developing Sjogren's syndrome. For those who don't know, it is a chronic disease in which white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands. According to the info at www.sjogrens.org, it mostly affects women, so I may be in the clear. Anyhoo, I am now on another bout of antibiotics that is stronger than the ones I took in January for the same problem.

The one plus for all this sickness and sore throat is that I finally dropped a bunch of weight because I haven't been eating much. I lost 5 pounds and now sit at a nice 358lbs. I only have two more pounds to go to see a movie! GO ME!!!

My parents are arriving tonight for a week and a half visit which is awesome because they haven't seen Anisha since Xmas and she has changed alot, plus, it will give Ali and I a break from Anisha as well since my mom wants nothing more than to care for her when she visits. Thats it for here. Have a great weekend all!

Watch out Prince Albert Theatre!

2008-02-26T08:24:00.006-06:00

So I am still sick. Actually, I got worse. The illness I had spread to my throat and knocked me out on Sunday. I also put a lot of energy into my audition with a local theatre group on Saturday, so that could have added to it. Sunday I was sooooooo lethargic and coughing up lots of fun that I barely did anything, but watch the Oscars. It was an ok show overall. I am getting better as of today, but my throat still hurts and I am congested.

On a positive note, I got a part in the play I auditioned for! I will be playing Frank, the older man, in Odyssey's production of Weekend Comedy by Jean and Sam Bobrick; that means I will have to age myself to 50-ish for the show. I've done it before in Plaza Suite and The Affections of May, both with Caviar Players in the Sturgeon Lake area. It is a hilarious comedy about a middle aged couple and a young couple who discover that they have both rented the same cabin for the weekend and then they both decide to share it... antics ensue...

Anyways, the show is playing here in Prince Albert at Carrefour Fransaskois/Ecole Valois Auditorium 449 - 10th Street East, April 25 - May 3.
Dinner Show is $32.00, on April 25, 26, May 1, 2, 3, cocktails 6:30pm,dinner 7pm, show 8pm
Show Only is $12 Adults, $10 seniors, $6 students on April 27 at 2pm and April 30 at 7pm
Phone: 306-922-2287 for tickets and info

If you are in the area during those dates, please come and see the show. It will be the first time I have been on stage acting since 2003. I will keep that info on my blog on the right hand menu. All the best everyone!

Weighing in on sickness and accidents

2008-02-21T10:57:00.003-06:00

So, you'd think with all the sickness going around, that I also caught, that I'd lose weight. Well, I did, but only a little. I am now down to 362 lbs. I didn't eat much, but I was also not very active. I'll have to pick up the pace now cause I REALLY want to see a movie. PLUS, as a secret shopper for Cineplex, I just got my new shop that I have to use before the end of March; Easter actually.

On another note, we had to take Anisha to the walk-in clinic last night. She had been lathargic all day yesterday, groaning and crying alot, and holding a fever. When Alison got home yesterday, it hit 40.3 so off we went. The doctor said not to worry too much. He told us to keep giving her children's tylenol every 4 or 5 hours or so, even if there isn't a fever and making sure she gets lots of rest and fluids, because the worry he has is possible ear infection. He also told us no more swimming lessons for the rest of the week (Booo!). She had no congestion, signs of Meningitis or signs of pnemonia, so it's all good.

As of this morning, Anisha looks tired and groggy, but is WAY more active than yesterday. She's smiling, crawling and having fun, just looks a little run down and tired.

Plus, last friday, Anisha and I were involved in our first car accident in Prince Albert. While waiting to leave the Safeway parking lot, I was stopped behind a Jeep waiting to turn onto the main road. A Semi, delivering stuff to the mall, turned from the main road onto our exit and turned quite shallow. The Jeep driver thought he would be hit, so he backed up quickly and I couldn't avoid him. No serious damage or injury, just a small jolt. The hood of our car is smooshed in along with a bit of our grill. Now we have SGI looking at it. Still drivable, but looking a little smooshed at the front.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Anisha's swimming lessons

2008-02-18T17:22:00.007-06:00

So, not only is it Family Day here in Saskatchewan, it is also a week off for school kids. As such, there are swimming lessons galore here. So, we put Anisha into her first Parent and Tot swim class. It runs Monday to Friday this week for half an hour. Alison did the first class with Anisha because I am battling a chest cold and I didn't want to aggrivate it. I will be doing the rest of the classes since Alison heads back to work tomorrow. Here is a video:

Happy Thursday!

2008-02-14T20:36:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a happy Thursday! Anisha and I went to the Melfort Pool today. Exciting. Then she came home and projectile vomitted her entire supper on Alison. Good times!

Well not much new today. I didn't lose any weight, nor gain any. Well, according to my scale, I lost 0.3 pounds, so who knows. I have been taking it a little easy this week due to spasming my back on the weekend, so that may have affected it. I need to start losing more because I am going into movie withdrawl.

Upcoming plans: Dinner Theatre tomorrow night, To Saskatoon on Saturday, Church Sunday. Let you know more upcomming plans later. All the best! Anisha says hello as well! lol

Anisha Videos

2008-02-09T19:53:00.000-06:00

Ok, So I have been asked to upload some new videos of Anisha crawling from my parents, so here are some recent shots of Anisha crawling and Walking with her walker.

Weighing in on things...

2008-02-07T09:11:00.000-06:00

So, it has been made official that poor Heath Ledger accidentally overdosed on a mixture of perscription medications. I can see that happening; many medications were not made to go together. What confuses me a bit is what he took. If you get a chance, look up all the drugs he was taking... No wonder he overdosed! Still, it's sad.

So, I am now up to Job in my bible readings. One of my favorite books so far has been Esther. She was married to King Xerxes, the same one depicted in the most kick ass movie of 2006, 300. It was nice to learn of the connection. And, it was a good bible story. Told the tale of how Purim was started. And this afternoon, I was out picking up some tickets to a local play when I dropped by a local book store and perused the shelves. I am surprised by the number of Pro-Athiest Books out there. I am all for free speech and think the athiests can raise some good points, but the sheer number of books surprised me. But, to quote Lewis Black, "Athiests are too lazy to believe in anything!" lol.

On another note, the new weight. I was worried this week about the weigh in due to Alison's B-day on Saturday where we didn't try and "be good", but it didn't matter since the service at the restaurant sucked ass and we didn't eat much there. Also, there was the Superbowl on Sunday, but I wasn't that bad. My only splurge was the nachos and cheese in the last quarter.
By the way, if I may sidetrack for a bit, I don't know what the big deal is with the Superbowl. It was my first time watching it (because I have the channel that shows the fancy commercials and not the pre-emted canadiana crap) and I must say, it was quite boring (except for the commercials and Tom Petty) and not entertaining until the last quarter.

Now, onto the weight. I didn't drop much, only a pound. Mostly due to the weekend which could have raised the weight, but I really pushed the exercise this week, so I may be developing some muscle mass which weighs more than fat. The long term goal is what I am after. So, I am now at 363 lbs.

And finally, speaking of weight, Anisha is now 9 months old and weighs 18lbs 1.5 oz as of Tuesday and is getting her second tooth! Lots of fun here. So, that's it for me. Have a great week all and enjoy these recent shots of Anisha, some from the Melfort Pool.

Lent, Valentine's Day, and other Rants

2008-02-06T14:07:00.000-06:00

So, I have 3 "rants" for today:

1. Not much of a rant, but just to inform all of my lenten sacrifice for the season of Lent. I will be giving up cheese and Alison will be giving up soup. I am sure this will greatly help in the weight loss areas.

2. I have been noticing a lot of women's only programs around: Women's 10K cross country ski, Womens retreats, Womens only run, etc. There are barely any guys stuff. To quote Peter Griffin from Family Guy, That really grinds my gears! Not only am I disappointed by the lack of guy stuff, I am frustrated with this women's only kick! Is it because men are too busy with their own stuff to organize an event for us as men? Maybe. Is it because most men work and their wives stay home with the kids? Generally speaking, myself one of the exceptions...
I tell ya, if guys organized an event that "could" include women, but we made it men only, there would be hell to pay. "Why can't a woman come to a guys run, or a men's marriage talk."
There are tons of women's only clubs and what not. Why aren't there men only clubs where women aren't allowed? And no, strip clubs are not included because I have some old university girl friends who have been to a men's strip club too. Its a form of reverse sexism. I know many women can do pretty well everything a man can do, so why can't men be included in some of the events women have?
Is it because we men are too competitive for the ladies? I have heard it is because many women don't want men gawking at them. Whatever, like women don't check guys out. But if it's something like a run or marathon, why can't we participate if we are able to do the same type of event?
Other than the obvious biological differences (Men can't give birth and nurse a baby, Women are physically weaker than men), there isn't much that each sex can't do in comparison to the other. And before you get in a tizz about the weaker sex comment before, take your head out of your rear and realize that the average man has more muscle and weight than a woman and is considered physically stronger. Although Alison could leg wrestle me and win hands down, I am stronger upper body wise.
So, I would like to see more men included in some of these events, and yes, I realize some events don't pertain to men (I hardly think any man would attend a women's seminar on Menopause or Post Pardom, but many women want to attend a men's marriage seminar to "make sure" men learn the "right stuff"). So with some obvious exclusions, stop the gender separation. Seriously, its dumb.

3. Now for my final rant, Valentines day. This is probably the DUMBEST excuse for a celebration EVER. No, Love is great. Alison and I love each other endlessly and tell each other, and tell Anisha too, daily how much we love each other.
But the absolute insane expectations on people, especially men, leading up to this day is sickening. You need the perfect gift, and/or flowers, and/or chocolates, and/or dinner, etc, ad nausium. Prices for Roses skyrocket for Valentines day. I sent Alison a dozen roses in a vase for her B-day last week and paid $25 including delivery. I was told a Valentines day bouquet would have to be booked by Feb 10 and would cost at least $60, as much as $120. That is terrible.
AND, Have you seen the crap out for this day? I admit I think the Stuffed Love Monkey/Gorilla is cute, but there is so much stuff out there that adds more pressure to make the day perfect.
And DINNER??!! Don't get me started. I remember a buddy of mine telling me he called the day after Xmas to book a Valentines Day dinner at a nice restaurant that wasn't the most expensive in Edmonton and it still cost him $150 for the evening. You are now looking at an almost $250 day.
AND IT'S ONLY ONE DAY!!! And if something goes wrong, its a DISASTER, isn't it you suckers/sheep to the marketing...

All this to make a special day to show someone you love them.

"What happens when Anisha gets older and goes to school and they celebrate the day at school?"
She can make the decision to celebrate too. She can even give Alison and I gifts if she desires. I won't be giving any to her. There's her B-day and Xmas to do that. Think of it like a Jew and a Christian in December: I hardly think the other will be upset if one gives the other a gift in celebration of Channukah or Christmas. I always used to get presents from Muslims on Eid-el-Fatir. I'm not Muslim, nor did I give a gift back, other than a thank you.

"But Trent, if you love someone, shouldn't you show them that on Valentines Day? What's wrong with showing love?"
Nothing. But if you cannot tell your significant other/spouse that you love them EVERY day, then something is wrong.

I don't need one day of the year to tell Alison I love her. I tell her every day.
I don't need one day to tell Anisha I love her. I tell her every day.

I love my wife, my kid, my parents and all my in laws, and even my dog. And yes, Alison doesn't celebrate Valentines day either.

So, don't expect me to celebrate on Feb 14th. I celebrate everyday for the gifts I am given with my family.

There, my ranting is done. Now I feel better. lol.
See you all tomorrow for an update on my weight loss.

Anisha Laughing Like a Maniac

2008-02-01T20:55:00.000-06:00

So, we have this WWF calendar in our kitchen of baby animals, and the picture for February is a baby chimpanzee. Ali and I started acting like monkeys (Chimps and Gorillas) and got Anisha laughing like a psycho. This is the result:

1st weigh in & cold car

2008-01-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

So, I did my first weigh in today and I officially weigh 364lbs. That means that I lost just over 2 pounds this last week. YAY ME!!! See the right side of my blog for weight updates.

In other news, my car was so cold, the wire connecting my block heater snapped and not even a boost would start it in -42 degree weather. So, I got it towed to the local GM dealer. They called today to say its ready to go, but they failed to mention what exactly went wrong with it, so I am hoping to hear back from them by the end of the day.
That's about it here. Have a good day everyone!

Cold enough for ya? Anisha News!

2008-01-29T07:44:00.001-06:00

Holy crap is it cold and snowy here in P.A. I swear that someone in this city, or the western prairies, did something really bad to piss off old man winter this way.
Here is a screen shot from this morning as to how cold it is and how cold it will be tonight:

-48 degrees! Holy toads!!! And -43 degrees tonight!? That's sickening.

Plus, it's planning to stay in the -20 to -25 range for the next week. Oy veh!

Even though we plug in our car here overnight, it still wouldn't start this morning. It usually takes about 3 minutes of turning to start, but today it didn't. I thought I was gonna wear out the battery. So, Ali had to bundle up ALOT and trek to work. I guess I'm not making it to Mom's morning out and afternoon Parent Talk today.

It snowed alot yesterday too with our blizzard conditions. The snowdrifts here are 3 to 4 feet high, up to the middle of my torso. I've never seen them that high other than in pictures from Newfoundland when they get the post-hurricane dumps in November. Those can be 15 to 20 feet high.

In other news, Anisha now enjoys munching on Mum-mums (little rice cookie things) and arrowroot biscuits, and makes an awful mess of it.

Plus, she has now learned how to crawl!!! Not well, but she can do it. Here are some videos of her crawling (or at least trying to, lol):

Weighing in on Religion

2008-01-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

I like the title of this post.

So one of my New Years Resolutions this year was to revisit an old resolution and read my bible from beginning to end. Why? Just to say I've read it. It's an important book and I would like to have its knowledge to better understand other things. No, I'm not converting to a bible thumping Christian here. I still love my horror movies (on hold for a while of course), Marilyn Manson (especially when I'm working out at the gym), and irreverant religious humour (ask me sometime to send you my list of tasteless jokes).

Anyhoo... I stopped reading it in April 2006 when Ali and I moved to Calgary together and then forgot to take it up again. So I picked up where I left off and I am now on 2 Chronicles. I have had this discussion with my grandmother/Nanny and her and I agree that the Old Testement is, if you excuse the pun, a hell of a tough read. SOOOOO many names, lists, and don't get me started on the repetition of stories. Both Chronicles repeat the stories in both Samuels and both Kings. Oy Veh! And I almost fell asleep during the part where Moses got the 10 commandments from God as well as instructions on how to build the temples and altars, only to have the entire list in all its excrutiating lengthyness repeated AGAIN.

However, it was nice to read some of the familiar stories (David and Goliath, Solomon's wisdom about the women arguing over the child, etc), and it was interesting to get the real version of the stories, not the ones I read in my original children's bible. For instance, I didn't know the two women arguing over the child were prostitutes.

Anyways, I can't wait to get to the New Testament and all that excitement; especially with Revelations. But someone already ruined the bible for me: he dies in the end.
See, there's that humour I still like.

On another note, the offical weigh in for my challenge was today. I am officially 366lbs. I am going to weigh myself every Thursday around noonish and report later that day, if I can. So, All the best to everyone. Anisha says hello!

Movies, etc and the greatest challenge for my health...

2008-01-23T13:35:00.000-06:00

Well, it has been an eventful 24 hours for me, the movie fan. Here are some things to chew on from my neck of the woods.

1. Yesterday afternoon, the most promising actor to portray the Joker died. Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York hotel room from an apparent accidental drug overdose on sleeping pills (It has not been confirmed in the toxicology reports as of 2pm today). Heath was a wonderful actor that I enjoyed watching in movies such as A Knights Tale, Brokeback Mountain, and I was heartily anticipating his take on the clown prince of crime, The Joker, in the upcoming Batman Begin sequel, The Dark Knight, due July 18th. He will be missed.

2. I have now seen one of the greatest, and best movies recently. I just watched The Bucket List. It is a powerful, funny and touching movie about friendship and male bonding that really touched my soul and moved me to tears. So awesome. Please go see it if you can. You will laugh yourself silly through most of it. The ending needs to be seen to be believed. (10/10)

3. On that note, I have now seen two of the last movies I will be seeing for a while. I saw Bucket List last night, and finished Scarface today (9/10). So what do I mean the last two movies? I shall explain:

Today, I was watching Ellen (Yes, being a stay at home dad lets me watch those programs directed at moms home with their kids). She had on a group of women who met online and lost 350 lbs all together with support from each other. One said that she set a goal for herself that she would reward herself after she achieved a certin amount of weight lost. It wasn't having a cake after 10lbs lost, It was doing something she loved, like a pedicure, etc. That inspired me. So, here is my challenge to myself that relates to all my posts today:

I hereby challenge myself that I will not see anymore movies until I have lost a certain amount of weight. For every ten pounds I lose, I will be allowed to see a movie. I MUST have lost 25 lbs by July 18th to go and see The Dark Knight. My goal is to lose 100 lbs. Can I do it in a year? Maybe.

As of today, I weigh 350lbs. Scary isn't it? I want to lose the weight to be an inspiration to Anisha and be healthy enough to see her through to university. I am making this public notice so all can witness my pledge and offer their support. I will try and update my blog weekly with results so you can help me keep on track. Here we go!

Sick Babies, Sick Days and Exercise

2008-01-18T10:14:00.000-06:00

In response to Lindsey's blog rant about sickness, I think she has a point, to an extent. I used to work for the YMCA doing some office work and I remember getting in trouble for taking sick days and losing pay. Many jobs out there require a doctor's note to approve sick days and doctors charge for those notes. Not all jobs have good unions. Even teachers get the "riot act" read to them if they are sick for a certain period because it affects student learning if you are not there and a Sub is; Not all Substitute teachers are good. So taking sick days sometimes can't be done. Its not selfish, just necessary! There are definately some jobs where taking time off won't kill you and the world/job will survive without you. My dad's old job with the federal gov't was like that and it was good for him. But some jobs won't tolerate it and it can affect you financially or even end your employment.

Anisha is getting over a pretty good chest cold she got from Alison who got it from work. Anisha was feverish earlier in the week, but she is much better now. Still has a good chest cough and can be irritable at times, but she is doing better.

So, in satirical response, I agree about sickness at work not being allowed. How dare someone infect Alison and she comes home from her work at the hospital with a chest cold and give it to my baby. What kind of environment does she have to work in where sick people can infect her and then our family? Don't those people know it's a hospital where people should be getting better and other people work there that can get sick? How insensitive. And don't get me started on those people who take time off when they are not sick but their kids are. Talk about insensitive. lol

Anyways Lindsey, I'm just joking around and I hope Connor is better. To put a smile on your face, here is a cute picture of Anisha in her Treadmill-exersaucer at the gym babysitting program.

New Year and 8 Months

2008-01-10T12:43:00.000-06:00

Well, now its 2008 and Anisha is 8 months old. Back to Mom's morning out (as the only dad there), Parenting class, and now a new class at the Library where we read books, sing and have fun. Anisha likes it alot. She thinks the books are extra tasty. lol.

Alison and I have started working out at the local gym, California Fitness. The cardio classes are killer, but fun. It wasn't our "resolution" to work out this year. We decided to join in December, but because we were away for Xmas, we didn't feel comfortable joining then not going for two weeks. lol. They have a babysitting room there which is included in membership and Anisha has been placed in their treadmill-style exersaucer everytime she goes and loves it. She gets a work out too!

Heres to a great 2008 everyone. Here are some recent pics:

Anisha is a big girl at 8 months old now!
Being silly and playing with Daddy's glasses.

She LOVES to steal them from my face!
Her being not so silly in her high chair.
Below is a video of Anisha eating Banana puree and chewing oddly.
I thought it was funny.

More Christmas Photos

2007-12-30T20:45:00.001-06:00

Anisha got the pig humidifier she always wanted!
Cousin Connor playing with Anisha whilst the Webster Clan has Xmas supper.
Anisha Christmas morning outfit. She had 3 Christmases!

(One at my folks, one on Christmas Eve with Uncle Matthew and Family,

and One Christmas Day with Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Ashley and Auntie Lynn)

All tuckered out after all the present opening...

After a rest, playing in the afternoon with Grandma.

Some Christmas Photos

2007-12-30T15:43:00.001-06:00

Anisha likes our Christmas lights

Getting her 1st dolly for Christmas

No name for it yet, but she likes it...

Opening more presents on Christmas Eve at my parents place.

The mess afterwards...

Batman & Babies!

2007-12-18T10:04:00.000-06:00

Thus far, the best promo poster for the new Batman movie:

"The Dark Knight".

In it, Batman faces off against the Joker, played by Heath Ledger.

And finally, a short video of me feeding Anisha Beef with Broth.

Great reaction from her...

More Christmas time!

2007-12-17T13:21:00.001-06:00

Here is Anisha's Christmas Photo for 2007.

Merry Christmas one and all!

(And yes, many people will be getting this pic with their Christmas card/present)