Skating at Lunchtime

The Downtown Victoria Business Association decided this year to put a small outdoor ice skating rink in Centennial Square.  So a few of us at work (2 blocks away) decided it would be fun to have a skate on our lunch hour.  We invited everyone but only 3 of us showed up, Linda brought her daughter and a colleague volunteered to take photos since he doesn't skate.  There was music, sunshine and skaters of all sizes, ages and skill levels.  All this fun for only $2!! 

Sunday Shopping

A photo of the glamorous Judith at the green grocer stocking up on fresh beets for the juicer Scott has so generously let us borrow. You will notice in the background "Oscar the wonder car" patiently waiting for "Judith the wonder wife" to finish shopping.

Rambutan and papaya at The Rootcellar.

Today "Oscar" was very excited (not as excited as Judith mind you) to find out he will be hauling a free "Charlie Brown (CB) Christmas Tree" back from Matheson Lake in Metchosin next weekend in honour of the "Big Chin's" birthday.  Traditionally we have gone to the dump for CB trees but this year we will have to go it alone without our CB tree expert Rachelle and saw man and choker Doug.

Also, we were considering spending the holiday week on the rock, but after discovering an outdoor ice rink is being built this week downtown (with real ice), I am sure I won't be able to drag Judith away till at least New Years! Seriously folks - an outdoor ice rink on the wet coast? This I gotta see ... stand-by for photos!

Saturday morning gluten free pancakes :)

August in a nutshell - Part 4

Aug 12 afternoon - after lunch we drove out to Rialto Beach on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula to see the Pacific Ocean. As you can see, the fog hadn't burned off yet. This is the view north.

Aug 12 - Rialto Beach: view to the south.

Aug 12 - Rialto Beach: Snikles skipping stones in the Pacific Ocean.

Aug 12 - One of the highlights of the Olympic Peninsula is a stop in Forks, the vampire capital of Washington State.

August in a nutshell - Part 3

Aug 12 - PeJu bedded down for the night. First time camping for a long time and we still like it! The tent seems to have gotten smaller though ...

Aug 12 - old school

Aug 12 - Snikles went for a hike at the Hoh Rain Forest and saw a herd of cariboo not too far from the trail.

Aug 12 - photo op by the river

Aug 12 - Snikles arrive at the destination - a waterfall.

Aug 12 - Judith wearing her Hornby t-shirt birthday present on the Hoh River Trail.

August in a nutshell - Part 2

On the ride over whales were spotted.  Here everyone is waiting for the whales to surface again - except for Alex.

Aug 11 - Our first view of Port Angeles is the Coast Guard Station.

Aug 11 - The ferry arrived arrived about noon, so we promptly went shopping for some lunch items and found a picnic table in need of some love.

Aug 11 - Our campsite at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Bedrooms (tents) on the lower level and the dining room (picnic table and fit pit) on the upper level near the front door (the road).

Aug 11 - after dinner the whole gang went for a hike along the river.  PeJu turned around early and decided to go for swim. Here Judith proudly stands after her first skinny dip of the year (on her birthday no less). The Snikles didn't return until after dark.

New Workstations

What's wrong with these pictures?

Judith's new workstation ...
Peter's new workstation ...

The Old Days

Beach Babes.
Me and my sister Sandra, circa 1960.

Judith's first meeting with her new team

Presidential Work

Today I came out of my busy office after deep contemplation looking for a cup of tea around 3 o'clock to find this. Judith's team (missing a few people) sitting around the table bonding during the workday. How presidential, I know!!!

Birthday Girl

Happy 21st Birthday Mrs.President

Where there is a will there is a way!

"You, yes you! You will be healthy"

You leave her alone for a minute, and look what you get. Don't worry men it tastes better than it looks. Notice the clever use of a pot under the compost bucket.

Walking, Talking, and Cacti!

Yup, I kid you not, that is a cacti with flowers found out in nature in a special location on our rock. Crazy huh! Cacti growing on the east coast of the big island. It is a real treat to see them with flowers so Judith thought a photo was appropriate for those of you who cannot be with us here in paradise.

Oh, is that the Ded Reer Snilkles skiing?

Ok, so you went skiing and stayed at some posh house paid for by the Alberta Government in trade for Luap's best overtime years. The real question is where is Judith? What is a holiday without the queen of leisure, the mother of fun, the ambassador of the good life, the inventor of the 20 hour work week? Well I will tell you. She was working! No really.

I don't know what got into her over the holidays, but last week I woke up to Judith doing things I have never seen to an excel spreadsheet, and I was fully dressed in a suit, chained to my desk. And that is where I stayed for a week, twelve plus hours a day helping her make something she called a price list. It seems that if we publish a price list (after only twelve years in business) we will make something she called money! Who would have thought!

That Judith sure is smart. Anyway there I was dreaming of skiing while answering Judith's technical questions about band-aid and bed pans. I am very important she told me! I am still wondering if there is some correlation between being chained to a desk and being important?

So while the rest of my family is skiing I learned a valuable lesson about this thing called money! Wow what a week, what a woman!

On a lighter note, she did release me for the weekend, so of course I had two BBQ Parties at our house with my people, and we went out for two parties on Sunday just to make sure I didn't forget my place in society. Anyway I am hoping for more chaining this week, as it all seems very novel this work and money thing!

Life after 2 o'clock

Around 2 each day the cold (well cold by west coast standards, actually more damp than cold) sets in , and the fire becomes the highest priority when Judith arrives home after the long and sometimes adventurous commute from the office.
Here she is photographed gathering carbon neutral fuel, you will notice she is in her trend setting executive outfit (skirt, boots) You will also notice the wellie foot wear. Which by the way is all the rage with the "in crowd" executives on the west coast.




You may be wondering who this little fella is. Well that is Rufus. He is a little shy in the trick department, only three so far. Pooping being his number one skill, followed by eating things that he shouldn't, like Judith's flowers and apples, and third, sleeping all day!



And on that holiday note did you know that I will be 40 this year. Yup on the 23rd you can shower me with well wishes, and pat me on the back while you try to convince me it only gets better. FYI, Check out this practical mid-life crisis motor vehicle.



So as you can see we are extremely busy and getting loads done between dinner parties at Amanda and what's his names and that other thing. "Judith what do you call that thing you do between 10 and 2"? O right, ya that's it "work".