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2011-06-25T00:00:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law's bf found a number of these tracks in Briarwood in Saskatoon. A hero cookie to anyone who can successfully identify the animal. We're stumped.

The Mighty Achilles

2011-06-01T12:08:00.003-06:00

Feeling pretty useless today. If you didn't hear, I had surgery on my achilles a couple of weeks ago and have been at home recovering. Not painful really (although last night was tough for some reason), just annoying and debilitating. I've been trying to work from home as much as I can to keep things from piling up, but this will be a long haul. 6-8 weeks casted and 6-9 months of physio so I can walk and run again. Boo for daytime television.

Erin has been a saint. She's halfway through a pregnancy and doing almost all the parenting, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and working. I'm looking forward to being able to give her lots of time off when I can move again.

Boooooo

2011-05-16T18:54:00.001-06:00

Last Monday I was playing basketball in the spring league I joined here and tore my achilles tendon. It didn't seem like I did much - just made a cut like I've done a million times since my childhood - but this time it felt like someone had kicked me in the back of my leg. I hit the floor and ever since have been going to appointments to figure out what happened and what I need to do.
Today I had an ultrasound and it confirmed my worst fears - a complete tear. This will likely mean surgery soon an a lengthy recovery period. I'll keep you posted on the situation as I get more details.

Don't Blame Her at All...

2011-04-29T15:41:00.001-06:00

Aggie Days

2011-04-21T11:34:00.007-06:00

Well, not too much to report about Aggie Days. It’s a big agriculture fair on the Calgary Stampede grounds that features lots of animals the kids can see and pet, and some games. I think they enjoyed it. I’ve attached a picture of Maria at the pancake breakfast and a video of Maria with the baby chicks. Ellie wasn't too photogenic that day.

Going to Aggie Days

2011-04-09T10:01:00.001-06:00

I'll post some pictures.

Music question

2011-01-16T13:31:00.001-06:00

I hope you've been enjoying the New Year so far. I have a request. I was given some iTunes gift certificates for Christmas this year and I've been trying to expand my musical horizons. What should I check out from the last couple of years. Keep in mind that I'm definitely an album guy - I don't like buying singles.

A little early on the banner, but...

2010-12-10T17:21:00.007-06:00

It's the beginning of the third week of Advent on Sunday. It's the week where the Church is asked to reflect on the theme of joy. Two things for you:

1. A column from Ron Rolheiser on the theme that is very good.
2. If you haven't seen this already, it's kind of fun.
On a related note, Erin and I went to see Handel's Messiah last weekend in Calgary. I had never heard the whole thing from start to finish, and had certainly never been to the full live production before. It was sublime. The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra did a wonderful job, the soloists were so good, and there had to have been close to 200 singers in the chorus. I'd love to go again.

Advent has been nice this year, as well. We've been much better this year at praying as a family and lighting our Advent wreath most nights. Maria and I watched "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown" last night and she has already seen "the Grunch" [sic] three times -- big fan.

En"joy" the week!

So far so good.

2010-11-28T19:03:00.001-06:00

It's been good so far. I like our odds.

This is unreal

2010-11-28T17:39:00.001-06:00

Seats are great. I'm not sure there's a really bad seat in the house. It's gotta be 90% Rider fans here.

Go Riders!

2010-11-28T17:23:00.001-06:00

Huge Stadium. We're having a great time so far. Frank has been a celebrity with his watermelon helmet.

2010-11-28T16:19:00.001-06:00

Crazy

2010-11-28T16:17:00.001-06:00

Some stupid Bif Naked / Trouper concert

2010-11-28T15:42:00.001-06:00

On our way

2010-11-28T14:40:00.001-06:00

I guess we'll be at some pregame show before the game. I'll yell you how it goes.

Made it to Frank's

2010-11-28T13:06:00.001-06:00

Currently chowing down on some special watermelon at Franks.
As far as the game goes, there's going to be lots of scoring and no d. Should be fun.

Away we go.

2010-11-28T10:02:00.001-06:00

Woohooo!

2010-11-11T21:49:00.003-06:00

Here's a video I thought you might enjoy to start off the Advent season; it's good.

Also thought you might enjoy knowing that I'll be in Edmonton tomorrow to watch the Riders play in the Grey Cup! I'll have my phone so I'll try to live blog while at the game if it's not too annoying to my friends. Go Riders!

Trickle treat

2010-10-31T19:24:00.001-06:00

This was the first year Maria was able to comprehend how cool it is that your neighbors give you free candy on Halloween. Erin's parents have been visiting over the past few days which was also fun. The end result can be seen below: a happy girl with lots of candy. Hopefully the candy hangover will be minimal.

Clipping Along

2010-09-19T21:44:00.003-06:00

The year feels well underway for us. Work has been interesting and busy, it was Service Sunday at Church last week, Maria has started pre-school, and I signed up for a 5k run on Saturday. 5km may not seem like a lot, but when your exercise for the past several months has largely consisted of watching CFL football, it can seem quite daunting. I went out jogging twice last week and will go thrice this week. The goal is to not embarrass myself -- we'll see.

Anyway, Calgary has been fun but we certainly miss our family back in S'toon. God bless!

2010-08-28T13:17:00.001-06:00

At the zoo!

2010-08-28T12:13:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy!

2010-08-20T20:18:00.003-06:00

Here is a video project that was put together for the our school division's 100th anniversary by my alma mater. I have a small part during the second refrain. It was a really cool project to be a part of so I hope you watch.

All Things Go

2010-06-08T14:23:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, my family and I went to Calgary. I was there for a couple of briefing days on Thursday and Friday for the job I'm taking in the fall, so we all went down to visit Erin's sister's family, my brother's fam who are visiting Heather's 'rents in Calgary, and our friends, Brad and Kirsty. It was a nice stay: hectic, but good; and it felt more than a little weird as the reality of what we're doing in a couple of months started to settle in.
Already at work, there are farewell plans and responsibilities to hand on and relinquish. It's weird to think of all the work I've done over the last nine years in creating and putting together resources for my classes all coming to an end (at least for the time-being). A move like this is bound to be good for us -- it's a new, exciting opportunity that will stretch all of us in lots of ways, but it's definitely worth taking time to appreciate the good people and things we've got going on in Saskatoon. I know both Erin and I have felt so blessed by it all.
On a lighter note, I experienced the joy of forgetting my garment bag with all my work clothes in Saskatoon last week. It turned out OK, but it involved an early trip to the Walmart in Airdrie and a late trip to Superstore to put together a couple of outfits: typical.

The End

2010-05-16T16:37:00.001-06:00

I got the axe from DDI this week. I'm disappointed, but I had fun.

DDI

2010-05-08T19:29:00.002-06:00

Lots to write about since my last post -- too much, in fact. I'll blog about our upcoming move to Airdrie, my new job, and some cool stuff going on at work at a later time. I thought it best to start with the silliest.
I am performing this Tuesday night in the Starlight Lounge at the Dakota Dunes Casino as a member of the top 30 of Dakota Dunes Idol. It's actually been really fun. I had an audition a couple of weeks ago and competed in the top 50 last Wednesday. The whole fam-damly was out to watch last week along with some of my coworkers which was also nice. There's 10,000 bucks on the line for 1st place along with some really generous runner-up cash prizes so in addition to it being a fun experience, I'm taking it pretty seriously. I've got my tune picked out for next week, but if you have any song ideas that would be good for a baritone, please let me know.

?

2010-03-12T15:42:00.000-06:00

I met Fred Penner today in my staff room.

Kill the pig! Kill the pig!

2010-02-15T21:05:00.003-06:00

I have kind of neat opportunity this week (if all works out according to plan) to go hunting for wild boar with a friend of mine. I can honestly say that before this post, I have never started a paragraph with that sentence - that's a new one. Apparently, people have been farming them in Saskatchewan for a few decades but that an average of 3% of them escape. That, combined with the fact that they reproduce twice a year in litters, has meant that their numbers are out of control, that they are officially a nuisance species, and that they can be legally killed on sight. Frankly, the fact that there's free bacon running around out there has peaked my interest. Hopefully all goes well and we'll have a piggy roast or two this year.
On a completely unrelated note, I've been plugging away at an essay on St. Paul this week for the class I'm taking through Newman Theological College. If anyone is interested in doing some proofreading, let me know (anyone...anyone...). It has been an adjustment getting back into the essay-writing mindset that I left behind when I finished my undergrad. I feel like I'm a better writer now, but it is certainly taking me longer to finish than it would have in my university days. I found I got into a bit of a rhythm when I was taking five classes and writing at least that many papers per term. Oh well.

The Power of the Still

2010-01-28T23:04:00.003-06:00

There's been a lot of news and video from Haiti over the past couple of weeks. One of my favorite websites to go for current events is the Boston Globe's "Big Picture" blog. As important as video is, there is just something special about a good photo. I came across their blog this year when I was looking for good Tian An Men Square photos to show in my classroom for the 20th anniversary of the massacre and was moved by what I saw. When I remember, I check in regularly to see what they've posted. Here's a link to their "Faces of Haiti" post. Powerful stuff.

What to do when you're bored

2010-01-18T09:27:00.001-06:00

1. Kill some flies
2. Dry them in the sun for an hour, and...
3. Let the imagination run wild

January Made Me Shiver

2010-01-10T23:29:00.002-06:00

It's great to see that things are warming up here. Saskatchewan is a wonderful place to live, but there are times during those cold spells where I could see myself living in many other places (at least for the winter). Hope the new year has been good to people so far and that you've enjoyed all the reminiscing that comes when a new decade begins.

I got a portable MP3 and video player for Christmas (I know, welcome to 6 years ago), and have been listening to a lot more music lately. I've had a few conversions lately about what this past decade will be remembered for musically. My first response was a little cynical: auto-tune rampaged through most of the 2000's and ruined a lot of music. But, after some sober second thoughts, I've come to believe that there was some pretty good stuff. Certainly the innovations in the way we listen to music were incredible. 10 years ago people were still carrying around Discmans (or in Bob's case, mini-disc players), Napster was being sued for almost singlehandedly bringing down the big labels leaving the future of file sharing in doubt (spoiler alert! File sharing did just fine), and a young Tom Hickey was trying to get a date with a girl named Erin (not directly related to music, I know).

While the big labels ended up being big losers this past decade, along with CD clubs like BMG and people who bought mini-disc players, the big winner has got to be Apple and their long line of i-everythings. Not only did Apple save the establishment through itunes, all of its stuff has become the coolest and slickest stuff you can get: impressive.

Anyway, I'll toss it out to you (if anyone still reads this). What will the first 10 years of the 2000's be remembered for musically? What were the best albums? The best artists? (BSB doesn't count Heather)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T14:16:00.002-06:00

Hope you've been enjoying your Christmas. We've been spending lots of time with family and packing on the pounds, as one should, this year. It was also the first year that Erin and I hosted Christmas dinner. We were really excited to finally have the space to have everyone over - it's a lot simpler now that we have kids, and kind of a milestone for us as a family.
Yesterday was at the Steins. The boys got Rock Band for Christmas, so Erin, Terri, and I got to live out our family band dream and rocked out all afternoon.
To all our friends and family abroad: Bob, the McKenzies, all y'all - we miss you and look forward to chatting! I'll post some pictures soon. I'd post some video, but the camcorder we bought ourselves for Christmas is a piece of poo so we need to return it.
God bless! Today our savior is born!

Spoiler Alert!

2009-11-30T12:27:00.003-06:00

If you live overseas and haven't watched the Grey Cup yet, be sure to do so before continuing.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

There, that feels better.

Despite the bizarre finish to yesterday's game, I have to say that I was thoroughly entertained by the Riders this year - they were a very good team who put on a heck of a show. I am very hopeful for the future of this team.

Also entertaining was the special guest on NewsTalk Radio this morning: a well-known grief councillor who offered advice (with all the seriousness he could muster) to Rider Nation on how to take steps to overcome this loss. Funny.

Whew!

2009-10-24T19:47:00.002-06:00

Those Rider games have been tough on the ticker the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure I can remember a more exciting, more competitive season. I'm now looking forward to attending the game in two weeks against Calgary - likely for 1st place. I'll be joining my good friends Dave, Steve, and Craig in what has become an annual event. Look for us on TV; we'll be wearing green.

Thanks!

2009-10-09T15:14:00.004-06:00

We're off to the lake for the weekend in what has become a bit of a Yhanksgiving tradition. We'll be visiting with the fam, watching the Riders play, and hopefully shooting some birds (nothing makes me feel thankful like shootin' stuff!). I wish you all the best (except for you - you know who you are) this weekend. God bless!
Here's a picture of some lovely young ladies Erin and I are very thankful for this year: enjoy!

Wow

2009-09-30T15:21:00.003-06:00

If you have a spare 15 minutes sometime, you need to see this. One of the best interviews I've ever seen - especially the last half where they speak of faith, forgiveness, and healing.

Comparing Notes on Captivity | CBC News:The National

Shared via AddThis

We did it! (Well, mostly Erin)

2009-09-07T09:45:00.004-06:00

Our family just came home from the hospital yesterday after meeting Ellie for the first time (full name Ellie Marie). Erin and I are tired, but feel better equipped this time around - we'll see. She was born at 12:35pm on Saturday, Sept. 5th weighing in at 7lbs13oz and measuring 21 inches - lots of hair. Everything went really well. The labour and delivery didn't take very long at all, no complications, and Erin was once again heroic. A few pictures for you:

Too Cool at School

2009-08-25T15:00:00.003-06:00

I'm writing this post from my icy cold classroom where I've been preparing for the school year. Our baby is due in a few weeks so I've been putting in some time this week to make sure I'm organized for when things get crazy.
The last few weeks of summer were eventful. My brother was visiting from Taiwan, so I tried to spend quite a bit of time with him; my aunt, as most of you know, has been diagnosed with cancer which has been hard on everyone; and Erin and I have been trying to prepare a bit for baby#2. So to summarize, it has been a very good summer, but please pray for my aunt - please.
Other than that, Maria has been growing up so quickly; it's really hard to believe. She's also been giving me major guild trips about leaving to go to work. Today she started bawling when I left. It breaks my heart. Here's a cute picture of her and her cousin playing in the new house my 'rents picked up recently for their backyard.

2009-07-16T09:53:00.002-06:00

Blogging has been a tad slow lately. Our laptop has been out of commission for the past few weeks and we won't be getting it back until next week so internet access has been limited. With all this extra time on my hands (before baby #2 arrives in September), I've been trying to get a late start on my summer reading. I almost bought this book the other day because it made me laugh out loud in the bookstore (kind of embarrassing actually), but I didn't and I'm still looking for a couple of good summer reads. Any suggestions?

Oh sure, like it's never happened to you!

2009-06-10T21:53:00.002-06:00

A couple of evenings ago my 22 month-old daughter hit me in the right eye with the corner of a board book and scratch the cornea. There's a lot of information in that last sentence, and I've been reflecting a lot its contents over the past couple of days while I'm sitting at home recovering in low-light conditions. I'll be OK, but if she's already beating me up at 22 months, I don't stand a chance.

Awkward

2009-05-13T11:59:00.002-06:00

The most painful sports broadcast (or broadcast of any kind) that I have ever seen. Boom goes the dynamite!

The Final Week of my 20s

2009-05-04T16:29:00.002-06:00

Even typing that title seems strange to me. In lots of ways, turning 30 next week doesn't feel that special. I'm not sure I feel 30, whatever that means; but I also realize that I've got a house, a job I've been working at for almost 8 years, a wife and family, and lots of the cares and concerns of a man who will be leaving his 20s behind. I think these milestone birthdays become significant because they remind us of the steady, unrelenting passing of time. The time I take to write this post will never be mine again. It comes. It goes.

I can certainly understand why the atheist or agnostic sees the Christian understanding of eternal life as a cop-out. Inside most people, I think, there is a fear that this life is all that there is. That ultimately, our lives are an insignificant blip on the line without any real meaning. You can see why the non-believer would see heaven as a way for us to avoid thinking about such things. But it has been my experience with faith, with God, that has continued to give me hope and perspective through the years. When I look at the faithful people that have touched my life, I see people who are really in tune with the world; not perfect, but people that give you a glimpse of eternity: perspective.

Anyway, at the risk of sounding cheesier than that last paragraph, I'm hopeful for what this next 10 years (if I am blessed with another decade) will bring. My 20s were wonderful: one adventure after another. My 30s will bring other stories and people and travels and (God willing) family members. Thanks to all of you who have been a part of my life so far: my wife and daughter, my brothers in Taiwan, my family and friends accross Canada, and to the cast and crew of the Office (I love you guys). Pax.

Cookies for Everyone!

2009-04-30T20:00:00.002-06:00

Yes, it is indeed Doogie Howser (or NPH as the kids say now-a-days). I was telling my students about this and they of course had no idea who Doogie was or what his crappy sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" was, but Neil Patrick Harris is apparently famous these days for his Harold and Kumar appearance. Yet another unusual European celebrity sighting.

To answer your question Heather, in the first Doogie picture I posted, it was harder to see who it was. I cropped it to make it a bit easier.

And Yet Another Obscure Celebrity Sighting

2009-04-26T10:14:00.005-06:00

A cookie goes to the first person to name the celebrity in the photo below (you'll probably have to zoom in a bit). He was walking into a famous restaurant on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, being filmed for something or other. Doesn't beat meeting Richard Simmons last time I was in Europe, but hey, still funny.

More pictures

2009-04-25T20:15:00.004-06:00

Here's some shots of Amsterdam, Belgium, northern France and Paris.

Amsterdam on the canal tour we took

The Canadian memorial at St. Julienne in Belgium.

Beautiful shot of the Vimy Ridge Memorial.

Trenches at Vimy.

L'Arc de Triumph. On a side note, I bit it pretty hard on the way down the stairs.

Notre Dame de Paris.

The River Seine near Notre Dame.

I kind of liked the angle on this one. It was good to see the 'ol tower again.

A view of the gardens at the Palace of Versaille.

Good to be Back

2009-04-22T12:19:00.005-06:00

We arrived home on Sunday night at 8pm and I've only now just started to feel like my regular self. The jet lag has made the last few days seem foggy and dream-like. We had a wonderful end to our trip with stops in Belgium (Ypres, Passendale) where we visited some war memorials, cemetaries, towns, and battlefields; Vimy Ridge where we saw the famous Canadian memorial, the trenches, and the bunkers; Normandy (Juno Beach); and Paris for two-and-a-half days. I've included some pictures below of the first part of our trip I described: enjoy.

A detail of the Reichstag in Berlin.

The Holocaust Memorial, Berlin

Inside the Reichstag's glass dome - those are solar panels in the middle.

A shot I took on our tour of a nuclear bomb shelter, Berlin.

The famous Brandenburg Gate. When JFK spoke here to West Berliners, The Soviet's in East Berlin had the world's largest curtains draped accross their side so that East Berliners couldn't see him.

The gas chamber and oven in Auschwitz.

A picture from the watchtower.

The famous sign you see upon entering the camp. "Work will make you free"

That's all for now. I'll toss up some more pictures later.

Greetings from Amsterdam!

2009-04-13T13:03:00.002-06:00

Hi folks, it's been difficult getting internet access so I haven't been able to update at all. The trip has been a beautiful experience. We arrived in Berlin on Thursday and spent two days there visiting the sights and learning about it's history. We spent time at the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg gate, and the Reichstad among other places: fascinating place.
The next stop was Auschwitz, where we went on a tour of the first and second camp with a guide. I was a little afraid before going that I would be desensitized from all the movies I've seen, but instead I had one of the most moving experiences of my life. It was so horrifying to hear the stories and to walk amongst so many ghosts. We had a great prayer service and debrief with the students that night that left me encouraged and hopeful for our future.
The few days have been spent in Krakow and Amsterdam where our stops have included JPIIs former church (for Easter Sunday mass), Oscar Shindler's factory, Ann Frank's house, the Rembrandt museum, and a beautiful canal tour. Over the next couple of days we will visit some war memorial sites in Beligium and France finishing off with three nights in Paris. I love you all and miss you. Sorry about the lack of pictures - can't do it here.

Pardon My French

2009-04-05T14:46:00.004-06:00

You'll have to excuse the vulgarity, but there's a story to this picture. John recently turned 25 and to aid his family in the selection of the perfect gift (awfully kind of him), he emailed us all a list of suggested presents. The list included things like video games, booze, the usual; but John also included "T-shits" near the bottom of the list. His typo turned into a running joke leading up to the big day and my clever wife decided to honor his request. Behold.

When Will Winter End!

2009-03-09T15:19:00.003-06:00

DIY

2009-03-07T17:30:00.003-06:00

It's been an interesting month - in a good way. We've been slowly setting up the house and getting adjusted to life on our own again. Over the past few weeks, I've installed our central vac, garage-door opener, and in-ceiling speakers (thanks for the help Dave and Brian); Erin has painted half of the basement floor; and we've been slowly, but surely, unpacking. Home Depot has become a second home. We've also started to have a few people over from time to time although our list of people we need to host is still quite long.
On another note, I'm off to Toronto next week for a conference with a couple of colleagues. I'll be there for a few days so I'll get a chance to spend some time with my friend Luis, a fellow I don't get to see very much anymore. In addition to the conference, we'll be hittin' the town during the evenings - so if anyone knows of a nice place to eat in downtown TO, please let me know.
That should be fun, but it's also hard not to think of my trip next month. I, along with four other teachers and 44 students, will be off to Europe for a war memorials tour. Stops will include Berlin, Krakow, Auschwitz, Amsterdam, the battle sites of northern Belgium and France, and Paris. To prepare for the trip, I picked up what's been a great book so far at McNally today. It's a Pierre Berton book called Marching As to War: Canada's Turbulent Years 1899-1953. I've been really enjoying it and am hoping some pre-trip reading will make the experience a more rewarding one. Peace.

Yaay!

2009-02-09T11:45:00.002-06:00

We have finally moved into our new house and are sleeping there and everything. One day we will be unpacked. Although we don't know where everything is, we were still able to host my family on Sunday for brunch and a slide show of my mom and Matt's trip to Taiwan: very fun.

On a completely unrelated note, I received this link from a coworker. It's a series of ads put out by NFL.com to promote their fantasy football league: absolutely amazing.

Don't Worry. Be Scrappy.

2009-01-29T11:06:00.003-06:00

A former student from our school and the son of one of my co-workers, Byron Bitz, gets into his first NHL fight with none other than Donald Brashear (!). Byron was called up to Boston early this month and has been doing a great job. We've been having a lot of fun following his career!

Help!

2009-01-19T20:54:00.003-06:00

I'm trying to enter a contest and need to identify where this bridge is from. Here's the picture and write-up - a pretty good challenge actually. If you want to test your Google skills and help a brother out, let me know what you figure out.

Behold the bridge to somewhere. Last summer, as the American electorate was asked to suspend disbelief over pork barrel polemics, millions of visitors walked across the new marvel before you to a sixty-acre fairground. A famous troubadour sang about intense precipitation at the opening ceremony of the three-month-long event, but even so, the fair's theme—the fragility of the planet's H20 supply—didn't much register on our poll-addled brains.

You are admiring this nine-hundred-foot span from a small island that bears half the load. The architect, whom you've gotten to know well in recent years, was given a cool $77 million to interweave four pods, which double as exhibition spaces. The 29,000 exterior panels are meant to evoke sharkskin, while the entire structure is said to look like a gladiolus in the process of opening. Or maybe you see more of a caterpillar inching forward. In any case, the interiors do have a cocoonlike feel.

One guidebook calls this city "the nicest of places." How boring is that…For a more stimulating experience, you might search out some seasoned local guides. Listen closely as they warn you that the temperature in this hot plathe can drop below thero degrees thentigrade. Their thity was named for an emperor, they'll explain, and maybe they'll even share thivil war stories. Thertainly, they are grateful for the thumbs-up retheption given their new railway station.

This region, where a revered brick-and-tile architectural style evolved, has a royally powerful past. An eighteenth-century painter who depicted the terrors of war on paper was born thirty miles to the south of the city (you've seen his name in your supermarket). A vicious battle in the last century destroyed a nearby village, which was deliberately left in ruins as a memorial.

One critic declared this bridge a Ponte Vecchio for our age. The traffic won't involve jewelry, though. Rumor has it that after the fair a bank may take over the span. Talk about a walk on the wild side.

Where are you, anyhow?

Yeeeerrr out!

2009-01-08T15:28:00.002-06:00

A bit of a late update, but we've finally moved out of our townhouse and will be living with Erin's parents for the next few weeks. Hopefully they can handle the smell. It is a wierd experience not having a real home. While my in-laws have been so kind to us in opening up their home and it certainly has been fun staying with them, I certainly miss having our own place. We are scheduled to move into the new place we're building at the beginning of February.
On a completely different note, a couple of my colleagues are really excited about opening up one of these in Saskatoon. Not a bad business plan, but could you really sleep at night?

A Sad Day

2008-12-22T20:31:00.002-06:00

One of our school's recent grads died early this morning from complications arising from the cancer he's been fighting over the past few years. The dead tend to get idealized, faults and bad memories forgotten, but in this case it's pretty hard to use different words. He was a faithful, kind, humble, courageous young man without an enemy in the world. When things like this happen it never seems right - it's not the right order of things. Parents should never have to see their children die; teachers, their students. Yet these things happen anyway, leaving us unsettled, confused and a little more attentive to the fragility of life. Please say a quick prayer for him and his family.

Stimulus Packages

2008-12-17T20:07:00.001-06:00

You'll have to excuse the bad word right at the beginning, but I'm sorry, this just says it all doesn't it.

Whew!

2008-12-08T16:22:00.002-06:00

I've been fairly reluctant to spread the word around because it's still a few days away from being completely finalized, but we sold our house a couple of weeks ago. It was a pretty big deal. These past few months have been very stressful - not a lot of good sleeps, and I feel like everything has been falling into place lately. Erin and I have been praying pretty hard over the last while for this and I know there have been lots of friends and family out there doing the same for us, but we were still surprised when there was so much action on our place the week before we sold. It has still been quite slow for just about everyone else who is selling now.
Having that business taken care of has allowed me to focus more on Advent and start to prepare a bit better for Christmas. In chaplaincy, we've been running noon-hour prayer every day this month, and although the attendance hasn't always been spectacular, it has been a really nice time. On Friday, a colleague and I prayed through lectio divina together and it made my day. Every year I'm disappointed at how poorly I enter into Advent so it's nice to have some built-in faith development and prayer time.
Lastly, I'm looking forward to Christmas with Maria and Erin now that Maria's so much more active and aware of what's happening. She is going to love the paper and boxes!

Prorogued Blog

2008-12-04T13:14:00.003-06:00

Hi folks,
Sorry for the temporary suspension of this blog last month - the GG said I could.
What an exciting week it has been. Erin and I sold our townhouse last week, and the news has never been more interesting. It's unfortunate that all four of our party leaders are behaving so irresponsibly, but at least it's entertaining - and educational. How many of you knew anything about constitutional law before the three-headed monster reared its head? Then, last night, all the party leaders air messages to the country during prime time. The PM, Gilles, and Jack say nothing new and Dion is late and appears to have used a cellphone camera(?!). Anyway, all this talk has made me hungry for proroguies.

New job

2008-11-04T16:23:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I have a new job until Christmas. I've taken over for our lay chaplain half-time while she finishes up her Masters Degree. It has been a hectic couple of weeks so far, but I've enjoyed the change of pace and the different work. At this stage it has mostly been planning, planning, and planning for things that will start happening, happening, and happening pretty soon.
We are still selling our townhouse and it's been extremely slow and stressful. The only thing that is holding me together right now is a ticket to THE RIDERS' HOME PLAYOFF GAME! Oh yah! I went last year with three friends and the four of us are going again this year: this time with better tickets. We'll be on the 50 yard line in the second level. We should get a nice view of the game.
God bless!

Some election homework for you

2008-10-11T12:11:00.002-06:00

It's always nice to have another option in the election and this guy seems trustworthy. Let's see how many of you can find the name of the leader of the "Newfoundland and Labrador First Party".

Bamm! (boo)

2008-09-27T11:14:00.002-06:00

A big thank you to Steve, Jeff, and Matt for coming over this past weekend to help me put in new flooring. In order to make our townhouse a little more attractive to buy, we ripped out the carpet in the living room and installed bamboo flooring. You can see updated pictures of our place in the link from my previous post.
Today is our Jr Football Charity Bowl. Instead of having playoffs at the Jr level, every team gets a bowl game on one of our city's nice fields. I've been in charge of the offense this year and have enjoyed coaching this team more than I have in a very long time. We've got some skilled players that have been smart enough to handle some sophisticated plays on offense so it's been a lot of fun.

Update

2008-09-13T11:07:00.002-06:00

Here's the direct link to our townhouse's listing. Tell your friends.

164-670 Kenderdine Rd

For Sale

2008-09-10T21:36:00.004-06:00

The posession date for the house we're building is February 15th of '09 so Erin and I have decided to leave lots of time and attempt to sell our townhouse early. We're going to take a crack at a private sale for a little while, and if that doesn't work, leave plenty of time to go through a real estate agent. So, if any of you know someone who is looking for a beautiful townhouse with three bedrooms, central air, a lovely patio in the back and two electrified parking spots, please send them our way. We'll be posting our place on http://www.saskhouses.com/ as of this weekend and are hoping to get the word out right away. Much obliged.

The house thingy has been fairly important lately, but now is also Junior Football time. I've been coaching since the end of August and have been enjoying it quite a bit (although Tom is tired too). This year I'm in charge of the offense and the receivers. I've particularly enjoyed having some of our grads helping out this year in a big way, especially a certain Matt Hickey who's been helping with the defense. Good kid. I bet he knows someone who wants to buy a townhouse.

Walk-a-walka!

2008-08-30T09:54:00.002-06:00

I thought you might enjoy this:

In other news, work started this past week and everything seems to be going well. It's been a bit of an adjustment spending time away from Erin and Maria again, but it's been nice having some routine to the day and I like my classes. We're staying in town this weekend to celebrate Jon's birthday and watch the Rider game with my family.

Party!

2008-08-11T11:23:00.006-06:00

Maria's birthday parties were a smashing success on Saturday. We gathered with a few friends at the Forestry Farm during the afternoon and had a big bash with the families that evening at our place. Maria still can't stop talking about it. Here are some pictures.

My Maria

2008-08-06T13:31:00.002-06:00

On the 8th we'll be celebrating Maria's first birthday. It's certainly been a very good year with the new addition to our family, my trip to Taiwan, the new house we're building, and all the time we were able to spend with family and friends. We feel very blessed. For her birthday get-together with the fam, I've been trying to cook up a mixed CD with "Maria" songs on it. There are quite a few seeing as it's a pretty name and it has three syllables. Here's what I've got; if you can thing of more please let me know.
1. Maria - West Side Story
2. Maria - Santana
3. Maria - The Jacksons
4. My Maria - Martin Sexton
5. My Maria - Brooks and Dunn
6. Ave Maria
7. Maria - Sound of Music
8. Mr. Jones - Counting Crows (lots of Counting Crows songs probably)

A Hoppy Day at the Beach

2008-07-01T15:52:00.003-06:00

Brad and Kirsty were staying with us this past weekend so we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we've been having and go on an outing to the beach along with Natalie and Landon. There's a canoe launch along the river close to Beaver Creek with a beautiful view, great sand, and usually fewer swimmers. Erin and I went out to this spot before we had Maria last summer and were very excited to go again with our friends (although it was a little difficult getting around with my sprained ankle and Erin's messed up toe). It was also fun to have Maria along with us (outside the womb this time!) because she makes for easy entertainment on her own and loves being outside. She had a fabulous time splashing around in her new pool, getting lots of attention in her baby swim-suit, and eating sand. Here are a couple of pictures of Maria from the beach on Sunday and from Monday when we had a patio party with Nat, Brad, Kirsty, Zoe and Chris. Prizes go to the person who can come up with the best caption to these pictures.
Picture 1:

Picture 2:

Some Other Weekend Pics

2008-07-01T15:11:00.005-06:00

Maria, tearing up the beach

Tip: It's very cold and uncomfortable sitting in the water like this.

A couple of cuties

I don't mess around with watermelon.

Some people have a hard time letting go of their childhood: quite sad really.

The ladies

Not sure what Natalie is thinking here but there's something going on in her head.

Maria, being very rude.

Hmmm

2008-06-17T08:36:00.002-06:00

With my dad's leg recovering from being cut open during his heart surgery, and Matt's leg stitched up from a skill saw incident, that makes three of us in my immediate family with leg injuries. At my dad's birthday supper last weekend, my mom asked, "how's your leg?" and three of us looked up. Very sad.

From the Department of Cruel Ironies

2008-06-11T13:19:00.002-06:00

A couple of months ago, my friend Chris was in town from Taiwan. We got together to play a pick-up game of basketball one night where Chris, during the later part of the evening, landed on someones foot and broke his own foot. His foot was still giving him a lot of trouble when I visited him and Bob in Taiwan this year. At one point, when we were visiting a ginormous aquarium, I had to push him around in a wheel chair because it was too tough for him to walk.
Chris is back in town, along with his wife Nevada and his daughter Gemma, and although his foot has still not fully healed, he is able to play some ball again. Last night, the two of us went to a pick-up game. On the way out the door, his mom advised us not to injure any feet. A few hours later, after rolling my ankle on someones foot when I was driving to the hoop, I ended up in emergency at RUH (too many trips to RUH lately). My ankle looked like I had a softball hiding in it, and it hurt like - something that hurts a lot. We had a bit of a weird deja vu moment when he was pushing me to the triage desk in a wheelchair. Fortunately, the x-rays show no broken bones and my recovery time shouldn't be too bad. Right now I'm learning the finer points of walking with crutches and navigating up and down stairs. Should be a hoot.

Update

2008-05-25T21:08:00.002-06:00

My dad is scheduled for bypass surgery on Monday, May 26. Please pray for him. It looks like a quadruple bypass will be needed - give or take. He's in good spirits and has been surrounded by friends and family at the hospital. If you know my dad, you know that lying still in a hospital bed all day would not be his favorite leisure activity, but fortunately he's been getting into the Bourne Identity books. Mmmmm, brain candy. The rest of us are doing alright too. It's always tough to see a loved one going through something this scary, but it has certainly drawn us together as a family. This afternoon we celebrated the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with Fr. Ken. It was a really beautiful experience - very Spirit-filled. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers; I'll let you know how things work out tomorrow.

Tough News

2008-05-23T11:48:00.004-06:00

My mom posted some info as well, but I just wanted to make sure that you all knew what was going on with my dad. He's been having heart problems for the past number of months and was finally able to have an angiogram yesterday. The results weren't very encouraging. Dad is going to need bypass surgery (not sure if it's double or triple yet) and is hoping to get in over the next couple of days. They are keeping him at RUH right now until they can fit him in. I'll try to keep you posted.

Just Doing Her Part

2008-04-23T13:34:00.003-06:00

To celebrate Earth Day yesterday, Maria decided to do a bit of recycling. She's very conscientious about such things.

Snow Day

2008-04-18T23:52:00.001-06:00

Stay tuned for up to the minute coverage of blizzard 2008 in Saskatoon. Put your BBQs away, pack up your sandals and shorts, and leave your Priuses at home. Happy mid-April everyone!

Taiwanna go back some time

2008-04-09T14:18:00.008-06:00

So I've been back from Taiwan for about a week now and am still sorting through what I'll remember most from the trip. It was certainly a time I will not forget and I'm so grateful for having had the opportunity to spend that time with Bob and Chris in such an interesting place. We saw a lot in the eight days I was there. Taiwan is roughly the size of Vancouver Island, so you can really hit up a lot of the place quite quickly. Here are some pictures that represent some of the highlights for me.

Outside the National Palace Museum where Bob and I saw some of the best Chinese art in the world.

After a gondola ride up a mountain, we busted out Bean Trader, drank tea, and enjoyed a night-time view of Taipei (below).

One of the friendly Kaosiung locals we met at Lotus Lake

We made the important Kevin Pipe stop that same day and enjoyed the hospitality of Chris' friend Kevin (far right). Bob, in the mean time, was engaged in a wrestling match with a fierce looking Taiwanese man. The man on the far left was on the phone taking bets on the match. At two to one odds, there were many.

We hit the road on our scooters the next day to enjoy the beach, the sun, some Coronas, and the beautiful scenery in Kenting on the southern tip of Taiwan.

Ahhhhhhhhh, it reminds me of Saskatoon in early March.

On the way back we explored a massive aquarium and museum that featured whales, sharks, and all sorts of sea life.

In case there was any doubt - a very confused young man.

This is Chris' church where he is a pastor. I got to here him deliver a talk on the first chapter of the Book of Daniel on Sunday night.

Happy Birthday Banane!

2008-03-25T11:57:00.003-06:00

An open video letter to our favorite sister on her birthday. Love you lots.

Tom and Bob

Tomwan

2008-03-25T02:22:00.008-06:00

I hate Northwest Airlines. This is the face I made to capture what I was feeling when my arrival in Taiwan was delayed by 24 hours. If you look closely, you will also detect some anger lines at having to sit in an airplane on the tarmac for five hours, several sections of that time being without air conditioning or proper air circulation. You may also notice that my cheeks look a little thinner at having to go without food or water for that time period.

Luckily, I did make it to Taipei and am having a great time now. Here are some highlights:

Above: A detail from the Long shan Temple

Below: Three semi good looking guys with Taipei 101, the worlds tallest building (you're yesterday's news Toronto) in the background.

Above: Where Bob and I parked our scooters yesterday. That has been a fun way to get around.

Below: A night market in Banciao at about 1:30am. The markets are always full of life and good food.

Bob on his balcony.

And He's Off!

2008-03-21T01:05:00.002-06:00

It's late, and in a few hours I'll be boarding my flight to Taiwan. It's been an interesting week. There is a fourteen hour difference between here and there so it is basically opposite for sleeping schedules. This week, to make things a little easier, I started going to bed early and waking up at around 4:30-5:00. Today I took a nap after work and am staying up all night until I catch my flight. The theory is that I sleep for the first part of the 20 hour epic journey and stay awake for the last part. I'll arrive in Taiwan during the evening tired and will hopefully get a good sleep during their night time. I'll tell you how it works out.

Mmmmmm, Vitamin D

2008-03-15T19:27:00.003-06:00

Here it is. Maria's first crack at crawling. It looks like a lot of work!

Tom Rules

2008-03-14T14:53:00.002-06:00

When I was at my parents' place the other day my dad was sorting through the fridge looking for something to eat. He pulled out a package of lunch meat that had bene in there for a little while and gave it a sniff to see if it was still good. It smelled fine to him so he asked my mom to smell it then asked me to do the same. That reminded me of a rule I developed for myself when I was in grade 10. When someone says, "smell this," I never do. That rule has served me well since then. It also got me curious about what other rules are floating around out there that I may be missing out on. Do you have an unusual rule you like to live by?

???

2008-03-06T15:03:00.003-06:00

These are scary times for Rider fans. After a dream season last year, we have seen almost every leader from our championship team leave in the past couple of months: Austin, Hunt, Perry, and Joseph most noteably. I hate to complain given the success of the team under Tillman's leadership last season, but come on. I remember very recently being concerned about losing any of those players. I just want to see that there is some sort of plan for all that salary cap money we're saving. Who is going to come in and take the place of these fan favorites?

My First Girls' Retreat

2008-02-20T09:48:00.002-06:00

Erin and I were invited to speak at a girls only retreat at the Moose Jaw Spa this past weekend. As the title of my entry suggests, this was my first. The talks went well and I spent most of the time looking after Maria while Erin did retreat leader things, which was good. The highlight was definitely Maria's first swim: too cute.

Up and at them!

2008-01-08T14:07:00.000-06:00

We had a very nice Christmas break; I hope you did too. Mostly

I'm back to work this week. After doing absolutely no work for most of the holidays it was a bit of a shock to the system. I put a couple of long days in at the school this past weekend and have been trying to get everything in order before finals. This is how I feel.

On another note, I booked a plane ticket for Taiwan to visit my friend Chris and my brother Bob over the Easter break. I am very excited to go as I've been wanting to do this for a long time. It will be great to see first hand what they've been talking about over these last few years. I'm also looking forward to doing some travel blogging again: it's been a little while.

Emmanuel is Coming

2007-12-04T16:31:00.000-06:00

Time for my annual pledge to slow down and spend time this advent preparing for Christmas. I plan on keeping commitment to a minimum, having an advent calandar, and doing a daily devotional this year.
This year also holds special significance for Erin and I as we have a beautiful daughter to share it with. In previous years, advent was sometimes difficult as we often thought about kids and anticipated having a family of our own during the Christmas season. This time around, Advent will be a reminder of how much we have been blessed over this past year, not only with Maria, but with our beautiful niece Abi too.
On another note, I can't help being reminded about the thoughtful reflections Heather made just recently on her blog about their new baby and Christmas. You should definitely check it out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: Thanks for posting Heather. Sorry about the sarcasm.

Ad - vent

2007-12-04T16:30:00.000-06:00

I'm sick of the Christmas ads already.

It is now easy being green

2007-11-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

What a satisfying end to a wonderful season. A close, scrappy, nailbiting, defensive battle was much better than a blow-out. I am happy that people aren't spending the day complaining about how poorly the offense played or how Kevin Glen was hurt. Just enjoy it folks; Grey Cups don't come to Saskatchewan very often, and we definitely earned it this year. We were the best team at the end of the year and played with a lot of character all year.
In addition to all the excitement of Sunday, my dad prepared a delicious East Indian feast on Saturday night for Erin and I, along with a few of his close friends. Delicious, although I still smell like curry.
Hope you're enjoying the weather.

Big Hit

2007-11-22T17:50:00.000-06:00

This is worth watching again, especially the last replay.

Wow

2007-11-13T11:53:00.000-06:00

Wow! My voice is still recovering from yelling for three hours straight at the Rider game on Sunday. We were on our feet for almost the whole game and the sound of 30,000 very excited Rider fans was deafening. There was a real energy in the place that day; so much so that in spite of the game being close at the end, we had it won before kick-off. Hopefully we won't have to wait another 20 years before another home play-off game.

Baby on Board

2007-11-06T15:14:00.000-06:00

It's been another action-packed week. In addition to having two Rider games to go to, my brother John and his wife Heather gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this past Friday names Abigail Anne (sp?). It was really fun for Erin and I to go see them in the hospital, and we enjoyed reminiscing about our experience there in August when Maria was born. I couldn't get over how tiny and how light she was. I'm sure Heather and John will be sending out pictures once things settle down so I won't steal any of their thunder.

A Good Day

2007-10-29T22:08:00.000-06:00

This morning at 8:30 I got on the computer right before work started and after many attempts managed to secure some Roughriders playoff tickets for November 10th! I'm going with a few friends to the game this weekend and will be taking the same crew to Mosaic Stadium in two weeks. It's been quite a few years since I've caught a game live so I am very happy about being able to go to two of them this year. Look for me on TV (we'll be the ones with the bad seats).

The Riders have been a real joy to watch this year. I've been following quite faithfully over the past five or six years and am glad to see them experience some success. Everyone has been saying to not get too excited yet, but I disagree: it's time.

Vote Austin on November 7th

Baptism Pics

2007-10-21T11:43:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of Maria's baptism last Sunday that my brother John took. My dad wasn't able to be there because he was at his CUPE national meeting in Toronto so you'll just have to use your imagination. Picture a guy with glasses somewhere in the Hickey family pictures. Also, my brother Bob lives in Taiwan, so if you could also imagine an Asian guy in the middle of things that would be great.

This is the actual baptism being celebrated by the bishop of Ghana who was in town last weekend. Fr Joseph, also from Ghana, is our priest right now at St. Philip Neri. Maria didn't cry; dad was proud.

You need to sing the theme song from the Lion King while looking at this picture to get the full effect. Thanks.

Photo op with the God-rents, Chris and Terri.

Maria in her baptismal gown looking very interested in something over there.

The Hickey fam, my grandma and grandpa Dryden, and the Steins.

Clarification

2007-10-15T22:40:00.000-06:00

Just to clarify, the link to the pictures two posts ago that our friend Tammy took are all pictures of our new baby girl Maria. She's very cute so make sure you check them out. Maria was baptized this past Sunday which is a really big deal. It was fun having so many family and friends at mass with us and she didn't even cry during the dunking: that's my girl.
There was a bishop visiting our parish from Africa who did the actual baptizing so that was pretty cool. Apparently it is a custom there to raise the baby up for everyone to see after the baptism. It was very Lion King-esque. As soon as I get pictures from our photographer I'll post some - honest.

My brother is famous

2007-10-09T20:38:00.000-06:00

If you haven't seen the trailer for Season of Dreams yet, you really should. It was produced locally by a teacher for Football Saskatchewan and will be premiering on November 12th at TCU Place. If you look very carefully, you can see my brother Matthew running by the camera shot during a high school football game. Anyway, the movie looks really good - check it out.

Pictures

2007-10-08T19:50:00.000-06:00

Hi folks,
Here are some pictures our friend Tammy took at her place a while back. When you're done looking you should check out her website; she does good work.

The weekend was delightful. We spent it up at Chitic lake and enjoyed riding quads, going for walks, eating, and visiting with Erin's fam. Tonight it's turkey at the rents. Have a happy thanksgiving!

OK, Sunday.

2007-09-16T12:52:00.000-06:00

So, once again, sorry about the long hiatus from blogger. I just decided to take a break over the summer to stay off the computer and become a father and all. It has been really fun. Maria has been pretty good to us too. Before we became parents, we used to hear all sorts of horror stories about being up all night on a regular basis. For most nights anyway, that hasn't been the case. But for all of you who are wondering how things have been going, here are 5 ways my life has changed since the birth of my beautiful daughter Maria:

1. Poop has taken a more central role in my conversation. Yes, even more than before.

2. Much less television. Looking at your baby is like staring at a campfire - you're not sure why, but they are just so interesting to stare at.

3. I am much less selfish (hopefully), which has helped me in a lot of ways.

4. Less sleep, but I'm not convinced I'm more tired than usual.

5. More visiters. This has been nice.

I'll be posting some pictures as soon as Erin gets home with the camera. They tell me that people like pictures.

It's Alive!

2007-09-13T15:07:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned for the return of O My Blog! on Saturday, Sept 15th. More pictures, more mystery, more shocking! You'll want to read it again and again! Critics are already raving!

Freedom!

2007-07-02T13:29:00.000-06:00

On Friday afternoon, I walked out of the school, took a look around, and began my summer vacation; June 30th makes it all worthwhile. Erin and I didn't waste any time getting started on our summer plans.
On Saturday we finally bought a vehicle! It's a previously owned 2007 Rav4 with only 8000 miles on it from the Toyota dealership in Flemington, New Jersey. Originally, I had planned on going to pick it up myself, but with everything going on this summer (and for the sake of simplicity) we are now going with a shipping company. I'll post again about this when all is said and done and the vehicle is in our possession, but as of right now, I would recommend to anyone thinking about purchasing a newer vehicle to look in the States. It's incredible how much of a markup occurs north of the border, even when you factor in the extra expenses and cross-border fees.
Here's a picture:

Now I Should Probably Get Back to My Marking

2007-06-21T13:29:00.000-06:00

Alas, the skies have cleared and the sun is shining: an early exit for the tornado.

Hard At Work

2007-06-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

Exam season is upon us at work. I have my last one today, then it's marking, marking, marking mixed in with a whole lot of paper work. Staring at pages and pages of writing all day makes one batty, so we usually organize a staff ping pong tournement during exam week to provide some distraction. This year's tourny has started off exceptionally well. The playing has been fun, but the best part about it has been the trash talk going around the building via email. One of our staff members has nicknamed his serve the "Dark Horse" and has posted up pictures of a black stallion all over the school; another staff member's serve has been called the "Widow Maker"and pictures of black widow spiders have been popping up mysteriously. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the world to a menacing force of nature: my serve. Ladies and gentlemen, the "Fried Green Tornado."

Route 66

2007-06-12T15:57:00.001-06:00

Lately, Erin and I have been quite consumed with two things: our baby, of course, and car shopping. A couple of weeks ago we came to the realization that we don't trust either of our vehicles to make it anywhere out of the city safely. With a new little gaffer on the way, we've been in the market for something more dependable and roomy without the extra gas mileage you get with a mini-van or SUV. We've been looking a lot at the sport wagon class of vehicle which has all these things, and have also been looking at buying from the US given the strength of our dollar lately. So we have spent many hours on the Internet looking up US dealerships and checking out autotrader.com and receiving help from co-workers who've already bought from the States, along with trips to the local dealerships to test-drive cars we might like to buy. It has been both fun and frustrating all at once. The ultimate goal in all of this is that we end up with a good car that we like and that I get to go on a road trip somewhere cool with a friend to pick it up. Let me know if you have any tips (car tips, not the "don't eat yellow snow" variety).