Rock and Roll

Well one of our projects that we undertook this summer was to finish the basement development of our house as well as some finishing up in the yard. We did some final concrete work around some of the rocks in the front and backyard. For those of you who noticed the funny white pipe sticking up in the front... it's gone now!

Dora put a second coat of stain on the deck this year and did an excellent job if I do say so myself!



In the basement, we had an easy time with the framing and electrical, pulling in a few favors from friends and family. We did however need to do some extensive... modification when it came to the plumbing. With an nice new hole in the basement, we're ready for the plumbing to begin!




With any luck, we'll have drywall in before September ends and maybe paint and carpet before Dora's birthday.

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Kyle Saskatchewan Pt. 2

Well after our stop in Cypress Hills and the Great Sand Hills, we finally made it to the cabin. Clearwater lake is a small spring fed lake with a very high density of Roughrider fans! We spent the first day golfing. Yeah I know, me golfing, but this place is extreme! Eco-friendly with the oiled sand greens and no watering on the fairway. Did I mention the rough looks like well.... rough?




I think this place could start a new trend with everyone trying to be environmentally conscious.

The Lake was pretty relaxing with a little boating with Logan and some relaxing time spent in a chair with a beverage. Life can be pretty sweet if you stop to smell the canola.





All in all it was a pretty good week with some good times spent with family. It was nice to see Dora's extended family again and her grandma as well. I sometimes wonder what is gained by living the life I live with my opportunities that I never seem to have time for. Perhaps less opportunities and more time to partake would be a better choice.

Well I'll leave you with this parting shot.

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Gear Shed II

Back in December, I posted about my " Gear Shed", my replica from this movie "The Big Hit" with Mark Walberg.

I've always wanted to have this hidden gear closet that stored all my outdoor gear.

Well it's basically done, just needed to varnish it and put some handles on it. But that has been taking longer than expected so I thought I would post the "semi-finished" product. The final shots will have a finished exterior.

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Kyle Saskatchewan Pt. 1

Well, we were off to Kyle, Saskatchewan to hang out with Dora's family and relax at the lake. Her family has a cabin out that way, and if it wasn't for the 5hr drive, we'd probably head out more often.

On the way we hit Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan side) to camp with my Bro for a bit. It was kind of funny to hang out with the "Camper boys" while we were still tenting it.






After Cypress we started to head out to the #1, and stopped in to "The Star" in Maple Creek.

IT HAD THE BEST SWEET POTATO FRIES!!. I've included an article from Western Living Magazine. This restaurant is worth the 5 min drive off the Trans Canada any day!

After that lovely meal, we headed to the Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, they were doing some filming and the main section was closed. We found some smaller dunes and managed to have some fun of our own...



Next posting will be the lake!

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Dry Spell

Well as of late, the weather has been dry and hot. Apparently this dry spell has extended to my bloggin'!

I'll try and update will a flurry of quick blogs about what has been keeping us so busy that I couldn't even write a blog post.

Today, I'll talk about our trip to the Zoo. We took Logan to the zoo which was pretty fun for everyone. We found a 2 for 1 coupon online so that saved us a cool 18 bucks and made it a cheap day (except if you factor in gas costs!). Logan enjoyed the animals and the ice cream. I enjoyed the company (looking for bonus points...).






Our adventure included a quick stop at Ikea and Lee Valley so it was a nice trip all around.


(rest of the pics can be found here)

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Post 55 - dream machines

Well this is post 55, one better than last years 54 posts! Thought I would dream a little and post about my dream machines.

I'd love to get a cool 4x4 camper so here are my top 10 for Ultimate 4x4 Campers

10. Roadtrek
Pretty wimpy right? Well these things can be bought in 4x4 and hey... you gotta start somewhere.

They're probably the nicest on the inside but they're pretty much just your standard RV. I wouldn't complain if I had one, but if I had the money.... well move down the list.

9. Outfitter Manufacturer
These are just truck slide-ins, but they make pop-up models that are low profile with a lower center of gravity. I like the fact that they have built in toilets and showers. The real advantage is that I wouldn't need to store another vehicle. Nice, but not the best, that's why it low on my list.

8. Tiger Motorhomes
Now these are like truck campers, but permanent. They build these sucker on a truck frame! Pretty nice, a step up from the Roadtrek, which are van based and not that rugged.
This is much more suitable for the back roads and it's priced well at under $80,000. Take a look at the overview to see its capacity. The only problem is I don't know if it seat 3 or 4, so might not work for the family.


7. Toyota Hiace
Here is a nice import that's small and affordable (used for under 15,000)
Although a small 4x4, I found this quote that made me want one "Wheels magazine found in a van test that the diesel model could, in factory standard form, do donuts continuously with the speedometer reading nearly 100 km/h (62 mph) ." Super sweet, plus with the way they're importing these into BC, it's quite possible to pick one up. Have a look around and you may find one.

6. GTRV
A friend of mine drives one of these so I had to include them (kidding, they are quite nice!). They make a nice 4x4 model and they do a good job at usable space.

I'm not sure about the prices for these things, but I have a slight preference for the next company on the list.

5. Sportsmobile
These are van conversion that make a great camper. You can get basic models, but I prefer the 4x4 ones and I could even afford one too!
They have a nice look to them and the website has used one for sale quite often. Take a look, but don't blame me if you wanna buy one!

4. Innovan
I tell you this thing has the coolest kitchen sink! Can you find it here?
The best feature about this model is that it comes off the truck if needed. That makes for an awesome package and is why it ranks as number 3! You can find a photo gallery of this baby here. Sadly, this thing is made in Australia, so I'd hate to see the cost to get it here. Hey, what side of the road do they drive on down there?

3. Earthroamer
This could be in my price range and has the coolest tent-on-roof system ever!
This model costs just over 100,000 bucks and would make a sweet camper! Look inside if you don't believe me, it's got a toilet and an inside shower! It would be best for a couple, so as it stands... I'm out.


2. Foley Specialist Vehicles
I saw one of these on our Yukon trip and fell in love. Who wouldn't want one of these? Actually if you don't... don't tell me.
Built in the UK, these things are bomber and they look sweet as well! Forget 4x4, this thing is 6x6! Pretty much the best thing out there... oh wait did you see number 1?


1. The Unicat
Probably the most heavy duty out of the bunch, this thing is pretty hard core. My favorite is the EX70-HD / MAN TGA 6x6 Model.
Check out the photo gallery here. Personally, the hidden quad compartment is way too cool and heck these things come with a dishwasher! I also love the espresso machine in it.



So now you've seen'em all. Which is your favorite?

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Mark Lavorato

Remember him? If you do, you might find this interesting.

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Another Trip

Well Dora is gone. Off to Toronto for an extended weekend to visit with friends from 10 years ago. Back then, she did a stint in Canada World Youth and traveled to Indonesia. Well, it seemed fitting to do a 10 year reunion so that's where she is.

We boys back home are doing just fine and hope your having fun!

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LadiesFest

Well, Dora was up for another race today, Ladiesfest, an all female 8k that goes up and down the coulee. She was planning on running it with her mom, but unfortunately, she became ill in the morning and was unable to race. Dora's sister-in-law was also running, so they ran it together instead. Her official time is not available yet, but it would be 47min + as we have a picture of her approaching the finish line at 47:01. Last year her time was 51:12 so an improvement from last year. Logan thinks mom is #1!

It was nice to be there in time to see her cross the finish as last year she was expecting 55min, and we missed seeing her cross the finish line. This year we got ready early and caught these shots!

Nice job Dora!

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Boy's Camping Trip... sort of

Well me and the bro headed out to Waterton mid week for a little rest and relaxation.... yeah right. Funny thing is when you go camping with 3 kids, rest and relaxation are just silly words you tell yourself to encourage the exodus from home. Any smart man would throw the kids in the backyard, grab a beer and be happy... but not us! We're not that smart! After traveling 40km and stopping twice, we realized the dire situation we were putting ourself in. Check my math.

(0 wifes + 3 kids + 2 not so smart dads - 1 plan) x infinite possibilities = sheer utter chaos

*note the brackets for correct order of operations

Well all was not so bad as we had fun, had beer, had a few mishaps, but returned with all 3 kids... well 5 if you include us. I've included a classic Waterton pic for those lost LOMAH-nites who are out there somewhere.

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Star Trek Cartoon + Shatner’s “Common People” = Kirk/Spock Slashup

Courtesy of Neatorama....

Behold the best Star Trek mash up ever: the animated Star Trek + William Shatner’s cover of Pulp’s "Common People" = greatness!



Done in the style of Kirk/Spock (or K/S) story:

In the science fiction TV series Star Trek (1966-1969), the characters of Captain James T. Kirk and his Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock share an unusually close friendship, although both characters have relationships and sexual liaisons with women. Almost from the beginning, fans noticed the loving nature of the relationship. A few fan writers started speculating about the possibility of a sexual relationship between Kirk and Spock. The Kirk/Spock phenomenon eventually took on a life of its own, and became one of the driving forces in Star Trek fanzines during their heyday.

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