Greatest Classic Rock of All Time

I started thinking of the greatest songs of all time. You know those songs that you first heard decades ago and still are among your favorites. They may not necessarily be the songs you listen to everyday but no matter how many times you hear them you just have to turn up the volume and sing along. I just started the list and if you have any songs you think should make the cut let me know and I'll decide if they are worthy.

Save the Internet

Enough Said!!

Salmon Virgin

 

Here I am with the first Salmon I have ever caught. I have wanted to go Salmon fishing for many many years but I guess it is a function of living in such a great fishing area that you sometimes take it for granted and I just never have gotten around to going. Well this weekend my buddy called me up and said there was room in his father-in-law's trailer if I wanted jump in with them. Well, what an awesome couple of days. The weather was great and the fishing spectacular. We saw some grizzlies, had some laughs as caught a bunch of fish, what could be better. If you want to see some more pictures go to Fish Eye 

Beach Start

At a family renuion this last weekend my wife's family gathered on the beach in anticipation of a spectacular wipeout as I attempted my first waterski in 13 years.

Renos

 

Funny how priorities change. A few years ago I would have been excited about buying a new bike or a golf club or something similiar. Now I am excited because we just got a new roof, windows and furnace for our house. Of course new roof means we have to paint the house and new windows means new blinds and ....... 

Don't feed the animals!!

Going against the best advice of parents everwhere here are my two boys feeding a squirrel at our cabin.

What's on the iPod Today

  

Universal Health Care

I came across an article in the newspaper the other day about how British Columbia is looking for ways to recoup some of the health care costs incurred by tourists as they visit BC. While we are very proud as Canadians of our universal health care system, apparently the fact that tourists are getting sick or injured while in our country is putting a strain on our medical resources. I guess the fact that we have thousands of Americans crossing the border in charter busses to buy prescription drugs is less of a problem than someone twisting an ankle on the West Coast Trail but that is another post.

Anyways, this article got me thinking about my experience as a tourist and needing to access another countries health care system. While in Mexico this spring break my 3 year old son came down with a high fever and complained of severe pain in his neck and ear. The town we were staying in had no hospital and my wife and I having no vehicle and speaking little Spanish were extremely anxious. As my mother went in search of a local to inquire as to the nearest hospital she returned with a gentleman who not only told us the nearest hospital was just up the highway but also insisted on lending us his vehicle to get there. When we arrived at the hospital we found no one who spoke English but instead of being frustrated with our lack of Spanish one of the people behind the desk went into the street and came back with a man who spoke a little English to help translate for us. Once in the examination room a doctor came in, again speaking no English, and was extremely patient as he attempted to diagnose the problem. Once he thought he had narrowed the problem down he brought in a pediatric specialist who conferred and assisted. Once they had the problem properly diagnosed as a parasite they gave us a prescription and made an appointment for us to return in three days for a follow up before we flew home. To say the least the generosity and caring of the Mexican people put us at rest and we are truly appreciative of the care my son received.

The interesting thing is that at no time did they ever ask for health care, insurance information or payment of any kind. I guess as medical professionals they simply saw a person in need of care so they did what they have been trained to do. Maybe we should be encouraging people to visit Mexico instead of B.C. if we are worried about the rising health care costs of tourists.

Birdie Watching

 
Twilight Green Fees Jasper Park Lodge = $120
Last room in Tonquin Lodge = $175
Refreshments at the 10th hole = $50
Hitting one long putt for birdie in the splendor of the Rockie Mountains = Priceless 

Public Out Cry

It is interesting to me the things that the public gets all fired up about. In my hometown the papers have been filled with letters and articles discussing city council's decision to ban RV's from camping overnight in parking lots. This debate has been going on for about a year, since WalMart came to town and the campground owners took exception to people staying overnight in the WalMart parking lot. At that time council told WalMart that they would have to erect signs informing people they could not camp in parking lots as it is against city bylaws. This apparently was not good enough for the campground owners as this spring they put pressure on city council to start enforcing those bylaws. City council responded with a strategy that would see tickets issued to offending boondockers. Well, boy did the RV world react. Apparently, our town was instantly blacklisted by the RV world as emails swirled informing the geriatric gypsies of the black hearted city council that would not let them enjoy the spacious and scenic accommodations of a WalMart parking lot. Letters flooded into the paper filled with outrage at the shortsighted city council. How could they let all of these valuable tourist dollars escape our grasp. Well, city council did what any responsible political entity would do, they immediately reversed their decision.

What makes this interesting to me is the time, effort and emotion devoted to this issue. It is similiar to the furor created when the Hockey Fights were coming to town. One would have thought that the Prime Minister was visiting for all of the media attention and public opinion it generated. What is sad is that our town, like many, has other issues that people should get involved with and deserve the public's involvement. Growing drug use and meth addiction among our children, teenage prostitution, expanding slums, increased homeless population and the list goes on. However, sadly many of these issues get much less attention or ever generate the public interest and involvement that the can apparently be generated by telling a tourist driving a $100,000 RV that he will have to pay $15 for a campsite can. The good news is that if we can just get city council to pick up the tab for a few tents maybe our homeless can stay at WalMart.

Back at Ya.

On my buddy Kevin's blog, The Long Road, he posted a video of himself carving a few turns on Sun Peaks so I thought it was my turn.

Oh Ya, We're in Good Hands!

Our new saviour, Stephen Harper, who vows to clean up government and have a more transparent government has just come out with his ingenious three point plan for winning back the faith of Canadians. Apparently, the problem as Steve O sees it is those ministers who embarrass or contradict the government in public. So for those ministers who do not goose step in line with the conservative party plan Harper says they can expect 1) public humiliation, 2) to be banned from official trips and 3) to be kicked out of cabinet. It sure puts my mind at ease to know that if my representative in government speaks out on behalf of his constituents he will be "publicly humiliated". As one minister has said the message is clear "So stick to the party line, or you'll go out there and tell the whole world that you're a dumb (jerk) who screwed up." WOW, I can feel my faith in government growing even as I write this. With this sort of open dialogue and innovative thinking being encouraged at the highest levels of government I am sure we will soon have solutions to problems in health care, education and social services. I guess the only positive thing is that we can all feel a lot closer to our ministers as now they are truly like us, being told what to do and to shut up and take it from a leader who was elected by less than a third of the Canadian people.

Microsoft Creativity

Check this video out showing Microsoft, once again at their creative best, stealing from MAC.

Old Video

I am playing around with embedding video and this is a video I made for my wife on our 5th anniversary. As we approach year 8 I still like looking back on it and it amazes me how things just keeping better as we share our lif together.

Tasty Waves

 

Here I am working hard for those waves. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. 

Watching the Break

  

No worries

  

Surf Rider

This is a picture of my buddy who is also on the Sky to Sea to Sky adventure and I had to post the greatest picture ever taken of him. I bow to you oh rider of the waves.

.... and on to the sea!

Oh ya, phase 2 of the Sky to Sea to Sky adventure is well under way. We arrived in Sayulita, Mexico a few days ago and life is fine. With lots of surf and sun, the days are spent gathering on the beach, watching the kids play and trying to master the intricacies of the boogie board. No phone, no t.v., just the waves, some good books, lots of Pacifico and a hijacked wireless signal. There is really something therapeutic about sitting on your couch, reading a book and looking out the patio doors at the ocean wondering when the muffin lady is coming by. Well it is time to find the shrimp man and see what the boats brought in. Hmmm.... life is good.

Old School

 
J.P. throwin down a little 80's backscratcher action.