It’s been 1 year since I boarded a plane to visit two African countries and a community development organization in each one. Since that time, I’ve really let the ideas and realities of what is happening in these successful enterprises percolate. Here are the thoughts that have persisted. SOUTH AFRICA My first stop was Bhekulwandle, … [Read more…]
My friend Brian was murdered in his home on Christmas Eve in Belize. My father was among the early mission workers to work with Brian in the Valley of Peace, a refugee settlement. I knew Brian first as the father of my good friends Mandy, Robbie and Kory. I knew Brian second as an always … [Read more…]
January Sick Day. Snow Day. Gaming weekend in Canmore. Concerts: Living with Lions, Whitehorse. Semester 1 ends: Math 10C, Math 20-2, Multi-Media February Dragonfly Cohousing Social Media Blitz. Man Scouts Beer Tasting. Demitor Visit in Edmonton. Peter turned 80 in High River. Semester 2 begins: Calculus, Math 30-2, Multi-Media. March Mother-in-law visit. Turned 37. Fundraising … [Read more…]
In July, my sister Saison and I celebrated the 10th anniversary of our cycling trip from coast to coast across Canada with a two day, 170 km trip on Highway 22 (the Cowboy Trail) from Cochrane to Rocky Mountain House, AB. While both of us have continued to cycle recreationally since our epic trip, neither … [Read more…]
I’m on the eve of creating my third and fourth batches of beer after successfully brewing batches one and two in November and December. I have a few buddies who brew beer and until I had access to a couple of carboys, I’ve been reluctant to move forward in brewing my own. In November, Dwayne … [Read more…]
In November, I attended a math conference with another 24 people at the Banff International Research Station for a weekend. The conference was organized by my friend Dr. Gordon Hamilton of MathPickle.com fame (visit his site for more info on the conference). It was meant to discuss and identify 13 unsolvable math problems that could … [Read more…]
Since having my life greatly altered with an iPhone 18 months ago, I have come to appreciate the impact certain apps have had in my daily life. A few noteworthy ones: DAY ONE: This is a journaling app that allows you to make entries that get backed up to DropBox, include photos, automatically notes the … [Read more…]
Mid-June saw the first full reunion for my mother’s siblings, their mother, their spouses, most of the cousins, and all the grandkids. Altogether there were 24 of us on Friday evening. It was the first time I had seen any of my maternal extended family since 1999/2000. In fact it was the first time I … [Read more…]
Some new. Some not. I could listen to each of these on Repeat One for an hour. Probably longer, but I don’t want to wreck my favourites. Sufjan Stevens: The Transfiguration The New Pornographers: Adventures in Solitude The National: Pink Rabbits Feist: A Commotion Atoms for Peace: Ingenue Band of Horses: Dumpster World Calexico: Writer’s Minor Holiday City and Colour: The Grand … [Read more…]
