Happy Holidays!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We had tons of fun with Katie's family on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day -- we even had a Wii tournament to keep things interesting. Plus yorkshire pudding with our turkey dinner -- does it get any better than that?!

Today we volunteered for a few hours @ Canada Olympic Park (COP) as Hill Patrol. No major incidents, just telling a few kids to get out of the stunt park because they didn't have helmets (what are kids and parents thinking - seriously!)

We also met up with Schwartzee and his daughter Lindsay. It was Mark's first time on a snowboard - but with a few tips from Katie he caught on really quick.

Tomorrow we're going snowshoing with Katie's dad -- going to hit Black Prince Trail (5km) to ease into the season. Katie has to go to work for a few days and then we head for Emerald Lake for New Years.

Talk to you soon...

Soup & Ski Patrol

A big 'thank-you' to everyone who posted, emailed and called. We will be taking a trip tomorrow to drop off our case of soup for the food bank!

I'm trying to get Katie to wear this dress while we do it - but that probably won't happen ; )

In other news...

We are volunteering as Ski Patrol this year @ Canada Olympic Park. We go tomorrow morning for our sign-up and orientation. It's really cold here still (-25/-35 with wind chill) so we are happy tomorrow won't be a day on the hill for us. But the boards are waxed and ready to go!

Enjoy your weekend.

Delivery

We got our furniture delivered today - yeah. The room is long and narrow, so it took us many shopping adventures to find stuff we liked -- and we are happy with this selection, just the right fit.

Katie is just finishing the painting in the basement, but it looks like a great match.

Tonight is movie night, so we are looking forward to stretching out!

A Good Day To Stay Inside...

We have been lucky this year when it has come to weather. But it appears that luck has run out. Temperatures dipped into the -20's and worse with the windchill -35.

We were up early shovelling the driveway and path. We had some new furniture planned to be delivered and didn't want the guys showing up without access. Despite the foot of snow, they still came at 9am! So we planned ahead and rented some movies - so after homework and final painting downstairs, it will be time to relax on the new sectional!

Hope you are staying warm too!

Cans for Comments!

Here's the idea! (that we stole from a friend)

Between now and December 19th for every comment that is left on our blog we will donate a can of soup to the local food bank.

So drop us a quick comment to catch-up (or if you are new to the site, introduce yourself!) and know that by doing so you will be helping give a little Christmas Spirit to others in need.

We don't have the biggest blog fan base, but let's aim for a dozen comments!! Thanks!

Bolt in 3D...

We went to see the latest in animation from Walt Disney tonight -- Bolt. The trailers made us laugh and we found ourselves counting down the days to the opening weekend.

We finally made it and it did not disappoint! The movie is in 3D, so you get the funky glasses to enjoy the experience. Of course 3D comes with a cost - an extra $3/ticket for the technology. But we laughed harder than most the kids in the theatre...so we consider it money well spent.

If you get a chance to see it, you won't be disappointed. And if you just want to laugh while you wait...here's the trailer.

Let it begin! Let it begin!!

Annual Tree Trimming Party

Last weekend we had our Annual Open House Tree Trimming Party! We had a great time visiting with friends and family, yummy food and lots of laughs.

Last year we got tons of tree ornaments and this year we requested our guests just come and hang their ornament from the year before -- but someone (Christine!) wanted to encourage us to get a bigger tree for next year, so she brought an ornament this year too....can you guess which one it is? hahaha -- thanks very much!

This weekend we don't have much for plans - get some Christmas cards done and send presents that need to travel to far off places. We are painting the basement and our new furniture arrives next Thursday - so we'll probably try and finish that work this weekend too. And of course there is homework for Scott (but blogging is much more fun!)

Enjoy your weekend.

Holiday Christmas Parties

Katie had her company Christmas party last weekend -- I'm sorry I was out East and missed the fun!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...I'm not sure 1,000 words is enough for this one! xo

Our Annual Tree Trimming Party is this coming weekend -- look for some photos and update on all the fun!

Washington, DC

Today was a half day @ work in Washington, DC and the only time I'll get to really see the 'tourist' type things...so I made the most of the afternoon and got to see everything I wanted. First of all, I really like Washington -- definitely have to come back with Katie, it would be a fun City to be in together.

Of the highlights -- I really liked the Lincoln Memorial. It is massive. Lincoln's statue is 20 feet high, and seems very large, but the massive chamber he is in still really dwarfs it. The White House was very cool too -- they are in the process already of constructing the stage area, etc. for Obama's inauguration ceremony. Really it all is remarkable as you easily wander the area and see the iconic structures of America and their history -- Washington Monument, all the war memorials (WWII is a favorite, and the Korean War a close second), Oh - actually the Pentagon has a fantastic 9/11 memorial - very cool at night.

Washington Monument and the Reflection Pool -- Lincoln Memorial

OK - As you can see, I took in tons today and I'm ready to come home. (xo) But if you get a chance to come here, you won't be disappointed!

ps - Grant, you would very much be in your element here - I'm sure you'd love it!

East Meets West

Scott was out in BC last week to see his folks and help out a little while his dad is recovering from his surgery -- he is doing amazingly well and Scott had a great visit with his family and got a few days of play in with Grant, Heather & the boys!

This week Katie is in BC for work and Scott is out East in Ottawa and Washington, DC for work. The snow came to Calgary last night and the ground was covered as we went for our flights -- it's dry in BC this week for Katie but the snow followed Scott to Ottawa.

So as we live out of our hotel rooms this week and dream of our garage being finished - we both hope things slow down a little! Have a great week.

What's Under the Orange Tarp?

It's the our garage!!! Well, it's the forms for the pad, which our garage will be built on...but you get the idea.

Scott and I have been talking about building a garage for quite some time, but only recently decided to take the plunge and commit to building one. The construction guys should be back tomorrow or Thursday to pour the pad and then in early January we'll probably move forward with the structure itself.

We were hoping to have the pad in already, but we came up against a bit of a setback when we found out the gas line runs right underneath where the pad was to go and had to be sheathed. Sheathing of the gas line requires ATCO to come out, shut off your gas and dig up your lawn...and then put it all back together of course! If I would have know this, I would have insisted we get the pad put in during the summer...when heat isn't required in the house...cause I sat in the house last night freezing my buns off waiting for ATCO to come a turn the gas back on (lucky for me we aren't short of blankets or hot water bottles!)!!! Oh, hindsight is 20/20!

P.S. When I was talking with the contractor this morning the first thing he asked me was if I could get in touch with my husband! I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he said this because he had been dealing with Scott up until now, but I'm pretty sure he though there was no way I was going to be able to make any technical decisions. I almost challenged him to a differential equation battle - but thought better of it since they still have a long way to go!

Get Your Child Busy on Sundays!

Back on May 30, 2008 we posted a similar picture of a lawnmower for adults.

Fortunately for all you parents out there who have husbands who objected to our previous suggestion, we now have a version that will get your kids out mowing the lawn...likely without complaint!!! What kid doesn't like riding their bike! And now, with the tricycle version, even your youngest kids can get in on the fun!

Since you will likely have to wait until next summer to see this options full potential, I'll get working on a suggestion for snow removal for you!

Happy Pumpkin Carving!

We had fun this afternoon carving "Winston."

As you can tell from his expression, he was scared when he saw us with the knife!

Be sure to share your designs with us too!

The Boyd Buzz

We are now well into Fall and our schedule has been non-conducive to blogging. But here's a quick update.

Scott's dad did had a quadrupole by-pass and is recovering nicely. Thank you to all that kept him in your thoughts and prayers the last few weeks. He'll be back home tomorrow.

Katie spent last weekend in Vegas with her mom and Aunt from England. She has the shoes to prove it - but got some good deals, so everyone is happy!

Scott is back at school (Masters of Management & Public Administration) and is already a good procrastinator when he should be writing his paper (as you can tell from the EGG-cellent post below!)

We are in the process of building a garage - cement work to be done next week while we still have this amazing Fall weather (+13 and sun!)

We are trying to take advantage of the great weather and commuting to work, but the long hours at work the past few weeks aren't helping our success rate!

I think that's about it...oh, except for some good tunes to pass along to you -- Secondhand Serenade. Great background music/mood music. Scott likes their use of Hyperbole's in their lyrics and enjoys drumming to them in the basement too. Funny how he's been playing the drums more often since school started too...

Enjoy the weekend - it's pumpkin carving weekend - so look for a blog to see our design!

EGG-cellent!

If you know me (Scott) then you know how much pride I take in peeling my eggs. Katie has become accustomed to letting me peel her eggs so I can get practise!

And today my friends it has all paid off! As you can see from the photo, I was able to peel not one, but two hard boiled eggs in the least amount of pieces to successfully remove the egg from its shell.

So many factors went into this success - the perfect amount of time to boil, the temperature of the cooling water, how long they were exposed to the cool water, the height I dropped the eggs from onto the counter, my nimble fingers and my mind being free of any pressure to peel the perfect egg. Today they all came together and I have so many people to thank for making this happen...Katie - thanks for letting me practise on your eggs and your continued support that one day this dream would happen (xo), Sobeys - thanks for stocking quality eggs, Farmer John - thanks for getting fresh produce to the store and finally chicken - well, words can't express the gratitude I have for you and the role you played in this success!

Enjoy your Friday!

Meet Matthew Ryan Boyd

Yeah -- we are Aunt Katie & Uncle Scott again!

Paul & Amanda had Matthew on Saturday afternoon. Mom & baby are both doing great and they are going home today!

8lbs 3oz of cuteness!

Can't wait to see more photos.

Hockey Night In Canada

I have very fond memories of growing up and watching Hockey Night in Canada with my dad and brothers on a Saturday night. We'd race from the tub to the TV where were could watch some of the game and eat some of dad's famous caramel popcorn before having to go to bed!

CBC just announced their new theme music for the show -- an Albertan won and it's actually a pretty good tune.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice. And don't forget the popcorn!

Good Old Texas!

I've been in Houston for the last week doing some training for work. Tonight I was picking up some dinner when I met a very humorous man…I'll call him Chuck. It all started when I went to pay for my dinner…Chuck was talking to the cashier who happened to be an East Indian gentlemen who had moved to Texas about two years ago. I came into earshot early enough to here Chuck say to the clerk "You know what us Texan's call you guys here?" Well you can imagine what the East Indian guy and I were thinking…but thankfully he said "Honorary Texan's!!!" Followed up shortly by…"And you know what the first thing an Honorary Texan should do? Go buy a gun!!!" It took all my self-control to not burst out laughing!


Chuck then turned to me and asked if I had a gun…I politely smiled and said "Nope, I'm from Canada, and we have gun control.". I think he actually felt sorry for me at this point, but it didn’t stop him from telling me that he owned one of every of gun out there…and that he had just been to Outdoor World to buy himself a new high powered crossbow. What do you say to that??? I'll tell you what I said…"I suppose you are a man I should be friends with then". This comment brought us to our next topic…living on his 50 acers of land in who knows where Texas.

Before giving me a lecture on how "city folk" don't know their neighbors and live in little bubbles were they don't interact with each other, Chuck felt it necessary to tell me about how there are only two sheriffs on duty at night in his County. Apparently, this is the real reason he owns one of every make of gun…AND a new high-powered crossbow…sure it is Chuck! Anyway, he went on to justify his guns because it could take up to 30 minutes for one of those sheriffs to show to his property…"and what am I suppose to do…throw frying pans at 'em?!"

Chuck went on a little longer about moving to Texas from Michigan to get away from "Those Liberals", but by this point Chuck was a little more scary than amusing so I made my exit…although looking back I likely could have had a very entertaining conversation with him about the upcoming election!!!

1 Year Ago...

Ah - Tahiti a year ago...

Happy Anniversary, Beautiful!

The Big Apple . . .

We are just getting back from an amazing week in New York City and time in New Jersey with Paul & Amanda! Where do you even start to talk about such a great trip...

We arrived direct from Calgary (4hr flight - how sweet is that?!) And we stayed a few nights right in the heart of NYC. Broadway x 74 Ave, for those of you familiar with the Big Apple. What is means is that everything is close, as long as you are up for some walking. Our first night we hit an amazing Italian 'family-style' restaurant -- huge portions (big surprise, right?) and everything is made for sharing. So good.

We then spent a few days just being tourists -- we did a Broadway show one night (Jersey Boys - highly recommended) We always try and find an on/off bus tour to help get an overview of the Cites we visit and NYC did not disappoint -- the Grey line Tour is a must for your next visit. After planning our attack, we hit all the hot spots -- Central Park, Time Square (both day & night time since they are amazingly different) Grand Central Station, Statue of Liberty (surprisingly small in real life), Empire State Building.

We also hit Chelsey Pier which is a huge sports multi-plex and has one of those multi-layer golf ranges -- so we had to knock some balls off the 3rd floor!! We also got to go to CBS studios and watch Paul tape the Weekend Edition of Inside Edition - fun to see the behind-the-scenes view for sure.

We then spent the weekend in Princeton, NJ with Paul and Amanda. Mandy looks amazing and is expecting anytime in the near future . . .we hoped our visit would prompt a delivery - but no such luck! We really enjoy just hanging out with them, catching up and seeing their beautiful neighbourhood and home. We walked around Princeton University too and were in total awe of the buildings.

And last Sunday we saw the Jets play Arizona -- crazy action!! Very cool that we got to see Favre set a personal and franchise TD record. Paul hooked us up with some sweet-ass tixs on the 40 yard-line 10 rows up -- it felt so very close to the action. You kinda get a feel for it from some of our photos -- a very cool vibe to be in the stadium surrounded by all those people.

Overall we were so impressed with public transit -- no problems with the subway or commuter trains between NYC and Jersey. We loved the brick, fire escape on all the buildings and all the great food!!! We did see rats in the subway - but caving prepared Scott for those sightings.

Probably missed so much - but wanted to get some photos and stories up sooner than later. Oh maybe there will be an entire blog about all the 'crazy people' we encountered on the trip?! Yes!

Caving . . .

Today we explored the Rat's Nest Cave in Canmore. Turns out there are a form of Rat in the caves -- but not the NYC long tailed freaky kind, so I quickly forgave Katie for misleading me into this adventure!

There were 7 of us, including the guide. We met at 9am in Canmore and drove the 10 minutes to the trail head. It's a 20 minute climb to the cave entrance where we got on our climbing harnesses, knee pads, overalls and helmets with lights.

The fun starts as soon as you enter the cave section and the guide makes it very clear to mimic her moves exactly or you may get stuck. Some of the spaces are very tight. So tight that you have to turn your head side ways so your helmet fits thru.

There is a 60 foot rappel into a dark cavern. Katie has some experience and volunteered to go first. But quickly regretted it when she was at the bottom by herself (in the pitch black, when you turned off your head lamp) and the group above started talking about cave monsters..hee-hee!

There was also a very cool section called the laundry chute -- picture a scene from Goonies! "Hey you guuuyys!!" Very very fun, but the tightest fit of the day - where you take a leap of faith and squeeze yourself down a 4 foot drop while maneuvering your legs near the bottom so you can be on your ass for the 'chute' part of the tunnel -- gravity takes over and you come out with your guide tied in to stop you from going too far. Good Fun!

You descend about 130 feet under ground to the grotto. The water takes 3 months to filter through the rock from the surface -- so really we were seeing the June rain -- kinda cool. Lots of geological formations and a creek that actually connects to the Bow River back in Calgary. While in this deepest part our group spent some time in complete darkness -- thank goodness our lights worked, cause we've never experienced darkness like that before. And you'd never find your way back out!

The climb up takes you through some new sections of the cave system - you don't use the ropes to get back up, you just crawl thru the caves. We exited the caves at about 2pm and headed to Canmore for some lunch.

We'd totally recommend the experience for people not afraid of heights, the dark, tight spaces and don't mind getting dirty! We bought a disposable camera & the photos are being developed. But here are some others who shared the experience. We will post ours when they are ready!

Fore!

We went golfing this weekend. Katie has been taking lessons for work (gotta love Sales People in the Oil & Gas Industry, right!?!) So we thought we'd hit a course and put the skills in play. Scott has only been on the course once this year (yes, also for a work function!) And with all the biking we've done, we were looking forward to doing some of the other things we enjoy.

We played at Buffalo Run - a basic Par 3 type course -- owned and operated by one of the Native Tribes in Alberta. It's very reasonable to play ($) and perfect for our skill level. Part of playing on Reserve Land is your ability to expect the unexpected. So here's some of the things we observed and overheard while playing...

They were hosting a Tournament Function -- their 'catering company' was a little well known Chicken Franchise -- KFC. Nice.

Things to be heard: "Don't steal my chicken." "Auntie, how many times do you go to bingo? We go 5 times a week." and "Are you still eating, you're gonna get fat...er."

We golfed with an Asian couple who were completely understanding of Katie's new golf situation and actually gave a few pointers which were helpful. We even had a few ROR moments during the game!

Our scores were nothing to remember - but the fun in the sun (wicked weather!) and laughs were not to be forgotten. As for our next adventure -- we are taking an Intro to Caving Lesson from the University this weekend - sounds like a blast and Scott is being very brave considering we are exploring the Rat's Nest Cave system under Grotto Mountain near Canmore! Alberta is a Rat-Free Province, right?!

Catch-up!

What's going on?! Wow lots going on in our lives right now - so we haven't been good with keep the blog up-to-date. Here's a catch-up:

We played in the Rob Vanderweil Memorial ball tournament last weekend. It's always a great time, but the weather can be tricky. We were fortunate to only have rain on Friday night -- and good weather the rest of the weekend. Our team was not very good -- the focus was on fun, so we took on a variety of players with equally varying skills! In the end we did win a game in the round robin play - but lost our first playoff.

Saturday night we went to a concert --4 bands for $40 -- by far the best valued concert we've seen this year. We really liked Faber Drive & Simple Plan. * Oh! Katie had a total fascination with the keyboard player of Metro Station -- she does a WICKED impression of his dance moves while playing. A must see, be sure to ask her next time you see her!!

Katie is away this week for training in Portland. It will be nice to have her back home tonight!

We are biking with Adam & Roxcie this weekend -- the mountains already have so much snow on them -- but we'll try Moose Packers Trail one more time before the season ends. We are also gonna hook-up with friends who just had a baby.

Thanks for checking in!

Welcome to September...

Now that the kids are back to school and everyone is back to work, Scott and I are motivated to ride our bikes to work more than ever...simply to miss the crazy traffic we see from September through to June. I found some great images that show you how we are dressed when riding to work in given temperatures. Since our summer was rather cool we didn't often get to ride to work in the tanktop shown for riding in weather above 60 F (15.5 C). To be honest we spent most of our summer riding in the 50 F (10 C) outfit.

A little frustrating not doubt, but not nearly as frustrating as heading out the door this morning, the 1st of September, in an outfit somewhere in between the next 2 pictures!!!

The temperature this morning was advertised by the Weather Network as 2 C (35 F), but I don't believe it for a second since there was frost, thick frost I might add, on all the vehicles we passed. We headed out the door in winter weight tights (with a wind barrier on the front panel of the legs), long sleeved jerseys, a light fleece jacket, and a windbreaker...oh, and don't forget the toque, winter gloves and booties (wind proof, fleece lined shoe covers)!

So with that I say... "Welcome to September"!!!!