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JAN 4,2009
We are on the ferry going to Vancouver to visit with my sister Amy,the great piano player. So for the next couple of days we will sing and jam as much as we can squeeze into a day and a night. She gave me two new songs to play,"Pats Country" and "Weeping Heart". The only trouble is when I get back to Edmonton I lose my good Piano Player. Lucky for me I always have my QY70. Not the same as a person but works in a squeeze.
I'll talk to you all later but in the meantime enjoy yourselves and my wish for you is that you have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
JAN 3 2009
Had breakfast at Denny's and headed back to Nanaimo. We have decided to lose weight so we ate healthy,a bowl of porridge each and toast. Restaurant coffee is usually pretty lousy and all of a sudden across Canada they are charging $2.50 a cup for weak and sometimes warm colored water. This really raises your bill and ruins your meal. I understand some restaurants in Alberta charge the waitresses 3% of the total bill just to serve you. So,if you don't leave a tip it costs your waitress money to serve you. How in the hell are the restaurants getting away with this robbery. I would like to know if this is law or if greedy restaurant owners are taking advantage of the poor girls who serve the food. Pretty lousy deal anyway you look at it. Get informed and write a letter of indignation to your MP.
Jan 2nd/2009
We went for a ride down to Victoria from Nanaimo,snow all the way there but no snowin downtown Victoria. Nice!. Wasaskwun and Heather and Aiden went to visit Heathers parents in Campbell River and celebrate Christmas/New Years with her family and Aidens Grandparents. Originally we had planned on going to Victoria just for the drive and coming back at nite but when we got there we rented a room and had a needed 2 hr sleep immediately. Case settled! We had supper and then went to see the new movie "Marley and Me". Good show and we both enjoyed it. I googled my old friend Terry Fleming over in Paris. I saw him about 20 times on the "Utube".He was teaching flamenco guitar and speaking fluent Parisian French. Could not find an email for him. I"ll have to get Stephane to find me his email address. He can find anything. We went for a ride along the ocean and dreamt about a good hpouse on the ocean again.
CHRISTMAS 2008
We spent a wonderful Christmas with Winston Jr and family in Nanaimo. I taught them how to play "Hearts" and we had a lot of serious fun with that. We also got to spend a nite with Ed and Gail Peekeekoot in Crofton. Me and ED played guitar and mandolin for a couple of hours whilst the women chatted by the fireplace and then just to take us back to our childhood the electricity went off and we played by candlelight and light from the fireplace. We talked seriously about going to Germany,Austria,Denmark,Sweden for a tour later this year. We would take our flutes and drums and guitar and mandolin and fiddle. PS we are just going over the Malahat,the sun is shining and we can see the ocean,sooo nice!!
We just love Victoria and we go every time to look at the ocean and the houses by the ocean. I would love to buy a house along the ocean that looks across to Port Angeles in the state of Washington. We have a friend Wayne Grier in Victoria who happens to be a real estate agent. He knows we are interested and he keeps us informed as to what's going on. Nice guy! If and when we buy it will be with him.
Boy my buddy Ed Peekeekoot is one heckuva a smart guy. He worked at Thriftys Grocery store in Duncan a week before Christmas right by the cashiers. Every cashier had his records for sale and I hope he mad a pile on his CD sales. You old coyote Ed!
Saw my good friend Bob Ducharme and his wife Brenda. They came down and had a coffee with us at A&W. The reason we went there is Wass and Heather and grandson Aiden came with us and there were rides Aiden could go while we sat there visiting.
We went out for supper with another old friend from my army days and this was Gerry Klaassen and his wife Dianne. We went to Moxies and had a good meal. It was their first time there and I think they enjoyed it. We had a good visit and some laughs.
We also stopped into visit another couple in Nanaimo. Jack Sloan and his wife Margaret are always fun to visit with. There is always sure to be a great spiritual conversation with Margaret as she is one enlightened person.
We are on the ferry going to Vancouver to visit with my sister Amy,the great piano player. So for the next couple of days we will sing and jam as much as we can squeeze into a day and a night. She gave me two new songs to play,"Pats Country" and "Weeping Heart". The only trouble is when I get back to Edmonton I lose my good Piano Player. Lucky for me I always have my QY70. Not the same as a person but works in a squeeze.
I'll talk to you all later but in the meantime enjoy yourselves and my wish for you is that you have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
JAN 3 2009
Had breakfast at Denny's and headed back to Nanaimo. We have decided to lose weight so we ate healthy,a bowl of porridge each and toast. Restaurant coffee is usually pretty lousy and all of a sudden across Canada they are charging $2.50 a cup for weak and sometimes warm colored water. This really raises your bill and ruins your meal. I understand some restaurants in Alberta charge the waitresses 3% of the total bill just to serve you. So,if you don't leave a tip it costs your waitress money to serve you. How in the hell are the restaurants getting away with this robbery. I would like to know if this is law or if greedy restaurant owners are taking advantage of the poor girls who serve the food. Pretty lousy deal anyway you look at it. Get informed and write a letter of indignation to your MP.
Jan 2nd/2009
We went for a ride down to Victoria from Nanaimo,snow all the way there but no snowin downtown Victoria. Nice!. Wasaskwun and Heather and Aiden went to visit Heathers parents in Campbell River and celebrate Christmas/New Years with her family and Aidens Grandparents. Originally we had planned on going to Victoria just for the drive and coming back at nite but when we got there we rented a room and had a needed 2 hr sleep immediately. Case settled! We had supper and then went to see the new movie "Marley and Me". Good show and we both enjoyed it. I googled my old friend Terry Fleming over in Paris. I saw him about 20 times on the "Utube".He was teaching flamenco guitar and speaking fluent Parisian French. Could not find an email for him. I"ll have to get Stephane to find me his email address. He can find anything. We went for a ride along the ocean and dreamt about a good hpouse on the ocean again.
CHRISTMAS 2008
We spent a wonderful Christmas with Winston Jr and family in Nanaimo. I taught them how to play "Hearts" and we had a lot of serious fun with that. We also got to spend a nite with Ed and Gail Peekeekoot in Crofton. Me and ED played guitar and mandolin for a couple of hours whilst the women chatted by the fireplace and then just to take us back to our childhood the electricity went off and we played by candlelight and light from the fireplace. We talked seriously about going to Germany,Austria,Denmark,Sweden for a tour later this year. We would take our flutes and drums and guitar and mandolin and fiddle. PS we are just going over the Malahat,the sun is shining and we can see the ocean,sooo nice!!
We just love Victoria and we go every time to look at the ocean and the houses by the ocean. I would love to buy a house along the ocean that looks across to Port Angeles in the state of Washington. We have a friend Wayne Grier in Victoria who happens to be a real estate agent. He knows we are interested and he keeps us informed as to what's going on. Nice guy! If and when we buy it will be with him.
Boy my buddy Ed Peekeekoot is one heckuva a smart guy. He worked at Thriftys Grocery store in Duncan a week before Christmas right by the cashiers. Every cashier had his records for sale and I hope he mad a pile on his CD sales. You old coyote Ed!
Saw my good friend Bob Ducharme and his wife Brenda. They came down and had a coffee with us at A&W. The reason we went there is Wass and Heather and grandson Aiden came with us and there were rides Aiden could go while we sat there visiting.
We went out for supper with another old friend from my army days and this was Gerry Klaassen and his wife Dianne. We went to Moxies and had a good meal. It was their first time there and I think they enjoyed it. We had a good visit and some laughs.
We also stopped into visit another couple in Nanaimo. Jack Sloan and his wife Margaret are always fun to visit with. There is always sure to be a great spiritual conversation with Margaret as she is one enlightened person.
Often when returning from my travels, I feel like sharing the good times and thoughts that come to mind after meeting so many interesting people. Whether it's in New Brunswick or British Columbia, I always feel right at home amongst those I meet and spend time with on stage or behind the scenes. Also, sometimes it feels good to simply write down what one feels. Up at 37,000 feet in the air, one has a chance to just unwind and relax and watch the clouds go by slowly. Under these circumstances, I find myself in a writing mood - and usually jot down my thoughts for that day. Thankfully, with the Internet it becomes that much easier to thank the people that have hired me and to let them know what's going on. Sometimes there's a joke that's so good I just have to share it!
Interesting Thoughts for the Day...