First Knitting 1 Jan 4-08

First Knitting 1 Jan 4-08
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

Action Girl (and 6.) has started knitting with my mom.

B.

Lighthouse 2 Jan 6-08

Lighthouse 2 Jan 6-08
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

Lighthouse 1 Jan 6-08

Lighthouse 1 Jan 6-08
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

We went for a Sunday drive along the North Shore.

B.

Easy Button Jan 3-08

Easy Button Jan 3-08
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

The girls gave me very own easy button for Christmas! Here it is on my desk.

B.

Snow Bank Jan 3-08

Snow Bank Jan 3-08
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

I'm not sure this picture does the size of this snow bank at my work justice. Its huge!

B.

Christmas, New Year’s, and Sleepy Time for the Undead

The holidays have been for fairly quiet for us this year, in a planned and really great way. I worked until noon on Christmas Eve and took the 27th, 28th, and 31st off as vacation time. Today (Jan. 2nd) was a bonus day off due to the storm.



The girls were very excited and had been wonderfully well-behaved for Santa. On the 23rd and 24th we had some of Super Mom’s family in for some very fun visits. Its always interesting to see how excited the girls can be to see people that they don’t see very often. I want to assure Cousin M. And Uncle R. that they do not always perform that way! They play it up and out for people they don’t see very often.



Christmas morning had all of its usual magic. We were all up by 7:30 and the girls opened their Santa presents before breakfast. Action Girl (age 6½) got her scooter from Santa and Super Girl (age 4) got her pajamas and slippers (the things they had most wanted). They both got loads of other presents from us and many other generous people. Action Girl now has a skating dress and Super Girl has a dancing mat electronic game.



Super Mom got a down vest (bright pink with a hood) and I got my remote control helicopter (mostly for indoor use). I mentioned that we had a quiet time this year; admittedly this is something we planned and well, needed. There are a number of people we would have liked to get out to visit, and will hopefully early in January. Last night (New Year’s Eve) involved a special dinner and the four of us watching movies (Mary Poppins and Piglet’s Big Movie).



Despite being up really late on New Year's Eve, the girls hit the ground running Jan 1st. I didn’t catch everything they were saying after breakfast, but I think Super Girl was playing a game where she and her family were all vampires and were going to bed for the day. Anyone want to explain that one? Folks, you just can’t pay for entertainment like that...



Happy New Year (and may all your vampire encounters be playful)!



B.

Interesting Article about Organ Donation and Ethics

Its actually much more interesting than it sounds:

Desperately Seeking a Kidney

Canada-US differences are also a theme, too.

B.

What I’m Watching Lately....

The Tudors: Wow, am I old enough to watch this show?

The Big Bang Theory: A very funny show... It helps that airs immediately after How I Met Your Mother, though.

Futurama re-runs: Wow, I’ve missed that show.

Myth Busters: Even though the episodes are pretty similar to each other...

House: Even though every single episode has exactly the same plot...

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Every year it juts gets better and better.


B.

Investment Business proposal/From Mrs. Margaret Harrison.

Here's another one.  Maybe its just because its Friday, but somehow this one is slightly more tempting.

 

B.

______________________

 

Hello,  

 

Compliment of the day, 

 

I would like to apply through this medium for your co-operation and to secure an opportunity to invest and do joint business with you and my family in your country, if you can handle long time business investment jointly with me and my children in your country. I honourably intend to invest in your country into a very lucrative business venture of which you are to advise and execute the said venture over there for the mutual benefits of both of us.

 

Your able co-operation is to become my business partner in your country and create ideas on how money will be invested, properly managed and the type of investment after the money is transferred to your account with your assistance.
 
Meanwhile, on indication of your willingness to handle this transaction sincerely by protecting our interests and upon your acceptance of this proposal, I would furnish you with the full detailed information, procedure and amount involve. I shall be glad to reserve this respect and opportunity for you, if you so desire, but do urge you to give the matter your immediate attention it deserves, looking forward to your response.

Yours Faithfully.
Mrs. Margaret and Son Philip Harrison.
Liberte Sicap 5, Lot 21/B Villa 2065.
Dakar Senegal.

First Winter Storm of Year, First Storm Day EVER

Believe it or not, yesterday's storm was the first official "storm day" of my 11 year-old career. We moved from the health contract to the civil service contract over the last year. We lost benefits on many points, but we gained storm days. Basically, this means that I can now stay home when the government offices are closed, instead of trying to get to work or taking over-time or vacation hours to make up the time.

Yay,

B.

Free Church Follow-Up Pics

Free Church Follow-Up Pics
Originally uploaded by Binky's Photos

Here is a follow-up pic to the post below.

http://binkygetsby.blogspot.com/2007/03/you-make-caption.html

It looks like its being dismantled.

B.

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

December already... Things are humming along in our house with Christmas preparations and the like. Both girls are behaving very well and I expect that this has been noted by Santa Central and that it will be taken into account.

Its hard to believe, but Super Girl will turn four this Wednesday (Dec. 5th). She is more than excited. Wednesday night we're having cake with both sets of grandparents and on Sunday (Dec. 9th) she has a party at McDonald's (her choice).

On Thursday (Dec. 6th) Action Girl (age 6.75) has her school Christmas concert, which is entirely a Grade One production. She has a welcoming speech (a few lines) that opens the concert. She is pleased!

Next week, Super Girl's daycare has their concert and she is Mary (yes, the Mary). She was so excited the day the parts were assigned that she made a "Mary" name tag for herself (she had to ask how to spell it and wore it taped to her shirt for the rest of the day.

Christmas through their eyes is enough... well its enough to make me want to be a whole lot less cynical about things.

B.

Sporting Intentions

For the second year, Action Girl (age 6 3/4) is taking Can Skate Lessons at our local rink. Last year, she completed her first two levels and is now eagerly working on Level 3. She has become quite a competent skater. Her latest skill is spinning and she finds it challenging. 

I remember the look on her face last year as the best part of her skating.  There is a grin that's absolutely stuck on her face the whole time. Its back. Nest year, figure skating or hockey (ringette?) are real possibilities. She's probably weeks away from being a better skater than her dad.

There are two kinds of dads with respect to skating- those dads who played hockey and those who didn't. I belong to the latter group. I can skate and got new skates for Christmas last year and they are a beautiful sight to behold. But, if there is a hockied dad skating on the same rink as me, you won't confuse us.

Good for you, Action Girl!
B.

Remembrance Day 2007

It was very cold and very rainy, Our local community's service involves the Air Cadet squadron that I was with as a teenager. We didn't take the girls and that was a good move given the horrible conditions. Here are some pics:

Kids' Remembrance Thoughts

November 11th is a big deal for me.  It always has been and always will be.  Canada's experience of the 20th Century was shaped in countless ways by the struggle, losses, and successes of both World Wars. Korea, and U.N. and N.A.T.O. missions from 1956 to Afghanistan.

 

What do my daughters at 6½ and 3½ need to know about Remembrance Day?  Here's what I told them this morning.

 

Wars are horrible things.  Both World Wars involved Canadians fighting around the world so people could be free to make their own decisions about their own lives and could live without fear of being taken away.  Many Canadians died in the wars, 100,000 in both world wars.  My grandmother had an uncle who died in WWI.  How sad would they be if one of their uncles were killed?  Peace is something that we and they need to work towards, but because we do that I don't believe there will be another big war and I wanted them to know that.

 

We're planning to go to the community service on November 11th.  I hope they're going to be there without fear but with just enough sadness.  Some things are sad and its good to feel that way about them.

 

B.

The Kite Runner Vs. Vietnam

It seems that everyone, including the last issue of my church's magazine The Observer, has  concluded that public opinion is sharply divided Canada's role in Afghanistan, divided in a manner far more complicated that any survey can truly capture.

 

Unlike many people of the left or centre-left to whose opinions I would ordinarily find my own very similar, I am a very strong (but not unqualified) believer in Canada's present role/mission in Afghanistan.  Every time I try to understand the position that would see Canada's military immediately withdraw from that country, I run squarely into reasons why I think that decision isn't wise or even moral.

 

Before I further explain that conclusion, here are some points that I understand to be true and that if you're not following the issue closely, of which you may not be aware. 

1. Canada has a battle group of over 2000 soldiers active in Southern Afghanistan.  Technically, they are engaged in development security work and through that, an anti-insurgency conflict with remnants of the Taliban, their allies or other anti-government irregular forces. This work is authorized through a United Nations mandate.
2. Canada maintains a focus on development an rebuilding society in Afghanistan.  Many Canadians feel that the balance is wrong and that money spend on maintaining the battle group should go directly into development.  Others claim that development cannot happen without security and that this security means being prepared to meet anti-government forces with a military response.
3. Negatively colouring many people's responses to our army in Afghanistan (including my retired Air Force Chief Warrant Officer father) is the "gung-ho" confident attitude projected by Canada's current Chief of Defense Staff (the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. Joint Chiefs).  General Rick Hillier inspires very little indifference and his style has both helped and hindered public opinion.
4. Afghanistan under the Taliban was a medievally brutal cesspool of suffering.  Post-Taliban Afghanistan is filled with suffering, extreme poverty, violence, and gross inequality, but its impossible to conclude anything but that on the whole, history should judge Canada by how much we do to prevent a return to fundamentalist theocratic rule.

Its conceivable that this return to the Taliban may happen regardless of our efforts but to think we would chose to avoid doing everything that we can to stop this return is morally repugnant.  To think that stopping this return involves only development and not active security is naive.  Any mission which also includes building schools and placing value on girls being allowed to go to school is not just violence for violence's sake.  These are our fundamental values and we need to try to achieve them in Afghanistan with considerable cost. 

 

A failed, theocratic "state" in Afghanistan would be both a moral failure and a reality that would cost the rest of the world in ways we cannot yet anticipate.  Schools and roads, democracy and peace are things for which we should be prepared to struggle.  Its easy for me to suggest this as I will not be going to Afghanistan and my children are not directly threatened- that doesn't make me wrong.

 

What do you think?

 

B.

Work from home no enter fee

Yet another too good to be true offer.   Perhaps I should be more charitable.  Aren't we all really "at search" for soemthing?  Is "maxiamally" a word?  If not, I believe it should be. "[T]o make successful career at us" - isn't that what we all want?

>>> "aleksandr kalan" <arbenz@*****.com> 11/2/2007 10:01 AM >>>

We are at search and selection of both experienced, highly qualified employees, and young, creative and perspective specialists in marketing. We clearly realize that the success of our company  are our employees, and therefore creation for them of maximally favorable conditions to maintain and improve their professional level is in our opinion not less important task.
We appreciate such merits of employees as initiative, leadership, ability to work with people, striving for self-improvement. Employees with such merits have an excellent opportunity to make successful career at us.
If you wish to work in our team, if you are ready to active and dynamic work, we invite you to acquaint yourself with vacancy.
The preference is given to employees with knowledge of foreign languages.
To apply for this job, please send the following information to RenaQuinnSE@****.com.
1 Full name
2 Address of residing
3 Contact Phone numbers
4 Languages
5 Part time job/Full time

Thank you and we are looking forward to cooperate in long term base with you all.

If you received this message in error, please send a blank email to: MoisesPeckFE@****.com

Six Degrees of What...

Here's another offer that's too good to be a true:

>>> "Jeffry Esparza" <***********> 10/20/2007 1:26 AM >>>

Obtain the_degree you deserve, based on your present knowledge and life experience.
A prosperous future, money earning power, and the Admiration of all.
Degrees from an Established, Prestigious, Leading Institution.
Your Degree will show exactly what you really can do.

Get the Job, Promotion, Business and Social Advancement you Desire!

Get your Bachelors,Masters,MBA, or PhD in the field of your expertise
 
Call now - your Graduation is a phone call away.

Please call:  +1(413)***-****

So, what degree do I actually deserve.  A PH.D. in avoidance?  A Post-Doc in procrastination?  At the very least a Master of Time Wastage.  That. M.T.W. would be more appropiate than my present M.S.W. most days.

 

B.

Another "Oopportunity"

I may not not quit my job, yet.  Here's another one:

________________________

 

Greetings,

I am a Civil Staff working under United States Marine Corps operating with the Engineering military Dept unit in Baghdad, Iraq, we discover about $65 Million US dollars that we want to move out but we need a good partner we can trust. This fund is oil money and legal. Click on the link bellow for more information

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

We will be moving these funds out of Iraq through the assistance of UN diplomatic officer. But the question is can we trust you when the funds get to you? You will take your 30% for the assistance and keep the remaining for us in a safe custody. Your role is to find a safe place for the funds while our own part is sending it to you.
 
Wait Your Reply
 
Michael Joseph

 

Songs in the Key of "M"?

Songs with the word "monkey" in the title:

 

1)  Everyone's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey - The Beatles from the White Album

 

2)  Monkey's Gone to Heaven - The Pixies - Album?  (I have it on a greatest hits compilation)

 

3)  _____________________________________________?

 

There must be more!

 

Help me before this becomes yet another obsession,

B.