Work, Life, Chelsea, Riders and the DRC!

It’s already November!  Time just flies by eh, but I’ve only been in Weyburn for two months now.  I’ve been working with A1 Stucco since I arrived, and lately it’s looking like our season is nearing it’s end, having only working two days this week…  That’s fine with me though, as I’ve picking up hockey officiating this fall, and hope to fill my evenings and weekends with that once we finish work.  I have only completed three games so far and am eagerly waiting more challenges, and more money! haha.  It’s been really fun to participate so far.  And to help out with Minor Hockey!

Shawn has moved to Victoria…  Sad day for our family.  He has always lived in or near Weyburn, so this is a big step for him!  It’s good though, and I’m excited for him.  I’m sure Jennifer’s enjoying the move as well!  He’s a great guy, and a great brother!  I can’t wait to visit him in December when Chelsea and I make a trip out there to pick him and Jennifer up for the holidays!  We will also be visiting Chelsea’s folks in Delta, or South Surrey, depends how you look at it! haha.  I’m so glad she will be able to see her parents!  They moved out there this past summer, and without this trip, I am not sure when Chelsea would have been able to see them!  All in all this is gonna be a very exciting trip for both of us!!!

Aaahhhh, about Chelsea…  Not much has been said about her on here.  I’ll have to put an end to that.

She is awesome!  My favourite!  She is in Tofield, Ab right now as part of an exchange with her school.  She’s in her third/four year of Global and Development Studies at Augustana University (UofA), in Camrose, Ab.  She’s such a selfless individual…  Has a great heart…  I don’t know how I went so long without her.  My perfect teammate…………..  Right now is where she feels all flattered inside, but also feels uncomfortable, and if she hasn’t already decided to do so, she’ll leave a comment about how lame I am for saying that! haha!  And that’s why I love her.  Well, not the only reason, but definitely one of many!

I have met most of her family, and think they are pretty awesome.  I can’t wait for her to meet mine!

I’m sure everyone (probably maybe two people read this?) wanted to hear all that, so I’ll continue on….

So I’m nearly done work for the winter.  Then I’ll just find some other job and lines as much as I can!  I am planning on moving to Camrose in February, so in a short while I’ll be moving once again, and once again searching for another job.  I’m pretty excited for the move!  It’ll be good to be somewhere new again, and to be near Chelsea!  I have some friends in the Calgary area that I’ll be able to visit more freely once I’m there too!  And Matt is in Red Deer!!!!  It’ll be good to hang with him once again!

What’s next?  I saw Feist the other weekend!  She’s pretty good!  Pretty small too! haha, and really shiny!  What a dress!  And the big, big news…..  I’m going to the Rider’s game tomorrow!!  Woo!  Justin’s girlfriend, Kelsey, scored some ticket before they sold out in 30 minutes!  Should be good!  A little unsure though, b/c their QB play has been so, so inconsistent over the past couple months.  Definitely potential, but who knows.  Especially playing against the defensive line that the Lions bring!  Man, they are dominant!  The O-line will have their work cut out!  Hopefully Cates is 100%, b/c they will need the running game to help them through this one!  Go RIDERS!

I will end off in a different direction…  Watch CBC News: Sunday Morning…  How fortunate are we???  There was a story on Rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo….  It’s appalling…  Disgusting….  I’m ashamed that I live the life I do, when shit like this goes on.  And that my country doesn’t do anything!  That they’re more concerned with their “special interests” in the middle east, when such devastation is occurring in a lesser marketable, less beneficial area of the world.  What’s the purpose of going into the middle east if we can’t even go into Africa??  Shit it makes me sick to be Canadian!  Somehow things need to change.  Maybe Obama will help lead in this direction.  If anyone, he should have interest in Africa!!!  Here’s hoping!  http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2008/11/110208_3.html

After four month, I bring the much anticipated… yeah, I’ll just get on with it!

So another summer spent in the Yukon.  Never a dull few months full of adventure, excitement and this summer, continuous sun dances, trying to entice the clouds to part.  It was a cool and wet summer, but once you’re in the Yukon for a winter you understand you need to take full advantage of any warmth, for the summer may be cool, but it’s a hell of a lot warmer than the rest of the year.  And the amount of daylight just eggs you on.  Few places will you find a population who spend so much of their summer outside.  Whether it’s just walking around, hiking, boating, canoing, camping, biking, fishing…  The seasonal activities are endless, each satisfying a need that has grown over the preceeding seven months.

Every summer up there I tend to venture out more and more.  The weather this time wasn’t about to break this trend.  Especially coming equipped with a means of transportation I have never had before.  My canoe!

A number of times I ventured out on the lake, finding that canoing solo with even the slightest of winds becomes very, very difficult.  I also found that no matter how calm a river looks, once you start paddling upstream in only five inches of water, you’re screwed…  paddles just aren’t meant to exert much power with only the tip submerged.  Thank goodness for sandles though, b/c once you’re in that shallow water you can just walk the canoe upstream!

So to touch on the restaurant.  It may never open again.  Dark day…  Always a source of work, a comfortable option and a place to renew friendship and create new ones.  So many friends I have met here over my years.  No where outside of Weyburn have I ever felt more at home.  The Kremer family will always be my own.  I wouldn’t want it any other way…

I was also able to finally make it up to Dawson this summer and to the Arctic Circle!  Went to Skagway, Haines, Haines Junction, Kathleen Lake, Big Salmon Lake/Quiet Lake/Sandy Lake, Whitehorse and a number of small rivers and lakes…

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Thoughts on a Monday night

What’s the purpose of a blog?  Probably to keep others informed of whatever you want to tell them!  So ideally you’d want a blog to be read, and only once read is it really fulfilling its purpose.  Well then…  Anyone reading this??

Perhaps a small link on my facebook page isn’t working to draw people to this site.  I’ll have to start to spread the word!  hahaha!  To who!  Maybe my folks and family?  Huh…  This seems like it would be perfect if you had to inform a number of people about something…  Well, I don’t know a “number” of people who I’d have to keep posted on my life.  Anyway, maybe I should advertise my blog so I can have strangers post comments and read my most intimate thoughts!  ha ha!  Right, my most intimate thoughts!

Ok, that’s that.  I have successfully discredited my blog.  Leaving it useless and just a waste of time.  Just a random space online where I keep some of my thoughts…  Ha, maybe someone needs to break into this thing to read about me!  Come on!  Aren’t I interesting enough!!??!?!?!!!

If there is anyone reading this, check out CBC Radio 3’s website.  On the bottom of their homepage, click on the “Magazine Archive” link.  From here a new window will open up, this is the last issue of what use to be the CBC Radio 3 online magazine, with issues being “published” monthly (?).   It was the coolest magazine I’ve ever seen, having interesting articles on random topics, and sweet music!  You can browse the entire archives for previous issues by clicking on “archives” on the bottom of this new window.  Volume 3 Issue 19 has a great collection of artists who CBC Radio 3 had perform in studio, with a sample of each musician.  Browsing the “table of contents” for this issue will reveal a glorious collect of music!  Check it out!

Top 5 songs from my childhood…

Finally!  I finally bought a canoe!  That 16′ Evergreen Prospector, in green.  Same as the pic, but green…  Probably one of the cheapest new canoes you can buy, other than a Canadian Tire canoe.  Wish I could have went up a couple levels in quality, but that would have increased the price exponentially!!  Anyway, I have a canoe!!!!  Picking it up in a few week from edm…  Oh yeah!

I am now unemployed!  haha, kinda of.  It’s Saturday afternoon, and I’m staring out my front window.  The wind’s just a howling, and the sun is starting to periodically peak through the clouds.  Man, I need to get out of my place!  If only for a little while!  Now that the snow’s nearly all melted from my yard, I could go run around in my sandals!  haha!  Maybe light another fire and sit on the hammock until the rip continues from end to end.

Huh…  Not a lot to say about my life nowadays.  Maybe going home again for a couple weeks, and perhaps I’ll see buck 65 while in Regina or Edmonton!  The excitement never stops eh!  ha!

How about a list?  Of what?  Top five…  Top three…  Top five favourite songs from my childhood!

5.  Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond – Picked it up from my folks, not sure exactly when.  I remember walking around White Bear Lake listening to this on my walkman…  I don’t know what I was doing.  I remember listening to this all the time(???) in the car on our drive out to Ontario too!  My brother would change the words to “oh I love my hairy chest” rather than Neil’s “oh I love my rosie child”… hahahaha, my mom would laugh when he did this!  haha!

4.  The Wanderer – Dion   After watching “The Waderers”, this was our (bro, cousin, any else worthy enough) theme song!  We had to memorize the lyrics and a drink was even created from milk and random spices in my moms spice cabinet.  All I remember of the drink is the milk part and cinnamon.  Doesn’t sound too bad eh!  But the remaining ingredients were what made it!  ha!

3. 25 Minutes to Go – Johnny Cash – I can remember sitting in my grandparent’s sunroom, listening to Johnny cash on their record player.  He wasn’t the only one we listened too, but for some reason this song stands out.  Those were some good times.  Ha, their little Buddha statue, or whatever it was… haha.  And the collection of glasses…  Yup, that was a sweep place and time!

2.  Rock N’ Me – Steve Miller Band – Don’t know when this started, but I swear this was my favourite song for the majority of my younger years.  It was obviously from my dad’s collection.  Seemed like we always listened to it, whether at home or on the road in the cassette deck.  Oh yeah! Ha, and it seems to remind me of Mainprize Park and how I always had to have Tiger, Tiger ice-cream when there!

1.  Bud The Spud – Stompin’ Tom Connors – Man this takes me back…  I remember traveling to various towns in southern SK with my dad.  We would borrow my grandpa’s van and my gramps would leave us his Stompin’ Tom tape…  I’ll never forget those early Saturday mornings driving with my dad, before the sun rose and through the blowing snow.  Shit, my dad would love driving to those towns to watch us play hockey.  No matter how cold those rinks were (easily 40 below in some), he would always be out in the stands, far away from any heat source or any other parents.  He would even go to each of my practices and watch the entire thing.  We would be up at 5 am, eat some toast and peanut butter, make a lunch and hit the road.   Holy shit, those memories will always be with me!  I still love this song, and know the words inside and out!  There are other Stompin’ Tom songs that come to mind from these journeys.  Such as The Moon-Man Newfie(!!!!!!!), Sudbury Saturday Night, Snowmobile Song, Roll On Saskatchewan, Tillsonburg (I think this was my dad’s favourite as he would talk about when he was in Tillsonburg), Blue Nose, I Am The Wind, Margo’s Cargo, and the only competition to Bud The Spud for my favourite, Big Joe Mufferaw!!!

Honorable mention has to go to Iron Man – Black Sabbath, On The Road Again – Canned Heat (even though I seem to recall hating this song when I was younger, now the memories associated with it have elevated it drastically!),  Benny and the Jets – Elton John,  Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot,  Big River – Johnny Cash, Imagine – John Lennon, Singing the Blues – Marty Robbins,  Sweet Jane – Lou Reed, Harvest Moon – Neil Young, Mandolin Wind & Maggie May – Rod Stewart, Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf, American Pie – Don McLean, I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty… And so many more! Maybe I should have made it a list of my top 20…

The Varied Thrush and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets… hhhmmmm

Four more days of work.  Not by choice.  I guess that’s what happens when you tell your employer you’re leaving at the end of the month, then they decide they don’t want to scrounge up work for you anymore…  So now I have a two week vacation before I head up to the Yukon!  Woo!!

So life again…  contentment…  satisfaction…  meaning…  What do I strive for in life?  I can’t answer that.  Well, beyond who I am anyway.  What I mean is that I’m going to continue to be who I am, and this will influence whatever path I take, but I cannot tell you what exactly in life I am trying to accomplish.  But who does?  Anyone?  I guess I’m still trying to define who I am, but I have a feeling this process is never-ending.  I’m just going to continue to be who I am, continue to learn, meet new people, and experience new things.

I have realized that I am addicted to adventure.  Nothing too significant really, but just a life that allows some randomness and new things.  Even though I’ve lived in Teslin three summers, at this point in time it is a new adventure for me again.  The life that I’m leading in Smithers has just become too routine perhaps, and the prospect of having my Jeep and a canoe in the Yukon is extremely exciting to me right now!  Of course money will always be a factor in how much I allow myself to experience and wander, but regardless, it’s going to be a good time!

I wonder if this “addiction” I have will enable me to remain in one spot for a prolonged period.  Not so far.  But what will it take for me to be comfortable and satisfied with my life, that I’ll be ok with staying put!  haha, I helped my friend stay put… hahahaha…  Anyway, will it be a job?  Maybe a mellowing attitude?  Perhaps a location will draw me?  Friends?  But none of these seem to be the key.  I’ve had good friends in many locations and I’ve left each.  I’ve had so many different jobs!  So many!  But I still feel there are many more jobs that I would love to try.  I’ve lived in beautiful spots, but locations seem to be insignificant, because everywhere has it’s beauty and I’m aware of this.  Hhhhmmmmmmm……….  My continual “struggle” with contentment eh…

Ha, I just need a keep busy, then these thoughts won’t come to me.  Not that they bring any negativity, but it’s just a null effect.  Hhmmm, maybe some friends nowadays would be nice…  I can’t wait!  Only one more month!

Take care folks!

Canoe!

…Canada con’t

6.  Northern Saskatchewan is vast, full of lakes, rivers and forests.  I have never been north of P.A. National Park, and this leaves much, much more land to visit farther north.  The fishing would be intense, and I would think the land would resemble Yukon, although much flatter.  Canoing the many rivers of northern Saskatchewan would be a thrill!

7.  Inuvik.  Stuck up in Northwestern NWT, Inuvik in next to the Mackenzie River Delta.  The longest River in Canada!  The draw to this area seems to be oil and natural gas in recent years, so visiting this area before development would be key.  Pingos seem to be the “tourist” attraction to this area.  Ice covered by earth, that grows annually in the permafrost, apparently these things can grow up to 70m high and kms wide!

8.  Southern Quebec.  The first area of civilization on the list…  Quebec City is 400 years old this year.  That’s crazy!  Saskatchewan is barely over 100 years old!  I may not know Frech, but the history in this city and surrounding towns must be something!

…to be continued…

Random thoughts fill my life and mind…

Back in Smithers, and although it’s such a beautiful place, I can’t wait till I can leave again… How sad is that?

Man, what a couple weeks off… Put over 5000kms on the Jeep and had some sweet fun! A wild Saint Patrick’s Day in Calgary with Matt, a three-on-three hockey tournament with Justin, Kev, Craig and Justin in Weyburn and a trip to Jasper with Chelsea. Good times! Makes me wonder why I live the life I do when I just imagine about everything else I could be doing. Guess that’s just like me, always thinking about something else, when I should be enjoying what I have right in front of me.

So many thoughts ran through my mind the past day. I’m still trying to get used to being back in Smithers. It’s tough to leave all the excitement I had, and come to the same empty life that I seem to be leading here. The office was so slow and quiet today, and my mind just wasn’t back in the working state. Uninterested and totally unmotivated, I just sat, trying to muster anything to get me to focus on my work. The thought of going to the Yukon was in my mind all day. It’s exciting and a little unnerving. The thought of going back… The lake, so cold, rocky beaches, huge and yet so calm. The large hills that form the western shores, covered with jack pine and white spruce. The clouds rolling through, collecting moisture as they cross the lake and gently releasing rain while they continue on their paths. The distance view of rain falling on the mountain sides. The “Three aces”, located on the BC/Yukon border, clearly visible from half way up the 140km long lake. A wonderful place. So calm. So relaxed. So peaceful. Leaves so much to the imagination!

Wow… The days are so much longer, with light remaining past 7pm! I love this time of year! I can’t wait till I actually find a canoe. Frick, can you imagine canoing across the lake… up the river… Little Atlin Lake… Atlin Lake… Yukon River… Chilkoot Lake… Mosquito Lake… Kathleen Lake… Quiet Lake… Nisutlin River… Man, the possibilities! And all the bodies I haven’t seen before, that may be accessible with boat… …!!!

Playing guitar on the deck. In the rain. In the sun. After work. With a beer and a cigar. On the beach. At the fire. In the midnight sun. In the moon’s light. Early mornings. Late at night.

I must finish all these blogs poorly.  This ending seems so unsatisfying, however, my own random thinking has left me out of thoughts to match this entry.  So…  Cheers!

If I could go anywhere in the world… Canada!

What’s there to say tonight? It’s quarter to three, and my recent sleeping habits have left me quite awake at this early hour. It’s good to be home. I enjoy seeing Justin and my other friends. It’s really nice to see my parents too, however my mom is currently in the middle of a three day conference in Saskatoon. There’s always so much to do, but the timing to accomplish everything seems to run right into each other. I want to spend more time with my dad, but he works all day and this leaves us with only the evenings. I do hang out with him for a while after he’s finished work, but then I go out, as I’m turning into a night owl again…

Anyway, useless chatter becomes lame and boring even for the writer.

There are so many places I want to visit. Nothing against anywhere else in the world, but Canada holds my excitement. Here is a list of places I want to visit in Canada. The order may not be completely true, but it doesn’t mean much as I want to see each place anyway.

1. Labrador. I don’t know much of this area, and not many people I know do. It’s vast and very uninhabited, with wonderful fjords and mountains. The fishing must be unbelievable too! And the Atlantic Ocean and Polar bears! Man, I just go by pictures I’ve seen, but they make this place look so amazing!

2. Churchhill, MB. On the topic of Polar bear… Haha. “The polar bear capital of the world.” I’ve seen so many shows on this place and how they have curfews in the winter that take effect once it’s dark, b/c of the polar bears that prowl the area. How intense is that!

3. Queen Charlotte Islands. What can I say to give this island justice? I don’t think there is anything. The FN history on this island is crazy, the beaches are abound with creatures, the towns are fairly low key and… the forests! The trees that grow here in the temperate rainforest are what I would love to see. Although logging has ravaged much of the large trees and oldgrowth, there’s still much to be seen. Kayaking around the southern portion of the island would be so amazing!

4. ANWR – Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Ok, this place is not in Canada, but rather in northern Alaska. Just deal with it! A hot topic in recent and distance years, ANWR has been in the forefront because of it’s large oil and natural gas reserves. The one thing that seems to halt further intrusion is the Caribou. The Porcupine Caribou Herd of nearly 100, 000 (?) animals, migrate to the northern tip of ANWR each year for calving. This is exactly where they want to get the goods from. I could go on about this one, but rather I will recommend watching “Being Caribou.” It’s a one sided documentary, so all you oil hounds or capitalists might not like it.

5. Cypress Hills – The highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador. One would never think this to be the fact of a place in Saskatchewan! Especially souther SK. I have yet to visit this area, who knows why! It’s such an anomaly, rising to 1400+ meter, tower the surrounding prairie, with and mixed coniferous/deciduous forest of white spruce, lodgepole (jack?) pine and aspen. I cannot wait for this visit and its mere five hour trip from my home of 20 years, makes me cringe at the fact that I haven’t been there yet!

Ok, as I mentioned, it is late, so I will continue this another time… woo!

Excitement’s definitely filling my life!

Huh, another month done and over with. Groovy… I like the spring. It’s renewing. Now, I love winter, but each change in season brings quite a bit of excitement to me. Spring is different though. The melting of the snow and ice, the summer skies, the warming sun… Soon green will begin to show too. I think the part I like the most is the birds. They really start to chirp and sing, relishing the extended sunlight and its warmth. And all the species that start to arrive back to their mating grounds and those who stop by on their long migration north. It’s a refreshing time of the year, and the excitement grows deep within me. Summer brings opportunity for me as well. A chance to move and find work elsewhere. Perhaps somewhere I’ve never been, or maybe where I feel I have something left to accomplish. It’s exciting, and a little unnerving leading up, trying to decide on what path I will be taking for he next few months, and then the months following.

Northwest Territories would be quite an adventure. Having never been there, every corner would bring new excitement and wonder. It’s such a vast territory, I wonder if I’d ever feel content in my accomplishments there. Only a few excursions in the NWT can I say exist on my list of things to do. The NWT contribution would only grow once I set foot here, and I don’t think it would ever end.

The Yukon has continuously called my name for years. Being human is the one wall in my return. Mentally I would have to overcome some personal issues in a return, especially a prolonged stay. I curse myself for these feelings as they only hamper me, but I cannot rid them. Perhaps renewing my acquaintance with the Yukon will serve as a self healing, creating new memories and building on previous dreams and adventures. Why do I have to be cursed with these over-exuberant feelings… But so is life. There is no miracle cure and only methods to aid, but time is the only cure I find. Ha, and my common sense…

So life again fills my thoughts, how unusual… haha. Only one week and I can relax while driving back home. And the opportunity not only to visit Chelsea on my return, but to stop along my way next weekend for a visit! I am so blessed in my life… But that’s another story. Wow, does everyone receive such fortune as I in life? So many, countless, situations that I have been able to benefit from the generosity of others, or the simple opportunity to complete a task or journey. And the people I meet in life have only become an enlightening factor in my life. Gees… what can I say to give justice to this complete good fortune in every way that seems to fill the big picture of my life? This must be what makes me so relaxed, for the most part, the idea that no matter what happens, I will be ok, b/c things definitely turn around for me.

Ok, I think that’s a good note to end on. Perhaps not a good finish to this, but it will leave me with a slight renewal in my medial moral.