I’m a bit behind on the postings. Things have been busyish around here. This weekend is the one where we aren’t going to Nakiska, so it makes sense that we are getting stuff done.
The first happening was my office’s Christmas Party. It was a different setup than last year: last year everybody from the Prairies came to Calgary, and it was at a wine bar in Kensington. This year, there were two parties: one in Edmonton where the Edmonton staff and the rest of the prairies gathered, and then ours in Calgary. Apparently Dave forgot to book a place until too late, so it was a catered event at the Vice-President’s house. It was good, with good food and enough space to mingle comfortably. Tammy and I got to explore another neighbourhood of Calgary that we didn’t know.
Yesterday and today, Tammy has started doing some baking. As she bemoaned on Facebook, she was having trouble getting in the spirit of things, so is trying baking to fix that. I’m all for it!  🙂  We also did some cleaning and organizing, and Ian had two great things happen:
- He finally found his little Lego Minecraft Stevie and Creeper. He’d been looking for them for weeks.
- The “Welcome to Silver Springs” sign is fixed. His class had a field trip to see the sign after it had been vandalized a few weeks ago. He had been talking about it ever since, and now it’s fixed. He got Tammy to take a picture of him with it.
Here’s a picture of him, standing next to a picture of him standing next to the sign.
Today was my shopping day. Tammy does most of the shopping at Christmastime, but of course I have to shop for her, and we are trying something different this year, where Mom and Dad sent a cheque for presents and we’re picking things up. So I headed out at 9:00 this morning and did well for the kids and stocking stuffers, but then I went to the snowboard shop. Both Tammy and I have very old equipment, but in near-new shape thanks to the fact that we have had a 12 year hiatus from the sport. Tammy’s is marginally older, because my board and boots were stolen back in PG when we were in the apartment. When we were getting ready for the season, I didn’t really think too much about her gear or mine: it was mostly about the kids. But last weekend, Tammy was having troubles, and grumbling about how hard it was to strap into her board (which is something you have to do a lot in lessons). So I took a closer look at her bindings, and cringed. Even mine, which aren’t much, are worlds better than hers. So I decided that her present was going to be new bindings. So I went with the intent that I would get new bindings and then install them for her. But there were too many variables for me to do it without her there.
So I called home and warned her that I’d pick them up and head out again. I needed her boots and board and herself. We went back, and were helped by an exceptionally knowledgeable fellow named Larry who proceeded to help Tammy choose decent bindings, but then demonstrated how a big part of her problem was actually her boots. They were too large for her, and unsupportive besides. In short, it was boots and bindings installed before we left. But judging by Tammy’s face, the difference in the boots is amazing, so I hope it will help her out on the hill next weekend. Merry Christmas from me (and from Mom and Dad, too, who bought you the boots)!
