I decided to join the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and vote in the Leadership contest. I normally don't care for party politics, but in this case the winner will be Premier for up to three years! I feel strongly about Alberta's place in Canada and about public healthcare so I must participate.
I believe in public healthcare, therefore I must not vote for Morton. Morton would like to privatize. I believe that Canada makes Alberta strong and we must not isolate ourselves from the rest of the country. Morton would like an Alberta Pension, an Alberta Police force, and to tell the feds to keep out of Alberta. This is the wrong approach. Alberta needs other provinces to train workers and supply workers to keep our economy going. Alberta needs a sunny place like BC to retire to. Alberta is tiny and insignificant in the world and needs Canada to represent our interests. We must work with the Federal Government. It is petty and selfish to try to keep Alberta's wealth in Alberta. It is Canada's wealth. Without Newfoundland, would we have enough people to develop the oil sands?
So Morton is not an option. Yeah, the Liberals might like to see him in because people would hate him and vote Liberal next time. It might be too late in three years to vote Liberal. By that time the separation will be well underway.
Remaining choices: Dinning and Stelmach. What's the difference? Dinning has the support of the cities, especially Calgary. Stelmach is a farmer and has some rural support. Check out the First Ballot results by riding. Stelmach wants an Alberta Pension Plan instead of CPP. I can't say that I see a compelling reason for this. This will unnecessarily complicate things for people who work in several provinces over their career. I don't think it will save anyone any money. The Alberta Pension Plan would have less investing power than the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and far less than the Canada Pension Plan.
Really, I'll choose Dinning because I've met him. I've met him because he made a dedicated effort to connect with the under 35 crowd and find out what we want for Alberta's future. A great deal of what we discussed with him in Calgary is in his vision for Alberta. Innovation. Conservation. Alberta is a leader in Canada. Check out the details at jimdinning.ca
Party memberships are available for $5 until the polls close on Saturday, December 2. Memberships can be purchased at the polling stations. It's easy. Please participate.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Nationalist or Federalist?
Am I a Nationalist or a Federalist?
According to the Gage Canadian Dictionary, a federalist is "a person who favours the federal principle of government." Gage goes on to define federal as "formed by an agreement between groups establishing a central organization to handle their common affairs while the parties to the agreement keep control of local affairs" Yes, by these definitions, I am a federalist. The grey is in what constitutes "local affairs".
The same Gage Canadian Dictionary defines a nationalist as "an upholder of nationalism; a person who believes in nationalism." Nationalism is defined as "1 patriotic feelings or efforts. 2 the desire and plans for national independence." If that isn't confusing enough, a second definition of nationalist reads: "a member of a political party supporting national independence or a strong national government." If you define nation the way Prime Minister Harper does, then being a Nationalist could mean either Quebec independence or a strong Canadian Federal Government.
Well, which is it? It's all in how nation is defined. I'm tired of reading the dictionary. The English language is so ambiguous. I feel that I could define words for hours and never convey my meaning. My meaning is simply this: I believe Alberta needs Canada and is stronger with Canada than on her own. The same is more obviously true for Quebec.
Or, if we must have a dictionary definition, I will say that I am NOT a Separatist. A Separatist is clearly defined by Gage as, "an advocate or supporter of the withdrawal of a province from Conderation."
This all becomes even more interesting when you ask why I'm not a Separatist. Especially given that I hail from the small, individualistic nation of Scotland, which has been at times reluctant to be a part of the Union of Great Britain. Although Scotland could fit inside Alberta several times over, Scotland has nearly twice the population of Alberta. Still, neither "nation" could be considered large. On the global scale, I have to wonder about the sense in either being an independent nation.
Consider that Canadians are always whining about Canada's lack of power and influence in the world. Then think about dividing Canada into three countries: Quebec, Alberta, and RestofCanada. Are three really small, insignificant countries any more powerful than one small nation with powerful allies? It's not like the UN would give us three seats at the security council. So let's keep it together, eh?
According to the Gage Canadian Dictionary, a federalist is "a person who favours the federal principle of government." Gage goes on to define federal as "formed by an agreement between groups establishing a central organization to handle their common affairs while the parties to the agreement keep control of local affairs" Yes, by these definitions, I am a federalist. The grey is in what constitutes "local affairs".
The same Gage Canadian Dictionary defines a nationalist as "an upholder of nationalism; a person who believes in nationalism." Nationalism is defined as "1 patriotic feelings or efforts. 2 the desire and plans for national independence." If that isn't confusing enough, a second definition of nationalist reads: "a member of a political party supporting national independence or a strong national government." If you define nation the way Prime Minister Harper does, then being a Nationalist could mean either Quebec independence or a strong Canadian Federal Government.
Well, which is it? It's all in how nation is defined. I'm tired of reading the dictionary. The English language is so ambiguous. I feel that I could define words for hours and never convey my meaning. My meaning is simply this: I believe Alberta needs Canada and is stronger with Canada than on her own. The same is more obviously true for Quebec.
Or, if we must have a dictionary definition, I will say that I am NOT a Separatist. A Separatist is clearly defined by Gage as, "an advocate or supporter of the withdrawal of a province from Conderation."
This all becomes even more interesting when you ask why I'm not a Separatist. Especially given that I hail from the small, individualistic nation of Scotland, which has been at times reluctant to be a part of the Union of Great Britain. Although Scotland could fit inside Alberta several times over, Scotland has nearly twice the population of Alberta. Still, neither "nation" could be considered large. On the global scale, I have to wonder about the sense in either being an independent nation.
Consider that Canadians are always whining about Canada's lack of power and influence in the world. Then think about dividing Canada into three countries: Quebec, Alberta, and RestofCanada. Are three really small, insignificant countries any more powerful than one small nation with powerful allies? It's not like the UN would give us three seats at the security council. So let's keep it together, eh?
Sunday, November 26, 2006
BC Road Trip Question 18
Not to worry, this is the final question and then we'll return to topics with slightly more substance.
18. What do flashing green traffic lights mean in BC?
18. What do flashing green traffic lights mean in BC?
BC Road Trip Question 17
17. Where does one buy Jamaican Rotis between Kelowna and Calgary to pay off the bet with Kate E. about Roger's Pass?
BC Road Trip Question 16
16. Will there be snow in Roger's Pass?
A. Yes, and not just leftovers from snowploughs, also under the trees. BTW, how do you spell "snowplow"?
A. Yes, and not just leftovers from snowploughs, also under the trees. BTW, how do you spell "snowplow"?
BC Road Trip Question 15
15. Will Google Maps ever have way points or does some other site already?
A. Gmaps Pedometer has a primative way of doing way points.
A. Gmaps Pedometer has a primative way of doing way points.
BC Road Trip Question 14
14. How long does it take to clean up an avalanche? How do they do it? Is there some way for them to give us an ETA?
BC Road Trip Question 10 (again)
10. Where does the time change happen between Alberta and BC?
A. The Eastern edge of Glacier National Park
A. The Eastern edge of Glacier National Park
BC Road Trip Question 13
13. Why did I go from 9 to 12 in the list, without list numbers 10 & 11?
A. Bad handwriting. You wrote a messy 10 and later thought it was a 12.
A. Bad handwriting. You wrote a messy 10 and later thought it was a 12.
BC Road Trip Question 8
8. How long will a backpack remain unattended and unmolested next to a picnic table in Radium Hot Springs when its owner has driven on to Golden, BC?
A. Somewhat less than 2 hours, due to the beneficient smoke break habits of employees
A. Somewhat less than 2 hours, due to the beneficient smoke break habits of employees
Friday, November 24, 2006
BC Road Trip Question 7
7. Why is Radium Hot Springs so popular when it's really just a pool on the side of the highway?
BC Road Trip Question 6 (another one)
Note: Thankfully the person recording the questions wasn't driving. Obviously he was tired as he failed to number the questions correctly. I won't name names though :)
6. Why don't they design the roads to only go past the good-looking mountains?
6. Why don't they design the roads to only go past the good-looking mountains?
BC Road Trip Question 6
6. When was the forest fire? Why does it miss pockets of trees? How do we sign up? Where can we take/get a good photo of bleckened trees and blue river water?
BC Road Trip Question 5
5. Why does the Ministry of Transportation radio station not give out traffic information, rather than just phone numbers? Why do they not post detour information at the detour or readably before the detour when the Trans-Canada Highway is closed?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
BC Road Trip Question 4
Hee hee...good luck with this one. Have any Psych/Soc essays up your sleeve Kevin?
4. Is there any difference between motivation and fear?
4. Is there any difference between motivation and fear?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Road Trip to BC Question 3
I don't remember how or why we came up with these questions. It is your job to comment with the answers. I'll pitch in when I can. This is what we were wondering:
The Big Adventure (or 1,001 questions to ask Google)
3. Is marriage federally or state regulated in the US? Is there a state that has legalized same-sex marriage and, if so, is it Utah? How is polygamy deemed to be illegal in Canada, or is it just that you can't have more than one civil marriage at a time? Can you have multiple religious marriages?
A. In the United States, civil marriage is governed by state law. Each state is free to set the conditions for a valid marriage, subject to limits set by the state's own constitution and the U.S. Constitution. (Wikipedia)A state can refuse to recognize a marriage if the marriage violates a strong public policy of the state, even if the marriage was legal in the state where it was performed. States historically exercised this "public policy exception" by refusing to recognize out-of-state polygamous marriages, underage marriages (such as marriages in states with low ages of consent), incestuous marriages (such as uncle-niece marriages, which were legal in some states but not others), and interracial marriages. Following these precedents, nearly all courts that have addressed the issue have held that states with laws against same-sex marriage can refuse to recognize same-sex marriages that were legal where performed.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in one state. In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that the Massachusetts constitution requires the state to permit same-sex marriage. The decision could be reversed by an amendment to the state constitution, but so far no amendment barring same-sex marriage has passed in Massachusetts. Several other states including Vermont, California, and Connecticut allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships that provide some or most of the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state law, but forbid same-sex marriages. More than 20 states have passed state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage, and in some cases, civil unions.
Although the states have the primary regulatory power with regard to marriage, the federal legislature has occasionally regulated marriage. The 1862 Morrill Act Of The Bears, which made bigamy a punishable federal offense, was followed by series of federal laws designed to end the practice of polygamy. In reaction to the possibility that same-sex marriage would be legalized in Hawaii, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"), which defines marriage as a legal union of one man and one woman for the purpose of interpreting federal law. Under DOMA, the Federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, even if those unions are recognized by state law. For example, members of a same-sex couple legally married in Massachusetts cannot file joint federal income taxes even if they file joint state income taxes.
The Big Adventure (or 1,001 questions to ask Google)
3. Is marriage federally or state regulated in the US? Is there a state that has legalized same-sex marriage and, if so, is it Utah? How is polygamy deemed to be illegal in Canada, or is it just that you can't have more than one civil marriage at a time? Can you have multiple religious marriages?
A. In the United States, civil marriage is governed by state law. Each state is free to set the conditions for a valid marriage, subject to limits set by the state's own constitution and the U.S. Constitution. (Wikipedia)A state can refuse to recognize a marriage if the marriage violates a strong public policy of the state, even if the marriage was legal in the state where it was performed. States historically exercised this "public policy exception" by refusing to recognize out-of-state polygamous marriages, underage marriages (such as marriages in states with low ages of consent), incestuous marriages (such as uncle-niece marriages, which were legal in some states but not others), and interracial marriages. Following these precedents, nearly all courts that have addressed the issue have held that states with laws against same-sex marriage can refuse to recognize same-sex marriages that were legal where performed.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in one state. In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that the Massachusetts constitution requires the state to permit same-sex marriage. The decision could be reversed by an amendment to the state constitution, but so far no amendment barring same-sex marriage has passed in Massachusetts. Several other states including Vermont, California, and Connecticut allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships that provide some or most of the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state law, but forbid same-sex marriages. More than 20 states have passed state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage, and in some cases, civil unions.
Although the states have the primary regulatory power with regard to marriage, the federal legislature has occasionally regulated marriage. The 1862 Morrill Act Of The Bears, which made bigamy a punishable federal offense, was followed by series of federal laws designed to end the practice of polygamy. In reaction to the possibility that same-sex marriage would be legalized in Hawaii, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"), which defines marriage as a legal union of one man and one woman for the purpose of interpreting federal law. Under DOMA, the Federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, even if those unions are recognized by state law. For example, members of a same-sex couple legally married in Massachusetts cannot file joint federal income taxes even if they file joint state income taxes.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Road Trip to BC
May 13, 2006 - Double Detour to Radium
Kevin flew in from Ottawa on Friday night. The plan was for us to leave Calgary on time to meet Maya's plane in Kelowna at 6:30pm on Saturday. There was a bit of underestimating the time the drive would take. This was made up for by the fact that we forgot about the time change. So we had time to stop a few times for a short while but mostly we were driving and wondering...
Kevin and I Driving Log Book!
The Big Adventure (or 1,001 questions to ask Google)
1. Is there a picture of the Radium Woodcarver sign on the Internet
A. Yes
2. Can you go down the Columbia River in a canoe, and if no woodfires are permitted, would it be cold to sleep in a canoe overnight?
A. As we suspected, this is a hot issue. The Columbia River Wetlands are protected (from what exactly isn't clear) and there is movement afoot to restrict boating to vessels under 10 hP. In some areas of the river there are sandy beaches. Maybe it's okay to camp on the beaches. It's not clear that there are beaches between Golden and Radium, but that part should only take a day to paddle.
Now the issue of sleeping in the canoe overnight. It might be cold. With two people crammed in there, it could get quite cosy. There isn't a lot of space under those canoe seats, especially if you bring any gear whatsoever. So after a sober second thought on our imaginative wondering, I say don't sleep in the canoe unless you're travelling really light with someone small that you really, really like.
_________________________________________________________________________
Okay, there were eighteen questions to ask Google in our logbook. It takes time to answer each of them and there are some really tough ones coming up. I'm going to post this to allow comments and continue another day.
Kevin flew in from Ottawa on Friday night. The plan was for us to leave Calgary on time to meet Maya's plane in Kelowna at 6:30pm on Saturday. There was a bit of underestimating the time the drive would take. This was made up for by the fact that we forgot about the time change. So we had time to stop a few times for a short while but mostly we were driving and wondering...
Kevin and I Driving Log Book!
The Big Adventure (or 1,001 questions to ask Google)
1. Is there a picture of the Radium Woodcarver sign on the Internet
A. Yes
2. Can you go down the Columbia River in a canoe, and if no woodfires are permitted, would it be cold to sleep in a canoe overnight?
A. As we suspected, this is a hot issue. The Columbia River Wetlands are protected (from what exactly isn't clear) and there is movement afoot to restrict boating to vessels under 10 hP. In some areas of the river there are sandy beaches. Maybe it's okay to camp on the beaches. It's not clear that there are beaches between Golden and Radium, but that part should only take a day to paddle.
Now the issue of sleeping in the canoe overnight. It might be cold. With two people crammed in there, it could get quite cosy. There isn't a lot of space under those canoe seats, especially if you bring any gear whatsoever. So after a sober second thought on our imaginative wondering, I say don't sleep in the canoe unless you're travelling really light with someone small that you really, really like.
_________________________________________________________________________
Okay, there were eighteen questions to ask Google in our logbook. It takes time to answer each of them and there are some really tough ones coming up. I'm going to post this to allow comments and continue another day.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Late Kate's Update
I was going to send out a Winter Solstice letter. It became a Christmas letter, which became a New Year's letter, and then Epiphany passed me by. So what you have is a not-so-annual end of the year letter completed just before then end of January.
I ask myself: what could you possibly want to hear in a holiday letter? Perhaps that I'm planning to write more often so that you won't be reading such a long letter next time? Just be glad you're not Alberta Environment. I mailed them a letter just before Christmas that was nearly 100 pages long. I didn't even write Merry Christmas at the bottom for fear of sounding sarcastic.
The highlight of March was a trip to the Caribbean. Maya invited me on a relaxing cruise with her fellow medical residents, Jenn and Jocelyn. Normally I like to be the captain of the ship, but in this case it seemed prudent to test the waters with someone else at the helm. Not only have I never navigated the Caribbean before but this vessel was a good deal larger than the 30-40 foot vessels I've been sailing! After losing Maya and Jenn on the lifeboat drill, leaping several feet to make it on board after the gangway was up in Barbados, getting pushed out of a Kayak in Antigua, listening to the all-American tourist crew of Canada II try to sing Oh Canada to the tune of O Christmas Tree, learning the hard way that I no longer have the strength or technique to make it up a short climbing wall after a hard day on the winches, walking into an active volcano in St.Lucia, nearly missing dinner every night, and (horror of horrors) shopping for jewelery in several ports, I'm not so sure the cruise could be called relaxing! Jocelyn has the prize for most adventurous in the group as she somehow found herself in rum-soaked winter clothing in -30 C Montreal at the end of the trip. No one really remembers how that came about.
My parents kindly hosted a birthday party in Bragg Creek to celebrate the fact that I am 29 for the second time. Although some suspect the choice of location was my secret way of curtailing drinking, Bragg Creek was in fact chosen because my apartment was too small to host everyone. Did this prompt my next move? Or was it the fact that I got tired of midnight fire alarms, underage neighbours disgorging over the balcony, increasing rent, blaring Flames fans, the music loving elephants living above me, elevator rides with questionable people, and the year round sauna conditions in my apartment? Whatever the reason, one day I went out and bought a townhouse.
That's all it took to find one: one day. I looked at 8 houses and the one I bought is the only one that felt really right. My realtor said buying a house is like falling in love: you just know when you find the right one. I hope she's right.
As well as house hunting in May, I also completed my Bronze IV sailing course. I had a great time learning to sail backwards and without a rudder. In spite of losing the battle to keep a Laser upright in winds gusting to 50 km/h on the last day of the course, we all passed with flying colours.
Although bruised from the Laser battle, sailing was still on the agenda for June. I chartered a Bavaria 32 and sailed the Gulf Islands with Susan Miller, Michelle Laplante, and Ken Yamazaki, all friends from my Deep River summer. We had a very enjoyable trip, in spite of cooler weather.
I returned to Calgary for about 10 days before beginning what I call my Triple Trip. I had a wonderful time catching up with Queen's friends at Steve Scott's wedding in Toronto. Afterwards, Carol Scovil wisked me off to Kingston where I had the honour of becoming Godmother of Angus Skinner. We really enjoyed catching up with Meg and Colin and playing with Angus. Then a brief return to Toronto where I had lunch with Cousin Stan and Anja.
Since I was already halfway across it country, it was only a short hop over the pond to Scotland. I had missed Grandma's 90th birthday in May and wanted to visit her. Security had been stepped up for the G8 and I must say I've never seen such large guns. Had a nice visit with Uncle Bill, Aunt Maureen, and Lynne. After a couple of days I flew across the channel to Paris. My sister Helen was spending the summer staying in Paris with her boyfriend, Francois. He sounded like someone I would want to meet! Fortunately we all got along in spite of my fear of speaking French ( I seem to have forgotten how?). I really enjoyed the visit; going to some places I had been before (Mont Martre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame) and others I hadn't (Versailles, Salvador Dali, Promenade).
Then I did all of the flights backwards. I stopped for a day in Glasgow and stayed with Grandma again. We had a lovely dinner with Lynne, Allan, and Stuart at Lynne and Stuart's beautiful home. Then I had a few hours in Toronto which I spent touring the harbour with Ken Yamazaki. I returned to Calgary to finish packing and clearing out. The move into the new house went smoothly.
Since then I've been very busy with a number of volunteer activities. In August Calgary was host to Mobility Cup, an international regatta for sailors with disabilities. I have been volunteering with the Disabled Sailing Association of Alberta for several years now. It was very exciting to be able to volunteer as a sailing companion for Mobility Cup. I sat in the back of a Martin 16 and took orders from DSAA Commodore Katie Gerke. Although the weather caused the cancellation of most of the races, we really enjoyed the few we had.
In September I joined the steering committee for Sustainable Calgary's Citizen's Agenda Project. We have been consulting many Calgarians about actions and policies to make Calgary more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable over the next 5 years. Along the same lines, I am in the Built Environment Working Group for Imagine Calgary. Imagine Calgary is working on a 100 year vision for Calgary.
In October I bought a Laser sailboat (clearly having forgotten my adventures in May). Sadly, it was not delivered until November when the reservoir is closed. My little Laser sits snugly in my basement, asking me to take it for a spin every time I do laundry. He will have to wait until May 1. I did manage to squeeze in one last sail in the family boat Elvira. My Bronze IV classmate, Karen, and I accidentally discovered a new way to take the mast down for the winter. While it was a lot easier to take it down on the water, we did require the assistance of boat patrol to return to dock:)
In late October my neice Cassandra Jade was born. Her big brother Kaiden loves her, although he is more likely to invite you to see his "new basement" than to introduce you to his baby sister. In November a gaggle of friends came over for dessert and a visit to my new house. Kaiden made sure guests saw "Aunty's new boat." Susan Richardson came to visit on Grey Cup weekend and we made a trip to Blairmore to see Peter Woodman. Before I knew it, Christmas Eve was upon me and Helen and Francois flew in. We all spent Christmas at Mom and Dad's, with John and his family joining us for Boxing day.
As you can see, 2005 was a busy year for me (and I'm sure I have forgotten to tell you half of it). Plans for 2006 include a trip to Ontario in January, and another sailing trip that has yet to be planned. Meg, Colin, and Angus are coming to visit in February and I hope other friends will visit this year as well. Happy New Year!
Curious about what I'm up to? Here are the links to pictures and more information:
Disabled Sailing Association of Alberta
Sustainable Calgary
Imagine Calgary
Laser
Kate's website (with pics of sailing trips)
Photos of the cruise
Photos from Paris
Pictures
I ask myself: what could you possibly want to hear in a holiday letter? Perhaps that I'm planning to write more often so that you won't be reading such a long letter next time? Just be glad you're not Alberta Environment. I mailed them a letter just before Christmas that was nearly 100 pages long. I didn't even write Merry Christmas at the bottom for fear of sounding sarcastic.
The highlight of March was a trip to the Caribbean. Maya invited me on a relaxing cruise with her fellow medical residents, Jenn and Jocelyn. Normally I like to be the captain of the ship, but in this case it seemed prudent to test the waters with someone else at the helm. Not only have I never navigated the Caribbean before but this vessel was a good deal larger than the 30-40 foot vessels I've been sailing! After losing Maya and Jenn on the lifeboat drill, leaping several feet to make it on board after the gangway was up in Barbados, getting pushed out of a Kayak in Antigua, listening to the all-American tourist crew of Canada II try to sing Oh Canada to the tune of O Christmas Tree, learning the hard way that I no longer have the strength or technique to make it up a short climbing wall after a hard day on the winches, walking into an active volcano in St.Lucia, nearly missing dinner every night, and (horror of horrors) shopping for jewelery in several ports, I'm not so sure the cruise could be called relaxing! Jocelyn has the prize for most adventurous in the group as she somehow found herself in rum-soaked winter clothing in -30 C Montreal at the end of the trip. No one really remembers how that came about.
My parents kindly hosted a birthday party in Bragg Creek to celebrate the fact that I am 29 for the second time. Although some suspect the choice of location was my secret way of curtailing drinking, Bragg Creek was in fact chosen because my apartment was too small to host everyone. Did this prompt my next move? Or was it the fact that I got tired of midnight fire alarms, underage neighbours disgorging over the balcony, increasing rent, blaring Flames fans, the music loving elephants living above me, elevator rides with questionable people, and the year round sauna conditions in my apartment? Whatever the reason, one day I went out and bought a townhouse.
That's all it took to find one: one day. I looked at 8 houses and the one I bought is the only one that felt really right. My realtor said buying a house is like falling in love: you just know when you find the right one. I hope she's right.
As well as house hunting in May, I also completed my Bronze IV sailing course. I had a great time learning to sail backwards and without a rudder. In spite of losing the battle to keep a Laser upright in winds gusting to 50 km/h on the last day of the course, we all passed with flying colours.
Although bruised from the Laser battle, sailing was still on the agenda for June. I chartered a Bavaria 32 and sailed the Gulf Islands with Susan Miller, Michelle Laplante, and Ken Yamazaki, all friends from my Deep River summer. We had a very enjoyable trip, in spite of cooler weather.
I returned to Calgary for about 10 days before beginning what I call my Triple Trip. I had a wonderful time catching up with Queen's friends at Steve Scott's wedding in Toronto. Afterwards, Carol Scovil wisked me off to Kingston where I had the honour of becoming Godmother of Angus Skinner. We really enjoyed catching up with Meg and Colin and playing with Angus. Then a brief return to Toronto where I had lunch with Cousin Stan and Anja.
Since I was already halfway across it country, it was only a short hop over the pond to Scotland. I had missed Grandma's 90th birthday in May and wanted to visit her. Security had been stepped up for the G8 and I must say I've never seen such large guns. Had a nice visit with Uncle Bill, Aunt Maureen, and Lynne. After a couple of days I flew across the channel to Paris. My sister Helen was spending the summer staying in Paris with her boyfriend, Francois. He sounded like someone I would want to meet! Fortunately we all got along in spite of my fear of speaking French ( I seem to have forgotten how?). I really enjoyed the visit; going to some places I had been before (Mont Martre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame) and others I hadn't (Versailles, Salvador Dali, Promenade).
Then I did all of the flights backwards. I stopped for a day in Glasgow and stayed with Grandma again. We had a lovely dinner with Lynne, Allan, and Stuart at Lynne and Stuart's beautiful home. Then I had a few hours in Toronto which I spent touring the harbour with Ken Yamazaki. I returned to Calgary to finish packing and clearing out. The move into the new house went smoothly.
Since then I've been very busy with a number of volunteer activities. In August Calgary was host to Mobility Cup, an international regatta for sailors with disabilities. I have been volunteering with the Disabled Sailing Association of Alberta for several years now. It was very exciting to be able to volunteer as a sailing companion for Mobility Cup. I sat in the back of a Martin 16 and took orders from DSAA Commodore Katie Gerke. Although the weather caused the cancellation of most of the races, we really enjoyed the few we had.
In September I joined the steering committee for Sustainable Calgary's Citizen's Agenda Project. We have been consulting many Calgarians about actions and policies to make Calgary more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable over the next 5 years. Along the same lines, I am in the Built Environment Working Group for Imagine Calgary. Imagine Calgary is working on a 100 year vision for Calgary.
In October I bought a Laser sailboat (clearly having forgotten my adventures in May). Sadly, it was not delivered until November when the reservoir is closed. My little Laser sits snugly in my basement, asking me to take it for a spin every time I do laundry. He will have to wait until May 1. I did manage to squeeze in one last sail in the family boat Elvira. My Bronze IV classmate, Karen, and I accidentally discovered a new way to take the mast down for the winter. While it was a lot easier to take it down on the water, we did require the assistance of boat patrol to return to dock:)
In late October my neice Cassandra Jade was born. Her big brother Kaiden loves her, although he is more likely to invite you to see his "new basement" than to introduce you to his baby sister. In November a gaggle of friends came over for dessert and a visit to my new house. Kaiden made sure guests saw "Aunty's new boat." Susan Richardson came to visit on Grey Cup weekend and we made a trip to Blairmore to see Peter Woodman. Before I knew it, Christmas Eve was upon me and Helen and Francois flew in. We all spent Christmas at Mom and Dad's, with John and his family joining us for Boxing day.
As you can see, 2005 was a busy year for me (and I'm sure I have forgotten to tell you half of it). Plans for 2006 include a trip to Ontario in January, and another sailing trip that has yet to be planned. Meg, Colin, and Angus are coming to visit in February and I hope other friends will visit this year as well. Happy New Year!
Curious about what I'm up to? Here are the links to pictures and more information:
Disabled Sailing Association of Alberta
Sustainable Calgary
Imagine Calgary
Laser
Kate's website (with pics of sailing trips)
Photos of the cruise
Photos from Paris
Pictures
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