Many posts added you may have to click on older posts

Due to the number of posts added you may have to click on the older posts link down the bottom of the page if you want the full story, sorry about that illness and stuff condensed the postings.

Dec 29th eviction of Parents from Canadia, slight improvement in BF's condition :)

I'm joking okay :) It was great to have the parents over and we saw them off from Edmonton airport at around 5pm on Saturday, today's Monday. In the morning we just wandered down to BestBuy, think a cross between HMV and Bennetts those of you in Norfolk. We had to go back in to recover dad, he had far too much fun in there and would have stayed if allowed!

It was really good to have our first guests over and I`m sure they had a great time too. Jacqui has certainly enjoyed her couple of weeks off, back to the real world soon, Jacqui at work and me looking for a job.

Wr have agreed an incentive package already, I can spend my first paycheck on electronics, translated means a BIG tv, ohh yes.

Well tonight we visit a family of german and their friends for the new year, party starts at 8 food comes out at midnight this may be a long one :) I`ll post about it when my head clears.

Happy new year guys

Richard & Jacqui
xxx

December 28th, BF gets older, Bison on Elf Island, shome misshtake shurely

So my birthday ambled round again and even though I felt a bit rubbish I sacrificed my selfishness to take the parents to Elk Island, a national park near Edmonton. We had mediocre hopes of animal spottings, top on the hitlist were buffalo/bison followed by anything else, fussy we were not.

We went went around the main lake, no bison, visted Lake Icy Road of Death, no Bison. Went to leave the park, lone buffalo munching on stuff woohoo, mission successful. On the freeway, where you can't stop, buffalo almost selling souvenirs at the roadside hmmmmmm.

Christmas Time

Happy Christmas everyone, thanks for all your cards and well-wishings both recently and over the year.

We had a good christmas although I've had this annoying cold since Banff, It will continue until at least the new year, it's amazing how I can predict these things.

December 22nd, Music and Ice

Jacqui played in her first concert for her new orchestra, and it was at the legislative building in downtown Edmonton. She expected a few people, the place was packed.


The orchestra in full flow.


Ice sculptures and the legg.




The view accross high-level bridge.

And in the winter around the legg and the park it sits in they create these wonderful ice sculptures.

Trip back from Banff, snow blowing

Beacause it gets soo cold here and does not peek above zero snow kind of sits there and when the wind gets up, blows around. Just a little but it looked fairly cool.

Last Day in Banff

Our last morning we spent wandering around Banff for a couple of hours grabbing some presents and pics, it was a lovely morning.

On the way back from Johnston

We saw some elk but they were a bit too far away to photograph and the guide was not willing to stop the bus for long. So Jacqui and the foks went back out to grab some better pics on our return.

We also managed to get one of probably a coyote but maybe a wooluf.

Johnston Canyon Ice Walking

Our second day in Banf we went on a walking trip to Johnston canyon and it was beautiful. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking here, look out for ice falls and frozen everything.

Our precarious walkway. A pretty ice falls.

Mr dramatic icefalls 2007. Pretty canyon.

Snow trees.

And last but not least a couple of shots from the top of the canyon, it really did feel like a visit to Narnia.

So where were we?..ah yes Banff and skiing!

You left our intrepid adventurers in deepest Banff enjoying snow and scenery and about to embark on their greatest challenge yet.....balancing an ever-increasing fool on two planks of wood and trusting to gravity....dun dun dunnnnnnnnn!



Unfortunately we don't have any pics of the actual 'skiing' but it happened and for three hours we progressed from falling down to snow ploughs to erratic turning to slightly smoother turning, all the way back to falling over. Mum and I got the hang of it a bit quicker, but my pride forces me to mention she has skied before. Jacqui eventually conquered her nemesis the magic carpet, especially exiting the same. Dad did not hurt his knee and my ankles are still whole, a resounding success! And we all enjoyed it, a lot, especially after removing anything but socks from our ski boots, I can still remember the blessed relief ahh joy. But our friend Lorna's gleeful warning did come back to us, ski boots hurt and taking them off is the best bit about them.



So Jacqui and and I will try it again, probably in January, and mum and dad have said they'll travel to the dry slope in Naarch.

In Banff You're Not

Just letting you know we're in Banff enjoying the mountains and the snow and you're not. But we do have the parents with us so that evens things up a bit :) More updates and pics when we return.

Rock and Roll

Well Jacqui and I have been to our second concert together, Bon Jovi at Rexall Place Edmonton and it was bloody marvellous.

Not our own pics but they'll have to do :)



Jacqui got me the tickets for my upcoming birthday, what a girl.

And whatever you say about Mr Bon Jovi (Ian), he is a great entertainer.

Oh Dear....cough splutter

We may be coming down with summat. Just in time to give it to the parents on their arrival Friday, aren't they lucky. Just a basic lurgy, must be the rise in temperatures to -3 that shocked our systems.

Off to build their bedroom furniture now - they really are being spoilt you know.

List of forgotten items

Today we handed over the magical list of requirements to my parents prior to their visit next Friday. Such delicacies as Hula Hoops and Lyles Golden Syrup, and luxuries like blu-tac and spray de-odourant, amazing the subtle differences and things you miss.

One great thing is that we discovered English Tea over here early on, we'd have probably gone mad many months ago without it.

Jacqui's Second Footie Match

Tonight's the night. Jacqui will be taking to the field of glory to display her amazing ball-control and dribbling. Maybe I could have put that better but I liked it :)

After the first try which involved carpet burns and a groin strain we are hoping for a more successful game. Next game's in mid January so plenty of time to recover.

New Engineering Social......so much fun it hurt.

Last night we went to the Christmas social for the new engineers dragged over from the UK to Canadia. And surprise, surprise, there were lots of engineers and engineering waffle to enjoy. There was also a video interview thing which they are planning to edit and use for their next foray into engineer hunting in deepest London, this was suitably embarassing. But it was good for Jacqui to meet some other engineers in her position.

And after that was our last exercise class, an hour of step, this was very similar to the very first session we had. And luckily it was easier than 12 weeks ago, a good sign. I think we both have lost a chunk of the embarrasment and Olde Englishe reserve that we began with.

And now next Thursday we're having the people from the course round for drinks and wii, and a good time will be had by all.

All the best to those stuck in Naarch

Today was d-day for those at NU uncertain of their future, many of which are friends of mine and Jacqui. We wish you all the best and we hope you get what you want, whether that's redundancy or continued employment.

Slight issue with the exercise thing

We/I have hit a minor stumbling block with the early morning visits to the gym, and it's not all down to the early morning bit :) As we're still a one car household it means that I need to catch the bus home afterwards, and it's been a bit chilly for hanging round a bustop.

This week I'm going to try something slightly different, getting later buses, taking more time and clothes to wrap up against the cold, it would be a real shame to miss out on a good thing for the next 4 months.

Things, things and more things.

Well from now until Christmas we have many many things going on.

3 concerts, one for Bon Jovi 1 classical and one Christmassy
Parents coming over
Trip to Banff including skiing, and possibly sleigh rides and stuff
3 Christams meal/drinks things
Jacqui's playing in the orchestra at the Legislature building in Edmonton
Last couple of exercise sessions on our course
All cards and packages to be sent home before the last posting days
Visit to Fort Edmonton

Might even grab some photos for the blog.

Clearing Snow hmmmm

It would appear that out here the snow falls with alarming regularity. This is all well and good until some fool shaped individual has to go out and clear it off of our paths and stuff. It gets damn cold out there.

See if you can spot the glint of anger in my countenance. It gets a bit dispiriting when more of the damn fluffy white stuff falls out of the sky when you're just finishing shovelling it's fellows off the path!

Roadayo Edmonton Style

Well we done did it. Through Alberta something or another Jacqui got an invite to the Canadian Rodeo finals held at Rexxal Place in Edmonton. Now this is definately not something that we would sign up for normally but we missed the last couple of socials so we decided to give it a go.

And I must say that as a thing to watch that did not cost me anything and where I was given free food and drink it was okay :) The animals did not look too unhappy, nothing died, and appart from some really far too cutesy moments we had a good time. The private box may have helped too.....

Bloke on a horse


Bird on a horse


Bullocks

Apologies for the lack of posts

I will try and rectify this in the very near future.

In the mean time pity me for having a frozen belly. I was out clearing snow earlier and when I came back in most of me was okay apart from the stomach. Really odd that but there you go even I need more wrappings in -20.