Saturday, 22 November 2008
No snow
We'll, we've had a little bit - some yesterday and some a week ago but nothing to get excited about as it disappeared pretty quickly. It's been fairly cold, but is still getting above zero during the day. On the plus side, Richard's delighted, as now he's achieved part time status, he'll once again be on snow clearing duty throughout the winter. Also, we're not getting our tyres changed to winter ones until next Wednesday so if it can just hold out a little longer, that'll be great.
A step nearer
This week we completed the first stage of our bid for residency. The Govenment of Alberta has granted me 'Provincial Nominee' status which means that our residency application to the Government of Canada will fast track our applecation when we submit it so it should take only 6-18 months instead of 4-5 years. We've just sent off to Norfolk Constabulary for our police checks and then when they come back we can send off the application. Residency means we can stay here indefinitely without needing work permits, but we won't be able to vote. We'll have to apply for citizenship for that.
And yet another birthday
To celebrate 36 years of me being on this fair planet, we went for afternoon tea to the Fairmont MacDonald last Saturday. This hotel is one of the poshest and oldest in Edmonton but in the 80s was within a whisker of getting knocked down and replaced by a multi-storey car park. Luckily, the local historical group got into action and saved it and so it is still here to serve us afternoon tea on this historic day.
After various savouries, pastries, scones and an excellent cup of tea, we got a tour of the hotel including the penthouse suite where Elisabeth II stayed in 19??. It had a lot of stairs - I doubt she could stay there now. However, apparently they have quite a lot of movie stars staying there now. Presumably ones who are more agile than an octogenarion monarch.
...und Herzlichen Gluckwunsch zum dienen Geburtstag, Tanja
I just wanted to wish my great friend Tanja, from Cologne, a very happy birthday too. I'm sorry I'm a month late, but I hope you had a great day and I'm glad you had a good trip to England and were able to meet up with Carolyn.
Herzlichen Gluckwunsch zum dienen Geburtstag, Horst
We're still getting on well with our neighbours over the road - John and Sonja. So much so that we got invited to Sonja's dad's birthday party - same place we went to for New Year. Once again, lots of beer, loompah music, dancing, bratwust 
and sauerkraut. Richard was even persuaded to join in with the greek dance, but sat the rest of them out. Happy birthday Horst.
and sauerkraut. Richard was even persuaded to join in with the greek dance, but sat the rest of them out. Happy birthday Horst.
It has finally happened
Don't expect to get much out of Richard for the next few months. He's finally got his big TV. He also bought a blue ray player, so we're getting the full cinematic experience in our basement these days. We just need to drob a bit more popcorn and soda on the floor to make it really sticky and authentic.
England Week 2
The second week was spent with my family, and Mum and Dad generously chauffered us around that week. First a trip to Kent to see my Grandparents and then a day with Carolyn in London. 
Richard met up with Elaine, while Carolyn and I went to Kew Gardens after a delicious but rather garlicky lunch in Carluccio's. We all then met up in the evening and went to see 'The 39 Steps' in the West End. Highly recommend it - it was hilarious.
After that, it was off to Coventry for a couple of days with Elisabeth and Paul. As North Americans visiting the old country, we decided to get some history and had a great day out at
War-wick (be sure to pronounce both w's) Castle. Now Taussauds runs it, it seems much more commercialised that when I was last there about twelve years ago, but still a great day out. On our last evening we went out for a proper pub meal - pie and chips. Mmm.
Richard met up with Elaine, while Carolyn and I went to Kew Gardens after a delicious but rather garlicky lunch in Carluccio's. We all then met up in the evening and went to see 'The 39 Steps' in the West End. Highly recommend it - it was hilarious.After that, it was off to Coventry for a couple of days with Elisabeth and Paul. As North Americans visiting the old country, we decided to get some history and had a great day out at
War-wick (be sure to pronounce both w's) Castle. Now Taussauds runs it, it seems much more commercialised that when I was last there about twelve years ago, but still a great day out. On our last evening we went out for a proper pub meal - pie and chips. Mmm.
First week in England
Although it was a couple of month's back, I feel I need to write a bit more about our trip to England with a few photographs. We had a wonderful vacation, travelling round seeing as many people as possible and many thanks to all those who gave us a bed, cooked meals for us, chauffered us round etc.
We had our first day in High Wycombe with Jacqui and Duncan et al, who kindly met us at the airport and gave us a bed for the night. Arriving at 10am which was 3am for us, we've now established that the best cure for jet lag is to spend the day with four under ten-year olds as they will keep you awake until late in the day. You then go to sleep and wake up in English time.
From there we spent the week in Carleton Rode with Richard's parents and caught up with most of our friends in Naarch. I spent an afternoon at good old Norfolk County Council catching up with ex-colleagues and telling them how great it is in Canada (before I knew about the Drayton Valley Disaster, ironically). I also spent a day with Ann - a visit to the newly created Cromer Zoo and then fish and chips from Mary Jane's on Cromer Pier. And it didn't rain. Perfect. Richard and I even managed a day out on our own, with no socializing. We went to Wells and then worked our way round the coast to west Norfolk and wandered round Sandringham gardens as we've never been there before.
Cromer and Ann. Note no rain
The birthday boy holding court to his entourage at lunch on Saturday
The cake, made by Julie, of Alan's market stall.
We had our first day in High Wycombe with Jacqui and Duncan et al, who kindly met us at the airport and gave us a bed for the night. Arriving at 10am which was 3am for us, we've now established that the best cure for jet lag is to spend the day with four under ten-year olds as they will keep you awake until late in the day. You then go to sleep and wake up in English time.
From there we spent the week in Carleton Rode with Richard's parents and caught up with most of our friends in Naarch. I spent an afternoon at good old Norfolk County Council catching up with ex-colleagues and telling them how great it is in Canada (before I knew about the Drayton Valley Disaster, ironically). I also spent a day with Ann - a visit to the newly created Cromer Zoo and then fish and chips from Mary Jane's on Cromer Pier. And it didn't rain. Perfect. Richard and I even managed a day out on our own, with no socializing. We went to Wells and then worked our way round the coast to west Norfolk and wandered round Sandringham gardens as we've never been there before.
Cromer and Ann. Note no rain
Sandring-ham. Rain.
The weekend was then spent in Suffolk for Richard's Dad's 60th birthday. Alan thought he was going away for a romantic weekend with Sue. Little did he know that the whole family was coming along too. Still, he didn't seem too disappointed. Well done to Jacqui and Elaine for all their hard work organising it, keeping it a surprise, and even tracing a couple of Alan's old school friends to join him for dinner on the Saturday night.
The birthday boy holding court to his entourage at lunch on Saturday
The cake, made by Julie, of Alan's market stall.
Reason 2: Play
In a bid by Richard to get us to do more stuff together, and resignation by me on the principal of "if you can't beat 'em join 'em", Richard has introduced me to the wonderful World of Warcraft. For those of you who have never heard of it, it is a fantasy computer game where you take on a character such as a warrior or a paladin or a hunter, and go around completing quests. You play it online, so there are thousands of other people playing at the same time and it turns out to be great fun and highly addictive. I have two, suprisingly busty, characters (and as you can see, I've mastered the intricacies of the 'print screen' command):
Tiramisoo, my level 28 human rogue. She's a good girl.
Zalida, my level 61 undead mage. She's a bad girl with big shoulders and no knees.
I never thought I'd see the day when it would be Richard telling me to get off the %$?&@*# computer and do the washing up/go shopping/come to bed. Revenge is sweet!
Tiramisoo, my level 28 human rogue. She's a good girl.
Zalida, my level 61 undead mage. She's a bad girl with big shoulders and no knees.
I never thought I'd see the day when it would be Richard telling me to get off the %$?&@*# computer and do the washing up/go shopping/come to bed. Revenge is sweet!
Reason 1: Work
While we were back in the UK, one of my work projects went south. Items were missed from the Drayton Valley contract which meant that it was going to cost the client more money, and which he was understandably unhappy. This was partly my fault and partly due to a lack of input from others. I therefore spent a long few weeks sorting it all out, appeasing the client and making sure there were no more surprises. Work-wise, the Canadian honeymoon is definitely over! However, it's just about all sorted now and I'm moving on to other projects so I'm starting to enjoy work again.
One of the new projects I'm working on is the North West Anthony Henday Drive which is a section of the northern ring road around Edmonton which goes from the Yellowhead Trail at 9 o'clock to Manning Drive at about 1 o'clock. Unlike the Norwich Northern Distributor Road which is still in the paper stage, this is being built over the next three years. It's a DBFO (Design, build, finance, operate) project which means that the Contractor is designing it as well as building it. ISL is representing the client (Alberta Transportation) and doing all the checking of the designs to make sure they are compatible with its technical standards. This means that we are receiving vast amounts of documentation each week and have to turn it around in three days. M y role is the document controller - I have to log everything in and out and for this I am in the process of building a database.
Not sound very technical and worthy of a PEng? Well I'm also doing some of the reviewing, the cost control and for the last couple of weeks I've been replacing the site inspector who is away on vacation. This means I got to off road! I was given a truck (this is redneck Alberta after all - no landrovers here) and I drove around the site, observing what was going on. As it's all still at the earthworks stage it makes fun driving, although it's quite hairaising as there's a lot of big plant around so you have to keep your eyes open. Unfortunately, Dennis back now from Mexico so I've had to give the truck back. It's back to the office for me.
One of the new projects I'm working on is the North West Anthony Henday Drive which is a section of the northern ring road around Edmonton which goes from the Yellowhead Trail at 9 o'clock to Manning Drive at about 1 o'clock. Unlike the Norwich Northern Distributor Road which is still in the paper stage, this is being built over the next three years. It's a DBFO (Design, build, finance, operate) project which means that the Contractor is designing it as well as building it. ISL is representing the client (Alberta Transportation) and doing all the checking of the designs to make sure they are compatible with its technical standards. This means that we are receiving vast amounts of documentation each week and have to turn it around in three days. M y role is the document controller - I have to log everything in and out and for this I am in the process of building a database.
Not sound very technical and worthy of a PEng? Well I'm also doing some of the reviewing, the cost control and for the last couple of weeks I've been replacing the site inspector who is away on vacation. This means I got to off road! I was given a truck (this is redneck Alberta after all - no landrovers here) and I drove around the site, observing what was going on. As it's all still at the earthworks stage it makes fun driving, although it's quite hairaising as there's a lot of big plant around so you have to keep your eyes open. Unfortunately, Dennis back now from Mexico so I've had to give the truck back. It's back to the office for me.
I'm not dead either
Contrary to rumours about patios and quick lime, I am very much still alive. I've just been very lax about updating the blog recently and for that I apologise but plead two excuses....
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