How to turn a decent steak into boot leather.

Chris and I are back on the soup diet. If you saw me, you wouldn't have to ask why. You eat this really good tasting vegetable soup three times a day and it not only cleanses your insides, you lose weight. By Wednesday that soup is just nasty. The only good thing is that every day you get to add stuff to the soup diet. Monday vegetables, Tuesday a potatoe, wednesday bananas, thursday fruit, friday I don't remember and glorious Saturday all the beef you want. So tonite I put this steak on the barbeque. Not a fillet mignon but not a blade or round steak either. Then I did the one thing I should never do. I came downstairs, fired up the computer and started to check and comment on all the blogs I visit. It was while I was on Shirleys blog that my wife called down and asked how the steak was doing. I was having a really good time up to that point. But I deflated faster than the Canadian mens hockey teams dreams of a gold medal did.
At this point I am still trying to chew this burnt offering, but it is not at all what I dreamt it would be like. The only reason it is not completely inedible is that when I opened up the lid on the barbeque, the propane in my tank had all but burned away. Tomorrow is another meat day and even if I freeze my extemities I am staying outside until it is done. I am so easily distracted from the task at hand sometimes that I think I could still be a teenager, and then I see a mirror and realize that I just distract easily. If I could reach my butt I'd kick it. And no Trav, I don't want you to bring over your new boots.

Good Friday

As anybody who has stayed at my house can verify, my day stretches from about 5:30 am to about 10:00 pm. In between that time if I am forced to be awake, I am pretty much comatose anyway so you may as well let me go to bed. Last night was no different. So, at around ten I said goodnight to my Chris, who has lately just become this knitting machine, (but thats another story) and went to bed. I like to read a little in bed before I go to sleep and when I opened the bedroom door, I got a surprise. There was a card and a book on my pillow. The card said some things that I can't repeat here cause this is a family kind of blog, but it also said Happy Birthday, Happy Valentines day and Happy Friday. The book was written by Stuart McClean. For those who don't know, he writes story's of Dave and Morley and their life from dating to marriage and beyond. They are all short funny stories about their life together. He also does live performances and puts them on tape and cd. If you like to laugh and sometimes feel kinda weepy (never me though) check this guy out.
Somebody likes me, somebody likes me.... this last sentence should be read with a kind of lilt in your voice and you should think of happy thoughts and skipping down the street.
It really was a good friday.

Being a grandparent

This is almost bad. I was just going to start this with the line: Ben was here for a whole week. Glen and Becky were here as well, and I apologize to you Beck, but you have slipped, maybe not slipped, because after all you guys brought me to this most blissful position, but you have been surpassed by this tiny little guy who already can move me with a little tug on my pants and a "pease, pease." He knows what he wants and pretty much gets what he wants, especially from his grandma and me. But thats what we are supposed to do. It is not up to grandparents to say no is it. Thats up to moms and dads. We are really not that bad, but he can pretty much get his way with us. I know a lot of his language now, like chips, candy, juice, car and all the things that we play. He loves to come and play on the bed and that way all the toys that we have purchased for our house since we found out Becky was pregnant, are all within eyesight up in the closet. When he wants something he points and I hold him up and he picks what he wants, then we play with that until he wants something new. He is so much fun.
Becky called tonight and told us to be on the lookout for Thomas the train, it apparently didn't make it home. So I looked in this cupboard that Jake build and sure enough, there it was. Exactly where I found a lego people last week. He is always opening a cupboard to get something and then putting the toy he was playing with in there. We have found all kinds of toys in funny places after he goes home. Got to go now, 24 is on.

This should be the end

So I got a letter from the head of security prairie division and I think this should end it. Unless you crazy bunch of Brauns want me to do more. Short of following Travs advice, I don't think there is much we can do. Anyways here is the letter.

Mr. Braun;

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) plays an integral role in the Government of Canada’s air security initiative. CATSA’s mission is to protect the public by securing critical elements of the air transportation system, including the screening of passengers and their belongings. Its mandate is to deliver a consistent, effective and highly professional service that is set at or above the standards established by federal regulations.

While security is CATSA’s top priority, please be assured that customer service is one of its main priorities in the delivery of security screening for air travel. Screening officers are trained to ensure that passengers are treated with respect and dignity at all times, while ensuring their comfort and safety. I regret that the experience that your parents had with pre-board screening at the Edmonton airport was unpleasant.

I have concluded my investigation of the incident. You should know that the younger of the two officers involved is no longer employed within the Security Screening Operation in Edmonton. I did have a lengthy discussion with the gentlemen who assisted in the incident your parents experienced in Edmonton. Being unable to interview the younger of the two Screening Officers I am unable to come to any conclusion with respect of his attitude or demeanor in this particular case. The Screening Officer I did interview did have some recollection of the events. He did indicate that they did try to unfold your father’s walker in order to put it through the x ray and when they could not, they performed a physical search of the item. With respect of the cane, it did go through the x ray and showed a metal rod through the centre of the cane. One of the items discovered at Screening Points in the past is a cane with a Chinese Martial Arts sword disguised in the cane. Common sense would indicate that your father might be an unlikely candidate and if it could not be revealed right away that it probably was not “infamous” cane. CATSA Standard Operating Procedures does require that these items be searched but we also advocate an awareness of the passengers that carry these items. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the way this situation was handled and extend the same to your parents.

I appreciate you bringing these concerns forward as it identifies an area that we need to handle much better the next time.

Yours very truly,

Rod Gore
Service Manager, Edmonton & North Region
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
PO Box 9808, Suite 03-025, Mezzanine Level
Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J-2T2

You really should sign out of your blogger account when you leave the computer... Especially if you have company... It's just good thinking really.

Well, I fixed up Dad's blog with all of the links he wanted... I think. Now I feel like since I'm here already I may as well write a post for him.

We're here! The roads were pretty stinky half of the way, but we took it slow and made it safe and sound. Ben is ecstatic to be reunited with his one great love... Dad. Don't get me wrong, he LOVES his grandma. He loves his Mommy and Daddy and Auntie, but, as we all expected to happen eventually... Ben has decided there is no one who is as fun as his Grandpa. 'Course, Ben calls him "Mama" which is pretty funny from my end of things.

Tonite there was non-stop playing. Ben wouldn't even eat, he was having to much fun playing some kind of loud, freaky, laughing game with Dad. Then they played cars for a while, then up onto the bed for some tiger rides, then back to the cars, back to the bed... etc. Then poor old Dad got tired. He tried to go to bed. I think he tried three or four times before he finally managed to close his door and actually lie down in his bed alone... no Ben. Grandpa's boy is pretty persistent though... he ran down the hall to Dad's closed bedroom door and cried, "Mama! Mama! Pees! Pees!" (Translation: Grandpa! Grandpa! Please! Please!) Lucky for dad he is pretty deaf and missed most of it. Unlucky for Dad, Mom didn't miss a word and has a pretty soft heart. Ben's sobbing little voice at the end of a dimly lit hallway did her in. She opened Dad's door, let Ben in, and told Dad what his poor sweet little grandson was doing outside his door.

tomorrow morning Glen and I are going to sleep in while Mom and Dad take Ben out for breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa and Ron and Trudy. Yeeeee! I wish we lived closer. That's all I can say. That and I just hope he doesn't make strange. Nite all!

mmmmmm ice cream

To all of you who said I didn't post, here is another one.
I just got back from the store with really, really, really good tasting strawberries. I know, its winter, I don't know where they are from, don't care. They are really, really, really good. So I am going to put some of them in a blender, along with a banana and mmmmmmmm ice cream, and have a little snack to celebrate my friday off. Then I will do some dishes, not in celebration, but because there is a limit to how much fun one should have on a day off. If I make it to good, I will never go back to work.

Still no news from head of security prairie division. Do you think he is trying to forget me?

Help

How do I get other peoples blogs on my page? I always have to go to Beckys site and then to all the blogs I want to read. If someone would either tell me how to do it, or do it themselves...Becky. This would make my life easier.
Anyway, nothing to write about, so I am going to eat my smoked oysters, drink my near beer with clamato juice, and watch the Router Workshop. Great TV and my favorite snacks, and it is not even the weekend. I know how to live. OOOOOh yaaa.