About Me

Lee Creek, North Shuswap near Chase, B.C, Canada
We went full-time Rving in October of 2005! We retired from full time to part-time as of the end of 2015. Our present "small but comfortable" Wagon is a 2008 Camper trailer(TravelAir Rustler), pulled by a 2008 Dodge Dakota, 4X4.l. Our home is now a Gated Community Park, in Oliver, British-Columbia, Canada. I retired in 2005 and my Life Companion, Valerie, retired October 1, 2006 from nursing. We invite you to follow and share our new adventures and mishaps. Life is but an adventure full of dreams yet to be fulfilled!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

January 30-31, 2015; Award nominations

JAN 30, Friday;
I forgot to mention that I have received an appointment for the operation on my sinus problem; the date is March 23 and I am looking forward to it.  I went to Chehalis to drop off doors then came back to the shop and worked on moving stuff with the fork-lift.  We loaded the mirrors that I picked up yesterday and we went to a school where the kids used to go when they were young and installed the mirrors.  It was a hard job as the space was limited but we got them all in without breaking anything.  I left work around 3:30 pm and went to the Mall to buy a pair of shoes for the outing tomorrow.  I was in bed by 8 pm as I was tired and I have to get up early again tomorrow to help grand-son Graeme.


JAN 31, Saturday; Award for grand-son Graeme and Unger Windows & Doors

I was up at 6:30 am and met Graeme and Kevin at IHOP for breakfast at 7am.  We went to Graeme’s house and began picking up branches from a very huge tree that fell down the last time we had a strong wind storm.  It had made quite a mess!  Anyway, four loads later (with a long flat deck trailer) we got it all cleaned up and even installed a new outside door for Graeme.  We finished at 3 pm.  I went home, had a beer, showered and we got dressed up for the Award Presentation this evening.  Graeme has been nominated for “best employee” and “Unger Windows, the “best company of the year”.  The Chamber of Commerce is making a few presentation tonight to different businesses and individuals.  The theme of the evening was the “Roaring 20’s” and practically everyone was dressed for the occasions.  Each tables represented a company or group and ours was at the back between two bars (I guess they heard about us).  Anyway, it was a lovely evening and although neither the company nor Graeme won, it was an honor all the same to be nominated.  We were home by 10:30 pm

Thursday, January 29, 2015

January 23 to 29 2015; Work and the boat show in Vancouver

JAN 23, Friday;
It was another busy day and it rained all DAY without stops!  First I took some doors to the “home shop” then a truck arrived from GENSEK and I helped the guy unload some windows for a job in the near future.  I went back to the Main shop and loaded doors and frames and delivered that to a job site in Chilliwack.  The rest of the day was busy working around the shop.  I finally called it quit around 3:30 pm and came home but first I met Val at the local pub for a beer; after all it is Friday!!!


JAN 24, Saturday; Boat show
I am so used to getting up early that I was awake by 6 am, ugh!  I got Val up at 7:30 and we got ready.  We drove to Port Moody to Jeff’s boat under constant rain, heavy at times.  After our fix with the dogs, we first went for breakfast in Vancouver then to the Boat Show at the “Dome”.  I was not that impressed with their displays but it was interesting all the same.  Jeff bought some “essentials” for his boat.  We spent almost 3 hours looking around then we went back to Jeff’s place and had a beer before heading out for dinner at a local Pub.  We had a very nice visit with Jeff and he was in a very good mood which made it even more pleasant.  After saying our goodbyes, we drove home under more rain.  We got home around 9 pm, watched some tube then I went to bed.


JAN 25, Sunday;
A lazy day overall; it also was a clear day with the rain finally subsiding.  Val did the laundry and put a roast on for dinner.  I did the dishes then we watched the tube.


JAN 26, Monday; onward to work!
Started the day by picking up a load of glass then stopped in Langley to drop it off and help the guys.  It was sunny and warm which made for a nice day


JAN 27, Tuesday;
More of the same; worked in the shop in the a.m. then picked up glass in Aldergrove and dropped it off at the job site in Abbotsford.  I was home by 4 pm and we had a quiet evening.


JAN 28, Wednesday;
I had to make a glass pick up then I went to the Abbotsford project and we spent the day installing glass on the overhead canopy.  I got back at 4:15, unloaded the glass then went home.  Quiet evening and early to bed.  Val had a good day at her work and she is working again tomorrow


JAN 29, Thursday;
Transport day; I went to Aldergrove, Langley then to Burnaby.  I got back at 3 pm and unloaded the load with Graeme’s help.  We even got Rochelle involved in driving and loading my load for a delivery tomorrow.  We met R&K at OJ and had a Happy Hour drink then came home for another quiet evening


Friday, January 23, 2015

January 17 to 22, 2015; work, movies, football play-offs

JAN 17, Saturday; Work for a couple hours
I was up early as I had to go to work to make the delivery we loaded yesterday to Cultus Lake.  I was back at the office by 10:30 am and home by 11:30 am but first I stopped at COTTONWOOD RV to check on the MH; all was good there.  Val went to town to pick up groceries.  We went to OJ for snacks and a beer, only Vanessa was working so we had a short visit with her as it was busy.  We then tried to see “SNIPER” at the Movie but it was sold out so we bought a ticket for tomorrow evening.  We stopped at our favorite pub and that place was also packed but we did manage to get a seat for a beer then came home and watched “VIKINGS”. 


JAN 18, Sunday; Football play-offs
I woke up during the night feeling very dizzy and ended up barfing in the toilet!??  That whole episode lasted about 10-15 minutes then I was able to go back to bed and sleep.  WOW!!!!  I think I got food poisoning!??  This morning it is raining and we have a strong wind from the East.  Val did laundry and I wash the dishes after a good breakfast.


JAN 19, Monday; back to work
We had rain and sunshine throughout the day but we were inside for all of it!  Today, we had a new employee starting, Bob, cousin of Rochelle, and him and I and Graeme and Kevin worked on a job in Chilliwack while the other three went to Langley to work on that project.  I got a new experience as we installed glass walls for an office.  It was interesting to see how it is all put together.  We were done by 3:30 pm and I was home by 4:20 pm.  A good day!  For dinner, Val made meat balls and potatoes and gravy…one of my favorites.  She also had a good day at work albeit only 4 hours.


JAN 20, Tuesday;
Val worked today and I went to Langley to pick up a manual lift for the truck then got to use it when I picked up 4 palettes of doors.  I ended up at our project in Langley helping the guys.  We all got back to the office by 3:30 pm and I emptied the truck and placed the palettes in storage then loaded the old aluminum from the job site into the bin which is now full.  Val made a shrimp dinner then we watched the tube for a while.  She was in bed by 9 pm as she got a call to show at 6 tomorrow morning.


JAN 21, Wednesday;
Val was gone by the time I got at 6 am.  I had more pick-ups and deliveries to make today and I also worked in the shop for a while cutting and drilling metal channels for the job in Langley.  It was a decent day with some sunshine peeking through the clouds at times.  Home, dinner, some TV and to bed early


JAN 22, Thursday; busy day driving
First thing today, I had to deliver a window to a private house then back to the shop and onwards to ACCURATE DOORS in Burnaby.  I loaded the biggest load I ever had.  The truck was full with pallets and door frames with the last palette being delivered nearby at a job site we have a contract with.  Then it was back to Chwk to unload the balance of the load then reload some frames and doors and delivered these at a job site in Abbottsford.  So…it was a very busy day. Back at the shop, I loaded more door frame for another job here in Chwk which I will take to the “home shop” tomorrow.  Val didn’t work today.  It was somewhat warm (9*C) and rained most of the day especially in the afternoon.


Friday, January 16, 2015

January 12 to 16, 2015; More work

JAN 12, Monday; to work
We started a new project today; it is in Port Kells (Surrey), about two block away from where Jeff has his shop.  This is another big commercial project and should keep us busy for a few days.  I started the day by going to “Aluminex” to pick up frames then to the Kells project to drop it off and help Graeme and Rob in removing old windows then putting the new one in.  It was a cloudy but warm day and made the job more pleasant.  We got back to the shop by 5 pm and I was home by 6pm.  Time to relax!


JAN 13, Tuesday
We were back in Langley all day under fog (sunny in Chwk).  We tore off the old windows, 80 feet long then began the process of putting the new window frames in.  We got back at the shop by 5 pm and home by 6.  Val worked a few hours today


JAN 14, Wednesday
Back to Langley but first I had to pick up more frames in Aldergrove.  Sunny in Chwk but foggy all day in Langley; it makes it for a damp and cold day.  Home by 6:30 pm, another long day.


JAN 15, Thursday; transport
I had to do some pick-ups today, in Burnaby, Surrey, Aldergrove and Langley.  I also had to stop at HINO for a recall notice and had them install a new wiper at the same time.  I then went to the job site and unloaded the frames I had for this job and then took a window apart for the aluminium.  It was 5 pm by the time I got back to Chwk due to an accident on the highway.  There sure are a lot of those and the highway is straight and at times, 3 lanes!!?


JAN 16, Friday; TGIF or is it???
Our last day but busy again.  We started our day under rain but it soon cleared.  Joe was back at work today so everyone went to Langley.  I made a stop in Aldergrove to pick up the last of our frames then onward to Langley where we unloaded the load and Joe and I began rubbering the frames.  This process get the frames ready to receive the glass.  We got all the frames done when I got a call from Kevin to return to home base and load all the windows and door frames for another job.  We got that done then it was time to call it quit.  I got home at 5:30 pm and we had a relaxing evening.  Val worked again today and connected with people she knew from way back.  She also got her FIRST pay cheque to day.


Monday, January 12, 2015

January 5 to 10, 2015; Work, work, work

JAN 5, Monday; Back to work!
Rain, rain, and more rain; by the end of the day, most of the snow was gone!  I went to Aldergrove to pick up some items for the Abbotsford job, came back, unloaded and proceeded to cut it all up in measured pieces.  That was my day!  At home, Val cooked a new dish which was very good than we watched “State of Affair”.  Val also got snow tires installed on her car.


JAN 6, Tuesday;
Another busy day cutting holes in the stuff I cut yesterday than rubbering it all.  Afterwards, I took apart some old windows as we keep it for the aluminum then I took it to the “Home shop”.  I was home by 4:30 pm, in time to clean up the mess that I found this morning as I was leaving; a raccoon got into the garbage overnight.


JAN 7, Wednesday;
I was on the road today by 9:30 am after loading three frames and the doors and all the scrap aluminium that was at the Home Shop.  I drove to Langley to the scrap yard and unloaded the aluminium (over $300. worth) then continued on to Burnaby by my old work site where I dropped the frames and doors at a storage building being renovated.  I drove to ACCURATE DOORS and picked up two doors then back to Langley where I first went-to pick up a bin where we will put the scrap metal from now on.  It was foggy from Abbotsford to Burnaby and back to Abbotsford where the sun was shining all the way home.  Once back at the shop, I unloaded the two metal doors and then a few maintenance things before calling it a day and was home by 4 pm.


JAN 8, Thursday;
Sunny and much warmer today.  Wouldn’t you know it, I spent the whole day inside the shop drilling and painting for an upcoming project in Abbotsford.  Todd worked with me too.  We had 120 metal brackets and had to drill a total of 480 holes; my wrist were sore at the end of the day.  We had one drill press and one handheld drill.  As usual, Val a great dinner for me.  She worked 7 to 11 today mostly at the cash serving the public.


JAN 9, Friday;
Ahhhhh, Friday!  Last day of work and I ended up at the Abbotsford project putting up the brackets I worked on yesterday; there were 3 of us there.  I left ahead of the other two and when I arrived at the shop, the “new” forklift was being delivered and I got to drive it first and unload the bin from the back of then delivery truck.  Time to relax for the week-end


JAN 10, Saturday;

I had a 10 hrs sleep and still feel tired!?  It is very dreary out there!  I called Jeff as we were planning on going to see him but he didn’t call back until later in the afternoon which made it too late to drive out there.  I spent the day watching Seattle beat the Ravens and Green Bay beat Dallas Cowboy.  Good games.  Val did laundry and we had left over for dinner; it’s amazing how she can turn that into a new dish!!!  In the evening, we watched the Golden Globe Awards then some of our recordings including “Madam Secretary” and “The Good Wife”.

Sunday, January 04, 2015

January 1 to 4, 2015: A new Year and birthday celebration

JANUARY First, 2015, Thursday; A new year begins
A new year, new adventures!  It is sunny and cold, -5*C @ 9am.  Only 286 days to our departure South!!! 
We watched the “ROSE BOWL” Parade in hope to see Aud and Marcel but no luck (they were to have a Cdn flag in front of them).  Later in the afternoon, we went to brother Johnny’s place and had dinner with him and his friend Joanie. He made a Quebec “ragout de boulettes” (meat balls and gravy) and tourtiere with a salad.  It was very good.  We had a nice visit and were home by 10 pm.  Good way to start the New Year!


JAN 2, Friday;
SNOWING!!!!  Wow! But it soon turned into rain as the day progressed.  We went to the Mall where I got new lenses for my glasses (warranty) then we went to McDonald to get Val’s schedule for this coming week.  We also stopped at EZ Rentals to wish Russ and Cathy a Happy New Year.  We then went to get groceries and had a beer at the local Pub.  We came home and put everything away, had dinner and watched the tube. 


JAN 3, Saturday;
We had a quiet day again.  The weather outside was not conducive to being out; there was a low cloud inversion in the Valley which made everything drab and cold.  Anyway, we did go out for a couple items and came home after, glad to be inside and warm.  I watched football for a while then we had dinner and watched some of our recorded TV shows afterwards.


JAN 4, Sunday; Birthday celebration
We had a trace of snow overnight and the forecast is for probably more and even freezing rain; it sure looks like that is possible out there.  Today is Rochelle’s birthday so we all (family) met at Graeme and Courtenay’s house for cake and ice cream which we ordered from Save-on-Foods.  Everyone showed up which was very nice.  We were back at our place by 6 pm and got dinner going.  “Good Wife” and “Secretary of State” were on the menu this evening for TV watching.