Bugs Palace!

Well, it’s the middle of November and I think we completely missed Autumn this year. Weather was pretty nice right up til late October when we left for Florida. Came home last week to a nice blanket of snow.

With the pending trip coming up, I gave the beetle a good scrub, put her on the dollies, tossed the cover on and pushed it into it’s winter resting place. Hopefully have some “warmer” days over the winter to do some upgrades so I can finally get a summer worth of driving out of the old girl in 2020. Sleeping beside her is the Triumph. I have tentativly put the bike for sale so bank some money this winter, but slow time of year makes me suspect that it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. I’ll just leave it for sale and see what happens. The Wrx is nearly “complete” for this year. Still hoping to install the tail light overlays and finish the stereo but time and ambition seems to keep getting in the way. And now the clutch seems to be having some issues. Towed to Smouts today. Hoping for an easy/inexpensive fix, but with my luck – expecting the worst. Lastly the Jeep is just being Jeepy. Hard top is on. Winter tires go on this week.

Work has been ridiculous. Seems like every time I feel caught up, I get slammed with another 30-40 work orders. I guess that’s a good thing. Job security and all that jazz. Speaking of work, Shannon has taken a new job! She officially left Norfolk County and took a job back with Haldimand County. Shorter commute, more responsibility, more money and hopefully more stability. Congrats baby, you are gonna be amazing, just like always. Haldimand is lucky to have you!

Today is the 1 year anniversary with Jabba the Mutt. Silly little stinker is a fantastic beast in every sense. Makes us laugh every single day. Love you my puppers.

Finally : Florida. No ambition for a day by day break down, but I will say we had an amazing time. Just shy of two weeks at Floridays Resort with Mom and Dad while Donna and Grant stayed with their kiddos on Disney property. Weather was great and the parks were phenomenal. The new “Star Wars Land” was a dream my 5 year old self couldn’t even have imagined. *I* got to fly the Millennium Falcon. Words can’t describe! Add to that exploring Batuu (star wars land) and the Harry Potter worlds at Universal Studios with the kiddos and it just doesn’t get any better! Joe built is very own astro-mech droid and Abby was selected (eventually) to select her wand. Thanks Mom and Dad for being such great room mates and being the best gUber drivers ever!

It’s been a stupid busy couple of months!

Kids baseball came to an end. Both teams had awesome seasons. Baseball season is by far my happiest time of the year. Seeing my kids enjoy and excel at a sport that their Mommy and I love so much is amazing. Great coaches, great kids and great families involved. The countdown to next season starts the moment they leave the field.

With the kids season complete, Shannon and I took a short trip to Chicago to visit her brother and knock a couple more MLB diamonds off our list! First off huge thanks to Jordon. He put us up in his place for a couple days and showed us the town and the ballparks like no one else could! The tickets for both games were phenomenal. For the White Sox, we were few rows behind home plate in the scouts area meant basically red carpet like experience. No line to get in, free food and drinks (open bar), and they brought pretty much anything we wanted to our seats. I could get used to that. Next day we hit up a Cubbies game. Wrigley field did not disappoint. Once again we were treated with amazing tickets. Special entrance to get in, full free bar/food in a very private bar downstairs in the stadium which has windows that overlook the training rooms where the players were. Just incredible. While we were in Chicago we did a few of the touristy things like a boat ride through the city to site see and learn about the architecture. Very unique city. Oh, and of course we had to stop for an authentic deep dish Chicago style pizza. Again, massive thanks to Jordon. We had a great time and can’t thank you enough.

School has started again! Kids are in grades 7 and 4. It’s pretty ridiculous how fast time has gone. How could our babies really be 9 and nearly 12?! Thankfully they have grown to be amazing children. We couldn’t be more proud of the people they are becoming. Kind, loving and certainly smarter than either of their parents 😉 Love you guys. Have a great year at school!

House is back on the project block. We took most of the summer off from renos. After 10 months we needed a break. Over the last couple weeks we’ve nearly completed the new fireplace surround/mantal, built a new bench/storage unit for the front hallway and started planning some other tasks to work on like adding cupboards to the kitchen and building an island. Time, money and ambition willing this place should really come together the way we want it over the next 1-5 months.

Subaru updates – pretty minor but it’s coming along. Downpipe and intake installed. Re-tuned to stage 2+, and the gauges are pretty much complete. Just needs some suspension work in the spring and it’ll be right where I want it. Loving the little beast so far!

Also since the last update I have to wish my wife Shannon happy anniversary. Very nearly 19 years together, and 16 years married. Feels like a lifetime together, and yet I can remember our first date like it was yesterday. I love you baby. Here is to a lifetime of memories to come!

Finally this years family trip is coming up fast! 31 days or so until we head south the Florida for some time at Universal Studios and Disney World. Between the new Star Wars land and the Harry Potter attractions, pretty sure this is gonna be one epic trip! The only hard part will be trying NOT to eat Outback every single night 😉

Been a busy month since my last post! I don’t even know where to start! Got the summer off to a good start by installing mom/dads new pool liner. Just in time too! It’s been a great summer for swimming! The kids have been in the pool many many times. Unfortunately we didn’t get our liner ordered until mid-summer, and have decided to work on re-doing the deck and fences before installing it next spring. The liner is bought and ready to go, but looking like a job for early May when the spring comes around again.

As I mentioned in my last post, the truck issues, although small, were starting to pile up. And with me looking to replace it this fall anyways, I bit the bullet and decided to post it for sale. Long story short, the Sierra is sold and gone to it’s new home in Ottawa and has been replaced with a a 2013 Subaru WRX hatcbback. This one is far more stock than my previous (for now). Loving it so far! Stereo install is underway and modifications to be installed are piling up. I don’t plan on going crazy with it, but my 2010 taught me all the little mods that really help make this car a great daily driver. Some/most of those will be installed over the next 6 months or so.

In not so great news, I got hit with a case of strep throat last month. No big deal right? Some antibiotics and a few days and I’ll be right as rain? WRONG. So very wrong. Throat did get better quick, however the infection spread to my eye socket (bad eye) and kicked the hell out of me. I was in and out of hospitals for over a week for IV meds and cat scans and other fun stuff. Three hospital and 10 days later I finally started feeling better. And thankfully the worry of the infection hitting my optic nerve and/or going to my brain were avoided. Scary and extremely painful week that I’d like to never have again. Thankful for my wife for trying to take care of me despite me not being a very good patient. I don’t do sitting still very well.

Just when I started feeling better, Shannon got hit with a terrible care of kidney stones. Two trips to the hospital and enough meds to knock down a horse, shes finally starting to come around. The pain and agony she was going through was something no one should ever to endure. Hoping the worst of it is behind her now. Don’t ever want to see her go through anything like that again.

And finally, on to some amazing news, Katie and Brian welcomed Veronica (Ronnie) Faye to the world! She’s as cute as a button and as mellow as her big sister Arizona. Congratulations guys! You done good!

Holy shit, we’re 1/3 of the way through August. Ugh,