Friday, March 26, 2010
Travel Deals
Hey there. Some of you may be visiting because you saw my ads in Kijiji. First of all just let me say thanks for visiting. Second, your stop here to check out these sites can save you a lot of money! You see, the prices in these links can only be found through an "affiliate" of the company(me) and are a lot cheaper than if you googled the website on your own. If you don't want to spend the time researching vacations on your own, email me at rickmckenzie_69@hotmail.com and let me know where you want to go. I'll research the trip for you and get back to you with the details (pricing, etc.) I'm providing this service free of charge as I get paid from the company if you book something. Happy travels!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Spring Break
Happy Spring Break everybody. Tomorrow we are heading to Duluth for a mini holiday. We are all very much looking forward to it. If I can get to a computer, I'll blog our shenanigans here for those who want to see what we're up to!
See ya!
See ya!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Ode To My Mom (not a happy post)
Seven years ago today was the worst day of my life. I got home from work that day and got a call from my dad. A call I almost didn't answer because the call display was a long distance number I didn't recognize, but I answered it anyway, maybe because I was in a super good mood at the time.
It was my dad calling from my uncle's in Minneapolis. He said he and mom were in a car accident on their way home, and when I asked him where mom was he had to tell me she was gone.
What made this especially hard was our son Andrew was 17 months old at the time. He was mom's only grandchild and she absolutely adored him. She would come and visit us for weeks at a time and spend it all with Andrew; taking him for walks and playing with him around the house. What particularly bothers me is he was too young to form any memories of her.
The next day me, Jennifer and Andrew raced home to Selkirk to be with family and friends and prepare for mom's funeral. Dad's house was packed with people for days, the support was appreciated. Mom passed away on a Monday and yet by Friday they were able to get her back to Selkirk and we had her funeral then. About 250 people attended mom's service. I had no idea she was so popular!
Mom's passing caused an interesting situation for our family in that we decided to sue the driver that caused the accident. Our lawyer was a really nice guy and made trips to visit us in Selkirk and here in Sioux Lookout. It took months and even though the other driver had 2 miilion dollars in third party liability, and dad was found to be at 0% fault; we had to settle in court for considerably less. That is why I'm not a fan of insurance companies. They make billions in revenue from premiums, but when there's a claim, you have to fight them for every little penny, they make me sick. (Sorry for you folks reading this that may be employees of insurance companies; I'm not mad at you.)
I'd have to say that the support of my family, especially my wife Jennifer and our son Andrew, as well as my dad and my sister, helped me get through that traumatic time. Even though it was seven years ago, I still think about my mom often, and what would my life be like if she were still here.
I've actually been asked by people if I could talk to my mom again, would I? My answer would be no. Becasue then I'd have to say goodbye to her again, and once was enough.
It was my dad calling from my uncle's in Minneapolis. He said he and mom were in a car accident on their way home, and when I asked him where mom was he had to tell me she was gone.
What made this especially hard was our son Andrew was 17 months old at the time. He was mom's only grandchild and she absolutely adored him. She would come and visit us for weeks at a time and spend it all with Andrew; taking him for walks and playing with him around the house. What particularly bothers me is he was too young to form any memories of her.
The next day me, Jennifer and Andrew raced home to Selkirk to be with family and friends and prepare for mom's funeral. Dad's house was packed with people for days, the support was appreciated. Mom passed away on a Monday and yet by Friday they were able to get her back to Selkirk and we had her funeral then. About 250 people attended mom's service. I had no idea she was so popular!
Mom's passing caused an interesting situation for our family in that we decided to sue the driver that caused the accident. Our lawyer was a really nice guy and made trips to visit us in Selkirk and here in Sioux Lookout. It took months and even though the other driver had 2 miilion dollars in third party liability, and dad was found to be at 0% fault; we had to settle in court for considerably less. That is why I'm not a fan of insurance companies. They make billions in revenue from premiums, but when there's a claim, you have to fight them for every little penny, they make me sick. (Sorry for you folks reading this that may be employees of insurance companies; I'm not mad at you.)
I'd have to say that the support of my family, especially my wife Jennifer and our son Andrew, as well as my dad and my sister, helped me get through that traumatic time. Even though it was seven years ago, I still think about my mom often, and what would my life be like if she were still here.
I've actually been asked by people if I could talk to my mom again, would I? My answer would be no. Becasue then I'd have to say goodbye to her again, and once was enough.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Andrew's First Away Hockey Tournament
Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we all piled into our Kia and headed to Kenora for Andrew's first out of town hockey tournament. His team played four games; two on Friday and two on Saturday; and his team finished with a record of one win, one tie, and two losses. Andrew actually scored a goal in their first game, but his shot went in off of a team mate's stick so the other kid got credit for it.
The tournament had sixteen teams in it and for the most part was organized and ran very well. If I had to make one complaint, it would have to be about the referees. No, the refereeing did not cost us any games, but a lot of penalties that should have been called were not; and I was terrified someone was going to get hurt.
Anyways....... We stayed at the Best Western Lakeside Inn in Kenora; which was nice because it had a pool and it was right next to one of the arenas Andrew played in.
In between games we killed time mostly by letting the kids go swimming. There was a pool in our hotel but there was also a REALLY NICE pool in the arena, so needless to say the kids were pretty waterlogged by Sunday morning!
In the evenings most of the parents got together for a drink while the kids all played with each other, or we were all up visiting by the pool while the kids went swimming. It was a lot of fun. Jennifer and I planned to use some downtime to visit some stores and maybe shop a little, but surprisingly, there wasn't much time for that.
If any parents are reading this and thinking about putting their kids in hockey, I would say if your kid wants to play hockey, then go for it, but don't encourage them to play if they don't want to. Hockey is alot of fun, but at the same time it's expensive, and even a little dangerous too, so kids have to learn to be careful. And it's a real hassle to get kids into all that equipment!
To go to Andrew's hockey team's website; click here.
The tournament had sixteen teams in it and for the most part was organized and ran very well. If I had to make one complaint, it would have to be about the referees. No, the refereeing did not cost us any games, but a lot of penalties that should have been called were not; and I was terrified someone was going to get hurt.
Anyways....... We stayed at the Best Western Lakeside Inn in Kenora; which was nice because it had a pool and it was right next to one of the arenas Andrew played in.
In between games we killed time mostly by letting the kids go swimming. There was a pool in our hotel but there was also a REALLY NICE pool in the arena, so needless to say the kids were pretty waterlogged by Sunday morning!
In the evenings most of the parents got together for a drink while the kids all played with each other, or we were all up visiting by the pool while the kids went swimming. It was a lot of fun. Jennifer and I planned to use some downtime to visit some stores and maybe shop a little, but surprisingly, there wasn't much time for that.
If any parents are reading this and thinking about putting their kids in hockey, I would say if your kid wants to play hockey, then go for it, but don't encourage them to play if they don't want to. Hockey is alot of fun, but at the same time it's expensive, and even a little dangerous too, so kids have to learn to be careful. And it's a real hassle to get kids into all that equipment!
To go to Andrew's hockey team's website; click here.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Back to Reality
I'm back at work now following our whirlwind 12 day Christmas vacation. My plan was to document it here often while we were gone, but my hectic schedule didn't permit it! Anyway, for those who are interested, here's how it went.
We left for Winnipeg on December 22 and arrived at Jenn's dad's in Ille des chenes around 5 or 6pm. Jenn and I toyed with the idea of going to a movie, but instead we stayed in and called it a night early.
On the 23rd we left for Regina. Me, Jenn, and two kids in one car, Michelle, Don and the other two kids in Michelle's van. Regina is about a six hour drive from Winnipeg, but if you travel with Don, it's eight. We left around 10am and drove without incident to Brandon where we stopped at "Timmy's" for coffee and a pee.
Don likes to chat with the locals when we travel, and this stop was no exception, but thankfully he took the hint after about half an hour that we wanted to get back on the road. (The hint being we put our coats on and left.)
An hour past Brandon is Moosomin, Sk and we stopped there for lunch at a little place called the Red Barn. Excellent restaurant, stop there if you're in the neighbourhood. Then we departed for Regina, about another 2 or 3 hours drive, but this one was made longer due to a snowstorm, yay!
So, for about 2 or 2.5 hours we chugged along the transcanada highway in a blizzard. In the ditch along the way, we saw a semi, an old Ford Bronco, and a boat, yes you read correctly, a boat. Who tows a boat in a snowstorm???
Thankfully we arrived in Regina and after Don's top notch navigating we arrived at the home of Jenn's step sister Linda and her family, Shawn, Cohen, Jake and Pascal.
I was pretty happy to get there and intended on getting a little looped, but fatigue set in before I could make good on my intentions!
We stayed at Shawn and Linda's from the 23rd to the 27th and enjoyed virtually every minute of our time there. Unfortunately it was pretty cold, so we didn't go out much. However the dads did manage to take the kids to Avatar on Christmas eve. (Great movie by the way) and swimming on Boxing day. The moms managed to go shopping! The kids mostly spent their time playing with toys and video games and waited for Santa to come, while the adults ate, drank, visited, and played a few games of crib and poker. I really like spending time with Shawn, so whenever he had to leave the house, I went with. Shawn is an entertainment lawyer and during a trip to his office I got to hold some Gemini awards and I picked up a signed photo of the cast from Corner Gas, which I gave to my dad.
I was sad to leave Shawn and Linda's on the 27th as I was having a lot of fun and making a few bucks playing crib and poker! But it was time to go and off we went.
On the way back to Winnipeg we managed to touch base with Jenn's friend Penny and her husband Steven, who live on a farm just outside of Portage la Prairie, MB. We stopped in for a visit and wound up staying later than we planned, but that was ok. We visited with Penny and Steven while our kid played together with toys and vids.
From the 28th of December to New Year's day, we hung our hats at my dad's in Selkirk, MB. (Or as Andrew likes to call it, Selkrit) Jenn and I did a little shopping and took our car in for some new sway bar links at the Kia dealership. I made out really good by getting an early birthday present, a new pair of Reebok skates. Easily the most comfortable skate I have ever owned, and they pump up around your ankles for extra support.
While in Selkirk, we managed to hook up with my best friend Charlie and his family. We visited at his house before confiscating him and taking him to Avatar. Yes, we saw it again, but this time in 3D! We also saw my friend Bill's family, but not him as he was working. According to his wife Kathy, he works through Christmas and New Year's every year because he doesn't like the hustle and bustle of it all. I'll have to admit; I'm somewhat the same way, but I'm not going to work!
New Year's eve was a blast as we spent it with Penny and Steven at their farm along with another family who were visiting from Dryden. We had a great supper, some beer and wine, and played cards, but the funnest part was playing Rockband! The adults must have been at it for 2 or 3 hours, time goes by fast when you're rockin' out!
We didn't get back to my dad's until about 2am, thank heaven the kids slept in a bit the next day!
On New Year's day we visited my family at Auntie Lou's in "Selkrit" and then helped Don celebrate his 60th b-day at his home in Ill des Chenes. We stayed the night there and left for home on the 2nd. Overall a great Christmas, but I think it's safe to say we were all pretty happy to get home!
Warehouse Sale at Sears.ca (January 4-24)
We left for Winnipeg on December 22 and arrived at Jenn's dad's in Ille des chenes around 5 or 6pm. Jenn and I toyed with the idea of going to a movie, but instead we stayed in and called it a night early.
On the 23rd we left for Regina. Me, Jenn, and two kids in one car, Michelle, Don and the other two kids in Michelle's van. Regina is about a six hour drive from Winnipeg, but if you travel with Don, it's eight. We left around 10am and drove without incident to Brandon where we stopped at "Timmy's" for coffee and a pee.
Don likes to chat with the locals when we travel, and this stop was no exception, but thankfully he took the hint after about half an hour that we wanted to get back on the road. (The hint being we put our coats on and left.)
An hour past Brandon is Moosomin, Sk and we stopped there for lunch at a little place called the Red Barn. Excellent restaurant, stop there if you're in the neighbourhood. Then we departed for Regina, about another 2 or 3 hours drive, but this one was made longer due to a snowstorm, yay!
So, for about 2 or 2.5 hours we chugged along the transcanada highway in a blizzard. In the ditch along the way, we saw a semi, an old Ford Bronco, and a boat, yes you read correctly, a boat. Who tows a boat in a snowstorm???
Thankfully we arrived in Regina and after Don's top notch navigating we arrived at the home of Jenn's step sister Linda and her family, Shawn, Cohen, Jake and Pascal.
I was pretty happy to get there and intended on getting a little looped, but fatigue set in before I could make good on my intentions!
We stayed at Shawn and Linda's from the 23rd to the 27th and enjoyed virtually every minute of our time there. Unfortunately it was pretty cold, so we didn't go out much. However the dads did manage to take the kids to Avatar on Christmas eve. (Great movie by the way) and swimming on Boxing day. The moms managed to go shopping! The kids mostly spent their time playing with toys and video games and waited for Santa to come, while the adults ate, drank, visited, and played a few games of crib and poker. I really like spending time with Shawn, so whenever he had to leave the house, I went with. Shawn is an entertainment lawyer and during a trip to his office I got to hold some Gemini awards and I picked up a signed photo of the cast from Corner Gas, which I gave to my dad.
I was sad to leave Shawn and Linda's on the 27th as I was having a lot of fun and making a few bucks playing crib and poker! But it was time to go and off we went.
On the way back to Winnipeg we managed to touch base with Jenn's friend Penny and her husband Steven, who live on a farm just outside of Portage la Prairie, MB. We stopped in for a visit and wound up staying later than we planned, but that was ok. We visited with Penny and Steven while our kid played together with toys and vids.
From the 28th of December to New Year's day, we hung our hats at my dad's in Selkirk, MB. (Or as Andrew likes to call it, Selkrit) Jenn and I did a little shopping and took our car in for some new sway bar links at the Kia dealership. I made out really good by getting an early birthday present, a new pair of Reebok skates. Easily the most comfortable skate I have ever owned, and they pump up around your ankles for extra support.
While in Selkirk, we managed to hook up with my best friend Charlie and his family. We visited at his house before confiscating him and taking him to Avatar. Yes, we saw it again, but this time in 3D! We also saw my friend Bill's family, but not him as he was working. According to his wife Kathy, he works through Christmas and New Year's every year because he doesn't like the hustle and bustle of it all. I'll have to admit; I'm somewhat the same way, but I'm not going to work!
New Year's eve was a blast as we spent it with Penny and Steven at their farm along with another family who were visiting from Dryden. We had a great supper, some beer and wine, and played cards, but the funnest part was playing Rockband! The adults must have been at it for 2 or 3 hours, time goes by fast when you're rockin' out!
We didn't get back to my dad's until about 2am, thank heaven the kids slept in a bit the next day!
On New Year's day we visited my family at Auntie Lou's in "Selkrit" and then helped Don celebrate his 60th b-day at his home in Ill des Chenes. We stayed the night there and left for home on the 2nd. Overall a great Christmas, but I think it's safe to say we were all pretty happy to get home!
Warehouse Sale at Sears.ca (January 4-24)
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