Donald's Truck

Remember how I drove the truck back to Donald's? And how a week later he brought it back and parked it right back in the shop where it had been before? The reason he brought it back was so that he and his boys could clean his junk out of Bobchi's shop. After a couple week's worth of hemming and hawing around, though, it didn't much look like the truck or the junk was going to be moving anywhere anytime soon.

That's why, day before yesterday, I went and loaded up every last piece into the back of the truck. I was about to drive it back to his place when he showed up and decided to do it himself. It was a relief to see the truck and the junk headed out the driveway for what we hope will be the last time.

At this point, we should be ahead of the game... except that when he took the truck, he left his van behind.

The Black Hole

Another good YouTube video.

Hanker For A Hunk O' Cheese

I ran across this blast from the past in a recent e-ramble. Enjoy!

Ouch

Pepe Le Pew

We have a skunk.

Bobchi has noticed it around her place at various times, and it seems to be coming back fairly regularly. Yesterday evening, we looked up from the supper table and noticed it wandering around back of the barn.

Of course, our biggest concern is that Shiloh might happen on it one day and, being unafraid of most animals, would get close enough to be sprayed.

Julie made a quick phone call to Donald, who came directly with an assortment of rifles and shotguns. I'm not sure if Donald was expecting a protracted gun battle with the skunk, but nonetheless Mr. Fiddler was well armed as he cautiously approached the barn from the east side, looking for Pepe, while Donald remained in the relative safety of his van.

Alas, it was not to be. Pepe disappeared into the tall grass behind the barn and made tracks for someplace else. And so, it would seem that Le Pew will live to see another day. Let's just hope that on future meetings, McLeod manages to get off a shot before the skunk does.

Adultescence

On his blog, Dad has commented on the fact that our society lack a definitive "coming of age" ceremony, a specific point in a young man's life when his boyhood ends and adulthood begins. In fact, our culture makes a decided lean to the opposite, avoiding holding young people responsible for much of anything. The obvious result is that young people aren't terribly good at shouldering responsibility even as they age, often resulting in adults who aren't able to conduct their lives in a mature fashion.

Reading through the morning paper as I occasionally do, my eye was drawn to this Winnipeg Free Press article that was written along a similar vein. It seems that social scientists have coined a new term to describe this relatively new phenomenon: "adultescence".

"The boundaries between childhood and adulthood have become increasingly blurred," said sociologist Barbara Mitchell, professor of gerontology at Simon Fraser University in B.C. Of course, Mitchell doesn't add that in blurring those boundaries, modern society has created adults -- even seniors -- who, fundamentally, are still children.

Our children are our future, we're constantly reminded. Apparently, though, the meaning of this mantra is a bit more literal than we had previously imagined.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." - 1 Corinthians 13:11

Thy Heart it Beats so Tenderly

Listen to my little girl's heart beat:

Week 22

Julie is 22 weeks along this week, and the baby continues to grow at a rapid pace. This week she has fully developed eyelashes and eyebrows and the hair on her head is continuing to grow as her brain begins a rapid growth process. Her fingerprints have fully formed and loud noises can wake her up. She may begin kicking and turning around, too. Her nose is taking on a more defined shape as cartilage appears. She is approximately 12.2 inches and weighs about one pound.

Help Us Name Baby

We're tossing around a few names, and I thought I'd give y'all a chance to weigh in. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the few names we've bandied about so far and pick the ones you like best. Or, leave a comment here and make a suggestion.

Baby Clothes

Shopping for baby clothes is fun, but it's better when they're on sale! Daniel and I found these at Superstore for cheaps. Aren't they cute?

Plain white play suit. $0.94.


Fish pajamas, $3.94.


"Handle With Care".


This onesie and the one above for $4.94.


Two-piece pink hoodie and pants.


It has little bears on it. Hoodie $2.94, pants $1.94.


Nice thick socks to keep little baby toes warm. $3.94.


This is 3-6 months, but it was on sale for $1.94.


Also 3-6 months, but on sale for $0.99.

Melissa bought this dress in Barcelona from Som Naturals.

- Julie

Food Stamps

We've been deep-cleaning Bobchi's place the last few days, and have run across a number of interesting bits of history in the process. One particularly noteworthy object was a Canadian ration booklet that was issued to her during World War II. It looks very similar to the one above, except that it has her name and info written on the front. Only a few of the brightly colored ration stamps were used.

While I was looking for a picture for this post, I found a Canadian site that sells these booklets. "Allison" is one of the available names. Guess I'm not the first Allison to make it to Canada, eh? (In fact, there are 78 listings for Allison in the Manitoba phone book.)

MIT For Free

Check out this article in this month's Popular Science magazine. It details how MIT has begun putting all of their college courses online for free. Yup, you heard right: free. Of course, you won't get credit for viewing the material or taking the tests, but coupled with alternative testing options like CLEP, homeschooling college just got a whole lot easier.

Popular Science, September issue, "MIT For Free".

The Boat Tour

We visited The Forks on Tuesday and took a Splash Dash boat tour. The tour includes several notable landmarks from Winnipeg history along the crossing of the Assiniboine and the Red rivers.

Shiloh was very reserved about the experience, but seemed to enjoy himself. It must've worn him out, though, because as soon as we were back in the car he was zonked on the back seat.

The Legislative Building in Winnipeg, which is particularly noted for the "Golden Boy" statue on the roof. Also in the picture (but hidden in the tree at the crest of the river bank) is a statue of Luis Riel.


The St. Boniface Basilica.


The Provencher Bridge, spanning the Red River. Home to Salisbury House, a Manitoba restaurant chain.


Heading north down the river toward Selkirk (the Red River flows south-to-north, eventually emptying into Lake Winnipeg, which is part of the Hudson Bay watershed). You can see downtown Winnipeg from here.


Going south up the Red River, approaching the Provencher Bridge.

Splash Dash also has a water bus service, with docks all around Winnipeg accessing points of interest. You can buy a pass for the day and use it as many times as you'd like. We'll keep this fun idea on the back burner and take a walking/sight-seeing/shopping trip one day.

Folklorama: Le Pavilon Canadiens-Français

We visited the French Canadian pavilion Friday night, and enjoyed an evening of good food and lively entertainment.

Between the six of us, we sampled mostly everything on the menu (pictured below) and were most impressed. We collectively decided that the value of the food at this pavilion was better than at many of the others.


(Click to enlarge)

We were fortunate to get good seats, and I was able to film the entire exposition for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

The Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday, Goosey!

Love you!
Daniel, Julie, Shiloh, and Baby

Baby Pictures

Pictures of my little girl from yesterday's ultrasound:

Can you see her eyes, nose and mouth?



Cute little baby toes. Her ankles were daintily crossed for most of the ultrasound, until she began what appeared to be calisthenics.



Waving. Or gesturing "Sheesh!" Not really sure which.



In profile. This was remarkably hard to take, because she kept waving her arms around.

Yesterday

Yesterday's weather turned out very nice, and Shiloh spent most of the day in the pool. This pool isn't big enough, but it is larger. Shiloh loves to dunk his face in the water and splash.

You Raise Me Up

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I'm on your shoulders
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Confederate Canuck Presents:

Today, we solute you, Mr. Kurta-Wearing Folklorama Attendee.

Most people show up to these events wearing normal clothing. But not you. You take the cultural festival to a new level, showing up at the India Pavilion dressed in a traditional Indian costume.

Never mind the fact that with your blond hair, watery blue eyes, and skim milk complexion, you look about as Indian as a T-bone steak.

You're not here to experience the "ethnic heritage" of another country, because you've obviously been there, done that, and you're sporting the traditional t-shirt. No, you're here to enlighten, to show your acceptance and prove to the world how inclusive of other peoples white Liberals can be.

So if the other attendees think you look like a complete moron, well, they're the real morons. And they're probably mean-spirited, too.

Without you to stand up courageously in your store bought man-dress and lead the rest of us ignorant peasants to cultural awareness and affirmation, the Land of the Maple Leaf just wouldn't be the same.

So kick back and crack open an ice cold Jal-Jeera, O Sovereign of the Salwars, because you know -- Folklorama is really just a ComicCon for culture geeks like you.

Folklorama: Greek Pavilion

Held in the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, the highlight of this relatively small, intimate venue is definitely the food. The mouth-watering menu included lemon potatoes, green beans, moussaka, souvlaki, pitas, spanakopita and tiropita (a 40th anniversary dish).

Unsure if I could possibly have the same strong allergic reaction to lamb that Katie does, I decided to throw caution to the wind and sample the lamb souvlaki. If I could relive any moment of my life, it would be that one -- and best of all, I didn't fall writhing to the floor in a fit of anaphylactic shock! Fortunately, we won't have to wait until next year to sample these culinary delights again -- there's a new Opa! Souvlaki in Polo Park mall.

The entertainment is short and sweet at just under 30 minutes, but isn't all that riveting besides a few impressive moves by the male dancers. Unfortunately, tonight was the night that I was in a hurry and forgot the camera at home. The show was much like last year's, though, so you really didn't miss much. Just imagine the shots of delicious Greek food I was going to take for you, and you've got the highlights.

Bottom line: The venue and entertainment aren't particularly exciting, but the food definitely is. Which could be why the offer it "to go".

Week 19

Julie is now 19 weeks along in the pregnancy, and is nearing the halfway point. The baby should now be about 8-9 ounces in weight and about 6 inches long. To see what the baby looks like this week, click here. To see what Julie looks like this week, scroll down.

Baby Bump

Isn't she cute?

Folklorama: Métis Pavilion

The Métis are a people descended of marriages of Cree, Ojibway, Algonquin, Saulteaux, Menominee, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, and other First Nations to Europeans, mainly French. From the European blood came fiddle music, jigging, and square dancing, all of which are still a very important part of Métis culture. The video above features Clint Dutiamume on fiddle.

Foods available at this pavilion were bison stew, buffalo burgers, fried bannock, a traditional meat pie called touitiere, and what Mr. Fiddler refers to as "indian tacos" (although I'm quite sure they have a more politically correct name for it).

This was Shiloh's favorite pavilion. This is his kind of music, judging by the all clapping, cheering, and singing coming from his chair.

Folklorama: Russian Pavilion

This is probably my favorite pavilion, simply because it features music by Limpopo. This upbeat band has it's origins in Moscow, and has been performing since 1986. The group toured the former Soviet Union performing in some of it's most famous theaters. In 1991, Limpopo performed in the States as a four-member folk and comedy troupe. They were very successful performing for audiences of all ages across Canada and the United States at music and comedy festivals.

Listen to the clips above to hear such traditional Russian favorites as, "When My Dear Mother Was Send Me Off to the Army", "Boots Filled Up With Money All the Way", and the great Russian love song, "You Let Me Down". If you like their music, you can find other performances on Youtube, or on their website.

Shiloh didn't much care for this pavilion, due to our close proximity to the sound system. He is frightened by loud noises and accordions, so this turned out to be a bit of a hair-raising experience for him. You may hear him making alarmed noises at different points during the performance.

Folklorama

It's that time of year again -- Folklorama kicked off last night at the Forks in Winnipeg. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia, explaining what it is:

Folklorama is an event that runs for two weeks each August in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Folklorama is the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in the world (acknowledged by the International Council of Organizations for Folklore Festivals and Folk Art, also known as CIOFF). Visitors to the festival are invited to sample exotic cuisine and celebrate the cultural and ethnic heritage of people from dozens of countries who have made Winnipeg their home. Typically there are 40 to 45 pavilions presented, with half operating in week one and half in week two of the festival. Each country has an assigned venue, known as a pavilion. These pavilions are located throughout the city. Each pavilion presents a show featuring the song and dance of their culture, along with trademark ethnic cuisine and a cultural display. Many pavilions provide additional interactive components, such as having henna tattoos applied, or sell souvenirs and crafts to take home. Folklorama provides exposure to cultural groups and brings in thousands of tourists each year, adding to the city's economy. The Folk Arts Council of Winnipeg is the organizing body of Folklorama.

Look for pictures and video of Folklorama as we visit pavilions in the coming week. If you'd like us to visit a specific pavilion and make it the subject of a post, check out the Folklorama 2009 Travel Guide and let us know.