Month: April 2019

Bowling For Birthdays

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On Sunday, our daughter had a small birthday party. She planned the party about a week prior and decided to hit the local five pin bowling alley in Aldergrove. This is the third birthday in a row that she has done bowling.

Last year she had a great time with her friends out bowling. Same the year before when she turned Lucky 13. It seems our daughter enjoys this sport.

We arrived and the alley was like a ghost town. Considering the only other bowling alley had shut down about a year ago… you’d think the place would be busier. It also made me realize that this sport is not the most glamorous- but still very amusing.

I’m glad to have shown our daughter the joy of bowling when she was younger. I’m also happy she is creating her own birthday traditions.

After a couple rounds, we stopped for cake and gifts. It seems that our daughter has a great group of friends who love to be silly. A Hello Kitty cake and lots of laughs were had.

I wonder if next year she will do the same thing… if the bowling alley still exists…

I Miss Our Con Family

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This weekend was a tough one for me. It’s the first year that we aren’t doing the Convention Circuit. And our favorite con- Calgary Expo- just ended.

I missed seeing our friends. The jokes, the smiles, the love. But we couldn’t go. New commitments, the kids growing older, and the realization that there is no money in the Banana Stand this year.

Our Con Family made the pilgrimage to the yearly reunion. We did not. I sent messages of encouragement and watched on social media how their weekend was. A little bit of me died inside this weekend. It was already hard last year when we had to Say Goodbye one last time.

Now the weekend is over. No new con memories made- at least not for us. I’m sure our friends had some entertaining moments. At least that’s what I could see from time to time on social media while hiding out one province over. Maybe one day my family and I will make the trek out to where it all began for us. But I doubt it.

I think that part of my life must remain in my past. Just a distant memory of the way things once were. Time to move on and let others create their own memories.

Long Live The Con Life.

Pub Night Fundraising

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night my wife and I attended a Pub Night Fundraiser. The fundraiser was for the Grade Seven Camping trip coming up in June. This is probably the third Pub Night we’ve ever attended with the last one being back in October of 2016. This time it was for our son and his classmates. We had to make this one.

The tickets included a beer, burger and fries. I wasn’t expecting much because of previous experiences at Pub Nights in other locations. But I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. I forgot how good the food was at Jimy Mac’s.

Image: Jimy Mac’s Facebook

Jimy Mac’s is a well established sports pub. It’s been around since I can remember. My first job when I was sixteen was across the street from them back in 1992. When I turned legal drinking age, it was only one of two locations nearby my home to go to. However, I don’t think I’ve been inside the pub for about fifteen years.

The Pub Night was fantastic. Our fundraiser section was packed. The burger was delicious- you could tell that the pub has done these fundraisers before. The service was outstanding by the wait staff. They were very attentive to the needs of our group. Not only was the pub well organized, but the volunteers of the event had set up a 50/50 draw, twoonie toss, and prize giveaways. All proceeds going towards the camping trip.

My wife and found a spot at a long table and were joined by some parents we knew and some we hadn’t met before. We had such great conversations that I completely forgot to take out my phone to snap some images. That is a sign of a good time.

Fundraising isn’t always fun or easy. But the event last night proved to be successful. I want to offer a big thanks to Jimy Mac’s Pub and the fundraising volunteers for creating such a wonderful night.

Easter Was Sooooo Last Week…

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Our home gets decorated for the seasons and special holidays- Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Today we had our daughter pack up the Easter decorations. The same ones she set out about a month ago…

Since we are family of Atheists, the religious aspect of Easter isn’t represented. Just a bunch of cutesy bunnies and pastel colours. Which to me is more mainstream Easter (just like Santa equates Christmas).

With Easter behind us, it’s time for spring cleaning. Time to rid ourselves of unused and unwanted items. A rebirth of our household. A chance to also bring back to life our garden and yard. Filling bird feeders and getting our pond set up once more. A time to put behind the pastel colours and bring forth the vibrant greenery and rainbow flowers.

Time to get ready for summer weather and sunny days.

Enchilada!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

For the past few days we’ve been planning on having lasagna. Today I started to brown the beef and went to the cupboard to get the lasagna noodles. You know, the noodles my children said we had in the cupboard? Ya. Let’s try feeding a family of five…

With two noodles?!?!

Okay. Time for dad to improvise. Google- help me! What do you do with ground beef that is already getting browned? You make enchilada pie of course.

Taco seasoning, salsa, frozen corn, some tortillas leftover from the other day, shredded cheese, and a can of black beans (thank goodness we always have canned goods in our cupboard!) As I started making our new dinner, everyone came in asking what I was putting into the lasagna. When the new dinner was announced- smiles came to their faces.

We will be topping the enchilada pie with sour cream and avocado. We have been really enjoying those avocados lately. I have been making poached eggs on avocado toast for my wife quite a bit. But that’s for another post.

Mexican inspired food is always a favorite in our home. I love the inexpensiveness of making these meals for the family. As well as the ease of creating tasty meals. It’s amazing how ground beef and shredded cheese can be spread out significantly.

Dinner looks and smells delicious. 20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes cooking makes this a relatively easy dinner.

Here’s the link to the recipe for tonight’s last minute meal: Kraft Enchilada Pie

No, I don’t get any kickbacks from Kraft. Or any other companies. I just love to share ideas that work.

Marvel Mania

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This weekend marks some closure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney isn’t stopping production of Marvel films by any means. But with “Avengers: Endgame” the stories could take a drastically different route.

11 years of MCU all leading up to this latest installment. I’m excited and not going to speculate on the outcome. Nor have I been reading anything online about the film. I refuse to succumb to spoilers or fan theories. I just want to see the movie and enjoy it.

MCU isn’t the first film franchise to spread out over the years. Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings come to mind for fan favorites. Because of devoted fans, there are also devoted haters. People who are “sick of hearing about the films” but want to share their negativity as loudly as possible. I don’t understand why people want to poopoo on other people’s happiness.

I, for one, am going to enjoy the show with my family. Of all the fandom t-shirts I own, none are Marvel based. So I’m rocking my favorite cartoon villain- Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls. He’s not like Thanos, but still a favorite of mine.

Let’s hear it for fictional bad guys! (Not irl bad guys.) Let me know in the comments if you ever cheer for villains!

Burn!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Having an acre full of trees and bushes is wonderful. The lush abundance of nature is tranquil and serene. As well, we have a sense of privacy from our neighbors which is fantastic. The only problem is the upkeep of the yard.

But we have two times of the year that we can really tackle and take back the yard- October and April. That’s because we get to burn all the dead branches and leaves. My wife claims it to be the best yard work job to do. In other words- she loves destroying with fire!

Burning Season means we also get the entire family out in the yard to help. Cutting branches, ripping out brambles, pulling out invasive plants… All of which gets tossed onto the fire. My wife likes to take full advantage of the weather and her days off in order to make a big dent in the landscaping. Next month we will be maintaining what we planted as well as basic chores.

I enjoy the final results. After a hard day of yard work, you just want to sit and relax. I have come to be using our wheelbarrow as a seat now. I chill with a cold beverage and watch the fire as it winds down. A great opportunity to reflect on life. A fire pit and the sun setting on our abode ends the day.

Don’t Worry – Be Happy

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Back in 1988, I got a tape cassette for the “Cocktail” movie soundtrack. I had never seen the film- I was only thirteen at the time (I still haven’t seen it). Going to movies at that age were generally comedic or of a family style. But this film had a soundtrack that perfectly summed up that year.

I listened to it on my ghetto blaster over and over. A favorite song being, “Don’t Worry- Be Happy“. I played this soundtrack so much that a couple of years later- when my parents bought their first CD player- I was given the soundtrack again on CD.

To this day, I still like this soundtrack and that particular song. The advice is prevalent even more so in this day and age. So get out there and live life. The best way to do this-

Don’t Worry – Be Happy

Delete That

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I began writing my blog for today, but wasn’t happy with it. It was a very heavy opinion piece that even made me angry reading it. Not because I wouldn’t agree with my piece, but rather that people could end up offended. And that is not the goal I have with my blog.

So I deleted it.

That blog ceased to be. It is in the dark recesses of technological ones and zeros. I removed it one character at a time. I watched as my cursor blinked slowly at first as each letter vanished. Then whole words disappeared, followed by entire sentences.

So now you get this blog entry instead. I wish it was more inspiring. Perhaps it is?

Perhaps not sharing a differing opinion because I knew it could push some buttons is in fact an inspiration.

Skating Never Ends

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The Speed Skating season is over. But that doesn’t mean that training is over. On Saturday morning I took my son to meet up with some other members of his Speed Skating club for an hour so that they could get a bit of a workout.

It was a beautiful day, so the kids went out on their in-line skates for some more practice. The four of them enjoyed it tremendously. What I really liked was that it was one of the skaters that wanted to arrange this, not a parent or coach. Speed Skating is a serious endeavor for those involved. The fact that these kids are taking it seriously makes me proud.

I need to get myself more disciplined like these youngsters. Perhaps it’s time for me to put my inline skates back on…

Do A Barrel Roll

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Friday was a day of yard work. My daughter helped me set up a couple of planters and some new drainage.

I picked up a couple of half whiskey barrels on sale. Our daughter drilled some drainage holes for me. Afterwards we placed them on either side of our carport. We put some styrofoam about half full followed by some drainage stones and soil.

I dug up a couple of ferns and some vines we had in our yard and transplanted them into the pots. My daughter and I removed the downspouts and set up something different.

My daughter and I cleaned up some old chains and spray painted them gloss black. We hung the chains from the copper spouts and into the planters. We added some stones on top of the soil to help keep the dirt from washing away. Having the chains go from the downspouts will help to drain the water from our roof and keep the pine needles from clogging up the drainage. The final result also changed the look of our home tremendously.

As a small celebration, I enjoyed some “Barrel of Sunshine” afterwards. Having a shot helped me to appreciate the hard work being done all day. I’m excited to possibly try this in other areas of our home.

How is your garden growing these days? Ever plant a whiskey barrel before?

Do A Barrel Roll

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Friday was a day of yard work. My daughter even helped me set up a couple of planters and some new drainage.

I picked up a couple of half whiskey barrels on sale. Our daughter drilled some drainage holes for me. Afterwards we placed them on either side of our carport. We put some styrofoam about half full followed by some drainage stones and soil.

I dug up a couple of ferns and some vines we had in our yard and transplanted them into the pots. My daughter and I removed the downspouts and set up something different.

My daughter and I cleaned up some old chains and spray painted them gloss black. We hung the chains from the copper spouts and into the planters. We added some stones on top of the soil to help keep the dirt from washing away. Having the chains go from the downspouts will help to drain the water from our roof and keep the pine needles from clogging up the drainage. The final result also changed the look of our home tremendously.

As a small celebration, I enjoyed some “Barrel of Sunshine” afterwords. Having a shot helped me to appreciate the hard work being done all day. I’m excited to possibly try this in other areas of our home.

How is your garden growing these days? Ever plant a whiskey barrel before? Let me know in the comments.

Good. Friday.

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today is Good Friday. The kids were home from school and my wife and I had the day off. Our two youngest did one of the nicest things for their mother today.

They set up an Easter Egg Hunt in our living room- just for my wife. With only a little bit of help from me. (I bought the chocolates and made sure to get their mom out of the house this morning so they could set up.)

Over the past few days, the kids have been making little notes to go inside the plastic eggs. As well as a card from “The Easter Bunny”. The kids were really excited to surprise their mother today. I’m impressed that they kept it a secret.

Needless to say, my wife got very emotional. Easter and the Easter Egg Hunt has always been her favorite thing to do for the kids. This year was a nice way for the kids to treat their mother. I think my wife is a bit upset at me because for the past few days I kept telling her that the kids are getting too old for the Easter Bunny. That was a tough sell that didn’t go over well.

I don’t really think anyone is too old to enjoy a surprise scavenger hunt. If our kids still enjoy searching for chocolates as teenagers- so be it. Having them grow up is tough as it is.

Super Easy. Barely an Inconvenience.

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My kids have become obsessed with a YouTube channel these days. So much so that they are doing their best to incorporate some of the catchphrases into their daily routine. Which is “super easy, barely an inconvenience” if you ask my children.

Go and check out Screen Rant: Pitch Meetings and enjoy the banter of how your favorite films and tv shows got made. Or rather, a humorous take on how the film was created. Every video shows a “Producer” getting a pitch idea from a “Writer”. Oftentimes pointing out glaring plot holes and lazy movie making. You know, the stuff the studio doesn’t want you to think to hard about.

Whoops

Good YouTube channels are “Tight”. I highly recommend this one. I’ve even rewatched a few of the pitch meetings a couple of times. They are pretty amazing. I can’t wait to see their take on the next Marvel or Star Wars show.

Go and take some of your free time and enjoy Screen Rant. You won’t regret it.

Growing Food

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We aren’t exactly the best people to ask advice for when it comes to growing your own food. One year we have the best luck growing beans. Another year we have peppers. Usually we have zucchini galore. Tomatoes Are almost out of the question. We got lucky one year however. But in the end, we do grow some foods.

I like growing the easy plants. The ones that really don’t take much effort. Which sounds lazy. But really it isn’t. Take green onions or romaine lettuce for instance.

Romaine lettuce can regrow. But only for a little bit. If you cut the romaine down to about an inch or so from the base and put it in water- in about a week and a half you have some leaves growing. That’s about as big as it will grow. It’s only enough to get yourself some tiny lettuce leaves for a sandwich.

Green onions are similar. Cut them down to about a half inch and place it in water. They will continue to grow for quite some time. You can trim them for use repeatedly as well. Eventually they wilt or lose flavor.

We have also attempted to grow an avocado tree from a pit. We can usually get a good start, but after it’s planted in a pot, we have a dead tree on our hands. No matter how many times we try and grow it. Hopefully one day we will be successful.

Bonsai

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have always wanted a Bonsai. I tried to make one about 15 years ago, but I failed miserably. Mainly because I didn’t put in the care and effort needed to keep it alive. So why not try again..? I am using this as a zen inspired activity. Keeping it watered and trimmed from time to time will help to calm and relax.

I picked up a small juniper since they are the heartiest and easiest to form. I took it out of the plastic pot and planted it into a new clay pot. Unfortunately the pot I do have is a tad large for the roots. A healthy bonsai needs to have the roots trimmed as well as the branches. Unless I want the tree to grow fairly large. So another transplant may occur by the end of summer. We’ll see how it does.

Then came the time to trim away almost everything. A bit of wire was used to help form the branches. This is just the start of my bonsai. Keeping it trimmed and cared for will be ongoing for the remainder of my time. And a desperate hope to keep it alive…

Wish me luck in my Zen Adventure.

Darwin. April 15th, 2019

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Another trip around the sun has completed for our daughter Darwin. She turned 15 today. As much as I still want her to remain our little girl, I also know that she will be growing into an adult over the next few years.

Looking back at some of my previous blogs this year, I’ve noticed that we have shared some fantastic memories together.

In October, we were out hunting for a Halloween Costume.

We enjoyed last summer’s Bike ride around Barnston Island.

I’ve also noticed that she loves to have fun just like I do. Take last month’s Extreme Blanket Fort or our attempt at an Escape Room.

Watching her navigate her way into adulthood is interesting to say the least. She has goals and aspirations for her career and is constantly getting straight “A”s in order to accomplish this. She’s also inspired by my wife’s former fashion and has taken a liking to her old clothes. My wife is happy to see these clothes get a new lease on life.

Socially, our daughter has a ton of friends. She is kind to everyone she meets and is always ready to give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to awkward interactions. Which is a positive notion but realistically speaking will likely change as she grows. I just don’t want her kindheartedness to diminish.

I hope Darwin continues to enjoy life with a positive helping attitude and a warm hug when needed.

Happy Birthday Darwin!

You’re pretty amazing!

River Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today my boss took myself and a coworker out in his boat. We were going to attempt to do some white sturgeon fishing. We left at 9am to hit the Mighty Fraser River. Once on the River, we weighed anchor about a half dozen times in hopes to catch something.

The first spot we stopped at had plenty of harbor seals swimming around. We were sure it would be the best spot. No such luck. So we set off to find another location.

Even with a sonar and some fresh bait- the fish weren’t biting. About three hours into our day- we decided to have some lunch and a couple of beers. Why not enjoy the afternoon on the water?

We couldn’t really avoid work. The Fraser River is lined with train tracks as well as a rail bridge that crosses it. Naturally our conversations would resort back to talking trains. We had some good laughs and shared stories of our careers thus far.

We ended our day with no fish caught. We did enjoy our day of rest and relaxation though. At our last spot of the day, the seals were back to greet us. Which was nice. It was a good Sunday to be had.

Clothes Make The Man

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I just dress comfortably. Throw on a graphic tee and a pair of jeans-and I’m good to go. Most of my days are like that. I just enjoy being comfortable.

This Friday at work, I chose to dress a bit more upper class. A pair of linen pants, a long sleeved button up white shirt and an amazing velour jacket.

I was freaking killing it.

Needless to say, nearly everyone complimented my style. It was also pointed out that most do “Casual Friday” and dress the way I do on a regular basis. As if my “Casual Friday” means to dress it up. Which I suppose it does.

I figured that if the sun was going to shine for one day this week- I could rock the “Garden Party” look in this type of weather. No need to worry though- I’ll back to jeans and a tee shirt. But this man can still surprise you with his style.

Potato Chips

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I am a sucker for salty foods. I especially love potato chips.

My favorite is plain, unexceptional, salted ripple chips. My family each had a favorite as well- all trying to be differentiated from one another.

My son likes ketchup.

My youngest daughter prefers salt and vinegar or lightly salted.

My oldest daughter enjoys sour cream and onion.

My wife enjoys dill pickle.

Sometimes I pick up a large bag for each member of the family. Usually I just get a jumbo bag of salted chips and force my family to eat those. Okay, force isn’t the right word- they each the chips willingly.

For most of winter, we were eating a bowl of chips every night. Which was a bit much, so we went a few weeks without eating any. My wife wanted to only eat them on a Friday or Saturday from now on. But last night, I busted out favorite flavors for everyone. Not gonna lie, after eating a few chips, I felt unsatisfied. The fresh grapes we’ve been having lately seemed better.

Maybe it’s me getting older and my body telling me to eat better. But I think I won’t be buying chips as much anymore.

Don Quixote

Posted on by Josef Havelka

“You think you can hide from me? We shall have such great adventures together.”

On Wednesday April 10th, there was a limited screening of “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” by Terry Gilliam. I have been waiting years for this film. About a month ago, I found out this screening was happening- As I mentioned in My blog last month, I love Monty Python and Terry Gilliam. So I found someone else who equally appreciates these things and I bought two tickets to a film.

As I watched this film in an uncrowded cinema, I realized that his movies speak to a select audience. These aren’t Marvel or Star Wars. But it’s not exactly artsy either. It’s like having a dream come to life and everyone around is sharing it with you.

For my friend and I, this film did not disappoint. Terry Gilliam successfully shared a marvelous adventure through the art of celluloid. If you watch previous films of Mr. Gilliam, you can stitch together sensations from each of his pieces. As if this film is the culmination or even the pinnacle of his film making career.

Time Bandits

Brazil

The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen

The Fisher King

12 Monkeys

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Brothers Grimm

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

All of these play a part in the cinematic experience that created Don Quixote. From dream sequences to the angle of the artistic shots. From humor to homelessness and helplessness. The way insanity spreads and takes over but somehow makes everything better.

So there you have it. No spoilers. No criticisms. Perhaps one day I shall read the book. “A peasant like you cannot read. I will sound the words and you can look at the pictures.”

To tell you that I enjoyed the film would be meaningless.

But I enjoyed the film.

Lost

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Recently we have been enjoying the tv series “Lost” on Amazon Prime. The first time I saw the series was on Netflix a few years back. Now I can’t stop watching it.

We are about halfway through the show again. Only this time, our kids are watching with us. And they have so many questions.

So should I spoil the show for them and offer answers when they ask? That wouldn’t be very nice. In fact a few times the show has caught me second guessing what I thought I knew about it. There are so many twists and turns that I forgot about some of the aspects.

In the end, the show is re-watchable for exactly that. I know what is coming up. But I don’t remember the details. I still get a moment of surprise when something happens.

It’s like watching the show all over again for the first time. Only this time I know how it will end. I just don’t remember how we get there.

Yard Work, Yard Work, and More Yard Work

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have been tackling our yard over the past couple of days. Yesterday I was working on trimming our rhododendron bush when the rain hit. Today, I cleaned the green moss/mold off the front edges of our roof’s flashing.

Then I formed our boxwood bush using bailing wire and my electric hedge trimmer. Followed by planting some Hostas and Helleborus in a shady part of our front yard. I figure by the end of next week our front yard will win back it’s curb appeal.

Having an acre is difficult to maintain. It’s also difficult to figure out how to decorate and keep the flow going. We have a few spots that are overgrown or ignored. I’m hoping to change that this summer (on a budget!). Lots of work to do for the family.

Having three teenagers around can either be useful or frustrating depending on their attitudes of the day. Hopefully they will enjoy the fruits of their labors. I figure by the summer our home will be easier to maintain. Only time will tell.

Dead Frog

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Dead Frog Brewing has been around for a few years. I think it was about a year ago they moved locations to a higher traffic area. I have been to their tasting room a handful of times now. Unfortunately I find that many of their beers aren’t as good as they once were. It seems they are going for quantity not quality.

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On Saturday, my wife and I went to Dead Frog with our friend to sample what they called “Sour Ass Saturday”. Many of their sour beers were on special as well as a sour beer float. Since I was driving, I only had a couple of beers. None of which were sour. One of which was absolutely nasty.

There was a beer called “Poseidon’s Stool”. Sardine and seaweed stout. I can only describe it with the utmost vulgarity.  Please stop reading if you wish to not be offended.

It tasted as if a teenage boy had masturbated frequently into a dirty, sweaty gym sock; then used the sock as a coffee filter- straining beer through the coffee grounds; then Poseidon drank said beverage only to cause himself a severe case of explosive diarrhea into a keg thus allowing underlings to sample it. As you can see from my expression, I was happy to try a unique flavor until it actually hit my taste buds. Now I know what killed the frog.

Not everything should be attempted. Blending seafoam sperm and beer shits is not my idea of a pleasant drink. Afterwards I had to go home and drink other types of beer to try and forget the flavors. Perhaps I should’ve stuck with a samples from Sour Ass Saturday.  But if the name is anything like the other beer- drinking sour ass isn’t my thing either.

Good Fortune

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On the last day of my work week, my boss threw a fortune cookie at me. It read:

“Be yourself and you will always be in fashion.”

This is pretty much how I live my life. Especially when it comes to fashion. I just dress the way I want. Sometimes it’s a bit out there and odd. I guess that’s what makes me unique.

But if I believed baked goods could tell me my future- then there may be something wrong with me. But since I don’t, I suppose it’s still fun to read these fortunes. Horoscopes are the same way. Decipher the deeper meaning to make it pertinent to your life or situation. Read into the signs to reflect what you want to hear.

Or just be yourself and always be in fashion.