I would have thought that being retired, I should have lots of time to do things like work on this webpage, or sit back and read magazines or books. Well, it has only been a couple of months, but so far, that has NOT been the case. While I admit I have been able to complete a few tasks (like adjusting the bedroom and bathroom doors that have been rubbing/sticking since we bought the house 20 years ago), I have found that I am extremely busy, and don't have any time left. I am not sure how I got anything done while I was working.
Reading last year's webpage, I see that I was working on my page on Christmas Eve! Well - at least I am a few days ahead of that.
Our year started out with a wonderful ski trip over the Christmas break with Spencer, Tara, Laura and Louise and I. We stayed at the Sunshine Lodge which is located right on the hill at Sunshine Village. It is very nice to pad down to breakfast in your sock feet and watch the lift operators getting the chair lifts operational while you are eating breakfast. It was very nice having everyone together, and we all had a great time.
Ted
Ted and Laura at Sunshine!
Ted and Louise at Las Brissas
Standup Paddle Boarding in the Bay!
After going back to work for a week, Louise and I headed off on our annual holiday to Las Brisas in Huatulco, Mexico - with our friends Bob and Wilf. We had two glorious weeks....
Get up, have breakfast in the open air restaurant by the beach, go snorkelling, wander over to the sports beach and go for a stand up paddle board around the bay, go back to the grass area and read until lunch, after lunch play some frisbee, then possibly go for a hobbie cat ride, then Vollebyall at 4:00 playing against the locals, then back to the room to shower and get ready for dinner, then a nice meal, then take in the show, then cribbage or hearts at the bar - then repeat, repeat, repeat...
Very relaxing! Of course there were also the occasional trips to town for shopping or a meal off the resort!
We leave to visit Las Brisas again in about two weeks. I can't wait. More photos of our trip are here.
Las Brisas
Fishing Bay beside the resort
Zarqa Nawaz and I at the Grande Prairie Welcoming and Inclusive Workshop.
In April, I was able to attend a a two day "Welcoming and Inclusive" workshop in Grande Prairie. Because Grande Prairie is such a resource town, they have a continual need for technical expertise which simply isn't available in North America. As a result they have a very diverse community with people from all over the world.
While totally out of my element, I found the meetings very interesting and directly related to our community in Wetaskiwin. It gave me a good sense of the struggles that new citizens have, settling into a new culture, language and community.
It reinforced for me how we are all really very much the same. All anyone really wants is to be able to do, is raise a family in a friendly and safe community, have their kids educated and given opportunities to advance. All the religious and cultural differences are really just window dressing. The conference, while only two days long made a real impression on me.
A highlight for me was meeting Zarqa Nawaz, who produced the CBC "Little Mosque on the Prairie" series, and is the author of the autobiography "Laughing all the way to the Mosque". I had read her book after hearing an interview with her on CBC. It is very funny. I would be happy to lend it to you.
She is from a Muslim family, originally from Pakistan. She grew up in Toronto, and then, after a "semi-arranged marriage, to a doctor and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, where she is rasing a family of four and working on various film and screenplay projects. Of course she has had to deal with all kinds of discrimination issues both related to her community and her family. Her writing style, humility, and sense of humour leave you very entertained....
June was also a busy month for me. I attended the Canadian Assocation of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) conference, which was held in Jasper.
I always enjoy this conference, as the delgates are primarily City Managers from across the country and around the world.
It is amazing how similar our problems are, irrespective of the size or location of our communities. They are a great bunch of people and it is fun to network.
I had never stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge before. It is a beautiful resort - I must bring Louise back someday!
My friend Julien deCocq, Manager of Cochrane, and I at the Jasper Park Lodge!
Ted - sailing at The Wall! .
Mid June, I headed down to Oregon for our annual windsurfing trip. I go every year in June and September with a group of guy's (and a few gals) primarily from Northern Alberta.
We always seem to have between 12 and 18 people on the trip, and rent three condo's in Hood River. We always have a great trip. When it is windy we are sailing; when it is not windy, some golf, some road or mountain bike, some play tennis, or some - all of the above.
This year, I had a few great road bike rides (many hills), some great sailing, and I even found a Radio Controlled Airplane Field (Barrett field). I had a small, micro plane with me which I flew a couple of times. Next year, I will have to bring down a larger plane.
They are always wonderful trips, we have been going every year since 2004, and have developed some great friendships. You can read about our trips on Spring Trip Blog and Fall Trip Blog.
(Remember that you have to
read a blog from the bottom up - as the entry at the top is the last
entry of the trip.)
Ted - cycling to Moiser with Brad, Harold and Al.
A few of the Windsurfing Group in the Gorge - Fall 2015.
Louise and I decided to take a couple of holidays and drive our motorhome down for the two workshops. I attended the first one, and both Louise and I attended the second one.
Ted - cycling to Moiser with Brad, Harold and Al.
Ted - cycling to Moiser with Brad, Harold and Al.
In August, we took the photography workshop. Because of low attendance (Louise and I were the only participants), the first two days were done by a local instructor, Randall Wiebe, and the final day by a professional photographer from Red Deer, Dwight Arthur. These two professionals had very different styles, and we learned a lot from each. We had a lot of fun touring the town taking photos, and then reviewing and editing them afterwards.
Both workshops were very interesting, and I learned a lot.
Louise working with Randall to get the perfect shot!.
I think it was during our time camping in Rosebud that Louise and I talked seriously about retirement. I have heard that when it is time to retire, you know. Well, after 35 years of municipal service the time had come. It was not really because things were any better or worse than they had been previously, it was just time.
I was required under my contract to give two months notice, so in mid July I gave my notice. My official day would be September 15th, but I would use up my last few days of holidays, so my last day on the job would be Friday, September 4th, just prior to my fall windsurfing trip.
Toastmasters Roast
Ted's Retirement Reception
The last couple of months were a bit of an emotional time. There were many employees and people from the community who came forward and expressed their gratitude, and their sorrow that I was leaving. Our Toastmasters group held a roast in my honour, and the City held a reception for me, complete with Cake.
It was very strange cleaning out my office. It was only the third time in 35 years that I had done that, and once was only to move from one building to another, the second time was to change jobs, and this time I had to cart everything home.
I am sure I will have to do a big house cleaning to get rid of a lot of the stuff that seemed too valuable to toss when I moved out of the office, but which I probably won't be needing again (like my engineering reference books).
In the three months since I left, I have barely given my old workplace a thought. I sleep better, Louise says I am happier, I have lost 15 lbs (because I have time for a daily workout), my heart rate is down, and I have been so busy doing things I like to do, that I haven't had time to do a bunch of other things I would like to do....
Taking my VStrom for a ride in the fall!
Ted Wakesurfing with Laura and Louise
I also travelled up to St. Albert a number of times to take my Dad to the RC field. Even if he didn't feel like flying, he always enjoyed talking to his friends and the other fliers.
At the end of September, we hosted a Japanese school nurse, Yuki Nabori in our home for a few days. She was one of the adult chaparones for the Ashoro Students who were visting Wetaskiwin. We also hosted a BB'q for the other Adult hosts on a Saturday, and had fun taking them for boat rides and roasting marshmallows over the camp fire. This is the third time we have hosted one of the Japanese exchange chaparones, and we have always enjoyed it. They are very friendly and warm people.
Ted with his PA Bandit RC Plane
Louise and Yuki exploring Canadian Grocery Stores
I'm not sure we will have everything cleaned up by the new year, but we are getting close - and the rumpus room is looking better than it has for years.
My favorite place - driving the boat!
Flying with Dad at the St. Albert Flying Field.
Our job was to go to the town of Fort Macleod and do an inspection for Municipal Affairs. I spent 6 days in the community (two trips), and then another couple of days preparing and finalizing my notes. It was very interesting work, and the money I made - paid for my next adventure...
They have included my name on a couple of other proposals, so we will see what comes of it. I am not interested in anything long term, but if I get to help them out two or three times a year for a few weeks each time, it would be fun, and would help with our travel budget!
I have a friend Kirk who was a windsurfer, has always been a great traveller, and is now into kiteboarding. He is also the town manager in Nobleford, Alberta. Every year he organizes a Kiteboarding trip for the Calgary gang, and he has been after me for years to come along. Well, this year I didn't have an excuse. I had the time, and had just earned some money.
Flying my new 3DRobotic Solo Drone.
Kirk - showing me how it's done!
Louise gave me the OK, so I spent the last week of November in Cuba with the Southern Alberta Windsurfing group (26 of them). We had some great weather, although it was too windy for me for a good part of the week.
It has been a long time since I was kiteboarding and the combination of wind and waves was not something I wanted for my first session. I had a lot of fun taking photos of the guy's out in the water, did a lot of swimming in the waves. I also took a catamaran tour where I went swimming (more like wading) with dolphins, toured a local beach, and we were supposed to go snorkeling, but the wind and waves were too great.
On another day, I took a bus tour of a sugar cane and railway museum, drove a 1920 steam locomotive (well I rode in the engine and got to blow the whistle), and toured the town of Remedios (one of the oldest towns in CUBA). At our last stop, we went to a local Rum and Cigar bar to learn how to properly appreciate the flavour of Rum (Ron) and how to properly light a cigar. ( I brought my Cigar home for Spencer!)
On my final day, I rented a scooter and found an isolated beach between the resorts where there were only 4 or 5 people for as far as I could see. All in all it was a great trip.
The Cuban's are very friendly, it is a very safe place, and I would love to take Louise back the resort. All of my Cuba photos are on my Flickr Site here!
My 1920 American Steam Engine.
Ted - Driving the Train!
Our Engineer tending the boiler.
Dolphin Show
Kissed by a Dolphin
Ted, Harold and Lloyd at Sunshine just before Christmas
My windsurfing friend Harold, was going to Sunshine for a quick day trip with another friend of his, and he asked me along. We drove up on a Monday evening, stayed at the Boundary Hotel just outside of the park gates, and then skiied (I boarded) all day Tuesday. It was a bit cool, but the snow was good and we had a great day, starting at the top of the mountain and then moving down as it started snowing and the light got a little flat in the open areas. I am looking forward to more quick trips like that this winter!
It is hard to believe that another year is almost over! It has been a very good one for our family.
A selfie with my Seawind.
Skidooing with Louise early in the year
Flying my Fun Cub on skiis
A photo of Bernie and I from my Solo Drone
Our Lake - taken from my Solo Drone
