January
Games
Game of the year: Carcassonne. We bought the game before Christmas, and I got some expansions for my birthday. It was fun learning to play with the two of us, but it really shined when we got some friends into the act. We introduced it to Mom and Stelios this year, and they love it. We’re just getting into the two expansion sets I got now…
February
Balloons
Balloon. For Valentine’s Day, I took my honey on a hot air balloon ride. Back in the days when money flowed freely, and real estate financed the good life. The price? obscene. The memories? pretty damned good.
March
Costa Rica
We dragged Ellie on her first international trip. Our last big hurrah before I rejoined the real world as an honest wage earner. We dropped out and over to Costa Rica for an all inclusive week of exotic landscapes and such. Ellie got delivered directly to the gate. Such service…
April
Birthday
Ellie’s first year in this world. We decided to renew the contract for another year.
June
Virgin
The Virgin Music Festival came to town, and we snagged some tix, and even managed to introduce Ellie to some the festival scene. Some smart folk has smuggled in a couple of lazy boys, and we asked to borrow them for a few minutes for this shot. Matt Good, Flaming Lips, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Hip. A precursor to later to concerts to come…
July
Pemberton
I surprised the boys by transporting them to the first ever Pemberton Music Festival. These scruffy dudes offered me some serious coin to jump the line into the Bacardi B-Live tent. The lineup was about two hours long, and we had just casually bumped into the front of the line ourselves. I could not in good conscience take their money, They bought us drinks instead. If you look closely, you’ll find the under achieving older son and the difficult middle boy too.
August
Kensington
We tripped to Toronto for a few weeks visiting family. I took Les Filles ™ down to the Kensington Market and we strolled around for the afternoon. I love markets and the street culture that they support and encourage. Lots of colourful, interesting people and other things to see.
September
Work
Back to the factory, harassing young minds, teaching Lego and photography. No offence, work, but I’d really rather be in Costa Rica.
October
Princess
Elliotte’s second Halloween, and she’s a princess. As usual.
November
Wheels
New wheels, with 77 kms on the odo. Cheaper that the previous wheels.
December
Home
And… we’re home. In our new house in Inglewood, two weeks before Christmas. The family’s just arrived from Toronto, the presents are (un)wrapped under the tree, decorations are out. Let the season of eating begin.
The Year
And so, that’s the year. They’re coming much more quickly than I remember them. I know we’ve done a lot, but I feel like we could have done much much more. Only one hike (thanks to the Bloffies), no biking, no riding. Just house.
And yet, I know we accomplished much, especially in the realm of Ellie. And that, as MS says, is a good thing.
Life’s for living, folks. Otherwise it’s just a bunch of Thursdays strung together. Happy New Year!