Christmas 2009

Well I think that 2009 has to go down as the year our Jetta tried to become a jet. The Jetta began the first of three long trips one Monday afternoon in March when Pat and his buddy Scott decided to fulfil a lifelong dream of going to a NASCAR race. Of course, they couldn’t pick one close but instead drove tall the way to Bristol, Tennessee. After deciding Sunday evening that they were really going to go, they left late Monday afternoon and drove straight through (with some minor rest stops) arrived Thursday night to watch three days of racing. As is his nature, Pat found them cheap parking with breakfast included at a church and then got to know some of the regulars and got supper for two nights and an invitation to return any time. Then the marathon drive home. They almost didn’t make it as the rivers were rising and roads cut off, then got caught in a huge snow and ice storm. I wouldn’t like to say it was bad, but hey sat at the border for 15 minutes before they were even noticed because no one else was on the highway other than a few semi trucks. When they got home, we were able to life an ice impression of the license plate that was nearly a half inch thick. We initially weren’t too sure about how Scott would like all the road travel buts seems to have come around agrees to go again as long as Pat drives.

The Jetta’s second big trip was in the summer when the whole family went on a reconnaissance mission that took us through Wisconsin Dells (loved the water parks), along most of the 600 mile Highway 127 yard sale form Ohio to Alabama, diamond mining (that was a bust), crystal mining (that was amazing), caves with bats, caves with river rafts and dance floors and Mammoth Caves National Park. We drove the Natchez Trace Parkway, and caught a few swamps. We at great Cajun food at PreJeans, revisited Porkers (a favourite with the boys) and ate logger style at Daniel Boone’s. We saw big locusts at Avery Island and literally hundreds of thousands of lady bugs at the top of a volcano and more. The trip was only a mere 15,000 km in three weeks – but it was reconnaissance and now we have some ideas of places where we’d like to spend more time.

Last but not least, Pat and our nephew Cam, took the Jetta on a Bourbon and Bad Diners boy’s tour. Again they hit Bristol – this time it was lit up with Christmas lights and Pat got to drive through the light display and then around the track itself. They toured 7 bourbon distilleries in Kentucky (and are getting the Bourbon Tour t-shirt), toured part of the Great Smokey Mountains, went on the Jack Daniels tour in Tennessee, spent a few night on the Natchez Trace and heated Turkey drumsticks over an open fire for American Thanksgiving. Cam got to try some Cajun cooking in Louisiana, saw Carlsbad Caverns, Infamous Roswell, the Grand Canyon and Arches National Park in Utah. 12,000 km in 12 days and some great experiences.

We’re not exactly sure how far the Jetta went in total, but it had 5 oil changes this year and we use synthetic oil (8,000 – 10,000 km between changes) and only one oil change was done at home this year.

Now that you know what the car has done, I guess we should tell you about the kids: Keelan has entered Parkland Middle School this year in grade 7. He has adapted easily to the larger school and love the additional choices in after school activities. He was on the volleyball team and is currently trying out for basketball. He hopes that the climbing wall will open soon and that he can join the climbing club. Most noon hours (except when he has band) are spent playing ping pong and he consistently stays in top 10 rankings. In spite of (or maybe because of) all this play he achieved both Honour Role (good marks) and Power List (Good Work Habits) for the first term. That’s a pretty amazing achievement. He continues to pursue the guitar with the teacher he found last year. He has an impressive repertoire of riffs and melodies and they are working on a whole song. He is learning lots of techniques and ways to read the music and thoroughly enjoys it.

Mick is now in Grade 9 and his last year in Parkland Middle school. He began archery through school in the spring and has found something he truly loves. He joined the local archery club and bought himself a bow on our road trip this summer. He is able to get his arrows in a close cluster and scored 211/300 last week which is pretty amazing for a new shooter. In the summer, we went to camp with the Wyldlife Club. They present the camp as the “best week of your life” and I thin that Mick might agree – he went on the second longest zip line in Canada – even in the dark; was flung off the ‘blob’ into the lake, created a whirlpool and climbed a mountain. This fall we found found a saxophone player that we talked into giving Mick lessons as school band was not challenging him. The first night he went, we asked how he like it afterwards and got two thumbs up and they they’ve stayed there ever since. He can really boogies and Pat no longer cowers when he starts to practice. Mick continues to do well in school maintaining both Honour role and Power list status.

Pat has had a bit of a rough go at work during the latter par of this year – being reassigned away from the team he created due to other changes in the Region. This has been further complicated by further cuts to his old team leaving him feeling helpless to do anything and yet still responsible for the people that are there. There are still some greater cuts and changes coming on the horizon, but hopefully it will settle down and he can get back to doing something that he believes in. Work has meant so much to him and has been really out of sorts with that has happened.

Deb continues to work and luckily has not had any changes due to the changing economy. Things are really busy but she continues to enjoy both the work and the people on her team. The Jetta also worked hard from January through to May with many trips to Calgary to see Deb’s mom. We were able to spend lots of time with her and have many fond memories as a result. Deb’s mom passed away in May having orchestrated one last family reunion with her children on Mother’s day. We miss her very much but are thankful that we knew what to expect and take advantage of the time that we had.

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and wish you good health and happiness throughout the New Year.