The Ouseys in Victoria Page

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The Rally, at Sandown Raceway, this past weekend was a great success. 40 rigs with 80 occupants arrived for what was billed as a 50's rock and roll weekend. Joe, Stella, Andy and Kathie did a great job of putting it together. I brought out the Lions cook trailer and helped out with the breakfasts both morning and we both pitched in wherever we could. Every one did which made it work so well. Overall a great weekend, with only one minor injury, I burned a spot on my palm on a spatula that was too hot to handle. You can see by the picture that many got into the spirit of the event.
After we broke camp on Sunday, we went with Sue and Rob to Tony Eng's birthday party and roast, held at McMorrans Beach house. Tony Eng is the professional magician I mentioned in an earlier blog. I had helped with some computer stuff. Well there were a hundred plus in attendance and since many were magicians thus entertainers the whole event was rather, well, entertaining. Dave Cutler (of CFL Edmonton Eskimos fame) was one of the main speakers (roasters) had he was very good, as were many others. Dave had all the Eng's to stand up, when many did he stated that this must be "Eng"land. Well there were some good lines too. Not to be out done Tony roasted them all back, and finished the evening by showing all he could still pull himself through a coat hanger. He is tiny and he did it in his Superman outfit. That is him and his very patient wife Ann. A great evening to cap off a great weekend.

Catherine took time from a busy visit with Margot. Great to see them having a good time together. I am sure there were some weepy moments in remembrance, but surly therapeutic for them both. I am still saddened every time I read or produce a blog, still looking for his. I do miss him and his wit.

Ta ta, and Peace.

I had quite a busy weekend. Normally the long weekend is spent at the Mary Hill Campground Cleanup. But since it is still closed I was able to participate in a couple of Lions projects. Sunday I spent most of the day with some our club Lions (South Van Isle) assisting the Esquimalt Lions with the food and beer tents at the Highland games here in Esquimalt. We were extremely busy with pancake breakfast followed by burgers and hot dog lunch. They also ran the Beer garden. I have never seen a bigger collection of bagpipes. Quite the cacophony when they are all practicing at the same time playing different songs.

Then Monday several Lions clubs were on hand to Marshall the Victoria day parade. The Elks have been organizing that for many years, and they have been losing members so they are handing it over to the Lions. We have 13 Lions Clubs in Greater Victoria alone, not to mention several more nearby in Sooke, Metchosin, Saanich and Malahat. So we have plenty of members. So from 6 am to 9 am we marshaled, and then SVI marched in the parade. We got back to the marshalling point before the groups we marshaled even started. First Group got away at 9:00 am and the last at 11:45 am. 132 entries. One of the biggest parades in the Northwest. Many bands from Washington and Oregon, with one from California. The Kamiak High School band from Washington had a contingent of 225 people. The parade went well. The Lions will be doing it all next year, and I think SVI Lions will have a lead role.

The end result was I was bagged by the end of the weekend. Didn't get much else done, though I did golf yesterday, and got to the Gym today. (I have lost 14 lbs since returning from Arizona). We also went to see the DaVinci Code Monday night. We actually quite enjoyed it. I think it was better than the critics were saying. Regardless of your views on the subject and taking as the fiction, that it at least in part is, it is pretty well done. Obviously many are letting there person objection to the content affect there objectivity of it as a movie.

We are down to 7 sleeps before we leave for England and the cruise. Getting anxious here. We have a Rally to go to this weekend with the motorhome, so that will make the t

Well the time just flies when I'm busy. Lets see. Mother's day. Carolyn had a fine day with flowers, cards, calls, etc. Noni, John and Chelsea brought over supper in the form a Chinese food and we all had a good feast, then waxed nostalgic looking at some of the DVD's that Catherine sent us. We have been enjoying them.

My back was fine enough to get back to Golfing on Monday. Lyn had invited Carolyn out for Mothers day lunch so that happened Tuesday. My trip to the Gym was interrupted with a flat tire, apparently I picked up a nail sometime Monday. More golfing Thursday, and that afternoon was interrupted with our Sumac tree in our back yard falling down. I guess the fence that was removed was supporting it to some extent so it gave up the ghost and fell over. So we cleaned that up. Now we have a pile of branches and wood to be picked up.

Carolyn is getting in the packing mood, we have been sorting, matching, trying on things to see what fits and what doesn't. Then out shopping to get that which we must have for the trip, which we did this afternoon. Mike and Gail (the couple we are traveling with on this cruise) were over for dinner and we discussed last minute details. About all that is left is to book a show, or Dinner & show in London. It just wouldn't do to go to London and not see a show. So I have been online looking up tickets for that. Nothing decided yet.

Got to chat with Margot the day before she left for Winnipeg. She was checking her email at work and saw me online with Gmail (that is google mail, which has a chat function). The chat was disjointed as she was working and had to do things between updates. Hope she is having a good trip, I am sure it will do both her and Catherine good to be together. We're thinking of you.

Tata and Peace.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. Have a great day.

Well it was movie week, at least for me. Rob and I went to see MI-III, or Mission Impossible III. Not bad, not great, worth the $4.00 it costs a senior at the Caprice. Then Sue got 2 tickets to a sneak preview of Poseidon. Well Rob doesn't like that kind of movie and neither does Carolyn (she gets nightmares from disaster movies) so Sue asked me to go. Hey I am not one to pass up a free ticket. So we went Wednesday night, the night before it official release. It was quite well done, with great special effects, and if memory serves me correctly it followed much the same plot as the original. If you like disaster movies this is one to see on the big screen. Apparently it is done in IMAX too, not that is a big screen.

My back has been sore, when golfing Monday I felt a twinge, but ignored it, then I helped take some fences down around this complex, and then participated in a work party Tuesday at Lions Cove, with some yard work, by then it was pretty well wrecked. So missed Golf and Gym since then. The back feels much better today. Carolyn is fine, the weather is great, so we must take in a walk.

I see Catherines fence is up and looking mighty fine too. And yes I agree with her on the wire tapping issue in the states. It does seem odd that the greatest defender of democracy in the world tramples all over the rights they are trying to protect. Protect from whom? Themselves? Where does the thin edge of the wedge stop?

No word yet from the base when Mary Hill is to open. For those not aware, Mary Hill is one of two of our clubs campsites. Nanoose range, north of Campbell River is one of them and the other is Mary Hill in Metchosin. It was closed by the new Base Commander due to worries of unexploded ordinance. It used to be firing range many years ago. We all think that this worry is a tad late, however, he won't reopen it until he is satisfied. So that eliminates our close and easy campground, for awhile.

Well the count down has begun. Only 19 more sleeps 'til we depart for our Baltic Sea cruise.

Peace all, tata.

It was Alan's birthday over the weekend, Friday I think. We were over on Sunday afternoon for snacks, and pie. He prefers pie for his birthday, instead of cake, which also happens to eliminate the candles and the obligatory singing that seems to accompany candles, and blowing and stuff. His Dad, Roy; brother, Peter, sister-in-law, Dody, as well as Carolyn, myself and Lyn were in attendance, all frustrated by being denied the right to sing "happy birthday". So here goes anyway. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Alan, happy birthday to yoooouuuuuu. For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's..............

Colin returned from Denmark yesterday. We haven't seen him yet, but we enjoyed following the bands adventure via the hosts blogg site. We will have to ask him about Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen, since we will be there next month ourselves. It sure looked like they all had fun.

Last Thursday we picked up Megan and took her out for dinner, my what a chatty little girl. Steady stream of chatter, I wonder who she takes after, not her Dad!!!, not her Grandmother!!! Not! It was great to spend some private time with her.

Saturday we were over to Rob and Sue for Pizza, along with Tony and Ann Eng. He had his new laptop and wanted to practice WiFi. Since Rob has WiFi, we tried it out there. Nice computer.

I had some dental work done. I thought I had better have a cracked tooth and another apparent decay fixed before going on our trip in June. Turned out my Dentist has been off work for awhile after an operation and wouldn't be back before the end of the month. So I had to use his back up dentist. It worked out well. One was fixed on Wednesday and the decay was fixed on Friday.

Carolyn is fine, still trying out the Celebrex, which seems to be working. She says hi to all, and promises to learn computing skills in this lifetime.

Cheers.

We went to see the Robin Williams latest flick, "RV". It is really good for a laugh, RVer's would particularly get a kick out of it, and just how sturdy a class A motorhome can be, I think, tho they probably went through several to make the movie.

Alan's son Colin, plays for the Vic High Rhythm and Blues band and has for several years. They have to be one of the best around. In any case the whole band are on a trip to Denmark at the present time. Click HERE for a link to a diary page of the trip as it progresses. Colin is featured in several photos and videos, he is the one playing the trombone and in the Roller Coaster Video he is the one the right of the mass bungee jump machine at Tivoli Gardens. We will be at Tivoli gardens ourselves as that is one of our stops on the cuise. There are updates on the diary page every day, isn't technology great? The sound quality isn't great but it gives you an idea of their ability.

I just had a tooth filled. Part of the tooth fell away so it had to be repaired and I am back Friday morning for a new filling, Yccchhh! Oh well it needs to be done. Carolyn was in to see the doctor Tuesday. We got our Diphtheria/polio/tetanus booster for our cruise in June and she is still trying different pain meds for her aches and pains. She had to stop aspirin, some time ago due to stomach problems, and hasn't been able to find anything as effective as aspirin. She is now trying Celebrex.

Nice to see all the blogs, Catherine says we need more and there is a new one, her sister Denise (Dee) is blogging see it HERE.

Well TTFN. Ciao all. Peace.