What Kinda Car Are You??

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

We're not Moving

So I finally recieved word on Friday that I didn't get the job in Coronation, I get to stay in Rimbey for the time being. The manager in Coronation said alot of the same things that the Rocky manager said. So I've decided to hold off applyinf anywhere else and get some experience under my belt.

I'm not upset, after the Coronation manager took so long to get back I started to worry that they were not organized or that there was something wrong with the branch. After talking with the manager on Friday I think I was right, it sounds like it would have been more trouble then it was worth.

On the home front, we recieved Emma's new school curriculum in the mail on Firday so lana spent part of Saturday going over it and planning for this week. She did a math assessment with all the girls to see where they were at in Math. Emma is already well into the book. Elizabeth isn't too far behind, and while Soph wasn't ahead, she was learning very fast. Lana has decieded that she will be teaching all 3 of the girls at the same time. She might even do some school with the other kids in the day home as well, and get them ahead too, as long as their parents are ok with it. =)

Anyway, that's about all from here for now, other then the STUPID mice we have on the trailor. Every time it gets cold out we get mice in here. Thanks to mom for giving us some poison and such, it's working, but not fast enough.

Job Update

Alright seeings that I've been asked about Rocky, and Coronation has been leaked I guess I should write an update on the situation.

I was interviewed on Thursday last week for the position in Rocky. I think it went well, he said he would let me know by Wednesday this week. The one concern we had was housing there. The average house price in Rocky is 300k. There is virtually nothing to rent aswell. I have been looking though and have found some nice sounding trailers on their own lots. So that could be an option as well.

The Coronation angle is another posting. Coronation is another CSM position that became available. It is actually 2 branches, Coronation and Consort. I would be in Consort 1 or 2 days a week and in Coronation the rest of the time. The nice thing is I get paid for travel between the branches which would be a car payment. I'm interested in that position because it would be cheaper to live. Its practically in Saskatchewan and close to Saskatchewan prices for housing. BUT there are negatives about about it, like having to live in Coronation, and Lana not being assuered a day home. I've been contacted by the manager there that she will be interviewing this week. I haven't heard from her yet, and she'd better hurray up as I'm on vacation starting Thursday this week. Ya!

I'm still hoping for the Rocky position as it would be a little more money and it is actually a decent sized place with shopping opportunities and still only 40 minutes to Red Deer. Lana and I figuered that we can continue living in Rimbey for the time being and I can travel back and forth, of course I would need to get a new car, but we were needing that since the Cavalier bit the dust.

Anyway.....we're very excited about Christmas, we have almost all the shopping done. Soph and Liz just need to buy for Emma, but we're taking them out tonight to do that. Other then that we're finito!

A REAL Job Opportunity

I though I should write this down so that you are all aware. I have applied for a position in Rocky Mtn. House. The position is for a Customer Service Manager (as apposed to a Customer Serice Supervisor that I am).

What that means is a few things. First, Rocky is a very big branch, ATB grades their branches based on the deposit holdings, 'A' being the smallest, 'D', being the biggest. For example, Rimbey is a 'B', Camrose is a 'D'. In the 'A' and 'B' branches the position is a CSS. In the 'C' and 'D' branches the position is a CSM role. Rocky is a 'D' branch. Also, some of you may be aware of Rocky has some prestige to it as it was the very first branch opened (go figure).

So what is the difference between a CSS and a CSM? As a CSM I am in a bigger branch, and therfore have alot more responsibility. I believe that I would have about 15 direct reports, compared to 9 here (and 9 is alot for a branch this size). As a result I would be getting a sizable raise. Again ATB uses letters to distiguish pay grades. Right now I am in the 'H' pay grade, this move would propel me to the 'J' paygrade. A CSM is part of management so therefore I would be able to indulge in the management perqs and benefits. Such as a 3% mortgage, 1 more week of vacation, higher level of variable pay, better pension among others.

So, if I get the position that means that we will be on the move once again, unfortunetly we will be heading further west, not north east. However, we would not be moving until after the school year as Lana shouldn't be quitting on her day home parents in the middle of the school year, that would NOT be good customer service. So I'd be driving back and forth. I'll be in the market for a cheap car, like a Cavalier again.

This would be a big step in my career. I have alot of influential people in the region encouraing me to apply and telling me that they'll put in a good word for me, so I feel that I have a good shot at it. I felt that I should be apply and that if I get it then it was God, and if not, he has something better for me. I'm ok either way.

Anyway, that is the news from here.

Daily news

Ok, I'm writing something new!
It's tuesday, so it's kinda like my afternoon off. Marni goes home at noon, and Sami is napping, so i usually turn on the tv(for the girls) and take a break. Lizzy is at kindergarten tuesdays.
Things are going well at our house, besides the cold going around. Rob and Sophia have it right n0w and the rest of us are trying not to get it. We had a busy weekend trying to get our shopping done, and freaking out at how busy Red Deer already is with christmas shoppers. It was so crazy we ended up forgetting to get half the stuff we needed, so Rob had to go back on sunday while the girls and i were at church. We did, however, get a nice visit with grandma and grandpa H on saturday, so the first trip wasn't a total loss.
We saw lots of things that would be good for the girls for christmas, and we had our camera with us, so we may be emailing people a picture wish list. They pretty much just wanted everything in Toys R Us, so don't worry too much about what they like.
Last week we made a paper advent chain to count down the days until christmas, and the kids all look forward to ripping another loop off first thing every morning. We have set up a five- day rotation for who gets to do the ripping to avoid fights, because fighting is the favorite passtime around here lately. The girls have decided the most entertaining thing to do when all of them are here is argue over EVERYTHING. They fight over who gets to sit beside whom, how many cats there are in the "game", who gets to step on what part of the floor, who's name begins with S (it's ok , Sami and Sophie, you both start with S). I have been spending the majority of my time trying to think of creative ways of dealing with this, the most effective one being time outs for the offending parties. (feel free to leave suggestions in the comment box) Today Soph and Marni got sitting to close to each other and we ended up having a boxing match in the "under 35 lbs ultra lightweight" category. Apparently Marni won, because Soph ended up with a bloody nose. Soph gets bloody noses super easy, so it wasn't really a big deal, but i think it freaked out marni a little, seeing all that blood. She might be less inclined to hit people in the future!
On the more adult side of things, my exciting news is that i got a new cookbook which i am having fun reading through- Thirty-minute Meals by Rachel Ray.
Robert has been hearing of diffrent positions opening up for advancement and starting to plan for what to do next, his tenure at this branch is up in march. That means that after that point he is free to go, but may also choose to stay as long as he wants. We will be praying about that lots. (Rob, you can add more if you like)
Anyways, it's almowt two-thirty, which means Sami wakes up, then snacktime, then pick Elizabeth up from school and have outdoor play time. We may stop off at the library if we have time before Sami has to go home. So my free-time is ending. Good-Day.

Test your IQ again....

Try to decifer the hidden meanings in each set of words (I am putting the answers in the comments, so DON'T CHEAT!):

1. belt
hitting

2. Exit
Leg

3. Often
Not
Often
Not
Often

4. night fly

5. migrAine

6. 9ALL5

7. Give Get
Give Get
Give Get
Give Get

8. breth

9. ersoh riding

10. Employ t
men

11. wire
just

12. Do12"or


How did you do?

Can I see you're ID please?

The other day Elizabeth came home and told me that she had gotten a card from school? I couldn't imagine what she was talking about. She went to her bag and pulled this out. What does a kindergartener need with ID? Oh well, she's super cute in it.

More Words of Wisdom from Liz and Soph

Yesterday Lizabeth and Sophie made Lana and I laugh almost uncontrolably. The first one we were watching the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Lizabeth asked Lana, "What's that thing?" (Referring to the whip the dwarf had). Lana told her it was a whip. Lizabeth thought about that and said, "Oh, I thought it was a whapper."

Sophie's little gem happened later on when she was cuddled with Lana. I told Lana how pretty she was and Lana said, "it's all for you honey". I replied, "aww, I must be special", (feel free to vomit right now). After I said that Sophie looked at me and said, "No yarnt!"

Ahhh, the love of my children.

What's Going on with Lana

Well, it has been weeks since venturing onto the blogs, okay mabye months. I found it very entertaining getting caught up on everyone and feeling "connected" again. It has been a bit of a tough transition getting used to the back to school schedule. That simply means that I have the day home running all day, mon-fri without the extra holidays that come in the summer. As most of you know I have two little girls in the house, 3 and 4 years old, and they fit in well with the family. It's just one big princess party after another round here.woo-hoo.
This week we actually had a boy in the house... a 9-month-old named Clint who occupies all five girls for hours when he is awake. Poor guy, whenever he sees me he acts like i'm a lifesaver, saving him from all the girls. They all try to mother him at the same time. Having a baby around has been nice, getting to do things like feeding him and rocking him to sleep, but knowing if i had another one it would probably be a girl keeps my baby urges in check! Just kidding, but filling the house with extra kids does take away all tedencies towards making my life busier.
Before, during, and after the day home is school. Emma and i are doing our rookie year of homeschool, and I have to say that I've probably learned more than her so far,as I am very quickly "un-learning" school. It's hard to believe how litte formal school time a first grader needs. I definitely feel like she's not sitting in a desk long enough to learn anything, but according to homeschoolers she's probably learning more that way. This week, for instance, she had a great, hands-on lesson in baby care. Bed-making and obedience have also been in the curriculum. It's taken some getting used to, but I am reading lots of literature on how to teach and stuff so I am learnig everyday.(also getting confused, but that's not hard for me)
So that's what I've been doing, computer time is something I don't get a lot of, but I will try to keep posted!

The Lion, The Witch and the What is a Wardrobe?

Over the last month or so we have been reading Emma "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". She has LOVED the book to say the least and absorbed it quite well to the point that while we were reading she was drawing what was happening in the story and was able to tell us little details. We finished reading it to her on Monday night. Tuesday night I pulled out the old recorded version of the cartoon allowing the girls to watch it (Emma is allowed to watch the real version on the weekend with us).

Emma was so excited and thoroughly enjoyed it. She made me so proud when she was watching it and would make comments like, "Tumnus didn't have a red face!" SHE HAS AN IMAGINATION!! Elizabeth got really into the movie too. When the witch kills Aslan she started to cry. Not scared tears, sad tears. She was very sad from it. I guess this is what it is like to have girls. The tears were all gone in a few minutes when Aslan came back to life. Thankfully C.S. was writting to children and didn't leave them in suspence for too long. And in case you're wondering Sophie lost interest pretty quickly and didn't even finish watching it.

Emma will be posting a book report on here soon for school. Next up we will go to the "Magician's Nephew".

New Job Opportunity??

The CEO of ATB just announced that he was going to be retiring next year. Should I apply? =)

Celebrity Look Alike

I was on another blog this morning and they had some celebrity look alike thing. So i followed the link and thought that I would try it for Lana and myself. Here are the results:

How Can You Influence Your Team?

Innovative practices combined with true empowerment produces phenomenal results.

Rob's Leadership Journal

What is a good leader? A great leader? Someone you will follow no matter what. Someone you respect and will fight for. These people are in our lives you know who I am talking about. There is a leader in your life that you would go the distance for and you would for that person. What makes him a great leader? What will make you a great leader?

Leadership is a funny thing. The more you force the issue the less respect people have for and you. The less respect they have for you they will not fight for you or follow you. Leadership isn't about someone blindly following you and doing what they are told. Dogs do that. I want someone to hear what I say and see what I do and respect me enough that he will want to follow me. That is true leadership. A true leader is in the trenches showing his followers by doing. That is what we as leaders need to strive for.

He who seeks to keep his life will lose it, but whoever shall lose his life will preserve it.
Luke 17:33

I guess God had it right all along.

Quote of the Week....

Heart is what separates the good from the GREAT.

~Michael Jordan~

It's All Gone!

Well as some of you may know my branch was involved in a fundraiser for STARS air ambulance. We had a wing eating contest....see below and a silent auction. ALSO, I put my hair on th line. I told my staff that if we earned $2000 that I would shave my head, and if we raised the most out of all the ATB branches involved I would wax my legs.

We did very well at the fundraiser. Last year we raised $2000 and the winners did $12000. I felt my legs were safe. However, as we got further into the campaign I started to get worried. We ended with $7000 earned. The winners earned over $20,000. So my legs were safe, but my head was to be shaved. The picture above is the finished product. And you know what? I like it and think that I might just keep it for awhile.

Violent Confessions

With a bunch of little girls in the house you'd expect a little bit of fighting to happen in the house.

The other day Sammi, one of the little girls that Lana is babysitting came crying to Lana. "Sophie hit me with the baby", she sobbed. Suddenly Lana hears in a defiant voice from the living room. "No I didn't!! I hit you with this, and these", holding up her fist and then wiggling her fingers.

Today at supper we were talking. I told Sophie that tonight she had to sleep in her own bed. She said, "No, I wanna sleep with Mommy". Lana said that she had her sisters to sleep with. She said, "no they hurt me." Liz piped up, "Well, sometimes we don't hurt her."

Lest We Forget

I know that the web is going to be full of memorials, and blogs to this effect. However, I feel that with all the covereage it is recieving that I still wanted to acknowledge it.

Today is September 11, 2006. 5 years after the terrist attack on New York. The day the worlds thinking changed. Its affects have been far deeper then paying more at the pump, or having to wait longer for airlines. This was an attack on freedom, and just like the Nazi's during WW2 the terrorists will stop at nothing till their agenda is around the world. Today we need to stop and remember the freedom that we have and the people that are overseas fighting for that freedom. The left-media would love to trivalize the war that we are in and claim that it isn't necessary. However, this slaps all the soliders and people who have given their lives for their freedom in the face. We need to thank them for their sacrifice and for everything that they have done for us.

September 11, 2001. I was sitting in my English class when it was announced that someone had flew into a building. I remember my first thought that this must be a terrorist attack, but I didn't know for sure. As class ended and I was walking around campus and found out I was right. Little did I realize however how different things would be. Where were you when you found out? What were you doing? How has it affected you?

An Oiler Season Preview

Sorry this was so long, I just got into it and had to go deeper.
The Oil have had, shall we say an interesting off season. Here is a season preview (Some of this review was taken from a great Oiler Blog found at http://lowetide.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_lowetide_archive.html

Goaltending:
Dwayne Roloson
Jussi Markannen
Jeff Deslauries
Devan Dubnyk

The backend hasn't looked so solid since the days of Curtis Joseph and Bob Essensa. Roloson proved in the playoffs that when given the opportunity that he can be the man. Jussi proved in the finals that when he needs to he can step up and fill the gaps. They will be a great duo. Expect Roli to get about 55-60 starts with Jussi filling in the rest. BIG upgrade from last years 3 headed circus.

Defence:
Jason Smith
Steve Staios
Dan Tjarnqvist
MA Bergeron
Matt Greene
Jan Hejda
Ladislav Smid
Danny Syvret
Tom Gilbert

Well, if the Oilers are weak anywhere its here. As everyone knows 2 days after the the cup final Chris Pronger asked for a trade. A few weeks later Lowe obliged sending him to the Ducks formerly known as Mighty. You can't just replace a guy like Pronger unless you get Niedermayer or Lidstrom. So we've had to make the best of it. Lowe first went out and got Dan Tjarnqvist. The Shaggy look alike was quietly the most reliable defenseman with the Wild last year. He played 20 minutes a game, played the PP and PK. He will be solid. Jan Hejda was another enigma that was picked up from the Sabers. He is a guy that Lowe has been targeting for awhile and said he is ready for the NHL. He is coming over as a 28 year old rookie so I don't know how much impact he will have, but if Lowe knows anything its defenceman. The final new addition to the blue line sees youngster and former 10th overall pick Ladislav Smid come to us in the Pronger trade. He has been playing in men’s leagues since he was 16 and appears ready for the big time. Those three join a solid, if not unspectacular group of Smith, Staios, Bergeron and Greene. The Oilers are looking to emulate the success that the Sabers and the Hurricanes had with their Generic Brand defenses last year. Look for a trade around January to shore up the backend. I've been hearing the name Brad Stuart ALOT the last month or so. Downgrade from last year, but LOTS of potential.

Center:
Shawn Horcoff
Jarret Stoll
Marty Reasoner
MA Pouliot
Robbie Schremp
Kyle Brodziak
Jonas Almtrop
Patrick Thoresen

Horcoff is a smart player. I'd say it is his main asset and because of it he is very often underrated even by guys like me who like him a lot. He turned a corner with his season in Sweden during the lockout and is more confident in scoring zones. Terrific passer, good speed, can make and take a pass. His willingness to work hard no matter the role and adapt as needed is another strength you don't see on paper. The numbers don't lie though; Shawn Horcoff is a high quality NHL player.

Jarret Stoll is another MacTavish type player whose intangibles include his FO circle % and work ethic. His plus shot was very valuable on the PP (11 goals last year) and there may be another gear. Good passer, still on a learning curve in terms of playing C in the NHL for this fan but he's a good option for some of the softer EV minutes on this team.

He is among the hardest working players this team has ever had. After being traded to the Bruins for stop gap Sergei Samsonov, Marty Reasoner is back. Reasoner is an example of a player who is more than the sum of his parts and having established himself as a terrific player in the secondary categories his natural ability in the offensive zone becomes more of a threat just because of ATOI. Soft hands, good speed, smart player. Marty Reasoner is the one C the Oilers have written in pen on their roster who's likely to have a better year in 06-07 than 05-06.

MA Pouliot was the Hamilton Bulldogs MVP last year and is ready for the NHL. He's a smooth playmaking center. Pouliot has some jam too and is an average skater. Good puck handler and an exceptional passer. Possesses a lot of confidence and impressed the coach in a late season "cup of coffee." However, what sets him apart from others vying for the 4th line role is his defensive awareness. During his 9 games with the team last year it was noted that the coaches were very surprised that he was as developed defensively as he was. If it wasn’t for a case of Mono right before the playoffs started you would have seen Pouliot in the starting lineup, not Rem Murray.

The loss of Peca will be felt come playoff time no doubt, but I believe that Reasoner will be able to pick up the slack left by the defensive center. Add to that Petr Sykora can play center and we are laughing. We are very strong at center, and I will say an upgrade from last year.

Left Wing:
Ryan Smyth
Petr Sykora
Raffi Torres
Ethan Moreau
JF Jaques
Brad Winchester

Ryan Smyth is so famous for his style of play he has become a reference-point himself, a hefty and worthy compliment. Smyth has a much better skill set than when he entered the NHL (or his 39-goal season). A terrific passer and a quality agitator, Smyth plays a smart game and does more good for his team than just on the ice (how on earth can someone like Marc-Antoine Pouliot not bust his butt when Ryan Smyth is working like a bugger?) He is the heart and soul of the Oilers and as Ryan goes the Oilers go.

I put Petr Sykora at left wing for the heck of it. He can play all forward positions and probably will at some point this year. He reminds me of the old Spiderman theme song, the part where they sing "he arrives just in time." He kind of does. Not in an Anson Carter find your way to open ice way by finding space away from the check style, more of a seize the moment by driving to the net way. At least that's the way I've always seen him. He will be the replacement for Pronger on the point of the power play. He was (at least acted) like a VERY happy man at his introduction to the Oiler media, let’s hope that carries over to the season.

I believe Raffi Torres has not scratched the surface. He's still very raw as a player and a challenge to coach MacTavish on all kinds of levels. However his presence on the ice changes the dynamic (as seen in this year's playoffs) both offensively and physically. The man is dangerous. Playing on the 3rd line will put him more in his element and I believe he will be an even better player this year for it. Combining with Fernando and Marty they will make an elite banging line.

Ethan Moreau is a big, tough winger who loves to check his opponent and can chip in a few goals along the way. He's listed as the #4LW here but his ATOI at EV trails only Smyth (Raffi is about even with Ethan) and he spends 3:19 a night on the PK to lead all PK men. Another heart and soul type guy that is essential to the success of any team. He will be used in a babysitting role for the rookies that will ultimately play on the 4th line with him. He is very adept at that role as earlier in his career he took Ales Hemsky under his wing and babysat him for a couple years.

Left wing is one of the deepest positions that the Oilers have this year and they may deal someone from a postion of strength for a defencman, but for now I’ll say that it is an upgrade from last year.

Right Wing:
Ales Hemsky
Joffrey Lupul
Fernando Pisani
Alex Mikhnov
Toby Petersen

Yes. Ales Hemsky has style. Tremendous passer and can deke opposition players out of their jocks almost at will. Amazing skills with the puck, just silly good. Pass first to the extreme (is he in the Oates-Janney category? I'd stop short of putting him in that family). Elite calibre player whose upside is enormous. Impact player, win-an-end-of-season award player. He also just signed a long term 5 year deal with the team and is committed to them.

Joffrey Lupul comes from the pure scorer family of hockey players. There's a subcategory in that family for "quick release" guys best represented by the out-of-this-world Mike Bossy whose hand eye must have been off the charts. I'm not saying Lupul is Mike Bossy, but he has that kind of skill set. Put him with Hemsky and Sykora on the PP and he might score 40 this season.

Fernando Pisani might be the best NHL player no one knows about. It's a stretch because he just received a nice contract and was a finalist for the Conn Smyth trophey but still this is a player who had little on the resume 4 summers ago that would indicate he would be the player we saw this past season. Intelligent player in all areas with good speed and a tremendous work ethic. He has a terrific shot and seems to be in the slot waiting for the pass about as often as 1st liners. Outstanding positional winger. He may even see some time on a higher line.

Alex Mikhnov is a big man (6’5”) with more speed than expected and from appearances soft hands. We don't really know much about his ability to see the ice when his team doesn't have the puck or if he uses his body effectively. But he was on the 1st line for team Russia at the past World Championships and finished the tournament with 4-2-6 in 7 games. Mikhnov is also one of the reason that the Oilers felt it ok to let Sergei Samsonov walk. Time will only tell if he is the real deal.

Toby Petersen Is going to be a strong candidate for 14F this fall due to versatility. Good speed, hard worker, and as with many of these guys he's a little undersized and could probably score 15 goals on a team that found the right role for him. He was very good in the 2 games he saw action in, in the playoffs. He also can play any of the forward positions.

Right Wing is another strong position for the Oilers this year with a lot of scoring talent. We’ll call it an upgrade from last year.

Players In:
Joffrey Lupul
Ladislav Smid
Peter Sykora
Alex Mikhnov
Marty Reasoner
Jan Hejda
Dan Tjarnqvist
Patrick Thoresen

Players Out (Not including Deadline acquisitions):
Ty Conklin (Thank You God!!!)
Chris Pronger
MIke Peca
Todd Harvey
Radek Dvorak
George Laraque (What was Phoenix thinking?)
Igor Ulanov

Possible Starting Line Up
Ryan Smyth - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky
Peter Sykora - Jarret Stoll - Joffrey Lupul
Raffi Torres - Marty Reasoner - Fernando Pisani
Ethan Moreau - MA Pouliot - Alex Mikhnov
Extras: Petersen, Schremp, Winchester, Jaques
Smith - Bergeron
Staios - Greene
Tjarnqvist - Smid
Extras: Hejda, Syvret

Dwayne Roloson
Jussi Markanen

The Oilers will make the playoffs this year, where is anyone’s guess, I’d say they could be as high as 5th and as low as 8th. But this is still a VERY good team with a minimum of 8 potential 20 goal scorers we are deep. The defence will have to be shored up if the rookies don’t step up but Lowe will take care of that.

Wingin It.....

I never want to see another chicken wing again for a LONG time. The branch hosted a wing eating contest in support of STARS air ambulance. I was the lone participant from the branch and had the full support of all the women.

We were divided into four heats of three with the top eater advancing to the finals from each group. I finished first in my group as I inhaled 25 wings in 2 minutes the first round. The finals I came up against a behemoth of a man who had consumed 27 the first round. I was already starting to feel the effects of the wings that I had eaten and didn't liek my chances. But the branches pride was at stake so I plowed forward. I finished 2nd eating 24 wings in another 2 minutes. Unfortunetly the winner scarffed down 34 the last round. I can't believe I ate 49 wings in 4 minutes. I feel sick again.

Overall the contest was a huge success gaining front page material for the local paper and making over $1157 for STARS.