I was just scrolling through another camera and came across some pictures from this past July...  Nothing too epic or anything, but funny nonetheless.

This is pretty clear - Trevor and his two, as well as Connie, Molly and I.  It'll probably be some time until we strike this pose again....

And I also came across this picture of my grandma Donna.  She is in her eighties - that is all I should write as I don't want to offend her, nor do I have her permission to indicate her actual age.  So to say she is in the 80s is probably fine.  Donna is a big fan of all her grand, and great grand children, as well as her 4 children too of course.  She lives on the other side of town from us and is in excellent form and health.

And as for other news - nothing.   Nothing really too much to mention.  Everyone is doing just fine around here.  Molly is motoring from one end of the house to the other crawling on her stomach - She is right-into everything that is within a reach or arm's length.  She experiments and enjoys all kinds of food - including the cat's if we don't put it away.  It is funny how the cat doesn't seem to like his kibbles, but Molly eats it eagerly.  Who would have guessed?

Somewhere I have a picture of me on the first day of school over the past 12 years or so.  They are all different, of course, somehow.  You know, they were once taken with 35mm film, lately they have been digital, some of them were taken in Atlanta, most now are back in Huron County, sometimes I had really long hair, and some of them with shorter hair.  Many different fashion styles and many different themes - but it all boils down to basically the same thing - Back To School....  Back To Work.

And here is another first - Molly posing with me on the first day.

I won't get too political, but it is completely wrong that back to school has started off on a bit of a sour note for tens of thousands of teachers throughout Ontario....  Disappointing in the fact that legislated contracts are being imposed by the Liberal gov't, in coalition with the PCs, on school boards and unions.  So much for negotiations I guess....  So much for the rights' of workers.....

Anyhow - My beloved Lancer's (Cross Country) were in Goderich this past weekend.  It has been 10 years since they first started coming to town for their pre-season training camp.  I was all set to get some great pictures and some cool video of this 37 year-old leading the pack, sailing through the workout - but that is not the case whatsoever.  My running skill and form has gone to hell, big-time, lately!  I have really seemed to make a (straight down) vertical drop in talent, rather then a gradual, bell-like curve decrease as would be expected.  So no, no pictures or video - but I had a great time as always with these fine young group of men and women...

I'll briefly describe my running problem as it relates to interval training and workouts:
I always remember being tired and gassed during the tail-end of a hard workout.  But, you know, I have always been able to grind it out and finish what was started....  So it has only been recently, like the last 6 months that the running has nose dove tremendously, and granted I don't have a super terrific base of fitness, but I have been running enough and it is adequate I feel.  As a result I have scaled back my expected pace and goal times in an interval, and the overall volume (mileage) I expect to run.  The long and short of it is I am barely able to run 3:25 km in an interval, nor am I able to grind it out or suck it up to keep going over 2 miles.....  It is a bit vexatious for me, honestly; as it is a great feeling - to be fit and fast and on-your-toes and all of that....  And now I am not.  I just hurt, you know, and am so physically taxed....

Anyway the girls are all great and all of that.  No problems with them as the pictures indicate.  Molly has been changing and switching into bigger clothes weekly it seems...  Just growing so quickly....  We've had her in this swinging pink vest that Adam and his wife Sunny gave her.

At The Beach

It unfortunately seems like the end of summer.  Labour Day weekend has come and gone, and it is back to school on Tuesday.  But the weather is still terrific in town, and the water still very warm.  So the 3 of us headed to the beach for an hour to wave goodbye to another great summer, and have a send-off to another school year.

It didn't take all summer, but Molly has really liked going in the water and splashing around.  It has been a gradual improvement from July.  The water really is warm.  We always seem to run into people we know too.  Can't complain too much when all of this is less then a kilometre from the door.

And how about Shelly's bikini!  I bought that for her on Friday.  She has been home sick with a bit of the flu it seems and unable to get out and enjoy the last few days.  Molly and I went to Grand Bend for a drive and I was supposed to buy myself some back-to-school clothes.  But I had Molly and I wasn't really in the mood to be trying stuff on and going into stores with her being a bit of a joker....  As I was walking to the car the last store on the strip had all kinds of licensed Sons Of Anarchy swag.  I have been holding out for a white Sons of Anarchy T-Shirt that Jax wears often on the show....  Didn't see one.  No matter.  They had however bikinis with the Sons Of Anarchy logos and such on them.

A few months ago in Toronto I bought Shelly a Sons Of Anarchy T-Shirt that is pretty cool.  It is black and has the text, "What Would Gemma Do?" on it.....  This bikini would compliment her wardrobe quite well I thought....

It was sort of funny, me being in this store with Molly buying Shelly a bikini....  The salesperson wasn't all that helpful, but I sort of described Shelly's disposition (physically) and was getting to what size should I get for her....  I thought it would be beneficial to ask the person working what size of bikini she would wear, and size up Shelly's accordingly from her measurements.  To make a long story short - I settled on a bikini, and the size, fit, colour, and everything else about it was perfect.  Unreal.  I bet that doesn't happen too often; fellers buying bikinis for their missuses and they like them and such.  I am a lucky guy I suppose.

Long Weekend

The Labour Day parade up on the square in Goderich was a big success I thought.  There were about 10 minutes worth of speeches by David Yates, Jeff Denys, and Jim Vance.  Then there were about 50 people who pulled a lap of the square representing about 10 different unions.  We collected about 3 bags of food for the food bank in town....  So all in all it was good.  Unfortunately I did not get any pictures.

Shelly had Molly dressed up in an outfit that had been Alden's - Marsha's daughter.  We got a few pictures, but there is a problem.  We have a combination of not having much skill setting up a picture, and a camera that had been around the block and isn't that great.  However - we/I shouldn't blame the equipment as much as the operator of it.  No matter.

And two years ago exactly I crossed paths with an old friend of my parents from Goderich via London via Lucknow - Her name is Janet Bargh.  It was Janet's son Gord who hosted me in Happy Valley Goose Bay on my big trip.  Anyway, the Johnston's hosted an all years Lucknow District High School Reunion at their place.  I helped bbq up some hamburgers for everyone, and Janet, who went to LDHS, was at the reunion again.  I thought Janet and I had posed together back in 2010, but I can't find the picture.  Nevertheless Molly joined us and I know I will see Janet in another two years, but maybe our paths will cross before then. 

And from two years ago - Janet's son Gord & I up in Labrador.