More Swimming

Isabelle continues her swimming career with another round of Guppies (that's swim team for little ones here in SC). She is improving quite a bit and is being encouraged to swim in the big meet with the older kids. She has some strong strokes and weaker ones. If she did swim a big meet she likely would do freestyle and backstroke. Her backstroke is by far her strongest.

Here are a few videos and pictures of one meet at one of the neighboring sub-divisions.

Here she is ready to go in lane 5. Being one of the senior members she gets to swim first. That`s a far cry from the first meet she swam two years ago, where she went first but hadn`t grasped that she needed to swim when the whistle blew.

Here is the start of the flutter board event. Anyone jumping from the blocks can`t do it with the board so they put them in the water.

The backstroke is here best stroke. We have to work on finishing big, but she can really get some speed up.

Now here is the breast stroke. Not too bad for a six year old. I know I wasn't swimming like that at six. This week is another subdivision. Should be another good time for all.

Stick Figures

A while back a friend from work came to the South and noticed what I have noticed since I got here. People like their cars here, but they also like their bumper stickers. Not as much as I like mine, but they do like to make a statment. One of the statements is: "Look at me and see who's in my family."

Well the family units here are as diverse as anywhere. Below is either a normal family of four or mom and dad, a small child with bad hair and what could be an adopted zombie. It depends on your interpretation.

 

Next we have a family of four with a cat. Pretty normal actually. You tend to see a lot of these.

Sometimes things are a little more complicated. This one clearly is missing a dad. You wonder what the story is here.

Of course the families get bigger and bigger. I've seen a few that travel in huge, full sized passenger vans with more car seats and boster seats than I would want to deal with. This one seems to be at six, almost time to upgrade the family car.

Here we have a family plus the dog. Makes me miss Maggie.

Now the ones I really like are the ones I haven't seen too often. Last year we saw one where the Mom clearly had not left the rest of tyhe family on good terms. I wish I had been able to take a picture. It showed the dad and the two kids and the mom's head was actually chopped off. No, it wasn't just missing, it was on the ground next to one of the kids. Her arms and legs were also gone, some of them in the hands of the other family memebers. I can't remember if there was a dog with a bone. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Another one I don't think I have seen (yet) but that I think would raise some eyebrows here is two moms or two dads and some kids. I'm sure it's out there somwhere.

Finally, every now and then you see one with entirely too many cats or dogs. I saw one where there was one "mom" and at least three dogs and five cats. Not exactly my thing but go ahead and express who you are.

In the end my buddy couldn't find a set for him, his wife, and the two boys. We did come accross a set for him after he'd gone home so I bought it for him and delivered it to him on my next trip to Canada. Keep an eye out for it, it's coming to a rear window or a bumper near you.

I Could be a Tire Designer

Yesterday at supper I was explaining to Jane what my new job would be. To sum it up in a few words it is essentially tire design. Not new tire models but drawing and working with some new and same existing tire designs, colaborating working with the plants on issues and solving problems with them. It is at this very point that Isabelle pipes up and exclaims: "I can draw a tire!"

Well, you can't argue that point. To proove it she drew one, an earthmover tire I think. The girl has potential.

It's All Part of Being an Expat

OK, so I am sitting in international departures after a second delay and a flight cancellation, all of which follows a two day delay for visa and immigration issues. I’m beginning to wonder if I will ever get back to Greenville.

It all started with Gran’s 100th birthday celebration, a celebration that went very well, by the way, with a good time had by all who attended. You see Jane and Isabelle had planned several months ago to come to Halifax for Gran’s birthday party. Initially I didn’t have a reason to come and was actually sort of looking forward to a weekend of working out at the gym, paddling at the US National Whitewater Center, and geocaching in and around Greenville. Maybe I could sneak in a ballgame too. Instead it has lead to the biggest travel adventure I have had since 911.

It all started because my visa expired in May. The renewal application went in back in March and should have taken a month. At the beginning of March there was still no sign of it. With Isabelle and Jane leaving after the expiration date we had two option for getting them back into the country: premium processing ($1000) or I go with them to take care of the visa on the way back into the US. Since now I had work to do in Waterville when I was there I decided to go along, besides, the visa process in at the border was supposed to be a sure thing while the premium processing didn’t guarantee it would back in time.

I booked a flight and had a good visit in Halifax, put in some time in the plant in Waterville, got to see my folks, attended the birthday party, and generally had a nice little long weekend in Nova Scotia with the family. I even got my act together and gave my Mom here belated Mother's Day gift and my Dad his early Father's Day gift. I was feeling like it was all under control. Tthen everything went south.

At US immigration we ran into some issues with the visa before our flight on Sunday. In the end we turned around and went back to the city. I booked myself in at the Blomidon Inn in Wolfville and Jane and Isabelle went to her parents place in halifax. We rescheduled our flight for Wednesday and let relocation and the company lawyers figure it out. Isabelle would miss some school but we would work through it.

On Monday evening we are told we are good to go. After having spent two days in the plant in Waterville I head back to Halifax on Tuesday evening to get ready to try again. At this point (insert hint of self pity here) my throat is starting to scratch and I can feel the cold coming on (Peter’s hot toddy helped but I don’t think I can dodge this bullet.) Now, just after going to bed, my phone goes off. It's a message from Continental saying my flight is cancelled. Cancelled! Really. OK, I can deal with this…

Jane and I stay up until midnight dealing with a reschedule. Now instead of a 12:30 departure we leave at 9:00. Not too bad, but we will have to get up early. Too bad Isabelle didn’t fall asleep until 10:00. She’s going to be a little cranker tomorrow.

Now I’m up at 6:00 and the cell phone rings again. It’s an automated call from United. The flight from Washington to Greenville has been rescheduled. OK no problem, but what about Halifax to Washington? I look it up and it’s delayed. We don’t go until 12:00, that’s why the other flight was moved. Well, we got up early for nothing but we can use the time with US immigration. We head to the airport.

At the airport we get sorted out both at immigration and with the airline. The wait will be long be at least we are through. I meet an old acquaintance and his family, all headed to Greenville like us, and we finally board the plane. A little mix-up with the boarding passes has us in the wrong seats but everything looks good until a lady in first class declares she’s lost her wallet. After a short delay she figures out it’s at her hotel. Too bad for her, I though we would be delayed again.

Then, just as I think they are about to close the door, the captain comes on and says, and I quote: “I’m sorry folks, I hate to have to tell you this, but it appears the plane is really broken. We are going to have to ask you to deplane while we wait for maintenance. We may be an hour or more late…” Really broken! as opposed to slightly broken or kinda broken. (I also wonder if it was broken before or after it landed just a few minutes ago. Who knows!) Oh well, the lady in first class will get her wallet back. And now I sit in the departures lounge thinking about the joys of being an expat… It’s a good thing I like my job; otherwise I may start thinking a little more seriously about being a kayak guide.

I Don't Like Cold Toast

Yep, it's true, I don't like cold toast. But sometimes you just have to suck it up and eat your toast, no matter how you get it. This morning was one of those mornings.

I have just gotten back from ten days in Nova Scotia for a visit. I love going home since I get to see lots of friends and of course spend some time with my family. This time was no exception. I put in a few days of work at the plant in Waterville and spend a nice long weekend with my parents. The following week was back in the plant and finally home on Friday. I flew Air Michelin on the way back and was home in time to pick-up Isabelle at school. It's one of the small pleasures.

Yesterday felt like a catch-up day. We spend some family time together. We went for a hike in the rain, did a little shopping, and watched a movie in the afternoon. Not too bad for a rainy day. Isabelle got up early but didn't wake anyone. This morning was a little different.

I got up at 7:40 for some reason and when I came around the corner Isabelle was on her way up. I had heard some banging and clanging but she usually isn't too quiet in the morning. As soon as she saw me she said she had made breakfast. Then she went to wake her mother!

Now you have to understand two things: Isabelle has been making her breakfast for a while now. It usually isn't complicated but it works for her. So breakfast was no surprise. Second point: Jane is not a morning person. We sort of have an agreement, I take the early shift and she takes the late shift. It just works for us. Well this morning Isabelle had made toast for everyone and laid out my favorite cereal. There was milk for her and Jane and the peanut butter was ready. The only thing was that toast was cold and the cereal soggy. But Isabelle was happy and she had thought of us.

Well I talked her into not waking her mother and I ate the cold toast. I also ate the cereal, which was my favorite cereal but not quite the way I like it. Isabelle had made me breakfast I wasn't going to ruin that for her. I love my little girl and cold toast is not going to get in the way of that. Now she's doing some craft work and getting ready for Grandmere and Pappi's visit in a few weeks. I know they will think she's grown when they come to visit but I know she's growing in more ways than one. So if ever you get the chance, eat your cold toast. It's good for you.