I am now an official member of Redeemer Lutheran Church. I have been going there for over three years, but I just joined this weekend, along with fifty-six other people. They had a new member luncheon for us, where I got this coffee mug and a pen. Through work, I have received a large assortment of Salvation Army stuff over the years: several pens, a ceramic and a travel mug, a keychain, five different Christmas CDs, three Christmas ornaments, and a book called Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army ... but I didn't get half as excited about all that stuff as I did about this!

Last week, I got to meet Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan, who is the Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women's Ministries of the Canada Bermuda Territory. She came to Saskatoon as the guest speaker for a Red Shield business luncheon. Some of my co-workers and I were invited to attend the luncheon, and later in the day, the Commissioner came to our workplace for a tour. When I found out she was coming, I was quite worried about whether we would "pass inspection". However, after meeting her, it turned out to be more like a visit. She was more interested in playing with the children, talking with the teens, and congratulating the staff on our accomplishments and hard work than finding fault with us.

You can read about her various appointments around the world here, but what impressed me more was the hands-on work she has done with addictions, homelessness, poverty, and battered women and children. Commissioner MacMillan has training as both a social services worker and a professional addictions counsellor. It was a privilege to be able to meet her.


L to R: Betty, Commissioner MacMillan, me

COST OF CHRISTMAS: $18,920.00

The price of the partridge, the pear tree, and the rest of the '12 Days' goodies is up 3.1% this year, thanks to rising labour costs.

By MSN Money Staff

If Christmas feels a bit more expensive this year, you can blame it on the pear tree -- as well as the lords a-leaping, the ladies dancing and the drummers drumming.

The annual PNC Christmas Price Index, based on the cost of the items in "The 12 Days of Christmas," rose 3.1% this year, with the sharpest increase coming from the 44% jump in pear tree prices.

"Robust commercial construction is sparking landscapers' demand for ornamental trees, such as the species of pear used in the survey," said Jeff Kleintop, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management, which creates the annual survey.

But it was low unemployment -- and, consequently, higher labor costs -- that really put the bite in the holidays this year.

"The Christmas Price Index reflects trends in the broader economy," said Kleintop. "After years of stagnation, wages for skilled workers, including the song's dancers and musicians, have increased as the labor market has tightened. Also, a decline in the housing market has dampened demand for luxury goods, such as gold rings."

According to the 22nd annual survey, the cost of "The 12 Days of Christmas" is $18,920 in 2006, compared with $18,349 in 2005.

Gift prices mirrored the U.S. government's Consumer Price Index -- a widely used measure of inflation calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Labor costs for dancers, drummers
The largest dollar increase this year came from rising labor costs, which exceeded the rate of inflation for the first time in years.

According to Philadanco, the Philadelphia Dance Company, the cost of nine ladies dancing was $4,759, 4% more than in 2006. The women's wage increase outstripped those of their performing peers: The cost of lords a-leaping rose 3%, while the musicians -- the drummers drumming and the pipers piping -- earned 3.4% more than in 2005.

Maids a-milking, who are paid the minimum wage, were the only service providers not to see an increase this year. The federal minimum wage has been set at $5.15 per hour since 1997. Inflation since 1996 has steadily eroded the purchasing power of the hourly minimum, which would be worth $4.04 in 1996 dollars.

For the birds: Flat prices
The price of the partridge (as well as that of turtle doves, French hens, geese and swans) was flat this year, according to The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, as the cost of fuel to ship the birds leveled off. The avian exception was calling birds, which were purchased at a national pet store chain and increased 20%.

Gold rings also stayed constant this year despite a cost increase in the raw material -- gold -- because of softening demand for luxury goods.

"A slowing residential real estate market is making people feel less wealthy this year," said Kleintop.

"Investors have been buying gold as an inflation hedge and prices per ounce remain much higher than last year," he added. "This may put pressure on profit margins at retail jewelers, who have not been able to pass along the increased cost to consumers."

As part of its annual tradition, PNC Wealth Management also tabulates the "True Cost of Christmas," which is the total cost of items gifted by a True Love who repeats all of the song's verses. This holiday season, very generous True Loves will pay more than ever before -- $75,122 -- for all 364 items, up from $72,608 in 2005. This 3.5% increase is substantially less than last year's 9.5% increase. Kleintop observed that Christmas Price Index inflation may reflect trends that led the Federal Reserve to pause interest rate hikes this year.

I hate the Alesse commerical.

It features four women of various nationalities. They all appear to be Charlie's Angels-esque secret agents. One by one, they radio their home base with the same message:

"I'm on Alesse".

I don't hate Alesse itself. I'm on Alesse. I am in favor of being responsible if you are going to be sexually active. I hate the commercial, because, to me, it makes no sense.

Why is it relevant, in the context of their mission, that these women are on Alesse?

What is their mission? Promiscuity?

Do you know the part of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", where they sing:

Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Last night?

I didn't think that would have been "a laugh" at all!

My dad would have been MAD.

My workplace is right across the alley from a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall. Whenever we have a staff meeting or a special event where we have more cars than parking spots, we sometimes borrow a few spaces in the Jehovah's Witnesses' parking lot. Parking on the street is very hard to get and is limited to two hours, because we are a block away from a hospital and in a residential area. The Jehovah's Witnesses' lot is usually completely empty all day and most evenings, except when they are having their meetings. Even then, it is rarely completely full.

Several years ago, we were told that, if they are not having a meeting at the time, it is okay to park there temporarily. However, lately, we have started getting complaints. Apparently, they have video surveillance footage of both our parking lot and their's. When our staff got larger this summer, we removed a storage garage and a row of lilac bushes to accommodate more cars. Even so, we still need to park in the Jehovah's Witnesses' lot sometimes, while snow is being cleared or we have a very large attendance for meetings.

Today we received our final warning from the Jehovah's Witnesses. They quite angrily told us that we are never to park in their parking lot again, at any time, under any circumstances.

Apparently, it's okay for Jehovah's Witnesses to come on your property any time they want ... but try to go on their property, and they don't seem to like it very much! I'd love to say to them, "So, what you're telling me is ... I keep coming here, and you keep asking me not to come back, but I just keep coming back anyway, no matter what you say or do? Don't you hate when that happens?"

As much as I joke about it, I am actually pretty disappointed in the Jehovah's Witnesses' behaviour. I am not saying we don't have to respect their wishes or that they don't have the right to private property, but I do think they are being unreasonable and selfish. They don't need every single parking spot in their lot ever minute of every day. You'd think that they would want to stick together, and maintain a positive relationship, especially since we are the only two buildings that make up our block, and we are both non-secular organizations.

Also, in the past, I think we have been very lenient in regards to their behaviour. Have I ever objected to them parking in our parking lot all night long every Halloween in order to guard their Kingdom Hall from potential vandalism? Don't we always politely accept their religious tracts and magazines? We never deny them the opportunity to try to convert our residents, even though our group home is run by a Christian organization.

If they keep this up ... they're going to give Jehovah's Witnesses a bad name!!!

"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
Acts 5:42

"Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds."
Saint Francis of Assisi

Brent Butt saved me $4.03 this week.

This week's episode of Corner Gas (entitled, "Blog River" ... ironic, isn't it?) opened with Brent excitedly unpacking several cases of recently delivered windshield washer fluid.

As I stared quizzically at the TV screen, I slowly turned to my brother and said, "When I went to fill the car up with gas ... did I come out of the gas station with a jug of windshield washer fluid?".

At the first commercial break, I called Golf's Car Wash, and told them that I had paid for a jug of windshield washer fluid, but hadn't taken it with me.

"You were here yesterday?" they asked.

"No ... Friday," I said.

That's right. I filled up with gas, bought a jug of windshield washer fluid, walked out without it, and 72 HOURS LATER, it suddenly dawned on me. Lucky for me, the girl who answered the phone had been working that night, and she remembered me. She said they had thought that I would come back, but they gave up hope after a day had passed ... so much so, that they sold my jug of windshield washer fluid to someone else, they were currently completely sold out, and the best they could offer me was a refund of my money.

They sold it to someone else? How can they do that? I can maybe see keeping it for store use, or giving it away. They already sold it once. Unless someone else steals one, doesn't that screw up their inventory?

Even worse, when I arrived, and told the girl at the counter, "I called about the windshield washer fluid", instead of giving me a refund, she initially tried to sell me another jug, when they don't even have any in stock! What is this? Some sort of code? I'm surprised I didn't walk out of that place with a bag of marijuana!!!

I suspect that the main reason I was so absent-minded about my windshield washer fluid was that I was too focused on getting the free Fuddrucker's hamburger with every 30 litre gas purchase. They almost didn't give me the burger coupon, but did I forget about that? No: I just forgot another item with nearly the same cash value. Ever since this promotion began, I have filled up nowhere else, even if I was in desperate need of gas, because, in my opinion, they really are "the world's greatest hamburgers".

I thought about my first potential burger for a nearly a week, and put off filling up for three days until I could get to Golf's. I finally got the free burger coupon ... but stopped next at the post office, where I encountered a man who asked me, "Can you spare any change for something to eat?".

I gave him my burger coupon.

What else could I do?

Since then, I have managed to score three more free hamburgers: two from my own car's fill-ups, and one after filling up our work vehicle, then dutifully turning the coupon over to my interim boss, since it was technically not mine. One of my co-workers told my her what I did with my other burger coupon, and she insisted that I keep it.

When I told my friend Mark the story, his joking comment was, "That's why you're going to Heaven ... where you can eat all the hamburgers you want".

I doubt that would be my idea of Heaven ... but it immediately made me think of Wimpy from Popeye!

When I was in school, we used to have a Remembrance Day service every year. The local minister, who was a WWII veteran, would come to give us a sermon. The kids in cadets would dress in their uniforms and stand next to the cenotaph (also know as a vertical cardboard box and a horizontal cardboard box covered in white paper). We would sing "O Canada" and "O God Our Help in Ages Past".

One year, the principal decided it would be better for us to have a Remembrance Day program over the intercom system, concluding with us reading the names of all of the men from our village who had fought in a war. He didn't count on the fact that he had chosen a bunch of junior high goofballs to put it on. Thanks to the comedic stylings of Rene Wuttunee and Darin Marchewka, I busted out laughing for the whole school to hear five names from the end of the list. That night, on the school bus, a seven year old told me that, "Mrs. Banach said you are a bad person, and not to be like you".

When you were in grade six, it was your responsibility to memorize and recite "In Flanders' Fields". I still remember the entire poem to this day ... along with Mrs. Reade saying, "In Flanders' Fields the poppies BLOW! Who said 'grow'? GROW is at the end! They blow, then they grow ... again". We all thought, "Who would know the difference?". I'll tell you who. Everyone from grade seven up, and everyone else who ever had to memorize that poem - that's who.

The grade one kids would contribute by singing "See the Poppies", which was "Frère Jacques" with different words:

See the poppies!
See the poppies!
Oh so red!
Oh so red!
Growing on the hillside!
Growing on the hillside!
Soldiers lay dead!
Soldiers lay dead!

(Wow. That sure took a turn for the worse quickly, didn't it?)

We remember!
We remember!
On this day!
On this day!
Soldiers on the hill side!
Soldiers on the hill side!
Far away.
Far away.

From the time I was in grade 7 until I graduated grade 12, my responsibility was to recite the reading, "What About Tomorrow?" every year. I did not have to memorize this, but I remember every word of it to this day, just because I had to do it so many times. Most people thought that I wrote it. My own mother once told me that even she had assumed this.

However, I know that I did not write it ... because I can remember Stacey Sachko reciting "What About Tomorrow?" when I was in grade three. While I used to recite "What About Tomorrow?" in a thoughtful manner, Stacey used to deliver it as furiously as a fire-and-brimstone preacher. I can remember being pressed back against my chair, totally terrified, resolving I was never going to remove my poppy again. The next day, it fell off my coat when we went grocery shopping, and I nearly cried.

Today you wear the poppy, but what about tomorrow?

Will you wear it then?

Or will it lie forgotten until next year?

Many years ago, men fought to make us agree.

Today we'll wear a poppy, and remember those men, but what about tomorrow?

Will the families be able to forget the husband, son or brother, who went away, and never came home?

Today we'll wear a poppy, but what about tomorrow?

Will the disabled men be able to forget the arms, legs or eyes they lost in the battle?

Today we'll wear a poppy, and remember ...

But what about tomorrow?

This year, I went with Christina Booth to church and to see Flags of Our Fathers. This movie tells the true story of the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima, and how the men in the famous photograph were effected by the events that followed. It was based on a book written by the son of the one the flag raisers. I highly recommend this film. It did not glorify the war or efforts to raise funds for the war effort, but it portrayed the men who fought at Iwo Jima as heroes because of the content of their character and their resiliancy in the face of what they had to endure during battle.

About a month ago, I wrote about Charlene's farewell party at The Crazy Cactus, and said:

"They have a really cool video jukebox, as well as the biggest, best, and most reasonably priced nachos in all of Saskatoon. The food and the service were excellent, and they even decorated our table with candy, confetti, and a banner for no extra charge!"

Sadly, the Crazy Cactus has made some changes.
We returned there for Natasha's farewell party, expecting more great service and good times. We were all a bit disappointed in the waitress we got. The food was late, she forgot and mixed up orders, incorrectly recorded tabs, forgot to serve us, spilled jalepenos down Jerome's back, and even left the bar to meet someone outside a few times!

However, we did get an apology and a free round of drinks from the other staff, and we still managed to have a pretty good time left to our own devices. It is suprising how much entertainment you can get out of a digital camera!!!




The big disappointment of the night for me was that they have changed their nacho recipe in the past month, and not for the better. They have replaced the cheddar cheese with a less expensive processed cheese made by the SYSCO Corporation. The waitress claimed that all restaurants are making the same switch. Even she admitted that the new cheese is not very appetizing. If the issue is cost, I would happily pay a little more for real cheddar. If I had known in advance, I would have ordered something else.

Don't want any customers? Stop cooking with cheese!!!

If you want to speak out in favor of quality nachos, contact:

CRAZY CACTUS AT MELROSE
2404 Melrose Avenue
Saskatoon, SK
S7J 0V5
(306) 975-1266

This Saturday Night Live skit is a parody of "Behind the Music", and supposedly shows the recording of "Don't Fear the Reaper". It stars Christopher Walken as music producer, Bruce Dickinson, and Will Ferrell, Chris Parnell, Chris Kattan, Jimmy Fallon, and Horatio Sanz as the band, Blue Oyster Cult.


The reason I posted this was I was listening to Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends yesterday in my car. Track #10 is "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Caesars. It is exactly the same as the Blue Oyster Cult version, except there is no cowbell.

I couldn't believe it ... but it is truthfully not as good!!!

I've got to have more cowbell!!!

"Guess what - I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!"
- Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson

As is tradition, Mark and I dressed up and went out on Hallowe'en night. This year, Mark, Kristy, Matthew (Mark's brother) and I went as Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Velma from Scooby Doo. I wanted my brother, Steven, to dress as Scooby Doo, but he was not interested, so we had to borrow a stuffed Scooby from my work.

(My other idea for Steven was to wear a white sheet and an old man mask, hold a ghost mask, and keep yelling, "I would have got away with it, too, if it wasn't for you kids!". Steven was not amused.)

Thanks to Mark for computer editting this photo to make us look like a real "mystery machine". It was one of the few pictures where Velma's glasses weren't reflecting! Now I know why I got contact lenses ...


Sadly, we did not win a costume prize for our efforts. Group costumes and individual constumes are usually two seperate catagories, but this year, all costumes were judged together, and we were eliminated in the first round. If they were judging groups seperately, I think we still would have been runner up to Dorothy, the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, and then battled with the two Fraggles for second or third place!

However, our group did not walk away empty handed. Matthew won a draw for a trip for two to Salem, Massechusetts!!! We were all really surprised and excited, especially since he had not originally intended to join us, and had wanted to go home right before the draw was made!

This year at work, we had four large pumpkins to carve, and an abundance of baby pumpkins donated by various staff. We decided to paint designs on the small ones instead of carving them all. These two were my contribution. I liked the face the best, but everyone else liked my two-pumpkin spider with pipe cleaner legs!




I was too busy with my costume to carve the pumpkin I bought for home, so Steven used a template to create this grim reaper. Maybe that's why we only got one trick-or-treater this year!!!

(Our apologies to that trick-or-treater for not purchasing better candy ... or more correctly, not being willing to give up our good candy when you arrived, and instead passing off those sour lemon candies that have been in the cupboard for a year and a half.)