Christmas Recap

We had a holly jolly Christmas here in The 'Wack! All family members were spoiled by friends and family; thank you all for your gifts. The turkey was very moist and cooked to perfection! We tried the Moose Milk with spiced rum as opposed to the black rum and it tasted way better. The kids were great and slept in all weekend which was a bonus for everybody else. Boxing day a bunch of us got to go to the Canucks game to watch them lay it on the Oilers; thanks for the free tickets Darcy!

Although it was a green Christmas we got some decent snow yesterday. All in it was a great holiday week. Happy New Years to everyone!

Don't forget to check out the Christmas video clips on the earlier posts below.

Christmas 2009 - Video #3

This one is just a short clip of Santa leaving. I will see what I can do about getting some photos posted too.

Christmas 2009 - #2

Looks like it might take three posts to get the videos up, here is video 2 of 3.

Christmas 2009

Been awhile since I posted, hopefully the new year brings more. Below is the first of two video clips from X-Mas 2009; I will try and get the other one up later tonight.

Random Act of Stupidity

A couple links to a few funny vids...
http://www.glumbert.com/media/tinyforkliftmishap
http://www.glumbert.com/media/parkourfailcompilation

More Must See Photos

From the people who brought you National Geographics International Photography Contest photo's we now have 2009 In Photos and it is a must see. Link here. Be sure to see all three parts!

The Polar Express

We took the kids this past Sunday up to Squamish to see "The Polar Express" and ride it to the "North Pole." The kids had a great time although it was very windy and very cold. We ended up losing Cohen's teddy, aka security blanket; that made for a rough 24 hours but we got him a new one from Zellers! It was my second time driving the Sea to Sky Highway since the improvements and it was great. The picture quality is crap again as I had to consolidate the file size to fit within the upload parameters. My videography still sucks but will be better one day. Enjoy!

My Take on Tiger

By no means do I agree with what he has done. But, and that is a big but, if you are almost a billionaire and you choose to cheat on your very attractive wife, why would you do it with a bush pig like Jamie Grubbs?

Pictures of my Mo'

I will be shaving off the Mo' on Tuesday so I thought I would lay down a few pics. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking here. Pictures after the jump...

120 Days For Shooting Cyclist in the Head

I think the title says it all on this one. Worst part was he shot him in front of the cyclist's daughter. News report here and it is short enough to read.

Funny Stuff

The picture after the jump is rated PG but bloody funny. Came across it on a mountain bike web-page of all places. No kiddies allowed after the jump...

Another act of complete stupidity...

There have been a lot of stories have how stupid bankers and "financial professionals" were through this whole economic crisis. Follow this link to read one that made me laugh out loud, as a teaser it does involve O.J. Simpson. No wonder Washington Mutual went tits up and had it assets bought by JP Morgan Chase in one of many US Government aided bailouts.

Damn Cool Pictures

The Boston Globe on-line has a section they call The Big Picture and it is a collection of weekly photos from around the world. Right now they are running with 25 photographs from National Geographics International Photography Contest 2009 and it is a must see. Click here to see the pics.

Quickie

Short clip of the kids from tonight and a shot of the Christmas tree, will try and get the outside lights this weekend.

BC and the Economist

It seems every time BC and the Lower Mainland make it into The Economist magazine it is about something negative, such as the rampant poverty on Vancouver's Eastside; it will be interesting to see what happens to that area during the 2010 Olympics. Anyways, although not about the Eastside, the latest Economist has another article about BC and it touches on another issue that needs attention, our salmon stocks. Click here for article.

Slooowww Blooogging

Sorry that my postings have been dismal lately but it has been busy around the house lately. Put up the Christmas lights outside and set up the tree on Sunday, hope to take some pictures and post them soon. Will have some Random Musing up throughout the night.

Kiddies Spring 2008

I was playing with windows movie maker and made this little clip; I am not the creative child in the family. I had to tweak something to get the size of the file small enough to allow me to upload it, this may make the quality a little dodgey.

The MO' is a Go!

I have uploaded a photo of me with my Mo' to my donation page here. I have raised $270 to date and hope for a few more bucks!

Sam Brown Story on The Fifth Estate

I had posted earlier about Sam Brown, the young rider who killed himself after being arrested smuggling drugs (see video clip of the hampster wheel). Anyways, the report done by CBC's the Fith Estate is available here and is worth the watch. They touch on a few interesting points involving the marihuana business in Nelson such as the fact that the sleepy town with a population of just under 10,000 people never see's a recession and has 43 thriving restaurants. That is a lot of places to eat for such a small population, but I guess if you are running drugs you can afford it.

Its Snowing! Video Added,

Just looked outside and everything is white and the snow is coming down good! I left the camera at work so no still photos available but I do have a short video clip I will try and post soon.Video after the jump...

The Wonder Years

I was transferring a bunch of stuff to CD's to clean up the computer and came across this video; those were the days.

What happens when the kids don't nap

Snapped this shot shortly after 5:00; Kyah seems to have more stamina then the little dude.

Hampster Wheel

Came across this Youtube clip today. This is one of the more bizarre mountain bike stunts ever built. The kid who built it, Sam Brown, ended up committing suicide in an US jail. It is a long story which can be found here. Some say that Rolling Stone article is somewhat embelished, but who knows. Regardless this kid built many good trails...

Number 30

Number 30 on the list of 50 things to do in BC before you die is Board a BC Ferry. Follow Read More for pictures.

50 Things to do in BC Before You Die

Back in the summmer I had bought an issue of British Columbia Magazine for something to read on the Ferry. It was their 50th anniversary issue and to celebrate they had a list of 50 things to do in BC before you died. Some of the things were pretty stupid, like ride a BC Ferry, but the majority of them were decent things and we decided we would try and do them all. We also decided to start from scratch even if we had done them already, which means I have to go bungee jumping again. I will scratch them out at they get completed.
List after the jump...

Is that pee in your pants or did you belly flop in a puddle?

With today being a half day at work I thought it would be a good day to take the kids out to Chilliwack Lake for a nice walk. We got the kids ready and loaded the car seats into the truck, just in case there was snow on the road, and off we went.

After the 30 minute drive out to the lake the kids and I parked at the entrance, put on our jackets and ventured off into the wilderness. After a long 5 minute walk Kyah started yelling "PEE PEE PEE," I turned around and saw her pants getting wetter and wetter. I thought to myself there is no way your Mum didnt put a diaper on you but upon looking I saw no diaper and our walk was over. We did snap one picture though.

Must be a tough life...

Today I received atleast 3 calls from my darling wife so she could explain to me how bored she was. I suggested taking the kids to the library, but I guess that is a Tuesday thing; how about Tumble Time, nope thats a Wednesday thing; go to Abbotsford to price out some new tires for the van at Costco, nope thats a man job; how about getting the kids dressed in their rain gear and going for a walk, nope they are getting crabby and need lunch soon. I was under the impression we "needed" a second vehicle to reduce Chelsey's boredom but apparently I was wrong. If you could please bless my darling wife with some ideas to keep her busy please post to comments. I would really appreciate it because my ideas just suck!

Hurricane Ida

Wonder if this will give a jump to natural gas prices as I am sure they will temporarly shut down a few rigs in the Gulf; would be nice to make some money on those nat gas investments...

Whistler 2010

Looks like Whistler is building a good early base of snow which is good for the 2010 Olympics, they have been dumped on the weekend and the 5 day forecast is looking good. Keep in mind this is an El-Nino year so things may warm up; this week has provided a good start though. Forecast:

Whistler - Blackcomb.

Tonight.. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of flurries this evening.
Periods of snow beginning after midnight.
Snowfall accumulations 5 to 10 cm.
Alpine low minus 4.
Freezing level rising to 1200 metres.
Mountain top winds south 20 to 40 km/h increasing to southeast 60 to 80 km/h overnight.

Monday..Periods of snow.
Snowfall accumulations 10 to 20 cm.
Alpine high minus 4.
Freezing level 1200 metres.
Mountain top winds southeast 60 to 80 km/h easing to southwest 30 to 50 km/h in the afternoon.

5 Day trend..A cool upper trough will maintain unsettled weather with occasional snow Tuesday and Wednesday. A ridge of high pressure will bring clearing on Thursday.

Tuesday.. Periods of snow.
Snowfall accumulation 5 to 10 cm.
Freezing level 900 metres.
Wednesday.. A mix of sun and cloud. Flurries.
Snowfall accumulation near 5 cm.
Freezing level 800 metres.
Thursday.. Clearing.

The Day...

Not much to blog about today. Chelsey was working so I thought I would take the kids for a hike to Bridal Falls. Turns out they close it for the winter. Upon that disapointment we drove out to hope in search of the Othello Tunnels. For some reason I thought they were before Hope, but when we reached the Hope exit I still hadn't seen them. The snow level was pretty low so I did not want to drive past Hope as we were in the van, no 4x4 in that thing, so we went for a walk through "downtown" Hope. That took a long 2 minutes. Stopped for lunch at the Blue Moose Cafe as they make a good coffee in that joint. A little pricey, especially in Hope, but whatever. After that we went for a walk through the trees but had to be quick as Kyah fell asleep on the drive out and let her water leak all over her; yes, she was soaked and tried to take her pants off in the middle of the cafe. After that we drove home, Cohen napped, Kyah and I played and when Cohen woke up we went shopping. I finally broke the 100,000 point mark with my Save On More Points, Yipee!

Good early season snow falls...

Looks like Baker got dumped on today; pictures here.
Half a foot at Seymour too; details here.
70+CM at Hemlock Valley; details here.

Adjust the sensor

Yesterday in my travels I happened to need to take a big dump really bad; my only chance of clean shorts was pulling into the local gas station. Seeing the male shitter was occupied I helped my self to the ladies washroom. I sat down and let it out. Looking around I saw it was one of those automatic flushing toilets with a sensor, I thought that was pretty cool as I would not have to put my hand on some pee infested handle to flush. After doing my duty I leaned forward to grab some shit tickets, the problem was the bloody sensor thought I stood up and "whoosh" the toilet flushed wetting my perfect ass with terd infested toilet water. Not only that, but after grabbing the toilet paper I once again dropped a few more Cosby Kids off at the pool. So when I leaned forward to wipe the damn toilet flushed again giving me another shit shower.

Adjust the bloody sensor in those damn toilets!

Cohen and his Ailments

So far this week Cohen has had a fever in which he was hot enough to fry an egg on his ass, followed that with the swine flu shot and 2 days and long nights of whining, he was healthy as green grass yesterday and this morning the poor guy is puking his guts up...

The flakes are flying

The snow is crashing down at the higher levels this week and it seems Mt Baker could be in for an early season:

PRE-SEASON SNOW REPORT 2009-10


Friday Nov. 6, 2009

Hi Skiers and Snowboarders,

What a great start to November - the storms are rolling in and the forecast looks great! It's currently snowing at the mountain, and forescasts are calling for up to 14 inches of snow by Saturday morning, then another 10 inches for Sunday morning. Sunday looks clear, but we could get a little more snow Monday - Tuesday with freezing level up a bit Monday then back down to 2,500 feet Tuesday, then more clearing Wednesday through Friday. Another good storm cycle is forecasted for next weekend with more snow.

So - with a possible 24 inches of snow this weekend, we will see what happens early in the week then reassess the weekend forecast on Wednesday for a possible opening date late next week or early the following week. Keep in mind, the possible opening date is dependent on how much snow we get and how the long-range forecast looks. So, stay tuned here - we will be updating this report as the snow falls and will post the most updated opening date info here!

Why so loud

As many of you know we are big fans of Irish Pubs. In Victoria we were spoiled and up until recenlty there were no decent ones in the Fraser Valley. A few weeks ago The Duke of Dublin Olde Irish Pub opened up their Chilliwack location to complement the Abbotsford location. It is a great place to go for a pint and some Bangers and Mash (Banger? Didn't even know you knew her!).

My darling wife and I were there recently for a beverage and enjoyed the live music. The problem was it was so damn loud you couldn't hear the person sitting next to you. A pub is also supposed to be a social house, but its hard to be social if you cant hear anybody.

I Love Weather Warnings

Warnings


Fraser Valley - east including Chilliwack

3:24 AM PST Friday 06 November 2009

Rainfall warning for

Fraser Valley - east including Chilliwack issued

Further rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm expected over Howe Sound and the Eastern Fraser Valley today and tonight.

This is a warning that significant rainfall is expected or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

A moist frontal system continues to bring heavy rainfall to Howe Sound and the Eastern Fraser Valley. Approximately 40 to 50 mm of rain has fallen over Howe Sound and the Eastern Fraser Valley since Thursday morning. Further rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm is expected for both regions by Saturday.

Please refer to the latest public forecasts for further details.

Trying to keep my ass in one piece

For the month of November, also known as Movember, I will be growing a mustache as I raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for prostate cancer. To donate to this worthy cause and make my very ugly mustache worth the effort please click here.

H1N1 - Is it full of pork?

You would have to be an idiot not to question whether or not this whole swine flu thing is overblown. Every year hundreds of people die world wide of the 'regular' flu and the media pays no attention. Now that we have been exposed to a 'more lethal' 2010 edition of the flu the hype is high. I understand that there may be underlying health conditions that aid in the death of the 'regular flu' victims, but in some cases I am sure that is the same for H1N1 victims. So why is it that everytime someone dies from the swine flu it is breaking news? Is the media looking for a story? It makes me wonder, if the good ol' U.S. of A. was in the middle of attacking a country in the hunt for weapons of mass destruction would the media still be all over H1N1?

Saucey

For a cheap 13 bones you can pick up a 2 pounder of these puppies from Costco. Better than the $20 ribs at the local steakhouse and you don't have to tip the waitress.

Family First

Well as the blog is called "The Phamlee" I guess I should throw down some photos of the kids as that is what you all really want to see...

The Beginning

My new blog. Why not just use Facebook? Well that is because I hate it. I think Facebook is used more as a tool to 'keep up with the Jones'and brag about this and that and how many facebook friends you have instead as a social medium. Sure it is used by many for its original intent, but too many use it as a way to boost their ego and I choose not to blow air in that balloon; down with Facebook!

The blog will contain random musings, videos and pictures about The Family, Bikes, Money and Finance, Church and Christianity (Although we have been attending church for over a year now I will not be thumping the bible on this blog but will be bringing up interesting food for thought)as well as whatever random thoughts enter my head, such as extreme weather, or the head of guest posters, such as my darling wife.

I am sure it will have lots of posts to begin with but, like all great ideas, may whither away as time goes...

Kyah Kicking it Old School