Poulin Family

Pantry Re-Done

2012-01-29T18:20:00.001-08:00

What a nasty job this was! But we had the most disorganized pantry in the known Universe. First three photos are "before" and last five photos are "after" - now we just have to keep it clean.

Poulin Family Website

2011-12-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

Published our new Website today: www.lottomars.com - created on our new iMac using Sandvox. It's a little simplistic right now, but there's links to our old Site. More stuff to be added soon.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T18:37:00.002-08:00

We wish you a very groovy Christmas and a far out New Year.

My Gold story: There’s gold in “them thar hills!”

2011-12-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

In about 1980, my friend Don and I were exploring some old “Turn of the Century” gold mining sites in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. We came across where a small stream had eroded a way through the mines “tailings” area. The stream had exposed different coloured layers of sandy clay dirt. The coloured layers were in multiple layers 2 or 3 inches thick going dowm about 8 feet and the small area looked like a mini Grand Canyon – very cool looking. One of the layers was a bright blue colour – very unique. Don and I were playing with this “blue clay” throwing it at each other and molding shapes with it. It was incredibly sticky, like touching wet plaster. We went home and I mostly forgot all about this blue clay.

About 5 years later I was reading a fiction book about The Comstock Lode in Nevada by Louis L'Amour. In one part of the story, he tells a problem the miners are having with “sticky bright blue mud.” It’s getting stuck to all their equipment, hard to move in or even walk through. Then, just for the hell of it, one of the miners has the blue mud asseyed – it came out 60% gold & 40% silver. In the story, the miners made a fortune with this “sticky blue mud.”

Aha! I then remembered the sticky, bright blue clay that Don and I found years before. A few Months later, I went up in the hills again to the old mining site and grabbed a tupperware container of the blue clay – about a couple of pounds. I took this into Acme Analytical Laboratories on Hastings Street in Vancouver, B.C. and asked them to check for silver and gold. They looked at me like I was a little crazy because they usually get a bunch of rock core samples from mining companies that they have to grind-up to analyze – I told them they should charge me less, because my sample was already ground-up! They wouldn’t go for it and I paid about $100.00 for the testing (Don paid half latter).

The test came back; no silver – but .68 OUNCES PER TON FOR GOLD – which is good!

I next went to Dominion Maps on Granvile Street to find out about the site – to see if it was already claimed. It was interesting going through the maps – each one narrowing in closer and closer. . . until I saw that the whole area was covered in mining claims!

One day I may look into this further as I’ve been told that mining claims can expire. At a little over $1,700 per ounce for gold today. . . “one day” might be sooner that later. But what the heck will I do with gold bearing ore “sticky blue mud/clay” after I’ve found it? Is there a gold refinery around here someplace? We’ll see. . .

Dale Poulin

Orange Belt for Bobby Today

2010-10-16T19:52:00.001-07:00

Bobby got his Orange Belt today. He's doing well at Karate and likes going every week. We are all very proud of our Little Man!

Angela Grade 9

2010-10-12T16:52:00.001-07:00

Bobby Grade 3

2010-06-30T06:26:00.002-07:00

Bobby passed Grade 3 with a good report card. He had fun all year long we are all very pleased with our Big Guy. WAY TO GO BOB!

Angela Grade 8

2010-06-30T06:17:00.002-07:00

Angela finished Grade 8 with a very good report card. We're very proud of her, as Angela did a good job in school all year long. WELL DONE ANGELA!

Olympic Torch & Bobby

2010-02-16T07:17:00.003-08:00

Someone brought a torch that was used in our 2010 Olympic relay to Bobby's School and Bobby got to hold it.

No More Daylight

2009-12-09T22:16:00.004-08:00

After talking with my Nephew Chris, I signed-up on Facebook. Synced with my Yahoo contacts and had about 45 Friends to link with. Plus I invited about 75 more to join Facebook. My God! I'll never see daylight again!

Poulin Grandparents

2009-12-02T07:08:00.003-08:00

My Cousin Denis sent me this photo of a newspaper clipping about my Father's Parents; my Grandmother and Grandfather. It's so nice to learn a little more family history. They had 19 children, not 15. I saw them only once when I was very young, about 4 years old - but I still remember them. This is the first I've seen them when they were young and I can see in their faces a little bit of all of us. (Click on image to enlarge)

To The Wilds of Fort Langley

2009-11-15T16:55:00.003-08:00

Yesterday, we went out overnight to the "wilds" of Fort Langley, B.C. This was to test out our motorhome. Everything went well, except November here is definitily not the best time to go camping. The sound of rain on the roof put us to sleep. I put all our camp gear in the RV, except for our tents. There's room for about 10 times more stuff. I managed to dump the black & brown water sewage tanks without creating a 40 foot fountain (Remember Robin Williams in RV?) It's kind of cool to pull in, hook up and everything works. We had a nice lunch at The Java Planet - a 50's Diner, where Angela met Elvis.

The Wrecking Crew

2009-11-11T18:07:00.003-08:00

There's a new walk-in shower going in soon, so the Boys had a lot of fun working on the "Wrecking Crew."

1993 Itasca Suncruiser 34 Foot Class A Motorhome

2009-10-24T16:52:00.007-07:00

I picked up our family "Adventuremobile" last Monday. It was quite an trip (See the previous post). Angela and Bobby like it a lot and we'll be heading out on adventures soon.

Marysville Speed n' Custom

2009-10-23T20:27:00.004-07:00

I travelled down to Portland, Oregon last Monday on Amtrak, which was a nice ride. I had not been on a train in 40 years. Stayed over-night in a Hotel near Sherwood, Oregon. On early Tuesday morning, I fired-up the 1993 Itasca Suncruiser 34 Foot Class A Motorhome I bought on Ebay, and headed back for the Border. Considering that I had never driven anything bigger than a pick-up truck before and that I managed to hit morning rush-hour in three different cities along the way, I was having quite an adventure. I was about 200 miles into my journey, when trouble started. The motorhome started getting noisy and running rough with little power. Luckily, I could pull into a rest area. Problem: No power at all in the batteries - all three of them! I phoned the nearest automotive shop in the area. (Internet is helpful in these situations!) The Guys from Marysville Speed n' Custom came almost right away. Ken helped to jump-start the RV and I drove to their location close-by. They were super! Within 90 minutes, I had two new batteries and a new alternator and was back on my way back to Canada. Their bill was reasonable. Their service was excellent. They are nice friendly people. I cannot thank them enough. See; www.marysvillespeed.com

KCTS 9 and Mashed Potatoes

2009-10-22T20:09:00.003-07:00

I sent in my recipe for Poulin Family Mashed Potatoes: http://www.lottomars.com/mashed_potatoes.htm to KCTS channel 9 in Seattle, Washington USA and it was selected to be included in the "KCTS Cooks for the Holidays" Cookbook. This is the second one of my recipes that have been published in KCTS's cookbooks. I didn't get to cook anything "on air" - maybe next time!

Little Red Tigers

2009-09-26T14:41:00.004-07:00

Bobby and Angela attended their first Karate lesson today and had a lot of fun. Soon they will be big red tigers.

Now we just have to fill it.

2009-08-22T15:05:00.002-07:00

We finally got a nice big (21 sq.ft.) stand-up freezer. We've wanted one for quite a long time. No more digging to the bottom of our old small chest freezer to find something.

Angela Graduates Grade Seven

2009-06-24T21:06:00.002-07:00

In a nice ceremony at Harold Bishop Elementary, Angela graduated from Grade Seven with her Classmates today. We're very proud of our Angela and know she will do well in High School next Fall.

Life Near The Beginning

2009-06-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

It was a pleasure to experience a little life near the beginning. Yesterday, Catherine and I attended the Christening of Zion Philip Dizon. This cute little Guy is the son of our friends Butch and Mae Dizon. It was a nice ceremony with a good Luncheon. Warm congratulations to the Dizon Family.

Tony Poulin "Heart of Gold"

2009-05-30T14:50:00.005-07:00

It has been a sad week for the our Family. My Brother Tony passed away last Saturday, May 23, 2009. Tony was only 58 years old. This is a rare photo of me and my siblings: taken with us all together as adults. The photo was taken in 1980 at our Father's retirement party at Indian Rock (Naramata), B.C. Left to right: Michael, Alan, Tony, Dale, Kevan and Danielle.

Any one who knows Tony well will agree that he had a heart of gold. Gentle and true, always willing to help out. Tony, along with Kevan, took care of our Father for many years.

Tony fell off a ladder about a year ago and broke his ribs. He didn't see a doctor right away and developed an infection in his lungs. He went to the hospital later in bad shape and then caught that superbug infection: Staphlycoccus aureus that is highly resistant to antibiotics. He was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, treated and released. Three weeks ago, Tony had a stroke and was back in the hospital. The superbug infection had come back and had got to his heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Tony went into a coma and never came back to us. He died peacefully in his sleep late that Saturday night.

I love my Brother and will always miss him. Tony has gone to join our Mother and Father, and our Brother Alan.

Video attached January 4, 2010 "Long Ago and Far Away." This is a little video (Turn your sound up) I made with some old super-8 clips and photos of Tony and other loved ones not with us any more; Mom, Dad, Alan and my old girlfriend Holly. There's video of Jason's Mom and Dad (Before he was born). My Brother Alan... is Christopher's Dad. Some of us in the video are still around and still going strong! Some of you have seen this before and some not. It's for us to enjoy and remember. . .

Lottomars is Back!

2009-04-10T12:25:00.005-07:00

The venerable and fantastic Lottomars domain: http://www.lottomars.com/ is mine once again. I started this site back in about 1995 and had a lot of fun with it. But I had let the domain slip away. It was picked up by others who pointed it at some less than savory destinations because there are so many websites that have links to Lottomars. In fact, Lottomars was in the top 5% of the Web for having the most links that lead to it. I felt that I had lost something that belongs to me. A few days ago I noticed that the domain was free again. With the help of Tajh at Blaze Telecommunications - http://www.blaze.ca/ - I was able to acquire my old favorite website again. Thanks Tajh!

Holly McFadden

2009-03-29T17:17:00.005-07:00

Long ago (1977) and far away from where I am now, I dated Holly McFadden. In fact, we ended up living together for a while. I let her slip away from me, as I was a bit of a rambler back in those times. I still remember her well and with affection.

I only recently learned of her terrible death and don't wish to say anything about this. I also remember Holly’s Family; Her Mother, Father and two Sisters. They were all very nice to me and treated me well. My heart goes out to them all, as I know they will miss her so much. Most of what I remember about Holly I will keep to myself. I will tell you that she was very beautiful, highly intelligent, and strong willed. She was the type of woman who makes a man out of a man. This is the only photo I have of Holly. She is with me and my Mother and Father. I cannot remember where it was taken, but I’m glad the photo includes her smile. I think that if this photo is here, somehow her Family will get to see her "back then." I will always remember Holly McFadden.

Video added January 5, 2010. Two short Super-8 movie clips from back in 1977 of Holly when we were at a Bellyflop Contest at the old Coachhouse Hotel in North Vancouver. We had a lot of fun that day.

I may have found Holly's sister Gail. I sure hope she and her sister Coral get to see this post.

Sammy on The Wall

2009-03-29T16:02:00.002-07:00

Thanks go to the Guys from ConnectPro who installed Sammy up on the wall. An excellent job and just what I wanted.

Sammy Arrived

2009-03-21T22:26:00.004-07:00

Our new TV arrived today. It's name is Sammy (Samsung). Sammy is beautiful, tremendous, big and fantastic. 52 inch, 1080p, 120 hertz and so real, it is freaking me out. Sammy cost a lot of money, but worth every penny. It will be mounted on the wall next Saturday.

I hooked up an older PC to it and Sammy is now effectively a 52 inch computer monitor too.

Thanks go to Gurmeet at Future Shop in Burnaby for a good deal and excellent service. The Delivery Guys were super. They moved my old TV upstairs for me (Thing weighs 248 lbs.)

Angela Egyptian

2009-02-28T20:25:00.002-08:00

Angela likes to write her name in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Fifty-seven going on Forty-two

2009-02-06T20:21:00.003-08:00

I was almost always tired and sleepy, especially when driving. I would fall asleep after about 30 minutes when watching TV or reading. I would get headaches almost every day and some nights. It was sometimes like I had been drugged. I snored very loudly too - I was famous for it. Also and perhaps the worst thing was that I was frequently grumpy and irritable.

I finally told my family doctor and he had me tested for sleep apnea.

"The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer."

The test clearly indicated that I have sleep apnea. So, for the last two months, I have a machine beside my bed that pumps air into my nose when I'm sleeping. I have to wear a mask over my nose with straps around my head. My Wife and Kids laughed when they saw me with it on. It's quite intrusive, but well worth a little discomfort.

I don't snore now. I have not had a headache in over a month. I'm not tired all the time anymore. I'm not "Mr. Grumpy" at all. If fact, I feel better than I have in the last fifteen years.

If you have the symptoms that I had, go and get tested. . . don't put it off.

Girlie's Sun Run 2008

2008-11-16T11:29:00.002-08:00

Girlie completed the Vancouver "Sun Run" Marathon in 2008. Way to go! We're all very proud of her!

We may have Jazz

2008-09-30T21:12:00.002-07:00

Yes, Angela is taking "Band" in Grade 7 - the photo explains everything.

VERY PRACTICAL

2008-09-30T21:05:00.003-07:00

Given a choice between diamond earings or new set of pots for her birthday present - which do you think Girlie picked?

Young Girlie

2008-09-25T19:54:00.002-07:00

Catherine's nick-name is "Girlie." (In case you didn't know) We received this photo today from her Mom and Dad in the Philippines today. Girlie can't remember, but we guess she is "Sweet Sixteen" in this photo.

The Newest Poulin

2008-09-11T22:31:00.003-07:00

My Nephew Jason and his wife Kassandra have a new baby boy; Kingston. He's the newest Poulin and good looking too! (It's hereditary). Bobby and Angela hope to see their new 2nd Cousin soon!

PEACH PIE

2008-08-30T22:21:00.002-07:00

I rarely ever bake anything. So, this super peach pie is a special event. I only have to wait for it to cool off and . . . Yummy!

Horse Valley

2008-05-08T22:19:00.002-07:00

Let's see if anyone can figure this one out. . . as in, what does this have to do with my name?

Sleep Over

2008-05-04T12:29:00.002-07:00

Our Angela went on her first sleep over - at a School-Mate's birthday party. This was Angel's first night away from home, other that with family or close family friends. She left us a note. . .

FEE FI FO FUM

2008-05-02T20:43:00.004-07:00

I sold the cow for some magic beans. Planted them and a very huge bean stalk grew up to the sky. Climbed up and found a immensely large house. In the house was the biggest and best "Home Theater" system I've ever seen. If you see a really big dude saying, "Fee Fi Fo Fum, where's my remote?" - don't tell him I've got it.

Fun on Ebay

2008-03-12T20:57:00.002-07:00

Okay. . . now all I have to do is sell 50 used microphones on Ebay!

Not Too Old

2008-03-12T20:54:00.001-07:00

Angela and Bobby are not too old to still play with a cardboard box.

Helen and Gordon Gemmill

2007-12-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

These nice Folks are my old friend Karen's parents. Sadly, Gordon is not with us anymore. I've known them for 30+ years. There's not too many people on this Planet that have been nicer to me than The Gemmills. When I was in a bit of financial trouble at Parksville Insurance Agency, because of a cockroach thieving partner, Helen lent the business quite a lot of money and asked nothing in return - not even interest! Helen is the only person I ever correspond with in writing by mail. It's no mystery to me where Karen got her abundant grace and charm from.

Bob & Rosanne Johnston are Grandparents!

2007-12-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

This is Bob and Rosanne's Daughter; Alesha's Baby, "Xavier" - Born October 13, 2007. (That was a tough sentance!) CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. Two observations: Cute little Guy and Bob always reaches life milestones before me.

Ebay Store Closed

2007-12-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

I closed my Ebay store: DKP Ventures. New lesson learned: it's possible to loose money while sleeping!

Dale's New Car

2007-09-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

I bought a new 2007 Toyota Matrix today - fully loaded - a very nice little car. The very best part; 40 mpg city / 45 mpg hwy - yeehaw!

New Laptop PC for Dale

2007-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

I bought a very nice HP Laptop just for me. It's Super-duper! Does everything but cook dinner. It's not as fast as our home PC, but having "Wireless" access to the Internet more than makes up for this. The good part: I'm the only one that uses it!

Opened an EBAY Store Today

2007-07-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

DKP Ventures. Yes. . . I want to make money while I'm sleeping! We'll see how this goes. There not much there now to look at. But, watch out! I'm going to be one of those EBAY Millionaires!

Our Pals Father's Day Look-a-Like Photo

2007-06-10T10:21:00.001-07:00

Here's a great photo of our Pals: Zen and Robert. We spotted it in our local Newspaper's Father and Son Look-a-Like Photo contest for Father's Day. Good One Guys!

Burst Hot Water Tank

2007-04-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

You sure don't want this to happen to you on a Sunday! It's a good thing we were home and not too much water leaked out. It was still quite a clean-up job. ADVICE: once your hot water heater is past it's waranty, start getting quotes to replace it.

Vancouver Aquarium

2007-03-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent visit to the Vancouver Aquarium at Stanley Park today. The "Fish" in this tank were so cute, we brought them back home with us.

Kidney Stone

2007-03-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

You definitely do not want to have one of these! I was getting ready for work last Friday and suddenly I'm in serious pain - in my back, on the left side, below my rib cage. It would not go away. In fact, it got worse; came right through to the front like a kick in the groin. I was home alone and didn't think I could drive. I called an ambulance and ended up in Surrey Memorial Hospital for the day. Had a CT scan and about 2:00 p.m. I was told I had a kidney stone, given lots of pain killers, told to drink lots of liquids and sent home. I passed the stone at about 9:30 p.m. and the pain was completely gone. I'm supposed to call a Specialist on Monday. The Ambulance Crew and the Hospital Staff took very good care of me. I went to Costco on Sunday and bought $25.00 worth of pens (nice ones) and gave them to the Staff in the Emergency Ward of Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Worse Than a Root Canal

2007-01-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

I work in an office. The worst injury I should expect is a paper cut! Getting my finger slammed in a heavy desk drawer, on the first day at a new job, was no fun at all. It's very sore and just will not stop hurting. You get the photo to see and cringe at.

Road Race Set

2007-01-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Bobby's Christmas present took over three hours to put together! It was well worth it though, my little Guy really likes it. Angela won't admit that she likes it too (because it's a boy's toy) The set is much better and bigger than I ever had as a young boy. . . so Dad gets to play with it too. I'm just not looking forward to the disassemble job!

Two Parrots

2006-11-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

Just when we are having about the worst Winter weather ever here. . . we get this photo from Cousin Ed! He's in New Zeeland at Rurakaka Beach - Two Parrots. (Maori) Ed, I'm putting a snowball in the freezer - for your next visit!

NEW & OLD

2006-11-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

Our Family had the old green Kenwood mixer since about 1956 an it served The Poulin Family faithfully all through the years. Many, many potatoes got mashed by this machine! Sadly, we said good bye to the old machine and it's gone to old appliance Heaven; a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Surrey. We now have our new KitchenAid Artisan and Girlie is very happy. There a whole lot of baking going on, here at our house!

Big Ten

2006-11-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

Our Little Girl is a "Big Ten Year Old" now. Angela and Friends, with little Brother, went to see the movie, "Happy Feet." There was a party with pizza and cake after.

Glasses for Angela

2006-11-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

Angela had to get glasses today; just for reading. We hope this will stop the headaches she's been getting. I've had headaches all my life and I sure don't want my Daughter to be the same as I in this regard. Angela can see her reading material much better now. We're all happy about this. To my little nightly sneak reader, "don't fall asleep with your glasses on!"

21st Century

2006-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's time to retire my old cell phone. It's been serving me faithfully since 1998. My new cell phone is quite a marvel. . . does everything except the dishes! Thanks go out to Brad Jefferson for helping me join the 21st Century.

Media Room

2006-08-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Our Media Room is starting to get set-up nicely. The addition of a 10" Sub Woofer made quite a difference to the overall sound; much better. I've used older large wooden speakers to make up the rest of the 6.1 sound and they work very well; much better than little metal or plastic speakers. Next, I'll install a real good center speaker.

New SONY 6.1 Home Theater Receive

2006-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Got this nice SONY Receiver today and will be hooking it up soon. 6.1 and 100 watts per channel - it's going to be nice! Now all I need is some good speakers.

Lesley's Nice Leather Couch

2006-07-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

It only took 5 months, but I finally got this nice leather couch I bought from my Pal English Lesley. The darn thing will not fit down the stairs to my basement - for my Home Theater Room. . . double rats! But, hey. . . it sure is nice to lay on!

TV Stand Built

2006-07-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

I finally finished building the stand for our Sony Wega 36 inch flatscreen TV. It was quite a task, considering I haven't done any carpentry since 1977. I had forgotten how much I dislike painting. There will be three matching shelves right above the TV to hold DVD, VCR and Sound System. My extensive collection of Video Game Systems will be below the TV, when I'm finished.

Bobby Graduates (Playschool)

2006-06-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

They're Graduating earlier and earlier! Oh. . . and it's not Playschool, it's Pre-Kindergarten - thank you very much! Anyway, it is a terrific photo of my little Guy. Way to go, Bob!

Father's Day 2006

2006-06-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

As my Children, Angela and Bobby, start to grow up a little - it's a real pleasure on Father's day. Their bright eyes and piping voices make me realize how lucky I am. I think a lot about my Father too. It's been six years since he passed away. I will never stop missing him. So Guys, make these day count and don't waste them. . . we are all mortal.

A Visit With Bob Johnston

2006-06-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

I had a visit with my Friend Bob Johnston in Oliver, BC last Saturday, with Catherine, Angela and Bobby. We did get to see Bob's pretty Wife Rosanne later in the night and we saw one of his Daughters to briefly. I had not seen Bob for about 3 years and it was a real pleasure to hang out a bit with him. I had almost forgotten the sound of his voice and his most excellent laughter; this cheered me up a great deal. I was feeling a bit down because of problems with my employer. This visit with Bob was the tonic I needed to pick me up a bit. Thanks Bob!

Chantal Graduated

2006-06-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our Family took a trip up to Osoyoos and Oliver to see our Darling Niece Chantal Graduate from Osoyoos Secondary School. Chantal, we hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known. With much love from Angela, Bobby, Catherine and Dale. PS: your can see more photos of Chantal at http://www.imagestation.com - just search albums for Mathieu.

Catherine had fun!

2006-05-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Catherine had fun yesterday at a wedding we attended (see previous post) This is such a nice photo, I just had to get it displayed.

James & Korina got Married

2006-05-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Catherine and I had a good time yesterday at the Wedding Reception for James & Korina Manaloto. "May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward." You can see more photos at imagestation.com - search albums for Manaloto.

Flying a Kite with Angela

2006-04-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Angela flew her new kite on Sunday out at Crescent Beach. The yellow biplane kite above her head has a five foot wingspan. . . so it's way up there!

Master Builder Bobby

2006-04-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Good job for only 4 years old! I have a feeling that we will be sending Bobby to the University of British Columbia Engineering Department in about 15 years.

Twenty Years of Computing

2006-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

It has been 20 years since I bought my first computer; an ATARI 520ST. Those who knew me at that time thought that I was the least likely person to buy a Personal Computer. Few people had Personal Computers back in 1986. It cost $1,600.00 (quite a lot of money then) to buy. The operating system was on a floppy disk that you had to load at start-up. It had 512 kilobytes of memory - that's 1/2 a megabyte! I could add another 512 kilobytes of memory for only $1,000.00! It had no hard Drive. It had a colour monitor. It was a marvel! My Mom was even afraid to touch it. . . thought it would "take over." I sure learned a lot.

What I didn't realize at that time that PC's were just coming out of Infancy and taking the first Baby Steps; to become Humanity's greatest tool. Every Industry has been changed amazingly.

Remember that we are still essentially at the beginning of the Computer Age. I wonder what will happen in the next 20 years.

Swedish Balls

2006-04-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

We finally got rid of the two ugly white round "Swedish Ball" light fixtures in our kitchen. I installed two track lights with three flood lights in each one. We can see stuff in our kitchen now - even some things we didn't even know was there!

Angela and the Cossacks

2006-03-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Angela asked today, "what are Cossacks?" Here's some information: COSSACKS: Centuries ago the forefathers of the present day Cossacks settled in the steppes of the southeastern corner of Europe, bordering on the Black Sea and the Caucasian Mountains on the south, the Caspian Sea and the river Volga on the east, the forests of the Great Russian Plain on the north and the river Dniester on the west. Since the dawn of civilization these steppes had been crossed again and again by the peoples of the Great Migration. The original Cossacks were the product of an intermixture of all these peoples with the previous settlers of the Slavic race. Byzantine writers of the Tenth Century described the Cossacks as a separate people who lived on the river Don, and called them "the brave and strong people." In old Russian chronicles they were similarly described for the first time in 1261. The Don Cossacks fought on the side of the Russian Grand Duke Dimitry against the Tartars in 1380. In all the records of that period the Cossacks were described as a series of independent communities, loosely bound into larger units of a military character, entirely separate from the Russian State.

Later on, the Don Cossacks moved to Canada. They changed their last name to "Charlton" and all became Insurance Brokers. It is well known that they are only bloodthirsty at bar-b-ques. They would rather eat their own babies than part with their money and they are very fond of their babies. They make the very best friends to have, aside from their tendency to kiss you on occasion. They seek out Mates from Transylvania and have lots of babies. Unlike the Franco-Anglo Cossacks, they do not get fat in their old age. Their motto, which is secretly written on the underside of their desks, is: "crush enemies, have them driven before you, hear the lamentation of their women."

Another New Range

2006-03-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Our (replacement) new kitchen range arrived this evening. Hopefully, we will be problem free with this one. I'll quit complaining now. We're fortunate just to be able to get a new stove, have our own kitchen, and have food to cook. Lots of people in the World don't have any of these things. One half of the people in the World have never even used a telephone in their lives! So our Family will give thanks (Catherine's Department) for our many blessings.

Sears came through (sort of)

2006-03-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

We went to see the manager of the Sears Appliance Department (Surrey Guildford) today. He still refused to replace our stove. We told him that we didn't want a defective range and we considered having to install a whole new controll panel a major defect and we wanted the stove replaced. The manager repeated that Sears has a "new" policy that they do not replace. . . they repair. I pointed out to him that our receipt said, "satisfaction guaranteed, or money refunded." I said that we were not satisfied, and we wanted our money back. He agreed to refund our money and we are getting a full refund from Sears in about 10 days.

We thanked him and then bought and paid for another new range, exactly the same model and price, as the original stove - right on the spot! It gets here on Wednesday.

It's all been a big pain in the ass, not to mention our bank account. Sears should have farted in their haste to replace our new range in the first place. They did "come through" for us, but only after a few days of wrangling with them.

The ironic thing about all of this is that our original salesman told us that Sears would replace the new range if there was a major problem with it, like the control panel stops working.

The moral of the story; get it in writing!

New Kitchen Range Kaput

2006-03-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Catherine used the self-cleaning feature on our new range yesterday for the first time. The stove quite working afterwards. Sears service came out to look at and said it needs a new control panel and it will take 30 days for the part to arrive. This in a major defect and they said they will not replace the stove, or refund our money. This is a "new policy." They will LET US HAVE a loaner until ours is repaired. We've had this stove for two days less than a month. We're going to see the Sears Store Manager tomorrow. I'm going to show him our receipt form Sears, which says, "satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded." More to follow. . .

ICBC Well Done

2006-03-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a copy of an email I sent to some of my friends at ICBC:

" I've been paying attention to New Reports about ICBC's most excellent claims service to Autoplan Clients affected by the BC Ferry sinking. Well done guys! It a is terrible accident, but the people at ICBC are handling their part with class and deserve recognition and praise. This reflects what we are doing together; providing the best service anywhere. Thank you. Yours very truly, Dale"

Missing Tita Vicki

2006-03-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Bobby says that he misses Tita Vicki and that he wants a photo of her here that he can see whenever he wants. Bobby also wants a photo of Tita Vickie on his juice cup (we'll have to work on that).

Missing Lesley

2006-03-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Angela says that she misses Lesley and wants a photo here that she can look at whenever she wants. Me, I miss both of "My Girls" Carrie and Lesley.

Cave Man Food

2006-03-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

The Tangonan Family; Rommel, Lisa, Mariz and cutie little baby Christiano came over here for dinner last night (Krishna missing) I cooked-up a pile of nice big & meaty beef ribs (cave man food) with tasty dipping sause. Oh, it was good. . . hardly any growling during dinner!

New Monitor

2006-03-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Went garage sailing today and found a Samsung SyncMaster 955DF 19 inch Flat Screen CRT monitor for only $10.00 - and it works great! Screen looks nice. Much larger looking than the old 17 monitor.

Goodbye To An Old Friend

2006-03-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

Our hearts go out to the Family of Leticia Bayoneta. Leti passed away on March 12, 2006. Catherine went to pay our respects this evening. We're quite sad as Leti was always good to us. "As Long As Hearts Remember."

Bobby got a Haircut

2006-03-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Bobby got a short haircut like Dad's. The Men of the family are sure clean cut, handsome Dudes!

Ed and Desma getting Married

2006-03-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Our congratulations and best wishes go out to Ed and Desma who are getting married on March 22, 2006 over in Scotland. "May joy and peace surround you both, Contentment latch your door,and happiness be with you now and God bless you evermore." (Traditional Scottish Wedding Blessing) With love from Angela, Bobby, Catherine and Dale Poulin.

Bobby's Music Video

2006-03-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Bobby is very serious about watching his music video on the PC. (no chicken pox on face)

Really Short Haircut

2006-03-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

Went out today and got what is possibly the shortest haircut I've ever had in my life.

Garage Sailing

2006-03-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

It's still a little early in the year for garage sales, but I went out anyway. Found a nice bedroom reading lamp and a Sony Playstation (one) system with a few games. I went to Future Shop and bought Angela and Bobby the latest Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire - Special Edition. We're all going to watch it together after dinner. Bobby's chicken pox is not too bad. He's a little Trooper and doesn't complain.

Girlie's New Range

2006-03-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

There's happy baking going on in our kitchen now! Smooth top, convection oven and electronic/digital controls. . . I must admit that this is one nice stove.

Bobby is not chicken!

2006-03-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Bobby starts Spring Break with a case of Chicken Pox (poor little guy) But he says that he's not chicken and he dosen't smell like chicken either!

Angela's School Science Fair.

2006-03-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

Angela was chosen as a Grade 4 Finalist in her School Science Fair last week. Everyone liked her demonstration of how laser light is not visible until the light hits something (a glass jar full of jell-o) The speech she made-up herself was excellent and her display was very unique. We are very proud of our little girl.

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Date: Monday, January 30, 2006
Time: 08:25:22 PM
Comments:
hello everybody!! hope all is well with all of you, sure would like to get together with all you poulins, we all have a lot to catch up on, maybe this summer we could have a party or something like that, bye for now chris

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

Date: Monday, February 20, 2006
Time: 05:39:29 PM
Comments:
Hi Chris & Family! We will be up in the Okanagan on the weekend of June 10th 2006. We have been invited up by Danielle 'cause Chantal is Graduating Grade 12! (How time flys by) We hope to see you guys then, as this sounds like a good reason to have a party. Cheers, Dale

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T16:04:00.001-08:00

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Time: 02:54:35 PM
Comments:
Hi all, maybe i can get off this island for that june 10 date. Will sure try. tc all

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

From: Dale
Date: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Time: 08:33:45 PM
Comments:
Happy Birthday to Mike on his 60th birthday today! Tony say: "bullsh*t, he's older than that!" I said 1946 sounds about right. So, Mike. . . what's the truth? When and where were you born and when did you come to Canada?

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

From: Dale
Date: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Time: 08:42:42 PM
Comments:
Mike, Tony and Kevan said to wish you: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

From: mike and diana
Date: Friday, March 03, 2006
Time: 08:59:11 AM
Comments:
Your right dale, born in 1946 and came to canada in 1947. thanks all for the birthday wishes. talk at you later, mike and di

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

From: Dale and Family
Date: Saturday, March 04, 2006
Time: 10:39:45 PM
Comments:
Could there have been someone else who has just had a rather auspicious and important birthday? Yes, it’s Diane! Friday, March the 3rd. Which one is it, Diane? 35? HAPPY BIRTHDAY (only a little late)

Copied over from old blog

2006-03-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

From: Diana
Date: Monday, March 06, 2006
Time: 06:38:03 PM
Comments:
Hi Dale: thank you for the nice compliment add about 18 years to that and you are right. Say hi to Girlie and the kids.

diana