Joe Vautour's Blog

Message from Santa to Bethany

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:06:00 +0000

Am I a Good Father?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Well my first Fathers Day is quickly approaching. I look back at the past 10 months and wow time has sure gone by fast. It seems like just yesterday we were in the delivery room laying my eyes on her for the first time. Louisa is a great mom and from time to time she will give me grief about needing to help out more around the house.

The biggest problem is the extra curricular activities that keep me out of the house in the evenings. I have been very active in both the Knights of Columbus and Scouts. Louisa is with Bethany all day while I am at work and she looks forward to me coming home after work to give her a break. So it is no wonder that she doesn't like me being out so much.

So I decided to make some changes to make sure that I am around a little more. For the Knights of Columbus I have taken on a different position on the executive, one that doesn't involve as much work at home. No more writing up the minutes and no more doing the Rosarium (council newsletter). Also with my new position if I am unable to make it to the meeting I won't feel that I am letting the council down as my new position isn't as key.

And for Scouting I have tendered my resignation as the Group Commissioner. This was a tough one as Scouting is so very dear to me. But I had to be honest with myself, that I am not really able to commit the amount of time necessary to do a proper job. So I did what was necessary and I stepped down. I hope to be able to stay involved in some capacity, we will see.

Parenting involves sacrifices and up until now I havn't had to make many but the time has come that I make sure I have my priorities in order.

I came across a survey at www.fathersforgood.org titled Am I a Good Father?

Here are the questions:

Answer each of the following statements honestly in relation to your fatherhood, placing one check for each statement to indicate: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.

This is not a scientific survey, and no one else will see your test score. It is designed to help you think about some important fatherhood issues and how you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Have fun, and learn.

I practice what I preach *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I pray with my kids, and for them *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I regulate TV time for my kids, and myself *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I avoid any use of porn *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

They know they can come to me with questions *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I look at their report cards *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I set clear and consistent rules *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I control my temper when disciplining *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I listen and not just talk to my kids *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I am home for family dinner *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I respect my wife and show affection *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My kids feel safe and secure with me *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

They know I am fair yet firm *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

I say I love them in word and deed *
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Thank you for completing this self-assessment. In general, those who are walking the path of the good father will answer mostly “Strongly Agree” and “Agree”.

I am now a Daddy

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:21:00 +0000

From Birth

Yesterday was the most amazing day of my life, I became a father. At 8:50 am Louisa and I became parents to a baby girl. Weighing 6 lbs 15 oz, Bethany Priscilla Pang Vautour came into this world and stole our hearts. You always hear how amazing it is to witness the birth of your child, but there is no preparing for the emotion of it actually happening.

Everything went just fine. baby is healthy and both her and mom are doing fine. I on the other hand am in a lot of pain. I slept at the hospital last night so I could be there to help Louisa with the baby. I slept on a cot and when I first woke up this morning I was fine. But after breakfast I was helping Louisa with breast feeding and somehow I pulled a muscle in my lower back.

I was on so much pain. I couldn't sit up straight or stand up straight. When the nurse came into the room she looked at me and said "Are you ok?". "No" I said" "what is wrong?" "I can't move". They took me down to the Emergency Room. Turns out I pulled a muscle and have to take Advil and some prescription anti-inflammatory pills for a week. The worst part is the doctor told me not to lift anything. That includes taking the baby home in her car seat and the bags. And then to literally add insult to injury she said "People will think you are just a jerk making your wife carry everything"

I was very upset that I got hurt and this limits what I can do to help Louisa for the next week or so. We don't have any family in Ottawa which makes it a bit of a tougher pill to swallow. Luckily Louisa's mom is visiting for a while to help out. I will be adding the hospital bracelet that they game me in the Emergency Room to Bethany's baby book. I am sure this will make for a humorous story 10 years from now.

I came home to shower and upload some pictures from the hospital. I will be heading back to the hospital soon. Not sure if I will be sleeping there or coming back here tonight. Will figure that out later. I want to be there as much as I can but not if I am just in the way.

One week from now I will be a Dad!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Wow two posts in two days! Louisa and I found out today that we will be parents in one week from now. We have a C-section scheduled for Monday August 17th. Just one week to go. Wow!

How to not impress your Mother-in-law

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Yea I know it has been a long time since I have posted any new blog posts. There have been many things that I wanted to post but never seemed to get around to it. Let me tell you a little story and then I will provide an update on what is going on in my life.

So my Mother-in-law is visiting and tonight I was going to BBQ some salmon on a cedar plank. Everything is going fine, I soaked the plank for 6 hours in preparation. I don't think she has ever had salmon cooked on a cedar plank and she was interested to see what I was doing. I was proud of myself and hoping she was a bit impressed with my cooking skills. Once the salmon was cooked I asked Louisa for an oven mitt so I could bring the salmon inside. Well I underestimated how hot the plank would be even though I was wearing an over mitt. After a few steps away from the BBQ it was starting to burn my hand so I attempted to place it back down on the BBQ. The salmon fillet slid right off and onto the ground with a big splat! I was very upset at myself and embarrassed at what I had done.

I was hungry as a bear as I had not eaten much all day and it was a little later than when we normally eat. Here I just ruined our main course. Fortunately there was still another half of a fillet left because we bought it at Costco. So Louisa's mom cooked that half in the oven. So it wasn't a total loss but I was so mad at myself.

Other than that things are good. Baby Bethany is due to come out in a few weeks. Can't wait to meet her. Louisa and I have done everything we can to prepare. Louisa has read countless books, we took the prenatal classes, went to a breast feeding seminar and even a cloth diaper consultation. The room is ready and all the baby clothes have been washed.

I am thrilled to become a dad. It is something that I have been looking forward to since I was probably a teenager. Not that I wanted to become a teenage dad, just that I knew that I wanted to be a father one day. It is such an exciting time right now. As I am sure any parent will know just knowing that you will become a parent you start to look at things differently.

I have always been a big music buff. I have tone of CD's and MP3's, all genres of music. Now when I listen to a song I am like "Oh I never realized that song had swear words in it" and I remove it from my playlists so I don't expose Bethany to it. I have even started a playlist for her with children's songs.

The summer is coming to a close soon which means all the activities will be starting up again. I have a meeting on Tuesday for the Knights of Columbus to start our fall planning and I will also be holding a Group Committee meeting for scouts to ramp up for the fall. Granted with Bethany coming I won't be able to do as much for the first couple of months. It will be interesting to see if I can manage to keep the right balance. One thing is clear to me, Louisa and Bethany have to come first.

I will try to post more often, if I can find time. I am sure I will have tons of things to blog about.

1 Year Wedding Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:00:00 +0000

This past weekend marked Louisa and my one year wedding anniversary. And it was a pretty darn good weekend if I do say so myself. To kick things off we attended the wedding of friends of ours on Saturday. Same weekend (1 year later), same church, same time, even same priest. It was a bit surreal. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were the ones standing at the alter.

Next on our agenda was an overnight get away to Prince Edward County. When we went to drop Bee Bee off at the dog sitter there was no sign of her. After some quick thinking and thanks to the kindness of Barry and Annette we dropped Bee Bee off at Barry and Annette's house and we were on our way.

Since we didn't have any real time line we decided to stop off at Merrickville for Breakfast. Once we made it to Picton we spent some time walking through the shops on the main drag before checking in to our sleeping quarters.

Louisa had booked us a room at the Huff Estates Winery. We had a little trouble locating it though. We had printed off maps and directions but they were lost in the wind at a service station. We turned to the GPS and for once it failed us. It sent us on a wild goose chase and we became lost. Eventually we found our way and made it to the estate.

Before heading back to Ottawa we went for a nice romantic walk on the beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park. We also found a great bakery where we bought some fresh made bread and donuts and a pie.

It was a great trip. Very relaxing. It will also be the last trip that we will be able to go on before the baby comes. Next time we go somewhere we will have so much stuff to bring. This trip we only brought one carry on size suitcase between the two of us.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:48:00 +0000

I haven't written a blog entry in a while so I thought I would give an update on what is new.

Only a few days more before we get the new car. I am so excited. We are buying a red 2010 Toyota Matrix. So now we will have two vehicles which will be important once the baby comes and Louisa is on maternity leave. Plus when I have my meetings and activities for Scouts or Knights of Columbus I won't have to worry if Louisa needs the car.

Louisa and I have been talking about getting a filing cabinet for the basement. I have so many papers that it doesn't take long for the basement to look all messy. I am currently working with a 'pile' system. One pile for Scouting stuff, one for the Knights of Columbus, etc. A filing cabinet sure will be helpful.

My boss will be out of the office all week. He is going down to Las Vegas for a Trade Show. Originally I was supposed to go as well but that was before the company started to cut down on their travel budgets. Assistant Buyers are no longer eligible for International travel. Oh well.

I will be recertifing my first aid this week through work. Which is very convenient because my certification is due for renewal. The last time was paid for by my previous employer and now Costco will be paying.

Louisa is doing well with the pregnancy. She is either very happy and laughing or in discomfort due to her changing body. I want to celebrate Mothers Day but she doesn't seem to be big on the idea. She says she isn't a mother yet. Plus our wedding anniversary is the next weekend. We are planning on a overnighter a couple hours away to celebrate.

Top 5 signs you are anal-retentive

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:28:00 +0000

1. You keep large redundant amounts of all your sundries such as laundry detergent so that you never risk running out.

2. You don’t just sort the money in your wallet by $1, $5, $10, or $20, but also sort the bills by wear-and-tear so that you get rid of the bills in the worst shape first.

3. You look up anal-retentive to see whether it needs a hyphen.

4. You don’t just keep a grocery list, you micro-optimize order of the items on the grocery list so that you only make one pass through the grocery store.

5. After a power outage or when Daylight Savings Time starts or ends, you feel the need to set all your clocks to the same minute and second.

6. It really irritates you when someone says a list has 5 items and you count six.

(by Matt Cutts - http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/top-5-signs-you-are-anal-retentive/)

Camp No'Chimik

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:54:00 +0000

This weekend I went winter camping at Camp No'Chimick with the venturers. It had been a while since I had been winter camping and I was looking forward to it. Camp No'Chimik is not far from home, just a 15 minute drive. We went out Friday night. There were 8 of us spending the night Friday and two more joined us on Saturday and spent Saturday Night.

This was my firt time going to Camp No'Chimick, what a great place. It is actually private property but the owner has been letting scouts use the area for camping for years. There is one small cabin with a wood stove there, a flagpole in a clearing and a bunch of groups have created permenant camp sites in the surrounding area.

Since we didn't arrive until late Friday night we spent the first night in the cabin. Us two adults slept downstairs and we had 4 Venturers and 2 rovers sleeping up in the attick. The cabin is very basic yet very functional. I didn't measure it but I would estimate 15 feet by 15 feet at the most. There is no floor, just stones and dirt. There was an old wood stove in the middle of the room to keep everyone warm. There were two benches along the two side walls that were wide enough to sleep on. The space under the benches served as storage for wood for the stove. There was a table attached to the back wall and teo folding tables as well. The ladder to the attick was beside the door. There were lines surrounding the stove to hang and dry wet clothes and plenty of naile for hanging jackets and other articles. The Attick was large enough that you could sleep 8 people comfortably and there was room on the benches for four more.

So Friday night we didn't have time for much but we did play their favorite game Whistle in a bucket. Basically two people go and hide a bucket with a whistle inside in the woods. Now remember it is night time so it is dark. The rest of the people have to find the bucket and blow the whistle without being caught. If the two people guarding the bucket beam them with a flashlight they have to go back to home base and start again. I didn't see the apeal of the game but once you get into it it can be a lot of fun.

Saturday morning I was the first one up. I managed to get myself changed and put together before anyone else got up. Brady was the first Venturer up and at 'em so he decided to get a start on breakfast. We had bought pre-cooked bacon so all that had to be done was heat it up. I suggested that since they come packaged in a plastic bag he just place the bag in a pot of hot water to heat up. That way there there wouldn't be any mess, no dishes to clean. Brady didn't take my advise and put them in a frying pan and placed it on the wood stove. By the time the rest of the food was ready that bacon was burnt to a crisp. They had some-what of success with the eggs and the sausages turned out fine. Just a typical breakfast at camp.

The morning was spent mostly with preparing their snow shelters for Saturday night. The original plan was to build quinzies but that never happened. Brady wanted to make a lean-to but eventually abandoned that idea. Jake and Hunter salvaged the remains of a snow trench that was left from a previous group and made a nice looking shelter rather quickly. Francesca and Emma decided to go with a snow trench as well but they wanted to start from scratch. It took more time but they pulled off a great shelter. Brady eventaully follwed Hunter and Jakes lead and salvaged one of the snow trenches that was left from the previous group. Adrian decided to join him and when I found out Andy was going to sleep in the cabin that meant I was on my own so I resigned to sleep in the cabin as well.

For lunch we had hot dogs cooked over the fire on sticks and we had some chicken noodle soup. After lunch the owner of the property came to visit with his chainsaw and cut up some fallen trees and our group transported and piled outside the cabin for the next group that would come to use the camp. A little later we all went on an exhausting hike. I am sure glad I rented those snow shoes.

Supper was easy. Emma's mom had made us boil-in-a-bag chili. You take milk bags, cut the top off and wash them out. That you fill them with chili, soup , or whatever you want and seal closed. Freeze them and take with you when you go winter camping. Just boil a large pot of water and place the bags in the pot to unthaw and heat. You eat right out of the bag and there is no mess. You can either burn the bag or place in the garbage.

of course after supper it was more whistle in a bucket. Except this time we changed it to candle in a bucket. The objective was to blow the candle out. We had a lot of fun. For the last name Andy and I were the bucket defenders. We came up with a plan, well actually we cheated. Instead of hiding the bucket we circled around back to the cabin and went it to warm up while they were out searching for us. They were not too amused.

When it was time for bed Brady found his shelter to be wet and decided he didn't want to sleep outside. Adrian felt that it would be fine by adding an extra tarp. Since he really wanted to sleep outside I agreed to take Brady's place and I slept in the Snow Trench. I was dry as a bone and not one bit cold. I had a great nigjht sleep, well except for the aaches and pains from sleeping on the ground.

Breakfats was instamt oatmeal and once everyone was done eating we packed everything up and headed home. I was home by lunchtime. To view the pictures from the camp click on the image below.

Camp No'Chimik Feb 2009

Canadian $1.00 Bill

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Ok, so who remembers the Canadian $1.00 bill? Today at work I found out that two of my employees had no idea that there used to be a Canadian $1.00 bill. Talk about making me feel old. This is actually the second time this has happened to me. I encountered the same situation when I was in Kingston. Has it really been that long? They remember the $2.00 bill, but not the $1.00 bill. On the flip side the other night when I was playing poker with the guys they were talking about actors from yesteryear that I hadn't heard of. After they told me some of the roles they played I had an idea, but their names meant nothing to me. They were shocked and I guess I made them feel old.

Have you ever had a situation that really made you feel old?

Jigsaw Puzzle

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:21:00 +0000

A little while before Christmas I suggested to Louisa that we buy a jigsaw puzzle and build it as a couple. It would be an activity that we can do together. She agreed that was a good idea. So for Christmas we each bought the other a jigsaw puzzle. So one Sunday night decided to give it a try. The first one we attempted is a 1000 piece puzzle of the Last Supper. Together we started with the border. We managed to get the border completed in an hour or so. That seemed like enough for the first day.

After that Louisa lost interest and I became addicted. I worked on that puzzle every night after work, and some mornings before work. I was able to finish the puzzle after just one week. I was so proud. I havn't worked on a jigsaw puzzle since I was a child. I had no idea it could be so fun. I have proudly used puzzle glue to keep my creation together and have mounted it on a piece of cardboard and will be proudly displaying it on the wall.

Do you like Jigsaw puzzles? When was the last time you did one?

Christmas time is fast approaching

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Christmas will be here before we know it. I have completed most of my shopping but still have a few more people to buy for. Two funny stories to share. I bought Louisa a present from Costco.ca and had it shipped to me at work. When we were going home she of course asked me what was in the box. The curiosity was really getting to her. When I got out of the car to bring in the trash can (it was our garbage day) she reached back to grab the box to have a peek. Luckily I was able to get it before she could see.

Well she really really wanted to know what I had got her and would not let up until she found out what it was. Eventually I broke down and gave it to her early. One less surprise for Christmas.

Last night I asked her to go to the mall with me to do some Christmas shopping. What an experience that was. Louisa and I have two very different ideas of how to shop. And funny enough we each do the opposite of what you may expect. She likes to go with a list and go directly to what she is looking for and off to find the next item. I want to walk down every aisle of every store to see what jumps out at me. I rarely know what I am going to buy someone until I see it.

I have the same habit when grocery shopping. Needless to say we have had more than one shopping related disagreement. Louisa was a good sport and followed my lead as we roamed around the mall. She made plenty of suggestions on things I could buy for my family. And every time that I passed on one of her suggestions she seemed to grow more and more irritated with me. I did end up buying one thing she suggested and that seemed to make her very happy.

Christmas Time is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:57:00 +0000

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Rock Climbing, Hockey and Perth

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:24:00 +0000

These past few days have been busy. Thursday Night was our Venturers meeting and we went indoor rock climbing. This is something I had never done before but the rest of them had done it many times. It was fun. I did two accents in total in two different areas of the gym. Half way up I was thinking "I can't do this" but somehow I made it to the top both times. My toes were really hurting. You have to wear very tight shoes so you can get a good grip on the holds. Louisa wants to try so we are going to go give it a shot some time.

Friday night Louisa and I went to the Ottawa Senators hockey game. They were playing Anaheim. The sens lost, they didn't really try until the third period. Even so it was nice to go to a game. Sure was different than watching on tv at home. I like to get to one game a year so I guess that will be it until next year.

Yesterday it was raining all day so we stayed at home most of the day. We did go to mass in the afternoon and there was a parish potluck afterward. Not a huge turn out, probably due to the rain.

Today we went for a day trip down to Perth, Ontario. Luckily the weather was nice. I took Louisa to Camp Opemikon where we had Rovent last weekend and we walked around the town. We had lunch at a great restaurant called GoodWood.

Tomorrow is my first day as an Assistant Buyer at Costco. Very happy to finally be starting my new position. I will be working with a great bunch of guys.

Rovent / Woodbadge I for Senior Sections

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:30:00 +0000

I spent the weekend camping in a tent. Something I have done many times in my life, but not in a while. This was my first scout camp in a number of years. I was at Camp Opemikon, a Scouts Canada area camp site. This weekend was their annual camp called Rovent. Rovent which is an event for Rovers and Venturers, this year they also invited Pathfinders from the Girl Guide program. There are older youth between the ages of 14-25.

Rovent is based on a medieval theme. Many participants came complete with costumes such as knights, court jesters, peasants, etc. They also had a royal family comprised of youth from the organizing Rover Crew. There was a story line weaved throughout the weekend. One of the highlights for the youth is the siege. They build catapults and launch bags of flour at each other. The air was filled with flour and they made quite a mess, but they sure had fun.

My Venturer company did not attend, I went solo. I went to take a training course called Woodbadge I for Senior Sections. It is a compulsory course for new Venturer and Rover advisers. I spent the majority of the weekend in training so I didn't get to spend too much time walking around but I did manage to get around a bit.

Since I was going solo I found another group to camp with. The 1st Nepean Rovers adopted me for the weekend. I brought my own tent and personal gear of course, but they fed me. In addition to these fine folks I met a number of other great people that I know I will see again at future camps and events.

We had a good size group of people taking the course. We were asked to come up with a Scouts Own on Sunday morning at the closing ceremony. For those who don't know what that is, it is a spiritual reflection of some sort. I shared with them my story of what brought me back to scouting. They asked me if I was willing to share that with the whole camp so as part of the Scouts Own I did just that. What I said was the following.

My name is Joe Vautour and I am a 1st year Venturer Adviser. I have a rich background in scouting but I was inactive for a few years and I am just getting back into it. Like many of you I was a Beaver, I was a cub, and I was a Scout. I have been a Beaver Leader, I have been an Akela, and I have been a Troop Scouter. I have not been active the last few years, mostly because I was moving around a lot.

One morning two months ago, it was a Monday in August. All of a sudden out of no where I started to think about Scouting. About all the great times I had, the camps I had gone to, the people I met and the friends I made. I became very happy remembering all those great memories. Right then and there I looked up the phone number for Scouts Canada and I gave them a call. I told them I wanted to get back into scouting and they helped me find a group near where I live.

They very next day I was at work and my mother phoned me. My mother does not usually call me at work so I knew something was wrong. She called to tell me that a man I knew had passed away. His name was Robert MacVicar and he was a great man and he meant a lot to me. He was a retired fireman, in fact he was a District Fire Chief when he retired. He was very involved in his church, and in the community. And he was my troop scouter. This man had a huge influence in my life. As far as male role models in my life go, he was right up there with my father.

She them told me that he had a heart attack on Sunday. That is when it hit me. He died on Sunday and Monday I had this sudden urge to get back into scouting. I have no doubt that his spirit came to visit me and was urging me to go back to the Scouting movement.

That is my personal story that I want to share with you. Now each participant is going to briefly say what scouting means to them. For me Scouting is a lifestyle.

And then each of the other people taking the training said what Scouting means to them. I received many compliments afterwards on my story. There was over 300 people there in around the flagpole and it is not easy to hold their attention for long. But while I was telling my story you could hear a needle drop. I had everyones undivided attention.

I had a great time, met a lot of new people and I look forward to the next camp. See all my photos from the weekend on picasa.

Rovent 2008

Merrickville

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Last weekend I went to Merrickville with the Venturers as described in my last post. I was so taken by the little town that I decided to take Louisa there this weekend. Merrickville is only a 45 minute drive away from Barrhaven. Just take the 416 south as if you are going to Toronto and take the Kempville exit. Merrickville is along the Rideau river and part of the Rideau Canal. So if you were going by boat it will take you right to downtown Ottawa.

We arrived around 10:30 in the morning and didn't leave until after 4 in the afternoon. What a wonderful day we had. We had breakfast and The Goose And Gridiron. The food was real good and it cost almost nothing. The entire bill was around $11.00 for the two of us. There are much fancier places there if you want.

We spent the whole day walking down the main street (and a couple of side streets) looking in the all the cute shops. They have at least three glass blowing shops, Mrs. McGarrigle’s Mustard, and an assortment of artists gallery's and unique boutiques. We did buy a few things here and there but it was just fun looking at all the neat things they had. Many of the buildings are very old and the shops seemed to have endless rooms full of treasures.

In addition to shopping we walked across the bridge to explore the ruins and visit the foundry. We even watched they Parks Canada staff operate the locks to let a boat pass through. And to finish it all off we went into a candy & Ice Cream store and the air was filled with the most amazing smell. They make their own waffle comes fresh. I had an Apple Pie Ice Cream in a waffle cone. It had to have been the best tasting ice cream I have ever had, I have had a lot of ice cream in my life.

It was such a nice time to take this day trip with the changing of the leaves. We truly had a marvelous day. I recommend it to anyone in Ottawa who want to get away for a day trip without spending a fortune. They have some nice Inns and B&B's if you want to make a weekend out of it. And of course for the less pampered approach they have a campground right there along the canal.

Crazy Canuck Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:11:00 +0000

Today was my first outing with the 25th Nepean Venturer Company. We went to Merrickville for the Crazy Canuck Challenge. It was a great day weather wise for this event. We had 4 out of our 5 venturers go.

Andy and I drop them off at the start and the received their instructions. They had to use a compass and put their orienteering skills to use. We met them at the first check point where they had to mount their mountain bikes. One of our guys forgot to bring his bike helmet but luckily we found someone with an extra to lend. Lucky for him otherwise he wouldn't be able to participate in that portion of the course.

Shortly afterward they had a stop at a rock quarry where they did some repelling. Just as they were entering the quarry one of the guys ended up flying through the air over his handlebars and had a little spill. He had a small cut and hurt his fingers on his left hand. He wasn't seriously hurt but he choose to let the others continue on without him and he joined Andy and I in the chase car.

We then waited for them at the next check point. When they arrived we fed them some lunch and they set off in the canoe. We then picked them up at the finish line. We actually we were waiting at what we thought was the finish line. Luckily we figured out it wasn't the right spot before they arrived. I don't know their official time or standing but I think they did pretty well.

At the finish line they had a fun activity of crate Stacking. They are rigged in a rope harness and try to see hoe high they can build a stack of milk crates while climbing on top. I hear the record is 14. They had a lot of fun with that. Pictures are available at my Picasa Albumn

Sometimes Politicians do Listen

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:28:00 +0000

We are in the middle of a federal election campaign and as always the city becomes littered with election signs everywhere you look. The incumbant in my area is conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre. He has a lot of signs at intersections, and often on all four corners. There is one near my home where Woodroffe Ave and Cresthaven Dr meet. It's exact location made it difficult to see traffic coming up the hill when turning onto Woodroffe from Cresthaven. So I called his campaign office and asked if they could move it back a few feet as it was a safety hazard. They listened and within 2 days it was moved back. Now I know that he didn't move the sign himself but I am very pleased that the listened to the request of a single voter.

Boys Night Out

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Last night was Boys Night Out. Most months after our general business meeting some of the Knights will go to our local pub for a drink or two and shoot the breeze. When we leave the staff take our receipts and keep track of our spending. If we go there any other time we can request that they add the receipt to our tally. The pub calculates our spending and gives us a certain percentage back in credit. So once a year we go for a night out and enjoy our reward.

Last night we did just that. It was great. I can't remember the last time I spent 6 hours in a pub. They had live entertainment to boot. We had a decent turnout, but it would have been nice to see a few more faces. Their loss, they missed a great time.

But a very strange thing happened last night. I consumed a large quantity of beer but did not get drunk, not even a little. I have never been a big drinker, not even in university. I think the most beer I had in one night before was 8 and man was I ever sick. But last night I am sure I had more than that, and nothing.

Mind you I did eat a lot as well, and we were drinking draft. I think the smartest thing I did was drink two tall glasses of water at the end of the night. That seems to make a big difference in how you feel the next morning. I was home and in bed by 1:30 and I was able to get to bed without waking Louisa. So that is proof enough that I wasn't stumbling around when I came home.

I stayed in bed until 3 in the afternoon so it is a good thing that I didn't have any plans for today. I think I am allowed one night like that a year.

Friends, Sushi, and Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Ok my weekly updates was short lived. I have been slacking the last couple of weeks. Life has been busy busy. My calendar has really been filling up between the Knights of Columbus and Venturers. But I am happy. The important thing is I make sure I make time for Louisa.

Tonight we have dinner plans with some friends. Looking forward to that. It is so nice that we have friends to do stuff with now. I know that sounds pathetic but since neither of us are from Ottawa we didn't really know anyone outside of work. But know through church and other activities we have been meeting other couples. It's nice to build up a social network again.

Speaking of work, my department was treated to a special lunch yesterday by the big bosses for an outstanding performance last period. We went to Sushi Kan for all-you-can-eat sushi. It was soooooo good. Louisa and I have been there a few times already. I ate so much I wasn't hungry at supper time.

Today I am going to go fishing for a bit. I havn't been fishing all summer. I bought a fishing license and all the gear, and have been itching to break it in. I vowed to get out at least once before it gets too late. Wish me luck.

Weekly Update

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:29:00 +0000

I have been doing pretty good lately posting to my blog regularly. My goal is to do a post at least once a week. So allow me to catch you up on what is new in my life.

One very exciting thing is that I am getting back involved in Scouting. I will be serving as a Venturer Adviser. Venturers is the level after Scouts At this level the youth really run their own meetings and activities. I am just there to consult and guidance. I am very excited to get back into the movement.

On top of that I have managed to convince Louisa to go camping with me sometime. She has never been and was a bit skeptical about the whole thing. I borrowed a DVD from the library called "The Beginners Guide to Camping - A How to Video for Campers Who've Never Camped Before". The video was very basic but well done. Louisa watched it with me and now she is excited to give it a try. First she wants to try sleeping in the back yard in a tent before we go somewheres for a weekend. And we have to go to a campsite with showers and washrooms. But at least she is warming up to the idea.

We have to buy a lot of equipment though before we go camping. I have a sleeping bag and thats about it. We saw a Coleman stove on sale at Canadian Tire so we picked one up. Have to start somewhere. Another thing I have is a Flashpan. I brought home a sample from work to test out. It is a grill of sorts that uses solid fuel tablets instead of propane. Much safer. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/64f9az

Last night I took Louisa to a 1930's style carnival called Carnivàle Lune Blueu. They have a bigtop with a Circus troupe similar to Cirque de Soleil. In fact, the bigtop they are using is the original Cirque de Soleil bigtop. There is a real freak show in the 10 in 1 tent. They have a ferris wheel and merry-go-round, and all kinds of cool stuff. It is on for one more weekend so if you are in the Ottawa areas I suggest you check it out. If you can't go there are some cool videos you can watch online at http://tinyurl.com/6e6nyc and http://www.carnivalelunebleue.com/rogerstv.asp.

Lawnmowers and shelving units

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:19:00 +0000

This sure has been an interesting week. First of all let me say that I am feeling great. I was limping on Monday and Tuesday but by Thursday I was playing Volleyball at the company picnic. Everyone was real concerned because I had an operation on my heart only a week earlier. But I felt fine and everything was good. I also placed first in the apple bobbing competition. hey, you got to be good at something right. Reminds me when I was in grade 3 and I won a pie eating competition at the local community center.

Louisa finally broke me down and we purchased an electric lawn mower this week. Last year when we moved in I insisted on getting an old fashioned push reel mower. It is a lot of work and takes forever but I was happy with it. Last weekend I was unable to cut the grass because of my operation. I was going to pay the neighbor's kid to cut it for me. Louisa decided she wanted to prove to me that she could do it, even though I didn't want her to. She practically killed herself but she got it done. She vowed that we would get an electric lawn mower. After much convincing we finally did by one at Canadian Tire.

We also went to Zellers and bought a 6 cube console for the kitchen. Louisa built it with my guidance. I interpreted the instructions and she did most of the assembly. So Louisa learned the joy of assembling furniture. We even had to disassemble it half way through because we put a couple pieces in upside down. All part of the experience. It was a lot of fun. We hadn't taken the time to do something like that together for some time.

Louisa and I spend so much time together we sometimes forget to take time to do simple things together. We commute together, we work together, we take break together, we eat lunch together... we are together almost 24/7. When we come home from work typically I spend the evening in the basement and she stays on the main floor. Sometimes I think we spend so much time together that we tend to take each other for granted. As a newly married couple I think it is important that we don't let that happen.

Last nights furniture assembly was a nice reminder that we need to take time to enjoy each others company. So tonight we are going to Carnivàle Lune Bleue. It is a 1930's style carnival that is in town complete with sideshows, a big-top main event, and authentic 1930's midway. I can't wait.

Louisa and I have been going through a lot of hard times since our wedding. There has been so much illness with us, friends, co-workers and loves ones. We are constantly worried about someones health and well-being. Our surgeries may be behind us but there are many people close to us who are not out of the woods yet. We pray for them daily.

Changes to my website

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:30:00 +0000

I have been making some changes lately to my website (http://www.joevautour.com). I have removed some elements that were just cluttering things up and moved some things around. I have not done a major overhaul, just little changes here and there. I would love to know what people think. All feedback is welcome.

Sometimes I am asked why I spend so much time on the site, after all it's not like I have a ton of loyal visitors. I do get a decent volume of traffic, mostly from search engines. Two of my more popular pages are my Nunavut page and my cartoons page. I have had a number of people who have been thinking about moving to Nunavut email me with questions. It is very rewarding when that happens.

Mount Olympus

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:51:00 +0000

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Safe and Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Vautour) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:39:00 +0000

I am happy to report that my surgery yesterday was a success! The doctors were able to isolate and eliminate the extra pathway in my hearts' electrical system. For those unfamiliar with my condition allow me to explain.

The first time I knew there was something wrong I was in high school. My heart started to beat funny. Of course by the time I was able to go to the hospital it was back to normal and they had no idea what had happened. This would reoccur every so often. It wasn't until I was living in Nunavut that I finally had it diagnosed. The instances of my 'attacks' became more and more frequent and severe. I went to see a cardiologist in Winnipeg. It found out I had paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (Try to say that ten times fast) or PSVT for short.

The doctors in Winnipeg performed an ablation but were unsuccessful in correcting my problem. An Ablation is a process where they burn your heart in an attempt to create scar tissue to prevent the electrical signals of the heart to from going the wrong way. Although they did not succeed in curing me, I did experience an improvement. My 'episodes' were less frequent and less severe.

But over time they came back and it became a problem again. A team of doctors here in Ottawa agreed to give it another attempt. This time they feel confident that they fixed it. They tell me I should not have any more problems. You don't know how happy this makes me and my family. I have been living with this for 12 years and finally I am cured. I feel like a new man.