Hello everyone. As you all know I am a year older now and with that comes more responsibility and maturity. Yeah right.

My wonderful bride made dinner and invited just a couple of people over and we had a very nice evening. Here are a few pics, actually the only pics. Once again the food and drink got in the way of keeping up with the photo journalism. I guess that just goes to show where the responsibility part went.


Here we are all civilized. You'll notice Roman is awake again. Michelle always seems to know where the camera is and is ready for her close up.
Gio smiling at his most recent food pic.
And here it is. Baked feta and prawns with some pita bread. UMMM UMMM. This was all we really needed. If we had stopped here I think everyone would have been satisfied.
But no there is more. A rocket salad with shaved parm. Barbara is on a roll here folks.
Ohh and she hits it out of the park. Yes that's the famous cheesy baked egg crepes the she pulls out once in a blue moon with some Italian sausage and roasted chicken. Okay people I think that life could end here and I would be a very happy man.
I think everyone would agree with me by the looks of what was left. Hang on it's my birthday right..
Ohhh hell yeah. Dark chocolate and espresso cookies and, stick with me here, lemon merange pie. SCORE
Heather, our supplier of the pie. Fast becoming our most invited guest, as long as she keeps bringing the pie that is.
Her hubby Roman. This is the look I saw on his face right before he disappeared at Ukrainian Christmas.
A full birthday boy. Happy Happy
Things are starting fade here
Could this be the culprit
And the outcome. I guess it was my turn. This is where the maturity ended up. Looking at this pic I think I might be pregnant. I couldn't possibly have eaten too much, not with all that amazing food. Oh well.

Until next time

Hello all. It being the end of the festive season I thought I would post our Ukrainian feast pics. I have never had an almost complete traditional Ukrainian Christmas meal and I was very impressed. I say almost complete because I believe that there were one or two dishes left out for reasons of legality. Apparently in the zeal of keeping drugs or drugs like products out of Singapore poppy seeds are not available or allowed into Singapore. So all of those poppy seed bagel lovers need not come to Sing, and god forbid you try to smuggle in some, you will probably get caned. I also have to note that the perogies and cabbage rolls were pretty good but not as good as Evas. He even made mushroom gravy which ranked very HIGH on the hit list.
Meet Roman. He's a Ukrainian from Toronto. Please don't hold the Toronto bit against him, he really is a pretty good guy. You'll notice he is wearing a traditional Ukrainian shirt. Upon my arrival I had no idea that this was a traditional event. I was presented with my own shirt at the door. This is the beginning of the meal and he is throwing some kind of wheat thing up to the ceiling and if some sticks it's supposed to be a prosperous year.
It took a couple of trys and each one landing in his soon to be wifes lap
but he finally hit the mark. I personally think that since each time he tried and it landed in his wifes lap that he's going to be a very lucky man this year. That's just my opinion.
Now he's going to bless the table before we start. This took a little while because there was quite a bit of rambling that I didn't understand in Ukrainian. I will note here that Roman did all the cooking for 9 of the 10 dishes that day and he started drinking at around 10 in the morning. We can all understand that I am sure, since the food always turns out better if the chef is relaxed and what better way to relax than with a glass of white wine.
So we start with the borsch which my wonderful wife made. Again I will state that this was a traditional meal. Now I think most people who know us have had Barbaras borsch before and know that she always has a lot of veggies in it. Notice no veggies, (what it does have in it are little mushroom filled dough things.) I got there early with the goods and as soon as I turned my back Roman snatched the borsch and strained all the liquid out. I was more than a little taken back as well as frightened of the reaction that Barbara might have. I must note at this point that Barbara cut the end of her finger off in the preparation of this dish and to do so in vain was probably not going to go over well. Needless to say I poured a glass of wine and met her at the door with it and warned her. Only after eating some did she forgive him. It was pretty good but her "traditional" way is better. No offense Roman.
Bread with a candle in it. Considered a dish but inedible because it has a candle in it, ie the bread gets a bit waxy after a little while.
Aha the mushroom gravy. I am not sure if this is considered a dish but I am positive that it is a necessity. After this came out my brain went into a bit of a fog and I stopped taking food pics. I don't know, this stuff happens.
Roman and his son Alex are huge Dr. Who fans. I am not sure where this falls into the tradition but I guess its there somewhere.

So this is an over view of the food. A plate is set up for all the dead relatives. It consists of Wine, of course, bread with honey, boiled wheat, mashed beans, cabbage rolls, pickled herring, ummm, perogie, baked fish, borsch, fruit compote, the bread with a candle and 2 others that he couldn't make because of certain laws. Not a bad spread.

Oh yeah he had some Ukrainian vodka and these ice shooter glasses. We were informed that we needed to cleanse the palate after every few dishes. Don't want the flavors to conflict with each other I guess. Let me just say it was the best vodka I have ever had and I don't care for straight vodka. This stuff was good. One of these was also put on the plate for the past relatives. No expense is spared for the dead.
Barbara agrees. Took her back to the homeland. Notice the bandage on the finger. Yeah she wasn't feeling any pain by the end of the night.
Neither was Roman. This is what happens when you drink all day and finish the meal off with straight frozen Ukrainian vodka. Remember this boys and girls, vodka between courses can cause drowsiness. Apparently he didn't move from that position the whole night. Thanks Roman

Now I need to go to the gym to work off the meal.

Bye for now

I've been in Bali for approximtely an hour and a half and look at me. I don't know how I am going to relax in this place.

What an amazing place. The land of a million smiling faces is how I will forever remember Bali. I know this is only the first trip we have taken there and surly others will follow during our time in this part of the world but I think the impression left on both of us is "paradise." Can't wait to go back. We went to the mountain area called Ubud in the central part of the island and it was magical. Such lush forest, sweet smelling air and friendly people. If ever one wanted to retire in the tropics this is the place to do it. If that thought has crossed your mind in lets say Mexico, erase it, save your nickles and dimes and come to Bali. You will be a changed person.

Here are the pics, at least the ones that didn't get lost in whatever mad frenzy I was in while downloading them ( I hate computers ). I hope you enjoy them.

Lets start with the culprits



Our hotel room, not too shabby. Good score Mr Owen
A tub big enough for two.
And of course an out door shower for one. Barbara refused to use this because she was convinced there were critters lurking about
The best way to start the day
Cute now, 1 year down the road a thieving little bastard
Our driver for a day, Nyoman



Rice terraces. A dying form in Bali



Ahh to live a dogs life in a Hindu temple.

A gimlet to finish off the day.
Some local hootch. It's called Arak, not too bad actually.



This is as close as Barbara got to having an outdoor shower



One big friggin spider.

Cat crap coffee after roasting

Cap crap coffee after expulsion
Which one is the coffee and which ones are tea
Paula found the tea
I think Owen found the coffee



You always feel the eyes upon you. Sneaky little devils






Some crazy statues at the temple of the dead




Close enough to the real thing for us
So I started taking picture of the doorways along the streets of Ubud. They are all different and beautiful the way the greet you. All very peaceful




These were super cool. I've never seen these anywhere else. The intracey in the carving is awesome. Too bad Barbara wouldn't let me buy one. Maybe next time while she's asleep on the beach I'll slip away and buy one.



We need to get how much more money?
Us too.
I think someone might be a little exausted.
There's only one way to take care of this..
Cocktails



The requisit cockroach pic. I think there will be one from every trip. I'm still on the lookout for a good one in Singapore.



Its a John Hardy infestation. I have yet to find anything that will kill these things. They seem to be multiplying. Rapidly



Little frogs. How am I supposed to eat frogs legs when their brothers are sitting there looking at me?
So we thought we should maybe look at some property while we were there. This looked good. It came with a chicken. What more does a person need?






More property. Sure its a bit of a fixer upper but if the price is right...
This one might be a little small


A very heated game of Yatzee. Decisions decisions

R Rurley, yeah thats us alright.
Mr & Mrs Rurley
Michelle and her friend Chad who came over for the holidays.
New years fun
What a good looking group

Uh oh


Friends, gotta love 'em.

Bye for now

Welcome to the Lucas Dine and Dance Christmas party. I don't recall any music or dancing so actually it was just a dine but what the hell.
Barbara was ready for anything though. She came prepared with her sexy look. I like this look, but I am a little partial.
The three amigos ready for battle.
Right where she wants him
I'm a lucky guy
I love this. Roman, and no he's not Scottish, and thank god he's not my father. I don't want to know if he's regimental.
A bad sign at the end of the evening. Champagne after the endless glasses of red wine. A splitting hangover was inevitable
I love the smoke that someone put in her fingers.

So after the Lucas Party Barbara had to fly off to Taipei for business and left me at home to fend for myself. Luckily I survived.
The thing is they put her in a room that was as big as our apartment here in Singapore
And it came with the thing she misses the most, a big bathtub. Not only a tub but there was a plasma tv above the thing. I don't need to tell you how much she talked about that when she got back. I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't part of the reno project when we come back to Vancouver. If that happens I may never get her out of the bathroom.
Shoju and sake. Apparently the biggest bottle of sake she has ever seen
With a little Japanese BBQ. Really can anyone ask for anything else?
How about some entertainment. This guy apparently came out of nowhere and started singing to the table.
It was one of the girls birthday and he couldn't resist.
I guess he was pretty good because Cary, Barbara's boss, got right into it.
Point pose and all. Here's the video to the song they were singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpW9CJNpc9I&NR=1
Barbara says it was hilarious
She said that she ate the best food she has ever had in a restaurant. I say restaurant for my own ego of course. Also it may have been the shooter before each course that made it taste so good. The following are pics of the food, I don't know what the hell 90% of it is.
Some kinda soup
egg thing in a birds nest with veg?
hash browns and shrimp
So these are a couple of beef bite things. Everything was a 1 or 2 bite deal and these strips of beef had stuff wrapped up in them. She said the beef was brought out and the pedigree of the cow was shown to them and everything. I can only thank god she wasn't paying for this.
But I sure would have liked to have tried some of it.
And these eggs were laid from a golden chicken
You lika da nooda
And of course your basic caramel popcorn done on a griddle
Hey we finally had a party at our place. The basic drinks and gumbo. Gio has his drink and is wondering where's the gumbo
These people didn't want to be recognized.
Yay the gumbo was a hit.
Ok now the food is done, both large pots of gumbo and rice and cornbread, now its time to concoct an original drink according to Aamir. I'm surprised nothing is smoking at this point.
This is how we frame art in Singapore.
It was a total success and we didn't get shut down by the cops.
Funny how whenever someone wears a hat to a party all the girls want to try it on at some time.
Ok so the food was good but here's what you gotta do to make it just a little better next time.

So people are always questioning the difference between guys and gals. Here is the defining difference...
Gals at the end of a party
Guys at the end of a party. I think that says it all.
A quick bit of engrish for you "Time files so fost in busy daily life"
Recognize anyone in this pic? You got it that's the back of Owen Barbara and Paula's heads.
Paula at the clinic. The clinic is a weird little bar in Clarks Quay where everything is from a hospital, the chairs are wheel chairs, tables are surgical tables, it's weird.
But hey this is cheetah print so how can a person resist
Barbara and Paula in front of the Durians
It took all of 10 minutes for Paula to relax into singapore life. Pretty good.
We went back to the zoo and had a great time. I could go to this place once a month. When you get to see the little ones tagging along it's hard to get tired of the place
Or hanging on
or just giving you the eye. I love this place.
So it's been dumping with rain for last 3 hours now and Barbara and I have decided we are going to take
our 3 million Rupiah and go to Bali. Changing money is so much fun. We get to feel like millionairs for a little while,at least in Vietnam and Bali.
Have a great Christmas and New year. Next stop Bali. Bye for now

Hello Vietnam. More to the point Hello Ho Chi Minh. Been waiting for a long time to explore this country and it lived up to all expectations and more. The chaos, 10 million people and 8 million scooters, and the people, all 10 million of them, was all overwhelming as well as awesome This is what SE Asia is all about.
First we start out with becoming a Dong-illionaire. That's right your looking at a cool 3 million Dong there ladies and gentlemen. Translated 300 Sing
See how happy a few million Dong can make the girls. Lets hope it lasts.
A small sample of the scooter action. It was CRAZY. We were on our way from the airport and Gio was sitting in front. I'm surprised he survived without having a heart attack. I seemed like there would be a crash at any moment the whole ride.
And they're getting ready for Christmas. I just can't get used to that over here. It's still summer, and it will always be summer.
So how far will that 3 mill go. Well 38,000 is around 3.80
Exactly because this is what you get,,,
Ummm Ummm. A big bowl of Pho. This is my first time eating the heavenly concoction and I am sold. This stuff rocks. I can't believe I never tried it in Van but now I'll be trying it everywhere.
And if you don't want the Pho then there is always Texas BBQ and steaks. Very tempting. Also love the Indian dude
So here are a few items best left off the menu. Some Hot dogs in a jar
Only 7 dollars
Some Collon things. Some sort of sweet things. I'm sorry but they are called Collon, a little to close to colon for me
And to wash it all down with some Pocari Sweat, what the hell? Sweat
At least they like the gecko in the country. Singapore considers them an insect, I don't get it. Isn't he cute.
A Same Same But Different drink. Probably the most expensive drink I had while in the 'Nam but it was actually pretty good.
So this is a power line. How they can figure anything out if something goes wrong is beyond me, and this wasn't the craziest one we saw.
A few live eels and a fish in a bowl on the street. Yeah baby it's the 'Nam
Is it a sidewalk or a parking lot. I'll let you decide.
A little tire art. Not really sure about this but I noticed little things like this all over the place, sometimes hanging on power poles, of course those were disguised by all the wires but if you looked hard enough you could see them
Notre Dame Cathedral
It was nice but a little bit of a let down after seeing the one in Paris. I guess I had high expectations with the name and all. Still very nice
Diggin the stained glass
Welcome to Reunification Palace. This was the home of the US backed president Ngo Dinh Diem lived until 1975 when Saigon-Ho Chi Minh- fell. The picture of the last helicopter was taken here with all the people trying in vain to climb aboard.
The beautiful Barbara letting me know that this might be big enough to live in. Yes she is wearing a skirt. You saw it here first folks.
Tank girl. This is apparently one of the tanks that crashed through the gates during the fall of Saigon
I know your trying to figure out what your looking at here but its a plane. Its hard to see because of the camouflage but it'sthere. This the plane that dropped two bombs on the palace which set the stage for the building to be over run.
I'll let this speak for itself
A little statue of the Ho man himself
Barbara wishing she could have asked a few questions herself here in the greeting room.
The conference table. I can only imagine the conversations that took place here, but that carpet is suweeet.
The official telephone room along with Michelle in the peep hole.
Radio room with Gio rockin the mic
And the radios. These are great because we are probably carrying more powerful communication devices in our front pockets today. You would need 10 mules to carry these things around.
Now follow me into the
halls of the Shining. Fully expect Jack Nicholson to pop out any time now
The office of the President complete with stuffed leopard. What kind of president would he be without it.
And the gambling room. Love that couch.
This is where the pic was taken of the last chopper out. The chopper is a replica, obviously, and the red circles designate where the two bombs fell from the jet shown before.
After a trip through the palace what more can you ask for than a little Birds Nest Drink with White Fungus. Ahh, No thanks. But hey its nutritious
Or maybe a little Cat Tounge, at least that's the way I read it
And some weasel coffee. Not just any weasel but Vietnam weasel coffee.
This is Cua Bac market. WOW this place was off the hook.
This place was mayhem. There were people pulling you into their stalls and doing the extreme hard sell. It was hard to say no to some of the stuff because it was so cheap.
Oh yeah and there were these sitting out as well. I know its a little gross but really they were just sitting out in a meat stall.
Need some shoes? It's like the lady in the back has been swallowed by the shoe monster
Again I don't know. It's a rooster tethered to a tree on the street. What can I say.
So here is the real reason that we went to Ho Chi Minh. Never mind all the history and the shopping and all of that. We were here for a burger and this is the place to get it. So many people have told us about this place so here we are.
I think someone might be a little excited and for good reason.
These burgers ROCKED. They definately lived up to all the hype. I would go back to Ho Chi Minh for many reasons but whenever I go back I will always have a Black Cat Burger.
And after you have a Black Cat Burger youre brain goes a little off and you start having visions of yourself as a star in old WWII propaganda films
A serious accident Vietnam style
I think the burger made Barbara feel like she was 20 again. It must have some sort of fountain of youth properties.
A quick selfy
Didn't know what this building is but it looked great at night.
I definately know what that thing is though.
The coconut lady. She had another level in the back before I got this pic.
This lady was kind enought to let me take her pic. She was a portable Pho restaraunt. She even has a little seat for her customer.
And of course the family, all four including the one yet to be born, and grocieries. Amazing what they can pile onto a scooter. Its an art really. Obviously Michelle is curious. I like the fact that the little boy is ready to go
The Jade pagoda
Very different statue design than I have seen before. It seems a lot more Chinese influenced.
This is a holy horse that people pray to then crawl under and back for a blessing.
Not real sure why its called the jade pagoda. This is pretty much the most jade thing around the joint
This is also a turtle sanctuary.
A turtle family outing. The little one getting a ride
Happy happy
And this little fella hasn't a care in the world. I think he is the real protector of the pagoda

Welcome to the tunnels of Cu Chi. This is the entrance to the area where the tunnels are to be viewed and described. Not to be confused with
this. This is an entrance to the tunnels that the Viet Cong used to fight and hide in. There are over 100 miles of tunnels in this area and they go down over 10 meters into the ground. They lived, cooked, gave birth, and made munitions in these tunnels. . They had devised systems of cammoflage for air intake such as building fake ant hills that had hollows to allow fresh air in and they would have exaust holes up to 50 meters from where they would do their cooking. Also they would only cook one time a day, in the morning, so the smoke was cammouflaged by the mist and fogs of the morning. Also they ate mostly steamed tapioca root and drank tea. No wonder they were so pissed off.

Another entrance into some tunnels. They had these things ringed by landmines so if you didn't know your way in you were in some trouble.
Michelle and I went into the tunnels. Pretty tight quarters
And these were actually made larger for westerners to be able to go down into and also reinforced. Extremely claustrophobic and hotter than hell in there. I can't imagine it with a troop of soldiers moving from one location to another
And on the other end a little cobra hootch to pass the time. Would have bought some but it is illegal to have this stuff in Singapore.
I mean come on, its medicinal
Gios not scared. Good on ya brother
A timeless shot. Just hanging out.
Anyone need a fan. They had about 15 fans tied to that scooter along with 2 people. I figure if they could light those babies up they could probably get airborn
Coconut
Really you want me to cross. The thing is you just have to go and not stop. If you stop they will run you down. If you keep moving they just go around you. Controlled chaos, no flinching
Sexy couple
Out for Barbaras birthday which was great. We found some really good food, we got taught the proper way to eat Vietnamese spring rolls, had some good drinks, great company
Barbara was very happy
This is the view from the patio of the Rex hotel.
The Rex was one of the places the reportes stayed during the Vietnam Conflict. Also supposedly used by the CIA. On the inside its supposed to be supper disco 70's decor. We didn't go anywhere inside except the lobby, but we did get to see
the cover band on the roof. A little Hotel California rendition for you. Yeah baby the Nam.
Girls girls girls
Happy Gio with G&T firmly in his grasp.
The last go at the Black Cat for this trip. We hit this place everyday. Twice for lunch and once for breakfast and it scored 10 out of 10 each time. This is a soft shell crab sandwich and those peppers set me free. The McCains fries were a little to be desired but hey what do you expect. Black Cat I love you and will be back to continue our romance.
Did I mention it's christmas here. I still can't get used to that.
Bye for now

A Redneck Strikes Back,

-or-

How They Handle Thugs In Georgia ...

An Actual Craig's List Personals Ad

To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me in Downtown Savannah night before last.
Date: 2009-05-27, 1:43 a.m. E.S.T.

I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message.

First, I'd like to apologize for your embarrassment; I didn't expect you to actually crap in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason. My girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head ... isn't it?!

I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge in your pants . I'm sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. [That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again].

After I called your mother or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of what you'd done. Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, -- on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 150 gallons and was extremely grateful!

I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all the cash in your wallet. [That made his day!] I then threw your wallet into the big pink "pimp mobile" that was parked at the curb ... after I broke the windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver's side of the car.

Later, I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell phone. Ma Bell just now shut down the line, although I only used the phone for a little over a day now, so what 's going on with that? Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA's office and one to the FBI, while mentioning President Obama as my possible target. The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number etc.).

In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you ... but I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime. I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you've chosen to pursue in life.

Remember, next time you might not be so lucky. Have a good day!

Thoughtfully yours,

Alex

P.S. Remember this motto ... An armed society makes for a more civil society!


Yeah Baby Redneck Justice

Grrrr
Ahh Vancouver, we miss you. Well maybe not the howling wind mixed with the crazy cold rain, but everything and everyone else definately. We just wanted to say thanks again to everyone we love for making yourselves available to be with us on our short trip back. Obviously it wasn't long enough. Everyone looks great especially our parents in waiting, congrats again to the four of you. Better you than us, ha ha. It will be awesome when we come back next time to meet the new additions to the gang.

Michelle, thanks for making the trip out to San Fran to see Barbara. I know it made her time there that much more enjoyable and easier being with a great friend. You look amazing, as always, by the way.

Doryan, keep up the good work in school, you're doing great buddy, and get your dad to take you to a Giants game, they need all the Puckheads in the stands they can get. We love ya kid. May the force be with you young Padawan.

Mom keep wearing the jade and slaying them at the tables. It was a great time playing poker with you and I look forward to our next adventure in gaming at the Cashiro. Hopefully we won't go broke withing the first 5 minutes. Wink wink nudge nudge.


Here we are at the airport, obviously excited about the long flight ahead of us.
At least Barbara has her coping mechanism down to a fine art.
The infamous Yoda fountain standing guard
Michelle looking lovely
And Mike talking, may we say a little BS. With a grin like that he can't be telling the truth
This is Matt listening to Mike
This is Matt when asked what Mike just said, "Oh was he saying something"

The proud parents to be, enjoying some of the last days and evenings before the new addition arrives.
The proud parents to be practicing their "you are in so much trouble looks"
Remember your kids could turn out to be trouble like these two.
Here's Doryan hanging with the guys. Regailing them with some sort of tale
And here is Doryan flirting with Paula
And with is BaBa. This kid really gets around.
With his Ma
And enjoying a little hockey. Puckhead support goes a long way
A little play by play as drawn by Doryan. You'll notice that I have the puck and Barbara is trying to hook me or slash me, that's Darth Barbara for you!
We miss you too buddy.

That goes for everyone and we will see you all again soon.

Next stop Vietnam.

Bye for now.