MUNGO EATS Latin America

Here it is boys and girls…the brand new, latest addition to the McLean “Gym”…my new elliptical!!

It’s pretty cool, but it is making me realize that I am quite out of shape (I guess I already knew that though).  Oh well…we’ll fix that! 

Now the gym is complete.  We have an elliptical, a treadmill, a weight machine and medicine balls.  I even put in some mirrors (although you can’t see them in this shot).

Yippee!  Fit McLeans…here we come!

Every summer, we try to find some cool camps for the kids to attend.  This hopefully prevents them from getting too bored during the summer.  In past years, it also gave them something to do while I was working. 

This year, Sara decided to learn how to weld at SAIT.  They held a camp called “Weld-a-saurus”.  The goal of this camp was to teach kids to weld, with the ultimate goal of putting together a 2 foot metal T-Rex. 

Here is the dinosaur that Sara made.  I get to have it in my garden and I love it!!  Ready to pounce on some unsuspecting  hound dog!

Today, Sara took her welding skills to the next level.  I told you a few weeks ago, that we were hoping to buy some medicine balls to add to our gym.  Those were purchase about a week ago (man-are they killer to work out with!), and so for the past week, they have been rolling around the gym floor, looking for a resting place. 

Kevin took Sara to his shop today, and with some scraps of material, the two of them created a “medicine ball tree”. 

It actually holds all of the medicine balls, plus our large exercise ball.  Now nothing is rolling around on the floor while you are trying to exercise anymore!!! 

What a clever girl!!  Not bad for an 11 year old!!!

By the way, I also ordered my elliptical trainer, and it should be coming next week.  Then the gym will be fully stocked and nicely organized.  There is no way I can NOT be in shape after that!!

Today I finally stepped back in to the last portion of my “real” life…I started working again. 

It was quite strange, I was actually nervous about it last night, and I was awake at 6 am, thinking about work.  I hope that wears off real quick.  Who needs to lose sleep over a job!! 

I went back to one of my previous jobs, at the Westland Veterinary Hospital.  Even though it is a job I left just over a year ago, a lot has changed.  The practice was sold shortly before my departure, and while I was gone, the majority of the staff turned over as well.  Two receptionists that I knew remained, but other than that it was a whole new ball of wax!

I had fun.  At least 1/2 a dozen dogs kissed me, no cats maimed me, totally a successful day, by my count.  I REALLY missed working with dogs while I was gone.  There is nothing in the world quite so wonderful, according to me, as being licked by a puppy (especially when they still have that wonderful puppy breath!!!)  You really cannot be in a bad mood after a good puppy kiss!!

I got a chance to visit with some familiar clients, and besides puppies, the clients are the next best thing!

It will take some getting used to working with different people.  Every one does things slightly differently, so it will take a bit of time to figure out how to “fit in” to what really is a new practice!  As well, many items have changed location in the clinic, so I reach for something and it is not in the same familiar location!  Just give me a few weeks, everything will be fine.

When I count my blessings in my life, I always put my work right up there with family and friends.  I LOVE my job, and I am so fortunate to be able to enjoy what I do.  I have known so many people that hate what they do, and I just can’t imagine not enjoying such a large part of your life. 

Work is good!!

I have been spending the last 2 weeks painting the house.  Well, not the whole house…yet.  So far, I have managed to paint the front of the house and the front deck. 

The house has vinyl siding, but the windows are all wooden, and the paint on the window frames, door, door frame and pillars was badly in need of repainting.  As well, the deck needed to be re-stained. 

It actually did not occur to me to take before photos of the front of the house, but I did take some after pictures.  Here is what the front of the house looks like now. 

See how red the door is and how black the pillars are!

Wow!  Compare this to the trim in the back of the house, which believe it or not is in better shape than the front was.  The front faces south, and so was even more faded than the back trim.

Yuck!!!      And check out the sad state of the deck!

So next week we move onto the back of the house.  There are less windows, but way more deck to deal with.  Honestly, I am not sure, which is worse!!  There are only two or three windows to do on either side of the house, but they are high windows and I am still unsure how I will get up to these to paint them…might require some creative thinking. 

In case anyone is wondering about the status of the van, here is the news.  The van had actually arrived in Montreal, by ship, several weeks ago.  From there, it had to go through customs, and then the entire container holding the van, was supposed to be transferred to rail, and arrive in Calgary via rail.  Unfortunately, the dock workers in Montreal decided to go on strike shortly after our container arrived there.  So the container has been inaccessible for the past 2 weeks, while the workers were on strike.  Good news though, I think they finally managed to get to the container and we now believe that the van is finally on it’s way home.  This is good, since we are starting to remember all the things that are in the van that we could definitely use.  Also, all the souvenirs are in the trailer, so we have no gifts to share with our friends and family until the van’s safe return.  Be patient, my friends, just a little longer and you will have your very own piece of Central or South America!!

Also, for those very observant visitors to our blog, you may notice a new page…parts to sell.  Kevin is selling bits and pieces of the van left over from when he converted it from a gas engine to a diesel.  I guess he needs the shelf space in the garage, for the next repair…the new engine!!!  By the way, the new engine is in Calgary, now he just needs a van to put it in!!