Percy’s 80th Birthday Memoir – October 26, 2015
Percy Sykes – 80th Birthday Memoir
An American in Kelowna – Behr in Mind our Open House was Color-Coordinated
Here’s a question Alex Trebek will NEVER ask on Jeopardy – “whose townhouse in Kelowna combines the wall colors of Caicos Turquoise, Lime Tree, Wild Watermelon, Morning Sun, Azure Lake, Spring Fauna, and Gingersnap on two stories under one roof?!” Easy answer – “What is the bright and shiny retreat of yours truly and his much, much better half?“ On Sunday, September 20th – we opened our lake-friendly abode to 36 fantastic friends, neighbors, and co-workers for an end-of-summer…
An American in Kelowna – One Year in the “I Do” Books
July 31, 2014. I remember it like it was………365 days ago. I had only crossed the border nine days earlier. Kelowna, to me, was a resort-town piñata filled with colorful lakes, mountains, and wineries. Sunshine and blue skies for everyone. Elaine and I were still learning the relationship basics – she liked Colgate toothpaste and I preferred Crest. Uh oh, she trended toward Twizzlers and I was red, white, and blue about Red Vines. Isn’t marriage about compromise?!…
An American in Kelowna – One Year in the BC Books
Stop the presses. It’s amazingly true. July 22, 2015 represents ONE year for temporary-resident Jim in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. WOW – I could write a book about what I’ve experienced in 12 months. But I won’t. This post will do. Thanks to the lovely and adorable Elaine, it’s been a wonderful and enjoyable ride. We’ve come a long way, baby. There’s much more fun to come under the endless Okanagan sun. Strap yourself…
An American in Kelowna – Cherry Picking with a Raspberry Twist
Were we out of our cotton-pickin’ minds?! It was the Thursday morning after Canada Day. About 12 hours earlier we had been at Kelowna’s Tugboat Beach watching a feast of fireworks light up the Okanagan sky. The grand finale elicited major applause from the late-night gazers. Little Dreia loved it. We got home late. On this scorching-hot new day, Elaine’s best gal pal Mary had invited us down to her hillside hacienda in Peachland to reap a bounty…
An American in Kelowna – Dining on Wilderness Fast Food
A Moose can run up to 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour). A Mule Deer can run up to 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour). A Snowshoe Hare can run up to 27 miles per hour (43 kilometers per hour). A Grouse can fly between 25-50 miles per hour in the open. I would call them fast – for woodland creatures. But…
An American in Kelowna – Courting my First Payday
Riding a bike. The Pledge of Allegiance. Calling Mom on Mother’s Day. Some things you never forget. On the second weekend of May, scheduler Rob hooked me up. He gave me seven games to referee in the 2015 Kelowna Monster Jam Basketball Tournament. There were 62 total games starting on Friday night at 5 PM and ending on Sunday afternoon. I had not been on a basketball court since June 2014. That was in the good…
An American in Kelowna – Doing a Thorough Inspection of Home Inspector Murray from AmeriSpec® Inspection Services
“Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man” – ZZ Top, 1983. For Elaine and me – Murray Klingbeil was truly that sharp dressed man. He came highly recommended from Coldwell Banker/Horizon Realty. We were bubbling with anticipation. On March 10, he arrived on time at our newly contracted lakeside love nest ready to give it a thorough once-over. That’s his job – professional home inspector from AmeriSpec® Inspection Services. Murray looked every bit the part…
An American in Kelowna – Studying the Stratospheric Structure of Strata Fees
Principal + Interest, Taxes + Insurance……..and Strata Fees. WTH? As most of our family and friends know, Elaine and I recently dipped our soon-to-be-sand-covered toes into Kelowna’s real estate bounty. We became townhouse owners barely a three-minute walk from Rotary Beach Park and Okanagan Lake. Just in time for summer. Lower Mission, here we come. As we were lining up our pre-approved financials, one line on the Coldwell Banker residential sales sheet jumped…
An American in Kelowna – UBC Okanagan Women’s Volleyball Team was Schön the way Saturday Night and Turned 19
Here’s the athletic algorithm that programmed UBC Okanagan Women’s Volleyball Team (Heat) to a Saturday night straight-set victory over the Brandon (Manitoba) Bobcats – #13 helped #3 reach #19 for the first time in school history. Nice work, ladies. A record-breaking year. Now the fun begins. Dig in. Time to ace your final exam. Elaine and I had the pleasure to sit courtside at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium and capture every bump, set, and kill….