We’re underway!

This was our first ‘full’ day cruising.

Family photo on the Volendam.

We arrived in Vancouver this morning after an early morning flight from San Francisco.  We’re going on the ’50-75-80 Celebration Cruise’ as Bryan’s older sister, Joy, turns 50, his mother turns 75 and his father turns 80.  Of course, the entire family will celebrate anything!

Oh, happy Canada Day!

Arriving in YVR

We walked off our plane from SFO and enjoyed Vancouver International Airport.  The ‘Canada’ themes are very well done in this relatively new terminal.  Note that railings are Canadian maple wood, mixed with the green rock/tiles.

Maple railings in Vancouver International Airport.

Celebrating Canada Day

Our good friend, Rob McConnachie, met us at Canada Place before we joined the 50-75-80 Celebration Cruise gang.  Bryan went to MBA school at Western with Rob, and Jo-Anne worked with Rob in Toronto at Marleau Lemire Securities.  Rob just finished building a house on Vancouver Island.

Rob pointing out the sights on a blue-sky day in Vancouver.

Bryan, Jo-Anne, Kate and Nik in front of the Volendam (photo by Rob McConnachie).

Canada Day! Jo-Anne, Kate and Bryan. Note the glass in the background.

This is glass decking in a public area in Vancouver. We need this decking on our bridge in our private residence in California.

We’re having some fun today.  Jo-Anne’s birthday!

Dinner and the Fire!

Steaks in the background, with a Chardonnay and Vistalba Corte B in the foreground!

Fire!

Getting the blaze under control.

Under control now ...

We were invited to the TEAMWRKX table at the ’40 Under 40′ awards dinner.  Our very good friend, Natasha Venzon, was a recipient of a 40 Under 40 award.  She has just turned 30!

40 Under 40

Natasha is Director, Human Resources and Corporate Secreteary for multiple companies in the TEAMWRKX family as well as a found of Sticks2Schools and ScubaFamily.  She was born in Russia and speaks several foreign languages.

Natasha Venzon

All the award receipents had to say, in 10 words or less, who was most influential in their achievement.

Sheri, Benjamin (left), Natasha Venzon (center), and Kim Gregory (right).

Tish Lessley (left), Natasha Venzon (holding her award), and Mar Junge (pointing to the award).

Mike Rosendin (left), Natasha Venzon, and Stella Rosendin (right).

Jo-Anne Sinclair (left), Eric Venzon (center) congratulating Natasha Venzon.

Our good friend Ian Fowler arrived from Calgary, Alberta this morning and Bryan picked him up at SFO.  Ian will be in San Jose until noon on Thursday, June 18, when he flys to Los Angeles to meet his wife, Merril Schmitt.

Some Background and History on the California Coast

Part of blogging has to be having fun.  You’re probably wondering how we know Ian Fowler and why he is such a good friend.  Some background:

• Bryan first met Ian during his undergraduate years at the University of Alberta (circa 1980).
• Jo-Anne met Ian and Merril when they lived in Toronto (circa 1990).
• Jo-Anne married Ian and Merril on February 15, 1998 on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean (Bryan was the sole witness).
• Ian and Bryan had a fast three-day trip from California when they delivered Jo-Anne’s BMW 318ti to Alberta in November 2003.
• Ian and Merril built a beautiful new timber-frame house in the foothills of the Rockies just west of Calgary (completed in 2009).

Cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. An ideal backdrop for a wedding ceremony. (February 15, 1998)

Immediately after the ceremony, Ian cracked a bottle of Dom to celebrate with! (February 15, 1998)

The newly married couple having their first glass on champagne! (February 15, 1998)

Visiting a SIP House Being Built in Half Moon Bay

Bryan and Ian went directly to Half Moon Bay to see a SIP house being constructed.  Ian used Insulspan SIPs in his timber-frame house in Alberta. 

After seeing the site, they grabbed a quick lunch at Alice’s Restaurant on Highway 35 (Skyline).

SIPs, each with individual reference numbers for assembly.

Side of house, showing where fascia will be completed.

Ian posing in front of the project site.

Ian posing again, this time on the deck at Alice's Restaurant.

We spent a fabulous week in Roatan, Honduras with our good friends Jim, Lynn and Brittany O’Brien.  It was, of course, research for our remodel project although maintaining focus during this trip required significant discipline.

Our remodel project is to renovate the ground floor of our Eichler home and put a full new lower level (basement) under it.  We are trying to be as ‘green’ as possible and are pursing LEED-H Platinum certification for the house.  More than half of the floor in the house (ground floor and lower level) will be polished concrete.

Given it is spring break for our two children, we decided to take them to Roatan, Honduras for a week.

Where is Roatan?

Map showing Honduras and the island of Roatan.

Infinity Bay, Roatan

We stayed at Infinity Bay, which was only a few strokes away from spectacular diving on one of the best coral reefs in the world.

View from Infinity Bay over the reef.

Research?  Absolutely

We found some polished concrete that looked great.  We’re wondering what this would look like if we had s stain (or dye) in the cement in the concrete. 

Floor with polished concrete. Looks great!

Polished concrete, close up. What if the concrete had a colored dye or stain in it?

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