Our date with Eric and the Dinosaurs Unearthed!

Every now and then my ever suffering partner Darlene gets a wistful look in her eyes and asks if our nephew Eric can stay over for some quality time with his Auntie Darlene and Uncle Bob.  I can hardly ever say no to her requests partly because she loves Eric to pieces, but also because even I have to admit that hanging out with a 6 year old can be pretty cool also.

This time however we had a plan for something extra-special to do with our little buddy.  The Manitoba Museum is currently displaying Dinosaurs Unearthed, a interactive and robotic showcase that displays the latest thoughts on the lives of dinosaurs millions of years ago.  For a 43 year old man-child and a 6 year old this was a must do event.

Being Spring Break for the schools here in Canada, coupled with it being Good Friday we planned on going early to avoid the insane crowds that the day off would inevitability bring.  The first thing we could hardly avoid as we approached the Manitoba Museum from Main Street was the life sized robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex standing guard outside the main entrance to the building.  I thought this was going to spell trouble at first as Eric seemed a bit freaked out by the moving T-Rex and the way it growled and howled at us.

And you thought your pit bull was good for home protection!

Hé Ho: Le Festival du Voyageur 2013

I know that for most of my southern friends my yearly Festival du Voyageur posts are loved.  This weekend past Darlene and I took in all that Festival had to offer.  From the fiddle music, and meals packed with Bannock, spit pea soup and fresh ham.

The wood fires to warms your bones against the cold, and of course historical re-enactments of life in the 1700′s when this part of Canada was settled.   Any of you who are also using WordPress may have been having trouble with the recient updates in adding pictures.

 

 

 

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IKEA Winnipeg: Workout and Shopping Destination all in One.

IKEA: Noun of Swedish origin. Acronym comprising the initials of the founder’s name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his hometown (Agunnaryd)

Swedish furniture and house wear retailer famous for furniture requiring a single Allen Key to assemble.

 Winnipeg, Manitoba definition: A four hundred thousand square foot mega-shopping destination, set to change the retail landscape in the province for decades to come.

With IKEA set to open its doors in Winnipeg tomorrow we here at Exploring Winnipeg and Beyond were treated to a special media event last night.  Along with some two hundred or so representatives from television, print, internet websites and radio.

Only two more sleeps till IKEA opens!

At 6:00 we all gathered in the sub-zero early evening shivering but anxious none the less to be among the first ones in Canada to see this new location.  Promises of a meeting with the store general manager Stephen Bobko and a cocktail reception didn’t hurt either.

I can’t wait a minute, IKEA is coming.

Yes I know that is a bit of shameless Grinchy stealing but hey sometimes we all give into to shameless advertising.

In my case it’s IKEA, the sexy Swedish simple superstore set to take over the southeast corner of Winnipeg next week.  I have been invited along with my editor to tour and give a preview of the mega mart next Monday.

So what do I know about it already?   Well I have been in exactly one IKEA thus far and I found it pretty astounding.  Being a in home cook and kitchen devotee I loved the kitchen and pantry section in Edmonton.  So I can not wait to get into the new Winnipeg edition.

Clocking in at around 400,000 square feet of floor space it’s one of the largest single retail spaces in North America, let alone Canada.  It’s a mega mart among mega marts.

Buzz has already been forming, network news clips highlighting the Swedish meatballs and dining area are saturating the Winnipeg airwaves.  Come Monday I will be taking a more critical approach, the shopping experience.  Will this new facility be user-friendly?   All signs point to yes, but come crunch time will the staff and the building be up to the press of three provinces and many states worth of the shopping public?

Will they be ready for the panic?  I hope so, Winnipeg could use the boost to the economy.  We’re not exactly hurting but a little extra is always nice, and the bump that a positive message on IKEA would defiantly do great things for our economy.

In any event we will be checking it out two days before the public.
I hope that we see good things and that those crafty Swedes are as efficient as they usually are.

Hello Winter My Old Friend.

This morning when my eyes fluttered open, laying snoozing under the warm covers and reality began to come into focus for another day I remembered a few things.  First of all today is Remembrance Day in Canada where at 11 am we stop everything, and give thanks for those who gave their lives and futures so that we in the free world could remain free.

A good 8 or 9 inches of snow overnight before drifting!

Also we were to get a huge dump of snow over night, yesterday as we enjoyed our evening there already was a light dusting on the ground.  Enough to paralyze a southern American city but hardly enough to make a Winnipegger blink twice.

Today however is a slightly different story,  although not debilitating to any Canadian versed in winter, but a pain in the ass none the less.  Over night we got a good solid dump of around 9-10 inches of wintry goodness.   Enough to make our trucks in the backyard look like they were tucked in for a good winters nap complete with sleeping caps à la The Night Before Christmas.

Truck and jeep cleaned off but still with a little toque of snow on top.

It’s not like we were not expecting it, but it still sucks to know that you have to put on the Sorrels and shovel everything out before going out.  It makes you want to just stay in bed and cuddle the day away with your special someone.

I guess that’s it for fires this year. Our fire pit is full of snow.

It also makes me very glad that Darlene and I have 4 wheel drive, thus allowing us to brave the higher snowbanks and forgo shoveling out the driveway until we get our snow blower back in action this week.

The path to our composter is clear thanks to Dominick.

I guess the most important thing about being Canadian is loving each one of our four seasons and making the most out of each of them.  As we say in St Boniface C’est si bon! It’s so good!!

Lest We Forget

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