Bought myself some cat eye sunglasses from Dollarama. They look ridiculous.....ly awesome.  Drivers side car door is stuck closed now. It was stuck "open" but I fixed it.  Real good.  Likely because I had all that energy from all those mini chocolate bars I also bought at Dollarama.  Picked the kids up from school and had to crawl out the passenger side.  All lady-like  (read as: not lady like at all) and when we all got back in the car, I sat in the passenger side and put my cat eye sunglasses back on, and my old sunglasses on top of those.....and turned around to explain to the wide eyed little ones that I was going to have to drive from the passenger side, which is why I had 2 pairs of glasses on.  Because I'd need more eyes to drive like that. And since I'd never done it before I couldn't say for sure how it would turn out, so they better hang on. They didn't believe me until I started the car. Then they looked worried.  And the bigger one told me I was the weirdest Mom ever.  And he likes it.  And oddly enough, the one that only 25 minutes ago said I was weird, is now dressed up like this.  The end.

You know it’s important to save regularly to help meet your investment goals. The more frequently you save, the more you’ll have in the end. That’s the power of compound interest.  With competing financial priorities, your best intentions to fit saving into your financial security plan can get railroaded. A pre-authorized contribution (PAC) plan can help take some of the worry out of saving, allowing you to contribute regularly to your investments, directly from your bank account. It’s the idea of “paying yourself first” by treating saving like any bill or re-occurring payment. This strategy is more effective because increasing the frequency of saving enhances the advantages of dollar-cost averaging. You can further accelerate your savings by including an additional option to your PAC that allows you to automatically increase your payment amount annually – either by a specific dollar amount or a percentage. This is a convenient way to ensure your savings progress isn’t eroded by inflation. With RRSP’s, consider how a PAC can help take your savings to the next level. Say you currently invest $400 each month. After 20 years, the $400 monthly contribution would grow to $181,222, assuming a fixed rate of six per cent. However, if you saved $100 each week and increased that by 2.5 per cent per year – so the next year you would save $102.50 a week – at the same annual fixed rate, your savings would grow to $239,621. Pre-authorized contribution plans are a simple and easy way to save for your future. Your financial professional can help you to determine which PAC options and contribution schedules may work best for you.

I was on my way to Carberry when I found this magnificent sight. I took a "not actually a road" road, and I could tell on account of the grass growing in the middle of the "not a road's" tracks. And 1 skunk. The skunk ran out of the ditch I was in shortly after I did. I felt so lucky right then and there. A beautiful old barn with a stormy sky, and NOT getting sprayed by a skunk. 

Who Are The Invisible Men? What do you get when you mix the Blue Man Group doing a mash up of Jimi Hendrix’s if 6 was 9, K-Tel’s 23 difficult to strip to hits and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in reverse? I’m not sure but it might be very close to at least a part of what will happen on May Long Weekend at The 40. Yes folks, hang on to your brewskies, this could very well prove to be the most outlandish musical event to ever take place in B-Town.  If you’ve never been to a show or an event that left you incapable of describing or explaining, well, now is your chance. Origins of Monkeyhouse: “MHIII lends itself to be a great place for many a musician over the years to come and unwind and let it out! Our jams have been the talk of folklore. Sometimes till dawn. Go in the building at dark, exit at dawn, Squint eyed and confused!”   Lyall McDermid ~ MHIII Shenanigans Director   How bizarre is this thing going to be? Take John Byner’s old cast and crew and get them loaded. After those of you born after 1990 finish googling John Byner, take a boo at this event promo poster and let it sink in… An evening of The Invisible Men and their Zuperfriendz is the brainchild of music lover and local music scene supporter extraordinaire Lyall McDermid. Along with his band mates, McDermid cooked up the idea for this event at his jam space which is infamously known as Monkey House or MH3 for short. Anyone who has ever been in a band knows the importance of having a kick ass jam space. For McDermid, MH3 is the third incarnation of such a thing. His band preceded the Monkey House but the Monkey House was an eventual necessity for the band as they outgrew their original jam space. As McDermid recalls their humble beginings, his recollections read like a screenplay of a yet to be produced biopic, “The Invisible Men in its various forms have been around now for 18 years (WOW, there’s a crazy thought)!! If I can recall that far back, we cooked up this band idea in a small room on Princess Ave while sipping adult beverages! With cheap guitars and 60's retro drums (which I still have), we began jamming in dark , damp basement in the heart of the city! Flash Gordon ahead a couple years , I purchased the original Monkeyhouse. A tiny cabin style house that became jam central, our fortress of Rock and roll for Justice!” The band plays on…        They would eventually outgrow the confines of their original jam space, the same scenario would arise from MH1 as McDermid explains, ““After ten years plus and a serious guess of over 500 plus jams, the band and life had outgrown MH1. Then came MH2 after purchasing a larger home and reconditioning the basement as the new Jam Space. Eventually we would wind up building a new and improved spacious spot for which we could create tunes in. This jam space is now proudly referred to as MH3. MHIII lends itself to be a great place for many a musician over the years to come and unwind and let it out! Our jams have been the talk of folklore. Sometimes till dawn. Go in the building at dark, exit at dawn! Squint eyed and confused!” With the countless jams held in the various jam spaces over the years, the band’s list of acquaintances continued to grow. When you have open jam sessions the network of players multiplies as friends bring other friends and so on and so on until it becomes a sort of six degrees of separation scenario for everyone that has ever been involved. McDermid is thankful to have cultivated such a vast network of friends within Westman’s music scene, “Our Zuperfriendz that joined TIM over the years have made many live gigs at various venues about town. Always a superhero around to save the day! Not even sure I can name all TIM's Superfriends but here goes… Jason, Terry, Jessica, Saphira, Mike, Mike, Frank, Adrian, Paul, Chris, David, James... and literally dozens more jammers, singers, guitar players and movers and shakers!” McDermid’s appreciation for his myriad of musical mates is what spawned the idea for the May Long weekend Zuperfriends Jam, “Without all these Zuperfriendz and their superpowers TIM wouldn't be. The scope of talent that Monkeyhouse has heard over all these years is immeasurable. Many of these players have gone on or are in current working bands! Having many different players or sounds over the years has jumped around and been to many galaxy's.” The combination of players associated with MH3 has led to this event which McDermid will be appealing to music fans who have varying musical tastes, “Being in Monkeyhouse III, we have created a peaceful environment with many influences! The sound has developed in a mix of reggae, blues, funk, rock and a touch of psychedelic!” The same can be said for the sounds created by The Invisible Men as their formula always stems from their musical influences and as McDermid puts it, the song, “Our jams end up creating songs. That’s basically it. Always the song starts with a jam, a simple riff and some vocals for texture.” The guys say their approach always comes from their love of the music mixed with the fun they can have creating it, “We try not to take ourselves too seriously! If you have ever seen one of our 30 plus videos you would understand. Type in TIMFM into YouTube for the link. We are also on Facebook if anyone cares!” T.I.M. (L-R: Jason, Terrry and Lyall) captured during their live on the floor set at the 40 for Ridgefest 12. (Photo from the Ridgefest archives) Not Just Another Gig: The evening is designed as more of a reunion open to everyone with a love for locally created live music. It’s an event spawned from the Monkeyhouse and all the foggy memories that come with it, or as McDermid comments, “This gig encompasses all our Zuperfriendz over the years. We have a few old hits as well as a few surprises in store.” Major thanks go out to the 40, Brandon’s premiere night spot for live entertainment has always been a solid supporter of the local music scene exclaims McDermid, “The 40 (Heidi and staff) are such great supporters of live music. 35 years of being the best stage and sound system in Brandon!  We always look forward to playing the 40! They make us sound great. Please come join us for some fun May long Superhero theme! Dress up if ya feel like getting your geek on!” This just in... 100% of the door donations / cover will go to the Red Cross directly to those in need in Fort Mac! Rock beats Fire! Doors open at 6pm and the live music will start around 9:30pm Saturday night. MHIII has been home to hundreds of jams over the past 18 years. If you’ve ever been a part of any of those jams you might want to bring your instrument and join in on what will most likely turn into one of the most epic “MH Jams” ever!

When it comes to your financial well-being, working with a professional may be the difference between achieving your financial goals and falling short. According to recent studies, Canadian households working with a financial advisor accumulate more than 1.5 times more assets than identical non-advised households over a period of only four to six years.[1] Having a financial plan and committing to regular saving yields results. But those who seek professional guidance recognize a financial advisor does more than just invest your money. Your financial advisor is an expert who can review your financial plan on a regular basis to help keep you on track through life’s twists and turns. Your relationship with your financial advisor is a two-way street that needs ongoing attention. Your financial circumstances and needs will change over time, and it’s important that you keep your financial advisor informed of your current situation. Here are some events you should make your financial advisor aware of: • You experience a major life event. Getting married, buying your first or a new home, or a baby on the way are exciting life changes that may require a shift in how you handle your finances. • You’re having a financial challenge. Perhaps you’ve experienced an unexpected event – like the loss of a job, a health concern or divorce – that has the potential to set you back financially. • Your finances are getting complicated. Managing multiple financial products across different portfolios can be both time-consuming and confusing. • You want to leave a legacy. You might want to leave an inheritance to your family or favourite charity. • You’ve decided on a retirement date. Retirement brings a fundamental shift from saving to spending. Whatever your situation, your financial advisor can help you review and revise your plans accordingly. Financial planning is not an event it is a process. [1] CIRANO – Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis in Organizations. An Econometric Analysis of Value of Advice in Canada.