I did a search for the City of Edmonton population and in 1980 29 years ago, our population was 505,000. Now it’s around 752,000. For example, when I arrived in 1978, there were very few African Americans. You might have seen one or two/year. I saw very few black people around here even less Muslims in the early 1980's. Today, there are a lot more blacks and Muslims then I’ve ever seen before, especially over the last 15-20 years. Edmonton has always had a strong Asian/European community. It's nice to see that people are still coming here.

Anyway I got into the office at my usual time last night and bought myself a lottery ticket for the big 6/49 $40M draw for tonight. Super gave a long kick off and we didn’t get underway until about 5:25pm or so. I got my first sale about 6pm sitting next to Joanne. She’s very loud. We had 6 tap shooters. I was able to get I think $210 for the whole night. The 2nd straight day with no CC sales.

My wife has had her hours cut next week from 5-9. That’s 12 hours from 24. So almost in half. This means that next week I need to go into the office early and pick up the difference. We have no choice if we want to pay our rent for June. I don’t like to do this but I have to. On Tuesday, I’ll leave out of here about noon and I’ll be in the office at around 12:45pm to get my seat. Nobody will be in then except the tap section. In the afternoon they’re doing the magic show for the Children’s wish foundation. There’s a long list of cities and towns the tour is going in. The day will be a long one for me from 1:30pm-9pm. I’ll take my insulin before I go and again when I come home. I’ll be keeping that schedule 1:30pm-9pm Tuesday-Friday. Well Friday is 8:30pm so I’ll have 31.5 hours on my paycheque next week plus this weeks stat pay. That’ll be about a 3rd to almost half of our rent right there. Fortunately for us Anne gets 3 pay periods this month. She’ll go in from 2-12 I think today but it’s next week we have to watch out for. I’m in from 10-2pm for today.

Also I’m going to follow "J Rock" to her place to get those empty pop and beer cans she said a few days ago I can have sitting at her place in the basement. She says she has 3 large garbage bags of them at home. Great. If they want to get rid of them. Getting them onto the bus and home might be a bit problematic.

I was glad to get out of the office last night and over to Audrey’s. They had the three Elizabeth Haydon “Symphony of Ages” follow-up books to the boxed set I bought last month. “Requiem of the Sun.” I also have 2 “New Jedi order” books there and the Jim Butcher "Dresden files" book #3. I got my book and read more from “TLE” on the train on the way home. I watched Smackdown and got a call from Anne coming home from Superstore about 11pm with a deli Pizza. She went to Walmart after that and got a few things and some diet pop. I was watching the last of ECW and in bed when she came home about 12:45am. I was a sleep by 1 and up around 6:30 this morning.

Other then going into work this morning and picking up those cans and bottles (If they’re just cans I can in the garbage bags I’ll take 2 bags of them) not much going on. I hope to get back by 4pm and I’ll have a nap. Since there’s no NHL games on tonight I’ll be able to spend most of tonight reading my book.

All that’s left in the NHL playoff race is Pittsburgh/Carolina, Detroit/Chicago. Anyone but Detroit and Carolina. Those series begin on Sunday and Monday but it’s a long weekend and that’s the important thing, with 2 days off. Wuwho!

Because of my hour changes next week I’ll be stopping in here to say hello briefly and that’s about it. I’ll be in and out but I hope to have “TLE” wrapped up with a review of sorts on Monday.

Anyway gang, that’s all for now

e. Jim