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January 11 Something to talk aboutOne good thing about being Canadian is that you ALWAYS have the weather or hockey to talk about. So how about them Leafs – you think they will ever make the playoffs again? (See I stopped asking about the Cup years ago!).
In the case of weather we love to either a) brag about how terrible our weather is (implying we are hardy souls who can handle anything – well except for those wimps in Vancouver, but that is for another blog); or complain about how terrible our weather is (except for those wimps in Victoria, but that is for another blog).
I’m not sure if I am about to brag or complain about our recent weather, but WOW has it been strange.
I live in what is called “Northern Ontario”. However, if you look at map you will see that there is a heck of lot of geography north of North Bay. And we are only a 3.5 hour car ride from Toronto, so it is not really north. That said, we still get our share of snow and this year we got dumped on pretty good before Christmas.
It has also been the standard cold and miserable, making my looking forward to my Jamaican holiday / wedding / honeymoon all the more appealing. BUT, then came this week. What happened! I have never scene weather like this before.
Let’s start with January 3, my first day back to work in the new year. I awoke to temperatures of – 25C! By the end of the work day it had climbed to about -7C and it kept climbing from there. Then on Monday, January 7 I witnessed something I have never seen before –a lightning storm in January.
Lighting storms are not uncommon, but not in January. And this was a good one! We had some flashes of light that lit up the sky and the boomers followed real quick and vibrated the house. A house not too far from where I live was hit by lightning and burnt to the ground that night. And it began to rain! DID IT EVER RAIN! Came down in buckets. The people of Vancouver can appreciate that in January. The people of North Bay wonder what is going on.
The next day we broke some very old weather records. The previous January 8 high temperature for North Bay was recorded as about 2.5C. On January 8, 2008 we hit 8.2C. Normal precipitation in a 24 hour period is about 2.5 mm; we got something like 22 mm. And it was foggy and the wind was howling.
Now on Friday, January 11, 2008, there are large patches of grass showing up on my front lawn, the large piles of snow from shovelling have all but disappeared and our temps are hovering around the 0C mark. W e got snow last night, ice pellets this morning and now it is raining. It just can’t seem to make up it mind what it wants to do.
Jamaica, which has temperatures this week between 24 and 27C with overnight lows of 23 or 24C is REALLY LOOKING APPEALING TO ME. February 4 can’t come quick enough.
Like I said, at least it gives us something to talk about!
Have a great and safe weekend. October 31 Life is full of twists and turnsI’m sitting at my desk in utter confusion!
I’ve just read the blog of friend from Saint John and was deeply sadden and shocked to read that her and her long time boyfriend have split up. My heart broke for both of them. I met them through the Saint John Theatre Company and really enjoyed their company, whether we were working on a play or hanging out. They are great young people and always found them so into each other. I would have never guessed this would have happened.
As my mind raced to process this information I began to think about life and how there are so many strange twists and turns in it. While one suffers, others rejoice.
Today I am deeply sadden by news – Yesterday I was thrilled to read that another friend from my Saint John drama days has just entered a relationship. I know both of the people, worked with them in dramas and am very happy for them, but honestly would never have seen it coming.
While all this is going on a fellow I work with is trying to deal with the news that his young niece was hit by a truck outside of her school on Monday. His 10 year old niece is in the hospital with minor injuries, but her friend was killed. They were both on the sidewalk, just outside of their school! The one who died was on the curb side of the sidewalk. The driver who hit them had just picked up his child from the school and depending on the version you believe, “was suffering a coughing fit” or as one eye witness reported “was leaning over reaching for something in the truck”. Either way, he must have been speeding in the school zone.
Last week the production I am acting in was sent into turmoil when the lead actress had to pull out because her father was very sick and she had to get to Texas to be with him. Before she could get down there, he died. Poor thing. Not being able to say good-bye may haunt her for a long time. The production has recovered, the part re-cast and we are back on track to go on stage in two weeks.
I was talking with my neighbour on Sunday. He is a proud new papa and is just getting use to the dramatic lifestyle changes children bring. But you can see the happiness and joy in his face.
As one ends, another begins….Whether in love, life, or careers the circle keeps moving. Yeah I know, that is terribly “cliché-ish”, but is it ever true. Tragedy, sorrow, heart break, joy, excitement, anticipation. We experience all of them. We just never know what order or when it will happen.
Lisa, Anthony, Yanik, Jenn – my heart is with you folks and know that what hurts now will pass. Bright skies will be on the horizon for all of you.
Andrea, Keith, Rob, Lucie – cherish the moment, live for the moment, work hard to hang on to the moment, but know that in a breath it can change.
10:39 Update - AMAZING! I just found out (through facebook) that another couple I knew through church in Quispamsis is expecting their second child. Yeah, life is defintely full of twists and turns. September 18 She really likes it!
When I began dating Stacey, she told me very clearly that she was not comfortable riding the motorcycle. In fact she was almost afraid of motorcycles.
So I took my time with her on the motorcycle and didn’t push the idea that she should come for a ride with me. Every once in a while I would ask if she wanted to go for a ride. If she said no, I didn’t push it or prod her at all. I figured if and when she was ready it would happen.
I’m not sure what changed her mind, but recently she agreed to go for a ride and she loved it!
The first ride was very cautious. She was admittedly very nervous. I didn’t go too fast, stayed off the highway, didn’t lay the bike over going around curves and went for a short cruise around the water front. This simply wet her appetite for riding, cause now she is asking me when we can go for rides.
This past weekend we went for two rides and she even came up with the idea to use the bike when we had a logistical / transportation issue yesterday.
On top of all this - I was able to get her to ride on the highway, but only cranked the bike up to 100 Kmph.
Each time we ride her face lights up like a child on Christmas morning. She almost bounces off the bike when stop and usually says “I want to go again!” Yesterday she was even planning for a longer day trip on the bike and was even trying to figure out how we might ride it to Cambridge for the Thanksgiving long weekend! (don’t worry Lee – logistics means this won’t happen!).
It is so wonderful to see how much Stacey likes the motorcycle. It is a wonderful way for us to be able to get away together. It is unfortunate that it is so late in the year, since we won’t have a lot of opportunity to ride before the bike needs to be stored for the winter.
And if we are going to ride next spring we’ll have to make sure we pick up a helmet that fits (the one she wears is a little big, which is more of a comfort factor than a safety issue) and get her a riding jacket and pants.
And it goes to prove once again that old adage we tell our children; “try it, you might like it!”
Take care all and vroom vroom! August 30 Catching UpWOW – it has been sometime since I last posted anything here. Some might think I’ve dropped off the face of the earth! I haven’t, but have been very busy, so here is a catch up post.
Family Picnic
This past weekend I attend the annual family picnic for Stacey’s mom’s side of the family. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed meeting so many people. It was a little overwhelming and draining. After all I did want to make sure I would be accepted by them (they will be family soon). I don’t need to be accepted to marry Stacey, but this is a close family and fitting in will be really nice. So far I haven’t heard anyone telling her “Don’t marry that jerk!” Then again, with many of them I'll probably only see them once a year at the family picnic.
Lots of Travel
As the summer comes to an end I’ve reflected on the amount of travel I’ve done – WOW. I picked up my new Saturn VUE on April 19 and since then have racked up almost 16,000 Km. That includes a trip to New Brunswick in May to move Kyla’s stuff to Toronto, three trips to Cambridge (many more to come) and numerous trips to Toronto. I still have several more trips to go before the end of the year (Sept – Toronto to pick up my parents; Oct. – one trip to Cambridge for a wedding, one trip to Courtice for a good friends house warming party; Nov. – Toronto to pick up Kristyn who is coming for a visit YEAH!). I’m not complaining! Its just a good thing I enjoy driving and bought a new vehicle.
Skydive Decompression
I continue to decompress from the skydiving experience. It was a blast and I am really glad I had a DVD made of it. Every time I watch it (and I have watched it many times) I get a rush. I had been under the impression the free fall was about 30 seconds. Today I decided to time the free fall and found it was more like a full minute from the time we left the plane until the chute was deployed. All I can say is WOW and I want to do it again.
Running
I completed a 5km run today in a personal best time! I went out today with sore legs, but feeling pretty good. I told myself I wanted to push for a personal best. The route I took has me tackling the wicked hill near the end of the run (as opposed to the opposite direction which has it early in run). My average time is about 15 seconds slower for the “hill last” route, but today I did the run in 28 minutes and 54 seconds, which is the best time I have done in either direction. My previous best time for “Hill First” was 28:59 and for the “Hill Last” it was 29:30. The other really good news is that my heart rate never peaked above 170 BPM and my recovery time was excellent! This tells me that my cardio and ability to process the oxygen and move my muscles is really good.
Facebook
This is a really interesting phenomenon. Through facebook I have reconnected with several people I haven’t seen since high school. But like our everyday social circumstances it seems that there is a rush to have “friends” on facebook, but then you never communicate with them. I’m often left wondering why someone you haven’t seen or talked to in 30 years suddenly wants to “be your friend”. It is for this reason that I am going to make it a personal goal to communicate with each person on my friends list at least twice a year. If nothing else, but to say “hello and how was your day?”
Life Changes
This past summer has brought some incredible and wonderful changes into my life. In a very short time period I began dating a wonderful lady, fell deeply in love with her, asked her to marry me (she said yes
 ) and now she and her daugther have moved in with me. All this in a span of four months!  Some say it is too quick, but when you know YOU KNOW. And Stacey and I are so right for each other and I firmly believe I have found my soul mate. Its been a whirlwind of activity and while my life has gone through incredible change in a short time and I’ve never been happier, more content and ready to take on what ever the future might bring. I’ll have much more to write about this in the future. So there you have it in a nutshell. OK, so it’s a very large nutshell and I apologize to any with a nut allergy! Take care and enjoy your long weekend. August 24 This should be funI will be travelling this weekend to a family picnic in Cambridge. The family is Stacey’s mom’s side. Apparently this should be quite the time with an interesting bunch of people.
I will be meeting many of the family for the first time and of course I am marrying one of their own, so will be under the microscope. I’m not worried though. I have really enjoyed and gotten along the family members I have met so far and they have liked me. And I’m pretty easy to get along with.
The comments I hear are a hoot “If you get through this weekend you can get through anything” or “Just wait until he meets Donny”. And I'm looking forward to this. I love meeting family and getting a better understand of where people come from and what makes them tick.
Families are such interesting creatures….and people like to make them out as such scary things.
On a totally separate topic,
Happy Birthday
Kristyn
Saturday is my youngest daughter’s birthday. She has grown into a wonderful young lady and while I miss her terribly, wish I was with her to give her a big hug on her birthday, I am proud of the fine person she is.
Best wishes to you sweetheart on another birthday – hope you have a great day. Looking forward to your visit in November. June 27 WHAT is happening to me?!I’m 48 years old and have spent the vast majority of that time deliberately not showing my emotions and God forbid should I ever cry!
Fortunately in the last few years I have allowed myself the privilege to cry. It is cathartic, it is releasing and it can be uplifting. But I have begun crying at the absolute silliest things!
Oh, yeah I’ve cried at the standard things; I cried at the birth of both my daughters, I cried when I finally realized how unhappy both my ex-wife and I were in our marriage and that it was over.
I cry WHEN EVER I hear “Amazing Grace”. It was played at the funeral of a Great Uncle when I was in my late teens and while I did not cry at this great man’s funeral, I have cried almost every time I have heard this fabulous song. AND since becoming a Christian, no more than 10 years ago, the song has even more meaning to me.
I cry when I watch “Ghost Whisper”. Especially when there are scenes of children in danger or have died (and there ghost is coming back for closure).
I cry when there are stories of child abuse on the news. I have cried sitting in the arms of Stacey and I am overwhelmed by the love I feel from her and what I feel for her.
But today I cried at something I never thought I would cry over. It was a YouTube video forwarded to me by a friend, simply entitled “Britain's Got Talent – Connie”. Here a diminutive six year old sings “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in one of those cheesy TV talent contests. And here I am a crusty, cynical sot, who suddenly finds himself fighting back tears at the wonderful sounds filtered through my ears. This little girl is amazing! I’m embedding the video below. Please take a listen.
I have no idea what moved me so, but something did. Was it the lovely sound? Or the fact this tiny little girl was so good? Maybe it was the reaction of the judges and audience - I don't know? Quite possible it was the the words of the song and my realization that my dreams are coming true. What ever the reason by the end of this video I was wiping tears that ran down my cheeks.
It didn’t help that the female judge began crying half way through the song and the SOB Simon liked the performance (watch how his demeanour changes as Connie sings).
Yeah, I have begun crying at the silliest things. I can just imagine what I’ll be like at the wedding – at least I won’t be wearing mascara. Or at least I haven’t been told I’ll be wearing mascara.
Till next time – and let your true emotions shine through! June 07 I've got a secretHave you ever had a secret with a time line attached? The kind where you can’t tell anyone the secret before a certain date.
I’m keeping one of those right now and it is driving me nuts not to be able to tell. I am bursting to tell the secret, but promised I would keep the secret until Saturday.
Are you going to come back to find out what it is? June 03 Catching UpI thought that finding a soul mate and falling in love would help me as a writer. Quite the opposite has happened! I’m in such a place of contentment and serenity that I am having difficulty getting motivated to write.
I’ve even had a few issues arise this past week that I thought would make great topics for discussion, but then just couldn’t be bothered to put my thoughts together to create a blog post.
I have been spending a lot of time with Stacey. In fact, today is the first day since I returned from my New Brunswick trip that I haven’t seen her. We’ve talked on the phone and text message each other a few times though. And the night is not over yet, she might still steal away for a good night kiss.
Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in about 12 years – I looked after a seven year old for the entire day! Stacey is involved with a summer drama company through the school and yesterday and today were audition call-backs. Friday evening she found out that her mom was called into work for Saturday, leaving her without a babysitter for the day. I offered to help and take “B” for the day. It actually went very well. I was able to get some things accomplisehd, spent a bunch of time playing board games and hanging out at the beach with “B”.
Unfortunately the day did not end so well. Alas, after almost 2 straight hours in the water at a local beach, “B” ended up with a terrible case of swimmer’s itch. And she was very vocal about how uncomfortable she was. I did what I could to comfort her, but truthfully at that point the only person who can help is Mom (and that was the way my own daughters were also). Fortunately Stacey was to pick up “B” shortly anyway. From what I’ve heard this is not the first time this has happened and a shot of Benadryl not only calmed the itchiness, but put her sleep as well.
Today I built a fire pit from bricks I picked up yesterday. This fire pit will be far better than the small ones you can buy at Canadian Tire or Home Depot. I tried to take pictures to post here, but the camera batteries were dead. I’ve got them recharging now and will post something tomorrow.
I am really enjoying Facebook! It is turning out to be a wonderful to stay in touch with people, but also reconnect with people. I’ve been able to reconnect with several folks I went to high school through the site and it has been great.
I think my PC is on its last legs! Something in it is making a terrible sound – I think it might be the fan. Sounds like a jet engine winding up at times. Oh well, it is almost four years old now and was a cheap throw together clone. I’m looking forward to getting Kyla’s school PC (when she gets her new laptop), so I will have the power and programs to re-edit the family VHS movies and burn them to DVD. There is no way my current PC is powerful enough for that kind of work.
That is it for now. We’ll see if I can get more motivated to write in the coming week. Maybe I can find something to rant about or to poke fun at or maybe I’ll just have really good news. Yeah we’ll see. March 22 For Today's Blog.....Today is going to be a catch-all, random, not much happening, can’t think of anything interesting to write about kind of entry. Why? Because not much is happening and I can think of anything interesting to write about…..
It rained last night! Yes I know my friends in Vancouver and Saint John would not get excited about that event. For them it is a common occurrence. But for us in the hinterland of Northern Ontario (crap were three hours from Toronto and people think we’re Northern Toronto!), as we climb out of the miserable grip of winter, it is nice to see.
Rain is good for several reasons; 1) it means the temperature is above 0C (otherwise it would be snow!); 2) it starts the clean up process on the streets, which are covered in a layer of sand and gravel; 3) it help the snow in its melting process! It also gives the air a freshness that is great to be out in.
Unfortunately it did keep me from doing my run outside today.
Speaking of my run….it was another tough one. I did do the full 5Km on the treadmill, but I had to do several recovery walks as I plodded along. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the end. But I did. My time was nothing to brag about, so I’ll keep that a secret. I did pull something in my lower left leg. I could feel the lower part of my calf muscle tightening up while I ran and it remains tight right now. Hope it loosens up by Sunday as I want to try another outdoor run.
And speaking of snow (hey it’s my blog, I’ll jump around if I want), I’m going to have to go out this weekend and help the melting situation. If I through some of the snow around in my back yard, it means I’ll be able to get my motorcycle out that much quicker. And I REALLY want to get my motorcycle out and running.
I’ve been doing some checking on home, auto and motorcycle insurance. WOW is that ever confusing. I couldn’t believe the swings in the premiums from various carriers. I think I will be going to a different carrier for the motorcycle and increasing my deductible on the house policy to $1000. According to the broker I spoke with, that will reduce the premiums substantially, many people don’t worry about submitting a claim for less than $1000 anyways (impact on premiums) and in the event of a major loss, most insurance companies waive that deductible anyways.
Holy cow batman I just realized I haven’t checked my LOTO 649 tickets from last night. Maybe I can retire…..I’ll be right back…..
OK, so I’m going to be at work tomorrow and I’ll be buying my own coffee, cause I didn’t win anything! The prize is $22M for Saturday. I’ll pick up two more tickets and have that cheap dream for a few more days. Ah to be able to tell the world to leave me alone!
Hmmm, for someone who didn’t feel like writing much, I’ve bored you pretty good. Congratulations on making it through this! Hope you have a great weekend – I’m hoping to have a good one.
Till Later, March 10 HELLO! - Its suppose to be springIts March 10 and according to the Ground Hog we are suppose to be basking in spring weather right now (that lying little vermin!).
But this morning I woke to God’s idea of a joke. Snow was falling quiet heavily, and with temperatures finally climbing close to 0 Celsius, it was a wet, heavy snow to boot!
Usually I’m very good about shovelling. Actually I’m almost compulsive about shovelling. I try to do it before I drive on the driveway, since I REALLY do not like the packed ridges created by the car packing snow down. But by this time of year my attitude is “God dumped it, he can remove it!”
I am so fed up with winter, I just want the snow to be gone, not falling more. And this has been a really short winter. There was almost no snow up until January and I was gone for 12 days in February, so I really shouldn’t be complaining. But I just want it to go!
My form of protest is to not shovel. I’ll let the warm temperatures and rain forecasted in the next few days remove the snow.
I will have to wait some time before I can get my motorcycle out of the back yard shed. The snow is pretty deep right now and I’m guessing it will be well into April before I can get my bike how. How sad!
How ironic, as I type about my motorcycle I can hear snowmobiles screaming up my street! I guess some people love the winter and that good for them. I’m just not one of them.
Don’t forget to “Spring Forward” tonight – we don’t want you later for anything on Sunday morning.
Have a good one. February 12 Car buying itchI’ve got an itch to buy a new vehicle and it is getting stronger. This may be an exciting time for some, but for me it causes all kinds of conflict and anxiety.
You see, I’ve always maintained that a car is nothing special. You own a car for the utility of getting from point A to point B. The fact that my last two cars were Honda Civics and I owned them for a long time is proof of that. The 1986 Civic was a four door, standard transmission, no electric, no air conditioning (hey I lived in Edmonton!) and a simple AM/FM radio with cassette player. I drove that car for 14 years! I did a step up with my current 1996 Civic. It has electric windows and locks, cruise control, air conditioning and if you are doing the math between the first and second civic, this was my wife’s primary car – I always took the older one and drove it. I took the 96 in the divorce and let her keep the 2000 Civic we also had.
So the point of all that is to prove I’m not a big car person. I don’t see a car as an extension of my personality, or something to be treasured.
Then I started looking for a new vehicle and found I bought into all the marketing hype and crap. I want it all – I want the looks, I want the luxury, I don’t want the price tag! OUCH!
And here in lies my dilemma. When I look at the features that I want in a vehicle I have to ask myself – do I really need them. Things like heated seats and an MP3 connector are nice to have, but are they necessary?
Then last week I made a quick business trip to Sudbury and rented a GMC Envoy. Nice vehicle. I would look really good in something like that. But then I see the price tag. That’s not going to happen. Also, it is really too big and would be such a gas guggler!
So now I’m working through what I want versus what I need. I hate that debate!
I need something where I can carry several people – I car pool and have visitors occasionally. I also want something where I can haul larger items. I want fuel economy, good highway handling and comfort. I don’t want to go to be cash poor to own it (do you pick up a recurring theme?).
As I look at the options the vehicles that are coming to the surface are the mid-size SUVs. I’m really interested in the Kia Sportage, Saturn Vue, and Honda CRV to name a few.
My challenge now is to proceed with calm cautious planning, rather than rushing out in a flurry and buying something. Over the weekend I was doing some research on the Internet and by the time I was finished I was ready to rush and buy RIGHT NOW! Not a good thing.
So I am working to slow down my desire to purchase. I need to make and informed, logical decision, not one based on emotion or appeal.
So when I get back from vacation I’ll go and test drive a number of these vechicles. I am going to try to take at least 6 months to make the decision. Some of the things I still need to check out and decide on are:
Yes lots to do and I will need patience. I will have to control myself so I can find the right financing deal, and not just jump for something because I get caught up in the marketing hype and sales pitch. Ah yes the sales pitch! That is the one aspect of this entire process I am not looking forward to….dealing with the sales people and that whole painful experience. Oh well, I guess it has to be done to get what I want.
Wish me luck. February 05 Dang Its ColdThe radio snapped on as usual – 6:30 AM. The cheery voice of the all too perky morning news anchor-woman broke the silence “It’s -30 degrees outside, make sure you dress warmly!”
Two things struck me. The first was “is she ever stating the obvious”; the second was I better get outside and plug in the old Honda!
I don’t remember being in this kind of cold since I left Edmonton. In Canada’s largest, most northern city, these types of temperatures are not uncommon in the winter. I remember a few winters where the high temperature for the day didn’t get above -20C for over a month at a time. It would not be uncommon for the evening lows to get to -40 or -45!
And as I often do in these conditions I begin to ask myself “why do you continue to live in these frigid northern climates?”
One reason is the cost of living. AND what else could I complain about?
It does make going to Hawaii all the more attractive. By the way
10 sleeps to Hawaii!
 But I don’t want to overstate things or bore you with deals. No wait I do.......
I’ve been doing the fake n’ bake thing and believe I’m getting browner. Am up to 12 minutes per session and it is very nice and warm in there. I'm getting use to it and can relax while on the bed now. Oh, and no tan lines. Yes, I know – too much information! Still slathering up with lotion to keep the skin from drying out. But I need someone to put it on my back - Volunteers?
I am sooooooooo looking forward to Hawaii. It can’t come soon enough. We’ve got whale watches planned, dinner at “Buzz’s Wharf”, snorkelling with turtles, a bike ride down Haleakala, lazing on the beach, lazing around the pool, hmmmmm sounds familiar – oh yeah, I did it all last year and am looking forward to doing repeating it this year!
Last year I had a great time with my cousin. He is a great travel buddy. But this year I’ll have my daughters and that will make it extra special.
But until then I have to put up with these darn cold temps. Overnight lows are predicted to hit -27C, but by Friday the high temp is to hit -7C. WOW it will be a tropical heat wave!
Take care and have a great week! January 31 One Down - Two To GO!My eldest daughter got her passport in the mail today! FANTASTIC. I haven’t spoken to her in real time, but I’m betting this was a huge relief. It was early also. They told her she would have it on Feb 5 and it showed up a five days early. WONDERFUL.
Now as long as mine gets processed on time and Kris’s gets back to Edmonton in time to get a quick processing done we’ll be set to have our family vacation.
I did my first Fake N’ Bake at the gym on Tuesday. It was an uneventful experience although I’m not sure what I expected. A friend of mine told me she suntans “O Natural”, so I figured that’s the way to do it. It was strange lying in the tanning bed with only the eye glasses as cover, especially since I could hear people moving around outside. The tanning booths are located in the same area as the cardio machines. lying in the bed I’m thinking “I sure hope nobody walks in by accident.” It was then I thought, “I wonder if there is a lock on the door”. There is and next time, I’ll lock the door!
I did notice my skin was very dry in the afternoon. That is not uncommon in the winter around here, but this was more than normal. So I’ve begun using skin lotion in the morning after my shower and at night before I go to bed. I don’t like feeling like a reptile and the cheapest bottle of lotion the gym had was $25 (they went up to as high a $40 / bottle) and there is no way I’m spending that much on a product I’ll never use after this.
The smallest tanning package I could buy was 200 minutes for about $46 (taxes in). I did 7 minutes for the first session and I can only go every second day. Eventually I’ll work up to about 10 – 12 minutes per session. That means I should be able to get 7 or 8 sessions and use about half my time before I leave. We’ll see if this fake n’ bake works. I hope I didn’t just throw $46 buck out the window.
I’m going to start physiotherapy on Friday for the elbow strain or sprain I’ve got. I haven’t been weight lifting this week and miss it. I’m hoping I can get this pain corrected and get back to it shortly.
It is suppose to warm up a bit over the next couple of days, but we’ll also get upwards of 10 – 15 cm of snow. OH JOY! I just hope they get the freeway cleared by the time I suppose to drive to Toronto. They got over 30 cms of snow today between Bracebridge and Barrie, which would make travelling that highway really miserable. Oh well, I’m planning on giving myself lots of time.
That is it from this end of the world. Keep praying for Kris’s passport! January 28 Another boring weekendIt’s been a rather boring weekend – Again! I do have to do something to get a life!
I went to gym yesterday and had a good workout. Really enjoyed it. But I’ve done something to my left elbow and I’m getting searing pain when I make certain movements for a few weeks. It feels like it is in the lower part of the bicep muscle, but it might be in the joint also. Maybe I’ve strained it. What ever I’ve done, I’m going to have to get to a physiotherapist and have it looked at. It hurts to do certain exercised and if I try to lift something like a jug of milk with my left arm, YOUCH! I’m going to have concentrate on cardio work out this week, until I figure what is going on.
So I got my rejected passport application back in the mail last week. Good thing I went to Toronto cause I had three things wrong with the application. I don’t know why, but I do not do forms well. I always seem to screw them up. In this case they rejected my application because of 1) no birth certificate (that one I expected); 2) my signature went outside the box (what the ……) and 3) I failed to answer one of the questions, which when I read it confused me and I didn’t think it applied to me (sounded like it applied to immigrants who became Canadian citizens – apparently it applied to those born in this country also). Like I said, I don’t do applications or instruction well!
My photo wasn't rejected, which I thought for sure it would. But I'm happier with the photo for the second application. That first one looked just scary - Nick Nolte kinda scary!
I need to get my car washed to get the salt off it from my quick trip to Toronto, but its so darn cold I can’t do it because I’ll never get the doors open again! According to the Environment Canada website, it will be -28C tonight and -24C tomorrow night. By Thursday it warms up a bit, so maybe by then I’ll get the car washed. At least when its this cold, the salt will not damage the body of the car. When it does warm up I’ll have to watch it. Right now, the car is just filthy.
I’m having some friends over for dinner this evening, so I need to go prepare a few items. Take care and it’s back to work tomorrow. But at least there are only 18 sleeps until Hawaii – but who’s counting – ME THAT’S WHO! January 11 Wasn't the lottery, but.....I needed to get gas today. No not the kind you get from a can of beans. Although that might be fun!
No I needed gas for my car. Gas prices in North Bay have been going up and down as crazy as our temperatures. So despite the reports that crude prices are down, the big oil companies have decided to continue to pad their pockets and screw the consumer. Oh, I’m sorry my cynical side comes out now and then
 .Anyways, as I was driving around today I noticed one station at 80.8¢/litre, another was 79.9¢/litre. So when I drove up to the gas station I normally stop at (I get extra Canadian Tire money on my credit card – it’s the only loyalty program I buy into) I was rather ticked to see the sign reading 81.8¢/litre. As I drove up I distinctly remember looking at the pump prices displayed and thinking, “yeah as soon as I drive away the price will come down”. That’s just how my luck has been going lately.
I get out of the car, swipe my card in the pump, turn my back to take off my fuel cap, turn back to the pump to select the grade and low and behold the price has dropped to 79.9¢/litre! BONUS! SCORE! OK, so I saved maybe 35¢ in total, but it was a great feeling to get that little bit of savings. Yeah I know, I have to get a life!
But then by this afternoon the prices were back up to 89.9¢/litre. I often wonder how the people who make these decisions can actually live with themselves? They must know they are crooks! Imagine being able to go home at night, walk through the door and announce “Hi Honey, I was able to screw the motoring public big time today!” Must make them feel special!
Enough of my bad attitude. I hope you have a great day! The weekend is coming and I have no plans. Yeah I know, I have to get a life! January 10 Ramblings of a frustrated man!It has been a lousy week! I've sat down to write a few times since Saturday and just couldn't muster the enthusiams to do it. The reason? Since getting back to work from vacation there has been a series of events which have frustrated me to no end. The events and frustration are both with my personal and work life. But rather than bore you with those mundane details I’ll see what miscellaneous ramblings I can come up with to fill a few paragraphs.
TSN.ca had a good idea in broadcasting the World Jr. Hockey Championship over the net. I don’t think they anticipated the volume of traffic for the gold metal game though. I tried to watch the game from my PC at work and all I got was a choppy video (if it moved at all) and some audio. It was really slowing down our company network also, so I guess a lot of my fellow employees were doing the same thing.
I’m taking my daughters to Hawaii in February. Well at least I’ve bought the tickets to go to Hawaii. What we do not have is passports, now that the paranoid Americans are forcing everyone to have a passport to enter their country from the air. I sent my application in at the end of November, but haven’t heard anything about it. My great fear is that they will reject it for some small reason and I’ll be left without, which means I won’t be going to Hawaii.
I've been trying to call the Passport Office, but all I get is a busy signal. This tell me the call volumes are so large that it is overwhelming the calling que. (8:00 AM Note - I got through to the ACD Que this morning, only to be told that all agents were busy and the volume exceeded the available wait que and to call back. When I did - busy signal! AHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!!!!
 )We finally are getting some snow and colder temperatures. IT SUCKS! I do not like winter! No doubt of that. Oh well, by Friday it is suppose to be +2C and rain. Oh and then Saturday -20C - what's with that
 I watched “Bon Cop, Bad Cop” last night. Not bad, pretty funny, good chemistry between the two lead actors, but at some point in the film I began thinking “this has moved from a good movie to a stupid character of Canada”. The plot line is thin, the writing weak and they must of thrown in almost every cliché they could think of. It was the scene where Rick Mercer was playing an obnoxious sports TV commentator that I began to think, this is going down hill. Oh and by the way Rick – stick to TV sketch comedy. As an actor you suck! Still I enjoyed the movie overall.
I just watched "Little Mosque on the Prairies", the CBC's answer to "Corner Gas". I hope they can turn this into more than a one joke show!
My credit card company upped my credit limit again. Its so easy to get oneself into serious debt problems and while I firmly believe credit card companies and stores are at the core of the issue, people have to stop wanting more than they can afford and live within their means. Just because my credit card company gives a ridiculous credit limit, doesn’t mean I will use it. I use my credit care like a cash card. I only charge what I know I can pay off at the end of each month – I refuse to pay the loan shark interest rates credit card companies charge.
I did the typical male thing at the gym today. I looked at myself in the mirrors as I dressed after my work out. I’m actually very happy with the way my body is looking. I’m not going to be Mr. Universe, but there is definition and nice “cuts” beginning to develop in my upper body. I’m still working on a small paunch in my belly, but it’s coming along well. In February I’m going to try a Pilates class. I’ve heard it is a very good way to tone your muscles and I have a coupon for 10 free sessions.
One good thing to talk about. While I am unhappy and lonely right now, I’m not feeling the depression returning. I can definitely tell the difference. Right now I know exactly what is causing my frustration and unhappiness (don’t know what to do about it, but I know what it is). With depression you often don’t know exactly what is causing the feelings. My spirits are good, if not my mood and that is a good sign for me. January 03 Bizarre weather!NOTE: Not every computer can view the pictures so I have created a photo album for the strange weather photos. Interesting that the greeneydgirl in BC posted "the big dump" where they get little or no snow and I"m posting pictures of grass where there should be several meters of snow! Strange!
In North Bay January 1 is an important date for ice fisherman (or persons for you politically correctness nerds). That is the date they can move their ice huts onto the local lakes. Lake Nipissing often looks like several new subdivisions spring up as new communities are created overnight.
This year that is not happening! Below is a picture I took on January 2.
Notice two things; 1) the huts in the foreground (which are owned by a local hotel and rented out to guests) are on land and there is open water on the lake in behind!
This is really bizarre weather. Those ice huts will not be getting on the ice in any time soon, unless they are retrofitted with floatation devises.
Here are two more pictures to highlight the strange weather we are having. This is the street I live on. The first picture was taken yesterday, January 2. The second was taken in February 2006 (the day after I got back from Hawaii no less!). Quite the difference.
Global warming? Maybe. Having a negative economic impact? No doubt!
There is an enormous number of small businesses in this region which rely on snowmobilers, cross country skiers and ice fisherman for their livelihood. This year – none of that is going on. Even those involved in snow removal are hurting big time.
So despite the fact I am enjoying the weather and not having to shovel snow, I feel for those hurting by the conditions. Let’s hope we get some winter so they can survive another year. January 01 Of nothing importantIt is amazing to not drink on New Years eve, go to be early and wake up feeling great! I was puttering around the house this morning and suddenly felt like going to the gym. I ended up doing a great leg work out and then a light 30 minute session on a cross trainer.
It was surprisingly busy at the gym. I did not expect that for a holiday Monday.
I’ve been puttering around the house today. Not motivated enough to do any cleaning (maybe tomorrow), but have put away the Christmas decorations and organize a few things. I’ve also been calling a few friends and family members, just to catch up and say “Happy New Year”.
I enjoy “Air Farce” on CBC. It’s one of the few shows the CBC presents that I can stand watching. Last night they did their annual Chicken Cannon count down. For those who are not familiar with the shtick, they “target” someone in the news who is typically over-exposed, or so self absorbed that they just need to be taken down a notch. Usual targets include politicians and entertainers. For the annual Chicken Cannon, the show solicits input from viewers to select the target.
Last night they announced that George Bush and Stephen Harper were removed from the list “cause they would run away with it”, and then they did a count down of the top targets selected. Bush and Harper were blasted “just because”, while others to have the chicken fired at their pictures included Chris Pronger, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, celebrity couples (Kevin and Brittany; Tom and Katie, etc). But it was the winners of this year Chicken Cannon voting that made my heart leap for joy; Frank & Gordon, the annoying “spokes beavers” for Bell Canada. The fact that so many people find them equally as annoying is wonderful. The fact that all those people probably dislike Bell as much as me is reason to rejoice!
I was in bed before midnight last night. No sense staying up, just because. When you are alone this is just another night. But at least I woke up feeling great and got to the gym, which is where I started this rambling post.
Hope you have a great 2007 – I’m looking forward to what it might bring. Maybe a soul mate! December 27 It's Sad Really!As much as I like Toronto, there are aspects that I don’t like. Traffic is the one that everyone brings up. But for me it is the way people don’t look at you.
Let me explain.
I went for a jog on Christmas day. I ran through a park area and returned along a fairly busy street. I came across several people walking and without exception not one said hello or even looked at me. I felt several went out of their way to divert their eyes so they didn’t have to look at me.
In North Bay when I run people will say hello, good morning, smile and look at you.
Even at the coffee shops the people behind the counter spend more time talking to the fellow employees then looking at or communicating with the customer.
This morning I went into a bank to deposit a cheque for one of my daughters and the young lady behind the counter was so distant. No smile, no hello, just a bland “can I help you?”
When she asked me if this was my account (a normal question I get), I used the line that I often use and it always gets a chuckle; “No this is my daughter’s account, I only have deposit privileges with it”. Didn’t even get a smirk! The stone face never moved. Too bad because she was a very attractive young lady and I’m sure a smile would do wonders for her face.
Oh well, such as it is in the big city. Tomorrow I will return to North Bay and maybe I’ll see people smiling again. December 26 Ah, Yes, Toronto!I guess eating too much is part of what Christmas is about. I sure hope so, cause that is the excuse I’ll be using! Everywhere I go there has been so much good food and treats. Oy I’m not looking forward to getting on the scale when I get home.
Christmas day was relatively quiet and pleasant. After enjoying myself emmensly with my cousin and his friends, but being out VERY late Christmas eve, I was able to sleep until almost 10AM Christmas morning. The advantage of not having young children around. In the afternoon my cousin and and I shared a lovely turkey dinner and then went out to his friends for coffee and desert and another wonderful evening of conversation.
Today (Boxing Day) my cousin had other friends in for brunch and then I went to visit a friend I met when I worked in Toronto. He use to live in Mississauga, but has since moved the Yonge and Dundas area -- the heart of downtown Toronto!
It was interesting driving down there. I drove up Yonge Street and the streets were very busy with traffic and the sidewalks were full of people doing Boxing Day shopping. The area around the Eaton Centre was EXTREMELY crowded. I am so glad I wasn’t in the stores today.
I also noticed a very large police presence. I saw many patrol cars, officers on bikes, and officers walking the beat. I don’t know if was a response to the tragedy last year (shooting outside HMV on Young Street), but there were a lot of police among the masses of holiday shoppers.
Parking was a challenge! Six dollars later I had a spot in a lot and was thankful both to have a spot and that I did not have to take out a second mortgage to get it.
Tonight it will be leftover turkey, dressing, fried potatoes and more sweets. Then a dip in the hot tub and maybe David and I will watch the DVD “CARS” which I got him for Christmas.
Hope your holidays were great and that you survived the eating frenzy. Most of us are certainly blessed with the abundance we have in this country. |
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