Bang on My Drum

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

I think that Mother's Day has never really been celebrated in the way that would truely recognize the inpact that our mothers have had on our lives. Up until the last couple of generations, the importance of our mothers in our homes have basically gone unoticed and unappreciated. Personally, I think that they should get a lot more credit that they recieve. Society has often been heard saying that "behind every good man is a great woman" and yet, that only seems to apply to wives and not to mothers. Well, I think that we should ammend that saying by stating that "behind every good person is a great mother."

My mother is a great mother. Throughout my life, she was always there for me loving me and protecting me and when she was not able to be there to protect me, she was always there praying for me. I am certainly far from perfect, but I have no doubt that without my mother's prayers, I would not be the person that I am today.

Just recently, my mother lost her life long partner and husband of 54 years. His death was very difficult on her and this being the first spring without him, is finding it somewhat difficult experiencing his absence. Last week, they just completed placing the sod on his grave site and so we stopped by for a visit. I watched as she stood there alone looking at his headstone. I could only imagine what she might have been saying to him but I have no doubt that whatever she was saying, she was saying with love as any wife and mother would do. He is no longer with my mother physically but he is still there is her heart. Though she is no longer a wife, she is still a mother and though she is unable to protect and look after me anymore, she still prays for me and my family. What more could I ask for!

The roles are now reversed in that I look after her instead of the other way around but I am not complaining because no matter how much I do for my mother, it will never make up for the amount that she has done for me.

Happy Mother's Day Mum!

Making It Through the Lazy Hazy Summer Days

2008-05-06T17:46:00.004-04:00

April 14th… the last time I blogged until now. I have always been the type of person who goes all out in doing something until the point of burnout. Whether it be work related, personal research related, exercise related, blog related or “whatever else I can think of” related, I always end up doing it until I burn out. There have been times where I have taken a year or two off something until I can find the will to carry on in whatever area I burnt out from in the first place.

I have really enjoyed blogging over the past three years and it always seems that I feel the need to take a break once the beautiful weather gets here. Last summer I disappeared for a while when I finally returned to “blog land” in the fall.

Well hopefully this summer I will try to stay around a bit more and so I figured that if I took an April/May break, I might be able to last the hazy lazy summer days… At least I really hope so.

It's good to be back... It's always good to be back! Now if I can only find a way to not let my biking, camping, running, gardening, renovating, travelling, working, sun tanning, swimming and "whatever elsing" get in the way of my blogging!

Mountain Biking Season

2008-04-14T22:49:00.004-04:00

Well… This crank here is going to be spinning down the trails quite a bit this summer! Last summer, I was unable to spend much time on my mountain bike but this summer is going to be different.

This spring, I started out earlier than normal by hitting the country roads instead of the trails which were still snow covered in some areas. The air, though still a little frosty, was unable to deter me from hopping onto the saddle and testing out my winter weary legs. I should have worn a warmer pair of biking gloves along with my green winter hat the other day but I was optimistic that I could simply wear a baseball hat along with my fingerless gloves. I arrived home a little colder than expected but the experience was enough to get me excited for the next ten or twenty kilometres I was planning to travel the next day.

To me, there is nothing more invigorating than wheeling down the trails with nothing but my thoughts to carry me along the way. The time alone helps me to think and to sort out the muddle that goes on in my mind throughout the busy winter season. It gives me the opportunity to breathe easy and lower my blood pressure enough for me to head home afterwards satisfied that I have accomplished something more than travel a certain distance.

So… If, throughout the summer, you don’t see me here as much as I usually am, just imagine me flying down those trails enjoying the sun, enjoying the breeze and enjoying the summer! Rest assured that these rides will certainly produce a few photos that I have no doubt will share with you.

Am I ever glad the winter is over!

A Voice from the Past

2008-04-11T09:58:00.001-04:00

I am sort of a nostalgic kind of guy. I am the type of person who values items from the past versus trinkets from the present. Over the time I have been blogging, I have written about items such as laser discs, old computers, old cell phones, my old stamp collection plus many other old things from my past which I have found sentimental value in… including old ratty my hat!

A couple of years ago, due to the problem that it was becoming increasingly difficult to locate Super 8 video players, I transferred all my family videos from that format to DVD in order to preserve the memories of my children. Now when I was a young lad ~~(Hey wait a minute! I still AM a young lad!)~~ we never had the technology to video tape us as children. Back then, we didn’t even have cassette recorders as they didn’t even exist. Fortunately, however, my father did possess a reel to reel audio recorder which he used for who knows what. Despite owning this reel to reel recorder, no one ever really thought of taping little kids for posterity sake as it was seen as an unnecessary cost. For some reason, however, my father decided to tape us on one occasion when we were living in the U.K. while we were having my great aunt over for Christmas. I never knew that he taped us on that occasion until many years later when I found his stash of reel to reel tapes while snooping in places where I probably shouldn’t have been. Upon asking him if I could hear it, I heard, for the first time, my voice in the little boy British accent that people used to say I once had.

That was many years ago. Since then, my father had sold his reel to reel recorder and the tapes seemed to disappear along with it. To this day, I never again saw these tapes and as far as I was concerned, the record my little boy voice disappeared forever.

… Until yesterday.

Since the death of my father, I have spent countless hours scouring through his old possessions deciding what to keep and what to throw away. I have basically gone through everything he had owned while all the time kept a close eye out for those tapes I had seen and heard so many years ago. I basically gave up on the idea of ever finding them until, the other day, when it occurred to me that my parents had a small storage place in the basement of their apartment building. Well, needless to say, I came across a small box with three small reel to reel audio tapes in it including the one with the recording of my voice on it.

So… my next goal is to scour eBay to pick up a reel to reel tape player in hopes that these tapes are still functional after all these years. I will keep you posted and maybe post a snippet of that young British voice of mine.

Oh Yah! Smooth Move Dave!

2008-04-09T10:29:00.006-04:00

Back on January 31, 2007, I submitted a post titled “In Search of Aunt Thelma.” This post was regarding the story of my father’s search for a sister who he lost contact with back 60+ years ago. In this post I placed a photograph of her and my Dad. Move forward eleven months later when I was creating a slide presentation of my father’s life for his funeral.

During it’s creation, my mother subtly informed me that the photo in question which, unbeknown to her was also submitted in my blog, was not a photo of his sister but of his former girlfriend! Oh yah! Nothing like really screwing up here! Here I was about to place an ex-girlfriend of my father’s into the family line up at the funeral! It was bad enough that I made this mistake to the blogging world… Now I was about to redo this blunder to our family, friends and loved ones! Fortunately my mother was not the jealous type nor was she one without a sense of humour so I was off the hook so to speak. Whew!

I once was accused (and rightly so) of accidentally putting a photograph of a live person onto a memorial board that was displayed in public! Not good! Actually more than not good… It was really “friggen” bad especially considering the complaint came from the dead person who was not really dead but actually alive… if you catch my drift.

Now if you were to go back to that old post of mine from January 31, 2007, the photo you will see there is the correct version of my aunt. So… Sorry Aunt Thelma! Sorry Mum! Sorry Dad! Sorry all the other living people who I might have announced as dead over the years as well!

Great Memories

2008-04-07T10:45:00.003-04:00

As I was cruising through the grocery store aisles on the weekend, I took a short cut through the baby food section to get to the meat deli. As I walked down the aisle, I couldn’t help but notice the Heinz baby food bottles which immediately reminded me of the days we used to buy all those bottles for our children shortly after they were born.

It constantly amazes me how little things like this can bring such a joy to our hearts as we reminisce about the good ol’ days where our kids thought that their parents were real life heroes… Now my kids know better! I remember the days when we used to feed our children more on their faces than in their mouths.

We taught our daughter certain American Sign Language signs before she actually started speaking. They became quite handy while we were feeding her since, with food in her mouth, she would have been unable to speak. If she wanted more, all she had to do was sign for “more.” If she was finished, she simply would sign “finished.”

There was one time when a baby sitter was feeding her when our daughter, having enough, signed “enough.” The babysitter not realizing what our daughter was saying continued to put the food into her mouth. Our daughter became quite upset until the sitter gave up feeding her. Later on, when we arrived home, the sitter reported to us this incident where we, upon laughing, explained to the sitter what our daughter was trying to communicate.

Memories… Memories that we will remember for a lifetime. Memories that will come to us at times when we least expect it. Looking at old photos, reminiscing in conversation or simply walking down a grocery store aisle…Great memories!

A Hat For All Seasons

2008-04-06T23:58:00.001-04:00

It was 11:38pm and I was ready to hit the hay but the curiosity got the better of me and I strolled over to my computer to check out a couple of your blogs. I noticed that I had received a new comment about my hat post and, once again, someone requested to see a photo of my ugly friggen lookin' hat on my head so, at almost a few minutes before midnight, here I was snapping a photo of me with this thing called a hat on my head.

I hope I don't live to regret this photo though I probably will!

My Winter Hat

2008-04-03T10:51:00.004-04:00

So… Now that most of the snow is gone and the sun actually shines hot, I suppose that it is time for me to put away my winter hat. Now this is no ordinary winter hat; it is a hat the fits well and feels good… No, it actually feels great. It’s not the type of hat that holds to your head snug making you feel like your hair is plastered down on your head or rips hair from your scalp. It is a hat that sits comfortably on your head, goes down on your ears and stays there with just the right tension.

It is also a very ugly hat! At least that is what most people tell me. Now, being the age that I am, other people’s comments do not bother me. All I know and all I care about is that my hat is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most comfortable hat around. As a matter of fact, it is also the piece of clothing I have owned longer than anything else I have worn. Forty years longer for that matter!

This hat is not one you would wear for styling. There is no real shape to it other than it fits my head shape to a “T.” My parents bought it for me while I was a young lad in Quebec, Canada. Back then and up there, the winter weather was brutal. A number of years later, after dad moved us to Ontario, Canada, I wore this winter hat during the bitter cold long distance runs we used to do during cross country training throughout the winter.

Nowadays, since I don’t wear hats too often, I don’t get the opportunity to wear hats as much but I still make sure that I don’t lose it though, during the times where I am unable to find it, I swear that someone in my family has hidden it or stolen it. I have a number of other hats but have no desire to wear them. Most of them have been gifts in hopes I would pitch out the old and welcome the new…No such luck!

This past winter, with the amount of snow we have received, I have spent many a warm time with it while shoveling the sidewalks. Last week, I had plans to put it away for the season but when I decided to get my hair buzzed, I needed to keep my head warm when the temperature dipped a little bit the other day. The way I figure it, it should be put into hibernation by the time the warm spring weather rolls around into the weekend. There will be no pomp or ceremony, just put away quietly until the blizzards of next winter come whistling through the neighbourhood.

So They Say...

2008-03-30T20:13:00.013-04:00

Now we all know that there are so many relationship problems in the world today and we all know that they say that two out of every three marriages end up in divorce but isn’t this going just a little too far? I am sure that there are a whole whack of marriage counsellors out there who would be willing to give their right arm to help such a marriage in distress… well… maybe in light of the headline above, the right arm analogy might not be the most appropriate but you get the idea!

Now believe it or not, the focus of this post has nothing really to do with the shark bait topic… I just wanted to bait you (groan!!) The real subject is the pronoun “they.” In the first sentence of this post I wrote that “they say that two out of every three marriages end up in divorce.” What I want to know is… “Who the heck are “they?” How many of us have seen commercials that say something like “two out of three doctors recommend BioFlush for your constipation?” What does that mean? Does it mean two out of every three doctors or two out of the only three doctors who were asked? Did they ask medical doctors? Dentists? Or Doctors of Philosophy? Kind of misleading isn’t it!

I suppose that credibility has a long way to go when it comes to selling a promise, a guarantee or a fact. Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of these snake oil companies that make claims that, in fact, are nothing but hollow promises and unsubstantiated “facts.” The other day, I watched a commercial where you strap on a vibrating belt to help you shed pounds right off of your waist! For heaven’s sake, didn’t they scoff that fact right out the window in the fifties?? Anybody knows the futility of spot reducing! But what did the commercial claim? “Five out of six personal trainers say that you can melt the pounds right off of your tummy by using this spot reducer for fifteen minutes a day.” As far as I am concerned, the product is nothing but a glorified personal vibrator! Besides, it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to hug a washing machine rather than buy one of these worthless pieces of exercise equipment (if you could call them that!!)

Now I can go on and on and on and on and….. Anyways you get the message. I could go on forever writing about these bogus claims but they all add up to the same thing…. They are all hogwash!

… At least that’s what they say!

The Carnival Repair Man

2008-03-26T20:57:00.003-04:00

Now I know that we all want summer but this is certainly pushing it!

Just on the other side of the fence where I have been parking at work for over the past eighteen years is an amusement company's ride repair facility. Throughout the spring and summer months, their parking lot is usually bare as most of the rides are lurking about at mall parking lots throughout the province of Ontario. In the fall, the parking lot is loaded with trucks bearing rides returning from their profit making racket. In the winter, the company moves the rides into their gargantuan facility in order to repair them. In the spring, the trucks return once more to cart the rides off to run the circuit once again. You can almost tell by what goes on across the way as to what season it is.

Just as it appeared that spring was just around the corner, a snow storm reared its ugly head and took away all hope for tomorrow. The storm was furious for a while to the point where I was worried as to how wet my clothes would become as the wet snow dumped on me on the way to my car.

As I walked through the stormy weather, my eyes caught a hold of something rather peculiar in the parking lot next door not to mention rather dangerous. High up on a tall Ferris wheel structure was a man fixing parts of the ride… in a friggin snow storm! I could hardly look up without drowning my eyes with flakes and here is this guy who looked to be in his fifties fixing this darn ride. Of all the things to do in a snow storm. I think it safe to say that Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board would have a hard time sanctioning such working practices had they witnessed what I had seen. Now I know that it is almost spring but c’mon folks, this is hardly justification for working under these conditions!

I stood there for awhile as I watched in shock. If I was a betting man, I would have bet good money that the chances that he might have fallen would have been high. Pulling my camera out of my car, I snapped a few shots because I have no doubt that you would have to see it to believe it. It was snowing so bad that I thought the snow would ruin my camera.

Anyways, evidently, the guy did not fall and the ride was fixed. Nothing like playing with fate! I’ll tell you one thing… You sure wouldn’t catch me up there… In good weather or bad.

My 200th Post... Well, Actually my 201st!

2008-03-24T11:42:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, I have reached my 200th post. The experience of having you all read my thoughts day in and day out has been very much appreciated. All of your comments have meant so much to me.

When I compare the number of posts I have written to the number of posts in many of your blogs, 200 seems quite a low number and yet, to me, it represents a large part of my life over the last couple of yours. My posts are more like memoirs to me. Down the road, I want to be able to go back and read about what was going though my mind during those years of my life. I want my children and grandchildren to one day read their father’s and grandfather’s thoughts as he travelled through life and maybe learn just a little bit more of who I was and what I appreciated most about life.

In celebration of my 200th, I was going to make up a list of 200 things which I wanted to do before I die but when I got to number three, I all of a sudden realized that I wasn’t going to make much past three… well maybe if I stretched my mind a little further I might have reached ten but not much more. It was then I decided that, instead, I would repost what I consider to be my favourite post. It it such a favorite post of mine because the individual spoken about in this post represents what I would consider to be true love and dedication towards family in a world where many consider family secondary to things such as the success of the rat race in which we live. Now I know that four or five of you had already read it but since I enjoyed it so much, I can only hope that you might enjoy it once more as well. It is called “The Peanut Man” and it was originally posted on January 8th, 2007.

To all my blogging friends… Thanks for your friendship, thanks for your thoughts… I guess just plain thanks for everything!

The Peanut Man

Last August I visited my grandmother’s grave site at our local cemetery. During this visit, I noticed an elderly gentleman in his seventies walking across the cemetery with a bag of peanuts in his hand. By the strength of his gait, I could see that he was not merely wandering through but instead heading to a specific location. On the way, he would pick up fallen flowers arrangements and respectively place them back on their rightful headstones.

He finally stopped by a headstone that hid in between two cedar bushes. As he paused, he started up a conversation to what appeared to me to be with no one in particular. After a few minutes of observing this, what I incorrectly thought to be, “bizarre behaviour,” I finally realized that he was actually speaking to whoever was buried beneath this particular headstone. I didn’t have any idea as to who he was visiting but I was sure that whoever it was he must have been very close to.

Shortly after this brief conversation, he walked over to an old oak tree and proceeded to throw peanuts to the local grey squirrels. After this kind gesture, he turned around and headed back to his car. I got the feeling that feeding the squirrels was something that the person he was visiting used to do throughout their life and it only seemed like the right thing for him to do now that they were gone.

About a month later, I returned to the cemetery only to once again find this gentleman walking across the cemetery with a bag of peanuts in his hand. It was as if I was in a state of déjà vu. After the conversation at the gravesite, he again fed the squirrels and then promptly left as before. Up to date, I have seen this gentleman six times and each time, he follows the same routine.

Often, when a relative of ours departs this earth, we attend a funeral in their honour and return to our homes after the interment. For some of us, we may visit on a weekly basis, others annually while others never. I suppose that our visiting frequency of the grave site would depend on the relationship that we had with the person now deceased. Regarding this gentleman that I observed, it would appear to me that he was extremely close to the individual he was regularly visiting. I cannot help but assume that he felt some sort of comfort in conversing with this deceased individual.

Yesterday, while taking some photographs for another headstone blog that I was working on, I observed this gentleman yet again silently in conversation with whoever he felt such an attachment to. I would have loved to approach him and ask him as to whom he visited every week but fearing that I would be invading his privacy, I chose to silently observe off at a distance. After he left, I approached the grave site that he so religiously attended to get a better idea of who he had been visiting. It didn’t take me long to realize that it was probably his parents who were there resting in peace.

I can only imagine how much this seventy plus year old gentleman loved them and how much he missed them. If each of us could love our friends and family in life just a fraction as much as he loved them in death, our homes would be a much happier place to live and our lives so much richer. When I think back on all the times I witnessed this gentleman, the word that most often comes to me is "precious." How precious can one's love be for another!

Just after I snapped this photograph, I watched him as he kissed two fingers on his right hand and then lightly touch the headstone. If I was close enough, I am sure that his parting words to the ones he loved so much would be...

"Goodbye Mom and Dad, I will see you next week.”

The Reason For the Season

2008-03-23T12:10:00.005-04:00

A few minutes ago, I wrote a post celebrating my 200th posting. I even posted it in pride thinking that Easter Sunday was such an appropriate day to post my 200th. A few minutes later, I got to thinking about the “reason for the season” when it suddenly occurred to me how shallow I was for thinking that my 200th post was more important than what God did for us a couple of thousand years ago by sending His son to earth to die for our sins.

Now I know that many of you may not believe in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ but yet, as a Christian, I feel compelled to announce to the world… well, at least a few of you out there, what it is that I believe makes Easter such a special time of the year. To me, Easter gives us the opportunity to celebrate and remember that “God so loved the world, that He gave us His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Now I am not going to preach to you about how important it is to further study the words to what many of us call the Road To Salvation but I will tell you this… I believe in what John 3:16 says and I believe in whatever else the Bible shows us and I truly hope that one day, you will have the opportunity to experience what many of us have experienced… God’s love and grace bestowed upon us.

So… To all of you… Have yourself a Happy and blessed Easter!

Games Old People Play

2008-03-22T21:33:00.008-04:00

I was at the doctor's office the other day when I came across this pinned up on the bulletin board... I thought I would share this with you.

Games Old People Play

1. Sag, you're It.
2. Hide and go pee.
3. 20 questions shouted into your good ear.
4. Kick the bucket
5. Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says Bend Over.
6. Musical recliners.
7. Simon says something incoherent.
8. Pin the Toupee on the bald guy.

Is this what I have to look forward to? Well, if it is, I think I am going to give up the ghost a lot earlier than planned!

Yesterday, I Cut Up My MasterCard

2008-03-19T10:13:00.009-04:00

According to Wikipedia, "Credit card fraud is a wide-ranging term for theft and fraud committed using a credit card or any similar payment mechanism as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction. The purpose may be to obtain goods without paying, or to obtain unauthorized funds from an account. Credit card fraud is also an adjunct to identity theft."

Time and time again, we read in the media how billions of dollars are lost each year to credit card and debit card scams. Experts lecture us on why it is so important to protect not only your identity but also your credit security... and do we listen? Well many do but not all.

It is almost like the times we read in our newspapers how a house burnt down without smoke detectors and then, the home owner places detectors in the house after it is fixed up. It is also like a smoker who quits smoking after they are diagnosed with lung cancer. I recall my father often saying that "there is no point in closing the barn doors after the horses have all escaped."

...Anyways, back to the topic at hand.

Well, I am that type of person who does not listen to the experts. I have never been really careful in protecting my financial security. I haven't been keeping a close eye on my credit card and bank statements nor have I been that careful in making sure my smoke detectors' batteries are replaced twice a year. I do not smoke, however so I guess that one out of three isn't bad though it certainly isn't good!

Now, fortunately, my house hasn't burnt to the ground yet and so I can get a jump on replacing my batteries but I came pretty close to major financial problems since I used my MasterCard at a local restaurant where their credit and debit keypads were rigged to skim customer information. Now according to the news reports, some customers have lost hundreds and thousands of dollars because of this. Fortunately their financial institutions will replace their loss. Now, I was fortunate that the local news reported this issue because had they not, I would never have realized that there had been a breach and if I was ripped off, I might not have noticed since I didn't used to properly protect myself... Now I do! I contacted my credit card company and they immediately cancelled my current card and asked me to immediately cut it up. I did.

So... If you do not take the necessary precautions, take them now. If you do not regularly check your smoke detector batteries, do so now. If you smoke... I trust that you will do what it takes to live a long and happy life!

Pen Pals

2008-03-14T22:56:00.003-04:00

Back during the mid seventies I had a number of pen pals. I always found writing to people around the world fascinating as it opened the doors to countries where I figured that I probably would never have the opportunity to visit. Just receiving a letter in the mail with stamps from places such as Sweden, Italy, France and Jamaica would literally make my day!

Most of the pen pals I had were female which is very similar to my blogging friends. I suppose ever since the dawn of time, this type of activity was more geared towards the female gender.

Most of my pen pal friends never really lasted that long. It seemed that most of them wanted to visit me or share with me information that I really didn’t want to know about. I suppose that this was a “female thing”… At least it was with the females I corresponded with (I had better watch what I say!) Who knows. The girl from France wanted to visit me while she was at the Montreal Olympics with her parents … Zapped that one! The Italian girl wanted me to start writing her love letters… Burnt that letter! The Swedish girl asked me to send her photos of my male friends… Sent her photos of a bunch of ugly guys instead! Really ugly! The Jamaican girl told me all about her “time of the month” as well as her bust size, hips size, waist size… Shredded that one!

Move ahead six years…

While in university, a letter arrived in my mailbox from the Jamaican girl. Now by this time in my life, I was out of the pen pal phase and the last thing I expected was to find a pen pal letter in my mailbox. Also, considering the fact that I was 900+ miles away from home and in a different country, I couldn’t figure out how she got a hold of my address… Thanks Dad!!! Fortunately she didn’t go into anymore personal detail about her bodily functions or physical sizes but she did want to visit me. I never did reply to that letter and have not heard from her since! Whew!

The other month, while sifting through some old junk in my basement, I came across my stamp album which I blogged about recently. In this stamp book of mine, I came across an old envelope from this particular Jamaican girl. I suppose I kept it for the stamps. It’s amazing how such a simple thing can bring back so many memories!

Now that I am in my forties, it seems that I still enjoy “letters” from friends around the world. Who would have thought that I would be corresponding with them through computers on a daily basis! Back then in the seventies, we didn’t even have personal computers! How things have changed! Hopefully, unlike my pen pal experience, the experience of blogging will live on for many years to come… Just please don’t anyone send me your personal information… unless you want me to disappear!

Old Friends

2008-03-12T11:48:00.008-04:00

Every once in awhile, I get a hankering to try and track down my old friends from days gone by. Now, please keep in mind that the "Friends" characters in the photo to the left are not the "old friends" I am speaking about as they are simply just an example of what I am speaking about. I could only wish I were that popular... then again... maybe not.

I have memories of friends from my old high school, my old church youth group not to mention from my old university days in the state of Tennessee. Now if this were before the advent of sites such as Google (Go Google!), the chances of me tracking down these authors of my old memories would have been an exercise in futility.

So... Yesterday, instead of banging on my drum, I was perusing through Google plus other avenues in search of an old youth pastor of mine, and old really good female friend from university as well as a couple of male buddies from university as well. Please keep in mind that the term "old" was used to describe not the people involved but instead the fact that they were associated with me many moons ago and so "yep," a few misplaced modifiers there!

I chose these individuals to search because of what they meant to me over the years. Dean, my youth pastor back in the seventies was someone I looked up to. He never made us feel that we were ever a burden to him or just a job that he was being paid to do. He loved being around us and it showed. I can't really recall any specific experiences with him and our youth group but I will never forget him simply because he made me feel important to him.

Kelly, my friend in university was someone who accepted me and loved me for who I was. We were never in a relationship but quite simply... we were "buds." Randy, Larry and David were three compadres who, though were much older than I, were guys who didn't choose their friends based on their age or status. Randy and Larry were two bosses of mine while David was a co-worker.

So far, I have tracked down two of them. My former youth pastor is now pastoring a church in the state of New York while Kelly is a physiotherapist in the state of New Mexico. David got back to me to inform me that he was not the "David" that I was looking for. Hopefully Randy and Larry will resurface as well.

So... Why do I go back in time and try to renew old acquaintances? I am not really sure other than the fact that I really appreciated them back then and maybe, just maybe, they could do with a friendly face every once in awhile letting them know that they were and still are appreciated. I know that when someone from my past makes contact, I appreciate it!

The Winter From Hell

2008-03-09T10:24:00.005-04:00

Well, according to Environment Canada, we received approximately 40 centimetres (16 inches) of snow overnight. What's with that?? Isn't it supposed to be just about Spring time? Aren't the birds supposed to be singing amongst the trees by now? Aren't we supposed to be buying Easter Lillie's real soon? But "oh no!" ... we can't just have a normal decent March break now can we! We 'gotta' get dumped on... for the 'umpteenth time this winter. We have had more snow in February and March combined than any other year since 12000 BC... I swear!

Late last night my son and I got the jump on shovelling. We could have started earlier but we couldn't find one of the snow shovels underneath the gargantuan layer of snow. I then went into the trunk of my car to get another shovel when the car alarm went of. It took me a good a good minute and a half of 11:30pm horn blaring to clear off the car to get into it to turn of the alarm. I was not impressed and neither was my neighbour who was peering out his upstairs bedroom window. I waved to him... He just turned around and went back to bed.

After an hour or so of shovelling, we called it quits and headed back in but not before we cleared a part of the deck at the back of the house for our low-bellied dachshund. Once in, I hot the hay and slept like a baby until 9:15am.

Damn! That was not 9:15! Yes sir folks! I forgot about... yep... you know it... Daylight Savings Time! Once more, an opportunity to be not impressed! So at 10:30am, I went outside, finished off the rest of the shovelling and then took a few photos.

So... Thus starts my day!

No Longer Mild Mannered?

2008-03-07T02:26:00.010-05:00

For those of you who know Cheryl, know that, though she cannot leap tall buildings nor fly faster than a speeding bullet, she, like Clark Kent/Superman, is quite mild mannered. It takes a lot to get her going but recently, the tide has been changing.

Over the period of what seems like forever, Cheryl has been fighting with Dell Computers over the problem with her laptop. On countless occasions she has tried to get this problem solved and, though Dell has promised to take care of this problem promptly, they have failed to do so. Now I cannot say as to whether or not this is par for this company and though I haven't had this problem with them, there is no excuse that she should have to go through this mess.

As I have read through her posts, I simply cannot understand why she has yet to start publicly swearing... I really believe that I would possibly find myself in that position if I were in her shoes. I 'gotta' give you credit... You have the patience of a ... well... umm... I'm not really sure but, never-the-less, you have a heck of a lot of patience! Anyways... I have posted this video to let you know that you are not alone!

P.S. We all really hope that your laptop woes disappear!

Thinking Outside the Box Award

2008-03-06T09:34:00.015-05:00

Over these past few days, I have been battling a cold, a pain and a few other things I suppose and so I have been away from my computer. As a matter of fact, I didn't even touch this keyboard yesterday. I didn't realize it until I happened to check my email this morning and discovered a couple of emails I should have responded to yesterday... So here I am, feeling a little better and more awake and raring to go... well, not really raring just maybe attempting to get on the ball.

I spent a fair bit of time reading your comments regarding the new design of my blog and I have to say that I truly appreciate each and every comment. The thing that I heard most was the difficulty in reading on a black background. I suppose that it never occurred to me that this would be the case but now that I do know, I can look at other alternatives. It took me quite a while for me to come up with this colour scheme and design and so I hope that you will bear with me until I can try different alternatives.

One of our fellow bloggers came up with a solution...Greeneyes said...
"... if anyone has difficulty seeing on the black... they can highlight, with their mouse, the section they are going to read and read it in reverse (same way if one were going to copy )."

Now there's a smart cookie if I have ever seen one! I would never have thought of that on my own. I tried to find Greeneyes a "Thinking Outside the Box" Award but couldn't find one and so I made one up. So Greeneyes... Congratulations on your award!!

Next week is March Break for the students here in Ontario and so, as a teacher, I have the week off as well. I look forward to a little rest and relaxation in this the coldest winter in the past few years and the most snow during this time of the season in the past 50+ years! ... And if you were wondering... No, I will not be playing in the snow!!

Welcome To My New Design! Waddya Think?

2008-03-01T09:50:00.004-05:00

Yes... After sixteen months of blogging In My Head, I have decided to blog out loud by Banging on My Drum. To me, blogging is therapeutic. Quite often, I ramble back to some of my old posts and laugh out loud while other times I cry. On days I feel down and out, I return to the posts I have written about my children and then I don't feel so bad.

Over the past number of months, I have experimented with different designs. I wanted to have one that best fit my mood and disposition. I think I may have found one that fits me to a tee... then again... I suppose that determination will be left up to you. I sincerely want and need your input since you will be reading it... Don't worry, I can take constructive critisism. If you hate it... Tell me please.

So... I am still the same ol' Dave with the same ol' attitude and quirky sense of humour so please don't strike me off your list thinking that I am someone else!

rUNNING oUT oF tIME!

2008-02-27T16:06:00.009-05:00

As you may have noticed, it appears that I haven't been around the "blogging table" over the last few days. Though it may appear this way, appearance isn't everything. I have been around... It's just that I haven't been around writing. With the way my schedule has been recently, I have only had the time to read and not write. This includes writing my posts as well as writing comments on all of your blog posts. Over the past few months, I have also been unable to respond to the many great comments that you make simply because of time constraints. I have, however, been reading all of my favourite blogs as well as other ones that I have yet to take the time and display as one of my favourites.

While I was in high school, I never took keyboarding and so, when I write, it takes me so much longer than the fluent keyboardist. I watch my kids keyboard and I grow green with envy. Someday I will take the time to teach myself... Har! Har! Har!... Boy am I funny! That will never happen! Can't teach an old dog new tricks! My dog can probably type faster than I.

Another thing that slows me down is when I have to enter those security words after every comment I submit. What's with these words anyways?? What language are they? I don't even think that they are Klingon! ZHERYEZ or ONRQFGTH ... Why can't they give us easy words to spell like CAT or DOG or BLOGGER. I swear I never get it correct on the first try... or the second try for that matter. What language are they anyways?? Sheesh! And the fonts they use... Why can't they use Keyboard fonts? C'mon Blogspot staff... gimme a break!

aNOTHER THIING THAT TAKES UP MUCH OF MY TIME IS THAT, SINCE i HAVE TO LOOK AT THE KEYBOARD TO TYPE, i FAIL TO REALIZE THAT MY caps BUTTON IS ON UNTIL i HAVE FINISHED TYPING UP A STORM... nOW that REALLY RIPS MY SHORTS! gRRRR!!!!!! There are other times when I look up only to discover that NOTHING was registering on the screen.

So there you have it... My time constraints are getting the best of me to the point that I am running out of time to submit comments, responses or even posts. I do promise, however, that I will always make it a priority to read what you write in your posts and your comments. I am getting pretty frustrated at times which only makes me think that maybe Mavis Beacon can help me after all.

Who knows... Maybe I am a lost cause after all!

How Do I Get Myself In These Messes?!?

2008-02-24T09:00:00.010-05:00

I sent the following joke to a female friend of mine via email.

To: "Smith, Sue" <smith60404@msp.com> (name and email address changed)

Subject: Hi Sue, I thought of you when I read this...
____________________________________________

"Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the crap table.A very attractive blonde woman from Alabama arrived ....and bet twenty-thousand dollars on a single roll of the dice. She said, "I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when I play topless."With that, she stripped to the waist; rolled the dice; and yelled,"Come on, baby.... Southern Girl needs new clothes!" As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up-and-down... and squealed... "YES! YES! I WON! I WON!"She hugged each of the dealers... and then picked up her winnings and her clothes, and quickly departed. The dealers stared at each other dumfounded.Finally, one of them asked, "What did she roll?" The other answered, "I don't know...I thought you were watching."

Well the joke was pretty funny but it wasn't the joke that was the problem... It was the Subject line. You see... Sue in a large chested female who loves going to the Casino and when I put in the Subject line that "I thought of you when I read this," she took it that I was thinking of her as topless when in fact I was simply thinking of her as being in the casino! I quickly explained what it was I was referring to hoping that my explanation would smooth things over and fortunately it did... Whew! Anyways, I feel much better now that I explained things to her. After she realized the misunderstanding, she shook her head and laughed... An embarrassed laugh none the less. I just hope she really believes me though knowing me the way she does, I doubt it!... Naw, I think she does!

Sick Days

2008-02-20T21:27:00.010-05:00

So... I am planning to call in sick tomorrow. Though I really just need the afternoon off to attend a couple of medical appointments, I am very tempted to simply take the whole day off. I probably won't though... weather is not good enough!

I have always figured that the best time to take a sick day is when you are not sick and that way you could really enjoy your sick days off when you are well. Besides... if you are really sick, go to work, laze around and get paid for it! How easy could life be? Don't worry about your co-workers; they will do their part by staying away from you when you are sick at work and thereby giving you all the quiet you need. Also, I can say with all assurance, that your boss will be very impressed with your level of dedication to the company. So there you go... a system that works for you!

Just be sure that when you do take a ~~healthy~~ sick day off, you stay at home. For example, don't go shopping because that is a sure way to get caught by your employer. A friend of mine once told me about someone at his work who called in sick to travel from Ontario, Canada all the way to Ohio, USA to go Christmas shopping only to run into her boss who was in Ohio on holiday. Was not a good scene I am sure!

Now if you really do need to go shopping, go to a Wal Mart or some other large department store so that if you do get seen there, you could tell them that you were in the pharmacy department buying Pepto Bismol or something. Speaking about Pept Bismol... Has anyone seen this commercial?

What's with this??? This dancing lady does not encourage me to buy that pink stuff! This, no doubt, is one of my most hated commercials. As a matter of fact, every one of these Pepto Bismol commercials, are, without a shadow of a doubt my most hated commercials!

So, what did we learn today boys and girls? The next time you are sick... Take a pill and a pillow to work and use those sick days when you are raring to go! Hmmmm.... I sure hope my employer doesn't read this blog!

The Great White North

2008-02-18T22:06:00.008-05:00

I remember back in the early eighties, as a Canadian, going to university in the Southern United States. I had many a great experience while attending school there for four years and made many good friends. Over the years, I have lost contact with most of them but my memories of them will live on forever.

As a Canadian, I was often asked numerous questions about Canada. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Canadian history or geography weren’t in the American high school curriculum, most American’s were fairly uninformed about us Canadians. As a result, we were asked many questions that, to this day, we still laugh about. We were asked as to who our king and queen were, do we live in igloos, what we do when a polar bear comes near to us, do we have cars… and so on.

Quite often, we Canadians would have a little fun with our American counterparts as well. We told them that Canadian chickens had fur instead of feathers since it was so cold. We told them that we had to canoe to the border where we took a bus or plane to get to school. We told them that all we ate was seal meat. We would tell them that instead of pet dogs, we had pet lions and tigers.

While living in Chattanooga, TN, we heard in the news about some guy who was biking on a ten speed all the way from Cape Horn, the southern most tip of South America all the way to Alaska. As he was making his way through Tennessee, he was interviewed by the local news media. During that interview he was asked about how he has adjusted with the many different cultures he has passed through and how he expects to adjust as he makes his way into Canada. “Adjusts as he makes his way into Canada??” I said to my buddies as we watched this interview. “Where does he think he is going to be when he hits the Canada-USA border!?!... the Ozarks??” However, it wasn’t the question that blew my mind, it was his answer.

“Well, I don’t think there should be much of a problem since I have a fair idea what to expect by watching Bob and Doug McKenzie.” Bob and friggen Doug McKenzie?? He is judging me and 32 million other Canadians by watching the McKenzie Brothers??? Now, I have to admit that these “two brothers” who are actually two comedians from the popular Canadian show SCTV, certainly didn’t give us Canadians a good name but c’mon… did the world really see us Canadians this way? Sheesh!

We never really lived down this new found reputation that we blamed the McKenzie Brothers for and had to settle with hopefully people forgetting these two clowns. Despite this connection, we all secretly loved these two guys and to this day, call the land of Canada the "Great White North." Check out the video on our two famous and one time favourite Canadian sons.

Health Update

2008-02-17T09:22:00.006-05:00

Thanks to all of you who wished me well regarding my recent episode in the hospital. Since the other day in the hospital, I have had no more "heart flipping" in my chest. It appears that the meds are doing their job. The docs drew enough blood out of me in order to test my heart ten times over and they say that there is nothing wrong with my heart at all except for the wiring regulating the beats. There are a few things that occurred that day which makes me think that this was just a random occurrence that won't happen again and therefore I won't have to stay on the meds and so I am going to be planning on discussing this with my doctor next week.

The specialist at the hospital told me that this episode had nothing to do with genetics nor lifestyle but that this just "happens" for unknown reasons.

Again, thanks for all your prayers and shown concerns. I will keep you up to date.

Yesterday I Was In the Hospital

2008-02-16T08:06:00.006-05:00

Well I never imagined that as I went to bed Thursday night that I would find myself in the hospital 16 hours later. I woke up Friday morning and immediately felt a fluttering in my chest. It sort of caught me by surprise and as the day went on, it did not disappear. My blood pressure was also higher than usual and my heart rate a lot faster than it should be. I went to my doctor’s and he sent me to a specialist in the hospital. They hooked me up to a heart monitor where I stayed hooked up until around 9:30pm. They finally released me after my blood pressure decreased and my heart rate slowed down. They sent me packing with a couple of new prescriptions to add to my already increasing repertoire of meds.

I was neither happy nor impressed. “Old age” is really starting to tick me off! I am only 47 years old and I am already on a ton of meds. When is it going to end? I now have meds for my heart rate, meds for my blood pressure plus a multitude of meds for other things as well. Sheesh! I feel like a walking medicine cabinet!

I got home around 10pm. I hadn’t eaten all day, I was hungry and dehydrated. My blood pressure was probably much lower than it should be since they pumped me with all types of meds. I was very tired. After running up and down the stairs a number of times in order to accomplish a few things I wanted to do before I got to bed, I almost passed out and finally flaked out on the couch where I remained there until this morning. I had already experienced “almost passing out” a number of years ago and, believe me, it’s not a good feeling!

And so now I have to worry about an irregular heart beat. It seems now that the only good beat I have is not going to work and banging on the drum all day! Speaking about not going to work… This Monday is a new holiday called “Family Day.” It seems that the provincial government has instituted a holiday in February to combat the doldrums of winter. Well… They sure got my vote on that one. I suppose this extra day off is also an opportunity for me to get a good rest.

So here I sit all depressed with the state of my health. I suppose that there is a positive side to all of this. I could have had a stroke instead of this little warning. The docs say that this condition is not genetic and could occur simply in anybody and has nothing to do with lifestyle. Well, if improved health means taking a few extra meds then so be it.

So there you go! That is how I spent the last 24 hours of my life.

My Son, His Girlfriend and His Grandfather

2008-02-15T05:45:00.003-05:00

I have a seventeen year old son who generally walks around with a perma-grrrr on his face. According to my daughter, he is known to walk around school without even the remotest smile upon his face. He remains pretty much to himself. When his mother and I talk to him, he very seldom responds with much more than a nod or shake of the head and even then it is only a slight movement. He has never been one to become overly emotional or caring… until recently.

This past December, during the last few hours which my father was alive, my family and I were at his bedside. During this time, while my daughter and I stepped out to pick up something to eat and drink at the hospital coffee shop, my son asked if his mother would step outside the room as he wanted to be alone with his grandfather who was unconscious at the time. Upon stepping out of the room, she observed, through the glass doors, our son turning to his grandfather and proceeded to quietly speak to him and stroke his arm. After a short while, he leaned over and gave him a kiss.

Observing this brought tears to her eyes. I so wished that I could have observed my son during this time of final farewells. I wish I was there. It was a side to him that we had never seen before. Though I have often wondered what it was that he spoke to his grandfather about, I will never ask as it was something, no doubt, which was personal to him. One day when the opportunity arises, I will, however, reassure my son that, though his grandfather was unconscious, I am confident that he heard each and every word that he shared with him.

These past couple of months, he has been dating this young lady by the name of Autumn. It is amazing how love can bring out the best in someone. We have seen this quiet, reserved young man transform into the most caring and attentive individual that we have ever seen. If there ever was time where I needed an example of how someone can affect another’s life, it is here.

Last night, my son and his mother prepared a Valentine’s Day supper for him and his girlfriend who is a vegan. This morning he was up at the crack of dawn baking her some blueberry muffins. This evening, he will be serving her vegan lasagna on our finest china and utensils. Now to most of you, making lasagna may be quite easy and inexpensive but when you factor in that you can’t have any meat, milk or any other animal products, it can get a little more difficult and costly… But he pulled it off.

So… tonight, I will make myself scarce as he shares his Valentine's Day meal with his girlfriend. His mother is staying at home, though well out of the way, just in case there is a food crisis.

I often wondered how my son would turn out and just recently, I think I now have a fair idea judging from the brief glimpses of him and I must say that I am very pleased!

Where's Your Romantic Spirit?!?

2008-02-14T14:40:00.018-05:00

I can’t believe how many cynics are out there! Man alive! I have just spent the last couple of hours reading blogs from people who think that Valentine’s Day is nothing but a sham… a way to extort money out of you… A means by which flower companies shrink your financial worth while there product grows. What’s with you guys (and gals!)??? Aw c’mon! How could you ever think such a thing!?!?

Here are some of the words that have rolled across my screen as I poured over my favorite blogs:

“But if you’re into it, more power to you, and remember: Nothing says I love you like saturated fat and slutty lingerie.”

"Today is Valentine's Day, the day for lovers, the day where you're supposed to send a sappy card, pay 3x the price for a dozen of roses that have no scent whatsoever, buy chocolates or cheesy lingerie (red thong covered with hearts... yes, very thoughtful) and if you're really in the money, take her to dinner."

"I have to say right off the top that I don't believe in Valentine's Day… Valentines Day, above all other days of the year, has the potential to make you feel like a million dollars or the most worthless piece of dog doo on this earth."

… And these were just for starters! (I do want to make mention however, that I am in no way Criticizing any of the fine bloggers who I have just quoted as this is just a fun blog with absolutely no malice intended so please don't be hatin' me.)

Man alive! Here I was looking forward to reading some thoughts all about love and then I go and read this?? Here I was looking forward to swimming in the waft of romance only to find out that I have to drown myself in a lake of Zoloft??

C’mon folks! Where is your romance…? Live a little! Even if it is only for one day in a year! Live a little!

Well, please don’t lynch me from your non-required blog reading okay? I just wanted to be happy today! Now look at me… I love lingerie (not me wearing it of course!) and I love what chocolates might be able to get you on Valentine’s Day (other than overweight!) and I love sending roses (especially the short stemmed ones on sale!) and what’s wrong with those red thongs anyways! The hearts on them only tell someone that they love you! C’mon… get with it!

Well, if you aren’t going to follow me on this wave (though small it may be!) of Valentine’s Day excitement, I am going to go it alone by posting very romantic video honouring lovers all over the world! This video truly depicts the true meaning of love and romance! (GULP!)

I would like to thank Lone Grey Squirrel for inspiring me to choose this truly inspirational video!

Hey Sugar Cookie! What's my Fortune?

2008-02-12T20:04:00.002-05:00

We had Chinese food the other night from the Bei Jing Chinese Food Take Out just down the road from where we live. We ordered our usual dinner for four consisting of Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan plus a couple of other items on the menu.

Now we all know that no matter what you order, you will always get those fortune cookies which you crack into at the end of your meal. It’s like…you know… tradition… You never really pay for them but if you didn’t get them, you’d be pretty ticked off because you just need to find out your fortune!

I always get a kick out of seeing if the fortunes I receive are at all accurate. Most of my family doesn’t pay any attention to cracking open the cookies and, since I can’t just throw them away, I get to receive all the good fortunes!

Here are the four fortunes I received after my meal:

1) Flattery will go far tonight - Flattery huh! Well that one sure didn’t work out!

2) Do not mistake temptation for opportunity – Well this one was sure correct.

3) Your creativity will take you to unexpected places – It constantly amazes me how my creativity has taken me to unexpected places. My creative flair in the meal I cooked yesterday unexpectedly took me to Pizza Hut after my creative flair produced some pretty creative comments from my kids right before the food was slid into the trash can!

4) Your present plans are going to succeed – Well, that would be the best news yet since my plan is to make a ton of cold hard cash and to live to one hundred in order to enjoy it.

I once heard of some guy by the name of Joe Wang who worked at a Chinese fortune cookie manufacturing company writing fortunes. He said that the fortunes he wrote had to be approved by the company’s Fortune Approval Committee and that over the years, for various reasons, the Fortune Approval Committee rejected certain fortunes citing them as tasteless. He secretly collected these rejected fortunes and later wrote a book with them in it. Here are a few of the tasteless fortunes:

1) Your mother-in-law will marry into your side of the family
2) From your cell, you will be able to see the exercise yard
3) The lawyer will get everything you own
4) The fire will start downstairs

Well… those, though very hilarious, is about as tasteless as the fortune cookie itself! So the next time you crack open that fortune cookie, hopefully it will tell you that “you will soon gain something you have always wanted” instead of “losing your mind will make the phantom limb syndrome go away!”

Have a great day y’all!

Nine Dumb Ass Things I Have Done!

2008-02-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

When I think about some of the “dumb ass” things that I have done over the years, I cringe and wonder what the heck I was thinking about when I did them. Throughout my life I have found ways to embarrass myself in ways that most people would never find themselves in. Below are nine things I wish that I never did listed from the least regrettable to the most regrettable.

9. Ate that Spanish onion

The object of the game was to, while blindfolded, pull something out of the sack and eat it. So here I was feeling around in the sack hoping to find an apple or something round and safe to eat. Being a relay event, I was in such a rush to pull something out that I ended up with this Spanish onion instead of what I thought was an apple. My stomach paid the price for days to come. Why couldn’t the kid who selected the Oreo cookies end up with the friggen onion!

8. Dialed that long distance number into my cell phone while driving on black ice.

A few years ago while driving home, I slid into the back of a pickup truck while trying to dial a long distance number on my cell phone. Needless to say, the damage to my car was rather extensive. Lesson learned. Now my driving is priority and my radio, cell phone and coffee cup are not.

7. Blared my horn at the little old lady who turned out to be my mother’s good friend.

Back when I was much younger, it didn’t take much to blare on the horn when, in my estimation, some other driver wasn’t “towing the line.” Just as I hit the horn from behind her car and gesticulated in a fashion that would scare even the toughest old lady, I realized that it was my mother’s good friend. Needless to say, she was not overly impressed with me but fortunately she didn’t recognize me.

6. Skipped that last gas station

It was 2:30am in the morning when I passed that last gas station on the Interstate 75 in Ohio with only a half a tank of fuel. By the time I was at empty, I had yet to locate an open gas station in the wee hours of the morning. I ended up sleeping in my car until about 7am when a Petro Canada station just across the Canadian border opened up for service. My mistake cost me about 3 hours of travel time.

5. Left my guitar under a spot light prior to performing with it in front of a room full of Rotarians.

My sister and I used to perform in front of different churches and groups of people. With her on her accordion and me on my guitar, we would eek out a few tunes. Hopefully on a good day, people would recognize the songs, smile and clap more out of pity than enjoyment.

There was one time, in front of some important Rotarians, when I picked up my guitar and started playing it only to realize that, due to basking my guitar in front of a hot spotlight, my strings were way out of tune. It was not only a disaster but also the last time I ever played that thing in front of anybody. What a nightmare!

4. Walking up to a cute female friend of my sister’s and shaking the tar out of her only realize that it wasn’t her.

While in high school… walked up to her from behind, grabbed her by the shoulders and shook real hard… Wrong person… Not a good experience… Need I say more?

3. Kicking the foot of an old friend of mine only to find out that it wasn’t her.

You would have thought I would have learned from the shoulder shaking incident!

2. Numbering my speech’s cue cards with roman numerals

I really don’t know why I did it but for some unintelligent reason I numbered my cue cards for my speech with roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V and so on.) So there I was standing in the front of my grade eight class when I realized that my cards were all out of whack. The speech was about a scouting trip from Ontario to Pennsylvania. I was all over the scope. First I was in eating my hotdog, then I was cooking it, I woke up before I went to sleep… Everything was out of order. The class was as confused as I was. Needless to say, I didn’t win that speech competition!

1. Passing a love note, with spelling mistakes, to my girlfriend

Oh! Ohh! Ohhh! No!! Don’t ever do this! I had just met this cute girl while at university and within a few weeks we were hitched. One day while in class, I passed her a “love note” with the following message… “Hi Sweaty!” I watched as she opened it hoping to observe her blush at my complimentary words when instead she shot a glare at me that would annihilate anything and everything in its path. It was there and then that I learned that the correct way to spell it was “Sweety!”

So there you go… Believe it or not, I had a difficult time paring my list down to nine. I don’t know about you but I think that becoming a hermit is probably the best way for me to cease and desist from any other dumb ass things that I may do. Sheesh!

I Don't Wanna Work I Just Wanna Bang on the Drum All Day

2008-02-06T11:03:00.002-05:00

Well... Yet once again, today is a snow day for all our schools in the county and beyond. I swear that I have spent less time teaching this month than any other January of my teaching career. Today we woke up to a ton of rain and slush which our weather forecasters predicted would freeze by mid afternoon. Now, as a professional, I should be more concerned about the school days that my students are missing but between you and I, I am just as happy to be off school as they are. The only thing my son hates about snow days is that whenever he is off, his "old man" is off as well. Oh well Son, you can't have everything right? Right!

When I get days off like this, I often think of the song written by Todd Rundgren titled "Bang on the Drum." The part of the lyrics that reflect my thoughts on a day like this are:

"I Don't Want To Work,
I Just Want To Bang On The Drum All Day
I Don't Want To Play,
I Just Want To Bang On The Drum All Day"

Well, though I think I can hammer out a pretty mean beat with my hands, I certainly don't know how to really play the drums but regardless of that, whether it be banging with my hands or my head in thinking, I would much rather have a day off work doing it rather than banging off a lesson in my classroom. ("Hmmm...... What are people starting to think of me now!")

The other day, I read Gypsy's post on the hit TV show LOST and then when I was looking for the music video "Bang on the Drum," I found the song to a LOST theme video and so I had to post this one in honour of a good blogging friend. So the next time you don't want to work but instead bang on a drum all day or on anything else that you fancy, remember this song! Enjoy!

So here I was the other day cleaning my basement out...

2008-02-04T13:42:00.002-05:00

Every so often, in order to move around in my basement, I have to take out the shovel and shovel out the "stuff" that we no longer need nor use. Now usually that consists of old boxes, too small or worn out clothes, old newspapers and so forth. This time, however, I decided to get a little adventurous and go on an archaeological dig into the shelves under the stairs and clear out stuff I hadn't seen for a good decade. I had no idea what I was going to find but what the heck... I thought that maybe I could find something of value to sell on eBay.

So here I was in my archaeologist blue jeans and t-shirt along with a beer for sustenance hoping to get lucky... well, not THAT lucky!

Choosing to work my way from top to bottom, I climbed up to the upper most shelf and pulled down an old binder of some sorts wrapped up in a padded envelope. Dusting off the envelope, I proceeded to tear it open and pull out what I thought was going to be an old high school binder when to my surprise what I actually discovered was my old stamp album I didn't even know I had anymore.

Back when I was just a lad of about eight years old, I, like many other boys and girls collected stamps. Nowadays, stamp collecting is not as popular as it once was and therefore, it doesn't even occur to boys and girls how fascinating this hobby could be.

I remember my weekend trips down to the local stamp collector and spending some of my hard earned money for that special stamp. I collected mostly Canadian, British, Indian, Australian and American stamps as these were the countries that most of our friends and relatives came from. I did, however, collect from many other countries as well.

Around the age of 16 when I was heavily into ~~girls~~ sports, my interest for stamp collecting waned but my desire to preserve my collection did not. As a result, I now still have a piece of my childhood with me to pass on to my children or future grandchildren one day. This stamp collection of mine will always be a good part of my memories and will continue to do so.

While flipping through the pages, I came across one of my favorite Canadian stamps and immediately thought of Josie and her interest in artists and paintings and I am sure that if you ask her as to who painted the picture on the stamp she would immediately tell you that it was Tom Thompson from the Group of Seven. I also came across an appropriate "LGS" Malaysian stamp while looking around on the net and wouldn't you know it... it is of a flying squirrel! So Lone Grey Squirrel, "this one's for you!"

So now that I have made this “discovery of historical proportions,” I have decided to not sell it on eBay but instead place it back into the envelope from whence it came, place it back on the uppermost shelf and save it for a rainy day when my future grandchildren come over for a visit. Come to think of it, maybe they won't even know what stamps are by then! Who knows!

Only time will tell.

My Favorite Commercials

2008-01-31T20:04:00.003-05:00

I have often enjoyed watching the commercials during the Superbowl more than the Superbowl itself. Over the years some of the most popular as well as the most expensive to make commercials were aired during this time. These commercials, though costing millions to make as well as millions to air brought in revenue far surpassing the amount put out to produce them.

My favourite Superbowl commercial is not one of the famous Budweiser commercials, neither is it one of the Ford Motor Company nor Coke commercials, but instead the following commercial.

Ironically, though I thoroughly enjoy Superbowl commercials, a non Superbowl commercial is presently my favourite commercial and will remain my favourite for months to come.

In today’s society, many people out there go from day to day with heavy hearts unable to lift the weight off their shoulders. Many of them who have no one to share their fears or pains with, keep it inside themselves only for it to surface in the way of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes or many of the other stress related illnesses.

They say that sharing is one of the best forms of stress relief and that sometimes all it takes is for us to share our hearts and hurts with someone else to be able to reach closure.

The Kleenex company, in my estimation, has done a brilliant job in bringing this out in the following commercial and therefore have made it, in my estimation, one of the best commercials around.

Welcome to the Jungle!

2008-01-30T10:13:00.003-05:00

Thank God for clock radio alarms! Nothing is worse than waking up to "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" ... Anyways, you get the idea.

Now I suppose that another irritating sound to wake up to is loud grating music. Unfortunately, if you don't have a CD player-clock radio, you are at the mercy of your favorite radio station to provide you with soothing morning music. Now, if your favorite station is something like SCREAM 105.9 I think you are going to be right outta luck!

Recently, every morning at 7:02, my radio clicks on to the local oldies station. Now, when I was in high school, I wouldn't be caught alive listening to this "oldies" stuff. However, since my high school days, I have found myself "accidentally" listening to it. I would be driving down the road listening to my favorite song when out of the blue, the radio announcer would surprise me by announcing the station I had been listening to.

"You are now listening to the oldies show on BORE YOU TO DEATH 102.5" ... Sheesh! I would then find myself looking around to make sure that nobody who knows me is witnessing my transgression to "older-hood."

So... Now I guess I am an "oldie!" Just do me a favour and don't tell anybody!

So a few weeks ago, because of the quiet music that they play on their morning shows, I dialed my clock radio to the local radio station so that I am not blasted out of bed by screaming banshees from those punk rock bands. Ahhhhhhh! Now don't get me wrong... I do love classic rock music where the lead singers bounce around, yell and scream but not at 7:02 in the morning!

So... Go figure! Just as I decide to dial to that station, they decide to change up their routines and shows! This is what I was compelled to wake up to the other day!

Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a few of Axl Rose's songs and I actually do enjoy the above song but when I am still in slumber land? Uh! Uh! Besides, can you really wake up to the following words??

Welcome to the jungle
We got fun 'n' games
We got everything you want
Honey we know the names
We are the people that can find
Whatever you may need
If you got the money honey
We got your disease

Chorus:

In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your shun n,n,n,n,,n,n,,n,n,n,,n,n,,n knees, knees
I wanna watch you bleed

... and so on

I DON'T THINK SO!!

Now this morning... What woke me up was the sweetest music that anyone could hear!

"This is Bob Smith from WKRP in Cincinnati (Fake call letters as if you already didn't know!) ... This just in... All schools and school busses cancelled due to high winds and icy road conditions." Now, being a teacher, that was definitely music to my ears!

God, I love that music! Gimme more of it!

Our Experience With Asthma

2008-01-28T09:19:00.002-05:00

Both my children were born with asthma, a chronic condition involving the respiratory system in which the airway occasionally constricts, becomes inflamed, and is lined with excessive amounts of mucus. My children's asthma episodes were often triggered by such things as exposure to an environmental stimulant such as cold air, seasonal allergies, dust and perfumes.

I remember prior to when my daughter was first diagnosed with asthma. Almost every night was spent with extreme bouts of coughing and throwing up. We would rush into her bedroom where her mother would take care of our daughter while I would clean up her bed sheets and remake the bed. We had a system going which we carried out to perfection considering the number of times we did it.

It literally blew the wind out of our sails when she was later diagnosed with asthma. It killed me to see her wearing the salbutamol mask, which administered the medication, on her face while I held her in my arms. I swear that I received as much medication from this mask as she did as the medication wafted into my nostril. We spent many a night and many a day cuddling on the couch while my little girl fell asleep in my arms to the sound of the ventilator as it pumped the medicine into her lungs.

A few years later, our son was diagnosed as well and, as before, we went through the same routine as we did with our daughter but only this time, it wasn’t as traumatic for us since we were veteran asthma caregivers by this time. By the time they were both around twelve, their asthma went into remission and they were, for the most part, much better. Every once in awhile it rears its ugly head and they have to take their puffers but this has not happened for quite a while… until this past week.

My daughter called us from college to tell us that her asthma has returned and that the machine which administers her medication was no longer working. As a result, I made the trek into Toronto to bring her another machine. Now that she has resumed her medication, she is well on her way to make yet another recovery. We dodged another bullet this time and all we can do is be thankful to God that he has taken care of her once more.

Every year, about 500 Canadians and 5,000 Americans die from this dreaded disease. Most of these deaths, however, could have been prevented with proper education and management. There is no cure for the millions of people out there but there are ways in which to control it. For more information on asthma, please refer to the following web sites:

The Asthma Society of Canada
American Lung Association
Asthma Society of Ireland
Asthma UK

Banana, Bananna or Bannaa?

2008-01-24T10:34:00.002-05:00

I have never been much of a speller and have therefore always been within arm’s length of a dictionary while writing essays in school, reports at work or even here while blogging. Though our blog pads all have spell checks, I will never dare compose directly into my blog without first creating it in Microsoft Word.

There are a few common words such as banana and parallel that insist on plaguing me while writing. Every time I write these plus other such words, I spell them wrong! You would think that, by the time I was in my forties, I would start getting them correct but oh no… I can’t do that now can I! I have to go back, right click on the word and choose the correct spelling… every time! Now thank goodness that Microsoft Word now has auto correct for people like me who cannot spell words they have been using for decades.

Now I know that there are individuals out there who are dyslexic so I do want to say that this problem which I have bestowed upon myself is in no way like their disability. I am also in no way poking fun at other people. People with Dyslexia have found amazing ways to deal with their disability and I take my hat off to them. But me… what’s my problem??

Another spelling problem I curse myself with is deciding whether to use the British way or American way to spell. We all know that the English language is an amalgamation of many languages but when you live so close to another country such as the U.S.A., it makes it real difficult to pick a correct spelling to use. Often, you will find me spelling words two different ways because I can never decide which one to use and besides, I always worry about some American thinking I am spelling things incorrectly or some Canadian thinking that I am a lousy speller or some British thinking I am a pathetic speller. Do I write a cheque or do I write a check? Am I an honourable person or am I an honorable person? Is red my favorite colour or is red my favorite color?

And so on…

A few yraes ago, I cmae acrsos a sudty wichh siad taht the hamun biarn dsen’ot need to wrroy aoubt irecrocnt sienlplg in oderr for it to urnndetasd the wrod as lnog as the frsit and lsat lrtetes of a wrod are in tiehr crcroet palces. Is tihs ture? You tlel me!

Wow! Does this mean that now I don’t have to worry about spelling anymore?? Wishful thinking!

So, in the future when you see a misspelled word in one of my posts, take pity on me and blame it on the fact that I am British born, Canadian raised and American influenced… That should do it!

He's the Man!

2008-01-22T09:21:00.002-05:00

So ladies... You know who rules the roost in the homes around the world right? Of course you do! ... It's the man! What would you do without the man of the household doing everything for you? Besides, when things get rough, the rough get going and since the man is the "rugged guy," he is the one who usually takes care of everything. Well, I could prove my point in just a few paragraphs but instead I have a video that will prove my point. Just please don't yell and scream at me okay? All in good fun!

Enjoy!

Mattel Story Maker Rediscovered

2008-01-20T22:50:00.003-05:00

"The Turkey danced with a slimy monkey in my spaghetti."

If you were to punch the words "Mattel Story Maker" into Google.com, you would get 29,800 hits. If you were peruse through the first ten pages however, you would not find what I was looking for and it is a safe bet that looking further into the search results would turn up nothing either . It is as if the toy simply disappeared out of every toy box on this planet. Usually, the toys that disappear are usually the ones which are considered as a poor investment for the company coffers but the one which I was looking for in Google was nothing but great.

Back in 1991, Mattel created the Story Maker electronic toy. This toy was well designed and simple enough for all ages to use and enjoy. It comprised of seven buttons and hundreds of hours of fun for my then one year old daughter. The actions were simple… press six buttons and if that was too difficult, simply press one. I could spend the next paragraph explaining the way to use it but my video should make that task simpler and much more interesting.

I recently rediscovered this toy in my basement while going through some old dusty stuff to donate to the weekly trash truck. I had forgotten that I put this toy in a safe place and there it had sat for over the past ten or so years. Growing up, my daughter and son must have spent countless hours laughing at all the different sentences that this toy produced. It not only produced belly laughter but it also taught them proper sentence structure.

Finding this Story Maker toy also reminded me of the good times I had watching my children playing in the living room while I sat there and relaxed. I bet that, over the years the buttons were pushed, I must have heard every one of the nine thousand plus sentences that this toy spoke out.

Memories of my children always get me somewhat nostalgic. I miss those days where my kids thought of me as "cool," "great" and the "smartest of all Daddies who loves them more than anything else in the world…" One thing that time has taught me is that things change when children get older. "Cool" has turned into "geeky," "great" has lovingly turned into "retarded" and "smartest" has evolved into “not too swift.” One thing that will never change however is that they will always know that I love them more than anything else in the world.

Great toys, great memories and great feelings…

UPDATE: He Found His Coat!

2008-01-18T10:53:00.002-05:00

Yep... That's right! He found his coat. Despite insisting that he left his coat in my car, he finally relented and checked the Lost and Found in his high school and ... Voila!

So... he got his "silent" coat back and I got to keep my 200 bucks that I was keeping aside for a new one.

Now that is what I call a "win-win" situation.

Cheers!

The Disappearing Coat

2008-01-18T09:28:00.002-05:00

So, my son is going on a ski trip at the end of this month and... we can't find his winter coat!

It amazes me how things can simply fall into oblivion. It makes me wonder if things can and do simply disappear into another realm. I mean, the coat was here in the house not 24 hours ago and now it is not. What's with that!?! I remember bringing it in from the car... at least I think I do. He hasn't gone anywhere during that time so where else could that darn coat have taken off to? We put out the garbage but unless we dumped the coat in a garbage bag, it should still be here in the house. He checked both high schools he was in over the past few days; I checked the house high and low. I checked both cars. I also checked with the local psychic to see if it dissolved into the afterlife but she just told me that she sees a new coat in the near future.

Before it was his coat, it used to be mine. I reluctantly gave it to him when, last winter, he had great difficulty finding himself a new one. I got a new Columbia coat out of the deal. It may have been an old coat but it was a warm coat... an exceptionally warm coat that he could have used up at Blue Mountain Ski Resort at the end of this month.

So like the psychic told me, we are now going to have to put down a lot of money for a new one. The last time I took him out for a new winter coat, he tried on a "whole whack of them" from a number of different stores. As a young child, the sound that most winter coats makes when you walk with them on bothered his ears. To him it was like most people listening to fingernail on a chalk board or, as with me, metal utensils scraping on metal plates. Arrrrrrgh! That is why I never ate at the Ponderosa Steakhouse as a kid but that's another story for another post. Because of the sound these coats make, we have always had an extremely difficult time finding him one. My old coat never made this sound and thus why he chose my old one for a new one.

So... This year, it is his mother's job to go coat shopping with him. Whah! ha! ha! ha! ha! Good luck!

The Demise of Some of My Favourite Blogs

2008-01-16T21:03:00.002-05:00

Well... It looks like I have lost two of my favourite blogs in one day! Now I know that I am not responsible for this since I have had nothing but positive things to say about both of them and so I am off the hook for this one. One of the bloggers is someone fairly new to me. I have only been following his blog but for a couple of weeks but I was in the process of placing him on my "Blogs I Enjoy" list when I received an email from him with the news of the demise of his blog titled The Oswegan.

The second blog to disappear was one that I had been reading on a daily basis for well over a year. Her blog contained her exquisite art and Haiku to compliment the art. I must admit that there were times when I would have to read her work more than once since I have always had a bit of difficulty wrapping my mind around Japanese poetry but there were also times when I would read her posts more than once simply because I enjoyed it so much. So, if you used to head to Janice's blog titled Pursuance of Truth, you will no longer find it there. Hopefully one day she will regret this decision and return to us.

Over the years, I have missed a number of other bloggers. Some have never returned whereas some missed it to the point that they, once again, graced the pages of Blogger. One other person who many of us know as Josie, almost took an early retirement but, due to some of her readers protesting, came back within a 24 hours period. Someone please buy those protesters a drink!

Now I know that all of us, from time to time, need to take a break while there are others who feel like it's their time to say "goodbye." There have been times when I have felt like throwing in the towel and so I know how it feels and therefore I most certainly do understand when some of my favourites move on and so I will always wish them well.

And so Scott.. All the best in your new endeavour and Janice take care and I certainly hope to hear from you from time to time. Now for the rest of you... Don't go anywhere for the time being okay? Two is enough for one day!

Take care!

My Favorite Photo Blogs

2008-01-14T15:00:00.002-05:00

Do you ever wonder how some people consistently take phenomenal photographs where the color is superb, the focus is so crisp and the subject is very eye captivating? I know I have! There are some blogs out there that I go to just to see the photos. My first experience was with a fellow blogger Le Nightowl. Now Le Nightowl is no longer with as a blogger but I still become captivated by her photography at her own website. I am sure that Lone Grey Squirrel remembers her as well as many other bloggers do from back about a year ago and all would no doubt remember her as a great photographer from France.

Currently, one of my favorite photo bloggers is Becky. Though she has not been taking very many photographs recently for reasons she has explained in her blog, I have always been amazed at how she has consistently taken great photos. One of the newer blogs for me that comes to mind is Sandy's blog. The creativity she puts into her photos are stunning!

There are a number of other photo bloggers that I regularly visit as well and I am constantly amazed at how beautiful their posts are. I must admit that, though I would never use them or pass them off as mine, I often copy them to my hard drive for inspiration on my desktop.

So... Maybe one day I can consistently come up with outstanding photos myself but none-the-less, for the time being, I do try to take some fairly neat ones. Though not consistent, I do have a few which I am proud of.

I have recently transferred from Flickr to Photobucket (not because I wasn't satisfied with Flickr) and decided to experiment with uploading my photos to my blog. So... if you have a few moments, please check them out.

Finding Our Humanity

2008-01-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

On my computer, I have a file folder where I keep some of my favorite photographs. Some are in there because they are simply outstanding in their beauty, others are in there because of there uniqueness while others are there because they portray the many facets of man. It is the third reason that fascinates me the most.

None of these photographs were taken by me and, as a matter of fact, I do not know of the identity of any of the photographers and so I apologise for not giving proper credit. All I can say it that I take no credit for any of them.

Throughout the next few months, I shall be posting a few of the ones I found so very profound and will be telling you why I find them thus.

THE CARDBOARD SIGN

The focus of today's society appears to very "idolistic" in nature. We spend millions of dollars watching and following the Tom Hanks, Tom Cruises, Angelina Jolies and Elizabeth Taylors of the silver screen. We put down untold sums of money at the many basketball, football, soccer, baseball and hockey venues in order to see the Michael Jordans, the Terry Bradshaws, the David Beckhams, the Hank Aarons and the Wayne Gretzkys of our society. We pull out tons of cash for the many concerts that dot our landscape. We follow stars like they are gods in a society that often shuns who many religiously believe is the one true God. How ironic!

... But what about the unfortunate, the failures of our society, the poor, the homeless and the disabled... Who focuses on them?

What captured my interest about this photograph was not necessarily the man on crutches but the messages he was attempting to convey.

HUNGRY - How often do we forget what it feels like to be hungry and not know where our next meal will come from? Throughout the world, hundreds of millions of people go without enough food. How often do we fill our faces or throw out plates of food without even giving poverty a second thought?

PLEASE HELP - How often to we see someone in crisis, someone in pain or someone in need of basic amenities and yet we walk away pretending to not notice?

GOD BLESS YOU - How often to we just plain forget about how often we are blessed to have almost everything we not only need but also blessed with whatever we want? How often do we take this for granted while forgetting that many don't even have what they need and can only dream about what they want?

DON'T FORGET... HUG YOUR KIDS TODAY - How often do we forget the simple blessings that run around our houses and between our legs? We spend so much time with our jobs, our fun, our problems and our expenses that we forget why we have kids in the first place.

Thousand of cars fly by and many more people walk by individuals such as the gentleman in this photograph without even focusing on his troubles let alone focusing on the words scribbled on the cardboard hanging out of his mouth. We make excuses such as "we have things to do" or "we just don't have time" to justify our apathy towards the less unfortunate. We forget that this man is as important as any other human being on this planet and therefore we have a responsibility to focus of these individuals as well. Maybe if we focussed on at least what it is he is saying we would be a step ahead of the game.

Now I know that this is not as simple as I may be stating but if we all start focusing on humanity as a whole and less on the "upper crust" of humanity, history may one day view us as the humanitarians we so religiously believe we are!

... Just something to think about.

Leon's Furniture... Hmmmm!

2008-01-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

We have a large furniture store chain here in Canada by the name of Leon’s Furniture. We have had an account there for a number of years as we have bought many appliances from them such as a fridge, a stove, a dishwasher, a couple of washing machines, a clothes dryer plus a few other odds and ends. We have also purchased from them a few pieces of furniture. This past December, after the insistence of my wife, we decided to buy a new couch and love seat. After her bugging me time and time again, we headed out to Leon’s to make our purchase.

We spent over an hour checking out the couches. Leather, cloth, soft, hard. big, small, patterned, non-patterned, expensive, cheap… and so on. The courtious salesperson who helped us on occasion kept her distance much to my satisfaction, unlike some of the vultures who circled around other patrons waiting for them to make their big decision. I swear I must have sat on 5000 couches and love seats before we finally selected the one we liked. Well… maybe just fifty. We left satisfied with not only our decision but also the service.

… Until they delivered our purchase a few days later.

The moving men skilfully delivered the furniture to the living room and I agreed to unpack the stuff. Upon signing for the contents of the delivery, I ushered them to the door and bade them good bye. The problems began when I returned to the living room to unpack the furniture.

The lack of quality in the workmanship of the couch and love seat were much to be desired. The skirt around the couch was ripped off in a number of areas, there was a hole in the skirt fabric of the love seat and both of the bottoms of the two pieces were ripped. There were staples sticking out of the front of the couch where there shouldn’t be any staples at all. It looked like a person who had too much to drink constructed the furniture…Either that or a fork lift had a head on collision with the stuff.

Needless to say I was not impressed.

It doesn’t end there. They exchanged both pieces for us and promised that they would inspect the new stuff before delivering it. Upon its delivery, there were still quality issues to deal with. They are now in the process of exchanging the love seat a second time after we found hardened hot glue on its arm.

So… “Why don’t you just return the stuff for good and get your money back?” you ask. Well, we love the looks, we love the pattern, we love the comfort level and we want the furniture and as far as I am concerned, we are going to get what we want and if that takes ten returns at Leon’s cost, so be it!

So, I am not suggesting that Canadians stay away from Leon’s Furniture, I am simply suggesting that you properly inspect your purchase before signing that you are satisfied.

I hope that everyone else who shops there has better luck than us!

My Bench of Solitude

2008-01-07T09:51:00.002-05:00

There is a place of solitude where I go to read. A place where there is no noise… no cars, no people, no anything … well, almost no anything. It is a bench I call the Bench of Solitude. Now there are times where even there, I cannot retreat to due to an invasion of some distraction and so then I hide in the confinements of my car to read and even then, I will park my car near my favourite bench. Unfortunately, the forces of nature also make it very difficult for me to sit at my bench. Presently it is under an unwelcome pile of snow. Thank goodness for my car heater!

I was never tested but I swear I have an attention deficit disorder which I think invaded my mind at an older age. I remember as a high school student, I would sit in the library over the many lunch hours and read science fiction greats such as Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and C.S. Lewis. Once I got to university, my love for reading waned as I had to give up my fiction for the non-fiction assigned to me by the professors who had nothing better to do but bore us to tears with written words I could care less about.

By the time I graduated from university, I gained a dislike for reading and for the next twenty years or so I never read a single book. It was as if I lost the will to read or maybe just plain forgot how to enjoy it. By the time I started reading again, I found that I had to find a place of absolute solace before I could crack open a book.

Lately, I have been able to take a little bit of background noise but I still enjoy complete silence in order to read.

Though I still enjoy science fiction, my interests have changed more to novels dealing with archaeology and anthropology. I think if I was to do “it” all over again, I would find myself on digs in such remote places like Africa and Egypt. Maybe I would find myself on dangerous digs in places like the Arctic… who knows. For those of like mind, you might want to consider reading novels by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child or James Rollins.

And so, as I feel the needs to read, I head off in my car and make my way to park near my favourite bench… my place of solitude where no one can disturb me.

Back Down to Negative Digits!

2008-01-04T20:45:00.002-05:00

The weather is now back down to the negative double digits again. Now please keep in mind that this is celsius we are talking about here. Maybe I should convert to Fahrenheit just so I would be in the positive double digits! I suppose however that -11 celsius or +10 Fahrenheit doesn't make all that of a difference since either way it is freezing cold outside.

Now what I really need is a hot tub. I looked into getting one last winter but the price was prohibitive. The way I figure it is that maybe I should simply spend a few bucks and get a larger bath tub instead of the thousands a hot tub would cost me. The only problem is that it would be difficult in convincing my friends to come over for a bath whereas a hot tub invitation would be much more desirable.

"Hey folks... you wanna hang out in my bath tub?!?" versus "Hey folks... you wanna hang out in my hot tub?"

I spent a couple of hours outside shovelling the snow so that my low bellied dashound could have some space in the backyard to run and to dump in. I was sick and tired of her doing her duty on my deck just outside the patio door. I also spent a ton of time scraping the doo-doo off the deck. Now I could ask my kids to do it but hell would have to freeze over first. Unfortunately though it was almost cold enough, it didn't hit that mark.

So... When do we get out of this big freeze? Well this is pretty par for the course as far as the weather goes and so I suppose that we will have to grin and bear it. The last time that the weather was pretty fair was when we had my father's interment at the cemetery the other day. God surely blesses!

It is 8:33pm EST (-5:00) and I have had an extremely busy day. I would have posted here this morning but my computer is having a meltdown and with me right behind it. Fortunately my son is out with his girlfriend and so I have commandeered his system for the time being. I look forward to being able to read your posts by tomorrow morning when I will have spent all night installing windows, their drivers plus all my required software.

Until then, have a great day!

Small Steps for 2008

2008-01-02T20:33:00.002-05:00

Well... The New Year is upon us and I have been sitting here wondering what next will happen to hit the headlines of our newspapers. Another war? Maybe the next plague will sweep the nations! A new terrorist attack maybe.

Every January 1st, I try to come up with my predictions and every December 31st of that year I am floored as to how wrong I was. It really doesn't matter what I think will go down over the next 365 days; it will always be something I would never have thought would have happened. Maybe I should give being a prophet and yet when the New Year begins, I start all over again. I suppose it is safe to say that I will never learn.

Maybe I should become a newsmaker. Maybe I should do something that could change our society. Unfortunately, it is often the negative influences in our society that makes the most news and affects the greater population and I refuse to become a negative influence to anybody... At least not intentionally.

So what can we do to make this world a better place? I suppose the best way to make news and change the world is by starting in our own home. Raise our children to be law abiding, considerate and committed to the betterment of humanity. Almost like a long term investment plan.

Now I know that this all seems "hairy fairy" but yet when you think about it, it does make a bit of sense.

I was going to create a list of New Years Resolutions this year to improve things around me but I figured why bother when I have broken almost every resolution I have ever made. In trying to help others, maybe I should help the few instead of the many. Maybe I should just take small steps by showing love, consideration and generosity to those in my home, my workplace and my community... got to start somewhere right?

Hopefully by December 31st, 2008, I will be able to report to you that I have reached my goal and that somewhere... just somewhere... some one will benefit from my actions.

Have yourself a Phenomenal 2008!

Final Words With My Father

2008-01-01T03:37:00.002-05:00

I had never lost a loved one before. Throughout my life, I had often wondered what it would feel like when one loses someone close to you. Would I cry? Would I grieve? Over these last four days, all my questions were answered.

It's been a tough week with my father passing away the day after Boxing Day. Twelve hours ago we said our last farewells and buried him. There was nothing easy about this. It was so strange seeing my father's body in his coffin and yet knowing that he was no longer there.

It has amazed me how many people loved my father. It gave me a whole new appreciation for him. My mother held out pretty well. She had been praying for God to take him home and thereby ending all his suffering. He answered her prayers. The service was simple and beautiful. I had the opportunity to carry out his eulogy. After the 83 years my father spent on this earth, it became my responsibility to tell the people in his circle of loved ones about who this man was. It was an honorable job that I was to carry out and I believe I met the challenge. I really believe that he would have been proud of me.

It was a beautiful sunny day as we proceeded with the interment. It was as if the Lord had parted the clouds and was smiling upon my father. We went away sad and yet joyous knowing that it was a celebration of my father's life.

It is now 4am New Years Day as I sit down and carry out this post. Despite ending the year off experiencing the sadness of the loss of our father, I look forward to the new year with the joy of knowing that he is no longer in any pain or suffering.

I returned to his grave site alone in the cover of darkness to retrieve a couple of the carnations and a red ribbon bearing the word "Dad" which my sister and I placed at his grave site. I stood there and talked with him alone one last time. I took the opportunity to say things to him that would have been too private and too difficult to say to him while he was alive... I really believe he heard me. I really believe he would have understood. I really believe he was smiling at me as I made my way home.

My Father (1924 - 2007)

2007-12-27T18:58:00.002-05:00

If there was anyone I knew who had a most difficult life, it was my father. Born in India in 1924, he spent most of his life in boarding schools as both his parents passed away when he was very young. After a short stint in the Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force, he married my mother and soon immigrated to England and, after "picking up" my sister and I, moved to Canada.

Today, he passed away.

I often wondered what my biggest regret would be upon my father's demise and I decided that this one regret would be that we never bonded like a father and son should have. Since then, I have become very aware of my own son's and my relationship and have strived hard to ensure that our relationship remains intact.

Fortunately, I can say that this regret regarding my father, though it is still there, isn't as large a regret as it could have become. In the latter years of our father and son relationship, we found a way to respect each other and, over time, learned to find a way to somehow get along and show love for each other

On Monday, New Year's Eve, I will stand by my father's grave site and know that I did my best to repair a once broken relationship. I will miss my father for he was a good father. I am also proud of him and will always think highly of him.

My father was a good man, a good provider and loved and appreciated by many people. He will be sadly missed by those who love him. He will always be loved and missed by me.

The Nativity Scene

2007-12-24T21:26:00.002-05:00

Growing up as a young lad, my parents always spoke to me about the birth of Jesus Christ found in Luke 2 of the Holy Bible.

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:1-7

Now most of my life, I have always pictured the nativity scene as these ceramic statues of the three wise men, the kings, the shepherds, the sheep, the angel, the star, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus all in the wooden manger. It wasn’t until recently that I really gave thought as to how it really might have been. Looking at this photo from the movie “The Nativity” (2006), it occurred to me that all these “spectators” in our average manger scenes were more than likely no where to be found and that the only ones there were Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

If you have ever given birth before or have been present during the time of a birth, you can very easily imagine the intimacy and joy that must have been shared between Mary and Joseph as she gave birth to their child in that small manger. Whether it is God’s son or simply their first born, the emotion they must have shared was nothing short of extreme joy and love. The awe that must have been seen on Joseph’s face and the pride he must have felt would have been evident as Mary looked upon him. The pain that Mary went through as she gave birth to her first born was the same pain that every other expectant mother through the ages has experienced to give life to something so wonderful and blessed. It was a pain of labour… a labour of love… a love for her child, for her husband, for her God.

So, as you think of the Manger scene, remember that Mary and Joseph are not just characters in movies and in ceramic manger scenes, but, in fact, real people who risked all to give birth to this wonderful real life child named Jesus whose birth millions of Christians celebrate every December 25th .

Greeting Cards and Relationships

2007-12-22T10:58:00.002-05:00

Have you ever gone to the local Hallmark store to pick up a greeting card and realized that you are having a very difficult time finding one that wasn’t too intimate or loving? Maybe last year you didn’t have this problem but now things seemed to have changed. You continue to scour the card rack when all of a sudden it hits you that maybe the difficulty isn’t in the fact that the card you need doesn’t exist but in the fact that your feelings have changed for that person over the past twelve months.

A number of years ago, I realized this while looking for a card for my father. Over the years, my father and I never really bonded well and as I got older I had a more and more difficult time in selecting a card that said how great a father he was. There was also a time when I realized that my feelings had changed for a former girlfriend once I started having great difficulty in selecting a Valentines Day card for her.

The unfortunate thing about relationships is that we all too often fail to nurture them. Instead of that needed nurture, we often take them for granted and thereby slip into a state of complacency to the point that the relationship is all but dead save for the fact that they are still there merely because out of habit. At this point, the only thing that makes us aware of the problem is when we have to actually come right out and tell them that we love them. Buying a card for them is one of these times. Nothing is more awkward then standing there watching them open a card and read words that you don’t really mean.

Upon this realization, we go to the “general section” of greeting cards and buy a blank one or one that says as little as possible. Now all that does is further the obvious as you have basically told this person how you really feel by allowing them to read between the lines.

How unfortunate to be in this position in a relationship!

At this time of the Christmas Season, take the time to look at those around you and see if there is anyone in this category in your life. Before picking up a card for them, try to take the time to try to mend what has been broken between the two of you and then when things have been patched up, buy them a card from your heart. Only then, will the card be truly appreciated.

Merry Christmas!

The B-52 Coffee

2007-12-21T00:30:00.002-05:00

Now, I am not a real drinker at heart but when it comes to Christmas time, I find myself taking in a bit more alcohol than I would during any other time of the year. Now don’t get me wrong… I have never been plastered nor have I ever had too much to drink but I do enjoy the warm feeling of the alcohol slide down my gullet from time to time.

Now one of my favorite drinks when out at a restaurant for a meal with friends is the B-52 specialty coffee. The only problem with the drink is the cost of it… a cool $6. Now I know that if I were to make this drink at home, it would not cost that much and thus my trip to the liquor store this weekend!

I have already purchased the coffee, I have secured the glasses needed and the sugar for the rim is already on the kitchen shelf. I have also placed maraschino cherries and whipped cream (the real stuff!) on the grocery list. The final task is to head to the liquor store and pick up bottles of Bailey's Irish Cream, Kahlua and Grand Marnier.

Below is a copy of the recipe…

Make enough coffee for as many servings needed.
Wet the rim of the glass and place upside down in a plate of sugar. Be sure to coat the entire rim of the glass.
Place the following amounts into the glass. Be sure to keep the ingredients off the glass rim.
1/2 ounce Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 ounce Kahlua
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
4 ounces hot coffee
Top with whipped cream and one maraschino cherry

Now hopefully you will be blessed with a few Christmas visits from loved ones during this festive season and will be able to enjoy their fellowship and friendship throughout the next couple of weeks. During those times try a b-52 coffee and stay warm! Enjoy! Please just don't drink and drive.

My Mum's Sterling Typewriter

2007-12-18T22:13:00.002-05:00

Looking like a set of weathered yellow teeth, these keys smacked out hundreds of letters over the many years my mother used them to type out letters of employment, letters of love and letters of who knows what else. For over forty five years this typewriter served her well not only in Canada but also in the United Kingdom. We kids were not allowed to play with it and maybe that's why it is in such good condition today.

When I think back to each and every place we lived in Canada, I can remember exactly where she kept this Sterling typewriter... In the dining room behind the door leading to the kitchen... In the closet by the front door... Under my dad's desk. To me, it was like a piece of furniture. She relied on this instrument to get her through the rough times and the good times. She babied it because she knew that it was her lifeline to the outside world.

It wasn't unusual to hear its incessant tapping late into the night. It isn't difficult to remember how heavy it was for a little lad like me to carry it around. The blue and gray sterling... A part of my life... A part of my family!

Today, my mother gave me her typewriter. I know that my mum has been pruning the household treasures as if she wanted to pass down the family heritage before she dies but I didn't expect to see her give this piece of family nostalgia up so soon. I suppose she knows in her heart that she would no longer be using it anymore.

Now, I know that I will never use this typewriter but it is a part of the family and my heritage and so I am going to keep it. With pride, I am going to show it off to my children, grandchildren and anyone else who wants to listen to me as I tell them...

“This once belonged to my mother!”

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

7am Sunday morning I was out driving my son to work. By 9:30am we were blanketed under a deluge of snow. Now it's not as if it was unexpected for the weatherman had been warning us for a week now to plan to stay indoors on Sunday. Now who can stay in and chance missing some of God's handiwork? Looking out the window, all I could see through the curtain of falling snowflakes was this blanket of snow which covered the entire neighborhood. With three or for neighbors pushing snow blowers, a couple of cars spinning tires in a desperate attempt to flee the neighborhood and a few others with shovels in hand, it became very apparent that I had a long day of shoveling ahead of me.

Before I went out with my shovel, I headed out with my camera. I was hoping to snap a photo of this young boy, no older than 4 trying to mount and ride his bike in the blizzard. It was a valiant attempt which ended suddenly and therefore deprived me of the photo of the day. C'est la vie! By 10am, I was out trying out my new red shovel that I bought from the local grocery store. Who would have thought that the best ones were there and not at the local Home Depot!

Two and a half hours later I was shoveled out and ready to head to my favorite park for a photo shoot of nature. The roads were horrific, the plows scarce and fortunately the cars few. The major roadways had yet to be touched and the parking lots were even in a worse condition. Slipping and sliding through the city and past the local mall, the reason for the scarcity of automobile became apparent as the mall parking lot was as filled as if it were a beautiful day out. I suppose that even snow blizzards can't discourage the ardent shopper to stay away.

By the time I had almost reached my destination of the park of my photo shoot, I became worried about becoming stuck in the mountainous drifts of snow that would have squalled amongst the trees... But I was wrong! The park had been plowed... Yeh to the Parks and Recreation Commission! Imagine that! The park gets plowed before the streets! Who would have thought!

I couldn't stay too long because I had to pick up my son from work within the hours but never-the-less it was well worth the trek across town.

Here are a few of the photos I took though I don't think that they do the scenes justice. There is nothing that can top viewing it with the naked eye! Click on the photos if you want to see a larger version.

He Said She Said

2007-12-15T09:24:00.002-05:00

Now I know that most of you don't follow Canadian politics and I don't blame you but then I have no doubt that, though you may know little about Canada, you can most certainly relate to what I am saying through your experiences of following the politics of your country. In my opinion, whether it be President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Prime Minister Stephen Harper, they all find themselves in hot water due to their lack of proper judgment at one time or another.

Recently in Canadian news, we have been inundated by hours and hours of television coverage, thousands of newspaper words and countless news reports regarding whether or not former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, after his days as the 18th Prime Minister of Canada in 1993, accepted $300,000 in kickbacks from German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber.

After much "official interrogation, Mulroney finally admitted that he did indeed receive $300,000 but not as kickbacks.

Now, I am not going to bore you with the minute details because really... who cares! I know I don't. Besides, knowing how politicians are known for their misjudgments and lies, why would we believe them anyways? Especially when they are trying to cover their butts! I think that, especially during the Christmas season, we should be concentrating on more "seasonal issues" and less on who said what with the politicians we elected to lead our countries.

Anyways... enough from the peanut gallery and a merry festive season to you all!

My Son Has a Girlfriend!

2007-12-13T22:27:00.002-05:00

First my daughter... now my son! Girlfriends and boyfriends! What's next? Why can't they just hang out in groups, play sports or do schoolwork? Why do they have to date? What's the matter with them??

A few months ago, I reported about my son building himself a new computer. As a young boy, he had spent a fair amount of time playing on basketball teams, soccer teams and baseball teams but over the past eight years or so, he has spent practically 100% of his time at home on his computers and video games. By the end of the summer, he would return to school without a suntan as all he would do during the months of July and August was play games such as World of Warcraft, Halo 2 plus a multitude of other games. Now that he built a new computer, I was sure that this would signal the continuance of this lifestyle... alas! I was wrong!

Now that he has himself a girlfriend, I hardly see him at home. On the weekends, I sometimes never see him once as he works about 16 hours and spends the rest of his time hanging around with his little "chickypoo" (I hope he never reads this!) I just can't figure out why he wouldn't rather spend time with his old man!

When I was his age ... Hmmm... Okay, now I remember! Shoot! Why did I have to do that? All kidding aside, I am glad that he has found himself a girlfriend and chosen well. All to often teenagers choose the wrong friends and pay dearly for that but I am fortunate that he and his sister have always (well almost always!) wisely chosen who to spend time with. She is a well mannered young lady who has strong convictions in life and is very respectful and approachable. As a vegan, she also is very careful as to what she eats. This should be quite interesting since my son is the pickiest eater I have ever know as all he appears to like is Pizza!

We are happy for the both of them and so I guess you can say that his mother and I like her.

Walking The Aisles of a Grocery Store

2007-12-11T17:07:00.002-05:00

I had just arrived at the grocery store last night when I came across an old high school friend who I had not seen in probably close to a year. She and her twin sister and I used to run on the same high school cross country team for four years and during that time, I was one of the few who could tell them apart. It wasn’t until last night however, that I was informed that I had been calling them by the wrong names for the past number of years. It seems that my ability to tell them apart had disappeared over time. Yah I know… memory and time does some crazy things to you!

Anyways, back on track!

It was great running across her last night as we spent at least twenty minutes reminiscing. We then waved our goodbyes and headed onto our own trails around the grocery store. By the time I made it to the checkout line, I ran across her at least three times after that and each time we waved and said “hi.” It got pretty funny and it got to the point that I would look for her each time while turning into different aisles. By the time it was over, we probably spent an additional seven or eight minutes more in conversation and laughter.

Now, that was okay since we enjoyed each other’s company… but what about that person who you don’t really have anything in common with and would have been happy enough to simply smile and share no more than a two minute conversation with by asking how the kids, spouse and job was?

Have you ever been in that situation before? You enter the grocery store and run head on into a casual acquaintance who you know just enough to nod and ask how the family is and then you see them every aisle you turn into? You don’t really want to converse with them beyond the first time and yet you don’t want to be ignorant and simply ignore them.

It never fails… It seems like every time I go to the grocery store, I run across someone who fits that category of the “casual acquaintance.” I speak to them and ask the socially acceptable questions, move on my way and them run into them in the produce aisle. What do you say? “Hey, look, prunes are on sale!” Then again in the juice aisle with a bottle of prune juice in your hands... “Yep, I’ve been pretty irregular lately!” A few minutes later in the Cereal aisle… “Yah, 100% Bran is my favorite cereal!”

It gets to the point that you feel that you have to scope out every aisle before making your turn. Now I have gotten to be pretty good at mastering the skill of avoidance but what about when you are trying to avoid two people? You might as well give up and go home!

Now, there was a time when I ran across my sister but that was no big deal right? Well for her it was! By the time I had passed her in about every aisle, I had snuck enough extra food into her cart to feed another family. She later discovered it all in the busy checkout line. She has yet to forgive and forget!

Being the Christmas season however, I plan to mend my ways and become more of a conversationalist in the aisles because it is the season of merriment. I will become a new man… at least until the end of the month.

Who knows… maybe it will be me over the holidays that everyone else will be avoiding!

Christmas Tree Time

2007-12-09T17:53:00.002-05:00

So... Today was the day to get the Christmas tree! We have always cut down our own tree as the store bought artificial ones were never realistic enough for us and the store bought live one's were too dry and died too soon. I was once ~~too lazy~~ pressed for time and bought ~~an almost dead~~ a live precut tree from the nearest tree lot. Well... the family was not amused as the evidence of my misdoings were all over the carpet the following morning! How was I to know that all the needles were to fall in under 24 hours?!? So, I quickly learned my lesson and since then, have headed out to the fields to but a real live uncut one!

This year was no exception.

This morning, we departed with saw in hand and headed to our favorite lot. When we got there, the car lot was almost full to the hilt and we knew right there and then that locating that perfect 2.4 metre (8 foot for the metrically challanged!) tree would be a challenge in itself.

But success prevailed!

As we looked over the vast field of trees, I discovered that there was a small lot hidden behind the "Do Not Cut These Trees" lot and headed towards it hoping no one would notice. Ducking under the rope, we stealthly made our way in search of the elusive scotch pine. In no time, we selected the tree of our dreams and proceeded to cut it down. A word to the wise ... Always have someone hold the tree as you crawl under it to cut it down! After crawling out from under the tree after it collapsed on top of me, we dragged its sorry trunk a quarter mile to the bagging station. Putting down $40 (Yikes!) we loaded it onto the car and headed home.

So ... We got our tree with little or no fanfare.

Later on today, I will bring the tree into the house and stick it in the corner. It is now the job of the family to trim it with the decorations. This part is not for me as every year I touch the needles without gloves I break out in this terrible rash... At least that is what I tell the family! Besides... they love doing it anyways!

Cheers!

Did You Ever Wonder... ?

2007-12-07T13:27:00.002-05:00

Did you ever wonder about things?

Throughout our lives, we involve ourselves in various topics of conversation, we take a multitude of things for granted, we assume more than we can imagine and we presume to know about things which we are totally ignorant about and it never occurs to us that we are like this!

Now I am not being judgmental here as I am one of these people. Now if you "know everything" then maybe you can be of some help to me... maybe to all of us others for that matter.

The other day, I asked Google what a Wonder Question was and in about 0.04 seconds (Wow!) it led me to 9,420,000 instances on the Net where I could possibly answer my question.

So... What is a wonder question? Good question!

A Wonder Question is simply a question that starts with "I wonder.... ." Wow! How deep and philosophical!!

Now, when you think about it, there are many things in life that we take for granted and yet very few of those things do we really understand. Take the following question for example... "Why is ocean water salty?" Heck if I know! What about this one... "Why do bottles have different shapes?" Or.... "Why is the engine of an automobile usually up front?"

There are no doubt millions of things we take for granted that we understand and therefore just as many Wonder Questions and if we really didn't have a life, we could take the time to find the answers to a few thousand of them in a lifetime... not much more than that though, I imagine!

So.... How much do you know??

Below are a few questions that I have... Anybody know the answers to them?

1. Was the “apple” in the Garden of Eden really an apple?
2. Why do bottles have different shapes?
3. What makes popcorn pop?
4. What are dog days?
5. Why is ocean water salty?
6. Why does an aircraft carrier float and a penny sink?
7. Can a person get warts from handling a toad?
8. Why are dried grapes called raisins?
9. Why were some of the early bridges in America covered?
10. What is the Coriolis force?

So… only answer these questions if you have the time or have no life. If you are anything like me I imagine I won’t be hearing back from you anywhere in the near future!

Mysterious Vials

2007-12-05T09:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning, we discovered two brown glass vials of liquid on my son's dresser in his bedroom. There was no identifying label on it or the name of any manufacturer. I held it up to the light hoping to determine the colour of the liquid but was unable to do so due to the colour of the glass. Now, we have never known our son to take drugs and the chance that it was an illegal substance was not high on the list but, as a parent, you never discount anything no matter how much you trust your children. There is always a first and we all as parents, hope that their first would always be their last. After careful consideration, my first thought about the vial was that it was a prescription type medicine that came in a lager box with a number of similar vials in it since there was no identification on the glass. I thought that maybe he had simply found these vials or was holding them for someone else. We would have immediately asked him about these vials but he was at work at the time.

Considering that they also might be toxic in nature, I decided to put them in a safe place for the time being. Ironically, I broke one of them in the process and spilled it all over my hands. Now I was plagued with the problem that my skin may have absorbed this substance. I washed it off as soon as I could. Now that that glass had been opened, we could smell the liquid. I thought it smelled like vanilla. His mother thought it smelled like licorice.

The rest of my day was spent in worry. Not because of the possibility of it being drugs as much as it being toxic. I was worried about what now inhabited my body. I wanted to take it to a pharmacist for identification but I also needed to protect my son as he, as far as I was concerned, was innocent until proven guilty. After all, he hadn't hid it from us and, in my estimation, hadn't done anything wrong.

So... Five hours later...

I picked up my son from work and immediately asked him as to what was in those brown vials.

Ginseng extract!

And so, I now owe him 4 dollars for breaking one of the vials he had bought from the health food store! I apologized for breaking it. He shook his head, smiled and called me clumsy!

All in a day's work as a parent!

It Didn't Take Long

2007-11-26T11:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it wasn't too long before my father got sick at the nursing home and ended up in the hospital! He has always had respiratory problems and I suppose that the ol’ pnumococal virus (pneumonia) got the better of him. We thought that he would have to remain in the hospital for four weeks but the doctor’s have narrowed it down to two weeks which will mean that he will be out for Christmas.

My mother is having difficulty in living without him. After 54 years of marriage, living alone is very difficult for her to bear but she is managing. She feels somewhat guilty about all what is happening but she knows that it is for the best.

My sister is coming home from the east coast for the holidays and we are all looking forward to her arrival. I especially am looking forward to her arrival as she has offered to care for my mother and thereby giving me some much needed rest.

So… It has, once again, been a while since I have been around and it is great to catch up on all your blogs! Keep on writing! Keep on sharing!

Christmas Shopping

2007-11-25T00:36:00.002-05:00

So... What's it now? One month until Christmas? If I didn't know that before this morning, I sure knew it when I went shopping today. Fortunately for my credit card, I was able to buy most of everything I need for Christmas... and then some! I bought extra stuff because I was undecided as to what to get my kids. When I finally do decide, I can simply return what I do not need. I do this because, if I wait until just before Christmas, I can never find what I want.

I remember when I was in University; I would end up buying most of my stuff hours if not minutes before closing time on Christmas Eve. Now that I am a little wiser (yah right... charge everything!) I finish my shopping a little earlier.

Now, don't get me wrong... I actually do pay off my credit charges by the end of the month so don't think that I am promoting charging what I cannot afford. I remember when I was much younger and less wise (not that I am really all that wise now!) I would charge and suffer the consequences later. It didn't take long before I wizened up to the dangers of over charging.

So, now that I have done the bulk of my shopping, I can relax a little and listen to the Christmas music in my home and not at Sears, WalMart or the local mall!

Not Enough Time!

2007-11-08T17:17:00.002-05:00

It’s amazing how busy we can get! Over these past few months, project after project, responsibility after responsibility along with many other tasks have gone untouched simply because I have way too much on my plate… or should I say plates. Whether it be for myself or for others, they get put on the back burner for another day.

I suppose that one of my problems is that I take on too much or am burdened by things that take too long to do. Presently, I have become the main caregiver for my parents. This has taken up a lot of my time but being their son, it is my responsibility to carry this task out. Don’t get me wrong; I am on no way complaining about it as I take on this responsibility willingly and out of love for my parents… It’s just difficult. I also am in the process of trying to renovate my house. This summer we renovated the kitchen and painted the outside. We were supposed to redo the bathroom as well but that will have to wait for the spring.

Over the years, I have also spent a considerable amount of time carrying out genealogical research on my side of the family. Now this is somewhat difficult since I was adopted but I have made some headway. I now know for a fact that my birth-mother is of Irish descent. I have often wondered what my true nationality was and now I know… at least half of it. What is ironic however is that I have always had a keen interest in Celtic history. Maybe the interest was in the genes! Since I have no idea of the nationality of my birth-father, I have taken steps to solve this puzzle as well. I have decided to not go into what steps I am taking in this area however since, though I am under the impression that none of my family or friends read this blog, there could always be that possibility of a “spy” and this is too important for me to talk about it at this time. One day I shall report to you in more detail.

So… this is just a mere taste of what is going on in my life right now… I will be sure to update you on everything.

Now please don’t think that I think that I am the only one with a lot of responsibilities… I just think that I am one of the few that fail to properly organize and prioritize my life!

At lease I can say one thing positive about this… I am never bored!

Pills and More Pills!

2007-10-28T09:21:00.002-04:00

Last night, I woke up with one heck of a sore throat! Now it wasn't the ordinary type of sore throat where it is just sore to swallow; it was one where you had this sharp pain in a localized area as well. I could even press the area of my neck and it would hurt. It was bad enough to make me jump out of bed upon the realization that it was there. It was as if someone simply turned on the pain switch in my throat and said “there, is that bad enough for you!?!”

I thought that I was going to die… at that time of night when I want to be fast asleep, any type of pain will make me want to die! Now, thank goodness for pain pills and throat lozenges. With a couple of Extra Strength Advil (one too many, I might add) and a Cēpacol, I headed off back to bed.

Thank God for chemists who invent drugs… Well, at least the legitimate drugs!

Drugs… Speaking about drugs… I have just started taking a multi-vitamin and 3 Omega-3 capsules per day. Now, when you add this to about 5 other pills I swallow a day, it becomes quite a mouthful every morning. When I was young, all I took was a pseudaphedrine for my allergies. Now with all of my ailments, I sometimes feel like a walking pharmaceutical anomaly.

I suppose that, on the other hand, I shouldn’t be complaining about all the meds I take… at least I have a somewhat healthy life and that none of the drugs I take have any side effects… except when I choke to death when I take all of my meds in one gulp due to running late in the morning. So, in retrospect, I suppose I should be thankful to God for the health he has bestowed upon me.

It also occurs to me that I have been blessed with a job which supplies decent benefits that cover all of my prescribed medications. It is also fortunate for me to live in Canada where health care is not a luxury for few but instead a given for everybody.

So... regardless of my sore throat and lack of sleep last night, I truly am blessed!

My Father

2007-10-21T09:22:00.003-04:00

On Friday, we placed my father in a nursing home. It had been a long time coming and my mother, a frail woman, was quickly becoming unable to care for his needs at home. Approximately three years ago, after a car accident, my father was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a cruel disease which robs the mind of many of the brain’s functions. Since then, his short term memory has been reduced to no short term memory at all and many of the day to day functions that my Dad had been unable to carry out, my mother has had to pick up the slack.

So, since Wednesday, we had to prepare my father for the inevitable and on Friday the difficult task was done. Since then, my mother has been an emotional wreck and my father has been trying many creative techniques to have us return and bring him home. Needless to say, it has been an exhausting and trying weekend which, no doubt should spill into the entire next week and beyond.

So, if I seem distracted and out of sorts with my blogging, this is why. I have missed blogging over this past month and maybe getting back to it will be a form of therapy for me… Who knows!

For those who are unfamiliar with Alzheimer’s, check out the following web sites for more information.

http://www.alzheimer.ca/
http://www.alz.org/

Reality Has Bitten

2007-10-18T11:07:00.002-04:00

I created this blog on October 17th, 2006. I had often wanted to start blogging but never really quite got around to it. Despite not knowing what I was going to talk about, my goal was to post something every day so that by this October, I would have 365 posts to my name. Well, we all know about good intentions but we are also aware that reality bites from time to time. All told, I racked up a grand total of 144 posts which runs me about at 39.5% success rating… or is that actually a 60.5% failure? If this was a test of one of my students, they would be taking this course all over again!

So… How did my year go? I started out with a one-a-day post but by the time the spring arrived I was down to one-a-week. This past fall, I again started up with good intentions but reality got in the way and, as you can see, I have been absent since October 2nd. I have actually considered quitting but I just can’t seem to pull this blog off the Net!

… and so I shall continue… Not because I have to but because something inside me compels me to. Also, when I don’t write, I don’t visit and I must admit that, after a year of bloggers such as LGS, Abbagirl, Becky and Cheryl just to name a few, I start to miss their daily posts. By the way, I just noticed that Time After Time is gone … Anyone know why?

Anyways, A lot has happened to me these past couple of months and, as the summer days quickly become fall days, I will fill you all in on what has been happening.

One Degree of Separation

2007-10-01T17:45:00.002-04:00

The other day, a friend of mine recounted an experience of his that occurred when a person asked him if he knew someone simply because they discovered that he was from the same city. I suppose this individual assumed that because he was from Toronto, Ontario, he should know every 4 million plus inhabitants.

Back in the eighties, I attended a university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Now, being form Canada, I too experienced many times where people assumed that since I was Canadian, I should know someone who grew up thousands of miles away in another part of Canada. "Oh, did you go to school with "Wendy Smith?... She was from Canada also!" If I had a nickel for every time I was asked a similar question.... Well, you get the idea.

Well... Just when I thought I had heard everything...

Back in my third year of university, while traveling through the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, we were asked a similar question by a lady from Texas who happened to notice that our car was sporting Ontario, Canada license plates. Walking up to us, she asked us if we knew a Canadian friend of her's by the name of Arna Seiman. Now me being the cocky young man that I was, I was ready to ask her if she knew an American from California by the name of Joe Smith as I knew that it would make my point loud and clear. As I was just about to ask her whether she knew "Joe" or not, it suddenly occurred to me that I might indeed know this Arna girl who she had mentioned.

Well... believe it or not, I had actually met this Arna Seiman about ten years prior to that while my buddy and I were way up north at a cottage for a week. While relaxing at the lake we met up with two cute sisters and had quite a memorable week with them... Well, not that kind of memorable! Now after that week, we never saw them again but the uniqueness of her name never left my mind. After confirming further details with this Texan, it was determined that it was indeed the same Arna.

Now, what's the chance of that happening?? One person from Texas, in an American population of over 300 million meets a person in the middle of the Smokey Mountains and asks him if he knows the only Canadian she knows of out of a population of over 33 million and she hits the jackpot?

Needless to say I was floored! I bet you that the chances of me winning a multimillion dollar lottery would have better odds!

One degree of separation... Well, I suppose that anything is possible!

Spending Time With Your Children

2007-09-26T19:59:00.002-04:00

"Children and parents spend a lifetime trying to see eye to eye and when they finally do, there is very little time left appreciate it."

The other evening, while watching television, I came across the above statement. Before I forgot what it was, I picked up a pencil and piece paper and wrote it down. I suppose that, as a parent, I know how it feels to lock horns with my children and unless we learn to compromise, we remain locked for way too long to the point that days, months or even years go by.

My daughter and I were in that position for most of her high school career and I regret it to this day. Fortunately, as she became mature and older and I became just plain older, we found a way to see eye to eye... well, for the most part.

This is a good thing since now we can concentrate on the positive things in life instead of the little things that can grow to an unbearable weight.

I want to be able to spend the rest of my life enjoying my children without constantly disagreeing with them. If there is anything that I have learned from my daughter it is that she has a heck of a lot to offer this world and I, being a part of this world and most certainly a part of her life, can benefit from her, not only as my daughter, but also as a person I can now see eye to eye with.

I suppose that the moral to this story is... "Don't waste time disagreeing with them when instead you could spend time loving them."

Something for all of us to consider!

My Son's New Computer

2007-09-23T10:08:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, my son built himself a computer...

For as long as I can remember, we have had two or three computers in the house. Except for the first non-Pentium, 486DX 4-100 computer which we bought in 1995, I had built all of our computers. Over the years, with pieces from here and pieces from there, we have had computers good enough for everyday use but not good enough for my son's "real gaming."

Well, with all the hours he worked at his part time job at the local Tim Horton's coffee place, he was able to save up for all the parts he needed to build his powerhouse system. I tried to talk him into simply buying a new computer but he insisted on building his own... sort of a family tradition, I suppose... not to mention the pressure he received from his gaming buddies. I believe that, in the long run, he made the right decision.

So...After three long months of saving all his pennies, we ordered all the parts he needed and yesterday was the day!

Late in the evening, we cleared off the kitchen table and spread out all the parts. After about a hundred "Dad be careful" warnings from my son and after my near anxiety attack of not wanting to blow up the thing, the computer was finally completed.

I must admit that I have never seen him so proud of his accomplishments!

I am proud of him. I am proud of his skills, determination and desire to accomplish new things as he moves from "youthhood" to manhood. I have no doubt that he will accomplish all kinds of goals on his new system... Hopefully that will also include accomplishing his schoolwork! Actually I have no doubt he will.

After all was done, he placed his hand on my shoulder and said "Thanks Dad, I really appreciate your help." To me, that made it all worthwhile!

Port Dover's Brave

2007-09-15T23:52:00.002-04:00

James McDonald, Nelson Walker, Covel Rankin, James Patterson, John Wilson, John Mummery, Darryl Clement, John Walsh... Sounds like an honour roll. Now if you ask the residents of Port Dover, Ontario, Canada, they would most certainly agree as each of these men, risked and gave their lives for the livelihood of their town.

Over the years, hundreds of men and women of Port Dover and surrounding areas lost their lives as professional fisherman as they went out in the wee hours of the morning to catch Lake Erie perch. Fishing was their livlihood and they were good at it as their nets brought in a catch that that would rival catches from many other ports around. To this day, while walking down the pier, you would be hard pressed to not come across a number of folk related to these brave souls of years gone by.

At the entrance of the pier, you can find a memorial to these fishermen from years gone by who lost their lives at sea while on the job. Each and every one of the names of the fisherman that never returned to port have been engraved in stone around this memorial. While taking the time to read off the many names, you would quickly recognize many of the surnames and, upon further investigation, realize that many of today's boat crews are related to those who perished.

Now, though I may enjoy going fishing on a creek or small lake somewhere, you certainly wouldn't find me making fishing a career! The movie The Perfect Storm comes to mind when I think of topic of the dangers of professional fishing and that alone would convince me find a safer profession.

So, if you ever get the chance to walk the pier at Port Dover, Ontario, Canada, stop and take the time to read off a few of the names of the brave men and women who lost their lives while working the waters of Lake Erie. As you walk away, I have no doubt that you would hold a greater respect for those who head out to sea in order to provide for their families and their town. I know I did!

So.... Here I Was Minding My Own Business!

2007-09-11T22:27:00.002-04:00

So… Here I was minding my own business when all of a sudden… Wham!!! Wrong place at the wrong time… My life’s story! And yet, though this was most certainly an accident, it was not a car accident… It was an accident of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So… As I previously mentioned, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden, while running down one of my favorite trails, I came across something I wished I hadn’t seen…. Now, usually when I run, I zone out. There are two types of runners… Associative and dissociative runners. The associative ones are ones who concentrate on there stride, breathing, surroundings etc. The dissociative ones, such as myself, zone out and think of anything else but what they are doing. In times like these, I can run an entire 10 miles without evening realizing or taking note of where I am, whether I am tired, thirsty or even dying!

So… As I previously mentioned, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden, while running down one of my favorite trails, I came across something I wish I hadn’t seen… Two of my friends! One of my pet peeves is that, no matter where I go, I always run across people who I know. What can’t there be just one time I can go somewhere without being seen? I go to the mall… I see a friend of my parents. I go to a basketball game… I see a former co-worker of mine. I go to the theatre in another city… I see someone from my neighborhood. I can’t win! Sometimes I just want to be invisible.

So… As I previously mentioned, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden, while running down one of my favorite trails, I came across something I wish I hadn’t seen… Two of my friends and they were kissing! Actually a little bit more friendlier than that! To say the least, they were quite embarrassed! Now, the way I look at it, if you are going to carry on like that, just make sure that you are in a place where you will not be seen. Now, I know that some might have no problem showing affection in front of others regardless of the consequences, but just make sure you are prepared for the unexpected such as me going out for a run!

So… As I previously mentioned, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden, while running down one of my favorite trails, I came across something I wish I hadn’t seen… Two of my friends and they were kissing! Actually a little bit more friendlier than that! Now, when they saw me, they froze at my sight with their eyes wide open and jaws dropped to their chest as they watched me, trying to wash the look of utter surprise from my face, slow down to a crawl. All I could say to them was “Hey! How’s it going?” Instead of continuing on my run, I just had to ask them as to the welfare of each of their spouses! I sometimes just can't leave well enough alone! I know... I should have just kept running!

I have not seen them since that day and I seriously doubt that I will be seeing them on that trail ever again! Needless to say, that I have now become even more of a dissociative runner!

These Kids Are My Life

2007-09-08T18:16:00.002-04:00

If you are a parent then you know what I am speaking about...

I was just sitting here when I wandered across a photograph of my children on the Internet while checking out their facebooks. As I sat here looking at them, I was in awe as to how fortunate I was to have them in my life. Now I know that, over the past years, I have gotten them pretty mad at me from time to time but I do know that, in between those "time to times," they sincerely love me.

They are my life. They make my life worth living. Take them away from me and it would feel like I would have nothing to live for. Yah, I know... I am being overly emotional right? Yah well... as a parent, I think we all have the right to be emotional from time to time. Don't you agree?

One thing I have often prayed for is that, no matter what happens to their mother or me, they will always be close. Over the years, I can be proud to say that, though they have had their differences, they have always been involved in each other's lives. I know my son would never admit it, he is proud of his sister and I know that she is very proud of him.

My daughter is in her second year of college and, in a couple of years, she could very well be far away from her brother but I do know, from what I have seen, distance will never be an issue between them.

So there! ... I feel blessed!

Wendy's Baconator

2007-09-07T23:36:00.002-04:00

So, what's with the "Baconator!?!?"

From what I can tell, fast food outlets throughout the world are beginning to see common sense through the promotion of healthier food to their menus. Kentucky Fried Chicken has introduced zero trans fats while McDonalds has concentated on making their fries and chicken products as healthy as possible. Wendy's has introduced a new line of sandwiches named "Frescata Sandwiches" while Burger King has introduced their "Lean & Green menu. Over the past decade, this has been brought about by pressure groups in an attempt to cut back on heart disease through promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Wendy's has been my favorite burger joint for quite some time now simply because I have believed that they have offerred the best choice for healthier foods. I have often ordered the Mandarin Chicken Salad (25.0g fat) since with all those greens, fruits and lean chicken in it, who could go wrong? This past year, they came out with the new Frscata Sandwiches boasting a moderate 34 grams of fat which is not too bad considering other sandwiches on the market. So, as a result, thay have had my vote in the healthy fast food market... until now.

Recently, Wendy's introduced a new sandwich called the "Baconator." Between the buns, Wendy's has inserted six (yes, six!) strips of bacon, two 1/4lb beef slabs, 2 slices of processed and a dallop of mayonaise totalling to a total of 51 grams of fat, 830 friggen calories, 170mg of cholesterol, 1920mg of sodium and weighing in at 6/10 of a frackin pound!

Now, what's with that?!?!? If this is not a heart attack waiting to happen, I don't know what is!

And so I must rethink my decision to call Wendy's the healthiest fast food restaurant... Which also brings up another point... Isn't fast food and healthy an oxymoron? Anyways, I shall continue to eat at Wendy's by sticking to their healthier menu choices. I shall stay away from sandwiches such as the Baconator and stick to the leaner choices offerred. If there ever was a pressure group needed to fight the high fat sandwiches, it is now!

By the way, just as I finished this post, I realized that there was an even unhealthier sandwich on Wendy's list... Weighing in at 410 grams, 980 calories, 59 grams of fat and 2070mg of sodium... the 3/4lb Triple with Cheese!

Anyways... gotta fly! The pizza guy is at the door with my large double cheese, bacon, ham and pepperoni Pizza!

How Much Did I Accomplish?

2007-09-04T14:21:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day back since I left on holidays back in July. Today’s weather was perfect for a long bike ride or a quiet day of fishing but alas, my employer, the school board ~~requested~~ demanded my attendance. It was the first day in over five weeks that I wore a long pair of pants and a dress shirt since beach wear or biking wear was most certainly not the coolest thing to wear in front of the class!

So, after a large coffee, I made my way into class and prepared for the first day of school. Needing my attendance book, I unlocked the file cabinet and pulled open the drawer. The first thing I saw was a note I had written to myself on the last day of school. It read: “How much did you accomplish this summer? Are you satisfied?” “Wow!” I thought to myself as I stood there for a long moment pondering exactly what I really did accomplish this summer.

As I look back on this summer, I must admit that I didn’t exactly accomplish everything that I set out to do and yet, there were a number of tasks that I set out to finish that I did complete. I suppose that I could sit here and try to justify why I didn’t do everything but I am not going to because there is more to summer and more to holidays than working your butt off.

And so… How much did I accomplish? I accomplished about half of what I wanted to do. What did I do with the other half of the summer? I enjoyed it and I am satisfied that I chose to do just that!

And so I am back to the real world of work! Yuck!! Actually, it’s really not so bad! As I look to this fall, I have a number of tasks that I need to do along with the ones I did not do over the summer and yet I know that, though I will slug away at attempting to complete each and every thing, I will also find some time to relax and enjoy life. I hope you can do the same!

Good to be back!

Say Cheese!

2007-08-31T22:48:00.003-04:00

Not too long ago I attended the graduation ceremony of the school where I teach. It brought back memories of when I was once a young high school graduate. It also reminded me of when my daughter graduated as well.

Now as I observed these excited high school students as they received their diploma, I couldn't help but watch them as they posed for their parents and loved ones to snap that soon to be memorable photograph. Well, actually, they didn't really just pose... they posed and posed and posed and posed and... well you get the idea. These poor students waitied forever for their family to snap the shot simply because their family could not snap the shot due to weak batteries in their cameras. Now I am not speaking about one family but practically every individual that wanted to take that memorable picture had to wait for the batteries to recharge... Now why the heck couldn't they come prepared with fully charged batteries... It's not as if they were caught off guard... they have had the entire lifetime of their children to get ready. Now I can understand if they didn't know until an hour before that their kid was graduating but this was not the case and even if it was, couldn't they have stopped off at the corner store to pick up a couple of Duracell AAA's?

Poor kids... smiling there frozen in time while waiting for that blasted flash to tempoarily blind them! I just gotta feel sorry for them.

So, folks.... you got a kid graduating in the next few years? Be prepared and get yourself some real batteries that actually work or else to are going to have a pretty ticked off kid wondering what your problem is not to mention the entire crowd wondering exactly what I was wondering all evening .... "Why aren't they prepared!"

Lost

2007-08-29T22:46:00.002-04:00

I have spent a portion of my summer days watching TV. Yes... believe it or not folks, I took time off blogging to watch TV! Well ... not exactly but I did watch more than I planned though I did, however, spend a lot of time renovating the ol' house (which I shall speak about at a later date) and mountain biking.

Three years ago, a TV series called Lost hit hit airways. I was eagerly looking forward to becoming a fan of the series but that became short-lived when I missed part two of the series premiere. Now three years later, I decided to find out what all the rave is by playing catch up on the first three seasons so that I could watch season four this fall.

Now, for those who know nothing about this particular series, Lost is a popular serial drama television series that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a tropical island after a passenger jet flying between Australia and the United States crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. Each episode typically features a primary storyline on the island as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life.

Well, by the end of the first episode, I was hooked and now, after 71 forty-two minute episodes (50 whopping hours worth!) of Lost, I can't wait until this season arrives. I know... get a life Dave! For those who enjoy topics concerning how our lives are more intertwined with those around us more than we realize, I would suggest this series as a possible form of TV entertainment... just be prepared to play catch up ... fifty hours worth!!

Inner Light

2007-08-28T14:12:00.002-04:00

Last Year, I mentioned the television series "Star Trek." in six of my posts. Now, I don't believe that I dedicated an entire post to any particular storyline since I know that many have no interest in that particular subject but today I would like to break with tradition. I trust that, if you are not a Star Trek fan, you will read this post anyways since there is a point to me posting this and not just a report of what I watched the other night on Television.

Last evening as I watched television, I came across an episode of Star Trek the Next generation which just so happened to be one of my favorite episodes of all the Star Trek series. The title of the episode was "Inner Light."

In this episode, Picard staggers and is rendered unconscious when the Enterprise encountered a small, unassuming probe of ancient design which seemingly poses no threat. When Picard awakens, he finds himself no longer on the Enterprise but in a small, cozy home with a strange woman. He is astounded to discover that the woman, Eline, is his wife and that he is known as Kamin, an iron weaver on the planet of Kataan. As far as Eline knows, he has always been Kamin.

Picard cannot accept that his life aboard the Enterprise has all been some kind of wild dream. But there is no escape from his situation. With the patient help of Eline and his good friend Batai, Picard comes to accept his life as Kamin. He is given the opportunity to experience things that he never would have on the Starship Enterprise... an opportunity to raise children, the experience of marriage to an adoring woman, the enjoyment of becoming a grandfather. His relationship with Eline bears fruit and he becomes the father to two children, a boy and a girl. Kamin's old existence as Picard is not forgotten but it fades into the background.

Towards the end of the episode, they reveal to Picard the purpose of him being brought to their planet. They told him that he was brought to their planet so he could learn about their culture and tell others about them as their planet ws dying. It seems that they had sent the probe out into space to make contact with someone, connect with their mind and provide a life experience in the form of a dream.

Once this was accomplished and the dream was over, Picard awoke on the Enterprise where he reall was all the time with a lifetime of experiences of the civilization on Kataan. His experience on Kataan which appeared to last a lifetime, had really only lasted twenty minutes.

What an experience! To be able to live an entire life and yet, at its conclusion, to be given a second chance to live yet another life. So often throughout our lives, we make choices that we later on regret. How often we wish that we could live some part of our life over again? Wishful thinking! Unfortunately, in real life, we never get that chance.

During Picard's life on Kataan, he learned to play a pennywhistle flute. After he awoke, he still was able to play this instrument after they found the flute inside the probe. The song that he played at the conclusion of this episode has become one of my favorite pieces of music. Below is the tune with a selection of a few of the scenes throughout the episode. Enjoy!

Since I will never be given the opportunity to experience in my life what Jean Luc Picard experienced on the planet Kataan, I will have to make sure that I live my life here on earth to the fullest and be thankful that protect the only life I have been given so that, if I am given the opportunity to reminisce before I die, I will reminisce with as few regrets as possible knowing that I lived my life to the fullest.

Johnny Cash... Certainly One of my Favorite

2007-08-27T19:44:00.002-04:00

Here I am sitting at my computer in the catacombs of my basement tapping out the words to my next post while listening to the depressing words of Johnny Cash. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Johnny Cash… Actually I love the guy and have been listening to him ever since I was a child in my father's den amongst many of his albums but there is just something depressing about much of his his music. Currently, as I am sitting here, he is singing the words to his song “I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Now there’s a song that would cheer you spirits!

Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I’m so lonesome I could cry

I’ve never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he’s lost the will to live
I’m so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I’m so lonesome I could cry

You have to wonder why I would enjoy his music so much. What is it that I relate to? I never went to Fulsome Prison or San Quentin for that matter. I have never walked the line nor have I ever gambled nor done cocaine. I have never wanted to kill my father for calling me Sue nor have I been on death row waiting for a pardon. As a matter of fact, I have never ever thrown a shot of whiskey down my gullet and yet I feel as if I can relate to his music. Maybe it is the lonesome part I relate to and yet I have all the friends I need. Maybe it was just his down-to-earth music that touched the lives of the working class and hard luck cases.

… And yet I love his music on each of the above topics and listen to the words of each and every song each and every time I play them.

As I sit here, he is now singing Amazing Grace, a song I have heard “a million” times before and I still enjoy it.

Now that I have been sitting here in this cold and damp room, I am starting to feel warmer while listening to his burning ring of fire, a song that Preparation H recently wanted to incorporate into one of their commercials but was turned down by him family.

So, in conclusion, if you ever want to experience a unique form of music, try Johnny Cash’s and if you ever wonder about where some of my inspiration will be coming from this year, you can thank Johnny for that!

For those who are interested, here is one of my favorite songs by Johnny Cash along with a couple of "extras" at the end of it.

Cheers!

I'm Back... Well Almost!

2007-08-26T23:37:00.002-04:00

On June 16th, I posted a summer farewell to my many friends here on Blogspot. I wasn't 100% sure that I would return but here I am... I'm just curious to know how many of you thought that I wouldn't return. Hmmmm.... I wouldn't blame you though since you probably have seen quite a number of fellow bloggers go by the wayside over the years.

As I perused over my favorite blogs, I was pleased to see that most of you have remained faithful which is great to see. I was also grateful to see that many of you have kept my blogsite on your list of favorites. For this, I am honored.

I see that a few of you have changed the look of your blogs as well. I have spent countless hours trying to change the look of my blog but have had some difficulty in doing so as I just can't seem to get it right... even when I use templates from outside of Blogspot.com. I have decided therefore to stick with what I already have and keep that darn lighthouse blog for another year... maybe.

So... It is great to be back. It will take me a while to get back into the swing of things so please be patient. Once the school year begins, I should be well on my way.

Talk to you soon!

Have a Great Summer Y'all!

2007-06-16T23:27:00.003-04:00

This is to let you all know that I have decided to take a break from posting until the fall. I look forward to getting back to all my blogging friends once the summer is over. Have a great summer y'all!

Happy Mothers Day Mum!

2007-05-13T09:30:00.002-04:00

Mothers Day... What a great opportunity to celebrate the ladies who nurtured us throughout our formative years! My mother is a special lady to me. Now I emphasize "to me" since I have no doubt that all of the mothers here in "blogland" are special to their children as well and I would hate to be accused of insinuating that my mother is the only special mother around because she certainly is not. I want to congratulate each of you mothers here in “blogland” who have spent a major part of your lives raising children with the utmost love and dedication.

M now my mother’s name is Pamela. Her friends called her Pam, my father sometimes called her Pammy while my sister and I called her Mum. If I were to describe her, it would go like this. She is a meek lady with a heart of gold. A very religious lady, who believes that when she dies, she will go to heaven because she takes the Bible literally where it says that "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) She is the most sincere individual whom I have ever known and the least hypocritical. There were times when I thought that she may have been overly "religious" and yet it never bothered me since she was a lady who always walked the walk and talked the talk. Maybe the “overly religiousness” that I thought I saw was nothing but the realization of my lack of living the Christian life that I should have lived.

She was a dedicated mother who strove to teach me true Christian values. Though I never quite got that part of my life right, I have never wavered in the beliefs that she taught me throughout my childhood. My mother spent as much time teaching me through her actions as she did her words. Maybe one day I can get my actions on track and then maybe, just maybe, I could practice what I preach just like her.

My mother has had a rough life. She spent many an hour asking God for strength to get here through her trails and tribulations. She sacrificed much of her life looking out for us kids, making sure were clean, well dressed, well fed, educated and prepared for our future. I am sure that there were things in her personal life that she would have liked to have accomplished other than wiping my snotty nose and yet she shelved much of that out of love for my sister and me.

My mother is now into the later stages of life and, like most people in their twilight years, is frail and in need of care... Now that's where I come in. My mother now needs me and I am there... not because it is my duty but because it is now my turn to repay the time that she invested in my life for without her investment in me, I would not be the man that I now am.

So Mum, I hope I can one day measure up to the person that you are! Thanks for your love, thanks for your dedication and just plain "thanks" for each and every minute that you invested into my life! I love you Mum!

Happy Mothers Day!

Okay… What’s With This?!?

2007-04-28T17:10:00.002-04:00

Over the years, hiking and rollerblading have been staple ways of exercising one’s heart in an effort to keep the blood pressure down and the heart strong. Nothing is better than getting out there for some good clean fresh air and wholesome exercise… Don’t you agree?

I was in Toronto picking up my daughter from college this morning and, as I was driving past the boardwalk along the shores of Lake Ontario, I couldn’t help but notice a number of rollerbladers rolling up and down the boardwalk. Each one of them looked fit… Each one of them looked happy. Later on that day, as I cruised past some walking trails, I also noticed some hikers… young children and teenagers all the way up to senior citizens. Again, each of them, except for one man, again looked fit and happy.

Now what does that tell you? Well, what it tells me is that, in order to stay in shape; you must “work at it.” Now, this is not a post about keeping fit nor is it a post on staying happy… It’s a post on staying safe!

The rollerbladers were not on the streets rollerblading. They were safely on a boardwalk designed for such activity. The hikers were also on a hiking trail far from people who drive like my wife… and “no” she does not read my blog!

Shortly after arriving home from picking up my daughter, I picked up a flyer from our local Canadian Tire hardware store and perused through its pages. Page by page I made my way through it until I came across page ten. I looked at it for a while and then made my way to the proceeding pages. Something in the back of my head kept bugging me about page ten and so I returned to it… After taking another good look at the photograph and the product that they were selling, I couldn’t help but think that there was something definitely wrong with what I was looking at… An active hiker wearing rollerblades on a hiking trail. Now, if I am not mistaken, there is something definitely wrong with this form of exercise… it’s just downright unsafe!

Imagine flying down a trail of mixed surfaces with holes, debris, loose gravel, rocks cliffs, water and who knows what else when all of a sudden danger lurks … this lady in the photo would not survive! Oh, I know… she has a helmet! Well, at least she might remain conscious after her head bounces of the boulder… that way she would be very well aware of her body careening off the side of the embankment! I also suppose that she is also playing it safe with those knee, wrist and elbow protectors… they should really help as she rolls face first into a solid maple tree! You get my drift?

Upon closer inspection of these un-cool looking rollerblades, you would also notice that there appears to be no braking system on them! Now, call me a worry wart but I would think that, not having a braking system on this product would not be advantageous to one’s physical health!

The advertisement states that “these multi terrain skates with large wheels make dirt, gravel and grass easy to handle." I cannot ever imagine rollerblades on anything else than a hard debris-free surface ever being easy to handle or a safe or wholesome form of exercise… not unless you are desperate enough to find yourself in the local hospital physiotherapy centre after ripping out the tendons of your ankles as you failed to negotiate a curve in the trail.

Now, I don’t know about you but I think that I will pass up the opportunity to fork out $130 for these babies and the hundreds of dollars for the medical bills later.

What will they think of next?

I Have Not Totally Disappeared

2007-04-27T09:52:00.002-04:00

Over these past seven months, I have spent much time in not only writing my posts but also reading and commenting on others as well. Due to things that are going on in my life at this time, I have had to scale back on exercising my creative juices. Though I really enjoy doing this, I have also had to scale back on commenting on each of the posts that many of you take time to submit. This does NOT mean that I have ceased to carry out my regular post reading at each of your blogs. I read your blogs because I find them interesting, enlightening and, in many cases, darn hilarious! All I ask is that you please don't think I have simply closed up shop and disappeared because I have not. I may be invisible for the time being but I am still around.

Mad World

2007-04-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

I first came across this song while watching an Xbox commercial for a particular game that Microsoft was endorsing. I am not sure as to what attracted me to this song other than its sad and lonely style. While listening to it, it was as if the words reached down into my heart and pulled out all of my insecurities, hurts and depressed feelings that I had ever felt throughout my life. I don’t consider myself to be a lonely person and yet I was caught off guard by the way I felt while listening to the song. Maybe I am not as secure as I thought. It was certainly not one of the happier songs that I enjoy but there was something so haunting in it that I just had to stop and take note.

Later on, while reading the lyrics, I couldn’t help but picture what message that the song writer was trying to paint in our mind. I had yet to see the video that went along with this video but I could imagine that in it, a boy would be standing alone on a crowded sidewalk while watching the throngs passed him without even knowing he was even there. Such a lonely feeling!

While listening to the second verse, I imagined this same young boy sitting alone in a class full of students and yet being ignored by those around him including his teacher. Again, such a lonely feeling!

Throughout our society today, there are millions of lonely people spread out amongst the billions of others around them and yet, the unbearable feeling of loneliness that they experience is a cruel and crushing reminder of how one can feel so alienated in a fast moving world we live in.

If we would just stop for a moment and look around us, we would quickly see these individuals in our homes, schools and work places. When an opportunity arises, take time to walk by and observe children in your neighbourhood schoolyard and you would immediately see those children sitting by themselves while those around them are busy playing with their friends. If we would simply take the time to filter out the schoolyard noises and take time to listen to the silence of the lonely we could at least get a glimpse of the loneliness that they are experiencing.

While at work, if we would just take the time to look at those lonely people around us instead of worrying about looking at our watches, smoking our cigarettes, drinking our coffee or flirting with our co-workers, we would get a glimpse of what it would be like if we were the ones on the other side of the fence. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

These feelings of isolation, loneliness and invisibility can be very depressing and with the masses walking by the lonely on the crowded sidewalks of our lives without even a glimpse towards the one standing alone can be a crushing experience to them as they watch the others rush by.

Sometimes we need to “stop and smell the coffee.” We need to become empathetic individuals by taking the time to look out for our fellow man and help them feel that they too are important as well.

Sometimes we just need to show that we care… How difficult can that be?

Just a thought.

Mad World
by
Gary Jules

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World
Mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World
Mad World
Enlarging your world
Mad World.

History's Evil - Rasputin

2007-04-12T10:48:00.002-04:00

The ‘Mad Monk’ who brought down a dynasty

On April 4th of this year, I submitted a post regarding a book I was reading titled “The Most Evil Men and Women in History” by Miranda Twiss. I promised that, as I make my way through this book, I would report to you what I had learned about the some of the individuals covered. I have not made much headway into this book but I have completed a few chapters on a number of individuals. I must admit that, though I thought I knew all about the one’s I have covered so far, I was soon to learn how wrong I was.

The first “evil individual” that I read about was Rasputin.

Rasputin was born around the year of 1869 in Serbia Russia. Not much is recorded about his early life other than some trivia regarding his family and childhood. He was born into a peasant family in Pokrovskoe.

As he reached adulthood, he made his way up from the lowest rung of society to become one of the most hated men in Russia. Prior to his death, he was instrumental in setting in motion the annihilation of the 300 year old Romanov dynasty and thereby changing the future of the Russian citizens in ways that have adversely affected them even to this day.

To many Russians, he was considered to be a holy man. He was uneducated as he never attended school. He was also virtually illiterate, a heavy drinker, a brawler and a thief. He was regarded a saint, a sinner and a devil by all those who knew him.

His influence upon many powerful people in Russia was cause for grave concern. Even Nicholas II and his wife Alexandria were taken in by his influence to the point that many decisions made by the Monarchy, were directly influenced by this so called “holy man” who advocated religious beliefs that promoted murder, corruption, extortion and debauchery. His influence upon them caused thousands of Russian soldiers to perish in wars against countries such as Germany. His advice caused the citizens of Russia to lose confidence in their Monarchy as well as their government.

Over the years when Rasputin was on a wave of control over much of the country's leaders, people tried to unsuccessfully “dethrone” his influence but failed resulting in thier death. No matter what, he was kept in the highest regards and thereby protected by the members of the Romanov Dynasty.

In December 1916, his bloated and castrated body was dragged from the freezing waters of the River Neva in St. Petersburg. Upon the notice of his death, millions of Russians celebrated the death of this ‘mad monk.’

In a letter written before his death, he predicted demise of the Tsar and his family. 74 days after his death, on July 18, 1918 the prediction came true as the Tsar’s entire family was assassinated in the basement of an isolated farmhouse. Since then, Rasputin’s name has been associated with disaster of an empire.

So, there you go… a mad monk who destroyed a nation. I cannot help but wonder how the history of Russia would have been different had Rasputin not had so much influence in that country. It is my opinion that nothing good can come from when a person is given so much power and influence upon those in leadership. There is something to be said of “for the people…by the people.”

Before I Die.

2007-04-10T13:05:00.002-04:00

Some of you may have preciously read this post before but for some reason I had pulled it. I am not sure why but none the less, I found it in my drafts. The topic of this post is very dear to me in that it is something I have imagined on many occasion. Maybe one day my dream for this to happen will come true!

In my dream, I am a very old man. I look over the crowd ... I am about to speak. This is the day I have been waiting for all of my life and it has finally come. If I were to die tomorrow, I would die happily as I would have fulfilled a dream. All ages out there in the audience … all wondering what I am about to say ... all waiting in silence. I can't see them all in the slightly darkened room since my eyesight isn't as clear as it once was many years ago. I have to stay seated because my hips and knees are all but shot and my strength isn't as it once was. I find it hard to breath, stand and talk all at the same time for very long.

Nervously, I clear my throat and proceed to speak into the microphone. The crowd is startled by the squelch from the microphone. I begin again.

“I have been waiting many years to impart on you what is on in my heart and in my soul…”

The people in the room listen to what I have to say. They are more than casually interested in what I am about to impart … They are personally interested for they are my family … three, four, five generations worth … all of them about to hear what may be my last words ever to the group … at least that is what I have dreamed about for many a year.

If this dream was to come true, I would take the opportunity to tell each one of them about how proud I am of them. I would tell them that I love each and every one of them with every piece of my being. I would encourage each of them to live their life to the fullest. I would encourage them to always remain a family. I would explain to them the importance of being there for each other for support and encouragement. I would tell them to never miss an opportunity to tell the family around them that they love them and will always be there for them.

I would speak clearly. I would speak slowly. I would speak with such a love in my heart. I would speak with tears in my eyes.

I don’t have much of a legacy to give to my family; I have made many mistakes and have a few regrets, but I do have one thing I could give them and that is the love I have for them and the pride I have of them. This pride and Love I have is not for what they have or have not done but for who they are … My family!

So, maybe, now that I think about it, I will have a legacy to share after all! It is called Love. Maybe my dreams will be fulfilled in that, when I die, my family will remember me for what I have been to them throughout my life … a family member who loved them and was very proud of them.

Easter Comments and Opinions Shared and Respected

2007-04-09T22:42:00.002-04:00

The other day, I had the opportunity to read an “Easter related” post from a fellow blogger who I read from often. Her position was to question of the validity of Christ being the true Son of God. I couldn’t help but read the comments afterwards and was amazed to find that all of the posts tended to agree with the blog’s author and took turns to take their shots at Christianity, Easter along with any other topic they could think of regarding Christianity. Now the beauty of blogging is that everyone out there has the right to their opinion and therefore, in the spirit of blogging, I choose to respect theirs but that does not mean that I have to agree in what they say.

In turn, I chose to comment on not only the blog but also on the comments. Below is how I commented…

"It surprises me how so many take so much time in slamming Jesus Christ if all he was fake or a phoney. Which also makes me wonder... How does a "fake god" command so much attention of billions of people throughout the ages of time (thousands of years.) You would think that if all he is is fake then why even bother writing about Him and commenting about him. I also find it disappointing that there are no "believing bloggers" taking the time to fight up for those who slam their Saviour. I for one believe.
To each their own I suppose. That is what this world is about... Respecting each other's opinions and beliefs.

Have a Happy Easter! :-)"

Now the author of the blog was gracious to respond to my comment and this is what she said…

"Dave - Probably there are not many believing bloggers reading my blog. Or those that are, unlike you don't dare speak up. Good for you then for saying your piece. Life would be boring if everyone thought the same. And your opinion is respected here."

Now that is what blogging is all about … respecting others opinions and I truly appreciate her comment. Thank you Jazz.

This morning it occurred to me that, though I did comment regarding my belief in Christ, I was somewhat guilty of doing exactly what I was critical towards others were doing or, should I say, failing to do… Tell others what Eater means to me. Now, if you want to head to a blog that did, in my estimation a phenomenal job at this, then I suggest that you go to Lone Grey Squirrel’s blog! LGS, thanks so much for your photos, videos and words exclaiming the story of God’s sacrifice of delivering his Son for our sins. I think you deserve a “Christian Blogger’s Award” if there ever was one (is there?).

This morning, though a few days too late, I was going to submit a post on my belief of the Easter story but posting one would not do justice to what LGS submitted. I would feel like I was reinventing the wheel. So, I shall wait for another opportunity to proclaim my faith in Jesus Christ.

Anyways, for those who celebrate the true meaning of Easter… I sincerely hope that you had a wonderful Easter by celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour!

Cranes and Billboards

2007-04-07T20:32:00.002-04:00

A number of years ago, a main highway consisting of three lanes each way made its way through our city. Before that, all we had were smaller highways. Ever since we were "blessed" with increased traffic, we were also “blessed” with increased construction. Over the past couple of months buildings have been cropping up in every part of our city. I was driving down one of the main roads the other day when I observed six tall cranes in the vicinity of one intersection. Now, keep in mind that I drive that way a number of times every day and this was the first time I noticed this many cranes. I do not consider myself to be blind in one eye and unable to see out of the other but I swear that I never saw any of these cranes being built. I drive by in the morning. I drive by twice in the afternoon and I drive by after work but I never had the opportunity to see them rise from the ground.

Come to think of it, of all the cranes I have seen in my lifetime, I have never seen a single one being put together. So... What really happens? Do they just like appear out of nowhere? Does someone just finger snap them into existence? Have any of you ever seen them built before? Or have they simply just appeared?

Something else seems to simply appear without my knowing… New billboards. The reason billboards are constructed is so that people such as us regular folk will notice them as we drive by. They are built in areas where we are bound to notice them and yet... How many of us have ever seen someone putting them up or stripping them off? I mean, I swear that a different one goes up every week on billboards throughout the city but I only seem to notice them when they are already up. I can almost guarantee that I have yet to see a billboard guy in the past year or two years or three or...

So what is it? Am I again blind? Am I simply unobservant to these phenomenons? Or do they just happen to grow and appear?

I have often sworn that I would sit in front of a billboard and wait for some guy to come along and change it but I assume that it would be a waste of time. Have you ever tried watching a pot of water boil? Have you ever tried to watch a clock change? Remember the saying? A watched pot never boils or a watched clock never changes? Well I think that there is some truth to those sayings.

Maybe at least once this summer I can be a witness to an historic event like the “changing of the sign” or the “growing of the cranes” and when I do, I shall report them to you. I suppose that if I am going to do all this, I should also witness the “boiling of the pot” and “changing of the clock.”

I think I need to get a life!

Memories Brought back to Life

2007-04-06T23:37:00.002-04:00

Kodak slides…You remember those things? Little pieces positive film in a cardboard frame? Well, it has been a long time since I pulled out my old slide projector to view them and it wasn’t until I found a small collection of them while snooping around in one of my father’s desk drawers did I have reason to do so. Well… I wasn’t really snooping as I was really looking for something that my dad needed and had lost. Fortunately I looked there because had I not, I would have missed out on memories that I had forgotten all about.

Coming across this small collection of memories, I pulled each of them out and peered at them hoping to see the content of these slides. I couldn’t really see them very well so I brought them home and slid them into the projector for proper viewing. Though it was fairly difficult to see them on my coloured wall, it didn’t take me very long to realize that I had never seen them before.

My next plan was to scan them in order to have them turned into photographs. Later that day I went to the local computer store and purchased a scanner that had the ability to scan slides. Within a 24 hour period, I had the digital product there on my screen and 24 hours later I had the 4 by 6 prints in my hand. My final task was to return the scanner to the store as I no longer needed it. Okay! Okay! Please don’t be “hatin’ me” for my questionable actions but I just figure that as long as big box stores are willing to have a satisfaction guaranteed promotion I might as well take them up on it… I was satisfied and so I returned it! Yah, I know! I know! Just trying to justify my actions…

Anyways… Back to the slides I was mentioning (changing the subject…).

The photographs turned out to be photographs that nobody had seen before. You see, in my experience, when you take slide photos, you only really see them once unless you are prepared to take the slide projector out, rack up the slides in the carousel, focus the projector, set up the screen, turn on the projector only to realize that you inserted the slides in upside down, yank them out and reposition them, put the lights out, trip over the power cord … and now you know why we ever saw them at all let alone once. It is also quite possible that we never saw them in the first place since my parents never owned a slide projector and the slides were taken only months before we left England for Canada at my ripe old age of six.

I stood at the WalMart Photo Center flipping through the photos that I had just picked up… Talk about taking one back to their childhood! There were a few photos of my sister and I arm in arm, photos of my parents younger than what I am now as well as a number of family photos. There was also a photograph of me holding the same camera that I spoke of in my post on March 8, 2007 titled “The Family Camera.” Once I saw how well they looked, I turned around and ordered duplicates for the rest of my family. My parent’s were close to tears after receiving them from me and it wasn’t long before they had them up on the shelves in frames.

It is amazing how pieces of memories printed on paper can warm hearts and put smiles on faces! Photographs are important to me as it passes memories down through the family tree and reminds us all of the good times, hard times and precious times that we had.

As the saying goes … “A picture can paint a thousand words!” ... or is it "A photo can't paint a million memories!"

History's Evil

2007-04-04T22:14:00.002-04:00

Now I am not one to dwell in the dungeons of the depraved or one to fixate on evil but I am certainly one who firmly believes that if we ignore the past we are condemned to repeat it. History has recorded as far back as 37AD where evil men and women, fuelled by power, religion, sadism or lust, have reined terror throughout society in the form of terror. It is because of this belief that governments today have put checks and balances in place in order to attempt to avoid such mistakes in the future… or at least try to.

On Wednesday, December 06, 2006, I submitted a post titled “those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” In it, I shared my belief that if we are to protect the rights and freedoms that our ancestors spilt their blood for, we need to remember our past to protect our future. My concluding paragraph was as follows:

“If we, as members of humanity, take a stand for human rights and do what it takes to stop monsters such as these, we could stop them dead in their tracks. Now is the time to fight for the oppressed, the tortured and the hungry. What will it take for us to learn from our mistakes of apathy before we take a stand? What will it take for us to learn that indifference is not the answer? We need to remember the mistakes made by others in the past if we are to protect humanity in the future.”

Recently, I came across a book titled The Most Evil Men and Women in History authored by Miranda Twiss. In it, are biographies on 16 of the most evil men and women our world has ever known. As far back as Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome, to Torquemada, the Spanish Inquisitor down through Pol Pot, the architect of genocide, the book paints a grim picture of our society’s not so proud past.

I have just begun this book and as time goes on, I plan to introduce you to some of these monsters of our history books. The purpose will not be to glorify these individuals or concentrate on their atrocities but instead to bring to light of what happens if we allow people like these a free reign to terrorize citizens of our countries.

And “yes,” this is still occurring throughout our societies today… Can you think of any? I am very sure you can.

And so… Welcome to the monsters of our past.

Reach Out and Touch Someone!

2007-04-03T11:36:00.002-04:00

It ceases to amaze me how it can be so easy to “reach out and touch someone” nowadays! It also amazes me how people can actually show genuine concern for others who they simply meet over the Internet. It has been over a week since I posted here on blogspot.com and people have already sent comments of concern and this is not the first time. I also have no doubt that there are others who are concerned as it seems to me that most people I have communicated with here are a friendly and concerned group of people. I still wonder what ever happened to “freedom French fries” here on blogspot.com as many of you no doubt wonder as well… I wish her well. I suppose we just have to look out for each other.

The other day, I jumped onto another form of Internet communication called facebook (www.facebook.com) and I came across a number of my old high school and university friends… amazing! I have yet to hear back from them but I have no doubt that I will be hearing from them soon. The Internet is an amazing tool and I will continue to take advantage of it.

Another way I have used the Internet is for genealogical research. I have reached as far back as into the 16th century and have come up with ancestors throughout the world. I have made connections with people from all continents who can trace their blood lines to family members of mine. Am I connected to famous people? Who knows! I do strongly suspect, however, that my children are related to a step father of one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence and I also believe that they are also related to the founders of a large corporation but as for me … no such luck there yet!

Like I have mentioned, I haven’t been on blogspot for a short while but I am getting back on board. I never really quit working on 120299.blogspot.com, I just needed a break as I was hitting a writer’s block as well as hitting the wall on other responsibilities that took vast amounts of my time as well.

So… hopefully I am back for good (“good” not meaning life however!) And I look forward to not only me hearing from you but also you hearing from me!

Making a Difference

2007-03-23T11:40:00.002-04:00

Over the past twenty years, I have had over 1500 students pass through my class. Now my class is no ordinary class. I teach in a facility for young offenders. In other countries, you might refer to them as Juvenile Delinquents, young criminals or even misguided young men. After a while, the sea of faces and names seem to dissolve into a wave of faceless people. Due to confidentiality laws, we are unable to carry out follow-up studies on them and so we have no idea as to how many evolve into productive members of society. We can only hope that, as they move on in age, they will mature up and take life more seriously.

This morning, as I was on my way to work, I decided to head into a coffee shop as a substitute for the breakfast that I did not have. Now I was in a rush and as Murphy (from Murphy’s Law) would have it, the line up was too long to wait in. The next coffee shop was the same. I finally made it to the third shop and proceeded to the line up.

As I waited, a young man in his thirties approached me. I did not remember his name until he reminded me what it was but I did remember his face. He was a student of mine over fifteen years ago. During our conversation, he proudly informed me that he had been crime free since he was discharged from jail and my class. He was currently employed at the same place for over six years. He was married with four beautiful children. He had just moved into a new home. We spoke for about fifteen minutes and then said our goodbyes.

So, though I have no clue as to what most of my former students are doing in their lives, I do know what this young man named Aaron is doing which is being a productive member of society. Watching him return to his vehicle and drive off, I felt a bit of pride that maybe… just maybe I had a part in his success story.

Sometimes, though we may see ourselves as being insignificant in our society, we could very well be playing a much larger part and affecting many more people than we care to imagine.

I made it to work this morning feeling a lot better about myself knowing that what I do can and does make a difference!

David Greenslade

2007-03-22T10:57:00.002-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I have attended more than the average amount of funerals that I would normally attend. It seems that so often, things happen in threes. A couple of weeks ago, the father of a friend of mine died as the result of a heart attack. Last week, another father of a friend of mine died as the result of a lengthy illness.

The third one, which has hit me the most occurred this past Saturday, when a friend of mine was accidentally killed while out hiking alone along a California trail where he apparently fell off a cliff. I am not certain as to the details of this tragedy and so we can only assume that he either tripped and fell or quite possibly collapsed near its edge.

My friend’s name was David Greenslade. Except on a couple of occasions, I haven’t spoken to him for over twenty five years and yet, I still considered him a true friend. He was one of the few individuals I truly respected. He was a great influence in my life and knowing that he will no longer be here is a personal tragedy to me. He was an individual who was genuine in the way he lived, sincere in the way he interacted with others and dedicated in the way he lived his life for God.

He will be missed, not only by me, but by his family and hundreds of others who have had the privilege of being able to share time with him along the walk of life.

I would like to share my deepest sympathies to the Greenslade family.

The Murrays of Brunswick Road

2007-03-21T11:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I renewed a friendship with an individual I had known over forty years ago. When I was six years old, my parents, sister and I left England for Canada. In doing so, we not only left my birthplace, but we also left some very good friends ... The Murrays. Though my parents kept in contact with them throughout the forty years, I somehow managed to lose personal contact with them from day one. I suppose that this did not happen for any particular reason, it was that I was just a kid with other interests and concerns going on in my life. I never did forget them though and have always thought about them and listened with eagerness to the news about them via my parents.

I never really knew how much I cared about them until just recently when I had the chance to meet them. As a young lad, I had re-met their mother , "Aunty Murray" on two occasions when she came to visit our family in the early seventies. Now, decades later, I was to meet her son Ian once again and his wife Angela for the first time. Upon finding this out, my memories of Brunswick Road, in Sutton, Surrey flooded back into my mind and I found myself eagerly looking forward to renewing long lost acquaintances. I find it amazing how one can still have a bond with people after so many years of distance apart.

Aunty Murray was never really my aunt but we considered her just that. She was a very kind and loving lady who took my parents under her wings and became a good friend to them soon after they arrived in England. My parents had no relatives in Canada and so "Aunty Murray" became our family. Ian, Aunty Murray's son, a young man at the time, also became a close friend of my parents and I came to know him as a big brother/friend/neighbour. I have often told people the story of how he rushed in to help me when I once almost drove a drumstick (not from a chicken!) into my pallet. I suppose he was a bit of a hero to me! I believe that though I was only six at the time of losing contact with him, I never really lost that bond that I never really knew I had at that age. I really don't know how or why bonds with certain people develop but I do know that one developed back in the early sixties.

While on a vacation to Churchill, Manitoba and Toronto, Ontario, Ian and Angela came for a visit to my parent's home. This was the first time that any of us had seen Ian and Angela in all these years. I wondered if I would recognize them upon picking them up. From the moment I saw Ian, I knew it was him. I was surprised at how comfortable I was around him after all these years. I suppose that though it appears that we forget many things throughout our life, our brain always has the power to remember and knows exactly what to do in situations like that.

We had a great visit! The loving and caring eyes of Ian that I remembered from such a long time ago were still there. His gentle spirit still flowed through his mannerisms. Meeting Angela for the first time (though I may have met her once as a lad) was comfortable and enjoyable as well. It was as if I had also known her well a long time ago. I could see that she and Ian were good for each other and complimented each other's mannerisms throughout the day and, no doubt, throughout their lives.

I will always remember the Murrays, our Brunswick Road neighbours. They will always be our neighbours … they will always be like family to me!

Trafalgar Square and Double Decker Busses

2007-03-20T10:13:00.002-04:00

We sprinted through the terminal of London’s Heathrow Airport … We ran across the tarmac to our plane. I dropped my panda bear on the way, wrenched my hand away from my father’s to go and retrieve it … I succeeded. We were pressed into the backs of our seats as the plane left the tarmac … Looking out of the window; I viewed, for one last time, the country from which I was born … England.

That was over 40 years ago. I still have that panda bear. It seems that I am destined to have it until my death. I suppose it is the last link from a memory long ago. A lot of time has past and a lot of memories have faded but two memories that seem forever lodged in my mind are that of Trafalgar Square and Double Decker busses.

I remember the large fountain and the lion that seemed to watch over the entire square in guarded fashion. I remember watching as the water gushed out of the bronze figures and into the pool. I remember the massive buildings of years long ago that encircled the square. I remember the hordes of people. I didn’t live in that area as I lived in Sutton Surrey but I do remember us strolling through Trafalgar Square on occasion when my father had to go to London.

I remember the big red Double Decker busses that we hopped on to get to our destinations. I always wanted to ride on top but I suppose we don’t always get what we want. Every once in awhile my parents would give me that chance to make my way to the top to get a better view of the town as we rolled on by.

I am now in my forties and have yet to make my way back to the country from which I was born but I do hope that one day soon, I can walk off that plane at Heathrow, hop onto a Double Decker and make my way to Trafalgar Square … Maybe I will even bring my panda bear back with me!

Time To Hit The Trails!

2007-03-19T17:16:00.002-04:00

Bike riding has always been one of my favourite pastimes. It gives me the opportunity to clear my head, lower my blood pressure and escape from everyone for a few hours. We all need our time of isolation.

Now that the spring and summer months are almost upon us, my mountain bike is ready and my body is raring to go. All I need to do now is to reset my odometer back to 0000.00 in order to track how many kilometres I cover in the next eight or more months.

There is one problem however… Every spring as I plan to reset my odometer, I have to refer to the manual in order to figure out how to do it. You would think that by now, I would have been able to do that off by heart but I cannot. Not only that, one would think that since I have to refer to the manual on a yearly basis, I would keep that manual in a place that I could refer to it when needed but do I do that??? Oh no…. I have to be disorganized and thereby have to look for it every year. I have yet to find it this year. Surprise! Surprise!

So... My bike is ready and once I find the odometer manual, that will be ready as well.

In Ontario, we have what we call “rail trails.” These trails were once inhabited by railway tracks that snaked throughout Ontario but since air and road transportation are much cheaper and efficient than rail; many of these rails have been abandoned and later turned over to communities to be converted into trails for walking, hiking, biking and horse riding.

The particular trail that I ride on is a twenty kilometre trail that runs along a large river and cuts through a number of wooded areas. Over the years and on occasion, I have had the opportunity to ride with a friend of mine who finds the rides down these trails just as rewarding. Most of the time, I simply ride by myself.

So… The time has come and the weather is just about here and once everything falls into place, I will be in my element. Now all I have to do is locate that darned manual!

What Would Aliens Think?

2007-03-15T22:55:00.002-04:00

I wonder what an alien would think of if he or she spied on earth from orbit only to observe man scooping up poop immediately after a dog took his daily dump on a lawn? I think it safe to say that the alien would wonder who the smart species on this planet really was!

Well, today was the day that I carried out my annual winter poop scooping session. As some of you may already know, my dog is a low bellied dog as are most dashhounds and basset hounds. Now, traveling through deep snow presents obvious problems for my dog and therefore, during the winter months, she elects to carry out her doggy dumps on our deck six feet beyond our back door. Now due to the ice and snow, the poop becomes fairly difficult to scoop up and dispose of and therefore tends to be left there until winter thaw.

And thus my task of this past day!

For two hours this morning, I scraped and scooped my way to a clean deck and a spotless sidewalk. With head phones pressed into my ears, I scooped to music such as Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust and AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

You know… with all those smart dog trainers in the world there comes smart dogs. What I cannot figure out however, is why can’t someone simply train dogs to do their dumps in a dog toilet or something? Or what about training them to do their own poop scooping? Wishful thinking I suppose.

So, now that the deck is clean and the sidewalk spotless, maybe I can carry out some other task that would amuse the orbiting aliens… Anyone up for a suggestion?

Contemplating One's Own Mortality

2007-03-13T22:21:00.002-04:00

It seems that the older one gets, the faster their days fly by … At least that’s the way it seems to me. It is also quickly becoming apparent to me that the faster my days fly by, the frailer I get. Over the past year, my joints have become stiffer, my muscles ache much more and my oesophagus acts up after a heavy meal … Not a good thing!

I have recently been observing this in the lives of my parents as well. My mother has been walking with two canes for over a year now and my father is succumbing to the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

We spend a lifetime in trying to stay healthy and yet mortality accelerates at a faster pace than we do! I suppose that all we can do is our best to try to outrun what we will never be able to outrun … Death. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has succeeded and no one ever will.

Now that I am TOTALLY depressed, I think I will get the hot pack and soothe this nagging ankle of mine … How depressing!

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day …

Road Rage

2007-03-12T18:14:00.002-04:00

A while ago, as I was driving, sensibly I might add, through a department store parking lot, a white van flew through the isles almost taking the side out of my car. As any road rage type person, I hit my horn furiously and continued on my way. I was justified! I was the sensible driver and he was the reckless one. Yes, I was justified because this “idiot” was being just that … an idiot! Or was he?

As I drove off, I couldn’t help but glance in my rear view mirror to see what his reaction was to my horn. To my surprise, he stopped his vehicle, hopped out and jogged towards me while motioning me to stop. Hmmm … I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear what he had to say … probably one more thing I could add to my account of this experience as I told my buddies about it later on.

Preparing a response in my mind to his expectant tirade, I rolled down my window ready to justify my actions when all of a sudden he said, “Hey look, sorry for what happened back there … I should have been more careful.”

I was speechless for a moment as my prepared speech on careful driving was not to be the appropriate words of wisdom for that day. Accepting his apology, I weakly smiled and drove off. Thoroughly impressed at this gentleman’s attitude and response to this affair, I drove back to him as he got back into his vehicle and commended him on his classy behaviour. This, to me, was class and it deserved to be acknowledged.

As I left the parking lot that day, I promised myself that the next time I run across a driver making a careless mistake, I will think twice before hit that horn, curse under my breath and give him a dirty stare. Maybe then, I could be a classy individual as well!

What Was He Thinking?

2007-03-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

It often behoves me how people can do the stupidest things known to man. We often hear the question, “What the heck was he thinking!?!” after we witness what a human mind can get a person to do.

At about the age of four or five, I was standing in the laneway of our house on Brunswick Road, watching a man cut down a tree. Now just picture this . . . Here is this man, sitting on a large limb up in the tree and leaning all his weight on the smaller limb that he is about to cut down. You get the picture? Well, at the age of five, I don’t think I did, but the man in the tree should have easily seen the problem with this! Needless to say, his back will never be the same again.

Now this wasn’t some small branch he was cutting; it was a fair size of about eight to ten inches in diameter. One would have thought that the considerable time it would have taken to cut through this bloody thing would have been more than enough time to figure out that this was not the best way to tackle this job.

So here I was in awe of this man as he tackled such a challenging task at hand. I heard the crack at the end of the cut and witnessed my first experience of watching a man, or anyone for that matter, doing a nose dive into solid pavement! Now I know for a fact that his flight into the ground was a hell of a lot quicker that the time it took to cut through the branch but I have no doubt he realized his mistake well before he hit the ground!

I don’t remember what became of this man. It is as if everything that happened after the nose dive was hidden from my memory. I am told there are reasons why this happens but as to why the aftermath of the fall is no longer apparent to me, I can only assume that that man took the fall pretty hard.

I suppose that the mind has the ability to protect us from tragedies as well as memories of them. During that experience, my mind protected me, the mind of the man in the tree didn’t!