Wednesday, June 24, 2015

New Guy @ Lunch

Wednesday, June 24/2015

Well as I've recently posted, I've started a new position and it feels pretty good to be back using my brain for something other than trying to figure out whether I should cut the front lawn or take Moki for yet another walk.

I will say the last few weeks have been actually good for me in a lot of ways. First, I've developed a much better appreciation for my spending habits and how making some subtle changes can have a large impact on my savings. Secondly, the free time allowed me to get a tremendous amount of things off my to-do list that I never seemed to get around to on the weekends. My house is much cleaner now from having purged rooms of stuff I know my son and I will never use again, much to the benefit of Value Village, as well as my hall closet now having only prescriptions and over the counter remedies for various things that are current and not past an expiry date.

When I landed my new position I had one final meeting with my career coach and we talked about ways to approach being the new guy. One thing I've always been is a bit of a loner and I told him that was something I wanted to confront right off the bat and he thought that was a great start but asked how I was going to go about it. I told him when volunteers were sought for company events I was going to stand up and get myself chosen and to handle the day to day aspect I was going to actually talk to people outside of the daily responsibilities I've got on my plate.

Our building has a cafeteria where you can buy your lunch or just take your made at home meal and sit at a table with coworkers and chat.  So far I've been out to lunch twice with people from my department but today was the real test as I brought my lunch, and saved myself about $8 as well, and went to eat it in the cafeteria.  When I entered there was a few empty table, some with employees from other companies in the building,  some occupied by engineers from mine, and one with members of the sales & marketing team.  Now old me would have walked to one of the empty tables and ate lunch while reading my tablet but new me left the tablet in my bag at my desk and walked over the marketing group and asked if anyone was using the empty seat, upon being told no and to join them I did just that - points for me!!

Now while sitting there they took the opportunity to ask me lots of questions about myself and I did my best to be open with my responses. There is one woman who is hilarious and pretty much the glue that holds the place together, she makes sure everyone has the stuff they need and has been on me every day if I needed anything to complete my desk space. Her name starts with L so we'll just use that when talking about her.

As the Q&A session wound down she leaned forward and stated very openly that everyone was a big chicken and how come it always fell to her to ask the key question? She looked at me and tongue in cheek said "since they won't address the elephant in the room let me, are you single or attached?"

To say the table almost broke up laughing would be an understatement.  I looked around and realized this question had been floated around among the majority of the floor and it dawned on me that I hadn't given anyone a clue as to my status other than to mention my kids and having an ex.

I took a moment and looked out the window to catch my train of thought and a woman who goes by S said that was kind of a personal question and I didn't have to answer. I smiled and said in for a penny in for a dollar and replied that I was single. That was all I said but you could see the wheels turning with some of them. I guess at some point my 3rd rule of dating is going to come into play - Rule #3 Don't date where you work.

Lunch broke up and back to work we went. My afternoon has been going not too bad when S stopped by my desk and leaned over to softly tell me "You're in love with someone but dealing with a broken heart aren't you?"  I jerked my head and looked directly at her and she smiled and before I could say anything added "It was in your eyes when you looked out the window when L asked you"

I nodded and said I thought I'd turned the page on those feelings but got a heady reminder yesterday that my heart was still owned by another. S just smiled at me, patted me on the arm, and said to me that love wasn't done with me yet so don't give up and then walked back to her desk and took a call from a vendor in Germany.

Now I have no clue how she figured that out from just my facial expressions as I know I haven't said a word to anyone here about my private life but somehow it was there for her to see.

What does this mean for me? I don't have a clue and am going to try like hell not to read too much into it but the reminders from yesterday did leave me a little weak kneed and resulted in a restless sleep.

On the plus side I've been doing just what I wanted and being much more approachable :)

Special Request

Wednesday, June 24/2015

Last Saturday as I was loading my car with groceries my cell rang with a call from the mom of one of my son's friends and former teammate from house league soccer.

Now getting a call is nothing out of the ordinary as this particular friend had followed my son from house league to competitive and since I've been acting as an assistant coach and temporary head coach, the current head coach has been absent due to some travel for work and the birth of his son 2 weeks ago, I figured there were some questions about practices coming up.

Well it was a soccer related call but not about the team but rather about the players upcoming birthday. J turns 16 this week and he was really interested in having a soccer party at the Sensplex like my son had at the Ben Franklin Dome back in April when he turned 16.

As J's mother mentioned the day she was trying to book I was looking at my calendar to see if I had my son that week or if he was at his mom's when I realized the phone had gone quiet, I asked her to repeat what she had just said explaining what I'd been doing.  She said J wanted to have a soccer party but only if I agreed to go and act like a coach/referee. She said he came home from my sons party really impressed with how much fun everyone had and told her it was due to coach being there lol

I told her I'd be more than happy to help out as the group of young men who play soccer around my son and J are a pretty good mix of skills but all are good young men, She told me she'd call me with the date and was very thankful I agreed as she knew J would have been bummed out if I was too busy.

When I got home I mentioned this to my son and he laughed and told me J had asked him already if it would be cool with him if J asked me to do the same for his party. My son joked and told me I might have a new career opportunity.

I'm a total alpha personality when it comes to coaching and have to work really hard to crank it down a bit in terms of my intensity. I've worried for years about it and to get such a call means the world to me as it reminds me I'm actually pretty good at this coaching thing and if a player has timid and shy as J is asking for me than maybe I'm not as over the top as I worry.

The party has been delayed as J sprained his ankle but whether it's my Saturday with my son or my free weekend I'll be there doing that coaching thing I do........

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Congratulations C

Tuesday, June 23/2015


Today is a very special day.  It is the day that C has been working for her entire career and will mark the culmination of all her efforts.

Today at 10am I will pause what I am doing and think of her and the ceremony that is taking place. I will picture her smile, the smiles of her boys, and her parents. I will see the twinkle in her eyes that always made me feel warm inside.

C has had to make tough choices throughout her life and career. Today's undertaking is no different as I know the cost it is placing on her and I respect her all the more for making it. My hope is that it really is all she hopes it will be and give her a sense of purpose as she wrestles with the things she has had to give up or postpone to achieve it.

It is a very big deal and I have the engraved invitation to show for it. It hangs on my fridge as a reminder that there are events in life that transcend the ordinary and make one think about someone other than themselves.

I debated making the journey to view the proceedings from the rear but decided not to out of worry that she might catch a glance of me as I smile in pride as she made her way across the podium, not wanting to take anything away from her moment I have chosen to honour her from afar.

C you are an amazing woman who brought sunshine into my life, showed me what it felt like to love and be loved, and made me feel so alive. You made me realize that I am a good person and have a lot to offer someone. I hope you know that you are more than that in every way and I earnestly hope that you find love as thinking of you alone makes me sad.

Maybe I wasn't the one for you but there is one out there and I know he'll cross your path. Be bold, be brave, be open to him and reach for the golden ring of love.

C I wish you nothing but the best and want you to succeed in all you do. I am proud of the woman I had the chance to spend time with and will always hold you close to my heart.

Today is your day and I hope you realize that all the people wishing you well are truly in your corner and wanting you to be all that you can be.

All the best my friend and remember to kick ass and  take names!!!!!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day II

Sunday, June 21/2015

Well as usual I posted a bit too early today as something happened that I want to share.

When my daughter came over to pick my son and I up for lunch at Fusion Sushi she gave me my Father's Day card and a nice bottle of Old Spice. The card made me tear up a bit as the cover had a picture of a little girl standing on her father's feet as they danced, something that I remember doing when she was little.

Oddly there was nothing from my son and he made a comment about how his sister broke their agreement not to get cards this year. I thought that odd but didn't say anything as we left for lunch, Chapters, and Golf Town to use the gift card she had put inside my card. Lunch was great and both of them had me smiling with their antics as we walked Chapters and I was looking at shirts at GT.

When we got home she dropped us off as she was heading out to run some errands with her boyfriend and I told my son I was going to take Moki for a walk in the park. He said have fun and headed off to his room to chat with his own girlfriend. 

Well Moki enjoyed her walk and did her usual princess diva walk as we came back down the sidewalk near my house, almost as if to say she'd always be a puppy just for me. As we came through the door lo and behold there was a envelope with a card inside sitting on the half wall near the stairs. I called out to my son asking what the envelope was all about since he had some agreement with his sister and he laughed and said since she broke the treaty he wanted to do the right thing - cheeky little bugger!

I opened the card and read what he had written to me and started to cry right away. My son is not as expressive with the written word as his old man but he outdid himself this time.  He wrote about how this year had been a bit of a struggle at school and that I was always there for him when he needed some help, how when he had issues balancing his time between school, friends, girlfriend, and soccer I offered suggestions and helped him set up timeline guides, and how whenever he was feeling down I seemed to know and there to offer him a hug. He said that he didn't think he'd have done as well this past school year without me and wanted me to know how much he loved me.

Those words meant more to me than any gift he could ever give me as I never had those feelings towards my own father as I grew up feeling like I was some kind of burden to him, the reason I've always tried to let my kids know how much they mean to me day in and day out.

I went to his room and hugged him and as the tears fell down my cheeks I held him tight and told him that there wasn't a luckier father than myself in all the world. He smiled and hugged me back and told me he loved me more than all the sand on all the beaches in the world.

Oh, and as I walked to put his card next to his sisters a certificate in the back fell out that is good for a round of golf with a cart...........my kids know me so well :)

Happy Father's Day

Sunday, June 21/2015


I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the single parents, regardless of gender, who are busy raising kids on their own a very Happy Father's Day.

I'm fortunate to have a really good relationship with my ex and we have shared custody of our kids and have always made it about them and not us.

There are parents out there, of both genders but the majority are men, who don't view being a parent with the kind of responsibility they should. Hell, there are parents out there who have sole custody who don't do it justice and leave a lot of the parenting up to the kids themselves, not cool in my book and they are losing out on so much as kids learn who cares the most and to whom they need to turn for love and guidance.

So while today is my day as a father I view it as another opportunity for me to show my kids how much they mean to me and how fortunate I feel every morning to wake up and get to think of myself as dad to such an amazing son and kick ass daughter.

Take a moment and imagine how empty your life would be without them in it, I do every day and there are times I almost want to cry. My daughter is in her twenties and doesn't need dad as much these days and it's only a matter of time until my son is in the same place in life but I know I'll always be dad for them until my last breathe, and that is something they both know too!!

Happy Father's Day :)

Friday, June 19, 2015

Closure via a Dream?

Friday, June 19/2015

Today's song is "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

You have to watch the YouTube Video of this song where Metallica has teamed up with the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra as it is one of the best I've ever seen.  Any time a performer or group can pair up with a orchestra or individual classical artist I'm all in.

So Wednesday night was one of those nights you come to dread as I was feeling really tired and ended up crashing around 9:30pm.  Now it was a very restless sleep and saw me waking up around 4:15am to the sound of Moki standing next to my bed barking at me. Took me a second or two to figure out what was going on but as the fog of waking up wore off I realized I'd been having a very vivid dream and had woken up almost sobbing......

The dream came back in a flash and I'm not going to get into any of the details as they are quite personal and would leave me feeling far too vulnerable at this point than I'm comfortable with online.

I will say that it did involve C and some thoughts I'd had about why she ended things between us.

Now this almost closure isn't perfect and my thoughts aren't confirmed in any way yet I still have a sense of ease once more in my life, almost feels like life is moving forward and offers me some new options. Options not so much in the dating world as I'm still far too raw for that but more in the sense of being open to trying new things.

As my heart calmed down and I felt more relaxed, I sipped some water and pulled the blankets back to try and go back to sleep, Moki jumped up on my bed and curled herself into a ball at the foot as if to say she had my back and would make sure nothing else bad happened. Just before I fell asleep I saw her lift her head and look up at me as if to say "I miss her too but we'll get through this together dude"

I haven't golfed much given the job situation but did make plans to meet some friends next weekend for a round of golf and some overall ribbing.  There is a lot to be said for being teased by buddies over a really bad shot.

Today is Friday and the weekend is here, Father's Day and all, so I'll be doing my dad thing once my son comes over after work, feels kind of good to be saying that once again.

For all the single mom's out there doing the parenting full time on your own, let me say Happy Father's Day to each and every one of you. It is tough being both parents but the rewards far outweigh any heartache.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The New Cycle Has Started!!!

Wednesday, June 17/2015


So recently I did a post about the Rule of Three's and how I was waiting for the 3rd thing to happen before changing my stance after a conversation with a friend and her take on the actual number of events that had happened to me.

Well today marks the beginning of a new cycle since I have rejoined the ranks of the employed!!!

Accepted an offer that pretty much puts me right where I was before compensation wise, doesn't require me to deal with a morally and ethically bankrupt sales team, and allows me to do some stuff I thought wasn't possible.

So just remember............it can happen

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Ah Ha Moment With A Doppleganger

Monday, June 15/2015

Today's song is "Heart Is A Drum" by Beck

So there is a TV show on Netflix that I recently discovered and have been binge watching since last Thursday called Taxi Brooklyn.

The premise of the show is that there is this female detective who can't drive without getting into an accident and enlists the help of a taxi driver to drive her around. The kicker here is that the driver is French and given my disdain for all things French you'd think that would have been enough to make me turn it off but the show somehow clicked with me and I've totally gotten into it.

But the one thing that has been really giving me some pause for thought is why this show has me so hooked and tonight it dawned on me and I had to sit back and shake my head in disbelief that I hadn't seen it earlier.

There is a theory that each of us has a doppelganger, that there is someone one this planet that looks almost identical to us, that they could literally be mistaken for us if someone we knew came across them.

I used to joke that I was the combination of Dilbert and Drew Carey due to the thick black glasses I used to wear combined with being sort of chubby and having a crew cut for a hair cut. Someone once told me that I really looked more like Robert Urich, the actor who played Spencer for Hire. Now that one I could embrace as I loved that show and have read each and every novel written by Robert B Parker in the Spencer series and felt a sense of loss when both Urich and Parker passed as it felt like I lost a little of myself with each's passing.

But this isn't about me but rather the doppelganger that I did recognize tonight sitting on the couch down in the man cave with Moki the wonder puppy curled up next to me while watching Taxi Brooklyn.

The French cab driver is named Leon and I can honestly say I like him. He makes me laugh and see things in a new light. But he isn't the source of my Ah Ha moment tonight.

The detective is named Caitlyn "Cat" Sullivan and played by Chyler Leigh. Some of you make recognize that name from her stint on Grey's Anatomy.

As I sat there tonight I realized I felt this connection with Caitlyn and it took a moment for me to figure out why but when it came I almost face palmed myself for not seeing it sooner.

I was dating someone whose name started with C and here was an actress with her first name using that same letter as well as the character she played. That wasn't it though, there was a scene where the camera did a close up and I recognized her earrings as the same pair I bought C for birthday and then it all came together.  Chyler Leigh is C's doppelganger through and through. They both rock short hair, have this smile that seems to begin in their eyes with a this little twinkle, and each has this playful nature about them that makes me feel warm inside.

The funny thing about C is that if you'd told me I'd fall for someone with short hair I'd have laughed as it isn't something I've ever found appealing on a woman, just my personal preference and not an indictment on short hair so don't be offended. But C rocked the short hair and I used to love running my fingers through it when we were all cuddled up watching a movie, I used to tease her that she needed a haircut as often as I did so as to keep me around with that short hair lol

So there is my proof that doppelgangers exist and they can be a good thing, least this one is for me as it reminds me of someone who I was fortunate enough to have in my life for a much too brief moment, but one whose memories will bring me many a smile over the coming years.......


Sunday, June 14, 2015

A Simple Saturday That Made Me Pause.....

Saturday, June 13/15

Today's song is "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys

This is the song that plays at the end of Love Actually and has to rank up there as one of the most underrated movies and one of my favourite - it is my go to movie when I'm having some doubts about love........


Today started off as any regular weekend does with me taking Moki for a walk this morning followed by running some errands. None of them were special or earth shattering in the least, not unless wandering around Chapters, booking a service appointment at Kanata Hyundai, pricing a shelf system for the basement at Lowe's, or getting lunch at Fusion in Stittsville rank up there in your world as major events.

Now I live in Kanata and love it. Almost everything I need is within 5-10 kilometers of my house and that means I never have to leave unless something comes up that I can find or do in Kanata. My kids soccer games or a round of golf are usually the only events that see me visit any other part of Ottawa.

The exception to that rule was when I was dating C for she lived out in the east end in Orleans, directly opposite to my own neck of the woods and to get there you've got to deal with not only the distance but some major highway construction going on related to the new light rail system.

I used to tease her about needing my passport in order to go out to her place but the truth of the matter is that the drive didn't bother me at all, there were times I enjoyed it as it gave me time to think about things and one was how lucky I was to have a reason to make that drive....well had I guess you'd say now

So today after I got home from lunch and errands I kicked around the house doing some odd chores, took Moki for another walk, and than cut the front lawn. All of that took me to 4:30 so I took a quick shower and headed over to Pet Smart to get the wonder puppy some treats and that is when things went off rail for me.

Pet Smart is located in the Kanata Centrum and near three of my favourite places: Golf Town, Baton Rouge, and Milestones. All three hold a special place for me for different reasons. I used to go to Golf Town when it was my dad weekend and for fun I`d take a picture of golf clubs and send it to C with some witty little comment like "Early birthday gift?" and she'd usually respond back telling me I better not buy myself anything and I'd smile like an idiot in love. Baton Rouge was our place to go for a nice steak or prime rib dinner and more than once we wandered in after seeing a late afternoon movie on a Saturday for a nice dinner around some great conversation. Now Milestones is kind of unique as that was one of two places we'd go for Sunday breakfast and I doubt it is anywhere I'll ever go again with anyone else as those memories are just way too special to me.

So as I was coming out of Pet Smart and getting into my car I happened to look up to see Milestones sitting there across the parking lot and I guess I sort of zoned out as I started thinking about the high table we used to sit at and talk about having in our place when she cycled back from her new posting in 2 years as the next thing I knew a couple were standing across my car from asking if everything was OK. I blinked and said yes, why were they asking, they sort of exchanged a look and the man told me I'd been standing there for almost 3 minutes and my eyes were glistening. I was totally embarrassed but told them the truth, that seeing Milestones reminded me of a special person who wasn't in my life and I hoped I hadn't scared them. The woman smiled and said she hoped that person knew how I felt and that seeing me react like I did was heartwarming as she must have meant a lot to me.

I thanked them again and got into my car to drive home. Once home I could not shake the funk and had to turn to Love Actually to help me. Now some of you might find that strange as the movie is about relationships, the majority of them just getting started but for me that is like an elixir, it gives me hope that while I'm kind of miserable at the moment that one day I'll have back what I lost.

I've been doing really well the last few weeks dealing with things but every now and something happens or I get a reminder of what I've lost. Last week was one such week as I've been going through some telephone calls that look like they might prove really beneficial career wise and I've had nobody to share them with as it's not something my teenage son is interested in hearing nor his older twenty something sister lol

Week after next is going to be extra difficult for me as that week has a special day for C that I wish I could see but can't, not that I won't be thinking of her come 10am on June 23rd

So today is coming to a close, one that started out with promise, reminded me of someone I cherished and lost, and now comes full circle in offering me some hope for the future.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

If You Could, What Would Present Day You Say to You in the Past

Thursday, June 11/15

Today's musical recommendation -> "Marchin On” by One Republic

When you're interested, you do what's convenient. When you're committed, you do whatever it takes!


I came across an interesting story online about a student at UWO who didn’t like the guy he was when he was younger and bullied people, using slurs to put down those different from himself, and more often than not the target didn’t follow heterosexual practices. Instead of sitting there and doing nothing about it he has worked with another student at UWO to create video messages that highlight what he’d say to himself if he could talk from his current perspective. The videos include both homosexual and lesbian participants and I think send a powerful message.

Reading the story and watching his video got me thinking….what would I tell myself if future me could send a message back in time to when I was just turning 21 and here is what I came up with, like it or not, I hope it makes you pause and wonder what you’d say to yourself.

“You are going to come to forks in the road that veer off in widely opposite directions, don’t be afraid of them but rather use your heart to make the decision on which one to take. Trust me on this one, it may steer you wrong once or twice, but in the end the ones it does select create a journey is pretty freaking amazing and well worth living. One of those forks will offer the chance to move 3K miles across the continent, don’t just say yes, say hell yes and jump at it as it is the best one you’ll ever make.

Some of these forks will result in pain or disappointment, but each will also make you the person you are today, though there will be some things you do that you regret, you need to realize that life is about the ups and downs, and the good things you do make far outweigh the bad.

Life is about balance. Remember that when buddies call you to go out and play hoops and you put them off to work. Work isn’t life, you’ll get this later but if you can get it sooner all the better.

When you have those doubts about your first real relationship, trust them and act accordingly when things come to a head. It will be ugly before it gets better but it is one of those life lessons we all need to go through. You'll come out of it a better person and you learn later she managed to get things together as well and ends up happy too.

Don’t take that job in New York. You didn’t but it was a close call and who knows where you might have ended up, probably seduced by the all mighty dollar, trying to be one of Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe from the 80’s.

When you begin to feel like there has to be something better out there in the early 90’s trust me there is and she will change your life so much. Sure she won’t end up being the one you grow old with but she will welcome you into not only her life but her daughter’s life as well. Oh, in case you’re wondering, that little girl becomes your daughter and introduces you to what it means to love unconditionally.

Take more time to enjoy things with your children. They have so much love for you and want nothing more than to spend time with you. Remind yourself of the vow you took when you were little about being a better parent than yours were with you.

Just one last thing to think about, that name you think is cool for your son, it doesn’t work and when the time comes you’ll change it on the fly at the hospital, catching everyone off guard, and pick the perfect name for him, it suits him to a tee.

Hug your children often and tell them you love them. They can never hear it enough”

What would you say to yourself if you had the opportunity?

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Dating in the Here & Now

Wednesday, June 10/15

Today's song is "Leave Out All The Rest " by Linkin Park


Dating has evolved since I first became a participant a hell of a lot of years ago.

Dating now involves swiping to the right or left, it means seeking electronic harmony, casting a line deep into the ocean, or attempting to match some key criteria.

Dating isn't face to face anymore but rather monitor to monitor or possibly smart phone to smart phone interaction. It's not a laugh on the phone at something amusing you've just shared but rather digital emotions expressed after a text.  It's not a hand on your arm across the dinner table but rather a clap on your smart phone. We don't call we text, we don't make the effort anymore to really get to know someone as there is literally always a someone out there for the meeting, if it even is a real meeting and not some kind of virtual connection.

We can order up a new person online just as easily as we can order shorts from Old Navy or movies online from our cable provider.

We are inundated with options to find a new partner with commercials and online ad's for every possible variety of dating site imaginable. Hell, at this point even if you are in a relationship and don't really want to end it but still want some variety you can go to a site designed specifically for those looking to cheat on their partner - how fucked up is that?

I'm not happy but I'm not so unhappy that I want to end things but I'm also not motivated enough to actually work on what is wrong with my relationship that I'll just step out on my partner to get my rocks off with someone who is in the same boat.  Here is a clue folks, pull your head out of your ass and make a real life decision to fix the problem or end the relationship. Don't use some temporary measure to make yourself feel better as it doesn't help you, it doesn't help the other person, and it sure as hell doesn't help any number of other innocent people that will be impacted by your selfish narcissistic behavior.

But I'm off track as this posting isn't about cheating but rather the lack of effort we have to put into meeting someone since society makes it easier to look for something fresh rather than actually face the situation and make it work.

I read somewhere that divorce rates started to climb as women entered the workforce and became economically independent of a man, well independent relatively speaking as income disparity still exists across a broad spectrum of society between what a man is paid versus a woman for comparable work, but while this may hold some truth I'd be interested in knowing what happened to these rates with the introduction of online dating and the proliferation of choices now available to both men and women.

I used to be on a dating site and have used a couple over the course of the last few years and have had some success on them. My last two relationships came about from meeting someone on the same website, one that I think does a better job of matching people as they actually match profiles and don't just generate pages and pages of pictures for you to look at like some kind of meat market. There is one that really is nothing more than a meat market for people looking to kill a few hours while searching for the perfect partner.

News flash folks, there are no perfect partners. Oh there may be someone who is perfect for you but trust me we all have some kind of baggage we bring to a new relationship. The key here is to see if you can look past that baggage and if the person is able to store it in the overhead compartment prior to takeoff.

Dating isn't a text message saying good morning. Dating is that feeling you get when you are getting ready to meet for dinner, a movie, taking a walk along the canal, sharing a bucket of balls at the driving range. Dating is getting out of your comfort zone and trying something totally new, it's letting the other person share a like they have, you sharing one you have, and seeing what happens.

Dating is that moment at the end of the date when the butterflies hit and you don't know whether to lean in for the first kiss, maybe even your very last first kiss.  Dating is thinking about the other person on the drive home and smiling without even realizing it until you see your reflection in the rear view mirror.

Dating is cooking a meal at your place for them after spending hours cleaning up, trust me I've been there and done that.  Dating is card out of the blue in the mail, it's flowers for no reason other than to see them smile.

Dating is real....it's not done through your computer or cell phone.

Dating has substance and makes things happen in the here and now.

Dating is terrifying as well as exhilarating

So instead of clicking onto the next profile on that website why not send a smile and suggest a drink at a nice public spot when you see someone who makes your eyes twinkle.



Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Rule of Three's

Tuesday, June 09/15

Today's song is "Wish You Were Here" by Avril Lavigne


In life there are certain things we take as givens and sometimes they become known as a cliche or a generally accepted rule.

The Rule of Three's is one such thing but the interesting fact is that it was originally created to explain a literary process where it was outlined that humorous events in a story were best accepted by the reader in cycles of three's.  I'm not convinced of this but than who am I to argue with accepted literary standards.

The funny thing is that along the way this rule of three's has been suborned to describe events in life, not always for the best I might add.  I doubt any of us haven't heard the old saying "Things happen in Three's" at one point or another.  Now usually we hear this in reference to negative events as a warning after the second bad thing has happened that the person can expect one more bad event to occur.  I myself made reference to the Rule of Three's back in May when I resumed blogging after both my job and relationship came to an abrupt end.

Now every since that point in time I've sort of been waiting for that third event to materialize but after a conversation with a friend last week think I'm at the point where I now believe all three events have happened and now I'm looking for a new cycle to start, one full of positive outcomes I might add.

Why the change of heart you might ask? Well during lunch my friend M asked how my son was doing and after telling her about his recent trip to the emergency for tightness in his chest following a soccer match she asked if he'd had his annual checkup at CHEO related to his abscess and surgeries back in '09 and I replied he gets them now through our family physician and he's been clear for going on almost 5 years now.

She smiled and told me how happy she was as she knows how hard that was on me and than said how that was the really first negative thing that had happened to me that she could remember.  That got me thinking and she was pretty much dead on right, his surgery was the first negative thing and from 2009 to this year I'd experienced some unhappy events but none that rocked my world like his surgery. Now I'm positing that the Rule of Three's knows no time limits so it is perfectly possible for years to pass between additions to the cycle.

So I'm now on record as saying this most recent cycle is complete and anything that happens next, whether good or bad, will be the start of a new Rule of Three cycle and like all the rest, I'll make my way through it just like I've done the rest of them.


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

77 Facts You Won't believe

Wednesday, June 03/15

Today's song is "Geronimo" by Sheppard


Blog has been a little more focused than I'd like lately so thought I'd lighten things up a bit and throw some trivial information at you.....your welcome :)


1. If you put your finger in your ear and scratch, it sounds just like Pac-Man.
2. The YKK on your zipper stands for “Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha.”
3. Maine is the closest U.S. state to Africa.
4. Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barbara Walters were born in the same year, 1929.
5. The name Jessica was created by Shakespeare in the play Merchant of Venice.
6. Cashews grow like this:

7. And pineapples grow like this:
hiyori13 / Via Flickr: hiyori13
8. Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than she did to the building of the Great Pyramid.
9. Russia has a larger surface area than Pluto.
10. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
11. Hippo milk is pink.
12. The toy Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
13. Woody from Toy Story has a full name too — it’s Woody Pride.
14. And while we’re at it, Mr. Clean’s full name is Veritably Clean.
15. Oh, and Cookie Monster’s real name is Sid.
16. Carrots were originally purple.
17. The heart of a blue whale is so big, a human can swim through the arteries.
18. Vending machines are twice as likely to kill you than a shark is.
19. Home Alone was released closer to the moon landing than it was to today.
20th Century Fox
20. Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire.
21. Not once in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme does it mention that he’s an egg.
22. France was still executing people with a guillotine when the first Star Warsfilm came out.
23. Armadillos nearly always give birth to identical quadruplets.
24. Betty White is actually older than sliced bread.
Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for TV Land
25. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
26. A strawberry isn’t a berry but a banana is.
27. So are avocados and watermelon.
28. New York City is further south than Rome, Italy.
29. North Korea and Finland are separated by one country.
Via rsf.org
30. Mammoths went extinct 1,000 years after the Egyptians finished building the Great Pyramid.
31. There are more fake flamingos in the world than real flamingos.
32. Nintendo was founded as a trading card company back in 1889.
33. The man who voiced Fry on Futurama, Billy West, also voiced Doug on Doug.
34. The last time the Chicago Cubs won the baseball World Series, the Ottoman Empire still existed.
35. And lollipops had not yet been invented.
36. And women did not have the right to vote in the United States.
37. If you shrunk the sun down to the size of a white blood cell and shrunk the Milky Way Galaxy down using the same scale, it would be the size of the continental United States.
38. John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, has a grandson who’s alive today.
39. Will Smith is now older than Uncle Phil was at the beginning of The Fresh Prince.
40. The show the The Wonder Years aired from 1988–1993 and covered the years 1968–1973. Today, in 2014, if one were to make a similar show, it would cover the years 1994–1999.
41. Humans share 50% of their DNA with bananas.
42. Duck Hunt is a two-player game. Player two controls the ducks.
Nintendo
43. The difference in time between when Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus lived is greater than the difference in time between Tyrannosaurus Rex and now.
44. One more fact about the Cubs: The last time they won the world series, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Mexico were not yet states.
45. Speaking of Alaska — it’s simultaneously the most northern, the most western, and the most eastern state in the U.S.
46. Pluto never made a full orbit around the sun from the time it was discovered to when it was declassified as a planet.
47. A thousand seconds is about 16 minutes.
48. A million seconds is about 11 days.
49. A billion seconds is about 32 years.
50. And one trillion seconds is about 32,000 years. A trillion is a lot.
51. But the good news is: Honey never spoils. You can eat 32,000-year-old honey.
52. There are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on every beach on Earth.
53. And there’s enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America in one foot of water.
54. There are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the U.S.
55. For every human on Earth there are approximately 1.6 million ants. The totalweight of all those ants is approximately the same as the total weight of all the humans on Earth.
56. An octopus has three hearts.
57. Mario hits blocks with his hand, not his head.
58. The CEO of Food For The Poor is named Robin Mahfood.
59. One in every 5,000 babies is born with a condition known as “imperforate anus.” This means the baby is born without an anus and has to have one created manually in the hospital.
60. You can’t hum while holding your nose.
61. It rains diamonds on Saturn and Jupiter.
62. Also, this is what Jupiter would look like if it were as close to us as the Moon is:
63. And this is what sand looks like under a microscope:
Courtesy of Dr. Gary Greenberg / sandgrains.com / Via sandgrains.com
64. If a piece of paper were folded 42 times, it would reach to the moon.
65. The pyramids were as old to the Romans as the Romans are to us.
66. If you dug a hole to the center of the Earth and dropped a book down, it would take 42 minutes to reach the bottom.
67. There is 10 times more bacteria in your body than actual body cells.
68. And 90% of the cells that make us up of aren’t human but mostly fungi and bacteria.
69. Every two minutes, we take more pictures than all of humanity in the 19th century.
70. Peanuts are not nuts. They grow in the ground, so they are legumes.
71. Turtles can breathe out of their butts.
72. The dot over an “i” is called a “tittle.”
73. There are more atoms in a glass of water than glasses of water in all the oceans on Earth.
74. The probability of you drinking a glass of water that contains a molecule of water that also passed through a dinosaur is almost 100%.
75. At the time the current oldest person on Earth was born, there was a completely different set of human beings on the planet.
76. And at the time you were born, you were briefly the youngest person in the entire world.
77. And, finally, “dog food lid” backwards is “dildo of God.”