Sunday, June 28/2015
Earlier today I received a message from an anonymous user that was signed as RedTart69 and went as follows:
"Marcus, I love the blog and most of what you've written about made me think you have your shit together for a man, least till you resumed blogging after things went south with C.
You've stated in a few postings that you don't know what happened but I think you do and don't want to face it. Either way you need to grow a set of balls and man up or cut the bitch loose for hurting you and get back to living and blogging without being so damn morose about your loss"
Pretty harsh words from someone sitting on the sidelines and it had me seeing red for a bit, but taking some time to think about it before responding in anger, something my ex taught me and I've tried to use more and more in my life, led me to conclude that RedTart69 made some valid points in her message, points I might have tried to get across with a tad bit more tact but we all communicate in different ways.
I honestly wish I did know but the fact that I don't does not give me license to brood over it in every single blog entry, so for that you have my apologies as the blog is supposed to be about dating, relationships, family, and a host of other things faced in my daily single life.
As for my set of balls, as you so eloquently put it, trust me they are just fine and shall continue to be fine as I move forward in my search for the One. Yes, we are back to the One in our posts as she is out there. I may have already met her, lost her, or still to find her, but find her I shall as being single for life is neither my goal nor acceptable.
The One is my goal but having her for the sake of having her is not an option. I'm worth more than that and so is she. Equal partners in our pursuit of happiness is the only relationship I'll ever deem worthy of my participation.
As for the "cutting the bitch loose" comment let me respond by saying go fuck yourself!
I've never once said anything negative about C and nor shall I as my life was enriched so much by having her in it and the love she gave me. Yes, love as in the whole sense. Knowing her has made me a better friend, partner, father, and potential mate. I don't understand how not knowing someone or the circumstances around a break up can give someone artistic license to rip another person through the use of crude names.
If I'm the wounded party in this what do you think gives you the smallest chance in hell of calling her such a disgusting name? I'll answer for you, absolutely nothing!!!
I'm all for open and two way communications but I do draw the line at such attacks on a subject where the whole story isn't known, not by myself or you the reader, so let's try and keep that in mind when sending a message from this point onward.
Seriously, for all I know I talked in my sleep and said another women's name or said I didn't like her children and she is trying to be nice and let me off the hook without really crushing my feelings. Just for the record I'm willing to be my mortgage money that I didn't do either of those things as I never even noticed other women when we were together and I thought her kids were as awesome as mine and past postings can attest how much I like my own kids :-)
No, I may not know for a long time, or possibly ever, what made her change her mind about me and us, but that anger and hurt is mine to carry and mine alone so please remember that and show the both of us some respect please.
I've truly loved two women in my life and both crushed my heart. The first took me a long time to get over and deal with before I started dating again. The most recent hurts even more than the first as I thought she was the One and didn't see any issues. My hope is that by being open about it, talking about it through the blog and a pretty good therapist, that my recovery time won't be measured in years but maybe months.
At the moment I'm damaged goods and I've put myself in the shop for repairs. These damaged goods don't make for good dates nor do they partake of rebound relationships, though it seems like being hurt and in pain somehow acts like a sign to some people to act upon. There is a post coming on this last one but that is for another day.
So while I'm single once again I'm not dating material, not anywhere near that point in life....yet
I'll do my best to mix up the entries and post less about C and more about the rest of the things going on in my life, but that doesn't mean there aren't some nights when I'm sipping a nice Pinot Grigio and thinking about a certain lady and the twinkle in her eyes and feeling the butterflies I still get when she crosses my mind.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Golf - The First Round of the Season
Sunday, June 28/2015
Today's song is courtesy of Suits Season 4 Episode 1 "Love Me Again" by John Newman
The YouTube video for this song is very interesting and it can be found at -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfihYWRWRTQ
For those left wondering about the end of the video - see his video "Cheating" for the answer :)
Yesterday was my first real round of golf for this season and the results were about what I expected.
I say first real round as I played a full 18 at a regulation course, not like the two 9 hole rounds I got in back in early May.
It also marked the first time I talked with my friend B who I used to work with at my old job. I've been tying to avoid meeting or talking to anyone at the old job as it just feels awkward but with B it's different as we have connections outside work through golf and soccer. We usually golf about once a week in the summer and I've coached both of his daughters in winter soccer for the last few years and on competitive teams with my daughter a few years back.
We played at Sandpoint, the old Arnprior Golf Course, and I have to say it is in great shape. As we teed off on number one he gave me some background on changes at the course and off we went. I've always liked Sandpoint as it has the right amount of challenging holes paired up with some great layouts that make me really have to use my whole game, what there is of a game lol
It was pretty obvious from my play that I need to get some lessons to work on my driving as I think I only hit one drive over 250 yards and while I didn't totally suck it still felt like I was grinding my way through the round. Something I've had to do many times before but yesterday was just sort of offsetting and I couldn't shake it.
Now as usual B and I spent the time catching up on things, how things were going at the old company, how my new job was developing, and how the families were doing. Is it telling on how lucky I am to be gone from the old place that he asked me if my new company was hiring?
As we made the turn onto the back 9 talk turned to our respective games and I commented on how his normal fade wasn't as pronounced as usual and he laughed and said he hadn't played enough rounds for it to creep into his game yet. As I prepared to tee off on 13 he said he was surprised by my driving since he figured all my rounds playing up on the courses in the valley would have helped me by now and it dawned on me he was referring to talks we'd had about my summer plans and didn't know about C and our relationship. I didn't reply right away and instead managed my own good drive as I thought about the valley, crushing what would turn out to be a 275 yard drive - exceptional for me. We traded spots and after he hit his driver and was in his follow through I told him C had broken up with me and I hadn't been on a course anywhere in the valley. He stood there, dropped his driver in shock, and said "Shit, man I'm so sorry, I saw how happy she made you".
As we walked down the fairway he asked what happened and I laughed and said I really didn't have a clue. He stopped and asked what did that mean and I told him what she told me and he just looked at me like I was speaking Mandarin to him. I said I know, imagine how I feel and sort of laughed.
He asked how come I hadn't called and talked to him about it, what was I doing about it, and was there anything he could do to help. I smiled and said calling a friend to tell them the love of my life was gone and I didn't really know why wasn't high on my bucket list, that there really wasn't anything I could do but pick up the pieces of my life and make the best of it. I asked him if he knew of any cures I could use to fill the huge fucking hole in my heart and he just shook his head and said he wished he did.
We played the last few holes in silence, each of us thinking different thoughts about the same thing.
As we loaded our clubs into our cars he asked if I wanted to go into the clubhouse and get a drink and talk but I said not today, things were still a bit too raw even though it's been almost seven weeks, seven weeks but feels like it all happened yesterday. B then did something that completely took me by surprise, he gave me a hug and reminded me that love had found me once and would do so again if I just kept my head up and my heart open.
As I drove home I thought about what my summer had looked like just a few short weeks ago and how I never knew one could miss something that hadn't even happened yet but miss it I did.
I had plugged my iPhone into the radio and today's recommended song came on and it made me wonder if life offers seconds chances and what I would do if one came my way, if my cell suddenly lit up with a text, a call, or my inbox had a email pop up........
Love made me feel alive and now it leaves me gasping for air..........
Today's song is courtesy of Suits Season 4 Episode 1 "Love Me Again" by John Newman
The YouTube video for this song is very interesting and it can be found at -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfihYWRWRTQ
For those left wondering about the end of the video - see his video "Cheating" for the answer :)
Yesterday was my first real round of golf for this season and the results were about what I expected.
I say first real round as I played a full 18 at a regulation course, not like the two 9 hole rounds I got in back in early May.
It also marked the first time I talked with my friend B who I used to work with at my old job. I've been tying to avoid meeting or talking to anyone at the old job as it just feels awkward but with B it's different as we have connections outside work through golf and soccer. We usually golf about once a week in the summer and I've coached both of his daughters in winter soccer for the last few years and on competitive teams with my daughter a few years back.
We played at Sandpoint, the old Arnprior Golf Course, and I have to say it is in great shape. As we teed off on number one he gave me some background on changes at the course and off we went. I've always liked Sandpoint as it has the right amount of challenging holes paired up with some great layouts that make me really have to use my whole game, what there is of a game lol
It was pretty obvious from my play that I need to get some lessons to work on my driving as I think I only hit one drive over 250 yards and while I didn't totally suck it still felt like I was grinding my way through the round. Something I've had to do many times before but yesterday was just sort of offsetting and I couldn't shake it.
Now as usual B and I spent the time catching up on things, how things were going at the old company, how my new job was developing, and how the families were doing. Is it telling on how lucky I am to be gone from the old place that he asked me if my new company was hiring?
As we made the turn onto the back 9 talk turned to our respective games and I commented on how his normal fade wasn't as pronounced as usual and he laughed and said he hadn't played enough rounds for it to creep into his game yet. As I prepared to tee off on 13 he said he was surprised by my driving since he figured all my rounds playing up on the courses in the valley would have helped me by now and it dawned on me he was referring to talks we'd had about my summer plans and didn't know about C and our relationship. I didn't reply right away and instead managed my own good drive as I thought about the valley, crushing what would turn out to be a 275 yard drive - exceptional for me. We traded spots and after he hit his driver and was in his follow through I told him C had broken up with me and I hadn't been on a course anywhere in the valley. He stood there, dropped his driver in shock, and said "Shit, man I'm so sorry, I saw how happy she made you".
As we walked down the fairway he asked what happened and I laughed and said I really didn't have a clue. He stopped and asked what did that mean and I told him what she told me and he just looked at me like I was speaking Mandarin to him. I said I know, imagine how I feel and sort of laughed.
He asked how come I hadn't called and talked to him about it, what was I doing about it, and was there anything he could do to help. I smiled and said calling a friend to tell them the love of my life was gone and I didn't really know why wasn't high on my bucket list, that there really wasn't anything I could do but pick up the pieces of my life and make the best of it. I asked him if he knew of any cures I could use to fill the huge fucking hole in my heart and he just shook his head and said he wished he did.
We played the last few holes in silence, each of us thinking different thoughts about the same thing.
As we loaded our clubs into our cars he asked if I wanted to go into the clubhouse and get a drink and talk but I said not today, things were still a bit too raw even though it's been almost seven weeks, seven weeks but feels like it all happened yesterday. B then did something that completely took me by surprise, he gave me a hug and reminded me that love had found me once and would do so again if I just kept my head up and my heart open.
As I drove home I thought about what my summer had looked like just a few short weeks ago and how I never knew one could miss something that hadn't even happened yet but miss it I did.
I had plugged my iPhone into the radio and today's recommended song came on and it made me wonder if life offers seconds chances and what I would do if one came my way, if my cell suddenly lit up with a text, a call, or my inbox had a email pop up........
Love made me feel alive and now it leaves me gasping for air..........
Friday, June 26, 2015
Music & the Blog
Friday, June 26/2015
I normally include a musical recommendation with each blog entry I post but haven't for some of the recent posts.
There is neither rhyme nor reason to what makes me select a particular artist or if I even make the recommendation.
Sometimes I'll hear a song and it will trigger an entry and sometimes as I'm writing an entry a song will come to mind. For the most part I believe the song chosen reflects my mood at that specific moment.
On a different site I used to mix it up and recommend songs, movies, and books. I found books are people specific so stopped commenting on them as it just felt like I was reaching with some of my suggestions. Movies should be easier but I've found we all have different tastes and what is good for me might not work for you. Case in point, I love Rom Com's (romantic comedies) and I've found a lot of women I've talked with really don't, so suggesting one always left me scratching my head a bit wondering how it was being perceived.
But music is something entirely different as I have a very open mind when it comes to music and pretty much have a song or two from most genre's. Well most genre's that are in the mainstream and by this I don't mean soda pop rock or heavy metal but music a lot of people listen to day in and day out. So that means you won't find much polka, let alone any, on my iPod or in my music library, but you will find soulful love songs from the likes of Norah Jones to heavy metal combined with orchestral arrangements with Metallica & SFO to old school boogie by Earth Wind & Fire to 60's rock by the Beach Boys/Beatles/CSN&Y to current indies like Marianna's Trench to Simple Plan to Blink 182 to electric house music like Calvin Harris and David Guetta.
Where do I get it all? A lot of it is stuff I stumble across on various radio stations, some I knew from my own youth, and some from my kids, well mostly my son as he loves to share new music with me and see my reaction as it plays. His favourite thing to do is plug his phone in the car when we are driving somewhere and play some new tunes for me and get my feedback. These are moments I treasure as I remember growing up and my own dad knowing the lyrics to the majority of songs he heard and I hope years from now my own son has such memories to reflect upon with his own children.
But there won't always be a song recommended and that is just part of life. Sometimes nothing special comes to mind right off the bat and even if one does come up later after the blog has been posted I'm not usually too keen on editing something I've already posted, though I have done so when I've noticed some misspelled word or poor grammar.
So there is some background on the music you might see on the blog.
I always have my phone with me as it is my life anchor that keeps me readily accessible to my family and friends. In my car and the backpack that I carry to work you'll find extra USB power cords and ear buds as I can't be far from the tunes.......
I normally include a musical recommendation with each blog entry I post but haven't for some of the recent posts.
There is neither rhyme nor reason to what makes me select a particular artist or if I even make the recommendation.
Sometimes I'll hear a song and it will trigger an entry and sometimes as I'm writing an entry a song will come to mind. For the most part I believe the song chosen reflects my mood at that specific moment.
On a different site I used to mix it up and recommend songs, movies, and books. I found books are people specific so stopped commenting on them as it just felt like I was reaching with some of my suggestions. Movies should be easier but I've found we all have different tastes and what is good for me might not work for you. Case in point, I love Rom Com's (romantic comedies) and I've found a lot of women I've talked with really don't, so suggesting one always left me scratching my head a bit wondering how it was being perceived.
But music is something entirely different as I have a very open mind when it comes to music and pretty much have a song or two from most genre's. Well most genre's that are in the mainstream and by this I don't mean soda pop rock or heavy metal but music a lot of people listen to day in and day out. So that means you won't find much polka, let alone any, on my iPod or in my music library, but you will find soulful love songs from the likes of Norah Jones to heavy metal combined with orchestral arrangements with Metallica & SFO to old school boogie by Earth Wind & Fire to 60's rock by the Beach Boys/Beatles/CSN&Y to current indies like Marianna's Trench to Simple Plan to Blink 182 to electric house music like Calvin Harris and David Guetta.
Where do I get it all? A lot of it is stuff I stumble across on various radio stations, some I knew from my own youth, and some from my kids, well mostly my son as he loves to share new music with me and see my reaction as it plays. His favourite thing to do is plug his phone in the car when we are driving somewhere and play some new tunes for me and get my feedback. These are moments I treasure as I remember growing up and my own dad knowing the lyrics to the majority of songs he heard and I hope years from now my own son has such memories to reflect upon with his own children.
But there won't always be a song recommended and that is just part of life. Sometimes nothing special comes to mind right off the bat and even if one does come up later after the blog has been posted I'm not usually too keen on editing something I've already posted, though I have done so when I've noticed some misspelled word or poor grammar.
So there is some background on the music you might see on the blog.
I always have my phone with me as it is my life anchor that keeps me readily accessible to my family and friends. In my car and the backpack that I carry to work you'll find extra USB power cords and ear buds as I can't be far from the tunes.......
TGIF!!!!
Friday, June 26/2015
TGIF everyone!!!!
Been a pretty busy week with the new job, my son's last exam, and some soccer practices/games so I'm really looking forward to the weekend.
I'm heading into what I jokingly like to refer to as my bachelor week since my son transitioned to his mom's place last night after his sisters soccer game. Normally he would have gone over at some point in time today but there is a birthday party for one of his buddies happening at lunch and he didn't want any stress on not getting picked up on time lol
Last night was double soccer duty as both kids had a game, my son at 6:30 and my daughter at 8:30. The double dip Thursday is going to be common this summer but the nice thing is when her team has home games they don't start till 8:30 and thus provides me a chance to see both games.
His game was pretty awful with a 6-1 loss but offset by her teams 2-2 draw that keeps them in second place. I think there is going to be a coaching change soon with his team as the current head coach has too much on his plate right now and there have been a lot of rumblings from the parents. Been doing my best to stay on the sidelines but my ex did give me a heads up that my name has come up as the preferred choice to coach the remainder of the season. Not sure how I feel about it other than at least the coach would know the players, the best formation to use, and where to play the lads. Something that was brutally lacking last night. I'll keep you all updated future developments.
My plans for the weekend reflect the exciting life I lead - cutting the lawn tonight and doing some laundry, playing golf tomorrow and running some errands, and Sunday I'm debating going to see the new Jurassic World movie.
I'm not sure whether to be proud I have a list of things to check off or hang my head in shame at the actual things on my list lol I don't think anyone will ever confuse me with a swinging bachelor and I'm ok with that. After all, I am just being true to the guy I am inside :)
So what big plans do the readers have? Please tell me there are dates lined up, gatherings of friends to attend, and social soirees to be caught at by the paparazzi.
No, there aren't? Then lie to me for gosh sakes lol
I've been going through some old blogs I had posted elsewhere and think I might import them over as some were pretty good, well in my humble opinion.
TGIF everyone!!!!
Been a pretty busy week with the new job, my son's last exam, and some soccer practices/games so I'm really looking forward to the weekend.
I'm heading into what I jokingly like to refer to as my bachelor week since my son transitioned to his mom's place last night after his sisters soccer game. Normally he would have gone over at some point in time today but there is a birthday party for one of his buddies happening at lunch and he didn't want any stress on not getting picked up on time lol
Last night was double soccer duty as both kids had a game, my son at 6:30 and my daughter at 8:30. The double dip Thursday is going to be common this summer but the nice thing is when her team has home games they don't start till 8:30 and thus provides me a chance to see both games.
His game was pretty awful with a 6-1 loss but offset by her teams 2-2 draw that keeps them in second place. I think there is going to be a coaching change soon with his team as the current head coach has too much on his plate right now and there have been a lot of rumblings from the parents. Been doing my best to stay on the sidelines but my ex did give me a heads up that my name has come up as the preferred choice to coach the remainder of the season. Not sure how I feel about it other than at least the coach would know the players, the best formation to use, and where to play the lads. Something that was brutally lacking last night. I'll keep you all updated future developments.
My plans for the weekend reflect the exciting life I lead - cutting the lawn tonight and doing some laundry, playing golf tomorrow and running some errands, and Sunday I'm debating going to see the new Jurassic World movie.
I'm not sure whether to be proud I have a list of things to check off or hang my head in shame at the actual things on my list lol I don't think anyone will ever confuse me with a swinging bachelor and I'm ok with that. After all, I am just being true to the guy I am inside :)
So what big plans do the readers have? Please tell me there are dates lined up, gatherings of friends to attend, and social soirees to be caught at by the paparazzi.
No, there aren't? Then lie to me for gosh sakes lol
I've been going through some old blogs I had posted elsewhere and think I might import them over as some were pretty good, well in my humble opinion.
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 :)
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........
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!!!!!
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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
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.......
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
Via factslist.net
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.
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.
Via geekosystem.com
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Via funnyjunk.com
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.
35. And lollipops had not yet been invented.
36. And women did not have the right to vote in the United States.
Via theheckler.com
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.
38. John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, has a grandson who’s alive today.
Via geneamusings.com
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.
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.
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.
Via wishlist.soup.io
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.
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.
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.
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.
Via drheckle.net
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:
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.
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.
Via pinterest.com
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.”
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.”
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.”
Monday, June 1, 2015
First and Foremost I am..............
Monday, June 01/15
Today's song is "My Type" by Saint Motel
First and foremost I am..................................a dad
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we can lose track of that which is our most important role and that sort of happened to me over the last week with my son but a couple of things came about that reminded me of where my real responsibility lies.
Last Thursday was his first ever representative soccer game and he was pretty nervous about it and no matter how I tried to reassure him that he was going to be fine he just didn't hear me. The game turned out to be a total nightmare as we went down 6-1 but it wasn't for lack of effort and he played really well for his first real run against a determined opponent. We talked about the game on the drive home and he admitted he thought he didn't do too badly and could hold his own against the other players. He also thanked me for being so supportive of him in this new adventure and I reminded him that that's my job as his dad, encourage him in new adventures and be there to help him get up when life knocks him down so he can go right back at it!!
When we got home he complained about feeling some pressure on his chest and having some issues breathing so I monitored him and when he started to cry knew it was time to leave for the hospital. Now some parents might have tried to wait out the night to avoid the inevitable wait in the emergency room but when he was in CHEO back in '09 dealing with his abscess they mentioned they thought they'd detected a slight irregular heartbeat at one point but cleared him in early '10 with a visit to the head of cardiology, nevertheless that has always stuck with his mother and I so we pay attention when he mentions things. As luck would have it everything turned out fine and they figured out he was suffering from acid reflux triggered by eating less than an hour before he ran the entire 90 minute game. Colour me one relieved father who is going back to bland pasta for his pregame meal and skipping all pasta sauces from now on. As we drove home at 2am he reached over and patted my hand as he was falling asleep and thanked me for taking care of him.
I let him sleep in on Friday and we had sushi for lunch before I dropped him off at school so he could complete his English RST and then begin his week with his mom.
As I was getting my stuff ready for the weekend soccer tournament his team was playing in I got a text from him thanking me for being there for him last night and I just told him I love him and I'd see him on Saturday.
Saturday dawned cloudy, chilly, and with the promise of rain in the afternoon. Now I've coached teams in the Icebreaker tournament before and it's one of those where one day you can get a severe sunburn and frostbite the next day so I come prepared: water, toque, sunscreen, snacks, and jackets.
Our first game ended in a draw that saw us go right to penalty kicks but for some reason the referee wouldn't let either the head coach or myself as the assistant to talk to the lads about who we wanted to take the kicks nor let one of them come to the sideline for instructions. As the head coach went to talk to the game marshal he told me to yell out to the lads who he wanted taking the kicks but the referee had already taken down the shooters after talking to the boys, not knowing this I was yelling out the names to kick but seems I was yelling too loud as it upset my son and made him think I was angry as well as pissing off his mom who knew he wasn't happy. I tried talking to him after the game, which we won 2-1, but he was too upset and told me he didn't want me coaching as I got too involved with the games. I was hurt and we didn't really speak for the rest the remaining 2 round robin games.
The head coach then dropped the bombshell on me that he had to miss the 4th game as he was travelling on Sunday for work and would miss the Sunday games as well as our practices and league game this week but was sure I could handle things.
Now we lost players to injuries and had a couple missing due to prior commitments so what was a 16 player squad was down to 12 for the 4th game and only 11 for Sunday's game.
I spent Saturday night trying to get warm and thinking far too much about soccer and where I went wrong in that my son didn't want me to coach him anymore when around midnight it struck me and I knew what I had to do.
Sunday morning as the lads were arriving for our game I pulled my son aside and told him that I liked coaching soccer and was pretty damn good at it, the one thing I do that I have absolutely no self confidence issues about, but that I loved him and I didn't want this to be about me but rather about him as this was his first experience with competitive soccer and I had already had a conversation with the clubs head coach asking him to find a replacement for me as my relationship with my son was the most important thing to me. He asked me to cover for the week and they'd have someone in place for next week and I said that would be fine. My son asked me if I was OK stepping away and just being a soccer dad and I smiled and told him I was more than fine with it as it went along with being his dad perfectly well.
We lost our opener on Sunday 1-0 in a game we should have won but sometimes the ball doesn't always bounce the way we want it too. We dropped into the consolation game and played a whale of a game with only 11 players winning 1-0 on a awesome run and shot by my son. As he turned and ran into the arms of his teammates to celebrate he looked over at me and winked, letting me know that one was for me.
I can't lie and say I won't miss coaching him but I'll love being able to actually cheer for him as a dad whereas as a coach I wasn't really able to do that kind of thing. One added bonus is that now I'll be able to watch my daughters competitive team play on my off week custody wise as they both play on the same night.
Ironically, my daughter asked me if I was now free to help her team and I told her I think being a soccer parent was my job this summer.
So first and foremost I am a dad. Well I'm dad to my 16 y/o son and daddy to my 26 y/o daughter :)
What are you?
Today's song is "My Type" by Saint Motel
First and foremost I am..................................a dad
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we can lose track of that which is our most important role and that sort of happened to me over the last week with my son but a couple of things came about that reminded me of where my real responsibility lies.
Last Thursday was his first ever representative soccer game and he was pretty nervous about it and no matter how I tried to reassure him that he was going to be fine he just didn't hear me. The game turned out to be a total nightmare as we went down 6-1 but it wasn't for lack of effort and he played really well for his first real run against a determined opponent. We talked about the game on the drive home and he admitted he thought he didn't do too badly and could hold his own against the other players. He also thanked me for being so supportive of him in this new adventure and I reminded him that that's my job as his dad, encourage him in new adventures and be there to help him get up when life knocks him down so he can go right back at it!!
When we got home he complained about feeling some pressure on his chest and having some issues breathing so I monitored him and when he started to cry knew it was time to leave for the hospital. Now some parents might have tried to wait out the night to avoid the inevitable wait in the emergency room but when he was in CHEO back in '09 dealing with his abscess they mentioned they thought they'd detected a slight irregular heartbeat at one point but cleared him in early '10 with a visit to the head of cardiology, nevertheless that has always stuck with his mother and I so we pay attention when he mentions things. As luck would have it everything turned out fine and they figured out he was suffering from acid reflux triggered by eating less than an hour before he ran the entire 90 minute game. Colour me one relieved father who is going back to bland pasta for his pregame meal and skipping all pasta sauces from now on. As we drove home at 2am he reached over and patted my hand as he was falling asleep and thanked me for taking care of him.
I let him sleep in on Friday and we had sushi for lunch before I dropped him off at school so he could complete his English RST and then begin his week with his mom.
As I was getting my stuff ready for the weekend soccer tournament his team was playing in I got a text from him thanking me for being there for him last night and I just told him I love him and I'd see him on Saturday.
Saturday dawned cloudy, chilly, and with the promise of rain in the afternoon. Now I've coached teams in the Icebreaker tournament before and it's one of those where one day you can get a severe sunburn and frostbite the next day so I come prepared: water, toque, sunscreen, snacks, and jackets.
Our first game ended in a draw that saw us go right to penalty kicks but for some reason the referee wouldn't let either the head coach or myself as the assistant to talk to the lads about who we wanted to take the kicks nor let one of them come to the sideline for instructions. As the head coach went to talk to the game marshal he told me to yell out to the lads who he wanted taking the kicks but the referee had already taken down the shooters after talking to the boys, not knowing this I was yelling out the names to kick but seems I was yelling too loud as it upset my son and made him think I was angry as well as pissing off his mom who knew he wasn't happy. I tried talking to him after the game, which we won 2-1, but he was too upset and told me he didn't want me coaching as I got too involved with the games. I was hurt and we didn't really speak for the rest the remaining 2 round robin games.
The head coach then dropped the bombshell on me that he had to miss the 4th game as he was travelling on Sunday for work and would miss the Sunday games as well as our practices and league game this week but was sure I could handle things.
Now we lost players to injuries and had a couple missing due to prior commitments so what was a 16 player squad was down to 12 for the 4th game and only 11 for Sunday's game.
I spent Saturday night trying to get warm and thinking far too much about soccer and where I went wrong in that my son didn't want me to coach him anymore when around midnight it struck me and I knew what I had to do.
Sunday morning as the lads were arriving for our game I pulled my son aside and told him that I liked coaching soccer and was pretty damn good at it, the one thing I do that I have absolutely no self confidence issues about, but that I loved him and I didn't want this to be about me but rather about him as this was his first experience with competitive soccer and I had already had a conversation with the clubs head coach asking him to find a replacement for me as my relationship with my son was the most important thing to me. He asked me to cover for the week and they'd have someone in place for next week and I said that would be fine. My son asked me if I was OK stepping away and just being a soccer dad and I smiled and told him I was more than fine with it as it went along with being his dad perfectly well.
We lost our opener on Sunday 1-0 in a game we should have won but sometimes the ball doesn't always bounce the way we want it too. We dropped into the consolation game and played a whale of a game with only 11 players winning 1-0 on a awesome run and shot by my son. As he turned and ran into the arms of his teammates to celebrate he looked over at me and winked, letting me know that one was for me.
I can't lie and say I won't miss coaching him but I'll love being able to actually cheer for him as a dad whereas as a coach I wasn't really able to do that kind of thing. One added bonus is that now I'll be able to watch my daughters competitive team play on my off week custody wise as they both play on the same night.
Ironically, my daughter asked me if I was now free to help her team and I told her I think being a soccer parent was my job this summer.
So first and foremost I am a dad. Well I'm dad to my 16 y/o son and daddy to my 26 y/o daughter :)
What are you?
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