Monday, January 30/17
So I was reviewing the statistics that the website keeps on my blog and have to say I'd lost track of just how many time's I'd had a hit so here are a few tidbits to ponder.......
There were approximately 234 hits yesterday across numerous postings
Over the last month the blog has been viewed almost 2,200 times
Life to date the blog has seen 15,390 visits
The funny part was I remember trying to get my totals to 8K by the end of 2014 and a little over a year later it's almost doubled.
But one that has me scratching my head is the number of views that come from outside of Canada.....
Of the last 1,344 views, exactly 1,188 have come from the U.S. and only 127 from Canada.
Not sure to say I'm proud or worried by those numbers.
Oddly enough I had a nice conversation with a young woman at the Petro Canada last night when we were both inside paying for gas and she mentioned being from Texas, her accent sort of gave that away but I didn't have the heart to tell her that, and what mess it is down there, almost like things are going bad so fast that she actually used the phrase "civil war" when talking about things.
I hope beyond all hope that it doesn't come even close to such a thing but these are crazy times we are living through right now.
I'm neither Republican nor Democrat, though I did vote for each party when I lived in the states, nor am I more Conservative than Liberal, though once again I've crossed party lines and voted my conscience more often than not.
No, I've tended to vote for the person I felt could do the best regardless of political affiliation.
Sadly, the last few elections haven't really brought forth any candidate from any party that I felt was worthy of my vote and I ended up choosing the one I felt could do the least amount of damage.
Pretty sure that wasn't what the founding fathers had in mind back in 1776 or the giants of confederation back in 1867.
We now live in a world where your opinion only matters if it is in agreement with the vocal minority and is trashed if it goes against what they are putting forward as this weeks agenda.
I read an interesting story today about an idea being floated around that California, Oregon, and Washington should all consider exiting the U.S. and becoming part of Canada. Now the liberals will embrace this as those are three far left leaning states but I'm willing to bet even money that the conservatives in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan will want no part of this plan.
How about those people feeling some kind of anguish over the election stay down there and try and work from within to fix what is a most assuredly a broken system before deciding to run away up north and possibly ruin our way of life.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Netflix's Riverdale........triggered a little trip down memory lane
Saturday, January 28/17
So I stumbled across the new Netflix series titled Riverdale and clicked on the preview only to find out it is an updated version of the old Archie comic books brought to life.
The trailer was good and I proceeded to watch the initial episode in the series.
Oh My God!!!!!!!
It completely blew my mind as they've managed to bring the comic book series into the here and now, while retaining the basic traits of each of the original characters.
Without giving too much away, let me just say it is a comedy that appears to have spent one very drunken night of debauchery with a possible murder mystery.
But the best part is that it brought back to mind some damn good memories from my childhood.
When I was but a wee lad I'd spend my summers in Regina visiting with my grandfather and hanging out with my cousins David and Ronnie. Being a year and a half and eight months older than me they were the closest cousins I had age wise, and many was the time we got into trouble out at Long Lake.
Every Saturday we'd walk down from the cottage to the village to go to Butlers Fish & Chips for lunch before hitting the convenience store a bottle of Coke and a comic book. My cousins were into all of the super heroes and I was totally into Archie and the gang. Secretly in love with Veronica and knowing somehow even at that young age that Betty would be the better choice......lady out and about but probably a freak behind closed doors. Don't ask me how I knew that and I won't be forced to admit about my dark side..........
Mixed between those summers and the weekends we'd visit my grandparents in Huntington Beach and sneaking over to my Aunt's place and spreading all of my cousin Rudy's Charlie Brown comic books out across the floor and getting lost for hours were probably some of my best memories around my youth.
Life has a way of making you grow up and any chance I can get to stop for a moment and relive a nice childhood memory is pure icing on the cake.
What triggers that smile and lost moment in you?
My son came down to the man cave to see the last few moments of the show and smiled at me when I told him that was the one comic I loved to read. "A little nostalgia is good for the soul" was his reply and as usual, he was far more on point that he knows.
My name is Marcus and it's okay to visit the memory treasure vault now and again as long as you take a return ticket and make sure not to miss that flight home.
So I stumbled across the new Netflix series titled Riverdale and clicked on the preview only to find out it is an updated version of the old Archie comic books brought to life.
The trailer was good and I proceeded to watch the initial episode in the series.
Oh My God!!!!!!!
It completely blew my mind as they've managed to bring the comic book series into the here and now, while retaining the basic traits of each of the original characters.
Without giving too much away, let me just say it is a comedy that appears to have spent one very drunken night of debauchery with a possible murder mystery.
But the best part is that it brought back to mind some damn good memories from my childhood.
When I was but a wee lad I'd spend my summers in Regina visiting with my grandfather and hanging out with my cousins David and Ronnie. Being a year and a half and eight months older than me they were the closest cousins I had age wise, and many was the time we got into trouble out at Long Lake.
Every Saturday we'd walk down from the cottage to the village to go to Butlers Fish & Chips for lunch before hitting the convenience store a bottle of Coke and a comic book. My cousins were into all of the super heroes and I was totally into Archie and the gang. Secretly in love with Veronica and knowing somehow even at that young age that Betty would be the better choice......lady out and about but probably a freak behind closed doors. Don't ask me how I knew that and I won't be forced to admit about my dark side..........
Mixed between those summers and the weekends we'd visit my grandparents in Huntington Beach and sneaking over to my Aunt's place and spreading all of my cousin Rudy's Charlie Brown comic books out across the floor and getting lost for hours were probably some of my best memories around my youth.
Life has a way of making you grow up and any chance I can get to stop for a moment and relive a nice childhood memory is pure icing on the cake.
What triggers that smile and lost moment in you?
My son came down to the man cave to see the last few moments of the show and smiled at me when I told him that was the one comic I loved to read. "A little nostalgia is good for the soul" was his reply and as usual, he was far more on point that he knows.
My name is Marcus and it's okay to visit the memory treasure vault now and again as long as you take a return ticket and make sure not to miss that flight home.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Great End to a Long Day
Thursday, January 26/17
So it has been a really long week at work as we try and close out the 2016 fiscal year and prepare the system for the cutover. I can honestly say I dread the moment I have to push the button closing out one year in Dynamics and moving onto the next year as I'm always convinced some system gremlin is going to move a decimal or two around and none of my reports will balance......hey, it could happen
When I got home tonight I let Moki out for a run in the backyard and powered up my home PC to check my emails, new job has so many damn web filters and actually blocked us from accessing Google mail but does let staff watch YouTube videos.........
Once the puppy was done I went to back to the PC and did a quick scan to see if there was anything important that needed my attention when I spotted one email from a former player from the soccer team I've coached over the past few summers.
I first encountered Daniel back in 2008 when he was on the academy team I helped coach and he's played on teams I've coached three of the last five years, including the competitive Boys Under 16 team back in 2015. You can say that I've literally watched this young man grow up over the years and enjoyed the wit and banter he brought to each of the teams.
His email was to tell me he had made the decision to apply to the engineering program at The University of Toronto and they were requesting a reference from someone who knew him away from the academic environment, wondering if he could give them my name and contact information as he couldn't think of anyone better qualified to talk about him in that way.
I got a huge smile and quickly sent back my consent and now the waiting game begins.
I'm actually an old hand at this these days as I think Daniel is now around the 17th or 18th former player who has made such a request. Over the years I've been a reference for players trying to gain admission to medical school, engineering programs, law school, and more than a few times for nursing candidates. Of that group I'd say the success rate is close to 95% which also makes me smile as each of them was very deserving of admission.
One of the best references I've ever been asked to give and done so with huge success was former player from one of the girls teams I coached who was seeking admission to a United Nations program that saw her spend a year dealing with health care in Africa. To this day I see her parents around west Ottawa now and again and love to hear how she's doing.
I loved coaching teams to championships, watching players develop skills, gain self confidence, but most of all I love the fact that years later I can still help them reach for their dreams.......
My name is Marcus and life is good...............
So it has been a really long week at work as we try and close out the 2016 fiscal year and prepare the system for the cutover. I can honestly say I dread the moment I have to push the button closing out one year in Dynamics and moving onto the next year as I'm always convinced some system gremlin is going to move a decimal or two around and none of my reports will balance......hey, it could happen
When I got home tonight I let Moki out for a run in the backyard and powered up my home PC to check my emails, new job has so many damn web filters and actually blocked us from accessing Google mail but does let staff watch YouTube videos.........
Once the puppy was done I went to back to the PC and did a quick scan to see if there was anything important that needed my attention when I spotted one email from a former player from the soccer team I've coached over the past few summers.
I first encountered Daniel back in 2008 when he was on the academy team I helped coach and he's played on teams I've coached three of the last five years, including the competitive Boys Under 16 team back in 2015. You can say that I've literally watched this young man grow up over the years and enjoyed the wit and banter he brought to each of the teams.
His email was to tell me he had made the decision to apply to the engineering program at The University of Toronto and they were requesting a reference from someone who knew him away from the academic environment, wondering if he could give them my name and contact information as he couldn't think of anyone better qualified to talk about him in that way.
I got a huge smile and quickly sent back my consent and now the waiting game begins.
I'm actually an old hand at this these days as I think Daniel is now around the 17th or 18th former player who has made such a request. Over the years I've been a reference for players trying to gain admission to medical school, engineering programs, law school, and more than a few times for nursing candidates. Of that group I'd say the success rate is close to 95% which also makes me smile as each of them was very deserving of admission.
One of the best references I've ever been asked to give and done so with huge success was former player from one of the girls teams I coached who was seeking admission to a United Nations program that saw her spend a year dealing with health care in Africa. To this day I see her parents around west Ottawa now and again and love to hear how she's doing.
I loved coaching teams to championships, watching players develop skills, gain self confidence, but most of all I love the fact that years later I can still help them reach for their dreams.......
My name is Marcus and life is good...............
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
T A L K ! ! !
Wednesday, January 25/17
I was asked why the big recent emphasis on talking to someone and getting a mental tune up and the answer is really quite simple.
As a boy I grew up in the environment where it wasn't considered masculine to show emotions or talk about your feelings.
Sayings like "Don't coddle the boy or he'll grow up a sissy", "Crying is for girls", "do you need a dolly to go along with those sniffles", and "big boys don't cry" were common for a young boy to hear when he displayed anything other than a tough attitude.
I was fortunate to get to spend a lot of summers with my maternal grandfather when I was growing up and one of the biggest things he taught me to never be afraid to show how something makes you feel. This might not sound so earth shattering but this was back in the late 60's and early 70'snd came from a master mason who was probably one of the toughest men I've ever had the good fortune to be around.
Much of the man I am today I can trace back to my grandfather and the insights he would pass along to me during our endless walks around Regina, time spent out at Long lake working on his numerous rental cottages, and at the dinner table in the evening when he'd cut up some potatoes and fry them up into French fries and we'd drench them with salt and vinegar.
I've tried my best to instill those same traits into my own children and think so far I've been pretty successful as both of them have talked to me about pretty much everything and anything going on in their lives. Sometimes these talks have been awesome, made me smile and laugh, and other times I've been uncomfortable and a bit sad at some of the things they've heard or seen. But the key is that I was always there for them to talk too about these things. I don't always have an answer and that's ok as sometimes there really are no answers to what is happening in our lives, but them knowing they can always talk to me or their mother means they will never have to face an issue alone.
I worry about both my kids all the time as it is a goddamn scary world we live in but all I can do is hope I've done my best and instilled in them the moral compass they need to make the correct decision with the situation warrants one be made.
One thing I've learned from all my talks are the small tells that let me know when something is slightly off with my son, especially around exam time, and that helps me try and head things off before they get too bad.
School brings an incredible amount of stress so my message has always been give it your best effort and if things don't turn out as you'd hoped, at least you can look yourself in the mirror and know you did your best. I wasn't the brightest kid in school but when I got to university I learned how to be a good student and it carried on into my MBA program. I'm seeing a lot of that in my son so while there are times I know he struggles, I also know he has it in himself to overcome the challenges and we are always able to get him tutoring as needed.
The biggest thing I do is listen when they talk to me. I don't just listen to the words but which words they choose and what their body language is like, both provide tonnes of feedback.
In the end the most precious gift we can ever bestow upon those we love is to simply be there for them in whatever capacity they need us.
As I look at my grandson I can already foresee a lot of chats as we walk to the park, through Chapters, and hopefully a round or two of golf. I'm hoping to give to him what my own grandfather gave to me.....unconditional love and understanding
Marcus
I was asked why the big recent emphasis on talking to someone and getting a mental tune up and the answer is really quite simple.
As a boy I grew up in the environment where it wasn't considered masculine to show emotions or talk about your feelings.
Sayings like "Don't coddle the boy or he'll grow up a sissy", "Crying is for girls", "do you need a dolly to go along with those sniffles", and "big boys don't cry" were common for a young boy to hear when he displayed anything other than a tough attitude.
I was fortunate to get to spend a lot of summers with my maternal grandfather when I was growing up and one of the biggest things he taught me to never be afraid to show how something makes you feel. This might not sound so earth shattering but this was back in the late 60's and early 70'snd came from a master mason who was probably one of the toughest men I've ever had the good fortune to be around.
Much of the man I am today I can trace back to my grandfather and the insights he would pass along to me during our endless walks around Regina, time spent out at Long lake working on his numerous rental cottages, and at the dinner table in the evening when he'd cut up some potatoes and fry them up into French fries and we'd drench them with salt and vinegar.
I've tried my best to instill those same traits into my own children and think so far I've been pretty successful as both of them have talked to me about pretty much everything and anything going on in their lives. Sometimes these talks have been awesome, made me smile and laugh, and other times I've been uncomfortable and a bit sad at some of the things they've heard or seen. But the key is that I was always there for them to talk too about these things. I don't always have an answer and that's ok as sometimes there really are no answers to what is happening in our lives, but them knowing they can always talk to me or their mother means they will never have to face an issue alone.
I worry about both my kids all the time as it is a goddamn scary world we live in but all I can do is hope I've done my best and instilled in them the moral compass they need to make the correct decision with the situation warrants one be made.
One thing I've learned from all my talks are the small tells that let me know when something is slightly off with my son, especially around exam time, and that helps me try and head things off before they get too bad.
School brings an incredible amount of stress so my message has always been give it your best effort and if things don't turn out as you'd hoped, at least you can look yourself in the mirror and know you did your best. I wasn't the brightest kid in school but when I got to university I learned how to be a good student and it carried on into my MBA program. I'm seeing a lot of that in my son so while there are times I know he struggles, I also know he has it in himself to overcome the challenges and we are always able to get him tutoring as needed.
The biggest thing I do is listen when they talk to me. I don't just listen to the words but which words they choose and what their body language is like, both provide tonnes of feedback.
In the end the most precious gift we can ever bestow upon those we love is to simply be there for them in whatever capacity they need us.
As I look at my grandson I can already foresee a lot of chats as we walk to the park, through Chapters, and hopefully a round or two of golf. I'm hoping to give to him what my own grandfather gave to me.....unconditional love and understanding
Marcus
Monday, January 23, 2017
Bell Let's Talk......this Wednesday, January 25th
This Wednesday, January 25th is the annual Bell "Let's Talk" event to develop awareness of mental health disease and offer those fighting it a chance to talk to someone, to share a story, and maybe secure a lifeline in the battle against depression.
If you are on the Bell network please send a text or many texts as each one generates a 5 cent donation from Bell Canada to mental health organizations across Canada.
If you aren't on the Bell network or live outside of Canada than take a moment and just say hello to someone you come across......you never know if that simple act and smile might help someone dealing with a tough day and keep them moving forward once more...........
My name is Marcus and the scourge of depression is very real and destroys families every day. Join the fight and open up peoples eyes to one of our biggest underfunded health issues.
If you are on the Bell network please send a text or many texts as each one generates a 5 cent donation from Bell Canada to mental health organizations across Canada.
If you aren't on the Bell network or live outside of Canada than take a moment and just say hello to someone you come across......you never know if that simple act and smile might help someone dealing with a tough day and keep them moving forward once more...........
My name is Marcus and the scourge of depression is very real and destroys families every day. Join the fight and open up peoples eyes to one of our biggest underfunded health issues.
The Tune Up
Sunday, January 22/17
One of my first ever blogs talked about how I believe it's important to talk to someone when dramatic or even traumatic events happen in your life. You need to be able to get things off your chest, hear the words and not just replay the thoughts in your mind, and have someone offer you some feedback on the event, what part you played in it, and what you can do to recover, learn, and move forward from it.
When I first separated from my ex I spend the first year trying to understand where we went wrong. Not so I could correct those things about myself in order to win her back but so I could learn from them and hopefully not duplicate them in any future relationships I might enter into.
I've gone back now and again over the years to talk to my person for what I like to call a tune up.
Getting an emotional tune up makes perfect sense. We get our cars tuned up so why not do so for the most complicated machine we'll ever own.....our minds
When my son got sick and almost died on us back in '09 it was those talks and that one special night with Miss Laura that allowed me to retain my sanity and kept me moving forward one step and day at a time.
Now to remind each of you, that night with Miss Laura was purely an emotional release and didn't involve any kind of sexual contact. She sensed my fragile state of mind, how tightly wound I was from dealing with my son's sickness, and took it upon herself to get me rip roaring drunk so I was able to really release my feelings. I've never seen her since that night but know that I'll always be in her debt for what she did for me.
Now lately I've found myself feeling really emotional, literally almost crying at the drop of a hat, so I knew it was time for a tune up and made the call to book an appointment.
Sometimes it just takes one to make me feel like I've got a handle on things and sometimes I'm there for a few sessions, but in the end I always come around and start to feel back in control of my life.
The first part of that initial session is always hard as I don't always know what the trigger point was that brought me in but my doctor is patient and she knows how to get me to open up and begin the process.
I went in for a visit this past Wednesday and her first question to me was "How is your love life?, Are you seeing anyone?, Are you dating?"
"Non-existent, no, and no" was my response and that made her smile.
"Why are you smiling?"
"You didn't hesitate before replying so that means it is something on your mind whether you realize it or not"
I sat there and thought about her response and what she had to say makes sense as I do feel like something is missing in my life.
In prior years I've never really given being single much thought as I was content with how my life was progressing and couldn't miss what I hadn't had in quite awhile.
She made me talk about my relationship with C and how the ending of that one was really on me for the most part, how I've been avoiding putting myself out there as I'm not the most patient person when it comes to dealing with other people.
As I said those last words she sort of raised one eyebrow as if to say why not and get me to confess that I don't suffer fools easily and that is one of my biggest weaknesses as a person, the inability to see a person for something other than how they can stimulate me mentally.
Last year when I went in for my tune up I didn't actually see her as she was on a sabbatical and in Europe so we never got to talk about my relationship with C so I think she used this session to get a feel for it and how I felt about her.
She asked me what I missed the most about being in a relationship, not my relationship specifically with C but a relationship in it's most basic terms.
The first thought that came to mind was presence. The presence of someone in my life who took an interest in me, what made me well me, as I would do the same for her. We talked about this in general terms for a bit and ended the session with this question...........
"What is the first reaction you feel when I say C's name?"
"My heart skips a beat" was my instant answer
She made a note and than looked at me and said "Maybe but your eyes got a little gleam when I said her name"
"Do you miss her body?"
I think one of the reasons I like my therapist is she doesn't hold back and is always putting me on the spot, not giving me time to think about my answer but rather getting me to respond in an almost shot gun approach so the rawness comes out at the same time.
"Yes, but it's really more than just that, it's the essence of who she was, how she made me feel when I was around her, and mostly how I felt when we were apart, the sense of joy for life she forced past my barriers."
Our session came to an end and as I was getting ready to leave she looked at me, smiled, and said "You are more ready to date than you realize, you just have to accept that you deserve some joy once again in your life"
I'm not going to argue and say she is wrong but I don't think she fully understands how damn difficult I find meeting new people, let alone an attractive woman who might catch my eye. Think I've got more chance of a hole in one than I do of meeting my one again......but since it's still statistically possible for that elusive hole in one than I guess finding love is also possible..........
My name is Marcus and I don't think talking about an issue or problem is ever a bad thing, but sometimes that first conversation can be daunting, hang in there and remember this, if you can't like the person you are how can you ever expect anyone else to like the person you are........
One of my first ever blogs talked about how I believe it's important to talk to someone when dramatic or even traumatic events happen in your life. You need to be able to get things off your chest, hear the words and not just replay the thoughts in your mind, and have someone offer you some feedback on the event, what part you played in it, and what you can do to recover, learn, and move forward from it.
When I first separated from my ex I spend the first year trying to understand where we went wrong. Not so I could correct those things about myself in order to win her back but so I could learn from them and hopefully not duplicate them in any future relationships I might enter into.
I've gone back now and again over the years to talk to my person for what I like to call a tune up.
Getting an emotional tune up makes perfect sense. We get our cars tuned up so why not do so for the most complicated machine we'll ever own.....our minds
When my son got sick and almost died on us back in '09 it was those talks and that one special night with Miss Laura that allowed me to retain my sanity and kept me moving forward one step and day at a time.
Now to remind each of you, that night with Miss Laura was purely an emotional release and didn't involve any kind of sexual contact. She sensed my fragile state of mind, how tightly wound I was from dealing with my son's sickness, and took it upon herself to get me rip roaring drunk so I was able to really release my feelings. I've never seen her since that night but know that I'll always be in her debt for what she did for me.
Now lately I've found myself feeling really emotional, literally almost crying at the drop of a hat, so I knew it was time for a tune up and made the call to book an appointment.
Sometimes it just takes one to make me feel like I've got a handle on things and sometimes I'm there for a few sessions, but in the end I always come around and start to feel back in control of my life.
The first part of that initial session is always hard as I don't always know what the trigger point was that brought me in but my doctor is patient and she knows how to get me to open up and begin the process.
I went in for a visit this past Wednesday and her first question to me was "How is your love life?, Are you seeing anyone?, Are you dating?"
"Non-existent, no, and no" was my response and that made her smile.
"Why are you smiling?"
"You didn't hesitate before replying so that means it is something on your mind whether you realize it or not"
I sat there and thought about her response and what she had to say makes sense as I do feel like something is missing in my life.
In prior years I've never really given being single much thought as I was content with how my life was progressing and couldn't miss what I hadn't had in quite awhile.
She made me talk about my relationship with C and how the ending of that one was really on me for the most part, how I've been avoiding putting myself out there as I'm not the most patient person when it comes to dealing with other people.
As I said those last words she sort of raised one eyebrow as if to say why not and get me to confess that I don't suffer fools easily and that is one of my biggest weaknesses as a person, the inability to see a person for something other than how they can stimulate me mentally.
Last year when I went in for my tune up I didn't actually see her as she was on a sabbatical and in Europe so we never got to talk about my relationship with C so I think she used this session to get a feel for it and how I felt about her.
She asked me what I missed the most about being in a relationship, not my relationship specifically with C but a relationship in it's most basic terms.
The first thought that came to mind was presence. The presence of someone in my life who took an interest in me, what made me well me, as I would do the same for her. We talked about this in general terms for a bit and ended the session with this question...........
"What is the first reaction you feel when I say C's name?"
"My heart skips a beat" was my instant answer
She made a note and than looked at me and said "Maybe but your eyes got a little gleam when I said her name"
"Do you miss her body?"
I think one of the reasons I like my therapist is she doesn't hold back and is always putting me on the spot, not giving me time to think about my answer but rather getting me to respond in an almost shot gun approach so the rawness comes out at the same time.
"Yes, but it's really more than just that, it's the essence of who she was, how she made me feel when I was around her, and mostly how I felt when we were apart, the sense of joy for life she forced past my barriers."
Our session came to an end and as I was getting ready to leave she looked at me, smiled, and said "You are more ready to date than you realize, you just have to accept that you deserve some joy once again in your life"
I'm not going to argue and say she is wrong but I don't think she fully understands how damn difficult I find meeting new people, let alone an attractive woman who might catch my eye. Think I've got more chance of a hole in one than I do of meeting my one again......but since it's still statistically possible for that elusive hole in one than I guess finding love is also possible..........
My name is Marcus and I don't think talking about an issue or problem is ever a bad thing, but sometimes that first conversation can be daunting, hang in there and remember this, if you can't like the person you are how can you ever expect anyone else to like the person you are........
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Almost a Perfect Saturday
Sunday, January 22/17
I had almost a perfect Saturday yesterday.
Started off with taking Moki for a walk, getting my haircut, a quick breakfast, and watching my son score the game winner in his soccer teams game.
After his game I hit WalMart for some new jeans and boxer briefs (Too much info? too bad, it's my blog lol) and than Loblaws for a grocery run.
Once home I did another quick Spackle job on the bathroom in anticipation of painting it on Sunday, had a nap, and than headed over to my daughters place to visit with her, Lee, and my grandson.
Okay, we all know seeing my grandson alone would have made it almost perfect but there was more.
Lee has been studying for his real estate exam and offered to stay home with Baby Jack so my daughter and I could go to Ikea and grab an early dinner. This gave him some solo one on one time with his son and let him avoid Ikea as he absolutely hates the place, loves the products but hates to go into the store.
My daughter and I wandered around Ikea and found a few things we each needed before heading over to The Big Rig for a nice meal. I've been craving wings and added a cold half pint of "Gold" to make a great combination, she had the fish and chips with a small 5 oz glass of the "Gold" as well. We talked and laughed about a wide variety of topics and had a great time.
Once back at her place I got to spend some more time holding my awesome grandson and pretty much left feeling on top of the world.
Life can get hectic but just thinking about that little guy puts a smile on my face and eases away all the stress.
My daughter know this and has taken to sending me a new picture of him every day - think she knows her father pretty damn well.
So why am I saying it's "Almost a perfect Saturday?"
Well I've got to be honest and admit that coming home to an empty house was sort of a bummer. It would have been nice to either share these with someone in person or have the "one" to call and talk about my amazing day, making plans to do it with her very soon.
But I'm not going to get all down about it....can't as I'm sure Jack wouldn't be happy if he learned his grandpa was feeling sad.......he does know his grandpa pretty well :-)
Today has been doing the touch up painting on the repaired spots on the wall in the bathroom and now I'm getting ready to watch the Packers and Falcons play for the right to go onto the Super Bowl.
Go Packers!!!!!!!!!!
My name is Marcus and while life isn't perfect it's far from being all that bad so I'll take what life brings me :)
I had almost a perfect Saturday yesterday.
Started off with taking Moki for a walk, getting my haircut, a quick breakfast, and watching my son score the game winner in his soccer teams game.
After his game I hit WalMart for some new jeans and boxer briefs (Too much info? too bad, it's my blog lol) and than Loblaws for a grocery run.
Once home I did another quick Spackle job on the bathroom in anticipation of painting it on Sunday, had a nap, and than headed over to my daughters place to visit with her, Lee, and my grandson.
Okay, we all know seeing my grandson alone would have made it almost perfect but there was more.
Lee has been studying for his real estate exam and offered to stay home with Baby Jack so my daughter and I could go to Ikea and grab an early dinner. This gave him some solo one on one time with his son and let him avoid Ikea as he absolutely hates the place, loves the products but hates to go into the store.
My daughter and I wandered around Ikea and found a few things we each needed before heading over to The Big Rig for a nice meal. I've been craving wings and added a cold half pint of "Gold" to make a great combination, she had the fish and chips with a small 5 oz glass of the "Gold" as well. We talked and laughed about a wide variety of topics and had a great time.
Once back at her place I got to spend some more time holding my awesome grandson and pretty much left feeling on top of the world.
Life can get hectic but just thinking about that little guy puts a smile on my face and eases away all the stress.
My daughter know this and has taken to sending me a new picture of him every day - think she knows her father pretty damn well.
So why am I saying it's "Almost a perfect Saturday?"
Well I've got to be honest and admit that coming home to an empty house was sort of a bummer. It would have been nice to either share these with someone in person or have the "one" to call and talk about my amazing day, making plans to do it with her very soon.
But I'm not going to get all down about it....can't as I'm sure Jack wouldn't be happy if he learned his grandpa was feeling sad.......he does know his grandpa pretty well :-)
Today has been doing the touch up painting on the repaired spots on the wall in the bathroom and now I'm getting ready to watch the Packers and Falcons play for the right to go onto the Super Bowl.
Go Packers!!!!!!!!!!
My name is Marcus and while life isn't perfect it's far from being all that bad so I'll take what life brings me :)
My Son Was The Driving Force Behind "The Thought......" Posting
Sunday, January 15/17
So yesterday was one of those days with my son I've come to really appreciate as it was filled with lots of smiles, laughter, joking around, and more than a few hugs.
Last week someone at work asked me who I am closer to my son or my daughter and I'd say my son as we've enjoyed a close relationship from day one whereas I came into my daughters life when she was 5 and had already established a very tight relationship with her mom since it had just been the two of them from her birth onwards.
Now that doesn't mean my daughter isn't just as important to me as my daughter but more how the two of them have acted with my ex and I over the years. When there is an issue in my daughters life she is much more likely to discuss it with her mom with the understanding that her mom is going to fill me in on whatever is going on with her. The same is pretty true with my son but also a little different as when something is bothering him and he's at his moms for that week she has learned not to push too deeply as it will just make him take a step back ,instead she'll send me a text or call me to give me a heads up that I can expect him to open up about something at some point over the weekend when he first makes the transition from her place to mine. Of course I return the favour and let her know what he issue is and we move on from there trying to help the two of them the best we can.
Yesterday saw his soccer team drawn 0-0 by one of the teams near last place but it was a well played game and as I told him afterwards on the drive home, those are the kinds of games I never minded losing as both teams played lights out and just couldn't get one past the other for a winning goal. Both teams played exceptionally well with lots of scoring opportunities that just weren't completed. He smiled and said he understood but still didn't like dropping points in the standing and once more I could see a bit of me in him and had to smile to myself.
We stopped at Loblaws on the way home so I could replenish the cupboards as his mom had warned me at soccer that he has had a huge appetite this week and might be at the front end of a growth spurt and I should be prepared for the return of the black hole which is what we jokingly refer to his stomach as when these moments come around.
As we were walking up to the front of the store he leaned over and softly said to me "Dad, can you say the suppositories we're buying are for you and not me" in the most deadpan voice possible.
I burst out laughing so hard and had tears in my eyes as I tried to keep walking and not respond to off the cuff comment.
All through our time in the store he'd give me the look now and again and mouth the words "pharmacy" to me just to make me laugh.
As we were going through checkout he suddenly exclaimed "Dad, wasn't there something you had to get in the pharmacy?" and gave me one of those Cheshire cat grins he is becoming known for.
The checker paused and asked if I needed to go and get anything and I told her I was good and that my son was confused about it as we'd already picked up the cream for his persistent rash. She sort of looked between the two of us and laughed as my said smiled and said "Well played, well played indeed sir"
There are times being the parent of a teenager is stressful and than there are those times like yesterday that remind me of just how awesome I've got it with my kids. Best decision I ever made was the one to move to Ottawa and have a family of my own.
On the flip side are those moments when he poses a question and it makes me really step back and take some serious time to think over what he is asking.
That happened on the way home from Loblaws and he commented on the abundance of "Open House" and "For Sale" signs that seem to have popped up lately. I told him that this is the time of year when people are starting to think about making changes and one of the biggest a person can make, besides having a child or entering into a committed relationship, is to buy or sell a home.
As we turned down our street he looked over at me and asked if seeing all of them bothered me at all.
I shook my head in the negative and asked why he thought it would.
He took a moment before responding , a sign he was giving his words some thought before speaking, and than said "Isn't this the year C was to be moving back to Ottawa and wasn't her plan to buy a place in the west end to be near work and you?"
I smiled at him and thought to myself how incredibly intuitive my son had become over the years.
"Yes, this is the year she is scheduled to return but I don't think she'll be looking in the west end for any reason other than being near work and her son, as I think he'll be staying with his dad in order to finish out high school without another disruption"
As I pulled into the driveway he looked at me and said "Life can be funny dad so don't be shocked if things don't go as you think they might"
I thought about those words and knew he was right. We can wish for a certain path all we want but life, or Karma should you choose to call it that, doesn't always go the way we think and more often than not ends up bitch slapping us when we least expect it.
I've been bitch slapped far more times than I care to admit but at least I can say I've never just folded up and walked away from the game we call life.
So it was this little brief exchange that led me to write the previous post about "A Thought......"
Sometimes we have control over the things in our lives and sometimes we don't.......and the kicker is that we don't always recognize which is which and because of that we might not think we have a chance to go back and try and right a wrong.........have you ever wondered if it's too late to change the direction you've taken due to a decision you made but later came to question and possibly regret?
My name is Marcus and there are more than a few times I wish I'd had the courage to reach out and see it would have been possible to alter the direction my lie has taken.......
So yesterday was one of those days with my son I've come to really appreciate as it was filled with lots of smiles, laughter, joking around, and more than a few hugs.
Last week someone at work asked me who I am closer to my son or my daughter and I'd say my son as we've enjoyed a close relationship from day one whereas I came into my daughters life when she was 5 and had already established a very tight relationship with her mom since it had just been the two of them from her birth onwards.
Now that doesn't mean my daughter isn't just as important to me as my daughter but more how the two of them have acted with my ex and I over the years. When there is an issue in my daughters life she is much more likely to discuss it with her mom with the understanding that her mom is going to fill me in on whatever is going on with her. The same is pretty true with my son but also a little different as when something is bothering him and he's at his moms for that week she has learned not to push too deeply as it will just make him take a step back ,instead she'll send me a text or call me to give me a heads up that I can expect him to open up about something at some point over the weekend when he first makes the transition from her place to mine. Of course I return the favour and let her know what he issue is and we move on from there trying to help the two of them the best we can.
Yesterday saw his soccer team drawn 0-0 by one of the teams near last place but it was a well played game and as I told him afterwards on the drive home, those are the kinds of games I never minded losing as both teams played lights out and just couldn't get one past the other for a winning goal. Both teams played exceptionally well with lots of scoring opportunities that just weren't completed. He smiled and said he understood but still didn't like dropping points in the standing and once more I could see a bit of me in him and had to smile to myself.
We stopped at Loblaws on the way home so I could replenish the cupboards as his mom had warned me at soccer that he has had a huge appetite this week and might be at the front end of a growth spurt and I should be prepared for the return of the black hole which is what we jokingly refer to his stomach as when these moments come around.
As we were walking up to the front of the store he leaned over and softly said to me "Dad, can you say the suppositories we're buying are for you and not me" in the most deadpan voice possible.
I burst out laughing so hard and had tears in my eyes as I tried to keep walking and not respond to off the cuff comment.
All through our time in the store he'd give me the look now and again and mouth the words "pharmacy" to me just to make me laugh.
As we were going through checkout he suddenly exclaimed "Dad, wasn't there something you had to get in the pharmacy?" and gave me one of those Cheshire cat grins he is becoming known for.
The checker paused and asked if I needed to go and get anything and I told her I was good and that my son was confused about it as we'd already picked up the cream for his persistent rash. She sort of looked between the two of us and laughed as my said smiled and said "Well played, well played indeed sir"
There are times being the parent of a teenager is stressful and than there are those times like yesterday that remind me of just how awesome I've got it with my kids. Best decision I ever made was the one to move to Ottawa and have a family of my own.
On the flip side are those moments when he poses a question and it makes me really step back and take some serious time to think over what he is asking.
That happened on the way home from Loblaws and he commented on the abundance of "Open House" and "For Sale" signs that seem to have popped up lately. I told him that this is the time of year when people are starting to think about making changes and one of the biggest a person can make, besides having a child or entering into a committed relationship, is to buy or sell a home.
As we turned down our street he looked over at me and asked if seeing all of them bothered me at all.
I shook my head in the negative and asked why he thought it would.
He took a moment before responding , a sign he was giving his words some thought before speaking, and than said "Isn't this the year C was to be moving back to Ottawa and wasn't her plan to buy a place in the west end to be near work and you?"
I smiled at him and thought to myself how incredibly intuitive my son had become over the years.
"Yes, this is the year she is scheduled to return but I don't think she'll be looking in the west end for any reason other than being near work and her son, as I think he'll be staying with his dad in order to finish out high school without another disruption"
As I pulled into the driveway he looked at me and said "Life can be funny dad so don't be shocked if things don't go as you think they might"
I thought about those words and knew he was right. We can wish for a certain path all we want but life, or Karma should you choose to call it that, doesn't always go the way we think and more often than not ends up bitch slapping us when we least expect it.
I've been bitch slapped far more times than I care to admit but at least I can say I've never just folded up and walked away from the game we call life.
So it was this little brief exchange that led me to write the previous post about "A Thought......"
Sometimes we have control over the things in our lives and sometimes we don't.......and the kicker is that we don't always recognize which is which and because of that we might not think we have a chance to go back and try and right a wrong.........have you ever wondered if it's too late to change the direction you've taken due to a decision you made but later came to question and possibly regret?
My name is Marcus and there are more than a few times I wish I'd had the courage to reach out and see it would have been possible to alter the direction my lie has taken.......
Saturday, January 14, 2017
A Thought..............
Saturday, January 14/17
A question posed by my son made me think..........
Sometimes all we need is the courage to see beyond the past and try for a fresh start.
Love shouldn't hurt but sometimes it does and that's okay as it means the feelings were real, sometimes things happen that make you doubt that love but does that mean the doubt should dictate how you decide to proceed with your life and the pursuit of love........................
Marcus
George Howard's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" would be today's musical suggestion as I reflect on things thanks to my ever persistent teenage son.
A question posed by my son made me think..........
Sometimes all we need is the courage to see beyond the past and try for a fresh start.
Love shouldn't hurt but sometimes it does and that's okay as it means the feelings were real, sometimes things happen that make you doubt that love but does that mean the doubt should dictate how you decide to proceed with your life and the pursuit of love........................
Marcus
George Howard's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" would be today's musical suggestion as I reflect on things thanks to my ever persistent teenage son.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Chapters, Baby Jack, and a Smile
Friday, January 13/17
So last Sunday I went over to see my grandson, his mother and father were there as well so I sort of felt obligated to talk to them too :-)
My daughter wanted to go to Chapters and her fiancé had some studying to do so it worked out perfectly for everyone as I love me some Chapters and the icing on the cake was getting to spend some time with her and Baby Jack.
When we got to Chapters we had to hit Starbucks as she just needed her fix of some kind of drink that required using some special code in the ordering process that included words like Latte, Mocha, Grande, Petite Expresso, Macchiatto, and Doppio. I think I got vertigo just listening to all the people placing orders that I'm convinced were randomly created at the drop of a hat.
Once she got her coffee fix taken care of we headed off to do some wandering thru the aisles of books, magazines, baby gear, and household furnishings. I remember back in the old days when Chapters was actually a bookstore and not trying to compete with Pier 1 but I digress.
The big question we had faced when we decided to go to Chapters was whether to pack Baby Jack's stroller or for me to just carry him around in his car seat as my daughter has not been cleared to carry anything other than her son just quite yet. I voted for the car seat and since I was the hired muscle that's what we went with.
So as we headed into the store my daughter said she wanted to look at some magazines and I told her that Baby Jack and I were going to check the bargain books before moving onto fiction and science fiction, that if she needed anything to come find us, and off we went.
Now to be honest, I have to say I got the better end of things as I got to walk around in one of my favourite places with one of the top 3 people in my life, I mean how could it get any better?
As I walked around I was careful not to bump my precious cargo into anyone or anything as he was sort of feeling sleepy and coming in and out of a nap. I did take the opportunity to have a conversation with my grandson but I'm finding it's rather one sided on my part as he tends to play the strong silent type and just listen to the crazy old guy carrying him around.
I told him that I could see many a Sunday with me picking him up at his mom's and going to Chapters to buy a book and than Dairy Queen for an ice cream before heading home to read that book to him as he had a nap.
I stopped every now and than to just look down at his adorable face as he slept and softly stroke his cheek or feel the texture of his light brown hair. I'll admit I felt a tear or two as I did this and did sneak in a kiss or two on his forehead.
We wandered around for about half an hour before I decided it was time to see what his mom was up to and if she wanted to grab some lunch. As I paused in the main aisle to look around to see if I could spot my daughter a woman I'd in her mid to late thirties came up and smiled at me and than smiled down at Baby Jack,
She looked back up and said she and a couple of girlfriends had been watching how I was with him and it made her smile to see how attentive I was to him. Her next words made me pause and laugh when she asked how old was my son.........
I looked down at Baby Jack and told her he was my grandson and that at 54 my daddy days were long over with. As I was telling her this I spied my daughter walking up behind her with a quizzical look upon her face and than saw her eyes pop open really wide when the woman placed her hand on my arm and told me that I didn't look that old and men much older than that had been having babies.
I was saved with the arrival of my daughter asking if Baby Jack was ok but before I could reply the woman smiled at my daughter and commented that she didn't see a ring on my finger and wondered if I was single.
Now my daughter was really getting a kick out of this and just looked at me as she answered for me by saying "my dad is completely single and ready to mingle" and both of them burst out laughing at seeing how bight red I suddenly became.
The woman smiled down at Baby Jack and told him that he has a cute grandpa and hoped she would bump into me again before congratulating my daughter on how cute her son was and than walked over to join a couple of her friends who had been waiting on her.
My daughter didn't say a word about it the whole drive home but as soon as we walked into her house and she saw Lee she burst out laughing and told him how I'd been using Baby Jack as a babe magnet.
Lee smiled and asked me how it worked as he might need to try it some time but than yelped in mock pain when she punched his arm lol
I guess I don't look like a grandpa as this isn't the first time someone has mentioned I look young to be a grandparent, which is a good thing as I plan on being around to spend as much time watching that little guy grow up.
As I was getting ready to leave I leaned down to kiss him on the cheek when I swear that his eyes opened up and he smiled at me as if to say "No worries grandpa, I've got your back" and than went right back to sleep.
Wondering if I might be able to hit Chapters this Sunday with Baby Jack in tow and see what happens...............
Marcus
So last Sunday I went over to see my grandson, his mother and father were there as well so I sort of felt obligated to talk to them too :-)
My daughter wanted to go to Chapters and her fiancé had some studying to do so it worked out perfectly for everyone as I love me some Chapters and the icing on the cake was getting to spend some time with her and Baby Jack.
When we got to Chapters we had to hit Starbucks as she just needed her fix of some kind of drink that required using some special code in the ordering process that included words like Latte, Mocha, Grande, Petite Expresso, Macchiatto, and Doppio. I think I got vertigo just listening to all the people placing orders that I'm convinced were randomly created at the drop of a hat.
Once she got her coffee fix taken care of we headed off to do some wandering thru the aisles of books, magazines, baby gear, and household furnishings. I remember back in the old days when Chapters was actually a bookstore and not trying to compete with Pier 1 but I digress.
The big question we had faced when we decided to go to Chapters was whether to pack Baby Jack's stroller or for me to just carry him around in his car seat as my daughter has not been cleared to carry anything other than her son just quite yet. I voted for the car seat and since I was the hired muscle that's what we went with.
So as we headed into the store my daughter said she wanted to look at some magazines and I told her that Baby Jack and I were going to check the bargain books before moving onto fiction and science fiction, that if she needed anything to come find us, and off we went.
Now to be honest, I have to say I got the better end of things as I got to walk around in one of my favourite places with one of the top 3 people in my life, I mean how could it get any better?
As I walked around I was careful not to bump my precious cargo into anyone or anything as he was sort of feeling sleepy and coming in and out of a nap. I did take the opportunity to have a conversation with my grandson but I'm finding it's rather one sided on my part as he tends to play the strong silent type and just listen to the crazy old guy carrying him around.
I told him that I could see many a Sunday with me picking him up at his mom's and going to Chapters to buy a book and than Dairy Queen for an ice cream before heading home to read that book to him as he had a nap.
I stopped every now and than to just look down at his adorable face as he slept and softly stroke his cheek or feel the texture of his light brown hair. I'll admit I felt a tear or two as I did this and did sneak in a kiss or two on his forehead.
We wandered around for about half an hour before I decided it was time to see what his mom was up to and if she wanted to grab some lunch. As I paused in the main aisle to look around to see if I could spot my daughter a woman I'd in her mid to late thirties came up and smiled at me and than smiled down at Baby Jack,
She looked back up and said she and a couple of girlfriends had been watching how I was with him and it made her smile to see how attentive I was to him. Her next words made me pause and laugh when she asked how old was my son.........
I looked down at Baby Jack and told her he was my grandson and that at 54 my daddy days were long over with. As I was telling her this I spied my daughter walking up behind her with a quizzical look upon her face and than saw her eyes pop open really wide when the woman placed her hand on my arm and told me that I didn't look that old and men much older than that had been having babies.
I was saved with the arrival of my daughter asking if Baby Jack was ok but before I could reply the woman smiled at my daughter and commented that she didn't see a ring on my finger and wondered if I was single.
Now my daughter was really getting a kick out of this and just looked at me as she answered for me by saying "my dad is completely single and ready to mingle" and both of them burst out laughing at seeing how bight red I suddenly became.
The woman smiled down at Baby Jack and told him that he has a cute grandpa and hoped she would bump into me again before congratulating my daughter on how cute her son was and than walked over to join a couple of her friends who had been waiting on her.
My daughter didn't say a word about it the whole drive home but as soon as we walked into her house and she saw Lee she burst out laughing and told him how I'd been using Baby Jack as a babe magnet.
Lee smiled and asked me how it worked as he might need to try it some time but than yelped in mock pain when she punched his arm lol
I guess I don't look like a grandpa as this isn't the first time someone has mentioned I look young to be a grandparent, which is a good thing as I plan on being around to spend as much time watching that little guy grow up.
As I was getting ready to leave I leaned down to kiss him on the cheek when I swear that his eyes opened up and he smiled at me as if to say "No worries grandpa, I've got your back" and than went right back to sleep.
Wondering if I might be able to hit Chapters this Sunday with Baby Jack in tow and see what happens...............
Marcus
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Some Changes Are Coming To The Blog
Thursday, January 12/17
So I've been going back and reading some of the older entries and found it kind of hard at times to understand just who the heck I've been talking about by only using the first initial of most peoples names.
In order to make things a bit easier I've decided to go to full first names in the blog moving forward.
The only exception will be the names of my children, my ex, and C and her family. They deserve the privacy of remaining only an initial.
I'm also tooling with the thought of adding a picture...........it's just a thought so don't go out and down a bunch of shooters in celebration for Pete's sake.......and I do know someone named Pete lol
Marcus
So I've been going back and reading some of the older entries and found it kind of hard at times to understand just who the heck I've been talking about by only using the first initial of most peoples names.
In order to make things a bit easier I've decided to go to full first names in the blog moving forward.
The only exception will be the names of my children, my ex, and C and her family. They deserve the privacy of remaining only an initial.
I'm also tooling with the thought of adding a picture...........it's just a thought so don't go out and down a bunch of shooters in celebration for Pete's sake.......and I do know someone named Pete lol
Marcus
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Trump - I'm Neither for Nor Against Him (Updated)
Wednesday, January 11/17
I have to admit there is a sort of sick pleasure one can take from listening to all the ranting and whining going on down in the states right now as the day for Trumps inauguration approaches.
I've always found it amusing how celebrities feel it is their place to tell everyone around them how they know better than anyone else and how stupid every person is who doesn't follow their agenda.
The most recent example of this is Meryl Streep and her decision to sound off on the impending decline in western society once the Donald takes office during her acceptance speech for winning a Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes.
Now I'll be the first to admit that I didn't bother watching the awards show as I tend to avoid things that destroy my brain synapse let alone actual brain cells by subjecting myself to the red carpet, who wore what, who came with who, who left with who, and who said what. I'd rather have a root canal without any pain blockers than do that ever!
According to audio clips of Mrs. Streep we can now expect nothing more to view than football and mixed martial arts from this point forward as the real arts, her words, will now stagnate until such time as the rest of America sees things the way of Hollywood and puts another democrat in the White House.
Couple this with Bill Clinton's recent speech where he said the only reason Trump won the election was because uneducated white males turned out to vote in record numbers and that cost his wife her chance to sit in the chair he once occupied. Hopefully, had she gotten that chance she would have put that same chair to better use than her husband did during his time in the Oval Office. Right Monica?
What these two fail to realize, or maybe just don't want to admit to themselves, is that while Hilary may have won the popular vote that the final winner is the person who wins the most electoral college candidates and those went to Trump, who managed to carry the large vote states and secure the election.
I'm not saying the system is perfect but until such time as it is changed for something better than people need to accept the results that more voters in key swing states that carried big electoral college numbers voted for Trump over Clinton. Now whether these voters were uneducated white males, Ivy League preppies, or some other such key voting block is really irrelevant in the end as the voters voted and you reap what you sow.
I seem to remember there being a similar ruckus being raised when Reagan won and the same was true when Obama came into office. Correct me if I'm wrong but neither of those two events sparked the apocalypse right?
Is Trump a loose cannon? Absolutely, without a doubt in the world. But here's the thing folks, that job tends to overwhelm the person in office and they almost always take a step back and reevaluate the program they want to implement as they see what it really means to be President.
Not saying the Donald is going to be one of the greatest to ever hold the office nor am I saying he'll fall flat on his face, but I will say he won't end up being the worst the U.S. has ever had.
I'm going to sit back and enjoy the sideshow that will become Washington and hope they don't figure out how to muzzle his twitter account as he's usually worth a laugh or two a week, and that humour will serve us well the crazy days to come.
Just remember Meryl & Bill......you live in a land where you can stand up and rail against the President all you want but never forget that you are only speaking for yourselves and not the rest of the country....they did that for themselves when they went into those booths and cast ballots back in November. You may not like the results but you've got four years to try and figure out a new approach to show the rest of us a better alternative.
Marcus
Update Jan 12/17
Since this entry posted I've received numerous messages asking how I could possibly be all for having a womanizer in the White House.
I'm guessing those individuals didn't bother to really read the blog title or the actual wordy part of the blog since they are accusing me of being in support of the Donald.
I guess you could say I am a supporter.......a supporter of wacky tweets and rambling press conferences filled with outrageous claims......which is what the Donald will be good for over the next four years.
One person even wrote to say he won't make it to the end of the first year of his term before he gets impeached!!!
Really, that's what you think? Bill Clinton had sex in the Oval Office with an intern and even he couldn't get impeached so what in the hell makes you think Congress would even consider let alone act upon anything to try and impeach a president whose only real crime is being a bit of a blowhard.
Nope, like I said before, not for or against the man. Just sitting back and watching the show as it unfolds before my very eyes :)
I have to admit there is a sort of sick pleasure one can take from listening to all the ranting and whining going on down in the states right now as the day for Trumps inauguration approaches.
I've always found it amusing how celebrities feel it is their place to tell everyone around them how they know better than anyone else and how stupid every person is who doesn't follow their agenda.
The most recent example of this is Meryl Streep and her decision to sound off on the impending decline in western society once the Donald takes office during her acceptance speech for winning a Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes.
Now I'll be the first to admit that I didn't bother watching the awards show as I tend to avoid things that destroy my brain synapse let alone actual brain cells by subjecting myself to the red carpet, who wore what, who came with who, who left with who, and who said what. I'd rather have a root canal without any pain blockers than do that ever!
According to audio clips of Mrs. Streep we can now expect nothing more to view than football and mixed martial arts from this point forward as the real arts, her words, will now stagnate until such time as the rest of America sees things the way of Hollywood and puts another democrat in the White House.
Couple this with Bill Clinton's recent speech where he said the only reason Trump won the election was because uneducated white males turned out to vote in record numbers and that cost his wife her chance to sit in the chair he once occupied. Hopefully, had she gotten that chance she would have put that same chair to better use than her husband did during his time in the Oval Office. Right Monica?
What these two fail to realize, or maybe just don't want to admit to themselves, is that while Hilary may have won the popular vote that the final winner is the person who wins the most electoral college candidates and those went to Trump, who managed to carry the large vote states and secure the election.
I'm not saying the system is perfect but until such time as it is changed for something better than people need to accept the results that more voters in key swing states that carried big electoral college numbers voted for Trump over Clinton. Now whether these voters were uneducated white males, Ivy League preppies, or some other such key voting block is really irrelevant in the end as the voters voted and you reap what you sow.
I seem to remember there being a similar ruckus being raised when Reagan won and the same was true when Obama came into office. Correct me if I'm wrong but neither of those two events sparked the apocalypse right?
Is Trump a loose cannon? Absolutely, without a doubt in the world. But here's the thing folks, that job tends to overwhelm the person in office and they almost always take a step back and reevaluate the program they want to implement as they see what it really means to be President.
Not saying the Donald is going to be one of the greatest to ever hold the office nor am I saying he'll fall flat on his face, but I will say he won't end up being the worst the U.S. has ever had.
I'm going to sit back and enjoy the sideshow that will become Washington and hope they don't figure out how to muzzle his twitter account as he's usually worth a laugh or two a week, and that humour will serve us well the crazy days to come.
Just remember Meryl & Bill......you live in a land where you can stand up and rail against the President all you want but never forget that you are only speaking for yourselves and not the rest of the country....they did that for themselves when they went into those booths and cast ballots back in November. You may not like the results but you've got four years to try and figure out a new approach to show the rest of us a better alternative.
Marcus
Update Jan 12/17
Since this entry posted I've received numerous messages asking how I could possibly be all for having a womanizer in the White House.
I'm guessing those individuals didn't bother to really read the blog title or the actual wordy part of the blog since they are accusing me of being in support of the Donald.
I guess you could say I am a supporter.......a supporter of wacky tweets and rambling press conferences filled with outrageous claims......which is what the Donald will be good for over the next four years.
One person even wrote to say he won't make it to the end of the first year of his term before he gets impeached!!!
Really, that's what you think? Bill Clinton had sex in the Oval Office with an intern and even he couldn't get impeached so what in the hell makes you think Congress would even consider let alone act upon anything to try and impeach a president whose only real crime is being a bit of a blowhard.
Nope, like I said before, not for or against the man. Just sitting back and watching the show as it unfolds before my very eyes :)
Friday, January 6, 2017
2017 - 1 Week Down, 51 More To Go
Friday, January 06/17
So the first week of 2017 is coming to an end and I have to say it hasn't been too bad a start to the new year.
My son was with me this week but still on the winter break so that meant lots of late nights with his buddies online and late morning sleep ins lol
We did go see "Manchester by the Sea" on Monday. Not quite what I was expecting and had me make a new vow that I've shared with both my children and ex as she might need to remind them of it at some point down the road. I don't want to say more at this moment as the movie is still in theatres but for those of you who might have seen it you'll probably understand my reference. It revolves around where Patrick's uncle takes him after picking him up from school.
Work has once more become a mad house as we are closing the month and preparing for year end and all that entails. The topper was getting an email from our AP person telling us he wouldn't be coming back to work as he found something in Calgary - Happy New Year to us lol
I was able to go with my son to visit my daughter and see baby Jack on Wednesday. They even made us dinner and had a strawberry cheesecake for dessert!! My grandson was as adorable as ever and made my heart melt when he woke up as I was holding him and smiled at me as he held onto my pinkie. I think that kid is so going to be able to work his grandpa when he gets older. Now if my daughter has another child down the road and it is a baby girl I'll be royally up the creek lol
This weekend has some soccer as my son's team resumes winter round robin play tomorrow and I'm going to do some cleaning up around the house as it is time to put away the Christmas decorations for another year.
I pretty much just came home tonight and had some leftovers and relaxed with some Netflix.
Moki has been pretty much a clingy puppy since the moment I walked through the door and I can see what my son meant when he sent me a text this morning saying she was acting kind of strange. Not sure what has gotten into her lately but she really does seem more needful of attention the past few weeks. Something I've got to keep an eye on as that might become a problem.
So I've got one blog entry under edit right now and it's about 50/50 whether it ever sees the light of day as I have to say it has to be one of the darkest postings I've ever written. Great therapy to put pen to paper but not sure that is a doorway to my inner darkness I really want to open right now.
When I originally started to write it I didn't see the fast approaching abyss and am more than a little fearful that should I actually post the entry that I might lose more than a few followers.
The hard part is that while I dread how close it might bring me to the abyss I don't actually think it would push me over the edge, still the mere idea that these thoughts even reside inside me sort of makes me feel sick to my stomach at times and glad I am alone as I don't know how anyone would ever want to be around me if they knew about it.
Marcus
So the first week of 2017 is coming to an end and I have to say it hasn't been too bad a start to the new year.
My son was with me this week but still on the winter break so that meant lots of late nights with his buddies online and late morning sleep ins lol
We did go see "Manchester by the Sea" on Monday. Not quite what I was expecting and had me make a new vow that I've shared with both my children and ex as she might need to remind them of it at some point down the road. I don't want to say more at this moment as the movie is still in theatres but for those of you who might have seen it you'll probably understand my reference. It revolves around where Patrick's uncle takes him after picking him up from school.
Work has once more become a mad house as we are closing the month and preparing for year end and all that entails. The topper was getting an email from our AP person telling us he wouldn't be coming back to work as he found something in Calgary - Happy New Year to us lol
I was able to go with my son to visit my daughter and see baby Jack on Wednesday. They even made us dinner and had a strawberry cheesecake for dessert!! My grandson was as adorable as ever and made my heart melt when he woke up as I was holding him and smiled at me as he held onto my pinkie. I think that kid is so going to be able to work his grandpa when he gets older. Now if my daughter has another child down the road and it is a baby girl I'll be royally up the creek lol
This weekend has some soccer as my son's team resumes winter round robin play tomorrow and I'm going to do some cleaning up around the house as it is time to put away the Christmas decorations for another year.
I pretty much just came home tonight and had some leftovers and relaxed with some Netflix.
Moki has been pretty much a clingy puppy since the moment I walked through the door and I can see what my son meant when he sent me a text this morning saying she was acting kind of strange. Not sure what has gotten into her lately but she really does seem more needful of attention the past few weeks. Something I've got to keep an eye on as that might become a problem.
So I've got one blog entry under edit right now and it's about 50/50 whether it ever sees the light of day as I have to say it has to be one of the darkest postings I've ever written. Great therapy to put pen to paper but not sure that is a doorway to my inner darkness I really want to open right now.
When I originally started to write it I didn't see the fast approaching abyss and am more than a little fearful that should I actually post the entry that I might lose more than a few followers.
The hard part is that while I dread how close it might bring me to the abyss I don't actually think it would push me over the edge, still the mere idea that these thoughts even reside inside me sort of makes me feel sick to my stomach at times and glad I am alone as I don't know how anyone would ever want to be around me if they knew about it.
Marcus
Monday, January 2, 2017
One Resoluition I'll Be Following & Challenge The Readers To Follow As Well
Monday, January 2nd, 2017
Funny how we need to watch the year in our dating for the next little while as I originally dated today's entry as January 2nd, 2016 before catching the mistake 😄
So last night I got to thinking about resolutions and decided to come up with a series of monthly resolutions and use them to challenge myself and my son in my ongoing efforts to teach him about life, what it means to continually review what is happening around us, and be in a position where one is better off than others and the social contract that should exist internally to help others when we can.
January's challenge is a relatively easy one and a warm up to some of those I'll be proposing towards the end of the year.
Perform a random act of kindness.
It can be anything from paying for the order for the car behind you at the drive thru, topping up the payment someone is trying to make at the store when they find themselves a bit short, returning the shopping cart to the carousel for someone with kids, shovel the driveway for a neighbour, spend the day at a food bank helping to organize the dry goods, or really any simple act that may make a persons life just a bit more bearable for some moment.
I've done all of those things in the last year, well except for the Food Bank but will be doing that this month.
The key is to do something without expecting any kind of recognition for your act. I like to call this being a good human.
My son has completed his required 40 hours of volunteer work needed to graduate high school in Ontario but I think it sad that this is limited to meeting a high school graduation requirement and hope this reminds him that his time is one of the greatest gifts he can give to his community.
I would love to hear from the readers the RAK's they performed and how they ended up feeling.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if each person undertook to doing this once a month or even maybe once a day...............makes me smile just thinking about it
Marcus
Today's musical suggestion is "Faith" by George Michael's............one of my favourite songs and we'll miss George and his infectious smile and music
Funny how we need to watch the year in our dating for the next little while as I originally dated today's entry as January 2nd, 2016 before catching the mistake 😄
So last night I got to thinking about resolutions and decided to come up with a series of monthly resolutions and use them to challenge myself and my son in my ongoing efforts to teach him about life, what it means to continually review what is happening around us, and be in a position where one is better off than others and the social contract that should exist internally to help others when we can.
January's challenge is a relatively easy one and a warm up to some of those I'll be proposing towards the end of the year.
Perform a random act of kindness.
It can be anything from paying for the order for the car behind you at the drive thru, topping up the payment someone is trying to make at the store when they find themselves a bit short, returning the shopping cart to the carousel for someone with kids, shovel the driveway for a neighbour, spend the day at a food bank helping to organize the dry goods, or really any simple act that may make a persons life just a bit more bearable for some moment.
I've done all of those things in the last year, well except for the Food Bank but will be doing that this month.
The key is to do something without expecting any kind of recognition for your act. I like to call this being a good human.
My son has completed his required 40 hours of volunteer work needed to graduate high school in Ontario but I think it sad that this is limited to meeting a high school graduation requirement and hope this reminds him that his time is one of the greatest gifts he can give to his community.
I would love to hear from the readers the RAK's they performed and how they ended up feeling.
Can you imagine what the world would be like if each person undertook to doing this once a month or even maybe once a day...............makes me smile just thinking about it
Marcus
Today's musical suggestion is "Faith" by George Michael's............one of my favourite songs and we'll miss George and his infectious smile and music
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
Sunday, January 01/17
So I had an conversation with a friend this morning that reminded me that what we see may not mean what we think it does.
Ok, this probably needs a bit of explaining so it all makes some sense.
This morning I woke up around 8am, which is pretty early considering I went to bed around 1:30 but think it was my inner alarm getting me up in case my son called early for a pick up from his friends house.
Anyways, up early I was and after noshing down some breakfast I headed out with Moki to clear the side deck off from the accumulation of snow that built up over night. I'm somewhat convinced that my house acts as a catch basin for all the snow on my street as I think I shovelled my side deck about 5 times yesterday as the snow just kept coming and building up all day long.
As I was clearing the walkway a friend walked by and stopped to wish me a Happy New Year as we hadn't seen one another for a little while. She actually teaches at my son's high school and was my inside source of information on what was happening with his class the first couple of years he was at his new school.
She was heading home from a party at another friends down the street that had run really late and seen more than a few people crashed out on couches due to some heavy imbibing last night lol
She laughed and said she was surprised to see me out and even more so that I had the energy to be out shovelling snow.
I didn't get what she meant and asked her about it and she pointed to the Mazda in my driveway and said it was obvious I've been having some serious company over lately as she's seen that car in my driveway quite a few times.
I looked at the car and it dawned on me what she meant, whereupon I started laughing and almost wet myself as I couldn't stop myself.
After a moment I was able to catch my breath and told her that car was my son's and not an overnight guests, though I thanked her for thinking I still had enough game to have that happen these days.
She sort of blushed and as she walked away said over her shoulder in her best Yoda voice "Of game, you have much, of confidence, it is lacking"
I smiled and got back to work on the driveway and wondered to myself just how many people had driven past my place and mistakenly thought my son's car belonged to someone else over for a visit.
Just a simple reminder that what you think you see may not be what is really happening.
Well another start to a new year and I've got some resolutions to think about. I might post them or I might just hold these close to my vest for now, they won't be any earth shattering declarations but just some things I might want to accomplish to enhance my quality of life, physically and or emotionally.
My name is Marcus and I'll be adding more posts about parenting, friending, working, and maybe even dating as the mood or events strike me.
Today's musical suggestion is "Rhonda" from The Balconies. No special reason other than I like the song, and isn't that really the best reason to recommend one :)
So I had an conversation with a friend this morning that reminded me that what we see may not mean what we think it does.
Ok, this probably needs a bit of explaining so it all makes some sense.
This morning I woke up around 8am, which is pretty early considering I went to bed around 1:30 but think it was my inner alarm getting me up in case my son called early for a pick up from his friends house.
Anyways, up early I was and after noshing down some breakfast I headed out with Moki to clear the side deck off from the accumulation of snow that built up over night. I'm somewhat convinced that my house acts as a catch basin for all the snow on my street as I think I shovelled my side deck about 5 times yesterday as the snow just kept coming and building up all day long.
As I was clearing the walkway a friend walked by and stopped to wish me a Happy New Year as we hadn't seen one another for a little while. She actually teaches at my son's high school and was my inside source of information on what was happening with his class the first couple of years he was at his new school.
She was heading home from a party at another friends down the street that had run really late and seen more than a few people crashed out on couches due to some heavy imbibing last night lol
She laughed and said she was surprised to see me out and even more so that I had the energy to be out shovelling snow.
I didn't get what she meant and asked her about it and she pointed to the Mazda in my driveway and said it was obvious I've been having some serious company over lately as she's seen that car in my driveway quite a few times.
I looked at the car and it dawned on me what she meant, whereupon I started laughing and almost wet myself as I couldn't stop myself.
After a moment I was able to catch my breath and told her that car was my son's and not an overnight guests, though I thanked her for thinking I still had enough game to have that happen these days.
She sort of blushed and as she walked away said over her shoulder in her best Yoda voice "Of game, you have much, of confidence, it is lacking"
I smiled and got back to work on the driveway and wondered to myself just how many people had driven past my place and mistakenly thought my son's car belonged to someone else over for a visit.
Just a simple reminder that what you think you see may not be what is really happening.
Well another start to a new year and I've got some resolutions to think about. I might post them or I might just hold these close to my vest for now, they won't be any earth shattering declarations but just some things I might want to accomplish to enhance my quality of life, physically and or emotionally.
My name is Marcus and I'll be adding more posts about parenting, friending, working, and maybe even dating as the mood or events strike me.
Today's musical suggestion is "Rhonda" from The Balconies. No special reason other than I like the song, and isn't that really the best reason to recommend one :)
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