Discoveries are often made by not following instructions, by going off the main road, by trying the untried. - Frank Tyger
I wanna be consequence free
I wanna be where nothing needs to matter
- Great Big Sea (consequence Free)
No man is rich whose desires can never be satisfied. - (The Republic of Plato)
All that makes existence valuable to any one, depends on the enforcement of restraints upon the actions of other people. - John Stuart Mill (On Liberty)
I could see it was hurting him to talk and thought of telling him to let it go, but sometimes it hurts more to be quiet. - Stephen King (The Green Mile)
If you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. - J.K. Rowling (The Goblet of Fire)
I lost touch with reality, now my personality
Is an unwanted commodity
- Teenage Fanclub & De La Soul (Fallin’)
the advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy. - Isaac Asimov (Foundation's Edge)
Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. - Jim Feibig
The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind are stretched to their limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something worthwhile.' - Czikszentmihalyi
We are...so accustomed to see things done ill, that a work well done is a miracle. - Thomas Storrow Brown
If you cannot be both honest and polite, keep your tongue on your own side of your teeth. - Isaac Asimov (Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain)
A true friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. - Walter Winchell
Our screams and shouts don't leave any doubt
We've been waking up the Grey Cup team.
-Stompin Tom (Football Song)
Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life. - Sandra Carey
no knife could be honed as sharp as a woman's tongue. - Isaac Asimov (Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain)
Any time you think you have influence, try ordering around someone else's dog. - The Cockel Bur
Correction does much, but encouragement does more. - Goethe
Monday, December 03, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Eerie Coincidences
The past couple weeks I have been reading books written by Dean Koontz and today, I felt like I was living through them. In Phantoms, the book I am currently reading, a doctor returns with her teenage sister to her small ski village in California to find the entire town empty. An evil force killed and/or kidnapped everyone in the town. The doctor calls a neighbouring sheriff’s office and they send officers to investigate. After a quick search they set up a command post at the local sheriff’s office. While there the lights flicker, go out and the evil being manages to sneak in and drag an officer away without notice until the lights go back on. I did not do this justice at all; it is really a suspenseful read.
Anyhow, this morning a similar incident occurred to me, minus the evil force (thankfully) and the police and the setting for that matter. I was sitting on the noGO train on my way to work reading the above named book when the lights on the train flickered followed by the engine shutting down. While the engine was being worked on, the lights on the train flickered a few more times before they eventually went out completely. At 7:oo AM, the sun was still an hour or so from breaking through the darkness so nothing could be seen outside leaving everyone sitting on it vulnerable to anything lurking in the shadows. On most days this would be extremely annoying but since my mind threw the situation into the context of the book, I found it all fairly amusing and only slightly annoying. But that was not the end of the coincidences for the day.
Just before starting Phantoms, I had just finished Dragon Tears. In this book a person with supernatural powers works to cleanse the planet of undesirables by killing those who he considers a drain on the planet. At some point this evil person decides to put a hold on eliminating several victims so he can target a ‘hero cop’. The book itself was not too eerie but today when I unfolded our local newspaper, Oshawa This Week, the cover headline, ‘Hero cop rushes into burning home’, brought the book back into my mind. It did not help that events of the day had my mind thinking of some undesirables that the world would be better without. If this article appeared on any other day I likely wouldn’t have thought twice about it but given my experience this morning I can’t help but wonder if this is a case of life imitating art or if it is just a couple of eerie consequences.
To ease everyone’s curiosity, the article above described how Constable Bradley Browne of Durham Regional Police noticed smoke coming from a house while driving by and took immediate actions to ensure the safety of the residents, including running into the house to wake the residents and calling 911. He was off duty at the time.
Anyhow, this morning a similar incident occurred to me, minus the evil force (thankfully) and the police and the setting for that matter. I was sitting on the noGO train on my way to work reading the above named book when the lights on the train flickered followed by the engine shutting down. While the engine was being worked on, the lights on the train flickered a few more times before they eventually went out completely. At 7:oo AM, the sun was still an hour or so from breaking through the darkness so nothing could be seen outside leaving everyone sitting on it vulnerable to anything lurking in the shadows. On most days this would be extremely annoying but since my mind threw the situation into the context of the book, I found it all fairly amusing and only slightly annoying. But that was not the end of the coincidences for the day.
Just before starting Phantoms, I had just finished Dragon Tears. In this book a person with supernatural powers works to cleanse the planet of undesirables by killing those who he considers a drain on the planet. At some point this evil person decides to put a hold on eliminating several victims so he can target a ‘hero cop’. The book itself was not too eerie but today when I unfolded our local newspaper, Oshawa This Week, the cover headline, ‘Hero cop rushes into burning home’, brought the book back into my mind. It did not help that events of the day had my mind thinking of some undesirables that the world would be better without. If this article appeared on any other day I likely wouldn’t have thought twice about it but given my experience this morning I can’t help but wonder if this is a case of life imitating art or if it is just a couple of eerie consequences.
To ease everyone’s curiosity, the article above described how Constable Bradley Browne of Durham Regional Police noticed smoke coming from a house while driving by and took immediate actions to ensure the safety of the residents, including running into the house to wake the residents and calling 911. He was off duty at the time.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tran-Siberian Orchestra
Last night the Trans-Siberian Orchestra made, what is quickly becoming, an annual appearance in Toronto. I had never really heard their music before but my wife had and really enjoys it so I went into the concert with no idea what I was in for. I bought the tickets a couple months ago and at the time I had no clue they played Christmas tunes. I found that out a short while after the tickets were bought and had some regrets. As it turns out those regrets were unnecessary as their performance was one of the best I’ve been too.
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is best described as a rock opera. They combine various styles of music into one powerful story that attacks your senses like a rock concert but has the sophistication of an opera. To accompany their inventive music, is a light and laser show that amazes young and old alike and helps create an entire sensory experience. The deep voice of the narrator captures your attention and holds it in a lover’s embrace, letting go only long enough to allow the musical accompaniment to increase your emotional attachment before returning and holding you even tighter. And that is only the first half of the performance.
The second half of the performance turned from an opera to a normal concert format where the orchestra demonstrated more fully their musical genius. Last night, the second half opened rather slowly with a blues number followed by a remake of Credence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary. It quickly returned to the high impact, sensory attack of the first half and regained the earlier intensity. With regret we had to leave early and miss the end of the performance. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is definitely a show worth seeing.
Some other things to note about the TSO: before each show they donate a dollar of every ticket sold to a local charity; and after each show they come out and have a bit of a meet and greet and sign autographs as if the venue is turned into their own little after party site. Not only is the music innovative, intense and emotionally charged, but the members of the TSO have more class than the Queen (of England). This event was made possible by the good people at HTZ FM.
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is best described as a rock opera. They combine various styles of music into one powerful story that attacks your senses like a rock concert but has the sophistication of an opera. To accompany their inventive music, is a light and laser show that amazes young and old alike and helps create an entire sensory experience. The deep voice of the narrator captures your attention and holds it in a lover’s embrace, letting go only long enough to allow the musical accompaniment to increase your emotional attachment before returning and holding you even tighter. And that is only the first half of the performance.
The second half of the performance turned from an opera to a normal concert format where the orchestra demonstrated more fully their musical genius. Last night, the second half opened rather slowly with a blues number followed by a remake of Credence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary. It quickly returned to the high impact, sensory attack of the first half and regained the earlier intensity. With regret we had to leave early and miss the end of the performance. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is definitely a show worth seeing.
Some other things to note about the TSO: before each show they donate a dollar of every ticket sold to a local charity; and after each show they come out and have a bit of a meet and greet and sign autographs as if the venue is turned into their own little after party site. Not only is the music innovative, intense and emotionally charged, but the members of the TSO have more class than the Queen (of England). This event was made possible by the good people at HTZ FM.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Where's the Snow?
Yesterday afternoon, warnings were issued for a winter storm to hit Ontario that would begin in the evening as freezing rain/ice pellets and turn to snow overnight dumping 15 cm's or more onto our otherwise leaf cluttered streets and yards. I went to bed thinking of what analogy I would use to describe the beautiful sight of a blanket of freshly fallen snow where hours before rusty coloured leafs laid quietly. For the record the common artist's clean white canvas comparison came to mind. But alas, all that thinking and composing I did in my head last night (or early this morning as I saw the clock crawl past midnight) was wasted. I woke up this morning to the sound of ice hitting my window and a sort of greyish white mass doing a bad job of hiding the fallen victims of autumn.
They, whoever they are, are still calling for snow but for now, the weather is as dreary as a Vancouver winter, only colder and more painful as the ice pellets attack any exposed flesh like tiny daggers thrown from the Gods.
They, whoever they are, are still calling for snow but for now, the weather is as dreary as a Vancouver winter, only colder and more painful as the ice pellets attack any exposed flesh like tiny daggers thrown from the Gods.
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Longest Straw
I have been at work for (far too long) an hour and a bit today and in that little time I have become the most hated person in the office, if only for the moment. Daylight savings ended this past weekend (so if you forgot to change your clocks, feel free to do that now; my post will wait) and to the delight of many, the clocks went back one hour allowing us to relive an hour of the day (or at least sleep an extra hour since the time change occurs overnight).
This extra hour was great on the weekend but having it so visibly taken away on a Monday morning is cause for vilification. And thanks to my height, I became the object to vilify. We have a wall clock that is conveniently placed too high for most people to reach (even I have to stand on my tip toes to reach it). Being the tallest person in the office, I was given the task of changing the time on the clock. Being extremely hesitant to make the change, I tried to do it before too many people were awake enough to notice anything was awry.
This extra hour was great on the weekend but having it so visibly taken away on a Monday morning is cause for vilification. And thanks to my height, I became the object to vilify. We have a wall clock that is conveniently placed too high for most people to reach (even I have to stand on my tip toes to reach it). Being the tallest person in the office, I was given the task of changing the time on the clock. Being extremely hesitant to make the change, I tried to do it before too many people were awake enough to notice anything was awry.
I must have been too slow or maybe just too tall as I turned around I was met with glaring eyes staring at me as if I committed the most grievous of acts, the most devious of crimes. Damn! I was caught red handed and had no escape. I just put my head down and felt shame as I made the long walk back to my desk with the weight of everyone’s eyes bearing on me, convicting me of crimes against all humanity. Sometimes the longest straw is not desirable. At least I can make it up to them all in March when I will be entrusted with the task of moving the clock ahead, that is, if they have forgotten my evil sins of this cold dreary Monday.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
October 2007 Quotes
Most of us have nothing to complain about
Most of us have things we could live without
- Nickelback (Believe It Or Not)
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage - Smashing Pumpkins (Bullet With Butterfly Wings)
How many special people change
How many lives are living strange
- Oasis (Champagne Superova)
Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind. - C.S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
And now I know there are no secret tricks, no correct politics
Just liars and lunatics
- Soul Asylum (Homesick)
"What, are the Yankees out of it?...That's why all you media guys are here. I see." - Orlando Hudson of the Arizona Diamondbacks (10/10/2007 Article 'Second series' features first-rate teams by Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com)
Anyone who thinks that new benefits make important men forget old injuries is mistaken. - Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
The best cure for insomnia is a Monday morning. - Sandy Cooley
No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. - C.S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
Always remember,..., that control is what separates the higher orders from the lower. - Stephen King (The Stand)
Life and beauty swirl in the midst of death. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
Duty takes men where it will as surely as does [destiny], and neither promises that what we do will have greatness. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
Always plan ahead…but worry too hard over over next year, and you can trip over tomorrow. - Robert Jordan (Crossroads of Twilight)
And when you kill a man, you're a murderer
Kill many, and you're a conqueror
Kill them all ... Ooh ... Oh you're a God!
- Megadeth (Captive Honour)
The present does not exist. Only the past and the future exist, and we have a duty to them both. - Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
It was by learning that we ceased to be animals and made ourselves into men. - Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
God the Creator had made man in His own image, and that meant that every man and woman who dwelt under God’s light was a creator of some kind, a person with an urge to stretch out his hand and shape the world into some rational pattern. - Stephen King (The Stand)
You never escape the traps you spin yourself. - Robert Jordan (Lord of Chaos)
Most of us have things we could live without
- Nickelback (Believe It Or Not)
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage - Smashing Pumpkins (Bullet With Butterfly Wings)
How many special people change
How many lives are living strange
- Oasis (Champagne Superova)
Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind. - C.S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
And now I know there are no secret tricks, no correct politics
Just liars and lunatics
- Soul Asylum (Homesick)
"What, are the Yankees out of it?...That's why all you media guys are here. I see." - Orlando Hudson of the Arizona Diamondbacks (10/10/2007 Article 'Second series' features first-rate teams by Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com)
Anyone who thinks that new benefits make important men forget old injuries is mistaken. - Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
The best cure for insomnia is a Monday morning. - Sandy Cooley
No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. - C.S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
Always remember,..., that control is what separates the higher orders from the lower. - Stephen King (The Stand)
Life and beauty swirl in the midst of death. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
Duty takes men where it will as surely as does [destiny], and neither promises that what we do will have greatness. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
Always plan ahead…but worry too hard over over next year, and you can trip over tomorrow. - Robert Jordan (Crossroads of Twilight)
And when you kill a man, you're a murderer
Kill many, and you're a conqueror
Kill them all ... Ooh ... Oh you're a God!
- Megadeth (Captive Honour)
The present does not exist. Only the past and the future exist, and we have a duty to them both. - Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
It was by learning that we ceased to be animals and made ourselves into men. - Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
God the Creator had made man in His own image, and that meant that every man and woman who dwelt under God’s light was a creator of some kind, a person with an urge to stretch out his hand and shape the world into some rational pattern. - Stephen King (The Stand)
You never escape the traps you spin yourself. - Robert Jordan (Lord of Chaos)
Friday, October 19, 2007
James Oliver Rigney, Jr.
October 17, 1948 to September 16, 2007
I wanted my 100th post to be a happy, fun post but I found out some sad news today that I want to pass along. James Oliver Rigney, Jr. passed away on September 16, 2007 from complications due to cardiac amyloidosis. To me, he was known as Robert Jordan a bestseller author of the Wheel of Time series. Unfortunately, I was not among the fortunate people who knew him well, or had even met him for that matter.
If his writing alone wasn’t inspirational, his fight and desire to live should be. Instead of saving all his strength and energy to battle his illness, he wrote on his blog whenever possible and he even continued to write the last book in the Wheel of Time series. I am sure his fans are disappointed (at least a little, whether they admit it or not) the Wheel of Time series sits unfinished, as I am, but like me, I am sure they hold James in high regard for not only being true to himself, his friends, his family and his beliefs throughout his sufferings but he also took the time to keep his fans informed. I do not know too many people that would put others, complete strangers even, desires on an equal level to their own needs, if not above them while fighting to live like James did during the past two years.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
My Sanity Has Left The Building!
Up until now I thought I was doing okay; I thought I was a sane, coherent individual. Today, my thinking has done a 180 flip and has left me thinking the opposite. I left my desk at work to walk to the photocopier where I had printed some documents. So far things are fairly normal, even if you find it hard to believe I am doing some work. Anyhow, in the copy room there is one printer on the right hand side just inside the doorway and one photocopier that is further into the room on the same side. Upon entering the room, I instinctively looked right and noticed some bright, colourful markings on a sheet of paper resting on the printer. Instead of just ignoring it and putting it out of my mind, like any sane person would do, I made special notice of it and muttered "oooouuu a nice colourful pie chart".Had I left the thought alone to circle my mind on its way down the inevitable drain of oblivion, I would have thought no more about the comment and I would still be feeling I am a sane person. Today, however, I felt the need to vocalize this observation and express my 'excitement' to the many stacks of paper littered throughout the tiny room. And to make matters worse, instead of just letting it all go and forgetting my temporary glimpse at the wrong side of sanity, I am further compounding this view by telling my story to anyone bored enough to read this.
Man, do I hope the weekend comes soon! Maybe next week will be better than the last. (Now I went and butchered a part of the Counting Crows 'Long December' song, give me a break my sanity is seriously in question. For those who don't know the song, here is the bit of lyric I made use of: "Maybe this year will be better than the last".)
Monday, October 01, 2007
September 2007 Quotes
For fast acting relief, try slowing down. - Lily Tomlin
The teacher stands in front of the classBut the lesson plan he can't recallThe student's eyes don't perceive the liesBouning off every fucking wallHis composure is well keptI guess he fears playing the foolThe complacent students sit and listen to some of thatBullshit that he learned in school
- Rage Against the Machine (Take the Power Back)
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
- Rage Against the machine (Township Rebellion)
And I've been down on Earth and in this town
And I swear there's got to be something better
- Headstones (Three Angels)
Yeah, I'll win now, but sometimes I'll lose.
I've been battered, but I never bruise, it's not so bad.
And I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day,
And it's all your state of mind.
At the end of the day,
You've just got to say it's all right.
- Great Big Sea (Ordinary Day)
Just as there are no little people or unimportant lives, there is no insignificant work. - Elena Bonner
Wouldn't it be great if no one ever got offended
Wouldn't it be great to say what's really on your mind
- Great Big Sea (Consequence Free)
Same old same old everyday if things don't change you're just gonna rot
'Cause if you do what you've always done you'll always get what you always got
- Aerosmith (Get A Grip)
The teacher stands in front of the classBut the lesson plan he can't recallThe student's eyes don't perceive the liesBouning off every fucking wallHis composure is well keptI guess he fears playing the foolThe complacent students sit and listen to some of thatBullshit that he learned in school
- Rage Against the Machine (Take the Power Back)
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
- Rage Against the machine (Township Rebellion)
And I've been down on Earth and in this town
And I swear there's got to be something better
- Headstones (Three Angels)
Yeah, I'll win now, but sometimes I'll lose.
I've been battered, but I never bruise, it's not so bad.
And I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day,
And it's all your state of mind.
At the end of the day,
You've just got to say it's all right.
- Great Big Sea (Ordinary Day)
Just as there are no little people or unimportant lives, there is no insignificant work. - Elena Bonner
Wouldn't it be great if no one ever got offended
Wouldn't it be great to say what's really on your mind
- Great Big Sea (Consequence Free)
Same old same old everyday if things don't change you're just gonna rot
'Cause if you do what you've always done you'll always get what you always got
- Aerosmith (Get A Grip)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Can You Believe It?
I received a couple emails from GO this afternoon. One saying "The 1653 train trip from Union to Oshawa (1738) is CANCELLED due to operational reasons (crew)" and another one apologizing for the delays yesterday and noted "Delays may continue into this evening. Because of yesterday evening's events, some train crew members have now exceeded federal regulations limiting the number of hours they can work. We will make every effort, along with CN, to avoid delays."
The smart thing would have been to cancel all service last night when there was an actual issue and save the crews for today. Instead they continued to try to run yesterday and had their crew sit idling in no man's land for countless hours wasting their hours. I am all for restricting hours for drivers of any vehicle (I've watched enough Seconds From Disaster shows on National Geographic channel), don't get me wrong, I just think GO Transit could have used their heads and planned more appropriately.
The smart thing would have been to cancel all service last night when there was an actual issue and save the crews for today. Instead they continued to try to run yesterday and had their crew sit idling in no man's land for countless hours wasting their hours. I am all for restricting hours for drivers of any vehicle (I've watched enough Seconds From Disaster shows on National Geographic channel), don't get me wrong, I just think GO Transit could have used their heads and planned more appropriately.
On the Rail to Nowhere
Yesterday us Eastbound commuters got yet another taste of how little customer service and intelligence GO Transit really has. I was working away at my desk, totally unaware that my bad day was about to get a lot worse, trying to get through my last hour. Just as I found something to occupy my remaining time with, an email notification pops up from GO Transit mentioning something about service suspension. I believe it said there was a major fire in the Victoria Park and Danforth area and all Lakeshore East service was suspended so find your own alternate trip home. Nice! Don’t bother to get buses arranged at Union or anything. Or give us some possible alternatives. This emergency preparedness on the part of GO shows just how much they care about their service. With this kind of attitude, people will look for permanent alternate travel plans and take their dollars elsewhere.
Anyhow, back to the story. After a few frantic seconds of thinking I was going to be stranded in Toronto for the night (the worst torture I can think of), I took a deep breath and came up with a plan to get myself home. I was going to take another train line and my mother agreed to pick me up. The only problem with this plan is that there was a good chance I was going to be late in picking up my son from daycare so when I got another email notification from GO saying the service had resumed I was ecstatic. Since no one was being that specific as to where this fire really was I was not expecting any hitches getting home.
I walked to Union and was able to get on a train going East and once the train pulled out of the station I called my mom and told her she was off the hook for the night. After a slow ride for about five or ten minutes, the train comes to a stop and there was an announcement saying we are waiting for some trains to go through and some signals and we would be on our way. About ten minutes later another announcement boomed through the speakers. There was a change of plans, the track has been closed by the fire chief and we were heading back to Union Station.
I called my mom once again and arranged for her to go to the daycare and I would meet them at home whenever I got there. After sitting in the same spot on the tracks for another fifteen minutes or so, a third announcement came on changing the plans for the third time. We are going to wait on the tracks in the middle of nowhere until the morons at GO Transit figure out what to do with us cattle.
After waiting for about another thirty minutes, and twenty minutes after I am usually home, the train was finally moving…East. At this time, I was extremely irritated by the indecision of GO Transit and that only intensified when we passed the fire area. They should never have resumed service on that line at all last night. The train crawled through the affected section mere inches beside some fire trucks parked on the rail grade. Firemen were only a few yards on the other side of the grade trying to extinguish the fire. Although, how they saw anything in that thick “toxic” haze of smoke I’ll never know. Someone could lose sight of their hand in it if they extended their arm out. All evening long, service was on again, off again until they finally stopped around 10 or 11.
Anyhow, back to the story. After a few frantic seconds of thinking I was going to be stranded in Toronto for the night (the worst torture I can think of), I took a deep breath and came up with a plan to get myself home. I was going to take another train line and my mother agreed to pick me up. The only problem with this plan is that there was a good chance I was going to be late in picking up my son from daycare so when I got another email notification from GO saying the service had resumed I was ecstatic. Since no one was being that specific as to where this fire really was I was not expecting any hitches getting home.
I walked to Union and was able to get on a train going East and once the train pulled out of the station I called my mom and told her she was off the hook for the night. After a slow ride for about five or ten minutes, the train comes to a stop and there was an announcement saying we are waiting for some trains to go through and some signals and we would be on our way. About ten minutes later another announcement boomed through the speakers. There was a change of plans, the track has been closed by the fire chief and we were heading back to Union Station.
I called my mom once again and arranged for her to go to the daycare and I would meet them at home whenever I got there. After sitting in the same spot on the tracks for another fifteen minutes or so, a third announcement came on changing the plans for the third time. We are going to wait on the tracks in the middle of nowhere until the morons at GO Transit figure out what to do with us cattle.
After waiting for about another thirty minutes, and twenty minutes after I am usually home, the train was finally moving…East. At this time, I was extremely irritated by the indecision of GO Transit and that only intensified when we passed the fire area. They should never have resumed service on that line at all last night. The train crawled through the affected section mere inches beside some fire trucks parked on the rail grade. Firemen were only a few yards on the other side of the grade trying to extinguish the fire. Although, how they saw anything in that thick “toxic” haze of smoke I’ll never know. Someone could lose sight of their hand in it if they extended their arm out. All evening long, service was on again, off again until they finally stopped around 10 or 11.
This was the second incident this week for GO Transit as well. This most recent episode, although not started by GO Transit, was compounded by the lack of decision by GO. I would have much rather been anywhere but stuck on a train with no room to move around. This is just another example of how few options the train commuter has once on the train and how many outside factors can influence the fate of a commute home. With the fact that GO cannot keep their equipment running properly and their lack of customer service I don’t know why I am still using them. Maybe it’s time to start driving.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Good Deeds Don't Pay!
This is sort of a sad post for me but it does contain some humour.
A few weeks ago I found out a co-worker has a defective cd player in her computer. This happened when I brought in a cd that she wanted to listen to. I let her take it for the day and continued on with my work. About a minute later she comes back and tells me it doesn’t play in her player. I thought that was odd so I went to check it out. It turns out the cd player was not installed into her computer…interetsing.
After that encounter, I decided to put the songs onto my iPod, along with other songs I knew she liked, and I would put the songs directly onto her hard drive at work even though it is against company policy. So sometime last week I did just that. I added Great Big Sea, ABBA, and Glass Tiger to my iPod and added it to her computer. She enjoyed it, and I could hear GBS playing all day.
That night I was going to remove the ABBA songs and add ones that I would enjoy. Unfortunately, it was a long day at work so I was too tired to do anything when I got home. Same with the next day. The weeekend came and went without me doing anything about my iPod. Finally Monday rolled around and I decided it was time to switch up the songs. I double clicked on my iTunes icon on my computer so I could pick some songs before I attached my iPod but nothing happened. I clicked again, and again but still nothing happened so I decided to restart my computer. The only problem with this is that my computer didn’t restart.
Now it is Thursday, my computer doesn’t start and I am stuck with ABBA on my iPod. Luckily, I at least have Great Big Sea to keep me sane on my trip to and from work. The lesson I have learned from all of this…good deeds don’t pay! The smile and joy I brought to someone else by doing this unexpected deed does not make up for the pain I am feeling now.
I still need to figure out what is wrong with my computer though because I have a lot of pictures on my hard drive that I had not had a chance to save to disk yet. There are also some excel files that are dear to me that I would like back, but those are not life and death.
A few weeks ago I found out a co-worker has a defective cd player in her computer. This happened when I brought in a cd that she wanted to listen to. I let her take it for the day and continued on with my work. About a minute later she comes back and tells me it doesn’t play in her player. I thought that was odd so I went to check it out. It turns out the cd player was not installed into her computer…interetsing.
After that encounter, I decided to put the songs onto my iPod, along with other songs I knew she liked, and I would put the songs directly onto her hard drive at work even though it is against company policy. So sometime last week I did just that. I added Great Big Sea, ABBA, and Glass Tiger to my iPod and added it to her computer. She enjoyed it, and I could hear GBS playing all day.
That night I was going to remove the ABBA songs and add ones that I would enjoy. Unfortunately, it was a long day at work so I was too tired to do anything when I got home. Same with the next day. The weeekend came and went without me doing anything about my iPod. Finally Monday rolled around and I decided it was time to switch up the songs. I double clicked on my iTunes icon on my computer so I could pick some songs before I attached my iPod but nothing happened. I clicked again, and again but still nothing happened so I decided to restart my computer. The only problem with this is that my computer didn’t restart.
Now it is Thursday, my computer doesn’t start and I am stuck with ABBA on my iPod. Luckily, I at least have Great Big Sea to keep me sane on my trip to and from work. The lesson I have learned from all of this…good deeds don’t pay! The smile and joy I brought to someone else by doing this unexpected deed does not make up for the pain I am feeling now.
I still need to figure out what is wrong with my computer though because I have a lot of pictures on my hard drive that I had not had a chance to save to disk yet. There are also some excel files that are dear to me that I would like back, but those are not life and death.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Boredom Looms Large
Just a quick update on nothing really. These weeks are coming and going without any incidents (or at least nothing worth posting about) and without any real inspiration. I've been trying to follow the Mann Cup but since the games are being played in BC, I am unable to stay up to 1 AM to watch (not that they are being shown on tv) or even listen to the games. On the positive side, the Ontario Hockey League is only a couple weeks away and they are currently playing some exhibition games. The Provincial Jr. A's and the Jr. B's and C's seasons have begun as well so there is a lot of decent cheap hockey to watch. And if fighting is what you enjoy about hockey, there are no better fights these days then those in junior hockey.
Other than the anticipation of junior hockey, there is nothing exciting going on in my life. I will continue to update my quotes and hopefully soon, I will have more to say. So until then, I hope you all have found something else to do to occupy your time at work.
Other than the anticipation of junior hockey, there is nothing exciting going on in my life. I will continue to update my quotes and hopefully soon, I will have more to say. So until then, I hope you all have found something else to do to occupy your time at work.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
August 2007 Quotes
In case some of you missed any of my quotes last month, I decided I will combine them all and put them in a separate post at the end of each month. Hope you've enjoyed them so far.
Dyin' ain't much of a livin' for the young. - Jon Bon Jovi (Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin')
But it’s a sad man my friend who’s livin’ in his own skin
And can’t stand the company - Bruce Springsteen (Better Days)
Well, I wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood replying to Dr Sanderson (Harvey 1950)
I'd kill myself for you
I'd kill you for myself.
– Pantera (This Love)
My love is yours to take
My heart is yours to break
- Stompin' Tom Connors (Lover's Lake)
On the surface, all is illusion. Sometimes, you must risk all to reveal the truth beneath. - Caine to young Peter
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it but what they become by it. - John Ruskin
If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf. - Bob Hope
Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people. – The Refreshments (Banditos)
Humans, for the most part, don't have a clue. Don't want one, either. They're happy. They think they've got a pretty good bead on things. – Kay talking to Edwards (Men in Black)
A person is smart. People are dumb. - Kay talking to Edwards (Men in Black)
What I’ve felt
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I’ve felt
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
- Metallica (The Unforgiven)
I wish to wish I dream to dream
I try to try and I live to live
And I die to die and I cry to cry
- Soundgarden (Somewhere)
The time is always right to do what is right. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young… - J.K Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
All my life I've been searching for somethin'
Somethin' never comes, never leads to nuthin'
Nothin' satisfies, but I'm gettin' close
Closer to the prize at the end of the rope
- Foo Fighters (All My Life)
Yesterday has been and gone
Tomorrow will I find the sun
Or will it rain
Everybody's having fun
Except me, I'm the lonely one
- Ozzy Osbourne (Goodbye to Romance)
Don't want to be bored no more
I know there's so much more
Don't know what I was hoping for
I feel like feeling better than I ever felt before
- Soul Asylum (Hopes Up)
Without hope I can't go wrong
- Soul Asylum (Hopes Up)
Dyin' ain't much of a livin' for the young. - Jon Bon Jovi (Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin')
But it’s a sad man my friend who’s livin’ in his own skin
And can’t stand the company - Bruce Springsteen (Better Days)
Well, I wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. - Elwood replying to Dr Sanderson (Harvey 1950)
I'd kill myself for you
I'd kill you for myself.
– Pantera (This Love)
My love is yours to take
My heart is yours to break
- Stompin' Tom Connors (Lover's Lake)
On the surface, all is illusion. Sometimes, you must risk all to reveal the truth beneath. - Caine to young Peter
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it but what they become by it. - John Ruskin
If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf. - Bob Hope
Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people. – The Refreshments (Banditos)
Humans, for the most part, don't have a clue. Don't want one, either. They're happy. They think they've got a pretty good bead on things. – Kay talking to Edwards (Men in Black)
A person is smart. People are dumb. - Kay talking to Edwards (Men in Black)
What I’ve felt
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I’ve felt
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
- Metallica (The Unforgiven)
I wish to wish I dream to dream
I try to try and I live to live
And I die to die and I cry to cry
- Soundgarden (Somewhere)
The time is always right to do what is right. - Martin Luther King Jr.
Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young… - J.K Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
All my life I've been searching for somethin'
Somethin' never comes, never leads to nuthin'
Nothin' satisfies, but I'm gettin' close
Closer to the prize at the end of the rope
- Foo Fighters (All My Life)
Yesterday has been and gone
Tomorrow will I find the sun
Or will it rain
Everybody's having fun
Except me, I'm the lonely one
- Ozzy Osbourne (Goodbye to Romance)
Don't want to be bored no more
I know there's so much more
Don't know what I was hoping for
I feel like feeling better than I ever felt before
- Soul Asylum (Hopes Up)
Without hope I can't go wrong
- Soul Asylum (Hopes Up)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Summer's End?
With the night’s darkness holding the morning sun hostage a little longer every day, everybody is ready to give up on summer. For a season that a lot of people claim is their favourite, they sure are eager to see it leave. The autumnal equinox, and hence the end of summer or, more appropriately, the beginning of autumn (fall for those laypeople out there), is still almost a month away. September 23, 2007 is the day of reckoning for summer, not September 1. Quit your whining and get outside and enjoy the summer season in its entirety. Once summer is over it won’t be back for another 272 days (give or take).Thursday, August 23, 2007
Castle Shuster is now Complete!
Some roadwork began on my street a few days ago and the road, or more specifically, some curbs and part of some driveways has been dug up. Of course, my house was one of the lucky ones. About a foot of my driveway and my adjoining neighbours driveways have been ripped up leaving a big trench stretching across the front of my house.
This has been a nightmare as my driveway is unusable, along with several other driveways on my street and the surrounding streets, so trying to find parking is a challenge to say the least. Not to mention trying to drive down the street, avoiding not only cars on the side of the road but pylons and in some areas even trenches. I guess this is a small price to pay when owning a house. At least the City is doing something with my tax dollars.
Anyhow, this morning the skies opened up and unleashed a flurry of rain amid cracks and flashes of lightening and booming thunder. Since I am inside and have no place to go, it was a nice sight. I don’t mind a little storm every now and then and God knows the unpaved desert like ground in front and behind my house desperately needs some moisture (although I am not going to ask for any because then we will get more than can be handled and my basement might turn into a swimming pool).
As the rain subsided, at least for a brief period, I looked out the window to see if the rain had merely slowed or if it had stopped altogether. As I watched the river flow down my driveway, I noticed the trenches had gathered the rain nicely and instead of an ugly eye sore, the absence of ground became a protecting moat. Sure, it is only about two feet across but that is enough protection in times without horses, including the fabled Trojan horse. My little residence has transformed into a stunning, well-fortified castle in the matter of a couple days. Now if I could just get some crocodiles or alligators I would really have no worries. I hope the City is not going to charge me for the added security they have unknowingly provided.
This has been a nightmare as my driveway is unusable, along with several other driveways on my street and the surrounding streets, so trying to find parking is a challenge to say the least. Not to mention trying to drive down the street, avoiding not only cars on the side of the road but pylons and in some areas even trenches. I guess this is a small price to pay when owning a house. At least the City is doing something with my tax dollars.
Anyhow, this morning the skies opened up and unleashed a flurry of rain amid cracks and flashes of lightening and booming thunder. Since I am inside and have no place to go, it was a nice sight. I don’t mind a little storm every now and then and God knows the unpaved desert like ground in front and behind my house desperately needs some moisture (although I am not going to ask for any because then we will get more than can be handled and my basement might turn into a swimming pool).
As the rain subsided, at least for a brief period, I looked out the window to see if the rain had merely slowed or if it had stopped altogether. As I watched the river flow down my driveway, I noticed the trenches had gathered the rain nicely and instead of an ugly eye sore, the absence of ground became a protecting moat. Sure, it is only about two feet across but that is enough protection in times without horses, including the fabled Trojan horse. My little residence has transformed into a stunning, well-fortified castle in the matter of a couple days. Now if I could just get some crocodiles or alligators I would really have no worries. I hope the City is not going to charge me for the added security they have unknowingly provided.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Letter re GO Transit
I have yet to actually send this letter to anyone and chances are good that I will never actually send this but here it is for your enjoyment anyhow. Feel free to recommend any changes and hopefully I will find someone to send this letter to and get it done. Once again I have proved that I am a thinker not a doer. I get these great(?) ideas but never act on them. Maybe someday I will change this but I won't be holding my breath for this to occur.
For years it has been the government’s objective to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from vehicles by promoting car pooling and public transportation. The Federal government has even gone so far as to give monthly commuters a tax break for their part in reducing harmful emissions (and as an incentive for others to start commuting). In the greater Toronto area, a lot of people work in downtown Toronto and rely heavily on GO Transit to get to and from work. For many of these commuters, any service disruption is not just an inconvenience but it results in lost income or added expenses to them while GO Transit escapes without having to reimburse these riders for the lack of service.
Infrequent delays are understandable and can be overlooked but riders should not have to accept frequent service disruptions like the ones during the period of June 4, 2007 to June 15, 2007. During that brief period there were daily delays and even some cancellations affecting almost all rail corridors GO Transit services. I understand that some of these disruptions were caused by events for which GO Transit had no control over (i.e. police investigations and inclement weather) but other disruptions were caused by events that GO Transit referred to as “equipment problems” (see attached email). GO Transit needs to be held accountable for service disruptions caused by the inadequate maintenance of their trains.
As much as public transit needs to be extended, the need to improve the services currently offered is greater. More needs to be done to try to ensure service schedules are followed and disruptions are kept to a minimum. I am asking you to investigate this situation and bring this topic to the attention of all others who can help. GO Transit riders are supporting the government’s green initiative and do not deserve to be taken advantage of. Please do what you can to ensure GO Transit is held accountable for avoidable service disruptions.
For years it has been the government’s objective to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from vehicles by promoting car pooling and public transportation. The Federal government has even gone so far as to give monthly commuters a tax break for their part in reducing harmful emissions (and as an incentive for others to start commuting). In the greater Toronto area, a lot of people work in downtown Toronto and rely heavily on GO Transit to get to and from work. For many of these commuters, any service disruption is not just an inconvenience but it results in lost income or added expenses to them while GO Transit escapes without having to reimburse these riders for the lack of service.
Infrequent delays are understandable and can be overlooked but riders should not have to accept frequent service disruptions like the ones during the period of June 4, 2007 to June 15, 2007. During that brief period there were daily delays and even some cancellations affecting almost all rail corridors GO Transit services. I understand that some of these disruptions were caused by events for which GO Transit had no control over (i.e. police investigations and inclement weather) but other disruptions were caused by events that GO Transit referred to as “equipment problems” (see attached email). GO Transit needs to be held accountable for service disruptions caused by the inadequate maintenance of their trains.
As much as public transit needs to be extended, the need to improve the services currently offered is greater. More needs to be done to try to ensure service schedules are followed and disruptions are kept to a minimum. I am asking you to investigate this situation and bring this topic to the attention of all others who can help. GO Transit riders are supporting the government’s green initiative and do not deserve to be taken advantage of. Please do what you can to ensure GO Transit is held accountable for avoidable service disruptions.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
New Feature
I just wanted to announce that I have added a new aspect to my blog. I am sure you have noticed it already but if not, look above this post to see my 'Quote of the Day' section. I doubt I will update it everyday like the title suggests but we will see. This section will reflect one of several things, 1. how I feel that day, 2. song lyrics that catch my mind on the ride to work, or 3. bits of speeches that are humourous, serious or stupid. I hope you enjoy this new 'feature'.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Testing Begins
At the beginning of our trek home, or at least near the beginning on our walk to Union Station, this afternoon, we noticed what looked like an ice cream cart with people handing things out. Thinking it was some kind of ice cream snack being handed out, we made our way towards it but once I realized that it was not some ice cream treat but instead a new kind of flakie, I turned aside and waited while Stinky T took advantage of the free item. During the remainder of the walk to Union, Stinky T looked over the flakie and decided she did not really want it.We boarded our train and Stinky T, realizing she still had the unwanted flakie in her hand, decided to place it on a vacant seat expecting someone to come by and pick it up. We both sat there watching the people board the train and notice the solitary flakie waiting for someone to take it. This took a humourous turn as a couple ladies sitting in view of the filled pastry snack looked longingly at it like some look at a lover. We thought for sure one of these ladies were going to break down and grab it but their resolve was stronger than we thought and the flakie remained.
About halfway to the end of the line and my stop, Stinky T detrained and the flakie was still where she left it. I thought this was unbelievable and had begun to think the snack was going to take up permanent residency on that seat. By the time the train reached the end of the line, there were only a couple other people in the coach beside me. Just prior to the train stopping, I had decided I should pick the flakie up and put it in the trash but I did not get that chance. The person occupying the seat beside the treat, who had left it untouched for almost an hour, ended up taking it. I don't know if she ended up just throwing it out but from the way she took it, I fully suspect that she did not toss it to the trash.
As I was preparing to get up and grab the flakie and take it to the trash, I noticed a coat on the seat and I knew what was coming. Seconds after my observation, this mystery lady picked up her coat and then bent down and picked something else up. Of course it had to be the flakie but assuming things makes an ass of pretty much everyone (you know what I'm talking about) so I needed visual confirmation. I had to see it to believe it (or not see it in this case). My eyes, unless they deceived me for that split second, rested on nothing but the blue corduroy of the seat. The flakie was finally taken.
It is too early in the testing stage to come to concrete conclusions but I am going to go out on a limb here (did I put enough cliches in this post yet?) and say that even though a flakie is irresistible, the need to not be perceived as cheap is greater. Had that train been empty sooner, the flakie would never had stood a chance. Once again, perception proves to be everything.
We have ideas for further testing, once we get some funding from the government ($500,000 should suffice), we can begin to test some more elaborate cases but until then we may start our monetary test, starting with a twenty-five cent piece (or a quarter if you prefer).
Monday, July 16, 2007
I Went With A Virgin
Today, since I had the day off work, I went to purchase my new phone and as the title suggests I went with Virgin Mobile as my service provider. The sales person was quite helpful as well, unlike the lady who helped me the first time around with Bell. She did not push me towards any monthly plans but instead told me flat out that it is best not to get any plan if I am only using the phone in emergencies. I resisted the urge to highlight Bell's inadequacies here.
My wife wanted to update her phone so I set out to buy one for her too in hopes of striking some sort of multi-phone deal. I was prepared to reduce that to only one phone if there was no deal to be had and I was not treated appropriately. The sales associate made it quite clear that there was no deal to be had but since the rest of our interaction was as honest (and the phones were so cheap) I continued to buy the two. Each phone is the same model, however, one phone is all black while the other phone is white with a touch of black.
I left the kiosk happy with my purchase and excited that I didn't spend the anticiapted $500 for two phones when I spotted a jewelry store (I knew it was there, it was there on the way in too). Ordinarily a thought of buying something that sparkles for my wife would only flash through my mind but since I had a budgeted surplus after the phone purchase and I have been wanting to buy a locket for my wife for a few months now, I finally made the effort to do it. This time that thought took hold and next thing I know I am staring at a display of lockets trying to decide which one my wife would like best. I finally decided on what turned out to be the biggest one (big enough so the picture can be seen without magnification) and, with the budget all but consumed, I left the mall.
Once at home, I wasted no time in opening the phone, powering it up, activating it and playing around with it. Even though it is an object of my hatred, it was still fun to play around with a new toy. It has pained me all day not opening my wife's phone too. So far it has remained tauntingly in it's package beside the computer where I have spent about 75% of my day. The only thing holding back my urge is my stronger hatred of waste. My wife's current phone still has time on it so I want her to use that time up before her new phone is activated. The day is still young yet so anything may happen. So far I am pleased with my decision and I hope my view does not change.
My wife wanted to update her phone so I set out to buy one for her too in hopes of striking some sort of multi-phone deal. I was prepared to reduce that to only one phone if there was no deal to be had and I was not treated appropriately. The sales associate made it quite clear that there was no deal to be had but since the rest of our interaction was as honest (and the phones were so cheap) I continued to buy the two. Each phone is the same model, however, one phone is all black while the other phone is white with a touch of black.
I left the kiosk happy with my purchase and excited that I didn't spend the anticiapted $500 for two phones when I spotted a jewelry store (I knew it was there, it was there on the way in too). Ordinarily a thought of buying something that sparkles for my wife would only flash through my mind but since I had a budgeted surplus after the phone purchase and I have been wanting to buy a locket for my wife for a few months now, I finally made the effort to do it. This time that thought took hold and next thing I know I am staring at a display of lockets trying to decide which one my wife would like best. I finally decided on what turned out to be the biggest one (big enough so the picture can be seen without magnification) and, with the budget all but consumed, I left the mall.
Once at home, I wasted no time in opening the phone, powering it up, activating it and playing around with it. Even though it is an object of my hatred, it was still fun to play around with a new toy. It has pained me all day not opening my wife's phone too. So far it has remained tauntingly in it's package beside the computer where I have spent about 75% of my day. The only thing holding back my urge is my stronger hatred of waste. My wife's current phone still has time on it so I want her to use that time up before her new phone is activated. The day is still young yet so anything may happen. So far I am pleased with my decision and I hope my view does not change.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Toronto Icon Dead at 92
Honest Ed Mirvish, the man responsible for saving the Royal Alexandra Theatre from demolition, died early this morning at St. Michael’s Hospital. Despite all that, he is perhaps best known for giving away turkeys at Christmas time at his discount store Honest Ed’s. He was truly a hero of his times and his death will be felt by many.
Edwin Mirvish
July 24, 1914 to July 11, 2007
July 24, 1914 to July 11, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
Beaten into Submission
I absolutely detest telephones, both traditional land lines and cellular phones, and, other than a brief two year period, I have avoided using cell phones. I didn’t want to buy the cell phone when I did either but my situation at the time created a need for one. At that time I was separated from my wife, although we were not married at the time, and the cell phone made things easier, even though I rarely used it. When my wife finally moved to the area, I kept the phone active but I barely used it. Only about a year or so ago, I let my phone become inactive.
Now that I have a child in day care and I rely on public transit to get to and from work, the need for a cell phone is growing. Despite some train cancellations and delays in my first two weeks back to work, I refused to buy a new cell phone. Yesterday, after my baby’s temperature reached 103F (39.9C for us Canadians) and the day care was frantically trying to get him out of the centre, my wall of refusal has cracked. I was out of the office and did not get the message left by the day care so I was unaware of the situation when I picked my son up. This all occurred too late for us to pick him up any earlier than usual anyhow but it is a little disconcerting not knowing what is going on with my son.
On top of that issue, my wife and I do not see each other every day most weeks so it is hard to co-ordinate things and communicate any issues or share joyful events. She mentioned to me that I should have my phone activated or get a new one and at that time, I shot down the suggestion. Now, it is time for me to reconsider. ‘In the immortal words of the doors: The time to hesitate is through!’ (quote from Empire Records). Starting today I must commence my search for the best phone company and decide on the plan or prepaid service to use.
By the way, my wife took my son to a clinic last night and had his eyes, ears, nose, and throat checked out. Nothing seems awry in any of those. The doctor’s diagnosis is a common cold. My son is going to see one of our doctors today to confirm the first opinion (our doctor works in a clinic with three other doctors so it is a crap shoot as to which doctor we get to see).
Now that I have a child in day care and I rely on public transit to get to and from work, the need for a cell phone is growing. Despite some train cancellations and delays in my first two weeks back to work, I refused to buy a new cell phone. Yesterday, after my baby’s temperature reached 103F (39.9C for us Canadians) and the day care was frantically trying to get him out of the centre, my wall of refusal has cracked. I was out of the office and did not get the message left by the day care so I was unaware of the situation when I picked my son up. This all occurred too late for us to pick him up any earlier than usual anyhow but it is a little disconcerting not knowing what is going on with my son.
On top of that issue, my wife and I do not see each other every day most weeks so it is hard to co-ordinate things and communicate any issues or share joyful events. She mentioned to me that I should have my phone activated or get a new one and at that time, I shot down the suggestion. Now, it is time for me to reconsider. ‘In the immortal words of the doors: The time to hesitate is through!’ (quote from Empire Records). Starting today I must commence my search for the best phone company and decide on the plan or prepaid service to use.
By the way, my wife took my son to a clinic last night and had his eyes, ears, nose, and throat checked out. Nothing seems awry in any of those. The doctor’s diagnosis is a common cold. My son is going to see one of our doctors today to confirm the first opinion (our doctor works in a clinic with three other doctors so it is a crap shoot as to which doctor we get to see).
Sunday, July 01, 2007
We Waited for What?
On Friday, my son had his appointment at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto regarding his hands and feet. Since the appointment took a year to schedule, I figured we would be waiting most of the day before we were actually seen by a doctor so I was forced to use half a days vacation for the appointment. Much to my surprise, we only had to wait 45 minutes in the waiting room and another ten to fifteen minutes in another room before the doctor and his shadow (a University of Toronto student) arrived. As I predicted, it took only fifteen minutes for the doctor to look over my son and come to his surprising decision. Nothing was to be done to my son's feet. For his hands, we need to see a plastic surgeon.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Timing is Everything!
An incident occurred today at lunch that was a little disconcerting. Parts of the office are not only cold but also have a continuous blast of cold air being pumped into them. A request to have the air ducts checked in the room must have been made because towards the end of lunch a repairman came in to take a look. He was grumbling and mumbling things to himself as well as explaining to us some possible issues. Everything was fine until I heard what I thought was “you can only take so much”. At that the term ‘going postal’ came crashing into my head so I quickly collected my remnants of lunch and all but ran out the door. The repairman seemed to be in fine spirits and gave no impression he was on the verge of snapping but after a comment like that, it just seemed like the time to leave.
Where'd It Go?
When one leaves work at the end of the day, they expect things to be as they left them when they return the next day. Since humans are forgetful by nature and in an office environment, frequently forget to return small items when borrowing them for an urgent issue, we can understand when a pen goes missing, some post-it notes, and we can even understand if a stapler goes missing.
This morning a co-worker returned after a week-long absence to find something missing. From all accounts, his writing materials were still where he left them, his stapler didn’t grow legs nor did anything else of the sort disappear during his vacancy. None of the typical items borrowed in a rush and not returned were missing, nope, the item was one that is not expected to disappear no matter how long the absence is. The item that my co-worker found absent was his mouse. I am not a computer genius or anything but I don’t think computers require more than one mouse to operate. I guess we can chalk this up to one of life’s great mysteries.
This morning a co-worker returned after a week-long absence to find something missing. From all accounts, his writing materials were still where he left them, his stapler didn’t grow legs nor did anything else of the sort disappear during his vacancy. None of the typical items borrowed in a rush and not returned were missing, nope, the item was one that is not expected to disappear no matter how long the absence is. The item that my co-worker found absent was his mouse. I am not a computer genius or anything but I don’t think computers require more than one mouse to operate. I guess we can chalk this up to one of life’s great mysteries.
I’m Not a TTC Skidaddler
Don't forget your ticket when I open up the door-
Kindly make your way along the aisle
I'll drive ya down to work and I'll safely bring ya back
And I'll try to render service with a smile
Last night I decided to stay downtown to check out a Jays’ game and spend the night at my sister’s place in Toronto. The game was not very exciting but the night was rather enjoyable overall. This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the TTC commuters. It was my luck, or so I thought, there was a downtown express bus that operated close to where I was. Sure it was an extra $2.25 but it was faster (not that I am in a big hurry to get to work or anything) and supposedly empty. Nice!
The three of us (my sister, her husband and I) made our way to the bus stop to wait for the bus. My sister, travelling the opposite way, had to connect to the subway to get to work so when her bus arrived, we said our goodbyes and she was off to work. The two of us who remained had another couple minutes until our bus was scheduled to arrive. Five minutes later the bus still had not arrived. Finally, fifteen minutes after the scheduled arrival time, the bus finally made it’s much anticipated appearance. Even though the bus was late it was still quite empty and despite the noise, the ride to work was not too painful and even with the late pickup, I still managed to arrive at work on time.
I think this experience solidifies the fact that public transit is not for me. The GO train has given me nothing but trouble and even the TTC seems to have a grudge against me. Maybe I am just expecting too much when I expect public transit to run on time and I should just be satisfied with the times I actually do get to work (or home) on time.
I'm a TTC Skidaddler yeah sockit to my big red rattler-
Ya sockit to my big red rattler
*Italics are lyrics from Stompin' Tom Connors song I'm A TTC Skiddadler
Kindly make your way along the aisle
I'll drive ya down to work and I'll safely bring ya back
And I'll try to render service with a smile
Last night I decided to stay downtown to check out a Jays’ game and spend the night at my sister’s place in Toronto. The game was not very exciting but the night was rather enjoyable overall. This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the TTC commuters. It was my luck, or so I thought, there was a downtown express bus that operated close to where I was. Sure it was an extra $2.25 but it was faster (not that I am in a big hurry to get to work or anything) and supposedly empty. Nice!
The three of us (my sister, her husband and I) made our way to the bus stop to wait for the bus. My sister, travelling the opposite way, had to connect to the subway to get to work so when her bus arrived, we said our goodbyes and she was off to work. The two of us who remained had another couple minutes until our bus was scheduled to arrive. Five minutes later the bus still had not arrived. Finally, fifteen minutes after the scheduled arrival time, the bus finally made it’s much anticipated appearance. Even though the bus was late it was still quite empty and despite the noise, the ride to work was not too painful and even with the late pickup, I still managed to arrive at work on time.
I think this experience solidifies the fact that public transit is not for me. The GO train has given me nothing but trouble and even the TTC seems to have a grudge against me. Maybe I am just expecting too much when I expect public transit to run on time and I should just be satisfied with the times I actually do get to work (or home) on time.
I'm a TTC Skidaddler yeah sockit to my big red rattler-
Ya sockit to my big red rattler
*Italics are lyrics from Stompin' Tom Connors song I'm A TTC Skiddadler
Monday, June 18, 2007
Between a Rock and a Fat Man
One day last week, Wednesday I think it was, Stinky T and I grabbed a seat on a homebound train at our usual time. That day, however, the train did not move. The train suffered from what GO Transit likes to call "equipment problems" and everyone on board had to detrain and force their way onto the next train, which was already full.
After a brief period of standing on the next train, we decided to get off and wait for yet one more train so we could grab a seat for the long ride home. The train arrived at Union Station as the previous train was leaving so we joined the herd and jumped on, grabbing a random seat on the upper tier. For those who have never been on a GO train (I am so envious of you), the seats are grouped in fours and are not identically spaced; in other words, some foursomes have more legroom between them. The foursome we grabbed this day had almost no legroom in between. I would say there was less than an inch between my shins and the seat facing me.
I quickly noticed the tight spot we were in and pointed it out to Stinky T but unsuspecting any issues with the tight space, we got comfortable (or as comfortable as one can get on the rock hard seats). The train began slowly filling up and before long I knew someone was going to join our foursome. Since there was next to no legroom, I did not expect anyone too big to sit in front of me but that was not the case at all. I don't even know why I expect people with at least a little intelligence to actually use the train because, other than Stinky T, I doubt anyone has an I.Q greater than a grade schooler does.
Instead of a toothpick grabbing the seat in front of me, I sat there and watched as a man as wide as he was tall decides to cram his tree stump legs into the almost non-existent space. This in itself is not too bad as this type of thing happens frequently to me although most times the person has enough sense to try not to invade my space even though it is usually an impossible task. When this thing first sat down it also made a feeble attempt to follow this practice, that is until someone wanted to occupy the seat beside me. With a past lesson learned, I knew I was going to lose all my leg room if I were to totally move to allow this lady in so I had to keep my one leg pretty much where it was. History did repeat itself this time too. Instead of allowing me to return to the position I was in before, one which seemed fine with this thing seconds before, he quickly swung his legs in basically preventing me from any possible comfort. Instead of giving in to temptation and risking my fist becoming a snack, I got up and found another seat, one that had a plethora of room, which the thing could have easily enjoyed had he not been too lazy to take another dozen steps.
As it turns out, I must have a sign on me somewhere, in some invisible ink only visible to those ignorant people who seem to think my body is a perfect place to test the strength of their purses or bags because once again this morning some biatch tried to force her bag into a spot it didn't fit. After scraping it down my leg and then smashing my leg with it a few times, it finally got under her seat. Then came the newspaper. If I didn't have calluses on my thumb I would have received several paper cuts. Once we arrived at Union station, she repeated the episode with her bag only in reverse and more violently, leaving the newspaper she was reading wherever it happened to land. On the other hand, maybe she left it there to keep her violated coffee cup company for the day. It is too bad there is not about a dozen recycling bins on every platform or she I am sure she would have used one.
After a brief period of standing on the next train, we decided to get off and wait for yet one more train so we could grab a seat for the long ride home. The train arrived at Union Station as the previous train was leaving so we joined the herd and jumped on, grabbing a random seat on the upper tier. For those who have never been on a GO train (I am so envious of you), the seats are grouped in fours and are not identically spaced; in other words, some foursomes have more legroom between them. The foursome we grabbed this day had almost no legroom in between. I would say there was less than an inch between my shins and the seat facing me.
I quickly noticed the tight spot we were in and pointed it out to Stinky T but unsuspecting any issues with the tight space, we got comfortable (or as comfortable as one can get on the rock hard seats). The train began slowly filling up and before long I knew someone was going to join our foursome. Since there was next to no legroom, I did not expect anyone too big to sit in front of me but that was not the case at all. I don't even know why I expect people with at least a little intelligence to actually use the train because, other than Stinky T, I doubt anyone has an I.Q greater than a grade schooler does.
Instead of a toothpick grabbing the seat in front of me, I sat there and watched as a man as wide as he was tall decides to cram his tree stump legs into the almost non-existent space. This in itself is not too bad as this type of thing happens frequently to me although most times the person has enough sense to try not to invade my space even though it is usually an impossible task. When this thing first sat down it also made a feeble attempt to follow this practice, that is until someone wanted to occupy the seat beside me. With a past lesson learned, I knew I was going to lose all my leg room if I were to totally move to allow this lady in so I had to keep my one leg pretty much where it was. History did repeat itself this time too. Instead of allowing me to return to the position I was in before, one which seemed fine with this thing seconds before, he quickly swung his legs in basically preventing me from any possible comfort. Instead of giving in to temptation and risking my fist becoming a snack, I got up and found another seat, one that had a plethora of room, which the thing could have easily enjoyed had he not been too lazy to take another dozen steps.
As it turns out, I must have a sign on me somewhere, in some invisible ink only visible to those ignorant people who seem to think my body is a perfect place to test the strength of their purses or bags because once again this morning some biatch tried to force her bag into a spot it didn't fit. After scraping it down my leg and then smashing my leg with it a few times, it finally got under her seat. Then came the newspaper. If I didn't have calluses on my thumb I would have received several paper cuts. Once we arrived at Union station, she repeated the episode with her bag only in reverse and more violently, leaving the newspaper she was reading wherever it happened to land. On the other hand, maybe she left it there to keep her violated coffee cup company for the day. It is too bad there is not about a dozen recycling bins on every platform or she I am sure she would have used one.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Equipment Problems
I fought the urge to call in sick this morning and dragged my sorry ass out of bed. Things seemed to be going as it should as my day began. I left the house on time and arrived at the train station in plenty of time to catch my 6:52 train into Toronto. Nothing seemed awry walking through the parking lot towards the station even though the station was a train short (often times the next train does not pull into the station until my iPod is drowning out the undesirable sounds of public transportation). I was actually quite enjoying the leisurely stroll in the bright sunshine this cool morning, after all it is a Friday. I validated my ticket in the antiquated ticket machine and, after being cut off by a woman who I moved aside for moments earlier so I didn’t cut her off, I started down the length of the platform to the lead car.
After passing the end car I hear the muffled metallic sound of the speakers. These speakers are as effective as talking underwater so I did not hear enough to know what the point of this horrendous screeching was. I get to my destination and occupy a seat. Before I have time to warm up my traveling companion (iPod), an announcement comes over the train’s p.a. system, “This is the 7:11 train and it will be making all regular station stops…the 6:52 has been cancelled due to equipment problems…” Great, I now have to sit in the train for an extra thirty minutes before I am on my way and, even better, the train is going to be standing room only after the second stop. Not much I can do now.
About ten minutes prior to departure, a second announcement spouts from the train’s speakers, we are going to be making an extra stop now. Why not? I am already going to be late as it is, why not stop at every station en route????? So now the train that is usually full has to accommodate the riders of two trains and instead of making fewer stops, we are now going to be making an additional stop. Not sure how the math is going to work out here but hey, what do I know. To come to a quick end, when we arrived at Pickering station (our usual last stop before Union) the train was full and not many riders were able to jump on and at Rouge Hill (the added stop) I don’t even think the train doors opened. What the heck was the point of even stopping????
Sometimes I wonder what GO Transit is thinking. I do feel bad for the conductors though because they are the ones that face the wrath from the riders when they are not responsible for ensuring the trains are in proper working order and most of them are just as annoyed at the delays and cancellations as the passengers. It is time for GO Transit to be held accountable for major service disruptions and the only way that will happen is if we riders voice our concerns to government officials. I plan on writing a letter to my MPP, which I will post here, to highlight this issue in hopes the government will hold GO Transit accountable for avoidable delays like “equipment problems”.
After passing the end car I hear the muffled metallic sound of the speakers. These speakers are as effective as talking underwater so I did not hear enough to know what the point of this horrendous screeching was. I get to my destination and occupy a seat. Before I have time to warm up my traveling companion (iPod), an announcement comes over the train’s p.a. system, “This is the 7:11 train and it will be making all regular station stops…the 6:52 has been cancelled due to equipment problems…” Great, I now have to sit in the train for an extra thirty minutes before I am on my way and, even better, the train is going to be standing room only after the second stop. Not much I can do now.
About ten minutes prior to departure, a second announcement spouts from the train’s speakers, we are going to be making an extra stop now. Why not? I am already going to be late as it is, why not stop at every station en route????? So now the train that is usually full has to accommodate the riders of two trains and instead of making fewer stops, we are now going to be making an additional stop. Not sure how the math is going to work out here but hey, what do I know. To come to a quick end, when we arrived at Pickering station (our usual last stop before Union) the train was full and not many riders were able to jump on and at Rouge Hill (the added stop) I don’t even think the train doors opened. What the heck was the point of even stopping????
Sometimes I wonder what GO Transit is thinking. I do feel bad for the conductors though because they are the ones that face the wrath from the riders when they are not responsible for ensuring the trains are in proper working order and most of them are just as annoyed at the delays and cancellations as the passengers. It is time for GO Transit to be held accountable for major service disruptions and the only way that will happen is if we riders voice our concerns to government officials. I plan on writing a letter to my MPP, which I will post here, to highlight this issue in hopes the government will hold GO Transit accountable for avoidable delays like “equipment problems”.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Today
Before I am asked countless times how my day is going today, I thought I would take the initiative and tell you.
Good news: the train operated on time today, arriving on schedule
Bad news: I am at work.
Good news: the train operated on time today, arriving on schedule
Bad news: I am at work.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
The Long-Dreaded Return
Well, I am now into my first full week back to work after a four month sabbatical with Alan and I was right not to want to come back here. Nothing changed! It seems as if none of my work was done during my absence but instead it was swept under the rug to await my return. There has been one change that affects me: I have adopted a new responsibility, one that I have yet to receive any instructions on.
After further reflection, I have realized that although the work has remained relatively unchanged (and undone), many changes did take place while I was away. Some changes are obvious ones (like changing jobs and offices); most are not. The major changes are those subtle changes, undetectable to our conscience minds, hidden in the depths of our subconscious. Looking back, something seemed different the first time I flew in for a club meeting but at the time, I thought the perceived difference was a result of my change in vantage point and that things would be as it was upon my return but now I see these changes are here to stay.
The Canyon Creek Club, once a strong and exclusive club, is now in shambles taking away any fun and escape I may get at work. That club is now but an intricate weave stitching together the life fabric of a small group of people separating once again after only a brief moment together. A moment that was shared and enjoyed by those affected but like all of life’s great moments, its intricacy will never be recreated. The Canyon Creek Club may reform with my return or maybe a new club or association will replace the former one but no matter how determined we all are, the club will never be the same.
As I am trying to complete work from the four months I was away, keep up to date with current work, and continue to test changes and help to modify and cleanup a program, I will be trying to learn a new job (one which I want absolutely nothing to do with) while also trying to adapt to the subtle changes of a crumbling club and its members.
After further reflection, I have realized that although the work has remained relatively unchanged (and undone), many changes did take place while I was away. Some changes are obvious ones (like changing jobs and offices); most are not. The major changes are those subtle changes, undetectable to our conscience minds, hidden in the depths of our subconscious. Looking back, something seemed different the first time I flew in for a club meeting but at the time, I thought the perceived difference was a result of my change in vantage point and that things would be as it was upon my return but now I see these changes are here to stay.
The Canyon Creek Club, once a strong and exclusive club, is now in shambles taking away any fun and escape I may get at work. That club is now but an intricate weave stitching together the life fabric of a small group of people separating once again after only a brief moment together. A moment that was shared and enjoyed by those affected but like all of life’s great moments, its intricacy will never be recreated. The Canyon Creek Club may reform with my return or maybe a new club or association will replace the former one but no matter how determined we all are, the club will never be the same.
As I am trying to complete work from the four months I was away, keep up to date with current work, and continue to test changes and help to modify and cleanup a program, I will be trying to learn a new job (one which I want absolutely nothing to do with) while also trying to adapt to the subtle changes of a crumbling club and its members.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Follow the Leader
Why do Ontarians have so much trouble understanding basic driving principles? The government has spent taxpayers money on signs reminding us all of the common rule, keep right except to pass or slower traffic keep right. Why is this concept too complicated for the drivers of Ontario to understand?
I understand there may be circumstances where this rule cannot be followed (i.e. rush hour or possibly even in the downtown areas of larger cities) but for the most part, there is no reason for drivers to ignore this simple concept. Every time I head out in my car, I bear witness to this phenomenon forcing me to pass on the right because drivers do not follow this ideology. Some drivers go so far as to speed up while being overtaken on the right only to slow down again when the threat of being passed ends. These practices can only lead to bad things.
As I was sitting in my car yesterday while my wife was at the wheel heading to the Toronto Zoo, I observed the happenings and came to a couple conclusions. The first conclusion is that people act differently while driving cars and people prefer to follow. As Stinky T noted in her post ‘Randomosity’, people do not seem to like line-ups but in their cars, people are more than happy to fall in line behind someone and form a queue. When in cars, people seem like they would rather follow someone else than to take the lead and set the pace (except for those who drive 10km/h under the limit).
Maybe this trend occurs because people do not like to think while in a car or they prefer to stare at the rear of a car as opposed to the marvels of Ontario. Who knows! In my opinion, people are just stupid and ignorant. And yes, I do fall into this category at times too, just like everyone else, but unlike some others, I try to limit my stays.
I understand there may be circumstances where this rule cannot be followed (i.e. rush hour or possibly even in the downtown areas of larger cities) but for the most part, there is no reason for drivers to ignore this simple concept. Every time I head out in my car, I bear witness to this phenomenon forcing me to pass on the right because drivers do not follow this ideology. Some drivers go so far as to speed up while being overtaken on the right only to slow down again when the threat of being passed ends. These practices can only lead to bad things.
As I was sitting in my car yesterday while my wife was at the wheel heading to the Toronto Zoo, I observed the happenings and came to a couple conclusions. The first conclusion is that people act differently while driving cars and people prefer to follow. As Stinky T noted in her post ‘Randomosity’, people do not seem to like line-ups but in their cars, people are more than happy to fall in line behind someone and form a queue. When in cars, people seem like they would rather follow someone else than to take the lead and set the pace (except for those who drive 10km/h under the limit).
Maybe this trend occurs because people do not like to think while in a car or they prefer to stare at the rear of a car as opposed to the marvels of Ontario. Who knows! In my opinion, people are just stupid and ignorant. And yes, I do fall into this category at times too, just like everyone else, but unlike some others, I try to limit my stays.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Looking Forward to Looking Back
As my time at home is only days from ending, I find it fitting that I should recap the past four months with baby my son so when the conscious memories of this adventure are replaced by the chaos and confusion of my workplace, I will be able to use this post to yank these memories back from the dark crevices of my mind and be reminded of the joys and triumphs we experienced together. I realize that not every person has been or will be afforded the opportunity I had with my child and that is a shame but unfortunately, that’s life. Even despite the recent frustrations I am experiencing, (to be discussed more later) these past four months have been great and I would have liked to spend more time with my son but since my money tree is not growing as hoped, I must return to work before they give my job to someone more competent.
I divided my time at home into eight separate stages: novelty, reality, routine, nothing changed except the time, the new routine, it’s okay to crawl, the more recent stage, leave the cat alone, and the upcoming, calm before the storm stage. Some of these stages are self-explanatory but I will elaborate on each stage, in my own special way, so no one has to guess at what happened during every stage. To keep with logic (for many reasons but mostly because in a few days logic might take a trip south not be heard from again for some time; I do work in government after all), I shall stick with the chronological time-line of things and begin my recap with what I like to call the novelty stage.
Like all new things, from toys to jobs to experiences, there is a period of ecstasy where one
cannot think of anything but the new. I refer to this period of ecstasy as novelty. There is nothing more ecstatic than to not work but still be paid, even if just a percentage of the regular wage. Put that together with having the opportunity to spend some quality time with a son (or daughter) while they are solely dependent on you, and there are not too many things better than that. During this stage, every thing is new and is, therefore, fun and exciting, even changing diapers were exciting, that was until the real nasty, stinky poop reared it’s ugly head and I ran from the room retching.
Even with all the excitement, this initial two-week period was a nervous one for me as well, especially the very first week; I was, after all, responsible for another human being for the first time in my life. Lucky for me, my son still really enjoyed his sleep at this point so I was given ample time to spend by myself. At first I just prepared his bottles and relaxed while my son slept but after a couple weeks of ignoring the housework, the build up of cat fur and dust reminded me of my other duties.
Just in case I missed the message with the cat fur, the filth multiplying in the washrooms attacked my senses beating me into submission, forcing me to accept my new reality. The new reality was that I really needed to get into some sort of routine with my son so I could fit some housework into my days. He had an easier time adjusting to me than I did to him and my new role (leading to a bit of frustration on my part) but in the end, after a further week of struggling, we finally figured out our routine.
Once we entered the third stage with a set routine, things became so much easier for me. I was able to tell when my son was fine on his own and when he needed more attention so I could plan my day around his moods. I did most of the housework in the morning, usually when my son slept, but some days I could even do some cleaning while he was awake. Those days were especially enjoyable because I could spend my son’s two naptimes doing whatever I wanted, including joining him for a nap. It was during this phase when my son began his imitation of Keanu in his role in The Matrix. I found his mode of transportation quite humourous but my wife was not, and is still not, too fond of it. My opinion in this regard is changing to reflect that of my wife’s now. Looking back this was the best two weeks with my son; he did not move too far so he couldn’t get into trouble and he almost always had his two naps, even if one was short.
After the time change incident, I synchronized my routine with my son’s once more and created what I like to call, the new routine. The word routine is synonymous with mundane and boring (they really are, check a thesaurus) and this stage really did not change that association at all. Looking back on it now, this stage was perhaps the most relaxing of them all, despite the boredom. The boredom became a non-factor, as I was able to defeat it before it consumed me by reuniting with my Sony Playstation 2 and the accompanying EA Sports games. My son liked to get in the action from time to time as well by trying to grab hold of the cord, the life line of my enjoyment, but I quickly found a solution to that before he could damage something. By the end of this five-week stage, the longest of them all, my son was starting to move around quite well by rolling and thumping about on his back. 
Midway through the new routine stage, my son started to mess things up by altering his routine slightly each day. (I must teach him the cliché that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). These constant changes caused more frustration for me because I lost all my free time and I rarely got through a meal without hearing his relentless cries. I solved this issue quickly by stopping all other activities and focusing solely on him. On the down side, I was unable to play Sony in the waning weeks of this stage. I even had trouble keeping up with the housework but the house was there to remind me of my duties again by throwing fur balls at me from around the corners and from under the furniture. Luckily, I married Superwoman and she came to my rescue during the harder times and helped not only with the housework but also with restoring the house’s good nature. 
The house continued to stay clean, relatively speaking, and that was a good thing because my son began moving around the house a little more. During the next three weeks, my son progressively became better at getting around the house but despite our encouraging words, it’s okay to crawl, my son continued to use his head to move about. Somewhere along the way, he decided to try this crawling bit but, even with our attempts to help him, he did not quite understand the principle. Instead of being on his knees, using them to help propel him, he left his bottom extremities limp and dragged himself along with his arm as if swimming along the ground.
My son eventually figured out that using his legs would help him move faster and has since started to use them to crawl. After weeks of what seemed like futile attempts to teach him, my son began to crawl, well somewhat anyhow. Instead of being on his knees with his stomach off the ground,
he holds his knees to the side of him, belly on the ground and slides on the ground more than crawling. The view from above is rather amusing as he looks like a frog when he stops moving. Unfortunately, now that he can move around fairly quickly, he does not want to stop and I am constantly trying to refrain him from going where he should not go or to leave things alone that he should not be touching. My cries of leave the cat alone go unheeded. Up until now, the cat has been quite gentle with my son and scampers away when he approaches instead of lashing out with his hind claws. Chasing after my son has been going on for about two weeks now and every day by lunchtime, I am completely exhausted.
The first sixteen weeks have been fun, amusing, and frustrating but, like all things, it must end. To my displeasure, my time with my son has almost reached its end, as Tuesday will be my son’s first day at day care. For me it will be like the calm before the storm. I will have three days all to myself to rest, give the house one last full cleaning (oh boy I can’t wait for this!) and prepare for work. I imagine that I will enjoy being alone Tuesday but by Wednesday, I may start to miss my son and by Friday, I am going to wish I were back at home.
These past four months have been great, even with the challenges involved, but the moment is over and I must return to work. The only bright spot in all of this is that I still have seventeen days to take off work. I am definitely going to make the best out of each and every one of those. Even though my time at home is ending, I am glad I took this time to spend with my son and I look forward to the days to come when I can look back on this moment and truly understand how special this time was.
I divided my time at home into eight separate stages: novelty, reality, routine, nothing changed except the time, the new routine, it’s okay to crawl, the more recent stage, leave the cat alone, and the upcoming, calm before the storm stage. Some of these stages are self-explanatory but I will elaborate on each stage, in my own special way, so no one has to guess at what happened during every stage. To keep with logic (for many reasons but mostly because in a few days logic might take a trip south not be heard from again for some time; I do work in government after all), I shall stick with the chronological time-line of things and begin my recap with what I like to call the novelty stage.
Like all new things, from toys to jobs to experiences, there is a period of ecstasy where one
cannot think of anything but the new. I refer to this period of ecstasy as novelty. There is nothing more ecstatic than to not work but still be paid, even if just a percentage of the regular wage. Put that together with having the opportunity to spend some quality time with a son (or daughter) while they are solely dependent on you, and there are not too many things better than that. During this stage, every thing is new and is, therefore, fun and exciting, even changing diapers were exciting, that was until the real nasty, stinky poop reared it’s ugly head and I ran from the room retching.Even with all the excitement, this initial two-week period was a nervous one for me as well, especially the very first week; I was, after all, responsible for another human being for the first time in my life. Lucky for me, my son still really enjoyed his sleep at this point so I was given ample time to spend by myself. At first I just prepared his bottles and relaxed while my son slept but after a couple weeks of ignoring the housework, the build up of cat fur and dust reminded me of my other duties.
Just in case I missed the message with the cat fur, the filth multiplying in the washrooms attacked my senses beating me into submission, forcing me to accept my new reality. The new reality was that I really needed to get into some sort of routine with my son so I could fit some housework into my days. He had an easier time adjusting to me than I did to him and my new role (leading to a bit of frustration on my part) but in the end, after a further week of struggling, we finally figured out our routine.
Once we entered the third stage with a set routine, things became so much easier for me. I was able to tell when my son was fine on his own and when he needed more attention so I could plan my day around his moods. I did most of the housework in the morning, usually when my son slept, but some days I could even do some cleaning while he was awake. Those days were especially enjoyable because I could spend my son’s two naptimes doing whatever I wanted, including joining him for a nap. It was during this phase when my son began his imitation of Keanu in his role in The Matrix. I found his mode of transportation quite humourous but my wife was not, and is still not, too fond of it. My opinion in this regard is changing to reflect that of my wife’s now. Looking back this was the best two weeks with my son; he did not move too far so he couldn’t get into trouble and he almost always had his two naps, even if one was short.I thought things were going along smoothly, I had finally figured out a routine and my son was very rarely getting upset, but then daylight savings began and threw the routine into turmoil. Thankfully, I finally realized that my son’s internal clock did not miraculously change with the clocks so I was able to restore the order and this period did not last past the one week. In essence, nothing changed except the time.
After the time change incident, I synchronized my routine with my son’s once more and created what I like to call, the new routine. The word routine is synonymous with mundane and boring (they really are, check a thesaurus) and this stage really did not change that association at all. Looking back on it now, this stage was perhaps the most relaxing of them all, despite the boredom. The boredom became a non-factor, as I was able to defeat it before it consumed me by reuniting with my Sony Playstation 2 and the accompanying EA Sports games. My son liked to get in the action from time to time as well by trying to grab hold of the cord, the life line of my enjoyment, but I quickly found a solution to that before he could damage something. By the end of this five-week stage, the longest of them all, my son was starting to move around quite well by rolling and thumping about on his back. Midway through the new routine stage, my son started to mess things up by altering his routine slightly each day. (I must teach him the cliché that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). These constant changes caused more frustration for me because I lost all my free time and I rarely got through a meal without hearing his relentless cries. I solved this issue quickly by stopping all other activities and focusing solely on him. On the down side, I was unable to play Sony in the waning weeks of this stage. I even had trouble keeping up with the housework but the house was there to remind me of my duties again by throwing fur balls at me from around the corners and from under the furniture. Luckily, I married Superwoman and she came to my rescue during the harder times and helped not only with the housework but also with restoring the house’s good nature. 
The house continued to stay clean, relatively speaking, and that was a good thing because my son began moving around the house a little more. During the next three weeks, my son progressively became better at getting around the house but despite our encouraging words, it’s okay to crawl, my son continued to use his head to move about. Somewhere along the way, he decided to try this crawling bit but, even with our attempts to help him, he did not quite understand the principle. Instead of being on his knees, using them to help propel him, he left his bottom extremities limp and dragged himself along with his arm as if swimming along the ground.
My son eventually figured out that using his legs would help him move faster and has since started to use them to crawl. After weeks of what seemed like futile attempts to teach him, my son began to crawl, well somewhat anyhow. Instead of being on his knees with his stomach off the ground,
he holds his knees to the side of him, belly on the ground and slides on the ground more than crawling. The view from above is rather amusing as he looks like a frog when he stops moving. Unfortunately, now that he can move around fairly quickly, he does not want to stop and I am constantly trying to refrain him from going where he should not go or to leave things alone that he should not be touching. My cries of leave the cat alone go unheeded. Up until now, the cat has been quite gentle with my son and scampers away when he approaches instead of lashing out with his hind claws. Chasing after my son has been going on for about two weeks now and every day by lunchtime, I am completely exhausted.The first sixteen weeks have been fun, amusing, and frustrating but, like all things, it must end. To my displeasure, my time with my son has almost reached its end, as Tuesday will be my son’s first day at day care. For me it will be like the calm before the storm. I will have three days all to myself to rest, give the house one last full cleaning (oh boy I can’t wait for this!) and prepare for work. I imagine that I will enjoy being alone Tuesday but by Wednesday, I may start to miss my son and by Friday, I am going to wish I were back at home.
These past four months have been great, even with the challenges involved, but the moment is over and I must return to work. The only bright spot in all of this is that I still have seventeen days to take off work. I am definitely going to make the best out of each and every one of those. Even though my time at home is ending, I am glad I took this time to spend with my son and I look forward to the days to come when I can look back on this moment and truly understand how special this time was.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Little Giant
We had planned on getting a crib for my son once we moved into our new house, setting it up and having it ready for him when he got home from the hospital but since my son entered this world way too early, the crib was not even purchased let alone set up. Being as small as he was at birth it ended up not mattering anyhow; he spent the first month or so sleeping in his playpen (and he looked dwarfed in that even). In fact it he was almost a month old when we did finally get him a crib.Ever since we bought the crib and set it up, the mattress was left at the highest setting. Today that all changed. My son has grown so much in the past eleven months that he would be able to climb out of the crib if he got it in his head to do so. Because of that, we had to move the mattress down today. We put the mattress right to the bottom setting so we will not have to move it again until we have to transform the crib into the next stage. He is still a bit on the small side but he is catching up quickly so when he goes to day care Monday, he should not be bullied around by any of the other babies.
Question: The last sentence above got me thinking about a somewhat silly thought. When does a baby cease to be a baby? All other age groups have clear markers as to when they progress into the successive group but I am unaware of the evolution out of the baby stage. I must admit I have never really given this much thought before but the question now seems relevant.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Beware the Fountain of Youth
For fourteen weeks I have been changing diapers and feeding my son without any incidents but my clean, dry record came to an end so early Saturday morning that I thought it was still Friday.I took my son to the Jays game Friday night but he was not having any fun, nor was he allowing anyone around us to have any fun, so I ended up taking him home halfway through the fourth inning. For those who do not recall the game, Friday’s game was the one that stopped the Jays losing streak at nine games and was the first of two wins in a row. Anyhow, he was so tired when we got home he did not wake up so he went straight to bed. Unfortunately, a short time after I crawled into bed, he decided to wake.
At this point it was around midnight and I was extremely tired but I went to deal with the screaming kid. First order of business, changing his diaper, no big deal, I had changed countless diapers in my time at home that it is almost second nature. This morning was not going to be just a normal morning though. I took off his dirty diaper and reached for a clean one. That is when I heard a strange noise and when I looked down, I saw a yellowish stream projecting from my son. It took me some time to register the event but I finally did and threw a diaper on him and immediately gave myself a once over. To my sheer pleasure, there were no wet spots on my clothing; I escaped the attack unharmed.
Of all the times for this to happen, my son had to pick a time when I was in a zombie like state. I finished changing him, wiped down the change pad and put a sleeper on my son before heading downstairs to feed him. Finally, at two o’clock, I was able to crawl back into the warmth of my bed and sleep with my clean record shattered. I guess it was inevitable so I should just be glad I came out of the incident with a dry shirt.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
This Really Happened
I guess the stupidity bug is going around these days. I have a funny story to share as well. This happened to my wife last week when she stopped in at Costco on her way home from work. This was a conversation overheard while standing in line waiting to pay for her items. My wife went in for one item but while heading to that item, she noticed a display of jumbo freezies and stopped to pick one up for me. She ended up grabbing a few other items but they are insignificant as the story relates to this box of freezies.
Unknown idiot 1: I almost bought a box of those freezies last year…
Unknown idiot 2: Uh huh.
Unknown idiot 1: but the box is too big to fit in my freezer.
Her concern of the box size is a valid concern as the box is about a foot and a half long, eight or nine inches wide and about half a foot deep. However, it is not necessary to put the whole damn box in the freezer; it is possible to take the freezies out of the box a few at a time based on the room in one’s freezer and keep the box in a cupboard somewhere else.
Unknown idiot 1: I almost bought a box of those freezies last year…
Unknown idiot 2: Uh huh.
Unknown idiot 1: but the box is too big to fit in my freezer.
Her concern of the box size is a valid concern as the box is about a foot and a half long, eight or nine inches wide and about half a foot deep. However, it is not necessary to put the whole damn box in the freezer; it is possible to take the freezies out of the box a few at a time based on the room in one’s freezer and keep the box in a cupboard somewhere else.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Almost…But Not Quite
The days of putting my son on the floor to play and leaving him to his own devices is over, he is now on the move. Until recently, he would thump around on his back, using his head for leverage, but now he is crawling…almost. He still uses his head a lot but now he rolls onto his stomach and quasi-crawls everywhere chasing the cat around.I say quasi-crawl because my son does not use his knees at all when he moves. At times he uses his feet but never his knees. Occasionally he does get to his knees and we think he is about to crawl properly but then he just rocks. Instead, my son pulls himself forward using his arms as if his legs were not a part of him at all.
Before too much longer, I am sure he will figure out how to use his knees when he crawls and then he will definitely get into trouble. Until then, he is still able to move around and look for trouble. I have lost my freedom either way and have to make sure I keep an eye on my son to prevent him from getting into too much trouble.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Same Old Same
It seems I have been more focused on updating my sports blog lately but looking on this blog, it seems I have updated one week ago. Still, I felt I should write something here today anyhow.
Nothing new is really happening here. We had to take my son to Buffalo again on the weekend to see the Bandits play their first playoff game. My son was not too co-operative during the first half of the game so my wife had to watch the game from the concourse. She came back during halftime and was able to stay for the rest of the game. We got to pass my son off to some fellow season ticket holders, who have three children of their own, so we could actually enjoy some of the game.
Saturday we were able to get out and enjoy the warm weather. Did some work around the house. I cut down an ugly dead tree (I figured it was okay since we will be planting another tree to replace it later this summer) and was able to rake the backyard. Next step is to get some grass seed and fertilizer in hopes to eliminate the ugly brown patch this summer.
That is about all that is going on here. Hopefully, I will have some more interesting things to share soon.
Nothing new is really happening here. We had to take my son to Buffalo again on the weekend to see the Bandits play their first playoff game. My son was not too co-operative during the first half of the game so my wife had to watch the game from the concourse. She came back during halftime and was able to stay for the rest of the game. We got to pass my son off to some fellow season ticket holders, who have three children of their own, so we could actually enjoy some of the game.
Saturday we were able to get out and enjoy the warm weather. Did some work around the house. I cut down an ugly dead tree (I figured it was okay since we will be planting another tree to replace it later this summer) and was able to rake the backyard. Next step is to get some grass seed and fertilizer in hopes to eliminate the ugly brown patch this summer.
That is about all that is going on here. Hopefully, I will have some more interesting things to share soon.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Great Success!
My son’s first road trip was a great success. For the most part, he seemed to enjoy himself and did not give us much trouble. Friday night during the game he did cry a bit when the Bandits scored and everyone was cheering but he settled himself with the rest of the crowd. By the fourth quarter of the game though, my son was likely getting tired and would not settle so my wife had to take him to a quiet sanctuary. Luckily, she could still see most of the action from her new vantage point so she did not miss much (not that she would have anyhow, the Bandits didn’t play well).
After the game, we drove to Rochester for the night. My son woke while we put his sleeper on and cried for about an hour after before falling back to sleep. That was the only real trouble we had with him and it was our own fault. Once he fell back asleep, he did not bother us until the next morning.
Saturday started off as a lazy day for us, after all there is not much to do in Rochester. We went for breakfast and then took our time getting the day started (lucky for us checkout wasn’t until noon). After lunch, we ventured out to find something to do to waste the day away until the lacrosse game. We took a wrong turn so we missed the zoo but we did stumble across a baseball game. The Minnesota Twins AAA baseball team plays out of Rochester and just happened to be playing that day. My son let us enjoy the game as he slept through several innings. A great way to waste the day in my opinion!
My son was equally as good at the lacrosse game that night as he slept through a quarter. The game was even worse than the Friday night affair so we left early to start our 3+ hour cruise…sorry that is something else, it was a 3+ hour drive. Halfway between Rochester and Buffalo we stopped at a service centre and coincidentally ran into Jay Dee, who was returning from a day trip to Syracuse. My son really enjoyed that chance encounter though as he was all giggles. The rest of the drive was uneventful and my son eventually slept the night away.
After the game, we drove to Rochester for the night. My son woke while we put his sleeper on and cried for about an hour after before falling back to sleep. That was the only real trouble we had with him and it was our own fault. Once he fell back asleep, he did not bother us until the next morning.
Saturday started off as a lazy day for us, after all there is not much to do in Rochester. We went for breakfast and then took our time getting the day started (lucky for us checkout wasn’t until noon). After lunch, we ventured out to find something to do to waste the day away until the lacrosse game. We took a wrong turn so we missed the zoo but we did stumble across a baseball game. The Minnesota Twins AAA baseball team plays out of Rochester and just happened to be playing that day. My son let us enjoy the game as he slept through several innings. A great way to waste the day in my opinion!
My son was equally as good at the lacrosse game that night as he slept through a quarter. The game was even worse than the Friday night affair so we left early to start our 3+ hour cruise…sorry that is something else, it was a 3+ hour drive. Halfway between Rochester and Buffalo we stopped at a service centre and coincidentally ran into Jay Dee, who was returning from a day trip to Syracuse. My son really enjoyed that chance encounter though as he was all giggles. The rest of the drive was uneventful and my son eventually slept the night away.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Our First Solo Outing
To continue from my previous post, I realized that yesterday was a first for me; until yesterday I had not been ‘on the town’ alone with baby Alan for any length of time. Sure, I had been out of the house on several occasions but for the most part, I was without Alan, with Alan and my wife, or I went to a relative’s house where I could pass of the baby and relax. However, yesterday I was on my own with Alan in the big city.
The journey started with a short drive into Toronto for lunch and eventually ended when the Blue Jays beat the Royals 7-4. After lunch, there was about one and a half hours to waste until I met up with my sister for the game and a slight break from the baby. I ended up sticking around work and bugging all the condemned souls suffering in cubical hell. Much to my surprise, it was a rather pleasant visit but then again my bosses were not there and I was able to dodge the worst of the bunch (unfortunately some others were missing so I may need to return with Alan).
Alan didn’t seem to mind being tossed around like a beach ball from person to person and he seemed to particularly like the ‘cool kids’. He was quite the happy baby for the entire day, even late into the ball game when he should have been sleeping. It seems the nap he took while walking from the office to the dome (excuse me, the Rogers Centre) helped prevent him from getting cranky at the game. Since this outing was such a success, I should not be so nervous prior to the next big outing we partake in and as soon as the weather warms up, we will hopefully go on more outings.
The journey started with a short drive into Toronto for lunch and eventually ended when the Blue Jays beat the Royals 7-4. After lunch, there was about one and a half hours to waste until I met up with my sister for the game and a slight break from the baby. I ended up sticking around work and bugging all the condemned souls suffering in cubical hell. Much to my surprise, it was a rather pleasant visit but then again my bosses were not there and I was able to dodge the worst of the bunch (unfortunately some others were missing so I may need to return with Alan).
Alan didn’t seem to mind being tossed around like a beach ball from person to person and he seemed to particularly like the ‘cool kids’. He was quite the happy baby for the entire day, even late into the ball game when he should have been sleeping. It seems the nap he took while walking from the office to the dome (excuse me, the Rogers Centre) helped prevent him from getting cranky at the game. Since this outing was such a success, I should not be so nervous prior to the next big outing we partake in and as soon as the weather warms up, we will hopefully go on more outings.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Another First for My Son
As every child grows, they will inevitably experience many firsts ranging from evolutionary firsts like a first tooth to character firsts like a first smile to calendar firsts like first Easter to first activities like the first trip to the zoo. Being a little better than nine months old, my son has already experienced many firsts. He has been smiling for several months, giggling almost as long; he has already been to his first MLB game, his first NLL game (albeit an exhibition game), his first OHL game and his first MSL (Major Series Lacrosse) game. My son has gone through his first Christmas and his first Easter (see picture) and many other first calendar events. He has even been to the Toronto Zoo once already. He has yet to join us to a Buffalo Bandits game though.
Through the majority of the National Lacrosse League season, we have been lucky enough to have a babysitter to look after my son while we made the long drive to Buffalo for Bandits games. Our luck has finally run out for this weekend though since we decided to stay in the US for an extra day and we will have to bring my son with us. This trip will be my son’s first trip south of the border and his first real road trip.
Warning: Sports Content
To end the season, the Bandits are playing a home and home series with the division leading Rochester Knighthawks. This weekend is set up to be a very exciting one too. If the Bandits are able to sweep the weekend series then they will tie Rochester for the division lead and due to the better head-to-head record, they will assume first place in the East division. To add to this excitement, the season points leader could be decided in these two games as John Tavares of Buffalo and John Grant Jr. of Rochester are tied for league lead with 97 points. (Dan Dawson of the Arizona Sting has 95 points and could surpass both Tavares and Grant for the lead). Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this weekend is John Tavares’ quest to be the NLL’s all-time goal leader. Tavares need six goals to tie the record and seven to surpass Gary Gait who currently has 596 career goals.
I am a little concerned at how my son will be at the lacrosse games though since he has not faired well at recent sporting events. In December, at the Toronto Rock exhibition game in Oshawa, my son cried from the second quarter on and more recently, in February at an OHL game again in Oshawa, my son cried throughout the first two periods causing me to leave prematurely. It is possible that he just didn’t like the new arena in Oshawa, the GM Centre (or should I say the mini ACC) but I am sure it was the loud noise that he did not like. This weekend we will be prepared though. We will have something to cover my son’s ears with, whether it is actual ear plugs, tufts of cotton, or just ear muffs, we will do what we can to minimize the noise for him.
I will be taking my son to the Toronto Blue Jays game tonight so hopefully he enjoys it and doesn’t cry through the entire game. Baseball, especially in Toronto, does not compare to the noise of lacrosse or even hockey so he should be okay with the noise level. There is a lot of room to walk around if things get out of control so hopefully I can enjoy the game too. It will be a long day for us; we will be heading downtown for lunch with the Canyon Creek Club (some people from work) and a visit with others. With luck, things go well this week and my next post (sometime next week) will tell of a great first road trip for my son.
Through the majority of the National Lacrosse League season, we have been lucky enough to have a babysitter to look after my son while we made the long drive to Buffalo for Bandits games. Our luck has finally run out for this weekend though since we decided to stay in the US for an extra day and we will have to bring my son with us. This trip will be my son’s first trip south of the border and his first real road trip.
Warning: Sports Content
To end the season, the Bandits are playing a home and home series with the division leading Rochester Knighthawks. This weekend is set up to be a very exciting one too. If the Bandits are able to sweep the weekend series then they will tie Rochester for the division lead and due to the better head-to-head record, they will assume first place in the East division. To add to this excitement, the season points leader could be decided in these two games as John Tavares of Buffalo and John Grant Jr. of Rochester are tied for league lead with 97 points. (Dan Dawson of the Arizona Sting has 95 points and could surpass both Tavares and Grant for the lead). Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this weekend is John Tavares’ quest to be the NLL’s all-time goal leader. Tavares need six goals to tie the record and seven to surpass Gary Gait who currently has 596 career goals.
I am a little concerned at how my son will be at the lacrosse games though since he has not faired well at recent sporting events. In December, at the Toronto Rock exhibition game in Oshawa, my son cried from the second quarter on and more recently, in February at an OHL game again in Oshawa, my son cried throughout the first two periods causing me to leave prematurely. It is possible that he just didn’t like the new arena in Oshawa, the GM Centre (or should I say the mini ACC) but I am sure it was the loud noise that he did not like. This weekend we will be prepared though. We will have something to cover my son’s ears with, whether it is actual ear plugs, tufts of cotton, or just ear muffs, we will do what we can to minimize the noise for him.
I will be taking my son to the Toronto Blue Jays game tonight so hopefully he enjoys it and doesn’t cry through the entire game. Baseball, especially in Toronto, does not compare to the noise of lacrosse or even hockey so he should be okay with the noise level. There is a lot of room to walk around if things get out of control so hopefully I can enjoy the game too. It will be a long day for us; we will be heading downtown for lunch with the Canyon Creek Club (some people from work) and a visit with others. With luck, things go well this week and my next post (sometime next week) will tell of a great first road trip for my son.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
I’m Going Slightly Mad
I'm one card short of a full deck
I'm not quite the shilling
One wave short of a shipwreck
I'm not my usual top billing
I'm coming down with a fever
I'm really out to sea
This kettle is boiling over
I think I'm a banana tree
I did not think it was possible for me to get stir crazy but I am afraid it has started to happen. At the halfway mark of my absence from work, I have begun to go mad. Do not go jumping to conclusions (Yes, yes, it's horrible…this idea….) I do not miss work at all, especially with the occasional reminders Stinky T leaves on her blog about the wonderful office atmosphere and the various characters the company employs. In fact quite the opposite, I am starting to dread the day I have to return to work.
There is roughly two months until that dreadful day but the inevitable doom is starting to creep into my mind like the approaching storm clouds outside. This feeling was first realized Saturday when I had to meet my wife in Oakville en route to Buffalo for a lacrosse game. You see, my wife was working in the morning so I decided it would be a good idea to meet somewhere west of Toronto and instead of driving somewhere to meet her I decided to take the GO train. Two months of not having to use the train is all it took for me to forget the pains of public transportation. Let me just say I have more fun going to the dentist. It was after (I guess at some point during) the train ride that I came to the sad realization that in eight short weeks I will be taking the train twice every day to travel to and from work. The seed of dread planted itself in my mind and is now starting to grow.
I have really enjoyed my first two months away from work and have found enough to keep me occupied but recently there seems to be more time for me to do nothing. My routine changed somewhat and Alan is sleeping longer when he actually falls asleep so as a result, I have more free time. I guess this free time is also a result of my getting into a rhythm with the baby and the housework thereby reducing my wasted time. A couple days ago, I found my PS2 under a thick coat of dust and even though it was mistreated and ignored for several months, after a little dusting, the PS2 forgot its mistreatment and started without a hitch. I may have found something to occupy my free time and I hope it does not object to the abuse it will soon be suffering. The next two months may not be so boring after all. Six weeks from now I will likely be complaining that we time at home is almost up. Until then, I shall make the best of things here.
I'm knitting with only one needle
Unraveling fast its true
I'm driving only three wheels these days
But my dear how about you
I'm going slightly mad
I'm going slightly mad
It finally happened
It finally happened - oh yes
It finally happened
I'm slightly mad
Just very slightly mad
And there you have it
* Highlighted paragraphs are lyrics from Queen’s ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’
I'm not quite the shilling
One wave short of a shipwreck
I'm not my usual top billing
I'm coming down with a fever
I'm really out to sea
This kettle is boiling over
I think I'm a banana tree
I did not think it was possible for me to get stir crazy but I am afraid it has started to happen. At the halfway mark of my absence from work, I have begun to go mad. Do not go jumping to conclusions (Yes, yes, it's horrible…this idea….) I do not miss work at all, especially with the occasional reminders Stinky T leaves on her blog about the wonderful office atmosphere and the various characters the company employs. In fact quite the opposite, I am starting to dread the day I have to return to work.
There is roughly two months until that dreadful day but the inevitable doom is starting to creep into my mind like the approaching storm clouds outside. This feeling was first realized Saturday when I had to meet my wife in Oakville en route to Buffalo for a lacrosse game. You see, my wife was working in the morning so I decided it would be a good idea to meet somewhere west of Toronto and instead of driving somewhere to meet her I decided to take the GO train. Two months of not having to use the train is all it took for me to forget the pains of public transportation. Let me just say I have more fun going to the dentist. It was after (I guess at some point during) the train ride that I came to the sad realization that in eight short weeks I will be taking the train twice every day to travel to and from work. The seed of dread planted itself in my mind and is now starting to grow.
I have really enjoyed my first two months away from work and have found enough to keep me occupied but recently there seems to be more time for me to do nothing. My routine changed somewhat and Alan is sleeping longer when he actually falls asleep so as a result, I have more free time. I guess this free time is also a result of my getting into a rhythm with the baby and the housework thereby reducing my wasted time. A couple days ago, I found my PS2 under a thick coat of dust and even though it was mistreated and ignored for several months, after a little dusting, the PS2 forgot its mistreatment and started without a hitch. I may have found something to occupy my free time and I hope it does not object to the abuse it will soon be suffering. The next two months may not be so boring after all. Six weeks from now I will likely be complaining that we time at home is almost up. Until then, I shall make the best of things here.
I'm knitting with only one needle
Unraveling fast its true
I'm driving only three wheels these days
But my dear how about you
I'm going slightly mad
I'm going slightly mad
It finally happened
It finally happened - oh yes
It finally happened
I'm slightly mad
Just very slightly mad
And there you have it
* Highlighted paragraphs are lyrics from Queen’s ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’
Monday, March 19, 2007
Changing of the Clocks Ritual
Just over a week ago we turned the clocks ahead one hour to Daylight Saving Time, which, like every other year, has turned into a month long event. Why on God’s green earth do I have so many darn clocks??? (Why is it called God’s green earth anyhow, since the planet looks blue from space and the term ‘earthy tones’ generally refers to various shades of brown)? Now where was I? Ah yes! These time changes, other than being very annoying, do not affect our lives much at all. Sure, we enjoy the couple of months when we actually get to see the sun before and after work, but overall DST makes little difference to our daily life.
These time changes do take some time getting used to however, as we try to go to bed at our usual time only to stare blankly at the ceiling cursing the person who thought they could manipulate time and all the other people who agreed. The length of this adjustment period differs from person to person. I recently learned that not everyone suffers from DST fatigue, some people, as small as they may be, seem to be able to just ignore the time change altogether. That is right, baby my son has completely ignored the changing of the clocks ritual and has continued on his regular routine.
I have long since given up the effort of ignoring the time change so I adjusted my schedule immediately and continued to feed my son at his regular time intervals and he continued to eat, although not as much. I did find it odd that my son was not eating as much as normal but it was not until Friday, two frustrating days after my son started rejecting his food outright, that I realized why he was not eating. His body runs solely on its internal clock and not some abstract methodology like time. By not acknowledging the time change, my son has given me an extra hour of sleep each night and, since he does not eat dinner until after seven now, he has allowed me to eat before him every night without having to hear him scream.
This year the change over to daylight saving time has a very real, beneficial impact on my life. Maybe the person who convinced us all to take part in DST was on to something. On second thought, changing the clocks is still very annoying.
These time changes do take some time getting used to however, as we try to go to bed at our usual time only to stare blankly at the ceiling cursing the person who thought they could manipulate time and all the other people who agreed. The length of this adjustment period differs from person to person. I recently learned that not everyone suffers from DST fatigue, some people, as small as they may be, seem to be able to just ignore the time change altogether. That is right, baby my son has completely ignored the changing of the clocks ritual and has continued on his regular routine.
I have long since given up the effort of ignoring the time change so I adjusted my schedule immediately and continued to feed my son at his regular time intervals and he continued to eat, although not as much. I did find it odd that my son was not eating as much as normal but it was not until Friday, two frustrating days after my son started rejecting his food outright, that I realized why he was not eating. His body runs solely on its internal clock and not some abstract methodology like time. By not acknowledging the time change, my son has given me an extra hour of sleep each night and, since he does not eat dinner until after seven now, he has allowed me to eat before him every night without having to hear him scream.
This year the change over to daylight saving time has a very real, beneficial impact on my life. Maybe the person who convinced us all to take part in DST was on to something. On second thought, changing the clocks is still very annoying.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
A Typical Day With My Son
07:00 – 08:00 AM --> Wake up and change diaper
08:00 – 09:00 AM --> Feed my son and eat breakfast while he digests his food
09:00 – 10:00 AM --> Watch The A-Team while my son plays
10:00 – 10:30 AM --> My son watches Sesame Street while I do housework or post a thought on my blog
10:30 – 11:30 AM --> Change my son’s diaper, feed him a snack and put him in bed when he falls asleep
11:00 – 01:00 PM --> Watch Kung Fu and when necessary, do more housework until my son wakes up
01:00 – 02:00 PM --> Feed my son lunch and find something for myself to eat while he digests his food
02:00 – 03:00 PM --> Watch Kung Fu while I spend time with my son
03:00 – 05:30 PM --> During this time my son usually naps for at least 30 minutes, sometimes as much as an hour and a half, while I either nap or clean up the kitchen (do dishes, etc.) or just watch tv, changing my son’s diaper when he wakes up
05:30 – 07:00 PM --> Make dinner, eat, and then feed my son his dinner
07:00 – 08:00 PM --> Clean up from dinner (do dishes, etc.), get a bottle ready for my son, and get my son ready for bed
08:00 – 09:00 PM --> Feed my son while watching tv and put him to bed for the night when he falls asleep.
09:00 – 10:00 PM --> If bottles need to be made, I make them, if not I just watch tv and relax
After 10:00 PM --> I either go to bed or just space out in front of the tv until I am ready for bed
* I really don’t spend all that time doing housework but instead spend the time watching tv. It just sounds better if I say I do housework.
08:00 – 09:00 AM --> Feed my son and eat breakfast while he digests his food
09:00 – 10:00 AM --> Watch The A-Team while my son plays
10:00 – 10:30 AM --> My son watches Sesame Street while I do housework or post a thought on my blog
10:30 – 11:30 AM --> Change my son’s diaper, feed him a snack and put him in bed when he falls asleep
11:00 – 01:00 PM --> Watch Kung Fu and when necessary, do more housework until my son wakes up
01:00 – 02:00 PM --> Feed my son lunch and find something for myself to eat while he digests his food
02:00 – 03:00 PM --> Watch Kung Fu while I spend time with my son
03:00 – 05:30 PM --> During this time my son usually naps for at least 30 minutes, sometimes as much as an hour and a half, while I either nap or clean up the kitchen (do dishes, etc.) or just watch tv, changing my son’s diaper when he wakes up
05:30 – 07:00 PM --> Make dinner, eat, and then feed my son his dinner
07:00 – 08:00 PM --> Clean up from dinner (do dishes, etc.), get a bottle ready for my son, and get my son ready for bed
08:00 – 09:00 PM --> Feed my son while watching tv and put him to bed for the night when he falls asleep.
09:00 – 10:00 PM --> If bottles need to be made, I make them, if not I just watch tv and relax
After 10:00 PM --> I either go to bed or just space out in front of the tv until I am ready for bed
* I really don’t spend all that time doing housework but instead spend the time watching tv. It just sounds better if I say I do housework.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
