This title does not in any way relate to the post...

In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true. -Buddha-


So I was thinking about some things. I was contemplating the similarities between Eminem, Kleenex, Alpo, and Kenny G, and I realized that they had absolutely nothing in common at all. What was that all about, anyway?

Enough fooling around for now.....for now.

So my Mom is home. She is one kidney short, but has a 95% chance of staying cancer free, so YAY!!! It is a huge load off my min, knowing she'll be ok. It's good to know she is home and recovering. Sure, she has to go for check ups every 6 months, but I think that's a fair trade off.

The house hunt is going very poorly. We've checked out a ton of places, but haven't found any more really good prospects. Perseverance will win out, I hope. More places to look at, so more possibilities. I know we'll find our "one" eventually, but I would really like to know when. It's been a long walk down this road.

I have just discovered that we have finally exhausted the last of the wine from Steph's wedding. It aged quite well.

So we've been to the island a few times and I decided to edit a few of the pics I took and post them. Here we go.....






Enough of my week, I suppose.

Pax, all.

I love you Mom. See you soon.

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
-Buddha-

I send this wish out to you, Mom. Heal fast, and come home.


Pax, all.

Sometimes, it's the small things....

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -Buddha-

Giggling is contagious. A baby chasing a dog, a dog chasing a baby is one of the most wonderful things you can ever see.
We looked after Damian today. I got to spend the morning with him before work. I always enjoy time with my grandson. There is something subtly different than the time I spent with my kids. I think it may because I've changed. I've grown, and I've learned from my children more lessons than I ever expected. I think It's safe to say they taught me as much or more as I taught them.
It's amazing what memories seem to stand out, though. Megan's graduation, Steph wedding, these are definite stand outs, but then so are simple things, like the sound of Damians laughter. I can always count on my little man to brighten my day, no matter what, and when I have a day that gets too much, I just close my eyes for a minute and listen to his laugh, and I smile again.


Pax, all!

Submitted for your approval....

A few thoughts on the "recession", the truth and the future:


1: I used quotes on recession, not because I think it's all some clever media ploy or just hype, but because I think that it's a monster of our own making. It began as an economic issue created by pure greed, but thanks to focusing purely on bottom line dollars, media attention, short sightedness and knee jerk responses, it has been allowed to bloom into a global crisis. It's feeding on itself, with news of financial shortcomings and job losses sparking companies to clamp down and layoff more and more people, adding to the job losses, fuelling the recession, and affecting the corporate bottom line, which sparks layoffs, lowers financial forecasts..........Well, you see where this is going.

2: The fallout from this downturn is going to be massive. People are cutting back, making concessions, and generally having to suck it up, while watching a group of corporate elite receive huge bonus packages. Corporate shareholders and investors are forfeiting profit shares only to see CEOs, directors, and other executives being handed enormous cash packages for what amounts to a complete lack of effective performance. Couple that with many companies now being supported on the backs of the general public through government bailouts, the feeling of resentment is building, and the politicians can not ignore the crys of outrage.

3: Things will improve. For example, I work at a major Home improvement retailer, and I can honestly say that we are showing no signs of slowing down, Completely opposite, in fact. We are booming. Of course it's safe to say that when money is tight, people's tendency will be to do the job themselves instead of hiring someone to do it for them. But I have also noticed that a lot of people are taking on larger projects. Bathroom renos, flooring throughout the entire house and not just a single room, kitchen renovations, are just to name a few of the projects that we are seeing. This may be a quirk of our city. We have been through economic downturns before and know well how to handle them. I am relatively sure that while we are doing better than most communities as things go, that other cities are coping with the crisis as well. There are indications from all fronts that although things are down and not looking good, that the losses are less than expected, and that in fact there are gains being made in some sectors.
I guess people do have common sense after all. If only the corporate mentality would use more of it......well, we'll just have to see where this goes.


Just my thoughts on things.

Pax, all!

May you live every day of your life. -Jonathan Swift-

It is interesting what we end up calling "good news." I suppose in some ways it can be defined as something that lets you get to sleep again at night.

The last few weeks have been stressful, to say the least. I've gone through so many highs and lows, and had such varied things come my way that it has all been difficult to keep track of.

We put an offer on on a house, for starters. A bank repo, so it was on for a fairly decent price, and my bank approved my mortgage application. A few days later, I was talking to my mother, and she told me that her doctor had found a 3cm tumour on her kidney. Her doctor also had a very justified concern that it was the same, aggressive and lethal form of cancer that had killed my grandfather.

As it turns out, after the news from my mother, I decided to withdraw my offer on the property, to give us time to deal with my mom's health needs. I called my realestate agent to cancel the offer, and tells me she was just calling me to tell me that my offer was accepted. I told her what was happening, and that I was withdrawing my offer. She was really good about it and completely understood. I still felt like an ass for withdrawing it, though.

Fast forward to early in the new week. My mom got a call from her doctor to make an appointment with a specialist in Hamilton. So she headed out. She went down to stay with my sister and go to her appointment from there. This meant a week of waiting for us here. More sleepless nights too.

Saturday night, she came home. She called as soon as she got in and settled. "Good News," it turns out comes in many forms. She has cancer. There is a caveat, though. It isn't the same type of cancer my grandfather had. In fact, it is a likely one of the best/easiest forms of cancer going. They will remove the tumour laproscopically, and there is no need for radiation or chemotherapy afterwards. She'll need to go for checkups every few months, but she'll be healthy, and alive. Yeah, good news.

Steph had her ultrasound, too. We have another grandson on the way! She is having a boy again. I really didn't care if it was a boy or a girl, just as long as the baby was healthy. I can't wait for grandson number 2. If he's haf as much fun as Damian is, it will be amazing.

Things will settle back to normal. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

Pax, all.

Happy New Years All!!!!!

Cause Happy New Year's Al just sounds wrong...... -Me-

Rapid Fire Style:


1: The Dark Knight is a Freaking Wild Movie....Definitely see it!

2: The Mummy:Curse of the Dragon Emperor, not so good

3: btw...the motor bike in the Dark Knight sounds curiously similar to a speeder bike from Empire...hmmm

4: I LOVE my new digital camera..Thanks Mom and Dad! (ok...I picked it out and so on, but it is perfect)

5: It's time for a new house. Sandi and I deserve a house of our own. Something that fits our wants and needs. This year we will have it.

6: I will shift my employment status this year..In fact I will make a change things by June or my name isn't Ted Turner....ohh crap.

7: There's a magic about Christmas, especially for parents. The nice thing is that it gets better each year. A new grandchild on the way and a new son-in-law on the way too...

8: My head hurts.

9: Attractive, unknown women give Tim Horton's Tea...This is just a simple fact.

10: This has been a year of great loss...Arn Rowe, George Carlin, Joyce's marbles, a family's sanity.. The coming year must certainly be better.

11: And the 11th line of this post....HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!