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September 28, 2006
The World is On Fire
Ah colours, you know I love them.
This morning while I was making coffee I glanced out the window and saw a gorgeous sunrise. The clouds were coming in from the west and I knew they would soon cover the sky but for a few brief moments the eastern sky was afire with oranges and reds.
When I left the house, I noticed the pumpkins my wife put on the patio a few days ago. Bright orange. And the mum plants with their red flowers. Careful I thought, don't get burned on those.
I walked down the street to the bus stop and noticed a lot of trees still have leaves on them. Orange ones. And red. Beautiful, but again, beware the danger I told myself.
Later, as I was walking down Preston Street a garden caught my eye. It was filled with orange flowers. I'm not sure what kind they were, just that they blazed forth for all to see, and your eyes were drawn to them immediately.
And interestingly, the last thing I noticed was the fire truck outside the Preston Street fire station.The trucks are usually inside but today there was one parked outside, and a couple of firefighters were working on it.
It's red I thought, as though it was on fire itself. But not to worry, it wasn't really, it was just there to put out fires.
There were certainly a lot of them to be seen.
Posted by OldGuy at 10:33 AM | Comments (1)
September 24, 2006
Sunday Morning Musings
So fall has officially arrived. Yep, on Sept 22nd. we bid goodbye to summer and welcomed fall. You can really tell it's here too. The trees have been changing colours for a while, in fact a lot of them have lost leaves. The weather's gotten considerably cooler and yes, thoughts are turning to Halloween. My wife got a couple of small pumpkins and a pair of fally (is that a word, am I allowed to say that ?) looking dolls for the front patio this week, and they are indeed a reminder that the seasons have changed. I always feel something when the seasons change (and no, I'm not referring to my arthritis), sort of a feeling of loss, yet wondering what the new season will bring. Call it wistfullness, I guess that's the best word for it.
How come women can get away with saying stuff men can't ? Last night a friend's son walked by and my wife commented "Have you been exercising, you look really hot." Then some blah, blah, blah and "You must have all the girls chasing after you." Now if I said something like that to a friend's daughter, oh maybe "hey, that's some hot body you got there, have you been working out ?" I'd probably get arrested. And that's after my wife finished beating me to a pulp.
The lad called last night. He seemed in a pretty good mood. We were happy to hear it because he sounded a little bummed out a few days ago. But hey, I'm sure he's going through some stuff too, it can't be easy being away from home and having to make it on your own. He'll be home at Thanksgiving so we're really anxious to see him.
I'm rereading a favourite novel of mine, and I read a couple of lines I hadn't noticed before, and they really cracked me up. You may not find them funny but to me they hit the funny bone. I gotta set the scene for you too though. So it's two priests in the cafeteria of the seminary they teach at and one of them has just arrived :
"How's the loafer."
"Who's a loafer ? I'm working."
"One lecture a week ?"
"It's the quality that counts. What's for dinner ?"
"Can't you smell it ?"
"Oh damn, is it dog day ?" Knackwurst and sauerkraut.
"It's the quantity that counts."
Oh well, it was funny when I read it.
Oh hey, before I forget, I gotta tell you about the poem below. I wrote it earlier this week and on a complete whim I submitted it to the Preston Street Business Improvement Association and they want to publish it in their next newsletter. I'm pretty excited because I've never had anything published anywhere before. Woo hoo for me !!
Anyway, the princess's friends just left and now she wants me to play Super Mario with her so I'm outta here.
Till next time folks.
Posted by OldGuy at 1:50 AM | Comments (2)
September 20, 2006
Preston Street/Corso Italia
A modern steel arch sits atop stately marble columns
Green, white, and red neon tubes span it's length, lighting up the night
Reminding visitors that the people of this area, though forward looking
Have their roots deep in an ancient culture
Gaily decorated tables and flowers in abundance
Decorate the sidewalks, a feast for the eyes
And a large colourful mural decorates an underpass
A testament to the heritage and the hopes of those who live here
A stroll down the street reveals a love for good food and fine wine
Places with names like Il Piccolino, La Roma, and La Dolce Vita
Tempt your palate with promises of bruchetas, pastas, and Barolos
And for dessert a stop at the Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana is a treat
On a warm summer night young men crowd the sidewalks
One is singing, he apologizes for the disturbance
I tell him no apology is necessary
I could listen to him sing all night
Though I am not Italian I love this street
It's sights, sounds, and smells never fail to entice me
With their siren songs of desire
Hinting of life lived to the fullest
Posted by OldGuy at 3:49 PM | Comments (3)
September 17, 2006
Sunday Morning Musings
Here it is Sunday evening, and you're probably thinking, "there's that title again, what's with that ?" Well, I was musing this morning when I was in the bathroom so there. No, I won't tell you what about, it's probably best you don't know.
So the retreat was pretty good. We got there around 6 p.m. Friday and were shown to our cabins. They were nice and roomy, and although we had to share, we each had our own bedroom so that was good. At 7 p.m. we gathered in the main dining room for dinner. The food was great. I had pork medallions with veggies, and a couple of glasses of red wine. There was an awesome chocolate cake for dessert, and coffee of course. After dinner the whole group adjourned to one of the cabins where we played some games and got to know each other a little better (although in truth we're a pretty tight knit group as it is). Afterwards we sat around the camp fire chatting and enjoying a few refreshments. The following morning we had a lovely breakfast, and then our teambuilding facilitators arrived. A couple of games, then it was time for lunch, a few more games and then the afternoon was over. Some people stayed over Saturday night but I came back and chilled out at home, watched a movie, then went to bed.
Speaking of the movie, it was a horror flick (I'm normally a big fan of them) and it scared the heck out of me. Maybe it's because I was alone but I was seriously creeped out. Then this morning something happened to make it worse. I'd tell you about it, but I think I'm gonna turn it into Halloween story so you'll just have to wait.
My wife and the princess got back late this afternoon. They drove from Peterborough to Brockville last night, with a stop in Kingston to go to Chuck E. Cheese's again, so my wife was too tired to continue on to Ottawa. Anyway, she'd said before they left that they'd probably only be back on Sunday so it was cool. Except for being alone for the movie that is. Oh well, that'll teach me (actually it probably won't but ...). They had a pretty good time in Peterborough except that a couple of things my wife brought up the lad insisted he didn't want. Also, it was tough on the princess to leave again. Apparently she sobbed when it was time to go.
Anyway, that's the weekend pretty much wrapped up. Tonight I'm gonna watch the tube (something warm and fuzzy) for a bit then it's off to bed.
Cheers and take care folks.
Posted by OldGuy at 7:12 PM | Comments (3)
September 15, 2006
Another Week Down
So I'm just finishing up my first full work week since late June, and believe me, I'm tired. Five days of work is too much. Seriously, who's idea was it to make work weeks five days long and weekends two ?
Ah well, that's life.
On a lighter note, this weekend is our annual work team building retreat. We have the option of staying one or two nights. I opted for one, that's about as much excitement as I can handle these days. It should be fun though, the menu looks good, and of course there'll be a little party tonight after the team building activities. I'll report back on Sunday.
My wife is going to Peterborough with her grandmother and the princess. She figured it would be a good opportunity to drop in on the lad and bring him a care package. I'm sure he'll be very appreciative, nothing like goodies from home when you're away at school. They'll maybe go out to dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow too so they should have fun as well. There's just one small problem. This is Gay Pride weekend in Peterborough and there are supposed to be activities on Friday night and a parade on Saturday. Now, personal feelings aside, she's taking her 85 year old grandmother and our 8 year old daughter so wondered what she should tell them them. I told her to be honest with grandma and lie like a rug to the princess.
What else is new ?
Well, not much actually. It's been a week to get back into the routine of work and school and that's about it.
Oh hey, one thing. Anybody catch the finale of "Blade" on Wednesday ? Yeah, it was pretty cool, and it looks like it'll be back. I just hope we don't have to wait until next summer.
One more thing. I've had a story percolating in my head all week. If I can just nail it down I'll post it next week.
Cheers, and see you all on Sunday.
Posted by OldGuy at 11:48 AM | Comments (2)
September 11, 2006
9/11
There are thousands of tributes out there to those who lost their lives on this date 5 years ago, all of them more than well deserved.
Rather than pay tribute to any one individual I would just like to share a few thoughts.
What I remember about that day is the following. I had just started a new job the day before and was supposed to be in training for the day. Instead we were sent home early as the association decided to close the office. Even though we're in Canada, we live in the nation's capital and there was always a possibility that something similar would happen here so employers across the city sent people home.
When I got home it was unusually quiet on the street. We live right under the flight path to the airport and jets can be seen and heard coming and going all day, but that day there was just an eerie silence.
I hadn't yet seen any images of the tragedy but watched it on tv, and like millions of people around the world I was horrified by what I saw. But over the next few hours, days, and weeks, more images began to emerge. Images of people who became heroes that day and in the days following. Firefighters, policemen, and yes, even ordinary citizens. Many lost their lives as well and they are remembered along with those who perished in the towers and on the planes.
I was thinking about this tragedy this morning, trying to make some sense of it and what occured to me was the following:
Osama Bin Laden, this awful man who tried to strike terror into the hearts of Americans, is hiding in a dark cave somewhere, afraid to show himself for fear he will be caught and called to justice for his terrible deeds. Sometimes he pokes his head out to issue a threat or two but then he scuttles back into his cave again.
And in the meantime, the citizens of the United States, one of the greatest countries in the world, continue to walk in the light, heads help high, fearless, and proud to be Americans.
That says something.
Posted by OldGuy at 11:10 AM | Comments (3)
September 10, 2006
Sunday Morning Musings
It's been a roller coaster ride of a week.
As reported earlier this week, the lad is off to university, and this week has been a bit of a tough one for us all.
We all miss him, the place isn't quite the same without him around. On Wednesday night I watched one of our favourite shows, one we always watched together, and it didn't seem quite as much fun as usual. Not that he and I talk much when we watch something together, but it's just a feeling you get, like "yeah, this is alright, I was looking forward to a bit of down time and chilling out together." We've heard from him almost every day and he seems to be enjoying his new life and adapting well.
Good for him. All I want is for him to be happy.
On a somewhat similar note, a friend of mine has gone AWOL. I believe she's around someplace but for the moment her whereabouts are unknown. Take care my friend.
Hey, the princess is in Grade three this year. I don't know about you but I seem to remember Grade three as one of the biggies. You know, you're kinda starting to get it when it comes to girls and boys but you'd rather still play with your friends because you don't want anybody thinking you actually like girls. Or boys, if you're a girl. Anyway, she also has a new teacher, apparently a nice young fella. Hot too from what I hear. Yes, the princess thinks he's hot. I told her she shouldn't even know what that means !
What else is new ?
I'm finally back to work full time, although this week was still only four days so it sorta doesn't count. Next week is five days and I have a feeling I'll be exhausted by Friday.
The weather has started to cool down quite significantly this week. It's been sunny and all that, and one day it even got warm enough for a thunderstorm to brew up but for the most part the temperatures are on their way down. Of course Indian summer is still to come, so hopefully there's a little more warm weather left.
The pictures are more of those Chuck E. Cheese things, got these ones when we were on holidays a few weeks ago. Hey, you gotta admit they turn out alright for cheapie photos.
Oh yeah, one more thing. The spammers have been particularly active the last couple of weeks so I've had to close comments on the older entries. As it stands now you can comment on entries going back to mid-JuneJune but that's it.
Anyway, that's it for now. Take care and have a great week folks.
Posted by OldGuy at 2:06 PM | Comments (6)
September 5, 2006
He's Gone
Yesterday I discovered one of the hardest things about having kids is letting them go.
On Sunday I blogged about how we were packing up the lad's stuff to take him to university. Well, we got up early yesterday and drove him down. We spent the day helping him get set up then around 5:30 p.m. we said goodbye and left.
My wife cried as she was saying goodbye, as did the princess. I was a rock, not one single tear, that is until my wife called him on the cell phone as we were leaving town to say a few final words, and she passed me the phone. I wished him well, told him we would miss him, then choked up. I couldn't even tell him I was passing the phone back to his mother, I just did it.
When we got home last night the house was silent. No young lad sitting at the computer, or upstairs in his room listening to music, just silence.
And a few minutes later, when I walked upstairs and looked into his room, it was dark, quiet and empty.
The young boy we spent the last 18 years raising, protecting, and yes, once in a while fighting with, was gone.
Yesterday when we were at the university they had all kinds of activities planned for the kids to help them get settled in, meet people, find their way around, etc., but there was nothing for the parents, just drop them off, say goodbye, then go home and deal with it.
We'll manage of course, parents have been doing it since time immemorial, but for the moment I'm just very sad.
Posted by OldGuy at 3:07 PM | Comments (5)
September 3, 2006
Sunday Morning Musings
I'm back.
Actually, we've been back from Toronto for a week but I was on holidays this week too so I didn't blog at all. Hey, who wants to blog when it's their last week of summer vacation ?
We had a pretty good time in Toronto once again. We went to Wonderland, ate out several times and the princess and I took full advantage of the pool at our friend's apartment (he lent it to us so the family could stay there; saved us a ton of money). The last few years I haven't been a big one for swimming as cold or even slightly cool water, can really aggravate my arthritis but the heat in the pool was cranked right up and it was almost like a bathtub. It was great as I spent several hours splashing around and playing with the princess. A few bathers actually complained that it was too warm but as far as I was concerned it was, to quote my favourite writer "as fine as paint."
Anyway, this is going to be a relatively short entry as it's 5:45 a.m. and I really need to go back to bed and get a few more hours sleep.
So what am I doing blogging at this time anyway ?
Well, I woke up and realized that today is the lad's last day with us.
Yep, tonight or tomorrow we drive him to Peterborough for university. Today we'll finish packing up his gear, have our last dinner together as a family for a while and tomorrow he's gone. I can't believe this day has finally arrived. All summer I've been telling myself it's coming and I'll be okay and so far I have been but now that it's here I'm wishing it was still yesterday.
Someone please turn back the clock !
BTW, I wasn't sure whether this entry classified as The Sunny Side of Life because it's a big event and hopefully it'll turn out okay or The Cloudy Side of Life because we're all a little sad because he's leaving, so I went with sunny.
Updates
9 a.m. = I decided to record pretty much everything today, I guess I want a record of this day, so I'll be back later to add a few comments about how the day went.
I got up a few minutes ago, made coffee, and brought everybody some (well, except for the princess of course).
Right now it's a cold grey day so we'll be packing in the rain, also not great weather for everbody's morale. At least if it was sunny we'd feel more like getting things done today.
Both kids are a bit sick this morning, although some of it may be just nerves. I feel like I'm getting a cold myself and my wife is complaining of a sore throat too.
It's going to be a long day.
12:30 p.m. = the princess is quite ill so that sucks. The lad is feeling a little better, I think it's mostly nerves. My wife just called to say she's bringing cinammon buns back from the store so hopefully that'll help, the lad certainly is hungry and I am too. Still haven't started packing the van (we traded with my wife's uncle for a few days, he has our car), we'll do that this afternoon after we eat.
It looks like we'll be leaving very early tomorrow morning like 4 or 5 a.m. and coming back tomorrow night. Peterborough is about a 4 hour drive so it'll be a long day but once it's done it's done.
2:43 p.m. = we've started the packing. Of course everything was already laid out as my wife started buying stuff for the lad a few weeks ago and was doing laundry last night, but now stuff is getting into boxes, and we've moved them downstairs ready to load into the van. The lad has been playing with the princess quite a bit today, trying to keep both of them occupied. He feels a little better but she seems to be getting the flu as she's been throwing up since last night.
3:21 p.m. = my wife just went out again to buy a few last minute items and took the princess with her, figured getting out of the house might do her good. My wife has thought of absolutely everything (new laptop, new clothes, cleaners of every type, medications all renewed, etc., etc. , and etc !). I didn't have half as much stuff when I went off to university. Seriously though, she's trying to make the transition as comfortable as possible for the lad .
6:35 p.m. = most of the lad's stuff is loaded in the van. There are a few boxes left but they'll go in later tonight or early tomorrow morning. He also has one more duffle bag of clothes to go. The lad is feeling better as is the princess, although she's not yet 100%. We're going to get dinner shortly, probably Greek food as we really enjoy it and it's a special meal, our last one as a family for a little while.
9:04 p.m. = this is the last entry of the day. We had Greek food as planned. As usual there was way too much food, amd with neither the lad nor the princess being very hungry there was lots left over. We toasted to "new beginnings" and wished the lad the very best, and of course reminded him that we're only a phone call or an e-mail away if he needs us. On that note, I also downloaded Skype a few days ago and installed it on both the home computer and his laptop so now we can chat for free and even use the webcams (yes, his mother bought him a new one, she thought of that too !).
The van is about half full and there's a some stuff by the door that we'll load in the morning, otherwise it's pretty much done.
My wife took the princess to Blockbuster to get a few movies for the trip tomorrow and the lad had to make a stop at the bank so I'm here alone for a few minutes.
We have to get up very early and get on the road so we'll be calling it a day shortly after they get back.
By this time tomorrow the lad will be in residence at Trent University and the rest of the family will be back in Ottawa.
Anyway, that's it then, I'm signing off for now.
Posted by OldGuy at 5:37 AM | Comments (4)