Vegas

Well, it has been on our bucket list for years, and now it has become a reality.  We hit Vegas.  Sean & Kat Nason have been asking us to go for years, and this year we finally caved.  The price was right and the kids are now old enough to stay on their own, so we went. 

We spent 4 days in Vegas.  2 with Sean and Kat and then 2 by ourselves.  We gambled more than I thought we would, and spent a bit more than anticipated, but overall we kept it in check.  While there we went to Toby Keith's Bar, Duelling Pianos, New York New York, Battista's Italian Restaurant, Hogs & Heifers biker bar,  the High Roller giant Ferris Wheel that slowly rotates over the city, Peppermill Restaurant, In and Out Burger, and of course Fremont Street.  What a crazy place Vegas is.  You have to be extra-crazy to stand out from the regular crazies.  Cheryl also managed to drag me to a knitting shop that was in a pretty sketchy area of Vegas.

Overall, we had a great time, but I don't know that I would go back.  It was a great time, but very expensive and with the time difference, it took as a while to adjust and then the overnight flights back took a toll on us as well.  While it was only a 2 hour flight for Sean & Kat from Calgary, we spent roughly 12 hours in transit each way.

The Frailty and Fragility of human existence

So, I generally don't sleep well.  I toss and turn and typically sleep in 30-60 minute chunks most of the night.  it is not fun, but I have come to accept it.  Every once in a while, though I manage to get a full night's sleep and it is glorious. 

I slept great last night and only woke up when the alarm went off at 6:45.  Oddly enough though, I don't remember what I was dreaming about, but the phrase "The frailty and fragility of human existence" was stuck in my head.  Although I slept great, I woke up feeling very sombre and morose.  Like I had just come from a wake or a funeral.  Or as if I had just had a life-altering moment or realization.  I can't seem to shake this vibe this morning.  I am normally an easy-going guy, but this morning I feel very dark and heavy. 

I would love to know what I dreamed about last night. 

Releasing attachment to the outcome...

Well it has been awhile since I posted here, so I guess it is time for a debrief of the last couple of months.  It was really a transition summer for Cheryl and I as all 3 kids have now graduated high school.  This was the first summer that we left the kids home while Cheryl and I took a trip to Quebec and Ontario.  It is so nice to have a comfort level that the kids are ok on their own.  I am hoping this translates into more trips for Cheryl and I without having to worry about babysitters. 

So where to start on the summer.  Vicki graduated high school and received an entrance scholarship to UPEI.  She worked 2 jobs at the Cornwall pool and the CARI pool and even successfully negotiated a raise as the head lifeguard in Cornwall.  Daniel also worked 2 jobs at Budget car rental and at UPEI doing virtual reality work.  Overall, it was a busy summer as both kids worked a lot and, more often than not, in different directions and with different schedules.  But we got through it.  It was very helpful having 4 drivers now.

Our Canada Day party was a success as always with Bob and Wade winning the washers tournament again this year.  There is some talk of making the teams random next year to make it more fair.  We will see. 

"The Tomorrow Box" just finished in Georgetown and it was an interesting summer.  The play was ok, but I was not super passionate about it and it tied up my sundays all summer long.  I should remember this the next time I get offered a part like this.  I think it is fine as long as you are passionate about it.  Overall the play went well with small crowds but good reviews.

Cheryl and I managed to sneak away for a few days and stayed with Erin & Seb in Montreal for Cheryl's birthday and visited with Chris and Aislinn in Aliston.  We also spent a nice night in Old Quebec on the way home.  It is so nice to travel without worrying about the kids.

I have been very careful not to say anything too negative here as this is meant to be a summary of my thoughts and state of mind at a given point in my life and I don't want to look back years from now and dwell on the negative.  That said, I should point out that Andrew has not really spoken much with us over the past few months.  It stems from a misunderstanding a few months ago where he feels we are criticizing his lifestyle and we feel we just want him to be safe regardless of his lifestyle choices.  In the end, he is an adult and is free to do as he wishes, but I am hopeful that at some point he realizes that we accept him for who he is and just want the best for him.  Whatever choices / decisions he makes, I hope he stays safe and knows that we are always here.

I have subscribed to a new mantra;  "Releasing attachment to the outcome".  Meaning making your decisions but not dwelling on the outcome.  I can't worry about things that are beyond my control.  I do the best that I can and hope for the best.  Another variation of this mantra comes from a book that I am reading called "The subtle art of not giving a fuck".  It is a surprisingly insightful book and the title does not mean that you don't give a fuck about anything, but rather that you choose wisely where your fucks are given.  Picking your battles, so to speak.  I find myself in a much better place now that I am choosing where and when to exert my energy.

So school has started and Cheryl is back to full time hours and teaching.  Dan has started 3rd year engineering and Vicki has started first year business.  And me?  I'm looking forward to getting back to the routine of work after a busy summer. 

Great Uncle Bub and family memories

My great uncle Fred "Bub" Gaudet passed away on Saturday.  I have such fond memories of talking to him when we stayed at Parlee Beach every summer growing up.  He was a smart funny man and always had jet black hair even into his 80's.  He would have been 92 on Monday. 

The above picture is Dan beating Bub at crib when he was about 10 years old.  Bub would have been over 80 here and he was not happy about losing :)

Thinking about Bub has made me feel nostalgic and I got thinking about some of my favourite moments over the years with the kids.  I have lots of great memories, but some of my favourites are when I have one-on-one time with the kids.  Being able to focus 100% attention instead of having to multi-task with lots of kids.

Victoria -  Some of my favourite moments over the years were our father/daughter birthday picnic lunches.  For several years we took the last week of August and rented a cottage with Mark & Cathy.  This coincided with Vicki's birthday and we typically had father/daughter picnic lunches.  My favourite lunch was when we floated our lunch out to a raft in Baddeck, NS and ate lunch on the raft.  The other great story from that raft is when we had a crew of us on the raft and we all went to one side and the raft started to tip.  I realized I was going into the water and I threw my beer in air and said somebody catch this.  When I emerged from the water, Vicki had caught the beer without spilling a drop.

Daniel - My favourite trip was our camping trip when you were about 12 or 13 and we had such great chats about life and family and expectations.  You were wise beyond your years even at an early age.  We camped, had a bonfire and then took a spin on a sea-doo on our way back home.

Andrew - I remember our bike trips from Charlottetown to Wellington.  We had such great chats and great lunches at Frosty Treat. The scenery along the trail was spectacular.  90km is quite an accomplishment on a bike. 

Relax...

It has been a busy month.  I accepted a role at King's Playhouse for the summer under the direction of Keir Malone.  The play, called The Tomorrow box, is a story about a rural farming family.  It plays Sunday nights in Georgetown all summer.  Looking forward to it. 

We had a great guys weekend in Howe Point, Near Souris.  12 guys in total made it and the house was fantastic.  We had to book for a minimum of 3 nights, so Cheryl and Vicki and I spent a night there by ourselves.  It was so peaceful and relaxing. 

Cheryl and I took a trip to Halifax to see the musical "Once".  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkFB8f8bzbY . We had a perfect weekend with great theatre, great food, great friends.  Just very relaxing.  I really missed our trip south this year, so this Halifax trip doubled as our "getaway" this year. 

Vicki graduates from high school in a month.  Hard to believe. 

Stay safe...

I went looking for a picture of Chris, Jackie & I for "siblings" day on facebook.  I could only find a picture from our wedding where I cropped out mom and dad.  Pretty sad.  That was 1994.  I just stumbled across this picture from, of all places, Mom's memorial facebook page.  Perhaps it is time that we had a new picture taken of the 3 of us, because, as I've learned over the last couple of years; we don't live forever.  This picture is at least from 2011.

So Vicki is in Drivers ed and she is doing well. She was a little nervous starting out, but seems to be doing well so far.  She also got accepted to UPEI and starts there in the fall for Business. 

Dan is finishing his second year of engineering at UPEI, and although he struggle a bit this year, he seems to have come through it and is doing well again. 

Andrew is another kettle of fish.  I don't know how to support him any more.  He is still working at Screenscape and living on his own.  So, by that standard of measure, he is doing well.  The problem is that he has anger issues which ramp him up and I don't know if he is communicating with anyone to defuse his anger before it becomes a problem.  I am scared that he might be a danger to himself or others. 

I hope he is able to work through his issues, but as an adult, I can only advise at this point and be here when he needs us.  I hope he knows that we support him, regardless of the decisions he makes.  We only hope that he stays safe and remains logical about his choices.

As the world turns...

I recently participated in a show at the Guild called Raised on TV (ROTV) which showcased 7 directors doing a short piece of some TV show that influenced them.  The quality of the shows varied as did the content, but I was fortunate to be part of a show directed by Rob MacDonald.  The premise is that it was an episode of As the World Turns, but the twist is that it was the particular episode where Walter Cronkite cut in announcing that JFK had died.  I got to play Walter Cronkite which was interesting.  The interesting part of the show was the juxtaposition between the fake drama taking place in the soap opera, while the real drama was occurring through Cronkite's announcement.  Capping it off was a TV pitchmen selling coffee.  The piece was fun, but what I loved most was how Rob interpreted the piece and we dug deep into each line of the piece which was only 7 minutes long.  I hope ROTV becomes a tradition as there are lots of sub-themes and genres that could make for some interesting episodes.

It has been a busy couple of months.  Vicki is taking Driver's Ed and is doing well.  She was a little nervous at first, but is doing well now.   Dan is doing well at UPEI, although he had a rough patch over the past couple of weeks.  He seems to be doing better now.  The stress of university and to work and tutor others was getting to be a lot for him, but he seems to be in a good place now.  Hopefully he is able to realize that he is not alone.  Most university students feel overwhelmed, especially as the semester draws to a close.  Andrew seems to be doing ok on his own.  He is still working at Screenscape and renting a room from Heather Peters. 

Really missing not heading south this year, especially as Mark and Cathy just got back from their family trip to Jamaica.   We had every intention of travelling south, but after a major windstorm ripped 50 shingles from our roof, our trip turned into a new roof.  Unfortunate, but necessary.  It is going to be a tight year with a new roof and a new oil tank.

Vices...

I stopped at a convenience store this morning to grab an energy drink as I have a very busy day with lots of meetings.  It was 7:30 in the morning and there were a few people in front of me in line.  The first woman bought $5 worth of pull-tab lottery tickets which she paid for and then moved off to the side.  The next gentleman bought a package of cigarettes and a pepsi and then left.  The guy directly in front of me bought 3 individual pom cigars.  I then purchased my energy drink while the woman with the scratch tickets asked for $5 more tickets.  As I left the store the man was smoking his pom cigar just outside the store.

We all have our vices...

Clean start to 2017

We had our annual new year's eve party which was a success as usual.  Every hour during the course of the evening I shaved off parts of my beard and hair.  At one point I was sporting this mullet and fu-Manchu.... Now it is all gone and I was clean shaven and respectable ringing in the new year.

It's nice to shave the head and beard every once in a while.  It is also a great time saver saving me at least 10 minutes each morning not having to shampoo, condition and style the mop. 

New Year's eve was really nice this year.  Chris was there for a few hours as were the usual crew of party-goers.

I'm trying to get back in shape in January.  Going to the gym every day and trying to cut down on the booze.  I'm also trying to play some guitar every day and trying to start running again.  So far up to 10 minutes on the treadmill.  It's hard to believe that I ran a marathon 4 years ago when I now get winded running for 10 minutes....

We have cancelled plans to go south this winter as we need to re-do the roof and replace the oil tank.  It would be so great to get away for a bit, but sacrifices need to be made.  Definitely not missing next year.

It was nice to have the kids back over the holidays.  It was much more quiet and relaxing than I remember when the kids were young.  The kids even slept in on Christmas morning and Cheryl and I were the first ones up.  We had a nice Christmas morning and tried to savour the moments as everyone handed out their gifts. 

Back at work after the break.... let's see what 2017 has in store for us!