The leaves are starting to slowly change... burnt yellow, copper, maroon... wilting away from their various shades of green. The clouds roll in more frequently now, as the season attempts to send telepathic messages of change and transition. I've started to smell it in the air, along with the rain and the crisp cold of a blossoming Autumn. The air even tastes different, as if it made up it's mind to leave the sunny days of June behind. It came up quickly this year... August was moderately miserable, so by the time September tried to bring some sunshine for a few last days at the beach, Fall had come up and taken them away.
Of course work has been on my mind, but so has squash soup, and red wine, and quiet nights at coffee shops, and snowy walks in Waterton. Fall and winter are my times of solace, where I often retreat a bit within myself and reflect. I still remember countless nights I spent in Victoria doing exactly that... book and pend and paper in hand, taking in the sight of snow/rain slowly falling outside while I tried to enjoy time to myself, or with close friends talking about, well, anything that came to mind. Quiet nights.
I've been doing my best to keep busy with work, which has been extremely fruitful thus far. I try to keep myself in check and not get too excited, but I've been extremely lucky so far, so I'm just trying to enjoy the experience while I can. There are still some potential options for contracts that I'm hoping will come up, but for now, I'm just trying to content myself with being busy as a TOC.
I have also been enjoying this years attempt at getting into shape... I'm still going to the gym regularly, trying to hit the treadmill as often as possible. I may even run in the annual Thanksgiving 10k that takes place here in town every year. It's a pretty big deal, so I'm not sure that I'm ready for it, but I'm going to try to talk myself into it regardless. Other more ambitious runners will be taking on the 1/2 and full marathons... for me, though, I'm not going to challenge fate and overdo it. An hour of straight running should be plenty for me. I'll try to update more soon.
Well, for those who are still reading, thanks for stopping by... I hope you're all doing well and keeping out of trouble. Until again...
T
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
September and other such nonsense
My productivity has come to a standstill for many of the past few days. I'm officially an employee of my school district again, but I haven't worked since the first week. However, not all hope is lost... I'm supposed to cover for 3 days this week at a nearby highschool, and I was requested for sub work by two department heads at two other schools for next week. So, I guess I should feel a bit better about my minute space in the cosmos.
In all reality, I haven't been completely unproductive... I'm almost through reading my most recent novel, "Eleanor Rigby" by Douglas Coupland, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. For any of you Douglas Coupland fans (EVERYONE should be a fan), it's highly enjoyable... probably my second or third favorite with "Hey Nostradamus", "Life After God" and "Generation X". I think I'm going to have to hit up something a little more dense after this... maybe "Fahrenheit 451" or "All Quiet on the Western Front", two books on our district reading list that I should probably read before I'm forced to teach it. I suggest this as a strategy for anyone in the teaching profession... read your materials before trying to teach them!
Also, I've spent a great deal of productive energy on compiling my favorite 90's rock tunes, of which I now have three, yes THREE, volumes. Below, I'll place my discography. I tried to make them varied, but they really do represent the best of 90's Alternative Rock with a little grunge and some more pop stuff to compliment the mix. Since I was a huge fan of a lot of the mainstream Canadian rock bands of this era, many of my favorites have made the list.
In doing this compiling, I've definitely established myself as one of those people who will always love the music of his time... like my more aged counterparts who lived their teenaged years in the 80's and wholly embrace the likes of KISS and AC/DC and Guns & Roses, I have clamped tightly on the Stone Temple Pilots and I Mother Earth and Pearl Jam and Seven Mary Three. My dad still listens to Deep Purple when he can, and I know my mom loves to tap her feet to some classic country as well as some secret hippy tunes that I may reveal at a later date. It must be innate biological programming... what other explanation do we have? Sure, we're products of our DNA, but we are equally products of our environment. And my environment featured Nirvana and the Crash Test Dummies.
Other than battling feelings of hopelessness when looking at my job prospects, I've been keeping up with the fitness routines that we established over the summer with our Bootcamp classes we attended for July/August. Although the strength training has largely gone the way of the dogs, K and I now have gym memberships (which we have actually been USING), and just yesterday we ran in the Terry Fox run. I did a 6km circuit in about 35 minutes, which I was pretty happy with overall, and I'm hoping that if I can keep it up, I'll be running in some 10km road races next spring. That's a long way away, I know, but ya gotta have goals, right?
Finally, the smell of autumn is starting to fill my nostrils as of late. The upcoming scent of rotting foliage should be unavoidable in the weeks to come as the temperature dips down to near-freezing at night. Although we've had some nice days, today was not supposed to break 20 degrees, and after a summer of 30 degree-plus weather, 19 feels pretty chilly. But, it's a beautiful chill here... the trees are starting to change, there's an abundance of squashes at the market waiting to be made into soup, and Thanksgiving is approaching, which means I need to ready myself for turkey leftovers for months to follow. Ahh... sacrifices. Until then, I just need to keep begging for work and hope that K doesn't totally lose her mind over the fact that for now, my paycheques might be a bit, well, all over the place.
Now, without delays, here are the playlists that I've so lovingly created...
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 1:
1) If I Had My Way - Big Sugar
2) That Song - Big Wreck
3) Shine - Collective Soul
4) One - Creed
5) Bones and Joints - Finger 11
6) Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
7) Shimmer - Fuel
8) Used to Be Alright - I Mother Earth
9) Load Me Up - Matthew Good Band
10) Resurrection - Moist
11) Naveed - Our Lady Peace
12) Creep - Radiohead
13) Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three
14) Ana's Song - Silverchair
15) Spoonman - Soundgarden
16) Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
17) Little Bones - The Tragically Hip
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 2:
1) All Hell for a Basement - Big Sugar
2) Anthem for the Year 2000 - Silverchair
3) Awake and Dreaming - Finger 11
4) Basketcase - Green Day
5) Bittersweet - Fuel
6) Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
7) Blow at High Dough - The Tragically Hip
8) Cocaine - Black Crowes
9) December - Collective Soul
10) Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins
11) Evenflow - Pearl Jam
12) Everlong - Foo Fighters
13) Everything Zen - Bush
14) Headstrong - Seven Mary Three
15) In Bloom - Nirvana
16) Raspberry - I Mother Earth
17) Tangerine - Moist
18) The Dolphins Cry - Live
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 3:
1) Better Man - Pearl Jam
2) Money City Maniacs - Sloan
3) Open Up Your Eyes - Tonic
4) Courage - The Tragically Hip
5) My Life is a Stereo - The Watchmen
6) Buddy Holly - Weezer
7) Midnight Rain - Wide Mouth Mason
8) Clumsy - Our Lady Peace
9) Gasoline - Moist
10) Selling the Drama - Live
11) One More Astronaut - I Mother Earth
12) When I Come Around - Green Day
13) Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
14) Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
15) Superman Song - Crash Test Dummies
16) Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
17) Come Down - Bush
18) No Rain - Blind Melon
19) Good - Better Than Ezra
Enjoy!
T
In all reality, I haven't been completely unproductive... I'm almost through reading my most recent novel, "Eleanor Rigby" by Douglas Coupland, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. For any of you Douglas Coupland fans (EVERYONE should be a fan), it's highly enjoyable... probably my second or third favorite with "Hey Nostradamus", "Life After God" and "Generation X". I think I'm going to have to hit up something a little more dense after this... maybe "Fahrenheit 451" or "All Quiet on the Western Front", two books on our district reading list that I should probably read before I'm forced to teach it. I suggest this as a strategy for anyone in the teaching profession... read your materials before trying to teach them!
Also, I've spent a great deal of productive energy on compiling my favorite 90's rock tunes, of which I now have three, yes THREE, volumes. Below, I'll place my discography. I tried to make them varied, but they really do represent the best of 90's Alternative Rock with a little grunge and some more pop stuff to compliment the mix. Since I was a huge fan of a lot of the mainstream Canadian rock bands of this era, many of my favorites have made the list.
In doing this compiling, I've definitely established myself as one of those people who will always love the music of his time... like my more aged counterparts who lived their teenaged years in the 80's and wholly embrace the likes of KISS and AC/DC and Guns & Roses, I have clamped tightly on the Stone Temple Pilots and I Mother Earth and Pearl Jam and Seven Mary Three. My dad still listens to Deep Purple when he can, and I know my mom loves to tap her feet to some classic country as well as some secret hippy tunes that I may reveal at a later date. It must be innate biological programming... what other explanation do we have? Sure, we're products of our DNA, but we are equally products of our environment. And my environment featured Nirvana and the Crash Test Dummies.
Other than battling feelings of hopelessness when looking at my job prospects, I've been keeping up with the fitness routines that we established over the summer with our Bootcamp classes we attended for July/August. Although the strength training has largely gone the way of the dogs, K and I now have gym memberships (which we have actually been USING), and just yesterday we ran in the Terry Fox run. I did a 6km circuit in about 35 minutes, which I was pretty happy with overall, and I'm hoping that if I can keep it up, I'll be running in some 10km road races next spring. That's a long way away, I know, but ya gotta have goals, right?
Finally, the smell of autumn is starting to fill my nostrils as of late. The upcoming scent of rotting foliage should be unavoidable in the weeks to come as the temperature dips down to near-freezing at night. Although we've had some nice days, today was not supposed to break 20 degrees, and after a summer of 30 degree-plus weather, 19 feels pretty chilly. But, it's a beautiful chill here... the trees are starting to change, there's an abundance of squashes at the market waiting to be made into soup, and Thanksgiving is approaching, which means I need to ready myself for turkey leftovers for months to follow. Ahh... sacrifices. Until then, I just need to keep begging for work and hope that K doesn't totally lose her mind over the fact that for now, my paycheques might be a bit, well, all over the place.
Now, without delays, here are the playlists that I've so lovingly created...
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 1:
1) If I Had My Way - Big Sugar
2) That Song - Big Wreck
3) Shine - Collective Soul
4) One - Creed
5) Bones and Joints - Finger 11
6) Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
7) Shimmer - Fuel
8) Used to Be Alright - I Mother Earth
9) Load Me Up - Matthew Good Band
10) Resurrection - Moist
11) Naveed - Our Lady Peace
12) Creep - Radiohead
13) Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three
14) Ana's Song - Silverchair
15) Spoonman - Soundgarden
16) Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
17) Little Bones - The Tragically Hip
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 2:
1) All Hell for a Basement - Big Sugar
2) Anthem for the Year 2000 - Silverchair
3) Awake and Dreaming - Finger 11
4) Basketcase - Green Day
5) Bittersweet - Fuel
6) Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
7) Blow at High Dough - The Tragically Hip
8) Cocaine - Black Crowes
9) December - Collective Soul
10) Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins
11) Evenflow - Pearl Jam
12) Everlong - Foo Fighters
13) Everything Zen - Bush
14) Headstrong - Seven Mary Three
15) In Bloom - Nirvana
16) Raspberry - I Mother Earth
17) Tangerine - Moist
18) The Dolphins Cry - Live
Best of the 90's - Rock, Volume 3:
1) Better Man - Pearl Jam
2) Money City Maniacs - Sloan
3) Open Up Your Eyes - Tonic
4) Courage - The Tragically Hip
5) My Life is a Stereo - The Watchmen
6) Buddy Holly - Weezer
7) Midnight Rain - Wide Mouth Mason
8) Clumsy - Our Lady Peace
9) Gasoline - Moist
10) Selling the Drama - Live
11) One More Astronaut - I Mother Earth
12) When I Come Around - Green Day
13) Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
14) Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
15) Superman Song - Crash Test Dummies
16) Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
17) Come Down - Bush
18) No Rain - Blind Melon
19) Good - Better Than Ezra
Enjoy!
T
Monday, September 10, 2007
Touching words...
Since I started writing on here, I've been following a few blogs that I have listed in my links section. Although her writing has been sporadic because of the chaos in Iraq, "Riverbend" (as she is known) was writing about finally leaving Baghdad. She wrote this, and I thought the sentiment was particularly touching. We forget that in our anaesthetized world much exists beyond our borders, and it's seems so rare that we actually think about things that exist outside our worldview. If you want to read more, go here.
"I cried as we left- in spite of promises not to. The aunt cried… the uncle cried. My parents tried to be stoic but there were tears in their voices as they said their goodbyes. The worst part is saying goodbye and wondering if you’re ever going to see these people again. My uncle tightened the shawl I’d thrown over my hair and advised me firmly to ‘keep it on until you get to the border’. The aunt rushed out behind us as the car pulled out of the garage and dumped a bowl of water on the ground, which is a tradition- its to wish the travelers a safe return… eventually."
- T
"I cried as we left- in spite of promises not to. The aunt cried… the uncle cried. My parents tried to be stoic but there were tears in their voices as they said their goodbyes. The worst part is saying goodbye and wondering if you’re ever going to see these people again. My uncle tightened the shawl I’d thrown over my hair and advised me firmly to ‘keep it on until you get to the border’. The aunt rushed out behind us as the car pulled out of the garage and dumped a bowl of water on the ground, which is a tradition- its to wish the travelers a safe return… eventually."
- T
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Great-Grandpa's dedication
I was asked by my grandparents to do a dedication from our side of the family at Great-Granpa's memorial service. I was happy to oblige, and had actually considered asking if I could get up and say something. I meant to post this along with the previous post, but the paper was under a pile of laundry in my room. This is what I came up with... my apologies for being repetitive...
"Since hearing about my great-grandfather's passing, I've been filled with mixed feelings. Obviously, sadness has been one of those emotions that have come and gone in waves. Surprisingly, though, laughter has probably consumed my thoughts and emotions more than anything else. This may seem like a bit of a strange response on the surface, but every time I think about my great-grandpa, I think of all the jokes he used to tell me, and I also think about his incredible spirit. Only a few weeks ago when my wife and I met my uncle K. and my parents at the care home, he was talking about hosting the party house in the building. Then, I would think about his, let's call it "creative" wardrobe. Throughout my life, he always struck me as an entertaining and energetic soul, and these thoughts have outweighed anything else by far.
When I heard the news last weekend, pieces of a T.S. Eliot poem popped into my head. The poem discusses the aging of an elderly man who attempts to cope with getting older. One line reads, "I grow old, I grow old, I wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled." Well, we didn't ever know if grandpa's pants were going to be rolled into cuffs or not, but it would be a pretty safe bet that his pants were going to be just a bit too short, and would almost definitely feature some sort of colourful plaid. I still have memories as a kid, seeing him decked out in plaid pants, a plaid sweater, plaid hat, and plaid socks. The only problem with this spectacle was the fact that each garment had a different colour and pattern, making him quite the sight. It's this type of memory that truly speaks to his ability to walk to his own drummer.
Another memory that came to mind was of a phone call great-grandpa made to my mother-in-law about two years ago. My wife and I had just gotten engaged, and after receiving his invitation in the mail, he did not waste time and phoned my mother-in-law to RSVP. After introducing himself on the phone, he was pretty excited to learn that he was the very first person to reserve his seat at the wedding. He was also happy to point out that he was going to be the oldest guy in the building, too. My mother-in-law still remembers the first introduction she had to great-grandpa, and the memory still makes her laugh to this day.
My uncle R. was the one to inform me of great-grandpa's passing, since I've been working with him throughout the summer. He made a comment that has stuck with me since... he pointed out that my grandfather, R.M., has been able to have his father with him for around seventy years. Considering all the tragedy in the world, this makes for a pretty lucky family in my estimation. I've mentioned the fact that I still had a great-grandparent around to some of my teaching colleagues this past year, and countless jaws hit the floor. Rarely are people able to hear about great-grandparents being alive, and I've been lucky enough to have mine around for my whole 25 years. It's difficult for me to dwell on my sadness when I think of these things. Not only has great-grandpa lived a long life, but he has been able to live a particularly full life surrounded by his family. Also, how many people can say they're chartered members of the Elks Golf Club and now golf for free? This is how I'll always remember my great-grandfather, and I can only hope that all the people here will remember him with the same pleasant memories."
- T
"Since hearing about my great-grandfather's passing, I've been filled with mixed feelings. Obviously, sadness has been one of those emotions that have come and gone in waves. Surprisingly, though, laughter has probably consumed my thoughts and emotions more than anything else. This may seem like a bit of a strange response on the surface, but every time I think about my great-grandpa, I think of all the jokes he used to tell me, and I also think about his incredible spirit. Only a few weeks ago when my wife and I met my uncle K. and my parents at the care home, he was talking about hosting the party house in the building. Then, I would think about his, let's call it "creative" wardrobe. Throughout my life, he always struck me as an entertaining and energetic soul, and these thoughts have outweighed anything else by far.
When I heard the news last weekend, pieces of a T.S. Eliot poem popped into my head. The poem discusses the aging of an elderly man who attempts to cope with getting older. One line reads, "I grow old, I grow old, I wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled." Well, we didn't ever know if grandpa's pants were going to be rolled into cuffs or not, but it would be a pretty safe bet that his pants were going to be just a bit too short, and would almost definitely feature some sort of colourful plaid. I still have memories as a kid, seeing him decked out in plaid pants, a plaid sweater, plaid hat, and plaid socks. The only problem with this spectacle was the fact that each garment had a different colour and pattern, making him quite the sight. It's this type of memory that truly speaks to his ability to walk to his own drummer.
Another memory that came to mind was of a phone call great-grandpa made to my mother-in-law about two years ago. My wife and I had just gotten engaged, and after receiving his invitation in the mail, he did not waste time and phoned my mother-in-law to RSVP. After introducing himself on the phone, he was pretty excited to learn that he was the very first person to reserve his seat at the wedding. He was also happy to point out that he was going to be the oldest guy in the building, too. My mother-in-law still remembers the first introduction she had to great-grandpa, and the memory still makes her laugh to this day.
My uncle R. was the one to inform me of great-grandpa's passing, since I've been working with him throughout the summer. He made a comment that has stuck with me since... he pointed out that my grandfather, R.M., has been able to have his father with him for around seventy years. Considering all the tragedy in the world, this makes for a pretty lucky family in my estimation. I've mentioned the fact that I still had a great-grandparent around to some of my teaching colleagues this past year, and countless jaws hit the floor. Rarely are people able to hear about great-grandparents being alive, and I've been lucky enough to have mine around for my whole 25 years. It's difficult for me to dwell on my sadness when I think of these things. Not only has great-grandpa lived a long life, but he has been able to live a particularly full life surrounded by his family. Also, how many people can say they're chartered members of the Elks Golf Club and now golf for free? This is how I'll always remember my great-grandfather, and I can only hope that all the people here will remember him with the same pleasant memories."
- T
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Goodbyes
I lost one of the great partiarchs of my family. After 92 years, my great grandfather passed away on August 25th at a hospice in Calgary. Only about two years ago, this slim but spry old guy was golfing nine holes at a course in Calgary where he was a member for over fifty years. A self-made entrepreneur and regular Mr. Fix-It, he definitely lived a full life after growing up during the Great Depression and living through all the problems of the twentieth century. Providing a biography of his life, however, does little to celebrate the man that I knew.
To be honest, I didn't know my great-grandfather well. Our relationship was based on my eavesdropping as a child as the adults sat around the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table and talked money, politics, work, golf, and life in general. He used to tell me long-winded stories about times passed, while providing some good laughs and advice as well. Mainly, his forte with us was a host of cheesy jokes which I always found funny. He was a charming soul who didn't always say the right thing... when you're in your eighties and nineties, you lived through a time without the hassles of political correctness and, sometimes, even simple tact. My brother and I both recall being offended at some of his more careless comments, which were quickly forgiven when we considered the source. He'd probably put in his time being polite for the first eight decades he was around.
Since my siblings and I were always pretty active kids who were involved in sports and school, we only really saw him and my great grandmother (who passed away in 2002), when we travelled north to Calgary for major family get-togethers like Christmas. Two things you could always count on: that his pants were just slightly too short, and there would be the presence of plaid when we arrived to visit. I still recall to this day seeing him decked out in a plaid sweater, plaid pants, plaid socks and a plaid hat. The only problem with the outfit was the fact that not a single garment featured the same pattern or colour. It was like a bag of M&M's exploded in his closet, the colours attaching themselves to any tartan pattern they could find.
Some of the more recent memories of my great-grandfather are from about two years ago... after K and I were engaged, we sent out invitations for the wedding the following fall. The same day he received his invitation, he was on the phone to my mother-in-law to RSVP. "Hi there! This is H.M. calling to RSVP for the T.M. and K.I. wedding!" My mother-in-law (V) was surprised at how quickly he was responding... she hadn't even received her invite in the mail. After taking a moment to figure out who exactly he was, he was pretty excited to explain that he'd be the oldest person at the event. V still laughs to this day about it today. He also showed up to the wedding in a light tan plaid suit which featured, of course, pants that were just slightly shorter than they should've been.
At the start of August, K and I went back to Alberta for a family reunion (K's side) before heading south to Montana to see my parents, my sister and her fiance. Before leaving, we had heard that great-grandpa wasn't supposed to make it to the weekend, but luckily, we made it to Calgary and he was still well enough to visit. We went to the home he was living in, and stayed to chat with him for about an hour. A stiff handshake and the exclaimation that he obviously was hosting the party room in the building was more or less the last memory I have of him. I'll always remember the spirit of him in these ways... always cheerful and never ready to just fade away. I was lucky enough to provide a dedication at his memorial service last week, so I'll post that shortly.
The other goodbye I had to make recently was to my dog, Tobi. After about 15 years, she was definitely old and sick and was probably ready to go. She'll be missed.
In memoriam.
- T
To be honest, I didn't know my great-grandfather well. Our relationship was based on my eavesdropping as a child as the adults sat around the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table and talked money, politics, work, golf, and life in general. He used to tell me long-winded stories about times passed, while providing some good laughs and advice as well. Mainly, his forte with us was a host of cheesy jokes which I always found funny. He was a charming soul who didn't always say the right thing... when you're in your eighties and nineties, you lived through a time without the hassles of political correctness and, sometimes, even simple tact. My brother and I both recall being offended at some of his more careless comments, which were quickly forgiven when we considered the source. He'd probably put in his time being polite for the first eight decades he was around.
Since my siblings and I were always pretty active kids who were involved in sports and school, we only really saw him and my great grandmother (who passed away in 2002), when we travelled north to Calgary for major family get-togethers like Christmas. Two things you could always count on: that his pants were just slightly too short, and there would be the presence of plaid when we arrived to visit. I still recall to this day seeing him decked out in a plaid sweater, plaid pants, plaid socks and a plaid hat. The only problem with the outfit was the fact that not a single garment featured the same pattern or colour. It was like a bag of M&M's exploded in his closet, the colours attaching themselves to any tartan pattern they could find.
Some of the more recent memories of my great-grandfather are from about two years ago... after K and I were engaged, we sent out invitations for the wedding the following fall. The same day he received his invitation, he was on the phone to my mother-in-law to RSVP. "Hi there! This is H.M. calling to RSVP for the T.M. and K.I. wedding!" My mother-in-law (V) was surprised at how quickly he was responding... she hadn't even received her invite in the mail. After taking a moment to figure out who exactly he was, he was pretty excited to explain that he'd be the oldest person at the event. V still laughs to this day about it today. He also showed up to the wedding in a light tan plaid suit which featured, of course, pants that were just slightly shorter than they should've been.
At the start of August, K and I went back to Alberta for a family reunion (K's side) before heading south to Montana to see my parents, my sister and her fiance. Before leaving, we had heard that great-grandpa wasn't supposed to make it to the weekend, but luckily, we made it to Calgary and he was still well enough to visit. We went to the home he was living in, and stayed to chat with him for about an hour. A stiff handshake and the exclaimation that he obviously was hosting the party room in the building was more or less the last memory I have of him. I'll always remember the spirit of him in these ways... always cheerful and never ready to just fade away. I was lucky enough to provide a dedication at his memorial service last week, so I'll post that shortly.
The other goodbye I had to make recently was to my dog, Tobi. After about 15 years, she was definitely old and sick and was probably ready to go. She'll be missed.
In memoriam.
- T
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