What I’m Blogging

Winter Tries to Prove me Wrong

I woke up this morning to snow. White, fluffy, wonderful snow. If yesterday’s post prompted nature to respond with wintry precipitation, then I promise to use the power only for good.

I was, however, disappointed by nature as I drove south to the office in Toronto. Meter by meter, the winter landscape disappeared into the bleak non winter that we have been experiencing. Weather reports say that by the weekend, temperatures will be an unseasonable 10 degrees Celsius, and the brief snow will be no more

Nice try nature. Too little, too late.

Where’s the snow? I remember snow. When I was a boy the snow from the driveway was piled high on the yard; towering over my head like a white, motionless, tsunami. Mind you I was only three to four feet high then, but still.

…we expect to be shovelling driveways…

There was a faint dusting of snow just after Christmas, and since then record high temperatures, grey gloom and light rain. One would think we were living in Vancouver. This however is Toronto, and in Toronto we expect snow. We expect to be shovelling driveways. We expect there to be so much snow that we have to call out the Army to come clear it away. But there is no snow, and perhaps it is for the best. We will not suffer the ridicule of our fellow countrymen over a future operation “snowplough”, and the Army is on tour in Afghanistan anyway.

They say that the deep cold of winter is just days away. They say there will be snow soon, and a rebirth of the central Ontario psyche that demands blankets of white fluff on the ground. I’m not so sure… I think maybe winter has lost it’s edge, and is a Lame Duck for this year, and some say the next as well. I hope to be proven wrong.

Restarting after vacation is hard. There are a million things to take care of that were let go during the time of rest. It seems that for every day spent resting and enjoying your family, the workload of the first week back at it is increased “logarithmically”. With mountains of tasks to do, it is important that your head is in the right place as well. Unfortunately, mine is not.

My body is at the desk in front of the keyboard, my mind is at home reading, relaxing, and raiding the refrigerator for snacks. This whole working thing is going to take some getting used to again…

Rediscovered Hobby

When I was a lad, I spent a great deal of my time collecting and painting miniture soldiers. I had a Napoleonic and a Medieval army. Hours were invested in painting them. many more hours were spent engaged in “Little Wars”; battles in small scale using miniatures, dice, measuring tapes and a great deal of space in the basement. As I recall it was a great deal of fun.

This Christmas my Number One Son wanted to start his own collection. He and his friends are all hot for “War Hammer 40,000”; a battle game about battles with science fiction armies. The boy and I have been spending all week assembling and painting his force of “Necrons” (robots that look like skeletons). We are spending quality time, and I’m rediscovering an enjoyable boyhood hobby.

Finally Snow

It is the day after the day after Christmas and Santa was a little late with this gift. It is finally snowing here in Central Ontario. Perhaps santa was waiting to get a deal on the fluffy white stuff at a Boxing Day sale. Who knows?

All is now right with the world. It’s the Christmas season, I’m home with the family and there’s snow on the ground.

Wonder

The magic of the season is still in the faces of wonder on our children. Something to tresure amongst the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

What are You Having for Supper?

Science tells us that our most evocative memories are unleashed by our sense of smell. Nothing says “Christmas” more to me than the smell of a roasting turkey in the oven at Mom’s house. The exact blend of savory and sweet; rosemary and thyme with a hint of apple in the dressing. It’s the smell of childhood wonder and grown up contentment. Whether or not the “Jolly old Elf” makes an appearance, Christmas just isn’t the same without it.

Buddha’s Big brother

The holidays are a time for family. A time to get together, share a pint and a laugh, catch up on things. Hope you are enjoying yours too…

Candies Seen Only At Christmas

The Christmas season in the extended multifaceted social maze of the modern Canadian family starts early. There are multiple families to visit, multiple suppers with all the fixings to eat. Mine started today at my Mother’s house. Later there will be a visit to my Father’s, and then My Father-in-law’s.

My kids have even more of a journey as they must do Christmas at their Mother’s, their maternal Grandparents, and then the family of their Step-Father. It’s a busy, hectic time, full of travel, turkey, gravy, a second helping of turkey, and very likely a turkey sandwiches near midnight after everyone else is sleeping.

Many traditions come and go at Christmas time, but an enduring one since my earliest recollection is the crystal bowels of Bassett’s Licorice Candy Allsorts… Naturally flavoured and available to fine families everywhere. Sometimes the stale ones taste like the 1899 originals

It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

Buddha Fortune Cookie

Apparently, Buddha knows something that I don’t. That’s OK. He being all enlightened and such. For me, the mere mortal with two days left to go in the contract, things are not as clear.

There are no assurances of anything coming soon, but I’m going to blindly accept the smiling Buddha’s optimism. I’m going to take that leap of faith and throw myself at the ground, hope to miss, and thereby learn how to fly.

Crazy? Maybe.

Fun? Absolutely.

First they want you. Then they don’t. Then they want you again. Then, you guessed it, they don’t want you. Contract negotiations, which have been going more off than on for the past month, have now come to an end.

There was a moment there where I actually signed a renewal contract, but as things work out, and not having an army of lawyers, etc ,etc, it appears that what I actually signed was in fact only the promise of a contract, should the company decide at their leisure that they in fact wanted one.

This is where I came into the whole “negotiation” thing a month ago. For my money, it looks as if I should have just stayed there.

Oh well. Looks like I get Christmas off this year after all

Bad But Soooo Good

Lord knows, I try to be good, but every so often there’s this unquenchable urge to just let loose and gorge. The result? A Banquet Burger with back bacon, fries on the side and a milk to make me think I’m being good. Sooo bad but mmmmmmmm soooo good.