The New Floodgates of the Mind

Thursday morning we packed up the car and headed out to Paramount Canada’s Wonderland for a fun-filled 3 day adventure 🙂 We got to Toronto at 3pm, checked into our Hotel, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed out to the park to get our Season Passes processed. And then, 4 hours of wandering around enjoying the sights and trying out some rides.

I confess. I was a Rollercoaster Virgin.

🙂 Strangely enough, that is quite true. I’ve never been one to go to amusement parks (and even with La Ronde in town, I’ve been there perhaps 3 times in my entire life – i don’t like that park) and when I’ve been, it was never the coasters. So, you can imagine me trying to act “brave” in front of the kids while Chantale laughed herself silly at the thought that I was trembling a little inside 🙂

But, yes, like all true Super Heroes, I dug down deep and found the courage necessary to hold my head up high and take the plunge. Over and over and over again 🙂 And I had a tremendous time! (so did everyone else!) Chantale and I even discussed heading out there again before the season’s up to tackle the handful of rides the kids were too small to go on. 🙂 Plus, with where we live now, Toronto is only 5 hours away! Makes overnight trips easy enough to accomplish 🙂

With coming home at 9pm on Saturday, it made the weekend breeze by. I had originally planned to take my folks to Quebec City on Monday and Tuesday but my mom wasn’t up to it so we’ve postponed it for now. Instead, Chantale and I just took those two days to relax, sleep in, stay up late, and watch the Olympics. Of course, something else that’s been taking a lot of our time recently: Sliders Season 1 and 2 on DVD!! 🙂 We were watching about 2 episodes a night… until this weekend where we got to watching 3 and 4 a day 🙂 At this point, we’ve seen 19 episodes already!! Wheeee 🙂

Today, it’s back to work. I thought I was relaxed, refreshed, and rested enough BUT… I confess to wishing I had the rest of the week to be at home… Ah well. That’s life…

I have things to post but no time at present. So, in a quick rush I wanted to wish a belated 40th Bday to budgie_uk!! Your review is coming! 🙂

Secondly, I’ve made some revamp changes to the Comicopia site. I haven’t gotten it FireFox compatible, but it does look good in IE. I know the information is a little dated (in terms of members) but I wanted to put it up and work from there. Look for many more scans of previous issue covers in the future. The site: Comicopia – The Comics Fanzine

Let me know what you think!

I’m not in a funk per se. I’m just pretty much lost in my mind. Lots of stuff rumbling around in there especially after certain events and meetings of this past weekend. I feel like an insight I had been wondering about was finally opened up to me. I got a glimpse of what can be, should be, and will be.

The one thing I haven’t quite come to grips with yet: all my volunteering and freelance work. A part of me desperately wants to drop it all while another part of me says to just take it easy. We’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, for those who’re enjoying, here’s a little ditty I wrote up last night on the train: The Bellhop

I’m still not in the mood of talking to anyone. That must explain this disturbing little FF I call Train Dreams

Do you ever wonder what life will be like when you’re old and grey?

Sometimes when I walk around town, I look at all the old men and wonder if I’ll be the same way. Will I be sitting in a park somewhere feeding the pigeons? Asleep on a park bench? Watching construction workers putting up a building? Casually strolling through the streets? Sitting on a balcony, rocking?

…I don’t know. I think it’ll be great to be old and still be living without too many ailments, with my wife by my side, grandkids frolicking in the yard. Being able to look back on it all and simply state: “it was a good life”…

I guess I’m in a bit of a weird funk today.

Chantale and I went to see The Notebook last night. A wonderful tear-jerker of a movie with some great acting. I have to point out that James Gardner was truly incredible. Lots and lots of blubbering in the audience, I’ll grant you that 🙂

Makes you think about life in general and your own in specific. Makes you wonder how you would cope if after having spent so much energy to make your dreams come true, the end result is something so completely out of your control. Makes you wonder if you have that much in yourself as well.

Life truly does take you from the highest plateaus to the lowest, doesn’t it? And the fear of those lows are always so close to your consciousness that you could almost see the cliff-drop of insanity within reach… Humankind is an absolute wonder just based on the fact that we continue to survive as a race…

I fell asleep in the train last night but woke up about 3 stops before I had to get off. I thought a mosquito was biting my neck 🙂 Anyhow, I looked around and noticed a cell phone left behind on the seats at the other side of the train. I picked it up and checked through the recent calls made and received. Since it was low on battery, I waited to get off the train to try calling the “Home Cell” number but got no reply. When I got home, I called from my own cell and reached the woman who’s husband had lost the cell 🙂 She was extremely greatful and drove over to the house to pick it up 🙂 “Oh you’re so nice, thank you so much!” I was happy to have helped. I know too many people who’ve gotten screwed over and in a reversed situation I would want someone to do the same for me.

So that was my good deed of the week 🙂

On another nice family point, I wanted to state how extremely nice it is to get home early this week and have supper with Chantale and the kids. No one is rushed so it’s all very nice and relaxed. Supper is always wonderful and it just seems to make each evening so very special. Last night was no exception either as I took the 3:45pm train instead of the 4:30pm getting me home much earlier. Then, before supper, we went to the Pharmacy and I bought James his first deoderant stick 🙂 I had spoken to him recently about the upcoming physical changes that he’ll be going through this year and that was one of the ones we talked about. He was quite happy and proud of the fact that he’s growing up and I began teasing him how pretty soon I’ll have to teach him to shave 🙂 Ah… loving family moments 🙂

After supper we all went bike riding around the neighborhood which we’ve never done before either! … It’s just so wonderful having them around all the time and we’re all making sure to enjoy it to the fullest…

…one day I’ll have a full family again…

I’m in somewhat of a funk this morning. Although it started out pleasantly with breakfast at Chez Cora’s with Muadib_ca, it got a little sour as the day progressed and issues arose. Non-crucial issues, but annoying nonetheless. Damned bureaucracies…

Anyhow, since I’m off to a couple of meetings and won’t have time to type up the FF from the 23rd, I’ll post up the original FF written for Warren Ellis’ amusement. I laugh at it now simply because HE was the intended recipient of this piece and it shows how different it is from the other pieces I’ve done now that the “reader” is different. (although in this instance I have no clue who is actually reading if anyone). The Contract

Hey there. Back in town after a really heavenly time away. The weather up in Metabet was gorgeous! Outside of one day’s rain, we had sun and heat with no humidity! After ALL these years of visiting, I finally had the chance to go lie on the sand at the beach and even wade into the lake! Woah!

And Chantale? BOY was she surprised when I showed up on Wednesday night! It was priceless to see her face as I strode into the kitchen while she was on the phone with her mother who was wondering where I was and why I refused to tell her where I was going to be that night (her parents had wanted to drop in that evening but I told them I was “out” and wouldn’t say where 🙂 )

It really was the most relaxing time up north I’ve ever spent. No rush to hurry back, no rush to do anything, just pure relaxing time. Wonderful.

Yes, I took a much-needed break from the world. And, although this also included my continued Fast Fiction pieces, I did still put together 2 more (making it a total of 7 straight days) and for those following, here’s Thursday’s piece The Vision

All right, I’ve been keeping this to myself for a few days now just because I wanted to ensure Chantale wouldn’t find out by reading it here 🙂

As you know, she’s currently up north with her Grand Parents and is expecting me to drive up Friday after work (6 hour trip meaning I’d get there Friday night) and then we both come down on Sunday. However, what no one outside Muad’ib and (up until last night) my sister-in-law knew is that I’ve taken a few days vacation. This means that I’m leaving after work today and driving up 2 days early! 🙂

I do believe it will be quite the surprise 🙂 After all, she’s expecting me to call her tonight around 9pm, not walk through the door :>

As I said, I haven’t posted anything just in case she made her way to her Uncle’s house and read it. But, I do know that she’s out and about this afternoon with her Grandmother so I should be safe 🙂

Yes, I’m still a romantic at heart 🙂 There’s nothing wrong with missing your wife who’s also your best friend, companion, and confidante, ya know 🙂