The New Floodgates of the Mind

I’ve been here 2 hours already and feel like I’ve been playing ping-pong with my brain trying to work out the details of the various projects i’m managing to such a degree that it’s just about exploded.

That, and my Dad finally got called yesterday for his surgery. He has to be at the hospital for 1030am. Not sure how long he’s in for (although the surgery itself is not long). They won’t release him until his urine is clear.

I’ll probably drive over there tonight to see how he’s doing…

As I’m wont to do in the wee hours of the day (as I’m riding the train, and then walking, to work) I reflect on my life and the activity swirling around it (recent past, present, near future) and tend to “feel” the events through the emotional eyes of whatever feelings are stirred within me by what I’m reading. This morning, I finished Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier and was reflecting on the passion and power of love and how sacrifices and abundances in love as so interlinked…

So, that’s the frame of mind I was in when I noticed something shiny on the ground. (I’ve been often joked at for having “eyes like a raven, always being pulled to shiny things” but I never minded since it often lead to wealth 😉 ). Now, I’m used to coming across nickels, dimes, and quarters on the ground as I walk around the city but never pick them up – always believing that they are there for those who are in more need of them than I. But this circle looked more like a button and the image stamped on it was calling to me. I finally turned back (after two steps) and went to pick it up, surprised at the weight of it. Turns out, it was a 1997 one pound coin! The irony of the fact that I work for a company who’s global headquarters is in the UK was not lost to me as I laughed and tossed the coin in my hand, eventually placing it in my pocket.

The coin is so thick (compared to our Canadian coins) that you could literally core it out and make a ring out of it! 🙂 But, what I did not know was that there is an engraving on the side of the coin. It reads ” Decus et Tutamen” which (one quick google look later) translates into “Honor and Protection”

Wow, huh? 🙂

And that’s how my Monday started (I don’t count the tossing and turning I did from 1130pm through 445am). How about yours?

Just cause it’s been a while… I wanted to note some things…

– While Kyle and Charlize spent the day with their grandparents on Saturday (strawberry picking), Chantale and I headed for a half-day spa treatment (Floating Bath & Massage) at the Ovarium. Afterwards, we met up with a friend and headed over to another friend’s store, Ange Neige

– Sunday, we went for brunch (I believe the place was called La Bavaria) to celebrate Chantale’s mother’s birthday. Chantale’s sister also drove down from Ottawa (well, her husband drove, actually ;)) for the brunch and it was nice to see them – has it been months already? I haven’t had that much “meat” for breakfast OR lunch in ever! LOL! 🙂 But it was nice, cozy, and intimate (two other families showed up only as we were leaving). We went back to my in-laws for cake (Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake (mmm!)) and then settled in to watch the Euro Cup final. *yawn* Never got the “oomph” I was expecting from the game. It’s like the players themselves were too tired of bored to actually “play”!

– Yesterday was a very nice, family, Canada Day. Chantale got up early to drive our friend to the airport and then after she got back (and we all had breakfast, got ready), we hit the road for a very enjoyable 90 minute bike ride. It was the first time we got to bike together this year! So, Chantale on the bike I got her for her birthday this year, with Kyle on the child seat I installed last weekend, and me with the bike Chantale got me for my birthday last year, with Charlize now strapped behind me in the child seat. It was really great to stretch our legs and was also somewhat funny to have the kids fall asleep during the ride!! 🙂

After we got back, we fired up the BBQ and had a very enjoyable lunch on our new patio set and then everyone took their afternoon nap. Well, everyone except for me. By the time I was done with the stuff I needed to do, it was 2pm and I just knew that Charlize would be waking soon. Yup. 20 minutes later she was up. Kyle got up at 3pm and Chantale at 4pm 🙂 By 5pm we were getting supper going and afterwards… another 90 minute bike ride! We headed by the riverside this time and enjoyed the leisurely pace of riding side-by-side (not that much car traffic) and watching the boats and ducks.

When we got back home, Charlize was put to bed and Kyle went down shortly afterwards. Then, Chantale and I relaxed, got stuff ready for today (to make it easier to get going in the morning!) and enjoyed an evening beer toasting Canada and a really nice Family day 🙂 We watched a couple of episodes of SLIDERS and then hit the sack.

This morning… I woke up at 4am FOR NO REASON and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Bah. I got in to work at 7am feeling like a zombie and immediately dived into a morning cup of java. Thinking it was Thursday and realizing it’s only Wednesday does indeed mess with your head. But, at least this coming Saturday we’re getting Air Conditioning installed in the house! 5 years later and it’s finally happening! No more fears of dying from the heavy heat/humidity combo! And just before the killer temps arrive! It’ll be hooked into our central forced-air furnace which means the whole house will be cooled and not just one room! Sweeet! 🙂

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In other bits & bites… I’ve started going through the Comicopia Archives in order to compile a “readable” history of the Apa. (Heck, we’re celebrating our 18th year next month!) It’s a lot of fun and I’m also taking the time to go through which covers are missing from the website (like the color cover of Issue 77 featuring The Creeper and Spider-Man) in order to get them up there. Of course, I’ve also realized how difficult it is to actually find a specific cover and/ or artist so I’m working on revamping the presentation of covers (Probably having the covers listed in different formats: by character, by number, by artist).

(By the way, , here are a couple of Ragman covers for you: Issue 68 by Gabriel Morrissette, and Issue 35 by Greg Woronchak) 🙂 )

Farewell to Mike Turner

Cancer claimed him at 37 years young…

Well it’s done! We headed out last night and Chantale got herself a car! A brand new 2008 Dodge Caliber will soon be gracing our driveway 🙂 This is her FIRST car! First in that it’s all hers – no co-signee, no nothing. She got this baby on her own merit and financial standing 🙂

I think she’s still reeling from all the changes recently but I always believed in her and knew she had it in her. Yet, here she is, at 28, in Management at Air Canada as a Project Manager for a special project, a very bright future, nicely paid, her own car, two kids, a house, a dog, and one hell of a husband 😉

Seriously. She’s had to battle age prejudice for as long as she’s been in the work force yet always left her other bosses with their jaws hanging open at how much she could accomplish. Was it unthinkable that at 20/21 she was in Corporate Finance at Pratt & Whitney and quickly given her own fleet to manage? Perhaps to anyone who doesn’t know her like I do! 🙂

I’m so proud of all she’s done and continues to do. Some may think she’s just been extremely lucky or blessed, and that may be true to a degree. But the reality is that she’s worked damned hard all her life. It’s about time that hard work is paying off. And NOT at the expense of her family, but *because* she’s got us and knows we’ve got her back 🙂

So, day two of the new schedule and it was definitely a little tougher. This, of course, was due to having only gotten home at 10pm last night after the purchase. Then, with preparing for today and getting my files ready for printing Comicopia, I only hit the sack at midnight. 5 am comes WAY too fast after that 😉

Tonight shouldn’t be a late one but I do have stuff to prepare. We’ll see how long I last. Chantale, as tired as she was, still headed out to play Soccer out of obligation to her team. I don’t think she’ll play the entire game, though.

In other news, my second book shipment arrived today for which I’m very grateful! I sold the last one I had yesterday!! 🙂