My old man died this year.
Wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to live forever.
At least that’s what I believed at age 12.
To me he was a superhero with larger-than-life friends. There was nothing that he could not do if he put his mind to it. He lived as if life were his personal plaything to do with as he pleased. He often treated life casually and often ignored signs of danger. I know…I argued with him often enough about the dangers of crispy pork rind well after he had been diagnosed with diabetes and was on home dialysis treatment. He did not give in then either. Dismissed my concerns with a wave of his hand, then changed the subject.
He had a sense of humour. Well, actually, he loved telling stories. He loved to laugh but he loved an audience even more. His grand kids will attest to that! At every gathering as far back as I can remember, he and his cronies held court around the bar telling new stories of conquest and re-telling the old ones that somehow never seemed to grow stale with the endless retelling. The group around them grew and changed over the years, but the basic format remained.
He was an optimist. Correct that: he was naïve and unrealistic. He did not believe that he couldn’t get what he wanted. Every time. In fact, when I look back he did get everything he ever wanted: kids, friends, grandkids…good times. And the timeless ability to pass on his wisdom in the stories. You just had to listen carefully.
He was tough and ornery. If you crossed him, he ‘wrote you off”. Never spoke to you again…gone from his consciousness. Usually lasted about a week. Month tops. Another party or get together and all was forgiven. He did not have many enemies.
He yelled at me and pushed me constantly. At 12 this sucked. Kept it bottled up for years. Only after having kids of my own did I come to terms with his behaviour: he was imperfect! Duh!
He was not perfect. Far from it. He often talked about ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ when it came to things that he could have accomplished in his life. “Hmmm…wonder where I get it from”? Over the years I have learned to overcome ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’. Thanks Dad.
He was supposed to live forever.
On September 23, 2008 forever arrived.
I was there until the end. He went peacefully and with what I swear was a smile on his face. Seemed to be saying to us even then, “I had a ton of fun…sorry it had to end so soon…keep the party going for me”
I will.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
When is @#$% Acceptable?
The following was submitted by MN. Thank you.
And with thanks to the original author, they are shared with you this week.
There are only eleven times in history where “@#$%” has been considered acceptable for use. They are as follows:
And with thanks to the original author, they are shared with you this week.
There are only eleven times in history where “@#$%” has been considered acceptable for use. They are as follows:
- "What the @#$% do you mean we are sinking?" -- Capt. E.J. Smith of RMS Titanic, 1912
- "What the @#$% was that?" -- Mayor Of Hiroshima, 1945
- "Where did all those @#$%ing Indians come from?" -- Custer, 1877
- "Any @#$%ing idiot could understand that." -- Einstein, 1938
- "It does so @#$%ing look like her!" -- Picasso, 1926
- "How the @#$% did you work that out?" -- Pythagoras, 126 BC
- "You want WHAT on the @#$%ing ceiling?" -- Michelangelo, 156
- "Where the @#$% are we?" -- Amelia Earhart, 1937
- "Scattered @#$%ing showers, my ass!" -- Noah, 4314 BC
- "Aw c'mon. Who the @#$% is going to find out?" -- Bill Clinton, 1998
and a drum roll please............!
11. "Geez, I didn't think they'd get this @%#*^ing mad." -- Stephen Harper, December 2008
Merry Christmas!!!
Coogie Beach, Sydney, Christmas 1997
While not as well known as Bondi Beach its neighbour a couple kilometers down the coast, Coogie Beach turned out to be a fabulous gem. And a great place for my kids and I to spend our Christmas vacation 1997.
Getting there was definitely more than half the fun.
We departed Toronto squeezed into economy seats aboard a 747 for the first 10-hour leg to Honolulu. We arrived around 10 pm and found ourselves ‘trapped’ in the in transit lounge for the 3-hour stop over before boarding our flight to Sydney. Challenging to say the least to keep 3 kids (14, 14, 10) amused for 3 hours late at night, jetlagged after one 10-hour flight about to board a second one.
The longest 10 hours of my life.
Back of the bus experience for the flight to Sydney. Seriously…we were 10 rows from the back of the plane, squeezed four-abreast in the center section. Was going to be a long night. Tetris saved the day…night.
We arrived in Sydney to a glorious summer morning. Even though we were traveling in late December, and we had left behind winter in Toronto, they were entering their ‘hot’ season. Glorious!
We made it through morning rush hour traffic jet lagged and all. Our destination: the Holiday Inn, Coogie Beach.
1 kilometre of powdery, white sand hugging a crescent-shaped shoreline. Bluffs at both ends guarding entry. Big whitecap waves crashing ashore. This was going to be excellent.
The running route I found was heaven itself. Two different routes along the shoreline. My favourite was found heading south.
Ran along the boardwalk past the seawater pool up the head of the southern bluff. Then down the dirt trail sharply. Ocean to the left, craggy rocks to the right. Trail meandered along and around wonderful rock outcroppings that revealed new vistas of the ocean around every turn. Up and down constantly. Squeezing past other runners out for their morning run.
Lots of other runners.
“I could live here”
My route took me about 3 kilometres out to a tiny sand beach where I turned around for the trek back to Coogie. Ocean on the right, rocks on the left. Scenery same but different.
Fantastic finish back on the flats of Coogie Beach.
After a shower and change of clothes, breakfast on the outdoor patio of a café on the beach.
Merry Christmas!!!
Getting there was definitely more than half the fun.
We departed Toronto squeezed into economy seats aboard a 747 for the first 10-hour leg to Honolulu. We arrived around 10 pm and found ourselves ‘trapped’ in the in transit lounge for the 3-hour stop over before boarding our flight to Sydney. Challenging to say the least to keep 3 kids (14, 14, 10) amused for 3 hours late at night, jetlagged after one 10-hour flight about to board a second one.
The longest 10 hours of my life.
Back of the bus experience for the flight to Sydney. Seriously…we were 10 rows from the back of the plane, squeezed four-abreast in the center section. Was going to be a long night. Tetris saved the day…night.
We arrived in Sydney to a glorious summer morning. Even though we were traveling in late December, and we had left behind winter in Toronto, they were entering their ‘hot’ season. Glorious!
We made it through morning rush hour traffic jet lagged and all. Our destination: the Holiday Inn, Coogie Beach.
1 kilometre of powdery, white sand hugging a crescent-shaped shoreline. Bluffs at both ends guarding entry. Big whitecap waves crashing ashore. This was going to be excellent.
The running route I found was heaven itself. Two different routes along the shoreline. My favourite was found heading south.
Ran along the boardwalk past the seawater pool up the head of the southern bluff. Then down the dirt trail sharply. Ocean to the left, craggy rocks to the right. Trail meandered along and around wonderful rock outcroppings that revealed new vistas of the ocean around every turn. Up and down constantly. Squeezing past other runners out for their morning run.
Lots of other runners.
“I could live here”
My route took me about 3 kilometres out to a tiny sand beach where I turned around for the trek back to Coogie. Ocean on the right, rocks on the left. Scenery same but different.
Fantastic finish back on the flats of Coogie Beach.
After a shower and change of clothes, breakfast on the outdoor patio of a café on the beach.
Merry Christmas!!!
Another Corvette Story
1986.
Vancouver.
Expo 86.
Summer in Lotus Land.
Had planned on renting a Ferrari 308 for the day but an unfortunate incident the day before we were due to pick it up put it out of service. Still wanted an exotic drive up to Whistler however and were forced to choose between a convertible Porsche 911 or a Corvette.
Fortunately we chose the Corvette.
Did not however start well.
After removing the ‘easily removable’ glass roof panel (took some effort from two of us) and stowing in the area behind the seat, we realized there was very limited room for our luggage. Oh well, just going up for the day anyway.
Got in. Or make that crawled down into the extremely tight form-fitting seats. Huge drive tunnel and tight foot well dominated the interior. High cowl limited forward visibility.
Once settled in, engaged the clutch and twisted the key. Big V8 thundered to life and settled into a throaty idle. Slipped the lever of the 4-speed manual transmission into first, eased off the clutch and gingerly depressed the accelerator…and promptly stalled it.
Swear Word!!!
Never impressive to stall the car in front of the wife and the rental car rep.
Got ‘er going on the second try however. Gave it gas…left a small patch of rubber.
Driving through downtown Vancouver in traffic on our way through Stanley Park to the highway up to Whistler was not my shining moment behind the wheel of this unruly beast. Uncomfortable with the heavy clutch. Clunky shifts did not help. Heavy steering. “Did this thing really have power steering?”
Lurched from traffic light to traffic light cursing the decision to rent this beast.
All was redeemed however once we escaped city traffic and found the open road from Horseshoe Bay up to Squamish. Once up to highway speed, steering lightened. Found out the true meaning of torque…left it in 4th most times and simply pressed the accelerator.
Along one long uphill stretch we found ourselves behind a couple of slower moving cars. There was a break between them and three more vehicles. Planned to pass the first two and tuck in behind the three before the road curved to the right.
Dropped down to 3rd. Squeezed gas pedal and pulled out.
“Where did those two cars go”?
“Wow”!
Shifted into 4th still on the gas.
Past the second group of three.
Oops…corner coming up fast now.
Pulled back in touched the brakes to set up for the corner, back on the gas to blast around it.
Only took seconds.
Sunny day…ocean on the left…mountains on the right. Perfect!
Vancouver.
Expo 86.
Summer in Lotus Land.
Had planned on renting a Ferrari 308 for the day but an unfortunate incident the day before we were due to pick it up put it out of service. Still wanted an exotic drive up to Whistler however and were forced to choose between a convertible Porsche 911 or a Corvette.
Fortunately we chose the Corvette.
Did not however start well.
After removing the ‘easily removable’ glass roof panel (took some effort from two of us) and stowing in the area behind the seat, we realized there was very limited room for our luggage. Oh well, just going up for the day anyway.
Got in. Or make that crawled down into the extremely tight form-fitting seats. Huge drive tunnel and tight foot well dominated the interior. High cowl limited forward visibility.
Once settled in, engaged the clutch and twisted the key. Big V8 thundered to life and settled into a throaty idle. Slipped the lever of the 4-speed manual transmission into first, eased off the clutch and gingerly depressed the accelerator…and promptly stalled it.
Swear Word!!!
Never impressive to stall the car in front of the wife and the rental car rep.
Got ‘er going on the second try however. Gave it gas…left a small patch of rubber.
Driving through downtown Vancouver in traffic on our way through Stanley Park to the highway up to Whistler was not my shining moment behind the wheel of this unruly beast. Uncomfortable with the heavy clutch. Clunky shifts did not help. Heavy steering. “Did this thing really have power steering?”
Lurched from traffic light to traffic light cursing the decision to rent this beast.
All was redeemed however once we escaped city traffic and found the open road from Horseshoe Bay up to Squamish. Once up to highway speed, steering lightened. Found out the true meaning of torque…left it in 4th most times and simply pressed the accelerator.
Along one long uphill stretch we found ourselves behind a couple of slower moving cars. There was a break between them and three more vehicles. Planned to pass the first two and tuck in behind the three before the road curved to the right.
Dropped down to 3rd. Squeezed gas pedal and pulled out.
“Where did those two cars go”?
“Wow”!
Shifted into 4th still on the gas.
Past the second group of three.
Oops…corner coming up fast now.
Pulled back in touched the brakes to set up for the corner, back on the gas to blast around it.
Only took seconds.
Sunny day…ocean on the left…mountains on the right. Perfect!
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