A Good Weekend

Not being able to recall a previous weekend where I was actually able to enjoy it with my family, I would have to say this was a very good weekend indeed.

We started by buying a house. Yes indeed, the deal is done. Well, unless the house inspection finds something, but thats (knock on wood) highly unlikely. Crap, maybe I just jinxed it.

The rest of the weekend was spent mostly playing and relaxing and was capped off by a great sunday. After church, my wife made a Ham. I capitalize Ham because this was the God of all Hams. Truly an amazing feat! It was her first ham which is even more amazing. A bone-in hickory smoked ham to start off with, she cooked it to perfection, basting it regularily with a glaze that will haunt my memory for time and all eternity. It was comprised of maple syrup, brown sugar, dijon mustard, love, and a little apple orange banana juice to add a little more moisture. My words really dont do it justice....

After that fantastic Ham, we took Jacob out for his first Easter Egg Hunt.

Pure. Joy.


For the first time in a loooong time, we felt normal again.

The day was beautiful.

Jacobs Web Album

I comprised an album of some of my favorite pictures of Jacob's life so far.

Jacobs Web Page

Happy Happy Joy Joy ...

The longer you go without doing something, the easier it is to put it off even longer.

Blogging, taxes... you name it... I'm hard pressed to think of something that is easier to do the longer you put it off. So why do I do it?

The House is closed. That angry chapter in my life is almost over...... bring on the next angry one!

Actually, Im kind of enjoying the homeless limbo I find myself in. It would be better if house prices werent so crazy here which cause us to panic-buy a new house.... and there's still the interim expenses till the possession date kicks in.... and the fact that we have to get serious about getting another house... and there's work... oh and bills ... .... and taxes ...... ... ..... .... .... .. crap.

You never fully appreciate the lack of responsibility when you have it (or dont have it?). I suppose that's part of that particular state of joy. Not that it was true joy... more like ignorant bliss. When I was there, I never thought too much about the future. I wasnt thinking "How great this lack of anything pressing is!". There wasn't any balance to it. I lacked the things that would truly make me happy. The opposition is there so that when I finally get a break it really means something. Of course, Im still waiting for the break....... hopefully when it comes it will be the good kind of break....

Fini

After all the angry maniacal raves, the sleep deprivation sessions, the work, the anguish, the good times, the bad times, the triumphs, the failures, the thousands and thousands of dollars .... it's done.

Sunday at 11:00pm we walked out the door and turned out the lights.

It didnt feel how I thought it would though. As I looked around at the empty rooms, all the memories started to come back to me and I felt sadness. I've been hating this house for months! Now Im sad thats its done?!? That's messed up.

Last night I was feeling conflicted as I drove. I turned on the radio and 'Alive' by Edwin was playing (really, it was!). That made me think I should be happy..... just to be alive apparently.

I know why Im sad (there are a lot of good memories in that house, it's our first house, Jacob was born there, the amount of work, etc) but... WHERE'S MY F$^%ING JOY?! My sense of satisfaction ?!? Something? Anything?

Maybe its the fact that this is just another step. We still are going to buy another house. Most likely really soon before the market goes crazy yet again.

Anyways, the place is done, I'll sort out my feelings as I go.

Welcome! To Fantasy Island!!

I think even my wife has stopped reading this due to the sporadic frequency attributed to my posts.

The house is almost done. I cant let myself be jubilant yet, therein lies the path to disappointment. When the last task is done, the house is listed, sold, and I actually can see the money in my account, then I will believe. Has faith been pounded out of me? Its the same feeling I get when Im in an airport. I cant relax until Im through security, the boarding gate and Im actually sitting on a plane. Im sure there's some psychological disorder attributed to it. If not, I hereby claim this malady as 'Anthotic'.

'Im sorry sir, there's nothing to be done. You're really quite Anthotic. There's no cure Im afraid. We can prescribe some drugs to lesson the effect, you wont be cured but you wont care.'

The House (dun dun dun dah!) actually looks pretty great. There are 1 or 2 little things to do and then clean up and thats it, finally. I tell myself that it's still November 2006. Thats when we wanted it done and on the market.... ha!

Next weekend for sure... I'll take pictures!

The Pot Never Boils

For weeks... months really, nobody contacts me from work. I go away for one week to work on my house and suddenly Im in demand. Emails, voice mails, etc . It took me all monday morning to go through.

I have this feeling of general blah. I havent had an original thought in weeks. My only reality seems to be determined by a house. The really self flaggelating thing is we plan to do this again (and possibly again) in the future. The only way to get a mortgage down to a truly manageable amount is the 'Property Ladder'. Though the lottery would be nice as well...

This is the reality of today in Alberta. Oh I know it's not just here, but it's really nutty here. I dont know where the money is coming from. People say it's all the oil but who really gets that money? It doesnt trickle down to the common employee. The big companies are the ones raking it in and they dont like to share. I should know, I'm one of the little people. Actually, Im probably somewhere in the shrinking middle... but thats not the point.

Where the big money is, if you are a little person, seems to be in the trades. A tradesperson in Alberta has a license to print money it seems. They charge what they want, show up when they want and generally dont seem to have to answer to anyone. Specifically, construction contractors. I dont want to stand too high here, but man.... the stories I've heard are downright criminal.... and they're considered reality! 'You have to expect that when dealing with contractors' WHY!?! Why do I have to expect that when dealing with contractors?

Why is it that when a service becomes in demand, those delivering the service suddenly decide to take the low road and deliver less for more? Is it fear? Get all you can while you can.

Simply because you CAN charge more for doing less (and with less quality), doesnt mean you should.

I'd like to hear some positive stories for a change about contractors doing more for less....

Why is that statement so funny?

Dissatisfaction

It's been a little while since I posted last. Just havent felt inspired I guess... I havent been emotional enough ... good or bad.
Not that Im doing this for anyone else (though if anyone is actually reading this, I do like comments cause then it feels more like a conversation). Anyways, on with the show.

On the good side of things, I got some work done on the house. Mostly some plumbing type work in the bathrooms. I cant say I got as much done as I'd have liked, but I ran into some issues along the way and had to 'make it right'. We've set a goal of putting up the house for sale in March. There's quite a bit still to do, but I think we should be able to accomplish it. I will probably have to take some vacation time though. I get giddy over the idea of actually having the place done. I literally get chills.

On the darker side of things...
Why are some people so crazy? What switch goes off in someone's head that tells them it's ok to be a complete and utter idiot?

We drove down to Calgary on Thursday night. We being Catherine, Jacob, and I. I was passing a silver car on my right and this truck comes flying up behind us. Im still beside the silver car so I cant pull over yet. The truck flashes the high beams but I still cant quite pull over. So what does he do? He cuts off the silver car on my right barely missing it, then proceeds to pull into my lane causing me to slam on my brakes and pull onto the shoulder! He didnt just cut me off, he actually tried to hit us! I had no time to think, I just reacted. If my reactions had been wrong.....

Heart pounding, I didnt know what to do next.... do I follow and try to get the cops on this guy? His actions have shown he has no inhibitions about using his car as a weapon.... and I've got my wife and 19 month old son in the car. I couldnt take the chance that this night would turn into The Night My Life Was Ruined... so I watched helplessly as he sped off down the road. It was a pretty messy night, license plates were caked with mud, there was nothing we could call in.

Jacob slept through the whole thing, Cath and I really couldnt believe what we experienced....

What possesses a person to do something like that? He really couldnt wait 10 seconds for me to be able to safely pull over? I guess I'll never know what was going on there and can only hope that the guy (or girl I guess) doesnt go on to kill someone else.

Im dont wanna brood over this, I just wanted to get the experience off my chest.

Though a big part of me shakes with rage and a desire to find that idiot.... but what then? Really.... what would I do? Beat him up? Smash his truck? In doing these things, I would break the law and probably have to pay. There is no satisfaction there, the only course of action that would be have been just is if there was a cop right there and could have brought the law down on him. But there wasnt, and I know realistically that I dont have enough evidence to find the guy and charge him.

So he gets away with it and will probably do it again...

007

I finally got to see Casino Royale on the weekend and I must say that I was very impressed.

As a kid I loved everything about the James Bond series ... the gadgets, the toys ..... the sexy women!?! They were always so fantastic, so unreal, that you couldnt really imagine James Bond as a real person, he was more of a superhero.

Until now...

I love the new direction they're taken with James Bond. He's a little closer to reality. Exchanging toys and gadgets with quick thinking and incredible athleticism was a smart move. Looking through my 'adult' eyes, he's still far above my meager abilities , yet he still makes mistakes and then is able to overcome them. He looks the part and is not afraid to win by any means necessary, be it quick thinking or simple brute strength. I liked Pearce Brosnan but could never realistically picture him winning a fight in the UFC octagon. I wouldnt bet against Daniel Craig though and I think 'James Bond' would do fairly decent in the ring being a 00 agent and all.

Bottom Line: A must see and worth the price of admission.

Anyways, the movie was the cap of a pretty decent weekend. I did a little work on the house, got some baseboards done, ran a few errands, spent some time with the family. All in all not a bad stint.

Yea though I walk....

Devoid of emotion, I walk the walk of the damned. A curious shuffling gait interspersed with incoherent mumblings.
No longer do colors (the reds, the blues, the yellows.... the fuscias) fill my world. The vibrant hues that decorated my past have been washed out, changing the world from a rich summer into a cold dim mid-winter twilight.

The hollow echoes serve to amplify what would otherwise be silence. Once music played here.... happy music which filled the soul with hope and love. Now there is only the muffled sound of footsteps, pausing every so often, then continuing.... ever continuing.

The smells... oh the smells.... once my world was filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies. Now... I... smell........ oatmeal? As the tantalizing olfactory memories fade... were they real? Have I fabricated them?

My mouth salivates as I visualize how a nanaimo bar tastes..... tasted.... I did eat them once. Unless I've gone insane as well....

The dark chocolate topping melts and dances across my taste buds, the sugary yellow icing ignites a reaction that quickens my pulse and causes my nerves to shiver. The coconut fudge base provides a firm foundation which ties and binds the components into a perfectly formed union of all that is right and good in the universe.

The memory causes my eyes to moisten in remembrance....

Gone ..... gone are the joyous days of spring ....
.
.
.

Im on a diet.
.
.
.

Let the good times roll...

OK, so the last post was a little out of character. Plus, I didnt mention that the song was the theme from The Littlest Hobo, one of the favorite shows from my childhood days. Some people got it, others thought I wrote a song about a dog (Hee Hee).

The weekend didnt turn out like I planned. I had a self-created long weekend. I worked 10 hour days last week and took the friday off. Thursday night we rolled into Cowtown and just as we got there the little guy threw up the fries we had slipped him. We chalked that up to bad fast food and went about our thing on Friday. Friday night he didnt seem so hot and early in the morning I was awakened by my wife who said Jacob was having trouble breathing. I rocked the little guy to sleep but he would wake up frequently with really bad coughing. I awoke Cath and we decided to head to the Childrens hospital because after talking with family and friends we figured out he had croup. It was confirmed at the hospital and we were admitted into the ER there.

There were several heartbreaking times during this ordeal. The first being as we were preparing to go to the hospital, I was finally getting him to cheer up by playing with some balls with him. He loves balls.... its one of the few words in his repetoire. I had to drag him away from the balls to take him to the car and as we are leaving he is crying in a choked little voice and saying 'ball'! 'ball'! Then we get him to the Childrens Hospital and we cheer him up in the waiting room where there are a myriad of toys and activity stations (probably the best thing about the new hospital), only then we take him to a little room where there is nothing to do and people constantly come in and cause him nothing but pain and distress. Poor little guy.....

They have an oral steroid there but it takes 4 hours to kick in and in the meantime there is a kind of vaporizing treatment (cant remember what is in it). They have to hold a mask over the child's face for 7 minutes. Jacob cannot stand things near his face. He REALLY cant stand being held down or restrained in any way and he is extremely strong for his size. You can imagine how it went. I could see the terror in his eyes. He fought and screamed the entire time with all his strength. He didnt let up... not once. I really had to work hard to hold him. Not to mention it was one of the most emotionally painful things I've ever done.

In most cases, they only have to do the mask treatment once but either his croup was bad enough or he just didnt get enough, but we wound up having to do it again an hour later.... and again he fought. I am amazed at how strong and determined he is.... and stubborn. Thankfully the second round took hold and after a very long time of being in an uncomfortable little examination room (they really need to rethink their setup) we were able to take him home.
During that monitoring time, they were not able to take his vitals as the first site of anyone besides Cath and I getting close to him would upset him greatly. The nurse just gave up and came back after we got him to sleep.

A funny little side effect of the steroid? It makes the kid hyper! Saturday night we are wasted from no sleep and Jacob's running laps. It was good to see him active though.

He is doing better now and the rest of the weekend (such as it were) was just spent trying to recover. He still coughs and is more clingy than usual, but doesnt sound like a seal, which is good.

Nothing really adequately prepares you for this parenting gig....

In my head the hills are alive....

Try to make it through this post without singing... I highly doubt the possibility of it... and yes if you sing in your head it still counts. I cant even go through it without seeing dogs and thinking of fonder days where dogs saved people instead of having to be put down because they bit someone who most likely deserved it. Dogs get a bad rap these days.... we've let our best friends down.

Ready?
1 .. 2 .. 3 ..

THERE'S A VOICE,THAT KEEPS ON CALLING ME.
DOWN THE ROAD,IS WHERE I'LL ALWAYS BE.
EVERY STOP I MAKE,
I'LL MAKE A NEW FRIEND.
CAN'T STAY FOR LONG, JUST TURN AROUND AND I'M GONE AGAIN.

MAYBE TOMORROW, I'LL WANNA SETTLE DOWN,
UNTIL TOMORROW, I'LL JUST KEEP MOVING ON

DOWN THIS ROAD, THAT NEVER SEEMS TO END,
WHERE NEW ADVENTURE, LIES JUST AROUND THE BEND
SO IF YOU WANNA JOIN ME FOR A WHILE,
JUST GRAB YOUR HAT, COME TRAVEL LIGHT,THAT'S HOBO STYLE.

MAYBE TOMORROW, I'LL WANT TO SETTLE DOWN,
UNTIL TOMORROW, THE WHOLE WORLD IS MY HOME

SO IF YOU WANNA JOIN ME FOR A WHILE,
JUST GRAB YOUR HAT, COME TRAVEL LIGHT,THAT'S HOBO STYLE.
MAYBE TOMORROW, I'LL WANT TO SETTLE DOWN,
UNTIL TOMORROW, I'LL JUST KEEP MOVING ON.

Instrumental Bridge

MAYBE TOMORROW, I'LL WANT TO SETTLE DOWN,
UNTIL TOMORROW, I'LL JUST KEEP MOVING ON.

THERE'S A WORLD, THAT'S WAITING TO UNFOLD,
A BRAND NEW TALE, NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD,
WE'VE JOURNEY'D FAR BUT, YOU KNOW IT WON'T BE LONG,
WE'RE ALMOST THERE AND WE'VE PAID OUR FARE, WITH THE HOBO SONG.

MAYBE TOMORROW, I'LL WANT TO SETTLE DOWN,
UNTIL TOMORROW, I'LL JUST KEEP MOVING ON.

SO IF YOU WANNA JOIN ME FOR A WHILE,
JUST GRAB YOUR HAT, COME TRAVEL LIGHT,THAT'S HOBO STYLE.

MAYBE TOMORROW I'LL FIND WHAT I CALL HOME,
UNTIL TOMORROW, YOU KNOW I'M FREE TO ROAM.

Oh Yeah, thats the stuff....

A Snails Pace

I didnt go down to Calgary on the weekend like I planned.

Instead I nursed a cold and moped around the house in SP. I did however play a lot of Guitar Hero and rocked out when I could, so the weekend wasnt an entire loss.

New Years Eve was kind of a bust this year so I never really got around to the whole resolution thing. I've thought about, but really the goals are the same whether it's New Years or not.

As always there is the health issue. I need to get back into shape. (hopefully a good shape) There are many shapes out there, the one I would prefer is about 60 pounds lighter than the shape I currently possess.

Mentally, I would like to procrastinate less. Even though I feel like I have to climb Mt Everest this year (it's really only more like K2) the only way to get there is one step at a time. There's a huge list of items with my name on it and every week I have to accomplish something. Of course thats not including having to deal with all the day to day and new issues that seem to appear out of nowhere.

My wifey sprang a pop quiz on energy on me and it turns out that 56% of my physical energy is being sucked out of me by various mentally stressful aspects of my environment, relationships, etc. That assumes of course that the source of the quiz knew what the hell they were talking about. That more than the New Year has prompted a surge of motivational feelings regarding my life the universe and everthing.

So with my remaining 44% I will slowly regain more of the other 56%.... hopefully.

Some of the areas of energy drain are hard though because they're out of my control. Annoying people that I come into regular contact with for example... sometimes they're just unavoidable. The energy drain comes from having to deal with them, even if dealing with them is making the choice to internalize their idiocy and not let it affect your mental/emotional state. Everything requires energy. Some people give, others take...

The point is: I will be happy with myself this year if I can show a continual progression. As slow as it may be.

My lucky number

I took a break this Christmas. You cant really take a break from everything, but I took a break from some things.

Breaks:
I really only touched the computer if I had to. Therefore, no blog.
I only went to Calgary (for one day) once to work on the house.
Work of course.

The list of things I didnt get a break from is not important.

The holiday started off well enough, not working is generally a good thing. At least when you know that money is still coming in.

brief recap....
The inlaws came a little early and commandeered our room, but thats OK, cause they're old and not in the best of health. We couldnt really expect them to sleep on the double bed (or the couch). Unfortunately, my mother in law got sick the day they came and continued to be bedridden till the day they left. It really cast a pallor over the whole christmas thing. There was the gift opening and the dinner and it really was pretty good. I certainly have no complaints over either. I got some video games and ate a lot of junk food. The latter prompting the perennial 'I gotta get in shape this year... and I mean it this time!' resolution.

The boxing day sales did not dissapoint. I made the mad trip to the Tommy outlet and stocked up on some clothes.

Probably the coolest thing of the time period was the fact that I have a guy working on my house while im away. The feeling that things are being done in my absence is indescribable. Joy Oh Joy..... excuse me, Im a little verklempt.

Will the house be done in my absence? No, unfortunately, my sherpa is only there for another week and then he's off to his real job in the middle east. It dulls my festering rage though to know that the goal of shrugging this behemoth off my back will be that much closer. Other things may come my way this year (they always do) but this thing has 'stole my jam' for far too long. (enough sayings there?)

I'm actually looking forward to this weekend. I have to travel down to Calgary and see what has been done and settle up.

Now....
It's back to work and new year has dawned and there will be many many things we can gripe about this year. Lets hope we can find the humour in them.

Feeding the addiction

Im beginning to realize that 'the most wonderful time of the year' is a nothing more than a month long 'sugar rush'. Goodies at work, goodies at home, it's really hard to get away from them. Did I mention that Im also an addict? If there's a nanaimo bar or box of chocolates sitting around I dont have the willpower, I really dont. I can resist for an hour or so, but eventually Im giving in. Resistance is futile..

All the good will , the happiness , the giving .... it can all be explained. I believe it started off innocent enough. In fact when it was a religious holiday it was the most sacred time of the year. Apparently, Christmas was hijacked by the manufacturers of sugar somewhere down the line.
Were people happier then? Without the sugar rush?

The icon of Christmas is a jolly fat dude. Obviously an addict himself, he breaks into millions of houses and eats cookies .... do the math... thats a lot of cookies.... Santa needs an intervention!
Oh sure, he gives gifts but where do the gifts come from? Child labor! You could make an argument that they're elves, but what's more realistic? That Santa has a workforce comprised of magical little people, or that he exploits children? I wouldnt be suprised to learn that he doesnt live in the North Pole but instead resides in Asia where they dont know about him (therefore he doesnt have to give them gifts). So here we have a sugar addict, exploiting children to feed his habit. Shameful... just shameful.

Oh the meanderings of a sugar addled mind like mine. The sad thing is Im probably not the first one to go down this route of thinking. It's easy to see how people could cross the line into conspiracy theories......

Conspiracy 101
Mad Cow disease? Tainted cows periodically planted by the American Beef Industry into Canada whenever their own sales are in the toilet. See? All you really have to do is see who benefits from any given situation and there you have your motive. You can fill in details until you have a story that explains things. Doesnt have to be true, doesnt have to be realistic, just add enough color and detail and voila!

Try it yourself! It's fun... especially when you're high on SUGAR!

The Plot Thickens...

There's a new evil creeping into our homes... Baby Einstein!

On the surface the videos appear innocent enough, even entertaining. Animals abound, lots of puppets being cute, singing songs.... But I've noticed a disturbing trend in the puppets behavoir... they're all naughty! They steal food and other things when noone is looking, are constantly being devious and tricking the other puppets in various nefarious schemes. What kind of message is Disney trying to send our kids!

I believe that I've noticed a disturbing lack of respect coming from my son since he's been watching these films, in fact it's all he wants to do! He does what he wants, doesnt pay attention to me, and will scream at myself and my wife (who has come to tears over this) if we dont immediately pay attention to his demands! What kind of 1 1/2 year old does that! Not good behaved ones, I'll tell you that! I think , nay I know that the fault lies entirely with the shows that he watches on the television. The biggest culprit of all? ........ Baby Einsein!

I decided to do some research and I have it on good authority that Walt Disney is trying to take over the world. From now on we must be vigilent in screening all products that come from that source. No longer will the Mouse have free reign in MY house!!!!

If you think Im serious, then you are new to my blog.

Baby Einstein is the only reason things can get done around the house. Jacob is a time-dominating little force. Albeit the cutest one you've ever seen. I just think it's pretty funny (yes funny) how sneaky and sly they make the puppets out to be.

Though it does make you think about the sly machinations and true motives.....

dun dun DAAAH!!

Editor thy name is....

Jacob!!

3 times I tried to post on the weekend and apparently it wasnt up to snuff! My editor would come shuffling over, sit on my lap and promptly hit the power button. Effectively wiping out my inadequate efforts.

It was a decent weekend, made so because I wasnt in Calgary bemoaning my renovating state and perspiring from wake-up to pass-out. Not that it didnt cross my mind... but it's easier to ignore when you're not staring at it.

Instead we started to unpack the boxes, find places for things, that sort of thing. We've only been in the SP residence for 3 months so I guess it's time to start to settle. Plus we got the whole christmas thing coming up.

The House? Well I will be going down this weekend and it looks like we may be hiring a mercenary to kill a few of the demons that have been possessing the place. (read 'Handyman'). Im nervous because we're batting 50-50 with the people we've hired. However the idea of having someone else take on some of the burden for a period of time is just too appealing right now. If he does a half decent job then thats a bonus.

Plus it's the season of spending and this year we're heading into debt full bore with nary a cautious pause!!

The season of Giving

I started carrying around a voice recorder in order to capture some of the 'great' thoughts that I come up with and then forget. So far I have me swearing about how I hate insurance companies and banks.... probably not the most original thoughts in the world.

I think I am officially burnt out when it comes to The House. I travelled down on the weekend and puttered around with projects but couldnt really get into a groove. It makes me question whether or not the cost of driving down is worth what Im actually doing. Ah well, I have to work this weekend up here, so I wont be going down there. I figure it'll make a nice 'break'.

Last month, I said we wanted The House done by Dec 1 (pretty funny!), we figured it wouldnt be much longer. Now Im just hoping to get it done period. No deadlines, milestones, or what have you. Im just dragging my posterior the last 10 yards and hoping to make it.

On top of it all , it's the holiday season! The most wonderful time of the year!! (pretty positive eh?)

3 weeks before christmas and now I have to start getting serious about shopping (along with everyone else). Everyyear I embody the spirit of the typical male shopper and wait till the last minute to get my list done. I dont mean to, it's just the way it happens. I get bugged about it by my wife... but it's not like there's a time element to thoughtfullness is there? But they know dont they? It's certainly factored in when they know.

I wonder what the chart/system is that determines the true value of the gift.

Perhaps there is a scale (like in gymnastics) where different categories are rated:
Time is one factor (when it was bought)
Cost is another
Functionality
Atractiveness
Brand (aka Quality)
Longevity (how long the perceived 'value' lasts)

There is the base value of points just for getting a gift ...

Time Value - What is the perfect time amount? If they dont know, you get a 5 here. A 10 would be if the gift was bought in November. From there it's arbitrary. Your judge will score how he/she will.

Cost - This depends on who it is (and how much they really want something). There's a fine fine line between 'Oh honey you shouldnt have :)' and 'Oh honey, you reeally shouldnt have :( '

Functionality - in our house, anything that has to do with the house is not really a 'gift' unless the other person has expressly said that it would be. Example: a vacuum is a really functional gift but who wants to open it on christmas morning. Lululemon clothes however....

Attractiveness - again, subject to debate... I personally think a Microsoft Wireless Racing Wheel is a beautiful thing.

Brand - buying the alternative brands like 'Tomy Hilfagers' is not going to get you points. If you dont recognize the brand, it's probably for a reason.

Longevity - the science of 'trends'. Anyone with a 'tickle me elmo' doll? Anyone?

If you're lucky enough to have gotten it right and get some points to spend how you will. Just remember that when it comes right down to it, the points (though real) are only valid during the holidays and then when it's over, it's over so you need to 'spend' them when they're valid.

This is actually a huge topic of study and Im sure there are no 'right' answers. Someone will always have a counterpoint and that someone will usually be the person you thought would love that bowling ball.

My reality? Im pretty sure that no matter what I buy... there's a 75% chance it's going back to the store..... and thats even when I have a cheat sheet!

Must be nice....

So I give back the truck I've been renting for 3 months today....

My significant other has put her feelings on the matter down quite eloquently here. As for my feelings.. I feel like we're hemorraghing money right now. I want it to stop. Im lost in a maelstrom of spending where I cant tell up from down. This ... right before Christmas... the biggest spending frenzy of them all.

It's a weird feeling since I've dissassociated myself from the meaning of dollar amounts. Our credit line balance is huge.... HUGE! There's no equilibrium here! Used to be that I felt something when I spent $100. Now? Nothing! I know it's a bad thing though....

I still want things... lots of things... but the little white guy on one shoulder tells me to stop (in a wimpy fading voice). The little red pimped out dude with the gold teeth on my other shoulder however.... he's never had it better. Little bastard is dragging me down, but I cant (or dont want to) stop. I want the big screen TV, the second car, the new computer, etc. I dont want to wait, I have the credit, why not? 'Living in the now' is how we get into trouble.... but isnt it a fun way to go? I love stuff!!!!

I wonder how many people feel the same way.

The house has to get finished, I know this. I also know that until it is finished, it would be folly to splurge more (on the Babylonian niceities) without knowing the financial foundation upon which we stand. I can estimate our net worth, the money coming in, even the money going out (to an extent).

When the smoke clears (soon I hope), will we be in a good place?

Without further adooo....

Took me a bit longer to get my photos for the house up and captioned....

The House In Calgary

Going down....

I'll be headed back down to Calgary this weekend. Im trying to be positive about it. One day, it'll all be over and then I'll be ecstatic!
There's still a lot to do, but I can see the end. I'll take the camera down this weekend and see if I can't get some good shots to post.

The weather outside is frightful....
It's christmas shopping time and the stores are packed. I havent begun my christmas shopping yet, I have too much on the go. Everyyear I wait till the last minute and everyyear tell myself I wont do it again. I know Im not alone in this, the sheer volume of shoppers (when Im shopping) tells me that. By the time christmas actually rolls around, it's something of an anticlimax. I do look forward to stuffing though....mmmmm.... stuffing..... As a child I didnt like cranberry sauce, now I cant eat turkey dinner without it. Also, growing up we had a tradition in my family of Oyster soup for breakfast. I thought it was normal but havent run across anybody else with quite the same tradition. My wife's family looks forward to butterhorns christmas morning. They're kinda on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Any weird (or not so weird) traditions in your families?

It's a good time of year, if I can get this freakin house done, it'll be a GREAT time! Anyone wanna help? Just thought I'd ask.

Anyways, no real life lessons today (lately I seemed to be on a soapbox) I was too busy working (damn employers want me working not blogging!!) to think about other things.

Hopefully I'll get some good pics this weekend and get em up come Monday.

For those of you in the US of A, have a great Yankee Turkey Day!
.......mmmmm.... stuffing......