More Music Notes

While driving this week I've heard some more great tunes. The other day the announcer gave a great intro for a tune so I perked up my ears, turned up the volume and gave a good listen. It was Blitzen Trapper playing the title track from their CD 'Furr". They are out of Portland, OR and have a terrific sound. They come to Toronto Feb 21.

Yesterday the same announcer intro'd a track by Pink Martini saying they were playing in town last night, and went on to say about the huge following they have in France. I've written about them before, like when I first heard them on the radio, and I like everything I've heard so far. If memory serves they are based in Portland as well ( or somewhere close by.)

Thank god for radio cuz I'd need quite an income to indulge my love of music. Forking out for CD's and going to see performances can add up in an awful hurry.

** For the last 24 hours I had some wrong info posted here which goes to show me I shouldn't write when I'm only half awake. I referred to a band by the name of Pink Cadillac which does exist - it's a long time local 50's & 60's band - but it isn't the one I meant to include here. Mega-brain fart there. Mea culpa. So I added links to enable you to more easily check out Blitzen Trapper and Pink Martini. Have a look at their tour dates and if they are in your area in the next couple of months, go support them and have a good time. ** NM

Also on the music front..... woo-hoo!! I finally set up my Bose music system yesterday and I can listen once again to my music!! Hallelujah!! I thought Lynda was going to faint when she walked in the door and saw it was about ready to go. We re-christened it with disc 1 from The Eagles: Long Road Out Of Eden. Today might have to be a Jeff Beck marathon (which I'm sure all the pets will enjoy).

More Snow

Some frost from one of those -20C nights.

Ice Sculpture on Steel

View from our front window this a.m. - my car is just visible peeking over the snowbank.

The flare above the sun is called an 'ice pillar'. Ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere refracting the rays of the setting sun.

Cool (as in cold) Pictures

Here are a few that have been taken over the last couple of weeks.

This is dog tracks frozen in the ice and snow.






















This was taken while it was still snowing. Shot from our kitchen/patio door toward the greenbelt.

A wider view from the same spot that shows more of our yard. Birch tree, willow, grape vines, wind mill.

A couple of shots got lost here so I'll publish these and try to track down the others.

Second Helping

Just finished round one of shovelling the walks, deck and driveway. I'm all out of breath and puffing like mad. Damn, I wish I had stuck with not smoking. Dumb ass!! To my small credit I've tried to keep it manageable at about a half pack a day - some days less; some a little more. Depends largely on the length of day at weeks end of my shifts as I'm up for maybe 10 hours when I'm turning it about to a day shift routine and sometimes I'm up for a full 24 going into night shift mode. I've been holding off playing my CD of my hypnosis session from when I quit because I want to psyche myself up properly for another full-on quit attempt. It had better be soon with the way I have felt these last few days. Exhaustion and smoking don't make good bed mates.

I also meant to mention my stepson is due back from Australia this weekend. He set up his shifts to run from 2 in the afternoon until 2 in the morning so he takes breakfast by the pool, swims and sunbathes before work and is apparently brown as a nut now. Lucky so-and-so!! Kel - we'll have to work on a house switch for next winter or the one after. Sounds like a worth goal to me. You and Mr X can enjoy the cross country skiing and downhill; Lynda and I can swim, sail and enjoy walking the waterfront in the heat. Fair trade!! Start saving your pennies.

Must get cleaned up and then go retrieve stepson #3 from his work; a 30 mile round trip in the snow storm. Loverly!! I should go take a picture of the front of the house so I can do a 'before and after' come May - one with all the snow and one without. Sounds like a must do. See ya!

Looking Back

Wow!! Wednesday already so how about a little recap??

Sunday I was up early in the afternoon to help Lynda with 'that' job we do each weekend. She had some car trouble Saturday evening so there was some checking around to do with that and stewing because she has extra hours booked to work all week. We both crashed before 10 that night.

Monday was a steady go from 5 a.m. straight through until after 10 that night. If my A.A. home group wasn't so small I would have begged off but I felt obliged to show up - and did. During the day I got some household stuff cleared up, some running around town done picking up car parts and shopping. Plus, catching up on blog friends new posts. The car got fixed by a friend. By that evening I was exhausted and wound up spending 12 hours between the sheets without feeling the least bit guilty.

I got up Tuesday not feeling all that great - headache, heavy feeling in my chest and generally blah. The plan was to take it very easy and do not much of anything but all it took was an early call from my Mom to rouse me. As my sister is leaving on vacation (again!) and weather isn't supposed to be good for the rest of the week she thought she'd best get a few things from the grocery store. No problem Mom.

My stepson was called back to work from his layoff and started back Monday. Lynda drops him off on her way to work and I pick him up at days end. That has worked alright so far but I figure there are already 3-4 inches of snow on the ground now at 10 a.m.; there is plenty more forecast and there is quite a distance to travel and get him. Oh, joy.

Yeah, the weather. Friday we had a tease of mild stuff to come - we actually got up to freezing!! That night it dropped right back to -20C; I could have cried. There were a couple more cold days but as this storm system moved in it brought much milder temps. I think we're sitting at about -5C which is comfortable.

Lynda is doing her regular shift all week but T, W, & Thurs she is putting in an additional 4 hours on-call for another department. She goes back in Saturday for a super shift; 16 hours from 7 until 11. (Then we do that job on Sunday again and she's back at work Monday. Fun, eh?? She's definitely working way too much.)

What's my day hold?? Well, shovelling snow for sure while trying not to blow a gasket. That trip to get stepson #3 and then have dinner on the table for when Lynda gets home. Last night it was pork chops in mushroom soup, sherry and seasonings with rice. Tonight it is schnitzel with peppers, onions, roasted garlic and garlic mashes potatoes.

Y'all have a good day; that's my plan.

Infectious Melodies

Ya know when you get a tune stuck in your head that just keeps going round and round?? Some folks call them 'ear worms' and that seems pretty appropriate. Lately I've found each day there has been a musical theme running about upstairs; sometimes raising quite a clatter, and other times it's a soothing comfort. Usually they are the simplest of melodies. For instance, about a week ago I eventually identified the tune as coming from the theme music in the movie 'Babe'. It took quite a while even to figure out what the source was but once I nailed it I was satisfied. A little, 'Aahhh, okay...' moment and I proceeded to hum away the rest of the day.

One morning this week on the way home I heard Rufus Wainright's cover of The Beatles 'Across The Universe' and it continued to play across my mind as I fell asleep. Only trouble was that it played all the rest of that day once I'd risen from my bed once again. Man, am I ever glad that I like that intricate tune. I'd have hated to be humming, whistling and singing a song all day that I don't care for.

I do wonder why and how this happens from time to time.... a few notes or a simple musical phrase lock in and continue to hit the repeat button for hours on end. Sometimes from a popular release, other times a snippet from a commercial on TV, some jingle or theme music from a show.

'Can't get enough of those Sugar Crisp, Sugar Crisp, Sugar Crisp.....'

'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer wiener, then the world would be in love with me...' or, like me the other day...

'words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup' from 'Across The Universe'; John Lennon.

There - that should be enough to get you started. Heh, heh.... Pass it on.

Bonus!! Here's Rufus. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=H71Fv3PcQQY

Man of Few Words

It's been a quiet week on the blogging front as there hasn't been an awful lot going on. There are a couple of things I've been working on and working through..... indecision and procrastination are working against getting to a solution in either case. Primarily it's been another week split between work, sleep and a couple of hours daily spent with Lynda before coming to work. Oh, and there's that struggle to get any amount of decent sleep, too.

Most of the writing I've done this week has been email dialogue and I find those sorts of messages time consuming. Especially with people I don't know personally I try to take time and put proper thought into what I'm saying so that I'm not misunderstood. The thought process takes long enough; the actual typing takes at least as long. Speedy on the keyboard, I'm not.

There is a blog I've been visiting for the last couple of weeks that I'm impressed with and would recommend. A music blog written by columnist Simon Sweetman of New Zealand. He and I appear to have similar taste in music and I enjoy the way he writes. I came across him while doing seaches for Jeff Beck - Simon interviewed him recently. Find him at http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/blogs/blogonthetracks?source=nav
One of his recent posts was about having seen Leonard Cohen in concert this past week - sounds like it was a great show. It prompted me to go searching on YouTube where I found some of his videos but I also came across k.d. Lang's version of Cohen's 'Hallelujah'. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE
Sheer bliss - such an incredible voice!! As in 'gift of God' sort of vocal abilities.... and when combined with Cohen's incomparible use of language in his writing you get amazing music.

Another artist whose music I've enjoyed lately is Habib Koite and his band Bamada. He is a brilliant young Malian guitarist. Check this out: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VRGALZdBA&feature=related

Here's a tune, My Sweet Love, from John Mellencamp's latest CD - Life, Death, Love, Freedom. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu_CAcJidaE

And a love song from Steve Earle and his wife Alison Moorer called 'Days Aren't Long Enough'. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=XBkimV4iQ9k

A treasure from an old episode of The Smother's Brothers show featuring Jefferson Airplane circa 1967. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1cfTMdjkYM&feature=related

If you don't like any of those there might be a problem with your ears.....

Having Fun

A big shout out to Lea for a reminder to have a bit of fun courtesy of the folks at Marvel Comics. You get to choose from lots of options in making a super hero graphic of yourself. Seeing as how this isn't my computer I didn't save it here but to see my alter-ego click on this link: http://marvelkids.marvel.com/cyos/422592/name/nm/hero/abnormal)
Too much fun!!
From that link you can start your own - check it out and do have fun. I did so, thanks Lea!!

One Other Thing

My eldest stepson is in Australia working on a project and is missing his son Owen terribly. He had been hoping to be shortlisted to head home early if the work went well. Lynda was talking to his wife last night and he has been asked to stay an additional WEEK. EEEKK!! Neither Owen or his Dad are happy at that prospect. Dad has also been offered a new job within the company in California. (Which would mean Lynda and I would HAVE to move there as well in order to be close to Owen.... lol) Discussion to follow on arriving home.

Coupla Things

I had a response from the customer service folks at Eagle Records advising me that the DVD release of Jeff Beck's latest has been delayed from Dec 08 or Jan 09 until April. Me not happy.... but I thanked them for the info anyway. Maybe they should just update their website???

On the sleep front - newsflash!!! Today I slept like a king and didn't get up until after Lynda had arrived home from work... and that NEVER happens. Ah, bliss. Praise the Lord, I was due.

Weather front - a high pressure system has pushed it's way into the area bringing clear skies and much colder temps. We're back down near -20 once again tonight. Unfortunately I was so late getting up I didn't get any photos taken of the snow. Maybe later today.

Beard update - I know everyone is breathlessly awaiting word on the latest developments here. Geez! For the last month I've let it grow on my cheeks to raise the line of it from running along the jaw line. Made it through the itchy stage last week without scratching myself up too badly. I think if I give it an overall trim today it should all be the same length and then I can start subtracting with the razor and figure out where I want it.

Once I was up for the day Lynda and I tuned in to CNN and caught the inauguration parade. Since getting to work I've viewed the actual swearing in ceremony and excerpts from Obama's speech. The satellite shot of the crowds before the White House was incredible - I haven't as yet heard any estimates of crowd size but it must be in excess of 2 million. I'm happy and relieved that everything went off according to plan and without incident. Blessings on Barack Obama and through you, to all your citizens.

Excuse me but I have to go view some WordPress tutorials now and consume a rather large bar of chocolate and almonds.

Update: Obama's Playlist

The final selections were announced Tuesday morning for the 49 songs chosen for the compilation to be sent to Barack Obama by CBC Radio 2 and their listeners. A little inauguration present from north of the 49th parallel. The list can be seen here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/

You are able to hear sound clips of each song and go on to purchase them from iTunes if you wish to.

A few of them I heard for the first time during the submission and voting period but I'll note a few faves here:
This is probably the most recent release and one that carries quite a message -'Brother (Watching) by Shad, a hip-hop artist.
One of Leonard Cohen's most sardonic and compelling songs - 'Democracy'.
The Oscar Peterson Trio performing - 'Hymn To Freedom'.
#1 personal favourite tied most closely to 'good times' memories of being up north enjoying the cottage - 'Bobcaygeon' by The Tragically Hip.

Apparently CBC received over 100,000 messages in regard to this by way of song submissions and the voting procedure. Nice to see so many engaged in the process. Enjoy Mr. Obama!!

Slow Motion Man

By the time I got home this morning I had been up for 21 hours and surprisingly felt pretty good. I had gone through a tired stage through the night and that was why when I posted I kept it on the short side and to the point - a bare bones account of the weekend. It seems that tonight is when I'm paying the price. The dogs had me awake around mid-day and I've been up and around ever since. Ever feel like you're slogging along wearing a heavy damp cloak long after your energy has run out?? That is me tonight on 4 or 5 hours sleep. During the day I kept busy with household stuff - laundry, dusting and vacuuming, and cooking - and managed to get away from the house to make it to work a bit early.

Primarily for our youngest dogs benefit (Milo), Lynda and I have adjusted our work schedules so he is well tended to. We had a talk tonight and decided we've done this long enough, he is grown enough that this shouldn't continue to be necessary. So, at long last she and I will have some common time at home instead of an hour here and there spotted through the week. Hallelujah!! Lynda will go back to her regular day shift and occasional rotation into a week of afternoon shift instead of every other week. We will enjoy having the chance to actually go out and do things together again.

We haven't had any sun since getting that dumping of new snow but I did get a couple of pictures that could be alright to post. There also hasn't been a breath of wind so everything has an 8 to 12 inch hat of pristine snow atop. Looks pretty damned cool. Really must get back into posting photos on a regular basis again - there's a worthy goal.

Today marks 6 years since Lynda quit smoking; or 2192 days.... and she has never looked back. Doesn't miss it and has no cravings. Pretty remarkable since she went along with my sister and I to the hypnotherapist not really intending a serious quit attempt. Right time; right place; right outcome. Sister Linda is coming up on a year soon via a different method. I'm back pretty well where I started; smoking daily but not as heavily as before.

Family Times

It's been a busy weekend spent with Owen and his Mom, Mom's friend Lynn and then at Saturday night's dinner both of Lynda's other 2 sons, plus one of their g'friends. Owen's Dad will be in Australia for another week working on a project. He finally had a day off for sight-seeing Sunday after a solid week of 16 hour days.

Owen and I coloured and drew pictures, counted, read, played with cars, planes and helicopters. Between times I shovelled snow. He decided again to sleep with his Gramma and I, and once again made it through the night. Owen and Milo are best friends except when Owen decides to cuddle up to Freedom. Then Milo and Freedom put on a play wrestling demonstration that is hilarious to hear and see.

It started snowing late Saturday afternoon and didn't let up until tonight. In total we had about 14 inches and it had me leery about attempting the drive to work tonight. The roads were lousy but funnily the worst part was getting off our own street - the drive took double the usual amount of time. Then I got to work and found our plowing contractor hadn't been here to do the job and almost got stuck in the driveway. Oh joy!! I managed to slide the car into a spot and will be moving it if he ever gets here tonight. The plus side of this is that the very cold weather is over for awhile - the milder temps brought the snow. That cold snap was a trans-polar airflow straight out of Siberia, btw, and it felt like it, too.

Back at work here for another week of nights so I've organized myself and reviewed the new admission's files. Very unusual but we have three new guys straight out of jail so there is some posturing going on, lots of street talk and gangsta stuff. (Knock, knock, knock.) 'This isn't jail, so knock it off' is the general message. Good house, growing in numbers finally.

Although I'll be sleeping during the actual ceremony I'm very much looking forward to Obama's inauguration on Tuesday. (Is anyone truly disappointed McCain didn't get in?) I can catch the highlights on the news or CNN when I get up that afternoon. Lots of good wishes to my Obama backing friends south of the border. Cheers to a brand new era in American politics.

Baby It's Cold Outside

The weather is what everyone is talking about here these days. Today's high temp was -14C and we're heading down below -20C again tonight. Lots of cold associated accidents, fires, watermain breaks. Shelters are opening extra beds and doing more outreach trying to get the homeless to take shelter. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 or 15 minutes; less time if there is wind.

I had a bunch of running around to do today and everything went incredibly smooth, tickety-boo, no waiting. A doctors appt, haircut, oil change - nice not to have the frustration of having to hang around cooling my heels. Layer up and give the car plenty of time to warm up and off I went. Hah! Layering up - I had a ridiculous amount of clothes on today but I won't bore you with the details. Normally I look like a long, tall drink of water - today I was somewhat rotund and was restricted in movement by all I was wearing.

Unlikely to post during the day Friday as I had yet another call-in for work; this time just a dayshift. Ching-ching. The weekend will likely bring a visit from g'son Owen and his Mom - Dad is on a business trip in Australia. I'm hoping they stay Saturday into Sunday again. Sunday night I'm back into my regular series of night shifts.

BTW - My comments regarding the weather shouldn't be interpreted as complaints, though it may seem sometimes that is the spin on them. Walking out of doors in this sort of weather is bracing, exhilarating and life affirming. (Though daunting at times - must be mindful of inherent dangers and precautionary measures.) If you haven't experienced it I highly recommend it even if it's for a short time.

Chillin'

Once I had all 'that' stuff out of the way yesterday I enjoyed a dinner I had thrown together, then some other tasty rib-sticking goodies and somehow managed to stay up until Lynda made it in from work. (There is a vegetable drink I've been enjoying lately - a blend of 10 veggies - made by 'Allen's'. One glass is never enough; have to have 2 or 3. I've been thinking it's be interesting to cook with too.) Then I was done, totally done after we'd had a quick check-in on our days. 10+ hours of blissful uninterrupted sleep - aahhh!! Hadn't had one like that in weeks and months.

When I eventually did get up it was a bit of a rush getting cleaned up in time to head off to a dentist appointment. I had planned to swing by the house I grew up in, the house Mom and Dad built there in the eastern suburbs of Toronto, but it had started snowing pretty heavily. Drat; and headed back to the highway and home. One of the hangover affects of doing all those hours is that along with being incredibly tired I'm awfully sore. Really sore; deep down achy to the point it is uncomfortable to even sit upright for any length of time. As a result I haven't accomplished as much on the home front as I would like but.... there is always tomorrow.

A few days ago I saw a hawk sailing about out in back of the house over the greenbelt area sporting his winter plumage. It was a terrifically gusty day and he was wheeling and swooping along looking like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Looked like an out-of-control kite up there but in a regal, superior sort of way.

Last night about 9 p.m. I heard a coyote's wavering call out back. We have heard it before on occasion but that sound never fails but to give me the 'willys'. The theory is that they're driven down this far south by persistent cold but I have no proof of that. All I know is that when I hear them I don't walk outdoors at night and I keep a close eye on the pets.

Lynda has been agitating to get things arranged and sorted out around here and I don't blame her. My stuff is still boxed (mainly) taking up room in the spare bedroom on the main floor and a good portion of a basement room. Problem is that I left the furniture items that held my stuff back at the townhouse where it is all being used. So, that's one project for tomorrow besides all the running around I have planned. Get a start on unpacking and arranging. Get the Bose system out and set up - I don't think I'll do the full surround set-up; just the centre channel and left & right speakers. I've lived music-less for long enough. Completely miss my tunes.

That should account for more than a few of my '50 Goals'. Stop dithering; get on with it.

Catch Up; Wind Down

Sunday night I had a call asking if I would do one of those 26 hour sleep over shifts Monday into this morning. What's a guy to say except, yes......
So, over the course of 10 days I've been on the job for over 120 hours.
Besides grocery shopping, laundry, sweeping and vacuuming my plan is to take it extremely easy today... and cook dinner. Lynda is working an extra long p.m. shift.

One problem though. It is January; this is Canada; there is also a bunch of freshly fallen snow to shovel. I'll rest later. It can't be left where it is because a very cold layer of air is pushing into the area today bringing temps in the -25C to -30C range. Yikes!! Time to hibernate.

Lea - if you check in here - check your junk email folder. I sent you a message a few days ago. I can re-send if need be.

Week - Ender

Whew! Another work week done, down and dirty in another hour. That's not a 'whew' as in I've been terribly busy and run off my feet. It's just I find 70+ hours a bit much and by the end of it I'm bushed and ready for a good long rest. There is a short sleep waiting when I get out of here; I need to be up early for that funeral. But you can be sure I'll be hitting the sheets early Sunday night and sleeping in as long as I can bear to lie there.

I haven't a clue what the week holds. There are some appointments to keep and personal maintenance sorts of stuff to do - dentist, haircut, oil change (on the car, not me). I'm not expecting call-in shifts but I may get lucky as there are lots of colds and flu going around. (Knock on wood, it doesn't land on me.) Must get Mom out of her house for lunch or shopping.

It's about time for another quit smoking attempt. The anniversary of Lynda's successful quit is approaching so I might aim for that and adopt it. It'll be 6 years for her. I so wish I hadn't blown off the 7 months I had under my belt but no sense crying about it. Pick a date and stick to it. Do anything else except pick up.

Through tonight the temperature has dropped to -20C with a wind chill of about -30. So cold it would freeze the ............... you know the rest. As cold as a witches heart at midnight on All Hallows Eve........ you get the picture. Lord, I live at the wrong latitude. There must be some alkies and addicts in warmer climes who need a little counsel.

Have a great week; I'll be around soon.

Movies

I thoroughly enjoyed watching 'My First Mister' (2001) the other night. Here's a short synopsis: link. It's a good story with strong leads played by Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks. The supporting cast includes Carol Kane and John Goodman. Give it half an hour and it will draw you in. Oh, loved the soundtrack, too.

Tonight I tried watching the third of the films I'd been loaned - 'Cinema Paradiso' - which earned an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. I gave it 45 minutes and wasn't even vaguely interested in the characters or story. I find the production values of European films to be very different to Hollywood standards - a sweeping generalization, I know. In this film I found the direction and acting awful, cinematography and editing poor and the sound recording bad. With a review like that I'll just bet you're anxious to run out and rent it - not!!

Lost Friend

Every Friday night we have an in-house meeting and there is a small core group of alumni who show up every week for it. Rain or shine, holiday weekend or not these fellows are here; for their own benefit and for the good of the guys going through treatment.

On arriving in time for the meeting tonight I was shocked and saddened to hear one of them had died today. 6 weeks ago David was a vital 69 year old gentleman brimming with energy and good cheer. Last time I saw him a couple of weeks before Christmas he mentioned he was feeling off and intended to get checked out by his doctor. At first look it didn't seem to be serious but his condition worsened rapidly and he spent Christmas in hospital undergoing a battery of tests. The diagnosis was pancreatic cancer. His deterioration was incredibly rapid. Now, just a couple of weeks later he is suddenly gone.

David went through treatment here a little over 3 years ago shortly after I started to work here. He really invested himself in his stay here and jumped into A.A. life following treatment. He and his family were enjoying his recovering life. He always showed up at least an hour before these Friday night meetings and we've enjoyed many talks. I'm finding it difficult to believe he's dead and we'll never have another of those talks.

I checked the local paper's online obit page and it is posted already. I know where I'll be Sunday afternoon. Paying tribute to a friend.

Stormy Weather

Thanks to a mention from a west coast blogger (Lea?, Am?, Glen?, David?) about their weather I got on the phone to my daughter in Vancouver tonight. I hadn't seen any newscasts all week and was unaware that Van has been paralysed all week by a series of heavy snowstorms. Poor Sarah; it took her 3 hours to get home from work tonight. This was her first week back at work, at a new job too, since she took maternity leave 16 months ago. What a week to be getting back into that routine. She is in Zeph withdrawal; too little time with the little guy.

Snow is a relative rarity in Vancouver as it enjoys a very mild temperate climate. They simply don't have the necessary equipment to manage in circumstances like this. The rest of the country sort of sits back and chortles quietly - we get tired of pictures sent of Xmas Day celebrated on the patio in shorts, tees and sandals. (B*stards!) And so we laugh.... poor buggers, ha, ha, ha.

Anyway, the streets are choked with snow, drivers are uneducated about how to drive in it, people are unable to get to work and things have been increasingly frantic through the week. Sarah said areas outside the city are experiencing serious flooding.

Here in the east we're back into the deep freeze again tonight at -15C. When I got up this afternoon it had got up to -8 with no wind so I took my coffee outside on the patio to enjoy some sun. Bundled in my t-shirt, track pants, robe, slippers and a heavy coat. Gotta get that vitamin D somehow, someway. Apparently that's the last of the sun to be seen for days to come - forecasters say we're in for lots more snow. Bless their pointed little heads.

Musical Gift

CBC Radio 2 has been soliciting listener suggestions for a compilation of 49 'must-hear' Canadian songs which will then be presented to Barack Obama come Inauguration Day - a nudge to remind him he has neighbours north of the 49th parallel who can make great music. Here's a link to a list of some of the suggested tracks:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/

There are a great many here that aren't familiar to me. I assume they are classical music, jazz or by French artists / groups. But scanning through it there are plenty of reminders for iPod fodder.

Monday they announce the top 100 and will begin to pare the list down to 49. I'm looking forward to seeing the result. It should be quite a combination of great material.

Let The Trumpets Blare

I knew this was coming up and only just thought to check; I like to observe these little milestones.

Ta-Da-Dah-Dahhhh!!!!

Today marks 2,000 days sober under grace and via a miracle. If I can, anyone can.

Okay, all better now..... back to regular blogging.

But I'll leave you with this - The Serenity Prayer. A.A. meetings are commonly opened with the recitation of the first four lines.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr

There were days early on when I thought I would wear out this little ditty. It got me through some tough times.

Bad Boy, Bad Boy....

... whatcha gonna do????

Missed posting last night, oops. Mea culpa. Working through some stuff, looking for advice, writing my way through it and looking at possible options & where they might lead. Yadda, yadda.....

Otherwise I got caught up with most blog friends and some emails. lah-dee-dah......hmmm....

I have stuff to do tonight so this is mostly a placeholder to let folks know I'm around and not just being lazy. There's a CV to tailor to a position I saw a posting for and then a couple of new emails I really need to reply to. If there is time left and my brain is still functioning I'll be back.

Y'all come back now.....

A Quicky For Now......

Being Tuesday I didn't have to be here at work until a little later but I still had my work out of the way in no time flat. I've been all round the web but haven't got around to my regular reads as yet. Soon..... well, later on anyway.

After a couple of high pressure, cold, clear skies days it has socked in again and is snowing steadily. The forecast is calling for a few inches of the white stuff, then a period of freezing rain, and switching back for more snow. It ought to be an interesting ride home come morning. C'est la vie.

There was a music group that formed back in '68, I believe in California, called Rhinoceros. It was the first of the super groups drawing it's members from a few different name bands including Iron Butterfly and the Mothers of Invention. Their first album, self titled, knocked a lot of people on their butts with it's blend of rock, R&B, blues and ballads. Woo-Hoo, I just found a website for them!! Turns out some of the members eventually settled in the Toronto area and are still playing. A little more searching ought to turn up some future gigs. In case you're interested here is a link: http://www.rhinoceros-group.com/index.html

Last night I watched a movie - 'Girl Interrupted' (1999) with Winona Ryder playing the lead. Angelina Jolie won a best supporting actor Oscar for her work. Good film; thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the counsellors I work with is a real film buff and this is one of three he loaned me. In a few minutes I'm going to watch 'My First Mister' (2001) which is directed by Christine Lahti. The other one is 'Cinema Paradiso' which I think is an Italian production and which Ken says is his favourite film of all time. High praise.... hope it's to my taste. Ciao.

Shotgun!!

Just sayin' - this will likely be a mish-mash of everything, all depending on how long I can continue typing away here.

New Years..... a couple of people have asked. We were undecided about which option we might choose and it was the weather that eventually determined we would stay in to celebrate. Through the day I went food shopping and picked up a small roast of beef. I slow roasted it along with some onion, garlic and sweet potatoes in a simmering sauce I threw together; did up some beets for a side dish. Lynda was home by 4; we ate around 6. I kept popping outside with the dogs and the temperature kept on dropping through the evening until it was down to about -20C. If we had to park and walk to the arena we had planned to go to we would have frozen by the end of a couple of blocks. We decided quite happily to stay in. Lynda was asking me where all our games had gone. Neither of us could remember if we had thrown them out back when we split and I moved, or if I had taken them with me to the townhouse where they would be gathering dust in the basement. So no Yahtzee, no Boggle, no cards, nothing.... we watched a 2 hour show on TV, then headed to the basement for bed. Lynda found the event we were going to attend being broadcast on the local cable station so we got to see the festivities and music acts anyway. Unfortunately we were both so tired we didn't manage to stay awake until the countdown at midnight.

New Years Day was full with some housework, a bunch of phone calls to family spread across the country, and packing my gear for that overnight shift Friday. I tried to find time to post from work Friday but that idea didn't pan out. I was the guy on the bubble here that day; short staffed to boot. My workload was actually light as my admission didn't show and the guys due to be discharged had left a day early. I ran one afternoon meeting session and hosted the in-house evening meeting. After 17 hours on the floor I was burnt and ready for bed. Unfortunately, as often happens to me here on those shifts, I was unable to sleep with the details of the day swirling through my brain. Back up at 6; woke the clients at 7; ran the census meeting at 8:30 with the Saturday cousellors; home by 10.

As I was getting in Lynda was on her way out on a mission for a couple of hours. Within a half hour her eldest son J arrived with his son Owen for what we had expected was a day long visit. We were happy and surprised they had packed to stay overnight. Once Lynda had arrived back home and we all had a chance to visit together for a couple of hours I wound up crashing into bed for a while. The bunch of us had a late pizza dinner while we watched hockey. The moments leading into the game held one of those incredibly precious snapshots when Owen's dad told him that the anthem wouldn't be sung until the end of the game because it was a Juniors tournament. He promply stood up and sang the entire Canadian anthem with his hand over his heart. Lord, times you wished you had a video camera!! Following the game Owen decided he wanted to sleep with Gramma and Pops so all three of us headed down to climb into the king sized bed. When he has done this in the past he has lasted at best half an hour before heading back upstairs to sleep with his parents. This time he made it right through the night; Lynda on one edge of the bed, me on the other and Owen lying horizontally between us. His feet on Lynda's belly and his head firmly planted between my shoulder blades; so comfy. The child slays me.

Owen turns 5 next month and he is as sharp as a whip. (Brag, brag, brag...) Counts past 100, knows the alphabet, recognizes letters and letter combinations and associated sounds, picks pictures that start with the appropriate letter, adds simple sums. He sat down with a couple of books Lynda had bought him for Xmas and was quite happy and interested to work away on them. Wait til he hits kindergarten.....

When we were up Sunday morning the bunch of us drove over to the townhouse for breakfast with stepson #3. He was foolish enough to ask us; we took him up on the offer. Bacon, eggs, sausage, home fries, toast, coffee and tea. It was all great. All it cost was Lynda's and my time doing up the dishes afterward while the two brothers had a visit and played with Owen. J and Owen split for home and Lynda and I had a full afternoon until I laid myself down for an hours rest in preparation for tonights shift. We had leftover turkey - hot turkey sandwiches - before I came to work.

More food - there is always a dinner left for me here; whatever the guys in-house eat, I also get. So, besides all that other food I've eaten since Sunday morning I also had a quarter chicken dinner a few hours ago along with dessert and a few sweet goodies along the way. I won't be losing these few extra pounds anytime soon if I keep this up.

What else?? I'm looking incredibly scruffy these days because I decided to change the line of my beard. Normally I keep it trimmed just above the jaw line but I've let it grow all up my cheeks until I figure out where I want to crop it. 10 days to 2 weeks growth now and I can't get over how much salt is in amongst the pepper. Grey, white and silver with the dark brown and black. Nice....

Mood wise I'm good. Lynda and I are really good. Much as I enjoy the holidays I'm happy and relieved they are over. It was a drag working nights through Christmas week again this year.

Thinking wise, these days, primarily I am grateful. That I have a wife, family and friends to care about and who care for me. Many people don't have that. That I have a home, and warmth, and a bed to sleep in. Many people don't have that. Back to food - can't forget food - I have a refrigerator and cupboards full of food and drink to quench my hunger and thirst. Many people don't have that. I enjoy good mental, emotional and physical health (I know; the mental part is debatable). Many people don't have that. That although I'm displeased with my job I am happy in these times to have meaningful work. Many people don't have that. That my addictions to alcohol and drugs have been relieved, my obsession has been removed. Many people don't have that. I don't have to search very far or deep to find reasons to be grateful today. T.G.

Hmmm.... about an hour and a half typing. That's enough, that'll do. All the news that fits.