Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bog Life

Sorry for the lack of posting lately.
I'm ramping up to finish my 3-year university endeavor. Considering I also work 40-50 hours per week, this has been a rough schedule and I'm looking forward to a loooonngg summer off.
And at the moment, it seems like my employer is doing everything he can to sabotage me. I've been assigned overtime work one or two evenings a week, as well as big projects over the weekends between now and April 14. They know that I'm bogged down with my current workload and can't handle more. While I don't think it's intentional, it is still in line with the general disrespect I've been given for pursuing a university education…

See you when the light at the end of the tunnel gets close enough to give me a tan.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Howdy Sailor!

Just sit right there and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...

For some reason, over the last couple of years I've developed a fascination with sailing and long-distance powerboating.
I just signed up for a sailing course. For the first two weekends in May, I'll be spending my days desperately avoiding the sludge splashing up in Toronto Harbour. God knows what's in that water…
And after that, I'll have my PCOC and some experience with the basics of sailing. I've already read "Sailing for Dummies," and am quite sure I qualify. The book went through the mechanics of the sport, along with safety tips, suggestions and ideas.
I'm really looking forward to it. 

Friday, March 18, 2011

Higher Learning

Last night was a beautiful, abnormally warm evening. I had an hour and a half between finishing work and starting my night-school class. It was a great opportunity to buy a fancy cigar, a large coffee, and peoplewatch for an hour. Since OLK won't let me smoke them indoors, now that it's starting to warm up I'm enjoying them while I can.  Unfortunately I didn't see the group of drunk university girls flashing passersby, just around the corner out of my sightline...

I also ran into an old professor while having my smoke, and we chatted for 15 or 20 minutes about our jobs, Project Management, and he even apologized for arguing with me in class one day.  We'd had a large (public) disagreement, and in the students the following year, someone else had disagreed like I did.  The prof then realized that he'd been wrong, and cited me as an example of a Project Manager that stands up for what he thinks he knows even when it conflicts with "the authority."  It was strange and unexpected, but reassuring.
Class was interesting: we had to submit our take-home midterm exam. Out of the four classmates who compared our exams before handing them in, I seem to be the only person who did it correctly. And I DO believe I did it correctly…
For the next month, I will be bogged down with the large class project before writing the final exam April 14. That will be my last day as a university student. For now.

I won't be resting on my heels though. Next week I'll be signing up for May sailing lessons at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre. Once I complete the first-level course, I've been invited to a weekly sail on a co-worker's boat. That should keep me interested and occupied through the summer.

Also, I've been taking singing lessons for the last ten months. Unfortunately this will also come to an end in the next few months as my teacher is moving out of the city in the summer.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Athletic Support

At the gym, many people wear flip-flops in the steam room, sauna, and showers. Apparently this protects you from Athlete's Foot.
Today, after working out, I headed to the steam room with a towel wrapped around me. Two other men arrived (separately) not long after, both buck naked except for their flip-flops.  They sat down for a good long sweat.
If you're worried about your feet picking up a disease, wouldn't you be a bit more concerned about slapping your sweaty genitalia on the tile seats???




ed.note:  Let's see how many hits I get from dirty perverts searching "sweaty genitalia."

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Ketchup

Sorry I haven't had a chance to write much this week. Not a lot has happened.
I've been working on my take-home Mid-term exam for university. And that's really about it.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see my parents. I was worried about my mum, not really trusting the assessments my brother emails me about her health. He sees things differently than I.
She's happy. That's the main thing. The last time I saw her she was in the hospital, begging relentlessly to be taken home. She'd forget that she had just asked, and ask again. So now she's home and surrounded by familiar places and faces. Unfortunately her mind is pretty much gone at this point. On Friday night, she spent a couple of hours singing the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies. Emphatically, and every time she got to "next thing you know ole Jed's a millionaire" she'd raise her hand and point at one of us. When I left for the evening, she looked at me and asked if I was coming back tomorrow. Saturday she didn't talk, just reread the same magazine all day, occasionally peering over the top to smile at me. When I left to come home, I told her I was leaving. "Yes" was all she replied. She didn't even look up.
So my mother, as I know her, has gone I think. But at least she's happy, in some sort of 'pleasant Groundhog Day'.
I left reassured that she's getting the care she needs, and isn't suffering.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Bad Start

This morning, I got into the elevator at the top of my high-rise apartment building. There was a mother already in there with her son. Her son had pushed EVERY BUTTON between our floor and the lobby. The mother idiotically smiled and shrugged.

When we finally made it to the lobby, the mother decided to teach her son some independence, and had him open the doors while setting up their umbrella. Keeping 4 or 5 of us frustrated and trying to squeeze past these morons.

When I made it to the subway station, a different MoronMom left her stroller blocking ALL THREE turnstiles while she dug through her purse to show the attendant her pass. Again, keeping everyone else from heading to work.

As I came down the stairs to the subway platform, a grey-haired man ahead of me stopped, in my path. Blocking the only way from the staircase to the platform.
I grumbled ‘excuse me’ and pushed past, hoping to not miss my train due to the 3 obstacles so far.

Of course, the subway doors opened to display a nearly empty car. That is, it was displayed over the two teenage boys that were standing in the doorway with their backs to the platform. They hadn’t looked to see if anyone was trying to get on, and didn’t seem to care. At this point, I pushed through angrily, shouting “f***ing MOVE!”
One of them looked at me, puffing out his chest, and confronted me. “What’s YOUR promlem?”
“A***oles like you are allowed to live with the humans,” I shouted. “get the fuck out of the way next time, or somebody might shove you under the f***ing tracks!”

I’m not having a good day.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Weekend Ahead

Two months ago I visited my parents. This was the first time seeing my mum since her dementia kicked in.
At that point, she was halfway through her month-long stay in the hospital. In late January, she was allowed to go home with nurses visiting a few times a day to take care of her.

I haven't been able to visit since, but that's where I'm going this weekend. I normally wait longer than this, but I want to spend more time there if possible. Let them know I care… And I don’t really trust the status updates I get emailed from my family, they're too subjective. Aside from the time it takes out of a busy life, it's pretty expensive to go there often. Car rentals are an expected chunk of change, but hotels are adding up too. I don't want my parents to feel pressured to play host if I sleep at their house.

Last time we stayed there, we were stuck at a $150/night hotel, which is pretty pricey for small-town Ontario. This time I racked my brain to remember the less-fancy hotels in the area. I phoned a few for rates and information, and decided not to stay at any of those run-down dives. I discovered a mid-level Comfort Inn that's more affordable but still clean, so I booked that.

As well as visiting the family Friday night and Saturday day, I'll be spending Saturday night going out with an old friend that I rarely see. The only one-on-one time we've had in the last few years was the morning after my bachelor party, and I miss that. OLK won't be coming with me as she has to work, and i'm sure she could use some time alone or with her friends.  So the two of us will go out barhopping and then I'll be crashing on her sofa (while she's safely tucked away with her husband - don't give me grief).

Sunday I'll simply drive home, before going to dinner and then a standup comedy show that OLK's friend is in.

This should be a productive weekend. Will it reach 'good' status?