Journey & Adventure

I’ve mentioned before that I have a crazy-ass family.  My immediate family is slightly quirky, but it’s the extended ones on my mother’s side that cause me the greatest concern.    My mother was the eldest of 8 brothers and sisters and this is likely the reason she only had one child.   I understand that now – they are freakin nuts.   For as long as I can remember, there has been in-fighting between them.   At any one given time, no more than 2 would be on speaking terms.    It’s been going on forever and I’m pretty sure they’ve actually forgotten what they’re fighting about.     The majority of them live in another Province, with a handful within an hour of me.   I’m not close with any of them.   They don’t send holiday wishes or call just to say hello – unless of course they want something.   When my mother passed away, they surprising all came together for her funeral, but still were sep...

Well, The Boy is home from school for the summer…or perhaps longer and with that, my peace-keeping skills are already getting a workout.   I’ve always been the middle-man in my household – the “go to” person.     If J wants to relay something to The Boy, he tells me.   If The Boy wants his dad to know something, he tells me.   It’s not like they don’t speak to each – they do.   The typically get along without incident.   They both have their opinions and usually respect what each other has to say.    Usually…   The Boy has not done fabulously at college this year.   I honestly believe, it’s not for lack of trying, he tried, but he just wasn’t interested in what program he chose.       I understand that it’s hard to choose a program and a career based strictly on a college catalogue.     How can you possibly know what you want from life, if you haven’t experienced anything? ...

I don't normally like to bore you with my jewelry related stuff - that's what my other blog is for, but I just had to share my newest experiment.  I've been attempting to create chainmaille pieces.  Here is my first set of earrings.   I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and I absolutely love the skull beads.  I mean, I LOVE them...

I’m in the midst of the power struggle at work and I’m not even an active participant.   Although I’m in the Legal Department, I sit in the area of the Finance Department.     The Chief Financial Officer likes to believe that he will be the next in line to become President, so he has this God complex about him.   I stress the word “believe” because I would bet my salary on that not happening.   He’s just not smart enough or enough of a people person for that to happen – he’s not liked at all.   He’s arrogant and self-absorbed.  Need I say how I really feel?  I don't think he likes me either, so we're even.   The in-house lawyer, who I work for doesn’t want to become the next President, but technically he is viewed as being in “second in command” by the current President of the company.   This in itself pisses the Chief Financial Officer off to no end.   The lawyer is wound pretty tightly, but other than hi...

I should of saved this for “World’s Ocean Day”, but let’s be honest, I would have forgotten about it by then.    As with a lot of things, I received this in an email from a fellow scuba diver and just had to share.  It's a collection of children writing about the ocean.   This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles.   (Kelly, age 6)        Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)                      If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island.  If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent.   (Sam, age 7)    Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson.   She's not my  friend any more.    (Kylie, age 6)           ...

Okay, part of any healing process is to admit there is a problem in the first place, so I’ll admit it - this Winter kicked my ass and then kicked it again just for good measure.     So, now onto the healing part…   This past weekend was gorgeous – the sun was shining, the grass was greening, the birds were singing, the weather was warm enough to say “bye bye winter sweaters”.   I was able to open up the windows and let the fresh air blow throughout the house.   In the evening, we were serenaded by the frogs and toads waking up from their long winter slumber.      Heaven…   I could literally feel the cobwebs blowing from my mind while I sat basking in the sun on our deck with an ice cold beer in hand yesterday afternoon.     All is right with the world again…   Thanks to everyone for listening to my bitching and moaning these past months – it was much appreciated.

I cannot seem to shut my brain off or at a minimum fine tune it, so that I can organize my thoughts.   As much as I try to focus of something, I’m distracted by another thought or thing.   So, with all that said, here’s what’s on my mind:   The Boy is moving some of his stuff home this weekend.   I’m excited to see him, but not excited to see all of the crap he’ll be bringing with him.   I don’t know how he has managed to accumulate so much stuff in such a short period of time of being away at school.   Speaking of The Boy, he got the great summer job I told you about a couple of weeks ago.   He’s disappointed it’s not in cemetery maintenance, but he’s happy (and so am I) that he’ll be earning $12.50 per hour.   J had a phone interview for a new job yesterday.   Secretly I hope he doesn’t get it.   I know I’m awful, but I think he’s making the wrong decision by wanting to go to this company.    I believe ...

I’ve always struggled with the question “where do you see yourself in 5, 7 or 10 years”?   Realistically, I don’t really know.       In my fantasy world - I know that I don’t want to be working.   I know that I don’t want to be living in Canada during the winter months and I know that I want to be independently wealthy.   I said it was a fantasy world…enough said.   On the other hand, the real world tells me that - I’ll still be working, still be living in Canada during the winter months and I won’t be independently wealthy.     BUT   I do have a 7 to 10 year plan to get me somewhere closer to my ultimate goal…   To own a vacation property somewhere in the Caribbean.   Ideally I would like to own a vacation property on Bonaire, but I’ll go wherever I can get the most “bang for my buck” - without pirates or warlords of course.     My Plan to Get There…   I kn...

My new favorite show is currently airing on The Discovery Channel and it’s called “An Idiot Abroad”. Basically the show follows the not-so-adventurous Karl Pilkington while he visits the Seven Wonders of the World, at the persuasion of his friends Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant.  Steve’s hope is for Karl to broaden his mind with travel and cultural experiences. Ricky’s hope is that Karl will hate every minute of it…and he does.  The misadventures of Karl are unbelievably funny. I’ve laughed until I’ve cried during every single episode. It’s priceless…I guess I enjoy watching the misfortunes of others. What can I say?  I should point out that some of Karl's insights are brilliant.  This show is so well done - at least in my opinion.