Journey & Adventure

Turns out the pain I’ve been experiencing is actually a tooth infection, which when cleared up will lead to either a root canal or extraction. Extraction would be the cheaper route, but not likely the one I will choose, as it’s the very back molar on my lower right side. Without that tooth, I seriously doubt my ability to chew anything other than pudding. Regardless of the route I choose, it can’t be done before I go away, so I’m on some antibiotics and some regular pain meds. The dentist won’t guarantee that nothing will go wrong given my insistence on scuba diving, but he is hopeful that my “tooth won’t explode while on holidays”. He’s a glass half empty sort of guy…. I’ve been continuing to research the move to Ecuador and want to go now. I don’t want to wait 5 years, but moving sooner isn’t feasible since there is too much work to be done on our house in order to maximize our return on investment. I know patience is a virtue, but honestly, I don’t even know what that means… ...

I’m not sure which one it is, but I’ve got something going on that isn’t pleasant. I’m leaning towards it being a tooth issue because I’ve never had an issue with my ear before. The tooth on the other hand, has caused me problems on and off for over 10 years. First there was a cavity, then a couple of different fillings, then a crown and then a root canal (and another crown). The problem goes away for a little while, but eventually comes back. Well, it’s back now and the pain is once again to the point where it’s time for a dental visit. With only 3 weeks left until I leave on holidays, I want to make sure everything is in order, so I can stop eating Tylenol like candy. Tooth issues are particularly problematic for scuba divers because an improper filling or crack in the tooth can cause something called “tooth squeeze”, which is basically air trapped within the tooth cavity and upon descent and/or ascent, the trapped air has nowhere to go. Although I’ve never experienced ...

So, I feel sort of ashamed of myself and I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve just booked another vacation. I know, I know, I haven’t even left for the one in March, so what business do I have in booking another one? Well, I don’t have any business going anywhere after my complaining about how much the March one is costing me. Well on the topic of cost…cheap airfare is the reason I do EVERYTHING!!! I live for cheap airfare and literally receive daily updates from all of the major airlines and booking sites. I’ve been watching flight prices since last October for my favorite place on Earth (Bonaire by the way) and airfare has been averaging $1,000 pp. Well, $1,000 airfare is just too much to pay for something in the Caribbean when I also have to consider accommodations, vehicle rental and scuba diving. This morning, there is an e-mail in my inbox saying my watched flight to Bonaire has gone down by $250. Hmmm, that’s still a lot of money but I decide to take a peek at the f...

For the most part, I tend to read and then promptly dismiss my daily horoscope. Today however, it spoke to me. What did it say you ask? In my interpretation, it said…keep your mouth shut and hide from everyone because you are sure to say something stupid and get your silly ass fired. Actual Horoscope(s) since I can’t rely on just one: ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Much might be going on at work and also within yourself. You could become angry, but try not to act on that feeling. Sarcasm could be a whole other issue. You probably just need time to yourself. A walk might work. Close your door, if possible. ARIES (March 21 to April 19): This can be an explosive day for you, full of unpredictable events and arguments with powerful people. My advice is to tread carefully! Look before you leap. Eeekk….

I’m a decisive person. If you present a situation, I will present you with a solution. I won’t guarantee it will be the right solution, but it’s a solution just the same. If you ask an opinion, I’ll give it to you. It might not be what you want to hear and if it’s not, oh well - you shouldn’t have asked me in the first place. Ask me a question. I’ll give you an answer. Why the hell can’t people give me the same courtesy? There are numerous individuals in my life that cannot come to a decision on their own and it’s pushing me to the brink. I simply hate wishy-washy responses like… “I don’t care. What do you want to do?” or “It doesn’t matter. Whatever you want will be fine with me.” I could make all the decisions and never give these individuals any opportunity to make a decision, but that would be rude and uncaring. Instead, I say “Grow a spine and decide already. The earth will not stop rotating if you make the wrong decision. Trust me….I’ve made a few wrong...

For those of you that have followed along for some time, you know that I don’t like the winter months and although we haven’t experienced a rough winter, it still hasn’t changed my mood. I tend to feel like a hibernating bear - I don’t want to go outside, I want to sleep all day, I’m happy eating excess amounts of food and generally, I’m cranky when disturbed or put out in anyway. Even the ringing of the telephone sends my crank-o-meter into the “danger” zone. I’d been thinking that perhaps I need some socialization to make me feel better and to help me snap out of this funk. I even went so far as “throwing out” a few dates to friends to come over for dinner. Honestly, I was relieved when the dates I suggested didn’t work for the friends because the idea of planning a dinner party and socializing was starting to make me second guess my good nature (aka…it was making me cranky). Just like the winter, I know this moodiness will pass. It always does, but until then…I need a...

I received this e-mail today and thought I would share...   When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.' The profe...

Only 28 more days until my journey to the Philippines begins. I can’t believe it is getting so close. To be honest, I haven’t thought much about it with everything else that’s been going on with my life at the moment. I know it seems insane, but I’ve already started to pack. Packing for a scuba trip is a completely different form of packing and because we take all of our own gear (with the exception of tanks and weights), we need to start early to make sure everything is still in working order. Believe me, there is no such thing as “packing light”. With all the scuba gear, including regulators, suits, boots, BCD’s, mask, fins, snorkels, underwater flashlights, batteries for the flashlights and underwater camera equipment, my “gear” suitcase is usually just shy of 40 lbs and then when the first aid kit, sunscreen, medications (decongestant, Pepto Bismol, Dramamine, Tylenol, toiletries and anything else we think we might need that won’t be readily available) is added, I’m push...

I’ve never thought myself to be OCD in anyway, but lately I find myself consumed with my e-mail inbox. You see, I use my inbox as a sort of “to-do” list. If a matter needs to be dealt with, it stays in my inbox until it’s either been dealt with by me or had become someone else’s problem. Once it’s been addressed, it gets moved out of the inbox and into a customer specific folder. Out of sight, out of mind.  Life is good, but... Around my workplace, it’s like a big ole game of “hot potato”. Something comes in and of course, it needs to be dealt with ASAP. Sending a response to the person immediately is the ideal course of action, but lately, I’ve noticed a new mentality forming around here. I like to call it a “stall tactic” and my boss is the king of such tactics. If you ask him a question, you will get at least three questions in return and at least one of them will send you off on a wild goose chase…to places unknown, where no one has gone before and no one will go again. ...

Technically I was back to work yesterday after being off work for almost a week. I am fortunate that the company I work for provides for five days paid bereavement leave, which allowed me to attend the funeral of my grandfather in New Brunswick, Canada and spend a few additional days with family. Although the circumstances weren’t ideal, it was nice to spend some time with loved ones that I haven’t seen since my mother’s funeral in 2007. We also spent a fun day with my dad, just driving around the back country roads looking for moose for J to photograph. Sadly, no moose were seen, but plenty of laughs were had at my dad’s expense. He’s quite the character. After spending time with family, J and I took off to my favorite place in Canada - St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick. This small seaside village is located on the Bay of Fundy and is absolutely deserted in the winter, but the clean, cold ocean air and sunshine was just what I needed to clear the cobwebs and stress of the previous ...

I used to think every day was a good day to travel, but that is not the case today.  J and I are headed to New Brunswick, Canada to attend my grandpa's funeral tomorrow - we fly out tonight. I think this is the first time I've had to pack sweaters for a trip - usually I travel light because I'm headed south, but it's slightly impossible when headed to the east coast in February. Although, it's a sad occasion I'm sure they'll be some laughter.  My family is entertaining and I'm sure I'll get more than enough family antics material to fill at least a week's worth of blog posts.  If you've ever watched the show "Swamp People" - you'll understand. Thanks to everyone for your kind words yesterday.  I appreciate it.

Yesterday I lost my hero, my mentor, my friend – my grandpa. It wasn’t expected, but being unexpected doesn’t make it any easier. A loss is a loss… Being the oldest of 25 grandchildren, I spent a lot of quality time with that man. I'm sure I was his favorite.  He was the referee of many spats and the disciplinary to many actions. He gave love freely and asked for nothing in return. He’ll be missed by me and the many others whose lives he touched with his presence in his 84 years. Miss you Grampy…xoxo

As I type this post (which won’t likely get posted for another day), I’m waiting for news from J. He’s at the hospital with his immediate family (mom, brother, sister) where his Dad is undergoing open heart surgery today. I decided to come to work instead of being with the family because I thought “one more cook” might be too much for the kitchen to handle…if you know what I mean. Needless to say, I’m distracted.   UPDATE:   The father-in-law came through his triple bypass surgery just fine and now the recovery begins. There are times like this when I wonder about leaving for Ecuador. I realize 5 years is a long way off, but I still worry about the “what ifs” of having aging parents and The Boy still in Canada. On the “getting ready to escape to Ecuador” front, J and I have made a list of things that need to be done around the house before we can sell it. Once again, I know 5 years is a long way off, BUT it’s a big list. About 5 years ago we completed a major...

Part 2 from yesterday's post... Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”   Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.   Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to...

This is my 500th post.  Whoo hoo for me [or sorry for you]...   T his article was recently featured in our company newsletter and I felt it was worth sharing.     Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.   Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hur...