Journey & Adventure

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since October.  Wow!  I don't know where the time went.  There are the usual excuses - work, family and the many, many craft/jewelry shows that I participated in.  There are times when the time passes so slowly and then there are other moments when the time just screams on by.  Apparently, October through December contained a lot of those latter moments. Well, rest-assured I'm still here and all have been good.  I've been lurking, I just haven't had the time or energy to put anything to "paper". J and I were fortunate to spend two glorious weeks on Bonaire at the beginning of December, with plenty of diving, sunshine and relaxation.  You may recall to Bonaire is one of the "finalists" in the places we wish to retire to in a few years, so it was good to spend time looking at the island from that perspective.  We toured many neighborhoods - discovered those that held potential and ruled ou...

Where has the time gone?   And by time, I mean Summer.   The temperatures have been above normal for October, so that’s not the problem.   The problem is the lack of sunshine and copious amounts of rain.   It’s dark when I wake up and close to dark by the time I get home.   In a few weeks IT WILL be dark by the time I get home and soon, I’ll need to have the snow tires put on my car.   After that, everything goes downhill until April... I’m experiencing a great deal of “funk” these days – especially as it relates to work.   I’ve got the “seven year itch”, but it’s only been 4 years.   Believe me, 4 years is like an eternity for me right now.   My job duties are in flux at the moment.   I’ve taken on extra/new duties, with the promise of a new hire to take some of my old duties away and as it just so happens, that new hire is still weeks off.     I’ve become so disgusted by this place, that I’ve given up caring about anything ...

It's Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday here in Canada and that means: A long weekend; Fantastic weather. Sunny and warm is what the weather people are saying; Local county fair should make for some great junk food fixins; and of course... Turkey and all the trimmings. On Tuesday, I will commence the self-loathing but until then...have a fantastic weekend!

Friendship is about being there to listen when someone needs to talk. Friendship is about being able to talk and having someone there to listen. Friendship is about doing things out of the kindness of your heart and not expecting reciprocity or monetary payment. Friendship should be unconditional and not about personal gain. Friendship is about telling the truth regardless of the topic. Friendship is about support and support can be given in many ways. Friendship should not be one-sided. Friendship should be everlasting and not fleeting. Friendship should not be insincere. Friendship should not revolve around Facebook. Treat your friends they way you wish to be treated, otherwise your friends will move on to find real friends that are worthy of their time.   Remember that…  

I wonder what’s wrong with the world and the people in it.  Can’t we all just get along? I wonder why people feel the need to share so much on social media sites. I wonder where sea gulls nest.  I’ve yet to see a sea gull’s nest or their babies, so I’m curious.  I could Google it, but I don’t really want to know.  I’m just content to keep wondering about it. I wonder how fast mice can run.  Have you ever seen them run across the road?  Those little guys sure can move! I wonder why I procrastinate.  I would feel better getting things done, but not bad enough to get moving on it. I wonder when I became so jaded towards certain people in my life.  I’m one to forgive (sort of), but never forget.  I’m trying to overcome these feelings, but it’s not easy.    I wonder what all the fuss about this ALS ice bucket video challenge is about.  I understand the disease, but enough w...

Where has summer gone? Or did it even arrive in this first place? I don’t know about where you’re from, but here, it’s been cooler and more rainy than usual. We have an “old wives tale” in our area that says when the golden rod starts to flower; there will be frost in approximately 6 weeks. Well, the golden rod started to flower about 2 weeks ago, so if the tale is true, there will be frost on the ground by mid September. My friends that I told you about a while back have officially moved to Panama. I’m so happy for them, but I won’t lie – I’m super jealous too. I know my time will come – if and when J and I can agree on a retirement destination. We each want different things and at this point, our only compromise might be splitting our time between 2 spots. Not the wisest move financially… The Boy has been home from school for a visit in between semesters. It’s been really nice having him home, but soon he will be back on his way and once again, our house will be quiet…a...

Do you every feel you can’t move forward because your feet seem to have been cemented in place?   Well lately, I feel like most every day. Work is the biggest culprit – there have been lots of changes, lots of changes to come and until those changes are finalized, my job duties are like a revolving door – constantly changing with the winds.  Don’t get me wrong I like change, but I also would like to have a sense of where I’m going to be long term and by long term, I mean for at least for the next few years.  We are short-staffed and I’ve been called upon to take on more duties until a replacement can be found.  How can they find a replacement when they aren’t even looking?  It’s been almost 6 months with no end in sight.   I’m not one to shy away from a challenge or hard work, but I also don’t like being treated like the “fix-it” girl – especially when it won’t be recognized in any way shape or form by the “powers that be”.   By the time...

I’m so happy it’s Friday.   I’ve been working “summer hours” for the past few weeks and it’s great – work an extra hour each day and then leave at noon on Fridays.   If only we could do that year round. Our friends booked their “one-way” flights to Panama this week.   Yes, they are retiring early!   I’m sooo excited for them – a little jealous too, but mostly excited.   I know our time will come – “patience grasshopper”. We haven’t been to the beach in a couple of weeks now – mostly thanks to bad weather and prior engagements.   I can honestly say that without those weekly excursions, my “life-balance” isn’t what is should be.   I’m not at all at peace with the world at the moment. Our annual reviews are upon us here at work and let me say, what a @#%$ waste of time.   Our raises have been predetermined months ago and no matter how stellar my performance has been, I do not have the ability to earn over and above the predete...

I’m having a tough time with this blogging gig lately. I don’t have anything to say – surprising even for myself! I feel so many people have lost interest in it as well or perhaps is the Summer weather keeping everyone active and away from their computers. That’s a nice thought, but I’m thinking the fad might be winding down. I’m not giving up on it just yet, but only time will tell. Yesterday was a holiday here in Canada – Canada Day. Seems pointless to have a Tuesday off. By law the holiday could have been “moved” to the Monday. That would have made perfect sense to have a long weekend in the middle of summer, but alas NO – common sense does not prevail in matters such as these. So now today, feels like Monday all over again. Aghhh! Work continues to be a “means to an end”. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it (most days) – it just happens, I get paid, repeat. It’s progress review time here at the moment. I hate them – they are a waste of time and I suck at trying to ma...

Happy National Pink Flamingo Day! You're welcome!

I mentioned in a previous post that J and I were creating a business plan that could assist us with our post-retirement sustainability plan.  I mentioned I would continue to sell jewelry as the area we are looking at retiring to has a great cruise ship business.  Well, J is also getting in on the "crafting" experience.  Here are some of his Surfing Flamingo creations (wine bottle candle lanterns and wine bottle wind chimes).  I personally LOVE them, but then again, I'm kinda bias.  Tell your friends - we will ship with the US, Canada and internationally too!

That’s what I feel like I’ve been doing lately – slacking, procrastinating, stalling or diddlefarting – the act of doing very little, while appearing to be very busy.  Diddlefarting is an art form and I’m proud to say that I have mastered it through many years of practice. In my previous jobs, I had plenty of time on my hands, so I became creative with how to pass time while maintaining the sense of having an extreme workload.  If you want, you can read about the finer details here .  *Disclaimer:  Results may vary.  Use at your own risk. Now, I’m very busy (for real), but with that said, I’m feeling burnt out this week and with that comes lack of motivation to work on the mundane task of this job.  So, for the time being, I’ve brought out the binders and sticky notes and it’s time to practice a little diddlefarting. Tell me, do you diddlefart?

Apart from our early retirement plans, and our scuba diving/travel adventures, J and I are truly boring people. We have little to no social lives, we don’t go to many movies, we don’t go to many organized events and we don’t participate in organized sports and we are basically okay with that. I like my quiet time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very social person when the opportunity arises, but I don’t need to participate in social activities on a regular basis. This train of thought came about when I was speaking with The Boy this past weekend. He asked what we’d been up to since he’s been off at school. My response was “nothing at all”. To that, his response was “What’s wrong with you guys? You used to be fun.” He’s right. We weren’t always this boring, but have somehow evolved over the years. I realize age might have something to do with it, but mostly it started around the same time our 5 Year Plan came into focus. Preparation for early retirement costs money and mo...

The early retirement plan is chugging along.  I wish I could say it was ahead of schedule, but such is not the case.   If anything, it’s lagging behind slightly. We have made a conscience decision that J would not go back to work.  He would instead spend his time working on the projects around the house, maintaining the yard and really just getting us in a better position to get the maximum return on the house when it’s time to sell.    Well, who knew we had so much unfinished business around our place.  He’s been off work a year now and the to-do list is still a mile long.  Believe me, it’s not for lack of working on things.  In fact it’s far from it - we finish one project and two more come to mind.  There are things we could probably leave and let the next home owner deal with – like new closet organizers, but since we don’t want to leave a dollar on the table, we are working to make things perfect.  Although we re...

I don’t know what has gotten into me today, but I am exhausted – mentally and physically. The simple thought of walking to my car tonight after work is exhausting me. I’m thinking it’s the weather as it’s been grey, dreary and raining for a few days now. Yesterday was our first warm day / night of the year. It is so nice to have the windows open at night and listen to the sounds of the frogs croaking and rain coming down. It’s not so nice once stupid dogs start to incessantly bark somewhere in the distance. If I could only figure out where… The pace at work continues at a rapid speed. I guess it’s a good thing because my days flash by like lightning. It would be nice to actually know what day of the week it is though. My sister-in-law is coming home for a visit from Ireland this week. J and I will head to Toronto to pick her up from the airport on Saturday. It will be nice to see her, but alas – I’ll have to forgo my nap that day. *sigh* On the upside, it’s ...

My friends have entered a contest to win an all expense paid vacation for one month to Panama. The contest is sponsored by International Living. These are the same friends that have an early retirement plan in mind for next year. So by voting, you'd be helping them out to get a head start. They are currently in second place in the voting, so it would be much appreciated (by me and them) if you could go to this link and vote for them. If you have more than one computer in your house - vote on each one of them, smart phone - vote with that too, at work - even better. VOTE NOW! Let's help them live the dream....

Where to begin?  I promised a full trip report from our trip to the Galapagos in March.  It’s now almost May and let’s be honest - that report isn’t going to get written.   I’ve been too busy at work to mentally process anything by the end of the day. Why have I been busy at work?  Well, while I was on vacation, they finally terminated a long-term, painful employee in our department that has been a thorn in the side of many for years.   Hence the reason for my busyness – I’ve been asked told to take on some “extra” work until they can “figure things out”.  So, in addition to my already busy contract portfolio, I now am responsible for our trademark and corporate portfolio.  Honestly, I’d gladly give up contracts for trademarks and corporate because there is WAAAY less drama and interaction with the outside world.  When did I become so anti-social?  Good question. Now, back to a brief synopsis of our Galapagos trip.  ...

Today was our first walk on the beach for the season in Canada.  We started out with hats and gloves, but by the end of our 4 mile round-trip, we were toastsy (actually sweaty) and the sun was shining brightly.  There is still a lot of ice on the lake and it will likely be there for a few more weeks before the open water reaches the shore, but it was a wonderful, sunny day.  It's been a long, hard winter for sure. The beachcombing was also fantastic and I was able to collect a few treasures that had been uncovered by the winter winds and receding water.  Here is one photo of a large purple, frosted piece.   Purple is said to one of the rarest of colors, needless to say, I was super-excited to find it.

Well, there's a longer blog post in the making about our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.  It is a truly awe-inspiring place to visit, but for now, I present a bit of our underwater experiences. Here's a little snippet prepared by J - filmed using my GoPro camera (which I should point out - I've never used since buying it over a year ago).  I did get to open the box though.  I think I'll let J keep it - he's pretty good with it.

Get your minds out of the gutter...I'm actually headed to the Galapagos Islands. Blue Footed Booby Red Footed Booby I'm hoping to post some photos from Ecuador provided we have wifi.  Hasta luego...

You may remember awhile ago, I introduced a logo, which has a work in progress.  Well, this is the final version… Well, the plan for its use is still forming, but we know the logo will be incorporated into whatever we decide to do when we retire early, which by the way is still 3-4 years away.   *sigh* We have some great ideas, but those ideas are dependent on a number of things that we can’t finalize until we are finally on location.   Surfing Flamingo - for now, is the name of our new Etsy shop.   There you will find some of J’s photos for digital download, his custom greeting cards (not your regular Hallmark line) and some of my beach-inspired jewelry.   I’m still running my shop, Flamingo Tongue Designs (hmmm I see a pattern forming in the names) – could that be a hint of where our hearts belong?  In any event, please feel free to stop by Surfing Flamingo or Flamingo Tongue Designs and see what we’ve been u...