2012 is coming to a close and we welcome in the new year tomorrow. It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. I am really looking forward to 2013 and moving in a new direction personally.
I turn 37 this month and want to start making some changes. I want to be a better husband and to put Jodi first more often. I want to start managing money more efficiently and saving for the future. I want to take more time before making decisions. I want to continue to grow mentally and strive to face challenges head on instead of hiding a way from them. I want to take some courses to allow me to pursue long term career objectives. I want to read more, learn more and listen more. I want to get back to the gym and start feeling more alive physically. Those are just some of the things I want to work on in the year to come. I would not call them resolutions but, rather attainable goals for myself.
I really hope the US congress gets their ass in gear tonight but, I have my doubts. I am not quite sure why they waited till the last minute to sort all of their shit out with such an important deadline. I guess its only the economic future of their country at stake. I wish the politicians actually did what they were paid to do, represent the people and not their personal agendas. I suppose they do not have to worry about their economy as long as they keep getting their personal six figure pay checks. I simply do not understand politics and what exactly the point of government is these days.
We are watching the Rockin Eve on ABC tonight for the countdown. It is not the same without Dick Clark but, Seacrest does a pretty good job. We will probably switch to the Niagra Falls broadcast at some point which starts at ten. Maybe we will actually head out next year and go to Toronto. There is something comforting about being at home though and I would not trade it for anything. Ollie is having a relaxing night on the couch. Jodi is throwing some snacks in the oven and seems like she will make it till midnight this year.
I want to wish everyone an amazing 2013. The new year offers a chance to start fresh and look at the positive side of life. 2013 will have challenges like any year but, I have a feeling it is going to be a good one.
Take care and all the best. Shawn
New Year, New Chapters
Monday, 31 December 2012
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Blizzard Time
Jodi and I arrived home last night at around 1:00 am from our trip to Moncton. We were delayed and missed our connecting flight in Montreal. Fortunately we were able to get on a later flight and made it to Pearson International safe and sound. Our bags however, did not make the trip with us. It was frustrating to say the least as we had some frozen food that Karen sent with us including some lobster. The Air Canada baggage claim attendant explained that our bags were in Montreal and would be on the first flight to Toronto in the morning. We contemplated staying over night but, I really wanted to see Ollie and decided to return in the morning to pick up the bags which ended up being quite the experience.
I was only able to get a few hours of sleep before I had to get up and return to Pearson. The weather outside was not too appealing but, the fate of our frozen food lay in the balance so I started out on my trek. It was not white out conditions but, their was definitely a blizzard like atmosphere on the roads. I took the same route I take to work in the summer and the roads were pretty sketchy. I probably only averaged sixty kilometers an hour until I got in to Rockwood. I did not have a deadline to get there by so it was better to take my time. I got on to the 401 and the stretch of high way to the air port was a tricky endeavor as well. It makes it more dangerous when there are a lot of other vehicles driving in those conditions. I made sure to keep my distance from cars in front of me and slowly plodded along to the 427. I realized today that their will be an inherent danger when I do start plowing at the air port. I will not called in when the skies are blue and their is no snow on the ground. I will end up driving in conditions similar today and it worries me a little bit.
I got to the air port at eight o'clock and made my way to the baggage claim area. The baggage agent for Air Canada informed me that my bags were coming on flight 401 from Montreal and not the original slated flight 481. It would not have bothered me as much except that last night we were told specifically that it would be on the first flight out this morning. I was thus forced to wait until ten o'clock for the delayed flight 401 to pick up our bags. After retrieving our bags, I made my way back to the baggage claim. There was no way I was paying for parking after my ordeal and was quite pleased that the manager accommodated my request without hesitation. I then made my way to the car to get the hell out of there. In my haste to leave, I did not take my time and ended up falling down part of the escalator with the bags. I landed on my left hip and it is still quite sore at the moment. It was kind of funny at the time and could have been a lot worse. I was more embarrassed than anything and dusted myself quickly to avoid the eyes of onlookers.
The drive home was a little better but, was slow going. I was exhausted and made a Tim's stop in Milton to help me finish the last 45 minutes of the drive. I was so relieved to make it home, have a shower and go back to bed. I am also happy to report that the frozen meats we were sent home with made it through with flying colours.
I rested for a few hours and then took Ollie for a good play at the arena. He must have been dying to run after we had been a way for five days. I picked up some groceries and am now catching up on some NCAA hoops.
So it has been quite an eventful twenty four hours. I am really looking forward to a low key day tomorrow and watching the final week of the NFL regular season.
I have learned through my years of driving that you have to let the road and weather conditions dictate how you approach driving in the winter. There is no sense in rushing somewhere only to get in an accident and risk lives. Give a lot of space between those driving in front you as reaction time is severely reduced in bad conditions. Do not let someone riding your tail push you to drive faster than you are comfortable with. Tail gating is my biggest pet peeve with other drivers and it puts people at unnecessary risk.
Dinner is almost ready so I will end for today. Hope all is well in your little corner of the world.
Take care, Shawn.
Unnecessary risk is foolish.
I was only able to get a few hours of sleep before I had to get up and return to Pearson. The weather outside was not too appealing but, the fate of our frozen food lay in the balance so I started out on my trek. It was not white out conditions but, their was definitely a blizzard like atmosphere on the roads. I took the same route I take to work in the summer and the roads were pretty sketchy. I probably only averaged sixty kilometers an hour until I got in to Rockwood. I did not have a deadline to get there by so it was better to take my time. I got on to the 401 and the stretch of high way to the air port was a tricky endeavor as well. It makes it more dangerous when there are a lot of other vehicles driving in those conditions. I made sure to keep my distance from cars in front of me and slowly plodded along to the 427. I realized today that their will be an inherent danger when I do start plowing at the air port. I will not called in when the skies are blue and their is no snow on the ground. I will end up driving in conditions similar today and it worries me a little bit.
I got to the air port at eight o'clock and made my way to the baggage claim area. The baggage agent for Air Canada informed me that my bags were coming on flight 401 from Montreal and not the original slated flight 481. It would not have bothered me as much except that last night we were told specifically that it would be on the first flight out this morning. I was thus forced to wait until ten o'clock for the delayed flight 401 to pick up our bags. After retrieving our bags, I made my way back to the baggage claim. There was no way I was paying for parking after my ordeal and was quite pleased that the manager accommodated my request without hesitation. I then made my way to the car to get the hell out of there. In my haste to leave, I did not take my time and ended up falling down part of the escalator with the bags. I landed on my left hip and it is still quite sore at the moment. It was kind of funny at the time and could have been a lot worse. I was more embarrassed than anything and dusted myself quickly to avoid the eyes of onlookers.
The drive home was a little better but, was slow going. I was exhausted and made a Tim's stop in Milton to help me finish the last 45 minutes of the drive. I was so relieved to make it home, have a shower and go back to bed. I am also happy to report that the frozen meats we were sent home with made it through with flying colours.
I rested for a few hours and then took Ollie for a good play at the arena. He must have been dying to run after we had been a way for five days. I picked up some groceries and am now catching up on some NCAA hoops.
So it has been quite an eventful twenty four hours. I am really looking forward to a low key day tomorrow and watching the final week of the NFL regular season.
I have learned through my years of driving that you have to let the road and weather conditions dictate how you approach driving in the winter. There is no sense in rushing somewhere only to get in an accident and risk lives. Give a lot of space between those driving in front you as reaction time is severely reduced in bad conditions. Do not let someone riding your tail push you to drive faster than you are comfortable with. Tail gating is my biggest pet peeve with other drivers and it puts people at unnecessary risk.
Dinner is almost ready so I will end for today. Hope all is well in your little corner of the world.
Take care, Shawn.
Unnecessary risk is foolish.
Friday, 28 December 2012
Happy Holidays
I want to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas. Hope the day was filled with joy and holiday cheer.
I have not written in my blog for over a week. Honestly, I have not felt like writing as I was having a case of the holiday blues. I was having a hard time focusing mentally on the positive and relegating my mood to negative thought processes. It would have helped me to write but, I got caught up in a cycle of the "downzies".
I am in Moncton now visiting the Praught clan for the holidays. I think it was just what the doctor ordered and I have really enjoyed my time here. It was hard leaving Ollie behind but, this trip has been helpful in regaining a sense of hopefulness moving in to 2013. Bernie and Karen are wonderful people and have made every effort to make us feel at home here. It was great to catch up with Duane and Erin as well and hear about all their exciting plans for the year ahead. Little Kaye was full of the Christmas spirit and brought her exuberant energy to the festivities.
I got a call from the air port on Wednesday night to plow on Thursday. Obviously I had to say no as I was here but, it was a good sign that they were thinking of me to come in. There was an abundant snow fall here last night and the plows were out in full force. I was not sure about working at the air port with the distance from home but, watching them last night made me eager to get things going. Now I just have to hope Toronto starts getting a steady dose of winter.
We fly home tonight and should be back by eleven at night. I am excited to see Ollie and watch his tail wag profusely as we walk in the door. Might be hard to understand how hard it is leave a dog behind but, he is part of our family. My brother Matt was able to hang out with him for a bit which was quite helpful to us. My parents were a big help in taking care of him and I am grateful for that.
I am not sure that we have any major plans for the weekend but, I am sure I will be watching the final day of the regular season in the NFL. The AFC is all wrapped up but, the NFC wild cards are still up in the air. Should be interesting to see how it unfolds. I am pulling for the Redskins in the Sunday night game. I have nothing against the Cowboys but, love what RG3 and the Skins have done over the last half of the season.
Think it is coffee time so I will end here. Happy Friday. Take care, Shawn.
Hold on to your dreams, you never know how life will unfold.
I have not written in my blog for over a week. Honestly, I have not felt like writing as I was having a case of the holiday blues. I was having a hard time focusing mentally on the positive and relegating my mood to negative thought processes. It would have helped me to write but, I got caught up in a cycle of the "downzies".
I am in Moncton now visiting the Praught clan for the holidays. I think it was just what the doctor ordered and I have really enjoyed my time here. It was hard leaving Ollie behind but, this trip has been helpful in regaining a sense of hopefulness moving in to 2013. Bernie and Karen are wonderful people and have made every effort to make us feel at home here. It was great to catch up with Duane and Erin as well and hear about all their exciting plans for the year ahead. Little Kaye was full of the Christmas spirit and brought her exuberant energy to the festivities.
I got a call from the air port on Wednesday night to plow on Thursday. Obviously I had to say no as I was here but, it was a good sign that they were thinking of me to come in. There was an abundant snow fall here last night and the plows were out in full force. I was not sure about working at the air port with the distance from home but, watching them last night made me eager to get things going. Now I just have to hope Toronto starts getting a steady dose of winter.
We fly home tonight and should be back by eleven at night. I am excited to see Ollie and watch his tail wag profusely as we walk in the door. Might be hard to understand how hard it is leave a dog behind but, he is part of our family. My brother Matt was able to hang out with him for a bit which was quite helpful to us. My parents were a big help in taking care of him and I am grateful for that.
I am not sure that we have any major plans for the weekend but, I am sure I will be watching the final day of the regular season in the NFL. The AFC is all wrapped up but, the NFC wild cards are still up in the air. Should be interesting to see how it unfolds. I am pulling for the Redskins in the Sunday night game. I have nothing against the Cowboys but, love what RG3 and the Skins have done over the last half of the season.
Think it is coffee time so I will end here. Happy Friday. Take care, Shawn.
Hold on to your dreams, you never know how life will unfold.
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Sunday Night Football
Alas, it is a Sunday night and I am watching some football again. It is 31-10 half way through the third quarter for the Niners over the Pats. Normally I would make my way up to bed but, this game is far from over. With Brady and company, no lead is safe. I have been quite impressed with the way San Fran has controlled the pace of the game. Turnovers have killed New England so far and the Niners have made them pay. I love this time of year in the NFL as play off races really heat up. Should be interesting to see how everything unfolds in the last two weeks.
The thing I enjoy about watching sports is that it provides a break from reality. For a few hours, you can forget about the world around you and just enjoy two teams competing fiercely against one another. Sport has always been a big part of my life growing up. They helped me transition in to high school when I knew no one at the school. If I did not have a gift for athletics, establishing new relationships would have been far more difficult. Some of the friendships I made in the first year of high school have stood the test of time and I still maintain some to this day.
I am not sure what my plans are for the week but, I am looking forward to the holidays. Our trip to Moncton should be a lot of fun although I will miss Ollie quite a bit. I really need to get back to the gym soon. It is important for me to stay active and maintain a certain level of fitness. I make a living with my body and I really benefit mentally from working out on a daily basis.
That's it for tonight. Nothing too thought provoking for today.
Have a great week. Take care, Shawn.
Each new day presents an opportunity to grow as an individual.
The thing I enjoy about watching sports is that it provides a break from reality. For a few hours, you can forget about the world around you and just enjoy two teams competing fiercely against one another. Sport has always been a big part of my life growing up. They helped me transition in to high school when I knew no one at the school. If I did not have a gift for athletics, establishing new relationships would have been far more difficult. Some of the friendships I made in the first year of high school have stood the test of time and I still maintain some to this day.
I am not sure what my plans are for the week but, I am looking forward to the holidays. Our trip to Moncton should be a lot of fun although I will miss Ollie quite a bit. I really need to get back to the gym soon. It is important for me to stay active and maintain a certain level of fitness. I make a living with my body and I really benefit mentally from working out on a daily basis.
That's it for tonight. Nothing too thought provoking for today.
Have a great week. Take care, Shawn.
Each new day presents an opportunity to grow as an individual.
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Coffee Time
Jodi and I had my boss and his wife over for coffee this morning. It was the first time they have had a chance to come up here to see our place. It was nice to catch up and visit before the holidays. They have been so good to me over the years and I really appreciate them giving me a second chance to work for them the last few years. I got a pair of binoculars from them which I am going to put to good use. I will probably see them again early in the new year for a coffee. I am going to the Landscaping Convention in January as my boss got us all tickets. I am hoping to look in to a few pieces of equipment for next year. I am not sure if I will have a chance to start my own business in the near future but, I would like to start accumulating some of my own tools. I will search out some customers for some summer pruning next year on the weekends. I am quite accomplished at pruning and know I could get some business if I put some effort in to it.
Jodi was picketing on Friday morning for one of the planned walk outs scheduled by ETFO. I walked down with Ollie to support them for a while. I truly hope the two sides can get together and come to a compromise. The general public may think it is about money but, that really has nothing to do with it. I believe the teachers union already agreed to a pay freeze last year. The issue has more to do with the lack of negotiation from the governments side. Bill 115 that was passed by the Ontario Legislature gives the Education Minister an absorbent amount of power and essentially gives the union no power to negotiate a fair contract for all involved. The Charter of Rights it seems has been thrown out the window and I am proud that ETFO has taken a stand. People may or may not understand the position of the teachers but, I believe they are fighting for their democratic rights. It would be easy for them to give in and let the government have their way but, what would that teach the students they so proudly educate on a daily basis. It would teach them that when confronting a challenging situation, it is fine to just give up without standing up for yourself and what you believe in. I know unions are often a touchy subject but, I am proud of ETFO for what they are trying to accomplish.
I was horrified to hear about the tragic news in New Town, Connecticut. Such a senseless act of violence that will have an ever lasting impact on those families and community. My thoughts and prayers go out to them in this difficult time. I simply do not understand why there has always been such a fight in America to have the right to bear arms. The amount of people that have died from a bullet from a hand gun is mind boggling. I just do not get it but, I fear nothing will ever change.
My mind has been fairly relaxed of late. I have been taking my increased dose of medications and making a conscience effort to slow my thoughts down. I am really looking forward to the holiday season and visiting Jodi's family out east. I am quite fortunate to have such wonderful in-laws. Karen and Bernie have always made feel like one of the family and have been very good to me. I will also get a chance to catch up with her brother Duane and his girlfriend Erin. We should have some spirited games of Wizard which is one of the best games ever.
I think we might watch ELF tonight. A classic Christmas movie and I am a huge fan of Will Ferrell.
I hope you have a great end to your weekend. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Change is only possible if we push for it.
Jodi was picketing on Friday morning for one of the planned walk outs scheduled by ETFO. I walked down with Ollie to support them for a while. I truly hope the two sides can get together and come to a compromise. The general public may think it is about money but, that really has nothing to do with it. I believe the teachers union already agreed to a pay freeze last year. The issue has more to do with the lack of negotiation from the governments side. Bill 115 that was passed by the Ontario Legislature gives the Education Minister an absorbent amount of power and essentially gives the union no power to negotiate a fair contract for all involved. The Charter of Rights it seems has been thrown out the window and I am proud that ETFO has taken a stand. People may or may not understand the position of the teachers but, I believe they are fighting for their democratic rights. It would be easy for them to give in and let the government have their way but, what would that teach the students they so proudly educate on a daily basis. It would teach them that when confronting a challenging situation, it is fine to just give up without standing up for yourself and what you believe in. I know unions are often a touchy subject but, I am proud of ETFO for what they are trying to accomplish.
I was horrified to hear about the tragic news in New Town, Connecticut. Such a senseless act of violence that will have an ever lasting impact on those families and community. My thoughts and prayers go out to them in this difficult time. I simply do not understand why there has always been such a fight in America to have the right to bear arms. The amount of people that have died from a bullet from a hand gun is mind boggling. I just do not get it but, I fear nothing will ever change.
My mind has been fairly relaxed of late. I have been taking my increased dose of medications and making a conscience effort to slow my thoughts down. I am really looking forward to the holiday season and visiting Jodi's family out east. I am quite fortunate to have such wonderful in-laws. Karen and Bernie have always made feel like one of the family and have been very good to me. I will also get a chance to catch up with her brother Duane and his girlfriend Erin. We should have some spirited games of Wizard which is one of the best games ever.
I think we might watch ELF tonight. A classic Christmas movie and I am a huge fan of Will Ferrell.
I hope you have a great end to your weekend. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Change is only possible if we push for it.
Monday, 10 December 2012
What's up Doc?
I am up watching the Texans/Patriots game so I thought I may has well write a bit during commercial breaks. I really should head to bed as I am helping Sheldon again tomorrow but, have been looking forward to this game all day. Has been a bit of a let down thus far from the Texans stand point. I would hate to run in to New England in the play offs as they seem to be running on all cylinders at this point of the season.
I went to see my family doctor today to talk about my meds and check in. I am quite fortunate to have such an amazing physician looking out for my well being. He has been an instrumental part of getting me through some pretty shitty times and I am thankful for the caring and compassionate way in which he has dealt with my journey. I had my two meds increased by half a pill to help me stabilize for the next few months. I take one medication at night to help slow my mind down to enable me to sleep properly. The other one is a mood stabilizer which I take in the morning. Do I still have bad days on medication? Hell yes. Do I think they help me function better as a person? Absolutely.
Taking medication for mental illness is only part of the ultimate goal of maintaining some sort of balance in my life. I try to live simple now, taking one step at a time. I get myself in to trouble when I do not take time to process my thoughts and slow things down in my mind. That is often easier said than done but, I am getting better at handling situations life puts before me.
I look back twenty years a go when I started exhibiting some signs of bi-polar 2 disorder. I never really understood back then what I was going through and mental health was not really discussed too much back then. I strongly support programs that reach out to youth with regards to mental health and addiction. I believe that the sooner someone can be reached, the better chance they will have at success moving forward.
The Pats seem to be running a way with this game so I think I will head to bed. I am looking forward to working with Sheldon and Marcel tomorrow and to make some good progress on the project we are working on.
Asking for help is not a weakness.
Happy Monday, enjoy your week. Take care, Shawn.
I went to see my family doctor today to talk about my meds and check in. I am quite fortunate to have such an amazing physician looking out for my well being. He has been an instrumental part of getting me through some pretty shitty times and I am thankful for the caring and compassionate way in which he has dealt with my journey. I had my two meds increased by half a pill to help me stabilize for the next few months. I take one medication at night to help slow my mind down to enable me to sleep properly. The other one is a mood stabilizer which I take in the morning. Do I still have bad days on medication? Hell yes. Do I think they help me function better as a person? Absolutely.
Taking medication for mental illness is only part of the ultimate goal of maintaining some sort of balance in my life. I try to live simple now, taking one step at a time. I get myself in to trouble when I do not take time to process my thoughts and slow things down in my mind. That is often easier said than done but, I am getting better at handling situations life puts before me.
I look back twenty years a go when I started exhibiting some signs of bi-polar 2 disorder. I never really understood back then what I was going through and mental health was not really discussed too much back then. I strongly support programs that reach out to youth with regards to mental health and addiction. I believe that the sooner someone can be reached, the better chance they will have at success moving forward.
The Pats seem to be running a way with this game so I think I will head to bed. I am looking forward to working with Sheldon and Marcel tomorrow and to make some good progress on the project we are working on.
Asking for help is not a weakness.
Happy Monday, enjoy your week. Take care, Shawn.
Saturday, 8 December 2012
Happy Saturday
My mind had been racing quite a bit at the beginning of the week and was struggling to find a balance mentally. I was being more pessimistic rather than the optimal optimistic. Then on Wednesday night I got a text from Marcel whom I worked with in the summer. He asked if I was available to work on Thursday helping out Sheldon with a construction project. I was able to work the last two days which enabled me to distract my mind and feel positive about the weeks to come prior to Christmas.
Sheldon is an awesome guy and I am thankful he thought of me to help him out. We spent the last few days back filling the foundation of the structure he had put up. I spent a lot of time tamping down the fill and even got some time on the John Deere which was an awesome machine to run. The aspect I enjoyed most was having a stress free environment. Sheldon expects a certain level of work from us but, he is pretty laid back and that made working with him that much better. It is certainly a lot easier on me mentally when there is no stress involved and enable me to have fun working outside in sub par conditions.
We are going down to visit the Chapman's today and might take Elias skating. Will be great to spend some time with them and see how they are recovering from the events earlier in the week. I love getting a chance to visit with them and see my awesome nephew, Elias. Then Jodi and I are spending the night in Toronto which will be a nice reprieve from our normal weekend routine. I am particularly excited to got to Lulu Lemon to pick of some items for Jodi's friend. There was a bit of sarcasm in that statement but, Jodi loves browsing in that store so I will tag along without objection.
I think we are going out for a Thai dinner somewhere in the downtown core. We have not been a way together for a night in probably eight months. The last time was at Nationals in Kingston to watch Trinity Western and visit with Ryan. I hate leaving Ollie alone but, we need this time a way together and I am really looking forward to it.
As I sit here writing, I feel quite content today and am confident my mind will be at peace for the next few days. I have nothing else pressing to write about this morning so I will end here for now.
Have a Happy Saturday. Take care, Shawn.
Live, Laugh, Love.
Sheldon is an awesome guy and I am thankful he thought of me to help him out. We spent the last few days back filling the foundation of the structure he had put up. I spent a lot of time tamping down the fill and even got some time on the John Deere which was an awesome machine to run. The aspect I enjoyed most was having a stress free environment. Sheldon expects a certain level of work from us but, he is pretty laid back and that made working with him that much better. It is certainly a lot easier on me mentally when there is no stress involved and enable me to have fun working outside in sub par conditions.
We are going down to visit the Chapman's today and might take Elias skating. Will be great to spend some time with them and see how they are recovering from the events earlier in the week. I love getting a chance to visit with them and see my awesome nephew, Elias. Then Jodi and I are spending the night in Toronto which will be a nice reprieve from our normal weekend routine. I am particularly excited to got to Lulu Lemon to pick of some items for Jodi's friend. There was a bit of sarcasm in that statement but, Jodi loves browsing in that store so I will tag along without objection.
I think we are going out for a Thai dinner somewhere in the downtown core. We have not been a way together for a night in probably eight months. The last time was at Nationals in Kingston to watch Trinity Western and visit with Ryan. I hate leaving Ollie alone but, we need this time a way together and I am really looking forward to it.
As I sit here writing, I feel quite content today and am confident my mind will be at peace for the next few days. I have nothing else pressing to write about this morning so I will end here for now.
Have a Happy Saturday. Take care, Shawn.
Live, Laugh, Love.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Rage
My brother in law Bart was admitted to hospital yesterday as he collapsed at home. His heart stopped beating a few times at the hospital and they had to do compression's to get it going again. He was in the intensive care unit over night and a pacemaker was successfully put in yesterday. He is stable now and is resting at home which I am extremely grateful for. Bart is a huge part of my life and has become one of my best friends so I am glad he pulled through.
On the way down to see him yesterday, I was listening to a Toronto radio station. I am not going to mention which one as it serves no purpose at this point. The host of the show was attacking teachers in a very negative and hurtful way. Much of what he was saying was not even accurate and it made me incensed to hear those comments. Jodi is a teacher and many of my friends are teachers so I took it very personally. I responded in a rage with an ill advised e-mail to the host which was in turn read on the air. As it was a reactionary e-mail written in anger, rather than with concise thought, the spelling and sentence structures were not exactly literary works of art. I also dropped an F bomb at the end of it. Needless to say, it backfired on me. It was read on air and was mocked profusely for its grammatical imperfections and the point I was trying to make was lost in the rage induced rant.
Although my intentions were only to defend my wife and good friends, I did not approach it in a sensible way. I reacted immediately and did not take the time to think about what I was saying. By responding to his comments in anger, I gave him the upper hand as it proved that he was able to affect my deepest emotions. The lesson I learned is that I need to take time to pause, think things through and then proceed with any actions or words that I deem fit. I will not make that mistake again and need to pay heed to that statement for all aspects of my life.
I have been having a hard time of late. The "downzies" have been slowly creeping back in to my life. I have started to only see the negative aspects of my situation and have taken great comfort in feeling sorry for myself. I only have myself to blame as saving money for times like this has not always been my strong suit. I seem to kick myself after the fact and need to make better provisions for this time of year the next time around. I have applied for some jobs and am anxiously awaiting some snow. I have enjoyed spending more time with Ollie and taking him off leash at the arena. I have started reading Donald Miller again and love the way he writes about faith.
I am thankful for what I do have. I need to stop living in the past and thinking about all the things I should have done differently. I cannot change that so I better start finding ways to change the course of my future.
That is is for me today. Looking forward to seeing Bart, Les and Elias soon. A special birthday shout out to my little brother Matt, Happy 31rst bro. You are an amazing guy and a good friend, all the best in the upcoming year.
Take care, Shawn.
Laugh for no reason at all, it will pick you up.
On the way down to see him yesterday, I was listening to a Toronto radio station. I am not going to mention which one as it serves no purpose at this point. The host of the show was attacking teachers in a very negative and hurtful way. Much of what he was saying was not even accurate and it made me incensed to hear those comments. Jodi is a teacher and many of my friends are teachers so I took it very personally. I responded in a rage with an ill advised e-mail to the host which was in turn read on the air. As it was a reactionary e-mail written in anger, rather than with concise thought, the spelling and sentence structures were not exactly literary works of art. I also dropped an F bomb at the end of it. Needless to say, it backfired on me. It was read on air and was mocked profusely for its grammatical imperfections and the point I was trying to make was lost in the rage induced rant.
Although my intentions were only to defend my wife and good friends, I did not approach it in a sensible way. I reacted immediately and did not take the time to think about what I was saying. By responding to his comments in anger, I gave him the upper hand as it proved that he was able to affect my deepest emotions. The lesson I learned is that I need to take time to pause, think things through and then proceed with any actions or words that I deem fit. I will not make that mistake again and need to pay heed to that statement for all aspects of my life.
I have been having a hard time of late. The "downzies" have been slowly creeping back in to my life. I have started to only see the negative aspects of my situation and have taken great comfort in feeling sorry for myself. I only have myself to blame as saving money for times like this has not always been my strong suit. I seem to kick myself after the fact and need to make better provisions for this time of year the next time around. I have applied for some jobs and am anxiously awaiting some snow. I have enjoyed spending more time with Ollie and taking him off leash at the arena. I have started reading Donald Miller again and love the way he writes about faith.
I am thankful for what I do have. I need to stop living in the past and thinking about all the things I should have done differently. I cannot change that so I better start finding ways to change the course of my future.
That is is for me today. Looking forward to seeing Bart, Les and Elias soon. A special birthday shout out to my little brother Matt, Happy 31rst bro. You are an amazing guy and a good friend, all the best in the upcoming year.
Take care, Shawn.
Laugh for no reason at all, it will pick you up.
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