Sandy and I'll be a mite busy over the next few days...

(like most of the people reading this thing...)

So, knowing that, we'll take the time now to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and we hope that you have a wonderful New Year!

Take care everyone!

And don't forget those that struggle during this season--do what you can for 'em!

(including all the fuzzy, fluffy or feathery ones...)

If a blog about a girl can be classified as a Christmas present...

And a surprise to you--the reading audience--this wont be about Sandy (though I'm sure Sandy'll play a prominent role)

So 3 years ago--well, 2 years and 362 days ago--I met a very polite 9 year old.

It was on Boxing Day. Sandy, for whatever reason, thought that bringing me around her friends would be a good idea. Maybe Sandy thought that this new dating relationship she just embarked on had potential, or--more than likely--she just wanted a second opinion from her close friends as to whether or not she should, you know, actually date me.

Whatever the reason, 3 years ago I met 4 wonderful people.

And, knowing how important friends are, I knew I had to be on my best behaviour for that meeting. 'Cause--as I said at our wedding--if I don't woo the friends, the chances of being with Sandy pretty much fell to 'slim to nil'.

Anyway, I didn't have to worry that much 'cause Sandy's friends accepted me (surprisingly) pretty much right off the bat.

There was, however, this 9 year old girl.

She was polite. She was reserved.

In her conversations with those around her, I noted that she wasn't prone to slang or the latest euphemisms that 'kids these days' are fond of using.

Being an English major at one point in my life, I was particularly taken aback by her elevated usage of language.

The thing is, over the intervening years (now she's 12), that hasn't diminished.

And it's not just the words, it's the elocution. With perfect enunciation, she conveys what's on her mind to those around her. She carries herself well situations--it's like watching the ending of 'My Fair Lady', except she didn't require the training of Rex Harrison to get her there.

She is also still a kid--playing in leaves and the snow and having 12 year old fun--don't want y'all thinking that she's 'above all that'.

She asked for a blog a few weeks back so here it is.

Diana, always know that you leave your mark on those around you by just being who you are. Don't ever doubt your self-worth.

You're very important to your parents and to all of us.

And Merry Christmas.

Dinner Time

What we can only hope'll be the last one for a while (so as to not bore you, the viewing masses...), we have one more with the pics of our back yard visitors.

The whole family

Coming up for a visit

Must've dropped some food

But it's not only deer--we gots da little boids as well--

Mama Cardinal

Downey Woodpecker

A fist-full of Goldfinches

Hey Hoppy!!

So there you are.

See all our winter pics (thus far) here--December 2007 Pictures

And please--if you can--take care of the little critters.

Curious Deer

Papa got us some deer feed so Sandy and I could take care of Gods furry little creatures.

So after that huge snowfall, we put out some feed.

Didn't have to wait long before the deer came up to partake.

Dinner time!

Sandy and I watch from behind the sliding door. The deer don't seem to mind.

I'm getting a little better with the f-stops and the ASA's on the camera so these pics turned out a little better than last time. However,exposure time has to be like a second or more, and the deer get a little skittish at times--so there's some blurriness from movement.

The good news is that Sandy got me a tripod for the camera last year for Christmas, so that makes these night shots a little better

So have a boo at all the pics--

December 2007 Winter Pictures

So there's this cell phone...

Work gave me this cell phone, see...

As a replacement for the last one that somehow grew legs and ran away--never to be found again (even after tearing our whole house apart looking for it--Grr!!!)

So anyway, I get this replacement--it's a'very nice...

And I was just getting attached to it--getting used to all the different ways it wants to store numbers and such...

So tonite--Saturday night--San and I are out doing stuff... going here and there and then having friends over and it wasn't until around 1:30 a.m. when, en route to bed, I realized the cell phone wasn't in its usual location there on the stairs.

What?? Cell phone missing??? This can't be happening!!

So once again with a once over in the house--not there.

I go search the car. Nope.

Sandy and I are talking about retracing our steps back to the last place we knew we had it--dinner out with friends. Maybe it fell off my hip in the parking lot after dinner.

Of course, to compound that particular issue is that right now--at 1:54 in the a.m., it's starting to blizzard out there.

Sandy and I decide that the cell phone finding excfursion is more important at this time, so risking life and limb, we decide to go for a drive. See, leaving now would be better at the finding thing 'cause tomorrow there'll be plows and a ton more snow.

Well, on some off-chance, right before we get in the car, Sandy dials the cell number from her cell phone. I was a little ways away but thoguht I heard something thru the wind and snow.

I walk back towards her and ask her to call the cell again.

She does and we're both straingin our ears--nothing!

But wait! there is something--it's coming from behind the car.

I go to the end of the driveway where the snow's already about 2-3 inches and I hear it a little more clearly. Then I see the edge of the cell phone case sticking out of the snow.

Phew!! That was a load off our minds!

The phone must've leaped off my hip when we got home this evening.

Well, none the worse for wear--after a brief warm up.

So we can go to bed with no worries about missing phones.

I do wish someone would come up with a better way for cell phones to stay on my hip--this is not the first time that a phone has left my hip without me knowing about it (nor will it probably be the last--Grr!! (again))

Anyway, to all a good night.

Just don't call us!

Took this shot a few hours ago--after I came home from work.

It's a little blurry--the Kodak Z740 isn't nearly as fantastic as the mighty DC120 for taking night pics, but 5 meg opposed to 1 meg--no contest.

Anyway, a blurry shot of our little winter wonderland at night. Somewhere down in that valley is a family of 5 deer that were up in our back yard a few minutes earlier.

Well... that's really all I had to say about that.

Part one of a gazillion things I could write about...

For the past decade, I've lent a few totes containing a fair amount of my LEGO collection to a local grade school. From January thru March, many kids got to play with a pretty big collection of LEGO bricks for a few hours every week. When I was in grade school, I probably would have appreciated this opportunity very much.

I didn't go into this with any expectations other than for the kids to have fun--to 'Play Well', as the old LEGO tag line stated.

I didn't expect--nor did I want--any type of payment for the LEGO lending, but when I got notes of thanks back from the kids every year--hey, bonus! I've kept these notes and pictures--it was very sweet of the kids to do that.

But now comes the somewhat sad bit of the story.

Recently, due to a variety of inspirations, I've started to build 'sets' that I've recieved through the years. These sets have been mixed and sorted into my collection, and now I'm working on putting them together.

And I'm finding it just a wee bit odd that the unique pieces--pieces that only came in 'this set' or 'that set' are missing. Many mini-figs are AWOL as well. Now I'll be the first to admit that parts 'n pieces get lost over the years. I also have personal experience with the dreaded 'broken brick'. However, lost and/or broken pieces usually happen across the spectrum of all pieces--it's very interesting how specific pieces--which I knew I had prior to the 'lending LEGO experience'--are now missing.

So I am extremely wary regarding lending a portion of my collection to the school this year. I wouldn't have cared if parts 'n pieces came back broken--when I was that age... well, I broke more LEGO pieces than most people owned.

One or two pieces missing? No worries. A dozen 'figs and other parts 'n pieces gone? Well, that's an exodus. I'm not accusing anyone of blatant thievery. However, I don't feel comfortable with apparent cases of 'sticky fingers'. I know it's 'just LEGO'. However, I've spent time, money and resources in the pursuit of my chosen hobby and I'm not happy when I think that others may have taken that for granted--"He won't miss *this* piece..."

Well, I do miss *that* piece. See, that piece was a mini-fig in a movie I made back in high school called 'LEGO Wars'. That other piece was part of a sci-fi story that Andrew and I talked about forever when we worked together. The missing piece would have been over there in that set--the set that got me out of my purchasing 'dark ages'. There are many stories related to my history with the little plastic brick, but now I have an unhappy one--one that trumps 'I make an epic and they gave me the legal department' one.

I don't know what I'm going to do in January. I loved making kids lives that much happier by giving them the opportunity to build with lots o' LEGO. But that is now tainted by this issue.

Right now, what I do know is that I'm not happy thinking about the totes of LEGO going to the school, but I'm also not happy about the kids missing out on 'em.

It all comes down to trust--and mine's gone.

Eh, we'll see what transpires.

Family of Deer

Yep--They're back, and we couldn't be happier!

Say 'cheese'!

Sandy took these photos from the back yard, looking down into the valley.

So there you are.

But it's that time of year

Usually approaching Christmas time, many people start reminiscing about acquaintances and remembering others.

Won't go into why this happens at this time of year--that's been covered by far more eloquent writers than myself.

I'm just going to take this yearly given opportunity to let you know that I appreciate you.

I'd go into specifics--actually I'll just go into one specific--my wife!

('cause, well, she is the most important, and, for me, the easiest to get specific about)

Love you babe.

'Nuff said on that one.

A few weeks back, when a very dear friend of mine (still in her single age digits) started getting the jist that 'perhaps mommy and daddy are actually Santa', her dad and I started talking about the true meaning of Santa. We talked about the inherent 'goodness' that we truly believe is in everyone and that there may not be a guy at '1 North Pole, Canada, H0H 0H0', but perhaps, 'yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'.

That conversation has been flying around my brain--looking for a place to land, and the landing lights are right here.

I want those of you out there--right now--that are feeling a little overwhelmed, a little depressed ('cause that's another thing that appears more around this time of year), feeling like maybe no one cares...

Without word of a lie (since I know most people that actually read this thing)--I care.

I care about you--my family and friends. Now that I'm married, my family has gotten allot bigger, and I love you all.

And I know that it's not just me that cares--we all care for each other. We see it through the years--in our actions and our words. Yes, sometimes life can get bad. Sometimes people say or do hurtful things (as a husband, I'm well aware of the dumb things I've done--yet we're still married so I must be doing the right stuff allot more ) That's all part of life and living.

What is also part of life and living is to know--at the very core of your being--that you have friends and family that have been, and always shall be, there for you. Maybe not 'there' in the way you want (and that's a story for another time), but there for you in the way they can be.

That's the gift that we give each other--the giving of ourselves to others, and us accepting that gift from others as it's given--not as we may want it.

And that's why--my little friend--I personally believe in the spirit of Santa to this day.

Giving as he can, and us accepting as it's given.

Cruising down the 403, heading into work

At 7 a.m. the 403 isn't as busy westbound as one might surmise.

But there was a little traffic. And on Ontario highways, it's a regulation that 'slower traffic keeps right' (and there are white signs every so many kilometers stating same)

So I'm on the 403, heading west, and I'm in the right lane. Not too much traffic, but there's a semi ahead of me so I put the blinker on, check my blind spot, and get myself over to the center lane.

Ahh, but there's yon van from some industry passing the semi in the center lane (and doing it a lottle slowly, but no worries), so after hanging in that lane for a bit, I put my blinker on, check my blind spot, and ease on over to the left hand lane.

Now I'm at around Winston Churchill exit. You ned to know this for the next bit that happened.

My exit--the 407 westbound, is just after Winston Churchill, and the 407 westbound exit is in the left side of the highway.

See, all of us make a zillion decisions a day--some big with huge consequenses and some little.

I decided--since I can see my exit down the highway there--that I wasn't going to traverse across the highway to the right curb lane and then go all the way back to the lane I was in for me to get my exit.

So the van and the semi were behind me, there were no cars in front of me, and I'm going down the 403.

I sporadically check my mirrors whilst driving--Young Drivers of Canada taught me that a few decades ago. I note that there's this car in the left lane waaay back there, but he's gaining on me pretty quick.

Now I'll be honest here--I was going faster than the posted limit (all cops listening to this album--don't give us a ticket!!). Not much faster, mind you, 'cause the Mighty Dodge (tm) doesn't like going really fast--105 is pretty much the best highway speed that it wants to do.

So I'm doing 105 and this car is catching up to me.

The car gets right on my bumper and starts flashing the high beams--wants me to move over.

And again, I don't have an issue with that--but my exit's now just up ahead--and the lane I'm in is the one that's exiting, and there are two completely clear lanes just to the right of me.

But that wasn't good enough for Sir Speedy--he pulls right, zips past me and cuts back into the lane in front of me.

You know whats coming, don't you?

He slams on his brakes.

He also gestures violently with his hand (which I can see thru the rear window 'cause he's that close) that I should move over a lane or 2.

Now friends, there's many things that I could have done right then and there. Flashing my beams right back on him or giving him a fine one-finger salute might have lept to mind. Unfortunately, I don't think that way. Moreover, my heart was racing 'cause I had to slam on my brakes because pin-head thinks I'm in the wrong lane. What I ended up doing was absolutely nothing besides staying in the lane I was in.

It was only a few hundred yards after that where I went down the ramp to the 407 and pickle-boy continued his travels along the 403.

But that pretty much set the tone for my day.

I do want to note that at the time dough boy decided that I was in his way, there wasn't a car to be seen in front of us on any of the 3 lanes, and the van and the semi were far behind us, and we had blown by the posted sign for my exit (left, I might add).

Look people--each and every driver on the road is trying to get somewhere safely--either trying to get to work or trying to get home to family.

And there will be times when 'those other drivers' aren't driving the way you would want them to--the rest of us mere mortals aren't as good a driver as you are. Sometimes people change lanes without looking or block intersections or cut through traffic. It sucks. It really does.

Do I wish it was different? Of course! I'd like traffic cameras everywhere and tickets given out for all sorts of bad driving episodes.

However, deliberately and knowingly acting agressively towards 'those drivers' that aren't doing what you want them to puts all of us at risk. Cutting someone off and slamming on the brakes for no other reason than to 'teach a lesson'--not good!

Remember--by the very act of doing that, you become worse than the 'bad driver' you're rallying against.

And to that guy in the car--I hope you felt better after putting both our lives at risk. I hope that somehow in your little world you derived some satisfaction from that.

As for me, the next time I may not be as quick on the brakes. I'm in a beat-up '88 Dodge and you're in a tiny little fancy car. Guess who really doesn't care if their vehicle gets a few more bumps and scratches.

Eh, belay that. Of course I'll try to avoid accidents. The jackasses of the world aren't going to make me be a worse driver than they are.

It's amazing how one can get attached to something...

Molly was a fish--a fish that we got when Sandy and I purchased a fish tank a few months ago.

Molly was so named because she was a Black Molly (easy to name, no?)

Anyway, Sandy and I love our little fishes swimming in our little aquarium in our comfy basement.

Last night, on the way up to bed, Sandy did her usual 'night night' to our little fishies.

And then, 'Where's Molly??'

I come over to have a look--with some slight dread. I mean, Molly's black--she's pretty easy to spot in the little 10 gallon fish tank.

Then I see her--broken and lifeless on her side as if the turbulent waters had cast her upon the rocks on the bottom of the tank.

After a weekend of some pretty emotional experiences, this is something Sandy and I didn't need.

But is all part of life so--and said without humour this time--with tears in our eyes, we removed Molly from the fish tank.

And I was all Margaret Houlihan when the dog died in that one episode.

And I won't start on Molly in West Wing

Thanks for blessing our lives with a little more happiness, Molly.

Even if it was for a brief moment in time.