Listen to Your Mother...

Well Mothers Day was yesterday - It was a nice busy day, full of all the things that make up most holidays in our familes - first of all we get together - which is the best part, next we eat, then we eat again and yesterday we ate alot, and very well.

Sophie and I started off with Breakfast in bed for her mom, then we were at the Delta for Brunch with my mom and her mom, then we were in New Maryland for Dinner with Nic's mom.

I really like mother's day - it is a day that celebrates the people that gave us life, our biggest fans and sometimes our toughest critics. It's a holiday that is filled with flowers and cards and lots of hugs - all the things that are good. I find myself at a loss to fully describe how fortunate I feel to have so many great moms in my life or how important they are to me -

Thank you for being a Mom ...

Living Vicariously...

May God bless and keep you always,

May your wishes all come true,

May you always do for others

And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,

May you grow up to be true,

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you.

May you always be courageous,

Stand upright and be strong,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,

May your feet always be swift,

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift.

May your heart always be joyful,

May your song always be sung,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

I always think of this song when I start to think about growing old, or older or whatever, I heard this Dylan song a long time ago and it stuck - it has three phases of life contained within it, starting off in Childhood, then as an adolescent and then as an adult - and the wishes that he has for each of us in those periods of their lives.

One year ago I was writing as a sleep deprived father who was just starting to figure out where he fit into this big old crazy thing called being a dad, now one year later - Sophie is the most awesome tiny lady - We're still taking things one day at a time and I still don't feel my age (or act it) I don't think that we ever get old as long as we can still think like a child, be at awe of the things around us, always expect the best from people and surround yourself with people that make you smile and laugh. I just came home from the Rogue, having done just this - it was a a great start on my 37th year.

36 years down, just keep on keeping on...

Sophie will show me the way...

Sophie Four All Seasons...

Don't Mess Around with Marie...

This is from the Jim Croce song, Growing up I always imagined this was about my uncle, until the end of the song - because Jim doesn't lose, but beside every man there a great woman, and today one of them is having a birthday.

Today is my aunt Marie's 60th B-Day, She's a hell of a lady, she's put up with us MacAfee's for many years and she wouldn't want it any other way. Happy Birthday Marie.

Hugs For Megs...

Today is my little Sister's Birthday - we celebrated as a family earlier tonight - it was a nice evening and I know that she is planning on celebrating with friends tomorrow night - Looking through these pictures - one thing stuck me - Megs is always getting hugs - which is awesome. She's a very special woman and a fantatic Sister, Daughter and Aunt.

She's been all over the place, done almost everything and has tons of really great friends, mostly because she's a really great friend.

Have a Awesome Day Megs - Here's a little video for you...

Senseless Violence…

I try to be a positive person – to seek out the good at the center of a situation – To look at both sides and try not to let my vision of a event be clouded by the media hype – I try to “get” why someone does/did something and not judge them for how they act, most of the time they are only doing the best with what they have at the time. – But one thing that I am unable to grasp is the senseless violence that has become all too commonplace on our evening news. Yesterday’s horrific Virginia Tech shooting was the most recent example of an alarming trend in today’s society – Violence.

I don’t get it – you’re having a bad day – You get dumped, so you shoot your Girlfriend? You fail a class, so you shoot your Teacher? You don’t get along with the other kids in your school – you shoot them? You don’t like something someone else is doing, so you invade their country??? I don’t get it – when did this behaviour become the norm. How did someone ever think that any of this was alright? The only link between any of the above statements is “you” – so how can one person’s bad day get to impact so many lives – yesterday at least 33 lives were changed, as they sadly ended – but the impact of those tragic two hours will be played out by at least 33 families over every future Christmas, Easter and Sunday Dinner for the foreseeable future, it will be played out by the victims friends and families and by the students at VT for a lot longer.

I see a lot of the news has centered on the timeline, on what was done, what should have been done - basically on laying blame. I remember thinking that the same thing happened in Montreal last year, how the media were blaming Video Games, Rock Music, Rap Music, Gangs, Guns, Bullies, Race, Religon, Nationality, Teachers, Bad Relationships, Poor Role Models, The desensitization that comes when a country is at war, Society in General, Books, Art - anyone they could think of – This may be comforting to some to lay blame on something generic, something too big to be able to change, but personally I feel that the blame rests solely on that one individual who for some unknown reason saw this as a solution to his problems, he made the choice, all of those other things may have opened his eyes to this senseless act being a viable option, an unthinkable solution to a bad day – he was the one that made that catastrophic decision.

Most of the media is now figuring what schools should do next time this happens, does this sound as crazy to others as it does to me – We need to send the message to all of those that may be having bad days that this is not an option. No more violence, find an outlet, talk to your friends, get a hobby, go for a walk, find someone new, study harder, there’s always next season – nothing is as serious as it seems to be in the heat of the moment, nothing that is, except senseless violence…

Hip to be, Here?...

News Broke late last week that the Tragically Hip - were bowing to public demand and coming back to the Beach. I've seen the Hip on at least 6 occasions from Halifax to Vancouver - at Huge stadiums and small campus venues, indoors and Out - I remember the last time they were at the Aitken Center - I was working security, I think it was the Fully Completely Tour and Gord was at his finest - Canada's James Joyce, spewing forth stream of consciousness lyrics that would make your mind bend. It was a great night and I expect that the Sept. 11 show will be no different - a chance to celebrate the awareness that the Hip have brought to the Canadian state of mind. Here is the letter that I sent into the Fox to try to get them here.

In other news looks like Big Jebb will become a member of a new Motley Crue today, as last week while training with the national team in Victoria, his heart started to race, he had to go to the Hospital to get it checked out and today he is scheduled to have a Dr.(Feelgood I assume) Kick Start his Heart - all kidding aside, the procedure is very safe and Jebb should be better for the long run after he gets through it and up to his old tricks in no time - Get well soon Jebbidiah.

Oblivious to Bolivia, Not...

I read a quote somewhere - Micheal Jordan (Not the RCMP Member) said that there were 3 kinds of people -"those that wished something would happen, those that wanted something to happen and those that made something happen" - My boss John O, definitely belongs to that third group.

For the past 10 days my boss and a group of Canadians have been down in Bolivia, spreading the good fortune that many of us as Canadians take for granted - the goal of the trip was to help out some local Bolivian service organizations and they attempt to serve one of the world's youngest and poorest populations. They are on their way home tomorrow, but have been located in the city of Cochabamba, which is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the third largest city in Bolivia with a metropolitan population of more than 800,000 people. The name derives from a compound of the Quechua words qhocha, or swamp, and pampa, or open plain. Residents of the city and surrounding areas are commonly referred to as Cochabambinos. Cochabamba is known throughout South America as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its warm temperatures year round and abundant well kept parks.

He has kept all of us at work updated on the daily activities and they maintain a blog from Cochabamba when they can, here is the link.

Giving to others is a way of life for some, and unnatural to others - people would actually consider taking a week off of work to go south and lie on a beach, sipping cocktails and going for the occasional swim. Very few (probably not enough) would consider taking a week off work, paying thousands of dollars to fly into the poorest of the poor South American countries, to spend a week doing hard labour helping the helpless build a better life. People do it all of the time, no matter what their age, it's more dependant on the size of their heart.

As Canadians we are a privileged lot, there are services that exist here to take care of the poor, the disenfranchised, the mentally ill - we're not a third world country, we have low unemployment and you don't have to get any shots to come to Canada. We owe allot of these things that we take for granted, as well as the high esteem that we are held internationally, to those that serve this country by going abroad and protecting those that need it.

They say that "ignorance is bliss" - well that bliss came crashing down in the last couple weeks in our neighbourhood - We've lost 8 of our brave soldiers over in Afghanistan. They are over there trying to improve the world for the citizens there, a world that more closely resembles something off of Star Wars rather than anything you'd ever see in Geary - But just like the group that is in Bolivia, Our Soldiers are elsewhere protecting those that cannot protect themselves and building a brighter future for both Afghanistan and the world - They (and the ones that love them here at home) have my respect, my gratitude, my condolences and my prayers...

Like a Deer Caught In The Headlights...

Dad used to use this expression to describe the blank look that people sometime get on their faces when asked a tough, or misunderstood question - The picture is from my parents trip "Up North" last week - I've felt a little like this recently as well - so here's a quick recap
Sophie is now 1 - She got a playhouse, that looked smaller in Toys R us than it does in our living room, I needed Aaen's Help to get it to Fort Awesome and to put it together. We had a small get together for family, Sophie got her first taste of Angel Food Cake and she got some really nice stuff.

Then Nic and I went on an esteem team tour to the Miramichi - it was fun, talked to around 1500 students and set a new un-official world record for standing on a yellow ball, passing a rugby ball back and forth with a student Volun-told ( a volunteer that is told to participate) the previous record was 22, the new record is now 54.

We returned just in time to go to Moncton to celebrate Rick's big night and give Aunt Megs her first taste of babysitting Sophie- Thanks Megs. it was a great night (see previous post)

I attended my first Black Spruce training at the Dundee Dome in Moncton - I have to remember how a 180 lb person plays rugby - I still play like I weigh 210 - I was sore the next day, which I always enjoy - it usually means you've done something worthwhile and tested your limits.

Then Came Nic's first day back at work and Sophie's first day of "Daycare" - was less traumatic than anticipated, most things are, and both of my girls are happy that they've started a old/new chapter in their lives.

The week flew by, and suddenly it was Good Friday, Malcolm, Simon and I replaced the secret Bookcase in my basement with a wall - which turned out well.

Sunday we all went to Church, then visited with my Nanny Flynn and my Godfather Mike, we then followed this up by heading to Gagetown (Where the MacAfee's and Breens would be congregating later) for a short visit before heading down to Moncton to feast (on Ham and Potato Cassarole) with the McLeans and Daigles - we returned home in time to get Sophie to bed and catch the tail end of the Simpsons - It was quite a day - but we got to see almost everyone we know, so that was good...

Tuesday rolled around and we were back to work - we're going to try to work out 3 days a week on our lunch hours - I'm going to add some muscles to my frame.

That's about it - I've got some thoughts on my Boss in Bolivia and the local Soldiers that were killed in Afghanistan, but they both deserve their own blogs...

Look Out It’s The Cops…

I still say this every time I drive by a police car – I don’t know where dad ever picked this one up (Maybe I don't want to know), but it is definitely deeply etched in my mind.

So Saturday night I had the great privilege and honour of being the Master of Ceremonies – for Rick Daigle’s retirement party – it was a very emotional and entertaining evening, with many co-workers, “supervisors” and friends all gathering to surround one of their own as he moves onto the more relaxing phrase of his journey – The Phrase Look Out It’s The Cops was going through my mind continually.

One of the coolest things about Saturday Night was listening to all of those assembled speak so highly of one man – and how he meant so much to each of them. When Rick got up to say a few words, it was easy to see why so many held him in such high regard, for at the one event in his career that was supposed to be all about him, he made it about those that gathered, his friends, his family, his coworkers – He said that his father had passed on the two most important words in the English language to him, early in his life – and those words were “Thank You” – he re-iterated those words, adding two of his own “Very Much”. Something that is so easy to say, so easy in fact that we often take saying it for granted. I sat there and pondered the power in those two little words – with two easy words we allow others to feel a sense of accomplishment, that they are valued and that they have helped you along your journey in some great or small way. It also shares the success of the individual with the many – and it was in this way that Rick has always made those around him feel so richly rewarded – because as he was accomplishing so many cool things, he was constantly giving others the recognition, and accepting very little. He also was able leave a job after 38 years with no regrets, as he said if he had it all to do over again – he wouldn’t change a thing, I doubt that many could/would say the same.

Rick said that his career has been a slice, here’s hoping that his golf game doesn’t go the same way.

It’s a great gift to be able to make others feel special about themselves – not many can pull it off, but when you can – it’s Magic – sort of like Saturday Night…

The Free State of Munchkinland...

Sophie is 1 year old today - that is so crazy - seems like only yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital - here is a recap of some of my favorite Sophie moments of the past year.



Best Sophie Moments -
-when Nic introduced her to everybody in the delivery room
-Her first Step
-Her first Laugh
-The Jolly Jumper
-First time I got to hold her
-Falling Asleep on my chest
-Going swimming
-Her Smile
-Everyday when her and Nic greet me with huge smiles

Most Challenging Moments -
-when she didn't sleep for 6 weeks
-giving her the Red Medicine

It's been a crazy awesome year - Happy Birthday Teeny Tiny Wonderful

Wearing of The Green...

This is Sophs and me yesterday, we had a good time - Sophie visited with Grammie Lou and Poppie while Nic and I hit the Rogue for Lunch - First Time I had deep fried food in 75 days and now I remember why I stopped eating it - We're on the Birthday Countdown clock as well - Sophie turns 1 on Friday - what a year it has been, but that's another blog...

Friday Night Lights...

It's been awhile since I posted, not because, my life is boring, but simply for the fact that there don't seem to be enough hours in the day, and when something has to give, it tends to be my writing, so here is a quick post - we're in the middle of the St. Paddy's day Storm, two weeks early - Aaen and Robyn we're supposed to be sitting in the sun in Phoenix, but they got postponed until Sunday - so we're having them over for a long overdue night at FA - we'll celebrate O's B-day and re-gift him his X-Mas presents - we'll also get into a big bottle of Yellow Label that we got for Christmas from O and R.

Sophie is great, she took her first Step, she now has 8 teeth and will be 1 year old in 21 days - crazy how time flies when you don't sleep through the night. The weight Loss is progressing - so far I've dropped 25 lbs. - I'm only 9/10 of the Scott I was on New Year's Day - which is cool.

Other than that we're doing great and are in eager anticipation of Spring.

Almost Rugby Time Again...

February Blues...

I don't really Know what it is with February - maybe it's that there is no Stat. Holiday, maybe it's that it is a short month and people are just trying to get through it, maybe people are a little put off that the 29th only happens every forth year, or maybe it is still winter and it seems like Spring is never going to arize - what ever it is, it is apparent at work and at home - February is a long boring month.

I work hard at being positive everyday - some days it's easy, some days it's a challenge, in July the easy days are plentiful, in February the Challenging days seem to out number those easy days - but they do make those easy sunny days in the Spring way more appreciated.

Last week we did a self assesment called Insights it told me that I was Yellow Red Green Blue - and it provided me with a entire book about me - it nailed my personality to a T - a little Eerie Indiana if you get my drift. But overall it was very cool - learned alot about my team here at work and why my style doesn't always work for everybody.

Back at Fort Awesome - we finally found some Childcare for the Munchkin - we finished with the Antibiotics and we got some full nights of sleep. Nic has finally come out from under the sickness cloud as well - so My folks took care of TTW so that we could go cross country skiing - it was the first time in two years and our bodies and minds were thankful (except for our heels -which have since blistered) The weight loss continues - I'm down 21 lbs as of Tuesday- we'll be going shopping this weekend to get me some smaller pants.

Alot of people (Nic's Folks and The DHB for example) are heading south and I'm a little envious- but I'm reading a Jimmy Buffet Novel and he paints a nice picture - and has been influencing my dreams for a couple of weeks now.

Dreaming of the February Blue water of the south seas...

Closer to fine? Already There...

CLOSER TO FINE

I'm trying to tell you something about my life

maybe give me insight between black and white

and the best thing you've ever done for me

is to help me take my life less seriously

it's only life after all

yeah

well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable

and lightness has a call that's hard to hear

I wrap my fear around me like a blanket I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it

I'm crawling on your shores

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains

I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains

there's more than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line

and the less I seek my source for some definitive

the closer I am to fine

I went to see the doctor of philosophy

with a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee

he never did marry or see a b-grade movie

he graded my performance, he said he could see through me

I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind

got my paper and I was free

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains

I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains

there's more than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line

the less I seek my source for some definitive

the closer I am to fine.

I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m. to seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend

and I woke up with a headache like my head against a board

twice as cloudy as I'd been the night before

and I went in seeking clarity.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains

yeah we go to the doctor, we go to the mountains

we look to the children, we drink from the fountains

yeah we go to the bible, we go through the workout

we read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout

there's more than one answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line

the less I seek my source for some definitive

the closer I am to fine

~Indigo Girls

I heard this song the other day and I forgot how much I really enjoy it - it's worth a listen if you haven't heard it in awhile, or even if you have. On the eve of Valentine's Day - alot of people are looking for answers in their lives - maybe the answer (and what this song/poem is trying to relate) is to stop looking and just let things happen, they will anyways - Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely. Probably that’s what Mick was singing about – “You can’t always get what you want, but you’ll find sometime you get what you need.”Maybe the most famous example was Columbus discovering North America while looking for India, but smaller more personal “Happy Accidents” are happening everyday.

It Doesn't Matter Where You Are in the Rat Race, You're Still a Rat...

A Different Drummer...

Why should we be in such desperate haste

to succeed and in such desperate enterprises?

If a man does not keep pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

Let him step to the music which he hears,

however measured or far away.

Dad has this poem by Thoreau in his office-

it's one of those "to each their own" kind of message - I like it.

It's good to know where you belong, where you're really needed and who you really are at the end of each day.

Just a quiet thought for a cold winter's night - with dreams of Little Forks, Heat wave Alabama and the Promise of Summer as the fuel for tonight's mid-winter's nap. Sophie is on the mend, Nicki is still battling hard with this Flu - Hopefully both my Girls are back to 100% soon, heartbreaking to see how bad they are feeling.

Sick as a Dog...

Since Superbowl Sunday Morning I've felt like crap (even more after the Bears lost) - This expression jumped into my mind, so I started thinking about it - when dogs get sick they eat grass, throw up, eat the throw up and throw up again, I'm not that sick - but I do have a sore throat, a headache and a fever - and luckily so do Nic and Sophie - we are a bunch of Sickies here this week - So sick in fact that on Wednesday poor little Sophs was diagnosed with Impetigo and put on antibotics - while whatever this virus is hit Nic the hardest on Saturday - Daddy was left to care for his sick girls which he did with pleasure - this does explain the lack of Blog Postings - and I apoligise - so back to this expression

- I was also led to think about another of dad's expressions,
"Half Chicken, Half Pig" … We never had dogs growing up, we had these Hybrid Creatures – that Malcolm lovingly referred to as Half Chicken, Half Pig – because they we’re afraid of everything,but they’d eat anything.and we had lots of them – When I was born my parents got a dog as a gift – they called him Nick Danger, a black Lab, he was a great dog - slept in the doorway of my bedroom to keep out the baddies – then there was Tug, a Huge Newfoundlander – who belonged to my Grandparents, he would share his Dog house in Oromocto with my cousins and myself whenever we came to visit – then Maxine (originally Max) , then Raggs and Zoe - we got these guys and thier sister Skye - who lived with Brian and Brenda in Moncton when I was in grade 12 – My parents now have Hannah and Lady and we have our own Hybrid Creatures – Simon and Max.

There's nothing better than having a couple of these wonderful creatures around on these cold Winter days - they make a great blanket - but that's a different expression and 2/3's of a band.

The "Gap"...

The Gap I speak of is not that excellent clothing store in Moncton, but it is the excellent feature that many of us Macs share between our front teeth. Big Jim once said "you can always trust a gap toothed man" - I agree with Jim and by the looks of it we'll be able to trust Sophie, not that we wouldn't anyways - but it does give us some extra reassurance.

What an odd thing to see yourself in someone else - to know that they are an extension of you, and that you are an extension of your parents and so on, back to the beginning - this leaves me a feeling of connectedness. Which is nice, because some days I feel so disconected from all the awful things that are happening in our world, and to our world - then I get to look at the lovely little Sophie as she falls asleep in my arms, and I'm left with a feeling that things will somehow be alright...

The Invitation...

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals or
have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be
careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself;
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithless
and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
even when it's not pretty, every day,
and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes"!

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and
despair, weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer