Feline Supremacy

I don't hate cats, I actually respect them. But I don't really connect with them. Maybe it's because they make me feel like this is their world and they are just tolerating me a mere human. With dogs I feel more masterful. I get respect from my dog.
There is a cat at the neighborhood video store who is the perfect example of a "Feline Supremist". He is this big Orange Tabby named Martin after the infamous Filmmaker Martin Scorsese. When I say big I mean he must be a 30 pounder and you can't miss him. His basket is set up in the front window so that he can keep an I on the patrons as they enter and leave the premises. When Martin walks around the video store you know that he knows it is his territory. He has this heir about him that is so convincing, so powerful that if you for some reason couldn't see that he is a cat, You would have no doubt in your mind that he was the owner of the store.
There was a kitten at the same store for a time. He was grey and his name was Kirk. He is no longer there. I assume that perhaps he was hired on as a personal assistant to Martin and he was either let go or he just couldn't take the pressure of working for the big guy.
I often walk my dog to the video store. I have to tie her up to a pole outside the front door. She whines, whimpers and yelps the entire time I am in the store until I return. I am Master.

The Blind Side

Have you ever been blindsided? I was yesterday when I lost my job. I didn't see that one coming. It was a good job too. My coworkers were great, I wasn't confined to my desk, I met a lot of unique people, I had a company car, laptop and cell phone. But even just last week I confided in my wife that there have only been two places that I have worked at in the last 20 years where I felt confident that I was using my gifts and truly making a difference. Those places were Wagner Hills Farm Society, a recovery center for men with addictions and MCC SCS now Communitas Supportive Care, a NPO dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. Everything else has ultimately given me no fulfillment or purpose. I have learned a lot though. Especially in this last job. I have been mentored by a great visionary and entrepreneur and my imediate superior taught me the importance of good communication and attention to detail. I have picked up some very valuable tools to use in any future endevor. I have also learned that I have been trying for too long to put a square in a round hole (as my good friend James put it). I know where my gifts lay and that God wants me to use them for him. Thanks y'all for the supportive encouragement that I have been receiving. I am unusually at peace knowing that God has something just right in store for me and that my family will be supported.

What's Your Normal?

I meet a lot of strangers throughout my work week and because of the nature of my job I get to enter their homes and I get to see their "Normal". Guess what, there are a lot of crazy people out there. At least that is what I thought at first, but as time goes on and I visit more and more people in their homes I realize that there can't possibly be that many crazies roaming about freely. I accept people the way they are now.
We all have quirks that make us different from one another. Our families and friends all adjust to our quirks and we adjust to theirs and soon the quirks are forgotten altogether. That is what normal is. So the muslim woman who insisted on feeding me a meal after I measured her bathroom was normal. The man who could only afford to live in a small condo with his family yet spent thousands of dollars on fixing  his cat's broken leg 4 times only to finally have it amputate was normal. The lesbian couple who couldn't decide on products and called me at 10PM on a Sunday to tell me that they were coming to the stoe the next morning and spent 8 hours looking before deciding were a bit neurotic certainly, but completely normal. I wonder what strangers think of me when they catch a glimpse of my normal.

Vacation Time

I love vacations. I live for them. My wife and I have made vacationing a high priority and we put a high value on it. We are on vacation right now and we took the kids out of school to do it. I even took unpaid time off to do it. We go even when it would seem like it doesn't make sense because guess what. It never will make sense to pick up and go, take the kids out of school, disrupt the routine and spend extra money when there are so many other responsibilities. But we make it make sense by giving it importance. Set your priorities on what you find important, not what makes sense and stick to them. In the end you'll be more fulfilled knowing that you did what you wanted to do in life. That's what I think.

It's All In The Getting There

It's all in the getting there. I have finally been able to take that statement to heart in the past year.  I'm a goal setter. I like to start with a dream then write it down in specific detail with a time frame and the whole bit. Often I attain the goals that I set out to accomplish. But sometimes I don't. It has nothing to do with my process. My process is the same every time but sometimes God has another plan and everything that I have planned goes out the window. It is then that I need to trust in God, not get anxious and just wait. One fellow at our care group paralelled this experience with Moses in the desert. God led him around in the desert seemingly doing nothing from a human standpoint for 40 years! I am not where I planned to be right now. But I am no longer discontent to be here. I am at peace in the desert, the promise land will be mine someday because the promised land is Heaven. So even if I do not reach my human goals, something far greater is awaiting me after my body starts pushing up daisies. It's all in the getting there.
Life is a journey, we need to take advantage every experience as an opportunity to please God and to gain wisdom.

Olympic Spirit

I took the whole family including the dog to go and watch the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch go by today. We and many others stood at the roadside to watch someone run past us with it. I have to say that I caught a bit of the spirit. It was a cool event to be a part of. But maybe I am naive because I was surprised at just how big of a roll advertising plays a part in the event. It really is the Coca cola torch. I got a free bottle of Cocacola  and a free Coca cola flag that also had the Canada maple leaf on it. I wonder if the maple leaf would have been printed on the flag if Canada's colours were not red and white.
The Olympic Games are kind of like the language that all nations understand. You know like music or the blue sky. We all have it in common. You know what else brings the world together? Coca cola.

The Dog Got Soggy and So Did I

It turned out to be a really great evening out with the kids and it didn't even cost much. We took our golden retriever to the local car wash because they have a self serve pet wash area. It was very cool, the room had a stainless steel dog sink with a shower hose. It had a soap setting, rinse setting and even a dryer setting. The dog actually did very well. It was funny when she decided to shake the water off, she completely soaked us. The kids each got a turn plugging the money in and spraying the dog. We were done just in time to go to the pet store where we picked up a doggy bone and a couple of biscuits for our doggy-wog. It was hard to get the kids out of the pet store, there were bunnies and hamsters. My three year old liked the "Dalmatian" bunny the best.
I am going to do this with the kids again. It cost me less than 20 bucks, I entertained the kids for a couple of hours ad I now have a clean dog.