When people talk about TV shows, generally I stop listening. Who cares????
However, a couple of weeks ago, my buddy Paul (who has pointed me in the right direction with this stuff several times in the past) said to me, "You need to watch a show called 'The Kindness Diaries'".... and now I am tell you.
I am so sick of all the negative, stupid stuff that fills the news, the internet and the daily gossip, that I have quit Facebook (I never had an account but I lurked on Sara's for a time), stopped watching the news (I read it online instead - quicker and less emotionally charged) and I gave up the "Grouchy old man coffee time" that I had been going to (The title of it will tell you why I quit).
"The Kindness Diaries" runs in the opposite direction of all of that. In a nutshell, an Englishman set out to travel the world on his motorcycle with no plans and no money. He wanted to prove that kindness still existed and that people would help when asked. Along the way, he replays - in life changing ways - those who were kind to him, It is great!
You can find the show on Netflix or, if you google it, you can watch it on Vimeo.
So here is what I would like you to do. Watch the first episode or two and then tell me what you think of it. Comment on this post or (because I know that commenting on here does not work sometimes) write to me at tspippus@sasktel.net and I will post your comment for you. I think it would be fun to create a little area of positive on this blog - and you can help.
Each episode is only 20 minutes long..... and he rides a motorcycle..... what more could you want?
Have you heard of "Napflix"? It is a channel dedicated to boring content designed to bore you to sleep. Rather than explaining it, just click here to read an article about it. Pretty funny stuff! :)
Maybe I will make the channel someday. My girls are gone for the weekend, so what wild and wacky things am I doing????
I am working on cars and watching curling!
But it could get crazy tomorrow..... I am thinking about going out for breakfast!!! Ya, boy!!! (Or whatever the wild and crazy kids are saying these days)
It was "Family Day" in Saskatchewan today, so we did what our ancient ancestors did to celebrate the bonds within their kin...... we went shopping in Minot!
As you may know (or could probably guess), shopping is not one of my favorite activities. I usually survive by using two strategies..... (a) Avoidance - meaning that I drop Sara and the girls at the mall and then I head off to the motorcycle shops, "Home of Economy" and the "Tractor Supply Company"......... or (b) If I get stuck at the mall - I study people.
Here is what my research has determined. There are four stages of Mall Existence for the male of the species.
1. Those who are on a mission. These are the guys that you see racing down the hallways, looking dead ahead and not smiling at anyone. Generally, they are headed to the sporting goods store or some other place of equal importance. If you stand still, you will see them quickly passing you going the other way because they got what they needed and got out. I like these guys - this (to me) is the ideal mall experience.
2. The walking semi-conscious. You will usually find these poor souls in the middle of a large group of people - usually composed of their own offspring. You can identify this group by their vacant stare and their general listlessness. They may have come into the experience thinking that they were going to have fun or that they could convince everyone else to be "on a mission", but by this stage that dream has died and they are now just lifelessly going with the flow of those around them
3. The sitting but alert. This group can be found in the large gathering places in the mall, whether that be a food court or a central intersection that has comfy chairs. Interestingly, though they are no longer moving, this group have regained a little life and interest in their surroundings. Generally, this re-engagement with the land of the living has to do with the promise (usually a false one) that they may get to go home soon. Someone has likely said something like, "We are going to meet at the clock tower at 3pm". This makes the poor souls believe that something good is going to happen at 3 pm and this false hope buoys them for a while. As the appointed time approaches, you will see them looking back and forth, straining to sight those who said that they would be arriving. It is this false hope that makes this one of the most cruel stages of all.
4. After the hope fades, you come to final stage: The sitting semi-conscious. This group has almost lost their will to live and they are now just existing in hopes that someone at sometime will pass by where they are and say, "Tom.... get up!!! It is time to go!!" This stage can be identified by lack of motion, occasional sleep and possible drool.
Oddly, women seem immune to these stages while at the mall and instead seem to infused with great energy, extreme curiosity ("Is that a green pillow with a monkey riding a unicycle on it????? How much is that?????) and an unnerving lack of comprehension of budgets and their implications on family finance (Editor's note: I do need to give credit where credit is due..... My three girls were extremely budget friendly today. Though they spent a fair amount, they got a disproportionate return in their favor.... there were extremely good!).
I do intend to study this phenomenon in greater depth in the future, but for now it will have to wait as I am just regaining consciousness myself. :)
This is a lot more vague than I wanted it to be, but maybe there is just enough information here to make you go "Hmmmm - I should go see what this is about"
I still remember August 16, 1977. I was walking down the back alley with my mom and my brother when our neighbour, Janet, came running over and told us that Elvis was dead.
I was 8 years, but I knew who Elvis was. My mom and dad played him lots. I also remember, later that day, staring at the cover of one of his records (one called "Moody Blue" to be specific) and thinking, "Elvis is dead". To an 8 year old, it seemed very weird, final and sad.
I could take or leave the radio show most of the time, but Stuart really intersected with out family with his annual Christmas show. It became a bit of a tradition for us. In fact, the first time the girls were in the Centre of the Arts in Regina was for one of his shows.
I was always impressed that, in a time of technology and short attention spans, he could walk out onto a stage with nothing but a music stand and a book of stories and hold people's attention for three hours at a time. It was amazing.
Sadly, that is over now. And that is one of the bad things about living in time.... you can't go backward and re-do things.
Now someone may point out, "Well, come on. You really didn't know him" and, if you mean personally, then you are right. But we knew him none-the-less.... and his loss has made me think about other things I wish I could back and experience again.
For example, the first concert Sara and I ever went to together (which is another story I will tell someday soon) was also in Regina - The Nylons. I would give anything to go back to that concert or to see them again - but three of the original four are gone now.
Another group I would like to see..... "Doug and the Slugs". Year ago, I really liked their music, so when I heard that they were going to be in Regina, I said to Sara that we should go. She was less than enthusiastic so we stayed home. Doug died a month later..... and I have brought up that lost opportunity 486789436790467 times in our marriage since then! :)
Now - before you quit reading or think, "Boy - that was a downer today"..... here is then point: Enjoy today! Enjoy what you have.... enjoy who is around.... enjoy the small pleasures.... if you get to do something "once in a lifetime" soak that up too.
Sara is writing an article for a magazine (I will post it when it is published) which is about something much personal than musicians passing away and her last line is something like, "Don't expect that everything will always be the way it now. Nothing stays the same. Therefore, you better have a look around and see what you need to remember".
That is good advice.
Thanks for the laughs and the good memories Stuart!
For those who would like to know more about Stuart Mclean you can click here.
Oddly enough, this morning, before all this happened, I was listening to Doug and the Slugs (for the first time in about 5 years). Just for fun.... here they are performing live in 1987
I get why people don't like Valentine's Day. I understand the whole "made up holiday" and "just a why to sell cards and junk you don't really need" and "If Valentine's Day is the only day I tell someone I love them, then we have trouble" reasoning.
I get it and I sort of think that is true. On the other hand......
Today has made me think about love. Specifically the fact that I have been part of a family that has loved me since I was born.... the fact that I now have a wife that loves me..... that I love and am loved by my own little family.... and that I have a lot of support and love from those around me who are not blood relatives, but are family none-the-less.
That is not to say that things have always been smooth and easy all the time, but love has seen me (and us) through a lot of stuff and has made the journey better.
So today (in relatively chronological order) I am thankful for my mom, my brother and sister, Sara, Katelyn and Megan, Sara's family and for a lot of other people who have been connected to my life in the past and for many more who still are connected in various ways.
If all today does is make you stop and say, "I have been blessed" then maybe Valentine's Day is worth it after all.
Sara was on the radio last Friday promoting her breakfast program. This time she got to to go to the studio and be live on the air.... something that I use to love doing when we recorded messages for the local ministerial group, but she was less enthusiastic. In spite of that, she did a really good job. They have not posted the audio yet (if they do, I will relay the link) but for now here is the link the the little story that they did about her visit.
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And a thought...... I have not been in a "Dollar Store" for a long time, but Sara had to go there tonight so I went with her.
As we wondered around I noticed that some stuff was a dollar but lots of stuff was marked $3, $4 or even $6.
When I mentioned this to Sara she said, "Well, they are all like multiples of a dollar".
How is that a "Dollar Store"? By that definition, every store in the world is a "Dollar Store" because everything is a multiple of one dollar. The GMC dealer is a "Dollar Store" because they sell trucks that cost a multiple of a dollar..... the multiple is 75, 297 mind you, but that still counts!
I think this is wrong. I think we should protest until they either put everything back to a dollar, or they change their name! Who is with me?????????
Hello??????? Anyone??????? I'll pay you a dollar!!! :)
So Sari and I have had an extended Valentine's weekend. It started on Friday night when we played Crokinole.
It continued Saturday morning with breakfast out (one of my favourite activities. If I get to choose to have a meal out - I would always choose breakfast). Then we went for a walk down in Woodlawn where we saw a moose. Later that night we went out for supper and then to the Bruins' game (Unfortunately, they lost to Weyburn).
Sunday we went to church and had a nice time/nice lunch and then we went for a drive in the country. The afternoon ended with me working on my car in the garage and Sara having a nap (we can't spend the whole weekend with one another ya know?) :)
So, it was a nice alternative to busy restaurants and rushing around on Valentine's Day. It was a good time.
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I had a realization today. You know the Winnie the Pooh quote that says......
"If you live to be 100, I hope to live to be 100 minus a day, so that I never have to live without you"
Now..... that sounds nice and romantic etc........ but have you ever considered the fact that for this to work, both people would have to be born on the same day????
For example, say Pooh is a year younger than Piglet. Piglet lives to be 100...... Pooh is 90 at the time. But he said he wanted to live to be 100 minus a day if Piglet lived to be 100..... therefore, Pooh has to live 364 more days without Piglet so that he died at 100 minus one day.
Or say Pooh is a year older...... If Piglet is going to make 100 that means that Pooh gets there a year early - so that means that when Pooh dies at 99 years and 364 days, Piglet is still at 98 years minus a day. Therefore he now has to live a year without Pooh!
The only way it works is for the two people who are in love to have been born on the exact same day.... and what are the chances of that?
So - while Pooh may be all sweet and charming and whatever..... apparently he has trouble with math!!!
I hope the next time you see this quote you think of me. You are welcome! :)
So it is coming up on curling season on TV and so I have started paying a bit of attention (For some reason, I don't care about skins games or whatever - but I watch the Scotties and the Brier every year).
On the men's side this year, our province will be represented by skip Adam Casey..... from PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND!!!
How can that happen? Apparently, every rink is allowed one out of province resident.
I don't think I like this! It is sort of like when Olympic athletes compete for a country other than the one that they live in because one of their parents was born somewhere else.
Even worse is when countries give status to people to just so that their teams will be better. For example, I heard that South Korea has recruited 6 Canadians to play for their Olympic hockey team because - as it is right now with their own players - they are ranked 23rd in the world. The host country gets to put a team in the tournament, but a team ranked 23rd would get killed and it would be completely embarrassing - so they went shopping. They are also chasing after a German luger and an Austrian downhill skier among others.
That ain't right!!!
I say that if you stink at a certain sport..... stink at it and be proud! What is the point of cheering for someone who simply wears your country's colours but really has not connection to it or the grass roots of the sport in that country???? It is sort of like when the Blue Jays won the world series and everyone was cheering because "Canada" won something..... NO WE DIDN'T!!! A bunch of really good players - mostly from South America beat a team from the states made up of a bunch of really good players mostly from South America. I think that even the ball boys were imported.
Maybe everyone should just Stompin' Tom's logic. In 1978 he gave back all his Juno awards because he was tired of competing against people who lived and worked in the states. He figured that if you are going to win a Canadian award, maybe you ought to live here.
So - in the end - I will likely still cheer for "Team Saskatchewan" - even if it sort of bugs me. After all, 3 out of 4 of them live here (maybe).
You may remember that last week I went out to my truck and found a roll of paper towel on the seat. If you do not remember, or need a refresher, click here.
I was mystified. Nothing was missing. No one ransacked the thing. Everything was where it ought to be.
Was it a sign? An omen of something bad that was to come?
The short answer: No!
What was is then?
Sara's aunt and uncle.
When they were over for Christmas supper, it was super cold out, so when they went to start their truck the inside of the windshield fogged up. They came back in and asked for a towel to wipe it down and so we just gave them a roll of paper towel........ which they returned to me last Wednesday night - freaking me out in the process.
So tonight - when I finally found out - we all had a good laugh. The good news here is twofold.....
1. I can sleep at night now know that I am not in trouble with the mafia.
I like space related stuff, so when I came across a page showing various photographs from space spanning the last 70 years I bookmarked it so that I could use it on this blog on a day when I had nothing else to say but needed something interesting to share, so today is that that day (that -by the way - is the longest continuous sentence in the history of man..... you may even saying that it is "One small sentence for a man; one giant leap for the English language")
Editor's note: The quote above includes an extra "a" that most people do not use. When Armstrong uttered this famous quote, it sounds as though he left the "a" out and said "That is one small step for man". That would be unfortunate because "man" and "mankind" are exactly the same thing. What he wanted to contrast was a small step for "a man" (him) and a one giant leap for "mankind" (everyone). To his death, he claimed that he actually did say the extra "a", but that it was obscured by noise on the radio.
Oh.... ya..... click here for the link to the pictures. :)
So - nothing weird or interesting to say tonight - just a quick re-cap of what happened this weekend to both inform you and let you know why I have been AWOL on the blog.
1. The girls came home. Always a lot of fun. Always great to see them. Always sad to see them go again, but we will take whatever time we get with them. They are both doing well and seem to be happy and settled in.
2. I spent a bunch of my weekend out in the garage working on my car. If you are looking for a way to stop watching TV all winter - get a project car to think about/work on. I guarantee that will do it. This weekend I did a bunch of research for parts.... I ordered brake parts..... I patched a hole in the trunk floor and in the floor behind the driver's seat..... I welded that floor panel in.... and I messed with the patch panel for the floor in front of the driver's seat. I know that does not sound like much, but it took probably 10 hours or more. Interestingly, none of it is cosmetic. No one will ever see the time and effort I am putting into this part, but is all mechanical and safety related - so well worth the effort. I am gonna drive that thing this spring - that is the goal.
3. I was not cheering for New England in the Super Bowl..... can't stand them. However, I will give them credit for one of the greatest comebacks I have ever seen. Wow!
4. I did not expect anything from Lady Gaga in the SB halftime show.... and she ended up being better than I expected. I guess that is not hard when you expect nothing. Sort of like going to a movie that you think will be stupid - it usually seems better than you thought simply cause it didn't stink as badly as you thought it would. I think that is what happened here - but I am glad for that - because I have really hated some of the halftime shows.
5. I am just sort of whispering this part because I do not want to be too hasty..... but my shoulder injury is almost healed! (Shhhhh) It has not hurt all day and it hardly hurt at all this weekend even with all the stuff I was doing in the garage. Another week of this and I will be ready to be called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs (I know they were just waiting for the medical report so......)
Well - that is it. Had fun watching the Super bowl with Sari and now we are off into another week. I hope it is a good one for you! :)
I stumbled across this today. You may recognize these guys from a show called "Masters of Flip" (a house flipping show on HGTV). I really like this song. Enjoy! :)
I am not a big movie guy, but I have a fairly good guess what finding a severed horse head in your bed means (a la "The Godfather")
I also know that if you are in a meeting with a crime boss and his associates and that crime boss kisses you on the check and then leaves..... that is not a good thing either.
But I have no idea what finding a role of paper towel on the seat of your truck is supposed to indicate.
When I parked in front of the church building tonight, I left the driver's door unlocked. It has been cold and the lock has been a little finicky, so I just left. Came out an hour later..... and there is a full role of paper towel sitting on the seat. Nothing is disturbed. Nothing is missing. No one has rooted through the glove compartment or the ash tray looking for change..... nothing! Just a roll of paper towel. Clean. Unused. Unexplained.
So..... if anyone can help me out that would be great because I have no idea what is going on.
Is someone going around secretly cleaning the inside of people's windows and they forgot to take their roll of paper with them?
Is it a new life form that only looks like a roll of paper towel (as camouflage) and since it was freezing outside it took shelter in my truck (though I am not sure how it would have opened the door on its own - not having hands and all).
Is someone trying to tell me to "Clean up my act"?
I am very confused!
Maybe it is a sign that I am going to win the lottery! That is what I am going with. :)
