good things from 2005
I went without sleep three days this week. This is a recurring theme in my life, being woken again and again by my kid, and I’m finding it difficult to be upbeat about anything.
So I thought I’d take a few minutes to remember what’s been good in 2005. It’s tempting to pretend it was all fatigue and financial folly and toddler eye snot, but it’s time to be positive.
- We were sitting around in downtown Ottawa late last year, flush with cash, thinking hey, what can we do to fill our credit cards and change our lives dramatically? Of course, the answer to this is buying a house, which is just what we did.
So now we live in Ottawa South, pretty close to the suburban ideal that I so dislike, and it’s actually pretty good. It’s nice to feel like our money is going towards something that’s ours, even if it means that when stuff goes wrong we have to do something about it ourselves. This pretty much sums up renting versus owning, I suppose.
- The wife and I spent a weekend up at Montebello, which turned out to be not what I was expecting. What I was hoping for was a quiet, relaxing spot to sit by the fireplace and drink heavily. Instead, everybody in Canada was there, and they brought the kids along with. Talk about your family destinations.
That said, I think we both enjoyed the trip, and I personally will always remember the dog sleigh ride through the woods nearby. We could do that again anytime as far as I’m concerned. (Perhaps not from April to November.)
- Two people named Julie came around. One is brand new, my first cousin once removed in-law (beat that), and the other an old friend, returned from Bali with her husband Nyoman to have a kid of her own. Beautiful people, both.
- I got a new bike. As someone who doesn’t drive a vehicle of any sort, the bicycle has always been my preferred method of getting somewhere, and this summer was time for me to finally upgrade from my $100 Walmart special purchased by my wife for my 17th birthday. (She wasn’t my wife back then. Technically speaking.)
I love my new wheels, and I resent winter for making me put them away.
- Saw some live shows. Velvet Revolver and U2 both came through Ottawa, and I suppose I’d put both of those into the ‘pretty good’ category. The mighty C’mon played a few gigs in our local bars, and they were awesome every time.
- Our long-lost friends Lorne and Lisa came for a visit. I hadn’t seen those guys since the wedding, so it was a brilliant thing to have them hang around for a few days this summer. Jody joined in on the fun as well, which meant that the number of dirty Canada-abandoning americans in our home was equal to the number of homeland-loving Canadians for a little while. Fortunately, Lorne and Lisa are talking about moving back north of the border, which I eagerly await. It’d be nice to have some familiar folks around again.
- Left my job as manager of your friendly local TELUS Mobility dealership to be a stay-at-home dad, of course. Scored a very nice going away present from my adoring staff, and then turned around and went back to work part-time three months later. Joke’s on them!
In any case, having been welcomed back with open arms to the store I was responsible for for about three years, and in subsequent conversations with the boss, I have learned that my professional opinion is valued, and that’s a nice thing. And with my for-real, money-making web work coming along nicely on the side, I’m proving to myself that I can probably do whatever I want when it comes to a career, if I ever actually want to pursue anything full time again.
And ad revenue! Steadily trickling in! I can do it all, people. Stand back.
- And of course that thing I’ve talked about in, like, every post since September or something.
I was supposed to just be the guy who took a Photoshop file and made up a template for the Project Porchlight website. A couple days of code, max. Along the way, I’ve managed to spread the love at the launch event, go door-to-door giving away free stuff, and even be dragged off to some warehouse in deep, dark Ottawa South to load boxes of frigging CF lightbulbs. What a trip.
I’ve been very fortunate to be part of the Project, and fully expect the idea to spread across the country – what a rewarding experience, to see a dream come true. The folks involved are great, the cause is fine, and I hope I’ll be included in their shenanigans from here on in.
Oh! And I wrote an article about waterproofing canoes and kayaks! The glamour keeps coming.
Anyway, let’s all hope for a 2006 that doesn’t suck, eh?