Month: June 2023

First one in a while where I haven’t had to be out of town for five or more hours. Feels pretty good to be home, if I’m being honest. As much as I like going places, and doing things, and being with others, the older I get the happier I am to stay home. It’s where my hobbies are. My office / studio space, and my wood shop are all here. Teaming with projects, old, new, as of yet unrealized. It’s great to be home. Plus when I’m home I’m not out spending money. Though I do enjoy experiences of all sorts. It’s cheaper to be home. And as a freelancer with invoices paid at irregular intervals, I’m best to be cautious with money right now.

In continuation of Domestic Duties Monday, I do have a fair amount of laundry to sort through and put away. The never ending cycle of t-shirts, shorts and under pants that I have to wash and sort every single week. Oh my! It’s alot. But I’d rather do that than commute four hours a day down to Liberty Village, or Mississauga or deep into the heart of York Region. Soon enough the kids will stop wanting to play with all of these toys, and their chores will adapt to their age and abilities. I can delegate their own laundry to them, and vacuuming, sweeping, mopping the floors, bathroom cleaning, putting away groceries, loading and running the dishwasher, recycling bins, garbage pick-up around the house, even lawn care or garden bed weeding can be handed over to the two kids. I have them helping with snow removal as is, so that will be a big help as they get stronger. Washing the cars, windows, drive way, so many things I can get them to do. But, for right now, while they are small, I’m ok to do that myself. Ciao Bella.

Here we go. Come on then. Get it out, say it, say it. I know you want to. I can hear it in your voice that you’re itching to say something. Hm? No? Cat got your tongue? “Well, it’s just funny that…”

Another lovely late spring weekend behind us. Father’s Day was pretty good. Busted out the new waffle iron, and gave that a go on Sunday. I need to tweak that recipe a touch, not quite sweet enough for me. But it works, and it was edible. I could have gone with my usual cooked English breakfast, but waffles were calling my name.

I did a fair amount of cleaning on Saturday morning while I was expecting my wife and kids to be out of the house until 10:00 or 11:00am, so the floors got a sweep, a vacuum, and a mopping. Grass got cut. And a general tidy up after my evening watching movies. I have laundry on the go, and the dish washer to run next. So I’m ahead of the game for Domestic Duties Monday. All of the kids extracurriculars other than gymnastics are over until September, so evenings are free and clear once more.

I have some small work matters to attend to this week. Nothing too major. I did recently learn that one of my clients has been acquired, absorbed into a larger conglomerate, and will no longer require my services. Sad. True. But part of the business cycle. I’m no stranger to the ebb & flow of clientele. At some point in the next year I will find a new set myself. Building the business is my least favourite thing to do. RFP’s, proposals, presentations, word of mouth, old friends coming back into the fold, new opportunities. Something somewhere will give. Best to put yourself into a great position to receive whatever is coming. It has happened before, and will happen again.

So that’s how my Monday is starting, how does the rest of your week look? In two more weeks time my wife with have a year off, to be at home, full time, with me, again, just like the lock downs. Should make for interesting times. Ha.

Ciao Bella!

Enjoy the 20th most celebrated holiday in North America, according to Ali Siddiq. Whether out on the golf course, or drunk in the sun day drinking for a BBQ, have a good one. To the non traditional folks that occupy the role, have a good one too.

I celebrated on Friday evening with a fun night in with no children fighting in the house. Watched a favourite movie with a couple of mixed drinks. Was in bed asleep before midnight. A real wild ride.

Happy Sunday mid morning. It’s sunny, warm on the verge of getting hot. Blue skies with some cloud cover. A lovely looking day.

Looks as though I’m going to have an evening to myself, and now I need to figure out what I want to watch. Do I want to do a re-watch of Dune, Bladerunner 2049, or Aliens? Should I switch gears and go for Bridesmaids, Pineapple Express, Knocked up or the Forty Year Old Virgin? I don’t know. It isn’t that much time. And I know myself, I won’t stay up beyond 11:00pm just to watch more than one movie. So I need to choose a real banger. Plus I want to play some guitar (loudly) and fix myself a mixed drink or two. I already went out earlier this week to pick up the orange juice (no pulp), cranberry cocktail, and some 7Up. I’m skipping the ice, in favour of blending in some blue raspberry Freezies into the mix. Maybe the sugar content will help me make it to 11:00pm without falling asleep on the couch. I have my bluetooth speaker all juiced up for a lively play along session too. Ha. Living on the edge here my man! Do I order a pizza? Grab some chicken wings that I have gift certificates for? Who knows? The evening is wide open, at least for now. Maybe I’ll play on my Xbox for a change? That’s always fun. Or catch up on some reading? Start a new sculpting project? Or, now hear me out here, mask up and start air brushing the prepped parts of my resin model kit. So many great options, it’s hard to choose.

I have more photo editing to accomplish today. And probably some sell sheets to tackle aswell. Best finish up with my breakfast, and my day dreaming and get on to working. Ciao Bella!

I really do need to set up an appointment to get blood work done. I see the request form, and think about it, then forget, cycle and repeat. It’s not a fear of needles, or going to the lab, which is near by. I just forget. And I’m not 6-8 months late on pressing go. Gotta get on that. Fast.

Here we are, Wednesday. This month is going by quickly. Very quickly given how much stuff we’ve had to cram into our weekends and school nights. Not done yet, but we are far far closer to the end of the rush period than ever before. Book Fair / Talent Show tomorrow evening, two separate shows at that! Which reminds me I need to contact the school to reserve 3 tickets to at least one of the two shows. Time to write letters, send e-mails, and possibly call a few PTA folks. To Facebook!

I do have some pressing matters to attend to this morning, so I’ll cut this short. Have a great Hump Day everybody.

I nearly forgot to post today. Long, wild, arduous day today. Long time up on my feet on concrete floors, and pavement. Not going to lie, feel a tad dehydrated, and could sleep until noon tomorrow. Weather worked with us, at least until 3:00pm when the rain came. But otherwise a very good day to be up and about. Moving & shaking. Getting things done.

Snap your fingers and it’s all done. Yesterday was the last Spring dance recital of 2023. Works out to about $2,000.00 for both kids, instruction, uniform, costume, and recital tickets. My youngest was a one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater for the Fright Night themed recital. And my oldest was a grey ghost, I think it was anyway. The music choice didn’t give me any helpful clues, that was what I could grasp from her Acro routine. Both were very cute. And well performed, though I am terribly biased towards my own children. Pointed fingers and toes, a lot of snap to the movement changes, stayed on beat, hit their marks (well the older one most certainly did) as the Kinder Dance with teachers on stage was more of a cuteness spectacle than a talent showcase. To be expected in kids under six years of age. Too damn cute!

Still unsure why the kids had to be dropped off a full 90 minutes before curtain call, for a 90 minute show, but I’ve been off stage for many decades, and I don’t typically go to dance rehearsal, their mother does. I will in a pinch, but Taekwon do, Skating, Ringette, Soccer, Gymnastics, Parent-Teacher conferences, sick days, Doctor & Dentist visits are my thing. Guides and dance go to mum. I don’t make the rules but I do enforce them! Ha.

Gymnastics runs until the end of the month, and we have a Talent Show this week, plus a Guiding sleep over, and an Athletic Banquet all this week, so not quite out of the woods yet. Getting ever closer to all extracurriculars coming to a summer shut down. Feels never ending when you’re in it, and then when it does end you realize a whole season or year is over and gone. Hmm. Mixed emotions at the passage of time. I need to eat, and get back to work. Just taking a break while doing laundry, and finding out the kids gymnastics gear. Ciao Bella!