Today's most asinine news story

This is ridiculous. A news story this morning warning of contaminated cocaine. So what? I know I'm going to piss a few people off with this, but who cares? Deep recession, factories closing, terrorism on the rise again, markets in crisis, families about to go through Christmas with nothing, and this is a concern to... who? 

Let's think about this for a minute. Contaminated cocaine. There's an oxymoron if I ever heard one. The stuff isn't exactly aspirin. It's a dangerous drug that can kill you. So they found a batch that will do that a little faster than normal. I say put that crap into production! Distribute it out and let it do it's work. The people addicted to the stuff I do feel for - life hasn't exactly dealt them a fair blow, but this is the basket they landed in. Maybe getting seriously ill will be the catalyst they need to get the fuck off the stuff. Make the stuff safer will only encourage more use! 

Let the stuff do it's worst and let the rest of us get back to what concerns us. Life on the legal side. 

Gimme a break.

What's your stupid news of the day?

Cheers.

16 years

It's been 16 years since Kim was last at class. 16 years of prodding her to go back. 16 years of convincing her that it was the right sacrifice to make. 16 years of Kim saying that she regrets not finishing university. 

She's done.

Kim had her last class today, which will satisfy the requirements for her double honours degree.

I am exceptionally proud of her! Just a short couple of months ago she huddled over the computer on the registrar's website, nervously holding her finger over the submit button. She asked me if she was ready for the step, I said she has been ready for 16 years.

The semester was short, I can't believe it's over already. She was so nervous, looking over her books, checking the exam schedule, wondering how the kids would get along 'without her'. Wondering how I would handle the extra load. She didn't need to worry, we got through it fine and Kim took to her new task the way she always does - with incredible enthusiasm. The kids were fed, the house was cleaned, the exams were passed, she did great. If this semester was an indication she will do wonderfully next semester. Yup, she's not done. She caught the bug again and will head back for even more abuse. 

I'm getting used to it now, seeing her geeked about learning. She has always thrived on school, it's really where she belongs. Wouldn't it be cool to get paid to do that? 

I can't wait to get pictures posted of Kim in her cap and robe, 16 years on, but not too late. It's never too late to start over. Now if she would just decide what she wants to be when she grows up....

Congrats Kim, you earned it.

Cheers.

Crappy nothing happened kind of day

Nothing happened today, or yesterday, an amazing lack of anything. Nothing happened on the way to work, at work, and on the way home. So much nothing that it astounds the imagination as you watch so much nothing all around you. It's like being in a nebula, surrounded in every direction by whirling masses of gaseous nothingness. It was freakin' everywhere. 

Astounding nothingness. 

Tonight's news will be that nothing happened today, so much so that it won't be a slow news day, the nothingness of today will be the news. It will break into your regular scheduled shows to announce that with resounding and overwhelming if not stupidly useless enthusiasm, that nothing happened.

Crap. 

It's nice to have days that something happens, however minor, however useless, at least it's something. Today, I went to work, I came home. The closest I got to something all day was walking out the door.

There, I've written a completely useless blog post on nothing happening. 

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Cheers.

Tree Day

So today is tree day. We all jumped into the car on the first day this year with snow. A lot of snow. There is a large storm front heading our way bringing high winds and blowing snow. Out in the county the winds are the problem, there's not much on the ground and too much in the air. We found the tree farm, requisitioned our saw and trudged off into the treeline with our ears open for the trees that were speaking to us. That's Kim's ritual - the perfect tree talks to her, she must have complete silence to hear it, sometimes it just whispers, other times it yells. The kids of course have taken to this little quirk and head off on their own to commune with nature as it were.

No trees were talking today. There were lots of them, from immature pines not ready for the holidays, to Charlie Brown trees that will be passed over by countless families. Tall, short, scrawny, fat, one tree I wanted to investigate ended up being two grown together to form a super tree. We found one that spoke in the appropriate tone, and parked our son next to it to guard it while we headed off to see if there was anything better. A half hour later, we remembered about him and headed back. I thought he would be upset with us, leaving him there, but he was happy, staying behind the tree to avoid the wind, listening to his iPod. What a woodsman. 

Going to the tree farm brings back memories. Not of hunting for the perfect tree as a kid, we had an artificial tree. Memories of being in the woods in the winter, camping. Yup, that's right, camping. Nothing like it - building a snow shelter, keeping the fire going all night, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, that kind of stuff. I used to teach cadets winter camping and I had more fun doing that than summer camping. No mud! 

I stood in the tree line today, wearing my old combat coat (warmest thing I have) and my old combat boots, recalling days where I would hide lunch in the middle of  a 100 acre woodlot, hand out compasses and tell the 40 kids it was lunchtime and they were cooking for me. I miss those days, someday I will take my kids winter camping. They think I'm nuts for enjoying it, but it's one of those activities you have to experience.

We strapped the tree to the car and began our journey home. Every now and then peeking out of the sunroof to make sure our new passenger was comfortable. We drank hot chocolate and watched the wind blow around the country roads while listening to a Christmas mix CD Kim prepared for the trip.

Tonight is the Santa Claus parade on Riverside Drive. The wind has died down and the snow is falling lightly. Perfect night for a parade. Tomorrow, Christmas truly arrives, the tree will be decorated, and lights outside strung, and other decorations put out. It's about time, we've been having trouble getting going this year with everyone being sick, The spirit is here now. Let's hope the season brings all it promises.

Merry Christmas.

Thank You Thank You Thank You!

My wonderful wife found my missing Tiger install disks that I lost over a year ago.

Thank You Thank You Thank You!

Note: If this means nothing to you, you are a PC user. Move along please.